Chronologically this goes before the other two fics in this series. And while I've done my best in making sure that it can be read first without ruining any of the climaxes of "Chaos Rising" I truly recommend reading those two first.

This story was written in part to provide background information, and in part because at least two readers requested more Peter/Noah and I promised I'd deliver. A lot of what goes on in this fic has been either narrated or at the very least indirectly referenced in the other fics. I'm just going more into depth of things.

Three characters of the TV Show Suits make an appearance in a couple of scenes, while those who've actually watched it I hope will enjoy the references, you don't actually have to, to understand it (I don't think). It's just a minor thing that I found useful. I also reference a character from yet another TV Show: Moonlight. That one you don't need to know a thing about. I was gonna make a character up, but in the end couldn't help myself. Either way, he won't be mentioned again.

Now, here's the first of two parts of this fic. Enjoy!

Origins of Chaos

1990–1994

All stories have a beginning, some can even be considered to have many. For each individual has their own story, with their own start, a story which is part of a bigger whole, and thus there are as many beginnings as people ever known. The endings though… that's another matter entirely.

Claudia Gajos was a honey-eyed, chestnut haired petite young woman, born to a family who believed in the supernatural with a zealousness that surprised her, a practicing Wicca, musician, and aromantic.

Noah Johnson was a blue eyed, brunette, 5 ft. 11 in. man of athletic built; a marine, back on the States after a tour of service in the Middle-East. A practical man who believed in justice and in love, who wanted to do his part to make the world a better, safer place. Who loved without limits or hesitation, or regrets.

Kit Vermeil was a blue eyed, light-brown haired, tall, slim young man, an artist trying to build a new-life for himself after leaving everything he ever knew behind. All he wanted was a chance to be who he wanted to be, rather than who his father wanted him to be.

Peter Hale was a pale-blue eyed, brunette, tall and lightly muscled boy, a runaway teen seeking to escape the family who didn't seem to want him, who never understood him. He acted so cold and cynic yet deep down all he wanted was to find a place to belong, a family to call his own.

They all met in San Francisco in the early 90's…

xXx

Noah returns from his tour of duty in the Middle-East in early 1990, he's technically still under contract, and he's fine with it. Hasn't yet decided whether to sign-up for another tour or do something else. At the suggestion of several of his colleagues he decides to make good use of his time back in the States and begins both working as a police officer in the San Francisco Police Department, as well as taking some classes in the closest community college. It's nothing serious exactly, he's never has much interest in any particular degree. He enlisted straight out of high-school, and while that was partially due to a desire to get out of a house that was no longer a home, and away from the jackass of a man who called himself his father and just used it as an excuse to be violent and call it discipline… Noah likes the service, likes being a Marine, is seriously considering signing up for another tour once his current contract's over. And then he meets Kit Vermeil…

From the moment the two men meet it's… amazing. They have wonderful chemistry together. And despite having just met each other, they understand one another in ways few people ever can. Kit's younger than Noah by a few years, barely a year out of high-school, tall, strong, a runaway artist. As he explains it to Noah, his father's not a good man, and not just because he's violent, but he's also controlling. He was the one who decided Kit wouldn't go to college, he also chose a wife for his son, one Kit has never met before. Kit's rarely attracted to women, hates the idea of being with one just because his father orders it.

Noah's the first person to tell Kit he doesn't have to do or be anything he doesn't want to. The first person who, when looking at his drawings, doesn't see it as a 'frivolous hobby' or a 'loss of time', instead he tells Kit he's amazing, and very talented, and that if being artist is something he really wants, he should pursue it. It's perhaps no surprise that the two young men end up falling for each other. It's almost like it was written in the stars…

Soon they're living together in Noah's tiny studio apartment, Kit doing work as freelance sketch artist for several police-departments in the city, and making drawings on-the-fly for tourists in the weekends. Noah likes being a cop, can see himself doing it for many years to come. He's no longer going through the motions, waiting for the opportunity to re-enlist, to go back to war. He's found structure in his life without the military. And he's found love. He loves Kit. Every Saturday afternoon they'll go to the gun-range together. Not the one cops favor, but another, built more for people who do shooting as a hobby. It's a thing they both have in common: their marksmanship skills, and the fact they enjoy it: shooting a gun, competing to see which of them does better any given time. Then they'll have dinner at their favorite diner, just around the corner from the range.

