Afterward

by KitTales95

Post TR. When Derek and Chloe are forced into completing their mate bond, Chloe's life takes a life threatening turn. Together they must try to navigate the chaotic reality of existing in a world that wants them dead. Lucky for them, they don't have to go it alone. Canon divergent. Use of OCs. Currently on hiatus - more details on that inside.

5. Tonight

/An: Guys. It's done. It's FINALLY DONE. At an official 15,807 words, I give you: Chapter 5. PS. This chapter has been edited.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Simon's POV

The next couple of days were rough. Tori was constantly crying. She blamed herself for the accident. Her and Derek had gotten into a heated argument about it before promptly shutting themselves away in their respective rooms.

Lucy, due to her concussion, doesn't even remember going to the mall. All she remembered was the argument outside the house before they stole the car, and then waking up in the hospital. Mason hadn't left her side. It's like his brain has completely shut down. He's reverted back to the way he was when he first came to us: cold, distant, silent. Combined with a short temper, he lashed out a lot… kinda like Derek used to.

Dad submersed himself in work along with trying to keep the house in order. Marlee spent most of her time at the hospital, studying Chloe and watching over her. I think mostly she was trying to make sure that the Edison Group didn't show up and kidnap Chloe.

Derek spent most of his time in wolf form outside or on Chloe's pillow. If he was in human form, he was in the work out room hitting the punching bag or he was being sluggish, moping around like he was on auto pilot. Otherwise, he was fighting with Tori.

As for myself, I had visited Chloe once a day within the three days she had been there. I hated going. I wanted to be there for Chloe, but seeing her like that… I'd have that image burned into my head forever.

/Flashback/

As soon as we heard about the accident, we piled into the van. Except for Derek. He insisted that he didn't want to go. Dad knew better than to push him into going.

Marlee mat us outside of the hospital. "How bad is she?" Dad asked as we walked up to her. It took her a moment to respond. "Tori and Lucy will be fine. They're getting bandaged up and they can be released as soon as they get their release papers. They're got Chloe in the ICU… Kit, I don't think I can go in there again." A tear slid down her cheek.

Mason walked past Marlee, not saying a word. I grabbed his wrist. "Hey, where are you going?" I asked him.

He shook me off. "None of your business." Mason continued walking. I walked in front of him. "You're a part of this group. Make it my business."

"You don't know me." He tried to move around me.

"I know enough, Mason. Open up. Let someone in. You'll be miserable if you don't." I stared him down.

"I'm going to see Lucy. Happy? Now move outta my way." He brushed past me. I watched him go. "He's such a dick."

Dad's eyes softened. "He's just a little misguided, that's all."

Marlee wiped her eyes. "Brat needs to learn some manners."

"Derek was working on it before…" I trailed off. "I'm gonna go check on Tori. Make sure she's okay." Dad nodded, but chose to stay outside with Marlee for a minute.

x-x-x

The nurse said Tori was in room one fifty three. Why the hell were the rooms so hard to navigate? Finally, after about ten minutes I found it and knocked on the door. "Tori?"

"Come in." Her voice was soft and strained as if she'd been screaming for too long. I opened the door and sat beside the gurney. There were stitches going vertically on her check and a few more cuts that were bandaged. Her arm was in a lime green cast. "Chloe—is she okay? And what about Lucy?"

I looked at her in shock. "They didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what? They won't tell me anything because I'm not family. What happened Simon?" Tori was on the verge of tears.

"Lucy's fine. Or she will be anyway. Dad said she's got two broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone. I haven't seen her yet, but I'm sure she's awake." I told her.

"And Chloe?"

I stayed silent. Tori looked away. "She's alive," I started, "but she's in bad shape. Dad said she was propelled through the windshield and over a car. They found her over by a tree on the other side of the intersection. From what I heard, she's in a coma. She's got a bad concussion and the front of her skull was fractured. She also has six broken ribs and a punctured lung, so she can't breath on her own right now. Her entire right arm was crushed. And they think she has a damaged spinal cord, but they won't know unless she wakes up. The doctor said her chances don't look good." I wiped at my eyes. I hated this.

"Oh god, this is my fault. I was driving… if I hadn't… it's all my fault…" Tori sobbed in my arms.

"It's not your fault, Tori. It was a hit and run, you had nothing to do with this." I told her, trying to calm her down.

"It was my idea to sneak out. If we hadn't left, this wouldn't have happened and Chloe would still be…"

"Tori, you have no way of knowing that."

I didn't get a chance to say anything else because a doctor came in and issued Tori's release papers. I waited outside while she got dressed. Dad came up to me. "Does she know?" he asked. I nodded.

"She's taking it hard. She blames herself for what happened." I replied.

"It's not her fault, but to hit them that fast, twice… Simon, you know this wasn't an accident. Someone meant to kill them."

"I know."

Marlee came around the corner with Mason and Lucy who was in a wheelchair in a daze.

"They said that she needs to stay as still as possible. And she needs to be woken up every couple of hours. The doctors want her to come back for weekly check ups to see how her ribs are healing… but I think I can take care of that." Marlee said looking around nervously.

"And what about Chloe? Are we just going to leave her here?" Tori walked out, fully clothed.

"Tori, we have no choice. I don't have the equipment she needs to keep her alive right now." Marlee said, he eyes red and puffy as they were, filled with tears again.

"Tori's right, we can't just leave her here alone. Someone needs to stay with her and make sure… well, make sure nothing happens." Dad said.

"I'll do it. I caused this."

"Tori, no one thinks that. You can see her tomorrow, but right now you and Lucy need to go home and get some rest." Marlee said.

"I won't leave her here to die! She's my best friend… I can't."

"Victoria Enright, you're going home. And if you don't follow orders, I'll ask the doctor to give you a sedative and I'll carry you home myself." Dad said.

Tori scowled. "Don't act like you're my boss. You may be my father biologically but you are not my dad."

I watched her go, shocked by what she just said. I looked to dad who was opened mouthed in a "did that really just happen?" face. "Dad, I—"

"It's fine, Simon."

I decided to leave it alone and instead change the subject. "Dad, I wanna see Chloe before I leave."

"I don't think—" Marlee started.

"Go ahead and go on up to ICU. I put all of you on the immediate family list so you can go see her. They shouldn't give you any trouble. We'll wait for you."

"Thanks."

x-x-x

I stood outside her door for what seemed like forever. I finally went in when an old janitor yelled at me for "stalking". When I entered the room I didn't know what I'd expect. Whatever I could've imagined was nothing compared to what I actually saw.

Chloe's entire right arm was in a blue cast. It spanned from her upper shoulder all the way down to her hand. The part of her hand that was exposed was a deep purple from being badly bruised. She was wearing a back brace to keep her back straight so she didn't cause anymore damage to her organs from her broken ribs. Her forehead looked just like her hand. Her eyes were closed and she had a tube going down her throat. I inched over to her bed side. "Oh god, Chloe…" I took a seat beside her bed.

I thought of the first time I saw her in Lyle House. I thought, "What the hell is this kid doing here? She's like twelve. Could what she have done to land here be so bad?" And then Tori announced that she was here because she saw ghosts and I knew she had to be one of us. Looking back at what we've been through, I never thought we'd be this close.

And then she helped Derek… and I kinda liked the idea of her running away with us. After Derek warmed up to her, I knew there was no getting rid of her. In the past two years this girl has become like my sister. It shouldn't have ended up like this. She was the glue to our group. With out her, we'd break away and fall apart…

"Is that your girl friend?" A doctor came in to check Chloe's vitals.

I let out a small laugh. "No. More like my sister."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

"You know, I read somewhere that comatose patients can hear you even if they can't respond. I've heard a lot of patients in a coma return to us that way; by having a person they were close to speak to them." The doctor said, when she was done.

"I'll keep that in mind." She nodded and left.

x-x-x

When I returned the next day, there had been no change. Marlee had been with Chloe all night so I decided to stay with her while she went home and rested. Tori and Lucy both came into visit. Mason, of course followed Lucy. Derek stayed home in his and Chloe's room. He hadn't been seen all day.

I was alone again by six pm, left alone to my thoughts. I thought about what that doctor had said yesterday about talking to comatose patients. "Chloe…?" I grabbed her hand. "Chloe, if you can hear me, can you squeeze my hand?" There was no response. I sighed. No matter what I had to keep trying.

"Chloe, it's me, Simon. I'm kinda desperate right now, so I'm going to assume you can hear me." I said softly. "Everyone's really shaken up right now. I'd say that Tori's the worst, but then that'd be leaving out Derek who hasn't been seen or heard from all day today. He just stays in your room. I've never seen him like this, Chloe and that's counting all of the years I've known him. I know it sounds really cheesy but I'm worried about him. If you don't make it… I'm worried about him. If you don't make it, I'm worried that he'll… I'm worried that he'll do something stupid.

Hell, I don't know what I'd do with out you. What the group would do… You're our glue Chloe. Without you, we'll fall apart. And I'm not just saying that because this may be one of the last things I say to you. I'm saying it because it's the truth. Please, Chloe, please wake up. I'm begging. I need you. We need you…" Nothing happened. She didn't move. Her eye lids didn't twitch and she didn't move a finger. There was no miracle "Holy shit, she's alive!" Hallmark moment. For what seemed like the millionth time in the last two days, I wiped at my eyes and sat back in my chair.

