Chapter 15

Rade sat in the front pew along with his brother's and sister. He looked at his twin sitting between him and Rayne wishing that she would tell them what had happened earlier. She hadn't said a word since she had come to, and was staring into space as if in shock. She was nervously fingering the lace on her dress. Vincent and Marcus had filled them in on what happened back at the dorms to Tyler. Thank god she didn't know about that. He looked to the other side of the church and saw the four sons of Ipswich sitting there with their girlfriends. Tyler looked in the same condition as his sister. He knew Chase had something to do with his sister.

Reid looked at Tyler who was sitting between him and Caleb. Tyler hadn't looked any of them in the eye since the escapade with Chase. What had Chase done to him? He could feel Tyler still shaking slightly. He looked over at Caleb who was holding Sarah's hand, but watching Tyler out of the corner of his eye. Their eyes met matching concern in both of their eyes. Caleb glanced over at Pogue who was leaning forward with his hands buried in his face. Kate was running her hand across his back.

Pogue blamed himself for what happened to Tyler. He knew Chase would do something else to Tyler if he didn't will him his power. They had almost lost Tyler again today. He still hadn't recovered from it. The service was about to start so he sat up straight running his hand through his hair sighing. He looked over at Tyler, and frowned.

Doors opening in the back made everyone look back. The service had just started. Three older men in black suits walked in. A couple of women in black dresses were behind them. A little girl about two held the hand of one of them. The little girl was looking around and cried out in delight seeing someone.

Her mother tried to hold onto her, but she got away, and ran past the three men, one of who tried to catch her, and followed hurriedly after her. The other two men grinned watching. The mother hurrying after her husband and daughter.

"RAVIE!" She squealed launching herself at Raven.

Raven started. She had been oblivious to what was going on in the church. She looked at the little girl who was wrapped around her waist. She picked her up and held her starting to sob. The little girl pulled away wiping away Raven's tears with her little hands.

"Please don't cry Ravie," The little girl pouted.

Raven couldn't quit. The little girl was taken from her who screamed at being pulled away.

"My Ravie!" She screamed as her father held her in his arms.

The mother and the other women took Raven out of the church by the side door. Ryder hurried up to talk to the priest. Then hurried back to his brothers. They heard Raven screaming. Rade hurried out of the room.

"Tyler," Raven sobbed. "He's dead!"

The mother of the child held Raven in her arms. The other women holding her hand. Rade wondered where she had gotten the idea that Tyler was dead.

He knelt down in front of her. "What makes you think Tyler's dead?"

"Chase." She sobbed.

So then Chase had come to her. He got up and ran back into the church. He looked over at the sons of Ipswich who were conversing between themselves. The priest had just announced that the service would be delayed.

"SIMS!" He yelled.

Vincent froze the people in the church as he saw Rade's eyes start to go black. The little girl squealed in joy feeling the power. The son's of Ipswich started seeing the little girl's eyes go black. Her father rolled his eyes as books started flying through the church. .

Tyler jumped hearing Rade yell at him. He saw Rade's eyes black with anger. He felt Reid's and Caleb's hands cover his hands.

"Come with me now!" Rade said. "For god's sake were in god's sanctuary I'm not going to hurt you and neither is anyone else. Raven thinks your dead, now come with me!"

Tyler paled. He got up and went with Rade. Reid followed him to the door, and stood in the doorway watching. Tyler went to Raven and knelt down in front of her. He took one of her hands in his. The two women were glaring at him. He wondered who they were, and then his thoughts were back on the girl before him.

"Raven?" He said.

She looked up in shock seeing Tyler before her. Tyler leaned in and kissed her and she knew it was him when the power came from them again. She wrapped her arms around him. The two women were startled, and looked at one another. Another Downing had found love as they had. They smiled, and hurried back to their husbands.

Reid moved on into the room to allow the two women, who he now knew were witches to go back into the church. He turned to Rade who had a disgusted look on his face watching Tyler and Raven. He looked at Tyler and Raven. Raven had slid to the floor and Tyler was half laying on her kissing her. He knew he better break it up before Rade beat Tyler to a pulp.

