AN: How are all you lovely people doing? I hope well. Here is the next installment of this little piece of my imagination. I hope you enjoy.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

Michael pulled Beth into his lap as they watched Kenny chasing Amber around a large oak tree. The red-haired girl had managed to get a hold of Kenny's prized camera and taken off running. Kenny immediately followed her, begging her to be careful, but he was grinning from ear to ear. Beth giggled, and Michael felt his heart skip a beat. The sound was one of the most beautiful things he had heard. He loved to make her laugh for just that reason.

"So much for our quiet picnic in the park," said Beth between chortles.

Michael shrugged and kissed the top of her head, taking in the smell of strawberries and coconut. "It doesn't matter."

Beth turned her head enough to see him. "I wanted you to get to know Kenny—and Amber."

"I know Kenny. We hang out all the time and Amber's Amber. What's to get to know?" asked Michael with an arched eyebrow and smirk. "Besides with the little ones occupied, we can get to know each other a bit better."

Beth pecked him on the lips quickly. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Must have used up all your birthday wishes," suggested Michael cheekily.

"Someone's full of themselves."

Michael stuck out his tongue. "Hey, it's just a thought."

Beth rolled her eyes and snuggled against his muscular chest. "I usually wished for my brother to vanish," she whispered.

Michael frowned. "Why?"

"Kenny and I didn't get along back at home. When my parents adopted him I felt like I was being replaced like I wasn't enough for them. I know, now that I was being stupid. Mom and Dad love us more than we know. They…Kenny wasn't them replacing me. By the time I figured it all out, well, I wasn't in the mood to hang out with my snotty little brother," said Beth softly. "I was I a horrid big sister."

"I'm sure you weren't," mumbled Michael.

"I was. I'd constantly pick on him and belittle him. He put up with all of it. I don't think he once went to our parents. Hell, he is the best brother ever."

"You love him. I can see that."

Beth sighed. "I do. I love him. I just hope he still loves me."

"Of course he does. How couldn't he?"

"Because now he has real friends. He never did before. I made sure of that. No one wanted to piss me off at my old school, and they all knew I didn't like my kid brother. Now, he's got your cousins and Amber. He's going to realize he doesn't have to suck up to me anymore."

Michael stroked her hair. "Kenny doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge especially not against his sister."

"I've gone and spoiled the mood," whispered Beth. "How's your brother doing?"

Michael hugged her tightly. "He's great."

"Really? Last time he seemed a bit depressed."

Michael thought back to the dinner a few days previous. Richard had been markedly more quiet than normal. He had never been the boisterous twin, but Richard was not a modest mouse either. Michael chewed on his lower lip, wondering how he had not asked his twin about his mood. He could not think of a reason why Richard was depressed. Sure, they both missed their mother and father, but they were used to spending months apart from their parents.

"He's fine. I'm sure he's fine," said Michael trying to convince himself.

Beth let the subject drop. "Did you know that Kenny's a witch?"

Michael choked on the saliva he inhaled. "Wh—what?"

"Yeah, he's name was on that government website naming witches. Mom and Dad were fine with it when I told them. I think they already knew but not from Kenny. He was kinda flustered when we told him we knew." Beth sat up.

Michael crossed his arms protectively. "What about you?"

Beth crawled off his lap and sat down opposite him. "Why shouldn't I be ok with it? It's not like he's suddenly a different person or anything. All this magic hysteria is complete kak."

"Kak?"

Beth nodded. "Crap. It's not like these people haven't always been our neighbors and friends. How's it any different now? Sure that Jonathan was a complete asshole, but so was Hitler. As far as I know Hitler wasn't a witch or magical. There are good and bad people. Magic doesn't change that."

Michael slowly nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. The imaginary cotton balls in his mouth made it difficult to speak. "Was there anyone else on that list?"

Beth frowned. "You haven't gone on it?"

"No, my dad's a big opponent to those lists being released."

"Right, I forget you dad's a big wig back in the UK. So you've not even peeked at it?"

Michael lowered his eyes and shook his head. "Like you said, it doesn't change people. If anyone I know wanted me to know they'd tell me. It's not my place to pry."

"Whatever, and no. I only recognized Kenny, but I didn't really look that hard. I was just curious how many were out there," rambled Beth.

"Beth," interrupted Michael, locking eyes with his girlfriend. "I—I've got—er—I've got to tell you something. I think. I mean, maybe, you should know."

