Young Ellie bit the end of her pen in frustration, staring down at the math laying before her. Her eyes narrowed and lips down turned at the corners. Math was the one subject she hated the most.
This was her final class of the day, her homeroom, also known as a free period. Luckily, the teacher let her homeroom students' study in the library instead of the classroom if need be.
She was one of the few who didn't just goof off the whole period and liked to actually spend the time getting any homework she had done.
She hated doing homework at home. School was meant to be learned while at school, not at home. That's what she thought at least.
A tap to her right shoulder had her pulling the pen away from her lips to look over her shoulder only to be met with open air.
She rolled her eyes playfully and looked the other way. She is met with the beaming smile of her boyfriend. She doesn't know why she still falls for that every time.
"You still coming over tonight?" He questioned as he sat down beside her, pressing a kiss to her cheek as a hello.
"That's the fifth time you've asked me today, Derek. The answer is still the same." She giggled. "You moms picking me up after school and bringing me to my doctor's appointment. Dad thinks it's something a girl should be with me for. Since someone asked their uncle, who can't keep his mouth shut, for condoms; I got an earful from my dad who was informed by your mom."
Derek blushed and pouted. "Uncle Peter is a traitor." He grumbles.
Ellie raised one of her delicate looking fingers into the air, mere inches from his nose and his eyes crossed as he tried to focus on it.
"Peter thinks we are the typical teenagers who can't stop having sex." Ellie corrects. She turns back to her homework document. "He had a good reason to tell your mom."
Derek let a small smile cross his lips and turned to straddle his seat so he could face Ellie sideways on the bench.
"Well, we haven't had sex yet, so there isn't anything to worry about." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
Ellie turns to face him once more, one palm resting under her chin. "But that's the plan isn't it? I learned that silencing spell for a reason."
Ellie took great pleasure in watching her boyfriend's face light up in embarrassment.
"Well, how come my mom is bringing you and not yours?"
Ellie smiled softly. "She's visiting our family in Poland. She took Stiles with her and everything. Uncle Kaine wanted to show Stiles something about being a Spark. Male Sparks are supposedly much stronger than us females."
Derek nodded along; his brows arched up in his curiosity. He always loved to listen to Ellie talk about her heritage, just as she loved to learn about him and his family. She loved learning about werewolves and all things supernatural just as much as he did.
"When a Spark turns nine, they go through a type of pilgrimage and get to begin their training. Stiles is now with our mom's family overseas learning about what exactly a Spark is." She pauses, lips pursed as she gets lost in her thoughts.
Derek sat patiently, listening intently as he took in all the info that he could. He could listen to her talk all day long and would never tire of it.
"There's history he will be taught as well as some testing to find out how strong he is. Then he will begin training."
Derek's brow furrows in confusion. "Training? That sounds like it could take years. They aren't staying in Poland for that long, are they?"
Ellie giggles. "My goodness, no. Just a few weeks. Uncle Kaine will be coming to stay with us. He'll probably be here for a few years. As Stiles grows, so will his powers, just like mine did."
"I remember you made it snow in my room when your powers first made themselves known." He grins teasingly and takes great satisfaction as she blushes.
"I was eight!" She defends herself. "And I thought it would cheer you up."
Derek chuckles, smiling at her lovingly. "You made it snow because I was sad, we had not gotten any yet that winter."
"Even back then I loved you, Derek. It's just that my tiny eight-year-old brain couldn't comprehend the meaning behind those feelings." She spoke softly, eyes shining with her love for him.
Derek took her hand in his and pressed it against his cheek, scenting her in the process.
"Because we were made for each other. We strive to make the other happy and will continue to do so even long after we are gone from this world."
Ellie opens her mouth to reply and sighs as the bell rings.
Derek helped her gather her supplies before pressing a kiss to her lips.
Ellie brushes his cheek with the back of her hand as he pulls back.
"I love you and will see you when you get home. Good luck with the game tonight. Kick some ass."
His answering grin made her heart flutter in her chest.
He took her hand in his and pressed it over his heart, closing his eyes to take her in. Her heartbeat, her scent, her warmth.
"We'll win for sure." He smiles, releases her and takes off down the hall towards the locker rooms.
She watches for a few moments until he disappears out of sight.
Oh, how she loved that boy.
~~~~~~
Ellie woke to the smell of smoke. She groggily wipes at her eyes as she sits up.
Little Connor lets out a small sound of protest as she shifts and burrows his face further into the fabric of the hoodie she had borrowed from Derek's closet.
She must have fallen asleep in the living room while waiting for Derek to get back.
The pack had had a movie night in the main den, which was located in the basement. It was large enough for them all, so thats where the living room was.
Full moons were a time for the Hale family to get together and bond.
Every Hale left alive was here. All except Derek and Laura. She had gone out to give Derek a ride home from his game.
Peter sat up suddenly, eyes blazing blue and face shifted, his arms tightening around his wife for a moment before he was up and moving.
"Talia!"
His cry startled everyone else awake.
He went to stalk out of the room to deal with the fire when he hit an invisible barrier.
"Mountain ash, we can't get out!" Peter growls as he gestured the kids closer to Ellie.
"Peter?" He turns to face his wife, his hands coming to rest lightly over the swell of her stomach.
Ellie's heart pains at the sight. Ellie absolutely adored Feebi. She was an absolute angel. Everyone had been excited for the twins to arrive.
Talia made her way over to the window, looking into the front yard with a grim face.
Ellie could see orange hues dancing across her face.
Talia began to herd everyone against the wall with the window, as far from the flames as possible.
