Disclaimer: Sadly, The Sons of Ipswich are not mine, nor is anything else from The Covenant.

A/N: This chapter's song is –drum roll please- 'Home Sweet Home' by my favorite band out of the 80's, Motley Crue. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I really appreciate it! And there are pictures in my profile of Dee, Mel, Lux and Austin. Just click the links. And my myspace link is in there too, so if you want to add me, feel free. And also, I use the word 'crunchy' in this chapter. It's local slang used to describe Goth kids that basically live at the mall and look like they only shop in Hot Topic.

Chapter 13: Home Sweet Home

"Are you sure there were five families?" I asked Dee over the phone. I had gone into the girl's bathroom near the pool, happy to find it was empty.

"Yeah, Pope, Danvers, Simms, Parry and Garwin," Deanna confirmed the family names. Obviously, I recognized four of the names. But Pope didn't ring a bell.

"What book did you find that in?"

"Chronicles of Paganism. Your grandma let me borrow it."

"Alright, well I'm heading there at about noon. I just gotta pack some clothes."

"Okay. We can talk about it later tonight. Oh, you have four reading tonight by the way," Dee informed me.

"Not Austin, right?"

"Sorry… he was first to sign up." Damn it. Austin is this sixteen-year old mall Goth boy that is absolutely in love with me. He comes into the store almost every day to see if I'm there and gets at least two readings from me every week. He's cute and all but I'm going to be eighteen soon. And I've never really been into younger men. And he just looks way too… crunchy. He wears tons of necklaces and bracelets, has the classic Andrew Eldritch hair, black of course, and looks as though he lives, eats and breaths Hot Topic.

"Great. Alright, I'll be there in about an hour I guess."

"Bye." Dee said and hung up. I picked the stupid baby carrier up and came out of the bathroom to find Mel waiting for me while talking to a fully dressed Tyler.

"Want to go to the mall or something tonight?" Mel asked as I apporached.

"Nope. I'm going home, remember? I mean… if you want to come… there's a lot to do there."

"Uhm…" Mel looked over at Tyler and he shrugged. "I ithnk I'll pass this time. It's too shitty and rainy today."

"Yeah… alright well-"

"Hey!" The walking blonde disaster interuppted as he cam out of the locker room. Oh boy. Shirtless, wet hair… a few water drops in his chest. I had togulp and look away. Indecent thoughts.

"Hi Reid," Mel greeted him. He took the towel that was draped aroun his neck and whipped my ass with it.

I jumped forward and yelped. "Douche!"

He just smirked and rubbed his hands together. "So ladies, what's on the agenda?"

"I'm heading home for the weekend. Oh yeah, do you want me to take the baby with me?"

"What? Why are you going home?" Reid demanded. He looked a little disappointed.

"Cause I have some things to do. Readings, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah. Take the baby. Guess I can go to Nicky's and empty Aaron's pockets," he muttered, not looking too excited about it.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," I said, walking off with the baby back towards the dorms.

I was in my room pcking stuff when there was a knock on my door. I opened it and found a , now fully clothed Reid, rubbing the back of his neck and looking… uncomfortable.

"Are you alright?" I asked him curiously, letting him in.

"Huh? Yeah… I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes! I'm fine!" he snppaed.

"Alright, relax… I was just asking."

"Sorry…" he mumbled and sat on my bed while I put some clothes in my bag.

"Is there a reason you're here?" I asked after a while of silence. He just shrugged and tapped at his chin.

"Would you be completely opposed to me coming down to Salem tomorrow morning?" he asked a minute later. That took me aback.

"Um.. no… but why?"

Again, he shrugged. "Thought maybe you could show me around." I smiled. Was he actually making some sort of effort to spend time with me? "Plus… we're both supposed to take care of that doll."

"Alright. I'll probably be at the store when you get into Salem, but I don't have to stay. So sure." I got a pen and some paper and scribbled something down.

'Crow Haven Corner - 125 Essex St'

I handed him the paper and he took it. "You shouldn't have any trouble finding it, but if you do, just ask someone in a shop or something. They'll know where it is."

He… smiled? I couldn't tell. It wasn't exactly a smirk, but not really a smile either. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow I guess." Reid stood up and looked at me, hand on his chin yet again. This was… awkward for some reason. I didn't have time to contemplate why it was awkward since Reid decided to erase the awkwardness.

