Shout out to:
*Serena Sterling: Yes :3 I felt like he needed something more than just being the tough alpha, you know? You're welcome and thanks!
*Tesla424: Thanks, I'm glad you do :) Yes, it is pretty slow burn but when they do get together it's very sudden. Hmm..I'm not sure if he's an artist or just a drawer, maybe I'll have to explore that some more in another chapter ;) Mommy Ash!
*TheHungryRainbow: Yes, you may!
*Maxine Hale: Aw, thanks :) Here's the update!
*Tesla424: Hehe, 'take that James' :P She just needs some time :) Dashlee for the win definitely! (This update said it was posted on the 30th Nov but only came through now? Well, here's the response anyway :P)
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Ash's Aunt Hailey comes out on her front varanda when she hears the rumble of Ash's V8 outside. Hailey's long-time partner, Jeff, also makes an appearance now that he's back from his overseas business trip.
Derek parks up on the driveway and turns the car off.
"I'll be back in a minute." Ash tells Derek, putting her sunglasses back on her head. He nods. She gets out, getting Jade out and her bag with some trouble. But Ash brushes off the pain because she knows Jade's watching. She takes her little sister's hand and then walks over to her Auntie and Jeff.
"Since when do you wear dresses?" Hailey asks her oldest neice. But Ash doesn't responsd.
Derek watches as Ash just puts the bag down and hugs her Aunt. She hugs her Aunt whole-heartedly, clinging to her like it's the last time she's ever going to see her. After talking about her Grandparents and then realising she literally has noone but her little brother and baby sister, and her Aunt and Uncle up here in Nevada, Ash is..reevaluating many things.
Ash isn't as sore today, but the pain's still definitely there. But it only takes a second for Hailey to notice Ash's face.
"Oh, my God. Baby?" Hailey says, taking Ash's face into her hands with a furrowed brow and concern-filled eyes. Jeff finally sees her face now too, his stomach dropping. "Ash, what happened-"
"I have been asked that so many times." Ash sighs, pulling away from her Aunt, not wanting to be stared at like that. "I'm fine. I was jumped last night, I've already talked the police and given them what I know, they're filing a report and looking into it." She tells her Auntie, comforting her with a false promise of the police being actively involved.
Derek frowns because Ash told John nothing.
"Seriously, I'm okay." Ash says, really not wanting to talk about it. She never wants to talk about it, she just wants to forget it, get past it. And she didn't come here to talk to them about the bad things, she just wants her sister to be safe and to see her family.
"Jesus, Ash, you need to be careful." Jeff says to her. Ash hugs him next, not saying anything back to what he said. He rubs her back gently and speaks in her ear. "Don't walk around by yourself, or at night. You know there's been strange animal attacks in this town for the last year or so." He says, pulling back. Ash nods.
"I know. But it's fine now, everything's fine." Ash tells the both, really wanting to get off the subject of her attack.
"Pain?" Hailey asks her neice, not seeing Ash's avoidance on the subject.
"A little, I have some pills though." Ash says. "I'll be fine." She stresses, hoping they'll drop it. But this is their niece, they're not just going to 'drop it'. Hailey raises her hand and Ash almost flinches, but, lucky, she doesn't. Her Aunt's index and middle fingers lightly brush over the small, neat stitches that cross over her eyebrow.
"This one might scar." Hailey comments, having seen and heard enough from Melissa to know.
"Scars I can deal with." Ash mutters to herslelf, the comment not escaping Hailey or Jeff's ears though. Hailey sighs and nods, wishing her niece didn't have to go through this. "Really, Auntie, I'm fine." She stresses it, just wanting them to drop the subject and for them to know she will be fine..with some time.
Hailey nods and finally lets it go, seeing Ash is trying to convince her. But that's her sister's daughter, of course Hailey's going to worry. And that's Jeff's neice too, he's going to worry as well.
"I got an email the other day." Hailey says. Ash looks at her to go on, happy she's changed the subject. Hailey crosses her arms over her chest, her face becoming stern. Ash has seen that look before, she's in trouble. "Why didn't anyone tell me Rafael was back?" She asks her neice. Ash sighs, this is another subject she really doesn't want to talk about. "And he's trying to take Jade?" She asks, lowering her voice so Jade doesn't hear.
