Chapter 03: House of Wolves

Anabelle pulled Melissa aside and motioned for Derek and Scott to wait for her out in the hall. Anabelle mentioned to Melissa about the ringing in Jordan's left ear as she knew that he would never say anything. Melissa nodded, she'd get David to have a look at it the next time he did his rounds. Out in the hall Melissa and Anabelle could hear Scott and Derek arguing over who was going to get the front seat and where exactly Anabelle was going to take them.

'Coach is asking if you're making it to practice today?' Stiles sent at 11:55AM

'Maybe...Der's out of hospital today.' Scott sent at 11:59AM

'So that's why you're still not at school?' Stiles sent at 12:01PM

'Yeah. I'll be back Monday.' Scott sent at 12:05PM

Scott looked at Anabelle as she walked from Jordan's room leaving their mother talking with Jordan. Anabelle threw an arm around Scott's shoulder and grabbed hold of Derek's free hand. Derek raised his eyebrow before Anabelle started to drag them both from the hospital. Scott waited until they got to the car before he spoke.

"Where are you taking us?" Scott questioned as he opened the front passenger seat and went to climb in before pulled back by Derek.

"You're in the back," Derek growled at him, Scott grumbled at him about it being unfair.

"Why?" Scott muttered while climbing in the back as Anabelle just laughed before she thought about replying.

"We're heading to the Animal Sanctuary...I know I don't work today but I want you guys to meet someone," Anabelle smiled at them as she looked between her two brothers. Scott raising his eyebrow and Derek closing his eyes and leaning his head against the headrest.

"Someone?" Derek questioned, turning his head slightly to face his sister as she pulled out of the carpark.

"Yeah, well technically it's an animal...an Northern Inuit dog," Anabelle replied, the dog had been abused by its owners and been taken to the animal sanctuary by Deaton and the only human it allowed near it was Anabelle. "He looks like a wolf,"

Anabelle waited to see what the reaction was going to be from both Derek and Scott. She knew that Derek would be semi excited, Scott on the other hand was another question. Scott looked at Anabelle and then out the window and then back at her as his brain registered what she had said. Derek glanced back at Scott before half smiling at Anabelle.

"Wolf...did you just say wolf?" Scott questioned, leaning between the two seats as they drove along the road leading to the Hale's Animal Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre.

"Yeah, well he's still a dog but he has the features of a wolf," Anabelle answered as they neared the Animal Sanctuary. "Do not wander off, unless either Cora and Laura take you,"

"Cora and Laura?" Scott raised an eyebrow as he leant back on the back seat seconds before Anabelle pulled up at the Animal Sanctuary.

"Yeah, their parents run it. Cora works after school, and Laura does odd days when she's not well I don't exactly know what she does when she's not here," Anabelle shrugged grabbing her purse and pulling her keycard out of it as there was some areas that were restricted to the public. "Come on,"

"Do we have to?" Derek muttered, as he managed to struggle with the removing the seat belt.

"Unless you want to sit here for the next hour and miss out?" Anabelle said before I clicking Derek's seat belt and climbing out of the car. "Scotty give Der a hand, you're on his side,"

Once Derek was out of the car the three of them made their way up to the main entrance of the Hale's Animal Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre. Anabelle pushed open the front door and motioned for Derek and Scott to go in before her. Derek raised his eyebrow but entered first before Anabelle found herself pulling Scott in behind her. Scott didn't really want to be there, but he also didn't want to wait in the car.

"Young Anabelle what are you doing here?" Peter Hale questioned, looking up from where he was sitting behind the big desk at reception.

"Peter..." Anabelle wasn't fond of the older man especially when he decided on calling her 'Young Anabelle'. "Just bringing my brothers to meet Charlie the Northern Inuit,"

"You mean the dog that seems to only like you," Peter let out a laugh when Anabelle nodded, he'd been left in charge of the dog while she was away. "Go on, he should be out on his bed unless Laura took him out,"

"Thanks Peter," Anabelle smiled, before grabbing hold of Derek's left hand and near dragging him away from the reception with Scott trailing behind. "There's a few dogs, cats and a bunch of various other animals but you're only meeting one day for a good a reason I promise,"

"So who was that?" Scott questioned, following behind as Anabelle stopped at a locked door before using her security card to get them in.

"That was Peter Hale...he's well frankly he's not all that nice," Anabelle said quietly as they walked down the corridor, Derek deciding on gripping her hand as his shoulder started to itch.

"Can't scratch," Derek muttered under his breath causing Scott to raise and eyebrow at him and Anabelle to roll her eyes. "My back...itches but its sores as f..."

