Chapter 10: Faded Memories
"Come on Nick!" I yelled across the front yard. I ran towards the woods in my little blue dress and pigtails.
"Hurry up! You're so slow!" I called to him in my baby voice.
"I'm coming! Just wait!" He said running down from the front porch. I suddenly felt arms grab me from behind.
"Gotcha!" I familiar voice yelled from behind me. They lifted me up into the air unto their shoulders.
"Derek!" I squealed.
"Hey" Nick said coming up to Derek and I.
"Where are you two going?" Derek asked. I tugged on his hair as I sat on his shoulders.
"Going for a walk... Mom wanted her out of the house she was getting too hyper" they both laughed.
"You wanna come?" Nick asked.
"Sure." I looked at both my brothers. They looked very similar. The only difference was that Nick was older and had light brown hair instead of black. Derek gently took me off his shoulders and placed me on the ground.
"Oh come on Derek!" I whined as he put me down. Derek laughed. He knew how much I liked him carrying me on his shoulders. He picked me up and started to tickle me. I started to laugh uncontrollably as we walked through the forest.
"Sh!" Nick said to the both of us.
"What is it?" Derek asked. Nick was standing still listening.
"We should go home," Nick said.
"Ok?" Derek looked over to his brother. "What's going on?" He said coming up beside him.
"Listen..." They both stood still and tried to listen.
"Derek take Mara home I'll catch up with you guys soon" he ordered.
"No I'm not letting you face them by yourself" I stood there confused.
"I said take her home! And carry her make sure she doesn't walk or make noise" Nick said facing Derek completely. He walked over to me and bent down in front of me so I was at eye level.
"Listen Mara your gonna go home with Derek and I'll meet you back there alright."
I nodded. "And please listen to him" I didn't get to answer him. Before I knew it Derek lifted me and gave me a piggy back home.
"Derek what's gonna happen to Nick?" I asked.
"He'll be fine, he'll meet us back at the house." Derek ran as fast as he could with me on his back.
I shot up from bed. I hate this house because it brings back too many memories. Maybe moving back in with Derek wasn't the best idea. I looked around the room it was just as I left it years ago. Still the same shade of faded purple. I didn't like being in this house. It reminded me of my mom which just made me hurt even more inside. I got up from bed. I usually didn't take naps in the day but I was exhausted today. I opened my curtains to see that it was already dark outside.
"Derek you home?" I called out walking out of room.
"Yeah, I'm about to leave you wanna come?" He asked walking down the stairs.
"Sure where are we going?" I quickly got ready and walked down the stairs with him.
"There's been another murder I'm heading over there with Scott now." He said. We headed out his door to find Scott already waiting.
"Hey Scott" I greeted him. He gave me a quick hug and a wave. We reached the crime scene in about 20 minutes and headed for the roof of the movie store.
"What part of "I'm fine" are you having a problem grasping? Okay, I wanna go home."
Jackson yelled below us. The window in the front was completely shatter and there was blood everywhere. Stiles was there along with his dad.
"And I understand that." Mr. Stilinski said.
"No, you don't understand, which kind of blows my mind, since it should be a pretty basic concept to grasp for a minimum-wage rent-a-cop like you! Okay, now, I wanna go home!" Jackson yelled louder at Mr. Stilinski. God he can really be an ass.
"Oh, whoa, is that a dead body?" Stiles said out loud so everyone could hear. I looked at Stiles, he looked concern and his father was looking back at him disappointed. He probably did it cause he didn't want to see his father get yelled at.
"Starting to get it?" Derek said looking down from the roof.
"Uh, I get that he's killing people, but I don't get why. I mean, this isn't standard practice, right? We don't go out in the middle of the night murdering everyone, do we?" Scott asked.
"No. We're predators. We don't have to be killers." Derek explained.
"Then why is he a killer?" Scott asked trying to put the pieces together.
"That's what we're gonna find out." Derek said. He started to make his way off the roof. Scott and I followed soon after. We drove back to our house and Scott came with.
