Chapter 23: It's Christmas Time
Everyone watched as the three skinwalkers talked all the while with Kira looking almost apologetically at Scott. Kira hadn't known what had gone on since she had left them to continue training with the skinwalkers. Scott motioned for her to follow him as Elizabeth walked back to Derek and wrapped her arms around him and then around Theo and Liam.
"I get that you made a deal with them, but no one ever thought that my aunt would be the one to help Theo out," Scott said as he hugged her, turning his face away as she moved to kiss him. "It's been two years Kira...Things are different now,"
"Scott, how has he changed tell me that?" Kira sighed, she wanted to kiss him but the fact that he turned his face from hers and was looking towards Malia made her realise something. "It's Malia isn't it?"
"I'm sorry," Scott offered her a smile, before he went on to explain how things were different with Theo. "Ace adopted Theo, it was made official last year before that she was his legal guardian. It all happened after Liam brought him back,"
"Okay, and what's the go with Liam and Theo?" Kira questioned, she had noticed that Liam hadn't let go of the older boys hand since she had arrived. "And Ace and Derek?"
"Ace and Derek got married like two weeks ago, and Theo and Liam are together," Scott answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look Theo's changed – he hasn't tried to kill anyone, he and Liam protected my mom and Ace trust's him and he trusts her," Scott rambled pausing to catch his breath again before he continued. "He helped us with the Ghost Riders and the Wild Hunt, he's genuinely trying to change," Kira looked behind them to where she noticed that Elizabeth was still standing with her arms around both Derek and Theo. "Ace will hurt anyone who hurts him,"
"Liam, what did I tell you last week?" Elizabeth questioned, as she pulled Liam's hand towards her and pried his fingers away from his palm.
"How did you?" Liam questioned, looking at Elizabeth before sheepishly looking away from her and from Theo. "That you weren't letting anyone take him,"
"Relax," Elizabeth smiled at him and then shot a little spark into his palm as it bled. "Theo, why don't you two get back in the car,"
"Did you get anything out of them?" Argent questioned as the rest of the group joined Derek and Elizabeth.
"Do you mean before or after I stripped them of their powers?" Elizabeth motioned towards the three skinwalkers who were desperately trying to disappear again. "They think that he hasn't changed but we know that he has...They don't get their powers back until they call off the dream demons – they didn't say why they sent them after Corey as well,"
"I have a theory about that," Mason said as he wrapped an arm around Corey and pulled him close. "What if they sent them after a chimera but didn't give more details they wouldn't have known that we had two chimera's,"
When the skinwalkers had finished talking between themselves Elizabeth and Scott took Mason with them and allowed him to do the talking to let him tell them the mistake he believed that they made. Mason made his case and when the skinwalkers heard what he had to say they realised that by sending a dream demon after a chimera they had made a mistake. Scott admonished them for doing it saying that creatures as old as they should have known better. Elizabeth undid the spell on the condition that they call off the dream demons and stop going after them. The skinwalkers called off the dream demons but told them there would be residual effects but neglected to say how long for.
A few days later and Theo and Corey had, had more nightmares – Theo deciding that Liam shouldn't stay while he was having them because he didn't know what he would do. Liam didn't care, he just wanted to protect him. Corey and Mason camped out in the living room of Elizabeth's apartment, as Corey's nightmares had him disappearing in his sleep and not being able to snap out of it.
"Okay, if everyone insists on hanging out here all the time...I think we need to start looking at a bigger home," Derek said as he looked around the rather crowded apartment and then at Elizabeth and smiled at her.
"We've been thinking about it for a while," Elizabeth added, they'd started thinking about it mid way through the year and had been actively looking for somewhere to move. "I'm going to sell this place after we fix it up,"
"Did you just say we? And bigger home?" Theo questioned raising his eyebrow as he looked at her and then at Derek. "That's why you wanted me to go with you the other day?"
"Yes to everything you just asked," Elizabeth grinned, she'd already roped Isaac into helping with the fixing of the apartment and Jackson said that he'd buy her New York apartment off her and then ship all of her books back to Beacon. "The apartment is getting super crowded these days," Elizabeth added shooting a look towards Derek.
"Where are you looking at?" Theo asked, he really should have gone with her when she'd asked the other day.
"There's a place a few blocks from Scott's that we're thinking will be big enough," Elizabeth said pausing as she thought for a second. "Are you boys any closer to finding something that might be the cause of the rearranging city?"
"Mason thinks it's a witch with a weird sense of humour," Liam piped up as Mason decided to present his evidence.
"First it was the preserve, then the bank and the lacrosse field but they're back to normal now...and I heard Parrish tell Deaton the sheriff's station is missing sections," Mason rambled, Corey had to tell him to take a breath and start again so he did but slower.
"You could be right, and I might have an idea of how to find out," Elizabeth grinned looking at Derek as she did causing him to shake his head vigorously. "What? No one will get hurt,"
"Ace?" Theo questioned wondering exactly what she was thinking of doing.