"I'll find something when we get home that you can use," Anabelle said before stopping again at another room and peering inside it. "Der, I can tell your internally freaking out more than Scotty," Anabelle smiled at him, before unlocking the room and walking in pulling both Derek and Scott with her.

Anabelle smiled at both of them before letting go of them and waiting a second for the dog to notice that she was back. Derek stepped back against the wall as Anabelle crouched down and prepared to be knocked to the ground. Scott noticed what Derek had done but a second too late as a rather large wolf like dog bounded towards Anabelle seemingly ignoring both Derek and Scott.

"Charlie, sit," Anabelle took on a stern but kind tone with the dog before she gave him a pat while getting back on to her feet. "Good boy," she smiled glancing at Derek and Scott before her attention was back on Charlie. "Der, Scott, hold your hand out for him to smell you...he'll decide if he lets you pat him or not," Scott crouched down beside her while Derek stayed slightly behind and against the wall. Charlie stood up and walked over to Scott before sniffing him and then nudging his hand with his nose and promptly sitting at his feet.

"What now?" Scott questioned, surprised that the dog had sat at his feet.

"Give him a pat, but not on his head he likes his chest being scratched...but just watch him," Anabelle smiled at him before she slowly stood up and turned to face Derek.

"You like that do you?" Scott was quiet as he scratched under the dogs chest and noticed he was kicking his back leg slightly.

"You okay Der?" Anabelle asked, wrapping an arm carefully around Derek and giving him a hug before she found his head resting on her shoulder. Derek nodded almost jumping as he felt something nudging his leg with it's nose. "He wants you to give him a scratch under the chin," Anabelle said watching as Charlie sat at Derek's feet.

"I...I don't think I can..." Derek muttered, Anabelle smiled before she reached over and gave Charlie a scratch.

"Good boy, you be good for Peter and Laura," Anabelle told him, before she stepped away from Derek and headed for a small cupboard on the opposite side of the room to get a treat. She pulled out a beef dental chew and tossed it towards his bed. Derek and Scott watched as Charlie trotted over to the dental chew and sat down before laying down and chewing on it. "Come on, I'm going to talk to Talia about changing a few shifts around,"

Derek and Scott followed Anabelle from the room watching as she shut the door before glancing back into see the dog still laying on the floor with the dental chew. Derek shifted his right arm uncomfortably before he found Scott putting his hand on his back. Scott looked up at Derek and smiled before going through his pocket, their mother had given him Derek's pain-killers. Scott scanned over the bottle before tipping one into his hand and giving it to Derek.

"Kitchen is straight ahead," Anabelle said before she ushered both Scott and Derek ahead of her. "I'll be in down the end of that hall," she pointed down a little hallway with a closed door.

"You really going to let us wander when you said not to?" Scott raised an eyebrow at her as a dark haired girl stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Hey, Peter said you were here," Laura grinned waving at Anabelle who smiled at her before Laura continued to talk. "Scott right?" Laura questioned, Scott nodded glancing at Derek before he looked back at Laura. "Hey Derek...wait what happened to you?"

Derek didn't answer Laura, instead watching as Anabelle disappeared down the hallway. Scott looked at Derek and sighed, sometimes his older brother could be a down right pain especially when he hurt. Laura nodded in understanding before leading them both into the kitchen. Derek moved towards the small water cooler while trying to work out how he was going to go about taking the pain-killers that Scott had given him.

"Der, take the painkiller first and then the water," Scott noticed the awkward moving of his brother before he was being pulled aside by Laura.

"What happened to your brother?" Laura asked quietly as the two of them watched Derek's actions.

"You know that accident that was on the news the other night but they didn't say any names or anything?" Scott questioned, it had taken the Sheriff everything to keep his two deputies out of the news. "Derek and Anabelle's boyfriend both work at the Sheriff's station..." Scott trailed off as he felt Derek glaring at him.

"Oh...how's your sister?" Laura asked, a small smile on face as she looked between Derek and Scott and then glanced out the door and down the opposite hallway.

"Honestly...I don't know," Scott answered, his attention solely on Derek his brother just wasn't the same.

'Dude lacrosse at 330' Stiles sent at 12:55PM

'I'll get Belle to drop me off.' Scott sent at 12:56PM

'With Derek?' Stiles sent at 12:59PM

'If he's up to it.' Scott sent at 1:03PM

Anabelle had knocked on the office door and Talia had quickly allowed her to enter closing the door behind her. Talia's office was small yet homely it didn't feel like it was office more like a part of a home. Talia sat on the small couch occupying one room and motioned for Anabelle to join her.

