A Matter

Of The Hug

Disclaimer: I own nothing but what you see here! Which is a little something for Maliaisbi on Tumblr and is set during season 4 around the time Malia's dealing with the fact she's adopted and had it kept from her. Also, be sure to vote in the new on going poll!

Malia felt so damned conflicted about things and she hated it. As all this time she thought herself a Tate, one who had killed her own mother and sister cause of her own unintended actions. Only to find out she's actually adopted and that her real family was the Hales. Or at least what remained of them anyway. It all made her head spin and her guilt even worse over her adopted mom and sister. The fact Stiles and Scott had kept this from her, and that the others possibly had as well bothered her greatly. As while Peter is a dangerous man who lies about things like his strength, Malia still had a right to know about her connection to him. Hell, he could have started screwing with her head long before now and making what the boys had been trying to do utterly pointless. She wondered if they had even thought about that. A sigh came from her as she absent mindedly bumped into someone and paid little attention to their annoyance at her for it as she realized where she was. Huh… Didn't mean to come to Derek's…

Malia idly wondered if he knew of their connection. But the more she thought about it as she made her way inside, the more she realized that if he had, his interactions with her would probably be a lot different. Especially since he had so few family members left as it is. Once at his door, she knocked on it and a voice that sounded like Braeden's could be heard. Seconds later the door came open revealing Braeden herself with a smile. "Are you still healing?" Asked the Coyote curiously.

As she figured by now, she'd be already outta here. "Nah, I'm actually teaching Derek how to handle guns." Braeden said.

Figuring the girl didn't need to know what else they were up too. "Oh, I… I can come back later."

"Don't have too, Malia." Came Derek's voice as he came up behind Braeden.

Who seemed to lean into him some. The two then moved out of the way for her to come inside while frowning in concern for the girl as both could tell she looked bothered about something. "Something wrong?" Derek asked in concern.

Malia spun around and looked at the two. "If you count learning you're adopted and that Scott and Stiles kept this from you as something wrong, then yeah, sure."

The two adults looked at one another and then back at her. "Why would those two keep something like that from you?" Wondered Braeden curiously.

Knowing Scott like he did, the former Alpha couldn't quite figure out why he would keep something like this from one of his own. Stiles he could understand since the kid could be pretty paranoid and the like at times. But even then, to keep a secret like that from his own girlfriend was a bit surprising none the less. Malia let out a sigh as she clenched her fists. "Because… Apparently Peter Hale is my real father." Informed the girl a bit bitterly.

Two sets of eyes went wide in surprise over that bombshell. For Derek however, he wondered if his hearing was playing tricks on him now considering his loss of powers. "I'm… I'm sorry, but did you say Peter, my psychotic Uncle by the way, is your biological father?" Asked the man incredulously.

"I can kind of see why those two kept this from you as that man's got a few marbles loose. But even then, somethin' like that should have been told to you so you'd be better prepared in case something like that happened." Spoke Braeden and Malia being in full on agreement with over the last part..

Derek said nothing however as he walked up to the girl that until now, he had no idea of the family connection he had with. A connection that made his heart swell as it did him good to know there was another member of the family out in the world. Even if her father wasn't the kind of man you could trust fully. Malia looked at him, wondering if he was going to do something considering the kind of connection she had with Peter. To her surprise however, he just wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly to him. Braeden smiled at the sight in front of her, knowing that this made her 'Investment's' soul a little more at ease with things. Malia tentatively hugged him back while trying not to be over come with emotion. Emotion that wasn't entirely her own as she could smell Derek's as it radiated from him. Her cousin pulled away a short time later with his hands on her upper arms and a wide smile on his face. "You might have a questionable background, but I don't care, Malia. Because you're family and that's all that matters to me. And if you want, I can go and kick Scott and Stiles' asses for you for keeping Peter's connection to you a secret from the both of us."

A watery laugh came from the girl as her eyes watered and wrapped her arms around her cousin. Crying against him as Derek held her and Braeden watched on in silent support of a man she was beginning to care about and his new family.

Author's Notes: Maliaisbi, hope this was to your liking!