Chapter 14 All that's needed is a Bash on the Head... All of You! (Not to Mention this author) "This. Is. Jack." Cate said through gritted teeth. She looked at her poor, clueless husband. He smiled bemusedly at the baby. "He. Is. Your. Son." Cate's eyes flashed dangerously at him. She was convinced she was going to have to teach him how to live... "Would. You. Like to hold.... Jack? Your. SON?" Bellum nodded happily, and opened his arms. Very slowly, Cate handed over the giggling baby. She took a deep breath, and released her son. Bellum smiled even wider as Jack giggled, and pulled his ear. "It... He... Hurt me!" He frowned. "Hold the baby, dammit!" Cate hissed. "That's your son too. He's not just MY son... You happened to be a part of this too. Now, hold the baby. Am I talking too fast?" "I can understand." he mumbled, looking at Jack strangely. He set him next to himself on the couch. Jack stood up on his shaky one-year old legs, and pulled his hair. "OW!" "Bellum." Cate said, through gritted teeth once again. "That is your son. You will hold Jack, until you remember that he is a harmless baby." Jack giggled, and grabbed hold of Bellum with both of his tiny hands. There was a small buzzing noise, and Bellum shouted in pain. Cate, however, despite this sad scene, smiled. "Look at that. Jack's zapped you. He's shown his first sign of power. And you are unable to understand." Cate picked up Jack, and set him on the ground, and let him toddle off... More than likely to show old Padfoot the dog his newfound talent. "PAIGE!" Cate shouted at the top of her lungs. "Who's Paige?" "Your. Daughter. Paige. Is. YOUR DAUGHTER!" By now, Cate looked mad. To top it all off, there was no Paige in sight. "We have a daughter?" Bellum asked curiously. He didn't know what else to do, so he smiled. "We have a daughter?" Cate mimicked. "Yes, we have a daughter. We have 2 daughters! And we have two sons! And we have ANOTHER DAUGHTER ON THE WAY!" She sneered at him, and let herself fall softly in a soft white chair. "Sorry, Cate." He said, pretty sure that was his wife's name. "I just don't remember." "I noticed." Cate rubbed her temples, and a nearby footrest caught fire, and with bang, was a pile of ashes. Bellum looked at her, jaw wide open. She looked rather murderous. She took a deep breath, and decided it was time to calm down. Then she'd seek out Agatha before she moved out of town and make sure she had a nice goodbye party... "Now, Honey. Darling, dear, Bellum. What might I ask, do you remember?" "Uh..." he said. Cate presumed he had also forgotten how to think. "I remember..." "Yes?" "A tree branch fell on me." he smiled. "And then Meagan Potter brought me inside." "Uuuuugghh!" Cate shrieked. She buried her face in her hands for several minutes, muttered incoherent words to herself, and finally looked up. The optimistic mood she had coaxed herself into faded instantly. Bellum was hopping around the room, madly, looking ready to cry. "I can't hold it!" he said between breaths. "WHAT?" Cate said, hoping she had heard him wrong. "I gotta go potty!" he squeaked. His pleasant, low, smooth voice had disappeared as he said that. Cate's jaw dropped. 'Please tell me he hasn't forgotten how!' she said to herself. "The bathroom's this way... Do you know how to go potty?" Bellum looked at her, confused. Cate kicked him in the shins, and he shouted. She placed both hands on his shoulders, and they appeared in front of the bathroom. She shoved him in, and followed, closing the door behind her. "I... can't.. hold!" he squeaked again. "Drop your pants!" she commanded. Bellum still thought of Cate as a 'stranger,' since he didn't remember her. He shuffled over, and blushed. Cate gave a frustrated cry, and balled her hands into fists. When she opened them, his pants dropped, and he gasped. She turned him towards the toilet, and pulled his boxers down. This was embarrassing even to her. She was teaching her husband how to pee... "Now go! You stupid git, go!" ~*~ "I've never been to your house before!" Paige exclaimed excitedly, her dark brown eyes flashing. She looked at the back door of the Potter house, and grinned. She saw something flash from one of the inside windows... Ah, just like home... "Nothing much to see." Nita said, quietly letting Paige and Bridgett in. She looked around for Dominic, who had been there a few seconds earlier. "Dom!" she hissed. "Where are you?" "Oh, sorry." Dominic said, rounding the corner. "Checking out the plants. Very fascinating." "Well, we're going inside, and are going to hope the twins are someplace else." Nita said, shoving Dominic into the kitchen with Paige and Bridgett. "Her room's this way..." Bridgett said, leading the way. She had been there several times before, and had the whole house mapped out in her head. "Twins!" Nita gasped, hearing footsteps from the upper floor. She shoved her three companions in a closet. "Hm... This is a nice coat." Dominic said, sounding slightly gagged. "It's suffocating me!" Nita pulled the coat forward and rolled her eyes. Dominic took a deep breath. Paige had climbed to higher ranks in the closet, and peered through the top crack in the door, to see Jo and Jess rocket by at full speed. "Coast is clear!" she said cheerfully. "OoOooOo! A lollipop!" As the four emerged, Paige had an orange flavored sucker in her mouth, and was smiling at the rest of the group. Nita cut in front, and led them a few doors down, and opened a light blue door. It read, "Nita's Room," and changed colors. "Your room is pretty nice," Paige said, not having a clue what to say. She compared everything to her house, which was unarguably the nicest house in the country. She was sick of having her room photographed, and designers knocking at the door when her mother wasn't home. She had no way to shoo them off. "Yeah right." Nita laughed. "I got last choice!" Bridgett flopped herself on the bed, and sighed. Paige stared out the window. Dominic looked oddly uncomfortable in a room full of girls. He looked at the strangely colored pink closet with a look of distaste. Paige stuck her head out, to see if the roof was climbable. It was... Two things proved this. It wasn't steep... and there were already two people on it. "Eek!" she shrieked, toppling over backwards. She landed at the feet of her cousin Dominic, who raised his eyebrows. "Twins!" Jo proceeded to come through the window, followed by Jess. Nita groaned, and shuffled over between the now standing Paige, and Brooke. Dominic just stared at them all. Jess poked Paige, and Paige gave her a disgruntled look. "What was that for?" she commanded. "She's-." Jess started. "A Pugnare." Jo finished. "What're you doing here?" they asked in unison. "Uh... Nita invited me." Paige said, narrowing her eyebrows. "And you haven't-" Jo started. "Hexed her or anything like that?" Jess finished. Paige wished they'd quit that; finishing each others' sentences. "No...." she replied. "Okay then. Welcome." They said together. Paige gave them an odd look, and stepped towards Nita, Bridgett, and Dominic. The twins were grinning at them all devilishly, and they made a break for the door. Paige in the lead, not having the slightest idea where she was going, turned random corners, not really checking to see if anyone was behind her. She made the mistake of turning into the living room, where she hurdled over the coffee table, overturning some tea