The Bet

Chapter 8

Louise spent most of the day in her mother's hospital room, just watching her. They were going to let her sleep off the sedative before they transferred her over to the psych ward, and Louise wanted to spend as much time with her mother that she could until her mom was moved. After Natalie woke up, Louise talked to her for about twenty minutes before she had to leave.

"Mom, I need you to cooperate with them," Louise said. "I need you to get better."

"I'm not sick, Louise," her mom said.

"I know that things are hard right now, and you've relapsed, but I need to know that you're making an effort. What set this off, anyway?"

"John wants a life with me, Lyds, with us. I don't deserve a life."

"Why not?"

"'Cause your dad doesn't get one."

"Dad's dead, Mom, and he has been for a while. You don't need to feel guilty about moving on with your life - you and I both know that that's what Dad would've wanted. You were the love of his life and he'd want you to be happy."

"Exactly!" Natalie exclaimed. "He was the love of my life, too, Louise. How could I have moved on? I can't be with John like that, I never should have to begin with."

"John loves you," Louise said. Her mother watched her with tears in eyes and Louise continued, "He loves you, and of course he would want something more with you. Aren't you happy with him? I mean, does he make you happy?"

"Of course he does," Natalie answered.

"That's it, then," Louise said. "You feel guilty because you're living while Dad isn't. Well, news flash, Mom - Dad's death was not your fault. I know that you were supposed to be in New York with him at the time, but I'm grateful that you had the flu. You know why? Because that way I only lost the one parent instead of losing you both." Sighing, Louise stood up, "I need you to get better, Mom. We're all each other have."

-x-

Louise had no interest in going to her mother's house since she was going to be the only one in it, and Talia had an open door policy. They were always welcome to stay there, they always had been. Louise was planning on staying at the Hales' until she absolutely had to go home. And since Tak hadn't let Louise drive her car, she was in the middle of trying to get him to lend her the Camaro.

"Nobody drives this car but me, Louise," he said, putting his foot down.

"Yeah, I know, but you didn't let me drive mine. I have something I've gotta do."

"And what's that?"

Louise sighed and rolled her eyes, "Jesus, Tak, nosy much? It's just something I've gotta do."

Tak watched her for a long minute before making a face and then saying, "Fine. You can drive it." He got up off the couch and handed her the keys. "Count yourself lucky, Louise. Nobody drives the Camaro but me."

Louise smiled at him, "Thank you, Tak. I really appreciate this."

What she hadn't wanted to tell him was that Louise wanted to go to the cemetery. She was sure that Tak would have accompanied her if she had wanted him to, but she wanted to do this alone. She sat down beside her dad's gravestone and said, "Hey, Dad. I haven't been here in a while. Sorry about that."

She started talking to him. After her father had died, Louise came to the cemetery almost weekly. It was every Sunday, since they had had a tradition of having a family dinner every Sunday afternoon. For a long time, she would avoid everyone on Sundays. That's why she started visiting her dad's grave. But life got busy, and things got in the way, and pretty soon she was on her way to Berkeley and didn't really think about visiting his grave like she had before. She still missed him a ton, but things were different now.

"I guess I'm a bad daughter, huh?" Louise laughed. "I miss you, though. I think about you all the time. I know Mom does, too." She sighed before saying, "That's why I'm here. Mom is...well, she's Mom. She and the sheriff have been dating a while. Can you believe it? Both she and John were lonely, and it really helped them to be lonely together, I guess. They were really happy."

Louise licked her lips before continuing, "He wants to marry her. That really shouldn't surprise you, huh? Mom is totally marriage material. But she's in the hospital right now because it sent her into a deep depression. She's depressed, and I don't know what to do about it. I know I dealt with it after you died, but this is different. The main reason I even starting going to Berkeley was so I could keep an eye on her. I come home to see her at least once a month. It's just..." Louise sighed. "I feel like I need to help her. She's my mother, you know? Of course I'm going to worry about her, but I kinda feel like I'm about to go out of my freaking mind. I don't really know what to do about it."