That's how they meet Claudia. She works as a waitress, usually the afternoon shift, at Noah and Kit's favorite diner, near the shooting range. This is because in the mornings she attends college. She's studying to be an elementary teacher. She's also a musician, though that's more a hobby than her desired profession. She loves playing the guitar.

Claudia likes Noah and Kit. Likes how polite they are, respectful, the fact that they never treat her like some kind of servant, or a piece of meat. She can be a bit clumsy sometimes, but they never insult or demean her for it. They also tip really well (which is good, considering that while she might have a scholarship, that only covers school-related costs, she still has to buy clothes, toiletries, etc.). She likes them (she thinks they're really cute, actually), even if she only sees them in passing once a week, and they talk about nothing other than food, and at times make comments on how good or bad their week has been.

That all changes when one evening some guy tries to mug her; she refuses to give him her purse (she's had some pretty good tips that day! And she needs the money!) and when she tries to use her pepper-spray on him he manages to slap it out of her hand, he slaps her and pulls at her top hard enough that one of the sleeves tears. Right as she's beginning to panic the two men come out of nowhere. Noah pulls her away from the drunken man (she can smell the alcohol in his breath), right at the same time as Kit punches him in the face, hard enough the man goes down like a sack of potatoes, half unconscious from the hit alone.

That's the day they go from acquaintances to friends.

Later on they go from friends to… lovers, or something like that. There's some bar-hopping involved, Claudia being convinced to play guitar during an open-mike night and lots, lots of drinks. It turns out that Claudia can, in fact, drink both men under the table, Noah can hold his liquor pretty well, but Kit is a bit of a light-weight. They end up all going to the men's apartment, because it's closer, and before they fully realize it, they've fallen into bed together.

There are no regrets in the morning after. While Kit usually isn't very interested, sexually, in women, he likes Claudia well enough to find sex with her enjoyable. Noah's very attracted to them both. Claudia's the one who surprises them… again:

"You're… what?" Noah blinks, not quite understanding the word Claudia's using.

"Aro, aromantic." She clarifies. "It means that while I certainly won't be kicking you out of bed. And I'd be very interested in doing what we did last night, again, and a hell of a lot more. I'm not actually interested in a relationship. The dating, hand-holding, cuddling, getting mushy… all that stuff just isn't for me."

"O… kay." The men still don't understand it, but they're willing to go with it.

It's not the last time they sleep together. Though for the most part there's very little sleeping involved, and no cuddling, at least not with Claudia. The men respect she has her preferences. And they're still friends, so that's good.

About a year later or so, as the lease on Noah's and Kit's tiny apartment reaches its end, they decide to move into a bigger place, and invite Claudia to live with them. The apartment has two bedrooms, so she'll have her own space, and the place isn't that much farther away from the university, so that's good; after thinking it over for a while, she agrees.

They have a bit of hick-up when, at some point during the move, Claudia's favorite necklace goes missing. No matter how long and hard they look, they can never find it. It pains her as it was important to her. While it wasn't made of any special material (plated, medium-quality gold, nothing extraordinary), the pendant was a triquetra, and part of her heritage:

"The triquetra, it means 'three cornered' and it has many meanings." She explained to the men once when they asked her. "Unity, protection, everlasting life, strength… It, and other similar symbols are often used to represent different trinities, usually in particular religions." Her lips shaped a melancholic smile: "Nana used to have a necklace just like this one, or so she always claimed. Said it was some great heirloom, the only thing she had left when she fled Ireland, before meeting my grandfather. She's the one who taught me about Wiccan traditions. Which I follow even today. Her necklace disappeared shortly before she died. Someone said she bartered it to clear some debt with the mob or something like that. I never actually believed that but I liked the necklace anyway. Nana used to say that symbols like that one represent something different to each person; to her it represented the three things that cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, the truth. My sister gifted me mine on my eighteenth birthday…"

And she lost it. It's awful, and while Claudia never regrets moving in with Noah and Kit, she does mourn the loss of her necklace. The last gift from her sister, who died in a car accident a month before Claudia moved to California (it was the very reason why she chose to move to the other Coast, as it was too painful to remain in the place that used to be home, alone).

