'Honourable Discharge' his papers said, nothing honourable about it the young Sergeant thought. The 23 year old Beacon Hills native had returned home, well returned to what was left of it. The Hale House was now just an empty shell of a home, just charred walls left after the blaze was extinguished, after it destroyed everything that mattered to Derek, after it took his family from him. This was the reason he signed up in the first place, to get away from the from the very real hell that was his life, six years later he was sent back here, to deal with the psychological effects the whole ordeal. His latest psych. evaluation deemed he wasn't dealing with it all in a healthy way, it made him reckless and this put his unit in danger. So here he was back in Beacon Hills with nowhere to go or nothing to do.

He stood there, in front of the remains of his childhood home, a deep pitted anger rising up inside him. It was an arson attack that destroyed his life and the culprit had never been caught. A rage was growing up inside him, he knew he had to calm himself down; this wasn't going to fix anything. He dealt with his anger plenty of times before, he had too, it wasn't something the army really permitted after all.

A sudden noise from behind pulled the young man from his thoughts, a car from the local sheriff's department pulled up, "I knew I would find you here" the Sheriff said as he got out of his car. Derek's confusion obviously showed on his face, the older man went on to explain that a friend at his base called to tell him Derek was coming home and that he knew he had nowhere to go.

"I'm okay, I don't plan on staying" Derek lied, he didn't really plan on going anywhere else.

"Good, then you're coming down to the station with me" the older man replied, half smiling.

Derek panicked, he had only been back two minutes, "wh…why?" he stuttered,

"Don't worry, son" his voice instantly reassuring, "its lunchtime, come grab something to eat, then we can get you sorted with a place to stay." Derek was taken aback, he didn't expect a welcome party and no less be it from Stilinski, they didn't exactly see eye to eye before Derek left for basic training. "If we go now we can make it back before Jordan does the lunch run" the Sheriff continued, motioning toward the car.

"No, you go on, I'll be fine" Derek tried to get rid of him, he wanted to be left by himself.

"Nonsense, now get in, don't make me arrest you" he joked, sensing the tension starting to form between them. Derek yielded, it was lunch and he was kind of hungry after all. "Can't let one of Beacon Hills' own heroes go hungry now can we." Stilinski added to seal the deal. It worked, Derek started getting in to the back of the squad car but was stopped and ordered to get into the passenger side, as he wasn't in trouble after all.

Derek spent the short car journey in silence with his thoughts, the sheriff was busy talking on the radio to the station anyway. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do now he was back, he was told in 6 months he could go back, get another psych evaluation and if he passed, he could slot right back into his unit as if he wasn't gone at all. But he had 6 months to somehow 'deal' with his tragic past in a way deemed acceptable by Uncle Sam, 6 months by himself, he had no real friends left in Beacon Hills anymore, 6 months, was a long time he realised.

They pulled up into the stations car park and went inside. It was an all too familiar scene for Derek, this is where they told him about the arson, this was where the world as an 17 year old Derek knew it, ended. They both went straight to Stilinski's office, to Derek's surprise there was someone else already in there.

"Hope your guest likes burgers, sir" the stranger said turning around. He was young, not like the other officers in department, Derek eyed him to be about his age, maybe a little older. He wasn't a local, or Derek would have recognised him.

"I'm sure he does" Stilinkski smiled and signalled for Derek to sit down at his desk. "Derek this is Deputy Jordan Parrish, newest addition to our office, Parrish, Derek Hale" he introduced them. They sat and ate as Parrish fumbled what seemed aimlessly about the office and Derek soon learned that Jordan wasn't long in town, that he was an ex-serviceman and that he was in fact as Derek guessed just a little older than he was.

Once they were done eating the sheriff got right to the point and questioned Derek on his plans for where he was going to stay and what he was going to for the next few months. He had a feeling his senior was filled in with a little more info that just his arrival back in Beacon Hills, but he had to come clean, he didn't know, he thought he could just camp out at his house until he sorted something. The sheriff thought it was absurd but Derek told him it would just be like being back on tour, but he wouldn't have it, he even offered to put Derek up at his own home as long as he didn't mind the sofa.

"Ah…I can help" mumbled Parrish from the corner taking them both by surprise "I mean it's just me at my place, I was looking for a flatmate actually" he offered in explanation but hastily adding "only if you're interested, like a last resort" when he noticed Derek's glare toward him.

"Well that's sorted, if don't find anywhere else, you'll have a roof over your head" Sheriff Stilinski declared happily, "Might even be a good fit, two grunts the same age, I say you will get along just fine." He continued.

Derek was a little overwhelmed, he really did plan on just camping out at his house but that was off the table now. But maybe staying with this Parrish guy was probably a better idea, like camping out where your family burned to death isn't going to look good. He was thinking of the big picture here, his next evaluation, staying with a fellow squaddie could only look good really, so he'd do that, anything to ensure he'd be back in the barracks in six months.

"Well if you've got a free room and I'm not imposing, I'll help with rent and food and whatever" Derek reasoned, hoping the offer was genuine.

"I've just got some clutter to clear first from the back room but that'll only take me half an hour." Parrish reassured "Oh…and get another key cut I guess" Derek could see everything ticking over in his new roomie's head before he finally added "I finish at four, you could take the key if you want, you know, if you want somewhere to go."

He seemed a genuinely nice guy "Thanks, but there's a few things I gotta do now I'm back, meet you back here at four then?" Derek planned.

"Yea sure, well if you'll be in town you could get a key cut? Save the hassle later of having to share one" Parrish suggested

"Okay, see you at four." And with that Derek made to leave, stopping to thank the Sheriff just before exiting for his help.