Chapter Three: Enough

Bzzzz... The door bell rang again. It had already rung twice, each signaling a new family arriving. Now, it was the third time, third family.

Gaige stood to leave her hiding spot in her bedroom, but hesitated by the door. Tonight was a big deal for her; she would be introduced to and then judged by the Fathers of the Sons, but more importantly, she would be told the tale of Chase's timely end - or what she hoped to be that. Hopefully, the Fathers wouldn't attempt to kill her, and she would live long enough to hear about his death.

Did he die? She thought so, but often she had walked in a noisy room to hear it fall silent as she (or even Pogue) was spotted. The others were keeping something from the pair, no doubt, but was it all that terrible? The basis was that they wanted to wait for them to hear about what happened at the Colony House until the Fathers could hear at the same time; it was much more convenient, Caleb had said. But if they waited this long to say anything, what happened must be terrible - in any other circumstances, Gaige had a feeling she would've known more quickly.

But besides the whole Chase thing, there were the Fathers to worry about; and that was enough for her to worry about, without adding on her fate.

Would the old men accept her for what she was, or would she be killed for - for treachery by gender, she wondered rather sarcastically.

It was a harsh reality, that of being killed for what she was born as; one that she had always known she'd face, but it certainly seemed to creep up on her quickly. She didn't have enough Power or talent to protect herself from them, but just enough to condemn her.

Gaige was an abomination - a female heir was disgusting, but one with Power? That was just despicable by the Founders of Ipswich's standards. It was really quite ironic that a female witch was gross. Would she be burned at the stake, she questioned herself morbidly. It would be an awfully ironic end, or so the brunette thought.

And what of the Mothers - what did they think?

Her own mother had tried to abort her pregnancy, and that was before she found out that she was having a girl. Only her father had loved her, and he was dead now. James had always told Gaige she was special, beautiful, and unique. She was the first girl in a long line of men - almost ten generations. Did that make her unique, or an anomaly?

Gaige was simply an outcast; a strange piece that didn't belong anywhere at all.

She felt like a piece of puzzle that didn't fit anywhere, and the only jigsaw that she did belong to didn't want her. It sucked, it really did, but Gaige was done with feeling sorry for herself. She was eighteen, and if she felt like it, she could leave and light right out of Ipswich and never come back!

But, like every other time she had though of running away, something was holding her back.

This time it wasn't because of necessity or need, it was because of want.

Love; family - these were the things that the Danvers name meant to her now. She no longer harbored contempt for her ancestry or relations; she felt welcomed by them. Caleb finally accepted her. Reid laughed with her. Sarah was her first real girl-friend, and she didn't feel willing to give that up. And Ty and Pogue - well, they sometimes more-than-liked her.

It probably didn't sound like much, but for Gaige, it was enough.

And that same enough would fuel her courage, send her out her bedroom door and down the stairs, to the awaiting doom of the Families.

"Oh, dear. How long has it been since we arrived, Evelyn?" A woman with long, shaggy blonde hair asked softly. Her voice was high-pitched and low at the same time, a silky smooth melody floating through the air like a lazy river.

Beside her, her husband chortled sarcastically. His frown grew, increasing and deepening the numerous wrinkles that covered his cheeks and forehead. "Now, now, Meredith, we mustn't lack the necessary patience when dealing with the Parrys." He patted her hand as she scoffed and leaned back in the couch.

Reid looked away in absolute humiliation and shame, hiding his face with his gloved pale hands.

His parents were truly an embarrassment. It was no wonder he was so socially inept and sarcastic; his parents were rude, impatient, and almost always intoxicated. It wasn't his fault that they passed those traits onto him. His mother smiled at him and tugged off his black cap so she could stroke his blond hair, making snide comments about how long it was getting, and how he really did need to get it cut soon. He just sat still, attempting to ignore her existence in hopes that she might spontaneously disappear.

Caleb's mother didn't even bother with answering her friend's question. She knew how the much-younger woman could get distracted quite easily, but it didn't bother her.

Mrs. Meredith Garwin had always been a sweet, funny woman; kind and gentle, not at all deserving of her alcoholic husband that aged by the day. However, she was able to keep him well in shape with her sarcasm and wit; he never could keep up with his young wife.

Because of her age, Meredith was always working twice as hard as the other women to fit in with the founding families. Evelyn headed the pack, being the oldest, and then came Beatrice, then Rosalind, and petite baby Meredith.

