An: Wow! I did not expect the response that I got from this! Thank you all so much!
Derek pulled up to a stop outside his loft, looking over at Scott and then to Jackson. "I'm not driving either of you home, I hope you know that,"
Jackson rolled his eyes. "Obviously. It's why we left our cars here," Derek turned his attention to Bella who had slept the whole trip. It was odd that she didn't wake, and he assumed that she probably needed the sleep.
She was slumped against the window, dead to the world. "That's kind of unnatural…" Scott says, looking to Derek.
"Maybe, but she barely slept when I came. Stress will do that to you," He says. "Do we wake her?" Scott asks. Derek frowns, mulling it over.
"No, just let her sleep. I'll take her up," Derek was the first to move, getting out of the car and opening the back door gently so she wouldn't be jerked out of her sleep.
Jackson and Scott stretched once they were out of the car. "You mind if we crash for the night? We just spent 6 hours each behind the wheel,"
Derek just grunted in response as he leaned inside, getting a grip on Bella before gently pulling her out.
He closed the door with his foot, stopping for a moment as she positioned herself in his hold, snuggling herself into him.
Jackson snorted, patting Derek on the shoulder. "No one hugs you huh?" Derek glared. "No ones hugging you either, and for that, you can sleep on the floor,"
Jackson just rolled his eyes. "Whatever," They walked up the small flight of stairs, and Scott grabbed the keys from Derek, opening the door.
Derek went to his room and laid her in his bed rather than the little couch in the living room.
She rolled over, softly mumbling something before stilling. He kept the door cracked, and went back to the main area to see Scott and Jackson already laid out on the cot he hand in the room.
He heavily sat on the couch with a sigh, leaning his head back, his eyes closing.
As he slept, his ears kept alert on the pitter-patter of Bella's heart.
Morning rolled around quickly enough, and Bella awoke to hushed talking. She stretched, opening her eyes, and took in the room she was in.
She pulled at the black comforter before sitting up, eyeing her bag of toiletries on the dresser. She grabbed her bag and right across from her was the bathroom.
She almost tripped on a bag of brand-new clothes. She made a mental note to get Derek something in return. She went about her morning business, and helped herself to the shower, using his scentless shampoo to wash her hair.
Her mind wandered to Charlie, and she hoped that he was being taken care of. She made plans to go by the hospital today to see him.
She thought about the major things she'd need, like a car, and a job, wondering where she was even going to start.
After showering, she brushed her hair and put it up into a ponytail, and grabbed an outfit from the bag, surprised that Derek had gotten her size right. She had on a light pair of skinny jeans and a plain brown long-sleeved shirt.
She chuckled as there was even a pair of sneakers at the bottom. She put them to the side, before looking up at the knock on the door.
She could tell it was Derek from the crack. "Come in," Derek pushed open the door, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. "Sleep okay?" He asks, looking her over.
Despite how long she slept, it certainly did her good as the bags under her eyes had faded a bit and she looked a bit more vibrant.
Bella nodded. "I did. Thank you. You didn't have to get all this stuff," She says, waving her hand around.
He just shrugged. "I did. You only packed a few clothes, and I didn't want you to have to spend your money. It's fine," She smiled, watching him as he moved from the door and inside the room, sitting down on the bed. "This is my room, but you can have it for now until I find somewhere for you to sleep,"
"If you have a couch, I'm okay with that," Derek smiled but shook his head. "No cousin of mine will be sleeping on the couch. Anyway, I have something for you. It seems like Charlie had this planned a lot longer than either of us realized. I got a call today about a storage unit that was put in not only your name but mine as well. When Charlie underwent his coma, I guess it's like dying, and the survived gets the assets,"
Bella frowned. "But he's not dead," Derek held up his hand in a calming manner. "I know. Here, this is addressed to both you and I, and I didn't want to open it until you got a chance to read it,"
He hands her an envelope, and Bella sees her father's chicken scratch handwriting.
Bella and Derek
She sighs and opens it to reveal a letter. She looks to Derek who's just waiting for her.
"Dear Bella,
If you're reading this then that means something terrible has happened. I'm writing this now as you are making dinner in the kitchen. I've been noticing that things haven't been right, not with you since Edward came back.
I also know Forks hasn't been right since the shifters changed. I'm assuming you know what I'm talking about. You're not safe here, and it also isn't the Cullen's you have to worry about. The shifters here are no good. I prayed that Jake wouldn't change because he was always a good friend to you, but I can see now, his changing into a wolf has made him just as evil as the rest.
Considering what happened last summer, with your accident, I can't allow you to get hurt. Not again. In this is a key to a storage unit in Beacon Hills California. There, you will have access to money, passports, and your own vehicle. Now I don't have a lot, but it's enough to get by.
