HARSHER THAN THE BARK

A/N: Season 3 begins here yay! Also if you are one of those people (like me) who likes to listen to music when reading certain scenes then my suggestion would be 'Let it Go' by James Bay towards the end of this chapter

"Boy, it's a good thing you drew me a picture." Scarlett ignored the tattoo artist's sarcastic comment. It was directed at Scott anyway and she wasn't paying too much attention to her brother who had, out of the blue, decided he wanted a tattoo. Scarlett was much too preoccupied by the constant buzzing of her phone to really listen to what Scott and Stiles were saying.

"Is that Derek again?" Scott asked with wide eyes, noticing how his twin was ignoring her phone.

"Yeah, tenth time in the last ten minutes." Scarlett answered begrudgingly.

"Well, maybe you should just answer." Scott suggested, earning an incredulous look from his sister.

"Yeah after all, you did completely ditch him to go to France without even saying where you were going." Stiles added in, not that she needed to be reminded what she had done.

After New York, things were so tense between Derek and Scarlett and she couldn't stand to see him the way he was, in all his self-loathing. And then he was spending most of his time trying to find Erica and Boyd with Isaac and Peter, which she didn't blame him for doing. However, she felt that there was no point in waiting around so when Allison and her father offered to take her to France for a couple months, she couldn't refuse.

Scarlett tried to convince herself that it was such a last minute arrangement that she really didn't have time to say goodbye to Derek and she didn't want to be a distraction to him and that's why she left so abruptly. But she knew it wasn't the truth. Not only was Derek getting on her nerves by being so distant but what happened in New York was the last straw. Scarlett never, ever wanted to feel so helpless again. And so she wouldn't. Any trace of helplessness in Scarlett was erased after the intense and severe hunter training she went through with Allison whilst they were in France. She felt like a completely different person. A better person. She felt strong and she loved it and no one would ever even come close to taking advantage of her again. She knew that for a fact.

It wasn't just Scarlett who had noticed a change in herself. Scott and Stiles definitely noticed. Not that they would ever tell her but there had been multiple occasions when they had questioned if it was really her. It wasn't like she had changed in a bad way. She just seemed…fiercer and maybe a bit colder, but she would always be their Scarlett, the most kind and loving person they knew.

"I can't speak to him yet." Scarlett finally said. "I'm not ready." She had barely spoken to Derek when she was away and any time she did he would just tell her how angry he was that she had left without letting him know where she was going, he even threatened to fly to France a couple times but she had swiftly talked him out of that and told him to concentrate on the task he faced—finding Erica and Boyd. However, she hadn't seen him since she had been back either, which had been about a week, and that's why he kept up with his persistent phone calls and texts.

Stiles and Scott both remained quiet after that. Scott had noticed the wedge between Derek and Scarlett before she had fled for France with Allison. He didn't understand it. Every time she called him from New York they seemed perfectly happy and in love but he guessed something must've happened and if Scarlett hadn't told him by now then she wasn't ready to speak about it but he never failed to let her know that he was there when she needed him.

"Hey Scott, sure you don't want something like this?" Stiles held up a drawing of a lizard-creature, trying to diffuse the tension with his usual comedic self. "Too soon?" He asked when he saw the looks on both the twins faces.

"So are you sure about this, Scotty?" Scarlett asked, picking up a collection of drawings to look through. "Once you get it, it never comes off."

"I'm not changing my mind." Scott said with a grin. Scarlett could tell he was excited about this.

"Fair enough, but why two bands?" Stiles asked with a confused look.

"I just like it." Scott shrugged.

Scarlett raised a brow and let out a laugh. "You just like it?" She shook her head. "I thought tattoos were supposed to be like deep and meaningful."

"Well, it is. Like, getting a tattoo means something." Scott defended himself.

"He's right." The tattooist said, backing him up. "Tattoos go back thousands of years. The Tahitian word 'tatau' means to leave a mark. Like a rite of passage." The man explained.

"Yeah," Scott shrugged. "You see? He gets it."

"He's covered in tattoos, Scott." Stiles said while Scarlett just rolled her eyes. "Literally."

"Are you ready?" The man asked Scott to which Scott excitedly agreed. "You don't have any problems with needles, do you?"

"Nope." Scott answered taking a deep breath before the tattooist began his work.

"I tend to get a little squeamish." Stiles said, looking over at the needle jabbing Scott's skin before unexpectedly fainting. Scarlett laughed but went over to help him up. That's when she saw another drawing, but this one she actually liked.

