Second Chances

They each stood there, staring as the place they called home, burning to the ground. Each in despair over the lose of a man, their friend, mentor, and father-figure. The tears and smoke burned their eyes, but one could move. They stood watching in disbelief, as their lives went up in smoke.

"Christ Nick, just how much C4 did you use?" A voice spoke from behind them. They turned to find Derek standing there, watching the blaze with them.

"Derek!?" Alex screamed as she rushed to embrace him, nearly knocking him down. "God Derek, we thought you were killed." Alex said as she check him over to make sure he was all right. Rachel and Nick joined in. Rachel gave Derek a tight hug and a kiss as she sniffed back her tears, and wiped at her eyes. Nick gave Derek a sturdy hand shake, then pull him into a quick embrace.

"One would think I was buried and gone, the way you all are behaving." Derek said, arching one of his brows. "I was never really in any danger."

"Well, how were we suppose to know that?" Alex said, still roaming her eyes over him, checking for cuts and bruises. "The way you were acting, we thought."

" I had gone over the edge, and done something desperate?" Derek finished. "It was essential that I acted that way. I had to make the evil believe that it had won. It wouldn't see what I had planned, until it was to late."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Rachel asked, wiping dirt from Derek's face. "Let us help you."

"I couldn't risk it. The evil might have read your thoughts."

"You still should have given us some kind of clue as to what was going on." Nick said.

"I'm sorry that I worried you guys." Derek waited a minute before he continued. "The force that I was fighting was in the shape of my father. So you see this was not only an attack on the house, but also an attack against me. I have killed the demon, portraying itself as my father, twice now." He turned to face them. He had a forlorn expression on his face. Rachel moved closer to him, and put her arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

"It wasn't your father this time or the other time, Derek. Demons can take forms of people we love to manipulate us, in order to get what they want, you know that. Do you remember when you first met Kat and me in Ireland? How I was tricked into believing Patrick had come back to me, and that Connor had been reborn. Derek, you made me realize that it wasn't my family, just demons, trying to use me and Kat, to get the Sepulchers. This is the same thing. So, you can't beat yourself up over this, Derek."

"I am sorry I worried you guys." Derek said, looking past them, to the flames.

"It was more like scared us half to death." Alex said, smiling. Her fears left her, and joy replaced them. Joy as she thought about the future, and what it would bring. Joy at the thought of her and Derek, together. She embraced him once again. "Don't you ever do that to us again." Derek smiled also, as he patted her on the back, then he pulled away, leaving Alex feeling a little shunned. Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"We need to get the cleanup crew here, before the locals arrive." Derek said, walking away to place the call.

"Yeah and you also might want to place some reservations at a hotel. We're now homeless." Nick said. Derek smiled and nodded.

"You know you guys are welcome to stay wit me and Kat. We have a spare room." Rachel said.

"I'll take it. The last place I want be right now, is in some strange surrounding." Alex said.

"I don't mind crashing on the couch." Nick said. They all looked to Derek, who had finished his call, and placing the phone back in his pocket. He came back to where they were standing. "And how 'bout you bossman?" Nick asked.

"Huh?" Derek looked confused.

"I was just offering my place as your temporary home." Rachel said.

"Thank you Rachel, but I'm going to stay here." Derek said.

"Here?" Alex repeated. "Where exactly?"

"The crew that's coming will be setting up camp on the ground. I asked them to bring an extra trailer for me. We have to go every inch of the grounds for any salvageable artifacts, before they start rebuilding."

"Rebuilding? Right in the same spot?" Nick asked, confused. "Even after what happened."

"Especially now. We must ensure that this never happens again. The Legacy built a house here, over the portal to protect. The portal is still here, so we must rebuild."

"But I thought this would seal it forever." Rachel said, pointing at the charred remains of the house.

"Nothing's forever. We have to make sure the portal stays seal."

"Well, I'll stay too." Alex said.

"That's not necessary Alex, but thank you for offering." Derek said, smiling at her.

"But I want to stay with you." Alex said, then realizing how it sounded, she quickly tried to recover. "I had valuable things in the house that I would like to look for too. I would also like to finish the conversation we started down in the caves." Derek knew that Alex was referring to the kiss they shared, but it was something that he couldn't get into right now.

"Alex if there's anything here to find, the crew and I will find it. As for our conversation, it will have to wait. I have more important things to do." Alex stood there, crushed by his words. She couldn't believe he was acting so cold, so distant, so much like his usual self. She suddenly had a pang of regret for ever having kissed Derek, and letting him know her true feelings for him.

"Fine. You're right the conversation wasn't important at all, so let's just forget it, and I'll go home with Rachel." Alex said a little angry at Derek's nonchalant behavior.

"Good. So it's settled. The crew should be here within the hour. I'll wait, you guys can go ahead with Rachel."

"You sure you don't need me to stick around?" Nick offered.

"No Nick, but you're welcome to come back in the morning. We should have everything finished by then." Derek said. Suddenly Nick held out his hand to Derek, which contained the precept's ring.

"I think you'll be needing this. The damn thing doesn't even fit my finger." Nick smiled as did Derek. Derek took the ring from Nick's hand, and placed it back on his own finger. He sighed, somehow feeling whole again. As he stood there with Nick, watching as what remained of their home burnt to the ground. Derek couldn't help thinking that the worst had come, and had been defeated. Yet he could find no peace in that thought, for he knew that the world was not free from evil. He knew that there was more to be done. That this was just a battle won, but the war raged on. And that his legacy continues.