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Cassiopeia’s stomach plummeted from Ren’s words, and she was fairly certain the blood drained from her face. She squeezed Ren’s knees and looked him in the eyes.

”I need you to remember as clearly as you can, Ren. This is important. Was the deal for Li not to die of her cancer, or for her not to die before her time.”

Deep down, Cassi knew the deal had been placed for the former, which meant Ren could die sooner than he was foretold to, which meant Ren had a ticking timeline.

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”Yes, like what happened earlier. Don’t worry, though, Caden was too far away to have been privy to the emotions this time. We figured out the hard way just how intense it can be if we don’t block the other out,” Avery confessed. He could chuckle at the memory now, but when it had first happened ten years ago, it was difficult to remain in control.

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Caden smiled softly at Nero and squeezed their knee. ”We need their help, my little imp. If Kiki can read with you and you tell her what to look for, we can go through the books in half the time. Avery is already on it with upping security, and I’ve done what I can so far. I’m going to talk to Cassi about putting a magical trip wire or something on the property. She’s normally good at that sort of thing.”

Caden turned to better face Nero, and gathered their hands into his. Nero’s hands disappeared into a wall of black, and Caden continued to smile at Nero.

”You’re a part of this family now, and we look out for one another.”

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Ren rubs his forehead as he struggles to remember the details while still drunk. “I… I remember saying I’d gladly give ten years of my life if it meant Nic didn’t lose his mother before her time… Why does it matter?” He moves his hands to rub the back of his neck.

“Didn’t the demon just end up killing her anyway with that monster? Devils just do what they want, right?” Ren hasn’t connected the dots to realize that their favorite tiny person was actually a demon too.

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Nero catches Kiki mumbling something about finally having sex just to have it taken away but chooses to ignore it for her sake, focusing their attention on Caden as he speaks. Blush covers their cheeks as he declares that Nero is part of the family now and they turn their face, refusing to let anyone else see that they were immediately touched by the notion.

“Fine…” Nero mumbles.

Kiki pokes her head up again. “I can try helping you unlock more memories if you want, Nero. That might be easier on Cassi so… that doesn’t happen again.”

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Cassi sighed, hanging her head and stared at Ren’s knees before she started talking. ”It matters what the stipulations of the deal were because if it was cancer, well, Li didn’t die from cancer. She died from the Chimera, which means the deal still holds. If you made the deal so it was just her not dying before her preordained time, then the deal could be void, and you don’t lose ten years.”

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”That might be helpful, thank you, Kiki. We can decide on that in the morning. I need to talk to Cass about some things anyways. I’ll see if she wants to help unlock more memories. I have a feeling she might want to for personal reasons, but it might be too soon.”

With that, Caden stood up and grabbed his jacket. ”Don’t worry about tonight, Kiki. Between Avery and I, everything between us should be blocked well. We can start working on it tomorrow. Who knows, maybe you’ll pick up on it quickly.”

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Ren tries to focus once again for Cassi, closing his eyes as he thought back to that dark night. “It said something like… ‘I will save your wife from cancer… if you give me ten years of your life’… At least that’s what I think? He says his words slowly and carefully, giving the memory as much of his focus as he can.

“I’m sorry, I wish I could help more…”

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Kiki nods knowing Caden is probably right about Cassi wanting to unlock the memories herself. She disappears into her blanket cocoon at Caden’s next words though, face properly flushed with color. “Sometimes I wish this household had normal hearing…” She mutters to herself.

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When Caden stands up, Nero shifts their gaze to watch him before standing up themselves. “I want to grab the books - I have a feeling I won’t be able to ‘sleep’ tonight.” They’re still not completely sure what exactly they do while Caden sleeps. They close their eyes and try not to really focus on anything, but who knows if they’re actually asleep.

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Cassiopeia schooled her emotions to remain calm and strong for Ren. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"It's okay, Ren. We can talk in the morning once you have a decent night sleep. Can I make you some tea?" she offered him. There wasn't anything Cassi could do about the demon deal tonight anyways. Besides, she had to check on Nic and potentially break his heart further tonight.

