Derek made it to the cabin in record time. If by some miracle he survived this and the witch wasn't an issue anymore, he was gonna burn this place down. Whether or not there would be a body inside to burn with it remained to be seen. He forced himself to slow down when he got to the door, opening it carefully in case there was anything lying in wait on the other side.
Derek saw Isaac right away. He was huddled in a tiny ball in the far corner of the room. It was never going to be that simple, but logic flew out the window for Derek as soon as he laid eyes on the little boy. He rushed forward, only making it a few steps before he was stopped by an invisible wall. He didn't need to look down to know there was a line of mountain ash keeping him from his goal.
"Isaac," Derek called out, trying to keep his voice calm. Isaac's head popped up from where it was tucked into his knees, exposing his tear streaked face. Derek yearned to put a slash in the witch's body for each one.
"Derek!" Isaac cried, reaching out for him.
"I need you to come to me, Pup," Derek instructed, waving Isaac toward him. Before Isaac could move, there was an ugly cackling noise, followed by the door behind Derek slamming shut.
"Stay where you are, little moppet. The grown ups need to talk," the witch said, revealing herself from a dark corner. She glided forward to put herself between Derek and Isaac, but made sure to stay behind the mountain ash barrier.
"Let him go. This is between you and me," Derek demanded, flashing his red eyes at her. The witch smirked, cocking her head to the side.
"But you brought him before, didn't you? It was okay to put him in danger then, but not now?"
"I wasn't there to fight before, I came to you for help. You're the one who got violent!" Derek snapped.
"You came to me because you couldn't control your pack and you got angry with me when I didn't fall in line," the witch scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Power is a big thing for you, isn't it?"
"You don't know anything about me," Derek growled.
"Oh, I know so much about you. More than you probably know yourself. More than you're willing to admit," the witch said mockingly. Derek could feel his claws digging into his palms. "That's how I knew exactly what spell to use on you."
"Turning me into a kid? What was that supposed to do?"
"Taking you down a few pegs for starters. Giving you a chance to grow up to be a better person. And honestly for my own amusement," the witch giggled, looking him up and down. "You would've been adorable too."
"Shut up."
"But actually, I like this way better. I bet this wasn't easy for you. I bet you hated being saddled with this kid."
"That's not true!" Derek insisted, before trying to catch a glimpse of Isaac again. If he was listening, he needed to know that wasn't how Derek felt. "Isaac, that's not true. Don't listen to her."
"You're selfish. You know you are. It had to grate on you that you were stuck with someone who had no value to you. Someone who didn't give you power."
"I don't care about that!"
"Yes, you do. That's why you kept searching for me. So you could have your soldier back."
"No."
"And for revenge. Can't accept someone showing you up, can you?"
"You're wrong."
"Tell me that if I let you walk out of here, you won't give up on this kid and make yourself a new pack."
"What?" Derek spluttered in confusion.
"How about an offer? You leave us and never look back and I'll do the same. I'll never step foot in Beacon Hills again, leaving you to pluck a few more kids from the high school to do your bidding. You can be the monster terrorizing the town."
"That's not happening."
"That's your only option if you want to walk out of here."
"Then I'm not walking out of here," Derek said simply, raising his hands in surrender. He'd accepted this as the most likely outcome since the beginning, but he didn't know how at peace he'd feel saying the words. There were a million ways to die for nothing, but he was going to die for something. "You can do whatever you want and I won't fight, as long as you let Isaac go back to my friends."
"And why would I agree to that? I already have you both."
"Because you could've killed us already and you haven't. Because killing a little boy isn't a win, but killing an Alpha? That's a good feather to put in your cap."
"Again, I could still do both."
"And if you kill me, you can leave this town without a second thought. But if you hurt him, you'll never know another day of peace. There will be people coming for you and eventually they'll win."
"And they won't for you?"
"I'm not that important," Derek shrugged. He knew if something happened to Isaac, Stiles wouldn't rest until he got revenge. He would convince a reluctant Scott to help and Peter was always ready to kill. But if he had Isaac to take care of, he wouldn't take that risk.
"Interesting," the witch mused, rubbing at her chin in consideration. "You seem different from the wolf that lost his temper so quickly the first time we met. Has this experience tamed you?"
"Does it matter?"
"Let's say it does. Let's say that what you say to me determines whether or not Isaac lives to see his next repeated birthday." Derek grit his teeth at the thought of being vulnerable in front of this witch, but he had no choice. Isaac's safety was more important than his pride. And since he wasn't going to make it out of this, Derek would only have to live with his discomfort for a little while longer.
"I didn't appreciate my pack the way I should've when I turned them. They were a means to an end. I needed power and they needed a place to belong, so it was a mutually beneficial relationship. It was never supposed to be more than that. But it changed."
"All because I turned this one into a child?"
"No, it changed before that. The more time I spent with them, the more they wormed their way in, no matter how much I fought against it. Caring about other people is dangerous and only leads to heartbreak. That's what I told myself after years of loss. And when my two Betas left me, I felt that loss again. But I get why they did it."
