Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story. You might want tissues for the remainder of the story.

Chapter 06: I Don't Want to Be Sad

March 2004

Jessica arrived at the Beacon Hills Public School to pick up Stiles, Scott was going home with the Raeken's for the afternoon otherwise Jessica would have gotten both boys. Jessica wiped at her eyes praying that Stiles didn't see as he raced up to her. He would know that blue Jeep anywhere, it was going to be his one day. Jessica had, had it since her sixteenth birthday, the year before.

"Mom'll be home won't she?" Stiles looked up at Jessica as he stood beside what was their mothers old Jeep.

"Not this time," Jessica crouched down in front of Stiles at the primary school and wrapped her arms around him. "Mom's back in hospital," Jessica told him as she felt his arms wrap around her neck.

"When?" Stiles asked into her neck as he kept his arms wrapped tightly around Jessica while she stood up.

"Dad took her after we went to school," Jessica told him as she carried him around to the passenger side opening the door at the same time. "We're going there now,"

"Where's dad?" Stiles was full of questions, too many questions to focus on buckling himself into the car. "Jess?"

"He had to go into work, and I have to drop you there," Jessica said buckling him in before going around to the drivers side. "I promise I'll only be gone a few hours,"

Stiles nodded he wasn't sure about being left alone in the hospital with their mother. Jessica drove them to the hospital, taking Stiles into the hospital seeing Melissa on the way. Stiles gripped Jessica's hand tighter as they walked passed the nurses station. He didn't like being there alone, especially if it wasn't a good day for their mother.

"It's okay Stiles, I promise," Jessica squeezed Stiles hand as they walked into the room that Claudia was in. "Hey mom,"

"Hi sweetpea, mischief my darling boy," Claudia smiled at the two as she saw them, Jessica smiled and pushed Stiles into the room the nearly ten year old trying to hide behind his sister. Jessica crouched down in front of him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug before kissing the top of his head.

"Mommy, are you coming home?" Stiles asked, cautiously as he went and sat in the chair beside his mothers bed.

"I'm afraid not sweetheart," Claudia looked up to Jessica as she hugged her mother. "Your brother will be fine here," Claudia smiled at her, Jessica hated that she had to leave Stiles alone with their mother they never knew what they were going to end up with.

Three days later and Stiles was alone in the hospital with their mother when she passed away. Jessica was on her way to pick him up when Melissa had called and told her what happened as she pulled into the hospital car park. Jessica raced into the hospital and found Stiles sitting on Melissa's lap with her arms wrapped tightly around him.

"Stiles, come here," Jessica sat on the seat beside Melissa and turned to face them holding her arms out for the almost ten year old.

"You...you promised," Stiles mumbled climbing into his sisters arms and wrapping his own little arms tightly around her neck. "Mommy..."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Jessica managed to get out as tears rolled down her cheeks and she held Stiles close to her body.

"Your dad's on his way," Melissa spoke quietly Jessica and Stiles as she pulled them into her arms and hugged the two of them. Jessica nodded sniffling and wiping at her eyes before giving up and just holding onto Stiles as he cried into her arms.

"Was Stiles in by himself?" Jessica's voice was quiet as she glanced at Melissa while Stiles wiggled trying to get as close as he could to her.

"Afraid so sweetheart," Melissa answered, not letting go of either of them as the other hospital staff went in and out of Claudia's room.

Jessica held Stiles tighter and kissed the top of his ahead, they didn't know how long they were sitting there for before Noah was there and pulling both of his children into his arms. Jessica handed Stiles to Noah, before putting her head against his shoulder and crying. Stiles wiped at his eyes briefly before shoving his head into Noah's chest and sobbing.

Present day – 2013

Stiles blinked, gripping hold of the desk before sitting in the chair that was beside him while still being held onto by Jessica. Isaac glanced at him before he disappeared back to Derek in the lounge room. Jessica stayed holding onto him as Stiles pulled her closer to him, not daring to let go.

"Sti, what it is?" Jessica questioned, crouching down as Stiles pulled her closer to him and buried his head in his shoulder.

"Mom..." Stiles trailed off his voice wavering as he was unsure of what his brain had just decided on showing him.

