Thank you so much for all the encouraging reviews. I was not expecting a response so quickly :D.

xx

SSC

"Thanks again for dinner Mr. Stilinski, it was fun." Meg stated looking to the Sheriff from the threshold of his house, he smiled nodding in acknowledgment.

"First of many, don't be a stranger now." He said in a gentle fatherly chiding.

"I won't." She answered, earnestly. Stiles stepped outside with his jeep keys in his hand just as his father closed the door.

"That was fun. Your dad is just adorable as usual." Meg said merrily gripping at the strap of her bag and looking to Stiles who smiled.

"Yeah,"

"I didn't know about your mom Stiles, I was pretty shocked about that, even worse that I wasn't there." She said abruptly surprising Stiles; he shifted uncomfortably and rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Its fine, it's not like I knew about your dad until I Googled it" Meg shrugged and gave him a hapless smile, no blame towards him in her eyes.

"Yeah but it just makes me feel worse about losing touch with you and Scott— a lot has changed since we were kids huh?"

"That's how change works, it's not usually for the best but on occasion it is."

"I'd say I am more than happy to be back here, some where I finally belong."

"With Derek and his minions," Stiles pondered and Meg laughed softly as they walked to his jeep parked in front of the house, their shoes sank into wet grass of his yard.

"I was talking about you and Scott, but yeah I guess them too." Stiles opened his mouth to say a few more words when something caught his eye making his immediately tense up.

"Speaking of, isn't that his car?" Meg followed his gaze, her amber eyes ample. Sure enough Stiles was correct, Derek's black Chevy was parked on the opposite of the road with its owner in it.

"Hey it is. How did he know when to be here?" She pondered utterly mystified.

"He does that, it is part of his creepy werewolf gimmick." Stiles stated making her chuckle.

"I guess that means I have to catch a ride with him, aw I really wanted to go in your Jeep too." Meg pouted truly disappointed and glanced at his blue jeep, truly disappointed.

"That crappy old thing..?" Stiles muttered nudging his thumb in the direction of his mode of transportation. He found it odd to why she would prefer his vehicle over Derek's Chevy.

"Pfft I don't think so. I always had a thing for four-wheels." Meg stated with thrust of her chin like she was stating a fact, Stiles couldn't help but smile at her good nature.

"Maybe after school we could go for a ride," He suggested gracing a smile from her that made her eyes gleam in excitement.

"I am going to take you up on that offer, wait what are you going tell your dad?"

"I guess I'll have to drive around till it's the appropriate time to return, just to avoid suspicions."

"Sorry about that, well good night and see you in school." Stiles was surprised when Meg suddenly launched at him, hugging him tightly with her arms over his shoulders, Stiles stood immobilized for a second before patting her back.

"I'll be seeing you too." He mumbled as they pulled apart and Meg smiled once more before happily making her way towards Derek's car.

"Hey, how did you know when to pick me up?" She inquired while getting in the car, Derek looked up at her.

"I didn't," He stated sternly, Meg blinked thoughtfully, taking in the sight of his tired expression.

"Were you parked out here the entire time?"

"How else were you going to get back? I don't want Stiles knowing where we are." Derek snapped Meg shrugged bringing her back on to her lap.

"Right…well thanks anyway –oh and this is for you," Derek watched as she began fishing through her bag before pulling out a white plastic bag that said Yang's Take Out on the side.

"What is it?" Derek asked with an arch of his dark brows, watching her carefully, Meg looked to the bag.

"Food, I figured you must be hungry, Mr. Stilinski had bought an extra portion of noodles, I wasn't sure if you liked Chinese or if you had dinner but—"

"Thank you," Meg was taken aback by the authentic gratitude in his tone. She looked to him to find Derek staring at her with those grey eyes, and there was disbelief in his eyes like he didn't expect to be in her thoughts.

"You're welcome," she said with her infamous smile. Derek held her gaze for a moment before turning to face the windshield and turning the key, revving the car to life. There was a silence that lasted for a moment as Derek drove through the street between many houses, Meg sighed abruptly and relaxed on the leather interior of his car.

