Having to call Gerard about Kate was the hardest thing Chris has done in a long time. But it needed to be done, and he knew the task fell to him. Allison and Victoria were with him in the living room, silent and holding each other. Allison had watched her aunt die at the hands of a wolf, and even though he'd been through similar things before Chris still had no idea what to say. So he dialed his father's number.
"Hello?" Gerard said on the other end.
"Hi, Dad, it's Chris."
"What's happened?"
"Kate…Dad, Kate's dead." Chris blinked, trying to be strong, trying not to cry in front of his daughter.
"How?" Gerard was cold and unemotional, as usual.
"A wolf. Peter Hale. He's dead now, according to Allison."
"Allison saw it all?"
"Yes. She's…" Chris looked at her. "She's safe."
Gerard sighed, possibly from relief, although Chris wasn't sure. "And Ben?"
Chris closed his eyes; he had momentarily forgotten about Kate's son. "He can come live with us. We have room."
"Okay. You come over to pick him up. We'll be waiting."
"Okay. See you soon." He hung up, turning to his wife and daughter. "I'm going to pick up Ben, don't wait up for me."
"Ben?" Allison said. "Who's Ben?"
"Kate's son," Victoria said. Her expression changed from sadness to anger. "Illegitimate. The father was an asshole who left when she was pregnant."
"You know who the father is?" Chris asked. He'd never known, despite asking Kate dozens of times.
"Yes, and I promised not to tell anyone. I don't break promises, Chris. You should go pick him up."
Chris nodded, grabbing his keys and jumping in his car.
Chris pulled into his father's driveway about an hour later. Gerard was standing on the porch with Ben, a small, dark-haired boy with sharp features. There were a few luggage bags on the porch.
"The car seat is just inside," Gerard said as Chris got out of the car. "We'll wait while you install it and load up the car."
When he was done, he lifted Ben (who was surprisingly heavy) into the seat and buckled him in. Before he could get in the driver's seat, Gerard stopped him.
"He has the hearing," he said simply.
Chris inhaled sharply. He knew what his father meant. Super hearing. Werewolf hearing. "Anything else?"
"If he's hurt, his eyes change."
"Dammit."
"You know what this means, don't you?"
"Yes." He'd been afraid of this. He'd seen Kate with him, and now it was confirmed that this…this person was the father. He couldn't bring himself to think that a werewolf had slept with his sister. He just couldn't do it.
"Take care of him, anyway," Gerard said. "He isn't a danger yet."
Chris nodded, thinking about that 'yet' as he drove back home. He knew Gerard wouldn't be above killing his own grandchild. Ben, who still hadn't said a word, fell asleep on the drive.
After putting Ben to sleep in their guest room, Chris pulled Victoria into the kitchen.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked angrily.
"Tell you what?"
"Who the father was!"
"How have you managed to figure it out?"
"He's showing symptoms."
To any other family, that sentence would make no sense. To the Argents, however, it chilled them to the bone. Even Victoria, who hardly ever showed emotion other than anger, was shocked.
"You know it's hereditary," Chris said. "You know he was the father and you could've warned us about it."
"I made a promise—"
"Fuck promises!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. It wouldn't be a good idea to wake Ben or Allison. "Does…does he know?"
"Of course not. She didn't find out until after the fire. Would you tell him after that?"
"No." Chris paced the kitchen. What the hell were they going to do? They couldn't let a werewolf raise Ben, not with their line of work, and he knew Gerard would hear none of it.
"I'm going to bed, Chris," Victoria said. "You might want to come soon as well."
Allison heard the doorbell ring as she was building Legos with Ben. She got up and went to answer; it was Scott. Even though her parents knew about him, he still preferred to come over when they were out.
"Oh, hi," she said, wondering if she was even allowed to tell him about Ben. Her father had told her to not let Ben out of the house, but did that include not letting people in?
"What's up?" Scott asked.
"Just…come in, I don't want to leave him alone."
Scott frowned but followed her inside anyway. When she got back into the living room, Ben was still playing with the blocks.
"Scott, this is my cousin Ben," Allison said. "Kate's son. Ben, this is my boyfriend, Scott."
"Hi," Ben said, not looking up from his blocks.
"Hi, Ben," Scott said, kneeling next to the small boy. Allison smiled, her heart melting slightly seeing Scott with a child. "What are you building?"
"A castle."
"That's so cool," Scott said, and he genuinely sounded interested. Just when Allison thought he couldn't get any more perfect. "Will there be knights? A princess?"
"No, a dragon."
"I love dragons! I think I've got one at my house, if you wanted it."
"Cool."
