Disclaimer: I DO NOT own any of the Covenant.

I do however own Rae, Rome, Peyton, Tristan, Cameron and any other unfamiliar characters.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Luli Cullen, Angel of the Night Watchers, aly, Lola, TeamPaul15, Athena Dragonseeker21 for your reviews! They make me smile!

Chapter 11

The Search Continues

The atmosphere hadn't changed the next morning when the Sons and Daughter woke up for school. It was strange how one person's absence seemed to effect them so strongly.

"Where's my dad?" Cameron asked as he reached for the bagel Rylee handed him.

"He's out." Was all she said, but Cameron knew what she meant; he was out looking for Peyton. "Your mother's with him."

Cameron nodded, the knot that rested in his stomach since Peyton's disappearance tightened. It had been over 24 hours since the vision of her kidnapping, and every hour she stayed missing the tension in the air seemed to thicken. "Any luck?" he asked, wanting so badly for the knot to loosen, even the slightest.

Rylee shook her head and did not meet his gaze as she turned away from him to grab a piece of toast from the toaster. She did not speak again until her son walked into the kitchen with Rome and Rae.

"Morning, mom." Tristan said in a voice that lacked usual enthusiasm.

"Morning," she replied, speaking to not just her son, but Rae and Rome as well.

Cameron noted that no one said 'Good Morning', and not because the sky outside was covered with dark clouds, a strong contrast to the white snow that rested on the ground, but because it wouldn't be a good morning. Not until they found Peyton.

Rae didn't accept any breakfast when Rylee had offered her a plate full of bagels and muffins.

"I'm not hungry." She said in a low voice.

Without her notice, Cameron watched Rae. He noticed that her eyes were still pink from so many hours of crying. She wore a pair of dark denim jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt; no make-up and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun at the back of her head. No smile was on her face as she met Cameron's gaze with an unreadable expression. Though the way her shoulders slumped and how her arms were crossed over her chest, he could see the extreme sadness that she felt. He wanted to race toward her and gather her in his arms, but Rome's voice stopped him and his thoughts.

"Cam," Rome was saying. "Do you want to drive or should I?"

Rae looked away from him, not quickly but slowly, as if it were a hard for her to do. Her attention was now on her brother and did not return to Cameron again. He sighed inwardly and looked to Rome. "You can drive."

Usually a fight would break out of who would get shotgun and everyone would race from the room to be the first outside, but not today. Today everyone moved gradually as they made their way outside and to the cars. Paige appeared next to them, her small teachers bag swinging from her shoulder.

"Are you ready?" She asked the four teenagers. The night before it had been agreed that Rome, Rae, Tristan and Cameron would ride to and from school with an adult. And since Paige taught a Creative Writing class at Spenser Academy, she would ride with them every morning until Peyton was found and Chase was dealt with.

Rome walked to the drivers side door and slide into the car. It gave a nice purr as the engine came to life. With that, the others piled in after him. Rae, Tristan and Cameron took the back seat while Paige sat in the front seat.

The short ride to school was silent except for the hum of the radio and the drone of the engine. Once the car was parked and the engine shut off, Paige turned them. "I know today will be very hard for all of us, but we have to pretend that nothing is wrong. We must act as normal as possible. For all they know," she jerked her head to the school building and the people inside it. "Peyton is out sick with a bad case of the flu."

As much as they hated to pretend everything was fine, they knew what the risk would be if anyone found out about Peyton's kidnapping. The cops would be involved. And as much as they would help with finding the First Daughter of Ipswich, they would make dealing with Chase extremely difficult. For all they know, Chase disappeared that night at Putnam Barn over 20 years ago. If they found him and saw he had not aged a day, questions would be asked. Questions that didn't need to be asked, for the answers would reveal the Covenant and all of their secrets.

"We understand," Rome answered for all of them and took a deep breath, setting his face in determination.

Paige smiled. "Good. After I teach my last class, I'm meeting Reid to search some more."

"Where are you searching today?" Tristan asked before any of the others could.

"We are doing a double check through town then we might head into Boston," She answered as she gathered her bag onto her lap and placed a hand on the door handle. "It might be a good place to look next if we can't find them in Ipswich."

