Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

2006

Derek cries silently on a plastic chair in the hallway of Beacon Hills hospital. Her sister, Laura, just 18, stands by his side with her face closed. Everything is my fault, everything is my fault, are the words that fight in the mind of the fifteen-year-old boy. He came out of his descent into hell by a soft hand on his cheek that wipes away the tears that slide abundantly on his hairless cheeks.

"It’s not your fault, little brother, this woman is responsible and will pay for her crime. We’ll contact Uncle Deuc," she reassures him.

He shakes his head, he doesn’t want his compassion. Their family died because he couldn’t keep it in his pants. He was seduced by a pretty smile, long blond hair without knowing that he fell under the spell of a sadistic hunter.

A nurse comes to them, her wavy hair is tied in a loose bun, her plate says her first name: Melissa. She smiles at them but no wrinkles form around her eyes.

"Your uncle is alive but… Look, he’s got third-degree burns all over his left body, surgeons have managed to save his eye, but his ear is badly damaged. The next few days will be decisive."

"All right, thank you," simply answer Laura standing in front of her.

"Do you have a place to sleep?" Melissa worries.

"Yes, don’t worry…"

Lie. They have nowhere to go. No family anywhere else because they were all together for their mother’s birthday.

2011

Five long years have passed and many things have happened.

Laura has found a job in New York as a waitress in a small intimate café, a job she enjoys and is now a manager.

Derek learned to rebuild himself through a little gem, Mieczyslaw. A year after they arrived in town, Derek, lost, changed conquests every week until one of them told him she was pregnant. From that moment on, Derek changed. No more sleeping around, he promised to take care of their child. Izabela’s parents quickly disowned her and threw her out. Laura did not hesitate to host her. Nine months and the little guy became his father’s center of attention. Unfortunately, the young Izabela did not survive the delivery, a complication arrived a few hours after her return from the delivery room.

Derek did not let himself down and became a protective and patient father. He raised the boy without hiding his origins from him to the delight of little Stiles, as he likes to call himself, little fan of Harry Styles.

"You don’t know, oh-oh!"

The screaming voice of his son wakes him up. He growls, tired, and very quickly a small growl is heard after him and he laughs feeling the weight of his four-year-old son on his back.

"Come on, groundhog, get up, I have to go," said Laura, gently as she returned to the kitchen.

"Groun-og," said Stiles, still sitting on his father’s back.

He stands up holding the leg of his son and his laughter invades the room as he rides his father for his greatest pleasure.

"Hello shrimp, you had breakfast?" he asked, catching it as he was getting up.

"Yes, Laura made waffes," he said, his nose wiggling as he smiled.

Stiles is the portrait of his mother. Izabela had large amber eyes, dark brown hair and a mocking smile. Derek props his son up on his right hip and carries him to the living room where Laura closes her suitcase.

"How long are you leaving?"

"A few days, I take care of Peter and see about his transfer and I find out about this deer thing."

"Don’t forget to call, shrimp will want his evening story," said Derek, tickling his son.

Laura was moved by their relationship and agreed to call them that evening.

This was the last time the two Hales had a chance to hear Laura’s voice and hold her in their arms.

Several days on the road and father and son arrive in Beacon Hills, a city that brings too many bad memories for Derek’s well-being.

He stops at the police station and reminds his son who has his eyes wide open in front of police cars, the rules of good conduct. He shakes his head, drops the recall and comes out. He holds Stiles by the hand as he pushes the front door.

A dark-skinned woman smiles at him and makes a small wave to his son.

"What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to know if you saw a woman named Laura Hale, she is my sister and I have not been able to reach her for three days."

"Laura Hale? Wait, I’ll call the sheriff."

She slips away while Stiles begins to get impatient at his side. The four-year-old can no longer stand still, making it difficult for such a curious and turbulent child to get stuck with his father and listen to adult conversations that don’t interest him. Derek ends up letting go and the boy ventures not far.

A man in beige uniform, and brown pants, approaches with the young officer. He wears the Sheriff’s distinctive star. He shakes Derek’s hand and introduces himself.

"Sheriff Noah Stilinski, are you close to Laura Hale?"

"Yes, I am his brother, and this shrimp is my son."

"All right. I have bad news, we have no contact with your sister, she was supposed to tell us after her research in the woods. She told us she'd go to your old house and check that there were no squatters and helped us with this outlaw hunter."

"Did you go and see?"

"Yes and nothing. No trace of struggle, no trace of his presence."

Derek tries to keep his breathing under control but he has difficulty holding back his panic. He feels Stiles taking his hand, worried and tears invading his big amber eyes and it only takes that to bring Derek back to calm. He hugs Stiles and apologizes for scaring him.

"Where is Aunt Laura?"

"I don’t know, sweetheart, but we’re going to find her, and she owes you a lot of stories."

Stiles nods his head several times and Derek gets up to face the Sheriff.

"I’m going to retrace her route, something may have distracted her from her path."

"Be careful, we have a cougar on the loose around here."

Derek nods and leaves after taking Stiles in his arms. He goes to visit Peter before going in search of his sister, the heavy heart while he clings as he can to his weak connection with her. He doesn’t want to believe it, he can’t accept that she may be gone. He is mistaken, he knows it but he is not ready to hear it or to have to tell Stiles.

Chapter Text

The long hallways are silent. He quickly arrives at Peter’s bedroom door.

"Remember, sweetheart, Uncle Peter was hurt and won’t answer your questions, okay?"

"Yes, Dad."

