Broken Promises
Disclaimer: we own nothing.
Faye Chamberlain just returned to her house from a nice afternoon of hanging out, making out with Jake, doing reckless solo magic and bitching about evil princess number one. You know, a typical happy day for Faye. And then her day turned sour when she saw Cassie on her couch watching TV.
"What are you doing in my house?" She hissed. "I should call the cops and have them put you in jail for breaking in; that would solve a lot of problems."
Cassie didn't turn to look at her but she could see the eyes of the one woman relationship crew water slightly. Faye huffed not believing evil princess number one was actually in her living room crying.
"Don't think that crying will help you." Tear were actually rolling down Cassie's face now.
"Maybe not but I will help her," Her mom said from behind.
Faye jerked her head back startled and then scowled.
"What is she doing here?"
"She is here because she is going to move here with us for the foreseeable future," Dawn replied sternly in her school principal voice.
"What?" Faye asked outraged. "There is no way she is staying her with us. Besides, she is not our responsibility and you are not her mother."
"Maybe not but I am her godmother and its time I start acting like it," Dawn answered.
To say that Faye was completely and utterly flabbergasted would be a serious understatement. The young witch was stunned out of her mind, her brain going numb and refusing to send signals to the rest of her body, leaving her totally fixed to the spot. Even her heart stopped beating for a second or two, such was her shock. Slowly, almost creepily, her head turn toward Cassie, her jaw almost dropping to the floor in the process. Faye became incapable of coherent speech for the moment but it wouldn't be hard for an onlooker to imagine a subtitle above her head with big red letter saying WHAT!
"I need a drink," Was the first thing she said and actually stormed past her mom into the kitchen.
Dawn looked at Cassie and then decided she had to talk to Faye first. "Faye, we need to talk," Dawn said. "You can't treat Cassie like that."
"Treat her like what. Like she's the person who moved into this town and ruined our lives? She did. I can't believe you. Last time I check you barely talked to her and now you're her godmother and she's living with us." Faye was actually looking through the cabinet for something to drink.
"I've always been her godmother. I just finally started acting like it and if you feel your life has been ruined you can't blame that on Cassie. Cassie has done nothing wrong. I think you better start looking at yourself for the person who ruined your life."
Faye looked at her mother, "I don't have to take this." Faye started walking out but then turned to look at Cassie. "Don't think this changes anything. We all still hate you and wish you never came here." Faye stormed out of the house with Dawn yelling her name after her.
Dawn looked at the door where her daughter had just left and then at the couch. She had two choices. One, go after Faye or check on Cassie. Dawn choose the later seeing that Cassie was starting to shake and was probably going to melt down again.
Dawn got to the couch to see Cassie tears rolling down her eyes and the minute the girl saw Dawn she threw herself on the older women crying once again on her shoulder. "What did I do wrong?" Cassie asked.
"Nothing, you did nothing wrong. Don't listen to her," Dawn said as she held Cassie. She wished she had been with Cassie when Faye showed up, but Dawn had been making a very important phone call to some old friends at the time.
-TSC-
After Faye had left Cassie had cried for a while and then she finally calmed down. Now Dawn and Cassie sat on the couch watching TV. Well really Dawn was watching Cassie more than she was watching the TV. She was still afraid that thoughts of death might be in the girl's mind, especially after what had happened with Faye, and as of such was always worried. Cassie right now was sitting just staring at the TV and Dawn wondered if she was really watching the show. Dawn looked at the TV. It was some little teen show on Nick that Dawn had never seen before. It was called 'Icarly' and seemed to be a comedy, which Dawn thought might be good for Cassie. It was better than watching anything sad or scary in the mind set Cassie was in.
The doorbell rang and Dawn smiled. She had been waiting for that. "I'll be right back Cassie." Cassie nodded and Dawn got up. She opened the door to find the two men she had been expecting: Patrick Glaser and Ethan Conant.
