Frightening Little Princess

Summary: The Ipswich Covenant isn't the only power around. A powerful friend of the families returns to Ipswich at the request of her grandmother, who fears for her life. But returning to Ipswich makes things worse and puts them all at risk. Sometimes the only way to save the ones you love is to sacrifice everything, including your life. TylerOC.

Disclaimer: Yeah… I own nothing. Damn.

A/N: Thanks a million to xxkpxx, gxaxbxbxy, KaylaSimms1990, and Luida! It's the reviews that keep me going. I appreciate everyone and their thoughts.

C-C-C

Ipswich, Massachusetts- Parry Homestead

Pogue Parry had been born, much to his father secret disappointment, three weeks after Caleb. Pogue had been due to be born before Caleb, but Evelyn had gone into labor early. Wayne Parry was happy for Evelyn and William, of course, but he had been hoping to continue his legacy as the eldest of his generation through his son.

That hadn't happened, however, and Pogue was perfectly fine with that. It wasn't like he wanted the pressure of being the Golden Boy; the perfect Son. He was a rough and rowdy kind of guy, not the kind that did everything he was told. The responsibility of being the oldest was something that Caleb was perfect for and Pogue knew that he would have been little more than a disaster as the eldest Son.

Responsibility. It was the main reason that Pogue was hiding in the shed behind his family's home at the moment. At exactly 7:18 pm, an hour and twelve minutes from that precise moment, Pogue would be ascending. The thought of having the Power in its entirety scared the living daylights out of him. Becoming like William Danvers was the worst thing he could think of. A good man who got addicted and left behind a great wife and a son who was forced to grow up too soon; it was something he didn't want to even fathom.

A knock came on the door of the shed and Pogue ignored it; he'd locked it from the inside and –knowing it was his father who had come to speak with him- didn't worry about the door being opened. Wayne didn't use the Power for trivial things. Another knock came and Pogue ignored it again.

"Pogue Christopher Parry." Wayne Parry's authoritative voice said, "Open the door." Pogue sighed, leaned forward, and twisted the lock open. The door open and Wayne's square and intimidating yet aging face faced his son's, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to avoid the inevitable." Pogue replied honestly. Wayne sighed, entered, and closed the door behind him, "Done bitching at Caleb?"

Wayne immediately took offense, "What Caleb did was irresponsible! He's known that girl for a month and she has already known our secret for three quarters of that time!" Pogue sighed. He really shouldn't have gotten his father started, "Don't sigh at me, son. You know, just as Caleb knew, that we have to protect ourselves…"

"At least Caleb has a reason," Pogue interrupted, shocking his father. He really didn't want to hear his father giving him the same deal all over again. He had heard it at least five times since his father returned, "You told mom on a whim. I love sick little whim!" Wayne sighed heavily; Pogue was right. He had met Beatrice while spending a semester in England during his junior year at Harvard and, two months later, she knew the secret and the fact that he was madly in love with her. They were also engaged. It was the only impulsive thing Wayne had done in his life, "Chase was going after Sarah, Kate, Me. Dad, he didn't have a choice. Sarah would have been in even more danger if she had had no idea what was going on. Kate and I were almost killed; Caleb had to tell her."

"Pogue, I…"

"Dad," Pogue said, "Please don't. I just want to sit here and freak for a minute or two."

Wayne sighed, "Son, you will be fine. You are stronger then you give yourself credit for." Pogue didn't answer. Wayne clapped his son on the shoulder, "You will be fine." He repeated, "Your friends will be here in an hour. Do you want me to send them out here?" Pogue didn't say anything so Wayne took that as a hint to leave.

Just as he was walking out the door, Pogue's voice turned him around, "I don't want to be like him."

"Him? You mean William?"

Pogue nodded, "I can't do that. I can't get so into it that I leave behind the people I love most in the world. I can't do that to Kate." Wayne sighed, but his reason behind it was different then Pogue's interpretation, "Dad, I just need to be alone right now." Wayne nodded and left.

