Authors Note: Thanks for all the comments, kudos and bookmarks! You guys are all super awesome! Also, you guys who follow me on Tumblr are amazing! I now have 30+ followers thanks to ya'll! *hugs everyone real tight*

Hurray, Laura's back!

XOXOXOXO

The next week flew by in a haze of pure chaos.

Derek's workload increased tenfold, Lydia making him deal with tons of paperwork as well as running all over the place to interview this, that and the other person. And when he was done with work, he had to quickly run home and take Stiles to all kinds of different appointments throughout the entire week. Since Stiles had been making a beautiful recovery, Derek had decided it was a good time to make him a few serious appointments. Alas, Stiles had made a trip to the Dentist, the Doctor, and even an Eye Specialist in just a few days. Yes, he had smelt apprehension and nervousness like a thick cloud around the omega at the thought of leaving the house, but Derek had gently coaxed him into it, making sure that Stiles understood that Derek wouldn't let anything bad happen to him and that he would be with Stiles at all times. There had definitely still been some reluctance on Stiles' part when they finally did leave the house, but Stiles was slowly making progress, and that was all that really mattered. It's not like Derek would have forced him to go if he really didn't want to, but the appointments were something that needed to happen at some point. It was better to get them over with sooner rather than later. So that said, Derek called each clinic ahead of time and explained his situation. Everybody was rather sympathetic to hear about Stiles' situation, so they all agreed to try and have as little people in the waiting areas as possible. So with much relief, Derek took Stiles to his appointments.

The first was the Dentist. Much to Derek's surprise, Stiles had actually enjoyed the Dentist. The grandmotherly woman who had worked on his teeth said he had one of the best smiles she had ever seen, which Derek fully agreed with. There turned out to be no cavities, and he was given a clean (tooth) bill of health. Derek had left the building with a smiling, minty-fresh mate. Though, the smile may or may not have been for the giant sucker the dentist gave him after he was done, but it had gone well overall.

The Doctors, on the other hand, was a whole other story. Stiles was still weary of them due to Deaton's last visit. It was obvious, if his trembling was anything to go by, that he was afraid one of the doctors would need to give him a bunch of shots. Unfortunately, he did need a Tetanus shot because he was a few years overdue. To say Stiles had been scared would have been an understatement. He had been downright terrified. His heart sounded like it was going to beat right out of his little chest, and he clung tightly to Derek as he cried and sniffled into the alphas shirt. Derek had felt so bad, wanting nothing more than to snatch Stiles up and carry him out, but he knew going without a Tetanus shot could be deadly to humans, so he forced himself to sit there, even when Stiles begged him to go home in his little voice.

The Doctor understood, thankfully. So he allowed Stiles to sit on Derek's lap as the shot was injected to try and reduce as much stress as possible, which honestly wasn't that much. Derek just held him firmly, allowing Stiles to bury his tear-streaked face into Derek's neck and cling to him with his free hand, sharp nails digging into the meat of Derek's shoulder. Derek just sat there and tried to soothe him with gentle words, but it didn't make much of a difference. He was just glad when that bit was done, but then Stiles still needed to be physically looked over. It made Derek a little angry, thinking they should have done the physical stuff first so Stiles wouldn't have been so wound up, but he let it go in exchange for calming his mate.

The Doctor had apologized multiple times for upsetting Stiles, and Derek knew he was just trying to be nice and do his job, but that didn't stop him from flashing his red eyes at the man and letting out a low, threatening growl. The Doctor had just paled slightly before telling Derek he'd give them twenty minutes to recuperate before he came back. Derek would have laughed at the scared expression on his face if he hadn't been so wrapped up in his distressed mate. Eventually, after some gentle rocking, light kisses and words of comfort, Stiles had managed to calm down and sagged tiredly against Derek's chest.