On the same day that the men and Claudia celebrate one year of being together (she doesn't count herself as part of the 'relationship' most of the time, as she's still Aro, but the men insist that she's a part of it, as they're very much exclusive with each other), she announces that if they are all ever ready, she'd like to have children with them. She's always wanted to be a mom, but couldn't imagine it being possible with her… quirks. Unless she chose to be a single-mom, but she never wanted that. Claudia's a big believer in family, even if she's lost all of her own family (though nowadays she counts Noah and Kit as family), they were a very important part to her growing up and she wants to be able to give that to her own children as well. Kit doesn't think he's anywhere near ready for something like that, nothing against Noah or Claudia, but there's something about being a dad that just… it terrifies him. Noah on the other hand… he likes it. Not for the first time he finds himself making plans, for a future, for a fully-civilian life…

xXx

Peter comes into their lives in late 1992. It's the weekend and Claudia's doing a morning shift in the diner after switching with another waitress the day before when she sees a young man sitting in a corner booth, with nothing more than a cup of black coffee in front of him, his hands around the cup, as if to warm them up, though by the lack of vapor it's clear the coffee must be cold by now. He looks more than a little damp, brown hair plastered to his face, several bangs are right over his eyes and he doesn't seem to care. Claudia cannot help but feel for him, she doesn't even know what she's feeling exactly, aside from some sort of… empathy. He's all alone, just sitting in that booth, looking at the rain hitting the window and it just… It reminds Claudia of herself, right after her sister died. Before she decided that she just couldn't stay in New York anymore.

She makes up her mind then and minutes later she's at his table, placing a plate with the omelet of the day with some hash-browns and black beans as the sides, as well as a new cup of coffee.

"I didn't order this." He blurts out, looking more than a little shocked.

She's half sure he sniffs her or something, just for a moment, his eyes going wide. And she isn't quite sure if she should worry that she might have forgotten the deodorant that morning (she's not used to getting up early! Even her college classes, none start before nine, unlike the diner shift, which starts at six!), or just believe that it's a reaction to the kindness of a stranger.

"On the house." She quips with an easy smile.

It's really, really not. But Claudia doesn't really mind paying for it out of her own pocket. There's just something about him…

He leaves as soon as the sky clears enough that he probably won't drown the moment he steps out the door. Claudia doesn't think anything of it. She doesn't really expect to see him ever again… Except she does, quite often actually. She begins seeing him seemingly every other day. Not really in the same place, but still. She cannot help but find it odd. Noah and Kit don't like it, when she tells them about the drifter (she doesn't know what else to call him), and make a habit at walking her to and from the diner whenever they can.

It's two weeks since their first meeting in the diner when, on a Saturday evening, as Noah and Kit are having some coffee, waiting for Claudia's shift to end so they can all head home, the drifter steps into the diner.

Claudia can see the exact moment when the drifter goes from 'threat' to 'someone who clearly needs help' in Noah's head. He's just like her, in that regard, so willing to help anyone and everyone who might need it. Kit… he takes longer. They insist on him sitting with them (there are no free tables), finally learning that the drifter's name is Peter. Things get interesting a while later when, as he pulls out his wallet to pay for his dinner (Noah offers to pay but Peter refuses), Kit glances at the wallet, immediately pointing out how the ID is a fake. Claudia doesn't even stop to ponder on how exactly Kit might be able to tell such a thing with just a look, instead focusing on why exactly Peter might need a fake ID at all. That's when they learn that while he might look like he's in his early twenties, late teens at the very least, Peter is, in fact, just sixteen.

Kit sighs, Noah sputters and Claudia almost has a coronary. It's only made worse when the boy eventually admits to having slept on a park-bench for the last week or so. He stayed in a motel at first, and even spent some nights camping out in empty buildings or 24-hour businesses, but people were beginning to look oddly at him, so he was finally left with no other choice. There's some arguing, but in the end Claudia refuses to leave until Peter agrees to go with them. Insisting that he can sleep on their sofa until he finds something better.

