spamalot } { of mate bonds and thinking things through

[littlebitscary]

Peter: [and he will look at the caller ID and know he can't just ignore her call so he takes a deep breath and answers] Not the best time right now, dear.

Nadia: I'm aware, you're giving me indigestion. [it's either him or the baby, but she's choosing to blame him at the moment, because it's easier to deflect worry with humor] What's wrong?

Peter: [deep breaths, trying to calm down if only for her sake] Well, it's good to know that the mate bond is working. I'm just frustrated.

Nadia: [her eyebrows raise a bit at that] That's a lot of frustration.

Peter: [licks his lips] We separated the nogitsune from Derek, and it took human form in his shape. And whatever it did to make that happen is killing Derek, and there is nothing we can do to stop it or him, it feels like.

Nadia: There's a way to stop him. You just need to clear your head, take a step back and think.

Peter: I've looked at everything I have, Nadia. There's nothing in any of my books that gives me the answer I need!

Nadia: Then don't use the books. Look for something else - not everything there is to know is written down in a book.

Peter: [his other hand is bunched up in a fist. He's too lost in his frustration to think straight] I don't have time to go hunting down leads. Derek isn't going to last much longer.

Nadia: [she gets that, and she winces a bit in return] You're being too emotional about this. Take Derek out of the equation.

Peter: I can't.

Nadia: You need to. Otherwise, you're never going to get the answer.

Peter: It's my fault this thing is in him, Nadia. I can't ignore that.

Nadia: Peter, this is not your fault. I know that telling you that right now is useless, but it's not.

Peter: [deep breath, leaning against a tree] I can't let him die because of this, Nadia. I've fought to keep that boy alive half my life...

Nadia: Then don't. [she huffs a bit, before leaning back on the couch and crossing her legs in front of her] I've been doing some digging through the Mikaelson library. Their mother was a rather knowledgeable emissary, believe it or not.

Peter: [just closes his eyes] What did you find?

Nadia: For one, nogitsune don't just show up. They need to be invoked. Once they're summoned, they're kind of like cockroaches - it's almost impossible to get rid of them - but getting them here requires someone calling them here.

Peter: This one was trapped in a human back in the 40's during world war two. We found the body of his last victim in Eichen House, which was an internment camp then.

Nadia: So that leaves two questions: One - this human knew enough about the supernatural to invoke a nogitsune? Or did someone else call for it? And two - if it was here in the forties - why did it take so long to make a move? Your sister was a lot more vulnerable when the kids were younger.

Peter: It was a Japanese camp. That’s an entire camp full of people who would have had the mythology as their culture... [he pushes off the tree] Noshiko. [there is a snarl] The body had a sword that came from Kira's line, and a photo of her in his pocket. If I was a trickster summoned down, I would take the body of the person you'd least want me in - like a lover.

Nadia: So that answers question one. That still leaves question two - after the massacre at Oak Creek, there was no sign of any kind of violence or destruction like that throughout California. These things feeds on chaos and strife, it wouldn't have stayed quiet. Where did it go and why did it come back?

Peter: Derek said that it always goes back to Eichen House. That place is horrible; calling it a mental health clinic is being nice.

Nadia: I'd buy it if there had been a riot or something, but even if that place is awful, it's not the level of violence that we're looking for.

Peter: [stops to just think, walking back the timeline for the last year] ..... There’s a rogue druid somewhere. That spell that swapped Stiles and Cora... we've never known who did it. Or the alpha that bit Lydia. What if they are working together, and they called out the nogitsune, and the druid used the nemeton to funnel it into Derek while we were at Eichen House.

Nadia: [she makes a face, because while that's plausible, she's not entirely sure it's solid] That still begs the question to why Derek? There are far more unsuspecting members of your family to choose. Hell, Stiles was living there right under her nose - he would have been the perfect cover.

Peter: I'm pretty sure we would have known if one of our mates were possessed. And Cora marked Stiles not long after they started dating again.

Nadia: [brow furrows a bit at that] Derek and Fiona aren't mated?

Peter: Fiona's human. She can't exactly return the favor.

Nadia: That doesn't matter. Allison knew when Scott was hurt.

Peter: [blinks because... well it's obvious how often there's a human in the pack, and Talia's never been hurt in a way to ask Thomas] Damnit, Derek.

