Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf.
A/N: I was discussing Derek and what he must have been like after the fire and how Laura would have dealt with it. The idea has stuck in my brain. This is a one-shot and prologue to a series I'm called Reconstruction, intended to tell a few stories about Laura, Derek, and life in New York City. This is in part based on a premise that the Hale family is an old family with long standing revenue sources and power. More will be added to Reconstruction as time goes on, as individual stories.
The last week of school was always the best week. Finals were done, grades were mostly in, and Laura Hale could spend her time playing UNO and flirting with Camden Lahey. Not that she would date him, but it was fun to practice wrapping a cute boy around her fingers before slamming down a draw four and reveling in her victory.
"Oh, come on Laura," Camden said as he picked up his cards, "have a little mercy on me?"
Laura giggled, "Mercy on you Camden? Not today. Today, I am the queen."
"Not for long," Jill told her as she considered her deck. "Karma will always come back to bite you."
Laura smiled, "I don't believe in karma."
The intercom crackled to life, "Mister Harris."
"Yes," Mr. Harris replied.
"Please send Laura Hale to the principal's office."
"Right away," Mr. Harris said.
Laura sighed and folded her cards, "You two have fun. I'll be back soon." She slid into her jacket and slung her backpack over her shoulder.
"I told you," Jill called after her, "karma!" Laura rolled her eyes, accepted the pass from Mr. Harris and left the classroom with a wave at her friends.
There were two sheriff's officers waiting when Laura arrived at the office. She recognized one of them as Deputy Stilinski, who her dad knew and was planning to support in his bid for Sheriff next year with Sheriff Lawrence retired. The other one she didn't know, but the woman looked and smelled concerned. Laura took a cautious sniff as she approached and sneezed as the smell of smoke and charred meat filled her nostrils.
"Laura Hale," Stilinski said, "bless you."
"Thank you," Laura said, "is everything all right?" Her dad didn't like it when she borrowed his leather jacket, but this was too extreme for that.
"Let's talk inside," Stilinski said, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder blade and steering her into the principal's office. "I understand you and your brother Derek play on the school track team?"
"Yes sir," Laura said, "we have morning practices to escape the heat."
Stilinski glanced at his partner for a moment, then back at Laura as the air began to fill with the scent of pain. "Laura," the woman said, "I'm Ramona Gutierrez. Earlier today we received a call from some hikers in the preserve, near the Hale House."
"Is everything okay?" Laura asked. The full moon was two weeks away, not now, what could have prompted a call to the sheriff's office.
"There was a fire this morning at your house," Stilinski said carefully. "I am so sorry."
"Was anyone hurt?" Laura asked, she looked over her shoulder, "Where's my mom and dad?"
Stilinski began to shake his head.
"Uncle Peter? Aunt Carrie? Cora?"
"We're so sorry," Gutierrez said. "They were all trapped inside. Peter and Talia were taken to the hospital badly burned. The others…" she looked at Stilinski.
"It looked as if they tried to get out through the basement," Stilinski said gently.
"There are old tunnels there," Laura said, "from the original homestead." The words were automatic, the lie easy to say, "They used to lead to a stable, but now they're just an interesting way out." She looked up at them, "Everyone?"
"The fire isn't completely out," Stilinski said, "after getting Peter and Talia; the firemen were driven back outside. There's no telling if anyone got out or not."
"Where's Derek?" Laura asked, and winced at the hoarse squeak. She cleared her throat, "Where's Derek?"
"Still in class I believe," Stilinski said, "we thought you would be better able to tell him. Especially after…"
After Paige. Laura nodded, and took a deep breath, "Okay," she said, "can I see my mom?"
"I'll take you and Derek over there," Stilinski said. "I think you should tell Derek first."
"I'll have him called out," Gutierrez said and left the room.
"Laura, I am so sorry," Stilinski said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do? I have a guest room if you and your brother would like it."
Laura hesitated, and swallowed. While her soul keened for her loss, she pushed down the urge to cry, and nodded, "If it's not too much trouble?"
"No," Stilinski said. "Stiles will love the company."
