Close to Normal

It has taken about a month but it had finally happened. Chloe, Derek, and the gang had finally begun to settle down. They were currently residing in a small town in Pennsylvania in a three bedroom apartment. Despite its small size no one complained. The Edison Group, although not defeated, was a problem that everyone was more than willing to put on the back burner. The four kids who had spent months fearing for their lives were ready to get back to normal, well as close to normal as they could get.

Everything was blury, like looking through your eyes after you'd be crying. All Chloe could see where outlines of something ahead.

"Derek?"

The image shifted but said nothing.

"Simon, Tori?"

The image shifted again and began to walk closer to her, still completely silent. The closer it got the clearer the image became. She could practically hear Derek in the back of her mind telling her not to be so stupid and run. After what she had been through Chloe should have learned that curiosity lead to nothing but trouble.

After a few more blinks of the eye the image cleared and Chloe instantly wished that it hadn't. Tori's mom stood a few feet in front of Chloe and practically breathed fire with her eyes.

Before the scream could even leave Chloe's mouth Derek was holding her in his arms. They were on the couch. The movie she had chosen was rolling the credits. Chloe brought her eyes up to look into Derek's emerald ones, she knew that she hadn't let out the blood curling scream that she had become accustomed to so she didn't fully understand the fear in his eyes, until she realized that she was shaking like a leaf. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. He rubbed her back in soothing circles, one of the few things he could do to calm her down.

"What happened this time?"

Without lifting her head from its place on his chest, Chloe told Derek her dream. When she explained to him that the figure she saw was Tori's mom he held her even tighter to himself. He knew how hard it was for her to not only purposely raise a body but to use that body to kill another. After what seemed like hours but was only minutes Chloe pulled back from Derek. She smiled up at him.

"Thanks, I guess that's been bother me more than I wanted to admit."

Derek smirked to him give her his "you think" look. She smiled back no longer affected by his rough edges. It was like she was a whole other person around him. She leaned up towards him silently asking for a kiss. He didn't let her down meeting her half way. They shared a kiss that still managed to give them both the shivers down to their toes. After a few short seconds they pulled apart just enough to rest their heads against the other.

"Are you going to be alright," he asked knowing that she wouldn't lie to him.

"Yeah I'll be fine, I guess it just freaked me out a bit is all. I just… I know that it had to be done but…"

Derek pulled her into another quick hug, he turned his head toward her ear, "it's not your fault." He had whispered that to her every time she mentioned that day. He knew that she would be riddled with guilt even though she had done the right thing. It was one of the few nights when Derek and Chloe had time to themselves, everyone else had gone to a movie, Chloe had to do some quick talking to let her stay home with Derek. He wasn't sure if Chloe realized it yet, but the relationship between her and her aunt was quickly diminishing.

"I know. I know that I still have the nightmare, but I think that I'm really starting to believe that," she smiled up at him. He leaned in the few inches that separated their faces and pressed his lips to hers once again.

Derek wasn't sure what it was but for some reason he couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her. As soon as he and Chloe shared their first kiss, as soon he had acknowledged the fact that he wanted nothing more than to be with her for the rest of his life, he could hardly stand to be away from her, but he knew he had to pull away.

He opened his mouth about to ask Chloe is she wanted to watch another movie when he heard someone put a key into the door, it took a second before Chloe heard it too and she instinctively went to pull away from Derek's embrace. He tightened his hold on her; it was his silent reminder that they had nothing to hide.

The door opened and Tori and Simon tumbled into the living room arguing about the ending of the movie they saw. Simon sat on the arm of the couch by Chloe and Tori and in the arm chair on the other side of the room.

"Okay fine we'll settle this with a vote," Simon turned to Derek and Chloe, "So you know the Freddy Kruger movies you can't kill him because he's already dead, if you find a way to kill him for sure should he just stay dead," he give Tori and look, "or should he keep coming back such as tradition says he should."

Derek had no intention of becoming involved in this ridiculous argument but he looked at Chloe remember her film obsession, but Chloe's eyes were locked on her Aunt. Lauren was looking at Derek and Chloe sitting on the couch her disapproval expressed in full force.

