Soulmates | Derek Hale - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Fire trucks and ambulances were scattered all around the burning Hale house, cops had begun to flood in searching for the cause, but none of that was noticed by the remaining Hales.
Peter was surrounded by paramedics, the humans marvelled that he was still breathing, acting quickly to get him back to the hospital. Kieran was almost healed, standing beside his uncle has they attended to him.
Maeve sat on the bench that her and Derek had claimed as their own, staring out at the pond blankly, Dean half asleep at her side. Maeve was exhausted just like the nine year old, but she couldn't sleep, she could barley shut her eyes without the moments prior haunting her thoughts.
A disheveled sheriff parked his cruiser beside one of the fire trucks, looking sternly down at his son who sat in the passenger seat, gazing at the house in bewilderment. Noah Stilinski too was exhausted, riddled by grief of the passing of his wife, but hearing the tragedy that happened, he couldn't not come back into work.
"Stiles, stay in the car," Noah demanded, closing the door to the car but Stiles had already rolled down the window.
"But dad!" Stiles protested, practically dangling out of the window as he tried to look past the many vehicles to see what was happening.
"Stay," Noah told him once more, turning away from his sulking son, making his way under the police tape onto the scene.
The majority of the blast had been put out, but fire still burnt its way through the house, clouds of smoke slowly making their way up into the sky.
Noah's eyes widened at the sight of Peter being moved into the ambulance, his body completely covered in burns. Noticing the eldest Hale sibling climb into the ambulance beside him, Noah nodded sympathetically at Kieran, the newly turned wolf smiling slightly in return.
One of the firefighters stopped beside the sheriff, whistling in surprise at the state of Peter, "I'm surprised anyone made it out of there, the other survivors would've ended up looking like him if it wasn't for that girl."
Noah looked to him in confusion, "There were more survivors?"
"One of the kids wife went running in, dragged the rest of 'em out before the structure collapsed," the dark haired firefighter recited, "The whole things so sad, never thought I'd be seeing a fire like this again, I'll tell you that."
Noah nodded slowly, glancing around the Hale property for the rest of the survivors, figuring they'd be in or close by to an ambulance.
Spotting the familiar blonde hair in the distance, Noah raced forward in a panic "Maeve!"
Looking over her shoulder, Maeve stood up in relief at the familiar face, leaving Dean sat on the bench asleep as she walked away.
"Thank god you're alright," Noah sighed as he pulled his intern into a hug, Maeve tearfully leant her head on his chest "Maeve?"
Noah and Maeve had grown close over the months she had interned at the station, and for Noah, knowing this was the daughter of the woman he used to love, he couldn't help but feel responsible for her.
Maeve kept her gaze on the floor, refusing to look up as her tears now rolled of her cheeks, "Maeve, look at me."
"They're gone-" Maeve whispered, her voice barley there, looking up at Noah hesitantly "Everyone, there all gone."
"Hey, Hey, listen to me," Noah placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down to look her in the eyes,"You risked your life in there to save them boys. They're going to be alright. And so are you."
Maeve smiled sadly, glancing over to check on Dean, only to look back at Noah in confusion as shouting echoed over the sounds of the fire trucks.
Seth Hale sprinted out from behind one of the vans, sighing in relief as he spotted his youngest son lying on the bench, "Dean!"
"Dad!" Dean blinked awake, rushing up off the bench to run over to his father.
Staring at the house, Seth was silent, he instantly knew, his eyes darkening in grief. Loosing his family, his old family, was one thing, but having them die knowing that they hated him, was an another.
"Maeve?" Seth greeted in surprise, walking forward reluctantly knowing the girls dislike of him.
"Maeve, Kieran, Dean, and Peter were the only survivors," Noah informed him, the werewolf taking a step back in shock.
"Derek," Maeve muttered, glancing up at the two adults in alarm, "I dont know where Derek is. He left with Laura-"
"I'll find them," Seth interrupted, guiltily looking over at his previous home "I owe Talia that. Stay with Maeve, Dean."
