Chapter 02: I Hate This

January - 2011

Stiles and Scott were stumbling through the preserve, searching for something. Stiles had heard his father go out on a call while he was asleep. Jessica, Derek and Cora were at their own house, but Jessica still had her room and bathroom at home. Stiles had been caught by their father and sent home, Scott had gotten left behind. That was the night that Scott was bitten by Peter. Noah had sent Stiles home, but knowing Stiles he'd also warned Jessica that she could expect a nightly visitor.

"Stiles? What are you doing here?" Jessica yawned, opening her door to Stiles standing at her front door.

"I...I uh was..." Stiles stuttered, Jessica folded her arms and looked pointedly at him.

"You were in the preserve, and dad got you?" Jessica guessed, Stiles nodded sheepishly as she rolled her eyes and motioned for him to get inside. "Jordan's there too,"

"Can I come in?" Stiles mumbled, not realising that she'd literally just motioned for him to do it.

"Get inside, have a shower you still have clothes here. You can sleep on the couch," Jessica told him before heading back to bed. "And Stiles, don't go anywhere,"

"Yes Jess," Stiles muttered heading to the linen closet where he had a section of one shelf with clothes.

The next day he and Scott went back into the preserve, this time stumbling across Derek. Derek telling them to keep out as it was private property. Stiles stared at Derek as the older man tossed Scott's inhaler at them before walking off. What was Derek doing in the preserve? Stiles headed to Jessica's house but found she wasn't there, neither was Cora, Derek or Jordan.

Jessica was out in the preserve with Derek, they'd gone to the Hale House to have a look around to find the Alpha that had killed Laura. Derek hadn't wanted to and Cora had decided that she needed to get away for a while so she'd gone away. Jessica sat on the steps of the house waiting for Derek to return.

"Did they buy it?" Jessica questioned once Derek was back at the steps. "Sit down a minute , I know that look," Jessica motioned for him to join on her on the step with the annoyed look that seemed like it was permanently on his face.

"This is my face," Derek shrugged, with a half a smile before she poked him as he unsteadily sat down beside her. "They'll be back, Scott was just confused. And Stiles I heard him telling Scott who I was," The unsteadiness coming from not being used to the new leg.

"Seriously...so what I did it worked?" Jessica raised her eyebrow, Stiles and Derek had asked if there was a way that Jessica could make Scott's memory of who Derek was a little foggy.

"Yeah, what you and Deaton did worked,"

Present day – 2013

"You with us kiddo?" Jessica asked, running a hand through Stiles hair as he put his head back on her shoulder. Stiles nodded, he didn't want to move from in Jessica's arms, they were comfortable.

"Breakfast's ready," Scott called from the kitchen, forcing Jessica and Stiles to their feet.

"Here," Derek handed Jessica her coffee while leaning against the counter, before he slowly made his way over and joined them only spilling his coffee slightly as he sat down.

"Thanks Der, I'll clean it up later," Jessica grinned lifting the coffee to her mouth and savouring the first mouthful. "What's the plan for today?"

"I was thinking of taking Sti to Deaton to see if he's found anything more," Scott answered, it wasn't unusual that he and Stiles went to see Deaton first up.

"I've got an appointment at the doctors late," Derek said, causing Scott to look at him suspiciously he hadn't known Derek to ever need an actual doctor. "I do go you know," Derek gave Jessica a look that said you already knew about that.

"Specialist, Scott. There is such a thing," Jessica laughed, still watching Stiles to see what his reaction was going to be and if he was going to say any more about the dreams he'd been having.

"Oh, didn't know there was one for that," Scott answered, he'd almost said us – they needed to wait and see if Stiles remembered what Scott and Derek were before they said anything.

Derek rolled his eyes before he started eating, Jessica did the same. Stiles sat and poked at the eggs and bacon before gingerly taking a bite. Scott shovelled in his breakfast while watching Stiles, he wondered if Stiles remembered all the times that he told his father to watch what he ate.

"What...what are you?" Stiles mumbled with a mouthful of eggs, his sister, Derek and Scott looked at one another. "What...have I asked before?"

"Yeah, it'll come to you," Scott answered, picking up the orange juice that Derek had put out and pouring a glass. "Want some?" Stiles nodded watching as Scott poured him a glass.