"She wants to do a summoning spell," Derek almost growled in response but stopped short of being glared at by Liam, Theo and Elizabeth.
"Not exactly...I know a forest nymph that owes me a favour," Elizabeth said before she pulled out her phone and sent a text message. "Forest nymphs do things with out question and like when their debts are paid,"
Derek raised his eyebrow at her there was still some things that he didn't know about her, and he kind of enjoyed learning about it. Elizabeth glared at him and then motioned for him to follow her to their room. Derek smirked at Elizabeth, walking over and grabbing her wrist before dragging her to the bedroom. Theo and Liam rolled their eyes and motioned for Nolan, Corey and Mason to follow them to Theo's room.
"Yeah we don't want to be in the lounge for at least an hour," Theo stated, he'd gotten used to them disappearing into the bedroom – occasionally when Scott had been there the two of them would go catch a movie or go grab food.
"Yeah, he and Scott learnt that the hard way," Liam laughed, before the five of them retreated to Theo's room. "What? You told me and ever since we evacuate," Liam shrugged in between trying to stop laughing and ducking from various things that Theo had decided to throw at him.
"How long have you been living with them now?" Nolan questioned, he was relatively new to the inner circle after the trying to kill them all with the hunters and then being saved by Scott's mother.
"Moved in with Ace when she moved back here permanently," Theo paused trying to think exactly how long it had been as he shot a look to Liam.
"Christmas is next week," Mason said all of a sudden as he looked at the group and they all looked at him as they'd completely forgotten about it.
"You're telling us now?" Liam exclaimed jumping over Theo's bed and reaching for his best-friend only to be grabbed by Theo. "I wasn't going to hurt him!" Theo let go of Liam while looking between Mason and Corey. Mason was in shock that his best-friend had lunged at him.
"Sorry! We've had a lot on?" Mason stepped back as Corey suddenly went invisible as Theo managed to take the boys hand. Theo managed to convince Corey to go visible again while Nolan made a suggestion.
"Why don't we go shopping then?" Nolan suggested, that way they wouldn't have to worry about hearing any noises that they didn't need to hear.
The five teenagers agreed to it, with Theo leaving a note for Elizabeth telling that they were running out for a while and that they'd be back. As they were leaving the apartment they ran into Scott and Theo sent him a look that said I wouldn't if I was you. Scott raised his eyebrow at him in confusion.
"Ace and Derek disappeared into the bedroom," Theo muttered causing Scott to spin around and follow them as he didn't want the noises in his head either.
"Don't say any more, where are you guys headed anyway?" Scott questioned shaking his head as they arrived at the elevator.
"Shopping...Mason reminded us that Christmas is next week," Theo told him before whispering in an almost inaudible tone. "Don't exactly have much..."
"Don't worry about it," Scott smiled at him, the second they stepped out of the elevator he pulled him aside and whispered in his ear. "Ace, has you sorted trust me, and she's more about giving things than receiving them she wouldn't care if you handed her a handmade card and nothing else,"
"You sure?" Theo questioned, Scott simply nodded and then looked to Liam. "Help me anyway?"
A couple of hours later and they had finished shopping and Scott had been sent a message from Derek telling them to bring food home as neither of them felt like cooking. Scott had said even that was too much information for his brain to handle. At the apartment Elizabeth and Derek had left the bedroom soon after they'd heard the teenagers evacuating and had burst out laughing, sometimes they just did it to get time alone.
"Do you plan on telling them the actual reason you want to move or not yet?" Derek questioned as they sat on the lounge and he pulled her closer to him causing her to rest her head against his chest.
"Not yet, besides we don't even know," Elizabeth replied slightly closing her eyes and yawning.
"When is the appointment?" Derek questioned in almost a whisper as they both heard talking coming from the hallway.
'Saturday morning,' Elizabeth answered as Theo and Scott walked in the door followed by Mason, Corey, Liam and Nolan.
"Don't look!" Scott and Theo said as they both quickly headed down the hallway to their rooms.
'Time?' Derek questioned, as Mason and Corey put the take out on the kitchen counter. "Did you get Chinese?"
'Ten, you don't have to come if you don't want to,' Elizabeth replied before she glanced down the hallway and saw Theo leaving his room and quickly pulling the door shut. "Boys, you know how I feel about Christmas – note that there's no decorations up," she laughed before she noticed that Scott hadn't left his room yet. "Hey kiddo, what theme do I do this year?"
"You have a theme?" Mason questioned, as Derek and Elizabeth stood up and they all walked into the kitchen or to the counter to grab some food.
"Yeah, she does a random ass theme most years," Scott answered shutting his bedroom door and joining them. "I don't know, Theo what do you want?"