At that moment the doctor came in to check her vitals again. "How are you today, Simon?" She asked.

"No better than I was yesterday, I suppose. Thank you for asking." I mumbled. I went back to trying to draw out our our adventures.

"You're welcome. So I have to ask, before this happened… did she tell you?"

I looked up from my sketch pad. "Tell me what?" I asked slowly.

"Tell you that she's pregnant?"

I felt my eyes widen. "What are you talking about?"

"When we took her blood for a blood test when she first came in, her hCG levels were off the chart." The doctor replied.

"HCG levels?"

"Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or hCG is the pregnancy hormone. She's definitely pregnant. Until we get an ultrasound, we won't know how far along though."

I looked from the doctor, to Chloe's face, then her abdomen, and back to the doctor. I wiped my hand over my face. How could this situation get any worse? "Three weeks." I mumbled mostly to myself.

"Excuse me?"

"If she's really pregnant it's three weeks old. I'll never get that image of Derek and Chloe out of my mind." I smiled to myself. That was the last time that I saw the two of them happy together. If that was the only image I'd see of them that happy, I'd take it.

"Well thank you for the information. And I'm sorry you had to witness that. I know how scarring it can be." She laid her hand on my shoulder and walked out.

I called dad. "Hello? Simon, is everything okay?"

"Did you know?"

"Did I know what?"

"You and Marlee! Did you know that Chloe was pregnant?"

Dad didn't answer. "Chloe was pregnant?" Lucy's voice was heard in the background.

"This was a bad time to put you on speaker phone…" Dad mumbled. "Everyone's around. You couldn't have been more subtle?"

"Sorry, I panicked. Wait, everybody?" I asked.

"If you're worried about Derek, he's out back. Everyone else just heard the news." Dad sighed.

"To answer your question, yes, Marlee and I knew that their was a possibility that Chloe could've been pregnant but—"

"A possibility? Dad, how long have you known?" If I sounded pissed, it's because I was.

"Marlee had a vision the day after we got to the manor. But we couldn't be sure until Chloe found out or not herself. As you know, that didn't happen. The doctor told Marlee, and Marlee told me."

"Were you going to tell us? More importantly, are you going to tell Derek? He's the fucking father, he should know!" I replied.

"No. We weren't planning on telling any of you because of Chloe's condition. We don't know if she's going to make it. In all fairness in a crash that bad, she should've miscarried, any normal person would've."

"Dad, Chloe's not normal. You know that."

"In any event, none of you are to say a WORD to Derek. He's in a fragile state right now and I don't know how much more bad news he can take." I had a feeling he was talking to the others as well.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"There's nothing we can do, Simon. In the unfortunate event that Chloe doesn't make it, the baby will die as well. At this point in the pregnancy, it wouldn't be able survive on it's own with or without medical intervention." I could tell dad was trying to keep his voice level. He's never been good with death. I think that's part of the reason why he left the Edison Group. "In the miraculous even that Chloe does make it… it'll be up to her to tell Derek. IF she's even in any condition to respond or…" I got the gist.

"Well,I'm sorry I let the cat out of the bag. Can you come pick me up now? I can't stay here any longer." I said.

"Yeah."

Dad drove Marlee back to the hospital and took me home.

/End Flashback/

That was the last time I visited Chloe. I couldn't handle going back. No one told Derek about what I had found out.

Derek made his way into the kitchen where I was sitting. Maybe he was going to actually eat something today. Instead he set Chloe's iPod down and slid out the sliding glass door. I watched him slip into the woods behind the house.

I sighed, decided to give him five minutes to change. It should be plenty of time for him. I watched the clock above the fridge with intense interest. When five minutes had passed, I grabbed my jacket and ventured out into the woods where I'd most likely find Derek searching for a Chloe scented object. I kept telling him, the more he sniffed in the scent, the faster it would disappear.

I made my way back to the clearing where Derek would morph. Not surprisingly, that's where I found him, his dark muzzle lifted, sniffing the air. "Derek?" He stalked off, ignoring me. "I really hope you came out here looking for a squirrel to eat." He huffed, making a little growling noise, as if he could scare me. "You've lost fifteen pounds in three days. Don't grumble at me. Chloe wouldn't want to see you like this." Finally, he turned around to face me. His teeth were bared.

"Yeah. I went there." His normally erect ears were flattened back on his head now, clearly pissed off. Good. He deserved it. He was seriously worrying me now. "You haven't seen her at all. Marlee told all of us that the more familiar people her subconscious sensed around her, the more likely she is to wake up. It's a… werewolf thing…" I said the word carefully, knowing how sensitive he was about Chloe turning into a werewolf. Marlee had told us about the transformation soon after our first visit.

Derek barked and snapped at my ankles. "Go home, Simon." The gesture said. "I'm not going home this time, Derek." He growled in frustration and ran for the house. I followed slower, taking my time. I tried to gather what I would say to him. Finally, I made it back to the house. Derek was probably in his and Chloe's room. If he couldn't find Chloe's scent outside, he'd go and lay on her pillow. I'd give him ten minutes to cool down, but I wasn't letting this go.

Derek's POV

I still had Chloe's iPod in my mouth, being careful not to slobber on it. I hadn't bothered to change back into my human form, so opposable thumbs weren't an option. I put my front paws on the top of Chloe's dresser and carefully slid the iPod into it's home and used my nose to his play.

Afterward, I jumped onto the bed and laid my head on Chloe's pillow.

I don't know why I listened to this song. It brought up unwanted memories. Maybe because it was Chloe's favorite song. Or maybe because when her play list was blaring in my ears, it felt as if she was here next to me. I had no idea. Either way, I felt weak for it, especially when the music began to play.

I remember the times we spent together

All those drives

We had a million questions

All about our lives

And when we got to New York

Everything felt right

I wish you were here with me

Tonight

/Flashback/

We had been summoned back to the motel for a reason that I knew I wasn't going to like. Lauren hasn't had a lot of time to play 'over protective dad' on me at the lab. Sadly, it was a role she played well and took seriously. So as we sat down on the couch, I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Lauren had sent Simon and Tori out of the room, but I knew they were eaves dropping somewhere nearby.

Lauren pulled up a chair to sit down in. "First off, I want to direct this question to Chloe. What the hell are you thinking?" her anger at Chloe annoyed me.

"That's a broad question. I could be thinking about a lot of things… our victory over the Edison Group or the fact that Derek and I just made our relationship official. Could you be a little more specific?" Chloe asked. That's my girl.

"Do you know the dangers of even being around a werewolf?" Lauren asked.

"Well, they're extremely bossy sometimes for one thing. For another, they're as silent as a mouse which makes them the perfect people to give sneak attack bear hugs. Oh! And if they're in wolf form, there's a good chance that you're gonna get licked as well as a tail thump." Chloe said, clearly satisfied with herself. I fought back a laugh.

"Chloe I'm being serious—"

"So am I." Chloe snuggled into my side, as if to prove her point.

"I know you read his file at Lyle House. You know what he's capable of." Lauren raised her voice a little.

"Of course I do. He's an amazing tracker, and an even better protector, and an excellent kisser." I didn't know where this new side of Chloe had come from, but I kinda liked it.

I watched as Lauren strode over to Chloe and struck her across the face. Immediately, I was on my feet. "Touch her one more time and I swear to god I'll make sure you'll never see Chloe again."

Lauren looked me square in the face. "Don't think I don't know how to put down a rabid dog. Threaten me again and I won't think twice, mutt."

For Chloe's sake, I kept my mouth shut. I didn't have to say anything. My eyes said it all. 'I'd like to see you try, bitch.'

She turned on Chloe again. "Did you forget what he did to you at Lyle House? Did you forget the danger he put you in?" Lauren was still an inch from Chloe's face.

"He didn't put me in danger at all. I do remember that he told me what I am. Derek was the one who told me I was a Necromancer, while you let me believe that I was crazy."

"He almost killed you, Chloe!"

"He grabbed my arm a little too hard! That can hardly be called attempted murder! And to add to it, he's saved my life more times than I can count!"

"This is madness." Lauren finally realized that she was outnumbered.

"Nah, this is Sparta." I heard Simon say from somewhere nearby. Tori snickered.

"If you don't like the idea of Derek and I being together, we'll leave." Chloe stood, taking her hand in mine. Was she nuts?

"Where do you think you're going to go, Chloe? Back to your father? He still thinks you're missing. Do you really think running away with your knight in shining armor is going to be all that it's cracked up to be?" Lauren stood again, watching as Chloe strode to the door.

"Go to hell." With that, Chloe led us out the door.

"Are we seriously running away?" I asked her. There had to be an ulterior motive. Chloe was smarter than this.

"No. Just long enough to make the other worry." Chloe pulled a key from her pocket, and hopped into Lauren's car.

"What is that?" I stared at the key as Chloe shoved it into the ignition.

"A spare key." Chloe blinked at me. "Are you gonna get in or stay here with Lauren the bitch?" I didn't hesitate as I climbed into the passenger side. Then a thought occurred. She was fifteen. "I didn't know you had your license."

Chloe looked at me with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "I don't."

"Oh, fuck."

