puppy love } { of werecoyotes and future plans dashed

[hereditare]

Laura: [and she's doing as she does every night, heading out into the woods so that she can try and find the werecoyote in the woods. Graduation was coming faster and faster and while she knew their best next step was to get the hell out of Beacon Hills, she couldn't leave without finding Malia. It was her mother's last wish, and she wanted to honor that. She's starting from the accident site this time, when she realized that the memorial was watched by the girl, and she was trying to find her way back to the den]

Peter: [so he's noticed Laura slipping out at night almost every night. he waits until he is feeling better to the point where he can trust himself to take a walk on his own and not overexert himself, and he will slip out after her one night. The turtleneck hides most of the scarring, a ski cap some more but his cheek is still visible. Laura keeps coming back to the memorial and finally he steps out from behind the tree] What do you find so fascinating about this accident?

Laura: [spins around in surprise because while she should be aware enough to realize when she's being snuck up on, but apparently Peter is still able to scare the shit out of her] What are you doing here?

Peter: Wondering why the pack alpha keeps sneaking out every night and does not come home smelling like a member of the opposite sex. What are you doing here?

Laura: [huffs because she wasn't ready to share this with him yet] I'm looking for the werecoyote.

Peter: [his eyebrow] Why? Are you and the deputy looking to adopt?

Laura: No. [and there's a look, because stop it] Mom was looking for her before she died and she never found her. She left me a letter asking me to pick up where she left off.

Peter: [chuckles] I'm surprised she didn't ask me. I know these woods better than all of you.

Laura: [purses her lips for a moment, before turning and surveying the lands again] Yeah, well, she asked me. And I'm close, I know I am. She always comes back here, which means her den can't be far.

Peter: She won't go to her den if she smells you. Same reason why she won't be here. You want to catch the werecoyote, you need to smell like something she likes. And the pup likes deer.

Laura: [her eyes narrow] How do you know that?

Peter: Because sometimes I'll sit out here and read and she'll try to steal my deer jerky.

Laura: [her head tips to the side] So she knows you.

Peter: As much as a coyote pup can know a person. I didn't even realize she was a were until a few months before the fire.

Laura: [she nods for a moment, before moving a step behind him and nudging him ahead of her. if she's comfortable enough to get close to him and steal his jerky, maybe Malia already knows what Peter doesn't. That there's something there] Her name's Malia. Maybe since she's familiar with you, she'll come out of hiding.

Peter: I can try, but we're going to probably want a deer.

Laura: I'll keep an eye out. [and she nods in the direction she was heading] This way.

Peter: [and he will go walk with her] So did your mother tell you why this is important?

Laura: Yes.

Peter: Care to elaborate?

Laura: Not until we find her.

Peter: [raised eyebrows] Uh huh.

Laura: [sighs deeply] She left you a letter too. And told me not to give it to you until after we ... [and then her head snaps at the sound of scuffing nearby]

Malia: [is hanging out on the edges of the scruff, because she heard a familiar voice through the trees. He doesn't look quite the same, but the scent is the same, even if she doesn't recognize the girl and he's been gone a long time. but when Laura turns to look at her, her eyes flash blue, because she can tell the wolf is powerful. Just like the other one was.]

Peter: There she is. [and he is going to crouch down, holding out his unburned hand] Malia, is that your name pup?

Malia: [straightens a bit, because he knows her name. Her head quirks to the side a bit, before she takes a few steps closer. She's still wary of Laura]

Laura: [crouches down next to her uncle, kneeling on the dirt to try and stay on Malia's level and not tower over her]

Peter: [rustles in his pocket and pulls out a Reese’s packet] I'm out of jerky, but since you're not a normal pup, the chocolate won't bother you. Come here. [and he will hold out an unwrapped cup to her]

Malia: [... oh hey she likes those. or she liked them. she takes another few steps closer and snarls a bit at Laura]

Laura: [holds up her hands and inches away from Peter] Okay. Okay, I'll keep my distance.

Peter: That's my niece, Laura. She's been looking for you and wanted to meet you. [he doesn't know why, but there was just something about the werecoyote pup that he was drawn to. Probably because they were both different than the other werewolves in the woods]

Malia: [and that has her curious, but the Reese's cup is the priority for the moment, and she'll snap that right up out of Peter's hands]

Laura: I want to help you. I know you've been stuck for a long time, and I want to get you unstuck.

Peter: [and he is going to nibble on the other one, because he's not giving you both, Malia] You think she was abandoned?

Laura: No. I think she and her parents didn't know what she was, and the accident happened on her first full moon.

Malia: [and there's a whine at that because she doesn't want to talk about the accident. the accident is one of those things she's been trying to run away from for three years]

Peter: [he hears the whine and makes a soft hushing noise] Shh, it's okay, sweetheart. We're not going to judge you or hurt you. Come here. [and he will sit cross legged on the ground, motioning for her to get closer]

Malia: [she hesitates for a moment, before inching closer, lying on her stomach and letting her head rest in Peter's lap. she doesn't know why, but she trusts him]

Laura: [mimics Peter's stance and just sits easily on the ground] What happened wasn't your fault, Malia. You didn't know what was happening. But we can help you. We can teach you how to control it.

Peter: [and he will gently stroke the top of her head, and he will eat most of the cup but give her a tiny bite from his at the end] And then you would have a pack. You don't have to be alone out here anymore.

Malia: [her eyes widen a bit at the idea of not being alone. Coyotes are supposed to be alone but humans are not. she licks up the chocolate from Peter's fingers, and glances over at Laura like "are you going to take me home and keep me like a dog?"]

Laura: I can turn you back into a girl again. [she glances over at Peter] Give me your jacket. [she'd offer hers, but Malia already likes Peter]

Peter: I think I know what she's going to do. Don't worry, I'll stay here. [and he will shrug his black leather jack off and put it between him and Laura.]

Laura: [and she will take it to drape over Malia's shoulders] This is going to be loud, okay? But I'm not going to hurt you. [to Peter] Tell Cora and Derek that everything's fine. [and with that she inches back a bit, her eyes flash red and she howls as loud as she can]

Malia: [the sound startles her, and she starts to make like she's going to skitter away, but before she can, things are shifting. her body slowly turns back into a small eleven year-old girl and she immediately pulls the jacket around her because she's cold. and it smells like Peter] How did you do that?

Peter: [slides his phone away, having texted the twins, and then shakes his head because that was right next to his ear] Alphas can give commands in their howls. She commanded you to change back.

Malia: [she wrinkles her nose at that, shivering a bit] It's cold.

Laura: Why don't we take you home? We can get you some clothes.

