Soulmates | Derek Hale - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Maeve slowly walked up the steps into the loft, practically asleep after her shift at work, her recent case taking all of the little energy she had left.
Unlocking the sliding doors, Maeve stopped, glancing across the hall to Dereks loft.
Derek had been quiet recently, in fact, she hadn't heard from him at all in almost two days, which was weird as Derek had developed a habit of coming to put Luna to bed every night after her nightmare.
Maeve slid open the heavy door with a huff, Derek never locked it, but she still had a key.
Maeve scanned the room, surprised to find Derek not in his bed or asleep on the couch. The barley furnished loft was empty, Derek nowhere go be found, and Maeve couldn't help the sinking bad feeling in her chest.
—
"Come on, Derek. He killed your sister."
Derek glared the floor angrily, Kate's irritating voice was like stabs to his ears. He lost track of how long he'd been stuck in the basement of his old home, hoping that someone would realise he was missing sooner or later.
"Now - either you're not telling me because, well, you want to kill him yourself, or for some reason - You're protecting him."
Derek flinched as Kate grabbed at his chin, tilting his head up to face her; "Look at that sour face. I bet you always get people coming up to you saying, 'Smile, Derek.', 'Why don't you smile more?' Don't you just wanna kick those people in the face?"
Derek pulled on the chains, growling, "I can think of one."
—
"Stop smiling like that."
Derek stood in the doorway of his and Maeve's room, lips clamped shut trying to shield his laughter.
Maeve groaned in frustration, lying back on their bed, covering her face with her pillow, "It's not funny!"
Derek's loud laughter filled the room, Maeve moved the pillow, throwing it at him, "Derek!"
"I just can't get over how you managed to get shot," Derek walked into the room, sitting at the end of their bed, "on your first day. Or how you got out from going to the hospital."
It was Maeve's first day on patrol until she could make it up to be a detective, and despite being a werewolf with super senses, Maeve found herself getting shot in her first encounter with a criminal of the day.
Maeve turned around, lifting her head to look at her husband of three years, "Told them a fake hospital and took my holiday leave."
Derek smiled in amusement, running his hand over her legs as Maeve tossed them into his lap, rolling onto her back.
"You know I'm going to have to have a conversation with my partner as to why you laughed when they called to tell you i'd been shot."
Derek smiled innocently, "It is quite funny."
Maeve gently kicked him off the bed, "You know what's actually funny? You sleeping on our tiny couch tonight!"
"Maeve," Derek wined, landing on the cream carpet.
"No, no, the injured claims the bed," Maeve playfully glared, sitting in the middle of their bed, "I've been shot, don't be so insensitive."
Derek rolled his eyes, turning to the door as he played along, "Fine."
"Shouldn't the injured get a kiss goodnight?" Maeve called after him, Derek smiled to himself, walking back into the room.
Climbing back onto their bed, Derek hovered over Maeve as he kissed her. Maeve smiled against his lips, throwing her arms over his shoulders as she rolled them over, sitting up on Derek's lap.
Derek smirked at Maeve as his head hit the pillow, "Injured, are we?"
"Shut up," Maeve hummed, leaning back down, kissing him harder.
Just as Derek's hand slid under her shirt, the baby monitor bleeped, telling them Luna had woken.
Maeve pulled away with a groan, her hands still resting at the sides of Derek's shoulders, "Your turn."
"It was my turn last night," Derek pointed out.
"Your daughter," Maeve shrugged, moving off his lap to lie back down.
Derek sighed before setting off down the hallway, switching on Luna's nightlight as he walked into her room. Spotting a bundle of blonde hair in the middle of the room by the corner of toys, that in Maeve's opinion were too many, Derek rolled his eyes.
Luna had discovered how to climb out of her crib, and now did it most nights, driving Maeve and Derek mad with the middle of the night tea parties.
"It's bedtime, Lu," the two and a half year old turned at his voice, grinning widely at him.
"Daddy, play?" Luna held up one of her many teddy bears.
