Disclaimer: I own no part of the Covenant.
Tyler Simms let his head fall against the great oak door to his house. He was exhausted from swim practice and he really didn't want to deal with his parents at the current moment in time. He'd begged the other Sons to let him crash at one of their places tonight, but they'd all deferred; Caleb was going out with Sarah, Pogue with Kate, and Reid with whoever his latest conquest was, and that meant he was stuck with Mr. and Mrs. Simms who had reached the particularly ugly period in their cycle of arguing.
Tyler sighed and opened the door. When he heard only silence he relaxed, quiet meant that either one or both of his parents were out at the moment. Relishing the lull in action, Tyler decided to brave the kitchen for some food. He walked in to see his mom talking animatedly on the phone.
"I absolutely cannot wait to see you again. Nine years is too long. Yes…oh, wait Tyler just came in. Okay then, I'll let you go so I can fill him in. Tell Cordelia he'll be there tomorrow at seven. …Yes…absolutely. No, he doesn't mind at all, though warn her that he'll probably be with the rest of the boys. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see her again too. …Okay…See you soon, dearie." Evelyn Simms turned to her son with a smile.
"You'll never believe it: the Williams have moved back! Well, not all of them technically; Blythe divorced that banker, and apparently it was not very…financially beneficial to her so she and Cordelia decided to move back to Ipswich. You remember Cordelia, don't you?"
"Cordie," Tyler corrected out of habit, a fuzzy image of a redheaded fourth grader came to mind.
"Really," his mother said exasperated. "Her name is Cordelia, Cordie sounds like a car part. Anyway, yes, she and her mother are back for a while I think. Blythe said they were living in the family house with her brother, the reverend. And she already enrolled Cordelia into Spenser. I can't imagine the money that had to change hands to get her in at the last minute. But anyway, I told Blythe that you'd take Cordelia to the big back to school party tomorrow. You two used to be so close." She drifted of in thought and took a sip from the wine glass in front of her.
Tyler was about to ask something when the two heard the front door open and then slam closed. He saw his mother's eyes narrow and watched as she drained the glass. As she got up from the table, prepared for battle, she threw one last sentiment his way. "Pick her up at seven tomorrow."
Tyler watched as she left. He grabbed some cold leftovers from the fridge and dredged up the back stairs to his bedroom; he heard voices escalate in anger with every step he ascended. He dumped his bag by his bed, turned on his music as loud as possible to drown out the yelling, and laid down.
Sometimes, I think these stupid powers cause more trouble than they're worth. He closed his eyes as he thought about that treacherous thought. Sure, his abilities were his familial heirloom, the thing he was supposed to regard as more important than anything else, but, frankly, he couldn't figure out what good they had done any of them. His mind drifted to all of the Sons' parents, all seriously messed up. He thought about how ascending had caused problems already between Caleb and Sarah and Pogue and Kate. And while both relationships looked more promising than any of their parents, Tyler couldn't help wondering if it was only a matter of time.
His mind moved unbidden to the conversation he'd only partially taken part in with his mother. Cordie Williams. She was one of the few girls that had made it into the boys' tight group when they were little. He remembered long dinner parties his parents had hosted, invitations going only to the closest group of people they'd agreed good enough to be in their elite circle. He remembered the adults drinking and laughing and doing boring adult things all clustered in the formal living and dining rooms, giving the kids full reign of the house for hide and seek. He remembered one game where Pogue couldn't find him and Cordie for hours because Cordie had just found a hidden closet and shared her secret space with him. It was always Cordie and Tyler, Tyler and Cordie; they were the two little ones and the older boys never let them forget it.
He smiled to himself as other memories of Cordie came to mind. He recalled Blythe fainting after picking her up from school one day when she saw that Cordie had cut her red hair up to her ears herself, and the day she broke her arm after jumping out of tree when Reid dared her. Until she moved in third grade, she was always right there with him and the other Sons.
But a lot had changed since they were nine years old. He rolled over in his bed, Guess we'll see how much has changed tomorrow. He turned back so he was staring at the ceiling again. Knowing he wasn't going to be able to avoid the war zone downstairs if he stayed at home, Tyler got up. Maybe Reid won't mind if I crash in on his date at Nicky's.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Be right back," Tyler said as he slammed the back door to Reid's unbelievably crowded SUV. The whole group had decided that since this was three of the four Sons' senior year, they should all go to the annual party together, girlfriends and all.