"I know. I know, I should have told you-" Ash says.
"Yeah, you should of." Hailey lectures.
"Yeah, I should have." Ash agrees. "But..it was a really hard time and I didn't want to put that on either of you." Ash says. Jeff puts his hand to Hailey's shoulder, squeezing gently because he can see Ash was doing it to protect them. Hailey sigh, dropping her 'scowling' stance.
"What about this court case?" Jeff asks her.
"I'm going to appeal, file to have his application declined." Ash tells them. "I'm not letting him take her."
"I thought you might say that." Hailey says. "But you realise that if Rafael doesn't get her, she goes into the system, right?" She asks Ash.
"No, she won't." Ash says, shaking her head. "Because I'm filing for guardianship of her, and probably Scott too." She informs them.
"Oh, sweetie.." Hailey says.
"I know, I know it's a huge responsibility, I know all of that. And I want it." Ash says, defending herself.
"We could take them?" Jeff offers.
"I'm sure you could, I'm sure you could raise them well too." Ash says. "But this is personal, I have to do this. You understand that, right?" Ash asks, looking between them, hoping that wasn't rude because she wasn't trying to be. No, these two don't have kids of their own yet, but they babysit Jade and she loves staying with them. Ash doesn't doubt they'd be great parents, but like she said, she needs to be the one to do this, she wants to be the one to do this.
"No, we understand." Jeff says.
"He's right, sweetheart." Hailey says. She tucks a piece of hair behind Ash's ear. "But if you need us to do anything, don't hesitate to ask, alright?"
"Alright, thank you, both of you." Ash says with a nod.
"I was saying before, I really like this." Hailey says, touching Ash's dress. Ash looks down at her feet. "Well, don't get all shy, you look nice." She says.
"What's the occasion?" Jeff asks her, knowing Ash is more of a singlet and skinny jeans type than a dress type.
Ash looks up at them and is about to tell some lie. But she really can't be bothered, they already know she was attacked, there's no point in lying even more than she already is. Ash sighs. She reaches behind her, unzipping the back of her dress. She takes off one sleeve, keeping herself covered but moving it so they can see her side.
Derek looks away, not because she's taken the top of her dress off, because he's already helped her change before, but because seeing the bruises makes something tug uncomfortably deep in his gut.
Ash regrets doing it straight away because her Aunt and Uncle's eyes widen like dinner plates. Ash quickly hides all the dark brusies and marks again.
"Jesus Christ." Hailey says, covering her mouth with her hands.
"It's nothing, I'm fine." Ash brushes it off.
"That's not nothing, Ash." Jeff says. He looks down at her cast and reaches out for it. Ash does flinch a little bit when his hand grabs it. "Hey, it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you." Jeff assures her softly.
"I know..sorry." Ash says, looking down in embarassment.
"Don't apologise, sweetheart." He says, looking at her casted hand. "When did this happen?" He asks her. Ash pulls her hand out of his, both Jeff and Hailey frowning at her.
"I..I really don't want to talk about what happened." Ash says, unable to keep talking about it like it isn't screwing her head up enough.
"Okay, it's okay." Jeff nods. "We won't talk about it anymore." He assures her.
"We'll talk about something else." Hailey says. It's only then that Hailey looks over at Ash's car, noticing it's not empty. Jeff follows her trail of sight, seeing the other occupant. Derek shifts a little under their gaze, purposely not meeting their eyes because then he'd have to, awkwardly, introduce himself and say hello. He's not that social, and he's never been good at that sort of thing, maybe in high school but since the fire, no.
"Something like who the buff hottie in your car is." Hailey says, looking over at Derek. Ash flushes red, knowing full well Derek can probably hear everything. And hear that, he does. He smirks a little. Men and their egos, am I right?
"You're twice his age, so stop drooling, it's not going to happen." Ash says, throwing her Aunt a small grin so she knows she's just teasing. Jeff chuckles, knowing his partner's only kidding around to tease Ash and vice versa. Hailey and Jeff looks at Ash, happy to see her smile again.
"Why? Is he someone else's boyfriend?" Jeff asks, joining in playfully. "Like your's for example?" He asks, both adults actually curious as to who he is and what his relationship is to their neice.
