Cassie had so many things in mind but she realized it was improper to flood Mr Pierce questions when he is still being treated. His condition is getting better but he still needed to do some more tests before he could be discharged.

"Hey! I know you can't wait to talk to dad." Brian was telling her. He and Blaze are taking turns watching over their father. Cassie also drops by regularly to check on them.

"I can't help thinking about things but I'm also afraid what I will find out." she admitted.

"Afraid to find out we're siblings? You must be grateful. Not everyone gets a brother like me." he teased.

"What if we aren't?"

Brian let out a deep sigh " Siblings or not, I'll always love you. Understood?' then he leaned to kiss her on the forehead.

"I love you, too Bry."

Somebody cleared their throat. When and Brian turned to look, James and Dr. Grant were standing by the door. She didn't know if they just arrived or how much they've seen or heard.

"Hi!" the female doctor greeted them, smiling while she stands too close to James, their arms brushing lightly. She seemed nice but Cassie is inexplicably irritated with her.

Are you jealous, Cassandra?

"We have an update on your dad's condition." James said to Brian.

"Bry, I'd better go." she said but Brian held her hand, pulling her back and replacing his hands on his waist. A gesture so natural for them but created two different reactions from the two doctors standing across them.

While Dr. Grant made a girlish grin, her eyes twinkling, James had a menacing stare which Cassie thought she just imagine. He quickly cleared his throat.

"He is responding well to the treatment we've given him. But he needs to follow a strict treatment plan." James began to explain.

"So the good news is, we can discharge him tomorrow after we have set up the plan." Dr Grant finished.

"Why haven't we done this before?" Blaze asked Brian.

"Because you were always out on a case. And dad's too stubborn to go with us." Brian answered cockily

"And you are too afraid of snakes crawling on you." Mr. Pierce teased.

Blaze laughed too hard, he feel on his camping chair, which caused Brian to laugh even harder. Blaze grabbed the pack of marshmallows and started attacking Brian with it.

"Boys, stop wasting the food." Mr. Pierce demanded faintly. He apparently is also enjoying his sons act like little children.

Cassie can't stop giggling. She knew Brian and Blaze years ago. She also knew they like to have fun but she never really saw them so carefree like this. When they asked her to go with them she agreed immediately. Camping trip by the woods is one thing she hasn't tried before but she find it really interesting.

After a while, they seemed to have gotten tired but didn't stop chasing and throwing marshmallows to each other.

"I haven't really brought them anywhere since I first had a heart attack. Your brothers just missed each other, you know." he told her.

Cassie just stared at the man infront of her. He has gained weight since his discharge. He also seemed to be happier. His eyes held tenderness.

She didn't notice that Blaze and Brian had stopped playing. She didn't even noticed she was crying until Brian spoke.

"Dad, seriously?" Brian said anxiously which made Cassie blinked several times before finally wiping her tears.

"What? You were busy playing around so I went ahead telling Cassie her brothers just missed each other." Mr. Pierce said innocently.

"Yeah but you don't just drop something like that." Blaze said "I thought were going to discuss this delicately?" he continued.

"Delicate, my ass. Don't tell me you haven't discussed this. Or even guessed. Hmmm?!" Mr. Pierce countered.

"I guess there's really no reason beating around the bush." Cassie finally voiced out.

"How come we haven't found any records in any databases?" Blazed asked bluntly.

When Cassie told Brian that she came to Chicago to look for her dad,  he promised her to call Blaze for help. Blaze worked on it immediately but found no record of a Dennis Smith.

"Dennis Smith was my alias. It was a covert operation called Xanthium and it is the only task force that was not recorded. I mean there is a recorded but sealed and you can't find it on any databases you currently have. We used the old school method." Mr. Pierce explained.

"When I met your mother, I thought of telling her the truth. Of who I really am. She had those eyes that penetrates your soul and make you divulge your inner self." he continued dreamily. "But I thought about the life I have the the one she deserved. I was too selfish to both Audrey and Penelope. I never knew it's possible to find love more than once but it happened to me. And with Diana, I thought I could spare her with the life that I wasn't able to give to Blaze and Brian's mothers." Mr. Pierce stared at the bonfire he started earlier, pain and regret in his face.

"Dad, what made you think that? Mom was so proud of you. I didn't understand her but when Penelope died, I realized what mom really meant. She died happy." Blaze stated.

"And you did everything for us. When mom died, she made Blaze and I promise to look out for you. " Brian added.

"Mom, told me she never loved any other man except my father. Now, I knew why." Cassie admitted, tears still streaming down her face.

"Come her, darling." her father asked arms outstretched. He hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you." he apologized.

"Dad! I'm just so glad I met you." Cassie reassured him, her tears falling free down her cheeks.

"How about us?" Blaze asked pretending to be jealous.

"Yeah, aren't we supposed to be one big happy family here?" Brian added.

Cassie's tears were replaced with giggles as she looked at her two brothers. They were both trying to suppress their tears but failing.

"Come here, big babies. Come join the party." she said.

When Cassie arrived at MMH that morning, there was an unspoken anxiety suspended in the air. She soon learned from Alyzza's detailed explanation that James' father is currently at the hospital. And his presence only means bad things.

"Every time he visits, there are changes. Changes that you might not like. If I may add."

"Where is he now?" Cassie asked.

"In Mrs. Avery's office. He is looking for his son but it seems Dr. Montgomery isn't here yet." Grace said.

"He is now." Alyzza announced. "And he doesn't look too pleased."

