Thank you to those of you that have left comments, I really appreciate hearing that you like the story so far! Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter! :)

Ch. 4

The ride back to Ruthie's apartment was silent. It wasn't a weird silence, it was comfortable. Normal, even for the two of them. Back in Glen Oak Derek used to drive Ruthie to and from school. Now sitting in her car and being in her presence again after all those years apart, Derek finally felt like he could relax. Being with her always brought out a calmer side to him. All these years of stress and worry over his pack had taken a toll on him. He looked out the window as he started noticing where they were headed.

"Ruthie, exactly where are you staying," Derek asked her, worry evident in his tone.

"Um, the Lighthouse Apartments," she said hesitantly. She knew that Derek knew this town well and would have surely heard the news by now about what had happened.

"Ruthie you are not staying there," he told her firmly. "We're getting your things and leaving. I don't want you living in those apartments. They're in the worst part of town and it's not safe for you to be living there alone."

"Derek," she said, still getting used to his real name. "I'll be fine. I'm a big girl and can take care of myself, ok. So stop playing overprotective big brother and leave it alone" she told him sharply.

He didn't say anything and instead just went back to staring out the window. Now isn't the time to argue with her. I'll have to try and convince her later. Along with making sure she understands that I don't think of her as a sister. Derek had to quickly steer his mind away from all the thoughts that filled his head at that last statement. He hoped that she would want more from him than just friends, because even sitting in the car next to her and not being able to touch her was painful for him.

Pulling into her reserved space, she went to the trunk and started grabbing some bags. Derek came up beside her and grabbed the last few and then closed her trunk before following her up the flight of stairs to get to her apartment. When they got to Ruthie's door she quickly unlocked it and let them inside. She walked into the kitchen and started putting the groceries away while Derek took a minute to look around. He came up beside her and started helping her put stuff in the cabinets. She turned and took her jacket off and flung it on her couch.

"So what furniture did you need assembled," he asked, while he watched her bend down to put some apples and peaches she had bought in a bottom drawer of the fridge.

"I have a kitchen table that I bought, but I need to put the legs on and I have no idea how," she replied, turning around and catching his lingering gaze. "There's also a few other things, but the kitchen table is the most important right now."

She quickly went to put the last of the groceries away to distract herself from the look in his eyes. "So all the pieces are here and these are the instructions," she said handing him the paper. "I'm going to unpack my clothes and get them organized in my closet. Let me know if you need anything ok."

"Sure," he replied and bent down to start figuring out the table, knowing that it was too soon to start showing her how he felt. He had to make her understand that he wasn't going anywhere this time.

Ruthie went into her room and started hanging up clothes in the closet and placing other items in her dresser. She turned her stereo on and started singing along to the songs that came on, forgetting Derek was in the other room. After finishing with her clothes she started moving all her shoes into her shoe rack in the closet and placing picture frames of her family and friends about the room. After about an hour Derek walked in and found her putting new sheets on her bed. He knocked on her open door to make himself known.

"So where did you sleep last night," he asked her curiously seeing that she was just getting the bed ready.

"The couch," she replied. "I was too exhausted to make my bed last night after carrying all the boxes up so I just grabbed a blanket and passed out."

He nodded with a slight frown on his face at hearing how worn out she was. "And who moved in the furniture?" He asked, thinking about her bed and the couch.

"The apartment owners pay people to help as movers so these two guys met me in the office when I went to grab my key and came and helped carry them up," she explained.

Derek looked pissed at hearing this. "So let me get this straight Ruthie, you had two random guys helping you move stuff into your apartment? Coming in and out knowing where you live? At night? With you here all alone?" He said, getting angrier and raising his voice with every word.

"It wasn't like that Derek, stop overreacting!" She snapped at him. She hated that he was making this a bigger deal than it was, knowing that it was completely innocent.

"Overreacting!" He shouted at her, feeling his anger make him shift. "You had two random guys in your apartment last night, Ruthie!" He felt his claws come out and knew his eyes were flashing their alpha red. He knew he was being an ass and overreacting but he couldn't help it. Not when it came to her and her safety. He would do anything to keep her safe.

Ruthie stepped back from him in fright. She flashed back to the night in Glen Oak when he revealed his werewolf side to her. She remembered with sudden clarity that his eyes had flashed blue that night. "Why are your eyes red," she asked him. "They were blue when I last saw you... change" she finished lamely.

Derek saw the look of fear on her face and calmed down enough to feel himself shifting back. "I'm an alpha" he stated. "When I was in Glen Oak I was a beta. My sister, Laura, she was the alpha and when she was killed the alpha status and power transferred to me" he explained to her.

