Poison and Wine

Friday night marked the first away game for the Beacon Hills Cyclones. Hailey’s whole family was in attendance accompanied by Derek and Mrs. McCall. Hailey and Derek sat on the row of bleachers behind the parents and Aaron. Allison and her father were climbing the bleachers and Hailey waved at Allison when she saw her. Hailey was surprised when Allison led them to where she and Derek sat.

“Hey, can we sit with you?” Allison asked.

“Sure,” Hailey said, nodding her head. She and Derek stood so Allison could make her way over to sit on Hailey’s other side. Chris sat on the other side of Derek and started talking to Scott’s Mom.

“Thanks,” Allison said, smiling at Hailey.

“I’m glad you asked to join us,” Hailey said, smiling back.

“Me too. I’ve missed hanging out with you. Everything that’s happened this week with Jackson got me thinking,” Allison said, bringing her voice lower so only Hailey could hear her. “Your family’s safety is more important than how I feel towards Derek.”

“I really, really appreciate it. So much, you don’t even know,” Hailey said, leaning over to hug Allison.

“You know, I have to admit, despite how I feel about Derek he really seems to care about you. A lot. It’s nice seeing a different side of him,” Allison said. Hailey felt Derek put his hand on her knee and squeeze acknowledging he heard Allison.

“It’s not a different side,” Hailey said softly. “It was just a part of him hidden behind anger and disappointment.”

“I guess so,” Allison said, shrugging her shoulders.

“On a more serious note, any word on Jackson?” she asked, looking from Allison, to Derek, to Chris.

“None,” Chris said, shaking his head.

“My guess is that he’s with Lydia and that they’ve found a way to mask their scents,” Derek said. “Peter and Isaac would have found them by now.”

“Do you think he’s still alive?” Allison asked.

“Most likely,” Chris said.

“Unfortunately,” Derek grunted.

“You don’t mean that,” Allison said. “Do you?”

“He does,” Hailey sighed. “Don’t waste your breath. He won’t listen to a word edgewise.”

“I’m just trying to protect you,” Derek said with an exasperated sigh.

“I know and I’m so thankful but I just don’t agree with it,” Hailey said.

“Neither do I,” Allison added.

“Allison,” Chris said sternly.

“Dad, Jackson was my friend at one point. I know ever since the whole Kanima ordeal things haven’t been the same. There’s got to be something more. Another factor we can’t figure out. Not even Deaton,” Allison said and Hailey couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

“While that may be very possible we’re running out of time. This can’t go on any longer. Too many people have died,” Chris said.

“Just give it at least another two months. Let us try to figure something out,” Allison pleaded.

“I can help Stiles do even more research,” Hailey added. “I’m sure we’ll be able to find something that can help us.”

“Fine,” Derek huffed, pursing his lips. “But if something were to happen before then, if you are in danger, or your family, or Stiles, do we have full permission to kill him?”

Hailey bit her lip and looked at Allison. Allison shrugged her shoulders and Hailey looked down at her mother who was talking animatedly with Mrs. McCall. She looked at Aaron who was on his feet cheering on Stiles as he made his way down the field towards the goal, her father right beside him. She looked to Derek and slowly nodded her headed.

“Yes, but only if,” she said and he nodded his head in understanding.

****

At halftime, the Cyclones were up by two. Hailey and Allison took Aaron down to the concession stand to get some snacks. They stood off to the side while Aaron tried to decide what he wanted.

“Are you excited for next weekend?” Allison asked.

“What’s next weekend?”

“Homecoming,” Allison said with a laugh and Hailey shook her head.

“Oh wow. I’ve been so preoccupied this week with everything that I completely forgot.”

“It’s next Friday. The game is going to be in the afternoon instead of at night. That’s for the dance.”

“I’m so excited now! The last dance I went to was horrible,” Hailey groaned.

“Why?”

“My boyfriend at the time wanted to spend more time with his flask than he did with me,” Hailey said, rolling her eyes as Aaron re-joined them. They made their way back up the bleachers and Hailey took her seat next to Derek. “But this time things will be different.”

“Different for what?” Derek asked.