"Nope." Ash shakes her head. "He's a friend." This time when she says it, she actually means it. Her and Derek definitely get along alot better than they used too.
Derek knows he probably shouldn't be listening in but it's almost impossible for him not to hear, and if he's being honest, their banter is amusing. Hailey steps a little closer to her neice, lowering her voice again.
"Is he the kind of friend that keeps you nice and toasty at night?" Hailey asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Jesus Christ." Ash gasps quietly. Jeff chuckles at how red Ash has gone. "No." She answers again, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. "Why does everyone think that?" She asks, referring to what happened at the hospital with the doctor, and she's sure James had similar thoughts too. "He's a friend of mine and Scott's, he's just making sure what happened with me last night doesn't happen again." Ash justifies, looking between her Aunt and Uncle.
"Mmm-hmm." Hailey nods, a little smirk on her face. "That's awful nice of him." Hailey says. "What are you giving him in return?" She teases.
Derek is actually impressed with the older woman's ability to make Ash so flustered and blush, it's something he's never actually seen on Ash before.
"Please stop." Ash says. Hailey chuckles along with Jeff, she was only teasing. They simmer down though, not wanting to torture their beloved neice too much.
"Well, if all it takes to make you smile is to talk about him then you should keep him around." Hailey says genuinely. Ash shifts awkwardly, not able to summon anything to say back to that. "I'd invite him in but you look like you might be in a hurry." She says.
"Yeah, a little bit." Ash nods. "I should go, I'm sorry. Things are crazy back home." She says, knowing she should get home before Scott gets home and panics, but he'll probably get back before her anywa since school's almost out already and they have an hour drive back.
"We know, we heard about the other murders." Jeff says quietly so Jade can't hear.
"Yeah, it's uh..it's brutal." Ash nods, that stupid emotional lump building in her throat.
"Do you think it has anything to do with your Mom?" Hailey asks. She doesn't know much, Ash would know more being the one that actually lives in Beacon Hills.
"I..I-I don't know yet, the police aren't really talking." Ash falters, stuttering, not really wanting to talk about that either. Hailey nods. "Okay, come here, Jade." Ash says, crotching down.
Jade rushes into her arms and Ash hugs her tightly. Ash ignores the pain crotching and having Jade squeezing her gives her ribs. She'd rather rough out the pain then not hug her sister goodbye.
"I love you." Ash says, kissing her hair and holding her close.
"Love you." Jade says. Ash smiles a little and let's Jade go.
Hailey has to subtly help the girl to stand again as she can see her neice is in pain. Ash hugs her Aunt and rubs her back, seeing the mention of her deceased sister is still tender for her as well, and Rafael's appearence can't feel good for her either. As far as Hailey's concerned, Rafael McCall is a deadbeat who abandoned her sister and their kids, she has no love for that man, not anymore.
"Love you as well." Ash says. Hailey smiles and kisses Ash's cheek, avoiding her wounds.
"I love you too, sweetie." She says as they pull back.
"Come here." Jeff says. Ash hugs him too. "Make sure whoever did that is dealt with, alright?" He says. Ash nods and they pull back. "And I'm really sorry I couldn't make it to Melissa's funeral. I was in another country on business, I had no idea." He apologies sincerely.
"It's okay." Ash says. "It was just so..sudden. But we understand, Mom would too" She says. Ash clears her throat, feeling that emotional lump getting bigger, making it harder to speak. "I'll be in touch." Ash says. Hailey nods. Ash waves at Jade and Jade waves back.
"Bye De'ick." Jade says. Ash stops, her face soften as she looks between Jade and Derek. After the spider incident and Derek comforting her after the situation with the station, Jade's taken a liking to Derek, him being her spider-catching hero and all.
Ash tries not to smile when Derek gives Jade a small awkward wave back, making the young girl smile widely. Hailey raises her eyebrows at her oldest neice, seeing how much her younger neice has taken to Derek. Jeff just smirks at her. Ash glares at them both playfully before getting back into the car.
Derek drives away from the house, a comfortable silence between them. Ash's mother's gold heart locket around her neck feels a little heavier now. Ash holds the locket in one hand, absent-mindedly fiddling with it as Derek drives along the dirt country roads at a cruise.