Back in their room, Maeve sighed hearing Luna's question, walking out of the room knowing she'd find Derek sat there playing instead of putting their daughter to bed.
And that's exactly what she found.
Maeve leant against the doorframe, shaking her head at Derek, "You spoil her."
"No I don't," Derek protested, pausing in his actions of going through the toy box for Luna's favourite bear of the week.
Luna dragged her blanket as she waddled over to Derek, raising her hands, "Bear!"
Maeve watched him sternly, "Say no to her."
Derek shook his head, picking up the pink onesie clad girl, "It's bedtime, Lu."
Luna scrunched her nose, shaking her head, "Play!"
Noticing Derek to silent, Maeve whisper shouted, "Derek!"
"No, It's bedtime," Derek replied with much effort, walking over to place Luna in her crib, "Night Lu."
Luna frowned, but smiled tiredly as she lay back down, cuddling her blanket, "Night night!"
Maeve walked over to kiss Luna's forehead before, taking Derek's hand, pulling him away, noticing his scowl.
Once in the hallway, Maeve laughed quietly, "Was that so hard?"
Derek glared at his wife in annoyance, but Maeve just smiled back, rushing back to their room, pulling him with her.
—
"Promise? 'cause if I thought you'd be that much fun - I'd let you go. All right, let's see," Kate picked up his leather jacket, emptying it's pockets onto the table.
"Nothing, nothing, nothing. God, I hate this detective crap. Ha, cute," Kate hummed at Dereks ID, flicking through his wallet.
"Well, who is this cutie?" Kate smirked, picking up the picture of Luna on her first day of school that Derek carried everywhere, "Is this your daughter, Derek? Because she looks like a certain niece of mine."
Dereks phone started to buzz, a picture of Maeve and Luna at the beach for Maeve's 24th birthday flashing up on his screen.
—
Maeve sat up on the sun lounger with a peaceful sigh, it hadn't been a while since she'd been able to nap without the worry's of life around her taking over.
Maeve looked to the bright sand of the Caribbean, spotting her husband and daughter down by the shore.
Luna had been absolutely terrified of the ocean since they'd arrived, but Derek and managed to coax her down to the shore hours earlier, and what Maeve could see, Luna wasn't scared anymore.
The water barley reached Dereks hips as he helped Luna paddle about, the young wolf had armbands and a lifejacket on, but Derek wasn't taking any risks.
Sliding off her sunglasses, Maeve made her way down the beach, smiling as Luna's laugher grew louder.
"Mommy!" Luna grinned over to her mother, pointing to the water, "There's fish! Look! Like Nemo!"
"Really?" Maeve gasped, joining them in the water.
Derek briefly let his gaze wander from his daughter to his wife, pulling her to his chest, "I think she's convinced that she'll find pearls in some of the shells, I thought you told her mermaids weren't real."
Maeve rolled her eyes, leaning her head back on his chest, "Don't ruin her optimism."
Luna went to swim a little further away, which she was more than cable of, but Derek just about freaked out at the sight.
"Wait there l-"
Maeve held him back, shaking her head in amusement, "Calm down, she's right there, you can't baby her forever, Der."
Derek sighed, leaning his head on-top of hers, "I can."
Maeve laughed, "Good luck with that, if that girls anything like me then you're in for trouble."
Derek kissed her head, "Lucky I love you then, isn't it? No Luna, too far!"
Maeve couldn't say another word before he was hurrying off after Luna.
Good job Derek was asleep when Luna befriended a boy on the beach and spent a few hours at the water park under Maeve's supervision. Now that would cause a scene.
—
"Ah, speak of the devil," Kate swiped the decline button, his home screen coming to view, Kate staring at Luna in her costume from her dance recital,
"I bet she's wondering where daddy is right now. Maybe I should go tell her?"
Dereks eyes glowed, if he was going to break free before, he definitely could now, "Touch a hair on her head and I will kill you."
Derek was filled with rage, he'd had six years of Luna being safe from Kate's threats, everyone was in the dark about his daughter until now, and that thought terrified him.
