None of the pack was at the house when Derek got there. School didn't let out for another hour, and Derek immediately went upstairs. Stiles stayed in the living-room and looked around. The door was painted, and so were the walls. Oak floors shined from the light coming through all new windows. They still had that tattered old sofa, but two more sofas had joined it. They were old but a lot newer then the one on the end. A coffee table sat along the far wall. Stiles wondered when Derek got the house back from the state. If he ever found a way to be solid again, he'd have to ask.

Derek came back downstairs in clean clothes, running his hand down the new banister as he descended, and at the bottom of the stairs he tried to shake it. When it didn't move he smiled. Stiles had to question if Derek was sane because he had nearly drowned less than an hour ago and now he was grinning like an idiot at his craftsmanship.

Stiles also had to wonder how much sleep Derek had gotten. This was a lot of work for a one man crew in a week.

The alpha made his way back out to the porch and Stiles sighed as he followed. He was getting really tired of the whole follow-people-around-and-not-be-able-to-interact-with-anything thing that was going on. Some alpha wolves could really use a slap upside the head because even they needed to sleep.

With all that had gone on not an hour prior you would think he'd want to hide away from the great outdoors a bit. Instead Derek sat on the top step of the porch and just kind of… stared out into the distance.

"Is this what you do when no one is looking? Are you secretly into like… meditating? Do you commune with the forest, Legolas?"

The usual silence greeted him, and he accepted it with only mild agitation at this point. Derek didn't even flinch. Eventually Derek closed his eyes and breathed deep. Stiles went quiet, waiting for… well he wasn't sure what.

"But seriously, what are you—?"

"Shhhhhh…"

Stiles gawked. "Did you just—?"

But Derek just kept taking deep breaths.

"If you start doing yoga, I am gone." A rustle in the bushes just beyond the front yard made Stiles jump.

"Rabbit." Derek whispered.

Stiles watched and sure enough, a rabbit poked its head out before retreating into the bushes again.

"Oh, so it's like a game. This how you unwind?"

Stiles sat next to Derek on the porch step. He watched the alpha for a moment, staying quiet. There really was no point to asking things aloud if he couldn't be heard. Stiles took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It wasn't like he had anything better to do than play along. At first the sounds were hard to distinguish for his boring human ears. The forest had this white noise of birds and rustling leaves. He thought he might have even heard a plane.

"Dude, maybe with your wolfie-senses this is interesting but I might just pop in on the others if it doesn't pick up."

He opened his eyes but Derek seemed to be concentrating on listening. His brow was a little creased, head tilted a little. Stiles huffed and, despite what he said, closed his eyes again to listen. What could it hurt? After a few moments the noises started to become more distinct. Birds taking off in the distance, chirping of bugs, light footsteps on the grass too light to logically be a person. It was actually… kind of relaxing. The longer he sat and listened, the clearer sounds became. He almost thought he heard a car on the main road that ran through this part of the forest. That couldn't be right. It was nearly a mile off.

Then he noticed a thumping; soft, strong, close by. A peaceful rhythm, too soft to be a drum, accompanied by running water slowly became more distinct.

He listened for what felt like ages, peaceful for the first time since he became a ghost. Listened to the drumming and the sounds of the forest. Breathing in and out. It was like the rest just melted away and the world wasn't… louder, just sharper, easier to pick out each distinct sound, and every moment the soft drumming was there, somehow reassuring.

He eventually heard the sound of approaching wheels and he opened his eyes. His head spun. The world was too bright, too in focus. When he looked at Derek it was like real life had gone high-def on him; every hair, every freckle, every pore on the alpha's face was suddenly in focus. Stiles could even see the twitch of his pulse on the alpha's neck and that explained the drumming. Derek had opened his eyes too. Now they were wide with surprise and, wow, really, really green. Suddenly, the world snapped back to normal and Stiles thought he might vomit, if he had a real stomach with actual contents in it, that is.

"What was that?" Stiles blinked rapidly until his vision cleared completely.

Derek walked down the steps as Jackson's Porche pulled in, the surprise gone from Derek's face.

Lydia and Jackson hopped out, first to arrive as always. Well, Lydia as always, Jackson was only early when Lydia was. "I hear we might have trouble."

Derek nodded. "Heard right. The others should be here soon enough. No use starting over again. If you want to start on something, there is a large chunk of skin in the upstairs' bathroom sink. Want to tell me what you can gather by a quick looksee?"

Lydia's face lit up like he told her Hollister was having a sale. She practically skipped up the stairs. Jackson just watched her go, unfazed. Derek and Jackson just kind of looked at each other before moving to lean against the railing of the front porch. "Where's the human friend of yours?"

