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Scott couldn’t help being a little surprised to see Erica and Boyd on the first day of junior year, but Stiles stepped on his foot so he didn’t say anything until lunch when he dragged Stiles over to their table.
“You’re back,” Scott declared like no one else in the world could have possibly come to this mind-blowing conclusion.
“Yeah,” said Erica, rolling her eyes.
“I didn’t think you’d come back.” He tried to suppress how pleased he was, but failed rather spectacularly.
“Well, we’re back,” Boyd said, still sounding as angry as ever.
“Are you going to go back to, you know,” Scott lowered his tone to a whisper, “Derek?”
“Only if he makes some changes,” Erica replied.
“Like what?” asked Stiles, leaning around Scott to more affectively wedge himself into the conversation.
“Like getting a proper place to live. I’m sure as hell not going back to that dank old hole Derek had us in. It was gross.”
“Where? At his house?” Scott asked.
“No. We haven’t been there for ages. Not since the Argents, you know, fucking tortured Derek there.” She smiled at him.
“You wanna be a little less subtle?” asked Stiles.
Erica let out a frustrated huff of breath.
“Whatever.” She turned away, clearly done with the conversation.
Scott looked at Stiles, who just shrugged. He had better things to worry about than werewolf land acquisition, like Lydia’s new back-to-school look, which was, as predicted, utterly stunning.
Scott stared out the window of the jeep at the long, gently winding driveway and sighed.
“Just go,” said Stiles, annoyed. It was the Saturday after the first week of class and he didn’t want to spend the entire day waiting for Scott to make up his mind.
“Yeah,” he said dispassionately.
“You sure you don’t want me to go with you, in case of, I dunno, diplomatic needs?”
“Since when are you a diplomat?”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not going to be doing any fighting.”
Scott rolled his eyes.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll call you later.” He opened the door and got out of the jeep.
“Play nice,” Stiles called after him.
Scott made a face that was somewhere between annoyance and apprehension and headed up the driveway on foot.
The house Derek had bought was settled on half a dozen acres of land that had long ago been left to their own devices, but the lawn around the house was in perfect condition as was building itself. It was a three-story affair, but neither a mcmansion nor anything like the old Hale house. It was a renovated brick farmhouse, with a large porch wrapping around three sides. On the front side of the house was a white door and Scott approached it, but before he could even knock, it opened and he found himself face to face with Isaac.
“Hey,” said Scott, a little surprised.
“I’ll deal with him,” called Derek’s voice from inside the house.
Isaac grunted and stepped aside as Derek appeared in the doorway.
“Um, hi,” Scott muttered.
“What are you doing here?” Derek demanded, sounding just as pissed about everything as he always did.
“I wanted to talk.”
“Okay.”
Derek stared at him, clearly waiting for Scott to start talking.
“Can I maybe, you know, come inside?”
Derek glanced over his shoulder and Scott followed his gaze, but Derek shifted to block his view.
“Don’t you people have somewhere to be?” he asked and there was a scuffling from inside as several people hurried away. Derek turned back to Scott.
“So,” he prompted.
Scott ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to do this. Well, maybe a little, but only because Stiles had made a very good augment. Said argument had largely involved reminding him of the countless times he’d nearly gotten them both killed that summer with the whole alpha pack situation and that being in a pack of his own would make him much safer and stronger. And maybe it would be sort of nice to have a group that he could rely on and do wolf things with. And okay so maybe he totally wanted to join the pack, but why did it have to be Derek’s pack?
Derek raised an eyebrow as Scott fidgeted.
“Spit it out already,” he barked.
“I wanna join your pack,” muttered Scott, avoiding eye contact like it might physically hurt.
“What?” asked Derek, trying to suppress a smirk.
Scott sighed, but raised his voice and eyes and spoke again.
“I want to join your pack.”
Derek seemed to seize him up for a moment before speaking.
“Alright,” he said and stepped aside so Scott could enter the house.
“Is that it?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’m in your pack? Just like that?”
“Yeah.”
“No weird wolf ritual?”
“No.”
Scott shrugged and entered the house. He found himself in an entry way decorated solely with cardboard moving boxes, most of which were empty. The front hall opened into what was clearly supposed to be a formal living room, but held only a single, uncomfortable-looking sofa against one wall and a few more boxes.
“Everyone’s probably downstairs,” Derek explained, closing the door and leading Scott down the hallway.
Scott followed him, looking around at the bare house, which looked about as lived-in as the living room had.
“We’re still moving in, but there’s a room for you upstairs if you want it.”
“What?” asked Scott.
“Everyone has a room. Of course, only Isaac and I are living here full-time right now, but wolves need dens.” He shrugged.
They’d reached a door, which Derek opened, leading Scott down a dark stairwell that turned and opened onto a single, large wreck room. The walls were white and the carpeting was thick and dark green. There were small, high-set windows along two walls, leaving the room fairly dark, but cozy. Beyond that, it looked like a giant college dorm lounge. There were white Christmas tree lights tacked along the tops of the walls and strung through the supports of the drop panel ceiling. There were several couches, a beanbag chair, and a coffee table. A huge, flat screen TV stood against one wall, its box propped against the wall beside it. Scattered around the room were Erica, Boyd, Isaac, and, to Scott’s surprise, Jackson.
“Welcome to the pack,” Derek said and Scott could have sworn he almost sounded happy.
***
“Aunt Rose!” cried Derek happily, opening the door to find his aunt and two cousins on the porch.
“Hi, Derek,” she replied, shifting the baby on her hip so she could ruffle his hair. “Anyone else home?”
“Someone’s always home.” He turned back into the house and bellowed at the top of his tiny lungs. “Mom!”