Laura nodded as she twisted her hands in her dad's jacket, breathing in the mix of forest, Old Spice, and musk that had defined her dad all her life. She turned as the door opened.
"Laura?" Derek asked as he came in.
"I'll leave you two alone," Stilinski said and left the room.
Laura pulled Derek into a tight hug, pulling him to her with everything she had. "Laura, you're scaring me," Derek whispered.
"I'm sorry," Laura whispered, "I'm so sorry." She stepped back, keeping a firm grip on her brother's arms. "Derek, something bad has happened."
Derek stared at her, wide eyed, "Laura?"
"There was a fire," Laura said, "at home. Everyone… they think everyone was trapped inside."
Derek began to shake his head as tears welled up.
"The firemen got Uncle Peter and Mom out, but they're hurt badly," Laura continued. "They aren't sure about anyone else."
"No," Derek said.
"Derek," Laura said, "you have to keep calm."
"No," Derek shook his head, "no, Laura. No."
Laura pulled him into her arms, hugging him as tightly as she'd wanted to since Paige died, as tightly as she hadn't done since she had been eleven. She could hear his bones creak under the force of her hug, but she didn't let go as Derek sobbed into her shoulder. "I'm here," she whispered. "I'm still here. I will never leave you Derek, I promise." She tucked her head down against him, "I'm still here," she whispered, "I'm not going anywhere. We'll stay together, no matter what."
When Derek had finished crying, Laura hugged him tight one last time. "Now Derek," she said, pulling back a little, "we're going to go to the hospital to see mom and Uncle Peter. Deputy Stilinski has offered us guest rights and I have accepted."
"You're not Mom," Derek said, sniffling.
"No, I'm not," Laura said, she looked around and spotted a box of tissues, "blow your nose. If Mom and Uncle Peter are incapacitated and Tiff is… not available, Alpha falls to me. Do you understand what that means?"
Derek stared at her over a handful of tissue, "You're not…"
"I know," Laura said. "I'm only Alpha until Mom's better, okay? All you have to do is stay out of trouble, okay? This isn't going to be easy, but we'll get through this. We just have to hold on."
Someone knocked on the door and Laura kissed Derek's cheek, "Just trust me," she told him.
"Okay," Derek said.
Laura opened the door to find the deputy waiting, "I'm sorry," Stilinski said, "and I don't want you to feel rushed, but I just got a call from the elementary school about my son. Deputy Gutierrez will have to give you a ride to the hospital." He handed Laura a card, "Call me when you get done and I'll come get you."
"Okay," Laura said as she slipped the card in her pocket. She looked at Derek, who nodded, "I need to talk to the secretary," she said.
"Of course," Stilinski stepped back, "I am sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Laura said. She reached back and felt Derek grip her hand tightly. He squeezed once and Laura pushed the door open all the way. "Deputy Gutierrez," she said, "we'll be ready to go in a moment."
"Take your time," Gutierrez replied, "I'm not going anywhere without you."
Laura headed over to the secretary with Derek in tow. "Ms. Koplan," she said.
"Yes, Ms. Hale?" The older woman asked quietly. Laura could smell the woman's pity, an acrid scent that overlaid the hint of greed that Laura associated with gossip. The whole school would know about the Hale siblings before the end of the day.
"Derek and I," Laura hesitated, "do we need to come back to school before Friday, or will we be able to stay with our family without affecting our academic performance?"
"I think under the circumstances there won't be a problem," Ms. Koplan confirmed. "I'll double check though, and I'll…"
"I'll call tomorrow," Laura said.
"All right," Ms. Koplan said.
"I need to sign us out," Laura said, looking for the clipboard.
"Deputy Stilinski has already done so," Ms. Koplan replied. "You go on, sweetheart. I'll pray for you and your brother."
"Thank you," Laura replied unsteadily as Derek began to tremble. "Derek and I appreciate it."
They rode in the back of the Deputy's patrol car, and Laura was grateful the woman ignored that they weren't buckled in. Laura just clung to Derek, offering him what comfort he could accept as he shook with pain and more tears.