Ruthie nodded her head at his explanation. "Look Derek, I know that you think I was stupid letting those guys help me, but they work here. They're paid to help people move things into their apartments. For such a crummy area, the complex wants to help people out as much as they can. The guys were both nice and were only inside for a few minutes. After placing the furniture where I wanted it they said goodnight and left. That's it," she explained, seeing him nod his head in understanding.

"Alright," he said. "I'm sorry for yelling, I just don't want anything to happen to you," he told her feeling every muscle in his body tense at the thought.

"What do you think is going to happen to me?" she asked him. Derek's mind flashed back to his dream from just the other night, still upset by how he woke with that feeling in his chest and knowing that in that moment of panic, it was Ruthie he was worried about.

"Please," he begged looking directly in her eyes. "You don't know what's living in this town. I just need you to promise me that you'll be careful and always watch your back" he told her, fear filling him again and making him want to never let her out of his sight.

Ruthie didn't know what to say so she simply nodded her head. Derek stood in her doorway seeing the now empty boxes that had held her clothes and shoes. "Do you want me to take those down to the recycling," he asked her, looking for a way to make up for his recent outburst.

"Sure" she said with a small smile. "That would be great, thanks."

Derek grabbed the boxes and crushed them all down so they were flat and then walked out into the living room with Ruthie behind him.

"Wow!" She exclaimed excitedly. Ruthie looked at the kitchen table Derek put together for her and also saw that he assembled her book shelf and her coffee table. "You did all this while I was in there?" She asked, watching him break down the other boxes and add them onto the pile.

"Well I got really into the work and was enjoying listening to you sing while I was putting everything together," he told her honestly, smiling at her blushing face.

"Thank you so much, I can't believe you got all this done and all I did was set up my closet and some pictures," she said laughing.

"Hey you made your bed too," he laughed. She just simply shook her head at him with a smile on her face. "I'll take these out to the garbage and be back in a few minutes."

When he came back in Ruthie's apartment he saw her making some sandwiches in the kitchen. "Here," Ruthie said as she handed him one of the beers she bought along with a turkey sandwich. "Thanks," Derek said and went to sit at the table while Ruthie followed. After they sat for awhile and Ruthie had caught him up on all the members of the Camden family Derek asked if she wanted her TV set up.

"Yes please," she said, practically begging him with puppy dog eyes. "I need to have a working TV," she said dramatically.

Derek just rolled his eyes at her, but went to get her TV set up and working properly. While he was figuring out the TV Ruthie went and got out more of her picture frames and started placing them around the rest of her apartment.

"This place is starting to feel like home," she said, smiling over at him. "I really appreciate all your help Derek."

"Anytime Ruthie," he said, finished with the TV.

Walking over to where she was hanging a collage photo frame, he smiled as he saw pictures of the Camden family in various stages of life. Her and Simon when they were little, Mary, Lucy, and Ruthie in the front yard, Ruthie at her high school graduation with her parents, Matt and the twins playing a board game. I miss them he realized with a pang in his heart. She handed him the last picture in her arms and his eyes darkened as he looked at the picture of the two of them. It was a candid shot taken by Lucy at a family BBQ in the backyard. He had his arms wrapped around her waist and she had her hands placed over his. She was leaning her back against his chest and looking up at him with a smile on her face. The look on his face clearly expressed how he felt about her. His eyes were so full of love for her and his smile, the one that was just for her, was clear on his face.

"I love this picture of us," he said softly, still not able to tear his eyes away from it.

"Me too," she replied looking at him staring at the picture. Gently taking it from him, she walked over to the little end table by the couch and placed it there. "So what do you think of my new home," she asked him trying to break the tense moment.

Derek looked around her apartment and saw that all the furniture was set up, that her stuff was unpacked and in its place, the kitchen was finished, and he realized he felt sad. This isn't home Ruthie he thought. Home is where you have people that love you and want to take care of you. This isn't your home.

Instead Derek told her with a smile, "It looks good. You should be proud of it, you've made it yours."

"I have, haven't I," she said cheekily. "Thank you again for all your help. I really would have been lost without you."

"Seriously anytime," he told her. Looking at his phone he saw a few missed calls from Scott and Lydia. "I should get going," he said. "Before I go though, would it be okay if I got your cell number? Maybe we could grab coffee or something. There's still a lot I'd like to talk about."

Ruthie nodded and smiled. "I'd like that," she said and put her number in his phone.

"I'll talk to you soon," he told her giving her a hug which she gladly returned.

"You better," she joked giving him a mock glare. "Bye Derek," she said standing at her now open door.

"See you soon Ruthie," he said and turned to head outside.

They still have a long way to go but I think it's a good start! What did you guys think of this chapter? :)