Hey everybody! This is Libros here. I hope you like my first Darkest Powers fanfiction and it's set after the second book.

Disclaimer: Wow. Werewolves, witches, all of which I don't own. Yes, that was my poor attempt at alliteration. The Darkest Powers Trilogy belongs to Kelley Armstrong.

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On some subconscious level I knew I was dreaming, but it didn't help me out. I was trying to run to my mother and away from the various reanimated bodies that were heading toward me. Instead of going anywhere I stayed in one place as if I was wading through mud. I opened my mouth to scream, but it felt as though I was being smothered.

"Cloe, Cloe wake up!" Derek's voice was insistent. "It's just a dream"

I opened my eyes and glared at him before he took his hand off my mouth. I realized I had probably been whimpering and thrashing in my bed. And Derek had been here to see me at my worst. Great!

"I know it's just a dream, but that doesn't help me any when I'm in the middle of it," I remarked grouchily, trying to wipe the tears out of my eyes.

"What was it about?" Derek asked, being unusually nice by wiping my eyes for me.

"Nothing important," I muttered, trying to ignore the tingly feeling inside my stomach. It reminded me of the kinds of feelings that I had before I got sick, and there was no way I wanted to get sick in front of Derek. I had a feeling he wouldn't like to have to take care of me. A horrible thought suddenly occurred to me, "I didn't raise anyone did I?"

"No, you didn't," Derek replied and I sat us as yet another thought occurred to me.

"Why are you in here?" I asked, scrambling to pull my blankets up. Just because I had seen him in nothing but boxers did not mean that I wanted him to see me in the tank top and shorts that were my temporary borrowed pajamas.

"Why do you think?" He asked sarcastically. "Just because everyone else in this house is stone deaf does not mean that I am. I heard you crying form my room and came to find out why."

I was glad it had been him who had come instead of Simon or Tori. I didn't want to bother Simon, and despite how much more friendly Tori had become I still didn't think that she'd be very supportive. Not to be distracted from his earlier pursuit, Derek spoke up again,

"So, now tell me, what was the dream about?"

"It was a nightmare," I whispered, "but it didn't start out like one. In the beginning I was standing in this field and then I saw my mom dressed in this pure white dress. I was running towards her when all of a sudden she screamed and pointed behind me. I looked where she was pointing and saw like a million zombies chasing after me. I tried to run to my mom, but I couldn't move. Classic nightmare stuff."

I'd added the end to come off as calm, but he just kept looking at me with this way too blank look on his face. Suddenly I realized what I had done.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped. "I didn't mean to be rude! I mean, h-how c-could I-I b-be

up-p-pset ab-bout something so t-tiny? I nev-ver ev-ven asked ab-b-"

Derek put his finger on my lips, stilling them.

"Breathe," he instructed quietly. "Now talk."

I watched my fingers pluck nonexistent lint from my blanket as I obeyed.

"Derek," I asked quietly. "Whatever happened to your parents?"

He looked at me in surprise before responding with,

"That's what you were apologizing for not asking?"

I glared at him a little bit and he groaned before finally giving me a proper answer.

"Not much to it," Derek said. "Cause I don't know anything about them. Simon's Dad was the only Dad I ever knew."

"Then why did you have that look on your face?" I asked, getting a little annoyed.

"Because I was trying to figure your dream out so that you can finally get some quality sleep," Derek responded, his eyes taking in the circles I knew that I had under my eyes as he sat down on the corner of my bed. "You need some rest if you're going to be of any use. Go to sleep."

I shook my head, fear welling up inside of me.

"No," I said out loud, feeling a bit annoyed with how he was treating me. That combined with my fear made sleep very non-desirable. "No way. I might raise someone!"

"Then I'll stay here and make sure you aren't having a nightmare before I go back to bed," Derek told me. "I'll wake you up if you are."

"Really," he said, pushing me down to my bed playfully. "No go to sleep so that I can too."

I couldn't really argue with that, so I closed my eyes obediently. Every now and then I took a peak to make sure he was doing what he said he would, and he was. Every time I peaked he was studying me intently and would give me a glare that said 'Go to sleep' every time he caught me looking. I was drifting off when I realized that I hadn't thanked him yet.

"Thank you," I muttered drowsily.

He just ruffled my hair and said,

"Anytime Cloe, anytime."

And with that I was asleep, like in some cheesy romance flic.

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I hope you liked it! For anyone who's read some of my other fics, you're probably wondering where the fluff is. Just so you know, the fluff is going to be in my sequel to this, Walks, Talks, and Fake Sprains.

~Libros