A twang of worry nibbles in the pit of Ash's stomach. She knows Jade's fine with her Aunt and Uncle, she knows Jade's safe and being treated lovingly. But, with everything going on, she still worries, especially with this custody threat hanging over her head, with the promise of a deeper level of hurt compared to the beating she received from her father as well.
"You worrying?" Derek asks. Ash looks up from the necklace, looking to her left at Derek, considering the car is left-hand drive. Derek glances at her, locking eyes for a moment, and then back to the road.
"Yeah, a little." Ash admits.
"She'll be fine." Derek assures her. Even though Derek really has no clue if that's true, he's just going with what Ash knows, the fact that he's still trying to provide some comfort makes Ash feel a little better.
"Yeah." Ash nods. "Yeah, she will be." She agrees. "So.." She says awkwardly.
"So..?" Derek repeats.
"How much of that did you hear?" Ash asks him with a slight cringe.
"None of it." He lies, for her sake.
"Derek." She deadpans, knowing that's definitely a lie. He glances at her.
"Enough to know that I should probably stay clear of your Aunt." He says half-heartedly. Ash can't help the small chuckle that leaves her lips. Derek looks at her again, seeing a small smile dancing on her lips.
Well, if all it takes to make you smile is to talk about him then you should keep him around
Hailey's words echo in his mind but he doesn't say anything about it. He looks away from her looking back at the dirt road, trying to ignore how much better he feels when she laughs or smiles. Scott wasn't the only one getting dragged down by how depressive Ash was after her attack, the whole pack felt it, Derek felt it.
As the silence stretched on, at least it's not uncomfortable silence anymore, Ash reaches over and turns the radio on, wanting to fill the silence and distract herself before she gets to lost in her darker thoughts.
She flicks aimlessly through stations, some just static, some just the radio hosts talking and making lame jokes, some have music but it's mostly pop and Ash thinks she'd rather sit in silence than be stuck listening to some Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato bull crap.
Derek notices straight away when she finds a song she likes, because her fingers flex and hesitate, not changing the station again. He glances at her and there's more life in her eyes than earlier too. She leans back in her seat, putting her feet up on the dash. From the corner of his eye, he sees her foot start to tap along to the beat of the song. But Ash realises she's doing it and Derek's watching so she quickly stops her foot.
"Sing." Derek says. He glances at her and she's looking at him in half-surprise and half-shock. "I know you know this song." He says.
Ash doesn't say anything, she just looks back out the windshield again, the song starting to play.
In the night, I hear them talk, the coldest story ever told. Somewhere far along this road, he lost his soul to a woman so heartless. How could you be so heartless? Oh, how could you be so heartless?
Derek finds himself thinking about parts of his own past, about how he relates to this song, his hands tightening around the steering wheel a little when he thinks of her.
How could you be so cold as the winter wind when it breeze, yo? Just remember that you talkin' to me, though. You need to watch the way you talkin' to me, yo. I mean, after all the things that we been through. I mean, after all the things we got into. Ayo, I know there are some things that you ain't told me. Ayo, I did some things but that's the old me. And now you wanna get me back, and you gonna show. So, you walk around like you don't know me. You got a new friend? Well, I got homies. But in the end, it's still so lonely.
Derek has decided he hates this song, like it's throwing his past back in his face. Kate, his family, the trouble he got into.. In fact, he's about to change it, but something, another sound, makes him stop.
He hears that little inhale of breath she takes and knows she's going to sing. She's a singer, just like her Mom, she can't help it. So, he leaves it playing.
"In the night, I hear them talk, coldest story ever told." She sings, looking out her window. "Somewhere far along this road, he lost his soul to a woman so heartless. How could you be so heartless? Oh, how could you be so heartless?" She belts out the higher vocals like they're nothing.
But, as quick as she started, she stops. She figets before leaning forward again and turning the radio off. The song brings back her own memories of her own past.
Suddenly, the car's too hot and too small and she has to get out of it.
