canon au } { post-609: memory found

[impetere]

Dawn: [squints as she stares down at the blue jeep] What is that hunk of - oh hey, it's the Sheriff and Jody.

Derek: [goes to look over her shoulder] Something must have happened if they are coming to us.

Sheriff: [looking through the keychain] I think this is the apartment key.

Dawn: [she shrugs before heading towards the door to buzz them in once they're there]

Jody: [a beat] Looks like Derek or Dawn beat you to it.

Sheriff: [shakes his head] These kids.

Derek: I'll go tell Cora. Can you put some coffee on?

Dawn: [nods and heads back to the kitchen after unlocking the door] Sounds good.

Derek: [goes to Cora's room and knocks] Cora, you awake?

Cora: [pushes up when she hears the knock on the door] Yeah?

Derek: Sheriff Stilinski and Mills are here. Pretty sure it's to see you.

Cora: [sigh. partial relief, partial not actually wanting to see anyone. Cora's emotions are too complicated for her at the moment] Alright. I'll be out in a minute.

Derek: Alright. [and he will go and meet them as the Sheriff is letting himself into the actual apartment] Sheriff, come on in. How do you have a key?

Sheriff: It came with the keychain.

Dawn: Did the keychain come with that road hazard you drove up here? I'm surprised it survived the hills. [but she'll come out with coffee and cookies because it's Girl Scout season, and Dawn is weak]

Sheriff: It did. And that's my wife's jeep you're talking about. [he blinks] Which is now my son's jeep.

Dawn: [her head tips to the side] So there's a confirmation on the son, then. Because last we checked that was still slightly unclear.

Sheriff: It's been a long week. But yes. Here, this will help. [and he will reach into the backpack he has over his shoulder and will pull out a picture of Stiles with Scott, Malia and Lydia that he had pulled off his son's pushpin board.]

Dawn: [takes the picture from him as Jody takes the cookies and she stares at it for a moment. then she squints. then her eyebrows go up] Oh my God, it's the boy version of me.

Sheriff: Yeah, which I'm sure his school records are scrubbed at Berkley so we're going to have to figure that out once we get him back. [and he pulls out a chess piece for Derek]

Derek: [looks at the photo over Dawn's shoulder, then the chess piece. He blinks as the memory comes back of the annoying sarcastic boy his sister is dating who was possessed by an evil kitsune. he goes to rub his eyes]

Dawn: [yep the Cora connection comes to her a second later and she looks up at the sheriff] But I have a feeling you're not here to jump start our memories.

Sheriff: No. Things have gotten a lot worse back in town and I need Cora's help.

Cora: Need my help with what? [she would have gotten there sooner, but waddling isn't exactly made for speed] I'm not exactly in fighting shape.

Sheriff: I know. And I hate to ask this, but I need you to remember Stiles. [and he will explain about how most of Beacon Hills is gone - including Melissa, Buffy, Laura, and Peter - and how Liam was an idiot and brought Theo back, and there is a Nazi Werewolf who has taken control of Parrish and they are trying to take control of the Riders and destroyed the rift that Peter used to get out last time and now they need to make another.]

Cora: [the moment he says remember Stiles, it's almost as though her fight or flight reflex kicks in immediately. Only "flight" isn't really an option so she just looks back at the sheriff with wide eyes, shaking her head as every fiber in her being tells her no] Please don't. [her voice is quiet, almost begging, but she can't. she can't do this, there's something there that tells her she won't survive it]

Derek: Sheriff...

Sheriff: No, I'm sorry, Cora. You know I wouldn't be here asking this if it wasn't the last choice, but it is. [he will look at Jody, taking a deep breath, and then back to her] Claudia's gone. I ended up willing her into existence because the Riders needed something in my mind to replace all of my memories of him. But I remember now, and she's gone because of that. But for a moment, just a moment that action of remembering opened a rift into wherever they are keeping him, and I saw him. He's real. And Scott, Malia and Lydia are working right now to figure out how to use that to make a new rift to get in there and get everyone back. But you have the closest bond to him after me - and closer than Scott does. I need you to come back and remember him completely if we have any chance of stopping the riders and getting him... your sister... Peter... Buffy... any of them back.

