Hello! Just wanted to pop in here and say that this is an alternate universe, and I have made slight (okay, maybe big), changes to Armstrong's original characters, as I always felt like Chloe's powers should have been played on a ton more. Nobody has commented in complaint, so I don't think it's a problem thus far, and I hope that people are actually enjoying it! As always, thank you for those who take time out of their day to, read, follow, like, and review!

Disclaimer: Kelley Armstrong owns all rights to these characters!

I had to read through the file a second time just to be sure of what I was seeing. Genesis II had been an experiment to reduce the side effects of being a supernatural. Unfortunately, the lab technicians had cut corners on DNA data, and the result was supernaturals with out of control powers. Some had been a success, like Simon. The failures were Royce, Tori, Liz, and I. There were a few other names that I wasn't sure of, and Derek was labeled under the unknown category. The list that made me shiver, was the one labeled Terminated.

"Royce?"

"Sup?" he asked casually.

"What's Genesis II?"

He leaned back on the floor and a smarmy smile spread across his face. "Ah, I see you've discovered our big secret eh?" He moved closer to me, and I instinctively shrunk back. "Genesis II was an experiment, as I'm sure you gathered. They decided to be a boring bunch, and try to reduce our powers. Thankfully, the opposite happened, and our abilities were amplified."

I shook my head, "What's the terminated list then?"

He leaned in closer, "Some of them are too out of control."

He was close enough now that I could feel his breath on my face. I tried to move back, but I was now leaning against the back of the closet wall.

"Hmm," he murmured, smiling at my discomfort. "You smell lovely," he took a deep, shuddering breath, inhaling my scent.

"Back up," I commanded him.

"I don't think so," he laughed darkly.

Before I could continue my argument, he leaned in and planted a firm kiss on my lips. I froze at the contact, my body instantly locking up in response. His hand snaked around to cup the nape of my neck, and he deepened the kiss.

Startled, my body jumped into action and I shoved him off of me. In my haste, I smacked my head against the handle of the closet door. Dizzy for only a moment, Royce took advantage of my disorientation and made to pounce on me.

"You stupid little… you're going to pay for this!" he shouted in my ear.

He stood, towering over me and his face contorted in rage. I scrambled back into the closet, hoping I could find some shelter behind the doors. One of Derek's telescopes floated off of the desk and rose up behind Royce to hover above his shoulder threateningly.

"A telepath?" I whimpered.

He snorted, "Volo, top of the line baby."

The telescope hurtled towards my head, and I dodged it accordingly. Turning with big eyes, to see it had planted itself inside the wall. "Royce, don't –"

This time, a football trophy had found its path towards me. I tried to duck in time, but the trophy clipped my shoulder, knocking me on my back. "Royce!" I shrieked, no longer caring if anyone heard us up here. Royce was aiming to kill, or at least seriously injure.

"Come on little necro," he sneered wickedly. "Where's that necro fire?"

I set my jaw in determination, and curled my fists together. I closed my eyes, and slowed my breathing. Royce stood by, watching with amusement. Clearing my head took more effort than usual with a psychopath standing so close to me, practically breathing down my neck. I let my mind reach out and probe, and surprised myself when my reach extended further than what I was used to. I could feel the energy pulsating through me, and with one final tug, I waited for the telltale sign that I had succeeded in my attempts.

"That's it?" Royce quipped. "Can't say I'm surprised, really. Necromancers have got to be the most useless of all the supernaturals. I mean, have you ever actually –"

A crash sounded at the window.

"What in bloody hell was that?"

His eyes widened with surprise when I stood and faced him, all fear gone from my expression.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, his voice betraying his nervousness.

I smiled, "Making my move." I backed away from him again, this time with another intention than to just escape him. "Break the window."

"What?"

The window shattered. A swarm of birds blasted though the shattered glass and filled the room. The first thing I noticed was the stench, they had been dead for quite some time, some of them fresher than others. There were birds of all sizes, some rather large, maybe an owl, and others very small.

They fluttered above me, just as Royce's telescope had, except my weapon was a little more cringe worthy.

Royce sputtered as he quickly tried to flee the room.

"Attack," I commanded the swarm. Instantly, they obeyed my commands, and with a large, combined shriek, they directed their beaks in his direction. Royce squealed his surprise, and instead of making my escape, I stood by and watched with some satisfaction as they pecked and scratched at any part of him they could reach.

The door to the bedroom rattled loudly, Royce had locked it without my knowledge. Someone was now slamming their weight against the door. "Just a few more seconds –" I began to plead.

The door burst open, and Derek came barreling into the room. He looked from me, to Royce, and that was when he saw the swarm of undead birds. Royce's screams could probably be heard throughout the entire house now, but the part of me that would care seemed to be taking a vacation at the moment.

Derek's eyes went from angry to weary in an instant. "Chloe," he said, keeping his voice low, and not daring to raise it.

