Chapter Text
The house looked like any other abandoned house in the area, but the scent of Alphas was strong. They’d likely been squatting there, even with the boarded windows. “Are they here?” Stiles asked, gulping nervously.
Derek shook his head, “Not right now, but...” He opened the door to his car, “Stay here.” Never one to listen, Stiles scrambled out of the passenger’s seat and ran after Derek. The Alpha glared at his human. “What part of ‘stay here’ did you fail to understand?” Stiles simply smiled at him, and Derek rolled his eyes, “You have no sense of self preservation.”
Pursing his lips, Stiles said, “Meh, maybe, but I’m probably safer with you then out there by myself. You know, with all of the Alphas crawling around and everything.”
“I’m not the one that told you to come with me.” Derek growled, sniffing the air.
“You might not have invited me, but admit it, you’re glad I’m here.” Stiles boasted, hoping that he wasn’t being too desperate.
“Hush, There’s still someone in there.” Derek snapped, sniffing again, “Female.” He scrunched his face, “Not an Alpha.”
“You can tell that from out here?” Stiles asked, wondering why he still found some things surprising.
“It’s a familiar scent, and she’s bleeding.” Derek said, trying to remember where he had smelled this girl before. When the synapses in his brain finally placed the scent, his heart nearly stopped and he threw himself into the house, ripping the door off it’s hinges in his rush to get inside.
The small female form was on a mattress in the far corner of the front room, chained to the wall. She lifted her head when she heard them enter, and Derek resisted the urge to maim something. Derek recognized the pale face of the Alpha pack’s Beta. It was a face not unlike the one that he looked at every time he opened his wallet to look at the only surviving picture of his mother. He stood motionless while Stiles approached her, not sure if he was dreaming or not.
She lunged at him, the chains around her wrists stopping her from grabbing him. “Holy shit!” Stiles hissed, stepping back from the barely clothed girl.
She whimpered at Stiles’ exclamation, backing up quickly, and curling up into a tight ball. She was young, long brown hair tangled into large knots, and what appeared to once have been a dress hung from her thin shoulders by threads. It was discolored, looking like a brown potato sack, and stuck to her in places where vicious bite wounds marred her skin, still oozing blood. Her wrists were also rubbed raw from the metal chains holding her to the wall. Derek broke them easily, eliciting a cry from the female.
Derek ripped his jacket off his shoulders and wrapped it around her nearly naked body gently, mindful of her various wounds. She whined, instinctively jerking away from his fingers when they ghosted along the side of her face. Her blue eyes were wide, her pupils dilated to the point that he was certain she couldn’t see more than blurs. She was terrified, and had only lunged at Stiles because she wasn’t thinking clearly. Or at least that’s what he hoped happened. The other possibilities running through his head were too terrible to handle.
“Shh, you’re safe.” Derek cooed softly, picking her rail-thin body up. She screeched inhumanly, clawing at his face, but when she finally caught his scent, she grasped his leather jacket with her bony fingers and buried her face in his shirt as if to muffle her own screeches.
“Should you really be moving her? I mean, you could hurt her more.” Stiles chirped in that incessant voice that usually made Derek’s crotch ache, but now irritated him. He knew what he was doing.
“She’s not human.” Derek said shortly.
“She’s a werewolf.” Stiles determined in a hushed voice, not that it mattered, the female squeaked anyway. Derek nodded slowly, shushing her, and Stiles studied him. The anguish on his face was so out of character, and Stiles stared at him in shock. “Wait, you know her, like really know her.”
The instant he said it, Derek flinched, throwing the back door of his new Jaguar open, “She’s my baby sister.” She let out a high, kneeing scream when he tried to lower her into the back seat of car. He jerked her back to his chest, “Okay, I’m sorry Becca. Shh, I’ve got you.” He tossed his keys to Stiles, “You drive us to Scott’s. One scratch on my car, and I will tear your throat out with my teeth.”
Stiles gulped, “You know, you’ve said that before, and it’s just as scary now.”
“Good.” Derek growled, getting in the passenger’s seat with her in his lap.
“You know, I liked the old car, but this one is much more practical with all of the pack. You’re like a wolfy soccer mom.” Stiles quipped as he started the car.
Derek shot him a cold look. “Don’t ever say that again.” He shifted in his seat, and mumbled under his breath, “I am not a soccer mom.” The girl whimpered a few times during the ride, but Derek would smooth a hand over her wild hair and his whispered words would calm her down.
Stiles was amazed by the tenderness that Derek was displaying. “So, uh, what’s her name again?”
“Rebecca.” Derek whispered, “Maggie never had our mother’s blue eyes. Becca did.”
“Just how many sister’s do you have?” Stiles asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road.
“Four. Laura was older than me, McKenna a year younger, and then Becca and Maggie were twins. They were ten when the house burned.” He stared down at her, “If I had known she was alive...” His head shot up, and out of the corner of his eyes, Stiles saw his nostrils flare. “I’m going to kill them for hurting her.”
Her eyes had closed and her breath had evened out by the time they reached the McCall’s. Scott answered the door, and looked from Stiles to Derek to the girl asleep in Derek’s arms with a slack look on his face.
“Shut your mouth and get your mother. She needs help.” Derek snarled.
