Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks for following and favorting, special shout out to the first reviewer of this story; saulmendez7 I really appreciate it.

I just realized that I named the surviving girl Sara Blake, same last name as Julia Baccari's alias Jennifer Blake. Obviously no relation there, but I thought I should clarify it.

Also I also wrote some more backstory for Peter, deviating from canon. Making him less of an inherent creep and giving him a more legitimate reason for being so obsessed with rebuilding and avenging the dead Hale pack/family. Cuz quite frankly I hated that he was portrayed as this evil creep, manipulating young Derek just for the heck of it. Don't get me wrong I liked the implication visionary was telling the audience, that not every narrator can be reliable. However in my opinion they should've simply used Ian Bohan in the flashbacks as Peter cuz he was a grown man at that point. And they shouldn't have made him this creepy twenty something stalking his fifteen year old nephew like come on, that was way out of character. They could've easily made it so that Peter had simply suggested turning Paige or even set up the meeting with Ennis, or alternatively held Derek back when he tried to stop Ennis. There were so many options, yet they picked one where Peter is literally doing it just for kicks cuz you can't tell me he was jealous of Derek. Since that would imply that Peter is some loser who can't charm women which we know isn't the case lol. Anyways that was my ted talk, onto the story.

We all have two wolves inside us.

One is kind and generous, and moves toward the light.

The other is violent and angry, and brings despair.

The two wolves are always fighting but only one will win.

''which one?''

The one you feed.

~Inbetween~

''It's never one single event, more often than not it is a compilation of many different things coming together creating a certain outcome.'' Deaton explains to them.

''So if you had to say, what caused this outcome?'' Lydia asks tiredly, they'd been on the run for weeks since the hunters got the military involved.

''Many things, most if which happened as a result of the Hale fire which marked the beginning of this cataclysm. Such as the reawakening of the Nematon'' Deaton answers carefully, knowing the reawakening of the Nematon would never have a positive effect on the McCall pack.

''Why would that trace back to the Hale fire? I mean from what Peter told us the Hale fire happened after the alpha pack was formed. And the creation of the Alpha pack is the reason Julia Baccari became the darach and her actions forced us to reactivate the Nematon. And if we hadn't then she would've done so by killing our parents anyways.'' Stiles counters sounding just as tired as Lydia looks.

Deaton smiles tightly, ''It's true that Deucalion was blinded before the Hale fire occurred and that he killed one of his beta's straight afterwards. However his pack didn't just consist the beta's he'd brought with him to the peace summit or the one beta that came to the clinic, there were many more members of his pack either at their lodgings or in their hometown.''

''So what? He waited until after the fire to kill those too?'' Theo asks joining the rest of the pack in the living room of one of their safe houses.

''No, many left his pack when it became known that Deucalion might not gain his eyesight back.'' Deaton says, ''others tried to achieve the same goal as the beta Deucalion had already killed, you can imagine the results that hailed.''

Malia shifts slightly in her seat, she'd only known Deucalion for a short while before he became one of the first casualties in this war. But she knew he was a powerful, feared and revered alpha yet he was gunned down so effortlessly… it scared her to think about how easily an alpha could be killed, any alpha, no matter their reputation or strength.

''So he lost his sight and his pack at the same time.'' Scott says sympathizing with his former enemy turned mentor.

Nodding Deaton continues, ''he thought he'd lost everything.''

''Thought?'' Liam asks.

''Indeed, for he did lose a lot but he hadn't lost everything, not yet.'' Deaton proceeds. Usually he would've kept the secrets of the past in close confidence but in times of war, where life is fleeting it was important to share as much knowledge as possible when you were still able to do so. ''Deucalion was a born wolf, born to a human mother. They moved to the US, Beacon Hills when he was in his early teens. The Hale family took him under their wing, he was a part of their pack until one day his golden eyes turned red.''

Confusion swept through the air, ''That's how Deucalion discovered his father had been an alpha and in the same moment he realized he'd never get to meet him.''

''His father passed his alpha status to his son, not his beta?'' Hayden asks surprised.

''Yes and though he would've been more than welcome to stay, he chose to leave and start a pack of his own.'' Deaton says, ''So when his pack abandoned him in his hour of need, he hadn't lost everyone because at the end of the day he was family to the Hales.''

''They took him in.'' Lydia whispers.

Nodding Deaton continues, ''He stayed there, protected and cared for like he had been all those years ago, until he was yet again ready to strike out on his own. He was out of town when the Hale house burned down, that's when he decided to create the alpha pack.''

