Cassidy had ran Viktor's daughter home in Tulip's car and turned straight back. When he arrived back at the apartment, it was silent. There was a faint glow of light coming from underneath Tulip and Jesse's bedroom, but other than that, it was dark every other corner of the apartment.

He walked up to the bedroom Lily was in and listened briefly, hearing her faint breathing, a steady pace as she was no doubt sleeping.

Stubborn, he straightened his mouth and turned his head away from the door, walking towards the whiskey stash in the kitchen. Internally, he decided to wait until she came to him, and found himself comfortable with a bottle of whiskey among other things in the living room.

After a couple of hours, Cassidy's patience was wearing thin. He cursed his stubbornness against hers, not wanting to be the one to give in. A sudden mortifying realization c he imagined maybe the only reason she hadn't come crawling to him yet was because she couldn't. She was really exhausted, hurt... what if she was too out of it?

His ego was fading as worry set in. He smashed his cigarette into the mountain of butts in the ashtray on the coffee table, "Shite." He swore angrily to himself.

Although Jesse was no doubt plenty occupied, Cassidy still took caution making his way to Lily's room.

With a quick glance to Jesse and Tulip's bedroom door, he knew there was no way he could knock. Contemplating breaking the doorknob with a simple tug, he shook his head, realizing that would most likely make more noise than knocking would. Slipping his phone out of his back pocket, he texted her, hearing the vibration on the other side of the wall. After a good minute, he sighed, rolling his eyes and calling her phone instead, once again hearing it vibrate on the other side of the wall, but ending in her voicemail.

Taking a step back, he placed his hands on his hips, studying the door. In the corner of his eye, the drapes waving in the night breeze caught his eyes - sparking an idea.

Next thing he knew, he was climbing through the window of the bedroom Lily slept in. As he climbed in as quiet as possible, he walked up to the bed. She laid with her feet still on the ground, and her upper body on the bed, fully clothed and if he didn't hear and see her breathing - he would've been concerned she was dead.

He sat at her side, "Hey." He whispered very quietly, with no response. "Hey." He said again shaking her. When she opened her eyes, it felt like she'd closed them for a split second. They were bloodshot, with an unfamiliar glaze to them as they looked up at Cassidy. Slowly, they adjusted to him hovering over her. She raised her hands to her eyes, rubbing them while she groaned, a little too loudly, feeling as stiff as a corpse. "Shh." He hushed her softly, "Jesse n'Tulip are on the other side of th'wall. Y'need t'move up. Lay down properly." He suggested, sitting her up by lifting her with his arms, her eyes were squinted and her shoulders raised in apparent stiffness. "Yer hurting." Cassidy said in more of a statement than a question, his arm around her to hold her up.

Lily breathed in, speaking very slowly, "I can't tell if it's cause ...I got the shit beat out of me... or... my newly developed... annoying... self-diagnosed dependence on your... blood." Her hoarse voice said flatly. "Well," Cassidy said lowly, "A combination, most likely." He grunted quietly as he pushed himself off the bed, "You shouldn'be riskin' it." He purposely worded to ensure she'd believe it was her idea. She began breathing slowly again, slipping into slumber easily.

"Hey." He said again to her, shaking her. "Cassidy." She whispered, her eyes still closed as her brow furrowed, "I'm exhausted.Please. Just leave me alone." With a calm breath, Cassidy lowered his head down to hers, "You need this." He hissed. Lily swallowed, his breath in her ear.

The breath in she took hurt her ribs more than even just a minute ago, "Alright." She huffed, expecting a glass of water at least. But with her simple word, Cassidy had already found his teeth graze his palm, breaking his skin and placing his palm to her mouth, catching her by surprise.

Her face scrunched in shock just as quickly as it softened into instant euphoria.

Her body went numb and she felt like she was floating in pure ecstasy, he rested her back while she inhaled deeply. After several minutes she opened her eyes much wider. He could practically see the bloodshot in them begin to dissipate, as she glared up at him.

