recklessthings | 彡 cora hale

[ Derek Hale failed. He failed at properly equipping Scott, he failed at being an alpha, and he almost failed at being a brother. Which is where the ultimate sacrifice comes in. Maybe it's in Peter's plan, but Derek can't care about that. He gives it all up for her. He finally gets it. He gets that being the alpha, being a werewolf, it's not about power. It's about loyalty. It's about acceptance. It's about working together. That is what a pack is about.

He skips town with Cora. He's lost out on too many years with her to waste any more time.

What he wants to do, besides spend time, is to see where she'd been, who she knew there - if it's safe there.

For the first time in a long time, he's not in a rush to get anywhere. He has no real plans beyond getting to know his sister all over again. He sleeps soundly most nights, something else he hasn't done in months. Maybe, years. In town, he pays for a leatherbound journal. He spends his early mornings writing. Left behind, Derek hadn't gotten the education he needed, the experiences he needed in life. He never wants that to happen to anyone again, especially not his sister.

So, he starts writing. Pack politics. Pack traditions. Cultural differences. Mantras. Anything he can think of, anything that might benefit his sister.

He wants to teach her everything he can. To borrow from Buffy Summers, he doesn't want to hide her from the world, he wants to show it to her. (Okay, he also wants to hide her from it. She almost died. And, maybe, maybe Derek's the one that can't let go here. He can't go back just yet.

Today, he's out front in the wooden chair, scribbling down what he remembers about kanimas. ]

[Compensating for six years of being without each other in one road trip is a little much, but Derek is certainly trying. And Cora gives him a lot of credit for trying, because he could have easily kept them there, gotten them swept up in the next pile of Beacon Hills drama, but having time for just them is nice.

She could almost get used to it.

She wanders out onto the porch looking for him, frowning when she sees him sitting there writing, before walking over to read over his shoulder.]

What are you doing?

Water-skiing.

[ Cora. He's writing. He is sitting in a chair, with a bound journal. Finishing off his sentence, he shuts the journal with one hand, looking up at her. ]

I didn't wake you, did I? [ With his loud ... writing? Granted, she would be able to hear the pen to paper. It's not that Derek's trying too hard is a secret, it's just that he's not ready to share what he's working on. He doesn't know how long this will last - where they'll go next. If she'll want him with her.

So, she'll need this if they part ways. ]

[She was assuming he would give her more than the obvious. She shakes her head before moving to sit on the porch railing, using the support beam to lean against and pulling one foot up to rest on the railing.]

No, I was up. It's too quiet out here.

[ He looks down at the closed journal in his hand before holding it out to her. If she wants to unwrap the tie and peruse what he's been writing, she can. ]

It's for you. Nobody taught me what I really needed to know. I made a lot of mistakes. It's everything I can think of. There's a list of what packs that I know of are out there. [ There are suggestions, insights, facts. It's part history lesson, part one-sided advice column. ] I don't want you without. [ He wants her prepared. Even when he's not right there with her.

He stands from the chair, resting his hands against the railing, peering out into the desert. ] Do you miss the traffic? [ The night moves. Not those moves. But the sounds of that side of town. ] Some people sleep better in the quiet.

[She takes the book from him gently, flipping it open so that she can look through it. She can't help the part of her that feels like this gift is a lead up to him swanning off again and leaving her on her own. That's how he makes it sound, anyway, so she's treating it with a grain of salt.]

I've never really been one for being too isolated. It makes me paranoid.

[If there are people around, a lot of people, then there's less chance for hunters to catch her by surprise.]

[ He's reminded of Cora spending time in the vault, being deprived, and his stomach twists into a knot.

Derek isn't planning on leaving any time soon. Little does he know that murmurs of a she-wolf will take him away again - and get him captured - but he hasn't heard anything like that. ]

We can go into town today. I'm not sure how many cars will be out on the road but there are other people. [ And there's the one restaurant Cora likes. And another Isaac would like. (Spoiler alert: Isaac only likes bad American Mexican. When he really should be looking up South American.) ]

[ They should restock groceries, actually acknowledge the outside world. ]

[Cora is personally of the opinion that the outside world is overrated, but she does enjoy being well fed. She can accept a trip to town for that.]

Sure. Sounds good.