"Stop." Ash says. Derek looks at her, confused as to why they need to stop on the side of a dirt road, confused as to what just happened too. "Derek, stop the car." She says. He does as she says and Ash gets out. She puts her glasses back over her eyes as they tear up. She hates having to say goodbye to her little sister, but she knows it's what's best, it's to keep her safe. And everything her, her Aunt and Uncle talked about, they aren't easy subjects, and honestly, Ash is still shaken up from last night. Plus, she didn't need the need the reminder of her shitty past either.
Ash takes her earlier discarded cigarette with her. She manages to get herself up onto the boot of her car, her feet not touching the ground, just dangling. Seeing Ash is having a little 'time out', Derek gets out too. His wolf doesn't favour being constantly couped up either. But he knows that's not the reason Ash wanted to stop.
Ash uses her Grandfather's zippo that Derek returned to light her smoke. She takes a long drag from it, blowing it away from them both. She coughs a little, the act of smoking flaring some pain in her side, but she roughs it out.
Derek doesn't ask, he just waits for her to speak when she's ready and her heart's not jumping like a rabbit in her chest, pounding in his ears as there's no other noise around them but distant cicadas and the flap of a bird's wings as it takes off from a branch, brushling againist the leaves in it's path.
Ash smokes for awhile, looking off into the distance, trying to distract herself with tobacco and the forest life.
"What happened last night?" The words tumble from her mouth without her permission. Derek looks up at her and she looks at him. "While you were out there?" She clarifies, deciding to go with it and question further.
"We didn't find anything." He tells her honestly. "No trails, no scent, nothing. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." She says, looking into her lap, picking at her cast for she has something to do with her hands. She sighs heavily. "What the hell's going on in this town, Derek? This thing kills three people, innocent people, for no reason? No real motive, no witnesses or evidence left behind? How the hell are we supposed to even find this thing if it can have two completely different scents?" She asks him.
"I don't know." Derek says honeslty. He wishes he could give her the answers she so desperately wants, but he can't. And he hates that he can't do anything to stop all of this. He's the alpha, this is his responsibility. This town was his family's to protect, that falls to him now because of that and because he's Beacon Hills' alpha werewolf. That status means something to other packs, it shows them this town is claimed, and protected, by the Hale pack. "But we will. Whoever did that to your mother will pay for it." He assures her. She turns back to him and gives him a small sad smile, blinking back the tears in her eyes that her sunglasses are hiding.
"I'm sorry about last night, taking you all away from that. I just..I needed Scott, I needed help." Ash apologies.
"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault." He says her own words back to her. "You did the right thing by calling Scott." He assures her. Ash nods. "But whoever did that to you will pay too." He says. Ash glances at him and then looks away quickly. Derek's eyes narrow, wondering what that was. "What?" He asks. "What was that?" He asks her.
"Nothing." Ash says quickly. That was unbelivable, even if Derek wasn't a wolf.
"That's all alot of lies you're telling, Ash." He says.
"What? I'm not lying about anything." She says with a scoff.
"You're lying to someone, your stories weren't the same-"
"I told my Aunt those things so she wouldn't worry." Ash says.
"No, you didn't." He says, seeing right through her. "Way I see it, you're either lying to one of us, or you're lying to all of us. Either way, it's still lying. You don't lie to your pack, Ash." He says. His mother was the one that would enforce that. Secrets or lies can create problems, misunderstandings. Problems and misunderstandings can get out of hand, get somebody hurt, get somebody killed. And they certainly don't need anymore death. So, Tahlia Hale had a 'no lying' policy, even though 99% of the time her skillful alpha ears would hear their heart skip from a mile away.
Ash lets out a single huff of flat laughter, realising she's slipped up somewhere. Or maybe it's because Derek is alot smarter than he shows. She was stupid to think anyone would just let this go anyway, especially after all the violence and death they've already seen. The pack care about her more than she thinks.
"This is my pack, and you're part of that. Betas protect their alpha, but alphas have to protect their pack too." He says to her. Ash nods.
"I know that." She says. "But I can't give you anything, I'm sorry." She says to him. Derek moves closer to her. Ash watches him closely, wondering what he's doing. He stands in front of her and reaches out. She moves back a little, confusion scrawled across her features. He ignores it, and just lifts her sunglasses over her eyes and back to her head so he can look her in the eye properly. He's not dumb, he knows she's a very good liar, she has been since she was 15 years old.
