(A/N) Alright, here it is: confronting Lauren again. The next few chapters will clear up A LOT of what's going on, the main goals and plots (some of which will be similar though not identical to those of the real series), and getting to know/ fully introducing the characters.

Tori blew a strand of black hair out of her face as she jogged back to the other people in her group. She was shaking, purely from the adrenaline coursing through her veins. A slight smile made its way onto her face and she repressed a giddy laugh from passing her lips.

There they were: the two boys she'd been seeking. Derek was slouching, though still massive next to his slighter brother Simon. She frowned as she noticed that they were talking, Derek for once looking semi-relaxed and Simon with a lazy smile on his face.

She wasn't about to let them seem so calm when she was so enthralled with what just happened.

"Hey!" She shouted out.

Both cringed at the sound of her voice. She didn't have to be so conspicuous; the group never knew when they could have been watching.

The taller of the two whirled on her and his eyes glinted in the darkness, his distaste clear in his eyes. "Keep it down," He hissed at her but Tori merely rolled her eyes in response.

"I just came from saving that girl," She turned her nose up on the last two words. After all, that girl had made Tori's life hell, so why should she show even an ounce of friendliness when speaking about her?

No one needed to ask who it was, and when the words she spoke were processed, she was met with the response she was expecting. Two heads shot toward her and they both started barking out questions. Tori merely laughed meanly, cynically amused at the slight amount of chaos that broke out.

"She's fine so calm down. After all, I was there and my energy bolt spell is very good."

Ignoring the tone in her voice, the one that said she didn't feel like talking about the girl she despised, Simon asked her, "What happened?"

He thought back on the time when he spoke with her in Rae's apartment. She was a tiny, cute girl. She was a supernatural, and The Edison Group wanted her, so she had to be powerful. But somehow, he just couldn't imagine the slight blonde being able to put up much of a fight.

None of them picture her being able to take care of herself. And that's why they needed to keep her safe, because they needed her and she needed them. It was an even trade.

"She was walking home and got attacked," Tori droned, sounding just as bored as she felt. "Her fault though. She just had to save time and walk through the big, scary forest. Especially after what happened in the alley when we freaked her out, you would think she'd learn her lesson."

Simon glowered. "It wasn't her fault! You want someone to blame, blame Rae. None of this would have happened if it weren't for her."

Tori said nothing in response until Derek prompted her impatiently to give more details about the encounter. "She was in the forest and one guy was chasing her. He was following her for, say, five ten minutes? That is, until he pin—"

"You were watching while he was stalking her and you didn't do anything?" Derek exclaimed, forking a hand through his hair in frustration.

He walked up to Tori and leaned down while attempting to stop himself from baring his teeth in a fierce snarl. "What don't you get? She's important, crucial, to bringing down those people and you're so pathetic and petty you let your own feelings get in the way of your job?"

"Just because I'm not obsessed like you guys doesn't mean—"

He cut her off again with a sharp gesture with his hand. "Don't bother." His tone indicated that he already knew Tori was incredibly stupid and couldn't present any sort of logical counter argument.

Tori, being much smarter than Derek assumed, sensed this and opened her mouth. She made a snarky retort and Derek glared.

Simon watched all this quietly, wondering when the two would ever get used to each other enough to stop arguing so much. "I think we need to see Lauren again."

The other two teens turned, momentarily forgetting their anger. Derek frowned a bit as he tried to decide if maybe Simon was right.

On the one hand, there were some risks about discussing Chloe with her overprotective aunt. She could decide that she knew what was best and lied to Chloe who would be tortured all her life with questions that would go unanswered. Or she could expose The Edison Group and all supernaturals, putting everyone in that category at risk.

But on the other hand, maybe she'd listen. She could always decide that maybe they were the only ones who really understood. She could allow Chloe to go with them, and that could be seriously valuable.

Did the risks outweigh the benefits?

"Well?" Simon asked.

"We'll go tomorrow, when Chloe's in school. Actually, you two will go." He smiled wryly. "I'll wait outside since she didn't seem to like me much."

Simon nodded, feeling sympathetic but now showing it because it would only make Derek feel worse. "Then it's settled."

The doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. Lauren sighed before heaving herself off the couch and walking over to the door. It chirped again and she huffed, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

She flung open the door, ready to start asking some incredulous questions when she saw who was there. The words stopped with an odd noise that was almost like a sob. "Leave, please. She'll be home any-"

"You know why we're here, and you know you need to listen," Simon told her calmly.

He surveyed her. She looked frazzled, worn thin. Like perhaps she didn't have a good night's rest. "You know what happened to her yesterday."

Lauren sighed. "Of course I do."

Tori opened her mouth to say something. Simon shot her a look, one that clearly told her not to speak. She ignored him. "And do you know who it was? Or why they did it?"

