I didn't want to admit it but Jake's death had been hard enough to not want to see anyone.

Considering Phoebe now could sense our emotions again and I was out of the anti-empath potion and right now it felt painful to create another one because it'll remind me of who made it, I did not want to be around someone who'd remind me of my lost every second by giving me those pitiful eyes and her soft 'how are you holding up, sweetie?'

I hated it.

It made me remember of my Phoebe, of the mother I knew in my time and it was frustrating to remind myself that she wasn't.

It was one of the reasons why I avoided being at the Manor the last couple of days, simply beaming here and there to places very often so it would be hard for Chris to actually pinpoint my location.

I was avoiding him too. A part of me blamed him too. Him and his brother. His family (which was mine too, therefore I blamed me too). It was difficult to see him and not remember Jake and my best friend were dead because of something we did, something he was part of.

It was unfair to him. But heartbreak was always difficult to manage. It was difficult for me to manage heartbreak. I did the same thing when my family was broken the first time. When dad was forced to leave us, when he was locked up in Cupid Island.

I've always struggled with both parts of me, so it wasn't a surprise when I was hurt I wasn't able to manage. Mom knew how to work with me on that. But she wasn't here. No one was

I was alone in how I felt.

And it was dangerous.

It was how he found me.

~8~

One of the beamings sent me to the top of the Golden Bridge, my hair lightly wiping back due to the cold breeze and despite of getting gossegumbs on my jacket-less figure, I did nothing to warm my body. I simply stared off to the distance.

I wasn't going to jump though. I wasn't that dramatic.

I couldn't concentrate, my mind wouldn't shut up, static ringing through my ears as I stared dumbly ahead.

It was safe to say that I didn't notice the pink heart forming at my side as someone beamed next to me.

"Amelia?" I easily recognized the voice and that sent another pang through my heart, which made me recover my senses, turning my slightly misty eyes toward the source of the voice, finding a worried Coop giving me a soft, concerned smile. "Hey, welcome back, I didn't think you noticed my presence"

I furrowed my eyebrows, "How long have you been here?"

And why, was the unspoken question.

Coop seemed slightly confused but quickly sent me a reassuring smile, "Not long ago" I looked away, staring to the distance. It was difficult to see him too. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am" I replied absent-mindedly, a tad defensive.

Coop tilted his head. "That's not quite true, is it?"

Of course. I could never hide my state from my dad, what made me think differently of who wasn't my dad yet?

"I don't know what you're talking about" I refused to break. More than I already was, of course.

"Amelia" that's the name I introduced myself to him, "You're not a normal cupid" I snapped my eyes to him in alarm. He didn't look confused nor upset. He simply stared at me curiously. "I always knew there was something different about you"

"I don't know what you're talking about" I repeated forcefully, my heart starting to race in panic.

Half cupids weren't common. They were forbidden at this time. He couldn't know. He couldn't tell anyone.

Coop lowered his eyes, seemingly focusing. "It's hard for cupids to feel what we influence. Not impossible but hard. I was told you were a new cupid when I met you" he lifted his eyes up to meet mine. "But that's not true either, is it?"

Stop.

"If you're here to lecture me about how shitty of a cupid I am, then you're free to leave" I snapped.

Coop barely blinked, unfazed. "I see. I can recognize the phases of heartbreak too, did you know? We are taught to heal broken hearts. Did you know that?"

Dad may have mentioned it once. Wasn't that how he and mom actually got together? He was trying to heal her heart first before they could be together.

But why was he mentioning this to me?

"Then why are you here?" I crossed my arms, "Go heal them then"

Coop smiled slightly, "I'm trying" I frowned. "Half cupids' hearts are difficult to heal"

What?!

No.

Take that back.

My expression must have given me away, backing away from Coop, fearfully, "What?"

"I suppose things are different in the future" Coop said kindly, softening his voice as to not frighten me anymore.

Wait. What? "Future?" oh my God. Of course. "The Elders know?"

"That you're a half cupid, half witch hybrid?" Coop asked, tilting his head. "They didn't. Not until recently. They didn't know either your companion was a half white-lighter, half witch hybrid either" the cloaking potion. It must have worn out when Bianca and Jake stripped us of our powers. Another pang washed me over. Coop's eyes shifted as if sensing that. "They won't be telling anyone about your status. So, if either of you do again what hid that part of you, they won't bat an eye to that"

I had to, didn't I? I had to conceal my cupid side again. Or else demons of Hate would find me easily and try to take my ring off me.

But that meant...

"That doesn't explain what you're doing here" I told him, getting rid of the thought before it would hurt me again.

"Because of that" Coop pointed exactly to my heart. I lifted a hand to touch the spot, focusing. I couldn't feel anything different. I gave him a questionable look, "You're still human. Despite of being a cupid. Therefore, emotions affect you like it does to a human. Such as heartbreak"

Oh, no. I'm not having this conversation with my dad.

Whether he was my dad or his past self.

"I'm not going through heartbreak" I denied, shaking my head, lowering my hand.

Coop gave me a knowing look, lifting his ring. "No?" he asked, hand turning to a fist, ring glowing slightly, a yellow aura surrounding me faintly. This time, I hissed, touching my chest as if in pain. "That's your heart breaking"

"You broke my heart?!" I asked incredulously.

Coop shook his head, chuckling. "I just showed you what's inside your heart" he corrected. "Being a cupid, you're in tune with others, but not with your own heart, most of the time. Tell me, what did you feel of your own heart earlier?"

I had sensed nothing earlier. "That it was fine"

"And now?" Coop raised an eyebrow.

I hesitated. "Heartbreak"

"You lost someone" He stated. I numbly looked away, lowering my hand. He sighed knowingly. "Pushing your loved ones away won't help either"

"I'm healing my way" I replied.