If I'm planning ahead correctly, I should have already told you about your family there. If I haven't, well, there's family there. I was adopted into the Hale family, and I won't go into a lot of detail but here is the number for your uncle, Peter Hale. I want you to ask for Derek. He's your cousin. He can help you. I hope he will do so and protect you with his life as if you were blood.
If he is with you right now, this is for him, if not, please read it to him or have him read it.
Derek,
That's my baby girl you've got there, and I want you to take good care of her. She's clumsy, bossy, with a heart of gold so I know she'll find some way to be comfortable with you.
If I'm dead, then know it was murder. The shifters here are dark creatures. They're not the once protectors they used to be. As much as they say they hate the Cullen's or vampires in general, they'd love nothing more than to spend the rest of their days fighting them in battle. Even the people of LaPush have their legends mixed up.
I found old scriptures about the original spirit warrior, and he wasn't just a man, he was a demon. Possessing young men with his servants to make them believe they were given a birthright. Taha Aki was only the first man to fight the demon and do good.
He erased the truth from his people because he wanted a clean start. I don't know what happened with this current pack, but I know they're not the shifters Taha Aki spoke highly of.
I think they've meddled in something dark and have everyone fooled. Just last year, a kid, Riley Biers went missing, and I assumed it was the vampires at first, but I did some digging and I strongly believe he was used in a human sacrifice by the current pack.
I believe they want to find this original demon and bring hell on Earth. I don't know how you or even I could stop it, I don't think we could. I didn't have all the proof either…I just needed you to know what I knew.
Get Bella out of Forks. The Cullen's may come looking for her, but I'm sure you can handle it. They want her for nothing more than amusement. I thought they were different seeing as they ate animals but…they're vile creatures.
Give my regards to your uncle. He'd be pissed knowing something got the jump on me.
Here is the key to the storage unit. You'll find everything you need.
Love,
Charlie"
Bella finished reading, a frown on her face. Derek patiently waited as she gathered her thoughts. She plopped the key into his hand before standing.
"Is he at the local hospital?" Derek nods. "He's doing fine, but doctors suspect he won't wake…the damage to his Brian was very severe, and if he ever does wake, he like possibly suffer from complete memory loss,"
He frowned as her face fell, and he could smell the tears coming. He hated when women cried, and Bella just looked so lost.
She steeled herself, taking in a deep breath. He gave her a nod, silently telling her that he could see that she was trying and that she could do it.
She could get through this. All hope was not lost. "Just don't bottle it up," He says. He stands himself, giving her a playful smirk. He ruffled her hair on the way out, and he heard Bella curse under her breath behind him.
She slipped on her new shoes, coming behind him. She looks around a bit more and realizes is an apartment loft. It had a dark, yet light ambiance to it. She looked at Derek again, finding that it fit him immensely.
"Hey Bella," Bella looked over as Scott came up to her. "Hey," She smiles. Scott too was very cute, having short black hair and that angled face she noticed they all had. She had to admit though that Jackson was cuter. She mentally facepalmed at her train of thought, giving Scott her full attention.
"Here's my mom's number. Thought you could use it if you wanted any word on your dad. If Derek doesn't take you, I can show you around," Bella took the slip of paper from him, slipping it in her back pocket. "Thanks. Uh, as soon as I get a phone, I'll put it in,"
He nods and looks down at her stomach as it growls. Each wolf turned to look at her, and she blushes. "I'd say we get you some lunch first," Derek says, grabbing his jacket before beckoning Bella out. Before she leaves, she glances over her shoulder to see Jackson lounging on a chair, watching her.
She follows Derek, her cheeks turning redder.
Scott grabs his own keys, tossing Jackson's his. "You know you were staring right?" Jackson furrows his brows. "Was I?" Scott rolls his eyes. "You like her, admit it," Jackson comes to a stand, grabbing his sweater, brushing past Scott. "Who I like is none of your business McCall,"
Derek softly chuckles as Bella leans further down in the seat. She looks to him, trying to push herself deeper into the seat. "The chair isn't going to swallow you, you know?" Bella nods, and sits up, looking around at the people that were staring at her.
"This is why I hate small towns," She mumbles. Derek sat back. "Eh, they're not saying anything too bad. That kid thinks you're hot, and the others are just wondering how I know you," Bella shakes her head with an amused scoff.
"Right. Your super hearing," Derek nods. "Get whatever you want. The breakfast is better than the lunch," Derek had taken her to a small café into town before they headed to the storage unit. Bella looks at the menu and decides on the Big Breakfast with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and a biscuit.
"I can't believe I slept so long," She says, rubbing her eyes as the sun shined through the windows. "I think you needed it. Do you know any self-defense?" His question was random, and Bella's brows shot up in surprise. "Not really," She responds.
