Soulmates | Derek Hale - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

It was not fine.
Maeve groaned as a contraction hit, looking to her brother in disbelief as he stared at the road ahead, her car still parked.
"Stiles go!" Maeve exclaimed.
Blinking, Stiles looked down at Maeve's car keys. If there was one thing Stiles was never aloud to do, it was driving Maeve's car - her very expensive car.
"I'm driving?" He squeaked, slowly approaching the car, Maeve was already settling herself down in the passenger seat.
"No we're walking," Maeve grumbled, rolling her eyes as Stiles hesitantly put his hands on the wheel, "Drive!"
Stiles' eyes widened in fear, "Are we in a hurry? Do I need to speed? I have too many tickets-"
"Sort of, yeah!" Maeve breathed heavily, blinking in surprise as the car lurched forward, speeding down the road, "Relax! I meant actually drive the car not reenact fast and furious! Stiles, labour can last days before the baby is even born. Just get me to the hospital in one piece and it will be fine."
Stiles nodded, slowing down the car to a speed that wouldn't give them whiplash.
Maeve stared at her phone in pure rage, after her fifth call Derek still was not picking up, "Derek won't pick up."
"Regret marrying him yet?" Stiles teased, now excited by driving Maeve's car.
"Nope," Maeve held her phone to her ear, talking to his answer machine, "Derek Seth Hale if you do not answer this phone immediately I swear to god we are never having sex again. Never!"
"Maeve!" Stiles whined, scrunching up his face in disgust, "I don't need to know."
Maeve rolled her eyes, "Stiles, how do you think I got pregnant in the first place?"
Maeve's patience was almost non existence at this point, Stiles' lack of knowledge on the female anatomy was getting on her very last nerve.
"I know how babies are made, Maeve. Doesn't mean I have to like it. How would you like it if I talked about my sex life? Huh?" Stiles argued with a scowl.
Maeve snorted, "You don't have one."
"I could!" Stiles whined, letting out a huff as Maeve raised her brows teasingly, "You're so mean to me. I Liked it before you knew we were siblings."
Maeve laughed loudly, "Keep telling yourself that, Mieczyslaw."
"Maeve!"
Stiles hesitantly glanced at Maeve, her eyes were shut and she was taking deep breaths. Derek had missed over one hundred calls, and Maeve was now meditating to the sound of the rings going through her car speakers linked to her phone.
Stiles pressed at random buttons on the screen, hoping it would call someone helpful.
Luckily, Elizabeth's voice broke through the speakers, "Maeve? Did you find them?"
Maeve's eyes shot open, crying in relief, "Mom!"
Stiles seemed to have the same idea, shouting, "Elizabeth!"
"Is everything okay?"
Maeve went silent, holding onto dashboard as she breathed through a contraction.
"No! Well yes, we found them! It's Maeve-" Stiles panicked, "She's having the babies!"
"What! Where are you?"
"In the woods," Stiles winced.
Maeve regained her deep breathing, instructing, "I gave dad Stiles phone, I need to you to track it through the app on my laptop and go and them - oh, and bring a ladder!"
"Got it... uh, Stiles, just get Maeve to the hospital safely, alright?"
"Alright," Stiles squeaked, hanging up as he looked to Maeve cautiously, "We still have time to get to the hospital, don't we?"
"I'm not going to give birth in the backseat, Stiles!" Maeve refused.
Feeling her stomach cramp again, just shy of five minutes of her last contraction, Maeve knew these babies would be coming sooner rather than later.
Maeve's eyes suddenly widened as she groaned, gripping the door handle, "I think you're going to have to drive a little faster, Stiles?"
"Why?" Stiles questioned dumbly.
Maeve eyed him in disbelief, "Why do you think?"
"You said they won't be here for hours, days even!" Stiles shouted in realisation, speeding down the highway.
"I think they changed their mind, Stiles," Maeve gasped in pain, "Yep, changed their mind."
"How long?" Stiles worried.
"I'm not a midwife!" Maeve fumed, "I don't know how long!"
—
"Stop the car!"
Stiles slammed on the breaks, watching Maeve in confusion as she rolled down the window, shouting across the street, "JAMES!"
Jamie stopped jogging, looking around in confusion, he spotted Maeve's car on the other side of the park, jogging over.
