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Social, Mystery,

The Once and Future Alpha Plot

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Players
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NPCs

Cora Hale

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Beacon Hills Pack

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Music

"Welcome Back, Kotter" Theme Song

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Derek is about to call Cora to bring her home when she arrives at the house. Stiles introduces Malia to Cheetos.

March 20, 2017
Hale House

One thing after another kept delaying Derek from acting on his impulse, but finally he has made up his mind. Resolved, resolute, he sets the stuffed bunny named Pig down on the bed and seats himself too. Leaning slightly to slide his phone out of his pocket, he takes a deep breath. This will be difficult: lots of memories that were never pleasant, too many tricks, traps, and entanglements.

But Malia's story demands attention, and further, it demands action. As the alpha, or at least one alpha of the town, Derek is responsible for this. He has to do it. He has to call Cora and get her back to Beacon Hills from where she's staying in Mexico, even if he has to go down there himself and bring her back personally.

Stiles isn't in the room, but he's nearby. Sprawled on the couch in the living room with his computer open in front of him and a bag of Cheetos near to hand, he's trying to force himself to work on that big literature term paper. Ms. Faye might not seem to have much interest in him as a supernatural being, but she's shown plenty of interest in making his life a living hell as his English teacher. Knowing what Derek is grappling with in the next room doesn't make this any easier, of course, but since Stiles isn't really sure how he can help just now, he's trying to focus on at least /something/ productive. So far, it's not really working.

It's true, it had been an odd couple of weeks and not just for Malia. Going from coyote to two-legger was still a work in progress and while Stiles had discovered some new information about her past, Malia had not pursued it, mostly for her own reasons. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. At least, not yet

Then of course there had been that whole everyone losing their voice thing. That had seemed to end well, more or less, so she'd been told, since she and Derek had stayed back to continue patrolling. If nothing else, the event had lead to her meeting, even if only by sight and scent, Angel. She was still sorting out her feelings about that. While willing to listen to Derek and Stiles when they reassured her Angel was the good kind of vampire, her instincts didn't buy it.

So, Malia had had a bit on her mind since then too, and out of respect for Derek, she hadn't asked him about whatever he had been thinking about. All she knew was it was clear he had been and she figured his silence meant he didn't want to share. She was fine with that, it meant she didn't have to share either. Malia is just coming in from a walk, with Ted so she wasn't by herself and badgers are fearsome when cornered. She nods to Stiles and heads towards him, smelling the Cheetos.

Derek sighs, just staring at the phone. He suddenly gets to his feet and just walks out the door, to join the others since Malia has obviously just arrived back at the house. He recognizes all the scents, and Ted among them, though the latter is steadily retreating back to his local place around the house's grounds.

The gruff, stubbly alpha stalks over to the couch and leans on it without a word, phone in one hand. He hasn't made the call yet.

Stiles looks up at Malia, reaching for the bag of Cheetos to offer her some, but then Derek appears. Stiles notes his approach, then snatches up the bag, scrambles up onto the couch, and sits precariously on the back of it. Leaning toward Derek (in a move that will almost certainly send him tumbling to the ground within a few moments), he attempts to feed the brooding Sourwolf a Cheeto. Meanwhile, his other hand shoves the bag back toward Malia, silently offering it up for sampling. Meanwhile, riding this perfect (and definitely fleeting) moment of balance, Stiles says, "You didn't call yet." It's clearly not a question. (And by now, he's already sliding out of balance. Fall is imminent.)

Malia looks to Derek as he enters, giving him a nod in greeting. Stiles' sudden movements draw her attention immediately back to him as she watches him curiously. However, she is not about to turn down a whatever that cheesy smelling thing is. She snatches one out of the bag, moving closer so that if Stiles falls one way, she'll likely be able to catch. She figures Derek has it covered on the other side.

It's when Stiles mentions the call that Malia looks back to Derek. She'd noted the phone in his hand, but hadn't registered the significance. People seem to use those things all the time. Given Stiles' tone, she is guessing this is something more, and so now Derek is on the receiving end of her curious look.

Derek gives Stiles a curious, tentative look, but he leans up to take the cheeto between his teeth. His free hand is extended with the strong arm, to support Stiles. The younger man's tendency to place himself in precarious positions is almost always accounted for now. No Stiles-injury!

Derek uses teeth and tongue to pull the crunchy snack into his mouth, and he chews as he shakes his head. Stiles is right; he hasn't called yet. Something about the whole matter is a lot more daunting than it should be.

