I do not own any of the characters. I'm not Kelley Armstrong.

Enjoy.

Derek stopped outside the living room window which was cracked open just slightly. He heard the hushed voices of his brother and Chloe.

"So I hear Derek's been coaching you on super naturals." Simon pointed out.

"Yeah." Chloe replied quietly, taking a pause. "So why won't Derek tell me what he is?" She asked. "I-I mean, I think I know what he is anyway, but why can't he just tell me?"

"What do you think he is?" Simon asked her.

"A werewolf." Came the girl's voice, sounding more confident.

Derek stiffened at her accusation. Yes, he was a werewolf and technically he pretty much gave it away with his hints, but Chloe had taken a while to work it out. Now that she had, he felt his stomach drop. What was she going to think? The only girl who didn't treat him like the plague knew what he was and there was no going back. He couldn't erase her memory or just say it was all a joke. Of course he wanted her to know, but now that she did he wasn't so sure.

Cue the running and screaming… or not.

'He's a monster!' He expected her to say, but it never sounded from her. "I just want to know why he won't tell me himself." She said, defying Derek's expectations.

An exhale – probably from Simon. "He's worried about what you'll think of him. You're the only person that's actually ever treated him like a person, other than his family. He doesn't want you to see him differently."

Derek mentally cursed Simon for practically admitting it, but his mind soon changed.

"But I don't see him differently. He's still Derek." She told him softly. Derek could just imagine her fiddling with her hair and looking down at her shoes as she spoke. The boy let a huge grin creep across his face at her answer.

Didn't think of him differently? He had no problem with that. Maybe he actually had a chance with the blonde girl that occupied his thoughts more than he was used to.

"Wait," It was Tori's voice that cut in. "You really don't think of my big bro differently, even when you know that at one point in his life, he's going to transform into a wolf?" Doubt seeping in her voice.

"A-as I said, he's still Derek."

Still Derek. Her voice echoed through his head. How could she think that? That he was still Derek? He was, of course, but he half expected her to turn and run for the hills. How was it that Chloe could see him for who he really was, even when she knew that he was a werewolf when people who didn't know avoided him like the plague?

He decided to listen in on the rest of the conversation and wait a few minutes before entering the house and making his presence known.

Chloe's point of view

"Chloe, my favourite necromancer. How are you?" John asked.

"I'm fine thanks John. How's your daughter going?" I answered apathetically as I sat up. I was too tired for chatter, all I wanted was sleep.

"Quite well. I overheard her talking about going on a trip to Thailand yesterday. She's going there next year with her husband." He said excitedly. "And how are your studies going?" He asked excitedly. John was like a second… third father. Always wanting to know how my studies were going and what grades I was getting. He would shake his head every time I told him that I hated maths and that I wasn't doing too well.

I shrugged. "Good, I guess." I paused. "Could you tell me about my glow?"

"Well what would you like to know, child?"

"Is it very… bright?"

"Oh yes, my dear! One of the brightest glows I've ever seen." He then proceeded to tap the air around me like he always did when he commented on it. "None of the other necromancers I have come across had a glow quite like yours."

"And how many necromancers have you actually met?" I asked, thinking back to Derek's doubts. He had said to me that necromancers were rare.

"Oh I'd say around five or six. They're difficult to come across. Now why do you ask, my child?"

"My friend was telling me about a necromancer's glow, about how it resembles how powerful we are."

"Is your friend a necromancer too?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No, he's another kind of supernatural but he knows a lot about necromancers."

"Good golly!" He exclaimed. "There are other kinds? What is he?"

"I don't know. He won't tell me but I think I know what he is any way." Just before when I was lying in bed, I thought back to the conversations Derek and I had concerning super naturals. On the night he told me what I was, he also told me about his 'enhanced senses'. That should have been enough of a clue.

He looked up at me and chewed his bottom lip. "I can hear really well. My sight is well above average and I have pretty good night vision. Smell is a big one too."

"Ah, so you're like a tracking dog."

