DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything aside from the idea. The Secret Circle belongs to its rightful owners and so do the characters.

AN/ Post Balcoin, what happened up to now on the show has in fact happened in this.I am not sure about pairings yet. So I totally love Cassie and Jake, they are my OTP, but I am not sure which Cassie pairing will be end game in this. I want to stick as close as possible with the actual storyline. This is kind of just a filler starter chapter just so that I can set up the feelings. I totally love Melissa and think that she is so underused so I kind of wanted to use her and make a friendship between her and Cassie since there is such a lack of them on the show. Besides, they both have things in common being as though Melissa loved Nick and Cassie and Jake had something. Those Armstrong brothers have turned their lives upside.I will be using all characters and trying to stay as close to the show as much as I can without copying. All characters will be included.

Opening her eyes slowly, Cassie stared at her ceiling above as she lay still in bed. Thoughts ran through her head. The events of the last week played in her mind like a movie. Learning she was a Balcoin that dark magic ran through her blood, the witch hunters once again capturing her, the charity ball, Jake. Regrets, anger, sadness, ran through her body corrupting her. How could she be so careless? So naïve. How could I have let him in?

Reflecting back on the last two months was exhausting and draining. The first tragedy, her mom dying. The second, finding out she was a witch. She then met a group or a circle, as they put it, of fellow witches. Cassie was a part of that circle. They each had individual powers. Strong powers. They were so strong that for their own sanity and everyone's safety they had to bind their circle and themselves to each other. More tragedies followed as demons and witch hunters found them. They hunted them, waned to hurt and kill them. They managed to harm them as Cassie's neighbor and fellow witch Nick Armstrong was killed. She felt sadness and sorrow; he was the first one of the members that she met. She was devastated but a small part of her was relieved at what it meant. She was no longer part of the circle. There was hope that no one else would get hurt and that no one else would come after them now that the circle was broken. That was until Jake Armstrong, Nick's older brother came into the picture and once again the circle was bound. She felt an instant bond with him even though the other members of the circle warned her to stay away from him. He left two years prior and was a troubled teen. He was a bad boy. It didn't matter to Cassie though, she saw through his tough guy attitude. He was the first person that she had truly felt that she could trust. She never admitted that to him though. She reflected back on a conversation that she had with him after Halloween.

'You don't trust me do you?' he smiled.

'No, not really.' She smirked. In fact she did. She would not have revealed to him that she felt responsible for setting a witch hunter on fire earlier if she didn't trust him.

'That's ok. I don't mind having to earn it.' He nodded as he left through the back door.

'Good luck with that.' She challenged.

She felt something between them. He did too. Then she found out the truth about him. He was a witch hunter. Everything had been a lie. Or had it?

Then there was Adam, Diana's sweetheart. Cassie felt drawn to him from the first moment that they saw each other in the hall at school. There was a saying that their families, Cassie and Adam's, were written in the stars, that they were fate. It tore apart Adam from his girlfriend Diana and that hurt Cassie, Diana was a great person and a good friend. Cassie didn't want to be the reason for their break up.

Rolling on her side she glanced at her alarm clock. She missed three days from school already the week before.

Walking through the halls of the school Cassie leant back against the walls. Class had already started as there was no one roaming the halls. Taking a deep breath in she adjusted her bag.

'Hey.' A voice called out from behind her.

Cassie turned to see Melissa standing there.

'Hey.' Cassie replied.

'How are you doing? You haven't been in school for a few days.' Melissa stated. They began to walk as they headed in the direction of their first class.

'I'm ok.' Cassie answered simply.

'Cassie, I know that you and I are not exactly close but I'm here if you want to talk about it.' She offered her support.

'Thanks.' Cassie looked at her slightly surprised.

'What?' Melissa questioned the expression on her face.

'Nothing,' she shrugged, 'it's just, I am a little surprised that you are not going to give me a lecture on what happened.'

She carried on walking as Melissa stopped behind her pulling her arm gently until she was facing her.

'That is not my style. The others should not be saying anything to you.' Melissa looked around. 'Do want a coffee? I'm buying.' She enticed.

Cassie smirked, 'What's one more day off school.'

Sitting in the boat house grill the two young girls sat by the window.

'So how are you really?' Melissa asked taking interest.

'Pissed, mostly at him and myself.' She told finally allowing herself to speak about him.

'It's a hard situation. Don't blame yourself. He fooled you, he fooled all of us.'

'The signs were in front of me the entire time. I have been playing in my head every time that we were together and so many things he said just didn't count up. I didn't question it though. Could I have been any more stupid?' Cassie stared out the window sighing.

'He was one of us Cassie. We couldn't have known that he was a hunter.'

'Adam and Faye knew it though. They suspected something from the start and I just ignored them. I didn't listen to them and carried on giving the benefit of the doubt. I was so stupid to believe that he cared.'

'Cassie, I may not have known you for a long time but I can tell you that I have known Jake his entire life. I saw the way that he looked at you at the charity ball when you were dancing with each other. I had never seen that look on his face before, it was, care.' Melissa admitted catching Cassie's eye and holding it.

'He was trying to kill us Melissa. That is not the best way to show someone that you care. We didn't do anything to him. I never did anything to him.' Her voice softened.

'How many times were you two alone together? You were together countless times Cassie, alone and yet you are still alive. I think that if he wanted you dead he would have done it.' she questioned.

'It doesn't matter, it was all a part of his plan. He couldn't kill me because he was probably ordered to study me. Do you remember Halloween, all of us would have been dead if I didn't burn up Luke. Jake played a role in that.'

'That is not what Faye thinks.' Melissa sipped on her cup.

'Faye? She probably loves this. She said that she couldn't wait to prove me wrong and she did.'

'If that's the case then why did Faye tell me that it was you that Jake cares about.' Melissa told her.

'Don't lie to make me feel better.'

'When Faye and Adam arrived at your house the night you were taken Adam and Jake got into it. Jake was worried and just wanted to rescue you. He promised that he would leave as long as they found you and got you back from the witch hunters. Faye told me that she could tell from the look in his eye that he was serious and that he meant every word. She asked me why he never showed that care for her.'

'Why are you telling me this?' Cassie didn't understand. 'You're Faye's best friend.'

Melissa looked away and spoke softly, 'Because I lost the one guy that I cared about, I can't get him back. If this thing between you and Jake is real then maybe it is worth fighting for.'

Cassie was taken back. The others were all concerned, telling her to forget about him, then there was Melissa who was telling her the opposite, clouding her judgement even further.

'He is a witch hunter. He wants to kill us.'

'That's what he wanted before he got to know you. If he still wanted that then he wouldn't have been out of his mind trying to get you back from them.' She paused.

'That was just a show. He got caught and wanted to try and play the hero.' Cassie shrugged not wanting to believe what she was saying as the truth.

'Come on, we both know that is not true.'

'I don't know what the truth is anymore. Everything has been so messed up since I got to this town.'

'You liked him a lot didn't you?' Melissa asked her.

Cassie didn't answer instead she took another sip of her coffee and resumed staring out of the window.

'I'm really sorry about Nick, Melissa. He was a good guy.' Cassie sympathized with the girl who lost the love that she had, not long ago.

'Yeah, he was.' The sadness in her voice shone through.

'I'm here if you want to talk.' Cassie offered her support.

'Ditto.' Melissa smiled. They may not have known each other for long, or have spoken that much but there was finally an understanding between the two.

AN/ Like I said this was just a filler chapter to set some things up. Let me know what you think and what pairings you want. I know where I am going with the storyline but the couples, I have no clue.