Chapter 6 – Cravings:
Drew wasn't overly happy, to be honest Drew was a very unhappy puppy, he had to go back to school and that meant leaving his family for the day. He hated being away from his daddies and mummy Lissa, especially now with mummy Lissa was just getting over being sick with his new brother and sister puppies. Also mummy Lissa was now a wolf like him too and it made it more special when he was with her and his daddies because they were a proper family now.
He was still getting used to being a wolf pup too, it was hard keeping the wolf down especially when he was tired or upset, his daddies and his brothers Jackson and Scott had been helping to get control, but he was still having slips during the day and he heard Daddy Damion say that his instinctive responses and the wolfs were fully meshed, whatever that meant. Daddy Damion had said it like it was a good thing, but he also said it made socialisation with other children harder. Now he was meant to be going back to school and while there were a couple of boys he wouldn't mind seeing again he didn't want to leave his Pack. So right now he was pinning in his room and letting of little howls of anguish.
Damion stirred his coffee. "The latest checks came back; there was a probability that the little girl would have Turners Syndrome because of the lost Y chromosome. Whatever went on with the Werewolf-ism or the Pack healing, it seems to have repaired the chromosome pair. It's gone double XX, which raised a few eyebrows till they decided that the identical part was a mistake and it meant fraternal. Which is good, as I really didn't want to explain that one to the lab."
Melissa drew in a relived breath. "Thank goodness, when we learned the sexes, I read up and was worried about that." She told the pair.
Derek paused. "I'm not sure I want to know what that means, in the mean time we have another Pup that is having troubles."
Damion was drinking from his Coffee and looking up towards Drew's room listening to him pinning, he sighed and looked over at Melissa and Derek "He's really not looking forward to going back at all."
Derek shrugged and took a drink from his own coffee and said "I don't blame him, even for a born wolf it's hard to be separated from your Pack mates, and when you figure that he's still not fully in control with his wolf, I know I'm having second thoughts about it."
Melissa sipped her hot chocolate and took a bite from a peanut butter smothered croissant. "I'm worried that he still changes unpredictable, can you imagine if that happened if he got angry or frustrated, I know that I'm still trying to get control of it, and I'm several times older than him. You said it yourself that his instinctive responses have almost totally been overwritten by the Wolf's, handy for survival in a wolf so young, but not great for unpredictable often upsetting and infuriating school. I remember what Scott was like when he would come home, sometimes in tears other times furious and other times beaming like a star. Then when his asthma became an issue and kids started picking on him for being different. Something I think would happen to Drew." She said as Drew howled again. "Only having Stiles for a real friend that was so hard on such a warm friendly kid, it made him hate going there because it hurt especially when he had trouble keeping up, I could kick myself for not realising that he had Dyslexia. I think the same was for Stiles, if the two hadn't found each other it would have been a hundred times worse."
The three of them mused and listened to Drew whimper and pine. Damion put down his cup and took another Croissant "I can't stand it, he's not going back. I'll home tutor him."
Derek snorted into his cup "You are so whipped, you really are. What about social development that was one of the things you worried about."
Melissa smiled "Home schooling might be a good idea, especially until he can get a handle on the wolf. We've all seen him running around here claws and fangs out because he's been so excited. When he's older you can look to integrating him into normal school. As for social interaction he told me about a couple of boys he liked, we could organise play dates for him and those boys, and we can be there to make sure he doesn't run wild, pardon the pun. Saying that he's got asthma wouldn't be a bad cover, especially if he's gets and 'attack' and has to run to a parent."
Derek nodded his liking of that plan "That works; it also would explain any sudden strangeness. Besides it will let me vet the kids."
Damion shot him a look over his mug, and punched Derek's shoulder "You are as whipped as I am." Derek grinned and Melissa laughed at their antics.
Even with all the weirdness that came with them, living with Derek and Damion gave Melissa the company that she had missed, intimate friendships. She smiled over her cup "Who gets to break the news to our pinning puppy he gets to stay home?"
