All recognizable Covenant characters, places, and events belong to Sony Pictures and its affiliates. I am making no money from this endeavor. As for any original content: Any likeness, similarities, and resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, and events are unintentional and purely coincidental.

Unbeta'd, so all mistakes are my own. Please feel free to contact me if anyone wishes to Beta for me.

Tyler called Reid as soon as Hannah left and filled him in on the situation.

"You told her?"

"Yeah I had no choice. She thought she had a mental breakdown and hallucinated the entire thing. She's been treated for schizophrenia since she was thirteen."

"When she gained her powers," Reid said as he connected the dots. "Well that explains a lot of her behavior. How'd she take it?"

"Well at first she thought I was crazy too and then I had to show my powers to prove it to her. Even then she doubted the whole thing but she eventually accepted it."

"So now what?"

"She's taking time to take it all in."

"Does she know about all the sex stuff?"

"No. I thought one life changing revelation was enough for this afternoon. She said she'll come by later to talk more about it. I figure I'll let her know then."

"This has to suck for her though. I mean she spent all that time thinking she was crazy and now it turns out she just needed us," Reid said in a rare instance of empathy.

"Yeah. How's Caleb? Have you heard from him?"

"You mean since we dropped him off at his house and had to explain to his mother why her son was knocked out and bleeding? I might have awesome god-like powers but Evelyn Danvers scares the shit out of me. Ask Pogue, she likes him better. Anyway I got to go to my second final. I'll catch you later."

Tyler was thankful he only had one final that morning and he could relax the rest of the day. Even though telling Hannah the truth was nerve wracking he knew he was one step closer to being with her.

Later that evening…

"I have so many questions for you," Hannah said excitedly as she entered his room, a vast personality change from hours before. She was back to her usual bubbly self and Tyler was happy to see that she was taking things so well. She seemed to be experimenting with her powers from the random Baby Breath and other flowers woven into her curly ebony locks. He thought she looked like a wood nymph and the look suited her.

"First off, how exactly does the whole 'stop being insane around a warlock' thing work? Because I have observed that I don't have hallucinations around you crossing out the black eyes I had erroneously thought were but the regular ones come back after about four hours of not having contact. So do I have to be around you all the time? Does it have to be skin to skin contact or just merely be around each other? Also, are my only powers over plants? Because I have to admit that I'm slightly disappointed in that. Not that I'm not stoked to have powers because hey, pretty much any power is cooler than not having them at all. Unless it was power absorption like Rogue because while she's my favorite X-Man and she's totally BAMF the whole 'not being able to touch' thing would majorly suck, especially since I have grown so fond of touching you. Anyway, back to my plant powers; it's not that I'm ungrateful for the abilities but unless I'm about to help the Avatar fight the Fire Nation, being an Earth bender is kind of lame…"

He thought perhaps she had a secondary power of not needing oxygen because she had not taken a single breath in all of her rambling. He kissed her to get her to stop talking and she happily let him.

Tyler explained all her knew from his own experience and had even showed her the Book of Damnation that he had nicked from the Davers cottage earlier.

"Neat, it looks like it's from the Restricted Section," she said excitedly as she flipped through the tome.

"It's basically the history of the Power since coming to America as well as all the people who have wielded it in the surviving families. Unfortunately all the families listed have the male line. All the female lines have been lost or never wrote a book."

"Probably because of the rampant misogynistic attitudes concerning women and education. Damn patriarchal bullshit. So how do you know about witches and warlocks needing each other?"

"A family historian had a passage in the Book translated," he said as he showed her the appropriate chapter, omitting the reasons Dr. Danvers was commissioned to translate the passage. "The language was lost during the Trials and only recently rediscovered."

"Hmmm 'created her children for each other.' Ugh so she made us needy on purpose? This is why I don't follow any particular religion. I can't see myself worshiping a deity that seems to have a malicious make up to the universe. Anyway, this doesn't really answer my question. What are the parameters to not being sick?"