Beth narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"

Michael opened his mouth to speak. "Beth…"

"HEY!" yelled Kenny, joining them with Amber in tow. Amber still had his camera around her neck.

"What's up?" asked Michael thankful for the interruption.

Kenny sat down on the blanket and grabbed a bottle of water from the wicker picnic basket. He handed it to Amber and took another for himself. He downed half the bottle.

"Are Zach and Rebecca broken up?" asked Kenny, wiping his mouth with the back of his arm.

"No, not as far as I know," said Michael.

Beth asked, "Why?"

Amber twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "We, ah, we just saw Zach, and, um, he was kissing a girl."

"And the girl wasn't Rebecca," finished Kenny.

Beth's eyes widened. "Who was it?"

Amber raised her hand up. "No idea. We couldn't see her face."

Kenny bit his lip. "Actually I think I might know who."

"What!" yelled Amber, hitting him playfully.

Kenny rubbed his arm. "OW! I didn't tell you because I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure it was Angela."

"That bitch! Why'd he be kissing her?" asked Beth.

"They used to date," said Kenny simply.

"I know that, domkop. What the hell is he playing at?"

Amber spoke up timidly. "Um, what are we going to do? Shouldn't we go and, uh, ask him?"

Kenny, Beth, and Amber looked at Michael. Michael groaned. "Why me?"

"He's your cousin," deadpanned Kenny.

Michael pulled a face. "What's that got to do with anything? You're the one who caught him kissing her."

Kenny paled. "Oh, no! She scares me. You don't go to school with her."

Beth nodded. "That is true. She can make all of our lives miserable, but not you."

Michael sighed. "Damn it! You guys owe me. Where'd you see them?"

Kenny and Amber pointed to a clump of trees near a small playground. "They're on a bench just on the other side."

Michael stood up, shook his head, and strode away. He quickly closed the distance between their picnicking spot and the nearly empty playground. He rounded the trees and saw a girl in a very short black dress sauntering off. Zach was still sitting on the park bench with his eyes closed. Michael cleared his throat. Zach jumped.

"MIKE! What are you doing here?"

Michael crossed his arms. "Picnicking. You?"

Zach fidgeted. "Um—nothing. Needed to get out of the house."

"Who was the chick in the nonexistent dress?"

"That was—she's a friend," said Zach, dodging the question.

Unimpressed, Michael unfolded his arms. "You have a total of four female friends. Not a single one of them would be caught dead in a dress that short. That was Angela, wasn't it?"

Zach bristled. "If you knew, why'd you ask?"

"To see if you feel guilty or not," snapped Michael. "How could you, Zach! After everything the poor girl has gone through, you go and…"

Zach jumped to his feet. "What? What did I do? She hasn't spoken to me for weeks. WEEKS! She talks to Sophie. She's even let Matt visit. But me? No, not a single peep. Nothing! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Michael matched Zach's aggression with his own. "You're a right prick. Poor you! Your girlfriend's going through a tough time, and you make it about yourself. Seriously! What the actual hell! How dare you even—I can't believe you're related to me."

"What the hell do you think I did?"

"YOU KISSED ANGELA!"

Zach stumbled backward. "What? Of course not! Fuck you!"

Michael rolled his eyes. "Kenny and Amber saw you."

"No, they saw Angela kiss me. ON THE CHEEK! I've just come from Rebecca's house and got kicked to the curb yet again. Angela spotted me and was trying to comfort me. That's it! GOD!" Zach huffed and stormed off.

Michael took a few steadying breaths. "Oh…"

Matthew Anakin Halliwell was having a terrible day. The day started with a phone call from his aunt informing everyone that his mother was being put on bed rest. There was something wrong with her blood pressure, and a small possibility that there was protein in his urine. Most of the conversation went over his head, but the way his dad's face paled told him all he needed to know. The news was not good news. Needless to say, his dad was going to spend a few weeks in England. He was, however, to remain in the city until school was over.

By lunch at school, his nerves over his mother's and baby sibling's health turned him into a terror to be around. He had yelled at Kenny nearly bring the black haired boy to tears. Sophia had chewed off his head for his attitude and refused to talk to him for the rest of lunch. His attitude in the classroom had earned him two detentions and a verbal warning from the baseball coach. All in all, he was more than happy when the final bell of the day rang. He rushed passed his cousin and friends and collected his things from his locker. Not willing to endure the uncomfortable car ride home, he snuck into an out-of-order bathroom and orbed back to the Manor.

