Darkest Powers fanfiction
EVERYONE'S SECRET
Derek Souza/OC: Mary Ralluber

Author's Note: Sorry if there are major canon errors regarding the fight between Derek, Simon, and Brady. I haven't read the books in a while and can't exactly remember what happens during that scene. I just remember Simon using his magic to shove Brady away. Anywho, please enjoy el chaptero and review por favor! Gracias. ;D

Chapter 2O.

Lyle House was different after Mary left, but after six months since she'd been gone, it had become normal. Lots of new people came to the group home, joining Brady, Simon, and Derek. The first girl, Victoria (who much rather preferred to be called Tori) Enright, was brattiest girl Derek had ever met. He simply could not stand being around her, and she reminded him a lot of Brady. He knew she'd really annoy Mary as well, since she couldn't stand Brady no more than he could. He'd also realized that Tori acted strangely different around his brother, but Simon remained oblivious to it, or at least he made it seem that way. Derek thought it both hilarious and pathetic that Tori would fall for a guy like Simon, and he really pitied his brother.

The second kid to arrive at Lyle House after Mary's leaving was Elizabeth Delaney—who was called Liz—and she immediately became Tori's best friend, even though their personalities completely clashed. Derek couldn't understand how a nice girl like Liz could ever be friends with the drama queen Tori Enright.

After Liz came Rachelle Rogers, and she went by the nickname Rae. Unlike Liz, Rae did not kick it off with Tori. As a matter of fact, she never did. While Tori complained, Rae snapped at her for being so annoying, and then Tori would bite back with another rude remark. Rae didn't really bother Derek, but when the two of them went at it, he was annoyed with the both of them.

The last kid to come was a boy named Peter Ricci, and he was also the youngest out of the entire house. Even when he arrived he was glued to a Nintendo DS and barely ever met anyone's gaze. During mealtimes, Derek would watch as Peter would rapidly beat his thumbs against the buttons of his game, or sometimes glide the stylus over the touchscreen. He was a quiet kid, so he didn't bother Derek at all.

As the time went by, his memories of Mary began to fade. He never fully forgot about her, but he never thought about her as he often did back when she'd first left. Instead, his thoughts were reserved for his father as he and Simon plotted their breakout. Many times had their plans failed and now they were being inspected fiercer than ever. It was getting more and more difficult to escape.

Dressed in his usual sweatshirt and sweatpants combo, Derek sulked down the stairs, bowing his head so that his dark greasy hair fell over his acne-invaded face. His complexion had gotten ten times worse since Mary's miracle acne cream had run out, but he'd learned not to get embarrassed because of his face; he didn't care what Tori thought about his skin. He could care less about her, period. He toughened himself up even against Brady's rude remarks about how ugly his skin was, or how disgusting his hair looked. Simon had reminded him that none of them knew what he was going through, so they couldn't understand. So, Derek learned not to care.

He passed the living room, where Tori chatted animatedly on the sofa while Liz listened from the floor. By the look on her face, Derek could read the bored and uninteresting expression she struggled to hide, but her mask worked for Tori. When he passed the doorway, both Tori's and Liz's gazes lifted and met his. Tori sneered.

"Oh yuck. Don't you ever take a shower? And how about some Proactiv? God Derek, honestly. You need it," Tori scoffed. Derek rolled his eyes and continued on his way, wondering why he'd even paused in the first place to listen to her. As he left, he could hear Liz whispering in a disappointed tone, "Tori!" because of what her friend had just said.

He met with Simon in the kitchen, who was peeling carrots for tonight's dinner. Simon's blonde hair was spiked, his hair color looking out of place because of his Asian features to anyone who didn't know his complete heritage. His playful eyes turned on him as he grinned his familiar warm grin that he usually reserved for people close to him.

"Sup, bro," he said. Derek nodded his head towards his direction.

"Hey."

"Van Dop put me on freakin' peeling duty. Sucks, especially because I don't have your speed. But I'm almost done. Maybe we could go shoot some hoops after I finish. Hopefully the nurses will let us outside," he rambled. Derek didn't normally tune out to Simon, but as soon as he mentioned the peeling duty, his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to Mary. They hadn't visited her in a long time, but, surprisingly, her face was still vivid, as if it'd been burned in the back of his mind. He remembered how she was always so quick when it came to peeling. He remembered having peeling races with her, seeing who could peel the most potatoes or carrots before the bag ran out.

