Derek tried tailing the truck after it left the school's parking lot, but after getting cut off by another vehicle he lost them. As he waited at a stoplight he tried to process what he had seen or what he thought he saw. It wasn't just that this girl resembled Paige – he could have gotten over that – it was that this girl looked exactly like her. Perhaps a bit older but not by much. This was something Derek couldn't get over.
It wasn't until the car behind him honked their horn because the light had turned green that Derek pulled himself from his thoughts. He drove back to his Loft to continue trying to figure all this out. The thought of asking Stiles who the girl was had entered his mind again but he didn't think he was quite there yet. Especially since he wasn't too certain what Stilinkski would do afterwards.
After returning to the Loft, Derek went up to his room and over to the safe. Derek entered the pass-code – that happened to be Paige's birthday – opened the door and pulled out a small box. He had to clear something up, he had to make sure that it wasn't his memory playing tricks on him.
Derek removed the cover and picked up a handful of pictures. There weren't a lot of them but it was the memories that were important, not the amount of the photographs that represented some of them. He looked at the picture in his hand and there was no doubt about it, the girl he saw at the school was the spitting of Paige but there was no way it could possibly be her. At least not by normal means.
Derek couldn't fathom the idea because it was impossible – a word that he'd been using a lot that day. He returned the picture and the box to the safe and paused mid-action. 'It couldn't be. There's no way' these thoughts moved through his mind at that moment but they were soon followed by 'But this is Beacon Hills'.
It was decided, he wasn't going to leave anything to question or wonder. Derek was going to get answers one way or the other. There was just one thing he had to be sure of first...he had to make sure that he really wasn't going crazy by one means or another.
Mae was going through her purchases in her room when Clara came in to see what she had bought. With a mild look of disgust upon her face, she went over and picked up one of the shirts Mae picked out. It was a black tank top under a black mesh sweater. "Did you only purchases black items?"
Mae looked at her mom as she put some stuff away in the closet. "I bought some red lingerie. Want to see it?"
Clara glared at her daughter a moment. "I am going to believe that you are kidding." Looking back to the pile of black clothes on the bed, she sighed heavily. "There are such lovely colors out in the world and yet you always come back with this."
"I wouldn't have had to come back with anything if someone didn't throw out all my clothes...again." Mae handed the credit card back to her mother.
Clara took it back with yet another sigh then gave her a bit of information. "Damon is going out soon. You'll be able to get some practicing in then." On that note, she left Mae's room.
Clara went downstairs and was instantly greeted by Damon at the bottom when he said, "Come with me, please." His tone made it clear that he wasn't giving her a choice in the matter.
Damon didn't speak to her again until they were in the study with the door closed behind them. "I hear someone had a shopping spree. Was that really necessary?"
"Of course it was," Clara replied, instantly. "The Blood Moon is fast approaching, Damon. We're here but we need to make sure she stays - By whatever means necessary if we have to. And that includes her cello."
Damon's eyes glowed red as he stepped closer to her. "Shaiya warned us what could happen if she connected too deeply with her past. Do you honestly believe that playing that instrument won't make that happen?"
Clara placed her hands on his chest as she calmly replied. "I believe that if we don't do whatever it takes to keep here in this pack – your pack – then everything you wish to achieve with the Blood Moon will be for nothing. I believe Shaiya warned us about the ramifications of that as well."
Damon's eyes returned to normal as he took a deep breath. "For three years I've had to deal with her presence. I will not tolerate it any longer."
"Just until the Blood Moon," Clara assured. "And then she will be out of our lives for good." She had no qualms about this because, after all, Mae wasn't supposed to have been a part of this lives in the first place.
Deaton was working out front in the Animal Clinic when he saw Derek come in. The expression on his face made Deaton ask, "Derek, something wrong?"
"I think I'm seeing things," Derek replied then changed the wording. "I know I'm seeing things."
Deaton opened the door in the divider so Derek could cross into the back. He would need to hear more about what Derek was experiencing before he could give any form of diagnosis. "Come into the back and we'll see what the problem is."
Derek went into the back room without a word and Deaton followed. He explained that he'd been seeing things that couldn't be possible. After hearing this, Deaton performed some...tests to make sure Derek wasn't poisoned or anything like that but it all came back clear.
Derek threw his coat across the room when the last test came back negative. "You missed something!" He honestly doubted that Deaton had but he was no closer to finding out the truth that he was this morning. After flexing his hands he sat down and took deep breaths as his mind went over everything again.
Deaton leaned against the desk across from him and finally asked for more details. "What are you seeing exactly, Derek? You say it's impossible, but what is it?"
