A/N: Yes, it's the final part! YAY!
-x-
Ba-bum…ba-bum…ba-bum…
Derek wakes slowly.
Ba-bum…ba-bum…
He feels strange for a minute before he realises that it's because he doesn't remember the last time he's felt so relaxed upon waking.
Ba-bum…ba-bum…
Out of habit he inhales deeply, breathing in the scent of the apartment and confirming the lack of threat in the area. When he blinks his eyes open, the first thing he sees is the sharp slash of sunlight streaming through hastily drawn blackout curtains. They're parted through the middle haphazardly, letting in just enough light to let him know that they've definitely slept through the morning.
Ba-bum…ba-bum…
His ears hone in on the steady thump of the heart beating from the warmth draped over his chest and Derek's lips twitch a little as he remembers the events of the night before. They're both naked but for underwear and her softness against him is comforting. He's surprised by the heaviness in his limbs and his reluctance to move. This is different from the others, from Jennifer, from Kate. This feels like something else.
His chest rises and falls as he takes in another deep breath. Leslie doesn't stir against him and he knows that it's because her body's so used to being asleep at this time of the day. Derek dips his nose into her hair and ghosts his lips against her hairline. He takes the opportunity to run his hand over the arm folded atop his chest, encloses her small hand with his larger one and traces his fingers over her knuckles. He brushes the hair back from her shoulder and studies the black lines of her tattoos.
Ba-bum…ba-bum…
The only sound he can hear is the soothing rhythm of her heartbeat. Her breath bathes his skin with warmth as she lets out a contented sigh, and Derek rubs a thumb down her upper arm, briefly distorting the bird silhouettes inked into her skin.
"Mmmm..." she hums, shifting against his left side, legs stretching and toes wiggling against the top of his left foot.
Derek moves his right arm from around her, cups her shoulder despite the awkward angle and digs his fingers into her shoulder blade, working out a knot that he knew would be there.
Leslie purrs again, tucking her face into the space below his chin and exposing her neck and shoulders to more of his touch as she shifts to lie further atop him.
Derek moves his left arm as it is freed from her under her and rubs a hand down her side and then back up again. He drags strong fingers across her upper back and works some gentle pressure into the skin and muscle beneath his hands.
Leslie sighs into his chest. He didn't think it would be possible, but she melts into him even more, boneless, comfortable and perfectly at ease.
"Feels good," she mumbles quietly.
Derek's mouth curves into a small smile. "Good morning to you too, sunshine," he murmurs back.
"Mmm, think it's more like…1," she grumbles, fingers moving to play absently with the necklace she'd given him.
Derek lifts his head to check the digital clock on her bedside and raises an eyebrow at Leslie's accuracy. She literally just pinned the time with her eyes closed.
"How did you…?"
Leslie lets out a long breath, raises a hand to her face and rubs her eyes, nose scrunching adorably as she turns her face back into his chest. "Sixth sense," she answers, still half asleep.
He runs his fingers through her hair, content to just stay still for the next ten hours if she wanted to sleep some more. She stretches against him again before wriggling back to her spot beside him, grabbing for the edge of the blanket and drawing it over them both.
"I always wake up around this time. How else would I see you at the coffee shop," she explains around a yawn, burrowing under the covers and moving back to look at his face.
It feels natural to lean over and drop a quick kiss onto her willing mouth. Leslie grins at him with a pleased look on her face.
"Whu'do you wanna do today?" she singsongs playfully.
Derek shrugs. Sundays are always the best days to stay in bed.
"We coulddd…see a movie? Get some lunch?" Leslie continues thoughtfully.
He's about to tell her that they can do whatever she wants to do when the sound of his phone vibrating from somewhere in the room reaches his ears. Derek considers ignoring it for the time being but then remembers that nobody ever texts him unless it's an emergency. Or Leslie.
He glances back at her and raises a finger for her to hold that thought before slipping out of bed and hunting down his pants.
He finds them at the foot of the bed, right where he'd dropped them the night before. Leslie watches him from where she's tucked comfortably inside the blanket as he leans down and slips his phone out of his pocket. There's a text message from Cora waiting for him and he swipes it open curiously.
Aren't I the bestest sister ever? Say it, Der-bear.
He snorts in amusement and swiftly types back a reply. You're my ONLY sister.
