Disclaimer- I don't own Darkest Powers. All of you know that. Every last one of you.

I wiped my tears away.

Mom.

Ever since we got to the motel I haven't been able to get her out of my head. How when I was little, she would hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay. She would help up when I fell. The day she gave my necklace.

The day she died.

The tears spilled over uncontrollably. Wind shook the window, making it creak. My head snapped to the storm that was taking place outside. I was shivering. "Hurricane," the weather man had said. I screamed when I heard a knock on the door.

"Chloe, calm down. It's me," a gruff voice said. "Are you alright? I heard crying."

"I'm fine, Derek."

"Chloe…" his voice trailed off warningly.

I wiped my tears again and walked over to the door to tell him I was okay.

"I'm fine De -" He took one look at my tear streaked face and walked right through the door. I closed It behind me and sat down on my bed. The jeans, long sleeved shirt, and Derek's black hoodie wasn't enough for me to stop shivering. Leaning my head against the head board, pulled my knees up to my chest and put my forehead on my arms resting on my knees.

"What were you thinking about?"

"My mom." I said, barely above a whisper.

He pulled me to him.

After about thirty minutes mashed up against Derek's side bawling my eyes out, I pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry," I stated quickly. "I shouldn't have broken down like th -"

He tilted my chin up which made me stop talking. Derek and I have been together for about a week. We kissed and talked and held hands but we normally did all that when we were alone. The kissing part, at least. Why? Because people tend to stare, they make gagging noises, and my aunt glares at us too much. That usually makes us stop quicker than shit.

At age sixteen, Derek was about a foot taller than me with a body that would beat Steven Strait's any day. He keeps his muscles hidden under

baggy clothes (which I object to), his acne is almost gone; only slight traces that you would have to be up close to really notice, and his hair wasn't a greasy lanky mess anymore although it still hung in his eyes. Mother Nature had cut my boyfriend some slack.

"Don't worry about it."

I nodded just as a cold breeze entered the room. I shivered again and Derek told me to lay down under the covers. Once I did, I looked up at Derek who looked tired as all hell.

"Guy with the built in heater," I said. "Care to help?"

He lay down next to me. We ended up talking and even though my eyelids would droop on a constant basis, I was having more fun than I had in a long time.

My eyes were closed and Derek was saying something about how he and Simon were playing in the backyard one day and Simon was antagonizing a squirrel.

"…he found a stick so he started to -" I could feel his eyes on me. "Chloe if you're tired go to sleep. I can go back to my room."

I shook my head. "I'm going to have nightmares. I don't want to have any more nightmares Derek," I mumbled.

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll stay. Get some sleep, Chlo. And if anything, I'm right here."

I nodded. I started to drift off. Every time I did, though, one very important word crept through my mind:

Mom.

I turned, trying to get comfortable. I turned again. A third time. Fourth. By the fifth time, Derek was rubbing my back whispering soothing words to me, trying to make me fall asleep.

I opened one eye to peek at him. "Thanks wolf-boy."

He chuckled. "You're welcome, Chloe."

I fell asleep to his soft murmurs.

Derek Souza.

She slept soundlessly.

Chloe had been asleep in my arms for a roughly estimated three hours. Meaning it was one in the morning or somewhere close to that time. Every now and then she would fidget and turn but that was it. Her grip on my hand was hard. Her way of making sure that I wouldn't leave. Not that I would.

I was tired and stressed. Tired because waking up in the middle of the night five or four times would normally do that. Stressed because we were safe and I wasn't used to that. I always thought something bad was going to happen if I wasn't alert. If something did happen -

"Derek?" a voice asked sleepily.

I looked down and saw that Chloe had a slight smile on her face.

"You stayed."

"Yeah," I said awkwardly. "I wasn't going to leave after I said I was going to be here for you."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

She looked at me, her blue eyes connecting with mine. Chloe's arms found my neck and they were wound around it instantly. My arms encircled her waist and I brought my mouth down to hers. Something coursed through me. A sensation like no other. It was perfect. Just me and her. Something we don't get all that often. We stayed like that for a few moments. When we pulled away our lips lingered on each other's. Each of us pulled back slightly until they were barley touching. I smiled, my eyes still closed. She laughed softly and pecked me on the cheek.

If someone had told me about a month ago I'd be dating someone, I would've laughed in their faces, called them crazy, and got on with my life. Because back then it wasn't easy at all to imagine. It wasn't even possible. But now, with her next to me, I felt like the luckiest guy on the whole planet.

"I still can't believe I have a girlfriend," I said under my breath.

"Well," said Chloe. "Start getting used to it. I'm not leaving you an time soon."