"Does your uncle know you're orbing home?" asked his grandmother before he even fully corporealized.

Matt turned to face the Halliwell matriarch. "No."

Piper clucked her tongue. "Using magic for personal gain isn't very wise."

"I know, but it's been a crappy day. I just want to go to bed."

Piper's expression softened. "Peanut, I know you're worried about your mom, but she's going to be alright. Your dad's not going to let anything happen to her or the baby."

Matt huffed but held his tongue. There were few adults he was unwilling to cross; his grandmother was one of them. Even in his bad mood, he knew pushing her too far would not do anyone good least of all himself. He pulled out his phone. "I'll text him."

"Don't bother. He'll know you're here already. Do you want lunch?" asked Piper kindly. The time for admonishment was over.

Matt shook his head. "No. Thank you, but I'm not that hungry. Have you heard anything from my dad?"

Piper led them into the living room and sat down. She patted the spot on the couch next to her. Matt sat down, avoiding her searching eyes. Piper wrapped one of his hands between her two hands.

"You're just like your father. He always felt ashamed to express worry. One time Wyatt had a nasty football injury, and he had to go to the hospital. Your grandfather Leo took him to the hospital while I stayed at home with your dad, aunt Prue, and uncle Anakin. Annie was only two or three at the time. Your dad wanted to know if Wyatt was going to be ok, but he couldn't quite get the words out. We sat here on this couch just like this until Leo and Wyatt got back from the hospital," rambled Piper, reminiscing on the simpler times.

Matt frowned. "Why didn't Leo just heal Wyatt?"

Piper laughed softly. "Oh, he did as soon as they got home. Leo was such a softly. He could never let any of the kids heal naturally. It used to drive me crazy. I wasn't against healing them when the injury was life threatening, but a sprained ankle…oh well, what has passed is in the past."

"My dad—he knew what all that meant this morning. I could see the fear in his eyes," murmured Matt.

Piper nodded. "It's not a good thing to be put on bed rest so early in the pregnancy, but your mom's got the best doctors in the worlds looking after her. And your dad is there to make sure they don't miss anything. She and the baby are going to be just fine. We'll call them in the morning if they haven't called us by then."

Matt laid his head on Piper's shoulder. "I wish we could all be together."

"Me too, peanut, me too."

Michael walked in from the conservatory. "Grandma? When are…oh, sorry."

Matt sat back up. "Hey, Mike. How was your day?"

Michael cleared his throat awkwardly. "Fine, and yours?"

"Is your brother still taking his exam?" asked Piper drawing attention away from Matt.

Michael nodded slowly. "Um, yeah. He's just got one essay left. He wanted to know when everyone was having lunch?"

Piper stood up and straightened her dress. "It's going to be just sandwiches so he doesn't have to rush."

"Ok, cool. I'll tell him that. Er, how'd you get home?"

Matt forced a smile. "Orbed home. I've got a lot of homework to do. Dinner still going to be late, Grandma Piper?"

Piper nodded. "Yip. Go get started on your homework, and I'll make sure you get called when it's time."

"Thanks," said Matt.

Half an hour later someone knocked on his bedroom door. Matt groaned and replaced the stress ball he had been throwing in the air on his bedside table. Without bothering to check whom it was, he opened the door magically. Zach stumbled into the room but caught himself before falling flat on his face. Matt shut the door with a twitch of his finger.

"What's up?" he asked rolling onto his side away from Zach.

Zach rubbed his hands together. "I was wondering how you're doing?"

Matt gritted his teeth He wanted to be left alone. "I'm just peachy."

"That why you bit off Kenny's head this morning?" asked Zach.

Matt silently cursed. "Zach, I'm tired."

"Fine, but just know I'm here if you want to…"

Matt rolled back over. "My mom and baby sibling might be dying, and I'm stuck here going to classes with a bunch of mindless zombies. What's your sage advice for fixing that?"

Zach raised both eyebrows in shock. "Dude, your mom's going to be fine. My mom was put on bed rest when she was pregnant with Pax. It's just a precaution. As long as she's monitored closely and not put under too much stress it'll all be ok. Plus, I'm sure they've got way better drugs now to help than back then."

Matt slowly sat up and crossed his legs on his bed. "How long was your mom on bed rest?"

"Er, three or four months. I'm not sure, but it was a long time. I remember constantly being told to be quiet because my mom needed her rest. It was very annoying," said Zach with a grin.

"I can't imagine being quiet was a problem for you."

