A/N:
Just a wee scene I'd like to see following the end of the last episode (Season 1, episode 12).

I haven't read the books and I don't own any of the characters. Just taking them out for a spin.

Cassie paced beside the grave, chewing on her lower lip as Jake shoveled dirt back over the coffin. "I can't believe he's still alive," she muttered. "How could he still be alive? How come I didn't know?"

Jake paused to lean on the shovel, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of one hand. "He doesn't want you to know."

"Why? Why doesn't he want me to know?" Cassie said, her voice rising in volume. "I'm his daughter! I should have known that he's alive!"

One of Jake's eyes twitched as she shouted into the night - they wanted to remain undetected. But he could sympathize with Cassie's pain. "And now you do. And we're going to figure out what that means."

Cassie nodded, swallowing hard. "Okay. It's just..."

"A lot," Jake finished when she started to get choked up with emotion. "Give me a minute and then I'll drive you home."

Cassie resumed her pacing while Jake finished. She couldn't believe her dad had never contacted her. What did *that* mean? When the grave was filled in again, Cassie followed Jake back to the car. He tossed the shovel into the trunk of his car and wiped his hands on a rag stashed there.

"Does he hate me?" She finally blurted out, tears in her eyes.

Jake took her hands up in his, running his thumbs over the backs of her fingers. "No, he doesn't hate you. He doesn't know you, Cassie. And if he did..." He trailed off, looking down at their hands.

Cassie bit her lower lip and then demanded, "And if he did?"

"He'd love you too."

Cassie's eyes widened as she searched Jake's face. It was too much, too much to cope with right now, this half-assed declaration. She couldn't believe he was testing the waters like that *tonight* of all nights. Her mouth opened, she was going to call him on his poor timing, but then she slammed it shut. She didn't want to shut him down; she didn't know what she wanted. And figuring it out would have to wait, because her father, getting a handle on her dark magic, that had to be her priority.

Jake must have seen something in her expression to warn him off because he released her hands, taking a step back. He ran a hand over his head, and looked to the car. "We better get going, before someone catches us."

"Jake?" Cassie said, waiting until he glanced back at her.

"It's late, Cassie." He pulled the car keys from his pocket and nodded towards it. "Let's go."

"All right," she conceded. And then she poked a finger into his chest, "But we're going to talk about this later."

Jake's lips barely twitched into a smile as he nodded and then urged Cassie into the car. He cast a quick look around the cemetery before getting into the driver's seat. He had the feeling it wouldn't be long before Cassie could address some of the issues she had with her father...