Scott smiled, looking back at Allison; she smiled back, feeling her love for Scott growing. But she had to tell him what Ben was. She'd overheard her parents talking last night, and knew that Ben was a werewolf, which meant his father was a wolf too. So she nodded towards the kitchen, where Scott followed her.
"Ben is Kate's son," she said, leaning against the counter so she could still see Ben. "Only my mom knew who the father was. But…he has…he has your hearing, Scott."
Scott's eyes widened. "He's a…he's a wolf?"
"Yeah. Which means his dad was, too. I mean…" She leaned in, even though Ben would be able to hear anyway. "My dark hair is from my mom's side of the family. So, his father is a werewolf with dark hair who was in Beacon Hills around six years ago." She hadn't heard her parents say his name, but she knew who he was just by the acidic tone in their voice when they mentioned him.
"No," Scott said, shaking his head. "He…he can't be. There's no way."
"That's what I thought, too. But hold on." Allison stepped back, turning towards Ben. "Hey, Ben, what's your middle name?"
"Derek," Ben said.
Scott stumbled back, gripping the counter for support. All color had drained from his face.
"I know," Allison said. "That's how I reacted when I figured it out."
"But Derek, he couldn't have…what the hell is going on?"
She shrugged. "But I think we need to pay Derek a visit."
Derek was working out, trying to sweat away all the pain and loss he felt. Yes, Peter was crazy, and yes, Peter was going to destroy him, but he was still his uncle and the last family he had. And now he was gone. At least he had taken Kate with him. Derek was glad to be rid of Kate for good.
He heard Allison's car pull up and sighed. She was one of the last people he wanted to talk to right now. But she was with Scott and…someone else. Another wolf. A wolf that smelled like a Hale. He went out onto the porch, pulling on his shirt as he went. Scott was just helping a small child out of the car, a child with dark hair and colorful eyes and sharp features who smelled like a Hale.
"Derek," Allison said, "this is my cousin, Ben."
Cousin. Chris didn't have any other siblings, only Kate. Derek felt his heartbeat quicken.
"He's five," Allison continued, watching Derek's face. "And he's a werewolf."
Derek closed his eyes, tried to ignore the three people before him, tried to forget, but he couldn't forget. He couldn't forget meeting Kate or their first kiss or the first time they'd slept together or the conversation about the pill and oh God that's his son. His knees gave out; he clutched a pillar for support and lowered himself to the ground. It felt like his stomach was just gone, had just fallen through the floor. She said she was on the pill, she had assured him time and time again, she said she didn't need condoms because she was on the pill and yeah the sex was great but he'd never expected to knock her up.
"We know you're the father," Scott said, uncomfortably shifting on his feet. "We figured it out."
"Just shut up, Scott." His voice was small and weak. He just wanted to be left alone, but then Ben let go of Allison's hand and stood in front of Derek. He looked up into the eyes that were so like his own and the face that was so like his own and felt both a pang of nostalgia and a surge of affection.
"Why are you sad?" Ben asked.
"I'm not sad."
"You look sad. You're crying."
Derek blinked, touching his face; tears were falling down his cheeks. The bonds between werewolves were strong, even stronger amongst blood relatives, and Derek supposed meeting his son (God, it was weird to call him that) had triggered some kind of paternal reaction in him.
"Are you my daddy?"
"Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I'm your dad."
"Do you want to see my dragon? Uncle Scott got it for me."
Derek smirked slightly at 'Uncle Scott' but nodded. Ben rushed back to the car and brought out a plastic dragon with moving arms, legs, and wings. He handed it to Derek, who took it and tried to seem impressed; he didn't like dragons, even as a kid.
"Can I play on your porch?" Ben asked, taking the dragon back.
"Yeah, go ahead." Ben jumped on the porch and started running around with the dragon.
"Are you okay?" Scott asked, stepping closer.
"She told me she was on the pill."
"Why were you sleeping with my aunt anyway?" Allison asked, sounding slightly disgusted.
Derek thought back to the first time they'd met, and honestly couldn't remember. He'd been trying to block her memory for six years. "I don't remember. I just know that she used me to get close to my family."
"Oh, my God," Scott said, stepping back in shock. Derek glanced at him; he looked revolted. "Dude…I'm so sorry."
"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault."
"She killed your family!"
"I'm aware of that, Scott. I've been blocking her memory for six years."
"I've never been happy that a person's dead," Scott started, but Allison hit him in the arm.
"She's my aunt!"
"She slept with Derek and killed his family!"
"That doesn't mean she deserves to be dead!"
"Stop!" Derek said, standing from the porch. "What the hell does it matter whether she deserved it? She's dead. And if you've forgotten, she was Ben's mother. Has anyone bothered to ask him how he's dealing with it?"