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"Why do you think every house I own is soundproofed?" Caden said with a smirk.

Avery chuckled and held onto his cocooned girlfriend. "Come on, let's head back to bed. Maybe we can practice some blocking if you aren't tired yet," Avery said and stood.

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Caden looked down at Nero and smiled. "Alright. I'll go with you," Caden said and led them back to the front door.

He turned the security alarm off before unlocking the door and led Nero back to the car.

"Tomorrow we can set up a security code for you if you would like," Caden offered. He opened up the trunk of the car and pulled the box out for Nero.

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“That would be nice… Thank you Cassi, you’ve helped us so much… Please let me know how we can return the favor someday.” Ren says in a tired voice as all the whirling emotions send him into a bit of a dissociative space.

The older Wu stares at nothing in particular, his expression tired and sad. “When you suggested the reflection pond for my tattoo… I thought you knew exactly what I had done…”

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Kiki blushes as she stands up, her mind in the gutter already before Avery even suggests practicing. “Uh… uh-huh okay…” She mumbles as she blinks a few times. “Good night Caden.” She pats him on the chest as she shuffles by on her way back towards her room, forgetting to wait for Avery.

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Nero follows Caden out to the car, still a ball of nerves but trying to mask it for Caden’s sake. The question of how exactly Nero got away from Mundus weighs heavy on their mind and they hope for everyone’s sake that the devil spawn was truly gone.

“Oh, does everyone have their own code?” Nero asks as they reach for the box.

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Cassiopeia smiled softly and stood. She walked into Nic's kitchen to prepare the kettle and hunted for which cupboard he had placed the tea in. She found the ones she had made for him and Ren, and smiled before she pulled the herbs out. She inhaled the comforting scent before she made them all a cup.

Cassi returned to Ren at the table and sat next to him. "I apologize for that... It hadn't been my intentions. I know reflections ponds can mean the reflection of good and bad, but my intention had been to create something that would remind you of them and what you still had now. I can do something more simple if you wish," she said, placing a hand back on Ren's knee.

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Avery chuckled before he wished the other two good night, and followed after Kimiko. He walked into the bedroom behind her and shut the door.

"If you're tired, we can just go back to sleep, darling. Blocking can take a mental toll when you are just learning."

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Caden let Nero take the box so he could close the trunk and lock the car. "Yes. That way I know who sets the code or comes and goes. It's mostly Avery who sets everything," Caden informed them. He offered to take the box back from Nero if they didn't want to carry it before walking back into the house.

Caden locked and set everything once more before leading them to their bedroom. Caden was hoping the contractors would be done in the next couple of days. He missed the room he originally shared with Nero.

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Ren quickly shakes his head. “I understand your intention now, but… I think it will still be a great idea for my piece if you’re still willing to tattoo me.” He accepts the warm cup from Cassi and sips before continuing. “Who knows, maybe it’ll stop me from making another bad decision.” He pats Cassi’s hand on his knee before drinking more of his tea.

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Kiki had just thrown her blanket on the bed when Avery speaks and a dorky smile curves her lips from him calling her ‘darling’. She ignores the warm she feels in her cheeks though. “We can try it and if I get grumpy then we can just go back to sleep.” She suggests as she busies herself by drinking the remaining water on her nightstand.

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Nero shakes their head when Caden offers to take the box, content to carry it themself for now. “Can mine be six-six-six?” They ask, attempting to cover their nerves with impish behavior. “Or four-twenty-sixty-nine?”

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"Well, that's what you have me for. If you have questions about the supernatural world, I can answer them or find the answers for you."

She took a minute to watch Ren drink some of his tea, sitting in companionable silence with him before she stood back up and prepared her and Nic's tea.

"Can I walk you to your room, Ren?"

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Avery chuckles but nods before sitting on the bed cross-legged.

"Okay, when you're ready, I want you to look for your center again like you did earlier."