Zach scoffed. "I was a toddler. All I knew was I had to be quiet, and I barely got to see my mom. I got a little sister out of it so I guess it was all worth it."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's going to be weird. I mean, I've been an only kid for nearly fifteen years. Weird, but cool. I can't wait to meet them."

"Why don't you want to know if you're having a brother or sister?"

Matt shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me if they are a boy or a girl. I just want them to be healthy."

"Whatever. You should be praying it's a boy. Way easier looking out for a kid brother, than keeping all the horny boys away from a sister."

Matt sniggered. "I'm going to be twenty-five before that becomes an issue. A scary twenty-five-year-old with a collection of shotguns."

Zach rolled his eyes. "She's going to have you wrapped around her little finger. You'll be the one helping to sneak her out to all the wild and crazy parties."

"No sister of mine is going to wild and crazy parties. She'll be a bookworm if she knows what is good for her," protested Matt jokingly.

Zach's smile slipped. He shook his head, and it returned.

"What?" asked Matt.

"It's nothing."

Matt arched an eyebrow. "Zach, I'm not in the mood to twist it out of you. What's wrong?"

Zach sighed. "It doesn't matter. You've got bigger concerns. It can wait."

"Just tell me!"

Zach wringed his hands. "Are you sure?"

Matt nodded. "Spit it out."

"You know I tried to see Rebecca again this weekend."

"Yeah, you've told me."

Zach scratched the back of his head. "I suppose I did. Afterward, I went down to the park to think. On the way there, I met up with Angela. We got to talking, and—and…"

Matt smacked his face. "Oh God, don't tell me. Please, Zach! How stupid can you be!"

Zach shrunk back. "I know. I know. I was just so—I don't know what. One minute she's telling me how lucky Rebecca is to have someone like me as a boyfriend and the next—the next we're kissing."

Matt uncrossed his legs and re-crossed them. "Zach! She is a bitch! You know she's not good for you. Have—what are you going to do?"

Zach cringed. "I don't know. I really don't. I love Rebecca, but it's been a month. I'm not making an excuse for anything, but it feels like she's already made her choice. She couldn't trust me enough to be there for her with all…with Peter. Doesn't that say something?"

Matt rubbed his temples. "But Angela? Really, Angela?"

"She's changed."

Matt shook his head violently. "I don't believe it. What were you thinking?"

Zach threw himself onto the bed barely missing Matt's knee. "I don't have a clue," whined the teen.

Matt rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap, Zach. You cheated! You're not the injured party here."

"I know. Alright, I fucking know," growled Zach, staring at Matt's back.

Matt turned around. "You're going to have to tell her."

Zach groaned. "She's—that's out of the question."

"No. That is exactly what you've got to do. Zach, this isn't something you can keep from her. She deserves better. You owe it to her to tell her," said Matt firmly.

"I haven't spoken to her in weeks, and the first thing you want me to tell her when she does decide to talk to me is—is that…" Zach trailed off with a shudder.

Matt nodded. "Exactly, and when she breaks up with you, I'll tell you that you deserved it. Kissing Angela! What the hell!"

"You're a horrible friend," murmured Zach.

"There's a lot you could do that I'd defend your actions, but not this. Never this. It's cowardly. It's disgusting. It's…"

Zach sat up. "ALRIGHT! I get it. I'm a worthless piece of shit. Can you stop with the shaming?"

Matt frowned and took a deep breath. "You're not worthless. It's a mistake, a big mistake, but it was a mistake. It was a mistake, right?"

Zach bobbed his head fervently. "Of course. I love Rebecca. I want to be with Rebecca. What am I going to do?"

Thinking, Matt studied his older cousin. The bags under Zach's bloodshot eyes were more prominent. His hair was oily, and his shirt was rumpled. Clearly the teen was not sleeping well and losing the will to look after himself. Something had to be done.

"I've got to talk to Sophie," said Matt slowly. "I need to apologize for today."

Zach sniffed. "Right, ok."

Matt shifted uncomfortably. "Zach…"

Zach climbed off the bed. "No, you're right. It's not your problem. It's mine. I'll figure it out. Thanks."

Matt helplessly watched Zach stumble quickly out of the room. Sighing, he picked up his phone and dialed his girlfriend.

