Monster {1} TO

ELIJAH
[1×08]

THE HUNTRESS REMAINED IN THE SHACK WITH ELIJAH, EVEN AFTER AYLA RETURNED. The she-wolf had spotted her uncle sitting by the dock and gone to sit down next to him. They had been sitting in silence for a few moments, just looking out at the water.

Derek glanced at his niece, seeing her expression. "You worried about that wolf you told us about?" he asked.

Ayla shook her head. "No. It's her choice now. If she wants to survive, she'll come back eventually," she told him.

He nodded. "Then you want to talk about the rest of this?" he wondered.

"Which part?" she asked.

"Any of it," he told her.

Ayla shrugged. "You know, that day in Beacon Hills felt like the best day of my life. I mean, I finally had everyone again. I felt like I could actually survive all of this for a minute. Thought maybe it would all be okay," she admitted.

Derek put a hand on hers, making her turn to look at him. He gave her a nod. "It will be okay," he told her.

She managed a small smile before turning back to the water. "I don't know how to do this. I mean, you saw my parents. They were enough of a mess. I didn't want that to be me with my kids. I didn't want to have twins with a freaking stranger and get no choice about it," she told him. She grabbed a nearby rock and threw it into the water.

Derek smiled. "Did that help?" he wondered.

"No," she snapped, making him chuckle. She smacked him in the arm. "None of this is funny!"

"Watching you throw a rock with the same coordination you had when you would throw crayons at my head when when we were kids was a little funny," he told her.

"Der!" Ayla exclaimed.

He sighed. "Look, you're probably the closest thing I'll have to my own kid, and you're now about to have two of your own. I need to see some humor in this," he informed her.

Ayla sent him a look. "Glad to know you find my suffering humorous," she told him.

"I don't, okay?" he asked her. "But you're not really suffering, are you?" She frowned at him. "Come on, Ayla."

The she-wolf ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "Why am I this scared?" she wondered.

"Hey, you were sixteen when I realized I was stuck with you, and I still felt like I'd find away to mess you up," he admitted, making her smile.

She turned to him. "You know you did a good job, right?" she asked. Derek looked away from her. "Hey, my dying wasn't your fault. You did your best to protect me. I just realized I didn't need anyone to protect me anymore," she told him.

He sighed. "You're not coming home, are you?" he asked.

Ayla frowned. "I can't," she told him.

He nodded. "Yeah, I know," he muttered.

Ayla leaned over, laying her head on his shoulder. "I'll be okay, Der. I just have a lot to figure out."