Chapter Eight
Chloe POV

Phoebe insisted on taking Zane's body back with us to James's hometown. No one had the heart to protest. On the way there, Phoebe fell asleep leaning against Simon. I leaned against Derek, who hadn't stopped holding me since we'd gotten out of the lab.

Missy and Bo met us first thing in the morning when we got there. Phoebe, Tobias, James, and Ava all set to digging a grave for Zane. There wouldn't be a headstone or marker, but I have a feeling that they wouldn't need one. I couldn't watch, but Aunt Lauren decided to help them with the...with Zane. I felt useless, until I saw Missy and the bruise on her shoulder that Bo was frowning over.

"I'm going to go into town for a bit," I said softly to Derek. "Just to walk around. I don't...well, you know." I gestured at Phoebe.

"Want me to come with?" he asked quietly, shifting forward as if I'd already said yes.

"No," I said, a little annoyed. "I'm fine on my own." As if I hadn't already proven I could handle myself.

Ava, covered in dirt and, if I wasn't mistaken, a few tears, came over just as Derek opened his mouth to say something and grabbed my hand, yanking me down to her level with strength that I hadn't personally experienced from her before.

"Chloe," she whispered very softly, obviously in an effort to hide the conversation from Derek; I didn't have the guts to tell her that it was near impossible to hide a conversation from him. "Just so you don't get mad at him, he was really, really upset and scared when he thought you were in the building still. He was going to go in after you, actually, but I didn't let him." She smiled at me brightly. "He was very worried about you. And now he feels like if he lets you out of his sight again, he might lose you permanently, so he's trying to keep you close."

A glance up at Derek's flushed and rigid face proved that Ava was not only right, but probably using some of his own words, directly plucked from his line of thoughts that night.

"Thanks." I whispered, kissing her cheek, then standing up. I crossed my arms, then uncrossed them. We both seemed to be shifting uneasily. "Is what she said true?"

"What'd she say?" he asked in a rigid, icy voice borne of embarrassment.

"Don't act like you couldn't hear her, Derek Souza." I said quite calmly. "Now, tell me, is what she said true?"

"Yeah." He blurted, glaring at me. "Yeah, so what?" he snapped. "I was worried about Simon and Phoebe too." His eyes were like green ice chips, and that sliced at me, even though I knew what was making him this way. "I was worried about everyone."

"I know that, Derek," my voice was quiet and just a little heated to combat against the cold I could feel from him. "What, you think I don't know how much you care about your brother and friends?"

"That's not what I-"

"Yes it is." I said hotly. "That is exactly what you meant!" Usually, I realized, I was the calm, cold and reasonable one. How long had our roles been reversed? Certainly not long. "And that's fine, Derek. I just—God, I just want you to-"

"To what, Chloe? If you don't say what you want, I can't do anything for you. I can't read your mind."

"And I can't read yours." I said softly, watching as his face registered shock.

"Is that what this is about?" he asked quietly. "You don't think..."

"You walked out the other night. You just walked out and left me." I lifted my hands helplessly. "How could I know what you meant by that besides the obvious? You walked out, and you told me not to come with you." My lip trembled.

"Chloe," he said in a much gentler tone. He didn't seem able to go on for a moment, glaring at a tree to our right. Finally he said, "I forgot."

"What?"

Furiously, he said, while bending to pick up a small branch, "I forgot, okay?"

"You forgot what?" I asked, baffled.

He started peeling at the branch with a rock, still working with a bit of fury in him. "I forgot about everyone else when I thought you were still in that building." Shocked, I could only stare as he continued to destroy the twig piece by piece. "I forgot that my brother was still in there, and that Phoebe was still in there, or her friend. I just thought that I had to get in to save you." He looked at me hopelessly. "I don't want to think that I'd let my brother die like that."

"Of course you don't," I said softly, taking a step forward. "And you wouldn't, not ever."

"Then why," he started, taking a step away from me, "didn't I even give him a thought?"

"I don't know." I said, with surprising confidence for such a statement. "But I know that you wouldn't have left him."

"How can you know that?" he demanded furiously, shooting a look over his shoulder at his brother, who was trying to convince Phoebe to take a break.

"Because I know you, Derek. And the you I know would never leave anyone behind; you'd much rather it be you in the fire than me or Simon." I shook my head. "That's why we all worry about you; you'd prefer to put yourself in danger than ever see me or Simon hurt."

"You aren't hearing me." He said, coldly. "I didn't once think of my brother at that precise moment. If you'd have asked me what my brother's name was, I would have answered with what brother?" He shook his head and, if I wasn't mistaken, his eyes were glossy.

