(no subject)

[work_inprogress]

Peter knew the pack was attempting to save someone's life, but someone else's life had been in jeopardy who he cared about a lot more than some random teacher. He'd been hanging out in the corner of Cora's room, watching her and Derek, waiting for her to wake up. When he noted Derek's eyes drooping, he said he was going to get them coffee and would be right back.

Moving through the halls, he avoided the nurses's station, not wanting a run in with Melissa McCall. He did the same on the way back and was almost back to the room when he heard a scream that ricocheted through him, plucking hard at his eardrums, though not close enough to drop him to the ground.

He did drop the coffee, though, because he knew that scream. He'd heard it in his dreams, elicited it from her more than once last year.

Lydia.

Ignoring the splash of the hot coffee on the floor and not bothering to return to Derek and Cora, Peter took off at a run. He heard his name distantly shouted, but he didn't stop for it. He didn't stop for anything.

When he hit the school, he closed his eyes and felt for her, feeling the edges of her mind, seeing what she saw. He'd gone to school here; he knew it well, and the images he got from her helped him pinpoint her location. Students, parents and teachers were spilling out of the auditorium doors, though, screaming in a way that made him grateful he even could feel her--that she was still alive.

The crowd made going in problematic, so he went around, twisting toward the hall of classrooms where she was. Scanning rooms as he went by, he caught sight of something that about made his heart stop: Lydia, tied to a chair, a garrotte around her neck, and some woman moving toward the fallen sheriff. He couldn't see Lydia moving, didn't know if she was all right, but there was blood in the air--hers, Scott's, Sheriff Stilinski's.

Peter's eyes glowed blue and his claws and fangs extended as he growled. With a running leap he threw himself through the windows, knocking into the woman and sending her farther away from Lydia. He snarled, almost fully wolfed out, noting the others at the door. He wanted the woman, wanted her blood, but how much and how hard depending on how hurt Lydia was, so he spun to her, moving to kneel in front of her chair, senses trained on the woman for any sudden moves.

By the time he reached Lydia, his features were normal again, though his eyes were still glowing bright blue and the claws of his right hand were still extended. He slashed through the bindings holding her, careful not to nick her skin, then reached to pluck the garrotte away, eyeing the marks on her throat with a fury that had him growling again.

Another crash from behind him startled him enough to look and see the girl and the sheriff disappear. Whatever. He had her scent. He could hunt her down. His attention focused back on Lydia.

"Are you badly hurt?" She obviously wasn't all right, but he needed the physical damage report first.

Comments

[work_inprogress]

Peter gave them both a withering look. "Peter didn't miss anything and the redhead is on the pill." He gave Lydia a flicker of concerned look that somehow their sex life was now his niece and nephew's conversation point, before turning the glare back on the two of them. "But everything has a chance of failure."

[wantadistraction]

"Please tell me you're taking my precaution than her being on the pill." Derek grumbled a little bit.

Cora frowned a bit, looking to Lydia who looked a bit annoyed as well as Peter glared at the two younger Hales for focusing on the fact that Peter and her were having sex. "Will everyone relax? I'm not pregnant."

"Werewolves are notorious for being fertile." Cora stated weakly.

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"I really don't see how this is anyone's business," Peter all but snapped. "We have far bigger concerns right now than precautions during sex."

Condoms killed sensation and required lube and that just...wasn't natural in Peter's mind. He had them, used them for sex before Lydia because most women insisted these days with the spread of disease, and he wasn't going to try and explain why he wasn't going to catch or transmit anything. But he didn't like them. Who did, really?

[wantadistraction]

"You say that now but what if she ends up pregnant? That will become a concern." Derek told him with a bit of a frown. He knew firsthand exactly what that was like even if Hayley wasn't pregnant with his baby. She was pregnant and he cared about her, that was enough.

"What would you even do with a baby?" Cora asked, her voice slurring just a bit.

Lydia listened, finding it to be a surreal situation at the moment. Discussing their sex life as though they were the kids and the other two were the parents or elders. Never mind that she was actually the youngest in the room but she'd been given the sex talk already.

[work_inprogress]

Peter closed his eyes and tried to find strength--before he said something he'd regret.

