A/N: All right, here we go. My very first fanfic ever. Please go easy on me. Critics are more than welcome but at least try to point out one thing you like if you're gonna rip me to shreds. As you'll read in my profile, I love Teen Wolf and Derek is my favorite character. And I am so upset with him as of Season 2, Episode 3 and I know I can't be the only one. So this story is starting during Magic Bullet and will probably pretty much follow Season One with my own little twists thrown it. Anyway, without further ado; the first chapter of my very first fanfic ever. Please enjoy.! *cue the applause :)*
Disclaimer:: I do NOT own Teen Wolf. If I did, do you really think I'd be writing this story? And do you think Derek would be the bad guy? And do you think he'd ever have a shirt on (;)? And - I think you get the point.
Chapter One:
It all started with a fire.
A freak accident fire, but a fire none the less. Ross McCoy sighed, she was starting to see a pattern. It had been a fire that had sent her to Beacon Hills when she was young, a fire that had made her want to leave, and a fire that was sending her back again.
She slung her duffle bag over her shoulder and slammed the trunk of her car shut. An '09 Ford Mustang GT, black with gray racing stripes, like she'd always wanted. Her pride and joy.
About twenty-three steps later, Ross, her duffle bag, and her suitcase were standing on the front porch, waiting for the door to open. If it hadn't been for the other car in the driveway she would have thought no one was home.
"Ross!"
Ross smiled at the brown haired woman that opened the door. "Hey Melissa."
Melissa McCall pulled Ross into a hug. "Honey, we weren't expecting you until tonight." She grabbed Ross's suitcase. "Come in!"
Ross smiled as she followed Melissa into the house. "Is Scotty at school already?" Ross asked, tossing her bag on the couch.
"No and that reminds me." Melissa rushed to the stairs. "Scott, you're gonna be late!"
Footsteps thundered down the stairs. "I'm already late!" Scott cried, frantically searching the living room. "I'll never make it on time. Have you seen my sneakers?"
"They're next to the door and I'll take you."
Scott started at the sound of Ross's voice and spun around to face her with a huge grin. "Ross!" He cried, throwing his arms around her.
"Hey." Ross hugged him back before pushing him to arm's length. "I go away to college for a couple years and you grow so tall I can't ruffle your hair anymore? You're making me feel short, Scotty."
Scott grinned. "You can't call me Shorty anymore."
"No, I can't." Ross sighed with a smile.
"I'd hate to break you two up, but Scott's going to be late." Melissa pointed out.
"Right." Ross said, pulling her keys out of her pocket and dangling them in front of Schott. "You drive."
"Seriously?"
Ross nodded.
Scott snatched the keys. "Yes! You're the best big sister ever!"
xXx
Twenty minutes later Ross was pulling up to the woods. She turned off the engine and just sat there. Of all the meeting places they could have chosen, it had to be this one.
Gathering all her courage, Ross pulled the keys out of the ignition and stepped out of the car. The path was the same as she remembered it, full of trees and fallen leaves, long, and slightly creepy. And, at the end of that trail was an old, burned, pathetic looking house with broken windows. The Hale house.
Sucking in a breath, Ross opened the door and stepped inside. "Laura! Laura are you here?"
xXx
"She's back?"
"Yeah, she got here this morning."
Scott closed his locker and set off with Stiles towards their first class.
"Why? Isn't she going to some college in Vermont?"
"It caught fire."
"Fire?" Stiles sputtered. "Did she start it?"
Scott rolled his eyes. "No! She did not set it on fire."
"Who set what on fire?" Allison asked as she appeared at Scott's other side.
"Scott's sister set her college on fire." Stiles said, matter-o-factly.
"She did not!" Scott snapped.
"I didn't know you had a sister." Allison said, interlocking their fingers.
"Half sister." Scott replied. "Her name's Ross. She's six years older than me."
"Do I get to meet her?"
"If you want. She's dropping me off today to study… We are still studying, right?"
Alison smiled.
xXx
"Laura! If you're going to use your creepy ass, super wolf powers to scare me, hurry up and do it. I'm starving!"
Ross stopped to listen for a shuffle. Any kind of noise to indicate she wasn't alone. Nothing.
"Laura, I'm serious. You've got like ten seconds before I peel outta here for the diner!"
Still nothing.
"Laura?"
Not a single noise.
"Apparently you're not here." Ross muttered, then added slightly louder, "I'm leaving now!"
Ross sighed and started down the path again. She pulled out her phone and scrolled down to Laura's last text message.