that had been sitting there. She didn't even noticed who was sitting there. Meagan stared as three more blurs followed her. "Bridgett Black..." she sighed. "Just like her father..." Bridgett, who was caught in the middle, suddenly stopped. She turned, and looked at Meagan, who looked back at her. "That wasn't Bridgett..." she muttered, as Nita pulled Bridgett and Dominic after Paige. It took her a few more minutes to realize that Paige had knocked over her tea. Paige Pugnare. What was she doing in her house? She shook her head. Maybe this pregnancy was making her delusional? No Pugnare ever came voluntarily to the Potter residence... ~*~ "Oh no. I've got an owl from my mum." Ethan sighed, looking the parchment letter an owl dropped in front of him at breakfast. "I dare you to open it." Brynn grinned, taking a bite of a breakfast sausage. Ethan cautiously opened it, wondering what Cate could possibly have to say. He read it to himself quickly, and the proceeded to read it aloud to Brynn, Bryce, and Mac. "Dear Ethan." he started. "This is your mother. Your pregnant mother who has acquired a new child in the house.... YOUR FATHER!" He paused here for effect, and saw his friends staring. "Yes, that's right. Your father has lost his memory at the moment. He does not know who you are, who Felicity, Jack, Paige, and even I am! He has forgotten perfectly normal things. He does, however, remember certain odd things. Such as the mathematical theory of something-or-another. So just to let you know your father may never be sane. Love, your agitated mother... Cate." Ethan showed them a very sloppy signature, which was obviously done quickly, and in a very irritated manner. He looked over to Felicity, who was staring at her letter. "Why can't I have a normal life?" he sighed, sighing and resting his face in his hands. "Because we aren't normal people." Brynn answered. ~*~ "Paige!" Cate mumbled. Paige was standing in front of her. "Where have you been?" "Bridgett and I went for a walk." she said innocently. Cate stared at her. She knew it wasn't true, but she was going to let it slide this time... she already had too much to deal with. "We're going to the doctor's. I need a visit. So does your father. Sit here and watch your father while I pry Jack off Padfoot's back..." Paige's mouth dropped open, and she looked at Jack, clinging tightly to the dog's shaggy fur, and to her father who was sitting on the couch. She didn't quite understand the phrase, 'Watch Your Father' all that well. Bellum waved at her, and then his vision was diverted, at Cate shrieked. He stared at Cate once again. "Dad?" Paige asked quietly. Bellum didn't respond. She was beginning to believe he was crazy. "Dad? No! Sit back down. Don't touch the vase.." Cate returned, half a minute later, a screaming baby grasped in one arm, and the other arm pulled Bellum off his seat. She thrusted jack to Paige, who sighed. "Hey Jack. Mum and dad gone mad again?" "Where are we going?" bellum asked. "The Hospital." Cate snapped. "Why?" "Because you need to have your head examined... literally!" (A/N-Cathy: Mahwah. there ya go.) Of course, all Jack did was coo. He only knew responses to a few phrases, which usually involved trouble and something of the same sort. They all piled into a Rolls Royce, and speeded down a road. In a trip that should have taken half an hour, took them a full hour. The Hospital was a large building. It was white, and there were several cars parked sloppily in front of it. Most witches and wizards were not expert drivers. Cate commanded everyone to get out, and like a prison warden, she marched them inside. The secretary stared, and Cate went to speak with her. "Urgent visit to Doctor Theodore Kost." she said, glaring. "Just say Cate Pugnare. He'll see me." The secretary nodded, and Cate waved a hand, and turned around to see what she had stopped. Bellum was frozen halfway in the air. He appeared to have jumped from a chair. Paige was either catching or throwing Jack. She couldn't decide. The three of them frozen, she stepped in front of where Jack was suspended in the air and waved her hand again. He dropped, directly into her arms. Bellum, however, had a different fate. There was a loud THUD, and he met the floor. "Um... Doctor Kost will see you now." the secretary announced shyly. She looked to Cate, and pointed down the hall. "Just down there." Cate grabbed Bellum, who had pulled himself off the ground, by the ear, and kicked him in the room. The doctor stared. Cate tossed back her dark brown hair, and smiled through gritted teeth. "What seems to be the problem? And er- with who?" he asked. Doctor Kost had been Cate's doctor since she was first pregnant. He knew her very well, and also knew that she must be watched, or she might... snap once again. "My husband. I think he was hit... He needs his head examined. Just find out how to get him cured." she commanded, much like an angry empress. "And I think it's also time for me to have a checkup as well... Just to keep up on everything." "We'll have you going in a few minutes. I think nurse Hillary can handle your husband. Would you like your children to stay here?" Paige answered that question for her. "I'll take Jack to the play area in the lobby!" she said. She had seen children with candy there. Cate nodded, and looked to Doctor Kost. The doctor sighed, and made a very thick medical record appear. "So what's the problem you wish to discuss now?" he asked, looking at Cate with a slight look of wonder. "Where do I start?" Cate said, heaving a large sigh. "Shall I start when I was switched bodies with Meagan Potter, miscarried a baby, was transported to some strange world, or where my husband lost his memory?" "We have that on record already." Doctor Kost sighed. He looked her over. She was looking around the room with disgust. "Stress?" "Yes." Cate taped her foot. "Well, are you going to examine me, make sure my baby's still fine?" "Yes, yes... But my main concern is your mental state as of this moment." "Dammit, I pay good money for your advice!" Cate hissed. "I am a pregnant woman! Do you think I'm NOT going to go through stress? Now, just get this over with..." Doctor Kost shook his head. He had been through this many times. He was the best doctor in the world, and not for anything. Those who knew the situation for keeping Cate sane credited him. He had been with her through 4 pregnancies so far, each one had been practically the same. "I'll give you the typical medication." He said, scrawling something down on a piece of parchment. "The one you always give me?" Cate sighed. She hate he awful tasting pill she had to chew every morning before breakfast before she was pregnant. "No, the one I give you when you're pregnant. The one that you don't have to chew." "Alright." Cate said, calming down slightly. She kept trying to see through the frosted window of the door, to see where her husband was. "Now I have to take a look at the baby, have a seat on the table." Cate groaned. She looked down at her small bubble of a stomach, and laid back on the medical table. She hated the smell of hospitals. magical and Muggle alike. She also disliked being touched by anyone but her husband. It made her very irritable. This is why she didn't ever go to Muggle doctors. Magic involved less touching. All the doctor had to do was wave his wand... A few pieces of parchment popped up from nowhere