"I'll teach you. I think it would be good to have it. I'm not saying this because you're a girl, and I know a few girls that can even kick my ass…" He rambled, and Bella laughed softly, causing him to stop and look at her. "You just don't want to worry about me. I get it. I never really got to say thank you, you know a proper thank you for doing this. Just because I'm family doesn't mean you had to come and get me. You're doing your best to make me feel comfortable and I appreciate that. I do hope that we'll build a nice relationship," She smiles.
Derek nods slowly, not sure what to say. "Me too," He goes with, and watches her for a moment as she looks outside. A waitress comes up and takes their order, and they silently wait for their food. Bella's watching all the cars go by, and the scenery outside.
It was nice and sunny, something she missed. Everything didn't feel so gloomy here. After a few minutes, their food came, and Bella wasn't ashamed to say she ate like a starving woman. She was less stressed than she was the previous day and had really worked up an appetite.
Derek didn't comment, though he found it hilarious the way she scarfed everything down quicker than Stiles, and Stiles could eat. He didn't know where the boy put it, but Stiles could almost out-eat any of them.
After eating, he took her down to the nearest cellphone store and told her to get whatever she wanted and that he'd pay for it and this month's service. She tried to go basic, and Derek learned that she had his interest at heart rather than her own.
She picked out the cheapest thing in the store, and he just raised a brow before putting it back and getting her something newer. He just held up a hand as she tried to protest. "You need it," He says, and after getting her on a plan that wouldn't run her dry, he had her mobile equipped. She berated him the whole way back to the car, and he just chuckled, listening, and yet ignoring her at the same time.
Bella refused to say it, but she liked it a lot, and the first number she put in it was his, and then Melissa's work number. He drove them to the location of the storage unit, and he pulled up to a stop before getting out. He looked down at Bella through the window. "You coming?" She blinks, clearly lost in her own little world. "Huh?" She looks over at the place and scrambles out of the car. "Slow down," Derek says, before tossing her the key. She catches it surprisingly and walks to the unit and inserts the key. Derek helps her push it up, and her jaw drops at the black Honda Pilot sitting inside.
It was the only thing in it, and the keys were sitting on the hood. Bella walked inside and grabbed the keys, unlocking the doors. Inside was a lockbox with a small key next to it. Bella opened it, finding everything that Charlie had for her.
She inspected it, finding that it was in immaculate condition. She went to the back, looking through the back window, peering closer as she saw a duffle bag. She opened the trunk, her eyes widening. "Derek," Bella called, and she heard him coming up next to her.
"What am I supposed with this?" She asks, picking up the sticky note attached. "This is 10 grand. What does a 19-year-old do with 10 grand?" Derek whistled. "Spend it, save it, whatever you want," She unzipped it, feeling overwhelmed at the green bills that stared at her. "That doesn't help me," She says, and Derek lifts it, and then lefts up the flap that holds her spare tire. "Just leave it here for now, and if you don't want it in your truck, we can put it somewhere like in a bank or a safety deposit box alright?"
She sighs and nods, swinging the keys around her finger. "So…you gonna show me around town?"
Bella pulls up beside Derek at the hospital, cutting off her truck. Charlie picked out a nice vehicle. She could see well, and it was sturdy enough for her. She hopped down, closing the door behind her, following Derek into the hospital.
She wrinkled her nose at the smell of sterilization. They walked towards the nurse's station where there was a woman in her mid-30s maybe with long, curly, brown hair, and brown eyes. "Melissa," Derek called softly, and the woman glanced up, her eyes widening as she noticed Derek. She turned her eyes to Bella, a kind smile forming on her face.
She came from around the desk, holding out her hand for Bella to shake. "Melissa McCall, Scott's mom. He's told me a bit about you. How are you?" Bella shook the woman's hand, instantly liking the positive vibe she got from her.
"Getting there," She admits, "Thank you for this. Can I see him?" Melissa nods and leads Bella down the hall towards the room Charlie was in. Bella stops in the doorway, seeing as he was now in a hospital gown. His head bandage was removed, and his heartbeat was steady.
Bella hesitantly moved into the room, sitting down in the chair by his bed, grabbing his hand. Melissa quietly stood to the side, her heart breaking for the young girl as she dipped her head and started to pray.
Bella wasn't a religious person, but she knew that there was one thing she couldn't lose, and that was her father. Bella remembered that Renee probably had no idea what was going on and she pulled out her new phone before standing.
Melissa moved to the side. "Visiting hours are till 6 p.m. So you're free to stay until that time. I work until 10 and if you need anything just let me know, oh, hold on, I circled some places on a map to help you find your way around town, I'll be right back,"
Bella smiled in kind and dialed Renee's number by heart. It rang a few times, and she decided to leave a message. "Hey mom, it's me. I know it's been a while, but um, dad, dad's in a coma. I'm okay, I'm staying with Dad's adopted family. Derek, he's really nice…um it's nice here. I love you and when you get a chance, please call me back. I love you,"
She hung up the phone, and Melissa was making her way over with a small map of Beacon Hills. She had a few places circled. "This is the hospital, the high school, it's a good place to catch you bearing if you get lost. This is my place, if you get lost or something, you can stop by, I'm sure Scott would let you in. I really do hope you enjoy Beacon Hills,"
Bella smiled, her eyes watering up a bit. She wasn't sad perse, but she was instantly reminded of Renee who wasn't there, and the woman that only knew her because of her son was more kind to her than ever. "Oh honey," Melissa murmurs, pulling the young girl into a hug.