“Homecoming. My date will actually be interested in spending time with me,” she said, bumping shoulders with him.

“I can’t go to the dance,” he said, shaking his head and her face fell.

“Why not?” Hailey asked.

“The school won’t let me,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Is it because you’ve been arrested?” she asked and he let out a slight laugh.

“No, it’s because I’m too old. I’m over twenty-one so they think I’ll give everyone alcohol.”

“Well now what the hell am I supposed to do?” she asked, throwing her hands up.

“I think I have the perfect guy,” Allison said and Derek furrowed his eyebrows. She shook her head and laughed. “Stiles!”

“Aw of course!” Hailey said. “You don’t mind do you?”

“No. I’d prefer Stiles to anyone else. Or Isaac,” he said. “Besides, you know I’ll be outside with Isaac and Peter, just in case Jackson goes and tries to pull something.”

“I wish you could go though. Stupid rules,” she said with a pouting, leaning into his side.

“It’s just a dance,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. Hailey noticed the slight flicker of disappointment that disappeared from his face as quickly as it had appeared.

****

Saturday morning Hailey woke up with instant nerves. It was going to be a busy day in the Miner household. First they had Aaron’s soccer game joined by Derek and Stiles. Then they would have dinner with the two of them and Sheriff Stilinski.

When Hailey’s family arrived at the elementary school, Stiles and Derek were already waiting for them. Hailey smiled when her father shook hands with both of them. Aaron ran out to join his team and the five of them took their seats.

“So a little bird told me you need a date to Homecoming,” Stiles said, leaning towards Hailey.

“That I do,” she said with a laugh.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said with a smile.

“If your hands travel lower than her shoulders I will beat you to a pulp,” Derek growled and Stiles spazzed a look of disgust on his face.

“Okay, ew,” Stiles said, holding a hand up. “She’s like a sister you know that. You’ve got to stop insinuating that shit.”

“Just ignore him,” Hailey said, rolling her eyes.

****

Aaron and his team lost their first game of the season. After the game the group of six returned to the Miner house, Hailey riding along with Derek in his Camaro and Stiles following in his Jeep. Hailey pretended to be picking up something she dropped on the floor of the car while her parents and Aaron went inside so that Stiles could part the ash line without them seeing.

“Hey guys! Want to throw the football around?” Aaron called down the stairs as they entered the house.

“Aren’t you tired?” Hailey asked with a laugh as he came down to meet them.

“Nope!”

“I’ll toss the pig skin with you,” Stiles said with a smile and Aaron just stared at him, shaking his head before laughing.

“Whatever Stiles,” he said and Stiles’ mouth gaped open as he looked at Hailey and shrugged his shoulders.

“Come on,” Derek said, putting a hand on Aaron’s shoulder and leading him outside. “Let’s show Stiles how to do it.”

“Ya know!” Stiles exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

“You guys go on out, I’ll be right there,” Hailey said, her hand on the railing as she ran upstairs. She went in her room and grabbed her camera. When she went downstairs her Dad was laid out on the couch watching college football and her Mom was pulling the roast for that night out of the freezer.

“Take those outside for you and the boys,” Alyssa said, pointing to a plate of sandwiches sitting on the counter.

“Thanks Mom,” Hailey said with a smile, balancing the plate on her arm as she opened the back door. She set the plate down on the patio table and watched as Derek hiked the football to Aaron and ran around Stiles to catch it as Stiles attempted and failed to tackle him.

“Hey Hails!” Aaron called, waving to her. Hailey waved back and pointed at the table.

“I brought some sandwiches out,” she said and Stiles’ eyes widened as he scrambled over to the patio to grab one.

“Thanks,” he mumbled with his mouth full of food. He ran back out to join the other too and Hailey laughed. Derek raised a hand to her in a wave from where he stood in the yard and she waved back. They went back to playing and Hailey turned her camera on, settling down on the patio to take some pictures.

After each picture she’d pull it up to take a look at it. With each one her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion more and more. Every picture she had of Derek with his eyes open came out really strange. His eyes were glowing bright but pictures where his eyes were closed were normal.

“Hey Derek! Come here a second?” she called out and he rushed over quickly, fear in his eyes.

