After eating, Branwen was still tired but she was definitely beginning to feel better. Everyone else sat around the living room with her as Nathan and Aria told her about how they had all come to be in Montana.

Branwen was so proud of her best friend and their bond when Aria described using their blood bond as a tracker. Their story, however, did not help endear her to Kieran any more. She understood that he had been punished, and in truth she laid most of her father's fate at her mother's feet. But she couldn't seem to get over that it was a boy, one she had grown up with and had been friends with, who had ended up catching her father.

Once they caught up to present time, Branwen started arranging bases to cover in her head and going over them with everyone.

"Okay, so what's been done about the hospital?" She asked.

"I called," Nathan said, "and told them that you had been transferred to a private medical facility as per your family's request and then did some magical paperwork to make sure everything looked legit."

Nodding, Branwen continued. "And School?"

"They're going to make an exception for us." Aria said. "Because we've done so much through outside correspondence before, as long as we don't fall behind and all our assignments are handed in on time, they will consider us still on track. Needless to say, however, it doesn't look great for early consideration from the honor board."

Which was unfortunate but reasonable of the school non-the-less. "What about the boys?" Branwen asked, looking at Caleb and then, hesitantly, to Pogue. She knew they were in a weird spot right now but there were other things to consider too.

"We have friends keeping us up to date on notes and assignments." Caleb said.

Branwen wanted to ask if that meant doing the assignments for them but then she thought about her own most recent events and turned to Pogue. "What about the test?"

His face lightened a little and he gave a little shrug. "Seems you might not be the worst tutor. I didn't ace it or anything but I seemed to have retained something. I'm still eligible."

She smiled, glad that his dreams weren't completely lost despite all their drama. But it wasn't really their drama. It was her drama and it was starting to affect everyone else in much too costly ways. "So what are we going to do? I mean, I get that clearly there is a coven problem and I'm sure we will be speaking in length about that tomorrow with Catherine, but we need to get back to Boston. Friends and school consideration aside, we can't hide out here forever."

"We can if it will keep you safe." Nathan said. "We can't act like it wasn't a direct hit on your life, that accident."

"I get that, but disappearing isn't going to solve the problem, only delay it. We also have to assume that we're being watched closer than we thought."

"What do you mean?" Caleb asked, leaning forward.

Branwen was glad to see that whatever had happened in the parking lot and since, Caleb seemed to a least be taking some things seriously now. She hoped she wasn't poking the bear with her next words. "Well, after your blow up in the parking lot, which led to you guys being told about the magical community outside your own coven, Pogue and I are targeted. It can't be a coincidence. They know you know now and for all intents and purposes we are now all loose ends."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. "So you're saying," Caleb finally continued, "that from now on, when we step foot out in public, we could be attacked? All of us? They would just kill us all off?"

She didn't want to lay more drama and pressure on them but they were in it now and they needed to know how serious it was. "Aria and I were given a very rare chance to leave our coven. That usually doesn't happen and those who do leave end up dead. Now I'm starting to think that nobody really gets to leave."

"You think the coven has been killing them all off this entire time?" Aria asked, horror written all over her face.

"It would make sense. If they can influence them back, scare them back, then why risk them causing problems. Think about it. Most of the nomads have been killed by fires. The first attempt on us was a fire. And that was before we even had that much interaction with the boys. I know we thought it was just our involvement with them, but that fire was before we even hung out with them. The coven is going to start a suspicious fire over one kiss? And how close would they have to be watching us to have seen that? I think it would be unwise of us to believe that we haven't been under consistent surveillance."

"But who around us would be reporting to the coven? There haven't been that many people around us outside of the people in this room." Aria said, shooting a suspicious look at Nathan.

He frowned at her. "Don't say it."

"It's not Nathan." Branwen said. "I don't think they would need to be that close. Think about it. Every interaction we've had began in public. The kiss. When I met Pogue in class. Meeting up with Caleb in the parking lot. Them coming over to the apartment. Even visiting the house or us going to the dorms. We haven't been subtle." Branwen felt herself cringe and shook her head. "Even when I told everything to Pogue, we fought about it outside. We've been stupidly indiscreet."

