Chapter 2

Isaac jumped into motion running up the stairs at werewolf speed and returning with an old quilt and a thick, soft flannel shirt that must have been Derek's because when he guided her right arm into the shirt before supporting the baby while she slid her left arm in the shirt hung nearly to her knees. It was however, very warm and it smelled like something earthy and comforting. Isaac guided Lydia to the couch, helping her sit down without disturbing the nursing child before wrapping the thick quilt around the baby and Lydia. "Thank you Isaac," she smiled gratefully as she tucked the quilt around the infant's head. Looking up, she noticed that all of boys had followed them further into the room, all still looking completely confused; Scott and Derek were both trying not to openly stare at her while Stiles was staring mouth opening and closing like he wanted to say something but was without words, Peter watched her like she was a science experiment and Jackson just gaped at her with a look of terror on his face.
"This is totally not how I imaged seeing your boobs for the first time" Stiles admitted, "I mean, do they just do that? Like all of them?" Everyone in the room turned to look at him with a look that said 'moron' before turning back to Lydia who muttered "Moron," rolling her eyes but not breaking her stare at the baby.

"Lydia is there something you would like to share with us?" Scott asked gently.

"All of you are openly staring at my rack, so no, I think I have shared enough," Lydia snapped, causing all of them to blush and look anywhere but at her. For a moment the only sound filling the room was the gentle sucking and mewing sounds coming from the baby.

"Okay, so I am just going to say it, Lydia is that your baby?" Jackson blurted, terrified of the answer.

"Yeah Jackson, I was secretly pregnant and hid our son from you and a town full of werewolves so I could what, give birth in a bathroom and leave him in a dumpster or on a porch like some dumbass Lifetime movie of the week." She rolled her eyes, running her finger over the baby's fine dark hair.

"O-K, so you didn't pull a Teen Mom on us, but that still doesn't explain what is going on," Scott states, trying to calm everyone down. Lydia resists the urge to roll her eyes again Scott McCall the pacifist werewolf.

Derek pipes up for the first time, "I came home and found him on the porch, he was just laying there, when I approached him he started screaming, didn't stop until," He gestured dumbly at Lydia, she nodded, "I heard his cry, I was in bed at my house and I heard him cry and I felt," She sighed, not good at sharing, "I felt pain in my belly, like hunger pangs and pressure in my chest. Before I knew it, I was walking through the woods, freezing, but the cold and hunger weren't my own, they were his," She looks down at the baby again, running a finger from his temple to his tiny jaw as he continued to drink, just then the baby opened his eyes and they flashed vibrant blue at her before closing again sated. "Wow," Lydia jumped a little, "Did you see that?" She looked up at the others who all nodded.

"So I guess he is a wolf?" Stiles throws his hands up in the air.

"Yeah," Peter began, "And not just any wolf either, he is a beta companion, probably from the Hale line."

Derek looks at the wall behind them, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"What the hell does that mean?" Stiles asks in a tone that says he is so sick of this mythology bullshit. Peter puffs up a bit, loving this role as story teller and holder of the knowledge, "Hale wolves are descended from a line of companions of Cerridwen, the Celtic goddess of the moon and of fertility, we are marked by our blue eyes. If you have noticed, most of you have gold eyes in beta form, but Derek and Jackson, theirs are blue," he paused for effect. Lydia and Derek rolled their eyes in unison at his dramatics.

Scott piped up, "So what does that mean and how the hell does Lydia play into this?" His frustration was clear.

Isaac piped up, "And Jackson is not a Hale," he pointed out, obviously not wanting Jackson to usurp his new family.

"True, Jackson is not a Hale, but he has been in close proximity to Lydia and it was her who resurrected him as a wolf, so I would wager that his relationship to her determined his role as companion." He looked from Jackson to Lydia to Isaac before moving own with his story, "The druids were a nature based religion, but women were specifically tied to the moon and sea. Only women served the goddess of the moon and fertility Cerridwen. The companions were very special members of Druid society; it was their responsibility to guard the daughters of Cerridwen, the priestesses of the moon and of fertility. We guarded them from attackers, warlords and kings and from other supernatural threats. In return, they provided for us, protected us and our line from hunters and other predators. Lydia, I believe that you are a modern day descendant of the daughters Cerridwen, which is why Lydia's body reacted to the baby, he was starving and freezing to death and she heard his cries, her body led her to him and is providing the sustenance he needs. She is a priestess, a daughter Cerridwen."