"So what's with the Circle reunion? It's been a while since our entire Circle was together," Patrick meant it as a joke, but it ended up being sad. Since Charles had died the three were all that was left of their Circle.
"Hold on a second." Dawn said. "Cassie, I'm going to be in the kitchen talking to Ethan and Patrick. You think you'll be alright by yourself for a bit?"
"I'm not a baby," Cassie mumbled. "Besides I know you already took all sharp objects out of here. I won't try anything." It was another bad joke and Dawn just stared for a minute. She hadn't realized Cassie had known she was still concern over her death comment.
"Okay," Dawn said not being able to deny the fact. She had made sure the living room was a safe place to leave Cassie without Cassie trying anything.
Dawn walked into the kitchen where Ethan and Patrick were waiting. "Sharp objects? Won't try anything?" Ethan said and Dawn realized they heard the conversation. "Is Cassie suicidal?"
"Possibly," Dawn admitted. "Keep your voice low. I don't want her to hear our conversation."
"Why would she want to kill herself?" Patrick asked worried about his former friend's daughter. Truthfully Patrick had never met Cassie. He knew Melissa knew Cassie, but the blonde had never come over the house to hang out with Melissa and Patrick hadn't bumped into the girl around town. He regretted not going to see her since he was at one time good friends with Amelia, but he had been busy
"Well that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Dawn then told the two about things that had happened that year. Not about her part in Amelia's death or Jane's memory problems, just that the kids had been practicing magic and had gotten Cassie into it too. Then she told them about John Blackwell and what had happened there. Then finally she had told them what the kids had said to Cassie and about Cassie money problems and stuff. "She's depressed. Her only friends in this town have said and done hateful things to her when all she needed was help. I've had a sort of talk with Faye, but I think we all need to talk to our kids."
Patrick and Ethan couldn't believe what their kids had said to Cassie. "My Melissa?" Patrick asked and Dawn nodded. "She's always been so nice. I'll talk to her and Diana. She's been staying over our house the last few nights along with Faye. If Faye's still over I'll make her listen too."
"Adam, I can't believe. The two are..."
"Written in the stars. We know," Dawn and Patrick said together kind of sick of that line.
"It's true," Ethan said. "They're supposed to love each other."
"They did, but John Blackwell took care of that," Dawn said and then explained about the fake curse and how the two gave up their love for each other to 'save' Jake.
"Then we should tell Cassie it was a fake. It might cheer her up," Ethan said.
"She knows she had this great love which she gave up to save someone. How would it cheer her up to know she gave it up because her father was being an evil ass? Also the boy has already moved on and has a new girlfriend so they can't get back together either." Dawn pointed out.
"Dawn's right. It might be better to not tell Cassie that," Patrick said and Ethan agreed.
"I'll talk to Adam. Tell him he's being a jerk. Don't know how we'll talk to Jake. That boy has been nothing but trouble."
"The Circle will take care of Jake if they see sense," Dawn said. "I better get back into the living room. I don't like leaving Cassie alone."
"I would like to meet her," Patrick said.
"And I would like to talk to her," Ethan said. "You think we can?"
"Yeah, it probably would be good for Cassie," Dawn said and the three went back into the living room. Dawn noticed that the other show had ended and something knew had come on. "Cassie, you know Ethan and this is Patrick, Melissa's father."
"Something tells me I know what you were talking about," Cassie said.
"We just want to help you," Dawn said sitting down besides Cassie and putting an arm around the girls shoulder.
"I know," Cassie mumbled and looked at the two men.
"Amelia wouldn't want you to die." Was the first thing out of Ethan's mouth and Dawn gave him a look. Seriously that was all he could think of. Cassie looked away, but didn't say anything. Dawn was pretty sure she was silent because death was still on her mind. "And don't listen to Adam. You're welcome at the boathouse anytime." Cassie nodded.
"I know you don't know me, but Amelia and I were pretty close at one time," Patrick said deciding to stop Ethan from talking anymore. "I missed your mom. I really wished I had come to see you after her death or went to Jane's funeral. This year has been really hectic for me and I'm sorry for that."
