Wow, the response to my last chapter was overwhelming. Hello, all my new readers and reviewers. Thank you for joining. And now, below is a chapter I have been meaning to find a place for and this seems like a good move away from all the angst of him harming Chloe. I don't want him to be all angsty for the next however many chapters, so we'll try and have him have a new purpose. As always, read and review. I love seeing your comments and I do take it into consideration what you say and I get all happy every time I read praise so give me stuff to think about or make me smile and I give you more chapters. Works for all of us.

DoarfthXx: I agree that part of me wants this to have dirty moments, but it does seem OC as others have pointed out. He will still have normal boy thoughts, but aside from maybe a few dreams or certain chapters where it's obvious, the dirty level will remain fairly consistent, at least until the very end. So stick around. :) Alternativemusicgirl: I hated this part, too. I abhor violence. But it was really interesting to write. And I kinda can't wait to write that scene, either. Alwaysreading: I'm confused. You hated Chloe when she was emotional? Or when she was upset at Derek? And Do you think Derek was too emotional? I agree. Poor Derek. That's why I tried to move him into motivated about helping her. He's not the kind of guy who mopes forever. Do you agree? Kelly Miley: Arg! I agree. You have convinced me, really. I mean, there will be dirty parts, but for the most part, he's Derek. Besides, certain chapters I'm already writing in my head, this will be almost PG-13. Except for the swearing. Elizi02: You gave me the best complement a writer can receive. I meant for it to be emotional and moving, and you telling me it made you want to cry was exactly the response I was looking for. Thank you for such a high compliment. I'll try and keep posting daily, but no promises. Life is too crazy :). Lululaura: At first I was really upset reading your post, but then I tried to understand it and see if I agreed. I'm not sure what you meant by too superior? Could you explain that for me? And in regards to the three brain thing, it's a lot how I think, to be honest. I have part of me that says yes, no and maybe all at once. It's very like how psychologists say we have the ego, superego, and the Id. The wolf is Derek's Id, base and primal. Ego is Teenage Derek, who doesn't actually get much say, unlike normal people's Ego. And Superego is the Derek we love. So, I apologize if it is distracting for you, but I believe it is the best way to show the internalized arguments Derek has within him and it's something I, at the very least, can easily relate to. I may just be weird, but I write from what I know. To my other reviewers: Thank you for your praise and emoticons :). They made staying up until five this morning writing this possible.

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda owned darkest powers, but Kelley Armstrong wrote it first. Darn.

Derek's point of view

I stayed in the basement for ten minutes, reeking of self-loathing. Finally, I snapped out of it. I had hurt her, yes. But I had been attempting to help her. I had to control myself better. I had to. I would make it up to her. I would help her become one of us and I would help her fall for Simon. I screwed up, but I am not the guy that hits women.

I would make it up to her.

After reminding myself of what was important, I came out of the basement and no one was in sight. I found Simon up in our room, drawing. He was lying on his stomach on his bed, the drawing easy to see.

I looked at his drawing, admiring his work. He was still in the beginning portions of his sketching, so I couldn't tell what it was of yet. He didn't expect any critiquing this early in the game, so I simply walked past without a word, going to the dresser to grab clothes. He looked up from the drawing as I walked past.

"What were you up to downstairs? You disappeared after dinner." He shook his hand out, relieving a hand cramp. "I wanted to kick the ball around before it got too dark."

"Sorry." I searched the drawer for my sweatpants. I opened another drawer. After a minute of this, he sighed.

"You know, I noticed that there was no answer to the question."

"I gotta go take a shower. We can talk when I'm done."

Simon sat up. "Talk?"

Shit. I can't tell him about Chloe. It was stupid and reckless and I really couldn't take him looking at me like the monster I was. I needed a normal brother night.

Then an idea sprang from my mind. I had been wishing to try and plant in Simon's mind the idea of leaving me and finding Dad. He had resisted all previous attempts, but a lot had happened. Chloe may even be able to tag along for the ride. Then again, with what she had been telling the nurses, it was obvious she wanted out, but she was going through the sane route. Who knows?

"Well, we need to talk about Dad."

"What about him?" Simon looked at me, suspicion in his eyes. I had been trying to convince him to do this since we arrived at Lyle house.

"How long have we been here for?" I switched tactics.

He looked away.

"How long?"

"Three months." He mumbled it, not wanting to hear the truth of my next words.

"How long ago should Dad have found us?"

"I don't know, Derek. Awhile?" He was talking to the wall.

"What if he's hurt or what if he's in trouble for something and can't get to us? He was just gone, Simon. Nobody had passed through that door, but he was gone."

"What do you want me to do, Derek?" He jumped off the bed and spun around. "Leave you here to be evaluated until I bring back Dad? I won't leave without you."

"I can't go."

"Yes, you can! You and I could walk out of here and never look back, but you're being stubborn." His arms were being thrown all different ways, like he always did when he was angry.

"I'm being smart. I crippled a kid. I need to learn how to control myself." Now, I was talking to the dresser, ashamed to look him in the eye. "It's not safe for you or anyone else if I leave now."

Simon walked up to me and pushed my shoulder so I faced him. "Don't say something so stupid, Derek. I have made you more mad than anyone else will be able to ever accomplish and you have never even almost hurt me." He looked at the ground. "You protected me. Don't make this worse than the situation was."

If anything, the escapade with Chloe earlier hardened my resolve. I had to stay here. I hurt her. It was that simple.

"Simon, Dad needs you." I sighed. "And we need Dad."

Simon thought about my words, considering all the angles, and then leaned against the dresser. "I don't go unless you do." He crossed his arms. "That's final. Dad said, 'Always stick together' and I agree. He'll find us."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then one day, you will get fed up with waiting and you'll leave with me. It's that simple."

"No. It's not that simple."

"I won't leave." He sat back down on his bed, picking up the sketch, signaling the conversation was done. He looked upset, so I dropped it. I grabbed my clothes and escaped into the hallway, hoping some hot water would relax me and make me less edgy.