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Caden looked at Nero with a bewildered look on his face from Nero's crude humor before he laughed. "I think the second option would be a more difficult option to guess than the first."

He walked inside the room after Nero. He closed and locked the door before he went to the windows and ensured they were locked before drawing the curtains.

"Now, do you want to tell me why you are acting so nervous, or do I have to pry it out of you?"

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Ren waves her off. “I’ll make my own way up after I finish this tea.” He tells her. “I’d rather you take care of my son right now anyway.” Ren picks up his cup of tea and heads into the living room to sit in one of the cushy arm chairs. Meanwhile upstairs on the terrace, Nic finally finds a moment of peace as he watches the city at night below him.

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Kiki climbs onto the bed and mirrors Avery pose even though she wants to just curl up in his lap right now. She closes her eyes with red ears as she focuses to find the bonfire that is her center again.

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Nero had just kicked their heels off when Caden asks his question. “Scheisse.” They mumble before pouting as they realize Caden had seen right through them. “Would I like the way you’d pry it out of me?” Nero asks cheekily instead.

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Cassiopeia turned to watch Ren make his way into the living room. She can't help but think that she was meant to help both of them. She fiddled with her hair and glanced towards the stairs, debating on if she stayed with Ren a little while longer or went to check on Nic.

In the end, she felt the pull towards the stairs the strongest. With a quiet good night to Ren, Cassi took the two cups of tea and headed up the stairs. She magiked Nic's door open and stepped inside.

She didn't see him in his room, but one look towards the terrace had he heading for that door. She opened it without using her hands as well.

"I brought you tea."

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Once Avery felt Kimiko was in a meditative state, Avery closed his eyes and found his forest easily. He tugged on the line connecting him to Kimiko, and smiled when he felt a tingling through his body.

"Okay, once you find our tether, I want you to just concentrate on that. This might...feel not good. As in wrong and like a part of you is missing, but it is the easiest way to tell if you can block and if it is working. Also, don't be surprised if it doesn't work for you right away. Caden seemed to have the knack for it but it took me weeks. Anyways, once you have our connection, I want you to try and dim it. You can think of it as a switch, or a wall, maybe pour water over the fire...Whatever analogy works best for you. Every once in a while, I'm going to tug on our bond. When I start to lose you, I'll know it's working, but if I tug on it and you come back, well, we'll have to keep working on it."

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Caden tossed his jacket into the corner and started to strip off his shirt, smirking at Nero while he went about his task.

"You might, but I'd really rather you just tell me."

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Nic turns when he hears the door open behind him and smile sadly at Cassi when he sees her. “Thank you.” He says as warmly as possible before he takes the cup from her. “I… don’t really have words right now.” He says honestly after a moment before turning to look at the city again. He drinks his tea slowly, trying to think of something.

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Kiki chews on the inside of her cheek as she tries several different method of ‘flipping the switch’ or ‘dimming’ the connection between them, at one point stomping on the sparks like you would an actual fire. After what feels like hours without managing to dim it she throws her hands up in frustration and opens her eyes. “This shouldn’t be that hard!” She grumbles, not noticing the little sparks flying off her.

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Nero frowns and plops onto the bed, kicking the heels off the rest of the way with a sigh. “Nothing feels right… about any of this. Crowley doesn’t give me warnings and I don’t get random demons stalking me…” They say as they shimmy out of their tights and kick them off as well.

“I can’t stop myself from going to the worse possible scenario.” Legs still dangling off the edge of the bed, Nero flops back onto their back and stares at the ceiling. “And right now, that’s Mundus. So I’m not going to sleep well until I know what happened to him.”

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Cassi came to stand next to Nic, their arms brushing lightly as she stood close to him. She looked out over the city, listening to the sounds of nightlife.

”I know. We don’t have to say anything. We can just stand here for as long as you want,” she told him.

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Avery opened his eyes at the sound of Kimiko’s frustration. He smirked at her, watching the sparks land on the blankets and on his pants. One burnt a little hole in his pants, and he gently patted the other ones out on the blankets.

