Chapter 3

The ride home was fairly boring. Mara watched the scenery fly by the window as Reid navigated out of Caleb's community and back towards Spenser.

"What's the colony house?"

"It's the house that Caleb's family built when they first came to Ipswich," Tyler answered. "All of the family history is contained in the basement there. It's where we went last week after you told Reid about your vision."

"Do all of you have colony houses?"

"We did. Caleb's is the only one still standing. It's where his father lived before he died. All of the families built houses in town about 80 years ago. the colony houses were left to rot basically. And Pogue's and my family sold our old land around that time. Reid's family still has theirs but, the house there is only ruins now. Little more than a foundation."

"Why is all the information about the covenant at Caleb's colony house. Is his family just kind of the leader."

"Not really. Caleb would be considered the leader here, not that the rest of us want that job. But during the witch hunts his great great and so on grandfather was the one who really started the covenant. He realized that there was no way to truly fight back and that living in secret was the only way to survive. Since then there's never been a really 'enemy.' Chase was the first. The only real reason I think the families alls tayed together is because they wanted to be around someone who they could tell their secrets to."

"What do you mean?"

This time Reid answered. "You know what it's like to have a secret. You've always had one. You're family knows, maybe a couple friends, but you can't tell everyone. They'd lock you up like a crazy person. It's like that for us too. The covenant binds us. Only the families know. Sarah and Kate are the first to ever be told about the Power. We don't figure it really matters. Sarah and Caleb plan on getting married in a couple years. And Kate...she loves Pogue. Even if things don't work out with them, she'd never tell our secret."

"Hmm."

The rest of the ride was silent. We walked together up to the secnd floor. Reid stopped at theire dorm to go in as I continued down the hall. Tyler followed me. I didn't see him until I stopped to unlock my door. Jumping slightly and emitting small squeak i turned to him.

"Sorry for scaring you Mara. I just wanted to see if you wanted to go to Nicky's tonight."

"Umm...sure. What time?"

"Around 8, I guess."

"Okay. I'll meet you at your room."

"Alright. Sorry again for scaring you."

"No worries. See you in a couple hours."

Mara spent the next hour doing some homework before showering in anticipation of going to Nicky's.

Looking through her closet she contemplated what to wear. She knew Nicky's was some kind of bar, so nothing too fancy.

She settled on a loose one-shoulder purple top and a black and silver sequined minskirt. Slipping on a multi chain necklace and strappy purple pumps completed the look. After shoving her ID, cellphone, and a couple twenties in a small crossbody purse of black leather she was ready to go.

Mara wandered out of her dorm and down the hall toward Tyler and Reid's room. After knocking on the door she turned and leaned back against the wall.

After a moment a shirtless Reid stuck his head out.

"Be just a minute. You wanna come in?"

"Yeah, alright."

I followed Reid back in the dorm room and sat on his bed as he dug through the trunk placed at the foot. After digging for a moment he pulled out a black t-shirt and shrugged it on.

"Yo, Baby Boy, you reasdy," he shouted in the direction of the bathroom.

"Be done in a minute. Jesus, Reid."

A moment later, Tyler, scantily clad in just boxer emerged. He paused for a moment when he noticed me, the blushed lightly while walking to the closet. He disappeared inside and emerged a moment later in faded jeans and a longsleeved blue polo.

"Hey Mara."

"Yo."

"You done?" asked Reid as hepulled on his fingerless goves and shrugged into a gray plaid fleece. He yanked his black jacket from underneath me, momentarily knocking me horizontal on his bed.

Getting up I shoved him roughly. Though due to the disparity in our sizes this had little effect.

The three of us wandered made our way downstairs and out of the dorms. When we arrived at Tyler's Hummer there was a a brief skirmish over the keys, which Reid won, but Tyler had not been fully invested in.

As I climbed into the backseat, this time with the help of Tyler, due to the limitations of my skirt, I questioned, "Why is Reid always driving when it's your car?"

"Because he has control issues."

At this Reid chuckled, but didn't expand on the comment. The drive to Nicky's was quick and we were soon making our way inside. Reid and Tyler immediately headed for the pool tables on one side while I headed toward the frantically waving Sarah seated at a small table with Kate and Caleb.

