My brain wouldn't leave this idea alone, despite the fact that I have other stories I'm supposed to be working on. My brain is mush.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my idea.

Derek could hear soft mumbling as he stood beneath Stiles' window. Furrowing his brow, he swiftly scaled the wall of the house and hooked his fingers under the edge of the window, slightly open to accommodate for all the werewolves coming and going. Derek could smell Stiles and Isaac the strongest, himself, Scott, Jackson and Erica. Boyd was the faintest smell there, which didn't surprise him much. The big werewolf had never been one for talking, and that was all Stiles ever seemed to do.

Not that he minded much. Her soft rambling could be comforting. It reminded him of Laura, and the monologues she would launch into when she couldn't sleep as a child.

Hanging from the brick, he realised he could also smell a soft, powdery scent, mixed in with Stiles' scent. Confused, he hauled the window open properly and hopped through, letting it rest against the window sill when he was on flat ground again.

Then he stopped. Froze dead, actually, because there was no way his brain could accommodate for this.

Stiles was sat on her bed, cheerfully talking, seemingly to herself if you couldn't smell what Derek could. That smell had been around a lot when he was young, especially at family gatherings.

Stiles was holding a baby.

She was also looking at him, with her giant brown eyes, slender brows arched above them.

"Derek? Is there something wrong?" She questioned, rocking the baby in her arms almost unconsciously. His wolf pawed at the edge of his mind.

Wouldn't she be an amazing mother to...

Derek shut that thought off before it could finish.

"No. Nothing wrong. I just wondered if you could do some research for me. But you're busy. I'll go." Turning to leave, he frowned again. His wolf was dragging its paws, wanting to stay.

"You don't have to go, Derek." Stiles beckoned with her head to him when he turned back. "Come and say hi."

Internally cursing, he paced quietly around her to sit on the very edge of her bed. She laughed.

"Come on Derek, its just a baby. There's no need to be scared." Sighing in resignation, he shuffled closer to her, enough that he would be able to see the small baby nestled against the teenager's chest.

His eyes widening in surprise, he couldn't help but let his expression soften a little.

The little body was absolutely tiny. It wriggled its fists, trying to catch locks of Stiles' hair as it swung down over her shoulders and dangled over the baby's face. And most surprising of all, it had an adorable grin plastered on its face.

Derek may have melted a little bit.

"See? I knew you were a baby man." Stiles grinned and oh so gently nudged him with her shoulder. He pulled the corners of his mouth up a tiny bit.

"You want to...?" Stiles offered, holding the baby out slightly. He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want to?" She asked, bouncing the baby gently.

He opened his mouth, closed it again.

"Derek. She won't bite. She's a baby."

A little girl. Derek is suddenly a swirling pool of gushy feelings.

Stiles grinned and twisted her face into a suspiciously sneaky look.

She suddenly switched into business mode, and promptly handed him the little girl. He was forced to manoeuvre her into a suitable position or drop her, and werewolf or not, Stiles would rip his lungs out if he hurt her.

The tiny being in his arms blinked a little at the sudden change of scenery, then settled again. She made a low bubbly sound, and he relaxed even further. He made sure she was secure in one arm and then lifted a hand, gently tracing her minuscule fingers. She made a sudden grab for his pinky finger, latching on. Her fingers didn't even fit the whole way around. He made a noise in the back of his throat, suddenly blinking back tears.

His wolf was whining, wanting, needing a small body of his own, to have pups with someone, to have his own daughter clinging onto his finger.

Stiles cooed next to him, rested her chin on his shoulder and smiled like all the joy in the world had found her at that moment.

"See? You're a natural." She stated.

He cleared his throat.

"How..." He coughed. "How old is she?"

"The doctors think about two days."

Derek lifted his head in shock.

"They...think?"

Stiles sighed.

"Dad brought her home from a case. Her parents were found in a car crash. They rear ended a truck. She hadn't even been registered yet. And she doesn't have anywhere to go, either. No next of kin. I offered to look after her until they could sort out the paperwork for the foster home."

Derek felt his heart contract painfully, the baby's wide eyes staring untroubled up at him. He clutched her a little tighter, automatically making a little calming noise at her in the back of his throat. Stiles squeaked quietly next to him.

"What is it, Stiles?" He stared at her, concerned.

Stiles blushed, tucked her face into his shoulder. He briefly revelled at the feel of her breath on his skin, and then tugged his wayward mind back.

"Stiles." She made a noise of dissent. She was still blushing, he could feel the heat of her skin through his shirt, and on his neck.

"Stiles."

She sighed again, heavily, muttering under her breath about stupid werewolf senses, it's not playing fair. She lifted her head off his shoulder, and staring at her hands, mumbled something.

"All the feelings, man."

Derek swallowed.

"What? What are you on about, Stiles?"

She took a deep breath, visibly steeling herself to answer him.

