Author's note: I was looking for a quote to use in this chapter when I found this:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ― Martin Luther King Jr.
After the finale I think it suits Deucalion's storyline - and this story as well.
"How's our patient?"
Deucalion's unmistakable deep voice echoed between the walls as he spoke, making both Deaton and Kim slowly turn to face him. She looked at him, suspiciously following every single movement as he walked closer to the table Ennis was lying on. For a second he looked like a friend who had just jumped in to see if everything was okay with the other alpha but Kim knew it wasn't true. It couldn't be true.
At the same time, though, a part of her was happy to see him and, however cliché it sounded, her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. Ever since they had talked about that evening she was torn between her hate and love for Deucalion. The man standing next to her slowly took of his rubber gloves and the snapping sound brought her back to reality.
"Out cold," he replied coldly.
Deucalion's expression remained unreadable as he took a few steps closer to the table. "And the prognoses?" he asked.
"Surprisingly optimistic," Deaton replied. "He's gonna make it."
Kim envied his confidence because she didn't even know if she could open her mouth and say anything at the moment. She wasn't expecting Deucalion to show up, not like this and not after she had just found out Ennis was still alive.
Biting her lower lip she kept staring at the alpha, watching as he walked over to the badly injured werewolf and leaned down to him. Something was wrong and as her gaze shifted to Deaton for a second she knew he was thinking about the very same thing. Then Deucalion put his hand on Ennis' face, his fingers slowly closing around his skull as his claws dug deep into the skin. Kim instinctively took a step back, now standing partly behind the vet who hadn't moved.
It happened so quickly she didn't even realize what she had just witnessed. The alpha's skull was broken by Deucalion who looked quite satisfied with himself. Once again, in the same building, he turned on one of his own, except this time it wasn't self-defense. It was murder at its purest form.
"I think you might have overestimated his odds," the alpha stated casually as he turned around to leave. "Kimberly, come with me. We need to talk."
"I don't think so."
Deucalion stopped and turned his head towards her. "I said-"
"I know what you said but after what I've just seen I don't exactly feel safe around you," she interrupted him angrily.
He took a deep breath then slowly let it out. "Don't start it again."
Suddenly Kim felt like laughing. It wasn't the kind of laugh that came after a good joke but the one that resembled the mix of fear and helplessness she felt. "If there's anyone starting anything here it's you," she told him.
"He wouldn't do anything to you, Kim." She looked over at Deaton with a questioning look but he only shook his head in response.
"Are you sure after what happened?"
"Trust me."
Her gaze turned back to Deucalion who was still waiting for her. He had said, after all, that he wouldn't hurt her therefore going with him for a little chat couldn't be that dangerous. "Fine," she agreed with a sigh and went after the alpha.
He led her to the main entrance of the clinic where he sat down on a chair and motioned towards the one next to him. Kim only stood there for a few seconds, hesitating whether or not she should do as he said but his expression told her it would be better if she sat down. So she did and then waited for him to say something, anything that would break the silence.
But Deucalion remained silent.
"Why did you want me to see it?" she asked quietly, talking about what he had done to Ennis. She could still hear the bone breaking in her head.
"Because, darling," he started, "this is what will happen to Peter Hale if you don't stay away from him."
There they were again: Peter. Maybe he had been right and Deucalion was jealous but after all those years he had no right to tell her what to do. It wasn't working that way. "Duke, just explain why is it so important to you," she asked him softly.
"If you stay away from him, you will stay away from all of this." It was logical but she had already heard this reason. Then came the other part of his usual reasoning when he said, "All I want is you to be safe."
"Leaving Peter won't keep me away from solving the problem with your pack," she pointed out.
"It's not a problem."
"It is for me. For us," Kim corrected herself. "This is why I came here and I won't leave until we made any kind of progress. They are only kids, Duke."
Deucalion let out a sigh as he turned to her. If she didn't know better she would have sworn he was watching her through his sunglasses as if he wasn't blind at all. But he was and she had been right here with him when he found it out. He reached out to touch her face but she moved away. "I don't want to talk about that, Kimberly, but the situation is a bit more complicated now than I've expected before. Move into the penthouse where I can protect you."
Could it be that he was genuinely worried about her well-being? The way he talked seemed honest, just like the disappointed expression on his face when she had avoided his hand. "What do you want to protect me from exactly?"
"The Darach," he replied.
Of course you know about it, she thought. "I can protect myself and I guess we're getting closer and closer to find it."
