keeper (d. Hale)

dancing with wolves.

Author's Note: spicy moon content

Derek couldn't and wouldn't take his eyes off Delilah as she settled outside in the shade of the yurt with the child. A blanket was spread out for them and he didn't notice until now but the little girl who he guessed was no older than 4, had a tiny sparkly bag in her small hand. It was thrust to Delilah who opened it with a beaming smile and an exaggerated gasp.

"You've got a good one," he heard to his left.

Derek looked from the corner of his eyes to see the man who he had come to recognize as Meeka's husband, Gabriel. He had a coffee cup in one hand and the end of a cinnamon roll in his other.

At first Derek thought he was staring at his wife but Gabriel was actually intently focused on his daughter. The resemblance was almost uncanny as the smile she had on her face as Delilah talked to her, matched the one her father held while looking out.

"I was really worried Ana was going to throw a tantrum today."

Derek didn't know how to answer that. He hadn't spent a lot of time around kids her age. Not that he was opposed to it, but it hadn't really come up in his life until now. Though he did remember when Cora would cry until his dad would take her to Lin's so she could colour on the paper menus with the special markers Lin had purchased especially for her.

"Why?" Derek asked with a genuine interest.

"Meeka thinks tonight is the night for her brothers to transition for the first time..."

There it was. Sibling jealousy.

"And you thought she might feel left out?"

Gabriel nodded as he sipped from his coffee. His lips smacked together as he swallowed.

Derek still wasn't sure what was happening but he watched his wife direct the girl to sit down in front of her and between her spread legs. The dress she wore fanned out from her waist in a soft green swirl. She ran her fingers through the soft blonde locks before turning to the sparkly bag to pull out a brush.

"I swear she's not going to because your wife convinced her that she could give her princess hair for dinner tonight."

Derek looked at the man who lifted his coffee cup to his lips again and smiled behind the ceramic. He looked happy. Really happy.

Ana giggled loudly as Delilah spoke softly to her when she tried to pull the brush through a difficult knot close to the crown of her head.

"Meeka's grateful you know? She usually does these things with her but she needs to be with the boys right now. She's a nervous wreck for their first time..."

It clicked for Derek. "You're not a wolf."

"What gave it away?" The man chuckled to himself. "I'm just a regular Joe going along for the ride. Ana and I will go into town after dinner and then come back first thing in the morning. Meeka thinks it would be best to keep us out of the mayhem or whatever you will get up too."

Derek nodded again and focused his gaze on Delilah's hands when they started to intricately braid Ana's hair. It was a design he recognized she had used for Erica.

"She's very good with her," Gabriel commented. "How long have you been married?"

"A few months," Derek answered.

The first braid was finished and Delilah tied it off with a small sparkly elastic that Ana handed to her when asked.

"Ah, newly weds. Figures," Gabriel chuckled. He had seen the couple glued at the hip. "Do you want kids?"