They all turned to look at the child, who was now kneeling on the porch, using a chair as a castle to hide the dragon. He looked up, not a trace of sadness in his eyes. His eyes lingered on Derek the longest, and Derek felt that odd mixture of nostalgia and affection again. Here was another Hale, another family member. He wasn't alone.
"Daddy," Ben said, walking towards Derek. He stiffened, letting the word wash over him, trying to claim it, but it didn't fit. "Why is your house dirty?"
Derek knelt in front of him. "There was a fire, six years ago."
"Was it a dragon?"
He couldn't help smiling, even as fresh tears sprung to his eyes. "Kind of."
"Why don't you clean it up?"
"That'll take a long time and a lot of money."
"Oh. You're crying again. Do you want a hug?"
Before he could respond, Ben had thrown his little arms around Derek's neck. He hesitated, then wrapped his arms around the small body, holding him, protecting him. Before he knew it, he was squeezing Ben as tightly as he could without hurting him, stroking his hair and kissing the side of his face. This was his son, his child, something that he created and hadn't messed up yet. Who cares if his mother was Kate? He's got a real chance to make things right.
When he finally pulled back, Ben was smiling. "Hugs make everything better," he said. "Mommy told me that."
Derek felt his face fall. Kate was Mommy, of course she was, and of course Ben loved her. And now his mom was dead. Had Chris explained that? Had anyone?
"Ben, do you know what happened to your mommy?" Derek asked carefully.
"Grandpa says she's dead." Ben's face hadn't changed. He didn't seem sad at all.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm not dead."
"But, aren't you sad?"
Ben shrugged. "I've got you now." He looked at the house. "If this is your house, where am I going to sleep?"
Allison stepped forward, taking Ben's hand. "You're staying with us, since we've got more room."
"But I want to live with Daddy."
Derek shivered at the word again. He stood up and glanced between Allison and Scott. "We should talk to your dad."
Chris heard Allison's car pull up in the driveway, even though she wasn't allowed to leave the house with Ben. He heard another voice, a male voice, and assumed it was Scott, which made her offense doubly illegal.
"Allison," he said when she opened the front door, "where the hell—?" He cut off, gasping. Derek Hale was with her, holding Ben's hand. Anger rose quickly in his gut; he reached for his gun.
"Not in front of Ben, Dad," Allison said.
Chris glanced at the small child, who was staring at the gun with fear in his eyes. He swore quietly and put the gun back.
"Scott, take Ben and go somewhere else for a second. Hale, get out of my house."
"Dad, Derek has the right to—"
"No, Allison, he doesn't!"
"Ben's his son!"
"So? He didn't give a damn about him—"
"I didn't know, Argent," Derek interjected.
"That doesn't matter. You shouldn't have been fucking her—"
"Dad!" Allison nodded towards Ben.
"Scott, will you please take him out of here?"
Scott nodded, taking Ben's hand and leading him to the living room. Derek folded his arms, an odd look on his face. Chris still felt angry but it was starting to fade slightly.
"She found out about a month after the fire," he said. "At the time, she only told my wife who the father was. She managed to keep it secret for six years. But he's been showing symptoms."
"Yeah, that sounds about right. Five's when I started showing."
"I don't care about your…problem, Hale."
"Well, your nephew has my problem."
"Well, my nephew is my problem now. Kate's will left him to us."
Derek's eyes darkened. "No, he's my son!"
"You don't know a damn thing about him," Chris spat, becoming aware of his defensive stance. Why did he feel like Derek was going to attack him? Because Derek was a werewolf, and he'd do whatever it takes to get his way. Why Derek wanted to take care of a five-year-old was a mystery.
"So? I'm sure you don't know everything about Allison."
"Don't you dare bring my parenting into this."
"He's my son, he's my child, how could you possibly think taking him away from me—"
"He isn't yours, Hale! It takes a hell of a lot more than fucking a woman to make someone a dad. You have to be there from day one."
"I didn't have the choice—"
"You shouldn't have slept with her, then."
"I was sixteen!" Derek was shouting and gesturing, moving closer to Chris. It was frightening, but he wasn't shifting. Chris moved closer to his gun anyway.
"I don't care how old you were, you were stupid and irresponsible."
"She told me she was on the pill."
"And you thought that was enough?"
"I was sixteen, Chris!"
Chris frowned. Derek never called him Chris. He looked into the wolf's eyes; Derek was sincere, confused, angry, scared, so many things. Everything he'd felt when Allison was born. If he thought about it, really thought about it, Derek was just a guy who found out he's a father when he least expects it, and that's enough to scare anyone. Maybe he was a werewolf, and maybe Chris had sworn to hunt him, but he wasn't a killer. Allison said he'd killed Peter, his own uncle, when Peter threatened Scott and Allison. Chris thought he'd known his sister, thought he knew her every pet peeve and secret. If he'd been wrong about her, couldn't he be wrong about Derek, too?