"What's her name?" Kate pouted, sitting on the desk, scrolling through his phone, "She's adorable, looks just like Maeve at that age, more innocent I expect."
Kate scrolled back enough on his camera roll to when Maeve and Derek were still together, a photo of Maeve and Derek in the hospital just after Luna was born, "Oh would you look at that, you two were so adorable. Such a shame the two of you broke up. She's marrying that mayors son now, right? That ones gotta hurt."
Derek clenched his fists around the chains, "Are you gonna torture me. Or are you just gonna talk me to death, huh?"
Kate didn't even realise the torture she was inflicting by those pictures alone.
—
"You're dead!"
"Maeve-" Derek winced at the furious gaze in his direction.
"No!" Maeve cried in pain, taking a deep breath "This is your fault."
Derek held her hand comfortingly from the armchair beside her hospital bed, "Just think about our little boy, he'll be here soon."
Maeve shut her eyes as she waited out a contraction, letting out a breath, "Could be a girl."
Derek shook his head determinedly, "It's a boy."
"Not this argument," Elizabeth muttered walking back into the room with coffee in hand, "You won't win it, Derek."
Maeve had been in labour for fifteen hours, and she was really starting to loose her patience, her pain turning to anger and Derek assumed it was because of the full moon shining through the window.
Maeve suddenly clenched his hand, Derek groaned at the pressure, "Ow!"
"Ow! Ow!???" Maeve practically seethed, holding his hand tighter, "You try squeezing a-"
"I get it, thanks, sweetheart," Derek cut her off, "But you've broken my hand three time's in the past hour."
"Don't make me make it a fourth, Derek Hale," Maeve glared.
Unfortunately for Derek as he laughed, another contraction hit and another bone in his hand broke.
It was hours before Maeve began to push, and the nineteen year old was certain that the baby inside of her was just staying in for the drama of it.
Maeve tiredly fell back against the bed, shaking her head, "No, I can't."
"Come on, Diana, keep pushing," the midwife encouraged, "You're almost there, one more push."
Derek kissed her head, "you can do it, Maeve."
"No-" Maeve cried, squeezing Derek's hand yer again as she pushed, gasping in shock as the doctor cheered.
"That's it!"
It was like time froze as the doctor lifted the small baby in his arms, the tuft of white-blonde hair made all of Maeve's heartburn make sense.
A cry broke out and everyone relaxed, it wasn't until the cry turned into a wail that the wolves in the room winced.
"This little girls got a temper on her," The Doctor chuckled, handing the bundle in his arms to Maeve, "I think she wants mummy."
Elizabeth watched from the armchair, a proud smile on her face at the small family in front of her.
Maeve breathed heavily, blinking in surprise down at her daughter, almost identical blue eyes stared back at her. Maeve couldn't believe it, this little baby was hers, hers and Derek's.
Glancing up at her husband, Maeve found him with the biggest smile she'd ever seen on his face.
He was frozen in shock for a few moments, gently running a hand over his daughters soft hair, "A girl."
"I told you," Maeve laughed in victory, happy tears running down her cheeks.
Maeve slowly lifted Luna into Dereks arms, their daughter was so tiny compared to him, given she was born early, she was only just bigger than Derek's hands.
Derek stared at his little girl, she was perfect, he didn't think he could love anyone more than Maeve, but his baby topped it. Nothing would hurt her, he would make sure of it, he was not going to loose his family again.
"She's so tiny," Derek whispered.
Maeve couldn't help but beam in happiness, she'd never seen Derek so infatuated in his life. He'd gone from looking like he was about to faint to instant happiness.
Both parents froze as she parted her lips, expecting another painful wail from the tiny baby, but she settled with cuddling into her fathers arms.
"She needs a name," Maeve stared at the two Hales lovingly.
"I don't think Derek junior would work," Derek sighed disappointedly.
"It wouldn't work if we had a boy so don't even try it," Maeve glared at him playfully.
