Jake stood at the desk waiting for the desk Sergeant to finish his phone call. He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. He opened them, startled by a warm sensation on his cheek.

"For luck." Cassandra whispered. He smiled as he gave her a quick kiss in return.

"Jake why are you back here at this hour?" He asked.

"I got your call Sgt. Taylor, I'm here to bail my dad out." Jake said to the night officer looking him squarely in his eyes, his stance tall and determined.

"What are you talking about? I didn't call and you know your father is locked up for suspicion of murder."

"Coffee?" Cassandra pushed the steaming styrofoam cup in his hand. "Oh, I almost forgot. I got you a Danish too." His mouth watered at the sight of the flaky, golden brown pastry with apples in the center and a shiny sweet glaze drizzled on top.

"Apple, my favorite. Thank you little lady, I could use this right about now." He took the danish from her and took a bite. "Now I don't know where you got your information from but your father is not eligible for bail." He took a sip from the cup and froze.

"Cassie we gotta work fast. You change the paperwork and I'll reset his memory." She sat at the desk and used the tricks Ezekiel taught her to hack into the computer altering the report to state that Wilma Farber was wanted for the murder of Thomas Wynn. An all points bulletin was issued for her arrest.

"Are you almost done? He's coming out of the spell." Jake hurried.

"Just a second…" she pressed the return key. "Done." She smiled triumphantly.

Sgt. Taylor shook his head and blinked. "Ok, so you are here for your father. Wait here and I'll get him."

He brought out a very perplexed Jed to his son. Jake motioned for him not to speak and he complied. "All right Jake if you will just sign here and here giving you the responsibility for getting him home safe then you are free to go."

Jake grabbed his father's arm and led him quickly to the door.

"Wait!" Sgt. Taylor yelled. They squeezed their eyes shut waiting to be caught. I knew this was a bad idea Jake thought as his body trembled with dread. They turned around.

"I don't want to see you in my drunk tank again Jed. Next time, I won't be so lenient. Now get him out of here." The policeman admonished.

"You want to tell me what is going on?" He asked as they sped away.

"Dad I'll explain everything once I get you home."

The house was a mess, shattered glass everywhere, chairs and books knocked over, a broken lamp on the floor, evidence of the fierce battle that had been fought to protect the fate of the world from certain ruin. The door to the bedroom had yellow barricade tape across it and the now dried pool of blood where Thomas laid dying was a sad memorial to a brave and fearless man.

Jake ripped the tape and surveyed the room, anger now taking hold of him for the death of his friend and protector. He had just met him and now he would never get a chance know more about him or his family's history.

Jed walked out of the den with a half bottle of whiskey in his hand, taking a big swig as he looked around. He slumped to the sofa. Cassandra shrugged her shoulders at Jake; she wasn't quick enough to put the drops in his drink.

"I don't understand how I could have killed that man, I didn't even know him and Wilma, poor Wilma."

Jake went over to him and took the bottle out of his hand gave it to his partner in crime. "Dad, listen to me. I saw Roy, he was here."

"You what? But that's impossible, he is locked away in a maximum security prison."

"Dad, Wilma was part of a secret society that wants to bring magic back into the world to control it. They broke him out of prison, kidnapped Emma and tried to use the three of us to do it. She is an assassin and she most likely came to kill you when she met up with Thomas who was keeping an eye on her for me. I knew something was not right when I first met her. She is the one who killed Thomas not you."

"What are you talking about?" He looked at his son and his eyes widened with fear. "I told you, being too smart only makes you crazy, you are just as nuts as him and you're going to finish me right?" He put his arms up to his face to cover himself and cowered away from him.

"Dad, it's going to be all right, we were able to destroy the magic and get him locked back up. He won't bother anyone again." He struggled with his father's arms to put them down and sit him upright.

"I know what you went through living with that monster you called your brother. He told me enough to know the hell you and Aunt Lucille must have endured."

Jed crumpled in his son's arms. "I told the police and the lawyers everything he did to me and Lucy when they came to our house to tell us what he did. Momma was horrified by what she heard, she never realized how much he had hurt and tortured us. She felt guilty and asked us to forgive her and told us that she was going to make it right. Your grandpa William gave us a better life and we learned to put it behind us."

"Until I came along." Jake said.

"I knew you weren't like him, but you looked so much like him it was scary and when your momma told me about your IQ score, it brought back all those terrible memories." Jed looked at his son. "You never did anything wrong, you were so good to your momma and your sister and brothers. I was a fool. I am so sorry Jake, can you ever forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive." He handed him back his bottle and Jed took a long swallow.

"Cassie I want to change everything, I don't want him to remember anything about Roy or his childhood."

"Jake you can't, you only have a few minutes or less, it's too much to make him forget." She reasoned. "Maybe you can change his attitude, instead give him the sense that he overcame and is a better man for it."

"All right." Jake's southern lilt lulled his father to sleep as he reset his memory about the recent events especially his involvement with Wilma. He couldn't totally erase his memory of her but instead made so that Jed found out she was a grifter and ended the relationship before she could cause any harm to him or the family.

Before he finished he quickly added a bit more. "Dad listen to me. What you went through with Roy was horrible, but you are a survivor, you didn't let that keep you down. You're going to forgive yourself for mom's death and not being there for us. From now on you are going to be a better man, stop drinking so much and take care of yourself and your family. Emma is going to be a source of pride for you, being smart is a good thing now." He finished the reset.

Cassandra put her hand on his shoulder. "Well done." He put his hand over hers as they watched over him.

The room magically changed back to what is was before Lamia killed Thomas. Gone was the barricade tape and the blood on the bedroom floor. The chairs were back in their place and the lamp repaired and on the table.

"Wow, that was so cool." Cassandra commented as they witnessed the transformation. Jake got a blanket and put it over his father then turned to her. "He'll be all right now." He took her by the hand, they left and closed the door.

They got back in the truck and drove to the door that served as their entrance to the annex. Before they walked in, he took her in his arms and gave her a long embrace.

"I could not have done this without you. Thank you."

"Well what are friends for?" She smiled.

"Oh I think we are more than just friends." His eyes had that crinkly look again and she felt a sudden wave of love as he kissed her, for a second she felt her heart would stop as his touch filled her with excitement and joy. "I love you Cassie." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you too." She murmured. For once her brain was not calculating probabilities or possibilities, it allowed her to enjoy the moment as she combed her fingers through his untamed hair, pulling him closer to her, returning his kiss with a deepening passion she never felt before.

"Come on." She could feel the resonance of his low husky voice as he held her and it filled her very soul with a feeling of warmth and security and there was no better place to be than in his arms. "There's a little cafe in Cape Cod I read about that serves the best breakfast all day long, I've been dying to try it out. If we hurry we can beat the lunch crowd."

"Oh yummy," she clapped as they headed inside, ready for their next adventure.

The end. I hope you liked it. Fingers crossed for season two…