Welcoming Party

Chloe decided she felt, for the first time in many months, that she was safe. Tucked away in their den, under layers of pillows and wrapped in Derek's arms, was probably the best place she could be. It was as though the world and all its cruelties were far beyond her. In the den she couldn't be touched by those troubles, by mad scientists, or careless doctors, or the waiting dead.

Just the thought of dead made Chloe's stomach ache and her mind reel. She pressed herself against Derek, as if she could spend the rest of her life there, in the circle of his arms. She didn't want to face what waited for her beyond the pillows.

Derek stirred in his sleep and his eyes fluttered open. He was distinctly human, with normal green eyes and sleep tousled hair. Chloe almost forgot that he was werewolf. Derek saw her staring up into her eyes and smiled lazily. "Morning, Chloe. You look nice."

"I bet," she said mulishly, trying to scowl at his growing smile. "You look pretty pleased yourself."

Derek squeezed Chloe against him harder. "I have plenty of reason to be."

Chloe smiled, but she couldn't quite push the fear that had been nibbling at her stomach away. Her eyes darted to the entrance of their den. "Do you think their waiting?"

Derek's eyes narrowed and he tilted his head slightly, listening closely for any sounds. "There's no one there now, but Davidoff said they'd leave us alone for a day. They'll probably come around noon for us." He saw Chloe's eyes widen. "I won't let him near you."

"What do you think they'll do with us?" Her voice shrunk to a squeak.

Derek very quickly went from human boy to dangerous wolf. Chloe saw his eyes change, glowing in the dark, and his lips curl back in a snarl. "Nothing for now. They want us to be happy. But I think that given a week or so we'll find ourselves on the receiving end of some experiment."

"Do you think what Davidoff told us at Lyle House was true?" Derek looked at her curiously. "You know, about the whole fertility thing?" She felt a flush in her cheeks. She hated it, but she couldn't think of a better way to say it.

"Yes," Derek said in a beat.

Chloe's blush deepened and she looked down; she couldn't face Derek like this. "I hope they give us time."

"I don't know, Chloe," Derek murmured softly. "I mean, it's not like we can go anywhere." He fell into silence as his thoughts darkened. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to run, and no one to run to. Something in the warm darkness shifted and Derek's eyes darted toward it. It was Clary, struggling with an invisible foe fitfully. She whined weakly and her eyes twitched; Jace came to quickly and tightened his grip on her.

"Clary," he said softly. "Clary, it's okay. Stop it. No one's going to hurt you." He stroked her face gently, and Clary's eyes fluttered open.

"Jace," she whispered, not wanting to disturb the peaceful silence. "They were holding me down on a table, they had needles, they were trying to stab me, and I was screaming and screaming and no one would stop and…"

Jace kissed her firmly to stop the flow of terror, and she relaxed into his arms. "There's no one here. I promise." He smiled at her warmly. "And if there were, I wouldn't let them near you." He felt Clary shudder, but she drew her legs up so he could envelop her completely. Jace shifted so he could accommodate her new position better, and laughed softly. "You look so…" He scrunched his nose at the word. "…adorable."

"Thanks," Clary said, not really feeling adorable. She felt tired and scared and hot. Like she was suffocating in their small protective building. "You look like you always do."

"Ridiculously chiseled good looks?" Jace asked raising an eyebrow.

"Pompous, arrogant, bighead might be closer to the mark," Derek said in a muffled voice. Jace shot him a quick look, but felt his lips turn up slightly. It was odd that he'd only known Derek for such a short time and had already come to accept him like a brother.

"Don't think I've heard bighead recently," Jace mused. He stretched a little, still holding Clary in his arms. "What time do you think it is?"

"Late," Clary mumbled from the ring of Jace's arm. "They've probably got food out there."

No one moved, though all four of them turned to look at the entrance to their den. They could see the light of the nursery, tainted a soft shade of pink and yellow. In the distance, Derek could hear the lullaby music playing. The illusion of safety was making them all push farther and farther back into their fort. They were only safe there.

"Oh, I'll go if none of you think you can."

The four spun about and saw Tori dislodging herself from the wall of pillows and Simon. She was eyeing the entrance with dislike, but her eyes were set. For Tori, it was never easy to be around these people who constantly distrusted her. She wanted to prove that she was their friend, and, maybe, a part of her wanted to prove to herself that she wasn't like her mom.