"Is gone, tell me what you remembered?" Jessica stayed crouched beside him with Stiles arms still wrapped tightly around her.

"You leaving me at the hospital...the night mom died," Stiles mumbled, Jessica nodded that was real she'd done that. "And the day that you took me see her,"

"That happened, I got to the hospital and you were sitting curled up in Melissa's arms," Jessica said, before she kissed the top of his head and he pushed her away as his breathing increased. Jessica stood and took one of Stiles' hands in hers pulling him to his feet and wrapping her arms around him. "Shh, come sit with me in the lounge and you can curl up all you like," Stiles barely nodded as Jessica led him back to the lounge room.

"I remember sitting curled up in your arms, crying until dad arrived,"

Derek rolled onto his left side slightly but immediately regretted it and rolled onto his back again, not opening his eyes as he tried to ignore the shooting pain. Stiles looked at Jessica and then at Derek as he decided on where to sit ultimately waiting until Jessica sat down. Stiles stuck close to Jessica as she went over to Derek and gave him a gentle push.

"Hey you, you okay?" Jessica crouched down beside Derek as he rolled over. Derek mumbled something that she didn't quite catch. "English, Derek,"

"Leg brace...off...need soft one..." Derek managed to get out, Isaac nodded and walked down the hall towards Derek's room to find the requested brace.

"Keep that one on until Isaac gets back and then I'll help you," Jessica smiled at him, no sooner had she spoken then Isaac was returning with the soft brace. "You could have taken your time Isaac," Jessica laughed, Isaac shrugged and gave them the brace as Cora returned and sat in the recliner with Stiles watching.

"Stiles, come sit with me?" Cora smiled at him, seeing that he was going between watching her every move and Jessica's.

Stiles shook his head and watched as Jessica quickly removed the metal brace from Derek's leg and replaced it with the soft one. Derek grinned sleepily at her before attempting to sit up on the recliner end of the couch. Jessica rolled her eyes and helped him up before she sat beside him with his head promptly falling on her shoulder while Stiles sat on her other side. Isaac sat on the recliner with Cora and the younger girl curled up in his arms.

"Have you called Jordan?" Cora asked suddenly from where she was comfortably in Isaac's arms.

"Not yet, but he'll be by after his shift is over," Jessica answered before her attention was back on Stiles shifting unconsciously beside her. "Stiles?"

"Hmm," Stiles mumbled, closing his eyes still trying to make sense of everything.

"Want to talk about it?" Jessica asked moving slightly to wrap her arms around Stiles while still having Derek's head sitting on her shoulder.

Stiles shrugged before he said anything. "Can we visit mom?" Stiles mumbled, his head buried in her hair as spoke.

"Soon, pops wants to do it next week," Jessica answered, as she hugged him before she felt Derek poking at her side. "Der, just at least try and be normal," Jessica turned her head to face Derek and was faced with his hair.

"Hmmpfh," Derek grumbled, Cora rolled her eyes as she switched the television on and let whatever movie was on at lunch play.

"He's not going to need to piss in a bottle is he?" Stiles questioned barely above a whisper which was then muffled by his sisters hair.

Derek growled indignantly before he said anything. "No, I'll be able to get to and from the bathroom," he knew that somewhere inside Stiles knew about what he was capable of.

"Stiles, he's not completely incapable," Cora said before looking at Isaac he knew a little more about Derek than she did.

"I may need help...but…" Derek trailed off taking a deep breath as he felt one of the bones in his leg crack from the slightest movement. "So my bedroom is where I may stay...or right here…"

Jessica laughed shaking her head, Derek wasn't going to be doing anything on his own until his leg was healed. Derek growled at her again, this time getting slapped in response which caused him to feign injury. Cora and Isaac looked at one another, before Cora was yawning saying she wanted to sleep.

Half an hour later and they were joined not only by Jordan whose shift had finished, but Scott, Lydia, Mason, Liam, Corey and Malia. Derek had been able to hide the fact that he was an amputee from half of the teenagers, so he wasn't entirely sure how they were going to react seeing him on the lounge. He'd been half tempted to grab the blanket from the back of the lounge and throw it over his legs. Cora and Isaac had convinced him not to as Stiles retreated into Jessica's room. Derek watched as Stiles retreated down the hallway, wishing that he could go with him.

