In the McCall household, the nocturnal hush was a familiar companion, a comforting blanket of serenity that wrapped around the aging timber walls. The soft whispers of the wind rustling through the nearby trees were the only sounds punctuating the quietude, harmonizing with the rhythmic ticking of an antique clock. Nestled within this tranquility was Melissa McCall, her heart humming with a sense of contentment that only a mother reunited with her daughter could understand. As she lay in her bed, bathed in the mellow moonlight filtering through her window, Melissa's mind was free from worry. She reveled in the rare moment of peace in their otherwise tumultuous lives, oblivious to the possibility that something could disrupt this calm. Each tick of the clock was a testament to her family's unity - a precious gift she knew too well could be fleeting.

The McCall siblings were nowhere near at peace like their mom. Scott McCall wasn't even home. The things Derek showed him just a night ago were burned into his head, enough for him to grant just a slither of trust that he could lend to Derek.

When Derek asked him to snoop with him around an active crime scene where the Alpha had just been seen- he reluctantly decided to do it. Scott needed some clarity on the situation himself.

That left Lucy McCall all alone in her room, pacing and nervous as she thought of all the answers she would have to give at her interview the next day. Literally everytime she tried to convince herself she wouldn't have to worry about anything- her anxiety got the best of her in a matter of seconds.

As she stood in her half empty room, Lucy left out a long sigh and manuevered her way to the mirror that hung from the wall. Sometimes seeing her face was the only way she felt grounded within herself. She would definitely be more at ease when she had the opportunity to look less disheveled. Maybe if she straightened her hair and did her makeup she'd feel better?

"No," Lucy said aloud to herself as she thought over the idea. Instead she raked her fingers through her black locks and rubbed her eyes, pulling her face back so her skin felt tight and somewhat alive. Another short breath escaped her nose as she wondered when the feeling that this was all a dream would pass.

The next morning, as Lucy looked in the same mirror, the house was opposite of how it had felt just the night before. The sounds of Melissa rushing to get her things together before work filled the space of the halls and all of downstairs while Scott getting ready for school did the same for upstairs.

The teenage boy poked his head into this sister's open door frame and gave her a once over. She was applying heavy makeup over the fading marks on her face and looked focused while doing it, too. Even in such a sobering moment, Scott was smiling as he was transported back to before all the drama plagued the siblings' lives. Back when he would try his hardest to get in this room and observe what teenagers really did. He did know for a fact that his sister was not running from werwolf hunters and solving murders back then- thats for sure!

Just to get his mind off the topic, Scott greeted the girl, "Good morning, Lucy!"

She broke out of her trance of observing her face and snapped her head to face Scott. "Morning. Are you always this cheerful?"

Scott laughed and gave her a smile. "No, I'm just proud of you right now."

He walked further into the room and sat behind his sister on her bed. Now that he could see them both in the mirror it was hard not to notice how much they looked alike, right down to the big crooked noses they both had. Despite the age difference, they might as well be some type of fraternal twin.

"Proud of me for moving back in with my mom, getting a job at my old high school, and forgetting everything I had been building for myself in the city?" Her response was thick with sarcasm.

Scott thought carefully before he would respond. He said, "I'm proud of you for doing what is best for you. Your health."

Lucy continued to apply her makeup without saying a word. She was at a loss for words after what Scott had just said. The thought of almost dying, not for the first time, made her feel embarrassed and scared. It was something she tried not to think about when she was alone, but now with Scott, it felt even more shameful. She had taken this job to make it harder for herself to go back, but deep down, she still feared that she would end up right where she started

"Yeah, well I'm proud of you. You're doing better than I was in high school, thats for sure." She gave him a geniuine smile as she thought of how successful his high school life was compared to hers. She was by no means popular or into sports during her run at Beacon Hills High.

Scott looked off into space as the reality of everything he was really facing hit him. He couldn't eveen tell his older sister anything either. "I already told you- it's not that simple."

"Trust me, life is never as simple as you want it to be."

Lucy's own words echoed in her head as she stood in the administrative office of her old high school, waiting patiently for the documents relating to her employment to be returned to her. Her interview had gone really smoothly- and the fact that just a few years ago she was a shining example of a good student definitely was helping.

Lucy glanced around the empty waiting room. Well, it's not like she had any competition for the position, anyways. She snorted to herself at the realization that she was nervous for no reason the whole morning. Anxiety was such a bitch.