"You know, I have a life too." Scott whined. They were yelling at each other the whole ride home. I honestly was tired of trying to get them to stop fighting.
"No, you don't." Derek smirked.
"Yes, I do! I don't care what you say about him making me his pet or- Part of his pack. Whatever. I have homework to do. I have to go to a parent/teacher conference tomorrow because I'm failing chemistry." Scott complained even more.
"You wanna do homework? Or do you wanna not die? You have less than a week until the full moon. You don't kill with him, he kills you." Derek warned.
"Okay, seriously, who made up these rules?" Scott said.
"It's a rite of passage into his pack." Derek said calmly.
"You know what else is a rite of passage? Graduating from high school." Scott started to yell again.
"And you don't have to kill anyone to do it! Why can't you just find him yourself? Why can't you just sniff him out when he's a human?"
"Because his human scent could be entirely different. It has to be you. You have a connection with him, a link that you can't understand." Derek yelled in frustration.
"If I can teach you to control your abilities, you can find him."
"So if I help you, you can stop him?" Scott asked.
"Not alone. We're stronger in numbers. A pack makes the individual more powerful." Derek explained.
"How am I supposed to help if I have no idea what I'm doing?" Scott asked even more frustrated then before.
"Because I'm gonna teach you. Do you remember what happened that first night you were shot in the arm Right after you were hit?" Derek said.
"Yeah, I changed back." Scott finally calmed down.
"And when you were hit by his car, same thing, right? What's the common denominator?" Derek asked. There was a long pause. Derek stepped down the stair and faces Scott. He grabbed his hand and crushed it.
"What is- What the hell are you doing?" Scott yelled in pain.
"It'll heal." Derek rolled his eyes.
"It still hurt!" Scott kept yelling.
"And that's what keeps you human- Pain. Maybe you will survive." Derek smirked.
"Really cause I feel like my whole is in fricken hell right now!" Scott continued to yell.
"Look at Amara, if she can deal with this and still get straight A's so can you!"
"But she's not being hunted!" Scott yelled back.
"Don't you get it Scott!" I finally decided to speak up they both looked at me. "We're all being hunted! If it's not the Alpha then its the Argent's who's daughter you're dating! Plus if the Alpha finds you he finds all of us and he'll take that to his advantage!" I pushed past both of them and went back up stairs. I went back to bed and fell asleep. Of course the nightmares came again.
"Derek what's going on!" Nick yelled.
"It's none of your damn business!" Derek yelled back. Derek ran up the stairs and slammed the door. Nick ran after him. It was silent for a bit. I walked up to Derek's room and knocked on the door.
"Go Away!" He yelled.
"It's only me Derek," I said.
"And I said go away!" He yelled again.
"Please Derek I brought food... And you promised we would finish the movie today" I said lightly. He walked over to the door.
"Jesus Christ Amara what don't you get I don't want to watch the stupid movie and I don't want the frickin food and most of all I don't want to see your frickin face!" He yelled just before slamming the door the door in my face. I closed my eyes and tried not to cry as I walked back to my room. I walked into someone before I got to my room.
"Are you okay?" I looked up and saw Nick.
"I'm fine" I said whipping my tears.
"He yelled at you again didn't he?" He asked bending down in front of me. There was a big age difference between Nick and I. He was more then 10 years older then I. He was 2 years older then Derek. Nick cupped my face in his hands and whipped my tears.
"I'll finish the movie with you if you want?" He smiled.
"No, it's fine I don't really want to watch it anymore.." I sniffled.
"Alright" he said getting up. Nick walked over to Derek's door and slammed his fist on it.
"Derek open the door or I swear to god I'm gonna break it down" He yelled.
"And you think that'll make him open it?" Peter smirked as he walked down the hallway.
"Shut up Peter it doesn't concern you" Nick spat. Nick and Peter never liked each other. Peter was the oldest. Peter's age never seems to show but Nick and Peter couldn't stand each other. None of us really liked him we just tolerated him cause he was our uncle.
