Chapter 5
“C’mon I’ll drive you home.” Jackson grunted, coming up behind her. The ride was silent, until he pulled up to the house. “I don’t know what changed, but figure it out Lydia.”
She watched Jackson drive off and made her way into the empty house to wait. Stiles and Cora arrived soon after.
“We couldn’t find Scott. I’ve left a bunch of messages, so I hope he’ll reply.” Lydia nodded frowned. “What are you doing home?”
“Bored. Shall we stay in Stiles’ room tonight?” Cora nodded.
“Most definitely, now let’s go, I’m beat.” They all trudged into his room and collapsed onto the bed. It went to hell the next morning. There was another body, in a bus. Scott trudged up to Stiles and Lydia the next morning shame faced.
“So I guess you guys were kind of right.”
“No shit Scott,” Lydia sneered.
“Lyds be nice. He’s new.”
“One more thing. I think I killed that guy.” Lydia and Stile froze.
“Of course you did. Scott be at the house tonight by 7. Stiles and Cora will deal with you.” Scott nodded.
“Cmon Scotty,” Stiles threw an arm around Scott’s arm and led him to class.
_
Lydia was at yet another party that night, and she left early from this one too.
“Why are you all of a sudden so gung ho about Stiles. It’s like you are a completely different person.” Jenny asked.
“My dear, he is my twin brother, and so help me god I will not take your degrading attitude.” Lydia’s eyes were sharp and hostile. Jenny hung her head in shame.
“I’m just wondering why now. What changed?” Jenny grumbled.
“Everything changed. A body was found in the woods. I realized how much it sucks losing family. I realized that Stiles is more important to me than anyone or anything. Including what you think of me, or my apparent ‘status’ in society, because I know my status, without your reassurance. I am better than you, because I have Stiles. Because he picks me up when I fall, and because he helps me study biochemistry and quantum physics because I want to. I will go on to California tech, or MIT and I will leave, every single one of you, without a look back, but Stiles, he will always be with me.” Lydia smirked and turned away from them, before strutting to the door.
A car screeched to a stop in front of her, a sleek black Camaro. Jackson watched from the window as Lydia slid in without a moment’s hesitation.
“Derek Hale. Thought you would be halfway to my brother by now.”
“I heard the beginning of your speech, thought I would stick around for the end.” He growled. Lydia took the time driving to take him in. He was bigger, built in a muscular way, with sharp cheekbones and a strong chin.
“Well you have filled out nicely Derek Hale. I now see why Stiles is so pissed off.” Lydia chuckled. “But I want you to know, we kind of hate you. Stiles will do the yelling, I’ve had enough of dramatic flourishes for a while, but don’t forget we kind of hate you, even if we really missed you.” Derek’s eyebrows came together.
“Your heartbeat stayed even.” He growled.
“I’m aware. I wasn’t lying.” They pulled up to the house and Derek’s head snapped up.
“He’s shifting.” Derek ran for the house, and launched up to Stile’s window.
“It’s practically muscle memory.” Lydia mumbled. She slowly sauntered into the house and listened to the ruckus. She heard Derek’s unmistakable roar. Stiles’ room was a mess. Scott was huddled in a corner, shying away from Derek, who rounded on Stiles. Stiles was slumped against a wall, blood trickling from his cheek. Lydia crouched next to him and checked the cut.
“Why the hell didn’t you do anything?” Derek bellowed.
“Don’t you think that if I could have, that I would?” Stiles snarled. Cora was shifted back and helping Stiles to his feet. Cora glared at Derek.
“What do you mean you couldn’t?!”
“I mean Derek Hale, that I don’t use magic anymore. It’s gone. Been gone for six long good years.” Stiles snaps. Derek looked surprised but focused on Cora.
“Cora,” His voice cracks, he goes to step toward her but she steps away.
“Don’t. I can’t believe you Derek. I can’t believe you left them. Six years and you can’t even pick up the phone.” Cora gave him her best glare. Derek slowly sat down on the bed, waiting for the rant. “You left them alone. Two ten-year-old kids with god damn super powers and a helpless father to fend for themselves. And what do you know, the witch, doesn’t have his powers anymore, so they are practically waving a flag saying, ‘hey take me, we’re easy.’ You left them all alone and they could have died.”