"Tori, you don't have to." Simon had woken and we looking at her intently.

"I know that. But those four especially have something to lose by being caught," she replied swiftly, crawling for the exit. "If it's okay, I'll call you out in a minute."

Tori squeezed past the other five children and out of the fort. She paused for a moment on the threshold of their fort, almost like a rabbit before it leaves the safety of the den, then she clambered out into the open.

The nursery was just as it had always been. The toys were still littered all over the room, the extra pillows still piled up, and the blankets still tossed about. The ceiling was now completely starless, showing instead a big yellow sun and a blue sky. From the windows at the very top of the wall came the glow of real world sun. In the center of the room was a small grouping of plates with sandwiches and crackers. But there were no doctors.

"It's okay to come out, guys," she tossed over her shoulder before heading for the food.

The other five came out slowly, scanning the room for any dangers. Derek seemed to believe that Tori was most likely to lie than any. He kept his hold on Chloe steady as they joined Tori.

"Nice of them to feed us, huh?" asked Simon. "You think they'd just starve us till we did what they wanted."

"You don't know they won't, Simon. But for now, I think they want us comfortable," Derek said, sniffing at the food. "I don't know if it's drugged or not."

"It doesn't matter," Jace said swiftly, taking a large bite out of a turkey sandwich. "We have no way of getting food, so we'll eat whatever we're given."

The others nodded in agreement and ate silently, too wrapped up in their own dark thoughts. The room was oddly peaceful, but it didn't bring the children any comfort. They knew they were being watched, and they knew it wouldn't be possible to fight any of the doctors off if they came. Derek and Jace were constantly vigilant, listening and looking for any sign of intruders.

Just as the plates emptied of sandwiches a husky voice broken their peace. "Children, I see you've come from the rabbit hole."

Dr. Davidoff's presence had an amazing effect on the children. Derek, Jace, and Simon pushed the girls behind them, throwing out their arms protectively. Clary and Chloe pressed against each other, and Tori froze in her feet, wondering if her mother was about to come. Davidoff seemed amused by their reaction.

"Children, children, please, don't panic. Remember, this place is for relaxing, for peace, not for terrifying children." He smiled pleasantly.

"It accomplishes both at the same time," Jace hissed, feeling tension in all his muscles. He was getting ready to spring.

"Jace, you always have had such a sense of humor. Here, though, it's unnecessary," Davidoff approached them slowly. "I'd like you all to come with me, I'd like to give you a tour of your new living quarters and explain your daily schedule."

"I thought we lived here," Derek said slowly. "This is our room."

"It's where you sleep," Davidoff answered, pointing to the wall on their left. "But, there's a door over there that leads to a recreation room, a class room, a larger bathroom, and also, as a treat for our growing boys, a door that lets you go outside. I would like to give you a chance to explore all these areas."

"Can we do it without you?" asked Simon sharply. "I mean, it's not like we can go anywhere."

"While that is true," Davidoff said guardedly. "I would like to be there, just to lay down a few rules as well. And, as I said, you need to know what your schedule will follow. So, if you'd all just follow me…" He directed them to the left, but no one wanted to move. Dr. Davidoff smiled ruefully at their nervousness. "Children, please, I'm not going to hurt you. I just would like to help you."

"You always say help," Tori spat, eyes flashing. "But what you call help is just torture for us. Don't lie to us."

"I'm not lying," Davidoff said simply, turning his back on the children and walking to the door. Under their gaze, he murmured a word, and a section of the wall slid up, revealing a small keypad. Davidoff pushed a number of the buttons, and there was clicking sound as the keypad vanished and a section of the wall fell back. "If you'd like to come with me, we can have a real lunch, not some sandwiches." Davidoff winked and passed through into the dark.

"What do we do?" whispered Chloe, eyeing the door uncertainly. She didn't know what was waiting through there, or who. She tried not to think about doctors and needles and cold metal tables. "Can we trust him?"

"No," said Clary at once. "Of course we can't. For God's sake, he locked Jace in a cage!"

Jace bridled at the memory. "We can't stay here though. Eventually, all that crap Davidoff told us about this being a safe place is going to come to an end. They'll come in here and drag us out, and I don't think a wall of pillows is going to protect us."