Derek laughed at my joke and bought his gaze up to meet mine. "I guess you could say that." He said.

Stupid Chloe!

I didn't actually know why it took me so long for it to click. It was only today that I found out that there were such things as werewolves, so why had I completely overlooked that possibility?

"And what do you think he is?" John asked.

I shrugged. "I might just tell you when I get a definite answer." I answered, not wanting to jump to conclusions even though I knew I somehow wasn't.

"Well, Chloe, some day you must tell me all about this supernatural stuff. I'd love to hear about what you people can do." He smiled.

"I have time now…" I began.

John held his hand up, "No, I believe you have visitors."

I strained my ears and sure enough, I heard laughter and chatter coming from the first floor. John waved his hands in a shooing motion towards the door, encouraging me to go and greet whoever was down there. "I'll talk to you soon, child." He said and then disappeared, leaving me by myself.

I sighed and blindly smoothed my hair as I hurried out my bedroom door. Rushing down the stairs, I almost tripped as I came to the last one but caught myself on the staircase railing. I looked up to see a familiar man shoot me a small smile.

"Hi, Kit." I said. We exchanged greetings. I acknowledged Simon and Tori but… "No Derek?" I asked.

"He'll be here soon." Simon responded and I nodded.

Andrew finally emerged from the kitchen. "Kit's power has gone out because of the storm." He told me.

"Okay, well-" I was cut off by a flickering of the lights. The flickering went on for a minute before we were sent into complete darkness.

A sigh. "Gwen," Andrew called. "Darling, could you light the candles?" He called. His request was answered by sounds of clattering and mumbled curses coming from Gwen when finally a single flame of light appeared in the kitchen.

"Found them!" Gwen exclaimed.

The adults piled into the kitchen and Gwen left me with an armful of candles to light in the living room. I pocketed the matchbook on the counter and lead the others into the sitting room, leaving the adults behind. Simon and Tori followed me trail. I set the candles down and pulled out a match, striking it against the side of the book and holding the flame to the candle. It took a while to catch and I burnt my fingers in the process. Shaking the match furiously in my hands, I mumbled some bad words, cursing out the little wooden stick.

"You all right, Saunders?" Simon asked.

"Yes." I mumbled and finished lighting the rest of the candles.

When I had finished, Simon piped up. "How about a game of scrabble?" He suggested.

"I don't even know if we have scrabble, Simon." I told him.

"You do." He told me pointedly.

Of course, I checked the cupboard and the first thing to fall on my head happened to be a box with the word 'Scrabble' written on it in big letters.

"You do." Simon repeated.

I shot him a glare and bought the box over to the table. "So where's Derek at tonight?" I asked casually.

Simon raised an eyebrow. "Why so interested?" He asked.

"I'm just wondering." I said as I handed out tiles for the game.

"He's on a date," He started.

I felt a pang of envy. Why did I feel that way? I didn't even know myself.

"With his homework." Simon finished.

"It's a Friday though?" I questioned.

"Typical Friday night for Derek." He shrugged. "Any ways, let's play."

Simon, Tori and I played Scrabble, Simon winning two rounds and Tori winning one. Needless to say, I didn't win any. My vocabulary was pretty minimal still so I didn't know as many words as Tori and Simon.

"So I hear Derek's been coaching you on super naturals." He said.

"Yeah." I said pathetically as I set up the board for another round. "So why won't Derek tell me what he is?" I asked. "I-I mean, I think I know what he is anyway, but why can't he just tell me?"

"What do you think he is?" Simon asked.

"A werewolf." I said simply. "I just want to know why he won't tell me himself."

Simon exhaled a breath. "He's worried about what you'll think of him. You're the only person that's actually ever treated him like a person, other than his family." He shrugged. "He doesn't want you to see him differently."

I nodded. "But I don't see him differently. He's still Derek." I said as I fiddled with my hair.

"Wait," Tori cut in. "You really don't think of my big bro differently, even when you know that at one point he's going to turn into a wolf?" She glared at me.

