Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf.

Chapter 2: Prodigal Daughter

Deaton and Morrell sat in Deaton's office, waiting. Deaton was deep in thought, concern and worry etched on his face. Derek's recovery was great news, but at what cost? Would his revival be permanent or would the Nemeton claim back the life it gave? He had to make sure Derek was safe. It was his job to ensure that he was okay. Talia had trusted him to look after her children and he had no intention of letting her down again. He still felt guilty about Laura's death.

Rose arrived first. She looked well enough to Deaton's eyes, but he would have to confirm.

"Hello, Dr. Deaton, Marin. What's this all about?"

Deaton guided her to a chair. "I'll explain everything when Derek gets here, if that's okay with you."

"Derek?"

Morrell looked out the window of the office through the blinds. A black SUV had pulled up and parked. "He's here."

When the four of them were gathered in the small office, Deaton explained the situation.

"Thank you both for meeting with us," he began. "There are some things that we need to check with the two of you. Consider this a follow up appointment. Derek," he addressed the werewolf. "I'd like to check your health and make sure there are no underlying, harmful effects that may have developed from the large amount of wolfsbane we injected in your body. As for Rose, I'd like to check your blood."

Derek and Rose looked at each other. "So you told them," Derek said.

"I had to," Rose replied, knowing he was referring to her telling Deaton and Morrell how Derek had gone through her memories and knew about the wolfsbane blood. That was the only way they would be talking so openly about what Rose had done in front of Derek.

"I hope you'll follow our suggestion to not pursue this issue," Morrell said to Derek. "Rose was weakened and I don't think you would want to see your friend hurt."

Derek didn't respond. He couldn't promise that he would let it go.

The two emissaries went to work. Deaton ran basic tests on Derek, checking his pulse and other vital signs, even took a blood sample to check for traces of wolfsbane, while Morrell drew some of Rose's blood for review. At the end of the checkup, Deaton concluded that the two of them were healthy.

"Derek, can you tell us more about your experience at the Nemeton after you revived?" Morrell asked.

"Not much to say," Derek started. Morrell positioned her pen over a clipboard ready to take notes. "I could hear people talking around me but I couldn't move my body. I felt weak. Those injections helped little by little. And then I felt the fire on me. That's when I felt the most powerful I've ever felt and then I just knew what to do. I shifted into a full wolf."

"There's one final matter to discuss," Morrell said, scribbling one last note before looking up at Derek and Rose. "About the side effect."

Derek raised his eyebrows in surprise. Side effect? Deaton had just said they were fine. "What are you talking about?" he asked, turning to Morrell.

Morrell looked at him seriously. "Normally when there's a transfer of blood with supernatural properties, it creates a bond between the one who receives the blood and the donor. We're anticipating a bond to form between you two."

Derek narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What kind of bond are we talking about? I thought I was fine."

"Physically, you are," Morrell answered patiently. "But with time, you may feel a strong emotional pull towards Rose. It happens a lot actually. You both won't feel any pain from it. It may just feel like your purpose revolves around her existence."

Derek tried to process this information. "What, like I can't live without her? You make it sound like I'll be the only one having this effect. What about her?"

Deaton crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. "The donor usually doesn't experience this effect. Because you were the one who benefited from the exchange, you will most likely feel that you are indebted to her. In past cases, the donee often feels very protective of the donor and wants to be around them often. Sometimes, it can become an obsession."

"Obsession? You never mentioned that," Rose asked in alarm. She had seen enough movies about men becoming obsessed with women. The women always ended up missing or suffering a grueling death.

Derek looked at her. It made him feel uncomfortable to know that this could happen to him and she wouldn't be affected the slightest. How humiliating would it be to become obsessed with her? Would he follow her around like a lost puppy for the rest of their lives? How could he live normally, well, as normally as a werewolf could live?

Derek scoffed. "So you would have let me die?" It was a depressing thought and he didn't want to know the answer.

