Chapter 6
James Brewer left Nicky's right after he saw the blonde girl. He got into his sixty-five mustang convertible that his brothers had helped him restore, and headed home. Home was his grandparents place. They'd raised him and his brothers Nathan, and Devin since their parents had been murdered, and his sister had disappeared. He pulled up to the three story mansion on the outskirts of Ipswich, and hurried toward the house. It was freezing out and he huddled into his coat. He let himself into the house stopping long enough to greet his grandparents, before asking where his brothers were. They we're in the garage as usual.
Devin Brewer straightened up from under the engine of the car he had been working on and stretched a little. He accepted the beer his brother Nathan was handing him. The door opening caught their attention.
"Hey James." Nathan greeted him. "Have fun with you're friends at Nicky's?"
"Yes." He said. "Do you think Tabitha is still alive?"
Devin dropped the wrench he had just picked up.
"What brought that on?" Nathan asked.
"There was this girl at Nicky's tonight. I saw her and thought I was seeing a ghost. She looks just like mom!" He rushed on.
Nathan looked at Devin who had grease all over his face, and took a swig of beer. "I don't know James. It could be possible."
"Did you talk to her?" Devin asked pushing a stray piece of hair behind his ear that had come out of his ponytail.
"No." He said disappointed. "She left before I could."
"Didn't go chasing after a ghost?" Devin teased.
Nathan gave him a dirty look. "I believe you James. It's definitely something to look into!"
James shook his head in agreement. Devin dove back under the hood, and Nathan went back to the door he had been painting. James shed his coat and went back to what he had been working on earlier.
Caleb looked incredulously at Reid who had just told them about Aaron and the note.
"Tyler let me see the picture." Caleb said.
Tyler glared at him.
"Let him see it Tyler." Reid spoke up.
Tyler reluctantly handed it to him. Caleb studied the picture. He frowned noticing where it had been taken.
"When has Aaron been to the Downings home?" He asked.
"What?" Pogue asked jumping up and walking around the stone alter to look at the picture. "That's Raven's bathroom at home."
"The big question though is how in the hell did Aaron get powers? Surely it's not Chase." Reid said.
Caleb sighed handing the picture back to Tyler who had been quiet all this time. "Tyler?"
Tyler looked up at Caleb from the picture. His thoughts we're on Raven, and how he was going to break this to her.
"You all right?" Pogue asked fingering his necklace of the power of four.
Sorrow and pain shot through him when he touched it. He let go of it abruptly. 'What the hell was that?' He thought, before putting his hand back on it. His hand circled around the birthstone, and it was like he was transported to Raven's side.
He surveyed the scene before him. Rade was holding a sobbing Raven in his arms on his bed. Rayne was pacing between them, and Vincent, Marcus, and Michael. He saw Vincent putting some pictures back in an envelope. The scene was dissipating before his eyes though as Raven's torment was becoming too much for him to handle. He broke contact with the necklace, falling to his knees on the cold, hard, stone floor of the Danver's old Colony home gasping for breath.
"Pogue?" Caleb cried at his side.
He looked up to see Caleb, Reid, and Tyler by his side holding onto him, as he caught his breath. He avoided Tyler's eyes. He couldn't tell him about what he'd seen.
"What happened?" Reid asked. "Where'd you get that necklace? I've never seen it before."
Pogue quickly shoved it back under his shirt. "It's nothing. I'm fine." Pogue wondered if he could tell them about the power of four. "Just had some stomach pain." He lied.
His brothers knew he was lying to them, and keeping secrets. They knew he'd tell them in time though, so they let it go.
"We should probably head to lunch." Marcus said breaking an eerie silence.
Raven had stopped crying a short time before. She kept her head buried in Rade's shoulder though.
"You guys go on ahead." Rayne said meeting Rade's eyes.
"If you need anything just call." Vincent said getting up and grabbing his bag.
Rayne nodded locking the door behind the other three as they left. He turned back to his siblings, and walked over and sat down beside Raven on the edge of the bed. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"Look at me Raven." Rayne said.
Raven stayed where she was. "I know you're awake Raven please look at me."
Raven turned her head a little, but her hair fell over her face. He'd saw her tear stained face though, and he reached over pulling her hair back, and he caressed her cheek.
