"So go on, ask me what you're here to ask." Derek said fixing Stiles with a hard stare.

Stiles swallowed hard, noticing Derek's bitterness and scuffed his shoes into the dirt; deep down he knew the truth but he also wanted to hear it from Derek himself. "Did you bite Scott?" he asked still looking down at the ground.

Derek took a step toward him and Stiles swallowed once more. "Look at me and ask me that again." he said in a low voice.

Stiles pursed his lips before lifting his head. "Did you bite Scott?" he repeated.

"Do you think I did?" Derek asked moving closer still.

Stiles gritted his teeth together, Derek may be a werewolf but he didn't intimidate him and he was determined to show that."I'm asking you." he said keeping his eyes on Derek's whilst fighting the urge to take a step backward. "Did you bite him? Did you turn him into a werewolf? I'm right aren't I? He's one of you now?"

Derek nodded. "He's a werewolf, but I didn't bite him." he replied slinking back. "And before you ask I don't know who did."

Stile's eyes swept over Derek's, he'd hurt his feelings and that was why he'd turned defensive but instead of apologising Stiles just found himself watching Derek who had turned to look up at the moon. "Full moon tomorrow." Derek said with a weary sigh. "Your friend will be dangerous."

"No more than you." Stiles replied. "I've known you and your family my whole life and -"

"That's different." Derek interrupted. "My family and I were born werewolves, we -" he stopped and gazed at the house, reminding himself that his family were gone. "I have control when I shift, something taught to me by my parents and my brothers and sisters from birth." he said looking away from the ruins of his home to Stiles. "Scott has no idea what is about to hit him. He'll be wild, he'll be aggressive, possessive - he'll hurt people."

Stiles ran his fingers through his short dark hair. "So what do we do?" he asked worriedly. What if Scott lashed out? What if he shifted at home and attacked his mother? A cold shiver ran down Stile's spine when he remembered that Scott wouldn't actually be home. "He has a date tomorrow." he said pulling out his phone and double checking the text Scott had sent him. "There's this girl, Allison, and Scott is totally into her, I mean totally into her and -"

"He'll have to cancel." Derek cut across him, really not interested in hearing about a teenage boys high school crush. "You'll have to bring him here, his first shift will be a difficult one but I can contain him."

Stiles shook his head. "You're asking me to convince Scott to come to a creepy burnt out building in the woods and let a stranger chain him up? Yeah, reality check dude that's never going to happen!"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Obviously you'll have told him what he is, if he really likes this girl he won't want to risk hurting her."

Stiles sighed with exasperation, did Derek really believe it was going to be that easy? But he also knew they had to do something, Scott wouldn't be alone with Allison as they were going to a house party with Lydia and Jackson, a house full of drunken teenagers and an out of control werewolf - not a good combination. "He doesn't believe me, I tried to tell him earlier but he just laughed it off." Stiles explained.

"Then convince him." Derek snapped clearly frustrated. "Find something to make him believe you."

Stiles chewed at his bottom lip as he thought for a few moments. "You could show him, you could shift in front of him - there is no way he could deny it after that."

Derek shook his head. "No." he said simply.

"No? What do you mean no? It's the only way we'll convince him!"

"It's not a party trick Stiles." Derek growled crossing his arms. "You'll have to find some other way of convincing him before tomorrow night."

Anger flooded Stiles's body. "Thanks a lot." he muttered fishing the Jeeps keys out of his pocket and heading over to it. "If I can't convince him, if he hurts anyone than it's your fault - your stupid pride." he snapped before wrenching open the Jeep doors and climbing in.

Derek realised Stiles was right - what if something happened and someone did get hurt? It would be all his fault. What if Scott lashed out at Stiles? Derek heart beat quickened at the thought. "Stiles." he said heading over to the Jeep.

Stiles started the engine. "Don't bother, I'll deal with this myself." he said spinning the Jeep around and barrelling off through the trees.

Stiles took a detour on his way home and stopped at the supermarket where he stocked up on caffeine drinks and the most sugar laden treats he could find because he knew that he'd need energy to get him through the night - he had a lot of research to do, he needed to find enough evidence to convince Scott of the truth.

Derek stood and watched as the Jeep hurtled out of sight; he should have just been honest with Stiles and told him the real reason he didn't want to shift in front of Scott was because he didn't want to shift in front of Stiles - he didn't want him to see that he was no longer able to shift fully.

As Derek drifted back into the ruins of the Hale house he remembered the first time Stiles had seen him in his full wolf form - the day the thirteen year old had run away from the hospital after visiting his mother.

Past ...

Derek hovered at the top of the stairs listening to his mother who had answered the front door to Sheriff Stilinksi, Derek knew it was the Sheriff before he saw him by the familiar sound of the police cruiser approaching the house a few moments before the three sharp knocks at the door - even on personal visits the Sheriff couldn't help but use his "official" knock.

The first thought that went through Derek's head was "What has Lucas done now?" since most of the Sheriff's visits outside of picking up Stiles had something to do with his brother causing some sort of trouble. Derek glanced up the stairs through the rail at his brother who was hovering in the hallway after also hearing the police cruiser draw up. Derek rose his eyebrows at Lucas when he held his hands up and shook his head innocently - he'd seen him use that face before and wasn't fooled by it.

"What's going on?" Laura asked appearing beside Lucas. "What did you do?" she said glaring at her brother. "I told you to steer clear of the Argents."

"I didn't do anything." Lucas hissed. "Not yet anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Laura hissed.

"They killed dad, we can't just standby and do nothing." Lucas growled. "Uncle Peter understands why can't you?"

