AN: Next chapter: SarahxCal have another rare moment to themselves (which is pretty fucking special for them), Marion comes into contact with one of the North American dire wolves, Cosima lets Scott join her and Carter in the lab, Delphine meets Caitlin (intimidation ensues), Siobhan 'threatens' Caitlin, they all make their split, and Beth has literally no idea what she's supposed to do with 'Natalie'.

Beth folds her arms defiantly (or in Marion's eyes, petulantly), her head raising as she regards the woman in front of her. She's taken Beth away from her sisters every single day since she's arrived for a solid hour. And every single day, she would remain mostly mute, only saying the same three words at the end of their 'meetings'.

It's been at least a few days, she thinks. She's already lost track of time. It was surprising, the things she was beginning to remember from her childhood. She'd managed to block out most of it after Siobhan took her in. The recovered memories only served to strengthen her resolve, she's going to be the one to get them all out, and she's going to put her plan in to play tonight.

"Are we done?" Beth finally speaks up when she feels her internal clock ticking again, alerting her to the fact that this is usually when Marion resigns herself for the day to leave her be.

They've become more humane in their treatment towards the wolves.

They were allowed out of the room she grew up in for the first seven and a half years of her miserable life (only with an escort, sadly). They're allowed into what looks like a house sans bedrooms, and it's beautiful, but it lacks the familiarity of home. There's a room that's set up like some sort of mock terrarium for them to stretch out and run through with an enormous tree in the center.

She understands the sentiment, but it only serves to fuel Beth's ire. They're not something to be viewed from behind a cage and unless she's willing to take the others outside or set them free, Beth doesn't want to hear anything Marion might have to say.

"Yes," Marion sighs, rising from the seat as if she were some sort of ruler over their domain, "for today."

Good.

She needs to watch her every step again as she returns to the room they're all kept in.

She has to get ten people out of there, this time.

It's not her running away on a whim anymore.

Cosima stretches slightly before taking off her coat, eyes wandering over the multitude of pictures lining one of the walls until she spots one of Siobhan's, "So, every pack has their own sort of… area of specialization."

"Pardon?"

Cosima smiles at her, twisting at the waist to see her, "For example, with my pack, we've always specialized in art and science, Siobhan's focuses on sports and war, Carter's is focused on.. engineering and mathematics, I think? And the packs in Tibet all tend to specialize in history and the arts, as well."

"Your packs have specialized?"

Cosima nods with a small smile, walking up to one of the worn down, old, wooden cubbies in search of an old notebook she read almost religiously as a child at her Grandfather's request, "Yeah... Direwolves haven't exactly stopped adapting and evolving ever since the average Lycan came around."

"What has changed?"

"Smaller feet than the others from making our dens above ground and climbing, sharper eyesight, heightened reflexes... the others still think we shift in time with the moon like they do," Cosima gives up on her search for the notebook (for now) as she walks over to a bookcase, list of recommendations forgotten, "but really that's more of a curse than a blessing."

"How come?" Delphine follows her curiously, sitting down on top of one of the desks as she watches Cosima rifle through the books, pulling a few out... ... Including an old, leather-bound journal with a piece of tape clumsily covering the front, labeled 'Intermediate Lycan Sciences'

... seriously?

Cosima shrugs casually, pulling out an old history notebook of Tony's, "We can't survive unless we're given a significant amount of time outside. Sure, we'd be able to live, but we wouldn't... flourish. I mean, hell, just look at how Helena ended up...—Hey, how much do you know about Marine Biology?"

"I've spent one or two years studying it in the early twentieth century.. why?"

Cosima grabs a book, tossing it on top of the others, "My pack is pretty big on water." Cosima looks up at her and smiles, "Caitlin's a marine biologist, even. It's how she met my mom."

Delphine smiles down at her before sitting next to her, looking over the books curiously, "Are you making a reading list?"

"Only light reading." Cosima smiles and kisses her cheek, "Easy stuff, for now... I have heavier reading waiting in Canada for you." Cosima laughs almost bashfully, a faint blush coloring her cheek as one hand reaches up to gently scratch at her scalp out of habit, "I don't think you'd want to sit in with the others, and Carter is a little too much of a genius."

