"Cas? Look, we've got a situation here. Piper has amnesia now, but she already brought home three babies.. I really hate to bother you again, but, um, we could really use your help here."

When I don't respond verbally Paige adds.

"Please?"

I let out a long sigh, "Okay, just give me five minutes."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will not forget about this! Next time you need a favour I'll do it, no questions asked!"

I roll my eyes and don't bother replying before I hang up. Guess it's a good thing I hadn't bothered to go home yet, instead deciding to stop at a coffee shop to have some lunch and clear my head.

So what if Chris had been kissing other girls? He had every right to. The fact I basically ended my relationship on his advice, and can barely spend an hour without thinking of him, is not his problem. He can do whatever he likes with whomever he likes. I nod at my thoughts, willing myself to believe them. Taking one last sip of my coffee, I put the money on the table along with a hefty tip. Then I make my way back to the manor I had left less than an hour ago.

When I arrive, Paige and Phoebe are nowhere to be seen.

I notice three little ones in the play pen and give them the customary greeting of coos and finger wiggles. Wyatt laughs and waves his arms at the faces I pull; it brings a smile to my face. The others are too young to do much more than gurgle happily.

I text Beth to let her know I'm stuck on baby-sitting duty for the foreseeable future and not to wait up for me. I suddenly hear footsteps in the other room and resolve to check it out. I make sure to bring my bag with the small potion Paige gave me to use in case of emergency.

Slowly making my way in, I release a breath when I see who it is. "Oh, Piper! It's just you."

She smiles at me with clear confusion, "Apparently... Who are you?"

Remembering what Paige had said about her memory loss, I hold out my hand and introduce myself, "I'm Cassy, I actually work for you at your club."

"Oh?" She asks curiously, shaking my hand. "And which club would that be?"

I clarify, "P3... you named it after you and your sisters."

"Oh. So, is that who those women were earlier?"

I chuckle slightly, feeling awkward, "Probably. I better go keep an eye on Wyatt and the others. Did you want to join me?"

She shakes her head, preferring to continue to inspect the house she had found herself in.

I take a seat near the play pen and release another breath, trying to let the anxiety of the situation pass through me. Okay, Piper really has no memories. This is fine, totally fine.

I'm not given long to ponder the implications of this because I hear someone orbing in to the dining room.

"Paige?" I call out, not wanting to leave the babies unattended again.

There is no response and I begin to worry it might not be her. There's only one other person that would be orbing around the place.

The bulldog from earlier runs through the room, clearly searching for someone. I gather that means Paige wasn't with him.

"Hey," I hear Chris softly say from the doorway and I resolutely turn away, keeping all my focus on the little ones. He approaches slowly, but stops before getting too close. "About earlier-" he begins awkwardly.

"It's fine, Chris," I assure him in a detached voice, "You don't have to explain anything to me."

I refuse to turn and look at him, but hear his feet shuffling. I wonder how he's going to try to justify his actions, if he'll even bother.

I'll never know for sure, as our awkward interaction is cut short by the sound of another incoming orb. It's immediately followed by sprinting footsteps heading up the attic. I make no move to follow, and Chris seems to hesitate for a moment behind me. It's almost as though he doesn't want to leave. We both hear the footsteps return to the ground floor, then head to the dining room. That's when he quietly takes his leave.

I can hear them arguing in the next room but have no desire to see what's happening. They can deal with the magical stuff I'm just here to babysit.

It's been hours now. The other babies have already been collected, so it's just Wyatt and I here.

And Chris, I suppose, but we've barely seen him. It seems like he may be avoiding me now, which I'm not complaining about.

Our peace and quiet is cut short by an orb sounding from the sitting room, followed shortly after by a bang. Resolving to check it out, I leave Wyatt with a quick kiss and make my way towards the noise.

I hear another loud bang just before I walk in to see Chris on the floor. He starts to orb away but is stopped by Leo grabbing his light and throwing it into the glass corner cabinet.

I am absolutely stunned. Leo has never displayed any kind of aggression in the years I've known him, so this was the last thing I expected.

Chris slumps on the floor and wipes some blood from the corner of his mouth. I rush to his side and use my sleeve to wipe up the blood, ignoring thoughts about the last time he was wiping his lips. That's not important right now.

I hear the sisters yelling at Leo but am more consumed with helping Chris. He tries to push my hand away and stand up, but I won't let him do it alone. I grab his arm and help him to his feet, noticing him shooting a glare at Leo, which he returns seethingly.

"You didn't tell them, did you?" He accuses, and I look to him with curiosity.

Phoebe asks what we're all thinking, "Tell us what?"

"That he was the last one to see me," Leo practically spits, not taking his eyes off Chris.

The revelation makes my mind go blank. I drop my hands from where they held Chris, taking a small step back, ignoring the sadness I see in his pale green eyes.

"Right afterwards, I was mysteriously trapped in Valhalla."

