peter & cora } { of paternity woes and struggling with truths

[denmom]

Melissa: [which she will accept like the gracious person she is] God, you're a lifesaver.

Peter: [smirks] Perhaps I should look for a job then in the hospital.

Melissa: [she takes a sip of the coffee before shrugging] Hey, we could always use fresh blood around here. I certainly wouldn't complain.

Peter: I have a college degree in art history. What could I do with that?

Melissa: [considers for a moment] Art therapy?

Peter: [thinks] I could volunteer with the children. See if they need help getting new pieces for hospital rooms.

Melissa: See? I'm sure they'd love that.

Peter: I'll talk with the management then. [because you know, the Hales donate a lot of money to the hospital over the years]

Melissa: [probably true] So what really brings you by? Other than a generous donation to under-caffeinated nurses.

Peter: I was actually... hoping to ask your opinion on something I've been struggling with for a while.

Melissa: [glances down at her wrist] I've got a little time to kill. What's on your mind?

Peter: Can we talk in private?

Melissa: [she pauses for a moment, glancing around before tipping her head to the side] Follow me.

Peter: [and he will go and follow her]

Melissa: [and they will find an empty breakroom where she'll close the door behind them] What's going on?

Peter: It seems that while tests were being done on me and Cora after the fire, a discovery was made that wasn't known to me.

Melissa: Is she okay?

Peter: She is doing okay all things considered. I think it's going to take a while before she is able to move on.

Melissa: So what was ... discovered?

Peter: [sighs] Somehow, the blood test, and two following genetic tests all conclude that Cora is my daughter and not my niece.

Melissa: ... And you didn't know?

Peter: No. As far as I knew, Talia discovered she was pregnant while I was starting my year of study abroad in Europe. Cora was born just before I came back.

Melissa: And she never told you the truth?

Peter: No. No one ever did. I don't even know why she would do that.

Melissa: And it begs the question - who's her mother?

Peter: I was in college... I had a few flings and to be honest, I don't really even remember any of them. Obviously they didn't want the child.

Melissa: [purses her lips for a moment] I guess not.

Peter: And while I'm curious, I'm not going to ask if there is any notation in her medical file...

Melissa: Well, would bringing her actual mother back into her life do Cora any good with everything she's going through right now?

Peter: No. To her, Talia and Thomas are her parents. I don't want to take that from her...

Melissa: [she nods] But you also want to tell her about you.

Peter: She deserves to know. I just... how? If I wait too long, she would be mad that I kept it a secret. But I don't want to destroy her bonds.

Melissa: [takes a sip of her coffee as she thinks] Do you think she's ready to hear it? After everything that's happened?

Peter: I don't know.

Melissa: [she takes a deep breath before stepping closer] I think you're right. You do need to tell her. And now would be a good time to do it, since it was part of her medical tests. And I also don't think there's any scenario where she's going to take this well, no matter how long you wait. So you'll just have to be ready for the fall out.

Peter: Just... right now you're the only female role model she has so um...

Melissa: Do you want me there?

Peter: That or just be prepared in case you see she's upset so perhaps she will talk to you about things she doesn't want to talk to me about?

Melissa: Of course.

Peter: Thank you, Melissa. I swear, the last few months I don't know what I would have done without you.

Melissa: [smiles softly] I'm happy to help. Really.

Peter: If there is any way I could repay you...

Melissa: Peter, please. You don't have to.

Peter: I know. [smiles a bit] But I want to.

Melissa: [she eyes him for a moment like what are you doing, Peter, before glancing back down at her watch] I have to get back to work. But I'll think about it.

Peter: Alright. I should go rescue John and reduce his load a bit.

Melissa: [she nods] Good luck with talking to her.

Peter: Thanks. [and off he will go to pick Cora up from the Sheriff's]

Cora: [and she will have spent most of her time doing her homework (sort of) when she's not being distracted by Stiles and Scott]

Stiles: [which is mostly his antics of trying to write with the wrong hand since his writing hand is in a brace]

Cora: [to which she will cave and start writing his answers for him because his wrong hand handwriting is atrocious]

Stiles: You're the best.

Cora: You still have to tell me your answers though, otherwise it's cheating.

Stiles: No, I will tell you the answers. [and he will get them all right, because he is insanely smart]

Scott: [and he will just write down the answers that Stiles says because he happened to figure them out at the exact same time ok?]