"Its just, you and the baby, and all I can think is how fricking adorable it is, actually its pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen, and you look heartbroken man, and damn it just smitten, all at the same time, and so am I, I already love her and just I..." She paused to breathe.

"You just?"

"If I weren't seventeen and still in school, I'd keep her in a heartbeat, you know?" She rushed out.

Derek breathed out slowly. He knew what she was talking about, the same desire was thrumming through his veins, except he had none of the reasons Stiles did not to.

He took a chance.

"My wolf has been throwing itself against the inside of my head ever since I smelled her. Its howling, it wants her so badly, it wants to care for her, keep her warm and clothed and fed and I just, I'm having a hard time not going and asking how I adopt her because damn it Stiles, she smells like, like pack and love and hope, and I haven't had that in so long."

Stiles sat blinking at him, and then broke out in a stupidly wide grin.

"Well, do you want her? Seriously? Not just because your wolf does, but because you do?"

Derek thought. It didn't take him long at all.

"Yes."

Stiles squealed, and threw herself at him, minding the baby currently waving her legs in the air. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she squeezed, pressing her face into him and breathing random strings of words Derek didn't understand into his skin.

"Give her to me for a minute, because you, you wolfy awesome man, are going to jump out the window, and go knock on the front door, and we are going to play with this adorable little munchkin, and watch tv, and eat dinner, and my dad is going to be super impressed and be all like, damn, he cares, and then you are going to adopt her and everyone will live happily ever after, except probably not for long because of whatever monster flavour of the week." Stiles gushes at him.

"And I'll see her, and babysit for you, and it will be cute and cosy and that baby is just special, okay? And you have to get somewhere decent to live, with enough space for the puppies, and this one, and me to mob you and sleep over so I can see her grow up and her first day of school and the first time you glare at her first boyfriend or girlfriend, and..."

Stiles took a huge breath and carried on.

"And you need baby things, and a job and everything and I will help because you are...currently looking at me like my head is on fire." She stopped, panting slightly.

Derek stared at her, utterly amazed.

"You are, just...astonishing." He told her. Her mouth hung open, and he chuckled and cooed at the baby(his baby!) and he tapped Stiles' chin to close her mouth. She did so, and then sat back down.

"You care so much, you know that? And I don't think I'll ever get used to that, it's one of the most amazing things, you are honestly the best person I know. Better than Scott, and the puppies, and Peter, and me, and just everyone, Stiles. Never ever stop caring, it's the best quality you could hope for." He said earnestly.

Stiles mouth had re-opened, and no amount of chin tapping was going to close it this time.

"I think that's the most you've ever said to me in one go. Scratch that, ever!" She said gleefully.

He smiled at her, a proper smile, what felt like the first genuine smile since Laura had died, and handed her the baby. She smiled, and kissed him on the cheek, blushing fiercely.

"Go. Come through the front door like a normal dude." She turned to leave, looked back. He was standing there, completely dumbfounded.

"What?"

"You...kissed me."

"On the cheek." She was blushing again, busying herself with fussing over the baby quietly.

"Yeah...but."

"That's what people do when they're grateful, sourwolf." Stiles shooed him out the window. He jumped, landed on the lawn, made his way around to the front door.

It only took him thirty seconds to walk round the house and knock, the door opened by a confused sheriff, with Stiles barely containing her excitement behind him.

"Derek." The sheriff didn't make it sound like a question.

"Sir. Stiles invited me over?" His questioning tone obviously irked Stiles, enough that she gently shouldered past her father and captured Derek by the wrist, hauling a very surprised werewolf past an equally surprised sheriff.

"C'mon! This is going to be fun!" Stiles towed him into the living room, and released his wrist, only long enough to scoop up a gurgling baby.

"Derek, this is...well actually she doesn't have a name yet." Stiles bit her lip in frustration, nibbling at it, like she didn't realise.

A massive grin broke across his face, and he reached for her, before remembering that he was being watched by a scowling sheriff.

"May I?" Stiles beamed, and handed over the sleepy infant to him. He gently leaned her against his chest, supporting her under her bottom and across her back with a broad fingered hand. Stiles gazed at the tranquil scene with her hands clasped under her chin, a soft smile stretching across her elfin face.

Derek's wolf patted at the barriers of his mind, whining quietly, before curling up to watch.

The sheriff's jaw tightened a bit, then he forced himself to relax, and take in the scene in his living room.

"You like kids, Derek?" He asked.

"I love them." Derek replied instantly. "It reminds me of...before the fire, you know? There were always babies. We were a big family, getting bigger all the time."

A grin graced the sheriff's face.

"You're good with her."

"Thanks. I used to baby sit for everyone." He replied softly. Stiles had sat down, curling up on the sofa and watching contently.

She patted the seat beside her. Derek sat beside her, and she immediately stuck her face around his arm to gaze at the little girl, who was almost asleep.

"Aw." She said.

"Derek, Stiles, do you want anything? Hot chocolate?"

"We will both have hot chocolate." Stiles replied, without a trace of hesitation.

