Authors Note:

This chapter took a while to write. I just swapped over computers the past weekend (early 18th b'day prezzie) and I was already having trouble getting this chapter right beforehand. The Venators get to meet Derek's pack now. I need to also know how you would all feel if I went slightly more AU and didn't kill Erica off come season 3? It's just been a thought on the back of my mind and I wanted to know how it'd play out in your opinions. Otherwise the plan is very much the same... and of course, everything is planned!

Chapter Twelve: Shabby Chic

"What was that?" Avery turned to her brother in shock. Sam shrugged and pulled the other strap of his backpack onto his left shoulder.

"Don't shrug me." she shouted, as Sam began to walk away from the house. Avery was chasing after him, putting the weapons back inside her bag.

"He offered to help us, so I said yes." Sam said simply, Avery scoffed.

"And what if he's lying. What if we've just been set up?"

"Then we've been set up." Sam paused and looked back at his huffing sister, "I don't see what you're so mad about."

"WHAT?" Avery screamed and threw her bag to the ground in anger, "You don't see why? Sam, we haven't seen him in ten years! His pack attacked me last time we were in town and you almost killed him. You think he's just going to forget all that bad blood behind us. That he's just your loving best friend who'd do anything in the world to stand by your side. Wake up call Sam! He's not."

"You were ten!" Sam shouted back, "What do you remember about anything that happened. You weren't there when I found out what he was. You didn't see the fight that went down. He was. He knows exactly how I stand on our 'friendship'."

"So you do admit you still think of him as a friend."

"Yeah and what of it? In case you couldn't already tell, I've never had a lot of friends. Derek was the only proper one I've ever had. He may not have said it out loud, but he understands our situation. Running from hunters, fearing for your life and wishing someone would just give you a break and lend a helping hand."

"You have that much faith in him?" Avery tilted her head, interested in what Sam had to say.

"Yeah. I do." Sam reached up to rub the back of his neck, "So you'll be civil?"

"As long as he is." Avery nodded, giving off a small smile to satisfy her brother. Inside she was still very peed off, but she did well not to show it.

xxxx

They had walked through the cover of the forest to reach the old railroad depot. Avery had already been out in public more than she liked today and didn't plan to walk along the main road for every man and his dog to see. Sam led the way, Avery had no clue where this secret boys hideout was. Sam had done some more explaining about Derek and himself. Avery didn't know the full story, like she had thought. There had been a deep secret Sam had hidden for years.

Under the cover of night, the two boys met. Sam had called Derek straight after the attack on his sister, infuriated. Hidden under his clothes were masses of weapons. Guns, knives, light bombs. If Derek tried anything funny he would be well prepared. They stood across from one another in the pine forest and eyed each other off. Sam could see in the shadows that all of Derek's injuries had disappeared.

"I thought we had a deal." Sam stepped forward, fuming at his ex-best friend.

"As far as I'm aware, it still stands." Derek shifted his head in confusion.

"Which members of your pack did you stick on my sister?" Sam shouted.

"What?" Derek's confusion was now evident in his voice.

"I come home to find my mother cradling my bleeding sister, who then tells me that she had to fight of three wolves that broke into our home." Sam reached into his pocket to pull something out, "Then I find this note." Derek moved to meet Sam and took the note from his hand.

"I didn't ask any of them to do this." Derek was shaking his head, handing the letter back after reading it.

"Then who did?" Sam dropped his aggressive tone, but still sounded wary.

"Peter..." Derek said as his jaw locked, "He said something cryptic to me the other day. About wolves not taking shit from hunters anymore."

"Your uncle?" Sam said shocked. Peter was only three years old than them, but had always been sketchy. Sam had never guessed that this could have been attributed to the fact that he was a wolf.

"Yeah." Derek started to pace back and forth, angry at what had happened to Sam's little sister.

"Is he the only one in your family to have the, you know... bite?" Sam lowered his voice. Derek met his gaze, cussing in his head for not being more careful. He had stopped thinking for one second and now he could have put Peter's life in danger.

"You're not going to kill him, are you?" Derek snapped quickly. Sam shook his head.

"As much as I hate him right now, we had a deal. My family has gone after Ennis, he's the priority. He's the one who killed Paige."

"Thanks." Derek mumbled.

"I don't want to kill anyone in your pack Derek." Sam walked closer and rested his hand on his friends shoulder. Derek sighed and nodded.

"No one in my family was bitten." Derek responded, "It's a generational thing."

