Chapter 1: First Meetings.

She tried her best to ignore the bitterness that welled in her throat. Despite how often she looked, there was no sign of who she waited for. She could feel the gaze of the ticket worker but refused to acknowledge it. In a desperate bid, she juggled the drinks and snacks in her hold so she could reach for her phone.

Sent to: Beth

6:45 pm: Where are you?

6:50 pm: The movie is soon to start!

7:00 pm: Dammit Beth. I better be wrong about why you're late.

7:05 pm: Fine.

7:10 pm: I hope he was worth the fuck.

Out of frustration she shoved her phone back into her pocket. She marched her way to the nearest bin and dumped the second drink in her hand. Following that she took the second movie ticket and threw it away too. It did little to improve her mood, but it gave her a small measure of satisfaction. She was tempted to leave and go home right then and there. Though to do so would mean she just wasted a good amount of money for nothing. She chewed on her straw and roughly presented her ticket.

"Got stood up huh?" the worker sympathized.

She only grunted in reply and juggled her snacks for a better hold.

"Don't worry about it man. There's plenty of fish in the sea."

She hummed in response and snatched the clipped ticket from his hands. If it were any other day, one where she wasn't in a foul mood, she would have laughed. She probably would have corrected him on what happened. Maybe, she would have even felt flattered that he'd assumed her to be on a date. In a way it was a compliment; the fact he assumed she had enough of a social life to even get a date. Today was not one of those days and she did not do any of that. All thanks to stupid Beth who had begged and pleaded but didn't even show.

When she looked about for a seat, her mood had grown even heavier. Just thinking about her supposed friend and why she'd not shown up pissed her off. It was probably why she was drawn to him. Despite the crowded room and collective pairing of couples, he sat alone. He wore a glare so fierce, she's pretty sure King Kong would turn tail and run. In a room full of bubbly pink pheromones of love and affection, he was a black hole of gloom. Everyone went out of their way to avoid going anywhere near him. As such the entire back row of seats were empty save for him.

He looked exactly how she felt.

With that in mind she marched her way to sit. As if sensing her intentions, his glare turned towards her and seemed to increase its intensity. On a small scale she found their green shade distracting and if she'd been in a better mood she might have complimented them. Instead she met his glare face on and pointedly parked her butt into the seat beside him.

"Hope you don't mind."

He said nothing for a few more seconds. It was a battle of wills and she was by no means going to back down. Soon enough he dismissed her, turned his face forward and ignored her. She couldn't help but grin a little at the small victory.

She didn't mind being ignored. It gave her time to observe him without care. He was wide shouldered, something the leather jacket he wore only emphasized. The beard on his cheeks looked rough and gave him a rather feral persona. He was unfairly attractive, probably the wet dream fantasy of many women.

She stuffed a handful of popcorn into her mouth, chewing noisily. She saw how his eye twitched and it made her grin. Perhaps the night wouldn't be as bad as she originally thought.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

There were many other things Derek could have been doing. He could have been at home; He could be training; He could even be out patrolling or on a run. Instead, he's wasting a precious Friday babysitting the pack's baby beta. If Scott wasn't the Alpha, Derek would have happily shown the teen all the ways he wanted to say no.

"Popcorn?"

Derek tensed his jaw and mentally counted to ten. He turned his most intimidating glare on his unwanted seat partner. The stranger had the audacity to shrug and simply go back to noisily eating. He blamed Stiles. All of this was Stiles fault. It didn't matter that the jittery teen had to babysit Malia for the full moon. Derek was stuck here, suffering through the baby beta's date as his hidden chaperone; all because Stiles couldn't handle both the baby wolf and his coyote girlfriend. The baby beta had been fine through the last four full moons; just because he was nervous about his date didn't mean he needed Derek.

Derek looked over to where Liam and his date were seated. He saw no signs of a shift which only furthered his irritated mood. The two teens looked like every other hormonal teenage couple on a date. It only made Derek feel even more like a creeper. He seriously needed to start hanging out with more adults than teenagers. A hard thing to do when his pack was filled with them.

Again, his unwanted seat mate distracted him. This time he was wiggling about relentlessly. It was too dark for Derek to properly discern any of the guy's features. Other than the baggy clothes and worn baseball cap, he looked like every other teen. Although Derek got the feeling the guy was out of high school. It was the way he looked at the other teens in the room; as if they were children. Unable to take the constant shuffling any longer, Derek glared fiercely and growled out a low 'stop' through his teeth.

For a second it seemed to have worked, but then he started to bounce his leg. Derek snarled and gripped his leg tightly to make it stop. Only by the light of the large screen was Derek able to see the sheepish grin the stranger gave.