They were met at the hospital by a doctor, "Laura Hale?" He asked as they walked through the door.
"I-I am," Laura said unsteadily.
"We need to perform surgery on Peter Hale," the doctor said, "but we need your permission."
Laura choked at the fresh reminder that she was the only adult left. That Derek was all she had now. "Do it," she croaked around more tears. She cleared her throat, "Do whatever you have to do to save them."
The doctor nodded and turned away. Laura looked at Gutierrez, "I'll show you where your mother is," the deputy offered.
"Please," Laura whispered as she clung to her brother's hand, drawing strength in the reminder that she had to be strong for him.
Talia Hale was a powerful Alpha whose presence filled rooms and who spoke with great authority on many topics. Talia Hale was their mother, who had never been distant from them growing up. She had played games with them as children, bandaged wounds and healed broken hearts with kind words. The woman in the hospital bed looked nothing like their mother. Her body was covered in bandages and many burns were visible.
"Her hair," Derek breathed.
"I know," Laura said, she looked at Gutierrez, "May we go in?"
"I'm sorry," a woman said as she approached, "but it's not possible right now. My name is Claudia and I'm one of, Talia?" Laura nodded slightly, "Talia's team of nurses. With the amount of burns, you have to understand it's amazing she's even alive. With so much of her burned, there's a strong risk of infections. Right now, we need to minimize the people who go in there."
"How is she?" Laura asked, pulling Derek against her side.
"She's been burned over a good deal of her body," Claudia said, "her lungs have some scarring from smoke inhalation and she's on a respirator. We're trying to keep her hydrated now."
"Do you know anything about Uncle Peter?" Laura asked.
"Not much," Claudia said, "but he sustained more injuries than just burns. I've been focused on helping Talia."
Laura nodded, "Thank you." She looked around, "Is there somewhere we can wait for news?"
"There's a waiting room just over there," Claudia said. She hesitated, "Is there anyone coming?"
Tears slipped out of Laura's eyes as she shook her head. "No, no one."
"I'm sorry," Claudia said, "you let us know if you need anything, okay?"
"I will," Laura said. She guided Derek into the waiting room and settled him on the couch there. After a moment, he moved to pull off his shoes and curled up beside her, resting in her lap.
"Laura," Derek said.
"Yeah Derek?" Laura asked.
"What if Mom doesn't get better?"
Laura ran her hand gently through Derek's hair. "Then we'll wait for Uncle Peter."
"But what if Uncle Peter doesn't get better? What if it's just us?" Derek asked.
Laura took an unsteady breath, "Then we'll figure it out."
"Will you still go away to college?" Derek asked.
"You're not getting left anywhere," Laura said firmly. "If I go to NYU, then you'll come with me and finish school there, okay?"
"But," Derek began.
"Derek," Laura said, "I'm not abandoning you. We're pack, and there is nothing that will make me abandon you." She needed to call Mister Whittemore though. She had to make sure nobody took Derek from her. She wasn't sure what else she needed to do, but calling him was at the top of her list. But for now, she would run her fingers through her brother's hair and give him what she could to piece together their broken world.
Derek managed to fall asleep, which didn't surprise Laura. Derek had always fallen asleep easily when he was upset if someone would run their fingers through his hair. Once she was sure he was out of it, she slid out from under him and kissed his forehead. "I have to make a phone call," she whispered in his ear. "I'll be right back."
She paused to grab her small address book from her backpack before she walked down to the nurse's station. Claudia was sitting there, and Laura smiled, "Excuse me, Ms. Claudia?"
"It's just Claudia," the nurse said with a smile, "how can I help you?"
"Is there a phone I can use?" Laura said. She rubbed her forehead for a moment, "I'm sorry, this just feels like a nightmare, like I've never woken up."
"Do you know how to tell?" Claudia asked.
"Tell what?" Laura said.
"If you're still dreaming," Claudia said. "You just need to count your fingers, you always have an extra finger in your dreams."
It took an effort of will not to immediately look at her hands. "About the phone?" She said.