Rose rolled her eyes. "First of all, you were already dead. And second, I'm just a bit surprised. I wouldn't have done anything different, so stop being so sensitive."

Derek gritted his teeth. She always had a special way of making him feel like he was overreacting. He was merely pointing out the fact that she seemed to regret her decision. The thought bothered him, but he pushed it away and snapped back to the present.

"Let us know if anything changes with your condition," Deaton instructed them both.

In the parking lot, Derek tried once more to figure out why Rose seemed upset with him.

"Can't you just tell me what's wrong with you?"

Rose sighed heavily. "Well let's see, Derek. You completely blind-sided me and clawed the back of my neck so you could find out what happened when you were gone. While you were giving me a hug in what I thought was a thank you for saving your life. And after I specifically told you to drop it!"

"Oh," Derek said. He never really considered looking through someone's memories as an issue. Werewolves usually resorted to this method when it was absolutely necessary.

"Oh? That's all you have to say?" Rose said, her voice increasing in volume. "You know how I feel about you doing that, Derek. You completely disregarded my wishes and selfishly violated my thoughts. You can't always have your way you know. And by the way, I never did get my thank you. I mean, I'm not expecting a parade, but a damn 'thank you' wouldn't kill you."

She looked like she wanted to smack him in the face. Her hands were on her hips and she stared at him vehemently, waiting for him to say something. Her eyes blazed with justified indignation and her lips were pressed in a tight line. Derek was reminded of a barking chihuahua and had to will himself from cracking a smile, knowing fully that she would just start shouting again.

He breathed in deeply. "I'm sorry I did that to you. It won't happen again." Better to pacify her and make it easier on himself.

Rose's face softened but her tone was still sharp. "That's what you said last time."

Derek tried to think back to the last time he looked at her memories and couldn't recall the instance.

"Well, I have every right to know!" he shot back.

"You could've just decided to trust me and listen to my advice," Rose said, her voice dangerously soft. "But you didn't."

She turned away from him to leave. Before she could open her car door, Derek slid between her and the vehicle. They stood less than a foot apart.

Rose's eyes blazed with anger, but she stood her ground. "Get out of my way, Derek. I have nothing more to say to you." Her voice still had that soft, poisonous tone.

"Well I have plenty to say," Derek said sternly. He had to make her understand. "First of all, thank you. You really saved my ass."

Rose looked at him warily. She knew he was thanking her because she pointed out the fact that he hadn't yet. But she also knew that he meant his words. "Well I couldn't just do nothing, you know."

Derek braced himself for what he would say next.

"The memory that Laura took from us – we have to recover it. It'll explain how all this is even possible. Don't you wanna know why your blood is like this? What it can truly do?"

Rose sighed in exasperation and took a step back. "I already know that Kate shot me with a wolfsbane bullet and that my blood can heal or be a weapon. What else is there to know?"

"Lots of things," Derek said. "Like why Laura took our memories and what did she exactly take from us? If it's used as a weapon, what does it do? Does it kill werewolves? Do you have to pour blood on a werewolf to kill him? How can we use it?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly. You don't. So let's find out." Derek looked at her expectedly, sensing her anger subsiding.

Rose considered this proposal for a moment. "I already promised Marin I wouldn't look into it. And I don't want to know anyway. I've had enough of this wolfsbane blood business. I don't wanna use it ever again. Now let me leave. I've had a long day and I wanna go home and sleep. Don't you have Braeden waiting for you or something?"

Derek stepped away from her car. Braeden had left a few days ago, back to hunting the Desert Wolf. He decided not to admit this to Rose.

As Rose climbed into her car, he tried one last time. "You're not always the best at lying. Everything you said just now, they were lies. I know you, Rose. You're dying to know every detail about your blood, about the night Kate shot you."

She pretended to not hear him and turned on the engine.

"I know you." Derek said again. His words haunted her all the way home.

