It was the weekend before classes resumed and Caleb and Pogue had just gotten back to campus. Pogue had to go meet with one of the professors because somehow his courses had gotten screwed up and he needed to figure out if he could still take all his classes.

And since Caleb was a glutton for punishment, he decided that he would take a walk. It was freezing cold outside but that didn't stop him from walking all the way to Sinsations. He walked through the light crowd to the back doors but when he mentioned Branwen and Aria's names the bouncers just ignored him and kept their post. Resisting the urge to use, Caleb rolled his eyes and walked over to the bar. Maybe the girls were working. If he waited at the bar, maybe he'd catch one of them.

But two hours and three beer later and nobody he recognized had walked past. Finally he heard a voice he knew. "Starting early?"

Caleb looked over his shoulder to see Sass approaching the bar. "Hey. I'm actually waiting for the girls. Tom and Jerry over there wouldn't tell me anything." He motioned to the bouncers at the office doors.

Sass frowned. "The girls don't work today."

Figured. "I guess I should text Aria, then. Unless you can get me past Tweedle-Dee and –Dum over there."

Her frown deepened. "The girls aren't upstairs anymore. When was the last time you spoke to them?"

Shrugging despite knowing exactly when the last time he spoke with Aria was, Caleb frowned. "Before Christmas. I've just got back to town today."

Sass's frown lightened a little. "Oh. Well they moved just before Christmas. It's a nice place too. One of those old fancy townhouses in Boston."

Sass wrinkled up her nose and Caleb smiled. "You don't like it?"

She smiled. "No, I like it. It's been completely renovated. I just hate neighbourhoods like that. Full of old rich ladies that think because they had some historic five floor monstrosity they need to act like the queen. You can feel the repression just walking down the street. You feel like if you took off your bra and waved it in the air they all might die of impropriety."

Caleb laughed at the image Sass painted. But if he didn't know any better, she seemed a little too well acquainted with the idea of it. Perhaps Sass knew a few old rich ladies. Then the reality sunk in. If it was a newly renovated town-home in Boston where it was coupled with huge fancy buildings, how the hell had Aria and Branwen been able to afford it? Even with insurance money they couldn't buy a townhouse. Maybe it wasn't as fancy as Sass let on.

"Can I get the address? I'd like to go visit the girls; see how their Christmas went."

Sass smiled. "Sure. I'll write it down for you." She grabbed a napkin and started scribbling on it. "I'd come with you but I've already been there like five times in the last two weeks and I think if I show up too often one of those Beacon Street crones are gonna chase me with an umbrella or something."

Caleb choked on his beer but managed to swallow it without drawing too much attention. Sass seemed to think he was just laughing at her joke and smiled. When he got his breath back, Caleb tried to act casual. "Beacon Street, did you say?"

Sass continued writing but then handed the napkin to Caleb, smiling. "Yeah, it's one of the streets over there. Like one or two over or something."

Caleb had quickly said goodbye to Sass before practically jogging back to the dorm. He was tempted to just use but if Pogue found out Caleb would never hear the end of it. But Pogue wasn't back yet so Caleb grabbed his keys and headed for the Harvard Bridge.

Holding the Napkin in front of him and using to adapt the address to his GPS unit, Caleb pulled up in front of the house and had to just stare. He had to have to wrong place. The house in front of him had to cost more than a million and that didn't include how much furniture they would need to fill it. There was no possible way…

And then the front door opened and a man walked out. He was a good-looking man, probably in his late twenties, and definitely had money. Clearly Sass had either given him the wrong address, or tricked him. Which he then realized was completely likely. She had to this point been rather reluctant to give out Aria and Branwen's information. Smiling to himself for falling for the trick, Caleb reached for the keys to turn the car on when the door opened again and Caleb glanced up.

He had to do a double take. He knew it was Branwen, he just couldn't process how she looked. Unlike her almost Pogue-like casual attire of jeans a t-shirt and a pair of biker boots, Branwen was dressed to impress. Even more so than for Thanksgiving dinner. She was wearing a silver cocktail dress and pointy heels and if growing up with his mother had taught him anything, he would say it was all designer. And that was nothing compared to the necklace he caught a glimpse of before she wrapped her coat around her. Even from a distance Caleb could tell vintage jewels when he saw them.