"My dad won't let you raise him."
Derek's brow furrowed for a second. "Ben's got more of my genes than Gerard's."
"You know my dad won't accept that as an excuse. He doesn't want a werewolf raising his grandson."
"His grandson is a werewolf. He'll need guidance to control his powers. And you've seen him with me, he started calling me Daddy right away and isn't even sad about Kate because he's got me."
"He's not sad about Kate?"
"No. Or he's a hell of a good liar."
"Dad," Allison said, stepping forward timidly, "he's right. Ben isn't sad at all. I don't know much about werewolf legends or family bonds but—"
"You know nothing of werewolf family bonds," Chris said, ashamed at how angry he was at his own daughter. "You don't know what they'll do for family."
"I don't know, Dad, I saw Derek kill his uncle."
He glared at her, but she didn't shy away. She was sticking up for him. Sticking up for this werewolf who'd slept with Kate and lost his entire family in one night. Sticking up for someone who didn't have anyone else to stick up for him.
"Fucking hell," he said under his breath, turning from them and pacing the kitchen.
"I want to see him, Chris."
"I know."
"I know you're thinking about Gerard, but trust me. I can handle him."
"No, Derek, you can't. Even I can't handle him."
"Let me try."
They locked eyes; Chris couldn't help feeling bad for Derek, for everything he's gone through, especially since his sister had caused some of the troubles. He knew Kate had burned down the Hale house, knew from Allison that Kate had made a final confession before Peter Hale ripped her throat out. If it were up to Chris, Derek could raise Ben. But that wasn't the reality. Gerard and Victoria wouldn't stand for it.
"You say Victoria knew all this time?" Derek said finally.
"Yes, I have." Chris spun around and saw Victoria in the threshold. "I went with her to the doctor's for the pregnancy tests and everything. I was the only one she trusted enough to tell about her little affair with a wolf."
"It was more than a little affair, Victoria, she used me to kill my entire family."
"That's not my problem, nor do I care. Just get out. I'm not above pumping wolfsbane through the air ducts."
"Mom!" Allison said. "Scott and Ben are still here!"
"We kill werewolves, sweetie, we don't discriminate."
"Your own nephew?" Derek said, disgust filling his face and voice.
"For the safety of my family, I'd kill my own child."
Chris instinctively stepped in front of Allison. He didn't expect Derek to step in front of her too.
"I didn't mean I'm going to kill Allison," Victoria said. "Just that I would, if I needed to."
"You and Gerard must get along at parties," Derek chided.
"Don't pretend you don't know where this is going, Chris. You know what Gerard will ask you to do. And you know why he'll ask you to do it."
"I know," Chris said, "but I won't do it. I will not kill Derek's son."
The kitchen was silent. Victoria was glaring at Chris as if he'd just confessed his love for Derek.
"It's a shitty situation, I'll give you that," he said, "but none of this is Derek's fault and we shouldn't punish him or Ben for it. They can't help that they were born werewolves."
"Listen to yourself," Victoria spat, "siding with a wolf. I never thought this was possible for you. To go against everything you've learned."
"I've learned to kill werewolves who kill others. Derek killed the man who killed my sister. That's good enough for me."
There was a sudden yelp and crying from the living room. It took everyone a second to realize it was Ben crying. Derek was the first to run towards the sound of the voice. In the living room, Scott was holding a wolfed-out Ben. Gerard said his eyes changed when he was hurt, but this was way more than eyes. This was hair and ears and claws.
"Ben!" Derek said, grabbing his son and hugging him tightly. "Ben, it's okay, it's okay, Daddy's here."
"Scott, what happened?" Allison said, frozen in place a few feet from the center of action.
"He tripped on a block and hit his head on the couch." Chris had never heard Scott sound so afraid.
"Ben, I need you to calm down, okay?" Derek said, stroking Ben's hair.
"It hurts, Daddy."
"I know it hurts, I know, but we need you to calm down." He knelt on the ground, standing Ben in front of him. "Can you do that for me?"
Ben sniffed and shook his head. "Mommy could make me calm down."
"How did Mommy do it?"
"She said that when I met my daddy, it wouldn't happen anymore. If you're my daddy, why is it still happening?"
Chris glanced at Victoria, but couldn't read her expression. He was shocked Kate would even mention Derek to Ben.
"Ben, buddy, it'll never stop. You'll always be like this when you're hurt or angry. But you need to control it."
"How?"
Derek looked over his shoulder at Chris. "You need to spend time with me. It happens to me too. It has my whole life. And I know how to control it. Okay? Does that sound good?"
"We can't live in your house, it's all burned."
