Stiles stared at her image in the full length mirror hanging above the door in her bedroom. Same dark brown shoulder length hair, same big brown doe eyes with the lushes of lush lashes, same creamy white skin dotted perfectly with an array of freckles, same button nose and same ruby red pouty lips. But that was only when she focused on her face. It was the pot-belly and the enormous boob situation that caused Stiles to cringe. It was as if she was wearing a pregnancy body suit over her otherwise boyish-slender frame, so unnatural. At the beginning of the pregnancy the body change was great, finally she had curves, and bras weren't ironic. But now she just felt fat.

She sighed in the mirror a few more times, before pulling her too big pajama top on. Once she pulled it over her head and looked in the mirror again, the familiar dark figure of a man appeared in the corner of the frame. Stiles jumped slightly, never getting use to the dramatics of her boyfriend's entrances. With her hand over her jolted heart she turned. "It would be nice if one day you used the front door and knocked like humans do," she said dryly. Derek ignored her remark and began scanning the room.

It was his new routine, check the closet, open the bedroom door and look down the hall, listen for usual noises before locking the bedroom door again. After the safety sweep his relaxed, well the Derek Hale version of relaxed. He shrugged his leather jacket off and placed it on the back of the office chair at Stiles' desk. In the meantime Stiles busied herself with pulling her hair in a ponytail, and humming a few bars of Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me" before sitting on the foot of her bed to wait for Derek.

"Your dad's not here?" Derek asked, almost accusingly.

"Nope, he's working late something he's doing a lot more of these days," she said with a touch of hurt in her voice.

"He should be here looking after you." Derek said sternly.

"Why as far as he's concerned my life's not endangered just my future as a respectable well-adjusted adult," she exclaimed. "However he has been calling every 10 minutes to check up on me. I think the unconditional love he has for me is clashing with his complete and utter disappointment in me," she said. Finally Derek caught on to the looking for sympathy vibe Stiles was putting out. He sat on the bed, wrapping her in his arms, and nuzzling her cheek, before scattering kisses from her forehead to the nape of her neck. Stiles sat with a sleepy stare to the floor, enjoying the warmth and affection of Derek, a side only she was privy to.

"Your father loves you Stiles, he'll come around," Derek said soothingly. His breath against her skin was electric. Stiles sighed closing her eyes as she melted.

"I know, I just want to tell him everything," she began, but Derek's body went ridged and he loosened his grip of her.

"You can't Stiles, your father cannot know about this, it's too dangerous," he growled. Stiles rolled her eyes with a harsh sigh.

"Dude, I said I wanted to tell, not that I was!" she snapped back. Two years ago Derek bark would have scared her while simultaneously arousing her, but now it just got on her nerves and she was quick to bark back with the same vigor. Their arguments made the Jerry Springer show look like an episode of "Barney".

Seeing he put her in a foul mood, Derek relaxed and sat back on the bed calmly. He understood how hard things were for Stiles these days, and he knew it was his fault. If he had just stopped himself from falling for her wit, and charm and eye blinding beauty, she wouldn't be in this mess. But alas the girl hammered her way into his heart, trashed it with sentiment and branded her name on it. Now she was having his child, a situation he promised himself he'd never get into years ago, but one that he now couldn't imagine not being a part of.

Derek could hear his unborn child's heart beat a mile a minute from yards away, and with every beat the love he had for it grew stronger. The stronger his love grew the more he wanted to protect his family from any and all danger. It was here he began to understand the heart ache Stile's father was going through. He couldn't protect his baby girl from good for nothing punks like Derek, or in this case Scott.

"I'm sorry," he said as he watched Stiles stomp around the room trying to look occupied. "Look I'm really sorry Stiles, I didn't mean to snap. I just," he paused which stopped Stiles long enough to catch the worried look on his face. "I just want to keep you all safe," he forced the words out slowly. Stile's heart swooned. Two years ago she didn't think Derek noticed her beyond being Scott's annoying best friend he had to put up with, and now he was completely in love with her. It would have been more gratifying if she was aloof to it, but she couldn't help feel like the most special girl in the world because of it.

"It's okay," she sighed, sitting back down, crossed-leg style beside Derek. She nuzzled her head into the nap of his neck. Derek put his head against hers in response. "I hate lying to dad, but I've done it for so long now I wouldn't know how to tell the truth," she confessed. Derek gently kissed her forehead. He listened to the smooth, paced beating of her heart accompanied by the fast thumping of his little pup.

"Well, mamawolf I think it's time for bed," he said, shifting his body. Stiles groaned at the thought. Baby Hale turned acrobatic when she tried to sleep. It was like she was carrying the Tasmanian Devil in her womb. She crawled her way to the head of the bed, exhausted, as Derek rolled back the sheets, climbing in bed himself. He stayed with her through most of the night before sneaking out just before dawn. The two snuggled up in the perfect spoon and laid in the silence.

"Papawolf," Stiles said sheepishly.

"Hmm," Derek responded. Sleep was overtaking him as well.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Chapter 3 Preview- Scott reflects on the choice to take responsibilty for the baby.