"I'm still mad at you." She stated. His eyes were low as he moved towards her, "Yea, yea..." He groaned, pulling her towards him and leaning in as he pressed his lips hard against hers. Without any resistance she kissed him back, wrapping herself around him as their clothes shed themselves as quick as her stubborn front had just lasted.

Without having to worry about wanting to hurt her in any way due to Jesse's command from earlier, Cassidy used the opportunity to push limits he hadn't felt comfortable to with her before in fear of terrible instinct taking over.

But now, he didn't have to worry about that, once again - thanks to her brother.


When Lily woke up in the morning she sat up quickly, feeling completely rejuvenated. She checked her phone - she'd had a solid 10 hour sleep. Turning around in the bed, she noticed Cassidy was nowhere to be seen. She leaned back in the bed, reaching a hand to her forehead as she pushed her hair back, remembering the night before and wondering at times if her and Cassidy hadn't been too loud and careless.

She thought maybe so - since Cassidy was missing. Maybe Jesse had killed him and that's why he was gone. Thankfully, her train of thought was disrupted as she heard an unfamiliar sound - laughter. In the kitchen, she heard Tulip, Jesse and Cassidy's voices, contradicting her worst-case-scenario thought of Jesse filleting Cassidy.

Wiping her her eyes, Lily got out of the bed and passed herself a glance in the mirror beside the door before she left the room. Her skin bared no blemishes, her awful cut on the side of her arm was completely healed and the dark bags under her eyes were nowhere to be seen. With her robe around her she opened the bedroom door, a whiff of warm and sweet consuming her as she inhaled.

As she walked down the hallway into the kitchen, Tulip stood at the stove, a spatula in hand as her smile moved from staring at Jesse and Cassidy sitting at the table to Lily.

"Lily!" Tulip sang, walking towards the coffee machine, "Mornin'! Perfect timin', breakfast is almost ready." Lily felt like she was dreaming, she stepped slowly towards Tulip, a nervous smile spreading across her face as she pushed her hair off her face and crossed her arms, "What's going on?" She asked suspiciously, her eyes shifting quickly to Jesse and Cassidy as they chatted at the table before looking back at Tulip.

"What do you mean?" Tulip asked, handing her a cup of coffee. Lily stared down at the pancakes Tulip was making, glancing to Jesse and Cassidy sitting at the kitchen table, Jesse reading the paper and Cassidy with a cup of coffee and a smoke in his hand as if this whole scene was a regular thing. Lily breathed in, realizing she should just play along and not ruin the illusion of the perfect moment. She smiled, "Nothing." Lily said as she shook her head, leaning against the stove beside Tulip.

Tulip lowered her brow, "What?" She repeated sternly. Raising her brow, Lily shrugged her shoulder, "Just weird to see you cooking something." Tulip scrunched her brow, "I cook." She spat, playfully smacking Lily in the side with the spatula. Lily flinched, spilling some of her coffee onto the ground. "Just haven't had time recently for obvious reasons." Tulip justified flipping a pancake while Lily wiped the coffee up on the ground.

When she stood back up, Lily cheekily raised her brows to Tulip, who gave her a warning glance, raising the spatula again as Lily quickly stepped away from her, "I didn't say anything!" Lily said. "Didn't need to." Tulip hissed with a smirk, turning back to the pancakes.

Lily noted everyone all dressed and cleaned up as she felt her messy hair fall in front of her face again before she pushed it back. She cleared her throat as she crossed her arms again and walked to the table, her bare feet softly stepping across the creaky wooden floor.

"Well, you seem in good shape." Jesse noted as Lily walked towards the table. Lily turned her head to him and smiled, making her way to the chair across her brother. Cassidy moved his resting feet from the chair, sliding it out for her as she sat down, "Amazing what sleeping through a whole fucking day can do to you." She glanced at the clock, it was early afternoon, "Thanks for the wake up call."

Cassidy sneered, puffing from a cigarette as he pushed his shades up from sliding down his nose.