and the doctor examined them. He smiled. "Your baby is fine. As are you. Just calm down a bit, Cate." Cate smiled for a change. She opened the door, only to see someone running down the hall; her husband. She let out a cry of frustration as she saw Bellum running down the long hallway, arms askew, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Bellum!" Cate shouted. "Come back here!" Wasting no time in a chase on foot, Cate opened her palm, and aimed her hand in the general direction of her husband. There was bolt of electricity, and cry of "OUCH!" and a large THUD. Cate sighed, and appeared in the spot in front of bellum, who was on the floor... Unconscious. She rolled her eyes, and Page stood up, yanked a crayon from Jack's grip, and pulled him towards their mother and father. Cate took a deep breath and brought him back to consciousness with another touch of electricity. "Wha?" Bellum gaped, sitting up. "Cate, they.... they were trying to steal my brain." "Huh?" Cate said, fighting the urge to laugh. "Who'd do a thing like that.... Steal YOUR brain!" "Her." He pointed frightfully at the old nurse, who had graying hair, and was looking quite confused. "No, they were looking at your head, which isn't functioning correctly at the present moment. Trying to make you BETTER.." Cate hissed. "Embarrassing..." "No, she wanted to steal my brain." Paige found this very funny. She had dropped back, in a fit of silent laughter, and laughed herself to tears. Bellum was still sitting on the floor, looking up at Cate, with his innocent brown eyes. Cate groaned, and offered a hand to pull him up. He took it, and hoisted himself up, almost pulling Cate down. "And the results are...?" she asked the nurse. "Well, there's no telling. Either his memory comes back, or it doesn't." the nurse said, backing away from Bellum, who had started to growl at her. Cate let out a frustrated growl, and escorted her family off to the Rolls, mumbling along the way... It was going to be another long car ride... ~*~ "Another day in the life of Padfoot the Imperfect..." (A/N-Cathy: Copyright goes to Meagan...) James snorted. He looked at Sirius, who had a visit with Cate. He was rubbing an arm; robes concealing a large bruise from being hit so many times. It wasn't his fault that Bellum had lost his mind, and he happened to find it funny. "Oh, shut up." Sirius remarked. His face broke into a familiar grin suddenly, and he mimicked his son-in-law. "Sirius? I am serious! Now what's his name?" James broke into laughter. "You'd better hope that daughter of yours isn't listening... She'll have your head." "Oh, on. She's far too busy entertaining the children... meaning her husband.." Sirius snorted. "Now, now... I think he's just as clueless now as you are. Sirius the Stupid (A/N-Cathy: yes, also Meagan's), is after all, another one of your nicknames..." Sirius glared, and fidgeted. "Well, he's a real good guy when he's normal." he said, changing the subject quickly. "Poor man..." "Well, I have to agree with you there. But you're still the ugly Dark Marauder (A/N-Cathy: Yes, that's my OWN!)!" "What does that have to do with it?" Sirius rolled his dark brown eyes. "Peeping Prongs." "Alright, that's it Black!" James lunged at Sirius, who dodged him. A younger body did come to his advantage... Sometimes he thanked the Black curse... ~*~ Cate had taken the medication, and was calming down a considerable amount. It was late at night, and she was making another attempt to bring back Bellum's memory. She had convinced herself that she didn't look too bad in a long white silken nightdress. Bellum didn't seem to mind that she was pregnant. She was going to take a page out of his book, and be the romantic one... She looked around and noted the candles, and soft, rather annoying music. She smoothed out the bed sheets, and picked up her wand from the nightstand. She waved it around, and there was a golden mist that hazed the room, the candles flickering brightly. She also added soft sparkles in the air, and looked around, seeming to be done. But there was one more thing she needed. "Bellum! Come out of the bathroom!" she called, giving the master bathroom's door handle a hard tug. It was locked. She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Alohomara." The door lock popped open, and she turned it, entering the bathroom. Bellum gave a cry of fright, and leaped into the shower. Why he was hiding there was a mystery to Cate. He cowered in the corner of the shower in a red flannel robe, pulling it tighter around himself. Cate smiled, and offered him a hand to take. He looked at her skeptically, wondering if she was going to hurt him, or worse.. She smiled sweetly, and let her eyes sparkle. Bellum blushed shyly, and took her hand. She led him out to the bedroom, and he stared at the setting, his head tilted slightly. He smiled, and then backed away. "What's the matter honey?" Cate asked, looking very concerned. "I... you. uh.. we.. this.. Uh..." he sputtered, backing still further away. "Yes?" Cate sighed. "Spit it out." "Well, me being not able to remember, well... anything... We really don't know each other.. So.. Um..." "Oh, you're letting that worry you?" Cate grinned. She moved closer to him, and he backed into the wall. She reached out, and fiddled with the string on the flannel robe. Bellum looked at her, squirming madly. "I wish you remembered our first meeting... Then you'd have no guilt at all about what you're thinking..." Bellum gulped, and looked at Cate. Cate pressed herself against him, and he almost flipped. Cate pressed a finger against his lips to silence him. After a few seconds, he stopped squirming, and took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes, and sighed. He took a second look at her, and she released her hold on him slightly. She giggled slightly, and whispered something in his ear. "Am not!" he said back. He looked at her. She looked back at him and grinned. "Okay, so what." he shrugged. "You're beautiful." Cate smiled. This was what she was hoping for. She put one arm around his neck, and touched his ace with the other, pulling him close to her face. He closed his eyes, and kissed her. This seemed to please Cate... he was warming up to her. "And you are handsome." she said. She knew it was very corny, and a rather stupid thing to say, but Bellum laughed. "No, I'm Bellum." he grinned. "Not handsome." Cate shook her head and sighed. She caught him off guard, and gave the string on the robe a good tug, and it came undone. She fought the urge to laugh at the green flannel boxers. He blushed a deep scarlet color, and squirmed again. Cate kissed him again, and his nerves were relieved slightly. She slipped her cold hands on his shoulders, and rubbed them a bit. "That feels nice, doesn't it?" she whispered. "Mm-hmm..." He grinned, loosening up more. Cate looked him in the eyes, looking quite sad. "I wish you could remember. You can't understand how much I love you. How much you mean to me." She sighed, and pulled him over to the bed. She motioned for him to lie down, and she curled up beside him, and lay her head on his chest. Bellum seemed more comfortable around her, so he put his arm around her, and pulled her closer. "I thought no one would ever love me." Cate continued. "Then I met you. At first I thought you were just another man chasing me. But then you brought me off into a little