Wow! Thanks to my readers for all the favourites and follows!
And shout out to:
*Tesla424-Yay! You found my new fic! I'm really glad you like it so far :) By two girls, I meant Ash and they have a little sister, a baby sister, called Jade who you'll get to learn more about :) I hope you continue to enjoy!
*Serena Sterling-Yay, you found my new fic too! I love having loyal readers :) Oh, no, the McCall and Stilinski families are just really close, Melissa and John are just friends, sorry to confuse you. In the end part I was talking about how Melissa wasted so much time being married to Rafael McCall (Scott's real Dad off the show). Ash is 20 years old and I'm thinking Derek's closer to 23-24. And thanks :)
Read and review my lovelies :)
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"Maybe we should head back, Jade's completely out." Melissa says as she holds her 1 and a half year old daughter is her arms, the toddler fast asleep.
"Okay." Ash nods. "Come on." She says, heading out of the store. Her and her mother spent the day out, while Ash has a day off of work and Melissa does too. Melissa's went back to working at the hospital after Jade turned 1, and Ash is still working but nowhere near as much as she was before. Melissa doesn't need the financial help she needed before, and Ash is no longer living with her mother and siblings, she has her own place.
Ash falls back a little, taking her packet of Malboro Reds out of her handbag. She holds the cigarette between her lips and brings her zippo out, lighting it. The wind's in her favour so no smoke will interfer with the air her little sister's breathing in her peaceful unconciousness. Ash isn't stupid, she knows smoking is a dirty habit, but it's one she's picked up. It started at 16, when her father started running out on them more and more often and Ash was so stressed as she tried to help her family. It was all too much for her, she couldn't handle it, she needed an out. And that steady flow of toxic tobacco smoke was it.
Derek had to get out of the loft, he had to get away from Peter. A small, tiny, part of him feels so incredibly guilty for killing his Uncle. But after what he did to Laura, to his big sister, to the person he looked up too, he had too. That night still haunts him, the night he sliced open his Uncle's neck and splashed his blood across the leaves. Just like the night of the fire still haunts him and Jessie. Peter has managed to slip his way back into Derek's life, the pack he's created now being the alpha. Derek isn't that happy about it, but Peter is his family, and he is the most experienced person he has to go too, so Derek doesn't have much of a choice. But Peter is a manipulative, narcissistic asshole, and Derek can only handle so much of him.
As if some odd coincidence, Derek and Ash pass each other on that sidewalk. Melissa's eyes shoot up from Jade to look between the two adults, waiting for them to say 'Hello' or at least look at each other. But they blatently ignore each other, in every way possible, Melissa swears they even create more distance between each other on purpose.
"Jesus Christ, Ash, are you two really still not talking?" Melissa asks her daughter. Derek's still within earshot and can hear but he already knows the answer.
"Talking? I want to hurt him." Ash says, glancing at her mother and then at the sidewalk again. "He tried to kill Scott." Ash says.
"Scott already told you, he wasn't going to kill him. And trust me, I'm not that happy with him either but he and Scott are okay now, they're pack. You're going to be a part of that." Melissa says. Ash shakes her head. "Whether you want to be or not, you will be, because Scott is." She says. Ash doesn't say anything and neither does Melissa, they just keep walking towards where Ash has parked the car. Because they both know that what Melissa just said is true. Obviously, Ash is very protective of her brother and family, she will go anywhere with Scott to make sure he's safe. And right now, that's leading further and further into Derek's pack.
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Barely anything is said between the two McCall woman as they drive towards Melissa's house. Ash is still frustrated with the truth her mother spilled earlier. Ash knows there's going to be a time where her and Derek, and even Peter, are going to have to play nice, for Scott and the rest of the pack's sake. But, that time is not now. She can't just excuse the things that have happened. How far Derek took being an alpha, to the point where he was willing to hurt Scott. And Peter..don't even get her started. Killing his own neice, turning Scott in the first place, trying to kill all of them. There's no excuse. And now Peter's living and breathing again? Ash doesn't think she can just look past that. Maybe one day, her and Derek can get over whatever 'beef' they have, but Ash doesn't think she can ever make ammends with Peter.
Ash pulls into the driveway, cutting the ignition and pulling up the handbrake. Melissa gets out, Melissa going into the back to get Jade out of her carseat.
"Come inside for a coffee." Melissa says, peeking back into the car at her eldest child. She can see the troubled look of Ash's face as she over-thinks. "Come on, Ash." She says. Ash nods and gets out of the car too.
Ash opens the door for her mother as Melissa holds a still sleeping Jade in her arms.
"I'll just put her down, then we'll sit down." Melissa says, heading for Jade's room, Ash's old room.
"Can I?" Ash asks, looking at Jade. Melissa smiles and nods. She walks back over to Ash and carefully passes Jade to her. Ash takes the small weight into her arms easily and gently. She starts walking, quietly, towards her old room. Jade stirs a little, her eyes opening and blinking, but she doesn't make a sound. "Shhh, go back to sleep." Ash whispers, touching Jade's cheek lightly. The girl's eyes close again as Ash walks over to her crib. She lowers her little sister into the crib and tucks her in.
