AN: I am so very sorry for the late delay on this chapter. I wrote myself into a major corner and didn't know where exactly I wanted to go with this story. But now it is done and I hope it lives up to expectations. The only good thing about it is that I would not let myself post other works until I finished this one so that I would not disappoint any of you and so you would not think I forgot this story.

To see a copy of the dive featured at the end of this story please go to:

http:// www. youtube. com/watch?v=7CGiGfTa7Zo&feature=related

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Oh well, enjoy the chapter. I hope it lives up to the expectations.

As always I don't own the covenant or its characters.

CHAPTER 2

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The next time Tyler woke up was not as dramatic as the first. He woke warm and comfortable in the large bed and could immediately tell by the blue ceiling that he was still in Caleb's room. He looked around and was startled by the bright blue eyes taking in his every move.

"Reid what's going on?" He cleared his throat, wincing slightly as it felt like he had swallowed sandpaper. He gratefully took the bottle of water that was handed to him and took a few sips to ease the burning.

"Caleb and Pogue had a brief errand to run, they should be back in a bit." They way that Reid said it and the slight smirk on his face had Tyler nervous about what kind of errand was being done. He was getting ready to start questioning Reid when the door opened and in walked one of the answers in the form of Caleb.

"Where were you?" He took in everything on his oldest brothers form. His clothes were slightly rumpled and his hair was disheveled. Tyler would have thought that he had just been laid if it weren't for two things. One was the bruise that was beginning to darken Caleb's left cheek and the other were the red and cracked knuckles that he could see on Caleb's right hand. That was answer enough. "You've been fighting! What the hell is going on?" He looked between his two brothers and didn't like what he saw. He saw them exchange looks that stated that they knew something he didn't.

"Come over here so I can fix you up and then you can tell me what's going on." His voice brokered no argument but he knew that it wasn't going to be that simple.

"Tyler you really shouldn't use your energy on healing right now you're likely to pass out. Not only that but we're fine." Tyler could see that as soon as the words were out of Caleb's mouth that he wanted to reel them back in and he understood why too.

"We're fine? Where's Pogue?" He looked behind Caleb to see if the other brother was in the doorway but did not spot him anywhere. He immediately became concerned. Pogue was as overprotective as Caleb when it came to him and would not be absent unless something was wrong. Horrible images of possibilities passed through his head as to where his brother could be.

His eyes flashed midnight and he unleashed his healing powers to find his missing brother. He felt as the wave of power first hit Reid and finding nothing wrong and continued before they hit Caleb. His power paused and lingered over the bruised cheek and cracked knuckles. It also paused on some forming bruises along Caleb's ribs before continuing through the house.

Tyler could feel himself breaking out into a cold sweat as he encouraged his power on. Part of him knew that he shouldn't be doing this. That he wasn't ready to be doing this yet but it was all squashed under the concern for his brothers. He could hear Caleb and Reid talking frantically but it was as if they were some distance away and their conversation was muted and muffled.

He knew the instant that his power came in contact with Pogue. He noticed dimly that he was in the kitchen before the power blanketed over him and caused him to stumble and fall to the floor in surprise. His brothers had explained to him that his healing power often felt like a tingling over the injured area but Tyler knew that he had just completely encompassed Pogue in his power. He knew that if they really wanted to then they could fight off his power but it took a lot of concentration and energy to focus and his power's tingling sense was really distracting.

He pushed more energy into his healing power as he fixed a cracked rib on Pogue along with a broken hand and the bruises. Whoever his brothers had fought did not take it lightly. As the last of the bruises on Pogue healed Tyler began to rein in his power. But he was having difficulties. In his haste to help his brothers he had put a lot of his energy into the power to heal them and did not leave much in himself to call it back.

It was like trying to push a freight train back through a tunnel but Tyler was nothing if not determined. When he finally felt the last of the power enter his body he cut it off and was left gasping on the bed. He managed to open his eyes half way to see a worried Reid and Caleb standing over him.

"Tyler! Can you hear me?" Tyler nodded slightly to let Caleb know he could hear him before his eyes closed again in exhaustion. He was forced to open them a moment later when Reid shook his shoulder.

"What the hell is going on?" Pogue burst into the room at a run and Tyler used the distraction to close his eyes again. He was so tired and all he really wanted to do was sleep. He barely registered their conversation as white noise as he sunk into the welcoming darkness.

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He was back in the pool again. Submerged in the dark blue depths as arms tightened around him and kept him from getting to the life saving air. He struggled in the hold clawing and twisting try to get out. He ignored the punches as he fought with a desparation for his life that he had never had to do before. But he was losing. He was getting further away from the light and the air and was sinking deeper and darker.