Melissa McCall came up behind her son in cloud pajamas, “Derek?”
“We went looking for Erica and Boyd and found her. Please help her.” Derek busted past the McCall’s not noticing that they were all staring at him. He’d just said please.
“Take her to the guest room.” Melissa said, springing into action. Derek appreciated that at least one McCall had a sense of urgency, and followed her directive. Rebecca woke, crying out when he sat her down, and he stared at the blood on his hands. Melissa pushed him gently aside, looking at Rebecca’s eyes in the early morning light from the window. “Scott, go get me a hand towel from the bathroom. Her pupils are blown. I’ll need to cover her eyes before I turn the light on.”
Scott had a towel in her hands in seconds, and she folded it tightly, “Hold still...”
“Rebecca.” Derek supplied.
Melissa smiled gently, “Rebecca, I’m going to cover your eyes so the light doesn’t hurt them, and then I’m going to look at your injuries.” She lowered the towel, and Derek was prepared for Rebecca to make another noise of pain. She didn’t, it seemed she had finally realized that she wasn’t being hurt more, and relaxed slightly. Melissa stroked her forehead, “Good girl.” She looked at Scott, “Go get one of those button up nightgowns from my room.”
“The ugly one’s Grammy sends you every Christmas that you never wear?” Scott asked.
His mother grimaced, “Yes.” She cleaned and bandaged the abrasions on Rebecca’s wrists with alcohol wipes and wraps from the first aid kit they kept under the sink. When she looked at the wounds on Rebecca’s body, she arched an eyebrow at Derek, “I’m going to guess these aren’t dog bites.”
“No, they’re Alpha bites.” He touched one on her forearm, “They won’t heal like normal werewolf wounds will.”
As she worked, she asked more questions, “How bad is the risk of infection? With wounds like this, it would be high in a...human, and she’d be put on a massive amount of antibiotics.”
“She shouldn’t need any of that.” He looked at the sheer number of scratches and shallow bites covering her limbs, and second guessed himself, “I think.”
“I’ll try to get her something from the hospital.” Melissa assured him. When she had finally finished with the exposed wounds, she stood up, “Alright, boys, out!” Scott and Stiles exited quickly, but Derek stayed, holding on to her hand. “She’s your sister.” Melissa stated, her eyes softening.
“How did you know?” He asked.
Melissa smiled, “You have the same jawline, and the way you look at her, it’s like you’re eating your own heart seeing her in pain. You don’t have to stay while I look her over.”
“No, I do. Becca’s a werewolf. If she startles, she could hurt you. I’ll turn away, but I need to stay in here.” Derek was still trying to figure out how Rebecca had escaped the fire. He and Laura had been certain that Rebecca and Marguerite, Maggie, had been inside the house when it burned. He turned his back to Melissa, leaning his forehead against the wall, and focusing, not on the ragged sound of his sister’s breathing, but on the steady rhythm of Stiles’ heart.
“She was in the fire.” Melissa hissed, causing Derek to look over his shoulder. The skin of Rebecca’s left thigh was pink and shiny. “There’s more on her stomach.” She added, looking at him sadly. “Fortunately for her, the bites are only on her extremities. There are a few old bite scars, but nothing new. I think one of her ribs might be broken, but I’m not a doctor, so I’m not sure.”
“So she’ll be okay?” Derek asked tightly.
Melissa nodded, “She should be.” They both heard clanging from the kitchen, and she headed to the door, “I’m going to go make some breakfast before those two boys clean me out.”
Derek swallowed his pride, “Thank you, Melissa.” She gave him a small smile and a nod before leaving him alone with Rebecca. His eyes found the clock next to the bed, and he was stunned that the entire process had taken only thirty minutes. He had only known his sister was alive for just under an hour. But it was her stillness that worried him. He knelt next to the bed, reclaiming her hand.
He stayed there the entire day, watching her every motion, listening to the steady rhythm of her heart beating in her chest. When he had heard Scott and Stiles leave for school, he had sung her songs their mother had once sung to them. His voice was husky and crackled from disuse, but he thought it comforted her. She seemed more at peace when he was singing to her, and in that moment, he couldn’t ask for anything else. Derek refused all of the food Melissa offered, keeping his vigil well into the night, only leaving his sister’s side to use the restroom.
Near dawn, he came back into the room and noticed the tempo of her breathing had changed. “Becca, can you hear me?” He asked, taking her hand back in his. She yanked her arm to her chest, shoving his fist under her chin. “Becca, wake up.”
“No.” She whispered, her voice soft.
Derek squeezed her fingers, “Becca, it’s your big brother. You need to wake up for me.”
“I don’t want to.” She moaned.
“Why not?” He asked.
Rebecca whined, “Because I don’t want this to be a dream.”
Derek could hardly breath, as surreal as the whole thing seemed to him, he couldn’t imagine how it must seem to her. He laid his head next to hers, “It’s not a dream, Becca. I’m right here.”
“Dez?” She asked brokenly.
He felt one corner of his mouth quirk up at the nickname he hadn’t heard in six years, “Yeah, Becks. It’s Dez.” She smiled, and reached up, pulling the towel off her eyes. She squinted in the light from the curtained window, but threw her arms around Derek, sobbing. “I’m so sorry I didn’t look for you.” He whispered into her ear after her sobs had subsided.