"If she gets pregnant, then everyone can be concerned. But I imagine we would do with a baby what everyone else does," he said, because Cora was sick and snapping at her wasn't going to help. "The same as Derek's setting himself up to do with Hayley's. Love it. Protect it. Try and not fuck it up too much."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Last time I checked, using the pill counted as using birth control. They even call it that, shockingly. We could use absolutely everything they make for not getting people pregnant and she might still wind up pregnant. It's an inherent risk of sex. And I, for one, like sex and don't intend to stop having it."

God, he was glad Melissa and Allison were no longer in the room.

[wantadistraction]

Derek stayed quiet while Peter was speaking, watching his face while listening to his heart beat. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting but he nodded when Peter reassured them both on what he would do if Lydia ever ended up pregnant. Another sign that, yes, Peter had taken Lydia as his mate and that it meant more than just casually sleeping with her.

So when Peter was done, he simply nodded. "Okay."

"Fine." Cora let her eyes drift closed and Derek focused on her again, holding her hand.

When Peter finally turned back to Lydia, he would find her watching him with an inscrutable gaze but there was no time to delve into it as the doctor was suddenly returning with her medicine and a prescription for more. Focusing on him, she tilted her head. "Can I go home if there's nothing to worry about?"

[work_inprogress]

Peter leaned back in his chair, pretty sure he had a headache now, but glad they'd shut up about babies for now. He wasn't sure what to make of Lydia's gaze, and his own flicked away after holding it for a moment, distracted by the doctor.

"I'd prefer that you stayed here overnight for observation," the doctor said with a bit of a frown. "But I can't keep you here if you're set on going. You need to make sure you're not alone, though. It's important you be woken up every two hours to make sure you don't lapse into a coma."

Peter straightened a little at that, a flicker of something not happy in his face for a moment. Six years basically catatonic would do that to you.

[iamthe_alpha]

Lydia saw the way Peter instantly sat up a bit more at the mention of a coma but she ignored it for now. She knew why was worried but she wasn't going to be deterred.

"I'd rather go home, thank you. Here is...too public." Let them think that she was nervous to be there after being attacked because that worked just fine for her. "I'll sign whatever form I need to."

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The doctor frowned. "Technically, your parents..."

"Her parents are out of town," Peter interjected, even if it was technically a lie. "I'll take responsibility for her i you need someone to do so. After the attack...I think she needs the comfort of the familiar."

The doctor looked at him, then back at her, then at him again. "She needs to not be alone."

Peter cursed slightly for the parents being out of town lie and then blithely added another to it. "She's staying with my family. Someone will be with her all night."

If the doctor had kept up with all the details and wasn't overworked and understaffed, he might have noticed how they didn't add up, but he wasn't, and Peter was doing his utterly charming and sincere, responsible adult thing--the one that had so charmed Melissa and actually didn't seem the least bit creepy or untrustworthy, so the doctor just glanced at Lydia one more time. "You'd prefer that?"

[wantadistraction]

"Yes." Lydia replied just as smoothly as Peter did. "Even if my parents rushed back here after hearing I was attacked, it would still take them a couple days at least. I just want to be somewhere I feel safe and Peter here will see to that."

Derek arched a brow across the room as he listened to the two of them but he didn't bother exposing their lie. Especially when he knew that Lydia's parents were divorced and one of them had to be nearby.

[work_inprogress]

The doctor looked like he wanted to protest, but he couldn't hold the girl against her will and the cops weren't coming, given they were all out looking for the sheriff.

Peter was mostly ridiculously pleased at how well she backed him up. "I promise--I'll bring her back at the first sign of anything getting worse." And that was utterly sincere and the truth. He'd have her here in a heartbeat.

"All right. I'll have one of the nurses bring you the discharge paperwork."

[wantadistraction]

For a moment, she thought protesting was exactly what the doctor was going to do and she was grateful when he decided to drop it. "Thank you."

Watching him until he left, she looked at Peter then with a little frown. "You're going to wake me up every two hours, aren't you?"

[work_inprogress]

"Uh, obviously," Peter said, giving her a look. "You will be following all of the doctor's orders, to the letter."

[wantadistraction]

Lydia only rolled her eyes at him then, leaning back against the pillows as she waited for the nurse to return.

