puppy love } { of christmas and returning to the land of the living

[hereditare]

Laura: [and she will ... casually break into her dad's apartment one morning and make him breakfast. she probably did this every so often when she was studying at Berkeley and it almost felt comforting to do it now]

Thomas: [and he will stir at the smell of coffee and bacon, and make his way downstairs with his robe on] This is a treat.

Laura: I wanted to talk to you about something. [she smiles softly] So I figured I could at least make us something to eat while we do it.

Thomas: That's very considerate of you.

Laura: I try to be. [and she hands him a plate with pancakes and bacon] Coffee's on the table.

Thomas: Thank you. [and he will go to sit] So what's on your mind?

Laura: [she grabs her own plate before moving to sit across from him] I wanted to talk to you about Christmas.

Thomas: [nods] Yeah, that is coming up soon, ain't it?

Laura: Yeah. And ... you know how Mom was about Christmas.

Thomas: Yeah. She always wanted to give you kids everything a normal kid had.

Laura: So I was thinking ... maybe this year we could skip it. We could still have family time, just ... not make it about Christmas. And then next year, we could figure out new traditions. But for right now, I just don't think that Derek and Cora will be up for it, so soon after ... [you know, the fire]

Thomas: I understand. And there's no indication on when Peter will wake up either.

Laura: [she shakes her head] I think it'll be good for us to just ... stay in and watch movies or something. No presents, no ... expectations.

Thomas: Just make sure they know so they can tell those friends of theirs. And yours.

Laura: What friends of mine? [she doesn't say that callously, and she is genuinely confused - most of the people she still considers friends are at Berkeley and she hasn't been talking to her family about Parrish]

Thomas: [no, but he's a father. he has intuition] The friend you ran off with that weekend you asked me to watch Derek?

Laura: [big wide eyed innocent look at that] Oh. That friend.

Thomas: Yes, that friend. [smirks] I'm still a Dad, you know. I know things.

Laura: Yes, but I didn't realize you knew that thing.

Thomas: Oh, I know that thing. Just like I know Cora's and Derek's thing.

Laura: Well, I wasn't going to invite him. He's working anyway.

Thomas: You don't think he may try and find a way to spend some time with you?

Laura: We're not ... I don't know. He hasn't brought it up.

Thomas: May wanna ask him. He got family here?

Laura: [shakes her head] He doesn't really have any family.

Thomas: Then he may not know what to do anyway.

Laura: Maybe. But right now my priority is Derek and Cora, and he knows that.

Thomas: That's good, but remember sweetie - you need something for yourself too.

Laura: [she glances up briefly, before looking down at her pancakes again] Doesn't always feel like I can.

Thomas: Maybe not right now, but you need that to keep your balance. That's how your mother got all of us. Except Peter - she already had him.

Laura: I know. [a beat] I'll figure it out.

Thomas: But if you want to play it with no Christmas, I'll follow your play.

Laura: [she nods] I'll talk to them and see how they feel.

Thomas: Good. [sips his coffee] So tell me about this boy.

Laura: [sighs] His name is Jordan. He's a deputy in the sheriff's department.

Thomas: He works with Noah? [has his avenue to get dirt now]

Laura: [double sigh] Yes, he works with the Sheriff and he's a perfect gentleman so you should leave him alone.

Thomas: I'm not going to bother the boy at all, Laura. [nope, just get every single detail out of the Sheriff]

Laura: Dad.

Thomas: What?

Laura: He's a nice boy. I swear. He's not like the guys I used to date.

Thomas: Uh huh.

Laura: Really. He doesn't even swear.

Thomas: Not sure I trust someone who don't swear.

Laura: Spend five minutes with him and you may question that.

Thomas: So you saying I should invite him over for dinner then?

Laura: That is not what I'm saying.

Thomas: Cause I got steaks in the fridge. You two can meet me for dinner tomorrow.

Laura: We are nowhere near the "Meet My Overprotective Father" phase. [she is also not going to give him ideas by telling him not to get pulled over for speeding either]

Thomas: Good thing I ain't an overprotective father.

Laura: [and that earns him a look]

Thomas: [just smiles] Could bring Noah's boy over too.

