Stiles is on one of his favorite place in the whole world, but he couldn't feel worse. Normally a trip to the 'Nemo Liber' the underground library and swap market cheer him up, but he hadn't slept at all last night or the night before-not wanting to risk having a nightmare and go terminator on Derek's kitchen-. Also, he is suppose to be seeing a doctor. Or at least that is what Derek thinks he is doing. Is not the first time that Stiles had told a person he cares about that he is seeing a doctor when he is not. Stiles still remember his father's face when he discover that his son had not been attending the monthly consults
and medical checks that his new meds required. He tried to explain that he was doing the self-checks himself, that the medication was working just fine, and that he was able to save the money for a rainy day. Even when his dad accepted the money back, he didn't completely forgive Stiles. He would like to said that he doesn't understands why it was so important for his father that he went to the doctor, but he does. Stiles knows his medicine is working. And with all the supernatural happening, there is no reason to not wonder if maybe that is what is going on with him. But lying makes Stiles feel so guilty.
The place is illuminated by floating lights, it smell like old paper and firewood, and it holds the second largest collection of supernatural information.
Seven books sit on Stiles tables and one on the mortal's hands, he had spend hours picking them and they offered a high possibility of aiding him.
His whole free day was use for research, and his findings were more than satisfactory by being the outcome of one day but not enough to be an actual answer. Stiles had ruled out; shadow demon, oracle or prophet, elf (not even ⅕ or whatever it was need it for magical abilities,) part-angel, mermen, nymph, and many others.
However, there one possible option already; a dream-walker, most dream-walkers are Native Americans, since to had an 'astral projection' outside of the body to a higher plane and control it, it needs training -which many tribes had practice for longer than this nation has existed. But sometimes a random person has an out of body experience, this people normally freak out and wake up. Which means it is possible, Stiles could be dream-walking and he is just terrible at it … but then how would Arty be connect it to all that. Arty is connect it, Stiles knows that much -he just doesn't know how yet.
It was passed nine when Stiles returned to Derek's apartment.
"What is on the bag?" Stiles jumps and sees Derek sitting on the sofa, a close book in his lap.
"Hi! Yes, I had a great day. I think a free day was all a need it. Thanks for asking, and what about you? anything interesting happened today?" Stiles peals his jacket off and walks to the sofa. "No, thank you. I'm not hungry, I ate outside. But thanks for asking." Stiles stops when a pillow hits his face, he takes the offending pillow and returns it to Derek on the same aggressive manner. "Oh, and thank you for listening to your friend without doing something rude like throwing pillows to me when I'm obviously not done talking." Derek growls in frustration, and finds that Stiles is staring at him.
"What is on the bag?"
"Seriously Derek!" Stiles opens the paper bags, and shows some books, a few little onesies for Arty, some candies and charms. "Stuff, I went shopping!" Derek examines the content of each bag.
"Did you got anything from the doctor?"
"No. Nope. I went over one of those self-checks and everything is working. Because it was a one time type of outburst it could be that I must had eaten something that interact badly with my medicine." Stiles double checks to make sure none of what he was saying was a lie. "So, here it goes to process of elimination and of the food I had that day. But, I'm fine." Derek stay quite for sometime.
"Is that all?" Stiles asks really hoping that Derek won't push too much.
"Yes. I have to wake up early tomorrow, I'm heading to bed."
"Can I see Arty?" Stiles says happy that 'that' conversation ended. Derek nods and Stiles follows the werewolf into Derek's room. Arty is sleeping on the middle of the bed. Stiles caress her unruly brown hair, and then she start sniffing like a puppy.
"Aww, so cute ...and unusual?" Stiles turns to Derek silently asking if that is normal, if she is okay.
"She is recognizing your scent." Derek looks at the man that his daughter thinks is her mother (or second father). And the werewolf smiles; 'Arty has good taste.'
"She thinks you're pack." Stiles tenses for a moment. Scott had explained Stiles what pack means, and he knows that pack is for life and life is for the pack. He is Arty's pack, and maybe he had react a bit inappropriate in front of a baby and a tap emotional, but Arty won't remember it when she grows up.
"She has good taste." Stiles says as he curls with Arty on Derek's bed. He was tired. He hadn't have any sleep in forty-eight hours, he had use all his energy between old books and charms, and he is emotionally and psychologically exhausted.
Stiles falls asleep, and Derek didn't want to wake him up. Instead Derek covers Stiles with a blanket and he takes the other half of the bed.
Stiles opens his eyes slowly, he is on his bed and he doesn't remember how he got there -maybe Derek carried him. The human blushes at the mental image, and he gets out of bed. He notice that the furniture of room was taller than what it actually is, the dresser's top is touching the ceiling. He is not in the house again, but he can breath … maybe because he is conscious that this is dream-walking?
Stiles moves to the living room, and keeps walking towards Derek's bedroom. After considering what happen last time he opened the door, he should avoid it -but if this has anything to do with Arty...
The door swings opens with a small push. The room, like all the others, is too bright and fill with too much color. The bed is the biggest piece of furniture, Derek lies there asleep, and Arty is next to him wide awake. Stiles lays next to them.
"Hey" Stiles says softly and that gets Arty's full attention.
"Are you dreaming, Arty?" Stiles says, and for some reason Arty must think is funny because she is laughing.
"Mmm, so you think is funny?" Stiles says and he moves close to kiss her forehead.
"We are ...are we in you mind or imagination or whatever?" Arty must had think the question was very boring because she turns and starts playing with Derek's face.