For a first time driver, she was pretty good. Lauren's convertible was comfortable. It had white leather seats with a red exterior. I decided not to ask where Chloe was taking me.

Finally we stopped in front of a chain link fence with a sign attached that said: "Highbanks Metropolitan Park; Closed." "Chloe, the park is closed." I didn't feel like being arrested tonight.

"I know." Chloe began climbing the fence. I sighed but followed her.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"A field. Like where people would play Frisbee or fly a kite? Big and open so I can see the stars." For about twenty minutes, we wondered around aimlessly until we found what we were looking for.

Chloe let go of my hand and ran into the middle of the field sprawling out on her back. Now surprisingly, the field was near a playground. I hesitated, remembering what happened the last time we were at a playground. I sniffed the air, searching for a scent that was more profound than the others. Finding none, I went to sit next to Chloe.

"This reminds me of 'The Lion King 2'." Chloe said without looking at me.

"What?"

"Oops, sorry. I forgot you grew up… isolated. 'The Lion King 2' is a kids movie. I'll have to show it to you sometime."

"My childhood doesn't have to be taboo. If you wanna say something, then say it. And that movie doesn't sound very entertaining."

"It would be if you were six years old." Chloe said.

"Do I look six years old to you?" I asked. She laughed and muttered no.

"So what's next?" She asked.

"You want to leave already?" If there was one word to describe Chloe, it was annoying.

"No, I mean with out 'adventures' and stuff. Are we going to search for others like us? Are we going to fight against the cabal?" I didn't answer right away.

"I don't think dad has figured that our yet. I think for tonight, he just wants to relax, now that we're out of immediate danger." I told her. Chloe pouted.

I scooted closer to her and put my arms around her. "Whatever happens, we'll fight it. It'll work itself out." Cheesiest line ever known to mankind. Chloe nodded. "Dad did say that our next destination was the Big City."

Chloe opened her eyes in excitement. "New York?" I nodded causing Chloe to squeal in joy.

/Reality/

I remember the days we spent together

Were not enough

It used to feel like dreaming

Except we never woke up

Never thought not having you here now

Would hurt so much

/Flashback — two weeks later/

We had been living on the outskirts of New York for about a week now. Tori had helped Chloe dye her hair brown. Lauren also took her to find a pair of glasses for her, even though Chloe insisted her eyes were fine. She had come back with a pair that were plastic, rectangular and black. I thought they made her look cute, more mature even. She strongly disagreed.

I glanced at the clock on the wall, bored out of my mind. Chloe was searching for a temporary job in the paper while Tori and Simon was watching some reality TV show on MTV.

Suddenly two hands covered my eyes. "Yes, Chloe?"

"We should go do something." Chloe's hands were replaced by her face.

"Like?" I asked as she casually straddled my hips.

"Like as a couple. We've been cooped up all week, and I think we should do something together. So can we?" Damn girl was turning me into butter.

"I'm for it. We'll have to get Dad and Lauren to okay it." Yeah, right. That was laughable.

x-x-x

"Yeah, sure."

"Absolutely not."

Dad and Lauren glared lightning bolts at each other. "Why is it a bad idea for them to go on a date like normal kids? I think they deserve it after what they've been through." I love Kit.

"There's still people out there looking for Chloe. And let's not forget the people looking for Derek." I hate Lauren; with a cold, undying passion.

"I'm sure he can take care of himself, Lauren."

"I'm sure Derek can. It's Chloe I'm worried about. Obviously, I'm the only one who worries about her."

Chloe, who sat beside me, pinched the bridge of her nose. "If Derek had any intention of not protecting her, she would've died when she got jumped by that girl in the alley back when they were on the run on their own."

Chloe's eyes widened. Oops. Kit let out the big secret.

"Chloe got jumped?"

"No, not really!" Chloe said quickly. "It was just a little street fight—"

"If you call a 'little street fight' a knife fight." Tori strode out of the kitchen.

"You're not helping." Chloe groaned.

"The point is, Derek saved her life." Dad replied.

"What did he do? Throw the gang banger into a wall?"

I flinched, hoping no one noticed. Chloe was on her feet beside me. "That's a low blow, Lauren. Even for you."

Dad had his jaw set now. 'Lauren, with all due respect, I've been on the run a lot longer than you have. And I know my boys a lot more than you do. If I say they can go, they. Are. Going. Case closed." Dad rose to his feet preparing to leave.

"Thank you, Kit." Chloe said.

"You're welcome."

x-x-x

We decided to wait until the next morning to leave. "So what did you have in mind to do?" I asked her as we walked down the streets, hand in hand.

Chloe shrugged. "Anything and everything. We could head into town and check stuff out." I nodded and we walked in casual silence into town. The town we were posted outside of had a lot of things in it that would seem normal to a person who had been living there a while. There was a patch of grass where people could sit and freed birds and then there was a small gazebo in the middle of the small round-a-bout. There were tourist shops situated around the round-a-bout. There was an antique shop with those creepy old dolls that you see in horror movies sitting in the windows. There was a bakery, a small grocery story, a computer/electronics store, a small pet store and a big museum connected to a postal office.

"Aw, Derek look at the dolls!" Oh. Hell no.

"Chloe… haven't you seen the Chuckie Movies?" I asked her.

"The killer doll? Created by Don Moncini and directed by like five different people? Of course I know those movies." Chloe said pulling me closer to the creepy antique store.

"Then why are we going into a shop with like thirty Chuckie dolls staring at us from the window?" Chloe stopped and looked at me skeptically.

"No. Barbies and the stuffed ones with lettuce for heads are just fine. It's the creepy porcelain ones that freak me out." I said, glancing nervously at the dolls in the windows, their too shiny eyes following my every move. I shivered and hoped Chloe didn't notice.

"Oh, so Barbies and Cabbage Patch dolls are okay?" I nodded. Chloe rolled her eyes and grabbed my hand. "Come on Wolfie, I'll protect you from th big bad Chuckie Dolls." She dragged me into the antique store. My ears perked up and my nostrils flared, my entire body and mind on high alert. Chloe suddenly stopped abruptly and said, "hey." She laid her hand on my shoulder. "Loosen up. I'm not gonna let Chuckie get you." I smiled.

After looking around for about half an hour, we left. "What's that?" Chloe asked as we left the antique shop. She pointed at a store across the street that said, "Loony Luna's Joke Shop." "Is a joke shop unscary enough for you?" Chloe joked.

"It's perfect."

When we entered the shop, it was empty for the merchandise on the shelves. Chloe walked over to a wall of old TV sets from the nineties. Cautiously, I followed her, my eyes darting all over the place, looking for the seemingly nonexistent life. Chloe looked over one of the TV's trying to figure out how to turn the TV on. Finally, she found the switch. Of course, being a joke shop, the TV was rigged. When Chloe pressed the "on" button, the speakers opened and shot out silly string and the TV screen disappeared and sprayed whipped cream into her face.

For a second, I just stared at her while she looked at the TV trying to decide whether to throw the TV across the room or to clean herself off. And then I couldn't keep myself composed anymore. I doubled over with laughter. "Oh, so you think that's funny do you?" Chloe had a look on her face that was as set as it could get when it was covered with whipped cream. Slowly, I watched as she wiped the whipped cream off her face.

"Chloe, come on… Think about what you're doing. You don't want to put that stuff on my face." I begged, starting to back up.

"This?" Chloe looked down at the cream in her hands. "This isn't going on your face."

I relaxed. "Thank you."

"It's going down your pants." Before I had time to react, Chloe had her cream covered hands in the space between my underwear and my pelvis. Instinctively I shivered, my mind no longer on the emptiness of the shop.

"Oh my… looks like I'm interrupting something."

Chloe jumped, ripping her hands from my pants. We both turned the voice. "Oh, I see you turned on one of the TVs. I'm sorry. I really should put a sign on the door saying not to touch the merchandise." Before us, stood a short old woman dressed in what looked like an old pirates outfit, minus the pirate part.

"I'm Marigold." She walked over to us and stuck her hand out.

"Derek. This is Chloe." She shook both of our hands, not even registering the left over the whipped cream on Chloe's hands.

"I have a spot to wash up in the back if you want to get that crap out of your pants." Marigold turned to head back from where she came. None of us moved. The old woman looked back at us. "Are you coming or do you want to walk around with that shit all day? I don't bite."

On high alert, once more, we followed her. "So do you run this place by yourself?" Chloe asked.

"It was my son's back in the day. Then a few years ago, he decided to sell it. I couldn't stand the thought of letting this place go, so I bought it. Since then it's been me and a nice kid from down the street helping me out." As she finished, we stopped in front of a bathroom.

"Derek, if you wait here, I'll bring you a pair of pants from my son's old things." We watched as the old lady left behind a second door. When she returned, she carried a coupled of wash cloths, a pair of pants for me and a shirt for Chloe. She pointed to a second door. "Chloe, the girls room is to the left, Derek to the right."

When we had changed, Marigold lead us back out to the front. "Dylan! Nice to see you! Did you come to bring in the boxes from the last shipment?" Marigold asked a tall brunette guy who had walked into the shop. The jersey he wore said, "Fifty One Mungovan".

"That's what I'm here for." He flashed a smile and glanced over at Chloe.

