thepicketfencecliche | new york wolves } { of secret relationships and the talk

Peter: [and while she it out there, he's already in the studio and since the studio is locked, there's no reason to lock the apartment door and Peter just walks in] Derek, are you home? I'm just here to... hello. [and yes, there is Peter Hale, surprised]

Beckett: [spins around, eyes wide and she is suddenly very, very self conscious of how little she is wearing] Peter. Hi.

Peter: [and he is going to advert his eyes to a spot just over her shoulder] Detective Beckett. I was not expecting to see you here.

Beckett: That makes two of us. [a pause] Derek is sleeping. I should ... go get pants.

Peter: [there is an amused smirk there] I won't be long. I was just coming to get some records from the family safe.

Beckett: Yeah. I'm still going to ... go. By all means ... get whatever you need. [and she will scamper back to the bedroom]

Peter: [and he is going to shake his head, but he will detour into the kitchen to finish setting the pot of coffee she was brewing to start before he goes to the living room and moving the dusty hospital bed to pull up a few floorboards and open a safe.]

Beckett: [climbs back into bed before shaking Derek's shoulder to wake him] Derek, your uncle's here.

Derek: [groans and looks up at her a moment] What?

Beckett: [look slightly alarmed] Your uncle is here.

Derek: My... oh crap. [and he's going to jump out of bed, grabbing his sweat pants.]

Peter: [has moved into the kitchen, the files and a ledger on the table. He chuckles to himself]

Beckett: [yeah, she's going to just sit in bed not really sure what to do. she's chewing on her thumbnail as she watches him]

Derek: [yeah, he's going to just get mostly dressed and then sigh and look at her.] My family doesn't really know how to knock. Or boundaries sometimes.

Beckett: Obviously. I just ... wish I'd had a heads up. I would have worn pants.

Derek: Peter at least had tact. [sighs, and then smiles a bit] Plus you've got good legs. No need to hide them.

Beckett: [she gives him a bit of a look, before tossing a pillow at him]

Derek: I'll go talk to him. And I think he made your coffee from the smell of it.

Beckett: [nods slowly] I'll be out in a minute.

Derek: [nods and he's going to slip out]

Peter: [sitting at the table, sipping coffee. There is an amused smile on his face] I did wait until I thought you were going to be at work, for the record.

Derek: You still could have called first.

Peter: If I recall correctly, I own this property. But in the future, I will make note to do so.

Beckett: [will be lingering in the bedroom for a bit, taking as long as she likes to find her pants and her own clothing and the location of her dignity, so give her a minute, boys, she'll be out for her coffee in a second]

Derek: So why are you here?

Peter: [holds up the ledger] I'm going over Michael's accounting records. We've found a space to exhibit his art, and I wanted to make a mailing list of his previous clients to invite to the opening.

Beckett: [and eventually she will emerge, clothed and head right for the coffee.]

Peter: [looks up] Detective, my apologies for startling you. I've already told Derek I would make sure to give him notice in the future of my visits.

Beckett: [shakes her head] It's fine. I should have known better.

Derek: No, it's not fine...

Peter: [holds up his hand to stop Derek] he's right, my dear. This is Derek's space now. You shouldn't feel as if you have to worry about people intruding in the space without announcement.

Beckett: [will just nod and take her coffee before retreating to the living room. She has ... no idea how to deal with other people's families.]

Derek: [sighs and looks at Peter]

Peter: [looks back at him, and then nods] Alright, I will take these and work on them at home. You don't have to give me the sad puppy eyes.

Derek: Thank you.

Beckett: [from the living room] Nice seeing you!

Peter: It was nice seeing you too, Detective.

Derek: [goes to show him out]

Peter: [and at the door] And for the record, nephew... it's nice to see you looking more like yourself finally.

Derek: [thinks a moment, and then there is a small smirk] Thanks, Peter.

Peter: Don't screw this one up. [and he's going to leave at that]

Derek: [rolls his eyes and shuts the door. Then locks it. And puts the deadbolt on. And then thunks his head on the door]

Beckett: [sighs softly as she glances over the back of the couch] Sorry.

Derek: No, you have nothing to be sorry about. Don't even start. [ goes into the living room and sits next to her] Just... that's my family for you.

Beckett: [smirks as she shifts her legs into his lap] Right. The boundary issues.

Derek: [goes to run his hand along her legs a bit] Yeah. But the good thing is that they also know what not to tell people outside the pack, so Flack and Espo won't find out through him.

Beckett: [nods] That's good, at least.

Derek: [the rest of the pack though... not so much.] So now that I'm awake...

Beckett: [she smirks] Don't you have work to get to.

Derek: I'm not due in until noon. I have a ten o'clock with Sweets.

Beckett: What time is it now?

Derek: [looks over his shoulder at the clock on the wall] Eight thirty.

Beckett: What time do you have to leave?

Derek: An hour. Just need breakfast and perhaps a nice, long shower. [and his fingers are playing higher up on her leg]

Beckett: [hums softly] That's funny. I could probably use a shower too.

Derek: Well, we could conserve water and share one. [smirks]

Beckett: I am all for helping the environment.

Derek: Then let's go do our part. [and he playfully taps her legs so she can let him up]

Beckett: [she will do that leaving her coffee mug on the coffee table and getting ready to follow him]

- - - - -

Laura: [is perched on the living room couch with a bowl of cereal, still in her pajamas]

Peter: [and is back a lot sooner than expected, files and the ledger in his hand]

Laura: [blinks up at him in surprise] You're back.