He gasped as he woke up and took a look around. There was no pool and no stranger holding him down. He bit back a groan as he laid his head back onthe bed and stared straight in front of him. He was getting tired of waking up and staring at Caleb's ceiling. This time it was Pogue that was sitting beside the bed, only his feet were propped up on the bed and he was sleeping in the chair. Tyler smiled as he noticed the bit of drool that was creeping down the right side of Pogue's chin.

He quietly sat up and looked around the room for any of his other brothers but lucked out when he discovered that he was alone with sleeping beauty. He eased himself until he was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to be soundless to not wake up Pogue and trying to move carefully to avoid all his aches and pains.

He carefully snuck out of the room and down the hall. He was surprised that he didn't run into anyone once he made it down the stairs but figured that Caleb and Reid were sleeping in another room since it was dark out and probably the middle of the night. He made his way to the garage and spotted Pogue's bike resting there. He knew his brother would be mad but he really wanted to get away from them for awhile.

He found the hidden key in a magnetic case hidden under the bike seat and quickly started the bike. He raced down Caleb's driveway as he saw a few lights in the house turn on. He knew his cover was blown and they were about to discover he was gone but at least he had a head start.

He drove through the streets not really paying attention. But he wasn't too surprised when he stopped and realized that he was outside of the aquatics building on campus. It made karmic sense in a way to come back to where it all began. He shut off the bike and flashed his power as he walked up to the building and unlocked the door and turned off the alarm system and cameras. Besides his dorm he knew this place like the back of his hand. He found the light switch and turned them all on to take off the dim night lighting. He was temporarily blinded before he could focus again and walk towards the pool.

He walked around the edge of the pool. So much had changed in so little time and his head was still reeling. He loved to swim. He loved to dive. He loved the feel as he broke the surface of the water and became weightless. And a part of him loved the fact that in the pool he was just himself. He was just Tyler. Not the youngest of the Ipswich four. Not the youngest in the covenant. Not the baby boy. He was simply Tyler and his successes and failures depended on him alone. He loved the fact that he was the only diver of the group.

But Tyler was also very mad. He was mad that someone had tried to take all of this away from him. Mad that his brothers were all obviously lying about who had done it. And he was mad that he was scared of what he loved. Even now standing at the edge of the pool a trickle of fear slithered up his spine like serpent to coil around his heart.

He made his way into the locker room heading towards his locker and where he kept his spare swim gear. He stripped out of his sweats and pulled on his spare set of swim shorts and headed back to the pool. He walked another lap around the pool but stayed a good three feet from the edge not even chancing coming into contact with the water.

He made his way to the starting blocks and climbed up on number four and eased into the set position but hesitated. As he stared at the pool all he could see were the bubbles from his thrashing underwater. He could feel the arms around him holding him down. Preventing him from getting any air. He fairly fell off of the block and landed on the tiled floor with a thump as he stared at the water.

His breaths came in short pants as he had to fight off a panic attack. It was a few minutes before he could even bring himself to stand and when he did he wanted to punch something. He wanted to scream.

"DAMN IT!!" He yelled in frustration as he pulled at his hair. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't even get into the water. He turned around and slapped the wall wincing slightly as his hand pulsed in protestation to the harsh treatment. He slumped down the wall, his legs pulled up to his chest and his arms hanging loosely off of them as he stared at the water. It was in front of him taunting him with its perfect clarity and its stillness. Everything that his mind was not.

But as he looked up his gaze caught on the 3M springboard and his hopes raised. He had never gotten to dive on Saturday. There were no bad memories and nightmares connected. All be it once he left the springboard he would be hitting the water but hopefully at that point he would be able to pull himself back together. It might be his last chance.

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Caleb watched with the others hidden behind the bleachers as his youngest brother fell from the starting block. It took both of Pogue's arms to keep him from rushing out to their brother's aid. But they had agreed when they arrived that they would observe only. Caleb knew that Tyler needed to get through this part on his own or else he may never get back into the water. But the pain and hurt radiating from the blue eyes boy on the other side of the pool felt like knife wounds to his heart.

He hated to admit it but he had been wrong. He thought Tyler would come to the pool jump in and that would be the end of it. He hadn't thought through how traumatizing the experience had to have been for Tyler. How the one thing he always felt safe with had almost killed him. But that had been shown to him in perfect clarity when Tyler yelled after falling off the block. Looking at his brother, he saw that he was a picture of dejection. The longer the youngest sat there the more Reid, Pogue, and himself shifted nervously.

He began to think about what it would mean if Tyler couldn't do this. If he couldn't get into the pool after his attack and what that would mean to their baby boy. On one of their past heart to hearts, Tyler had opened up to him and explained how important swimming and diving was to him. Especially the diving since it was something that none of the rest of them did, it was something that Tyler had to himself.