"What?" Derek yelled as he opened the door. Nick pushed his way past Derek into the room and shut the door behind them. Being me of course I quietly walked to the door and pressed my ear against it.
"What's going on with you?" Nick asked.
"It's nothing" Derek whined.
"Fine... I'm not going to force you to say anything but you can't talk to Amara that way! She looks up to you Derek you can't keep pushing her away and hurting her!" Nick yelled.
"And what if I do!" Derek yelled back.
"Look Amara really likes being around you Derek just as much as she likes being around me. What if one day something happens and it's just you and her? Huh? You're going to need to take care of her. I suggest you start now!" Nick yelled.
* Ding Ding *
I woke up to the sound of my alarm and the sun in my eyes. I remember how that day ended. It was not pretty at all. But looking back on what Nick said it makes me think, what if he knew the fire was going to happen. Then again, Laura and I had to look at his body and make sure it was actually him. It was. He is defiantly dead so he couldn't have none cause if he did he would of tried to stop it.
I got out of bed got dressed and ready for school. ( /cgi/set?id=116204453)
I kept thinking about my dream. Now I understand why Derek was so angry all the time. I walked down stairs to fid Derek.
"Morning.." I said.
"Hi" he said. "Ready to go?"
I nodded. At least now I didn't have to run to school like I did when I lived with Scott. Derek at least drove me now and bought me breakfast along the way. I walked outside to his car.
"Hey what's wrong?" He asked finally seeing my face in the light.
"It looks like you haven't slept in weeks, you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine just tired..." I mumbled.
"You having nightmares again?" He asked. I nodded. I used to get them a lot as a kid. Where I would wake up screaming in the night. But as a kid I would dream that the Argent's came and hunted us down. Now my dreams are happy of old memories of having my family together or an argument we had over something little. Which sucked because now it hurts to even have those dreams. Seeing my siblings faces again and my moms face again is like sticking a knife straight into my chest. I got into the car and Derek drove me to a drive through then to school. I walked into the school and went to my locker. I took my books out and then closed my locker to find Stiles' face behind it, leaning on the locker beside mine.
"Morning" he said.
"Hey" I muttered.
"You okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine I wish you didn't ask me that... I'm always fine and when I'm not I'll still say I'm fine and get through it" I rambled.
"Well okay then, you just look-"
"You better think wisely before finishing that sentence Stilinski" I snapped cutting him off.
"I was going to say beautiful like always," he said saving himself.
"Good choice of words" I said monotone. I started walking down the hall.
"But seriously are you okay you seem tired" he said grabbing my arm and turning me around to face him.
"I'm fine Stiles, but thanks for worrying I'm just not getting a lot of sleep, I'm been having nightmares that's all" I explained. We both walked down the hall when we saw Scott talking to Alison and her trying to stuff balloons back into her locker.
"Is it her birthday?" Stiles asked.
"Like I care," I muttered.
"At least try to be nice," he said to me.
"If that's even possible," he mumbled. I glared at him with a smirk.
"Do all Hale's have the same intimidating territorial glare?" He said sarcastically. "Cause it doesn't work" I gave him another look. "And maybe it does" he said looking away from me.
"That's what I thought, and yes we all do we get it from my mothers side" I said looking away feeling victorious.
"Let's just say happy birthday" stiles said grabbing my arm and pulling me toward Alison.
"No I don't want to" I said trying to pull away. I could easily get away but it was no use he was one determined boy.
"Happy birthday Alison" Stiles said coming close to them pulling me along.
"Thank you" she smiled. Scott just stared at Stiles trying to push me forward.
"No Stiles No Come On!" I said as he pushed me from behind. I tried to dig my heels in the ground but he kept trying. I finally gave up and let him win.
"Happy Birthday Alison" I said in the most monotone voice possible.
"Thanks" she mumbled. The bell rang shortly after.
"Oh look the bell I should get to class." I said running off in the other direction. I turned the corner and listened.