Derek leaned forward in the chair he was sitting in and sighed deeply. "Paige."
Deaton wasn't sure he had heard him correctly. "What did you say?"
Derek spoke louder that time. "Paige. I've been seeing Paige." He got to his feet and walked around the room as he continued to speak. "And I know that's insane because she dead. I – I killed her. She died in my arms, but...I caught her scent. I saw her."
Now Deaton finally understood. "I should have asked for more details earlier," he replied. "It would have saved us both a lot of time."
Derek had no idea what he was talking about and wanted more details. "What are you saying?"
Deaton continued with his explanation. "What you have told me is quite possible. Sacrifices that are made to the Nemeton are reborn as a...as a thank you for their sacrifice. That being said, Derek, you are not poisoned or crazy."
Derek had a hard time wrapping his head around this. "Are you telling me that this girl is Paige?" He shook his head in disbelief. "No. She died in my arms!"
"I'm not saying that she is, Derek." Deaton was trying to find the best way to explain it. "Paige is dead but her essence – her soul has been reborn. Think of as reincarnation, if that makes it easier, and this girl you have been seeing is likely the reincarnation of Paige."
Derek still couldn't believe it. It was just too...out there. "Can't be. Paige was a human and this girl is a wolf. Her scent was werewolf, there's no mistaking that."
"You also said it was Paige's scent," Deaton retorted. "Honestly, I am surprised you haven't put it together already. Paige rejected the Bite – she would have died from it if you didn't kill her out of mercy. So wouldn't it make sense for her next life to be what Paige couldn't become in order to complete the cycle?"
Derek had to sit down after hearing all this. To say he was in a state of shock would be pretty accurate in that moment. "It's Paige...but it's not?"
Deaton nodded in reply because that was simplest explanation.
Turning to face Deaton, he asked "Will she remember me? Does she remember anything about her..." he corrected himself before the words all came out, "About Paige's life?" There was a part of Derek that hoped this girl would but there was just as big a part that hoped she didn't. At least, he hoped she wouldn't remember how Paige's life ended.
Deaton moved away from the desk as he answered. "I can't tell you that, Derek. Not even I know everything." With an encouraging look in his eyes he added in, "That's something you'll have to find out on your own."
Derek accepted that answer and had every intention of doing just that.
After leaving the Animal Clinic, Derek went straight to the Stilinksi house. There was no way he couldn't get Stiles involved now. He was the only person that Derek knew who had contact with the girl. Derek was a man on a mission and he was willing to do just about anything to get his answers.
The Sheriff wasn't home so without word nor warning, Derek went into the house and burst right into Stiles' room - which nearly gave the video game playing teenager a heart attack.
Stiles jumped about fifty feet when Derek came into his room like that. "What the hell, Derek?" he asked with shocked annoyance as he tossed the game controller on his bed as he stood.
Derek got right up in Stiles' face and said, "The girl who you were talking to this morning, who is she?"
At that moment he had no idea who Derek was talking about. "What girl?" He saw Derek's kill look and was quickly making the connections. "You mean the new girl who plays the cello?" When Derek nodded in a 'keep talking' manner, Stiles added, "That's Mae. Figured you'd already know that."
Derek was taken aback by that comment. "What do you mean?"
Stiles replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Because she's living in your old house. Her family's the one that bought it." Before he was able to even finish his sentence, Derek was out the door. "What the hell was that about?" he thought aloud as he returned to his seat with every intention of going back to his game.
Just as Stiles reached for the controller, he changed his mind. Instead of resuming his session with the X-Box, he pulled out his cell phone and texted Scott to see if he knew what was up with Derek. Before he sent the text he remembered the story Peter had told him and Cora about Derek's first love. She had played the cello, hadn't she? He didn't think too much more about it and just went ahead with sending the text. There was no way it was connected...right?
It wasn't an easy decision to sell the Hale House property, but it was one Derek finally came around to. It sold to the first person who was interested in it – the only person who was interested. All Derek knew was that it was someone from the East Coast. He let his lawyer handle the rest because he didn't really want to know the details. But in that moment as he stood in the woods just far enough away from the house to have it within his sights without being detected, he wished he had put more effort into knowing who was living there now.
Derek knew he had to tread lightly with this situation for more than one reason. He knew for a fact that the girl – that Mae was a werewolf which meant she had a pack. She must have a pack. What Derek has seen of her thus far was not that of an Omega.