hall, and got me to dance with you. No one ever did things like that for me. It was going out of your way. And there was the way you touched me... Just something different. You asked to kiss me, even thought you knew my answer would probably be no, since I was rather touchy. But I liked you then, and still do. It was the first time I ever felt truly loved. We both woke late the next morning, and I had no regrets at all... I, the Dark Angel of Light... had fallen in love just like that. Ever so quickly, and I was swept off my feet...." "Then I've fallen in love with you all over." Bellum said. He had spent the time while Cate had been talking to think of something romantic to say. "That's sweet," she said, listening to his heart beat. "But you don't remember it? None?" "Sorry, I don't." Bellum sighed. "Well, if I have to, I'll start over with you. I've been through a lot with you, and I won't let it go. None of it." She raised her head, and looked up at him. She moved his hand to the small bubble of a stomach she had. "This will be a baby in 8 months. In 8 months we'll have a new baby. This is your baby. Our baby. I want you to remember everything I've said tonight, and everything we do... So if by chance your memory doesn't come back, we'll have this to dwell on..." Cate didn't give him a chance to reply. She kissed him, and sat up. She pulled him up, and kissed him again. This routine seemed familiar to Bellum, however, very vaguely. But he could figure out what to do... he was after all, male... ~*~ It was another day out and about for Nita, Bridgett, Paige, and Dominic. They were exploring the neighborhood to see if there were any other children their age. They could usually tell by the yards, as they were slightly messier, as if a child had destructed them. There were toys occasionally sprawled out to indicate this too. But so far, there was no luck, until they came to a large stone house... Paige pressed the doorbell button, there was a screeching noise, and a boy with tanned skin and black hair answered the door. He stuck his nose in the air, and eyed up Paige, who was standing directly in front of him. He surveyed her companions, and said in a very snooty tone, with a Spanish- accented voice, "Yes? What do you want?" "Er..." Paige started. "We were wondering if you wanted to play with us. I'm Paige Pugnare. This is Dominic Hanwort, this is Bridgett Black, and Nita Potter." He stuck a hand out carelessly for Paige to shake. "Ricardo Cortez." he said, addressing himself. He looked at Nita. "Potter?" "Yes, is there a problem?" she asked quickly. "Black?" he looked at Bridgett, who glared at him. He turned to Dominic then. "Never heard of you before Mr. Hanwort." "I'm related to her and her." Dominic pointed to Paige and Bridgett. "I suppose that makes me Paige's Great-Uncle. And Bridgett's uncle." "Yes, I've heard about the estranged Black family... and Pugnare... and Potter. My sister is dating who I believe, Miss Black, is your older brother, Bryce. I also believe she hates his twin, Brynn." "Reina?" Bridgett sighed. She hadn't heard of anything but the Reina Wars from Brynn and Bryce. "Yes." Ricardo answered snootily. "I have no time for people such as you. However, Miss Pugnare, if you reconsider your social status, come visiting again. Goodbye." He slammed the door in their faces, and they stood staring. "Well, I'd rather be a friend with a Mountain Troll than be his friend." Paige snorted. "Got quite an ego that one, he does." "You can say that again..." Dominic said. "Well, let's try the next house... Never mind, that's another dark, gloomy one... Let's find a different neighborhood..." The four hurdled over things, pretending to be agents. Double-O- 1, 2, 3, and 4. They pretended to talk through pretend walkie-talkies, and be on a 'mission' to find Dominic another guy to chum around with. The girls felt sorry for him being the only boy. "Look!" Bridgett pointed. "The McKenzie house! I think there's a boy our age there..." "Race ya all!" Paige shouted, taking off like a rocket. She leaped up the stairs of a large white house, and knocked on the door. A blonde boy answered it, and looked at the four of them, all out of breath, except Paige, who had had some time to rest. "Uh... Hi?" he said, by means of confused greeting. "Hello!" Paige chirped. "I'm Paige Pugnare. This is Nita Potter, Bridgett Black, and Dominic Hanwort." "Hello." the boy said pleasantly, brushing down his blonde hair. "I'm Maxwell... Maxwell McKenzie. Call me Max... Um, please?" "Okay Maxwell!" Bridgett grinned. Max rolled his eyes, and sighed. "Well, Bridge wanna walk on in??" he said, emphasizing the word 'Bridge.' "Sure thing!" Bridgett replied, and the four entered the McKenzie home. Max looked at them, and Paige pretended to shoot him with an imaginary gun. He gave her a look that said quite plainly that he thought she was strange. "Mum, there are kids here!" he shouted, and a blonde woman and baby appeared in front of him. "Um, this is Paige." he pointed to Bridgett. "This is Bridgett." he pointed to Nita. "This is Nita." He pointed to Bridgett. "And this is Dominic." he pointed (correctly) to Dominic. "Um... I'm Paige." Paige said, thrusting a hand forward for Max's mother to shake. She signaled to Bridgett and Nita, to correctly identify them. "This one here is Nita, and this is Bridgett... And yes, that is Dominic." "Well, hello darlings!" Mrs. McKenzie said cheerily. "Would you like some milk?" The baby goggled at them, and Paige was reminded greatly of Jack. "Uh, no thanks, mum." Max replied. "I'll show them the outdoors." "Yay! The great outdoors..." Dominic smiled. He looked out the nearest window, and sighted a few trees and a pond. Max pulled them all out the back door, and Paige started off for a tree. Nita shot after her, and Bridgett grabbed hold of Dominic and thrust him in the pond. He shouted, and shivered in the freezing cold water. Max stared at them, and climbed up the same tree as Nita and Paige. Dominic had dragged Bridgett in with him as well, and looked as if he were trying to drown her. Paige was standing high on a branch in the tree of her choice, perfectly balanced, and grinning. Nita gasped, and stuck out an arm to stop Max from climbing. Paige grinned once more, and waved. "Paige.... NO!" Nita shouted, as Paige jumped from the branch into the pond. There was a large splash, and a scream from Bridgett and Dominic. Lucky enough for Paige, the pond was deep. The water was deeper than she was tall, and it made for a nice swimming hole. Paige laughed at the look on Nita's face, and called up to the two in the tree, "Come on down! Jump!" Nita looked down, her glasses falling off. Max scuttled by her, and cannon balled into the pond. Something told her he had done this before... She folded her glasses, making it harder to see, and jumped herself. Paige dragged them all up over and over to jump. "Lake Maxwell." she declared, once they were all tired out, and wet on every inch of their skin. Max didn't seem to notice the seaweed he had sticking to his blonde hair. Paige laughed. "That's hat we'll call it. In honor of our new friend." "Uh... Mac's already claimed this lake. It's called 'The not-so-secret Secret Lake.' They were creative, eh? I think those are your siblings... He nodded to Bridgett and Paige." "Brynn and Bryce are mine." Bridgett sighed. "We're all named with a 'Br' at the