Author's Note:VERY IMPORTANT:I have been writing this part for a very long time and I've kept it cause I wasn't sure if it was time for it or if I should add more filler chapters in between. There is a SEX scene in this part. I know that sex scenes are unusual in covenant-verse but I thought it over and I thought it was really important to include. It is clearly marked when it begins and ends so that you can skip right over it if you really want but honestly I kept it very mild and I like I said I think it's important for the character development so I recommend you read it. Okay I hope you like this part, and I've started bits of the next part (APs are in like two weeks so I can't promise it'll be out yet this week) and I feel like it's gonna be a good one...we're finally getting to the issues but don't worry we're far from the ending!

Recap:

Cassie joined the table now with her granola bar and cup of milk, she looked at Sophie for a moment, "Hey your hair's gotten darker, I think."

Beth gave Sophie a 'told-ya-so' look. "You gonna dye it back again? Cause I can do it."

"One, I will never let you touch my hair again. Two, I don't think I want it blonde anymore. I'll just let the blonde grow out I think."

As they filed out of the kitchen an unconvinced Caleb turned to Reid, "Do you think Sophie's hair's darker?"

"It's blonde." Reid answered with a 'why-are-you-asking-me-this?' look. Caleb sighed, maybe Pogue was born with some girl-deciphering gene that no one else possessed.

Sophie was crouched down next to a sink. She held her hands tightly over her ears just trying to block out the sound of the sink dripping. Her nails bit her skin as she dug her fingers deep into her skull. If she could find that part of her brain, that part which was sick with the need to use she could rip it out and be done with everything. If she could rip off her ears she wouldn't have to hear that infernal dripping any longer.

She could feel herself crying and it was the first sign that she must be freezing because her tears felt so scalding hot against her skin, she thought they might burn her like acid. The room was shaking, stall doors swung open and closed, a garbage can toppled over. Taking a deep breath the shaking subsided except in her hands. The door opened and in came a girl she hadn't yet met in the few days she spent in Ipswich but had already known through reputation.

The girl had a grungy, punkish appearance which contrasted dramatically to everyone else who was more...squeaky clean. The girl definitely noticed Sophie as she froze a few feet away and stared at Sophie with at first with cold but then suspicious then confused eyes. She must have contemplated if she should continue her mission to have a cigarette before her next class or if she should wait in the stall until Sophie left. Sophie didn't feel like leaving and, realizing that she wasn't going to rush off embarrassed, the girl proceeded to the window where she lit a cigarette, took a long drag and blew it outside. Sophie didn't look up but she could feel this stranger's eyes on her. When she met her eyes, Sophie saw some sort of acceptance, like for some reason this loner girl with no friends walked into the bathroom to find Sophie a wreck and didn't mind her anymore. She must already know Sophie by association. She was the newest addition to the Sons' of Ipswich inner circle. The newest accessory to wear on Pogue's arm it looked like too. So this girl must have hated Sophie automatically, right? She must have seen the shaking hands so when Sophie asked, her voice raspy, "Can I have one?" the girl seemed to consider whether or not Sophie should even be smoking before offering one to her silently. They stood there for a while, smoking out the window. The smoke filled Sophie familiarly...filled her with an old sense of comfort.

She'd been through rough patches before but never like what she'd been experiencing since she moved into the house with the covenant. Never like it had been since last time Chase came around and she had that mild medical episode.

She felt sick, infected. The power that ran through her veins no longer felt golden and pure...it was mucky, thicker...and it only made her want to use it that much more, just to make it blur away. When she sat outside on the steps later that day she was still feeling it. Feeling the need to get lost, to get out of her body for a while or to feel something stronger than this need. She was mildly considering jumping off a building.

The others finally found her outside the school building, Cassie hugging her in relief, Caleb angry, the others worried. Even Bethany eye's had lost their regular sparkle.

"Where have you been? Nobody's seen you since fourth period."

"I wasn't feeling well, I was in the nurses office sleeping." It was a lie. She felt it and it felt better than telling them the truth. That she spent three periods cowering in the girl's bathroom. That she'd climbed out the window afterwards to avoid seeing people, to avoid the constant feeling that her world was caving in.

Caleb's eyes softened a bit but now showing a tinge of fear, "Are you okay, is it happening again?"

"No. I...I just didn't sleep well is all. I think that it's understandable that I didn't sleep well. I was tired, I'm not anymore." She snapped.

"Regardless Sophie, you worried us sick. You should've told someone, gotten some one to escort you--"

"I don't need an escort." Sophie answered, an edge in her voice clearly warning Caleb to back off but Caleb never backed off, it was his nature to worry and to boss and to play the leader. Nobody stopped him, no one saw it coming.

