A/N: Hey guys! Just a little heads up, this chapter is about Derek and about how important the trade of life is. It has to be my favorite chapter so far. . . because I cried a little! Enjoy! :D
He paced back and forth in what he believed to be the woods. The sky was dark and he began to feel his body temperature drop. As he paced, he could hear the laughter of a little boy. He stopped in his tracks and squinted into the darkness of the trees. There was a small flame flickering across the ground. He recognized the little boy. It was him.
"Can you show me how to do it again, Pop?" He asked his father.
A tall man with jet black hair walked towards the fire with an arm full of fire wood. Derek could understand now what people meant by "you look exactly like your father." He could see the resemblance quite clearly. The man was broad in the shoulders and black hair with piercing gray eyes. He could really understand the meaning of the importance of this moment.
"Son, I believe that you're old enough to learn how to do it. I'm getting a little too old to be carrying the Hale family torch. I won't be here much longer and you have to learn everything I know." His dad was always kind and gentle when speaking with children.
He had to have been about eight years old when this happened. This is where he had learned to hunt and lead. Hunting wasn't exactly like that of actual wolves, but it was not done with a bullet either. It was more of a state of mind. He watched as his father sat down Indian style and closed his eyes.
"Sit down, son." His father said calmly.
Derek sat down and closed his eyes. They both drew in one simultaneous breath. Derek could hear the crackling of the firewood as he studied how he and his father bonded. Surprise jumped on Small Derek's face.
"It's over there." He exclaimed in a whisper.
And there was no doubt about it. There was an injured deer limping across the fair grounds on the other side of the woods. He and his dad ran silently through the woods and waited for the injure animal to collapse. When it did, it landed with a thud. It began to hum in agony, waiting painfully to die. Mr. Hale walked over to the deer slowly and placed his hand over its heart, he focused his all of his energy on the deer.
Young Derek stood by closely. His eyes were bright with amazement and full of curiosity. He could hear the slow murmur of her heart and the steadying of his dad's. Their hearts were in sync. Both were weak. Derek was afraid that this animal was too injured to be saved, that his father wouldn't make it, that he and the deer would both die. But before he could think otherwise, the deer's ear twitched.
"Look!" Mr. Hale called softly to his son.
He gasped. Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly. Her pitch black eyes were somehow, restored to light. He smiled. His father moved away and she kicked her way to life. She stood up and galloped away.
"Wow!"
The memory began to fade. It all turned to dust and smoke before Derek's eyes. Everything was black. He didn't do this often, but now, he was panicking. His head turned in many different angles trying to find a gleam of light. Somewhere, anywhere! He felt that all was lost. In his most frantic of moments, his wish had been granted.
Now, he could see his house. Not the charred remains that stood in the middle of the woods, but the simple white house with the wooden porch swing and welcoming atmosphere as soon as you hit the first step. He ran up the stairs and onto the porch. He hesitated to open the front door. He could hear the familiar laughter of his mother, the bad jokes of his Uncle Ulysses and the bickering between his cousins Adam and Irving. He missed their laughs, their cheers, and their presence. He didn't want to interrupt whatever was going on.
He walked over to the window to see what looked like Christmas dinner sprawled out on the table. He smiled inwardly as he remembered everything that was happening that day. He remembered the family portrait that his family arranged to take every year. He remembered those horrible Christmas sayings written out on the sweaters- how he and his sister would complain about them to their parents.
He leaned in a little too close to the window and feel inside. He thought he would have broken it or at least made a noise. But the party seemed to have gone on with them taking interest.
I guess they don't know I'm standing here.
His father stood up and picked up his glass and tapped it lightly with a butter knife. All of the laughing and joke telling and childish bickering came to a halt. All eyes were on Mr. Hale. His black hair was beginning to turn white and his handsome features were lightly outlined with wisdom. Although, everyone knew he was in about his early 40's, he looked a little bit older. You could tell that he was high in authority.
"Ah, thank you everyone. I just have a few things to announce. First, I would like to say thanks to everyone who came out tonight and to all of the beautiful women who have prepared this meal. It has come to my attention to address the fact that, let's face it. . . I'm getting old! I'm a little too tired to be Alpha. My reign is coming to an end. It's been about a good 15 years since I've taken the position and now, I have to retire. I would first like to acknowledge both of my beautiful children. Derek, my son, you have the biggest heart out of everyone in this kitchen. You have been learned everything that I have offered- tracking, hunting, survival. You should know that I am proud of you. Laura, you are such a spitfire. You have to be the toughest woman in this pack right about now. You feisty attitude and quick thinking would be great for the pack. I would be glad to know that you wouldn't let anybody fall out of line. I know that the pack will be safe and well guarded in your hands. This is why; I am appointing you with my position."