“Laura-”
“I would be yelling at her too if she was here.” Cora screamed.
“You’re alive.”
“Have been for six years.”
“How?”
“Stiles found me. About a week after the fire. I was hiding in the woods, he felt me.” Cora’s rage was now simmering. “You and Laura had already left.”
“You could have-”
“We could have what, Derek? Called? Because we did. Hell, I even tried message via magical means. You guys didn’t want to be found obviously.” Stiles snarled. Derek focused on the beta. He couldn’t stand the look in all their faces.
“You aren’t going to add anything?” Cora asked Lydia.
“Oh no, I gave it to him in the car. He’s well aware of my feelings.” Lydia smirked.
“I’m sorry. Okay. It was Laura’s decision to never look back, and so we didn’t. The idea was pretty damn appealing.”
“You didn’t even check on Peter you douche bag.” Stiles snarled.
“What and you did?!” Derek growled.
“YES!” That shut them all up.
“What?” Lydia tilted her head.
“I have visited Peter every Saturday for the past six years. I read, or talk, or just sit there, but I do.”
“I didn’t know that,” Lydia whispered. Derek and Cora were both staring at him.
“Why?” Cora asked.
“Because he was family.” Stiles growled.
“I’m confused,” Scott’s voice was small and scared. They all looked around.
“Derek and Cora are werewolves. Our parents were friends. Derek is an asshole.” Stiles summed up. “They will help you through the change.”
“Are we going to explain some things?”
“Tomorrow. Tonight, we make sure you don’t shift again. Meaning Derek is on Scott duty, while Lydia explains to me why she is home so early.” Stiles sent his twin a look. Derek’s lip twitched, and Stiles raised an eyebrow in question.
“It’s a good story.” They all made to leave. “Cora,” He started. Cora looked at Lydia and Stiles. Stiles slid an arm around Lydia.
“Sibling time is good all around,” He said grudgingly. He glared at Derek once more before escorting Lydia from the room.
Stiles collapsed on Lydia’s bed. “Okay spill. What happened?”
“Jenny was being a super bitch, asking why I was all of a sudden so into the fact that I had a twin. I told her, and the rest of my shallow kiddy pool, to shove.” Stiles hid his smile. “Now take off your shoes and get under the blanket. The day had been exceptionally draining.” Stiles obliged, and Lydia folded herself into him. “I won’t run away Stiles. I promise you that much.” Stiles nuzzled into her hair and sighed.
“I never believed that you would.”
*In the other room*
“You wanted to talk, so talk.”
“I’m not, good. With talking. If we had any inclination that you were alive, we would have torn our hair out trying to find you.”
“But it took a ten-year-old with a spark.”
“Cora.”
“I’m not even mad about you leaving me. I’m mad that you left them. I’m mad that you left Stiles, and Lydia, and Mr. Stilinski, when they needed you guys.”
“What about you?”
“I was nine and I needed a pack. I went to Argentina, to live with Maria’s brother. Stiles visits almost every year. Lydia used to come, but I kind of shut her out.”
“We were in New York.” Cora nodded. New York was neutral territory.
“Stiles didn’t explain like anything, so what the hell?” Scott’s voice cut in. Derek growled.
“You are a werewolf. So are we. You shut up and try to sleep or whatever the hell teenagers do.”
“Wow, you did become an asshole. C’mon I’m hungry.” Cora stalked out of the room. Derek looked at Scott.
“Clean up Stiles’ room.”
“I won’t talk much Derek. I’m tired and still monumentally pissed at you. I won’t move back to Beacon Hills either. I live in Argentina now. I have a pack, and I might have found my mate.” Derek growled. “And you don’t get to play big brother card. Stiles already played it.”
“And I approve,” Stiles drawled. He slouched into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards, finding a jar of Nutella and a loaf of bread. “Sorry for the intrusion, Lydia’s hungry. Night.” Stiles slouched back out of the room. Cora notice how Derek’s eyes never left Stiles, no matter what.
