"So when am I going to see Simon?" Wesley asked after Sofia finished her talk with Chrysta. The crystal fairy was only updating her on a few things going on in the Mystic Isles and recounting some events that happened. Sofia wanted to tell her about Wesley but felt it was inappropriate when she hadn't even spoken to Simon yet. She did send him a letter just a few hours ago, so hopefully, he'll receive it soon. Until then, it was best to let Wesley stay for a little bit to get him situated.

"I think we should wait until Simon answers back. I sent him a letter a few hours ago, but I don't think my family will mind you staying at the castle for a little while."

"Ohh!" Wesley exclaimed excitedly, his eyes lighting up like fireworks, "I've never stayed at a castle before, I can only imagine how many rooms there are...um..." He pauses then and glances hesitantly at Sofia, slouching and beginning to tremble, "Y-You're guys aren't, like, going to lock me up in the dungeon, are you?"

"Are you still worried about us?" Cedric asked with a tired huff. Sofia rolled her eyes, "No, Wesley, we're not going to do that. Why do you keep thinking we're going to hurt you?"

Wesley rubbed the back of his head, "Well... because of what Simon did. I'm not going to lie, when I first heard about all the crimes he and Sylvester pulled, I thought that maybe it was a different Simon. But since you've confirmed that they're the same, I keep thinking that maybe you're holding onto some grudges. Which, I can understand, but still, I'm not like them. At all."

Sofia giggled, "I know," she gives him a friendly pat on his shoulder, "I can tell that you're nothing like him. Even now that Simon's changed for the better, you two seem worlds apart. I wouldn't have believed you were his cousin due to the contrast in both looks and personality."

Wesley seemed to be saddened by her words, he turned away, releasing a depressed sigh, "Yeah... So much has changed, I'm not worried that Simon won't recognize me. I mean it's been years since we last saw each other. I was only six when Simon disappeared and we thought he died in the fire." Wesley's eyes began to sting. He wiped his tears away with his sleeve, wondering if it was inappropriate to cry in front of royalty. Yet, the memory of waking up to people screaming outside and he and his family rushing down the road to Simon's house. And watching the whole place burn up in flames. It was the worst feeling in the world. Losing his best friend. His brother. He'll never forget trying to rush in and save Simon, only to be grabbed by his parents. Wesley had kicked and screamed, thrashing around in their arms, sobbing as he cried out Simon's name.

It took hours for them to tame the flames. Magic could only do so much against such a force. His dad and a few of their neighbors hurried in to find Uncle Luther, Aunt Simone, and Simon, but only found the latter two's charred remains. From what he remembered, his aunt and uncle's bodies were found hugging one another, Uncle Luther covering Aunt Simone, protecting his wife to the very end.

There was no sign of Simon though, and everyone, including Wesley, spent the entire night shouting for him and calling him until the break of dawn. By then, they all knew he was gone. It was a terrible feeling to accept. Someone who he loved as his little brother. Who he played with. Laughed with. Cried with. Was dead without rhyme or reason. He cried with his parents for two weeks. Every day was a struggle, a new burden to carry with them.

Since that day, nothing had been the same. His family was broken.

The small group of three, plus Minimus, landed outside the castle's entrance. A lovely young lady with brown hair stepped out with two young children, racing as fast as they could down the steps towards Cedric and Sofia.

"Mamma! Papa!" The children exclaimed, immediately tackling their parents. The girl with black hair and blue eyes went to Cedric, while her younger brother who possessed brown hair and eyes, hurried to Sofia. The sorcerer and princess both laughed as they scooped up their children in a tight embrace.

"Looks like you're feeling better," Sofia said, kissing Charlie's cheek. Her son smiled, and pointed to the head stewardess waiting for them, "Violet took care of us because Grandmamma and Pappa had to go to an important meeting."

Serena nodded looking up at Cedric, "Yeah, Grandpa said it wasn't too important but they still needed him and Grandma."