Cora: [and she will keep scribbling them down until he's finished] Done.

Stiles: So can we go play video games now?

Peter: [and that's the doorbell]

Cora: [sighs] That's probably my uncle.

Scott: [looks at the clock] Yeah, it's not my mom.

Sheriff: [heading to the door and greeting Peter, leading him in]

Cora: [sighs as she gets her books together]

Peter: [and they will talk a bit and then Peter will offer to take her bag since it is heavy]

Cora: [and she will let him take it because she is tiny and has a hard time carrying it sometimes]

Peter: [and as they are in the car] So pizza or another adventure of my learning to cook for dinner tonight?

Cora: [her nose wrinkles] Do you really have to ask?

Peter: So my experimentation. [grins]

Cora: [groans] Uncle Peter.

Peter: [licks his lips because yeah...] Alright, Pizza.

Cora: [and she grins up at him]

Peter: [and they will get their pizza and head home and he's debating on how to tell her, giving off the obvious serious Peter face]

Cora: [watches him for a moment before curling up closer to him] You okay, Uncle Peter?

Peter: I'm just trying to figure out how to talk about something.

Cora: To me?

Peter: Yes.

Cora: Is it bad?

Peter: It's not bad. But it is something that is going to change a lot of things.

Cora: [confused] Okay?

Peter: [folds his hands on the table] Remember when we were in the hospital and they were doing some tests on us?

Cora: [she nods]

Peter: In one of them, they were doing some genetic work and they made a discovery about the two of us. Not the obvious one they could discover...

Cora: [just watches him, looking confused]

Peter: Cora... it turns out that your parents aren't your genetic parents.

Cora: ... What?

Peter: I'm sorry, sweetheart. It seems that they adopted you.

Cora: [her brow furrows some more before she shakes her head] No.

Peter: I know it's hard to believe. And the rest is going to sound just as strange.

Cora: And what's that?

Peter: [he sighs, looking up at her] According to the tests... I'm your father.

Cora: [and that just makes her even more confused because ...] No.

Peter: I didn't want to believe it either, but I had the tests done three times.

Cora: How did you not know?

Peter: I was in Europe the year your mother was having you. The year I spent for college studying art.

Cora: So who's my mother?

Peter: I don't know. I wasn't in a serious relationship back then. [meaning he was with a few girls]

Cora: [scowls and she pushes her plate away. she doesn't know what to do. part of her is angry and part is sad and part just doesn't want to believe it, and she's already getting to her feet to walk away] I'm going to my room.

Peter: [nods] That's fine. I'll clean up.

Cora: [she doesn't even really wait for him to respond, just goes to her room and slams the door]

Peter: [well, that went better than planned. But he would clear the plates and do the dishes in silence, and then just go to sit in his room and read, but keeping his door open]

Cora: [she's probably just going to curl up in bed and not want to talk to anyone, turning this information and over and over again in her head and she doesn't understand any of it.]

Peter: [and eventually he will just fall asleep with his book in his lap, slumped back against his headboard]

Cora: [probably won't say much to him in the morning, just what she has to to get herself to school, and in school she'll be hyperfocused on her schoolwork and not even her loosened-up self with Stiles and Scott]

Stiles: [and finally he will huff at lunchtime and poke her with his carrot]

Cora: [glances up from her lunch and frowns] What?

Stiles: Something's wrong with you. What's going on?

Cora: [shakes her head and goes back to her book] Nothing.

Scott: You sure?

Cora: [she shrugs once, not really sure what to say either way. there's another patch of silence as she works her way through it, before:] Peter said they had some DNA work done while I was in the hospital and that my mom and dad weren't actually my mom and dad.

Stiles: So what, are you an alien?

Scott: [elbows Stiles hard]

Cora: [eyeroll] I was adopted. Sort of.

Stiles: Well, there's nothing wrong with being adopted. Lots of kids are adopted

Cora: Are a lot of kids adopted by their aunt and uncle and they cover it up so well that their actual father doesn't even know he's their father?

Scott & Stiles: Whoa.

Cora: Yeah.

Scott: But at least you were still with your family. Right?

Cora: Yeah, I guess. But ... why did they have to lie about it to him?