For a moment, all the children thought of this. Finally, Simon looked up and sighed. "Jace is right. We can't just wait in here." He swallowed heavily. "Though I don't personally want to be the first in that room."

"I will," said Derek at once.

"Of course you will," said Chloe at once. "You don't need to sacrifice yourself."

"I'm not sacrificing anything," Derek growled. "How can I sacrifice myself here? We're all in the same position."

"Derek-"

"No, Chloe," he said sharply. "Just stay behind me."

Though Chloe tried to stop him, though Simon insisted they go together, Derek insisted on being the first to pass through the door. Simon came second, Chloe trailing him. Jace, who was behind Chloe, had Clary under his arm, and Tori came up the back, as if she was expecting her mother to come up from behind.

"Oh good, you decided to come," Davidoff said happily.

Whatever they were expecting, the room wasn't it. It was, as Davidoff has said, a recreation room. On one wall, a large television was mounted, the screen glowing. Below it was some sort of game station, a DVD player, a VCR, and a large collection of movies and games. There was a large, cushy couch covered in a thick blanket along with chairs and table. Against the wall opposite the door was a bookshelf with real books and a chess set. And in the back section of the room, a pool table and a dining room table were set. The carpet was thick blue, fuzzy on their feet. It was against the pool table that Davidoff was leaning. He seemed pleased by their surprised faces.

"The recreation room. I do hope we managed to get enough things in here for your entertainment. I know the movie collection at Lyle House was wanting, we've tried to provide a few things more your age. If you can think of any you'd like, just tell one of us and we'll see that it's found." He looked around, admiring the pool table. "It's nice?"

"Just wonderful," Derek said for them all.

"The only thing missing is a window," Jace added, eyeing the blank blue walls.

"Well," Davidoff said, grinning sadly, "you know we can't risk you children breaking out. Windows may cause a problem. But don't worry! If you'd just come to the next room."

Davidoff went to the wall by the bookshelf, and there was a door. It wasn't hidden or locked, just waiting to be used. He pushed it open and they saw a little room, well lit, with tiled floors and two doors.

As they passed into it, they saw that against the walls was outdoor equipment. There was a crate full of different balls, a sprinkler system, skates, chalk, and a small shelf with sun block. One wall had an open door that led to what must have been the classroom. The other was locked, but there was a window in the door, and they could see a huge open yard beyond. So they really could go outside.

Almost as one, the children stumbled toward the door.

"Not yet, children," Davidoff chuckled. "Maybe later today, after we've had a little talk. But there's more to see yet."

They left the room slowly, as if the draw of freedom was a physical thing. The next room was a classroom, but not like the one in Lyle House. It was a huge room, one small part dedicated to desks and a blackboard, but the rest open to the extremes. There were shelves and shelves along one wall holding books with titles that definitely didn't hold math problems. Most of the room was open to a training center, with weights, fake weapons, gymnastic equipment, mats, and a number of other exercise gear.

"I hope you like this room," said Davidoff proudly. "It's more geared toward training your gift, though we're still expecting you to continue with some basic studies."

"How long do we spend in here?" Derek asked, staring at the weights. He could us those as a weapon, no doubt."

"Only a few hours," Davidoff shrugged. "Well, this is about all you have to see. If you'd go back to the recreation room we can have lunch and I'll cover your daily schedule."

Davidoff herded the children out of the classroom, past the small room that led outside, and into the room with the television. They all settled at the table, and found that there were two pizzas, soda, and potato chips waiting for them. Again, they were all hesitant of the foods composition, but when Davidoff ate, they decided the food was acceptable. As they ate, Davidoff spoke.

"We'd like you all to sleep in the nursery, or at least stay in there from ten at night until ten in the morning. During that time the door from the nursery will be locked, so we want you in here. After you wake up we'll open the doors and you can have breakfast in the recreation room, shower as you like and relax for a while. The door to the yard outside will open then too. At three, though, you're to go to the classroom where you'll have lessons with private tutors. Those will continue until seven, when you'll be able to have dinner, after dinner, you have more free time."

Jace raised his eyebrow. "So, when in that time do you plan to experiment on us? I didn't hear any 'Laboratory Break' anywhere in there."

"Jace, we're not going to experiment on you," Davidoff said sternly.

"You're going to make us sleep with each other!" he snarled.

