See chapter one for disclaimer and summary
A/N: Thank you, everyone, for the comments and the reads and just everything. I write for myself, but I love posting out there for others to read and to know you all like it is awesome. Thanks as well to my beta She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Sane whose insight and help is so appreciated, you have no idea.
Also, since you got the last one late, have this one early.
Onwards and enjoy!
"I didn't think it was possible for you to be quiet for more than ten seconds."
Which, that was totally a goad into getting him to say something because he was probably freaking Derek out by not talking but Stiles had far too many questions and not enough answers flying around in his head and all of them were trying to get out at once and it was causing something of a road block in his brain to mouth non-filtered tunnel. The first of which was, "Why is my aunt's number programed into your phone under me? Wait, why do you even have it?" Oh, hey, look, a question made it through the traffic jam. Two questions even. He had hopes for this jam, he really did.
Derek shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets, "It has been since you left. I got the number from the sheriff."
"Um," Stiles squinted, manfully ignoring the part about his dad for now. He would get back to that later when the rest of the block cleared out, "Okay? Another question and perhaps I should have led with this one. Why are you here?"
"You left."
Stiles nodded slowly, "Yes, yes I did. But that? Was not an answer to the question I just asked. So, again, why are you here?"
"Yes, Stiles, that is the answer to the question," Derek said with a sigh that only Stiles seemed to force out of him, "You left without a word to anyone right after I felt the link that bonded you to the pack break. So when I had the chance to find you, I took it because I needed to know what the hell was going on."
Stiles suddenly recalled his aunt's words after he thought he had hallucinated Derek that first time, 'You were human until now. Think about that.' And to be honest, Stiles hadn't. Thought about it, that is. Because he couldn't understand the connection between what his aunt was trying to say and what happened. Not at the time when he was still caught up in the grief over Jackson and his whole world purview being turned on its head. Now though, thinking about those words with a mostly clear though incredibly confused head, he knew exactly what she meant, "Holy shit, you mean I really was a part of the pack?"
Derek blinked before his eyebrows drew in in confusion, "You were. Did you not know? I understand that humans can't generally feel what we can but-"
"Uhm," Stiles interrupted, scrubbing his hands along his jeans. This was it. This was the conversation that Allison and his dad and everyone else wanted him to have with Derek and now that it was here, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to have it. Because Derek was going to wolf out on him and Stiles may have some protection against wolves now thanks to the mountain ash his aunt made him keep on him, but Jackson, Scott, and Isaac were going to have a few limbs torn from their bodies and Stiles didn't want that even if Jackson was a cockwomble and Scott and Isaac didn't always think, "Well…I had thought, uh hoped, I was."
"But you didn't believe it."
"I…did," Stiles said slowly.
Derek growled, "Then why did you leave without saying anything?"
Stiles almost growled back in frustration before he remembered that he was a freaking fairy, not a werewolf, "You want to know why?" Stiles shrugged off his flannel and pulled his t-shirt over his head just in time for his wings to pop out of his back, "This is why! And along with these pretty, pretty wings I also have senses that when they first showed up I couldn't control!
"It was like Scott back in September all over again. I went from eighteen years of thinking I was human, not knowing there was anything else to be and then werewolves showed up in my life and somehow out of this ragtag group of people assembled around me I was one of the only humans. I was proud of that and that I was able to help in a way that didn't require growing extra body parts!
"Then this happened and I went to school and Jackson ran his fucking mouth and I thought about all the times I annoyed you, that Erica sneered and growled at me, that Boyd ignored me and yes, I ran the fuck away because I wasn't ready to deal with that shit. I'm still not. The fact that Scott and Isaac agreed with Jackson was just icing on the fucking cake. Because apparently, no matter what you think, no one else seems to want me around," Stiles slumped his shoulders once the last word was out, like that rant was all that had been holding him straight and tall, just waiting to get out.
"Stiles-"
"Look, I didn't break the bond on purpose, I didn't even know it was there to begin with," Stiles said tiredly, looking up at Derek who was staring back through wide eyes, "If you recall, I talked to Scott the night it happened, told him I had the flu. I didn't leave until the next day."
Derek all but rolled his eyes, "I figured that part out."
