Preface Kersten Hale
Kersten Hale stared up at the ceiling in her room. It had been over ten years since she had come to live with the McCall family. After the fire that burned most of her family to death, she was left with no where to go and no one to call family or pack. Her mind slowly wondered back to the night that changed her life forever.
Sheriff Stilinski had found her in the woods not far from her home. Her uncle Peter had pulled her out and ran back inside, telling her to run as fast and far as she could. She had made it maybe a few miles before finding a hollowed out tree to hide in. That was where the sheriff had found her.
She had been scared, but thankfully the sheriff hadn't tried to get her to come out by force, instead he had waited until she had trusted him enough to know that he wasn't going to hurt her. Stilinski had wrapped her in his jacket and carried her back to his patrol car, sitting her in the back seat as the rest of the officers rushed to the scene. Once the officers had taken over the investigation, Stilinski headed to the station with the little girl and led her inside his office to start making calls.
"Melissa, it's Noah, I have a favor for you. Could you meet me down at the station?" Noah paused listening to the response. "No, don't worry, it has nothing to do with Scott-at least not in the legal sense."
Kersten stared at him with her bright green eyes, her long red hair was a tangled mess with dirt in it.
"I might have somewhere for you to go, to avoid the system. I don't want to make any promises because I don't know if she will say yes, but just know I wouldn't have called her if I didn't trust her. Her son is my son's best friend so I know she's a good woman." Stilinski said softly.
Kersten just nodded. She hadn't spoken a single word since the sheriff had found her.
"Oh, my...is that, Talia Hale's daughter?" A woman with dark hair came into the sheriff's office.
"Melissa, you actually know who she is?" Stilinski asked.
"Yes, Talia's daughter Laura, used to babysit Scott before he went to school. Laura used to bring Kersten with her to play with Scott before Scott met Stiles. What happened, Noah?"
"There was a fire at the Hale house. I don't know if there were any other survivors besides Kersten."
Melissa sat down, her face in her hands. "What happens now?"
"Well, I was kind of wondering if you would mind taking Kersten in. I know a lawyer that can help with the paperwork. Melissa, I really don't want to have to call the state and have her placed in a foster home. If there is a chance that some of her family did survive the fire, I want them to have a chance to be able to find her, but in the foster system that is going to be a whole lot harder."
"I know that, and that's why I'll agree to take her home with me. I've watch Kersten grow up, she's like a daughter to me, even if I haven't seen her in a few years."
Stilinski smiled. "Thank you, Melissa."
"Of course, I'm going to bring Scott in while we do the paperwork."
"How are you handling things?"
"Since Rafael left, things have been better. I'm not worried about Scott, he doesn't seem to remember what happened that night. I'm rather grateful for that."
"I can imagine. That night is something I hope he never remembers. Just as I hope Kersten will forget this event as well."
"I feel the same way."