"Someone's a little snappish because of certain fireman" I sing sang in amusement as I closed the Book of Shadows.

A book was thrown to my head. I gasped and ducked out of its way, glaring amusedly.

Chris lowered his finger, huffing. "Can we focus on this demon, Bree? Please?"

"Okay" I finally conceded, finishing the suffering, raising my arms. "I'll take care of the potion"

Chris sighed, walking closer to me, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I'll be back"

I hugged him tightly, because cupids once in a while had to show their love. Half cupids like me wasn't that different.

Lately, since our close calls of losing our moms and this mision to save Wyatt and their lives, risking our lives as well, we realized we were the last left.

We had changed a lot in the past we weren't certain we still had a future. Our world was probably still running because we hadn't found what turned Wyatt evil and we really didn't want to go back to that world. But also, we weren't sure yet if we had changed something for the good or our future would be the way we were fighting for. In our world we didn't have our family whole nor sane, so we considered the two of us the last left and we had already come to terms that we would die trying to get our happy ending.

And that meant cherish these moments in the past with each other as family where we weren't running nor fighting for our lives.

Chris had softened his cold demeanor toward me and I finally let him in on my cupid side.

Chris returned my embrace, pulling away and flickering my forehead before orbing out.

I rolled my eyes chuckling, walking toward the cauldron to start a potion.

~8~

It was when the potion was almost finished when a sharp pain in my chest made me suck in a deep breath, my knees buckling slightly, one hand using the table to steady myself while the other went directly to my heart, fingers wrapping around my necklace.

"Chris" I murmured in alarm, worried.

"Ah, suppose Bianca already did her part"

Still holding my chest, I turned around to see a familiar guy in dark clothes pacing calmly around the attic, as if he belonged here.

"Jake" I said in surprise.

Jake's lips pulled up in a slight smile. However, there was something wrong with it. "Bree, my darling. So long I don't see your beautiful cupid smile"

I ignored his flirting, even though my cupid side always loved it. I always found easy to ignore my cupid urges. "What are you doing here?"

Jake slid closer to where I stood, and I let him because I couldn't help it, I missed him. I missed my best friend. Someone I trusted to never hurt me, even if half my family never approved him.

"I came to warn you" Jake said softly, twirling a strand of my hair, tucking it over my ear, letting his fingers brush down my cheek, sending a shiver down my back. He gave a knowing smile.

"Warn me about what?" I asked, ignoring the spark, the desire of letting my cupid side out. Dad always warned me of it, to not do so. And mom taught me to shove aside the strong emotions heightened by my half side. (besides that she didn't want to become a young grandma too soon) and it was paying off.

I knew it because of that crease of slight frustration that appeared in Jake's face. As soon as it appeared it was gone but I caught it. And it made me take a step back because Jake never looked angry whenever I ignored his advances.

"He wants you and Chris back" Jake said, dropping his hand.

I took a deep breath, my lip trembling. "You said Bianca already did her part. So that means she's here too?"

Jake flickered his gaze to where the grip on my necklace was tight enough my knuckles were turning white. "Phoenixes never miss their target"

"What did she do?" I demanded.

Jake sighed, and the sharp pain that began in my side caught me by surprise, gasping in pain, lowering my eyes to see him holding an athame stabbed in the side of my stomach, my shirt immediately turning red.

"The same I just did" Jake murmured, sounding apologetic.

I could feel my strength leaving. No. Not strength. Energy. Power.

My eyes snapped up at his smiling face. He was taking my powers through a potion he must have brewed.

Weakening my cupid and witch sides.

With all the strength I could muster, I conjured up in my hand a sphere of what my force field was made of, it pulsed with energy I sent toward his chest making him fly away from me, across the room.

I gasped in pain as my shaky hand pulled out the athame, letting it fall to the floor, covering the wound with my hands. The siphoning of my powers stopped. Only the injure was left which was bleeding.

Jake stood, an ugly scowl on his usually pretty face. A energy ball appeared on his hand.

I closed my eyes, willing my power to beam me out of the room, the energy ball hitting the wall behind me.

~8~

I didn't have exactly a direction to where to beam to, and considering that I was in pain, the beaming threw me out in the hallway of the manor, outside of the attic.

My hands held my bleeding side as I scrambled to my feet, pressing my back toward the wall, panting in pain, sweat building up in my forehead.

It was when I heard the familiar orbing inside the attic, glancing over my shoulder to see the swirl of orbs disappearing.

I weakly peeked my head inside to see Jake was already gone and there stood the three sisters, Chris and Leo.

