canon au } { post-6b, of coming home and reunited siblings

[impetere]

Cora: [so while he is doing those, Cora will take the dog and walk over to the loft to see her brother]

Derek: [and he will be entertaining Joy and trying to keep her out of everything, really]

Cora: [and she'll slide the door open since Derek is expecting her?] Hey.

Derek: Hey. [and that's a bright smile. Your brother has gotten more relaxed and easy going since he became a father.] Come on in.

Cora: Thanks. [that's supposed to go the opposite, Derek, but okay. All the same, Rocky bursts onto the scene like he owns the place and is already sniffing at everything]

Joy: [wide eyes and points] Puppy.

Derek: Yes, that is a puppy. Now remember, you have to ask first before you pet the puppy ok?

Joy: [looks up at Cora, and points some more] Puppy?

Cora: [she nods with a small smile as Rocky makes his way towards the little human] Yes, you can pet him.

Derek: [and he will watch a moment to make sure Joy does good pets before standing up and going to his sister] Good to see you.

Cora: [nods as she goes to lean into the hug. It's been a while, they're hugging] Good to see you too.

Derek: [there's a tight hug and then he will look down at her] Boston treating you well?

Cora: [she nods with a small smile] I like it a lot. We managed to get a place in a really nice neighborhood.

Derek: You find a job out there yet?

Cora: Not an official job, but I've been volunteering at the farm where we got Rocky. I get to take him to work with me and let him run around with his siblings and get out of the house so it's working for right now.

Derek: That's good. You could make a new career and run an animal shelter one day. You already have a vet you can contact.

Cora: Yeah, maybe. Right now I'm still trying to play it by ear and figure out whether or not I want to actually finish my degree. [because that's the one loose end pre-baby that she has yet to tie up]

Derek: Yeah, I go back and forth on that too. Dawn thinks I should, but I tend to have my hands full while she is at work.

Cora: You're doing the stay at home dad thing. That tends to be enough excitement for anyone's day.

Derek: Yeah, some days more than others. [looks at Joy] Days I sit here and wonder just how Mom handled three of us.

Cora: When she had you, she had Laura to help entertain you. And when she had me she had Peter.

Derek: Hey I did a good job entertaining you too.

Cora: [she raised an eyebrow because she knows the age difference between you and her, Derek]

Derek: I may have tortured you a bit too, but I did entertain you.

Cora: Uh-huh. [And she'll step away to go sit on the couch with him] where they can still see Rocky and Joy. Rocky is being very good with her, probably because Olivia okayed them spending time with Etta who is only a little bit older than Joy and Amelia]

Derek: And you and Stiles doing better now that you're out there?

Cora: [she nods with a small smile] Yeah. He really loves his job, and while it's fairly demanding we're still managing to make time for us, which is good.

Derek: Good. I'm really glad to hear that. [after what happened in LA and all]

Cora: [yeah, LA was ... complicated] I think we just needed to figure some things out.

Derek: I'm glad you did. You seem a lot happier.

Cora: I am. Things are really good right now.

Derek: Good. [and he will sit up straighter] Joy, don't pull on the doggy's tail.

Joy: [looks up when she hears her name and shakes her head] I wasn't. [she was a little she just doesn't realize it]

Derek: [looks at Cora] You want to meet her?

Cora: [hesitates for a moment before nodding a bit] Sure.

Derek: Joy, come over here. I want to meet someone.

Joy: No. [she is very invested in the puppy right now]

Derek: Joy. [stern dad look] You can play with the puppy after you meet your Aunt Cora.

Joy: [oh no that's the dad voice. but she's almost two!!! she can make her own decisions!!! and she still doesn't move right away]

Cora: [so she'll take matters into her own hands and there's a soft quick whistle and Rocky's head perks up and he takes off towards Cora, allowing himself to be scooped up into her lap]

Joy: Puppy!

Derek: [smirks at his sister, then looks back at his daughter waiting]

Joy: [SIGH FINE IF SHE MUST. No she's really just going to follow the puppy and try and scramble up onto the couch so she can get closer]

Derek: [and he will grab her and tickle her a moment as he puts her in his lap] That's better.

Joy: [wriggles a bit] Daddy no! [she wants to go pet the puppy!]

Derek: [shakes his head] Joy, can you please do what daddy asks?

Joy: [and there's a very dramatic sigh before she slumps back against his chest. fine. you win]

Derek: [shakes his head] Joy, this is your Aunt Cora. She's my little sister.

Joy: [turns to look at Cora] Hi.

Cora: [nods with a small smile] Hi, Joy.

Derek: You want to tell Cora what you like to do?