Melissa watches from down the hall, leaning againist the doorway. She watches as Ash leans over onto her tip-toes and softly kisses Jade's head, so softly, like she's scared of hurting her or doing anything to harm her. And she is. It's why she doesn't smoke with Jade around, not unless she knows the toddler isn't going to choke on the smoke, like today. Ash is terrified of hurting her, her biggest fear is hurting her family, putting them through what their father did. She never wants to hurt them. The only person she hates more than Peter, is her own father.
"Ash?" Scott says, walking down the stairs after having smelt his mother and another familiar scent.
"Shhh, she's sleeping." Ash whispers, putting her finger to her lips. She brushes Jade's hair out of her face before leaving, pulling the door just too. She walks over to where her brother's walked over to their mother.
"Sit down with us." Melissa says to Scott. Scott nods and sits down at the dining room table with Ash. He gives Ash a greeting smile and she gives him one back.
"How's school? I feel like I haven't been around alot lately." Ash asks Scott.
"No, it's okay, we get it. You work alot, it's not your fault." Scott says. Melissa nods in agreement from where she's taking 3 mugs from the cupboard, waiting for the kettle to boil. "And school's good, my grades are starting to bump up." Scott tells her.
"That's really good." Ash smiles proudly.
"How are you? How's work?" Scott asks her.
"Same old, same old. Busy, but busy is good." Ash says. Scott nods. Melissa puts a steaming mug in front of the both of them. "Thanks." Ash smiles at her, wrapping her hands around it for warmth. Black coffee, no sugar, just how she likes it.
"Thank you." Scott says, looking at his Mom. Hot chocolate, just like he likes. Because Melissa knows her children well. "Allison said she came to see you at the garage."
"She did?" Ash asks.
"Well..she wanted to bring you her car, but you weren't in." Scott says.
"Oh." Ash says. She sips from her mug before placing it back down on the table. "Are you still seeing her?" Ash asks him. Scott swallows before answering. He looks down and shakes his head.
"No." He says. "No, not anymore. And probably not again." He says with a sigh, knowing that's for the best, especially after what happened with her mother and with Gerard. Both McCall woman simultaniously place their hands on his arms, to show comfort. Scott looks up, looking between them both with a soft smile, he's grateful to have such an understanding mother and supportive sister, especially since his Dad's been gone for 2 years now.
Ash takes another drink from her coffee. She pauses, her features deepening into a frown when she spots a letter in the pile of mail in the middle of the table. She puts her mug down and reaches out for it.
"What's wrong?" Melissa asks, seeing that frown on her daughter's face again. Ash looks down at the letter, looking at who it's addressed too.
"Why is his mail still getting sent here?" Ash asks, not having to explain who. They all know who.
"There's a few places he never contacted and changed his address with." Melissa says. "I'll get rid of it." She says, taking it from Ash's hand. Melissa puts it face down on the table, under her arm. Because, truth is, she will get rid of it, but she's not throwing it away.
Ash looks at the clock ticking away on the kitchen wall.
"Shit, I'm gonna be late for the bar shift." She says, shooting out of her chair and going to the sink, washing her cup out. "Thanks for today, I'll see you both later." She says, kissing both of their heads before heading for the door.
"Ash, hold on." Melissa says, going after her. Ash stops by her car, turning to face her mother. "About what happened today with Derek, I think you should be the bigger person, talk to him-"
"I have to go." Ash stops her. Scott listens in, hearing Melissa mention Derek, who's technically his alpha now.
"You know you're going to have to work past whatever's happened. That's in the past now. No, I don't want him or Peter near either of you, but we both know that can't be reality, not in the world you two now live in." Melissa says. "Just talk to him, make him understand the problem you have with him and how he is with Scott." She suggests.
From inside, Scott sighs. He knows his sister's having a tough time looking past what's happened the last year. He gets it though, she's been the other parent to him and their little sister for a long time, she's wickedly protective of her family. But, that rivalry's going to start causing problems for the Hale pack very soon.
"I don't have to tell him, he knows what I'll do if he hurts Scott again, or Stiles." Ash says. She knows Derek's seen her, the way she'll fight for Scott and her family, the way she fought off Peter with only a knife. She's small, but she is not to be underestimated. If you do, that's just your stupid mistake.
"Ash..you can't protect everyone." Melissa says.
"You're wrong, I can. I have too." She says, getting into her car. Melissa watches Ash drive away. She sighs, wishing her daughter wouldn't hold grudges as badly as she does. But she knows it's all manifested from childhood problems. That lack of trust in people, unless they've honestly earnt it, that protectiveness, the fierceness, it's all from how she's been raised and the kind of up-bringing their father forced them all into, and of course the abandonment issues she has after having her father walk away so many times.
But, those things aren't just bad things. They can be good too. They're what get her up in the morning, they're the reason she won't let herself die, they're the reason she's as strong inside and out as she is. Melissa can admire those things, she just hopes her daughter's tendancy to give in to her temper doesn't overwhelm the big heart that she does have under all of that.
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So, already, there's problems between Ash and the Hales. But, it will change! Just not yet. C'mon, there has to be a little tension :P Favourite, follow and review!