This was a drawing of a finely detailed crescent moon that curved around the body of a woman with insanely wild, long and curly hair. She looked like a goddess. And that was what caught Scarlett's eye. While she had been in France, Scarlett had befriended one of the Argent Elders. A woman named Celeste who had taken a keen interest in Scarlett.

Celeste had seen true potential in Scarlett to be someone…something great. She went on and on about how Scarlett was "good, pure and strong-willed." Of course Scarlett just thought the elderly French woman had just seen that she was a good person.

It was only a few days before they left France that Celeste had presented Scarlett with a thick book about Greek Mythology. Scarlett had been confused but pleased because she enjoyed Greek Mythology. Celeste had opened the book to the page about Selene, the Goddess of the Moon. Scarlett didn't understand what she had to do with Greek Mythology but then Celeste had directed her to a particular phrase that was associated with Celeste

"You, my child," Celeste had spoken in French. "Will be the foe of strife, just like Selene…you are destined for greatness."

Of course Scarlett had no clue what Celeste meant by all this and she was convinced it was absolute garbage but it stuck with her, nonetheless, even after she left France. And that's why she was so taken with the beautiful drawing. She felt like she was meant to see it and she wanted it to be a part of her, a symbol of her newly found strength.

When Scott was finished she followed him and Stiles out to their cars. Scarlett had driven to meet them separately so she said she'd see Scott back at the house. As soon as Scott and Stiles drove away, Scarlett ran back into the tattoo parlour.

"Did you forget something?" The man asked.

Scarlett shook her head. "No, I just didn't want my brother to think I was copying him." She held up the drawing she had taken off the wall. "Can you do this?"

"Sure."

Scarlett gingerly brushed her fingers across the fresh, and tender, tattoo. She admired it in her mirror in her bedroom. She had to lift her arm to see it as it was right next to her breast on her right side, but there, engraved in her skin was the tattoo of Selene, the Goddess of the Moon, looking like a fierce warrior, her hair flowing all around her as the crescent moon cradled her body. And making a circle around the image, in a beautifully elegant script, were the words 'ennemi des luttes.'

Foe of strife.

Scarlett sighed, placing her finished mug of tea on her dressing table and looking over herself again in the mirror. It was the first day of school again. It felt like only a couple days ago she was about to start sophomore year with the only worry on her mind being trying out for the squad. However, that was a whole year ago and now she was facing junior year with a knowledge of the supernatural world that would have most people in tears. And, maybe once, that could've been her but not now. She was fearless.

Scarlett flashed herself a dazzling smile, trying not to pay too much attention to the hurt she could see in her own eyes as the thought of how much she missed Derek plagued the back of her mind. She smoothed out her outfit, which consisted of a cream pullover, high-waisted floral shorts and brown wedges. To complete the look, she grabbed a chunky bangle and as she was putting it on her wrist, her phone rang.

Without looking she knew who it was, but this was the first time he had called her since she had been in the tattoo parlour last night. She picked up the phone and stared at the picture that came up when he called. It was of Derek kissing her cheek while she smiled the most radiant smile ever in the middle of Times Square. Finally giving in to her longing to hear his voice, she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"I'm surprised you finally answered." Derek's voice was solemn, broken, and she knew it was because of her selfish actions.

"What can I say? I've missed your voice." She admitted. His voice wasn't all she missed, she missed all of him.

"Just my voice?"

"Maybe more than just that."

"I need to see you." His voice was determined but there was also a hint of pleading she detected behind the determination.

Scarlett sighed. "Not now, Der. I need to get to- "

"Too late." His voice was loud and clear and right behind her.

"Derek." Scarlett addressed him, trying to mask her surprise that he had just randomly turned up in her room.

"Where the hell have you been, Scarlett?" He asked, his voice giving away the worry he felt, as he walked forward to cradle her face in his hands.

"Around." She couldn't look him in the eye so she stared at the floor.

Derek couldn't deny that he knew his actions are what drove her to leave, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted nothing more than to be with her but he needed time to accept the fact he couldn't change the incident as it occurred. And, unintentionally, he had pushed her away in order to heal himself.

He stepped back, deciding not unleash all the pent up anger, anguish and worry that had plagued him since she skipped town and went to France, with the Argents—of all people.

"You look beautiful. As always." He told her, admiring her brown eyes that looked so innocent yet so tainted with pain and something else, something…colder. He blamed his lack of sleep for his mind playing tricks on him. Scarlett had the warmest and most inviting eyes he had ever seen, there was no way that any of that had been lost through their time apart.