"I've managed to keep this from Laura and Cora, but there is only so much that I can do," Talia said as Anabelle sat down beside her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm...well I don't know..." Anabelle answered, she really didn't know how she was doing, she thought going into work with her brothers would take her mind off everything but it wasn't. "You know I knew something had happened to Derek before I got his and Scott's messages,"

"Was that the first time?" Talia questioned, Anabelle shook her head she and Derek always knew when something happened to the other. "How's Jordan doing?"

"Better than he was three years ago," Anabelle took a deep breath before she continued to speak. "Three years ago he was in a coma for over a month and we didn't think he'd live through that...But now he's a deputy with the Sheriff's department," Anabelle paused for a second trying to think of what she could say.

"Sweetheart what is it?" Talia asked, leaning forward and placing her hand on Anabelle's knee.

"Jordan had internal bleeding, both of his legs are broken...mom said that they'll know more when I go back in tonight," Anabelle replied, tucking a stray hair behind her ear as Talia took her hand in hers.

"He's strong, so is your brother. What would you like from us?" Talia questioned, she knew that Anabelle would want something she just wasn't entirely sure what that something was. "Anabelle, you know you only have to ask. If you need to take time off,"

"I was actually wondering if I could work around visiting hours at the hospital?" Anabelle answered, she wasn't sure what the answer would be but knew that Talia would be as accommodating as possible.

"Of course, whatever you need," Talia smiled at her, before giving Anabelle a hug. "You know, your father can take over your shifts if you like,"

"I need to do this, I can't sit around doing nothing...Derek may be tagging along he's out of work for the next two maybe three months," Anabelle told her taking a deep breath, the Hales had done a lot for them over the years including Talia helping Melissa after Rafael left her. "But thank you,"

"I understand, talk with Laura. She is your sister, she'll do what she can," Talia told her, looking to the photo on her desk of Laura and her youngest daughter Cora.

"Not today, I'll talk to her Monday. I just needed to talk to someone that wasn't mom,"

Anabelle and Talia finished talking with Talia saying that Anabelle could work whenever she needed so that she could spend the time with Jordan. After they finished talking Anabelle rejoined Derek and Scott, seeing that Derek was half asleep listening to Scott and Laura talking. Laura waved at her causing Derek's attention to be broken by Anabelle's presence.

"Hey Laura, can we talk Monday?" Anabelle asked, walking towards them as Derek lifted his head off of Scott's shoulder.

"Of course," Laura smiled, throwing her arms around Anabelle and giving her a hug. "Dad's out of town till Wednesday,"

"I know, I had a message from him earlier in the week when I was visiting dad," Anabelle answered, Scott looked between the two of them – sometimes he forgot that they were half-siblings. "Scotty, you know what we're talking about,"

"I know, but it's still hard to wrap my head around," Scott shrugged, David Hale was Anabelle and Derek's birth father, Scott had found that out when he was seven years old. "Oh yeah...Belle can you drop me off at school for Lacrosse?"

"Of course, let me guess Stiles?" Anabelle questioned pulling away from Laura as she looked at Scott who nodded enthusiastically. "What time?"

"3:30, you and Der gonna watch?" Scott replied, glancing at Laura who was watching their interaction. "You can come too if you like?"

"Have I ever missed watching?" Anabelle answered, she'd only missed the games when she hadn't been living in Beacon Hills. "And don't say yes because those games don't count," she stuck her tongue out at him as Laura laughed.

"Not today, sorry Scott. I have a couple of things I need to do," Laura smiled at them pausing before she continued to speak. "Come for lunch tomorrow, pretty sure mom meant to say something,"

"Maybe," Derek muttered, causing Anabelle to gently shove him before they bid farewell to Laura and headed out the door back to the car.

'Belle and Der are coming.' Scott sent at 1:20PM

'Both? And Harris keeps asking where you are.' Stiles sent at 1:21PM

'Harris can bite me. And yes.' Scott sent at 1:23PM

Scott sent his messages to Stiles and pocketed his phone as they climbed in the car and headed back home. Derek couldn't wait to climb into his own bed, he'd missed it the past week being in the hospital. He was certain that Anabelle missed having Jordan at their house.

"Hey Belle, where have you been staying?" Derek glanced at Anabelle from the passenger seat as they headed away from the Animal Sanctuary.

"With mom and Scotty. The house is empty without Jordan...and it's weird..." Anabelle answered, she was certain that the house was haunted and Stiles telling her as much when they'd bought it hadn't helped.

"Stiles?" Derek and Scott laughed at the same time, Anabelle simply nodded both her brothers knew how enthusiastic Stiles could be.

"Who else? The boy is crazy," Anabelle said as they drove past the high school and Scott saw Stiles staring out the window longingly at his Jeep.