A/N: Here is chapter 2, the 3rd and final chapter will hopefully be up before Sunday. I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.


A couple of weeks later...

She'd loved the earrings, worn them every day in fact. Lydia had gotten that part right. It still didn't stop her from leaving him a Dear Derek or leaving those same earrings lying on top of that damn letter. His life was too dangerous, she made him vulnerable, blah blah blah… he crumbled the letter in his hand. Alone again. He really should've known better. He was damaged goods, who was ever going to want to stick around and deal with a man with as many wounds as he had.

Derek just let the thoughts swirl around in his mind as he drank back another shot of whiskey.

She spotted him easily as she walked into the bar. It was dark and dank a perfect match for Derek's mood she had not doubt, but and she'd probably deny it if directly asked, she felt a connection to the Alpha. And the fact the he was in pain simply wasn't something she could ignore. So she straightened her shoulders, chin up, smile on, and she made her way towards him.

"I could use one of those, myself." He heard a familiar voice utter behind him.

" You're not old enough to have one. And how did you get in?" Derek swiveled his head back to glare at the tiny redhead in the ridiculously high heels and what Derek was sure she called a dress but looked more like a shirt to him.

"Have you seen me? ", she raised her eyebrows at him as she motioned her hands over herself.

"Do you really think some bouncer is NOT going to let me in?" Smiling saucily as she did so.

He followed her hands with his eyes, "Point taken." He said as he lifted his had and called the bartender over. " Another shot glass."

"Thanks." Lydia said as she climbed up on the frankly too high stool next to him. " So, what are we drinking?"

" Whiskey." He said as he slid the shot glass her way.

Somebody was going to be all monosyllabic and grouchy she saw. He was testing her resolve to actually drink the stuff she thought as she picked up the shot glass sniffing it against her nose. "Whiskey's fine."

She was about to drink her shot when it was suddenly snatched out of her hands.

"Something fruity for the lady." He called to the bartender a superior smirk on his face just as the shot was snatched out of his hand.

Lydia knocked it back like a seasoned pro," I was just seeing if it was top shelf or not."

"Ah... expensive yes. I remember." Derek said under his breath.

" Something fruity?" the bartender looked her way. Eyeing her up and down paying special attention to her very low and very revealing neckline until the man next her… growled? The bartender quickly glanced over at the man that had called him over to start with. The Boyfriend. Well what did he expect women that look like that are never single. " So what can I get you?" he finished a bit lamely shifting uncomfortably under the much bigger man's glare.

" Just bring us the bottle and we'll be fine." She said aware of the growl Derek had given the bartender and if only to herself she could admit secretly pleased by it as well.

"Was that necessary?" She asked smirking.

"Why are you here?" Derek asked her ignoring her question. He refraining from baring his fangs to the hapless bartender as he scurried away after bringing them the bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue. Seriously, he might as well have dove in for the way he was staring at Lydia's chest.

"I read it." She said without preamble while pouring them both another shot and immediately downing hers.

"What? How? When?" Derek demanded taking the shot, not even bothering to pretend he didn't know what she was referring to. Great. Did this mean everyone knew what had happened?

"I saw her as she was leaving your apartment, I was coming to ask Cora something and well I saw her and she just walked by me and I'm sorry I shouldn't have read it but I saw the earrings and then I didn't know what to do about it and then…" Lydia was rambling on unable to stop until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Breath. And is it humiliating that you read my girlfriend's Dear John letter to me? Yes. It is... but well. Its not your fault it's mine." He said releasing her shoulder.

"What! Wait. No. its not. You didn't do anything wrong!" she exclaimed. Her eyes brightened in her righteous indignation on his behalf.

Derek was taken aback by her defense of him. " I thought you didn't approve to start with." He said, it was surprising someone taking his side.

" Of her for you." She spat out. " Not you for her!"

Suddenly leaning in to whisper, " So you're a werewolf. Big deal."

God she smelled good, nope get it together Derek it was the whiskey.

" I mean she knew what you were when she agreed to get into a relationship. If she couldn't handle it that's her failing not yours. You were wonderful to her. I should be so lucky my last two boyfriends… well lets see one tried to kill me and everyone I hold dear while the other one was an ungrateful Jackass ,pun intended, who left after I saved him and just urghh…" she took another shot of her own.

At first, it was an odd sensation he almost didn't realize what was happening it'd been so long, until it burst out and he started laughing.

" Wait how much did you have to drink before I got here?" she worriedly questioned.

"And I thought you couldn't really get drunk?" she whispered again.

"I can't. Well I can but it would take alcohol poison levels. And while I'm certainly trying my damndest to reach them. That's not what's caused it. It would be you."

" So you're laughing at me being concerned." She sounded so offended with her mouth in a pout she looked good enough to eat. Get it together Hale.

"No. That's no. It's just that you are the female me and I am you." He finished quickly not wanting to offend her any more that she already was.

" What?" She looked so cute her eyes all wide and confused with her nose scrunched up. Did he just think the word cute maybe he was closer to those alcohol poisoning levels that he'd originally thought.

"My first girlfriend, Kate, she attempted to kill my entire family and nearly succeeded and then woman that I finally let in after years of just random meaningless sex… oh yeah she left." He poured them both another shot and toasted her.

Meaningless sex… meaningless sex… sex… Derek just said sex… ok get it together Martin you've only had three shots or has it been more.

"So basically when it comes to love we are both pathetic losers. Granted really hot pathetic losers. But still losers." Lydia finally spoke, shaking her head a bit so she would hopefully stop drooling over his biceps.

"Exactly!" Derek said and proceed to finish the bottle with her.


That morning Lydia woke up to find herself wrapped in her quilt, her shoes off. She still had his leather jacket wrapped around her from when he'd put on her while sitting at the bar something about how she must be cold, it smelled wonderful was her last thought as she drifted back to sleep.

She never noticed the booted foot as it stepped out of her window.