"You need to let your pack help you out," came the voice. Louise sighed; she should've known that Tak would have followed her here. She wiped the tears out of her eyes and said, "Tak, I'm not in the f*****g mood."

There was silence, but Louise was really surprised when she turned around and standing there was...Talia?

"Tak, huh?" she said. "Do I sound like Tak?"

"No, sorry," she said. Talia came around and knelt beside Louise. "It was like murder trying to get Tak to let me borrow the Camaro. I figured he followed me, to see where I was going."

Talia's eyes widened, "You mean, you actually asked? I was under the impression that you just took it."

"Did he tell you that?"

Talia laughed, "No. He didn't. It's just that, since he got that car, he's never let anybody borrow it, not ever." Talia watched Louise very carefully before adding, "John called me about your mom. When Tak told me you went somewhere, I figured it'd be here. He doesn't really remember, but you and Richard were close. I know you miss him."

Louise nodded, "I do, you're right."

Talia just looked at Louise, "I also know that you researched the hell out depression after your mom went into the hospital the first time. There's nothing you can do right now except support her."

"I always am gonna," Louise said, sighing. She stood up and brushed the grass off her skirt. "I just...I feel like I'm all alone."

Talia rose beside Louise and took her hand in her own. She said, "Look at me, Louise." Louise did as she asked. Talia said, "Pack takes care of each other. I know that you and Tak have...issues, but it seems like the two of you are getting along lately. Why did you ask him to come with you, exactly?"

Louise sighed, "I don't know. Tak and I have been getting to know one another, and it...I guess it just seemed logical to me to ask him. I know it's probably strange, but...I don't really know why I asked him. I just know I can trust him."

Talia sighed, watching Louise for a moment, "Tak's turned into a good man. I'm very proud to call him my son. And maybe someday, Louise, you'll be able to trust him with more - like your heart."

-x-

Louise couldn't sleep. After tossing and turning for almost three hours, she got up and went downstairs into the kitchen. She was trying to be as quiet as she could, because she didn't want to wake anybody up. With practically the whole family being werewolves, she knew that even if she tried not to make noise, she was going to make some anyway. Their senses were heightened, and Talia had told Louise once that because she was a mother first and an alpha second, she was an extremely light sleeper.

Louise went into the kitchen pantry where Peter kept his tea. That was practically the only thing they had in common - Peter liked his tea, and Louise needed it when she couldn't sleep. Insomnia was a b***h, but this wasn't just regular insomnia - it was because she was worried. She filled the tea kettle and put it on the stove to boil some water, and sat down on the barstool at the kitchen island. She sighed deeply.

"Hey," came the voice. Louise turned and saw it was Tak. "Can't sleep?" He came over and sat on the other barstool beside Louise. He looked completely adorable, in nothing but a pair of sleep pants and his hair sticking up in every which way. Wait...did she just call him adorable? Well, everybody knew that he was hot, but she somehow knew it meant different. She shook the thoughts out of her head just as the tea kettle started to whistle.

She got up and poured it into a mug along with the teabag. Sitting back down beside Tak, she sighed and said, "I should have asked if you wanted some."

Tak made a face, which made Louise laugh, "It's okay," he said. "You and Peter can keep your gross tea. Honestly, I have no idea how the two of you stomach that shit."

Louise laughed again, "It helps," she said. "Lavender and chamomile helps insomnia, you know."

Tak just shrugged.

Louise took a sip of her tea and said, "You don't have to sit up with me, Tak. I'm okay with being alone."

"You shouldn't have to be, though," Tak said. He watched as Louise sipped her tea. "Please don't push me away, Lyds. I wanna help you."

Louise finished her tea and said, "You know what would help?" She really didn't give him to respond, she just started rubbing him through his pants.

He gently removed her hand, "No, Louise. Not that."

She almost looked hurt, "It would make me feel better. I just want to forget for a while."

"I'm not going to take advantage of you like that."

