puppy love } { of confessions and family ties

[arbalete]

Derek: [however, they do have a class together and he can't avoid her forever.]

Allison: [at least the teacher isn't insensitive enough to forcibly pair them up again, but when both their lab partners happen to be absent, they don't really have much of a choice.]

Derek: [and he is going to just stare at his hands for a while, not sure what to say.]

Allison: [takes a deep breath. maybe they can keep this strictly business] Do you want to do the experiment or do you want to take notes?

Derek: I can take notes. [and he will grab his notebook and pen]

Allison: [nods and she'll get to work, setting up the apparatus and going through the motions]

Derek: [and when she accidently drops something he is super quick to catch it]

Allison: [startles, before holding out her hand for it] Thanks.

Derek: Yeah, no problem. [and he will hand t back to her, giving her a barely smile before focusing back on the notes]

Allison: [and she keeps going with the experiment. and eventually, she can't keep her silence any longer] I'm sorry.

Derek: Did you do something wrong? [looks up from the notes, confused]

Allison: No. About ... Kate.

Derek: Oh. [and he's going to take a deep breath, but he doesn't know how to respond to that other than looking away]

Allison: I should have believed you.

Derek: She's your family. I understand why you couldn't.

Allison: I should have been able to see that she was ... different.

Derek: [shakes his head] Hindsight is 20/20.

Allison: Yeah. I guess. [there's a beat] My dad wants to move.

Derek: I'm sure it's to protect you all from whatever happens next, I guess.

Allison: And what is that going to be?

Derek: A trial, I'm sure.

Allison: Right. Not like I would go anyway.

Derek: I don't want to go. I don't even want one. I just... I just want to forget it all.

Allison: I get that. But you can't. Forgetting it isn't going to make it go away.

Derek: Nothing is going to make it go away.

Allison: Exactly. So you need to deal with it. Make it a part of you but not let it define you.

Derek: Sounds like something my uncle would tell me.

Allison: I think he's right.

Derek: It's harder than it sounds.

Allison: Is there someone you can talk to?

Derek: I have my sisters. School counselor.

Allison: That's good at least.

Derek: I just... I don't feel like talking.

Allison: Sometimes you have to. Sometimes you need to just ... get it out, you know?

Derek: Yeah, I know. I just... I get so angry right now and that's not something good to just... get out.

Allison: Actually ... I think it is. Take it out on a punching bag or something.

Derek: I broke two already.

Allison: Oh.

Derek: I get really angry.

Allison: Maybe talking to ... a professional, I guess? Might help with the punching bag?

Derek: I don't have health insurance to cover that right now. I only have the school counselor.

Allison: Oh.

Derek: My sister is trying to get all of that settled but it's taking a while.

Allison: Right, no. I get it.

Derek: [he thinks a moment, and then offers her another sad smile] Thanks though.

Allison: Figure it's the least I could do.

Derek: I appreciate it. Everyone else is just this fake sorry.

Allison: I don't think it's fake. I just think ... they don't know what to say. What do you say to someone who's family was murdered?

Derek: There really is an instruction booklet or a hallmark card for that.

Allison: No, there isn't.

Derek: [and the bell rings, final class for the day over]

Allison: [swallows and slides her bag over her shoulder] So you'll send me the notes?

Derek: Yeah I'll e-mail them to you. [looks over his shoulder] Um, your family... do they want you staying away from me?

Allison: [gives a small shrug] Probably once the trial starts they will.

Derek: [once the classroom is empty] Did they... tell you why?

Allison: Because Kate killed your family?

Derek: I mean... why she doesn't like our family.

Allison: Oh. No.

Derek: [bites his lip, debating on this]

Allison: [is just looking at him expectantly]

Derek: [sighs, knowing he's going to piss his family off but he's tired of lying to her] Do you have to go home right away?

Allison: [pauses before shaking her head]

Derek: It's something I need to show you to make you really understand. But if I do, you are going to learn a lot of things about me and your family you may not like.

Allison: I can handle it. I'd rather know the truth.

Derek: You sure?

Allison: Yeah.

Derek: Did you drive today?

Allison: [she nods]

Derek: You drive, I'll tell you where to go.