"At least you were well taken care of," Cedric said, kissing his daughter's head. He had been worried about her and Charlie. Seeing that they are back to their energetic selves, warmed his heart.

"Papa, who's that?" Serena pointed her arm over Cedric's shoulder to Wesley. Wesley was trying to get his bearing after flying for so long.

"He's a friend," Sofia explained before calling to Wesley, "Wesley, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Wesley stumbled a little, "My butt feels weird. I think it fell asleep." Such an honest reply took Cedric and Sofia by surprise and made their children laugh. It wasn't every day that they heard such things.

"I just need to get my bearings, I'll be fine!"

A few minutes later and the young family, and Wesley, entered the opening doors to the castle. Violet was waiting patiently for them, "Evening all. I see we have a new guest." Violet cocked her head when Wesley immediately made a beeline for a large olive tree, stationed against the wall next to an old portrait. He seemed intrigued by it. And was talking to it?

"This is Wesley," Sofia introduced, "He's a new friend we met earlier." She winced as Wesley suddenly started laughing, nearly doubling over and slapping his knee, "No kidding!" He howled, tears collecting in the corner of his eye.

Violet smiled sarcastically at Sofia, "Only you would bring in such strange characters, Sofia." Both girls giggled as it was very true. Years of knowing each other, Violet was allowed to tease the princess and her husband in private scenarios. She glanced at Wesley once more as he seemed to inspect the leaves of the plant, looking at it quizzically. "Is he usually like this?"

Sofia nodded, "Yeah, but don't worry he's a good guy. He's just well, a little different."

Violet nodded before turning her attention to Wesley as the young man was approaching, "Good evening, Wesley, I'm Violet the Head Stewardess of the castle." She introduced politely. Wesley grinned and immediately seized her hand to shake it.

"You too! I'm Wesley the Whimsical. Um, listen, my friend over there needs some new soil. The old kind is bothering his roots and he's worried that he'll lose his leaves."

Violet blinked, completely unprepared for this.

Cedric rolled his tired eyes, exhausted from their long trip. Serena and Charlie standing beside their parents. "Don't mind him, he does that," Cedric said.

Wesley chuckled, bashfully rubbing the back of his head, "Right, I guess I need to explain this. I can talk to plants. It's a long story. By the way, is your husband feeling better?"

"How do you know I have a husband?" Violet gasped, "Did Cedric and Sofia tell you that?"

"Nope, just the olive tree over there. He said, your husband was very sick a little while ago. I have some herbs that can probably help, they make a nice herbal blend that will kick the snot out of any virus that affecting his immune system." Wesley produces a small, mesh bag with dried-up tea leaves and places them in Violet's palm. "If he gets sick again, it'll help." He pats her on her shoulder in a friendly manner. Violet was stunned for a moment before Prince Charlie reached up between them, bouncing up and down to get Wesley's attention. "Mr. Wesley, you can talk to plants? What does my flower say? I picked it up outside, isn't it pretty?"

In his hand was a little daisy flower, recently bloomed from the looks of it. Wesley laughed and patted the prince's brown head. He knew daisies were pretty obnoxious about their appearance, not as helplessly romantic as roses though. Daisies hated roses in fact, mostly out of jealousy due to the famous flowers being associated with romance and eternal love, while the daisies were often used to symbolize new beginnings of hope and innocents.

Humoring the child, Wesley listened closely to the flower and chuckled, "They're happy to be inside since they've never been inside the castle before. Or any home for that matter."

"Really?" Charlie's eye grew wide with wonder before he raced to his parents to tell them what Wesley had just said. It was cute seeing Cedric and Sofia interact with their children. Speaking of children, there was something else that the olive plant mentioned to Wesley before he approached Violet. Looking at the stewardess, she seemed a little tired, while speaking to a maid about some upcoming ball or whatever. When the maid left, bowing to signal her to leave, Wesley approached Violet once more.

"You know the herbs I gave also help with certain symptoms, like nausea. Ginger also helps too."