Heading back home. Could use your help. Come to my place if you decide to show up.
It was from several weeks ago. Ross had texted back, saying she'd come but it'd take awhile. Laura had gone silent after that.
Ross slammed her car door shut and leaned her head back against her seat. "Where are you Laura?"
She sighed and started the car. She'd come back later, right now it was breakfast time.
xXx
Scott was waiting in the parking lot when she pulled up. He smiled at her as she stepped out of the driver's seat, keys in hand.
"How was school?" Ross asked, walking around to the passenger seat.
Scott shrugged. "School. Stiles says hi, by the way."
"Stiles? You friends since you like eight? Huh, how is-"
She was cut off by a series of honking horns. Both she and Scott turned their attention to the blue jeep that had stopped in the middle of the parking lot. Ross's eyes zeroed in on the reason the jeep had stopped.
He was tall, with dark hair and pale skin. Ross couldn't see his eyes, but she didn't need to. She already knew they were a striking sea green. She knew him. He was Laura's little brother.
"No, no, no! Not hear!" Scott exclaimed softly, rushing towards the jeep.
"Derek?" Ross whispered.
She gasped as he collapsed backwards and took off after Scott.
"What are you doing here?" Scott hissed, kneeling in front of Derek.
"I was shot." Derek panted, sitting himself up.
"Yeah, he's not looking to good dude." Another teen, Ross recognized as Stiles Skilinski, said.
Stiles was right, Derek did not look good at all. His skin was overly pale and sweaty. And sure, Derek had slightly pale skin (so did Laura) but not this pale by any means.
"Why aren't you healing?"
All eyes turned to Ross as she pushed past Stiles and dropped to her knees on Derek's other side.
He stared at her in surprise, his pretty green eyes taking in her appearance. The last time Derek had seen Ross they'd both been sixteen. Her straight, brown hair had fallen down to almost the middle of her back, she'd been shy, and only wore jeans and hoodies.
Now, here she was giving off a strong aura of confidence, her hair cut short and looked naturally curly so it fell to just over her shoulders. She wore dark blue jeans with holes in the knees and thighs and a crimson tank top that gave him a fair view of her nice chest area, under a black, leather jacket.
His black leather jacket.
"You, Mr. Derek Hale are quite the charmer." Her voice echoed in his head.
"Ross?" He said softly.
Ross smiled gently.
"Hello!" Stiles exclaimed. He flinched lightly at the menacing look Derek sent him and nudged Scott.
"Why aren't you healing?" Scott repeated Ross's question while sending her a questioning look.
"It was a different kind of bullet." Derek replied, clutching his arm.
"A silver bullet?" Stiles asked, sounding excited.
Ross closed her eyes and shook her head as Derek hissed out, "No, you idiot!" between clenched teeth.
"That's what she meant when she said you had forty-eight hours." Scott said, almost to himself.
Derek's head jerked towards him. "What? Who?"
"The one that shot you."
Derek looked like he was about to reply but stopped himself groaning in pain. His eyes suddenly turned an electric blue. Ross quickly looked around to make sure no one would notice and saw a crowd beginning to gather. They had to get Derek out of there.
"What are you doing?" Scott hissed. "Stop that!"
"What's what I'm trying to tell you." Derek growled. "I can't."
"Derek, get up!" Scott ordered.
If looks could kill, Ross would've been short a little brother.
"Scott, Stiles, get him in that jeep, NOW!" Ross ordered.
She jumped up and flung open the passenger side door. Seconds later Scott was hauling Derek into the jeep and closing the door.
"I need you to find that bullet." Derek told Scott in a weak voice.
"Why should I help you?"
"Because I'm telling you to." Ross said, shoving her keys into Scott's hand. "And if that car comes back with so much as a single dirt speck on it, I'm gonna kick you ass!"
She crossed to the driver's side and slid into the middle seat beside Derek.
"You need me." She heard Derek say over Stiles's slamming door.
"Fine, okay. Stiles, get him out of here." Scott sighed.
"I hate you so much for this!" Stiles hissed.
As the school disappeared behind them, Ross glanced at Derek, who was leaning against the door with his eyes closed. She sighed and settled into the awkward silence.
xXx
"Sooo." Stiles said after about twenty minutes of complete silence. "Scott says you burned down your college."
Instinctively, Ross reached up and slapped the back of his head just like she used to do when they were younger. "I did not!"
"Ow! I was only teasing."
