Authors note!: Okay…really…thanks so much for the reviews!!!!

Also I thought my next chapter might be in Derek's point of view, but I'm afraid it'll be OOC. Hmm dilemma…

Disclaimer: weird…Kelley Armstrong wont sell her publishing rights to me…..huh.

CPOV

I rubbed my face, turning over so I was on my stomach. It was the dead of night and I couldn't bring myself to sleep.

First of all, we might be attacked by the Edison Group at any moment. Second of all, a ghost is after me in this house, and I wasn't sure when or if he was going to show up again. Third of all, Derek clearly has a fever and I have to worry about it. Why, you ask? Because I promised him that I would be there for him when he Changes.

I thought back to after Tori had interrupted my conversation with Derek.

"Are you guys….?" Tori raised her eyebrows in a suggestive way.

Derek said nothing, so I stood, my cheeks burning. "What's with your bag?"

"We are supposed to be packing, right?" Tori asked, temporarily distracted.

I cocked my head to the side. "Oh…yeah. I forgot."

Tori looked at me, surprise on her face. Because of my honesty she couldn't think of something smart to say. How funny.

"Party in the living room and no one invited me?" Simon asked, placing himself in front of me.

I smiled, glad he was here to relieve the tension. "Maybe you're not classy enough for our party?" I joked.

Simon glanced at Tori, then back at me. "Really? Well, I'm feeling mighty insulted."

Tori huffed, not missing his glance. She turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen.

"I think you made her mad," I said, leaning around Simon to watch Tori banging

cupboards and cabinets shut. "You should go apologize."

Simon was looking down at me, not answering, so I straightened up and looked back to Derek.

"You look a little feverish," said Simon, also turning his attention to Derek.

"More like a little hot and bothered," Tori said, sliding next to me with a box of graham crackers.

I flushed, looking to the floor. What did I have to be embarrassed about? Tori always said dumb things to get on my nerves and I shouldn't let her get to me. Derek growled, standing up so fast his knee hit, and successfully knocked over, the coffee table.

Simon was staring intently at Derek, his gaze raking over his face. I was starting to feel uncomfortable so I moved to fix the table.

"Let's go outside for some air?" Simon asked, grabbing my arm.

I froze, then smiled. "Sure."

Now it was nighttime and I was stuck thinking about it. Simon had been so odd outside. He talked mostly about the characters he was drawing, and his comic books, but he held my hand the whole time. I was pleased that he liked me…but it was different.

I heaved a sigh, rolling over onto my back. "What a confusing situation," I whispered.

"Confusing?"

I froze, ice seeped into my veins. That voice!

"What is so confusing, my dear?"

I glanced around, looking to the lamp on the bedside table. Even if I pulled him into focus I still wouldn't be able to see him in the dark! I reached for the lamp switch slowly, my fingers shaking.

"Ah. No. I don't think so."

The lamp crashed to the floor. I pulled my hand back, whimpering. This ghost was defiantly a poltergeist or something! After I pulled the sheet over my head I took deep breaths. If I was going to find out anything, I had to be calm. I felt fingers running up the length of my leg, giving me goose bumps. I threw the sheet off, sitting up.

"Who are you?" I asked, pulling my legs under me.

A finger ran along my jaw line. I pulled away, hitting my back against the headboard.

"Who am I?" the voice asked.

I tried to remember the figure of the ghost, which wasn't very hard, and pulled at it. I heard a soft pop, then, in the darkness, a white shape was in front of me. I strained to make out who it was, but it was too dark.

"Okay little necromancer, you've had your fun."

I felt hands on my shoulders, pushing me back into the headboard. "But now, it's time for you to leave."

"H-h-hey," I stammered. "I-I'll l-leave!"

"You think I mean the house?"

The voice coming from the figure was long, drawling and scary. It's hands moved from my shoulders to my neck, putting on the slightest pressure. I whimpered again. It felt like there was a real person touching me, but I knew this person was dead, a ghost!

"I mean this life," he hissed.

I struggled to move away as his hands gripped my throat tighter. I felt my throat closing, my lungs begging for air. I panicked, unable to stay calm and force this ghost away.

His hands got tighter and I felt blood rushing to my head, the edges of my vision turning blacker than the dark room. In a last desperate attempt I pictured the ghost, shoving him away with my mind.

"GET AWAY!" I shouted, pushing with my hands as well as my mind.

I didn't come in contact with anything, but the hands on my throat were gone. I coughed, rubbing my neck and taking deep breaths. Before I could count to five my door was thrown open, both Derek and Simon bursting in.

"Chloe?" Simon asked, rushing to me and grabbing my hands.

I shook my head, still filling my lungs with air.

Derek was still standing in the doorway, and was kind enough to turn on the light.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Simon asked, grabbing my chin and bringing my head up.

I nodded. "Yeah. Fine."

I hadn't told him about the ghost, and I was starting to feel bad about it. He would want to know. Derek looked at me again, then shut the lights off.

"Hey man," Simon protested.

Derek eyed Simon's hands on mine, then turned. "She said it was nothing. We better get back to bed before…."

"Before what?" Simon challenged.

Derek turned back around, his green eyes glinting in the dark. "Before I get mad."

Simon swallowed, squeezing my hands then walking to the door. "Check on you in the morning."

I nodded when they left. Weird, Derek left without asking any questions? That was unusual….

Somehow I managed to lay down and relax, almost asleep.

Thirty minutes later my door opened again, this time softer. I jumped up, falling backwards out of bed. I slammed my head against the wall, whimpering a little.

"God Chloe," Derek rumbled, grabbing my arm and pulling me back onto the bed.

I glared at him, rubbing my head. "It's your fault for creeping into my room in the dark!"

He didn't answer, just stared at me.

I rubbed my head some more, then sighed. "What do you want?"

"Come here," he said, standing and grabbing my hand.

I looked down at our hands. Weird. I followed him out into the hallway, then noticed he was heading for the bathroom.

You could hear every step I was taking, but Derek was silent. I marveled at his ability to stay completely silent when he was so tall. I looked him over. Tall and muscular actually.

When we were in the bathroom he flicked the lights on, shutting the door. I wasn't particularly nervous or anything, but you can't blame me for wondering what the hell he was doing.

"Look," he said, spinning me around so I was facing the mirror.

I stared at the purplish handprints on my neck, gasping. They weren't full hand marks or anything, but you could tell by looking at them that I had been strangled. Derek pulled my hair off my neck, holding it up so I could see the finger prints better.

"Holly crap!" I whispered, staring into the mirror.

Derek was nodding behind me. "It's not hard for me to guess that the ghost was trying to choke you."

"M-more or less," I said, remembering the feeling of his hands on my neck.

Derek looked into my eyes through the mirror, as if trying to tell if I was lying.

My throat went dry and my stomach knotted up. I couldn't break our eye contact, even if we were just looking at each other through a mirror. He spun me around so I was facing him, looking down at me. I stared into his green eyes, my palms starting to sweat. He opened his mouth, as though he was going to say something, but stopped, taking a deep breath instead.

I heard the bathroom door open, and I looked over expecting to see Tori gawking at me. She really showed up at the worst times.

Instead, I was staring into the shocked almond brown eyes of Simon.

Simon took one glance from Derek, his hands on my shoulders, and the marks around my neck, to my face.

This was going to be bad.