Disclaimer: I've been forgetting these lately… But I doubt that anyone is under the disillusion that I own anything. But to clarify, sadly, I don't. Own anything that is…. I know, not even Derek. How heartbreaking.

So, this is a new story and I've been toying with this idea for a while, ever since Kelley first revealed her plans to write Disenchanted (the new short story). The bimonthly updates are too spanned out for my liking, so this is my take on what happens when Derek and Chloe get off the bus. It might switch POV's, it might not. We'll see.

Thanks for reading! :)

Replaced and Disillusioned

TPOV

I was awoken yet again, for the second time in the hour-may I add-by a hand shaking my shoulder. Grrr…

"What?" I mumbled, attempting to curl myself more tightly against the window.

"Tori," Simon said, sounding exasperated and anxious. He continued to shake my shoulder. "Tori, wake up." And then I felt a shock in my shoulder. The bastard had zapped me!

"What?" I snapped, pushing his hand away and sitting up.

He stumbled, but righted himself just as quickly and moved his hand out of sight, trying futilely to discreetly massage the hand I had pushed away.

"Chloe and Derek are gone." he said anxiously, panic sweeping over his features.

One thing I had begun to notice about Simon was that he was a bit impulsive and illogical. He seemed to get swept up in the moment rather than think things through and come up with rational explanations. I mean, what did he think? That someone had kidnapped Wolf Boy and the China doll? First, who would want to-let alone, be capable of-taking Mr. Hulking, Pimply and Intimidating? Second, did he really think that someone would even be able take a step with Chloe with Derek watching over her?

God, it was so sickening. Simon drooling all over her was enough. Now Derek, too? Simon might be blissfully ignorant and Chloe painfully oblivious. Derek himself might not even be aware of it. But I saw it. I saw the way he watched over her.

"I know." I said slowly, hopping that he wasn't just a pretty face. His eyes practically bugged out of their sockets as soon as the words left my mouth. He hastily took the vacant seat beside me and turned his body towards mine.

"What do you mean 'you know'? What are you talking about? Where did they go?" he asked these questions with amazing speed. I rolled my eyes, tired of all the sympathy they were getting. They weren't stupid; they would be able to take care of themselves for a day.

"Chloe woke me up about an hour ago, at the last rest stop. She said something about Derek changing again and needing to be with him or him needing her there. Something like that." A look of hurt flashed across his face before he composed himself.

"Oh," he said, quietly, almost as if saying it to himself. "Well, we should get off at the next stop then. We'll go back and find them and then we can all go to Andrew's?"

"With what money, Simon?" My patience was starting to wear thing and some of my annoyance seeped into my voice. "It's not like we have unlimited resources. We can't afford to get off the bus, get two more tickets to head in the opposite direction, and then get another four to continue the trip we were originally on. Plus, Chloe said they'd meet us at Andrew's. We have no way of contacting them, so it would impractical of us to go blindly looking for them."

"It was just a suggestion," he said defensively.

"Well it was a bad one," I snapped.

"I don't hear you coming up with any ideas," he shot back.

"God, Simon!" I said exasperatedly, throwing my hands up into the air. "They're perfectly capable of looking after themselves for twenty-four hours. We'll just go to Andrew's and wait for them to get there."

His eyes narrowed at my tone and he made a big show of huffing out a breath and slamming his back into the seat, his intent to pointedly ignore me.

Whatever. Two could play at that game.

So what he didn't want to talk to me? So what he didn't want to be stuck with me? So what he thought-and pointed out-that I was a bitch? So what? He obviously didn't care and neither should I. Neither would I. I leaned my head against the window and I unwillingly let my thoughts wander…

It was honestly sickening how pathetic both Derek and Simon-though, especially Simon-were. I mean, one look at her petite, blonde frame and one bat of those big, blue eyes, had Simon smitten. He honestly did whatever he could to talk to her. To be near her. Make her smile. I mean, in theory, it was sweet. But once witness to it, you can see how it makes him look like he's in need of some balls.

The one thing I'll give Chloe is that she is truly ignorant. She isn't like Kristen, who pretends to be unconscious of the effect she has on people, yet, all the while, is calculating and scheming; trying to figure out what next she can make people to do for her. My sister disgusts me more than all of this combined. The way she feigned helplessness, the way my mother showed an obvious preference for her and she rubbed it in, the way she always seemed to be the one people wanted, people thought of.

Simon would probably like her, too. He would like her because she wasn't like me. She was bitchy, she wasn't independent, she was stupid, and she was weak. But, at then end of the day, it wouldn't matter. Because she was the opposite of me, the one people seemed to prefer. And most importantly, she was normal, something I knew, definitely, I was not.

Closing my eyes, I pressed my head harder against the window, pushing everything away and welcoming the oblivion brought on by sleep.

SPOV

I sat, trying to finish a drawing of Chloe, but I couldn't. I couldn't concentrate for the life of me. My mind was racing. I was worried, preoccupied.

I was worried about their general well being, yes. I hoped Derek would be okay, that his Change would go smoothly. It wasn't at the forefront of my thoughts, though. They were both smart. They wouldn't have a problem figuring out how to get to Andrew's and Derek was more than capable of taking care of the both of them. Plus, with Chloe in the mix, he'd make sure to do just that.

But, as much as I hated to admit it, I wasn't just worried about them having to fend for themselves. I was angry-frustrated-and hurt. Why did Chloe tell Tori and not me? Why did Derek wake her up and ask her to go with him? Why did he want her there instead of me? Or did she insist on going? And if she did, was it only because she was that good a person? Or was there more to it?

I knew it was silly to think that something might happen between Derek and Chloe, but it was a feeling I couldn't shake. Even though Derek could care less about such frivolities, Chloe seemed to be responding well to my flirting, and they both couldn't go a day without bickering, I couldn't help but notice the slight shift in their relationship.

It had started after the incident in the crawl space, and while I had thought it had gone away after we met up with Chloe and Tori, it was coming to light again. Sometimes I thought I was imagining things because these observations were so slight, so insignificant, that I didn't even think either of them had noticed. But at other times, I was sure there was something there, a sort of alteration of the vibe. The way Chloe seemed only to, at times, speak directly to Derek, as if looking to him for council. The way Derek's eyes seemed to almost imperceptibly follow her every move. And sometimes, it was just a feeling I had, something I couldn't encompass or explain with words.

Shaking my head, I tried to sweep away the ludicrousness of my thoughts, coming to the conclusion that days on the run had done wacky things to my mind. Giving up on completing a semblance of a decent drawing, I put my sketchbook away and closed my eyes, welcoming sleep.

R&R :)