"He tutors kids after school on Friday's. I told him to swing by after." Stiles grinned. So Danny did know. How did Derek know that?

It wasn't long after that that Allison's SUV rolled up the drive along with the sheriff's cruiser. The rest of the pack filed out. His dad walked to his passenger side door and pulled out a very full box. Derek jumped down and grabbed it from him. "Sheriff."

"Hale." He gestured to the box. "All the weird missing persons from the past couple of months. This had better be good."

Derek nodded. "I promise." They all walked up the stairs and headed toward the living room. Stiles was still a little stuck on the whole perfect clarity of a moment ago but now wasn't time for that.

Everyone found a place to sit, arranging the new seating so they made a half circle. The little powwow would have been adorable if it weren't for the whole monster on the loose situation. Lydia had returned with the skin thing on a plate. She kept poking at it with a tooth pick.

Derek stood in front, crossing his arms. "Alright, I'm getting straight to the point. There is something in the river."

Stiles resisted the urge to smack his forehead.

Boyd grinned. "Anything more specific than that?"

"It drowns it victims, probably drags them off somewhere. Uses some kind of hypnosis, and disguises itself as… well whatever gets its victim to touch it." Stiles' dad raised his hand. "Yes, Sheriff?"

"How did you come about this knowledge?"

"It tried to drown me." The entire pack tensed to the point that even the humans were uncomfortable. "I saw the news. That girl's death just didn't sit right and I couldn't leave it alone. Nothing happens by accident in this place. I went looking. I found what killed her."

Isaac looked completely indignant. "It tried to drown you? Like how far is 'tried'?"

"It's a lure. It baits you and once you touch it, it's already too late. You're literally glued to it. I ripped the skin I was stuck to off. If I hadn't I'd have definitely drowned."

Boyd raised his hand but didn't wait to be acknowledged. "How did you even let it get that close?" Derek tensed. "And you said hypnosis and disguises. How did you not… see through it?"

"Just because I'm the alpha doesn't mean I'm infallible. All of you have seen that in action. How does this surprise you?"

Stiles had never seen the group look as guilty as they did then. Lydia raised her hand. "This skin is almost seal like but… it has some kind of sticky coating—most likely bacteria of some kind that acts as a natural adhesive. I'd need a microscope to confirm that."

"So the thing kills people," Mr. Stilinski chimed in, "and uses its sticky skin to make sure they don't get away."

Derek shrugged. "Basically."

Scott finally piped up, "You never said how it got you."

Derek tensed again. "It turns into someone they can lure you in with. For me it was… Laura."

Erica punched Isaac hard in the arm when he went to open his mouth.

There was a time Stiles would say he understood Derek. He was completely wrong and a total idiot for thinking for one second that he did. "That was a lie. You realize they will smell a lie. Why would you lie? There is no reason to lie. Are you just a compulsive liar?"

His dad cut off the rest of his unheard rant. "Why did it let go of the girl then? She didn't have a scratch on her."

Lydia piped in on that. "Probably has something to do with why they drown people in the first place. Seems like a lot of effort for no reason."

Derek got that light bulb look on his face. He turned back to the sheriff. "Was she sick?"

Stile's dad eyed him curiously before he nodded. "Found it this morning. Leukemia, early stages."

Derek shrugged again. "Simple enough. Bad meat."

Everyone's eyes went wide. Stiles was actually kind of proud. That was a pretty easy deduction but for the pack leader to actually make the jump first was impressive. That was usually Stiles' job.

"Ew." Scott turned up his nose.

"Yes, generally people find something eating people disgusting, McCall." The comment earned Jackson a death glare from Allison and the jock folded his arms. "So we can't know if she was the first victim. That's why you had the Sheriff bring the case files."

Derek shrugged. "It knew what it was doing. I assumed it hunted in the river for a while."

"Alright we've got a why." Stile's dad began sifting through the box he brought pulling out a map. "And you were attacked, so we have a general idea of where. Now all we need to figure out is a what. Any ideas what the hell this thing is?"

Derek shifted from foot to foot. "I'd say siren but they're generally open ocean types."

Stiles gaped at him. Mermaids were a thing too? Seriously?

Allison nodded. "We're looking at a fresh water fish then. So to speak."

Derek pulled forward a coffee table and the sheriff spread out the map. "I've got a bunch of maps but this one shows the majority of the river that runs through town. Pretty much any of the missing person files I got are possible victims."