I smiled. I like the sound of that.

"I'm gonna go get some water." She got up and walked away.

I turned so I was laying on my stomach. As I rested my head on the pillow, I felt Chloe start to rub the back of my shoulders, much like she had done when I was Changing into a wolf. It felt different, better. Mostly because I wasn't in pain. I made a soft noise of appreciation

"Mmm."

"I'm guessing that feels good?"

I nodded. Ten minutes later her hands slipped under my shirt and up my back. Chloe continued to rub my shoulders. Her fingers were freezing cold and felt nice against my hot skin.

After what felt like hours, Chloe pulled her fingers from under my shirt and lay down on my back while wrapping her arms around my waist, her cheek resting between my shoulder blades.

"You seem tense," she noted. "What's up?"

"Just…" I began. "This. Being safe. It's strange. I'm not used to it."

"You're used to being on the run," said Chloe. "Used to protecting everyone. Looking after everyone else."

"That's not true," I huffed.

She moved her head so that she was staring at me. Her eye brows rose.

"What?"

"Okay Derek," she laughed. "You don't look after everyone else. You don't protect everyone else. I don't believe that for two seconds."

"I don't," I said gruffly.

She kissed my cheek. "Okay wolf-boy," sarcasm rolled off her tongue. "Whatever floats your boat."

I growled at the nickname.

"Calm down," she said. "I'm kidding."

It was now a low rumble in the back of my throat.

"I said," Chloe pounded her tiny fists into my shoulder blades. "I was kidding."

The growl subsided.

"Good."

Chloe somehow managed to stay on my back as she brought her lips down to mine in soft peck.

I lay my head down on the pillow and let her rub my back again. Every so often she would kiss the place between my shoulder blades. Being with Chloe really cut down on my stress level. She always calmed me down, something only a few people are been able to do.

"Hey Derek?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Everything's going to be fine," Chloe promised. "Stop being so stressed. Relax. Take your mind off things for a little bit. You need sleep and a seriously long bubble bath."

"I don't take bubble baths," I smirked.

She hit my shoulder. "You know what I mean," she sounded serious. "Kick back, relax, and enjoy being safe. Who knows how much longer it'll be like this."

I grabbed her hands from where they were on my back. She shifted so she was sitting back down on the bed. I turned over, lying on my back. I looked at her then sat up myself. I wrapped my arms around her.

"Thank you," I began. "for caring. For being there for me. For everything."

"You're welcome," Chloe whispered. "Derek I do those things because you're important to me. You don't even know how much."

My eyes widened slightly.

No one's ever told me that before.

She kissed my cheek. Chloe lay down and dragged me along with her. Her arms were wrapped around my waist. I buried my face in her neck. I hadn't gotten any sleep in God only knows how long. Chloe's fingers gently skimmed up and down my chest and stomach. She would pause on my stomach slightly and then trail back up. At that I chuckled.

"What?" she asked innocently. "What's so funny?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

I could tell she was looking at me, even after I stopped.

She muttered something under her breath I couldn't distinguish. And usually I can hear it because of the werewolf hearing.

"What did I do now?"

"You did nothing," she said lightly. "In fact, you did do something. You did everything perfectly."

"And what's the everything that I perfectly, Chloe?"

"That's something you need to figure out on your own," Chloe stated.

"What?"

"I'll give you a hint," she leaned in close and said in my ear: "You were you."

I quirked an eye brow up. "I'm confused."

"Go to sleep, Derek."

"What?" she was telling me to go to sleep after she told me I was me. "What were you just saying? I don't get wh -"

She kissed me. Just like that she kissed me. Great way to shut a guy up. I gave in (it's kinda hard not to) and wrapped my arms around her. She pulled back.

"You need your sleep as much as much as I do, Derek."

"What if you -"

"I'll be fine," she cut me off. "Sleep."

But Chloe -"

"No buts," She sounded like a very pissed off mother. "Go. To. Sleep."

The last words were said firmly. I rolled my eyes then closed them. Before I knew it her lips were on mine.

"I'll see you in the morning," she whispered.

I nodded then opened my eyes to see her staring at me with caring, soft eyes. Chloe brought her fingers up to my cheek and trailed them across my skin.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," I said. "You're really important to me, too."

She smiled at me. I closed my eyes and, for the first time since we had gotten here, had a peaceful sleep.

Ok so that was a little story I couldn't get out of my head no matter how hard I tried. Did you like it? Not like it? Love it? Hate it? Questions? Want me to continue it? Just say it all in your review or you can PM me. If you have any suggestions, any at all, please please PLEASE tell me. The only thing left to say is… REVIEW. I would love it if you did!

- xxWARxx