"It's going to be all right sis. We're not going to let Aaron get near you! Just make sure you're with one of us at all times or a son of Ipswich. Never go anywhere alone. Hell I hate to say this, but maybe you better stay with Tyler at night, or with Rade and Vincent I guess. Or we could all go home." He said.
"I don't' want to be afraid though all the time." She said and tears started to fall again. "He was watching me and I didn't even know it."
Rayne sighed. "It's not going to happen again! Now come here, let me hold you." He said.
Raven sat up, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. Rade sat up in bed, and rubbed her back. She felt safe right now, and wanted to stay that way. They stayed that way till Rade's stomach growled letting them know it was past lunch time.
"Let's go to town and get something to eat." Rayne said.
"Let me find some pants." Rade said jumping up.
"Why are you just wearing you're boxers little brother?" Rayne asked.
"I am sorry Rade." Raven spoke up them, trying not to laugh.
"No problem sis. She threw up on me." He explained.
Rayne smiled a little. He stood up pulling Raven to her feet also, and they headed toward the door. He put his arm around her for comfort.
"Hey! Wait on me!" Rade said hopping on one foot trying to get into his jeans. He finally got them on, and hurried after them.
They went to a small diner in Ipswich and ate, enjoying their time together. An hour later they headed back to school, getting there shortly before classes were to let out. Rayne hugged Raven, before he left to go to swim practice. Rade walked Raven to her dorm, before going to practice also.
"You sure you'll be all right?" He asked uncertain.
"Yes. I'll lock the door behind me. Lizzie will be here soon." She said as he hugged her.
"Call me if you need me." He said walking away.
Raven walked into the dorm room she shared with her cousin Lizette, hoping she was there. She needed to talk. Jerelyn hadn't been there for all that had gone on the past few months, where Lizette had. Honestly though, she didn't know what dorm room Jerelyn was in.
She sighed looking around seeing Lizette wasn't there. She plopped down on her bed thinking about Tyler. She thought about last night and how wonderful it had been. Smiling she got up and went over to her desk. Her stomach lurched before she got there, and she ran to the bathroom.
A few minutes later she came out white as a sheet, and still not feeling very good. She lay back down on her bed wishing Lizette was around, and dozed off waiting on her to come back to the room.
Lizette returned from the library shortly after school let out. She was supposed to meet Reid in the parking lot in 30 minutes, but she needed to put her books down and change out of her school clothes first.
Entering the room, she saw Raven asleep on the bed. 'Strange,' she thought. 'It's the middle of the afternoon!'
Lizette put her books down on her desk and opened her little closet. She picked out a pair of low-rise jeans that she knew Reid liked and an emerald green tank. She tied her hair back in a quick, messy ponytail and then went into the bathroom to change.
Coming out, she looked at the clock on the bedside table. Still 15 minutes before she had to be in the parking lot, so she pulled a book out of the pile. She was right in the middle of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, in the part where Harry was about to face his first task, the dragons.
She read a chapter, then scribbled a quick note to Raven and headed for the parking lot.
Raven woke up a few hours later, and groggily looked around. 'Shit' she thought looking at the clock. She was supposed to have met Tyler an hour ago. She reached for her cell phone and saw she had half a dozen missed calls, four of them from Tyler.
She tried calling him back, but just got his voice mail. It was dark out, and she vaguely wondered where Lizette was, before seeing the note she left her. She got up throwing her coat on, and hurried up to Tyler's dorm. She knocked on the door, but nobody answered.
She went back to her room, took off her coat and sat at her desk, checked her email, and then started studying, every once in awhile trying to call Tyler. She felt a little hungry, but her stomach was still upset, so she didn't think she'd better try eating. Wasn't long before she was running back to the bathroom.
Lizette sat at a table in Nicky's, watching Reid. Impatiently, she tapped her fingers against the table. Reid had wanted to come here after they had dinner, and, as usual, had bet someone he could beat them in pool. He was now in the middle of his sixth game, and Lizette was tired of it all. It's not like it was a fair bet to begin with. Reid always won.