Ross rolled her eyes and tried to settle back in her seat.
"Nice jacket." She heard Derek say softly.
Ross looked at him with a smile. "Thanks I stole it off some guy a couple of years back. I think it looks better on me."
Derek opened an eye to look at her and snorted. "You might be right."
"Damnit!" Stiles exclaimed, slamming his phone down and gaining Ross's attention. He glanced towards the other tow. "Hey, try not to bleed out on my seats!" Ross looked over to find Derek had slipped off his jacket, his long sleeved shirt drenched in blood and a black substance. "We're almost there."
"Almost where?" Derek sighed, sounding exhausted.
"To your house." Stiles said in a "duh" tone.
"What?" Now Derek sounded confused and exhausted. "No. You can't take me there."
"I can't take you to your own house?"
"Not when I can't defend myself."
"Okay! That's it!" Stiles exclaimed, pulling over and turning off the car.
"Here we go." Ross murmured.
"What happens if Scott doesn't find your little "magic bullet", huh? Are you dying?"
"Not yet." Derek replied calmly. "I have a last resort."
"What last re-" Stiles's question died in his throat as Derek rolled up his sleeve.
Stiles immediately gagged and looked away while Ross crinkled her nose in disgust.
"Ew Derek." She said.
"Oh my God, what is that?" Stiles asked. "Is that contagious? You know what, you should probably just get out."
"Stiles." Ross hissed.
"Start the car. Now." Derek ordered.
"You know what? I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look." Stiles snapped.
"Stiles." Ross set him a warning look. She was ignored.
"In fact, I bet I could drag you little werewolf ass into the middle of the street and leave you for dead!"
"Oooh no." Ross sighed.
"Start the car or I'm gonna rip your throat out." Derek's voice was low and threatening. "With my teeth."
Silence ensued and Stiles started the car. Ross couldn't stop the smile that lit up her face. "So sweet." She laughed softly to Derek. "Lemme see your arm."
Gently as she could, Ross pulled Derek's arm onto her lap and examined it. Not a through and through, the bullet was still in his arm.
"Do I wanna know who my little brother knows you?" She asked.
"Probably not."
"Is he-"
"Yes."
Ross unknowingly put pressure on Derek's arm, her thumb tightening over one of his enlarged, poison filled veins. Derek snapped his arm back, growling in pain.
"Sorry! I am so sorry!" Ross exclaimed, rubbing her temples and running a hand through her hair. "Derek, why did you come find Scott? Why didn't you go to Laura?"
Derek snapped his head around to look at her. "What?"
"Laura? You know, you're sister."
Derek continued to stare at her for a long minute; the longest minute of her life. "Laura's dead."
Ross's entire body went numb. "She's what?"
"You didn't know? I thought someone would've told you."
Ross quickly looked away from Derek as tears began to fill her eyes. "How?"
"I don't know. I think it was the Alpha." Derek's voice was softer than Stiles had ever heard it. "Could have been a hunter though. She was severed at the waist."
Ross sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back. She would not cry. She would not cry. She would NOT cry.
Shit, I'm crying.
She wiped a single tear way from her cheek as it trickled down towards her chin. She looked down at her leg as a sudden, warm pressure engulfed it. Derek had shifted his leg so it was leaning against hers. A small gesture of comfort, but a gesture none the less.
xXx
"What am I supposed to do with him?" Stiles whined into his phone.
There was a pause and Stiles sighed exasperatedly. "Fine whatever. And by the way, he's staring to smell."
Ross gave him a "are you trying to get your throat ripped out" look and Derek glared at him over Ross's head.
"Like death."
Derek's glare darkened.
"What about your boss." Stiles groaned again and handed his phone to Derek. "You're not gonna believe where he wants me to take you."
Ripping the phone away with his good arm, Derek pressed it to his ear. "Did you find it?" There was yet another pause. "If you don't find that bullet, I'm going to die."
Ross shuddered at the thought.
"Then think about this. The alpha called you out against your will. He's gonna do it again but this time its either kill with him or be killed. So if you want to stay alive, you're gonna need me. Find that bullet!"
He turned off the phone and tossed it back to Stiles.
xXx
"Okay, now what do we do?" Stiles asked, looking around the empty animal clinic.
"Now you go find me gauze and tweezers." Ross told Stiles. "And you," She togged on Derek's good arm, "get up and come with me."
Derek glared up at her and she rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that look. Get your ass up, now Hale!"
