«Evy», Ella said, «I can't find my stuff. Where are my boxes?". I looked at the mess we'd made of placing our boxes in our new home. When we left our old house it seemed like we'd left almost everything behind. All those little things, all those valuable memories seemed to be too much to carry back. But coming back to Beacon Hills, coming back to our first home, would be enough to restore any nostalgic feeling – but now that I really got to look around it seemed like there really wasn't much left behind. "I put your boxes in the kitchen. Are you settling in alright?" I asked hoping that my little sister didn't despise me too much for making her move across the country. "Oh. Well, yeah, I think it's OK. It feels a bit uncomfortable though. Like we're forgetting them by just moving on", a tear welled up in her eye as she answered. "I think they'd be happy that we moved back. We all grew up here, and I think they'd like to pass their childhood memories on. Besides, this is all we've got now, Ella. And it's the closest we'll get to family", I said looking at the crib which was temporarily placed in front of me, in the living room. Beacon Hills was the only home for me, and I knew that even though she'd have to leave her previous life, Ella would be thrilled to reconnect with her old friends, her best friends. "I got to start unpacking the rest, would you keep an eye for me", I said as I got up from our new couch to start unpacking our life once again.

"Morning, sweety", I said as Ella walked in the kitchen. "We're leaving in a half an hour". "Uhm.. Do I have to come? I mean, I could stay here and.. Continue unpacking", she said trying to avoid eye-contact. "I thought you'd be excited to see your best friend again – why don't you want to come?", Ella looked like she'd eat dirt rather than answering me. "I just.. I don't think I'd know what to say. I mean.. I just need a day back without distractions to wrap my head around all this", she excused herself. "Sure, of course, I'm sorry – moving back is great, it's the best, but under the worst circumstances", I finished. It had been months since the accident, but it hadn't really gotten any better. I hoped that coming back to old friends might be better. I guess there's only one way to find out.

(KNOCK KNOCK)

"I'm not getting that", I could hear the voice of the innocent rug-rat through the door. A tall man, greyer looking than I can remember stood in the doorway with his mouth wide open. "Evelyn Hallock! Oh my! What are you.. I mean you weren't coming back before December!", he said as he reached out for a hug. "We decided we'd been away long enough. We missed you Mr. Stillinsky", I said teary eyed as I hugged him. "Evy? EVY? Is that you?!", I expected the same 14-year old to greet me. My mistake. "Stiles! Whoa. What happen to you? You look. Well, honey, you're grown up!", I said surprised at how grown up, and handsome that boy had become. The teen leaped towards me, throwing his arms around me. "I've missed you. I've missed Ella. Where is she?" he asked searching for my little sister behind me. "She's not here. She had to stay back and unpack the rest of our stuff. But she said she misses you!" I added on to what Ella wanted me to say. "But I did bring another little Hallock for you though" I said as I rolled the stroller from the porch in to the house. The little baby beamed at all the attention he was getting as Stiles reached down to pick him up. "Whoa, you weren't this big in the pictures, little man" Stiles said in a rather childish voice. "He looks just like his father" the sheriff said as we walked in the kitchen leaving Stiles and the baby in the living room, parked in front of some Disney movie on the TV. "I think he looks more like his mother, that big smile and those green eyes" I trailed off looking at the floor. "I'm so sorry to hear about Bryan, and Laura" he added. " I know I never met her, but I knew she meant a lot to you both. And all of this stuff lately and her uncle being the one to…" he mumbled as he spoke those last words. "How are you? How is Ella? This can't be easy on any of you. To lose a friend is hard enough, but to lose Bryan too. And in such a terrible accident" he said laying one hand on my shoulder. To all the inquiring minds my brother died in a car accident. To those who knew more – the truth was much worse than any accidental death. How do you tell someone that your brother died from trying to avenge his partner, his mate? "We're getting by. It's better now, being home and having you around" I said with a weak attempt to smile. "Well, I guess you've gone to see Derek Hale then? With the baby? Did that go well? I mean, he's not the easiest human being to communicate with…" Mr. Stilinsky continued. "What? No. I haven't had contact with him. Apparantly he lives upstate, I haven't found any contact information. And Laura never really mentioned exactly where he lives. I've never actually met him" I answered as I saw Stiles' head pop in the kitchen. He walked in with the baby hugging his neck. Stiles looked surprised , a tad worried though there was a hint of irony in his eyes. "Evy, Hale moved back to Beacon Hills after Laura died. He's been here ever since. As far as I know he spends his days out by the old Hale house. Probably fixing it up or something" the Sheriff explained. My mind froze for a second, not ready to process this new information. Laura's brother lives in Beacon Hills? The complicated thought took its time to find its way to my brain. "Uhm, I.. He lives here? Well, where? I didn't know Laura when we lived here. I met her by coincidence a few months after we left Beacon Hills" I explained. The sheriff obviously thought the Hallock-Hale bond went beyond Laura being my friend, and my brother becoming her partner. I guess if we were a regular family I probably would have met Derek before, but not once since I'd become friends with Laura had she ever introduced me to her brother. "I could show you" Stiles interrupted. "Yeah, you know since you're so busy all the time" he said as if he was doing his father a favor. Mr. Stilinsky stared at the boy intensely as if he was evaluating the situation – as if Stiles needed permission to help my find Hale. "I guess if you and Evy went together it wouldn't be a problem, but no trouble" he warned. "I don't want to arrest my own son" he continued. I was lost but the shock of finding out Laura's brother lived here stopped me from questioning the Stilinskys about their peculiar behavior.

