laography | she fell in love in the first place

[She fell asleep not long after that, tucked against Derek's chest as they waited for the ambulance.

She lost time then, not knowing how much of it had passed when she woke up. The hospital bed was too white, too sterile. When she comes to and looks around the room, she spots the sheriff there, and another man that feels familiar, but who she doesn't recognize. There's a doctor standing at the end of the bed, and she frowns as she looks to him, forehead creasing with worry.]

Where's the doggy that saved me?

[ Derek, arms crossed as he stands with Stiles and oversees the doctor's assessment, turns his attention to Anita when she comes to. He visibly perks, straightening next to Stiles as clear eyes-- not red like the wolf's, but still with a similar intensity to them-- hone in on the little girl. ]

Doggy? It was just Sheriff Stilinski, sweetheart.

[ The doctor, of course, is completely unaware of the truth of the matter, but smiles sympathetically as if he wants to indulge her in the apparent "hallucination." ]

[ Stiles himself is leaning backwards a little towards Derek, keeping an appraising eye on the situation at hand as the doctor looks her over. He hadn't had a chance to talk with Derek in all actuality yet, but it seemed that they were more or less on the same page--when the doctor nods at him, he puts on his best Official Sheriff Face (learned from getting it about a thousand times from his dad when he did something he wasn't supposed to) and nods. ]

If you don't mind, I just need to ask Miss Anita here a few questions. [ And just like that, the doctor nods and turns, heading out of the room. Stiles drops the face in two seconds and walks over to her side, reaching a hand out and brushing it over her bangs. ]

I'm totally kidding about the questions, I promise. You remember me, and...[ And he hazards a glance to Derek. ] And Derek. Right?

[She looks hesitant for a moment, then nods, not bothering to pull away when he reached out to touch her hair. She wasn't a girl who was terribly shy of adults, even strangers -- though these two didn't fall under that second category, as far as she was concerned. She recognized the sheriff's face. He'd helped her.]

I remember you.

[She says that with certainty, but looks a little less sure as she turns to narrow her dark gaze at the other man in the room, curious. It takes a moment, but when she meets his eyes, there's something familiar there, and her expression brightens as much as it can, given the circumstances.]

You. You're the doggy?

[She sounds awed, looking between the two of them before turning her attention back to Derek. She was grateful to them both, but--]

You saved me.

[Her voice cracks, threatening tears again.]

[ Derek tracks the doctor back out into the hall, before his attention is solely focused on the girl in the bed. Something in him seems to relax a little, softening all around as her own expression brightens. Her reaction warms him, and he can't help but offer her a smile-- especially when her voice cracks, and he has to step forward to her.

He offers her a hand quietly, giving her his most reassuring look as he can before he allows red to bleed through into his eyes. ]

I am. [ His fingers brush hers, briefly. ] And I couldn't have just left you there.

We're not planning on it, either. [ Stiles blurts that out a little quicker than he was expecting to--apparently, in his ten or so years since meeting Derek and getting involved in this supernatural business, the one thing he hadn't learned was tact.

But, because he's Stiles, he continues to soldier on. ] With what happened, I talked it over with Social Services and did a little begging I'm really not proud of, but.

[ Leaning down, he turns his gaze directly on Anita, eye-to-eye. ] If you'd like, you can come and stay with us. Derek and I live here in Beacon Hills, all by ourselves, and we have a huge house, with a big yard, and we're totally gonna get a trampoline even if Derek's kind of a butt about it. And basically, I think the only thing in the whole world we're missing is an awesome kid to share it with.

[ Wow, he's awkward about this. ]

[The change in Derek's eyes might have scared another child to tears, but all she could do was muster a smile, reassured despite the tears that had begun to well up for different reasons entirely. She curls her fingers against his, glad for the comfort of another person's touch, even if she had never seen either of them before tonight.

She wanted to thank him again, but the words wouldn't come. The Sheriff caught her attention easily when he leaned down to meet her gaze, and she gingerly reached up to rub the tears from her eyes with one hand while she listened intently, taking a moment to fully grasp what he was offering.]

You mean... you want me to...?

[She was still in shock from having lost her parents; it was likely to be a long, long while before that actually wore off, but this offer softened it. She knew where kids without parents usually went. It wasn't all that nice, from her limited understanding. But this--

Tears finally managed to fall, and for a moment, the only answer she could give him was an eager nod. Yes. She wanted to go with them.]

[ Derek chuffs softly as Stiles rambles, keeping a cringe back as he oh-so tactfully offers Anita their proposition. Not that he expected any different, but it's still... well, it's Stiles. The red bleeds out of his eyes, returning to the green-and-hazel of his humanity before he settles to sit on the edge of the hospital bed. She's so small in it, he really can't stand the image. ]

They're going to keep you a little bit longer here, but once they let you go you'll come with us.

[ Reaching his free hand out, he brushed his thumb over her cheek and offered her a small smile. There was no attempts to stop the tears, and no words to reassure that they weren't necessary. Not when he and Stiles both had been there, losing family in the worst ways they could.

And Anita's parents would be taken care of without her having to worry about anything, that much he knew for sure. He wasn't going to just let the state take care of that, not when it was so impersonal and disregarded them as people-- disregarded that there would be a grieving child left behind. ]

[ It's almost undeniable how quick his face lights up when Anita says yes. Stiles wasn't expecting her to say no, but at the same time, it's kind of realizing something that they've been talking about for ages, and saving a little girl who's lost everything at the same time. He's been there--he can't imagine losing his dad, especially after the crushing blow that his mom's death had dealt him so many years ago. Anita was still young, and she deserved every good grace they could possibly give her.

There was something about this kid. Some kind of spark. And a long, long time ago, Stiles had learned to be watchful for sparks.

His mouth crooks up in a grin as Derek leans in to talk to her, and he plops down in the chair beside her bed. ]

And then you and I can get started on convincing Derek for that trampoline.

[Anita reaches up tentatively to lay her tiny hand against Derek's as he touches her cheek, her dark gaze moving back and forth between the two of them as she tries hard to blink back tears. Even now, even this young, she doesn't like the idea of other people seeing her cry. She wants to be brave, but everything hurts.

She knows, though, that she's gotten lucky. She was lucky that these two were the ones to find her.]

A trampoline...

[Thinking about that was easier than anything else right now. It hurt less.

She offers Derek a hopeful smile, though it's a bit shaky and her cheeks are tearstained.]

I've never been on one.

[ Giving Stiles a dry look as he, once again, brings up the trampoline, Derek turns his attention back to Anita. Bowing his head forward, he briefly taps his forehead to hers-- she's just a kid, lost and alone and hurting, and he's been there-- and offering her a quiet smile. ]

We'll change that.

[ And he looks into her dark eyes for a moment, almost searching as he considers the teary gaze.

That pain strikes him, and he rubs his thumb on her cheek, taking away a trail of tears. After having lost everything of his own, he's going to try and make sure that Anita won't have to go through it again. ]

I know it hurts. But you're being so brave, and I promise we'll be here to help you.

she fell in love in the first place

[later]

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	For the life of me, I cannot remember What made us think that we were wise And we'd never compromise For the life of me, I cannot believe We'd ever die for these sins We were merely freshmen