Cora: [her chest feels tight and she shakes her head, taking a step back from him, though it's clear she's a little shaky on her feet] I can't. I can't do it. Please don't make me do this. [it's not that she doesn't feel bad about the fact that the sheriff lost his wife again, but she can't think about it now - whatever denial she had willed herself into won't let her process that much]

Derek: [and no, he's going to have to help and he's going to step up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders] You can do this, Cora. If not for him, do it for Laura. For Peter. We can't keep losing our family.

Cora: [the added pressure doesn't really help on that front, her breathing going shallow and forced, and no matter how they keep pushing her, she keeps trying to shove it away, not wanting anything to do with this, until the panic reaches critical mass and something happens that makes her go pale as a ghost, one hand moving to her stomach]

Jody: [And being the only person in the room who's actually had a baby] Stop. Both of you stop. [and she'll move past the sheriff to get Cora to look at her] Did your ... ?

Cora: [looks up at her and is confused and scared and that's definitely not supposed to be happening yet] I think so?

Jody: [nods and steers her away from her brother] Hospital. Hospital now.

Derek: Shit.

Sheriff: Derek, get your keys. The Jeep isn't comfortable.

Derek: Right. [blinks and goes to grab his keys and wallet]

Dawn: I'll grab the go bag. [and Jody will just mom Cora all the way to the car and off to the hospital they go! Where we will time skip a bit, because it would mostly be me talking to myself?]

Sheriff: [pretty much, while the rest are in the waiting room and Sheriff is pacing, feeling really guilty]

Jody: [and eventually Jody will wander out, a small smile on her face] Healthy baby girl, ten fingers and ten toes, and Mom is doing fine. They're cleaning them up, but you two should be able to go see them in a bit. [since Dawn is with the baby, and Cora wanted to be alone for a bit]

Sheriff: [slaps Derek on the back] Congrats, Daddy.

Derek: [smirks] And to you too, Grandpa.

Sheriff: Don't make me shoot you.

Derek: You adopted us.

Jody: Anyway. Dawn went with the baby and she said she'll meet whoever wants to see her at the nursery. Cora's getting cleaned up and is getting some rest, so you can go in once we get the all clear if you want to watch her sleep, but the baby will probably be more entertaining.

Sheriff: I'll go sit with Cora. [holds up his hands] And I won't pressure her about Stiles until she has rested.

Derek: I'll go find Dawn.

Jody: [nods and goes with Derek, leading the way to the nursery]

Derek: [and once they were away from Sheriff] Is Cora really okay?

Jody: [sighs] She's had a rough day. [a beat] She wouldn't look at the baby, let alone hold her, which makes sense, given the situation.

Derek: I understand why she is making this choice, and I'm very happy to raise the child. I just worry that she is going to let this haunt her for a long time.

Jody: There was no way around that. It's hard to give up something you're that attached to.

Derek: I just hope she doesn't decide to never have a family of her own.

Jody: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. She's missing a lot of people right now - getting them back may even her out.

Derek: I hope so.

Jody: [nods and eventually they curve their way around to the nursery where Dawn is sitting in a rocking chair with the baby in her arms]

Dawn: [she looks up when she hears footsteps, and when she sees her husband she smiles] Hey. C'mere.

Derek: [and he will smile back, thanking Jody and going to go kneel down beside her] Hey.

Jody: [will go and ... ice her hand because man your sister can squeeze]

Dawn: [grins and shifts so that he can see her better] Here she is.

Derek: [smiles, afraid to touch her now that she's there] She's beautiful.

Dawn: We have to name her.

