Disclaimer: I don't own The Secret Circle. Otherwise there would definitely be a second season somewhere.
Author's Note : Hope you guys like this little one-shot. I quite like the idea friends-focused stories in this fandom, because all of the members of the circle have such a complicated, and excepting Cassie, long and involved history with each other, that it's bound to be an entertaining mess, kind of like Beverly Hills 90210 but more magic-y and whatnot. Anyway, love it or hate it - tell me what you think.
Just Like Old Times
It's the only bar that's open on a Sunday night in town and the only reasons that they are dancing is because they (solo) magic'ed the music to play something halfway decent and the alcohol has kicked in. Even through the haze that alcohol always creates, Melissa's self aware enough to feel a pang for the missing Diana and to try and ignore the permanent pang that the permanently missing Nick has left.
She's also aware enough that this isn't just Faye having some fun, blowing off steam or celebrating getting their solo magic back. Out of all of them, Faye's always been the best at lying, to others and to herself. Melissa has no doubt that all of Faye's vulnerabilities had notched up exponentially after being caught and essentially tortured by the witch hunters. And if Faye was feeling vulnerable, she'd do her damndest to convince everyone and herself that she isn't, and she'd do it in the most extreme ways possible.
So Melissa, actually genuinely having fun and enjoying the freedom, was also covertly keeping an eye on her best friend whom she'd nearly lost as permanently as Nick. She kept account of all the glasses of wine slipping down Faye's throat and how wildly, almost defiantly Faye danced. She noticed how Faye favoured her left hip (she's sure there's an injury of some kind on her right) and pointedly ignores the obvious bruises and friction burns on her wrists.
She's also aware that she's not the only one keeping an eye on Faye. She's not entirely sure what snapped him out of it, but Jake's eyes are very much solely on Faye now and even if he's keeping himself in the shadows and out of Faye's oblivious radar, she's very much on his. Melissa doesn't mind too much. If she's honest, she can recall that perfectly horrible pressure on her chest when Faye was gone and they weren't sure if they'd get her back alive, and she's more than happy to have a second pair of eyes to make sure nothing happens.
What does surprise her is when she catches a third pair of eyes watching the two of them dancing. She blinks, surprised to see Adam in a corner, nursing a drink. No other empty glasses, she notes, glad that it didn't seem like a 'drowning their sorrows in alcohol' sort of event, but she's not entirely sure why Adam is here.
It's when the song ends that Faye breathlessly stops her twirling (Jake's eyes following her every movement). She stumbles to the bar and Melissa follows her automatically, ready to try and convince Faye to not drink more alcohol when she orders some water. Sparkling, of course, she says with a dazzling, flirty smile.
Melissa does briefly wonder if this means hell has frozen over. She wonders all the more when Faye orders a couple of shots for 'the poor saps watching us dance' (with a wink, this time). They get delivered to Adam and Jake, who's now sitting at Adam's table. And they actually seem to be conversing. It's not a fun conversation. She can tell from the tension in Adam's rigid back and Jake's furrowed brow. But it's not led to bloodshed so why the hell should she care for now?
They're back on the impromptu dance floor, glasses of water in hand. There's less defiance in Faye's movements, more relaxation, and she wonders if having the two boys there are the reason why. It doesn't bother her. She feels her own guard slipping off and now she's just enjoying the beat that's loud enough to create vibrations through her body.
When the song ends, she realises Faye's gone. Before the fear fully kicks in, she finds her wayward, panic attack inducing friend by the table the boys are sitting at. And the way she's leaning over the table, she knows Adam's got every opportunity to have a nice, long peek down her top. She's flirtatiously smiling at him, grabbing his hand and pulling him up to dance. Seductively. And from the way all of their eyes glance over to Jake, they all know it's one big show for him and Melissa feels a rush of pride for her, for not taking his crap lying down. She should have known better than to think that Faye would forgive and forget so easily.
Jake looks ready to punch Adam and this just makes Melissa's smile a tiny bit brighter but she decides to play some damage control. She dances her way to Adam and as she rolls her hips against his, she allows Jake to step in and dance with Faye.
'Do you think she'll be okay?' His breath feels warm against her ear and she so desperately wishes it would be Nick's.
'Who? Cassie? I'm sure she'll be fine.' She has to give it to Adam – the guy has decent moves. She turns around to face him, one arm around his neck and the other in her hair as he holds her by her hips.
'I meant Diana.'
His face is meant to be blank but she's known him for too long to be fooled by it. There's guilt, there's pain, there's also resignation. He realises he loves her but he knows he's lost her and she feels sympathy for him for the first time in a long while.
'She'll be fine.' She doesn't tell him that Faye and her will be keeping tabs on Diana, magically and not.
He just nods and then grimaces. 'I think Jake's staring at Faye's breasts.'
A gurgle of laughter escapes Melissa. 'Like you weren't?' She retaliates.
'Hey. That was totally non-voluntary.' His lips are quirking upwards into a smile and they both look over at Jake and Faye, only to find his hands over her breast. Melissa's rolling her eyes, ready to make a quip about being appropriate in public when she realises that they both look rather serious and, on closer inspection, he's not feeling her breast so much as following an angry red mark, placed directly over her heart.
She feels sick all of a sudden.
'Guys, I'm okay.' Faye's arms are around her and her smell is surrounding her and she lets her energy soothe her, blinking away tears. Jake's arduously avoiding eye contact and even Adam's looking sympathetically at her.
'No, you're not.' Adam's words sound harsh but true, all the same.
'Ok-ay,' Faye prolongs the syllable for an extra beat or two. 'I'm not fine. None of us are. But we will be.' They're huddled in some sort of awkward group hug kind of thing but it feels kind of necessary right now, so they're all staying there. 'Look, we've all had a really shitty year, some of us more than others.' Faye's eyes ghost over from Jake to Melissa. 'And you know what, those scars will always be there, but the wounds will heal.' It almost sounds like Faye's personally forcing the wounds to heal and it's enough to make Melissa feel a little less despondent. 'We just need to be there for each other. Not in a hand holding, kumbaya sort of way but a cooler, if-you-feel-like-killing-yourself-call-me sort of way. But you know what? We're still here, we're still together, and we may not be fine right now, but we will be.'
She's hardly Oprah and that's hardly the most motivational speech she's ever heard. In fact, she would strongly advise Faye away from a career as a motivational speaker. But she's just realised she's smiling again and Jake looks less like he wants to throttle someone and Adam looks less like he's just lost the love of his life. It's almost like old times. Except that Nick is dead and Diana's gone and Cassie's delved dangerously into black magic but Faye is right. They will be fine.
Faye's hips are already swaying and none of them care too much that she's favouring her right hip. They order a shot each, let the alcohol eat away their inhibitions and dance to the somewhat bearable music that they'd magic'ed up.