So tell me, am I gonna have the apartment to myself for the rest of theday?
Don't know yet, we just got up. Plans?
Oh, I'm totally not interrupting you two.
Text me if you decide to spend the night again, tho - so I know you aren't dead :)
Derek rolls his eyes even though Cora can't see his face before he types out his next reply.
Will do, Best Sister Ever.
He locks his phone and leaves it on the bedside table before sitting on the edge of the bed beside Leslie.
"Why don't I make us some food. That's if you've got some in your kitchen," he adds teasingly as he rolls himself on top of her and cages her head with his elbows.
"Mmm, I'm pretty sure there's still eggs in the fridge and half a loaf of bread. I do get to the store sometimes," she says with a grin.
Derek plants another quick kiss onto her mouth before retreating to the kitchen.
"Ooh, my brother and I loved this movie," Leslie says as she closes the freezer door and ambles towards where Derek's sprawled on the couch in just his jeans.
His shirt is way too big on her but it doesn't make her look any less cute to him. He raises an arm in welcome and she plops down on the couch beside him, comfortable as always. He inhales deeply as she snuggles against his side, breathing in their combined scents and enjoying the way it soothes him. His wolf purrs with pleasure, content with the feel of Leslie's energy so close to him.
Leslie grins with amusement as she watches the Sanderson Sisters discover the "black river". A moment later the blonde one starts screaming maniacally on the TV, making Derek wince before she stops abruptly.
Leslie giggles before reciting the next few lines along with the witches on the TV. "'tis firm! 'Tis firm as stone! Why-why it's a road!"
The witches on the TV resume their hunt for The Book and Leslie takes a spoonful of the ice cream she'd taken from the freezer and slips it into her mouth.
"Good movie," Derek comments, recalling one Halloween when he and Laura had watched the exact same movie because neither of them had wanted to be without the other that year.
Leslie pulls the spoon out of her mouth and scoffs at him. "Excellent movie," she corrects. She takes another spoonful of ice cream from the tub in her hand and offers it to him. He's never been that much of a sweet tooth but he likes the idea of sharing things with Leslie, so Derek takes the spoon from her and slips it into his mouth. The cream immediately dissolves over his hot tongue, engulfing his mouth in sugary sweetness.
It's amazing how good Cookies and Cream can taste when it comes from someone you like.
-x-
"Ice cream!" Owen announces from the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.
Leslie glances up at her brother and makes grabby hands as she directs her attention back to the TV. Hocus Pocus was always their first movie choice.
"Popcorn's still in the microwave. Where'd you leave the M&M's from last time?" He asks, handing her the tub of Vanilla Choc Chip before ambling back towards the kitchen.
"Pantry, left side," she calls after him before popping a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
She can hear the whirring of the microwave as it counts down the three minutes of popcorn-cooking-time and Owen shuffling around and slamming cupboard doors.
She wriggles her socked feet a little and props them on the coffee table. The matching pair of purple socks splattered with pink ribbons are so bright they're almost blinding.
Life's too short to wear dull socks, anyway.
As she leans back against the cushions, nestling her shoulders deeper into the couch, there's a knock at the front door followed by the doorbell.
Leslie wrinkles her nose and cringes. Who the heck knocks and then rings the doorbell right after?
"Hey, get that, will you!" Her brother orders from the kitchen. Leslie rolls her eyes before pausing the TV, putting the ice cream down and shoving herself off the couch.
Her brother was home from college and they were about to start a long overdue veg-out session so this better be something good.
Another solid knock echoes through the house that prompts her to call out, "coming!"
She slips against the hardwood floors, socked feet smoothing against the surface as she rushes towards the front door.
She's almost all the way down the hall when she glimpses the police car through the windows framing their front door. Its lights are still on and it's parked by the kerb. It makes her slow down a little, warning bells resounding in the back of her mind as her mood dims a little.
When she sees movement on the other side of the door, Leslie slows even more, heart beginning to hammer in her throat and lips losing their smile as she makes out the uniform. Uniforms.
By the time she reaches the front door, she's walking at a snail's pace and all of a sudden she doesn't really want to get the door anymore.
They ring the doorbell again. Knock twice in quick succession.
"Ma'am? Could you open the door, please?"
Leslie takes a second to stare at the door knob she's known all her life before she finally gathers the courage to reach out and turn it.