"Even though I know and almost appreciate Chris Argent's expertise when it comes to hunting I'd still be happier if you kept yourself away from it," Deucalion explained. Strangely enough what he had just said about Chris seemed to be true but it wasn't all that surprising. She was with him when Gerard attacked them and he knew her father trusted him as well. "I'm serious, Kim. The Darach might want to use you against me and I can't let it happen."
Kim took a deep breath and quickly thought about it. "I'll say yes on one very important term: I can keep working with Chris. You want me in the penthouse? Fine, but I won't sit out this mess, don't even think about it."
"No."
"Then I'll stay with Peter," she replied nonchalantly as she stood up, ready to leave.
His hand reached for her arm to stop her. "You'll call me every two hours so I know you're okay," he started seriously, "and you'll move in tonight."
"Deal. But you have to leave Peter out of this. No revenge for me being with him," she clarified.
"Kim."
"Duke, I'm serious."
Letting out a sigh in defeat, the alpha stood up and nodded before gently kissing her forehead. "Alright," he said before leaving the clinic.
That was it. He simply left and Kim was standing there, trying to figure out what was happening. Of course, she had just agreed to move into an apartment full of alphas. If it wasn't the definition of suicide she didn't know what else could be. Shaking her head she walked back to Deaton who was waiting for hear but before she could say anything they heard someone shout outside.
Once silence fell on the clinic again, she leaned her hip against an empty table and asked, "Why were you so sure he wouldn't hurt me?"
"Because you're important to him," he replied as if that was so obvious. "I remember the last time the two of you were here. We saw you with Talia and she agreed that he loved you. He still does, I believe."
"It doesn't matter anymore."
Deaton folded his arms over his chest, his brown eyes set on her. "Do you love him?"
"Like I said, it doesn't matter," she replied with a shrug.
"It does, Kim, because it would give you the power to distract him long enough to give us some time if we needed it."
Power? There was no way only loving him could be enough, especially when the loved one was a total psychopath. "Deaton, even if he loves me he can go all crazy and hurt me," she replied. "Don't get me wrong, I know why helping you is important, but I don't exactly want to die yet."
The doc laughed. "You don't understand, do you? He doesn't only love you, this feeling is much deeper. Tell me what happened the last time you were here," he added after a short break.
"You said you and Talia had seen it all."
"We didn't see everything and what I want to hear is what you felt back then while you were talking to him. You had just found out that your father was dead yet you didn't fall apart right away. What happened?"
Kim looked around. This place had barely changed since that day. Back then Deucalion was standing right where she was now, waiting for Deaton with fear and confusion on his mind. Even though the others were there with him she saw it wasn't good enough, that their presence in some way only made it worse for him. After they left him alone Kim walked in to talk to him and upon seeing the expression on his face she knew something was wrong.
"Well, the moment I saw him I knew something was wrong," she said out loud, avoiding Deaton's gaze. "I knew my father was dead but at the same time I was happy to see he was alive. I... I don't know he just made me forget about the loss of my father and everything else for a while. Something was clouding my mind or I don't know Deaton," she snapped as tears streamed down her cheek. "I didn't understand it back then and I don't understand it now. All I know is that he was terrified and I didn't know how I could help him."
Deaton didn't say anything for a while, only watched as Kim wiped away the tears with her hand. She wanted to leave but she respected him enough to stay and wait for him. After what seemed to be an eternity, he finally spoke up.
"If I'm right, if we were right with Talia that day," he corrected himself, "this is exactly how he feels around you. He would protect you at all costs because defending you is now a part of his nature."
A part of his nature, she repeated in herself. "What does that supposed to mean?
"You are, as you would say in the case of a real wolf as well, his mate. I have no idea what was going on between the two of you but it had a very strong effect on him. And this is exactly why and how you can help."
"I don't think I can do it, Deaton," she said while shaking her head. "He makes me weak and I'm afraid if I spend a lot of time with him I'll fail you all. I'm going to move into the penthouse but helping... I don't know if it could work."
"Lao Tzu once said, 'being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage'. It's true and this is why I'm sure you'll be alright," he replied.
Kim closed her eyes and sighed in defeat.
Author's note: Thank you all for the support. I don't even know what to say because the finale was PERFECT for this story so yay! All the Deucalion feels. In the next chapter we will say goodbye to Peter for a while because now comes Deucalion - finally.
Anyway, meanwhile, and terribly slowly, I'm working on the next chapter of my other fanfic, The human in monster disguise. There will be a time jump but at least Coach will make his appearance - and there will be a little twist in who he is.