"Well she came out kicking and screaming on a full moon, there's no doubt she's a werewolf," Elizabeth approached the both of them, watching her granddaughter over Derek's shoulder "Oh, hello little one, you look just like your mother, aren't you a lucky one?"
Maeve smiled at her mother, but quickly noticed what she was hinting at, "We're not calling her moon."
"I wasn't going to suggest it!" Elizabeth defended, "That's preposterous."
Maeve squinted at her mother suspiciously, "Yes you were."
"Luna," Derek suggested, finally gazing away from his daughter, "What about Luna?"
"Luna Talia," Maeve stared at her daughter, a smile falling on her lips, "It's perfect."
—
"What did you do, Derek?" Kate drawled, stepping towards him slowly, "What did you do to make her hate you? I know my niece, I've seen how she looks at you, how she used to look at you. It's changed, even I can see it. She hates you. Just like she hates me."
Derek avoided her gaze, his heart hammering in his chest as she got closer, "What...did...you...do...Derek?"
—
It was almost four am by the time Maeve had gotten Luna to sleep, despite being a werewolf, like every other kid Luna got sick, and in typical Luna style she was very dramatic about it.
Maeve yawned, looking over to the clock on the wall, frowning at the minutes ticking by, the only sound in the room was of Luna's sniffly snores and the dog that always made a racket in the apartment below.
It was the fourth day in a row Derek hadn't been home.
Maeve tried not to be suspicious and let him get on with whatever he was doing, but the weeks started to tick by and Luna started to ask where her dad was every night, and in all honestly, Maeve didn't know the answer.
Nothing had happened, there wasn't a sudden shift that changed everything, but somehow over time everything became different. With each tragedy that hit, as did a hit to their relationship.
Derek grew more distant, Maeve grew concerned. Derek became more depressed, Maeve became more overwhelmed. It started off as small arguments, and then it turned to blazing rows with slammed doors and tears steaming for hours.
Maeve sat up slowly hearing the lock click in the front door, picking up on Dereks scent instantly, glancing down at Luna before quietly walking out of her and Dereks bedroom.
Maeve found him by the front door, dressed in his usual dark attire, but today he looked exhausted, the bloodstains on his shirt and arms were unmissable.
It had been a concerning habit, Maeve had noticing the blood appearing on his clothes, the healing wounds he tried to hide whenever he was at home. They lived in the city, there were wolves at every corner, but even she knew Derek was out there making enemies.
Derek didn't notice Maeve until her voice sounded behind him, "Where the hell have you been? It's been four days!"
Derek dropped his car keys onto the counter, "It doesn't matter."
"Doesn't matter? Derek I've been here for days not knowing if you were alive or not!" Maeve tried to keep her voice down knowing Luna was only a few rooms away, "Luna's sick, she's spent the past two days asking for you."
Derek finally showed a flicker of emotion, but Maeve wasn't grateful for seeing that anymore, it just made her more angry.
Maeve walked forward, taking his arm, "Have you been in a fight?"
Derek stayed silent, but Maeve already knew the answer.
"Derek!" Maeve groaned, letting go of his arm to cover her face with her hands, "What are you trying to achieve by doing this?"
Derek knew there was a fight ahead, he just didn't have the energy left to fight it.
Maeve finally took a deep breath, tears rolling down her cheeks, "You're killing me, Derek, I can't sit and watch you ruin yourself."
"Then don't."
Maeve felt her entire body freeze at his words, blinking past her tears in shock. There was no way he just said that, he couldn't of just said that.
"Derek-" Maeve whispered in disbelief, leaning back against the wall for support.
"You're better off without me, you'll be fine," Derek told her what he'd been telling himself for months, "You'll find someone better."
Maeve couldn't hear anymore, "Don't! You want to give up? Give up on us? Give up on your daughter? What happened if I had the baby Derek? Would you leave then too?"
Maeve knew it was a low blow, it hurt her to even bring up the child they lost, but seeing Derek hardly react to her words broke her more. He looked so empty, she could throw every insult at him and she wouldn't find a bit of emotion in his eyes.
This wasn't her Derek.
