Kade walked outside and watched her concentrate. He was impressed as the trees bent away from her and watched as a rock rose to the same height as her face, then fling away. He got worried when he saw her levitate. He watched as she started to shake and then was falling. He ran and caught her. He stooped down and laid her on the ground. He saw she was just asleep and was relieved. He picked her up and walked back inside.

He walked back into her bedroom and laid her on the bed. He went around and laid on the other side of the bed and put an arm behind his head and stared at the top of the netting that surrounded Cassie's bed. He laid there and waited for Cassie to wake up.

A few hours later Cassie rolled over and suddenly was cuddling up against him. He was shocked but just watched her. After a moment she smiled and snuggled down.

"Morning, babe." She mumbled and Kade watched as her hand drifted around on his chest. She opened her eyes and looked up at him smiling. She blinked a couple times and suddenly her smile dropped. She sat up and threw her legs over the edge of the bed with her back faced towards him. She rubbed her eyes and got her thoughts in order.

"Glad to see you awake." She waved at him and then took a few deep breaths.

"What are you doing in my bed?" She contained her embarrassment and transferred it to anger.

"Well, I saved your life after you went outside to practice without my permission." She stood up and turned around to face him.

"I apologize that I need your permission to do something by myself. I need my own life, too. I can't just wake up every morning and think 'Hmm! I wonder what Kade will let me do today!' It doesn't work like that, Kade. I'm not your puppet. I have free will and today my free will said to go out and get a hold on my life, which is something I've been desperately loosing since the day you showed up, thank you very much." Kade stood up and walked towards her. She didn't back up, she stood her ground. She was angry that she cuddled up against him, that he was in her bed, and that she let him take control of her life. She could have fought tooth and nail, but she gave up control of her life to him and she wanted it back.

"Losing control? You have been in more control this past month than you have in your entire life. You have found a part of you that didn't exist. You witnessed the beauty of what you are finally capable of, because of me. May not be the way that you envisioned finding yourself some day, but the matter stands that you are stuck with me for a long time and now you can make a choice on whether or not you are going to make the best of it, or make it feel like pulling teeth. Either way, you aren't going anywhere so face it." Kade turned his back and walked out of the room.

He didn't raise his voice or say it in a snarky way and Cassie was surprised. She sat down and hugged her knees. She hated her position, and hated that Kris and Aiden were gone. Even more, she hated that she cared for the same man that murdered them. He's right, that she is stuck. He is also right that she would be better off making the best of it instead of sulking around. After a few minutes of her having an internal battle, she walked out of her room and upstairs where she was certain that Kade would be. She knocked and waited until she heard something that sounded like permission before opening the door. She looked away when she saw Eva in the room. Kade had her wrist and she just watched him calmly. Kade pulled away and the marks instantly started to heal. Eva asked if he needed anything else and then left. Kade didn't move from where he was, leaning against the edge of his desk.

"I'm sorry, Kade." He looked a little shocked. "I'm just scared. I am terrified that I lost control of my life and I am terrified that I am living with the man who murdered my brother and lover. I am scared that I don't want to run away even though you proved to me countless times that you might be ruthless. I am scared that you are also gentle and kind to me, and it makes me forget why I want to hate you so bad."

"Cassandra, you don't have to like me, per say. But when you try to hate so much, you are making yourself more miserable than you are making me. I can only do so much."

"I trust you. I feel like I shouldn't, but I do." Kade looked at her for a bit and then nodded. Cassie nodded back and turned to leave. She closed the door softly behind her and went down and ate lunch with the girls. Kade came down a few hours later and they left to practice again.

Blips Stained Dirt -16-