The next night was a stressful time for Scott. He had somehow convinced Rose to come over for dinner. After their encounter at the lake, he was surprised when she texted him the next day agreeing to the meeting. It would be the first time she and Agent McCall would see each other after knowing their true familial relationship. He wasn't sure how the night would go, but he hoped for the best. It was only right that the two of them talk face-to-face. His mother was working a late shift at the hospital, so it would be just the three of them. Father, son, and the prodigal daughter.

Scott had picked up some Italian food from Rose's all-time favorite restaurant in town. Good food would surely help the cause. His father was setting the table and he could sense that he was anxious about the dinner, too.

"Hey Dad," Scott said, as his father placed silverware around a plate. They thought using actual dinnerware would be more appropriate for the occasion. "What's the story behind you and Tia Gloriana?"

It was an awkward question, but one that was burning curiosity in Scott's mind. Growing up, he didn't see his aunt and his father interact much. When they were in the same room together, they spoke little to each other. But then again, his father spoke little in general.

"There's not much to know, really," his father said. "We met one summer when I was home for vacation. She had just graduated from high school and I had just finished my second year of college. Her boyfriend had broken up with her and I found her at a bar, getting drunk alone. I helped her get home okay and after that, we ran into each other a few more times and started dating.

We broke up at the end of summer. I went back to college and didn't hear from her for a few years. I never ran into her either. It wasn't until I was with your mother before I found out they were sisters. Or that Gloriana even had a daughter."

Scott placed a large bowl of chicken fettucini in the center of the dining table. "Did you know she was yours?"

Agent McCall poured himself a glass of water before answering. "I wasn't sure, but I did ask Gloriana about the father. She said it was her high school sweetheart. I accepted it and didn't push the subject further."

They stood in silence for a moment, not knowing what else to say.

"I just hope," Agent McCall said, "that Rose will understand. I hope she'll let me be a father to her."

Before Scott could come up with an acceptable response, the doorbell rang, startling them both. Agent McCall smoothed his hair down with his hand while Scott went to the door to answer.

If Rose was nervous, Scott wasn't able to tell. Her heart rate was even and her chemosignals indicated that she was calm. He did notice that there was a shift in her demeanor – she wasn't the same warm, friendly person that he knew. She felt cold and distant, her walls up like she was bracing herself for something bad to happen.

After they exchanged hugs, Scott led her to the kitchen. He could hear his father's heart pounding away as they stood there, unsure if they should hug or shake hands. Rose looked at her father with a face blank of emotion. Her heart rate spiked a little but it returned to a normal rate as she spoke confidently.

"Thank you for having me for dinner, Sir," she said formally.

Scott looked quickly at his father. The poor man was panicking, meeting his daughter for the first time. "Thank you for being here. I'm happy to see you, Rose. Have a seat."

The first few minutes of dinner were excruciatingly awkward for Scott. With his father's anxiety and his cousin's guarded demeanor, he did his best to keep the atmosphere light. They ate their pasta and salad in silence until Scott couldn't take it anymore.

"So our next game is next Friday," Scott said, trying to act as normal as possible. "I hope you guys can make it."

For the first time, Rose's lips curved up into a small smile. "I'd love to come see you play, Scott. I plan to see as many games as possible."

Agent McCall cleared his throat. "Same with me, Scott."

Another few minutes of only clinking silverware on plates passed by. "So Rose," Agent McCall said. "Are you still interested in theater? Did you continue with it in college?"

Rose swallowed her food and took a sip of soda before answering. "No, I didn't." Her tone didn't sound harsh to Scott's ears, but it definitely was a short answer.

His father wasn't giving up that easily. "I found some old videos from when you were in high school of your performances. Maybe we could watch one after dinner."

"Great!" Scott said, a little too overenthusiastically. "I remember you were the lead for almost every play," he said, turning to her. "You were the best singer and actress out of everyone else. Which role was your favorite?"