This was it; this was when he had to tell her the entire truth. He explained to him everything he knew about the passage and what the historian discovered as well as their own theories. Hannah patiently and keenly listened to him, not interrupting him and waiting for him to finish. Once he had, she didn't hesitate to lay everything out.

"OK so let me see if I have this straight; we come from a long line of witches and warlocks where no one is quite certain where the power even came from. For generations everyone has been operating under the assumption that using the Power will eventually kill you until recently a family historian, for whatever reason, translated a portion of your only historical tome of the power that tells you how to use and not grow old. This 'cure' consists of a witch, me, having sexual relations with warlocks-possibly at least once a month during the full moon-which include four almost impossibly good looking guys?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up," he told her a little uncomfortable with how it all sounded. He also felt a ping of jealously that she admitted the others were attractive but he pushed it down as best he could. He knew that at some point she would make the decision to sleep with someone other than him and he didn't know how he felt about it.

"Wow…just wow."

"It's a lot to take in."

"Not just that…it sounds like a weak but sexy plot from fanfiction."

Tyler looked confused and she explained further.

"A lot of times in fanfiction, particularly the Harry Potter verse, a lot of writers contrive plots that somehow get a female character, usually Hermione but sometimes an original, to sleep with all the good looking guys in that particular fandom. The plots are usually pretty shaky and only an experienced and talented writer should take on the challenge to make it engaging while still being sexy and fun. But this is real life, not fanfiction so that makes it all the more surreal."

Tyler let out a small laugh at her geeky way of describing their situation but felt it was pure Hannah.

"So what do you think you'll do?"

"What choice do I really have?"

"Hannah, I don't want you think we're going to coerce you in any way. The choice is solely up to you. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"Yeah but if I say no, then what? You guys die a slow death from premature aging and I completely lose my mind?"

"Our families have survived all this time without the help of a witch and we'll continue to do so. Now that you know what's causing your hallucinations, maybe you can better manage them if you choose not be with me or any of them. We'll manage, so don't think you have to do anything. You don't owe us anything."

Hannah's heart welled with appreciation and she couldn't articulate how touched she felt at Tyler selflessness. She knew he could have tried to guilt her into sleeping with him or even use their natural attraction to get her to comply but he wasn't doing any of that. Despite the possibility of growing old too soon and dying he still let the choice be hers.

She wanted to sleep with him, that hadn't changed but the situation had. It wasn't just him in the picture any longer; there was also Reid, Pogue, and Caleb. She wasn't comfortable with the idea of sleeping with guys who had girlfriends but she couldn't deny the attraction she felt to them either. She'd be lying if she said she would only want to sleep with Tyler and that added a completely different level to the issue at hand. Plus there was a subtext of commitment she wasn't ready for. It was one thing to sleep with him and assume the relationship had a shelf life but it could be possible that she would be committing to a lot longer. If the need to sleep with him was something that would never go away, could she see being with him for the rest of her life? Or sleeping with any of them for the rest of her life? A life that could be a lot longer and fuller than she ever thought possible. The idea was overwhelming and she couldn't make that decision in one night.

"I need time to think this over," she stated.

Tyler nodded his head, understanding what a big deal this was.

"I'm going to be leaving for D.C. on Wednesday so I'll let you know then. But I need the space, OK?"

"Whatever you need, I'll wait for your call."

She went over to him and gave him a kiss goodbye and held him. He was reluctant to let her go but he knew she needed to make the decision on her own. Tyler felt a bit empty when she left and he only hoped that she would decide to be with him. He realized that he didn't just want her to be with him because of the pull, but be with him just to be with him.

The next morning, Hannah had called her two best friends for a "Brain Trust" conference in order to discuss how to proceed. Unfortunately for her, neither girl was very helpful as the both took extreme points of view on the topic.

"I think you should just go ahead and do it. It's just sex and the benefits will outweigh any costs," Jayne said flatly.

"No, these are people's feelings on the line. You can't just use them like they're medicine to take when you want and ignore when you want to. Besides, aren't you all anti-sex Jayne? I can't believe you're encouraging her to be polyamourus," Alissa countered.

