"This is priceless," Stiles mumbled, followed by the sound of a camera. Derek blinked his eyes open, trying to figure out where he was. He was more comfortable than he usually was, when he slept on a ratty mattress on the floor. A warm bundle moved against his side and everything came back to him. Derek had fallen asleep in Stiles' bed with Isaac curled up against him. Not a sentence he'd ever thought would be true, but a lot of things were happening that he'd never considered. "That one is going on the fridge."

"Stiles," Derek growled, glaring across the room at him. He didn't like having his picture taken in the best of times. And if the wrong person saw these photos, there would be a lot of questions he couldn't answer.

"Fine, I'll delete them," Stiles huffed, pressing a few buttons on his phone. Derek could tell by the sound of his heart that he was lying, but he'd deal with smashing Stiles' phone to pieces later. For now, they had a kid to take care of and a witch to find.

"What time is it? Should I let him sleep?" Derek asked, glancing down at Isaac as he let out a little snore. Teenage Isaac usually only snored when he was sleeping curled up in an old bus with his head hanging off the side of a seat.

"Late morning. I figured you both needed the rest, after the last couple of days. But I've got pancake batter ready for the griddle, so it's probably time to get up," Stiles replied, stepping further into the room. "Want me to wake him while you get yourself dolled up in the bathroom?"

"Stiles, I hope you know that I have a very good memory. As soon as Isaac is back to normal, I'm going to pay you back for all this."

"It feels strange to be threatened by a guy who is lying in my bed. Not that it's happened a lot before. I haven't really had a lot of guys in my bed before. Or girls. Anyone. I'm gonna stop talking," Stiles stammered, backing toward the door again. "I'll see you downstairs."

"Good idea," Derek smirked, waiting until Stiles was fully out of the room before turning his attention back to Isaac. He felt like he'd made a lot of progress in the last day with him, after a rocky start. And more rocky moments after that. Knowing Derek, there would be even more rocky moments to come, but hopefully they'd built up enough of a foundation to overcome whatever new mistakes he'd make.

Derek nudged Isaac's shoulder, trying to wake him up gently instead of scaring him awake. Teenage Isaac was the type to jolt upright whenever he didn't wake up naturally. Derek wondered if any of this time would rub off on Isaac when he was changed back. A couple days couldn't erase years of abuse, but there could be at least a little something different. Maybe a moment or two that Isaac could look back on in a positive light, instead of darkness he wished he could forget.

"What happened to Blue?" Isaac mumbled, rubbing at his eyes as he slowly woke up.

"Blue?"

"The wolf," Isaac yawned, burrowing further down into the blankets. It looked like freshly woken Isaac wasn't as timid as the normal version.

"How about I tell you over breakfast? Stiles is making pancakes." Isaac's head popped up at that statement, putting his bed head on full display. There were golden curls pointing every way, making him look somehow even younger.

"Can I have a pancake?" Isaac asked, staring up at him with those big eyes that could convince Derek to say yes to anything.

"You can have as many pancakes as you want," Derek replied, watching Isaac's face light up with joy. "How about you go use the bathroom? By the time you're done, the first batch might be ready."

"Okay!" Isaac said excitedly, launching himself out of bed and into the bathroom. Derek was surprised at the change in personality. This was going to be a lot easier if Isaac wasn't timid and expecting to be punished every second. The day was going to be a breeze.

The day was not a breeze. Isaac kept his more relaxed attitude, which was good, but that came with more changes than Derek expected. A relaxed Isaac was a playful Isaac. An Isaac with more energy than Derek knew what to do with. And he was exhausted.

He hadn't said anything when Stiles filled Isaac full of pancakes and sugary syrup. If the kid wanted to eat, he could eat. But it was like that was the fuel Isaac needed to really let loose. The kid who was content to sit for hours while playing with Legos was gone and he'd been replaced by the Tasmanian Devil.

"I don't remember ever having that much energy," Stiles groaned, flopping down into a lawn chair beside him. He'd just been chasing Isaac around the yard for the last twenty minutes, trying to put a new layer of sunscreen on him. He was paranoid about the sprinkler Isaac was running through washing it all off and him getting burned.

"That terrifies me, coming from you," Derek grunted. Stiles always seemed like he was bouncing around from one spot to another, like a deranged rabbit. If this was too much for him, Derek would have to throw away the thought of ever becoming a father. He may only be in his early twenties, but he felt too old for this. "Where did Scott go?"

"I don't know. He snuck off earlier before I could stop him."

"Tell him to bring back some puppies or something to keep Isaac entertained."

"You realize those are people's pets, right? You can't just borrow them," Stiles snorted, rolling his eyes.

