TW/VD: Unexpected Love (Deratherine)

Characters: Derek, Kat, Kate (mentioned), Chris (mentioned), Klaus (mentioned), Kai (mentioned), The Alpha (mentioned), Elena (mentioned), Elijah (mentioned), Travelers (mentioned)

Summary: Set in TW 1x4. After Kat finds herself in town and Derek saves her life, he later gets shot like in the show. She looks for a cure for him to save him. Can she find it, or will it be too late?

Pairings:

Deratherine (Derek/Kat)

Kalijah (mentioned)

It was a nebulous night, as Derek Hale walked through the woods, alone as usual. He was searching for the alpha to take it down. He couldn't sense it anywhere in the Beacon Hills woods, though.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, smelling the familiar scent of blood. He thought the source would lead him to the alpha or a clue, so he followed the scent, hoping to come up with something useful.

Katherine didn't know where she was after escaping the prison world and Kai, so she sat against the bark of the nearest tree. There was a dagger in her thigh, which had opened an artery, and she was losing a lot of blood from it. There was also an arrow protruding from her lower stomach. She still held the ascendant in her hand, but she was weak. She'd been through a lot with Kai. Right now, the fight she normally had, she didn't have.

As her vision blurred from blood loss, she saw someone approach her and kneel in front of her. He didn't seem to be a threat, though. It seemed like he was there to help her.

When Derek found the source, he knew he was wrong about it helping him find the alpha. It was just an injured girl that looked like she'd been through hell and back. He didn't know why, but he wanted to help her. He usually didn't go around helping injured humans, but this one seemed like she was worth saving.

He approached and knelt in front of her.

"What's your name? What happened?" he asked her.

"Katherine Pierce. I escaped from the prison world from a Gemini witch, Kai, and ended up here," she informed him. "Who are you?"

He wasn't sure what a Gemini witch was, but this Kai person wasn't kind, considering what he'd done to Katherine.

"Derek," he answered her, not wanting to tell a complete stranger his last name. "I'm going to help you," he added. Then he pulled the arrow out of her, tossing it to the ground. He took the ascendant from her and put it in his pocket. Then he slid an arm behind her. He put her arm around his shoulders, pulling her into his arms.

As he got to his feet with her, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hang on, Katherine," was the last thing she heard, before everything went black for her.

Several hours later, when she woke up, she was in the hospital.

She sat up in bed and looked around the room. That's when she saw Derek suddenly at her bedside.

"How do you feel?" he asked her.

"I've been better, but I'm used to it. I used to be a 538-year-old vampire. I was all the bad parts. As a vampire, I made many enemies trying to survive on my own, always running and being one step ahead of my greatest enemy, Klaus. Being as old as I was, I forgot who I used to be. Being hunted by Klaus turned me into a monster almost like he is. Or used to be. I guess even the worst person can get their life turned around for the better."

"I thought vampires were myths. How are you human if you were a vampire?" he replied.

"I made a mistake when I tried to kill Elena after Elijah, Klaus' elder brother, left me. I didn't know she had the cure for vampirism in her pocket. After 500 years of looking after me when I was alone, he abandoned me over some lie I told him. I wasn't the nicest person as a vampire, although as a human, I've learned how to somewhat be nice. Thank you for saving me, by the way. So, what are you? Humans that don't know what exists usually aren't so calm. You're not a vampire, but you're something else. I'm descended from gypsies that call themselves Travelers now, so I can tell a human from someone supernatural," she replied.

After she told him everything, he was surprised at how open she was with him. They were just getting to know each other, but yet it seemed like she trusted him. He figured he could trust her too, so he told her the truth.

"I'm a werewolf. I like to work alone, though. It's better that way so no one gets hurt that doesn't have to," he answered her.

"Well, you're not the first lone werewolf I've met. I've met plenty. Seems like you and I are alike in some ways. I'm glad we met, though I wish it was under better circumstances. And you know, if there's anything you ever need help with, I'm the best help you can ask for."

She gave a smile.

