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I apologize for this one shot because I'm going backwards instead of moving forwards. This is set during the Reckoning when Derek is on the roof and Chloe tries to get him to come down.
Disclaimer: My name is Lauren, not Kelley. I think it's safe to say that I don't own the series.
The truth is revealed
DPOV
I found myself on the roof, partly because I wanted to scope the surrounded area for foreign sounds or scents-which I couldn't find traces of-that would corroborate Andrew's indication that the perimeter of the house was being guarded, and partly because I wanted some time alone to reflect upon everything that happened, all the newly acquired information that served as the final pieces to the puzzle that was our lives. After weeks of uncertainty and danger, months without Dad, the truth had finally come out and we had everything we needed to make sense of it all. And though the truth wasn't all that reassuring, I found comfort in the solid-facts, in knowing the hows and the whys behind every motive, every move, and every event. Of course now we had to figure out what to do with what we knew.
I couldn't see anything that indicated human presence and there wasn't a scent that I couldn't place, so that must mean that Andrew was lying about the guards stationed around the house. You never know though, so we need to operate around the idea that they might be out there, in which case we weren't going anywhere. If we did however assume that it was safe to leave, where would we go from there? When we spoke to Dad, he was informed of where we were and we couldn't exactly disappear without letting him know where we were going, in case he was on his way to us. To leave though, we would have to have a destination in mind, which we didn't, and to be able to tell Dad if we were leaving would require us to be able to get into contact with him again, which didn't seem very likely. And if we did leave and managed to meet up with Dad, where would we go from there, on the run again? I doubt it. We were wanted, four dangerous teenagers who knew too much and posed too much of a threat to not be taken care of-disposed of-as quickly as possible before we did something that couldn't be undone, like in a sudden surge of power, accidently expose a world every supernatural works so hard to keep protected, hidden. So that meant that we had to fight if we wanted to stay alive. If we lost that fight, it's safe to say that we would unquestionably be killed, all attempts at "rehabilitation" having gone to hell. But if we came out on top, sure, we'd be free, safe, but would we be able to save more than just our lives in the process? What about the supposedly "rehabilitated subjects?" Would it be right to leave them in the dark, letting them believe that they were ill? Or should we try to find them, shedding light on what they truly are. There was Rae, who I didn't particularly care for, and Chloe's aunt-who I desperately hoped was alive for Chloe's sake-to consider too. Would Rae want to join our band of misfits? Would Chloe's aunt, who hated me, want Chloe to stay with us? Or would she take her away and try to reintegrate her into "normal" society, attempting to shield her from all the bad in the world? My mind started reeling at the thought of Chloe not being with us, not being with me. She couldn't leave, she just couldn't, and I stubbornly refused to examine the possibility for the time being.
Over the past few weeks, Chloe became a fixture in my life. Someone I could depend on when everything else was going awry. I depended on her to keep me in line, with her unwillingness to take my bullshit, as much as I depended on her smile to make everything seem significantly better. Plus, there was now this thing between us that we needed to figure out and that I hoped-oh god, did I hope-would go somewhere. We were on the precipice of something big. I could feel it. A growl escaped from my throat when I thought of the interruptions we keep encountering, first in the parlor and then in the library. What I wanted most was time alone with Chloe, where I could sit her down and lay all the cards on the table and in turn find out-hopefully, finally-how she felt too and wanted to proceed. I wanted to let her know how I felt but I also wanted, needed, for her to know how she made me feel, why I reacted the way I sometimes do. My thoughts went back to the night of my last Change* when I was trying to explain just that to her but couldn't, was disabled by the debilitating pain of the oncoming change. That night, I wanted to tell her why scaring her was sometimes exactly what I wanted to do.
The thing is, is that, for the better part of my life, people have cowered away, instinctively knowing that I was a predator. They also disliked what they saw and disregarded me. Like any human or animal, self-preservation kicked in to help me deal with the constant rebuff of society. Then I met Chloe. And she didn't shy away from me; she even seemed interested in what she saw. When she got glimpses into my life, she didn't turn her nose up in disdain like I was used to. She came back accepting and asking for more. While that drew me in and made me want for Chloe to get to know me, there was still a part of my mind that was waiting in anticipation for the rebuff I had come to expect, prepared to build the walls self-preservation had originally built and Chloe had cracked, back up. The contradicting feelings were at times overwhelming and it was easier to try to scare Chloe away-like I seemed to do with everyone else, but the girl apparently had no survival instinct-than have to decide what feeling to let dominate and which to allow to become a memory. The whole thing was exasperating! I wasn't great with words. I did well with actions. If it weren't completely inappropriate, inacceptable, inconsiderate and not to mention rude, I would just kiss Chloe and explain later. But alas, kissing her without warning could basically be considered assault, and I was therefore, not at liberty to act upon what I wanted to do. So I was stuck with these tacit feelings that were driving me insane and the dreaded thought of knowing that I would soon have to voice them.
Well, speak of the devil. I heard Chloe coming up the stairs, her footsteps so distinct to my ears.
"Oh, this is a great idea. The guy they're most likely to shoot is standing on the roof, giving them a perfect target." she said sarcastically.
What a pleasant greeting. There wasn't even any around, as far as I could tell and these eyes and ears do not lie. "They won't see me up here."
She gave me a look, a mix between incredulousness and a glare. I sighed, wanting her to calm down and stop overreacting and sat down. "Okay?"