"Okay. But why am I here?" Stiles asks the baby but she was suddenly distract it by the shaking of the room. The door was shaking and Stiles could see the knob moving, someone -or something- was hammering the door and screaming a distorted ugly cry. Arty started screaming.
Both men wake up by the sharp screams from Arty. Derek moves to comfort his pup, and Stiles brain tries to catch up with everything that is happening. Arty is having nightmares, weird supernatural nightmares, and Stiles is the only one who can be with her ...there -whatever 'there' is.
"I'm sorry" Derek says.
"Why? I mean, isn't that her favorite way to start the day?" Stiles says nervous.
"I don't mean…" Derek blushes "Doesn't this," the werewolf stops to point to the bedroom, and to themselves "makes you uncomfortable?"
"No" Stiles responses without thinking "I like it" When he is thinking again, he will hide from Derek.
Before Derek could ask Stiles what that means, there is a knock in the door and Derek freezes. Stiles instinctively reaches for Arty who is now calm and trying to squeeze out of Stiles grip.
"I'm sorry" Derek says as he leaves to open the door.
At the door frame, Talia hugs her grumpy son as soon as she sees him.
"Oh, it had been so long!"
"Is not even friday, mom."
"Oh, I couldn't wait!" Talia smiles, she could smell a soft scent of human but she decided that she could postpone annoying her son a little longer. "And, I fear that you might had decided to go out on friday."
"I would never do that" Derek groans.
"I know" She answers softly, she hears movement on her son's room -she was about to scold her son about leaving the baby unattended, but a young man walks out. He is pretty, dress in street clothes but obviously he had slept on them, he carries Arty who is miraculously quiet, and she can smell him from the door; He smell like puppies, milk, age?, medicine, Derek and Arty.
"And you must be Stiles?" Derek turns to see Stiles standing with Arty on the doorframe of her son's bedroom, Derek felt like his face was about to catch on fire -his mother knew that they slept together.
"Hi. Yes." Stiles face was red. "Oh, no. Arty, you need to get dress." Stiles says as he runs to his room.
Talia laughs at the young man, he seems good, but her son has such a rotten luck when it comes to relationships so...
"I brought breakfast!" She lifts the take out box and a few more gifts bags. Derek steps away from the door to let his mother in.
They talk little before Stiles and Arty reappear. Arty is wearing a cute loose blue dress, and a white headband. Stiles had change into fresh clothes. Arty is invested on the blue shiny skirt, and she sits on place to observe it.
Stiles disappears to the kitchen, he has all ingredients for his mother's recipe but he needs to hurry.
"please, would you stay for lunch?" Stiles pops his head out of the kitchen to ask Talia. She turns to Derek who groans and says 'you are welcome to stay.'
Stiles goes back in forth between the kitchen and the living room to participate on the conversation. He surprises both werewolf with his extended knowledge of supernatural creatures, and experiences with them.
The times passes fast. There is a lot to be re-tale of Arty's life, a scrapbook to read, old tips of child caring to be share, and a new invitation to offer.
"No" Derek didn't even tries to make an excuse of why he won't go to the next pack meeting.
"Derek, everyone wants to get to know Arty and Stiles" Talia insists. Derek's cheeks darken at the idea of what his family would be saying of Stiles. Oh, it would make Peter's day!
"They want to meet me?" Stiles walks out of the kitchen.
"Well, yes. You take care of the youngest Hale and Derek! Of course, the pack want to meet you." Talia smiles.
"Wow" Stiles lets out.
"No. I won't go at least that is obligatory, and even if it is obligatory Stiles doesn't need to go."
Stiles returns to the kitchen, not wanting to get involved in any family drama... anymore family drama, and Talia shakes her head at Derek.
The dinner goes better than expected. The sun goes away and Talia says her goodbyes.
She takes Derek for a walk -and most likely a talk, not as his mother but as his Alpha, Stiles stays behind with Arty. The human doesn't worry about Derek, he feels that Talia just wants to ask a few questions about the smallest member of the Hale pack, and those questions are not meant for non-pack members aka. Stiles.
Stiles gets Arty out of her dress, he puts the leftovers away, cleans the kitchen, he thinks of looking if Derek has any interesting cases on his home office but decides against it, and then he waits with Arty while watching bright cartoons.
Stiles' phone shines with a new text; Derek would return home in the morning, a second text told Stiles not to worry. After answering to the text, and making clear Stiles wants answers in the morning, he picks up Arty and leaves to his bedroom.
Arty is clean and ready to sleep, and Stiles tries to decide on which bedroom sleep; his or Derek's.
Stiles puts pillows around Arty as he positions himself to sleep. If Derek asks 'why are you sleeping on my bed?', then Stiles would say Arty need it her dad's smell. Is a very good excuse.
A knock at the door wakes up Stiles and Arty. Stiles picks up the baby as he tries to sooth her back to sleep. He tells her is just her dad, who most likely forgot his keys like a huge dork. He swings the door open to find a stranger standing in front. Stiles had never seen her before, and she has never seen Stiles before, but both stare at the other completely sure who they are looking at.
Arty seems immune to the tension. Stiles wants to close the door, but his muscles won't response. The human holds the baby like he expects the woman in front of him to rip Arty out his arms, and take her away, far away. The woman lets silence tears down her cheeks, she looks tired -like she had been running- her mouth moves like she has many things to say, but she knows she doesn't have the right to say them. Pixy can only say what she came to say -that was the deal.
"Listen, closely-" There was thunder on the sky, soon would start raining, it was such a nice night moments ago.
AN: please let me know if it makes sense and stuff, thanks.
Also we are almost there, this story is suppose to had 10 chapter and an epilogue.