"You needed the sleep." Jesse said, "Obviously did you good." He stated, noting her refreshed appearance - regardless of not having showered yet. "Looks like I got most of the shit kicking." He said, referring to the various cuts and bruises apparent on his face compared to Lily's pristine condition. "Guess that makes sense, since, you know, Idid most of it too." Jesse poked playfully, raising his eyebrows as he drank from his cup as he waited for Lily to retaliate, half expecting her to throw her coffee mug at his head.

Instead, Lily exhaled, drinking her coffee as she lowered her eyes, "As if." She growled at him, not giving in to his attempt to push her buttons.

"How's your arm?" Tulip asked from the stove. Lily blinked. Her robe covered her arm - which was entirely healed as if nothing happened, thanks to Cassidy's blood, but she wasn't about to explain that, "Sore." She lied simply, raising her coffee cup to her mouth again. While Cassidy cleared his throat very obviously. "Well noshit." Tulip said sarcastically, placing the spatula down on the counter, "You want me to change the dressing on it?" Tulip asked, walking towards her to lift Lily's robe sleeve. Raising her eyebrows with her mouth still against the mug, Lily squirmed away from Tulip, who narrowed her brows at Lily as she swallowed a gulp of coffee, "I just changed it." Lily explained quickly.

Tulip studied her face a moment, moving her head back a bit, "Alright." Tulip said, catching onto what was going on almost immediately.

"Seriously," Jesse said, oblivious to the fact Lily had been using Cassidy's blood on the regular, "How the Hell do you look like that?" Lily lowered her brows again, "Like what?" She asked defensively. "Not a scratch on you, Lil!" He said, "You look untouched." With a shrug of a shoulder she drank from her coffee again, "Guess I got the genetics of quick healing and perfect skin - whichever side of the family that comes from, and you got the genetics of bruising like a peach-" She leaned forward and poked his arm that was resting on the tale, "-and bumps on your head being swelling up more like bowling balls than goose eggs." She pretended to smack towards the huge bump on his head from the barb wired bar hitting him the night before, to which he flinched. "Seriously," Lily mocked his tone as she leaned back in her seat, "I'd be more concerned about yourself. Looks like you're growing a second head."

Cassidy and Tulip both cackled loudly, unable to refrain from showing their entertainment.

"Oh really?" Jesse said, to which Tulip interrupted quickly, "Alright, alright. Enough you two. Breakfast is ready." She said, slamming plates down in front of both of them before sliding one towards Cassidy.

In chocolate candies, each pancake had their name spelled out:

JESSE
LILY
CASSIDEE

And even one for herself

TULIP

"Pretty positive Cassidy is with a 'y', babe." Jesse stated. Tulip's eyes flickered from the pancake to Jesse as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other, "It is?" She stated lowly, sticking a hip out. Jesse nodded, raising a shoulder "Could've just done 'Cass' " He said.

As Tulip's stare turned to a glare towards Jesse, Cassidy perked up in his seat at the table while he waved a hand, "It's fine!" He insisted, eagerly scooting forward towards the plate, "I like it better this way-" He grabbed one of the chocolate candies spelling his name and put it in his mouth as he looked at Tulip, "Get more o'these delicious little chocolate bits wit th'two E's." He laughed, flashing his eyes above his frames at her with a wink.

Tulip smiled at Cassidy's kind words, her eyes traveling down to the table as she studied each pancake - suddenly a little self-conscious, about chocolate chip pancakes, of everything. Lily cleared her throat, "You make them next time then, Jesse." She prodded.

Jesse chuckled, leaning back in the chair before he looked at Lily sitting across from him beside Cassidy, "Hey," He said curiously, "Speakin' of names-" Jesse asked, "What was that you called him yesterday?" He titled his head up, towards Cassidy.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked as very suddenly, Cassidy flinched in realization that Lily was not yet at.

"When you were screamin' over his shoulder. I heard you call him something- Pr.. I don't remember exactly."