Stiles wanted to throw his arms up in the air and just cry in frustration. Sometimes it was like talking in circles with Derek and this was one whopper of a circle, "If you figured all of that out, then why are you asking?"
"Because knowing when is not the same as knowing why. I also needed to know if you were okay. I had an idea, I remember your mom, but like you said Stiles - human for eighteen years. I didn't think I was right and your dad wasn't saying anything," Derek paused before his eyes narrowed, "What did Jackson say?"
"He-" Stiles bit his lip, "Does it really matter?"
"Yes, of course it matters."
Stiles sighed and looked over Derek's shoulder, not wanting to see the anger or sneering that was sure to come, "I heard Scott asking if anyone had seen me yet that morning and Jackson chimed in that no one cared where I was, that I was probably milking the flu thing. Then he went on to say that the pack meeting that Sunday had been the best one he had ever been to, that they had time to do something fun that night for a change because I wasn't around to run my mouth and make the meeting last longer," Stiles scratched at the back of his neck, "He followed that up by saying that he was going to talk to you about me not coming to the meetings anymore because I wasn't pack anyway."
"And that made you run away. Jackson being his normal ass made you run away." And there it was. Boy, did Derek have his skeptical voice down pat. It would be impressive if the conversation were any different.
"It was a culmination thing, okay? I was already in a weird place as it was and like I told you, Scott and Isaac agreed with him. Plus, other than Scott, none of them really like me. It wasn't too hard to make that kind of leap."
"Did Scott and Isaac actually say anything?"
"No and that's kind of the point. They may not have verbally agreed with him, but they didn't disagree either," Stiles replied. His body gave a shiver and goose bumps broke out over his skin. It was then that he remembered that he had whipped his shirts off in a fit of pique and was standing there talking to Derek half naked.
He shivered again and frowned. That…that wasn't a cold shiver. That was the shiver he got whenever someone without Vista blood crossed the border of the property. And given that Derek was still standing at the property line, then…
Stiles frowned. It was nothing to worry about, he was sure of it. His aunt had plenty of friends that liked to drop by and were pretty much the reason for the alarms anyway, to give his family a chance to hide anything of the supernatural variety before any humans made it to the front door. He ignored the voice at the back of his head telling him something was wrong, knowing that it was just paranoia at that fact that there had been very few visitors since he had arrived.
"Where were you when-" Derek cut himself off and his eyes snapped towards the direction of the house, his head cocking sideways. He was silent for a moment and Stiles glanced over his shoulder at the house that was mostly hidden by fir trees, "Stiles, do you know anyone named Alex?"
"Alex? No, not...personally…oh, oh shit," Stiles pulled his wings into his back and began struggling into his t-shirt, "That's Quinton's sperm donor."
He had one arm through the shirt and was fighting with the second even as he turned to head back to the house. He hadn't made it a step before a scream echoed out from the house. Stiles paused, his eyes widening as shock and panic slammed through him, "No, no, no…"
"Stiles, come on!" Derek said, grabbing the edge of Stiles t-shirt to yank it on the rest of the way, before changing his grip and dragging him forward.
Stiles stumbled but started running after Derek once he caught his footing. No, there was no way this could be happening. Not now. Why did this kind of crap seem to happen to him and his family? He picked up speed and managed to keep pace with Derek who had wolfed out into his Alpha form which, Stiles noted distantly, looked nothing like Peter's. Derek looked more like an oversized wolf than a crazy, twisted version of one.
The two slammed into the house just in time to see a large, large man twist himself into a midnight colored horse. Derek let out a sound that was more roar than howl and threw himself at the man…horse…kelpie thing, who let out a taunting neigh and danced out of Derek's way. Stiles stumbled around the edge of the room, climbing on furniture to stay out of their way so he could reach his aunt.
He found her in her office, half under her desk like she had just been tossed there like yesterday's garbage. The panic he had felt when he heard her scream turned into full blown out terror at the sight of her, "Aunt Mer! Please, no, please be okay."
He ran his hands over her face before looking down at her body. Her shirt had been half ripped away and there was…Stiles gagged when he saw part of her insides not inside her body where they should have been. He didn't know if he could heal this. He hadn't done any physical healing, hadn't needed to, and he thought – rather hysterically- that potions just weren't going to do the trick this time.
Stiles tried pressing some of her insides back into her, but they kept sliding out and Stiles didn't know what to do. He took a breath and all but yanked his magic forward, willing it to heal his aunt.
