So…no one kill me for lying and taking forever to update all my stories. But fair week was insane and I had no time. Then there was school (a freaking AP Psych class in school. (College level class)) and rabbit shows and other things that hindered me from having time to sit and write.

So, I apologize but clearly I've got a crap load of updates for you wonderfully patient people. They will be coming throughout my three day weekend but they will all be there.

Before you get to the actual chapter part, I want to thank everyone who reviewed. I swear if you stick with me through the whole story you'll be in for a pretty interesting ride. No joke, I have been thinking about this story non stop since I started it so I'm so excited to be working on it and I have a lot of ideas for it…BUT SWEAR TO ME NOW THAT YOU WILL NOT TRY TO HURT ME LATER ON…

This chapter is started differently than my usual updates because I started with some flashbacks instead of just starting where I left off. Hopefully you all like that. That being said, flashbacks are in italics and the reason the rating is already changed to M is that one of the flashbacks is the first time Chloe and Derek have sex. So…sorry? If you don't like that, really sorry. That's just how the chapter wrote itself.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: DP isn't mine. It is fun to play with the characters though. *Smirks*

Memories and Heartache

Chloe POV

The night air was cool against my skin. I was sitting in the parking lot outside our hotel because I couldn't sleep. I don't know why a peaceful slumber wouldn't welcome me but after an hour of just lying in bed with my eyes closed, I decided to go out for a walk.

Obviously, I couldn't go very far because if Derek were to wake up and notice me missing…

I sighed. If I went farther than this parking lot he would have a heart attack. As it was if he found me out here, he wouldn't be too happy because I was out in the open alone.

Honestly, I was surprised that Derek wasn't awake yet. On a normal basis he would wake at the slightest noise. It would make sense for me to believe that if he had woken up he would be hounding me for trying to slip out on my own.

Tonight though, he was sound asleep. And even though that was odd for him, I know he was tired. It's not like any of us have gotten much sleep lately so I understood.

That brought me back to my sleep problem. I couldn't understand why sleep was avoiding me. I was tired. Exhausted actually. My bed in the hotel was amazing, like sleeping on a cloud that came with big fluffy pillows and soft sheets.

So why the heck couldn't I sleep?

I shivered. The air around me seemed to be getting colder. Maybe it was because I wasn't walking around anymore. I wrapped my arms around my body in an effort to keep myself warm.

That was a waste on my part and I knew it would be but for some reason I tried it anyway.

It was an usually cool night which explained why I was cold. But I couldn't find the energy to get up. But if I turned into a Chloe-cicle no one in that hotel room, most definitely not Derek, would be happy and that was the only reason I stood and made my way back to the room.

You should have just grabbed a sweatshirt on the way out, smarty.

I resisted the urge to shush myself out loud. I hadn't thought of grabbing a sweatshirt because our room was actually kind of warm and my tired mind didn't make the connection of warm transitioning cool until I was outside.

I pulled the room key, which was actually a card, out of my pocket and slipped it into the electronic lock. The little green light flashed and the lock clicked. I silently cursed the noise. Maybe someone else wouldn't notice but Derek would…if he still wasn't passed out.

I slipped through the door, being careful to only open it as far as I needed for my small body to fit through. I didn't want too much light from the parking lot to get in and wake someone up.

The idea of getting my sweatshirt was easy. Just sneak across the room and grab it but my clumsiness makes things about ten times more difficult. Case in point, while walking to my miniscule pile of clothing I accidentally kicked the chair at the desk and yelped from the shock and the pain shooting through my foot.

Only Derek stirred. In a way I was glad he was the only person so I wouldn't have to explain anything to anyone else but at the same time I wished it was someone else. I wouldn't be interrogated over what I was doing, just a few question and then I would be told to go back to sleep.

Derek rolled over to face me and propped himself up on his elbows.

"What the hell are you doing?" His voice was thick from sleep and he was talking so quietly I wasn't sure if he was growling or whispering the question at me.

I was hoping for the latter.

"Nothing." I blurted. I rubbed the back of my neck knowing that Derek would catch my lie.

He scoffed. "It doesn't seem like nothing. You are acting as though I caught you in an illegal act of some sort."

"Yeah Derek. Definitely. I was just out there finalizing a drug deal. You caught me."

"Chloe." That was definitely a growl. He threw the covers off of his body and flew out of his bed like a bat out of hell. "That's not funny."

His green eyes seemed to glow in the dim light that was filtering through the window. As he looked down at me I felt a twinge of fear. Not fear of Derek but fear that he might find out, or already know, where I was.

As soon as I thought that, Derek's features softened and he placed his left hand on my face, his thumb rubbing across my cheek over the small scar there. (A/N I don't actually remember which side of her face was cut so we're going with left.)

"Why are you awake?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried."