"Sophie everyone needs to have a son with them at all times, otherwise you will be vulnerable. You have to understand, this is how Chase works--"

"No Caleb. You have to understand that I do not need a fucking babysitter. I don't want one. Don't forget that I'm stronger than all of you put together. If Chase wants to come and get me then he can be my guest and fucking try but whether or not he can take me, I'm sure neither of you will stand in his way." Sophie pushed past him and stalked away.

"Sophie! Please come back! Sophie!!" She ignored her little sister. She hated her little sister. She hated Caleb and she hated her sister for calling her back. And she hated Beth for looking at her like she didn't recognize her, like Sophie was wrong. And she hated Tyler for trying to be sympathetic and Pogue for thinking he understood her. And Sarah for being sweet. She hated them all. She hated that they were the good guys.

"Caleb, please, don't let her go out there alone." Sarah said softly.

"Didn't you hear her, she's stronger than all of us put together!" He replied angrily.

"She didn't mean it!"

Caleb sent Cassie a withering gaze, "Yes, she did."

"So what you're going to just let her go? All of you? What are you guys to afraid to follow her?"

Everyone stared at Reid in shock. Why did he care? He didn't, he just couldn't believe they were afraid of her. Well he could believe that but he couldn't believe that their fear outweighed their love and worry.

"Reid?" Beth softly touched his arm, her eyes pleading. What could she do?

"You could follow her, she's been your best friend for years. Out of everyone I would've thought you would know her best. Someone needs to find out what the hell is up with her."

Beth looked away.

"She wouldn't hurt you. What makes you afraid of her, she was just pissed off!"

"Look she gets like this sometimes, I don't know why. She is usually just irritable and then she goes off by herself for a while and it passes. I just-I've never-...she's really mad right now. Maybe we should just let her be..."

"Pogue? Come on I thought you were her knight in fucking armor."

"Maybe Beth is right."

"Ugh I'll fucking go!" Reid made his way to the hummer with the keys he'd lifted from Tyler in his pocket.

"Why am I the one fucking going?" He grumbled to himself.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Reid drove the hummer down the long deserted road. Sophie got a pretty good head start on him and he didn't know where she would go but to get anywhere in Ipswich she would have to take this road so he drove at a slow pace, searching the edge of the forest that flanked the road on each side for any sign of her. He'd been driving a good ten minutes and was beginning to think he'd already gone to far when he noticed a small group of trees shaking. If he hadn't been deliberately looking for something, the trees would just seem to be waving in the wind but Reid saw that there were no other trees waving around them and as he pulled over and stepped out of the car he couldn't feel even the slightest breeze. He stepped into the forest in his head hoping that she didn't go too deep in, lest he get lost or worse, and followed the trembling trees and shaking rocks. When he came to a clearing where the trees were all purple and the rocks were dancing around like little woodland nymphs, he whirled around to see her collapsed against a tree. She was barely conscious but she was definitely using.

He bent down close to her and lifted one of her lids gently to check, as he suspected her eyes were pitch back.

"Ughh...Reid?" She whispered faintly.

"Yeah it's Reid." He shook his head and wrapped his arm around her back, hooking it under her arm. He stood up lifting her with him.

"Leave me alone."

"Yeah I know I know, you're stronger than anyone, you don't need any help. I'm very impressed by your cartoon forest, slightly less impressed though by the passing out."

"I don't want to see them. Leave me here." She lifted her head slightly, looking over at him.

"You don't want to go home so you spend the night in the forest? God girls are so dramatic. Stop using."

"What?"

"Stop using, I can't drive with dancing rocks following the car."

"What do you mean--" Reid caught her just as her knees gave out. At that moment the trees and the rocks went back to normal and Reid knew she was out cold.

He took her to his dorm room which he still kept some of his things in and laid her down to sleep in Tyler's bed. Afterwards he called an angry Caleb and told him that he found her and that they were safe.

For a while, Reid tried to sleep but he couldn't rest his mind which was swarming with thoughts. He thought about all of the times he or some one else noticed something off about Sophie's using, every time she'd been evasive or moody.

"By God, the goody two shoes is addicted." He scoffed.

A few hours later, Sophie finally began to stir. Reid got up and stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do with himself, he was never really around when a girl woke up (if you know what I mean). Sophie sat up in the bed squeezing her eyes shut and holding her head.

"What the-where am I?" She whispered to herself.

"You're in my dorm room, at Spencer." Her gaze shot in Reid's direction.

"Why did you take me here?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Well it's no Danver's mansion but seeing as you didn't want to go there I brought you to the next safest place."

"I didn't need your help."