"Wait... so you pack is your literal family?" Sam was shocked, Derek nodded again, "That explains why they were so irrational to attack my sister."

"Is Avery going to be alright?" Derek asked, his face was riddled with concern.

"Besides some mental trauma, she's going to live."

"I'm so sorry. If I had have known what Peter was planning I never woul—," Derek was trying to apologize on his families behalf.

"It's not your fault." Sam hushed him, "I didn't think you'd be to blame anyway."

"Then why did you call me?"

"To be honest," Sam let out a small huff of laughter, "I just really wanted an excuse to see you again."

"That's funny." Derek joined in the laughter, "I was hoping the same thing."

"Who would have ever thought it possible? A wolf and a hunter. Friends." Sam leant back on a tree trunk.

"We're not defined by what we are Sam. It's who we are that makes us friends." Derek spurted out some wise crap, imitating their Chinese science teacher. They both laughed again, in longing of the past. Once they had stopped, an eerie silence of the woods took over. Sam looked over at Derek, seriousness taking over his expression.

"We're leaving now." Sam said softly. Derek wasn't surprised, "Mum doesn't want Avery or I involved in this wolf business until we're older and smarter."

"And I'm guessing Peter's warning helped push her over the edge." Derek asked sarcastically. Sam groaned, getting back to his feet.

"I better be off." Sam had started to walk away, "I'll try and stay in touch as best I can."

"I won't hold it against you if you don't." Derek said once Sam was almost out of hearing range. Sam didn't respond and left his wolf confidant alone. But he had heard, he just wasn't sure how to respond.

Avery and Sam had reached the entrance to the front of the abandoned depot, after their long talk. Now neither of them felt it was their turn to say anything. Uncertainty was so near. Once they went down the stairs to the subway, things were going to change. For better or for worse.

Their footsteps echoed as they touched the metal steps. You didn't need to be a wolf to know that someone was coming. Avery walked first with Sam trailing, both carrying full backpacks. When they reached the bottom step they were able to survey their new 'home'. It was large and spacious, one lone subway cart sat in the middle of it all. It smelt of rust and perspiration. Dust lined the walls and floors. You'd think for a hideout for wolves they'd find a place easier on the nose. Derek had said that he had a few others here than himself, but they never expected it to be a full pack. When three teenagers came waltzing out of the cart, they had no clue that they should have been expecting guests.

"Where's Derek?" Avery whispered to her brother, as the three moved forward more menacingly.

"Out." The blonde haired female retorted. Avery really needed to stop whispering in front of wolves, it made no difference.

"What do you want?" the tall black one asked.

"Your Alpha… he said we could stay here for a while, to get away from some hunters." Sam brushed past his sister and stood in front of her defensively in case any of them tried to make a move.

"You don't smell like wolves." The black one spoke again, "So I'm gonna ask you again. What do you want?"

"Really. That's the truth. Just a place to stay." Avery said, starting to reach inside her bag for her hand gun. It should be noted she was never one for subtlety, despite how much she would protest. The wolves' eyes all shot at her the moment she pried at the zipper. Then a roar came from deep inside them as they lunged forward to attack and defend their home. The black one threw Sam aside with ease and went after him with the other male beta. The female grabbed Avery by the collar and threw her to the floor, claws and teeth bared. She would have ripped Avery's throat out, had it not been for a reciprocal growl that came from the entrance to the place. It was Derek.

With one quick movement, similar to what he had done at the Hale house, he jumped down the stairs and shifted in the process. He reached down to tear away the blonde, his other wolves getting the message. They quickly let go of Sam who they had been in the process of beating up. Derek didn't scold them though, he only held out a hand to Avery which she cautiously took. With a yank, he had pulled her to her feet. She stepped away from him, embarrassed he had to save her, brushing off her now dusty clothes.

"These are our new guests." Derek announced.

"We're sorry…" a timid beta stepped forward, "We didn't know who they were. They smelled of hunter."

"They are." Derek said outright. The beta's all flinched, "Ex-hunters."

"How do you become an ex-hunter?" the blonde girl moved to the timid beta's side. She was not buying this story.

"Avery, would you do the honours of showing them." He gestured widely with his arm. She nodded and then looked over at Sam. Before all of their eyes, Sam began to change. His skin grew spotted fur, his teeth elongated, his nails grew sharp and a long tail flicked behind. As fast as he had shifted, Avery turned him back.

"Oh…" the girl chuckled, "That would explain it."

