Just a Kid [Derek Hale]

Chapter Thirty-Four

Staring up at the ceiling in front of her she tried to think of how many seconds it had been since she'd tried to get to sleep. Everything was peaceful within the loft. Derek was sleeping with one slung over her shoulders and his head pressed so close to her neck she could feel his breath against her skin. That was why she hadn't moved yet. It wasn't uncomfortable, she was used to it but when you can't sleep you don't want to be trapped in the bed. Talia had yet to cry as well.

Rafael had been rushed to the hospital and he was fine so she didn't have to worry about that. What she was worried about was the fact that her child seemed to hate her. If she didn't hate her then she definitely disliked her somewhat. There had to be something. Her final thought was a question that she dreaded to ask; was she a bad mother?

14,456 seconds. That's how long it had been. 14,456 seconds of staring up at the blank ceiling.

Hearing both hers and Derek's phone go off, she tossed his arm away from her rolling over and grabbing onto the devices. It was the same message sent to both of them. 'Stiles is missing - meet at the hospital.'

"Derek," she whispered not wanting to wake up the baby, and he groaned causing her to frown flicking him on the forehead. He finally pushed himself up, "Stiles is missing. Apparently he's in danger, we need to get to the hospital," he nodded slightly pushing himself out of the bed. She was about to get out herself when he pressed down on her shoulder keeping her down.

"You stay, everyone will be looking for him and we can't bring Talia with us," he reminded, and she froze slightly as she leant back onto the bed, "I'll keep you updated."

"Oh...okay," she muttered, wiping her hand over her face to get rid of the hair which was sat in her way.

Within ten minutes he was ready to go and she thought that he was going to just leave but he stopped pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "You tell me when they find him?" She asked, grabbing onto his wrist before he could leave and he nodded.

"Of course."

Once the door was closed, Hayley looking up at the ceiling feeling her bottom lip beginning to twitch. They had to be at 16,000 now. A tear fell from her eye and she looked back down shutting her eyes as tightly as she could in hopes of stopping it. She didn't want to cry. There were more important issues than her own right now and this was... she shouldn't be crying over this. That's what she told herself anyway.

Sniffing up the misery, she brought her hand up to her face wiping away the tears before she pushed herself to her feet. She just needed something to distract herself with. Making it to the kitchen, she opened one of the lowest drawers pulling out her camera. Abandoned since she left college, it had been sitting around rotting and doing nothing that would have been good for it.

Turning it on, she was thankful that it had some battery left in it as she went into the gallery. The pictures were so happy and filled with joy. She looked so young, so carefree like there was nothing she'd have to worry about. Friends and herself dancing and drinking and partying and doing things that people her age were supposed to be doing. There was one tragic photo of her actually trying to study and through the tears and the mourning a smile broke out on her face. She didn't miss that. And now it was all over. Taking in another wavering breath, the feeling of the tears stinging her eyes was something that burnt at everything.

A knock came at the door, and she pushed herself away from the kitchen counter ditching the camera on top of the laminate as she went over to open it. It was Ethan. "What can I help you with?" She asked looking over him to see if there was any sign of injury.

"I heard you crying..."

"Oh?" She asked, her mind freezing over slightly, "oh, I wasn't...no..." she assured breaking out in a smile, "I wasn't crying."