I'm so sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. I don't know why but this one was so hard to write, I had the worst time trying to think up what words to use and how to use them, if that makes sense. Well here's the next chapter and I hope the next one will come to me a lot faster.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Darkest Powers, and I wish it were different.

Chapter 11: First Depression

Jessa slept surprisingly well that night. No nightmares or worries interfered. And when she woke up the next morning to the sound and smells of food cooking, she felt completely normal, almost as if the Change had never happened.

The day followed its usual pattern, everyone finding a way to occupy their time. Her and Simon were always close to each other, and if they weren't sharing a couch or at least in the same room, then Jessa found herself unconsciously locating him in the house by the noises he made. She couldn't help it.

She felt so much closer to him after what they had both gone through two nights ago. Maybe the Change was one of those traumatic experiences that brought people together. Maybe you can't go through something like that and not feel closer to the person you shared it with.

Maybe that was why Chloe and Derek were so close. Maybe after seeing or going through something so scary and painful with another person you can't walk away the same people. It changed people, no pun intended. And with Derek and Chloe it had brought them closer together, and Jessa could tell it was bringing her and Simon closer as well.

She spent most of her time reading, like she normally did. But after the first few hours she found her mind drifting off, and it kept traveling back to the same thing. The Change.

She didn't make it all the way through her first time. She Changed partially, but not all the way, and the files they had accessed on the laptop had told her that the same had happened to the other kids in the experiment. And according to those same files she would have to go through another partial Change, then on her third time she would finally become a wolf. Or at least that's what she hoped, seeing how everyone else died before they could Change all the way. Best to be the optimist.

She took a deep breath, berating herself for allowing her thoughts to go towards the Change again. She wasn't sure when her next partial Change would happen, but she knew it wasn't long. Derek had said three days separated his first pre-run and his second pre-run, which meant she probably wasn't going to have much more than him. And any amount of time would never be enough for her, knowing that her days were, quite possibly, numbered now.

Tori stayed in her room most of the day, and no one bugged her for fear of getting electrically charged by a lightning bolt. Tori had gotten over the shock of having a brother and was now angry at the world, and Jessa wasn't sure why. Simon wouldn't make a bad brother, he was nice, and Tori and him had gotten along perfectly fine before they were both clued in on their relation. So what Jessa was wondering was: What changed? Why was Tori so angry at finding out she had a sibling? It all confused her, but she left Tori to herself, hoping that a little alone time would make her better.

And so another day passed.

When Jessa woke up the next morning she could feel it. The restlessness in her veins, the tightness in her muscles, the burning fever of her skin; she was going to Change that night. Her mood dropped instantly. Chloe woke up around the same time Jessa did, and at one glance at her Chloe said, "You're going to Change tonight, aren't you?"

Jessa slipped on a hoodie. She wasn't really sure if she should be wearing it since it would only increase the temperature of her already unusually warm body, but she just felt comfortable wearing it, like a security blanket, so she didn't care if it made her hot.

Jessa dragged herself downstairs not feeling too good, knowing it was only going to get worse as the day progressed.

The news of her Changing spread to everyone in the house within 15 minutes of her arrival downstairs.

"Are you okay?" Simon whispered to her, as they were getting ready to eat breakfast. Was she okay? No, she felt like crap. Her eyes had trouble focusing and her skin was hot and uncomfortable and her hearing and sense of smell were being wacky at the moment. But she couldn't tell him that, she had to be Super Jessa, a werewolf that could handle everything that came her way.

"I'm fine." She murmured.

Simon gave a hesitant nod, as if not sure if he should believe her, then took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. She smiled to herself, her mood lightening a little.

She would have loved to say that the day went by in a blur, but it didn't. All day her body kept reminding her that the Change was coming. She paced a lot, not really wanting to move, but her body was unable to sit still with extra energy running through her veins. She couldn't read, her mind wouldn't focus, and besides reading there was anything else in the house for her to do. So she spent most of her day dreading what was coming as it came closer and closer with every hour that passed.

As night started to settle Tori came out of her room and marched right up to Jessa, "I'm coming with you guys this time." Tori said, voice angry, "Don't think you all can just abandon me here again." Her eyes were determined and Jessa couldn't do anything but nod. Tori gave an obvious sigh of relief, then marched back up to her room.

When dinner came, Jessa could barely eat anything, which was unheard of. It wasn't that she was feeling nauseous, it was just that each time she put food in her mouth, she could envision herself throwing it right back up. That didn't make her too eager to consume everything she possibly could.