Violet looked at him quizzically, with her head cocked to the side. Wesley allowed his eyes to travel down to her stomach and then back to her, "The olive tree said you're expecting." He kept his voice low in case Violet wanted to keep her condition a secret.

The head stewardess gasped, only she and the medic knew. Of course, she wanted to share the news with her beloved. Who wouldn't, it was a joyous occasion. But the medic had given Violet a warning. Due to her stressful job and Baileywick's age, the chances of their child surviving were very slim. She had been right by Baileywick's side as he slowly recovered from his terrible illness, that nearly took his life. She didn't know if telling him such news would make him happier or send him to his grave. He was strong, but that didn't mean he was invincible.

"Please don't say anything," She whispered loud enough for only Wesley to hear. The blond smiled and nodded, giving her a friendly wink, "No worries, I'm not a snitch. But you should still take it easy."

"I am," She said, and it was true. She was being extra careful now and learning to rely on the other castle staff. As it turned out, a lot of them were incredibly reliable and eager to please. She was so grateful to have such amazing coworkers to help her when she felt less like herself. It hurt to keep such a secret, but she knew that Baileywick needed his rest. Once he was fully recovered then she'll tell him. She hoped he would be happy; she knew she was. Hopefully, very soon they'll both be blessed with children to call their own.

After being introduced to the king and queen, as well as everyone else in the castle. Who knew that it was quite literally a full house here. Wesley was shown to his room, and Cedric and Sofia, along with their children, headed in for the evening.

Two days passed before word from Simon came back. He wanted to meet Wesley.

The trip to the Mystic Isles was about as eventful as always. Wesley had been stunned to learn that his cousin lived there.

"So you're telling me that in all the time I looked for Simon, he's been in the freaking clouds? No wonder I could never find the guy!" He huffed, shoving his hand through his hair, "And he's married to a phoenix shifter too?"

Sofia and Cedric both nod. They decided to take two flying horses this time since poor Minimus could only carry so many at once. Skye was always eager to help and immediately came upon Sofia's request. He, like most, was a little surprised by Wesley's stranger mannerisms, but quickly warmed up to him.

"He and Persephone got married a couple of years ago and they have two ah-mazing kids," Sofia couldn't help but gush. She laughed remembering the stories Chrysta recounted to her about Simon's journey to fatherhood. He fussed over Persephone through most of her pregnancy, was fiercely protective of her, and read every single parenting book he could get his hands-on. He was also incredibly fussy with Chise, protective of her as well.

Sofia giggled a little remembering during a visit to see all of her friends, Persephone (who was flying around carrying Chise) swooped in and picked Sofia up. Persephone was incredibly strong. She then carried bother her daughter and Sofia as she flew across the sky. Simon called out to her to slow down and be careful, all the while his arms were outstretched ready to catch Chise if she were to fall from her mother's protective arms. This was all when Persephone had been close to three or four months pregnant with their second child, Aristotle. Ari, as he was often called, looked a lot like Persephone, having dark skin and hair, but possessing Simon's red eyes. He was a quiet boy who always looked tired or bored for some reason.

Aristotle had been born on a cold morning, just before dawn. Persephone went into labor sometime around two or three in the morning, and after three hours of labor, Aristotle greeted the world with his extra pair of lungs. The boy was loud, at least that's what Orion had told Sofia. Thankfully, Aristotle was very healthy and was starting to develop his wings. She could not wait to see them again, it's been almost a year since she last saw Simon and Persephone in person.

"You think I need to shave my face?" Wesley suddenly asked, breaking the comfortable silence. He was rubbing the slight stubble on his chin, light pulling a short hair and wincing a little.

"No, why?"

He shrugged, "Just wondering. I haven't seen Simon since we were kids, what if he thinks I'm some kind of creep with my facial hair. Maybe I should get my face shaved and have my hair cut. What do you think?"

"I don't think that's going to matter," Sofia gestured to the clouds ahead, "And it's too late to go back. Just be yourself and hopefully, Simon will recognize you. I'm sure there's a reason why you haven't seen each other in so long."