Nadia: [sighs] It still doesn't explain why the nogitsune went quiet for almost eight decades. It wouldn't have just gotten bored and gone away, it would have gotten bored and leveled a town.

Peter: How fast can the jet get me to Japan?

Nadia: [glances down at her watch] In about eighteen hours. Why?

Peter: Because Noshiko knows something we don't, and isn't going to answer it over the phone. And if she won't, Jason's family elder has given me access to their library.

Nadia: I'll get it there as soon as I can.

Peter: [thinks] Send Regina too. She can read Japanese if I remember right. I may need her help on this.

Nadia: Don't you want to check with Laura on that first?

Peter: I will. [more like he will tell her that he's taking his great niece. He's already heading back to the house now, at least feeling purposeful] Have I told you lately how much I love you?

Nadia: [smiles a bit at that] Happy to help.

Peter: How are you feeling?

Nadia: A little stir crazy. I never realized how much time in New Orleans I spent drinking until I couldn't drink.

Peter: [chuckles] Once our child is born, I will make it up to you.

Nadia: I'm holding you to that.

Peter: I swear. [he would ask for her to come with him to Japan, but the twins would only listen to her so it would bring destruction down on New Orleans by raccoon dog if she left]

Nadia: [clearly Regina is the better choice, if anyone from New Orleans is going. She's already getting off the couch to go find her] I'll make sure Regina's ready.

Peter: Thank you. I love you, Nadia. And if we're lucky, I'll be picking you up to bring you home when I get back.

Nadia: I love you too. [and will be calling Laura to confirm this is okay before she actually sends Regina anywhere.]

Peter: [and he is walking up the stairs into the Hale house, and he'll talk to Laura in a moment. Instead, he's going to totally invade Fiona's privacy by walking over and going to pull her shirt collar down to look at her neck]

Fiona: [sudden batting hands as she stumbles back and glares at him] What the hell, Peter?

Peter: Just what I thought. [ looks at Derek] You've been married how long and you haven't mated with her yet?

Derek: [his eyes widened] What business is that of yours?

Fiona: [suddenly feels incredibly self-conscious and takes a step back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She doesn't know what to say, honestly, because she knows Derek has his reasons, but bringing it up like Peter is makes her feel like she did something wrong.]

Peter: [sorry, Fiona, his tact tends to be low when it comes to him being angry or Derek being stupid] The reason it choose you in this family is because it wouldn't be detected. Your mate wouldn't be able to know because you didn't forge that link that protects you from things like this.

Derek: I didn't want Fiona to suffer if something happened to me because of the nemeton, Peter. i was keeping my family safe!

Peter: You don't think she's suffering now? Look at your wife, Derek, she's suffering plenty without the link.

Fiona: [her eyes dart between them for a moment, before they close and she shakes her head a bit] Peter, I'm fine ... [it's instinct to try and defend Derek, but it's clear that the idea that she could have protected him sinks in a little deeper, and she doesn't like that she couldn't]

Peter: Don't lie to him, Fiona. He's done a disservice to you in his constant efforts to continue to try and play human even when he knows the time for that game has long been over.

Derek: [goes to stand up, glaring at him] If I die because of this, my wife is going to live Peter. She's not following me down some mysterious swan dive and leaving our kids orphans.

Peter: If you had done it, Derek, this wouldn't have been in you to make that a problem.

Derek: [growls]

Fiona: Guys, guys! [she grits her teeth and moves to step between him] Yelling at him for it now doesn't fix the problem. It just makes more problems.

Peter: [takes a step back, holding his hands up in surrender] If you live through this, Derek, you need to drop this act and accept who you are fully.

Derek: [nope, just glaring. Because he knows Peter isn't wrong but he's not going to say that]

Peter: [goes off to find Laura then, because he has a plane to catch]

Fiona: [she waits until Peter leaves before she visibly deflates, moving to sit on the end of the bed with a soft sigh. It's something she's tried to stay out of, because they're Derek's instincts, not hers, and it's his choice, but she can't help but be a little blindsided by it all]

Derek: [looks at her, seeing that deflation and looks at the floor] Fiona...

Fiona: When you're feeling up to it again, we're doing it.

Derek: [one eyebrow goes up]

Fiona: [dead serious. Not your choice anymore.]

Derek: Fiona, I do this, and something happens to me...