And then he began to remember how he loved looking at her. He'd forgotten about how beautiful she truly was, that even though she was short and perhaps too developed in the chest area, he thought she was perfect the way she was. He remembered as he'd watch her read a magazine, his eyes would trace her figure and really swallow the depth of her immaculate beauty. He remembered how her bright green eyes glittered in the sun; how her long black hair fell about her back in shorter layers with bangs sweeping her forehead in a diagonal direction; how her full plump lips frequently sported a knowing smirk whenever she knew she was right.

"Derek," Simon called, cutting Derek from his string of memories. "Derek, you alright, bro? You were totally spacin' out on me."

"Sorry," Derek muttered. Simon smirked.

"It's cool. Why don't you help me finish these dang carrots? You're help would be much appreciated, especially because of your speed," Simon chuckled. As Derek approached his side, Simon playfully nudged him and the two of them continued peeling in silence. Derek was surprised at the amount he remembered in just one daydream. All of his memories of Mary just washed over him, flooding his mind to the point where he didn't know if he was living in reality or a dream. Shaking his head, he tried to forget about her. She was gone. They hadn't seen her in six months. She wasn't coming back.

The pair finished peeling the carrots and while Simon ran to ask Mrs. Talbot if he and Derek could go outside, Derek scooped the peelings in the sink into the empty carrot bag. Soon, Mrs. Talbot trotted into the kitchen, Simon following her in step, as she punched in the alarm system code and the sliding door opened.

"You two can only be out for one hour. Bring Brady in when your hour is up," she instructed. Derek's gut twisted at the sound of Brady's name. He realized it hadn't done that in a while, not since Mary was here. He was reminded of how he wanted to be with her, and how he ridiculed Derek about it. He was even reminded of the threat Brady had given the both of them, how he'd known their secret—that they were together—and that they'd better hoped that the nurses wouldn't find out. Derek always had the feeling in his gut that the reason why Mary was gone was because Brady had ratted them out, and for punishment of being together, they would separate them. Even on the slim chance that Brady really didn't tell them, Derek still resented him.

"Come on. We won't even talk to him," Simon muttered as they walked towards the basketball hoop. So far, Brady was nowhere in sight, but Derek could sure smell him around the building. His gut wrenched yet again as Derek sniffed him out to the spot that was somewhat sacred to him. Just by the toolshed Brady was kneeling, digging for worms or some other nonsense, much like a child would do, where Derek had made love to Mary.

Derek shuddered and refocused his head on the game Simon was about to start. He was already dribbling the basketball on the court.

"Ready? How about some HORSE?" Simon suggested. Derek nodded in agreement and tried to ignore the presence of Brady, which was coming near as he became drawn to the sound of the basketball against the concrete.

"What're you two doing out here? Where's your girlfriend, Simon? Tori the Temper Tantrum Queen?" Brady smirked. Simon rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha, Brady. I can't believe how funny you are," Simon said monotonously, his tone dripping in sarcasm. Brady rolled his own eyes.

"It's no secret she digs you," he muttered. "Too bad she isn't hot. None of these girls are."

"That's all you care about, huh? How hot a girl is," Simon snapped. Brady glared.

"What are you trying to say? 'Course I think about how hot a girl is … I'm a guy. But you probably wouldn't know about these guy things anyway. Neither of you would. You're a girl, and loom 'n' gloom over here is a monstrous beast. I'm surprised Mary even fell for you anyway. What the hell did she see in you?" Brady spat.

"She loved Derek because she knew he was ten times better than you. Hell, Mary wouldn't screw you any day. Now I bet you got a boner every time you saw her chest," Simon said. Brady glared and sneered at him. Derek's heart pounded and he wished to leave the scene, but Brady wouldn't drop the argument.

"What did you say?" he hissed, shoving Simon forcefully. Simon grunted and Derek widened his eyes. Quickly, he squeezed in between the two and lifted his palms to push Brady right back, but before Derek could even touch him, Brady flew back nearly ten feet, colliding with the wooden fence that surrounded the backyard of the group home. Brady was in shock, and Derek was also surprised. However, he knew better than to believe that was his own doing. He turned beside him and noticed Simon glaring at Brady. Simon had used his magic to shove Brady back.

"You freak!" Brady burst, struggling to stand as he shouted profanities at Derek.

