METAMORPHOSIS • DEREK HALE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-One (Pilots)

"Derek, where are we going," Alex called out into the darkened void of the woods, a lightness in her voice hinting to her elatedness. With her hand clutched around a flashlight and the other juggling a bottle of champagne and the bestiary, she stumbled forward, trying to keep her balance among the twisting tree roots beneath her.

"Here, follow me," Derek, replied, amused, "We're almost there."

Swapping the pizza box to his left hand, his right sneaked around to her back to guide her into the clearing of the woods he grew up in.

Despite her excitement, another part of her remained anxious about the woods, especially since the night at the Lookout Point. The night spent there with the Chemist ingrained images in her head, she would never be able to erase. But with the faint glow of the moon and Derek by her side, she felt safe.

"I'm pretty sure I have better eyesight than you, and I still can't see anything," Alex said, tucking herself underneath his arm for warmth from the light chill settling in the air. The small beam of light coming from her hand only provided a guide for her feet to follow.

"That's because it's not lit yet," he laughed.

They broke apart as Derek swung the backpack on his back to one side. Rummaging through the full bag, he seemed to find what he was looking for at the bottom. From the moment he pulled it out, the distinct smell of a match hit her nose. Before she could ask, he ran it along the edge of the box, sparking a flame on the tip of the wooden stick.

He bent down to touch the flare to the circle of branches and sticks he had compiled earlier when she was at the library, before more assassins attempted to kill them. At the mere touch, the flame spread to each wooden stem slowly, each catching fire one by one.

The new light source illuminated the view to see a duvet unfolded a safe distance away from the pit with a blue wrapped box on top, and Alex's jaw fell in awe.

"Derek..." she faltered, at a loss for words. An infatuated smile spread on her lips along with a warm feeling coursing through her veins. Turning to him, she bound towards the man she had come to harbour indescribable feelings before. They were feelings she had never experienced before. Even with her limited boyfriends from the past, none of them came close.

Enveloping her arms around his torso and having his strong ones drape over her shoulders, she felt completely at ease.

And he couldn't deny that he felt the same way. From the moment he met her, he also seemed to knew.

Neither just knew how to voice it, afraid that if they did, it might be gone soon after. It seemed like everything pertaining to their love life followed that pattern. For Derek it was Paige, Kate, and Jennifer, and Alex, her mother and her father. But for her father, she didn't know how long it would take to fully put her trust in him again, but they were at a good start.

"Thank you," she whispered against his chest.

Pushing her hair back with his fingertips, he leaned down to press a light kiss to her forehead. With his hands cupping her rose tinted cheeks, he smiled, "Happy birthday."

They settled on top of the dark blue comfortable, Alex's black jean cladded legs folding in a criss-cross manner while Derek's spread out in front of them, inching closer to the fire. He extended his arm out slightly to reach the blue box next to the enclosed pizza (piled with pineapple and chicken, Alex's choice) and champagne.

"You really didn't have to," she grinned.

"Take it," he placed it into the palm of her hand resting on her thigh.

The box felt light in her hand, and she played a guessing game in her head as to what it could be. Slowly, she unfurled the the silvery ribbon on top before lifting the lid. Inside, a bracelet rested on a foam cushion. She gaped at the sight of the silver threaded chain, connecting together a string of symmetrical beads, the big one in the middle being a wooden carved triskelion pendant.