The child waits, turns towards the door and Derek pushes the door while taking a deep breath. They enter and Stiles stops, surprised. Peter is in his wheelchair, inert, his head leaning slightly to the right, ugly scars transform his face, but his blue eyes are still the same. Stiles frees himself from the grip of his father and advances, intimidated.

"Hello, Uncle Peter, I am Stiles," he said, reaching out in front of him.

Derek hastens to approach, reminding his son that Peter cannot move nor answer him.

"But Papa, Uncle Peter is here," the child said, annoyed.

Derek then turns around and stares at his uncle’s eyes. And there he sees it, blinking his eyes. Peter is awake, among them. Derek cannot hide his joy and falls on his knees in front of him.

"Peter, thank God, Peter, it’s Derek."

Without warning and to everyone’s surprise, a firm hand encircles Derek’s throat, soon cutting off his air. Derek tries to defend himself but for a catatonic man, Peter is strong, far too strong. It is then that he understands, and Peter’s ruby eyes confirm it to him.

"What did you do to Laura?" he said. "What did you do?

Tears join his anger, and the frightened cries of Stiles brings him the strength he lacks. His pup needs him, his protection. He manages to loosen his uncle’s grip and falls heavily to the ground. A small body huddles without waiting against him.

"You abandoned me," announced a hoarse, unused voice. "You left me at the mercy of hunters, at the mercy of infinite pain. Do you know what it’s like to feel your body repair cells after cells? I felt a foreign alpha on our land, and I acted, it was only after that I recognized her. Laura. The traitor."

"You’re wrong," screams Derek, with his nose in Stiles' hair who shakes like a leaf. "We didn’t abandon you, we paid for care, we forbade any visits except our family, and Laura came to transfer you to us. You killed her for nothing."

"No," Peter’s fury is making him shake the open window.

"You killed her when she did everything she could to protect you from the hunters who wanted to finish the job. They chased us for months before they got tired. she declared you dead to protect you. And it was her idea."

"No," murmured Peter.

The man collapsed on the ground, on his knees, at the same level as his nephew whose anger made him vibrate.

"No."

The lost look and Peter’s reaction calm Derek. The man was not aware? He knew nothing about Laura’s actions? Why did he think she abandoned him? Who told him such horror? He did not have long to wait for the answer when a woman, with red hair pulled in a tall ponytail, enters. Jennifer, as her badge indicates. Peter turns his head towards her and the rubies light up. Her. She was at fault and she was going to pay with her life. He killed her niece because of her. He was willing to kill his nephew and that innocent little boy. She turned him into a monster. Why?

One scratch and the woman falls to the ground. Dead. Derek keeps Stiles' head against his chest, preventing him from facing this violence. Peter, without a word, carries the body and places it on his shoulder before jumping out the window. Derek gets up and follows him with his eyes as he runs through the woods at the back of the hospital.

"Dad, did Uncle Peter hurt Laura?"

"Come here."

Stiles follows his father to the chair near the wall, opposite the bed and sits on his knees with his help.

"Remember when I told you about Grandma Talia and Grandpa Adam?"

"Yes, they are with the angels, with everyone and Mr. Pickles."

"That’s right. Well, Aunt Laura is them too."

Derek keeps his voice from breaking, so he doesn’t cry, not in front of his son.

"So… So I’m not going to see Aunt Laura anymore?"

"Unfortunately, no, my angel, but I am here and I will never leave you. Never."

Stiles burst into tears, despite his age, Derek had striven to explain everything to him as he could, and death had been a complex subject. Stiles finally falls asleep, his nose running and his cheeks red with tears. Derek lays a kiss on his head and lays him in his uncle’s bed. He covers him with the meager rough cover and returns to the window waiting for his uncle’s return.

The sun begins to rise when a heavy noise startles him. He had laid down with his son in the bed, avoiding waking him up. Derek crosses the eyes of his uncle, and the wolf looks down.

"It’s okay, I understand that this woman used you to get to us and finish the job, I’m sorry we didn’t come back early, we were waiting to make a living to do it. But with Stiles coming, a lot of things had to wait."

Peter looks up astonished. He did not expect to be forgiven, not so easily. But his heart does not forgive him, he cannot forget. The little body stuck to Derek moves slightly.

"Do you want to meet your nephew? The last Hale? But he’s the one you have to apologize to, he’s difficult."

Derek’s little smile reassures him of the little one's character. He approaches and puts a trembling hand on Stiles' head as he opens his eyes.

"Good morning angel," whispered Peter under the spell of Stiles' big eyes.

"Hello Unc' Peter," welcomed Stiles with a smile.

Peter lets tears escape his impeccable control. Guilt devours him from within.

Chapter Text

Peter surprises everyone by regaining consciousness during his bath given by a pretty and young nurse. When he tells the story to Derek, he can only shake his head by Peter’s behavior.
Since then, Stiles spends his time asking stories of the Hale family to Peter who never hesitates to embarrass Derek. Stiles begins to take too much pleasure in laughing at his father and Derek spends his time correcting him.
Stiles is asleep on the hospital bed of Peter’s new room and Derek takes the opportunity to discuss the upcoming plan.
Derek has it on good authority that the Argent family is back. He must then inform Peter of the bite he inflicted on a naive young teenager who is under the spell of the daughter of Chris Argent, former lover of his uncle.
"I bit a kid?"
"If it makes you feel any better, he had asthma, a severe form and now he can play Lacrosse like he always dreamed of. However, he does not want to know anything about who we are and what he has become. I am watching him and that is how I learned it."
"Kate?" asked Peter.
Derek holds a chill at the name of the hunter who broke him. He shrugs his shoulders under Peter’s watchful eyes.
"Tell me," Asked the former patient.
"I know what it’s like to live to feel guilty. You quickly knew I was seeing a girl, that girl, that was Kate. I could only see her smile and the fact that she loved me. I never tried to find out more."
"You had nothing to do with it. You were young and heartbroken. She took advantage of it. Derek," scold Peter, "she must die."
His final tone did not lend itself to an answer. Kate must die and they were going to do it. Peter gets up, stretches out and puts his hand on his nephew’s head to comfort him.
"I’m here, she won’t hurt you."

