There is no excuse as to why I haven't updated sooner except that real life is kicking my butt and there was a lukewarm reaction to the last chapter. Do you not like where it went? Do you not care where it's going? I won't know if you don't tell me. Please enjoy and review.


"It's my fault," Chloe groaned, Derek was speaking but she couldn't hear him couldn't hear anything except the words in her head, "it was my idea to go there, mine, I"-Chloe couldn't finish the thought, her legs gave way and Derek caught her before she hit the ground.

"Chloe," she registered his voice but all she could hear was the pounding of the blood in her ears, "Derek," he was here, she could see him, but he had been gone because of her, "I'm so sorry," her vision narrowed and darkness swept over her.


Chloe had never been so lost. Since waking up on top of her covers, Derek had been hovering next to her his eyes shining with fear; Chloe had alternated between embarrassment and guilt.

"I'm sorry," she muttered again, she had lost count of the apologies.

"Its fine, Chloe, just sit still," Derek had brought her a glass of water and had tried to convince her to call her Aunt. That had been absolutely out of the question, her Aunt understood about most things, but this situation would probably stretch that understanding past the breaking point.

Derek was a bundle of nervous energy, once she had woken and felt good enough to sit up he had moved off her bed and begun to pace.

It was making her dizzy, "Derek please," Chloe patted the small spot next to her. Derek stopped and she watched him consider his options, flight was pouring off him and she knew she would lose him if he left now.

Her sigh of relief when he carefully sat next to her was audible. He was warm and solid next to her, without hesitation her head eased onto his shoulder. The tension left Derek and he reached for her hand.

"I'm so sorry Chloe," she didn't want his apologies, God he didn't need to be sorry.

"No more apologies Derek, not right now," Chloe looked down at their hands, his thumb was rubbing the back of her hand and she smiled.

The enormity of what had happened hadn't hit her yet, well it had knocked her out, she winced at the thought that she had fainted but things were too tenuous between them to talk about that. So what was next for them?

Where did you go from breakdown and abandonment?

"What happens now," Chloe hated that her voice was so small, she didn't want to be weak, and she wished she could at least project strength.

Derek sighed, his thumb stilled, "I don't know. I mean when I got back the only thing I could think about was seeing you," that came as a surprise to her.

"When did you get back," it was a question that had been bugging her, how long had he been across the street and she had been oblivious.

"Late Sunday night, Dad kept us all in Monday, had some heart to hearts," Chloe felt better knowing he hadn't been back long, "Tuesday I had to go see the principal and get my stuff straight. I wanted to call or come over," Chloe could not imagine what she would have done if he had just rung the door bell.

"And then I saw you heading for the bus stop and my feet just followed you," it was such a Derek thing to do Chloe smiled.

He had been honest with her and she would be honest with him, "It would have been an awkward meeting wherever it had happened."

Chloe sat up when her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, Derek let of her hand so she could get it, 'home soon. Bringing Chinese.' Of all the nights for her Aunt to be home for dinner, Chloe frowned.

"My Aunt is going to be home soon," Chloe turned the phone so he could look, but he was looking at her. Chloe might have melted a little bit, dropping the phone she reached for him, her fingertips brushing his cheek.

Derek froze as her fingers traced the lines of his face; his eyes went dark when her thumb ran across his lips. Chloe didn't know what had gotten into her she had never taken such liberties with him, but if her plans had gone uninterrupted that night they would have done this and so much more by now.

Maybe it was the time they had lost or the way he was looking at her, like she wasn't really doing what she was doing, or maybe she was tired of imagining what it might be like; whatever the reason Chloe leaned close and pressed her lips to him.

Warm so warm, Chloe felt the heat of his kiss down to her toes. There was so much left for them to sort out this would only complicate things but that truth fell away in light of the fireworks going off behind her eyes. How many times had she imagined doing just this? None of her daydreams could have ever come close to the real thing.

Derek reacted slowly, the hands he had in his lap moved slowly, cupping her face slowly and when Chloe felt his tongue against her lips she opened her mouth without hesitating.

OH good heavens how could they not have been doing this for so long. Chloe tugged on his hair, he might have grunted and she might have loved the sound.

Only the vibration in between their twisted legs, Chloe didn't know when they had fallen back against her pillows, separated them. Derek recovered first picking up her phone he turned it to face her and Chloe blinked twice before she could make out the words, 'want anything specific?' Chloe cursed.

How could she even think about food, Derek was grinning and Chloe just knew her face was reaching epic level blush status. Typing 'whatever' her thoughts had deserted her she dropped the phone and looked at Derek.

