occupation: director / producer
length of time in atlanta: six years returned
faceclaim: jeffrey dean morgan
trigger warnings: – murder tw, death tw, abuse tw, infertility tw, ptsd tw
Derrek Hunter never lived what anyone would call an ideal life. Born in the rough parts of Atlanta, to a local prostitute, and her deadbeat boyfriend, Derrek learned from an early age that love wasn’t always unconditional. The product of a forgotten condom, Derrek’s mother could never look at her son the way a mother should. And his father was more interested in what he could find at the bottle of a beer bottle. Both parents would often ignore their son, as they continued to attend to their own business. With how little Marissa Carter and John Hunter cared about anything other than their own pleasures, they didn’t realize just what burden they left on their son. Derrek had learned to take care of himself from an early age, taking responsibility for the things that needed done around the house, and even eventually began taking care of his own parents as well. Despite being so young, he did what he had to in strive. Just before Derrek turned eleven, his mother broke the news that she was pregnant with her second child. This excited and unnerved Hunter in many ways, as he was excited to have a sibling, but wasn’t sure if his mother, nor father, would pay any attention to this one either. As it would’ve be expected, shortly after the birth of her second son, Marissa went back to what she did best, paying no real attention to her children. And it seemed that his father hadn’t really cared to begin with. This left Derrek with the responsibility of taking care of his brother. For two years, everything went normally, or what was considered normal for the Carter-Hunter family, but only at the age of fifteen, everything flipped upside down for Hunter, and in no better of a way either.
When his mother was brutally murdered, it left Derrek and his brother, Mikey, with their good-for-nothing, coming and going, drunk of a father. For the few years, both boys would find themselves abused, and neglected. While Derrek became the adult at such a young age, determined to make something better of himself, his brother seemed to do the opposite. Mikey’s life was off track, and going nowhere quick. When Mikey was at the tender age of eleven, and Derrek was rounding the corner of eighteen. Both boys would find themselves separated. Derrek would stay behind with his father, while Michael would find himself adopted into the Beaumont family. Despite the fact that they were torn apart, it would come as a surprise to many when it’d seem that Derrek was still welcome into this new family. It was a small family. Luke, his wife, Natalia, and their ten year old daughter, Rebecca, and they seemed to have arms wide open for both boys. Although Derrek was partially grew, and still finding himself thrown out in the world alone, this family wanted to make sure he knew that he always had a safe place to come to. At nineteen, after Derrek found himself arrested, along with his father, for a domestic disrupt, it would be that of Luke Beaumont that would come to his rescue, then suggesting that it was time he started thinking about himself. After some discussion, it would come to light, that the male would decide to join the military. Something in which the head of the Beaumont family had done himself. This decision seemed to do well for the young man, putting his, what seemed like disaster of a life, back on track.
Three years, three years, and Derrek’s life was going somewhere great, and fast. This, however, couldn’t be said about his brother. Who seemed to never truly settle in like one would’ve hoped he would’ve. No, the young boy was most definitely troubled, and this was well-known, but the Beaumont family wanted nothing more than to help him. His brother always making sure to keep in touch with him, the best he could. But none of this would come to help in the long run, no. Not when the youngest Hunter boy turned seventeen. And found himself on the other end of a bloody blade. The news reached Derrek, and at first, he thought it was some sick joke. Some horror story to go along with the October day. However, as he returned home for leave, he’d realize that it was not. His baby brother had murdered the family who took him in, and wanted nothing but the best of him. This crushed the male, as he watched his favorite person in the whole world receive life in prison. The reality was a hard one to swallow. For the next few months, Derrek took time off, to try and put the pieces back together. Help coming from such an unlikely source; Luke’s sister, Carrie.
Nearly a year after the tragedy, Derrek would find himself going back into his rank. In fact, he threw himself into it. Allowed the feelings he felt to be washed away in the act of other violence, really. At thirty, on holiday leave, he’d come to meet a beautiful woman by the name of Veronica Perez. And he’d come to find himself falling for her immediately, this being no real surprise, considering the woman was gorgeous, and smart. And before anyone really knew it, the pair would be expecting, and on their way to the alter. The next time he’d find himself on leave from the army would be a few days before Verona gave birth to a set of beautiful twins. A little boy that would be named Derrek Charles Hunter II, and Emilia Katherine Hunter. For the next few years, it would seem a struggle. With Derrek always away, and Veronica stuck with two young kids, it definitely seemed like there was trouble in paradise. Therefore, after twenty years, the kids hitting the fresh age of ten, Derrek had gone on to retire from the military. And this would be where it come to feel as though all the work with the children would be pushed off on him, instead of, what would only soon become known, had been nannies. Veronica had seemed to go on about her own things, not quite taking much interested in the family that she had claimed to want more of. For the next few years, Derek had found himself spending quite a lot of time with his children. Finding that he loved every moment of it, as they were his light in what else would’ve been a very dark storm.
