Mr Stilinski and Derek have a confrontation. Stiles is scared by this turn of events, but then Isaac step up and surprises everybody. Scott and Allison do their own little investigation at the school. Melissa make a decision she believes will be for the best.

Stiles didn't even know what happened. At first he thought that Derek just suddenly felt the urge to use the bathroom, but then remembered that the werewolves had extreme control over their bodies, so that wasn't very likely.

Seconds later, he heard banging on the front door. All things considered, the front door was pretty far away, and a few floors down, so Stiles figured that whoever knocked was really eager to get in, since he could hear it from the bedroom.

For a moment he froze up. If this was the attack, he was so ill-prepared. He rolled himself out of bed. For some weird reason, he felt the need to cover up. If it was the Alphas it wouldn't matter; they would kill him swiftly regardless off his attire. Stiles grabbed Derek's robe and managed to get it on before he limped towards the door. He was not prepared to meet his destiny in pajama-pants.

As soon as he'd opened the door, Stiles realized that it was a set of totally different kind of worries that had to be taken into consideration. He could hear his dad's voice, and it was not soft and calming.

Looking at the clock, he could see that it was way too early for the morning coffee Derek had offered. Stiles wondered why the sheriff would pay them a visit at this hour, and he tried to listen in to the conversation.

The whispers from the living-room was not easy to grasp, but then his dad raised his voice. "Why is my name on the list?"

The urge to take part in the conversation was overwhelming, but Stiles managed to withdraw and close the door silently. He lied back down on the bed, and looked at the bottle of painkillers. Maybe he should just take a couple and pass out again? Stiles had no idea what went on and it bugged him big-time, so he decided to wait a while and see what happened.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The whole school was buzzing with rumors. Scott and Allison didn't know what was true and what was made up. The girl – possibly Erica – had been found in the woods. The body had been somewhat decomposed and hard to identify, but all things considered, they were pretty sure.

The moment they set foot outside and some of the students got picked up by their parents, Scott overheard a few sentences here and there. 'The body was shipped to the medical examiner.' 'It was obviously a murder.' 'She'd been raped and mutilated.' 'Her eyeballs were missing.' 'Angelica's dog had taken a bite of the corpse.'

Scott gave Allison a brief description of what he heard before he tugged her towards the car. "My mom will know more. I'm pretty sure." Allison shook herself loose from the grip. "Wait a sec, I'll try to find out." She pointed to a group of girls on the stairs. "That's Angelica's friends, I'll give it a shot."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Derek looked at Mr Stilinski. The guy seemed to be lost in his thoughts. "Hey, I, I... you're son is very important to me. He's my best friend. I can protect him." He wanted to tell the sheriff the truth, but wasn't sure how to word it. "I know what's going on here, and I'm willing to tell you." He drew his breath heavily. "It's just... difficult."

Mr. Stilinski looked at him with a tired expression on his face. "This is so sad. This girl was... too young to die. We've had some tragedies in this town before, but this girl... she was Stiles' age."

He downed the rest of the coffee and turned to Derek. "Tell me! If you have any idea what went down, you better tell me." With a huff he added. "And your coffee sucks. I'm going to have reflux for days."

Derek eased himself down on the armrest of the couch. He took a deep breath and swallowed. "It's werewolves. Werewolves killed her. I know this for sure." Mr Stilinski looked at him curiously for a split second before he rolled his eyes and got up from his seat. "Yeah, right!" He scooted backwards a little. "I will pick up my son now and leave the building. If you try to stop me, I have to warn you that I'm armed."

Slightly puzzled Derek threw his hands out. "No, don't. It's the worse thing you can do if you want to save your son." Suddenly he realized that Mr Stilinski thought he was crazy and wanted to get Stiles out of there as soon as possible. After that, he'd probably come back with a posse and take Derek to the looney-bin.

"NO, NO! Mr Stilinski, I'm not a maniac, I can prove it. Werewolves exist." Derek tried to grab the sheriffs arm, but the guy was fast and managed to pull out his weapon. Standing by the wall, he aimed his gun at Derek. "Step back. I will call for back-up. And I want Stiles here now."

