Chapter 11

Derek's POV

Oh my god! Trudy is back, she is back. That is something I'm going to like getting used to. I hugged her tightly and she wrapped her small arms around my neck. "The bad man sent me to the orphanage" I rubbed her back in a soothing way to calm her down. "Shh it's okay you're home now. You're safe" She looked at me with teary eyes. "Where's Mummy?" My body froze in place. "Trudy, uh she um isn't very well and she is at the hospital, I was about to go there but then you showed up" I said the last part with a smile.

"Lets go then!" She pulled me put the loft and I put her in her carseat, I never got rid of it (just in case). She strapped herself in and I started driving to the hospital. "Okay Trudy, I have to tell you now, Mummy is really really sick so she doesn't look very good. Okay, I'm just warning you and I'm going to be with you the whole time" She nodded and smiled at me. "Do I still get to start school?" She was obviously very eager. "If you want, but I could homeschool you if you like?"

She shook her head, maybe she is social, not an inherited trait. "No, I want to meet more people. I didn't see anyone at the orphanage" Ahh that's it, she wants to make up for lost time. Fair enough. We arrived at the hospital and we went to the desk. "Hello, how can I help you?" My face was a straight line as I answered. "We're here to see Echo McCall" She typed something into her computer. "Are you family, if so can I have your names to record you being here" I sighed in frustration.

"Derek and Trudy Hale, I'm her fiance and Trudy is her daugher" She nodded and led us to Echo's room. Everytime I go in there it breaks my heart, seeing my mate, pale and fragile. The longer I'm here, the quicker she'll heal. I lifted Trudy onto my lap while I was sitting on the chair next to the bed. "Be gentle, Mummy is weak at the moment." She nodded and gently climbed onto Echo's bed. "Mummy, I'm back and I missed you so much. I'm sorry you can't see me right now but please can you wake up, for me?" I looked down as I already knew that she wouldn't wake. An hour passed and nothing changed.

I came back in the room after calling Beacon Hills Elementary school for Trudy, she is allowed to start tomorrow. Trudy was hunched over her mother's body fast asleep. I quietly laughed at her and lifted her into my arms at took her home. We were nearly back when Hayden and Liam ran across the road and stopped infront of our car. "Derek! Hayden's been shot!" I opened my car door and they got in. "What kind of bullet was it?"

Liam looked at Hayden and then back to me. "Wolfsbane." I sighed. "Damn it. That's all I need right now" Liam growled at me and I went silent. "Alright, alright. Just try and stay awake Hayden" She weakly nodded and played her head on Liam's shoulder. I have a feeling they are mates, they just don't know it yet. I got home and put Trudy on my hip while Liam helped Hayden out of the car and shut the door.

"Bring her in, I keep a box full of things for Wolfsbane" I opened the loft door and put Trudy on the couch. I softly kiser her head and put a blanket on her small body. Liam placed Hayden on the otherside of the sofa. Trudy's head shot up and looked around. "Daddy? What's going on! I can smell blood" She was confused an panicked at the smell of blood. I lifted her into my chest and petted her hair."its okay, Hayden in going to be okay" She nodded and looked in the direction of Liam.

"Is he?"

----------

Peter and I managed to get Hayden to heal and she is now resting with Liam in their room. I hope they are anyway, I'm sleeping on my bed with Trudy as she came in to my room looking scared out of her mind.

"Daddy?"

I slowly woke up and saw Trudy's adorable small figure standing in the doorway. "I'm scared, there was a big bad man and-" She didn't finish as she erupted I tears. I pulled her into my chest and she drifted off. She is just too cute some times.

I'm just thinking about Echo, she's going to miss Trudy's first day of school, I wanted to find a cure for Echo but have found nothing. I need to do something soon, the impact of her not being with me has stated to take its toll and Trudy needs her mother, I need her. I love having my daughter back with me but everytime I look at her, Echo's situation runs through my mind. Its mentally and physically painful.

I finally brushed off most thoughts and got to sleep.

__________________

I woke up at 5:45 this morning, hey don't look at me, I'm a morning person. Peter got up at 6 and sat down on the couch reading a book on stupid decisions. "How about we rebuild Hale house?" He looked up from the novel and looked to be deep in thought. "It would be a lot damn nicer than this loft. I'm seriously getting bored of this place" I rolled my eyes at him and made breakfast for me and Trudy.

Most of my morning was spent thinking about re building Hale House, making it the pack house, everyone would still have their own rooms, I might even have closed off rooms downstairs. I would make it like the old one, but even nicer. "Let's just hope Trudy is ok with her first day of school." Peter sighed and went back to his book.

"Let's hope so"