"Derek, I know you're upset about that." I took a breath. "But it's..." It's what? Natural? How can I know that? I had no experience, no parents to question; Lauren is still single. "But if you'd just listen to me, you'd hear what I'm saying: I know you, probably better than you let yourself know you, and I know you wouldn't have left Simon." My voice was sharp and quick.

He stared at me for a moment, rubbed his face, looked away, then finally looked at his feet. "Where are you going?" he asked softly.

"I'll be fine. I'm just going to take a walk. I'll be back soon." I spoke slowly and deliberately so that I wouldn't stutter.

He didn't look up. "Alright."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "I'll see you later."

"Alright," he repeated in that same subdued tone.

I didn't bother to tell Lauren where I was going because if I did, she'd have insisted on coming with me. Instead I sneaked away, looking behind me as soon as I was clear to see if I'd been followed. I hadn't.

When I got to the house, I went up from the woods that I'd found...it in. I felt sick about what I was doing, slightly, but I'd talked to the ghost before, and he seemed okay with it. And, did it count as evil if you were doing it for good? I don't think so, actually, but I'm human—in the loosest sense of the word—and if I was ever going to do something despicable, isn't it better that I do it to someone like Dell Marks?

The back door was unlocked; James' mother was asleep on the couch again. I glared at her, wondering what type of mother would let that happen to her daughter. I couldn't imagine; I shook my head and followed the hall back. The bedroom door was cracked; Dell was asleep—sort of. Dozing with a beer in his hand. I hoped he wasn't too drunk; I wanted him to remember this for the rest of his miserable life.

"Okay, Mr. Pierce." I murmured, letting the zombie go past me. It rattled past, but his...corpse was still able to walk; sort of. Actually, it was more of a hobble and drag. Real horror movie stuff. "And thank you."

It rattled its jaw—I mean, he rattled his jaw in what I'm assuming was acknowledgment. I watched as he rattled in and Dell sat up quickly, raining beer cans everywhere. His eyes widened in alarm.

"What the fuck? Andrew?"

"It's him." I said, stepping into the room as Mr. Pierce nodded, sort of. "Do you remember how he died?" I asked, feeling sort of...badass. Go Chloe.

"H-heart attack, wasn't it?" he asked, slurred more from fear than from the beer.

"Was it?" I tilted my head, looking at Mr. Pierce. He shook his head, jaw rattling in a way that made my stomach sort of roll."Why don't you get a little closer, Mr. Pierce? I think Dell missed you, buddy." He hobbled forward, reaching for Dell. He shrieked like a woman. "Now, I can call him off, Dell, but he's getting so much satisfaction from it. You know what he told me to tell you?"

"NO! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" He screamed, scrambling backward away from the zombie. "JUST GET HIM AWAY!" Dell tumbled off the bed, still scrambling away in frenzied movements.

"I can't. He has that one last request before he can rest in peace. Don't you want to hear it?"

He was using a lamp as a shield as Mr. Pierce inched forward. "WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET HIM AWAY, DO IT!"

"He said," I started, then shook my head. "Mr. Pierce, please stop. Dell, stop screaming." When he didn't, I shouted, "SHUT UP!" I tried not to flush instinctively when he did and focused on me, his breathing heavy and erratic. "He said that if you touch another person that is unwilling again, or if you touch Missy like that again, he'll come back. And guess what, Dell?" I lowered my voice. "So will I. And I can tell you that, as scary as Mr. Pierce may be, I'm ten thousand times worse." Come in, I ordered to the others. I motioned Liz. She started rattling the pictures, the dresser, everything she could.

Two huge, decomposed wolf corpses came in, growling and straining against my will. They flashed teeth as big as my finger, decomposed but still threatening.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" Dell screamed.

"Swear it!"

"I SWEAR!"

"I don't believe you," I said quietly. "I really don't."

When I was done, I went outside, released all of the bodies, sat on the grass, and vomited violently. I was shuddering and shaking and crying, but I also felt slightly vindicated. I jumped and yelped when I felt someone touch my shoulder; it was Derek.

"Come here, baby." He whispered, pulling me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face against him, still crying a little.

Tori

Normally, when a boy had that much baggage, Tori would just brush him off as not worth it. But James seemed to be worth it, and that scared her to death.

"Tori? You can come if you want." James said softly. He was next to his sister, who stood very close to his best friend.

"Come where?" Tori asked, puzzled.

James raised an eyebrow. "My house, darlin'. That's where we're headed."

"Oh." She glanced back toward the others. Derek and Chloe had wandered off, Lauren and Kit were dozing in the van. Phoebe was laying with her head on Simon's lap. Tobias and Ava were talking quietly. The grave seemed so big, so right there, in their faces. "Sure. Come on."