"Thank you, Marigold, for the clothes." I grabbed Chloe's hand and we left.

"So what now?" Chloe asked.

"It's getting kind of late. We should probably start heading back before your aunt gets pissy." I told her. She agreed.

The walk home seemed shorter than when we were leaving. When we finally got to the apartment complex, I stopped Chloe. "What's wrong?" Chloe asked.

I took Chloe's hand. "I don't want to go back yet." I told her softly.

Chloe turned towards me. "If we don't get back soon, Lauren's going to throw a hissy fit."

"She can wait a few more hours." I brought Chloe into my chest.

"Where are we going?" She asked, her face inches from mine.

"I was thinking of maybe heading back into the woods for a bit." I said.

"Kit, they're not out here. I never should have let her go with him."

"Lauren, they're out late. It's only eight o'clock. They're teenagers. They're probably off fooling around."

"And you're okay with that? What kind of parent are you?"

"I never said I liked it. I'm just saying there's no way to avoid it. You get a bunch of horny, hormone driven teenagers together, at least one couple is going to tango between the sheets. You just have to hope when they do decide to get dirty that they're smart enough to be safe."

I pulled Chloe behind a nearby tree. "They're getting closer." She whispered.

I nodded, and put my index finger over my lips, pointing towards the woods to our right. Slowly Chloe nodded.

As Kit and Lauren came closer, we ran into the tree line, until we both fell from lack of oxygen. I rolled over on to my back and put one of my knees up. Chloe sat beside me laughing. I stared.

"What are you laughing for?" I asked her.

"Your face when you heard aunt Lauren's voice! Chloe told me between breaths. She continued laughing. Suddenly, the urge to laugh was overwhelming. Great. It's contagious. When we both stopped laughing, I rolled over so I was almost on top of her.

"Do you hear something gurgling?" I listened, surprised I didn't hear the sound before now. Must've been the blood rushing through my ears. I stood up and walked a few feet in front of us. A small creek was about five feet away. "It's a creek. If we had run a few more feet, we would've been soaked." I told her, returning to my spot.

"Do you have a light?" Chloe asked.

I felt around in my jeans. Feeling something in my pocket, I reached in and pulled out a cold cylindrical object. "I have a laser pointer."

"Red or Green?"

"Green."

"Perfect. The red bothers my eyes." I handed her the laser.

"What are you—" Before I could say much else, Chloe pointed the laser at the water, causing the light to reflect on the trees around us. The light reflected the water on our faces. "It's beautiful…"

"My aunt taught me that the summer before I was shipped to Lyle House. I like how it looks. It feels like you've been thrust into a dream, but you're awake."

I kissed Chloe full on the lips. The timing seemed right and the light was perfect. "We should get back to the house…" Chloe said between kisses.

"…Yeah. Your aunt is going to have my ass in a sling." I stood and offered my hand to help her up.

When we finally walked into the apartment, Lauren was waiting for us. "Where the hell have you been? Did you get ambushed? Were you attacked? Did he hurt you? Did he pressure you? Chloe rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. "What did you do to her? Did you rape her? Why isn't she talking to me?"

Like Chloe, I didn't feel like dealing with Lauren. "Goodnight, Lauren." I turned to Chloe. "Goodnight, Chloe." I kissed Chloe again and headed up to the room I shared with Simon and Dad.

The apartment was small. Only two bed rooms. Simon and I shared the smaller room. We shared an old bunk bed. Simon took the top bunk for obvious reason. Putting larger people on the top bunk is a bad idea. Dad sleeps on a small pull out cot. There isn't much room for anything else so we're pretty much living out of suitcases.

Tori, Chloe and Lauren have a bigger room. Tori spent about a hundred dollars on three twin sized air mattresses. They had enough room to keep the beds and a small dresser to keep their things in. The apartment also came with one full bath and a small kitchenette.

I was asleep for a few hours before I heard the door to our room creep open. I opened my eyes to see Chloe standing in the doorway. She was wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and boy shorts.

"Chloe?" I whispered.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" I know what she meant, but she blushed at the similarity of the phrases none the less. I glanced at dad and listened to the pattern of his and Simon's breathing. They were both sound asleep. I nodded and scooted over so Chloe would have more room.

Chloe scooted in beside me and kissed my lips. I wrapped my arms around her, covered up and big her good night.

Around four am, I was startled awake by a loud noise right next to my head. I wasn't the only own. When I opened my eyes, Lauren was holding a baseball bat at her side. There was a hole in the wall next to the bunk beds.

"What the fuck?" Simon rubbed his eyes, confused.

"Lauren, what are you doing in here? It's four in the morning." Kit looked at Lauren again.

"Chloe, get the hall away from him." Chloe didn't move.

Kit could see us fully now. I could tell he wasn't going to go psychotic on us like Lauren, but he wasn't happy. He was sitting up now, and was pinching the bridge of his nose. "Simon, to the kitchen. Derek, Chloe, outside. Now."

Mechanically, we did as we were told. As I started out the door, Dad stopped me. "Derek, put some pants on." I grabbed some sweats and continued out the door.

I met Chloe outside. Lauren and Kit had yet to make it there. Finally, they both made it outside. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" Kit asked.

I shrugged. "Chloe got scared and came in. We were sleeping and Lauren gave into her psychotic tendencies." I replied simply.

"Chloe what the hell are you thinking? And I want a straight answer this time." Lauren was struggling to keep her voice under control.

"Oops?" Chloe replied.

"Oops?"

"Yeah. As in: 'Oops, I didn't mean for my psychotic aunt to find me sleeping in my boyfriend's bed.'"

"Chloe, I know this seems like you and Derek are going to last forever. But you're teenagers. It's going to end."

Chloe folded her arms. "Lauren, stop."

Lauren ignored Kit. "If you don't stop this foolishness, you're going to be lured in by his words. He's going to say all kinds of things to get your trust him."

I clenched my fists. Chloe had averted her eyes to the ground. "Lauren. I'm serious. Shut. Up."

Kit touched her shoulder, but Lauren ignored him.

"I love you, you're beautiful, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, anything to get inside your pants."

"Derek's not like that." Chloe blinked.

"They are all like that, Chloe. And you've fallen for it."

"Lauren, I'm not going to say it again." Kit stepped back.

Still Lauren pressed on. "Chloe, you're going to wake up one day and find yourself pregnant. And the moment Derek finds out he's going to want nothing to you with you or the bastard child that you will have so foolishly created. You'll be alone and heartbroken."

In a flash, I had Lauren up against the wall of the complex by the collar. "I would never take advantage of Chloe. I would never leave her."

"I warned you." Kit told her. "Derek. You're angry. I understand. But you have to let her go." I dropped her to the ground.

"While it's wrong what Lauren sad to you both, I must agree. You have to sleep in separate beds. Is that understood?" Kit said firmly.

I nodded.

"Yeah." Chloe wiped at her cheeks.

"Excellent. Now, let's all go to bed."

Lauren lifted herself from the ground, never taking her eyes off me. "Touch me again and I'll inject a syringe of air directly into your bloodstream in your sleep." I glared. She wouldn't have even been able to get near me without waking me up.

"Aunt Lauren?" Chloe had walked up to us. Lauren turned her full attention to her niece. She probably expected an apology. Damn, she's conceited.

And then out of nowhere, Chloe smacked Lauren across the face. "You. Are. Not. My. Mother. You have no right to tell me who I will and will not have sex with or who I can and cannot date. My father believes me dead, my mother has been dead since I was seven, and I have been betrayed by you more than once. I have been taking care of myself for the last six months. So please tell me, Lauren: What gives you the right?"

I stared, wide eyed and silent. Lauren was still for a while. "You're not my little Chloe anymore…"

"I haven't been anyone's Chloe for a long, long time. Goodnight, Lauren." And with that, Chloe walked away as if nothing had every happened. Chloe turned to me. "Are you coming in?" She asked.

"I think I wanna sit out here for a bit. I need some fresh air." I told her, kissing her softly.

"Come and get me if you need me." She said.

"I will. Goodnight. I do love you." I told her.

"I know you do. I never doubted it. I love you too." We kissed again and I sent her off to bed.

Lauren had left at least five minutes before, so I was left alone. Two minutes later, I felt someone behind me. "How much did you hear, Simon?"

"I heard Chloe tell Lauren off. But that's pretty much it."

I nodded. "Where's Tori been in all of this?" I asked him.

"Asleep. I don't see how though. When Lauren swung that bat, I thought the house was going to fall down."

"She was probably too lazy to get up." I retorted.

"So what about Chloe and Lauren?"

"Lauren can go to hell. I don't care what she thinks. I'm serious about Chloe. I love her." I laid down on the grass and heard Simon sit next to me.

"She's got you wrapped around her little finger doesn't she?" he asked.

I nodded. "It's more than that though." I hesitated. "I think she's my mate."

Simon sat up. "Are you serious?" I nodded." Then you have to tell her. I don't want to think about what may happen if you don't." I nodded in agreement.

"I can't do anything with Lauren around. And after tonight, I don't think she's going to be letting us out of her sight for a while."

"I'd do it anyway. Just to piss her off." Simon said.

"I would if Lauren wasn't a bitch. If I tried anything at this point she'd take Chloe and I'd never see her again." I replied. The idea made my blood boil.