Peter is surprised by the visit of Chris. The man got better with age. He wears a greying beard, steel-blue eyes hiding the goodness of his soul and wrinkles marking the constant frown of his eyebrows.
"Christopher," said Peter.
"I heard you had recovered from the fire. I was coming to see how you were?"
"Thank you, I’m fine. Don’t hesitate to tell your younger sister."
The coldness took hold of Chris’s attitude, turning his heels and leaving the room. Peter is pleased to have planted the little seed of doubt in the mind of the man he still loved.
He finished closing his bag when he was interrupted by the door that opens. A small brown head appears, a strand too long in front of the eyes.
"Uncle Peter, you come to our house. I decorated your room. It’s me alone."
"Thank you, bunny, I’m sure I’ll sleep like a baby."
"I want an ice cream too. Vanilla."
"The magic word, sweetheart?" intervenes Derek.
"Please."
"With pleasure, little gentleman."
Derek grabs his bag while he carries Stiles in his arms. In the corridors, the nurses greet them with big smiles. Derek grunts when Kate appears at the entrance of the building.
"Oh, who we have here," she exclaims, approaching her hand to Stiles.
The boy leans back and Derek stands between them.
"You touch only one of his hairs and I tear out your eyes," he discreetly threatened.
She laughs, mocking and leaves in her big car.
"I don’t like her," said Stiles, helping the two men to relax.
"And you’re right, she’s a villain."
"As Maleficent?" asked the child.
"Worse than Maleficent," Derek corrects.
Stiles nods his head, his little hands holding on Peter’s jacket.

The three go to a dinner in town to eat and offer Stiles a well-deserved ice cream.
"Chris came to me, I implied that Kate was in on it."
"You still love him, don’t you?"
"No."
"Uncle Peter, do you have a lover?"
"Who knows…"
"Yuck!"
Peter tickles the little boy who laughs by dropping his spoon that his father catches before it touches the ground.

The loft was totally furnished by Derek and Stiles' help in decoration. Drawings of the boy adorn the walls and the awkwardly written alphabet is on the refrigerator. Peter climbs the spiral staircase and quickly finds his room. His bed is covered with a Batman blanket, and the pillowcases display Superman’s S. He drops his bag on the floor and laughs under the cape. Yeah, Stiles went through it.
He feels good, he feels soothed as he helps Derek prepare food for the three of them.

Chapter Text

He and Derek discuss quietly in front of a breakfast worthy of the greatest. Stiles is determined to taste everything Peter has prepared and half of his yogurt is on his face.
“What do we do? You have a plan? Now that we know she’s here, I’m afraid she’s trying to go after my boy," Derek worries.
“We must get rid of her henchmen first, without support, she will be weakened. I will try to rally Chris to our cause.”
“You think he’ll believe you. Since you separated, he’s had a family. He’s changed.”
“There must be a little something left of the Chris I knew. I feel it. His desire for justice and righteousness.”
“Okay.”
Stiles interrupts them, burping without embarrassment after having drunk large sips of his lemonade.
“Stiles,” sighs his father.
“Sorry, Dad, but it feels good.”
Peter laughs by catching a cloth which he wets to wash the child.

Stiles hops holding his father’s hand while they’re at the mall.
Peter followed Chris and his daughter, Allison, here and asked him to come with the little boy for some shopping.
“I want a Batman t-shirt, Dad, and we need another sheet for Unc' Peter.”
“We’ll see what we can find. But you know, Uncle Peter will probably want to pick out his sheets himself,” Derek tries.
“Why? He doesn’t like it?” asked Stiles, stopping and his eyes filled with tears.
“What do you say to the greatest of children, nephew?”
“Uncle Peter!” said Stiles, as if he had not seen him for days.
Peter catches Stiles who runs towards him clumsily. He makes him turn in circles and then puts him on his hip. He takes them both to a store where Allison is looking for a dress for the winter dance that is coming up, remembers Derek.

Peter approaches her as Stiles squirms to look at the T-shirts for children and try to find his favorite ssuperhero
“Hello, young lady, need help finding a dress?”
“Oh, yes, I don’t know which one to choose,” she said.
“How about this one?” Offers Peter a poiting to a silver dress with a nice neckline. “What do you think, cutie pie?”
“Pretty,” replied Stiles, leaning his head like a doubtful puppy.
“Okay, thank you…”
“Peter. Peter Hale.”
“Nice to meet you, Peter, I’m Allison. And that little one?”
“Stiles,” the child presents himself with a shy smile, making his cheeks swell.
Peter massages his stomach while he puts his head on his shoulder. Allison smiles about the boy’s cute face and apologizes when her father calls her.