The loud techno music blasted out of speakers hanging from the ceiling of the dimly lit underground club. The sound reverberated in his head as Daniel, holding two drinks, dodged oblivious clubbers. Ordinarily, he would avoid this sort of crowd entirely, but the live band was one of Andrew's favorites. His boyfriend had the uncanny ability to get him to step out of his comfort zone. Halfway across the room, a couple, both dressed in metal and leather, bumped into him. They glared at him and continued on dancing. He glanced at the two glasses, thankfully most of the liquid remained. Careful to avoid the couple, he slipped deeper into the fray.

The song changed, and Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. It was a slightly less jarring volume. The dance floor cleared a bit, and he caught sight of his group of friends. They were clustered in an alcove made by thick black fabric on two sides. It was pure luck Michael and Richard also liked the band; they were the reason they had all made it passed security. The twins were very persuasive. He could pass for a young looking twenty-one-year-old and so could the twins, but Matt and the girls were a tougher sell, even with the fake driver's licenses.

"Here you go," he said as he handed Andrew his beer.

Andrew grinned. "Thanks."

Daniel could see something had changed since he left to get the drinks. "What'd I miss?"

Matt bit his lip. "Nothing."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Matt, he's as much a part of this group as the rest of us."

"Until you guys break up, again."

Sophia slapped Matt, hard. "MATTHEW!"

Matt rubbed the back of his head. "OUCH! It's true. What's to stop him from…"

"From what?" growled Andrew, "This isn't going to be a secret much longer."

Daniel swallowed his pride. "No, it's ok if you don't want to…"

Richard clapped his hands together to gain their attention. "That's enough. We can't afford to fight amongst ourselves. We either trust each other, or we don't, and that's the end of our friendships."

Michael patted Richard on his back, hard. "That's my twin. Always the optimist. Look, regardless of what you think, Matt, we might need him. Unless you've suddenly learned to drive a car."

Matt huffed. "Fine. Whatever."

The music died and one of the club's proprietors walked onto the stage.

Andrew groaned. "Can't this wait?"

"No. It can't," snapped Matt.

Daniel spoke up. "What can't?"

Beth grinned in her element. "Zach's gone and done something very naughty. He and Angela hooked up."

Daniel's eyebrows shot up. "HE WHAT!"

Richard rolled his eyes. "He didn't hook up with her. They kissed. Once."

"What about Rebecca?" inquired Daniel.

Sophia answered, "She doesn't know. They haven't really spoken since Valentine's, certainly not since Peter was arrested."

Daniel cringed despite himself.

"Don't tell me you still think the monster was possessed or something," barked Matt.

Sophia crossed her arms and glared at her boyfriend. "Enough with the attitude."

Matt ignored Sophia but kept quiet.

Daniel sat down on the remaining bar stool. "Yes, I do. I know Peter was an ass toward your cousin and most of the rest of you. He was my best friend. He was the first person to accept me when I came out. He could be a bully, but he would never do something like that, not of his own free will."

Matt opened his mouth, but Sophia silenced him.

"I'm sure the police will get to the bottom of everything. Detective Derek Drake strikes me as someone who doesn't quit until he knows the whole truth."

Beth nodded. "And he's got some sort of magical powers. He was on that website."

Michael groaned. "You need to stop going on that, love."

Beth shrugged. "It's just interesting. It's like discovering a whole other world."

"Whatever, back to Zach and Rebecca. We've got figure out a way to get them to talk to each other," said Sophia, giving Michael a knowing stare.

Michael gulped and thanked Sophia with a quick bob of his head. Sophia returned the bob and patted Matt on the knee in an attempt to calm the teen down.

Richard agreed. "How though? We can't force them, and like you said Rebecca doesn't want to see Zach."

Matt chugged his beer. "Why can't we trick them? I know that it's not fair, but this is getting ridiculous. Zach is going to crack soon. It can't be good for Rebecca, either."

Sophia shrugged. "She's working on it. She even let you into her room last time."

Matt dragged his fingers through his hair in frustration.

Andrew sat up. "They're going on stage."

"Your best friend is having a mental breakdown," stated Matt vehemently.

Andrew waved his hand dismissively. "Zach's tougher than you think. I love Rebecca, but it's her choice to stay locked up and not see any of us. If she doesn't want our help, then what can you do? Besides, maybe a few weeks with Angela will remind Zach of exactly why he hates her. We're not going to convince him."

Sophia sighed, grabbing hold of one of Matt's hands and giving it a squeeze. "He's right. They're both too stubborn."

Matt pulled a face. "It doesn't feel right. there's something wrong with that girl." He murmured the last part to himself.