Derek didn't know how to handle the situation. In the corner of his eye he could see Isaac peeking out from his room. The boy was obviously shocked by the turn of events. A small noise from across the room made Derek flip his head around. Stiles was standing there in the middle of the floor. "Do it. DO IT! SHOW HIM! Show him that you're not crazy! Show him the wolf!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When the shouting from the living-room was impossible to ignore anymore, Stiles got up again and headed for the door. He opened it slightly and heard Derek's voice. "I can prove it. Werewolves exist." He heard the commotion that followed, and he also heard his dad's reply. Suddenly, the pain in his chest became almost excruciating. It wasn't only because of the fractured ribs, but he could feel the pain in his heart. This revelation could possibly change his life, and not in a good way.

Stiles could see his dad standing by the door with a gun aimed at Derek. When Derek turned and looked at him, Stiles tried to urge him to show the sheriff that he was speaking the truth. So maybe daddy-o wouldn't be too happy, but at least he wouldn't think Derek was a nutcase.

Before any of them managed to react, Isaac emerged. He cleared his throat to get everybody's attention. Then he scrunched his face as in pain and started to turn. His face changed rapidly and with a sneer, he showed off his fangs. With a flick of the wrist, he got the sheriff to look at his hand as hair started to grow and the claws slowly came out.

Both Derek and Stiles stared at him and before any of them could react, the sound of a gunshot filled the apartment. Isaac had to take a step back when he got hit in the shoulder. Before the sheriff managed to aim at Isaac again, Stiles threw himself in front of the guy. "STOP, DON'T SHOOT!" He wondered if his dad was alert enough to not shoot his own son in the back, but Stiles had to take that chance.

"Dad, stop. For God's sake stop. He's my friend. He is a werewolf, but he's my friend." Stiles held onto Isaac's forearms, and watched as the wound stopped bleeding and started to close up. A thump behind him made him throw a peek over his shoulder. Mr Stilinski was leaning heavily on the wall. The gun was on the floor next to him. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Did he... Did Isaac kill her?" The sheriff hitched the words out as he struggled to stay on his feet. Stiles gave Isaac quick smile before he let go of him. The guy was almost back to normal again, and he rubbed his shoulder. "You're welcome." He whispered as he took a step away.

"No, dad. He didn't." Stiles limped across the room. He stopped in front of his dad and drew his breath quickly. It hurt. "The other wolves did. The rogue ones. The ones who attacked me."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Scott shook his head vigorously. "No way that all this is true. I don't know what Angelica told her BFF," he rolled his eyes. " but a partially decomposed corpse, come on. How much more do you need to flip out a little?"

He was – by no means of his own – the center of attention for a group of students; mostly freshman girls. "Seriously, being friends with the sheriff's son doesn't make me an oracle." He wished he could just leave, but he had to wait for Allison.

One of the girls moved closer and gave him a seductive smile. "Oh, I'm sure you..." Her words were cut short when Allison grabbed her collar. "Some girl got killed in the woods, and you are flirting with my boyfriend for information, how sick are you."

The girl took a couple of steps back. "Sorry! He was alone... a girl has to do what a girl has to do, but... whatever."

When the crowd had dissipated, Allison sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Seriously. I can't turn my back at you? Flirting with minors. Is that your thing now?" Allison tried to look grumpy but Scott knew it was an act. He still hesitated a bit before he replied. "Technically, we're all minors so ..."

He didn't get very far. Allison punched him in the chest with her fist. "Don't even..." She didn't manage to cover up the shy smile she sported on her lips. "Bah... okay then. Let me tell you the news."

Scott chuckled a little as they again approached the car. He was very curious about what she'd learned.

"It's Erica! Definitely! Someone at the morgue identified her by her hair and clothes." She shrugged a little and nodded towards the small crowd in front of the school. "One of those guy's cousin works as a porter at the hospital." She sighed. "Her body was intact; as intact as a dead body would be after a week or two. No dog or any other animal had nibbled on her. Just insects." Allison wiped a tear out of her eye.

Scott grabbed Allison's hand and tugged her closer. "Relax, it wasn't like she was a friend. Not really."

Allison leaned her head on Scott's shoulder. "I know. It's just... It's so sad. I know we weren't... friends, but still, it's sad."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Mr Stilinski hadn't fully recovered after the surprising turn of events. Derek hurried to get more coffee, but the sheriff pushed it away. "No thanks." They'd managed to get him to sit down on the couch, but he kept staring at the door to Isaac's room. Isaac himself had withdrawn from the scene and locked himself in.