"Yeah..." Wesley sighed, looking ahead but not paying attention to anything in particular. He was just staring off into space, no doubt recalling past events. "It feels so weird, knowing he's alive. I've... I thought he was dead for the longest time. And knowing he's alive, I can barely wrap my head around it."

Sofia smiled faintly at him. It must be hard, to live after losing someone so close to you, only to find out, years later, that they've been alive the entire time. She wasn't going to pretend to understand how that must feel. Instead, she reached out to pat him on his shoulder, "It'll be okay," she said, and despite her worries about the situation, Sofia was willing to believe it.

Wesley smiled back at her in thanks before they grew tense as they prepared to land. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Wesley stumbled a little on shaky legs. "Just give me a moment," He said to them, hunched over to catch his breath, "I'm not good with flying. I prefer walking on the ground."

Skye smiled, "Don't worry, you're doing a lot better than most I've seen. Oh, Chrysta, it's good to see you!" He called to the Crystal Fairy. Chrysta approached them with a strong stride, her head held up high. She smiled warmly at Sofia and even embraced her for a moment.

"Still love to give hugs," Chrysta laughed, returning the hug. "How are the kids?"

"They're doing good," Sofia said after letting go of her former mentor, "I wish we had brought them, but given the circumstances, we thought it would be best to leave them with my parents."

Chrysta nodded and looked to Wesley, who finally gathered his bearings, "So this is Simon's 'cousin'?"

Wesley cocked his head. He wasn't sure what to make of this lady. She was pretty, but it was obvious she didn't trust him. He couldn't blame her, knowing what Simon had done in the past.

Might as well make a good first impression. He grinned and immediately took her hand and shook it, "Yes, I'm Simon's cousin: Wesley the Whimsical! It's so cool to meet an actual protector. I've heard of you guys, but I've never seen anyone of you in person. And wow, you have some callous hands," He noted, turning her hand over to trace the harder part of her skin with his thumb. "You're a hard worker. Do you use swords? Have you ever had to punch someone?"

Chrysta blushed hard at his extra attention and immediately shoved him away before turning to Sofia. The Enchancian Princess and her husband both shrugged.

"So how come we've never heard of you?" Chrysta asked Wesley, who was now examining some blades of grass. The sorcerer looked up after a moment of admiring the grass, much to Chrysta's annoyance. He shrugged, "I don't know. I and Simon were super close, like brothers, but then he disappeared and now here I am. Maybe he forgot about me."

Chrysta hummed solemnly before turning to Sofia and Cedric, "Mind if I talk to you two for a moment?" They nod.

"Wesley, we're going to be over here if you need us," Sofia called. Wesley was laying on his stomach listening to a small patch of weeds.

"No worries, I'll wait. I'm just talking to a new friend here."

Chrysta moved her friends out of earshot yet remained in eyesight for Wesley. She watched him suspiciously, "Is he a little serious?"

"Afraid so Wesley can speak to plants, as well as turn into them, "Cedric supplied.

"And you're sure, he's Simon's cousin? Simon's never mentioned him before, and he doesn't look anything like Simon, or even acts like him!"

Sofia nodded, "I know, but trust me Chrysta, he's related to Simon. We just have to reunite them."

Chrysta glanced back at Wesley who was chatting with the weeds, happily unaware of them. "I trust you, Sofia, but I don't know if I trust him. What if he's like..."

Sofia smiled kindly at her friend. What if Wesley was a fraud? What if he used Simon. It wouldn't be the first time someone impersonated a long-lost family member...

"He's not, Chrysta. I know he's not. I have a feeling, that like anyone in his situation, he just wants to be with the people he loves."

Chrysta sighed, her wings twitching a little with uncertainty. "If you're sure. But he better not try something with Simon. I've grown to like the red-head, and he's adorable kids. If this guy tries anything with Simon, then I'll-"

"What's this about Simon?" Wesley asked, popping up behind Chrysta. The Crystal Fairy spun around on instinct and swung a hard roundhouse kick, knocking Wesley back several feet.