Allison leaves quickly to try the dress and Chris takes the opportunity to approach Peter who releases Stiles in the shelves for children. Derek should be here any minute with three ice creams.
“What are you doing? I forbid you to involve my daughter in your business?”
“Our business Chris, our business. And I only advised her. My nephew you see running around needs clothes.”
“Don’t think I haven’t spotted you following us all day,” Chris said. “What do you want?”
“Did you know that Kate was responsible for the fire that destroyed our family? Do you know that she seduced Derek to approach our house without being spotted by ours?”
“What… no, she… I…”
“Think Chris, why did she come back? Why was her first stop the day I got out of the hospital?”
“I…”
“Dad, I love it,” screams Allison, near the register.
Chris quickly escapes and joins his daughter to pay for her new dress. Stiles pulls on Peter’s jacket to attract his attention while he holds several tee-shirts with difficulty.
“All right, let’s go,” mumbles Peter without realizing that Stiles loses his smile at his attitude.

Derek finds them sitting on a bench not far from the store. Stiles is sit criss-crossed, turning his back to Peter and him, has his arms crossed, lost in his thoughts. Derek hands his vanilla ice cream to his son and the coffee to Peter.
“What’s the matter with you?” Derek said.
“Chris wouldn’t listen,” grumbles Peter.
“And you shrimp?”
“Peter is angry with me,” cries Stiles, throwing himself into his father’s arms, with the ice spilling over.
“What? No, Stiles, I’m not angry with you,” hastens Peter to calm the child.
“You weren’t happy.”
“I’m sorry, little angel, I was just a little sad. Come on, I’ll buy you a new ice cream.”
Peter takes Stiles in his arms, kisses his flushing cheek and takes him to the ice-cream maker, followed by Derek who shakes his head. He knows that Stiles will get everything he wants from Peter and the kid is smart enough to realize it.

Peter convinced Derek to start their revenge with the insurance inspector of the day, Garrison Meyers. The man had pocketed a nice amount of money but because of his tendencies to gambling, had lost everything, his wife, his job and now, drives school buses. It’s in the high school parking lot that they find him.
The two men frighten him so much that he confesses his fraud, admits to having been paid without giving a name and apologizes before peeing on himself. He’s trembling and in a fetal position when they leave him.

Delighted with the news, they return with a pizza and thank the impromptu babysitter of Stiles, a high school student named Danny.
The boy is watching the Aristocats and claps his hands happily in rhythm of the songs. He is delighted to eat a pizza and ends up covered with sauce. Derek grabs his hands before he wipes them on his pants.

The next day, they heard the news. Meyers died. He was hit by a car driven by a poor woman on her way home from work. Peter is convinced that they will learn that he was dead before, convinced that Kate Argent is erasing his tracks. They have to speed up. They have to find other people and get them to confess to their crime. They have to get a name.

Chapter Text

Derek and Peter have been waiting several hours for an opening to attack this video club guy. He’s in his twenties, close to his thirties. They assume his name is Leveque but don’t know any more about him. They enter at nightfall and catch the man they lure into the back room. He trembles, sweats like a pig and claims to know nothing. Peter must growl and show the fangs so that he confesses that a pretty blonde paid him a nice amount of money to light a fire through the electricity of a house in the woods. He didn’t know what she was looking for, assumed she wanted inheritance or insurance. The two men mocked him and recorded his confession. They left after shaking him a little.

Danny is with the little Stiles he loves. The child is adorable and already a little genius. He managed to convince him to let him stay up later by promising to go to bed without a fight. Danny had yielded to his begging eyes. It’s sitting on the couch, Stiles sleeping that’s how they find them.
“He wanted to stay awake longer, sorry,” says Danny.
“Don’t worry, he can be persuasive, Peter jokes.
Derek gives him his 30 bucks and thanks Danny. Peter leaves Derek lying down and prepares a quick dinner for them.

Once again, they learn from the noisy agents that Leveque is dead. Attacked by an animal in view of the scratches and evisceration of the man returning to his car.
Peter’s starting to resent Kate’s actions.

He meets Chris at dinner while he was taking Stiles for a burger with curly fries that he has been asking for for a few days. Peter places Stiles on the neon red bench and sits down after him. Chris sighs as he meets Peter’s amused gaze.
“What are you doing, Peter?”
Stiles wriggles and Peter gives him a pen to draw on the paper that serves as a table set.
“I wanted to know if your sister was with you last night?”
“ She goes out for a drink”
“Weird that everyone responsible for the fire dies one after the other… strange…”
“Are you saying she’s making them disappear?”
“Well, Christopher, I knew you had some of your intelligence left, the one that made me fall in love with you, mocking Peter while flirting.
“Kate is not an arsonist, and she follows the code.”
This sentence makes Peter laugh, attracting the eyes of a few people. Stiles looks up at his uncle.
“Unca Peter, why are you laughing?”
“Chris made a joke. Draw my angel, the food is coming.”
Stiles does not protest and goes back to draw what looks like an animal, Peter is not sure.
“Who makes you think my sister is involved?”
“First, Derek and two, those two dead men we interviewed before she decided to cover her tracks.”
“Impossible!” Chris gets angry.
“Chris, you’re the only one who respects this code, the only one. I wouldn’t spare your sister, be sure.”
The waitress arrives with two identical plates and poses them in front of the child and Peter. Stiles pushes back his pen which lands in front of Chris and begins to devour his fries.
“Curly fries, curly fries,” Stiles sings.
Chris observes Peter and for the first time in years remembers the man he loved. The gentle and ready to do anything for his family. He misses this man, but he can’t admit it. He has a wife and a daughter.
“I’ll investigate on my own. If I find out she played a role in your family’s death, I’ll let you do what you want,” promise Chris worried about what he might learn.
“Deal. Stiles, big boy, you’re a real little pig,” he says, wiping the boy’s ketchup-covered face.
Chris shakes his head when Stiles starts protesting Peter’s treatment and smiles. It brings back so many memories.
“I am a fierce wolf, not a pig,” arguments Stiles, struggling against Peter’s hands.
“Indeed.”
Chris scrutinizes the child but he is still too young to declare himself a wolf. It will take another one or two years to develop special features related to werewolves.
He ends up leaving the two together and going home. He has a little investigation to do with his family.