"Don't do something stupid," Maeve called after him knowingly, Seth glanced back at them, nodding his head
Dean hugged Maeve, unsure of what to do, knowing soon the paramedics attention would be on them. Maeve felt her blood boil at the sight of dirty blond hair in the distance behind the trees, knowing instantly it was Kate, but surrounded by humans Maeve knew she couldn't do anything, angry tears falling.
Hearing furious shouts at the officers guarding the Hale house, Noah looked up trying to find the source of conflict, spotting Elizabeth shouting at all her might.
"Oh god," Noah muttered, dreading to think of the meltdown Elizabeth would have if she didn't see Maeve soon.
Chris and Elizabeth rushed over, the both of them distraught over the news of what happened, especially knowing Maeve was hurt. Seeing her baby so broken and bruised, Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to scoop her up into her arms and never let go. And that's exactly what she did.
Tugging a frozen Maeve into her arms, Elizabeth cried out, "Diana! Oh sweetheart, are you alright?"
Maeve didn't hug back, her eyes wide as she stood still in her mother's arms. For once in her life, Maeve didn't get the comfort she always had when she saw Elizabeth, she felt fear. And seeing Chris stood not too far behind, she panicked without intending too.
"Elizabeth," Noah interrupted, noticing Maeve was close to breaking down, nodding over to the cars, "A word?"
Elizabeth let out a huff, grumbling to herself as she followed Noah away from her daughter, Chris joining them, "My daughter almost died, Noah! Whatever you have to say can wait."
"I know! But she's okay, she's still in shock!" Elizabeth blinked in surprise, glancing back to where her daughter was stood barley acknowledging anything around her "Give her a second to breath, Liz."
Chris watched the water hoses out of the fire in surprise, "How many people died in there?"
"Too many," Noah sighed, leading Elizabeth back over to Maeve, knowing the mother was starting to get impatient.
"Maeve," Chris spoke up, smiling sympathetically at his niece, motioning for her to join them, "Lets get you home."
The twins watched in confusion as Maeves hand's trembled, waving them off as she rushed back over to the ambulances, eyes wide with fear, "I can't, I'm sorry...."
When Maeve saw them, she saw Kate, and after that night, she didn't know if she'd be able to look at them the same way again.
"Maeve!" Elizabeth called after her daughter worriedly.
Dean ran after Maeve, climbing into the ambulance beside her, the paramedic slamming the doors shut before Maeve went into a full fledged panic attack.
And since the moment Maeve left the burning house, her hand didn't leave her stomach once.
—
Noah guided the two Hales through the entrance of the ER, calling over to Melissa McCall, the nurse looking up with a sigh, "The fire?"
Noah nodded, motioning for Maeve to go with Melissa, the nurse smiling sympathetically at Maeve, "Lets find you a room."
Following Melissa to one of the rooms, Maeve smiled comfortingly at Dean by her side, Melissa noticing the nine year old with them, "You can wait out here if you want."
Melissa pushed open the door, holding it open for Maeve, Dean staying put by her side "Or is he coming with us?"
"Dean, its okay," Maeve nodded encouragingly, "Go get one of the other nurses to check you over."
Dean shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest as he plonked himself down on one of the chairs beside the door.
"Brother?" Melissa chuckled, helping Maeve sit down on the bed.
Dean took after Derek in many ways, being overprotective of Maeve, was one of them.
Maeve nodded, glancing at her brother in law who was failing to stay awake, "Yeah."
"Sweetheart, that's a lot of blood-" Melissa told her worriedly, moving Maeve's bloodstained dress out of the way slightly to see the wound, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"They had worse to deal with," Maeve mumbled with a sigh, wondering how Peter was doing.
Melissa went to clean the wound, shaking her head "You're definitely going to need stitches, if it had gone any further you'd be in surgery right now."
Maeve hissed in pain as Melissa wiped away some of the blood, Dean looked up protectively, "Maeve?"
"I'm fine, Dean," Maeve forced a smile, nodding over at the door, clutching her fists in pain, "Go tell the sheriff to call Alan Deaton, okay?"
Seeing Dean out of sight, Maeve glanced up at Melissa knowingly "You can tell the truth now."
"You've lost a lot of blood. I can't believe you're even awake right now," Melissa explained, cautiously placing temporary sterile strips over the cut "If it keeps bleeding you're going to need a transfusion."