Peter: Come on, I'll carry you. [he may not have his werewolf strength, but he had enough to carry a tiny girl. He will gently pick her up and wrap her up better in the jacket]

Malia: [is cool with that, and will just curl up into him]

Laura: [will lead the way back to the car and drive them back to the apartments! Where they will get Malia clothing and food and distract her with Netflix while Peter probably wants the answer to the earlier question]

Peter: [he will make sure she is wrapped in a few blankets too because she is going to be cold without a fur coat, and then will stand in the doorway watching her but talking to Laura] So now are you going to tell me?

Laura: [she nods, before going into the office and fishing out an envelope. it has Peter's name on it in Talia's handwriting] When the lawyer contacted me to execute her will, this was for you.

Peter: [goes to take the envelope] Did you read it already?

Laura: [she shakes her head] But I know what it says. She had a letter for me too. [and she places a hand on his shoulder before moving into the kitchen to start fixing dinner]

Peter: [and that was just a bit unsettling, but he's going to lean in the doorway and open the letter to read it]

Laura: [and he'll read this]

Peter: [he read the letter three times before he moved. His eyes moved first, looking over at the tiny bundle hidden in blankets. His. His daughter. It was a stab in his chest, that this had been hidden from him. Taken. She was eleven... Eleven years of lies. Lies to him, to the girl... the flash of anger came and he was tempted to crumple up the letter.

But it faded as the rational side of his mind came into play. Of course he would have Talia do it. He still had memories of the Desert Wolf in a way to know why she was to be feared. He wouldn't want his child harmed. She would need to be safe until she could be protected. He needed to not know so he couldn't be tortured for the information.

It explained why he and Malia bonded in the woods two years ago. Why her smell had a familiarity to him. Why the coyote would trust someone who smelt of wolf. Instincts couldn't be taken.

His child. He was a father. He had a daughter. He looked back at the letter and then folded it, sliding it into his back pocket as he made his way into the kitchen, keeping his voice low]

So what are you planning? She still had an adoptive father. We can't keep her.

Laura: [she takes a deep breath, before giving a small shrug] I don't know. I hadn't thought that far, I just knew we needed to find her. Maybe we could talk to him? See how he wants to handle it.

Peter: There are two ways that can go. He'll be grateful we found her and returned her to him, or we're charged with kidnapping and I'm arrested.

Laura: Well, there's absolutely zero evidence that you kidnapped her. So I doubt that's going to be his course of action.

Peter: Still, we keep her, then we are kidnapping.

Laura: I'm not saying we shouldn't talk to him.

Peter: I need to see what's in the vault.

Laura: [she nods] Do you want me to go with you?

Peter: No, someone needs to stay with her. I'll go tomorrow. [looks over at her]

Laura: [she nods, before swallowing] I asked Dad to take the twins for the next few days, until we get her to settle a little. Not that Cora sleeps here much anyway.

Peter: [nods] How do I even tell her?

Laura: I think we should wait until we talk to Mr. Tate. He may be able to help.

Peter: [nods] Well, I'm going to check on her. You finish dinner.

Laura: [nods and goes back to cooking]

Peter: [and he will go over to sit on the couch next to Malia] You doing okay, Malia?

Malia: [looks up from the movie] I like this movie.

Peter: [looks at the TV] Lilo and Stitch. It is a very good movie.

Malia: [she nods as she pulls the pillow into her chest more] The aliens are funny.

Peter: I like Stitch a lot. He doesn't always do things right, but he tries and he cares about Lilo.

Malia: [she looks up at him, for a moment, before looking back at the TV again] Sometimes trying doesn't matter. You can try as hard as you can and you still do bad things.

Peter: People make mistakes, yes, and do bad things. But it comes down to if they mean them or not. If they didn't mean to be bad, it's just a mistake. It doesn't mean that they are bad.

Malia: [and she looks down at her hands because her memories of that night are patchy, but she knows for a fact that her mother and sister are still dead]

Peter: [he saw that and leaned over, putting a hand gently on her back] And sometimes, when we are learning to shift, we don't remember what happens when we are learning. But things that happen when you aren't able to control your shift are mistakes. You want to learn how to control this now, right?

Malia: [nods eagerly, because hurting people was never what she wanted to do. Coyotes didn't hunt needlessly]

Peter: If you want to be in control, and you don't want to hurt people... then what happens when you lose control is just a mistake. It's a painful one, but that's all. And you use that sadness you feel to help you remember why you want to be in control, and use it to help you keep it. Like how an anchor keeps a ship grounded.

Malia: What if it's stronger than me?

Peter: It's a part of you. You have the same strength as your coyote does. If you let it be stronger than you, it can be, but if you don't, it won't be. You just need to learn to listen to each other. It'll take a while, but we can help you. You're not going to be alone any longer, okay?

Malia: [she nods a bit, before turning her attention back to the movie again]

Peter: [and he is going to stay close, his hand still on her back and just gently rubbing it as they watch the movie]

Malia: [and eventually she'll doze off because it's been a long day and she is still a tiny human]

Peter: [and he is going to just smile at her tiny form, and shift to stand up and tuck her into her blankets again]

Laura: [and she'll come back in] Dinner's ready.

Peter: She fell asleep.

Laura: [she nods] We should let her sleep.

Peter: She can sleep in my room. I'll sleep in Derek’s or on the couch.

Laura: [she nods] I'll make you a plate while you move her.

Peter: [and he will go and gently pick her up from the blanket pile, holding her protectively as he went to his room and to tuck her into his bed]

Malia: [and she'll just curl up under the covers and get cozy, but not wake]

Peter: [and he will lay his jacket on top so that if she wakes up, there is something familiar nearby. He then takes his book off the bed stand and his pajamas from his dresser and heads back out, leaving the door open a crack]

Laura: [And they have dinner, and Peter goes to visit the vault?]

Peter: [yup, where he goes to get the USB drive and the letters, and then just stops to look around the vault because of all the memories stored there]

Laura: [yep, that's why Laura hasn't spent a lot of time there]

Peter: [and with a 10, it's a 50/50 shot that he will smell Derek and Allison.]

Laura: [....ew]

Peter: [going to go with something smells off, but he isn't sure what it is so he will dismiss it for now]

Laura: [Allison is grateful for that. but when he gets back, Laura will look up and frown] How'd it go?

Peter: I have a pile of letters for Thomas, and then this. [holds up the USB drive] Give me the laptop

Laura: [turns it away from herself and pushes it over to him, before taking the letters in exchange] I'll go find Dad.