"Now either tell me what's going on with you, or get out," Maeve didn't care about how angry she sounded, her vision was almost completely blurred by tears.
Derek couldn't meet his wife's stare, he knew if he did there was a chance he would take it all back and stay, but he knew he had to do this.
So he took a deep breath, picked up his keys and turned back to the door, but froze in place at Luna's voice from their room, "Mommy!"
"If you're going to leave, you have to say goodbye," Maeve's voice finally snapped, "You're not abandoning her like she means nothing."
Derek reluctantly looked at her as he walked to their room, if he didn't feel bad before, he definitely did now, he hadn't seen Maeve look so broken in months, and he was the cause of it.
Maeve watched Derek walk into their room, as he closed the door behind him, Maeve slid back against the wall, not even caring if he heard her sobbing.
Luna broke out into a grin at the sight of Derek, cheering in her scratchy voice, "Daddy!"
Derek sat down at the end of the bed, immediately tackled into a hug, "How are you feeling, baby?"
Luna sniffled into his side, "Bad. I missed you."
Derek kissed the top of her head, "I missed you too."
Luna sleepily looked up at him, sensing a but coming.
"Lu, I have to go away for a while," Derek closed his eyes, knowing seeing the hurt in Luna's face would completely shatter him.
Leaving Maeve was almost impossible, but this, his was completely heart shattering.
Luna nodded slowly,"For how long?"
"I don't know yet, Lu," Derek sighed, "But I'm going to go get better, and I promise I'll come back, and everything will go back to normal."
Luna hugged him tighter, "Are you sick, daddy?"
"Sort of," Derek picked her up, placing her back on his side of the bed, "Can you promise you'll behave yourself whilst I'm gone?"
Luna picked up her bear, hugging it to her chest, "Maybe."
Derek felt a stab in his chest, Luna looked just like Maeve when she looked at him like that.
Derek smiled through the pain, "I'll take that as a yes then. Look after your mommy, she's going to need you."
Luna nodded, slowly falling back asleep, "I love you."
"I love you too, sweetheart," Derek kissed her head once more, hesitantly walking out of the room now she was asleep.
Maeve watched him walk down the hallway, waiting for him to turn around, for him to stop, but he kept walking, and a few painful seconds later the front door shut, and Maeve's sobs grew even worse.
—
Luna sat on top of one of the brightly coloured tables, swinging her legs in boredom. The teacher glanced at the clock on the wall, it was almost half an hour after pickup time.
Luna picked up her backpack, wondering over to the teacher, "Where's my dad? He's late."
The teacher glanced at her notes, "Your aunts picking you up."
Luna frowned, aunt Laura's dead...
Luna pulled on her bag, stepping closer to the door, "Aunt Laura?"
"Aunt Kate," The teacher replied.
Luna backed away from the desk, rushing to the door, "I'm going to the toilet!"
If Maeve and Derek taught Luna one thing, it was to stay clear of Kate Argent. It was a rule not to leave school without an adult, but Luna hoped her parents wouldn't get mad, she had a good reason.
Luna walked straight past the toilets and out of the doors, the playground only had a few children and parents left so it was easy for her to rush out.
When in times of danger, Luna had always been taught to find the pack, and luckily for her, Beacon Hills High School was just across the street.
Running across the road, Luna practically vanished in the sea of taller teens, slipping between a group as they entered the school. The tiny blonde revived odd looks as she walked down the hallway, trying to use her senses to find her uncle Dean.
Her senses weren't at the level of her parents, she couldn't even transform into a wolf yet, but picking up on senses was a recent development.
She noticed Stiles at the end of the hallway, dramatically chattering away to Scott as she bounded over,
"Uncle Stiles!"
Stiles turned in confusion, his eyes widening at the young wolf, "Uncle Stiles!"
Stiles crouched down as Luna jumped up to hug him, the confused stares of his classmates weren't any more than usual when it comes to Scott and Stiles.
"Luna?" Stiles questioned in surprise, sharing a glance with Scott.