Walking up to the back kitchen door, Wayne sighed. He didn't like that his son was so completely envisioning his future, "You're sighing, darling," Bea said, making him jump. He hadn't seen her drinking her cup of tea at the large island near the stove, "what happened now?"

"I just had a talk with your son."

Bea sighed, "My son? What has he done?" She asked, knowing that Pogue was never "her son" unless Wayne didn't approve of something.

"He is thoroughly convinced that Kate is the girl that he is going to end up with." Wayne said.

"I fail to see what is so wrong with that." Bea said, "Kate is a wonderful girl. I thought this was something that we agreed on."

Sighing heavily, Wayne said, "I never said that she wasn't a wonderful girl, I just don't think that she and Pogue will work." Bea tried to argue, "Sweetheart, you know Kate just as well as I do. It is clear how high maintenance and stuck in her ways she is." Again, Bea tried to argue, "I am not saying that that is necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think she will be able to adjust to what we are when, if, Pogue tells her. I think it would be too much of a shock for her."

"You almost sound as if you want it to be too much of a shock of her, Wayne." Bea said.

"You know that isn't the case, dear." Wayne said sharply, "I care for Kate a great deal but I fear that she will run very fast in the opposite direction if Pogue ever tells her."

Bea raised her eyebrow and took a sip of her tea before saying, "I think you are being paranoid." Wayne sighed again. He took notice of just how much he had been doing that during the last few days. That couldn't be good.

C-C-C

Ipswich, Massachusetts- Parry Homestead: 7:15 pm

There was no way around it. Pogue knew that his ascension was mere minutes away. Caleb, Reid, and Tyler had joined him in the ballroom of his home, the only place that he trusted his ascension to take place. No one would see anything from the outside. His mother had gone to stay with Evelyn, not able to watch. From what her husband had told her, it was painful; more so than anything he had ever experienced. Wayne, along with Joseph and Glenn, were sitting on the opposite side of the ballroom from the Sons.

"You okay?" Caleb asked in a low voice.

"Do I look it?" Pogue replied dryly.

Reid clapped Pogue on the shoulder, "No need to be so nervous, man. You're ascending!"

Raising his eyebrow, Pogue said, "You really need to stop being so enthusiastic about ascending."

"Why?" Reid asked, "We get…"

"Son," Joseph Garwin interrupted, causing the boys to look over. None of them had noticed their father's walking towards them, "Please shut up. When you get these powers, I do not want to see you getting old and shriveled before I do."

"Dad, you're already old and shriveled." Reid stated bluntly.

Joseph raised his eyebrows, "Thank you, son. You state the obvious so well." Reid glared at him. This was the usual banter between the Garwin men. It was all in affection, "But, please realize, that if you keep going the way that you are, you will be like William far sooner then I will."

"So stop, moron." Caleb said, smacking Reid on the back of head. He had been very sensitive about his father, even more so then usual, during the past two weeks. With good reason, everyone knew, so no one argued with him.

"I haven't used in three weeks." Reid argued. Everyone stared at him, their eyes disbelieving, "Okay, twice!" They still didn't believe him, "I swear, I…"

Reid never got a chance to finish. In the middle of his sentence, an eerily familiar (to the elders and Caleb) blue lightening-like force descended upon Pogue. Reid and Tyler were clearly in shock and frightful awe. Pogue was raised in the air, groaning in pain, hurting too much to scream properly. No one caught the frightened flash that crossed Reid's eyes. He hadn't known what to expect and this was the farthest thing from his mind. Ascending was going to hurt; a lot. He wasn't so excited anymore.

Time seemed to hold still. All watched as Pogue, seemingly for hours –though it was probably only for a minute, levitated in front of them. After a while, Pogue descended. It was a sudden drop, causing him to fall in a lump on the floor. Caleb rushed over to his best friend and Wayne made his way as fast as he could.

"You okay, man?" Caleb asked. Pogue didn't reply, taking his energy to pull in deep breaths.

"Pogue?" Reid asked, standing just a little farther back then Caleb and Wayne.

"Ow…" Pogue mumbled.