True to his word, the Doctor came back in exactly twenty minutes, looking towards Derek nervously before he entered the room and started to examine Stiles. Stiles definitely wasn't into it, but he got through it with Derek holding his hand. After the examination was complete, the Doctor expressed how good Stiles' vitals looked, but he also was concerned about Stiles' weight. He said the omega needed to gain at least fifteen more pounds before he would be considered a healthy weight. Derek had already known Stiles still needed more meat on his bones, but he promised the Doctor he would work on it. The last thing they did before leaving was set up a birth control subscription for Stiles. Derek knew they weren't going to be having full-on intercourse for quite a while, but Derek wanted to be prepared for anything. Where Deaton had wanted to give Stiles a birth control injection, this Doctor prescribed him weekly pills to take. To say Stiles was thrilled at the thought of not having yet another shot would have been an understatement. After that, they were free to go. Stiles practically dragged Derek out of there, but Derek understood. The moment they got back to the safety of Derek's camero, Stiles scrambled inside, buckled his seat belt, and promptly fell asleep, completely exhausted from the trip.

Last but not least, the Eye Specialist had been more of a spur of the moment stop. Derek had spotted it when he and Stiles were driving back from the Doctor. He had called and made an appointment once they got home, wanting to be sure Stiles got nothing but the best care. And it was a good thing he had. Turns out Stiles' eyesight wasn't actually the best. He could see fairly well up close, but not far away. So they had left the eye clinic with 2 new pairs of glasses and a case of contacts, just in case Stiles got tired of wearing the glasses. Derek, on the other hand, would not got tired of seeing the omega wear them. Both pairs were black-framed and thick, and when sitting perched on the adorably upturned nose, Derek got hard as a rock.

Stiles had also been spending more time with Jackson lately. Not because Laura was too busy or anything, but because Derek had found out that Stiles really couldn't read all that well. Which was understandable, given the circumstances Stiles had been forced into at such a tender age. It's not like the Argent's would have had school books sitting around for the better good of the younger omegas.

Derek hadn't been certain what to do about the situation. Obviously getting better was Stiles' main priority, but when Derek asked him if he wanted to learn to read, Stiles said yes. Thankfully for Derek, Jackson had spent a few years volunteering at schools and helping children with learning disabilities. He gladly offered his help, so Derek and Stiles accepted. Thus, arms loaded with different reading level books, Jackson showed up at Derek's door every morning before the alpha left for work. Laura wasn't too happy about the other omega stealing her "Stiles time," as she called it, but Derek told her that she could come over and see Stiles the next weekend. He even promised to make a fancy dinner just for her. Laura, obviously, couldn't argue with that.

So that's what Derek currently found himself doing: cooking. He had been a bit worried about what to make, wanting to please Laura with his choice of food, but she had told him earlier on the phone that grilled hamburgers would be just fine. Thus, hamburgers were being made. He had also whipped up a batch of old-style potato salad earlier that was now sitting in the fridge, waiting to be eaten.

Derek was standing out on his small patio, carefully flipping the burgers on the grill to make sure they'd be just perfect. The juicy scent that wafted off of them made his mouth water. He couldn't wait to slap a piece of cheese on one and smother it with raw onions and-

Derek cringed as he heard Laura's high-pitched laugh come from inside his living room, the softer tone of Stiles' giggles accompanying them. He knew she was telling Stiles all sorts of embarrassing baby stories. He just knew. Inviting her over had definitely been a bad idea.

He cast his annoyance towards the innocent hamburgers, glaring down at them as he pressed them harder into the grill. It made him feel a little better picturing Laura's face in their place. Mom had lied to him when she told him having a sister would be fun.

After a few more agonizing moments, the burgers were finally done. He set them delicately onto a plate and added cheese to a few of them, a satisfied smile crossing his lips as he surveyed his hard work. Whistling to himself, he walked back into the house, shutting the sliding-glass door behind him.

"-nothing to be ashamed of," Laura was saying. "Hell, whenever someone would even mention the word 'doctor,' Derek would start to bawl like a baby."

"Laura!" Derek hissed, cheeks heating up as he set the plate down on the counter.

"What?" Laura asked, blinking her large eyes at him in fake innocence.