Looking pained and annoyed, Derek heaved himself up and allowed Ross to lead him into the vet's work room, where Stiles was searching for the supplies.
"Found them!" He announced.
"Good set them on the table. Derek, take off your shirt."
Derek raised an eyebrow but obeyed the order. Ross almost immediately looked away, blushing lightly. It's been six years but Derek Hale was ripped as ever.
"Put your arm on the table." She told him.
Derek raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
God his voice sounded weak. Ross picked up the tweezers and gently grabbed Derek's arm.
"This is going to hurt. Badly. If you wolf out and bite me, I sweat to God I'll beat your loving ass."
"Loving?"
"I say it instead of the "eff word". My college professor threatened to kick me out if he heard me say it one more time." Ross explained, dipping the tweezers into Derek's wound.
He flinched and tried to yank his arm back but Ross held him tightly. The tweezers closed around the bullet and Ross looked up at Derek.
"On three." Ross told him, gently. "Ready?"
Derek sucked in a breath and nodded.
"Okay." Ross tightened her grip on the tweezers. "Three!"
She torn the bullet out of Derek's arm and he threw his head back and roared, his canines extending and his eyes turning electric blue.
"What happened to one and two?" Derek snarled, his teeth and eyes going back to normal.
"You'd bee to tense if you knew it was coming."
Derek glared at her, still panting.
"Okay, so now what?" Stiles asked as Ross placed the gauze over Derek's bleeding arm.
"Scott hasn't texted you yet?" Ross asked.
Stiles shook his head and Derek turned around and began rummaging through drawers.
"What are you doing?" Ross asked, curiously.
"If Scott doesn't get back her in time, last resort." Derek said, breathlessly and pulling something out of the drawer.
"What is that?" Stiles asked, afraid for an answer.
"A buzz saw." Ross answered, afraid of her own answer.
"Last resort." Derek said, sliding the saw across the table to Stiles. "You're gonna cut off my arm."
Stiles and Ross's mouths fell open.
"Actually, now that I look at it, I don't think that looks like anything a couple of Advils and a good night's sleep couldn't cure." Stiles said, still staring at the saw.
"When the poison reaches my heart I'll die."
"Positivety just isn't in your vocabulary is it?"
Derek glared as he began wrapping blue elastic around his upper arm. Stiles glanced at the saw again.
"Look, I honestly don't know if I can do this."
"Why not?" Derek demanded, his voice muffled as he tied the elastic with his teeth.
"Well there's the cutting through the skin, the sawing through the bone and, mostly, the blood!"
"You faint at the sight of blood?" Derek asked, exasperatedly.
"No!" Stiles defended. "But I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!"
"What if you bleed to death?" Ross broke in.
"It'll heal if it works!"
Ross ran a hand through her hair in frustration.
"Look, I- I can't do this." Stiles sputtered.
"Okay." Derek said, calmly, "How about this. Either you cut off my arm or I'm gonna cut off your head."
"Derek!" Ross snapped.
"Oh I am so not buying your threats right no-"
Derek grabbed Stiles's shirt and dragged him to the middle of the table so they were face to face.
"Oh my God! Okay I'll do it!" Stiles cried, panicked. "Yeah, totally. I'll do it!"
Derek suddenly leaned away from him and vomited a black substance onto the floor.
"Holy God, what is that?" Stiles almost whined.
"It's my body." Derek gasped. "Its trying to heal itself."
"Its not doing a very good job." Ross said, looking away.
"You gotta do it now." Derek said, resting his sweaty forehead on the cold, steel table.
"Derek, I really don't think I can."
"Just do it!"
"Alright!" Stiles picked up the saw and placed it just under the elastic on Derek's arm. Ross covered her eyes and turned away. "Oh God! Here we go!"
Just as Stiles was about to turn it on they heard a call of "Stiles!"
"Scott?"
"What the hell are you doing?" Scott cried as he appeared in the doorway.
"Oh God." Stiles breathed, setting the saw down. "You just prevented a life time of nightmares."
"Did you get it?" Ross and Derek asked together.
In answer, Scott pulled a bullet out of his pocket and handed it to Derek. Derek let out a breath and let the bullet at eye level, staring at it.
"What are you gonna do with it?" Stiles asked.
"I'm gonna…" Derek trailed off and blinked several times, almost like he was lost.
"Derek?" Ross said gently.
"I'm gonna…"
The bullet slipped from Derek's grasp and he collapsed backwards. The bullet rolled under one of the tables and clattered down a crate in the floor.