When her attempt at eating was over, she made her way to the living room and stretched herself out on the couch. She pulled her hoodie off, her body was too hot as it was, and the hoodie was only making it worse. She stared at the ceiling, just wanting this night to be over with, but in her head she knew it had barely started.

Simon joined her after a while. He came in and laid right down next to her. Jessa scooted over making room for him; it really was a huge couch. He didn't say anything to her, and Jessa was happy, she wasn't sure if she could handle a conversation at the moment.

After lying together for a while Jessa twisted around and laid her head on Simon's chest. She closed her eyes and listened to the strong pounding of his heart, the quiet, steady intake of his breath, her head rising and falling with his chest. Simon wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, then stroked her hair, slowing running his fingers along its length. Jessa shivered, loving the whisper of pressure his fingers made.

She really wasn't sure how long they laid there; her brain was muddled with fever so her sense of time was off. All she knew was that at some point Kit approached them and told them they needed to go upstairs and try to sleep. They obeyed, Simon dragging her up the stairs and to her room.

"Come and get me, okay?" He asked her quietly, and she nodded, her brain barely processing the words. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, lips lingering longer than needed, thumbs stroking her skin. Then he was gone, walking away from her, entering his room.

Jessa made her way to her own room, heading straight for her bed, not bothering to take her clothes off because she knew she wasn't going to get any sleep.

"Jessa?" Chloe's quiet hesitant voice floated over to her as she climbed into bed.

"Yeah?" Jessa's voice was rough, probably since she'd barely used it that day.

"Will you wake me up when you leave? I want to be there, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind, Chloe. I'll wake you up." Jessa assured her.

"Okay." Chloe murmured, then she rolled over in her bed, falling asleep within minutes.

Jessa was surprised at how many of her friends wanted to come. There was Simon, of course, then Tori, and now Chloe, and if Chloe was going odds were Derek was going too. Jessa wasn't really sure how she felt about this. Would it be weird to have all her friends watching her at her weakest moment? Her brain was being too slow and she couldn't decide.

When her body started to itch uncontrollably and she started to sweat a small river and the muscle spasms became more frequent, she knew she had to leave. Jessa rolled out of bed, the fever making her so uncoordinated she nearly tripped. She went and shook Chloe's shoulder, waking her up, then grabbed the shirt she'd put on last time, clean now.

"Get dressed and then go wake Tori up." Jessa told a sort of awake Chloe, "And make sure she has her i-pod." Chloe nodded and did as she was told.

Jessa made her way into Simon and Derek's room. Both of them were fast asleep, but when Jessa entered the door made the smallest squeak possible, a sound only werewolf ears could hear. Derek bolted awake at the noise, sitting up fast, scaring the crap out of her. Was he really that light a sleeper? She shook her head and went to Simon's bed. He was lying in a tangled pile of sheets, his limbs hanging off the edges of the bed. She smiled, thinking he looked so cute with his mouth hanging open, and his hair completely messed up.

"Simon." She got as close as she dared, not sure if he was like Derek and would spring awake and hit her by accident. When he didn't do anything, she shook his shoulder and called his name again. He woke this time, his eyes opening slowly. It took him a moment to focus on her, but when he did, he sat up quickly.

Without a word he got out of be and started to get dressed. He had already been wearing sweatpants, so he left those on. He pulled off the shirt he was wearing. Jessa took the time to admired the muscles she saw. Simon might be small in build, but he wasn't a string bean. He pulled on a new shirt and a heavy jacket.

Jessa had also noticed that Derek was changing clothes too. So her earlier theory was correct when she assumed Derek was coming. When the boys were ready, they left the room, met up with Tori and Chloe, then they all left the house.

Simon's POV

Simon watched as Jessa unconsciously scratched her arm. Again. He watched as sweat rolled down her face. Again. She didn't say anything, just kept walking through the woods, her mind focus on something he didn't know about.

He and Jessa walked side by side, Simon following Jessa's lead. Derek, Chloe, and Tori walked a few paces behind the two of them. No one talked as they as the trudged through the woods, and a heavy silence filled the air around them, broken only by the sounds of them moving.

Jessa stopped walking, confusion crossing her face. Simon watched as she sniffed the air deeply, her eyes rimmed red and bright from the fever. He watched as she wiped sweat off her forehead, closing her eyes in frustration.

"Left." Derek mumbled.

Jessa's head swung to the left, and her nostrils flared, and after a moment she nodded to herself and started walking again. Simon worried about her, wondering if she really was okay. She had just had trouble finding her way back to the clearing from before, and that might be hard for a normal person, but for a werewolf that was as simple as tying a shoe.

