for the rest of us death will be a relief

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[engender]

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.

[yourtype]

[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:]

Isaac? Is he gone too?

[engender]

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.

[yourtype]

Oh.

[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.]

[engender]

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.

[werewolfqueen]

[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?"]

[engender]

( 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. )

We'll set the table while you change.

[werewolfqueen]

There's an en-suite bathroom in the guest room. And there's extra toiletries and stuff here.

[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?

[engender]

She'll use them.

( 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.

[werewolfqueen]

Can't say I blame her.

[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.

[engender]

She has better influences now. Scott won't take the attitude if she tries it.

( And he won't either, though, he may be more lenient. )

[werewolfqueen]

[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.]

[engender]

She might like Hope.

( 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.

[yourtype]

[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.]

Did you talk to Scott?

[engender]

He knows you're here. If you're comfortable, after you eat, I can arrange for us to meet him. Or, just you.

( He didn't do great at being her alpha the first time around, so maybe he hasn't earned being there with her. )

[yourtype]

Doesn't have to be just me.

[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.

[engender]

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.

[regentem]

[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.

And, because she can't help but be curious:]

What's she like, Erica?

[commend]

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?

[regentem]

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.

[commend]

Right. All of our network is in the states.

( 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.

[regentem]

Oh, yeah. I remember that phase well.

[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.

[commend]

She succeeded. And, toward the end we were all working toward a common goal. But, she went on the run. Left Derek. She was taken.

( And that story doesn't have a happy ending.)

[regentem]

[She nods slowly.]

And she didn't come back.

[That must have been awful, for all of them.]

And now she's here. Which has to be a head trip.

[commend]

She couldn't. She was afraid, she went on the run and we weren't able to protect her. Isaac went looking... What he found -

( The discovery was awful. What it did to Derek was awful. )

But, that's just it. I want her to have this second chance. It's a good thing. If this comes down that people are just back. She's someone who deserves the second chance. And if she'll let me, I want to help her with it.