Maeve nodded taking a deep breath, becoming numb to the constant pain, "Let's check these burns and get you into some different clothes before we meet with the doctor."
Melissa walked over to get a hospital gown, pausing as Maeve suddenly gazed up at her with wide eyes "Melissa? There's something else."
—
"Deaton?"
Noah didn't quite get why the first person asked him to call was the town vet, but he complied, knowing of Maeves friendship with the younger Deaton.
Alan Deaton stopped outside the door at the sheriffs call, his son and his best friend waiting impatiently behind him as Alan nodded over to the sheriff.
Noah stood up to check on Stiles and Dean who had now stuck up an unlikely friendship as they roamed the cafeteria, undoubtedly causing trouble.
"Let us see her!" Jamie and Archie protested as Alan pointed for them to sit down, "Dad, come on!"
"I don't know what state she's in, I'm not letting the both of you be traumatised for the rest of your lives if she's in a bad way," Alan argued skeptically, knocking on the door before entering, closing it behind him.
Maeve glanced up slowly, "Deaton?"
"I'm sorry to hear of what's happened," Alan told her sympathetically, "I figured when you called me it was a poison."
Maeve stared at him nervously, "I'll be okay right?"
Melissa had gone to check up on Kieran and Peter on Maeve's request, giving Alan enough time to heal Maeve's wound before it got worse.
Deaton pulled a jar of purple powder from his jacket pocket, Maeve gazed at it worriedly, "You will be once we sort that wound out, you won't be able to heal if I don't."
Deaton set the jar down on the side table, letting out a sigh as Maeve noticed the lighter in his hand, the heart monitor speeding up beside her, "Archie!"
Archie was through the door in seconds, his dad nodding over to his best friend, "You're going to have to hold her down, alright?"
"What? Why? Is she okay-" Archie panicked, rushing over to Maeve's side, the blonde wrapping her hand around his.
Deaton joined him on the other side of Maeve, "This is a rare form of wolfsbane and if we don't get it out, it will ultimately kill her."
"Hey Maeve," Archie hugged her gently, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as Deaton lit the lighter.
Seeing the tiny flame snapped Maeve back into her fright, trying to fight of our Archie's arms, "No, no-"
The fire had sent Maeve back into shock, still living through the trauma of hours before.
Archie held onto her tighter, motioning for his dad to get on with it, "Maeve, its okay-"
Maeve continued to fight, tears rolling down her cheeks, crying in pain as the flame burnt against the wolfsbane, "Maeve. This is going to keep you alive, alright, you've got to trust us!"
Letting out a breath as the burning stopped, Maeve lay back on her bed, her hand going to the wound that most likely wouldn't heal for a while.
"You scared the hell out of us," Archie smiled sadly at her, his hand still tightly wrapped around hers.
Maeve glanced over at Archie, biting her lip, almost afraid to ask, "Is Derek with you?"
"We haven't seen him since Laura dropped us off," Archie shook his head, noticing Maeve's worry grow.
With Deaton now out of the room, Jamie came running in, quickly engulfing the fragile girl into his arms, "Maeve!"
Maeve was able to keep her emotions at bay with Archie In the room, but with Jamie, she lost it, crying into his arms finding comfort in the fellow blonde.
For the first time in her life, Maeve had never felt so sick, so scared and so in pain all at once.
—
Derek and Laura burst through the doors of the hospital, the news to the fire still fresh to their minds, completely shattered by the news brought by their father. Seth had found his children like he promised, but in his typical manor, he was gone as soon as any emotion hit.
Derek was out of the door before Seth could even properly explain, all Derek knew that there was survivors, but he hadn't a clue who.
Processing the fire seemed impossible to the siblings, the two of them focusing on those who survived for now.
Rushing through the corridors in search of his family, Derek stopped running, staring forward in shock, Laura slowly catching up with him. Peter was being wheeled by multiple doctors into surgery, and his niece and nephew were at a loss for words at his current state.
Seeing the silver glittery bracelet tangled tightly in his hand, Laura nudged Derek's shoulder, pointing over at it, "Derek, thats Maeve's bracelet, on Peter."
