"Have I ever?"

She smiles at her mom, sits down next to her and munches down on one of her delicious, homebaked cookies. Best mom.

Victoria would prefer something a bit stronger than milk, but the ritual has always been deeply important to her. She has always hated lying to her children.

"Your sister texted. She's staying the night with the beta. Apparently, he's expecting this to result in her strict parents grounding her."

"Handy. Gives her a chance to decompress from spending the night under that sort of pressure. Not that she can't handle it."

She wonders if she keeps saying and thinking that, it'll actually make it true.

"It's a smart move if we plan to manipulate him. I'm not sure that makes it the right decision for her, or for our family."

"Kate is her hero."

"Kate is as impetuous as she is strong. I wish the girl would choose better role models. I've been like Kate at my worst. At my best, I like to think I more closely resemble your grandfather."

"I'm sure he hates that. There's really only room for one Gerard in the world."

"I'm sure he loves more people who aspire to be like him. I don't intend to replace him in his capacity as advisor. Besides, we're on the subject of Allison. She should not be playing this game, Regan. You know as well as I do that the two of you are meant to be leaders, not combatants."

She switches tracks. "Allison is meant to lead this family. I should have been the one handle the beta."

"You are meant to lead in your own way. You are one of them, but that does not mean you need to succumb to the same base urges that rule them. You are not stupid, or selfish, or cowardly. You are a survivor, like your mother. Don't forget that. Surviving means choosing your battles, and leading from a distance when necessary. This plan is not a disaster, Regan, but it was a mistake. Trust your own judgment as a commander if your sister acts like a soldier."

She looks away and takes another cookie.

"We should have taken him before all this. We knew who he was, knew he was unprotected. No single alpha is a match for us. No single teenage boy. He would have told us all he knew without all this light touch."

"I wanted to leave this up to you, especially since you both seemed so confident. But handling this the way Kate might is too risky. We need decisive action, without the chance for any messy complications. I wish Allison had learned that, but I can see that you have."

She sips, pausing to think through her next move. Regan does not need her to push too much, now. She understands, unlike her sister. She has always understood her, much better than Allison ever could. She's as soft as her father.

"Use her, Regan. If Allison cannot be anything more than a warrior, then use her just as Gerard would use Kate, or as he would use any one of us. Better yet, take care with her heart. Use her the way I use your father. If you think that Allison's plan will fail, do not hesitate. Until then, support her from the background. Kill the boy if you must, but only if you must. She might not forgive you immediately, but all wounds heal when the love is strong."

Regan stares at her mother for a long moment and then nods. She doesn't want to use Allison like this, but evidently she has no other choice. Tonight was very nearly a disaster. Regan nearly had to kill the beta in full view of a dozen civilians.

"She's already scared of me."

"Your father is only as scared of me as he should be. Love and respect are not precluded by fear, Regan. Allison already has plenty of both towards you. Teach her that her job is to make plans, or to accept her role on the battlefield. And remember, if your plan works, then we have a chance of avoiding death for the boy altogether. He might even make a wonderful addition to the family some day."

Regan lets out a surprised laugh. "You haven't even met the boy, mom. He doesn't really seem the type that will fit into the family super easily. He's soft."

"You should have met your father when he was your age. You're all lucky I didn't meet him until college, when he had learned to temper that gentle soul with some steel. Regardless, whatever happens, we accept the result. We're Argents, whether we have that blood in our veins or not, yes?"

"Through and through."

Then they can enjoy the milk and cookies, and reminisce about when the girls were younger, and Victoria promises that they'll take a vacation soon, after all this alpha business is over, and she tries her best to believe that all will end well.

She manages it. Victoria knows how to survive, and she will bring as many of them with her as she can.

The next day, breakfast is being prepared when Allison makes a show of sneaking in. He's serving Regan her pancakes when the window to her room unlocks. He doesn't hear it, of course; he assumes Regan will tell him when her sister gets home.

She has no reason not to!

"The delinquent child has returned," she says around a mouthful of yummy yummy pancakes.

"Allison, we made your favorite!"

He can't remember if Allison likes chocolate chips or blueberries, but he's sure that whichever she doesn't, Regan does. Having two children is convenient that way.

Allison rushes down the stairs a few minutes later, dressed for school already.

"Sorry I'm late. Scott spent a lot of the night talking, so I overslept."

Regan kicks out the stool next to her for Allison to sit. "Eat and report? The best type of breakfast."

"Sure."

She takes a stack for herself and drenches it in a generous helping of syrup.

"So, first of all, it was so hard to get Stiles to go home- that's the Sheriff's son, dad- because he thought I was acting way too concerned. I have no idea why the guy is so paranoid! I finally got Scott to make him leave when we were in his room. He really liked when I held his hands and looked at them. I said something about how I didn't think that he could hurt anyone, even if he had claws. He loved that."

Regan makes a face. "Just pile on the cheese, wow. He really wants to believe this, doesn't he?"