"I don't know...we didn't really do Christmas," Theo answered, Liam looked at him with an almost completely shocked expression. The truth was no one had done Christmas the first year that Theo had been with them though Scott, Melissa, Cora, Malia and even Peter had spent the day at Derek's loft.
"Of course there's a theme. I'll tell you what I'll pick one and if you don't like it we can change it. Deal?" Elizabeth questioned grinning as she closed her eyes and opened them as they flashed purple and all of a sudden there was 'Ugly Christmas Sweater' decorations everywhere.
"Ugly sweaters?" Theo raised an eyebrow at her as Mason cracked up laughing when he noticed that even the tree had a sweater theme going on.
"Yep, why not?" Elizabeth grinned before Derek rolled his eyes at her and looked down. "Sorry,"
"Ellie, not the sweater theme again? You did this when I moved to New York..." Derek grumbled, he remembered the Ugly Sweaters all too well and had hoped not to relive it again.
"So? They haven't experienced the joy of the Ugly Christmas Sweaters," Elizabeth stuck her tongue out as Derek started to pull off the sweater when Scott realised where he had seen it before.
"Hold up...Ace that's the sweater from The Santa Clause," Scott laughed, causing the five boys to look at Derek who was holding the sweater as though it was going to attack him.
Theo raised his eyebrow having not seen very many Christmas movies, Elizabeth and Scott planned on changing that – they had a tradition of watching at least one Christmas movie every night of the week leading up to Christmas. Derek dropped the sweater on the floor and went into the bedroom to change into a new shirt – swearing when the drawer he opened was full of sweaters. Scott looked at Elizabeth who shrugged as Liam took hold of Theo's hand and pulled him towards him.
*Flash back*
Christmas 2002
Scott and Stiles were running around the McCall's back yard they were eight years old after all. Elizabeth was sitting on the back steps watching and waiting for the second that Rafael or her mother would tell her that she could go to the Hale's house. Stiles had questioned why every member of the McCall family was wearing a Disney themed item of clothing, and why the tree and all decorations where the same.
"Ace, go and just be back by three o'clock," Rafael called out to his sister as he listened to his mother and ex-wife talking in the kitchen.
"Thanks Rafe, hey kiddo I'll be back soon and then I'll show you something," Elizabeth grinned, before she stood up and walked around the side of the house and disappeared down the block. Scott didn't have time to register what she had said.
"Bye Ace!" he yelled not knowing if she had heard him or not. Elizabeth had heard him as she ran towards the preserve.
"Where's she going?" Stiles questioned, watching as his best-friend used his inhaler and they sat on the ground taking a break. "Also what's with all the Disney?"
"To see her best-friend I think, she always goes," Scott answered with a shrug, it was a natural occurrence. "Mom said she's been doing it since I was baby. Ace picks a theme every year,"
Elizabeth ran only stopping once on her way to Hale House, she'd promised Derek and Laura that she'd see them at Christmas and Derek had wanted to talk to her. Derek was sitting on the front steps of Hale House watching as Laura chased Cora and their cousins around the yard. Laura stopped chasing her cousins and sister, the second she saw Derek leap from the steps and race down the drive he'd heard something.
"Derek! Wait up!" Laura laughed running after her baby brother who had already stopped as Elizabeth was leaning against a tree catching her breath. "Lizbeth!"
"Hey Laura, Der," Elizabeth grinned as she found herself being tackled to the ground by Derek. "Derek get off me," Elizabeth laughed pushing the younger boy off to the side as Laura helped pull her up.
"How did you get away?" Derek questioned, all he knew was that it was hard for her to get away at the best of times when it was family things.
"I told mom that I promised I'd see you," Elizabeth answered pausing before she continued. "Rafe wasn't impressed – honestly I think he ignores that we're friends. Anyway! Merry Christmas Derek!" Elizabeth grinned as she pulled Derek and Laura's presents from her pocket.
*end flash back*
"When I was eight the theme she'd chosen was Disney," Scott said as he looked at Elizabeth who nodded and then saw the look on Derek's face as though he was remembering something. "Wait! You were who she left to see on Christmas Day!"
"You got me, it was her and Laura's rule that any special occasion we had to spend some of it together," Derek laughed, he couldn't believe that it taken Scott that long to realise where Elizabeth had disappeared to so often.
"It's not like you didn't have Stiles always hanging around," Elizabeth said with a shrug and a mouth full of Chinese. "Now everyone eat," Elizabeth glanced a Theo and noticed that he didn't have much on his plate, though Liam seemed to have noticed too and was piling it up. 'You okay?'
'I'll be fine,' Theo was almost abrupt when he answered her taking the look on her face he immediately mumbled. 'Later?'
After they had all finished eating Chinese the boys offered to clean up before they were all on the way, Liam included. Liam had told Theo he'd wanted to stay but Theo had vigorously shaken his head. Scott had pulled Liam aside and told him that it wasn't him, Theo was slightly overwhelmed by everything and he couldn't bring himself to tell Liam.