"Oh. Oh thank god!" Stiles spotted his sisters best friend, sighing in relief.
"Hi Stilinskis!" Jamie greeted with a smile, noticing Maeve's state he frowned, "Now?"
"Yes now! Get in the car!"
Jamie didn't have to be told twice, jumping into the backseat, "Maeve, if I have to deliver this baby you can't not make me godfather."
Maeve glared at him over her shoulder, trying to pull her sweaty hair into a bun, "You're already Luna's godfather."
"Where the hell is Derek?" Jamie questioned, "Does he know you're in labour?"
"I'm going to murder him," Maeve cried, reaching out to squeeze Stiles' arm, "brutally. I've called him hundreds of times."
"I'll help," Stiles winced, trying to pull away his arm but Maeve had a death grip.
Jamie grinned amusedly, "I'll watch."
Stiles yelped, his fingers being crushed under Maeve's, "Why are you in so much pain?"
Maeve looked to him in disbelief, "Im in labour!"
"But it hurts that bad?" Stiles frowned sympathetically.
"James if you do not shut him up I will do something I regret," Maeve growled, ignoring Jamie's snicker, "And! Don't think you're in the clear 1 James, I think you're a psychic. Stop betting on my life."
"But it's so addicting," Jamie protested in a childlike whine.
"Then go to rehab!" Maeve fumed.
Jamie quickly changed the subject, "So where the hell is Derek?"
"On some quest with Scott," Maeve grumbled.
"oh god," Jamie frowned, looking down at the timer he'd set on his phone once he'd got in the car, "I don't think it will be long, Maeve. We need to check how dilated you are."
Maeve looked horrified, "James, you are not looking down there!"
"I don't want to!" Jamie shouted, equally as disgusted.
"Maeve - he's a paramedic, i'd listen to him," Stiles reminded nervously.
Hearing Maeve growl under her breath, Jamie sat back with a huff, "Well her waters haven't broken yet, that's a good sign."
The ringing on the stereo finally cut off, the car grew silent in anticipation.
"Hello?"
"Derek!" Maeve shouted, "Does it take an apocalypse for you to answer your phone?"
Derek went silent, obviously taken back by Maeves sudden rage.
"Maeve's in labour," Jamie sang, "I'd get here before she divorces you for real this time."
Tires screeched on the other end of the phone, Scott and Derek's voice ringing out.
" ... what ?!"
"Get. Here. Now," Maeve threatened, jabbing at the screen to hang up.
Maeve let out a deep groan, resting her head against the dashboard, startling Stiles who looked ahead fearfully, "You know, I don't think i'll ever have kids."
"You should've seen her the first time around," Jamie grumbled.
"You don't have to push them out!"
—
"Who lets a traffic jam happen outside a hospital!"
By the time they'd got to a street away from the hospital, they'd found themselves in a traffic jam. Leaving Maeve having to walk to the hospital. Their initial idea sounded far better in their heads. Jamie had ran ahead to get a wheelchair, Maeve's struggle to walk was very sudden.
"That's it Maeve, walk with me," Stiles encouraged, holding Maeve's hand with one hand and her shoulder with another.
Stiles cried out in pain as a bone in his hand crackled, "Ow! Oh my god! Maeve! You broke my finger!"
Stiles' wails were interrupted by Maeve pausing, water trickling down her leg onto the pavement.
"Oh my - Maeve you wet yourself," Stiles gasped, his mouth hanging open "That's - that-"
"It's not pee, Stiles," Maeve sighed, trying to walk forward but found herself stuck, "I can't move-"
"Why not?" Stiles asked dumbly.
"There's a baby trying to push out of me thats why!" Maeve shouted.
They spotted Jamie running out of the hospital in the distance, waving with a wheelchair in his hands.
"Here we go, Diana, sit down before you hurt Stiles," Jamie popped open the wheelchair, helping Maeve sit down, "You've probably traumatised him enough as it is."
Maeve sat silently, ignoring every word he said.
Him and Stiles quickly pushed Maeve to the hospital, "Just know when you murder Derek, Archie and I will be great fathers to your children."
"Noted," Maeve mumbled, sighing in relief as they pushed through the hospital doors.
