[She nods, swiping at her face as she follows and taking the reassurance at face value that he isn't angry. He doesn't smell angry either so that much is a relief. But she can also sense that there is something he's not quite telling her yet.
She's starting to feel like she has a sense of what it is.
Once they're inside his and Hayley's apartment (he assumes Hayley, and her scent is interesting. A little like Aiden but also a little like Josh), she looks around and asks the question she can only ask him.]
It's been a while, hasn't it? I mean, I don't remember anything after Kali came into the vault, but I think it would have taken more than three months for you to give up on on us, move to New Orleans and get a girlfriend.
[Part of her doesn't want to know how long it's been, but she knows that secrets aren't going to get her anywhere.]
And you ... you don't feel the same.
[Like he's not an alpha anymore. He's just another wolf like her.]
( To start, there's that. He has to say that as he perches on the edge of Hayley's couch, one hand resting on his knee. )
Isaac and I looked for you. A bounty hunter named Braedan rescued him and he had no memory of what he found. Peter helped pull the memory out of him. ( He says everything in the past tense and doesn't want to go further. not the vault. not the dual investigations. scott's help. not what isaac remembered, finally. ) Erica, it's been a long while. Decades. ( He doesn't know how else to say it. ) Aiden says you appeared in the bayou along with another woman. There are reports from contacts of ours that it's happening other places. That people who have been gone or missing or -- ( are dead ) That they're reappearing.
( how can he go into it? )
I'm different, because I'm no longer an alpha. I gave the spark up to save my sister, Cora. Who was in the vault with you.
( He doesn't... know if she remembers Cora or if Cora was rabit at that point. He doesn't know anything. He hasn't thought about it in years. )
I may have ... I think the other woman was a hunter. And she may have seen my eyes.
[And her claws, but let's not split hairs on that one.]
I don't know if she was a good one or not.
[Is there such a thing as a good hunter? She doesn't know. But the mention of Cora perks her up some, but fact that he only mentions Cora makes her worry.]
There aren't only hunters like that now. Hunters helped Scott and his pack a few months back. My pack. And we all helped disband a wide-ranging hunter network that dealt in hatred and misinformation. ( He was kidnapped, not going to scare her. ) The hunter you appeared with, she's not after you and the hunters she's connected to are allies. They're the Winchesters, if you hear their name again.
( She needs to know that, because it will take time for her to walk in the world and not hesitate. Not feel like she's in danger.
He can't hide the subtle change in his expression. )
She's okay. Boyd didn't -- He survived the vault. But, he died not long after. He's gone, Erica.
[The hunter information flies over his head but the mention of Scott is good. At least Scott is still alive.
Erica nods slowly, because that stings. She and Boyd just wanted to have a life. It's not fair that neither of them did. Which leaves only one other member standing of their very small pack, and she's almost afraid to ask, but she has to:]
No, Isaac survived. I released him. Sent him to Scott. ( A very, very generous reading of the situation is needed, Derek thinks, to push things forward and to stop Erica from being a sobbing mess. Though it's okay to be, he'd say. He's close to crying himself. ) He's been in Europe, but I think he's on the East Coast right now. He knows your alive. Everyone does. We're all in contact now. And, Scott is our alpha.
[That ... makes a shocking amount of sense, honestly. Scott and Derek's back and forth does feel like a struggle for control, but if Derek stepped down for any reason, Scott is the one who would take his place.
She shifts on her feet, playing with the sleeve of her shirt.]
Do you think he'll still want me in the pack?
[She thinks she knows the answer. But everything's changed so much, she can't help but feel she has to ask.]
He wouldn't deny you if that's where you wanted to be. Scott's loyalty rivals his compassion. We are a mixed pack, now. Lydia, we discovered, is a banshee. Stiles died and is a vampire now. Allison runs the Argent organization, but she is also pack. He would welcome you with open arms.
( The sentimentality threatens, so he lists facts. )
He's here in New Orleans as well, I could arrange for him to come by. Everyone cares, Erica.