"It's okay," Cassie said and then looked around at each of the three of them. "Can you tell me about her?"
"What?" Dawn asked confused.
"My mom. The witch you knew was clearly a different person from the mom who used to play Scrabble with me and the one who teased me about Shane Harding." Cassie then thought for a second and then added "Please don't ask about him." The other three in the room held back a laugh at the comment and decided not to ask. "Anyway can you tell me about her when you knew her. Tell me stories."
Dawn looked at the other two who both nodded. "Sounds like a plan," Ethan said with a smile and shut off the TV. "I'll go first." he volunteered. "Well you know Amelia and I dated at one point right?" Cassie nodded wondering if this story was really a good idea. "Well I had been so nervous to ask her out. I had rehearsed for days in front of a mirror and decided the best place was at the boathouse. You know my father owned it before me and I was a waiter there. So anyway we were by the water and..."
-Flashback-
Ethan ran out onto the dock with a glass in hand over to Amelia. She was stand at the edge looking out at the boats. "A-amelia," Ethan said and the girl turned around. "I...um... brought you lemonade. Yo-your favorite right?"
"Yeah, but you didn't have to," Amelia said.
"I wanted to," Ethan handed out the cup but his hand was shaking and he spilled it all over Amelia's shirt. "I'm so sorry." Ethan said. "Let me." Ethan went to go rub out the lemonade with his sleeve.
"Ethan you're making it worse," Amelia said trying to back away, but ended up tripping and falling right into the water.
"Amelia, are you okay," Ethan said leaning over to look at Amelia. Amelia's head was up over the water and then suddenly Ethan felt a guest of wind hit him in the back. It pushed him right into the water. "You did that on purpose."
"Yes," Amelia said swimming over to the ladder and climbing back onto the dock. Ethan then followed shortly after. "What is wrong with you?"
"Um... Well... I just wanted to ask..." Ethan looked at Amelia who was looking at him. "Never mind."
"Wanted to ask what?" Amelia said as Ethan started to walk away. "Ethan, come on. Just tell me."
"I wanted to know if you would go to the dance with me," Ethan didn't look Amelia in the eyes as he said this. "I can see that is never going to happen now though. Let's just forget this ever happened and please don't tell the rest of the Circle. I don't..."
"Ethan, yes," Amelia said making Ethan look at him. "I'll go with you."
-End Flashback-
"If I remember correctly the date didn't go that well either," Patrick said with a laugh causing Ethan to look at him. Dawn was also holding back a laugh remembering that dance.
"She went out with me again," Ethan said.
"Is that why you always give me lemonade?" Cassie asked.
"Well yeah. It was your mom's favorite, so I figured you would like it too." Ethan then saw Cassie's face. "You do like lemonade don't you?" Cassie shook her head.
"I used to trade with Diana all the time when we came in together," Cassie admitted. "I never wanted to hurt your feelings or anything." Ethan put a hand on Cassie's leg. This girl was so nice and was always thinking of others. She hadn't deserved what the other members of her Circle had said to her.
"Well I think it's my turn," Patrick said and then thought for a moment. "You know Sophie and I were the first to get married." Cassie shook her head. "Okay, well now you do. Anyway it was a small wedding. Our Circle was there along with the elders, but that was it. It was on the beach as the sun was going down..."
-Flashback-
"You may now kiss the bride." Patrick didn't wait a moment before his lips met Sophie. Not too long later they heard a bang and looked up to see fireworks going off!
"What?" Sophie asked and they turned around to see their Circle with their hands up clearly controlling the fireworks. Sophie smiled and laughed. "Come on, kiss," Charles yelled and the two went back to kissing. As they did the fireworks made a heart shape in the sky.
After they were done and the fireworks were over the two went over to their Circle. "Guys that was great. Thank you," Sophie said.
"Don't thank us. It was Amelia's idea," Elizabeth said putting a hand on Amelia's back.