Derek shushed them both angrily, their pointless arguing preventing him from hearing his mother and the Sheriff's conversation - all he heard were snatches of words. "Stiles" and "Missing" where the two that caught his attention.

Derek hurried down the stairs. "Stiles is missing?" he asked, his heart beating harder and faster against his chest. All at once fear, anger and worry flooded his body and his hands started to shake - Derek glanced up at his mother and his eyes flashed bright yellow - what was happening to him? Talia placed her hand on Derek's shoulder and squeezed it tightly and instantly the sensations started to ease and he could breathe again.

"He hasn't come here? You haven't seen him?" The Sheriff asked clearly very distressed.

Derek shook his head, he understood why the Sheriff thought Stiles might come to their house as his mother had been looking after him for a couple of hours every evening after school for weeks now whilst the Sheriff worked late or visited his sick wife in hospital. The Hale house was practically a second home to Stiles. "I'll help you look - we all will won't we?" he said looking up at his brothers and sisters who had all gathered on the stairs - the three of them, Laura, Lucas, even Cora the youngest nodded in agreement.

"Thank you." The Sheriff said gratefully. "I'd better check back at the hospital, make sure he hasn't wandered back there. Please call me if you find him." he called over his shoulder as he hurried back toward his car.

"Of course we will, you'll find him John don't worry." Talia called back confidently. "We'll search the woods." she said closing the door and turning to her children who'd gathered at the foot of the stairs. "This is a good way for you to practice using your senses. You know when you shift your sight, hearing and sense of smell are heightened - take advantage of that. Cora, Derek, you two are staying here with me - there could be hunters out at this time of night." she said to her youngest children. "Laura call your uncles - get them to help." she told her eldest.

"Mom I can't just stay here!" Derek cried. "I have to find Stiles."

"No." Talia snapped holding Derek firmly by the arm. "You're fifteen years old, still a child - you're still vulnerable and the hunters will take advantage of that."

"I am in control." Derek snapped his eyes flashing yellow despite his words. "And besides the hunters abide by the code, they won't touch me."

"Yeah well that same code didn't help dad did it?" Lucas muttered as he sloped out of the front door.

Derek just glared after him before turning back to his mother. "Please mom."

"You're not in control of yourself yet it's too risky." Talia replied. "Trust me son."

"I am in control!" Derek shouted in frustration, his eyes flashing yellow despite his words.

Talia put her hands on her hips. "So what was that back then? Huh? When the Sheriff said Stiles was missing what happened to you?"

Derek gritted his teeth together. "I don't know." he muttered.

"I do." Talia replied. "And it makes you even more vulnerable so you're staying put." she said making it clear she wasn't taking no for an answer.

Derek stormed upstairs to his room and slammed his door closed; he headed to the window and peered out watching as his sister, brother and two uncles who'd joined them shift before they slunk off into the woods. Derek sighed angrily - he just wanted to help what was so wrong with that? Why did his mother have to be so stubborn? He could handle the Argents and he could handle his wolf.

Derek got up determined to convince his mother and headed downstairs, he made his way into the living room and stopped when he spotted Stile's red hoodie draped over the arm of the sofa - he must have left it when he was at the house earlier that afternoon. Derek picked it up and lifted it to his nose, he breathed in deeply and soaked in the boy's smell - Derek's eyes turned yellow and determination to find him filled him.

"Derek."

Derek turned to see his mother standing over him - she suddenly seemed so tall - and when Derek look down he saw two black paws in front of him. He'd shifted and he hadn't even noticed.

"Derek." Talia said gently as she bent down and picked up Stile's sweater. "You need to stay here." she said calmly.

Derek was out of the house before she'd even straightened up.

Present ...

When Derek climbed through Stile's bedroom window he found him asleep at his desk clutching pieces of paper. Derek took the papers from his hand and unfolded them - he glanced briefly at the contents - werewolf sightings - werewolf mythology - and sighed as he set them down on the desk. Derek glanced at the empty drinks cans and sweet packets and then at Stiles and felt bad, if he'd have agreed to just shift in front of Scott then Stiles wouldn't have needed to do all this work. Derek shook Stiles by the shoulder. "Stiles." he hissed. "Wake up."

Stiles's head snapped up. "Derek?" he said with a frown. "What are you doing here? How did you ... oh ..." he said glancing at the open window. "Just like the old days eh?" he grinned.

Derek gave him a rare smile. "Some things shouldn't change." he replied. "I came to apologise." he told him. "I was letting my pride get in the way. I ..." he stopped and sighed not sure why he was so worried of Stiles finding out that he couldn't shift fully anymore. "If it's the best way to convince Scott then so be it."

Stiles smiled, grateful for the apology. "I understand." he said, he glanced at his notes and knew a compromise was the best way forward. "Let me try this way first." he said gesturing toward the papers. "If that doesn't work we'll have to try a different route."

Derek nodded. "OK." he said simply before heading over toward the window.

"You're not leaving are you?" Stiles asked getting up. "Stay, we haven't had a chance to catch up."

Derek hesitated briefly. "I can't, I want to but I can't - someone is out there attacking high school kids, I need to find out who and stop them."

A knot of anguish tightened in Stiles's stomach. "Be careful."

Derek grinned confidently. "I will." he nodded. "Let me know how it goes with Scott." he told him.

Stiles nodded and watched as Derek slipped out of the window and disappeared into the night; he sighed deeply as he got up to close the window - Derek was back in town, Derek was home and in that brief second where he'd climbed through his bedroom window Stiles felt as if he'd never been away.

TBC