"Thanks." She said, feeling awkward somehow. She hated feeling like that because she shouldn't feel like that. But that's what the wedge between them was doing, it was changing things. "You don't look too bad yourself…scruffier, maybe," She added, taking notice of his slightly thicker beard that only used to be a five o'clock shadow. "But not bad."

"Do you need a ride to school?" He asked, trying to break the awkwardness that was so incredibly obvious between them. This distance between them, although he initially created it, it hurt him too. He felt little pieces of his heart chipping away when he noticed how different things were in their relationship. Like the fact they hadn't seen each other in months, for starters. That was wrong on so many levels.

"Actually Allison's picking me up in-" They both heard the honk of a horn outside. "Now." She smiled a little.

"I'll, um, just let you go then." He hated saying it despite he knew it didn't actually mean letting her go forever but in a way, he kind of felt like that's what he was saying and it killed him. Derek stepped forward and Scarlett held her breath as he kissed her cheek.

"I'll see you later, Der." Scarlett smiled at him before turning to leave.

"Scarlett?" He called after her.

"Yeah?" She turned.

He wanted to tell her to wait, to stay and to talk to him but he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Have a good day."

"Thank you."

"Ah, freshmen." Lydia sighed, gazing at all the young boys walking into the school. "Tons and tons of fresh men." Scarlett rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

"You mean fresh boys?" Allison pointed out. "Lydia, they're fourteen."

Lydia shrugged. "Some are more mature than others."

"Yeah, the ones who have actually hit puberty." Scarlett added.

"You know it might be good to be single, focus on yourself and become a better person." Allison explained.

"You know, that actually doesn't sound too bad." Scarlett murmured, more to herself than the girls because honestly, she shouldn't have said it. She didn't know if she meant it or not.

Allison gave her a strange look as did Lydia and then Lydia spoke. "Are you still pissed about the British bitch?"

"What British bitch?" Allison asked with a confused look.

"The one Derek was engaged to." Lydia said as if it was obvious.

"What? Derek was engaged?" Allison's eyes went wide as she looked at Scarlett, who just groaned.

"God, please don't bring her up again." Scarlett had told Lydia all about the whole Rosie situation as soon as she got back from New York, leaving out the part about her being attacked. She wasn't ready to tell anyone about that yet. But after telling Lydia about Rosie, she had forgotten all about the whole thing, engagement and attack. But for her to bring it up again was kind of like reopening a wound.

Allison still looked appalled but Lydia put her hands up. "Okay, back to the discussion at hand. I don't want a boyfriend. I," She slammed her hand against the locker, watching a freshmen walk past. "want a distraction." And just as she said that someone, or two someone's for that matter, caught her eye.

Scarlett and Allison peeked their heads out to follow Lydia's gaze. Scarlett could tell why Lydia kept staring. It was hard not to as the two boys walked in looking like the very definition of badass, completed with motorcycle helmets and all.

"Brothers?" Allison speculated.

"Twins." Scarlett and Lydia answered at the same time just as the identical brothers walked by them.

When the bell rang for first period, the three girls headed for English. Scarlett took her usual seat in front of Lydia but someone had already taken the seat beside hers, leaving Allison to take the only empty seat left in the class which just so happened to be right in front of Scott.

"Is anyone sitting here?" She asked politely.

"No, nope it's all yours." Scott answered with a small smile.

Scarlett turned to give Lydia and Stiles, who was sitting right next to Lydia, an awkward look right before every phone in the class started buzzing.

Scarlett's brows furrowed as she unlocked her phone and read a paragraph from and unknown number as everyone else in the class did the same thing.

Scarlett looked up when she heard a voice beginning to say the paragraph out loud. "The offing was barred by a bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the uttermost end of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." The woman speaking was young, for a teacher anyway. She had brown hair and extreme blue eyes. Scarlett's brow raised. This was their new English teacher?

"This is the last line to the first book we will be reading in class. It is also the last text you will be receiving in this class. Phone's off please." The teacher said with a sly smile. Scarlett rolled her eyes and turned her phone off, placing it back in her bag.

The teacher—Miss Blake—as she had introduced herself, began writing the details of Heart of Darkness on the board and everyone began copying them down before the principal walked into class and Miss Blake called on Scott to speak to him outside, gaining Scarlett's attention. She sat up straight and turned to give Lydia and Stiles a look. It was times like those when she almost wished she had super hearing just so she knew what Scott was needed for.

