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Derek Hale (

derekshale) wrote in

"If I can forgive her family for what they've done, you'll find a way too," Derek answered with a small shrug, "though it's taken time." He knew Erica was justified in feeling everything she had going on, but so much water had passed under the bridge since Erica and Allison had died he struggled to hold the same grudges.

Derek understood how she felt about finding her anchor, too. He'd had his mother's help to find his, even if there'd been some necessary deception in the mix. "Find something that's important to you," he said with a look her way. "Something you can keep with you and focus on when you need to," he suggested. "Eventually you won't need the object, you'll be able to use the feelings surrounding it by thinking about it." He was already considering a proposition when Erica started to talk again.

He sat back and listened intently, sipping at his drink from time to time when he needed to pause in thought. Derek had an idea where she was going with this, but he could tell how tough this was and she needed to find the words. If Derek had been expecting a simple apology for leaving, he was seriously wrong-footed. He might even have choked a little on his drink when Erica brought up the training session.

"It was all a long time ago," he said, trying to give his brain time to catch up with his words. "I'm sorry if I led you on. When I look back I can't believe what an asshole I was," Derek told her with a sigh. "I didn't treat you like a person, I treated you like a possession, and for that I don't blame you for leaving. Wish you hadn't, for obvious reasons," like her and Boyd dying, "but I never blamed you." As for everything else, it was a moot point. She was a kid with a horny wolf controlling her and he understood that all too well.

"You didn't have an easy start, but if I can help you move forward, I want that," Derek said with a nod. He owed her.

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