He cleared his throat. When that didn't work, he walked over to them. "Tyler!" He looked back at Rade who was looking pissed by now. 'TYLER!' he projected to him.

Tyler jumped back from Raven as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water. Reid almost laughed seeing Tyler's expression. He saw Tyler's gaze fall on Rade though and watched him turn pale. Reid shot Rade a dirty look. Rade went over and pulled Raven up and away from Tyler.

"Tyler?" Raven said. "Chase told me he killed you."

"He almost did, would have if it weren't for Vincent and Marcus still being at the dorms." Reid answered gravely for him.

Raven shuddered. Reid helped Tyler up from the floor. Raven went to him and hugged him tightly to her. "Will you sit with me Tyler?"

Tyler looked at Reid who shrugged meaning that is was his decision. Tyler looked at Raven as she pulled back. "Yes." He said. She smiled sadly at him, and took his hand pulling him back to the church. Reid looked at Rade who didn't look happy at all.

'Let them be happy as long as they can together Rade. With Chase back you don't know what's going to happen next.'

Rade nodded at Reid, and they went back into the church. Caleb and Pogue had been watching the doorway anxiously. The two women had come back into the church awhile before. The mother of the little girl had quietly scolded her, and the books went sailing back to where they belonged. They sighed in relief when Raven walked back in holding Tyler's hand. Caleb and Pogue glanced at one another. Rade and Reid followed them back into the church, and Reid swaggered back over to them.

"Ravie!" The little girl said launching herself back at Raven. Raven barely caught the little girl as she flew out of her father's arms and into hers. Raven hugged the little girl to her. "I've missed you sweetie pie!" The little girl kissed Raven. Raven turned to Tyler.

"This is my niece Riley." She told a shocked Tyler. "Riley this is my boyfriend Tyler."

"Your boyfriend?" One of the older men asked. Raven turned to her oldest brother. "I didn't think you would come."

"I'm here. Now who is he?"

"This is Tyler Simms. He's one of the son's of Ipswich. Tyler these are my older brothers. Rowan, Rafe, and Rory. Rory is Riley's father. These are my sister in laws Jade, Rory's wife, and Corinne, Rowan's wife."

"Your brothers?" Tyler asked bewildered. "I thought you only had four brothers."

"I did have eight brothers. Besides Ridge gone now, my brother Roman died a day before his eighteenth birthday five years ago." She shivered.

"I need to unfreeze these people soon!" Vincent muttered.

Rowan eyed the boy with his sister. A son of Ipswich huh. Corinne tugged on his arm, and they took their seats. Vincent waved his hand and the chatter in the church was once again heard. Tyler took Raven's hand as they set down. Riley curled up on Raven's lap and was soon fast asleep. Rade sitting on Raven's other side kept side glancing at Tyler.

The service started. Reid glanced over at Lizette Sackett sitting with her brothers and two people who must be her parents. He was unprepared for seeing the size of the Sackett family. When the church had been frozen, only a few of the Sacketts had been frozen. That meant that over half of them had the power.

Pogue and Caleb looked at one another, knowing now where the other three lines of power had went that night at Caleb' house. Why were they not living here in Ipswich then and the eldest brother Rowan the de facto leader? Pogue had told them what Raven had told him about Trey and Sloan. It had really floored them seeing the little girl using powers. They had never seen anyone that young with them before.

The service ended, and people left to go to the Downing House. The family and close friends went to the cemetery. The son's of Ipswich included. Raven handed Riley to her father, and rode with her brothers to the cemetery, pulling Tyler along with them. Tyler looked back at his brothers who just nodded at him that it was ok.

Everyone stood around Ridge's grave telling him goodbye. Tears were streaming down Raven's face, and Tyler held his arm tightly around her. Raven felt his presence before he appeared. She pushed Tyler away turning toward the apparition. She saw his gaze fall on Riley. Oh no way in hell she thought! She threw fireball after fireball at the apparition who turned into that of her brother Roman. He returned his power on her, and she dodged. She saw other power balls go by her and go right through Roman, but hers hit him with a force knocking him back. She may be afraid of him, but she'd die to protect the life of her beloved niece.