"It's called a condom which I know Han can't use but I'm sure she'll figure out a way to be as safe as possible. And it's not sex I'm against, it's the exchange of body fluid and touching I don't care for. And it's not about me it's about Hannah. She has a chance to rid herself of her schizophrenia. She has a chance for a cure, why would you tell her anything besides to at least try it?"

"Because you can't put a condom around your heart."

"Of course not, why would you even want to?"

"I'm trying to be metaphorical here which I know is kind of lost on you two. The point it that just because you could get cured doesn't make using them right. You said yourself, you were starting to grow 'fond' of Tyler. Are you going to taint that with being selfish and using him to get better?"

"You don't know what it's like to have a mental illness so shut up about it being 'selfish'," Jayne said heatedly.

The problem was that Hannah could see where both females were coming from. Alissa didn't know the burden or hell it was to have schizophrenia or any type of mental illness. If she did then she'd known the temptation and willingness to do anything to be rid of it. But she also saw the inhumanity if she chose to go forward without thinking of the feelings of those involved. She did like Tyler but she was attracted to the others as well. She didn't think she could really live with herself if she slept with men that were involved with other women so she did cross Pogue and Caleb out. She ethically couldn't justify it and she also didn't want to deal with the drama. Sarah and Kate were nice but she hadn't known them long enough to know their true colors. For all she knew they could turn vindictive or worse, violent if their bond with their men was threatened.

"Hey, hey, hey guys. We're friends. Let's not get too heated over this," Hannah said to play referee.

"I think we need a third opinion here guys," Hannah said since they had been going over the situation all morning and they hadn't gotten anywhere.

"Who are you texting?" Jayne asked as she saw Hannah pull out her mobile.

"I'm texting Sura, I think she could give some insight."

"Does she know about your powers?" Alissa asked, slightly jealous at the developing friendship between her best friend and some usurper.

"No and I don't want anyone else to know."

"I still can't believe when one of us finally ends up with powers it's because of witch craft. I really thought you'd have some kind of lab accident," Jayne commented.

"That's what I thought happened!" Alissa replied.

"OK she's on her way so if she asks, Tyler is just asking for sex and possibly with his friend Reid. I don't want to mention Pogue and Caleb."

"It's a shame they have partners. If you had four options then you're chances increase that you'd always at least have one available sexual partner to keep the schizophrenia at bay," Jayne said clinically as if she weren't talking about people but medicinal options.

"That and it's a despicable act to knowingly help people cheat," Alissa added to get the point across there was more to the situation than just being cured.

Sura arrived quickly and the two girls on the screen sized her up. The girl was thick and curvy with auburn curly hair and glasses. They saw that she was wearing the fourth doctor's scarf which was what probably drew Hannah to her in the first place. They didn't trust the newcomer yet but trusted their friend's judgment.

"So what's going on?" Sura asked uncertainly, aware she was being scrutinized.

"I have found myself with an opportunity that creates an ethical conundrum that I need a tie breaker opinion before I decide on anything."

"OK, what's the situation?"

"Well as you know I've been casually dating Tyler Simm for a couple of weeks and it has come to my attention that…his friend Reid is also attracted to me. So I have the option to sleep with them both or do I just sleep with Tyler?"

"So your conundrum consists of sleeping with two of the hottest guys on campus? Sorry while I pause for a moment to hate you."

Hannah didn't understand sarcasm most of the time so she nodded understanding the jealously and gave her new friend the time she asked for.

"I was mostly kidding but I guess it depends on what you want to do?"

"Well I had initially planned on sleeping with Tyler until he revealed that Reid liked me as well. Now I feel like I can't sleep with Tyler and at the same time covet his friend."

"Ah I see. What did Tyler say about it?"

"He said it was my decision and he'd support me in it."

"That's oddly cavalier. Is he progressive or does he also just want sex?"

"I have come to believe that his feelings are beyond the physical so that makes it more complicated. According to Alissa people can't generally separate feelings from intercourse and I run the chance that if I sleep with Tyler and Reid that I could ruin their friendship as well as any relationship I would have with him."

