By the time Crystal, Scott, Violet and Phoebe woke up, it was late afternoon.

Phoebe was the first to wake up, who proceeded to immediately wake Violet so that they could both admire their masterpiece.

Scott had his arm wrapped around Crystal, as she had her head lying on his shoulder and was hugging him from around the waist.

“Is it too late to make my brother switch rooms with you?”, Phoebe whispered at Violet.

“Probably...”, Violet shrugged. “We don't want to push them too far; they might catch on.”, she added. Phoebe only nodded.

A knock on the door failed to wake Crystal and Scott, who were still sleeping together.

“Who is it?”, Violet shouted, ignoring her asleep friends (who also ignored her shouting).

“Jackson.”, a voice replied from outside.

“And Charles!”, another one added.

“Then I shall let you in.”, she chuckled and rushed to open the door.

The couple walked inside, their fingers intertwined, and smiled widely at Violet.

“What are you two so happy about?”, she asked them.

“Well... We have good news and bad news.”, Charles started.

“Okay, let's go outside in the corridor, because Crystal and Scott are sleeping.”, she told them quietly.

“You didn't care about that a few moments ago when you were shouting like there was no tomorrow!”, Phoebe reminded her.

“Shut up...”, Violet waved her off and went outside with the two boys.

“Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?”, Charles started.

“Tell me the good news first. I want to be happy for a bit before descending into the depths of utter darkness and misery.”, she replied.

“Right...”, Jackson clicked his tongue. “We won't be needing all the things you promised us in exchange for following you around.”

“How come?”

“Here come the bad news...”, Charles sighed.

“Are you two sick and dying? Please tell me that you're not dying!”, Violet rushed worriedly.

“What? No! We just won't be following you around anymore either. We found a job here and there's a pretty cheap house we can move into. We can start a good life here, away from all that mess you've gotten yourself tangled into...”, Jackson explained.

“Oh. Guys, that's great news for you! Why would you tell me it's bad? You gave me a heart attack!”

“So you're not going to miss us?”, Charles asked her, looking offended.

“Of course I am, but this is a great opportunity for you two! You can settle down here!”, she said excitedly. “And who knows? Maybe I'll visit from time to time once all of this is over.”

“V, you're awesome.”, Jackson told her.

“Was that a compliment?!”, she asked in surprise.

“Don't get used to it.”, he rolled his eyes.

“Thanks for sticking with me, though. You're making the right choice by not getting into this whole thing.”, she told them.

“We know. That's why we're staying away from it.”, Jackson replied. Charles elbowed him. “What? It's the truth!”

“I'm going to miss you two so much!”, she muttered and hugged them both. They awkwardly patted her back.

“You'll live.”, Charles chuckled.

“Probably.”, Jackson shrugged.

“Jackson!”, his boyfriend exclaimed.

“What? We're too cool for her to survive without us...”, Jackson laughed.

“Charles maybe. You're just insufferable.”, Violet crossed her arms jokingly.

“Thank you! See? Someone finally recognises my worth.”, Charles stuck his tongue out at Jackson.

“Shut up, Charlie...”, Jackson said with a wide grin on his face.

“Anyway... We have to go tell that old lady that we're getting that house before she gives it away to someone else. We'll see you goodbye in the morning, unless you're up for a late night excursion at the tavern.”, Charles suggested.

“We'll see... It's going to be a long day tomorrow... I don't think I'll be able to handle it if I've got a hangover.”, she laughed.

“True.”, Jackson agreed. “Bye, V. It was a pleasure.”

“Of course it was, this is me we're talking about. And that was a second compliment! Good job, Jackson! Keep it up.”, she said proudly as her two friends walked down the corridor and then down the stairs.

Violet returned to the room and saw that Crystal and Scott were still sleeping.

“We need to wake them. They won't be able to sleep at night and they'll be exhausted tomorrow.”, she told Phoebe.

“I know, but there's something I need to talk to you about first.”, Phoebe replied.

“What is it with you people and talks today?”, Violet muttered to herself. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I'm thinking about coming with you and Cheryl, if that's okay. Scott has gotten himself in a rough place and I think that leaving him with Crystal will help him make the right choice.”, Phoebe explained.