beginning of our name... except Cate. Cate's my sister, and Paige's mother. Ethan is her brother." Paige's dark brown eyes flashed gold. She took a seat on the grass, and motioned for everyone else to sit down. "OooOooO... Guess what?!" "What?" they all said in unison. They were in for another 'Paige Story,' which usually involved Paige talking for long periods of time and no one else could ever have a chance to speak. But Max didn't know this. "My daddy's lost his memory!" "Oh, I knew that." Nita said, looking at the funny looks on Dominic, Bridgett, and Max's faces. "He was across the yard, and my mum brought him in to make sure our nasty neighbor wouldn't take him captive." "Yeah." Paige said. "Mom is really crabby, and she's mad. I think your neighbor had better hurry and move out. But them we went to the doctor's and they said daddy is insane or something and mommy's baby I going to be fine still, and they gave mum medicine, and dad said they were trying to steal his brain, and me an' Jack were standing there watching it all, and mum took us home, and locked herself in a room with dad, and daddy locked himself in another room, and they both woke up alot happier this morning, and then I went to see Bridgett, and grandpa and grandma, and they gave us some candy. And-" "Okay Paige... that's enough." Dominic said. Max, however, seemed interested. "So your dad is like, crazy?" he asked, grinning. "Just like Paige..." Bridgett commented. Paige slugged her on the arm. "Yeah, and mum's nuts. She's complaining that she's getting fatter again, and-" "Yeah, yeah.... Her parents are both nuts." Nita said. "Our parents don't get along. Well, our fathers do... but don't put our mothers in the same room, unless you want a war to break out. Cate bears a grudge..." "So does Meagan." Paige finished. "We aren't supposed to be friends, me and Nita, but we don't care. We spend time at Bridgett's house." "And I meander around with the girls. There aren't any boys in the neighborhood." Dominic sighed. "And these girls are related to me... Well, Bridge and Paige are anyways." "Don't feel bad!" Max laughed. "All I have for a neighbor is Reaky Rico. He's so snobby. I can't stand him." The other four burst into laughter. "Reaky Rico?" Nita squealed. "Ricardo Cortez?" "That'd be Rico. He thinks he's better than us. He doesn't even play Quidditch!" Max laughed . "We don't like his family here. We're invited to luncheons and brunches sometimes... It gets ugly..." "I can imagine that." Dominic sighed. "Hey, uh, we gotta go." Bridgett said. "It's almost lunch time. We'll see ya tomorrow Max!" "Bye you guys... and girls!" ~*~ "Remember anything?" was the first question uttered by Cate in the morning. "Uh-uh." Bellum groaned back. He put a pillow over his face and went back to sleep. He rolled over... a bit too far, and tumbled off the bed. Cate shook her head. "Well, I suppose we too must just join the world." she muttered, rather angrily. She sat up, and magically dressed herself, leaving Bellum to dress and figure things out himself... ~*~ "I.... Hate... Snape..." Brynn hissed through gritted teeth. "What's it his business to take points off because Jeff can't subtract simple equations to find the ingredients? What's it his business that we happen to have social lives, and he does not?" "Uh... Brynn?" Ethan asked. Brynn stopped walking, and glared at him. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were lit with rage. "Maybe it wasn't exactly wise to tell him he's an old greasy git that needs to have his hair washed, and his head examined." "So what." Brynn muttered. "He didn't need to take off 200 points. ANNNNNND another 25 for Bryce letting off a firework." Bryce shrugged, and added, "And Mac letting the live beetles loose for another 20 points." "And Ethan turning Tony into a slug." Mac added finally. "For a whopping 100." "Maybe we'll win the lottery." Brynn sighed. "Maybe we'll have a fun time in detention!" she said this with a sarcastic tone that showed her unhappiness. "We can bring a scrapbook... of when mum and dad were in school!" Bryce said eagerly. "That'd piss him off!" "I wanna keep my head, thank you." Brynn hissed. "This calls for a Snape- prank... tonight...." "What are we going to do?" Mac asked. "Well, with a little help from my dear little brother an his friends, we can work it all out...." Brynn grinned dangerously, her eyes flashing. She laughed madly, and took off suddenly. Ethan sighed. Would the madness never end? It appeared not, as one of those Weasley Quints raced by with Felicity's schoolbag. The poor child was frozen dead in his tracks, and Felicity waved her hand, taking back her book bag. She added a jolt of pain, and the unfortunate quintuplet unfroze with a start, looking around for Felicity, who had disappeared. He muttered something, and started off in the direction Brynn and went. ~*~ "Oh, that's right..." Cate laughed, leaning over a newspaper. She was in the basement of a library, and she had brought Bellum and Jack along. They were amusing themselves in the Children's section, while she examined old newspapers. "I know who you are... You can't hide this embarrassing little fact, Agatha." Her gaze was once again fixed on the newspapers, and she looked at one of the subtitles... "Gilderoy Lockhart and daughter Agatha perform in children's production 'The Magical Mohawk.' There was a picture of Lockhart, and a small blonde girl. Why was this so shameful? Years before, Gilderoy Lockhart had been caught full-on in another one of his hoaxes. The entire world learned that he was very magically inept, practically a squib, and was not writing of his very own adventures. Of course he didn't know the truth, as his memory had been modified himself. But his mind had still worked the same way, but he could not properly execute a memory charm correctly. He had been forever shamed as a loser, and a thief. No one wants anything to do with the shame... Yet he had a daughter, and had been divorced from his wife for years now. This daughter was Agatha. Also possessing no great magical talent, Agatha went to singing, and trying to find herself a man to make herself famous enough. Her first thought was Harry Potter. He certainly was famous... Then she realized he had a wife, only after meeting Meagan. Then Meagan led her to Cate. Cate was at this point the most famous person in the wizarding world. No one knew as much of her husband, but it certainly would create a scandal if she crated something with Bellum. Stealing Cate's husband would skyrocket her to fame as well... though perhaps not the right kind. Cate had figured this out. Agatha was nothing more than a fly. Meagan had humiliated her, and now it was her turn... and she was positive Agatha would get her fame.... and it certainly would not be the good kind... She looked around the library basement. It was rather chilly, and she had found what she had wanted. It was time to gather her husband and small son... It wasn't a challenging task. A crowd of cooing women were cradling Jack, goggling about how adorable he was. Cate sighed, and approached the group. "Excuse me, but that's my son." she said hastily, making a grab for Jack. "No..." said one protective woman with red hair. "He's mine. "Cate glared. Some people could be so stupid. "That is my baby. His name is Jack. He is barely a year old, and I wish to have him see many more