Rose pushed her chicken slices around her plate. "I guess I would say...Julie Jordan from Carousel. Her character was such a tragedy."

Scott tried to remember the play but couldn't. "Which one was that again?"

"The one where a woman and a carousel barker fall in love. The carousel barker died trying to rob someone after finding out his wife was pregnant. It was a musical," his father answered. "Rose was excellent. Your mother and aunt were so proud."

Rose looked at her father in silence, pushing her chicken around aimlessly. She finally speared it with her fork and ate it. Agent returned to his own food, exchanging a nervous glance with Scott.

"Mom and Tia went to every single play – even when I was a freshman with small roles. They were always supportive and encouraging," Rose said. "I'm sure Tia feels so proud when she watches you play lacrosse. And I can't wait to see you play too, Scott."

They talked about Scott's choices for college and the pros and cons of each one. After dinner, Rose announced she had to go home. "Thank you both for dinner."

"You can't stay just for a little longer?" Scott asked hopefully.

Rose looked at him warmly. She had eased up during the course of dinner. "You're really sweet for arranging all this, even remembering my favorite Italian place."

Agent McCall cleared his throat. "Maybe we can talk in private for a bit? I promise it won't take long."

Scott exchanged a glance with Rose and bid her goodnight before leaving the kitchen. He gave his father an encouraging smile as he stepped out. He went upstairs to his room, knowing he could listen from there. He felt slightly guilty for eavesdropping.

"I know this was all a shock to you," his father began. "I was really surprised, too. I'm hoping we'll get to know each other better. I really would like to be there for you and Scott."

"I see," Rose said. "I only really came here for Scott's benefit. Forgive me for not welcoming this idea of you as my biological father, but my memories of you growing up weren't the greatest."

"I know I've made many mistakes in the past, but I'm trying to leave that behind and have a fresh start. But I understand if you're not comfortable. You've lived so long without a father and I know you have a stable relationship with your stepfather now." Rose's mother had gotten married to a Spanish man four years ago and was now living with him in Seville.

Rose stayed silent for a moment. Scott looked down at his hands as he sat on his bed listening.

"I think it will take some time," she said. "I'm still processing everything. A lot has happened since I returned to Beacon Hills."

"Well I appreciate you hearing me out and coming here tonight. Here's my card if you ever need to reach me."

"How did it go tonight?" Kira asked on the other line.

Scott had called her before going to bed like he did every night. He pulled his comforter up to his chin with one hand as he held his phone up to his ear with the other and settled into his pillow.

"It wasn't a complete disaster, but definitely awkward. I wasn't expecting a happy reunion exactly, but I thought she would be more open about it since she said she would come. Turns out she only did it for me. I heard her tell my dad that."

"She may have said that, but I'm sure she did it for herself, too," Kira explained. "What person isn't curious about the parent they never knew?"

"I suppose you're right," Scott said. "But you're forgetting that she already knew him, which means she knows about how he used to drink and argue with my mom. Maybe tonight was a mistake."

"No, don't say that," Kira said. "You said so yourself that it wasn't a complete disaster. She just needs to get used to the idea that he's her father. Have you gotten used to it?"

"I guess I'm still accepting it," Scott admitted. "I wonder if she would've kept in touch more if she knew before. Like after she moved away for college."

"It must've felt like she abandoned you."

"Yeah, it did," Scott agreed with difficulty. He hadn't wanted to admit this fact to himself after his fond memories of Rose growing up. "I knew she had a good reason to not come back to Beacon Hills after her accident, but she could've talked to me more than just the holidays and my birthday."

"I'm sorrry, Scott," Kira said.

"Hopefully things will change," Scott mused. "How was your day?"

"It was good," Kira said, stifling a yawn. "Spent a long time studying with Malia. She's really worried she'll fail and fall behind. She's even going to sign up for summer school."

"That's good," Scott said. "Still on for tomorrow to get through college apps?"

