Reason for His smile

A/N: Hi again! Here's the next chapter for my little story. The next couple of chapters are basically going to be a run down of Derek's and Josh's past and how that all mixes in with the Teen Wolf story we all know. I want to give a special thanks to all those who have given this story a chance and have added to you alerts/faves. Anyway here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Disclaimed!

Chapter 2: Meeting Grounds

Derek never could explain why the park made him feel so happy and free. He just enjoyed playing around with the available equipment, running around with other kids from his grade and age, playing tag or some other fun game, or simply sitting as still as a seven year old can and simply enjoying the sights and sounds of kids playing and the parents' chatter. But for some strange reason he felt more at home when he was in the park than he did when his was in his own house. Sometimes Laura would tease him by saying that maybe he was more of a dog that he was a wolf; saying that he was too domesticated and simply enjoy being around people too much. Derek hated when Laura would say stuff like that; because in reality he really didn't like to spend time with people outside his family and pack. Besides he desperately needed to be a wolf like his mom and dad; be part of the pack and run around with his cousins, uncles and aunts during the full moon.

Maybe that was the reason he liked the park so much. All the kids would find way to organize themselves into small little pack like groups, with an obvious leader shouting commands and laughing harder than the rest while the rest just trust the leader and simply have fun the only way they know how. In the end Derek didn't care why it was that he liked to come to the park, he just wanted to go play and simply be a regular seven year old playing with his human friends.

"Derek! Stop running so fast" Dave, one of Derek's friends, said as he chases him around the perimeter of the park.

"Come on slowpoke!" Derek yelled back picking up his pace and laughing at his friend.

While Derek was distracted he bumped into someone and was sent tumbling to the ground. His landing was softened by a body and he heard a huff and a slight groan come from underneath him.

"Hey! Get off my cousin!" A young and angry voice yelled.

Derek tried to get up and looked down at the boy beneath him. The boy was younger than him, around the preschooler years, with blond hair and brown eyes. His cheeks were a little flushed, either from embarrassment or probably from playing around in the park, and he was looking up at Derek with a shy, warm and friendly smile which showed off the boy's dimples in a way that could make any preschooler get away with almost anything. It took only a second for Derek to take all of the boy's characteristics and somehow have them engraved to his memories before something in him changed.

All of the sudden his sight changed, all color was drained from his vision, it was like looking at a black and white video with blue hue around the edges of his vision. The only place he saw color was in the boy's eyes. They were no longer brown but glowing green. The boy looked at him in a confused manner for a fraction of a second before he gave Derek a full smile.

The moment was lost when Derek felt himself being pushed off the boy.

"Get off him!" Another blond boy said. The other boy was obviously furious at Derek for possibly hurting his friend and was more than willing to defend him, even though Derek was much older than the two boys.

"It's ok Jacks… I'm not hurt or anything." The other boy said soothingly as he tried to stand up.

Jacks gave a small huff of slight annoyance and helped the boy up as he kept glaring daggers at Derek.

"Hi my name's Josh, and this is Jackson. What's your name?" The blond said once he was standing on his own two legs. He motioned the other boy as Jackson and was still smiling warmly at Derek. Derek, however, couldn't answer the boy's question since his was now focused on the trickle of blood flowing down Josh's leg. There was a small scrape above on the boy's knee, slowly letting the essential crimson substance escape from the Josh's body. Even though Derek and his family have had their fair share of cuts, scrapes, broken bones and bruises, the sight the little boy's blood had somehow manage to make him sick to his stomach.

Josh simply cocked his head to the side wondering the boy was not talking to him. At his young age Josh would be easily described as being overly curious and often asking people endless questions, something his family and his cousin where more than willing to satisfy in most occasions; although there were time when even their patience would run short. For this reason Josh couldn't simply understand why the boy that had tackled him to the ground had refused to answer the simple question. The boy simply seemed to stare at his leg with a shocked expression. Josh followed the older boy's line of sight and saw the blood on his own leg and he noticed burning sensation that was shooting up from his legs.

"You are hurt…" Jackson said in a tone that sounded like he was angry, exasperated and whining at the same time.