Moments later the principal walked out of the office with a smile on his face. Lucy stood and they exchanged her paperwork.

"Well, Ms. McCall, I hope to be in contact with you before the end of the school day." He spoke firmly which gave Lucy some confidence.

With a confident stride, he approached Lucy and extended his hand. As their palms met, she felt a sudden shift in her posture - from slouched to upright, as if his energy had traveled through their connection. A reassuring smile spread across his face and Lucy couldn't help but mirror it. As they left the main office, she felt a sense of calm wash over her - moments like this were what kept her from falling back into old habits. It was like he had injected her with a dose of positivity and strength, and she walked away with a renewed sense of purpose and determination.

In the high school hallways, she looked around at the teenagers happily passing by her. Lucy wasn't exactly sure if she would find a true sense of pride in her work here if she got hired- but she had to take small steps before she got to truly, truly finding her path here for now.

Lucy looked down at her stomach as it made a gnarly rumbling sound. At least she had somewhere to go after this instead of straight home to wait for a phone call. There were a lot of good spots in Beacon Hills for a big breakfast that she definitely remembered. Another growl came just from the thought of a big platter of pancakes, eggs, bacon, the whole shabam.

In the past years, she had never been one to celebrate with food. Perhaps it was the newfound sense of freedom that allowed her to indulge in normal girl activities.

As Lucy turned the corner to leave the school building, she coincidentally encountered another adult who should not have been there. Derek Hale had just wrapped up a not-so-pleasant meeting with Jackson Whitmore.

Derek was relentless on his hunt for revenge and not finding any leads was pissing him off even more for every dead end. He knew the Alpha was the person who murdered the man in the video store last night. It seemed so random- but then why leave the teenage witnesses there with not one scratch? That's why he had to question that idiot.

The all-consuming desire for vengeance pulsed through his veins. The image of his older sister, Laura, came flooding back to him - her once beautiful face now a gruesome mess of mangled flesh and bone. The memory was seared into his mind like a branding iron, fueling his anger and determination. He clenched his fists, imagining the satisfying feeling of pummeling that smug asshole Jackson in the locker room back at school. But he couldn't do that - not yet. He needed to get out of there first, to plan and prepare for the ultimate retribution he would extract upon the one responsible for his sister's death. With gritted teeth and a burning fire in his heart, he made his escape from the school grounds.

That little spoiled rich kid was always in the way of everything and Derek knew the problem he was posing for Scott was 100% going to bite Derek in the ass.

Derek paused in the hallway as it began to clear out more and more.

The atmosphere of the school was suffocating, filling him with a deep sense of anger every time he stepped through its doors. With a scowl on his face, the loner stormed towards the exit, eager to escape in his sleek camaro and take a leisurely drive through the winding mountain roads. Perhaps he could release some of his pent-up frustration with a workout session at the end. As he approached the exit, he noticed a petite figure walking in front of him. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, hiding her figure from behind, but he could tell she was small and delicate. A contrast to his own muscular and towering frame.

Derek assumed it was just a teenager playing hookie as he approached the door. He wasn't particularly fond of kids. As he neared the girl, she opened the door and quickly glanced over her shoulder before looking down at the ground. Derek recognized her as Lucy McCall. She held the door open for him as he walked out, but kept her eyes downcast in a polite gesture.

Despite her downcast gaze, the girl caught his attention and he couldn't look away. Her face was adorned with carefully applied makeup, accentuating her best features. In her snug clothes, he noticed how petite and delicate she appeared. She was undeniably stunning - enough to leave Derek momentarily speechless as he walked past her. He quickly regained his composure and held the door for her with a muttered "thanks." The sunlight that filtered through the glass doors illuminated her soft features, making her appear even more angelic than before. She had an air of grace and beauty that drew everyone's eyes towards her, including Derek's. As she gracefully walked through the door, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sight of her

Lucy felt sheepish underneath his tall and brooding stature, and quickly pushed past him. She gave her own quick, "thank you."

She remembered him from the night before- a face like that was hard to forget. She remembered offending him for calling him a drug addict but now in the full sunlight where he looked strong and handsome- but definitely menacing- she wouldn't mistake him for that again.