Derek: We do. [looks at her] We could name her after one of our mothers.

Dawn: [she sighed for a moment, before wrinkling her nose slightly] Joyce is a bit of an old lady name.

Derek: Talia?

Dawn: Those are very big shoes to fill.

Derek: Yeah. [sighs]

Dawn: [a pause] What about Joy?

Derek: [thinks] Joy would be good.

Dawn: Joy Hale. I like it.

Derek: Me too. [and he will lean over to kiss his wife]

Dawn: [kisses him back] Wanna hold her?

Derek: I don't know, she's tinier than I'm used to. I'm afraid I'll hurt her.

Dawn: You're going to have to get used to it. I'm not holding her all by myself for the next few months. [she gets up gently and leaves the rocking chair for him to sit in.] C'mon.

Derek: [sighs, shaking his head ruefully as he gets up and tries to fit in the chair]

Dawn: [it's not that tiny a chair. he fits just fine. and she will wait until he's settled before gently placing the baby in his arms, showing him how to use his arm to support her head]

Derek: [and he will do so, a bit stiff and worried but once he's settled he will just rock the chair a bit]

Joy: [and her eyes will open a bit, hands flailing out in front of her face ... and then she'll sneeze]

Derek: [jumps a bit] Maybe she's cold?

Dawn: Or maybe there was some dust in her nose. Relax. [makes her way behind him to rub his shoulders gently] Babies sneeze just like adults sneeze.

Derek: But she's early. Her system may not be fully developed...

Dawn: If that were the case, they wouldn't be letting us hold her. So relax.

Derek: [takes a deep breath, nodding. He then goes to adjust the blanket around her chest to make sure she's covered]

Joy: [and she'll grab one of his fingers as he's doing that, gripping it tightly]

Derek: Oh, hey. I need that. [and he will try to wiggle it free a moment before he stops, letting her hold his finger as he just looks at her hand]

Joy: [yes. good dad. she's keeping that, it's hers now]

Derek: [and yup, just like that he's in love]

Dawn: [smiles softly because there it is] See? You're a natural.

Derek: You say that now.

Dawn: Well, she's not rejecting you. She's already plotting to steal our sleep, but at least there's a slight promise you can calm her down.

Derek: Or that she will wake me up first since my hearing is better than yours.

Dawn: Also probably true.

Derek: [looks at Joy] You and I are going to spend a lot of late nights together.

Joy: [and she's going to give a super yawn]

Derek: Yeah you had a hard afternoon getting squeezed out of your mother. You probably need a nap

Dawn: [and with that the nurses will come back in and gently take her for measurements and things and Dawn will take Joy's place in Derek's lap instead] So we're really doing this.

Derek: Yeah, we're really doing this.

Dawn: You good?

Derek: As good as I'm going to be. It's not like we can shove her back into Cora.

Dawn: Good point. [and with that she will lean in to kiss him and we will timeskip a few hours later and Cora's very quiet hospital room]

Sheriff: [and he is going to be dozing in the chair near her because let's face it, he hasn't slept in almost 36 hours now. The backpack is next to him, half open with just the sweatshirt visible as the other things are at the bottom.]

Cora: [and she just, you know, gave birth, and there was definitely some crying once Jody left the room, so she is fully emotioned out and needed a nap. but eventually she'll start to rouse again, feeling sore as hell but also like she can move for the first time in months, so that's a bonus, right? She sees the sheriff in the chair, and while she is still a little angry that he put her in this position before she was ready, she's also rational enough to understand why he was doing it, even if she couldn't remember the reason why. she slowly shifts onto her side so that she can see him better before speaking up to get his attention] Sheriff?

Sheriff: [and he will blink awake, not startled so much as someone who is a light sleeper - ever since the nogitsune he had stopped sleeping deeply. He saw her looking at him and smiled] Hey, how you feeling?

Cora: Sore. But not bad.

Sheriff: Good. I guess your healing helps you bounce back quickly, huh?