No one spoke as they stepped out of the car and walked through the slush and mud that gathered in piles on the school parking lot. The sky above them growled menacingly, threatening to open its clouds and let thick rain drops fall. That was when a voice called to Tristan.

"Tristan, I'm going to kick your ass!" Kelsey's voice cut through the chatter of the other students as she jogged up to them. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Paige with them and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Oh, hi Mrs. Garwin, I didn't see you there. Sorry for the cussing."

Paige smiled and in a voice unlike a normal teacher said, "What cussing? I didn't hear anything. Goodbye and don't be late to class." She strode off up the stairs and into the main building, leaving them in the company of Kelsey and most of the student body of Ipswich. Tristan turned to see Kelsey staring at him with narrowed eyes and her arms crossed over her chest. "You haven't been answering my calls."

"I'm sorry, my mom took away my phone until I got my research paper for History done," Tristan lied smoothly as he stepped closer to his blonde haired girlfriend. "I didn't get done 'til late last night and I knew you'd already be asleep."

Kelsey's narrowed eyes softened as she unwrapped her folded arms, only to grab one of Tristan's hand in hers. Tristan kissed her lips and led the group into the school front doors.

"Have you seen, Bethany?" Rome asked, falling into step with Kelsey and Tristan.

"Yep, she's actually looking for you. Last time I saw her she was headed to class." Kelsey peeked at Rome from the corner of her eye as he jogged off ahead of them before looking over her shoulder. "Hey, where's Peyton?"

"She's sick." Tristan replied with practice. "Woke up yesterday morning with the flu. She'll be out for a couple of days, I think."

Kelsey frowned. "She didn't seem sick at the party, but then again the flu hits you like that." She snapped her fingers together. "I'll bring her some soup or something after school-"

"No," Rae interrupted loudly causing Kelsey to raise an eyebrow. She forced a smile and recovered quickly. "No, she's completely contagious. Trust me, you do not want to get near her."

Kelsey's frown turned into sympathy. "Poor Peyton. Hope she gets better fast."

"Yeah," Rae agreed. "Me too."

"God, it's about time." Bethany said as her and Kelsey stepped out of their 3rd period class and made their way to the cafeteria. "Is it just me or does it feel like today is going by painfully slow?"

"It's not just you, Beth," Kelsey paused to open her locker and set the books she carried inside. "Did you notice anything weird about Mrs. Garwin?"

Bethany shrugged. "I mean she didn't seem to be in her normal happy mood, but teachers can't love school all the time. And besides it's Monday, no one likes Mondays."

"Yeah, I guess…" Kelsey smiled as she caught sight of Tristan Simms walking toward her. She tiptoed up when he stood in front of her and kissed his lips. "My day just got so much better."

A smile graced his face as he gazed at her. "Good." He turned his gaze on Bethany and inclined his head in greeting. "Hey, Bethany."

Bethany waved and walked beside the couple as they followed the flow of students to the lunch room. Inside the cafeteria they saw Rome, Rae, and Cameron sitting at their usual table near the large windows. Bethany broke off from the small group and wrapped her arms around Rome's waist.

"Hey handsome," She grinned as Rome returned her embrace. She noticed he looked tired, bags were under his eyes. "How're you feeling? You look tired."

Rome shrugged. "I am tired. I didn't get any sleep last night." Bethany patted her boyfriend's shoulder sympathetically before taking the empty seat in between Cameron and Rae.

"So Rae," Bethany started in a low voice. "I saw you with Drew at the party. You two looked pretty cozy."

Rae's heart sputtered and she felt Cameron's eyes slide to her but she refused to meet his gaze. She knew, without looking at him what expression would be on his face. "I tripped down the steps on the deck. If it weren't for him catching me I would have fallen flat on my face." What she said was true, but only partly so. She had tripped and he had caught her to make sure she didn't fall, but the parts she left out was that she was drunk and she had almost kissed him.

Bethany raised an eyebrow, her grin widened. "Mmhmm. If you say so."

"I do say so," Rae replied, now irritated. "It was nothing."