Bella heavily swallowed, feeling like a small child being embraced by a parent. Her lips wobbled, and for the first time since Italy, which was a little over a year ago, she cried. She cried for the girl she used to be when monsters didn't exist, the girl that didn't have her heart broken, and the girl that endured terror and pain at the hands of beings that were supposed to make you feel safe.
"I know the truth about what goes on, and from what I've heard, you've experienced your own set of terror. If there are things you aren't comfortable talking to Derek about, I'm a listening ear," She placed her hands on the side of Bella's face.
"I'm not usually this forward with strangers but…" She trailed off, smiling softly. "Would you like me to tell Derek you're staying?" Bella nodded, rubbing her eyes. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to just start bawling on you," Melissa just waved her off. "You're fine. Vending machines down the hall, uh there's a cafeteria in here, but I'd take your chances with the vending machine," Bella chuckled before moving back into Charlie's room.
She looked at the time on her phone seeing as it was already 4 in the evening. She plopped down in the chair, laying her head on Charlie's hand, before closing her eyes.
Derek opened the door, sighing at the person on the other side. "What can I do for you?" He asks, moving to the side to let Peter inside. "I didn't really come here to see you nephew. I wanted to see my niece, but I can tell she's not here,"
Derek left the door open, "Well you can turn around. She's at the hospital with Charlie," Peter frowned at the thought oh his brother. "How is she adjusting?" Derek closed the door, setting the Chinese on the table. "It's only been a day. She's taking things in stride so far as can be expected. She's trying to stay strong. Charlie pretty much has her set. I can't say for sure,"
Peter nodded. "Do you think they're going to follow?" Derek shrugged. "I fucked up one of them. They want Charlie, so I don't know. The vampires? Most likely. Bella knows a lot about them, so I'm hoping that she can explain some things to us about them. Let them, and none of them will be going home,"
Peter raised a brow. "You were never so violent," Peter taunted, plopping down on a chair. "You would be too if you found out that one of the shifters mauled her so badly she has permanent scars on her back, and these vampires like preying on young, vulnerable girls in the comfort of their home,"
Pete's nose wrinkled at the thought. "Is that so?" Derek just nodded, tossing him a beer. "Well, I always love a good battle,"
Bella breathed heavily, drenched in sweat, staring Sam down as he chanted above her, holding a bucket. She rubbed her arms against the restraints, the fire in between them was hot and rising. She eyed the others as they stepped from the shadows, chanting louder with Sam, their eyes transfixed on her.
Sam slowly moved around the fire, staring down at her, his brown eyes dark, so dark they looked black. Her head snapped to the side as the Cullen's emerged from the side, staring down at her hungrily. Bella tried to speak, but no words would come out. Edward was by her side in an instant, gently moving her hair to the side, sniffing her neck.
She screwed her eyes shut, as he nosed her neck. "Bella…" Sam rumbled deeply, and she opened her eyes, freezing in place as he poured blood from the bucket over her head, a burst of eerie laughter chilling her to the core.
"Bella..." Edward whispered.
Bella awoke with a start, jerking out of the seat with a startled yelp. "Hey…" Scott was in front of her, brows drawn in concern. "I didn't mean to startle you, um, my mom's shift is over, and I didn't know if you were aware what time it was," Bella blinked a few times, sucking in a shaky breath. I uh, I didn't mean to sleep so long," She whispers, bringing herself to a stand. She wobbled a bit, feeling a bit disoriented.
Scott steadied her, watching her closely as she took the keys out of her pocket. Her hands were shaking. "Are you okay to drive?" He asks, and Bella nods her head. He grabs her jacket for her and led her out of the room, where Melissa was waiting down the hall with another boy around their age.
He too had spiked hair, a bit shorter than Scott, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. "Bella, this is my friend Stiles. Stiles, this is Bella," Bella reaches out her hand to shake his. "Finally nice to have a normal person in the group," Bella couldn't help but snort tiredly.
"It depends on what you classify as normal," She replies. Stiles shrugs. "You're not a monster, are you? A wolf? Banshee? Kanima?" He started to list off different creatures, and Bella followed him out of the hospital. "Um, I don't know half of the things you just said, but no. I'm completely human," She says, and Stiles visibly looks relieved, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "See? Normal, say it with me..Norm-al…Normal," Bella looked back at Scott who shrugged.