Cora: [she nods] I mean, I'm not a hundred percent. I'll need more sleep for that, but ... I'm good for now.

Sheriff: Okay. [and he sits forward] Cora, I'm sorry.

Cora: [she shakes her head] It's not your fault. [it's the ghost riders more than anything else, and her brain trying to protect her] You were just trying to save your son.

Sheriff: I am. But I'm also trying to help you, you know. Claudia refused to believe, but she wouldn't have. Stiles loved his mother a lot. And I know you loved each other a lot. I remember it. I think that's why you're so scared to know... because the Riders know how deep that is and that you can screw with their plans.

Cora: [she takes a deep breath and looks down for a moment, because it wasn't all the riders. a lot of it was her too] And what if it doesn't work? What if I remember and we lose him anyway? [she hates that she's getting teary again, but her hormones are still out of whack so there's nothing she can do to control that] I don't think I can handle that.

Sheriff: [he gets up and goes to sit on the edge of the bed, going to gently rub her back if she will let him] If you do nothing, he's already lost and you'll have to live with your choice. [she'll have to live knowing she refused to fight for him. For the Sheriff.] And it's not just him. You sister, your uncle... your entire pack... you'll lose them all. And me, because I'm going back there to fight for him, even if it means they take me too.

Cora: That's the thing. Right now I can live with it. [because she doesn't know how much it means to lose him. she doesn't feel that ache that she knows comes with all loss, because she's felt it too many times over. She doesn't pull away from the sheriff's hand but she knows what she's saying hurts him in a different way] I've lost my best friend before and that was ... [she takes a deep breath because she's never going to not feel the pain of losing Boyd] ... If I feel for him the way you said I did, and it doesn't work and the hunt keeps him, I'm not sure I can live with that.

Sheriff: You know that means you're going to be alone. Because there will be nothing left in Beacon Hills for you. You won't stay here with Derek and Dawn - we both know that. Do you really feel you have to punish yourself that much because you're afraid that you might lose? Because that's not the Cora I know. The Cora Hale I know is the girl who tried to take on an alpha pack to protect her brother. Who took on a nogitsune to save her pack. The Cora Hale I know is a fighter, not someone who runs because it may not work.

Cora: [yeah, actual crying because she knows he's right, but at the same time she knows there's pain waiting for her on the other side.] She's also the girl who ran away while the rest of her pack died.

Sheriff: She was an eleven year old girl then. Not the girl who's in her twenties.

Cora: I just don't know how much more I can lose until there's nothing left. [she shakes her head] I'm tired of losing. [because most of the working plans are connected to Stiles. All she knows is that they won somehow, and because they did, Scott kept her around. because she's a Hale, and because she wanted a pack.]

Sheriff: Cora... if that's how you feel, then why are you choosing the option that makes you lose everything?

Cora: Because right now ... it doesn't feel like I'm losing. [she pulls away from his hand and pushes into more of a sitting position, pulling her knees to her chest which is the first time she could do that in months] Which is pretty fucked up, I know, but I don't remember them. I don't know why it should hurt, so it doesn't. I don't have to watch them die, I don't have to deal with something being missing, I don't have to deal with that ache, you know? Like when my mom died? It doesn't hurt. I just want it to stop hurting. [because everything else does. in a lot of ways, the riders being the threat was a blessing in her mind]

Sheriff: It doesn't hurt right now. Right now, Cora. But you don't know what tomorrow brings. What if this Mr. Douglas gets control and he comes for Derek next? Satomi is either far gone or taken. Scott goes - Derek's the strongest wolf in town and he'll be a threat to this guy. And he won't send the riders - he'll send Parrish, or come kill him himself.

Cora: And doing this will be better? [she looks up him before shaking her head] You can't guarantee that either. You're relying on me to fix everything, when you don't know that I can do that. Right now, the only thing you can promise me is that I'll remember someone who got taken from me. A lot of someones. And if this idea doesn't work, and I can't get them back, then only guarantee you have for me right now is pain. And I don't think I can do what you need me to do. Not if you can't or Scott can't.