"Ugh, I'm sorry alright. It's just….. This movie is so shit I'm on the verge of throwing up in my mouth."

Derek stares hoping he'll get the hint and see Derek's not at all interested. Instead, he mistakes it as an invitation for conversation and twists to be more comfortable.

It really wasn't an invite.

"We all get it, alright. In every Romance movie you get a guy and a girl. They meet fall in love, go through some rough patches, and then they sort their shit out; confess their love and ride off and get hitched," The stranger flopped back into his chair and huffed.

"I hate movies like these. They're predictable and pointless. It really pisses me off you know? Even worse is watching horny teens enjoy it as well."

Derek really didn't ask.

It doesn't end there, by the time the movies halfway through, his seat mate is still talking. Reluctantly, Derek is slowly coming to learn more about the stranger. He hates romantic films; the idea of romance; couples and their PDA. He doesn't believe in happy endings and above all else; he hates friends who threaten friends to see movies with them only to ditch them for a cheating ex. Then he switched to thoroughly dissing the film on screen. He criticized the filming calling it crappy and amateur; insulting the horrid acting and shallow portrayal of the characters. Derek had been unwillingly shown five mistakes that showed crappy editing.

By the time the film reached its most climatic part, Derek was completely unaffected by any of the 'movie magic' cast. He marvels at the fact he hasn't marched right out of the place and called it quits. In an odd way his seat mate's rants were kind of funny. He looked over to check on Liam like he'd been doing occasionally and saw no change. Derek realized it wasn't really as horrid a time as he thought and figured he might as well keep listening to the rants of his strange seat neighbor.

It took him awhile to realize the stranger was much too quiet. He looked over and noticed he was staring at a couple one row in front. Derek tries to figure out why they've caught his attention but gives up after a few seconds. He was pretty sure the guy didn't know them; and it's that curiosity that prompts him to ask what he's staring at. The stranger frowns and stuffs a bit more popcorn in his mouth.

"That guy…. He has no idea what's waiting him."

Derek only raised his brows and waited for a little more elaboration.

"While they look totally smitten and bound to get hitched, after tonight that won't be the case."

"How can you tell?" Derek grunted out of curiosity, though he'd never admit it.

His seat mate takes a long sip of his drink and frowns with disgust.

"I stood behind them in the snack cue. The guy is cheating and has a girl on the side. He's been playing her off as his mom texting the whole night. He's also not that subtle with his ogling of anything in a skirt. The jokes on him though cause the girl totally knows. She's planning some major vengeance, overheard her telling her sister in the bathroom."

He doesn't stop there. He starts to point out various people in the theater and explaining their lively hoods. At first Derek thought it entertaining, but then he tells Derek just how he's so sure. The more he talks the more Derek begins to understand and believe him. The couple to the left four rows down were happily married; obvious by the way they touched and minor other gestures. The 20 something year old in row three was going to propose to his girlfriend.

There were others but Derek was growing tense with each person explained. The stranger beside him knew too much, was too sure and informed. Derek attempted to scent the stranger and only managed to register a confusing mix of smells. Sooner than he expected the credits are rolling and he still had nothing. Out of frustration and mild paranoia, Derek jumps out of his seat and looks for Liam and his date. He only relaxes once he spots them.

"Oof! Geez dude where the fire?"

Derek tensed at the word 'fire' but shook it off just as quick. He looked down at the sprawled form of his seat mate. He'd startled him with his abrupt standing and caused him to fall. It was the only reason he offered assistance.

"You need help?"

"Nah. I'm good, just knocked my hat off. Could you get it for me?"

Derek grunted and rolled his eyes but bent to grab the hat anyway.

"Thanks mate."

When he turned to pass it over, the green eyed wolf simply froze. Before, it had been too dark to really make out any elaborate features. Which is why Derek assumed it was a rather feminine male sitting beside him. How was he to know it was in fact a woman when she was wearing baggy male clothes? Thank god he never addressed her out loud.

As she reached for her hat, her attention was occupied elsewhere. Which meant she didn't catch Derek blankly marveling at her. She was not as young as he originally thought, in fact she was maybe just a year or two younger than him. The doe eyed shape of her eyes only brought more attention to its brilliant honey brown color. Derek was reminded of the warm summer season; she was pale but a milk cream shade that looked rather soft. Along with her hair, a dark rich brown that unfurled in curls and waves; Derek couldn't figure out how he couldn't have smelled her gender.

He was brought out of his thoughts when she spoke, sounding rather hesitant.

"I know it's not any of my business. I've annoyed you enough for the night as it is but….."

Derek followed her gaze and tensed when he realized she was looking at Liam and his date.