When they got to Bo's truck, though, Kit came running out of the forest. Tori stopped and turned to look at him. James said something, and the rest of them got in the truck. Tori waved James off and waited. Her leg was burning and it was hot—she was sweating a little. What did he want?

"Where are you going?" he finally asked.

Tori's eyebrows flew up. "I'm going to James's house. It's hot and I don't want to stand out here."

Kit looked over toward James, Bo, and Missy. "With all of them?"

"I assume Bo will go home, and Missy's obviously going to her house, which is where we're going." Tori spoke to him as if he was slow—he was acting like it.

Kit paused for a moment, taking deep breaths. "Tori, we have to talk..."

Ice slid over her skin at his tone, making her tremble once. "No, actually, we don't."

"It's important—you have to know."

"That's for me to decide, and I decide I don't need to know." She turned before he could say anything else and went to the truck. James slid his arm around her as Bo turned the air conditioning on.

"What'd he want?"

"I dunno."

Mr. Montgomery's house was set back from his farm, where there were cows wandering around. Tori squealed embarrassingly when one came too close after they'd entered the fence. James told Missy and Bo to go on to the house.

"You wanna see one?"

"Uh..." Tori hesitated, staring at the big creatures in trepidation. "I've never seen one—you know, besides on TV."

"Cool. I can give you a tour." James laced his fingers with hers and tugged her along. "Is your leg hurting you?" he asked suddenly, watching her limp.

"I—a little." She said, shifting.

"Sit here, I'll look at it." He bent to look at it while Tori just held still. He gave her a light shove onto the ground, so that he could get a better look.

"Watch it. I may only have one leg, but..." she raised her hands threateningly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're a badass witch." He muttered, prodding the stitches. Tori hissed, but let him continue checking. She watched his face for a moment; his eyes were sad.

"You were friends with Zane, too."

"Yeah."

"It seems to me that maybe everyone's thinking about how Phoebe's taking it and not wondering how all of his other friend's are taking it."

"Phoebe grew up with him. They were best friends."

"He was your friend, too, James." Tori said quietly, which made him look up quickly. His eyes went soft.

"Yeah, he was." He took a breath. "He was my friend, too. And he's gone, so there's no reason to dwell on it." He said, then bent and kissed her leg, where the stitches were. "I'm sorry that I let them hurt you, and I'm fine. Let's go look at the horses."

"You have horses?" Tori asked in disbelief, letting him help her stand up.

"Yes, we do. You know how to ride?"

"Uh, no." Tori laughed. "I've never seen one up close. Same with probably all the animals you have here."

"Hmm...interesting. I guess that means you've never rolled in the hay. Literally. With a country boy."

"Hmmm...no, but if that country boy has blond hair, that may hold some appeal, though, I must admit, I'm more of a bed girl myself."

"Huh. We'll see, darlin'."

Everything seemed normal again. Or as normal as it could be. And James was a lot stronger than he let on, which Tori saw, in detail, when he took his shirt off to wiggle into the barn and help Tori in while telling her not to strain her leg.

Simon

He wasn't sure what to do for her. She seemed so sad. Simon had never felt more useless in his life, as he watched Phoebe pace around slowly, ghost like.

"Why don't you sit down and eat something?" he asked hesitantly, standing to go to her. She just looked at him for a moment.

"Why is it that whenever someone is sad, mourning, people try to get them to eat?" She asked, walking toward him. He froze in his tracks.

"I, uh, I guess because if someone died, the mourners want something to prove that life goes on. And eating is something you have to do in order to live."

"I know something else that the living do." She said, still walking toward him.

"Um. What?"

"Come here." She grabbed him around the neck and pulled him forward, planting her mouth firmly on his. "Come with me. Let's go back more. Where we won't be interrupted." She breathed, pressing way too much of herself against Simon for him to think clearly.

"Phoebe, you're upset, and this is not the way to deal with it."

"Why not? You want me, I want you, we love each other, we're here." She looked around. "Your brother isn't going to interrupt us, and I want to."

Simon shuddered at the tone of voice she used, trying to convince himself that he very seriously did not want her, not at that moment, not in the woods, and not when her friend had just died. He pushed her hips back, but she dipped one hip to the side, wiggling against him and making him lose his breath.

"Stop that," he gasped, especially when she latched her mouth hard against his neck.

"Why?"

"Because you don't-" don't what? he wondered, turning his head so he could nip her jaw, which was covered in smooth white skin that he just wanted to devour.

"Don't...?" she breathed, tugging at his shirt and sliding her hand up his bare stomach. He shuddered.

"Stop it, Phoebe."