“You couldn’t have known I was alive.” She said kindly, curling up against his chest so she could feel his heart beating. “You and Laura weren’t home when the fire...”
“I should have been.” He said hollowly. “It was Laura’s play. I wasn’t supposed to go. We were all going to go to the next one.”
“Dezzy, you couldn’t have done anything. None of us could have. We were just kids.” Rebecca had always taken after their mother, both in the color of her eyes, and in her overwhelming kindness.
Derek held her close, “I could have. If I’d been home. I don’t even know what really happened.”
Rebecca took a deep breath, “You two hadn’t been gone long, an hour or so. Momma had finally gotten Dad not to be so mad at you, and we’d eaten dinner. Maggie and I were playing out in the tree house when they came.” She swallowed, trying not to start crying again, “That girl that used to come over to see you...Kate?” Derek nodded, “She knew that Maggie and I liked to play in the tree house, so she had the men pull us down. They dragged us inside.” A shiver ran down her spine.
“Becca, you don’t have to tell me all of this now, it can wait.” Derek urged, not wanting her to stress herself out too much.
“No.” She said firmly, “I need to say all of this now. You need to know.”
“You don’t sound like a ten year old. Did they put you in school or something?” Derek blurted out.
Rebecca laughed softly, “Not school. There was one Alpha, she joined the pack about two years ago. They called her Glory. She took pity on me, told the others that just because I wasn’t an Alpha didn’t mean they could pick on me all the time, that I should be taken care of. Glory treated me like I was her little sister, even said I reminded her of her real little sister. I don’t know how I reminded her of her sister, Glory was black. She had been a school teacher before she was bitten, high school English, so she put me in clean clothes, brushed my hair, and started teaching me everything she knew.” She smiled fondly, “That was the best year and a half of my life post fire.”
“What happened to her? You certainly don’t look your best right now.” Derek growled.
“They killed her.” Rebecca said plainly, “She tried to set me free, and they killed her. I think that was like two months ago, I’m not sure. They’ve kept me in dark rooms since then, so it’s hard to tell when a day ends. I know I’ve been chained up for at least one full moon, but there hasn’t been a second one.” She pushed away from him slightly, to look up at him, despite the pain it caused her eyes, “You’re getting me off topic, Derek Hale. That’s not nice.”
He didn’t have the humility to look guilty, “Sorry, Becca.”
She sniffed slightly, “No, you’re not.” She sighed, “After they dragged us inside, they started setting the house on fire. They had all the adults and McKenna incapacitated with wolfsbane, but they left us kids loose. They didn’t think we were a threat, but they wanted to kill us anyway. Daddy and Momma told Maggie and I to run. So we did. They shot Maggie with an arrow, but she screamed at me to keep running. I was so afraid, Derek, so I did. I left her, I left everyone. The Alpha pack found me wandering a few nights later.”
Derek hated how guilty she sounded, “Becca, you couldn’t have fought them off. Like you told me. We were all just kids.”
Rebecca’s blue eyes searched his earnestly, “You’re not mad? You don’t hate me?”
He huffed, “Is that why you wanted to tell me this now? Did you think I wouldn’t be happy to see you alive?” Her eyes told him everything he needed to know, “Oh, Becca, I’m very happy that you’re alive. I’m not alone any more. I mean Peter is still kicking around, but he’s more an inevitable thorn in my side.”
“Uncle Peter?” Rebecca echoed, “What about Laura? Where is she?”
“She’s dead. Killed about a year ago.” He couldn’t tell her that the uncle she had idolized had killed their older sister.
“Wow.” She said breathlessly, “It’s just you, me, and Uncle Peter? That’s all that’s left of the Hale Pack?”
He gave her another half smile, “Not necessarily. I’ve started my own pack.”
Her eyebrows jerked together, “You? What about Uncle Peter? Shouldn’t he be Alpha?”
“He is...was, I am. Shit, I’m not really sure. It’s a long story.” He could see the distrust in her eyes, “I may have killed him.”
She hit him on the arm, “Derek! We’re Hale’s! We aren’t supposed to kill each other!”
“Sorry, Becca.” He said, wincing at the fact that her hit actually hurt, “He’s come back to life!” She huffed, but settled back against him. “Do you want to meet my pack?”
She tilted her head, “I think I’ve already seen two of them. A boy and girl? They escaped a few hours before you found me. That’s why no one was there watching me.” Derek was torn between staying with his sister, and rescuing his two wayward pack members. Rebecca seemed to sense his indecision, “Go, Derek. They should be alright still.”
Derek shook his head, “Against an Alpha pack? It’s been a day since I found you. I don’t see how they could still be alright.”
She shrugged, “Do you and Uncle Peter really get along right now? The Alphas don’t. They fight a lot. Trust me, they usually liked to take their frustration out on me. There are some that think they should stop adding to the pack. They spend most of their time fighting about what to do. It took them like an hour and a half just to decide to follow your two betas.”
Derek sighed, “I guess as a good Alpha, I need to. They were trying to leave me though.”
Rebecca laughed, “Well, Derek, you haven’t always been the most friendly guy. And I don’t think that has changed in the slightest.”