“Yea and I totally see how you couldn’t come back at least once,” Cora said with an eye roll. Derek looked at her confused. “Six years does absolutely nothing for the denial huh?” Cora looked almost impressed. Derek was still confused.
That’s when the front door opened. Derek and Cora looked up as the Sheriff walked in. “Now that is a sight I must say I’ve missed.” He mumbled with a sad smile. There was a noise on the stairs and then Lydia and Stiles poked their heads from around the wall. Stiles had a mouthful off Nutella.
“Heey, Dod,” he said over the chocolate. Lydia rolled her eyes.
“Long shift?”
“Very, so why are there twice the amount of Hales? Especially when we only ordered one?”
“Well you see pop, much like our birth, sometimes things just happen.” Stiles explained. Lydia looked up at him and glared.
“Scott was turned into a werewolf.” Lydia simplified.
“Wait what? Your dad even knew?” Scott asked incredulously. He was now at the bottom of the stairs behind the Stilinski twins.
“I always knew kid. From the moment these two brought a large black wolf home from school, calling him Derek, I knew werewolves existed.” Derek looked down abashed. “Now who turned Scott?”
“Same person that killed Laura,” Lydia replied softly.
“Figured that was supernatural. We haven’t found her yet,” He tread softly, looking around the kitchen.
“You won’t” Derek spoke.
“Because?”
“Because she’s buried on the Hale Property.”
“Swirl and all?” Stiles sneered.
“Well of course a swirl Stiles. Derek 2.0 the jackass version wouldn’t stop without a swirl.” Cora joined.
“And I am picking up on a hint of hostility,” the Sheriff noted.
“Toward Derek? No Dad that would be like something’s changed in six years,” Lydia said with a roll of her eyes. The Sheriff chuckled.
“Okay so we have two Betas and my extra special children, does that mean pack night at the Stilinski place again?” The Sheriff smiled as he shrugged off his coat. He remembered when all the Hale’s would crowd into their small house and have a movie night.
“Movie night,” Stiles said softly, leaning against Lydia.
“I am not in a pack with you two,” Scott snarled at the Hales.
“Well no. My pack is still in Argentina, so don’t worry about me, you little twerp.” Cora glared. The Sheriff pulled out the blender and a gallon of ice cream. “Oh I have missed midnight milkshakes though!” She squealed.
“Don’t be an ass Scott.” Stiles rolled his eyes.
“Stiles,” Scott whined. Stiles clapped him on the back and pulled him into the kitchen.
“Scott, we told you that you are a werewolf. Lydia and I have gifts as well. You were bit by an alpha, so you changed. The Alpha killed Laura Hale, elder sibling of present Derek and Cora. You know that story, mostly. Lydia and I grew up with the Hales. The story about throwing a frog at Cora was one hundred percent true.” He smiled proudly. Lydia smiled.
“That was a good day.” She mused. Stiles shoved Scott into a chair.
“Besides the pack would consist or you, me, and Lydia. Hales all have lives that are not here.” Stiles said sadly, though Lydia was the only one who picked up on it.
“I’m staying.” Derek muttered. The entire kitchen turned to look at him.
“You’re what?”
“I’m staying in Beacon Hills. I have to find the Alpha, and after that, there’s still Scott.”
“What about me?” Scott asked.
“You’re a werewolf Scott. Everything changes now. You lose control and dear Alison doesn’t have a throat.” Derek growled. Stiles glared at Derek as Scott boiled with rage.
“Dude, what is the best way to make lovesick Scott angry,” He yelled over Scott’s roar. “Talk about killing Allison.” He grabbed Scott’s arm and started whispering calming thing. Soon Scott was once again slumped in the chair.
“I have to agree with Stiles, Derek. That was extremely stupid of you,” the Sheriff said, doling out the first round of milkshakes. Lydia and Cora both snatched them up. “Lydia, didn’t you have a party tonight?”
“Yes, but I ditched them all and decided that some things were more important,” She said glancing at Stiles, who smiled.
“As I recall you said, ‘leaving my shallow kidding pool behind,’” He grinned.
“Good. I had hoped you were going through a phase.” The sheriff hummed, pouring more milkshakes.
