So here it is. The fourth chapter. Hope you all enjoy.

It's really late. Maria is sitting on the steps of the front porch, to the Mc. Call house, thinking about her past. She has a vacant look on her face, like she's in some kind of trance.

''Hey sweetie''. Melissa has just come out of the house. She's wearing a long grey cardigan. And after closing the door, she wraps it around her. ''What are you doing out here in the cold?'' She sits on the steps beside Maria.

Maria doesn't look at her, still staring into space with a vacant look on her face, she answers her. ''Sometimes... I just feel like, i'm not really here''. She then looks at Melissa. ''That some stranger, has taken over my body, and is living a life that, doesn't make any sense''. She then snaps out of her trance. ''I'm sorry... That sounded a little morbid''.

''It's okay... I get it... You know, when I found out, what had happened... I just felt so numb, like it wasn't really happening.. That it was a mistake. And that it was really happening to someone else''.

Maria looks at Melissa, her eyes starting to fill up with water, ''I just miss them, so much''.

''I know you do... So do I''... Melissa places her hand on Maria's hand which is on the step beside her. ''You know, if you want to talk, about, any of it, i'm a good listener''.

''I'm not crazy''.

Melissa nods her head, ''I know that''.

''It's just that when it happened... I couldn't make sense of it... I couldn't cope... And being, in the real world, it was just too hard''.

''And now?''

Maria smiles at Melissa, ''I'm glad i'm here... With family... With people who care about me... I guess I need that''.

Melissa throws her a sympathetic smile, and puts her arm around Maria, and Maria rests her head on Melissa's shoulder. ''You'll always have us''. Melissa assures a really heartbroken Maria.

We all know that there is a lot of history associated with the Old Hale House. And this history is intriguing to Maria. But why would Maria be so interested in the Hale House?

Maria has just entered the Hale house. Standing in the middle of the dreary, isolated hallway, at the bottom of the stairs. She cautiously looks around her, taking everything in. She then walks over to the stairs, and puts her hand on the banister. Just as she's about to venture up the stairs to the top half of the house, she hears a voice behind her.

''What are you doing here?''

Startled she quickly turns around. ''It's Derek, right?' Maria smiles.

''I said, what are you doing here?'' Derek asks again furiously.

''I'm sorry... I-I... Maria lets out a deep breath. Honestly... I was a little curious''.

''Curious? Why?''

Maria walks closer to him. ''I guess, it's kind of familiar... I remember this house from when I was a kid''. She turns away from him and gazes up at the ceiling. ''It was just so big, and beautiful''. She turns back around to him. ''I guess nothing stays the same forever''.

''You told me you were new around here''.

''Technically I am... I take it Scott told you about my past''... She pauses for a second. ''I'm not crazy''.

Derek shakes his head, ''Scott didn't say anything, about your past... Except that, you've been through a lot''.

Maria turns back around, and starts rubbing her hand on the banister of the stairs. ''I know what it's like to lose everything... It's hard''. Her tone quickly changes and she turns back around to him, more enthusiastically. ''Mind if I look upstairs?'' She smiles at him.

Derek looks at Maria with a very confused expression on his face, but agrees.

...

Derek and Maria are upstairs in the Old Hale House. Maria walks ahead of him, to one of the bedrooms. In fact, it's the same bedroom, that the three sisters were in.

''So what happened?'' Derek asks Maria curiously.

Maria stops and looks at him. ''I lost my parents''... She pauses for a second. ''It was an animal attack''. After she drops that bombshell, she quickly walks over to a window that's in the bedroom.

Derek looks over at her in shock, and immediately becomes a little bit suspicious of her. I mean, is this all a coincidence. Her parents dying from an 'animal attack', and her then suddenly turning up in Beacon Hills, just as the Demon does. ''An animal attack? What kind of animal?''

Maria just looks over at him. ''Does it matter? They're gone. And there's nothing I can do about it''. Maria then looks away and slowly goes to rub the window with her hand, and as she does, she suddenly gets flashing images. They're images of the Hale family, burning in the fire. Suddenly after the images stop, Maria's hand drops from the window, and she stumbles back, feeling faint.

Derek quickly goes to grab her. ''Are you okay?'' Holding her from behind, he looks at her worried.

Maria gazes into his eyes, ''Im fine''. She quickly snaps out of her gaze, and pulls away from him. ''I'm fine... I should go... I'm sorry for being'' She shakes her head. ''I'm sorry''... Not saying anything else, she quickly runs out of the room, down the stairs and leaves the house.

Derek just looks out the window, and watches her run away, confused.

Scott is still stressing out about this Demon. They still have no idea what it is, or what it wants. He's in Derek's apartment, looking through old books on the Supernatural, hoping that something will pop out at them, but Derek has his own theories.

''So have you spoken to Allison yet, about her Dad helping us?''

''Nope''. Scott just flicks through a large, old book on all things Supernatural.

Derek gives him his usual angry stare. ''What do you mean 'nope'?''

''I'm working up to it''. Scott looks at Derek. ''I haven't really spoken to Allison since the whole ritual slash Jennifer thing... So it's kind of delicate''.

''Delicate? Seriously, you teenagers these days... Sort out your crap and ask her''. Derek sneekily changes the subject, ''So, what's the deal with your cousin?''

Scott looks at him, suspicious. ''Why are you so interested?''

''I caught her lurking in my house today... It was kind of weird''.

''Your old falling down house?''

''No my richly decorated, mansion''. Derek snaps at him sarchastically. ''Of course my falling down house''.

''Well why would she be so interested in that place?''

''I have a theory... But you're not going to like it''.

Scott looks at him, worried.

''This Demon... We don't know anything about him... Or her''.

''Wait, you're not suggesting that, Maria is.. That's crazy''. Scott gets really defensive at Derek's accusations.

''Is it?... I mean, when was the last time you saw her?''

''My cousin, is not a Demon... She's been in psychiatric facility for the last year and a half... So there's no way... It's not possible... Besides, she's good... If she was a Demon, she would have killed us already''.

''Psychiatric facility? I guess that's what she meant when, she said she wasn't crazy... And she lost her parents... I'm sure the grief alone would be enough to''.

Standing up, Scott angrily cuts him off, by pushing the table he's sitting at flying across the floor. ''Just stop''. Breathing heavily, Scott calms down.

Derek just stands there in shock.

''My cousin, is not a Demon... We grew up together... She was like a big sister to me... She's not evil''.

''Well answer me this, how many times, did you visit her?''

Scott looks at him, coming to a realisation. ''Never''.

''Never?''

''The Doctors told us, well my mom, that she wasn't up to visitors... And we couldn't see her unless, it was what she wanted''.

''Convenient... Here's another thing... She said her parents, were killed by some kind of animal... Maybe she knows a lot more about werewolves than she's letting on''.

''Okay... Let's say hypothetically, she did know about werewolves... That doesn't mean that she's a Demon''.

''No... It just means that she's lying''.

Scott just looks at Derek, at a loss for words.

Maria's parents died in an animal attack... Hmmm... hope you guys enjoyed it... I'm kind of liking the whole idea of Derek and Maria, so I will be having more scenes between them... hope you like them too. ill post the next chapter as soon as I can... thanks for reading...