Damion returned her grin "I'll wrestle you for it."
Derek had other plans and before the others could react, he ran from the room at Alpha speed the words "Too slow" drifted back to the pair.
Damion groaned "He's as much a Pup as Drew at times."
Melissa snorted again "Yes and you love it."
Damion winked at her "Never said I didn't." Upstairs there was a howl of Delight from the pups in question.
Melissa decided to take this moment "Damion about the job you offered me, I don't want any charity. I'm honoured but I can't take a hand out."
Damion snagged another piece of croissant and took a bite and chewed before responding "Melissa, I'm not offering you charity. I know you love being a nurse, but I also know that the hours aren't great and with two more additions to our family you're not going to have a lot of time to yourself, even if you want to carry on working. Not working and Derek and I providing is still an option even though you said no to that. So I thought what could I do, and the answer came when you were organising the Charity auction. I have a lot of charities that I contribute to, but it's mostly un-coordinated. You would run the foundation, I would make sure that you had a staff that were able to carry out the administration and ensure that what you decided was carried out. You would make all the decisions and have control of it. I wouldn't be involved past acting as Chairman of the board of trustees, unless you needed to ask my advice. We would set out our ideal goals and you would do what you can to ensure it happens. You can work from home, and just go to the office when you need for meetings. I do it for my companies all the time and you see that that works."
Melissa sat there pondering the offer, she could do so much more good with what he was suggesting, and it would mean getting of nights. Ok she didn't know if she was qualified to do it, but it would be good and Damion would be there if she needed help. She nodded "Ok, we'll give it a go after the babies are born and if it works well carry on, but I want proper reviews."
Damion nodded "Deal, you will answer to the board." They shook on it.
Just then a pair of blurs streaked into the kitchen and out again, Drew was laughing like a maniac and Derek was chasing him telling Drew he would get his tail.
Damion looked at Melissa. "You may not get much quiet staying at home."
Melissa shrugged and reached for a Pickle which she smeared with peanut butter.
Damion groaned and pulled a face. "Cravings are something that I will never understand" he told Melissa.
Melissa grinned. "This is tame compared to some I've heard."
There was a stampede coming down the stairs again and a five year old wolf was chased out the back door screaming in delight, followed by a shifting Alpha wolf who was growling in delight.
Damion shook his head and smiled. "Bad as each other, I better go make sure that no one gets maimed. That and if they get to out of control they'll never calm down before bed time."
Melissa just laughed at that and reached for another pickle and Damion got up and followed the others out the back.
..oo00OO00oo..
Sam McCall looked up at the figures above him and frowned. He was trying to get to the warm place and the familiar scents, but these others were in the way. They all watched him. The smaller one was babbling at him, he tilted his head and looked at them.
"He looks like Scott when he does that." Stiles said looking down at Sam who was trying to toddle of the carpet towards Allison.
Drew looked up from where he had been talking to Sam. "He's funny. He shift like me?"
Damion shook his head and smiled. "Nope, you're special like that. Because Sam was born a wolf then he will need to wait till he's older and in school before he can do that."
"Will I be in School then?" Drew asked with a frown at the un-liked word.
"We'll see, once you get more practice and control, it would be good for you, maybe junior high, so a lot of years till you need to worry." Damion told the pup with a ruffle to his hair.
Derek shook his head. "Yeah, and you'll need to make sure that that does happen."
Drew frowned at Derek now and he looked so much like Derek doing it Stiles burst out laughing, startling Sam, having been on the end of many a glare like that. "Oh man, you may not be blood related, but he has inherited your scowls Derek." He told the Alpha with a slap to the shoulder.
Scott smiled at that and scooped up Sam as he laughed, the little boy burbled happily to see his father.
Allison was giving Melissa a drink. "So how long now till your due date?"
Melissa sighed and absently rubbed her belly. "Any time between three weeks and a month, with twins they may start early. Doc Deaton says that their progressing well, and that they are fully formed now."