The light bulb above Lily's head flicked on as she raised her brow and closed her eyes, "Hm," She said into her coffee cup as she swallowed her mouthful of coffee before lowering her cup from her mouth, "Pr-" "Alright!" Cassidy interrupted loudly as all three of them, startled by his loud voice, looked at Cassidy. Lily placed her coffee cup down staring to her side at Cassidy, who sighed, "Alright," Cassidy repeated softer, "I thought we came to an understandin' that I wasn't too keen on havin' that advertised." He said quietly and politely to her.

"Having what advertised?" Jesse looked from Cassidy to Lily as Tulip arched a brow curiously, sitting beside Jesse.

Lily looked at Cassidy sitting beside her, his eyes burning into hers. With a sigh, Lily smiled softly, turning her head back to her plate and picking at it, "Forget it. It's nothing. I don't know why he's making a big deal of it." She said, raising her eyebrows as she looked down at her plate, cutting through the golden pancake.

"I am not makin' a big deal, alright?" Cassidy whined defensively. Lily raised her brow and shifted her eyes judgmentally as she chewed her pancake. "I'm not." Cassidy lowered his brow to her snarky attitude and she could pretty well feel the heat coming off of him he was so agitated.

Tulip's mouth was full as she chimed in, "Cass. The way you're talkin right now'-" She swallowed her mouthful, "Sure is makin' it seem like whatever it is is a big deal." With a smirk, Jesse raised his brow to Cassidy as all three of them stared at him.

"Christ." Cassidy swore, "It's just me first name, who cares?" "Your first name?" Jesse asked. "Your first name isn't Cassidy?" Tulip asked over top of Jesse's voice. With his eyes low and staring down at his plate, Cassidy's mouth was straight, "No." He said simply, cutting a slice of his pancake, "It's not."

"What's Cassidy, a nickname?" "No." He said shortly. "What is it then?" Tulip asked. "My last." With her brows raised, Tulip blinked, "What's your first name then?"

Jesse and Tulip leaned closer in anticipation as Cassidy chewed his huge mouthful, speaking through it as his words were muffled by the chewed up pancake in his mouth, "It's Proinsias." He admitted in a tone that disappointed Lily. She looked to him at her side, noting how halfheartedly he'd delivered those words.

"What?" Tulip and Jesse asked in unison, each of them leaning forward as their brows scrunched in confusion. "Proin-sias." He repeated reluctantly.

With a choke, Jesse couldn't help but laugh as he stuffed another fork full of pancake into his mouth, "Really?" He asked, smirking at Cassidy's obvious irritation. Lily scrunched her brow at Jesse's reaction.

When Cassidy didn't answer Lily cleared her throat, grabbing her coffee, "I don't know why it bothers him so much." She said, sipping from the mug of coffee before she placed it down and suddenly, there was a snaky streak to her eyes as she glared towards Jesse at her side as she ranted with no breath in between sentences, "And I know it gets under his skin, which is why I used it last night - because I was so mad that I felt the need to try and knock some sense into him by using something against him - not that it helped at all, since you know... you used Genesis to have him lit-era-lly throw me out without any will to even be able to listen to me regardless of what I used against him-" "Alright, alright." Jesse interrupted, "I get it."

Lily moved her eyes from her brothers back to her plate. "I'm sorry that I had to do that." Jesse said stubbornly with a tone that still tried to justify his actions. With her eyes rolling, Lily laughed, "You didn't have to-" "Of course I did." Jesse said a little more sternly, "You would've never left. And I needed to make that decision all on my own-"

"Can we just-" Tulip interrupted, "Have one morning without an argument?" She sighed, fluttering her rolling eyes up to the ceiling before glaring back down to the two of them who'd stopped talking.

Jesse arched a brow at Lily. "What?" She said to his obvious stare. "Nothing." He said simply.

In efforts to move on, Tulip looked at Cassidy, "How do you spell it, Cass?" She asked softly, "Your first name."

