Chapter Two

As Diana Meade parked her car in the drive she wistfully took in the view around her.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up her suitcases, and made her way up to her room.

Looking around, she felt strange. It was like she'd never even been away. Like any minute now, Melanie, or Laurel would come flying through the door, Laurel carrying one of her veggie pizzas and Melanie moaning about how they should be updating the book of shadows more often.

Or that Adam would be here, telling her not to worry so much.

Shaking thoughts of the former love of her life away, she began to unpack. But it was different now. So much had changed in the past two years. And it had all started with the arrival of Cassie Blake.

Diana had thought of Cassie like her best friend and sister, almost instantly from the very beginning. She still thought of her that way. And when she had sacrificed her love for Adam, she had done it because she wanted what was best for all of them.

But now…she had been away. She'd been given a chance to think things over, for everything to fully sink in and be accepted. She had sacrificed things because she had known once soul mates were identified, there was no chance. And she'd also been thinking if she would ever find her own soul mate. She certainly wasn't thinking like a girl who was supposedly happy with her choices and moving on quietly with her life.

So it was no wonder that Diana hadn't gone rushing up to Cassie's house the minute she got back, like she would have in the old days. She had missed Cassie, and Laurel and Sean. But she wasn't ready for all of that yet.

"Diana?" her father called out to her. "Someone's here for you!"

Bracing herself she hurried downstairs, but a bright smile soon lit up her face when she saw who it was.

"I can't believe you're here the same time as me!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad to see you Nick. I really am."

Nick smiled and returned her affections. "Me too."

Of course there had been some brightness in all of her worries. She had been emailing and calling the entire circle when she first moved, home sickness getting the better of her. But she found, to her surprise, that she'd kept in touch with Nick more often then the others. And then he had come to visit her…..

"Have you spoken to anyone else yet?" he asked her, lifting her hand and kissing it lightly.

She laughed and shook her head. "No. I'm kind of putting it of."

"That's good. Because I was hoping you'd wait. I was also wondering how you were planning on telling them about us?"

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Adam watched silently from the end of the drive as Nick and Diana embraced, a coldness had replaced all the warmth he'd felt at the thought of coming home, and he didn't know why. Lifting his luggage bag back over his shoulder, he continued up to his own home with shadows creeping over his thoughts.

Why does it mater what happens with Diana? He told himself over and over. It's over. Has been for almost a year. You're in love with Cassie, remember?

He threw his belongings down on his bed, and headed out again almost instantly. The sudden urge to see his girlfriend overwhelmed him.

Because he did love Cassie, more then anything in this world. But he and Diana had shared most of their lives together so far. They had a lot of history.

Shaking off his anxieties, he knocked on the door of Cassie's home, waiting for his own welcome. He wasn't disappointed.

Cries of delight and more met him when she opened the door and welcomed him in.

"Adam you're here!" she exclaimed joyously.

It was then he took in her appearance. Although she looked as stunning as ever, something in her eyes and voice told him all was not right in her world. She almost looked….drained.

"Everything ok?"

She looked up at him, trying her best to shield her emotions from him. "It's fine."

"Cassie. You'd tell me if something was wrong right?"

How can I tell you? She thought. You'd never believe me, I don't even believe what's going on myself.

"Everything's perfect. You're here now." she told him.

Because it was partly true. She did feel a little bit safer. But she was not about to ruin all of this for everyone just over a stupid nightmare. True, the dreams felt more real then anything she'd ever experienced. The only things that had come close had been the dreams she'd had back when they were fighting Black John. It was also true that these nightmares kept her up all night, she was too terrified to go to sleep anymore. She was even starting to take sleeping pills and herbs for dreamless sleep she was that scared, and even then getting less then five hours a night. But she was determined to handle things herself. The last thing she wanted was to turn into the Cassie she had once been, scared of everything thrown her way.

She had grown up now, and she wanted to prove to the rest of the Circle, that she was still the strong willed girl she had changed to become when they'd left at the end of the summer. The sound of a dog barking had broken her thoughts, and she turned to see Raj bounding in from the garden. Raj was Adams dog that she had been looking after while he was away.

"So, come in already!" she asked, loading her voice with more enthusiasm then she actually felt…not that she wasn't truly glad he was home, but because any minute now, she was about to collapse from exhaustion and she wanted to prove her point that she was fine.

"How's you're mum doing anyway?" Adam asked, moving towards the kitchen.

"Oh, much better. The effects of Black Johns magic used on her are totally gone. It's like all she needed was to know he couldn't hurt anyone anymore and the effects wore off. We had The Talk about my father and everything….I'll admit that was awkward but still…."

She continued talking a mile a minute, but she wasn't really concentrating on the words. I wish I could tell you. The thought had been echoing around her mind since he asked if she was alright. She hadn't realised how much of a burden these dreams had been on her until he asked her that. But the one person she wanted to talk about it all with was Diana. And She hadn't heard from Diana in…a while.

"Whoa Cass…..enough Sugar already!"

Cassie looked in surprise at the tea she was making for him, realising his cup was almost full of white sugar now.

"Sorry," she muttered and started again.

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A couple of days had now passed since the club had arrived back at New Salem. It was now Wednesday and Cassie hadn't once heard from Diana.

Melanie had stopped by, the Henderson brothers and Deborah and Susan. Even Faye. But Diana was nowhere to be seen….and Cassie knew that she was back home. Reports from Faye and Adam confirmed it.

