They arrange for a neighboring pack to take Laura in temporarily, a few months, a year, maybe, since they- they can't take care of her properly right now. They might want to (Derek definitely wants to, Stiles can see it written all over his face as he looks down at Laura with an adoring glint that Stiles has become pretty used to -but still makes his breath stutter with its sheer force- and lets her curl her tiny fist around one of his fingers; and who is he even trying to kid? He wants to, too, fiercely), but they aren't ready for it. Scott, Derek, and himself leave Laura in the sheriff and Melissa's care and go over to the Alpha's territory, do the whole proper werewolf protocol deal, with long and tedious ceremonies and meetings, and when they come back they are worn, ready to sleep for a week, but they are content with the end results.
Not happy. Nobody is precisely happy about this arrangement, but they aren't selfish enough to keep Laura in Beacon Hills when there's... when there are still things to be taken care of. When Stiles is so painfully young to be a father, hasn't even gotten out of high school yet, is still a senior. When Derek is just beginning to put himself together after losing his pack for the second time.
So they work the deal out with this neighboring pack, the Rivera pack, that's been allied to the Hales for generations; Derek explains to them the situation and calls in a few favors, says that they'll fully cover Laura's living expenses (which makes the pack's alpha Rivera -"you make me feel so old, please call me Sandra"-, a middle aged woman with a kind face and crinkled dark eyes and skin, rolls her eyes at them with a gently amused smile in place).
"I," Derek rasps out, hands twitching where they are entwined on top of alpha Rivera's desk before he steels his voice and goes on, "I want us to be able to visit her at least every few weeks. To be able to spend all the time we can with her. We can't- we don't want to sever ties, even if it's just for a year.
"We want to be part of her life."
Scott puts his hand on Derek's shoulder in a display of support for a few beats, and Stiles sneaks his hand onto Derek's leg, lets it rest there.
He feels like his body is burning, chest hurting while alpha Rivera looks at them, silent and considering.
"You're doing the right thing," she says at least, reclining herself on her chair, looking nothing short of regal and composed. "You're doing the best thing for your cub, here."
Stiles squeezes Derek's leg at the word cub, because she is, Laura is their cub, no matter how she landed in their lives, and that's overwhelming, a wave of feeling washing all over him.
"Of course you can visit her," alpha Rivera says after they've been silent for a few seconds, staring at her with wide eyes. "Don't be silly here, boys."
Stiles lets go of a breath he didn't know he was holding in and she smiles warmly at them then and her eyes crinkle at the corners; she looks matronly and like she will offer them a lemon bar any time now, and though Stiles isn't fooled by it because he can see the strength in her gaze, in her hands, all over her body, he can't help but wanting to trust her.
"Thank you, alpha- Sandra," Scott says then, earnestly. "We're very grateful for this."
"I imagine," she replies, and it isn't mean spirited. It's sincere, like she entirely understands how deeply grateful they are for this, and like she can understand -underneath that- how this is still incredibly painful for them.
"The Hale pack has come to our aid in many occasions, proving to be genuine and valuable allies," she says then, and for a few seconds her face contorts into something that looks like sorrow and her eyes go to Derek, who is very still. "It is my wish to honor alpha Talia's memory, and the ties that have bound us for many years already."
They hash out a few details then, talk about when they are bringing her over, and who is going to stay with her the first few days, to help her acclimate and to get to know her primary caretakers, to make sure everything is in fact okay (Derek); alpha Rivera asks about Stiles and Derek's relationship, inquires whether they'll come to visit together, and whether they'll need mate specific accommodations and though it makes Stiles squirm nervously on his seat, Derek remains unshaken by it all and provides answers calmly: yes, we will, as often as possible; it would be preferred, thank you for your consideration.
While alpha Rivera is talking a few things over with Derek (Stiles thinks he hears the word Skype thrown somewhere around there), Scott commandeers his attention and looks at him with a raised eyebrow that Stiles takes to mean really? And maybe is it like that already? And Stiles hasn't got solid answers to give him, other than a knee jerk reaction to nod back a yes, it's like that, so he gives Scott a shrug that is the best as he's got right now.
"Okay, then," alpha Rivera says, putting her hands flat on the desk, "I think this would be all?"
All of them nod, and Scott gets to his feet when she does, shakes her hand firmly (and blushes pleasantly when she calls him a formidable young alpha), thanks her again as Stiles and Derek shake her hand too, and then turns around and leads Stiles and Derek out.
The weeks following the meeting with alpha Rivera are... hard. Hard for everybody. For him, for Derek, for his dad, for Scott, for Kira. Even for Lydia, who's come to appreciate Laura on her own way, since she'd become a permanent addendum to their biweekly how to get rid of the fucking Nemeton meetings.
They prepare her things to take them to the Rivera pack, pack them up in boxes, and put those boxes in Derek's car; and most importantly, they prepare themselves, which is harder.
His dad takes to looking at him like he's both incredibly proud of him and like he doesn't know what to tell him to make him feel better; Stiles knows that one look, he'd seen it a lot after his mom's death.
Stiles just smiles at his dad and nags him about his eating habits, makes digs about him being a grandpa already, and needing to take better care of himself now since he isn't as young anymore. It gets him annoyed eye rolls, cuffs to the back of his head, and unintelligible grunts.
It distracts his dad a little. And though it doesn't do much for him, it's still nice.
His dad lets Derek stay the night before they're meant to take Laura to the Rivera pack.
For the first time Stiles gets to have someone on his bed, It's depressingly platonic; they just hold hands a lot, and make out a little, and fall asleep breathing each other's air, like something out of a Lifetime movie.
They also alternate Laura duties, and the last time she wakes up, at about seven, they just stay up. Bring her over to the bed and lie there together, the three of them with her in the middle.
"Are you ready?" Stiles whispers at Derek.
"No," Derek lets out, "are you?"
"No." He brings his fingers up to smooth Laura's baby fuzz.
Derek sighs.
"Let's do this."
Stiles nods, and echoes him, "Let's do this."