I is BACK! My exams are done, so I'm not working my butt of studying. I'll most likely be writing a lot during the summer, so I need ideas in advance for other chapters. Just say where you want them, and I'll see what I can do. And… on with the story!

Disclaimer: Darkest Powers would be horrible if I ever got my hands on it. ("shudders")

xxX Simon's POV Xxx

Panting and gasping for air, Simon looked over to check on Derek. Blood was still gushing from the hideous wound on his back, no matter how much pressure the Chloe girl was putting on it. She met his eyes, and they shared a worried look. Simon was trying to be careful, but when you were dragging a two hundred pound werewolf, even a few meters, you couldn't exactly be picky about little things like terrain. Or comfort, apparently.

Hearing Derek's feverish whimpers made Simon grit his teeth. Digging his heels in the mulch, he heaved his brother the rest of the way into the cave. Chloe was immediately beside him, checking his temperature. The fever had shown up soon after Derek collapsed. Simon dragged his feet and fell to hi knees beside his brother, stroking the black wings soothingly. They twitched in response, but Derek himself didn't move.

"We need bandages," Simon urged Chloe. "Could you go into town and buy some? I might be recognized, but you, you live here. So please-"

"I'll go to my house and get some," Chloe promised, cutting off Simon's terrified rant. He was upset, and Chloe knew he'd do anything for his brother. That was a good thing to know. He panted and stared at her incredulously. "G-go home? You had a house near here all along and you DIDN'T TELL ME!" Simon was pissed, but not at Chloe. At himself. He had started this mess in the first place. If he hadn't wanted to stay for the finals, Derek wouldn't have gotten captured. They wouldn't be in this mess. Dad would be alive.

Feeling tears welling in his eyes, Simon turned away. Chloe got up, looked him straight in the eye and murmured, "He will be okay. We'll take care of him, and… oh, my god. I left the house and it's nearly morning! My dad will be freaking out and, and," She panted, her voice finally giving out. Swallowing the worry she felt for Derek, she whispered, "I can't help you if I'm grounded. H-he'll d-d-die before d-dad let's m-me out o-of m…my room!"

Simon looked into her eyes and couldn't help but notice how deep they were. Like he was drowning in clear, blue skies… shaking his head, Simon banished those thoughts. They would lead to nothing but trouble. Not wanting to be lost again, he stared determinedly at the ground as he said, "Go home, Chloe. We'll be here if you need us." Crouching down, he began smoothing Derek's disarrayed feathers.

But when he turned, he saw Chloe biting her lip anxiously. Timidly, she said in embarrassment, "Um… I-I don't know where I'm going." Looking at her, all Simon could see now was a well-dressed little rich girl, unable to survive on her own. Always waiting for others to save her. Later, he realized just how wrong he really was.

Derek moaned and trembled, pain seeming to have invaded his unconsciousness. Tenderly, Chloe reached down and brushed a strand of sweat-soaked hair away from his face. Simon frowned as he looked at the gaping wounds in Derek's back. Was it just him, or was there more swelling than before? His eyes widened as realization crashed down on him. The wounds were infected. Why hadn't he seen this? The symptoms were there, he just hadn't noticed them.

Cursing, he leapt past a stunned looking Chloe into the trees. They'd passed a stream when Derek had been dragging him. Now if only he could find it… Stumbling, he fell right into the tiny trickle of water. Ripping off a piece of his shirt, Simon soaked it thoroughly before racing back to his brother. Quickly, he told Chloe to hold Derek still. Then he crouched next to him and, using the cloth, began roughly washing it.

Derek tensed as soon as the cloth touched his back. Biting his lip, Simon reached over and rubbed his brother's neck. He slowly relaxed. Realizing there were rocks buried in the wound, he and Chloe shared a worried look. Understanding dawned in her endless blue eyes. She moved closer to Derek and pulled his head onto her lap Whether it was her scent or the feeling of her skin, he made a soft grumbling sound deep in his throat. Using this as a distraction, Simon quickly started pulling out the rocks.

Simon tried to ignore Derek's whimpers, but found it was impossible. Stopping, he sighed and ran a hand over the big black wings that had caused this mess. They were unbearably soft. Simon looked at Chloe in astonishment and she smiled at him when she saw what he was doing. Stroking Derek's sweat-soaked hair, she whispered, "Soft, aren't they?" He nodded wordlessly. Simon had just realized how…amazing she was. Sitting in the dirt soothing his brother, no one had ever done that before. He realized he had fallen for the little rich girl, and he had fallen hard.

Swallowing, his eyes truly looked at her for the first time. Chloe was short, but that didn't seem to stop her from getting into Derek-sized trouble. Perfectly shaped lips were parted in a smile as she gazed at Derek's feverish face. Her eyes…he couldn't look at them. They were too beautiful. Then he realized that smile should be his, not Derek's. He had let dad die…

No. Derek deserves someone to love him. Besides, I can find someone else. He can't. Feeling ashamed of his thoughts, Simon walked back to the stream, trying not to think. Dipping the clothe into the stream, he looked at his reflection in the water. Simon stared long and hard, realizing that what he saw was actually kind of normal. What did Derek see when he looked at his reflection? The monster everyone thought he was, or the person he and dad had saved?

Shaking his head, Simon headed back to the cave. To his amazement, Derek was sitting up with Chloe's help. Running over to his brother, he threw his arms around Derek in a huge hug. Simon smiled when Derek put an arm over his shoulder in response. He couldn't believe it! The fever was gone. Releasing his brother, he grinned hugely and punched him in the shoulder. Derek mock growled at him, shoving him a little. It soon turned into a full on wrestling match, with Chloe laughing softly at their antics.

