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Chapter Twenty-One – Over Protective

Belle and I had arrived back a couple hours ago, more carefree and happy than we had been before going shopping. I hadn't liked hiding things from her when we were shopping but Pogue had told me it would make her worry less if I just tried to make her focus on the shopping trip. Fat chance. I'm never listening to him again when it comes to another female, I don't know why I even listened to him in the first place, I mean what does he know about how the female mind works. She seemed to relax a little more once she finally knew why she'd been taken hostage essentially but I could still see she was thinking about the boys, about Caleb and Reid. Several times I'd looked over to get her opinion on a dress only to find her staring off into the distance, her eyebrows drawn together as if she was deep in her thoughts. I know though that she'd tried to begin our day together again after lunch but she wasn't completely with me, and I understood why, even if she had yet to truly realise why she was so distracted. It made me smile, when I saw her with Reid, to know what she'd yet come to realise, to know what Reid had not yet gained the courage to admit. They cared deeply for each other. Even though not much time had passed since she came into our lives and most would say it was far too soon for them to have developed such a close relationship that could be based on anything important, they did. You could touch it, it was that clear to see. The small glances they'd cast over at each other as if checking the other was okay when together in the same vicinity but not close. The way they seemed to orbit closer to each other the longer they were around each other as if they needed to be closer. I'd never seen Reid like this, not with anyone. When Belle had first arrived and his interest had been sparked I immediately worried he'd do the same thing he'd done with over dozens of girls at Spencer, charm them, bed them and dispose of them. He'd always approached any girl as a potential conquest waiting to be conquered and let's face it most girls swooned at just the thought that Reid Garwin was looking at them and yes while they had been one or two that tried to resist him at first it had still ended the same way. Not Belle though. He'd made it clear to the others and me that he was attracted to her but I'd never seen him genuinely care about a girl's feelings or wellbeing, I'd never seen him worry about a girl, hell I'd never seen him care for anyone outside his family, his 'brothers' or me. I'd never seen him stand up to Caleb the way he was this morning when Pogue and I walked in on them arguing. Yes, I'd seen him many a time go out of his way to rub Caleb up the wrong way just to piss him off but I'd never seen him stand up to Caleb for anything other than wanting to use his powers as he liked, when he liked. Caleb was different too, just like Belle had said. I'd seen him go up against Reid before when it came to stopping them from doing stupid things or getting into trouble but he'd always done it because he cared. He'd said himself many times that he was pleased to see Reid growing up and taking responsibility, to see him caring about someone outside family and us. He was pleased Belle was making him grow up, he'd been supportive about the two of them growing closer. He'd even talked to Reid when he'd been worried about Belle being with Chase, he'd told him they'd make sure they got her back here with us, with Reid. So, what had changed?

"Belle?" I knocked gently on her bedroom door after telling Pogue we'd meet him in the kitchen. "Belle?" She jumped turning from her window as I called her name again giving me a small smile as she let her curtain fall back into place. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I think my mind is in the clouds."

"Well it's pretty cloudy out there so it's no surprised its lost up there." I smiled laughing as she chuckled. "Coming down for dinner. Tyler order us pizzas and we're going to watch a film, something funny."

"Who picked funny?" She asked joining me as I backed into the hallway.

"I did. You really think I'd let them pick a movie." I sniggered wrapping my arm round hers. "We'd be stuck with horrors and action movies full of blood, guts, guns and cars if I let them have their way. Seriously, I am not watching anything gory tonight." Entering the living room, I felt Belle pause following her line of sight to see Reid slumped into an armchair. Biting my lip, I tugged her down next to me on the two-seater couch. "It's still a girls' day, just pretend they aren't here."

"Hey! I order the pizzas least you can do is acknowledge me." Tyler mumbled handing us each a plate as he came in from the kitchen.

"And I let you pick the movie." Pogue smiled giving my head a kiss before settling on the three-seater, piling several slices of pizza on to his plate.

"We thank you baby boy. Babe you know you always let me pick." I smiled at Tyler before waving my hand dismissively at Pogue grabbing a slice for my own plate.

"What kind of pizzas did you get?" I smiled at Caleb as he settled next to Pogue leaning forward to look at the pizza boxes open on the coffee table.

"Cheese, double pepperoni, one Hawaiian and a meat feast with extra cheese."

"How many people are you feeding?" Belle asked making a face at Tyler before eyeing all the large pizzas.

"Believe me they've order more than this before. They can put more away than a football team. Do you eat a lot?" I chuckled as Belle looked confused dropping a slice of double pepperoni on her plate.

"Uh…I…I don't know…how much is a lot?" I pouted thinking what one of the boys might eat by themselves then taking a little away since she wasn't a guy or as big as them.

"Could you eat one of the pizzas by yourself?" Belle looked at the pizzas again contemplating my question as Tyler put the film on.

"Yeah, I suppose I could. Maybe some ice cream for dessert or oh you know those brownies we had today…mmm yeah I could definitely go for a brownie and ice cream for dessert." She took a bite of her pizza as I giggled.

"It must be a power, magic thing. I'd be sick if I ate all that."

"Considering I haven't been able to make a spark never mind anything else I doubt it's that."