Derek bared his fangs teasingly, “Not nice, Becca. I’d forgotten you were always the frank one.”
“At least I’m not the surly one.” She popped back, looking at herself in the mirror across the room, “I am, however the one that looks like crap.” She lifted up a chunk of her hair that ended just above her hip. Fiddling with one of the knots, she sighed, “Will you cut it for me? I’m not going to bother trying to brush all of this mess, and I don’t want to meet anyone looking like this. Glory had to cut almost all of it off, but this time shouldn’t be too bad, most of the knots are at the ends.”
“You want me to cut your hair.” Derek said, stunned, but she nodded, “With what?”
She looked at him like he was an idiot. “Your claws, Derek. They’re more equipped to cut hair than kitchen scissors.”
“Are you sure?” Rebecca and Maggie had always wanted to grow their hair out. He couldn’t imagine her wanting to cut it.
“Do it, Derek!” Rebecca said shrilly.
Stunned by her tiny outburst Derek nodded, “Alright, Becca. Just hold still.” He gathered her hair in one hand and moved his fist down to just below her shoulders, and used one of his claws to sever her long hair in one movement. He dropped the knotted mass into the corner trash can, “There.”
She turned back to face him, beaming, “Thank you, Derek.” Rebecca ran her fingers through her hair a few times before she held a hand out to him, “Let’s go meet your pack before you run off to help the others.”
“How are you so calm right now?” He asked, ignoring her hand.
“I’m not sure, but it’s probably the Rohypnol.” She said as blithely as if she was talking about the weather.
“The what?” Derek stammered, bracing his clawed hand against the bedroom door.
Rebecca hung her head, “The Alphas always drugged me if they left me alone. That’s part of why you and your mate confused me so much at first. I thought you were them.”
“Stiles is not my mate.” Derek snapped.
Rebecca held up her hands, a smirk on her face, “Sorry, Dez. My mistake, it’s just your scent changed a bit when we were in your car. I was clear headed enough to smell that right. Being around your mate usually does that. I remember that much from Momma’s talks.”
“Not a word, Rebecca.” He ordered, and she nodded, gesturing to the door.
He opened it, and Melissa was on the other side, staring skeptically at them both, “She shouldn’t be up.”
Rebecca gave her the winning smile she had inherited from their mother, “The drugs that were messing with my head have worn off mostly.” She looked down at the bandages on her arms and legs, “Thank you for taking care of these for me. Hopefully, I’ll be good as new in a few days.” She sniffed the air. “Do I smell blueberry pancakes?”
Melissa decided it was best for her sanity to just go with it. Besides, she really needed to talk to the girl. There were things about her that she hadn’t felt comfortable telling Derek. “Yeah, there’s bacon and eggs too.”
Rebecca let her nose lead her to the kitchen, limping slightly, and gave a shy wave to the two boys. “Hi!”
Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “Scott, Stiles, this is my youngest sister, Rebecca.”
Scott waved awkwardly before continuing to stuff his face, but Stiles just stared. Rebecca surged forward, folding her arms around Stiles, “I’m so sorry I snapped at you. I wasn’t all there.”
Stiles locked eyes panickedly with Derek who shrugged and grabbed a pancake. Stiles patted her shoulder gently, “Uh...I forgive you?”
Rebecca let him go, beaming, “I’m so glad! I was afraid we were going to have issues. Besides, we’re family now.”
“Rebecca.” Derek hiss warningly.
She looked over at him with a pout, “Dezzy, I just meant that he’s pack.”
Milk spewed out of Scott’s nose, “Dezzy?” Melissa slapped him on the back of the head.
Stiles on the other hand was staring at Rebecca like she’d told him Christmas was coming early, “I’m pack?”
She nodded, “Yeah, these knuckle heads probably haven’t noticed since they’re with you all the time, but you smell like them. In a purely werewolf scent on human aspect of course.”
Stiles smiled stupidly at her and then Derek, “I like her!” His smile fell, “Wait, won’t the Alphas come after her?”
Rebecca shook her head, looking at her bare feet on the smooth white tile, “They won’t bother. I was just a convenient chew toy that didn’t die as easy as their human ones. I’ve been with them for so long that most of them don’t even remember I’m a Hale.” Her mouth twitched into a grimace, “I forget too sometimes.”
Only the front door slamming shut signaled that Derek had left. Stiles looked down the hall, and back to her, “Was he always so angry?”
Rebecca shrugged, picking up a pancake straight from the serving plate before glancing bashfully at Ms. McCall and grabbing a plate to put the pancake on. “Sorry.”
Melissa smiled kindly, “It’s alright, Rebecca.” She didn’t think the bone thin girl had eaten a meal like this in a very long time.
Rebecca ducked her head and sat down next to Scott, “Derek’s always been intense. He was the only boy so our dad put a lot of pressure on him. Our dad acted like Derek and Laura should have been more than everyone else in the pack, but we were all just kids.” She looked down the hallway Stiles was still staring down, “Derek doesn’t know what he’s doing. Laura was being taught to be Alpha. She was oldest. He was just supposed to be her head beta.”
“What about you?” Scott asked between bites.