“Everything okay?”

“Is this some kind of weird wolf thing?” she asked, showing him some of the pictures. He sighed and nodded his head.

“Yeah, it kind of set us back at home.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, sitting down on one of the steps. He sat next to her and clasped his hands in his lap.

“My mother always wanted to have a family photo but since most of us were wolves it never happened,” he explained.

“Sad,” she said, pouting and putting a hand in his. “That reminds me, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Derek said, confusion in his voice. Hailey stood up and went into the kitchen where her Mom was prepping dessert.

“Hey Mom?” she asked, sitting on one of the stools at the counter.

“Yes?” Alyssa asked as she took the piecrust out of the oven and set it on a rack to cool.

“Can I just ask a favor for tonight?”

“Of course, honey,” she said with a smile as she took her apron off.

“It smells amazing in here,” Jason said, joining them.

“Oh good, you too,” Hailey said as he walked behind her to smell the piecrust.

“What did I do?” he asked, looking at her with his eyes wide.

“Nothing,” Hailey said with a laugh, shaking her head.

“She just has a favor to ask us,” Alyssa explained.

“Tonight at dinner can you just stay away from all personal questions when you talk to Derek? I know you guys want to get to know him better but there are plenty of other things you can talk about with him.”

“Of course we can but can I ask why?” Alyssa asked.

“He’s just… nervous and he doesn’t want the focus to be on him. Especially since the Stilinski’s will be here,” Hailey explained.

“There’s always next time,” Jason said and Hailey stared at him in disbelief. He shrugged his shoulders and patted her back as he went back to the living room.

“Why don’t you tell the boys to come in and rest for a bit? Watch a movie or something,” Alyssa said, looking out the window to the backyard. “Besides, I think Stiles could use a break.”

“I think you’re right,” Hailey said with a laugh. “And Dad’s right it smells great in here.”

****

After watching a movie in her room, Hailey, Derek, Stiles and Aaron headed downstairs to help set up for dinner. While Hailey was helping her Mom finish up cooking the doorbell rang and her father went to answer it. He walked into the kitchen, Sheriff Stilinski at his heels.

“Hey Dad,” Stiles said with a wave.

“Evening everybody,” he said, nodding his head as he shrugged his coat off. “You must be Aaron.”

“Yes sir,” Aaron said, intimidated by the Sheriff’s badge.

“Just call me Sheriff,” he said with a laugh and Aaron smiled.

“Come on in,” Alyssa said as Jason went over to the fridge to grab a beer for himself and one for the Sheriff.

“It smells great in here Alyssa,” the Sheriff said, graciously taking the beer from Jason.

“Thank you, it will be ready in just a minute,” she said, pulling the roast out of the oven. Hailey went over to mash the potatoes and was surprised to see Derek join them to carry the roast over to the table for Jason to carve.

Once the food was on the table and everyone was seated everyone became slightly more comfortable around each other. Hailey noticed how relaxed Derek seemed to be sitting next to her and listening to the conversations around him. Sheriff Stilinski and Jason traded information on their jobs and how different things were. Stiles attempted to talk Aaron into learning how to play lacrosse. Aaron said he would only if Stiles worked on his football throwing skills. Hailey was impressed with how well things were going… until her mother turned to Derek.

“So Derek,” she said with a smile. Derek turned to her a smile on his face left from something Aaron had just said. “Next time we do this we would love to have your parents join us.”

Hailey’s eyes grew wide and the whole table grew silent. Derek swallowed hard and looked down at his plate, moving some of his food around with his fork as he searched for something to say. Sheriff Stilinski cleared his throat uncomfortably and took a sip of his beer. Stiles was looking from Derek to Hailey to Alyssa and Jason his mouth gaping open.

"Um… I… excuse me,” Derek said softly, setting his fork down and pushing away from the table. Hailey turned to watch him head upstairs. She took her napkin from her lap and set it on the table before getting up and turning to her mother.

“Mom I told you not to say anything about his personal life,” she said with a sigh.

“I didn’t think his parents would be off limits,” Alyssa called, a sadness in her voice as Hailey started to follow Derek.