"I hate this," Stiles sighed, banging his hand down on the table, he knew they were being patient with him that was the thing that frustrated him the most.

"You good?" Jessica asked as she picked her coffee up again, having a feeling that Stiles was his usual self after the comment.

"I think so...werewolves and witch...and I'm a spark," Stiles said pointing to each of them and then himself, he still couldn't remember who he was with. "This is the worst," Stiles grumbled, Jessica shook her head a little but didn't move from where she was as she watched her brother. "Why can't you undo whatever it is?"

"Because I don't know how...Scott's one was only a temporary one," Jessica said, biting her lip as she looked at Derek and then at Scott who had put his cup down and was staring at her. "Yeah...sorry about that,"

"What did you do?" Scott questioned, glaring at Jessica and then looking at Stiles – what had his bestfriend done?

"The day we saw Derek in the preserve...Jess was there too," Stiles said, he knew she'd been there they just hadn't seen her car as she'd been with Derek.

"I can do small spells and enchantments, but nothing like what was done to Stiles," Jessica answered, hers had literally lasted two days until Scott accepted what had happened.

Stiles mumbled something about being sorry before finishing shovelling his breakfast into his mouth. Derek looked at Jessica and shrugged, they'd been friends for practically ever and family for just as long. Scott stared at Jessica for a moment, it was the first time in 2 years that Stiles had ever said anything about what Jessica had done. Once breakfast was finished, Stiles went to his room and changed while Derek, Scott and Jessica cleaned up the kitchen.

"D, he'll remember," Jessica said as Scott wiped up the rest of the dishes. That was the deal, he stayed for any meal and he helped clean up.

"And if he doesn't?" Derek questioned, he hated this they couldn't prompt Stiles he would never believe it. The spell had to be broken, somehow.

"We'll work it out," Scott told him as he put the tea-towel on the counter and turned to face Derek and Jessica. "I think he knows deep down,"

"Everyone does. It's not just hard on him," Jessica spoke quietly as both Derek and Scott looked towards the stairs where they heard Stiles' footsteps thumping down the stairs. "Go see if Deaton and the others have found anything,"

Scott nodded and he and Stiles were on the way leaving Jessica and Derek standing in the kitchen. Derek half wanting to turn into a wolf and run, Jessica looked at him and saw the look that was forming on his face so she nodded. Derek grinned dropping the crutch to the ground, and taking both of Jessica's hands before he started to lose his balance. Jessica and Derek made it to the lounge room before she helped lower him to the ground so it wouldn't be as much as a shock. They sat on the ground for half hour before Derek spoke.

"Still can't believe you managed to enchant the prosthetic," Derek said before he shifted into his wolf form and started nuzzling her hand.

"Well come here then," Jessica scratched underneath Derek's wolf forms chin as she picked up the prosthetic that had changed when he had. Derek's wolf form started wiggling causing Jessica to give it a stern look. "Derek, stop moving I can't fix you up if you keep moving," Derek nudged Jessica as she started to strap the prosthetic onto his back leg letting out a happy howl when it was on. "Go on then," Jessica laughed, waving her hand for the back door to open before she watched Derek trotting out the door and into the backyard.

"Was that just Derek I saw?" Jessica looked up from where she was still sitting on the floor and saw Jordan at the front door.

"Yeah, he wanted to run as a wolf," Jessica answered, as Jordan walked into the house and closed the front door behind him. "Aren't you meant to be at work?"

"Just got off, was on my way home when I remembered you were talking about heading out of town with Derek," Jordan answered stepping in front of her and holding his hand out to pull her up.

"We are, he's got a specialist appointment out of town," Jessica answered, she had to keep an eye on the back door just in case something happened to Derek while he was in his wolf form. Jessica took hold of Jordan's hand and he pulled her up into his arms.

"How was Stiles this morning?" Jordan questioned as Jessica hugged him before leaning up and kissing him and ultimately resting her head against his shoulder.

"Had one of his bad mornings. He should be okay for next couple of days till Derek and I get back," Jessica told him, Jordan had long accepted the friendship between the two not questioning just how close they were.