”You know, if you wanted my pants off, you could just ask rather than try to burn them off,” he teased her.

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Caden sat next to Nero on the bed, removing his own shoes and socks. ”I think it would be best to operate under the worst-case scenario but hope for the best,” Caden told Nero truthfully.

He rested a hand on Nero’s bare leg for a moment before running his hand down to pick up their legs. Caden shifted Nero and plopped their feet into his lap before he started to apply a decent amount of pressure to the bottoms of their feet. He massaged Nero’s feet while he talked.

”The little Scotsman doesn’t look out for people unless he already has an interest in them. He obviously cares for you, and I take his warning seriously, especially after today. I’d trust your feelings that it doesn’t feel right. We should definitely contact him tomorrow. I’m sure we can find some creature or human up to no good to get your blood from them.”

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“Thank you.” Nic says as he gently leans more into Cassi. He’s not sure what else to say at this point that she doesn’t already know. It leaves a bitter taste in his mouth that there had been around an eighteen percent chance of his mother making it through the cancer - that if she had survived just another five years that medicine could have caught up and even improve her chances more.

If his parents had just told Nic, he would have pulled every string and every favor for his mom that he wasn’t able to do for his sister.

Nic doesn’t know how much time has passed when he drinks the last drops of the tea. He finally turns to look at Cass, feeling hollow but also grateful that she had chosen to spend the night with him. “Let’s get you inside so you can have some sleep. I have a feeling I’m calling out tomorrow.”

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“Ach!” Kiki says with a panic, trying to make sure there aren’t any other sparks behind her. Once she’s assured there aren’t little fires starting everywhere, she turns to Avery with a sheepish expression. “Sorry…” She says as she eyes the little singed hole on his pants. “I don’t like when I can’t get something right on the first try.” Rubbing the back of her neck, Kiki looks away from his pants and at Avery’s face. “How about I take you on a shopping trip at my expense?”

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Nero sits up on their elbows to look at Caden with a softened expression as the man rubs their feet. “I suppose animal blood would be a better option rather than stealing a blood bag from the hospital.” They say with another sigh before flopping onto their back again.

“We should unlock the rest of my memories as soon as possible if we’re sticking with worst case scenarios.” Nero mutters as they feel some of their tension ease thanks to Caden.

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Cassi stood with Nic for a long time. She was certain an hour or more had passed. Her tea was long gone before Nic turned to her, but she didn’t mind. Her mind had wandered while they stood in silence.

She thought about her family and how similar Ren’s words had sounded to her grandmothers all those years ago. She had overheard her grandmother and mother talking shortly before they were attacked. She hadn’t thought anything of it, but Cassi couldn’t scratch that itch in the back of her mind. Then, of course, there was Ren and his deal.

Ren’s deal with the demon was still valid. She had to tell Nic, but she had to fix this, too. She didn’t want Nic to be without any family. Not yet. The only thing she could think to do right now was the last thing she wanted to do, but who else understood the deals of demons better than a demon.

Cassiopeia looked up at Nic and nodded. She took his teacup from him before walking back into the bedroom. She set the cups down on the little table, he hand before she rubbed her hands.

”Do you want some help falling asleep?” She didn’t want to overstep, but Cassi was a helper by nature. If there was something she could do for Nic, she had to do it.

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”Well, you do owe me a date night,” Avery reminded her. He leaned in close and kissed her softly.

He honestly didn’t care about the pants or the little sparks she set off. Honestly, Avery loved Kimiko’s temper. It was fire and passion. He had gone toe-to-toe with her before they even dated, and part of him loved the banter; even if it had annoyed him to no end at the time.

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Caden fell silent for a moment while he worked the tension out of Nero’s feet. He stared at the door, contemplating Nero’s words and the problems they found themselves in.

”I do agree, but I don’t want to push too much…” He paused in his task, looking back at Nero. The urge to know more and protect their mate from their past conflicted with the need to protect them now. Maybe they could run to one of Caden’s homes in Europe, the dragon found himself thinking. Of course, Hell was everywhere.