"Man I am beat and I have a test tomorrow, maybe Mr. Harris will go easy on me considering I am the new student but that's just wishful thinking."She grumbled earning a glance from Derek but he gave no verbal acknowledgment and just stared at the asphalt as he drove.

"Hey was Mr. Harris your teacher when you went to school?" Her question coaxed a grin full of mockery from him.

He regarded her expectantly with a sardonic lift of his brow "How would you know if I went to Beacon High?"

"Well I know you lived here, I met you once when we were kids." This shocked Derek almost missing an appropriate turn.

"What, when?" He asked anticipating her answer.

"Well it wasn't a meeting but more of a accident, I was riding my tricycle and you were running past me and I wasn't looking where I was going and we crashed into each other. I was expecting you to beat me up but you just got up, helped me up and then ran off." Meg stated tapping her chin in thought, Derek's eyes widened in revelation looking to her Meg in pure astonishment.

"That was you? I thought that was a boy." She stared with a flat look as he smirked tauntingly.

"Yeah I got that a lot. I remember how scrawny you were back then" She added her gaze far, reminiscing. Derek recalled a memory of his own and contemplated whether or not to reveal it, but against his better nature he did.

"I've met your dad before."

"You have?" She breathed curious and startled at the same time, he nodded.

"It was brief, I was in the store and my mom had asked me to buy her something and I was hoping to buy a packet of Milk Duds with the left over cash,"

"Mm Milk Duds they don't sell them here anymore, do they?

"Yeah, those bastards." Meg laughed softly at the dark look that shadowed his eyes from the mere thought of the lack of Milk Duds in stores. Derek's features softened at the sound of her chiming laughter. He cleared his throat to resume the tale.

"Anyway I get to the cashier and turns out I didn't have enough cash so I told the guy to charge me just for what my mom wanted but then your dad—he was standing right behind me—I guess he saw how badly I wanted them and bought it for me." He remembered Mr. Day's face it was vague but he recalled a pair of round spectacles and a head of curly light brown hair, the only feature he had in common with Meg where his large amber eyes. He looked to Meg to find her staring out at the road with a soft tender look in her eyes and a hapless smile.

"That's sounds like my dad, he was never able to deny kids candy." She mused fondly at the thought of her deceased parents; Derek fell silent as Meg sank deeper into the seat, her head resting gently on the shoulder of the seat staring out her window.

"I miss him," She said faintly and Derek felt his heart clench again at the memory of his own family, understanding her pain and misery. But he couldn't offer any words so stillness fell over them as he began to ponder what happened to her mother.

A few minutes later Derek was parking in front of the empty warehouse, he pulled up at the brake and mid taking off his belt he looked to Meg who was curled up in the seat a sleep.

"Meg get up we are here" His order startled her awake.

"Yup I am up I am up!" She exclaimed groggily, Derek smiled pleased with himself and got out of the car and shut the door and stood waiting for her to follow, he dead panned at the lack of a response and stomped over to the other side of the car, he yanked open the door.

"Me-" Derek found himself robbed of a voice at the sight of Meg's serene face, her full lips were parted. Her dark lashes fanning over her tan cheeks and her chest gently rising and falling. Derek grimaced at the effect her sleeping form had on him. Completely weakening the hard exterior he had built for himself. Rolling his grey eyes he reached down and plucked her bag off her lap and fixed the strap over his shoulder. Then he gently tucked one arm under her bent knees and the other under her shoulders, draping her body over his strong arms and pulling her out of the car. He nudged the door shut with his side and made his way to the rusted steel gate.

All the while Meg was in his arm still and slumbering, he couldn't stop himself from looking down at her, so perfectly comfortable in his hold. It caused a stirring of some deep emotion that Derek was sure was lost in his search for revenge and the hard lessons the world had taught him. Derek descended the steps and walked in the direction of Meg's bed. He gently laid her down on it and sat on the edge of the bed, stilling her leg under his grip he began to remove her trainers by the heel, then he stood up and draped the blanket over her form before taking a step back as if admiring his work.

But then a smile curved the corners of her lips which made Derek wonder if she was sleeping at all, rolling his eyes and fighting back the smirk that strengthened to show Derek turned away and headed to the train he slept in.