"Oh my gosh!" Chrysta and the others raced to check on Wesley, with Chrysta helping him sit up, "I'm so sorry, I didn't hear you and-"

Wesley laughed, his eye wide with excitement, "That was so cool! You have such quick reflexes, I didn't even know you moved until I ended up on the ground. Great job!" He dusted himself off, wincing a little, "I'm going to feel that in the morning. I guess that's a good thing too. You want to make sure that jerks think twice about messing with you. And don't worry about it, it's my fault for just appearing out of know where."

Chrysta blinked, taken aback by his happy-go-lucky attitude. And while she would rather die than admit it, but she was very flattered that he liked her actions. Being a Crystal Fairy, Chrysta was meant to be dainty, and soft-spoken, and not aggressive at all. That sort of behavior was looked down upon, yet she never fitted in with anyone else until she became a Protector. And even then, most still expect her to be some kind of soft-spoken twinkle toes with no mean bone in her body.

They were always in for a surprise when she knocked them down on their rears. It was always so satisfying to see their dumbfounded look too.

"Well, just don't sneak up on me anymore, alright."

"Don't worry, I learned my lesson. That was a good kick too, Miss um... I'm sorry, do you mind telling me your name?"

"Chrysta."

He nods, "Got it. At least I hope I do. I'm not too good with names, so please don't knock me down if I forget." He laughed and Chrysta couldn't stop herself from dropping a few giggles as well.

Behind her, Sofia was smiling knowingly.

Simon's house hadn't changed all that much, though it was much livelier than most would expect. Wesley hummed as they approached it, nodding his approval, "Simple, but modern. Sounds like something Simon would want."

"Yeah, Simon and Persephone don't care for anything fancy, as long as they're together, they're home," Sofia said, with Cedric nodding his head. Their hands were interlocked, fingers laced together. "The protectors are the ones who built it, it was a wedding gift to Simon and Persephone," Sofia added as they drew closer.

"Wow," Wesley said looking at the home with a new appreciation, "I have to say, that it's beautiful. Did you help build it, Miss Chrysta?"

She frowned and shook her head, "No, I was on a mission during that time. And you don't need to call me 'Miss Chrysta' either."

"Oh well if you're okay with me calling you 'Chrysta' then I'll do that. I was raised to always address people as miss or mister, unless they have specific titles, like Mister Cedric and Princess Sofia."

"Chrysta if fine. Being called 'Miss' just doesn't sound right to me. So, why did it take you so long to find Simon?" Her suspicion had returned. It just didn't make sense that Wesley would show up out of the blue looking for his cousin, especially at a time when Simon refused to use the full extent of his powers and had renounced dark magic altogether. It was no secret in the Mystic Isles that Simon had done a lot of terrible things in his past, and probably made a ton of enemies as a result. Wesley could easily be said enemy, deciding now would be the perfect time to attack Simon and possibly wipe out his whole family.

It was kind of funny that she was now protective of Simon the Silent when upon meeting him Chrysta wanted to teach the mouthy, little brat a lesson. Now he was a good friend, practically a brother to her. Chrysta would fight Wesley to The very end if it meant helping keep Simon and his family safe.

At her question, Wesley frowned sadly, his gaze dropped to the ground, "I hate to admit it, but I thought he was dead. My family and I all thought he had died with his parents. I only learned he was alive after I started having these odd dreams about him. I know it sounds weird, but when you work with magic, the magic can give you visions of things to come. It doesn't always make sense, and a lot of times, you never know the full story until it just happens. But I had dreams about Simon, dreams about me and him as kids, running around and getting into trouble. Before that, I didn't want to think about him because it just hurts, you know."

Chrysta's face softened, "I'm sorry to hear that," she said, and meant it. "That must have been rough."

Wesley smiled at her. They were now walking together in front of Cedric and Sofia, who was watching them curiously. "You don't need to be sorry, Mi-I mean, Chrysta. I'm just grateful to be part of a family again. At least I hope I can be..." His tone and his words pulled at Chrysta's heartstrings to the point that her eyes started to mist a little.