"I guess I better go," he didn't look like he wanted to go, he hadn't moved and neither had she.

"Sure," Chloe licked her lips and Derek might have leaned towards her before sitting back quickly. Chloe knew they were playing with fire, her Aunt was coming home and there were so many issues left between them, but that didn't change the fact that she really, really wanted to kiss him again.

"So," Derek asked.

Chloe smiled, "So," he smiled back and they stood. The moment had passed and that was OK, considering where they had been a half hour ago, him freaking and her passed out, they were making progress.

They headed back downstairs quietly, at the front door Derek turned towards her uncertainty on his face. Chloe frowned and there was a question on her lips, but he beat her to her words.

"I was thinking or really wondering you know if tomorrow I could," Chloe smiled Derek without words was pretty adorable, he took a breath and smiled down at her, "could I pick you up for school?"

She could work with that, "Sure," he grinned at her and she smiled back. He left her with that grin and she waved at him when he looked over back halfway across the street, "Don't be late," she called out. Even with the distance between them she saw his eye roll, when he wasn't vanishing he was known for his punctuality.

Chloe closed the door her fingers going to her lips; they might have still been tingling. There was a smile on her face for the rest of the night, her Aunt had asked more than once what was up and Chloe had only shook her head and told her that an old friend had come home.

Aunt Lauren assumed, as had everyone else, that Derek had gone away for the summer for school. Chloe wasn't up to making up answers as to what he had been doing so she had kept his return to herself. Not telling her Aunt about that night had not been easy, there had been more than one occasion when the whole story had almost tumbled out.

Dinner had been trickier, more than once Chloe fought the words that were itching for release, this story needed to be told. By the time Aunt Lauren had retreated to her study to look over charts Chloe was nearing overload. Phone in hand Chloe headed up to her room and sent a quick text to Tori, 'girl Im losing it,' there had been no time earlier to go into details before dinner and Chloe assumed Tori would be pissed at the silence.

When the phone started ringing, Chloe smiled and answered right away. Thinking better of her surroundings Chloe headed back downstairs and back onto the porch. The story flowed unfiltered for the next half hour.

"Wow," Tori mumbled in her ear, "just wow."

"Yeah," Chloe concurred.

"That is not at all what I was expecting," Tori stunned was an uncommon occurrence and Chloe had half a mind to ask what was expected.

"What are you going to do," Tori asked.

Chloe laughed, "Why do you think I'm calling you?"

Tori snorted, "Well I know what you're not doing. No more kissing," Chloe flinched. The advice was sound, didn't mean she was going to take it; or practically could take it. Chloe could admit that she wanted to skip over the angst and just kiss him.

With a sigh Chloe sank back into her chair, "Can't we just skip the heartache and go right for the yum?"

Tori laughed, but her tone wasn't sharp, "that would be nice. I know how crazy you were about him."

"I am," Chloe interjected.

"Duh," Tori snorted, "but you've got to finish fixing this, whatever it is, before you go and make it something else and kissing is only going to make it harder."

Tori was right, "You're right," Chloe could admit it.

"It's just so much," Chloe struggled with the words, "I mean he saved me and then it like broke him."

Derek might have been mortified that Tori would be privy to the story, but Chloe had told him that Tori had been her confidant. Tori wouldn't snitch she might be a bitch but she wasn't mean.

"I don't know whether I should feel guilty or relieved," Chloe rubbed her cheek; "if I hadn't wanted to go there we wouldn't have been there."

Tori cursed, "Stop that. Those assholes are the ones to blame; they messed up your night. I'm not saying that Derek didn't get a bum rap cause he did, I mean they locked him up for kicking ass, that sucks, but none of that is your fault."

The tears were falling now, "I know you're right," and Chloe wanted to believe what Tori said.

"Do you want me to come over," Tori offered.

Chloe shook her head, "No, I'm OK I just need to work it through in my head, I'm probably not going to get much sleep tonight."

Their conversation wrapped up soon after. Chloe stayed outside, the night was cool, her head tilted back until she could see the stars above her. After spinning the situation around as many ways as she could Chloe came to the conclusion that she would let Derek take the lead, if he didn't want her guilt she wouldn't give it to him and if he didn't want to blame her than she would be grateful.

Content with her course of action Chloe picked up her phone, 'the stars are bright'. She didn't know where it had come from but Chloe wanted him to know that she was thinking about him, biting her lip she sent the text before she could talk herself out of it.