"You're learning, it takes time. Plus, we don't know how easy it is for someone like you to learn your magic." Pogue smiled softly at him making me blow a kiss to him. I'd told him how frustrated Belle had been getting about not being able to do anything, to not be able to feel or produce her powers. Settling back as the trailers sounded from the TV I readied myself to watch the film, glancing at Belle as she placed her plate back on the coffee table, a third of her pizza left I saw she was looking back at Reid to see he was avoiding her searching gaze. Grabbing her hand, I gave it a squeeze as I pulled her closer feeling sad for her, knowing she didn't know why he wasn't saying anything or even acknowledging her. When we got back from shopping we'd parted to rest our feet and take some time to ourselves. Pogue had been lying out on our bed when I entered our room dropping my bags. Calming Caleb and Reid hadn't been easy apparently and he'd had to ask Tyler to take Reid out for a while for things to diffuse. He didn't know where the argument had come from, seemingly Caleb had tried to tell Reid to back off from Belle and separating them had been the only way to stop a fight from starting. Poor Belle still didn't have a clue what was going on and to be honest neither did the rest of us when it came to Caleb's attitude today.

Pulling my eyes from the screen I watched as Reid left the room, hearing the kitchen door swing into place a moment later before Belle left my side. Glancing at Caleb I saw he had drifted off. I smiled leaning into Pogue as he sat down next to me.

"Do you think he's just having an off day?"

"I don't know. I know he wants to protect Belle, but from Reid? Maybe he's knocked the protective switch by accident and it's on full throttle."

"Full throttle is an understatement but we better find a way to help the problem cause at this rate he'll end up going for Reid."

"I know." Kissing me gently I leaned into him only to be startled by an explosion on the TV making us laugh.

"Where's Belle?" We pulled apart as Caleb spoke, obviously woken by the noise.

"In the kitchen, she's fine." Pogue nodded towards the kitchen only to groan and pull away as Caleb stood and marched into the kitchen. I looked at Tyler as he stood and followed.

"I told you to back off from her, what part of that don't you get?" Caleb hissed as I bumped into Tyler's back as he suddenly stopped making me crane my neck around him so I could see.

"Caleb!" Belle called coming from the kitchen after Pogue, Reid and Caleb.

"We're just talking. You don't own her."

"Maybe not but she's my sister and it's my job to keep her safe." I tensed as Caleb pushed Reid away from Belle. "I want you out of here, now!" My eyes were near popping from their sockets as he shoved Reid again towards the front door.

"Caleb, stop it. What are you doing?" Pogue hissed trying to catch Caleb's arm as the front door flew open and Reid was pulled backwards through it causing Belle to cry out before running out the door. Tyler and I rushed outside, descending the porch stairs to help Belle and Reid.

"Are you okay?" Tyler and I asked looking over Reid as he wiped himself down.

"Are you mad? What are you doing?" Belle hissed turning to Caleb as he and Pogue stepped onto the porch. I couldn't suppress a shiver as gusts of wind swept around us as the sky grumbled, the clouds darkening above us. "He's meant to be your brother!"

"You're my sister, I'm meant to protect you, he's just going to hurt you."

"Caleb, it's Reid for god sake." Pogue argued.

"I would never hurt her." Reid hissed furious that Caleb could suggest such a thing.

"He's not going to hurt me. How could you think he'd hurt me?" Belle cried glaring at Caleb as he brushed away Pogue's grip again and stepped closer.

"Because he will, he doesn't care about you, he can't." I frowned wrapping my arms around myself as Belle's hands made fists at her side, her anger building. "He doesn't care about anyone but himself." I flinched as a drop of icy water hit my bare shoulder before quickly being followed by another and another as the sky groaned again and sheets of rain began falling. Great, perfect timing mother nature.

"What? I told you that I care about her. I told you that I don't want to hurt her. How can you think I'd hurt her after telling you about that?"

"Because you will, you will hurt her, just like all the other girls you lead on until you get what you want. I won't let you hurt her." I jumped back as Reid flew backwards down the stone driveway from the power ball Caleb let go.

"Reid? Reid?" Belle knelled over Reid cupping his face as her wet hair fell over her face. I turned my face up to the sky, a crack of thunder boomed above us, the sky lighting up as a bolt of lightning streaked across the darkness. Caleb came down the stairs as Reid coughed turning onto his side as Belle helped him, Tyler kneeling beside them. My eyes widened as I saw blood staining the corner of Reid's mouth, more covering his fingers. "Reid?"

"Caleb stop this. He's bleeding." Tyler cried looking up as Caleb approached them.

"I won't let him hurt her." I tensed stepping back only to bump into Pogue's chest, his arms wrapping around me as he tugged me back towards the house. Following his gaze, I realised why as Belle slowly looked up, thunder and lightning cracking above us, causing her usually warm blue eyes to seem look icy cold, menacing as they caught the light while looking at Caleb. Her full lips pinched into a thin grim line as she stood.

"Look what you've done! You could have killed him." She yelled over the rumbling thunder, the wind and rain whipping at our faces. "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM." She screamed. I suddenly felt myself being pulled to the ground, landing with a heavy thud, Pogue's arm still around me as we landed in the cold wet mud.

"Are you okay?" Letting out a small cough I sat up nodding behind me to Pogue as he sat up, the thunder and lightning dissipating. My eyes searched around us to see what had happened only to see Belle covering her mouth, her eyes wide as tears fell down her pale cheeks as she slumped to her knees. Turning around a gasp was pulled from my lips as I saw Caleb lying amongst a broken statue, a long thin piece of metal railing protruding from his abdomen.

"Caleb? Caleb, wake up. Caleb?" Tyler and Pogue rushed to his side as Reid got to his feet, pulling Belle to her own. The wind and rain seemed to be subsiding as I clumsily got to my feet, slipping slightly in the mud as I made my way over to Caleb.

"Take her somewhere safe." Pogue shouted in Reid's direction.

"I…I didn't…I didn't…" Belle whispered shaking with utter shock written across her face as Reid turned her towards him, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"NOW REID!" Pogue hissed turning to look at the pair. With one small nod, Reid glanced at the unconscious Caleb before they disappeared.