Chapter 7

I awoke to a large cacophony of noise that seemed to be protruding from Simon and Derek.

"Simon, she needs sleep. Leave her alone. You can flirt later."

"C'mon bro, why are you so grouchy? She won't mind talking to me."

"She probably will, she's just too nice to say anything".

I blinked, trying to get dust from my eyes, and this tiny movement caught Dereks' attention. He turned to look down at me, somehow still cradled in his arms.

"Morning". He smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. "I'm sorry, did we wake you up?"

"You said you would, remember? To talk to Andrew, and Simon." I turned my gaze to Simon.

"Have you been filled in?"

"No. Even with Andrew there, I can't see Ashes. Does this guy actually exist, Chloe? Or is Derek making it up?" Simon seemed really frustrated. It was understandable though, since everyone but him and maybe Tori could see him, and being in a minority group with her? Not fun.

"It didn't work? How come? Yes, he exists. You really need to talk to him." I turned my gaze back to Derek.

"I would've thought that you would've explained. Then again, you're probably too tired. Due to the fact that you're still holding onto me, I'm guessing you didn't sleep. Why didn't you sleep? Everyone needs sleep, including the almighty Derek." He smiled again. I was babbling, my brain still cloudy with sleep. It seemed to amuse him.

"You were talking in your sleep. It was too interesting for me to ignore. I felt like being noisy. And I didn't want to put you down, I wouldn't be able to talk to Ashes, and I thought moving you would wake you up."

"Ohmygod, what did I say?" I could feel my face going red, though I had no idea why.

"Well, clearly you have a boyfriend or something, because you kept muttering, 'I love you'. Care to share with us?" Simon sounded smug, like when you pass on a rumour at school. I immediately thought that he guessed it was him. I didn't know who it was though. No actually, I had a feeling that I did...

"Okay, I don't know. I do imagine fictional people, though. But, don't we have more important things to discuss? Such as why we can't get Simon to see Ashes?"

"True. Simon, come here. Chloe, give him your hand. Simon, look in the corner of the room." Simon gasped.

"I take it you can see him, then."

"Ummm, yeah. That is so weird. Ummm hi. Ashes, isn't it?"

"Now Andrew, can you take Simons hand from Chloe?"

Andrew did, and Simon stared at the corner.

"I can still see him."

"Simon, we need to talk. Do mind talking to me and Andrew?" Ashes spoke up.

"Course not."

Andrew led himself, Simon, and Ashes to the room down the hall.

As soon as they were out of sight, Derek burst out laughing. "What's so funny?"

He smiled at me."What, you didn't notice? Poor Simon. He doesn't have my hearing. He thinks you were talking about him." Okay, his certainty was getting on my nerves. He had reason to be smug, but that wasn't the point.

"How do you know I wasn't talking about him?" I said it jokingly, but still got a reaction. A happy one though. Dereks' face softened, and he looked at me seriously, the smile gone but an ecstatic spark glinting in his eyes.

"I heard you before you fell to sleep. Werewolf hearing, remember?"

I recalled mumbling something, but I couldn't remember what it was. I wasn't even sure that I knew what it was to begin with.

Derek, looked at the floor, appearing unusually shy and red faced. "You said you loved me." Then I remember, not the actually saying of it, but thinking it as he kissed my forehead. It must have slipped out in my subconciousness, but it was true. Derek was right. It was him, and I did love him.

And he must have seen the comprehension in my face through his spherical vision, because he turned his head to lock his eyes with mine. And his gaze swept me up, made my brain collapse. And I blurted, "Derek, I love you." Before clamping my hand over my mouth in the typically girly fashion, and going beetroot as my gaze slowly fell to the floor.

Then I felt a hand under my chin, gently tilting my head up. And again I got lost in his eyes, as he murmured, "You know I love you too." Before pressing his lips gently to mine. And everything else flew out the window. Quite literally vanished. It was just me and him, like we were drowning in our own world, invisible to anyone else. Until, a shattering of glass made us spring apart. Simon was standing there, frozen in shock, a tray with plates on- the ones from their breakfast- shattered on the floor, showering the room in shards of ice-like crystal, glass, and porcelain.

"Simon" The sound if Dereks' voice seemed to make him unfreeze, and break into a sprint. And I had no desire to stop him, to tell him nothing happened. Because something had. I loved his brother, and as Derek had just told me, he loved me too. And I didn't even care what anyone else thought.

But I did think that Derek and Simon shouldn't argue. Ever. "Maybe we should talk to him." Silence. Then a soft response. "Let him calm down. Leave for about an hour, and he'll stop and think properly. At least long enough to not blast us with a spell. Being dead won't help the explanation."

"But he's your brother, Derek. He wouldn't blast you, just me."

"Yes, but I love you. And I won't let him curse you. Besides, as you said, he is my brother. He'll understand. We just need to let him cool off a bit." As usual, Dereks' suggestion made more sense.

"Okay, then. If you think that's best." He laughed.

"You don't need to act like an obedient puppy, y'know? I prefer it when you disagree. You can somehow manage it without sounding like Tori." I smiled, then noticed Andrew in the corridor. Derek followed my gaze. "You need to talk to him, Chloe."

"You'll stay here, right?" He griped my hand.

"If you want me to. Why wouldn't I?" Then he spoke up, making sure Andrew could hear him. "Andrew, can we talk to you for a bit?"

"'course. What d'you want?" He walked into the room, and Derek set my on my feet, still griping my hand.

"We wanted to talk to you about the Edison group projects."

"Oh. Okay. Ummm, Chloe, could I see your pendent?" That wasn't exactly the conversation opener I was expecting. Curious to why he would want it, I lifted my hand to unfasten the ribbon that now held the pendant, but Dereks' hand got in the way. He lifted both hands and took off the necklace, with no damage to it (unlike the last time) and handed it to Andrew. He stared at it, then turned it around, as if looking for markings of some kind. "You're my daughter." He said in amazement.

"That's what Ashes said." My voice was quiet, and I looked at Derek rather than Andrew. When I looked back, Andrew was holding a small black photograph book, and was shaking out the line of pictures.

"I can't believe I didn't even recognise you. My own kid. Then again, your hair does change your appearance quite considerably." He showed us the pictures, 15 of them. One for every year of my life, the last one of me at Lyle, with Derek saving me from Toris' murder plan. They had taken a picture? Must have been from a hidden camera of something. Not that hidden cameras were particularly unexpected in that place.

"You're my father." Feeling a little bewildered, my thoughts escaped my mouth.

"Yes, Chloe. It seems weird to me, too. Particularly when I see you and Derek together. I missed you. It seems strange when I hardly know you, but it did. I wanted my child to look after, so I compensated by pretending a nephew, Simon, and Derek were my sons. It seems so strange now. You come in with Derek and Simon throws a tantrum to see you together." He shook his head, smiling.

It was confounding. Theoretically, it was easy to wrap my head around, but in actually fact, to have it confirmed, it wasn't easy to comprehend.

But I was quickly distracted by a voice floating from the doorway. It was becoming a pattern, that if someone had some news, or everything was brilliant, doom would come from whoever was standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I can't believe I told them. Derek, I couldn't do anything. You know I would of if I could. It was an accident." Again, it came from Simon.

Andrew took control. I was frozen and confused, and I could feel Derek behind me shaking. "What is it, Simon?"

"The Edison group. They know we're here."

Author's notes.

Umm yeah. Finished the chapter. It was waffling in some places though. Next chapter will probably be up in about a week; since I don't really know what I'm gonna write next.