"Well, it was nice to meet you Stiles, and I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of you. Thanks for letting me stay Mrs. McCall," Melissa waved her hand. "Melissa, and it's Ms. You know how to get to Derek's?" Bella nods, unlocking the door to her truck.
Bella's hand shakes as she holds the keys, her body taking a moment to adjust. Melissa and Scott made eyes before he went to her aid, stopping her hand. "How about I drive you?" Bella looks over to Melissa and Stiles. "It's okay, you were going to take them home,"
Scott led her around to the passenger side, opening the door for her. She tiredly gets in, and he goes back over to Stiles and Melissa. "Do you mind following us there, and we can go home after," Stiles nods, catching the keys.
Melissa kisses his forehead, mumbling something about how she raised a good son. Scott got into Bella's truck and started it, heading on to Derek's. Stiles and Melissa followed behind them. Bella stared out the window for a while, and Scott glanced over at her curiously.
"How was your first day in Beacon Hills?" Bella looked over at him, thankful for an interruption. "It was nice. It's very pretty here. Derek set me up with some things, and all I need now is to find a job," Scott nods. "There's a nurse assistant position open at the hospital, you'll know one person there," He offers.
"I'll look into it, thank you," He nods. "Is it weird, being around more supernatural creatures?" Bella sits up a bit. "Not really. I'm not terrified so that's a good thing. I just keep having this horrible dream," Scott looks back at her before turning to the road again. "What is it about?"
Bella groans softly. "You're going to think I'm crazy," Scott just chuckles. "I doubt it, besides, I know a thing or two about dreams…well I know someone who does," Bella caves, and tells Scott about the dream with Sam and the Cullen's.
Scott was quiet at first, not sure what to make of it. "And he pours a bucket of blood over you? Do you know what he's chanting?" Bella shakes her head. "Some language. Yes, and I'm covered in it. Edward is just about to bite me, and then I wake up…it scares the life out of me…"
Scott just hums. "My boss knows about these kinds of things, I'm sure he can make sense of it," Bella glances over at him. "Is there anyone in this town that doesn't know about the supernatural?" Scott shrugs. "Meh…half of the population," Bella just hums.
Scott was soon pulling into the parking lot, and he circled Derek's place on the map for her for next time, and she thanked him. After waving goodbye to Scott, Melissa, and Stiles, she heads on to Derek's loft. Before she can even knock, the door opens, and there's Derek.
"I was just about to come looking for you. You got here okay?" Bella nods, stepping inside. "Scott drove me home," She didn't elaborate on why and Derek didn't question it. "I got Chinese if you like that. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I went with the simple things,"
Bella nods. "Chinese is cool," She removes her jacket and hangs it up. "Oh, Bella this is Isaac Lahey," Bella turns to see a rather tall boy with brown curly hair. "We share the apartment. So, you'll see him around from time to time,"
Bella sends him a wave. "Nice to meet you," She says, before scurrying past the two and to Derek's bathroom to shower. She wanted to wash the smell of the hospital off of her.
After showering, she dressed for the night and ate dinner with Derek and Isaac, while they watched some mindless television show. "I don't understand what the point of this is…" She mumbles, hiding her yawn in her sleeve. Isaac shrugs. "Neither do I, but it's somewhat entertaining,"
Derek tosses her a blanket as she laid her head on the edge of the couch.
The next few days for Bella was kind of on repeat. She, despite Derek's efforts to refuse, paid him back for the money he spent on her, and he discreetly just slipped it back in her duffle bag of money. Derek would drive with her around town to help her get used to it.
She would visit Charlie every day, often talking to him about how she was adjusting. It was a weekend, and most of the wolves were doing their own thing, so it gave her some time to spend with Derek and getting to know him.
Like she suspected, they were both quiet people, but Bella found herself being able to talk to him about things, and despite his broody mood, he was a great listener, and he gave her advice anywhere he could. She spoke a lot about Charlie, and it helped her cope a bit with him being in the hospital.
She learned that he also didn't cook, and neither did Isaac, so she went grocery shopping, ignoring the stares and whispers. She got a list of things that both wolves liked and knew she could make some meals with the ingredients.
She and Derek were currently in the grocery store where she tore off half of her list and handed it to him. He raised a brow at some of the items. "I don't think we have some of these things, but I'll gladly find a substitute," Bella beamed at him, and Derek just ruffled her hair in passing, knowing she hated it when he did that.
He just tried to get her to smile. She was becoming restless again at night, and she did more tossing and turning than sleeping nowadays. She had explained her dream to Derek as well, and while he didn't show his worry, it was very bizarre. When she napped, she'd sleep for hours, but when nighttime rolled around, she could barely get in a wink.
So, to get her to sleep, he'd wake her really early with some excuse, knowing she'd nap in the day. It somewhat balanced out the lack of sleep she wasn't getting at night. She was starting to adjust rather well, and she even went ahead and applied for that position Scott had told her about. While she had a feeling that her past from Forks was nowhere near done with her, she was able to relax a bit knowing she was safer in a different state. It was also sunny constantly, and she didn't think the Cullen's would want to expose themselves.