years. How old are you?" "28." the woman answered. "Well, would you like to live to see 29?" Cate glared murderously at her, and the woman passed Jack over. "That's what I thought... BELLUM!" She turned to the children's reading section, where a pile of books surrounded Bellum. He was reading one with great interest. Cate grabbed his arm, and pulled him off. "No! Wait!" he cried. "I wasn't done! I wanna see what happens to Kay lee and Kevin, the magical kitty cats! Bertie the doggie was going to chase them and they-" "I don't care what happens to Kay lee and Kevin." Cate growled. "The magical kitty cats!" "Whatever. Just come along. We have work to do." "Can we get a magical kitty cat too?" "No." "What about a cookie? Can we have a cookie?" "No." "But I read about-" "Shut up... Just shut up for five minutes..." "Four five minutes? That's a long time. That's almost an hour!" "NO! For... five... minutes. Five minutes. Keep yourself silent five minutes!" "Oh... well- anyways..." ~*~ The familiar girl with the brown hair and eyes was visible once again. She was a memory, nothing more than a memory... But to a certain person, the memories haunted her throughout her life. But the memories were real, and did alter the future... It made her think of things... and brought on strong feelings of hatred, and misery. By now, you may have guessed this person to be Cate... and the memory of her old self... The girl was alone in a dark hallway, perhaps a school hallway. When she exhaled, her breath was visible in the form of a mist; it was obviously cold out. She shivered, and looked around. A crowd of girls passed her and lowered their voices to a whisper. The cast a glance at her, and hurried on faster. The girl pulled her black cloak closer to herself. "Cate?" came a soft whisper from somewhere in the shadows. The girl's head turned, and a gloved hand reached out. "Zach?" she asked. "What do you want with me? She lit her wand, and followed the boy into the darker corridor. The boy turned around, his blue-gray eyes piercing Cate's dark brown ones. "Just to talk to you. I haven't talked to you in a long time!" Cate glared at him. She closed her eyes, gave a growl of frustration, and turned on her heels. Zach grabbed her arm, and held her back. "Listen Cate. This just can't keep going on. I'm your friend one day, the next day I'm not." "I think you can answer that. Making bets on me again? Your crowd of friends giving you money to see how close you can get to me? Yes, I know. You have a game. I'm one of those intimidating people, who's different, and slightly more powerful. Isn't that right?" Cate paused, to watch the blonde boy stutter, and mutter. "Yes, we were friends until the accident, where Missy was killed. Just couldn't handle the pressure? Scared?" "No!" Zach protested. He scratched his blonde hair, and sighed. "Come on... just..." "I have nothing good in my life. Even when I go home, no one loves me. And no one ever truly will." "That's not true! Cate, listen. You can't kill yourself. Even I, Zachary, have a conscience. I'd never live it down if you actually died. I can tell you things. Cate.. Dammit... Listen to me!" Cate had turned away, and started to walk again. Zach dashed in front of her, and said something to her that mad her gasp. "Your family isn't your family... Someone else is wishing you were theirs." "And how do you know?" she hissed. At this point in time, she believed anything. But it was this that kept her from ending her own life... "Divination, Cate. You should trust the Professor more. He's trying to help you..." "Help me perish?" "No, help you stay alive... You've got talent. You're brilliant! Quidditch! You can't just give it all up!" Cate hadn't thought about that. She bit her lip, and looked at Zach. He was a backstabbing, horrible, mean fair weather friend, yet he had saved her from herself.... ~*~ Cate woke with a start, and looked at Jack, who was cradled in her arms. He was a sweet little baby, and was forced out of his crib for the night. She was sitting with him in the nursery. The reason she held Jack was simple... His crib was already occupied... by his own father. A grown man, sleeping in the crib. Cate could see it buckling under his weight... Sometimes these things made her wonder... "Daddy's goofy, Jack." she whispered to her son. It really wasn't much of a use, as he was asleep anyways. She carried him over to the crib, and gave one of Bellum's legs a kick. He didn't fit fully in the crib, and Cate wondered why he was even there in the first place. He groaned, and tried to hoist himself out. But there was no use for Cate to try and deny it; her husband was stuck in a crib... "Bellum!" she hissed, not wanting to wake Jack. "Why?" "I was curious." he grunted. Cate groaned, and the frame snapped, crashing on the floor. On the lighter side, Bellum was free. But on the darker side, the crash was loud, and Jack had started to cry. Paige hurried into the room a few minutes later only to discover her mother trying to calm the baby, and Bellum rubbing his head. She quietly departed, and went back to her room, to try and get a small bit of sleep.... ~*~ "Alright." Brynn said, a map in hand. She pointed at Bryce. "Dispatch the Minions." Bryce nodded. He nodded to Crystal, Brian, Fred, and George. They followed him out the portrait hole, and he returned a few minutes later. Brynn turned to Ethan. "You have those shoes?" she asked. Ethan held up the shoes, which they had gotten through cooperation of Crystal. This, they had said, was going to be one of the best things ever pranked upon the poor, slimy Professor Snape. The eager Modern-day Marauders had wanted to take part. But Brynn had a certain something planned for them since the beginning... They were going to keep Snape busy. "Map?" She asked, and Mac held up the Marauder's Map, also property of Crystal. Though the Blacks claimed it was theirs as well as hers, she still had it n her possession most of the time. The shoes had belong to Lizzie, but were a gift to Meagan. So Crystal kept these wonderful items safely in her trunk in the 2nd year girls' dorm... "Bag of goodies?" All three of her male companions grinned, and she let out a short laugh. "Then follow me boys.... To the secret lair of Professor Severus Slime ball Snape..." The boys looked at each other, beginning to wonder if Brynn was insane. Maybe if they hit her hard on her head... she'd act normally again. Well, Brynn never was normal in the first place, so... "Just pull the cloak on." She ordered. She snatched the shoes from Ethan, who made a mad grab to get them back. "Hey! How come you get the shoes?" He pouted. "Because I said so." "Yes, oh Fearless Leader..." Brynn also took the map, which was her only way of knowing where the boys were. As they turned out of the portrait hole, Brynn quietly whispering directions out loud, and watching the dots on the map all try and turn a separate way, and then heard whispers from the boys. Eventually, they arrived in front of a very regular looking door. Brynn pulled off her shoes, and came into view at once. The boys followed suit, and tossed off the cloak. "Gimme the lock picks. Snape's got this sucker magically locked dup good... But it can still be picked..." She took the lock pick from Mac, and in a few seconds, she turned the handle of the door, and it opened with ease. The room was candle-lit, but still very