Sorry so long for this update. Been super busy but the summer is here and after July 4th I will be able to spend more time on my stories.

Hope you like it!

I don't own the secret circle

Xoxo H

Cassie and Nick got outside just in time to see Jake drive away at super speed in Cassie's car. No one said anything as everyone knew that the person who was going to really need some time to process would be Faye and no one would deny her of that.

"So what are you guys doing?" Cassie said to Melissa who was standing there with Ada, who had his hand in his pocket, and Melanie who looked more confused than she had earlier.

"I am taking the girls home to talk to Melissa's dad and then I need to go see my dad" Adam said with an evil look in his eye, as the girls got into his Jeep.

"Adam, don't be too hard on him, I honestly think he was trying to do the right thing. He didn't know what was really going on between Blackwell and the Hunters" Cassie said and Adam just gave her an obnoxious look, got in his Jeep and drove off with Melissa and Melanie, leaving Nick and Cassie alone.

"Want a ride?" Nick asked as headed towards Jake's truck. "Nah I think I will walk" Cassie said distantly and Nick smiled a soft smile. "Well, then I will walk with you" he said and Cassie paused for a minute. "If you don't mind, I would rather be alone right now" she said quietly, her eyes unable to meet his. Nick was hurt, he really wanted to be there for her, to comfort her, however, he knew she had a lot to think about, he would not push her.

"You have your phone?" he asked and Cassie reached into her pocket and showed it to him and he smiled. "Good. I don't know how safe it is out here so just be careful and if you need anything at all please call me" he smiled a gentle smile.

"I will" she said and as she walked away she turned back to him "Hey Nick?" she called. He turned from the truck and looked at her, noticing how her features seemed to have soften up a bit. "Can we talk later?" she said, her voice hesitant. Nick smiled "I am here whenever you are ready". Cassie nodded and walked away.

As Cassie walked, she thought about everything she had learned from Dawn- her mother, her father, the deaths, the hunters and Ethan. She still was not sure what the elixir not working on her meant. Did that mean that Adam was destined to her but she was destined to someone else? Then the face of a green eyed boy popped in her mind-Nick. She remembered everything about him- his smile, his scent, what she felt like when her kissed her, the betrayal and the secrets and Cassie grimaced. Would her thoughts of Nick always be tainted by the truths he kept from her? Not if she didn't allow them to. Cassie vowed to try to put them all past her. She knew in order to that she needed to talk to him honestly about what she was feeling and that scared her. She already had let him in once and she got hurt, was it worth the risk to give it another try? She wasn't so sure.

Nick arrived at his house to find Jake sitting in the living room looking through old pictures. "Hey Jake. How's Faye?" Nick said shuffling his feet. He knew his brother had a temper and was afraid that Jake would be pissed about what Nick had Dawn do.

Jake rubbed his brow "She's asleep. She is just….." his voice trailed. "I am sorry about that, Jake. We all needed the truth" Nick said remorsefully. Faye was his friend and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

"It's alright, Nick. We all needed to know those things, no matter how much it hurts" Jake said, staring at a picture in the open album that was on his lap. Nick walked over to Jake and peered over his shoulder to see a picture of his mom-her dirty blond hair cascading down her shoulders and she was holding a little baby. Next to her was his father- strikingly handsome with the same green eyes and Nick with an curly haired blonde toddler on his lap. Nick never knew his parents and it pained him to think of what he was missing out on "She was beautiful" Nick said staring at his mother. "She sure was" Jake said "she had this perfume that smelled like Roses and I swear sometimes I can still smell it". Nick frowned "I wish I remembered them". Jake didn't say anything further. Talking about them, about anything having to do with them, made him sad and uncomfortable.

"How's Cassie?" Jake asked and Nick shrugged. "She said she wanted to walk home alone but that she wanted to talk later, whatever that means" Nick frowned. "She's coming around, Nick. Just give her some time and when she is ready to talk, just listen. We all know that your intentions when it comes to Cassie are good" Jake reassured his brother and Nick was grateful for Jake. Their relationship was on its way to being repaired he just hoped that was the case when it came to Cassie.

Nick went upstairs to his room and looked out the window towards the Blake house which was dark- not a light on in the place. Cassie should be home by now he thought to himself as he started to worry. Something was telling him that something was not right. He was starting to feel anxious when he got a text message from Cassie Meet me at the boathouse it read. He texted her back that he would be right there but he still felt off as he left the house and headed to The Boathouse. He tried to call Cassie on the way, but it went to voice mail. Nick was feeling anxious as he spend faster down the windy road that wrapped around the marina. His anxiety was rising and he was hoping that he could keep in check, not wanting to trigger his dark magic.