Just then, Tyler walked in, scanned the crowd, and spoke to Reid for a moment. They both came over to her and asked if she'd seen Raven. Apparently, Raven was supposed to meet Tyler and never showed, nor answered her phone, and no one answered the door when he stopped by their dorm. Lizette told them about Raven sleeping when she left, and pulled out her cell. She tried to call, got no answer, and decided to just call it a night and go back to the dorm. She could tell Reid was disappointed, but he drove her back.
She opened the door to her dorm room and found Raven was awake now. "Hey, Raven. We tried to call." Lizette dropped her purse and jacket on her desk chair and sat on her bed.
"Hi Lizzie. I wasn't feeling too good and fell asleep. Must be the 24 hour bug or something. I tried calling Tyler, but couldn't get him. I was supposed to meet him earlier, slept through it." She said feeling sick again.
She picked her phone up looking at it and saw she had a few more missed calls. Looking closer she saw it was on low ring, and with her Rob Zombie music on she hadn't heard it.
"Did you see Tyler?" She asked looking back at Lizette.
"Yeah. He came into Nicky's and asked if we'd seen you. I told him last I saw you, you were taken a nap, and when he said you were supposed to meet him, I got a little worried and asked Reid to bring me back. With all that's been going on, I wanted to make sure you were okay."
Lizette slipped her shoes off and stowed them under the bed, then brought her legs up and sat Indian-style. "You think you need to go see a doctor or anything? You might need antibiotics or something."
"No I'll be fine Lizzie." Raven said even though her stomach was rolling. "Was Tyler going back to his room?"
She should either get him on the phone or go to his room and explain. Raven got up from her desk though and went and lay down on her bed.
Lizzie watched Raven's face pale as she walked over and laid on her bed. "I'm not sure if Tyler went straight back to his dorm or not. If you called him, I'm sure he'd answer. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Could you call Tyler for me?" Raven asked Lizette as she jumped up and ran to the bathroom.
Raven only had the dry heaves this time. She hated getting sick. She sat down on the floor and put her forehead against the cool wall. She was exhausted, and didn't feel like getting up and going to her bed.
Lizette grabbed her cell and called Reid. He picked up on the third ring. "Hey Becky, miss me?"
Lizette giggled a little, and then said, "You know it, but hey, is Tyler with you?"
"Yeah. We're upstairs, why?"
"Raven needs him. I think there's something wrong with her. She's sick. Will you tell him to come down?"
Reid said he would, and they hung up. Lizette walked over and knocked lightly on the closed bathroom door. "Rave? Tyler's on his way."
"Thanks." Raven said hoping Lizette would hear her. She was so tired, and was trying not to fall asleep. Hell she shouldn't be tired, she'd slept most of the evening.
Lizette barely heard Raven's reply, but before she could say anything back, there was a loud knock at the door. She opened it to find both Tyler and Reid standing there, looking a little winded.
"Geez, did you guys sprint all the way here?" Reid grinned and pulled her to his side, and Tyler stepped in, scanning the room for his girlfriend.
"She's in the bathroom," Lizette told him. "And you tell her that she should go to the campus clinic. She's throwing up and it's totally not like her to sleep all afternoon."
Tyler hurried to the bathroom door, barely knocking as he went in. He frowned seeing Raven sitting on the floor, leaning her forehead against the wall. She was pale as a ghost, and he hurried to her side.
"Raven?" He pulled her into his arms. "Are you all right baby?"
Raven fought to keep her eyes open. "Don't feel good."
He picked her up in his arms, carrying her out of the bathroom.
"I'm going to take her to the clinic now." He told Lizette and Reid. "I suppose one of you better call Rade and let him know what's going on, or he'll kill me later for not calling him."
"We're coming with you!" Lizette called as Tyler walked out the door. She pulled her gym shoes on without untying them and Reid pulled his phone from his pocket. He made the call to Rade as they ran down the stairs after Tyler. They caught up to him outside, and the four of them crossed campus to the clinic, which was, fortunately, open all night.
Lizette shivered as they passed close to a grove of trees and Reid wrapped his arm around her. It would've helped if she was cold, but she had shivered because she suddenly had the feeling that something big was about to happen.
Rade hung up his phone from talking to Reid. He frowned looking at Vincent.
"What's up?" Vincent asked from where he lay on his bed in their dorm room.