Panting, Simon shoved him off. His eyes widened when Derek flared his wings to keep balanced. Derek looked at the wings in total bewilderment. Reaching over, he poked and prodded at them. When they twitched, he jumped a foot in the air. Simon burst out laughing along with a giggling Chloe. Derek glared at them huffily, then let out a low snarl. Wolves leapt out of the bushes surrounding the cave, echoing his snarl.

Derek turned to them and grumbled deep in his throat. Whining and growling, the wolves seemed to understand what he was saying. Tongues lolling, they sat around Derek. The tiny white wolf limped into the clearing and settled in Simon's lap. He froze, then absently started stroking her silky muzzle. She raised her head and licked his cheek. The hugely pregnant red wolf lied down beside Chloe, putting a protective paw on her arm. Derek grinned and started 'talking' to his new pack. They almost seemed to nod before they raced off into the trees.

At their questioning looks, he stated, "I told them to go hunting." Then he turned to Chloe and asked, "Do you know how to get home?" when she shook her head, his lips twitched and he said, "Follow me." Walking into the forest, he didn't even wait for them before he was hidden from view. Exchanging an exasperated look, they followed the trail of black feathers.

They found Derek waiting for them in a copse of trees. Gesturing them forward, his wings twitching in annoyance, he showed Chloe the path she'd taken in great detail. Pointing out landmarks, he explained how to get from her house to the cave and back again. What stunned them both was when Chloe got on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. Blushing madly, she stuttered, "S-see you t-t-tomorrow, boys!" Stumbling, she made her way up the path while Simon laughed insanely at Derek's face. There was the hint of a blush starting on his cheeks.

Grumbling, Derek shoved him away and walked quickly back to the cave, with Simon laughing all the way.

Chloe's POV

Still blushing, she ran clumsily home. Chloe couldn't believe she had just done that! Oh, god. How did he react? Did he even like her? I am SO stupid! she raged at herself. Why would he love me, of all people? involuntarily, she went back to when he'd saved her. How wildly gorgeous he seemed. So perfect, and maybe, just maybe, he could be all hers. Oh, who am I kidding? He probably has a girlfriend.

Just then, her friend Liz popped up. Liz had died three months ago in a car accident, which no one had lived through. Somehow, she managed to find Chloe and had decided to help her new friend. After all, who else is going to help the tiny little rich girl find the perfect fashions? Liz looked at her excitedly and said, "Don't think like that, Munchkin! You should have seen his face after you left. He looked sooooo happy! Seriously, he's got it bad for you!"

Chloe's blush intensified as she thought about what Liz had just told her. Seeing she was being ignored, Liz rolled her eyes and disappeared again. Chloe didn't notice, keeping all her focus on the happy thoughts running through her head. He likes me? Tall, dark and deadly…could he be all mine? Reaching her house, she listed the things she would need to buy for her boys. My boys? Since when? She giggled nervously.

Bandages, anti-biotic cream, clothes, insulin, test strips… Chloe remembered her shock when Derek told her Simon was diabetic.

Flashback

Chloe watched anxiously as Derek's eyes fluttered open. She was about to call for Simon when he put a rough hand over her mouth. When she was quiet, he took it off and whispered, "I heard what Simon asked you for. Do you think you could get a few more things?" when she said yes, he looked around quickly then whispered, "We need test strips, insulin…stuff like that. You think you could get some?" At Chloe's questioning look, he admitted, "Simon's Diabetic. I don't know how much more he has, so could you buy some?" She nodded just as Simon walked into the small clearing.

End flashback

She was amazed at how much they trusted her. She just hoped they weren't wrong.

Kit's POV

Groaning, Kit Bae opened his eyes groggily. Blinking away the dark spots, he leapt back when he saw two faces peering down at him a little too closely. Niall gave a huge grin when he saw the sorcerer awake. Reaching behind his back, he produced two perfectly made pancakes drizzled with maple syrup. Kit barely stopped himself from snatching them out of the angel's hands. He practically inhaled them.

Jason looked hurt. "And what, exactly, was wrong with my pancakes?" He and Niall just stared at him in utter disbelief. Jason huffed, then stormed away. Kit turned to Niall and, remembering what he'd been told before he'd passed out, Demanded, "What do you mean, Derek has wings?" The angel's smile faded into a worried frown.

"I don't know. All I got was this huge burst of anger when I looked for him. If you looked out the window about an hour ago, you would have seen hellfire falling from the sky like rain." Niall paused, then beamed, "I'm so proud! He killed at least fifty Cabal agents, not to mention a Saint Cloud woman." Absently, he murmured, "By the way, I found them. Actually, a girl found them. If we follow her, we should be able to get them out of there."

Kit stared at him curiously. "When did you start caring?"

Looking surprisingly serious, he replied, "I've always cared." Then, grinning insanely, he said, "Now lets go find the boys before the bears eat them."

And that was the end of Niall's first and only serious moment.

Again, sorry it took me a while to update. I had relatives over who disapprove of using technology more than a radio. Especially hours on end! This chapter was surprisingly hard to write. Oh, and I made a mistake on something. Diabetes causes high blood SUGAR, not blood pressure. Thanks to the person who told me that. I feel like an idiot because this was actually explained to me not that long ago. I'll update again as soon as I can!