Hey guys! It's been a few weeks since I updated, so let's get to it, shall we?

A HUGE GINORMOUS WILLOBEAST-SIZED THANK YOU GOES OUT TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED THE LAST CHAPTER! I'm so grateful to all of you for your support and your kind words throughout the course of the story. It's because of your awesomeness that I keep putting myself out there (writing wise)! You know who you are, and I've answered almost all of your lovely reviews! :D I NEED to include a shoutout to a few AWESOME people, though: my pre-reader and beta - burning! You rock, and I'm pretty sure I'd still be stuck on chapter 7 (it was a toughie!) if it weren't for your help and advice. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! *Sends cookies and hugs through the computer* Guys, goo check out her story! It's called "Open Door Policy" (The Mortal Instruments), and it's hilarious ;) I'll explain more in the closing A/N!

I also need to stop for a sec and talk about a really serious issue in the book community right now. Many of you have probably already heard about it, but there's a man in the United States who's trying to ban a book called Speak. Speak is probably one of the greatest, most inspiring books written in the last 15 years – it's the story of a girl who is raped and chooses to keep it a secret from everyone. She starts on a downward spiral that ruins her entire life, and I'm sure my summary isn't doing it any justice, but please, if you're going to a library or a bookstore in the next few months, check it out. This book needs to be on the shelves for the sake of anyone who's ever been abused, raped, or feels like an outcast, and the fact that some doctor in Missouri finds the rape scene 'sexually exciting' and wants to ban it for that reason makes me sick to my very core. Please guys, do the world a favour and check it out, because this man has no right to censor something that could (and has) saved the lives of hundreds of victims of abuse and rape.

Okay! I'm gunna stop rambling now and get on with it. Sorry about the wait!

Disclaimer: Steph is going a little crazy trying to juggle everything and decides Friday night would be a good time to get things done…

Christina: *Walks into Steph's room, sees her typing away like a madwoman*
Uh… Steph? What in the name of Dean Winchesters unusually perky nipples are you doing?

Steph: *Doesn't bother looking up*
School… two days… MUST. UPDATE!
*Starts typing faster*

Christina: Umm… you know you're not an actual author, right? You don't have to meet ANY deadlines if you don't want to – that's the best part of NOT owning DP, ya know!

Steph: *Head swivels around like the exorcist while eye twitches*
WHAT… did you say?

Christina: *Eyes widen as she begins backing up*
Nothing! I said nothing!
*Reaches door*
I'll… I'll see you in school!
*Runs for her life because WTF was that she just witnessed?*

Pressure I

Once you stop fighting it, the pressure goes away. It becomes this thing that you remember with a laugh, something that you joke about later. Somewhere deep down, though, behind the jokes and the laughter, you remember how it felt – how you couldn't breathe in without thinking about it, how you fell into bed utterly exhausted at the end of the day, tired of putting up a fight. You remember the pressure, and the struggle, and you find yourself wondering when it finally became enough to break you.

-Anonymous

I could tell it was just before dawn as I trudged my way through the forest and finally managed to find my way back to our campsite. The sun was rising quickly, and I watched the sky turn from inky black to pale blue in a matter of minutes.

It was was already up by the time I made it back to our campsite. I had no idea how long I'd been gone, and I hoped Tori wouldn't feel the need to ask where I'd been, but I needn't have worried: the campsite was deserted, the fire had been put out, and Tori and Simon were nowhere to be found.

My heart sank about a hundred times faster than the Titanic. "Shit, shit, shit!" I cursed while I whipped my head around, desperately searching for them and praying they'd come through the trees; that they'd been searching for food or water or something and that I'd experienced these moments of blind terror in vain.

No such luck: after only a few minutes of searching, I was almost sure they'd left hours earlier.

I was alone in the woods.

"Tori! Simon! Where the hell are you guys?" I called, before realizing my mistake.

Idiot. If the Edison Group is still searching for you nearby, you just handed them a colour-coded map to your location, complete with one of those 'you are here' stickers. In other words, you just told them exactly where to find you.

Shit!

I grabbed the backpack Liz had left for us and started running.