"Raven's sick, Tyler's taking her over to the clinic. I better head over there." He said getting up from his desk, and leaving the dorm room.
"I'm coming with you." Vincent said jumping up and grabbing his coat, and following Rade out the door.
Lizette sat on Reid's lap as they waited for the nurse to finish talking with Raven. When they arrived, they allowed Tyler to carry Raven back, and they asked Lizette a few questions, but then made them sit in the waiting room while they spoke to Raven alone.
That had been about 15 minutes ago, and they were still waiting. Tyler was pacing back and forth, pulling at the frayed edges of his shirt sleeve.
It was quiet, and Lizette could make out the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway. The door opened, but not the one she was hoping for. This was the door that led to the lobby, and it was Rade that entered.
"What's wrong with her Simms?" Rade asked as he walked through the door, with Vincent behind him.
Tyler stopped his pacing long enough to explain to his girlfriends, twin brother. "She's been throwing up, and she must of fallen asleep after classes today, and she didn't show up to meet me as planned earlier. Lizzie called and told me that she was sick. I brought her here." He continued his nervous pacing.
Rade glared at Tyler, before taking a seat. He was still pissed at Tyler cause of what happened at Pogue's party.
Vincent idly looked over the magazines in a rack, before choosing sports illustrated, and sitting down beside Rade. Rade looked at him shaking his head. Leave it to Vincent to find the swimsuit issue.
Ten minutes later, Rade was ready to bust the door down and find out what was wrong with his twin. He got up to go do just that, when a nurse came out from the back room.
"How is she?" He asked.
"You are who?" The nurse asked.
"Raven's twin brother." Rade said.
"You're sister is going to be just fine. She'll need a few medications and vitamins to help with the pregnancy. Especially the morning sickness. We're going to keep her over night though. Poor girl's been through enough today." She said hurrying back to Raven.
Tyler's knees gave out on him, and he sat down hard in a chair. He was going to be a father. It was a lot to take in. Rade shocked at first felt the anger course through him, and he lashed out at Tyler.
"God damn you Simms!" He hit Tyler bloodying his nose.
Vincent caught his arm, before he could hit Tyler again.
Rayne sunk the last ball into a hole winning again. He smirked at Michael.
"Ready to go again?" He asked.
Michael grimaced.
"Not really. You've kicked my ass enough tonight." He said looking toward the other pool table when someone cried out.
He glared at Aaron Abbot standing there like he was a god. He laid his cue stick down on the table and started toward him.
"Don't." Rayne said catching Michael. "Ignore him. You don't know how bad I want to kill him right now, but not here, not now!"
He looked over at Aaron who smiled at him nodding his head. He thought of Raven and what she'd went through today. He controlled himself though pushing Michael back over to where Marcus was sitting with Chandler and Ryder.
Michael let himself be pushed away from Aaron. He knew how bad he felt, but shit what was Rayne thinking about all of this. Raven was his sister. He looked at the others at the table. He idly wondered if Rayne had told Ryder about today yet.
"You tell Ryder yet?" He muttered under his breath to Rayne.
"No. I don't relish getting it from Rowan for letting Ryder go to jail for killing Abbot." He sighed looking at his brother who was laughing at something Chandler said.
His thoughts drifted to Raven as he sat down at the table. He wondered how she was doing tonight. She hadn't been very good when he'd left her with Rade this afternoon. He looked up to see Damien and Matthew join them at the table.
"Where have you guys been?" He asked them.
Matthew sat down at the table and leaned over to his brother Michael and Rayne. "You see that girl up at the bar?"
He waited till they looked, then he showed them a piece of paper.
"Got her name and number." He smiled shoving it in his pocket thinking he hoped he remembered to get it out when he got home, before his mom washed it in his jeans.
"I waited on him forever to get finished with the lip lock he had with her, thought he was never going to come up for air. Didn't think he'd be sitting here either, figured he'd be in the backseat of his car by now!" Damien said grinning, elbowing Matthew in the ribs good naturedly.
Ryder laughed along with the others, but suddenly something was nagging at him in the back of his mind something was wrong. He wondered with who. He hated when he got this feeling. He'd had it this morning also. What that was about he still didn't know.