Claudia put the phone on the counter in Laura's reach, "There you go." She lifted the receiver and pressed a button, "It is local right?"
"Yes," Laura said. She opened her address book and found the number she needed.
"Whittemore and Dean," a woman said over the phone.
"This is Laura Hale, I need to speak to David Whittemore as soon as possible." Laura said.
"I'm sorry," the woman began.
"I just lost my entire family in a house fire," Laura snapped, "except for my brother. I don't care who Whittemore is currently pandering to, I think I have more need of his services. Put him on the goddamned phone."
"One moment," the woman said.
Laura smiled a little as the hold music began to play. The Whittemore family had been the Hale family lawyers since they both came to Beacon Hills. There was a legacy there that would help her now.
"David Whittemore," a man said.
"Mister Whittemore, this is Laura Hale," Laura said. "I trust you heard what happened this morning?"
"I did," Mr. Whittemore replied, "and I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Laura said, blinking away tears. "I need your help. My mother and Uncle Peter survived the fire but are very severely burned and there's no guarantee they'll survive. I want to make sure there will be no issues for them getting the treatment they need for as long as they need it."
"I can do that," Mr. Whittemore said.
"I also need help making sure some well-meaning busybody doesn't take my brother away," Laura said. "I need custody of Derek and fast."
"That will take some work," Mr. Whittemore said, "among other things, you will need a place for the both of you to stay. With friends might be okay for a day or two, but an apartment or a house will be needed. I will check into that for you and get back to you, do you have a place to stay right now?"
"We do," Laura said, "but it's temporary. One of the deputies offered his guest room. Deputy Stilinski."
"All right," Mr. Whittemore said. "I'll get started on making sure you have custody of Derek, Laura, and I'll have someone call the hospital with instructions to do whatever is necessary."
"Thank you Mr. Whittemore," Laura said.
"I'm sorry this happened, Laura," Mr. Whittemore said. "Your father and I were very good friends and I will make sure that you get everything you need now. Do you need money?"
"No," Laura said, "I haven't touched my bank account this month. We'll be fine." She sent a silent thanks to whoever had given her parents that believed in teaching financial responsibility from a young age.
"I'll call you as soon as I have information," Mr. Whittemore said.
"One more thing," Laura said, "I'm going to New York for college in the fall, I think. Whatever happens, if I have to take Derek with me, I'd rather have things settled before then."
"I'll see what I can do, Laura," Mr. Whittemore told her.
"Thank you, Mr. Whittemore," Laura said.
"You can call me Dave if you want," Mr. Whittemore said. "I've known your family for years and we'll be working closely for quite some time."
"Dave," Laura said. "I need to go, I don't want to leave Derek along too long."
"I'll get in contact with you as soon as I have news." Dave said, "You worry about your family."
"Thank you," Laura said and hung up.
"Excuse me, Ms Hale?"
Laura turned to find a doctor approaching, "Yes, I'm Laura Hale," she said.
"I'm Doctor Carter, I've been operating on your uncle." The man said.
"How is he?" Laura asked, "And do you mind, I need to get back to my brother."
"Sure," Doctor Carter said. They started down the hall, "Your uncle had injuries from some falling debris," Carter said after a moment. "We had to open his skull to relive pressure on his brain as well as repair internal damage. He was very lucky, if the debris had hit at a slightly different angle, it might have damaged his spine."
"Will he be okay?" Laura asked.
"He's survived so far," Doctor Carter said, "we put him in a medically induced coma to allow his body to start healing. We'll bring him out of it in a few days and that will tell us how Peter is doing."
"CODE BLUE!" Someone shouted as Claudia dashed past them and into Talia's room.
Laura ran after her, only to be stopped by another nurse, "What's happening?" She asked.
"You can't go in there," the nurse said.
"That's my mom," Laura said, "what's happening?"
"You need to calm down," the nurse said.
"What's going on?" Laura demanded.
"Mom!"
Derek ran by and Laura lunged to grab him, "Hold on Derek," she said, pulling him to the ground with her.
"Mom," Derek said.