Stiles: Maybe it wasn't him, but it was your other mother. Maybe she was a psycho and they did it to protect you from her and if he knew, he would be in danger.

Cora: He doesn't even know who she is.

Scott: [so wise for his age] Well, just because they aren't your real mom and dad doesn't mean that they aren't YOUR mom and dad. They loved you and raised you and you were their kid, you know. DNA doesn't change that.

Cora: I know that? But right now it just ... it feels like I'm losing them all over again. [especially her dad. At least her mom was still related to her genetically, Thomas wasn't really supposed to be hers. And a part of her selfishly wonders if she knew the truth, would losing them in the first place have hurt as much as it did]

Scott: [leans in to hug her]

Cora: [Scott's good at hugs, so she will just lean into that, trying to keep herself calm so that she doesn't start crying in school]

Stiles: [and he will rub her back. He's been awkward about hugs since his mom died. Plus thinking about losing parents wasn't really a topic he was good at talking about yet]

Cora: [sighs softly as she eventually pulls back] I don't really know how to talk to Peter about it either.

Stiles: Does he want to talk about it?

Cora: Eventually we're going to have to. I can't just ... keep giving him the silent treatment.

Stiles: Well, just tell him you don't want to talk about it.

Cora: And talk about what instead?

Scott: Homework.

Stiles: Where babies come from.

Cora: [a Look at Stiles for that one]

Stiles: It was the first thing I thought of!

Cora: It just ... feels weird.

Scott: Tell him that.

Cora: I don't want to hurt his feelings. It's not his fault.

Scott: I'm sure it's weird for him too, Cora. He was lied to.

Cora: I know. Doesn't make it easier though.

Scott: But he would understand it being weird.

Cora: I guess.

Stiles: Welcome to the one parent club?

Scott: [kicks him]

Cora: [yeah, that gets him another look, and she shrugs] I'll figure it out.

Scott: Well, you have us. We're here for you.

Stiles: We're totally Team Cora.

Cora: [she nods before going back to her food] Thanks.

Jackson: [walking over and stealing Stiles' apple] Oh look, it's the three musketeers. Aren't you all adorable.

Cora: [oh Jackson, today is not the day to mess with her friends] Give it back.

Jackson: No. [and he's going to take a nice, big bite of it]

Cora: [and her hand is going to shoot forward, faster than it probably should, and her fingers tightly gripping around his wrist until he's forced to let it go] Give. It. Back.

Stiles: Cora...

Jackson: Ow! [and he will drop the apple and pull his wrist back] Freak! I'm gonna tell.

Cora: [lets him go and drops back into her seat. She obviously doesn't care - all she left was a few bruises]

Jackson: [and he's going to run off]

Stiles: We should go before you get in trouble.

Cora: [she shrugs] I don't get in trouble that much. I'll be fine.

Stiles: Yeah, but detention isn't fun. And then they will call your uncle and have a talk with him about your behavior.

Cora: [she shrugs again. she might be able to get away with it, if only because Jackson is logically a much stronger kid than she is. and he has a history of harassing Scott and Stiles] And running away is going to help is avoid that ... how?

Stiles: Because they will be so relieved when you return they forget to scold you.

Cora: [her brow furrows and she shakes her head] No. I'll deal with it.

Scott: [and they can finish lunch and nothing comes because the monitor saw what happened and Jackson is the one talked to about stealing food]

Cora: [see? All's well that ends well.]

Stiles: [and they will be sitting outside waiting to be picked up] So who's turn is it with us today anyway?

Cora: [shrugs before glancing to Scott] Your mom?

Scott: Yeah, I think so, unless she got called in.

Melissa: [and sure enough, a few minutes later up pulls Melissa, unlocking the doors for them to get inside] Hey, kids. Good day?

Stiles: Yeah, totally.

Melissa: [Cora says nothing as she squeezes into the back seat between Scott and Stiles. they're totally becoming her Derek and Laura substitutes as far as snuggling is concerned] Good.

Scott: Can we have pizza rolls when we get home, Mom?

Melissa: If there's some still left in the freezer, sure.

Scott: Awesome. [they are totally for Cora]

Cora: [you're the best, Scott]

Scott: [thank you!]

Stiles: Hey Mrs. McCall, can we see if I can take my brace off today?