"I can't take all the credit. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys," Amelia said.
"But you thought of it," Elizabeth said.
"Thank you Amelia," Sophie said and hugged the girl followed by Patrick. "When you get married I'm going to have to think of something great to do for you."
"You don't have to," Amelia said.
"But I want to. Come on let's dance," Sophie said.
-End Flashback-
"We spent the rest of the night dancing and having fun truly celebrating, but when I look back at my wedding day I always remember those fireworks. Your mom was one of the sweetest women I had ever known. She was always thinking of others." Patrick finished.
Cassie just sat there not knowing what to say and then turned to Dawn. "What about you?" Cassie really wanted to hear Dawn tell a story about her mom.
"I don't know what I would tell you," Dawn said.
"Please," Cassie said and Dawn looked at Cassie. With the face she was giving Dawn how could Dawn say no. Dawn nodded and then thought for a minute. What could she tell this girl about her mother? Then Dawn remembered something and decided that this was the best thing.
"Okay, well you know I was one of the first in our Circle, besides Sara of course, to get pregnant." Cassie nodded having figured that out. "Well one day before I had told anyone I was in the school bathroom throwing up, after I was done I sat on the floor and cried and I guess Amelia had walked in and heard me..."
-Flashback-
"Hello, who's there," Dawn heard Amelia and mumbled to her no. "Do you need help?"
Dawn knew Amelia wouldn't give up until she got an answer. Not when she had just heard someone crying. "Amelia, it's just me. I'm fine," Dawn said walking out of the stall.
"Sorry, but I don't believe you," Amelia said as Dawn walked over to the sinks. "Your eyes are red from crying and you look like hell. Tell me what's wrong." Dawn looked at Amelia. What harm could it do telling her?
"I'm pregnant," Dawn whispered so low Amelia couldn't hear her.
"What?" Amelia asked.
"I'm pregnant," Dawn said louder and then saw Amelia's shocked face. Tears returned to Dawn's face and Amelia went right away to hug her friend.
"Thomas?" Amelia asked and Dawn nodded.
"What if he wants nothing to do with the baby? What if he leaves me?" Dawn was crying into Amelia's shoulder,
"Tom won't leave you. He may have a temper, but he would never leave someone he cares about." Amelia told Dawn. "You also have me and the rest of the Circle. We'll help you." Dawn wiped the tears away from her eyes and put a smile on her face.
"You're right. Tom will probably want to name the baby after himself," Dawn said with a laugh and Amelia joined.
"You realize it could be a girl though. What would you name it then? Thomasina?" Amelia asked and Dawn gave her a look.
"No way. Where did you even get that?" Dawn asked.
"Some movie about a cat. Don't ask," Amelia said. "So what would you name it if it's a girl? Emily?"
"No." Dawn thought for a minute. "How about Cassie?" Dawn then shook her head. "Wait, no. It's a nice name, but I couldn't picture myself with a daughter named Cassie."
"I like it," Amelia said.
"Well if you ever have a daughter you can use it," Dawn said.
"Thanks, hopefully I don't have to use it too soon though." Amelia laughed. "How about Faye?"
"Faye?" Dawn asked. "Where did you get that?"
"Some book. It's an unusual name. Sounds like something you would like," Amelia said and Dawn nodded.
"I like it. I think I will use that if it's a girl. Then again I still have months to decide," Dawn said smiled at her friend. "Come on, we better get to cla..." Dawn ran back into the stall to throw up again.
"You okay?" Amelia asked.
"This baby is going to kill me," Dawn mumbled and Amelia couldn't help but laugh.
-End Flashback-
"So, you're saying you named me and mom named Faye?" Cassie questioned and Dawn thought it over and then nodded. "Cool." Cassie then looked down at the floor and Dawn saw tears coming to her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Dawn asked and Cassie nodded. "Cassie, what's wrong?"
"I miss her," Cassie whispered and then for what felt like the hundred times Dawn had her arms around Cassie as she cried into her shoulder.
