Sooo, I just realized that I had no idea how I was grouping these perspectives. If you have suggestions, please review or PM me!
Enjoy & review!
Wait...waaaait...nope. I still don't own any of these characters.
-Nick-
Nick and Cassie spent the day together talking about anything and everything. Catching up, detailing the past few years, revealing secrets that had only been thought and felt, never vocalized. When it finally got to be around eleven Nick yawned and Cassie suggested that they go to bed.
"Cassie...this may have been my imagination running away with me. But were you in my bed last night?" Nick asked as they climbed the stairs to their rooms.
Cassie blushed, "Well, I didn't want you to be lonely...and I was cold...and I was worried.."
Nick grinned, "Do you want to sleep there again tonight?"
Cassie just nodded and followed Nick into the big blue room. Nick took his shirt off and began to unbutton his jeans when Cassie gasped. "Nick..."
Nick looked down. His bare chest was covered in large purple and blue bruises. He sighed and said, "Yeah. That's what fighting does to you." Cassie's eyes filled with tears and spilled over.
"Now Cassie, don't cry. They don't even hurt! I'm fine and you're taking such good care of me. Right now, I don't even think a severed limb could break my spirit." he walked around the bed to cradle her sobbing form.
"I just..feel so r-respo-onsible!", she said into his chest.
He sighed. "Tell you what, let's go to bed now and tomorrow we can go see if anyone has any bruise healing solvents. Sound good?" he asked. She nodded up at him, her tears ebbing away.
"Good, now go change into your pajamas and come back to bed with me." She nodded again and bounded across the hall to her room. He stripped down to his striped boxers and climbed into the big blue bed. Cassie appeared in a purple top and plaid pajama shorts, she looked adorable as she snuggled up to his side. They sighed at the same time and she broke into a fit of giggles. After that had subsided Cassie fell asleep in Nick's arms.
"I love you Cassie." he whispered to her. She just sighed quietly and finally fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Nick quickly followed her example and all was quiet in the Blake house.
-Cassie-
Cassie felt soft kisses traveling up her neck and slowly making their way to her mouth. She opened her eyes after one exceedingly gentle peck on her lips. Nick smiled down at her and Cassie gasped. Again, she was thoroughly surprised by the large bruises covering almost every inch of Nick's chest. Anger began to well up in her chest, Adam had done this. He was going to pay.
"Cassie...?" Nick asked cautiously. She looked into Nick's mahogany eyes questioningly. "You looked like you wanted to murder something for a second there.", he elaborated.
"Adam. Gave. You. Bruises." she said through clenched teeth. Nick smirked.
"Ha. Yeah, well we can beat him up together later."
Cassie giggled at the idea of her beating Adam up. She liked the idea that she could make him pay.
After they had eaten and changed and showered they walked hand-in-hand over to Diana's house. It was still early, but Cassie knew Diana would be awake. Sure enough, when they knocked on her door Diana opened it in a flourish already dressed and ready for the day.
"I hope we aren't here too early." Cassie said slowly. Diana smiled and pulled Cassie and Nick into the house.
"Never! Everyone else is already here anyways."
Cassie blushed, great now they have to deal with the whole Circle finding out about "them" in one fell swoop. Cassie followed Diana into the large living room area and was immediately attacked with hugs. Mostly from Laurel and Suzan, but a few from Sean and the Henderson twins. When the hugs were done Cassie's eyes fell on Diana again, and to Cassie surprise she was sitting in someone's lap. Cassie squealed and ran to hug her. Diana laughed and Adam smiled at them both.
"Well, that makes our lives so much easier. Huh, Nick?" Cassie said happily, returning to where Nick had settled on a chair. Everyone around the room gasped (except for Adam and Diana, who smiled. And Faye, who's eyebrows rose the slightest degree).
"I am so happy for everyone!" cried Laurel who had tears in her eyes.
Chris Henderson looked rather disappointed and everyone else looked pleased.
"Well, I guess we should all do something. Celebrate? Party?" Sean asked the Circle.
"Yeah! We should have another midnight swimming party!" exclaimed Chris. "Except this time, I don't there should be swim suits..." he eyed Cassie longingly. Nick stiffened next to Cassie and shot Chris a bird, he just shrugged.
"Well, apart from the whole 'no swim suits' part, I think that would be an awesome party idea. Laurel, could you get everything prepared by tonight?" Diana said as Laurel began to nod.
"Wait, you guys. Hold on a minute. I didn't think there was going to be any swimming going on in my visit here, so I didn't bring a swim suit." Cassie said.
"That's all right Cassie. You can go without one!" Chris said teasingly. This time Cassie shot him a bird.
"Oh shut up Chris!" Diana exclaimed. "We can head over to the mainland together and buy one while everyone else gets ready."
Cassie smiled and said, "Sounds great! I'll come by your house and honk around noon?"