Claudia knows it's not normal, to connect with someone, a complete stranger so quickly, so easily. Some might claim that she's just being maternal, or sister-like… but that's not it at all. Matter of fact, if Peter weren't a minor she has no doubt that he'd have found his way to their bed already. He's made no secret of his attraction to all three of them, or his interest in their own sort-of-relationship. The hard part is actually getting him to understand why his age is important; why, despite the fact that he might look like an adult, he isn't one, and they refuse to take advantage of him (he insists it's not taking advantage, that he can make his own choices, and it's ridiculous to give so much importance to a number, but they won't be budged, and in the end he accepts it).

Things come to a head in the second week of December. Tensions have been growing in the last two or three days, though Claudia has no idea why. And then one evening Claudia arrives to the apartment after her shift and Peter completely flips her lid for seemingly no reason at all! All they can make out is that she apparently smells 'wrong'. Noah tries to get him to calm down, Kit looks like he's a fraction of a second from going for his gun, Peter himself doesn't look too good, even in the half-light of the apartment there's just something wrong with his face… Claudia makes a split-second decision, as she pulls off her clothes until she's in nothing but her underwear and then throws her arms around Peter, pulling his face against her neck. She can feel then that there is truly something strange about it, ridges on his forehead, and more hair on his sideburns than he's ever had. But still she won't let go. Not until he calms down, until they all do.

That's the day that they all learn the world is far stranger than they ever knew. Claudia discovers that her family's old stories hold more truth than she ever thought possible. Noah realizes that he might not have hallucinated some things he thought he had while overseas. Kit's the one who seems the least surprised, saying nothing more than 'family' and 'old stories'; which is enough for the others not to question him further, they know family is a touchy subject for him. And yet, Claudia's the one who embraces their new reality the most: the scenting, the frequent touches, she tries to shout less, and even changes brands of a few things like fabric-softener and several foods.

Peter… he doesn't know what to say. The way they've all embraced him, not just the man/boy, but also the wolf. He's deeply touched by it all. He tells them all about who and what he is, his past, his pack… and the fact that the two men are his potential mates…

"What does that mean?" Noah's the one to ask the all-too-important question, as Kit looks more than a bit shell-shocked.

"It means that we're… compatible, I guess you could say." Peter tries his best to explain in a way that will make sense to them. "Us Supernaturals, we known when we meet someone who's a good match for us. It's not absolute, there's always a choice, and even if the choice is yes, that doesn't mean it's guaranteed, or that it'll be perfect. All it means is that if we do give it a chance, if we work at it, there's the potential for us to be amazing together."

"Is that normal?" Claudia asks, curious.

"What exactly?" He could think of several things she might be asking about.

"Everything, I suppose." She shrugs. "The finding mates, the fact that you have two, that they're both of them males… I suppose this isn't a biological imperative or anything, otherwise you all being males would kind of defeat the purpose."

"It's… not everyone finds their mates, no, but it's not impossible either." Peter points out. "And this isn't Star Trek, there are no biological imperatives involved." Noah snorts, Kit just blinks, clearly not getting the reference. "Gender isn't really that important. If we decide we really want to have children we can adopt, or find a surrogate. Finally, on the amount of mates… it's neither normal nor strange for there to be more than one potential mate. And that's the most important part, that it's a potential, one that can be fulfilled, or not. Humans change. Supernaturals do too, don't take me wrong, but truth is that humans are much more… flexible; while most of us are more set in our ways. We live in a world with set roles and hierarchies, and while we can shift from one position to another, it doesn't happen that easily. I am a beta wolf, and while it's not impossible that one day I might become an alpha, the core of me won't change. I will always be slightly overprotective of those I care for, possessive of those I see as my own, vicious against my enemies, and morally gray."

"You're just fine the way you are, you know that, right?" Claudia says seriously, taking one of his hands in both of hers.

"You're a treasure Claudia Gajos." Peter murmurs, pulling her hands to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "I hope you know that."

"Oh, I know." She quips with a mischievous smile.

It takes longer for everything to be made clear. But eventually Noah and Kit do understand it, or at least as much as two humans can be expected to. They know they're under no obligation, just because Peter considers them his potential mates. While Peter might have already made his choice, and accepted them, they're not forced to accept him. They can choose to walk away. And even if the choice isn't made directly, there's always the possibility that before the bond is consummated one of them might change so much that they'll no longer be a mate. For the time being all the men choose is to stay, to try… though they all agree nothing will be happening until Peter's at least eighteen.