Derek nodded. "Look for smaller prey—I mean like young kids. That thing wasn't looking for a fight and it wasn't prepared for one. It goes after the smaller people. You, Isaac, and Jackson plot that out. Lydia, figure out all you can about that skin. When you're done with that you'll join Allison, Boyd and Erica in researching the lore. You'll be happy to know I've finally got that stupid Wi-Fi you guys wouldn't stop asking for."

Stiles stomach lurched. None of the others told Derek to get Wi-Fi. That was all Stiles and Derek had finally gotten Wi-Fi.

Scott frowned. "What about me?"

"We are going to grab dinner because I am starving. Nearly drowning is exhausting. Text us your taco orders while we are on the way." He walked towards the door and grabbed his leather jacket from a hook by it. "I'm really lucky you convinced me to get that waterproof case for my phone."

Scott's face was concerned but he didn't say anything. Stiles stomach dropped completely and was slushing around in his shoes.

Stiles had told him to get one of those too—no, nagged him for months to get one because he was constantly breaking, drowning, and dropping it.

Stiles went with Scott and Derek, sitting in the back seat because he was nosy. Once the Camaro was out on the main road, Scott finally spoke. "You okay?"

Derek started. "Yeah, why?"

Scott gawked at him. "You nearly died!"

"I nearly die on a biweekly basis."

"Well yeah, but it usually gets to you a little. And drowning?"

"I've almost drowned before. It wasn't like that this time. I could fight." Derek shifted gear a little more aggressively than necessary. That was right, Derek had nearly drowned when Stiles let go of him during the kanima thing. Silence stretched between them. Scott looked about to explode. Finally the beta exhaled and just said what was on his mind.

"It was Stiles. The thing lured you in with Stiles." It wasn't an accusation. Scott stated it like he knew and Scott, while he understood people, sometimes missed the subtler things. Not this time though.

Because Derek Hale was the worst liar ever.

They pulled into a parking spot outside the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. "If I wanted to talk about it, I would have said something at the house." Derek went to get out but Scott grabbed his sleeve.

"No, Derek, you're talking about this. You haven't… what is up with you? You can't even say his name."

Derek ran a hand over his face. "I let the pack down. You guys are all that matter right now. If I stop to think about it too long, I'll—" The sentence hung in the air and Derek watched the cars go by on the road.

"We all miss him, man. He is my best friend; if anyone understands, it's me. You said that you can't give up and you were right. But right now there isn't anything we can do."

"Yeah. All I can do is find out what happened to that girl and do right by the pack. Which includes providing for them." Derek gestured towards the fast food joint.

Scott sighed. "Try saying it. Come on. You'll feel better."

For a moment it looked like Derek was going to grab the back of Scott's head and slam it into the dashboard. Slowly the look passed and a little of the tension in his shoulders unraveled and a longsuffering sigh escaped the alpha. "I am worried about him." Scott just kept looking at Derek expectantly and he rolled his eyes. "And I feel guilty."

The beta nodded. "Because?"

"Because pack is my responsibility. And I get it isn't rational because he didn't think of himself as pack and it really isn't my fault. He wouldn't want me beating myself up, but I just do. If you haven't noticed that is kind of my thing. I think of the look on his face right before he disappeared every single moment I'm not doing something important. There were so many things he tried to get me to do and I was stubborn and didn't do them and now I can't stop doing them. He suggested I fix up the house and get Wi-Fi and a phone case that is nearly indestructible. He told me to try being gentler with the pack and I just keep doing these things. And then there is this weird energy I have that I can't shake and sleeping is hard because I'm just awake all the time and if I don't care about what is happening I just can't focus so I have to throw all this energy into productive things. I taught myself how to get the wiring in the house up to regulation and did all the work in maybe an afternoon. And it's weird, okay? It's all just weird." Derek was breathing a little hard and staring at Scott. "Are you happy?"

Scott grinned. "Actually, yes. I feel like we bonded there. I think that is the most you've ever said to me in one sitting. I wish I had recorded it as proof."

Derek snorted. "Whatever. We've got a hungry gang of teenagers to feed."

"Do you at least feel better?"

Derek looked out the side window and shrugged. "A little. But don't get used to it."

Scott reached out and squeezed the alpha's shoulder. "He's okay. Now let's get tacos."

They got out and headed for the building. Stiles stayed behind for a moment, watching them keep talking as they went inside.

Stiles imagined the portal to the fairy world reopening in two weeks and Derek doing whatever he planned to do and him coming upon Stiles' body and realizing all that waiting and hoping was for nothing— "I liked it better when you hated me."