Freya sat as comfortably as she could in the back of the old yellow cab. She was watching the trees fly by. The windows were open; the driver had said something about the air not working. She hadn't felt the need to argue with him. Her fire red hair whipped around her face, and she was constantly pushing it out of her face. The driver had 70's music playing fairly loudly through the speakers.
"Where am I dropping you off kid?" the driver yelled over the music. "Cause we're getting closer to your stop."
"Huh, hold on one second," she told him.
Freya reached into her purse and pulled out a large envelope. Reaching inside, she maneuvered around the stack of cash to grab the letter from the bottom. She put the envelope back in her back and unfolded the letter slowly. It had creases in it from being folded and unfolded repeatedly, but she could still make out the words.
Freya,
The Alpha has been taken care of. I think that it's safe for you to join me in Beacon Hills. Use the money to get here however you see fit. Tell me when you will be here and I will meet you at the high school.
Derek.
"Could you take me to their high school?" Freya asked.
"I can do that," the man said.
"Thank you."
She folded the letter back up and put it back in her purse. A smile crossed her face as she leaned her head against the door, gazing out at the passing trees and playing with the crystal that hung around her neck.
It was time to be reunited with family.
It was getting dark by the time the cabbie finally pulled up in front of the school. Freya grabbed the envelope filled with money out of her purse, tossed it to him, thanking him for driving her so far, and told him to pop the trunk. She then quickly climbed out the cramped backseat and grabbed her large black suitcase out of the trunk.
"Where's your ride?" the cabbie asked as she walked up on the sidewalk next to the cab.
"He's here." Freya pointed to the figure standing off a ways. "He must have parked round back. Thanks again."
With that, she walked away from the cab, pulling her suitcase behind her. She heard the cab pull away from the curb. And when she saw the taillights start to get smaller, she took off running towards the figure. At a certain point, when she got closer to the figure, she let her suitcase and purse fall to the ground.
"Derek!" she yelled as she flung herself into his arms. The man's arms wrapped around her, and he pulled her into a tight hug. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," Derek told her. "It's been weird not having you around to take care of."
"Excuse me, I can take care of myself," Freya told him as she let go of him. "If there's anything I learned from you and Laura, it would be that."
Derek laughed. It was small, but Freya had learned over living with him for several years, sometimes, that was all you would get. She quickly went back, grabbing her things, and then the two began walking down the dark sidewalk of Beacon Hills.
"How was your time in Colorado?"
"It was okay," Freya said. "It was just weird living with a different pack. Tessa's pack is huge, so that took some getting used to."
"Yah."
"I wish I could have been here with you and Laura."
"I know, but it was safer for you to be in Colorado."
"Safer my butt!" Freya told him.
"Freya..."
"Yah, yah I know. Laura's orders."
Silence fell between the two as they walked.
"Did you bury her somewhere nice?" Freya asked softly.
"Yah. Underneath some weeping willows on the property."
"I want to go see her tomorrow."
"I think that can be arranged."
"Thanks."
"Anything for my girl."
Freya smiled up at him sadly. He wrapped one arm around her as they continued walking.
He knew loosing Laura was hard for her. She had already lost so many people in her life, so many family members. But that was the beauty of a pack, he had told her. Being in a pack meant you always had family, no matter what. And he had been right. The Hale pack wasn't big, but it was a family. They had taken her in, taken care of her when the hunters had killed her real mother. Laura had taken care of her, but she was the Alpha. So responsibility to take care of Freya had fallen to Derek and herself. And Freya couldn't have asked for a better father figure. Derek may not have been good at the emotional stuff, but he had tried. And that was all Freya had asked for.
"Thanks," Freya whispered, "for everything."
"No problem kiddo."