"Don't fucking put on lies about it, ok? I was there and I saw so you can stop the super girl act. Just...just let somebody try to help you already."

"Oh, and that person is you? Please Reid, you're a child, you can't even take care of yourself." She got up as if to leave but Ried stood in her way.

"You know, you and I have got a lot more in common than you think."

"You and I?? Ugh, I shudder to think we're even the same species. What could we possibly have in common?" She said disgustedly.

Reid could feel his temper flaring, "You don't know? It's The Great Equalizer. You've got a problem with using, I do too. So now you can stop acting all high and mighty, cause I've seen where you hide."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about. I'm nothing like you! You don't know anything!"

"I know a lot more than all of those people you call friends. All of those people who've been with you all of your life and don't have a clue about this."

"What is THIS?"

"You're ADDICTED! Actually you're way more addicted than me so I'm feeling pretty righteous right now."

"Get out of my face! You disgust me." Sophie tried to push past him but he stood in her way again.

"Give. It. A. Rest." He spat out, pushing her to the bed again.

Sophie stood up and slapped him with all the strength she could muster, "Don't TOUCH me!"

"Oh get off of your high horse!"

"You know what Reid? I pity you. I can tell it drives you crazy that I don't fall all over you like every other bimbo in this place. But Reid, if you would just stand up straight and be a man, I wouldn't have to look down on you. You're a loser and you're beneath me."

"That's high talk from the addicted, reformed stripper. What does it take to get up in a bar filled with sleazy guys like me and shake your naked ass around? I bet you're addicted to a whole mess of crap just to keep you going each day. So no actually, I wont be beneath you until I'm dead because that's the only time you'll ever find me under dirt."

Sophie attempted to slap him again but this time he caught her arm, they glared at each other and then suddenly as if ignited by some underlining lust, Reid roughly kissed her. Sophie bit his lip but surprisingly kissed him back.

SEXSEXSEXSEXSEXSEXSEXSEX-watch out!-SEXSEXSEXSEXSEXSEXSEXSEX

Kissing wildly, they both pealed off their shirts. Reid grabbed a handful of Sophie's hair and yanked her head back, he kissed his way hungrily down her neck. Sophie's hand drifted down to Reid's crotch where she felt a considerable bulge forming. Reid growled (i know he growled! i like this animalistic reid!) as he felt her hand rubbing against his growing erection. Sophie pulled away and pushed Reid roughly so that he landed on the bed. Hastily shoving off her pants she climbed over him and helped him unbuckle and unbutton his pants. Within seconds Reid rolled her over, pushed aside her underwear and dove inside her. They both let out groans of satisfaction.

Reid began pumping in and out of Sophie at a slow pace but soon they were both frantically pulsating in unison, both scrambling for the big finish. They stared into each others eyes, their speed and roughness growing exponentially by the second. It was almost enough for Reid just to see this side of Sophie, her head thrown back, her mouth parted as she moaned pleasurably, her chest heaving as she breathed erratically, she was in complete abandon. The perfect picture of their wanton, primal desires. She was perfect. He had sorely underestimated her.

As if she finally let go of every last inhibition, gave into every shameful need, Sophie let her eyes fall pitch back. In quick response, Reid did the same just in time for the explosion between them. A stronger orgasm than any of them had ever experienced in their lives ensued, it started between them and spread to fill their entire bodies. In the moment their eyes fell back to normal, their pupils dilated, their bodies convulsing, they fell asleep completely sated and spent.

SEX is OVERSEX is OVERSEX is OVERyeah yeah you get it

Let it rock now, the funk soul brother

Check it out now, the funk soul brother

Let it rock rock rock rock rock rock...

Sophie could faintly hear her phone ringing in the distance. She blinked. It was behind her. She scrunched her eyes. If she could just reach it on the floor...the floor? Sophie opened her eyes widely.

OH MY GOD that is Reid sleeping peacefully on my pillow...not my pillow!!

Sophie made a sudden movement to jump backwards out of the bed as she realized it indeed belonged to Reid...this was of course before she realized that her legs were tangled with his under the covers...Sophie only succeeded in giving Reid a rough kick who knows where and falling on her ass.

"OWWWWWW HOLY SHIT!!"

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't realize we were..." She made a crazy hand gesture to symbolize that they were tangled together.

Reid looked at her annoyed and incredulous, "You didn't? Really? Cause this is a twin size bed, how much space did you think there was between us?"

"I don't--" She looked down and realized that she was in her under wear and bra which both hung off of her loosely as if it had been tugged and stretched. This is where she had her second major realization this morning.

"Oh my god. We had sex."

Reid smirked and leaned on his arm, "That we did."

"We had sex."

"Twice actually, but you may not have been awake for the second."

"OH MY GOD!"