Either Branwen had some wealth she hadn't disclosed, she had just come into some, or something was up. Caleb slowly climbed out of his car as Branwen walked down the front steps of the townhouse. He waited for a car to pass before he crossed the street and met her at the sidewalk. She didn't look up until they were almost right on top of each other and then her eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

She glanced around, probably looking for the man who had disappeared down the street. Then she wrapped her coat tighter and looked up at Caleb. "Hey, Caleb. Wha… What are you doing here?"

Oh yeah, something was up. "I stopped by the club and Sass gave me your new address." He looked past her to the tall building dressed in holiday lights and icicles. "Big step up from the apartment over Sinsations."

He knew he was pressing her but she was acting so cagey that he couldn't help himself. She didn't usually show so much of her thoughts on her face. "It's a really long story."

"I have lots of time. Maybe Aria can help you explain. Is she inside?"

"She's already at the party." Caleb turned at the voice and saw the man from earlier coming up the sidewalk. He smiled at Caleb before looking at Branwen and holding up a cellphone. "I found it. The car should be here any minute now." He turned back to Caleb and held out his hand. "Nathan Gregory."

Caleb took Nathan's hand and shook it, taking note that Nathan had a good couple inches on Caleb. Not many people were taller than him. Other noticeable features were the sandy blonde hair, dark blue eyes, classic bone structure and tan… in January? Then again, he had an accent. Perhaps he was from somewhere considerably warmer. "Caleb Danvers."

At his name, Nathan had the slightest face twitch before he smiled at Branwen and sighed. "Well, it was nice to meet you. We'd ask you in but we're on our way out."

He looked like he was about to say something when Branwen grabbed his arm and smiled. "Yes. I will let Aria know you were looking for her."

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, Caleb nodded and turned to leave. He was climbing back in his car when he heard Nathan saying something. Using, Caleb just caught the tail end.

"… invite a Son of Ipswich to our engagement party?"

Caleb dropped into the seat so hard he thought he'd bruise himself. Engagement party? Branwen was getting married? To someone she'd known for a while. He had either gone to Spencer or she had told him about Spencer. It was really the only place that stupid nickname followed them around. Either way, she had known him long enough to be involved with him and yet she was still stringing Pogue along.

Caleb looked across the street to see Branwen staring at him. He didn't know how she knew he heard, but she did. No normal person would have heard their conversation but she knew he had. Maybe it was the look on his face. Because right then he would have loved to burn laser holes through the girl that made him have to tell his best friend that the girl that friend loved was getting married to another man.

Branwen took a step forward but Caleb slammed his door, started the car, shifted, and shot down the street in one fluid movement.

Great. Just fucking great.

Pogue walked out of the office with a list of books he needed for his new classes. He should be grateful that he was able to keep most of his classes and he was able to take two other courses that would help qualify him for next year. They weren't the typical choices, but thanks to Professor Lewis, they kept him eligible.

Now he just had to buy the books on the syllabus, study them before Wednesday morning and figure out how to complete the rest of his classes while coming up with a place to intern over the summer. He should be grateful he could still move forward at all, but the further he got into his schooling, the more detached from it all he became. He'd like to blame it on Branwen, for distracting him, but he had a feeling that his mind would find a distraction regardless.

After picking up the books he needed, Pogue got back to the dorm and collapsed on his bed. It was only Saturday; he had Sunday to study. Right now maybe he would get in some more sleep so he was well rested for tomorrow.

"Hey."

Lifting his head, Pogue looked at Caleb, standing in the doorway. He looked upset, dark even. Sighing, Pogue sat up and took a deep breath. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair to focus himself and then looked back to Caleb. "Okay. Lay it on me."

"Lay what on you?"

"That face you're making, it's the same one you made when you saw Chase's eyes go black. Then you had me help you break into the admissions office and almost got us expelled. So, what's wrong this time and how much trouble am I going to risk getting into?"

Pogue sat there waiting. Despite his words, he enjoyed when they worked together. It gave him some time to feel like they could still have their adventures and they weren't stuffy lawyers yet. But as Caleb spoke, his tone of voice had Pogue feeling like being stuffy lawyers would be better than whatever was wrong. "It's not like that this time, I'm afraid. I don't have a solution for this and I don't think I can fix it. It's my fault. I pushed it. The two of you. So you can be mad at me, but I feel I still have to tell you."

Pogue clenched his jaw, feeling the hit coming and standing there to receive it anyway. He pictured Branwen's face in his mind because he had a feeling after Caleb explained Pogue wasn't going to want to see it anymore. It was going to hurt like hell, but… "Okay. Tell me."

Caleb took a deep breath and sighed. "I went to see the girls today. They've moved. To a big fancy townhouse on Beacon Hill."