“I think this is great. The Stilinski-Hale pack, building again.” Cora smiled over her milkshake.
“The Stilinski-Hale pack?” Scott asked.
“Oh yes, the Stilinski-Hale pack, no matter who the wolf alpha is, it’s the Stilinski-Hale pack.” Lydia raised her glass and toasted with Cora. “Well, once mom married dad.”
“So I’m part of the Stilinski-Hale pack?” Scott asked confused.
“If you want to be. You have to submit to an Alpha though.” Lydia answered.
“I’m still pretty confused,” Scott murmured.
“The Stilinski-Hale pack always had two Alphas, which was unusual, but it worked for us. There’s the werewolf Alpha and a, er, ‘special’ Alpha. Our special Alpha was different than an Emissary. Emissaries give advice. Alphas lead and protect their pack. We had a temp Emissary, but only when our Alpha was away with things.” Cora explained while chugging her milkshake.
“It takes a special girl to say all of that with her mouth full,” Stiles said with a grin. Cora flipped him off and focused back on her milkshake.
“While the current Alpha has the power of the Hale Alpha, he isn’t the Stilinski-Hale Alpha. That’s a bond that the two Alphas create between themselves.” Cora continued.
“Well that’s better than the apparent psycho killer, so I guess the Stilinski pack it is. The alpha is you, I’m assuming Sheriff?” Scott asked. Lydia and Cora chuckled.
“Sorry Scott, this 100% human doesn’t have enough that kind of power. You need to look toward the spark.” Stiles looked up shocked.
“What? I can’t be. It’s gone.” Stiles voice was strained and his eye twitched slightly.
“Of course you’re the Alpha Stiles. You have every quality a good Alpha should have. Plus Mom’s power was directly passed down to you. That would make you the heir. It’s not gone, just latent.” Lydia said, rolling her eyes. Stiles looked at them all individually. When he got to Derek, he watched Derek shift his head, ever so slightly, exposing a bit of his neck. Stiles knew the gesture. “Plus if Scott submits to you, then it would severe all connections with the Alpha. You dreamed about the bus last night. He called you out there. This would be good.” Lydia explained while dipping a spoon into her cup.
“Okay how do I do it?” Scott asked hesitantly, looking at Stiles. Stiles could hear the fear in his voice.
“Dude I don’t know. I wasn’t trained for Alphadom.”
“That’s not a word Stiles,” Derek huffed.
“Well it is now Sourwolf.” Stiles sneered. John chuckled as he watched them bicker. He exchanged a knowing look with his daughter, who rolled her eyes at her brother’s obliviousness.
“Yes you were Stiles. You and your sister both were. We wanted you both to be good leaders.” The Sheriff said firmly. “You just have to let a little bit of your spark take over. Your mother explained it to be similar to a Wolf bite, but you’re bringing the wolf, and whomever else you give the mark to, under your protection. It can be human, wolf, banshee, and when you form the bond with the Hale Alpha, you will both give each other respective marks.”
“Mom and Tally were the Alphas.” Stiles specified. John nodded.
“Talia Hale and Claudie were thick as thieves from grade school up. According to their families, it was very clear they were the next Alpha pair, even if they had not been next in line.”
“Okay but I would have given the Alpha power to Lydia,” Stiles stated. Everyone looked at him funny, including Lydia.
“Why would you do that?” She whispered. Lydia knew her brother better than anyone on the planet, but she was most definitely not prepared for that.
“Well, ya know. Gosh didn’t you guys ever see it? Laura and Lyds were closer than Laura and I by tenfold at least. They would have no doubt made the better Dynamite Duo.” John held out another milkshake for his son, impressed with him.
“You saw that as a ten-year-old?” Cora asked. Stiles glanced around, and froze for a moment on Derek’s expression. He felt like Derek had a window to his soul, looking straight through.
“Nah, Laura loved Lyds from when we were talking age.” He scooped a heaping spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.
“That’s why I wouldn’t have let you give me the Alpha power. I wouldn’t have ever picked up on that. Laura would no doubt have given up ‘Alphadom.’ She didn’t want it anyway.” Lydia mumbled. She was trying to be sensitive for the wolves in the room, but the two Hale’s whipped round to face her.