"But breastfeeding? Really?" Stiles arched an eyebrow, still incredulous at the insane things that filled his life. Rolling his eyes, Peter reiterated, "Goddess of the Moon and Fertility, he is a starving newborn what did you expect her to feed him with moonbeams?" Scoffing he turned to face the girl in question.
"Well isn't that swell, but it still doesn't explain why the baby is here? Where did he come from?" Jackson asked.

"His mother or whoever left him here must have known that there was an Alpha companion and his priestess here, they knew that he would be safe here."
"Wait, what was that about Alpha companion and his priestess?" Jackson piped up, emphasizing the his aspect of the question. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Did Lydia somehow belong to Derek because Jackson was totally not okay with that!

"Not all Hales are companions, they are special and they are marked from birth with the blue eyes. It is rare that a companion becomes an Alpha, Derek did because there are no other Hale's left in his pack so he is an Alpha companion. He still acts as the priestess's companion but she is also beholden to him; this means that his life is tied to that of the priestess, she is his Alpha female, she provides the balance he needs to the moon urges and she protects his pack, like she is already doing with the baby."

"What the hell does that mean?" Stiles voice breaks a bit as he shouts. "Did you seriously just use the word 'beholden'?"

"For now," Lydia pipes up, shifting the now sleeping baby to her shoulder where he snuggles into her exposed skin as she gently rubs his back. "We need to get him checked out and see if there is any clue to his parentage." Looking to Derek, she adds, "I say we take him to see Deaton, the hospital will ask questions we cannot answer. We also need some baby stuff, so Scott, Stiles, do you think you can handle that? Get diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, baby wash anything else you can think of and we are going to need a car seat. While you are doing that, Isaac and Jackson do a sweep of the woods and see if you can pick up anything from who dropped him off. Derek, Peter, let's go," she stands, pulling the quilt tighter around the infant as everyone stared for a moment, "Let's move boys," she snapped and they all jumped to, moving to complete their tasks. Jackson grumbles, "Since when does she give orders?" But at Lydia's sharp look and Derek's growl, he quickly followed Isaac out of the door and into the woods. Turning, Derek handed a credit card to Stiles before loading Lydia and the baby into his car, Peter climbing into the passenger seat smugly.

As the trio enters Dr. Deaton's office the man meets them with a tired, yet kind smile that fades at the sight of Peter, with a sigh, he opens the swinging gate, allowing them through, "Now Lydia, why don't you explain to me what has happened tonight?"

Sighing, Lydia launches into the story of the evening, her eyes and hands never leaving the baby as she spoke. "Okay, now Lydia do you mind if I take a look at the baby?" Reluctantly, she lays the baby on the metal exam table, still wrapped up in the quilt. Smiling, Dr. Deaton slowly, gently unwraps the child, careful not to wake him. Taking in the tiny child's form, he lifts the baby to weigh him and measure him before performing a quick exam. Looking at them he smiles, "Okay, he is tiny, I would say at least three to four weeks premature and he has some signs of exposure. Any idea how long he was out there in the cold?" He asks, Derek shakes his head, "No, but it was late when I found him and he was cold to the touch."

Nodding, Deaton continued, "He is five pounds and two ounces, 17 inches long. He is overall healthy but I would say that is solely because Lydia got there in time, another hour and he would have gone in shock, you nursing him was the best possible way to warm him up and fight the hypothermia and malnutrition. He is going to need a lot of love and care over the next few weeks because he is not out of the woods yet so to speak," He warned, "Preemies can have trouble maintaining their body temperature, reflux, which can cause them to vomit and become even more malnourished and dehydrated and they can develop respiratory problems. He was left in the woods for hours so the next few weeks are going to be crucial to his development." He pauses, looking to Lydia delicately, "I am not sure how you feel about this, um, development, but it really is best for him if you keep nursing him as long as you can. He is much more likely to reject formula and any weight loss or dehydration would be very harmful too him not to mention the bonding is important to his overall development."

After a moment's consideration, Lydia nodded, "I will see what I can do, right now I am more concerned about where he came from and why someone left him in the middle of nowhere to die." She states, lifting the baby who is now wake, quietly watching her.

"Well they didn't really leave him nowhere, they left him where only a wolf would find him, specifically where Derek would find him, maybe who ever left him, wanted him with you." Deaton suggested.

"Who in the hell would leave a baby with me?" Derek scoffed, he couldn't even take care of the teenage werewolves in his charge, much less and infant.