Allison: Okay. [and off they'll go to do that]

Derek: [and he will have her drive them to the old abandoned mill]

Allison: [and she will just look it over curiously]

Derek: [he will look around, his fingers going to touch the spiral on the wall] My mother said that your aunt and grandfather lived here back when I was younger.

Allison: Yeah, I think they mentioned that. But they never said why they left, and its been a long time since I've seen my grandfather.

Derek: There was a feud between a group of the locals and your grandfather. He came here often. Last time was two years ago, and he started a feud with a powerful man named Deucalion. He was a friend of my mothers.

Allison: What happened?

Derek: Your grandfather killed most of them. Some of his own people too, from what I was told, to blame it on Deucalion.

Allison: [she bites back the disbelief because she can't exactly claim the high ground anymore. not after what Kate did] Why?

Derek: Because we're different. Deucalion... my family... we're not like other people and my mom says that people are afraid of things that they don't understand. That they can't control.

Allison: Why would they want to control you?

Derek: Promise you won't freak out?

Allison: That never leads to anything good.

Derek: Because we're not human.

Allison: .... What?

Derek: We're not human. Well, mostly, I mean some of my family is... was... but I'm not one of them. I'm... [he takes a deep breath because here goes] I'm a werewolf.

Allison: ... You're a what?

Derek: A werewolf. But not like movie werewolves. They get a lot of that wrong.

Allison: So you think my family hunts you because you're werewolves. [there's still a bit of disbelief in her tone, because let's face it, she was expecting some kind of War of the Roses crap, not a supernatural vs. humans war]

Derek: I don't think, I know. I've seen them. [he's not really ready to tell her that her dad had almost killed him two years ago if it wasn't for Peter]

Allison: [she swallows again] Werewolves aren't supposed to be real.

Derek: Which is why I told you that I need to show you so you would believe me. I promise you I'm not going to hurt you.

Allison: [eyebrows go up] Should I take a step back or something?

Derek: No. Just... don't scream?

Allison: Okay.

Derek: [and he will close his eyes. As she watches she will see his ears start to sharpen, tiny fangs poke out of the sides of his lips, and his eyebrows furrowing just a bit. Claws grow from his hands, and when he opens his eyes, they are glowing yellow]

Allison: [just .... stares. her brain isn't really sure what she's processing right now and eventually overheats and she ... passes out]

Derek: [he's fast, shifting back and catching her before she hits the ground.] Whoa, Allison. Allison?

Allison: [yeah, sorry, Allison go night night. she'll come to in a bit]

Derek: [sighs, and he gently picks her up, going to find a better place for her to rest on that isn't the ground]

Allison: [and eventually she will come to, blinking up at him] Derek?

Derek: [sitting next to her] Yeah, I'm here.

Allison: What was that ... ?

Derek: My... wolf face I guess you could call it.

Allison: Right. Because you're a werewolf.

Derek: [his eyes flash yellow] Yeah.

Allison: This is ... a lot.

Derek: Yeah, I know. And it's not like it was my choice. It's just... who I am. I was born this way.

Allison: Can you ... control it?

Derek: Yeah. It's harder on the days there's a full moon. It's something I've spent my whole life learning.

Allison: [she doesn't want to ask, but she has to] Have you ever ... hurt anyone?

Derek: No. Never. Nor has anyone in my family. And my family has lived here since before the town. Most of Beacon Hills is on land that used to be ours and we sold it to them.

Allison: Then why does my family ... I don't think my dad would hurt someone who hadn't done anything wrong?

Derek: [he bites his lip a moment, sitting back] My mom respected your dad. That's why she was okay with us being friends in the beginning. Until your aunt came to town. Your dad has a code that he follows. But others aren't like him, and sometimes you know... if he thinks his family is in danger...

Allison: [sighs as she runs a hand over her face] This ... feels like something out of a horror movie.

Derek: Yeah, there are days it really can be like that. There was one time another pack had killed someone, and the hunters came to town and were trying to find him. I didn't know what happened, all I know is that I was coming home from a game and was being shot at. I... [he looked at the ground, drawing in the dirt with his finger] He was right in front of me when he was killed. And they shot at me too, thinking I was helping him but my uncle saved me and caught the arrow. We ended up hiding for two days to wait out the hunting party before we could go home.