The GED is Kit's idea. Usually the person would need to be eighteen to request the exam, but some exceptions can be made. Like if the person requesting it is enlisting in the army, up for early admittance into college, or for a job… it's also necessary for them to prove that they're emancipated minors, or something along those lines. It's not hard for Peter to prove that his parents are both dead, and there's no paperwork that anyone's legally responsible for him. While his sister is his alpha and technically his tutor, no custody arrangement was ever made legal. They didn't consider it necessary, as the Hales had long since made a point to live separate from humans. His old alpha, his father, had consider most human legal matters as beneath him; only doing enough to ensure that Hale land remained exactly that.

Through their contacts, it's relatively easy for Kit and Noah to find a private security company that's willing to hire Peter (the wife of the owner is, in fact, supernatural herself, and he's in the know, so they're willing enough to accommodate his needs as a werewolf). Claudia helps Peter go through all the necessary paperwork, and all three of them study with him. It's fast made clear that Peter's a bit of a genius, and if his old grades don't reflect that it's more due to lack of interest on his part, than any true lack of ability.

Near the end of January Peter finally presents the exam. It's long, and exhausting in a way he cannot properly explain, but he's quite sure he passed. So the four of them go celebrate. It's the start of a whole new life… or so they think.

Claudia's birthday comes on February 2nd, and the three men in her life have a surprise for her:

"Oh goddess…" Claudia breathes out in shock as she contemplates the gift in front of her.

It's a rectangular box, white with a blue-green ribbon with a bow adorning the top of it. The name is of a place Claudia doesn't recognize, though just the form of the box makes it obvious enough that it's jewelry. Even then, nothing could have prepared her for what she finds inside: First there's the necklace: a pretty, if rather thin and plain-looking chain. But what truly leaves her breathless is the pendant hanging from it: about an inch in diameter, it's a full circle, and in the inside there's a triquetra, except instead of the more traditional version of it, it seems to be made of three curves with edges that cross over each other slightly, and it's made entirely of silver…

"It's so beautiful…" Claudia murmurs, tears shining on her lashes.

Eventually she convinces the three to tell her how they got it. And the three admit to having gone on a tour of every single jewelry in San Francisco and its surroundings, looking for something like her old necklace. They couldn't find anything. But the last jewelry they went to, a small, family-owned shop, their specialty was custom-made pieces and the young man in charge of it. He'd only recently become the owner, and saw the three men's request as an opportunity to make a name for himself. That was also when they decided on a variation of the triquetra, rather than the traditional version from Claudia's old necklace. Hearing that they each contributed in any way they could: Peter with the ideas for the design (the moon), Kit with the silver that was melted to make both the necklace and pendant (from an old heirloom), and Noah with the money for the work itself. Claudia's practically brought to tears by the story.

"I love it." She assures them as she kisses each of the men after putting the necklace on. "I'm never going to take it off."

"What was it you said the design meant?" Noah asks, contemplative. "The sun, the moon, the stars? Or something like that?"

"The sun, the moon and the truth, the three things that cannot long be hidden." Claudia clarifies. "But that was the old necklace." She traces the new one with the tips of her fingers, a beatific smile on her face: "This one means something different… it's us. Each of you on one of the crescents. The three together… always."

"And yourself?" Kit inquires, curious.

"I'm the circle of course!" Claudia replies with a huge smile. "Always with you…"

"Always." Peter agrees wholeheartedly.

That was the day when Claudia decided that one day that necklace would become an heirloom of her own. Something to give to her own daughter, so she'd always carry a bit of each of them with her, the way Claudia herself did…

xXx

Regretfully, as wonderful as some dreams might be, they aren't always possible, because some things just aren't in their hands… of any of them.

They lose Peter on mid-February, just a couple of weeks after Claudia's birthday. Talia Hale arrives to San Francisco unexpectedly, and there's nothing they can do to stop her from taking him away. Much as they might all hate it, Peter needs a pack so as not to go Omega, they cannot risk his Alpha cutting him off entirely. While they definitely love Peter, and will never stop loving him, that isn't enough to keep him safe. So they let him go, hoping against hope that the day might come when they'll have a chance to be together again.