Peter: [and he will put in the drive and pull up scans of photos of him from at least 12 years ago. some were with another woman that he guessed to be Corrine but he couldn't remember. a scan of a baby's birth certificate and photos. And then a video. It was him talking to the camera, clutching a baby he was trying to soothe. He was beaten up, the bruises healing as he talked. He explained what he had to do, and about a high school friend who knew about the supernatural was willing to take the child. How Talia was going to remove Peter's memories of his friend, daughter, and Corrine from him so that he couldn't lead Corrine back to his baby Malia. Deaton was going to facilitate the closed adoption. When his daughter started to show signs of shifting, Tate would contact Talia and she would help train her. Peter didn't want to give her up - he could see it in his own eyes - but he knew it was the best choice to give her a chance. He could see the tears in his eyes. He had loved his daughter so much. When the video ended, he licked his lips, reaching up to rub at his eyes. It was the dust, totally]

Laura: [and Laura will bring her dad the letters and leave him with them because while he had read them before (he wrote them, really), he probably wanted to be alone with them. and she'll make her way back to Peter and watch him for a moment] You okay?

Peter: Yeah. We may have it easy with Tate though.

Laura: Oh?

Peter: While I don't remember it, I left myself a video explaining to myself what I did and Tate was a friend from high school.

Laura: ... Good then.

Peter: [and he will pull up a picture of him holding Malia as a newborn] I really loved her. Looking at these, I can't remember it, but I can feel it.

Laura: That's a good thing, isn't it?

Peter: It is. I hope.

Laura: Good. So are you ready to talk to Tate?

Peter: In the morning. Malia should come too. He did raise her, and he will want to see she's okay.

Laura: [nods once] You should probably prepare her for that. She still feels a lot of guilt for the accident.

Peter: I think I was starting to break through some of that while you were cooking. It'll be something that will take a while, though.

Laura: [she nods] Reasoning the guilt is one thing. Facing her father who's been alone for the past three years because of her is another thing entirely. [a beat as she goes to sit next to him] But if you're going to wait until tomorrow, I think I might swing by the sheriff's station tonight. There's some things about the accident I want to check out.

Peter: Sure. I should probably be the one here when she wakes up.

Laura: [she nods and goes to get to her feet, giving his shoulder a light squeeze as she moves forward to grab her jacket] I'll try to be quick, but I don't want to get my source in trouble.

Peter: You can take some time to talk to your deputy, Laura. I'll be fine here.

Laura: Technically he's supposed to be working. [but it's the overnight shift which is usually pretty quiet] I'll see you later. [And with that, off she goes to the police station]

Peter: [and he will make his plate of food and go sit in the living room to eat and read]

Laura: [and she will make her way in, glancing around until she spots her deputy at the front desk] Hi.

Parrish: [looking up from his desk, and he just has that blossoming smile] Hi.

Laura: [and she really is a sucker for that smile. he gets one in return] I was wondering if I could get a favor.

Parrish: Depends on what the favor is.

Laura: I was hoping I could get a look at some accident photos from a few years back.

Parrish: Trying to clean up your driving record?

Laura: It wasn't an accident I was in.

Parrish: Okay, I'll bite. What accident file?

Laura: The driver of the car was Evelyn Tate.

Parrish: Okay, let me see what... [and type type type, and then he's getting up] It's in the cold case files in the back. Give me a moment.

Laura: Thank you.

Parrish: No problem. [and he will head into the archives]

Laura: [and she will wait at the front desk, drumming her fingers while she waits]

Parrish: [and after 10 minutes he will return with a file folder he is reading]

Laura: [and she will push up on her toes to try and see] Interesting read?

Parrish: Tragic, really. [and he will open the folder on the high top desk so they can both look]

Laura: [she looks over his shoulder and doesn't touch the file because she doesn't want to get him in trouble]

Parrish: there's evidence of gunfire on the windshield. And then these claw marks on the side. The team ruled it as a bear probably smelling the bodies and trying to at them before the jogger found the car the next morning. Two casualties, and one missing. They think that the bear probably took her body.

Laura: [and with that, her eyes go very wide because that was what she was worried about] You're sure there were gunshots?

Parrish: Yeah. The mother died from a shot to the head. The girl that was found also had a gunshot wound, but it wasn't the cause of death.

Laura: [and yeah, Laura looks ... very upset by all of this which may indicate she was not as distant from this as she earlier indicated] And they never found the shooter?

Parrish: No. [he turned to look at Laura] Do you know something?

Laura: [well, that much is obvious, but she isn't sure she should be talking about this here. still, she doesn't want him to be angry with her, so she glances around the bullpen, before taking his hand and pulling him towards one of the interrogation rooms, where they could have some privacy]

Parrish: [and he will manage to close the file and drop it on his desk as he's led away, and closing the door behind them] What do you know?

Laura: [crosses her arms in front of her chest] If I tell you, you can't tell the sheriff. Not yet.

Parrish: Depending on what it is, I may have to. We have rules I have to follow, Laura.

Laura: [exhales slowly, before running her hand through her hair] My uncle and I found Malia Tate.

Parrish: ... The one who disappeared?

Laura: [she nods] She was alive in the woods. But I'm worried that if there's anything official the person who killed her mother and sister will come back to try and finish the job with her.

Parrish: You're telling me there's been a child living on her own in the woods for three years? [skeptical]

Laura: It's more complicated than I'm making it out to be, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you.

Parrish: If you've found her, you need to bring her to the hospital immediately. And we need to contact her father.

Laura: She's fine, Jordan. And we were going to take her to see her dad tomorrow. [though they may have to amend that plan now, if they can't be sure if Corrine is watching him] The Tates are ... were family friends.

Parrish: And why shouldn't we tell the sheriff about this now?

Laura: Do you really think he's going to be able to keep it off official channels until we know she's safe?

Parrish: He may need to use those official channels to get them safety.

Laura: [there are a lot of things that she wants to say there, but she knows she shouldn't have opened her big mouth in the first place] I want to talk to Henry Tate first, before we loop the sheriff in. Will you let me do that?

Parrish: [deep breath, then nods] Alright, but if you're worried about, better to put a detail on your place for the night.

Laura: [she swallows and nods. that's a fair compromise] Do you want to come talk to her?

Parrish: I could. Kids tend to like talking to me. [because he's a big puppy]

Laura: If it'll make you feel better about this then fine. [... that's going to be an adventure with Malia, but she wants to try and keep this as quiet as possible]

Parrish: I could also just sit outside in my truck.

Laura: You might as well come inside. [a beat] I know my dad's been meaning to bother you for a while.

Parrish: Yeah, I've been actively avoiding that. You know he's good friends with the Sheriff.

Laura: You can either come in and welcome the interrogation or hide in your truck and not have me there to buffer when he comes out to bring you coffee.

Parrish: Choices, choices.

Laura: Up to you. I will support you either way.

Parrish: Well, I'd rather have time with you, so I guess I'll face the inquisition.

Laura: Smart man. [she sighs] I walked here so I can ride back with you if you want.

Parrish: Alright. Let me just get my gear and shift my rotation to being on surveillance.