I weaved through the trees, the backpack I was carrying bumping between my shoulder blades. I could feel the adrenalin coursing through my veins, propelling me farther and farther into the depths of the forest. I knew there were only two possible reasons for Tori and Simon to leave camp without telling me: they'd either been captured by the Edison Group, or they'd seen something that they'd felt they HAD to investigate; either way, it meant trouble. If they'd seen something, they should've returned by now, and if they'd been captured... Well, they probably wouldn't be coming back. I, however, felt inclined to believe that it'd been the former - if only to protect what was left of my sanity.

Where could they have gone? Where could they be? I kept asking myself the same questions over and over again, but I wasn't getting any answers whatsoever.

The more I ran, the closer together the trees became. The light from the sunrise wasn't able to penetrate the cover of the foliage overhead, making it almost impossible to see where I was going. I'd never been this deep in the forest before, but something - a feeling, or maybe just the ability to sense another supernatural nearby - was urging me forward. Just a little further. Keep running and you'll find them!

When the light disappeared completely, I was forced to slow down and feel my way through the trees. "Guys!" I called, my voice shaking. I tried to steady it, but the next time, it sounded more like a feeble question. "G-guys?"

Nothing. I waited for a reply, but all I got was the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling overhead.

I took a few steps and froze.

There was that feeling again - the one I thought I'd never feel again - the one I'd hoped and prayed never to have to experience again. I could sense the presence of something dark nearby... something evil.

It was the same feeling I'd had the morning Simon found Derek and I in the backyard together - the same one I'd felt when Derek appeared half-dead outside my window; the deep, chilling terror of it wrapped around my heart and froze me to the spot. My heart was pounding so fast that I was convinced it could be heard. I tried to calm myself down, but the chill that ran down my spine wouldn't allow for that. Maybe if I stay perfectly still...

Now, most people would freak out if they heard a weird noise in the forest, which is, admittedly, totally understandable. I, on the other hand, began to freak out due to the lack of noise - everything had gone silent at the same time, as if someone with a universal remote had pressed mute all of a sudden.

And that was all it took. I bolted out of there so fast that I almost fell flat on my face. I raced back towards the direction of the campsite, running faster than I ever had before. "Guys!" I shouted, praying they were somewhere safe. I was convinced that I only had to make it to our campsite - that whatever this evil presence was, it wouldn't be able to follow me once I reached the familiar clearing. "Guys!" I shouted, almost hysterical. "SIMON! TORI! ANSWER ME DAMMIT!"

Faster! It's gaining on you!

I ran. Terrifying images began forming inside my head, because whatever it was that was chasing me, I was sure it wasn't human. I envisioned some demonic monstrosity – something that would haunt the lowest levels of hell and feed off the fear of young children. I imagined it using its hundreds of bulging eyes to watch me as I ran, laughing all the while at me for even attempting to outrun it.

I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind, forcing myself to think about Simon and Tori – that didn't help, though, because my terror had somehow managed to leach into those thoughts as well. All I could think about were the horrible things that could be happening to them: Simon and Tori being mauled by wild animals; Simon and Tori being attacked by flesh-eating monsters; Simon and Tori being captured by the Edison Group and being tortured for information… I tried to block out the horrendous mental images, but it seemed I had even less control over my thoughts than usual, and the pictures kept coming.

After almost ten minutes of adrenaline-fueled running for my life, I began to panic.

Well… panic more. I knew whatever it was, it was still behind me, chasing me... and I was pretty sure it was catching up. When I tried to block out the images, they started hitting me at double the speed. I kept going over the images in my head, flipping through them like they were slides in an everlasting slideshow. I kept picturing Simon and Tori being dragged out of the forest by the Edison Group, and the same thing was running through my mind, accompanying the pictures: Now you've lost them both. Both of them, gone forever. Some leader you were supposed to protect them!

I began to call their names, my voice quivering worse than the branches of the baby saplings in the wind. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to concentrate, and I knew I was on the verge of another panic attack – where could they be? – but I fought it, reminding myself that I needed to be strong. As I ventured deeper, the trees began to change from smooth and young to gnarled and ancient, giving the forest a creepy feel. Great! Just what I needed: to wander into The Forbidden Forest. Where's Hagrid when you need 'em?