Allison nodded knowing what she meant. "That whole extra month and half is a bugger. Emile told me that it was a carryover from the Wolf side to allow the child to come out more developed and have a better chance of survival. Look at Sam, one year old and he's toddling steadily already."
Derek heard that and looked over. "That's normal for Born Werewolf Children; they usually are about six months to a year in some areas more advanced than normal children. The wolf side pushed for faster independence."
Allison nodded. "The Doctors at the surgery thing he's eighteen months given his size and his progress, we haven't really contradicted the idea, though they mentioned they though his birth certificate was wrong."
Melissa snorted. "Something else to look forward too."
Scott smiled at his mother as he sat down with Sam in his arms. "At least you're not having a litter... Wait does twins count as a litter?" He looked to Derek who shrugged but smiled at the idea. "Ok, Cake time for you little Wolf Pup, maybe Drew can help his cousin out by blowing out the candles?" Scott asked the six year old.
Drew had a massive grin on his face as he nodded. "Sure, I help him blow them out." He told Scott who grinned back at the six year old.
Stiles and Danny came back into the living room from the kitchen with Danny carrying a cake in the shape of a brown wolf cub, and a large lit one candle on it, and Stiles had a knife and plates.
"That cake is so cute." Victoria told her daughter.
"Thanks mom, it was a special order at the Beacon Hills bakery, Blue Velvet cake for the body and the adults, plain vanilla in the head for the Kids, though all that frosting will send them and Stiles through the roof." Allison replied and handed a mug of Coffee to her Father who was filming the cake and Sam.
"Ok, on three Drew." Scott told Drew as Stiles lent down with the Cake so that Sam could see the Cake and it was at the right height for Drew.
"The cake looks like timber!" Drew squealed in delight, Sam gave him a startled look, and then looked back at the cake where he seemed to recognise the shape now the name had been mentioned of his own stuffed wolf and made sounds of agreement at them.
"One... Two... Three!" Scott counted and held Sam closer as Drew blew out as well helping the one year old to put the candle out, there was a flurry of flashes as people took Photos. "Good job Drew." Scott told him as he lifted Sam back up to his arms.
"Yeah nice work Pup. "Jackson told Drew as well, he was filming with his own Camera.
Lydia smiled from her seat next to Victoria. "He's going to have many more of those." Everyone turned to look at her, and Lydia just smiled enigmatically, they knew not to ask too many questions when she made statements like that.
Danny started to hand out the cake to people and Chris and Jackson finally stopped filming. Damion was helping Allison to clear up the wrapping paper that had been strewn about in Sam's investigation of the parcels he had received.
Chris and Victoria smiled as Scott put down Sam and he toddled over to them and Melissa on the couch. "He reminds me of our Sam." Chris said smiling down at the boy who was looking up at all his grandparents with interest, he looked at Victoria who reached over and squeezed his hand at the memory of their lost son.
Melissa leaned over to Allison. "Can I possibly get some relish with the cake?"
Allison looked at her mother in law with a raised eyebrow and then smiled as everyone apart from Victoria made a face at the combination. "Sure not a problem, with me it was for peanut butter and roast pork."
Victoria had a slim smile on her face. "It was horseradish with Ice cream for Sam and Chocolate with red peppers for Allison." She reminisced while even more faces were being made by the Males in the room.
Melissa chuckled. "They seem so strange but really hit the spot when you're expecting. For Scott I wanted flat soda and salted toffee." Scott made a gagging face at that. "Hey you're the one that made me want that." She told him with a smile.
Stiles couldn't resist laughing and adding. "It explains so much about him." To which he received a playful shove from Scott.
Stan snorted. "I wouldn't say anything Stiles. When Stella was having you, she would eat grated charcoal like a salt." He told group and Stiles just sat there opened mouthed.
Scott laughed at his friend and pointed. "That explains SO much about you!" He said getting his own back.