"Stiles…please….don't…"
Stiles whipped his head around at her soft, pain filled whisper and he tried to hold back the whimper when he saw her eyes half-mast and the blood on her lips as she coughed, "Aunt Mer, please, let me…"
"No!" She said, as harshly as she could, "It will kill you and not save me," She coughed and more blood pooled around her mouth, "Take care of Quin. Promise me."
"Aunt Mer…"
She scrabbled at his arm and gripped it weakly, "Promise me," She said again, her voice stronger like she was using the last of her energy to form the words.
Stiles sniffed and nodded jerkily, "I promise. I promise Aunt Mer, I swear."
She let out a little sigh before coughing again, "He will be safe then," She whispered before what little grip she had on him went totally lax.
"Oh God!" Stiles bent over and buried his head at her neck, hoping to hear a heartbeat, something. There was no movement though, nothing to show she was still alive, that there was still hope. Stiles pulled away with a sob before he turned and threw up.
There was a hand at the back of his neck in the next moment, urging him away from his aunt and the mess he had made. Stiles followed the guiding numbly and startled when he felt cold water rushing over his hands. He looked up and saw Derek standing next to him in nothing but a few rags left from his clothes tearing. Stiles gulped and looked away. Now was so not the time to be admiring that view. At all. Not when…Stiles pushed away that train of thought and focused on Derek's voice when the Lycan started to speak to him softly.
"I called 911, told them a non-supernatural version of what happened. The police and paramedics are on their way. They will want to talk to you," Derek said. He wiped at Stiles face in silence for a few moments before he asked, "What was he? Shape shifter?"
Stiles cleared his throat before shaking his head, "Kelpie."
"Right, horse into man and vice versa."
"Yeah. Quinton was…was…" Stiles eyes grew wide, "Oh shit, Q!" He yanked his hands from Derek's and ran for the stairs, taking them two at a time. He flew into Quinton's bedroom, but the five year old wasn't in his bed where he had been left hours before, "Q? Quinton?!"
There was a sniffle and then a scared, softly whispered floated to him, "Stiles?"
Quinton's voice came from the general vicinity of the floor, which meant under the bed, and Stiles dropped to his knees to look under. Quinton was wrapped around a teddy bear that was bigger than him, his green eyes wet with tears and his face red and blotchy and snot covered, "Oh, Q-bean," Stiles whispered, using the nickname from when Quinton was a baby, "Can you come out for me?"
Quinton whimpered and clutched the bear tighter, before shaking his head, "No. Bad man."
Stiles gave a reassuring, if small, smile, "The bad man is gone. My friend chased him off. Do you remember the name Derek?"
"Your friend from home."
"That's right. He came here to talk to me and he fought the bad man for us," Stiles spread his knees to hold his weight before holding out his arms, "Come on out buddy."
Quinton stared at him for a moment longer before he pushed the bear out from under the bed and then followed it out. He climbed to his feet before all but teleporting into Stiles arms. He wrapped little arms tight around Stiles neck and buried his face, "Mama?"
Stiles frowned and dropped down to sit on the floor. Quinton hadn't called Meranda mama in years. He wasn't sure how he liked the regression and what Stiles was about to tell him was likely to make it worse, "Your mom," Stiles said, tightening his arms, "Your mom died, Quinton, saving you."
There was a beat of silence and then Quinton started wailing. It was the cry of a boy who had seen death, knew what it meant, that his mom was never coming back. Quinton's little body started shaking and small hands gripped into the flesh of Stiles upper back and Stiles didn't know what to do. Didn't know how to calm down a child from learning his parent had died because he had been so much older than Quinton was now and had never gotten over his moms death, never would, but this…he gave in to the grief welling in him and buried his face into Quinton's neck to cry along with his little cousin.
Fifteen minutes is what it took for Quinton to cry himself to sleep. Stiles knew it was a brief respite and that he would have to find out what he could to help is cousin grieve. He wished that he had a way to contact his grandfather, who had left earlier in the afternoon to head back to the Cascades. He knew that his dad was down as Quinton's guardian in case anything were to happen, but he didn't know how anything worked, if he could just take Quinton and run back home.