Derek just sighed, knowing it would be pointless to argue with her. She always won anyways. "Just come and grab some food."

She grinned devilishly as she hopped up from the couch, grabbing Stiles' hand and pulling him with her. Derek was just glad to see that Stiles didn't mind being touched by her. In fact, he looked quite happy trailing after her.

Derek shook the thoughts from his mind as he gathered the potato salad, ketchup and mustard from the fridge. He deposited them on the counter before reaching for the buns, setting out enough for each burger to go on.

"What do you want to drink, baby?" Derek asked.

"Juice," Stiles responded, sitting on the bar-stool in front of the counter.

"Juice it is. Laura?"

"Mm, just water, thanks," was her response, licking her lips hungrily as she eyed the potato salad.

That said, Derek pulled out two bottled waters and a pitcher of grape juice from the fridge. He made sure they both had everything they needed before he started to make up his own plate. After slathering his hamburger in ketchup, Derek promptly took the open seat next to Stiles, giving him a soft smile as he sat down.

"So, Derek," Laura spoke, mouth full of chewed up food, making Derek wrinkle his nose in disgust. "How's work been?"

Derek politely swallowed his food before responding. "Same ole', same ole'. Busy as fuck. Lot's of paperwork, tons of important assholes that I'm forced to talk with, the usual."

Laura snorted. "Charming. And to think dad wanted me to go into that business."

"Psh, you wouldn't' last a day," Derek grumbled, taking a drink of cold water. "Not with that mouth on you."

Laura gave him a shark-like grin. "Oh, but I'd fit in so perfectly with these 'assholes' you speak of."

Derek just rolled his eyes, but he couldn't fight off the grin that spread across his mouth.

"You two are as bad as children," Stiles murmured, biting into his hamburger daintily.

Laura blinked at him in surprise, not expecting the sarcasm, but after a moment she threw her head back and laughed, making Stiles smirk.

Derek rubbed his face with his hands. "What am I gonna to do with you two?"

By the time their bickering came to an end, they were done eating. Derek quickly cleared the dishes from the counter and put them into the dishwasher while Laura went onto the patio and scrubbed the grill clean. Stiles helped by taking a wet rag and wiping down the counter until it was no longer sticky and crumby.

Once those mundane tasks were done, the three of them settled down on the couch together for a relaxing evening. Derek was at one end of the couch, Stiles sitting sideways in his lap and his head snuggled into the crook of Derek's neck. Laura was at the other end, her legs stretched comfortably along the cushions, toenails pressing into Derek's jean-clad thigh.

"We're watching what I choose because I've got the remote!" Laura said, holding the remote up in triumph.

Derek let out a loud groan, knowing she was going to pick out some stupid chick flick. To say he was surprised when the Spongebob theme song rang in his ears was quite the understatement. He looked curiously over at Laura, but she wasn't paying attention to him. She was watching Stiles, a soft look on her face as the omega blinked his large eyes at the screen, completely absorbed. When Laura's eyes finally flickered over to him, the only thing he could do was give her a small smile of thanks before hunkering down and enjoying the show.

They must have watched at least six episodes before Derek heard the slow, even breathing of his mate, accompanied by his head lolling against Derek's chest. He was out cold. Derek smiled down at the top of his head, softly kissing it, the faint scent of shampoo wafting up Derek's nostrils. He just took a few moments to look at him, his eyes watching the steady rise and fall of Stiles' chest. Stiles was at too much of an angle for Derek to see his face, but he knew his little, red mouth was hanging open. He could feel the warm puffs of air leaking through the front of his shirt.

"Are you just gonna stare at him like a creep, or are you gonna put him in bed?" Laura asked, startling Derek. He had forgotten she was even sitting there.

Derek sent her a half-hearted glare, but gracefully rose up from the couch, holding Stiles against his chest like a bride. "I'll just be one second, " he murmured, carrying Stiles towards the bedroom. He took a moment to be grateful that Stiles was wearing some comfy sweatpants and one of Derek's sweaters. The last thing Derek wanted to do was wake him up to change clothes.