"Someone who had no choice perhaps," Deaton offered, "The baby was born early and from the state of his umbilical cord, I would say that he was delivered within the last twelve hours and not in a hospital. Now his mother would not have been able to travel without leaving a heavy scent of blood so it is safe to assume that she did not leave him for you, she may not even still be alive, but someone intentionally left him for you to find and the fact that Lydia heard him makes me think that he is a companion."
"Yeah, we've already established that doc, not that I really understand what the hell that means, but I still don't know why I was drawn to him." Lydia asked, pacing with the baby, rubbing his back and legs, still trying to warm him up.

"Well, if he is a companion it is quite clear, Derek was the closest Alpha companion nearby, they are very rare, and the fact that Beacon Hills has its own priestess in Ms. Martin here made it the safest place for the baby to be left if he were in danger."
"Yeah, Peter said that too, that companions are rare, why is that?" Lydia asked, confused.

"Well, the Hales are the oldest line of wolves to swear fealty to the Goddess Cerridwen, there are others but the bond is the strongest with the Hales due to often intermarriage. Derek's grandmother was a priestess, which is way there were several human members of the family," Derek's face registered his shock, "What?"

"Yes, I told you, your mother and I were close and her mother was a priestess, her father was obviously a wolf, but the children born of mixed blood lines are more prone to psychic phenomena, ability with majicks and psychic connections. This is how the baby reached out to Lydia, you said that you physically felt his fear and hunger and coldness, and your body responded to it because he is a companion and it is your duty to protect him. In essence, he called to you and you responded."

Lydia nodded, "So for now, until we find out who he belongs to, it is our job to keep him safe." She surmised, pulling him tighter to her chest.

"Yes, it is your duty by birth to protect a companion, just like it is Derek's duty to protect you and any innocent or underage wolf in his territory, that is why companions who are also Alpha's are rare because in the past the companion's total devotion was to the priestess and the Alpha's total devotion was to protecting his or her pack, this is a rare case when the priestess is pack."
"Why is that rare, wouldn't it just be easier to protect the priestess if she were a wolf?" Lydia asks.

"They can't take the bite, it is prohibited," Deaton answered, Lydia ponders that for a moment before turning to Peter, narrowing her eyes, "So when you bit me, you were trying to do what? Experiment to see what the reaction would be to a priestess wolf? Wondering what type of Frankenstein's monster you could make and wield?" Her voice was bitter.

"Well my dear I had to try didn't I, I mean you would be an absolutely divine Alpha Female," He responded all arrogance.

"She is," Deaton responded, eliciting and unanimous "huh?" from the room.

"When she responded to the baby's call, she responded to the needs of the weakest member of her pack, she adopted him so to speak and in doing so she claimed the open spot for Alpha female, by providing for the needs of all of the pack, she is the leader of the pack."
Derek considered this for a moment and it was true, Lydia was by far the smartest, most useful member of the pack and she had done more for the pack members including Scott, Jackson and the baby with less information and power than anyone else except maybe Stiles, so yeah, he supposed she was the current Alpha female.

As Lydia shifted the baby again, rubbing his skin gently Dr. Deaton reached out and stayed her hand, "Wait, what is that?" He moved closer, inspecting a tiny cut on the baby's mid back.

"Is that a cut? Did he get it from the porch?" She asks, looking at the small wound.

"No, there isn't a splinter or any debris and the wound is clean like it is from a very sharp object. If I had to guess, I would say that it was a wound gained during his birth, which leads me to believe that he was delivered via cesarean not vaginally. He also doesn't have any of the typical markers of the trauma incurred during birth."

"Wait so someone cut him out of his mother but he wasn't born in a hospital? Who the hell would do that?" Lydia asks, pulling the baby closer and trying to repress the sick feeling in her stomach at the thought of some poor woman having her child cut out of her and then having him taken away.

"I am afraid I can't answer that Ms. Martin, but it does make the situation more precarious." Deaton answers with a grim tone.

"Okay, we will deal with that later, is there anything else that we need to know about this kid before we go?" Derek asked curtly as he heard Scott and Stiles pull up outside. He knew that Lydia was getting freaked out and he needed to redirect the conversation for the moment.