When they first found out about their husbands' secrets, each woman was told the birthing policy: the last of the four must be pregnant within a year of the first, so the Sons could grow and learn together; it was how they would stay a tight-knit group of friends, despite their numerous differences.

Meredith was the last to marry, the third to give birth, and the youngest mother. Evelyn had made sure to tuck the woman under her wing whilst they raised their children, but Rosalind had attached herself to the other woman quickly. The Danvers wife was never close with the left over wife, Beatrice, although their sons were.

It made sense that their other children would also be close, Evelyn realized: Gaige and Pogue.

The young man in question was lounging against the couch beside her own son, happily snoring away. He obviously wasn't worried about his tardy parents, who were often late and sometimes even neglectful towards the Covenant's habitual meetings.

Beatrice and Wayne Parry were not a couple to hold dear, nor were they people to scold for being late. They were harsh, often cold and distant, and regretful. Wayne himself Used the least of all the Fathers, only once since his Ascension, and that was only for his wife, Beatrice, for the pain when she gave birth. He was the least likely to get Addicted, but most likely to be cruel. The Parry couple were only loyal to themselves, excluding even their son from their personal lives.

Any person within Ipswich could attest to the fact that Pogue had practically grown up at the Danvers' estate; he thought of Evelyn, James, and Caleb as his own family since his were practically nonexistent.

Bzzz... The door bell rang, for the third time that night. Everyone sat still, almost unwilling to answer the door and disrupt the quiet peace they'd achieved without the presence of the fourth piece of the Covenant.

Gaige stood at the top of the stairs, watching the scene unfold below from her hidden spot.

The couple that had just arrived confused her. It was no doubt that they were quite beautiful, as all of the Covenant members were; however, they seemed cold and almost distant from the other members. The woman looked around her with disgust, like she was above everyone else, and her husband held the same air of snobby superiority.

The first person she had seen was unfamiliar - a kind, sweet-looking woman with short, pretty brown hair and a generous smile that brightened the hall, only to fade at the unwavering glares of the newcomers. Gaige could almost feel the shiver that ran through the brunette woman's small, round body as she received the fierce couple with a shaky smile.

The couple in the doorway moved within her line of sight. A tall, thin woman with curvaceous hips and long, curling red hair stepped forward, her blue icy eyes calculating everything and everyone nearby before dismissing them as beneath her. She would have been lovely, if not for being so menacing. The man that stood beside her was slightly shorter, not helped by the fact that she wore a pair of teetering stilettos. His long, shaggy brown hair was parted in the middle, stopping just below the pointed soul patch on his chin. His muddy green eyes were familiar to her, more so than even his wife's round, button nose that had looked so out of place on her sharp face.

She had almost placed them when the man spoke in deep, gravelly tones that shocked her by being again, familiar to her ears. "Son," he began, addressing a figure in the shadows. "Its been a while."

"Not long enough," Pogue stated evenly as he stepped out from the door's shadow. He ignored his father's outstretched hand in distaste.

"Ah, Wayne." Evelyn said, gliding out from the sitting parlor. "It's so good to see you. The same to you, Beatrice."

The red-headed woman nodded swiftly, sharp eyes piercing into Evelyn's face. Gaige shivered unconsciously. These were Pogue's parents? Had they been the ones to raise him to be so awkward and fierce? She was seriously beginning to wonder who had a rougher childhood - her or Pogue?

"Rosalind?" another low male voice asked, deep with age and rimmed with a guard and protectiveness.

The short, stout brunette woman from earlier seemed to be this Rosalind character - a name that didn't quite fit her sugary sweet face. She turned to whom Gaige guessed had to be her husband; a man with curly brown hair, creamy beige skin, a scruffly beard, and a wide grin. His dark brown eyes smiled at her as he stepped up beside her, placing an arm around her dainty shoulders, as if he wished to shield her from the menacing Parrys.

"See, Glenn," she answered him softly, looking up into his aged face, "The Parrys are here."

"How nice of them to show up." A tiny blonde woman entered the scene with the bold statement, making everyone crack a smile besides the pair in question.

Even Reid had to stifle a laugh as the woman who simply had to be his mother wisely scolded the Parry couple for their tardiness.

"Joseph," Wayne said with narrowed eyes, addressing the blond man stationed behind Reid and his mother, "I suggest you quiet your wife's tongue before it is removed."

The room fell silent as Wayne's idle threat settled, thickening the ice that lay between them all.