Stiles was startled from his thoughts when a piece of cloth was pressed to his face. He looked up and saw Derek crouching next to them, now dressed in one of Stiles t-shirts and overly baggy sweatpants, a solemn look on his face as he cleaned Stiles up…again. This was becoming a thing and Stiles wasn't sure how he felt about that. After a moment, Derek switched to Quinton, carefully wiping at the mess on the boy's face, his touch light to keep from waking him.
"The police are downstairs," Derek said after a minute or two, "Are you up to talking to them?"
Stiles gave a stilted nod, "Yes. Let's get this over with."
He climbed to his feet, Derek's hand a steady support under his arm, and carefully walked down to the living room, ignoring the paramedics scrambling around in the office. He nodded at the two officers sitting on the love seat before carefully situating himself across from them.
The two men looked at him with kind eyes and Stiles relaxed slightly. The older of the two gave a brief, if pained smile, "I'm Officer Michaels and this is my partner, Officer Desotell. Can you tell us what happened?"
"Yeah," Stiles shifted Quinton a bit to get more comfortable, "I was out at the edge of the woods, talking with my friend Derek," Stiles waved a hand to where Derek was standing, "We had only been out there for about twenty minutes or so, maybe a little longer, when I heard my aunt scream. We both ran to the house and saw a man standing just outside her office. Derek started fighting him and I ran to my aunt. She was," Stiles swallowed heavily at the thought of what he saw, "She was still alive when I found her, but she was coughing up so much blood and her insides were just…out, everywhere. She asked me to take care of Quinton and then she was just…gone. Derek found me a few minutes later and told me that the guy had run off."
Desotell nodded as he wrote, "Do you know who the man was?"
"Yeah," Stiles winced as his voice cracked. He felt the cushion next to him dip and an arm wrap around his shoulders as Derek joined him on the couch, "Yes, it was Quinton's father. My aunt," He took a shuddery breath, "My aunt left him before she even knew she was pregnant. He was…not a nice man. She never told me much about him."
"How about a name?"
Stiles shrugged, "Just his first. His name is Alex. Not sure if it's a nickname or not. He's- He's a big man, tall and very muscular, white. Dark black hair…" Stiles trailed off and met the cops slightly incredulous faces before he snorted, "Cop kid, I knew you were going to ask. He's not from around here either. Meranda did say that he was from somewhere along the coast in California. It's why she moved up here to live with my grandfather. She didn't want to chance running into him."
Michaels looked up, "Your grandfather lives here as well?"
"Yeah, it's his house."
"Where is he?"
Stiles shrugged at that, "I don't know, not really. He left earlier to go back up to the Cascade's. He's a doctor and works with the families that live up in the mountains. And the old man doesn't like technology, so he never has a phone with him."
"Cascade range is huge, we'd never track him down. We'll keep an eye on the house, wait for him to return. Thank you, you've been very helpful. Is there any where you can stay? This is an active crime scene, so…" Desotell trailed off, looking uncomfortable.
"We can, uh, stay at a hotel tonight, but…do we need to stay in town? I'm not from here, just visiting."
The two officers looked at each other before turning back to Stiles, "No, but we will need contact information for you," Michaels said before nodding at Quinton, "Is this Quinton, her son?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know if there is any other-"
Stiles interrupted him, knowing where he was going. He grew up around cops, he knew the protocol, "I'm going to take him with me. My dad is down as his guardian in case anything happened to Aunt Meranda. Grandpa is too old to raise another child," He gave a small shrug.
Both men nodded and stood, "Does she keep paper work around? We'll need to verify that. If everything checks out, we'll talk to your father and you'll be free to go."
"Uhm," Stiles shrugged again, ready for this conversation to be over with, "If she kept anything at the house, it would be in her office. She has a firebox under her desk that she kept her work drives and papers in."
"Okay. We'll check that out. Thank you again. We'll give you some time to pack. Let us know when you're leaving so we can get numbers from you," Michaels reached out and shook Stiles and then Derek's hands before following his partner out of the room.
Stiles turned to Derek with wide eyes and whispered somewhat harshly in his worry, "Derek, Quinton's father is a fricking Kelpie! If he knows about Q, how the hell do we keep him safe? My dad can only do so much!"
Derek frowned and tightened his grip around Stiles shoulders, "We'll protect him, don't worry."
TBC…