"There's hunters outside." She spoke, eyes wide as she gazed at her huddled and terrified pack members. She didn't know what to do. She turned to face her husband.
David has his arms wrapped around Cora, face scared. Like Ellie, he too was human.
Before anyone even had time to comprehend what was happening and how to escape, flames began to lick at the door leading into the living room.
Ellie held Connor closer, listening to his whimpering and trying to sooth him.
Looking around an idea sprang forward. She would not let this family die. She would protect her Pack.
She passes Connor over to Cora, who takes her four-year-old brother and cradles his body close to her small form.
Ellie rushes forward and looks out the window. Thank God. It looked like even the adults would be able to get out through it.
She just had to take care of the mountain ash.
"Then we go outside and fight. I can break the barrier."
Talia looked at the young girl with sad eyes. "It's too dangerous. We'll be slaughtered."
Peter growls and steps up beside his nephew's mate. "We'll burn to death otherwise! We have to take that risk!"
The two began to bicker back and forth and Ellie's head began to hurt.
She turns eyes glowing brightly, her hands heating up. She was a Goddamn Spark.
With a grunt, she releases a ball of glowing energy at the window, sending glass raining down around her.
The smoke was becoming thicker and thicker. She could already hear the kids beginning to cough, the few adults trying their best to comfort them. The flames were getting closer, and people were beginning to cry out in fear.
Fucking hunters! There were kids in here! Many of which were human!
She grips onto the edge of the window frame; the jagged glass digging into her palms and hauls herself through the frame.
Warm, large hands gripped the backs of her thighs and heaves her up easily.
Thank God for werewolf strength.
Her body tumbles to the ground and she acts fast, the pain in her palms not even phasing her.
She wipes at the line of mountain ash that lined the window frantically.
"Peter!" She cries out, eyes shooting up. She caught sight of him and Talia rushing through the window and into the yard to defend them while David and Feebi start helping the kids through the window.
Ellie reaches out to take Connor as his small form is passed to her.
Her mind froze as she reached out, hands inches from little Connor's skin.
Her hands were bleeding, but she couldn't feel anything. Her eyes blinked in confusion. Why couldn't she feel the pain?
She looks up from her hands and is visibly startled. Everything had stopped, as if frozen in time.
The flames climbing up the far wall of the living room behind little Connor, the smoke creeping out from the broken window, David holding his son up to her, even Connor's little hands had frozen; spread wide in mid-grabbing motion towards her.
She turns slowly, eyes moving from the living room window to Peter and Talia.
Talia was in wolf form, ripping into a hunter's throat while Peter was stuck in mid roar.
"This... This isn't real... Is it?"
Her words rang clear into the darkness of the night.
It is real. At least, it is in this world. A world where you saved the Hales simply by being involved in Derek's life sooner.
Ellie turns, catching sight of her Uncle.
"Uncle Kaine? What... What is this?" She asks in confusion.
He steps up close, hands reaching out to wipe ash and tears from her cheeks.
Don't worry, dear child. I am simply taking the form of your Uncle. My true form can be... Scary.
Ellie sniffled. "What are you?"
Her uncle's image shimmered before an identical copy of herself stood before her, only slightly older looking than she was now.
I am you. We have lived many lifetimes, Ellie. Forced to be reborn again and again, our grace locked away from us, unable to truly be ourselves.
"Grace?" Her head tilts in confusion.
Our Grace can never truly be destroyed.
Ellie's head rang and her vision blurs.
We bound our Grace so we could live a mortal life with the soul of our wolf. Over and over. In every life, every world, every universe.
There was a short pause, before her doppelganger's face pinched in concern. He's coming, Ellie. This;
She gestured around them.
This was all supposed to happen, but he intervened.
"Who?" Ellie whispers out, eyes locking with older herself.
Michael.
~~~~~~
Ellie felt like she was tossed into a blender and left to rot. Her body felt bruised and battered and her throat was scratchy.
Her eyes blink slowly, squinting against the bright light that made her head hurt worse.
"Ellie? Oh, thank God you are awake!"
She turns her head slowly, eyes locking onto hazel. She blinked owlishly. She knew those eyes... But... Why was he so young looking?
"Derek? Fire?" Her tongue felt dry and big in her mouth. She isn't even sure she said his name right, but his youthful face smiled at her lovingly.
"Yeah, it's me. You saved everyone. I'm gonna go get your mom. She just left to go get a drink. She and the doctor can tell you more." Before she could answer and with the squeeze of her hand, he took off out the door.
She slowly turns her head back up to face the ceiling. Right. The fire. She remembers that... Kinda...
This didn't feel right. None of it did. Derek should be older... She should be older.
Her head was hurting.
Her mom... Her mom... She shouldn't...
The sound of the door opening had her turning once more to face the door. Her mother... Exactly as Ellie remembered her. Tears sprang up in her eyes. "Mom." She whined pathetically.
"My baby!" Her mother rushes to her side, hands gently taking Ellie's face to wipe at the tears. "Shhh. It's alright baby. Everyone is alright. You are alright." She tries to sooth Ellies sobs.
"No!" Ellie cried out and pushed her mother away and gripped at her head, clenching her eyes shut.
"This isn't real!"
"Ellie?"
Her eyes snap open, darting to the boy... The teenager was standing behind her mother, looking worried beyond belief. Derek.
But not her Derek.
Her lips parted, her tongue darting out to wet them, tasting the salt of her tears. Her eyes bore into his.
"You aren't real. None of this is real."
~~~~~~
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A/N: That's the end! Very soon, I will be releasing the first few chapters for book two! Season 2 with many lovely twists! I will also be going back over all chapters and editing/revising, adding to the story some.