It was a quiet night outside, one of those nights where everything could be heard. Inside the house everyone seemed to be asleep, heartbeats steady, breathing easy. Stiles had woken thirsty and had to lean over Derek to get at the glass of water on the bedside table. Derek merely grunted and slung his arm across Stiles's back, pulling him close. Derek was lying on his back and Stiles was facing the wall, using Derek's bicep as a pillow, his back tight to Derek's side. Stiles was just falling over when he picked up on laboured breathing, an increased heart rate, and a quiet shout. The sound of feet in the hallway a few minutes later had Stiles's ears perking up before a soft knock sounded at the bedroom door. Stiles was so busy listening he didn't realise Derek was awake.

'What's up?' Derek called. Amy slipped into the room and trotted to the bed.

'I just wanted to see that you were ok. I had a nightmare.' Amy whispered softly. Her eyes were bright in the darkness of the room.

'You're a bit old for silly nightmares.' Derek said patting the bed. She sat beside him and he wrapped an arm around her.

'It was what Peter said today, I can't get the image out of my head.' She admitted quietly. Stiles fully understood, he'd watched her sketching, checked out her drawings, and some of them were vivid. Her imagination could rival Stiles's.

'What did he say?' Derek shifted and Stiles moved relinquishing his hold on Derek's arm.

'He told me that you'll be dead in a pool of blood with your throat in his fist.' Amy said. 'All I can see is you dead, every time I close my eyes.' A tear rolled down her cheek. Derek grabbed her in is arms, making a growling sound and twisting so she was in the middle of the bed.

'Do I look like I'm dead?' Derek asked.

'No.' Amy said peering at him in the darkness rubbing her cheeks with her fist.

'See these muscles.' Derek teased curling a bicep until it bulged. Amy giggled. 'Well what do they do?'

'Crush monsters.' Amy said remembering what her brother used to tell her after nightmares as a little girl.

'And?' Derek asked.

'Cuddle sisters.' Amy said softly. 'But that's our secret.' She whispered.

'Oh my god you have her brainwashed.' Stiles said from his place on the bed.

'Do you want to sleep here?' Derek asked her.

'I'm eleven.' Amy pointed out in one of those "I'm almost a grown up, don't patronise me" voices.

'I know your age dummy, I didn't ask that. Do you want to sleep here?' Derek repeated and it was more Alpha than big brother.

'Yes.' She whispered. Stiles lifted the duvet so she was cuddled under it tight to Derek's chest. 'Hey Stiles.'

'Hey Amy.' He replied with a soft smile.

'You don't mind me having a sleepover.' She asked softly.

'Yeah, I do actually.' Stiles teased. She pouted for a second before he launched forward and tickled her ribs. She squealed and kicked, catching Derek's knee.

'If you two don't lie still I'll tie you both up and put you in the bath tub until morning.' Derek warned. 'With the spiders.'

Amy giggled as she settled between them pulling Stiles's arm across her tummy with her head pillowed where Stiles had been on Derek's bicep. She was asleep within minutes. Derek lay watching her fondly, stroking her blond hair.

'So what's Amy's story?' Stiles asked.

'Amy was a twin. Emma her sister died before Amy was born. So we were protective of her, Laura and I. the other two were just kids at the time. Then when she was about three mum and dad had a few marriage issues. We found out dad had a gambling problem. Mum was furious, he'd taken extra loans, re-mortgaged the house. They used to argue quite a bit and Amy would hear them and come to me, climb onto my lap or hide in my room to play while I done homework or whatever. I was seventeen at the time, your age now and she was so clingy to me.' Derek said.

'What's with the monsters thing?' Stiles asked curiously.

Derek snorted. 'When she had nightmares she asked why I wasn't frightened of the monsters too. I was working out back then and I was pretty well built so I showed her my arms one day in a strong man pose, told her they crushed monsters. She told me they cuddled sisters too. It kind of stuck, but it was our secret. She used to text it to me when I was away.' Stiles imagined Derek in the middle of one of his parties, girls hanging off him, and receiving a text like that. Something told Stiles that as soon as Derek got it he called home to his baby sister to check she was ok.

'Didn't you miss her?' Stiles asked looking down at the little girl he was so fond of. His heart lurched at the memory of Peter touching her. Stiles ached to take revenge.

'More than anything. In a strange way it's almost like she used to be mine and it's falling back into that pattern again.' Derek said. 'Do you mind her being here?'

'No. I feel like she's my baby sister too.' Stiles said.

'She adores you. I thought she might be jealous of you.' Derek admitted. 'You better try to get some sleep.'

Derek woke in the morning on the very edge of the bed. Stiles was plastered to his side and Amy was laying half on top of both of them. Derek wondered what was in his mouth until he figured out it was blond hair.

'Definitely getting that deadbolt. And hiding the property section in here.' He muttered untangling himself from his mate and his sister. They whined at the same time and Derek watched amazed as Stiles rolled back to his side of the bed, Amy following seconds later to cuddle onto his shoulder. 'Bunny tails.' Stiles muttered, smacking his lips and twisting his head towards Amy before he started to snore.