"We will determine that. But-" and here, Davidoff's voice lost all kindness "-if you continue to act out like this, the doctors may decide to take action. You might find yourself being drugged and placed in detention."

"So we are in prison," Derek hissed, and his hands clamped onto Chloe.

"Only if you insist making it one. We have separate rooms down a different hall where we'll place you." He raked his eyes over each other them. "We don't want to punish you here."

"Can we see the rest of this building?" Clary asked nervously. "I mean, I like that we have some freedom here, but I still feel caged."

"Perhaps," Davidoff mused. "I'd have to clear it with the others. For right now, you're to remain in here, but I'm sure we might be able to give you a tour."

"Oh, that'll be lovely. Will you tie us to wheelchairs again?" Jace said sardonically.

"If you make us," Davidoff said evenly. "The Edison Group doesn't want to hurt any of you, but you all must realize that you are dangerous to society. Once you accept what you are everything else will follow." He stood then and gave each of the children a serious look. "I'll leave you now, and the rest of the day is yours. We will even open the doors to outside for you. But please," and here, Davidoff seemed solemn, "remember why you're here."

He left then, the children staring after him open-mouthed. When he had passed through the nursery, Tori slammed her hand down on the table and the lights flickered uncertainly.

"What the hell is that about?" she demanded. "One we accept what we are? Maybe they should accept what they did to us. But then, they'd have to take responsibility for what they did. Forget that part." She stared at her hands, trying to calm herself.

"It's just a bunch of pretty words," Clary said bitterly. "What it means is that we are monsters, and until we admit that, we're also ignorant."

"Well keeping us locked in here won't turn us into angels," said Chloe. "It's like they're repressing us."

"I wish they'd just tell us the truth," Simon admitted, staring off into the distance. "I'd rather be locked in a cell, drugged day and night, than living in this false world. It's like living in a fairy tale…or a nightmare, but either way, we can't get out."

"You got that right, Simon," Derek grumbled. He poked at the slice of pizza on his plate, and then snarled viciously. Very wolf like. "I wonder if they ever plan to let us leave this place. You know, maybe when we're all adults, maybe buy an apartment or something. Just to see how we function in the normal world."

"You know they won't," Chloe said sharply. "We'll be here forever. In this nursery, with toys, and music, and blankets, and a big backyard to play in." Chloe paused, and her skin seemed to glow with cold sweat. She felt energy pulsing through her, and she recognized her powers struggling out. "I hate them!"

This time, when the lights flickered and the plates on the table shook, they knew it wasn't Tori's magic. It was Chloe, her powers reaching for any dead being within miles of the Edison Group, her powers dragging them back to life. It was a wild force that swirled through the room, making the air turn so cold breath came out in clouds and the silence so complete that even a heartbeat was too loud. Something was creeping into the room to join them.

Clary and Jace both felt their stomach's turn as the demon slunk in. Without a weapon, Jace felt strangely defenseless, and he caught Clary's hand and squeezed it tight. "Stop!" he cried out, clutching his stomach. "Get it out of here, Chloe!"

"Please!" Clary begged, feeling things creeping over her skin. "It's hurting us."

Chloe panicked, feeling dead things about her. She saw Jace and Clary were the most affected by the dead, their skin turning pale and clammy. Derek looked like he might be sick. And Simon and Tori were both muttering counter spells under their breath. She reached out for the dead thing, feeling its presence more than seeing it. Chloe focused on it, and began to push it back.

It was a struggle, especially with the rising terror of her friends. She'd breathe in, drawing in as much air as she could, then push it out, pushing the dead thing with it. The dead creature didn't want to leave, Chloe soon found out, and it strained to stay. But, Chloe worked gradually, soon getting the upper hand. She detached from the world of the living and felt herself in that place that wasn't really alive, but certainly wasn't dead. Finally, she threw out her power, and her will with it, and the dead thing snarled and was gone.

Chloe looked up, covered in a cold sweat and shaking terribly. Derek silently stood up and lifted her into his arms. She leaned against him and started sobbing helplessly. She couldn't form words to apologize, but everyone knew what she was trying to say. As Chloe sobbed, Jace glanced around the table at the rest of wide eyed children.

"So this is what we're coming to?" he asked, stood, kicked his chair, and stormed back into the nursery.