Diana nodded and asked, "Anyone else want to tag along?"
When no one said anything Diana told everyone to go home and get ready, that they would meet on the beach at 7.
As Cassie pulled up to Diana's house, she felt a wave of nerves go through her. What if Diana had changed over the two-year span? What if she hated Cassie now? What if she held a grudge over Adam?, Cassie thought. Diana walked out and ran to Cassie's waiting car. Driving was little awkward at first, but eventually everything felt exactly like it did prior to California.
They shopped for hours, going to every shop on the mainland looking for just the right bikini. While they shopped, Diana filled her in on everything that had happened over the past few years, what happened with Adam last night, all the spells they had found, everything, and anything in between. When they went into the last shop in town, they saw it, the perfect swimsuit for Cassie. It was the perfect blue to compliment her skin tone and bring her eyes out. It even had little sparkly beads sown onto the top of the chest part. They bought it and began walking towards Cassie's car when Diana stopped and exclaimed' "Darn! I left my phone in the store, you go ahead to the car and I'll go grab it. Be out in a sec.", all before Cassie could even think.
Cassie shook her head and got into the car smiling. Diana came out minutes later, phone in hand and an odd look on her face. She got into the car and smiled at Cassie. Cassie let the look go, hoping she could ask about it later. While they were in the car Diana started talking to Cassie about Nick and Adam and how she was so happy everything worked out for the best. When Cassie asked Diana if she was upset at her because of what Adam and she did to Diana a few years back, Diana looked shocked. As if it never occurred to blame Cassie or Adam for her heart break.
"No." she said firmly and Cassie believed her.
-Diana-
When Cassie and Diana got home, they went straight upstairs to get ready for the party. Diana insisted that Cassie's hair be braided into two pigtail braids and that Cassie wear the new perfume she had concocted. She thought it smelled heavenly, like honeysuckle and power woven together. When they were both ready it was 6:45 and they walked down to the beach to help set up.
Most of it was already done, but Laurel still needed help putting the finishing touches on her warming potion and the Hendersons needed help carrying the drinks down from the car. At exactly 7:00 everything was ready and everyone was there. Laurel passed around the thermos of nasty smelling liquid and everyone began stripping down to their bathing suits. Nick went over to Cassie and put his arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear, she giggled. Adam went over to Diana and put his hand in hers saying they should get in the water before anyone tried to take anyone else's suit off. She agreed and they splashed into the water together. Then, Diana got a really witchy idea.
"Hey guys! Why don't we play a game?" she asked. Most of the members looked skeptical before she explained it. Someone hides somewhere on the beach and everyone else has to look for them, kind of like hide and seek, except for the twist! When you find the person, you have to take something of theirs. "To prove you found them first, of course." she tagged on at the end.
"Okay. Who goes first?" Deborah asked.
"I vote Sean!" Cassie nearly shouted. Everyone laughed, but agreed that he should go first. He sighed and started lurking away while everyone closed their eyes.
"Ready or not, here we come!" Suzan yelled.
They all searched and searched, finally Nick found him under a far away dock. Everyone gathered around the two boys to see what Nick would take.
"I want..." he winked at Cassie and continued "your...favorite...pair of...underwear."
Everyone 'ew'ed and giggled, a couple guys gave Nick a high five. Sean groaned, "Man, but they have the power puff girls on them!"
At this statement everyone erupted in uncontrollable laughter and picked another person to go and hide. This time everyone chose Suzan, she made a protesting noise but then sauntered off to hide while everyone closed their eyes.
This time it was Doug Henderson who shouted, "Ready or not, here we come!"
Suzan was rather quickly found behind some reeds by Faye, who requested a sparkly red top that Suzan had in her closet. Suzan gasped and said, rather sadly that she would hand it over tomorrow. Finally, it was Diana's turn to go and she knew exactly where to hide.
-Cassie-
It took them forever to find Diana, who had hidden behind an old fishing boat, and it was Adam who finally found her.
"What do I want from you...?", Adam began. "I want...a kiss!"
Diana sighed but kissed Adam on the cheek. He grimaced and mumbled something along the lines of 'not what I meant.' Diana grinned and swam towards Cassie.
"I think Cassie should go next!" she announced.
Cassie sighed, but nodded compliantly. Everyone closed their eyes so she could go hide, but she knew they wouldn't know where she went. She swam quietly behind an ancient gazebo that seemed to float in the middle of the ocean. She heard Nick shout 'Ready or not, here we come!' and held her breath. Through one of the holes in the wooden planks holding the gazebo up she could see Deborah swimming fiercely past. She heard a splash behind her. It was Chris Henderson, crap.
"I found Cassie!" he shouted. She sighed and let him tug her out from behind the gazebo.
"And what do you want from Cassie?" shouted Melanie with a smile tugging at her mouth.
"I want..." he seemed to seriously consider it for a moment before he shouted to the group. "A date!"