Allison: [her eyes widened] They used arrows?

Derek: [nods] Sometimes. Sometimes bullets. And uh, someone likes to use a broadsword.

Allison: ... A what.

Derek: Big sword. The details are kinda graphic and gross.

Allison: I know what a broadsword is. I just didn't think people still actually used them.

Derek: [shrugs] I just know it's a thing.

Allison: [sighs] This is crazy.

Derek: [he's just sitting there, giving her space since she's absorbing all this] But yeah, because of how dangerous it is to be like me, I'm not supposed to tell anyone. I shouldn't have told you. I've hated lying to you about this, but my mom is... was the alpha. I can't disobey her.

Allison: If she's gone, who's your alpha now?

Derek: My older sister, Laura. Since she wasn't killed by another werewolf to steal her power, it passes down the family line. My sister is the oldest.

Allison: Does ... does she want payback?

Derek: [thinks a moment, looking at the spiral] We want justice. But we don't want to get revenge. You know what I mean?

Allison: [it's a bit heavy for her teenage brain, but she gets it] As long as Kate goes away, you won't come after my family.

Derek: I don't think we would come after your family either way. We're not killers. We never have been, at least my pack has never been. [he bites his lips] And the people in the house... they weren't all werewolves either. That's what really makes this bad.

Allison: [runs her hand over her face] So what do we do?

Derek: I don't know. I'm still not supposed to be talking to you. Cora will freak out and never talk to me again if she knew we were here. Laura's thinking of moving us away but with Peter in the hospital we'd be abandoning him and we can't do that. I won't do that to him.

Allison: How long is he going to be in the hospital?

Derek: We don't know. He's in a healing coma but he's hurt really bad. Like the only reason he's alive is because he's too stubborn to die alive.

Allison: [sighs] If you're here until Peter gets better, we're going to have to figure out a way to survive each other somehow.

Derek: ...Maybe my sister and your dad could talk and figure things out? Some kind of parley?

Allison: Do you think that would work?

Derek: As long as it's in a safe place for both of them.

Allison: I'll talk to him. I'm going to have to talk to him about all of this.

Derek: When you do, he's going to think I did it to turn you against him. I didn't do that, did I?

Allison: No. No, you didn't, I just ... there's a lot of things that I wasn't able to see that I see now. I need to understand, and to do that I need to hear his side of things too.

Derek: Okay. But I swear, Allison, I won't ever hurt you. I care about you too much to do that.

Allison: I believe you.

Derek: [and relief shows on his face, his shoulders finally relaxing because he had been worried she wouldn't] Thank you.

Allison: [she sighs] I should go home. Do you need me to drop you off?

Derek: No, I can get there myself. I just need to get my bag.

Allison: Okay. I'll see you tomorrow?

Derek: Yeah, if my sister doesn't kill me when I tell her I told you.

Allison: Are you going to?

Derek: I have to. At least Laura, but Cora should know.

Allison: [she nods] Good luck.

Derek: [chuckles] Thanks.

Allison: [nods and goes to head to her car] Bye.

Derek: [and he will follow to get his bag, and then gives her a half smile] At least we got us figured out before I'm potentially killed by my siblings.

Allison: For the record, I hope you're not.

Derek: I hope not either. [leans on the car by the driver door]

Allison: [opens the door to drop her stuff in before turning to face him] See you tomorrow?

Derek: Yup. Drive safely. [and he will literally disappear as he takes off running for home]

Allison: [watches him go and then disappears to drive home and confront her own family]

Chris: [and he will be in his office working on paperwork]

Allison: [and she will make her way in and take a deep breath] I talked to Derek Hale today.

Chris: [and he will turn to look at her, his eyebrows raised] And what did you talk about?

Allison: Why Kate burned their house down.

Chris: That has not been proven yet.

Allison: Oh. So it's not because they're werewolves.

Chris: [deep breath] He told you he was a werewolf?

Allison: Showed me, actually.

Chris: [growls] Did he try to hurt you?

Allison: No. No, he wouldn't. He only showed me because I had a hard time believing him when he told me.

Chris: You may think he won't, Allison, but he can and he will. That is what they do.

Allison: Why would he?

Chris: Because eventually they all do. It's just a matter of time.