He smirked. "Did you try counting sheep?"

I gave him a droll stare. "You're not funny."

"Sorry." His features turned serious. "In all seriousness though Chloe, do you know why?"

I shook my head.

He moved back to his bed and laid down then offered me a place to lay next to him.

"Someone will probably get mad." I said with a pointed look to my aunt, who was sound asleep on the pull out couch.

We had two rooms that were connected. We left the door connecting the two rooms open because it didn't really matter to any of us. Better to have one big room than two with a locked door standing in the way if someone were to need help. Simon, Tori and Kit were in the other room. I'd insisted Derek be in the same room as me and, after much protest from my aunt, I finally got my way.

"I'll move you when you fall asleep. Or just set an alarm and wake up before her so she won't know. If you're still sleeping I can move you back to your bed."

I sighed. "I guess."

He motioned for me to lie next to him. I did, internally protesting simply because I didn't want my aunt to get mad at either of us. It's not like we were going to do anything we shouldn't but she wouldn't see it that way.

"If I get in trouble for this Derek Souza, so help me I'll-" He cut me off with a light kiss.

"Calm down. Neither of us will get in trouble."

I didn't reply, only snuggled up close to him and sighed. He wrapped his arm around me and held me close. I felt content and I felt like I could actually fall sleep here. There was an undeniable feeling of safety that came with being in his arms.

After a few minutes Derek started to run his fingers through my hair and within minutes I was asleep.

"Would you just listen to me for five seconds!" I yelled.

"Chloe, don't you understand that I'm concerned about your safety. I mean, he's a werewolf for crying out loud."

"So what! What is so wrong with that? He's been nothing but careful with me."

"I know you have met other werewolves and you know how they can be."

"How they can be? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Watch your mouth."

I groaned. "Just listen to me, please."

Aunt Lauren seemed to pause for a moment as she took note of the desperation in my voice.

"Derek would sooner die than hurt me."

She stared at me and she almost looked…lost. She knew a year ago that I was perfectly fine with Derek, that he would protect me no matter the cost. But every now and then she would get in a horrible mood and 'forget' that realization. That's when these fight would occur.

Her brow creased, at first in what seemed to be confusion, but then she looked angry again. She really just needed sleep. She couldn't function without a decent amount of sleep each night and with us having to move again last week she wasn't really up to doing anything which included arguing. But here she was, arguing with me about Derek. Again.

"Forget it! I give up." I stomped out of the room fuming. I was absolutely furious with her stubborn hardheaded ways. I needed to find Derek so I could calm down. He was the one I sought out every time something went awry. Every single time. And I knew he had heard us yelling so I needed to see if he had any reaction to that.

I barged into his room without knocking, knowing that he wouldn't care, and then slammed the door closed. Dressed only in a pair of sweat pants, he was lying on his bed on his back with his hands on his stomach and he was just staring at the ceiling.

I rushed to his bed and laid down next to him. He shifted, moving his arm so that he could hold me.

"Just breath Chloe."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

He sighed. "I'm so used to people treating me that way that it doesn't really bother me anymore."

"I know that that isn't true. You care too much about other people to not be bothered by the fact that they might hate you for no reason."

"Damn." He grumbled. "You know me too well. Fine it does bother me but there isn't really too much I can do about it. People are going to think what they want and you probably aren't going to be able to change their opinions."

This was why I loved talking to him. He was so down to earth and calm about most everything unless it involved my safety. Even if what he had to say wasn't really all that pleasant, he could always help me when I had a dilemma.

This definitely qualified as a dilemma.

"I love you Derek."

He moved his arm away from me and shifted so that he was looking down at me. Without a word he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. How I loved his touch. His kiss. Derek was pure bliss and he was forever mine.

"I love you too." He whispered against my lips. Then he smiled and pulled away so he could laugh.

"What?"

"I just thought of something really cheesy."

"What?" I asked again.

"Our love can conquer all obstacles."

"That's not cheesy."

He glanced at me, that wonderful smile still on his face. "What would you call it then?"

Tapping my finger against my lower lip, I thought for a moment.

Derek was looking at me, expecting an answer sometime in the near future but the look on his face said he thought I wasn't going to reply.

"It's romantic." I declared.

He rolled over so he could recapture my lips. I buried my hand in his hair, pulling him closer as he wrapped one arm around me and pressed me to his bare chest. He left my lips, trailing kissed down my jaw to my neck.

"Romantic it is then." He breathed against my skin, raising goose bumps.

There was a light knock at the door that made us jump apart. Without a true invitation, my aunt cracked the door open and poked her head in. She cast us a sheepish look before stepping into the room.

She was fidgeting when she spoke. "I'm really sorry Chloe. I know that you're safe with him but sometimes I let the past get the better of me."

"He is right here you know and while I thank you for your apology-" I started.