Maybe Stiles just knew Derek would support him. Maybe at this point he doesn't even stop to wonder or worry about these things. But, seeing both of the others take him up on his offer of snackfoods, he smiles and leans easily against Derek's arm, finding his balance sufficiently to shift around and sit on the back of the couch. (Still probably not a great idea, but definitely less of an impending crashing-to-the-floor hazard.) He munches a Cheeto, too, then offers the bag around in an arc between the other two. Once he's finished chewing, he says, "You're going to call her, Derek. We both know it. You're just..." He doesn't say /afraid/. Instead he frowns mildly and shrugs. "You're just worried about what it means, and you don't want to put her in danger. I totally get that." He raises both eyebrows, then, and tilts his head forward, giving a /this is totally my serious face/ look. "But you've still gotta call her. You're making the right decision, here."

Malia chews on her Cheeto shortly after Derek crunches on his. Cheesy. Crunchy. We have a winner. Cheese, she is discovering, makes most things taste better. She's not sure there is any actual cheese on this thing, but it tastes like it which is good enough for her. Malia is not a picky eater. But, since she knows what she likes, she reaches into the bag for another one, her crunching being her only immediate addition to the conversation.

Then Stiles speaks, adding some more words which give Malia something to consider. It's clear whatever is going on is something Stiles and Derek have talked about and the only 'her' she can think of that fits the criteria is Cora. So, Malia, not the most sensitive of souls, just flat out asks. "Cora?" It's clear from the slight wrinkle in her brow she's not completely sure, but the effect is lessened somewhat as she takes another Cheeto and munches on it.

It's probably cheese. It says it's cheese, and Derek hasn't really had want or need to examine this in greater detail. He would like to concentrate on this matter more than the one at hand, but Stiles is right and Malia is right with her guess. She receives a single nod, but Derek's eyes remain on the phone. He shakes his head once, then lifts the hand with the phone and, with that hand's thumb, tries to slide and awaken the phone from its sleep mode.

Amusingly perhaps for Stiles, he can't quite manage it with his thumb. He pulls his mouth into a thin line, brow lowering, and tries again. But he only has one arm available at the moment.

Stiles chuckles a little, sliding off the back of the couch and onto his feet without catastrophe, and wraps one arm around Derek. The other, of course, continues to helpfully hold out the bag of Cheetos. He doesn't comment on the alpha's difficulty, just hugs against him. Nodding along to Malia, he says, "She might be able to help us figure out what's going on. Plus, with things being so weird lately, maybe it'll be good for her to be here at home where there're more of us to help protect each other."

Malia nods as her guess is confirmed. She doesn't know Cora, but given whatever is going on with Derek's family, she agrees with Stiles that Derek should call her. "She should know." Know what exactly, well Malia doesn't even know everything that is going on. She also understands Derek might want to protect his sister. That thought alone brings something up for Malia and she presses her lips together slightly. She takes in a deep breath through her nose, forcing herself to let it go, relaxing her face somewhat.

Now she's just watching Derek with the phone, one eyebrow raising slightly. Then Stiles moves in to hug Derek. Malia continues to take from the Cheeto bag, trying to give Stiles a look that communicates 'I can hold that for you' in case he'd like both arms. "That's what the pack is for." She might not be an expert on exactly how the pack thing works, but that's her current understanding.

They do have a nice dynamic, the three here. It's like a mini-pack. And there's Ted too, so he probably counts as at least an ally.

Derek smiles a little, just for a second, letting his arm slide more around Stiles and squeeze around him. Pulling him closer still, he lifts his other hand and brings the phone to it -- there! Two-handed, this is easy. Just as he starts to sort through the contacts, there's a knock at the door.

Derek freezes in place and slowly turns to look.

Stiles looks at each of the others, quirking an eyebrow, and then shrugs. He hands off the Cheeto bag to Malia, slips away from Derek, and saunters right on over to the door to answer it. As he does so, his eyebrows raise (along with the pitch of his voice and, slightly, his heart rate). "Oh, hey, Cora," he says lamely. "We were just talking about you. Uh, welcome home... c'mon in?" And so, Stiles ushers Derek's sister inside, as astonishment and amusement vaguely battle for supremacy across his features.

