Derek. The only thing on her mind since the second she made it through the city lines was Derek. Sebastian said she was distracted, detached, not herself. She supposed that was true. She never felt as desperate and worried as she was now. Not when she was with him. In the time she’d spent with the vampire and the witch, she’d tried to keep herself happy, thinking maybe it wasn’t Laura who she lost. Maybe it was just… no, losing anyone would be unbearable. But losing Laura… she wouldn’t be able to hold on. Not if she lost the sister who got her through everything. Not if she lost the last person who truly mattered to her.
But ever since stepping foot in the town, the scent she’d caught was not belonging to her sister, the scent she’d memorized for this exact situation. It was familiar, still close to her, but she couldn’t place it. Not for the longest time. Not until she realized. Derek.
Her brother. The brother she thought she’d lost in the accident, the brother she’d spent sleepless nights over, crying and wishing things could be different. Someone she missed terribly and needed back. But it was impossible. He couldn’t be here. And so she’d spent every waking moment trying to find him. She needed him back in her life. Desperately. And so she was going to find him. She vowed.
She’d been walking through town when she caught the scent again. It smelled like him, and she was going to find him. It was stronger this time, and she followed… and followed… until…. “Derek.”
Derek stood in front of his apartment door, patting himself to make sure he had what he needed before he headed out. He had just finished a mostly pleasant session with Dr. Hernandez and was actually kind of proud to hear the doctor tell him he was making good progress. Sure, he still didn't trust his doctor enough to talk about Kate for longer than a few minutes at a time, but it was still something. Despite the good news, the sessions still left Derek feeling heavy and isolated in his loft.
Sighing, the wolf finally pocketed his keys and moved to slide his door open. He wasn't sure whether he heard her or simply felt her presence through the thick metal. Derek's breath caught, his stomach dropping out beneath him and his body flooding with the shock of cold and hot. Somewhere inside him told him that his family was on the other side of that door.
The loud screech of the door nearly drowned out Cora muttering his name. With the metal wall gone, Derek stood and stared at what he was positive was the ghost of his baby sister. A ghost he could feel and smell and miss so much it hurt. He opened his mouth to shout or laugh or something, but all that came out was a whisper. "Are you real?"