"I'm sorry Derek. I'm not going to treat you like that anymore. Nor will I say anything bad about you ever again. I promise"

I looked over my shoulder to see Derek's expression. I'm not sure who looked more shocked at her declaration. It seemed like it was Derek because he was completely speechless.

I swallowed and turned back to face my aunt. "Thank you."

I pulled on one of Derek's tee shirts and slipped into bed. A few minutes later Derek came out of our bathroom wearing a pair of navy blue sweatpants. He pulled the covers back and laid down next to me except he was lying on his side while I was on my back.

I rolled so that I was looking him straight in the eye. His eyes widened a degree at how close I was but other than that he didn't move.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I love you."

"I already knew that."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"But, I love you too."

I smiled. "You know what else?"

He shook his head.

"I love your eyes and they way they sparkle when you look at me. And I love that you look at me like I am the most precious thing in the world to you."

Though the only light in the room was coming in from the full moon outside I noticed Derek was blushing. I smiled and bit my lower lip.

"You are the most precious thing in the world." He stated simply.

It was my turn to blush and Derek didn't need the moonlight to see it. He smiled and closed the gap between us. He was always so tender and sweet when he kissed me.

No. He was just always tender and sweet. Kisses or not.

I buried my hands in his hair and he rolled onto his back, pulling me across his chest in the process. He cradled my head in his hands while we kissed. I felt something shatter between us. A barrier that I doubt either of us had known was there. But that broken barrier gave me the courage to ask Derek a question.

I slid my hands down the back of his neck, letting my nails lightly scrape at his skin before I slid my hands to his chest and pulled away.

"Make love to me Derek." I whispered.

"Chloe-"

"Derek." I mocked before he could even finish his sentence.

He sighed. It was a sigh of indecision. I knew he was fighting with himself over this. Go through with it or don't?

I leaned down to nip at his chin. "Please Derek."

I kissed his neck. His shoulder. He sucked his breath in sharply as I traced a line down his chest and over his stomach.

"You're trying to kill me. Admit it."

I smiled. "Never." I ran my finger back up his stomach.

"They why are you doing that?"

"Because I know you like it." I shifted, moving so that I was covering Derek's torso with my body.

Here I sat, straddling Derek's waist while I waited for him to make his choice.

He looked up at me and I could see the answer in his eyes before he even pulled me back down for a scorching kiss. His hands were practically glued to my hips until he started to tug at the tee I was wearing. I sat back and pulled the shirt over my head. I felt a blush creeping across my face and down my neck. I'd never been so bold before. With everything we did I was always shy especially when it came to my body.

But Derek was staring up at me in awe. And the love I saw in his eyes made me want to weep. All these wonderful emotions welled up inside of me and I swear I was going to burst just from the sheer joy of the moment.

"You're so beautiful Chloe."

My blush increased tenfold.

Ignoring my embarrassment, I slid down his body so I could pull his sweatpants off. Derek just laid back watching me with hooded eyes. I crawled back up his body but reached out to the nightstand and opened the drawer before settling back down where I had been before. After a few moments of blindly grabbing around in the drawer I finally pulled out the little foil package I was looking for.

I leaned down to whisper in his ear. "You're going to need this."

He grabbed it then looked at me. "Where did you get this?"

I smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I bought them."

"You bought a box of-"

"This is not embarrass Chloe night okay? Put it on or don't, I don't care."

He looked at me then ripped into the foil packaging. I think he had the same thought as me.

Don't put it on and nothing will happen tonight.

I moved away from him so I could slip off my underwear then I sat and watched Derek. His muscles bunched with each movement he made as he slide the condom on. I bit my bottom lip in expectation.

Derek looked at me. "Are you sure?"

I crawled back over his body, looked down at him and smiled. My hair fell forward to create a veil over both of our faces and it only seemed to increase the intimacy of the moment.

I nodded.

Derek shifted ever so slightly so that he had better access to me then he slowly guided himself into my body.

My world exploded. At first in pain but that pain turned into the most incredible pleasure.

I fought back a sob. This was so unfair.

I'd been outside the hotel crying for at least half an hour and I didn't see an end in sight for these stupid angry tears.

Simon, Tori and Kit had explained to me that after I blacked out the men we were fighting stopped trying to even attack Simon, Tori or Kit unless one of them tried to fight them. Their main focus was Derek. It was always Derek.

My poor Derek. Completely harmless but everyone wanted him to be put down like some rabid psychotic dog.

Kit made a choice that he had to get us out, especially me because obviously I couldn't get myself out of the house. But no matter what he tried with the help of Simon and Tori, getting to Derek and getting him and my aunt out of there wasn't working.

It's not like they gave up. Fighting with those men would have been futile but still…I wish there was something we could have done.

Derek's gone now. Did that mean he was being held captive or that he was…dead?