"Avery, Sam. This is Erica, Isaac and Boyd." Derek gave brief introductions, pointing to the corresponding members of his pack.

"You and your pack have very similar ways of greeting strangers." Avery chuckled slightly, "That's twice in one day you've almost managed to kill me."

"You just have poor timing." Derek responded, leaving her side and making his way to Boyd's side, "I'd give you two a tour, but there's not much to see. I'm about to start training them so you can sit back and watch."

"How 'bout I help you. I'm sure they could use some experience fighting off a seasoned hunter." Sam offered. Derek nodded as he, Isaac and Boyd moved down the end of the station. Sam trailed behind. Erica seemed disinterested in what Derek had to say though. She pouted and sneakily moved to Avery's side.

"So. What the hell is he?" she directed at Avery, leaning against a post.

"Sam?" Avery questioned, looking up at her brother who had started to talk with Derek.

"Yeah… he's like a giant cat."

"Jaguar actually." Avery corrected, "Were-jaguar, otherwise known as a—."

"Kanima." Erica scoffed with delight. Her brain was starting to tick over with thoughts of their own situation, "Derek didn't tell you our current situation, did he?"

"Ah… he just said you were hiding from hunters too." Avery sounded concerned. Erica made her worry.

"Yeah. Hunters." Erica nodded, although anyone could tell she was thinking otherwise. In fact she was thinking about the other Kanima problem they were having in Beacon Hills now, with a certain pig-headed jock. Only the other night they had staked out Scott McCall's house thinking that Lydia had in fact been a lizard version of the Kanima. Only instead Lydia's ex-boyfriend, Jackson, had been the culprit. She was sure that Sam and Avery's refuge had been no coincidence. Derek was a planner, he had always been. Admittedly his plans weren't always the best, but most of the time they worked. They still had to track down Jackson's master, but things were coming to a close. Their mystery was becoming clearer. Erica had reason to believe that Derek had hoped to use their new guests in a ploy against the other Kanima in town.

"So!" Erica perked up, "With you here, it's not a massive sausage-fest anymore. It's good to have another girl on the side."

"I'm afraid I won't be much use. I've given up my hunting days." Avery shrugged. Erica's eyes narrowed, as she lunged into action. She wanted to test to see how agile Avery really was and not take some 'modest' cold shoulder. Erica's hands went to close around Avery's neck when her victim caught them, bent them down awkwardly making a loud snapping noise. Erica yelped in pain as Avery twisted them behind Erica and pinned her to the pole she had been leaning on. The boys had turned around to look at the girls, after hearing Erica. Avery went red at them and let go.

"Sorry." She backed away, "Force of habit."

"It's okay." Erica winced, pulling her arms close to her chest and waiting for them to heal. The ex-hunter had just snapped the joints of her elbow apart with one movement. Given up hunting her ass.

"You're sister is a piece of work." Derek chortled to Sam on the other side of room.

"I'm not sure where she gets it from." Sam smirked back. He was surprised at how relaxed Derek was, he was feeling a little bit on edge. He knew that his friendship with Derek couldn't just go back to being how it was. It had been ten years! Sam was an entirely different person, but yet at the core he still felt the same.

It had been no surprise why Sam had found it easy to accept what Ilena had been. He knew from past experiences that rejecting people over what they were didn't benefit him. So he fought the 'bad guys'. He killed the wolves that had killed his own, but he had always had his conscience nagging him. Was he really doing the right thing. Standing amongst Derek and his pack, made him feel a great deal of guilt at the bottom of his stomach. Like someone had punched him hard a long time ago, but he had never recovered. There was a similar feeling where his heart was, although that was a sharp throbbing. Every time he took a step, took a breath it stung. He knew what it was and yet he refused to complain about it. He could speak about the heartbreak he was suffering. He couldn't tell his sister how much he wished everything would just end. He had thought about just killing himself the other night. While she slept he could have disappeared from the Hale house, down to the moors and ended his life. It would be quick and simple. She'd probably never find his body either. He could leave Avery a nice note so she could have closure and go on with her life. As great as that option sounded in his head, he couldn't allow himself to put Avery through what he was feeling. So he put on a brave face. He joked with Derek and pretended that he was over Ilena to Avery. But deep inside he knew things might not ever get better.

"Anyway." Derek addressed his young wolves, "The fun's over. Time to get to work."

Indeed there was work to be done. But for one moment, while the supernatural misfits stood together, things seemed relaxed.