Joy: No. [sorry, Derek, today is going to be a difficult day]

Derek: [sighs, thinking around this] Not even about how you like to go to the park to play with all the doggies?

Joy: Puppy! [she wants to play with the one that's RIGHT THERE she doesn't want to talk about it]

Cora: Derek, it's okay.

Derek: You sure?

Cora: [she nods] Let her go play.

Derek: Alright. Go, play with the puppy. [and he will let her go down]

Cora: [and Cora will let Rocky down as well and Joy will happily run off to play with him]

Derek: [watches them] Yeah, we can all tell who she takes after...

Cora: [she shakes her head] Can't blame her. Rocky's a charmer.

Derek: We thought about getting a dog, but I'm not sure it would be a good idea with my powers and all.

Cora: [she shakes her head] Dogs are good once you establish who the alpha is, even if you can turn into a wolf. If you get an older, chill dog, they'd probably be pretty easy to maintain.

Derek: Yeah, I'm pretty sure Joy is the current house alpha. [chuckles]

Cora: [she laughs] Also probably true.

Derek: But she's a good girl.

Cora: I can tell. She's just almost two.

Derek: I know, and I already fear the next year more than I did the alpha pack. [smirks]

Cora: [she rolls her eyes] I'm sure you'll be fine.

Derek: I'm hoping I will be too.

Cora: And at least you only have one of them to worry about.

Derek: For now.

Cora: [eyebrows come up] Is there something I should know?

Derek: No. I mean Dawn and I have been talking about when we want to try again, but there's no news.

Cora: [she nods] Well, it'll happen one day.

Derek: Probably when we least expect it.

Cora: [she nods] Yes, that's also probably true.

Derek: But we're happy. And we love Joy, and that's all that matters. [looks over at Cora]

Cora: [she nods and then she realizes he's looking at her and she frowns] What?

Derek: I'm just also happy to see you happy again. I've been worried.

Cora: About me?

Derek: Yes, you are my little sister after all.

Cora: Yeah, but I'm fine, Derek. Really.

Derek: [nods] Alright.

Cora: I'm really a lot better than I was.

Derek: I can see. Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now.

Cora: Yeah. [she glances back at Joy] I just ... I knew Joy was going to be at dinner and probably around the wedding, so I wanted to make sure I could handle that.

Derek: And how do you feel?

Cora: [she takes a deep breath before shrugging] I think it helps that she's actually a little person now, which she wasn't the last time I saw her. And her scent is different.

Derek: How different? [he hadn't noticed that]

Cora: When she was born, she smelled more like me. Now she smells more like you.

Derek: Well, that's probably because I touch everything that is around her.

Cora: No, it's more than that. [it's hard to explain, though, because he's never given birth to something] I don't know if I can explain it.

Derek: I'll just take your word for it.

Cora: [and he gets a grateful look at that, before nodding] But yeah. She doesn't feel like mine anymore.

Derek: Well, that's good because I'm not giving her back. [smirks]

Cora: I wasn't going to ask you to, regardless.

Derek: I know.

Cora: She seems really happy here.

Derek: We try to make it so. She's pretty spoiled. As it is, she's going to have a small fit when you leave because of the puppy, but then it will be nap time so I won't have to deal with it too long.

Cora: I could stay until she passes out if you want, that way you avoid the fit.

Derek: If you want to. That's up to you and your schedule.

Cora: Stiles is doing best man stuff all afternoon so I am free to provide adult conversation until then.

Derek: [chuckles] Well, I appreciate that.

Cora: I thought you might. [smirks]

Derek: [and they can have a good sibling time catching up until Joy is pretty much passed out on the floor with the puppy]

Cora: [and Derek will put her to bed while Cora gathers her dog and heads home to let Rocky have a nap because he was popped to, and Cora will just flop on Stiles' bed to stare at the ceiling and make sure she's actually okay]

Stiles: [and he will return from tux shopping and another round of trying to convince his dad about a bachelor's party tonight in LA, and will smile as he comes into the room] Hey you.

Cora: [perks up at his voice and smiles] Hey.

Stiles: You will not believe how handsy the people fitting me for a tux are. I mean I feel dirty.

Cora: How dare they.

Stiles: And I swear these pants are too tight, but the seamstress said they looked just fine.

Cora: Do you want me to be the judge?

Stiles: Maybe later. Right now, I think I need a nap. I'm going to give one more go at taking dad out tonight for a bachelor's party.

Cora: [nods as she inches over towards the wall to give him room to climb in] Then nap away.

Stiles: [and he will flop down on the bed next to her] How was your day?

Cora: Good. I took Rocky over to see Derek and Joy.

Stiles: [blinks, and then looks over at her] Oh?

