A/N: So, apparently, I'm a moron. I completely forgot to mention that this is a Sterek fanfiction. Stiles and Derek will eventually hook up, far into the future of this fanfic. It's a slow build, but it happens. Just so y'all know.

Chapter 2

Of all the things Stiles thought that might happen when first met Hannah, hearing her so casually mention the death of her mother was definitely not one of them. He really should've known the offspring of Derek Hale and Kate Argent wouldn't be normal, but still… As his mouth dropped open in shock, the teenager looked over to where the young girl's voice had come from, and as soon as he saw her, there was no doubt in his mind that she was Derek's daughter. On the way over, Derek had very briefly mentioned that, even though there was no guarantee of it, she was most likely his, and now Stiles knew for sure.

It was like someone had taken Kate Argent and Derek Hale, smooshed them together, and shrunken them into the little girl standing before them. Often times, children looked more similar to one parent than the other, but Hannah's appearance was split pretty much down the middle. Her face looked almost exactly like it belonged on a young Kate with just a bit of Derek pushed in, but all her coloring was Derek. Her long curly hair was jet black, her eyes were green, and her skin tone, like Derek's, was paler than Kate's had been.

But beyond that were her mannerisms. Her stance, the way she held herself, and how she moved were all Kate (probably because she'd grown up watching her move). But her expression, that was all Derek. As she stared at Elizabeth Blackthorn, Hannah had an angry neutral expression on her face that wished death upon the person holding their gaze while attempting to look somewhat polite. He'd seen the exact same face on Derek any number of times. Moreover, despite her young age, her eyes spoke of the same sadness he'd sometimes seen in Derek's eyes, and damn did that feel like a punch in Stiles's gut. Unsure how to react, Stiles looked back at Derek to see a stony expression on his face that he would not have been able to read if he hadn't spent the last year trying to figure out what the werewolf's different expressions meant. As it was, Stiles could only see that Derek had already fallen in love with his little girl and was probably planning murder on this school for the expression on her face and grief in her eyes.

As Derek stared at his precious little girl, it was like no one else in the world existed for a few moments. After hearing her voice for the first time, Derek's heart had skipped a beat, and the second he saw her, the iron wall around his heart just melted away. He knew without a doubt that Hannah was his daughter, and he already loved her with all his heart. Derek wanted nothing more than to go up and hug her, but he couldn't. He hadn't even known she existed for six years; she probably hated him, and he had no idea how to even start making up for that.

But as he watched her, warmth, fondness, and love were not the only emotions that bloomed in his chest. Anger and sorrow were also woven through. Because those beautiful green eyes knew pain that no six-year-old should know. And Derek knew enough about pain to know that it was not new pain from her mother's death. It was the slow growing kind that took years to accumulate. At this knowledge, the werewolf had to stop himself from growling and forced his eyes to remain their normal, human green. What the hell had they done to Hannah at this horrible school? And why had Kate forced her own daughter to live through it year after year?

"Good Hannah," Elizabeth said with a predatory smile that forced the two males' attention back on her. The younger one was obviously shocked and confused, but yummy Mr. Derek Hale had no change in facial expression. Well, his frown might have gotten a little deeper, but she couldn't really tell. He'd been glaring since the moment he stepped foot into the building, but she didn't mind at all; anger was sexy on him. Too bad he was gay. "You remember our little chat about why your mommy and daddy couldn't be together, right Hannah? Well, this is Derek Hale, your real father. And this is his partner, Mr. Stillinski – your second new daddy. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hannah replied hollowly while Mr. Stillinski went back to gaping at her. Really, what kind of taste did Derek have? His partner looked barely legal and seemed to have some sort of brain damage. Well, the relationship probably wouldn't last much longer anyway, with how young Mr. Stillinski was and with Hannah now in the picture. Maybe she could convince Derek to try for women at least one more time when he dropped Hannah off at the end of summer. Assuming that's what he wanted to do…

"Now that she's here, we have two last pieces of business to take care of," Elizabeth said, returning her whole attention to Derek, smiling at him seductively, and ignoring Mr. Stillinski's glare as he realized she had referred to Hannah as a piece of business. Really, it wasn't her job to Molly-coddle children.