"Hey Jess, did you know about any of the flowers?" Lydia asked as she grabbed one of the dining chairs and sat down.

"Yeah, I'll grab the books if you want to have a read of them?" Jessica questioned, looking to Lydia as everyone found somewhere to sit, Malia sitting where Stiles had previously been sitting.

"Wait, you have books that we haven't seen?" Lydia and Mason questioned at the same time, Derek nodded from where he was laying.

"Wait, Derek?" Mason looked at Derek from where he was sitting on the beanbag.

"Yes?" Derek answered not bothering too look up as Jessica stood up and went to move to the garage.

"What happened..." Malia spoke next she'd never seen Derek like he was so was curious to know what had happened to him.

"You really want to know?" This time Derek moved to sit up but Lydia shook her head, she could tell them or Cora would.

"You okay?" Cora questioned, Derek groaned before collapsing back on the lounge and closing his eyes. "I'll take that as a no,"

Jessica left the lounge room and headed into the garage leaving the talk about what happened to Derek to Lydia and Cora to explain. Cora sat up while still wrapped in Isaac's arms and looked to the others before her eyes landed on Derek and she motioned for Scott to sit next to him. Scott gave Cora a confused look before Lydia was out of her seat and pulling Scott next to Derek.

"During the Hale House fire...Derek wasn't meant to be home, he'd come home to get a book...Peter he got me out," Cora spoke quickly as she looked at Derek and then Malia and Lydia, Malia had no idea what her father had done. "I ran...and Peter went back into get Derek out, he got him and then went back and got trapped,"

"That doesn't explain that," Liam pointed to Derek's lack of leg but was quickly stopped by Mason and Corey grabbing hold of his arm and pulling it down.

"Shut it Liam, she's getting there," Lydia said calmly as she looked at the teenager before motioning to Cora to continue.

"As I was saying. Peter got Derek out and far enough away from the house...but at the time he didn't know how badly hurt he was," Cora took a deep breath before she couldn't continue due to the memories that it was bring up of her running and hiding. Isaac pulled Cora close to him and wrapped his arm around her and kissed the side of her head.

"My right leg was crushed, our healing wasn't working...they had to amputate it...I was seventeen," Derek answered, the entire time he was lying with his eyes closed not wanting to look at them while Scott took the pain that was shooting up his leg.

Jessica walked back into the room just in time to see Jordan walk in the front door followed closely by her father. Jordan smiled at her, while Noah walked straight over to Derek to see how he was. Derek looked up when he felt Noah looking down at him without saying anything. The look on Noah's face said everything that Derek had been hoping to avoid.

"Pops it's not Derek's fault," Jessica said as she walked in and handed Lydia and Mason the books on the different flowers.

"Jessica, Derek I expected more from the two of you," Noah spoke with his arms crossed as he looked between the two adults. "What happened exactly, you two in the kitchen now,"

"We'll meet you in there," Derek muttered, as he pushed himself up and then glanced at Jessica who nodded and walked over to him. "Jess..."

"Guys, could you give dad, Derek and I the lounge for a few?" Jessica questioned, before she promptly sat down beside Derek and the teenagers scattered. Scott and Isaac making their way down to Stiles while Mason, Corey, Liam, Lydia, Malia and Cora went outside with Jordan.

"You know we normally do this in the kitchen," Noah said looking between the two before he noticed that Derek had the brace on his leg and one discarded on the floor.

"About that. Doctor Starre doesn't want me on either leg," Derek told him pausing for a moment while Noah sat in the recliner and waited for the story. "What did Scott and Jordan tell you exactly?"

"Not a lot, just that you got hurt," Noah answered, Scott and Jordan had been very brief they'd even neglected to say that it had been a hunter.

"He did...he was a wolf running in the backyard they shouldn't have been able to see him," Jessica spoke quickly, Noah blinked causing Jessica to repeat what she had said only slower before she continued. "His prosthesis was shattered and stump..."

"Not just the stump, they shot my good leg too. It was shattered, and now its barely healing he said it would take at least two weeks," Derek said, he pushing back so that he was leaning against the back of the lounge instead of laying down. "I'll either be right here or in my room for the next two weeks,"

"And I think I know how to break the spell curse over Stiles,"