Ben's extra hair was starting to recede. His claws were gone. His eyes were back to their normal mix of colors. Derek had done it. He'd managed to get Ben to control his powers.
"You're all better, see?" Derek said, holding up a tiny hand. "No claws."
"What am I, Daddy?"
"You're a werewolf. You can change, we call it shifting, and get claws and fangs, and it gets worse on the full moon. But you can control it. I learned how to control it a long time ago."
"Why did Mommy say it'd stop?"
Derek sighed; Chris could tell this was difficult for him. "She probably hoped you'd never meet me."
"Why?"
"Because your mom and I didn't get along. It's nothing to do with you, though. It's just us. Just Mommy and Daddy."
"I'm scared, Daddy," Ben said, bottom lip trembling. "What if it happens and you're not here?"
"It's not gonna happen tonight, Ben. I'll be back in the morning when you wake up and I'll help you then."
"But how do you know it won't happen tonight?"
"Because even if it does, Daddy will be around," Chris said, stepping into the room.
"Chris—"
"You saw that, Victoria, don't tell me you want him to shift without Derek."
"Any of us could've done that."
"No, only Derek. You know the family bonds between these types."
"Why don't you like my daddy, Uncle Chris?" Ben said, stepping forward.
"Don't," Derek said quietly, grabbing his son's hand. "Please don't."
Chris knelt in front of Ben. "Because we got in a fight a long time ago. But I want you to be happy so I'm letting you stay with him."
"Chris, you are not," Victoria said, yanking him to his feet. "The will says he lives with us. It's Kate's wish."
"Yeah, and Kate would probably kill him, too."
"Because he's a werewolf!"
"He's five!" Chris was surprised by how angry he was; he hadn't yelled at Victoria like this in years.
"He'll grow up to be a killer, just like his father—"
"Don't say stuff about my daddy!" Ben screamed, eyes changing color.
"Ben, calm down," Derek said, picking him up. "It's okay."
"It's not okay, she's being mean!"
"Yeah, but you need to calm down. Daddy can deal with this."
"How would you deal with it, Hale?" Victoria said. "Kill me?"
"Talk to you. Like reasonable people."
"I should take Ben to bed," Allison said, awkwardly standing by the couch while holding Scott's hand.
"No, I want Daddy to do it."
Derek sighed and put Ben on the ground, kneeling next to him. "You need to go to bed and Daddy needs to talk to Aunt Victoria, okay? Just follow Allison."
"I want you to tuck me in, Daddy." Ben sounded close to tears.
"Ben, please, just let Allison take you."
"I want you to do it!" Ben screamed, stomping his little feet. Chris wanted to laugh; he hadn't seen a temper tantrum in a long time.
"Benjamin," Derek said sternly. "Calm down and go to bed with Allison."
"Daddy—"
"Go to bed with Allison, or I won't stay the night with you."
"That's not fair, Daddy!" Ben was crying now, in a full-on tantrum. "I want you to do it!"
"Benjamin Derek, go to bed right now."
Ben stopped crying. Chris wondered how Derek knew Ben's middle name, but Allison probably told him.
"You're mean!" Ben screamed, running down the hall. Chris heard the guest room door slam shut.
"Well done, Hale," Victoria said.
"Shut up." Derek closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.
"I should go," Scott said, kissing Allison quickly and practically running out the door.
"Allison, go to your room," Chris said. "You're in trouble for sneaking out."
Allison nodded, running up the stairs.
"Hale, get out of my house," Victoria said.
"No. My son's here."
"So? You've got no more claim to him than I do."
"He does, Victoria. It's his son, his child. Let him stay tonight. We can figure this out in the morning."
"No. We are not a boarding house for stray wolves."
"I'm not a stray, I have a home."
"No, I think Kate took care of your house pretty well."
Derek inhaled deeply, obviously trying to calm down. "I need to help him control his powers—"
"He gets out of control and that's his own fault."
"No, it isn't," Chris said. "He's five years old."
"He's a wolf."
"That's not his fault!"
"No, it's Derek's fault—"
"It's Kate's fault, she told me she was on the pill and I was sixteen!"
"Why were you even sleeping with her, anyway?"
"Because I was in love with her!"
The living room fell silent. Chris glanced at Victoria, who looked confused. Hell, he was confused himself. He knew they'd been sleeping together but he thought that was it. He had no idea….And then Kate burns Derek's family alive. Oh, God, no wonder the kid has trust issues. No wonder he's unstable.