Piper and Paige went directly to the Book Of Shadows.

Chris eyebrows furrowed as if sensing something. "Bree?"

Leo heard the worry on his voice, turning to face Chris, squinting his eyes to concentrate.

Both whitelighters in sync turned their heads to the attic door.

Phoebe followed their gazes as if sensing something.

"Hi" I greeted weakly, panting "I may need a little help"

Piper and Paige snapped their heads to my direction.

I stumbled toward the attic.

Their eyes widened in panic.

Leo immediately ran to my side, picking me up and carrying me to the couch.

"What happened, Bree?" Chris immediately asked in concern as he knelt at my side.

"What happened to you?" I countered, feeling the warmth of Leo's healing powers. However, I could still feel something wrong. My injury was closed and healed but Jake's potion was still working. Unfinished. "I felt you..."

"Bree" Phoebe cooed in worry, passing a hand through my hair, sweat had built up in my forehead due to the pain. The soothing motion was enough to want me to release my emotions in tears. When was the last time I felt mom do this to me? "Who hurt you?"

"Warlock" I said simply, turning my gaze to Chris, pointedly. But being discreet about it. Chris frowned. "I don't know what he wanted. Now, tell me" I looked at the sisters. Paige and Piper had returned to look into the book now that Leo had already healed me. "What happened to him?"

"A woman attacked him" Piper answered.

Chris looked away. "I'm fine"

Paige and Piper ignored him.

Paige pointed at a symbol in the book. "Is that the mark?"

Piper shook her head "No, it looked more like a bird"

"A bird" I mouthed as Paige spoke, however, my knowing gaze was on Chris who sensing my gaze turned to me. "So you're saying maybe the Audubon society sent the demon after us?"

Chris stared at me. As if wondering how I knew.

It was my turn to look away.

"Just keep looking" Piper told her sister.

Chris looked away from me and to the sisters. "Guys, I'm telling you I'm fine, don't sweat it"

Leo looked at Piper "You sure she wasn't a Darklighter?"

"I'm sure" Piper said.

"What else would be after a Whitelighter?" Phoebe asked.

Leo frowned "I don't know, that's what worries me"

"She's gone" Chris spoke up. Not very likely, cuz. And you know that. "Piper blew her away, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is someone tried to kill you, Chris" Phoebe told him, then turned to me with a frown in her face. "And Bree. Which trust me, I don't think it's a coincidence. Both of you attacked at the same time?" she shook her head. "Something is going on there"

Phoebe. Always smart.

Her sisters and Leo looked thoughtful as if they were agreeing now.

It was my turn to sound defensive. "Well, nothing bad happened. I'm healed. Chris is fine... ish?"

"Yeah" Chris agreed, gesturing at himself "Look at me, not a scratch, nothing"

Leo looked between the two of us "You know, how did they get that close to you, anyway? If you didn't even know who they were?"

Chris and I didn't answer.

I refrained myself from looking to Chris.

Chris took a step forward, the floor boards squeaking. He looked down at them "We really oughta fix that, you know"

Leo sighed in exasperation. "Come on, Chris, who's after you? Bree? Who was that warlock?"

"Has it crossed your mind that maybe she wasn't after me?" Chris asked.

"Or that the warlock wasn't planning on targeting me?" I added then I pointed at the sisters. "Maybe they were trying to get to them. I mean, what kind of warlock wouldn't want to get to them because they're powerful witches?"

Paige hummed, frowning. "It kind of makes sense"

Chris threw a hand at Paige's direction, relieved. "Finally, somebody's listening" I stood, feeling still my side aching a bit. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some work to take care of"

Chris walked out of the room.

I watched him go in concern.

"He's not telling the truth" Leo told us.

"I'll go check on him" I spoke up before they could start questioning me. Oh, correction. Before Phoebe starts questioning me. "Maybe he'll talk to me"

I walked out of the attic.

Yeah. I was certain that if Phoebe was the one asking me, I wouldn't hesitate on saying my used to be witch best friend - now warlock because he turned to the dark side - had come from the future to strip me of my powers so I would return with him. And Chris' fiancé had done the same to him because someone didn't want us messing with their past.

I didn't want to admit Wyatt was the evil we were trying to stop before he could kill us.

That he had killed them. And destroyed our entire family.

I couldn't.

I didn't want to. I didn't want to admit I feared my cousin. Nor that I was their family. I couldn't. Chris couldn't.

So we had to pretend this wasn't hurting us. That the people we cared about weren't the ones to hurt us.