Laura tangled her legs in Derek's, holding him to her as they listened to the doctors and nurses realizing what they both knew. Talia Hale was dead.
"Derek," Laura hissed, "I need your help."
"Alpha," Derek whispered.
"They can't see it," Laura said. "Help me get to the bathroom before its too late, okay?"
Derek nodded, "Let's go."
They scrambled up and Derek gripped her hand, "Where's the bathroom?" He asked the hovering nurse.
"Just down the hall," she said.
Laura kept her eyes closed as Derek dragged her down the hall and through a door. "It's a single room," Derek said.
Laura opened her eyes and stared around her through the red haze of the wolf. "Keep talking," she said.
"I was thinking about New York," Derek said quickly, "ever since you got in. It has to be amazing, all the buildings and the shows. But I never could understand why you wanted to leave the preserve. Dad- Dad said you needed to find out for yourself what was out there, and you would come back ready to do what you can. You told Mr. Whittemore you wanted me to go to New York, and I'm scared. I don't know how to live in a city, but you'll be there."
Laura let her attention turn inward, trusting her brother to keep talking while she wrestled with her inner self. The wolf was growing stronger, and Laura needed to make sure she didn't get out of control before they left the hospital. She knew she would have to go to their backup space for the full moon already. The wolf was too angry, to wracked with grief for her to control it on the full moon. But for now, she could tighten her grip and ride the tiger.
"All right," Laura said, she looked at Derek, "better?"
"Your eyes aren't red," Derek said.
"Good," Laura hugged him tight. "And Derek, we'll be fine in New York. Mom and Dad leased a house outside the city for when I needed to get outdoors for a run, it's in the middle of a forest, just like here. We'll figure everything out when we get there."
"Okay," Derek said.
"Let's go out there," Laura said. "We can't hide forever."
"I wish we could," Derek whispered.
"We're Pack," Laura said and pressed a kiss to Derek's temple. "We'll be fine together." They let go of each other and stepped back. "All right," Laura said. "We're Hale Pack, and this is our territory. We are royalty even if they don't know it and we will act like it." She gripped Derek's shoulders, "Are you ready?"
Derek nodded, "I'm ready."
Laura opened the door and they stepped out. She squared her shoulders and approached the hovering group, "How is my mother?" She asked quietly.
"I'm sorry," one of the men said. "We couldn't bring her back. She was so badly burned though."
Laura nodded and let Derek grip her hand. "Our lawyer, Dave Whittemore, will see to everything." She looked to Carter, "You were telling us about Peter, Doctor Carter?"
"He's survived this long," Doctor Carter said, looking nervous under the intense scrutiny of everyone. "We're going to keep him in a coma for at least a day to let the healing started. After that, we'll allow him to come out of the coma." He hesitated, "We can't predict how he'll be when that happens. We've been able to see enough brain activity to tell us that he's not brain dead, but he could be catatonic or he could be perfectly fine."
Laura nodded again. "We want every care to be given to him. The Hale family has money and I can't think of a better use for it." She wondered what these people thought of her, but she couldn't care. She had to wrap ice around her heart, had to be strong to keep Derek strong. The pack had to be strong because the Alpha was strong. She couldn't let anyone see her react to anything now. There were enemies out there, people who would love to see the linage of Hale fall and become no more.
She would have to run with Derek, and hope that New York City would be far enough. Then she would have to find a partner and a pack and prepare them for coming back here, to rebuild the Hale legacy into something to be proud of once again.
Laura pulled Derek with her, "We need to go," she said. Her car was at the high school, she would need that. There was so much they were going to need, but she needed to get Derek out of there, let him go to ground for a bit to heal and prepare the backup site for the full moon.
Keeping Derek close to her, Laura hurried back to the front entrance. Derek whined under his breath when they got on the elevator. "Laura, you're holding on too hard." He whispered.
"Sorry," Laura said and eased up her grip a bit.
She led Derek over to the front desk, "May I borrow your phone?" She asked the nurse.
"If you were looking to call me, I just got here."