The Covenant stood awkwardly; a group of tiny groups, sectioned off by family name: Evelyn stood in the parlor's entrance, Caleb beside her, Sarah tucked into his side; Glenn, Rosalind, and Tyler were closest to the door; the Parrys were off to the side of them, Pogue safely distanced out of reach; Reid and his parents - Joseph and his as of yet nameless wife - were furthest back, at the base of the stairway.

If the blonde woman had turned around to look up the stairs, she might've caught sight of Gaige's reflection in the glass mirror in the hall. Gaige was the only one missing in this family arrangement, but now wasn't the time for her to intrude. She had to wait for the opportune moment, the one Evelyn told her to come forth at.

"Why did you call a meeting, Evelyn? Surely this cannot be more important than the Swiss Alps skiing week." The redhead stated lithely, leaning slightly forward like a prowling feline.

"Actually, Beatrice, it is." Gaige's mother said; her voice held neither distaste for the other woman nor any hint of an enjoyment of her. "Why don't we all sit in the parlor while Caleb and the boys tell us their tale? It might take a while."

Everyone did as she suggested, breaking apart from their familial groups to form their regular ones. The Sons stood in front of the fireplace, arms folded across their chests like an add for a boy band. Sarah and Evelyn sat on the loveseat, Reid and Tyler's parents sitting on the couch across from them. Wayne sat in the armchair that sat furthest from the fireplace, and Beatrice sat on the chair's arm.

Though Gaige could still see them, they had no chance of seeing her any longer. She inched closer, down the stairs, when a murmur that she couldn't quite fully understand began. They spoke quietly, and she continued forward until she was right out of the parlor and able to hear them.

"... if a Covenant member could father a second child?" Evelyn was saying when Gaige could hear again.

"That is impossible. One son for each family." Rosalind said hurriedly, her hand resting on her stomach almost protectively. Her eyes flashed when she caught Evelyn's use of the term 'child'. "Wait - child? As in..."

"A daughter, yes."

"That is disgusting! A female child would be - she would be Devil's spawn!" Gaige had to bite her tongue; Beatrice's harsh words pierced her heart. Was she spawn? Her mother had said so before, of course, but she never realized others would think so too.

The Sons exchanged glances, however, few noticed. Among them, the blonde mother of Reid did. She chose her following words wisely, as she always did. "But all of us are barren. After their firstborn, they will also be. And he will be a Son."

Evelyn shook her head, harboring a sad smile. "Meredith, this is only a what-if question."

"It's improbable." Rosalind said, slightly unsure now. "The Book would tell us if not."

"The Book of Damnation has been keeping secrets." Evelyn stated ominously. "A passage has been revealed, telling of a Ipswich-wrought child, grown of the roots of the Covenant; a female."

Finally, one of the Fathers cut in, taking back the stage from the Mothers. It was quickly becoming obvious to Gaige who ran the Covenant show, here; the Mothers did - she figured the Fathers were more like back-up dancers, or the producers, but never the star roles.

Glenn spoke up, "The Book of Damnation only keeps track of Power-full children. None other Ipswich peoples have ever been mentioned."

No one spoke. Evelyn didn't correct him. Beatrice gasped in outrage, as did Joseph and Wayne. The denying words spurned Mrs. Parry on. "A Daughter of Ipswich, with Power? Evelyn dear, are you getting senile? You said this was simply hypothetical; we all know that no such creature exists."

"She does. And she is said to be more powerful than any of the Sons, wielding the surmount of all the Power of her predecessors."

Gaige gulped nervously. She hadn't known that! Was it true, or had Evelyn just made it up on the spot? Maybe that was why Chase had wanted her so badly. Or perhaps it was because of her supposed 'age-defying' Power.

"What are you going on about? You are talking about this girl as though she were right here, in the room with us." Wayne looked around, glancing at Sarah quickly before passing on. He didn't seem to think she had too much potential in the Power department.

"She may as well be, Wayne." Evelyn said, quickly glancing at the door to the parlor before looking back unnoticeably.

He and his wife, as well as the others, jumped to their feet, eyes ablaze with Power.

"Calm down!" Caleb stressed, black eyes overpowering all the Fathers into submission; the Mothers were still allowed to stand - he didn't feel it was appropriate to Use on them. "Before we continue, it should be known that Chase isn't dead."

He paused for them to soak up his words, but they didn't really take them seriously. Chase Collins had never been that great of a threat to the elder counterparts of the Covenant; they weren't around to deal with his mess, they didn't have to face him.

"He's just a young man. He can't possibly be doing too much damage." Joseph Garwin butted in.

Reid shook his head at his father. "No, he's not so young anymore. Chase's Using aged him to almost thirty years. He's even crazier than before, too."