Seeing the bracelet only made matters worse for Derek, instantly thinking that if Peter had the bracelet, that Maeve would be in the same state as him, or worse.
Derek bounded down another hallway, Laura took a deep breath before running after her grieving brother, "Is she dead? Is Maeve dead!"
Maeve became his wife just twenty four hours before, and now, Derek didn't even know if she was alive.
"Derek, she's not dead, she's going to be alive," Laura comforted, holding him back before he could run off, looking him in the eyes knowingly, "You would feel it if she was gone, Derek, you know that."
"Do you have any information on the Hale fire?" Laura jogged after one of the nurses assisting Peter.
The nurse smiled sympathetically, rushing into theatre with her injured uncles, "I can't give out that information."
Laura groaned at a door slamming behind them, knowing her brother ditched her yet again, "Derek!"
Derek froze seeing his older brother sat on one of the beds in the emergency ward, nursing his burnt arm, "Kieran?"
—
"He'll be here soon," Jamie comforted a stressed Maeve, the werewolf pacing around her room, knowing full well she should be in bed.
"What if he doesn't know? What if he goes home?" Maeve rambled, wrapping her arms around her hospital gown, "I should go find him-"
Watching her rush towards the door, Archie called after her, "Maeve, wait!"
Jamie and Archie looked to each other nervously, letting out a sigh, knowing Maeve wouldn't listen to them.
"Excuse me, do you know if Mae-" Laura jogged after another nurse, cautiously watching her brother, knowing he was close to loosing it if he didn't see Maeve soon.
"Diana," Derek corrected.
"Diana Hale has been brought in-" Laura continued, the nurse shook her head, moving into another patient, Laura sighed in defeat turning back to Derek.
"What if they're not telling us because she's dead?" Derek stressed, pacing up and down the hallway.
"Stop it," Laura grabbed him by his suit jacket, stopping him from walking anymore, "You know she's not dead. Don't think like that."
Derek was ready to admit defeat, but his panic vanished at the familiar voice echoing down the hallway, "Derek!"
Derek sprinted in the direction of Maeve's voice, pushing open a set of double doors as he finally spotted his wife, "Derek!"
Derek felt like he could breathe again at the sight of Maeve, even if she was obviously injured, he was just glad she was alive. Maeve had been paranoid since Kate taunted her over Derek's life, but now seeing him, all of those worries faded.
"Maeve? You're okay-" Derek breathed in relief, carefully pulling Maeve into his arms, kissing her forehead, "You're okay," Derek kissed her again, Maeve holding onto him like her life depended on it, "You're okay."
"Just about," Maeve muttered, leaning her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she sighed in relief "I love you. I love you so much."
—
"There you are!" Jamie stood up from one of the chairs, shaking his head disapprovingly, pointing to her room,
"Come on, you weren't supposed to be out of bed. Off you go before you pass out."
Maeve shook her head in amusement at Jamie's telling off, slowly walking over to hug Laura, the older teen not showing much emotion, but Laura had always been the problems first emotions later type of girl.
Maeve was wobbly on her feet as Derek helped her walk back into the room, his arm wrapped under her arms, the other opening the door.
Jamie and Archie followed the couple in, looking to her in confusion as she winced, gripping onto the bars of the bed as she leant against it, "Maeve?"
Noticing his friends concern, Derek turned back to Maeve, blinking in shock, "Maeve, you're bleeding."
"What?" Maeve barley got the words out, her eyes widened at the sight of a few drops of blood on the linoleum floors.
Maeve felt like the room had gone silent, no noise around her could be heard, everything slowing down as she rocked on her feet, completely consumed by fear.
"Maeve, I have your test r-" Melissa walked through the door with what appeared to be a stack of paper work, looking up in confusion at the silence, noticing the scene in front of her "Everyone out!"
The friends hesitated but Melissa didn't care, ordering them out of the room, "Now!"
Helping Maeve sit back down, Derek noticed Maeve seconds away from freaking out, her breathing increasingly rapidly "What's happening? Maeve?"
"Derek-" Maeve whispered, her voice laced with fear. Staring at his wife, Derek knew he had never seen her look so broken in her life.
"You can't be in here for this," Melissa ushered the confused werewolf out of the room, smiling apologetically, "I'm sorry."
