Talia walked up to the house slowly unsure of what she was seeing, with Erik just behind her and Deaton not much farther back. She smiled then frowned when she realized it was Dean sleeping on her front steps with a sawed off shot gun in hand and an iron bar leaning against his leg.
"Alpha Hale that is the new hunter family that moved in, I don't trust them what is he doing here outside your house no less with a weapon."
"Yes he was worried to death about something last night, he probably only just fell asleep an hour or so ago, poor dear."
"I must advise against his acceptance in this pack, he will ruin the balance of this land, it is precarious as is, with the amount of blood on his hands your Family will be in the line of Fire when the universe evens it out."
"Emissary Deaton, do not test me that boy was the one who crafted that necklace you envy so much, and if you were so concerned over the hunters in this town you would have brought it to my attention sooner not when they were at my doorstep, and quite literally. Balance is blinding you, your first priority should be this pack not the universes balance, I bet if Argent went to kill any of our pack you would let it happen because our feud is slowly coming to an end especially after the sickness of their matriarch took hold meaning that their line has dwindled down to young Katheryn. While I have two heirs now."
"They have Chris, and his wife took his name, they have a daughter." Deaton defended against the accusation.
"Oh yes please do tell me how the Calaveras graciously gave away a daughter, who was a human baby stolen from a Mexican pack who they killed, to the Argents to uphold the title matriarch, is balance." Talia glared at her emissary who withered where he stood, "where would the balance be if their young child had been a werewolf, and Victoria killed her on site?"
"They are not an issue but he is, and his family. The line is cursed." Deaton touched Talia's shoulder earning a growl from the so far silent Erik. Talia's response was cut off when the babe in her arms started crying from being woken up, this caused the young man in question to jump up to full height and point a sawed off shot gun at the one person he didn't recognize, grabbing his Alpha.
"Dean, please do not kill my Emissary." Talia shook the man's arm off while trying to quit the baby once more.
"It won't kill him Alpha, its rock salt, last I checked that just hurts like hell."
"And you know all about hell don't you Winchester?" Deaton asks softly and oh so deadly.
"Know more about Demons, but sure, I will probably end up there eventually, I do not live a very nice life. But that doesn't seem to stop the Angels liking me any less."
"Stop!"
"Sorry, Alpha" dean looks down, but Talia does note that his gun never weavers from Deaton who he perceives as a threat.
"Deaton leave, you are souring a very happy moment, I am bringing my pup into the pack house, for the first time, and she will be welcomed into the pack, including Dean Winchester." Talia looks pointedly at Alan. " my family has no knowledge of who you are, at your insistence, your tether is getting to snapping point, never in my life have I seen an emissary put so many chains on a pack before, I am feeling your use quickly being used up, make no mistake, I will choose my pack over you every time."
Alan Deaton left quickly after that and didn't look back, knowing he messed up, and Dean allowed both Talia and Erik in the house following close behind. The pack hearing the trio enter rushed down to greet the newest member, and got to see dean stumble into the house with a shotgun in hand.
"So that's where you slept… or did you sleep at all? Dean you look awful." Peter tsked as he took the gun and led Dean to his own room and pushed him into the bed. Talia didn't draw attention to the fact that Peter never let anyone into his room, but was happy when Peter came back down the stairs quickly and Talia handed her daughter over to her second, and left hand. "Hello, little Cora." Peter dutifully scented the child, before handing her off to Erik who passed the little girl to his sister, who followed him from South America. And the procession continued with each parent passing their child in order of rank, until Cora smelled like every member of pack except one.
The one who guarded the family all night, Dean without realizing it, performed the duties of the pack guardian, as he allowed the pack to feel peace when their alpha was away, and the alpha knew their pack was protected. It has long since been abandoned as a regular position in a pack, only taken up when tragedy strikes, but either way that was the role Dean filled. Unsurprisingly the role was usually held by a human, due to werewolf limits with mountain ash, making Dean the perfect candidate. Talia shook her head, for someone so concerned about balance, Deaton never accepted that Pack had its own balance, and roles that were filled naturally. He never felt the bonds, and Talia doubted her Emissary and not for the first time. she glanced at her brothers room atop the stairs, the first room that anyone had to walk by, their first line of defence, and was wondering about the logistics of either putting another bed in there or building a guest house outside for the young Winchester.
By the time Dean woke up, Cora was clean and dressed and ready to meet their guardian, Derek was the first to notice a rumpled looking Dean walking down the stairs at noon, not even three hours after he fell asleep, Derek quickly pulled Dean towards Talia telling him about Cora, and her rolley eyes, and her soft head that he can't touch but he can kiss her cheek, and also told Dean that he has to do the same. Dean sat in front of Talia and was a little wide eyes as she handed him Cora, "touch her face dean, she needs to know the smell of pack."
Dean dutifully performed the action, and even kissed the little girls cheek at Derek's insistence, and held the baby safe, "I am so happy you are here Cora, and safe." Dean just laughed. "Now I need three more kids born safely and I will be able to relax." Talia accepted Cora back as dean looked down embarrassed as his growling stomach made Cora fuss a bit in her sleep.
"Go eat, hunny, thank you for guarding my pack and my home last night, it is important work what you did." Talia nodded towards the dining room where even Dean could smell food in the other room.
Dean was pushed into a chair and a plate of food was shoved at him, "eat, we need to kidnap that Matthews kid, the idiot doesn't have anything to prepare him for a baby." Peter announces and stares at Dean until he starts eating before continuing "okay not entirely true, he has life insurance that his parents took out for him, and they transferred that to his unborn child. But he doesn't have a will stating who the kid will go to, and he doesn't have a job lined up either."