"Mmm.." Delphine hums slightly, tilting her head, "I don't think I'd mind it."

"What, sitting in with the kids while I teach on my days with them?" Cosima fights a small smirk, climbing onto Delphine's lap and forgetting the books that she was supplying her with, "You know, I've always had a long-running habit of being hot-for-teacher... I'll teach you if you teach me more about vampires?"

...

Cosima crawls back onto the bed with one of the books in hand, flipping through several pages until she finds the loose picture she was looking for, "Check this out. Not even Sarah has seen it before."

Delphine sits up, looking over Cosima's shoulder, "Who..." It couldn't be. The coloring of the aged photo lined up, but... "Is that Siobhan?"

"Mhmm." Cosima nods with a small smile, tilting her head slightly when Delphine's chin rests against her shoulder, "The man behind her was John."

"John.. I've heard that name before..."

Cosima smiles and pecks her cheek, content, "John was her mate, a halfbreed, like you."

"Mon dieu.." Delphine murmurs softly, gently taking the photo from Cosima's hands to examine it out of her own curiosity, "She's so beautiful.."

"Yeah." Cosima laughs softly, nodding in agreement, "It was pretty controversial for her to be with him at the time, but they adored each other... It's my favorite picture out of everything we have here. Not even Nana' and Gramps' looked half as happy together."

Delphine nods in agreement, carefully setting the picture back down in the book, "You should give it to her as a Christmas present... But as for happy together, there's one picture I've seen that challenges it."

"Oh?"

"Oui. That picture on the television stand of you and Tony in the sandbox with one of your sisters." Delphine smiles when she hears Cosima snort, hiding her face behind her hand.

"The North American packs and Carlton's met up for a reunion." Cosima smiles slightly, "It was the week Tony and I met Caitlin... 'Course, my grandmother introduced her as mom's 'special friend'."

Delphine rolls her eyes as she kisses Cosima's bare shoulder, "Of course she would have."

"There's one more thing," Cosima flips past a few pages of the book, stopping at the ('contraband') pictures she and Shay snuck of Tibet, "That's where the other half lives."

"Other half?" Delphine tilts her head curiously before looking back at the picture. It almost reminded her of Petra... if Petra were created inside of an enormous cave, in China, and more modernized.. but it was stunning.

It almost looked like something out of one of those corny fantasy movies Scott forced her to sit through over the past decade.

"Mmm." Cosima nods softly, settling into Delphine's side as she relaxes, "The Eastern Wolves, descendants of the people that survived the disbandments of World War II, and some of the Western remnants live there. It's where Carlton usually takes the Lycans he finds."

"How many people live there?"

It's a dangerous question.

They both know it.

"Roughly seven-hundred." It comes out as a whisper as she leans back into Delphine. There are roughly fifty of us not there. Cosima smiles, eyes closing as she remembers the pendant waiting for her in the pocket of her jeans, "I have something for you. It's not really a Yule present, but.."

"You have something for me?"

Cosima nods as she climbs off of the bed, walking over to where she shoved her jeans off to in a pile on the corner. Pulling out a familiar amethyst pendant, she returns to Delphine's side and lets it drop and dangle on the chain she's holding, "This belongs to you."

"You've found it.." Delphine reaches out, hand grazing over the oval stone before looking up at her, "It belongs in your pack."

"You are part of our pack now, remember?"

Delphine's chest swells, smiling as she leans forward and rests her forehead against Cosima's.

Ours.

"There's also something I need to tell you..." Cosima's voice is soft as she settles back into her place, laying down, "You and I are going to be joining the others to get to Toronto, but once the shield is set up, we're leaving."

"We are?" Delphine furrows her brow, putting the necklace on before joining her again, "What shield?"

"It's sort of like a... more advanced security system than the one we had there. Grandpa was working on it before he died, and ever since Carter joined us to help with sifting through the data we've collected, he's also been working on it on his off days... on paper only, of course."

"What will it do?"

Cosima bites down on the inside of her cheek, "It's supposedly going to give us our own ecosystem."

"Your own ecosystem?"

Our.

"Sort of like a 'Next Avengers' type deal."

Delphine watches her, face blank for a moment before she gives up and chuckles, "I have no idea what you're talking about, mon amour."

