Peter went home after breakfast with Stiles and just like the other day, the only person still in the house was Walter, reading the newspaper in the kitchen.

Peter fixed himself a cup of coffee and when he turned around, he found the part of the newspaper Walter was done with already waiting for him at his place.

"Thanks." Peter sat down to have a look.

"You don't look like you've been camping out in the woods all night," Walter observed. "That friend of yours Talia won't shut up about?"

"Why is everybody so interested in what I'm doing?" Peter asked into his coffee. Over the rim, he was scanning the headlines but nothing caught his eye.

"Because you haven't been seeing anyone since Olivia." Walter had no qualms, saying her name and that stung less than the dancing around the topic most of the others did. "And you won't tell who you're seeing."

"I'm just messing with my big sister."

Walter gave him an unimpressed look.

"Michael left a list for you." Walter changed the topic and pointed at a note on the counter. "Christina might have added some things as well."

Peter glanced over to the note but didn't get up to read it just yet. It was not uncommon. He was the one without a nine to five and he got around town quite a lot anyway, people liked to throw errands at him. Peter didn't mind, it gave him an excuse to check in with his contacts.

"Is it really a guy you're seeing?" Walter did come back to the initial topic after a long minute over which Peter had just been enjoying his coffee.

"Yes," Peter answered, eyes on the newspaper. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, not at all," Walter hurried to say. "But I'm about to become a grandfather. Michael has found a wonderful wife and they're about to start a family. We're going to have a baby in the house."

"Yeah, looking forward to the sleepless nights," Peter said, sarcasm dripping off his words. A baby was capable of keeping any human up at night, it was worse for werewolves. He liked babies, they were adorable but they were also weapons of mass destruction when it came to eardrums.

"Makes you think," Walter continued, now a dreamy smile on his lips, picturing the happy little family, no doubt. "You and Olivia had plans too."

That did sting.

"That was a long time ago," Peter said briskly. "Things changed." Mainly that Olivia had died.

Walter hummed to that.

Peter finished his coffee and then stood to have a look at the list.

He and Olivia did have plans and he had his suspicions that Olivia had wanted to tell him a sweet little secret. Peter had noticed some changes in her scent but at that time he hadn't been sure. But then it hadn't mattered any longer. Olivia was gone.

Peter took a breath and read the list.

Michael wanted him to pick something up from the dry cleaner and he needed a few things from the hardware store, they were in the middle of setting up the nursery. Two simple requests. But the list didn't end there. The handwriting changed, the next items came from Christina. Partly it was a grocery list but she also wanted him to pick up a few things, sending him around town because the bookstore was nowhere near the post office, and the crafts store Christina was raiding lately for her various baby projects was at the other end of town.

"Seriously?" Peter asked and behind him, Walter just chuckled.

"You don't want to upset the pregnant woman, do you?" He asked. "Maybe your friend can help you."

Peter wouldn't ask Stiles to help him with this but he was most likely under anyway. It was almost scary how quickly Peter had gotten used to the fact that that was something Stiles did. There were not fix times but most days Stiles spent hours at the bottom of the lake.

"Na, I got this." Peter put the list back on the counter, first he needed a shower and fresh clothes. Walter might not notice but he was reeking for Stiles and sex and he didn't want the whole pack on his back again.

An hour later Peter went out to run some errands.

It took him longer than expected but he got some information along the way as well so the day was not completely wasted. At the hardware store, Peter had a little chat with one of the employees and he found out that the hunters had been there a few times by now. Peter put some bills more on the counter and he walked out of the store with the screws for Michael and a list of the things the hunters had bought.

At least one of the hunters had been at the bookstore as well. He'd left a memorable impression with a lewd remark he'd made towards one of the female workers and the fact that he'd bought a High School chemistry book.

"Didn't look like the kind of guy who would buy school books for his kids. And it's the middle of the school year."

When Peter showed her the pictures of the hunters, she confirmed that it had been the guy Stiles had seen at the mall the other day. Looked like that was their errand guy.

When Peter came home in the afternoon, he just wanted to drop off the things he'd bought and retreat to his research or maybe a nap but he got roped into helping Michael and Christina in the nursery and was only saved when Pamela came in to tell them that dinner would be ready in ten.

After dinner, they moved over to the living room where everybody was enjoying the company of the pack while they were doing their own thing. The kids were doing their homework, Deborah was helping Emily with hers, there were quiet conversations, the TV was running, and some were entertaining themselves on their phone. Peter took his out as well but he hadn't gotten a message from Stiles all day.

Peter sent him a message, asking how his day was. The checkmark turned blue only a second later so Stiles had read it but he didn't answer. Peter put the phone away, Stiles would answer when he was ready. If anything Stiles had time. The one who didn't have time, or patience for that matter, was Talia. Over the evening she was throwing glances in his direction but she only could talk to him freely once everybody else had turned in for the night.