When an envelope arrives by courier with Peter's results for the GED Claudia doesn't even stop to think about it before putting it inside another envelope and sending it to Beacon Hills. Not to the Hales, but straight to the high-school. She doesn't know what much it might achieve, doesn't expect to help them much, but even without seeing the results herself, she has no doubt that Peter must have passed it, and he deserves to know it. Deserves to have that achievement be known…

In May the mood in the trio's apartment lifts with an unexpected announcement from Claudia: she's pregnant. Noah's absolutely delighted, he'd already made the decision not to re-enlist, going as far as to get in touch with his old superior officer to let him know and get the paperwork for his official discharge started. Noah has so many plans already. Truth is, he wasn't expecting for things to happen so quickly. He wanted to have children certainly, and the idea of having them with Claudia and Kit makes him feel amazing… even if he still misses Peter deeply, that doesn't take from his joy in the moment. It might be a bit sooner than he expected, but he knows they can do it, Claudia's about to graduate from college, he's got an associate degree in criminal justice and his boss has suggested that going for his bachelor's would greatly help his chances in making detective sooner. The big surprise is Kit: he looks absolutely terrified.

"Kit, it's okay, it's gonna be alright…" They assure him.

"I… I… I just… I don't know what to do." He stutters. "I'm gonna be a terrible father!"

"No, you're not." Claudia assures him kindly. "And it's not like you're alone. We're all a part of this. This baby will have all of us. And yes, I've no doubts we'll make mistakes, it won't be on purpose, and we'll always do our best."

"I don't even know how to be a father." Kit admits.

"None of us do, but we'll learn." Claudia says, soothingly.

"There's one thing we can know for sure, whenever in doubt, we can ask ourselves one question: what would our fathers do? And then we'll do the exact opposite." Noah points out.

"Agreed." Kit doesn't even doubt on that.

"I know how we can start." Claudia decides it's time for a change in topic, while she likes her men having things in common, their abusive fathers is not exactly her favorite topic of conversation at any time, and especially not when they're supposed to be celebrating their future baby: "Names. What are we gonna name our baby?"

"Not our names." Noah votes first. "I mean, I don't have anything against our names, precisely. But I want the child to have an identity of his or her own."

"Agreed." Kit nods.

"Maybe not the first names, but for the middle-names?" Claudia suggests. "My middle-name Rhiannon, was also Nana's. It's always made me feel closer to her. I'd like to give our child that kind of connection."

"I like the sound of that." Noah does. "Just, if you want to use any of my names, please use my middle one. John's a much better option for something like that than Noah."

"Or Joan, if it's a girl." Claudia points out impishly.

"Okay, so that idea works for middle-names, but what about the first?" Kit inquires.

"Well…" Claudia hesitates, biting her lower lip.

"You have something in mind already." Noah realizes.

"Just for a boy." She admits. "I… if it's a boy I'd like to name him after my father. His name was Mieczyslaw Gajos…"

It takes several tries, but eventually the two men manage to pronounce the name at least passably.

"That's one hell of a name." Noah declares eventually.

He's not sure they'll be doing the kid any favors, with a name like that. But it seems important, and it's not like he has any special attachment to his own names, or his mother's (the bastard doesn't even bare thinking about).

"What about you Kit? Any name you'd like being considered?" He ask eventually.

It takes several minutes of gentle cajoling from Claudia for the man to eventually admit:

"My mother's name was Adélaïde." He murmurs softly. "I loved her very much…"

"I like it." Claudia decides.

And so it's decided, if the baby's a boy, his name will be Mieczyslaw John, if it's a girl, it'll be Adélaïde Joan… they haven't yet talked about whose surname they'll carry, though neither men are particularly attached to their family names… That'll be a conversation for another day.

xXx

Kit disappears in early June. Just a week before Claudia's ultrasound. It's a huge blow, especially after the loss of Peter, months earlier. Noah and Claudia spend days combing through the streets of San Francisco and even its neighboring towns looking for him, but there's not the slightest trace of him. No notes, no calls. Even when they go as far as searching hospitals, police-stations, there's no clue of what might have happened to him. They report him missing, but since there's no sign of any 'foul play', there's little that can be done, legally. There's no crime for a person just leaving.