Sheriff: [and the pain on Sheriff's face is evident, and he goes to stand up, wiping at his face because that was it.] If that's your choice, Cora, then so be it. You're always going to be like a daughter to me, but I choose him, even if it means I'm going to be lost, and I'm never going to see my grandchild grow up... I choose my son. [and he's going to just leave, because he can feel his anger growing and he's not going to yell at her. Instead he's going to just go say goodbye to his granddaughter]

Cora: [and that hurts because of course she can't even do this right either. She knows that every answer she gave was wrong but she doesn't know how else to deal with this. she doesn't think she's capable of fixing something this huge and she doesn't think it's fair to put all of this on her shoulders. She also doesn't blame him for choosing his son, either. So after crying about it some more, she glances to the side and sees that he left the backpack behind. After giving a bit of a huff, she slides off the bed - slowly - and goes to pick it up and bring it to him so he doesn't forget it, but before she gets that far, the scent of the sweatshirt hits her and triggers something in the back of her mind that's familiar. And while part of her is screaming that she probably shouldn't, she can't ignore this either and goes to very slowly get to her knees next to the backpack, fishing out the sweatshirt and bringing it to her face so that she can try and pin down what exactly it was that triggered ... something]

Sheriff: [and as she pulls the sweatshirt out, a few things fall out of the bag. There's the photo of the two of them: Stiles in his graduation robe, Cora dressed up nice like a girly girl against a tree and it was right after they kissed and their foreheads are touching as they stare into each other's eyes. There's a photo of a young Stiles with his mother in the hospital. A lacrosse ball with the date of the game he had won written on it. A ball of red yarn. A strip of photos the two of them had taken in a photo booth once and they are being silly. A small stuffed animal Sheriff knew Stiles had won for her on a trip to a carnival. Two ticket stubs to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. and a few other things that Sheriff knew meant something between the two of them but were distinctively Stiles]

Cora: [as she goes through each of them, bits and pieces start to slip in, familiarity filling in cracks that the riders had left behind. she doesn't remember, not fully, but there's an ache that moves to rest in the middle of her chest. The kind that comes with there being something missing - something that had been gone longer than Peter and Buffy had. Something bigger than all of them and she's simultaneously angry that he played her and grateful that he at least had a back up plan to get her out of her own way. She closes her eyes for a moment, before getting up and starting to get dressed so that she was ready to go when the sheriff came back. because she figures that he's at least coming back to check if his plan worked]

Sheriff: [no, no he's not because he's holding his granddaughter. He's sending Derek in to check on her instead because he may yell at her still]

Derek: [and he walks in, seeing her up] Cora?

Cora: [well, whichever works] I'm going back with him.

Derek: Wait, you're... [confused] Are you sure? [because Derek knows the risks too]

Cora: He played me. [she may be grateful, but she has no problem calling it for what it is, and she gestures to the items from the back pack that are still spread on the ground] So now I don't really have a choice. [a beat] And I'm not just letting him go back and get taken either. [she still doesn't think she actually stands a chance of opening this rift that they want her to open, but even as screwed up as her headspace is she's not going to abandon the sheriff]

Derek: [nods] Good. Not that he played you, but that you're going back for him. [and he's going to walk over to his sister and hug her tightly]

Cora: [hugs him back, burying her face in his shoulder because this very well may be the last time she sees him]

Derek: [and he will be doing the same thing, taking a deep breath] You go back there, and you show those riders just why they shouldn't fuck with a Hale.

Cora: [she nods] I will.

Derek: [and he will let her go] I'll tell Sheriff to meet you at the SUV. Easier for you to sneak out of here without the rest of us around.

Cora: [she nods, before dipping to scoop up the stuff from the backpack and handing it to him] He'll want this too.