"Are you afraid of anything?" Cosima's voice is almost so quiet that Delphine doesn't hear it.

It's getting late, the sun is finally beginning to set over the lake, and outside the kids are all outside, having a giant snowball fight with their parents (something Cosima's grandfather would never let them do). Those who aren't with the children are off practicing on the old set-ups, testing their reflexes and response times.

Delphine and Cosima have spent the past hour and a half just talking, moving from topic to topic after having spent most of the day in bed. When they were in Delphine's room it was less restrained, discussing things they should have covered days ago (hard limits, 'deviant' interests, their desires and goals, etc.). When Delphine brought up lovers, Cosima was left cringing internally, admitting to having few girlfriends and a significant amount of casual partners (also the part where she has technically used her status as a Lycan to make a significant income for herself in the past..).

Delphine's only had one lover before her, and three or four partners throughout the years. Cosima wasn't too surprised, despite the fact that Delphine was drop dead gorgeous, she was also (slightly) on the quieter side.

"How do you mean, mon amour?"

Cosima looks up at her, smiling softly. Snuggling on the couch might as well be the closest she'll get to heaven (or similar...), "Y'know, like, thunderstorms, holes, or... sea cucumbers."

Tony's low-key afraid of sea cucumbers.

He has been ever since Caitlin took them to an aquarium one summer. It was bizarre.

Delphine snorts, unable to help herself, "Sea cucumbers?"

Cosima shrugs slightly, tilting her head, "Anything?"

"I, ehmm.." Delphine worries her bottom lip between her teeth, delighting in the pressure of Cosima half-lying against her chest, "I've always had a hard time with sensory deprivation and claustrophobia ever since I turned. While Marion was there to see me through it, she woke up well before me and left the tree."

"And as a human?"

"I don't remember enough of my human life to say for sure. Dying, most likely... you?"

Cosima shrugs slightly, snuggling further into her and humming sweetly, "I'm... a little afraid of spiders and slugs. I've always wanted to like spiders, they're adorable but I just can't handle holding them or having them creep around in the same room."

Hence why she liked OCTA so much.

That thing didn't creep.

Delphine kisses the temple of Cosima's head softly, "That's it?"

Cosima purses her lips to the side, looking up to spot Siobhan quietly making dinner for the kids ahead of time, back turned and paying no attention to their conversation.

She trusts Delphine... at least more than she had trusted most others in the past.

Telling Shay some of her darkest secrets always seemed to come easy for her. She made every moment feel natural and chill, something that Cosima had desperately needed when they met. When she had been around, Cosima didn't feel like she was hiding things or dirty... Telling Delphine some of the same things wasn't half as easy, but it felt just as natural and left her feeling as if weights have been cut away from her chest. Something Shay could never completely do.

Even when Cosima was pissed at her she had managed to make peace settle into her bones (even if just slightly).

She wants to tell Delphine everything... about their history and culture, their biology... anything and everything.

She wants to teach and learn from her all at once (even the silly shit).

She practically wanted to bury her bones in her already.

So why did she find herself hesitating?

"Promise you won't tell anyone?" Cosima lets her voice drop as she looks up at Delphine, "I haven't even told Tony.."

"Oui, of course." Delphine gently bumps her nose against Cosima's, rubbing her back contently.

"When I was a little girl, like... six or sevenish, there was a general store that Gramps' would take us to on the weekends. We'd always play out back while he got bait to fish with and a few other things." Cosima rests her head against Delphine's chest out of habit, listening to the strong and steady heartbeat she finds there and feeling her muscles begin to relax, "That place was our favorite, there was always a tiny television that Lisa's mom would play cartoons on and a huge lot behind it filled with trees and open space to run around in. Anyway, one-day Grandpa took me there without Tony or Jenni and I had been wandering around outside in order to stretch my legs after being sick for, like, a week. I found a birds nest on a young tree and climbed a ladder to look at it. The eggs were so blue..."

Delphine shuts her eyes as she listens, hand moving from Cosima's back up to her hair, running her fingers through her dreadlocks slowly and almost delighting in the mixed emotions taking root in Cosima's body. She felt comforted and (almost) relaxed by Delphine's touch and presence, yet wherever she was going with this story seemed to bring forward a fair amount of distress.