Melissa: We'll see, Stiles. But you still have to be careful with it.

Stiles: I'll totally be careful

Melissa: I'll have a look at it when we get home.

Stiles: [bright grin]

Melissa: [and with that, they pull up to Scott's house and the three of them pile out]

Scott: [and they go piling in the living room to go do their homework, but Stiles is insistent on getting his wrist checked]

Melissa: [so she will do that while Scott's making pizza rolls]

Stiles: [watching Melissa check his wrist] So what's the verdict?

Melissa: [she gently moves his hand back and forth] That hurt?

Stiles: [winces a bit] Nope.

Melissa: [yeah, she saw that] Let's give it another couple days, Stiles.

Stiles: [pouts]

Melissa: You'll thank me for it when you're older.

Stiles: Why when I'm older?

Melissa: Because your ligaments will be stronger for it.

Stiles: Oh okay. [still pouting]

Melissa: [fixes the brace back on and rubs the top of his head] Just a couple more days and you'll be fine.

Stiles: I guess Cora will just have to get used to doing my homework.

Melissa: Transcribing your homework.

Stiles: Yeah, that's what I mean.

Melissa: Mmm-hmmm.

Stiles: I guess I'll get going to it now.

Melissa: Yep. You do that.

Stiles: [and he leaves to go do his homework]

Melissa: [and she will monitor them while they do that until their parents show up]

Peter: [yup, and he will probably show up at the same time as John]

Melissa: [and will open the door with a smile for her two favorite handsome faces] Stiles, Cora, time to go.

Sheriff: Unless you want to keep them. That's always an option.

Melissa: [she chuckles] I'll keep Cora. The rest, however, are free to a good home.

Peter: Of course you'll keep mine.

Sheriff: If you need one, you can have Stiles.

Peter: No, you really are the only one equip to handle him for long term.

Cora: [and Cora will trot in with her backpack on her shoulder, glance at Peter and then let her eyes dart right to the sheriff, because nope. She still doesn't know any better how to deal with this. but what do you expect, she's 11] Hi, Sheriff Stilinski.

Sheriff: Hey, Cora.

Peter: Ready to head home?

Cora: [nods and will just squeeze past the two of them to head to the car]

Peter: [sighs] I guess I will see you all tomorrow.

Melissa: [there's a sympathetic look at that before nodding] See you tomorrow.

Peter: [and off he will go, leaving the boys and their parents]

Cora: [and she will sit in the car, waiting to leave, still silent as ever]

Peter: [and they will head home] I am making spaghetti tonight.

Cora: Okay.

Peter: Do you want anything to go with it?

Cora: [she shrugs] Meatballs?

Peter: Okay. Garlic bread?

Cora: Sure.

Peter: [he looks at her to see if she's paying attention of just answering]

Cora: [she is, but her eyes are looking out the window, watching the buildings as they drive by]

Peter: How about some broccoli?

Cora: That's fine. [she doesn't like vegetables, but she knows she has to eat them]

Peter: Maybe throw a catfish in there...

Cora: [wrinkles her nose] Catfish with spaghetti and meatball?

Peter: Right, only works if I add in some mangos. [smirking]

Cora: [she rolls her eyes] Ew.

Peter: We may have to stop at the market. I'm fresh out of mangos.

Cora: Uncle Peter.

Peter: I could stop if you're really set on the catfish.

Cora: No.

Peter: Ok, no catfish.

Cora: Good.

Peter: So did you have a good day at school?

Cora: Yeah.

Peter: Learn anything interesting?

Cora: The teacher set magnesium on fire with water.

Peter: If she set it on fire with water, how does she stop it?

Cora: She covered it with sand.

Peter: That would work.

Cora: [she nods]

Peter: I found out I could get a job helping kids admitted in the hospital paint things for their room.

Cora: That sounds nice.

Peter: I figured it would get me out of the house some, and I do have my art degree. I think I can do a social work one online and see if I can start up doing a real art therapy practice.

Cora: Cool. I think you'll like it.

Peter: Would you be okay with me getting a job?

Cora: Sure. You can't just sit home all day.

Peter: It make give me less time with you on weekends.

Cora: That's okay. I'll hang out with Scott and Stiles.

Peter: Do you have any other friends you may want to spend time with?

Cora: [her head tips to the side] Do I need to have other friends to spend time with?