"That is true, I don't think I've ever seen a 'friends with benefits' relationship work out. At least not long term but what are your feelings on it?"

"I do like Tyler but I've never been one to believe in the idea of romantic love or monogamy."

"Does he know that?"

"No, we haven't had that discussion yet and I guess I didn't feel it was relevant since it didn't seem to be a precursor for him for sex."

"Well it sounds to me that both of you want to have sex but are unsure of the emotional aspect."

"Correct."

"I don't think you need to be in love or anything but I do think you both should be on the same page. My best advice would be to talk to him frankly and see how he feels about you possibly not being exclusive. If you both are OK then do what you want to do. You can't predict how things are going to develop feeling wise so you have to decide on your own if it's worth it to take the chance. As long as you keep open communication then it should cut the chances of irrevocably hurt feelings down."

"This is her first time though. I think she should consider that she might come to regret it later," Alissa added.

"True and she might. But at this moment, do you think you could regret it?" Sura asked Hannah

"No," she replied

"Then that's all you can really go by. You can only decide on the feelings and situation you have at the time. If it feels right then you feel it for a reason and should go with it…as long as you do it safely and are well informed."

Hannah contemplated Sura's words and felt she had a better grasp on the situation than she had before. She was worrying about hypotheticals that she had no way of knowing how they'd turn out. Sometimes experiments don't have a predictable outcome unless they're done and observed as they happen. Things could get complicated but she knew she'd regret not trying at all. She didn't know if sex with Tyler would cure her of schizophrenia but her life was worth the try.

She also admitted to herself that being with Tyler in such a way felt like it was the natural progression of their relationship. It felt right to be in his arms and she ached to take him in her.

"OK, I think Sura's right. We're two rational almost adults and I think we can come to an agreement. I also think Alissa is right too. This is my first time and I think it ought to be treated as a special occasion. So I will plan accordingly. Jayne is also right; the health benefits are too good to not at least try."

"What health benefits?" Sura asked confused and wondered if she had missed an important part of the conversation.

The three friends froze at the question as Hannah let slip part of the secret they were keeping.

"Ummm…sex has been shown to be a great stress reliever," Jayne said quickly to cover for Hannah.

"Oh. OK."

"Anyone have any suggestions on how I should plan the event?"

"I haven't had human contact in over a year and the thought of the exchange of bodily fluid disgusts me. Excuse me, I need to clean every corner of my apartment," Jayne said as she signed off.

"The farthest I've gone was giving Garret Holden from the physics wing a handjob in the back of my Volkswagen Jetta," Alissa offered.

"I lost my virginity in Wales on a moonbounce," Sura stated.

"Interesting, how was it?" Hannah asked curiously.

"Ah-mazing," Sura said simply.

With the help of Sura and Alissa, Hannah was able to make a plan she could be confident in.

Tyler sat in the library Wednesday afternoon eagerly awaiting Hannah's arrival. She texted him that morning telling him she was ready to talk about the situation. His knee nervously bounced, couldn't stop moving the entire time he sat. He had been given more than one dirty look from his studious peers for anxiously tapping his fingers on the wooden table.

As soon as he sensed she was in the room he immediately straightened up and looked for her. He let out a sigh of relief when he caught sight of her and realized how much he missed her after only a day of not seeing her. She seemed to be in high spirits from the big smile she gave him and he was hopeful to hear good news.

"Hey," she greeted him brightly.

He gave her a kiss in reply and she smiled even bigger as they sat down.

"Well I'll start off by asking you how you feel about the situation. How do you feel about having an open sexual relationship?"

Tyler was surprised that she was starting off with his feelings on the situation and he honestly wasn't sure. He wasn't going to lie to her and he told her,

"I honestly don't know how I feel about it. I do like you, a lot. But I don't want to force you to choose between me and possibly dooming the others to the aging," he said as diplomatically as he could. Another reason why he didn't want to push for monogamy, even though a small part of him wanted that, was that he didn't want anything to happen to Reid. He might not know what his feelings for Hannah were but his feelings were the blonde warlock were crystal clear. He didn't want to say he'd commit to her when his heart was telling him to go in two different directions.