'Fuck this.' Derek muttered heading for a shower.

XXX

'So if I give the consent, Stiles is yours until he's twenty one?' John asked.

'Yes.' Derek confirmed.

'Are you sure, because this is Stiles we're talking about. I've only got forty nine weeks left of him as my responsibility before he turns eighteen.' John said with a smile.

'Hey. I'm an awesome son.' Stiles said.

'Sure you are.' John said looking at his healthy breakfast of oatmeal while everyone else had bacon.

'You know, as a werewolf you can pretty much eat what you want and be guaranteed you'll not get sick.' Derek said.

'Derek!' Stiles spluttered. 'How do we know that?'

'We just do. It's the way the world turns.' Derek said reaching a hand under the table to squeeze Stiles on the knee. Amy handed Derek the property section, ignoring her mother's scowl.

'Look this place has five bedrooms. I could have one.' She said with a grin.

'When I move I'm telling you last.' Derek said. He took the paper and looked at the one she pointed out anyway. It wasn't actually a bad find. It was close by, just over a mile away, so within running distance. It needed a bit of work done to it but it backed onto the forest that his family owned part of and had a large garden that edged the lake.

'Can I see the paper a minute son?' Linda asked holding her hand out.

'No.' Derek scowled at her. 'Because you're just going to hide it from me. Stiles make an appointment for us to see this place. This afternoon.' Derek said handing his mate the paper.

Stiles took the paper, choked on a piece of bacon when he read the price, had his back slapped viciously by his father and went back to not dying by way of eating.

'That's what you get for tricking your old man.' John said stealing a piece of Stiles's bacon. 'So this contract, is it what you think will keep my son safe from that creep?'

'Yes. As my property, because he's in my care, no one will have any right to do anything. It's basically like an arranged marriage.' Derek said.

'I wish you two would get married. I wonder who would wear the dress.' Laura said from her favourite perch on the counter. 'Or the garter and stockings?' She cackled to herself like the evil witch she was.

Derek glowered at her as Stiles tried for a second time to choke to death by bacon.

'Laura that's not nice.' Amy said. 'Picturing our brother in stockings.' She giggled at the thought, almost falling off the chair when Derek shoved her.

'Oh my god the hair on his legs would be sticking through the nylon.' Judith crowed. The half full mug of coffee in Derek's hand shattered just as Gemma walked into the room. Stiles tugged his cell from his pocket, face beaming beetroot red, and called the number from the paper. Linda tossed a cloth to Derek from the kitchen sink.

'Yeah, I'd like to make an appointment for as soon as possible.' He said covering his eyes.

'What did I miss?' Gemma asked as Linda, giggling herself, ushered Gemma to a seat beside Carter.

'You don't want to know.' Carter said. He was enjoying the conversation about as much as Derek.

'This afternoon at four.' Stiles said putting his cell back into his pocket.

'Can I come?' Amy asked.

'No.' Derek said snatching a piece of her bacon. Amy pouted up at him. The whole table watched as he tried his best to ignore her. It didn't work, before long he was tugging her pigtails.

'So baby brother's gonna buy a house. How do you feel about that mom?' Laura asked. Linda ignored her daughter as she started washing the dishes.

'Why are you always here? Don't your own children need your unique brand of corrupting?' Derek asked as he reached into his pocket, snatching the keys to his Camaro and dangling them in front of Stiles's face.

'No way.' Stiles said eyes turning to his boyfriend.

'I trust you.'

'Oh my god Derek what are you doing? You wouldn't even let Simon drive your car.' Gemma said in shock. She wasn't the only one; even Laura was at a loss for words. Stiles grinned, snatched the keys before Derek changed his mind and kissed him hard on the lips before shooting out of his chair and rushing out to the car.

Derek followed him outside and Linda watched with a smile from the skin as her son caught Stiles around the waist and pulled him close, kissing him softly, running a hand up Stiles's back to cradle his head. 'Fuck off.' Laura whispered. The only people Derek ever showed physical affection around were Ellie his Gran or Amy, his little sister. It was a testament to how shocked Linda was at Derek's public display of affection that she didn't scold her daughter for swearing. They had seen him with plenty of girlfriends who got less attention than his family. John followed them out, keeping a respectful distance until they pulled apart.

They turned, talked, then Stiles let his claws extend and sliced through both his father and his mate's right palms. They shook in blood. The contract was sealed. Stiles belonged to Derek.

Derek kissed Stiles one more time before turning and coming back to the house. 'Hey if you two don't get a move on he's going to school without you.' He said to Judith and Amy. Amy elbowed his ribs on the way past him but Judith stared at him. Derek rubbed his hands together for a second, a big smile on his face. 'I think I'll go help Granddad chop some logs.' He said turning and trotting out the door, speeding up to a run as he got away from the house.

'I wonder what it'll be like when they start having sex, because if he's this happy after a kiss what'll he be like after a big dirty orgasm.' Laura said.

'Laura! We have guests!' Linda snapped shaking her head. She had to admit though that she was inclined to agree with her daughter.

