Somewhere In New York

[awakestheghosts]

She felt betrayed.

That was the best way she could sum up the feelings she was having as she stared at the man and the two boys with him.

The day had started out pretty well.

Tori had pulled her down to the basement and sat her in a chair before showing her what she had gotten her. There was a box of bleach and a bottle of red dye.

"We're going to fix this," she said, separating strips of the badly dyed black hair. "It's so not you and only makes you look more out of place and sad. Next time someone thinks you need a disguise, they're taking me shopping with them. This is just horrendous."

"Why are you doing this?" Chloe asked her. She and Tori didn't exactly have the best history with each other.

"Honestly? Because you're the only friend or something like it that I have right now. You wouldn't let Derek kick me away and you didn't let them go off and leave me when we ran into problems at Andrew's." She met Chloe's eyes in the mirror. "I'm not real good at this, so don't expect hugs or anything. However, I am trying. I'm not a nice person usually, but you haven't tried to ditch me once since we ran, so, it's the least I could do."

Chloe nodded. "Thanks." She didn't know what else to say, but she was pretty sure Tori understood.

"First, we're going to bleach the black dye out and get you back to your blond color. It may end up lighter than your natural color because of taking out the black." She held up the bottle. "But I grabbed this, too, so we can put your streaks back in like you had them. If the guys have a problem with this, they can deal with me."

It was a few hours after that when Derek, Simon and Andrew had all come down the stairs into the basement. Tori was carefully painting red streaks into the white blond hair on Chloe's hair and she waved the brush at them.

"Don't you dare say anything, any of you. There is no way that black color was fooling anyone and if she has to be on the run and hiding from everyone, she can at least have this one thing to call hers again."

"That's not what we need to talk to Chloe about, Tori," Andrew said, but all three of them were taken aback by Tori's defense of her.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked them. She had noticed that Simon wouldn't meet her eyes and so she looked at Derek.

"You're not safe here, Chloe," Andrew said, looking at her. "Your picture is on almost every news show and in every newspaper. Your father has increased the reward for you. It won't be too long before you're spotted and you could be kidnapped --"

"What are you saying?" Chloe wasn't liking the feeling that had settled into her stomach.

"I know of a place, a boarding school where you'll be safe for a little while. You won't have to stay there forever, just until we can figure out what to do and keep your dad from raising the heat on you... and on us." Andrew's voice was gentle.

"You're s-s-sending me away?" There was that hated stutter, the sure sign that she was upset.

"It's not permanent," Derek spoke up, trying to reassure her. "Simon and I won't let you be sent away forever. We just want you to be safe until we know what we're up against."

"The hell you are!" Tori's outburst stunned everybody. "You can't send Chloe away! She can't take care of herself yet and has no powers to protect her."

"The school is guaranteed to keep her safe until we can bring her back," Andrew said.

"How do know I'll be safe there," Chloe asked, trying to keep the situation from getting any more heated. "How do you know that they won't find me there and grab me? They'll try to use me as bait to get you guys."

"I've heard good things about Fandom High," he reassured her. "The staff there certainly aren't powerless and they won't allow you to be taken from there against your will. I promise you."

"You can't send her off to some damn boarding school alone, Andrew." Tori was standing a little protectively next to Chloe -- much to Derek's shock. "She doesn't know how to fight and her powers won't protect her!"

"The supernatural grapevine --"

"Send me with her," Tori demanded. "At least I can help keep her safe and she won't feel like we've all abandoned her!"

"Since when do you care what happens to Chloe?" Derek demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"Since she's been the only one during this whole thing that has given a damn about what happens to me, wolf boy."

"Tori, you can't go with her right now," Andrew said. "We need you here to work with the other witches and tell us what you remember about the things your mother did. If the school's reputation is valid and Chloe does remain safe there, we can see about sending you there in a few weeks."

Chloe's eyes filled with tears. She was being sent away. It was something that she had been in fear of since all of this had began.

"You'll be safe," Simon finally said softly. "You'll be safe and we'll come and get you. Chloe, Chloe, please don't cry."

"When?" She asked softly.

Andrew swallowed, then took her hand. "Tomorrow morning. You'll take a plane to Baltimore and then there's a shuttle from there to the school."

"S-s-so s-s-soon?"

Tori lay her hand on Chloe's shoulder, and Chloe could feel the anger that was flowing through her. "You had better hope that nothing happens to her," Tori growled. "I'll kick all of your asses if something happens to her while she's there."

Chloe wasn't sure if Tori was angry about the fact that it was Chloe that was being sent away, or the fact that she felt without Chloe she wouldn't have a place within the group.

As she looked at the four people around her, Chloe wasn't sure how she was supposed to do this. They were the only family she had left right now if things were to be believed.

This sucked.