He somehow managed to pull the crisp blankets down with his fingertips, gently laying Stiles in the middle of the bed before pulling the covers up. Stiles' eyelids fluttered slightly, stirring at the change from hard chest to soft bed. Blearily he blinked his eyes open, squinting up at Derek.

"Shh, go back to sleep," Derek cooed, stroking a cheekbone with his thumb. "I'm just gonna talk with Laura for a little bit longer. Then I'll come back and join you. Sound like a deal?"

"Mm, kay," Stiles sighed, already being pulled back into dreamland.

Derek just chuckled, placing a light kiss on Stiles' forehead. "Sleep tight, my sweet prince."

Derek slipped the glasses off Stiles nose and placed them on the dresser before he walked across the room and out the door, shutting it gently behind him. Laura patted the empty cushion beside her, inviting him to sit.

"Have a seat, big bro," she said, grinning at him.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Oh, how kind of you to invite me to sit on my own couch."

Laura kicked his shin hard, causing him to hiss in pain.

"So," she continued, not bothering to apologize. "We haven't had any brother and sister time in a while. What have you been up to?"

"You see me almost every day," Derek pointed out.

It was Laura's turn to roll her eyes. "Yeah, but that's for like two seconds in the morning, and then when you get home from work I have to leave to start my shift. C'mon! There's gotta be something good to gossip about! Don't you want to spend time with your sister?"

Derek sighed an folded his arms, nodding his head yes.

"See! There's gotta be something you want to talk about! You've been all tense and stressed lately."

"Yes, Laura. It's called having a stressful job."

Laura flapped her hand in the air, waving the excuse away. "No, I know what you're like when you're stressed over work. This... this is different somehow. Like someone's personally offended you or something. Is it about Stiles?"

Derek's heart ticked a bit faster, earning a satisfied noise from Laura.

"Thought so," she said smugly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "So, what's up? C'mon, throw some information at me."

Derek sighed and rubbed his temples. "It's nothing, really."

Laura harrumphed, frowning as she tapped her chin with a perfectly manicured nail. "All right. You want to play it that way, then we will. How about a secret for a secret?"

"Well, it's not really a secret-"

"Okay," Laura interrupted. "How about gossip for gossip then?"

Derek smirked. "All right. A little work gossip. I can't wait to hear what kind of gossip someone has who works at a fucking pet shelter."

Laura kicked him hard in the shin again before grinning in triumph. "Well, it just so happens that I do have some gossip." She leaned in towards him as if she was afraid somebody would overhear. "Just the other day, I learned that Max got Crystal pregnant. They're not even dating!"

Derek blinked at her for a moment before shaking his head in disappointment. "Max and Crystal are cats, aren't they?"

Laura shrugged. "Well, you never said it had to be gossip about people."

"What other kind of gossip is there?!" Derek exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Never you mind," Laura said, swatting at his bicep. "Your turn. Boy, this is gonna be good."

Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't even know where to begin. So, naturally, everything just came spilling out. He told her about looking up Stiles' father online and about the results he found. He told her about getting Danny's help and how he had informed him the website was (thankfully) fake. He told her about going to the police station and informing Stilinski's old friends about what he had found, and boy had they been pissed. And lastly, he told her about going to Stiles' house to "look" at it.

"You did?" Laura asked, eyes as big as saucers. "Did you find anything?"

"No," Derek sighed. "I couldn't catch any kind of scent. It was too long ago."

"Well, fuck," Laura said weakly. "Did you ask the realtor if she knew where he moved to?"

"That's the one thing I forgot to ask," Derek grumbled. He had felt so stupid afterwards. "But she did give me her contact information, so I called her back."

"And what'd she say?"

"Well, she said she had no clue where he moved to. Said she hardly remembered him since it was so long ago and she's worked with so many people since then. But here's the part that I don't understand. Stilinski was the owner of the house, right? Well, apparently after he put it up for sale, the house was handed over to the bank not too long afterwards."