“McKenna, Maggie and I were just ‘Daddy’s little girls’. He was a hardass with Derek and Laura, but total mush with the three of us. I think it’s a sign that Derek and Laura were the only ones that didn’t get killed or kidnapped. Our father made them strong, but he forgot about the rest of us.” Rebecca tried not to let her mind fall back into the dark place of guilt she had lived the last six years in. Because even on her best day, she still felt guilty for being alive.
Derek had come back in, and was standing next to the wall, staring at his youngest sister. Stiles walked up to him, “Are you going to just let her go all mopey and shit?”
Derek looked into the human’s deep brown eyes, “I can’t help her, Stiles. I feel those same things everyday.” He loathed Stiles’ eyes. They made him feel to much that he tried not to feel, and with Rebecca added into the mix, things inside him would just get stirred up that much more.
“I’m sorry.” Stiles said, taking a half step forward, his eye still locked on Derek’s.
Derek could only stand being so close to him for so long, and stepped away, “I called Isaac. He’s coming here so we can go find Erica and Boyd.”
“Allison is on her way over too.” Scott added mildly.
“I thought you two broke up.” Derek snapped.
Scott made a face at him, “We did, but we’re still friends.”
“Pussy.” Derek groused, earning a glare from Scott’s mother.
“Who are all these people?” Rebecca asked curiously.
Stiles slid onto the chair next to her, causing Derek to growl softly, “Well, let me give you the short version. Allison is Scott’s one true love, and ex-girlfriend. She also happens to be an Argent.” Rebecca’s eyes widened, and Stiles laughed, “I know, right, makes no sense! Isaac is the only nice baby wolf, but don’t ask about his daddy issues. Boyd is intimidating, and Erica is just a bitch.”
Rebecca laughed, “Most female werewolves are! You all are lucky, I’ve had the bitch bitten and beaten out of me.”
Derek glared at her, “Becca, you have to stop talking like that. Nothing about what happened to you is a good thing.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve learned to not take good things for granted.” She shot a pointed look from him to Stiles. “Right now, my whole body aches, and all I really want to do is go to sleep. But I don’t want to miss a second with you and your pack.” She stood, “In fact, I want to help you find them.”
Rebecca started unraveling one of the bandages on her wrist, and Melissa rushed forward, “Sweetie, you really should leave those on so...” The skin that had nearly been rubbed to the bone by the cuffs around Rebecca’s wrists had healed, only a slight discoloration hinting at the messy wound that had previously been there. “Well I still need to talk to you in private.” Melissa urged.
“Those weren’t Alpha wounds.” Rebecca murmured, and bent over to pull the bandages off her ankles, her hand flitting up to her stomach for an instant, “I’m sorry, Ms. McCall, but I’ve got to go.”
And that was the view that greeted Isaac when he walked through the door. Rebecca’s butt in the air facing him. His eyes widened, “Uh...”
Rebecca twisted to the side to look at him, “Oh, hi!” She straightened, and sprang towards him, giving him a tight hug. “You must be Isaac.” She jerked back, looking up into his blue eyes in shock, “Oh... You smell really good.”
Isaac kept his hands on her hips, and they just stared at each other. He couldn’t believe that one look at her in that old lady nightgown, and he was instantly hard. “You do too.” He said, his arms unconsciously tightening around her waist.
“Thank you.” She replied, a blush staining her pale features, “I’m Rebecca.”
“Isaac.” He said.
Rebecca drew her eyes away from him to look at her brother, “Where did you find him?” Derek wrinkled his nose and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from Isaac. “Hey!” Rebecca shrieked.
“Come on, Becca. That’s just too weird for me to deal with today. I just got you back, and last I remember you as was a ten year old.” He heaved a big sigh, “I really can’t handle anymore today.”
The dazed look faded from Rebecca’s eyes, “Okay, I understand. Let’s go find your little wolves, and we can catch up some more.” She grabbed one of both Isaac and Derek’s hands, dragging them out the door.
Stiles sidled up to Scott, whispering, “Any idea what just happened there?”
Scott shook his head slowly, “Not a clue.”
Rebecca and Isaac laughed like children as they walked hand in hand through the forest, but Stiles had taken notice that the farther they walked, the more on edge Rebecca seemed to be. “Are you okay?” Stiles found himself asking.
Rebecca turned to look at him, but her smile faltered as she spoke, “Of course I’m alright. I’ve got my brother back.” She looked up at Derek, “You could join them, you know. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about them coming after me. You could protect me, and Scott could take the pack over.”
Derek glared at her, “Becca, I’m not going to join the Alpha pack. As shitty as it is, I’ve got my own pack. Why would you ever want to go back to them anyway? They tortured you!”
She ducked her head submissively at his raised voice. “They weren’t all bad.” He continued to glare at her, and she shrugged, “I’m sorry. You’re right.”
Scott looked ahead, trying not to dwell on her comment about him taking the pack over, “Hey, I think there’s a clearing up ahead.”
As soon as they entered the clearing, Derek knew something was terribly wrong. Rebecca looked near tears, and guilt was rolling off her in waves. “Becca, what’s wrong?”
She backed away from him, tears welling up in her eyes, “I’m so sorry, Derek. I had to.”
Instinctively, he stepped back from her, “Rebecca, what are you talking about?”