Cora: [she nods, tucking one hand behind her head] I wanted to make sure I could handle it, at dinner and the wedding.

Stiles: .........And?

Cora: I was okay. She doesn't feel like she's mine anymore.

Stiles: [nods] Well, she isn't. Your daughter, that is in the rearing sense.

Cora: No, but ... [she hesitates because when she's tried to talk about this before and he's shut her down, but he isn't doing that so she tentatively takes a few steps forward] After I gave birth, in the hospital, werewolf instincts are different. Her scent marked her as mine so I couldn't really hold her or anything like that, or I wouldn't be able to give her away like I was supposed to. But now she doesn't look the same or smell the same - she's not ... mine.

Stiles: [and he will sit up a bit, nodding slowly] Well, that does make sense. It's not something I'd get, I guess. As a guy or a human. But it makes sense.

Cora: [pauses for a moment, before reaching for his hand] Is it weird that I'm a little sad about it when it was what I wanted?

Stiles: [shakes his head] No, it's not. Sometimes the right choices are hard, and you doubt it and it hurts to make it... but you just have to remember it's the right choice eve when you feel sad.

Cora: [she nods a bit] No, I know. I just was kind of hoping I'd feel nothing.

Stiles: I'd be more worried if you felt nothing. I'm sad too about it.

Cora: [she looks up at him and nods a bit, before shaking her head] I'm distracting you from your nap.

Stiles: It's alright. If you want to talk about it, I can fall asleep after.

Cora: [she shakes her head] That was about it. Unless there's something you want to talk about?

Stiles: [and he will look at her, and it's something he's been told he needed to tell her, and since they were talking about it] Can I be honest with you on this?

Cora: Yeah, of course.

Stiles: [he licks his lips nervously] I didn't want to give her up.

Cora: [she watches him for a moment, before nodding] I know.

Stiles: I just knew that if I told you then, it was going to make me have to choose between her and you. And at that time, I knew that we could have other kids one day, but I could never have another you. That's why I chose to go along with it.

Cora: I do still want that, I think. Not right now, but ... eventually.

Stiles: [and that will get a smile from him, because there was a part of him that worried she never would since she had such a bad reaction to it] Okay.

Cora: We'll just take it one day at time, okay? And even if we don't ... physically have them, we could always adopt them instead.

Stiles: Of course.

Cora: [she nods] So yeah. We have time to figure it out.

Stiles: Exactly.

Cora: [she nods before leaning in to kiss him] I love you.

Stiles: [cups her cheek and kisses her back] I love you too.

Cora: [she smiles softly and curls into him a bit] I'm glad we're okay.

Stiles: Same here. A little older, a little wiser... but still us.

Cora: [she nods] And I like being back in here. Is that weird?

Stiles: Well, we spent a lot of time together in this room.

Cora: We did. This was the first place in Beacon Hills that felt like home.

Stiles: [smiles] Yeah, well Dad pretty much adopted you.

Cora: Yeah. [smiles softly] He was always pretty great. Even when I didn't necessarily deserve it.

Stiles: Yeah, well we do have a soft spot for hopeless cases. [smirks]

Cora: [small soft smile] Well, I'm sure they appreciate it.

Stiles: Well, most of the time. [teases]

Cora: Only most of the time?

Stiles: [thinks] 98.2 percent of the time.

Cora: Well, what about the other one point eight percent of that very specific number.

Stiles: Some of that is me making strangling arms behind your back.

Cora: [rolls her eyes up a bit] Okay, I know. Hales can be aggravating.

Stiles: [smirking] Mmmhmm.

Cora: We can't help it. We are a stubborn breed.

Stiles: Just a little.

Cora: But Stilinskis are also very stubborn.

Stiles: Yes, and we are proud in that.

Cora: So sometimes it's just a bad combination.

Stiles: When we're stubborn at each other?

Cora: But sometimes it all works out.

Stiles: At least 98.2 percent, usually more.

Cora: That's a good high number.

Stiles: Probably is higher when you take into account the times when only one of us is being stubborn. So maybe more like 99 percent.

Cora: Ninety nine percent is not bad.

Stiles: Not bad at all. [and he will guide her down to kiss him again]

Cora: [and she will smile as she leans in to kiss him back]

Stiles: [and he will kiss her until he needs to yawn] Okay, I should really nap now.

Cora: [she laughs] Okay. Sounds good.

Stiles: You want to nap with me?

Cora: [she nods] Sure. I can do that.

Stiles: Good. [and he will shift around to spoon her]

Cora: [and she will curl up on her side and close her eyes]

Stiles: [and he will kiss her along her neck before cuddling into her and falling asleep soon after]

Cora: [and they will both pass out for a while]