Lauren knew who it was. And she knew part of the why. But that wasn't the point, the point was that Chloe wasn't safe. "You should leave," She repeated flatly, gesturing to the door. "I'm sure your other... friend... is waiting for you."

Part of Simon wanted to defend his brother, but he knew it wasn't the time or place. "He's not. Because you know what he's doing right now?" When Lauren didn't respond, Simon plowed on, "He's watching out for Chloe."

"I don't want him anywhere near her!" The woman exclaimed, rising to her feet. "I don't want any of you near her and I don't want to hear about your crazy theories-"

"Well, you don't have a choice," Tori snapped, fingers flying up.

Lauren froze. Simon angrily said something to Tori, but she wasn't listening. "Last time we were here, we told you about the people that wanted to hurt Chloe. Someone betrayed us, and now Chloe is at risk of becoming messed up, and you won't even listen to us?"

"Tori, stop!" Simon thundered. He didn't use magic to stop her, but instead tackled her. "Don't do that again."

"Or what?" Tori sneered, unapologetic. "You'll cast a spell on me? If you wanna fight, I think we both know who'll come out on top." It was a cruel taunt, and she knew it. She also knew it would shut him up, and when he merely flipped her off she grinned.

Lauren was shaking. She couldn't move a muscle, no matter how badly she wanted to reach for the phone and call the police.

What just happened? She thought to herself when the paralysis wore off. She sunk to the floor and held in a whimper. "What are you?" She wondered out loud, trying not to sound horrified.

Tori whirled on her, sneer on her face. "We're spellcasters, obviously."

"Spellcasters," Lauren said, dazed. She felt the sudden urge to giggle, but she didn't. She shook her head, staring hard at the two kids in front of her.

They both looked so normal. The boy was Asian, with hair that was so dark a blonde it was nearly brown. The girl was rather tall, perhaps reaching five foot eight with short dark hair and menacing brown eyes. Like the jock and mean girl of the school.

Simon cleared his throat. "Sorry about that," He told her, trying to sound aloof, like nothing weird even happened. "But... if you think we're bad, you should see the supernaturals we escaped from. They're a million times worse."

He watched as her face immediately changed, from wary shock to downright revulsion. When Simon noticed that he'd struck a chord, he continued, "They torture other supernaturals, kill them even, just to see what will happen. Do you want that to be Chloe?"

She didn't say anything, so Simon kept talking. What had started out as a persuasive argument turned into a rant, the chance to vent out his emotions.

"Because if you really want to know the extent of what they've done, we could go through all the details of every experiment we've found out about that they've conducted. You see, we're just Project Genesis, which had no necromancer, until they found Chloe. Now they have the perfect chance to expand to include that particular race. Unless, of course, they've already started because you wouldn't-"

"Stop," Lauren told them holding up a hand. She almost flinched when she heard the pleading in her voice.

Some people said that honesty was better than being left in the dark. But Lauren didn't want to hear it, didn't want to hear about the world she wasn't a part of. "How can you possibly protect Chloe?"

Tori shot her a look. The look said, "Do you not remember what I just did to you, you idiot?"

Lauren tried a different tactic. "She can't leave, not without the media flocking all around us."

"It's not election time, I think they have more important things to worry about." Tori said carelessly.

Gently, Simon suggested, "Why not let Chloe decide?"

"Would you really do that to her?" Lauren asked in a hushed whisper. "Take away any normal life she has left?"

Exasperated, Simon's voice lost the quiet, soothing factor. "It's going to get even worse if The Edison Group catch her."

"Please," Lauren begged, "please don't take her away from me."

"I'm sorry," Simon replied truthfully. "But her life is more important then her being comfortable."

Not to mention the lives of all the other supernaturals we'd be able to save. He added. "As soon as things are safe, we can bring her home. She'll know how to control her powers, and you won't ever have to look at any of us again."

Lauren felt a tear slide down her cheek. She wasn't crying out of frustration, but because she knew she'd lost a battle. She might be stubborn, but she wasn't stupid.

There were some things you just couldn't control. And there are some things you just can't hide from, and when you can't hide, you have to fight. And when you have to fight, you fight fire with fire; Lauren didn't have that sort of flame. She couldn't keep Chloe protected so she had to trust someone else to do it for her.

Hesitantly and in a strangled tone, she murmured, "Fine. But what if she doesn't come back?"

"She will," Tori promised her.

Simon glanced at the door, which was slowly being cracked open. "Hey, Aunt Laur-"

Her mouth opened slightly. Chloe looked at the people in her home and she felt confused and afraid and so many other things. "W-what are you doing here?"

(A/N) I hope that this made sense... The next chapter is obviously going to be Chloe finding out what's going on.