Laura jerked back and stared at Deputy Stilinski, "Hi," she said, pushing her hair out of her face. "Deputy, I was…" she hesitated.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Laura bit her lip, wishing he wasn't so nice. It was hard to be Alpha Hale when he was looking at her like that. "I need a ride back to the school," she said, "my car is still there."
"Are you okay?"
"I appreciate that you're concerned," Laura said, "but I need to get my car. If you're still offering your guest room, then we'll be there this evening. There are things that have to be done."
"Laura," Stilinski said.
"My mother just died, Deputy," Laura said. "I have to do this. You don't understand, you're not a Hale. There are things that have to be done. Now, are you giving me a ride back to the school, or am I calling a ride."
"I'll drive you," Stilinski said.
"Thank you," Laura said calmly.
They were driving to the school when Laura sighed, "I'm sorry, Deputy. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I just, I'm trying to remember everything I have to do and I'm not sure I remember everything."
"It's all right," Stilinski said. "When… when my wife passed away, I felt the same way."
When they got to the school, Laura looked at Derek, "Are you staying with me?"
Derek nodded and followed her out of the car. "I'm serving lasagna at six," Stilinski said, "Stiles and I look forward to having you."
"Thank you," Laura said with a shaky smile, "we'll be there."
It was strange to drive away from school at lunchtime. She hadn't skipped school all year, wanting to prove to her mother that she could be responsible enough to go to New York City to go to school.
Derek was silent in the passenger seat, but that was okay. Laura knew that he would need some time to be quiet. "We're going to the fall back site," Laura said, unwilling to let silence fall between them. "We need to make sure it's still secure for the moon."
Derek made a questioning noise.
"I'm not sure how we'll react," Laura said, "and it's too soon to test anything. We'll use the site, so you'll know where it is, and then we have some other things to do. We're going to need clothes too. We'll pick something up after we leave the site today. We also need to get you a suit. We might need to go before the judge, and the less we look like homeless kids the better."
Derek growled under his throat.
"No, we're not homeless," Laura agreed, "not that way. I'm going to call a realtor tomorrow and see about locating a house for us to stay in for the summer."
It wasn't until they got to the site that Derek actually spoke, "A rail station?"
"It's abandoned," Laura replied, "it's been abandoned for years. Come on, I'll show you where we'll be." They slid out of the car and she led him to the one building with a basement. "I guess they were thinking about a subway or something," she said, "watch your step."
The stairs were rickety, but Laura could already smell what had been stored here. By the time they were in the basement, Laura could almost feel like it was home. "This is where we'll stay?" Derek asked.
"We'll have to be restrained," Laura said as she headed for one of the trunks. "I hate to say it, but we shouldn't take any chances this time. Next time, we'll be better able to control ourselves."
"And after that?" Derek asked.
"After that, we'll be in New York and there will be plenty of places we can go to run together." Laura opened the trunk and stared at the restraints.
"Do you think Peter is going to be okay?" Derek asked.
"I think it's going to take a very long time for him to be okay," Laura said, "and we have to be prepared for that. We have to plan as if it's just going to be the two of us." She closed the trunk.
"But, packs don't even count if there's only two." Derek said.
"We'll rebuild," Laura said, "but it can't be here. The hunters are too close here. We stay long enough to let the humans have their show and then we go."
"We hide until it's safe," Derek said.
"Exactly," Laura said. "Now, we need clothes, and there's lasagna waiting. Tomorrow, we'll do more." She had to keep Derek moving. When Paige had died, their mom had kept Derek moving and thinking until he could do it alone. Now it was her turn. Keeping Derek going would give her something to think about.
The full moon was rough for her. Laura had expected it, but to find herself caught up in the wolf so thoroughly shocked her almost as much as the amount of grief and rage she felt. Derek had been right beside her, letting go enough to scream his pain in a way he couldn't as a human.
The week had been difficult. Stiles was loud even when he didn't mean to, and Laura kept hearing Stilinski talking to people on the phone, discussing her and Derek. He was worried for them, but Laura knew he didn't understand. He kept waiting for her to cry, but he couldn't hear her howl.
