"I screamed until I couldn't scream any more," Derek continued. "My throat dried up and my ears were ringing. And then I just laid there. I laid there for hours and I thought for sure I was going to die. I thought of you in there, about how I should have proposed and started a life with you. I thought about all the wasted time."

"No," she said breathlessly, "It was never wasted."

"Eventually, I started to tear at the satin, and then the wood. My fingernails were so strong, it was like they were made of steel, the way they tore through the wood. It took a long time, but I slowly ripped the wood away. And then the soil. And I felt the cool air of the night wash through my lungs. It wasn't until that moment that I realized I didn't really seem to need the air. It just felt soothing.

"I looked around like a wild creature in those moments. Wondering who had buried me alive like that. Why would anyone do that? And that was when I saw Ethan." Derek's lip curled up slightly at the sides with this memory. "He said, 'welcome to your new life.' And then he told me everything. Apparently the Red Guard at Vatican City tried to rescue me, but failed. They thought I was dead, so they buried me, hoping that I would enjoy eternal peace. But instead, here I am. Damned." He held his arms out for her to see the result of his eternal damnation. She had to admit he still looked pretty good, even for a dead guy.

"I immediately started to look for you, even though Ethan told me to forget you. He said you were either dead or you had gone home. Nothing prepared me for seeing you in the club that night," his eyes softened as he looked at her. "So, now, you tell me, how did I come to see you there?"

Chloe told him everything from her very similar attack, to waking up, to the Pope and their hunting assignments. She knew she was spilling everything out in a somewhat disorganized manner, but he seemed to have no trouble keeping up with her story. When she told him about the Pope's betrayal of his most vulnerable followers, Derek's eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"It's interesting that you bring that up. There seems to be a faction of vampires in the city that want to rebel against the Pope's measures. But somehow, he's finding out and picking them off, one by one... with you guys," he said jerking his chin at her.

"Well, it's not like we have a lot of choice, you know," she said defensively.

"I never said you did. Please, don't get mad. We are both new at these lives we have. If you're anything like me, you're still figuring things out." His eyes pleaded with her.

"Yeah. There's a lot to figure out. I'm really not okay with the way everything is," Chloe muttered, "Something has to change."

"We need to figure out how the Pope chooses his targets. How does he know who is hunting outside of the parameters?"

Chloe was tempted to tell him about the Red Guards who were bitten and turned into vampires. About them being double agents... but something held her back. She just needed to know more before she could betray them. They were the eyes and ears of the Red Guard, but she didn't know how they were accepted and viewed by the vampire population. She also didn't know how deeply the Vatican relied on their information. She was pretty certain that there was more corruption than she knew about. These things were always deeper than one first expected, she knew that.

"I'm not sure yet. I'm working on gaining the confidence of the Pope." She took Derek's hand, "You do what you need to do to stay off of his radar." She swallowed hard, hating herself for what she was about to say, "Stick to the refugees, Derek. Do not eat anyone but them. Follow the rules until we have things figured out. That's what I'm doing. And I will kill the vampires I need to in order to gain more information."

Derek measured her with his keen blue eyes. "I don't think you're sharing everything you know," he decided. "But, okay. I agree. I will lay low. Let's be the ones who make a change. Let's make things better for everyone."

"Well, except for the rich humans, right? Like, basically humans are out of luck no matter what way we look at this," reasoned Chloe.

"Well, maybe at first, but maybe we can improve things for them too, over time," Derek reflected. "The Red Guard has something that controls the virus, right? Maybe there's some way we could eat without killing or turning anyone."

"That would be nice," agreed Chloe.

For a few moments they stood looking at each other with their hands joined. Chloe felt her body begin to tremble and she took a step into his arms. He held her again, so tightly it almost took her breath away. She felt him kiss the top of her head and she turned her head to nuzzle into his neck. She lightly kissed his cold skin. She moved her head up slightly more and kissed him again. Even though his skin felt different and he smelled different, it still felt good to touch him with some intimacy.

"Does the virus move like a cold, do you think? Could I get reinfected by a kiss?" Chloe breathed.

"I know lots of vampires with human girlfriends who never change," whispered Derek. Chloe kissed his jawline and he slowly tilted his head so that their lips touched, so gently at first that it was like the soft rub of velvet. She breathed in and was consumed by him, drawn to him like she'd never been drawn in before. The kisses were slow, so slow, but became more firm and she groaned lightly into his mouth. He deepened the kiss and caressed her back with one hand. His other hand came up to cup the side of her face and she felt a headiness that almost made her forget where she was. She pulled him closer with both arms wrapped around his neck. She ran her fingers through his hair and then balled her hands into fists as she clenched the roots. He had always found this pleasurable and nothing had changed.

"Next time," he sighed, "we should get a room."

She smiled against his lips. "Yeah, that'd be nice," she agreed. Chloe looked at the clock over Derek's shoulder. "I've been gone a long time. I should get back."

He followed her gaze and nodded reluctantly. "Okay. When do you want to meet again?"

She raised her eyebrows as she looked at him appreciatively, "Besides every minute of every day?" she asked. 

He smiled down at her with good humour, just like he had always done when she tried to be witty. 

"How much time do you need to gather more information for our plan?"

"How about a week?" he asked, "Would that work for you?"

She nodded slowly. That seemed like a good amount of time. "It sounds like a long time to go without a kiss," she said, "But yes, a week sounds good. It'll be easier now that I know you're alive. At least there is someone I love who is alive and who I can still contact."

"I know," he said and a new pain fell across his face. Sorrow.

"I know," she said as she squeezed him encouragingly. "Okay. A week. Here?"

"I'll make the arrangements for a room this time," he grinned slightly at the thought. "Come in through the window. No CCTV will catch us that way. I'll clear the path for you."

With this exchange fresh in her mind, Chloe headed back to Vatican City at a steady jog. She felt light and, to some degree, free. She felt happy. It only took her a few minutes to reach the gate and she headed straight to her room thinking she was in the clear. But then Quinn came around the corner. He smiled a greeting and walked over to her. 

"Felicity mentioned you went for a walk to clear your head," he said. 

She watched as his face distorted with an emotion somewhere between confusion and disgust. He leaned into her and inhaled, sniffing ever so slightly. His eyes grew wider as he looked at her; his lips tightening into a thin line. 

"You were with a vampire," he accused with a hiss.

She felt her face go pale and panic spread across her body. He quickly assessed her reaction. 

"You found Derek," he whispered fiercely.