Jamie dashed forward to sign in Maeve, leaving Stiles in charge of the wheelchair. Heading off towards the maternity ward, Stiles turned the wheelchair around sharply, realising they were going the wrong way.
"Stiles!" Maeve scolded, almost falling from the chair, "crash this wheelchair and you won't live to see another day!"
Gulping, Stiles pushed past everyone in the corridor, "Woman about to pop coming through!"
—
The nurses were helping Maeve her settled as Derek sprinted through the door, practically falling into the chair beside her.
Derek had barely finished fighting when he spotted his phone flashing like a siren, himself and Scott managed to drag themselves to his car despite the exhaustion from fighting before they'd checked to see what the matter was.
Derek definitely didn't expect to find out Maeve had gone into labour two months earlier than she should've. He barley had a second to panic about any complications, Derek was set on getting to Maeve.
Scott always found himself surprised when it came to Derek, he was constantly learning there was more than meets the eye when it came to him - but seeing him this flustered was something Scott had never seen before.
Maeve looked him up and down for injuries, whisper shouting, "Is that blood on your shirt?"
Derek tiredly adjusted his jacket so the nurses couldn't spot his bloody shirt.
"Is she..." Maeve murmured hopefully, "Dealt with?"
Derek nodded, pushing Maeve's hair away from her face, "She's gone."
Maeve held in her happy tears, they could finally relax as a family without having to worry about a lunatic wanting to sacrifice her loved ones. And just in time where her babies were concerned.
The midwife approached them with a friendly smile, "Alright, Diana, these babies seem to be determined to meet us. I think we're ready to push."
Maeve gulped, gripping onto Derek's hand. Derek turned away from the nurse, glancing down at Maeve in concern.
"Maeve?" Derek questioned.
Maeve closed her eyes, shaking her head, "I don't- I can't do it, Derek. What if it's like before? I can't do that again-"
Derek felt his heart drop, taking a steady breath he moved closer to Maeve, wrapping her in a hug.
He knew this fear would come sooner or later, and it wasn't a surprise it was now. Maeve had never recovered from loosing their second child, she thought she had but now all her anxiety had suddenly hit her.
"Maeve," Derek said gently, "Everything's going to be okay, you have the best doctors and nurses around you who are going to make sure nothing will happen."
Maeve tried to settle her demons, but the haunting experience of her last labour kept flashing back. But this was a different hospital, different doctors, and even Derek was a different person now - everything had changed, she had to be hopeful that her loss wouldn't happen to her again.
Maeve nodded through a contraction, knowing she needed to push, she clutched Derek's hand like a lifeline, "Don't leave me."
"Never," Derek chuckled, standing beside her shoulders, nodding up at the midwife.
"Okay, Diana, on the next contraction push..."
—
Stiles heavily debated running away as the approached Maeve's hospital room door, his dad and Liz had gone to call Derek's family to tell them the news and had encouraged him to go see his sister.
Given the last he'd heard Maeve's voice she was threatening to tear off Derek's most valued appendages followed by a very loud scream, Stiles was very nervous.
Stiles quietly knocked on the door, calling, "Is it safe?"
Derek rolled his eyes as he moved to let Stiles in, motioning for Stiles to sit on the armchair he'd previously sat on. Stiles slowly approached the chair, eyeing his sister wearily, who thankfully looked more exhausted than livid.
Stiles suddenly came to the realisation that Maeve had actually just had a baby, two babies. He hesitantly moved towards the cot two small bundles were placed in.
"Are they alright?" Stiles asked anxiously, "They're healthy?"
Maeve smiled softly, nodding, "They're fine, Stiles. Werewolf genes, they're lucky. Do you want to hold one?"
"I can?" Stiles blinked widely.
Stiles had never held a newborn baby, and anyone who knew Stiles knew he shouldn't be trusted carrying precious cargo.
But Maeve had confidence in her brother.
Stiles' eyes widened as Derek picked up one of the babies, realising how small they were, especially in Derek's arms.
"What- what if I drop it?" Stiles squeaked, wincing as he held out his arms.
"You're not going to drop him," Derek somewhat comforted.
Stiles went red with nerves as he held his nephew, moving his arms to match how Derek had them. A little bit of respect grew for Sourwolf, holding a baby was terrifying.