"Did you ask him?" She asked a few minutes after Andrew and Deborah had said their goodnights.

"I did," Peter confirmed. The image of Stiles flashed up in his mind. This eyes big and scared while he'd been gasping for air but hadn't been able to take an actual breath.

It had scared him and Peter did not want to see him like that ever again. He'd helplessly watched while Stiles had worked himself into a full-blown panic attack and he hadn't known what to do. Just because he'd asked if Stiles was willing to meet Talia. Usually, Stiles was self-confident and cocky but that one little question had thrown him off completely.

"What did he say?" Talia asked when he failed to say more.

"He doesn't like the idea but he hasn't said no." Peter leaned back in his chair. "He wants to sleep over it. Haven't heard from him all day."

"Oh," she made. "I'm not going to bite his head off, he knows that, right? But I need to know that he's not a threat to the pack, you of all people should know that."

"I already know that he isn't a threat," Peter said coldly. "Stiles had nothing to do with werewolves, he didn't even know we exist before he got jumped, abducted, gagged and bound by us. Then the alpha himself tossed him into the lake and let him drown. Sacrificed him to Derek."

She gasped, shocked by his blunt words.

"How did you expect him to react when an alpha asks to meet him?"

She didn't have an answer to that.

"He's thinking about it, that's all we can ask of him," Peter continued. "It is quite possible that he doesn't want to see you. If he says no, you won't see him. You will not go after him and you will not corner him. If he says no, you will respect that."

"I'm your alpha," Talia told him, her eyes hard but there was no red in them.

"And you're a good alpha," Peter agreed. "That's why you won't force him into something he'd explicitly said he doesn't want, right? Or should I nap him off the street and tie him up for your convenience? Because that's exactly what Johnathan has done to him. And while we're at it, we can throw him in the lake. Just for good measure." He was gritting out the words, his clawed hands leaving marks on the armrest of the chair and he just knew that his eyes were glowing blue when he glared at her.

"Anyway, he hasn't decided yet." Peter stood and hurried past her. He needed fresh air.

Usually, he didn't go far, just a quick round around the house to get a feeling for the night and to make sure that they were safe but tonight he needed to move. Peter broke into a run.

When he came back to the house an hour later, the lights were out and Talia had gone to bed.

Peter checked the doors and windows as usual before he went upstairs to get ready for bed as well. He was brushing his teeth, mind already numb and more than ready for sleep, when behind him the shower started to drip.

On high alert, Peter swirled around and stood face to face with Derek.

Peter took a step back until his butt hit the sink.

"What do you want?" He asked, his mouth foamy and he still had the toothbrush in hand. He dropped it to have both hands free but he knew that he didn't stand a chance against Derek. They had been here before. Would Derek drown him for real tonight?

"What does your alpha want from Stiles?" Derek asked but made no attempt to close the gap between them. He just stood there, waiting for an answer.

Peter opened his mouth to answer but then a noise caught his attention. The bathroom was surrounded by bedrooms. He couldn't exactly pinpoint where the noises were coming from but there was somebody moving around.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" Peter asked. Derek had given Stiles five more minutes, maybe he was willing to give him the same.

Derek considered it but then he nodded.

"You have a faucet at your shed, meet me there." With that, he was gone.

Peter let out a breath of relief which made him blowing raspberries with the foam. He hurried to rinse his mouth and then, as quietly as possible, he left the bathroom. Now he was able to pinpoint the noises, looked like Boyd and Erica were busy with something else than sleeping. They most likely wouldn't have heard his conversation with Derek but after Talia eavesdropping on him just the other day, Peter didn't want to risk it.

Derek was already waiting for him by the shed. He was standing on the side facing away from the house so he'd gotten the point.

"What does your alpha want from Stiles?" Derek repeated his question when Peter approached him.

"Mainly she wants to determine if he's a threat to the pack," Peter answered. "He is holding a grudge against us, rightfully so, and she wants to know if he's going to act on it. Maybe he's using me to get close to her and the rest of the pack."

Derek was watching him closely which made Peter wonder if he was able to tell if he was lying or not. Which didn't concern him because for once he was completely honest.

"And the not main reason?" Derek prompted.

Peter put his hands in his pockets and leaned his back against the shed. That part was more difficult.

"Another reason is that she's my big sister and she wants to know who I'm involved with." Did Derek know that they had sex a few times now? Peter was pretty sure that Derek was aware of the times he'd spent the night in Stiles' cabin but he couldn't help but wonder if Derek knew the details. If he even cared about earthly things like that.

"But she's also worried about Stiles," Peter finally admitted. "I'm not exactly the best person to have a relationship with."

"Neither is Stiles."