"Aww, Baby Boy has a playdate," Reid yelled out of the unrolled window. Tyler rolled his eyes and flipped him the bird before continuing up the walk to the Williams' family estate. According to family legend, the Williams had been some of the first to colonize Massachusetts; Tyler remembered bickering with Cordie when they were little over whose family had been there the longest. The adults always agreed Tyler's family won. He knocked on the door.
The reverend answered the door in all his severity. Tyler recoiled involuntarily; he'd forgotten just how harsh the man was in person.
"Uh, hi…sir. I came to pick up Cordie…er, Cordelia." Tyler tried to smile politely. The man in pressed black looked back at him calculating.
"Yes, Tyler Simms. It's been a while." The disdain was palpable. "Come in."
As he was led into the parlor, Tyler saw an older looking Blythe Williams and a redhead who he was pretty sure he would have been able to identify later.
"Tyler!" Blythe gushed, arms open inviting him to hug her, a very awkward hug Tyler decided. "Oh my goodness, you look so much older. I can't believe how handsome you are and how grown up you look."
"Yeah," he looked past Blythe to see Cordie smirking at him with her hands on her hips. "Your hair doesn't stick up so much any more."
"And yours seems to have grown back." He smiled when he saw her laugh and run a hand through her hair self-consciously. The two smiled at each other for a moment, glad to know that the other hadn't changed so much that they couldn't pick up where they'd left off. Their unspoken exchange was broken up by the reverend's displeasure.
"Blythe, you cannot allow your daughter to go out dressed like that." He nodded to Cordelia's attire. Tyler furrowed his brows, he didn't see anything immodest about her skirt and top. His eyes slid over Cordie, finally taking in the things that had changed in the past years. The same girl who used to wear his clothes after she'd purposefully ruined the dress she'd had to wear was gone, in her place was…well, was a Cordelia. She looked like she might actually like to wear a dress now and then, and if she tried to put on his clothes now they'd probably drown her. The mental image of her in his clothes stopped him for a moment and he remembered the ways he'd changed in her absence.
His mind jumped back to the present when he heard Blythe's protests to her older brother. "She looks fine," she said forcefully.
The reverend raised his eyebrows imperiously at her. Blythe shrunk a little under his scrutiny, but held her ground. Cordie walked over to him as the two adults argued in aggravated whispers. She nudged him in the side with her elbow. He looked down at her to see her rolling her eyes.
"They can go on like this forever. Let's just sneak out now." She linked arms with him and led them out the door. When the door shut, a silence fell between the two.
"So…," Tyler started, determined to keep things as far from awkward as possible. "Are you glad to be back in Ipswich?" He was rewarded with a warm smile.
"Yes! It's home. I know the all the roads and the shortcuts through the woods. If I'd have known we would get to move back when mom and husband number three divorced, I'd have split them up years ago." She caught sight of the full vehicle in front of them. "Whoa, are we taking all of Ipswich?"
Tyler's answer was cut-off as shouts came from the SUV.
"Look who's back in Ipswich!" Tyler saw Pogue leaning out of the back seat window and give Cordie and exaggerated once over. Then he saw Kate's hand yank him back inside. Reid followed suit with a wolf whistle, then leaned out the driver's window.
"The welcome wagon's a little full, kiddos, so you're in the back."
Tyler looked at Cordelia apprehensively, he didn't know if a Cordelia would ride in the trunk. He grinned in relief when he saw her laughing and heading toward the back of the vehicle. He beat her there and held open the door. Mocking his chivalry, Cordie gave an ostentatious curtsey and hopped in the back.
As they started on their way, Tyler gave introductions. He tried to help Cordie to her knees so they could see over the back of the seat, but Reid's reckless driving had them toppling over and laughing at every failed attempt. Eventually Tyler managed to find his balance and propped Cordie up against him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, unconsciously stabilizing them both, and blushed a little when he realized what a compromising position the two were in. Cordie smiled back unsure but didn't move to pull away.
"Okay," Tyler started. "You know the guys obviously." The rest of the occupants of the SUV were caught up in some trivial argument between Reid and Pogue, so Tyler spoke to be heard over them. "The girl next to Pogue is Kate, the one next to Caleb, Sarah, and the one in the passenger seat is…" He paused for a moment trying to think. "Damn, I can't remember, but honestly, it's not really important. It'll just be a different girl next week." Kate, Pogue and Caleb heard the last remark from Tyler and laughed out loud; it was so rare to hear the blunt truth from the youngest Son.