This time she took a step back, took a breath, whipped her wings out, and flew straight up, after casting him a nasty look.

"She's going to be mad for awhile, but..." Tobias shrugged. Simon jumped.

"I—I, ah, didn't see you."

"I just got here. She'll get over it soon, so don't worry. She just wanted something to distract her." Tobias sighed heavily. "Thanks for not, you know, just dropping your pants."

"I wouldn't have done that." Simon frowned. "I can tell she's upset, but it's kind of hard to get her to talk about it."

"I know that," Tobias smiled. "I'm her brother. But don't give up too easily. Just be more stubborn than her. And she likes your eyes, so use those on her as much as you can."

Simon frowned. "Why does it sound like...?"

"I'm leaving? Because me and Ava are going somewhere. Phoebe's all yours."

"You can't do that." Simon said quickly. "She just lost Zane, she can't lose you, too."

"I have to." Tobias took a breath. "She wants to stay with you. Tori wants to stay with James, who wants to stay here. Ava and I aren't like that; now that we know what it's like, we have to keep moving. And Ava sort of wants to keep working on the people who started the Edison Group. You know. Take care of it. If we ever meet up again..."

"I'm telling you that you can't just leave—you have to say goodbye or something..." Simon sounded frantic, but he couldn't imagine Phoebe without her brother. It wasn't fair that he was going to abandon her like this.

"I'm not abandoning her." Tobias snapped. "She needs to take care of herself for a bit, needs to do what she wants for awhile." He shrugged. "She doesn't need to be the older one for now." He took a step forward. "But when I next see you guys, and I see that you've been mistreating her, I will kill you."

"I'm not the one taking off on her." Simon snapped, eyes narrowed.

"She doesn't need the reminder." Tobias murmured, waved, and disappeared to get Ava. Simon sat down hard and started swearing hard.

Derek and Dad came over to sit with him, one on either side. Simon looked at them, wondering what to say.

"Phoebe's flying." He muttered, digging his fingers into the grass.

"We know." Dad said gently. "We know that Tobias and Ava are gone, too."

"Sucks."

"Yeah." Derek agreed. "But there are less of us now. And Tobias can take care of himself and Ava."

"Is Tori going to stay here with James?"

"Like hell." Dad said mildly.

"What's with you?" Simon asked, twisting to look at him. "Why not? Mr. Montgomery probably won't mind, and he's got all that space."

"She's not staying with him."

"Phoebe's staying with us." He pointed out, glaring.

"James can come if he wants."

"You can't tell him to choose between his sister and Tori. That's not fair." Simon said, then wondered why he was fighting Tori's battle. Maybe it was because he felt like she was being put unfairly in the middle.

"Where are we going next, anyway?" Derek asked before an argument could ensue. "If we got a house here for awhile, no one would be able to find us. It's small and secluded and I'm sure there are places to stay. We could get fake names and stuff from Bo—he's a genius with computers—and go to school." He shrugged.

Simon stared at him. Derek hated the school deal. What was with him?

"I don't think-"

"We have no leads as to where to go next, anyway. And when we do, we can bolt, but for now, it's smarter just to...stay." Derek set his jaw.

"We'll have to discuss it with Lauren. If she wants to leave, we can't stop her from leaving and taking Chloe."

"Hm." Derek said, sarcastically. His eyes were narrowed. Simon knew he'd never stay behind while Chloe went. It was the way things were for him now. Just like Simon himself would never stay while Phoebe left.

"There's-"

Phoebe landed hard in front of them, hands on her hips. Her eyes were puffy, like she'd been crying, but other than that, she looked generally unharmed; Simon sighed.

"Where's Chloe?" she demanded.

"That way." Derek said. "We're trying to stay here."

"Smart. We should." She walked off after making that groundbreaking statement, not glancing toward Simon.

"She's a bossy one, Simon. You're going to have your hands full."

"I know, Dad. That's what's great about it."

"So...we're staying here, I think." Dad said, sighing. "I like it here, too."

"Let's go tell Lauren."

"Let's."

Simon watched as they walked away, hands sliding into his pockets. Maybe things weren't done; no, scratch that, nothing was done. The only thing over was a friend's life (it was much easier to call Zane a friend when he was out of the picture). Everything else was just beginning, new things starting. It seemed like a new adventure, and if Simon worded it like that to Phoebe, he could just bet that she'd be interested.

This is the last chapter of Icarus, guys! Thanks for reading!

Just so everyone knows: I'm thinking about doing a story about Tobias and Ava's adventure; they meet up with Rae and some friends. I don't know if I'll put it up on fanfiction, though. If enough people like the idea, maybe. Thanks again!