"I assure you, I found you by accident. I was looking for a werewolf. He's called the alpha and he's been killing people. I plan on killing him, since it's the only way to stop him," he informed her.

"Well, I may still be healing, but I'll be glad to help any way I can," she replied. She wanted to help him. There was just something about him that drew her to him and, she felt as if it went both ways.

The next night, she was with Derek at an abandoned area of town. They'd finally found the alpha, so she let Derek do his werewolf thing, while she waited on ground level for his return.

Derek was going roof to roof, chasing the alpha, when he fell off and onto the ground where some pillars were, having been shot. It was just in his arm, but he knew it wasn't anything good.

When she saw him fall to the ground, she went over to him, as he got up and leaned against a pillar. As he did, she saw that he'd been shot. She knew he was in pain, but she also knew that they couldn't go anywhere until the two people left. She knew from experience that they had to be hunters.

She helped him sit and knelt by him.

"Let me see," she softly instructed. She couldn't let the hunters know they were there.

When he took his hand away from his arm, she could see that something purple was inside his wound, which wasn't healing.

She looked at him, instead of his wound.

"Do you know what she shot you with?" she asked him.

"Wolfsbane."

She looked past the pillars to see that the hunters were driving off. When she couldn't see them anymore, she knew it was safe to talk at a normal tone. She looked at him.

"Lucky for you, I know the cure, but it'll be in the woods. If it's anything like the New Orleans bayou, that is. If not, I'll have to look elsewhere."

She helped him to his feet, an arm around him to help him get to his black car.

Once they made it to his car, she helped him into the passenger seat and got into the driver's seat. Then she got the keys, started the car, and began driving towards the woods.

As she drove, she kept an eye on the wolf. Though he'd just been shot, he was already looking like he was sweating. He also looked weak.

"Don't worry. I'll get you cured," she promised him. She wasn't going to let him die, no matter what.

Once parked on the side of the road by the woods, she got out and headed into the woods. She didn't like leaving him alone like that, but she had to find the cure for wolfsbane. She didn't have much of a choice.

When she returned from the woods, she got in.

He looked at her.

"Did you find it?"

"No. It must not grow here. I can do something else, though. Is there somewhere I can take you? Your place maybe?"

"No. Not my place. Not when I can't protect myself," he replied. "There's a clinic," he then informed her.

When he gave her the location, she began driving there, keeping a watchful eye on him.

About half an hour later, she parked outside of the vet clinic. She then grabbed the keys and got out, going to the wolf's side. She helped him out of the car and put an arm around him, helping him walk. He was very weak now. She could easily tell.

Once at the locked door, she magically unlocked and opened it. Then she walked him inside, turning lights on as she went, and soon found the room that had an examination table.

She walked him inside the room, just as he collapsed. She was able to hold him up, though. She then layed him gently on the floor. She took his jacket off and used it as a pillow for his head. Then she rolled up his sleeve to see the damage, only to see veins showing on his arm. She knew that was bad.

She rested a hand on his pale face.

"Derek, can you hear me? I need you to wake up." She patted him on the side of his face. "Derek." Then she gave up trying to wake him up. At least for the moment. Instead, she concentrated on saving his life.

After taking the bullet out of him, she rested both hands on his wounded arm, concentrating on syphoning the magic from the wolfsbane. Without magic, it couldn't do any harm. Then, once she'd done that, she was able to take the wolfsbane out of his arm.

When the wolfsbane was no longer inside his wound, she watched as his arm healed, the veins and wound completely disappearing.

When his arm was healed, she rested a hand on the side of his face once more.

"Derek?" she called to him.

After a few minutes, he woke up to see her. Noticing that he was completely healed, he asked her, "How'd you do it?" He was curious as to how she'd cured him.

"I took away the magic that was in the wolfsbane. Then I took it out of your arm. Where I'm from, taking magic from someone or something is called syphoning," she explained.

"Well, thank you," he replied.

He got to his feet and grabbed his jacket, as she got to hers.

"Let's go home," he told her.

She agreed and followed him out. She knew home meant his place, which she'd never been to before.

A few weeks later, after getting to know each other, they fell in love.