"I've never asked this...but when did Derek lose his leg?" Jordan wondered, looking down at Jessica as she looked up at him and smiled. He'd always wondered when it had happened, but never asked.

"He was seventeen, night of the Hale House fire..." Jessica trailed off as they both heard a pained yelp coming from the back yard. "Grab Derek's clothes," Jessica was on her feet with in seconds, he'd only been outside for twenty minutes while they were talking.

Meanwhile at the Animal Clinic, Scott and Stiles were in Deaton's back room with Lydia, Malia, Mason, Corey and Liam. Liam was testing Stiles' patience as usual, while Scott and the others were talking about what they'd found if anything. Peter and Chris were off with Theo trying to track the witch that had cursed Stiles down.

"Is he getting any better?" Lydia asked quietly from where she was standing next to Malia.

"It's hard to tell, this morning was one of his bad mornings," Scott answered, thinking back to just a few hours earlier when they were having breakfast. "Have you found anything new?"

"We might have found something, Stiles you said there was a purple flower involved?" Deaton questioned, they'd been looking every day for the last three and half months for anything that could have been used. It was only recently that Stiles remembered the colour of the flower.

"Yeah, but that's all I can remember," Stiles spoke near uncertainly, something that he'd been doing a lot since it had happened he'd lost all confidence in himself.

"I'm not certain, but your sister might be able to help. Do you think you could draw the flower?" Deaton questioned, Stiles shook his head he all he could recollect was the colour of the flower. "Okay, we'll keep looking, but if you remember more tell us,"

Stiles rolled his eyes, that's all he had been doing trying to remember and tell them things when he did remember. Liam was starting to see just how frustrating it was and how much it was taking its toll on Scott seeing his bestfriend going through what was seemingly unpredictable. Everyone was on their toes, as once or twice Stiles' memory had slipped in the middle of the day and he didn't know why.

"Sti, Jess and Derek are headed out of town for a few days," Scott said, he wasn't sure if Stiles remembered the conversation that they'd had that morning or if it had been forgotten like other small things.

"I know, pretty sure she put that in my phone as a reminder," Stiles said holding up his phone which flashed with a reminder saying 'Going out of town – back in three days,'. "She's always done it,"

"I have a non Stiles related question. Did you know about Jessica before or after me?" Scott turned back to Deaton and crossed his arms as Stiles walked over to him.

"I knew," the only words out of Deaton's mouth, Scott raised his eyebrow prompting him for more information. "Derek's mother had told me about her, to watch her,"

"Did you know what she did?" Scott was curious as Stiles threw his arm over his best-friends shoulder.

"No, that was something between Derek and her," Deaton answered watching as Stiles looked like he was lost in thought again a sign that something was happening in his brain due to the spell.

"Stiles?" Scott quickly turned to face Stiles as he noticed his friend gripping the counter top with one hand and his shoulder with the other. "Stiles, look at me what is it?" Deaton saying that what Jessica had done to Scott with Derek confirmed that his last 'mini episode' was half true.

"Can't..." Stiles muttered as he gripped Scott tighter, Scott glanced at Deaton and the others and they made themselves scarce.

Scott guided Stiles over to the stool that Deaton kept at the bench and had him sit down while still holding him. Today was not going to be a good day for Stiles, that was now clear. Stiles suddenly let go of Scott and put his head in his hands, causing Scott to envelope him in a hug and pull him tight. As Scott was hugging Stiles, Isaac and Cora arrived, Cora seeing Scott with his arms around Stiles made her walk over and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Scott?" Cora was quiet as she spoke, knowing something was going on as Isaac stood at the door.

"Don't know, he just stopped," Scott was equally quiet as he and Cora traded places only Cora crouched down so she was eye-level with Stiles.

"Hey," Cora was still quiet as she spoke to Stiles, she had a feeling that the latest whatever they wanted to call it was giving him his twelve year old mindset. "Stiles?"

"You got old," Stiles mumbled, his eyes darting around as he looked at Cora who smiled at him before she pulled him into her arms.

"I did, so did you," that was her usual response to Stiles telling her she got old, it always had been. "Want to talk?" Stiles shook his head and shut his eyes tightly. "That's okay, when you're ready,"