Shout out to:
*Serena Sterling-Yes, she definitely is! Cool :) Thanks!
*AlphaWolf19-Hello again! Hey, it's okay, I understand :) I'm glad you're looking forward to future chapters! They won't get along for quite a few chapters, heh :P Okay, GOF-Take Two is finished but I was going to write a really long chapter of the pack in the future, just for fun, but the main story is finished :)
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A few days later
Ash bites at her thumbnail with a furrowed brow as she uses her laptop to search for any signs of Erica and Boyd. She sighs, a big '(0) No Results Found' looking back at her. She hacked every public database she could think of; train bookings, bus cameras, hotels, motels, the works.
After what happened with Gerard kidnapping the two wayward teenagers, Erica and Boyd left, wanting to find another pack. It didn't just effect Derek, it effected them all. Ash might not have been that close with them but she was hoping to find something, just to know where abouts they were and if they were safe. But, nothing. They're staying off the radar, which is smart, but it's worrying her.
"Anything?" Stiles asks, him and Scott looking up from their homework to look at Ash. She looks tired and stressed, work and worry for her family, the usual for her, dressed in an over-sized hoodie, black jeans and her hair's thrown into a very messy bun. The two boys came over to Ash's place to study, spend some time with her since they've all been busy and it feels like they haven't seen enough of each other.
Ash shakes her head, slamming her laptop shut because she's frustrated and maybe even a little disappointed.
"I'm sure they're okay." Scott says, trying to make his older sister feel a little better. But Ash just stands up, walking out onto their small private balcony off of the living room area. She sighs, digging into her back pocket for her Malboros. She brings the packet out, taking a single cigarette from it. She digs through her hoodie pocket, finding her favourite red leather zippo lighter. She ignites the flame, bringing it to the tip of her cigarette, lighting it. She flicks the top back on her lighter, putting it back into her pocket. She inhales smoke and when she blows it out, it comes out like another sigh. She rubs her forehead with her thumb and forefinger, hoping to rub away the anxiety she's feeling.
From inside, Scott looks at Stiles with a concerned frown then stands up. He walks outside the loft's balcony doors, going to stand beside his sister.
"You shouldn't worry, they can protect themselves, they're strong." Scott says to her. Ash lets out a dry laugh.
"They're kids." She says, turning her head to look at him. "I would never let you go off like that."
"You're not their big sister, Ash. You're not their mother, you're not responsible for them." He says. He's trying to help comfort her, but it's hard when the 20 year old seems to think she's responsible for everyone, that she has to make sure everyone else is okay before herself. She's got a big heart under that sharp attitude of her's, but that big heart is sometimes her Achilles heel too. Like right now. She's too worried, she looks as though she hasn't slept much either because of it.
"Well, someone's gotta be." Ash says, looking away from her brother and out over the town again.
"Yeah, their alpha." Scott says. Ash doesn't exactly scoff, but a similar sound does leave her mouth at the mention of Derek being the one responsible for the two teenagers. That ran off. On his watch.
"And he's the one that let them walk away." She says, bringing the cigarette up to her lips again. Scott sighs and grabs the cigarette from her mouth, throwing it over the railing. Ash turns to him again, frowning. "What the hell, Scott?" She asks him. Scott's sick of her smoking to ease her stress.
"Derek's also the one that's renting this loft to you." Scott reminds her. He doesn't want there to be tension between the older girl and older male, but there is. Ash is still sour about the way the alpha status changed Derek, and put him and Scott at odds. But she's Scott's older sister, what hurts Scott, hurts her. You don't just get over someone hurting your family. And Ash has been known to hold a grudge.
"He's also the one here for his rent money." Both McCalls turn towards the door to find Stiles has opened it and let that very wolf inside. Ash sighs, looking down at her socked-feet. Derek wasn't exactly supposed to hear that. Not that she wouldn't tell him to his face, but..he wasn't supposed to hear that.
"Um..so, Derek's here." Stiles tells them, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Scott gives him a scornful look for not alerting them sooner and then walks over to the table again, sitting down and getting back to his homework. He's not getting involved in their drama unless he has too.