[That feels like a big choice, along with the swirl of confusion with hearing that everyone cares. Some parts of her doubt that Lydia and Allison care as much as maybe Scott or Stiles would and part of her does want to see Scott.
But it also feels like a bigger question than it should which is why it's good that she's saved by the bell - the bell being Hayley coming in the front door. She also has way more bags than originally anticipated when she previously said she was just going to bring home dinner.
She sees Derek first and flashes him a smile.]
Hey. Food has arrived.
[Then she sees Erica and offers her a softer smile.]
And you must be Erica. I'm Hayley.
["Hi," Erica begins timidly.
Hayley just nods and keeps breezing through.]
Aiden said you ate, but if you're still hungry I brought some food. Also I realized you wouldn't have anything, so I got you a change of clothes. Nothing fancy - we can go shopping for stuff that fits better when you're feeling up to it, but I thought you might want to change.
[She knows that when she died she wanted to rid herself of everything that she was wearing when she did. Erica seems to agree because she's been wearing this same set of clothes for the last three months, and she would do anything right now to feel clean.
"Yes, please." She starts to step towards Hayley before glancing back towards Derek. "Can I?"]
( Derek moves over to Hayley to help with all the bags. This is a lot of bags, but he's grateful Hayley took it upon herself. And clothes, oh that's sweet. )
You don't need my permission.
( He holds the one bag that holds different clothing out to her. )
( Which is his way of saying thank you. He hears the shower, too, as plates clank against each other removing them from their cabinet. )
I'm focusing on her needs. Say what you want about what happened to her, and why, but what matters is her being back. And how she feels. She was my best student. Technically. But, because she took to being a werewolf in the ways that don't matter. But, did to a teenage girl.
[Hayley nods. She doesn't mind a little bit of attitude, so long as it doesn't go too far over the line. And she also thinks that what she's been through might change things for her some.]
If she's going to stay in town, maybe we can introduce her to Hope. See if she fits in with her friends. Give her some friends her own age.
[Since most of her existing friends are both much older and scattered.]
( She would like Hope's style and confidence. He doesn't remember her doing great with other teenage girls. But, she had Isaac and Boyd. She had her pack. And some kind of Stiles flirtation that was also more an assignment given from Derek when everyone was in search of the kanima. Lydia. But also Matt. )
[Hayley nods her agreement, before she hears the water switch off in the guest room. They can leave the conversation there for now, and a few minutes later Erica emerges from the bathroom, wet hair hanging around her shoulders and dressed in a comfortable, generic sweat set.
"Better?" Hayley asks and Erica nods, relieved.]
Much, thank you. I threw my old clothes in the garbage but I left everything else in there, if that's okay?
[Hayley nods. "Of course. Consider that your room until you no longer need it."
Erica nods again, and the shower did give her some time to clear her head. And maybe have a good cry. She isn't really sure what to make of any of this, but she has to move forward, and that involves making sure the pack she knows is still the pack that wants her.]
He is part of the pack right? He's not part of Hayley's pack? She glances over at Hayley, wondering if having another alpha around is weird.]
That's not weird, right?
[Hayley shakes her head. "Of course not. Scott's great. He's also close with my friend Davina who's a witch. Maybe she could come with him to see if she can figure out why you're here."
Erica actually perks up a bit at that. It sounds more productive and not just her being awkward at people who have moved on from her death.]
Scott has only been in town because he's with Davina. Alphas aren't... the Alpha pack isn't normal alpha behavior. Odds were she was going to be home when we went over. But, I'll let him know.
( He's also grateful he has Hayley's support in this, too. )
Let's eat, and then we'll clean up and go to Davina's.
[Erica nods, and they will settle in for food and light conversation. Derek reaches out to Scott somewhere along he way, so when he conveys as much to Davina, she's happy to help.
Before Derek offered her the bite, she was quiet. She had asthma and struggled in gym. Kids... You remember high school. ( Does she? He knows there was a church involved. ) Sometimes, kids just aren't nice. She struggled on the climbing rope one of the days. Derek found her after. When she returned to school, she was like a whole new person. The consensus was that she'd gotten hot overnight. She dressed different. She got cocky. And flirtatious. And, she and Derek's pack were sort of like a gang. She also had a temper and she could be petty, cause she was still a teenage girl. In a way, it did give her a better life, but she wasn't given the tools she needed to be better, only stronger.