"Calm down! I was only joking, you were awake."

"Oh nooooo!"

Reid sat up in the bed.

"Sophie, you were awake, I'm telling you. You were on top."

Sophie's horror stricken expression was the only response Reid received.

"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? You have to ask that??" Sophie got up and snatched up her clothing while modestly attempting to shield her body from Reid's view. "The fact that we had sex is what's wrong Reid. Oh my god, I cannot do this, I cannot have SEX with people particularly Reid people."

"Reid people?" Sophie just shook her head in an insane manner.

"Soph, where are you going?"

"Soph? Since when do you call me Soph? What are we suddenly close now?"

"I don't know what you define as being close but I think I was in your...proximity last night. Twice."

"Oh well, I was under the impression that sex held the same emotional attachment as a handshake to you."

"Well the first time sure but after the second you develop more..."

"Really, so the great Reid is offering me, what, friendship?"

"I don't know about friendship but you've earned visitation rights."

"Ugh!" Fully clothed now, Sophie now began to search under all of Reid's clothing to find where her phone might've fallen out.

"What are you looking for?"

"My phone."

"Here let me help you--"

"NO--don't get up. Please." Sophie stopped him before he got out of the bed.

The last thing I need is to be crawling around the floor with naked Reid being all naked and what not. Best he keep his naked-y-ness to himself.

Finding her phone under Reid's sock, Sophie quickly fumbled with her caller i.d. She clicked redial and after two rings Beth picked up.

"Hello?"

Beth. Beth who liked Reid. Beth who thought Reid was going to date her. Beth who was Sophie's best friend.

"Hello?"

What happened last night? Where were the body snatchers? The pod people? Who or what was responsible for that one fleeting moment of incredible bad judgement and perhaps even lunacy that led to Sophie sleeping with Reid. Beth's Reid.

"Hellooooo!? As much as I enjoy the sound of your breathing I have other things to do anonymous caller!"

"Beth?"

"Oh Sophie. Jesus, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, fine. Umm I'm coming home, I'll see you in a few"

"Ok ciao (pronounced chow)."

"Bye." Sophie hung up.

"What's the matter?"

"That was Beth."

"Yeah and...?"

"AND it was Beth! Beth who you've been leading on and instead went behind her back to sleep with her best friend."

"ONCE again, I'd like to remind you that you were in fact awake and coherent for all of it! You took off YOUR own pants so don't put all the blame on me. You were an equal partner which should flatter you cause not many girls can really hold up their end but you--"

"How can you do that? How can you joke about it like this? I feel horrible. We both betrayed someone we apparently cared for."

"What, am I supposed to be guilty that I slept with you and not Beth?"

"YES."

"If it was supposed to happen, it would've. I guess me and Beth aren't for each other."

"That's a really easy way to approach life. If anything bad happens it can't be my fault because it was supposed to happen. Are you even listening to yourself, WE are not for each other. Besides, since when are you so philosophical?" Sophie looked down and whispered to herself, "And Pogue too...oh god what are they going to say?"

"Don't worry about them. Who cares? You're just like Caleb, you always have to protect everyone. But Beth, she's an adult. Pogue is an adult. And they're not protecting you. Yesterday nobody had the guts to go after you but me."

"You're reckless."

"Yeah well it's better than being a coward. That was Beth on the phone? Did she wonder how you were? Did she say she was worried, I'l bet she'll say she was worried sick. Too worried to bother looking for you, to talk to you. I don't understand you Sophie, yesterday you didn't give a rat's ass about any of them, you didn't want to see them."

"Yesterday, I was wrong."

Sophie twiddled her thumbs in her lap, playing a bizarre little game of thumb war with herself. She sighed and looked over at Reid who hadn't spoken since they left his dorm room. He was staring straight at the road ahead.

"Reid, what are we going to do? How are we going to tell them?"

"We're not."

"What?"

"You're so embarassed and upset about it, then we wont tell them."

"You want to lie?"

"Not exactly lying unless they're randomly taking a survey of who slept with me last night. We just wont mention it."

Sophie sighed, she knew there was a chance she was overreacting but could it really be that simple? Could this be something, like her addiction, that she could just keep to herself?

"Reid?" Reid grunted in response.

"Do you think it will be okay?"

"What?"

"Everthing." Reid pulled into the driveway to the Danvers' mansion. He parked the hummer and looked over at Sophie who was still anxiously twiddling her thumbs. She was so vulnerable, so scared. He could see that. The way he felt the need to comfort her almost made him wish he had never slept with her. Almost...it was really good sex.

"Sophie." She looked at him, "Everything is going to be okay." Sophie gave him a small smile.

Maybe people could take care of her a little.