The room burst out laughing, and then Drew went to Derek and tugged on his hand and looked up at him. "Daddy Derek, why everybody eating weird things?" He asked his Daddy with a confused expression.
Derek crouched down and replied to the little boy. "Sometimes when you're pregnant it makes you want to have weird foods."
Drew thought about that with a frown and then said firmly. "I no get Pregnant then." The room went quiet at that and everyone grinned at Drew's reaction.
Damion nodded seriously. "That's sometimes the best way."
Drew nodded, and then looked around the room wondering why everyone was smiling at him; he made his way, slightly confused over to Melissa. "I say something funny?" He asked with a tilt of his head.
Melissa was biting her lip so not to laugh at Drew's honest answer. "No honey, you were very honest, but you don't need to worry about getting Pregnant, so it's okay. We can tell you why later.
Derek's head snapped around a looked almost panicked at Melissa when she said that, Damion put a hand on his shoulder. "He needs to hear about it and we can't not tell him, but we won't ask you to do more than be in the room." Derek looked at his mate like he was planning some sort of revenge as the room looked at Derek and started to laugh and Drew looked even more confused.
Scott crouched down to Drew. "Don't worry pup, adults get funny sometimes when they have to talk about some stuff."
Drew nodded solemnly at that. "I know." He sighed the sigh of the confused, but when the others laughed he joined in to, still not understanding what they were talking about.
..oo00OO00oo..
Melissa stepped out the shower and reached for the towel hanging on the towel warmer. Wrapping it around herself she walked into the bedroom, humming to herself as she did. She snagged a towel for her hair and started to towel it off, looking into the full length mirror as she did so.
She took in her form and marvelled at the changed that becoming a Werewolf had given. He body was toned and firm, not that it was in bad shape before, but now it seemed to happen naturally and not require killing herself in the gym every chance she got. Her arms were defined as was her legs, and her chest, well Melissa was sure that she was a lot more pert than it ever had been.
It was like the bite had put her into the prime of her life. People at the hospital had commented on it, they had told her that she looked better than ever and wondered what diet she was doing or workout she had started. There was good natured ribbing asking her if she had started taking something from the pharmacy to help her out and could they get some as well.
When they heard she was pregnant as well, well then the comments had went to wondering who the father was, and why had she been keeping that one hidden from them. Melissa had told them that she was surrogating for a couple that wanted a baby. That had started the questions about who, and when they heard it was for a married pair of guys, well that earned her even more celebrity status with the other nurses. It was all in good natured fun, but she was the hospital's prime story on the gossip trail for several months, only a badly hidden affair had gotten her of the headlines.
The day that Drew came in calling her 'Mummy Lissa' of course put her right back in the lime light. Damion had brought Drew in with him when he had brought her lunch that she had forgotten one day. Drew came in holding the lunch and ran right up to her; she had smiled at him and hugged him back when he had clamped himself around her leg. The other nurses were taken with him, and he had gotten more candy from them with his smile than most other kids did for not screaming when they got an injection. Damion had also been a hit and they had tried to crack him for information, they had nearly succeeded at that if Melissa hadn't saved him from them. The pair had made more visits and people were always asking when Drew was coming into to see them.
Melissa trailed her hand over her stomach and felt the twins moving, soon they would be born and then her new family would be complete. Ten and half months was a long time, but she had four weeks left now, so not long and then it would be over and the real job would begin. This time however she was in a strangely working relationship and not with just Derek and Damion, which gave her a full warm feeling when she thought about it.
Soon she would start her maternity leave, and then well she might not be going back to the hospital if running the charity foundation that Damion had created to consolidate all his charity work, worked out. She would miss the girls at work, but a more nine to five set up would be so much better for the babies and for her.
The twins moved and she felt a twinge, Melissa frowned and looked at her stomach. "Well I guess we're going to be meeting sooner that I thought. This could be interesting." Melissa said to herself. She grabbed her robe and shook her head at the timing.