The band started playing, and the group fell silent. A few songs into their set list, Andrew dragged Daniel onto the dance floor for a particularly sappy slow song. Beth and Michael wondered off to a darker corner. During a faster-paced song, a girl asked Richard for a dance; he agreed. Alone, Sophia wrapped Matt's arms around herself and leaned back into his chest.

"I know you're worried about Zach, but you can't keep biting everyone's heads off," she said softly, not expecting him to hear her.

Matt tightened his grip around her waist. "There's something wrong with Angela."

"She's an egotistical, self-assured bitch."

Matt shook his head. "No, it's more than that. I just get this feeling when she's near. It's, I don't know, it's hard to describe, but it's not a good feeling."

Sophia drew her fingers along Matt's forearm. "Rebecca's going to break up with Zach."

Matt's breath caught in his throat. "Yeah, I know."

"He'll land up with Angela either way."

Matt closed his eyes. "They should still talk. They owe each other that much."

Sophia twisted her head around to look at him. "Then convince him to orb into her room. She won't come out to meet him. He has to go to her."

Matt unwrapped his arms from around her waist. She turned around to face him. He kissed her. "I love you."

Sophia chuckled. "I know."

The melodious music continued to play around them as the four couples tried to leave their concerns behind for one night.

Rebecca sat cross-legged on her bed, wrapped in her fluffy robe, and a laptop on her lap. Her fingers nimbly danced around the keyboard as she rushed to finish a midnight deadline on an essay. The school's administration had remarkably understood when her parents suggested she needed time away from the school to recover. The missed school days were written off and did not count against her so long as she turned in all of the assigned homework in a timely manner. This was all the proof Dr. Ianos needed to be assured she was keeping up with her studies.

Today had been particularly heavy in the homework department. She briefly wondered how her friends were coping, but the thought vanished to be replaced by guilt.

The previous weekend had been the two months mark, two months since the worst night of her life. Two moths since she had last felt truly sane.

Her sessions with Mr. Halliwell helped a lot. She accepted what had happened to her. She knew it was not her fault, and it was not Zach's fault. The only person to blame was Peter, but she had even stopped thinking about him. Forgiveness was a long way off, but the burning anger no longer plagued her. The fear was another matter. It took everything she had to leave her bedroom without collapsing.

The video messaging app on her laptop popped up. A goofy picture of Natalie, Nathaniel, and her flashed across the screen in time with the sound of a ringing telephone. She had not spoken to either of her best friends since Christmas. The essay could wait. She clicked on the answer button. The picture vanished and was replaced by the scene of a very messy bedroom.

"Hey, Becca. Sorry, just a second."

Rebecca smiled for the first time all day at the sound of his voice. Nathaniel walked back into the picture a moment later carrying a large pile of laundry. The shirtless teen had filled out nicely since the summer. He had let his thick brown hair grow out from his usual buzz cut and currently had it brush back. He placed the laundry down on the unmade bed and turned to face the camera. His sparkling light brown eyes lit up, and Rebecca thought she could see a faint blush on his angular cheeks. He sat down with a sigh.

"Sorry, Mom's been on a laundry kick. How are you?" he asked in his deep comforting voice.

Rebecca rocked slowly. "Good, and you?"

Nathaniel's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong? Usually, you're bursting to tell me about your life."

"You called me," said Rebecca, dodging the question.

The creases on his forehead deepened. "No, seriously, Becca. What's wrong?"

The tears started to well in her eyes before she could formulate a response. As the tears started to roll down her cheeks, she began to talk. She told him everything, leaving out magic. She told him how happy she had been with Zach, and her fears that she was losing him. Stumbling over her words, she described the events of that fateful Friday. The conversation with the police in Wyatt's office was almost just as difficult to get through, but she forged through it. Everything she had been bottling up for weeks poured out of her lips.

"And now—and now…I can't think. I can barely breathe. The idea of losing him, it's unimaginable, but I can't be near him. He'll want to be the hero. It'll only get him in trouble. Nate, what should I do?" she sniveled.

Nathaniel pursed his lips and licked them. "Becca, why didn't you tell us before? Our school's been closed for a month; we could have been there with you."

Rebecca sniffled and picked up a tissue to blow her nose into. "That'd be a great way to spend your spring break. I'm sure you'd love it."

"That's not the point. We'd want to be there. Just like your other friends. You can't keep pushing them away. This isn't something you should deal with alone. Oh, Becca, you poor girl, no one deserves something like that to happen to them, you least of all. I'm so sorry."