"So could we stop by your place first? Ella can't hide for long" Stiles said smiling to himself. "Well, I was thinking maybe, if you know Derek, like personally. Maybe you could invite him to our place? I just think it could get weird if I just walk up to him. If we're at my place then at least he could leave if things got too difficult" I said trying not to give away any of my well-reasoned worries. Though I thought that was a clever way of expressing my qualms Stiles seemed to think about it, as if he understood me entirely. "What.. Why are you looking like you're thinking about something? It scares me" I half joked. "I just think Scott knows Derek a bit better, and should be the one to deliver the invite. I could text him the address to your place, he could meet us there?" Stiles suggested, the hyperactivity in him apparently boiling up, growing inside of him like he was trying to hold back his thoughts.

"Ella", I called out to my little sister as her feet appeared at the top steps of the staircase. "I was forced to bring a surprise" I said apologetically knowing that she had wanted to see Stiles in her own time. I sort of knew that her relationship with Stiles always had been marked with their own weird way of doing things. They used to be inseparable. Scott also being one of the tight trio, but Ella was never as close to him as she was to Stiles. Stiles used to be her #1 person in the whole world. "I'm going to Stiles' place, surprise him or something" she mumbled as her thin legs became more apparent. She had obviously cracked open the box labeled "Fancy/Nice/Summer" as her outfit matched every description on the box. Her short, white dress with flowers on made her look even more grown up then she already looked. "BEAT CHA TO IT", Stiles laughed as he half ran up the stairs. "Whoa", he stopped a couple steps in front of her. I could see the male in him work hard not to blurt out anything else. "You've changed" he said in a small voice. "She's a woman now" I said seeing Ella turn a bright shade of red. "So have you" Ella replied Stiles as she reached down and tucked her head between his neck and shoulder. And we're safe, I thought to myself as I saw Ella finally feel at home for the first time in a long time.

"Anyone home?" the brown eyed teen asked as he rushed in the house. "Good god, kid. Steroids are not safe" I laughed as I saw how well-built Scott had become over the time I was gone. "Evyyyyyy" he called as he hugged me. My whole body went tense - a second later so did his. I could smell it – so could he. I looked into the brown eyes that flashed for a moment before my own eyes involuntarily flashed.