"I don't think she likes me very much..." Alison said to the boys.
"She's kinda uh, stubborn" Stiles said. "I should go to class," he said walking off. I made my way to my class. Damn right I didn't like her.. The day went by quickly. I didn't see Alison once that day. For once the Lord has blessed me with a good day until I realized I didn't see Scott either.
"Do you know where the hell he is?" I asked Stiles asked we walked to our next class together.
"No, I left him a bunch of messages and he's not answering." Stiles said running his hands through his hair.
"Me too he's not replying me either" I sighed.
"We'll figure this out later lets go to chem" I said.
"Just a friendly reminder-Parent/teacher conferences are tonight. Students below a "C" average are required to attend. I won't name you, because the shame and self-disgust should be more than enough punishment." Mr. Harris said in front of the class. I sat across from Stiles. He was looking down at his workbook and highlighting pretty much everything.
"Has anyone seen Scott McCall?" Mr. Harris asked walking past Stiles and I. He stopped in front of us.
"Don't look at me! I haven't seen him since this morning" I said looking up at him glaring at me. Just then Jackson walked into the class looking wrecked. Mr. Harris walked up to him and put his hand of his back.
"Hey, Jackson. If you need to leave early for any reason, you let me know." He whispered to him but everyone seemed to hear. Jackson nodded to him.
"Everyone, start reading Chapter Nine." He said walking back to the front of the room.
"Mr. Stilinski. Try putting the highlighter down between paragraphs. It's chemistry, not a coloring book." Mr. Harris said teasing Stiles. Stiles put the highlighter down and turned and saw Danny was sitting behind him. Oh course he had the brilliant idea to lean on one leg of his chair and talk to him. I listened in to the conversation.
"Hey, Danny. Can I ask you a question?" Stiles started.
"No." Danny responded.
"Well, I'm going to anyway. Um, did Lydia show up in your homeroom today?" He asked. Of course he worried about Lydia. I started to feel odd. Like this there was a pit of anger in my stomach. Was I jealous? No I couldn't be. This was Stiles and he loved Lydia. So why did I feel awful inside. Is it cause I have feelings that I couldn't explain for Stiles? I can't though! He loves her I wouldn't have a chance with him.
"No." Danny answered.
"Can I ask you another question?"
"Answer's still no." Danny said again.
"Does anyone know what happened to her and Jackson last night?"
"He wouldn't tell me."
"But he's your best friend." Stiles looked at him oddly. He paused.
"One more question."
"What?" Danny asked irritated.
"Do you find me attractive?" Stiles asked. What. The. Hell? Was he seriously asking that? I remember when he asked me that question. I laughed just like I did now. Stiles waited for the answer but he lost balance and fell off his stool and the whole class stared at him. I couldn't contain my laugh. I had a study block so I stayed in the library. I decided to catch up with my mythology and history so I decided to bring one of the journals that Laura kept on different types of beasts. Usually people called it a bestiary. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and I took it out.
Stiles:
Can you bring my sweater that I left in your locker to the change room?
Mara:
Sure. Be there in a sec.
I packed up my stuff and went to the guy's locker room. Looks like I beat Stiles there since he wasn't around. It was empty besides George who I shared English with.
"Hey George" I tapped him on the shoulder. "Oh hey Amara" he looked at me oddly taking out his red headphones.
"Don't worry I'm not some stacker or perv... Trust me I would not be in here if I didn't have to... It smell like shit in here...Stiles asked me to bring him his hoodie," he laughed.
"Mind giving it to him when he gets here?" I looked over at him.
"Sure" he said.
"Ok thanks I'm gonna leave now it's smells really, really bad" he laughed and waved as I made my way to the door. I was about to walk out the door but something stopped me.
"I-I don't know where Scott is." I heard Jackson's panicked voice.
"I'm not here for Scott. I'm here for you." Was that Derek? I walked back a bit an looked behind the corner making sure they wouldn't see me.
"Wh-wh-why me? I-I didn't do anything." Jackson stuttered.