Laura: You dine with Stiles at your own risk.

Thomas: I remember that runt when he was up at my knees.

Laura: Well, he's much mouthier now that he's taller.

Thomas: Takes after his dad then.

Laura: Apparently.

Thomas: Surprised he and Derek aren't friends then.

Laura: Well, Derek can be an ass and Stiles almost broke his hand on Derek's face once.

Thomas: [laughs] How's that?

Laura: [sighs] So Stiles has had a crush on Cora since he knew what those feelings were. However, Cora being Cora, isn't really good at picking up on those cues. Derek did, however, and threw it in her face when he was upset about something else, which upset Cora, who took it out on Stiles and subsequently took it out on Derek's face.

Thomas: [and he is just going to laugh at that]

Laura: [just nods because yep] So if you were looking for a second generation friendship, it looks like you're winding up with a romance instead.

Thomas: Noah and I were never that close.

Laura: But you're still going to take advantage of that enough to pump him for information about Jordan.

Thomas: [he's not going to say anything because his daughter can tell when he's lying]

Laura: Yep. That's what I thought. [sighs as she goes to go clean up the kitchen]

Thomas: You made breakfast, sweetheart. I'll clean up.

Laura: Are you sure? It was an ambush breakfast.

Thomas: I'm sure. Go find something to do.

Laura: Okay. [and she will kiss his cheek and off she will go ... probably to ambush the twins and ask them what they think about a not!Christmas.]

Derek: [is studying for the SAT]

Laura: [talks with Cora first, because she doesn't want to interrupt his studying, and the teenager is basically relieved, because she did not want to have to fake some Christmas cheer, or do all of their mother's traditions without their mother. But she still has to talk to Derek, so when he swings into the kitchen to take a break, Laura is there] Hey. Got a minute?

Derek: [pulls out his earbuds] Depends on what it's about?

Laura: Christmas.

Derek: Oh?

Laura: I was thinking this year, since it's so close to everything with Mom, we might ... skip it this year.

Derek: Seriously?

Laura: Yeah. I mean, we can still do family stuff just ... not make it about Christmas. And next year, when we've had a little time, we can make new traditions.

Derek: I don't want new traditions. We already had good ones.

Laura: Yeah, and they're Mom's. It's kind of hard to do them without her.

Derek: So what, we're just going to scrap everything that used to be special to her just because she's not here anymore? That's bullshit!

Laura: No, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that this year, this Christmas, maybe we not force it.

Derek: Fine. Whatever. Do what you want us to do. You're the alpha after all. [and he's going to slam his book shut]

Laura: [runs her hands over her face] Derek, this isn't just me.

Derek: I said fine. [probably not a good thing to bring up on the day of the full moon.]

Laura: [sighs, and holds up her hands] Fine.

Derek: Fine.

Laura: What do you want for dinner?

Derek: I don't care. Not hungry. [picks up his stuff] I'm going to study in my room.

Laura: Okay. I won't call you, then.

Derek: [and he's going to just go to his room and slam the door shut. And ten minutes later he'll be climbing out the window with his backpack and parkouring off the building before taking off for the preserve]

Laura: [of course he is. she'll send his sister out to track him down later]

Derek: [he's going home.]

Cora: [of course he is. and she doesn't want to go there, she will to talk to her brother] Derek?

Derek: Go away Cora. [he's sitting in their mom's room, and he's holding the Triskelion]

Cora: [yep, not going to do that. she's just going to follow his voice and linger in the doorway]

Derek: I said go away.

Cora: And I didn't listen.

Derek: You don't want to be here. You don't need to be, so just go. [he's just focusing on the triskelion, fingers gripping it]

Cora: [still doesn't listen, moving to sit next to him and sliding her arm in his]

Derek: [and he's not going to pull away, but is going to tear up] Why do we have to lose everything?

Cora: Laura's not trying to take anything away, Derek.

Derek: Yes she is. We have traditions. We have memories. I don't want to stop just because of this.

Cora: And I don't want to just take Mom's traditions and pretend that everything is just how it used to be.

Derek: It won't be. It never will be. But so we just give it up?