'Derek told me you were leaving around lunchtime. I'll pack a bite to eat for down the road.' Linda said finally noticing Gemma sitting with an angry frown on her face. Derek had asked his mom to see her off as they had chatted for so long the previous evening. He'd told her at least three times their relationship was over but Gemma was having trouble taking the hint and Linda was quite happy to be allowed to interfere in her son's love life.

'I think I'd rather stick around for a few days if you don't mind. It was a long drive yesterday and the thought of doing it again so soon, I wouldn't want to have an accident.' Gemma said.

Linda looked at her for a moment before turning to Laura. Laura shrugged her shoulders and went back to staring at her brothers back.

XXX

Derek's morning started out uneventful, as he chopped wood he thought about Peter. So far they had kept out of each other's way, until yesterday. Now though Derek knew he would have to seek him out. Peter was lying low but Derek was going about his normal business. He didn't feel Peter as pack; the man was more of a menace now. But he was dangerous. His thoughts turned to the rogue alpha. Derek needed some sort of plan to draw him out as well, something to get his attention. He had discussed the matter with David yesterday afternoon; they were interrupted when Judith rang him in a panic about Peter.

Derek had organised for Laura to keep a subtle eye on Amy until Stiles collected her. It was inconvenient that they were out of school at the same time, but there was only half a mile or so between the two schools. He didn't want Stiles to feel insulted; something had come along every day to try to interrupt their relationship. That had to stop.

Derek had to start controlling his temper better as well or he would drive his mate away. It was a little frightening, he felt like he'd known Stiles all his life. He trusted him completely and his mate had done little to earn that trust. He hadn't abused it, and he was mature in ways Derek would never have been at that age, but nothing other than listening and trying to understand, trying to fit in had been on Stiles' werewolf agenda.

He wasn't even halfway through the pile when David appeared beside him, his grey eyes watching him with a keenness Derek remembered having himself. As a boy it was such a simple thing, chopping wood, but dangerous, and he was warned about that. He remembered the first time he held his grandfather's axe he felt so grown up, mature, like he'd achieved something. And he had, of course, because no one in his family, none of his uncles or aunts, had stalked David the way Derek did.

'Hey.' He said dropping the axe to the chopping block.

'Do you remember when you were just a pup, I think you weren't even in Kindergarten, and I had a meeting in my study. I sent the rest of the pack out for the day, save for my brother Joe who was hanging around the barn, do you remember?' David prompted again.

Derek frowned flicking through his childhood memories. 'I…'

'It was summer, there was a really bad storm and you laughed because you thought Laura would be getting wet on her picnic. Even then you two picked at each other like nobody's business. Anyway, I had you in the study with me, at my desk with a box of crayons and you were drawing up some concoction, colours everywhere. There were men; they came to the house, three of them, into the study where you were sitting on my chair.' David prompted.

'Yes, and you introduced me as the Alpha.' Derek said remembering the pride that had swollen in his chest at his grandfather's words.

'Yes!' David said excitedly.

'You lifted me off the chair and I was upset, but you told me it was so the Alpha could see better.' Derek said.

'That's right son.' David said. 'We were meeting with hunters; it was your first meeting with hunters. They were considering moving into our territory, and I was explaining that as a pack, we didn't need them because there'd been no strange deaths for years. They told me I was covering for my pack, covering up the deaths or whatever.'

'And I said to them something like don't be silly, there isn't enough leaves in the forest to cover peoples mistakes because leaves rot away and you still see the forest floor in the spring.' Derek said. He remembered his grandfather's booming laugh, and slight hug, and he remembered one of the hunters looking furious.

'The honesty of a child.' David said. 'That's why you were there that day. You went everywhere I did, you barely slept at home, you were in all my meetings, you went hunting with me, but you were learning. You never took your eyes off them after that, but you still scrawled away on that paper, tricking them with your innocence. And you were, innocent, and clever, so clever, because when they left you told me you didn't like them and that they shouldn't come back.'

'What's your point?' Derek asked cocking his head to the side. The dog that the sheriff had saved trotted over and sat beside David, looking up at Derek.

'They're back.' David said.

'Argent?' Derek asked.

'That was Gerard, his brother Samuel, and Gerard's son Chris.' David said. 'There are more of them, a lot more, this time.'

Derek nodded. 'We could return the favour, pay them a visit.'

'Now that's the grandson I know and love. We'll take Laura with us?' David suggested.

'That will definitely frighten them off.'

XXX

Gemma was still in the house when Derek went to collect Laura. He scowled when his mother told him that Gemma intended to stay on for a few days. 'As long as she doesn't try anything.' Derek said.

'She's your friend Derek.' Linda pointed out. 'She came here for you.'

'Yes, I know, and I accept the responsibility but I'm warning you that if she does try something silly like breaking us up then I'm going to throw her out on her ass, hospitality be damned.' Derek said.

Linda smiled at him. 'This isn't the first time she's tried to break you and someone up.'

'His name was Bailey and she was successful.' Derek said. Linda smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair.

'I'm sure it won't happen again.' She said with a smile.

'It won't.' Derek promised.