"No, but you saw something, didn't you?" I saw Derek's famous leather Jackson. He looked around the room curiously. I knew that look. Crap he could sense me.
"No, I didn't- I didn't see anything." Jackson stammered. Derek looked back at him.
"What was it, hmm? An animal? A mountain lion?" Derek smirked.
"I didn't see anything. I swear. I'm-I'm not lying." Jackson looked terrified of him. Normally Jackson would just pretend like he didn't care. But he not he looked like he was scared that Derek would kill him.
"Then calm down and say it again.
Say what? That I'm not lying? Tell me that you didn't see anything. Slowly." Derek said completely calm.
"I didn't see anything. I'm not lying." Jackson said slowly. He was lying it was obvious.
"One more thing." Derek said grabbing Jacksons neck and looking at the claw marks on the back. When did that happen?
"You should really get that checked out." He said before walking out. He walked right past me and grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the room.
"You know you should really learn to hide better" Derek smirked.
"Pfft normally I would you just caught me off guard" I said.
"What are you doing here?" I questioned.
"Just asking Jackson some questions." He said simply.
"Why? You think he saw something? Please he'll be too scared to say anything and even if he didn't he's too big of an ass to say anything" I muttered. "Now get out of here before someone sees you and I have to go to class" I said pushing him out of the school.
"You want me to pick you up after?" He asked.
"No, I'll walk I could use the time to think" I said in front of the school.
"Alright" he said getting into his car. I walked back into the school and saw Stiles slam his phone shut.
"What's going on? Was that Scott?" I asked walking up to him.
"Yeah it was... He's out with Alison..." Stiles whispered.
"Seriously... Ugh I'm gonna kill him I had to sit through my entire class and present our project by myself cause he wanted to go and prance off with Alison" I spat out poison as I said her name.
"I know it's a real dick move," Stiles mumbled.
"Hell yeah it is!" I yelled. Stiles and I made our way to our last class and we sat through it completely bored.
"Hey I'm gonna go check on Lydia" He said walking out of class.
"Alright" I muttered.
"I'm just gonna go home..." I said. Why does he have to check on her? Okay I'll admit I wish he was checking on me but then I know that he wouldn't. He wouldn't worry about me the way he worried about me. I started to make my way when I stopped in front of the house. There was something off in a way. I pushed the thought away and walked into the house as quietly as I could. I walked to the living room and saw Derek lying on the ground in pain and Kate Argent leaning over him with an electrocuting baton. I have never felt more hate towards a person besides her.
"Which is why I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. And, well, maybe we can help each other out. Yes, your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try to catch you. Unpleasant, and frankly, a little too Texas chainsaw massacre for my taste, but quite true. Now, here's the part that might really kick you in your balls- We didn't kill her. You think I'm lying? Wouldn't be the first time. Tsk, sweetie Well Why don't you just listen to my heart and tell me if I am. Okay? We didn't kill your sister. Do you hear that? There's no blips or upticks. Just the steady beat of the cold, hard truth. Found bite marks on your sister's body, Derek. What do you think did that? A mountain lion?" She teased him. I smirked when I came up with an idea. I quickly sifted into my wolf form so I could move faster and I ran into the room and grabbed the baton from her hand. It amused me to see her surprised expression. I sifted back into human pulling with string of the baton.
"Let me guess, Amara or Cora, you guess look all the same" I let out a chuckle. I lowered the setting on the baton and electrocuted her. Making sure it wasn't enough to kill her. She fell to the ground and screamed.
"Oh so its okay when you do but not when I do it?" I smiled.
"It's nice seeing you Kate..." There was silence in the room. She got up on her feet and tried to punch me but I grabbed her wrist before she could.
"That's the best you can do?" I snapped.
"Looks like you're Amara since you don't even flinch... That and you hate me a lot, I can practically feel it" she said cocky.
"Oh look at you all grown up" she smirked.
"How about you leave my brother alone..." She laughed. "Or here let me paint you a different image." I paused.
