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Derek can feel it. The migraine that is slowly creeping up on him. Hunters. On his porch. Not just in California, or in his territory, but on his brand new porch. He’s heard of the Winchester’s, of course he has they’re the freaking Winchesters, but he never expected them to come knocking on his door asking about some girl named Krissy and demanding he tell them where she was buried. He doesn't know a Krissy. He’d like to think he’d remember that name.
“Derek, we know you’re lying, she told us about you, about your family, all about Beacon Hills, granted it was what...ten years ago but still, we just want to understand what happened to her and...”
The big one keeps talking but Derek is stuck on ten years ago....they couldn't be talking about...no...there’s no way. This isn't happening right now. He does not have to sit two hunters down and explain to them why their pseudo sister is dead. He’s going to get fucking shot, he knows it, and Stiles isn't here to fix him. No one is actually. Where the hell is Peter anyway?
“Krissy what?” he says, praying to whoever is listening that yes he will buy Isaac a malamute puppy and get Lydia her damn faery blood from the depths of some cave in Alaska if--
“Krissy Paige Chambers,” Dean says with a hard edge to his voice and fuck. There goes that.
“Shit...okay...you..you guys should have a seat, this story might take a little while...” Derek sighs and gestures to the porch swing and Dean gives him this look like...’oh so you do know who we’re talking about after all’ and Derek is so glad Stiles not so subtly suggested he start taking anger management and fucking yoga classes two years ago because he’s wanted to punch this look off of Dean’s face since he opened the door.
“She didn’t go by Krissy here, “ Derek starts, swallowing his reluctance, he hasn't talked about her in some time, “I knew her as Paige. She was gorgeous and smart and didn't take any of my shit...” Talking about Paige has always been hard for Derek. He could barely get the story out to Stiles when he asked, but the last two years have been good for him, and these two guys deserve to know the truth, anyone that loved her does.
The look on Dean’s face when he starts talking about Ennis is pure rage, but Sam seems to realize where this story is going and the only thing his face is screaming is sorrow. Derek knows a few things about the Winchesters’ history, it’s a story to rival and surpass his own to be honest, so he can understand this look. It’s saying ‘how much bad news are we going to have to endure before we finally get to the good’ and Derek knows. So when Dean stands up to punch him Derek lets it come. He can do this. He can let Dean have this physical outlet of his pain. He’s surprised though, and he’s never surprised these days, when Sam stands up and stops him before his fist can connect.
“It’s not his fault Dean, “ Sam says with this look of ‘you’re better than this’.
“How is it not his fault Sam, he killed her, she’s gone because of him..” Dean’s voice cracks and he immediately shuts his mouth and turns around.
“He was just a kid, like her, and he was in love, people do stupid things when they’re in love, you should understand that better than anyone.” Sam has this crooked little smile on his face like what he said was an inside joke and Derek knows better than to ask.
“Don’t even start with me Sam you know things with Ca--” Dean pauses as if he suddenly remembered Derek was standing there and looks off toward the garden that Cora started a month ago before construction was finished.
“Look I can’t tell you guys how sorry I am about everything that happened back then but if you’d like I can show you to her memorial. It’s a couple miles into the woods so if you’re up for a hike it would be no problem, I just ask you leave the wolfs bane here.” Derek offers, and tries to smile but it comes out more of a grimace.
After all the shit with the alpha pack Derek completely cleared out the old root cellar, blew off the top of it (Isaac had loads of fun with that part. It was the only thing Derek let him do actually) and made it into a rock garden of sorts. He took out the old tree and planted a new, grown, red oak in it’s place and added a swing with a carving of a cello in the wooden seat. He thinks she would like it, so he hopes they will as well.
“Why here?” Dean asks after a long, kind of awkward, silence.
“It’s....where she died...right at the base of this tree.” Derek goes for the swing and just sits there looking up at the sky remembering all he can about her. The silence isn't so much awkward anymore, just quiet, and if he concentrates hard enough he can hear her music making in his head.
“So you’re saying Paige was a hunter?” Derek’s eyebrows are so high he knows that if Stiles were here he would comment on how ‘the caterpillars can’t turn into butterflies Derek, so just bring it down a notch.’
“Sort of?” Dean says like it’s a question and a statement all in one. “Her parents were killed by vampires so she kind of took that up for a little while but stopped doing it actively before she got here, I have no idea why she even came here to be honest. It’s possible she found out about your family and thought she would be safe.”
The irony of that statement is not lost on Derek. He kind of feels like he wants to be sick but it makes sense. She did say that she knew what he was before she died. Also vampires. He can’t say he’s surprised but at least he gets to confirm that little fountain of knowledge for Stiles and Lydia. Also he should go over notes with these guys. If they go for it he’ll have Stiles talk to them.
Sam goes on to talk about how they weren't positive there were different types of werewolves until Krissy (Paige) confirmed it for them in her letters about his family and here recently they stumbled upon the Moore pack in Montana. Derek is glad for that because he’s sure as hell that they would have shot first and asked questions later without having met them. The Moore pack is very gentle and friendly and has been around for ages.
“Paige mentioned you guys once, now that I think about it, she said that the only family she had left was on the road kicking asses and taking names and that you’d come find her when it was time.” Derek senses that that was the right and wrong thing to say. Dean looks like he’s about to cry and or try to hit him again and Sam just looks like he’s been gutted. Derek guesses that that is exactly what they had been doing. Finding her. They just knew that there wasn't anyone left to find when the letters stopped. Derek hears the all too familiar sound of a certain jeep and he knows that Stiles is almost here. Betty is chugging her way down the gravel road and should arrive any minute.
“My boyfriend is almost home, and I’m sure he wouldn't mind cooking for extra people so you guys are more than welcome to stay for dinner.” He doesn't know how they’ll receive this or how Stiles will take it either but this is Paige’s family and he thinks he owes her at least this much.