"Yeah, I've got it." Ash says, walking back inside and going over to her where her handbag's thrown carelessly on the couch. She burrows through it, searching for her wallet. But then she stops, sighing when she remembers she used it to buy groceries yesturday for her place and brought her mother's too since Melissa was working a double shift at the hospital and didn't have the time to go. She hasn't seen her mother so she hasn't gotten the money back yet. She looks up at Derek, reluctant to admit she doesn't actually have it. But he notices her hesitation and realises what the problem is.
"If you don't have the money to pay me, just say it-"
"I have it." She cuts him off. He makes it sound like she can't afford it, like she's some kind of charity case, she doesn't like that. Scott and Stiles glance up at them, neither willing to referee an arguement, they've got a Chemistry test tomorrow and they can't fail or they'll fail the whole class. But they also can't have Derek and Ash throwing down in the middle of the loft either. That might make it a little hard to focus on studying. "I just have to pick it up. I'll uh..I'll have Scott bring it over later." She tells him.
"Uh, I really need to study." Scott speaks up, giving her a small sorry smile. Ash looks over at Scott and then back to Derek. He can tell she doesn't want to bring it over herself, and he's not sure he wants her to bring it over either, them alone guarantees an arguement of some kind. And Peter's over at Derek's loft more than Derek likes. He knows what would happen if him and Ash were left alone together. They'd try to kill each other.
"Okay, I'll just bring it over." Ash decides, knowing that's the only option. Derek nods. He turns and starts walking away to leave but remembers what he heard her saying when he first got here. He stops. Stiles whacks Scott's arm to get his attention when he sees the wolf pause. Scott watches him closely, unsure of what he plans to do. But Derek's not planning anything, he just has something to say. He turns back to the ill-tempered girl.
"I'm not Boyd or Erica's Dad. They always had the choice of whether they'd stay or go, they'll always have that choice." He tells her. Ash looks down at her feet again, regretting saying those things about Derek before, or maybe she just hates that he caught her saying them. Because she knows he's right, he couldn't force them to stay. She's just worried about them and sometimes the way she shows that comes out..bad.
Derek leaves after that, knowing Ash has heard him loud and clear, he's gotten his point across. He feels bad enough, and maybe even a little hurt, that Boyd and Erica took off. He's not going to stand there and let her make him feel even worse. He's not made that way.
Ash shuffles her feet, feeling that frustration she feels towards herself boil up just a little more.
"I'm going out." Ash says as she snatches her car keys from her handbag.
"Where-" Scott tries to ask but Ash has already slipped out the door, taking the stairs two at a time. Scott sighs, shaking his head as he once again looks back down at his Chemistry homework and study sheets.
"They're both nightmares." Stiles says honestly. Sure, Stiles loves Ash like she's his sister but he's right. An angry or pissed off Ash is just as dangerous and explosive as an angry Derek Hale. Scott lets out a laugh because even he can admit it's true.
"With the way they're going, the only way this feud between them goes away is by fighting it out." Scott says. "And sadly, I'm not joking." He sighs.
"I don't think Derek would hurt her." Stiles says. Derek may be just as ill-tempered as she is, and intimidating, but he wouldn't put his hands on her. He'd tear the throat of his own Uncle, but he wouldn't strike Ash. She-wolfs? Yes. But an innocent human girl? No. No way.
"Yeah? Well, she'd hurt him." Scott says. Stiles sighs and nods.
"She just loves you, and she worries, alot." Stiles says.
"I know." Scott nods. "I just wish some of that worry could fall to herself sometimes."
"Yeah, so do I."
Ash sets her cobalt blue with double black racing stripes 1969 Camaro SS in her sights. She jams the key in the door with more force than she should. She pauses, her eyes catching another car, one that's always caught her eye, but she's never admitted it. She sees Derek's Camaro, a 2010 SS, same as her's just a much newer model and built on a different sized platform. So, it's understandable that she likes it. But she only oogles it for a few seconds before unlocking her car and getting inside. And she pulls out of the shared bottom-story loft parking garage faster than she should too. But once she's on the main road, she slows down again. She doesn't plan to go anywhere in particular but she ends up where she always does when she takes off. At the beach, parked up from the wharf.
