Author's Note

It's been two years and here I am. I guess you could explain my absence by saying that life swept me off my feet when I wasn't looking and I forgot about a lot of things I had loved doing previously. Writing my fanfic is a great example. I realize that in my time away from this site and you wonderful people, I have lost probably everyone who read my story and reviewed it. But right now, no one reviewing it is the least of my concerns. I re-read my entire story in between classes today, and actually got mad at myself. I let all of this go. This story that I had enjoyed writing and had almost finished, ended without a true ending and it ticked me off. So if you're reading this I apologize, and want to say thank you for waiting for my return.

-Hope

The wind howled eerily as I made my way through the dark thicket, the kind of wind that chilled you down to the bone and made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. I was lost. I knew I was lost but I forged on ahead, afraid that if I didn't keep going Derek would be super pissed and I'd be the stupid damsel in distress everyone deemed me to be. I'm on my own. Super. Every noise I heard filled me with a choking panic, and I would duck for cover, but it was never who or what I thought it was. I felt like a little girl again, and it sucked.

"BANG!" The large crack was a gun shot and immediately I dropped to the ground, getting a mouth full of leaves in the process. The shot reverberated through the air, but it was too far for me to be in any real danger. "Please God, please let them be safe." I whispered as I got up and brushed myself off, hands shaking with adrenaline and fear. It coated my like chocolate, but not nearly as sweet.

Walking again, I was lucky enough to come across the faint scent of exhaust, and I looked up at the dark shroud of leaves and mouthed a silent thank you, because even under the circumstances I would've been dead if it hadn't been from God and Derek. That was impossible to deny, I'd faced death too many times, just slipping out of its fingers to much for there to not have been an outside force acting to save my ass.

Following the scent of cars, I came to the road, which I could only hope was the one Derek had mentioned earlier. Fingers crossed right? It was an undeniable country road, lacking the lights and town or city had lighting the streets, but luckily for me the moon was out, full and bright and gave enough light so I could see. If anyone asked me previous to this if I would just sit at some road and wait to be rescued I would've said no. Maybe even threw in a hell before the no, just for emphasis. But at that moment, if I strayed Derek would be mad and with my luck I'd find more trouble. That's how it seemed to work anyway. So I was going to hide in a big clump of bushes, and wait for rescue.

I'd been lying on the ground for five minutes and was already going crazy. The brisk wind sent my teeth chattering, the winter air still trying it's hardest to hold on, and I was filled with worry. What would I do if they got Derek? Go get him of course. You wouldn't just sit on your ass and let the person you love get torn out of your hands as soon as you got him. That was true, but I'd probably end up getting captured in the process of trying to be the freaking hero God knows I'm not. Cynic.

"Chloe?" It was Tori's voice, hesitant and filled with anxiety. I heard someone stumble and Simon let out a long, creative string of profanity. They came into my line of sight and I shimmied out from under the branches, grateful for company.

"Hey guys." I whispered making them both whirl and jump, hands poised to bind me or knock me back. Either choice was efficient and would take care of me if need be. I put my hands up in the universal "don't shoot" sign and grinned.

Tori grimaced, and then gave a sigh. "Thank God you were here, we ran into Derek and he said get here to make sure you had made it here, and were staying here." Extra emphasis on the staying.

"I'm being good, don't worry about me." Tori snorted. "Where's Derek?"

"He said he'd meet us here in a few, he should be-"

"Right here." Derek's voice cut Simon's out easily, and a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding puffed out. Oh thank you God. "Now can we go? They followed me to the other side of the woods and lost me. But it won't be like that for long. We need to move. Now."

Without a word of disagreement we set off across the road and into the cover of (unfortunately) more woods. As we walked, no one talking, afraid that if we said something the Edison Group would pop up out of nowhere and we would be screwed. Surprisingly Jaime showed up, her gold hair still in perfect ringlets and her frilly pink dress unwrinkled. I looked at her apprehensively. Because I have time to deal with a five year old deceased little girl at the moment, who by the way is working with an evil demi-demon who may or may not be out for my blood. Yay.

"Hi Chloe!" It was like we hadn't argued days before, her usual perky self. Little kids are funny like that I suppose.

I murmured a greeting and bit my lip to refrain from asking her if she was still talking to Neva. "Where are you guys going?" Her voice was shrill and high, piercing through the air like a hawk going in for the kill.

"No idea." I mumbled so only Derek would here, but he was either pretending he didn't hear me and would interrogate later, or he was to focused on other things to really be paying attention to me. Honestly, I had no idea which was the best option.

"Then why are you walking?" Oh little kids.

"We're in trouble, Jaime." At the mention of Jaime's name, Derek's head shot up, unnoticed by both Tori and Simon, but he didn't say anything, leaving me with the first option.

"What kind of trouble?"

She thought this was a game. "Bad people are after us." I ran a hand through my light brown hair, trying to find something to do with my hands besides hanging loosely by my side.

"Why are they bad?"

"They want to hurt us."

"Why would anyone wanna hurt you?" Her china doll like face peered up at me, eyes shimmering in the faint moonlight, and I cracked a smile.

"Because I'm special." Little kid terms. Good.

She twirled and kept walking next to me. "Neva says I'm special to. " Awesome. Because this was exactly the conversation I wanted to have with this kid at the moment.

"Really."

"Yepp, she's not sure what I can do yet, but she's convinced I am special." I feel so bad for your kid. You do not wanna be special. The thought left a bitter tang in my mouth, maybe because special was such a different word for me now.

I took a breath and wouldn't look at her. "What else has Neva told you, Jaime?" She looked up at me, face alight with a smile.

"Everything."