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Derek was standing at the island in London's and Maddox's kitchen while she was grabbing her bags from her room that Saturday. Maddox was leaning across the island, his arms resting on top of it, hands linked together. Derek's back was to the island and they were watching her dash from her room to her bathroom and back again as she grabbed a few more things.

" London might not know why you really did this, but I do." Maddox spoke softly. Derek glanced behind him then back up the stairs.

" What are you talking about?" He asked.

" Come on, man, just be straight with me." Maddox said. Derek sighed but faced her brother. He leaned against the counter and matched Maddox's stance. " You like her." Derek looked over his shoulder at her then back at her Maddox. " She might not know it and I do and you do." Derek dropped his head and looked at the counter for a second. Then he tilted his head and looked up Maddox.

" Does she really not know or is she ignoring it because she doesn't feel the same towards me?" He asked.

" She doesn't know it. London doesn't pick up on things well. You have to come out and say it, tell her or she doesn't get it. She has always been like that." Maddox said.

" You think you likes me?" Derek asked.

" I think..." Maddox paused as London started down the stairs, bags in her hands. He looked at Derek and dropped his voice. " I think if you kissed her, she'd kiss you back and I think, you should definitely kiss her, again." Derek smiled as he pushed himself to stand straight.

" Yeah? For long have you thought that?" He asked. He knew what Maddox wasn't saying. London did like him, she did want to be with him so while they were gone, Derek was going to push her to admit it, push her to tell him why they didn't take things farther after their kiss.

" Since the night of my party, her first week here. I noticed than how you looked at her and how she looked at you. I know you two kissed and I'm not sure why nothing happen but both you and London are shy and I'm guessing you didn't know what to do after that.." Maddox said. Derek looked back to see where she was then leaned closer to Maddox.

" I tried to talk to her about it but she didn't want too. And than she never gave me any signs or anything that she liked me." He whispered. Maddox leaned in.

" Oh she was, you just don't know her signs. She plays with her hair, twist it around her fingers when she's with you. She talks softer to you than she does everyone else. She leans in to talk to you and you respond. You always drop your head when she's talking to you, no matter what. It can be quiet but she will still move into you and you will still lean down so she can talk. You two act like you're the only ones in the room sometimes. Jillian is very subtle but pay attention to how she treats you when you get around her friends at the center." He whispered.

" Holy shit!" London explained, making both boys stand up straight. " I hope you got some books like I suggested, Derek because the flight is long." He grinned as he faced her.

" Books and cards for us to play with." He said.

NRNRNR

When they settled into plane, London started shifting around in her seat. She was sitting by the window and couldn't seem to get comfortable. She would look out the window or at the people as they passed. Derek noticed how tense she seemed to be. She'd sit forward and then back again. When their plane started to move, she gripped both arm rests. He leaned over to her.

" What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked because he had never seen her that uneasy.

" I'm scared! I hate flying." She hissed.

" But you wanted the window seat." He said with a smile. He took her left hand and brought it to his lap. He covered it with both his hands to offer her the comfort she had so often offered him.

" Yeah so when we crash into the ocean I can see it coming. I don't like surprises." She said.

" We aren't going to crash." Derek said. When the plane started to rise off the ground, London squeezed his hands with both of hers. He started rubbing her, amusement lighting his features as he watched her. " Just relax, Lond."

" I can't. I really can't." She said as she looked at him. Derek smiled.

" Okay, close your eyes." He said as he leaned towards her. She looked towards the window then back at him and did what he asked. " Tell me what it is going to look like when we land." He said softly.

He watched her facial expression change as she spoke about Africa. Her face relaxed and began to soften as she described the sunset and the center. She talked about the landscape in great detail but Derek struggled to pay attention. He was watching her mouth and thinking how easy it would be for him to kiss her again. Maddox's words were shifting through his mind as he watched her. He could just slip his hand into her hair, pull her to him and press his lips to hers. He'd let his tongue move against hers and then...

" Wow, Derek, you're good!" London said with a smile when she opened her eyes. She looked out the window then back at him again. " I didn't even feel us climbing." He shook his head and smiled.

" Well, someone had to stop you from being a baby. You know, I heard tigers like to eat little girls who act like babies." He said as he let go of her hand.

" Shut it." London muttered with a shake of her head.

Their flight was going to take 11 hours so they played a few card games and talked. When the plane started the movie they were going to watch, Derek pushed the arm rest between them up, and she cuddled up to him. They shared their blankets because the inside of the plane was cold. She rested her head on his shoulder, his came to rest against the top of hers. She brought her legs up on her seat and it didn't take long before they both fell asleep.

Derek started to come to when he felt her move against his shoulder. He shifted slightly and opened his eyes. He realized she had turned in her sleep and had put one arm around his waist. His hands were resting on that arm, holding onto her. HIs head was still resting against hers. He smiled and closed his eyes again.

London felt him rub his chin against the top of her head. He brushed his lips to the top of her head then snuggled into her more. He started rubbing her arm as he sighed. She was comfortable and warm. She had her knees were resting against his leg and wanted to stay like that forever. A voice came over the loud speaker, announcing they were going to be landing.

