thepicketfencecliche | canon au } { during 304: unleashed

[Derek returns to the loft after seeing Jennifer, to Dawn and Cora having a very intense involved conversation. That’s when he starts putting two and two together about certain things Dawn told him regarding her visit to Beacon Hills.]

Dawn: ... and I'm just saying that ...

Cora: ... you're totally busted. [hi big brother. You weren't supposed to see/hear this.]

Derek: [looks between Cora and Dawn. Cora's words confirm it] Slayer, huh? [who he's asking? both, probably]

Dawn: It wasn't my decision not to tell you.

Derek: Wasn't your decision? [grumpy and frowning] You knew my baby sister was alive and it wasn't your decision to tell me?

Dawn: No, it wasn't. Because we were trying to protect you both, and I may be a Watcher but my orders still come from Buffy.

Derek: [just crosses his arms, glaring at her]

Cora: [eye roll] I'm going to just ... let you two deal with this. Or not deal.

Dawn: [eyes widen as she turns to look at her but Cora is already gone] I hate it when she does that.

Derek: [still glaring, Dawn. He is that pissed]

Dawn: [huffs a bit as she turns to face him] I couldn't tell you because I didn't know if she was there, and I wasn't going to get your hopes up and be wrong. Because she would still be missing, and you had enough to worry about with your pack. For the time being, it was better for you to keep thinking she was dead.

Derek: No, it's not. Would you want people keeping you from knowing that you had family still alive?

Dawn: Look, she left Scotland to find you. She wanted to be part of the pack. It was going to come out sooner or later, but your pack needed you. You needed to stay focused.

Derek: Laura is dead, Dawn. I killed Peter. I thought I was alone and you knew she was out there and chose not to tell me. That isn't an excuse.

Dawn: Right, because Hales together have such a fantastic track record so far. [it snaps out before she can stop it, and she cringes, but she keeps going] We weren't going to draw an attention to an omega wolf on her own when we didn't know where she was. I didn't know she was in the vault. I thought that maybe she would be but I couldn't be sure and I wasn't going to paint a target on her back if she happened to be somewhere else. So be mad at me all you want, but I was trying to keep your sister alive.

Derek: [sadly, he can't see that. he's caught up in too many conflicting emotions at this point.] Get out.

Dawn: [that snap back is deserved, she knows it, but she can't help but try and convince him otherwise] Derek ...

Derek: [works his jaw. He's hurt, but trying not to show it.] I said out.

Dawn: [she exhales slowly before nodding] Okay. [Cora knows where to reach her if anything comes up and she needs to go get ready for Buffy anyway. So she'll suck it up and she'll go]

Derek: [turns his head as she walks by because he just can't deal with this right now.]

Cora: [waits until she hears Dawn's car leave before she comes down the stairs again, leaning against the banister, watching him.]

Derek: [there's a hole in the wall when she comes downstairs. But he's moved back over to his desk at this point and is checking his e-mail because really, he can't do anything else right today it seems]

Cora: [after a while, she sighs.] How long are you going to be mad at her?

Derek: Why didn't you just come home when you got here? [avoiding his feelings]

Cora: That was the plan. Deucalion and Kali had other ideas.

Derek: I was on the news long before I became an alpha. My being here wasn't a secret.

Cora: [glances away] We don't exactly get local news in Scotland. I had no idea what was going on with you and Laura until you started building a pack.

Derek: Which pack? Peter's or mine?

Cora: Yours. Or ... I thought it was yours. I had no idea Peter woke up.

Derek: What do you know about what's been happening here the last few months?

Cora: [shrugs] Not much. Boyd told me about a kanima? But beyond that I just know that the alpha pack is gunning for you in a big way.

Derek: [he looks down at his computer, realizing she didn't know] Laura's dead, Cora. Peter killed her to become an alpha.

Cora: [her hand tightens, briefly, against the iron railing, but beyond that the emotion is kept off her face. She probably should have known.] And Peter?