Laura let out a low whistle. "That's strange. So, you won't even be able to interrogate whoever buys the house? What crumby luck."

"Well," Derek began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I wouldn't have gotten much information from the buyer anyways."

"Why's that?" Laura questioned, brow furrowed.

"Because I bought it," Derek blurted out.

Laura let out a squeal and slapped his arm in surprise. "No way!"

Derek sighed. "Yes way. Paid in full."

Laura blinked for a moment before grinning. "You're such a sap. You looove Stiles!"

"Shut up," he grumbled.

"That's probably the most romantic thing I've ever heard of," Laura gushed, hearts in her eyes. "He's gonna jump your bones right on the spot!"

"Laura," Derek groaned. "Stop talking about my sex life. It's weird. Besides, I may have just made a huge mistake buying it. Who knows if he'll be happy seeing his old house? It might bring back horrible memories."

"True," Laura murmured."I guess there's only one way to find out. When are you gonna tell him?"

"Not tell him. Show him. I planned on bringing him there as a surprise for his birthday."

"Christ," Laura muttered, side-eyeing Derek. "That's an expensive birthday present."

Derek sighed impatiently. "I can afford it ten times over. I just wanted to get him something nice since he's gone through so much horrible stuff in his life. I just don't know if that's the way to go."

"Well, let me tell you," Laura exclaimed, resting her arms on the back of the couch in a sign of nonchalance. "The first man who buys me a house is going to get the best blow job of his life."

"Jesus!" Derek covered his ears with his palms, glaring at Laura's cackling face.

"I joke, I joke. But, seriously. There's only one way to find out."

"Yeah," Derek sighed. "I know. Thanks for listening. It feels good to have gotten this off of my chest."

"Any time, little bro." She playfully punched Derek in the arm before rising to her feet, walking over to the door and retrieving her heels. "Unfortunately, I've gotta go. There's a marathon of Supernatural starting in an hour."

Derek just chuckled before giving her a big hug. "Drive safe. No texting."

Laura slipped on her jacket before giving him a mock-salute. "Aye-ay, sir. Sleep tight."

"I will," responded Derek, closing the door after her.

XOXOXOXO

Derek was just barely drifting off to sleep when he heard it; a low, whining sound.

He lifted his head up in confusion, not wanting to move too much since he was toasty warm curled around Stiles' frame. He blinked blearily around the room, but saw nothing. He just shrugged and buried his face back into the nape of Stiles' neck, giving the skin a soft lick. He sighed blissfully as the fog of sleep started to shroud him once more.

But then he heard it again, and this time he realized it was coming from Stiles.

Derek propped himself up on an elbow and studied his mates face. It looked a little tight, like Stiles was trying to scrunch his face up. When Derek tuned in better, he heard the jack-rabbeting of Stiles' heartbeat. He must have been having a bad dream.

"Stiles," Derek whispered, brushing a lock of hair away from Stiles' eyes.

Stiles whined again and his head rolled to the side. "Daddy," he whined, lower lip trembling.

Red flags went up in Derek's mind, prompting him to gently shake the omega from his sleep. Stiles inhaled sharply as he jerked awake, eyes frantically looking around the room until his gaze landed on Derek.

"Hey, you," Derek said, voice low and throaty. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Stiles just blinked tiredly at him a few times before nodding his head yes.

Derek smiled sadly at him. "You're ok, baby."

Stiles nodded, scooting closer to the alphas warmth. He buried his face in the crook of Derek's neck, and was asleep in a matter of seconds.

Derek just sighed as he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, holding him close to his chest. This was only the second dream that Stiles had had about his father, but it really made Derek think. Though he was a bit hesitant to tell Stiles everything he knew so far about his father, he knew it would be the right thing to do. It was Stiles' father, after all. He deserved to know what was going on.

As he looked down at Stiles' innocent, sleeping face he decided soon. He would tell him soon.

XOXOXOXO

I apologize for the slight lack of Sterek scenes in this chapter. We'll get back on track next chapter!

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