“I know, honey,” his mother called back. Moments later, Samantha Hale appeared from the kitchen. She was a tall, smiling woman with dark hair and angular features. She pulled her younger sister into an embrace, careful not to bump the child on her hip.
“How are you holding up?” she asked.
Rose sighed.
“Been better.”
“Well, we’re so glad you’re here,” Samantha said, ushering Rose and her children inside and grabbing one of the suitcases for her.
“Thanks for letting me stay.”
“Of course. You’re family. How could we do anything less?”
Derek reached up and pulled the door closed behind his aunt and cousins. Amy was a year and a half younger and distinctly smaller than he was and was clinging to her mother’s shirttail, gazing around with wide, frightened eyes at the large, bright house.
“Ian?” Samantha called from the bottom of the stairs. “Rose is here.” She turned to her sister. “We’re not all home at the moment. Peter took Caroline out for some air and Laura and Arthur are still at school, but Ian’s just upstairs trying to get the crib put back together for you.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s really nothing. I just wish we could do more.”
Derek looked with confusion between his mother and his aunt. He could tell something was wrong, but he didn’t know what it was. Before he could ask, however, his father came down the stairs. Ian Hale looked every inch the carpenter he was. He had helped his own father build the house they all lived in now. His hair and beard were a deep russet and his gentle hands were callused despite his wolf healing. He wore flannel shirts and jeans and had a loud, deep voice with a matching laugh.
“Rose,” he said when he reached the bottom of the stairs. He pulled her into another hug. “And Amy.” He waved at the little girl, who quickly ducked back behind her mother. “And this must be Steven.” He gently smoothed the baby’s thin, blond hair. “I just got the crib set up for him. Lucky thing Caroline grew out of it so quickly. Let me get you settled in.” He grabbed a suitcase in either hand and led Rose and her children up the stairs.
“Mom?” asked Derek as he watched them climb the stairs.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“How long are they going to stay?”
“We’re not sure yet, but probably a long time. Maybe forever.”
“Why?” Derek gazed up at his mother, head cocked slightly to one side, eyes wide and questioning.
His mother sighed.
“It’s a little complicated.”
“I thought you said Aunt Rose had her own pack.”
Samantha bent and picked up her youngest son. Derek was five now and getting a little big to be carried, but his mother was strong and she carried him on her hip into the living room where she sat them down on the couch. Derek nestled against his mother’s side and waited for her to explain.
“You know how some people are born and some people are bitten?” she began.
“Uh-huh. I was born,” he said proudly.
“Yes, like your father. But your aunt and I were bitten.”
“At the same time?” Derek asked.
“Yes.”
“So why aren’t you in the same pack?”
“The alpha that bit us died. I married into one pack and later your aunt married into another.”
Derek nodded, following so far, but still confused.
“So why isn’t she with them?”
“Well, your cousin Amy was born; she was like you because her father was also born and her pack was very happy about that. But when Steven came along, he wasn’t.”
“Wasn’t born a wolf?” Derek asked.
“No.”
“So he’s like Arthur?”
“Exactly. But your aunt’s pack didn’t like that.”
“Why not?”
“They were all born and they don’t like humans.”
“But our pack has humans.”
“Everyone’s pack is different.”
Derek nodded, trying to understand.
“So are Aunt Rose and them going to be part of our pack now?”
“Probably.”
“Even Steven?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” Derek slid down off the couch. “When are Peter and Caroline going to be back?”
“Soon, I expect,” she replied, standing up as well. “You know Peter can only tolerate so much babysitting. Laura and Arthur should be back from school in the next hour or so. I’m going to help your aunt unpack, alright? How about you play with Amy?”
Derek nodded and followed his mother upstairs. He wasn’t overly fond of Amy. She wasn’t quite four yet and was therefore not very interesting to Derek. However, their mothers instructed them to play together so Derek led her back downstairs to the large playroom at the back of the house.
“What do you wanna play?” Derek asked her.
Amy shrugged.
“You wanna play wolves?”
She shrugged again.
“Are you okay?” he asked, taking a step towards her.
Amy took a quick step back and looked away.
“Do you miss your pack?” he asked quietly.
After a moment, Amy nodded, tears starting to well up in her wide, dark eyes.
“That’s okay,” Derek told her. “This pack is the best pack in the world and now you’re part of it.”
“Really?” she asked, small voice trembling a little.
“That’s what Mom said.”
Amy thought about this for a moment.
“My mom says we had to leave because Stevie can’t go wolf.”
“That’s what my mom said too. But it’s okay. My big brother Arthur can’t go wolf either and he’s still in the pack.”
She looked up, suddenly hopeful.
“Really?” she asked again.
“Uh-huh. Mom and Dad say humans can be in packs just fine.” He folded his arms to emphasize his point.
Amy was silent for a while longer. Derek waited patiently as he could. He understood wanting to protect your little sibling. He was fiercely protective little Caroline, even though she was still small and boring and sometimes threw up on him.
“Let’s play wolves,” she said at last, a smile creeping slowly onto her face.
“Okay!” said Derek brightly, wriggling out of his overalls.
As soon as he was free from them, he jumped at her, going in one smooth movement from a five-year-old boy to a small, black wolf pup. Before he even landed, Amy was a sandy-brown pup herself, tugging her flowered jumper off with her pointed teeth. Derek struggled to get out of the remaining clothes he was trapped in and they soon fell to tussling, paws and claws ramming into each other’s sides and ears and noses.
When Rose, Samantha, and Ian came downstairs, once Steven was settled down for his nap, they found the two pups, now entirely free of their clothes, wrestling all up and down the playroom, yapping and growling. Rose smiled at her sister.
“Thank you,” she said again. “This is exactly what we needed.”