Disclaimer: Still don't own darkest powers... I'll let you know if that changes... and hopefully it will ;)


I worked until dark, knowing that I should have something more with me to show at this meeting in Syracuse.

"Hey babe; It's almost eight." Nick, my husband, told me rubbing my shoulders. "Have you eaten anything all day?" He asked turning me away from my computer.

"Um, no I don't think. Can you get me a bowl of cereal or something?" I asked giving him a warm smile.

"I did, two hours ago." He told me pointing to the soggy cheerios sitting on the back corner of my desk.

"Oh," I said scrunching up my nose looking at the swollen Os. "I'm sorry." I told him. "I just have this meeting in Syracuse this Friday and the VP of this company is going to be there and I want to have something to show for the past few weeks."

"A meeting this Friday, since when?" He asked me looking a bit shocked.

"I got an email this morning." I told him. "What's the problem?" He was giving me the weirdest look, like I'd just thrown his favorite golf clubs into the ocean or something.

"This Friday is the 31st of August." He prompted me.

I had no clue what he was getting at. "So?" I asked with a bit more attitude than I'd meant. He knew I didn't like to play games, he should either tell me what the date meant or get over it.

"Does our fifth anniversary ring a bell?" He asked looking a bit distraught.

"Oh, Nick. I'm so sorry!" I really was sorry, I'd never forgotten our anniversary and I'd always sent out memos to all my co-workers and such that I would not be available.

"Sure, Chloe," He sighed turning away.

"Nick," I called jumping out of my chair and running up to him. I was so small compared to his tall figure. I jumped in front of him putting my hands on his chest trying to stop his retreat. "I'm really sorry, It's just that with work and everything things are really hectic lately and I," I stopped as he put his finger over my lips.

"I get it." He told me kissing me gently.

"Maybe you can come with me." I said grinning up at him. "I might have to make some calls to make sure the room will be big enough and we can get another plane ticket." I just wanted to make sure he wasn't mad at me for this stupid mistake.

"No," He said. I would have thought he was mad, but his slight smile remained in place. "You'll be working all day probably late into the night, but when you get back we can go out for a nice dinner and celebrate a little late." I sighed in relief.

"Thank you." I said wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head against his chest.

"Sure," He said kissing my blond hair. "I love you." He murmured.

"Love you too." I told him reaching up to give him a quick kiss. "I should probably stop working for the night, shouldn't I?" I asked with a small smile followed by a yawn of exhaustion.

"How early were you up this morning?" He asked my concerned.

"I don't remember." I told him. "It was still dark."

"You should go to a doctor." He told me. He was always so concerned about me having this dream that I 'didn't remember' every night waking me up; but he'd never mentioned anything about getting a professional involved.

"How would that help?" I asked with a deep frown. He knew I didn't like psychiatrists. It was probably all the fault of the Lyle house, but I vaguely remember having one or two before that.

"I was watching the news yesterday." He admitted watching my expression. "There was a cold case solved because this woman was having these dreams that she couldn't understand. She went to a doctor and they found out she was suppressing memories of a murder she witnessed as a teen." He looked like he was really concerned, but to think that I was that weak, that I would just hide the painful memories, was too much. He had no clue what I'd been through in my life.

"I haven't witnessed any murder and I don't need a doctor." I told him firmly.

"Okay, it was just a thought." He told me before I turned and walked out of the room.

I went to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar. It was dark out and it took me back to a different time.

We were staying at the safe house for awhile, until things could be sorted out. It was late and I couldn't sleep, or wouldn't sleep for that matter. I refused to put a single creature back into its dead corpse that night.

"Chloe," I hadn't realized that Derek had come in. "What're you doing up?" He asked looking a bit concerned.

"Can't sleep," I told him. "What about you?"

"I came down for a snack." He told me before pulling a box of granola bars from the cupboard. He pulled a handful out and handed me one. We sat there in the kitchen eating our snack for awhile.

"Thanks." I said to him looking up and meeting his gaze. That was the night I realized how beautiful his eyes really were, the first time I really got lost in them.

I shook my head, releasing myself from the flashback. Sometimes I just wondered where he was, and if Derek had finally figured out that he was anything but a monster.

I sighed at my thoughts. I'd tried to leave it behind, I tried to be normal and every day it still came down to me reliving those days in flashbacks and dreams and wondering if I'd made the right choice.

I did make the right choice, didn't I?


Thanks for all the reviews. I was so happy to see how many reviewed and favored the story that I just had to post the next chapter tonight. Only problem is that my beta/#1 cousin wasn't on her computer so I decided to post it without it being checked over by anyone except myself, so if you find any mistakes please PM it to me or just put it in a review. As always I appreciate reviews and criticism is welcome!