Peter: No, just thought if you had others, I could talk to parents and find you more hang out times.

Cora: [she shakes her head] I like hanging out with Scott and Stiles. [she doesn't want to go back to being the awkward girl who's family died with anyone else]

Peter: Well, they are good friends to have.

Cora: They are.

Peter: I just hope one day you may have a female friend. There isn't a lot of help I can give you on girl things when you get older.

Cora: [there's a small shrug] Maybe. [if the girls she meets ever get less lame]

Peter: And, if you need to, I'm sure Melissa would be willing to talk with you about those things.

Cora: [she glances over and she nods]

Peter: [and they are home!]

Cora: [nods as she starts to climb out of the car and make her way inside]

Peter: [and he will follow] Give me a half hour for dinner.

Cora: Okay. I have a little more homework to finish.

Peter: Let me know if you need any help.

Cora: I will. [and she'll trot off to her room]

Peter: [and thirty minutes later, Peter will be cooking and the kitchen will smell like garlic and meat and tomato and he will be trying to figure out how to make garlic bread slices from the white bread they have]

Cora: [and she will be lured out by the smell of cooking food and will awkwardly peer up to see what's cooking] Smells good.

Peter: Thank you. The Betty Crocker cookbook is coming in handy.

Cora: [she nods a bit] It's kind of like chemistry.

Peter: It is. However, it does not really tell me how to make garlic bread out of wonder bread.

Cora: [she wrinkles her nose] That's true.

Peter: I bet if I had time to look online, I would find some website that could tell me.

Cora: I don't need garlic bread. [because now she's hungry]

Peter: If you're sure. [and he will close it up and go to make them bowls of spaghetti and meat balls]

Cora: [she nods] I'm sure.

Peter: [and he puts the bowl for her on the table, and then gets the cheese and a soda for her from the fridge] Let me know if it's too garlicy.

Cora: [she picks up her fork and swirls herself up some pasta and puts it in her mouth ... and makes a face] It's not ... too bad. [that's not ... entirely the truth]

Peter: [he hears the heart jump and chuckles] I will try better next time.

Cora: [she nods and she'll keep eating it, because it wasn't too bad. It was just a little on the side of too much]

Peter: [and he will eat quietly as well]

Cora: [she's quiet for the most part but eventually the silence and the elephant in the room start to outweigh everything else and she spits out] Are you going to try and find my mother?

Peter: [and he looked up at her at that, his face soft] That's up to you. If you want to know.

Cora: [she trails her fork through the sauce for a moment] I don't know.

Peter: [he puts down his fork] Cora, Talia and Thomas are always going to be your parents. I don't want to take that away from you. They loved you with all their hearts.

Cora: [she looks down quietly for a moment] Then why keep it a secret? The truth, I mean.

Peter: Knowing my sister, it was probably to protect us. Maybe she felt something, or knew something about the woman I had been with... maybe someone threatened me while I was away... I don't think that will be an answer we will ever get. That doesn't mean she didn't do it out of love.

Cora: [she doesn't like that she can't have an answer to it. She pauses for a moment, twirling her fork again] Do you think Laura might know? She knew all of Mom's secrets.

Peter: She may. If we ever find her.

Cora: [she nods because she really wants to find her. But Peter knew that already]

Peter: I promise, Cora... we will find them, but Laura knows how to go to ground and it may be awhile before she lets herself or Derek surface enough for one of my contacts to notice her.

Cora: I know.

Peter: We just have to stick together, okay. We're a team, and no matter what happens between us, I'm never going to let anyone hurt you.

Cora: [she nods] We're a team.

Peter: And nothing needs to change between us. I still love you no matter what. Okay?

Cora: Okay. [there's a pause before she continues] Me too. I just ... I still don't know how I feel about the other stuff.

Peter: I figured. I just... I didn't want to hide it from you and tell you later and then you be upset that I hid it from you.

Cora: [she nods] I'm glad you told me.

Peter: [nods, going to finally take another bite of his meal]

Cora: [and she will do the same, finishing up the rest]

Peter: Do you want some dessert?

Cora: You have to ask?

Peter: [laughs] I'll get the ice cream, you go choose the toppings.

Cora: [she grins as she darts up to put her dishes away and we fade on them with their dessert]