She holds the door open and stands in the gap it makes, blocking their way into their house.
"Yes?"
"Ma'am, is this the Carroway residence?"
Leslie nods silently, feeling sick to her stomach. Her parents were due back tomorrow and Owen hadn't broken any laws lately, as far as she knew.
"Ma'am, I'm Officer Brown and this is Officer McNally. Is it alright if we come in for a second?"
Leslie grips the door tighter and holds her ground. "What's this all about, please? My brother's been here all day, he didn't egg anyone's house or anything."
She'd heard talk of some college kids running around the neighbourhood the night before, trashing mailboxes and stuff. Maybe that was it.
"No, it's not—" the woman, McNally, interjects with a shake of her head. It's the look on her face that tells Leslie that this has nothing to do with whatever she thinks it is, and the realisation makes her speak before reconsidering.
"My parents," she blurts out. "It's them, isn't it. What happened to my parents?"
"Ma'am, if you would just—"
"What. Happened!"
McNally looks away when Leslie tries to read her face and Officer Brown picks up the slack, draws Leslie's gaze when he shifts from one foot to the other.
"Miss Carroway, there was an accident this morning on the I52. Six car pile up. I'm sorry, but your parents didn't make it."
It feels like all the breath in her body has been sucked out of every pore in her skin.
Her parents.
Mom and Dad.
Mom and Dad are dead.
She doesn't realise she's making noise until the two police officers reach for her at the same time and hold her up by her arms before she can properly hit the ground.
The tears are falling from her eyes and the words coming from her lips meld together into one long string of garbled words.
"Where's my brother? Where's my brother, I want my brother. Owen. Owen! Owen!"
-x-
When he gets home that night, Cora looks up from where she's seated on the couch and grins cheekily at him.
"I like that new look you've got."
Derek raises an eyebrow at her as he drops his keys on the kitchen bench and shrugs off his jacket.
"You know, kind of blissed out and…soft," Cora continues, crossing her arms over her chest and flashing her teeth smugly.
Derek scoffs and shakes his head as he heads to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
Sisters.
"Ooh, better watch it, brother. That was almost a smile!" Cora teases, pushing herself off the couch and bouncing towards the kitchen bench. She leans her elbows against the bar and cranes her neck to get a good look at his face.
Derek leans against the edge of the counter opposite the kitchen bench and ducks his head.
"Come on, you can't just not tell me anything!" Cora whines pathetically. "We're laying low, remember? This is the only highlight of my life!"
"This is not the only highlight of your life. Don't be so dramatic, Cora," he responds before taking a sip of the bottled water in his hand.
And Jesus, he sounded exactly like their mother just then.
Cora sighs and moves to take a seat on one of the bar stools beside her. The playfulness on her face fades a little as Derek finally meets her eyes.
"She's nice," Cora says with a nod. "I think she's good for you."
Derek doesn't say anything but Cora grins at the sight of her brother's smile.
-x-
Seventeen.
Leslie is seventeen and the world was her oyster.
Everything was bright and perfect, and she thought nothing could go wrong.
At seventeen there is nothing much else but homework and friends and family.
At seventeen, when something like this happens, it changes everything. It doesn't feel like the end - it is the end.
It is the endless darkness in front of her, open and gaping and raw. It is the silence that has sealed her mouth shut, glued her tongue to her teeth and taken the urge to speak, or blink, or breathe.
It is the hollowness that has suddenly opened up inside of her. So big and so huge that she has no idea what to do with it. That all she can think to do is try to sit as still as possible, all the time, every day. So that she doesn't shatter into tiny little pieces and float away.
Her parents are dead and she is seventeen.
Leslie is seventeen.
But Owen is twenty.
Their parents are dead, but Owen is still here.
Owen – who shattered the bowl of popcorn in the kitchen because he had dropped it as soon as he'd heard her scream.
Owen – who came rushing down the hallway calling her name. Who'd pulled her away from the police officers like she was the one in danger. Who'd pulled her straight into his protective arms.
Owen.
Her big brother.
Who became her whole entire world in the space of three minutes.
-x-
A/N: Guys! I finally made a tumblr and everyone is welcome! sahbelwrites. tumblr .com. Comments and faves are always much appreciated, I'd love to know what you guys think about DesLie as always.