"I didn't know that if a Robins' nest was moved or altered in any way, the birds might no longer recognize it as their own. I just really wanted to hold one, and I tried my best to be careful.."

Delphine's eyes open in recognition, hand stopping it's path down her dreadlocks, "The egg broke."

"There were four of them.." Cosima sniffles, moving her face towards the couch and away from Delphine's line of site, "Four. Four and their parents"

Siobhan stops at the sound. She's been minding her own business up until the moment she hears a tiny sniffle. Looking back at Delphine, she gives her an almost inevitable head tilt. Instinctively protective yet still giving her space.

Delphine waves her hand slightly to tell S not to worry, looking back down at Cosima when she burrows in closer.

It's more visible than before, the blurry lack of distinction between what makes them animals and people.

Part of Delphine wants to study where the line falls; but for now, with her mate curling into her side as tears begin to soak through her shirt... She needs to remind herself where her own distinction lies between science for the sake of DYAD's goals and science for the sake of science.

Delphine peppers the top of Cosima's head with gentle kisses, moving to rub her back when the wolf's stiffened muscles finally relax, "Chh-ch-chut."

It's strange, Cosima's sudden need to sit up and wipe her eyes as if the moment of openness was all she could afford, despite Delphine's arms wanting to keep her in place against her chest.

"So, umm... yeah. Needless to say, Lisa spanked my butt until it was green and she had 'put the fear of God' into me or whatever. Ever since then I've been... terrified of handling or watching anything close to a baby. I mean, I don't think I've ever wanted to give birth, but-"

Delphine nods in understanding, leaning forward and cutting her off with a kiss to her jaw.

It's not Cosima's inherent humanity (if it could be called that), it's... it's so much more than that.

Integrity.

It's her integrity.

She adores all of it, she won't lie. She loves all of her; even the parts of her personality that irritate her to no end on occasion.

But her integrity, and her compassion... she hopes she never witnesses the day when it shatters.

"Je t'aime."

It's a sorry response, but it's the only thing she can think of in that exact moment.

She loves her so much it almost hurts.

Beth swallows, shutting her eyes as she hears the familiar noise of the large lights above them shutting off.

Time to make Siobhan proud after all of that time she spent training her.

Losing isn't going to be an option.

"15 minutes..."

Beth turns around, looking at Natalie in confusion as she keeps her voice below even a whisper, "What's up?"

"I think I'm starting to have contractions." She mouths the words, but the air leaving her lungs makes it so Beth can make out the words easily.

No speaking. Good.

Contractions, though.. that was bad.

During their time climbing the trees in Marion's little zoo, when she told Niki about MK's endless search for her that led to desperation and mourning, Niki informed her on what would happen to any children Natalie delivered.

It made her sick to her stomach.

"We're leaving tonight, then." Beth moves onto her back, face moving to one of the few angles the cameras didn't catch, "Can you make it out?"

"They're ten minutes apart."

Jesus Christ, why didn't she tell anyone? Surely someone must have noticed.

Maybe Beth really is the dipshit. She can almost hear Art's laughter at the idea.

She wants to hear it again.

"The guards are going to switch in five minutes."

'Miri' and 'Tami' were the only two she really worried for. Whenever they were in that stupid, enormous terrarium was the only time she stopped paying attention to routines and layouts. She saved that time to get to know them. Natalie wouldn't be a problem, she had the same 'spark' in her eyes that Beth would see in Sarah and S, and from what she'd heard Natalie had a remarkable tolerance against pain.

Tamiko, however, barely spoke, was meek as hell, and seemed to not view Marion and the others as harshly as they did. And Miriam adjusted too easily to life inside DYAD. She was homeless and while there was almost no privacy, it was cushy in here, undoubtedly. She knew she wouldn't give them up, but Beth also wasn't sure whether the girl would turn back or not at the last moment.

They'd need the manpower... or girlpower, as Krystal would insist she call it.

... She might miss Krystal, too.

