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"Okay, fine." Hughie finally starts, licking his lips. "I don't think I can do this anymore." Cass scoffs, that was it? She has that thought at least ten times a day, yet she's still here. M.M., Kimiko, and Frenchie all snap their attention from what they're doing back over to Hughie. Bellamy raises his brows, pushing himself off the counter.

"Do what?" Butcher asks obliviously, standing to take his dishes to the kitchen.

"This." Hughie repeats. "I mean, Vought, whatever with Kimiko, it's-it's awfful, and you got to stop it, but I can't." Cass sighs, already bored and in desperate need of coffee... or something stronger.

"Right." Butcher smirks. "You just want to kick back, drink a few Mai Tais, and let us all do the work, is that it?"

"Is that not what we've been doing anyway?" Cass questions out loud to no one in particular. She still finds it hard to believe this shrimp killed Translucent... what help has he really been? Well, Starlight she's guesses... ugh.

"You know, I managed to go my whole life without seeing someone die horribly, and now I'm up to about a half dozen, so I think I'm good." Hughie snaps. Bellamy shakes his head, going back to keeping his hands busy with sifting. He knew the kid didn't have it in him.

"Please. You're a fucking killer, Hughie, just like the rest of us." Butcher says lowly before raising his voice. "Now, why don't you stop pissing around and tell everybody what this is really all about? Yeah?"

"Fine." Hughie frowns. "Annie."

"Fuck." M.M. sighs to himself, dropping his face in his hand.

"It's about Annie."

"Who?" Cass asks loudly, leaning forward. Who the fuck's Annie?

"Are you kidding?" Bellamy voices annoyedly.

Butcher claps loudly. "Fucking finally." Frenchie furrows his brows. "He's been sneaking off to give her one at Lincoln Grand."

Ah, Cass clicks her tongue, Starlight. Rightttt.

"You've been following me?" Hughie looks at him.

Bellamy snorts. "Of course he has."

"Like you gave me a choice." Butcher fires back.

Cass sighs, plopping herself down where Butcher was sitting. "Well, if you girls are gonna drag this out..." She says quietly to herself.

"She doesn't know anything, okay?" Hughie's quick to defend. "I'm not gonna tell her anything. All right? We'll just..."

"Just what?" Butcher interrupts. "Fuck off to Epcot? The Hamptons? Maybe pump out a few flying babies?"

"No. I... I don't know." Hughie shouts. Frenchie glances over at Bellamy while Cassius crosses her leg, leaning back to enjoy the show.

"No, you don't know 'cause you ain't thinking, except with your dick." Butcher snaps.

"You're wrong about her." Hughie claims.

Butcher steps forward. "That bitch is fucking playing you, and you're too fucking blind to see it."

"Right, so better to be at each other's throats like these two." He points between Cass and Bellamy causing Cass to snap straight up, opening her mouth to say something- but Hughie continues. "Or better to be loyal to a dead woman who doesn't now and doesn't care? How's that working out for you?" Hughie yells at Butcher starts walking off.

"Oh, fuck." Bellamy mutters, hanging his head as he shakes it. Cass's words catch in her throat, brows raising high, while M.M. eyes fly back and forth between Butcher and Hughie and Frenchie's face hardens.

Butcher slowly turns around just as phone starts ringing. M.M. shakes his head as Hughie stares at his phone for a moment, letting out a noise before turning to answer it. "Hey, Dad."

Frenchie hurries over to Butcher, Kimiko right behind him as M.M. approaches behind Butcher. Bellamy slowly heads over, Cassius rising to her feet.

"Who's this?" Hughie asks. "Dad, are you okay?" Hughie's voice waivers after a moment. Everyone turns to look at him. "A-Train, listen to me." Bellamy leans his head back as Cassius lets out a groaning sigh.

"Oh, shit, if he's burned, then I'm fucked." M.M. panics, hurrying over to the computer. Frenchie runs over to him. Butcher pulls out his phone while Hughie continues talking.

"He's harmless. Let him go."

"My place is burned. They've got me." Butcher sighs.

Shit, Cass grits her teeth together. Thankfully she went home last night to erase any trace of her ever being at her apartment, having a feeling this was coming all too soon... her intuition would never fail her, and she will never choose to ignore it a second time.

M.M. hastily types something on the laptop and an orange screen pops up with 'The account you're accessing is no longer valid please contact your local branch for more information.' "Oh, my God." He throws his hands up. "All my bank accounts are frozen and flagged." Who uses a Cassius thinks to herself. Working in public health was bad enough. "Monique, listen," M.M. speaks into the phone, "When you get this, leave the house immediately. Lay low and call me."

"Like she'll ever speak to you again." Cassius mumbles his direction. Bellamy sighs, shaking his head as Kimiko puts on her jacket.

"Well, I hope she was fucking worth it." Butcher spits out at Hughie.

"It's not Annie." He defends.

"Then who the fuck was it?" Bellamy's voice booms out.

"She doesn't know."

"It doesn't matter. I'm gonna fucking do her in." Butcher snaps.

"The hell you will!" Hughie shouts causing Cass's eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. Ah, there it is. The fire.

"Hey, hold on a second. She doesn't know. It wasn't her." M.M. hops up to intervene.

"How do we know?" Cass hangs her head back in annoyance.

"She's never seen me before." M.M. explains, turning to Cass as Butcher slowly turns around. "Not once, not ever. So how did I get burned?" Cass runs her tongue across her teeth as it hits her, the same time it hits Butcher, and she glares up at Bellamy. Fuck.

"Mesmer." Butcher answers. "You fucking idiots had to go to Mesmer. Fuck me."

"I fucking knew that was a goddamn, terrible idea!" Cass shouts angrily. Bellamy stares at the ground as Frenchie paces back and forth. "Nothing to fucking say?!"

"What do you want me to fucking say?" Bellamy looks up at her, their eyes finally meeting. I want you to pay for something for once in your goddamn life, she wants to scream at him. Her body physically shakes and all she can see is red until M.M. steps in front of her while Frenchie pulls Bellamy back by the shoulder.

"Cassius." M.M. warns. "Hey. Hey." M tries again firmer.

"What?" She snaps at him, finally noticing he's in front of her.

"Taking fucking five." He tells her, pointing to the chair behind her. Her nostrils flare. "Your place burned?"

She stares at him for a moment, collecting her thoughts and rage. "No." She growls at him. "I took care of that this morning." She takes a step back as Hughie walks over.

"Thank you." Hughie says to M.M. for coming to Annie's defense

"That was not smart, to sleep with her." M.M. sighs, pointing at him before walking away.

"Mon ame." Frenchie tries before Bellamy kicks one of the chairs and Frenchie holds his hands up. "Alright." He sighs, letting him cool off.

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0вυттєявιѕ¢υιт7 ѕρєαкѕ!

Hello, hello!! Apologies this took a couple weeks to updateee, omg!! Especially leaving off on a cliffhanger... that was never my intetnion to make y'all wait this long lmao.

Life has been so chaotic & extra busy these past couple weeks, in the best way thooo, so I just haven't had the chance to write or update very muchhh... BUT WE'RE BACK!! ;)

Veryyyy very happy to be back to this book & my babiesss, I missed it VERY much omggg!! Also Cass leaving the night before ended up working PERFECTLY bc ofc she's gonna make sure she's gone without a trace from her apartment before she's burned... hello?! haha, & things are realllyyy starting to heat upppp.... oooo!!

I am so excited for this episode to continueee... so until next timeee... & don't be afraid to comment your thoughts, feelings, & reactionsss!! Mwah!! <3333