/ / / Denial \ \ \

As soon as Stiles and Megan were out of human earshot Scott turned on Derek, he kept his voice pitched low due to the baby eating in Derek's arms but the flash of amber eyes negated any warmth the voice might have given his words.

"How could you do this?" Scott started.

It seemed that was the exact opening Lydia had been waiting for and she glared at Derek more harshly than any werewolf he had ever met. "Who is she? Did she mean anything at all to you? Or was she some easy fuck that you forgot about? It must have been really important to you of you could treat Stiles like this."

"Did you see his face?" Scott continued. "How could you do this to him?"

Derek let his eyes flash red and stared down his beta…and attempted it with Lydia who didn't even pretend to look scared. "You do both understand that babies take nine months to grow right, he's six months old. It all happened fifteen months ago."

"Not just both," Erica said. "I'm annoyed at you too, you always tell the male werewolves don't sleep around and if you do you better fucking make sure you don't get her pregnant."

Derek glared at her imitation of his voice.

"You have been making little moon eyes at Stiles for more than fifteen months," Scott said harshly and the baby paused in his drinking so Scott dropped his voice back to the soothing tone he had been using. "He won't put out for you so you find someone else and then you can't even follow your own fucking rules?"

"This has nothing to do with Stiles."

"San Diego," Boyd said finally.

"It must have been when you were there," Erica continued. "She did say she'd travelled to get here. That was just before the incident with the bear creature."

Derek nodded. He pulled the empty bottle from Logan's mouth and tried to remember the exact way his sister had held his nephew before the fire. He knew there had been a trick to it but he didn't think he had it right even as the boy turned into Derek's neck and breathed wetly on his skin.

He was a father. He was responsible for this little baby who looked so much like little Patrick had. But then, he and his sister both got their looks from their father. He stopped paying attention to his betas as he patted the baby's back vowing to do a better job of protecting him than he did protecting Patrick or his mother. He felt the burp as well as heard it, feeling Logan's little chest expand and contract out of rhythm with his breathing. Derek continued to pat the boy's back and he twisted his head so he could properly drag his son's…his son's, core scent into his lungs and let the wolf learn it. This was more than pack, this was his family and this little boy was so much more vulnerable than anyone Derek had been close to in years. For a brief moment he wondered if he'd have to move to San Diego, he didn't like living in a city and it would make it harder for him to protect Logan but if he needed to…if Megan couldn't be convinced to move here then he would have to work out who should be given the position of leader while he was away. Stiles was the sensible choice but he was human and he could never hold that position even if the betas all deferred to him more than they should. He would have to step up training exercises to see if he could force anyone into stepping up.

Derek felt Logan's breathing change, deepen and slow down and he knew that his son had fallen asleep in his arms and it made his chest tighten.

"Derek!" Lydia said shrilly pulling him back to his pack.

Derek scowled at them. "Right, Stiles and I are not dating, we were not dating fifteen months ago and we are not now. I do not have to justify my actions to you. Yes, I should have checked in on Megan to make sure she wasn't pregnant but things here prevented me from going to San Diego. Stiles is an adult and I'm sure he is aware that people have sex. Stop acting like a cheated on him right now, if you cannot be civil leave and calm down. I have a son now and that is more important than any perceived slight you see against another member of this pack."

Neither Scott nor Lydia looked pleased…in fact none of his pack did but Stiles would understand, about Logan and about why the relationship they had been moving towards would need to be put on hold for a while. Logan needed to be the most important thing in Derek's life, he was Derek's son. And when things with Logan were settled he and Stiles could finally put what happened that summer after Stiles' graduated behind them and move on. At the moment the human was shocked, they were all shocked, but everything would be fine.

"He will understand," Derek said firmly to everyone as he heard Stiles and Megan go into the laundry. They had obviously finished with the cot so Logan would have a place to sleep. Derek found he didn't want to let the baby go but he knew he had to.

Derek took in the dubious looks of his betas and shook his head before he left the room; they really should know Stiles better than that. They were underestimating the human. Derek believed that right up until the moment when he walked into the laundry and Stiles turned and left. Derek watched Stiles watching he and Megan out of the corner of his eye before he continued on back into the kitchen.

Derek felt the sudden loss of weight and warmth in his arms sharply. He trailed behind Megan as she went to the spare room and tucked Logan into the cot. It was a plastic and mesh cot with a little mattress and Derek knew he would need to get something better, as soon as possible, maybe this afternoon ready for him to sleep in tonight. Derek didn't want to leave, he wanted to sink down on the floor next to the cot and watch Logan.

"Thank you," Megan said startling him out of his thoughts. "I really wasn't sure what you would do when I got here."

Derek smiled.

"I just mean," she yawned widely, her jaw cracking, before she continued. "I didn't think you'd be into babies and to suddenly have one."

Derek stepped further into the room and closer to her. "I want to be in his life, he is my son and family is very important to me."

Megan smiled. "That's what Stiles said."

Derek nodded and was about to say something else when she yawned again. "Would you like to get some sleep? We can talk later."

Megan took a deep breath. "Do you mind if I have a shower? I have been driving for a couple of days and I just…I thought I was insane and to know that there is a reason even though it's an insane reason…it's a relief."

"Megan," Derek said remembering all of the 'speaking to people nicely' tips that Stiles had given him over the years. "For as long as you are in Beacon Hills I would like you to think of this as your home, yours and Logan's."

Megan stared at him for a moment. "You're different here than you were when you were in San Diego, I like it. I know this is all about Logan but thank you."

"You are his mother," Derek said. "So it's about you too."

Megan didn't say anything but she looked shocked at Derek's words. He found her some towels and showed her the bathroom and left her to it.

"…just leave it the hell alone," Derek heard Stiles say once he was far enough away from Logan that he wasn't concentrating all of his hearing on the boy's steady heartbeat. Derek stepped into the kitchen to find Stiles looking as defensive as the voice had sounded and the betas all looking worried.

"Megan's going to have a sleep while Logan is."

"Stiles," Scott said. "Allison called me and needs me to come home, are you ready to leave?" Derek didn't even need to heart Scott's heart to hear the lie.

Stiles smiled at him. "Sounds good. We'll be back later."

"Stiles," Derek said wanting a moment alone to speak to the other man. Stiles must be misunderstanding something and Derek had a feeling that it would be better to sort things out now.

"Call if you need us to bring anything back," Stiles said refusing to look Derek in the eye, his voice and smile brittle. Derek didn't know what the betas had said but they certainly hadn't made this any easier.

Derek watched as Stiles and Scott left the house and then glared at the remaining members of his pack. "I'm going to buy a cot, do not leave this house, protect Logan and Megan," all of the wolf's eyes widened a little at that. "Until I get back, understood?"

They all nodded so Derek grabbed his wallet, keys and phone and left out of the kitchen door. He waited three steps and then turned to glare at Lydia.

"Please," she said mockingly. "Like you know how to shop for anything."

"No," Derek said.

"Where is the baby store?" Lydia asked.

Derek took a moment to think about it.

"Exactly," she said and walked past him. "Don't think that this means I don't think you're an idiot but as you are also stubborn I'll just be here to pick up the pieces."

"Everything is going to be fine," Derek said. "He's in shock, he'll understand."

Lydia scoffed as she slid into the passenger seat of his car. "I hope you have your credit card."

/ / / TBC \ \ \