"And why's that?"
"I never gave them a reason to stay. I never showed them how important they were to me as people, instead of just members of my pack. I didn't protect them the way that I should have. And I might never get a chance to make up for it with the ones who left, but I tried with Isaac."
"Your last Beta."
"I thought I'd made a mistake after I bit him," Derek admitted. If Isaac was listening to all this, it probably made no sense. Stiles was going to have to deal with the explanations eventually. "Pretty soon after, I was all he had left. It wasn't something I expected or wanted, but-"
"Not what you wanted? Harsh," the witch smirked.
"It wasn't what I wanted because I knew I wouldn't be good at it. Isaac had already been through so much and I wasn't who anyone would turn to for comfort or guidance. All I was good for was training them to be werewolves, not raising them to be good humans."
"But then you got the chance."
"And I was even more convinced that I would screw it up. I thought anyone else would do a better job than I ever could. I wanted to find you and fight because violence is all I'm good for."
"And you're not even very good at that."
"Then I lost Isaac in a Target," Derek recounted, shaking his head. "I thought I couldn't feel fear like that after losing my family, because nothing compared. But I was ready to rip the world apart to find him."
"And now me."
"If that's what it came down to to get him back, yes. He's always been the one to stick by me, even when I didn't deserve it. Even when it would've been smarter to take off with the others or avoid me in general. He's almost died for me and I will willingly die for him."
"Because you owe him?"
"Because I care about him." The witch looked contemplative, but Derek was still bracing himself for this all to be a ruse. He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd decided what she was going to do from the first moment they'd met.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"He can go." Derek felt like his knees were going to buckle. Had he finally done something right? Better late than never and if it was going to be the last thing he did in his life, he could die happy.
"Thank you," Derek said sincerely. It was a bit strange to thank his soon to be murderer, but his life rarely ever made sense. The witch turned toward Isaac, kneeling down beside him and setting her hand on his shoulder. Derek tensed up, since he really didn't want her to touch him, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Off you go, little one," she said, nudging him toward the door. He looked confused, but Derek opened his arms wide, coaxing him over. Isaac hesitated for a few seconds, before springing up and launching himself at Derek. He caught the boy easily, clutching him tightly to his chest. Derek briefly thought about trying to run, but he couldn't risk it. Isaac getting to safety was all he needed.
"I wanna go home!" Isaac cried, turning his face into Derek's neck. He could feel the tears soaking into his collar.
"You are gonna go home, okay? Back home to Stiles," Derek soothed, rubbing Isaac's back. "He's gonna take care of you from now on."
"What about you?" Isaac sniffled, balling his fists into Derek's shirt.
"I can't come with you," Derek sighed, trying to keep his voice even. He didn't need to make this harder for either of them. Isaac tipped his head back, looking up at Derek with red eyes and a splotchy face. Derek gently brushed the tears off his cheeks, flashing him a shaky smile.
"Why?"
"It's complicated. Stiles can explain it to you one day, but know that I want nothing more than to stay with you. These past few days taking care of you were some of the best in my entire life."
"Don't go! I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry! I promise I'll be better!"
"Hey, do you know what you did?" Derek asked, brushing his hand through Isaac's curls until his hiccuping sobs died down. "You gave me something I never thought I'd have again. You gave me a family. I can never thank you enough for that."
"But I want to stay with you."
"I'll always be with you, okay? I'll be right here," Derek said, tapping a finger over Isaac's heart.
"Derek."
"It's okay to be sad for a little bit, but I don't want you to be sad for too long. Stiles is gonna take such good care of you and you'll have so much fun together. You're gonna get to have the childhood you deserved."
"I'm gonna miss you," Isaac sniffled, staring up at him with his big, blue eyes.
"I'm gonna miss you too, Pup," Derek replied, leaning forward to press a kiss to Isaac's forehead. He didn't want this moment to end, but it needed to before Derek broke completely. "It's time for you to go."
"I don't want to," Isaac whimpered, trying to burrow further into Derek's chest. As much as it pained him to do so, Derek gently pried Isaac off of him, settling him back on his feet. Derek stared at him, committing the sight to memory. He smiled as he thought of the man Isaac would grow to be. It was a shame he wouldn't get to see it himself, but he knew that Stiles and Scott would do right by him.
"I love you, Isaac," Derek said softly, running his hand along his cheek. He hadn't said those words to anyone in years, but he hadn't felt this confident in his feelings either. He should've said this sooner and more often, but now wasn't the time to focus on regrets.
"I love you too," Isaac sniffled. Derek let out a wet laugh, finally feeling the tears he'd kept at bay rolling down his cheeks. Instead of feeling embarrassed and trying to hide, he showed them to Isaac proudly. He wasn't going to pretend like the love he felt was anything to be ashamed of. If this was Isaac's last vision of him, Derek hoped he would remember how genuine his love truly was.