Was she going to be okay? Simon had watched all through out the day as she struggled through it, and he worried the entire time. He had done his best to comfort her, but he could tell that she was lingering on what was coming, and that caused him to do the same.

She was going to get through it, all the files said she would, but that didn't stop him from worrying something bad was going to happen. What if, for some reason, she didn't make it? What if she died? Simon's chest constricted in panic. No, he though firmly, She's not going to die.

When they finally did reach the clearing, Simon and Derek turned away from Jessa as she stripped off her clothes and slipped on the oversized shirt she had brought with her. When they turned back she was already on all fours, panting with her head down, her black hair hiding her face from view.

Derek, Chloe, and Tori retreated, close enough so they could watch and make sure nothing happened to their friend, but far enough that Jessa and Simon weren't crowded. Simon got to his knees beside Jessa and started to rub her back. She pressed into his hand, shuddering as another spasm went through her body.

And then it started. Jessa's back jerked up, wrenching a cry from her, which she cut off quickly. Her whole body spasmed, and vomit flew from her mouth. Simon rubbed her back hard to comfort her, or at least try to.

The last time Jessa had Changed, Simon had arrived hours after she had started, and by then she had been exhausted. He hadn't seen the beginning of the Change, which involved puking, a lot. But Simon helped Jessa through it this time, talking to her, not at all repulsed by her regurgitating her dinner.

He didn't move her hair away from her face. Derek had warned him not to, and Simon heeded his warning. Jessa was Changing, her shoulders were thickening, her legs and arms shorting, and so that meant her face was Changing as well. Jessa wouldn't want him to see her like that, so he respected her wishes and didn't move her hair.

Hours slipped by. At first Jessa had cut off her cries of pain, but as the Change progressed she stopped trying as hard, letting her yells slowly get longer before stopping them, until finally she stopped cutting them off all together, letting her screams fill the woods around them.

It was close to the 3-hour mark when Jessa collapsed. Simon knew it was coming. Jessa's arms and legs had been shaking with exhaustion, and he knew that they wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. He had moved up closer to her, letting her lean on him for support while she rested, her body having stopped the Change to recharge quickly before continuing.

"It's going to be okay." Simon said, rubbing her back.

Jessa nodded wearily. He could feel her whole body shaking with the effort it took to stay up.

Then her body had decided it was time to continue and her whole being jerked, knocking Simon away. Jessa howled in pain, and fell sideways, her body contorting on the ground. Simon scrambled up, moving towards her head, avoided her arms that were flailing in pain.

"I'm here," he breathed, going to his knees beside her, rubbing her back, "It's okay, everything's going to be all right." He heard a whimper escape her lips as her body continued through the Change.

Black fur was sprouting out from her skin, it was weird to see, but Simon dealt with it. Just as he dealt with the cries of pain that pierced his heart and the harsh painful sounds of her breathing and the skin cringing contortions her body was making. He dealt with it all, because he had to deal, just as Jessa had to go through the Change; they didn't have any other choice

6 hours 5 minutes and 47 seconds was how long Jessa's whole Change lasted. When it ended Simon laid her head on his lap, moving her hair away from her face, and stroked his fingers across her skin repeatedly. Her cat-like green eyes were full of exhaustion, but also relief. He could tell she was thinking the same thing as he was: She was still alive. Once Jessa's breathing went from painful gasps to heavy panting, she closed her eyes and was asleep in seconds.

Derek had to carry Jessa back to the house. He marched fast, trying to get her out of the chilly air as fast as possible. Even with the feverish heat still lingering from the Change, Jessa was losing body heat every moment she was unconscious and she needed to get back inside quickly. It was harder for Simon, Tori, and Chloe to keep up since they lacked Derek's sure footing and night vision, but they didn't complain, knowing Jessa was at risk of getting seriously sick from the cold.

Once inside, Derek laid Jessa on the couch in the living room. Simon didn't want to head upstairs to sleep, he wanted to keep an eye on Jessa, make sure nothing happened. Maybe it was stupid, seeing how her Change was over with, nothing would happen. But he didn't want to leave her, so he watched her as she slept. And when he could no longer keep his eyes open, he moved a leather chair in front of the couch and slept in that, refusing to leave her side.

The last thing he saw before shutting his eyes was Jessa's pale face illuminated by a ray of moonlight, still beautiful, even after the torture she had been through.

Well, once again I apologize for the long wait. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm not sure when the next one will come, but I promise you that it will; I'm not ditching my story until it is finished. Please review

Thanks- Cheerfully Blue