Laura: [nods and will just head out to wait by his car]

Parrish: [and he will join her a bit later, leaving Clarke to man the desk] Do you need to stop for anything on the way home?

Laura: [she shakes her head] Nothing that's open now.

Parrish: That sounds vague. [grin as he holds the door open for her]

Laura: [smirks as she climbs inside] The place where you get venison jerky isn't open for another few hours.

Parrish: Venison jerky?

Laura: Malia likes deer.

Parrish: ... And I'm assuming not in the Disney Princess way.

Laura: No, not so much.

Parrish: I think I can get you some fresh deer to cook though.

Laura: Really?

Parrish: Yeah, the cook at the diner is a hunter. He stores some of his game at the diner since he only has so much fridge space at home. I bet I can get him to let go of some.

Laura: That would be great.

Parrish: Alright. [and he will stop by the diner where he will give the cook a story about trying to impress the girl in the truck and it's her favorite and he walks out with two servings of venison]

Laura: [and she grins once he's back in the driver's seat, before leaning in to kiss him. the impressing, it is working.]

Parrish: [and he will like the kiss, and the cook is giving Parrish a thumbs up from inside the diner before going back to work]

Laura: Thank you. [for helping win over a eleven year old former coyote]

Parrish: You're welcome.

Laura: [and they finally make their way to the apartment where Malia is awake again, even if it's late, and her head snaps to the packages in Laura's hands as she makes her way in]

Malia: Is that deer? [she is SO EXCITED]

Parrish: It is, nice and fresh.

Peter: [looks from Laura to Parrish, and back to Laura again with an eyebrow raised] Deputy.

Malia: [squints at the deputy because you're not a wolf and not Thomas so therefore not pack] Who are you?

Laura: This is my friend, Jordan. He wanted to talk to you. [a beat, before jerking her head towards the kitchen] Peter, can you help me cook this?

Peter: Sure. [but he's going to totally be listening in on the deputy and his daughter]

Parrish: I'm not here to hurt you or take you away from the Hales, Malia. [he goes to sit down, giving her a bit of distance] I'm just here to make sure you're okay, and find out a little bit about where you've been these last three years. A lot of people were looking for you.

Laura: [goes into the kitchen to start preparing the meat, and keeps her voice low so that Malia doesn't hear her] Malia didn't cause the accident.

Malia: I was in the woods. [obviously] In my den.

Peter: [keeps his voice down as well] Then who did?

Parrish: A den?

Laura: There were gunshots. The mother was shot through the head and her sister had a gunshot wound as well. [a beat] I think it was the Desert Wolf.

Malia: Yeah. My den. [she didn't just steal some random coyote's den, that's rude]

Parrish: Why didn't you go home?

Peter: [licks his lips] Why did she leave her alive then?

Laura: I don't think she realized she was. Either that or Malia got away and managed to hide - either way, I don't think we can take Malia out of this apartment until we know for sure.

Malia: [her eyes darken for a moment because that's a whole lot of guilt, and she burrows into her blanket some more] Because it was my fault.

Peter: I'll go talk to Tate then and bring him here.

Parrish: Hey, it wasn't your fault Malia. You couldn't have caused that accident.

Laura: [she shakes her head] I'll do it. If she's still watching the house and sees you, she could follow you right to her. She might not recognize me.

Malia: [and that's a whole lot of silence because he doesn't know what happened in the car that night, and she doesn't want to tell him. But he might be able to see the very bright blue that her eyes glow in response to the guilt she still feels]

Peter: If she was still here, Malia wouldn't be alive. But I'll stay here.

Parrish: I promise you, Malia... it wasn't your fault. I know it's hard when you're the only one who lives through something bad. You think it's your fault. That you shouldn't still be here when they aren't. But it doesn't make it your fault. [there's truth to his words from experience]

Laura: Better to be safe than sorry. [and she'll slide the venison into the oven to roast while putting the second serving in the freezer to keep] Everything right now is making me too antsy.

Malia: [doesn't want to talk about this anymore and she'll wriggle away from him, before making her way towards the kitchen and Peter, still wrapped in her blanket] Is it ready yet?

Parrish: [sighs, sinking back into the couch]

Peter: Almost. We need to eat it cooked, but it won't take long. [and he wil rest his hand gently on her head] You okay?

Malia: [shakes her head] Can I watch a movie?

Laura: [finishes cleaning up] Sure, sweetie. I'll let you know when it's ready.

Malia: [will nod and go back to the TV to use it as a distraction]

Laura: [will finish and make her way over to sit next to him] Don't take it personally. She's a bit young to understand survivor's guilt.

Peter: [and he will make sure she has the TV set up right, and then will stand over the two of them] But knowing the facts, we'll be able to help her with it.

Parrish: So are you going to tell her father about her now?

Laura: [she nods] I'm going to go see Henry tomorrow. Bring him here to see her.

Parrish: Hopefully she's ready for that. I think she's afraid he's going to be angry at her.

Laura: Yeah, I think so too. But we'll be here with her, and I think she'll be surprised.

Peter: About a lot of things, actually.

Laura: [swallows a bit before leaning back against the couch] And hopefully I am very wrong about this bad feeling I have and everything will be fine.

Parrish: What bad feeling?

Laura: That the real killer is out there, lurking somewhere and wanting to finish the job. And that my family's enemies are going to just keep crawling out of the woodwork so long as they know where to find us.

Peter: That's always a danger with living in Beacon Hills.

Laura: I know. [covers her eyes with her hand as she tries to breathe] Makes me wonder why we're still living here sometimes.

Parrish: So you're thinking about leaving, aren't you?"

Laura: [she glances over at him and it's clear there's conflict there, because of the good things that still exist in this town, him being one of them, but she gives a small shrug] Wouldn't you?

Parrish: And what about the people here who care about you? You can't take everyone with you.

Laura: I know. I didn't say it was an idea I liked.

Peter: You don't like it now, good luck dragging the twins away. They are just starting to readjust to the world.

Laura: I know. I know. [huffs] I want to at least stay so they can graduate. They would have been leaving to go to college anyway. But if things keep getting worse here, I'm not strong enough to keep them back the way Mom did.

Peter: Graduation is four months away. That's a long time for our enemies to strike while they know we're weak.

Laura: Then what do I do? Making them change schools with four months left before graduation on a maybe when nothing might happen? [she pushes away from the couch because she doesn't like these decisions] Or do I let innocent people get hurt because I knew better than to be a stationary target and didn't leave because ... [and her eyes fall on Parrish for a moment before she looks away again] Either way, the decision sucks.

Parrish: Or you stop doubting yourself and fortify whatever you feel you have to so that you can feel safe from these enemies. Because you're not alone. You have allies.

Laura: [she exhales slowly, before shaking her head.] I could have all the allies in the world, but it doesn't matter if I'm not ready to actually handle it.