Peter: I am. It seems your brother has company. [it's only nine at this point]

Laura: [eyebrows go up into her hair] What kind of company?

Peter: [just smirks, going to sit across the table from her] The kind of company that would still be there at nine o clock in the morning.

Laura: [her eyes narrow a bit as she watches him] He's given up living as a monk?

Peter: Your brother was never a monk. You know why he took his vacations in AC just as much as I do. But, it seems a certain wall has finally come down.

Laura: [she tries not to think about those vacations, okay? But still, this is progress] Good for him.

Peter: Is your suitor still in the apartment?

Laura: [shakes her head] He headed home. Why?

Peter: Because the details are not something that he needs to know about.

Laura: [her eyebrows go up even more] ... Why would he care who Derek is sleeping with?

Peter: Well, I am pretty certain that sleeping with his partner is not something looked upon well at the NYPD.

Laura: [chokes on her cereal] It's Beckett?

Peter: [just smirks] Oh yes, and she wasn't just there for breakfast from her state of dress.

Laura: Holy shit.

Peter: I have been asked to make sure that we know to call before visiting moving forward. [amused. so amused]

Laura: When the hell did this happen?

Peter: Very recently, I would figure. Her scent wasn't there a week ago when Nadia and I were doing an inventory for the exhibit.

Laura: So probably around the time things imploded at the precinct and Beckett temporarily quit her job.

Peter: She had a close call with death, did she not?

Laura: That's what I heard, though I'm not exactly sure what it entailed.

Peter: Well, sometimes when one faces death, they come to realize how short time can really be.

Laura: I guess so. I'm glad someone finally kicked some sense into him.

Peter: You can see it on his face, Laura, and posture. It's almost as if that broken piece in him is finally fixing itself.

Laura: Good. I'm glad.

Peter: As am I. Though this may also be a factor that will keep him from moving back home next week as we had hoped.

Laura: [shrugs slightly] I think I can live with this trade off if he's happy.

Peter: He is. He’s not happy with me currently but you can feel it.

Laura: [nods] This was why he wanted some space in the first place to figure himself out so ... I can work with it.

Peter: It may soothe Cora a bit too, I believe. She's probably hated how he hurts like that.

Laura: [nods] I think it'll be good for everyone, really.

Peter: Now we just need to even Malia out a bit. [said lovingly. Because he is mostly fine with how Malia currently lives her life, but he knows it won't sustain her forever]

Laura: [knows that too] I think we need to let her figure it out on her own though. She still doesn't really react to things the way the rest of us do.

Peter: I agree. That's why I haven't said anything to her on that. She needs to discover it in her own way.

Laura: [nods] Believe it or not, I think Landon actually helps her in that respect.

Peter: I do believe it. I may regret having been an overprotective father in his direction once, but he has proven to be a good friend.

Laura: He has. Guess it just goes to show you shouldn't judge someone by their species.

Peter: [nods, but nope, he won't be apologizing and will always judge everything]

Laura: [yeah, she knows. there's nothing she can do to break him off that habit] Actually, I've been catching the same human on her lately.

Peter: I'll admit I try not to check as often. My way of giving her some form of privacy.

Laura: [nods] I'm not checking really. Just making an idle observation.

Peter: I know we've had the mate talk with Cora and Stiles. Have you had it yet with Malia or your brother?

Laura: I sort of had it with Malia when I gave her the sex talk. I didn't go into detail but she knows enough to keep a handle on her urge to bite.

Peter: I think I only went as far with Derek when he was younger as to tell him not to bite girls with his fangs until he was ready to marry them.

Laura: So maybe you should give him a refresher. Just in case.

Peter: You sure you don't want to have the awkward conversation with him?

Laura: Oh, I'm positive.

Peter: Wonderful. [sarcasm]

Laura: Hey, I'm taking Malia off your hands. I think this is an acceptable trade.

Peter: Well, Malia is my daughter. I don't mind talking to her. Derek is 27 and probably won't enjoy this anymore than I will.

Laura: You sure you want to handle all the female-sided questions about this stuff? Because you know that her brain-to-mouth filter is nonexistent.

Peter: I'm fully aware of that. She would probably be more comfortable talking to you about it though, I'm sure. Or Derek. [his grin grows] We can have him tell her...

Laura: [squints a little] Are you sure we want to give him that responsibility?

Peter: [yeah, there is always that evil part in Peter that comes out in moments like this] Why shouldn't we?

Laura: More for Malia's safety than his.

Peter: You don't trust your brother to do it properly?

Laura: I expect him to get flustered when she asks him a general anatomy question and forget something important.

Peter: Well, in the end Laura it's your decision. You are alpha, even over these minor details.

Laura: I'll handle Malia, you take Derek, and we'll find some other way to make him squirm later.

Peter: Deal.

Laura: [nods] Good.

Peter: Well, I should give him a few hours before I text him for a talk. Plenty of time to go over Michael's records.

Laura: [nods] I'll check in with Malia when she gets home tonight.

Peter: [nods, because that sounds like a plan. And he's going to just take his paperwork and go find a place to spread out and work]

Laura: [and Laura will finish her cereal before heading out to find ways to keep her occupied for today]