"Oh, so what?" Chris asked with hurt shining in his eyes, "That makes me responsible? Is that what you're saying?"

I barely hear the resulting commotion, too consumed by Leo's revelation. Could Chris really do such a thing? He did seem awfully resistant to the idea of helping them find Leo, but that didn't mean he was responsible for his situation - did it? And, Chris told us that Leo had been missing since we last saw him, shifting the blame from himself. I'm really starting to wonder how well we really know Chris. First, hiding the fact he's not able to heal and now this?

"You're welcome," I hear Chris exclaim as he accidentally nudges me with his hand, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I jump and step to the side, not wanting to be closer to him than needed. He looks at me, and it's clear he's holding back tears. Guess things had gotten pretty heated while I was lost in thought.

I stare into his green eyes, wishing I could figure this guy out. He always so eager to help them fight evil, pushing the sisters to do better, but how can we really trust him? How much do we really know about him?

"Where did you get the pendants?" I hear Leo mutter at him and I look to the strange necklace that Paige is wearing. Is that what Leo is referring to?

Chris seems ready with a response and opens his mouth instantly to reply before Phoebe says warningly, "Leo."

He backs off after a moment, and I find myself disappointed - I wanted to hear Chris' explanation. It was becoming tiring to always be coming up with mental justifications for his actions.

"Where's Wyatt? Can I see him?" Leo requests, and I nod.

"He's just in the other room, but maybe you should shower first?" I suggest gently.

Leo looks down as if just remembering his clothes, then gives me a quick nod before walking upstairs.

I don't bother glancing at the others as I leave the room to make my way back to Wyatt. I give him a large smile when I see him, and he returns it tenfold. No matter how I was feeling, this little guy always seemed to be able to cheer me up. There was something about him that just made me feel like everything was going to turn out good in the end.

I hear the others make their way upstairs, presumably to the attic, but once again I decide to leave them to it. I'm more preoccupied with this little man. It's probably way past his bed time, so pick him up to take to his crib.

On the way a freshly showered Leo greets us and I am quick to place the baby in his father's arms, knowing it's been too long since they had a chance to bond. Leo practically glows as he holds his son, softening so completely. It's hard to believe that just an hour ago he had been so aggressive with Chris.

I follow behind them to give them some room. Once Wyatt is settled in his crib, I convince Leo to go and help the others get Piper. He's a bit hesitant, but his love for his wife wins out, so he leaves Wyatt in my care once again.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, but Wyatt soon fixes that as his cries wake me. I try to shush him, but it doesn't work, and I realise he must be needing more than just sleep.

After quickly changing his diaper and still not being able to settle him, we head downstairs so I can heat him up a bottle. No one else is home, they're all probably out saving Piper.

I place Wyatt in his play pen with his toys and make myself a simple breakfast. I carry it with me as I return to watch him with a smile. We spend a very peaceful morning together as I attend to Wyatt's needs and keep him occupied. With not much else to do, I clean up the mess that was created by Chris and Leo's fight earlier - if you could even call it that. Once the place is as tidy as it can be, the majority of my time is spent trying not to worry about how everyone else is doing. I'm sure they'll be fine; they're magical bad-assess after all.

My self reassurance pays off as Leo and Chris orb in from the ceiling. Chris tries not to make eye contact with me as he quickly leaves the room. Leo forgets to greet me because he's too happy to see Wyatt again, I don't hold it against him. I can't help but note how Chris really couldn't get out of here quick enough, and I try to ignore the sting of rejection in my chest. It's for the best, I remind myself.

Phoebe and Paige return soon afterwards, and without realising it, they commandeer the space Wyatt and I had peacefully spent the day in. They're trying to come up with a way to save Piper from her new-found god complex, and I sense its for the best that Wyatt and I leave them to it. It's probably time for his nap anyway, I tell myself, and try to ignore how Chris seems comfortable to rejoin the group after we leave.

Eventually, Leo comes up to the nursery, and he does actually remember to greet me this time. Needing to take care of myself for a while, I leave Wyatt in his father's capable hands.

I'm so excited to jump in the shower. It feels like too long since I bathed. The hot water is so nice, and as always, it's a struggle to drag myself out of it. I turn it off to force myself to leave.

I realise with dread that in my rush to get in the shower, I entirely forgot to bring fresh clothes in. Hell, I don't even have any other clothes here! Knowing what I have to do, I wrap the towel around me firmly and poking my head out the door, looking both ways. The coast seems clear, so I make a mad dash to Paige's room, clutching the towel tightly.

Unfortunately, someone steps from around the corner just before I can make it. Unable to stop, I collide with their solid frame and nearly fall flat on my face. They grab my biceps to steady me, and I instantly know who it is by the sparks that light under my skin from their hold on me.

"Woah! Where are you going in such a..." his voice trails off, and I can almost hear an audible gulp.

I'm way too nervous to look up and see his reaction to the state of dress I'm in. After spending the afternoon avoiding one another, this is not how I wanted our next confrontation to go.