Peter: You won't know if you're ready or not until the moment comes, Laura. Your mother thought the same way.

Laura: [sighs as she runs a hand through her hair] So I should just sit here, wait for it, and hope that no one gets hurt in the process?

Peter: Of course not.

Parrish: You train. You prepare. Make sure you have what you need to be successful.

Laura: I don't even know what to prepare for! The Argents are already here. Deucalion is probably on his way, Corrine may be already here, lampreys were creeping around on the preserve even before Mom died trying to get to the nematon, and the list of enemies Mom or our family has made over the years is miles long and you know it. [that's mostly in reference to Peter] And I have you, who is still recovering, two teenagers, an eleven year-old and a human. Not to discount any of them, but ... it all comes down to whether or not I want to turn my family into an army just to hang on to some land or if the better way to protect them is to make sure the people who want to hurt them - or in Deucalion's case wants me to hurt them - can't find them.

Parrish: Yeah, I may be a human, but I come with the entire Beacon Hills Sheriff's department. That will keep the Argents back because they have to answer to our laws, and we already have eyes on them.

Peter: And your mother had enemies, but she also had allies. Satomi and her pack are out there. We can reach out to them for help.

Laura: Against Deucalion? [that's more directed at Peter because he knows the threat there better than Derek does] Do you really want me to put another alpha on his radar? Especially when most of her betas right now are kids too.

Peter: Deucalion won't come after you if he doesn't feel you are special enough or can be swayed. He's a monster, but he was also your mother's friend once.

Laura: [quietly] Their mark showed up on the front door of the house.

Parrish: Mark?

Laura: Deucalion and his friends have this mark that they like to use to announce their presence and mostly intimidate people, but it's a bit like a family crest. I found it a few days ago.

Thomas: [having some downstairs for a reason, I swear] If that's so, then they are already here.

Laura: I've been looking everywhere, but I can't find them. It's not like I have anything else to do all day.

Thomas: They have the ability to hide their scents. You won't find them. They will find you.

Laura: Doesn't really make me feel better.

Peter: No, but it means you need to make a choice now.

Laura: [sighs] I know. I know. [she buries her face in her hands, before pulling back and taking a breath] I should go check on the food.

Peter: [looks at Thomas and then Parrish] I'll help!

Laura: [would worry about her uncle and her father plotting to torment her boyfriend but let it be known she is totally listening from the kitchen boys]

Thomas: [so she can totally listen to him getting Parrish's entire life story]

Laura: [yep. sigh Dad, sigh.]

Thomas: [and then questioning him on his intentions with his daughter]

Peter: [is chuckling beside her]

Laura: [is exasperated, but she's relaxing again. at least this is normal.]

Peter: Give him a break. He doesn't get to play the dad card often.

Laura: I know. And I did warn him this would happen.

Peter: And he's not freaking out and being respectful and answering all the questions. He's going to get good marks.

Laura: [she nods] Too bad it's probably not going to last.

Peter: [looks over to her] So we're going to run?

Laura: I'm going to wait, and see if Deucalion shows his hand, as to what he's really after. If it's me, or if it's something else. And I want to speak with Satomi. [there's a beat as she places the meat on a serving dish and starts to slice it] But every time a new threat comes up I keep thinking of this thing Mom used to say to me. [she turns to look at Peter] Use diplomacy where you can, and fight when you have to, but fight smart not hard. If you have a fight you don't think you can win, there's nothing wrong with running away and buying yourself some time. [there's a beat as she finishes slicing it and turns to face him] We need time. We don't have as strong a pack to fall back on, even with Satomi's help, and ... I need time. To figure out how to be a leader, to build more of a pack ... I'm not ready for this fight, and I don't want to rush into it and risk losing what little ground I do have.

Peter: Your father and I will support you in your choice, and go with you. We already had discussed this when Gerard came to town. But you need to tell the twins now because they are both in love and need time to say goodbye.

Laura: I know. I'll talk to them tonight. I have to tell Jordan too. [and she'll move to the kitchen door to poke her head out] Malia, it's ready!

Malia: [and a tiny werecoyote blur bursts into the kitchen to happily eat her favorite thing in the whole world]

Peter: [smiles at his daughter's enthusiasm] Just remember, leaving now doesn't mean we can't come back.

Laura: I know. That's why I want to talk to Satomi.

Peter: [nods, and then hears Thomas talking weapons with Parrish] You may want to go save him.

Laura: [nods and heads back into the living room] Dad. Really?

Thomas: What, the boy's Army. Checking to see just what he knows.

Laura: Mmm-hmm. [crosses her arms in front of her chest and raises an eyebrow]

Thomas: [looks at Parrish] She's just waiting for me to pull the shotgun out at this point

Laura: [and her head tips to the side because is she wrong about your metaphorical shotgun, Dad?]

Malia: [wanders out with her plate of deer and looks at Thomas] Do you want some? [please say no, she doesn't actually want to share]

Thomas: [blinks because small child... he knows that face] No, I'm good, but thank you.

Parrish: Laura, I'm fine.

Laura: [to Parrish] Are you sure?

Malia: [oh good, she darts back into the kitchen]

Parrish: Yes, I'm fine.

Thomas: Well, since that's over, who's the child?

Laura: [sighs] That's Malia. [did Mom tell him about Malia? She hopes Mom told him about Malia. he knew most of her secrets]

Thomas: Malia. [blinks] Oh hell.

Laura: Yeah. Today's been fun. [her voice drops] She doesn't know yet.

Thomas: Does Peter?

Laura: [she nods] I gave him Mom's letter.

Thomas: He sent me a text about some for me.

Laura: [she nods, before moving to the table where she had left them and picking them up to give to him] Mom left these for you.

Thomas: [and he will take them recognizing his handwriting on the envelopes and he purses his lips] Thought these would have burnt too.

Laura: [she shakes her head with a small smile] She kept them in a lock box in the vault. They were too important to keep anywhere else.

Thomas: [nods] Thank you.

Laura: [she nods] Of course.

Thomas: [deep breath] I did come down to tell you both your siblings have done their sneaking out for the night.

Laura: [she nods] I'll grab them for breakfast in the morning then.

Thomas: I'll make sure they don't leave for school until they see you.

Laura: Thank you.

Parrish: Is it safe for them to be out there?

Laura: Cora is in the sheriff's house, and Derek is with the heir to the Argent Family. For half of the people I've worried about, those are solid enough deterrents.

Peter: [walking out of the kitchen, and that is his angry face] Derek is where?

Laura: [sighs] And here we go.

Peter: Are you telling me that after all of this, he is still playing with the Argent girl?

Laura: [turns and crosses her arms in front of her chest] I think I'm more impressed that I knew and you didn't.