"Peter, I know I got everyone stressed out last night but Derek will be fine, he's a big boy and he has a plan, he really can't get a job right now, most jobs that can support a child need a high school diploma."
"yes but if he is even traced back to our Family he will be in danger, we are supernatural creatures, and you should know this, you lost your mother, and your father seems pretty determined to kill himself by either drinking, or hunting. Maybe a bit of both. We do not live stable lives and that's just living Dean, let me protect the child at least from the fall out that knowing us will have."
Dean slowed down his eating, remembering his discussion with Jaqueline who confided she was part of a hunter family the Bakers. "You're right."
"Of course I am, just drive me and him to the bank, I would have ran earlier, but he would look at me funny for just walking in the neighbourhood because I live 30 minutes away." Peter, was kind of whining, though Dean didn't point it out, if only because the kid was acting like a kid for the first time.
Apparently Peter had already typed up and printed wills that were fill in the blank, that will be filed with the bank, so Dean finished his food quickly and was headed off to the Matthews place where Peter once again lectured the poor kid about being responsible, before handing him a phone number and told him to call when he was ready to work he will get a job right away. Jaqueline just laughed, as her boyfriend was looking more and more shocked at what the fifteen year old was talking them through, about Wills, and emergency accounts, and financial planning. It took a couple of hours, but in the end all the details were smoothed over to Peters liking and soon they were off to the bank to file the paper work and open a savings account for the kid where Peter put up his own money for.
"Thank you Peter, I don't know what to say" Derek went to hug Peter who stiffened up as they dropped Derek off.
"Don't "Peter tried but Derek squeezed him "Get off you idiot, don't thank me, thank him" Peter pointed at Dean.
"Why? You did everything Peter" Dean said and was rather enjoying how uncomfortable Peter got with every pat on the back
"I wouldn't have helped him if you weren't so fond of those stories he tells, and Derek absolutely thinks he's the third coolest person in the world." Peter explained as he gently pried Derek off of him.
"Thank you Dean I am so happy I met you, "Derek latched onto Dean, and if possible Peter looked even more uncomfortable at that then when he himself was being hugged.
"Derek Stop it" Jaqueline ordered causing Derek to squeak, "thank-you both for all your help, I haven't even thought about all that this child will mean, I am always just worried about the next immediate step."
"No, don't worry about this Jaqueline, we just have difficult lives we think everyone else does as well," Dean tried to stare a promise to Jaqueline that he will take care of things "just relax and make sure you take care of yourself and your baby." Dean smiled at the girl.
"Okay, thank you again, and come visit soon, I like the company, I mean I can only stand so much of Derek." She winked at her boyfriend.
"Will do" Dean got into the car and watched as Derek fussed over Jaqueline as they went inside the house. "Well that didn't take long at all." Dean said as he pulled out of the driveway.
"Yeah, only three hours, of Derek shouting," Peter agreed sarcastically.
"He's not that bad" Dean drove to the shitty motel he lives out of.
"You think that because most of his stories are of you being a hero, or some crazy Mafia dons kid who is in Witness protection." Peter looked around, "why are we here?"
"Checking in with Sammy, and a change of clothes, also reminding Sammy to call if he needs anything, I am heading back to your house for a bit."
"Oh good I thought you wanted me to run home"
"What, why would I do that, I drove you out here I will drive you back." Dean gets out of the car and opens up their motel room, "hey Sammy?" Dean stopped Peter before he crossed the threshold, "watch the salt."
"Hi, Dean where were you?" Sam was on the bed watching T.V.
"I spent the night at the Hales and just wanted to make sure you were okay, before I headed back."
"Oh I am fine, dad hasn't been home at all though," Sam said plainly being very aware of Peter. "Is he back?"
"Maybe last I heard there was movement in the south." Dean kept up the ruse if only for Sam's benefit, no need to worry him about Peter being in the know, or that he is a part of a pack of wolves. "Oh, speaking of South, did you know that Uncle Noah is in L.A. well I should say was in L.A. he is moving here in a couple weeks or so?" Dean started to change his clothes not caring of the people in the room.
"What since when?"
"I don't know maybe dad forgot to tell us, either way we are having lunch with him, Aunt Claudia won't be here yet though. Apparently we have a little cousin on the way." Dean smiles at Sam's wonder at there being a baby in the family.
"Really, Auntie Claudia is going to have a baby?"
"Yeah it's why Uncle Noah is moving here to this quiet town." Dean fixed his shirt and headed over to the bathroom to quickly brush his teeth, so quick that Peter was sure it did nothing.
"Now are you good for dinner?" Dean asked. "Need, me to drive you anywhere?"
"Yeah I am good, and no I don't need to be anywhere, I will just walk to the diner."
"Do you need anything from the car?"
"Everything is still in place, Dean I am fine, I am old enough to take care of myself."
"Okay, well with, you know, I am worried. Alright I will be back tonight, just really late, also I have the Cellphone call no matter what okay."
"Yes god Dean, nothing has gone wrong all year it won't start now."
Dean glares at his brother, "I hope you didn't just jinx us" he waved and once again pointed to the thick layer of salt along the perimeter of the motel room to peter.
"I never asked but what's with the salt?" Peter asked as they walked towards the Impala.
"Spirits can't cross it, like what I understand of you and mountain ash," Dean waited until Peter got into the car before continuing " so the salt repels ghosts and demons, iron also helps , and holy water works wonders."
The drive to the preserve was uneventful, nothing like the night before, causing Dean to feel more and more at ease. Until he just enjoyed dinner with the Hales and held Cora some more, making plans to come to the house everyday at least until the end of the school year in a month.