"She knew it, too," Derek continued, voice breaking slightly. "She knew, I told her again and again, and she didn't give a fuck. She was just using me. I should've seen it. I should've known. I said 'I love you' every day and she never said it back. She never said anything about us except that I was good in bed. And I was sixteen years old and she was an older woman who was smoking hot and was into me and I couldn't say no, I just couldn't. Puberty's bad enough with regular people, it's worse with wolves, I couldn't stop myself." He was pacing the room, hiding his face, but it was obvious that he was crying. "And the day she did it…the day she killed my family was just a normal day at school and I was joking around with my sister that I was going to ask Kate to marry me and then the Sheriff pulled me out of class and told me that there'd been a fire—"
"I don't care, Derek," Victoria said. Chris noted the switch from 'Hale' to 'Derek,' although he wasn't sure what to make of it. "That's not what we're talking about."
"Then please, tell me what the fuck we're talking about!"
"We're talking about the fact that you're a werewolf and my family is sworn to hunt your kind."
"Well, Allison's dating Scott and your nephew is a werewolf, so obviously you need to think about that oath a little more."
"Allison will break up with Scott when she starts taking our business a little more seriously, and as for Ben…we'll deal with him when he's older."
"How old?" Derek said angrily. His face was still red from crying. "Exactly how old will my son be when you kill him?"
"Derek was tricked in the worst way possible," Chris said. "And he killed the man who killed my sister. That makes him alright in my books."
"Then you need to check your books. Because we are not letting a monster raise Ben."
"I'm not the monster!" Derek shouted. "Kate was!"
"You're a monster by birth, Hale! As is Ben!"
"Don't you dare call my son a monster! He's five years old, for fuck's sake! What the hell has he done to you?"
"This isn't about me, Hale! This is about my sister-in-law and her wishes! Her will says Ben stays with us, so Ben stays with us. End of story."
"What does the will say about his condition, then?"
Victoria looked away for a second. "I didn't read that far."
"Where is it?"
"Like I'd give it to you, Hale."
"I know where it is," Chris said. "Come with me, Derek."
Derek followed Chris through the house until they reached the garage, which housed more weapons than Derek cared to think about. Chris pulled out a key and unlocked a drawer, then shuffled through some papers before he found what he was looking for: Kate's will.
"I didn't read the whole thing either," Chris said, flipping through it. "But our lawyer did and told us the important parts."
"A lawyer who knows about wolves?"
"Of course, we couldn't have just anyone read it. Ah, here it is. The section about Ben." He read for a moment. "Ben's to live with us. I'm his legal guardian." He read a few more lines. "Hold on. There's a sentence…this can't be right. This can't be Kate's. Our lawyer—"
"Chris, what the hell does it say?"
Chris looked up, confused. "His last name is Hale."
Derek's heart fluttered. Kate had named Ben after him. Middle and last name. Even after all the shit that went down, she still named their son after him.
"The will says, if you show up and the bond is there, you're his guardian."
His stomach dropped. No way. He grabbed the papers and looked it over; Chris was telling the truth. The will read: "When I die, my brother Christopher Gerard Argent will be legal guardian of my son, Benjamin Derek Hale. My son will be raised as a normal child despite his condition, until such time as my brother sees fit to deal with him in the manner of our code. If, however, my son's biological father Derek Anthony Hale is around and a bond is present between Derek and my son, Derek will be legal guardian. If this is the case, Derek can raise our son however he sees fit."
"Holy shit," Derek said quietly when he finished reading. "Holy fucking shit."
"She said 'our son,'" Chris said. He was probably just as shocked as Derek. "And you're his guardian now."
"I see that."
They were silent for a minute, both staring at the will. This wasn't possible. Kate would never…but apparently she had. Derek turned to the back and saw her signature and that of her witnesses. It was a small gesture of charity, a small gesture of compassion. Her small gestures were one of the reasons Derek fell in love with her in the first place.
"This changes everything," Chris said. "Victoria won't allow this."
"It's in the will—"
"I know that, and believe me, if it were up to me, you'd raise him. But you know it's not. You know the women are the leaders in our family."
"Fucking stand up to her, then!"
"I can't, Derek. You know I can't."
Derek took a deep breath and smelled…wolfsbane. He started to get lightheaded and dizzy. He ran back into the house, trying to find Ben's room.
"Where's Ben?" he shouted, coughing, trying not to breath in the poison.
Victoria appeared in the hallway. "His room's blocked by mountain ash. He can't get out."
"You bitch, let me get my son!" Derek was dangerously close to shifting. He didn't want to, he couldn't, because then Victoria would have a reason to attack him. So he thought of anger, his anchor, but it didn't work. His claws were starting to grow.
"I see you fighting the shift, Hale," she said, smirking. "You can't win. And neither can Ben."