"How are we supposed to keep him occupied? When does he stop?"

"I still don't understand why you think I know these things. The only time I've been around kids was when I actually was one. And at that point, I wasn't really paying attention."

"Good going," Derek muttered.

"You're right. I should've known then that I would be in a situation where werewolves and witches are real and the Beta of a guy who loves to threaten me would be turned into a child, who I've somehow been roped into co-parenting. My mistake. So what's your excuse?" Stiles shot back.

"I had better things to do," Derek waved off.

"Unbelievable."

"Should we put him down for a nap?"

"I don't think he'd fall asleep right now," Stiles sighed, pointing to where Isaac was jumping up and down for no apparent reason. Derek wasn't going to accept any excuses when it came to training anymore. If Isaac had this in him as a kid, he could use it as a teenager too.

"I sure could," Derek grumbled, yawning into his fist. If he ever had kids of his own, he was definitely hiring a nanny.

"How about you go into the kitchen and grab us a couple of energy drinks to give us a boost?" Stiles suggested, jerking his thumb back toward the house. Derek eyed Stiles warily, before glancing back toward Isaac. The yard wasn't too big and was fenced, but the incident in Target still plagued his mind. It would only take a second for something to happen to Isaac. "I've got him. I promise."

Derek hated that his nerves were so obvious. As ridiculous as it sounded, having people know that he cared about anything felt like a weakness. He could never be like Scott, who seemed to care about everything and was always so damn earnest. Caring about things only led to pain, which was why Derek chose to stay as closed off from everyone as possible. He'd lost so much in his life and the trend seemed to be continuing, with his sister and Betas. The idea of losing Isaac was too much to handle, especially in his current state. Would he feel just as strongly about the normal Isaac if he got the chance again? Derek wasn't sure, but he would do his best to get him safely back to that and find out.

He trudged into the house, taking a second to appreciate the chance to stand still in the air conditioned house without any responsibility. Even though it was probably the most terrifying experience of his life, which was a big statement to make after everything he'd been through, he was still kind of enjoying it. But the pressure of it all was overwhelming when he let himself think about it. The fact that people did this every day, and even with multiple children, was almost unfathomable.

Derek opened the fridge and bent down, taking the time to peruse the options. He wasn't an energy drink guy, but if they would help him keep going, he'd chug a case. Stiles could put them away like water, which explained so much about his personality. Coffee was also an option, but the idea of drinking something hot and bitter on a warm California afternoon didn't sound pleasant. Maybe there was an un-energy drink they could give to Isaac.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day." Derek almost jumped out of his skin at the unexpected voice. He clenched his jaw, giving himself a second to tamp down on the annoyance he always felt in the presence of his least favorite family member.

"What are you doing here?" Derek sighed, standing up straight to find his uncle leaning against the wall with a smirk. Even though he'd helped in the end with Jackson, it didn't mean that Derek wanted to be around him. Killing Laura had put a permanent stain on their relationship, no matter what excuse Peter had for doing it.

"I know I missed a lot while I was indisposed, but a secret child? That one honestly surprises me," Peter said, raising a judgmental eyebrow. "I still haven't figured out how Stiles fits into all of this."

"I didn't have a kid," Derek ground out, shooting his uncle an unamused glare. "It's Isaac." Peter opened his mouth, before closing it again with a curious look on his face.

"That's a new one."

"Yeah."

"And how does something like this happen?"

"A witch."

"First a kanima and now a witch. Nephew, you are very good at finding trouble, aren't you?" Peter smirked, shaking his head in amusement. That was an understatement, but he wasn't going to give Peter the satisfaction of agreeing with him.

"What are you doing here?" Derek asked again, making his tone clear that he wasn't in the mood for Peter's particular brand of snark. If he could get away with it, he'd murder Peter again. That probably wasn't the best thing to do in the sheriff's kitchen though.

"I was going to ask you if you'd heard anything else from the Alpha pack, but you weren't where I expected you to be. I tracked you here, only to find you running a daycare," Peter explained, taking a few steps toward the backdoor. Derek bristled at Peter getting closer to where Isaac was.

"I haven't heard anything, but I've been busy." The Alpha pack was the last thing on his mind. Finding Erica and Boyd had fallen by the wayside as well, but Isaac's situation was definitely more pressing.

"Clearly. Do you have a plan to change him back or are you enjoying playing daddy?" Peter asked, barely stifling a laugh. Derek didn't know why the thought of him being a father was so humorous. He'd gotten this far, hadn't he? It may not be completely natural for him, but he also wasn't the worst.

"I haven't been able to find the witch who did this yet."

