This was not what she was used to. This was definitely not on her to-do-list. Yet somehow Derek Hale had managed to talk her into this ridiculously uneventful afternoon.

Braeden was sitting in front of the TV, waiting, trying not to look too bored.

'What's the hold up?' She shouted when Derek failed to show after a few minutes.

'Coming!' Came his voice from somewhere, distant, distorted. Braeden frowned. She turned around on the couch and reached for the weapon she was always wearing at her hip. A few moments later footsteps banged on the stairs and Derek came into sight, carrying a large box. The hunter relaxed her grip on the reassuring metal of the gun but her face was still knitted into a frown.

'Don't look so grumpy.' The werewolf commented.

'What's in the box?' She asked without acknowledging his remark.

'Movies!' He declared, happily. 'Christmas movies! I knew I had them somewhere, hidden away in the basement so I dug them up!'

'Great.' Was her only comment.

'Come on, you promised you'd try.' He said, a little less cheerful, a little more annoyed.

'Fine. I'll try.' Braeden gave in. She had promised after all. Derek's smile returned to his face and he opened the box.

'Let's find something then!' He emptied the box on the table.

For a moment they both stared at the contents, scattered across the table. Derek seemed to be thinking really hard while Braeden rolled her eyes more than once.

'You do realize that these are…'

'Yeah, I know.' He replied curtly.

'And you don't have a…'

'Uhuh.'

'Then these are useless...'

'Yes, thank you, I get that.'

A very unhappy Derek Hale was examining his collection of VHS tapes. He had forgotten about this very important detail when thinking up this romantic plan for a date. All he had on DVD were action movies and though he didn't doubt for a second that it would get Braeden into a very agreeable mood, he had wanted something a little different for today. A little more homey, a little more cozy. It was snowing outside and he had finally managed to convince her to do this with him.

'The video store downtown is still open at this hour.' He said after a while. 'I'll go rent a movie.'

For once she didn't say anything. Half an hour later he strode through the door, Jim Carrey's Grinch in hand. An unsure smile played around his lips but to his relief Braeden was sitting on the couch, looking at him expectantly.

They put in the DVD and he did his best to snuggle up with the hunter. To his surprise she seemed to welcome this newfound idea of cuddling and laid her head against his shoulder while the movie started. He laid a hand around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

Braeden hadn't anticipated this. This was not what she was used to. But that one moment when she saw Derek's plans crumble, despair creeping into the tiniest corner of his mind, something fell into place in hers. That is why she hadn't resisted his altered plan, that is why she had waited, patiently, for him to return. That is why she was sitting here, drawing closer and closer, enjoying the simple pleasure of feeling his warm body next to hers. In that moment when she realized she had been looking forward to this afternoon as much as he had been, she realized one very important and terrifying thing.

She was falling in love with Derek Hale.