Stiles frowns, ''But if that is true, wouldn't Peter and Derek have known Deucalion?''

Shaking his head Deaton responds, ''Not necessarily, Derek was only three and Peter a mere ten years old when Deucalion left to start his own pack elsewhere. Peter might remember a beta living with them but I doubt he remembered him as Deucalion.''

''How old was Deucalion when he started his own pack?'' Scott asks genuinely wanting to know more about Deucalion's past.

''About eighteen years old.''

Frowning even deeper Stiles turns to Deaton, ''How old are you anyways? You say this stuff like you were there witnessing it.''

Chuckling Deaton turns to Stiles, ''Not as old as you might think but not as young as I could be.'' After all some mysteries should remain just that, mysteries.

Stiles throws his hands in the air out of exasperation, while the others chuckle at their antics before gunfire cuts through any joy that filled the room.

Startling awake Malia swings out her claws, ready to fight for her family. Someone is knocking on her door, swallowing she tiptoes towards the window, carefully peeking through the dated curtains. Letting out a breath as she spots Jessica Reyes at her front door, a big truck in her driveway.

Rushing she pulls on her clothes, brushes her teeth and washes her face before running downstairs. At the door she takes a deep breath, willing the dizziness away.

Swinging the door open she greets Jessica and…

''Scott.'' Malia breaths out.

Jessica's smile turns to confusion, ''Hey Malia, I didn't know you knew Scott? Anyways I hope it's okay for me to bring Erica and Scott with me. It had totally slipped my mind that I had set up this play date, but then thought why not just take them with me. They're good kids, won't cause any trouble promise.'' She rambled on while Malia stared at Scott.

Snapping back to Jessica she smiles, ''Its fine, really.'' Waving the kids in, ''The tv is a bit old but it works? And I have a uhm no toys.'' She says frowning.

''That's fine, they'll entertain each other. Besides they can explore your beautiful property.'' Jessica responds admiring the woods surrounding the house.

''Uhm yeah, will you excuse me for a second?'' Malia says breathing rapidly accelerating. Running up the stairs she locks herself in the bathroom, gasping for air as she crumbles to the floor.

A few minutes later she's awoken by Jessica's voice calling her from the staircase, ''You okay up there, Malia?''

Nausea climbs up in her throat, she shift towards the toilet emptying her stomach into it. ''Yeah I'm-'' She tries to reassure her but fails miserably as another wave of nausea cuts her off mid-sentence, prompting the other woman to scale the stairs to check if she's okay.

Knocking on the bathroom door Jessica worries for her new friend. She's awfully skinny, moved here with no apparent support and for what little she has told her, has lost too much already. That's not even mentioning the scars that litter her arms and throat areas.

''I don't want to overstep my boundaries but I want you to know that I'm here for you. My father served overseas, I saw how hard it was for him to readjust back into civilian life and I thought that maybe you were finding it difficult to readjust too?'' Jessica's voice tips down to a whisper, thinking back to the advice her father gave her when she told him about meeting Malia.

''I don't know what the right thing to do is, dad. I want to help her but I don't know how to, she acts like she walked straight of off the battlefield.'' Jessica explained to her father at dinner. ''And I know so little about her, maybe if I knew some more of her history I could be of more help.''

Her father looked interested, ''I could ask some of my contacts for more information on her, or you could simply let her tell you herself when she's ready…'' he said looking at his daughter pointedly. ''The most important thing is giving her support in whatever way she needs, don't push.''

The bathroom door suddenly swings open, ''Thanks, I've always found it difficult to discuss my feelings. I'm just no good at it you know?'' Malia smiles, face white clearly trying to dismiss the topic.

''Yeah, I get it.'' Taking her father's advice Jessica shifts the topic, ''How about I make us some lunch before we get started on unloading the truck?''

Letting out a deep breath, Malia nods. ''That sounds great.'' She says trying to ignore the pain tearing through her as she smells Scotts scent after so long, realizing that he smells…wrong. Maybe different would be a better way to describe it but to her it just smelled utterly wrong, like a completely different person impersonating her husband.

…

''Why isn't William here?'' Cora whines.

Laura turns to her younger sister with an amused smile and raises an eyebrow, ''Why aren't you at school?''

Cora huffs in annoyance, ''Cuz there were lots of mice there and miss Baccari says that mice can make you sick, so we all have to stay home while the mice keepers come to capture them.''

Smirking at her sisters explanation she decides to throw her a bone, ''He's at work'' Cora whines in response to that news, ''But he'll be coming over for dinner tonight.''