Cora: It's not forever. It's just for this year. Because Mom died two months ago and the idea of doing the tree or the traditions without her ... it's too much.

Derek: You say that now, but then next year comes and we keep pushing it off and... [he wipes at his face] … And then we forget and stop doing it and we will really lose her.

Cora: We already lost her. [their mother is gone, and she isn't coming back]

Derek: Not in our hearts. In our memories. In our traditions. [he looked at the triskelion] It's how we remember people. How a piece of them stays alive.

Cora: [she looks down at her hands] I can't do it, Derek. I can't pretend that it's okay to do it without her, because it's not.

Derek: Then we don't do it. But don't expect me to be happy about it.

Cora: None of us are happy about it.

Derek: [and he's going to breathe hard because his emotions are making it hard for him to keep his control]

Cora: [and she's just going to curl into him a bit, trying to help however she can]

Derek: [but his emotions are in the wringer and he's going to end up fangs out, eyes glowing and growling as his claws dig into the triskelion]

Cora: [shifts for a moment to take his hand, claws and all, and giving it a firm squeeze] Derek, look at me. I'm right here.

Derek: [and that's a dangerous growl, his head snapping to look at her]

Cora: [she doesn't bother to say anything or justify herself. all she does is look at him, keeping her hand in his, and trying to get him remember that she's his sister, his twin, and she loves him, even if they're not getting along at the moment]

Derek: [he can feel that, and he's trying to keep himself from lashing out at her] Cora, it hurts...

Cora: I know. It hurts for me too. But you still have me. You'll always have me.

Derek: I don't want to hurt you.

Cora: You're not.

Derek: I can't control it.

Cora: Yes, you can.

Derek: [and the smell of blood will appear as he digs his claws into his own hand as he makes fists]

Cora: Derek. This is your choice. Don't let it own you - you have to own it.

Derek: [shakes his head. in his head he's hurt and angry at the world and himself and hates that this has always been harder on him than either of his sisters and not having mom or Peter there to help and knowing it's his fault for that only makes it worse]

Cora: This is a part of you whether you want it or not. Are you going to continue to let it push you around, or are you going to push back?

Derek: It doesn't work like that... for me.

Cora: Yes, it can. You just have to focus.

Derek: [and he tries but that's about the time that the moonlight actually hits him from the open roof and he's going to growl deep in his throat]

Cora: Derek. [her voice is firm and she's not just rolling over] Get. A. Grip.

Derek: Get. Away. From. Me. Cora.

Cora: No. You don't want to hurt me, prove it.

Derek: Please. [he's fighting against it, but he is scared he's going to hurt her]

Cora: [she shakes her head] I trust you, Derek. I know you can do this. I'm not going anywhere.

Derek: [and that breaking point comes where the wolf in him tries to strike and he lunges at Cora... but at the last moment Derek is able to control it so he is human looking with no claws or fangs as he does it, drenched in sweat]

Cora: [catches him as he lunges, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and just keeping him close] See? Told you.

Derek: [and he's going to just hug her, trying to control his breathing] You're crazy, you know that?

Cora: [she shrugs] Not really. I was always better at kicking your ass when Peter was training us. I figured whatever happened, I could still take you.

Derek: I hate you. [totally doesn't]

Cora: [laughs] Love you too.

Derek: [taking deep breaths] Would you be mad if I just had a tree in my room that you and Laura didn't have to see?

Cora: [she shakes her head] No. I just don't want to go through the motions. I've been doing enough of that as it is.

Derek: Okay.

Cora: This could be fun though. [pulls back to look at him with a small smile] We can just hang out and watch movies or something? I don't think we've done something fun, just the three of us, since the fire.

Derek: [nods, still not completely convinced]

Cora: [she nods as well, before giving his hand a squeeze] C'mon. Let's go home.

Derek: Actually... I kinda want to stay here a bit longer. I'll come home later. You don't have to stay.

Cora: Sure you'll be okay?

Derek: Yeah.