"Yup. We won't leave school until we finish at least one application."

In downtown, Parrish sat at a table in a bar with another deputy from the station. They had just finished their shift and were ending the day with a cold beer.

"Jordan?"

Parrish turned around at the sound of his name. Rose stood before him.

"Oh, hey Rose," Parrish greeted. "Hard day?"

Rose smiled. "How'd you know?" She didn't feel like going straight home after dinner with Scott and Agent McCall, so she decided to grab a drink.

"Well you are at a bar on a Wednesday night," Parrish joked. "This is Deputy Jimenez."

The two shook hands and Rose took a seat next to Parrish. Rose ordered a beer. "You look familiar," Jimenez said. "Did you go to school here?"

"I did," Rose said, feeling uncomfortable and bracing herself for what she knew was coming.

"Oh wait," Jimenez said, realization dawning on him. "You're that girl. From that thing on prom night."

Parrish cleared his throat, signaling to Jimenez to stop.

"Yes, that was me," Rose said tersely. "And I think I remember you from the basketball team?"

"Yeah," Jimenez said, glad they skimmed over his faux pas. "But I don't think we were in the same year. What have you been up to?"

"Rose just moved back from Seattle a few months ago," Parrish answered.

"Seattle's cool," Jimenez said. "My wife and I actually hiked Mount Ranier last year."

"Really? That's pretty cool," Rose said. "Mount Ranier is beautiful."

The three of them chatted over beer until Jimenez got up to leave. When it was just the two of them, Parrish asked Rose if she was doing okay. He knew her accident was a sensitive topic.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Rose said. "I can't believe people still remember me for that. It wasn't as hard to hear as I thought it would be."

Parrish raised his beer bottle and clinked it against Rose's. "That's progress," he said as he took a sip. Rose smiled at his positivity.

"I haven't seen you around in a while, how have you been?" Rose asked. She had kept to herself the past few weeks, processing her blood helping Derek revive and shift to a full wolf and the fact that she had firm confirmation of who her father was.

"It's been surprisingly quiet," Parrish answered. "I've been doing a lot of paperwork all week. It gets old pretty fast."

"At least no one's trying to kill you."

"How have things been with you? Everything pretty much back to normal with your health?"

"Yeah," Rose confirmed. "I've been eating normally and got a lot of rest. Can't complain."

"That reminds me," Parrish said. "I promised you a steak dinner in the best place in town. We never did go. You free tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. It's a - " Rose caught herself in time, "deal."

"It's a deal," Parrish mimicked. "And have you seen Derek since that thing at the tree?"

"Derek has been his usual self," Rose said. "I'm really glad he survived, but he can be so frustrating. You know he looked at my memories to see what Marin and I did? He knows all about the wolfsbane. We kinda got into it."

"What do you mean by 'looked at your memories?' Werewolves can do that?"

Rose explained how werewolves used their claws to look at other people's memories. She turned her head and gathered her hair into a loose ponytail to show him the claw marks that were fading from her neck.

"Why didn't you just tell him?" Parrish asked.

Rose looked at him incredulously. "You're really taking his side?"

"I'm not taking sides, I'm just confused. What's the worst that could happen if Derek knows?"

"For starters, I told Marin I wouldn't look into this wolfsbane business and Derek would definitely not agree with that. I get the feeling Marin thinks something bad will happen. Laura took our memories when we were seventeen for a reason."

"They can take memories too? What about Scott? Are you going to tell him?"

"My situation with Scott is a little delicate right now," Rose explained. She briefly recounted her dinner at the McCalls. "We're still adjusting to us being siblings. Plus, there's no reason to tell him."

"So you're just going to drop it just like that? You seemed really interested to know when we first met." Parrish drained the last of his beer.

"I have to," Rose said. "I just don't want to repeat history."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I decided to revisit this story after watching the Teen Wolf movie trailer. Can't wait!