dark and dreary. There was no one there, they had all made sure of that... "Welcome," Brynn smiled, her eyes flashing gold. "To the lair of the Grease ball. That's right... Snape's quarters!" "Wicked." the boys said, in awe. They had never been there before, and it was perhaps the only place in the castle they hadn't ventured forth into. Brynn smiled, and took the bag from Mac, and looked around. "Well, we'll work this out as we go along. Just start dining, boys...." ~*~ "Hey Snape!" Crystal yelled, from under the Invisibility cloak. This cloak had belonged to her father, and her grandfather before him. Ethan also had one, but no one really knew where it came from. He had come across it in the large attic in his mansion. It was the old Black manor, and it was centuries upon centuries old. Professor Snape, who was out patrolling the corridor, froze. He looked around, his eyes trying to see something that wasn't visible. Brian grinned, and nudged Crystal, who was fighting a laugh. In another minute, Snape would walk into their trap... "Who's there?" he snapped. From the distance, the four Modern Day Marauders could see his nostrils flare. It looked like he was trying to smell them out with his overly large nose... But he took one step too far. Something snapped, and he snapped out of his deceiver mode immediately. He found himself knee-deep in mud. Very thick mud... He gave a cry of frustration... well, tried to anyways. He discovered that his mouth was closed together, magically. he looked up, which was also a mistake, because as he looked up, a glittering dust fell upon him. This turned his hair hot pink, and in lopsided pigtails. A muddy, pink, distressed Snape in pigtails! This was something the Modern Day Marauders had to remember forever... And hey, a picture is worth a thousand words. Fred handed the camera to Brian, who snickered, and snapped a few photos. The four decided to watch a it longer, and leave Snape to fend for himself.... ~*~ Giggling madly, Brynn, Bryce, Ethan, and Mac waltzed corridor to the Great Hall. There was a loud roar of excitement that could be heard from their position behind the doors. Brynn smiled at her friends, who broke into immediate laughter. Brynn took a deep breath, and with a flourish of her hands, she shoved open the doors. The laughing hall turned to watch as music started, and the four marched in. The Hall rolled their eyes. The twins had rather large egos, and Mac and Ethan were almost the same. Then they turned back around, and laughed again. Everywhere, on the statues, in the air, on a few teachers, under the tables... there was.... underwear. Underwear and socks, some smelled quite badly (A/N-Cathy: Don't that give ya horrible mental images?), and others appeared clean. There were polka dotted boxers, and tighty whities. The socks ranged from black, to neon pink and green. Every student, and almost everyone else found it incredibly funny. But one Professor did not... Red faced, looking down, and stabbing his toast brutally was Professor Snape. Brynn looked over at him from her seat, and laughed. But this was not all... For the prank had not ended. Mac nudged her, as all the underwear and socks began to fly upward, and form words in the air. S... was the first letter. The hall looked around, bewildered. A pink thong started to form the second letter... E... The hall watched in wonder as the other letters of the phrase. The Black twins, Mac, and Ethan laughed madly at their own work, as the underwear and socks finally stopped moving. Now they read: SEVERUS SNAPE. Enraged, and utterly mortified, Snape stood up to leave the Hall. Brynn quickly whispered a spell under her breath, "Vox." She said, changing her voice. "Whassa matter Professor?" she called loudly. This voice was deep and husky. "No more clean underwear for you to wear this morning?" She hid behind Mac, and Snape looked around, a look of pure rage and fury on his face. Most of his hair was black again.... Black and going gray that was. He whispered something to Professor Dumbledore, and stormed off. Dumbledore stood up, and cleared his throat. "Professor Snape will be taking a personal day." He announced, and sat back down. He looked at Brynn, collapsed on the floor. She shook her head, and changed her voice back. Perhaps they should grab a quick breakfast and get off to their classes, before they revealed anything... Of course Snape couldn't take points from them, with Dumbledore there, and no way to prove they had been the culprits. There were many people that could have done it... But it was between them and the Modern Day Marauders... ~*~ "Well, today's the day. The fateful day..." Cate sighed, looking outside. "Bellum, are you awake yet?" "Mmrrggll..." Bellum mumbled, rolling of the bed. "Yeah." Cate was already dressed, and had pulled her smooth hair back into an intricate braid, and piled on the top of her head. Her growing waistline prevented her from showing of her usually very well toned tummy, and other aspects of her body. Her apparel was a pair of loose robes. Cate didn't like robes as much as she liked regular clothes, but the red robes would have to do. Her make-up was still typical, and she still looked wonderful, pregnant or not. "Well get dressed." she hissed. "I'll get Jack and Paige." "Where are we going?" He asked stupidly, pulling on pants to wear under his own robes. "For revenge..." she grinned. "Revenge..." ~*~ The press had found a way to follow her. Cate still hadn't figured out how they stalked her so, and caught her every move on their notepads, and snapped pictures right and left. In a simple drive, off to the 'unknown,' there were three cars with the Press. Cate hated to be photographed when she was pregnant. It didn't help her self-esteem much; but her self-image was already high enough. Much to the press's surprise, Cate jerked the car into the driveway of Agatha Windle. She un-strapped Jack from his car seat, and helped Bellum open the door. He was having quite a time with it. Paige let herself out easily, and followed her mother to the front door, dragging her father along. Cate knocked thrice, and very quickly. A few minutes later, Agatha herself answered the door. She looked to Cate in surprise, and then to Jack, Paige, and Bellum. She fluttered her eyelashes, and then caught sight of the press. She shoved Cate out of the way, brushed past Bellum, and waved to the reporters, who looked bored by her. "Hello!" she said, over dramatically. "Welcome to my residence. Do you wish to catch a sneak-preview of my new soundtrack?" The reporters all looked at each other, clearly at loss of words. One of them, a man in his middle ages, spoke up. "We were hoping to speak to Cate." Agatha glowered at Cate, and turned to smile at the reporters. "Actually, Cate is one of my long-time fans, and we visit constantly." Cate's jaw dropped, and she shifted Jack onto her other hip, and walked beside Agatha to speak up. "Excuse me." she said smoothly. "I think not. I've never even heard your music, which I am sure sound quite awful. But I am, however, here to see you." Agatha glared. Again. She suddenly wished the press would leave. She smiled at Bellum, who cowered behind Cate. "Well, whatever for?" "To tell you face-to-face that you should leave my husband alone. You could have killed him by hitting him with that tree branch, you do know. He remembers nothing, which I am