Derek could now understand why Laura was chosen. She was the elder and she had to look out for her family, something he wasn't doing. Derek was sixteen when this was announced. The first thing that popped in his head at the moment was 'I thought you said that I was going to be Alpha'. But he knew now.
You fell in love with the enemy after they tried to warn you!
He realizes that it was his responsibility. He believed his father. It was the right choice now. At the time, he wasn't ready. Even now, he wasn't ready. Especially for what was happening next.
The family cheered and applauded for Laura.
"Congratulations, Sis." Derek said a little heartbroken.
Of course he was proud of her, but she got what he wanted. What they both wanted.
The doorbell rang and Derek insisted on getting it. When he opened the door, there she was.
"Kate, hi, what are you doing here?" He was obviously smitten with her blond hair and charming smile.
"I just wanted to celebrate Christmas with my boyfriend. My family is so dull." She said pulling him into a kiss.
"I'll be right back. My family's dead anyway."
"What are you doing you idiot?!" Derek screamed at his younger self.
He didn't know how right when he'd said that at that moment.
"Dad, I'm going out."
"Where?"
"Dad, come on. It's only for a little bit. You have to show Laura the ropes anyway." His last few words had a sting of bitter jealousy on them.
"Derek, sweetie-" His mother began.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine. I'll be back in a bit.
He grabbed his leather jacket off of the coat rack and headed out of the door.
The figures began to fade again until he was in the darkness again. This time he could feel heat. He could feel it everywhere he moved. Another memory began to come in to focus. He was getting out of Kate's truck. He kissed her one last time before getting out and walking up the stairs. He'd waited until her vehicle was gone to go all the way in the house. He walked in and heard his family in the basement. He could smell gasoline and lots of it.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"We think there's a gas leak." His mother answered.
"I'm sure this isn't something we need to be worried about." Mr. Hale said trying to calm his wife.
"Something doesn't feel right." Ulysses said feeling unsettled.
"Do you hear that?" Laura asked.
Everyone hushed, their ears perking up, straining themselves to listen for any irregular sound.
"It sounds like laughing." Ulysses pointed out.
Murmurs of agreement escaped everyone's lips.
"I'm going to check it out." Mr. Hale said as he marched up the stairs.
The front door closed with a thud.
"Kate, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, hi, Mr. Hale."
The sound of a striking match took everyone off guard. A gasp echoed around everybody as the house went up in flames.
"No!" Derek screamed at the memory.
Seeing it a second time didn't make it any better. He tried to grab and reach out and touch people. He wanted to save them but there was nothing he could do. His hand went right through them as if he were a dream. That's when he came across himself, slowly dying. Young Derek looked directly into his eyes- pain, horror, sorrow. He was lifeless. His eyes stared directly into his, unblinking. His chest had stopped moving.
"Derek," He heard a voice calling out to him. "Laura, Isabelle?!"
It was his dad. He was coughing as he re-entered the basement.
"Dad, I'm fine." Laura returned is desperate call.
Mr. Hale walked directly over to Derek.
"Dad, I don't think Mom made it." Laura coughed.
"I want you to get out of here, okay?" He instructed her.
She nodded and ran out of the crumbling house.
"Derek? Derek, don't you die on me!" His father said shaking him desperately to wake up.
He watched as his father held his lifeless body. He couldn't watch this over.
"I won't save your mother because I know she would kill me if I didn't save you. I know that she would have done the same thing if she could, my son." Mr. Hale said through tears.
That's when he did it.
He placed his hand over Derek's mouth and focused all of his energy on him.
"No, no, Dad, don't!" Derek exclaimed at his father.
He could hear his father's heart stopping. It broke him down to see this all happening, seeing the sacrifice. Mr. Hale went into a fit of coughs before collapsing. Young Derek stayed still. . . Until. . .
He sat up gasping and coughing. He looked around to see his home and family in flames.
"Mom, Dad, Ulysses?" He was terrified and he didn't know what else to do.
So he ran. Tears burned his eyes as he ran against the wind. He ran to the top of Beacon's Peak and let out an earsplitting howl. Cries from all over answered back. He was now a wolf without a pack.
The memory faded, leaving Derek alone in the darkness once again, to think. . . to think of what he had to gain. . . what he had to lose. . . and what he'd lost.
Was it all worth it?