Delphine watches as Cosima and Sarah pour over a map, Cosima carefully drawing out the route Sarah will need to take to get to what she called the 'Python'. She didn't have a clue how they were breaking 'Yule rules', but she wouldn't question it, not when Cosima's eyes were almost flooding with determination as she describes the rooms she'd enter in great detail.

Her recall was impressive...

"-There's a series of vents you'll want to take from there."

"-Okay.. not too cramped, I hope."

Delphine smiles softly, stopped by the sound of Siobhan clearing her throat to get her attention and beckon her over. Leaving the comfort of the couch she'd spent the past hour on with her lover and the book she'd been given (despite it being labeled 'intermediate' and taken out of what looked like what the American's referred to as a 'K-12' schoolhouse; it was, at the very least, intriguing).

The floor was cold despite the socks she was wearing, and the air was surprisingly warm against her skin. She didn't know why, but every single thing about their current set-up left her feeling more and more content and secure.

"I have a 'gift' for you." Siobhan speaks up by the time Delphine makes it into the kitchen, "Halfbreeds are known to only be able to turn in times of crisis, and we all thought you might like to join us tonight or at least have it on hand."

"Have what on hand?" Siobhan sets down a pill-bottle in front of her on the kitchen island. Picking it up and examining it curiously, Delphine looks up in confusion, "What's this?"

"One of Dr. Niehaus and Davydov's little cocktails." Siobhan pats her shoulder as she passes her in order to further reassure their unspoken truce, "It'll help you turn."

Dr. Niehaus... What was she like?

"When can I meet her?" Delphine can't help but ask.

Siobhan stops in her tracks, remaining still for a moment as she considers the question before turning back around, "Tomorrow. She's a remarkable healer for a human, but she needs her rest."

Delphine nods in agreement, offering her a small smile, "D'accord."

Beth stands, arm wrapped around Natalie's waist while her identical has her's slung around her shoulder.

They wait in silence until they hear a tiny 'click'.

Surging forward as she's gesturing to the girls behind them, Beth quietly makes her way over to the vents and opens it with the makeshift screwdriver she'd gotten her hands on. One minute has passed since they got out of the room they usually slept in; they have six more. She helps Niki in first before carefully helping Natalie in, who will have to crawl backward in order to safely get out. (She's not going to risk an injury, no matter how strong that girl seems to be.)

"How many passages?" Niki's voice is soft and quiet, Beth responds with a quiet 'twelve' before helping the others inside and putting the vent back in place.

"No matter what you do, keep going straight. If you can't, go left. If there's only a right turn then you guys messed up and need to head back."

Niki nods confidently, "And when we get there?"

"I'll be there by the time you do, don't worry."

...

"Stay here." Beth whispers when she hears someone enter the parking lot. They were close to being out.

Too close.

Leaving the vent, she watches the cameras carefully, stealthily making it over to a grey minivan before feeling him behind her. On instinct, she turns around and has him pinned to the car in seconds, double taking and growling when she realizes her earlier instincts weren't wrong, "Paul, what the fuck are you doing here?"

She can't hide the fact that she's scared shitless, it carries through her voice.

"Your mother has had me looking for you." He doesn't fight against the forearm pressed to his throat, instead, he moves to slip a set of keys into her free hand, "There are bolt cutters for the tracking devices once you get out, fresh clothes, a gun, and a throw-away phone. The car should have enough in it to get you out of the woods."

Why...

"What about you?" She's not too concerned, but the entire thing seemed too easy.

Beth had never been a fan of too easy.

"Don't worry about me, Marion'll save my ass no matter how much she doesn't want to."

"Why?"

"Your mom's a vampire, remember? Do you really think she never turned anyone in order to have someone on the inside?"

She never told him.

Hell, she never told him what she was, either.

"But she-"

"-Ask her yourself once you're out. Now go." He pushes her slightly the second the cameras are away from them. Watching as she tentatively runs back to the vent and unscrews it, he puts his hands in his pockets anxiously as he listens for anyone coming their way.

Nine other girls crawl out of the vent and Beth is stalled by none other than Tamiko.

"I don't want to go back to being an outcast.."

"You won't, come on!" Beth's voice is at a whisper as she attempts to yank her out, "Christ, Tami', there's no time for this shit!"

Paul walks over to them quickly, "Go. I'll bring her back and get her out when the time is right."