After Scott left, everyone went back to copying down notes.

"Hey Lydia, is that from the accident?" Scarlett heard Stiles whisper behind her, making her turn yet again to see what he was talking about. Her brows furrowed when she saw a large band aid on Lydia's ankle. Lydia had told Scarlett about the night before when a deer had run straight into her windscreen but she didn't think either Lydia or Allison got hurt.

"No," Lydia sighed, looking almost as if she didn't want to say what had caused it. "Prada bit me." Scarlett's brow raised at that. Prada never bit anyone, like, ever.

"Your dog?" Stiles asked, surprised.

"No, my designer handbag." Lydia answered nonchalantly before dumbing it down for Stiles. "Yes, my dog."

"Prada hasn't ever done that before." Scarlett added in.

"Well, what if it's the same thing as the deer?" Stiles queried. "You know, how animals start acting weird right before an earthquake or something?"

"Meaning what?" Lydia asked.

"There's gonna be an earthquake?" Scarlett wondered, incredulously.

"Or something." Stiles shot her a look. "Maybe it means something's coming."

"Something like what?" Scarlett asked.

"Something bad." Stiles confirmed.

"It was a deer and a dog." Lydia clarified, trying to show them that it wasn't that big of a deal. And it was true, sometimes animals just did weird shit and in any other town that kind of thing would be overlooked…but in Beacon Hills, it couldn't be a coincidence. "What's that thing they say about threes? Once, twice-" Before Lydia could finished something hit the window, disturbing the silent classroom and causing Scarlett to jump and the whole class to turn and look as a dead crow slipped down the window, leaving a trail of blood.

Miss Blake walked towards the window curiously and stared out, just like Scarlett, Lydia and Stiles did, as hundreds of crows began flying straight towards the school. No one thought much of it but then another one hit the window and everyone jumped again. And then it happened again and all of a sudden the glass was broken from the force of the birds flying into it. Scarlett yelped as the glass shattered right above her and a shard cut her cheek.

She pressed a hand to her face to stop the bleeding as she felt herself being yanked to the ground by Stiles, who made kind of a shelter over Scarlett and Lydia.

"Get down everyone!" Miss Blake yelled as birds started flying into the class, causing mayhem as people were attacked and screaming.

The chaos continued for another five minutes before everything was silent again. Scarlett stood up along with Lydia and Stiles to find the class wrecked and littered with dead crows and black feathers.

The police and medics showed up not long after to evaluate the damage. Scarlett sat on a desk while a paramedic cleaned her cut and placed a band aid on it, telling her that it didn't go deep enough to need stitches, which she was pleased about. When she was finished she walked over to Stiles.

"Does it hurt?" He asked, gesturing to her wound.

"Surprisingly, no." She told him, taking a seat on another desk beside him until Sheriff Stilinski walked over to Chris Argent, who was tending to Allison's wounds, catching both Scarlett's and Stiles' attention.

"Mr Argent, you wouldn't happen to have any insight into this?" The Sheriff asked, making Scarlett raise a brow at Stiles who shared the same look.

"Me?" Argent asked, full of surprise.

"Yeah," The Sheriff nodded. "It's bizarre animal behaviour. I mean, you must've seen something like this before."

"Not sure why you'd think I would have." Argent played it off with a casual laugh.

"I'm sorry," The Sheriff apologised. "I could've sworn I heard my son talking about how you were an experienced hunter." Scarlett looked wide-eyed at Stiles.

"Oh, right. Well, not anymore." Argent said.

The Sheriff nodded before heading over to Scarlett and Stiles. "You two alright?"

"Peachy." Scarlett said sarcastically.

"Major emergency in Miss Blake's class." Stiles tried to explain on the phone to Scott after school.

"Can we talk about it later?" Scott asked.

"Nope, pretty sure this calls for immediate discussion." Stiles persisted.

"Fine, meet me at Derek's house."

"Derek's house?" Stiles asked, making Scarlett raise a brow as she sat in the front seat of his jeep. "Why are you at Derek's house?"

"Just get here."

Stiles hung up and turned to Scarlett with a sigh. "Guess we're going to Derek's house."

Scarlett walked slowly beside Stiles, not really knowing what to expect from Derek. They hadn't been on such bad terms that morning but still, every meeting was awkward and it shouldn't have been.