Thankfully, Kelsey stole Bethany's attention, asking her how the rest of her weekend went. Rae huffed inwardly and turned to speak to Tristan but found him already in a discussion with Rome. The only person left was the person who was still staring at her, the one person she didn't want to talk to. So she rose from her seat.

"I'm not that hungry. I'll see you guys later." Before anyone could question her, Rae hurried from the lunch room, leaving her untouched tray sitting on the table.

Outside in the hallway, she took a deep breath and let the air out in a long, frustrated sigh. Everything's wrong, she thought. She felt like everything was out of place. Like the pieces of her life had been thrown everywhere, making it nearly impossible for her to put it all back together properly. Things were ruined with Cameron, and Bethany's remark about Drew didn't help that matter at all. Peyton was missing, she was gone and no one knew where to find her.

Tears started to form thickly in Rae's eyes, blurring the empty hallway she walked down. She wiped at them angrily and clenched her jaw tight.

"Crying 'cause you miss me, huh?"

Rae's head snapped up to the familiar voice, her eyes narrowed at the sight of him. "Go fuck yourself."

Alex Montgomery strolled up to her with a cocky grin on his face. "You've already done that for me, baby. Don't you remember your first time, Garwin?" He reached a hand to her face but Rae smacked it away and took a step back.

"Leave me alone, Alex. I don't want to deal with you, I'm done. I already have enough shit going on in my life right, so I don't need you and your stupid, sarcastic ass to make it any worse. Got it?" Rae shoved past him, leaving him speechless. She rounded the corner of the hallway just as the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over.

"When will this day end?" She asked no one but herself as she made her way to her next class with which she shared with Cameron. She found herself sighing for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "A few more hours...only a few more hours."

Blake stood leaning against the marble counter top that lined the large kitchen, a steaming cup of tea resting between her hands. "I should be out there looking for her," she said through clenched teeth. "Not sitting here waiting like a helpless woman."

"You are definitely not helpless," Rylee smiled, remembering the many times she had battled Blake during their trainings when they were younger. With her glowing purple iris's and a ball of dancing flames in her hands, Blake was near right dangerous. "Pogue was right to force you to stay home and rest. You're exhausted, you should sleep."

"I don't want to sleep, Rylee, I want to find my daughter." She collapsed into a nearby chair of the small kitchen table that sat in a nook by the large bay window. It was then that Blake realized that Pogue was right; she was exhausted. She glanced at her reflection in the window that separated her from a thick curtain of rain that now poured outside and sighed. Even in a tiny glance she could tell that she looked as horrible as she felt. "Maybe I do need some sleep."

Rylee gave her a small smile and offered her a hand, but when Blake didn't reach for it or make a move to stand, she took a seat across from her friend. Blake bit her lip and Rylee saw the fresh tears, though her eyes were focused on her hands in front of her. "She's never been in a situation like this," Blake spoke softly, her voice shaking. "She must be so scared…she's only seventeen."

When Rylee spoke her voice was careful. "She's not much younger than we were when we first fought with Demon..." She purposefully left out the fact that as kids, her, Blake, River and Paige had years of intense training when that happened.

Blake raised her gaze, her tear filled eyes seemed to know what Rylee was thinking and her words confirmed it. "We had been trained for years before that ever happened."

"Peyton is the first Daughter of Ipswich. She has your power plus the Power of the Covenant, therefore making her the most powerful being in the history of the Covenant." Rylee pointed out strongly, wanting desperately for Blake to feel better, even a small fraction. "And besides, she's smart."

Blake wiped a tear from her eye and sniffed. "You're right," she said, "but she's never used her powers against anyone. At least not against someone as strong and dangerous as Chase apparently is."

Rylee opened her mouth quickly to reply but nothing came out. Blake was right, Peyton had never been put in a situation where she had to use her powers against evil. She thought of Peyton, with no training, no idea of what was going on or how much danger she was in, and shuddered.

The door dividing the kitchen from the rest of the house swung open then and Tyler stepped in. His brown hair flat on his forehead, his blue eyes tired and heavy. "Are you ready to go?" He asked Rylee and held up a puffy red jacket. "Pogue said we should start looking outside of Ipswich, maybe in Boston or Manchester."