"Why not?" He asks her, looking in her eyes, hoping to read something from her this way. He frowns a little when he sees the slight trace of tears in them but he doesn't blame her, after the crazy week her family's had, then what happened to her last night, situations like that break people. But not her, she's stronger than that, at least she's trying to be.
"Because this isn't about the pack." She says, looking away from him.
"What?"
"It's got nothing to do with the pack so it's got nothing to do with you." She says. "Back off." She warns.
"What does that even mean?" Derek asks her. Ash doesn't answer, she just moves him out of her way and slides back down to her feet carefully.
"You know something, don't you?" Derek asks, catching her arm when she tries to walk away from him.
"Get off me." She says, pulling her arm out of his grasp immediantly like his touch burnt her. After having the living hell beaten out of her, she doesn't want to be grabbed by anyone. Derek realises this and doesn't grab her again when she tries to walk away, he just steps into her path, blocking her. Ash scowls at him. "Get out of my way." She says. But Derek's just as stubborn as she is.
"Who are you protecting?" He asks, confused as to why she won't tell him what she knows.
"The more you push this, the more you're going to piss me off and put you and I at odd ends." Ash warns him. "I can look after myself. I'm going to deal with this. Please..just leave it alone." She says. It's the pleading in her voice that makes Derek nod. Derek knows she knows something, but she's not giving it up. "Come on, we should go." She says, putting her sunglasses back over her eyes and completely brushing off the heated moment they just had, because she doesn't want to think about it. Derek decides he will leave it alone..for now.
Derek opens Ash's door for her and holds out a hand. She raises an eyebrow but takes his hand. He helps her into the car, seeing she's had trouble doing it all day.
"Thanks." She says, pleasantly surprised by his sweet, chivalrous actions, once again, especially after what she just said. Derek goes to the driver's side, getting in. Ash gets comfortable again, being careful of her ribs as Derek keeps driving.
"You okay?" Derek asks her.
"Yeah." Ash nods, putting her feet up on the dash again, so she can lean back a little more.
Derek can admit, Ash's Camaro has more raw power than his Camaro. Considering her's in a much older model, it's normal. For a second, Derek thinks about owning an older model of Camaro but then he knows he couldn't ever sell his own baby, his beloved Camaro. And besides, what would Ash oogle every time she goes to the loft garages if Derek got rid of his car? Nothing, exactly.
..
Derek and Ash walk back up the stairs to their loft level. They stop when they're about to part ways. Ash turns to him. He looks at her as well.
"Thanks." Ash says. "You know, for choosing to tag along instead of tackling me." She says. She hesitates a little but steps forward. She puts her hands on his chin and kisses his cheek, above his stubble, softly. She turns and walks away, not waiting for a reaction.
"It's okay." Derek says, watching her walk away with a little surprise, just like when she kissed his cheek earlier. He turns back towards his own loft, going inside.
"There you are." Scott sighs in relief, seeing Ash. "I was about to come looking, the hospital said they discharged you and- Wait..where's Jade?" He asks.
"I got cleared and came home. I took Jade back to Auntie's, at least until the court hearing." Ash tells him. "I know, I should have told you, but it was a snap decision, she's much safer in Nevada with everything going on here." She says.
"You're talking again." Scott says in relief. Ash looks away from him, feeling awkward, so Scott quickly moves past that discovery. "Yeah, you're right." He nods. "I wish I could have said goodbye though."
"I'm sorry, Scott, I didn't even think about that." She sighs, looking back at him.
"No, it's okay. I'll see her in a few days." Scott says. "You didn't go alone, did you?" He asks her.
"No, of course not." Ash says. "I had the guard dog you've decided to assign to me." Ash says, raising her eyebrows. Scott can't help but smile softly, so glad to see she's slowly becoming her usual self again, all the sass included.
"I just want you to be safe." Scott defends. "And he can keep you safe. Nothing's getting through Derek."
"Yeah, I don't doubt that." Ash says.
"You should get back in bed, rest some more." Scott says. Ash sighs at the idea. "I'm make you something to eat and bring it up to you?" He offers.
"Fine." She agrees. "Thanks."
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