"Maybe we shouldn't have told you the stories," Ethan said and Cassie shook her head.
"No, I loved them. It just with everything that happen I never got to mourn my mom right," Cassie said.
Dawn patted Cassie on the back as she continued to cry and Ethan and Patrick said comforting words. After Cassie felt better both Ethan and Patrick said their good byes and left leaving Dawn and Cassie by themselves.
"Cassie, I have to know." Dawn said making Cassie look at her. "Are you still thinking about death?"
"It has crossed my mind, but I won't do anything. I promise I won't." Dawn knew Cassie meant what she said, but it did nothing to make Dawn any less worried. She knew better than anyone that promises were always broken.
-TSC-
Later that night Dawn sat on her bed thinking over everything that had happened that day. She thought of the stories her, Ethan, and Patrick had told Cassie and remembered Amelia. She remembered how nice Amelia was and how Amelia had always been there for anyone in the Circle. She couldn't believe she had played a major role in her death. Tears came to her eyes. "I'm so sorry Amelia. I'm so sorry." Dawn said to a person who wasn't even there. "I'll make it up to you by taking care of Cassie." Dawn then lay on her pillow and cried.
"What's wrong?" Dawn heard Cassie asked and turned around. Cassie was standing in her doorway in her pajamas. Dawn had gotten a guest bedroom set up to be Cassie's bedroom and the two had gone back to Cassie's house to get some of her things. They were going to look into selling the house soon and moving everything in it into storage.
"Cassie, I thought you were asleep," Dawn said wiping the tears away.
"Why are you crying?" Cassie asked sitting down on the bed.
"It's nothing Cassie," Dawn told the girl.
"Please tell me. You've helped me. Let me help you," Cassie said looking at Dawn.
Dawn looked at the girl. She had the right to know how her mother died. Also Dawn felt so guilty. She had to tell her. She just had to. "Cassie, I..." Dawn stopped as her cellphone rang and turned around to answer it. "Hello."
"Hey, is Kate there?" A girl's voice said
"You have the wrong number," Dawn said.
"Oh, sorry." The girl hung up and Dawn turned back around to look at Cassie. Cassie was lying on her bed now with tears in her eyes.
"Cassie, what's wrong?" Dawn asked.
"I had another nightmare before," Cassie told Dawn. Dawn laid down next to Cassie and held the girl. Cassie put her head on Dawn's chest. "You were upset about something."
"It was nothing Cassie. I was just upset about what Faye said to you." Cassie didn't question the excuse Dawn gave her.
"Can I stay here tonight?"
"Of course," Dawn said and watched Cassie until she fell asleep. Dawn couldn't believe she had almost told Cassie about her part in Amelia's death. It might have made Dawn feel better, but how would it have made Cassie feel. She probably would have been crushed. She probably couldn't take the information. Dawn was the only person Cassie had at this point and telling her that would probably cause Cassie to get even more depressed. She probably wouldn't turn to Dawn anymore and then that could lead to Cassie actually killing herself. No, Dawn finally decided, Cassie could never find out about her role in Amelia's death. I'll take my guilt with me to my grave, Dawn thought to herself.
Dawn held Cassie closer to her and then kissed the girl on top of the head. Dawn saw a little smile appear on Cassie's face and heard Cassie mumbled 'mom' to herself in her sleep. Dawn bite her lip and then looked up, "I will take care of her Amelia. I'll take care of her like she's my own daughter. Hell I'm taking care of her better than I've ever taken care of Faye right now. So if you can hear me wherever your soul is now just know that." Dawn closed her eyes and fell asleep not too long later.
AN: okay that the end of chapter two. The next chapter is the last chapter. Hope you liked this chapter and remember it was co-written with my fellow The Secret Circle Project writer Forcystus5. So tell us how you liked what we did in a review and remember to check out our season 2.
Also I would like to say I put links on my profile to The Secret Circle Project facebook, tumblr, and twitter pages. Please go follow us on all three.