What shocked and hurt Cassie most was, even when the Circle had all gathered together their second night back to catch up, Diana hadn't turned up. And, Cassie thought now, neither had Nick.

Cassie decided it was time to talk about things with Adam. If she had learned anything last year, it was that it wasn't good to bottle things up inside for ages, and that secrets were definitely not a good thing.

He looked uncomfortable when she voiced her concerns. "I mean, all of that last summer things were great right? Everything seemed fine…there was no tension at all."

"Remember she's had time to think Cass," Adam reminded her. "We'd just had the greatest face off between good and evil we've ever known right? An evil our families have been fighting for generations. Of course everything was fine"

Cassie knew if Diana had been hiding her true feelings, she couldn't be mad at her friend. She was very good at doing that herself!

"I guess. But still…..I don't want to hurt her in anyway. If she has something troubling her we should talk about it."

Adam sighed. "Look this isn't going to be easy. But I think it's more something to do with her. Something she's hiding. Maybe she doesn't know how to tell us…whatever's going on."

"What could be going on?"

Adam took a deep breath. "On my first day back I saw Diana…with Nick. They looked pretty friendly."

Cassie went quiet. "Oh," she whispered, not sure how to take that.

Adam nodded. "I know. That's what I was like."

So now Cassie had even more to worry about….and she couldn't talk to Diana about any of it.

Realising Adam had taken a risk in telling her this information, she decided maybe it was time to come clean about her own situation. "Adam…there's something else I have to tell you. When you first got here, you asked if I was alright. Well I…"

It was then the phone rang. Frowning impatiently, she reached for it. "Hello?" she snapped without meaning to.

"Hi Cassie, bad time?"

"Laurel! Hi, no….you're ok. What's going on?"

"Well…my cousin just arrived. You want to come over and say hi?"

Cassie looked up and relayed the news to Adam, who reluctantly nodded.

"Sure thing. We'll be there."

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Gillian sneaked into David's guest room before Cassie and Adam were due over, and smiled at his smart appearance. She herself had gone for casual smart. Wearing black jeans and an off the shoulder, long sleeved blue top. "Tomorrow is thanksgiving Dave, we don't have to dress up till then!" she gasped out through laughter.

He shrugged. "Thierry trusted us with this Gil," he answered simply. "And I'm all for first impressions."

"Yeah, but sweetie, we don't want to look like we're trying to hard right? We have to fit in!"

The sound of the doorbell interrupted her. "Ready?" she queried.

He nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be!"

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The first few minutes of Cassie and Adams arrival were filled with the awkward silences and hesitations of a first meeting. Gillian looked at her cousin and her friends, and was once more thrown back to her high school days, when she had been almost invisible. Although, as part of Circle Day Break, she was used to meeting important people, and the grandeur of everything that came with the night world, these people impressed her even more then meeting Thierry and his soul mate Hannah Snow for the first time.

She didn't know why. Maybe it was because it was family she was meeting here. When

Thierry had first come to herself and David, she had been surprised. She barely remembered Laurel, the last time they met she must have been about nine or ten. In fact, she had almost forgotten about her, she was ashamed to admit now.

Because of her mothers drinking problems, and the difficulties in her parent's marriage, her father had barely even mentioned his family, and she had barely had the chance to talk to him, he was always away from the house and his supposed problems all the time.

Then Thierry had dropped the bombshell that either Laurel or someone she knows could be the very thing they had all been looking for. Apparently the witches of the circle had sensed great power down in New Salem last year, power that could indicate a Wild Power.

So she and her soul mate…because she couldn't bare to be like Ash and be separated for so long….had been sent to investigate the situation.

So far nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Laurel had initially seemed a bit…off, always talking about Mother Earth and Nature and how they should all be glad to be alive. But soon they had been talking a lot and catching up. Now though, she sat in silence watching them all talk. But then suddenly, something changed.

A balance shifted in the room, she could feel something was happening, and so, using her powers, she tuned in to her surroundings and looked at Cassie and Adam. What she found shocked her.

Adam, I started to tell you something back at my place. I know this is rude, but I really have to tell you.

Adam looked at her startled, and so did Laurel.

I forgot you could do that! Adam answered.

You guys know I can hear you as well right? Asked Laurel. Keep talking out loud before they get suspicious of us!

Although Laurel wasn't as powerful as some of the other coven members, she could still hear them because of the fact she was a witch. So, even though she couldn't start a conversation, even if she just thought her thoughts really loudly, she could contribute.

I' m sorry Laurel. I've been meaning to tell you this for ages, I just couldn't bring myself to.

Cassie looked up and smiled at Gillian and David. "So, how far have you guys travelled to get here then?" she asked calmly.

Gillian smiled back, keeping up the pretence. "From Las Vegas."

"Wow, that's amazing," said Adam. "It's one of the many places I've wanted to go!"

I've been having these dreams lately. Dreams like I had back when Black John was alive. I think they're actually visions….but they've been keeping me awake and…..

All this was said without one word, and Gillian heard everything. After they had finished, there was another silence.

"I'll go get a drink for us all," said Laurel hastily getting up.

"I'll help," offered David, polite as ever.

When they were alone, Gillian looked calmly up at Cassie and Adam.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" she asked sweetly, and they both looked up startled. "Because there are certain herbal teas that could help you with that."

I've changed some parts of this chapter. Someone pointed out in a review that thanksgiving is a Thursday, and now I realised I should have known that! For some stupid reason I had it in my mind it was a Monday. Oh well, guess I'm from the UK. Don't keep track of other countries holidays! Sorry about that, but it's all fixed now!