Allison: You don't know that. You're judging them because of what they are, when they haven't done anything wrong.

Chris: There have been dozens of unsolved cases in this town. [pulls out a case file and opens it. It's a car crash, claw marks on the side of the door with the car upside down] We have not been able to pin anything on them, but that doesn't mean they are innocent. They don't follow the laws of our society.

Allison: [she looks down at the article] That doesn't mean they did it.

Chris: And it doesn't mean that they didn't.

Allison: [huffs] That doesn't change the fact that the humans that died didn't have claws. So even if it was one of the Hales, and that's a big if, that doesn't change the fact that a lot of innocent people were killed. Never mind the fact that when this accident happened, it was three years ago. Derek and Cora were kids and Laura wasn't even in town.

Chris: [chuckles] You had a long talk with him, it seems.

Allison: What's so funny?

Chris: You're defending him.

Allison: Well, he's the one who hasn't lied to me my entire life, so yeah. Right now I'm defending him.

Chris: We haven't lied to you, Allison. It was decided that we wouldn't tell you because we were hoping you'd be able to have a life away from this.

Allison: You're the one who told me to pick up archery.

Chris: Because you wanted to do something active.

Allison: Yes. But you casually left out that our family occasionally hunts werewolves. With arrows.

Chris: We use other weapons too.

Allison: I heard. Guns. A broadsword?

Chris: Only your grandfather uses the broadsword. [shudders]

Allison: [sighs] My point is - you wanted me to be away from this world, but that doesn't mean that the world doesn't exist. And maybe it's a good thing that you didn't brainwash me because now I can make my own choices about it. But letting me live in ignorance about what is out there and what our family does isn't keeping me safe, Dad. Not by a long shot.

Chris: It wasn't just my choice, you know.

Allison: So you and Mom both then? I'll make sure to talk to her later.

Chris: [leans back in his chair] In this family, the men as raised to be warriors. It's the women who are raised to be the leaders. The tacticians. The choices we make often come from them.

Allison: I still don't understand how keeping me in the dark was supposed to help anything.

Chris: Because we wanted better for you. You don't know how many times I wish I didn't know about any of this.

Allison: Maybe so. That doesn't change the fact that you could have just told me the truth about all of this and maybe Kate wouldn't have felt the need to burn down a house full of innocent people. Because Derek and I wouldn't have been stupid about this. His family is dead because of this stupid feud between the Argents and the Hales, and when does it become too much?

Chris: [sighs] This isn't something that is going to end, Allison.

Allison: Why not? What did their family do to us?

Chris: They have killed ours.

Allison: Before or after we provoked them?

Chris: Before. This goes back for generations.

Allison: How long ago?

Chris: 1760's

Allison: [she nods] Almost three hundred years ago.

Chris: You want to learn, look up the story of the Beast of Gevudan.

Allison: And that was a Hale.

Chris: No, it was an Argent. Turned after he fell in love with a Hale and wished to be like her.

Allison: [she shakes her head] So because he made a choice, her entire family line needs to suffer?

Chris: We have suffered just as much, Allison. Just because we are where we are now doesn't mean that years ago they weren't hunting us. But we do have a code. We hunt those that hunt us. [said in French]

Allison: They weren't hunting us.

Chris: And what Kate may, or may not have done - that wasn't something your mother or I were a part of.

Allison: It doesn't matter. It's still an Argent killing more Hales for a dumb reason. And honestly we're lucky that right now they're more focused on Peter getting better than they are at retaliation. Because if they were as revenge-focused as we are, they would probably have come after us already.

Chris: Which is what Derek told you they are doing.

Allison: And I believe him. Mostly because if they were as dangerous as you say, it probably would have happened already.

Chris: And how do you know your believing him isn't the first stage of a plan?

Allison: Because I actually know him. And because he told me the truth, rather than continue to lie to me and keep me in the dark. That counts for more than you think.

Chris: [sighs because he knows he's not going to be able to convince her otherwise right now] Just be careful, Allison. Things aren't always what they seem, or what you believe is the truth.

Allison: [nods once, before turning to leave] Maybe you should take your own advice.

Chris: [nods] I'll take it under advisement.

Allison: Good. [and off she will go to her room. she'll confront her mom later]