Stiles is delighted to spend time with Peter, he buys him clothes, toys and even a Batman figure that he holds firmly in his little hand. They are interrupted in their walk when Scott McCall gets in the way.
“You bit me!” he screams, without waiting. “I’ve become a monster!”
“A werewolf is not a monster,” says Peter. “How does having more strength, healing easily and being popular make you a monster? Or maybe it was your girlfriend who put this in your head, or the idea of living modern-day Romeo and Juliet.”
“I don’t want to be that thing,” Scott goes on. “You’re a monster, Derek’s a monster, and…
A hit on this tibia cuts him in his tirade. “Dad is not a monsta, you are mean,” said Stiles.
Peter hastens to take the boy in his arms, in case Scott does not control himself. Scott opens his mouth to reply but the anger he sees on the child’s face stops him. He turns around and goes back to a little café where Allison is waiting for him.

“I don’t like him.”
“You don’t like a lot of people.”
“No, I love you and Daddy.”
“And that’s good enough. Come on, let’s go home, your father should come home.”
“Can we eat ice cream?”
“Yes, but that will be our secret.
“Okay,” whispers Stiles one finger on the mouth.
Peter shakes his head, a tender smile on his face. This boy will be a real terror when he grows up.

Chapter Text

“Take care of Scott quickly,” said Derek, pointing a menacing finger at his uncle. “He needs to stay away from our family.”
“This is my next project,” Peter says.
Stiles runs into the kitchen, big tears rolling down his cheeks.
“Don’t fight,” he cries, plunging into his father’s outstretched arms.
“Don’t worry. Your dad is worried, but we’re not angry.”
Stiles ends up calming down with the promise of a new Batman figurine and falls asleep. Derek sneaks out to put him in bed for a well-deserved nap.
Peter is looking at a brand-new computer for information about the sheriff and the next people to question.
Two guys. Reddick and Unger. They poured the gas that was used to block the family in the basement. Two losers hanging around the woods, drinking alcohol and working only occasionally.
They will be easy to approach. Catching them drunk would be more convenient for questioning.
"When are we planning this? I have to call Danny."
"Tonight. Kate’s moving fast. So are we. Hopefully, we’ll get the confession and we can take it to the police. The question is whether we can trust them."
"This sheriff seems honest and efficient."
"We’ll see, answers Peter doubtful."

Derek starts preparing dinner while Stiles plays in his room. It’s seven o'clock when someone knock on the door. Danny enters with enthusiasm, mimed by Stiles who goes down step by step while holding the banister. He’s careful but his smile eats half his face.
"Danny! Danny’s here!"
"Hi, buddy."
Derek smiles, instructs Danny on dinner and the importance of Stiles going to bed on time.
"Okay. I will not let him manipulated me this time."
Derek smiles slightly and calls Peter. He takes Stiles in his arms while the child was looking for a movie for the evening.
"You listen to Danny, you finish your plate and go to bed on time, okay, sweetie?"
"Yes, Dad."
Derek lays a kiss on his son’s head and Peter does the same arriving at the moment.
They have men to find and question.

It is after midnight when they finally find the two men. They are drunk, unable to line up two words without laughing at the jokes. Derek shakes his head. These two idiots are responsible for the death of their family. What a shame!
Peter is reactive, he jumps on them and grabs them by the throat. The claws are outside but Derek trusts him.
"Who gave you the order to set fire to the Hale house?" he asked, painfully keeping control of his wolf.
"What?"
"Two idiots…"
"Hale’s house, six years ago. Eight people died."
"Ah… the house of the killers… a pretty blonde, nice body, she wanted to see them pay for killing her father."
"A name?" Peter says, annoyed.
"Kate something."
"Thank you."
Under these words, Peter throws them against a tree, dampening the fall of both. Derek verifies by acquired consciousness that they are still alive and then joins Peter in the Camaro.
They have now blatant evidence. A name. Kate Argent’s name. If the police don’t help them, Chris will.

Stiles goes to bed when he gets home.
"Next week I’m going with my parents to Hawaii, but I have a friend who loves kids, Jackson, you can call him if you want," explains Danny pocketing his thirty dollars.
"Perfect. I’ll see about that."
The teenager left, Derek enters his son’s room and puts his long strands away from his face. The portrait of his mother. He puts a kiss on his forehead and lets him continue his night.

In the morning, once again, Peter comes back with the information that the two men died in a car accident, drunk. Derek sighs. How many more will die before Kate pays for her crimes?
The sound of small feet quickly tapping the wooden floor are being heard. And at the top of the spiral staircase, a little brown head, hair in all directions, look down.
"Hello, sweetheart, did you sleep well?" asked Derek, joining his son at the foot of the stairs as he was going down carefully, step after step.
"Dad, I dreamt about Grandma Tali last night. She said everything was fine. I told her you were the best dad ever ever and Peter the best uncle of the world.
"Thank you Stiles, that’s very kind."
A big smile illuminates his face at the words of his uncle while Derek catches him to bombard him with kisses. The laughter is refreshing for both men.