Noah's forced to stop their own searches after almost two months, when it becomes clear that they aren't achieving anything other than tire and stress themselves out, and in Claudia's condition that's not a very good idea. Claudia's about 21 weeks pregnant… with twins. And they cannot even celebrate, not with the constant worry of what exactly made Kit just vanish like that. Still, they both know they cannot stay at a standstill. They've done all they can, and much as they might hate it, it's time to move on.

Even then, they stay in the same apartment, Kit's clothes still in his drawers, his favorite gun in the small safe he and Noah shared.

Claudia does her best to keep stress to a minimum, though the worry never fully abates. On the 31st of October, at 34 weeks, she's admitted into San Francisco General Hospital in the advance stages of labor. She fears it's still too early, but the nurses reassure her that 34 weeks is just fine for twins. That doesn't help any when the first baby is born at sunset. Especially because the specialist that was supposed to attend to her birth isn't even in the city and won't arrive until the next day. The labor is hard, and even when the first baby comes, there's no relief. There's a rush of doctors and nurses coming and going in her birthing room, and the way that they all just seem to be ignoring both her and Noah completely is enough to let her know something is very, very wrong even before Noah points out the fact that the baby hasn't cried yet…

The moment the word stillborn crosses the lips of someone (no one's really paying attention who) Claudia practically shrieks. Some of the doctors are trying to slow her labor, to give more time before the second baby's born, they try to get her to work with them, to calm down, but how can she when they're saying that one of her babies is dead?!

Things are messing for what seems like an eternity, until a nurse calls: "He's alive!". It's like Claudia can breathe again. Her baby boy is taken to the NICU, because while he is, in fact, alive, his condition's still pretty delicate. Claudia convinces Noah to follow the nurses taking their baby and stay with him. Not for the first time they both wonder about how different things would be, if Kit were still with them. She wouldn't have to stay alone, just to ensure their baby wasn't either… but it's pointless to focus on what they cannot change, all they can do is move on, and keep doing their best.

With help from several drugs and breathing exercises the nurses manage to delay Claudia's labor for several hours. It's nowhere near what they'd have preferred. But at least her doctor's has arrived by then. He ensures that the birth of her baby daughter if, if not exactly smooth, at least with no further trauma. The baby spends the night in an incubator, mostly for observation but by the morning she's declared healthy.

A few days later Claudia's declared in good enough condition to leave the hospital, baby Addy is fine too. Mischief on the other hand, is still under observation. His situation's not quite as dire as it was a few days earlier, but still.

Noah arranges to change a couple of his shifts so he can be there to pick up Claudia and Addy from the hospital. Even though everyone acknowledges that he's the father of the Gajos twins (as everyone in the maternity ward calls them), he's still not married to Claudia, and thus cannot actually request leave. So he does what he can, with some help from friends in the department.

Claudia is lead to the hospital doors in a wheelchair, as is the policy. Her baby girl is in her arms. Noah takes hold of the two bags with Claudia's things and some basics he acquired already for Addy and takes them with him to the car after kissing both his ladies. Deciding it's easier than expecting Claudia to walk across the whole parking-lot (as Noah had to park quite some distance from the doors). All in all, the trip takes him less than five minutes… even then, by the time he makes it back to the doors with the car it's to find Claudia screaming, desperate.

"What…?" Noah practically throws himself out of the car, he can see there's already several nurses and an orderly around but he ignores them all, pushing his way to her. "What's going on?"

"He took Addy!" Claudia wails. "That monster took my baby girl!"

Noah's legs stop holding him up abruptly and he collapses to his knees. His baby… their little girl… their Addy… gone.

xXx

The next couple of months are an absolute torture. Noah and Claudia report the kidnapping of Adélaïde while still in the hospital parking lot. Claudia does her best to describe the man who ripped the baby from her arms and left with her. The best they can get from the security cameras y an average-height male in dark slacks and with a hooded coat and big, thick glasses. Nothing useful in any way. There was also apparently no one near enough to see him or realize anything was wrong until several seconds after Claudia began screaming.