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Nic almost tells her he doesn’t need it but he lets his shoulders slump. “Yeah, that would be nice…” He says as he walks over to hug Cass from behind. “Any chance you can do it while we cuddle?” He asks as he starts to pull her towards his bed with him.

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Kiki lets her eyes close, kissing Avery back for a moment before pulling away and letting her head rest on his shoulder with a yawn. “All expenses paid shopping trip, then dinner, then massages.” She mumbles tiredly.

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When Caden pauses, Nero sits up on their elbows again to look at him. “I think it’s starting to become necessary that I do, though.” They say with an eerily straight face. They can’t pinpoint what emotion they’re feeling now - it’s as if a cold calm has washed over them.

“I’ll reach out to Crowley first thing in the morning.” Nero declares. They would do it while Caden is sleeping, but they have a feeling their dragon will not let them out of their sight very easily.

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Cassi smiled when Nic’s strong, familiar arms wrapped around her. She knew now wasn’t the time or place for her thoughts and feelings, but she loved Nic. She was in love with him, and that made it hard not to feel warm and fuzzy when he held her like this.

”Lucky for you cuddling is required,” she informed him. She rested her hands over his, letting Nic pull her to the bed.

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”Ooo, I think I’m going to like being doted on,” Avery concluded.

He wrapped his arms around Kimiko, pulling her into his chest as he lay down. He pulled the blanket over the top of them, burying them both under the covers and kissed the top of her head.

”Get some sleep, my fiery little fox.”

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Caden looked at Nero, seeing a sort of glaze come over them as he recognized they were separating themselves from how they were actually feeling. He reached out and placed a hand on their cheek.

[.color=#006400]”I won’t let you go through this alone.”[/color]

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“Perfect.” Nic replies easily as he make it to the bed. He pulls one of his arms from around her and sweeps it under her knees to pick Cassi up bridal style so he can place her on the bed first. He doesn’t hesitate and climbs onto the mattress quickly to join her.

“I’m really grateful you were here tonight.” Nic tells her as he gets comfortable on his back. He lifts his arm up so Cass can lay her head on his chest.

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If Kiki was more awake, she’d be blushing right now from Avery’s words and probably ducking her face into something to hide. Instead she responds with silence as she quickly falls asleep, mumbling something about FroYo for dessert.

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Nero blinks a couple of times as they look at Caden. “Thank you.” They say with a small smile, knowing that Caden truly meant what he’s said. Pulling themselves up into a sitting position, they return his gesture by placing both tiny hands on his face. “I’m really lucky to have met you.”

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Cassi released an undignified squeak when Nic scooped her up before placing her on the bed. She blushed immediately, turning her head away from Nic to try and compose herself.

She looked back when he thanked her, and she immediately crawled into his side. ”I’m glad I could be here for you,” she said and cuddled into his side.

Cassi rested a hand on Nic’s chest and sighed. ”I know I shouldn’t be in this mindset right now, but I love being in your arms,” she said. As she relaxed, that same glow of her aura from before wrapped around Nic. A faint blue and yellow glow surrounded them both.

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”Yes you are,” he teased and kissed Nero’s lips softly. ”Now, is there anything I can get for you before I fall asleep?”

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The young man kisses the top of the sorceress’ head. “And I love having you in my arms.” Nic says as he feels what he now recognizes as Cassi’s magic wrap around him again in its calming embrace. He remembers how he once compared Cass as a refreshing rain that washed away the dirt and closes his eyes.

This night had been full of a lot of different emotions in a short span of time… Nic needed the day to end like this so that the next day can be fresh start for everyone. “Good night, my tomato.” He whispers as he holds her close.

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Nero snorts before Caden kisses them, the smile remaining on their face. “No, I’ll be alright. Do you need an eye mask to block out the light while I read?” They ask in return, not wanting to keep the dragon from falling asleep.