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Derek clutches at his daughter like a lifeline, watching parents and children and teachers around him. He sees Scott dropping off his daughter, dressed in a slightly ridiculous outfit that he probably let her wear without Allison knowing. Chris is kneeling by her side, giving her a very serious-looking pep talk. She's just giggling and swishing around the ruffled ends of her dress. She's got Scott's smile.
Derek doesn't smile. He's too nervous, all these questions going through his head. What if her teacher is mean to her? What if she gets bullied? What if she gets hurt? What if she cries? He should just take her back home. Yes, take her home and they can watch cartoons and make a new pillow fort and he can protect her. She can start school next year. After he's taught her some self defense.
She grabs onto his cheeks, smiling at him, "Papa? I be talk to you. You tinkin' lot again?"
He smiles for her, "Yeah, I was thinking. Maybe we should just go home."
Her little fingers rub in his beard, "Oh no, Papa. I don't want go home yet. Uncle Tott just drop off my Aarley."
She points over to where Scott and his daughter are, Scott kissing her head before letting her run to her teacher. Derek frowns, "Yes, but you know Charley isn't in your class. There will only be new people."
"Yeah, know," she nods, "Dat means I get make lot new fwends. I show dem my pretty ovee-alls."
Derek adjusts one of the straps on her overalls, smiling softly. He'd replaced the denim front pocket with floral colored cloth, sewn it in place just for her. She'd been so excited to get dressed and have him fix her hair this morning, because she wanted to get to school as fast as possible. Derek clutches her a little tighter.
"You look so pretty, and everyone will love you. Just not as much as me."
"I'm your favorite," she says, then kisses his cheek, "You my favorite, too. My favorite Papa."
"I'm your only Papa." he chuckles, leaning close to scent her.
She hugs around his neck, "Das why you my favorite!"
Derek presses a kiss to her cheek, "I love you so much. So much, you know that."
"I love you!" She presses her cheek to his, trying to imitate the gesture and scent him like he does to her, "Love you, love your face, love your wuff."
He lets his eyes flicker with red for the slightest of moments, "My wolf really loves that you love him."
She smiles brightly and puts her fingers on his face until he closes his eyes, then kisses his eyelids, "Love lots and lots."
The bell rings and she screeches with excitement, patting his shoulders quickly to be let down. Derek hesitates again, "Okay. Okay, you'll be good, right? If anything happens, demand that you call me. If something bad happens, you hide until I come and get you. Remember to eat your lunch, and it's okay if you have to sit down and retie your shoe, the other kids won't laugh at you. Don't let anyone bully you. And god forbid if there's--"
"Alara Hale?" the teacher reads off, and Alara squirms in Derek's hold.
"Papa, dey call fer me!" She says, and Derek does finally let her down, helps her put her arms through the straps on her backpack. She smiles and squeezes his cheeks, then runs to be in line, "I here!"
Derek cringes a bit being away from her, and instinctively takes a few steps closer. Her teacher, an elderly woman with a kind smile hands off the clipboard to her teaching assistant before approaching Derek. He stands up straight, looks her over, makes sure he doesn't sense anything cruel or mean about her. She smiles, "Mr. Hale, yes? I'm Mrs. Willows. We talked on the phone, I'm Alara's teacher. I promise you, your daughter will be fine."
"She's delicate. If she gets hurt, you need to call me immediately. Do you have my number? She knows them, too." His eyes keep going to check on her, seeing her talking to a girl and pointing at her sparkly shoes.
"We have your home phone, and your cell phone numbers. We have a certified nurse here every day, and if it's serious enough for Alara to go there, we will give you a call." Mrs. Willows says calmly.
"There's a lot of kids in that line. Are they all in her class? How are you going to watch them all?"
Mrs. Willows gestures to the two teaching assistants giving out name tags and stickers, "I have help. We have enough staff, I assure you. There's three teachers while they eat lunch, three teachers when they have recess, and most of the assistants help with getting the children on buses at the end of the school day. There is nothing you need to worry about."
Derek feels so tense he might tear a muscle, "Do you have a plan if there's a fire?"
"We do," She nods, "That's third on the list of things I'm going to talk about this morning with them."
Derek sighs, nodding. Alara's chatting with one of the teaching assistants, talking about the book Derek's been reading to her. He smiles fondly, nodding again, "Okay... Pick up's at one-thirty?"
"It is, Mr. Hale." Mrs. Willows confirms, then turns to her class, "Are we ready to go inside? You all have cubby holes that need backpacks in them!"
The class erupts in joyful yelling, and one of the assistants starts to lead them inside. Alara looks back and waves excitedly at Derek, and he forces a smile and waves back. Scott's scent invades his nose and he looks up, feeling a hand clapping down on his shoulder.
"Hey, man. I can smell that fear from here. It's gonna be okay." Scott tries to assure him.
"I'm gonna sit outside in my car until it's time to pick her up." Derek says, watching the bun of her hair bounce as she goes, then leans a bit when he disappears around the corner.
"Derek, don't do that. She's fine. She'll be here, safe, until you come back to get her." Scott squeezes his shoulder, then directs him towards his car.
Derek grunts at him.
--
Derek looks around anxiously, the lines of parents and kids leaving the school loud to his ears. He tries to find and latch onto Alara's scent, but there's too many. He just starting to panic when a voice rings out in a delighted scream, "Papa!"
He turns and sees his little girl running to him, crashing into his legs. He picks her up and hugs her tight, "Hi, princess."
She clings to him, smiling, "I have lots fun today. We do paint and sing songs and have snack. Papa, I make pictures fer you!"
"You have pictures for me? Thank you so much." He kisses her cheek, "So, you had fun today? Everyone was nice?"
"Yes, Papa. It was lot fun. I come back tomorrow? Please, please!" She gives him round, pleading eyes. And he can never say no to her.
"Of course you can." He promises, and she laughs, hugging her little arms around him, "But you'll still want to spend time with me, right?"
"You my favorite." She tells him, and he knows it's true.