Derek: [takes the backpack] I'll give it to him. I love you, pup.

Cora: Love you too. [and she'll go out to wait by the Jeep, totally prepared to get yelled at]

Sheriff: [well, the Jeep is still at Derek's since they took the SUV, but Sheriff will let Jody drive him back to the Jeep and look at her a moment] Jody, I don't want you following me back to Beacon Hills.

Jody: [well, Cora needed some alone time anyway, and the hospital wasn't far from the apartment] Yeah, I figured that was coming. [she sighs as she looks at him] You let yourself get taken and we're going to have words later.

Sheriff: You can yell at me all you want when I get back. But I already lost one wife this week. [and he just gives her a small smile]

Jody: [she nods] And I'm pretty sure the girls would murder me. I already risked a lot going back to get you. I'll make sure Sam and Dean stay on Plan B.

Sheriff: Good. [but she totally missed the subtext in that statement, but he won't bring it up now.] Make sure Derek doesn't do anything stupid either. That little one needs him.

Jody: [oh, she didn't, but they really don't have time to discuss that now. she nods, and leans in to kiss him quickly] Go get your kid.

Sheriff: [kisses her back, holding her for just that moment more before getting out of the jeep and grabbing the backpack. He will walk over to car, and yes that is a proud Papa Stilinski smirk] You ready?

Cora: [... okay that does name her feel a little bit better about this and she nods] As I'm gonna be.

Sheriff: Then let's go. [and he will open the door for her and then get into the jeep and off they go!]

Cora: [yep, and Cora sleeps most of the way back to Beacon Hills because she's technically still healing, but the sheriff can drop her off wherever Parrish's cooling tank is and then go back to meet up with Liam, while she heads in to see Malia, Scott and Lydia]

Scott: [and he hears the pounding on the security door and goes to open it, and his face brightens considerably] You came.

Cora: I'm not sure how much good it's going to do, but yeah.

Lydia: [and as she makes her way in ...] You had the baby.

Scott: [blinks, and then] You had the baby? [clueless as always]

Cora: Yes. I don't want to talk about it. Can we just do this, please?

Scott: Yeah, yeah we can do this. [thinks] I'll go first.

Cora: [nods. good. she can put this off for a little while longer. and we jump through the canon stuff until they're pulling Malia out and Cora knows it's her turn, but Lydia reaches for her wrist]

Lydia: You're not going in there.

Cora: If you want me to remember ...

Lydia: You just had a baby and you're probably still healing. We should do this the old fashioned way.

Scott: I don't think we're going to find a bathtub full of ice in time...

Lydia: No. We're going to hypnotize her.

Cora: Do you think that'll work?

Lydia: We're going to have to try.

Scott: It's worth a shot. [because every minute they wait, it's another minute Liam and Theo and Sheriff have to distract the Riders]

Cora: [nods and takes a seat as Lydia starts to explain what they have to do]

Lydia: The induction script should be read by someone you trust.

Cora: [and Cora will just take the notepad out of Lydia's hands and hold it out to Scott]

Scott: [and he will start to read it slowly, guiding her. But it won't be a TV because he knows Cora. It'll be guiding her to walk through Stiles' room, looking at the things on his shelves.]

Cora: [and it takes a few tries, frustration rising when she doesn't find anything of substance, when she leans back against his window and there's a lump in his bed, and a version of her starts to move forward, playing out the scene in front of her as she does, it's a like a lock turning in her head and all of the memories fall neatly into place, bringing back exactly what it is she's been missing and pushing her to tears for the second time that day, as well as pushing her out of the hypnosis] Stiles.

Scott: [and he's around the table, going to her side, a hand on her shoulder. Alpha being the steady rock for her]

Lydia: [Cora will curl into him and Lydia will go investigate the funny noises from the other side of the room and there's a portal annnnnnnnnd we wait for the rest until next week?]