DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE DARKEST POWERS SERIES

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Chapter 2

"Are you sure it was Derek?" Mr. Bae asked. I fidgeted with my pajama top. "Chloe?"

"Yes."

"I said, are you sure it was…"

"I heard you. I was saying yes, it was Derek." I looked up at Derek.

I sat in the recliner Aunt Lauren had been sleeping on, Derek on the arm of it, hovering gingerly, as if he wasn't sure what he should be doing. Aunt Lauren and Tori were on Tori's bed, and Mr. Bae was standing in front of me, pacing. Simon had stayed in their room, unwilling to come out. I'd tried asking why but everyone had just pushed me back into my room with question after question.

Mr. Bae nodded slowly, as if he wasn't sure I was sane enough to believe.

"Maybe we should have her summon him up again and ask him if he has an evil twin?" Tori suggested.

Derek growled. "Why don't you…"

"Derek." That one word from Mr. Bae stopped him midsentence, "Please." He turned to me again, exhausted. "Chloe. Are you sure you weren't sleepwalking?"

"I wasn't sleepwalking."

"Honey, maybe you were dreaming?" Aunt Lauren suggested.

"Simon was there." I stood. "I don't think I dreamed that up. And why..."

"I'm not saying you're wrong Chloe but maybe… I don't know. You kids haven't had much sleep lately, with us constantly moving from place to place." I knew where she was going with this and I'd had enough. I knew I didn't imagine it but I also knew this conversation wouldn't end unless I ended it.

"Maybe you're right." I admitted, looking at the ground, trying to change my expression from irritated to unsure. I looked over to Mr. Bae with wide innocent eyes. "I'm just tired" I conceded, yawning for emphasis.

He seemed perfectly okay with accepting my change of heart, but Derek gave me a look that said that he wasn't fooled.

Aunt Lauren nodded slowly. Mr. Bae walked over to the door and grabbed the handle. "Maybe you should get some sleep. I'm going to go check if the clerk has any sleeping aids or knows of any 24-hour pharmacies nearby."

"I don't need medication" I argued, "don't worry. I'm sure I'll be fine."

Mr. Bae gave Aunt Lauren a look over my shoulder, almost as if asking, What do you think?

"I'll be here to keep an eye on her Kit. Don't worry. Go get some sleep." she said.

He nodded. "Goodnight then." He turned to Derek, "You coming?"

Derek looked like he wasn't going to leave at first. He turned to me and gave a slight squeeze of my arm; His way of telling me he wasn't satisfied with how the meeting had ended. I nodded. We'd talk later. Of course I'd planned on hoping he forgot by then. Shoulders hunched, he walked past Mr. Bae and the door clicked shut behind them.

I looked over to find Aunt Lauren remaking my bed for me. I guess she needed something to do. Tori yawned loudly.

"Well, if you all are done, I'd like to get some sleep. Beauty like this has to be nurtured with sleep." She slid under the covers and pulled the blankets up. I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry to disturb you, your majesty." I retorted.

Tori laughed, "Just try not to let it happen again."

Again I rolled my eyes. If I stuck around her too long I was sure that I was going to lose my mind.

"Come to bed sweetheart." Aunt Lauren motioned toward my newly made bed. With a sigh I stood and walked over, climbing in quickly and quietly. "I'll be right here if you need anything," she said, going back to the recliner.

"Don't lose sleep over me. I'm not going to go anywhere." I said, suddenly feeling guilty at the thought of her losing sleep when it was such a rare commodity. She was already shaking her head.

"Don't you worry. Just sleep." She said.

"Yeah. Sleep." Tori seconded, if only for her benefit.

With one last look at my aunt, I turned over and pulled the pillow tighter against my face. After a few minutes I could hear Tori's light snores, and a little while later, sleep took me as well.

...

"Chloe? Chloe wake up."

I turned, trying to open my eyes but failing.

A grunt, followed by shuffling feet. What time is it?

"Ch…" Silence. More shuffling, followed by an urgent, "Chlo-e".

Realizing I wasn't dreaming, I finally got my eyes to open. Derek's face was inches from mine and for a second my heart stopped. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and...

"Get up quietly..." He mumbled, eyes darting around the room.

I sat up slowly, peering around him to Aunt Lauren. Apparently she wasn't the best supervisor, because sleep had won out. She slept soundlessly on the recliner. I turned back to Derek.

"A-Are you real?" I asked.

He snorted, then impatiently reached out to grab my arm. I watched his hand grab me, felt it even, and still I wasn't sure. He pulled me from bed, trying to get me standing at least. I stumbled and he caught me, and began pulling me out the door. Standing in the hall for the second time tonight in my unicorn pajamas made me actually consider asking to go shopping for new ones. Especially with Derek standing here looking at me.

"Wh…"

"Shh…" He closed the door softly behind him and tilted his head, listening. I started to walk away and he spun around and grabbed me, leading me in the other direction. That's when I noticed we weren't alone.

Simon stood at the end of the hall, tapping his foot against the carpet, irritated. What was going on?

"Come on," Derek said. I followed him to Simon and we made our way down one flight of stairs before Derek turned around, "What happened?"

"I already told everyone. If I remember correctly you were there." I said.

"Chloe..."

I knew that tone and something in me just gave in.