Fiona: Then we'll deal with it! But something did happen to you, something I could have stopped and damnit, Derek, you're a werewolf! [she leans forward, burying her face in her hands for a moment, before she leans back again.] I'm not some girl who doesn't get what's going on. I may be human, but I grew up in this too, and I've pretty much been waiting for it since you married me. [she doesn't want to say it, but the fact that she's waited this long only really contributed to feeling like at any given moment he could leave her]

Derek: I was trying to protect you, Fi. I've wanted to every night since we met. I just...I didn't understand it, and when I learned, I couldn't put that burden on you.

Fiona: It's not your call to decide what's a burden for me and what isn't. [she looks up at him] And I respected that it was your choice and I understood when you kept trying to explain it to me, but you never asked me if I would be willing to deal with that for you. You just made the decision, which didn't really ... [she takes a breath] If you ever wondered why I was expecting you to leave me before, this was part of it.

Derek: [he just slides down the wall to sit back against it, defeated. It didn't help that he already felt like crap inside] I would never leave you. You're my mate, Fiona. Bite or not, that doesn't change what I feel.

Fiona: I know. [she gets up and moves closer, kneeling down in front of him] And I believe you. But even if you don't want to admit it, you need this.

Derek: [he just rests his forehead against his knees.] Things would have just been so much easier if the wolf gene hadn't taken.

Fiona: Do you really hate what you are that much?

Derek: I don't hate it. It just... all it ever does is create problems for me. My sisters had it so much easier, but I just... after Paige, I just couldn't handle it. I just wanted to be normal.

Fiona: Babe, you never weren't normal. Not to me.

Derek: [sad chuckle] You knew what I was. You didn't meet me until ten years after it happened.

Fiona: It still doesn't matter. Werewolf or not, you were always still just ... Derek.

Derek: I just couldn't risk losing another person I loved to some werewolf instinct.

Fiona: Derek, you wouldn't lose me. It would mean you're keeping me.

Derek: [he doesn't lift his head, but his hand just went to reach for hers, not needing to look to know where it was and he squeezed it tightly] I never once thought of letting you go.

Fiona: [squeezes his hand back] And I was never going to go anywhere.

Derek: Good to know we're on the same page then.

Fiona: We are. I promise.

Derek: [he looked up, so tired and sickly but his tired eyes still showed how much he loved her] Okay.

Fiona: [she watches him for a moment, before leaning in to kiss him, not pushing anything but just wants that connection]

Derek: [he kisses her back, his lips cold and dry, but the affection was still there]

Fiona: [she pulls back after a moment, moving to sit next to him and resting her head against his shoulder]

Derek: [his arm goes to wrap around her, keeping her close] When this is over, I'll make sure you know just how much I love you. I promise.

Fiona: [she nods a bit against his shoulder, before closing her eyes] Just get through this.

Derek: I'm doing my best. [to hold on. Because he had a feeling the next time he closed his eyes... he wasn't going to come back]

Fiona: Good. [she slips her hand in his, doing her best to hold on to him too]

- - - - -

Regina: [is sitting in the main cabin of the plane, Indian-style in her seat while she waits for her uncle]

Peter: [walks in, seeing Regina and giving her a fond smile] Hey sweetheart.

Regina: [glances up with a small smile] Hey, Uncle Peter. [a beat] Why am I going to Japan?

Peter: Because your mommy and daddy need to stay here, and I need someone smart with me who can speak and read Japanese.

Regina: Is this about Uncle Derek?

Peter: Yeah, it is. [he goes to sit next to her, buckling in as the plane gets ready to take off again] There are two people in Japan I think may be able to tell us how to help him, and they won't tell us the truth over the phone. I need to talk to them so I can hear their heart beats.

Regina: [nods a bit] But you need me to read stuff?

Peter: I want someone I trust to make sure it's right.

Regina: [nods] Okay. [there's a beat as she leans against him a bit] Are my mom and dad okay?

Peter: [wraps his arm around her easily, letting her snuggle all she wants] They are both fine. Your dad even helped me find Lydia when she went missing and she's safe at the house now.

Regina: [she will take that invitation and just burrow into his side] Is Uncle Derek okay?

Peter: We got the notgitsune out of him. But it's still out there, and we think they are still magically tied. So he's okay right now, but that's why what we need to find is very important.

Regina: So we can untie them?

Peter: Yup. And then we can get rid of the nogitsune so it can't hurt anyone else.