"He almost killed Pogue."

The Danvers daughter heard numerous gasps and angry exclamations, but they were all tuned out. Her eyes had fluttered closed, remembering the moment he fell to the ground. The thought that he might be dead. The feel of his cold hand in her own. Those few dark seconds where she had thought that she was dying too.

Chase had attacked Pogue because of her; Gaige would always feel the guilt of his fall on her shoulders. But he forgave her, he loved her, and though she didn't always feel the same way about him, it was her salvation. He was her salvation. Pogue was enough for Gaige, she realized slowly, searching for his face among all the others'.

He was looking at his mother, watching her reactions to it all. As far as Gaige had seen, the redheaded woman hadn't looked at her son once. Her heart seemed to twinge painfully at the sight, and she glanced at her own mother, then at the other two Mothers.

"Why?" Tyler's mom was saying, catching her attention long enough for words to become understandable again. "I don't understand why he would attack a Son directly. I thought he went after a bargaining chip to get what he wanted - their Power. Right?" Rosalind asked, hoping for reassurance. After all, in her innocent mind, it could all be a mistake. Meredith squeezed her dear friend's hand.

"No. Chase Collins didn't - doesn't want our Power. He wants hers." Gaige didn't catch her brother's wording slip, instead listening in closely to what Chase wanted: her.

Joseph scoffed. "How did he even know she existed? What's so special about her Power anyway, it will just make him more Addicted." The blond man was having a hard time not asking who this 'she' was, even though he knew he would receive no answers.

"That's true," Tyler answered softly, his quiet but deep voice breaking the flow of loud and harsh then soft and sweet. "However, just because he could become Addicted on her Power doesn't mean it would age him. Because she is female, things are different, and in the Book, it says that she is the 'key'. The Use of her Power will not take a toll on her body; she will not age like us."

His eyes locked with Evelyn's suddenly, sharing information that he had kept hidden from even Reid. Information that he had researched to help find her. "James knew. He knew she wouldn't age."

"James? James knew of this?" she replied, but he would say no more on the subject.

"What is going on here, Evelyn? Boys? Did Chase get this girl? Is she on his side?"

"No," Gaige called out, stepping forward from the shadows. She finally let all of the Founding Families look at her, and this time, she was full of confidence. Not a single doubt stirred within her that these men would try to harm her - she would be fine, apparently, since they needed her as bad as Chase did. "No, Chase didn't get to me."

Because Caleb's Power still held all the Fathers down, only the women could truly react to her presence. Beatrice moved to stand slightly behind the armchair, Evelyn smiled softly, Meredith gaped, and Rosalind stood. She stood without fear and walked forward, stopping only a short distance away from Gaige and raising a hand to cup her cheek in a motherly fashion - one that Gaige had never quite experienced. "What's your name, child?"

She grinned, startling the woman a bit; she wasn't really a 'child' anymore, but Rosalind just had such a cute Southern, homey accent she let it pass without a comment. "Gaige; Gaige Danvers, ma'am. Pleased to meet you."

"Wh-what?" Mrs. Simms asked, shocked. She turned around to face the rest of the Covenant, allowing her hand to drop from Gaige's face.

"What is she talking about, Evelyn?"

"Danvers!"

"How dare she-"

Evelyn cleared her throat, cutting off the madness that was the Covenant. "This is my daughter: Gaige Evelyn Danvers."

"G.E.D." Reid whispered with a chuckle, remembering the day they first met, and the comical conversation that had occurred between her and the Sons.

Unfortunately, the madness continued, until Evelyn had explained every detail of Gaige's secret life.

She told them about how she had gotten pregnant again, and how the child simply wouldn't die. She told them how James had been so happy, how she'd wanted to die when she'd found out it was a girl. Evelyn told them about how Gaige was shipped off in hiding because they wanted to keep her safe, unsure of how the others would react. She even told them about James' will, and the letter he'd written her.

Once everyone had had their full, it seemed as though her trial for keeping secrets within the Covenant would be put off - for now. Her betrayal and treachery was obviously to left to be discussed more in a private place, where the Sons would not interfere. Chase was brought up again.

"So, is he dead? I mean, you said he almost killed Pogue. I'm assuming he was stopped from finishing the job." Meredith inserted with a sneer on her pink lips.

Caleb swallowed and looked around nervously. "Well, see. That's where things get a little sketchy..."

AN: Soo... You've met the fathers! Or, er... Mothers. And yes, according to IMDB, those are their real names!

Edit: 7/19