They arrived at the house. The front door opened and Simon the Silent stepped out.

Wesley had been wondering what he would say when he saw his cousin again. He imagined a million different scenarios. Yet nothing he imagined came to mind. Should he have written them down? Wesley froze while Sofia hurried to greet him. The Simon before him was no longer a little boy, learning to control his magic, but a young man in his earlier thirties at most.

He looked so much like Uncle Luther, it was almost uncanny. They both had the same strong jaw and red eyes, and red hair too. Then again, both Uncle Luther and Aunt Simone had red hair. However, Aunt Simone's eyes were a lovely blue shade, like a deep ocean color from what he remembered. Both had worn dark clothes, which always appeared regal and sophisticated. Simon had been dressed similarly as kids, which gave him more of a vampire appeal, at least that is the comparison the other neighborhood children would say.

Currently, Simon's clothes were clean but much more relaxed, with a white buttons own shirt, black pants, and strong boots. His hair was loose and long, going just down to his shoulders in thick blood-red locks. He smiled warmly, welcoming Princess Sofia's friendly hug and shaking Mr. Cedric's hand. "It's good to see you both, I'm sure Persephone will be delighted when she returns with Chise."

Simon's red eyes then focused on Wesley. They both froze for a moment, for Wesley it was too much. He broke down sobbing happily before charging in and grabbing Simon in a big bear hug, lifting from the ground almost by afoot, and swinging them both back and forth; all the while screaming, "It's you, it's you! I can't believe you're alive!" When he finally sets Simon down, Wesley didn't hesitate to smack him upside the head, making Simon wince, "Ouch!"

"You jerk! Do you have any idea how worried I was!" Wesley yelled, poking him in the chest, "You disappeared for over twenty years and then go off on a crime spree with Sylvester of all people! How could you! Simon, what happened?" Wesley sobbed again. He grabbed Simon in another hug, squeezing him tightly, all the while Simon remained frozen, confused by all of this.

"Wh-what?" Simon sputtered, a strange warm feeling, like hot water, bubbles in the back of his skull, making him feel dizzy, his world becoming fuzzy. Looking at Wesley, he swears he sees a ghost or a phantom from a distant dream.

Simon remembers reading a letter from Sofia. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but Sofia's letter sounded urgent and eager. He didn't believe it, as far as he knew he had no other family besides Persephone and the kids. Now that he thought about it, he never asked his grandfather about his parents. He assumed they died and he was put into Sylvester's company. In the times he served his grandfather, they were always focused on the mission at hand, hardly ever was there a moment of familiarity. He never knew of it and was raised to see Sylvester as a master, nothing more. The man may have raised him, but he was far from a good paternal figure.

"Simon, this is Wesley the Whimsical, the man I told you about in the letter," Sofia said, stepping beside Simon. "He's your cousin."

"My cousin..." Spots danced across his vision before darkness ate away at his sight. He watched as his friends' eyes widen in worry before the world tilted and he succumbed to darkness.

The group screamed in alarm when Simon collapsed. Wesley rushed in and caught him before he hit the ground. Blood was coming out of Simon's nose.

"Quickly, inside!" Sofia ordered and with Cedric helping Wesley, they carried Simon's unconscious body into the living room.

Simon groaned as he awoke an hour later. The first person he saw was his wife, Persephone. The phoenix shifter smiled upon seeing his eyes open and cooed in worry, her soft hand tracing the shape of his face before cradling his cheek. She leaned in and nuzzled him, a soft purr rolling off her chest, an act that she often used to comfort both him and the children if she sensed they were distressed. Simon smiled, leaning faithfully into her loving touch, "My love..."

"Daddy, are you okay?" Chise's voice broke through the moment. Simon grunted as he sat up to see both his children peering up at him. He was laying on the living room sofa, covered in a soft blanket.

"I'm fine, cupcake," He said weakly, before grabbing his aching head. He felt as though he had been slammed headfirst into a boulder. Persephone grabbed a glass of water and offered it to him. He took it with a soft thanks and drank.