Peter: I've been spending most of my time trying to figure out what you had been doing in the woods, and oh, healing from burns over seventy percent of my body.

Laura: [she tips her head to the side] Allison isn't responsible for the fire, and yeah, her grandfather is dangerous, but I think Chris is actually mellowing in his old age. [she's being way too glib about this, but she doesn't actually care]

Peter: I don't care if they send us a fruit basket - they are responsible for our family dying. [snarling, that crazy look hinting in his eyes]

Laura: [yeeeeeeah that's not good, and she squares her shoulders before her eyes flash red] You need to calm down.

Parrish: [yeah, he's not liking that look in Peter's eyes and his hand is going to his gun] Laura?

Peter: You knew and you let him believe that this is okay... they killed your mother, Laura.

Laura: [and she moves to stand in front of Parrish because let's not play with guns with a small child in the house] I didn't let him believe that it was okay. I actively voiced my disapproval. But Derek is eighteen and Allison is not a murderer so there was only so long that that argument was going to hold weight. [there's a beat as she stares him down] They did not kill my mom. Kate did. And Kate is in jail. And you know, in some ways he's right. We're never going to actually change anything with the Argents if we don't try. I'm not going to give him more ammunition by turning this into Romeo and fucking Juliet. In case you don't remember, that really didn't end well for all involved.

Peter: Are you really think that Allison's mother will not shoot Derek on sight if she knew? Victoria Argent is just as dangerous as Kate.

Laura: Well, I'm pretty sure Chris knows and he's not dead yet.

Peter: Yet. And if we leave, you really think he will cut ties? How long before his little puppy love leads the Argents to hunt us down again.

Laura: We don't know. I haven't discussed them with it yet.

Peter: [snarls, almost challenging, but he knows he's not in condition to fight]

Laura: [she stares him down, before crossing her arms in front of her chest] You should take a walk. Calm down, and come back when you can actually talk about this and not just be angry.

Peter: Oh, I'll take a walk. But this isn't done. [and he's going to pretty much figure out where his nephew is once he's out of the apartment]

Allison: [so basically going to terrorize an innocent teenage girl, great]

Laura: [waits until she hears him get off the floor before she goes and collapses into the couch again] Wow, tonight has been a real winner.

Peter: [oh no, he's going to get his nephew alone after he leaves Allison. until then stalker hale]

Thomas: Welcome to being the Hale alpha.

Laura: Yeah, don't remind me. [buries her face in her hands]

Allison: [then I hope you enjoy a lot of making out and them generally being adorable, Peter! Because that is what you're getting]

Parrish: I can go, if it would help?

Peter: [nope. there will be a lot of eye rolling and waiting]

Laura: [she reaches for his hand and shakes her head] I mean, unless you want to go after that healthy dose of Hale crazy.

Parrish: Pretty sure you don't want me shooting your uncle.

Laura: [she raises an eyebrow] Were you going to shoot my uncle?

Parrish: If he attacked you. Maybe in the kneecap.

Laura: Well, that's very sweet, but you don't have to worry about shooting my uncle.

Parrish: Good, because I had a feeling that was going to put a damper in our relationship.

Laura: Oh, he'd heal. Might put a damper on your relationship with him though.

Thomas: I think I might like the boy more. Standing up to Peter is a merit badge in this family.

Laura: That is true.

Parrish: I think I'm going to go get a cup of coffee.

Laura: [she nods] Make sure Malia's doing okay in there? She probably heard all of that.

Parrish: Sure. [and he will go to get the coffee, on the lookout for the little girl]

Laura: [and she will glance over at Thomas with a small smile once he's gone] You okay, Dad?

Malia: [has finished her plate, which was left empty on the table, and is currently under said table with her blanket, leaning up against the wall heater. which is probably not the safest thing but it's much warmer]

Thomas: Yeah, just remembering what life was like at the Hale House.

Parrish: [and he will look under the table] You doing okay down there?

Laura: [smirks a bit] You miss it?

Malia: [glances over to him and nods] It's warmer down here.

Thomas: No, not really. [laughs]

Parrish: You know, you could make a little den with this table and a few blankets, and then you won't need to lean against it.

Laura: [she laughs before reaching for his hand to pull him to sit next to her] I'm glad you're here though.

Malia: [OH HEY THAT'S A GREAT IDEA] Can we?

Thomas: [sits] You know I was always only a phone call away.

Parrish: Yeah. Let me go find a few more blankets, ok?

Malia: [nods eagerly] Okay!

Laura: I know. [shifts to lean into his shoulder with a sigh] But I kinda liked having you all to myself sometimes. You were the only one who wasn't all about the family politics.

Thomas: Benefit to being the non werewolf in the family.

Parrish: [and he will go into to the couch and grab all of Malia's pile of blankets] I'll be right back. Making a blanket fort.

Laura: [glances up as she watches him come and go before smiling, soft and genuine] Have fun.

Parrish: [and back he will go, draping the blankets off the top of the table and using books to hold them up, or hold the walls down]

Thomas: Too bad you can't take him with you too. He's a good lad.

Malia: [will eagerly try and help and basically do however he tells her]

Laura: [sighs as she glances back to her father] I know.

Parrish: [and they work as a team and soon the under table is completely blanketed in, and the heater has nothing against it but blowing into the space around her] There, warmer?

Thomas: Just be gentle letting him down. You never know what the future will bring.

Laura: I'll try. But considering I'm doing the exact opposite of what he wants me to do, I'm not sure that's possible. [there's a beat] Do you remember Henry Tate?

Thomas: Yeah. He and Peter were friends.

Laura: Do you think you could come with me tomorrow to talk to him? He probably doesn't remember me like this.

Malia: [nods as she curls up in the blanket that's still around her shoulders] Thanks.

Thomas: I can. Though I gotta tell ya... man loses his entire family like that - he may not welcome you.

Laura: I know.

Thomas: You know, things change. You could be back in a few months.

Laura: Maybe we will. But on the off chance I don't ... I don't want to make promises I can't keep.

Thomas: [reaches over to rub her hand] It's hard to leave the one you love when you know it's right.

Laura: [she looks up at him, about to contradict him because she doesn't. They're not using those words. but at the same time she can't really say he's wrong either, so she just tucks her head against his shoulder and doesn't speak either way on it]

Parrish: [and after making sure Malia is comfortable and has a pillow as well, he will return] Your kitchen table is not usable at the moment. Sorry

Laura: [glances up with a small smile] That's okay. It's been sacrificed to a worthy cause.

Parrish: She's healthy, and happy to be here. That's a good thing.

Laura: Yeah, she is. And hopefully talking to her dad tomorrow will go well.

Parrish: And then you'll actually let me tell the sheriff?

Laura: [she nods] Yes. I will let you tell the sheriff.