Another nurse rushed down the hallway at Melissa's call, "Can you get the OB?"
The nurse dashed off into another ward, Melissa hurrying back to Maeve, trying to keep her as calm as possible, "Diana, you're tweleve weeks pregnant. We're going to get the doctor, okay?"
Maeve cried, barley able to process her emotions, she already knew, but this made it real. It was only seconds later that the fear she felt faded to pain, slowly blinking before passing out, thankfully already sat on her bed.
"Diana?" Turning around, Melissa gasped at Maeve, the werewolf now lying back unconscious.
—
Maeve, who after passing out, was in need of more blood like Melissa suspected. Noah being the only one there who was compatible, volunteered without hesitation.
Derek still had no idea what was going on, he was driving his friends mad with all the pacing he did in the waiting room. But eventually being told that she was just getting some more blood after loosing too much, he calmed down slightly.
Elizabeth arrived at the hospital whilst Maeve was unconscious, that being best knowing how unpredictable her daughter could be, but being without Chris, Liz hoped her daughter wouldn't be too afraid.
Maeve was fast asleep in her room, Noah had suggested to stay and watch her whilst everyone slept, himself too recovering from giving blood.
Elizabeth leant in the doorway, watching sadly as the sheriff slowly fell to sleep in the armchair. Seeing Noah in a time like this brought her comfort, but it also brought back too many old memories.
"You're lucky the sheriff was here, that amount of blood loss would've been fatal," one of the attending nurses commented, completing Maeve's medical notes, "I bet she's glad to have a father like him him."
Elizabeth's gaze turned to the nurse in confusion, taking the notes the woman passed her, "I'd suggest getting your daughter checked in at some point by a cardiologist, those types of illness are genetic- Given her fathers file I'd strongly recommend it."
"Her father?" Elizabeth frowned, the tiredness she felt suddenly leaving her body.
Glancing down at the papers in her hand, the colour drained from Elizabeth's face, staring at the two blondes in front of her in disbelief.
Maeve didn't know what time it was after waking up, she hadn't cared to check the time, with still no updates on her health, Maeve was wishing the time away.
Maeve sat up slowly, staring at the wall with a blank expression, Melissa watching her in concern, "Can you tell my husband?"
Melissa nodded, quietly leaving the room, glancing around the hallway "Derek?"
Derek stood up from one of the chairs, rushing over to Melissa, "Maeve? Is she alright?"
Melissa looked around the busy waiting room, leading Derek into the next hallway over, "Come with me."
It was the early hours of the morning and most of the group sat in the waiting room had fell asleep waiting for an update.
"There's not something wrong is there?" Derek questioned fearfully, noticing the sad look on the nurses face.
"Your wife is twelve weeks pregnant," Melissa explained.
Derek froze, barley professing the words, the revelation being another shock to the system. Derek couldn't feel happy until he knew they would be all right, but how happy could he be at a time like this.
"What?" Derek whispered in disbelief, a frown on his face as he fearfully looked back to Melissa "She was bleeding, did- Did she loose the baby?"
"Its still too early to tell," Melissa told him sadly, "Sometimes with miscarriages, you can't know until it's happened."
"We need to keep her here under observation for the next few days. The wound on her chest had been an issue but it's now been tended to," Melissa explained everything else quickly, "The scars and burns, we aren't sure how they'll heal yet, but they thankfully aren't too serious."
"You can go in and see her now," Derek rushed past the nurse towards Maeve's room, the sudden noise waking up the friends and family in the waiting room.
Jamie stood up to follow Derek into Maeves room, but looked up in confusion as Melissa held him back "Only family are allowed in, sweetheart."
"I'll tell her you're still out here," Derek told his best friend, Jamie nodded, sitting back down beside Archie, still fast asleep.
Derek stopped before going into Maeves room, "Can you fill her mom in?"
"Of course," Melissa smiled, making her way over to wake Elizabeth.
Derek slowly stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, "Maeve?"
"Hey," Derek smiled comfortingly, sitting down on the edge of her bed.
"Do you hate me?" Maeve's voice was scratchy as she whispered, avoiding Derek's gaze, twiddling with the rings on her finger.