The young woman who enters easily fits the part of Derek's sister. They look a lot alike, though her dark hair is worn long and straight, and they even dress in a somewhat similarly "stylish yet utilitarian" manner. For those paying close attention, even the way she moves favors him: Her motions are controlled, purposeful, and carefully balanced. Just slightly predatory. She falters only slightly when she draws near him, a flicker of emotion crossing her face. She'd been hard on Derek in the past, but given how much he's done for her since, he's more than earned her respect. Finally, showing a few cracks in the infamous Hale poker face, she offers a hesitant little smile. "Hey," she says. "I'm back." The words are perfunctory, a needless statement of the obvious, but the tone conveyed by them is one of warmth and affection. There are some things you just can't say.

Malia turns her attention towards the door at the knock, tilting her head slightly to catch the sound, listening for the person on the other side. She also takes in a deep breath, her nostrils flaring slightly, trying to pick up a scent. She gladly takes the bag of Cheetos from Stiles but refrains from eating more until whoever is at the door comes in. Ah, so this is Cora.

Malia watches the other young woman carefully, assessingly and generally likes what she sees. While Cora smells of some rather far away places, the way she moves definitely reminds her of Derek. She remains silent while they greet one another, but as soon as it seems appropriate, she'll hold out the bag towards Cora. Malia refrains from calling it 'cheesy crunchy happy snack' and uses the name on the bag. "Cheeto?" See, she's offering people food! She's learning, even if her timing still needs work.

It's surprising, even shocking, and for as much to show in Derek's face is even more dramatic than it would be for most. His tendency for understatement is legendary, and present company will know it. But after there's an instant of shock and surprise, Derek simply slides his phone in his pocket and moves in Cora's direction, reaching out to embrace her to him tightly, just for an instant before letting her go again. "Peter's back. We're all in danger."

Part of which she might have assumed, or at least assumed something was up, from the house being there and like new. Derek quietly clears his throat, after that, and lifts a hand to gesture vaguely. "I found Pig."

Stiles steps back, arms folding across his chest, to lean against the back of the couch and look over at Malia face set in a /Well, what the odds of that?/ kind of expression with lips pursed and eyebrows raised. Then he shrugs, reaching for a handful of Cheetos, and settles into the moment. It's an important one, he knows, for Derek.

As for Cora, she hugs her brother and then looks up at him as they part, giving a single snort of laughter. "What else is new?" she asks, then looks around the room more, slowly shaking her head. Some might comment on how it really is all back or how surreal it is to see the fire's work undone, but she does not. It's clear enough in her body language, of course. Then, cocking an eyebrow, she declares, "I'm hungry. It was a long flight." And she's making her way into the kitchen, giving Malia a serviceably polite, even approving nod as she passes. It's good to see some more useful-looking people around. "You better have something more than just Stiles' junk food."

Malia knows better than to stare at Derek and Cora, well maybe it's more like Stiles has told her staring can be considered rude and given this is a new person, she's trying to remember that kind of stuff. So, while she notes Derek's reaction and Cora's body language, she doesn't stare at them while they embrace. Malia looks to Stiles, catches his expression but doesn't quite read it right, thinking 'well, why not?' Although, as she does start to think about it, the timing is making her wonder. She doesn't say anything about her thoughts and instead eats another Cheeto, once Stiles has reached for a few.

After Derek speaks again, she nods in agreement. The danger thing isn't exactly new to her, just the nature of it. Cora taking it in stride bodes well. As far as the food goes, well, she certainly doesn't stock the kitchen, so she'll let Derek answer that one.

Derek waits for Cora to lead the way through, and then he passes behind her, looking over to Stiles and Malia, an unspoken invitation for them to follow. Soon they're in the kitchen, and he gravitates around the oven and stove. "No comment about Pig?" But whether or not she seems to acknowledge the discovery of her beloved stuffed animal, he moves quickly onward to motion at the other relatively new arrival. "This is Malia."

Stiles smirks a little at Malia, the reason for it not necessarily all that clear, and he hops to trail after Derek. Apparently, he finds Cora's presence more entertaining than upsetting, or maybe he's just glad to see Derek reunited with his sister. Either way, he doesn't even seem offended about the junk food comment, calling after her, "Hey, don't touch the caramel corn! I've got dibs on that."

Cora, meanwhile, walks right into the kitchen, looking around it, and visibly takes a moment to adjust. She doesn't say anything right away, instead going to the refrigerator and opening it up. Staring inside for a few moments, she finally just grabs some leftover pizza and takes it to the counter, where she hops up to sit on it and eat her findings. After a few moments, she lifts her gaze to meet Derek's and says, quietly, "Honestly, I dunno what to say about all this. The house. Our stuff. It's like a time-warp, and I'm trying not to freak out about it." She doesn't sound unhappy, just maybe a little overwhelmed, and, true to Hale form, she's not inclined to be effusive about it. So, she settles for eating cold pizza.