The trees began to thin again, and I took it as my signal to speed up. Almost there. Just a few hundred feet. Just keep going—

My 'burst of speed' came too late – I'd already made it to the clearing, and my increase in speed caused me to crash into the wood piled at the edge of the fire pit.

I laid there on the ground for a moment, catching my breath. The evil presence was gone – the minute I'd entered the clearing, I'd felt the temperature change back to normal. I hadn't realized how cold I'd been, but I could feel the chill leaving me now, escaping through my skin and (I was pretty sure) causing my breath to become visible for a few seconds.

Once the warmth had returned to my hands and my breathing became normal again, I picked myself up off the ground and stood, wincing as I rested my weight on my legs. I was about to whisper a profanity under my breath to myself, then thought better of it. After being chased through the forest by some sort of monster and actually surviving, do I have any right to complain about a few bruises on my legs?

I slid the backpack off and looked around, hoping that Simon and Tori had returned during my absence and left me some sort of note or clue – something to tell me where they'd gone and when they'd come back, at least. Looking around, it was clear they hadn't: everything was in the exactly same position I'd left it in, save for the pile of firewood I'd just careened over.

Why do you keep thinking that they're gunna show up? They've probably been gone for more than two hours at this point, and they've most likely been taken by the Edison Group yet again. Enough with the false hope already!

No. I couldn't allow myself to believe they were gone. Ever. If all that was keeping me rooted to my sanity was the responsibility I felt for Simon and Tori's safety, giving up on them would surely be my undoing.

I shook my head to eradicate the thoughts clouding my mind. I had no time to argue with myself when my friends were possibly hurt somewhere out in the depths of the forest. I had to find them and do everything in my power to ensure that they remained safe, because that was what I had to do… it was what Derek had done, after all...

I gathered my courage and my things, slinging the backpack over my shoulder once again. I adjusted it once and looked up at the sun, sincerely hoping that its presence in the sky would keep me safe from the thing that was lurking in the forest intent on catching me…

I looked around the campsite one more time before slipping between the trees opposite the direction I'd came from.

I tried to keep up a steady pace, but the injuries I'd sustained – I kept telling myself they were just bruises – began to ache after a while. I was forced to slow down and figure out a way to walk without resting my weight on each leg for too long; I was cutting my speed in half, and the pain was still there, nagging at me insistently.

What if this is all for nothing? Have you bothered considering the fact that they abandoned you, left you to fend for yourself?

I shook my head, answering my inner voice for the second time. No. They would never do that to me, especially not Simon. He'd never-

You killed his brother, didn't you? Seems like a pretty good reason to abandon someone…

I wondered for a moment if this was what actual schizophrenics experienced; did they hear voices that nagged them, urged them to do things they would never normally do? I'd never bothered learning more about my 'diagnosis', writing it off as just another term for 'crazy'… was it possible to be both schizophrenic and a necromancer? Simon was a diabetic and a sorcerer, after all…

"Just breathe, Simon!"

I think my legs registered what I was hearing faster than my brain had – by the time I'd realized what I'd heard, I was already running.

"Simon! Tori! Where are you guys?"

I heard my name and followed the source of the sound.

"Are you guys all right?" I asked, still unable to see them.

I had to dodge a few more trees before I was able to clearly hear Tori's voice. I clenched my fist and sped up, calling their names as I stumbled through the last bit of forest that separated us.

After a few seconds, I finally caught a glimpse of them through the trees: they were both on their knees, crouched over something – I couldn't see what it was, but the sight of them like that propelled me forward somehow, and I cleared the last few dozen feet in less than a minute.

It wasn't what I expected, to say the least. There was no blood, no vicious wild animals… just Simon and Tori, both with their backs to me. It was odd, though – Tori's hand was on Simon's back, as if she was comforting him.

I stepped closer, immediately recognizing that something was wrong. "S-Simon?"

I stopped short once I was close enough, slowing down so as not to step in anything- there was vomit everywhere. I navigated my way to him carefully, then dropped down to my knees and rested a hand on his back as he retched again. He looked deathly pale, and nothing was coming out – I was pretty sure that there was nothing left in his stomach to vomit out anymore, and I wanted an explanation, but Tori didn't even look up. There was a moment where I couldn't help but feel a little grossed out, but I reminded myself that this was Simon – the only person I had left - and that was all it took for the revulsion to disappear. I had no idea what to do, so I did what I could: I rubbed circles into his back like Tori had done for me, and whispered things like, "you'll be okay," and, "just breathe through your nose". He didn't say anything, but it seemed to be stopping: after a few minutes, the dry heaving had stopped completely and he was breathing relatively normally again.

