Chapter 22:

-

That night seemed to last forever. Caleb came home to his empty house, his heart feeling just as vacant as this gloomy manor. His friends all agreed to stay at the Danvers Mansion with him until further notice. None of them really wanted to be alone anyway, especially Tyler, who dreaded that empty dorm room more than anything. More specifically, that horrid unoccupied bed across from his. He had been staying with Caleb anyway, so it wasn't too much of a stretch for either of them.

Caleb started out his large bedroom window, sighing heavily in despair. The world seemed so different tonight, and he doubted it would ever look the same again. He blamed himself because there was nowhere else to put the blame. If only he had done something.

Tyler and the girls all took guest rooms, but Pogue, fearing for Caleb's well being, felt it best to keep an eye on him.

Caleb suppressed his spinning thoughts and got into bed, but they refused to be silenced.

"Hey, Pogue," Caleb asked his friend seriously through the darkness. "There's something I've been meaning to ask…"

"You want to know how I found out about your mom being the entity," Pogue finished for him.

Caleb paused.

"Well, yeah."

"I found it in the Chronicles history. Said the mother of the head of the Covenant would be the entity. I assumed that Putnam was the head, because of what the Book of Damnation implies. When I went to ask her about it, she made me swear not to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Caleb pressed.

"Because Putnam was the head of the Covenant," Pogue replied. "After your father went under, your mom told me she went with Pope for a while. No one ever found out about it. She said… she gave the firstborn to the Putnam and the Danvers line."

Caleb was frozen in surprise, and Pogue turned on his couchside lamp to see if Caleb was alright. He gazed across the room in concern.

"She didn't want to tell you…" Pogue went on to explain. "That you and Chase are half-brothers. She didn't know how you'd take it all, especially after everything that's happened…"

Caleb went wide-eyed at this information and didn't speak for many moments. Pogue sat up to see his friend better.

"Are you alright?" he asked with unease.

Caleb never answered.

-

The next morning, Caleb, Pogue, Tyler, Sarah, Kate and Elle all received their diplomas on the quad of Spenser academy, and through all the smiling and proud faces around them, theirs only expressed grief and sorrow.

Pogue and Tyler almost felt guilty that their mother's had shown, while Caleb only had Sarah left to cheer him on. But an even more horrible sight than that came through the faces in the crowd, one all three boys recognized, though their hearts tore when their eyes fell upon her.

It was Meredith Garwin.

She had finally shown up for her boy, black sunglasses over her gray eyes and a black scarf over her curly blond hair. The worst part of it was, she appeared to be searching the crowd for her boy; though he, of course, was nowhere to be found.

"Who's going to tell her?" Pogue asked the other boys. Caleb stepped forward to go, but Tyler put up his arm to stop him.

"No, let me," he said bravely. "I want to be the one to do it."

Caleb nodded him off, and Tyler slowly went up to Mrs. Garwin. His body language was very clear when he spoke, and even though they couldn't hear him it was very obvious what his words were. All too quickly Mrs. Garwin burst out into tears and crumbled to her knees, much to the confusion of the celebrating students around her.

"Mr. Danvers," interrupted a voice Caleb was now beginning to know personally. He turned to face Caroline, as she went on: "My condolences for the Garwin boy. I know he meant a lot to you three."

Caleb gulped, glancing at the crying Meredith Garwin, and couldn't find the words to reply.

"I have the results of the committee meeting last night--" Caroline went on.

"Please," Caleb shook his head apologetically at the blond woman. "I can't take any more bad news, I'm sorry--"

"—They asked me which recommendation I wanted to give, and I assumed you wanted Harvard? Please, correct me if I'm mistaken."

Caleb jerked his head up with surprise and stared in stunned confusion. After a moment, his tense face relaxed into a grin.

"No…" he breathed gladly. "You're not mistaken at all…"

She smiled back.

"I thought not… Congratulations, boys. Hopefully, we won't be seeing any more of each other."

"Here's hoping," Pogue agreed.

On that note, she started off, leaving the boys to finish their day.

"Ms. Caroline!" Caleb called after her. She stopped to look back.

"Thank you," he said in all sincerity.

She nodded and smiled once more in reassurance, then walked off beyond sight…

-

END CREDITS – To song: It's Been a While – by Staind

CAST:

CALEB DANVERS - Steven Strait
CHASE COLLINS - Sebastian Stan
POGUE PARRY - Taylor Kitsch
SARAH WENHAM - Laura Ramsey
TYLER SIMS - Chace Crawford
REID GARWIN - Toby Hemingway
ELLE BISHOP – Brice Dallas Howard
KATE TUNNEY - Jessica Lucas
EVELYN DANVERS - Wendy Crewson
CAROLINE BROOKE – Diane Kruger
WILLIAM BISHOP – Anthony Hopkins
MEREDITH GARWIN – Daryl Hannah
BEATRICE PARRY – Brooke Shields
ROSIE SIMS – Nancy Rhee
AARON ABBOTT – Kyle Schmid
PROVOST HIGGINS – Kenneth Welsh
KIRA SNIDER – Sarah Smyth
NICKY THE BARTENDER – Jean-Loup Yale
SARGEANT SOBEL – Richard Zeman
OFFICER REEVE – Larry Day
REID'S INTERROGATOR – Christopher Meloni
POGUE'S INTERROGATOR – John Goodman
SECURITY GUARD – Charles Papasoff
AARON'S LACKIES – Trevor Davis, Bobby Pena, Joey Pena


DIRECTED BY:
RedRogue

A Brainstorm Entertainment production

-

Bonus scene:
Down a dark hall and through a pair of heavy double doors, the mortician and his assistants pushed the long stretchers into the cold, gray room. All had tags on their pale, lifeless feet and sheets over the rest of their naked bodies. One of the assistants led the older woman away to prepare for some high-paying funeral, while the immediate FBI ordered autopsy was in the future of the younger boy.

The white-haired mortician pulled back the sheet of the boy. His cause of death was a mystery; one the doctor couldn't wait to unravel. Though the blond was badly injured, there was nothing large enough for the cause of death for this young witch boy who had been splattered all over the news the past few weeks.

Sighing in preparation of a long night ahead, he turned his back to the boy to gather his tools.

It was just long enough for him to miss it… as the boy's chest rose and fell in slow breathing, and the edges of his mouth twitching upward ever so slightly…

-

END

-

Final thoughts wanted. Soundtrack list on the next chapter.
Signed,
--RedRogue
PS. Special thanks to Draco'sSecretLover, Crikes, naturelle, bigamericanflirt, Fredsonetrueluv, scarletwithak, Pollypocket911, twotoe, prettybeka, Mrs.St.JohnAllerdyce, Marah, ElizabethxAnne, bajan-martini, and Shadeslayer390, who all have been reviewing more or less from the beginning and/or supported me all the way. This story is now satisfyingly COMPLETE because of all of your encouragement.