Derek could hear the cello music coming from the house through the open window upstairs. Flashes of memory entered his mind of Paige and how she used to play. He had to keep reminding himself that this girl – that Mae – wasn't Paige. At least...not entirely. What was he going to do? Honestly, he wasn't too sure.
For the first time in a long time, Derek didn't have a plan. He couldn't exactly go up to the front door and ask to speak with the girl who looked exactly like his deceased girlfriend from when he was fifteen years old. Derek would just have to bide his time, wait for an opening. If nothing else, he had her name and knew where she lived. If nothing else, he was a start.
Derek was so consumed with his thoughts that he didn't even realize the music had stopped until the front door opened. He moved behind the tree a bit more to stay out of sight but kept who was coming out in his.
Mae walked out of the house and tied her hair up in a messy ponytail. She was wearing a black jogging outfit where the only hint of color was the neon green on the jacket's zipper. Mae pulled an armband on then stuck some ear-buds in her ears so she could listen to her music. While doing this, Mae looked around her, almost as if something was subconsciously telling her to. This act made Derek move even more out of sight. He didn't come out from behind the tree until he heard her start running.
Derek saw her take off towards one of the trails and since he wasn't about to lose sight for her for a second...a third time, he followed after her.
Mae ran down the forest trail as music pumped into her ears. While playing the cello was something she loved more than anything, she just needed to get out for a run. Her practicing was making her think back to what happened after school that day and how she didn't have an real answer for any of it. Mae needed to clear her mind and that's what brought her out for a run.
When it came to running, Mae always tested herself. She would push herself to her limits and then beyond any chance she got. Running normally on this trail was proving to be too easy so she decided to kick it up a notch. Mae moved off the trail and started running freely through the woods and whatever unknown obstacles that might be laying in wait.
Mae jumped over fallen trees with ease and would jump at one to push off for more distance. The forest was her own personal obstacle course and she loved it. The only thing that she missed was a root that was obscured by just enough plant life that she missed it. Mae stumbled over it then dropped to the ground with a hearty laugh. Oh, did she need that laugh.
When Mae got back to her feet she looked around to see exactly where she had ended up. She'd been running for awhile and honestly wasn't quite sure where she was but it seemed she had run clear out of the forest. Deciding to explore a bit, she started walking at a normal pace.
It wasn't long before an abandoned building came into sight and that intrigued her a bit, but there was more than that. Mae felt like...well, she felt like she'd been there before. This major dejavu was starting to really get under her skin so instead of ignoring it, she went straight for the building.
Upon closer look, it appeared to be an old distillery but that didn't register until after something else had. There was a Spiral carved into the metal door that couldn't have been made by anything else than claws. Mae almost got the hell out of Dodge at that moment, but something kept her going. Besides, there were no fresh werewolf scents so whoever made that mark had to be long gone.
Mae pulled the ear-buds out of her ears before she pushed the large metal door aside and went in. There were some empty beer cans lying around but beyond that there was no evidence of anyone having been there for awhile.
Her steps brought her to the center of the room when suddenly it was like she was living a dream. The sound of her voice reached her ears only she wasn't speaking. The words she heard "Why do you like me?" and while it sounded like her voice, it wasn't her at all.
Mae was pulled from this all too real daydream when she caught a scent. She whipped around to face the doorway. The only thing that kept her from running away was that the scent was so familiar to her. Mae couldn't place who it was coming from but felt...she felt connected to it. If she was ever going to figure out what was going on with her then she couldn't keep running away.
She could hear the footsteps getting closer and the scent was getting stronger, so much so that she had to catch her breath. Mae didn't know why this oncoming werewolf, whoever it was, was giving her such a reaction. It had never happened before and couldn't explain why it was happening now.
Just in case this wolf wanted trouble, Mae stood ready. The footsteps stopped but she could see the person's shadow on the ground in front of them. "I know you're there!" she called out. "Might as well show yourself. When he did as she asked, she had to catch her breath all over again. Mae couldn't remember ever seeing him before and yet there was something so familiar about him. It seemed he felt the same way because he wouldn't – or perhaps it was couldn't – take his eyes off her.
This silence between them was starting to get a little unnerving so she asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Do I know you or something?"
Staying where he stood, Derek said, "That's what I'm trying to figure out."
When Mae heard his voice she felt as if she'd been waiting her entire life to hear it and now – now she had.
End Chapter 3
A/N: I forgot to mention this before so here it is – The Return really has no concrete place in the Canon time-line of Teen Wolf. I'm having fun and taking AU liberties with it, as well as the locations of certain things.
With that said, hope you like the story thus far and thanks for reading!