The fireballs stopped coming around her, to her surprise she did something that tore into the apparition, and he screamed in pain. She didn't even know she could do that. She looked back at the grave and knew it had been part of Ridge. She threw it at him again, and he exploded into a fiery ball setting the trees on fire. They went out as she turned around walking away the angry power still bouncing off of her. Trey sighed as he waved his hand putting out the fire. Vincent waved his hand unfreezing the priest and the other few non power ones there.

Tyler sat by Raven in Silence back at the house. She glanced at him taking his hand. "I guess you probably have lots of questions for me?" She said.

He nodded. She got up pulling him with her to her room, shutting the door behind them, and waving her hand sound blocking the room from the inside and out. They sat on her bed and he held her.

"It's a long story are you sure you want to do this now?" She asked.

"Just tell me who that ghost was at the graveyard." He said.

"My brother Roman."

He gasped. "Why did you attack him then?"

"He needs my powers to bring him back to life, to take vengeance on the one who killed him. He has till October 31st Halloween or he passes on."

"Who killed him?" Tyler asked.

"Storm Knight. Trey and Chandler's older brother. He was only protecting me from him. He never meant to kill him." She sobbed.

"Protecting you from your own brother?" He asked.

"Yes. Roman got his kicks hurting people. He just about killed me throwing me down the stairs, and using his power on me, till Storm stepped in." She said shivering in fear remembering.

Tyler held her closer kissing her forehead. "Why do your older brothers not live here?"

"Cause of what happened with Storm and Roman. It split the covenant."

Tyler pulled her chin up and kissed her. He shivered remembering Chase and his kiss. He hated that memory interrupting this special one with Raven. Then the power of love took over and chased the memory from him. Raven's arms wrapped around him, running through his hair. He wrapped his around her, pulling gently at the waves of ebony hair. One hand slid down to the small of her back and she arched against him. He pulled his other hand from her hair and brought it around the front cupping her breast. She gasped, and he pulled back looking at her asking for her permission.

She pulled him back into the kiss. His hand went up her shirt then caressing her smooth stomach. She reached down and pulled his shirt up and he helped her pull it off. She felt him unhook her bra. Then he reached down pulling her skirt up to her hip, and he cupped her bottom pulling her on top of him. She moaned in pleasure. She ran her hand over his muscled chest and abs. He was pulling her shirt up when books flew off the shelf falling on the floor with a bang pulling them apart. They looked at one another breathing heavily.

"Did we do that?" Tyler asked.

"Yes." Raven said with a giggle.

"Maybe we should stop." He said hugging her to him.

She sighed and knew he had to know all of it before they gave themselves to one another. "Are you a virgin Tyler?"

He blushed nodding his head yes. She smiled at him. "So am I." She told him.

He started to kiss her, but she pushed him back. "There's something you need to know."

"What is it?" he asked as the door burst open admitting Rade and Vincent.

Raven glared at them. "Don't you know how to knock?"

Tyler looked at them worriedly. "Your brothers are looking for you Tyler. There ready to go." Rade said rudely.

Tyler sighed. He leaned over and kissed Raven goodbye. He received more glares from the two boys. "Do you want to go with me to Nicky's tomorrow night?" He asked.

"Yes!" She said glaring at the boys again. Raven threw her pillow at Rade as he watched Tyler leave pulling on his shirt.

"Why Rade? I was just about to tell him."

Rade glared at her knowing she knew why. He turned and left the room.

"What?" she asked Vincent who was still staring at her. He picked something off of the floor and tossed it at her. She blushed looking at her bra which she hadn't realized had come off. He turned to leave.

"Vin?" She called.

"Yea?" He asked her turning back to her.

"Thanks for healing Tyler today." She said smiling at him.

"Just don't make me regret it!" He sighed walking away.

Raven didn't see the person staring in the window glaring at what had happened. He cursed walking away from the Downing house. She plopped back on her bed smiling at what she had felt with Tyler. She heard Riley calling for her then, and got up put her bra back on fixed her clothes and hair and joined her family for the evening.