The car ride to Beacon Hills, California is a silent ride, but normally anything is silent between the Hale cousins. It's been six years since the Hale fire, which killed all of Samuel's and Derek's family. Samuel hasn't spoken since that night when the police found him burnt and sitting beside his burning father's side. The doctors say its post-traumatic stress disorder and Sam could easily talk the next day, but it's been six years. Derek has long since let the matter go. He knows if Sam needed to talk then he probably would, but for now, it isn't doing any harm. Sam and Derek have been looked after by Derek's older sister, Laura, but she went missing a few weeks ago, which is why Derek and Sam are returning to their hometown to find her. They don't know why she came back, but they know that her not answering their calls is a bad sign.
They are almost to the small town of Beacon Hills now. The only noise in Derek's black Camaro is the rock music that Sam put on at the beginning of the trip. He has his iPod plugged in and the music was coming from that. He has his eyes closed, his head resting against the window, as he listened to his favorite song, 'In the End' by Lincoln Park.
"We'll be in town soon." Derek says, but Sam shook his head and pointed to the speaks, causing Derek to sigh. "Right, don't interrupt Lincoln Park." Derek falls silent as he keeps his eyes on the road, staring out at the dark night. It's a full two minutes before the song is over and once it is over, Sam motions for Derek to continue. "Like I was saying, we'll be in Beacon in probably another hour." Sam nods. "I don't know if we'll find Laura right away, but we're going to stay until we do, which means you have to go to school." Sam raises an eyebrow. "I can't homeschool you, Sam, you have to get an education even if I rather not deal with that problem." Sam points to his throat. "I'll call the school and talk to them tomorrow morning and work it out with them." Sam nods. "But..." Derek stops himself at Sam's warning look. "I..." He sighs and looks forward again. "It's been six years, Sammy. I know... I know what happened was awful, trust me I do, but you can't go to silence and lock yourself up. It only hurts you more to lock away your pain." Sam motions to Derek. "That's different, Sam, I at least talk." Sam uses sign language causing Derek to growl. "Sam, you know I don't know that shit. And I don't care if Laura taught you it. She is just encouraging your silence. You are sixteen years old, Sam, you're going to have to talk eventually." Sam shakes his head, causing Derek to growl. "Yeah and what if you find your mate?" Sam rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "You never know, Sam, it could happen." Sam again shakes his head, causing Derek to take even breathes to calm himself down. "Please, Sam, can you just try for me." Sam ignores him and looks out his window.
Derek shakes his head and slouches in his seat. Derek really hates Sam not talking because Derek missed talking to him. He used to be like a big brother to Sam and used to do everything with him, but now Sam doesn't talk and he barely gives much attention to people. He shut himself off from the world and from Derek, which is causing Derek's heart to break. It feels like he's losing Sam every day. It's worse than losing a family member in the fire because at least they were gone all once and he could say goodbye and move on. With Sam, he is losing him day after day and he can't do anything about it.
Sam blows on the window and begins to draw their pack symbol into and smiles as he looks at it. The rest of the ride is filled with just Lincoln Park, Seether, and the other bands Sam has on his iPod. When they pull up to the old Hale house Sam freezes. "I know it's hard to see this place again, but it's too cover our scent and no hunter is going to assume we'd live in the house where our family died." Sam frowns and looks at Derek. "It's what needs to be done, Sammy, come on." He gets out and Sam sighs before hopping out after him.
Sam looks out at the woods and sees lights flashing all through it. He can also hear dog barkings and men giving commands. Sam turns and looks at Derek, who frowns as he hears it too. "The police." Sam raises an eyebrow. "I don't know why they're here." Sam gives Derek a worried look. "We can't assume it's Sam, not yet. Come on, let's get our things inside and get some rest. I'll check the woods tomorrow and call the school. You'll be going to school tomorrow." Sam frowns and looks out at the woods again. "Sam, come on, get your stuff."
Sam grabs his suitcase and backpack from the back seat and heads up the driveway to the house. Derek has already headed inside. Sam walks up the steps and enters the house. He takes a deep breath as he looks at the charred remains. He looks at the place that had once been his home before he makes his way up the stairs. Upstairs is just as bad, but Sam finds his parents' room was liveable. Sam swallows and drops his suitcase on the soot-covered bed and his backpack on the desk. He walks towards the dresser and picks up the photos that were there. One photo was of his mom and dad when they were kids. It was their homecoming photo. The one next to it was their prom photo. The one after that was their wedding photo, then the photo of them in the hospital with newborn Sam. The next ones were many photos of Sam as a kid. Sam swallows back his emotions as he took the last picture, a family photo of his dad, mom, and him. It was taken just before the fire.
It was taken just before the fire
"Sam, did you..." Derek trails off as he sees the photo that Sam was holding. "Sam, how about we find you a different room." Sam shakes his head and holds the photo close to him before heading to the bed. He climbs into the bed and lays down, holding the photo in his arms. He falls asleep with the photo in his mind.