He grabbed my hand and pulled so I went forward towards him and kissed me lightly. One hand came up to my face and the other rested on the small of my back. Here we go again with the… cunfusing situation. I'm too scared to bring it up with him though. I don't know why.

He licked and my lower lip and I let him advance the kiss from innocent to tempting. His hands bbegan to travel underneath my tank top, but then out again. He was teasing me. Finally he decided to keep them under my shirt and lift it right underneath my boobs. Okay… this is bad. I need to stop this. I have to leave. It's already a few minutes past noon.

"Reid… I need to go," I said, putting my hands on his chest and pushing him back a step. He licked his lips and sighed, then ran his hands over his hair and face.

"Yeah… yeah I know. Maybe… tommorrow?" he asked, giving me his best innocent pleading look, but it ended up looking like a smirk. I rolled my eyes and pushed him out my door.

"Bye Reid."

"They have to have powers Dee," I said to Deanna as we sat in the back room of the store. We were looking through the book my grandma had given her, The Chronicles of Paganism

"What if it's just crap though? You can't very well… ask them, you know?" she stated.

"Yeah I know. I'll just have to… catch them in the act I guess."

"Okay, we'll worry about this later. Now tell me about this Reid fellow," she grinned, eager to hear more of what little information I had filled her in on about my interesting… 'relationship' with one of the descendents of the five families mentioned in the book we just read.

"God, I don't even know Dee. He's driving me… crazy! This morning he made a big scene at the pool. He kissed me in front of everyone there. But that's not even what's bothering me. I said I didn't want the guys from the rival team to think I was taken by giving Reid a good luck kiss, and he said 'Well I do.' What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I demanded to know.

"Obviously he likes you."

"No Dee… you don't get it. Reid never, and I mean never has genuinely liked a girl."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Relationships are not his thing at all. I mean, I've never seen him with the same girl more than once unless one night she was all over him and the next she was slapping him in the face." Dee laughed.

"Well it sounds to me like maybe you've tamed the beast."

"Fat chance. He's coming tomorrow." Dee looked curiously at me.

"Here?"

"Yeah." She grinned.

"So he's driving all the way from school tomorrow just to see you?"

"Doubt it, he's probably taking a bus. I don't think he has a car. At least not at school."

"Still."

"Oh God," I sighed as the front bells rang. Five thirty on the dot. I knew who I was going to see in front of me.

"Hey Lux!" a deep voice said, leaning against the counter. Whoa! When did Austin get a deep voice and… hot?

"Wow! Hey Austin! You look… different." I haven't seen him in almost two months. Before I left for school, his parents and he had been on vacation for a month. Well puberty sure was good to him. His voice was much deeper, facial features more defined, taller, hair longer, and even a little more built. Not bad. Maybe I'll give younger guys a shot.

Austin gave me a crooked smile and ran a hand through his now chin length black hair. "Yeah? Is it good different, or bad different?"

"Good. Definitely good."

"Heh, that's cool then. Ready?" he asked and I nodded, grabbing my box with cards and what not in it from behind the counter. Austin led the way to the back and I nudged Dee in the ribs.

"Ouch!" she hissed.

"Why didn't you tell me he came back looking like that?" I whispered. She just shrugged and continued sorting insence packs. I took a breath and went into the back where I found Austin sitting and waiting, studying the chipped black paint of his fingernails. He smiled when he saw me and I sat across from him.

"So… how's school?" I asked as I started sorting my things.

"Eh… as good as it'll get I guess," he chuckled. I can't get over how… grown up he looks. "How's Spenser?"

"Fine. Did you see that stupid doll in the other room?" He nodded. "I have to take care of it for home ec. It cries all the time. It's so annoying. I have to bring it to class and everything."

"The other teachers must love that."

"I know." I set up a Celtic cross reading for him. It came out the way it usually did. His readings were pretty much always the same. I don't know why he even bothers coming anymore.

"Alright well… that's it for today." I said, putting my things away and standing up. Austin got up too. I decided to just leave my thing on the table since I had more readings. I went to walk out of the back room, but Austin grabbed my hand.

"Wait!" he stopped me. I looked at him expectantly and was a little nervous by the way he was looking at me. He leaned in quickly, cupping my face in his hands and kissed me roughly. Oh my God! What is the deal with guys doing this?

No… better question… what is the deal with me letting it happen? God I'm a sucker for a pretty face.