"I heard something in the room and went out into the hall to see what it was without waking Aunt Lauren or Tori…"

"Well that was your first mistake." Derek said. I tried my best to glare at him but found it difficult with him looming over me.

"Do you want to hear this or not?" I asked, growing impatient. He waved me on. "I ran into Simon in the hall and he volunteered to go with me. We went downstairs…"

"Why downstairs?" Derek asked.

To get away from your supersonic hearing, I thought.

"I don't know" I shrugged. He watched me, already knowing the answer.

"Continue," he said, deciding not to bring it up.

"Then you appeared… and…" I threw my arms up, "that's everything." I watched him, studying me, trying to figure out if I was telling the truth. I squirmed under his gaze until I finally had to look away.

"What did I look like?" Derek asked, voice soft. I looked up at him and found worry filling his eyes. Someone believed me.

"You looked like… I don't know. You looked like you." I struggled to find the right words.

"Psh," Simon snorted.

I turned to catch his sneer,"What's your problem?" I asked.

"You know exactly what." He stated, pushing himself from the wall and storming past me.

"Simon!" Derek called.

Simon waved him off and kept walking down the stairs.

"What's his problem?" I asked. "What'd I do to him?"

"Wait here…" Derek growled, storming after Simon. Naturally, I followed him down the stairs to see what was going on.

"… on purpose!" I heard Simon shout.

"Then just ask her!" Derek said.

"What's going on?" I asked, catching up to them. We were in the same place me and Simon had been earlier.

Simon looked away pointedly. Derek groaned and turned to face me, "He thinks you purposely lied about what you saw."

"Why would I do that?" I sputtered.

Derek looked at Simon to see if he was planning on jumping in any time soon. Simon looked at the ground. Derek looked back over to me. I was beyond confused.

"He thinks you did it because you didn't want to take him on an adventure with you. Sort of like…" He groaned. "Forget it!" I'm not a babysitter." Derek backed out from between Simon and me, pushing his hair back from his face.

I stared at Simon in disbelief,"Are you serious?"

Simon didn't look up.

"Simon, I would never do something like that to you." I said, reaching for him, but didn't know what I was planning on doing so I let my hand fall back at my side.

He finally looked up, not angry anymore, but hurt.

I frowned, "You do believe me don't you?"

At least he had the grace to look embarrassed. He twisted his mouth sideways and finally stepped forward, hugging me quickly before backing up, "Sorry…" he mumbled.

"It's okay." I said.

Derek grunted, and we turned to look at him in unison.

"Can we get back to our problem?" He asked, rotating his shoulder as though he were doing warm-up stretches.

I nodded.

Simon's face heated and he gave a quick, "Sure."

We all sat on the ground, except Derek. He seemed to be uncomfortable with letting his guard down, but then again, that's just how he was.

"What did I look like?" Derek asked, all business yet again. I frowned. He must have read my mind because he clarified, "What was different? Between how I look to you now and how my… uh…" he cleared his throat with a deep grunt, "ghost".

I knew he was uncomfortable with the word. I studied him for a moment considering his question thoroughly. "Well…" I started, "your shirt isn't black."

"So?"

"The ghost had on a black shirt," I stated.

"Is that really all you can come up with… You're a regular super sleuth aren't you? Someone give her an award."

I didn't have to turn around to know it was Tori.

"What are you doing here?" Simon asked, glaring at her over my head.

"I'm surprised the dog didn't hear me coming," Tori said, passing me and motioning at Derek.

"I did. I just didn't care," he stated bluntly.

She tilted her head, "Ouch... That really stings. So... is it wake everyone up to comfort Chloe time again?" she pretended to check an invisible watch.

Derek growled.

"Down doggie." She said.

I stepped between them before they killed each other.

"What are you doing here wicked witch?" Simon asked.

Tori rolled her eyes, "Real original."

"Well?" Simon said.

"I figured you guys were trying to wake me up… I mean, with all that racket you guys made in the hallway." She jerked her thumb upward, in the general direction of the way we'd come, "it was hard not to check it out."

"Did anyone else hear?" I asked, immediately worrying about what Aunt Lauren and Mr. Bae would think to wake up and find all of us gone.

"I don't think so. They were still up there snoozing away when I left," she said. "So?"

"So what?" Simon snapped, "So go back to bed."

"Don't make me fry you little man," she said, swirling an energy bolt in her hand.

"Don't make me knock you down a flight of stairs," Simon retorted.

Tori laughed.

"Enough!" Derek boomed. "You two can go. I only need to talk to Chloe for now anyway."

"Talk to her... or make out with her?" Tori raised her eyebrows.

I blushed bright red. It wasn't a bad idea, but considering the situation...

"Go," Derek growled, "Now!"

"Alright. Alright," Tori put her hands up as if she were surrendering, "Don't get your boxers in a bunch, I'm going," Tori snapped, and started up the stairs.

"You too." For a second I thought Derek was talking to me but I looked to find him facing Simon.

"But I was there when it happened." Simon said, " I can actually contribute something to the conversation... Unlike that evil…"

"Go."

Simon stared at Derek in disbelief. He exhaled sharply and marched up the stairs muttering angrily.

I felt my excitement over being alone with Derek increase with every step Simon took… despite the situation.

"Now," Derek said, "let's finish this." He rubbed the back of his shoulder, rotating it slowly, "I'm tired."

How romantic.