The three head to the police station and ask to see the Sheriff. The Sheriff appears, his star in plain sight. His eyes are cold, a hard blue but a smile at the sight of Stiles immediately transforms him. He lets them in after Peter explains why they came.
Sitting in front of him, Derek and Peter tell him everything they discovered, without omitting the slightest detail.
"So Kate Argent set your house on fire, killing your family for a fake reason? What if you told me the real reason for her crime? Is it because you’re werewolves and she’s a hunter?"
"How…"
It wasn’t often that Peter was in shock, but Sheriff Stilinski managed to accomplish the unthinkable.
"Your sister, Talia, told me as soon as I took over. Shocking."
"Yes, Kate set the fire for that. Let’s just say she was brought up with the idea that all werewolves were bad," explains Peter, recovering from shock.
"Despite your evidences, the justice will not condemn her. They will say that you had the confession under duress and with the death of each of them…"
"Great," sighs Derek down, letting his gaze turn to his son, quietly drawing on the ground.
"On the other hand, your sister told me about a council, that they could send a team to establish the atrocity committed and ask for reparation. I must have the number."
The Sheriff gets up, leaving the two wolves surprised that he knows so much about their world. Talia did not do things halfway.

He returns a few moments later, a business card in his hand that he hands to Peter while Stiles is now on his father’s lap.
"I’m sorry about your family, they were all very nice.
"Grandma Tali was the nicest," Stiles nodding to convince everyone.
"Oh yes," confirms the Sheriff.

Chapter Text

Stiles is sick this morning. With everything that has happened since they returned, the boy is tired and a little cold has hit him. He has a fever and Derek doesn’t want to leave him. Yet, he has no choice.
He and Peter are meeting with council members who are coming in late morning to speak with them.
The Sheriff’s been honest, so they go through this council hoping for justice equal to their loss.

Jackson Whittemore knocks on the door to the loft and waits. Derek Hale opens and thanks the teenager for arriving quickly.
“He ate a little, but he’s still feverish. He’s grumpy but not mean. I left you some medicine to give him in three hours with a compote and a glass of water.”
“Very good.”
Derek has a little trouble believing that this boy is friends with Danny. They are very different and Jackson’s nonchalance worries him a little.
“Call if anything happens,” says Derek.
“No worries.”
Peter smiles mockingly and takes his nephew with him. Stiles sleeps peacefully for a well-deserved nap.

They arrive at the restaurant and settle down while the council members arrive. Cross the door, Deucalion, Ennis and Kali. Old friends of the Hale family. Peter greets them even if seeing them makes him angry.
Where were they all these years?
Derek shakes their hands and they all sit down. They are isolated from other clients so the conversation will be confidential.
“I am delighted to see that you are well,” begins Deucalion.
“No thank to you for that,” says Peter.
A little tension appears between them but Deucalion doesn’t mind.
“We ourselves had some trouble with hunters and hostile packs. We learned about the fire months later and when we got here, there was no one there and no one informed us of your survival. I’m sorry.”
How can he blame them?
Laura made a decision, the wrong one and they couldn’t do anything.

Stiles wakes up in sweat. His long brown locks are glued on his forehead and his amber eyes land on Jackson, astonished.
“Hi, I’m Jackson. Danny can’t come.”
Stiles wrinkles his little nose, disappointed but accepts the cup of water that Jackson brings him.
“Do you want to eat something or keep resting?”
“S’eepy.”
Jackson smiles slightly as he helps Stiles lie down on the couch. But as he takes his place to watch a documentary on whales, Stiles snuggles up against him and snores slightly as he falls asleep. Jackson’s trapped, no way he’s letting Danny babysit Stiles by himself.

“Will you help us?”
“Of course. Kate Argent will be sentenced quickly. We will stay here until then.”
“Perfect. Do you want to stay with us?” Derek suggests. “We have big rooms and lots of them.”
“Don’t you mind?” Kali asked.
“My son is sick but no, everything will be fine. And I would be reassured to see Alphas near him.”
“How old?” interrogate Ennis.
“Four years.”
“He’s not a wolf?” Ask Kali.
“No.”
Deucalion pays the bill and they follow them to the loft now much more welcoming.

Jackson gently wakes Stiles and carries him into the kitchen. He prepares him a porridge with a few pieces of apples.
He helps him to eat when Derek, Peter and three people enter.
Derek asks him to stay while their guests settle in. Jackson gives his medicine to Stiles and takes his money before leaving.
Stiles is already hooked on his father and refuses to leave him.

Ennis plays with Stiles, sending him in the air in their garden while Kali helps Derek install a fence. Peter and Deucalion discuss upcoming measures against the Argent family as the first is worried about Chris.
“Can he testify against her?”
“I don’t know…”
Peter is afraid for him but will not be able to do anything if he does not defend himself.
“Unca Peter, look, I’m flying!”
Ennis lifts Stiles holding him on his stomach and runs while Stiles takes the pose of Superman.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the last Hale,” Peter whispers.
“Good.”

