Hidden Hale

Five Stages of Grief

"Dammit!" Derek yelled as he threw his phone across the room. He had been referred to Laura's voice mail for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Hey, it's okay," I soothed. "I'm sure she's fine; Laura can look after herself. Her phone was probably just out of charge or something."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "For four days? No, something's wrong. Pack your bags."

Pack my bags? Why the hale would I need to pack my bags, unless... "No."

"No?" Derek questioned threateningly.

I stood my ground. "No. I'm not going back to Beacon Hills." There were too many memories: family, friends, full moons, suffocation from smoke levels, unbearable heat, the screams of my loved ones. "You can't make me."

"Oh I think I can," my arrogant prick of a brother smirked. "I'm your legal guardian while Laura's away."

I crossed my arms. "Do you want to know something really special about the number sixteen? Once you've been alive for said number of years you can... wait for it... live alone legally. I know, shocking."

Ignoring my words, Derek strutted over to me and threw me over his shoulder. My struggles didn't even faze him; I guess to a werewolf human strength is pretty irrelevant. Puching him didn't seem to have any effect either, but I knew one thing would. Stilling myself, I brought one foot round and up as hard as I could.

He fell to the ground in pain as I snorted. Guess even werewolves can't take a kick to the balls. Some 'superior species'. Glaring, my brother straightened up and brushed himself off. "Never do that again, or I'll-"

I cut him off. "Rip my throat out with your teeth, I know. Funny, you've told me that at least forty seven times yet you've never actually followed through. Do you have performance issues, brother dearest?"

"Pack. Now." He wouldn't even look at me, just glowered at the floor. Best part is: he didn't even deny!

"Why would I pack?" I asked innocently.

"Abby," he whined, the 'bee' sound drawn out into a childish groan.

"Derek," I mimicked in the same tone,  crossing my arms.

"Pleeeaaase?"

"Noooooooo."

"Why not?"

I looked down. "I just can't face it," I muttered, serious for the first time. "We had so many happy memories there once, but now... Beacon Hills just reminds me of Mom and Dad and... and Cora and how we have nobody left."

"You have me and Laura," Derek comorted.  "I miss them too, but we're Hales. We endure."

"You don't understand," I whispered, finally admitting a truth I had concealed from even myself. "I could have saved them. I was in there, with them. I'd it wasn't for Uncle Peter I'd have died; he went back for me and now look at him. As he got me out, I... I heard Mom. She was screaming for help, for someone to please just stop the agony and I just stood there. Frozen. I let Mom die."

Derek stood paralysed for a second and, assuming his silence was disgust, I turned away until I felt a familiar pair of arms wrap themselves around me. "Abby, it wasn't your fault. If Talia Hale, a powerful werewolf Alpha couldn't free herself, what could a ten year old human have done? All that would have happened is you'd have gotten yourself killed too, and Peter's sacrifice would have been for nothing."

As I melted into my brother's hug, I looked up into his green eyes. "I don't want to go back."

"I know. I don't either," Derek admitted softly. "But this is Laura, Abs. She's the only one we have left."