"He looks like a nice kid. I'm not gonna try and guess how you know him, but it's obvious you care. Despite the mafia mobster vibe you're giving off."

Derek chose to ignore that last bit. The strange girl suddenly seemed serious when she next spoke.

"The girl he's with is hiding something. Be wary of her."

Derek looked at Liam's date and tried to see what she saw. He didn't know much about how Liam met her, or even who she was. At most he thought she was a strange mix of Lydia and Allison. A feisty attitude and fashion sense similar to Lydia but a Disney persona like Allison. If he thought about it, that just might be why Scott was okay with Liam going on this date. Derek sincerely hoped this wasn't a sign of history repeating itself.

"She smiles too much; her fingers twitch every time he touches her. When he's not looking her eyes turn cold. During the movie she constantly turned her head to survey the room. She's keeping him at a distance and her laugh is a tad too light to be real."

Derek now looked at the strange girl at his side. More than ever did he want to know why she would tell him such things?

"She doesn't actually like your boy and is probably using him for something," the strange girl concluded.

"You expect me to believe you?" he scoffed with an arched brow.

She gave him an amused smirk and huffed out a light laugh.

"Call it what you want; a favor; an apology for spoiling your night. I just thought you'd like to know. A good kid like that shouldn't know what the pain of broken heart feels like."

She stuffed her hair under her cap and put it on. The difference was jarring and Derek could understand why he assumed she was male. The baggy clothes made her look small and lean, the hat hid her hair and hid just how feminine her features were. She winked with a teasing smirk on her plump lips and Derek impulsively spoke.

"You never told me your name."

She continued to walk pass him, and he thought she wouldn't answer. Before completely leaving she lifted a hand and carelessly waved.

"If we ever meet again Green Eyes I'll be sure to leave a number in addition."

Just like that she was gone and Derek was alone. He left the theater and searched for Liam and his date. When he found them, he couldn't forget the warning the stranger had given. He shouldn't trust her, there was no reason he should; but he couldn't just ignore it either. Now that she'd pointed it out, Liam's date did seem suspicious.

After everything he and the pack had gone through, he wouldn't be taking any risks.

When he met up with Scott he mentioned how suspicious he found Liam's date. Scott assured him he'd keep an eye on Liam just in case. Derek was just glad he'd manged to only get Scott and not his attached limb. Stiles was the more paranoid half of the duo. The human teen would have demanded every detail of the night which would have meant sharing about his unwanted seatmate. Scott trusted Derek and if he was uneasy, the Alpha would trust it was for good reason.

Why Derek wanted to keep her a secret, he couldn't say. He doubted they would ever meet again and there was no use in dwelling on it. Derek pushed the encounter to the back of his mind and forgot about it for the time being.

(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)

[4 weeks later]

Elizabeth Murdock walked into her kitchen and slammed the connecting door behind her. She stared intensely at the seemingly at ease figure eating at the table. The two girls had been friends for five years and had met at a coffee shop in Paris. It'd been two years since they last saw each other and one year since Beth had moved to Beacon Hills. Fortunately, she lived on the outskirts of town and hadn't been too affected by the animal attacks and killings…. So far at least.

When she heard her friend had plans to visit the town, Beth had eagerly suggested they stay together.

"Are you serious Raiya!?" Beth huffed with annoyance.

Araiya ignored her and continued to spoon porridge into her mouth.

"Rai! Rai, you can't just keep ignoring me!"

The following silence was broken only by the clinking of Araiya's spoon. The two girls had been at odds since Beth stood Araiya up at the movies four weeks ago. Some may consider Araiya's response harsh and an overreaction. Though Araiya strongly disagreed and considered her actions justified. True to her predictions, Beth had ditched her to fuck around with her cheating ex.

"Rai look," Beth sighed before moving to stand directly in front of the other girl.

"I know you don't like Ryan and me getting back together. I get it! But can't you understand and just be happy for me? I love him Rai!" Beth felt something in her head twinge at the admission but brushed it off.

Araiya finally looked up from her bowl and stared at her. The truth is, Araiya couldn't understand and she couldn't be happy for Beth. Not when she had spent hours listening to her cry. Not when she wasted so much effort in trying to help Beth get over the cheating ass. She was disappointed that Beth had so easily caved to the dick head all because he drunkenly begged for a second chance.

"He's an ass Beth," Araiya finally said and Beth clung to her response.

"He made a mistake!"

"I spelled asshole wrong on my spelling test in 6th grade and received an F; because of that I learned a very important lesson; there's no W in Asshole. You see Beth? Despite being spelled wrong Asshole with a w still sounds like Asshole!"

"He learnt his lesson."