“Of course you can come with me and Cheryl! Why would you thing there was the slightest possibility you couldn't?”

“I don't know...”, Phoebe shrugged.

“Don't be stupid. Besides, we're two members down now. Charles and Jackson are going to stay here.”, Violet explained.

“Good for them! It's a lovely town.”

“Yeah! Anyway, do you want to do the honours, or should I?”, Violet smirked.

“Let's share the honours, how about that?”, Phoebe laughed.

“I can live with that. Sure.”

They walked over to the bed Crystal and Scott were sleeping in. Violet climbed onto it and stood up. Phoebe grabbed a pillow and held it above her brother's face.

“On three.”, the witch mouthed.

“One...”, Phoebe started.

“Two...”

“Three!”, they yelled on unison. Violet started jumping up and down on the bed, avoiding stepping on either of her friends, while Phoebe dropped the pillow on her brother.

Crystal and Scott shot up in panic, blushing furiously upon realising that they'd been cuddling in their sleep again.

“What the hell are you two doing?”, Scott shouted at them sleepily.

“Waking you up, sleepyheads. You won't be able to sleep at night.”, Phoebe smirked.

“You could have done it another way! More calmly!”, Crystal shifted her weight on her arm. That's when she realised that her palm was on top of Scott's, who had his arm behind her back. They turned redder.

“But where would the fun be in that? Calm is boring.”, Phoebe shrugged.

“Speaking of fun, Charles and Jackson invited me to go party at the tavern as a goodbye thing tonight. I don't think they'd mind if you guys joined too! What do you say?”, Violet suggested.

“Oh, I'm in.”, Phoebe replied immediately. “I haven't been to a party in a long time.”, she added.

“I'm not going anywhere.”, Crystal shook her head. “I'm not really in the mood to go out...”

“Come on, princess! We deserve to have some fun... When are we going to see Charles and Jackson again?”, Scott told her, much to everyone's surprise.

“I don't know... After everything that happened this morning--”, she bit her lip.

“That's exactly why you should have some fun and blow off some steam.”, Violet told her. “I've never been in the place you're in right now and I really hope that I won't, but if I were, it'd do exactly that; party. No one would have thought that after such a thing one would party and you'll believe it too, if you enjoy yourself.”

“Fine, but only if we all go.”, she said, eyeing Scott.

“Didn't I already say that I'm going?”, he told her.

“I just wanted to make sure.”, she shrugged.

“Great! Now that we agreed we're all going, let's find something to wear!”, Violet rubbed her hands together.

“Wait... We're dressing up for this?”, Phoebe exclaimed.

“Duh!”, Violet replied.

“I don't have anything good to wear!”

“You can wear something mine.”

“Excuse me, but we don't really have the same body type.”

“You're forgetting something! I'm a witch!”, Violet reminded her.

“Right...”, Phoebe nodded slowly, realising her mistake.

And they got ready to party.

*~°~*

Lux was a mess and she wasn't even trying to hide it. Apart maybe from Caroline; she didn't want to worry her goddaughter any more. That girl was already on edge even when nothing was going on; she didn't want to add more worries to the pile that mostly consisted of stressing over Tristan's well-being.

Caroline had stumbled upon her as she was roaming the palace and Lux had been quick to hide the fact that she was crying. It took most of Lux's acting abilities to conceal her feelings, as the princess wasn't easy to fool.

“I'm fine! Why the hell wouldn't I be?”, Lux asked in exasperation.

“Because your brother just got killed and I found you sulking in some random servant room! Not to mention that you seemed off earlier! Just tell me what's wrong!”, Caroline insisted.

“Nothing's wrong, dammit!”

“Then why are you so defensive about it?”, the princess crossed her arms.

“Because even if there is something wrong, and there isn't, it's none of your goddamn business!”, Lux snapped, slamming her hand on the closet next to them.

Caroline flinched at Lux's outburst. “I- I'm sorry.”, she gulped, looking away to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

Lux regretted it immediately. “Caroline, I didn't mean it...”