"You need family love" Coop said softly. I tensed, "I noticed within you that's your strongest trait" I relaxed. Okay. That wasn't too alarming for him to know. "Now that I know you have a human side, it has become easier to read you"

Yeah, that's how I was closest to dad. He understood me without pushing nor preying too much like mom used to.

"Am I job?" I slowly looked back at him, accusingly.

"No" Coop answered, looking serious. "I...It's hard to explain. But, the moment your heartbreak began, I felt it... I didn't like how that felt. As if you-" he paused as if trying to find a word to describe what he sensed. "became a charge to me. Not a job designed to me, necessarily. I don't know. I just, I just knew that I had to help you with that"

Blood calling to Blood. Even through time and space

Wasn't that the spell I used to find him?

Crap.

Did I accidentally connect us?

Magic could be tricky sometimes. Isn't that a pain in the ass?

I bit on my lip, "That's weird"

"Weird indeed, but that doesn't mean I'll ignore someone who needs my help" Coop said reassuringly. That's what I was afraid of. "Talk to me. Maybe it'll help you get it off your chest"

"I can't" I murmured, my leg starting to anxiously tap on the floor.

Coop flickered his eyes to the action then up at me, "Why not?"

"I didn't love him" I replied.

"Him" Coop stated knowingly. I cursed under my breath. He got me there. "Maybe not. But he was a part of your life, even let him in on your heart. Regardless of not being a romantic attachment, you still let him in. Losing him must've hurt"

I closed my eyes, "It did" I admitted, clasped hands pressing tightly over my heart, "I tend to attach myself to those who are part of my life. Losing them always feel like, like-"

"Losing a part of you" Coop finished for me.

I opened my eyes to meet his. Coop seemed to be focusing intently. Dad had learned over time, with three half cupid daughters to tune in with our half minds to understand how intrinsic our hybrid minds could be. All logic for cupids went out of the window when it came to hybrids. Some cupid things didn't fit us and some human stuff barely affected us, and sometimes, one part of us took dominance over the other, for example when my cupid side went out of control, it took over my logical human brain and mixed over with my feelings. And when my human side was in control, like it was right now, nothing cupid helped.

This Coop still didn't know that.

He was trying. He was trying to accommodate to my hybrid physique.

Chris wouldn't like that.

That I'm changing this.

Speak of the devil....

Orbs formed in the air in front of us, and with a tingle-like-bell, Chris materialized in front of us.

I remained in one place for too long.

"There you are" Chris said, hands on his hips and a worried frown on his face. He looked a lot like Piper when he did that. "I've been looking for you every-"

That's when he noticed I wasn't alone. Immediately he shut his mouth, giving me a sharp, disappointment filled look.

I looked down.

Coop looked between us, brow furrowing. "Family"

We both snapped our heads to Coop.

"What you need" Coop stated, giving me a pointed look.

Chris raised his eyebrows, searching through my face, his expression softening, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine" I snapped, not only to him but to Coop.

Coop straightened, seemingly understanding something but no looking upset nor disappointed. As if he understood the 'session' was over.

"No, you're not" Chris retorted. "Remember? Your whitelighter?"

"More like a pain in the ass" I snapped.

"Amelia" Coop warned.

Ugh. The dad voice.

Chris also noticed that and his lips curled in a mocking smile, "Amelia" he repeated, sarcastically. "Care to tell me why you're avoiding me?"

The way his eyes flickered to Coop and then at me with a slight eyebrow raised meant that he was asking about what the hell I was doing with my dad now.

I frowned, not answering neither of his questions or unspoken ones. "A day of peace is all I ask"

"I've given you way too many days of peace" Chris told me, deciding for the moment to shove aside the elephant on the bridge.

Considering said elephant was still on the bridge.

I stared at Chris, my lips pursed tightly.

Chris stared back.

The same Halliwell stubbornness directed at each other.

"Come home" Chris finally relented, breaking our stare.

I furrowed my eyebrows, finally taking notice of his appearance.

Was that... Goo?

"What happened?" I asked.

"Trip to the past" Chris answered sarcastically, "Our usual Tuesday"

"But nothing happened, right?" I pressed.

Coop continued flickering his eyes between the two of us, silently.

"We're better at this than the charmed ones for sure" Chris replied.

Ah.

Of course they changed something in the past.

My lips curled in an amused smile which made Chris scowl.

"They haven't learned from us then" I replied cheerfully.

Chris flickered his eyes at Coop.

"I know you're both from the future" my dad reassured.

Chris looked back at me.

"The elders" I said sheepishly. "Also, uh, they know about what we are too"

Chris sucked in a deep breath, looking between us. "I see"

Coop sighed softly. "Now that Chris is here, I can leave with peace of mind" I looked at him incredulously. He smiled innocently, "Needed to keep you in one place enough time for him to find you"

Chris smiled in triumph.

I narrowed my eyes at them and before I could say something, Coop beamed away. I let out a long sigh, looking back to the horizon.

I felt Chris' presence at my side, glancing at him through the corner of my eye.

"I worry" Chris admitted quietly. I remained silent. "I know the lost you went through runs deeper than I could ever understand, but the truth is that I need you, Parker"

I felt my lip tremble.

"We're in this together, aren't we?" Chris continued when I wouldn't answer him. This time he turned to me, placing his hands on my shoulders, turning me to him gently, "Bree"

I reached out, wrapping my arms around his neck, immediately Chris returning the embrace and allowing me to bury my face on his shoulder, holding me as I cried silently.

"I wanna go home" I murmured, "I want my mom"

"So do I, PB" Chris murmured in my hair, "So do I"