Shrieking Cora runs to mother, demanding they eat at Sheila's diner tonight.

''Cora, I told you he's eating here not that we were going out to Sheila's!'' she yells after her sister.

''You really think that's gonna reach Cora's ears? Come now Laura when it comes to Will, Cora might as well be feral.'' A brunet woman chuckles in the door opening.

Getting up Laura embraces the other woman, ''Caroline, how are you feeling?''

''Pretty well, just hope the nausea stage will pass soon.'' She answers, rubbing her slightly protruding stomach. ''Anyways I came to see where my husband is hid-''

Talia suddenly rushes past them towards the door.

''What's the matter mom?'' Laura asks sensing her mother's fear.

''Hunters shot one of Ennis's beta's in the woods last night, I can't reach Peter or Derek.'' Talia explains urgently, Laura and Caroline move to follow her.

''Caroline could you stay here and watch the kids, James is on his way home. Laura, follow me.'' Nodding Caroline stays behind at the Hale estate waiting for news of her husband and his nephew.

A few hours later Talia and Laura return, Derek and Peter in tow.

''Peter'' Caroline rushes to her husband embracing him tightly.

''I'm fine.'' He grumbles, burying himself deeper in her embrace. Taking in her scent he checks if she's alright. ''How're you feeling?''

Squeezing the life out of him she answers, not letting him go anytime soon. ''Perfectly well, now that you're back home safe and sound.''

''Come on inside you disgusting love birds'' Cora hollers from inside the house, causing said love birds to break apart laughing.

''I wonder where she learned to say that.'' Caroline giggles.

''She sounds more and more like Talia every day, I swear.'' He says pulling her towards the house.

…

She doesn't know why she agreed to go back to the department store for some much needed kids toys and a new tv for the house. Then for some reason she agreed to accompany them to drop Scott off at the hospital afterwards but it was good that she did. If she didn't she would've missed out on valuable information.

She waits in the hallway of the hospital as Jessica brings Scott to Melissa, she isn't ready to see her yet.

Deputy Stilinski enters the hospital with two other deputies at his back, ''Somebody called for a... Whoa.''

''I want his body. It belongs to me... both halves.'' Ennis growls out approaching Noah intimidatingly. Pain and grief radiating off of him.

''First off... you need to step back. I'm just a deputy. I do what I'm told. And right now they're telling me there's a young man who was shot in the throat with an arrow and literally cut in half. This is a homicide investigation.'' Deputy Stilinski responds trying to deescalate the situation. ''Second, no matter how close you were... you're not related.''

''He was family to me.'' Ennis says, anger intermingling with the pain and grief.

The deputies heave a sigh of relieve when Ennis and his beta's leave the hospital without saying anything else. Then she gets spotted.

''Shit.'' She exclaims before pulling a magazine of the table next to her and trying to hide herself behind it.

''Care if I join you?'' Noah asks as he slides into the seat next to Malia's.

Putting the failed cover away, she smiles awkwardly at him, ''It's a free country right?''

''That it is, Malia…'' He says clearly fishing for a last name.

She thanks her lucky stars she managed to get her fake identity in order last night. Luckily the coyote they'd used during the war was still in business or rather was in the business already. ''Malia Stitch and your Noah Stilinski.''

''Good memory.'' He laughs, ''hope that back there didn't startle you?''

''No, I'm used to it.'' Malia responded honestly.

''Remember if you want to make the lie believable stick close to the truth then you can't trip on your own lies.'' Stiles said as he handed out the fake ID's in case they need to flee the country.

Derek scowls as he reads his ID, ''Really Stiles? Miguel Calavera from Mexico?''

''What? You do speak Spanish, don't you?'' Stiles said in his defense.

''And don't give too much information, just enough to seem normal but don't overdo it or they'll get suspicious.'' Breadon added.

''You know there are many programs helping out veterans coming back stateside.'' Noah says hoping she'll take the help, so few vets do.

Malia's head snaps up at this, ''I'm not…I don't…'' unable to explain or really form a thought on the matter. She'd never enlisted but she had fought on the battlefield, lived through war. It made her a warrior, a fighter, a killer but she never considered herself a soldier. I mean she'd told the coyote to write something explaining her scars away and he had suggested giving her a military background but she wasn't sure what he'd put down. She did know that he had fiddled with Ethan and Aidens family tree, creating a birth certificate stating that she is the half sister of their dead father.