The thought of it made her spill out, "Stiles' cousin, right? You look much better today…"

They both began to walk down the steps to the parking lot- and it looked like they were parked in the same direction. Usually a conversation like this would be annoying to Derek but he found himself actually responding with a hint of enthusiasm. "Good to know."

The scene from their first meeting also replayed in Derek's mind. The way he had scared her made him nauseous once again. He said, "You as well."

Lucy made a perplexed face. She chuckled out, "What's that mean?"

Did Derek say something wrong? There was no way he had completely forgotten how to speak to women… He shook his head. "Nothing."

Lucy shook her head, trying to find the right words. She had never been one to talk to men, aside from her ex-boyfriend, so she and the man were in a similar situation without even knowing it. "No, it's fine," she finally said, "I'm not offended or anything…I'm just in a better mood, today."

Derek gave a short nod but kept his eyes trained on his car. It was parked right next to the sedan he had seen the girl get into last night. She had a beefy wide body Dodge Charger- all white with tinted windows and it was only a year or two old. Quite a parallel to the small, sleek blackness of his car. He couldn't imagine this girl driving that kind of speedster at all.

"That's your car?" He felt no shame asking her the question.

There was a half smile on her face and she found a spot in front of the vehicle where she stared at it with a distant look in her brown eyes. "It was a graduation gift for college. My ex he… got it in my name and made payments for it for every semester I finished until I graduated."

Derek couldn't even hide his wide eyed expression. She left a life like that for Beacon Hills. He couldn't imagine doing that kind of thing for a girl. That was a lot of love.

Lucy noticed his expression and laughed. The story was nice, but really she only had this car because her ex needed her to ditch the crap honda she was driving so she could match him. He did that with a lot of aspects in her life and it was one of the very reasons she fell head over heels for him in the first place. If only she realized back then that things like that were too good to be true.

"I don't like- drive it in sport or anything. It had to grow on me," Lucy spoke again honestly. She noticed the black Camaro next to her that Derek was standing in front of. "Is that yours?"

With a straight face he answered, "Yeah."

"I see I've got some competition," she said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood of his sour expression. But it seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever. He was a straightforward kind of guy, Lucy assumed. She wasn't usually one to pry, but he had an aloofness that was intriguing. It made her wonder, but maybe that was just the allure of this tall, dark and mysterious man that affected all women.

"Pretty sure I got you beat," Derek responded matter of factly. Lucy was trying hard not to give him a type but it was just in her head that he was mean and clearly liked cars. It reminded her of someone she did not want to remember.

The thought made her clear her throat, making Derek finally look at her in her eye. He had been staring into space, letting the conversation preoccupy him physically but he was somewhere else mentally.

Lucy definitely noticed the aloof look in his eyes, and in a weird, impulsive outburst she teased, "you can always race me to the diner downtown. Loser pays."

He couldn't control his facial expression; wide eyed and brows raised to his hairline. He was actually at a loss for words- and so he said the first thing that came to his head, "Are you asking me out?"

A hot flush of embarrassment flooded Lucy's cheeks, her face turning a deep shade of scarlet. Her head swam with a mix of potential outcomes and repercussions, causing her stomach to churn and twist with a sickening sensation. She felt as though she were standing on the edge of a precipice, unsure if she should take the leap or turn back. The weight of the moment settled heavily on her shoulders, making it hard to breathe

"I wouldn't call it a date- I mean I just didn't want to eat alone. But I'm not hungry anymore, actually." She paused, grabbing at her head as it felt like it was spinning.

Derek noticed her discomfort immediately. He tuned in on the sound of her heart with his werewolf hearing and focused on the abnormal way it was pounding. He was more than confused by her sudden change of demeanor, it was actually worrysome.

Derek wasn't heartless, but he also had no idea what to do for Lucy. He assumed she was having some type of anxiety or panic attack and he didn't know if his own words were the cause or something completely different.

"Do you need to sit?" It was the best he could come up with.

"Yeah I'm just gonna go.." she trailed off and rushed to her car, slamming the door behind her but not starting it immediately.

Derek got into his own car, completely puzzled at what just happened. He stopped and zeroed in on the noise coming from her car. Lucy was hyperventilating and mumbling to herself. Derek made out her whispering, "you're okay, you're alone, no-one and nothing is gonna do anything to you."

To say it peaked Derek's interest was an understatement.

Going home, taking a bath and then a long nap was all Lucy needed to clear her head from the toxic thoughts she was letting pollute her mind. Obviously, she needed time. She understood that. But she needed healing.