Parrish: Good.

Laura: Good. [a beat] Still want to stick around, or do you need to get back to work?

Parrish: I guess it depends on if you feel you need protection.

Laura: [she takes a deep breath] I would never complain about having you around. But I don't want to get you into trouble.

Parrish: I just can't turn my radio off. Technically I could have taken today off but I didn't have anything else to do.

Laura: Then stay. [smiles softly] I don't think anyone here would mind.

Parrish: Alright.

Thomas: And since you're in capable hands, I'm going to go upstairs and pretend I don't know your siblings are out and potentially being stalked by their uncle.

Laura: [she nods with a small smile] A wise choice.

Parrish: So where do you want me to watch over you from?

Laura: [takes his hand and pulls him back towards the couch because it's perfect for cuddling]

Parrish: [yup, and he's good with this]

Laura: [Yeah, this goodbye is definitely going to suck. but she wants to have a few more conversations before she has that one]

Parrish: [yup, and he knows it'll be coming, which may help...]

Laura: [yep, that too, probably, but for right now she's just going to curl up with him and hope that Peter doesn't come back angry]

Peter: [nope, he will not come back angry. Any angrier than he already was. Derek may be sporting a bunch of bruises]

Laura: [sees that and will sigh. a lot]

Thomas: [and then he will be yelling at Peter because that's his son, and then look at Laura] Day ain't getting any younger.

Laura: [sighs, and looks at Derek] C'mon. We gotta talk.

Derek: I didn't do anything, I swear. [well, he may have had sex but that wasn't illegal]

Laura: This is not about you. This is about a few things not all of them related to you but all of them going to affect you.

Derek: ... I don't like the sound of this. [but he will move to go with her]

Laura: [and there's a blanket fort in the kitchen, for one thing, and she'll start there, making her way closer to open the flap so he can see the girl inside] This is Malia. [and since she's sure the girl is fast asleep again] She's Peter's daughter.

Derek: [blinks] When did Peter have sex?

Laura: Twelve years ago. [she sighs as she moves him a little further from Malia] Her mother was a little psychotic, and we needed to hide Malia from her in order to protect her. Part of that was taking Peter's memories of her.

Derek: No wonder why he's so pissy all the time. [huffs] So why is she here now?

Laura: Because her mom found her on her first full moon and killed her mother and sister trying to kill her. She spent three years in the woods as a coyote - I just managed to find her tonight.

Derek: I'm confused. Where has she been?

Laura: Well, before the accident, Mom put her up for adoption, and she was taken by a supernatural-friendly family in town. Then the accident happened and she went full coyote in the woods.

Derek: Oh, ok. Does she have anyone left in that family?

Laura: Her dad. I'm going to go talk to him tomorrow, but there's no guarantee that taking her back there will keep her safe. Her mom is still out there and still wants to kill her.

Derek: But if we keep her then they could come to kill us.

Laura: Well, that's the thing, she's not the only person who wants to kill us right now. Gerard is here, and ... the alpha pack is in town.

Derek: [his eyes widen a bit] The alpha pack?

Laura: [she nods] They left their mark on the door of the house.

Derek: So what then? What do we do now?

Laura: Right now? We go about things as we would normally. I want to at least try and make it so that you guys can graduate. But if Corrine is here and Deucalion forces my hand, or Gerard decides he's done playing it cool ... we may need to leave before that. And ... go fairly radio silent in the process.

Derek: .... Just drop everything and run?

Laura: Yes and no. But the fight that's coming is not one we're strong enough to take on, no matter what preparations we make.

Derek: [he pouts, but nods] Just promise me you'll at least give us a chance to say goodbye. [being him and Cora both]

Laura: [she nods because she wants to say her goodbyes too] As I said. I want to get you to graduation. So ... just assume we're leaving then.

Derek: Any idea where we're going?

Laura: That is for me to figure out, and you to find out later.

Derek: [purses his lips, and just nods] Sure. I'm going to go to bed now, if you're done.

Laura: [she nods] Let me talk to your sister first.

Derek: Yeah, I'm not going to break that news to her. You can break her heart yourself. [and he's going to sulk off to bed]

Laura: [yep, that's going to be fun. and she'll catch Cora to break that news to her when she comes down for breakfast the next morning. It goes about as well as can be expect because while Cora isn't outwardly vocal about her emotions, Laura can still tell she's upset and will probably not expect her home for a few days because she's hiding with her boyfriend]

Stiles: [which he won't mind so much, but he doesn't know what's causing it either]

Cora: [she'll make it until about midnight, two nights in before she gets it out] We're leaving Beacon Hills after graduation.

Stiles: [and they were all snuggly and then that and] what?

Cora: [she shifts and looks up at him] Laura is worried about the threats in town and what we can handle as a pack so soon after the fire and she's decided we're going to leave, at least for now.

Stiles: But you're 18. You don't have to go with her if you don't want to.

Cora: Stiles, if I don't go with her, I'll never see them again.

Stiles: But if you go... you'll never see me again.

Cora: [and she looked down because yeah. That was the big problem. and she doesn't know if she'll be able to choose when the time comes]

Stiles: And what about college? Or just having your own life? Are you supposed to always stay with them forever?

Cora: They're my pack. My family. What would do if someone was making you choose between your dad or me?

Stiles: My dad doesn't expect me to live with him forever. He wants me to have my own life.

Cora: [she takes a deep breath and shakes her head] I can't be an omega, Stiles. I can't. Omegas don't survive. [it had been drilled into her head since she was a kid. the pack has to come first] And she's not saying we can't go to college or have a life wherever we're going, she just needs to make sure our enemies here won't follow us there through you. Or Allison. Or Parrish.

Stiles: ... So you're going to leave and then never speak to me again? Are you serious?

Cora: So what do you think I should do? Say goodbye to my sister, and my dad and my brother and my uncle and not know where they are or if they're safe and just be constantly worrying about them for the rest of my life? It's my family, Stiles.

Stiles: No.... but would they really cut you off like that? That's kinda cold.

Cora: Laura's going radio silent to keep the pack safe. No one that Gerard or the other bad people have access to can know where we're going. I don't even know where we're going. If I don't leave, that includes me.

Stiles: So all this... it's not going to end up going anywhere.

Cora: It's not because I don't want it to. But I don't think it's very fair to you to have girlfriend you can't see or touch or talk to until that magic day happens when we find each other again.

Stiles: So you're breaking up with me?

Cora: I don't want to. But ... I also didn't think it was fair to just disappear on you with no warning.

Stiles: [he's trying not to react, but he's horrible at hiding pain off his face. Instead he's going to just wiggle free from her and stand, rubbing his hand over his mouth] I think you should go then.

