I'm trying to keep up with my updates on this story, mostly thanks to my buzzing muse and the constant supply of ideas from each week's new Teen Wolf episode. I'm not sure if all of you are up to date with the episodes, so I won't go into detail about what has happened, but, for those of you who have, it's been pretty amazing, hasn't it? I just can't wait for the next two episodes to see what happens. Well, without further ado, here is the next chapter of "Home":

The rest of that miserable day seemed to just drag on, the minutes plugging away as I continued with my shift at the Information Desk in a heavy daze. As the occasional browser approached me searching for answers or directions, I was forced to offer them blank responses, unwilling to even offer them a smile as they went on their way. Not even Mrs. Pollard's sporadic glares could even puncture my stupor, although she would have been positively thrilled if the circumstances had changed. After a chance glance out of the dim windows (they were in desperate need of a cleaning), I caught burnt oranges and soft yellows shifting to a rich dark blue, signaling that my day was finally over.

After returning the book carrier to its proper place, I was just about to slide my schoolwork back into my bag and head out for the night when Mrs. Pollard smug voice floated over to me. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked.

I blinked in surprise up at her smirking face and replied, "Going home….is that a problem?"

"Actually, it is," said Mrs. Pollard. "You can't leave here until the library is completely empty and, unless I'm wrong, I believe that boy has yet to leave. So, you'll be staying here until that backroom is empty and your boyfriend is nowhere to be found."

Just as I opened my mouth to protest her label of Derek, I caught sight of the triumphant glint in her sharp eyes and controlled myself. The argument wouldn't be worth the headache afterwards, so I held my tongue and silently nodded, dropping my bag back onto the carpeted floor. Shooting one last smirk down at me, Mrs. Pollard vanished through the front doors, leaving me with nothing but ringing silence and the growing darkness both inside and out.

Collapsing into my chair, I ran a shaking hand over my face and closing my eyes, trying to swallow the rising lump in the base of my throat. Laura, the only true friend I had found since moving to Beacon Hills, was dead, ripped from this world and forced to roam the afterlife. How could this have happened? Laura wasn't stupid—she knew how to keep herself safe, that much has been obvious to me as our friendship had strengthened. But, of course, not even the smartest people in the world could avoid the dangers that came bundled with life. Something had overtaken Laura, that was all I'd been told; who knew if I'd be able to get any answers from Derek, who seemed as close-lipped as his sister.

Sighing to myself, I glanced over at the backroom, florescent light creeping out from underneath the door. Somehow I'd get my questions answered, and who knew when I'd be able to see Derek again. Swallowing my nerves, my feet carried me to the public archives, fingers fidgeting with a stray thread poking out from my t-shirt. I peeked through the thick sheet of glass lodged into the door, but there was no sign of Derek.

Wrapping my hand around the doorknob, I pushed it open, patiently listening for any movement inside the lit room. Hearing nothing but silence, I quietly stepped into the room, glancing at the wooden tables and down the rows of filing cabinets, only to find that I was the only one there. A frown gracing my plain features, my confusion was stalled at the sight of the piles of opened files and stacks of papers that dominated the farthest table from the door. Curiosity getting the better of me, I approached the table, glancing around to make sure that I was, in fact, alone, before going to read the papers spread out before me.

The packet of papers closest to me was a newspaper clipping surrounding a fire at a local home in Beacon Hills that killed eight people and left one person nearly burnt to death. According to the article, the family's names hadn't yet been released to the public, out of respect for the dead and their grieving loved ones. Various excerpts were highlighted, small, cramped handwriting following the yellow markings with notes and questions that made no sense to me. Frowning at a picture of the charred remnants of the house, I set the packet aside and went to pick up another file that was closest to me, taking a quick peek up to make sure that no one had entered the room. It was only then that I caught sight of the tall, imposing form of Derek Hale.

Nearly jumping out of my skin, I felt my face flush as his narrowed eyes never left mine. Heart racing a mile a minute, I tried to stammer out something, anything that would give me a reason to be peeping through his work. Unfortunately, my half-hearted excuses only came out as a jumbled mess, leaving us in tense silence. Taking a determinably calming breath, I said, "I thought you had left."

His voice was low and unreadable as he replied, "You didn't see me leave, did you?"

"I thought I'd missed you," I suggested.

Refusing to respond, Derek approached the table with his long strides and tugged the file out of my trembling hands. "You shouldn't be sticking your nose in everybody's business," he said quietly, shuffling his work into an untidy pile before turning back to gaze down at me. "It's not exactly polite."

Pursing my lips as this man—who was probably only a few years older than myself, mind you—actually chastised me, I couldn't help but stubbornly reply, "I wasn't sticking my nose in your business, I assure you!"

"Then what were you doing?"

"Trying to find out if any of this," I gestured to the files and papers, "had anything to do with what happened to Laura. Obviously you aren't going to tell me anything, so I figured I'd better find some information on my own."

With a roll of his eyes, Derek turned his back to me, leaving the room with an air of having finished this pointless discussion. But, my frustration forced me to storm after him, hurriedly turning off the light before hastily following his much longer strides. "You know, Laura was my friend," I tried to tell him as he did his best to ignore my very presence. "I have the right to at least find out what happened to her."

Derek rounded on me, his dark green eyes flaming with annoyance; I was forced to halt my quick pace, nearly stumbling into his chest in the process. As I righted myself, he snapped, "I don't care if you, for whatever reason, believe that Laura was your friend. What we're involved in has absolutely nothing to do with you, and nothing gives you any justification to get every detail about our lives just handed to you. Now, do us both a favor and leave me alone."

Biting my bottom lip, I felt heat rushing to my face as he continued on his way. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I hurriedly threw my bag onto my back and found Derek, who was stepping into a sleek, black sports car. Rushing up to the car as the ignition revved, I told him through the open window, "You should know, Laura wasn't just my friend. She was my only friend here in this town, and the one person I actually felt comfortable enough to talk to. With her gone, I have no one here; and I know that you can understand that feeling, because she trusted me enough to tell me about how you both were the last two left in your family." Taking a shuddering breath, I finished, "I just want to know what happened to her, Derek. That's all."

At first, Derek didn't reply, staring at the stretch of road in front of him with narrowed eyes. As the silence continued, I was sure that he was going to just roll his eyes and tell me to bug off once more. But, just as I was about to sigh and admit defeat, he turned his intense gaze to me and asked, "Are you working tomorrow?"

After a brief moment of startled silence, as I had hardly expected this question as a reply, I said, "Yes, at three."

Derek nodded, turning away from me and saying, "Alright. Be here at two."

And, without another word, he shot one more unreadable glance at my surprised face before I subconsciously stepped away for the car, just in time as he instantly sped away down the road, leaving me standing in the middle of the road, speechless.

Alright, I know this is super short, but I promise you I'll get the next update up as soon as possible. I'm just about to head out for the weekend, but I'll have it up next week hopefully. Thank you all for reading, and please don't forget to leave a review!