I choked on another sob at that thought.

What the hell was I going to do without Derek? He was what kept me grounded in this world. How could I go on without him? Without his love? I wanted to scream and throw a temper tantrum but that would get us no where.

But what I hated the most was that maybe, just maybe, we could have done something or avoided this whole situation if I had just told everyone else that I could feel something bad was going to happen. I couldn't live with that guilt. Knowing something bad was going to happen and not saying anything.

Now Derek and my aunt were gone and it was my fault.

"Chloe." Tori said from behind me.

"Go away."

"Chloe, please come eat. You have to do something today and you can't function without food."

"Sure I can. I can function and keep on working until I die of starvation." I said bitterly.

"I know you're hurting Chloe but-"

"You don't know how bad I'm feeling right now. Please go away."

She was silent for a moment. Then she exploded. "Don't you dare say that to me! I know he's your boyfriend, or fiancé, or whatever but he's my brother. Don't you dare say that I have no idea how you're feeling!"

In that moment I felt like the lowest of the low. The worst kind of human possible. She was right and I knew it. All I had been doing since they told me what had happened was wallowing in my own self pity and I didn't show any sign that I cared how they felt.

I wiped my eyes with my shirt sleeve and looked up at Tori. "We have to find him."

"We will Chloe." She reached down and yanked me up off the sidewalk. "Come back inside, eat lunch and then we can start working on some kind of plan."

New Edison Group HQ

"Answer me you dog! Where could they have gone?"

Derek spit the blood out of his mouth but didn't speak. What was the point? He didn't have any idea as to where his family was either.

He was tied up. Hanging from the ceiling by his hands. His feet were shackled to the floor preventing him from being able to get decent leverage so he could kick someone. Plus he couldn't even get his leg up that high because of the way he was chained up.

The man who was supposed to be interrogating him instead of severely torturing him growled and held up a knife.

"Where are they?"

Derek still refused to answer.

The man bellowed in rage and lashed out at Derek cutting a deep gash from his hairline, down his jaw and to his chin.

Derek smelled the blood, felt it pouring down his face and dripping down to his bare chest which was covered in a multitude of welts and deep cuts from the insane interrogators 'methods' as well. Aside from the fact that he was grinding his teeth and breathing heavily from the throbbing pain in his head, Derek showed no signs he had been injured in anyway.

"Enough!" A new man stepped through the doorway. "Release him or I'll kill you where you stand or better yet in your sleep. You know I would relish that kill. But it's obvious he's not going to answer you, you moron."

"Do not take that tone with-"

"Shut up maggot. I don't answer to you. You answer to me and you'll do well to remember that. Now release him and send someone in to tend his wounds."

The interrogator left grumbling and cursing as he walked out.

"I know you have no idea where your family and friends are, with the exception of Lauren of course. I don't know why that man is allowed to stay here. He doesn't think things through. Just impulsively kills." The new man sighed. "But I guess you can't change who your family is."

Two more men came into the room followed by a nurse of some sort. The men freed Derek from his binding and the woman went right to cleaning up his face. As she worked Derek looked up at the man who stopped his torturing.

He was tall, at least 6' 5" with dark brown hair that fell just above his broad shoulders. Any part of the mans skin that was visible was covered in some sort of scar. Even his face was scared.

Well, at least you aren't the only one now, Derek thought.

Whoever this man was he didn't seem too inclined to share anything with Derek. Not even his name. At least he wasn't sharing yet. Who knows what the rest of this insane day would hold.

But, at the moment, he was simply standing waiting for Derek's facial wound to be cleaned and bandaged. He didn't seemed as concerned about the other wounds he'd obtained. Maybe the one on his face was the worst? He seriously doubted that.

Five minutes later the nurse had cleaned up her first aid kit and was now scurrying out of the room.

The man offered Derek his hand. Derek didn't take it but he realized that he was having trouble standing on his own so, reluctantly, he had to accept this strangers help.

"So, when are you going to kill me?" Derek asked starting to touch the area where his face was bandaged. He stopped himself before he touched the bandage though, lest he open the wound again.

"If I wanted you dead Derek, you would already be a blood stain on the floor. I don't need to torture you and weaken you to kill you, I assure you of that much."

"Then what are you going to do with me?"

"You'll see Mr. Souza. Unfortunately, you will probably end up wishing for death later on."

Derek definitely did not like the sound of that.

All he wanted to do was go back to last night and see Chloe again, her eyes alight as he kissed her senseless.

Who knows what he was going to be doing now. It didn't involve Chloe and it certainly didn't involve kissing her.

The man motioned for Derek to follow him. "You need clothing. And by the way, I'm Thorn."

So…shorter chapter than I wanted but did you like it? Was it worth waiting for? Please review and tell me what you think.

(=^_^=)