A/N: I am NOT dead. I've just been lacking in inspiration lately… Anyways, I decided to extend upon a sequence from a one-shot of mine called Trials and Tribulations. It's basically another version of Norma leaving. I just love writing this scene in about a million different ways…

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. I also don't own the brief reference to Vienna by Billy Joel.

…

Smog hung in the sky so thick, not a sliver of blue could be seen. Puffs of black smoke floated out of the factory that stood, so impressive in size and so dark in color. It was a wonder how something as bright and cheerful looking as a thneed could come from such a place. But who even cared?

Inside that factory hung ornate decorations, portraits, the finest silk curtains, gold lined doors and such. Just outside two beautifully made doors was the receptionist desk, manned by a woman in glasses with blonde hair in a very up hair do.

At the doors was a set of twins, by their looks, not the brightest bulbs.

"Have the new papers been sent to my office like I asked?" His green tailored suit was bold and bright in contrast to the environment just outside the window. His mother, who sat at the desk, filing her nails, blandly nodded. With one hand, she threw him a kiss, her expression distracted and uncaring. Onceler failed to notice as he walked on, heading towards his office.

The double doors opened in front of him by his brothers, who each wore a blank expression. He strode in, his chin held high and his sunglasses hiding his once bright and childlike eyes.

…

"Vienna waits for you…" Norma stood in her room, facing her mirror. She softly sang the line to a song she'd grown to find very relatable. A few tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and her curls were slightly messy. She wore a simple dress, something she hadn't worn in over a year to avoid the disapproval of Once-ler's mother. It was green, a soft, grassy green, unlike the color of her fiancé's suit which much more resembled the color of money.

The clock ticked behind her, releasing a loud chime as the hour passed, reminding her that it was now 7 PM.

Slowly, and with a great amount of reluctance, she started towards the door. Her foot steps were heavy, nearly dragging across the ornate carpet f her bedroom.

…

A knock came to Once-ler's office, interrupting his concentration as he signed paper after paper concerning thneed production. He grunted and glared at the door before his eyes returned to his work. "Busy," he muttered absently.

There came another knock, this time the door opening a few seconds afterwards. In stepped Norma, her expression nearly blank, excluding the tears that still threatened to spill. "Norma darling, I am very busy at the moment. Could you come back later?" There was an edge to his words, a harshness that had been there for months now, never once faltering, not even for Norma.

"I just—I just wanted a moment to talk. Then, I'll leave you in peace," Her voice wavered, the sounds coming out very choked up.

Her eyes stared down at the floor as Once-ler finally looked up.

"What is it? I'm quite busy at the moment and I don't have time for silly little chats. I have a business to run and you know it." His tone reeked of impatience and annoyance.

She took the steps toward him and gently plucked the sunglasses from his face, nodding slowly. She finally met his eyes, staring into two dead looking eyes. She lifted her hand to his face, gently stroking his cheek.

In a slow movement, she leaned down and kissed him, letting a single tear slide down his cheek. His lips were chapped and dry. Still, she felt the spark that she felt the first time they kissed. She just wasn't so sure he felt it too. Not anymore, anyways…

She pulled away slowly, savoring the last kiss she'd ever have from him. Her eye lids were half closed as they separated, just as his were. She could see an emotion cloud up his eyes but she had no clue to what is was. Love? Or maybe lust? She couldn't rightly tell.

She took a step back as Once-ler recovered from his daze. "I'll let you get back to your work, Once-ler. I'll be leaving… Goodbye."

Her footsteps weren't hurried but they might as well have been by the echo they seemed to create. She held her chin high as a few more tears slid down her face, falling from her chin to the floor.

…

It was much too late when Once-ler finally realized what had happened. She was long gone, somewhere far from him and his lifeless touch. He hadn't noticed the glimmer of her tears until she had walked out that door, out of his life.

He'd gone running after her when he figured out what 'Goodbye' really meant. He'd search the entire factory, top to bottom, all in the hopes that she was still there, that maybe he could convince her to stay. But no. She was gone, as gone as the sunshine and as the blue of the sky.

When he checked her bedroom for a second time, he noticed a small package left on the comforter of the bed. It was an envelope, the slight bulge of a small item piquing his curiosity.

He ungracefully plopped down on the bed and picked up the package, fingering the beautifully written word on the front, 'Onceler'.

He gently tore the envelope, reaching inside and pulling out the object. None too surprising, it was the ring he'd proposed with, still glimmering gold with a small diamond accenting it. It was just Norma's taste, simple, elegant without overdoing it.

Next, he pulled out a sheet of stationary, custom for his business. His own eyes started misting up as he read the words written.

Dear Once,

You're always in my heart, even if I'm not in yours. Goodbye.

Sincerely, Norma

He blinked back the tears in his eyes and rose from the bed, letting his shoulders slump as he walked towards the door. The letter, gripped in his hand, fell as his arms went limp. He opened the door and with a slight squeak of the door, he shut it once more, at the same time, closing his heart.