Rebecca snickered wetly. "People keep saying that. 'I'm so sorry,' what does that even mean? I don't want your pity, Nate. I don't want anyone's pity. Maybe that's why I don't want to talk to Zach. I don't want to see the sadness in his eyes. I couldn't stand it."

Nathaniel scrunched up his nose. "If I were still your boyfriend, I would find a way to see you. I'd know you're being ridiculous, and that you needed me."

"Don't blame him, Nate, please."

Nathaniel reeled in his anger. "But he should be there. You know it."

Rebecca nodded. "I know," she whispered.

"I'm telling my mom I need to visit you."

Rebecca shook her head. "No, you can't. I don't want her to know."

Nathaniel smirked. "I'm not going to tell her about that. We said we'd visit over Christmas, but then you went off to England. I'd say now is a great time to make up that missed holiday. Do you want Natalie to come?"

Rebecca pondered the question. "No. She'd just be all weepy and dramatic. I don't need the headache."

"Fine. I'll get my mom to book the ticket," said Nathaniel with a small smile.

Rebecca breathed out slowly. "Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She murmured and closed her laptop before he could react.

Unfurling her legs, she slid off of her bed and crept over to her bedroom's door. She pressed her ear against the wood but heard nothing. Gently she opened the door and peeked around it. The hallway was dark and unoccupied. The door to her parent's bedroom was shut, and no light shone through the space between the door and the hardwood floor. It was late, and her parents were not night owls. She quietly shut the door and returned to her bed. Her phone lay on her bedside table; she reached out to grab it.

Talking to Nathaniel, she realized one thing, one simple thing. She missed Zach, but more than that she was being selfish. Zach knew all about the attack. He would be blaming himself for it. Avoiding him was not doing anyone any good. Still, she could not bring herself to pick up her phone. She stared at the abhorrent piece of technology she could not live without. An invisible hand constricted around her heart. She reached out. Her fingers brushed the familiar edges. She held her breath, dialed the number. Shaking, she put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" asked the groggy voice on the other side.

Rebecca bit her tongue. "Sophie?"

The sound of sheets ruffling reached her ears. A male voice muttered something.

"Go back to sleep, Matt. I'll be right back. Becks? What's wrong?"

Rebecca closed her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't…"

"Doesn't matter. Why are you calling?" interrupted Sophia. Her voice had a familiar reverberation to it.

"Are you in your bathroom?"

Sophia's voice cut through the line. She did not like to be woken up. "Yeah. The best place to talk to someone in the middle of the night without waking up the rest of the house."

Rebecca nervously swallowed. "Sorry."

"No. No. It's ok." Sophia's voice melted with concern. "I'm still waking up. What's up?"

"I—er—I…Did I ever tell you about Nate?" asked Rebecca dubiously.

Sophia continued in the more motherly tone. "Of course, your best friend's twin brother. What about him?"

"And my ex."

"And your ex. Right, can't forget that."

Rebecca pulled her knees up to her chest. "He just called."

"Oh?"

"He called just to chat. We're still good friends. He asked me how I was doing, and—and I—uh—told him."

Sophia failed to cover up her gasp. "Really?"

Rebecca nodded even though Sophia could not see her. "Yeah. It all just came out. He's—well, he's coming for a visit, now." She could not help but break into a small smile.

Sophia's tone changed. It regained some of its hardness. "Seriously?"

"Yip. He's going to ask his mom to buy the ticket. Their school is closed for the month."

Sophia's breath quickened. "And what?"

Rebecca grimaced. "And—and…"

The truth scared her. To voice it, say it aloud, proved to be difficult.

"Becks? Becks?"

Rebecca blinked. She asked her question with rushed breathless concern. "Sophie, is it wrong?"

"Is what wrong?"

"Him coming? Me being happy he's coming? I haven't been able to talk to Zach. Every time I think I'm ready I clam up, but with Nate it was so easy. Not easy, but you get it. I could talk about it. Even with him staring at me—it felt, uh, ok." Rebecca's voice drifted.

With watery eyes closed, Sophia shakily said, "I think you already know the answer."

Rebecca sniffed and agreed. "I didn't want this. You've got to know that. I love him."

"I know, Becks, I know. It'll be ok. You've got to tell him though. You can't keep leading him along. It's not fair to him or you," said Sophia softly.

Tears renewed their all too familiar path down her cheeks. "Can you come over when it's done?"

Sophia sighed. "Yes. I'll get Matt to orb me."