"I don't think it's safe for you to be up here."
"Just a few more minutes." I took off my coat and set it down beside me. "Sit down here, between me and the chimney, it's safe." I figured now was as good a time as any to talk to her. We were alone and with our death as an imminent possibility, I wanted to make sure she knew how I felt.
"It's not me I'm worried about." Oh yeah, I temporarily forgot. She was ridiculously selfless, never worried about herself.
"I'm fine." Which I was. Besides the mental turmoil, I was fine.
"How do you know that? They could have night vision goggles, sniper rifles…" the corners of my mouth twitched, a smile trying to escape. I didn't want her to think that I was laughing at her. The girl watched too many movies. What did she think this was? James Bond?
"You're not coming inside, are you?" Truthfully, I was enjoying the fresh air and just in case there was something that had managed to evade my senses, I wanted to be out here so I would know right away.
"I will. Just sit down. I want to talk to you."
"And I want you to come in. we can talk there." She was being stubborn now. She was worried, about me, and knew what I was like.
"I don't smell anyone out here. I think Andrew's lying."
"Please Derek? Come inside?" It's hard to explain why I didn't want to do just that. I just needed to be out here on guard, just in case. If something were going to happen then I would know and I could protect Chloe and Simon… and Tori too.
"In a minute."
She turned and walked away. "Chloe…" I called, not wanting her to leave and sorry at having drove her away yet again and knowing that this battle of wills was going to mean something later.
Five minutes later I was still on the roof when Simon came up, after having conferred with Chloe.
"D, why are you doing this?" he asked exasperatedly.
"Doing what? I just wanted to scope the area to see if I could see or smell anything."
"Can you?"
"No."
"Then why are you still up here Derek. There apparently isn't anything around so why are you still standing on the roof?" Simon was purposefully pushing me and I hated it.
"Simon…" I warned.
"No Derek. Don't 'Simon' me. If there is no threat why are you here?"
Simon knew just as well as I did why I was up here. I didn't know why he was doing this to me.
"Simon, why are you doing this?" I practically growl.
"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"
"I have no idea why you're interrogating me Simon. You of all people should know why I'm still up here. To be safe, to tread on the side of caution because if something or someone did manage to get past me then at least I'd still be up here and be able to be aware of it. And then I could figure out how to deal with it." By the end of saying all this, my anger was on a tight leash. I couldn't risk raising my voice, but I couldn't control the irritation that seeped into it.
"You mean that you'd figure out how to protect Chloe and I. right?"
Simon and I have been brothers for eleven years. He knows about this, he knows how it works. And I know that he knows because Dad has explained it to him.
"Simon." I growl. "I don't know why you're asking questions you already know the answer to. I protect Pack first and foremost and you know that."
"Yeah bro, I do know that. I've known that for a long time. But what I don't know is why you're being selfish and won't come down."
Selfish? What the hell? Where is Simon getting off on this? "Selfish? Please tell me how I'm being selfish." It was getting hard to keep my anger in check, but I managed and settled on glaring daggers at him.
"Dad and I have accepted a long time ago how you are. We've resigned ourselves to the fact that we can't change you. But there's not only Dad and me for you to consider now. There's Chloe too, whom I know you care about, whether you're willing to tell me or not. I'm not blind and naïve Derek," I tried to cut him off but he just help up his hand. "I see the way you look at her. And you're being selfish by putting her through this crap. She cares about you too and she's worried about you. And you're too stubborn and set in your ways to acknowledge that and do something about it." He said, poking me in the chest in the process.
We had subconsciously moved towards each other during the argument and we were now less than a foot a part, me glaring at him and he staring defiantly back. Simon looked victorious. He knew he had won. I couldn't say anything or try to defend myself, because he was right, he was so right. His arguments were presented perfectly and I realized he must have planned this out, the little devil. He knew he had me cornered but I didn't want him having the last word. Just as I was taking a breath to say something about being up here so I could protect Chloe wasn't selfish when Tori came out. Lovely. Her snide remarks were all I needed right now.
"Sorry to interrupt the bromance, but I thought I should let you know that Chloe is gone and she left a note before you found out for yourself and chewed my head off for not telling you." she said, looking pointedly at me and holding the note in her hand. When the words 'Chloe is gone' left her mouth, I started panicking and my protectiveness-which had lately been blurring with the line of possessiveness-flared up. If anything happened to her, whoever was responsible would get it. Then I would have to deal with the grief.
"Note." I growled. Tori handed it over wordlessly. After I scanned it once, my worry evaporated and anger took its place. Then I read it again, carefully, making sure that I hadn't misread or misinterpreted what Chloe had written. But no, I hadn't. She had left! Gone to check out the perimeter because she was oh so equipped to that. Not. She was so going to get it when we found her.
"Let's go. Follow me and keep quiet." Simon, who had been looking between Tori, me and the note and back again, asked, "What's happening? Is Chloe all right? Where are we going?"
Tori saved me the trouble of answering, which I wouldn't have done in my impatient and angry state. "We're off to find wolf-girl." I growled and turned around, starting for the door, leaving them to follow me.
*Thank you Amethyst-Blood-Crimson-Tears for the suggestion.
Please review :) I'm not sure about this one, but i always wondered why Derek had been on the roof and what Simon had said to him.
Thanks again for all the support!