" London, wake up." He said softly. London pulled away and turned in her seat, keeping her eyes closed. "Get up, the natives are fighting!" Derek said quickly.

" Shut the fuck up, Derek." She said, making him chuckle.

" You starting to freak?" He asked. She sighed and looked at him.

" Little bit." She said. " The landing and the take off scare the hell out of me."

" Close your eyes again." Derek said. He smiled as her eyes fluttered shut. " Tell me who is picking us up."

" Micah."

" And Micah is?" He listen as she explained how she knew Micah and what he looked like but when the place touched down, it jumped and shook. London jumped and grabbed his arm. She brought to her and squeezed it hard.

" I really hate this part." She said softly.

" I would have never guessed that you'd be so scared of flying, I mean you have battled..." London's eyes flew open as she covered his mouth with her hand, making him smile.

" Don't you even say it." She snapped. He swiped his tongue across her hand, making her yank her hand back. " Did you really just lick me?" He laughed at the shocked expression on her face. She took his hand and licked the top of it. " We are even." She said.

NRNRNR

They walked together through the small airport with London pulling Derek by his arm. She hadn't stopped smiling since they landed and Derek was starting to regret what he had done. Her mood had changed, had lightened up, but he was getting worried that bring her back to Africa might have been a mistake. Maybe she would decided to stay because she was so happy, maybe she would remember why she had lived there all those years and just couldn't come back with him.

Suddenly she squealed and dropped his arm. She took off and ran into the arms of a tall blond hair guy who was grinning. The guy picked her up and swung her around, with both laughing. Derek knew from pictures that the guy was Micah. He felt a stab of jealously go through him. Here was a man that spend years with her, knew her better than most people. And that man had her in his arms and his face buried into her hair.

" Holy shit, it's good to see you again!" Micah said when he set her down. Derek was surprised to see her crying when she pulled away. Micah put his hands on her face and leaned down causing the jealously to spike even higher in Derek. " Don't cry, L. You're home." Micah said softly to her. She nodded and pulled away as she wiped her cheeks. She smiled when she looked at Derek. She reached out and took a hold of his arm to pull him close to them as Micah dropped his arms to his sides.

" So this is Micah." She said. " Micah, this is Derek." Micah smiled and the two guys shook hands and exchanged hellos.

After they grabbed their bags, they followed Micah outside and Derek was taken back by the heat. He knew it was going to be hot but he hadn't been prepared for it. It was not like the heat back in the States. It was dry and made it hard for him to breath. The sun was like a sorching spotlight, glaring down just on Derek. They climbed into Micah's jeep and Derek was surprised when she sat in the back with him. Her and Micah were talking non stop. She was laughing and smiling in a way Derek realized she hadn't been doing in a while.

As they drove, she started pointing things out to him. He paid attention to both what they were looking at and her. Everything time she talked to him, she was twirling her fingers in the ends of her hair. Everytime she spoke to Micah, she'd drop her hair. Derek sighed and smiled. Maybe Maddox hadn't been just messing with him, maybe she did like him. He noticed that she seemed to touch him more than she usually did. She'd grab his leg or his arm when she was pointing things out.

They pulled up to a big wooden building. On the other side of the wooden building was another building made out of bricks. There was a set of stairs that went to a porch. On the porch was a big three person swing. Standing on the stairs where three guys and sitting on the swing were two more guys. As soon as they stopped the jeep, London was out of the it and almost running the guys. They were all smiling as they moved towards her. Micah looked back at Derek and smiled.

" Welcome to the Center. You ready to meet her adopted brothers?" He asked.

" Sure." Derek said.

By the time he and Micah had gotten out of the jeep, Derek had lost sight of her. She had been in the center of the guys and had disappeared when they enclosed around her. They were all talking and laughing. Micah grabbed her bags and Derek took his than they started walking towards the group. She emerged with tears coming down her cheeks.

" Derek, come here." She said excitedly. She held her hand out to him and he couldn't help but smile as he took it. The guys moved back so she could introduce them. " Okay, this is Nick, Greg, Craig, Gage, and Wesley. My boys, this is Derek." After the hellos were exchanged and hands were shook, they started into the building. Derek took a minute to take in the men.

Nick was tall and had to be standing about 6 foot 3 in. He had coal black hair and bright blue eyes. Greg was about the same built as Derek with hazel eyes and blond hair. Craig was build like a football player with the muscles in his arms tight and toned. Gage and Wesley looked to be twins. They were almost 6 foot tall with matching reddish-blond hair and big green eyes. Their skin was the same color as Micah's and the color London's had been when she moved to New York, bronzed and sun kissed.

The center was made up of two rooms. The biggest room had a table in the middle of it and chairs all around it. There were a few desks with computers against the walls and a kitchen area. There were maps tapes on the walls as well as pictures and letters. The guys led them into another room that was directly off to Derek's right. That room had a series of beds that were placed against the walls and a few in the center of the room. Everyone slept in the same room. They explained to him that the other building was where they showered, washed clothes, and went to the bathroom.