[It's said idly as she flips through the pages of her brother's handwriting, just taking in the little pieces she can.]

[ And yet she doesn't want to stay isolated. Bit of a catch-22, don't you think, Cora? He watches her for a second, wondering if it's weird that he's chosen this to do. Write everything down. There were records before, helpful books. But, there was also a fire. He thinks about buying a fire-proof lock-box for it.

And for Cora for that matter.

He looks our again, past the porch railing.

If he could make the world safer, he would. ]

I'll add emergency numbers. [ Satomi. Deaton. She still has Scott's. ]

[She's not isolated. She has Derek. And just because she wants the outside world around doesn't mean she actually wants to deal with other people. It's a complicated web she weaves.

She glances up and closes it, going to hand it back to him so that he can do that.]

Just in case I lose my phone?

[ One Derek has no problem with being around. If you asked him, he'd be happy Cora didn't make any strong ties in Beacon Hills. Especially not with people her age like Stiles. Or, one of the twins. But, he still worries, too. She deserves a regular life. She deserves friends. She had tried the school thing. ]

Your phone won't always have a signal. [ Which really is his first lesson. ] I'll do it later, come on. [ He moves off the railing to set the journal inside the nightstand drawer. ] Do you want to shower?

[If her phone doesn't have a signal than what good are emergency numbers going to do? She just shakes her head before nodding as she gets to her feet to follow him.]

I survived on my own for a while, you know. You don't have to put me in survivalist school.

[ It's called a land line. Even skype nowadays. ]

When you come up against something you don't know, I want you to have the answers. [ This isn't about survival. This is about living. Thriving. ]

[Knowing everything about everything =/= living. It just means knowing a lot of things. And Cora doesn't really know the difference quite yet. All she's ever done is try and survive.]

Whatever you say.

[She'd rather have him than a book. She gets that he's trying to prepare her just in case, but her brother is a much better source.]

[ It may not be, but knowing is half the battle.

And when he can be there, he will be. He's not leaving any time soon.

While she takes a shower, he checks in on Scott, finally answering a text he'd left days ago. Whoops. ]

[You really need to learn to keep up with your phone, big brother. But moving on.

Cora emerges a little while later, grabbing her jacket from where she left it the day before and slipping it on.]

Ready to go?

[ Cora is every bit of a priority. Yes, Scott falls under the priority column, but farther down. Scott knows if it's an emergency not to text. And if he calls and it goes to voicemail, he should leave a message. Or, in the event of a real, honest to god emergency, Stiles is allowed to indundate his phone with inane texts to get his attention. File this under the only time Stiles will ever be allowed to do this. (Any other time and his phone will be crushed.)

After a few back and forth's, Malia adjusting well and something about Malia and Stiles Derek just doesn't care about (teenage relationships), Cora has returned. ] Yeah. [ He's up then, grabbing his keys and wallet.

All the radio plays is Spanish music Derek doesn't mind. Right now, it sounds as if Derek and Cora are driving through a lively Quinceanera. ]

[She actually knows most of the words to this one, drumming his fingers lightly against her leg as they drive. Sometimes it feels like she thinks more in Spanish than in English, but she still can manage fairly well in both. She had to learn to adapt, one way or another.]

So what'd you have in mind?

That cafe opens around eleven, I thought we'd eat there, then pick up food for the week. [ No reason not to spend as much time in town as they can. While also keeping a low profile. It's a balancing act. There's also Skyping with Peter, but Derek's sure he was joking when he told them they could if they wanted. Derek moreso only talks to Peter when need be. When he's in town, anyway. ] Anything you want to do?

[She glances around as they drive, before considering.]

They Dios de Los Muertos festival is starting soon. There's probably a lot of stuff in town.

It's big down here. We can check it out. [ Whatever Cora wants. ]

[Well, she does want. She usually does something for her mom at least, and now she can do something for Laura too.]

Sounds good.

[ Derek will take part as well. They can light candles. ]

Yeah. [ He smiles, quietly, giving her a look. ] Is there anyone you want to see? [ He doesn't know if she made any real friends, but if she did, he doesn't want to stand in the way of that. ]

[She pauses, before giving a bit of a shrug.]

I think anyone I knew has moved on by now.

彡 cora hale | teen wolf

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