He watched as Tyler seemed to finally perk up and struggle to his feet but was nervous as he watched him go for the diving board. He wanted Tyler to get his feet wet and not throw his body off of a board twisting and turning and jumping literally into his nightmare.

"He's not." He turned and saw Pogue wide eyed next to him as he too watched Tyler climb up on the springboard.

"He is." Caleb whispered nervously as he moved forward slightly to stop him. This wasn't what he had in mind in Tyler getting over his fear.

"Trust him Cay. He can do this." Reid said and Caleb felt his hand on his shoulder holding him in place.

And so Caleb sat back with his two other brothers as they watched their youngest try to pull himself back together and conquer his own demons. What was hardest on them was that they had to let him do it alone without their help. But they would watch over him and help him should he fall.

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Tyler walked the length of the board before turning back and heading for the safe tiled floor. But as he approached the point where he could step off, something inside of himself stopped him. Something told him that if he didn't do this now then he would never be able to do it and that was something that he could not allow to happen.

So he turned again and headed back to the end of the board and looking into the depths of the water he felt his breathing quicken. So he turned around again. But instead of walking off the board he turned and faced the wall. With deep breaths and the mantra in his mind repeating 'you can do this....you can do this....' over and over again he slowly moved backwards and closer to the water as he stood on the board on tiptoes.

He was balancing on the edge of the board. In front of him was safety. Was the ground that would keep him out of the pool. Possibly forever. Behind him were nightmares and demons that he had to face. Behind him lay mystery of not knowing exactly what was going to happen and how it all was going to turn out. But he just stood there on the edge of the board. The balls of his feet and his toes the only thing separating him from the water.

But the one thing that everyone knew about Tyler was that he was never one to give up or give in to his fears. Although the others treated him like the youngest and the baby of the group they partly did it because they had to protect him from himself at times. He knew it and they knew it.

Tyler closed his eyes. He closed his eyes and focused on the smell of the chlorine. The feel of the humidity against his skin. The warmth that wrapped around his body from the heated water a few feet below him. He kept his eyes closed as he started to bounce slightly on the board. Slowly and tentatively at first. But then his bouncing became more assured, more focused.

He went over the steps to this dive in his mind one last time before letting his body take control. He took a couple more sure bounces before he raised his arms out at shoulder level. One final bounce as he jumped up from the board and pulled his legs flat to his chest. His body flipping one more time as he released his legs, arched his back brought his hands over his head and ripped through the water sinking down to the bottom.

As he broke the surface of the water he opened his eyes. He ignored the slight sting as he looked around the depth. He stayed at the bottom of the pool for a moment before he suddenly started to laugh. He quickly kicked off the bottom as he remembered the laughing while under water was not a wise thing to do. He broke the surface again and was caught between laughing and coughing.

He had done it. He had actually done it and now that it was finished he couldn't believe that he had almost not done it. That he had almost given this up because of one asshole. He dipped back under the water again as his coughing got the better of him. He was surprised as splash landed near him and arms wrapped around his chest. For a split second his mind went back to the struggle and his body tensed in preparation to defend itself again. But the next second he relaxed into the familiar hold as he turned his head and saw Reid holding him up in the water as he continued to cough and laugh at the same time.

"I don't get whats so funny about you nearly drowning yourself." Reid muttered as he towed him towards the edge of the pool and to their older brothers who were waiting.

"I didn't nearly drown myself." He finally managed to choke out as he took Pogue's hand and let himself be pulled out of the pool where Caleb wrapped a towel around his shoulders.

"Then what were you doing?" Pogue asked him as he pulled Reid out of the pool.

"I was taking back what was mine." He muttered as he laid on the bleacher his hands behind his head and his eyes closed as he smelled the chlorine and felt the water dripping down his body.

He cracked his eyes and saw that Caleb was hovering over him but he watched his brother smile at his words and he knew that at least one of them understood what he meant. He closed his eyes exhausted at the emotional upheaval he went through to accomplish what he had done.

"No falling asleep baby boy. You can once we get to the dorms." Caleb shook his shoulder and pulled him back into a sitting position and pulled him to his feet and drag him to the locker room to get changed again.

"Ty," He turned around to look at Pogue as he reached the locker room doors, "you steal my bike again and not even Caleb will be able to save you."

He smiled as he went to change. A few minutes later he was back and yawning as they walked towards the exit and from there the dorms where they would spend the rest of the night and where Tyler would hopefully sleep without fears and nightmares. As they walked outside he shivered and crossed his arms around himself to hold in the warmth.

"You know, if you get sick because of this stunt then I'm going to kick your ass." Tyler smiled sleepily at Reid as the four brothers made their way to the dorms. "And nice Inward 1 1/2 dive by the way."

Tyler laughed. He threw his arm around Reid's shoulder as they walked towards their dorm.

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The End.