Hello,

Chapter six: Where a large item enters Derek's possesion and also takes takes two steps back when information comes to light, and where his Aunt tries to tell him that he is strong.

Lot's of angst and sad Derek...I like sad Derek...heck i just like Derek with emotions, which doesn't happen often.

So this chapter has been rewritten twice... maybe more...I'm not sure. I liked it then i hated it...then i gave up and worked on a different story that I'm fine tunning. It has to be great, but i'm not yet convinced that it is... Anyways I'm taking the next week off because i'll be out of town and then two weeks later I'll be heading out to school...that's a scary thought actually. So these next up and coming weeks will be busy for me, but there should be another chapter somewhere in-between...heck if you pester me...i might try to get the seventh chapter out sooner rather then later...but I'm good at being lazy so if that's what you really want the chapter you'll have to tell because I'd never know. Not a mind reader here...though i have character that is...okay...i'm done rambling.

Please Read, review, and enjoy.

~ Kai

No Name Face

Chapter Six

Derek scratched the hairs on the back of his neck and shook his head, "First the jacket and now a car? Just what the hell are you trying to do to me Laura?" Derek sighed.

"I just want you to feel comfortable. I know you had to give up a lot of things and having your own car would help you fit in. Plus I wouldn't have to drive you around all the time either." She said curtly and Derek pressed his lips into a line. Was this for him or was this for Laura?

Laura had dragged him to the used car lot about an hour ago, and though the lot was filled with a number of decent and useable cars, he hadn't found one that he really liked.

"You do remember that I have to meet Lydia in like a half hour. Maybe we should do this another time." Derek sighed again and Laura shook her head.

"No, we're going to do it now." She insisted as she turned away from Derek to peruse another long line of cars, while Derek was left looking around the large lot, feeling completely overwhelmed.

The used car lot had a small portable building that probably had wheels as its foundation. To Derek it looked that if the big bad wolf came around it could huff and puff and blow that shack in. The building had only two windows, which were located on either side of a small white door. Above that door said a sign that said 'OFFICE' in bold adhesive numbers that were probably brought at either a third rate office supply store or craft store of some kind.

Dozens upon dozens of cars in all makes, models, and colors were scattered across the lot with large yellow numbers indicating there year and underneath that, their price.

Out of the corner of his eye Derek suddenly spotted a short man throw open the door to the small office building and begin to rush towards him. Derek began to feel panic well up inside of him and he began to scope out where he had lost sight of Laura.

"Hello Sir." The short man yelled as he rushed over to him, "How are you doing on this fine afternoon. I see your looking for a car. Well I know for a fact that you have come to the right place. Now tell me, what do you have in mind? I know we have just about everything here, but it always help to know sort of what you want." The man rattled off quickly and Derek struggled to understand him, only catching a few words about knowing what you're looking for.

The man was short in height and his hair matched in a few patched that appeared to be thinning more so then the rest of his scalp. His cheeks were red and blotchy like he had run a mile and his breathing was ragged and uneven by the time he reached Derek, who stood only a couple of yards from the makeshift office building.

Derek stared blankly at the man because he really had no idea what to say to him. First off he had no idea what he was looking for in a car, and even if he did he was fairly certain he wouldn't want to buy it here.

"I can see you are a man of many words." The man spoke suddenly sounding like he was trying to make a joke in order to make Derek feel more comfortable. It didn't work and Derek continued to stare at him blankly. "Um never mind. I think I know what you're looking for. You want a car that's noticeable and catches people eyes, but you also want a car that can lie low and blend in….Follow me."

The man weaved in and around the used cars talking one hundred miles per hour about a car that Derek hadn't heard the guy actually mention. Cautiously Derek followed behind the man, looking around frantically for Laura, who seemed vanished from the lot all together.

"Here look at this one!" The man said enthusiastically as he beckoned to a car in front of him. "Here we are, a Twenty-Ten Chevy Camaro."

Derek blinked at it in shock. He hadn't remembered seeing this car when he had been wandering around the aisles like twenty minutes ago.

The car was a newer model and black, Derek's favorite color. Slowly Derek paced around the car inspecting it for dings and dents, but he couldn't find any. After that the short man popped the hood and both of them stared down into the depths at the cars large engine. Derek had limited knowledge about cars and engines, but he could tell by a few long glances that everything was good and well- cared for. Overall the car was in great shape and the more he looked at the car the more interested he became in it.

"Can I give it a test drive?" He asked feeling suddenly eager and the short man nodded his head.