"Is it over?" I whispered, bracing myself for another round. Tori was still looking down, waiting for the next wave to begin.

Simon nodded and closed his eyes before whispering hoarsely, "For now."

We left the place where the smell of vomit soured the air and found another place to rest, Simon leaning against a tree with his eyes closed while I tried to figure out what was going on. Tori had been silent the whole time, and Simon had told me he would explain in a few minutes, but I was impatient - I was running through a list of possible diseases, viruses, and illnesses in my head, trying to remember as much as I could of what I'd read in Lauren's medical books. I'd spent a good 3 days curled up with Grey's Anatomy a few years earlier, knowing the information might come in handy one day… I looked at Tori, hoping she'd give me some sort of tip, but she appeared to be too engrossed in her nails to notice my searching gaze.

"Chloe, stop. You're gunna give yourself an aneurism," Simon said, finally opening his eyes. I studied him for the fifth time since finding him – his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he looked pale, sick, and tired; if I was going by his voice, I'd venture a guess he felt worse than he looked. I knew now why they'd disappeared: Simon had been looking for me when he began to feel sick, and rather than return to the campsite, he'd tried to wait it out alone. Tori had gone searching for him, fearing the worst, and that was when she found him doubled over, vomiting violently.

He smiled at me - trying to get me to calm down, but it didn't help – I shook my head and crossed my arms, giving him a look that said, 'you'd better start talking'.

He sighed and ran a hand through his messy spikes. "Before I tell you anything, you have to promise not to freak out on me, okay?"

I raised an eyebrow defiantly. "Simon, I can freak out if I want, okay? There's obviously something wrong with you, and we need to-"

He took a deep breath and began to speak, cutting me off. "Okay, okay. I get it that you're worried, but it's not as bad as it looks! Long story short: I left the compound without enough meds, and now I'm-" He paused for a moment, "…well, you saw that back there."

I took a second to process what he was telling me. "But… you brought your medicine with you, right?"

"Yeah, but it's like this: I have to take a certain dose every time, and I didn't take enough with me to last until today…"

Crap. "So what you're saying is we have to find you some more medication soon, or else you'll-"

"-most likely slip into a coma caused by my 'elevated glucose levels'," he finished, his eyes on the ground like he was ashamed to admit he had a weakness. I pretended not to see the look on his face – just nodded. I knew what he was thinking about, because it was all I could think about: whatever had happened to him in the Edison Group's Headquarters had been caused by a lack of insulin in his system, and if we didn't hurry, he'd have to go through it again…

The conversation I'd had with the guard about Simon ran through my mind, filling in what Simon wasn't telling me… "I don't know if I should be telling you this, kid, but… Simon's health hasn't been the greatest lately," he'd whispered. "After you saw him last time, he got so worked up that his blood sugar spiked dangerously. On top of all that, he forgot to take his needle. If Davidoff hadn't gone to check on him when he did… well, a few more minutes and your buddy would've slipped into a diabetic coma."

So what I'd just seen – the vomiting, the dizziness, the pale skin – it was all just a glimpse of what could and would happen if we weren't able to get Simon his medication in time.

A coma. He could end up in a coma, with no one but Tori and I to take care of him. I tried to recall everything I knew about comas, but it wasn't very much – all I knew was that people couldn't breathe on their own when their bodies were in that condition, and usually required some sort of machine to act as replacement lungs…

If we don't get him his meds, he's not gunna survive, I realized. We can't just waltz into a hospital and check him in! And even if we wanted to, we'd never make it to one in time! He'll slip into a coma and die out here!

I was beginning to panic again, my heart rate increasing as I zoned out, picturing the events that would transpire if we weren't able to get Simon what we needed. I don't know how long I was standing there, going through worst-case scenarios in my head, but Simon stayed quiet the whole time, giving me the time I needed to freak out. Tori was uncharacteristically quiet as well, but at that point I'd practically forgotten that she was there.

