Hello my darlings :P xx I am sorry for the long delay but we all know how Christmas and New Years get, right? Thanks for being so patient :) please review...

Evelyn sighed and looked away from her daughter. Summer's eyes welled with angry tears and her face stayed sour. She sat in her chair and went to unstopper her whiskey bottle. Summer's sword free hand stopped her. Evelyn reluctantly retracted her hand. She crossed her legs and turned away. Summer scowled.

"Tell me!" she demanded in a harsh whisper. Her mothers head turned slightly at her voice, but she still didn't look at her.

"The reason your father eventually told me about his powers was because he found out my mother had the same powers you do." she started. Summer shed an angry tear.

"I've been terrified of what I could do for 3 years and you're telling me this now? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Summer sneered. Her mother sighed again and made for her whisky bottle. Summer moved it out of her reach and shook her head at her mother sternly. Her left hand gripped the hilt of the sword tightly. She didn't move but her neck flexed impatiently. She supposed she always had been recklessly impulsive.

"I was afraid that if you knew that you would use your powers a lot more because you knew it would be safe for you. They're not safe. And I thought that as long as you were afraid of them, the longer you would refrain from using them and you would have a better life." he mother explained. Summer couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only had her mother known that she had these powers, she wanted her to be afraid of them? This was outrageous.

"What! Better life? A better life than what? I've been turned into this damaged introvert who got shipped away from her family because my parents had enough to deal with. For so long I've tried to hide what I've been feeling but honestly, I just cant do that any more. I don't know what I did to deserve second best! You give Caleb everything and you send me away? Why? To stop him from being like dad? While you leave me to fend for myself. I wouldn't see you ever doing that to Caleb. Why the different medicines for the same treatment, mom?" Summer finished her rant by crossing her arms across her chest and leaning on one leg, everyone could notice the slight glimmer of tears in her eyes but no one said anything; they were stunned into silence. Evelyn sneered at the floor in her seat, unable to look up. She made yet another reach for the whiskey bottle but Summer snapped. She grabbed the whiskey bottle, turned as the others divided to form a space. Summer threw the bottle through the gap and into the fireplace. It smashed and the flames momentarily flared up before retreating again. Everyone looked terrified and shocked as Summer turned back to her now fuming mother.

"I had no choice. I couldn't take care of two children. My life was falling apart." she said harshly.

"So you send a little girl away rather than an older boy who could more easily defend himself. And not to mention he KNEW what he could do!"

"I never understood you, Summer. Caleb is me, he's happy with what he gets. You are your fathers child, I could never raise someone like that again, like I did your father."

"Someone like what?"

"Someone who always contradicts. Someone who always has that determination and stamina to get just what they want and not be able to deal with the consequences. Someone who is hell-bent on doing one thing and doesn't stop until it's too late." Evelyn finished her fit in tears but Summer seemed unhindered.

"Oh, I think that time away really erased me from your memory, mom. I'm nothing like that. Sure, I'm more like dad then I am you but I know my limits. And that is something I learned to do alone with absolutely no help from you or dad." Summer cried. Evelyn reached for the last full glass of whiskey that had been on the tray with the empty glasses and the bottle.

"It was the only way. I was scared. It was the fear that-" as Evelyn raised the glass to her lips, Summer snatched it away.

"It's not fear, it THIS!" she roared, squeezing the glass so hard it shattered it her hand.

"Alcohol is not your friend, mom. It can't be your crutch forever. And you're addicted to it! And you have too much pride to admit it. You can waste your time squandering away in this chair blaming me and dad for the way you ended up all your life if you want to but that isn't gonna change the fact that you are a pitiful, selfish alcoholic and if you won't stop it, don't expect me to stop it for you. If you want to drink yourself to death, so be it." she snarled the last bit darkly before leaving, sword still in her grip. The others heard the door slam above them as Summer shut herself in again. The clock said that it was half past eleven as they all dispersed out of the room in groups. Kate and Sarah went to the kitchen. Tyler and Pogue went outside and Caleb and Reid stayed outside the room. They looked at one another awkwardly a few times before Caleb broke the silence.

"Look, I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Reid asked, staring at the floor. Caleb sighed. It took all his might to get that out, let alone having to go deeper.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten so mad about what Aaron said-" Reid cut him off.

"Asswipe." he muttered. Caleb knew he was referring to Aaron.

"Anyway, I'm sorry I hurt you. I was just trying to protect my sister because I want what's best for her. I just didn't want you to hurt her. But it looks like I was the one that ended up doing that." Caleb sighed again, looking away.

"No, you didn't." Reid assured him, daring to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, Reid, I did. I just know how you are with girls. I know Summer can take care of herself but still, she's my sister, you know?" Caleb said.

"C'mon, you really think I'd have the balls to mess with Summer?" Reid said, causing Caleb to chuckle, "After what she did to that bully when she was 13? I don't think so."

Both brothers shared a friendly hug as Reid braced himself and made for the stairs. Caleb called him back for a moment.

"Hey, Reid." he called, Reid turned his head.

"Yeah."

"Happy Birthday. For in a few hours, I mean." Caleb smiled. Reid returned with his signature smirk, which Caleb was surprisingly grateful to see, before turning and continuing up the stairs to Summer's room.

The was a sharp tap on the door of Summer's room as she cried of the window seat. She tried to relax her gasping and called out.

"Go away." Reid could sense the shakiness of her voice through the door. Summer felt a whoosh and a gust of wind on her back as someone materialised behind her. She closed her eyes, hoping that it would us go away. But the someone crawled across the bed towards the window seat where Summer sat, feet dangling out of the open window. Summer felt a warm hand on her should as the new comer sat next to her in the same position. She dared to open er chocolate eyes and saw Reid sitting there.

"Reid..." she mumbled his name softly. He looked down on her, meeting her chocolate eyes. She looked restless and sleep deprived but she was still beautiful.

"About what you said down there-" he began but Summer cut across him.

"I meant every word of it and I'm not gonna apologize for the truth." she muttered sternly.

"And no one is asking you to, it's just, some of the stuff you actually made sense and I feel bad for you." Reid said, wrapping an arm cautiously around her shoulders. She snuggled her face into his neck. For a while they didn't say anything, then Summer remembered something.

"Reid, you know what you told me?" she asked.

"What did I tell you?" he said, although he already knew.

"You told me you loved me." she said, and all went silent again.

"Yeah," he muttered, "and I meant it."

"I know." Summer whispered. Her breath leaving a hot trail on his neck.

"I told you, if you don't feel the same it's OK." Reid told her. He felt Summer shake her head into the crook of his neck.

"What I was trying to tell you in the car, before we got knocked off of the road. I was going to say I love you too." Summer said, pulling away and looking into his eyes. Reid couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Say something." Summer smiled.

"The only thing I can say now is that I'm the happiest man alive." Summer giggled again and leaned in, capturing his lips. He hung on to the moment, not wanting it to end. When she pulled back, she kept her eyes closed and kept her head against his.

"I love you." she whispered, a happy tear sliding down her cheek.

"I love you." he murmured back. Summer looked over his shoulder as she heard the clock strike midnight.

"Happy Birthday, Reid." she said. He smirked at her and wrapped her up in his arms.

"Not yet." he replied. He knew that he wouldn't ascend for a few hours. They looked out of the window on into the night.