"You better watch it, Reid, Tyler's telling Cordie all of your dirty secrets." Caleb laughed, and then turned back to the redhead in the rear. "It's still Cordie, right? Or do you go by Cordelia now?"
"Still Cordie," she answered and smiled, still a little overwhelmed by the change in all of her old friends, they seemed somehow more…intense than they'd she remembered.
"The Babies in the back had better watch it," Reid laughed, and looked in the rearview mirror at the two in the far back. Cordie had grown up to look pretty good, not really his type, but Reid was pretty sure that Tyler was already nursing a little crush, the kid fell in love too easily.
Tyler joined the rest of the group in laughter when Cordie stuck out her tongue at Reid in juvenile revenge.
"You got him there," Tyler teased her. She turned her gaze back to him and winked. "I bet we could take them now. I'll go after Caleb and you get Reid and Pogue."
Pogue interrupted their plotting. "Uh oh, boys, sounds like the little ones are planning an attack." Caleb and Reid looked back at the two, who were smiling wickedly.
"You're damn straight." Tyler challenged. Cordie joined him in taunting. "You guys always used to team up against us when we were little, but I don't think you'll have so easy a time of it any more."
Kate pulled out from underneath Pogue's arm. "Five bucks on the Babies," she said, laughing when Pogue narrowed his eyes at her. The rest of the car filled with bets and smack talk as they pulled up to the edge of a field full of teenagers dancing and drinking. The occupants of the SUV started piling out and gathering around.
"We can't wrestle," Caleb started logically. "I can't throw a girl to the ground, not to mention you're in a skirt." He nodded towards Cordie's choice of attire.
"Name your game, then," Cordie said, hands on hips next to Tyler.
"Let's go old school," Pogue decided. "Arm wrestling." He laughed, knowing Cordie's skinny little arms were going down; Tyler was going to have to pull through for the team. He caught the tail end of Caleb's threatening "no using" look, and followed the rest of the group to the hood of the car. Caleb stepped up to go first, Sarah smiling next to him. Caleb eyed Cordie and Tyler challengingly.
Cordie turned to Tyler and smiled, knowing there was no way in hell she could win, but there was not a chance she was going to step down.
"I got this," she smiled at him, feigning exaggerated cockiness. Cordie strutted up to the hood of the SUV where Caleb was, doing some ridiculous arm stretches to draw even more laughs from the group around her and succeeding. She heard Tyler doggedly cheering her on and jeering Caleb, and she laughed out loud, dropping the macho act. Cordie set her elbow on the hood of the car across from Caleb's, but didn't lock hands yet.
Reid stepped forward to play referee. "Alright, let's keep this a fair game. Caleb, kick her ass." He laughed as he moved back a step. "Contestants…lock hands."
Cordie hand reached for Caleb's, but the second Caleb's flesh came into contact with hers Cordie let out a blood curdling scream. It felt like she was on fire. She felt flames burning every inch of her skin. Caleb let go of her hand and in that instant everything went back to normal, but as he grabbed her arms to keep her from falling, the fire returned, scorching her.
"Let go of her!" Tyler yelled as he ran forward to Cordie. He had no idea what was going on, one minute Cordie had been fine and the next she was…Tyler wouldn't be able to forget that horrible scream. The only one near her was Caleb, so it had to be something he'd done, right? He reached her huddled, gasping body and cradled her crumbled form to his, unconsciously rocking her back and forth.
Caleb stepped back horrified, and flinched when Sarah reached for him. She grabbed the same hand he'd held Cordie's with only moments before but nothing seemed to happen to her. All of the Sons exchanged confused and worried looks between each other, wondering what danger stemmed from their powers now.
A hundred yards away a man watched the scene, curiosity now mixing with the hatred in his completely opal eyes. He watched the boys carefully, and thought to himself, perhaps there is another way to destroy the Sons.
So there's the first chapter; I have a vague plot in mind. It will be Tyler/OC. Cordie is a descendant of Abigail Williams, the girl who started the witch hunt, and she was cursed by the first group of Sons. And Chase is back. Let me know if I should keep going; if enough people like it I will otherwise I'll just keep working on my other fic. Thanks, review if you like it.