"You're gonna go out this door and walk straight through the trees. It's going to take a while, but Stiles and Scott are waiting for you just outside the preserve. Keep going and don't stop. Can you do that for me?" Derek instructed, wishing he could call them to come to the cabin instead. Isaac looked like he wanted to argue, but quietly cried instead. Derek gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, softly guiding him toward the door. He hoped the witch would kill him quickly, because he was not going to be able to live with this guilt for much longer.
"You're sending him out on his own? That's so dangerous," the witch gasped, shaking her head in disappointment. Derek was about to snap at her for making jokes when this was already hard enough for the both of them, but before he could say anything, she spoke again. "Go."
"You're letting me go?" Derek asked, not letting himself get his hopes up. This was probably a misunderstanding or a trick.
"Yeah." Derek grabbed Isaac by the arm, but still didn't move further. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop. After all this, she couldn't just change her mind like that.
"Why?"
"You were the one who kept bringing up me killing you. In fact, you were the aggressor from the very beginning. I was following your lead. And unless I read it wrong, it seems like you want to live. Or was that whole spiel a lie?"
"I was being honest," Derek confirmed, feeling his heart slam against his chest. Knocking out Stiles seemed pretty aggressive, but she could've done a lot worse. Using magic to incapacitate him caused less damage than blunt force.
"Then go. Contrary to popular belief, not all witches go around causing havoc. A little mischief maybe, but we mostly keep to ourselves. Remember that for the next time you happen upon us. We're generally a bit bitchy, but we'll leave you alone if you leave us alone. Will you leave me alone after this?"
"I will do my best to never see you again," Derek promised. Or any other witch. If his uncle was the worst supernatural being he ever had to deal with again, he could die happy. But he wasn't going to be dying today. Derek stooped down to pick up Isaac again, relishing in the fact that he got another chance to do so. He wasn't going to take for granted another second. But how many seconds did he have left? "Can I ask you a question?"
"The spell is going to wear off." So many feelings bubbled up inside Derek, but he couldn't begin to identify them all.
"When?"
"Soon. It was always temporary. Why do you think I set up this meeting? I'm surprised that fake trail worked on you guys," the witch bragged. Derek was going to kill Peter for jumping the gun on that.
"Why set up a meeting at all?" Derek wondered. If Isaac was going to change back all along and she was never planning on killing him, what was the point in sticking around?
"To make sure you really changed."
"And if I hadn't?" The witch raised her eyebrows and smirked, leaving the threat unsaid. Derek still didn't understand why she cared about any of them, but some people liked to involve themselves in matters that weren't their own. Stiles was a good example of that. The thought of him waiting and most likely freaking out made Derek want to end this conversation even faster, but there was still one question he had to ask. "Is it going to hurt?"
"Changing back?"
"Yeah." Derek held back a shudder thinking of Isaac screaming as he changed into his current form. It was bad enough seeing the teen deal with that pain, but Derek was pretty sure he wouldn't survive seeing the child version going through the same.
"It's not going to hurt. I'm not that cruel," the witch scoffed. Derek felt an argument on his tongue, but he held it back. There was no need to antagonize her and make her do something rash. "Now, do you want to keep chatting or do you want to get back to your co-parent? With the way he fought for the boy, I know he's gotta be losing his patience." Derek didn't need to be dismissed again. He gathered Isaac more securely to his chest and walked out the door. Derek made sure he kept his senses honed for any last second trouble, but once he was clear of the cabin, he was gone.
Derek made the now familiar trek with ease, hopping over logs and dodging branches. Taking the time to go around more difficult spots was not happening. He didn't know how much time he had before Isaac changed back, but he knew that Stiles needed the chance to say goodbye to this version. Even though it would probably be one of the hardest things either of them would have to do, it still needed to be done.
Derek could hear Stiles vibrating in his jeep before he even came into view. He was kind of impressed that the teen had been able to listen to his instructions, without trying to be the hero and getting himself into trouble. It seemed like they both had changed thanks to this experience.
When Derek finally broke through the treeline, Stiles' head snapped immediately in their direction. He burst into tears, scrambling out of the car and rushing over to them. Derek handed Isaac over, letting Stiles frantically check him over to make sure he was okay. Scott stood off to the side, trying to hide as he swiped a palm across his eyes.
"What happened? How are you- what happened?" Stiles choked out, pressing his cheek into Isaac's curls.
"It's over. I'll explain once we get to Deaton's," Derek said, trying to guide Stiles back toward the jeep. Stiles stopped him in his tracks, grabbing his arm and looking him over in panic. "Neither of us are hurt."
"Then why-"
"He's gonna change back." Stiles visibly swallowed and tensed, holding Isaac that much tighter. He'd probably imagined what the rest of his life would look like taking care of Isaac alone. This was probably a big emotional whiplash.
"How about I drive?" Scott offered. Stiles nodded numbly, carrying a silent Isaac back to the jeep. He was probably exhausted and in shock after everything. Derek climbed into the backseat with Stiles, sandwiching Isaac between them as close as possible. After wanting so badly for everything to go back to normal, it was hard to accept that this could be the last time they would ever be like this.