"Derek!" Ross cried.
She and Stiles rushed to his side while Scott began to try and reach the bullet.
"Derek." Ross said, gently slapping his cheek. "Derek wake up!"
"Oh God!" Stiles cried. "Scott, I think he's dying. I think he's dead!"
"Shut up!" Ross snarled.
"I got it!" Scott cried, holding up the bullet.
"Oh God." Stiles said, pulling back his fist. "Please don't kill me for this."
He punched Derek hard in the jaw. Stiles cried out in pain and cradled his fist as Derek's eyes shot open.
"Gimme." He murmured.
Scott placed the bullet in Derek's hand and helped him to his feet. Derek bit the top off and began knocking a substance out. It was a powdery, almost grounded plant like substance and it emitted a blue smoke as Derek lit it on fire. He swept the ashes and pushed it into his wound.
Almost immediately, Derek let out an agonizing cry and fell back, his body jerking violently. Ross gasped as she detected a wolfish howl. Laura had once told her that for a werewolf to howl in human form meant they were in an unimaginable amount of pain. So much that they were paralyzed of any voluntary movement.
"Are you okay?" Ross asked once Derek had stopped screaming.
"Except for the agonizing pain." Derek snarled.
"Don't you give me your mother loving attitude, Derek! I just helped save your ass!" Ross snapped back.
Derek looked taken aback. "What happened to the shy, sixteen-year-old who back down from a fight."
"She learned to take care of herself. What happened to the sweet charmer that used to make me smile no matter what?"
"He grew up."
"Okay!" Scott broke in. "We helped you. Now you're going to leave us alone. And if you don't… I'm gonna go back to Allison's dad and I'm gonna tell him everything!"
"Who?" Ross asked.
"You're going to trust them?" Derek demanded.
"Why not?" Scott replied. "They're a lot freakin' nicer than you are!"
"I can show you exactly how nice they are."
"Who are we talking about?" Ross demanded.
"Allison. Scott's girlfriend." Stiles replied in a "duh" voice.
"You have a girlfriend?"
"An Argent!" Derek's voice was laced with venom. "He's dating an Argent!"
Ross gave Scott a long look before holding out her hand. "Gimme my keys." Scott did so and Ross held them out to Derek. "If you scratch my car, I'm gonna kick your ass. If you traumatize my little brother, I'm gonna kick your ass. If you-"
"I see the pattern. You're gonna kick my ass." Derek snapped, taking the keys.
Ross took a step closer and stared up into his eyes. "All the way to hell." Then she turned on her heel and started to the door. "Come on Stiles."
"Wha-"
"STILES!"
"Coming! I'm coming!"
xXx
The ride back to the McCall house was long and filled with questions from Stiles.
"How do you know Derek?"
"I was best friends with Laura."
"Is that how you know about werewolves?"
"Yes."
"And that's how you know Derek?"
"Yes."
"Was he always such a jerk?"
Ross's voice softened. "No."
She silently thanked God when her house came into view.
"How come he doesn't like the Argents?"
"Stiles! Enough with the questions."
"Just this last one." Stiles pleased, pulling up to the house.
"Good night Stiles." Ross sighed, slamming the door to the jeep behind her.
xXx
Scott and Derek didn't show up for over an hour. Scott didn't say a word, just climbed the stairs to his room, looking upset, and Derek stood just outside the threshold.
"You can come in." Ross told him, walking towards the door.
"I've gotta get home." Derek replied over the rumbling thunder.
"You're gonna stay in that house during a storm?"
Derek shrugged. "Why not?"
Ross grabbed his arm before he could leave. She tugged him over the threshold. "Come on tough guy. You're staying here."
Derek rolled his eyes. "Ross-"
"Don't even try it Derek. You sleeping in that house in this weather will get you sick. Besides its late." She took Derek's hand and tugged towards the stairs. "And I-" She paused and stared into Derek's eyes. "I don't wanna be alone tonight."
Staring back into her honey brown eyes, Derek knew what she was actually saying. "Pleased don't make me grieve alone."
He sighed and let her pull him upstairs, into her room. He kicked off his shoes and shirt and Ross slipped into a too large t-shirt. They both slid into her bed and Ross rested her head on Derek's chest.
Derek had to admit, he was impressed. He never would've known Ross was crying if he hadn't been able to smell her tears.
A/N: Did you like it? Review and let me know! Sorry if anyone seems OOC, I'm really trying. And what do you guys think of Ross? Let me know :)