"Are you taking her back to her place or yours?" Derek glanced over at them again.

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"Where would you prefer to go?" Peter asked, looking back at Lydia to answer Derek's question. He'd prefer her at his place, mostly so her mother wouldn't walk in and wonder why he was in her daughter's room, but he also knew it was suspicious if Lydia didn't come home multiple nights while her mother was around.

[wantadistraction]

"Your place." Lydia answered easily, not really caring what her mother might think at the moment. She was too tired and sore to do so, especially when the only person she wanted right now was Peter. "I'll just tell my mom I'm at Allison's." If she needed to.

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"My place," Peter said, with a look at Derek, to answer the question he'd asked. Yes, it was a bit smart-ass, but not overly so and partially him pulling back a little from how vulnerable he'd let himself be the past couple of hours.

That was almost as terrifying as the attack on Lydia.

[wantadistraction]

Derek simply nodded before looking back at Cora. He understood how scary it was to feel so vulnerable though, especially since he had come close to losing Hayley and now Cora in such a short amount of time.

It wasn't Melissa who brought them the discharge papers but maybe that was better in some ways. Lydia filled them out quickly, signing the papers and then handing them back. The nurse handed her her pills, the ones she could have before she could get her prescription and then she was told she could go.

"Ready?" She looked at Peter.

[work_inprogress]

Peter wasn't nuts about leaving Cora, honestly, but he wasn't going to deny Lydia what she wanted, either. He helped her get her things together and fretted about her walking to the car, which, at least, he had driven there earlier when Cora had been admitted.

"Just a minute," he said, moving away from Lydia's bed, back to Cora's. He brushed his fingers lightly through Cora's hair and looked down at Derek, an apology actually in his eyes for a moment. "I need to take care of Lydia. Call me if there's any change or you need anything." It wasn't really a choice, not like it might be for someone not them. Wasn't a "girlfriend or family" situation. He'd chosen Lydia as his mate, claimed her and made her his and that made her pack, made her family, as much as blood. Their girls needed to be looked after, but needed separate things. Derek would stand watch over one, he over the other, and they would both hope Scott kept Isaac safe.

[wantadistraction]

Lydia felt somewhat guilty about taking Peter away from his family but she didn't want to stay in the hospital. Clearly people weren't safe there, weren't really safe anywhere, but the only place she had even the vaguest feeling of being safe was Peter's.

Derek understood it as well, glancing up to see the apology in Peter's eyes as he nodded. "I know." He murmured. "And I will."

Standing near the door, Lydia waited as Peter said goodbye to the other two. When he finally made his way back, she smiled faintly and moved to leave the room, following him. Then she reached for his arm, holding on as she still felt a bit weak.

[work_inprogress]

Peter smiled faintly at Derek, dropped a kiss on Cora's forehead and whispered for her to fight and get better. Then he moved to Lydia, letting her hold on to him as they moved through the hospital and out to the parking lot. Unlocking the door, he helped her into the car and moved to the driver's side.

"Is there anything you need we should stop and get?" Since she didn't have a bag with her this time.

[wantadistraction]

"No." Lydia shook her head as she shifted in the passenger seat, putting on her seat belt. "We can get my prescription in the morning."

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"All right." The percocet the doctor had given her would hold her for the night, especially given he could pull out any excess pain that bothered her. "Straight home, then."

He kept an eye on her as he drove, but stayed mostly quiet. He wanted to check in on the boys, as well, perhaps let Hayley know so the vampires could perhaps lend a hand in the search for Stiles's father.

[wantadistraction]

Lydia was quiet as she looked out the window to the night around them. Briefly she wondered if she could help, if she could use whatever this banshee power was, but she didn't know how and she knew Peter wouldn't go for it. Not with her being injured and nearly killed.

Then she looked over at him. "How do you think it's going?"

[work_inprogress]

He shook his head a little, fingers drumming on the steering wheel. "I don't know. No news is...just no news right now. Not tragic--we'd have heard if anyone had died. But not good, either. We'd also have heard if they found the sheriff."

He frowned. "I don't know that Hayley knows anything beyond Cora's injury. We should call her. If we can work with the Alphas who killed one of our own, surely we can ask the vampires for help? We know they're at least nominally on our side."