Their little moment is interrupted by the aggressive arrival of Scott McCall. He growls and pulls out his claws when he sees Peter.
Something he should have known. You never get aggressive when a little one is there.
Deucalion gets up, snapping his cane and his alphas eyes visible behind his glasses.
“I don’t know what brings you here, young man, but it’s a bad idea to attack a house full of Alphas.”
“He bit me, he destroyed my life!” scream Scott.
Stiles starts shaking in the arms of Ennis and Derek, feeling the distress of his son, grabs him and pulls him away from Scott. Kali stands in front of them, an additional bulwark.
“Peter?”
“I told you my nurse was drugging me, I had no control,” explains Peter.
“You’re going to have to find a pack because I’m sure the Hales won’t accept you. I can call Satomi Ito for you.”
“I’ll kill him, it’ll cure me!” Scott interrupted.
“What the hell,” sigh Ennis.
“What an idiot,” laughs Kali at the same time.
Scott throws himself at Peter and chaos arrives.
Deucalion roars forcefully, Peter growls without transforming but is not far from it. Ennis pulls out the claws but stays in place and Kali gets into a defensive position. Scott is no match for Deucalion, the Alpha of Alphas.
He is very quickly tackled to the ground, claws on his throat.
“False rumor. Peter wasn’t himself. Last chance to accept Satomi Ito’s help, or else, think of it as, death.”
Deucalion refuses to be pleasant with this idiot teenager and without survival instinct. He’s dragging Scott away from the loft, away from the pup.
Scott’s problem is solved.

Chapter Text

Derek has trouble leaving Stiles behind, even under Jackson’s watch.
They have to formally meet with Chris Argent to announce the council’s decision regarding his sister.

Jackson plays with the little boy, but are interrupted by someone. He goes to open and meets a blonde woman. Not his type, but it could turn a lot of men’s heads.
“You are?” Asks Jackson.
“Katie. A friend of Derek’s.”
“Jacky,” whispers Stiles behind him pulling on his sweater. “Bad lady.”
Jackson then understands that he must protect Stiles but it’s too late. She hits him in the back of the head with the butt of a gun and he does not have time to catch Stiles that he is already on the ground. He hears Stiles calling him but can’t do anything.

Derek feels his heart tightening. Something’s wrong. Peter’s reaction tells him he feels it too.
“Stiles.”
All the wolves stand up like one man. Chris doesn’t understand what’s going on. Peter walks up to him, threatening.
“If I find out you knew about this, I swear I’ll kill you myself.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Stiles, the little boy. Something happened to him.”
They leave the Argent’s house while Victoria is on the phone. Kali hears her talking with a woman. She deduces very quickly that it is Kate but no location is mentioned.

They arrive at the loft and discover Jackson on the ground, head in a pool of blood. Kali and Ennis carrie him carefully on the couch to check its condition. It is not good. He lost a lot of blood, and he has a fracture at the base of his skull.
“I don’t think he will survive…”, sighed Kali.
Jackson opens his eyes with difficulty, murmuring Stiles repeatedly.
“Jackson, I need to ask you a question,” said Peter. “You’re going to die, but there’s a chance we can heal you.”
Peter turns and Jackson opens his eyes a little more but the fatigue is seen on his face.
He’s nodding. He doesn’t want to die. He’s too young.

Kali decides to stay with him during his transformation while the four go after Stiles.
Peter feels his phone vibrate and looks at the message received.
𝘈 𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵.
It’s Chris. He’s going to have to trust him on this one and he doesn’t like it. He gives the lead to Ennis. Derek trembles with fear and rage behind and even the reassuring aura released by Deucalion does not manage to calm him down.

Stiles is sitting on a chair in the middle of an empty room. The walls are made of wood. He sniffs as hard as he can his tears. He wants his daddy. And his uncle Peter. and his uncle DuckDuck, and Uncle Ennis and Aunt Kali. And Jacky. The bad lady tied him to that chair. She told him she will have a barbecue with his family.
“Daddy…”

They arrive near the cabin and approach quietly. They know that Kate certainly trapped the place but my survival of Stiles depends on it.
Kate is sitting on the steps of the porch. She smiles as they approach.
“A traitor, a disfigured, a blind man and an idiot enter a forest, who will come out alive?” Joke Kate.
She plays with a lighter and it frightened Peter. Was she going to set the cabin on fire? Would she fall so low by killing a child?
“Release the boy. He is human,” says Deucalion, leaning on his cane.
“And? One less Hale.”
She then throws the lighter. Mistake on her part. The group separates. Derek rushes into the cabin which quickly catches fire and with difficulty and the help of Ennis, they manage to break down the door but Derek cannot reach his son who is surrounded by mountain ash. Ennis bangs on an invisible wall.
Stiles cries and screams, frightened.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
He’s trying to get rid of his ties but he’s too small. Derek blames himself. Four years old. He wouldn’t have kept his innocence long enough—
Derek continues to try to cross the mountain ash line. He strikes again and again. Calling his son, reassuring him.
“It’s ok, my angel, it’s ok, daddy is here.”
Then his hand passed. And his arm and finally his whole body. He did not think and unties his son. Ennis has trouble breathing because of the wolfbane floating in the room. Derek coughs heavily but his son needs him. Stiles huddles with him and they come out by the same force that allowed him to cross the line.
They come out of the cabin unharmed. Stiles is covered with soot but he is fine. Ennis collapses to the ground, spitting out a black liquid.
“Unca Ennis,” Stiles worries.
“I am fine. My body is healing.”
Stiles nods his head and curls up again against his father, his head resting on his broad shoulder.