One day, with a video camera, and two very happy kids, it would come to light just what the male would adventure upon next. There was an ease about it, the way he held the camera, and was able to capture precious moments. For extra money, Derrek would go on to find work as a photographer, every thing from events, to magazines, his wife even being that of one his models he’d come to capture. And before long, Derrek would find himself taking a step up to that of a much better screen. And no one would quite believe just how incredible of a director he’d be. There was a sense of vision that only he really seemed to have, able to get the most beautiful imagery, and way of story telling that left just about anyone impressed. With the kids getting older, and more interested in their own lives, and his wife seeming more interested in spending the money that was coming in, then time with her husband, Derrek allowed himself to be thrown into his work, it paying off it a massive way. Within the course of seven years, he would go from project to project, rave reviews following wherever he’d go. A new found passion had been awaken within the male.
But with success in one area, came a downfall in another. His ego, as well as career would take a small hit when it came to light that his wife had been having an affair with a younger man. And more than that, a man that Derrek had befriended, and brought in to help with one of his projects. This would cause for an ugly fight, and divorce papers being drawn up. But it would seem that then, and only then, would the colors of his wife begin to show. A more vindictive, cunning woman took place before him, one who was more than willing to take him for everything if he went through with this. This causing it to almost seem as though the couple was working on things to the public eye, an idea that couldn’t be further from the truth. Considering they hardly spoke to one another, much less slept in the same room anymore. The bitterness between the pair not going unnoticed between their children, but Derrek being the kind of father he was, wanted nothing more than to ease his children’s mind. Assuring them all was fine, while a hatred continued to brew just beneath the surface.
Ambitious, Creative, Confident
Angry, Closed-off, Strong-willed
Derrek was born and raised in Atlanta, leaving at the age of nineteen to enlist in the military. Although having been in and out for years since, he hadn’t officially moved away until he was in his last twenties, and being relocated due to the army. A year or so after retiring, and figuring out his new path in life, did he return to Atlanta, and has been there since. Although, he has a place out in California where he often stays with his kids when there’s work that needs to be done.
Although, having money due to being in the army, and an inheritance from the Beaumont family – though that’s money Derrek never kept, and instead gave away to charity, since he believed they deserved it more than he did – it’s nothing compared to the kind of money they have now. Any struggle and worry the male has, especially as far as his children go, is gone. Able to afford them any and everything that the might need, and to an extent, might want.
Although twins, his son, who is nicknamed Charlie, is more like his father in terms of material things and money. While his daughter, who is nicknamed Emmy, is more like her mother, and quite spoiled. But both child adore their father to the moon and back, and both hope that if something does happen between their parents, that they are able to stay with their father as he always seemed to care about them more than their mother had.
Despite having a family of his own, Derrek still sees his father from time to time, although he doesn’t make it a habit. As he can’t particularly stand the man, or anything in which he stands for. Still the drunk and deadbeat as he always had been. His brother, however, he visits as much as he can. He hates what he had done, and to the people who loved him the most, but there isn’t much that could change the love he has for his baby brother. And it kills him to see where he is at. Carrie, Luke’s sister, is still in the picture. Along with her family, as she knows that that is what her brother and sister in law would’ve wanted. Taking up a role very much like an aunt, and mother to Derrek.
Derrek spent a lot of time and energy into going to therapy, and medications to help with the PTSD that he received from being out in the field for so long. Although he had gotten somewhat better, he is still very much effected by it. Although, he does his best to hide that from his children. As he doesn’t want them to have to worry anymore. Their father is home, and that’s all that matters.
Derrek is quite the busy-body. Despite being mainly known as an academy-award winning director, and producer. He will still offer his hand in photography. Whether it be to help out a friend, or even shoot a magazine cover. He has always taken a hobby up in antique cars, and has began to dabble in the art of screenwriting. Desiring to bring his own story to the big screen as well.
