Chosen Family

It was a Saturday afternoon and it was my day to make food; dad was actually going to be home for supper. Since Stiles was out being social, my mother decided it would be great to have mother-daughter time. I internally cringed as she talked nonstop while we drove to the market. I was tempted to fall on the ground and kiss it when we finally parked. I may be over dramatizing how bad being in the car with Kaleena was, but half the things she talked about I could car less about.
I pushed the cart, while she placed the items I needed into it. She was like a five year old, trying to place every thing she wanted into the cart. My head was beginning to throb between her talking and then asking to get something. "I'm never having kids." I muttered to myself as she went on a tirade about something I wasn't paying attention to.
"What?" She asked with an innocence I've only ever seen in a child.
I shook my head and replied, "Nothing, just- shit I'm-" I froze mid-sentence when I saw who I had run into. "Derek, I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it." He gave a slight nod before my mother spoke up.
"Oh and who is this young man?" She grinned at me.
"Kaleen this is Derek. Derek, Kaleen." I motioned my hands between them.
"Oh Zakline, you're so rude sometimes. Only giving half introductions." She laughed and then grabbed Derek's hand. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Zaklina's mother. And you are?"
Derek looked at me curiously as he replied, "A friend of her's."
"Weeeell," She glanced at me again and with a sly smile she lopped her arm through Derek's and said, "Maybe you can help." Derek tensed the moment she touched him. "I was just telling my daughter here that she needed to stop dressing like that," She swept her free hand over me. "And actually wear clothes that fit her. She's got a stunning body like me, and she needs to flaunt it. Don't you want to see her in a skirt or nice feminine jeans?" Derek didn't know what to say; he was confused. He was aware that I knew this woman, I mean I was shopping with her, yet everything I was emitting told him not to trust her. His nose flared as my irritation hit him like a cement wall. My mother nudged him, "Come on dear, help me convince her to go shopping with me."
Derek's mouth opened a little, but I cut him off, "Kaleen, can you go pick out the ice cream for tonight?" I smiled emptily, "Anything you want."
"Really?" Her face lit up, instantly forgetting about her latest topic of interest.
"Yes, take your time, you can only choose one."
"Okay. Nice meeting you, handsome." She turned and basically skipped to the frozen section.
I let out a deep breath and looked to my friends, "Can you please just... I don't know, slash my throat or something. We can blame it on a random cougar attack. Please." He merely looked at me with his usual scowl. "Pleeease, you'd be doing me a favor."
"Maybe, but many people would be devastated if you died. Do you really want to put Stiles and the Sheriff through that?"
"Damn you and your guilt trip logic." I leaned over the carriage and raked my hands through my short hair before replacing my hat.
"Zak? Who is she?" I looked up, but remained silent. "I think I deserve an explanation after that little experience and all the feelings I was hit with. You almost choked me."
I chuckled for a second before quieting so only he could hear, "Like she said, Kaleen's my mother... my biological mother." Derek opened his mouth, but I held up a finger. "Dad didn't cheat on mom or anything, he's technically my uncle and Stiles is my cousin. However... Kaleen ditched me when I was younger and mom and dad took me in and raised me. I may not be dad's blood daughter or Stiles's sister, but they are my immediate family. Not her." I said the last part with conviction so he understood where I stood on the subject. I laughed dryly and took off my hat to play with it, "Hard to believe, eh?"
"Kinda, I've only known you as Stiles's sister."
"Yeah, most people don't remember that dad isn't my father. Her coming back is screwing things up. She doesn't know me..." Derek didn't know how to respond, so he ruffled my hair in a comforting manner. "Hey." I playfully complained.
"Pack meeting tomorrow." He said as he turned to leave the aisle.
"You're going to leave me with her?" He shrugged with a smirk and then disappeared out of the aisle. "You suck." I muttered, knowing he heard me.
Just then my mother returned and looked around said, "Where'd your friend go?"
"Home. What'd you get?"
"Double chocolate fudge." She smiled with glee.
"Awesome. Let's go." I headed towards the checkout line with my mother in tow.
"You should invite that young man over. He seems kind of lonely." As annoying as my mother could be, at times she could be very perceptive. "I think I will go ask him." Before I could say anything, she was off and had him cornered. By the time I hopped over, she was smiling brightly. "It's no trouble at all, we'd love to have you over. Right Zaklina?" Without letting me speak, she grinned up at him and replied, "Right. We'll be eating around 6, so don't be late. If you don't come, I'll come and find you." She smiled and then turned to me. "I'll wait for you in the car. See you tonight Derek." She waved and was off.
Derek and I both looked after her dumbstruck. "What just happened?" He asked after a few minutes of standing there in of silence.
"I think you were duped into eating at the house." Realization dawned on me and I turned to him. "Shit, I am so sorry. Kaleen can be very... pushie sometimes. You don't have to come if you don't want to."
"Of course he has to come." Both of us turned to see my mother. "Are you almost done paying?"
"Just about to." I replied.
"Hurry up and see you tonight." She pointed at Derek before turning to leave.
"I guess I have to."
"On the upside, I'm pretty sure Scott, Danny, and Jackson are coming over so it should be less awkward. Possibly even Lydia and/or Allison."
"If you say so. I'm pretty sure the Sheriff still doesn't like me."
"He'll behave, I'm more worried about Kaleen. Well, I should go before she has a tantrum or something. I'll see you tonight."
"Bye, Zak." I waved and pushed the cart to the car, which I packed on my own. And yes, I'm still suppose to baby my foot.