"Then how can we possibly go back?" Nathan said. "If there is going to be a constant target on all of us."

"How can we not." Caleb said. Everyone but Branwen frowned at him and as he continued, she realized that he might have a power problem but he was still the head of his coven and thought like a leader. "The longer we are out of sight the more suspicious and desperate they're going to become. They will eventually find us and then what are we going to do? Plead our case? If I understand this correctly, we have, actually, broken their laws. They have every right to come after us. Not to kill us, but to stand trial for our crimes. Wouldn't it be better to get ahead of it and plead our case?"

He was definitely on to something, just not entirely aware of his own liabilities. Turning to face him directly, Branwen reached out and took his hand. He kind of jumped before looking at their hands, over to Pogue, and back to her. She knew he wasn't going to like it but maybe being physically aware of the tingling reminder of the curse would help.

"Caleb, I agree with your concept, but you can't argue your case." She looked at Pogue and saw the surprise on his face as he realized what she was doing. He went to step forward but she shook her head and turned back to Caleb. "I know that on some level, you know you have a problem." As expected, Caleb's face shut down and he went to pull his hand away but she held on tighter. "I'm not going to berate you and tell you to stop using your powers."

At that he stopped and looked at her suspiciously.

"I mean, obviously, for the sake of your health and those of us who care about you, I wish you would, but I don't think you can." He looked a little offended but she could also see a light in his eyes that told her he was listening and that was all she needed. "I want you to use your powers. I think you have a right to use your powers."

"Branwen!" Aria chided.

"No, it's true." Branwen continued, not taking her eyes off Caleb. "You grew up studying your powers and learning what you had to about them and then you were willed your father's powers in an effort to save your friends and family. And you did. You saved them. You did your job and duty as your coven leader and protected everyone. That is all anyone could ever ask you to do. It is NOT your fault your coven are cursed. It is not fair that you have to be shackled by a curse that was meant to punish ancestors that came centuries before you. You have done nothing to deserve that. You should have the right to use the powers nature decided you were meant to have. And if I have to lay down my life to prove that to the rest of the magical community then I will give it my very best shot."

"Branwen!" Aria gasped angrily. "Don't say that."

Branwen ignored her and continued talking to Caleb as if the rest of them weren't there. "I will do everything I can to help you and your coven. I promise you that. But I need you to understand. I'm not asking you to admit you have a problem. I'm not your sponsor in some twelve step program. But we all know you're using. You are a victim of circumstance. You had a job to do and you did it and now you are being punished for it. I get that. But what you need to understand it that anything that comes out of your mouth is going to be useless to your coven because of it."

She thought he might pull away at the harshness of her words but he didn't. Instead she could see his eyes getting a little watery. He gave her hand the slightest squeeze, she doubted anyone else would be able to notice.

Lowering her voice, she slid a little closer to him. "I know you want to help and I will make sure I find a way for you to do that. I will not leave you feeling helpless. But the other covens have been raised being told your coven are power addicted monsters that can't control themselves or their magic. They are taught to both fear and pity you. Told that you are no better than the devil in your satanic and law-breaking ways." She squeezed his hand again and ran her thumb over the back of it. "If you go in there, looking decades older than you are, with eyes blacker than the devil's soul, they are going to take one look at you and damn you and your coven to hell."

At her words, one single tear slipped off his lash and dropped to their hands. She reached out and wiped away it's companions, gathering to run down his face. "I believe that, given time and opportunity, and maybe something really special to believe in, you could overcome thing curse. It's been done before. It just requires a different kind of power." She saw his eyes dart past her to where Aria sat before coming back to her own. "But until you find that power, really find and embrace it, I need you to take a step back. I need you to trust the rest of us. And I need you to promise that no matter how bad it gets and how hard it is to not rush forward and save the day, that you will not let this curse take you. Because there is going to be a time when we need you. And when that time comes, we need to you be strong and ready."

More tears ran down his face and she wiped them away and laid her hand against the side of his face. It was similar to what she wanted to do to Pogue but far more platonic. Because right now she couldn't give Pogue what he needed, but she felt she could at least get Caleb started down the right track.