When it came to the Cullen's, they each had a way about them that made Bella feel out of place. Edward had become dark, and suddenly Alice was all about everything Edward wanted. Jasper and Rosalie still disliked her, but yet never tried helping her of a way out. Emmett and Esme claimed to care about her, but not once did they check on her when Edward had started to change. Carlisle had become the follower to the coven rather than the leader, letting Edward and Alice call the shots more often than not.
Bella was happy that she could breathe again. She looked at her list, finding that the seasonings she needed were on the very top shelf. She made her way to the shelf, wondering how the hell she was supposed to reach it.
She stood on the tips of her toes, reaching out with her arm, trying to will it to grow. "Come on dammit," She held onto the metal of the railing with one hand, trying to balance in her toes as her fingers were just barely touching what she needed.
She suddenly felt someone at the back of her, and a hand easily grabbed what she was reaching for. She turned around, coming back down on her feet, to see Jackson smirking down at her. "Is this what you wanted?" He asks, and Bella nods as he hands it to her. "I was seconds away from climbing the shelf," She admitted, pointing back towards it. "Do you mind grabbing those others up there?"
Jackson reaches up to grab what she needs, putting it in her buggy. "You cook?" He asks, motioning towards her buggy full of meats, vegetables, cheeses, etc. She nods. "Yeah, Derek doesn't, and I don't think I can eat Chinese three nights in a row," She chuckles, blushing a bit as he stared down at her with interest.
"How are you liking our exuberant town?" He asks, walking with her as she starts for a different aisle. She scoffs. "The people are so friendly. It's nice though, quiet," He wrinkles his nose. "I give you a week, and you won't be saying it's nice," Bella laughed. "Fine," She says, motioning towards the small items he had in his hands.
"What did you come here for?" He shrugs. "Returning some things. Since being a…you know, I don't need these protein shakes anymore and I'm hoping they'll take them back," Bella hums, looking around for Derek.
"Do you have a phone on you?" Jackson asks, and Bella stops her buggy out of the way of everyone and digs into her bag. "I just need to make a call," Bella hands her phone over as he dials a number. She looks down as his phone starts to ring in his pants.
He hung up the call and handed it back to her. Bella felt her cheeks turn even redder, and she slipped it back into her bag. "You could've just asked," She says with a smile. Jackson just shrugged. "That seemed boring," He winks at her, and Bella shakes her head. "See you around,"
He easily melted into the crowd of people, and she shakes her head again. She finally meets up with Derek who had gotten almost everything she wanted with a substitute ingredient here or there. "What are you making tonight?" Derek asks as he helps load the groceries in her truck.
"Tacos!" She says happily. He narrows his eyes at her, taking a small sniff. "I don't even wanna know," She furrows her brows at him before closing the trunk.
They hop back into her truck and she rides back to Derek's. She pops the back glass top for easier access, and Derek hops out to go collect the bags.
Bella pulls out her phone, smiling slightly as she added Jackson's number to her contacts.
She shook the grin off her face, sighing. She shouldn't be thinking about him, or anyone except trying to focus on herself, but she couldn't deny that he was different than any other boy she's ever met.
She looked at his number once more, finding that it was easy to memorize. She always liked to memorize numbers in case she couldn't get to her phone.
She stepped out of the truck and helped Derek with the rest of the groceries.
As she started stocking his fridge and cabinets, he kept out what she would need to make dinner. "Is that enough for us?" She asks, turning to look at him. "Plenty. Next weekend is pack weekend so you might need to head to the store again this week, and get like triple of what you have now,"
She nods, placing a magnetic list on his fridge. "Pack weekend? Where you guys get together and….?" She asks, bending down to place cold items on the shelves, wrinkling her nose at the stuff he had in there.
"Unwind, I guess. Hey, don't throw that out," Bella turned to look at him in disbelief. "It's old! By like a week!" She chucks a few things in the trash, and Derek shakes his head.
"I see what Uncle Charlie meant by you being bossy," In a very childish manner, Bella sticks her tongue out at him, for once feeling like she didn't have the world on her shoulders.
She felt like a teenager for once.
She moves on to making dinner, and Derek decides to help her way around the kitchen. About an hour in, Isaac comes in, poking his head into the kitchen.
"She cooks too?" Bella smiles at him in greeting, and she gives him a spoon to let him taste. "I like her…" He mumbles, going for another spoonful.
"Hey!" Bella slaps at his hand, and Derek chuckles. "That's enough," Bella continues on with dinner, and half an hour later, the three were planted in front of the TV.
They ate in silence, watching the same show from last week. Isaac and Bella were more engrossed in it than Derek was, the two quietly trying to figure out what was going on.
