I'm feeling generous this week!

I don't own any of the characters from the movie The Covenant just Annie and a few others.

Chapter Seven: What I Need

Annie sat at the table with the files scattered around her, clutching her favorite beer, picking at the remnants of her greasy food of choice: onion rings. In looking over the files Annie came to the startling realization that the men that she knew now were drastically different than "the Sons of Ipswich." Annie reminded herself to use that on Reid later, he never told her much about high school; except that he was a hit with the ladies. Annie usually rolled her eyes whenever he would say something like that, but, sadly, his file seemed to back up his previous statements. Reid had been suspended at least twice for getting caught with a girl in a room or a closet, doing something that made Annie blush just from reading it. He had also been suspended a few times for fighting with a guy named Aaron Abbot. His grades had also been less than stellar, unlike Caleb's who was at the top of his class and apparently received every award possible.

That wasn't the most interesting thing in Caleb's file though. There was mention of an altercation with Chase, but it was very brief and didn't provide Annie with much information. It summed up what she already knew basically, but it provided an addition bit of information. The "issue", as it was called in the file, took place off school grounds at a barn that had burned down during the fight. Sarah was also listed as a witness, but that was all that she could find. Pogue and Tyler's files weren't helpful either, the only thing that stood out was that Pogue missed a few days due to an accident he had with his bike.

With everything Annie had read in their files, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the idea of witchcraft. She knew what they taught her in history during high school and she knew that it was part of Reid and the rest of the guys' history, but could it be possible that there actually is real magic? Out of everyone she knew Reid was the one who was always the most skeptic of magic and things like that. He even hated when she would read Harry Potter, he told her that he wasn't dating a nerd, steal the book out of her hands, and toss it across the room. Annie frowned and ran her hand through her hair; she sat up straight and reached to grab Chase's file to see if she could see anything interesting in it.

"My choice would have been mozzarella sticks."

Annie turned at the voice behind her shoulder and took in the sight before her. A very good looking man with dark curly hair and a smirk that made her think he definitely was good with the ladies.

"Excuse me?"

He smiled in response before continuing on, "Mozzarella sticks, I eat those when I need some good greasy food." He gestured to the onion rings and took the seat across from Annie.

"I'm not much for fried cheese," she replied extending her hand to him. "I'm Annie."

"Aaron" he replied. "What do you do Annie?"

"I'm a cop, working on a case, actually," She smiled at him. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, when I see a pretty girl in need of assistance I usually like to offer help in any way I can," he pulled a card out of his breast pocket and handed it to Annie.

"Aaron Abbott Automotives" she read aloud. Annie froze, when she realized that this guy was the one Reid was always fighting with. She was curious as to what they were constantly fighting over.

"Any car you need, I guarantee we will have it." He reached into Annie's basket of onion rings and stole one.

Annie pursed her lips at the gesture, but shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really in need of a car at the moment, but as soon as I need one I'll be sure to give you a call." Annie put the card in her jacket pocket and glanced up at him.

"I put my personal cell phone number on the back, just in case you have any other questions." He licked his fingers and winked at Annie.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," he leaned back against the seat and folded his hands neatly behind his head.

"What year did you graduate from Spencer?"

"What makes you think I went to Spencer?"

"You're too pretty to be a public school product such as myself," she replied leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table.

"Okay, you got me," he replied. "I graduated in two-thousand six."

The same year as Reid and the others she thought.

"Why do you ask?" he reached for another onion ring and Annie took it upon herself to push the basket towards him.

"Working on a case, remember?"

"Who you looking for?"

"I can't tell you that, you know being a cop and all."

"Let me guess, it has something to do with those jerks, 'the sons.'"

"What makes you say that?" she perked up at this with interest.

"They always got away with whatever they wanted and no one would say anything."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that there was something definitely off with them, people thought they were gods gift to everything, but I didn't buy it for a second."

"Is that why you were often in fights with one of them?"

He smiled and laughed, "I take it you've been talking to the provost," he waved his hand over the files in front of her.

"You could say that."

"I did use to fight them, one more often than the others," he paused and glanced at Annie as she took another sip of her beer, "basically we didn't like each other and we had no issues admitting it."

"Why didn't you like each other?"

"Truthfully?" he gestured to the bar tender for a beer and continued on, "I think it was just guys being guys, I wasn't the nicest of people in high school and he wasn't Mother Theresa either; we were also really competitive with one another."

"Over what exactly?"

"Sports and attention mainly, we really didn't compete for girls if that's what you're thinking," he took a sip of his beer that had just been placed in front of him, "He had his type and I had mine."

"Hmmm interesting," she laughed to herself. "Can you tell me anything about Chase Collins? I know that he associated with those guys."

"I'm pretty sure that Chase wanted to be Caleb, like cut off his skin and wear it like a Caleb suit."

"That's creepy."

"Pretty much, that guy creeped me out quite a bit; he sucker punched me one time during swim practice, but I being the bigger man let it go."

"Sure you did," she laughed. "Why'd you get punched?"

"I said something that I shouldn't have," he smiled behind his beer. "I admit that I wasn't the greatest of people back in high school, but I like to think that I have changed."

"Do you still keep in touch with them? 'The Sons' I mean?" she was genuinely curious; Aaron didn't seem like such a bad guy.

"Not really, just the basic stuff you see online. I know that Caleb and his high school sweetheart got married, Pogue and his girlfriend are about to tie the knot, and I also know that you're Reid's very serious girlfriend."

Annie froze with her beer to her lips.

"Relax, Annie," he took another sip of his beer. "I recognized you from across the bar, you should pay more attention to where your photos get posted."

"What?" she blinked.

"Believe it or not 'the Sons' are still a big deal here and when Pogue and Kate decided to have their wedding back the local paper ran a story on what they were all up to now."

Annie blanched at that, she truly had no idea how to respond to that.

"You, pretty lady, were featured in the article; I find it hilarious that Reid is dating a cop, but I like that fact that you can probably kick his ass."

Despite feeling uncomfortable about the idea of a newspaper article being out there featuring her, Annie laughed.

"You don't seem like such a bad guy, I don't see why Reid wouldn't like you."

"Like I said, I was very different in high school," he moved to stand. "It was nice meeting you Annie." He left, but turned quickly, "If you leave that card some place that Reid can find it I guarantee you'll get an interesting reaction." He laughed and headed out of the bar leaving Annie with her thoughts.

So, if Chase wanted to be Caleb what was it about him that Chase found so fascinating? Also, what was with this whole "Sons of Ipswich" thing? She knew that they were the founding families, but was that the only reason they were called that? She also knew, thanks to her research, that there had never been any girls born into any of their bloodlines. What couldn't Sarah tell her? Did it have something to do with the fight between Chase and Caleb that she was somehow a part of?

Annie shook her head at all the questions she had and collected all the files. If she was going to find the truth she would go straight to the source even if that meant shattering her very beliefs.