Sorry it's so late on the update. Hopefully you'll still like it…
Derek drove to the bus stop, he purchased the tickets, he herded me onto the bus. Inside I was fuming, but I felt weighed down with the physical fatigue that came with the fear for my kids. What was happening? Why was this happening? What could I do to stop it?
We sat in the back row of the bus, only four other people on it this late at night. The driver grunted then swung the door shut and eased it forward.
As the bus began to move, I felt like I couldn't keep up the façade of calm anymore. Tears dripped down my cheeks, silent but filled with a grief deeper than the ocean. Wordlessly Derek handed me a tissue from a pack in his pocket, stroking the top of my head gently as I cried.
I don't know how long I cried, but eventually I was just too tired. I had no more energy for helpless tears. Derek, sensing I was spent both physically and emotionally, offered his shoulder as a pillow. I accepted, sinking my head down and drawing comfort from his rock-like presence beneath my cheek. They'll be alright…I promised myself, before my eyelids shut.
I woke to my name being whispered. "Chloe, we're here." I sat up, rubbing at my eyes blearily. Sleep, unfortunately, had not been able to erase the feelings of pain and anxiety. "Simon lives here?" I asked, as we pulled into a small downtown area, all store windows black, the sparsely situated streetlamps the only light source.
"Close enough," Derek led the way off the bus, grabbing my elbow for support as I tottered at the top of the stairs. My limbs were leaden, my brain fuzzy. I was still a numb shell of myself, but I didn't know how to fix that.
"This way," one arm around my waist (probably to ensure I didn't stagger around like a drunk) Derek propelled me down the main street, winding down another maze of roads as we reached the end of it. We saw no one else.
As the neighborhoods we ghosted through progressed, I noticed a gradual increase in size and adornments. It was in the last of these mansion streets that Derek halted in front of a brick fortress.
"That's his house?" I couldn't keep out the twinge of envy in my voice.
"Their house," he reminded me. "Don't forget- Tori lives here, too."
"Right." I felt a pulse of fear. True, Tori and I had been making progress towards friendship prior to my disappearing act, but if I knew anything about her it was she was a notorious grudge holder. And she was definitely not happy with me for leaving.
"Let's go," he led the way up the gravel driveway, each audacious crunch of the rocks beneath my feet making me cringe.
Derek stopped at the intimidating mahogany door, the porch light flicking on. Human motion sensor? Or spell?
He took a deep breath, squeezing one last sideways peek at me before raising a fist to rap sharply on the door. Through the tinted glass set in the middle I saw a light in the foyer flash on and a blurry shape approaching, indiscernible through the distorted window. The voice that muttered as numerous locks clicked away was familiar, though. "I thought I told him no more damn midnight visitors…" Tori grumbled. At least four locks must have been turned before she finally paused, throwing her voice through the door. "Who is it?"
"The resistance is everything." Derek spoke calmly without hesitation.
An unsurprised grunt and then the final lock was turned, the door pulled open to reveal a tall woman in her mid-twenties clad in a thick purple bathrobe over her silk pajamas, spiky brown hair bobbed in a pixy-cut, chocolate eyes narrowed and scrutinizing. As she caught sight of Derek they widened into surprise and recognition. "Oh, hi, Der-" she broke off as I stepped forward. "No," she actually took a step back, eyes suddenly wary and hostile. She shook her head at me then turned to glare at Derek. "What is she doing here?"
"Tori," he snapped, exasperated.
She ignored him, regaining her composer to lean against the propped open door and look me up and down. "Little Chloe Saunders," she shook her head again, this time in disbelief. "Guess you're alive after all."
"Yeah," I said lamely, not sure what else to add.
"Do you know how long we looked for you?"
"Look, Tori…I'm really sorry…"
"Tori?" Another voice, painfully familiar, floated from deep inside the house. "Who's there?"
"Hey, bro," Derek craned his neck to peer around Tori. Simon's face appeared behind hers, looking over her shoulder.
"Derek? Did you find her?"
"Hi, Simon." I bit my lip, gauging his reaction.
He caught sight of me, squinting. "I'm gonna' go out on a limb here and assume this is Chloe?" he looked to Derek for confirmation, who nodded. Unlike Tori, who was still glaring at me, Simon's face stretched into a grin. He stepped around his wife (ugh- that was going to take some getting used to) and stood next to me. Only then did I realize he had grown as tall as Derek, only with a more slender build. "Wow, it's so great to see you again…" he bent down to give me a friendly squeeze. Yep- Simon hadn't changed a bit. Tori shook her head and stomped off into the house.
"Ignore her," Simon followed her with his gaze. "She's still a bit temperamental…"
"I heard that," Tori tossed back over her shoulder.
"Right now she's just cranky because she's worried," he dropped his voice to a whisper, confiding in us. "Dylan came down with a fever this afternoon and she's been paranoid. One day, Chloe, you'll probably understand a mother's protection. Me? I don't get it. He's going to be fine, which she knows. I think it's more of a mommy thing, being worried…"
Tears again stung the back of my eyes and I had to turn away to stare out over the expansive black lawn to avoid them spilling over.
"What? Ow." I turned to see Simon rubbing his elbow. "What was that for?" he glared at Derek.
Noticing me watching, Derek coughed. "Actually, that's kind of why we're here. Chloe does have kids…"
"Oh shit," Simon ran a hand through his hair. "Wow, um…sorry, Chloe…I just kind of assumed…wow."
"…but they were just kidnapped by the Edison Group." Derek concluded. "Which is why we came here. We need your help."
"Oh god," Simon looked pale. "Come in," he ushered us into a marble-tiled entranceway, an elite white grand staircase winding upwards in front of me. Instead of heading up, Simon led the way through a series of elaborately furnished rooms, flicking on lights as he went. I followed him, not really bothering to take in the scenery and grandeur.
"Sit here," he halted in the kitchen, pointing at an auburn colored wooden table polished to a high gloss. "Tori!"
"What?" she stomped in, pouting like a sulky child.
"Go notify the others."
"Now?" her tone was incredulous.
He nodded grimly. "This is important."
"All right, but they won't like being woken up."
"Too bad for them."
She rolled her eyes but went over to a door set in the wall I had assumed to be a pantry. She swung it open to reveal a narrow staircase, which she proceeded to descend.
Simon, who had been busy at the coffee maker during this exchange, plopped two steaming mugs down in front of us. "Tell me everything." he ordered, sitting down.
While Derek supplied the details, I turned my gaze to the staircase. It seemed out of place in the otherwise expansive and open mansion Tori and Simon were living in. Almost…secretive. In fact, as Tori emerged leading a crowd of sleep tousled people, I realized that's exactly what it was supposed to be: a secret.
"Tada! The resistance movement that sleeps in our basement!" Tori gestured at the gathering throng with a sarcastic flourish before taking the empty seat next to Simon.
"Sit down, everybody." Simon ordered, before muttering something under his breath. Instantly the table's ends rocketed out, tripling its length. A dozen more chairs materialized out of the air.
As people took their seats, Simon introduced them. The names, faces, and powers he told me washed over me in a blur, and I was feeling lightheaded with the information overload when the final stragglers came up the stairs.
As the last person stepped from the doorway, he froze. My eyes locked in on panicked emerald ones, connected to a narrow face framed by thick wavy hair.
"Stephen?" I whispered.
Duh, duh, duh! Cliffy alert! Sorry. Predictions? What will Derek do? Why is Stephen there? I'd love to hear your guesses!