Cora: Okay. [and she'll go and head back to the apartment]

Derek: [and he is going to stay there a bit longer, and then go to Peter's room and shove the bed out of the way and pull back the floorboard that Peter hid things under. The space, except for smoke damage, has survived and there are a bunch of things that Derek is going to put in his bag. He then left the preserve and made his way to the burn ward, sneaking in and just going to sit with his uncle for a while, sleeping in the corner of his room]

Laura: [and eventually Laura will get a call from Melissa that is both a warning and courtesy, so she'll make her way over eventually, easing around Peter to rest a hand on Derek's shoulder]

Derek: [and he will snap awake, looking up at his sister] What?

Laura: Melissa called. They thought it would be better if I woke you up rather than security.

Derek: It was a full moon. I just wanted to make sure he was okay.

Laura: I know. I'm not judging. But technically visiting hours are up.

Derek: Yeah, but that's just a technicality.

Laura: Derek.

Derek: I'm sorry. I just... I wanted to be with him.

Laura: I get it. I do. [she pulls up one of the other chairs and sits next to him] I come to hang out with him when you're at school sometimes.

Derek: Has he woken up at all?

Laura: [she shakes her head] Not yet. But he will. He's too stubborn not to.

Derek: Can I try something?

Laura: Try what?

Derek: [brings his bag over and shows Laura the stash of things he had gotten from Peter's room.] And I got this from the vending machine. [holds up a fresh pack of peanut butter cups]

Laura: [she laughs at the peanut butter cups, before shaking her head] Go for it. But if he doesn't get up, I get to eat them. [then she pauses] But Derek - he's probably going to be in a lot of pain. Are you sure you want to do this?

Derek: Deal. And yes. Because if he's not in there at all... maybe it would be better to let him find some peace. [and Derek is going to put the page on the chair and unwrap them from a blanket he had that smelt like the three siblings to take away the smoky smell] You know Peter, I know you said I should never go through your stuff, but it's just kinda fascinating. I mean Laura, did you know he still had pictures of all his ex-girlfriends in this tin.

Laura: [. . . .] Let me see that. [there is one ex-girlfriend that Peter REALLY SHOULD NOT SEE]

Derek: I still can't believe girls wore their hair like that. [passing them to Laura, and misses the tiny twitch in Peter's jaw]

Laura: It was the eighties. [and she's just going to flip through them, making sure there wasn't a picture of Corrine buried in there somewhere that her mother missed]

Derek: I also found his stash of peanut butter cups. You know, the whole eat them and I will kill you slowly stash? [and he will open it right under Peter's nose. He knows there's a cannula there, but Peter is a wolf and would be able to smell it still]

Laura: [and while Derek's back is turned she will find picture of said ex-girlfriend and pull it out, folding it halfway and shoving it into the pocket of her jacket, then turning her attention back to Peter] They didn't melt?

Derek: Nope. I guess with how the heat in the house is, he was totally anal about it. That thing was like fireproof waterproof everything proof. Too bad he didn't think about Derek proofing it.

Laura: [she laughs] I think he trusted fear to work in his favor on that one.

Derek: Yeah, well you snooze, you lose. [reaches into the bag and pulls out a tattered journal] Especially when he has his diary in there too.

Laura: Okay, that might be going a little far.

Derek: Come on, you can't tell me you're not curious.

Laura: To know the inner workings of Peter's mind? Yeah, I think I'll pass. [she gets up and reaches for the journal] And trust me when I say you probably don't want to know.

Derek: It's not like it ever stopped him from reading your diary.

Laura: [just stares at him for a long moment, before glancing to Peter, and then back to Derek again. Then her lips press into a thin line because of course he did, the bastard. Her words are clearly forced but she still doesn't think that Derek violating Peter's privacy is the answer] Doesn't mean we should stoop to his level.

Derek: You sure? [waves it in front of her] I'm sure there's talk about all your boyfriends in here and his opinions on them...

Laura: My ex-boyfriends. Who I dumped because they were worthless. He's not going to tell me anything I didn't already know.

Derek: Well, I'm curious so - [and he's stopped as a hand comes up to grab his throat, lifting him off the ground just a bit.]