( He shakes his head, sitting back on the couch. )
This is all in the past, between Derek and me, but he knows what I thought of his bite.
( He sighs, holding his phone up. )
It's not just her, Davina. There are all these returns across the US. I should ask why not Europe. But, she's a part of it. Some people think it started with Elena and this big witch ceremony she was kidnapped for, and others, like this guy Barry just think it's quantum theory?
Maybe there are some in Europe. They're just not part of our network.
[There is, actually, at least one. But that's an NPC problem for Luke and Robin to discover later.]
I also can't say I blame her. I'm not fully familiar with going from zero to supernatural but I do know what it's like to feel like you suddenly have the world in the palm of your hand.
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everyonelives2025-10-11 07:15 am
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She's starting to feel like she has a sense of what it is.
Once they're inside his and Hayley's apartment (he assumes Hayley, and her scent is interesting. A little like Aiden but also a little like Josh), she looks around and asks the question she can only ask him.]
It's been a while, hasn't it? I mean, I don't remember anything after Kali came into the vault, but I think it would have taken more than three months for you to give up on on us, move to New Orleans and get a girlfriend.
[Part of her doesn't want to know how long it's been, but she knows that secrets aren't going to get her anywhere.]
And you ... you don't feel the same.
[Like he's not an alpha anymore. He's just another wolf like her.]
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( To start, there's that. He has to say that as he perches on the edge of Hayley's couch, one hand resting on his knee. )
Isaac and I looked for you. A bounty hunter named Braedan rescued him and he had no memory of what he found. Peter helped pull the memory out of him. ( He says everything in the past tense and doesn't want to go further. not the vault. not the dual investigations. scott's help. not what isaac remembered, finally. ) Erica, it's been a long while. Decades. ( He doesn't know how else to say it. ) Aiden says you appeared in the bayou along with another woman. There are reports from contacts of ours that it's happening other places. That people who have been gone or missing or -- ( are dead ) That they're reappearing.
( how can he go into it? )
I'm different, because I'm no longer an alpha. I gave the spark up to save my sister, Cora. Who was in the vault with you.
( He doesn't... know if she remembers Cora or if Cora was rabit at that point. He doesn't know anything. He hasn't thought about it in years. )
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[And her claws, but let's not split hairs on that one.]
I don't know if she was a good one or not.
[Is there such a thing as a good hunter? She doesn't know. But the mention of Cora perks her up some, but fact that he only mentions Cora makes her worry.]
Are she and Boyd okay?
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( She needs to know that, because it will take time for her to walk in the world and not hesitate. Not feel like she's in danger.
He can't hide the subtle change in his expression. )
She's okay. Boyd didn't -- He survived the vault. But, he died not long after. He's gone, Erica.
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Erica nods slowly, because that stings. She and Boyd just wanted to have a life. It's not fair that neither of them did. Which leaves only one other member standing of their very small pack, and she's almost afraid to ask, but she has to:]
Isaac? Is he gone too?
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[That ... makes a shocking amount of sense, honestly. Scott and Derek's back and forth does feel like a struggle for control, but if Derek stepped down for any reason, Scott is the one who would take his place.
She shifts on her feet, playing with the sleeve of her shirt.]
Do you think he'll still want me in the pack?
[She thinks she knows the answer. But everything's changed so much, she can't help but feel she has to ask.]
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( The sentimentality threatens, so he lists facts. )
He's here in New Orleans as well, I could arrange for him to come by. Everyone cares, Erica.
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But it also feels like a bigger question than it should which is why it's good that she's saved by the bell - the bell being Hayley coming in the front door. She also has way more bags than originally anticipated when she previously said she was just going to bring home dinner.
She sees Derek first and flashes him a smile.]
Hey. Food has arrived.
[Then she sees Erica and offers her a softer smile.]
And you must be Erica. I'm Hayley.
["Hi," Erica begins timidly.