"Of course, let me go get its keys. Be back in a minute." The man said as he turned and hurried back to the office.

Derek turned his attention back to the car as he gently pulled the driver's side door open and slid in. His eyes scanned the dashboard as his fingers gripped the leather covered steering wheel.

"So is this your choice?" Laura's voice startled him, and he jumped in his seat, causing him to smack his head on the roof.

He frowned and rubbed his head as he turned and gave his cousin a dark look. She shrugged and gave him a lopsided smile.

"Yes, I have been most impressed with car then any of the others we looked at." Derek said and Laura nodded her head as he began her own inspection of the car.

"I think it's a good choice. It will turn a lot of heads." She said brightly and Derek bit his lip.

"I'm not looking for it to turn heads." He muttered and Laura rolled her eyes, while still continuing to look over the car.

"No, I guess not heads…just head." She giggled and Derek groaned at her poorly intended innuendo.

"I have the keys!" He heard the short man shouted as he raced back over to Derek and shoved the keys into his hand.

Derek brushed his fingers across the keys metal surface and smiled. "Laura, wanna go for a ride?"

Laura smiled back at him and nodded her head as she slid into the seat behind him, while the car sales man walks around the car to the other side.

Tenderly Derek put the key into the car's ignition and gave it a swift twist, making the car instantly roar to life. From that moment Derek was sold.

Fifteen minutes after the completion of the test drive Derek pulled out of the used car lot driving the Camaro. The ride was smooth and Derek felt that things might actually start going his way.

Derek pulled out of Lydia's driveway in his brand new car, which Lydia had congratulated him on getting, while also congratulating on his progress with Stiles after she pressed him for details about what happened after he bolted from the party the other night. At her praise he shrugged his shoulders in indifference, and denied he had made any progress at all.

He felt himself grip the steering wheel tighter. He hadn't thought he had grown all that attached to Lydia in the few months he had been in Beacon Hills, but in fact he had, and now that she was leaving he knew he was actually going to miss her.

He suddenly turned the Camaro sharply into the nearly empty parking lot of the Beacon Hills elementary school, the place where he and Stiles had been the night before. He pulled into a parking spot and turned the key in the ignition, and the steady hum from the car's engine faded away.

Slowly he pulled out his phone. He knew Unknown had texted him a couple of days ago he but he had been so busy he had forgotten to reply back.

Unknown: Again with the ignoring me. That's not cool Derek.

Derek: Sorry, I've been busy. With Lydia moving I don't really feel like myself.

Unknown: Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been feeling very conflicted about a few things myself.

Derek: Like?

Unknown: I'll only tell if you tell me more about you.

Derek: That's not going to happen.

Unknown: You should really try to open up to me. It would help you get over all that guilt you feel.

Derek rolled his eyes and shoved his phone back into his pocket. Maybe Unknown was right, maybe he did need to open up to someone, but damned if he was going to open up to someone who he didn't even know the name of? Yeah that wasn't going to happen.

Derek got out of the car and slammed the door, surveying the parking lot once more and noticed a worn out blue jeep that had probably seen better days at the other end of the lot. Derek frowned, feeling like he should have recognized the car, but for some reason he didn't as he wandered around the building towards the playground.

The sun was just beginning to set behind the high dense trees of the Beacon Hills preserve and the sky was starting to darken and mixing the colors red, orange, yellow and purple. They swirled together in the sky, perfectly blended, and the few shadows that were casted, mostly by the numerous street lamps that began to flicker on with the sound of a soft buzz.

Derek is shocked as he crossed the playground and sees Stiles absently swinging on a swing, while he stared up at the sky. Slowly Derek began to approach Stiles, and sat down on the swing beside him.

Stiles looked over at him and as the chain squeaked, when Derek took his seat.

"What are you doing here?" Stiles mumbled as he dragged his feet over the dirt.

"I needed to clear my head. I've had a lot on my mind." Derek answered and Stiles nodded his head.

"Yeah, me too." Stiles mumbled again as he turned his attention back to the sky. "I'm tired of people thinking I'm incapable." Stiles added abruptly, and Derek looked over at him with furrowed brows.

"What do you do when you're sad?" Stiles then said softly and Derek nodded his head in agreement.

"I already told you. I play music or sing. I remember I use to play with my little sister. She loved it when I would play songs with her. I would sit at the piano and she would sit on my lap and I would cup the back of her hands in mine and we would play songs together. I mean, I did most of the playing since my fingers were so much larger then hers, but she thrilled none the less. After that my sadness seemed to just melt away." Derek said quietly as he held up his hand in front of his face, looking at them as if they was a foreign entity.