Laura: [and she jerks up, making her way over and placing her hand on Peter's wrist] Peter, let him go. [at least I'm assuming it was Peter]

Peter: [yup, it was. And he's glaring at Derek] Put the journal down first.

Derek: [is smiling as he's bring choked, dropping it on Peter's chest]

Peter: [and lets Derek crash to the floor]

Laura: [sighs] Welcome back.

Peter: [groans and looks over at Laura] How long?

Laura: Two months, give or take.

Peter: [takes a deep breath, closing his eyes] Who else?

Laura: Cora's okay, but ... that's it. We're all that's left.

Peter: [he makes a fist] Get him out of my room before I kill him.

Derek: [his eyes widen] What?

Laura: [just hands Derek her keys] Wait for me in the car, okay? [she looks at him and it's understanding, but she needs to calm Peter down first]

Derek: [and his shoulders slump and he just takes the keys and his bag, heading out]

Laura: [she waits until she hears the ding of the elevator before she takes a step closer] It isn't his fault that Kate Argent is a psychopath, Peter. But she's in jail and going to trial.

Peter: It is his fault that he showed her niece the entrance to the tunnels. I'm not the only one who stalked them in the night.

Laura: [sighs] Yeah. Okay. He was dumb and stupid. You don't think I haven't wanted to throttle him over the course of the last two months? Or Cora? But he's beating himself up harder than we ever could. And right now, I need all the betas I can get.

Peter: So the power went to you?

Laura: [she nods] Yeah, it did. And I've been doing the best I can, but I don't know how long we'll have before Gerard decides to make a power play. Or Deucalion for that matter.

Peter: Deucalion will give you six months. Mourning period.

Laura: So I'm already down two. Four to go, with two teenage betas and my very human father. I'm sure that'll go well.

Peter: I will be healed by then. [and he goes to paw at his face, trying to dislodge the cannula]

Laura: Uh-uh. [she reaches over to stop his hand pulling it back and taking it in hers] You be a good patient and relax, and I will be back to hassle the doctor about discharging you tomorrow.

Peter: [nope, he doesn't want to be touched, and his hand will snap away. He will look at her, his eyes glowing gold out of reflex]

Laura: [and hers will glow red in return, letting him go and resting her hands on the bar next to the bed, and she glances at her watch] Five more hours. Get some rest, and I will take you home tomorrow.

Peter: [huffs and turns his head to the side to the window] What home?

Laura: We've got an apartment. Dad's been staying in your old one. You could stay with him and be grumpy old men together or I can move Derek or Cora downstairs and you can stay in the apartment with me.

Peter: I'll stay with Thomas.

Laura: I'll let him know.

Peter: [and that's that, but he's awake and not going back into coma land]

Laura: I'll bring Cora tomorrow to hang out with you while I argue. She'll be happy to see you.

Peter; That will be fine.

Laura: Okay. [she gives him a small smile before stepping back] See you tomorrow. [and with that, out the door she'll go]

Peter: [and he will sigh, and then reach for the button to call for a nurse because how long does it take for someone to realize a patient has come out of a coma and can he please get some food]

Melissa: [and was forewarned by Laura on her way out and she'll come in with a nice liquid diet for him.] I know this doesn't look incredibly appetizing, but you've been unconscious for two months so we're going to start you off slow.

Peter: [looks over at Melissa... hello nurse] Not even jello?

Melissa: Jello is a hospital standard no matter your diet, don't worry.

Peter: [and that earns her a small smile] At least one thing to look forward to.

Melissa: [she places the tray down in front of him] I'm Melissa McCall - your niece is dating my son's best friend, so you'll probably be seeing a lot of me regardless, but for right now, I'll be your nurse for this shift. You need anything, just hit the button and I'll be right in.

Peter: [thinks] The Sheriff's boy. Stiles.

Melissa: That's the one.

Peter: He was a good kid. Talks too much, but a good kid.

Melissa: Still talks too much, but I don't think that can be changed at this point.

Peter: Cora is too quiet. It's a balance.

Melissa: It is. [she nods again] As I said, you need anything, just give me a buzz. [and with that, she will slip out to deal with other patients]

Peter: [and he will sit up, wincing at the pull of the burns as he tries to eat]