The tears bubbled over, “I had to bring you here. If I didn’t they said they’d...”
“Mommy!” The cry rang through the trees and Rebecca gasped, her face pale in horror.
“What’s going on, Rebecca?” Derek hissed.
“Zoe!” Rebecca yelled, running to the far side of the clearing. A small child in a bright red coat seemed to fly out of the trees, colliding with Rebecca. Derek watched his sister sink to her knees, sobbing over the child, “I’m so sorry.” She kept repeating the phrase. From over her shoulder, the sharp blue eyes of the child locked with Derek’s.
Suddenly, Rebecca jerked the child off the ground and looked at Derek. “Run, Derek, while there’s still time, run. I’m so sorry, just run! Forgive me.” Her voice was soft, but he heard it.
A female voice sent a chill down both Rebecca and Derek’s spines, “Oh come on, Becca. Do you think we’d let the brat get too far ahead of us?” Rebecca whimpered, clutching the child closer to her chest and putting her body between the new voice and the kid. “Don’t worry, we fed her while you were gone. Not what she’s used to, but she managed.” A tall dark haired woman emerged from the tree cover, several other werewolves flanking her. Wolfed out, they all had red eyes, but the center female was completely in human form.
“McKenna.” Derek chocked out, taking in her sharp features and green eyes.
The woman smiled, “Hello, Derek. Thank you for helping our Rebecca back to us. The brat was getting on our last nerve.”
Scott came up behind Derek, “McKenna, as in your sister?”
Derek nodded, his eyes jerking back from McKenna to Rebecca. “How old are you now, McKenna? Twenty? But you still can’t stand up for yourself. You’ve always had to have someone at your back.”
She snarled, causing Rebecca to cringe away, “Shut your mouth, Derek Hale. We’re here to liberate you of your weak little pack. We are giving you the opportunity to be a part of something great.”
Derek turned his head to the left, whispering softly to the only present human, “Stiles, take Becca and run. Get as far away as you can.” He looked to Rebecca, who nodded slightly, confirming that she was close enough to hear his instruction.
Rebecca shifted the child, whispering something to her before setting her on her feet. With speed that declared the child’s parentage, she ran at Stiles. The human boy caught her with a grunt. “Hello...” Stiles said awkwardly.
The little girl smiled at him, flashing teeth with a distinct fang quality, “Hi, Mommy say to stay wif you.”
Stiles didn’t respond because McKenna lunged at Rebecca, puling her up by her short hair. “You stupid little whore!” Now Derek knew why Rebecca had been so insistent that he cut her hair. They obviously used it to control her. McKenna sunk her fangs deep into Rebecca’s neck, causing her to scream out in pain. There was a snapping noise, and McKenna tossed her away after a few seconds, letting her sister’s lifeless body roll a few feet.
Derek couldn’t move. His brain was trying to understand what was going on, and it just couldn’t. Proving his more than Beta nature, Scott attacked first, shaking Derek out of his stupor, “Stiles, go!”
Stiles ran, stumbling with the child in his arms several times, but never losing his footing. He wouldn’t let Derek down. He could hear the vicious noises as the wolves began to fight, and his mind went to Allison. She could help. She would have to, because if she didn’t, he was pretty sure Scott, Derek, and Isaac wouldn’t stand a chance against the Alpha pack.
Hands shaking, he sat the little werewolf in the passenger seat of his Jeep and started dialing Allison’s number, his fingers shaking. “Allison, I...we...need help.”
The Argent was caught off guard by the tone of Stiles’ voice, “Stiles? What’s up?”
He was suddenly finding it hard to breath, “The Alphas, they set up this trap, and now Derek, Scott, and Isaac are fighting them alone. I think one of them already killed Derek’s sister. Actually, I think she was Derek’s sister too, but I’m not sure. Point is, we need help. At this point, I think it’s either you help us, or we all die.”
Stiles hadn’t been paying enough attention to hear the rustling of Allison getting ready on the other end of the phone. “Where are you?” She asked, motioning to her dad.
“Uh...the forest? I don’t know. I’m parked right at the entrance to the park.” He said, feeling hopeless.
“We’ll be there in five.” Allison enunciated clearly, “My dad says for you to stay away from where they’re fighting until we get there.”
A sharp howl rang through the trees, and Stiles gulped, “Allison, hurry. I’m not sure they have that long.” He let his phone close, and looked at the little girl in his passenger seat, “Uh...Zoe, right?”
She nodded, “That’s what Mommy calls me.”
“And your mommy, her name is Rebecca?” Stiles asked, hoping she wasn’t. Zoe nodded again. “How old are you, Zoe?” He questioned, now dreading any answer.
“Mommy says I’ll be four in three moons.” She said softly, blue eyes on the forest.
If she was nearly four, than Rebecca would have only been thirteen when she was born, and the thought made Stiles’ stomach roll. Rebecca had gone through hell, and it made it worse knowing that her own sister had taken some part in it.
It seemed like less than five minutes later when the black Argent SUV’s showed up. Allison ran up to the Jeep, “Stiles, where are they?”
Not quite trusting the Argent’s with the baby werewolf, he pulled Zoe into the driver’s seat and turned his back to her, “Hop on, Blue Eyes.” Zoe felt like a warm blanket settling against his back, her tiny fingers laced in front of his neck. “This way.” He said, ignoring the stares.