“No, I get it. I'm just a kid, I shouldn't get into older people's business.”, she shrugged. “I'll give you some time.”, she bit her lip and walked off.

Lux would have followed her, but Caroline's words made some more memories resurface. Not of Olivia, this time, but of her own mother.

“Mom! I just need to know what's going on! I deserve to know why you hate me so much! Darren, I get it, but yo--”

“Lucy, that's enough!”, her mother had snapped. That what everyone used to called her.

“She's right. Let it go.”, Erebos had crossed his arms.

“Oh, please! As if you know what it feels like! You're the family's favorite!”, she had hissed at her step-brother.

“Lucy!”, her mother had yelled again.

“You're all the same! You, your boyfriend, your son! It's as if my opinion doesn't matter!”, she had shouted back. And she was right; her mother had started a new life with another man and had had a son. She always treated Lux as if she was nothing, which was why Lux was so curious about the treatment she was getting.

The door opened and her step-dad walked in the small room.

“What's going on in here?”, he had growled. Lux ignored him and tried to rush past him, but he grabbed her wrist and blocked her path. “Where do you think you're going?”

“I'd say hell, but I'm already there.”, she had deadpanned.

“You're going to meet with the gardener's son again, aren't you?”, he stared down at her. “I told you to stop hanging around him, he's a bad influence.”

“The only bad influence around here is you!”, she yelled.

“Is that so?”, he glared at her threateningly, grabbing her by the hair.

“Leave me alone!”, she shrieked.

“Darren, stop!”, her mother tried to stop him. He ignored her and took a knife off his belt. “Erebos, sweetie, go wait outside...”, she whispered at her son.

“Let's see how this feels, little witch.”, he hissed again.

“No!”, Lux cried as he sloppily cut most of her hair off.

A burst of energy made everything start shaking and threw Darren at the wall opposite her.

“Lucy!”, her mother exclaimed.

“I'll be back to get my things. I'm moving the hell out of here.”, was all she said before she opened the door and slammed it closed again.

“Lucy? What happened?”, Erebos asked her as she rushed past him.

“Ask your parents. They didn't have answers for me, but they might have some for their only son.”, she grumbled, purposely bumping his shoulder as she hastily walked down the corridor.

And back. In Beatrice's old room, she started sobbing again.

*~°~*

Crystal and Scott returned early from the party, since they couldn't take all the noise and his sister, along with Violet, Jackson and Charles, seemed to be ignoring their existence. Scott knew exactly why that was, but chose not to voice it in front of Crystal.

It would have been embarrassing, not to mention awkward.

When they reached their rooms, they stared at each other awkwardly until Crystal looked away and Scott turned his attention to his door.

“Goodnight, princess. Come talk to me of you need anything.”, he gave her a small smile. He was about to close the door behind him, when Crystal stopped him.

“Wait!”, she exclaimed. “I don't want to be alone... I- I'm scared, especially after what happened this morning.”, she frowned.

“Oh... Okay, come on in, then.”, he shrugged, letting Crystal inside.

“Thanks... And I'm sorry.”, she pouted, walking in even more awkwardly than before.

“What are you sorry about?”, he asked her.

“You probably want to go to sleep and I'm keeping you up...”

“Don't be stupid! You know me; I don't go to sleep easily at night. Besides, we took a nap earlier. I'm not sleepy.”, he shrugged.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I'm sure!”

“Fine...”, Crystal bit her lip.

Scott sat down on his bed while she stood near the door, looking at her feet.

“How are you holding up?”, he asked her.

She looked up at him, ready to lie about how she felt, but couldn't bring herself to. “I'm not.”, she gulped.

“Princess...”, he sighed, getting up and approaching her.

“I- I actually killed a person!”, she snapped. “How are you all so okay with this?”, she sobbed.

“Because we know you didn't mean it and that you've regretted everything that happened in that alley!”, he replied, panicking because he wasn't good at comforting people when they cried.

“But what if it happens again? There's no turning back now! I took a life! What if I have to pay with another one? What if I kill again?”, she stepped away from him.

“Princess, calm down! You're not going to kill again!”, he tried to reassure her.

“How do you know that?”, her voice cracked.

