Venting

Chapter Nine

After years of having to act "cool" in dire situations, we had this down. I yawned and said I was going to bed. Tori mumbled something about it being freakishly early and was going to force herself back to sleep, until at least noon. The boys both laughed and followed us up the stairs.

We all parted ways, going into our rooms. My bag was still in Tori's room, so I followed her. Since she had decided that first night to unpack everything, she now had to gather up all of her things.

"I told you to just keep it all together." I smirked as I pulled my bag out from under the giant bed Tori had created out of our two twins. She rolled her eyes and snuck down the hall to the bathroom for her things, leaving me to think.

I wasn't surprised in the slightest when Derek had told us who the traitor was. Maybe I should have been…I shook my head. Nah. She had barely said three words to us the entire time we had been here, and she definitely wasn't happy about me being pregnant either. It wasn't like she had voiced her opinion, but it was just that vibe…

I sighed and sat down on the bed and almost shrieked and fell off when I saw the figure in the doorway.

"Candice-e… You scared me." My heart was pounding. Oh great… I'm alone… I suddenly realized. Where the hell is Tori?

"I thought I heard someone up." She smiled sweetly. "Couldn't sleep? Or planning to go somewhere?" she asked, eyeing my packed bag on the floor.

I swiftly kicked it back under the bed. "I always keep it packed. You never know right?" I smiled back. Oh please let her believe me…

"Mhhm…" She muttered and moved a few steps into the room, looking around. "I thought you were staying with Derek."

"Yeah, he's still sleeping, but Tori was up so I figured I'd hang with her. She's just in the bathroom."

Candice starred at me. Like really starred…her eyes bore into mine.

"Let's stop this little charade shall we?" She hissed. Her arms crossed as she stepped closer to me. "I know that dog overheard me this morning." The look in her eyes was alarming…I could have sworn I had seen a flash of red…why hadn't I ever thought to ask her what she…was…

"I know you know what side I'm on Chloe. I also know that you all are planning on leaving."

"What-t? I-I …no-o…" I sputtered. I had no idea what to say. Yeah I know you're the one that turned us in? I know you're the traitor, what are you going to do about it?" Hah. Yeah right. That would go over oh so well…considering that right now, I had no clue as to what she even was…

"I sensed Derek this morning Chloe. I know he was in the hall listening to me. Just like he is right now. Derek, why don't you just come on in and join us?" She glanced back over her shoulder, and sure enough there was Derek.

His face was a complete mask, other than his eyes. His eyes gave him away. He wanted to rip her limb from limb. If she had sensed that, well…she didn't show it.

Derek came and stood partly in front of me. I squeezed his hand.

"They will be hear soon you know." Candice smirked. I felt my heart drop. We had to get out of here…

"None of you will be going anywhere until they get here." She hissed.

"Oh yes, we will." Tori's voice hissed from behind her. Yet I couldn't see her? What…

Suddenly a fireball appeared and shot straight towards Candice. She jumped out of the way and Derek grabbed me, aiming me for the door way. Suddenly Simon was there, grabbing my arm and tugging me out the door and down the hall, one last look back and I could now see Tori, hands raised, eyes glowing. Derek stood behind her, both facing Candice.

"Simon wait!" I yelped. He was leading me down the stairs and towards the door. I pulled from his grasp and opened the door to Charlotte and Harper's room. Both of them were sitting up in bed, looks of pure terror on their faces. "Come on!" I ushered. They jumped out of bed and ran towards me.

"Simon, get Micah and Oliver!" I ordered behind me. But Simon was already on it. He opened their door, Micah had an arm around Oliver, when he saw it was us, he let go. "Time to go?" He asked, "Yep." Simon replied as Micah and Oliver followed the girls and I down the stairs, Simon right behind us.

Aunt Lauren appeared at the bottom of the steps, a look of pure confusion on her face when she saw all of us.

"What? What is going on?" she screeched, panicked.

"Candice! She's the traitor!" Simon answered. "Where's dad?" He asked. Aunt Lauren was completely baffled. "He…he uh is in the kitchen…" She replied.

"Dad!" Simon yelled but Kit was already running towards us.

"What on Earth in going on up there?" He asked, but before hearing Simon's answer, had already begun bounding up the stairs. He stopped mid way when Derek appeared, Tori over his shoulder.

"Time to go!" Derek growled.

I didn't even think twice. I was right on Derek's heels, the others right behind me. Kit was fumbling with keys. He tossed a set to Simon. "Drive the Van. I'm going to take the others in Candice's truck. Oliver, you go with Simon." Kit declared, shooing Oliver in our direction.

Derek laid Tori down on the far back seat. I climbed in beside her, Derek, and Oliver climbed into the middle seat as Aunt Lauren and Simon climbed up front. Simon started the van and followed Kit down the road and out of sight of the house.

"Is she okay?" I asked. Her eyes were shut. There were scorch marks running along her right cheek.

"I don't know…she was hit with a fire bolt…" Derek was still fuming.