We made some small talk, but after Pogue showed, the two couples retreated to the dance floor leaving me alone. Deciding against a meal I grabbed a Cokeand headed toward the pool tables. Taking up a spot at the corner of the table Reid and Tyler were currently playing on, I was quickly absorbed in the game. They were only playing each other and both showed talent. Tyler wan't nearly as invested in the game as Reid though and eventually lost.

Looking up from the table the pair finally noticed me. "You wanna play," queried Reid.

"Never played before, but I'm willing to give it a shot."

"How 'bout you and me against Tyler. Should even the odds," he said witha smirk, his hands twirling his pool cue.

"Haha Reid," Tyler returned as he re-racked the balls.

While he was doing that Reid took the drink from my hand, setting it on a ledge the ran the length of the wall and pulled me to the end of the table. He placed his hands on my hips, postioning me to his satisfaction. He then picked up the pool queue. He placed it in mine right hand a showed me how to position my left to break. After a couple false starts I managed a decent break and the game began.

While I was fairly competent, but obviously unskilled, Reid's ability to make a few fairly ridiculous combo shots kept us neck and neck. As the balls dissappeared from the table I noticed Reid was giving me more of a free reign rather than telling me which balls to aim for and how to do it. I still only managed to sink two, of ours anyway. But I rarely scratched and was only slightly off during most attempts. Tyler made a lucky shot taking out his last ball as well as using on of ours to sink the eight ball, ending the game.

It was obvious that Reid was pruod of the shot he had made, so he wa a good sport, shaking his hand, before grabbing him and giving hima noogie.

I finshed the last of my coke and excused myself from the next game, then made my way back up to the bar for a refill. I was waylaid halfway there by a polo model wannabe with wavy brown hair.

"You know, if you wanna learn pool, you should take lessons from a real player not a cheater, he whispered huskily in my ear whule drapping an arm over my shoulder. "Name's Aaron Abbot."

"Well I can certainly tell you're a real player, but I suspect you're a cheater as well. And my name's none of your business," I responded shortly while shrugging his arm off of me.

He caught my arm quickly, pulling me closer. "Now don't be like that, baby. Don't you wanna have some fun."

I yanked on my arm fruitlessly. "I was having plenty of fun before you accosted my, asshat." My voice rising. Over Aaron's shoulder I saw Reid and Tyler turn to look. Their faces became simultaneously dark and they began to make their way ove, nuch to my relief.

Reid arrived first. He clamped a hand down on the wrist of the hand holding me and I could see him digging his fingers inbetween the tendons on the inside of asshat's wrist. With a final harsh squeeze Aaron released me and Reid shoved him back.

"Learn to keep your hands to yourself. She's obviously not interested."

Aaron responded with some less than proper language that I only heard part of as Tyler pulled me away, taking me to the table that Sarah, Kate, Caleb, and Pogue were currently occupying. Leaving me in the custody of the girls, the boys made their way back toward Reid, obviously intending to provide backup should this get serious,

I stood on my tip-toes trying to see what was happening, but despite the extra four inches my platforms gave me I could see nothing. I strained to hear, and heard a few shougths smothered by the jukubox music and then saw the crowd fluctuate before seeing a group exit through the front doors. Carrying the fight outside I guess.

Grabbing my coat from the back of a chair a pulled it on and headed for the doors.

I pushed them open just in time to see Aaron throw a wild punch at Reid. As soon as it connected the brawl began. I stepped down the three steps and sidled along the wall. I wanted to break up the fight, but knew that i would cause more harm than good. Mostly to myself considering the smallest guy out weighed me by about 80 pounds. After what seemed like an hour, but what could have been only minutes the door slammed open. The crash startled my so much i tripped and almost fell. I turned to see a very large bald man with a Louisville slugger in on hand standing in the doorway.

"Hey, I've warned you about this before. You wanna beat on each other you take your asses away from here," the man shouted before turning and heading back inside. He obviously had no concern that his orders would not be followed. And he was right.

As soon as the words left his mouth the fighting paused, and those in the submissive position wriggled themselves free. All eight of the guys had bloody noses and I could see a couple swollen and bloody lips as well as two black eyes. One on Aaron and anothe ron one of his cronies.

