♡ 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 ♡
𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 twenty

so, before you go!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

DALLAS SAT BEFORE JAMES GARCIA AND DEREK HALE, AWAITING WHATEVER NONSENSE WOULD LEAVE THEIR MOUTHS NEXT.

"You're a.. werewolf?" She muttered to Derek, her throat dry. He shared an expression with her father and knelt before her as she sat on the edge of her stairs.

"I know this is a lot-"

"And Scott McCall... Is also a werewolf." Dallas interrupted him, in both disbelief and amazement. She knew she wasn't crazy. She had seen things - things that never really made sense to her. Now, all the pieces fell into place and it all seemed so clear. "And Stiles?"

Derek huffed rather loudly. "An idiot, but not a werewolf." He shook his head. He had explained to her about the Argents, how they had hunted his kind of generations. He then told her about Jackson's curse and how he had become the Kanima through his cold emotions. James offered his knowledge too, making sure his daughter was prepared for the hellfire that would arrive next.

Finally, Derek explained why he was even there in the first place. "Look, Dallie, I know my uncle did some awful things to you," he noticed how she swallowed hard and avoided his look. "I don't expect you to trust him.. Or me, for that matter, but protecting you is our first priority here." The Lycan glanced at her father. "Whether your dad believes that or not."

"Why?" she looked up. Those were the only words that could form in her mind. Why did Derek Hale care so much? Why did her father insist against it? Why had Beacon Hills become such a predatory mess? She knew none of the answers to her questions but awaited them from Derek.

"Because we're a family. Maybe not biologically, but it's as close as you could get." he heard the harsh huffs of her father behind her. 

He stood up and turned to James who had his arms crossed defensively over his chest. "But before we do anything, you need to tell her what happened. You need to explain what happened to Marilyn."

Dallie's head picked up from the floor while they both stared at Jim. He finally gave in and dropped his harsh exterior. "Fine." He glared towards the werewolf. "But not with you here, this is something between me and my daughter."

Derek tried to hide how hurtful his words were. Without Marilyn, he had been shut out of Dallas Garcia's life and held no place in it. He was suppose to be the one to take care of her if anything had happened to her both her parents, to offer her advice and become apart of her family. He remembered how Marilyn would always refer to him as Uncle Derek to Dallie - but now he barely knew her.

"Fine." Derek glared to the man, his jaw clenched and left the duo alone. He spared a look at Dallas who seemed to be drowning in all the new information. Slipping through the front door, he knew he would see Dallie even less now. 

"What is he talking about, Dad?" Dallas glanced up at her father who had taken a seat beside her on the stairs. "How do you even know him?"

"Derek.." he trailed off, fumbling with his hands. "Derek is your Godfather, Dallie. Your mother and the Hale family used to be very close." he watched as she took in every word he spoke. "Pratically Family. But when Kate Argent set fire to the Hale House, your mother knew it wasn't safe anymore. Marilyn knew that if they were aware of Derek's kind, then they'd surely know of her.. and you too." 

Dallie attempted to speak but her throat fell dry. "She wanted all of us to flee from Beacon Hills, but she knew that the hunters would follow her til the ends of the Earth. She didn't want to put you in danger." His voice became strained. "So she left without us."

Dal's world crumbled around her. Her mother wasn't missing - but had chosen to leave.. without her. "Then.." she swallowed hard as her voice shook. "Then where is she now? I need to see her, Dad, where is she-"

James stared up at his daughter, his eyes teary and voice throaty. "Dallas, your mother died last year." 

There it was. The words that she had dreaded hearing since her mother's infamous disappearance. There was no slither of hope for her mother's return anymore. She was gone - and Dallie didn't even have chance to say goodbye. "But she loved you so much, Dallie, you know that."

Her face tightened and she avoided his look. "How?" her tone was sour. "Was it the hunters?"

"No." James tried to choke down the grief that erupted from his gut and swallowed. "Car accident." he didn't want to give away the gruesome details, as the girl had only just lost her mother. Even though she lived many years without her - she always believed that she was still out there waiting to be found. "I'm so sorry, Dallas."

She stood up and ran her hands over her face before turning back to him. "And you didn't tell me, Dad." Dallas wiped away her tears that spilled down her hot cheeks. "You never intended to, either. If it wasn't for Derek-"

"I wanted to protect you!" He stood up too and knitted his eyebrows together. "That's all I've ever done, Dallas. Derek is dangerous and you know that!" he dropped his head to the floor. "So yes, I lied to you about your mother. I didn't want you to endure the heartache that I had."

Dallas's hands dropped to her side and she stepped away from her father. "No, you stole it from me instead. You didn't even give me the opportunity to grieve." She turned her back to him and dashed through the front door. She wasn't sure where she was going - but anywhere was better than there. Deep down, the Latina knew what he was true. He was protecting her. But how much protection was too much?

"Dallie, wait!"

⊱ ──────ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰

Derek Hale sat on the porch with a bottle of whiskey beside him. The midnight air pricked his skin while his hot breath could be seen in the cold wind. He held the glass in his hand and stared out into the dark forestry. A few snaps of leaves and branches caught his attention as he came to a intimidating stance. "Who's out there?" he hissed, his Lycan eyes gleaming red. 

"Relax, it's just me." Dallas Garcia spoke from the clearing, Her lavender jumper hung from her shoulders and she ran her hands up her arms. She tred carefully over the sticks and towards the empty Hale residence. 

He gave her a peculiar look as she sat on the decking beside him. "What are you doing here, Dallas?" he noticed her smudged mascara and teary eyes and connected the dots. "Oh, he told you, huh?"

She inhaled sharply and tucked her hands inside of the sleeves of her jumper. "He said that you were close." she spoke gently about her late mother. "What was she like?" 

Dallas didn't remember much about her mother, not enough for her liking anyway. There was so much about her that she didnt know now and she'd never have the chance to hear it from her. Derek inhaled sharply and turned away from the Latina. "Wonderful, really." he paused. "Assertive, but a real pain in the ass sometimes." he watched as a small smile fell on her lips. "Here." he slid his glass towards her. She sent him an odd look and awaited another response. "You look like you need it."

She took the glass and raised the bitter liquid to her lips. Unusually, her face didnt scrunch up and she didn't cough. Derek knitted his eyebrows and gave her a knowing look. "You've drank that stuff before, haven't you?" he spoke like an older brother, or maybe an uncle figure, but whatever it was - it held the familiar assertance of family. 

Dallas dropped the glass to the decking and chewed on her lip. "Please don't tell my dad, he'll literally get Sheriff Stilinski to arrest me." she chuckled as he took a swig of the bottle. 

He shook his head at her and laughed. "Don't worry, kid. Your secret's safe with me." 

A few moments of comfortable silence passed by until Derek spoke again. "Why are you here, Dallas?" he gave her a simple glimpse. She lay her head on her hand and inhaled sharply. 

"I can't be around my dad right now." Dallie murmured. "But I don't have anyone else.." she halted and turned to him. The young girl watched as the werewolf's hard expression softened. "Except you." the Latina smiled warmly. "The werewolf godfather. Sounds like a Disney knockoff." She tried to lighten the mood, which worked when Derek gave her a snicker. Dallas would never forget her mother. She was her everything and time wouldn't change that. It didn't matter if it was biological or not - family was family. And family meant everything to her. "I just need someone. You know?"

He grinned at how alike she was to her own mother and nodded. "That's what I'm here for, Dallie."

☆ word count: 1,586. ☆

A/N: short chapter srry BUT overdramatic sad scenes are my speciality