Derek's POV:

"Chloe," I began. She looked terrifying right now. I thought that I could be intimidating, and yet here she was, the undead under her command, and her features twisted into a mix of rage and hatred. Her red hair was billowing around her as the October wind swept in through the broken window, sparing no one. At the sound of her name, she turned her head slowly and settled her gaze on me. I watched uneasily as a series of emotions flitted across her face. She was no doubt contemplating the idea of taking a shot at me next.

I tried again, "Chloe, you need to let him go. You're going to permanently damage him."

"So?" she snapped.

"Chloe trust me, you don't want that on your conscious."

"You don't know any – "

"Chloe," I growled, letting an edge creep in to my voice. "Trust me, you don't."

My aggravated tone must have done something to snap her out of her trancelike state, because her eyes widened when she turned with horror clear in her expression to look at Royce, curled up pitifully on the ground. The birds still pecked away at him.

"Oh god," she whispered. "Enough! That's enough!"

The birds retreated and Chloe fell to her knees. I was confused at first, until I saw her eyes scrunched closed in concentration, and one by one, the birds fell to the ground around her. Royce was on his feet in an instant. He didn't even spare her a second look as he raced to leave the room. I didn't bother stopping him. From what I knew about him, he probably deserved a lot worse than a few birds ruining his day.

Chloe remained in her kneeling position, seemingly oblivious to the rancid smell that was filling my own nostrils. She was sobbing into her hands now, and I stood by uncomfortably. Chicks and tears were definitely on the list of things I never wanted to deal with.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked through a bought of sobs.

"Nothing," I answered gruffly.

"You saw what I did, what I'm capable of! How could you not look as if I were a monster?" Speaking her thoughts out loud only seemed to upset her more, and she crumpled to my bedroom floor.

"Chloe," I growled. "Pull yourself together. You're not a monster." I wasn't sure if there was anything more to say. I doubted she'd listen to any words of assurance or comfort I had. So I set to work on cleaning up the birds on my floor. "Do you mind if I close the door?" I asked. "I don't want somebody to come upstairs and investigate all the sounds you two were making."

She nodded her head stiffly and went back to her pitiful crying.

After the birds had been tossed out my window, I set to work on nailing up a quilt to block a majority of the Autumn chill. Chloe was already shivering, so I figured she might appreciate it. Maybe it'd perk her up. I was still nervous to speak to her after the apartment incident. This only made me feel like an even bigger jerk. By the time she graduated at Lyle High School, she'd no doubt have a fear of men, and I wouldn't even blame her.

I swept up the glass, avoiding the jagged edges and Chloe. Upon seeing the closet, I groaned. That was a mess for another time. Somebody had been lobbing my tech equipment around, and I'd no doubt have to replace that. What a waste.

I turned rather reluctantly to Chloe now. "Well, you're probably okay to stay in here for a little while if you want. Though, the bed is probably more comfortable."

Her limbs still shaking, she crawled into my bed and burrowed herself under my pile of quilts. I could just see the top of her head poking out by the pillows. Her snuffling continued. Great, now I'm going to have to wash those blankets later of snot. I slowly turned to leave, "Well, if you're okay here. I'm going to go down – "

Her head popped out from her nest, "No!" She flushed a rosy red. "I meant, what if Royce comes back?"

Chloe's POV:

I probably seemed beyond pathetic, behaving like an absolute child and not wanting to be alone. But that was just it, I didn't want to be alone right now. That was the last thing I needed. "Please stay," I whispered.

He grunted, but eventually nodded. When he made to move towards the bed, I squeaked in surprise.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He glowered at me, "You busted my window, now you're asking me to guard you, and you're seriously going to make me freeze my butt over here?"

My eyes narrowed, but I agreed. "Fine. Get over here."

He crawled under the sheets with me, careful not to touch me or get too close. I scooted over to the farther side and allowed him to take up a big portion of the bed. He laid there for awhile, gazing up at the ceiling, no doubt lost in his own thoughts. I watched him for awhile, taking the first good look at his face in the light. He was really handsome.

"Stop staring at me," he growled.

"I wasn't staring," I grumbled back. "I was examining."

He rolled over to face me, "Why must you be so strange?" His voice rumbled deeply, and I smiled. "Why are you smiling?" he questioned wearily.

"You remind me of a bear," I remarked. My hand went up to touch his face, brushing against the coarse hair that was sprouted there. "Fuzzy," I whispered with a small laugh. "Large," I said, gesturing at the rest of him. "And protective," I murmured.

He shook his head with a snort, "A bear is not what people typically use to describe me." He leaned into my hand, still touching his face, and gave a soft sigh. We stayed like that for a few quiet moments, before he shook my hand away and rolled back over. His back was to me now, and I rather regretfully pulled my hand away.

"Derek?" I asked in a whisper.

"What?" he growled back.

"I forgive you."

He didn't respond, but his shoulders tensed. Instead of lengthening the uncomfortable silence, I forced myself to roll over as well. We both stared at opposite walls, a wave of emotions crashing through each of us. There was so much left to be said, and yet nothing left at all. Instead, we both fell into a deep, and undisturbed sleep.