James moved past everyone towards the administrator's office. Through the glass window, they could see James talked to Mrs. Avery and after a minute or so, she left her own office.

"Poor woman, caught in between two clashing boulders" Grace commented.

"Ssshh!" Alyzza reprimanded.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Mrs. Avery snapped at no one in particular.

Cassie was tried to go back on finishing her doctor's notes. 

"You are not making any changes in this hospital. Not anymore." James obviously shouted but faintly heard outside the office. Cassie knew the staff heard it too. But didn't make the slightest indication.

"I am only looking out for your mother's legacy." she heard James' father said.

"Oh you do now?"he replied sarcastically

"It wasn't easy losing you mom."

"I bet you do. It took you only three months to replace her with your little hooker."

"There are things I did that I'm not proud of. But when you left, I realized how much I've lost. I made it my responsibility to keep this hospital together."

"By cutting budget and firing employees? Is that what keep it together for you means?"

"I have to make tough decisions to solve the problems that your mother didn't even mentioned existed."

"How dare you blame everyone else except yourself."

"I'm not blaming anyone, son. It's the truth. There are bigger things we have to work on. But I know we can solve it if we work together."

"No. I can take it from here." with finality in his voice, he left the room.

Cassie's brain was swirling with anxiety her patient's condition which she couldn't diagnose yet. Her dad's condition and Blaze doing undercover again aren't helping at all to ease her mind. Then, there's Alyzza and Brian who are now openly ignoring each other that she couldn't talk to them both at the same time. 

"I am not a messenger, OK! If you have something to say, then say it to each other's face." she barked at them and left.

She needed her secret hiding place that the north wing balcony or the chapel couldn't offer. 

The rooftop.

But when she arrived, somebody was already there. Someone found it. She was about to leave when he spoke.

"So you found my sanctuary." he said.

"This place always gives me the peace I needed." she admitted.

"Now, I know where to look for you when you're not at the nursery or the chapel."

"Are you stalking me?"

"You wish"

He laughed. Then, silence.

"My mom and I used to come here. Sometimes, we talk for hours and hours. Other times, we just sit silently." he spoke softly.

"I'm sorry."

"God, I miss her so much!" he burst out crying. 

Before realizing what she's doing, she moved closer to him. And pat his back.

They just stood there, gazing into the setting sun.

"We don't always see eye to eye, my father and I. But mom was always there to pacifies things between us. I guess she expected me to eventually make peace with dad. But I always do the opposite of what he wants."

"Yeah! I know. You have this tendencies to annoy people of your stubbornness."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he sound affronted but she didn't recoil.

"It means that maybe you have to look at it in a different perspective. The way your mom saw it."

"How can I? Three months after my mother died, I found out he was already having an affair with some young woman. I was so furious at him... At everything. That's why I left without a word. Leaving everything that reminds me of mom and my father's affair."

"We don't always see the reasons behind the unpleasant things our parents do. But they act according to what they think is right. Sometimes, we just need to be willing to sit down and listen, you know."

"You mean I just have to accept everything? Forget everything he did?"

"No. And no. What I'm saying is if you want to understand, you have to learn to listen. And tell him what you truly felt about everything. And maybe you'll find answers to your questions or even better, solutions to your problems."

He let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. If I listened to you and didn't drag my problems between us..."

"Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"What happened between us was special."

"Yeah it was. But what happened already happened. After listening to you, I now understood why you acted the way you acted. And I'm not blaming you, OK? All I'm saying is it didn't work out well between us and there's no point dealing with what has been."

"Is that all what it was to you? A mere past mistake?" his tone sounding more piqued by the minute.

"Yes! And I suggest we put it all behind us so we can move forward."

"Have you really moved on?"

"I have."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't care whatever you believe in. I'm way passed over everything."

"So how come you aren't married yet?"

Cassie was silent, dumbfounded by his bluntness.

"I believe that's none of your business."

"I think it is."

"Whatever you say."

"And I'm eager to prove you haven't moved on."

"Good luck with that."

"What do you think about this?" Alyzza has been asking her the same question for the last two hours she's been trying dresses.

After fighting to stay angry at her best friend, she realized she couldn't bare to do so. Not when she has admitted that she really loved her brother even if he keeps changing girlfriends in an attempt to hide his fear of commitment.

"Yeah, you look good on that too" Cassie said enthusiastically.

"How can you say that when you're not even looking." she whined.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you look good on everything." she said.

"Ah! I love you, babe." she said as she sat beside Cassie. "Tell me what's the problem." she asked

"Nothing. What makes you think I have one?" 

"I know there's something troubling you. Anyway, we'll talk about it later. For now, we have to find you the perfect dress that will make every specie with a penis salivate."

"Ewww. Where did you get that? That just sounds disgusting." she glared at Alyzza which her best friend answered with a heartily laugh.

"See. That's what I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong, babe. I'm on your team and I know how gorgeous you are inside out. But you need to put a little effort to get the man you want."

"I'm not desperate to get laid anytime soon if that's what you're insinuating."

"But you can't deny you had the hots for the boss."

"James?"

"The one and only Dr. James Derek Montgomery. Well, he is taken now. But we still have lots of prospects. So, don't fret."

"What do you mean he is taken?"

"Well, rumor has it he and Dr. Grant is now a thing."

"I see." she said. "Babe, let's do this. Let's make every specie with a penis salivate." she said before scanning the room full of lovely dresses.

It didn't take her long before she found the one she was looking for.