After watching a few episodes, Bella retired for bed, and the boys cleaned up for the night. Isaac retreated to his room and Derek planted himself on the couch, thinking if he could turn part of the living room into a bedroom either for himself or Bella.
He might as well just give her his room seeing as she needed her own bathroom. After a while, he fell asleep, only to be awoken an hour later by screaming.
The sound jolted him awake and as he gained his bearings, he realized it was Bella who was screaming. As he got up, Isaac had rushed out of his room alarmed. Derek pushed open the door, flicking on the light.
Bella was sitting up in bed, looking down at her hands, her hair so damp from sweating.
Derek rushed to the side of the bed, sitting next to her, grabbing her face. "Wake up, it's just a dream," He said, and Bella blinked rapidly, jerking away from him and pushing the covers off of her.
She ran her hands down her body as if brushing off something. "Bella…" Derek said, capturing her attention.
"It's okay," He says softly, and Bella swallows, still brushing herself off, a scared sound coming from her.
"Breathe. You need to breathe," He says, slowly holding out his hand for her to take. She grips it, and he places it above his heart so that she could match her breathing with his.
After learning that she suffers from panic attacks, he did some research so that he could be better prepared.
Her breathing was erratic, and she held her other hand to her chest, her eyes widening a bit. Derek could hear her heart beating faster and knew she was having trouble calming down.
"Count to 10. Slowly…count with me… 1…2…3…Keep going," He takes in some deep breaths, and Bella kept her eyes on him. "Isaac, stay with her for a moment," Bella squeezed his hand harder, and Derek gently pulled his hand away. "It's okay, I'll be right back," Isaac took his place, pulling up the sheets a bit so that she wouldn't feel so exposed.
He kept his breathing calm like Derek did, holding eyes with her. Derek came back about a minute later, two pills in his hand and a glass of water. "What are those?" Isaac asks, and Derek pops the pills in Bella's mouth, then tilting her head back so that she would swallow the water.
"Stiles' medication. He left them here, and I figured she'd be okay to take two. How do you feel?" He asks concerned, peering closer into her eyes. They were less dilated than the seconds prior as she started to calm down.
She just nods at him, her breaths now in short pants, and she laid back against the bed again, her grips on Isaac's hand still tight.
She closed her eyes, and Isaac visibly relaxed. "Her grip is tight," He murmurs, wincing a bit.
Derek just watched her for a moment and Isaac made a move to slip out from under her grip, but she made that noise again.
He looks at Derek confused. "I'll bring you a blanket…"
Derek tosses him a blanket, and Isaac falls back asleep, keeping some space between them.
The next morning, Derek is sitting at his breakfast counter, sipping a cup of coffee. His door opens and he glanced up to see Jackson and Stiles.
"This is a surprise," He mutters. "Stilinski's Jeep is in the shop, McCall is working, and he apparently forgot his meds here so…." Jackson shrugs.
Derek grabs his medicine from last night and hands it over. "And the only reason you drove him over was because?" Jackson was never that nice.
"Because he wants to see your hot cousin," Stiles moves out of the way from Jackson's hit. Derek rolls his eyes. "Of course you do. I gave Bella two of those, she had a panic attack last night, and it was the only thing that calmed her down,"
They all turn to see Isaac coming from the bedroom, his hair a mess, and his shirt wrinkled.
Stiles looks to Derek, and then to Isaac, and then to Jackson. "Oh this is funny," He laughs. "Looks like something else calmed her down too," Stiles wiggled his brows, and Isaac shook his head going into his room.
"Seriously?" Jackson asks, looking to Derek for confirmation. He was hoping to take her out next week, get her to see the town a bit.
Derek just chuckles. "Surprisingly, my cousin seems to have a weird interest in you. And no. You think I'd let him in her room? She slept better with someone next to her and finally calmed down for the night,"
Jackson wouldn't admit that he felt a bit better at knowing that information, but he could tell from the smug smile on Derek's face that he already knew that.
Stiles put the medicine in his pocket, and he looked to Derek. "Music helps I've heard. Not really my thing, but it may help her at night,"
"Thanks. Sounds like she's still sleeping so, I'll tell her you stopped by. I try to get her up at this time of day, but considering last night, she needs it,"
Jackson looks back towards the room in slight longing before grabbing Stiles and heading out.
Derek looked towards his cousin as she came out of the room 10 minutes later. He just shook his head. "Here's some coffee…do you want to talk about it?"
Bella's smile is replaced with a frown, and she just shakes her head.
Over the next week, Bella had cooked different meals for the boys to try and prepared snacks a few days in advance for their pack night. Monday morning, Melissa had called to tell Bella that she had gotten the job as a nurse assistant, and after asking Bella about which schedule fit her best, she was placed with Melissa for the afternoon through the night shift.
Friday was Bella's first day and as bummed as she was knowing she'd miss the night where she got a chance to meet everyone, she was excited to be getting somewhere.