"You know I go to school with your niece lovely girl... Not really... Let's just say you harm one hair on Derek's head, first I will start by killing your parents, they shouldn't be too hard to find. Then I'll kill your sister in law... Then your brother... Then I will dig my claws into Alison's stomach and rip it apart and then I will rip her throat out with my hands and feed it to you.." I said taking a step closer to her each time. I was now face to face with her. "And when I'm done you'll be begging on your knees not to kill me..."
"What makes you so sure that you can take me... Your what 16 now?" She asked.
"Actually I'm 15" I turned away from her and sifted. I make my red eyes glow and my teeth stick out.
"Its because I'm Alpha now" I saw her step back. I quickly sifted back...
"You're the Alpha?" She asked. "You're telling that a 15 year old girl is running around town killing everyone?" She smirked.
"No there is another one," I explained.
"Why aren't we helping each other out? You might as well admit what you've been guessing all along, which is The Alpha, killed your sister. And all you have to do is tell us who he is, and we'll take care of it for you. Problem solved, everybody goes home happy." she said and stared at both Derek and I. We stayed silent and her face lit up.
"Unless you don't know who he is either." She paused.
"Wow. Guess who just became totally useless?" She said pulling out her gun and shooting. Derek quickly got to his feet and ran out the house with me on his heels. When we got to the forest he looked back at the house but still hadn't said anything. He looked down at me and his eyes went wide.
"Derek" I whispered as I held my shirt as watch as the blood poured out of me. I tried touching the bullet wound but as I did I fell to my knees. Derek made one quick movement and picked me up bridal style.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"What do you think we need to get you to a hospital" He said angry.
"And what are you- you gonna say when they ask how I got shot?" He went silent. "That's what I thought."
"I don't care... I'll figure something out," he muttered. My vision started going black towards the end of that sentence.
*Beep beep beep*
I opened my eyes to a white room. I looked to my right and saw a heart monitor. I was in the hospital. I sat up and saw my side was already bandaged.
"Hey take it easy" I heard Derek say putting his hand on my bandage.
"I'm fine Derek," I said. He stared at me raising his eyebrows.
"You were just shot... You're not fine..."
"You forgot to go to the parent teacher conference..." I laughed.
"You've just been shot and you're worried about school?" He laughed. A second later Stiles ran through the door.
"My God" he muttered. I looked over at Derek in surprise.
"Called him I thought he would want to know..." Derek explained.
"I called Scott but he's still not answering." Stiles said walking up and taking a seat beside the bed.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I was shot" I said quietly.
"Well no I couldn't figure that out before coming here and why is it that both are you just happen to get shot this week" he sassed.
"Who shot you?" He asked.
"The same person who shot Derek... Kate Argent" I muttered.
"I'm gonna get you some food" Derek said walking out of the room.
"My dad left for the school a couple hours ago he said there was a mountain lion attack..." I looked back at Stiles
"Is he okay?" I asked shocked.
"Yeah he's fine," he mumbled.
"Apparently Scott was there..." I could tell Stiles was frustrated with him. I was too. How could he just ditch the whole day with everything going on...
"I found something on Lydia's phone... I texted you bout it but I can tell you were a bit occupied..." Stiles said.
"It was a video from the video store and she had a video of the Alpha jumping through the window... He was full wolf" he finished.
"Seriously?" I asked.
"Yeah but I deleted it cause I didn't know what else to do both of you weren't replying..."
"It's fine..." I whispered.
"It probably wouldn't have been that helpful either way..." We turned to the door to see Derek outside talking to one of the nurses.
"He really cares about you doesn't he?" Stiles said.
"Yeah he does..." I smiled.
"Even if he cares about you, I still don't trust him... That and he still scares me" Stiles said. I laughed.
"Thanks for coming Stiles..." I said taking his hand.
"No problem..." He smiled down at me. I knew I was getting out of the hospital tomorrow.
And when I get to school Scott is so gonna pay.