"First, Ms. Argent left something for you in case of her untimely death. We have no idea what it is." Though, it was not for lack of trying. The damn woman had sealed whatever it was in a solid metal box and welded the stupid thing shut. Elizabeth had no clue how she expected Derek to be able to open it, and it would forever irk her that they (meaning the school employees) had been unable to open it at all. Nevertheless, she picked it up off her desk and handed it to Derek, who took it without a word. She tried to let the touch linger, but he pulled his hand away too quickly for that.

"Second, we need to make arrangements for Hannah to be brought back at the end of summer. If you want, you can just drive her. But you can also arrange for her to be picked up at the nearest airport like Ms. Argent did a few times. It's just a bit more expensive that way."

"I don't know that we'll continue to need your services," Derek said slowly. "Unlike Hannah's…mother, I don't move around a lot."

"Well, let us know when you decide," the secretary replied with one last flirtatious smile. "Just remember that the later the special arrangements are made, the more it costs."

"I'll keep that in mind," Derek almost growled as he made his way over to Hannah and knelt down in front of her. Slowly, afraid to be rejected, Derek reached out a hand and cupped her cheek. He attempted to smile comfortingly, but he knew it looked more like a grimace. Fortunately, Hannah's answering grimace made it seem like she understood what he had been trying to do. "Is this everything?"

"Um," she said, suddenly looking hopeful, but his heart clenched at her expression, like she was afraid to hope. "I might've forgotten something." She glanced at Blackthorn, the hope in her eyes being replaced by fear. The secretary did look like she was about to say something, but Stiles…(dear god was he ever grateful for his decision to bring the human motormouth)…Stiles beat her to it.

"No problem," Stiles said with a bright smile as he made his way over, having not come over earlier out of respect for Derek's need to have semi-private moment with his daughter. "I'll come with you while Derek takes your stuff out to the car. He's so strong that he can probably take it all in one trip."

Nodding, Derek quickly kissed Hannah on the forehead before starting to gather her stuff, and Stiles grabbed hold of her hand, then told her to lead the way. With an expression on her face that even Stiles couldn't identify, Hannah began pulling him through a series of turns in the hallways that would've gotten Stiles lost within a minute if he had been on his own. It was like a freaking maze.

When they finally reached their destination, it was definitely not what Stiles had been expecting. They were in a large room that was filled to the brim with toys, but something about it felt off. It took a moment for Stiles to figure out what was wrong. The room was too organized, too perfect. The toys were arranged as though an adult had placed them stylistically for a magazine photoshoot. No child would've been so meticulous about putting them on display. And the toys themselves were in pristine condition, as though, Stiles realized with a sinking heart, as though children had never played with them. The worst part of this whole scenario was Hannah standing next to him, wringing her hands nervously, and staring up at him with pleading eyes.

"We're not allowed to have our own personal toys," the little girl finally told him in a hushed whisper after he knelt down next to her. "But they never tell you until that you bring one here. 'The lessons taught by pain are the ones that teach best.' It was a couple of year ago during summer. Mother left me with the usual baby sitter, and she brought me a present. It wasn't my birthday or anything. She was just being nice. I'd never been so happy…my first present. Then, I came back to school, and they took it seconds after I pulled it out of my suitcase. Mother said we could get it back once summer came. But then, she never even asked…"

At this point, Hannah was close to tears, but she wouldn't let them fall. Stiles had a feeling (okay, he knew for a fact) that this poor little girl was used to holding them back, and his heart broke for her. Without a second thought, he enveloped Hannah in a hug and whispered in her ear, "If I promise we can get out of here with it, would you trust me?"

To Stiles's surprise and pleasure, Hannah nodded instantly.

"Which one is yours?" he asked gently, and Hannah pulled away just enough to point at a medium-sized teddy bear. It was a basic brown bear – fuzzy, with a pink bow wrapped around it's neck, but it was somehow different from the rest, just a little more worn around the edges, just a little bit dirtier. Hannah hadn't owned it for a very long time before it was taken from her, but it was obviously very loved and fairly well taken care of for her age. He really didn't want to think about why a four-year-old would feel the need to take such good care of a simple toy (first ever present…). Forcing back the scowl that wanted to emerge, Stiles actually managed to smile reassuringly as he very hesitantly pulled away from the hug, immensely grateful that he had a habit of wearing hoodies.