"Anyone checked in with the kids tonight?" He asked. "I'm surprised there not here."
Rayne glanced at Michael and Marcus before replying. "Yea we saw them earlier today. Haven't seen them since school got out though. Lizzie was here earlier with Reid, and Tyler showed up for a few minutes though."
Damien had caught the look that Rayne had shot his brother and Michael. He wondered what was up, but he'd wait till he got Marcus alone later to ask him.
"Vincent's probably got himself into some trouble as usual. Or if it isn't him it's Rayne." He said grinning. "The both of them together is trouble with a capital T!"
"That's an understatement!" Marcus laughed. "Just yesterday they got detention for doing something in one of their classes."
Michael hadn't been paying much attention to the talk at the table. He was keeping his eye on Aaron who suddenly looked up and grinned at him. His eyes turned black, and Michael's chair went flying backwards. Michael was so shocked he didn't catch himself, and he blacked out at his head hit the floor hard.
"Michael!" Matthew cried jumping up and running around the table to where his brother lay on the floor. He shivered having felt the power being used. He fell to his knees beside his brother, and was shocked when he fell in blood. He noticed the blood then pouring from his brother's head. A puddle of it had already formed.
"Call an ambulance!" He cried.
Ryder looked toward the direction he had felt the power come from, but all he saw was Aaron Abbot and his buddies laughing and pointing this way. He stood up and looked down at Michael on the floor.
Damien was already calling an ambulance, so he pulled out his phone and called Sloan. He grimaced looking down at Michael on the floor and all the blood as he waited for Sloan to pick up the phone.
Sloan groaned as his phone rang on the bedside table. He had just gotten started with his girlfriend. He grabbed his phone looking at the caller id. He frowned seeing it was Ryder. He'd told Ryder earlier where he was going to be.
"Hello?" He answered a little out of breath.
"Hey man sorry to bother you, but something's happened. It's Michael. Damien called an ambulance. Meet us at the hospital." Ryder said.
"What happened? How bad is he hurt?" He asked frantically grabbing for his jeans, and trying to put them on with one hand.
"Someone used on him. He's bleeding pretty bad from a head wound. Just meet us there ok." Ryder said seeing the emt's enter the building. "The ambulance is here."
"Why the hell didn't you just heal him?" Sloan asked his anger taking over with the worry. "How much blood has he lost?"
He turned back to his girlfriend. "Sorry baby but Michael's been hurt I've got to go." He gave her a quick kiss pulling his shirt on, which was awkward holding the phone, and bolted for his car.
"Too many people. Hey I'm sorry man. Everyone seen him hit the floor." Ryder said pulling Rayne back from Michael's side so they could load Michael up.
"Who used on him?" He seethed hitting the gas pedal, and zooming down the street.
"I have no idea, but If I did that person wouldn't be standing right now." Ryder said still holding Rayne back, who was starting to fight him. "I've got to go, I'll cya at the hospital."
He hung up and pocketed his phone trying to get his own brother under control. "Stop it Rayne. Let them do their job! He needs to get to the hospital." Under his breath he added "We can heal him some later to help him, too many witnesses right now. You hear me?"
Rayne fought his brother trying to get loose from his grip. Michael needed him. He calmed down though with his brothers words. He was right there we're too many people in here. He followed the emts out, though he noticed Ryder was right there beside him, ready to catch him again, if he bolted. He sighed getting into Ryder's car with him to head to the hospital.
"He's going to be all right isn't he Ryder?" He asked feeling helpless at the moment.
"He'll be fine Rayne. Don't worry." Ryder said hoping that was true as he pulled out of Nicky's following the ambulance.
He'd seen Matthew get in the ambulance with his brother. The others we're following him in their own cars. He was hit with the feeling again that something was wrong somewhere. He just hoped it wasn't his own siblings, but it probably was knowing them.
Starting at the part where Raven goes to her dorm, and Lizette comes back to the room. Everything Lizette does now is done by Draco's Secret Lover. We are rpging the story together on my site, and adding that into the fanfic. Hope you all enjoy it. Let us know! Also come join us, the link is in my profile, to take you to the site that introduces the characters from this story, and from there a link to the rpg forum.