'I can see Pavo' Chloe laughed as she read his reply. Of course he would look up and see a lesser known constellation.

"Look it's the big dipper," Chloe had invited him over to share a piece of the birthday cake her Aunt had brought home from the restaurant.

Derek looked up dutifully, "there it is," Chloe frowned at his lack of enthusiasm.

"Don't tell me you of all people don't appreciate a beautiful sky full of stars," he looked over at her eyebrows raised, "you're like math-science guy."

Derek smirked and took another bite of red velvet cake, with his empty fork he pointed up to the sky, "that's Cassiopeia and over there is her daughter Andromeda."

Chloe looked up automatically, nothing jumped out at her, "I still see the Big Dipper." Derek laughed, Chloe had smiled she rarely made him laugh.

They had spent the rest of the night eating cake and Derek had done his best to show her various constellations.

The memories were warm in her chest, 'goodnight' Chloe stood the day had finally caught up to her and she yawned.

'night. See you in the morning.' Chloe heard the question even if he hadn't added a question mark, 'bright and early '.

Despite what she had told Tori Chloe felt her eyes closing without trouble the second she slipped under the covers.

True to his word Derek had been right on time, not that he had had far to go to get her, but it had still made her heart skip when she had stepped onto the porch and he had been waiting for her at the curb.

"Hi," Chloe smiled Derek smiled back. He was leaning against the passenger door, arms crossed and Chloe swallowed back her impulse, the big huge impulse to do some jumping and kissing.

Derek smirked; Chloe was pretty sure he had done some covert mind reading and rolled her eyes, "shut up."

Laughing Derek reached for her bag, "I didn't say a word."

"You didn't have to," Chloe muttered but gave him a sincere 'thanks' when he opened the door for her.

Classes went by in a flash, Chloe was proud of herself for not fidgeting, much, in anticipation of the lunch bell. Lunch meant Derek and Chloe was anxious to see him; she had an idea.

"I have an idea," dropping her tray next to Derek's Chloe she reached for her bottled water.

Derek looked over green eyes curious, "an idea."

Grinning Chloe nodded, "Yup," Tori had snorted at the idea and laid down a few ground rules, but ultimately had considered the idea tolerable.

Chloe made her pitch, there were only two tangents and she might have stuttered once, but only because she was excited. Derek hadn't said a word the entire time, had just sat there listening.

"So what do you think?" Chloe bit her lip; she really wanted him to say yes.

Rather than answer Derek reached for his bottle of water and took a drink, Chloe's smile faded as he turned the bottle over and over in his palms.

"I never imagined Chloe, God I never thought you would speak to me again, this, I mean," Chloe's heart had begun to thump so loudly in her chest she missed the first few words he spoke.

The bottle fell to the tray and he looked at her, Chloe went absolutely still, his eyes God they caught her, "are you sure Chloe I mean look what happened last time."

Chloe felt her jaw drop, how could he think that, a crash across the cafeteria made her jump. This was not the place for them to be talking about this she had only meant to discuss her plan. Fixing this was up to her, and there wasn't a doubt in her heart.

"Derek there is a lot of things we need to work through and trust is one of those things," Chloe winced but she had to be honest, "I can't tell you that I'm not going to worry if things get tough again that you won't bail."

Derek opened his mouth to protest or agree but Chloe held up her hand, "that's something that's going to take time," and as she said the words she knew they were the truth. Time was what would heal that wound.

"But hear me when I say that I am not scared of you and what you did for me, for us, was nothing to be ashamed of or afraid of."

Chloe hoped he would hear her.

A heartbeat before she opened her mouth to further make her point because there was no way she was letting it go, he nodded.

"Saturday sounds great," Derek tried for a smile, it wasn't big but it was enough.

A huge sigh of relief whooshed out of Chloe's lungs, "oh thank goodness. You can pick me up at one and we'll head over to the gym."

Before she could reach into her bag for the list of classes she had printed up off their website in the library Derek caught her hand. Shocked Chloe watched as he slid his fingers between hers and squeezed.

"Thank you Chloe," she looked up, "for everything."

Much to her surprise, and anybody who might have been looking Derek pressed a quick kiss to the back of her hand.

Inviting him to join her in some classes at the gym had been her epiphany during Biology, giving them time together in a public environment that would not lead to kissing. Besides if there was anyone who was built to grapple it was Derek. Not for one second had she considered how big of a gesture it would be beyond the simple invite.

Simple was not a word she would describe them not right now, maybe not anymore, "you're welcome," Chloe smiled.

Who wanted simple?