And watching Stiles hold his son was equally as terrifying for Derek.
Stiles got a good look at his nephew, laughing, "He looks like me!"
His nephews blue eyes were wide and blinking up at Stiles, messy black hair poked out of his little blue cap. He was a very happy baby from what Stiles knew of babies.
It then dawned on Stiles that his nephew looked like him. He had the Stilinski eyes and nose that caused Stiles to silently laugh. His nephew looked more like him than he looked like Derek! Victory!
Maeve watched their interaction with a smile, gently taking her daughter as Derek passed her over, "Stiles meet Mi-"
"You didn't," Stiles asked, horrified, clutching his nephew to his chest protectively.
"No," Maeve laughed, "We didn't call him that. His name is Frederick Stiles, after Derek's grandfather and-"
Derek's grandfather was more of a father to Derek than his father ever was, and after loosing him in the fire Derek was left with a hole in his heart from missing him. Maeve had let Derek choose their sons first name, and Derek couldn't think of anything better than naming his son after the person that taught him what it meant to be a father.
"Me?" He interrupted, "After me?"
Derek rolled his eyes, "How many Stiles' do you know?"
"Maeve," Stiles said in disbelief, tears coming to his eyes, "You named him after me?"
Maeve smiled fondly, "You're my baby brother, I want my son to know how important his uncle Stiles is to our family."
Stiles blinked away his tears, staring down at his sleepy nephew. Stiles always knew how much Maeve had changed their family for the better, but holding his nephew made Stiles finally feel like his family was healing from all that had broken them.
Her daughter let out a little squeak that sounded like a kittens meow, capturing the rooms attention off of her brother. Their daughter was born a minute after their son, whilst Freddie came into the world quietly with a scowl on his face - his sister came into the world screaming at the top of her lungs just like Luna and finally quietened down when she was placed in Derek's arms.
"This is Florence Lorraine Hale," Maeve introduced, "After the city where our family was returned and my nan."
Florence was an almost copy of her sister as a newborn despite the surprisingly dark hair, and Derek had to brace himself knowing he'd have another Maeve clone walking around soon enough. Florence's wispy brown, practically black hair, was hidden under a cap like her brother. Maeve quietly laughed, somehow all her children had blue eyes, naturally Peter would make it about him.
Someone quietly knocked against the door, Derek stepped back to let in Noah and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth grinned rushing over to hug her daughter, "Oh darling, i'm so proud of you."
Practically snatching Florence from Maeve, Elizabeth almost glowed at the sight of her granddaughter.
Noah awkwardly stood in the doorway, he hadn't been there for Luna's birth and he was still getting used to the having a daughter situation- how to act after said daughter just gave birth is definitely out of his depth.
Spotting Stiles holding Freddie, Noah laughed, "I've never seen you hold something so delicate, son."
"Please, Dad, I'd never drop my nephew," Stiles grinned confidently, holding Freddie up in the air like Simba.
The adults jumped forward, gasping at the sight of the newborn being held into the air. Derek was about ready to strangle Stiles when Noah thankfully took his grandson off of him.
Laughing nervously, Noah adjusted Freddie in his arms, "How about we try that again when he isn't so fragile, hey?"
Glancing down at his grandson, Noah had to hold back tears of the familiar resemblance, Stiles looked just the same. Elizabeth smiled knowingly at him, the two proud grandparents couldn't keep their smiles away.
"You okay, dad?" Maeve questioned his silence.
Blinking back his tears, Noah grinned, "I'm great. You gonna tell me their names then, kiddo?"
—
The next morning they'd been able to take the twins home much to the doctors astonishment that two premature babies were completely healthy.
Derek was responsible for setting up somewhere for them to sleep, given they hadn't prepared to have the twins in the loft, when he discovered his next challenge.
Derek glared at the cat as it jumped up beside the bassinet Freddie was fast asleep in, "No, off!"
Mischief glared back at Derek the best he could as a cat, circling around the bassinet as he gave the baby a sniff. Derek blinked in confusion as the cat cuddled up against the bassinet, ignoring the baby.
Maeve held Florence in her arms as she found Derek staring at the cat, laughing quietly, "Derek..."