Hayley just nods and keeps breezing through.]
Aiden said you ate, but if you're still hungry I brought some food. Also I realized you wouldn't have anything, so I got you a change of clothes. Nothing fancy - we can go shopping for stuff that fits better when you're feeling up to it, but I thought you might want to change.
[She knows that when she died she wanted to rid herself of everything that she was wearing when she did. Erica seems to agree because she's been wearing this same set of clothes for the last three months, and she would do anything right now to feel clean.
"Yes, please." She starts to step towards Hayley before glancing back towards Derek. "Can I?"]
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You don't need my permission.
( He holds the one bag that holds different clothing out to her. )
We'll set the table while you change.
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[She passes her over another bag and Erica takes both before following Hayley's directions to the guest room.]
I also got her a phone. We can set it up and save the numbers for the pack, at least. Give her some people to talk to.
[She then waits until she hears the shower start, allowing for a little bit of privacy for them both, before she turns back to Derek.]
How're you doing?
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( Which is his way of saying thank you. He hears the shower, too, as plates clank against each other removing them from their cabinet. )
I'm focusing on her needs. Say what you want about what happened to her, and why, but what matters is her being back. And how she feels. She was my best student. Technically. But, because she took to being a werewolf in the ways that don't matter. But, did to a teenage girl.
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[Her becoming a werewolf just amped the mean girl tendencies Hayley already had. Becoming a mom mellowed her a lot.]
It seems like she has a lot to adjust to.
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( And he won't either, though, he may be more lenient. )
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If she's going to stay in town, maybe we can introduce her to Hope. See if she fits in with her friends. Give her some friends her own age.
[Since most of her existing friends are both much older and scattered.]
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( She would like Hope's style and confidence. He doesn't remember her doing great with other teenage girls. But, she had Isaac and Boyd. She had her pack. And some kind of Stiles flirtation that was also more an assignment given from Derek when everyone was in search of the kanima.
Lydia.But also Matt. )I want to let her choose.
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"Better?" Hayley asks and Erica nods, relieved.]
Much, thank you. I threw my old clothes in the garbage but I left everything else in there, if that's okay?
[Hayley nods. "Of course. Consider that your room until you no longer need it."
Erica nods again, and the shower did give her some time to clear her head. And maybe have a good cry. She isn't really sure what to make of any of this, but she has to move forward, and that involves making sure the pack she knows is still the pack that wants her.]
Did you talk to Scott?
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( He didn't do great at being her alpha the first time around, so maybe he hasn't earned being there with her. )
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[Derek is part of the pack too.
He is part of the pack right? He's not part of Hayley's pack? She glances over at Hayley, wondering if having another alpha around is weird.]
That's not weird, right?
[Hayley shakes her head. "Of course not. Scott's great. He's also close with my friend Davina who's a witch. Maybe she could come with him to see if she can figure out why you're here."
Erica actually perks up a bit at that. It sounds more productive and not just her being awkward at people who have moved on from her death.]
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
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( He's also grateful he has Hayley's support in this, too. )
Let's eat, and then we'll clean up and go to Davina's.
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And, because she can't help but be curious:]
What's she like, Erica?
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( He shakes his head, sitting back on the couch. )
This is all in the past, between Derek and me, but he knows what I thought of his bite.
( He sighs, holding his phone up. )
It's not just her, Davina. There are all these returns across the US. I should ask why not Europe. But, she's a part of it. Some people think it started with Elena and this big witch ceremony she was kidnapped for, and others, like this guy Barry just think it's quantum theory?
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[There is, actually, at least one. But that's an NPC problem for Luke and Robin to discover later.]
I also can't say I blame her. I'm not fully familiar with going from zero to supernatural but I do know what it's like to feel like you suddenly have the world in the palm of your hand.
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( He has a smart girlfriend. )
She had the apple. ( It's a metaphor, but actual. He remembers it clearly. ) He got her hair done, she learned how to do make-up. Heavy.
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[Every girl has one, when they're trying to figure out who they are.]
Sounds like she wanted to be someone new. Or put a new face on who she wanted to be.
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