Derek's heart filled with that nostalgia/affection feeling, and suddenly he could control the shift. He forced down the claws and fangs, storming towards Ben's door. Sure enough, there was mountain ash blocking his entrance. He looked around for something, anything, to break the line. There was a painting on the wall; he ripped it off and threw it at the mountain ash. The line was broken.
"Ben!" he shouted, bursting through the door. Ben was coughing on the bed, fully shifted. "Ben, come here, Daddy's here." He picked him up and ran through the house. The front door was blocked by mountain ash as well.
"You can't get out, Hale."
"Victoria, open the goddamn door, please." Ben was getting weaker in his arms, coughing less and less, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.
"No. You're wolves. It's my job to kill you."
"He's five years old, please, just let him live." Ben had stopped moving. No, God no, please, not like this, not trapped in a hunter's house, not trapped at all, not again. This was it, Ben was his last family member, don't let his whole family die trapped because of all the ways Derek fucked up, please no.
Chris ran in and kicked the mountain ash, breaking the line. "Go, Derek!"
Derek smiled at him for a moment before running out of the house, getting as far from it as he could before collapsing against a tree with a motionless Ben in his arms.
"Please," he whispered, stroking Ben's hair. "Please don't be dead, please, my son, I love you, please don't be dead."
Chris was running towards them, holding something that looked like an antidote. How he'd gotten it past Victoria was a mystery, but Derek wasn't focused on that. Chris knelt beside them and gave Ben the antidote. Derek refused it.
"Derek, come on, you need to heal."
"I'll heal in time, I just need him to be okay."
They watched Ben tensely as the antidote took hold. He shifted back to human and started moving his arms and legs. Then he opened his eyes.
"Daddy?"
"I'm here, Ben," Derek said, tears coming to his eyes.
"What happened?"
"A mean person tried to hurt you but I saved you. Daddy saved you."
"Was it a dragon?"
Derek choked out a laugh. "Yes, yes, it was."
"The same dragon that burned your house?"
Chris inhaled sharply.
"No, this was that dragon's sister. But we're safe now. The dragon can't touch you anymore."
Ben smiled and nuzzled against Derek. Tears fell down his cheeks quickly, but Derek didn't care. His son was safe. Ben was safe. And Derek was his legal guardian. Things had gone to shit and bounced back in the past few hours.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"Why weren't you there when I was little?"
Derek's face fell. That question. The question he'd been fearing. "Because your mom didn't tell me you were going to be born. She found out after the house fire and I was already in another state."
"Oh." Ben sighed. "I'm tired, Daddy. Can you tuck me in now?"
"You're not sleeping in my house," Chris said. Derek looked up at him. "Not after that. You can stay with your dad."
"Really?" Ben was so happy. He jumped off Derek's lap and hugged Chris around the neck. "Thanks!"
Chris smiled and hugged him back. "You'll have to come back tomorrow but I want you to go straight to Daddy's house now, okay?"
Ben nodded, standing next to Derek, who stood up. "Thank you, Chris," Derek said, holding out his hand.
Chris looked at his outstretched hand for a moment, apparently conflicted, before shaking it. "You're welcome. I'll convince Victoria that we need to follow the law. We'll see how that goes. In the meantime, you better get out of here."
Derek nodded, picking up Ben and running towards his house.
Allison heard what happened with the wolfsbane downstairs, but didn't get up to investigate until she heard her father come back in the house. She stood at the top of the stairs as she listened to her parents argue.
"Chris, why the hell did you save them?"
"Because they're innocent!"
"Like hell they are. They're wolves! Wolves are, by nature, violent! You saw Derek, he was going to attack me!"
"Because you trapped his son in a room and pumped wolfsbane through the house! I'm sick of this, Victoria! I will not let you treat wolves like criminals simply for being wolves!"
Mrs. Argent sighed. "Where's Ben now?"
"Going home with Derek."
"What? No! He's in our custody!"
"No, he isn't. Look at this."
The house was silent. Allison wondered what her mom was seeing.
"What the hell is this?"
"It's Kate's will. You can read it just as well as I can. It says Derek gets custody."
Allison gasped slightly. Their lawyer must have missed that.
"No, I mean, where did you find this? This isn't the will our lawyer looked over."
"It is. I can tell you're lying. I know you told him to lie. I won't stand for it. So, Ben's with Derek."
They were silent again. Allison wanted to sneak closer so she could see what was happening, but didn't want to risk it. She was grounded, after all.
"Chris, he's in our custody—"
"No, he isn't! Do you need me to read this out loud? It says Derek is Ben's guardian. End of story."
"Gerard—"
"Fuck him! If he's got a problem, he should've talked to Kate about it. That's Kate's will. I won't disobey the dying wish of my sister, however messed-up she was." Mr. Argent started walking towards the stairs. Allison squeaked and ran back to her room.