When Derek poured a generous amount of whiskey into a tumbler and sat it on the table, Mr Stilinski grabbed it eagerly and emptied it in one gulp. He held out the glass and gestured for Derek to fill it again. This time he went slower and only took small sips.

"I've been awake for too long, I'm seeing things." He leaned forward a little and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "It was some kind of weird trick. I, how did he do that?" Stiles had been sitting next to him without moving much, but now he reached his hand out and stoke his dad's shoulder. "It's true, dad. Werewolves do exist. You saw what you saw. It was real."

Suddenly the sheriff sat up straight. "But, uh, I shot him. Did I shoot him? He, I, did I miss or is he hurt? Even if he... He's still a young boy, uh, man."

Derek and Stiles exchanged looks before Stiles sighed heavily. "You didn't miss. Unless you aimed for his head. The bullet went through his shoulder." He could see that his dad widened his eyes, but before he go a word out, Stiles continued. "They heal. The werewolves can heal themselves. Isaac is already as good as new."

It took a good hour for the sheriff to calm down, during which, he'd questioned his own sanity several times. In between the flashes of doubt, he'd pretty much subjected Stiles and Derek to a third-degree. They told him about the fight with the Alphas. Derek explained how Stiles got his injuries and how he, at the same time, saved Derek's life.

They didn't reveal that the whole fight ended with four dead werewolves or that Chris Argent had taken part in the cover-up. They also managed to hide the fact that both Derek and Scott were werewolves.

When Mr Stilinski asked to talk to Isaac to make sure he was okay, Stiles offered to get him. He didn't have to. Isaac came out voluntarily and took a few steps towards the sheriff. "We hear well too. I'm fine Mr Stilinski. I've healed, just like Stiles said. It's really okay, but I prefer not being shot at."

-o-o-o-o-o-

After another hour, Derek offered to take Mr Stilinski home. "You should not drive. Go home, get some sleep, and come back. We can discuss how to proceed later." The sheriff stumbled to his feet. Three generous glasses of whiskey made him a little unsteady. "I, I guess you're... but Stiles? Son! How are you doing. I'm sorry." He turned and walked towards the door without waiting for an answer. "You're right. I need some sleep"

Derek hurried to catch up with him, and gave Stiles a quick wave before the two of them left. Isaac was in his room but as soon as the door slammed shut, he came out and padded over to the kitchen. "It was okay, right? What I did?" He had his back turned towards Stiles while he rummaged through the fridge. "I mean... you wanted him to know about us? About the werewolves?"

Stiles was still somewhat taken aback by Isaac's performance a couple of hours ago. "I do, I did. I mean, yeah." He stared at Isaac's back. "I just don't understand why you did it. I was talking to Derek and expected him to 'wolf out'."

Isaac had found a slice of pizza, and ate it cold as he approached the couch. "Oh, I just... I was afraid that your dad wouldn't let you live here if he knew that Derek is a werewolf. Derek promised to protect you. I don't know." Stiles could see that Isaac blushed a little. "It's nice having you here. Derek is calmer, he's nicer, and this place," He looked around, "it's cozier now. It feel's like home. A safe home. Like the one I never had."

It was pretty clear that Isaac was embarrassed after the short speech, and Stiles didn't want to add to it so he managed to keep his mouth shut. He waited until Isaac was done with the pizza and went to get a drink. "You want anything? Tea, coffee, coke?" He picked a juice box out. "Apple juice?" Isaac threw a peek over his shoulder and Stiles nodded. "Sure, Juice."

After a few minutes of silence as Isaac poured the juice and came back to the couch, Stiles cleared his throat. "You said you'd be moving out. Why? And to where?" He grabbed the cup Isaac handed him and took a sip. "This is your home, sort of. You shouldn't have to move."

Again, Isaac got a shade of pink covering his face. "Uh, I, it's just... I can hear you." He turned away, but Stiles could see that he was embarrassed. Stiles knew for sure that nothing had happened in Derek's bedroom lately that would be loud enough for anyone to hear. "Hear what, exactly? We're not doing anything."