"Chloe's a fighter. She'd find a way to get free and come back to you."

"That's what I'm afraid of. You know how she is. She tends to get herself into trouble, and I don't want her to get hurt."

"I feel yah, bro. Listen, I'ma head back to bed. I'll talk at you later." With that, Simon yawned and left.

/Reality/

Tonight I've fallen

And I can't get up

I need your loving hands

To come and pick me up

And every night I miss you

I can just look up

And know the stars are

Holding you, holding you, holding you

Tonight

/Flashlight/

"You have ten minutes to get out there and say what you need to say, D. I can't be responsible for what Lauren may do if she finds you two." Simon said watching our backs as Lauren pulled out of the drive way. I had left telling Chloe about our mateship alone for the last two months. Under the watchful eyes of Lauren, there just wasn't much of a time to tell your girlfriend about anything.

I grabbed Chloe's hand and together we ran towards a clearing we had found in the woods. I needed to change soon anyway. "Okay there's a lot I need to tell you in only ten minutes so bear with me." I paused for half a moment to let this sink in.

"In the wild, wolves will fight for a female. The female will become the mate of whoever wins. Wolves mate for life. Sex, pups, dating etc. Only with that one wolf. It's the same thing with werewolves. In a normal pack if there are two alphas who both want the same female, they'll duel for mateship.

The mating will be semi-official only after a male bites his female. This will cause a psychic bond between the mated pair." I paused to take a breath. "A human won't notice the bite. To them it will simply look like a hickey. A trained supernatural or another werewolf will know what it is. A supernatural won't be able to do anything about it. A respectable male werewolf will notice the mark and realize she's a mated female. A less respectable werewolf will take her for his own. The psychic link between the original pair will be destroyed and a new one will be formed in it's place between the new pair. So it isn't permanent.

To complete the mateship bond…" I hesitated, "the pair must make love to each other. A supernatural won't know the difference. A werewolf will know to stay away. The second psychic bond cannot be broken, not even by death. If one dies, the other won't want to mate with someone else." I paused again to take a breath. I looked around for any sign of Lauren.

"Why are you telling me this?" Chloe asked. I jumped, hopefully unnoticeably.

"I've done a lot of research… and I think you're my mate." I said it slowly, almost as if I was trying to convince myself.

After what seemed like forever, Chloe had said nothing. "Chloe?" In the next moment, I felt Chloe's lips on mine. When she broke away, I stared. "I'm not sure I know what to make of that."

"It means that I'm your mate and I love you." She kissed me deeper, removing my shirt from my body. I ran my hands under her shirt and up her back. I paused to take her shirt off. "I don't want to go too far. I don't think I'm ready and we won't have time; Lauren will be back any minute." I nodded, breathing in her scent, my face in the crook of her neck. "Bite me." I brought her legs around my waist.

"Brace yourself." I buried my face in her neck again and paused for a minute before sinking my teeth into her shoulder. The skin on my arm rippled and itched and I felt my body begin the change.

Suddenly, there was a blazing crack followed by searing pain to the side of my head.

"Lauren!" I turned around slowly and saw Lauren angrily holding a baseball bat. My vision was slightly blurry but I could also see Simon's silhouette running towards us in the distance.

"You justed fucked with me on a very bad night." I forced the change within two seconds and pounced on Lauren. My clawed paws held her arms and legs in place, my muzzle two inches from her face.

"You wouldn't dare." I snorted. Try Me.

"Sorry, bro. I tried to stop her." Simon knelt next to Chloe.

Suddenly, I felt someone lay their hand on the base of my neck. "Derek, this won't go unnoticed, but you need to release her. Tori, binding spell." There was a dark haired girl next to me. I felt Lauren go stiff under me. Mildly satisfied, I stepped off of Lauren and walked over to Chloe and examined her. The spot where I'd bitten her, was still bleeding. I slid my tongue across the surface, staunching the flow of blood so it would heal. When I was satisfied that she was okay, I licked her cheek.

"I love you too." Chloe replied.

"Lauren, you have gone out of control for the last time."

"He bit her!"

"It's part of their mateship."

"Their… mateship?"

"They're mates, Lauren. You would have known that if you would have paid attention."

"I will not accept this! He's dangerous!"

"Lauren, Derek has done nothing but protect Chloe. If this is how you're going to react to the natural process of Derek's lycanthropy then I think it's best if you should leave."

"Fine. Chloe, let's go." Lauren got up to leave. I looked at Chloe and shook my head in Lauren's direction. You can go with her. I'll be fine.

"I'm not leaving you." She whispered. Chloe didn't budge.

"Chloe? Let's go."

"I'm staying here, Lauren. I'm staying with Derek."

Lauren's face became enraged. "You're under eighteen. I'm your legal guardian. If I say you have to go, you have to go."

"Actually, Lauren, by admitting Chloe into Lyle House, you put her under the legal guardianship and into the hands of the Edison Group. And since you technically resigned, and I am still technically a member, Chloe Saunders is legally under my guardianship. And I say the decision is Chloe's. If she wants to stay, she stays." Kit said. I love that man.

"Fine. Just know Chloe, you're choosing him over your family." And with that, Lauren left.

"Somehow, I'm okay with that." Chloe said.

/Reality/

I remember the time you told me

About when you were eight

And all those things you said that night

That just couldn't wait

I remember the care you were last seen in

And the games we would play

All the times we spilled our coffees

And stayed out way too late

/Flashback/

About a month after Lauren left, we had infiltrated about three or four cabal bases. Out of the twelve people we had rescued, no one wanted to stay with us and fight back. It was their choice but still, it was frustrating. They insisted they wanted nothing wanted nothing more than to move on. Two of the people we rescued refused to believe us about being supernaturals.

Tonight we were on a run to rescue a hostage. Tori was in the tech room, shutting off the cameras. Simon and Dad were outside waiting for their all clear from Tori. And Chloe and I were pretending to be janitors on break… in a broom closet. Chloe was keeping Liz on the look out and I was the muscle.

"I feel like when my old babysitter locked me in the basement of my old house." Chloe said.

"Why did she do that/"

"Because she was cruel and heartless."

"That's really… vague." I told her.

"She said that she wanted some soda or something, I don't exactly remember. I was four." She replied.

"That reminds me about when I was around that age. Davidoff had locked me and the other werewolf pups in our bunk room for the night. We were allowed to do whatever we wanted as long as we were in bed with restraints placed.

There were only six of us total. Zack, Tyler, Matt, Damon, Liam and myself. Well one night, one of the new nurses slipped up and left Damon's restraints way looser than normal. Once the lights had gone out and we were sure Davidoff and his minions had gone for the night, Damon wiggled out and released us.

He convinced us that we should break out and destroy the lab. Damn being the self proclaimed 'alpha', everyone followed his lead whether we wanted to or not, including me. Believe it or not, I was once smaller than most.

Together, we broke the lock on the door, and made our way to the lab. The only people around were a security guard or two, and usually they were asleep on the job. The other pups found the Genesis two files and burned the records. By the time we had gotten back, the guards had no idea what had happened and Damon had tied us back into our restraints. Don't ask me how he made sure he was restrained because I'll never figure it out.

When morning came, Davidoff returned with vengeance. He checked the tapes and discovered that only Zack, Tyler, Matt, Damon and Liam had committed the deed. I had sneaked into the kitchen to get a snack. Before the end of the day, all five of them had been terminated. Not even a week later, Kit took me home with him and Simon."

Chloe was silent for a while. "Did you ever know your mother or father?" She asked.

I had to think for a moment. "Kit gave me a picture of my mom once. I've got her eyes. I guess I've got my dad's hair. It's definitely not my mom's. Hers is brown. As for an actual memory of my mom, I can't remember anything."

Chloe nodded.

"Dumbledore to Greyback. Do you read? Over."

"Greyback to Dumbledore, I read you loud and clear. Over." I rolled my eyes at Simon's silly code names.

"How's Helena holding up? Over."

"Doing well. Has Ariana fixed up all the cameras? Over."

"Ariana has done a perfect killing spell on all the cameras. Over."

"Ariana to Greyback and Helena Ravenclaw: It's time to move! Over: Tori came over the walkie talky.

"Liz, is the coast clear?" Chloe asked to what looked to me like a broom in the corner. A few seconds later, after a guard passed, Liz confirmed that it was safe to exit the closet. Finally after Chloe tripped over the ghost broom, we were running down the hall. Simon met us at an intersection of hallways.

"Change of plans, we only have time for the medical wing. No time to explain, just go." Simon pushed us left into the west wing.

"Where's Tori?" I asked.

"Camera room. Making sure that she can't see us." Simon replied.

The medical centers in the cabal bases were different than a normal hospital. All of the patients were kept together in one room. Simon and Chloe went around checking pulses. I searched the room beside it. When I decided that the room was empty, I decided to check out the door in the back. Simon came up beside me. "They're all dead. Have been for at least two days."

Chloe was silent beside him. "I'm gonna go check out that door. Don't follow unless I say." I kicked down the door and entered the room. Empty. "Davidoff. Finally come back for me? My patients have already died. So why did you finally come back?" Or so I thought. I lifted a flashlight towards the voice. In a dark corner of the room, there was a blond, greasy haired woman laying on her side. Her hands and feet were bound and she could barely hold her head up. I ignored her incessant mumbling and untied her. "What's your name?" I asked.