"Simon, how are you feeling?" Sofia asked, approaching the family. A few minutes after Simon fainted, Persephone and the children returned from visiting Orion and were understandably concerned to find Simon was unconscious. Persephone sat at his side, not allowing Wesley to get too close, in case he was the cause of Simon's fainting spell.

"I've been better, Princess Sofia," Simon answered honestly, before welcoming the children onto his lap. He smiled hugging his son and daughter, "I'm okay." They still looked worried, unconvinced due to his weakened state. It wasn't every day he fainted on the spot. Simon kisses their heads to assure them he was fine.

Standing off in the back, Wesley watched worriedly, "So, what happened? You just fainted after seeing me."

Simon frowned, "Do I know you?"

Wesley snorted, rolling his eyes and stepping closer. He wince and took a step back upon Persephone's glare, her feathers ruffled a little as she raised her wings in a warning.

"You should," The blond said, "We're family. Don't you remember me at all?"

Simon shook his head, wincing at the terrible ache in the back of his skull, as if someone had struck him with a large hammer, "I'm sorry, I don't recall you."

"You can't be serious!" Wesley spoke desperately, his voice rising in panic, "We were like brothers, Simon! Don't you remember your parents or my parents? We grew up in the same neighborhood. We used to climb trees together and go running off to play with the other kids. I mean, we tried too, but they didn't like us for some reason. But you and me, we were close. Remember the time we went to the river and caught all those lighting bugs in a glass jar. They were so cool! Or how about the time, you fell into the creak and your mom got super worried when I brought you home, soaking wet. Thankfully it was still summer. Don't you remember any of that?"

Simon bit his lip. He could easily see, in his mind's eye, a creak he had fallen in, but that had to have been a dream. He was sure it was a dream, it was a misty water dream, the kind that seemed so far away and disoriented, that it had to be a product of his imagination.

But there was a sense of familiarity too. Looking at Wesley, Simon swears he's seen him before. He feels a strange sense of familiarity and a strong bond with the blond. It was odd, but the more he tried to poke and prod his mind, the more it hurt.

Simon grimaced, holding the right side of his head, "It... It sounds real, but..." He winces again, feeling as though his skull was breaking. Persephone whimpered in worry, nuzzling him again. "I'm okay, my love..." He knew it was a lie, he didn't feel okay. He felt ill, sick to his stomach. He was growing pale the more he tried to recall his childhood.

"Simon, what's wrong?" Sofia asked, noting his ill deminer. The red-head groaned and shook his head, "I don't know, every time I try to think about my past it makes me feel sick." Was it repressed memories of some kind?

Cedric stepped closer to him, wand in hand. "Perhaps I could help. Do you mind?" He looked between Persephone and Simon. They both nod their head. Cedric uttered a quick spell, waving his wand in front of Simon. His green magic flowed around Simon's head before turning white and fading away. Cedric frowned, "It seemed that your memories were magically erased."

Everyone in the room gasped.

"Wait, so Simon doesn't remember anything about me or anyone we knew as kids?" Wesley was the first to ask, before clenching his fist tightly, "That Sylvester must have something to do with it. Why am I not surprised?"

The others nod, with Simon bristling at the name of his former master and grandfather. Persephone wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly, while their children shifted a little on Simon's lap.

"Daddy, who's Sy-easter?" Chise asked, cocking her head to the side, with Aristotle looking at his parents, eyes full of curiosity. Simon winces, not wanting to tell his kids about his devious acts, "I'll tell you when you're older, cupcake. Cedric, is there any way to undo this?"

"I'm afraid I don't know," Cedric said, "These sort of spells vary from person to person, depending on what they want their victim to forget."

"I see," Simon sighed, feeling both drained and crossed, "Well, I appreciate your concern, but I would like for my family and me to be left alone for now." His eyes focused on Wesley, "Please leave."

Wesley looked hurt and opened his mouth to speak, but grew silent when Sofia touched his arm.