Relief washed over them, but it was short lived, "Oh… my… GOD!" A voice screamed. The group looked over and panic struck them. Kate, who was suppose to go on a date with Pogue to "work out their relationship issues" at 7:35 and was clearly very early, stood just inside the door to the ballroom. Her face was clear shock and fear, while Sarah, who was with her, stood just behind Kate with her hands on her face. She lowered them slightly and mouthed "Sorry! I tried to stop her!"

"Katie." Pogue mumbled, standing a little too quickly and stumbling, falling back into Caleb's arms.

"What the hell are you?" Kate asked as she turned and ran.

"Kate, wait!" Sarah called before turning to the boys and saying, "I'm so sorry! I had no idea that she was coming here when I caught a ride! I tried to stop her!" She turned and raced out of the ballroom, "Kate! Come back!"

Pogue, with the weight of what had just happened landing on him, stood again and ran, "Shit!" He whispered, grabbing the keys to his mother's Aston Martin out of the locked case on the wall of the room Raven, in her endearing weirdness, called "Limbo," the room that attached the house to the garage and the room where, if your shoes were muddy, they would be removed before entering the house. Pogue stepped into the garage and looked for the Aston Martin. He founded it, raced over, and –once inside- tore out of the garage.

He had to talk to Kate and he had to talk to her now.

C-C-C

Ipswich, Massachusetts- Spencer Academy

Pogue stood outside of Kate and Sarah's door, completely scared. He didn't want her to completely freak and not give him a chance to talk. Knocking, Pogue waited, the anxiety pulsing through him and making him want to vomit. Finally the door opened and the sick feeling was even stronger than before. A face looked out the crack in the door and Pogue groaned. Sarah's blue eyes were apologetic, "She's in the bathroom," Sarah whispered, "Come on it."

Pogue entered with a thank you and Sarah closed the door behind him, "Sarah, I…" Pogue whispered.

Sarah shushed him and said, "Kate, I'll be back in a few minutes. I have to go get something from Lainey." Kate called back, but her voice was muffled; probably from brushing her teeth. The door to the bathroom was closed to Pogue couldn't see. Sarah left without another word to Pogue.

Water rushed and Pogue heard Kate spit. He was right about her brushing her teeth. The door opened and Kate stopped dead, "How did you get in here?"

"Sarah let me in." Pogue said truthfully.

"Really?" Kate asked, disbelieving, "You didn't do whatever the hell it was that you were doing earlier."

Shaking his head, Pogue said, "Kate, I wasn't doing that. Please, let me explain."

"No." Kate said quickly, "I don't want to know, Pogue. You clearly don't trust me enough to tell me about whatever that was, when I can see that Sarah does know."

"Katie… Please." Pogue said, taking her in his arms, "I love you. Let me explain."

Kate, with tears in her eyes, said, "Pogue, I can't take an explanation right now. What I saw… I just need to comprehend that." She pulled away, "I love you, but I can't."

Pogue, trying to keep himself together, let out short and shuttered breaths, "What are you saying, Kate?"

With a look of saddened resolve on her face, Kate said, "I… I think we need to spend some time apart." Pogue just looked at her in shock, "Pogue, please. We need… I need some time to myself."

"You're breaking up with me?" Pogue asked, disbelieving, "After nearly two years, you can't give me even a chance to…"

"Pogue, please leave."

Shock and disbelief were on the very bottom of the mountain of emotions that Pogue was feeling. He stared at her, not able to believe that this was coming from Kate; the girl he had been head over heels in love with since Raven (who was visiting for the Christmas Breaks; she hated the hot, snowless Southern California winters) introduced them and the one he had planned on spending the rest of his life with. Shaking his head at her, he turned and left. As he ran back to his mother's Aston Martin, Pogue wondered how everything had gone so wrong once the Sons started ascending.

A/N: Shorter than usual? Yes. A little fast? Probably. But an important chapter? Most definitely. I hope you enjoyed and I'm sorry if this was a little fast, but it is important. I hope no one minds! Tell me what you think.