Rylee stood, went to her husband and grabbed her jacket. "Let's start in Manchester." She looked back at Blake. Even though Reid would be at the house with her, Rylee was reluctant to leave Blake.

"Go. I'll be fine." Blake said, sensing her hesitation and forced a smile. "I'll probably head upstairs and lay down."

Rylee nodded and Blake watched the two disappear through the door. Feeling even more exhausted then she had only minutes before, Blake stood from the chair, grabbed her coffee mug and made her way through the house. She walked up the stairs slowly and moved just as slow down the hallway to one of the many spare bedrooms where her and Pogue slept.

The bed was soft and warm underneath her when she laid down. The curtains were drawn shut to block the day out. Not that it mattered because the sky outside was as dark as night from the thick storm clouds that left no room for the sun to shine.

"You okay?"

Blake lifted her head from the pillow to see Reid standing in the doorway, his eyes intently on her. He looked worried and concerned, the emotions playing full on his face making Blake want to smile. Before Paige, Reid never let his emotions be known, now they were clear and out for everyone to see.

He shook his head and walked further into the room. "I'm sorry, that was a stupid question to ask. Of course, you're not okay."

This time, Blake did smile. "You're right, I'm not okay. But I will be when we find her." She was positive they'd find her. It wasn't just hope that let her know Peyton would soon be with her again, it was deeper than that. Pogue called it her 'motherly instinct'; Blake didn't know what to call it.

"Tyler and Rylee just leave?" Reid asked.

Blake nodded, feeling her eyelids close over her eyes against her will. She wanted to stay awake but the exhaustion she'd been feeling for the last two days had finally caught up with her. The sound of soft footsteps moving across carpet did not wake her, neither did the light weight of a warm blanket as it covered her.

Blake drifted into nothingness. A picture of her daughter's face floated in the darkness against her closed eyelids. I'll find you, Peyton, she said to the image before sleep finally took her.

Rome was excused from class ten minutes before the bell rang, complaining of a severe headache. The Professor said he should go to the school nurse for some Tylenol, but rather than heeding his advice, for he didn't have a headache to begin with, Rome strolled down the hallway to where Bethany's class was and stood outside. Since Peyton's kidnapping, a part of Rome's world had been thrown into a continuous spinning circle. Bethany was the one steady thing in his life at the moment.

Feeling antsy and the strong need to be with her, he grabbed his phone from the pants pocket of his school uniform and sent a text to his girlfriend: Outside your class.

It was only a couple of minutes before he got a reply: Be out in a few.

Rome smiled to himself and leaned up against the wall to wait. A few seconds later, the door opened and Rome pushed forward only to stop when he saw it wasn't Bethany. It was one of the triplets, Tracy Becklin.

"Hey, Rome," she practically purred at the sight of him. She batted her eyelashes as she sauntered up to him. "Waiting for someone?"

Rome vaguely remembered thinking she was hott with her fire red hair and her come-hither stare. But now as he looked at her, he never knew why he thought that. Not that she was ugly or anything, she just didn't hold any appeal for him anymore. He glanced away from her, his eyes landing on the door as he thought of the girl who sat behind it.

"I'm waiting for, Bethany."

He heard her snort in laughter and he looked back to see her roll her eyes. "Please, Miss Delaware? What does she have that I don't?"

A slow smirk spread itself across his face. As much as he wanted to answer her question, for there was so much Bethany had that Tracy did not, he stayed silent.

"Whatever." Tracy said, quickly getting the hint that she wasn't wanted by him. She lifted her chin, nose in the air and turned around but not before adding, "You're loss, Garwin. You could have had all three of us," She paused, "At one time."

Rome couldn't help but burst into laughter, causing him to receive a very heated glare. He was still chuckling to himself when the final bell rang and Bethany stepped out of her classroom. She raised her eyebrows at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," He laughed and stepped aside, allowing her to get to her locker behind him. "How was the rest of your classes?"

Bethany groaned and stomped the ground with her foot like a little child. "Professor Clare gave us a five page paper to write by the end of the week. Which means, that I have to start on it tonight."

"That's a bummer," Rome said but couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Now he wouldn't have to make up an excuse if she wanted to hang out or come over or anything. "Yeah, I had her last year, she's an easy grader."