Cora: [she swallows and nods, then goes to climb out his window and head home. except she doesn't want to go home because she's angry at Laura and she can't really do that around Malia. So she detours and just heads out to the preserve to hide in the root cellar, because that's not punishing herself at all]

Derek: [and she's not the only one hiding there, because he's hiding from the world at the moment. When he hears his sister, he looks up] You okay?

Cora: [she shakes her head and goes to sit next to him] I told Stiles.

Derek: [wraps his arm around his sister and pulls her close] I'm sorry.

Cora: [curls into his shoulder and yeah. now will come the tears] This sucks.

Derek: Yeah, it is. It's not fair, it sucks, and I don't want to go.

Cora: I don't want to leave Stiles. [she could care less about Beacon Hills as a whole, but breaking up with her boyfriend? That she could have done without.]

Derek: I know. I don't want you to leave him either. He makes you happy.

Cora: He doesn't understand why I chose you instead of him.

Derek: And you can't even ask to take him with us.

Cora: He wouldn't go. But then he might actually get it. [she can't see Stiles abandoning his father, ever]

Derek: At least you were strong enough to tell him. I'm avoiding that.

Cora: I couldn't just disappear.

Derek: If we know we're going to leave, I don't want to stay until graduation. That's not fair to us. It's not fair to them to keep seeing us.

Cora: And we do what? Start over in a new school with three months left? I can suck up dealing with Stiles.

Derek: Take our GRE. Finish online. We missed all the college application deadlines anyway because of the fire...

Cora: [she shrugs. she still has to tell Lydia and that's going to go over so well] I'd rather just finish. I think the reason she's waiting so long is because she's hoping we won't have to leave at all.

Derek: Well, where you go, I go. But part of me just wants to leave here now and never come back.

Cora: [she nods and just curls into his shoulder because she doesn't want to talk about this anymore]

Derek: [and he is going to just hold her, rubbing his sister's back and being the strong one for them tonight]

Cora: [and once she's done having a good cry, she pulls back to dry her eyes] I'm going to go find Lydia.

Derek: [nods] I should probably find Allison. [but he really, really doesn't want to]

Cora: Well, I'd do it soon because I can't guarantee Lydia won't be publically angry about it tomorrow. [mostly on Cora's behalf at Stiles because that's what best friends do, but still]

Derek: This really sucks.

Cora: Tell me about it.

Derek: [and he will stand up and hold out his hand to help her up]

Cora: [does the same and goes to head to the root cellar] If Laura asks where I am, I'm probably at Lydia's.

Derek: Alright. I'm probably going to just go home after this.

Cora: [she takes a deep breath because she still doesn't want to go home yet] Tell Dad I'm okay?

Derek: So you want me to lie to him? [small smile]

Cora: I just don't want him to worry.

Derek: I'll tell him. Just check in with me and let me know if you're sleeping over at her place?

Cora: [she nods] I will.

Derek: [and he will head out, walking towards Allison's house]

Allison: [and her parents will be out, for convenience's sake, because there's already going to be enough trauma happening tonight]

Derek: [and he will jump up to her window and knock gently, hearing only her heartbeat inside]

Allison: [and when she glances over and sees him she'll smile, before moving to open a window] I was just about to text you.

Derek: [he tries to smile at her smile, but he can't really muster up the happy under all the sadness between him and his sister] I'm sorry I've been out of touch the last two days. Things have been happening.

Allison: [shakes her head] It's okay. [she then reaches over to rest her hands against his shoulders] I was just thinking since the house is actually empty we could spend time together in an actual bed for once. [and then she will lean in to kiss him, not really realizing the depths of the sadness for the moment]

Derek: [he will kiss her back, his hand gently stroking her cheek and she will feel a tear hit her cheek]

Allison: [yep, that's not good, and she'll pull back, finally actually looking at him and frowning] What's wrong?

Derek: Things are happening in town that are making it dangerous for us to stay. My sister says that she's trying to keep us here until graduation, but whether she can or not... she's making us leave. And I have to go.

Allison: [and yeah ... that really sucks.] Is it Gerard? Because my dad's been really good at talking him down lately.

Derek: No. [and he will sit there and tell her the backstory of the Alpha Pack, and about what he knows about Malia] It's too many things, and we're too small a pack to handle all of that. [he goes to reach for her hand] I'd ask you to come with me, but I don't want to make you choose between us and them. Trust me, being in this position sucks.

Allison: [she's glad he already knows the answer is no because yeah, she can't run away on her dad] Well, we could keep in touch, right?

Derek: Not at first. She doesn't want people to be able to follow us. If we kept in touch, it would put you in danger. [laughs] Even if you're in the safest family in town.

Allison: So after graduation, you're just going to be gone.

Derek: If we can even manage to stay until then. It's going to depend on if they try and make an attack on us. [he will just rub his thumb over her hand] But yeah, and I've just been trying to figure out how to tell you this.

Allison: [she's more sad than angry. they've finally managed to make it this far and they're getting pushed apart again] Well, this sucks.

Derek: I don't want to lose you. Maybe we can figure something out... a way to find each other later on?

Allison: Maybe. But ... your family comes first, Derek. I get that.

Derek: [nods] I can't hurt them again. But I hate having to hurt you.

Allison: Okay, I'm not going to lie and say this doesn't hurt, but of the ways you could hurt me, this isn't really one of the worst? I get it, Derek. It's your family.

Derek: This is why I love you.

Allison: [and her eyes go wide because that is not what she's expecting at all NOW DEREK YOU PICK NOW?!?!?!?!]

Derek: I can't let you go without letting you know that. I love you, Allison. [this wasn't just a fling to him. He truly loves her] And while I want to just hold onto every day we have left, I'll understand if you can't.

Allison: [well that is ... a lot all at once and she knows she needs to say something, but she can't think of the words. the best she can do right now is kiss him deeply, holding it for a moment as she tries to buy herself time] Let me think about it?

Derek: [and he will just keep close as he nods] Yeah, okay.

Allison: [sighs, before glancing back to her bed] Well ... that killed the mood.

Derek: I'm sorry. [he holds her hands though to keep her close]

Allison: [shakes her head] No, I'm glad you told me. I think it would have felt worse if you told me after.

Derek: That's why I’ve been distant the last two days. I couldn't act like nothing was going on and do that.

Allison: [nods with a small smile] I get it.

Derek: Do you want me to go?

Allison: [yes and no. she weighs back and forth for a moment before nodding a bit] Just ... for tonight. I'll text you tomorrow, okay?

Derek: Okay. I'll see you at school tomorrow.

Allison: [she nods] I'll see you there.

Derek: [and he will slip away, hopefully going unnoticed by all the argent security cams]

Allison: [fingers crossed. and she will curl up in bed and have some emotions]

Derek: [and he will go home and curl up in his own bed, having feels too]