I nodded my head. "A-as I said, he's still Derek." Stuttering under intense gaze.

Tori bowed her head and leaned back, looking more relaxed.

"You should confront him. He'd want to know how you think." Simon said.

"I will." I told him. "Another round?" I suggested, changing the subject and gesturing to the board.

"How about Monopoly?" Tori asked.

"Good idea." I tucked the Scrabble box safely in the cupboard and removed the brightly coloured Monopoly box. Turning around, a tall dark figure stood at the door way, almost startling me but I caught myself before I could let out a yelp. "You're just in time, we're about to play monopoly." I said and raised the box, rattling it and then set it down on the table.

Derek grunted and sat in the seat beside me. Tori dished out the appropriate amounts of money, Simon separated the 'chance' and 'community chest' cards and I shuffled through the rest of the box, trying to find the dice.

We started playing Monopoly only to stop after three or four laps of the board. For the second time that night, we were interrupted by a flickering of lights and soon were flooded by light throughout the room.

Simon and Tori cheered. "Finally!" They exclaimed. Tori announced that she was going to ask dad to take them home and Simon followed close behind.

"So…" I began. I picked up all the houses and cards on the game board and neatly tucked them away. Derek gathered all of the money left over and put it in neat piles. "Can we talk? Like about the whole-"

"Derek, we're leaving. Let's go." Simon called from the kitchen.

"Supernatural thing?" Derek finished for me and I nodded. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the kitchen door before turning back to me. "I don't think we'll have time now."

"I guess not." I sighed as I put the lid on the Monopoly box. "Maybe next week."

He shrugged. "I could meet you outside later if you'd like. It'll save you waiting another week for answers."

"You're asking me to sneak out?" I whisper-asked disbelievingly. Of course, I had always been the good girl. In the orphanage they disciplined us harshly so I taught myself to behave and never attempt to deceive anybody. The thought of sneaking out... no, no way.

"Oh, will I get you in trouble?" He smirked playfully.

So, he wanted to play like that did he? I rolled my eyes. "Where do you suppose I meet you then?" Challenge accepted.

"I'll meet you at the bottom of your staircase outside. Eleven o'clock, shall we say?" He rumbled.

"Whatever." I shrugged, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice.

Derek stood up from his seat and stretched. I heard the cracking of his bones as he did so and winced. He noticed my reaction and smirked. "So I guess I'll see you later." He held out a hand and I took it. He hauled me out of my chair and too my feet.

"Yeah, see you then." I said and walked him to the front door where we met Kit, Simon and Tori. We all exchanged goodbyes and they left. Derek gave me one last glance and a nod before walking out the door.

By the time they left it was half past nine and Andrew and Gwen decided to retreat to bed. "Don't stay up too late." They told me. I would've obeyed but I had to meet Derek.

Maybe just a quick nap, I thought to myself. Derek said to meet him at eleven o'clock so I had plenty of time to nap.

I hauled myself up the stairs and into my bedroom. Collapsing on my bead, I buried my head into the pillow and pulled the covers around me to keep me warm.

"In my day, if you snuck out you'd get the cane." A voice said. "But my parents were both very harsh with punishment."

I jumped up from my comfortable position to see John. "You've been spying? How did I not see you?" I asked.

"People of your kind can't always see us. We can see you though, always." He told me. "So tell me, why are you sneaking out? Why are you letting this boy influence you so easily?"

"I want to talk to Derek." I said, plain and simple as I yawned. "John, this really isn't a good time. I need to take a nap before I have to go."

"Okay, child. I'll leave the lecture for later, shall I?" He suggested.

"That would be great." I told him, stifling another yawn. He said a quick goodbye and disappeared after telling me to 'be safe' and adding something about pepper spray. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his concern.

I set my alarm to wake me up five minutes before eleven o'clock and curled back into bed, finally getting some much needed sleep.

Unfortunately, it didn't last as long as I wanted it to.

It's safe to say that I suck at ending chapters.

Hopefully this wasn't too bad. Reviews are much appreciated.