𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐄 | 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚘𝚕𝚏

𝚂𝙸𝚇𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽 | 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙺𝙰𝙽𝙸𝙼𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝚃𝙲𝙷

Lexie and Derek Hale stood silently before the charred remains of what was once their family home. The grand structure, now a skeletal shadow of its former self, evoked a torrent of memories neither of them could suppress. Derek, accustomed to the sight after countless visits, stared at the ruins with a hardened gaze. The pain hadn't gone away, but he'd learned to contain it, locking it behind an expressionless mask. His stone-faced demeanor remained intact, as solid as the cold ash beneath his boots. He knew he'd never truly be at peace with what had happened, but at least now he could look at the house without crumbling.

The same couldn't be said for his ten-year-old sister, Lexie. This was the first time she had voluntarily returned to the house since the fire, and even though she'd promised herself she'd be strong, standing in front of it now made her stomach churn. She had assured Derek she was ready to help him search for anything that could aid their mission, something important amidst the ruins, but now she wasn't so sure. She stood in front of the car, her crutches digging into the dirt beneath her.

Lexie thought she'd struggle to look at the house without falling apart, but she found herself unable to tear her eyes away. The wreckage, now nothing more than a pile of scorched wood and stone, seemed to bring the past flooding back with startling clarity. As she stared, the vision of the fire consumed her mind. She saw it all again: the orange flames licking the walls, the thick smoke billowing out of every crack, and the house collapsing in on itself as it was engulfed. Worst of all, she could almost hear the screams. Those awful, blood-curdling screams echoed in her ears, and they sent a shiver down her spine. The weight of it all made her legs feel like lead.

Derek, who had begun walking toward the house, stopped in his tracks when he realized his sister wasn't by his side. His brows furrowed slightly as he turned, seeing her frozen by the car, her hand gripping the door handle so tightly her knuckles were white. He knew this was hard for her, probably harder than she had let on. Her voice had wavered when she'd told him she could handle coming back, but he hadn't pushed her then. He knew she needed to face it in her own time.

"Lexie," Derek called, his voice soft but firm as he took a step toward her.

Lexie blinked, snapping out of her trance as her eyes shifted from the ruins to her brother's face. His forest green eyes were filled with a mixture of concern and understanding. He was giving her an out, a chance to back down if she wasn't ready. She hesitated, but then she nodded, almost more to herself than him, and stepped away from the car. Her small hand fell from the handle, and her crutches finally moved toward the house.

Derek watched her carefully, sensing the turmoil she was feeling. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, steadying her as they walked together toward what was left of their home. Every step felt slower than the last, as though time itself was stretching the closer they got. The air around them was heavy, thick with unspoken emotions and painful memories. When they stopped in front of the house, the front door—once a vibrant red, now a dull, ashen grey—stood as a haunting reminder of the night everything had changed.

They entered the house in silence, the creak of the damaged floorboards underfoot the only sound breaking the stillness. Lexie let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her heart pounding in her chest. She forced herself not to look too closely at the remains, but it was hard. The ghost of the flames seemed to dance in her mind, vivid and relentless. She barely noticed when Derek nudged her gently forward, guiding her deeper into the ruins.

Before she knew it, Lexie found herself standing at the entrance to the corridor, her eyes drawn to a specific spot on the wall. The hole was still there, the same one her uncle Peter had created when he'd saved her that night. Her legs began to burn, the same way they had when she'd scrambled through it, running for her life. The memories rushed back in full force, and she flinched when Derek's sharp voice broke through her thoughts, calling her name. Shaking herself free of the past, she turned and walked back toward the dining room where Derek was waiting.