"Stiles." Derek muttered.

"No, you don't get a choice in this because seriously you've never had my dad's hot chocolate. You will never want to drink any other hot chocolate again."

"Always over exaggerating, aren't you sweet pea?" The sheriff returned with two mugs, set them on the table, and kissed his daughter on the top of her head.

"Aw, dad." Stiles hugged him, and they both smiled.

The sheriff plopped himself down in the armchair, the old leather creaking as he did.

They finished the hot chocolate in record time. It was amazing.

Derek calmed the baby as she fussed against his chest, finally managing it when she grasped a fist full of his t-shirt at the neck, and smacking her lips contentedly, before dozing off completely.

Stiles was smiling so much Derek thought her face would cramp up, and the sheriff wasn't too far behind. He stared at the two younger people on the couch with a contemplative look on his face.

"You ever thought of having kids Derek?" Derek made eye contact with him, trying to calm the knots of emotion in his gut.

"All the time, sir." He replied honestly.

"What about adoption?" Derek and Stiles widened their eyes in shock, trying visibly to relax, especially Derek, with a sleeping infant on his chest.

"I...I'd be...willing to give it a shot...sir." Stiles gave him what he could only describe as a squishy look, and his heart did a flip flop.

"See, I've had people in to see this little girl all day, trying to find somewhere for her to live, because I work a lot, and Stiles cannot drop out of school." Derek nodded in agreement.

"I haven't seen anyone handle that precious thing better than you are right now. And I was wondering, would you be open to the idea of adopting her?" The sheriff didn't sugar coat his proposal, and Derek had always appreciated a straight talker.

But he couldn't believe that the sheriff, a man who had arrested him twice and generally disproved of him, was suggesting this. Despite his shock, Derek knew the answer.

"Yes."

"Yes, you'd be open to the idea, or yes, you would adopt her no questions asked?"

"I'd take her, in the blink of an eye, sir. She's beautiful. I've always wanted a daughter." He said the last part quietly, like he didn't want to admit it to anyone, like it might never happen.

The sheriff nodded to himself.

"I'll ring for the adoption papers in the morning."

"Dad?" Stiles, who had miraculously managed to stay quiet, interjected. "You... you're serious about this?" The sheriff nodded again, and heaved himself up.

"There is a box full of your old baby things in the basement, sweet pea. I'll go and fetch them for the pair of you."

Stiles screwed up her face in confusion.

"Daddy, I don't..."

"Stiles. I have seen the way you look at that baby, and so has Derek. I'm not the type of man to keep you away from this, and neither is he."

"She'd just go do it anyway." Derek grinned.

"You got that right." The sheriff muttered, smiling wryly and disappearing through a door in the hall. Derek could hear old wooden steps creaking as Stiles' father descended.

Stiles turned to him and whisper yelled, "Oh my god! He, I, we, oh my god, I'm a pseudo mom!"

Derek removed a hand from the baby, and tucked Stiles' hair behind her ear.

"You are a mom. Anyone who looks at this baby like that, is a mom." He stroked his thumb down her cheek, then slid down a bit on the couch so the baby is in less danger of slipping.

Stiles smirked a little.

"Anyone who's a girl, anyway."

"Stiles." He reprimanded her half heartedly.

She curled up into his shoulder, and his wolf howled happily, settling against him like an over eager puppy.

"Does this mean I can call you papawolf now?" Stiles asked sleepily, a yawn interjecting the sentence.

She swung her feet up onto the couch, and he did the same, not caring that it was completely out of character for him to do this, snuggle on the couch with the sheriff's only daughter and a baby.

"Stiles, you can call me whatever you want as long as you promise never to leave this little girl."

"Snookums? Sweetie pie? Wolfman?"

"Stiles."

"Yeah whatever." She stretched lazily, and somewhere in the distance he could hear the sheriff rummaging around in boxes below them, but right now, all that mattered is that stiles had slid one hand onto his chest, and his little girl(he did not think he would ever get used to thinking that, much less saying it) had one tiny hand grasping his shirt, and one wrapped around Stiles' finger and that was enough for him.

"We still need to come up with a name for her." Stiles whispered.

"Ssh. Tomorrow. Sleep now, Stiles."

"Night, papawolf."

"Night, Stiles."

Derek and Stiles fell asleep with twin smiles on their faces.

The sheriff found them half an hour later, curled up around the baby and each other, Derek's nose buried in the crook of Stiles neck, and her face pressed into his side. The baby was snuffling into their chests.

Lifting her off them carefully, he went to put her down in the crib he'd found. Derek's eyes snapped open and he just said, "I don't want her to fall off, son. She'll be in the crib. It's right over here." Derek nodded, and closed his eyes again. Stiles wriggled further into him, if that were even possible, and the sheriff, after putting the little baby in the crib, whipped out his cellphone and took a picture for posterity. He cleared the mugs with a smile on his face, wondering how long it would take his daughter and the man on his couch to figure it out.