Deadpool \\ Derek Hale [1]

Twenty-Six \\ The Old People

      "And that was a plan that included using me?"

      "I wasn't exactly rational then, now was I?" Duke continued a moment later. "Once she and Brett left Rhode Island, I found their things. I found you wrapped up in her life, and I recognized you from when I knew your mother."

      Derek stood, leaving Koda's side. "You thought if you had me, you could get Koda."

      "I sure as hell hoped I could have. I didn't know where the two of them were until after, when I found Satomi after seeing a picture of Brett on Devenford Prep's website," Duke explained. "I thought Dakoda would come back to me if you were with me in my pack."

      "How did you recognize me?"

      Deucalion reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "A couple days after their stepfather was killed, I snuck into the house and found this."

      Derek hesitantly took the polaroid he held out, flipping it around. "You found this?"

      "It was under her pillow," Duke said as he glanced over to Dakoda. "I imagine she was moving too fast to grab it when she skipped town."

      Derek looked over the photo, it of Brett, Koda, himself and Laura. "Have you shown her this?"

      Deucalion shook his head, "She barely gives me the time of day, for obvious reasons."

      Derek handed it back to him, reverting his attention to Koda as she rustled in the bed. "I'm not the one to tell you how to fix your family problems."

      Koda woke to Derek's hand squeezing hers, her energy levels through the floor.

      "Hey, hey." Derek touched her cheek when blue eyes met his. "How are you feeling?"

      "Tired. What the hell-"

      "Don't move, Koda. You're weak." Derek stopped her from sitting up. "Cancer wasn't supposed to be cured in a day."

      Koda lightly smiled, squeezing his hand back. "I think that's not as accurate anymore."

      Deucalion stood back, not making a noise.

      "I'll get you some water," Derek said. Letting go of her, he stood and went out of the main room and going to the kitchen.

      Koda propped herself up, her eyes on Duke. "You got me out of the hospital."

      Deucalion gave a nod, "I took you out the back after you collapsed. The last place a werewolf should be is in a hospital bed."

      "Agreed," Koda said.

      "He calls you Koda?" Duke asked with a raised eyebrow.

      "Everyone does now," Dakoda replied. "He came up with it before our senior year."

      "I'm impressed. You've always hated nicknames. I'm surprised you didn't punch him in that face."

      "Oh, I tried."

      "She really did." Derek came back into the room, able to catch the end of the conversation. "But eventually it stuck."

      "That or I just needed an alias." Koda shifted herself, taking the cup of water from Derek.

      Deucalion didn't hold a smile for very long, "Well, now that you're okay, I'll be going. Will, um, will you tell your brother goodbye for me? And that I'm sorry, too."

      "I will," Koda said. "And, Dad?"

      Deucalion stopped on his way out, looking over his shoulder. "Yes?"

      Koda held her cup, watching him. It strained her to stay, but she meant it. "Thank you."

      Holding onto the door, Deucalion nodded before disappearing out it.

      Reaching out, Dakoda took one of Derek's hands. "So, I'm going to look at a house today here in Beacon Hills."

      "A house?"

      Koda nodded, "Brett and I agreed to move from Devenford. There's a nice, small house with a wrap around porch that's not too far from the high school. Do you want to come with me?"

      "I supposed I could," Derek replied. "Now drink something so you don't pass out on me."

      "Did Scott come by?" Koda asked after taking a sip. "I can sort of smell him."

      "He had Garrett's money. He brought it to me but really it was Peter's." Derek had taken his spot next to her again, on the edge of his bed by her waist. "And I was hoping I could crash with you tonight. Scott's taking Kira on their first real date so I'm letting him use the loft."

      "They've never been on a date before?" she asked before taking another sip. "Haven't they been together for a while?"

      "Seeing as there hasn't really been a break for the past couple of months, I can't say they've had time to go out," Derek explained. "Beacon might be in its off season so a night can be spared."

      "I don't think Brett would mind you being at our apartment. Did you want to go to the lacrosse game tomorrow night? It's Devenford playing here."

      "I haven't been to a lacrosse game in a long time," Derek told her. "But who doesn't like watching violent teenagers run around?"

      Koda grinned, "It's even more fun where there's a wolf on each team."

      "I've always wondered what our lives are coming to." He watched Dakoda as she lifted an eyebrow while drinking out of her cup. "From us sneaking out of the house and being reckless to being the ones who go look at house to buy and go support at lacrosse games."

      Koda laughed, "We're the old people now."

      "Not old, just not teenagers anymore." Derek tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. "It's a fact of life, I guess."

      "Are you okay with that? With the changes?"

      "As long as you're there, I don't care." He leaned forward, softly kissing her.

      Dakoda kissed him back, trying not to think of the fact he smelled faintly of death.

- This one is crazy short, which I apologize about, but there are five more chapters and an epilogue left.
Also, this is for @McCalloftheNight aka Ash who I miss dearly and love/hate her because she was the one who got me into teen wolf years ago - Mel xxx