Just a Kid [Derek Hale]

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Okay, you sit," he urged. Plucking Talia from her grip, he placed a hand on her shoulder forcing her down onto the sofa and she frowned looking at him confused. "Two almost adult twins do not need you mothering."

"Please, you still like being mothered now," she scoffed crossing her arms and he rolled his eyes with them this time being amusement.

He took a step forward taking a seat beside her, "I think you need to go to sleep," he mused and she frowned looking over to him slightly annoyed.

"I do not need to sleep. Not until those pair have woken up and are fine," she explained, and he shook his head.

"Sleep, whilst she's settled," he added on gesturing to Talia.

"Something might happen."

"And I'll wake you up," he assured. She sighed a sulk settling on her face as she thought over it. Seeing the internal debate, he urged her to get back up, "go. If you don't you'll only be complaining to me for the next several days," he reminded. "Go take a nap."

"Naps are for little children," she countered.

"And you have a little child which makes a nap reasonable. So go," he ordered and she sighed before pushing herself to her feet.

"Slightest noise from any of the three and you wake me up," she commanded, and he nodded as she sluggishly walked over to the bed her eyes beginning to burn and her mind beginning to shut down at the prospect of sleep.

Upon seeing the kind-sized mess of comfort she threw herself down. Grabbing onto the duvet she wrapped it around her with her head resting on the cold pillows and for the first time in a while, she was completely and utterly comfortable whilst at rest, and the ache slowly began to leave from her eyes.

Looking down at the child who was trying to shove their entire fist into their mouth, Derek smiled slightly out of amusement. "I think mommy's finally going insane," he mused, and the child looked to him but whether they were actually registering his words or not was debatable, "yes she is..." he added on.

Allison died that night. The twins and Hayley slept through the death of someone in the pack. Derek had gone to bed eventually although he would have been awake at the time of the death. He was eating his dinner when she'd been stabbed. No-one knew what to say. None of them knew whether they should say anything until once Stiles was okay. Until the mess was over.

Hearing the sound of the loft door opening, Hayley rolled over in the bed feeling nothing but a cold empty mattress. It had either been a couple of hours or she'd slept late into the morning like she used to do. Pushing herself up, it took her a few seconds for her mind to clear and once it did she immediately heard incoming voices.

"I saw it and thought she should have something..." Aiden's voice sounded. Climbing out of bed, she stumbled to the side before she pushed forward into the main room and her eyes settled on the small stuffed toy that was designed to look like a wolf. It was sat on Talia's high-chair where the said baby was sat and she was playing with it. "We bought it for Talia as a going-away present."

She was silent for a few seconds as she waited for the words to catch up, "you're going away?" She asked before she looked to Derek, "they're going away?" She repeated, and he nodded. "I told you to wake me up," she urged.

"I tried. You didn't budge," he said and she froze before nodding slightly.

"Right... you're going away?"

"Yes."

She didn't know how to feel about it. She didn't expect them to go away but then she should have. She knew it was inevitable that the two twins would leave and go and do something that they needed to do to be happy. Yet, she didn't want them to go. The selfish part of her wanted them to stay and be in her family. The family she'd created for herself.

Finishing up with checking over Ethan's wounds, Derek gave him a gentle nod. "Should be fine in a couple hours-- unless whoever shot you manages to find you again." He assured.

"Lydia's with Scott. We need to go," Aiden said, and Derek and Hayley frowned as they worked out what that meant.

"You're gonna try to convince her to go with you?" Derek asked.

"I'm gonna try and convince her to run and hide, like any sane person would do."

"And Danny?"

"Allison's dead. Stiles is dying. What do you think?"

"Everyone's leaving?" Hayley muttered. Her own eyes were like ghosts that could barely focus.

"I think Danny won't believe you... And Lydia would never run and hide," Derek pointed out, none of them bothered enough to listen to what Hayley had said.

"Because of Stiles?" Aiden asked, tinges of jealousy forming at the thought of it.

"Because of Scott. You've been trying to find a way into his pack. Trying to earn his trust. Trying to fight for him. You've had it wrong this whole time. You don't fight for a leader-- you fight for a leader's cause."

"What cause?"

"Scott's always been about one thing-- saving his friends. He will do anything and everything to save the people he cares about. When there's no chance of winning? He keeps fighting. When all hope is lost? He finds another way. And when he's beaten down, he stands up again. You want to earn a place in his pack? You want redemption? Find another way to stand and fight!"

"Wait no..." Hayley muttered, "why's everyone leaving?" She asked.

The sound of laughter was heard, and Hayley's head flickered over to where Talia was sat in the baby chair. All conversation was forgotten from her mind as she watched it. She immediately reached out grabbing onto Derek's shirt in a way of grabbing onto his attention, "that... that's... oh my god," she muttered, "that's the first time she's laughed," she pointed out a large smile on her face and the twins and Derek all smiled along as they watched as Talia continued to play with the wolf whilst laughing.

It was so beautiful, and right before they left for war.