"Just keep your eyes open, he is important and he needs you to protect him. I would like to see him in a week to monitor his progress but if there are any problems at all please call me okay?" He said more to Lydia than anyone else. She nodded, tucking the blanket around the baby again, "Wait," Derek stilled her with a hand on her wrist, a spark coiled its way through her at the skin contact and she registered that this was the first time she ever remembers him touching her, when she had resurrected Peter she had touched him but he had been drugged at the time, the blank look on her face must have confused him because he continued to explain, "Scott and Stiles just pulled up, let's get him dressed before we go back outside." She nods as the two boys literally tumble into the room carrying what looks to be an entire baby section.

Lydia finds herself laughing, "Did you leave anything in the store?"
"Uh, not much," Stiles scratched his head, "But at least he won't be naked anymore." She smiles her response as she starts to dig through the bags, first taking the diapers and wipes and then asking, "Stiles can you fish an outfit out of there, preferable something warm and a onesie and some socks?" He looks confused for a moment before diving in and returning just as Lydia is stripping the old diaper off the baby. After cleaning him up a bit, she puts a fresh diaper on him and turns to Stiles who hands her a pile of clothes, rolling her eyes, she finds a light green onesie and puts it on the baby, it is a little big but it is better than nothing. After putting socks on the child, she pulls on a puffy snow suit that is light blue with little teddy bears on it over his clothes. She finished the outfit with little yellow mitts for his hands and a fuzzy yellow hat. Hearing a noise behind her she sees Dr. Deaton, "You are taking all of this remarkable well," He comments.

"Well, this is my life now, one tempest after another; at least this one is my own crazy history pulling me into it. For the last year I haven't known what was going on, not with my closet friends, not with my boyfriend, not even with my own mind, at least with this I can maybe learn a little more about myself and my role in all of this." She smiles sadly, before looking back at the baby, "Plus, this little guy is innocent in all of this and right now I may be the only person who can help him, I owe him that, to at least try."
Deaton nods, thinking that she does make a good Alpha female, as he exits the room, he passes Derek carrying a yellow car seat in the hallway, as the Alpha enters the room, he is nervous. Lydia is a bit of a mystery to him; every time he thinks he has the girl figured out, she does something that sends him reeling. First she is bitch, then she is brilliant, then she is selfish then she saves Jackson with her unselfish love, then she is isolating herself away from the supernatural and then she is breastfeeding a baby werewolf in his living room.

Lurking by the door for a moment, he watches her finish dressing the baby, she looks stoic as she lifts him in her arms, "Um, Lydia," he pauses, not sure what to say.

"Don't you dare apologize to me about this," She cuts him off in a low voice, not turning to face him yet.

"What?" He is a bit baffled as she turns to face him, cradling the tiny baby in her arms.
"You were going to apologize and then add this to the list of reasons that you should have died in the fire with your family and then you were going to brood for all of eternity, am I right?" She fixes him with a stare, "Well stop it. What happened to your family, was not your fault and the sooner that you get over that idea the better it is for your whole pack."
"Lydia you have no idea what you are talking about," He begins, obviously pissed.

"I was in Peter's head, remember? When he attacked me, he created a shared consciousness so yeah, I do know what happened back then and I still know that it is not your fault. You did not start that fire, you were a kid who got seduced by an evil bitch who used you but you are not at fault for her actions and the sooner you realize that and stop trying to pay penitence for something that you didn't do, the sooner you can become the Alpha that you were meant to be. So climb down off the cross Derek, we need the wood," her resolution is shocking to Derek, "And if I am going to be in a pack with you leading it, you better be on you're a game. Now, we need to focus on our little charge since it is going to take both of us to protect him,"
"Wait, Lydia, you," Derek stammered for a moment, "it is not your job to protect him."

"Yeah well unless you suddenly figured out how to grow boobs and feed him, where he goes, I go. And neither of us is going back to that death trap you call a house. I mean I am amazed he didn't get tuberculosis just being in there for an hour." Rolling his eyes, Derek asked, "Fine princess, where do you want him to stay, because as far as I am concerned it is my job to protect him as a member of my pack until we figure this out, so that means where he goes I go." Derek retorted, knowing full well that she was right and that the baby, or anyone else for that matter, had no business living in the burned out Hale house but he was not going to admit that she was right.

"For tonight, my mom is out of town so we can stay at my place and then we can work up a plan for where to go from there." She states tiredly, her yawn reminding Derek that it is the middle of the night and they woke her up at some point. She packs the baby into the car seat and Stiles and Scott loads the baby stuff in the trunk of his Camaro and take Peter back with them. Derek and Lydia drive to her house in silence, both tired and too confused to really focus on the day that they have had.