"Wait… how did they afford a place on Beacon hill?"

Caleb held up his hand and Pogue rolled his eyes. "If you don't want me to interrupt then get to the point."

"I would if you wouldn't interrupt. As I was saying… I was confused as well. I thought I had the wrong address, especially when I saw some guy walk out of the house. But a few minutes later Branwen came out and she was decked out in designer clothes and vintage sapphire jewelry. Like legit."

That didn't make sense. Branwen had told Pogue that they were struggling as it was without their insurance money. There was no way they'd get enough to afford all that. Had she lied to him?

"She was surprised to see me. I knew something was up because she was antsy. She wasn't herself at all."

"Did you ask her if she was alright?" Pogue asked, worried about Branwen. Had she gotten herself in trouble? Could he help?

"Are you going to keep interrupting?"

Pogue stood and took a threatening step towards Caleb. "Fine, fine." Caleb said. "I didn't get a chance to ask her what all was going on because the man came back and introduced himself and then they had to go to some party. They were waiting on a car to pick them up." Caleb paused and looked down for a second before looking back at Pogue, who was growing antsy himself. "I overheard him talking when I was getting back in my car…"

"Wait, Overheard or overheard?" Caleb frowned. "Caleb! Seriously? When are you going to stop using?"

"Would you like to know what I overheard or would you like to lecture me?" Caleb asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Pogue really wanted to lecture Caleb but despite the foreboding feeling crawling up his spine, Pogue really wanted to hear about Branwen and whatever it was that Caleb seemed sure was going to destroy Pogue. "Continue."

And Pogue discovered he was certainly a glutton for punishment. Caleb took a deep breath. "I overheard him saying they were going to their engagement party."

Yep. There it was. The darkness. The soul crushing reality that had kept trying to tell him that Branwen had been holding back for a reason. Hell, she hadn't even returned his Merry Christmas or his Happy New Year texts. He'd tried to warn himself that she had a secret and she was holding back because of it. Denial and stubborn pride had him saying, "But are you sure he meant his engagement party to Branwen? Maybe they were going to someone else's engagement party."

"He said 'our engagement party'. To her. The two of them being the 'our'."

"But…"

"Pogue," Caleb sighed, "I really don't want it to be true because I know how much you care about her, but I know what I heard and I know what he meant. Besides, there is no way Branwen could show up to anyone else's engagement party looking like she did. She'd upstage the bride."

Pogue looked over at Caleb, bile searing his insides. "Twisting the knife now, are we?"

"Sorry." Caleb frowned. "It's just, if it were Aria, I'd want to know."

Pogue frowned and paused in his torment to think about Caleb's words. "What do you mean?"

Shrugging, Caleb sat on the end of the bed. "It's just, despite how much it would hurt, seeing Aria engaged to someone else, I don't think I could stop myself from wanting to see her. I'd rather see her but not have her than not have her and not see her. Especially looking so beautiful."

Pogue thought about that. It made sense. And it also told Pogue that Caleb cared a whole damn lot more about Aria than he'd let on. But if Caleb was never going to see Sarah again, he had to move on. Clearly he was doing that. Pogue didn't know if he was ready to never see Branwen again.

Getting up he grabbed his coat and new helmet. "Hey," Caleb said. "Where are you going?"

Pogue opened his mouth to say exactly what he was doing but it sounded too pathetic to say so he thought about it and sighed. "I'm going to say goodbye." Yeah, that still sounded pathetic.

"At her engagement party?"

Grinding his teeth, Pogue rolled his eyes. "Well I could have done it earlier but she didn't really give me that choice, did she?"

Caleb shook his head. "You're going to ask her tell you why, aren't you?"

Of course he was. What the hell else was he supposed to do, sit there and keep wondering? "No. I'm going to make her tell me why."

Caleb laughed. "Because you forcing her to do things has worked out so well for you in the past. Of course you confronting her at her engagement party is going to go so much better."

Grumbling, Pogue turned and slammed the door behind him. He would get answers, Branwen and her stubbornness be damned.

Reaching his bike, Pogue put on his helmet, climbed on and started it up. Using for the first time in years, Pogue connected his phone to Branwen's and used the connection to lead him to her. He could feel the rush that was so addictive. He could feel the power coursing through his veins and he could understand why it was so tempting. But at that moment, with losing Branwen on his mind, he couldn't have cared less about the powers. He wondered if that was normal but didn't really care. Staring ahead of him, Pogue sped through the city to the pull of her Beacon.