"But I want you to!" she exclaimed. She stood up and so did Tak. "I need to stop thinking for a while. Don't you think you can help me with that, please? I mean, I'm not too proud to beg."

Tak shook his head, "I'm not changing my mind, Louise."

Tears started flowing down her cheeks. Why the f**k was she being so goddamn emotional about this? She hit his chest, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to make herself feel better. Tak gathered her in his arms and whispered to her, "Let it out, Louise. You need this."

Her legs felt like jelly and he picked her up and carried her into the living room. He sat down on the couch and cradled her in his arms, saying, "Let it out, Louise. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." He continued to whisper comforting words in her ear as she just cried. She grabbed onto his shirt and just let everything she'd been feeling out. Tak stroked his hand through her hair and whispered comforting words to her.

He sat there for a long time, comforting her, but she fell asleep after about an hour. Her head was on Tak's lap and he sighed. He had this overwhelming need to protect her. All he could think about was that his mate was upset and he needed to fix it. He knew the probably should have just had s*x with her, but he didn't want her to sleep with him out of grief. She needed to be comforted, and by God, he was going to do that. He didn't even care that she had gotten tears and snot all over him. Part of him really wanted to tell her that she was his mate , but he just couldn't bring himself to do it - at least, not yet.

The next thing he knew, the sun was shining through the curtains and his mother was standing over him. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and looked down to see that Louise was still sleeping on his lap. Talia gave him a knowing look.

"It's not like that," he whispered. He didn't want to wake Louise; he knew that she wouldn't be getting a lot of good sleep right now, so he wanted her to sleep as long as she could. He shifted so she was lying on the couch and he could stand. He covered her with the quilt that Talia kept on the back of the couch and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen. He was extra surprised, though, to see Cora and Stiles sitting at the kitchen island.

"What're you guys doing here?" he asked.

Stiles, who had half a pancake in his mouth, replied, "Your mom called us."

Tak looked at Talia quizzically. She nodded, "I thought it'd help. I mean, Stiles and Cora are Louise's best friends."

"I'm kinda hurt," Stiles said after swallowing. " I mean, she used to come to me first."

Tak nodded, "I'm just as surprised as you are. But she asked me, and I'm gonna do everything in my power to help her out. Besides, she said she'd be here about a week and didn't want you to miss classes."

"But she asked you?"

Tak shrugged, "Look, I don't know, okay?"

Cora watched her brother carefully, "Where is she right now?"

"On the couch," Talia answered, watching her son. "I'm waiting for an explanation."

"She was exhausted, okay? She was up in the middle of the night, and she started crying. I held her and then she fell asleep. I know that she's going to have a hard time sleeping, and I want her to be able to get as much sleep as humanly possible."

"That's it? You just held her? Louise doesn't let anyone just hold her." Stiles said, watching Tak carefully.

"Well, she did, okay? I didn't really give her much of a choice. Besides, I know that you and Cora cuddle with her all the time. Cora used to come home smelling like both you and Louise all the time."

"Yeah, but we're her best friends. She barely even tolerates you."

Tak sighed. Stiles was right, even though his words stung. He took a deep breath, "Look, I don't know what else to say, okay? She needed someone, and I was there. That's it."

When they didn't respond, Tak started to turn around. He turned back for a moment and said, "I'm going to put her to bed in the spare room. Is that okay with everyone?" They didn't answer her, and he smelt the bitterness of guilt, so he turned around and picked Louise up, bridal style, and carried her to the guest room. He covered her up with the comforter there and lingered for just a moment, watching her. She was absolutely beautiful when she slept.

Feeling too much like a stalker, he turned around and left the room. He wasn't expecting to run into Stiles in the hallway.

"There's something you need to understand, Tak," Stiles said softly, closing the bedroom door so they wouldn't disturb Louise. "Before this bet, she hated your guts. The two of you never talked to each other, and you avoided her like the plague. Now you're sleeping together and things are changing. I don't think that Louise knows what she's feeling, and she hasn't exactly done this feeling thing in a really long time."