Ash gets out of the car, thankful that she's wearing a hoodie now because the night air is always chilly. As she walks along the empty wharf, she blows hot breath into her hands, hoping to warm them up a little. When she reaches the end of it, she takes another ciagrette from her pocket before sitting down. She sits with one leg folded, the other dangling just over the water. Her combat boot draws gentle circles, barely breaking the water's surface. She brings the zippo's flame to her cigarette to light it. She finally gets to enjoy her cancer stick in peace, with no little brother to throw it away.
It's not even 5 minutes into her 'quiet time' before her phone vibrates in her pocket. She sighs, bringing it out. She quickly reads the text before getting up. It's her mother, she has the money to pay her back for the groceries. She stands up and dusts off her skinny jeans before walking back up the wharf and getting back into her car. She feels alot calmer now, and she just cruises towards her mother's place.
..
"Hi, sweetie." Melissa greets her eldest child with a tired smile.
"Hey, Mom." Ash says, closing the front door behind her. She slips her combat boots off at the door, being respectful.
"Jesus, Ash, you like as tired as I feel." Melissa says, frowning at the bags under her daughter's eyes.
"I'm fine, just stressed." Ash says, sitting down at the dinner table with her mother.
"Are you sure?" Melissa asks as she counts out $20 notes in front of her to pay her daughter back. Ash nods. "Are you sure?" Melissa asks again as she pushes the pile of money in front of Ash.
Yeah, really. I'm fine, just..bills and..just crap." Ash sighs, folding the notes in half and slipping them into her pocket. "Thanks." She trusts her mother, of course she does, she doesn't bother counting it, she knows it's all there.
"You can always move back home, Ash." Melissa tells her.
"No, I'm okay." Ash shakes her head. "I'm coping, and Jade needs my room so you can have your own room." Ash says.
"She's only 18 months, I can still keep her with me, I'll work something out." Melissa offers.
"No." Ash shakes her head again. "It's okay, Mom, really." She assures her. Melissa just nods, dropping the subject. "I'd stay but I have to go by Derek's before it gets too late. Kiss Jade for me." Ash says, standing up.
"I will, Mandy's bringing her home soon from the late daycare." Melissa tells Ash. Ash nods.
"Uh, Scott and Stiles are still at my place studying, they should be leaving soon so Scott will be back before it's too late." Ash tells her.
"Okay, baby, I'll see you later." Melissa says, opening the front door for her daughter as Ash shoves her feet back into her boots. Ash is about to leave but Melissa catches her arm, making her stop. "Are you sure you're okay?" Melissa asks for a third time. Ash puts an assuring smile on her face as she nods.
"Yeah, I just need a little sleep." She tells her mother. "Bye." She says, dropping a kiss to her cheek before walking out the front door.
..
Isaac's eating Mexican takeaways, Peter's already gone home to his own place, and Derek's sitting on the sofa reading a book when there's a hesitant knock on the door. Isaac's eyes shoot to Derek. Derek snaps his old worn book shut and puts it down on the coffee table before getting to his feet. He walks over to the door, pulling it open.
It's quiet and paused for a moment as the two adults look at each other with hidden scowls. Ash holds the money out to him. He takes it in silence. Isaac looks up again when neither of them move after that.
"I didn't mean to blame you for them leaving." Ash speaks up, breaking the suffocating silence. "I'm just worried about them."
"Are you apologising?" Derek asks her, unsure. Ash huffs out a single flat laugh.
"It's all there." She says, looking at the money before turning and walking away. She's not saying the words 'I'm sorry' because he was the one that let them walk away, she just made it sound harsher than she meant because she was stressing. But she wasn't wrong, but neither is he.
Ash goes back into the loft, finding it's empty. She walks over to the table where there's a piece of paper. She sits down at the table, that always feels too big for just her, and picks up the paper. She unfolds it and reads the note left for her.
We had to leave before you got back
Chill out Ash, relax a little
-S & S
She can't help but smile a little. Scott and Stiles worry about her because she's worrying about everyone else. She screws up the piece of paper, taking it to the trash and throwing it in. But she will follow the 'advice'. She plops down on the sofa, laying her head on one of the cushions. She grabs the remote, turning the tv on. She doesn't really pay attention to the cartoon playing because she's slowly giving into her exhaustion and falling asleep.
..
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Some conflict, of course. As you can see, Jessie isn't with Derek just yet. Things will become unsettled soon enough so enjoy the calm beginning chapters while you can :P Favourite, follow and review!