At least Dave had come through on the rest of it. They had an apartment to stumble into after the moon was set. They had money if they needed it. Peter was still in ICU, but the doctors were hopeful that he'd wake up. They were certain he'd survive. Survival meant that in time, he could heal. Werewolves would heal from anything that didn't kill them instantly. They would just have to wait for him, to see what else would come back.
Dave had also managed to get her custody of Derek.
Now all they needed was a place in New York City, a place big enough for them to build a pack. The cabin was big enough for training, but the pack needed so much more than that. They needed a home. Dave would never understand her looking for a mansion for two kids.
Then the phone call came.
"Laura Hale," Laura said carefully.
"Alpha Hale?" An unfamiliar voice said.
"Yes," Laura said, "I am."
"I heard that you were looking for places to live in New York City. My name is Frank Wyatt, I'm a real estate agent, and a friend of a friend of your mother." The man said.
"How did you get this number? It's not listed," Laura said, looking at Derek as he came in from her bedroom.
"Your mother's emissary gave it to me," Frank said. "Are you looking for a place in New York?"
"I am," Laura said, "are you an emissary?"
"Not exactly," Frank replied, "I've got family who are, I just never had that spark. What kind of place are you looking for."
"Some place safe," Laura said, "I'm going to NYU, so I need to be able to get there easily. Derek doesn't like to be crowded. Some place big. We can authorize five million, but I'd rather not spend that much. I need a study space, and privacy, but it has to be a home for people."
"It's just two of you," Frank said.
"Not for long," Laura replied as she watched Derek move around the kitchen.
Judge Michael Lancaster was an old man with old-fashioned ideas. Laura hoped she could convince him to let her have her way.
"Ms. Hale," the Judge said, "are you sure you want to do this?"
"Your honor," Laura replied, standing up, "the Hale family has a history with this town. More than that, we've had a history of our own, going back to the Dark Ages. There has been one thing that is always true. The Family stands together. I will do anything to protect my brother. I will not give him up. There are too many ghosts and too many demons in Beacon Hills for us to remain here now. We have a home waiting for us in New York City. I have a college education, and Derek has access to some of the best private schools available. Money isn't an issue. Love is not an issue. The only issue Derek and I have for staying together is the one that will exist if you decided to deny me guardianship."
"Peter Hale," the Judge began.
"Is catatonic," Laura said. "The doctors don't think he will ever become aware of the world again. The only family Derek has is me, and I will not let him go."
"Ms Hale," the Judge said, "I have made my decision." Laura glanced at Derek, who was staring at her wide-eyed. "It is my considered opinion, given the way you have answered every question put to you that I have to grant custody of Derek Hale to Laura Hale. May the two of you remain a loving family."
Laura barely heard the crack of the gravel as she threw herself into Derek's arms. "We did it," she whispered.
"Ms Hale," the Judge said. Laura turned to look at him, leaving one arm around Derek. "I know you intend to move to New York soon. I suggest when you get there that you find someone to talk to. You have been through a terrible tragedy and you need to talk."
"I will," Laura said.
Laura dropped her head on her desk and wondered why she had thought this was a good idea. Two weeks into her first year at NYU and she was still lost in Algebra.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Laura looked up into a pair of blue eyes and she blinked, "Huh?"
"Are you okay? Class is over."
Laura blinked, and recognized one of the younger, and more eager boys in class. "I'm okay," she said as she closed her math book. "Just wondering why I thought taking math right away was a great idea."
The boy laughed, "That excited about it?"
Laura stared at him for a moment, "I'm going to go home and my brother is going to steal my text book because it's more interesting, more interesting than the math he's learning at the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering. Math is not my subject."
"Well," the boy said, "I'm Justin, and math is one of my best subjects. Would you like a study buddy?"
Laura blinked and sniffed delicately before she put her books away. "That would be nice. It's a little embarrassing to have my sixteen year old brother tutor me."
"Well, how do you feel about a seventeen year old stranger?"
For the first time in almost three months, Laura wanted to laugh.