As the hurried through the trees, Allison peered at the little girl, “Uh, Stiles, who does she belong to?”
He laughed deeply, “Long story short, she’s Derek’s niece.”
“I thought all of his family except for Peter were dead?” She said.
Stiles nodded, “So did he.” Zoe’s hands tightened on his throat, “Hey, careful there, Zoe, I need to breath!” He said, hoping she wasn’t about to try to strangle him.
Zoe whimpered, burying her face in his shoulder, “I can’t hear Mommy.”
He wanted to hug her, to tell her that everything would be okay, but when they reached the clearing he knew things were far from okay. “Close your eyes.” He ordered the child.
Isaac was dead. His body off in the distance was too mangled for him to possibly be alive, and his eyes were wide and blank. He was draped over Rebecca’s equally still body like he had been protecting her. A rapid fire of events suddenly made sense to Stiles. The weird interaction between Isaac and Rebecca. They were mates. He’d heard Derek tell Scott a little about mating, and it was the only explanation he could think of as to why Isaac would have let himself be so badly hurt for someone he had just met.
Derek himself was fighting McKenna, but that broke up when the Argent’s flooded in. Derek was injured, and Stiles wanted to run over to him. He didn’t though because the look in Derek’s eyes told him that the werewolf might actually rip his throat out if he got any closer. Scott, looking slightly worse for wear, trotted up to Derek who growled something at him, and Scott made a beeline for Isaac and Rebecca.
Stiles was shaking when Derek limped up to him. “Are you alright?” Stiles nodded, and Derek reached a hand out to touch the top of Zoe’s head that was tucked into Stiles’ shoulder, “Everything will be alright, Zoelyn.” Her head jerked up, and Derek smiled, “That’s your name, isn’t it?” The little girl nodded, “I thought so.” He gently urged her to tuck her face back into Stiles’ shoulder, “That was the name Rebecca and Maggie always gave to their favorite doll.” He explained to Stiles before grabbing his shirt and hobbling over to Scott.
Derek ended up more leaning on Stiles the farther they went, and sunk to his knees when they reached Scott. Stiles’ best friend looked up, “Isaac is alive.” The announcement stunned Stiles, who had been so sure that Isaac was dead.
Derek pulled Rebecca into his lap, brushing her hair out of her face. Up close, her skin was ashen, and after having seen so much death recently, Stiles knew she was dead. Derek closed her eyes with his fingers, bowing his head over her body as if in prayer, “Rest, Becca. It’s all over now.” Stiles heard him whisper.
Zoe struggled in Stiles’ arms, and he was forced to put her down so she wouldn’t start scratching him with the tiny claw forming on her fingers. She ran to Derek, leaning her small body against him and joining him in his mourning. Derek hardly seemed to notice her at first, but when he did, he put an arm around her, touching his cheek to the top of her head.
Scott was probing Isaac’s wounds, and Allison was helping. “Did they get them?” Stiles asked, his voice unusually hoarse.
Allison nodded, “I think so. That dark haired one, that was Derek’s sister?”
“Yes.” Stiles answered, looking over at the Alpha. “She was his sister too.” He said, gesturing to the dead girl. “Did they catch McKenna?”
“I’m not sure. I can go check.” Allison offered.
Derek stood, picking Zoe up, not seeming to struggle under her weight with his injury. “I’ll look. If she’s not dead yet, I’m going to be the one to do it. She’s the reason Becca is dead.”
A few Argents came out from the trees, dropping a very haggard looking Erica and a pissed Boyd in front of Derek, “We figured these belonged to you.”
Derek glared at his wayward Betas, “I’ll deal with you two later.” They looked appropriately frightened. He sat Zoe down in front of Erica, “Watch her.” He looked at Stiles, who’s heart skipped a beat at the expression, “Watch them both.” Derek hobbled away, not waiting for Stiles to respond.
Isaac regained consciousness a half hour later, as female screams echoed through the forest. He blinked wildly until his eyes found Becca’s still body. He whines pathetically, and Allison pulls him into a hug, “I’m sorry Isaac.” She’s crying with him, and Stiles can imagine why. Guilt. Stiles gets it because he is feeling the same way. They got lucky, he and Allison. The people they love are still alive, and Isaac lost Becca before he ever got to know her.
Zoe seemed to recognize what the teenagers are just coming to grips with, and she crawls into Isaac’s lap. He’s a stranger, but she allows him to wrap his arms around her as he sobs into her dark brown hair. “Why does it hurt so much?” Isaac moaned. He can’t comprehend his own feelings. He’s still crying when Derek comes back, bloody, but relatively uninjured.
“Becca was your mate.” Derek says softly, an acidic look on his face, even though his words were gentle, “I’m not sure that pain ever goes away.”
“It doesn’t.” Peter had apparently decided to join them. “Just saw McKenna, and I’m so glad to know you don’t just reserve parricide for me.” The older Hale’s eyes fell on Rebecca’s body, “Is that?”
Derek nodded. “Becca.”
Peter hissed, kneeling next to her, “Who did this?”
“McKenna.” Derek answered, “That’s why I killed her.”