Malia follows after Derek, Cora, sticking close to Stiles so they can continue to snack on his junk food. She's not yet in the habit of turning down food, her instinct to eat whatever whenever still being rather strong. As such, if other food does get made, she'll likely eat some of that too. She does give a nod of acknowledgement to Cora when Derek introduces her. When Cora sits on the counter with cold pizza, well, she'll stick with the Cheetos for now. She's also interested in seeing this play out, whatever it will be, so she remains mostly quiet, her gaze shifting between the three.

"It was a gift," Derek explains. "From the Kringles." Which may not mean anything to Cora, but then it might mean enough that he doesn't have to explain at length right now. It would be better that way, he figures. "We stopped the Trickster and this was the reward. There are catacombs under the town. All over. They go from our basement." Maybe that will be suitably informative that it won't prompt any sort of freakouts.

Stiles leans against the counter, though on the opposite side of the kitchen from Cora, and mostly just keeps quiet for once as he watches the exchange. He does share the Cheetos with Malia, not at all above passing the bag back and forth, and exchanges a few thoughtful and/or knowing look with the were-coyote as Derek and his sister talk.

"Magic Christmas presents," Cora says, speaking between mouthfuls of pizza. "Weird. But cool." She avoids discussing the deeper emotional side of it all, at least for now, and gives a nod at the mention of the catacombs. That's easier to process than all the emotional stuff. "OF course they go from our basement," she says, mild annoyance showing in her tone. "And of course Peter's involved. We're killing him again, right? Better stick this time." There's no judgment in her tone. It's not like it's Derek's fault Peter came back from the dead. It's just annoying and inconvenient.

Malia nods when Derek speaks, not in a 'I was there way' more like a 'Yes, this is what they told me too' sort of way. She's been interested in the catacombs, the tunnels, but Derek has been very adamant about not going down there and she hasn't yet seen a reason to test the alpha. Besides, if it really is dangerous, she knows she needs more training fighting two legged opponents before tackling anything like that.

Malia continues to watch Cora, taking in slow deep breaths, familiarizing herself with the new scent, trying to sift through it to Cora's actual scent, past all the travel smells. Malia is watching her closely, clearly looking like she is thinking of something, but her respect for Derek and the fact that this is his sister are keeping her from saying anything. Malia catches Stiles' expression, and she wonders if he's thinking the same thing, but the fact that he at least looks thoughtful seems to confirm for her there is something worth thinking about here. A sort of round-about reassurance. As such, Malia acknowledges this by giving Stiles a brief nod before returning her attention to Cora.

"I propose we put him in a glass box," Derek rumbles, folding his arms over his chest. "Apparently killing him just gives him wiggle room." Though he does glance back at Stiles and Malia.

Malia, he figures, will be a-okay with them killing anything and anyone that gets in their way. She doesn't seem like the type to do the McCall philosophy of "maybe we can save them", especially when it's been shown that in fact the party in question is pretty fairly irredeemable. Stiles...is more complicated. He frowns softly, almost apologetically, clears his throat again and turns back to Cora. "We'll...see what happens."

"I'd also accept 'lock him in a furnace,'" Stiles snarks, but then he looks to Malia. "C'mon. We should let these two not-talk and have some time, and the Cheetos aren't making me un-hungry. Let's go pick up dinner. No way a few pieces of cold pizza are gonna be enough for her, and there's a good chance the betas'll be wanting food, too, when they come by." And they always come by, sooner or later. "I'm thinking Mexican take-out. /Nachos/." And so he leads Malia out to the Jeep, leaving the Hale siblings to talk, or not-talk, as they case may be.

Malia's eyebrows come together as she looks a bit puzzled by the glass box reference. When Derek expands on it a bit, her eyebrows lift and she nods, now getting it at least a little bit. If killing whoever this Peter is won't be enough, one of them will figure it out, and by one of them she means Stiles or Derek. If Peter is the one responsible for bringing those vile vampires into her woods like Derek has said, that's more than enough to Malia to want to rip out his throat. So yes, Derek would be correct is surmising she'll have no qualms with that type of plan.

Malia looks like she was about to maybe say something when Stiles brings up food. She looks unconvinced until he says the magic word: Nachos. With that, Malia is more than happy to go and get food with Stiles, leaving her question about how Cora even knew to come here unsaid for now.

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