"Can we leave the cat here when we move?" Derek grumbled, Maeve chuckled, patting his shoulder.
"If you want Luna to loose her marbles, then by all means go ahead," Maeve grinned, sitting down on the couch, trying to rock their daughter to sleep.
The loft door slid open, Kieran poked his head around the corner grinning, "Is it safe to come in?"
"They're babies not bombs," Derek rolled his eyes.
Kieran hurried inside, Isaac trialing in anxiously behind him.
Kieran crouched down beside Freddie, laughing, "you're gonna have a tough time around all these Hale women, little man!"
"Hey!" Maeve exclaimed, hugging Florence closer in offence.
Shaking his head, Kieran turned to hug Maeve, "I just wanted to see my little niece and nephew before I set off to join everyone in Miami."
Maeve let Kieran hold Florence as she turned to Isaac, her brother in law making cooing noises that wouldn't take long to rile Derek up. Maeve would ask Isaac if he wanted to hold one of the twins, but knowing Isaac, he'd be too anxious to do so for a little while.
"Do you want to come stay with us, Isaac?" Maeve questioned, "All of us will be there this summer. Kieran can drive you down with him now."
With all of the Hales going to Malibu to stay at Derek and Maeves new house this summer, Isaac had grown anxious about where he was going to live - and he didn't want to bother Derek and Maeve, especially after they'd just had babies.
Isaac blinked slowly, "You- you're sure that's okay?"
"You're part of the pack, Isaac," Derek reminded, patting his betas shoulder, "You're family."
—
When the door opened again Derek was not expecting to find his father stood beside it.
Maeve was fast asleep on the sofa, Freddie curled up in her arms fast asleep as well. Florence was wide awake, her tiny hand wrapping itsself around her fathers finger.
Derek stood slowly, placing Florence in her Moses basket beside Maeve before approaching his father with a glare, the last thing he wanted was for his daughter to witness his anger.
Seth stood in the doorway of the loft, eyes wide as he spotted the twins he didn't even know existed.
"What are you doing here?" Derek asked, almost seething as he pulled his dad into the hallway, "They let you out?"
"You sound surprised," Seth pointed out, looking too calm for Derek's liking.
"I am surprised," Derek responded bluntly, "Why are you out? I'm guessing it wasn't because of good behaviour."
"Overcrowding," Seth shrugged, "What does it matter, I'm out now. I see congratulations are in order, I didn't know you and Maeve had got back together. I assumed you two were done for good."
"We made it work. I don't need your input on my life," Derek practically growled, sighing as Florence whimpered.
He rushed over to pick up his daughter, and Florence went silent as soon as she was in his arms.
"You were the same as a baby, never wanted out of your mothers arms," Seth pointed out, Derek's anger flared at the mention of Talia.
Derek approached his father at a distance, holding Florence protectively to his chest. He didn't want his father around him, there was no way Derek was going to let him around his kids.
"What's their names?" Seth asked.
"Florence," Derek couldn't hug his daughter any tighter as he nodded over at his son, "Freddie, after pops."
Seth could've laughed at Derek's very intentional dig, he'd watched Derek worship over Talia's father his whole life, he was in no way surprised to see Derek had named his son after him.
"Son," Seth started with a sigh.
"Seth," Derek's glare deepened.
Seth looked around the entryway of Maeve's loft, spotting the photo wall beside the door. His gaze fell on the photo of Luna and Cora running around at the park, Talia and Laura smiling on the other side of the photo.
Seth thought he'd finally lost the plot when he heard the rumours around the prison made up by Maeve about Talia and his daughters arrival. He spent weeks not believing it, but now there was no denying they were really alive.
"I take it you've heard the news," Derek said bluntly, rocking Florence.
Seth looked around the quiet loft, "Talia's not here then, I imagine she would've come to shout at me by now."
"I'll make sure she gets a chance to," Derek grumbled, moments away from kicking his dad out through the door.
Maeve slowly woke up, looking around blearily as Freddie wriggled in her arms. She spotted her father in law stood across the room and had to double check she was actually awake, rubbing at her eyes.
"Derek?" Maeve mumbled, blinking slowly up at the two Hale men, "Whys your dad here?"
Seth sighed, "Hello Maeve."