I closed my eyes for a moment to try and squelch the rush of images in my head; it didn't work, but I knew I needed to appear calm and collected if I was going to keep Simon from freaking out as well.

I looked up at the sound of my name. "Chloe, can I ask you something?" Tori's voice sounded strained, but after the night (and morning) we'd had, I knew it could have been a lot worse.

"Shoot."

"Why does this seem like the plot of a frigging horror movie? I mean, common! Mutant powers, fatal illnesses, an evil organization… and whatever the hell else we don't even know about!" She shook her head and smiled, and when she did, I could see how seriously stressed out she really was. "Think about it, Chloe: If our lives were a book or something, how messed up do you think the author would have to be?"

Simon and I locked eyes for a moment before exploding into a fit of laughter. Leave it to Tori to kill the tension in a room.

"What?" she demanded, looking from my face to Simon's. When we didn't answer, she crossed her arms and huffed. "Go ahead! Laugh it up! You might as well, seeing as Harry Puker over here is gunna be a vegetable soon!"

We both stopped then, and Simon shot Tori a look. Leave it to Tori to depress everyone in 3 seconds or less. "Thank you for that reminder, Tori-buzz-kill, but it's really not that big of a deal…"

This time I was the one giving him a look. "Simon, you just said yourself that if we couldn't get you your insulin, you'd-"

"Like I was trying to tell you before you started freaking out, Chloe, I know a place where there's enough insulin to last me a long, long time…"

Tori smacked the back of his head. "Enough suspense! In case you didn't notice, I just spent the last two hours watching you puke your intestines out! It would probably be in your best interest to tell us where the hell we need to go… preferably before I feel the need to slap you again," she snapped impatiently.

I watched them both, amazed. Did what just happen actually happen, or is this all some messed up dream? Ten minutes ago she was watching him puke, and now they're dissing each other?

Simon glared at Tori as he rubbed the back of his head. I could hear him cursing under his breath at her, using a variety of colourful adjectives. He took a deep breath, then: "My house, okay? Everything we need will be there."

He shot me a sad smile before sending another glare Tori's way. "There's no need to be so violent, you know. Diabetics bruise easily!"

I waited for him to tell us he was joking, but his face remained serious and I knew he was telling the truth.

Please, please no. I can't go back there; not after everything that's happened…

I bit my lip anxiously before saying anything. He really wants us to go back THERE, where the memories of Derek are the strongest? Is he crazy?

"Simon, I don't know about this… the Edison Group could be watching your house and the forest and-"

"Chloe…" he searched my face for a moment, "I know, trust me – I don't want to go back there any more than you do, but we have no choice in this case! We have less than 24 hours to get this stuff for me before something horrible happens, and we have no other options at this point, so I'm begging you here: please, do this for me."

I studied his face for a moment. He was wearing that sad smile, and I could see how scared he really was. He's like me, I realized. If what that guard told me is true, than what Simon did in the Edison Group's Headquarters… he realized it was a mistake, and now he's fighting harder than ever. I remembered how I'd felt afterward: it was as if I was waking up from the daze I'd been in, wondering what I could've possibly been thinking in the first place.

I closed my eyes and whispered, "We should grab some food while we're there."

He hugged me tightly, and I returned it, knowing the sinking feeling in my stomach wasn't a good sign. "Thank you, Chloe," he whispered, and I wondered what he was thanking me for – was it for agreeing to go, or for fighting ever instinct in my body that told me to stay away from that place?

Tori coughed obnoxiously beside us. "Uh, guys? I'd hate to break up this touching little scene, but unless we get going soon, I'm going Hannibal Lector on your asses."

I hope you liked it, guys! Lemme know what you thought, and please please PLEASE review! I need my mojo back, and the only way to get it back is with reviews! Also, the next chapter is gunna be… well, I'm aiming for EPIC.

Anyways, please remember to check out Speak, and definitely don't forget to read Open Door Policy by my freaking AMAZING beta, burning! It's JacexClary, and the title is enough to get you excited, isn't it? ;) Also, if my everlasting adoration of you isn't enough to get you to review, there's always this: I'll be revealing some pretty big news when I answer my reviews, so make sure to ask me about it!

REVIEW!