Tak was silent, so Stiles said, "Cora and I have been best friends with Louise for a long time. Everyone in the pack is closer to Louise than you are, but I know that you feel something for her. Louise told me about the terms of the bet and what you get if you win. I, for one, would love to see you win. Louise had lost faith in love a long ass time ago and we have that douche Jackson Whittemore to thank for it. You're a good guy. But you're an idiot."

"Really." Tak said. It was a statement, not a question. "Please, enlighten me."

"Sure," Stiles said, not picking up on the sarcasm in Tak's voice. Tak decided to just let him talk. "Mia told me that Louise's your mate. Even if she hadn't told me, though, I would have guessed, considering the way you look at her. You look at Louise like she hung the f*****g moon and I know you want to be with her, as in a real relationship. I want that for you. I think Louise's forgotten what it felt like to be in love."

Tak was quiet, so Stiles said, "I want you to win this bet, Der, I really do. It'd be good for the both of you. But, and I'm begging you here, please tell her she's your mate. She deserves to know." With that, Stiles walked away, leaving Tak to his thoughts.

-x-

Visitations to the psych ward were weekdays at seven and weekends at four. Louise went there the first day alone to talk to Natlaie. She sat down across the table from her mother and watched her for a good minute.

"You look better today than you did yesterday," Louise said to her mother. Natalie just watched her.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Mom, but you've got a problem and you need to address it. You need John and he needs you."

Natalie was still silent.

"Look, I'd really like it if you'd say something to me. Just acknowledge my presence, okay? I don't even care if it's 'I hate you, Louise, never come to see me again', I just need to make sure you're, you know, here."

"I'm here," Natalie said softly. "They're scheduling me appointments with a shrink."

"Mom, you need a therapist. I've told you this repeatedly."

"I was doing fine, Louise."

Louise sighed, "That's why the police were called because you were holding a knife at your skin. You didn't cut yourself, but you could've. You'd scared a lot of people shitless. That's why you're here. We're all worried about you."

"I was doing fine," Natalie repeated.

"Jesus Christ," Louise muttered. Sighing, she said, "I'm staying in Beacon Hills until you get out of the hospital. And if you don't cooperate and get better in ten days, they're gonna send you back to Eichen House. You know that, right? I know you don't want to go there again."

"I don't know what I'm doing, Louise," Natalie admitted. "Your dad's been gone a long time, yes, but I just can't seem to think about moving on without him. Yeah, so John and I have gone on dates and everything, but he's talking about marriage. He wants to marry me, Lyds."

"Please tell me he didn't propose already," Louise said.

"He didn't. He just wanted to talk to me about it." There were tears in her mother's eyes. "I don't know what to do. I love him, you know that. I mean, I'm in love with him, and I feel like he deserves so much more than that. When your dad died, I was in hospital for a year and a half, okay? How could he want someone like that?"

"Do you remember when his wife died?" Louise asked quietly. Natalie shook her head, so Louise continued, "He drowned himself in the bottle. He drank all the time. It was his only way of coping. Have you ever wondered why Stiles is so good at taking care of himself? How he got to be so good at preparing his meals and grocery shopping and everything that he does? It's because he was forced into it too early. I'm not trying to turn you off from the sheriff. God knows that the two of you need each other. But everybody handles grief differently. And I can't even imagine the kind of hurt you guys went through when your spouses died. It's got to hurt in a way that I can't even comprehend. But you guys got better, and I think the two of you could move on to be very happy together." Licking her lips and watching her mother very closely, Louise said, "Please, Mom, talk to the therapist. I even see one, okay? It'll be good for you."

"You see a shrink?" Natalie asked.

"Please, don't say it like that. But yes, I've been seeing one for a while. It helps. She helps me deal with the grief that is inside of me from everything that's happened in my life, including Dad. I know that you and Dad loved each other very much, but think about it. And I mean that - really think about it. He'd want you to be happy. Dad would've wanted you to move on, and that's what I want, too. Please, just try to get better, okay? You're my mom and I need you more than you think I do."