The Dangers of Falling (in Love)

Chapter 41

* the next morning *

"Well that explains why I thought I heard car noises last night." Boyd replies after Scott finishes telling him and Parrish about what happened last night.

"You heard the noises... yet you didn't even look out your window or something to make sure there isn't oh I don't know, a murder outside?" Scott questions and Boyd shrugs his shoulders shoving eggs and bacon into his mouth.

"Boyd won't get up in the middle of the night if one of us needs to be taken to the hospital, do you really think he would get up after hearing car noises?" Parrish asks cutting the bacon on his plate into small pieces.

"Hey! If one of you were dying then I would maybe consider it." Boyd responds and the three of them crack up laughing as the front door to the cottage opens.

"Morning." Derek calls shaking his head trying to get the water out his hair from the rain as he walks into the dining room joining the farmhands.

"Derek, it's like 7:30 in the morning. Didn't the Sheriff say you and Stiles can sleep in?" Parrish asks wondering why on earth the other man is awake let alone ready to start a days work.

"Yeah, he did but I'm not tired so there wasn't much point." Derek simply replies and Scott gives him a sympathetic look. He knows the real reason is most likely because Derek can't sleep and by the darkness around his eyes, Scott was pretty sure he's right.

"That's only like four hours of sleep." Boyd responds in a shocked voice and Derek shrugs as he takes his jacket off hanging it over his usual chair.

"Well lucky I made extra. Eggs and bacon?" Parrish asks as he begins to stand up.

"Thanks but I can get it, sit down and eat your breakfast before it goes cold." Derek replies and Parrish nods sitting back down.

After ten minutes they were outside getting into the days work. Scott and Boyd were working together cleaning out the gutters since they were overflowing from the rain. Leaving Derek and Parrish to do small jobs like checking and feeding the cattle while they wait for Isaac to arrive with a truck load of barley seeds.

"You excited for your first Christmas at the Stilinski farm? Wait didn't you arrive here like a week after Christmas? That means you have been here for a year! Man time has flown." Parrish comments putting his ute into gear as they drive towards the pasture paddock.

"Yeah, its been nearly a year. Probably one of the best years I've had in a long time." Derek admits looking out his window as raindrops fall against it.

"How long has it been since you've celebrated Christmas?" Parrish asks as he swerves to the right dodging the pot hole full of water.

"Haven't since the fire so that's like six years ago." Derek answers and Parrish glances over at him in shock.

"Shit, I'm sorry." Parrish quickly apologises and Derek shakes his head.

"It's fine. I'm actually really looking forward to having Christmas with you guys. Do you all stay here for Christmas or do you go separate ways during Christmas?" Derek asks looking over at Parrish.

"Nah we all stay together at Christmas. The whole gang. Scott, Melissa, Allison, Chris, Isaac, Boyd, Erica, Stiles, the Sheriff, Lydia and I. Lydia's Mum use to join us as well but she moved into a city to work at some high end college." Parrish explains and Derek nods knowing that Lydia wouldn't be the kind of person to leave her friends to live in the big city. "We all take in turns hosting Christmas. Rotating between Chris Argent's place, him and Allison live on the edge of town and own a large property since they run their truck transporting company there too. Anyway, it goes from his house to Melissa McCalls and then here at the farm. Last year it was at Argents so in three weeks we'll all be at Melissa's for Christmas." Parrish explains as he pulls up in front of the gate to the paddock as Derek climbs out the passenger side to open the gate.