He picked up the teddy bear very carefully and handed it to Hannah, who looked like all her lifetime's worth of Christmases had come at once. Then, he rearranged the other stuffed animals that had been around it, so that it looked like nothing had been taken away. Fingers crossed, he knelt back down next to Hannah and began whispering in her ear once more.

"It's going to get a little bit squished…" Stiles said hesitantly as he unzipped his hoodie. "But if we hide your bear in here and you let me carry you out, they'll never know we took it." Hannah was stuffing her bear under his hoodie and trying to yank the zipper up before the words were done leaving his mouth.

A few minutes later, Stiles was holding a seemingly asleep Hannah in his arms as he walked through the front office toward the door. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and her head was buried in his right shoulder. He had been right about the teddy bear; while Hannah was held over the lump, it wasn't even slightly visible.

"So, what did little Ms. Hannah forget?" Elizabeth Blackthorn asked, obviously checking his pockets for evidence of them holding some unspecified object.

"Oh, it was nothing,' Stiles replied with a wide smile. "She just wanted to double check her room. Hannah really did have everything packed already."

"Oh," the secretary replied, a scary smile making its way onto her face. "I'm so sorry for the trouble she's caused you." Her expression made it clear that she was going to make sure Hannah was very sorry for any imagined trouble when she returned in the fall. It took everything Stiles had to resist sticking his tongue out at or mouthing off to the woman, letting her know exactly what he thought of her, this damn school, and how there was no chance in Hell that Hannah would ever be stepping foot in this place again.

But his promise with the little girl was far more important. So, Stiles held his tongue and kept the polite smile in place as he walked out saying, "Oh, it was no trouble at all. We're really not in any hurry. It was nice to meet you Mrs. Blackthorn."

As soon as the door shut behind him, the human teenager ran as fast as he could toward the Camaro, and ignoring how cramped it was, he slid into the back seat with Hannah. Stiles buckled both of them in as quickly as possible and didn't wait to pull out the teddy bear before saying, "Derek, drive!"

And without so much as growling or glaring at Stiles, Derek immediately stomped on the gas. They were out of the parking lot in seconds, and everyone in the car breathed out a collective sigh of relief. Stiles didn't know whether it was due to the enormity of the situation or not, but the Alpha didn't call the teen out for basically giving him a command. For that, Stiles was grateful. Even if he paid for it later, it was better for Hannah that Derek remain calm.

"Stiles," the werewolf's voice growled out, so maybe Stiles had spoken too soon...but that was Derek's normal growl (kind of like how his default expression was angry)...so maybe not. "What is that weird lump in your clothes?"

"A formerly confiscated but currently liberated teddy bear!" Stiles answered with a triumphant grin as he unzipped his hoodie, pulled out the bear, and handed it to Hannah. "Apparently, personal toys are not allowed at that school, and Kate didn't deem it necessary to retrieve her daughter's toy."

"Of course not." Ah. There was Derek's truly pissed off growl. But as he looked back at Hannah in the rear-view mirror, his expression softened. She was cradling the teddy bear to her chest with a heartbreakingly happy smile, and she looked like she might cry tears of relief. Stiles couldn't help himself, he reached over and hugged her.

"So, are you and Father really together?" Hannah asked all of a sudden, but she didn't pull away from the hug. Rather, she actually relaxed further into his arms.

"Why do you ask that?" Stiles asked as he watched Derek's grip tighten on the steering wheel. He had no idea how the werewolf wanted to handle this, but he also didn't know how they could possible pretend to be together for Hannah's sake once back in Beacon Hills.

"Because Mother used to lie a lot," Hannah answered with a shrug. "And Mrs. Blackthorn pretty much just assumed you were together and didn't really give you a chance to confirm or deny it."