The first step to her healing was making a large dinner of pasta, salad, and breadsticks. Cooking was one the things her grandma forced her to learn and being forced to be in the gym and eating plain 'healthy foods' to appease her ex, made her feel like she was going to forget one of the first skills she learned.

So she made use of the always empty kitchen and stood over the kitchen serving three separate plates of dinner and adding the finishing touches on each plate.

All she really had to do was wait for her family to come home. She took a quick peek out the window and noticed it was actually pretty late. It was so odd for Lucy because she hadn't learned anything about her brother or mom's schedule but was trying to work her way into their lives. Here she was overthinking about things that didn't matter.

With dinner done, Lucy set the plates at the table and began to look over the kitchen for her phone. On the microwave, on top of the fridge, in the cabinets, on the table- it wasn't anywhere. Why was her day so easy this morning just to dwindle down into this mess?

The bzzt, bzzzt sound of her phone vibrating made her stop in her tracks and listen. She always kept her phone on do not disturb so for it to be buzzing meant someone had to be texting her over and over again. It sent a chill up her spine.

Regardless it did mean something had to be wrong. The vibrating did not stop, and Lucy was able to put her ear to the fridge and realized her phone was literally in the refridgerator. She had to roll her eyes at herself for that one.

With a giggle, she pulled open the fridge door and quickly grabbed her chilled phone. As soon as she typed in her password- her smile faded in an instant.

Text after text after text all from different numbers but Lucy knew exactly who this was. As if her earlier anxiety attack wasn't enough-

A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she staggered back against the wall. Her heart raced beneath her trembling hand as she struggled to steady her breaths and held onto consciousness

Then, from the living room, the sound of the door lock clicking and twisting as if someone was trying to get in was suddenly the only thing in her ears.

Did he find her? How? Would he be able to get in? Of course. Should she hide? What was he going to do to her when he found her?

The questions raced through her mind, each one more terrifying than the last. Would he find her? How? She could already hear him coming closer, his footsteps heavy and determined. Panic gripped her as she frantically searched for somewhere to hide. But would it even matter? He always found her. And when he did, what horrors awaited her at his hands? The thought made her tremble with fear and she prayed desperately for a miracle to save her from this monster.

Lucy stood frozen in shock as she waited for the door to open. The thoughts running through her head was enough to make her start crying.

On the other side of the Mccall front door, the person trying to get inside was fumbling with the bags they were struggling to carry. They were insistent to get inside out of the cool night and also they were in a rush for the plans they had later.

They finally got the door open and swung it open with their feet so that they could easily bring their things inside. The door being pushed open so forcefully earned a scream from the girl kneeling on the ground, her head covered with her arms.

"Lucy!"

Lucy looked up and shouted in fear before she realized it was just her mother coming for her. Melissa grabbed onto her shaking eldest child in complete shock at what she was seeing.

"What is wrong with you? What is happening?"

Lucy's tears began to flow as she curled up next to her mom. She was overwhelmed with emotions, and deep down, she knew that constantly carrying this sense of dread and fear was not good for her mental well-being.

"Mom," She whimpered, " I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry for lying and now I dont even know what to say."

To say Melissa was confused was an understatement. She had never in maybe ten years seen any of her kids sob like they were babies again. The pangs she felt in her heart were definitely clouding her train of thought but she knew she had to get Lucy off of the floor maybe into bed where she could calm down.

"Okay, come on." Melissa huffed and pulled her child off of the floor and Lucy followed her mom up the large grand stairs in the front of their house- her phone left on the floor still going off.

In her bed, Lucy was definitely more calm but still shaken up by what had just transpired. It felt good to have her mom tucking her into bed- back at her place her cries and anxiety attacks were met with more reasons for her to cry.

"Listen, I will be back later- I have to get to Scott's parent teacher conference." Melissa said in a rushed tone, getting up from comforting Lucy and moving towards the exit.

"But mom…" she started, earning a look from Melissa that wasn't so much annoyance but just made Lucy feel like she wasn't going to be heard anyways. "We'll talk later."

As Melissa turned off the light and left for her plans, Lucy couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment towards her mother. She was always so easily dismissed, just like her feelings. It was the reason she avoided spending time with her parents, but also why she felt guilty for not being stronger.

Maybe it would be better off if she disappeared.