Rebecca hung up the phone and wiped away the tears. There was no denying it now. Sophia had given her the dreaded answer. Zach would be Peter's final and ultimate casualty, just like he planned.

"Z—Z—Zach?" called out Rebecca.

Blue orbs appeared at the foot of her bed a moment later. Dressed for bed in a tight white undershirt and old pair of blue boxers, Zach materialized in her room. He had his hair cut since the last time she had seen him. It was still slightly damp, and the smell of his body wash filled her bedroom. He looked exhausted. His bright blue eyes were dull and bloodshot. There was a weariness in the way he held himself, and when he spoke his voice was hoarse.

"Hey, Rebecca." No smile played on his lips. This was a shell of her boyfriend.

Rebecca got off her bed and hugged him. He stood dead still. She let him go and stepped back. "Zach, what happened to you?"

"You know. This bully at school attacked my girlfriend. I had to find out about it, not from her, but when police showed up to arrest him. Then I spent the next six weeks coming to her house daily to see her, only she never would," said Zach monotonously.

Rebecca flinched. "Oh, Zach. This—I'm sorry."

Zach's face shifted in expression. There was no anger in his eyes, only hurt and confusion. "Why? Why couldn't you talk to me? I wouldn't have pushed you. All I wanted was to be there for you. That's all. Nothing more."

Rebecca reached out to touch his face, but he jerked back. She withdrew her hand quickly, hurt.

"I know it's selfish. After everything you've been through, you don't need this. I need to know. Why?" Zach's voice cracked as he spoke.

Rebecca covered her face and turned away. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you."

Zach approached her. He reached out to touch her but lowered his hand, thinking better of it. "Don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry. There's nothing to be sorry about. Hush, no, don't cry. I just want an explanation. I don't blame you. I can guess why. I should've been there to stop it."

Rebecca uncovered her face and stared at Zach. Harshly she said, "No. You couldn't have stopped it. Don't blame yourself for this. I don't."

"Then why?" implored Zach, wrapping his arms around himself.

Rebecca coughed to cover up the emotional tremble as she spoke. "Because I know you. If I had told you when it happened, you'd have killed Peter. After it was all out in the open, I couldn't face you. The disappointment. The hurt. The pity…"

Zach shuffled his feet. "Why'd I be disappointed? Hurt? Ok, maybe a little, but I'd have gotten over it. Becks…"

Rebecca shook her head and stood up straight. "Stop. Don't call me that, Zach. This time we've been together has been amazing…"

Zach's legs grew weak, and he caught himself on the edge of the bed. "Please…"

Rebecca sat down on the bed and pulled Zach down to sit next to her. "You've been amazing. The best boyfriend a girl could ask for."

"Not really…"

Rebecca hushed him. "It doesn't matter, Zach. The assault changed me. I've had to adjust to a new view of the world. It's not done yet. I've still got a ways to go. While I'm at it, I don't think I can be with anyone. It wouldn't be fair to them."

"Becks," started Zach. Hands wriggled in his lap.

"Shh, Zach, please, this is hard enough." Rebecca choked out.

Zach wrapped his arm around her. She laid her head in the crook of his neck.

"I've got to let you go. In a month, a year, or more maybe we can try again. I do love you. I always will, but for now, that's not enough."

She felt his body quiver. She hugged him tighter.

"Th—this isn't to hurt you. It's what is best for both of us right now."

Zach let go of her. "I kissed Angela."

Rebecca pulled back. "When?"

"A couple of weeks ago."

Rebecca nodded in understanding. "Would she make you happy?"

Zach shook his head. "No."

"But you're going to try," said Rebecca.

Zach shrugged and rubbed his eyes. "You're the one breaking up with me."

Rebecca handed him a tissue. "You're right."

"Ok."

Rebecca held out her hand. Zach took it and kissed it.

"I would've waited for you," said Zach.

Rebecca smiled sadly. "I know. Now, you don't have to. Bye."

Zach squeezed his eyes shut. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. "Bye."

He orbed away without looking at her again. Rebecca grabbed hold of the nearest object, the sock monkey. Soundlessly she crawled up into a ball and cried, clutching tightly to the stuffed animal.

AN: So what do you think? Please let me know in a review or PM. I love hearing from you guys. It makes my day. Ok, that's enough begging. Honestly, I really do love getting feedback. Positive, negative, constructive...I do try to improve based on what I'm told. That really is enough now, I've taking up enough of your time. Until next time...peace!

Next time: All hell breaks loose...again.