When he got to The Boathouse he spotted Melissa sitting in a booth, Cassie was nowhere to be found. "Hey Melissa!" Nick said sliding into the booth, across from Melissa. "Hey" Melissa said quietly as she sipped a cup of coffee. "Are you alright?" he asked and Melissa shook her head, her dark curls bouncing off her shoulders "Everything I thought I knew about my family is wrong". Nick understood what she was feeling, nothing was ever what they thought when it came to witches and magic. "I talked to my father. He had an issue with his brother, Mark. Apparently Mark and my mom were a serious couple before Blackwell came. They were engaged and when Blackwell decided that my mom should be with my dad, he willed it to happen which caused a huge rift between my dad and uncle Mark. They haven't spoken in 16 years" Melissa said and Nick just listened. "Mark, without the help of Blackwell, started dating a non-witch and she got pregnant immediately. So they married and then Melanie was born. The night of the fire, Mark fled because he was afraid Blackwell would kill Melanie for being a half-witch when everyone else in the circle was full. Blackwell intercepted them and pointed them towards New Salem where there was a Circle that Melanie would fit in well with" Melissa finished.

"Wow. That's a lot to take in" Nick smiled softly and took her hand, not in a romantic but in a friend way "You are going to be OK, Melissa, you are strong and you will get through this". "Thanks Nick" she smiled and that faded quickly. "Can I ask you a question?" she said not letting go of his hand "Sure" he said as Ethan Conant, not wanting to interrupt the conversation placed a cup of coffee in front of Nick and Nick nodded a thank you. Melissa watched as Ethan walked into the back, not wanting him to hear what she was about to say. "What do you think is wrong with Adam? Ever since the skull and your return he has not been himself and I am worried about him" Melissa was uncomfortable taking to Nick about Adam but she felt like he was the one person she could trust, that would give her an honest answer. Nick, still holding on to Melissa's hand sighed "I am not sure Melissa. I can tell he cares about you but something is definitely off maybe it's residual magic from the skull?' he thought out loud "Do you think he will ever be the same? I miss the old Adam, the one who confided in me about Cassie, the one who danced with me and made me feel somewhat normal at prom" Melissa spoke methodically and softly not wanting to trigger Nick, though she knew that he didn't feel that way about her anymore. "I hope so Melissa. You deserve to be happy" Nick was genuine and Melissa smiled at him 'Thank you and so do you by the way" she said.

Melissa and Nick continued to talk while he waited for Cassie both of them oblivious to the fact that Adam was watching them through the boathouse window. Adam put his hand in his pocket and his eyes became dark with rage. I knew it! He thought to himself Nick needs to go!

Just them a car pulled into the parking lot, it was Cassie and Adam didn't want her to see him. He had come to the Boathouse to confront his father, but now he had everyone that he felt had betrayed in one place, he had to come up with a new plan but he needed time to think. He ducked beneath the deck of the Boathouse and waited for Cassie to go inside. As soon as he heard the door the slam shut, he got into his car and headed to the abandoned house, his mind swirling with ideas the entire way there.

When Adam got into the house, he paced the big plant lined room with his hand in his pocket, devising a plan that would not only rid him of his father for whom he blamed the death of his mother and Nick as well. As he paced, an idea started to form and an evil grin came to his face as he hurried over the plants. He remembered the ingredients he needed and the words he needed to say. He started grinding leaves, and pouring liquid into a container. He was missing one main ingredient: blood and he knew immediately whose blood he needed and he would stop at nothing to get it.

At the Boathouse, Cassie sat beside Melissa while she drank coffee and chatted casually with Nick and Melissa, not being able to take her eyes off of Nick. Cassie was still hurt by Nick but knew in her heart he was just trying to protect her. She wanted desperately to talk to him alone, to tell him that she was sorry but she really did need some time. That the few days they spent together meant the world to her, that he helped her heart open a little bit but she wasn't sure if she was ready to become serious with anyone yet, though she didn't know if she would be able to slow it down. There was something pulling her in Nick's direction and ever since she rid him of the demon, there was something about it him and her that she just couldn't ignore, but she was scared. Everyone that she had every cared about left or died and she felt that being with her could only mean a death sentence for Nick and she couldn't bear to watch him die…..again.

The three of them talked of Melanie and Deborah and the other circles. Cassie expressed her worries over Diana and Melissa and Nick listened intently "Grant is very charming" Melissa said "I can see why Diana went with him so easily". Cassie just shrugged, there was something about the entire thing that was missing….something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She was about to say something when the door opened and Melanie walked in scanning the room until she spotted Melissa. Melanie walked over to the table, he eyes red like she had been crying 'Melanie are you alright?" Melissa said with genuine concern for her cousin. Melanie shook her head "Can we go someplace and talk?" she asked Melissa. Without saying a word, Cassie slid out of the booth and let Melissa out and watched as the two cousins went to a booth all the way across the room.