quite sure that is what you intended for to happen. But it does befuddle me... How could someone so magically inept do such a thing as making a tree branch fall upon a person, and much the same getting the person there in the first place?" "No! I-I-I..." Agatha said, trying, and not succeeding, to sound aghast. "Why would I want to steal your husband?" Cate grinned. She had just proven herself right. "Well, well. I think we've gotten a confession. Are you getting this, oh wonderful press friends of mine? For I did not flat out accuse Ms. Windle here of trying to take my husband, but merely of knocking away his memory. But if she wishes to confess before I got to that point, fine by me." "You're a liar!" Agatha shouted. She had her eyebrows narrowed at Cate, and stomped on the ground. "Oh, I beg to differ." Cate chuckled. "See, all you wanted is fame. Your first attempt was the sad and sorry Harry Potter. I thought no one but Meagan had sunk that low. But here I was proven wrong. Once you decided that I was part of the picture, and had a better-looking husband, you changed your mind. This also could be because Meagan humiliated you at your own game." Agatha had no comment. She looked at the press and glared back at Cate, steaming mad. Still, Cate pressed on with her story. "So you, the mad singer, decided that I, Cate Pugnare was indeed more well known around the world even than Harry Potter. And I have a very lovely husband. But a very devoted husband. Then you considered that I stood in the way. But you could erase his every memory of me, and take him for yourself. Then you'd be famous.... Very famous. For stealing my husband. Then you'd have shamed me, and skyrocketed yourself to being well known. Tis' sad... But you'll get your fame... Let me share a few very interesting facts with you... First of all, Singer. That's just another word for magically inept. For just like your daddy... you must steal things from other people's things, stories, and lives to become famous. Just like daddy.... Isn't that right Agatha? Agatha LOCKHART?" Agatha gasped, and looked at the crowd. The reporters were scrawling things very quickly and bustling about. This truly was exclusive. They knew that Gilderoy Lockhart had been shamed, and shunned from the magical world for being a thief, and an idiot. From what Cate had just showed them, Agatha was just the same. Agatha, of course, could not deny it. She was indeed the daughter of Lockhart, but to save herself the shame, she had changed her name. "To save the shame, you changed your name." Cate smiled bemusedly. "Make a song outta that, eh Ms. Lockhart?" "ARGH!!!" Agatha shouted. She took a lunge at Cate, who side stepped her quickly. This time she didn't fall to the floor, but landed on Bellum, who was sitting on the ground petting a bug. He gave a shout of fright, and threw her off him. Now Agatha was covered in dirt, and it did look very much like she was trying to steal Cate's husband. Bellum grabbed Cate's sleeve, and hid behind her, though he wasn't hidden too well. "You horrible Bitch! You deserve to die! To ruin someone's career like that! What have I done to you?" "DO you honestly want me to say it aloud? To cause you even more embarrassment?" Cate sneered. Agatha called inside for her thin, ugly agent. "We're leaving... NOW! The movers can come by later. This country isn't safe, with her," she pointed at Cate. Then she directed a finger towards the Potter House. "And HER!" "Good luck finding someone famous who'll have you now! In fact, good luck finding anyone!" Cate smiled. It was a good day... Now all she needed to do was leave the press to do their job, and get her husband her memory back... ~*~ Cate had gone to tell her parents of her feat. She had also left Bellum home alone. To fend for himself. He was capable of that... Wasn't he? He peered out the window, with his 'Battle Helmet' over his head, falling down and making it hard to see. He took a deep breath, and was startled by a knock on the door. He answered it cautiously, and looked at the man with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. It was his next-door neighbor, and Athena's husband, Ryan Hanwort. "Allo' matey. The wife's out today?" he said cheerfully. "Yes..." Bellum said. "Cate says I'm supposed to be good. I-" "Well, we'll just have a few drinks, okay?" Ryan said. He clapped Bellum on the shoulder. Bellum had no recollection of what had happened the last time Ryan wanted a few drinks... So Ryan led him to the drinks cabinet, and poured him a drink, and one for himself. A few drinks turned into a few too many drinks, and by the time Cate arrived home, the house was a mess. She handed Jack to Paige, and told her to take him upstairs. She balled her fists, and looked around for her husband... "Bellum!" she shouted loudly. "BELLUM!" Bellum mumbled something, and rolled out in front of her. He smiled up at her, and waved. "Hello Catey Watey..." "Bellum, were you drinking?" she glared at him, knowing the answer. "Nice man Ryan is here..." he mumbled, his speech slurred. "Dammit!" Cate hissed, and peered around the corner. Ryan was gone, and there was a red drink spilled on the white carpet. It wasn't as bad as last time, as there were no children running around. Cate offered a hand to Bellum to help him up. He was swaying and almost fell over the few seconds he stood there. Cate however, didn't intend for him to stand too long. She had enough of this. She picked up a stray book, and whacked him over the head as hard as she could. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he waved at her as he fell over, out cold. She then spit on him, and walked away... Bellum woke about an hour later, rubbing his head. "Cate?" he muttered, getting up. "Honey, where are you?" He asked again, much to himself, walking up the marble stairs. He shook his head, and knocked on one of the doors. "What now?" Cate hissed, looking at him. "Can you tell me what I did this time? And why I don't remember the past few days?" "You were-" Cate started, then she stopped abruptly. "You mean you remember everything except the past few days then?" "Uh... yeah." Bellum said, giving her an estranged look. "You remember that we're married? And that we have children? And who you are? Who I am?" Cate said, visibly happier. "Yes, is there a reason I'm not supposed to?" he asked. "Well, you had amnesia for a bit... So you remember me?" "Yes, for the last time. I remember how great you are," he said, sweeping her off her feet and kissing her. He hoped he wasn't going to be punished for the messy house... Cate seemed far too delighted to punish him at the moment. "Dear Lord! You're back! Ha! you aren't insane!" "Are you sure you aren't?" Bellum teased, kissing her again. "Yes, positive. Well, I suppose I must tell you of all that's happened this past week then..." "It might help, dear. Did I do something stupid?" "Oh, you did more than one thing stupid...." ~*~ Ethan received a letter telling him that his father was once again insane. Felicity rolled her eyes at it, and went about her day as usual. Paige, however, found that she had lost one of her favorite talking points. Not everyone had a father with amnesia... But now it would be harder for her to sneak to the Potters' without getting caught... She would have to manage this little problem with the help of her friends Bridgett, Nita, Dominic, and Max....