There was a clink against Cassidy's empty plate as he laid the cutlery down on it before sparking a cigarette at his seat, "P-R-O-I-N-S-I-A-S" He said flatly.

"Jesus Christ." Tulip said, "Well I'm sure glad you don't go by that." She threw a hand out to his half eaten pancake, "Cause if I can't get fuckin' Cassidy right - I definitely wouldn't have got that shit right on that pancake." Cassidy smiled politely at Tulip's kind words as she slid another pancake onto his plate from the pan sitting on the table. "Let's jus' lay this topic t'rest fer all eternity." Cassidy said pitifully. As Jesse snickered, Tulip elbowed him in the side and nodded, chewing her pancake to refrain from joining him, "Alright." She said in a mouthful.

There were a few seconds of silence other than the clatter of their cutlery.

Jesse finally broke the silence, clearing his throat, "You guys up for a little road trip?" He asked, cutting into his second stack of pancakes.

Suddenly, Lily felt a tickle on her thigh, as if a spider or loose thread was tracing her skin. By reflex, she flinched in surprise, using her hand to hit off whatever was tickling her the way it was, only for her hand to collide with Cassidy's.

First, annoyance consumed her - realizing it was his fingers tracing her skin. In her side vision, she could see Cassidy nonchalantly eating his pancakes with his other hand and Lily was careful not to give any attention to him - especially with Tulip and Jesse sitting directly across from them.

Cassidy's hand on Lily's lap had caught hers when attempted to swat his away and clenched it almost a little too hard. Lily inhaled, trying her best to not look unnatural, "Road trip?" She asked as her blood began to get hotter each second.

"Just for the afternoon. We'll be back before dinner." Jesse explained. Suddenly, Lily's annoyance switched to horror as Cassidy moved his hand under the table with hers in it's grasp to between her legs. Her silk robe being pulled at as he pushed her hand towards her crotch. With her face straight, Lily shook her head at Jesse as she tried desperately to focus, crossing her legs as she did her best to deter Cassidy from his bold plan of action, "What do you mean?" Lily asked. "We have a family friend not far from here." He said as if Lily had even heard him use the term 'family friend' at all. The only family Lily was aware of was Jesse and Tulip. " An hour or so drive max." Jesse continued, "Think he might be able to give us some insight on this whole thing."

Lily's curiosity peaked - family friend?

She would be focusing more if it wasn't for Cassidy - who wasn't letting up, his grip on her wrist was tighter and finally, Lily just gave in, uncrossing her legs and trying her best to loosen up and not look so incredibly stiff. With no time wasted, Cassidy pushed her hand into her center - her thin robe providing hardly any barrier.

He slid his fingers between hers and found his way easily under her panties.

"Family friend?" Lily asked with her voice wavering, a lump in her throat as she clenched onto the fork in her hand on the table while Cassidy slid a finger into her. With a sharp inhale, Lily shoved a piece of pancake into her mouth in efforts to look more natural. She debated punching Cassidy in the side of the head, but she wasn't too keen on likely breaking any of her fingers.

Jesse never talked about family, so why did the one time have to be while Cassidy secretly finger fucked her under the table during breakfast?

Jesse nodded, stuffing his mouth with another heaping forkful of pancakes. Tulip put her coffee cup down and cleared her throat, "Who, Jess?" Tulip asked. "His name's Mike." Jesse stated with a full mouth, "He's a religious scholar." He explained as Tulip raised her brow and nodded thoughtfully, her eyes moving judgmentally across the table.

"Thanks for breakfast, babe." Jesse said with a clear plate as he kissed her cheek.

Cassidy raised his brows, pulling his hand out from between Lily's legs and placing his fingers that had just been inside of her into his mouth as he licked them off, "Mmm." He hummed, "Delicious." He added.

Lily felt her face go hot as it turned bright red in mortifying shock.

"No problem." Tulip sang, "Glad you guys liked it." She smiled proudly. Jesse smiled at her, his eyes flickered from Tulip to his sister, as he put coffee cup down before it made it to his mouth, "What's amatter?" He asked, noting the look on Lily's face.