Peter touched some of Rebecca’s hair before standing. “I didn’t know they got out.”
“I don’t think anyone did.” Derek admitted.
Peter felt a tug on the hem of his coat, “Are you Peter?”
Peter bent down to Zoe’s level, “Yes, I am. And who are you, little girl? Did you get lost in the woods?” Stiles couldn’t help but imagine Peter as the Big Bad Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood.
Disregarding his sense of self preservation, Stiles rushed forward, and scooped Zoe up, glaring at Peter, “This is Zoe, Rebecca’s daughter.”
Peter seemed to realize as they all had that Zoe was much too old for Rebecca to have been a willing participant in her conception, but he shook off the angry face and smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, Zoe. I’m your Uncle Peter.”
Derek moved to Stiles’ side, his hand lingering on the back of the human’s neck before putting his hand on Zoe’s head, “No, you’re not her uncle. I am. She’s part of my pack.”
“Pack?” Allison exclaimed. “She’s just a kid.”
Derek arched an eyebrow at her, “You didn’t think we were all bitten, did you? Zoe comes by her talent the same way Peter and I did, by birth.”
“Oh, I guess I’d never really thought about that.” Allison said, giving a wary look to Scott.
Stiles leaned closer to Derek, “I think you just opened a huge can of worms. Way to go, sour-wolf.”
“I am not a sour-wolf. Besides, it’s the truth.” Derek replied, staring at Stiles. “She likes you.”
Stiles looked at the little girl in his arms. She had fallen asleep. “Wha?”
Peter snorted, “Well, Stiles, looks like you’ve got a kid now. If she’s that comfortable with you, she’s not going to want to be too far away from you until she gets older.”
“So I’m like her...foster dad?” Stiles said, unconsciously tugging her red coat closer around her shoulders.
“Exactly. Good thing Derek here is so taken with you. You’re going to need his help. It’s one thing to bite someone to make them a werewolf. It’s a complete different animal to raise one. I always thought my brother was stupid having so many. Derek was especially a deal of trouble.” Peter looked too damn happy.
It pissed Derek off. “Go away, Peter. You’re not part of this pack.”
Peter shrugged, walking into the forest, “I’ll go make my own.”
“Why do I have the feeling there was a ‘And then I’ll be back’ added onto the back of that?” Stiles asked, finally realizing that he was pressed up against Derek.
Derek growled, “It does.”
They all trudge to the Hale house, Isaac carrying Rebecca’s body. He’d refused to be parted from her, and Stiles couldn’t help but empathize with the guy. When they got inside, Stiles sat against the wall, settling Zoe into his lap, her head still against his chest. Isaac did the same with Rebecca, laying her body out on the only sofa and holding one of her hands against his cheek.
There was a sort of grinding noise and instant before Rebecca jerked in Isaac’s arms. Derek was on his feet in an instant. “Becca?”
Isaac was looking into her face when her eyes opened. “What happened?” She said, rubbing her throat.
Derek shook his head, whispering under his breath, “I should have known. No wolfsbane or amputation.” He looked at his baby sister, “McKenna snapped your neck.”
“The bitch.” Rebecca growled, looking up at Isaac, who was just staring at her. “Hey.”
The strange new couple went to the dining room to talk and Derek settled next to Stiles, “She’s still asleep?”
Stiles looked at the little girl in his arms, “Yeah.” He tilted his head to the side. “Rebecca didn’t even ask about her.”
Derek sighed, “To be honest, she probably won’t. In most packs like the one we were raised in, all the pups are raised by a single mother figure. Our mother just happened to be that figure. Rebecca’s been keeping Zoe safe, but she senses that Zoe isn’t in danger anymore.”
“So she’s abandoning Zoe.” Stiles said, watching as Rebecca eased to the front door.
Shooting to his feet, her brother slammed the door shut in her face, “Where are you going?” Derek demanded, “You weren’t about to leave your daughter, were you?”
“There’s a pack now. Zoe doesn’t need me.” Rebecca said, looking down.
“Yes, she does, Becca.” Derek insisted.
“No, Derek, she doesn’t. I’ve never been her mother. I was too young, too scared. I’ve spent most of my time since she was born trying to protect her while I was drugged out of my mind. I need to be out on my own right now because I don’t know who I am.” Rebecca reached out to touch him on the arm, “You’ll take care of them, won’t you? Zoe and Isaac?”
“Isaac’s part of the pack. I have to take care of him, and the same goes for Zoe, she’s family.” He said, knowing that Rebecca wasn’t staying.
Rebecca hugged him, “I love you, Dez. I’ll be back, promise.” She hugged Zoe, “Be good, Zoe.”
“Bye, Momma.” Zoe said, waving as her mother walked out the door. Smiling up at Stiles, the little girl held her hands up, “Can we go get ice cream now?”
“Uh...sure.” Stiles answered, hoisting her back onto his hip, “What are we supposed to do with her? You certainly can’t take her back to your place, it’s a mess.”
Derek chuckled, and the look he gave Stiles made him want to retract his question, “I am so glad you asked.”
Rebecca Hale (Alexis Bledel)
McKenna Hale (Katie McGrath)
Zoelyn (Age 4: Ashley Boettcher)-