"A fire bolt?" Aunt Lauren asked and Derek nodded. "Hold on." She muttered. She fumbled around under her seat and then produced a white kit labeled first aid. Simon still had his foot on the gas as Aunt Lauren began climbing over the seats to get to Tori.

A few minutes later, Tori was all cleaned up. Aunt Lauren said that she was just knocked out, but that she should be okay. I folded up an old towel from the back as a makeshift pillow for Tori. The less jostled around she got, the better.

"What happened?" Aunt Lauren asked from her seat back up front. She was looking from Simon, Derek to me.

Derek was the one who spoke up. "Candice works for the Cabal. I overheard her this morning on the phone…"

"Candice? But she…She was a close friend of Kits…" Aunt Lauren questioned. Honestly, I should have seen this coming. After all, it seemed like Kit's friends just couldn't be trusted…after Andrew, and now Candice…

"Didn't dad say Candice had contacted him?" Simon asked. I knew exactly what he was thinking. Derek obviously did too because his hands balled up into fists. "It was a trap from the very beginning." He growled.

"It may have been a trap, but at least we were able to save Oliver and the others…" I noted.

Derek looked back at me then over at Oliver and nodded. It may have been a trap, but it was a pretty lame one. Candice had failed at turning us all over. And now, we would definitely be much wearier of whom we could trust…

We drove for hours. Finally around 3 that afternoon, Kit pulled over at a rest stop. Simon pulled the van up beside him. We all piled out of the car, leaving Tori, who was still asleep. Aunt Lauren had checked her again, and said that it wouldn't be long until she woke up though.

After Aunt Lauren went into the stop to get some snacks and drinks with Oliver, and Charlotte, Kit gathered Simon, Derek, Harper, Micah and I.

"We need to get rid of this truck." Kit sighed, leaning up against the truck. All of us stayed quiet. "Any ideas?" he asked.

"We're going to need to find another vehicle. We can't all fit in the van…" Simon sighed.

"Why do we need to get rid of the truck?" Harper asked.

"It was Candice's. She's most likely tracking it, hoping it will lead her to us…" Derek replied.

"New license plates?" I suggested. This sounded like something from a movie...

"We should leave it on the side of the road. Busted tire or something… Lead them of our trail." Derek replied. Kit nodded in agreement.

"Next used car lot we see…we stop. It's got to be soon. Just in case…" Kit decided.

"Do we have enough money for…" Simon began to ask but Kit held up his hand. "I don't want any of you worrying about money. I have that under control."

We all nodded in understanding. Derek looked a little worried though, but he agreed all the same.

"Who wants Doritos?" Oliver asked as he and Charlotte came running back over, Aunt Lauren following behind them.

"I do!" Simon smiled, reaching for them but Derek plucked them out of his grasp. "Not good for you."

Simon rolled his eyes. "Fine…any apples in there?" He asked. Charlotte smiled. "Yep. One for you, and one for Chloe." She handed me an apple.

"Why can't I have chips?" I asked. Those Doritos looked really good…

"We don't have you on any pre-natal's Hun. So we're going to keep you on a good diet until we can get you some vitamins." Aunt Lauren replied, handing me a bottle of water. "Keep this in the back with you for when Tori wakes up." She said, also handing me a sprite and a sleeve of crackers.

"Where to next?" Charlotte asked, as Aunt Lauren passed out food and drink items to everyone.

"A used car lot." Kit sighed.

"A used car lot?" Oliver asked… "That's a weird place to hide out…"

Derek chuckled beside me. I wrapped my hand in his. Here we go again... at least we're all still together…

We all waited outside as Kit was inside talking with the dealer. Oliver and Charlotte were getting restless. I didn't blame them. When all this had started, I had been fifteen...I couldn't imagine going through all this and being only eleven...

"When are we going to stop?" Oliver whined. Derek reached over and patted his shoulder. "We'll stop soon, okay?"

Was it just me or was Derek starting to maybe accept this kid? It was cute. I too felt a little protective of Oliver and Charlotte, but Derek was definitely acting a bit out of character...and I found that I liked it...

Oliver sighed and kicked the seat in front of him, which just so happened to be the front passenger seat where Tori was sitting. She turned, her eyes narrowing. "Look, none of us like the posisition we are in, but if you kick my seat again..." She warned. The scorch marks on her cheek were bright red, making her look menicing.

"Oliver, don't kick the witch's chair. Trust me, baddd idea..." Simon laughed. Tori shot him a death glare, which just made him laugh harder.

"Oh! Kit's coming back!" Oliver exclaimed, pointing over at Kit as he held up a set of keys. Aunt Lauren climbed out of the car, walking over to join him.

The plan was this, Aunt Lauren would drive the new van that Kit had managed to get, Micah, Harper and Charlotte would ride with her. Kit would follow in the truck, and us behind him. At the next intersection we would leave the truck on the side of the road. Kit would jump into the van with us, and Aunt Lauren would continue to lead us down the highway, and we'd stop at the next motel we saw.

The plan went without a hitch.