Derek: He's no longer the alpha. But the man just won't stay dead.

Cora: [she snorts but looks away, turning to face the window. She's no better with feelings than he is, but since he shared ...] Buffy is the one who got me out of the fire.

Derek: [lowers his eyes] Laura was the one who insisted that I cut off all ties to Beacon Hills. That is why they didn't know where we were.

Cora: Even if they did, I don't think they would have told you.

Derek: Why?

Cora: Because they knew it wasn't an accident. And until they knew that the person who did it wasn't going to be threat anymore, they figured it was for the best if they let you - and everyone else - think I was gone.

Derek: It was Kate Argent. [he looked up at her, ready to take the backlash. It couldn't be worse than what he had dealt himself for the last 6 years - still did daily]

Cora: [her spine steels. She knew what her brother was doing at the time - there were times when she could smell it on him. But she didn't think ...] So you just told her everything.

Derek: I didn't know who she really was. But she already knew who we were.

Cora: That doesn't ... [her voice cuts off because there's a part of her that knows he got played. She knows that. It was the only option because Derek wouldn't betray the pack. But he did. And it takes what little self-control she has not to punch through the window in front of her] But why did you? You thought you could trust her?

Derek: I was a kid and thought I was in love. I thought it would be different this time.

Cora: [she still doesn't look at him, the anger simmering just under the surface, but what's she supposed to do? Yell at him for something that happened six years ago? She stuffs it down (it's what they're both so good at) and shakes her head] Then in my opinion you really need to lay off Dawn.

Derek: Dawn doesn't need to be involved in this, Cora.

Cora: Dawn is already involved in this and Buffy is coming. If you think they're just going to say "Okay" and walk away, you're an idiot.

Derek: Buffy is going to have enough to deal with. Dawn will be in danger because of me.

Cora: Dawn's in danger because it's Tuesday. It might be nice to have an actual reason for her to get into trouble for once.

Derek: You know what the alphas will do to her, right? If it gets me to join them.

Cora: Stop treating her like she's some damsel in distress. She's a Watcher. She's been around the supernatural since she was ten years old. She knows what she's doing. And even if you tell her to go away, she won't.

Derek: [just growls and shuts his laptop, not wanting to justify his choices]

Cora: [crosses her arms in front of her chest] She's in this. And even if she did actually listen to you and leave, Deucallion has the resources to drag her back in if he wanted to.

Derek: You being here will be enough to distract him from her.

Cora: You don't know that.

Derek: using my sister against me? Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're the stronger candidate.

Cora: [rolls her eyes] And if they can't get to me, what do you think they'll do? Especially if Buffy is being an equally large pain in their ass.

Derek: If Dawn leaves now, she can get back to the safety of the rest of the Slayers before he realizes that.

Cora: She won't.

Derek: Then I'll call Buffy and tell her what's going on and to order her.

Cora: The last time Buffy tried to forcibly remove Dawn from a situation, Xander got tasered.

Derek: Good thing Xander isn't here. If someone needs to be tasered, I'll put Peter in the spot.

Cora: Honestly? I really don't think you're in any kind of position to be turning down friends right now.

Derek: I'd rather die than let any of you get hurt, alright? [he's screwed up enough as it is, he's certain it's probably better that way.]

Cora: And you think I want you dead? Derek, I just got you back.

Derek: and I'm your older brother. My job is to protect you.

Cora: But you're also my alpha. [because even if they haven't discussed it, he is. He's pack, that's something that doesn't need to be discussed]

Derek: [blinks because... he hadn't realized that]

Cora: [Yeeeeeeeah stupid. She'll just give him an expectant look right back]

Derek: Then I guess I have more reason to watch over you.

Cora: [her shoulders slump a bit as she exhales slowly] I'm not sitting on the sidelines.

Derek: [chuckles] I figured as much.

Cora: Good.