"Daddy?" Ben shouted from the living room an hour after Derek put him to bed. Derek sighed, getting up from the study. These were the only two semi-livable rooms in the house.
"What's up, buddy?" he asked, leaning against the doorjamb.
"I can't sleep. It's too cold. Can I sleep with you?"
"You need to sleep here, Ben. There isn't enough room in my bed." There was barely enough room for Derek on his bed.
"Please, Daddy?" Ben was pouting, the signature Hale pout that always worked. Derek could remember using that on Laura, on his parents, on Peter…it always freaking worked.
"Fine. Come on." Ben smiled, jumping off the couch and following Derek to the small cot in the study. Derek lay on the bed and Ben climbed on top of him, resting his head on Derek's chest. He was asleep in moments. Derek had to bite back tears; he'd never wanted to be a father until he met Ben earlier today. It seemed like he'd known him forever, but it was less than twelve hours.
When he'd been with Kate, Derek had used his age as an excuse for wanting to use protection. He was only sixteen and knocking someone up would ruin his chances at a good life. In reality, it was so much more. He didn't want to pass on the werewolf gene. He hated the thought of changing someone against their will; bringing a child into the world with literally no choice would be hell. Or so he thought. But now that he knew Ben…
Kate hadn't found out she was pregnant until after the fire, according to Chris. Which meant he was already out of Beacon Hills. Derek had left town the day after the fire because it was too painful. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him; she just couldn't.
An idea popped into his head. What if she had told him? What if she'd left a clue here, in the house? Being careful not to wake his son, Derek got up and put Ben on the couch, covering him with a blanket. Where would Kate have hidden something? It was after the fire so she wasn't worried about it burning. He would've seen it, unless…unless it was in his old room. The one room in this burned mansion he hadn't seen since the fire.
He slowly climbed the stairs, trying not to wake Ben. Memories of Kate were flicking through his mind: the first time he'd brought her here; the knowing look he'd gotten from Peter when Derek asked for privacy; how fast his heart was beating; how nervous he was. And now, here he was again, outside his door, a bit of Kate downstairs in the form of their child, Peter dead, heart pounding for different reasons. He took a deep breath and pushed open the singed door. For a second, he thought the room was unchanged, but that was just his imagination. Everything was burned; even his metal desk was destroyed.
In the middle of the room was a box. Written on the lid were two words: "For Derek." He bit his lip and picked it up; it was light. He opened it hesitantly.
Inside was a letter with his name on it and an ultrasound. On the ultrasound were three words: "It's a boy." Although the image didn't look much like a baby, it still filled his heart with warmth. Here was Ben, before he was really Ben. Back when the wounds of the fire were still fresh on Derek's heart. He put the picture back in the box and opened the letter; it was about a page long.
"Dear Derek,
By the time you read this, I'll probably be dead. You'd never come back to this house. There's no way my father or my sister-in-law would let you even know about our son otherwise. I hope you don't mind, but I'm giving him your last name. Seems only right, given the circumstances. I'd say I'm sorry about killing your family, but we both know that's a lie. I'm only sorry I didn't kill all of you. Because I can't imagine the pain you're in right now. And I'm sorry you might never know your son. I told you I was on the pill because I wanted you to knock me up and then confess your condition, so I could have grounds to kill you. I didn't expect you to get so attached. It's funny what becoming a mother will do to someone. I keep thinking about all the times you said you loved me, and all the bullshit excuses I gave you. I almost wish I could tell you that I love you, to make this rom-com moment perfect, but I don't. You were a tool to be used. But you're also the father of my child, my son, and I can't forget that. Which is why, when I die, you will be his guardian. You deserve a family, Derek. Even if it's a child with the woman who killed the rest of it. See you on the other side, darling.
Kate."
Derek clutched the paper in his hands, tears falling down his face. "You deserve a family, Derek." Was it possible to love the person who slaughtered your family? Apparently. He was still so in love with her, and seeing her slanted writing only brought it all back. He loved her, and they'd created a person together. He'd only been half joking with Laura when he said he was going to propose, the day the fire happened. He hadn't even kissed anyone since the fire; he always felt like he was cheating on her if he did.
"Daddy?"
Derek jumped, dropping the box and letter. He'd been so deep in thought, he hadn't heard Ben come up the stairs.
"Daddy, I woke up and you weren't there. It was scary."
"I'm sorry, Ben," Derek said, picking him up and hugging him. "Your mom left something for me and I needed to see it."
"Left what?"
Derek took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Ben; while he did smell so much like a Hale, there was definitely some Kate in him. Undoubtedly.
"Closure."
Ben furrowed his brow. "What's that mean?"
Derek smiled slightly. "It means I'm going to fix up this house. Come on, let's go to bed."