''You don't have to explain. You, and I could completely be wrong, but you look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. And I just wanted to let you know that there are people willing to help you.'' Noah smiles at her, ''I found that writing down my troubles helps, if I had a tough case then I'd write it down. That way I still carry it with me but I can put it down and pick it back up when I'm ready.''

''Telling your story without actually telling anyone.'' Malia says nodding in understanding.

Standing up he reaches into his jacket pocket, retrieving a small notebook before handing it over to her, ''Here, I got two for the price of one. One for myself and one for a friend.''

Then he walks away leaving her alone enveloped in his trusted scent, holding his present to her with the care one would a newborn. She inhales deeply, the same scent. Smells like coffee, leather and somewhat of curly fries. Not to mention the cologne he would still where ten years from now.

…

That night she sneaks around the abandoned distillery just outside of Beacon Hills, skillfully hiding her scent. She's early and apparently not the only one.

''Why do you like me?'' Paige asks.

Derek looks at frowning a bit, ''What's that supposed to mean?''

Smiling, Paige asks again. ''Why do you like me?''

''Why do you think I like you?'' he smirks back.

''Honestly, I think, at first, you liked me because I didn't like you.'' Paige answers looking down a bit.

Derek responds smiling a bit more, ''So now you're worried that now that I know you like me that I'm gonna stop liking you?''

It's alarming to see Derek, even young Derek with anyone other than Breaden. It feels like a betrayal she should be stopping, biting back a growl she averts her eyes calming herself down.

''Not worried. Just wondering when.''

''What if I never stop liking you?'' Derek asks, making Paige smile in return.

As they're about to kiss Derek looks up and away from Paige. ''What? Did you hear something? What's wrong?''

Derek looks around, concerned by the scent in the air. ''Something happened here.''

''What do you mean?''

''I caught a scent. It's blood.'' He explains before pivoting as he hears some twigs snap nearby, ''All right, now I definitely heard something.''

''Derek, I don't hear anything.''

''We have to go. Come on. Let's go.'' Grabbing her hand they leave through the backdoor, just before the wolf packs enter the distillery via the front door.

''There. You see it? They dragged him here, an arrow in his throat, and they hung him and cut him in half. They killed one of ours.'' Ennis tells the crowd passionately.

Kali interjects, ''One of yours. Why should I care about one of your pack?''

''Cause the hunters don't discern packs, especially the Argents.'' Laura responds, more sympathetic to Ennis' plight.

Deucalion joins the discussion, questioning Ennis. ''But they do discern motive. Ennis, why did they kill him?''

An arrogant beta of Deucalion swaggers up to Ennis, ''Because your young, naive beta killed one of them.''

''Marco.'' Deucalion warns.

''He killed a hunter, didn't he?'' The beta named Marco antagonized further.

Clenching his jaw, Ennis go's chest to chest against this Marco and answers. ''Accidentally.''

Marco. That must be the beta who tried to usurp Deucalion's power after he lost his sight. She wonders what she should do with that guy. After all it took a while and going to literal hell for Theo to grow a soul but he did redeem himself.

A wolfs howl breaks through the clearing along with many other footsteps. The rest of the Hale pack had arrived, Talia, James, Peter and some other beta's she didn't recognize. The other packs move to make place for the Hale pack, for Talia as she shifts back to human form. Laura drapes a long vest over her mother's shoulders.

''It's his right. We're not the only people to adhere to rituals thousands of years old.'' Talia tells them sagely.

Deucalion responds, ''Which is no excuse for not evolving.''

''They ripped his claws right out of his fingers. How is that evolving? Useless debate. I'm done with it.'' Ennis exclaims walking over to the distilleries wall, leaning against it still deciding.

''Ennis, don't. Don't make us part of a historical cliché. With two such powers, it never ends at an eye for an eye. A skirmish becomes a war. A murder becomes a massacre. And we end up no better than our enemies.'' Deucalion pleads.

Ennis ignores Deucalion's advice and marks the wall with their symbol of vendetta.

She doesn't even hear the screeching of Ennis' claws as Deucalion's words echo through her mind, truer words have never been spoken. She remains hidden as all the packs leave the distillery.

She shifts and enters the distillatory after everyone has left, or so she thought. Tracing Ennis' mark for vendetta with her hand she's suddenly interrupted.

''Ah the elusive coyote finally shows her face.''

A/N: Well as you can see I deviated from canon quite a bit in this one, but like I stated above I felt it necessary. Hope you guys like it though!

Review, follow, favorite. Let me know what you think! Reviews are greatly appreciated