Just have to warn you guys, I have a bit of writer's block for the seventh chapter, so that one may come late. Shouldn't talk so soon, but just in case.

Chapter Five: Dresses, Reunions, & Baths

Erica pulled open the door of the Camaro for Ruby and she climbed in, sighing about the backseat again.

"We'll go to the mall first and get you some clean cltohes to change into after your bath." Erica mumbled, looking in the rearview mirror.

Ruby nodded in response and yawned.

"You really don't talk much, do you?" Erica said, repeating Boyd's question.

Ruby licked her lips and mumbled, "I don't know."

Erica smiled, "Good enough for me."

It wasn't long before Erica had lead Ruby into The Gap and was looking over dresses with her.

"Can I have this one?" Ruby asked timidly. Erica shrugged. At least the kid was coming out of her shell.

"Get whatever you want. Derek's paying for it, anyways." Erica said, looking down at the pink dress.

"Yes!" Ruby grinned and pumped her little fist, making Erica smile again.

In the next ten minutes, Ruby had already picked out five dresses, a blue skirt and pink shirt and a pair of red sequined flats. They were much sparklier than her old ones.

"You should try them on," Erica said. "I don't want to be the one returning everything."

Ruby pouted, "Do I have to?"

Erica looked down into her wide, innocent eyes and sighed. Even when the kid was complaining, she was adorable.

She struggled to get out a firm, "Yes."

Ruby sighed again, "Fine."

Erica sat on the bench outside the room and listened to the child wrestle with the new clothing. There was an "Omph!" and hangers hitting the wall.

"I'm okay!" Said Ruby. Erica smiled and shook her head, looking at the magazines.

Ruby came out in a sapphire blue dress with white capris leggings underneath.

"Is this pretty?"

"Beautiful," Erica told her.

Ruby got a fairly large grin on her face and exposed little baby teeth. None were missing yet.

"Do I have to try them all on?" She asked.

Erica pursed her lips, "If they're all the same size, I guess not."

"Okie!" Ruby said, running back inside to take off the dress. She walked back out with her dresses and shoes, her white dress still filthy as ever.

"You want a nighty?" Erica asked. "I guess you could always use one of Derek's shirts, but he doesn't have any pink."

Ruby nodded and looked over at a light purple one with the faces of all the Disney princesses on it.

"That one?" Erica asked.

Ruby nodded and Erica told her to get two, since she didn't know how long Ruby would be there.

Erica was fairly fond of the kid already. After all, they had the same hair color.

As Ruby skipped along ahead of Erica, Erica spotted some boys from her school.

She could hear them talking about her, about the shirt she was wearing and about her chest. She rolled her eyes at their boyism, but was satisfied. Students had never given her the attention before and if they had, it was to laugh at her about a seizure she'd had in class. Ignorant teenagers and bullies were all they were. Now, she was out of their league and she enjoyed the jealously of the girls and the whistling of the boys, the regret they'd had about laughing at her.

Erica Reyes was finally on top of her game.

.

Lydia was walking through Forever 21 when she spotted Erica with a kid.

When did Erica get a sibling? was her first thought.

She decided to lean over to Allison, who had finally gotten to getting out more, and asked, "Since when is Erica Reyes part of the Little Sibling program?"

Allison looked over at the little girl Erica was towing along. Their hair was about the same, but other than that, she had no idea.

"I don't know." Allison said.

Allison couldn't face Erica. Not after spring break and what had happened to them.

After what she'd done.

Lydia nudged her shoulder, noticing her weary look and asked, "Find anything worth buying?"

Allison shrugged, "Not really."

"We should move on then," Lydia said. "No sense in wasting time."

Allison followed Lydia out of the store and caught Erica's gaze.

Both faces were unreadable, but Allison could guess that Erica's was full of loathing on the inside.

She couldn't blame her.

Erica was tugged along by the little girl and she snapped her gaze away, looking fondly at the child.

Allison looked away and followed after Lydia.

.

Erica pulled up to her house and noticed that her parents were gone.

Like they'd care anyways.

"Come on, we'll get you cleaned up." Erica told Ruby.

Ruby nodded and followed her inside, looking around.

The house was big and much nicer than Derek's. The walls were painted nicely and there were pictures hanging on the wall. Some were of two older people standing in front of the house. Others were of some little girl on her birthdays.

"Come on!" Erica called. She poked her head around the corner. "You alright?"

Ruby nodded and trotted after Erica, following her into the bathroom.

It was of decent size with a bathtub and a seperate shower with rippled glass.

Erica began to fill up the tub and Ruby pulled off her coat and set it down by the door.

Erica helped her out of her dress and shoes and wash her hair with some special shampoo her mother always bought her. Ruby was reluctant to tip her head back and kept squirming when the water hit her face, making funny faces whenever it did.

Ruby was wrapped up in the towel when Derek called.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"At my house, giving her a bath." Erica snapped, "Remember?"

"When will you be back?"

"Maybe twenty?" Erica said. "Years."

Ruby giggled and Erica smirked down at her.

"Alright."

And with that, he hung up. Erica rolled her eyes.

"We better hurry up or Wolfzilla is gonna breathe fire." Erica said.

Ruby giggled again and ran off to get her clothes.

Erica opened up the pack of underwear and took the tags off her clothes. When Ruby was dressed, they drove to the Hale house, where Derek and Boyd were disussing something.

"You called?" Erica said, knocking on the doorframe. Ruby was behind her in her sapphire dress and new red shoes. Her blonde hair was damp and uncombed.

Ruby ran over and jumped on the couch beside Derek, looking at the laptop he was watching.

"That's me!" Ruby said, looking up at him.

"I know," Derek murmured. He looked down at her and patted her shoulder again.

She looked up at him again and smiled. Derek sighed and shut the laptop, looking down at her.

Erica could sense Derek was pulling the sympathy card, something he had rarely ever used. She mouthed over to Boyd, "What's going on?"

He mouthed back, "Tell you later."

"Erica got me a new dress!" Ruby said. Derek nodded and said, "Pretty."

"Can we get ice cream again?" Ruby asked, jutting out her lower lip.

"Maybe later." Derek said.

Ruby nodded and snuggled in beside him again.

He was a good alpha.