...

Delphine watches through golden-hued eyes as a horse comes racing out of the treeline.

The sound of paws padding against the forest floor was almost luring her in closer; but, Delphine had every intention of watching for the time being. When the wolves finally appear, the more submissive members are nearly trampled by the others, crashing over one another like a wave of water hitting rocks on the shoreside. At the forefront are three wolves, one white, the other black, and the last being her copper-backed mate. Helena, Sarah, and Cosima.

Delphine had originally expected Cosima to stay behind with her and leave half-way through like last time, but the Lycan insisted on joining the others this time around.

Cosima and Sarah are almost as fast as Helena; who is quick to lunge onto the horse's rear and bite down on one of the legs. Sarah and Cosima seem to be working in sync, splitting off onto opposite sides and sidling up to the horse at a dangerous and almost reckless angle. Cosima is the first to make the jump, oddly determined to bring it down as she lunges for its throat and bites down, forcing the horse to tumble. Sarah ('the black one') somehow manages to make it out of the way in time before she's on top of it, quick to make the kill.

Siobhan had explained earlier that very few of 'her wolves' had self-control when they shifted. Sarah wasn't one of them, but over the years she's developed a habit of killing the animal off quickly in order to avoid the risk of it getting away.

Delphine glances back towards where Siobhan was, anticipating a proud look in the Irish woman's eyes... only to find her spot abandoned. Furrowing her brows, she turns around and quickly peers through the glass windows of the main house, only to hear a bone-chilling howl come from the trees.

Every wolf that's gathered around the dead horse stops in their place, frozen. The wolf that stalks out is larger than any of the others, brown fur almost as dark as pitch. The first thing she can make out, other than the outline of the eldest dire wolf, is her eyes. She'd wondered how it would be possible for Siobhan (and even Shay) to have blue eyes and still be Lycans. The unnatural, almost glowing blue-green tint is easily able to be seen from her spot meters away.

It leaves Delphine with a shiver running down her spine as the wolves finally move, lowering their heads and making a path for her.

The Matriarch, in all of her glory and prestige, has finally woken from her slumber.

Beth stops the car once they make it near the city, pulling on the clothes she was given and helping everyone take off the 'bracelets' before making her way to an abandoned safe house, shepherding everyone except for Miriam into a Hyundai in order to return home. She gives Miriam the car they'd used, along with one of their throw-away phones. Miriam wants nothing more than to return to the people she'd grown to call family and Beth can't blame her.

Pulling onto the familiar gravel driveway of her childhood safe-haven, she stops the car in front of the intact cabin the second she spots what has happened to the house, "How far apart are the contractions, Nat?"

Natalie is breathing heavily, exhausted but now showing a single inch of any discomfort from her spot on the floor of the back seat, "Two minutes."

"Shit."

Beth's never helped give birth before... That was always Mrs. S, Sarah, and Cosima's job (as Alphas). The best she could do was help her try to get through it.

"Mon dieu," Delphine pulls away from the kiss she'd given Cosima moments prior, chuckling when she pulls away a small piece of stray cartilage from Cosima's skin and is rewarded with a tiny wince and an adorable expression, "You're a mess.."

Cosima laughs as she wraps an arm around the back of Delphine's neck, "Yeah, but I'm your mess."

Tony turns to Jennifer, faking a gag as he finally stands, still covered in blood, fur, and shed skins.

"Yeah," Delphine playfully nips at her jaw, delighting in the bubble of laughter coming from her, "You're mine."

"Oi! The kids are coming out any minute. At least try to keep it PG, yeah?" Sarah shouts from down the road, currently more engrossed in helping her mother up.

"You're a prude!" Cosima hollers in her direction, stumbling slightly.

Delphine chuckles, kissing Cosima's cheek and pulling her in closer. She's still baked from her session with Tony (before they went on their hunt) and Delphine almost wants to take her up on her offer to join them... until she hears the sound of a Pipa and Violin near her tree.

"Oh!" Cosima is nearly hopping in place in her excitement, looking up at Delphine with a growing smile as she leads her over to Shay and Mina's music, "You need to listen to them play, they're... just... awesome. I'm gonna go clean up."