Regina: [nods a bit] And then we can come home?

Peter: Yup. If we do it, we can fly right to New Orleans and pick everyone up and take them home.

Regina: Good. [she sighs] Mr. Mikaelson is really nice but it's really boring. And I think if the twins are stuck there any longer they might start causing trouble.

Peter: You mean they haven't already? I'm very impressed.

Regina: They're scared of Nadia.

Peter: Well, they are very smart to be so.

Regina: [she nods] And at least they have each other to play with. But Jonathan can hang out with Dina and the other little kids and Liam is always hanging out with Davina and Josh and there's just ... no one else for me to really talk to.

Peter: [he pulls her a bit closer to hug her] I'm sorry to hear that. I would have thought that maybe one of the wolves in the Mikaelson pack would have had children your age. [he smiles down at her] I guess I just picked my ambassador perfectly then.

Regina: [she smiles a bit at that, leaning into him more] I just hope I help.

Peter: Regina, would I have asked for you if I didn't think you'd help? [he kisses the top of her head] Not that I don't mind having an excuse to see you, but I know exactly how smart you are.

Regina: [her head ducks a bit] I'm still just a kid.

Peter: Maybe, but you're also going to be an alpha one day. Which means you're going to have to do things like this all the time. Hopefully it won't be for a very, very long time.

Regina: [her eyes widen a bit and she nods] I'm so not ready for that.

Peter: Neither was your mother at your age. She's still saying it now at her age.

Regina: [snorts a bit] She'd still be good at it though.

Peter: I have no doubts.

Regina: [there's a beat] Is there a way where my mom becomes alpha but Grandma doesn't have to die?

Peter: [thinks] Well, your mom would have to kill a different alpha. And then they would both be alphas.

Regina: [wrinkles her nose before shaking her head. That's not what she wants] Sometimes it just feels like Grandma wants to retire.

Peter: I know. I know she does. [He closes his eyes and kisses the top of her head] Maybe after this is all over, she can for a while and let your mom run the day to day part of the pack. Being the alpha is more than just power, after all.

Regina: [nods a bit] Maybe. Maybe she'll let Grandpa take her on vacation.

- - - - -

Talia: [picks up on the first ring when Peter calls] Peter?

Peter: I think we have an answer after a lot of... discussion. [yelling in multiple languages]

Regina: Hi, Grandma. [she's here too]

Talia: Hi, Regina. What did you find?

Peter: Well, the reason Noshiko is out to kill the nogitsune is because she's the one who summoned it to Beacon Hills back in the 40's. She wasn't able to kill it back then, but trapped it and buried it in the roots of the nemeton.

Talia: So something about the nemeton can contain it.

Peter: Yes, but the body it wears protects the spirit inside of it. [goes over to leans on the table next to Regina] Read to your grandmother what this says, sweetheart.

Regina: It says that you can expel nogitsune by changing the body. [or it's an ancient Japanese take out order. Some of the more complicated words still get ahead of her]

Talia: Changing the body. Like making it a werewolf?

Peter: You said it yourself - when they split, he didn't smell like a wolf. It may look like Derek, but it's a fox. You can change it.

Talia: So we just have to find some way to trap it so I can give it the bite.

Peter: Exactly. It's been playing us the whole time - time we start playing the game back at it.

Talia: So it sounds like we simply need some bait.

Peter: Well, we know who it wants. I'm not comfortable with you going head to head with it though. [being this far away to protect you, sister]

Talia: Then I won't go head to head. I'll bring back up.

Peter: Good. [because he worries about you, Talia.] What do you want me to do?

Talia: Stay with Regina in case we have more that needs translating. I'll call you later.

Peter: Alright. [pause] Be safe, Tali. [his worried voice. He may be a prick lately to everyone, but she is still his sister and he loves her]

Talia: I will. Enjoy Japan. Maybe you can show Regina a few things.

Peter: [looks at Regina and smiles] I think I can do that. She deserves a reward for helping us with this, after all.

Regina: [perks up a bit at that. Seeing things is good.]

Talia: Good. I'll talk to you soon.

Peter: Talk to you soon. [hangs up and looks at Regina] So do you like sushi, little wolf?

Regina: [gives a bit of a shrug] It's okay. Kinda slimy.

Peter: Well, I know a really good place here that may just change your mine. Shall we go?

Regina: [deep breath before nodding] Okay.