"It wasn't me!" Derek blurted. Brady snarled at him, giving him such a cold look. Even though Derek could care less for him, he was genuinely worried for him. Brady couldn't pick himself up from the ground. He'd known what it was like to seriously injure a kid who had seriously irritated him. He struggled to keep his mind away from the memory of him breaking the spine of a boy who tried to beat up Simon with a couple of other boys at the last school they attended.

But Brady wasn't getting up, and Simon was also looking worried. Brady was moaning in pain now, and it was only a matter of time before Mrs. Talbot and Miss Van Dop ran outside to tend to him, Rae fast on their heels, puzzled and worried. Brady was considered one of Rae's only friends at Lyle House, though Derek couldn't see why.

"What happened?" snapped Miss Van Dop. Brady raised a finger to Derek.

"That bastard … pushed me!" spat Brady. Mrs. Talbot scowled at the foul language, but the two women looked back at Derek with stern expressions, and then began to whisper amongst themselves, but plenty clear enough for Derek to hear.

"Call up Dr. Gill. She'll need to up his doses," Miss Van Dop instructed. Mrs. Talbot nodded in agreement.

"He should be close to Changing, shouldn't he? The modification most likely postponed his Change time," said Mrs. Talbot.

"That, or completely took it away. He may never Change," Miss Van Dop said before glancing at him through the corner of her hawk eyes.

Derek's heart caught in his throat. Never Change? That was impossible, wasn't it? He had to! He was a werewolf. Mary even knew he had to Change.

Mary ….

His thoughts drifted back to the Changing lessons she used to give him and immediately his insides filled with dread. He was constantly reminded that he wouldn't see her again. He'd lost all faith in seeing her.

Derek turned on his heel and pushed passed Simon, darting inside and up to his room. He slammed the door and pressed his forehead against it, his two fists pressing on either side of his head against the door as well. Mary was never coming back … she was never coming back …

Why was he remembering this all of a sudden? She'd slipped his mind long ago.

And then, unconsciously, his hand flew to his chest, grasping the neck of his sweater. Tangled in between his fingers was the gold chain he'd found underneath her bed. The gold chain that carried the heart with the cursive F engraved in it. Fiona's necklace—Mary's mother's necklace.

He'd carried Mary around with him for the past six months and he, for some reason, had never realized it. His eyes closed tightly as he manifested her smiling face in his memory, remembering her large, sparkling green orbs and playful smirk. He could see her laying on her stomach on her bed, a magazine flipped open in front of her. He could see her lying in bed late at night, writhing in agony because of her time of the months and begging him to stay at her side so she could squeeze his hand.

He remembered one night where Simon was sleeping soundly, snoring softly, and Derek was fast in slumber, that is, until he'd felt a soft warm hand press against his bicep. He'd quickly turned on his side, sitting up and staring wildly at her, who was standing before him in her short navy blue pajama shorts and white wife beater. Her long black hair was pulled into a ponytail high on her head, the tips tickling just between her shoulder blades.

"What are you doing here?" he'd grumbled groggily. She smirked and knelt onto his bed, pressing her palms against his bare chest and tickling his throat with her lips. "Mary …"

"If the nurses find out, who gives a shit? I just want to snuggle with you, nothing more," she promised. Derek couldn't help but snake his arms around her waist. He never passed up a time to be with Mary, even if it did risk their privileges. He slid back underneath his blankets, Mary following suit. As Derek pulled the covers over their entwined bodies, Mary pressed her body against his practically naked one, as he only sported boxer shorts to sleep.

"If we ever get out of here, I can't wait to cuddle with you in a real bed. We'll sleep together every night," she vowed. Derek had chuckled and urged her to sleep. After pressing his lips to her head, he'd fallen into a deep slumber himself.

Then, the memory faded as Derek realized he was blinking back tears, his head still pressed against the door, fingers still clutched the chain. It was the first and last night he'd spent the night with Mary in his bed, and he could remember Simon practically gasping with shock at the sight of them. They'd made sure before the nurses came that Mary was back in her own bed, and he knew Simon would never let him hear the end of it.

Good memories were pouring down the drain as he continued to remind himself that Mary would never come back. Sighing heavily, he realized that he couldn't keep dwelling on Mary, dreaming that he'd see her beautiful face again. Derek couldn't keep living in the past, and he was sick of living with a broken heart because of it. So he pulled off the chain, glancing at the heart charm, seeing a faint projection of Mary's smile in its dull reflection. Then, he put it away so he'd never have to be reminded of Mary again.

And he never was.