"You should know my name, Kyle. I've only worked for you for the last fifteen years." She said. I carried the blond in my arms and exited the room to find Simon waiting for me and Chloe watching the door. "She's alive, but she's hallucinating. Simon we've still got a couple bags of saline from our last run right?" he nodded. "I think we're going to need it." We made our escape just as the police arrived.

Tori held open the door to the back of our van as we all jumped in. "Did you get her name before she passed out?" She asked.

"No. She was hallucinating. All I got from her was that she's been working for the Edison Group the last fifteen years and she thought I was someone named Kyle." I replied. I set down the blond and took the saline from Tori. We always kept one in the van for emergencies. It took me a while to find a vein because she was so dehydrated but I was able to hook her up to a drip regardless.

"She's a fucking employee? Derek what the hell were you thinking?" Tori screeched. Dad stopped the van and looked back at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Damn, does no one trust my judgment? I was thinking that they left her for dead. Bound her up and put her in an abandoned wing and left her patients there to die. Clearly she was of no use to them anymore."

"Derek, you understand that if this goes south, it's your responsibility?" Dad asked. I nodded. "Alright."

x-x-x

Two days later, after rehydrating the blond and letting whatever drugs that were in her system dissipate, she regained consciousness. "Where am I? Who are you? Damn it are you going to tell me anything or not?" she asked.

"You're safe. In a camp just outside of town." Dad sat on the edge of her bed. Simon was positioned in front of the door in case she tried to escape. Tori was checking the mystery woman's vitals the way I had showed her to. Chloe and I were on either side of the bed at the end.

"My name is Christopher Bae. But I prefer Kit. I'm a sorcerer. My son, Simon Bae is also a sorcerer." Kit nodded to the door. "My other son, Derek Souza is of the werewolf breed. Behind me is Chloe Saunders, our only necro that we've seen."

"Unfortunately." Chloe grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"I told you how rare it was to find a necromancer." Simon grinned. Chloe stuck her tongue out. Dad continued. "And the young witch checking your vitals is Victoria—"

"Tori,"

"Tori," he corrected, "Enright." He paused for a moment. "Now that you know who we are it's time to tell us who you are."

The blond sighed. "My name is Marlee Hasich and I'm a shaman. I was held at the base against my will. Kyle Davidoff, Marcel Davidoff's son, ran the place. When I found out that he was experimenting on children—babies… I wanted out. It wasn't what I signed up for. Kyle was pissed and he tried to make me reconsider. He bribed me with all sorts of riches and material items. When I refused, he lost his patience and locked me in a cell forcing me to tend to his failed experiments. It's been abandoned for the greater part of a week. Knowing Kyle, he's probably out looking for you right now. You dumb ass son over there probably tripped the security wire." Marlee shot an annoyed glance at Simon. Simon, in an instant went from looking strong and warrior-like to sheepish and embarrassed. The shamaness rolled her eyes. "In any case, we need to leave. Soon."

"Tori, how's her vitals looking?" Dad asked.

"She'll live." Tori replied.

"Excellent." Dad turned back to Marlee. "Since you already know about the supernaturals, we'll just go ahead and ask. We're forming a resistance and as with any resistance, there's strength in numbers. You have the option to either join us or go off on your own."

Marlee looked around at the five of us. "Are you it? The entire 'resistance'?" She asked.

Dad nodded. Marlee stayed quiet for a few minutes. "Considering your numbers are so small, I have no choice but to join your ranks. Plus if there's a resistance, I'm joining." Marlee replied. "And as for a new place to say, I have plenty of places big enough for ten more people." Simon scoffed. Marlee glared. "Let's just say I've been waiting for this day for a long time… And that my family was filthy rich and since they're all dead, all of their giant homes and their money went directly to me." Simon shut his mouth. "I suggest we put as much distance between ourselves and this place as possible. So the first house is located deep in the rocky mountains. It belonged to my great, great, great, great grandfather in the early eighteen hundreds when the pioneers headed west. My uncle owned it until he died. He left no descendants."

x-x-x

The trip to Marlee's house was long. The only stops we made were to get gas for the van. I guess Dad was determined to get to Marlee's as soon as possible. Finally, around nine in the morning, about three to four days after our departure from camp, we stopped in a hilly forest. We piled out of the truck, taking in the scenery around us. The building in front of us was a nice sized house. Bigger that a house but smaller than a mansion.

"The house has six bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. Feel free to explore. Chloe, my great aunt and uncle did die in this house. I don't know if their ghosts lingered or not, but I do remember them complaining about the spirits of small children." Chloe nodded a thanks.

I approached her as she walked towards the house. "I'm going to find a place to change if you want to join me." I told her, grabbing her hand. Chloe nodded.

"Sorry, I forgot. Sleeping in an SUV for three days will do that to yah." She said.

We walked hand in hand into the brush. After five to ten minutes of walking, we weren't able to find a clearing, but we were able to find a space where the trees were far enough apart that I didn't have to worry about thwacking my arm on a tree or my tail bashing Chloe in the face. (It was stronger than it looked.)

It was getting continually easier to change and only took a couple of minutes this time. When Chloe was satisfied that I was okay, she took a rope we used to increase my speed and aim with my mouth. Normally I would've accepted her suggestion but this time, I shook my head. After being cooped up for three days we both needed exercise.

I stuck my ass in the air and crouched my front to the ground, covering my eyes with my paws. "Okay, so you don't want the rope." I whined softly to tell her she was on the right track. "Okay, then what?" I lifted a paw and put it down again, repeating the motion. "Eyes?" I stared. Really? "Blind? Blind fold?" I laid my ears flat on my head. No. I stared to slink off but when Chloe began to follow me I let out a low growl telling her to stay put. I hit behind a tree.

Finally, after five minutes, Chloe came looking for me. "Derek, why are you hiding behind a tree?" I barked and stuck my ass in the air again. God, I hated acting like a dog. Chloe stared at me in confusion. I pawed at the ground three times. "Three words." I nodded and hid behind the tree. Chloe found me. "I'm not going to keep playing Hide and Seek with you Derek. Be more — Oh. You want to play hide and seek?" I nodded. Finally! It was about damn time.

"Wow. I'm an idiot. Okay, base is the driveway. You hide." She put her head on a tree while I ran off. I'd have about five minutes before she found me, so I hid behind a nearby boulder. As if on cue, I heard her tell tale foot falls behind me. I waited about three seconds before I bolted for the driveway.

As usual, I let her win. We retreated to the woods for another round. I lay in the brush and covered my eyes with my paw while she hid. After the required ten seconds, I let out a bark to let her know I was coming. I sniffed her out and in a matter of seconds I was chasing her.

I could hear dad, Marlee and Simon at the house. "Has anyone seen Derek and Chloe?" Simon asked.

"They're not in the house?" Dad asked.

"No. Last time I saw them they were by the car." Simon said.

"Chloe wouldn't go looking for ghosts would she?" Marlee asked.

"No. Chloe tries to avoid them. Trust me." Simon replied.

I heard the front door open and close. Ahead of me, Chloe had reached the drive way. I kept running.

"Derek, you can't do this! I'm on base!" Chloe's expression was mixed between horror and amusement. I jumped and tackled her to the ground. Beneath me, Chloe was laughing. Marlee was asking if this was normal for us. I assume Simon told her that it was because nothing else was said about it.

x-x-x

Three weeks later, we were awakened by Kit and Marlee after spending a night playing truth or dare. "Wake up kiddies! We're going out for a day on the town."

Chloe moaned. "Does anyone mind if I sit this one out? I don't feel too good."

My arm shot up. "I'll stay with her."

"Okay, but everyone else needs to get dressed." Dad said.

Chloe and I fell asleep while everyone else was getting dressed. I heard Dad yell that they were leaving as they slipped out the door. When I finally decided to look at the time, Dad, Marlee, Tori, and Simon had been gone for three hours. It was noon. I stretched and yawned hoping that Chloe wouldn't stir. She didn't. I brushed hair out of Chloe's face. "Chloe it's time to wake up." This time she opened her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Great. I just wanted to sleep in." I smiled and sat up, pulling Chloe with me. As she got up to take a shower, I scanned the room, looking for something to do. Not having any luck, I laid back on the couch, laying my arm over my eyes. After laying there for about forty minutes I began to worry. Did her showers always take this long? I made the journey upstairs to our conjoined bathroom and knocked on the door. "Chloe? Are you okay?" No answer. I opened the door and found Chloe naked and dancing to her iPod. "Chloe?" I guess she felt a cold draft because when she turned around she looked surprised.

"Souza you peeping tom!" Chloe covered herself the best she could and threw the nearest object.

"Shit." Before I could duck, a blow dryer hit the side of my head. I backed out of the room as quickly as possible and went back down to the couch. I checked for blood as I nursed the side of my head. There was none. It had only hurt my ego. At least I knew she could aim with accuracy. Finally Chloe came down and sat beside me. "You're not going to throw another blow dryer at me are you?" I asked, sneaking a glance her way.

"No. I'm sorry." The look on her face was that of sincere regret. "Is your head okay?"

I nodded. "For now."

"I really am sorry." She said.