Isaac huffed audibly and gave Stiles a lopsided smile. "You think? It's embarrassing to listen to your conversations, even. Don't get me wrong. I like having you here, but come on..." He started to pace. "I'm in your way. I like the new Derek, but I can't just tune out my super-hearing. What you two say to each other should be private. With me here it's not."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Melissa had expected to get a call from Mr Stilinski. She'd totally forgotten about the whole Stiles-deception after what happened during the night, but was surprised that the sheriff never contacted her. She was happy about it, though. Lying to a member of law-enforcement wasn't desired. It was still a little disappointing. She had rehearsed her role so well.

She'd never got a chance to talk to her son about it either. Scott was already in bed when she came from work last night, and he'd left for school before she got up this morning. Now, that whole scenario had taken another turn. After the new revelations, she was pretty sure that Stiles was better off in Derek's care.

The main reason being that the sheriff would be too tangled up in this murder investigation to have time to tend to his son. Another issue, was the fact that werewolves were involved and Stiles' dad had no knowledge of how to handle these creatures. He didn't even know that they existed.

Melissa took a deep breath. She should probably just tell him the truth. She would have to convince her son to show Mr Stilinski that werewolves were real. The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself. She decided to pick up Scott after her shift, and take him to see Mr Stilinski.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Scott and Allison arrived at Derek's place, they sat in the car for a couple of minutes before they got out. "Scott. I know you do not approve of the relationship between Stiles and Derek, although you know it's real." Allison grabbed Scott's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm puzzled by it too, but they... It is real."

Scott shook his head and huffed. "I know. I know it is. It's just... I've know him all my life and... Never, ever could I have anticipated this." He gave Allison hand a stroke. "I still agree with your judgment. He is better off here. Derek will protect him with his life."

They got interrupted by Scott's phone buzzing. It was his mom. Wondering why she called in the middle of her shift, Scott picked up fast. What she told him made him shiver. He couldn't possibly reveal himself to Stiles' dad. It would be the end of the friendship. Mr. Stilinski would never let him get near his son if he knew.

"Mom, I don't think it's necessarily. We just... Okay I see your point, but still." He sighed heavily. "I'm at Derek's place with Allison, let's talk to Stiles and I'll call you back."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Derek could hear them as they ascended the stairs. He was slightly annoyed about the fact that Isaac hadn't locked front door, but at the moment it didn't matter. He'd sent the guy out to get groceries while Stiles was sleeping.

He got up and opened the door for Scott and Allison. "Hi. I guess you've heard? About Erica." He went back to the couch and slumped down. As he did so, he discovered that the evidence bag the sheriff had brought was lying under the table. Derek picked it up and looked at it. It couldn't be good. He wondered if the sheriff would get in trouble for being so careless.

"What's that?" Scott was standing next to him pointing at the bag. Derek tucked it in his pocket. "Oh, nothing, just a... Eh, nothing." Scott didn't look convinced but he did drop the subject. "Anyway, this is so sad. She was... in your pack. How..." The boy threw his hands out. "I mean, how do you feel about this?"

Derek stared into the air for a moment. "She's been gone for a long time. I kind of expected this to happen. She and Boyd weren't ready to... be on their own. They thought of themselves as invincible, but..."

When Allison came over and sat down next to him, Derek looked at her curiously. "She was shot. Did you...? Or your dad, or another hunter...?" He let the question just hang there waiting for Allison's response. "NO! No we had nothing to do with this. No Argent killed her." She had a pained expression on her face. "Did you seriously believe that I had anything to do with this?"

There was a moment of awkward silence before Derek drew his breath and looked at the girl. "I didn't, but I had to ask. Why would they shoot her?" He covered his face with his hands and sighed heavily. "It makes no sense."

"They did it to throw them off; the police." Stiles was standing in the doorway to Derek's room. "She was killed long before our little fight. She'd been hidden somewhere." He moved towards them with a small limp. "I don't think they planned for her to be found. They hid the body and expected it not to be found. Not until there was only a skeleton left and the cause of death would be almost impossible to determine." Stiles stopped behind the couch and looked at his friends. "After the fight they used her to give you, us, a warning."

Derek nodded to himself. It made sense. "Of course. They became a little desperate after losing most of their pack-members." He gave Stiles a smile. "Why didn't I, we, think about that?" Stiles reached his hand out and ruffled Derek's hair. "Because you guys are not as clever as me." With a smirk he straightened himself up. "Stiles is back in business. Solving puzzles, being a smart-ass."