“Because I know you.”, he replied, cupping her tear-stained cheeks. “And you're amazing...”, he added, leaning in so that their foreheads touched. “You’re bloody amazing.”, he whispered.

She rested one palm on his left hand and the other one on his forearm, closing her eyes and letting the tears stream. She didn't know what to say.

And I don't deserve you..., Scott thought. Especially not after what's going to happen...

“I'm so sorry, princess...”, he whispered again, shaking his head and pulling away.

“What's wrong?”, she asked him, holding onto his hands.

“I- I can't do this. I'm so sorry, princess, I can't do this.”, he repeated.

“Do what?”, she asked again. He turned away, clenching his fists but not saying a word. “Alright. I should get going, anyway. It's getting late.”, she said eventually. “Goodnight, Scott.”, she rushed outside.

Scott didn't turn around until he heard the door open and close behind him. Then he sat on his bed and buried his face in his hands.

I can't do it, he thought. Why must this be so hard?

And in the room right next to his, Crystal was sitting cross-legged on the floor with her back against her bed, wondering what she'd done wrong.

A couple of hours passed, and seeing as Violet hadn't returned yet, Crystal decided to go out at her balcony to clear her head. She sat down on a chair, hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, sighing.

It was cold, but when she realised she should have brought a blanket it was too late; she was already too bored to get up again. She noticed a candle on the table next to her.

Alright, let's give this a try...

She extended her arm and held the fuse with three fingers. She started to think of fire and warmth. When she let go, she was surprised to see that it had worked and that the candle was lit.

The same way, her eyes lit up when she heard fumbling from Scott's balcony and caught a glance of him coming outside. His eyes widened, when he noticed her and rushed back inside, making her face fall again.

He soon returned with a big blanket.

“Catch.”, was all he said before throwing it at Crystal. She gave him a confused look. “Now wait.”, he muttered. He sang his leg over the railing.

“Scott, what are you doing?”, Crystal panicked.

“Coming over.”, he shrugged, swinging his other leg over.

Crystal paled. She got up and placed the blanket on the chair.

“Stop being stupid, you can come over through the door, like a normal person!”, she rushed.

Scott ignored her as he made a leap from his balcony to hers. He landed perfectly, but lost his footing before going over the railing.

“Watch out!”, she yelled, grabbing him by the arms and helping him regain his balance. They both blushed when they realised how close their faces were and how Crystal's nails were digging into his shirt.

Scott finally came over to her balcony. She offered him a chair, handed him his blanket and sat down opposite him.

He noticed her shivering.

“You're cold.”

“I'm fine.”, Crystal replied, her teeth chattering. Scott raised an eyebrow and moved his chair next to her, then put the blanket over their shoulders. “Thanks...”, she bit her lip.

“Don't mention it.”, he looked away.

They stayed sillent for a while.

“I'm sorry about before.”, Scott turned to look at her again.

“It's okay, don't worry about it.”, Crystal sighed.

“I just need you to know that what happened is not your fault.”, he added. She didn't say anything, but instead, she just rested her head on his shoulder. He awkwardly wrapped his arm around hers and rubbed her arm with his thumb.

A few minutes passed when she turned and they looked at each other again. Crystal cupped his neck and bit her lip.

That's where he focused on; her lips. And she noticed.

They found themselves leaning in, when the balcony door burst open and Violet came out.

“Crystal, where--”, Violet stopped abruptly and froze. Crystal and Scott's heads snapped towards her. “Oh my God, I'm so sorry! Please go back to what you were doing!”, Violet buried her face in her palms and ran back inside, leaving the other two shocked.

“I should get going.”, Scott scratched the back of his neck.

“Right...”, Crystal got up. “From the door this time, won't you?”

“Yeah...”, he suddenly found his feet pretty interesting.

Crystal folded the blanket handed it to him and led him to the door inside.

“Goodnight...”, they said simultaneously, blushing even more.

Scott turned to leave, but quickly returned and gave Crystal a quick peck on the cheek before rushing in his room, leaving her frozen in place.

Violet's groan from the room snapped her back to reality.

“Phoebe is so going to kill me.”