Destined ~ Volturi Kings ~ (A Twilight Fanfic)

Chapter Four

*Third Person's POV*

Derek, flushed in the face, eyes glossy, drenched in sweat on the back of his shirt, and with his water bottle in his hand, marched into the police station, in a hurry to get to his desk. He unaware that his colleagues were staring at him, oddly. "Derek, you doing okay?" One of them asked, but he didn't answer. "Derek, boss wants to—" "Not now, you guys. I have something important to do." Derek said, just as he was approaching his desk.

"Derek, I need to see you in my office." Mark, of the Chief of the Portland Police, commanded, sharply. "Later, Mark. I'll be there when I get something done." Derek said. "Now!" Mark insisted, with his tone leaving no room for debate. Derek could sense the tension in his boss's voice, and with a reluctant sigh, he turned around and made his way down the hallway.

As he entered Mark's office, he found his boss standing with arms crossed, a stern look on his face. "Sit down." Mark said, gesturing to the chair. Derek slumped into the seat, trying to appear nonchalant despite the uneasiness creeping into his gut. "What's this about, Chief?" He asked, feigning indifference. Mark leaned forward, placing a piece of paper on the desk between him and Derek. "You mind telling me what this is? Dobrovski found it on your desk last night." He said, while his voice was steady but heavy with concern. "An APB for a juvenile delinquent. And look at that—" He pointed at the photo; it was Addi's school picture.

Derek's heart sank, a cold sweat breaking out across his brow. "It's nothing." He managed to say, with his tone flat, trying to brush it off as if it didn't matter. "Nothing? If it's nothing, then why was it on your desk, hidden underneath some paperwork?" Mark questioned. "Just a mistake. Someone probably thought it was a joke." Derek tried to explain, making it convincing. "A joke?" Mark echoed, incredulous. "Derek, this isn't funny. This is serious. You don't just put out an APB without a reason. Let alone whose picture it is on here. Now what's going on?" Mark demanded an answer. Derek felt his pulse quicken, and he struggled to maintain his composure. "It's just some paperwork that got mixed up. I was going to sort it out later." He lied, with his words tasting bitter on his tongue. "Don't give me that." Mark pressed, with his voice rising slightly.

Mark's gaze, then, shifted to the water bottle that Derek always carried with him. "What's in that bottle, Derek?" He asked, with his tone growing more serious. Derek shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Just water." He replied, his voice steady despite the anxiety knotting in his stomach. "Oh, yeah? Give it to me!" Mark ordered. "Why?" Derek questioned. Without warning, Mark reached across the desk, snatching the bottle from Derek's hand. He unscrewed the cap and brought it to his nose, inhaling it, and got a quick whiff that he knew right away what it was, making his expression darkened. "This isn't water, Derek. This is vodka." Mark stated.

Derek's heart raced, panic flooding through him, knowing he had been caught. "No, Mark, it's not what you think—" He began, but the words fell flat. "As of right now, your employment has been terminated. I need you to hand over your gun and your badge." Mark interrupted, firmly and unyielding. Derek felt a wave of desperation wash over him. "Come on, Mark, please don't do this." He pleaded, his voice rising as he leaned forward. Mark shook his head as disappointment etched across his features. "You've broken how many rules now, Derek? This isn't just about you anymore. You're a danger to yourself and to everyone around you. This is the last straw." He said.

Derek's mind raced, trying to find a way out of this mess, but he couldn't utter a single word to make an excuse. Mark leaned back in his chair, with disbelief showing on his face. "I didn't think you were crazy after Michelle died years ago, but I didn't think you were stupid either. What were you thinking, Derek?" He asked, angrily. Derek clenched his fists as the frustration was building up inside him. "Just needed a way to find her. One minute she's living under my roof. Next minute she's gone, all of a sudden." He admitted, looking at Addi's picture.

Mark shook his head, with his expression hardening. "Even if she was missing, this isn't how you handle it and you know that! You don't send out an APB for a juvenile delinquent just because you're angry! She's not even a juvenile delinquent, for Christ's sake, Derek! She's your daughter! I know Addison is not like that." Mark's voice rose, filled with a mix of exasperation and concern. Derek's facade cracked as he scoffed and replied nonchalantly, "She wouldn't be my daughter if she ran away from me. What kind of daughter does that to her father?"

Mark's eyes narrowed in disappointment while it's mingled with concern. "You're not seeing this clearly. You're blaming her for your own failures. This isn't about her; it's about you taking responsibility for your actions." Derek felt the heat rise in his chest, anger flaring at Mark's words. "You don't know what it's like, Mark! You don't know what I've been through and she's the cause of it!" He yelled as he stood up, abruptly, pacing the small office with the walls closing in around him.

"I don't know what your problem is, Derek, but I need you to hand me your gun and your badge and get the hell out of my office. You no longer work here, and I'm serious—if you think about driving home in this state that you're in, I'll have you arrested for DUI." Mark replied, his tone sharper. Derek let out a mocking laugh as he took the badge off his belt and slammed it on the desk, along with his handgun. "You don't get to tell me what to do anymore, Mark. You're no longer my boss." He said, insanely. Mark's jaw tightened as disappointment still flashed in his eyes as Derek stormed out of his office.

He walked by his now former colleagues as he exited out of the police station, with his heart pounding and his mind racing. As he made to the parking lot, he turned back to make sure no one wasn't behind him or watching him before he made his way to his car, each step heavy with a mix of anger and despair. As he reached the vehicle, he threw open the door and sank into the driver's seat, slamming it shut behind him.

He leaned back, sweat beading on his forehead and the heat of his fury boiling over. He gripped the steering wheel, feeling the tremors of emotion coursing through him. Not only because he lost his job, but it was because of the one thing he had on his mind. Then, he snapped as he growled and unleashed a roar of frustration that echoed against the metal and glass as he pounded his fists on the steering wheel. "Addi!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, as he continued to let out his anger in the car.