Cassie slid back into the booth and studied Nick- his blondish hair and green eyes, the slight cleft in his chin, the way his mouth curled with a small smile, all made her want to slide into the booth next to him and let him hold but that wouldn't be right. "so you wanted to talk?" Nick asked, his eyes thought ful. Cassie sucked in a breath "Thank you" she smiled "As much as it hurts, I really needed to know the truth". Nick tried to reach for her hand but she pulled away. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in thought about to say something but Cassie continued "I can see why you kept things from me, though I wish you didn't, I understand why you did but I need you to understand something" her face serious and intense "I care about you I really do, but all of this- the other circles, whatever is up with Adam and your dark magic are all a recipe for disaster, maybe even death and I cannot handle losing anyone else so I need to separate myself" she said looking down at her coffee, afraid for her blue eyes to be met with his seductive green ones "I think Diana had the right idea of leaving" she said trying not to cry. Nick again reached for her hand but she didn't pull away 'You just take the time you need, Cassie. Just know whenever you are ready or whenever you just need a friend I am here. Don't get me wrong, I wish that you would understand that I am not going anyway and there is no way in hell I would let anything every happen to you, I guess I am just going to have to prove that to you' he smiled and Cassie smiled back, he herat breaking because all she wanted was him. All she wanted was to be with him and be happy with him. She remembered how she felt when she first met Adam, drawn to him but with Nick it was different. It was almost inevitable that they would end up where she hoped they could, she just was not going to let anyone else get hurt in the process "let's just take care of the other Blackwells and get Diana back and then we figure things out about us" Nick said speaking her thoughts and Cassie nodded, still holding onto Nick's hand "we have plenty of time to figure things out…well at least I hope we do" she rubbed the back of her hand letting her know that he meant every word.

The moment was interrupted by the door to the Boathouse being opened again and this time with was Jake who walked in hlding Faye's hand and Cassie felt bad seeing the look of pain that seemed to permanently planted on Faye's face. Cassie stood up and motioned Nick to move over and she slid into the booth next to him and Fay and Jake slid into the booth, Jake not letting go of Faye. Ethan saw them and was immediately there with 2 cups of coffee "rough night?" he said as he placed the coffees down and the foursome nodded, no one knowing what to say to Ethan. Ethan went back to the bar and poured himself another whiskey and drank it fast, too fast Cassie thought as she watched him.

Cassie was overly aware of how close she was sitting next to Nick. She could lean into him and his arm would be around her in seconds, offering comfort and she desperately needed she just knew it wasn;t the right thing to do, at least not for now. Faye barely said a word as she drank her coffee, clutching onto Jake as if she let go she would die. It pained Cassie to see that and she realized that not only was her life turned upside down by the truth but everyone else's had too. She started to shaky with anxiety as the magnitude of what they learned that night hit her and she reached for Nick's hand under the table. He leaned into and whispered "you are going to be OK" she nodded trying to fight the tears. She took a deep breath and noticed Melissa and Melanie over at the bar talking to Ethan, Ethan not looking thrilled about the conversation. Melissa motioned for the rest of the group and Cassie slid out of the booth, followed by Nick, Faye and Jake and they headed over to the bar. Cassie sat on a stool and Nick was hesitant but placed his hands on both of her shoulders and to his surprise she didn't shrug him off. Ethan was asking about Adam and the skull, the crystals and Melanie. He wanted to know what happened to his son and how Nick was back from the dead. No one answered him Jake just said "Adam has not been himself since the skull and he knows the truth about you and what happened with the witch hunters 16 years ago". Ethan, stunned, started backing away from the circle, the children whose parents he had inadvertently had murdered, fearful that they would retaliate with magic. "No one is going to hurt you, Ethan" Cassie said "I know you were just trying to protect my mom". "And we all know firsthand how manipulative Blackwell could be" Melissa said "We don't blame you" Faith spoke softly and Ethan relaxed. He was about to say something when the door to the Boathouse blew open.

The entire group gasped and turned to face the door, it was wide open and the wind from outside was blowing leaves through the door and they danced on the floor. The air because eerie and chilly and they new something bad was coming. Nick and Jake stood protectively in front of the girls as a figure, which seemed to be 10ft tall appeared in the door way with a face that was distorted by the snake like demons that were swimming throughout his body, making him twitch. Everyone's eyes widened. It was Charles.