Jared flipped his car lights off as they turned into the driveway so he wouldn't arouse the suspicions of his sleeping parents. Cordelia sat, waiting for him to open the passenger side door, but when she saw him walk inside the house, she decided to open her own door. Together they silently made their way up the stairs to Jared's bedroom. When he had closed the door, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her, and they slowly made their way towards the bed. They kissed a little while longer, until Cordelia shot straight up on the bed.

"What's the matter?" Jared asked irritably.

"I…uh…oh, this is embarrassing. I need to go to the bathroom."

Jared sat up beside her and chuckled softly, pointing to a door in his left wall. Cordelia slid off the bed and smiled.

"Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back."

She closed the bathroom door behind her and muttered, "Geez! How much longer do I have to deal with this scuzbucket? The things I do for my calling."

She immediately set to her task, looking around in his bathroom, cabinets, finding some evidence that maybe Jared had been there the night before. However, all she found was shaving cream, soap and some magazines that she was sure Jared's mother wouldn't approve of. She was about to open the bathroom door when she suddenly remembered to flush the toilet, so he wouldn't think she was a disgusting pig and withhold information.

Cordelia walked out of Jared's bathroom to find him sitting on the edge of his bed.

"I know what your problem is," he said in a very self-assured manner. Cordelia put her hands on her hips and was about to respond when he cut her off. "You're nervous about being here, and maybe a little guilty about cheating on Mitch."

"I'm not cheating on Mitch. We were never dating," Cordelia said, her defenses up.

"Let me ask you this. Would you be here with me if Mitch were awake?" Cordelia was silent, so Jared continued, this time softly. "But listen, Cordy, you don't need to worry about any of that."

"And why is that?" Cordelia asked, her suspicions spiking.

Jared smiled confidently. "Well, let's just say that the doctors probably won't be able to find out what's wrong with Mitch."

Cordelia panicked. "Why not?"

Jared laughed quietly, but creepily, and then he looked at Cordelia. "Because they'll never suspect magic is the cause of his coma."

She felt the flames build up in her chest. "'He's in a coma? And it's because of magic? Why?"

"Mitch knows that I dabble, and when his grades started to slip, he asked me for a spell to augment his mind."

"And you were more than happy to oblige him. Can you please tell me why you've decided to confide this to me?"

"Because I want you to see how much I want you to be with me. You don't deserve someone like Mitch. He's a loser. Can't perform under pressure. You need someone who can remain calm, who doesn't mind when the stakes are high."

"So you gave him a spell that would put him in a coma?"

"No," he laughed. "I gave him the perfect spell. His problem was that he got nervous, his voice was probably shaking or something. If you don't follow it to the letter—"

Smack!

Before Jared could finish his sentence, and before she knew what she was doing, Cordelia found her right fist connecting with his jaw.

"What the…hell's the matter with you?"

"I just thought..." Jared began, rubbing his jaw.

Smack!

She had punched him again. "I am so sick and tired of people telling me what they think is best for me! I am able to make my own decisions, thank you very much."

Cordelia pinned Jared to the bed, and began to interrogate him.

"Now tell me, how can the spell be reversed?"

"Get off me!"

Smack!

She punched him again, his mouth beginning to bleed. She heard herself screaming at him. "Doesn't feel so good, does it? Have you even seen how he looks in that hospital bed? His mother is a wreck, she's afraid she's going to lose her only son!"

Cordelia heard footsteps, and knew she had to act fast. She put her knee in his groin, and applied pressure. "Now tell me, how can I can reverse it?!"

Jared was groaning in pain. "It's in the book…in the top of the nightstand. It's on the opposite page of 'The Prayer to Sema'."

Cordelia hopped off of him and grabbed the book out of the drawer just as his bedroom door was opening.

"What's going on in here?" Jared's father asked.

Cordelia wheeled around and assessed the damage she had done. She walked up to them and said calmly, "Maybe you should have a chat with your son about respecting a woman's wishes."

She was down the hall and out the front door, running at top speed to Wesley's.