"You're forgiven." I kissed her forehead and retreated for the bathroom.

After my shower, I found Chloe in the kitchen looking for something to eat. I gravitated her way, grabbing a box of pancake mix. "Pancakes?" I asked. Chloe smiled in response.

Chloe looked at the directions. "Eggs, milk, and flour." I retrieved the ingredients. I was an okay cook, so I hoped I didn't make a fool of myself by ruining a simple pancake. Unfortunately, the first egg I picked up, slipped out of my hands and onto Chloe's foot before I knew what was happening. Chloe and I stared, wide eyed at the yolk that had now seeped through her toes. "EW!" You're so gonna pay for that!" She grabbed a handful of flour and threw it at my face. I ducked just in time.

I thought I was in the clear until I felt something cold, wet and slimy plop onto my head. The flour had been a trap. Chloe was just trying to get me low enough so she could drop eggs on my head.

"Okay. Fair's fair. I dropped an egg on your foot so you drop three eggs on my head."

"Oh, I don't think so. Because of you I have to shower all over again." She grabbed a handful of flour and shoved the entire thing on my head.

I grimaced. "Have you seen my hair lately?"

"Yes and it looks quite lovely on you." Chloe smiled innocently.

"Oh, thank you. And since we're acting so nice and proper, perhaps I should share my good fortune with you." I stood and grabbed some of the floury egg mix from my head.

"Derek, you wouldn't!" Chloe backed away, fearfully.

"Nah. I would." I smiled As I moved forward, she ran around the kitchen table and into the living room.

"Derek, stop! I didn't mean it, honest!" She was laughing through her panic as she hid behind the couch. I threw the messy glob when she peeked to see if the coast was clear. It hit her on the forehead before she had time to duck. Chloe wiped the slimy concoction from her eyes. "You… filthy, werewolf… bastard!"

"Why, thank you." I took a mock bow.

Suddenly, Chloe burst out in a laughing fit. "What?" I looked at her. "What's so funny?"

"Your hair!" She said between laughs. I looked at her like she'd grown a second head as Tori and Simon strolled through the door.

"Derek, you head looks like a duck's ass." Tori said as she strode into the kitchen.

"What happened in here?" Kit said as Marlee observed the damage.

"It's a long story." Chloe had finally stopped laughing so hard.

"Both of you, get cleaned up. We have an emergency raid. Also, pack up everything. We aren't coming back."

x-x-x

With in the hour, we had all piled into the van with all of our raid gear and belongings. "What exactly is this raid for? And where is it?" Dad had failed to mention either of these things.

"We spotted two teens on our way out of town in a junk yard." Marlee replied.

"Okay, and you're sure they're not just runaway?" Chloe asked.

"The girl was talking about why the 'crazies' wanted them. She wondered if it was because her special abilities. We're almost one hundred percent sure they're from the Genesis Project." Kit confirmed.

"With any luck, they'll still be there." Marlee replied.

"It's gonna be cramped with all of our stuff in the van." Tori mumbled.

"We'll manage." Kit told her. "It they're in trouble we need to help them."

"I didn't say I didn't agree that we needed to help them. I just made a statement that it's gonna be cramped…"

We arrived at the entrance to the junk yard. Dad turned in his seat to face me. "Derek, you need to stay here. I saw a few strays in there and you don't want to piss them off." I was slightly annoyed but I understood the need for me to stay behind.

"Tori team up with Marlee and Simon team up with Chloe. I'll go on my own and scout out the perimeter. Stay together." Dad handed out the walkie talkies and they set out.

I waited for five minutes. Just because I understood the need for me to stay behind didn't mean I was going to listen. I'd just be careful.

I hopped out of the back and locked the car. I bent low to the ground and picked up the scents that had been left behind. Chloe and Simon went straight and off to the left at the first intersection of run down buildings. Marlee and Tori went straight and off to the right. Dad had gone immediately to the left. There were two scents that were similar must've been the Genesis Two survivors.

I decided to follow Dad and give him back up. I didn't smell any sort of dog nearby at all, but I decided to keep my eyes open… just in case.

I kept low. If the Edison Group was around I didn't want them to know. The junkyard was a maze of abandoned tires and trash in piles around abandoned buildings. I still didn't see Dad anywhere. Or anyone else for that matter. I hadn't heard anything from the girls over the radios and my paranoia was getting the best of me. And then I heard Tori scream.

I jumped and heard Simon yell, "Move!" from across the yard.

"Shit."

"Derek! Get the doors open, quick! They've found us!" Simon's voice cam over through the radio. I ran back towards the entrance only to be cut off by a guy I'd never seen before. He had dark, greasy hair and was dressed in a band t-shirt with ripped jeans.

"What are you waiting for? MOVE!" Shoved him towards the entrance to the yard. We ran until we were again cut off by someone else. "Fuck."

We turned around looking for an escape only to find that we had been cornered by another Edison Group member. "Derek Souza. Hm… what an interesting find." One of them help up a needle filled with hell knows what. I glanced around looking for a way out only to come up with nothing. And there were too many to take on with just the two of us. They knew we were coming.

Then suddenly, one of them fell unconscious to the ground. I looked and Dad had knocked the guy out with the hilt of his gun. He shot the other two and moved us along.

"I've got you covered! Run!" He pointed his gun at the other two goons.

"What about the girls? Simon?"

Dad shoved me back a few feet and dodged a needle, shooting one of the doctors in the head causing blood to splatter everywhere including our faces. "Derek, go!" I ran, knowing that it would be unless for me to stay with Dad if the van was locked. Someone ran into me from around a corner and knocked me over.

"Derek?"

"Chloe?"

"Lucy" The guy next to me hugged the girl. "How did we get separated? I swore you were right behind me!"

"LET'S MOVE PEOPLE!" Marlee yanked us up and moved us towards the entrance. Tori had already picked the lock on the van and was bossing everyone around. I swiveled around and looked for dad and jumped into the back of the van, when I saw him round a corner and exit the junk yard and climb into the passenger seat.

"If there was ever a time to drive, it'd be now."He looked into the side view mirror and struggled to catch his breath.

The drive out of town was unbearable silent. I'd fucked up. I could've ruined the entire operation just because for once in my life, I refused to follow orders from a man I have always obeyed. Always seen as my superior, and ultimately my protector. But that was why I had risked it, right? To give my Dad back up? Or maybe Chloe was rubbing off on me and I decided to do my own thing. I inwardly sighed. Bad Derek. I needed to fix this.

"Dad?" He turned to face me. "I'm sorry I fucked up." Jeez, was that the best I could do? Curse my social abilities, or lack thereof.

He sighed. "It's not entirely your fault, Derek. I should've known that making you stay behind on a run would drive your protective instincts insane especially when there were so many people that you care about participating in the run. But at the same time, you disobeyed orders and that won't be easy to overlook the next time I give you a command. How will I know if you're going to stay put? How will I know if you're going to disobey orders and jeopardize the mission?"

Somehow, he always managed to make me feel like a spanked puppy, but I have to admit: it got the point across. "I guess you'll have to trust that you raised me to know when I need to risk it all to save it all." I replied, the ghost of a smile playing on my lips despite the fact that I was being completely serious. He couldn't expect me to always follow orders if someone was in danger.

Dad let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess I will." He looked at the rest of our group. "Well, I guess I will." He looked at the rest of our group. "Well, I guess introductions are in order." We went around explaining who we were and what our race was.

The blond girl was snuggled up next to the dark haired guy. They looked as if they'd been on the run for weeks. "I'm Lucy Clarke. I see ghosts and have empathic abilities."

Chloe, who had been snuggling into my chest, jumped. Her eyes lit up. "You're a Necromancer?" Oh, no. Chloe had found a ghost buddy. Chloe explained the definition of a Necromancer.

"Um, I guess so."

"What about you?" Chloe directed the question to the dark haired kid sitting beside Lucy. He didn't give an answer. Barely glanced up from his shoes.

Lucy made a face. "You'll have to excuse my anti-social bitch of a brother. He's not very friendly until you get to know him." The guy glared, but didn't say anything.

"This is Mason. He's a werewolf. We both have the gene but I guess mine is recessive or something. We actually looked this up from a file we looked at a while back. So this one didn't come as a shock like my necromancy did."

x-x-x

Six months passed. We were on the run again. Tori's security camera picked up someone lingering around the house for the past week. Dad decided that it had been enough time and that we were leaving.

During the last six months, Lucy and Simon started dating. Mason didn't know if he liked that. I guess Simon went in to check on her a week or so ago and she was just stepping out of the shower. Simon was caught off guard and about to leave when Mason walked past her room and saw the scene unfold.

I heard the fighting and went to see what happened. Apparently, Mason thought that Simon was "fucking" Lucy. First off, I hate that word. I know I'm a guy and all and supposedly guys use the word "fuck" a lot when referring to sex, but I think it's disrespectful. You don't "fuck" a girl, you either have sex with her, or make love to her and no matter what you respect her. That was one of my big pet peeves.

Secondly, Simon was just as freaked out. I'm pretty sure he's never seen a girl naked except for the dirty magazine that we found in Dad's room when we were around ten years old. Lucy, who's the only girl that I've met that's as comfortable as she is with her body, wasn't embarrassed at all, except for Mason who jumped to conclusions and attacked my brother. Ever since then, Mason is convinced that Simon and Lucy are hooking up. I don't know if it's true or not. It's none of my business.

