Birthday cakes weren't his thing. Usually he'd let his mother make up some home made tray of cupcakes and then he would buy a grocery store cake for the evening, when he's be alone with the boys and they could celebrate together. But this year Stiles was there and he had raised the girls with a whole day spent in the kitchen baking cookies and a cake for whoever birthday's it was, meaning Jackson and Isaac were going to look totally awkward for the day while watching the other three members of the family shuffling around the kitchen. As for Derek, he decided to join them, mostly to get a chance to spend more time with his sons to talk about their mother's return.

Isaac had been too young when Kate had left and didn't truly remember her, which turned out to be the luckiest thing for the Hales: if they could prove that the Argent woman never truly had nothing to do with her children maybe they had a chance to keep her away for good. On the other hand, Jackson scowled whenever his mother's name was said and moved nearer to his little brother, placing a protecting hand over his shoulder.

"Jackson, how would you like your cake?" Stiles asked, his face covered in flour after a small battle had erupted when Erica refused to take her medication. It had been fun watching them argue, not as much fun when they both turned against the others and it became a proper battle, ended only by a loud scream from Lydia when cookie dough found its way in her hair.

"The bluest blue ever" he answered earning a small giggle from Erica and a roll of the eyes from the man standing in front of him.

"Seriously? Have you been watching Doctor Who again? Trust me, kiddo, that's becoming a drug"

Jackson looked up sheepishly getting off his chair and getting a glass of water to free his airway from all the flour trapped inside. He looked around, smiling at the scene in front of him. Less than a year ago he believed his dad would never find love again and that Isaac and himself were never going to have a proper family, not one like those they saw in television and Jackson knew his brother yearned for. It didn't take a genius to realize Isaac wanted a mom. Or something resembling a mother figure.

Then Erica and Lydia moved to their school, bringing their father in tow and rocking their world. And maybe it was ok having two dads, because anything was better than his biological mother.

"Can I help with the icing?" he asked walking back to the table.

"Sure. But we have to wait for the cake to be ready before. Why don 't you go play and I call you when it's time?" Stiles said shooing them out of the kitchen looking menacingly at Derek" And you are so helping me cleaning up"

"I didn't make the mess" he protested, but standing up anyway from his seat to help out.

"Dad, I'm just going to get my ball: left it outside earlier" Jackson yelled from the living room " Bro, make sure they don't put something girly on".

"Ok" Isaac said, mesmerized by a dinosaurs' show playing in front of him.

Jackson had worn his jacket, though it was late April and the chill had completely left place to the gentle breeze brought by Californian spring in the area: summer was coming sooner than expected, the holidays were already being planned and he couldn't wait for the Sheriff and Melissa to take them to the zoo when they went to LA in a few weeks-time. Darn, he was sure he had left the ball under the tree. He had been teaching Isaac and Erica how to play baseball, both his younger siblings thrilled by the game since he had tried out for the school team in February. His dad and Stiles had come to all his games and so had aunt Laura after she had had his new baby cousin, the screaming yet adorable Beatrix, and she had brought all her other kids along. His dad used to tease her for having so many kids, but now they were four, so he had to stop complaining.

"Looking for this?" Jackson turned abruptly towards the woods, hoping to have misheard. He knew that voice and he never wanted to hear it again.

"Give me my ball and leave" he hissed walking towards her and snatching the ball away from his mother's hands. "Dad told me the judge said you can't come here until he makes a decision"

"Oh, please, you are too young to understand these sort of things. Now come here and hug me" she crouched to eye level with the boy, her smile intact. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him towards a nearby garden chair, to then hug him forcibly.

"I don't want to" Jackson pushed her away standing up and rushing to the house screaming for his dad and Stiles.

"Ok, stay here with your brother" Derek said heading to the door, anger coming out from his every pore.

"Derek!" Stiles' scream stopped him dead in his tracks "You stay here. We don't want you to attack her, do we?"

"Would you blame me for it?" he asked.

"No. Let me talk to her, ok? You can watch from the window" he said. Derek gave him a slight nod and Stiles exited the house.

"Oh, no, the terrible Stiles is approaching" the woman teased "Derek doesn't want to get his hands dirty?"

"I don't want him to kill you. It wouldn't really look good for our family" Stiles explained sitting next to her "May I ask you what are you doing here?

"It's my son's birthday" Kate said.

"Except you haven't even sent a card in years. Why now?"

"I want my kids back"

"Don't you try to sell me bullshit: you want to hurt Derek and the boys, for some insane reason, but I won't let you touch them. They are my family now and you are never coming near them, capisc?"

"So defensive. The judge will decide what's best for the boys" the woman remarked.

"And he's totally going for you when he finds out how scared Jackson is of you! That little boy deserves better than you and if I ever hear you've seen him without Derek's or my consent I'll make sure the Sheriff puts you in jail" Stiles threatened.

"You have no right to keep me away from them"

"Oh, but I do" Stiles' smile grew larger, losing all the hatred he had held in his eyes until a few seconds earlier "You'll find out that they are legally my children now. As my daughters are now Derek's. You can leave on your own now, or I'll call the cops"

Kate's mischievous smile fell, her eyes filling with a desire of revenge that only physical harm could satisfy, but that wasn't neither the time nor the place to hurt the man standing in front of her. Stiles waved at the woman, his grin widening while wishing out loud to never see her again around the house.

Stiles re-entered the house, copying Derek's reaction of collapsing into the door the first time he had met Kate. He sat down on the floor, Derek watching him and touching his face to make sure nothing had hurt him. The television had been turned off as soon as Jackson had ran back into the house and the kids were standing between the living room and the entrance hall, waiting for Derek to give them the ok to hug Stiles to death. Jackson moved first, finding his way on the man's lap and letting his head rest on the spot where neck met shoulder. Lydia curled under his left arm, letting her sister settle between her legs, whilst Isaac sat on his father touching his other dad's leg while Derek massaged his partner's neck.

"I'm ok, you know? What about you, Jacks?" Stiles asked focusing on the young boy on his right.

"I'm fine" he whispered "But I really want to go and finish the cake" he smiled softly.

"What do you thing, should we go finish the cake or make new cookies" Derek asked "I'm sure nana wouldn't mind if we taught this three her secret recipe"

"You've got secrets cookies we don't know about?" Stiles feigned surprise "I definitely go for the cookies"

"Can't we just do both?" Isaac suggested, his stomach emitting sounds to let others know that hunger was on its way.

Apparently sadness could not last very long in that household.

Author's Corner

Well, hello!

I'm really happy for all the reviews for the last chapter and I must say I'm really surprised for all the story followers: you keep me going. Just to clarify, Erica suffers from mild fits caused by the accident she has had with her mother and the pills I keep mentioning help her not getting them.

Oh, and to be clear:

Laura is 36

Derek is 34

Stiles is 29

Jackson and Lydia are 9

Isaac and Erica are 6