Upon walking into the house, the first thing Scarlett noticed was an unconscious Isaac, wearing a hospital gown, laying down on a table.

"What happened to him?" She gestured to Isaac, gaining Derek and Scott's attention. Despite her attempt not to, she caught Derek's eye and had nothing better to do than offer him a small smile.

"He was attacked by a rival pack." Derek explained, clearly not giving the full story.

"So why isn't he healing?" Stiles questioned, walking over to stand by Scott who was sitting down on a box across from Derek.

"He did but not inside. His wound came from an Alpha, so it's not as easy to heal." Derek told them before turning his attention back to Scott and whatever they were talking about before Stiles and Scarlett walked in. "Yeah, I see it, two bands."

Scarlett's brows furrowed as she looked at Scott's arm which was now blank. "What the hell happened to the tattoo?" She asked, going to stand next to Scott to inspect his arm. There was virtually no sign that the tattoo had ever been there.

"It healed." Scott told her.

"Wait, if tattoos heal on you guys then how do you have one, Derek?" Scarlett asked with a raised brow.

"That's what you're all about to find out." He said vaguely. "But first, what does it mean?" Derek asked, referring to Scott's tattoo, or lack thereof.

"I dunno." Scott sighed. "Just something I traced with my fingers." He said as he traced the two bands on the dust covered table.

"Why is it so important to you?" Derek asked. Scarlett knew what her answer would be to that question. Her secret tattoo reminded her of the strength and good she possessed within herself that would, hopefully, lead her to becoming someone great.

"Do you know what the word tattoo means?" Scott asked.

"To mark something." Stiles answered smugly.

"That's in Tahitian. In Samoan, it means 'open wound.' I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned eighteen. I always wanted one. I just decided to get it now as kind of a reward."

"For what?" Derek asked.

"For not calling or texting Allison all summer." Scott looked down, clearly upset. Scarlett knew how hard it had been for Scott. And Allison too. When she was on the phone to Scott in France, Allison would have to leave the room because she was reminded of how much the breakup had hurt Scott and herself. And every day, when the twins spoke on the phone, Scott would confide in Scarlett about how much he missed Allison and how much it pained him not to be able to speak to her and it broke her heart, not only because she felt sorry for her brother but also because it made her think about Derek and how she was free to call him if she wanted to because they were still together but she didn't do it as often as she could have. "I was trying to give her the space she wanted. And it's been four months and it still hurts. It still feels like a, um…"

"An open wound." Scarlett filled in. It was like she could feel her brother's pain but in her own situation. Whatever was going on between her and Derek was definitely like an open wound and she didn't know if it would ever heal.

Scarlett felt Derek's eyes on her and it felt like she was burning up under his sad gaze but she avoided looking at him at all costs.

Derek sighed, picking up the blowtorch next to him. "Pain's gonna be worse than anything you've ever felt." Scarlett eyed the blowtorch, thinking it was a little extreme for a tattoo but then she figured if Scott really wanted it then why not.

"Oh that's great." Stiles said, his voice becoming high-pitched.

"Do it." Scott said finally.

Derek lit the blowtorch and Stiles looked as if he might pass out. "Oh, wow, that's a lot for me…so I'm gonna take that as my queue." He tried to walk out but Derek put out an arm to stop him.

"Oh, no you don't. You're gonna help hold him down. You too, Scar." Derek said. Scarlett sighed but placed her hands on Scott's shoulders, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Oh my God." Stiles squeaked as Derek moved the blowtorch closer to Scott's arm. When it finally touched his arm Scott began screaming and it took all of Stiles and Scarlett's strength to hold him down as he started to shift.

Eventually Scott passed out from the pain and about ten minutes after Derek was done, Scott woke up to see the three of them standing across from him. He took a look at his arm and a smile spread across his face.

"It worked."

As Scott put his shirt back on and headed to the door with Stiles, Scarlett hung back to speak to Derek.

"Uh, thanks for doing that…it means a lot to him." She explained.

"Are we ever gonna talk about this?" Derek asked her seriously.

Scarlett sighed. She didn't know what to say but luckily for her, Scott's voice interrupted their small conversation.

"You painted the door…why'd you paint the door?" Scott asked, his voice low. Scarlett walked to the door to see what Scott was talking about and, sure enough, the outside of the door was painted red.

"Go home Scott." Derek said, his eyes pleading.