As Bella was still trying to figure her way around town, especially at night, Derek proposed that he'd drive her to work and either he or someone else would pick her up, at least for a little while until she got used to it.
She still struggled to find his place, as there was a turn-off that was kind of hard to see at night.
She just told him no and that she'd have to learn eventually.
Bella was starting to see Derek as somewhat of an older brother, and it gave her a chance to focus on herself rather than being the adult.
She had told him that the other day, and he just looked perplexed that she'd even say such a thing.
She noticed that when they first arrived, he hardly smiled. Now, she would see just the faint pull of his lips if she looked hard enough.
"See you at 10," Derek says, and Bella gets into her truck, heading towards the hospital.
Melissa was waiting for her in the lobby, a welcoming smile on her face. She slowly integrated Bella into the works, showing her how to keep track of her patients and to basically shadow her. Since Bella didn't have a certificate for nursing, she had to hang back when Melissa would administer something, but she was free to watch.
She encouraged Bella that going into nursing could be a good thing seeing as Bella had a knack for trying to help people.
Many of the other nurses liked working with her and taught her little tips and tricks for her first day. Bella really enjoyed it and before she knew it, it was 10, and Melissa was packing up.
"I'll walk you out. I might stay here for an hour or so…talk to dad a bit," Bella says and walks Melissa to her car.
Melissa smiles. "Alright. Text me when you get home safe," Bella chuckles and nods. "Will do,"
Bella really liked the woman.
She went back inside, and after clocking out, slipped into Charlie's room, bringing along her favorite book. She sat in the chair and softly spoke to Charlie.
"Hey dad. I miss you. Everything has been really good. Derek is great. I haven't met Uncle Peter yet, but I'm sure I will this weekend. Mom still hasn't called me back, and I think she's just really caught up with life. She did text me though…I haven't been sleeping well lately and I haven't told Derek what I've been seeing. I don't want to worry him, but there's this thing in my dreams, and…it's very terrifying. I wish you could wake up…I really need you to wake up,"
She uses the shower while she's there and changes into her clothes and out of the scrubs Melissa had given her.
She kisses Charlie's cheek on the way out, smiling at the cards and balloons some of the pack had brought over. It made his room feel less dull.
She says goodnight to one of the nurses and texts Derek that she was on the way home. The parking lot is kind of empty and she unlocks the door, setting her phone and bag inside.
She slips the keys into the ignition, but before she cranks it, she turns her head to the woods, her eyes narrowing.
She hated the woods. Despised them ever since Edward broke up with her. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the dark figure from her dream.
It was a shadow figure with horns on its head. She cringed as it seemed the glitch, turning its head in a way that was certainly not human.
Bella hopped into her truck and started it, heading home.
She found the correct turn-off this time and parked in her parking space. She looked around in the dark, and a streetlight to her left dimmed a bit, and under it was the dark figure again, just standing there. It had no face or any distinguishable features.
She looked away from it, afraid to get out of her truck. She laid her head on the steering wheel. "It's not real…it's not real…" She repeats to herself.
"1…2…3…4…5…" She took in a deep breath, "Just open the door and pretend you don't see it…" She whispers.
A knock sounds on her window and she screeches out in fright. She places a hand on her chest, looking up to see Jackson. She lets out a sigh, cutting the engine. Once the doors unlocked, Jackson opened the door.
"Didn't mean to scare you," He chuckles, looking her over. Bella steps out, grabbing her bag, keys, and her phone. She looks over his shoulder to glance at the streetlight, but there was nothing there. He furrows his brow, turning in the direction of her gaze.
"Everything okay?" He asks, and Bella nods, closing the door. "Yeah, sorry…how was your night?" He walks with her back towards the apartments. "The usual. Supposed to be pack bonding time. It was kind of boring," He admits and Bella glances at him curiously.
"How so?" She questions, walking up the steps. Jackson puts his hands in his pockets, matching her movements. "You weren't there. We apparently decided on this romantic comedy and it kinda sucks when you don't have a pretty girl to cuddle up to,"
Bella looks down, chuckling. "Believe me, I'm not fun company," He shrugs, walking her to the door. "I think so. So, what do you say about breakfast Sunday morning? I'll have you back before work,"
Bella glances up at him, seeing the mirth in his eyes. "What if I said no?" She teased.
Jackson licked his lips and pulled a hand from his pocket, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "You'd be lying," He stated. Bella narrowed her eyes. "And you know that how?" His lips upturned in a smirk. "Your heart stutters when you lie," He bent down, placing a kiss to the side of her mouth, and Bella knew she was probably as red as a tomato.
"So, see you at 8. Dress casual," He turned and started to walk down the stairs. "But I didn't say yes!" She called out. "Your heart did," He responded back, before disappearing around the corner.
Bella leaned against the door, placing a hand to her flaming face.