Aaron and his sidekicks made their way out to the parking lot. Caleb had pulled out his phone and was texting. Reid, Tyler, and Pogue were talking enthusiastically about the fight, obviously relating their indivual triumphs.

I slowly made my way up to the three of the in time to hear, "-oh you should have heard the way his nose crunched when I landed that left hook. It was beautiful." This came from Reid.

After noticing my presence he clamped his mouth shut and began wiping the blood away from under his nose with the sleeve of his jacket.

By this point, Sarah and Kate had made their way outside. They proceeded to reprimand their respective boyfriends about fighting like heathens. After laughing at them Reid loosely grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the parking lot with Tyler following behind us.

"We're gonna head back," he tossed behind him, clearly unconcerned about whether or not they actually heard us.

The ride back to the dorms was again silent.

We made our way up to the second floor, but insteadof continuing on to my room i followed the boys into theirs.

I was silent as I walked into their bathroom and dug into thier medicine cabinet for aspirin and dampen a washcloth I found sitting on a shelf. I returned and pushed Tyler down to sit on his bed. I placed the aspirin on his night stand and began wiping the blood from his face and hands. His right hand had suffered some scratched knuckles, but there was nothing to be done about that.

After I finished I handed him two aspirin and a bottle of water from the minifridge situated next to the tv stand.

I turned to see Reid stripping off his plaid shirt. I walked over to him and shoved him lightly until he was seated on his bed and began to clean his face as well. In additon to a bloody nose and slightly swollen mouth, he had a cut across one cheek bone. I vaguely remembered Aaron wearing a couple rings.

After I was satisfied that al of the dried blood had been removed from his face I returned to the bathroom and found a first-aid kit under the sink. I pulled out a tube of bacitracin and returned to Reid's bedside. I swabbed the medicine across the cut.

"You know you didn't have to-" he started, stopping abruptly as I place a hand over his mouth lightly and shook my head.

Finished I returned the items to the bathroom and handed Reid two aspirin and another bottle of water. I then turned to leave, noting that Tyler had changed into a pair of pajamas while I was tending to Reid and climbed into bed.

Reid followed me out of his room and down the hall to my own. Before I could unlock me door he placed his hand over mind a question quietly, "Are you made at us?"

Sighing, I answered, "A little."

"Why?"

"You shouldn't have fought. There was no reason to. I was fine. You could have just returned to your pool game and let it go."

"Are you made I helped you?"

"No. Of course not. But after you helped me and I was safe back at the table you should have backed off."

I finally turned to face him and saw that his eyes were clouded.

"Aaron deserved it. He always does. He had no business coming on to you after you made it clear you weren't interested and he certainly had no business touching you."

"He had no business touching me? You barely know me Reid. Why are you being so overprotective?"

"I've known Abbot for five years now. I know how he treats girls and I don't want you treated that way."

While he was sayong this he stepped closer; crowding me into the door.

"What do you care? I'm practically a stranger."

"You came here to help us. You deserve the same courtesy in return."

He was closing in quickly and before I knew it his mouth was on mine. His hands cupped my face, his gloves slightly rough against my skin. His tongue swept over my lips asking them to part and they complied against my will.

I was slowly pulled into the kiss' my hands dropping my keys and gripping his forearms. The kiss deepened for one delicious moment before Reid pulled away and abruptly turned. I heard a muttered sorry before he sauntered down the hall back to his room.

Slightly dazed I bent to retreive my keys and entered my dorm.

I moved slowly to my dresser, stripping out of my skirt and top. Pulling out a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top I sat them on the dresser before pulling off my shoes and tossing them into the closet. I made my way to the bathroom and cleaned the makeup from my face before returning to pull on my pajamas.

As I climbed into bed and closed my eyes I could still feel his lips on mine and my dreams were full of Reid Garwin.

Alright, know I haven't uploaded in like a year, but hopefully some of you out there are still interested. Hope you enjoyed the kiss, and you can look forward to some post-kiss awkwardness in the next chapter. Whoo-hoo.

Please review with any suggestions. I'd like at least ten before I upload again. And sorry for any typo's. I try and be vigilant, but I am still without a beta/collaborator. If interested, message me.

Thank you for your time.