However, knowing how raw his emotions now were, she smiled and let her hand fall. "Maybe you should get some sleep old man. We need you up early for a logistics meeting tomorrow."

He glanced once more at Aria before nodding at Branwen and heading straight up the stairs. Branwen watched him disappear before turning back to the others. All three of them gave her shocked looks.

"You broke him." Nathan said. "You fucking broke him."

She rolled her eyes but before she could respond Pogue spoke. "How?" He looked from the top of the stairs back to Branwen. "How… What did you do?"

It was clear what he meant despite his fractured words. He'd been trying to deal with Caleb's power addiction for a long time with no success.

"I stopped treating him like he's a problem."

"But he is." Aria said. Branwen could tell that her upset was more emotional than the others. Pogue loved Caleb, sure, but Aria was in love with him, whether she wanted to be or not. "He's aging more and more and he refuses to admit it's from using."

Branwen nodded. "Yes, but this whole time he's been treated like he is the problem. He's not. He has a problem. One that is likely terrifying when you've watched your father die from it as well." She looked at Pogue and saw the dark truth of that on his face. "The difference is that he might not be able to stop for himself, but he might be able to stop for the same reason he started. To protect those he loves. What he needs is not to be told that he needs to stop using or told about his problem. Whether he wants to admit it or not he knows he has one. But if every time he'd tempted to use for something, he has to stop and think that it may mean that when someone he loves is in danger, he may not be powerful enough, or even here, to protect them… that just might be a sobering enough thought to scare himself. He didn't need to be told to stop. He needed help to find a way to stop. A reason."

"And you think that's going to get him to stop using?" Nathan asked.

Slowly, Branwen shook her head. "The curse is strong. I don't know stopping is entirely and option. At least not one with a high probability."

"Then what's the point?" Aria sighed, clearly reaching emotional exhaustion.

"Because now at least he will want to. Using his powers is driven by want. Now what he wants will be the exact opposite of how he gets it. The inner conflict will decrease him using his powers, at least. It might even make him put that giant education of his to some use. We're going to need all the ideas we can come up with."

Later that night, Branwen and Aria were both lying in Branwen's bed, staring at the ceiling. Aria knew that Branwen was still awake. Despite being tired, there was just too much to think about.

"I wanted it to be me." She said. She didn't want to say it out loud. It was very selfish. But somehow saying it to the dark ceiling made it seem less so. Less shameful. "I wanted to be the reason he quit using."

"I know." Was Branwen's quiet reply.

Aria felt her eyes fill with water and tears escape down the side of her face into her hair. The stress and emotional ups and downs of the last week finally being released. Branwen reached over and took Aria's hand. Aria choked on a sob before clearing her throat. "Why couldn't it be?"

Branwen didn't say anything for a moment and Aria was afraid she had fallen asleep. Just as she was about to look over, Branwen sighed. "It still could be you. But I don't think any one person would ever be enough. I'd like to say love is enough but I think that's only something that happens in books. I think in real life we are all too complicated for one thing to fix us. Humans don't have an all in one tool to fix them."

With the mention of tools and Branwen's wistful sigh, Aria was reminded she wasn't the only one with boyfriend problems. "How did the talk with Pogue go?" Not great if Pogue demeanor when he headed to bed was any indication.

"We both know where the other stands. It doesn't change that we always seem to be on two sides of a cavern and no bridge to cross it."

"Leave it to us to find two outstandingly attractive young men who want us and oceans of problems keeping us apart."

Branwen gave a little laugh at Aria's joke. "Yeah we are just two walking relationship rain clouds."

"Maybe we should sleep through tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

It was then Aria realized there may have been a few holes they hadn't covered with Branwen earlier.

"Tomorrow is Valentines day."

There was complete silence from the other side of the bed and Aria thought she might have depressed her friend back into a coma when all of a sudden Branwen burst out in laughter. Sure is was a little manic but laughing was better than crying, right? Joining in, they laughed until there were no more tears and they were two exhausted to do anything but sleep.