"I guess you do have your hands full," Peter nodded, before snapping his fingers. "Why, I've got a great idea. Why don't you leave Isaac with me so you can focus all of your attention on finding that witch?"

"Excuse me?"

"I wouldn't mind at all. And I have much more experience with children than you do. I'd be happy to take him off your hands."

Derek wasn't sure how it happened, but one second he was standing on one side of the kitchen, and the next he had Peter pinned to the wall with a clawed hand around his throat. His uncle was staring at him in surprise, but wasn't doing anything to get free. That was probably the safest choice.

"You will not go near him," Derek growled, saying each word slowly and carefully. He didn't want there to be any question as to how serious he was. If Peter touched a hair on Isaac's head, no amount of magic would bring him back from where Derek would send him.

At the start of this, Derek was desperate enough to send Isaac to anyone who would take him. Whether it was fear of messing up or avoidance of responsibility or a combination of both, Derek hadn't wanted to be the one to watch over him. But now, at even the mere thought of Isaac falling into less than ideal hands, Derek was willing to rip anyone apart to prevent it.

"I won't go near him," Peter agreed, keeping still even as Derek slowly released him. Derek backed up a few steps, letting his claws slide back under his skin. Peter dabbed at his throat, raising his eyebrows a little as his fingertips came away wet. The minor wounds would heal, but Derek got a bit of satisfaction knowing that they would take longer than normal, with him being an Alpha.

"How about you put your stalking to good use and go find the witch who did this," Derek suggested. Letting Peter loose on the hunt would keep him away from Isaac, which was a win even if he didn't find anything. "And if you find her, call me. Don't kill her."

"You're no fun," Peter sighed dramatically. Derek rolled his eyes, ready for his uncle to leave. Every interaction with the man now made it harder to remember how they'd been close once upon a time. Which one of them had changed more?

"If you piss her off and get turned into a kid, you're on your own."

"I expect nothing less," Peter replied with a wave of his hand as he walked toward the front door. The Stilinskis really needed to get better security for their house. Peter paused at the door, turning to face him again. "You might not be so bad at this parenting thing. You remind me of your mother." With that, he swept out of the house like he'd never been there.

Derek tried to disregard Peter's words. He couldn't take anything he said as the truth. Peter only said things if he had something to gain from it. But Derek couldn't help the little pleased feeling he felt at the idea of being compared to his mother. He'd probably looked up to her more than anyone else in his life. His admiration had mostly been about her role as an Alpha, but he also appreciated how she was as a parent. It just never was something he thought about for himself. The idea that he was anything like her in that regard made him want to try even harder to be what Isaac needed. He may have been failing at leading a pack, but he didn't have to fail at this.

Derek walked back out to the yard with the drinks, grabbing a juice box for Isaac as well. It was probably a terrible idea to give him more sugar, but what harm could it do? He was already bouncing off the walls, but you were only a kid once. Well, apparently that wasn't true. Typically it was, but their lives were anything but typical.

"Got the energy-" Derek's words were cut off by a water balloon hitting him square in the face. He blinked past the liquid dripping down his eyelids, finding Stiles and Isaac staring at him in horror. Derek didn't remember them buying any water balloons, but Stiles had piled so much in the cart that it didn't surprise him. The projectile to the face did though.

"Oops," Stiles said sheepishly, rocking back on his heels to look innocent. Isaac was frozen with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. Derek could smell the sharp tang of fear wafting off of him. What repercussion would Isaac have gotten from his dad for this? Judging by his reaction and what Derek already knew, it was nothing good. And maybe if this had been the first day, while Derek's fear and frustration were leading him, his reaction would've been negative. The fear was still there, but it was paired with something different. Responsibility. Protectiveness. Affection. Derek wasn't going to let himself be another person Isaac had to fear.

"Nice shot," Derek said calmly, setting the drinks down next to the chairs. He picked up a water balloon that rolled in his direction, tossing it up into the air a couple times. He let a relaxed smile spread across his face, before winking at Isaac. The boy's shoulders slowly lost some of their tension as more time passed and no anger was directed at him. If Derek accomplished anything during this crazy time, he hoped it would be giving Isaac a space where he didn't have to be scared. Even if Isaac changed back and didn't remember this at all, Derek would remember. And he would force himself to remember to extend this same grace going forward. Maybe not to Stiles though. Derek launched his balloon at Stiles, landing a direct hit to his face.

"No fair!" Stiles spluttered, shaking his head like a wet dog. Derek grinned ferally at him, stalking forward a few steps. Stiles scrambled backwards, herding Isaac toward the bucket that held most of the projectiles. They loaded up their arms, poised and ready to strike. And as the balloons started flying and they all ran around the yard with reckless abandon, Derek didn't feel so tired anymore.