Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Eight: "Cassidy Revealed" Chapter Five

Taranee and Cassidy stood over the still unconscious Theresa. "What happened to her?" Taranee asked.

Cassidy chuckled. "She was doing okay with seeing my old water power, and the explanation I gave her for it. Then I told her how old I really am. Guess it was a bit too much on top of everything else."

"How much does she know about me?" Taranee asked

"Only that you know about me. And that you don't control water. We'd better be quiet now, hearing is the first thing to come back."

Taranee sat on the bed next to her mother and waited. After about fifteen minutes she started to stir. "Mom? Mom can you hear me?"

Theresa opened her eyes. "Taranee? How did I get home?"

"You aren't home. Cassidy called me after you fainted. You've been out over an hour. Here, let me help you sit up."

Varthan. Garix bowed before Neera and apologized. "Forget it my son." she said. "There was no way to predict that the fire Guardian would not show. And given that she didn't, you made the correct decision."

"Her Majesty speaks true my Prince." Aljax said. "The rules are hard to decipher in cases this odd. You might have been in the clear to capture Theresa Cook after she saw Cassidy use her old powers. But then again, you might not have been. I would call the odds fifty-fifty, so it was wise to come down on the side of caution."

"Then what shall we do now?" Garix asked.

"Create a new plan of course." Neera said. "There is always room for a new plan." Neera withdrew into the darkest portion of her throne room, the better to think on what to do next…

Theresa stared at Taranee for several minutes before speaking. "How could you know about something like this and not tell me?"

"Would you have believed it?"

"Probably not." Theresa admitted. "But my eighteen year old son is dating a sixty year old woman!"

Cassidy peeked in. "Not exactly. It's true I was born sixty-odd years ago. But then I spent about forty years kind of dead, so in terms of years of life experienced, I'm not much more than twenty."

"And her physical body really is the equivalent of eighteen." Taranee added.

"Dead." Theresa repeated. She looked at her daughter. "How do you cope with this?"

"It's not so bad. And most of my life is normal. It's not like I'm running around shooting water at bad guys. Oh, c'mon mom, Cassidy's had a hard time of life. She needs some happiness."

"I love Peter." Cassidy said, "But I respect parental rights. I beg you not to say the word, but if you do I'll break it off and stay away."

"You really would, wouldn't you?" Theresa asked. "Does Peter know?"

"No. He's totally oblivious."

"Alright. I'll accept this. For now. I'm beat Taranee, and I've got a pair of thugs to have the police put an A.P.B. out on. Let's go home."

Martin Tubbs lay in bed, not quite asleep. His thoughts drifted back and forth between the suspicion on his mind and the first real date he and Irma had been on as boyfriend/girlfriend. It still seemed amazing to him that he actually had a girlfriend. In some ways it was more incredible than this whole Guardian business he had also learned about.

"Focus." he thought to himself. "It's important. What is in your brain that's making Neera's strategy seem so familiar?" As he lay on his back, he remembered Matt's advice. "Don't fight for it. Just let it come in it's own good time.' Well, he had been fighting for it for two days with nothing to show. "It can't hurt to try it." he decided.

So Martin forced himself to think about anything other than his suspicions. Irma, school, Uriah's jerkiness, Irma, today's dinner, Irma, the movie, Irma…. In time he drifted off to sleep, but didn't stay there for long. Suddenly he sat upright in bed, fully awake. "It's a Xanatos Gambit!" he exclaimed.

Will arrived home from her date to find the apartment empty. A note was stuck to the refrigerator.

Will, gone to a late dinner with Dean. You've got school tomorrow so don't wait up. There's spaghetti in the fridge if you're hungry. Love Mom.

As Will was waiting for the food to reheat, Dave the refrigerator got her attention. "Miss Will, may I ask a question?"

"What is it Dave?"

The appliance told her. "He had a WHAT!" Will exclaimed.

Dean and Susan had enjoyed a wonderful, romantic dinner in the fine upscale restaurant. She knew Dean must have something on his mind, why else would he have sprung for this? She knew a place this fancy must be severely taxing his finances. She just prayed that he hadn't decided the Guardian thing was too much to handle. She hoped he wasn't saying goodbye in the nicest way he could find to do so.

"Have you enjoyed the evening?" he asked her.

"Very much. Dean, this is easily the nicest place I've ever been in."

"I'm glad. I can't do this every day, but I wanted the perfect venue."

"Here it comes." she thought. "It was nice while it lasted."

Dean then held out an open box containing a beautiful ring. "Susan, will you marry me?" She was in shock. They had talked about it of course. Even recently. But somehow she hadn't really thought it would ever happen. Now here it was. She just had to say yes.

Trembling, she took his free hand. "Of course I will."