Stiles remained silent for a long moment before he spoke, "Derek, why do you sound so guilty?"

Derek whole body went ridged in the swing and if he hadn't been holding on to the chains so tightly he might have toppled over.

"W-What?" Derek sputtered

"Well I." Stiles paused as if he was scared to continue, but pressed on anyways, "You just act all cold and uncaring, but that's not really you. In fact you're the complete opposite. You actually care, you actually care a lot." Stiles said softly as he looked Derek straight in the eyes.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Derek said sounding suddenly defensive.

"Yes, I do! I know you only like opening up to me as Unknown and you barely like to do that, but seriously Derek I'm here for you either way!" Stiles yelled then froze as he realized what he had let slip.

Derek blinked at Stiles in surprise and gapped at him in disbelief.

"You're Unknown? How could you not tell me?!" Derek shouted as he stood up from the swing, glaring down at Stiles, who glared back at him.

"Because Derek, it was the only way I could get you to talk to me. In fact up until recently I was pretty sure you hated me and every time we were together you would shut down and pretend I wasn't even there. I'm sorry, but I just wanted you to talk to me." Stiles gave Derek a pained look, and then broke his gaze to stare down at the dirt.

"I would have talked to you Stiles! In fact what do you think we're doing right now?" Derek yelled and Stiles flinched, still avoiding eye contact with Derek.

"It's not the same thing and you know it." Stiles murmured, while Derek continued to glare at Stiles.

"How could you do that?" Derek growled in a low voice, "How could you manipulate me like that?"

Stiles shook his head frantically and opened his mouth to respond, but Derek abruptly cut him off, "I should go." Derek gritted out as he turned and hurried away from Stiles, heading back in the direction of his car.

"That wasn't how I meant it, I swear!" Derek heard Stiles shouting after him, but he didn't really hear the words.

He stopped when reached the driver's side door leaned on the Camaro as he looked back over in the direction he come, and in head he could picture Stiles clearly, slumped back down on the swing, his head buried in his hands.

"Why does it hurt?" Derek muttered, "Why does it always have to fucking hurt?"

He yanked open the driver's side door and got inside, shoving the key into the ignition and giving it a harsh twist, which made the car roar to life. And for a few long moments Derek just stared out his windshield with a blank look upon his face before he pulled out of the small parking lot and headed home.

Talk about one step forward and two steps back. Was he being used? Derek just wasn't sure anymore.

He went home and when he got there he raced to his bedroom and slammed the door. He screamed as he picked up one of his discarded text books and threw it at the wall. He then gripped his hair tightly as if he wanted to desperately rip it out, until he fell to his knees.

"Derek?" His aunt's voice sounded behind the closed door and Derek immediately felt guilty for being so loud at the late hour.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled his voice cracking suddenly, making him realize that tears were trailing down his cheeks.

His aunt opened the door slowly and marched over to him and wrapped him up in a tight hug, whispering softly that it was alright as he lets it all go and sobs louder.

"I just want to be myself. I just want something to be real. No more lies. No more being used." Derek mumbled in his aunt's shoulder as she gently strokes down his back.

"I know this is hard, and I'm sorry you had to go through with this because it's really not fair." She whispers and led Derek over to the futon, where she released him from the hug. He slumped down upon the futon and drew his knees up to his chest.

"You have been through a lot Derek, but you have to know that that only makes you stronger. I know you will overcome this." She said in a sturdy voice and Derek nodded his head up and down.

"I just… I don't know how to be honest with anyone. I just wanted to tell that one person that I liked that I actually liked them, but the fear that all I'll have is my secret constantly looming over me." Derek mumbled as he hugged his knees tighter.

His aunt gently pushed him over to towards the wall and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hesitantly Derek leaned his head on her shoulder as she quietly sings, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Stand a little taller, doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone." She paused and gently carded a hand through Derek's hair. "What doesn't kill you makes a fighter. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger."

"I'm sure you will find a way and I promise I'll keep you safe sweetie." She said as she placed a kiss on Derek's forehead and Derek slowly nodded his head again, unsure as to what he should say. "Now, you should try to get some sleep because you had a long day. I'm positive that things will only get better and that person you like I'm sure their sorry." She said confidently as she got up and ruffled Derek's hair and exited Derek's room.

Song Used: Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) By: Kelly Clarkson