"No, we're not actually together," Derek said after several minutes of tense silence, choosing not to comment on the matter of gender. No matter what Elizabeth Blackthorn or Kate Argent had already told Hannah, the werewolf was not going to force his six-year-old daughter to wonder about such things. If she specifically asked more details, he would worry later. "Stiles is just a really good friend."

"Is he pack then, Father?" Hannah persisted. Both males tensed at that question, fully aware of the implications of it. Of course, Kate Argent would tell her only daughter about werewolves. How else would she grow up to be the perfect little hunter?

As he did his best to focus on the road in front of him, Derek wondered what the hell he was going to tell his daughter. He didn't want to lie to her, not when she had pretty much just told them that Kate did it all the time. And he wanted her to trust him. But on the other hand, he really didn't want Stiles to know the truth. Socially awkward as the teen was, he would no doubt tone down his reaction with Hannah there, but if he admitted to his feelings on the matter, they would have to talk about it eventually. Another bout of tense silence passed as the minutes ticked by, and the werewolf finally made his decision.

"Yes," Derek said sighing in defeat. "I consider him an important member of my pack." He flinched as Stiles jolted upright in shock and started staring at Derek as though he had grown a second head. Unable to meet the very confused teen's gaze, even though it was just through the mirror, Derek gave a helpless sort of shrug and willed Stiles not to say anything to the contrary. For once, the teen remained silent, and for that, Derek was extraordinarily grateful.

"Cool," Hannah said as her smile brightened, too content with her new family and situation to notice the sudden shift in tension around her. "It all makes sense now. Hey, Father..."

"You don't have to call me that," Derek cut off whatever question she was about to ask. He didn't like how stiff and formal it sounded. Hannah was his daughter. He wanted to be her dad, not her drill sergeant. "I mean, you can if you want..." he felt hesitant now. Maybe she didn't want to call him less formally. Maybe he didn't deserve it. "But you don't have to."

Wow. That sounded desperate, even to his own ears, and he obviously wasn't the only one who noticed. Because Stiles was no longer looking at him with confusion and frustration. Those two emotions in his gaze had been replaced by compassion and sympathy.

"Mother always made me..." Hannah began. She sounded nervous again, like she had in the school toy room, like she was afraid this was all too good to be true. "I called her Mama once, and she got really angry. May I call you Papa? Please?"

"Of course you can, honey," Derek said with a small smile. But, apparently Derek had already messed up this father thing, because Hannah burst into tears. Alarmed, he pulled off to the side of the road immediately, flew out of the car, and pulled the crying girl into his arms. As he held her in one arm, he rubbed her back with his free hand and tried to calm her down enough to tell him what was wrong.

"Papa," she hiccuped softly through her tears. "Do you love me?"

"Of course I do," Derek said, confused at the question. "Hannah, honey, I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you."

If the werewolf had hoped for even a moment that those words would help calm her down, that hope would have been in vain. Because as soon as he finished speaking, Hannah started bawling even louder, tears pouring down her face faster. As he continued to rub her back, Derek cast a look of wild desperation at Stiles, but the teen looked just as confused and helpless as Derek felt. Eventually, though, Stiles did climb out of the car and walk toward the pair. Hesitantly pressing himself against Derek near where Hannah was, the teen very awkwardly placed an arm around the werewolf in a really weird half-hug to sandwich the crying girl between them, and he raised his other hand to rest on Hannah's head comfortingly...he hoped. They stayed in that position until her cries finally quieted into nothingness.

A/N: Hello and welcome to the end of Chapter 2 of Little Bundle Bereft of Joy. I hope y'all enjoy the odd mix of mature and childish that makes up Hannah because she's a super fun character to write. So, I hope you enjoy reading about her. Also, the inappropriate flirting…that's always fun :D

I love reviewers, but I do have a request. I would really love for someone to seriously critique my work. It doesn't have to stop at constructive criticism. I'd love for someone to really pick apart my work and tell me every little thing they hated, what needs to be improved, and what parts of my writing they liked best. Believe me when I say I love all reviews, and it's really nice to know people appreciate my work. However, I'm a far cry from being perfect, and there's always room to improve. Also, if I can get better, I can give better fan fiction to my readers. Anyway, thanks again for reading this fan fiction and hopefully you seriously considered my request.