Tori has taken a liking to Mason. What for I wasn't sure. They've talked a few times, stayed together alone in the house, went on double team raids together and things like that. Mason doesn't seem very interested in her.

Chloe and I are better than ever. We showered together the other day. It was just a shower. I hadn't brought up sex since I claimed her as my mate. It'd happen when it happened. I wasn't in a big hurry.

I think Dad's forgiven me for the most part for my botched back up attempt when we rescued Lucy and Mason. All in all I've come to the conclusion that Marlee, Lucy and Mason have made great additions to the team.

"Hey all, we're stopping for gas." Dad called back to the rest of us. We'd down sized a lot. All we really had now was a back pack for each of us, our raid gear, and Marlee's medical supplies that we'd been gathering up on raids. Dad pulled into a Speedway.

"Hey I'm gonna grab a coffee from Starbucks, you want anything?" Simon said, coming up to me and Chloe.

"Yeah."

"Hey, I'm just gonna stay out here and enjoy the moonlight." Chloe said, turning to me.

"Alright. I'll be back." I kissed her and followed Simon into the store. I tuned my ears to Chloe's position to make sure nothing happened to her in the five minutes I was gone.

"Hey, sexy." I heard a guy's voice. Oh, hell no. I kept myself calm.

"Uh, hi." Chloe didn't sound too enthused.

"Aw, come on babe. Don't be like that."

"Don't touch me. Leave me alone." Chloe raised her voice a little, and I heard her feet start to move away.

"Hey, no bitch walks away from me!" Where the fuck was everyone else?

"Simon," my voice came out ridged and choppy. "Slowly turn around and look at Chloe. There's a guy with her and he's giving her issues. How bad is it?"

"Who the hell?"

"You can't tell what he looks like?"

"No, he's got his hood up. Hold on bro, sit tight. I'll go check it out." Chloe hated it when I came to her defense with jerks. In the last two years or so, she'd learned to defend herself well.

"Chloe, is there an issue with this guy?"

"No, Simon. He was just leaving."

"Who the fuck are you?" The other guy asked.

"Her bodyguard. Does it really fucking matter? She said leave her alone you leave her alone." Simon replied.

I sneaked a peek. I couldn't see the guy's face.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll back off." Hoodie pulled a gun. I'd had enough and walked out the door. Simon muttered something in Latin and a heavy fog came between him and Chloe and the other guy. I heard a gun shot and Chloe went down.

"CHLOE!" before I or Simon knew what was happening, he had taken her around the corner and Simon was left dazed and confused. "You go find Dad, I'll find Chloe." I took off without another word.

I followed the blood splatter on the ground as well as Chloe's scent to the back of the Speedway behind a dumpster. I found the guy pinning her down trying to unbutton Chloe's jeans. "Back away." He looked up but not enough to see his face.

"Seriously? You too?" He sighed. "Come on man, can't you let a guy have his fun?"

"Simon went easy on you. Gave you a chance to leave and forget this ever happened. I'm only going to ask you one more time. GET. OFF. MY. GIRLFRIEND."

Hoodie shook his head. "Fine. You wanna watch? Be my guest." He started pulling at Chloe's jeans. I saw red and jumped, hitting the guy's face. I held him down and reached for the gun he laid carelessly to the side. I shot him in the leg hoping that'd be enough to keep him down. He's lucky that Chloe was my only priority. I knelt down next to her.

"Chloe? Are you okay?" She was on her side now, sobbing her hands shaking by a blood stain on her right thigh. "Shit." I looked for any other blood marks that might've come from her. When I didn't find any, I picked her up bridal style as Dad and Marlee came around the corner.

"What happened? Is Chloe okay?"

"Some dick face kidnapped her and tried to rape her. She's been shot in the leg." I said. I still had adrenaline coursing through my veins. "Someone needs to take her. I need to blow off some steam." Dad took her from my arms.

"We need to get that bullet would looked at. Judging by the side of the blood stains on her jeans, it didn't hit a major vein or artery but we don't want infection to set in. Get her to the van, Kit. I'll be there in a minute." He nodded.

"Derek where's the guy that attacked her? Did you see his face?"

I shook my head. "He had his hood up. I didn't see—" Pain exploded throughout my lower calf. That bitch shot me!

I twisted from my spot on the ground in time to see Marlee shoot at something in the darkness. She turned around and helped me up onto my good leg. Everybody was already packed up. "I gave Chloe a Valium from your stash, Marlee." Kit said. He looked towards me. "What happened?"

"Bastard must've had another gun on him. I wasn't expecting it." My words came out in a growl.

"He needs immediate attention. Help him to the van and let's get out of here."

/Reality/

I remember the time you sat

And told me about your Jesus

And how not to look back

Even if no one believes us

When it hurts so bad

Sometimes no having you here

I sing — Tonight I've fallen

And I can't get up

I need your loving hands

To come and pick me up

And every night I miss you

I can just look up

And know the stars are

Holding you, holding you, holding you

Tonight

/Flashback/

The bullet wound wasn't bad. Marlee said that because of my werewolf gene it barely penetrated. The hardest part was getting the damn thing out. I'm lucky that it didn't splinter. After Marlee closed up the wound and gave explicit directions not to move it around too much, I crawled over to Chloe. "Is she gonna be okay?" I asked.

"She'll be fine. I used my last pair of gloves on you so she'll have to wait until we get to our next base. That Valium should keep her pain levels under control until we get there. Just keep her calm. Talking to her might help." Marlee said. "Oh, and she might be a little… well, you'll find out."

"Hey, bro." I looked at Simon. "I'm sorry, man I tried. Really. I—"

"Simon, it's okay. Shit happens. No one got seriously hurt so don't blame yourself." I turned back to Chloe. "Chloe?"

"Hm?"

"How're you feeling?"

"What the hell did Kit give me?" She asked, her eyes out of focus.

I smiled a bit. "Very powerful pain meds."

Chloe laughed out right. "Greeaat… stuff." Oh, god. She's high.

I thought a moment. I didn't want her to go completely out of it. "Chloe tell me a memory. Any memory."

She tried to look at me. "Like what?"

I paused. "Do you remember your mom?"

"My mom?"

"Yeah. Tell me about your mom. What do you remember about her? What was unique about her?"

"Church. Dad didn't like it, but Mom used to take me to church every Sunday. She told me about Jesus and how he died for us. She told me that if anything was wrong to pray and let Him handle it. I never really got into it. Church wasn't my thing. I only went because Mom wanted me to. After she died, I never went."

We talked some more before she became less coherent. She ended up drifting off to sleep after a while and I joined her soon after in dreamland.

/End flashback/

The moments that Chloe and I spent together repeated over and over in my head. Something told me she wasn't coming back. My paws over my ears, desperate to know that she'd be okay, I took a chance. For the first time in my life I prayed. I prayed that if she couldn't return to me, that she'd at least be safe in the after life. Numbly, I morphed and grabbed my pants off the ground and turned off the iPod. I couldn't bear to listen to it anymore. I sat on the bed and stared at the floor.

"Get up." I looked over to the doorway to see Simon standing there with his arms crossed.

"Leave me be, Simon." I didn't look up.

"No. I'm not backing down this time, Derek. This isn't healthy. You need to see her. You need to get away from this room."

"Chloe's dead, Simon. I'm not going to see her. I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

"Get. Out. Simon."

"Damn it, Derek! What the fuck's your deal? Do you think you're the only one that cared about her? The only one who loved her? News flash, dumb ass, I loved her too! We all did. You're not th only one in her life. Get that through your thick fucking skull because you're not the only one who's been hurt by this. We all blame ourself for it. Every single one of us. So stop being so god damned self pitying and get over yourself. Stop acting like your life is over because of this. And before you write off Chloe and decide never to see her there's something you should know…" Simon sighed. I was shocked into silence. Simon had never talked to me this way before. He was really upset.

Suddenly we heard Tori and Lucy scream from downstairs. Mason ran out of his room. I heard them rum up the steps — well Tori mostly — but I couldn't make out what they were saying. "What the fuck's going on now?"

Tori waited for Lucy at the top of the steps. They both had smiles on their faces. I was confused. "Would someone please tell me what's going on? What's with all the screaming?" Simon asked. Ha. He was one to talk.

"Chloe's alive!" Tori said.

"Okay. What's new?" Mason said.

"No, I mean she's awake! She woke up! Marlee just called, she's okay!"

"Oh shit, seriously?" Simon jumped in the air and gave a victory yell. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy.

Tori looked at me. "She's asking for you."

I didn't know what to feel. What to think. I had seriously hurt her before the accident. How was I going to make that up to her? I smiled for the first time in days. It didn't matter right now. I had my Chloe back. My mat. Everything in the world was made right again. The only thought in my head was:

"Chloe's awake and alive."

/AN: Hey, guys. You guys wouldn't believe how relieved I am that this chapter is done. It took me a year to do it but I did it. I really hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'm REALLY sorry about making you guys wait so long for it. I hope it was worth the wait. I don't know when I'm going to update next, but I promise it will be soon. As always, please take a minute to review. Thanks! -Kit/