"I could never hate you," Derek took her cut up and bruised hand in his, kissing it softly, "I love you, so much. The both of you."
Maeve's expression faltered at his words, Derek sighed, choosing his words carefully, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Maeve thought for a moment, shaking her head, todays events being too painful to think about, let alone the fire.
"That's okay, you don't have to. The nurse told me everything you've told her."Derek informed her, squeezing Maeve's hand gently, "None of this is your fault. Kieran told me what you did to get them out."
"I tried, so hard to get them all out-" Tears fell as Maeve thought back to the hours before, leaning her head on his shoulder as Derek pulled her into a hug "But they were already gone."
Kissing the top of her head, Maeve didn't know how long she'd been sat there in Derek's arms, all she was aware of was the safety she felt being back with him.
Lifting her head from his shoulder, Maeve pulled away from the hug, "Derek?"
"Your mom..." Maeve began guiltily, noticing the pain flicker in Derek's eyes, "She wanted me to tell you that she loved you."
Derek smiled through his own tears, his gaze going to the ceiling as he tried not to break down over the loss of his mother.
Maeve pushed herself back to lay back on the bed, her gown falling on her shoulder as she moved, her moved gained Derek's attention, staring at the burn spread over her shoulder with a frown.
"Maeve?" Derek began protectively, standing up to see the burn properly, the blistered skin running halfway down her right shoulder.
"It doesn't hurt," Maeve informed him, pulling the arm of the gown back up before Derek could worry anymore.
"How did you..." Derek didn't know how the fire had hurt Maeve, he knew about what Kate did to her chest since Maeve passed out, but nothing else.
Maeve shook her head warningly, stopping herself from subconsciously picking a scab on her wrist, "You don't want to know, Derek."
"She was protecting me," Derek turned at the voice in the door way, sighing in relief at his younger brother, looking like he had no injuries unlike Kieran and Peter.
"Dean?" Derek was across the room in seconds, hugging the nine year old tightly, if the fire didn't hurt him, Derek would definitely hug an injury out of him.
"There was a blast and Maeve, uh, covered me before I could get burnt," Dean explained before Maeve had too, smiling gratefully at the blonde.
—
Derek hadn't spoken a word in days, Maeve was still in shock, Laura had been frantic, rushing around trying to fix all the legal issues regarding the siblings, Dean was afraid and Kieran was the piece holding them together.
Maeve had finally been allowed to walk around, if Derek wasn't at her side, it was Kieran, and if wasn't Kieran it was Jamie. A day had passed and it was night again, whilst everyone slept, Maeve snook out of the room unnoticed. She knew they would worry if they woke up and she was gone, but Maeve was glad to get a moment to herself.
"Hey, Peter, its Maeve," Maeve stared at the comatose patient almost fearfully, afraid she'd hurt him if even she breathed too close to him, "I don't know if you can hear me but - We - Derek, Laura and i are leaving for a while."
There was no way the family could stay in Beacon Hills right now, they had places to stay, but they needed time to grieve away from the situation. College was right around the corner and what Maeve thought would be her career suddenly became something that didn't feel right.
Maeve was over the moon that she had been able to save Peter, but at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if he was in any better situation now.
Sitting down on the armchair at his bedside, Maeve cuddled into Derek's hoodie wrapped around her, "You're going to be in this hospital and they're going to take care of you, you're going to heal and you're going to be okay. You're my best friend, and i need you to be okay, no matter how long it takes."
Maeve had a plan of how she wanted her life to go, and none of that would be the same anymore, and she wondered if it ever would.
The time had finally come to check up on the baby, and Maeve had quickly gotten over seeing Elizabeth as the enemy, wanting nothing more than for her mother to be at her side. Derek hadn't left Maeve's side in days, aside from the times he had been dragged off to shower.
Waiting for the ultrasound felt like forever, but now Maeve and Derek sat around the small screen, Elizabeth not too far away in another chair.
Derek and Maeve looked up, waiting for those words to stay it would all be okay, but the moments passed, and no words came. Squeezing Derek's hand tighter, Maeve closed her eyes as the doctor sighed, changing the settings on the machine.
And when those words finally came, Maeve felt like her world had stopped spinning.