"I also don't want to pressure you into a relationship you feel you have to be in because I know we haven't known each other that long. I don't want you to think you have to make some sort of commitment at sixteen."

Hannah nodded as Tyler made his points and was happy they seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"I'm glad to hear you say that because something long term and or monogamous wasn't something I was planning for myself. So I'm not saying that I'm going to jump into bed with the others, especially not Pogue and Caleb due to obvious reasons, but do you think you'd be OK with me having other lovers?"

"I can't honestly say that I'd be a hundred percent OK with it but I know I wouldn't judge you for it or end things between us because of it," he said. "As long as it's Reid and no one else," he thought to himself.

"Thank you for being honest. Monogamy has never made sense to me, so even if I don't pursue Reid I wouldn't stop you from seeking other company. With my schedule, I don't actually have the time or even the emotional capacity to fulfill all the needs you might have."

Tyler wasn't sure how to take the new revelation and let her go on.

"Well since that is taken care of, if you want to start a sexual relationship with me, I have prepared a binder."

His eyes bugged out at the massive binder she produced and he couldn't believe she could put something together in such a short amount of time.

"Now you don't have to read all of this but most of it is sexual health related and the rest is a break down of some requests for our first sexual encounter. I was aiming for New Years Eve as I thought it was a poetic and meaningful date to hopefully start a new year with no sickness. Tabs A-C are brochures and other literature for dinner, hotel, and attire. I have found all the options acceptable so please choose which ones you would prefer. Normally I would take care of the reservations but I'm going to be out of town and I also don't want to leave a paper trail so I hope you don't mind making the reservations. I calculated and itemized all the expenses and in the back is an envelope of cash that should cover my portion of the expenses. As for the attire, please email me your choices by C.O.B. Monday so I'll have time to purchase them. Tab D is a checklist of the full STD panel I require you take before we initiate any intimate contact. If the spirit of full disclosure I will also be taking these tests so we both know we're not going to pass something on to the other. Tab E has excerpts from the book I Female Orgasm by Solot, Miller, and Chiang. It's very insightful and even though you have glowing recommendations I highlighted the portions that deal with having sex with someone who's a virgin."

"Wait wait wait…you asked people about my sexual history?" he said becoming overwhelmed with everything she was throwing at him.

"Well no but I had a friend cross reference the school's Facebook pages that mentioned you and they all had really nice things to say about your sexual prowess."

"They post my sex life on Facebook?"

"They didn't post it on their walls or anything but they use Facebook messaging service to talk to others about it."

"How were you able to see those?"

"My friend hacked into the Facebook mainframe and did a search for your name. You came up several times as did Reid. Did you want to see their comments?"

"No, that's OK."

He was slightly curious about his past girlfriends and one night stands had to say about him but he knew it was never a good idea to dig things up from the past. Although he was a little disconcerted about how easily she could find something on him with the help of her hacker friend.

"Do you mind not looking up personal stuff like that about me? If you want to know, you can just ask."

"Oh did I overstep a boundary? I'm sorry. I promise to not use unethical means to gleam information about you or the others."

"Thanks."

"OK I got to go and catch a train back to D.C. Let me know what you decide alright?"

Again they gave each other a long kiss goodbye and enjoyed each others in an embrace. They didn't care that they were in the middle of the library and that others could gawk at them. They weren't going to see each other for more than a week and they had to make it count.

"Have a safe trip and a Merry Christmas, OK?" Tyler commanded as he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Will do, bye," she replied stealing one more kiss then hurried away to catch her train.

Tyler watched her go and a small ache grew in his chest, missing her already. He turned his attention to the thick binder she left and gave a heavy sigh. He decided he'd look at it in the privacy of his dorm instead of out in the open.

He refocused on the last of his finals, intent on ignoring the empty place he felt in his heart when Hannah was away.