There's an investigation. Several people are charged with aiding and abetting, or with accepting bribes to look the other way. But in the end none of that helps them get their baby back. Claudia's so absolutely terrified that she refuses to even go back to their apartment, saying it's too far away, that they need to stay closer to their son 'just in case'. Thankfully, one of their friends is willing to lease them a room a couple of blocks from the hospital, so Noah just drops by their apartment to get some of their things.

Traffic is a bitch and it takes him almost an hour to get back to Claudia, who's on the bed sobbing and clings to him desperately the moment she sees him enter the room.

"What…? What's wrong?" He asks, dropping the bags on the floor to hold her back. "Is it Mischief? Did something…"

The mere thought that something might have happened to their baby boy almost makes him ill.

"No!" Claudia wails. "It's you! I thought you were dead! I cannot take that Noah! I cannot lose anyone else!"

"Me…? Dead? But… why?" He honestly doesn't understand.

She points at the small TV they have in the room. A red bar on the bottom reads: 'Breaking News'. After several seconds he manages to make out what it's about: a gas explosion in a bakery on the other side of town. The whole building went up. It takes him a few seconds longer to realize that it's their building he's looking at. The three-floor building, with a bakery and coffee-shop on the ground-floor, the owner's apartment on the one above, and the top floor held the apartment they rented.

Truth is, they had plans of moving. First talked about it shortly after Claudia announced her pregnancy, as they all agreed that many stairs weren't exactly practical when dealing with a baby. Especially because the building didn't have an elevator. Of course, then Kit disappeared and the moving plans were forgotten. Noah can only feel grateful that Claudia wasn't there when the explosion took place, that he himself made it out in time. They cry for the loss of the Fuentes, the kind elderly couple that was so open-minded, who never looked down on them for their choice of lifestyle, who charged them so little for rent, because they knew they couldn't afford more…

About six months after his birth, Mieczyslaw Gajos is finally declared healthy enough to be discharged from the hospital. It's also then that Claudia decides she cannot stay in San Francisco anymore. They've fought, and they've tried, and they've given it their all, but it's clear that their case just isn't progressing. Whoever the bastard is that took their baby girl, they don't have the slightest idea, and neither do the police. It's not that she's giving up, it's that she needs to focus on the child she still has. Claudia doesn't truly believe the explosion in the bakery to have been an accident, it's not something she knows for a fact, just an instinct she cannot shake up. She needs to keep those she still has safe…

Noah doesn't understand, but he trusts Claudia's instincts. And more than that, he's tired. Of all his colleagues looking at him with pity, of their neighbors asking if there are any news, of there being no news. He's a cop, he knows the chances of them getting Addy back after so long are next to none. Short of a miracle, he'll never see his baby girl again.

So he'll do what he needs to do to protect what he has left. Taking Claudia's instincts completely seriously, he decides to take it one step further and arranges to change his name. He already changed it once, when he went straight from his high-school graduation to the recruiter's office to enlist. That was the first time he signed his name as Noah Johnson, as he wanted nothing to do with the man who'd only ever given him insults and violence. But in that moment he realizes that he can get something more: anonymity, and the protection that same anonymity brings. So he does all the paperwork, calls in a few favors to have it pushed through faster than usual, and to ensure that it'll be buried so deep no one will ever know. Then he goes to Claudia and takes her to city Hall, where he both marries her and adopts her son legally, giving him the same name he just took back.

He talks to his boss and the chief waves his two-week notice, as well as calling in a favor of his own, getting him a new job. They aren't even going that far. They don't have much money, but that's okay, small towns are cheaper to live in than big cities anyway.

And so Noah, Claudia and Mieczyslaw Stilinski begin their new lives in Beacon Hills…

Full sized poster can be found on DA.

If anyone's interested, I'm currently offering a set of fanarts and beta-work in the Marvel Trumps Hate Auction. All details can be found either in the MTH tumblr, or in my own (you can find me as lalaithquetzallicaresi).

If anyone finds any big mistakes please let me know. I'll admit to not having gone through this fic as carefully as I probably should have.

See ya around!

P.S. Don't forget my offer of fanarts to those who guess what's coming (in the actual sequel of Chaos Rising) still stands. Time limit is when I post the first chapter of that story!