"Well, I guess that makes it a little better." She said, though she still had a little pout on her face. Rome laughed pulled her into a hug.

"Listen, I have to go, but call me later if you get a chance." He kissed her lips quickly and turned to leave but stopped after a few steps and returned to her. He grabbed Bethany's face between his hands and kissed her again, this time more gently. His lips soft over her, he could feel her lean into his embrace. Bethany pulled back from the kiss a little dazed. "That was for being amazing."

Bethany grinned bashfully but held his gaze. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself. In fact, you're great." She pulled him into third kiss and let it linger. "I'll call you later."

Rome grinned and made his way outside where it was raining. Thick drops fell onto the ground, mixing with melted snow and mud. A sleek, black car with tinted windows sat along the curb right in front of the main steps. Rome recognized it as the Simms car. He jogged down the stairs and opened the back door, knowing the front seat would already be occupied. Rome hopped in the car and shut it, shaking the rain out of his hair like a dog. "Where's my car?"

Rae gave him a sour look and wiped off a droplet that had landed on her face with the back of her hand. "Thanks for that," she said sarcastically and sat back into the seat, arms crossed over her chest. "And mom drove your car home at lunch."

Rome turned to ask Tyler if they had any luck today in the search for Peyton but it wasn't Tyler who sat in the drivers seat as he thought. Instead it was the Watcher, Thorin who nodded his head in greeting. "Mr. Garwin." He said politely.

"It's Rome, stop with the 'Mr. Garwin' shit," Rome said as the car pulled away from the curb and cut carefully through the students who headed to their own cars. "Relax a little, dude."

A smile flickered across Thorin's face, making him look years younger. "Yes, Mr. Rome."

Cameron chuckled and Tristan cracked a smile at the Watcher's reply, Rome sighed. "Well, it's better than 'Mr. Garwin.'"

Minutes later, they pulled in the Simms driveway and Thorin stepped out, his trained eyes alert and ready. "Hurry inside." He said as he herded the four teenagers into the house quickly. He closed the door behind them before speaking again. "Your parents are out looking for the young girl, but Mr. and Mrs. Parry remain behind. They are resting." He gestured to the staircase that led to the rooms. "I was told that the others will return later this evening." With a slight bow of the head, Thorin walked from the foyer and down the hallway.

Rae watched him with curious eyes then turned to the stairs. "I'm tired," she announced, placing a foot on the first step. A hand caught her wrist, she turned to see Rome standing in front of her.

"I don't think you should be alone." He said, eyes serious.

"I don't need a babysitter," she said, irritated that she couldn't have a moment of privacy. "I'll be fine." She stomped up the stairs. In the room she shared with her mother, Rae threw herself onto the bed and curled herself into a ball. She closed her eyes and hopelessly searched for the link that connected her mind to her best friends. Still nothing. Her chin trembled as a soft sob left her aching chest, the one that had been stuck there since the morning.

Suddenly the sound of a door swinging slowly open caught her attention. She rolled over, eyes narrowed, ready to yell at her brother. Instead, Cameron stood awkwardly in the door frame, hands in his pockets. "I wanted to check on you."

Rae blinked in surprise, then felt a cold anger rise in her throat. "I don't need you looking after me. We're not together anymore, remember? I think you made it clear that you didn't want to be with me." She saw him flinch at her words as a hurt expression washed over his handsome features. But she didn't care, she was tired, hungry, sad, and frustrated.

"Rae, I'm-"

"Don't." She said quietly, though the word stopped his sentence like she'd just slapped him in the face. "I don't want to hear it. Just leave, will you?"

Cameron hesitated, his mouth still open. He closed it slowly, his eyebrows furrowing together as his own anger came foreword to match Rae's. "Fine, I'll leave you alone." He spun on his heels, grabbed the door and closed it firmly behind him.

Rae stared at the door. There was a finality in his words that she didn't like. She slammed her fist into the pillow and let out a low, short yell. The anger she felt towards Cameron turned to fury and was now directed at herself. He probably hates me now… she thought, I don't blame him.

She laid back down on the pillow and wrapped her arms around herself. She let out a shaky breath of air. "Peyton," she muttered to herself, "Where are you?"