Derek and Simon's father Kit walked in eating the left over popcorn. Having raised Derek for most of his life, the fact that he was a werewolf no longer phased him. He knew how to deal with Derek when the wolf was taking over and he knew how to deal with his son when he was being a hard ass, that was all ne needed to know. He saw the positive changes in Derek when Chloe was around, she seemed to be the only person who could keep him in check and she really cared about him. The young couple had his full support; they were both smart kids and wouldn't do anything too irresponsible.

"Chloe can I talk to you for a second please," Lauren asked in the tone of voice that verbally expressed the disapproval her eyes showed when looking at the two.

The interesting thing about Chloe and Derek's relationship is that not only had Derek changed, but Chloe has as well. After the great lengths Derek had gone though to keep them all safe, and especially now that they all knew he wasn't a danger to anyone when in full wolf form, she would defend him to the grave when necessary, even against her aunt.

"Yeah I think we do need to talk but let's go outside." Derek huffed quietly, but Chloe still heard him.

It wasn't that he wanted to keep Chloe permanently tied to his side at all times, he just didn't want her outside, at night, and alone where he couldn't protect her. She had a pension for attracting trouble, but Chloe just gave his hand a squeeze before following her aunt out the door.

They walked outside the building and sat on a bench across the street, it was under the street lamp and in view of their apartment window where Chloe knew Derek would be watching to make sure she was okay.

"Chloe," Lauren began "I understand that you and this boy have been though a lot together, you two have formed a friendship like no other, but I don't like what you two are doing."

"I don't understand, what are we doing that's so wrong?"

"I just think that this relationship is moving too fast. What do you really know about him?" She was beginning to yell and Chloe's eyes shot up to the window of their apartment just in time to see the blinds flick closed. She knew Derek had heard the last part.

"I know enough, I know that he would literally jump in front of a bullet for me and at the end of the day that's all that should really matter."

"Chloe I just think that due to your unfortunate past circumstances, you think that you're wiser than you really are. Derek may seem normal to you, but I've seen some of the looks that he gives people, it's not normal. You may have forgotten but I remember what he did to that boy at his last school, he's dangerous."

"Okay that's where you need to stop right now."

"Trust me Chloe, were-," Lauren cut herself off remember that they were outside where anyone could overhear them. "People like Derek may seem normal but there's a reason they're so isolated from the others."

"Why would I trust you, you're the reason I'm in this mess. You're the one who got me locked up in Lyle house in the first place. If I'm so irresponsible why is it that we managed to figure out what the Edison Group was up to before you. I don't understand how you can judge me or Derek or anyone."

Anything that Lauren has been preparing to say was put to an immediate halt. Chloe had changed but she hadn't changed that much.

"I'm sorry Aunt Lauren, I'll never fully understand why did what you did, and to be honest I'm not sure if I'll ever feel the same towards you, but you're my family and I'll love you forever. Some things are going to have to change though. You're going to have to start letting me make my own decisions."

"I know that I've made some mistakes Chloe, but I still believe that I know what's best for you," Lauren said although with less force than she started with.

"Aunt Lauren, I understand that you're use to being the one in charge but you're going to have to start letting me make decisions for myself. And I've decided that I want Derek in my life, and if I have to chose between the two of you… well," she let the sentence drift into space, for dramatic effect, hey it worked in the movies.

Chloe didn't really want to kick her aunt out of her life, she was taking a big risk, but she needed her aunt to realize that she was going to have to accept Derek as a permanent part of their lives.

"Chloe you're the only family that I have left."

"The please don't make me choose, trust me. I've never given you a reason not to."

The next morning Chloe found Derek in the kitchen rinsing a plate the she assumes had held whatever he'd cooked for breakfast.

"You were in bed when we got back in the house, how much did you hear?"

Derek was silent as he pulled out the skillet he had just washed and pulled two eggs and some bacon out of the fridge. He continued to cook in silence and Chloe knew that he would answer when he was ready. He did say anything until he'd put a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her and she's taken te first bite.

"I didn't hear anything but I did hear enough to know that she was telling you to stay away from me and you were defending me."

"Derek-" she started.

"I wanted to say thank you."

Chloe's mouth hung open, she has expected him to argue.

"Chloe I want you to be a part of my life forever. I don't want anyone to stand in our way, even our families."

She stood up and leaned in to kiss him just as Tori walked in to room.

"Ugk, really guys, take it somewhere else. I'm going to be eating you know," Tori plopped down at the table when a box of cereal and a bowl.

Chloe smiled at Derek, "well at least we know some things will never change."