Time Goes On

True to Myself

We drive to the upper east side and ended up at a ritzy restaurant. "You didn't need to dip into your inheritance for this."

"I have come to terms with my inheritance. Therapy has helped me not see it as ill gotten gains from them dying. I was a young impressionable teen who listened more to his hormones than common sense. So I want to use it on special occasions like this. Our first Valentine's day together is beyond special."

I blushed and smiled. "Well, I appreciate that." He got out and opened my door for me before handing his keys to the valet. We walked inside the building and up to the hostess stand. The woman behind the stand roamed her eyes over Derek and I let out a low growl that only he could hear.

"Calm down. I only have eyes for you." He put a hand on the small of my back.

"Doesn't make me like someone checking out my mate any more. You are mine Derek Hale." We were seated quickly since Derek had made a reservation. The table was near a window and you could see the lights of the city since the restaurant was on the penthouse floor. "I want to get to know you better. I know your story but I want to know the details."

He smiled. "Well I am an open book to you." We looked at the menu and I quickly chose a steak. The wolf in me wanted the red meat.

"What is your middle name?"

"Samuel, I am Derek Samuel Hale. Now turnabout is fair play. What is yours?"

"I am Emilia Alexandria Livingston. It is my dad's mom's name. Now, who was your first kiss?"

"Well that would be Paige." I had learned all about Paige back in highschool. "Who was yours?"

"That would be you." He looked very pleased with himself. "Someone seems very happy with himself."

"I can't help that I am a possessive bastard." He smiled at me and winked. "Now, do you have a big family?"

"I do. In California it is just me and my dad now, since my mom was an only child and her parents are dead. Here in New York though, my dad has two brothers, a sister, and both his parents are still going strong. I have so many cousins that I would have to sit and count them."

"Before the fire I had such a big family. Laura was the oldest of my generation, with me being second. Cora was second youngest, with Jamie being the youngest. He was my little brother. Then there was all my cousins, like you, too many to count." A sad smile crossed his face. "I miss them, but I am learning to be okay."

I reached out and took his left hand in my right. "You are doing great." The waiter showed up and smiled fakely at us.

"Happy Valentines day! I am Roger, and I will be your server tonight. Would you like to hear our specials for the night or would you just like to order?"

I shared a look with Derek before he ordered the steak that was bigger than mine and I ordered mine. I settled for water since I was underage. Derek ordered a beer but it wouldn't effect him due to being a werewolf.

"If you can't get drunk, why order alcohol?"

"I actually like the taste of beer. My dad used to drink it when we went out and he passed that on to me I guess." He shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "Now, I would like to give you your gift before we get occupied with eating."

He pulled out a small package from his leather jacket that he had draped over the back of his chair. I tore off the paper to find a jewlers box. I cracked it open, the hinge sounding like it was still pretty stiff, and found a charm bracelet inside.

"A charm bracelet?" He smiled at me and took it from my hands. The charms on it jingled a bit when they moved.

"This is so you have our pack with you all the time. The arrow is Allison, the little dog is Scott because he wants to be a vet. Then Stiles is the magnifying glass because of his knack for finding things out, with Sophia right next to him as the book. Lydia is the tree, as in the tree of knowledge, then Isaac is the 14 because of his lacrosse number.

"Erica loves that teddy bear you got her for her first birthday with the pack, so she is the little bear. Boyd is the chef hat because of his cooking skills. Your dad is the firetruck, and your mom is the eiffel tower, because of her speaking french to you.

"Then I couldn't forget about the Sheriff, he is the badge, and Melissa is the red cross. There is still plenty of space on there for more memories and if we add to the pack. I hope you like it. You are not the easiest to shop for."

He had put so much thought into it. "Wait, where are you?" He moved the bracelet around and showed me an older looking charm that was a bit tarnished. A triskele. "Why does it look older?"

"My mom wore that one on her bracelet. It was with her in the fire." I felt overwhelmed by emotions. I was incredibly touched.

"Derek, you should keep something that was your mom's."

"I want my mate to have it. You were the beginning of my new pack and the reason that I decided to work healing. I think my mom would have wanted you to have it." He took it off the pillow in the box and put it around my right wrist. "Now you will always have us with you."

He knew that I had always felt like it was me and a few allies against the world. Now I would have a reminder that I wouldn't be abandoned. "Okay now it is my turn to give you your gift." I reached into my jacket and pulled out the little bag I got from the mall.

Derek took it from me and dug in the bag. Once his fingers found the chain, he pulled it out and it hung from his hand. His eye went to the tag. He held it and looked at the side with the triskele. He then flipped it over to see the words I chose for the other side.

This is private property, owned by E. Livingston.

He smiled. "Those words sound familiar."

"The first words you ever said to me. Plus an added flair of my own. That is my way of being possessive. You are my mate, emphasis on my. If you get to be a possessive bastard, I get to be a possessive bitch."

He smiled at me. "As long as you don't consider it my dog collar."

"You may be my wolf, but you are hardly a dog to be owned. I am tagging you against handsy people." He grinned even bigger and slid the chain over his head.

"Now we both have the other with us all the time."