“What do you mean she didn’t want it?” Cora whispered.
“She told me one night that she didn’t feel like the responsibility was hers. She felt that it was supposed to pass over her.” Lydia said softly.
“Which means Derek, congratulations, you were gonna be stuck with me! Unless you abdicated to Cora.” Stiles cackled and gave the man a cheeky grin. Derek glared at Stiles.
“Stiles leave Derek alone,” the Sheriff chided. Stiles huffed and focused on Scott.
“So Scott, are you following?”
“Kind of,” he said in a small weak voice.
“You got the bit about the joint Alpha thing?” Scott nodded. “You got the bit where Derek and I would have been the Alphas?” Scott nodded again. “What aren’t you getting?”
“How I didn’t notice you practically lived at the Hale house when we were little.” Stiles cracked a smile.
“Wasn’t hard to miss dude. We had sleepovers like once a week at the most.” Scott nodded slowly.
“Okay I think I get it.”
“Awesome, now all we have to do is break your connection to the Alpha, and figure out what happened on that bus.”
“I should have known that was you,” the Sheriff said with a sigh, looking at his son. Everyone had been given milkshakes, though Derek was glaring at his, so he put the blender away. Stiles nudged the cup toward Derek, whose gaze shot up to the boy.
“It’s not gonna bite,” Stiles whispered. Derek rolled his eyes, but took a drink none the less. “And it so wasn’t me. It was the Alpha, and possibly Scott.”
“And we are going to figure out what happened how?” Cora asked. “Because we kind of need to know.”
“He has to go back. To the bus.” Derek growled. Stiles turned around to look at him. It was one of the first things he had said all night.
“And that will?”
“That will help his senses remember what happened. Smell, sight, use his senses to remember.” Derek didn’t take his eyes of Stiles as he said this, a fact neither of them noticed, but the rest of the kitchen did. Even clueless Scott.
“Well I am going to pretend I did not hear you were going to break into my crime scene and I’m also going to bed. Goodnight, and from now on, you better keep me in the loop.” The Sheriff kissed both of his children on the forehead, and even stooped to do the same to Cora. He patted Derek on the back and gave Scott a nod before ascending the stairs.
“What’s with the show of affection?” Scott asked.
“Because he half raised them dumb ass.” Lydia scoffed. Scott slouched and didn’t say anything else. “Stiles, bring Scott and Derek back to the bus. Between you three, I believe you can figure it out.”
“What about us?” Cora asked.
“We have things to discuss.”
“Such as?”
“Such as THINGS.” Lydia stressed. A look of recognition dawned on Cora’s face.
“Gotcha. THINGS.” Cora hugged Stiles and Lydia followed.
“Remember what I told you iskra.” She turned to glare at Derek. “You keep him safe or so help me god I will make you regret it.” Derek’s eyes went wide, but he nodded. Stiles just rolled his eyes.
“Why did you call him iskra?” Scott asked.
“Because he’s a spark.” Lydia smiled and linked arms with Cora.
“Well boys, I’m driving.” Stiles grabbed his keys and lead the way out the door.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Derek growled. “Why did you choose this car?”
“I didn’t,” Stiles glared back. “Mom did.” Derek recoiled in shock.
“It’s the same-”
“Down to the names carved in the backseat.” Stiles whispered before swinging in. Derek jumped into the back and remembered the day clearly. Stiles was about seven and he was fifteen. Claudia was driving them back to the Stilinski house when Stiles took a nail to the door. He carved M.S and grinned at Derek, who reached over and carved out a D.H. When Claudia had asked what they were doing, Derek blushed and stammered before Stiles said something far too eloquent for a seven-year-old. Derek ran his fingers over the carvings and looked up to find Stiles staring at him. “Put your seatbelt on.”
The drive was quiet and awkward in Scott’s opinion. Derek Hale was weird, and Scott didn’t trust him. He had hurt Stiles, maybe. Scott couldn’t figure it out, but something was up between them, and until he knew what, Scott would not trust Derek.