Peter faces Kate who steps back, gradually losing her smile when the two wolves step out the cabin with Stiles.
“You have been found guilty of murdering the eleven members of the Hale family. As our law says, a life for a life,” says Deucalion.
“Who decided? If you kill me, they will come after you!”
“Who? Your brother? He who told us where you were? The other hunters? Those facing the same sentence,” explains Peter.
Peter approaches her and takes out his claws. A blow and her head fell before her body. Anger and strength allowed him to behead her.
“Good. Our work here is done. We’ll stay a few days to help you with Jackson and handle the final details regarding the Argent.”
“You are always welcome. Stiles will be delighted to see his uncle DuckDuck.”
“He’s lucky to be adorable…”
Peter laughs with joy and joins the others while Stiles did not give up his father. He ruffled his hair and the little smile of the child reassured him.
“She hurt Jacky.”
“He’s fine. He’s going to be part of the family.”
Stiles rests his head and yawns. He closes his eyes quickly, no longer holding it.
They are safe. No injuries.
The Hale family is stronger than ever.

Chapter Text

When Jackson opens his eyes, he faces the restless face of Stiles. His amber eyes are wide open, his mouth slightly ajar. Peter places his hand on the boy’s head and pushes him back slightly.
"Let Jackson breathe, angel. So, remember what happened?"
"Hm…"
Then the memories come back. The blonde woman, the blow on the head, Stiles screaming.
"You're ok, Stiles? She didn’t do anything to you?
"No, Uncle Peter, Uncle Ennis, Uncle DuckDuck, Aunt Kali and Dad saved me from the witch."
"Good. I’m sorry I couldn’t help him, believe me" he says to Peter.
"Hey, don't do that. You couldn’t have done anything. We’re the ones who are sorry that you got mixed up in our stories."
"Oh yes, werewolf then…"
"The best because weretiger sucks," Stiles says with all his innocence.
"Stiles, why don’t you go out and mess with Uncle DuckDuck?" asks Peter.
The child nods and runs outside after a wave to Jackson. Peter spends nearly an hour explaining how a pack works, the strengths and weaknesses of werewolves. Jackson is finally relieved to be alive, no matter what.
"I would like to tell Danny. I have only him in my life."
"Very good. He will come to dinner with us."
Jackson is relieved. Maybe so much so that he tells his best friend that he has more than friendly feelings for him. It wasn’t going to be easy.

Deucalion was tickling Stiles when Derek comes back with meat for the barbecue. The Sheriff is invited along with Chris.
After all, they found Stiles, thanks to him. Apparently he filed for divorce and wants sole custody of his daughter. He doesn’t want her introduced into this world in the Argent way.
Even though Peter is thrilled to hear this, he can’t help but have doubts. Will Chris break up again if his father asks? And what is his attraction to the Sheriff?
"Wow, pup, are you flying again?" He exclaims to entertain his thoughts.
"Yeahhhh!"
Ennis’s laughter could be heard rising as he ran with Stiles in the air. Derek spoke politely with Chris, thanking him for his help. Peter decides to join them when the Sheriff approaches them.
"How did your father take the news of your sister’s death?" Asks Peter.
"As bad as you can imagine. He’s coming to town and I promise I’ll be on your side. My life has been ruined enough by them. The only good thing that comes out of that is my daughter, Allison. She should be here any minute.
"Perfect."
"To the odd family," cheers the sheriff, raising his beer.
Everyone smiles at this statement. They are interrupted by a hungry Stiles screaming for help.
"My stomach is hingry! Ah, I'm dying, I have to feed it!"
"Come on, we can’t let this little belly devour the most adorable nephew,” says Peter.
"Here, feed it this burger, it should calm it down."
"Not for long, not for long, dad!"
Stiles takes a big bite and leaves with Ennis who seems to have become his best friend.

Allison and Jackson arrive together, chatting and laughing about high school adventures. Chris is relieved, Jackson is a good boy, protective and smart, he will take care of her. He didn’t like that Scott guy she was talking about a few weeks ago and was relieved to know he wasn’t in the picture anymore.
"JackJack!" Shouts Stiles running awkwardly to Jackson who opens his arms to catch him.
Jackson plays a little with him, running after him, throwing him in the air until Stiles collapses on his father, exhausted.
"Miracle, you made me tired! Thank you all."
Stiles snuggles up against him and rests his head on his shoulder. Tired. But here he is, with baby koala Stiles.
"Where is his mom if not prying," questions Noah.
"Died in childbirth."
"Sorry to hear that."

"So Grandpa’s a monster?"
"No," Chris exclaims.
"Yes," Peter speaks at the same time.
The two looked at each other, defying the other. Noah began to laugh at the stupidity of these two men.
"They look like children fighting for the same toy," he whispers well that both heard it.
"And you propose to be the toy?" Peter flirts leaving Chris in shock.
"I’ll win, you’re not good at this," proclams Chris.
"I got you, though. A smile and you were mine."
"I…"
Everyone laughed at this information. The big bad Chris had fall in love with Peter so easily. Noah understood it. Peter had the most devastating smile.
"Stiles has my talent, he will break hearts when he grows up," Peter boasts.
"I hope he has the character of his father," Chris insists.
"Real kids," Noah laughs.
"Tomorrow night, dinner with both of us, we’ll see which one makes you fall in love," says Peter.
"Okay," accept Chris.
"Can I say no?"
"No," answer both at the same time with laughter.
"Nothing has changed," says Deucalion, who is touched by the situation.

"Ah, Jackson, don’t mess with my daughter," said Chris, changing the subject.
Allison blushes strongly at this statement.
"No problem, I’m much more interested in Danny."
Allison puts her hand on her face, embarrassed by her father’s attitude and his mistake.
Chris raises his beer, as if to drink to his stupidity.
The laughter was once again heard.

Derek laid a kiss on the head of his son, who was sleeping soundly.
Derek could not have dreamed better. A family united, fun and respectful. He hoped the future would be nice and peaceful.