Araiya scoffed and rolled her eyes. She stood and went to wash her dish. Beth trailed after her, desperate for Araiya to understand.

"Araiya, you'll always be my best friend but I love him! I love him so much and I can't- I can't give up on us."

Araiya stood stiffly by the sink. She could hear the desperation in Beth's tone but there was a twinge of guilt laced beneath her words. Beth took the silence as a sign to keep talking.

"He asked me to marry him."

The following silence was heavy with tension and Araiya said nothing. Beth hoped that by mentioning that, Araiya would understand just how serious she was about Ryan. Araiya simply said nothing and expressed nothing on her face. She was a blank mask and Beth forced herself to speak.

"We're planning a trip to Vegas for a couple weeks to sort things out. Then we planned to have both the wedding and the honeymoon there. I wanted you to be there with me as my maid of honor."

Araiya scoffed and then slowly she started to laugh with disbelief. Beth felt her heart drop to her stomach with dread. She was foolish to think such news would make Araiya think better of Ryan and her.

"Vegas? Are you shitting me Beth? People don't go to Vegas to sort out their couple issues; they get couple therapy or take a fucking break from each other. Vegas is where strangers get hitched, the rich gamble and all kinds of other crap. My PARENTS got married in Vegas."

Araiya wasn't usually one to get emotional. Beth had never seen her friend react so fiercely before. Araiya was angry, she could feel the emotion bubbling in her gut, urging her to rage. She wanted to find Ryan and threaten him the fuck away from Beth. She wanted to scream at Beth until she started making sense again. She didn't do any of that; instead she focused on her breathing and swallowed the emotion down till she near choked on the feeling.

"I love him Rai. I love Ryan. I love him so much," Beth whispered.

Beth felt the sensation of prickling needles at the base of her neck. At saying the word 'love' her head ached and throbbed. Despite that she never let her gaze fall from Araiya's piercing stare. Ryan had warned her Araiya would act like this. He told her she would do this. The more she thought of Ryan all that he said, the faster her tears gathered in her eyes.

At the sight of her tears, Araiya came to a decision. She took a deep breath and blankly stared at the woman she called friend for five years.

"I can't watch you make the greatest mistake of your life."

Beth felt her breath catch and her gathered tears finally fell.

"Araiya… please," she begged.

"He's going to hurt you. He'll make you cry and break your heart over and over again. You'll forgive him each time and willingly walk into his arms when he apologies. One day he'll do something you just can't forgive and you'll finally try to walk away."

Beth could picture it all so clearly; everything Araiya said painted itself across her mind in vivid colour. Araiya softened her voice and spoke so lowly that if it weren't so quiet Beth might not have heard.

"You'll look around and see the white picket fence; the four children and the happy neighbors all around you. You'll look around and you'll hate it all; and realize you can't walk away from it. Not anymore. Not when you've given so much already to him. You'll look around and then- then you'll stay….because once you loved him… and he killed the girl you used to be. You'll stay and let him kill you over and over again until one day it sticks."

Araiya felt her throat choke and her tongue shrivel at the words she spoke. She could barely stomach the disgust she felt. This time she made a plea of her own, hoping the Elizabeth she knew would answer. Elizabeth Murdock was not a woman who would bend over for a man. The Elizabeth she befriended was stronger than this.

"You're better than that Beth."

There was a beat of silence between the two. Araiya held her breath and hoped to hear the words she wanted. When Beth finally spoke it was with an obvious croak and a shuddering rasp through her tears.

"I love him Raiya."

Araiya swallowed down the hurt and defeat she felt. She ensured she gave no indication of her thoughts or feelings. She felt her heart ache and couldn't bear to be in Beth's presence anymore. The air between them felt suffocating and Araiya felt as if she couldn't breathe.

"I'll be gone in the morning."

Araiya straightened and didn't falter as she left. She didn't look back. She didn't hover. She walked straight for her room and started to pack. She'd be gone in two hours, leaving only a white rose and envelope of cash behind. She had no regrets….. At least that's what she'll tell herself.

Beth watched Araiya leave in silence. She hoped she'd spare a glance back. She yearned for Araiya to come back and hold her. She clung to the desperate hope that Araiya didn't mean what she said. The truth was, Beth knew Araiya so well. She knew that Araiya had been broken by something before they met. She knew that Araiya hadn't lied.

Elizabeth Murdock forced herself to take that one step forward. She felt a piercing sensation at the base of her neck; felt the prickling of ants crawling on the flesh of her brain; the invasion of something wicked whispering in her mind. She felt her throat itch with the need to scream in throat strained horror.

Beth stood in the kitchen alone in silence, even when the front door shut with an audible click.