“Derek’s entire family, aside from his Uncle and his sister Laura, was killed in a fire seven years ago,” Sheriff Stilinski started to explain.

It was the last thing Hailey heard as she reached the top of the stairs. She looked into her room and saw Derek sitting on her bed, his head in his hands. Her face fell when she saw how distraught he was and she walked in, closing the door behind her before sitting next to him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said softly, putting her hand on his back and rubbing small circles.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, shaking his head as he pulled his hands away from his face to look over at her.

“I told her not to ask any personal questions,” she said as he turned his body towards hers and took her hand in his.

“She had no idea. It’s alright,” he said as she shook her head.

“No it’s not. You’re upset,” she said softly as she looked up at him, her eyes roaming his face.

“I just… I didn’t know what to say,” he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “If it hadn’t been for Scott and Stiles’ big mouths and your curiosity, you probably wouldn’t even know about what happened to them. Not for a while at least. It’s just something I don’t talk about.”

“I know,” she said. Her attention turned to the door when she heard someone knocking. “Come in.”

“Hi,” Jason said awkwardly sticking his head in. “Do you mind if I join you?”

“No, go ahead,” Hailey said, waving for him to come in. Derek cleared his throat as Jason sat on the window seat facing the two of them. Jason sighed and clasped his hands together in his lap before looking up at Derek.

“We’re very sorry about that Derek. Sheriff Stilinski explained everything. We didn’t know,” he said and Derek nodded his head.

“It’s alright. I understand,” Derek said.

“It will never be alright,” Jason said, shaking his head. “I know how you’re feeling. No matter how many years go by it doesn’t get much easier.”

“I’m… not following,” Derek said, confusion etched on his face.

“My parents passed away when I was fifteen,” Jason said and Derek turned to Hailey his eyes growing wide. She nodded towards her father, her eyes turning down. “They were driving home from a dinner party one of my Dad’s co-workers had held and were hit by a drunk driver. They were killed on impact. Of course, it’s not exactly the same as your family’s tragedy. But the hurt and the anger is still the same.”

“I had no idea,” Derek said and Hailey was surprised at the sympathy that was heavy in his voice. “Hailey didn’t tell me any of that.”

“It’s not something we talk about,” she said, echoing his words from before.

“I just wanted to come up and apologize. And also tell you that… if you ever need to talk about it we can go out and grab a beer or something and maybe even… not talk about it,” Jason said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Thank you,” Derek said sincerely, standing up to shake Jason’s hand.

“Now,” Jason said, clearing his throat and shoving his hands back in his pockets. “You two should come down soon. Mom made her famous chocolate cream pie for dessert.”

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Derek said, turning to Hailey after Jason closed the door behind him.

“Neither was I,” Hailey admitted as Derek sat back down next to her. “He never talks about his parents. I’ve only heard about them twice… three times now. Once when I was little and asked why I only had one set of grandparents when all my friends had two. The second was when Aaron asked the same question about eight years later. I never knew exactly how they died until tonight.”

“It’s hard for him to talk about. His heart was beating so fast.”

“What’s worse is he was an only child. He moved in with his grandparents until he graduated high school,” she said as there was another knock on her door. “Come in.”

“Everything okay in here?” Stiles asked, poking his head in the door.

“Yeah,” Derek said, nodding his head. “We should go back down.”

Hailey took Derek’s hand and squeezed it as they went downstairs. Her father and Sheriff Stilinski were in the living room, slices of pie in hand. Hailey let go of Derek’s hand and walked over to the couch. She walked up behind her father and wrapped her arms around his neck as Derek stood off to the side.

“Thank you Daddy,” she whispered, kissing his cheek. Jason reached up and patted her hand, turning his head to nod towards Derek. Derek nodded back and he and Hailey went to the kitchen.

Alyssa looked up from her conversation with Stiles when they walked in. She smiled at Derek and stood up to get them some pie. When she turned, plates in hand, she gave Derek a large slice. He nodded his head in thanks and she reached out, putting her hand on his arm. Hailey noticed that for the first time, he didn’t flinch away when someone other than her touched him. She set her pie down and wrapped her arms around his waist, smiling when he held her close.