We stand there in silence as I stare at the ground, waiting for him to finish his sentence or release his grip on me, or basically do anything. But, he just stands there. I think I broke him.

"Can I, um, get past?" I finally ask politely, not raising my eyes from the floor.

I feel his fingers flex on my arm, "Uh, sure," he confirms but doesn't move.

"Chris?"

"Yeah?" He asks breathlessly.

"You need to let me go first," I mumble, still not looking up.

He startles a bit, remembering our predicament. "Oh, right, sorry," he says, finally releasing me and taking a step back.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "It's alright," I say as I quickly move past him towards Paige's room so I can steal some clothes. She won't mind.

Once I'm safely in the room, I slam the door behind me. I lean back onto it and catch my breath. It takes longer than expected for me to hear his footsteps move as well.

I don't let myself ponder on it, trying to just forget the entire encounter. Luckily, my task of finding something in my sister's closet that isn't too revealing is challenging enough to take my mind off of it, for now.

After a while of searching, which I definitely do not draw out to avoid a particular handsome man, I manage to find something suitable. I finish changing not a moment too soon, as I hear the door start to open. Thankfully, it's just Paige.

I give her a hug, and she fills me in on everything that happened while I was at the Manor with Wyatt. Including the fact she has a date tonight with the dog turned human who had been humping her leg all afternoon. I make a face at the revelation, and she throws a shirt at me.

I linger in the room awkwardly while she gets ready for her date, really wanting to avoid Chris. She chooses a tight-fitting purple dress and noisy heels. Having grown up together, we don't get embarrassed around one another, but she does shoot me a questioningly look before she starts to change. I ignore it as I turn my back, pretending to look through some of her nick-knacks.

Once she's dressed, I don't have an excuse to linger any longer. I follow her down the stairs, hoping she can provide a buffer between Chris and I; like she did during the morning of the kitten incident.

We almost make it to the front door without seeing Chris, but she notices him and diverts to his direction. Part of me wants to keep walking, but I decide to stay when I see his face. He's in the sitting room staring around in wonder. I try to ignore my blush that creeps in my cheeks, recalling the situation he found me in earlier this evening.

"Hey Chris, what are you doing?" Paige asks.

He doesn't answer. He's too busy looking her up and down. "Wow, you look amazing," he complements.

I feel the familiar stab of jealously in my stomach, but try to push it away. Paige was always the first one people noticed. That's why I used to hesitate to introduce her to my boyfriends, I dread to see the look on their face when they realise they're stuck with the boring, plain sister; not the fun, hot one.

She smiles gratefully at him, "Thank you! Oh and thanks for cleaning all this up. You really didn't have to do that."

"Oh, that wasn't me." His eyes flash to meet mine, before his cheeks flush and he drops his eyes.

Paige turns to look at me with a questioning expression, and I try to smile. "Wyatt and I didn't have much to do while you all were out today."

"Oh, you really should have just left it. We could have cleaned it in the morning," with our magic.

It's left unsaid, but the implication makes my blood boil. I know she didn't really mean it like that, and usually, my mortal status doesn't bug me. But tonight, it seems like too big an insult. And that's definitely not just because I'm upset at how Chris was looking at my sister. That's completely beside the point here.

I honestly do my best to smile, but I can feel my rage seeping through. "I better go," I say through gritted teeth, wanting to leave before I blurt out something I'll regret. I turn to the door quickly, not waiting to see their reactions.

I pass Phoebe on the stairs during my way out and give her my best attempt at a smile. She staggers away from me like I hit her. "Jesus Cassy, calm down!" She exclaims, cradling her head in her hands.

I look at her in question and it slowly turns to mortification. Oh God, she felt that? Paige had told me Phoebe was an empath now. "I'm so sorry, Phoebe!" Unthinkingly, I reach out and take a step towards her. I place my hand on her arm in an attempt to comfort her.

I feel a strange calm as soon as my skin collides with hers, and it seems like all the tension drains out of her. She had been curled up tight, clutching her head, but now her posture is relaxed.

She looks up at me in wonder, "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" I ask her curiously, what's she talking about?

The door starts opening, and I want to get out of there before I see Paige or Chris again. I retract my hand from its position on Phoebe's shoulder and run. She tries to catch my hand before I leave but I'm too quick.

I hear her call my name, but it's dulled by the sound of my engine as I pull away.

Authors Note: I am so sorry I left you hanging on that cliffhanger for so long! Does this extra long chapter make up for it?

I wanted to finish editing the story before posting any more updates, and then I got carried away. Good news is, I have drafter up to chapter 30 now! If you want early access just let me know because I would LOVE for someone to read over it before I post it.

I'll probably circle back and edit the beginning of this story again at some point, now that I have a better grasp on who Cas is in the future and what Chris does (and didn't!) know about her hehehe

Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story so far!

Oxoxoxox