Josh simply smiled bashfully at Jackson while the older blonde grabbed his arm and dragged him across the park. Derek followed the two blonds feeling at a loss and guilty, wishing to still apologize to the young boy. He saw most of his friends still running around, not one of them noticing that he was no longer in their midst of their fun.

"Auntie Luna! Josh is hurt!" Jackson practically yelled as he dragged Josh towards a woman that was sitting in one of the benches reading a book. The woman had a tanned complexion, curly black hair and a curvy body. Hearing her name being called she looked up revealing big brown expressive eyes that looked the same shade of Josh's own eyes.

Luna's eyes looked at the two boys and immediately stood up and walked towards the boys. Meeting them halfway, concern clearly etched in her face. Once she reached them and crouched down to inspect her son's injury she caught sight of the older boy standing a few yards from where they were looking slightly uncomfortable, lost and apologetic. When Derek's and Luna's eyes met she gave a slight frown that lasted less than a second before her eyes went back to her son's face and back to the older boy.

"What happened?" She asked in a gentle and soothing tone.

"It was my fault ma'am…" Derek spoke up coming closer. "I was being chased by my friends and I wasn't looking where I was going and I kinda tackled him…."

Luna looked at Derek and gave him a calculating gaze on Derek; one that wasn't neither cold nor welcoming. But then gave him a warm smile.

"Taking responsibility for something you have done takes a lot of courage. What's your name?"

"M-my name is Derek ma'am. Derek Hale."

"Well Derek my name is Luna Sanchez-Whittemore. And I guess you already met my son Josh and my nephew Jackson." She said as she led the three children back to the bench.

Once the group had reached the bench, Luna started looking through her bag for her small first aid kit she always kept. Jackson sat Josh on the bench and promptly occupied the space next to him. He still sent half-glares towards Derek for hurting his cousin but those were quickly interrupted by Josh's pokes and tickles. Josh simply bothered his cousin and kept looking over at Derek and giving small friendly smiles. Derek simply stood in front of the two boys not exactly aware of what it was he was supposed to do in this situation yet having no desire to leave. After a couple of seconds Luna produced some ban-aids and disinfecting ointment and started to clean and tend to Josh's knee.

"I'm sorry…" Derek whispered as he watched the boy winced in pain at his mom ministrations.

Josh looked up at him and met his eyes. There was something about the blonds brown eyes that simply confused and drew Derek in. Josh simply smiled. "It's ok. I wasn't looking either and don't worry Jacks doesn't hate you."

Derek simply smiled at the boy and watched as the mentioned cousin cross his arms and pout trying to act tough.

"Ok there all better!" Luna said once the wound was bandaged. She leaned down and kissed the band-aid and Josh simply giggled at her antics.

"I think we had enough excitement for today. Let's go home ok?" She said to both of the boys.

Josh and Jackson nodded their heads and got off the bench ready to go.

"Alrighty then. Well Derek it was nice meeting you." Luna said as she gathered her stuff and took both boys' hand in her own.

Derek simply stood there and watched the retreating forms of the family as if he was waiting for something. As if his expectations and thought brought the action to existence Jossh turned around and waved at Derek.

"See you soon Derek! We can play together next time ok?"

Derek smiled and waved back nodding his head excitedly for no apparent reason. Once he could no longer see the two blonds and the woman Derek turned and searched the park for his parents and siblings. He was also ready to go home; the park seemed to longer hold him here. As he reached his family he thought about how strange the feeling that suddenly situated inside of him was; the park no longer felt like home like it did a few seconds ago, it was now simply a park. Derek simply shrugged the feeling away and waited patiently for his mom and dad to gather his siblings and the rest of his stuff in order to head back home.

In the days that were to come Derek kept coming back to the park started to play with Josh. The two boys quickly became friends, despite their age difference, and would often await anxiously until the moment they would play together again. Jackson would join them once or twice a week and seemed to still have difficulty warming up to Derek. Luna, on the other hand, would always watch over them when they played together; her gaze would often be intense and unwavering but as the days passed the gaze became friendlier and fonder. After a month passed the Derek and Josh were practically inseparable… and that was how their story began.