"You alright?" Cassidy asked at her side with a concerned look on his face, as if he had not a clue why she was so horrified. Lily shifted her eyes from Cassidy to Tulip and Jesse in front of them.

"I'm just-" She stopped on her words as her stomach flopped upside down, unable to think of anything, "I ... should go get ready." She stated stupidly, pushing herself from the table as her half eaten pancakes sat on her plate. "Hey!" Tulip said with a full mouth, throwing a hand out to Lily's plate, "You didn't finish them." She whined. "I lost my appetite." Lily explained honestly, rushing to the bedroom.

"I'm gonna step out fer some on-the-road beverages." She heard Cassidy say almost immediately. Lily's heart skipped a beat - knowing that Cassidy was just using that as an excuse to get outside to more than likely creep in through the bedroom window, she paced much quicker to the bedroom, slamming the door shut and locking it as she dashed towards the window to close and lock it.

As she clicked it locked, Cassidy was already on the other side - just as she thought. She huffed, sliding the blinds shut as she turned away - her blood boiling. All it took was a simple tug for him to lift the window open, breaking the lock hatch off. Lily stiffened and spun back around, scrunching her brow and groaning as she ran up to the window, "Get out!" She whisper-yelled as she pointed out the window all while he crawled into the room, ignoring her entirely.

"What the Hell?!" Lily hissed at him, "What's wrong with you!?" She demanded, flustered and furious.

He stood up, straightening his sunglasses as he gave her little personal space, "You got a raise outta me. I deserved one out of you." He said simply. "What the Hell?" She repeated shaking her head and unable to look at him, "That was beyond fucked" She pointed a finger at him, "You are beyond fucked." She clarified.

"I've told ya how I feel about my name bein' known about-"

Lily held her hand up in Cassidy's face, "I have to go shower." She said, desperate to rinse herself in cold water to cool herself down. She was so furious she felt she was on fire. It helped a little bit.

She was glad to see Cassidy no where in sight in the room as she got ready. When she walked out all dressed to leave, the three of them were standing in the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked, watching Cassidy put his jacket on. He puffed from his cigarette, "Wot d'ye mean? I'm comin' wit, obviously." He stated. "Why are you coming?" She asked coldly. Jesse's eyes flickered between them, his brow scrunching at Lily's harsh sounding words.

Cassidy lowered his brow, flashing his eyes at her over his shades, "Honestly?" He asked, unimpressed. "What?" Lily asked, leaning back.

"What's the deal, Lily?" Jesse asked curiously. Suddenly, she realized how it must have looked to Jesse. "I'm just saying.." Lily began thinking of a reasoning behind her words other than 'This fucker just slid his hand in my crotch over breakfast right under your nose'.

"What... about... Dennis?" Lily said, holding her arm out to the open doorway into the living room where Dennis sat, "I meant as in I assumed you'd maybe want to spend some father/son time?" She said in a tone that was suddenly much less cold and quite obviously non-genuine, in Cassidy's perspective at least. He knew very well she didn't give a fuck about him spending bonding time with Dennis. She was just being a bitch.

Shaking his head, Cassidy hummed on his cigarette in his mouth, "I don't believe he gives a rats arse whether I'm 'ere or on the moon at this point." He justified.

Lily nodded, noticing her heart drop a bit at his reaction. She'd been a bit harsh with the whole father/son thing. She glanced at her phone before walking to the counter and scribbling her phone number on the back of a receipt. She leaned into the doorway of the living room. Dennis who sat on the lazy-boy chair in the living room, was puffing from his inhaler. "Dennis," Lily said leaning into the living room, "We're just going to step out for the day, call us if you need anything, OK?" She laid the phone number down on the tale behind him. Dennis hardly passed her a glance and waved his hand with a scowl as he swore under his breath.

With the three of them staring from Dennis to her, Lily shrugged her shoulders, "Let's go." She said.