"And why only one side?" Scott pondered before his claws came out and he slowly started chipping at the door until he saw black paint under the red, at which point he began clawing furiously at the red paint until it was scraped away enough to reveal a black symbol. "The birds at school and the deer last night, just like the night I got trampled by the deer—when I got bit by the Alpha…how many are there?"

"A pack of them." Derek admitted, earning a look from Scarlett as things started to fall into place for her.

"That's why you got me out of town, isn't it?" She asked. "You knew they were coming."

Derek shook his head. "They were already here."

Scarlett shook her head and scoffed as Stiles spoke up. "Wait, a pack of Alphas? How does that even work?"

"I hear there's some kind of a leader. They call him Deucalion. We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac and I have been looking for them for the last four months." Derek explained.

"You failed to mention that to me." Scarlett said, her blood starting to boil as she realised she was being kept in the dark about so much.

Derek turned on her with an incredulous look. "Well maybe you should've picked up your phone when I called. Or, better yet, maybe you shouldn't have run off to France." His voice was venomous.

Scarlett looked at him, clearly offended at his bitter tone. She bit her cheek, willing herself not to go off on him now, in front of Stiles and Scott.

Ignoring their spat, Scott stepped forward. "So let's say you find them. How do you deal with an Alpha pack?"

"With all the help I can get." Derek admitted, his voice calmer.

"Where is she?" The four turned at the sound of Isaac's voice. "Where's the girl?" His speech was slurred slightly. They all shared a look.

"What girl?" Derek asked.

"This whole summer I have avoided you because I knew you needed space to 'deal' or whatever and this entire time you've been lying to me!" Scarlett shouted, her emotions getting the better of her.

"You left!" Derek retaliated. "You went to a different country without so much as a goodbye! If anyone has to explain themselves, it's you, Scarlett."

"I wouldn't have left if you just told me the truth, Derek!"

Downstairs, Scott and Melissa couldn't help but overhear the quarrel between the couple. Well, maybe it was inappropriate to call it a quarrel when this time, it was actually a full blown fight.

"I was trying to protect you." Derek's voice lowered.

"By avoiding me like the plague?" Scarlett pressed. When Derek didn't answer Scarlett shook her head. "It's time to get over what happened Derek."

"I can't!" He growled back at her. "I should've been there! It should have been me that saved you! In fact, I should have been awake to know you were upset and I should have stopped you from leaving. And I can't forgive myself because what if Rose hadn't been there…"

"But she was and nothing happened."

"But it could have."

"But it didn't!" Scarlett was on the verge of tears. "Please, Derek…you holding on to this idea that you could have prevented what happened is what's driving a wedge between us and it's- it's tearing me apart. I don't know how to live without you but I- I just can't live like this. I thought, maybe if I gave you the time to focus on other things then maybe you would forget about it and we could move on and go back to normal, to how we're supposed to be…to being us. But," Scarlett sucked in a breath. "You're never going to let it go. And the way things are…it's not right."

"What are you saying?" Derek's voice was shaky and she could hear the fear behind his words because he already knew the answer and it made his eyes shine with unshed tears.

Scarlett sniffed, letting the tears fall as she stepped forward, putting a hand on Derek's face and feeling her heart ripping apart as she watched him hold her hand to his face, savouring her touch. "I'm saying that I love you, more than anyone has loved anyone else and it kills me to see you so torn up by what you can't change. And," Her voice cracked. "I want nothing more than to be with you and to have a life with you but I can't do that. Not right now."

"Scarlett, please." Derek begged, trying to keep a brave face despite the tears that rolled from his eyes, giving away how he truly felt. "I'll let it go, I'll forget about the whole thing and we can go back to normal just, don't do this to me. Don't take away the one good thing I have in my life. The one thing that makes it all worth it. Please, don't leave me."

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed, pulling her hand out of his grip.

As her hand left his they both felt it. They felt their worlds shatter as their hearts did.

Reduced to nothing, feeling nothing anymore, Derek left without another word and he ran. He ran as fast as he could to who knows where and when he deemed himself far enough away from where he really wanted to be, he allowed himself to fall to his knees and scream in anguish for he had lost the only light in his life.

Scarlett didn't see him leave but when he was gone she stood breathing heavily and staring out the window before it all hit her again and she was reduced to a sobbing mess on the floor.

Upon hearing the wails, Melissa and Scott both ran to Scarlett's room and cradled her in their loving embrace as her sobs broke their heart.

"It hurts!" She howled. "Please, make it stop, please."

Far off in the distance, another howl could be heard. Different in sound but not in meaning.