Luna pulled away from the hug, scrunching her nose in disgust at his outfit, "What are you wearing?"
Stiles looked from his clothes back to Luna, pouting playfully, "Hey!"
"You look silly," Luna giggled, holding her arms up for Stiles to pick her up, feeling tiny in the room of teens.
"Luna?" Scott picked up on her nerves instantly, "What happened?"
Luna leant her head on Stiles' shoulder, feeling safe instantly, "Wheres uncle Dean?"
"Hey, it's alright, he's here," Stiles stared her in concern, "Want to tell me what happened?"
Too busy with Luna's arrival, Scott and Stiles didn't even notice Allison and Lydia approaching.
Lydia eyed Luna in curiosity, nodding in approval at the outfit Maeve picked out of her, "Who's the kid?"
"Stiles' niece," Scott answered simply, knowing he'd get in trouble with Maeve for saying more.
Allison gulped, staring at Luna almost guiltily, she was her family and she didn't even know her. Luna looked just like Maeve, it was almost funny how much they were alike, they even spoke and acted the same.
Allison wished she knew Luna, she wished she knew why she didn't know Luna, and she wished she wasn't so jealous of Stiles for knowing Luna.
Noticing Luna's stare on Allison, Stiles set off in search of Dean, "Luna, tell uncle Stiles what's wrong."
His friends followed behind him, giving the two of them space, but Scott could hear clearly.
"Daddy didn't show up for pick up and they said my aunt was here but auntie Laura's dead," Luna sighed, gazing around the hallways in curiosity.
Scott tensed at the mention of Laura, understanding what was going on, Stiles looked back to Scott before rushing off, "You need to find Derek, now."
Allison caught Scotts hand, frowning, "What's going on?"
Scott sighed, speaking carefully, "Do you have any idea why your aunt Kate would try to pick Luna up from school?"
Allison blinked in shock, "What? She did that?"
Scott reluctantly nodded, "Maeve hasn't said what's happened between her and Kate but it was something bad, and I know she'll go crazy when she finds out about this."
Allison let out a nervous breath, "I had no idea, really, my dad just told me they fell out - Do you think this was why Maeve cut us off?
Scott stared at his girlfriend sympathetically, nodding his head. Allison stared at the ground, she'd spent the past days questioning what had happened between her family and Maeve, and some things were finally starting to make sense.
"Okay, Lulu, who do you want to find first, your uncle or your nana?" Stiles questioned, knowing Elizabeth would be easier to find than Dean, who was most likely skipping lessons currently.
Luna thought for a moment, "Nana!"
Stiles nodded, turning to set off towards the english rooms, "Well, luckily for you, I have her class next."
Walking through the doors, Stiles blinked in surprise at the sight of his dad, "Dad? What are you doing here?"
Luna looked between the two adults, she could sense the tension, Luna could tell they had a fight.
Noah raised his brows at his son, "None of your business. Now, why do you have Luna?"
Stiles set Luna down, the six year old grinned at the sheriff, "I left school by myself."
Elizabeth stared at her granddaughter sternly, "You did what, Luna Talia?"
Luna set herself in Elizabeth's chair, "Left, Nana. Daddy didn't turn up, Kate did."
Elizabeth almost broke the folder in her hand in half, Noah froze, even he knew of the rocky history of Kate Argent, not to the full extent, of course.
Elizabeth sighed, hugging Luna, "Well, as long as you're alright, you were very clever to leave."
Stiles couldn't help himself, smiling, "Maeve's going to go mental. I love angry Maeve."
Noah rolled his eyes, "Right, I'm leaving, i'm glad to see Luna's in capable hands now."
"I'm capable of looking after her!" Stiles protested, frowning at the stares of disagreement from both adults, "Okay, maybe not.."
Noah walked towards the door, sharing a glance with Elizabeth that Stiles couldn't piece together, but definitely needed to find out about. Luna waved goodbye, cheering in excitement as Dean and some other students walked in.
"Why is the devil child here?" Dean asked in amusement as Luna tackled his legs into a hug.