2007

Stiles kicked at the rock and looked around where he was in the Preserve. He was in the whole public area where sometimes people camped if they had approval. Stiles remembered coming out when he was younger with his mother and father. They didn't do anything else like that anymore. His father worked, and Stiles went to school, only it was summer, and he hadn't really seen his father for three weeks.

With Noah becoming sober in the wake of Stiles's mother's death, he started to work more and more. There were sometimes where Stiles felt like he was just the one to keep his father fed. There was a lady down the street that came in and cleaned. She had done so since Stiles' mother had fallen ill. She kept doing it, which was good as Stiles didn't mind cleaning his room, but he hated cleaning anything else.

Stiles dropped dow,n onto the tree stump, and groaned before he flopped back. It had been another morning of pop-tarts since his father had already left for work; there was no one to yell at him for eating them for breakfast. Stiles did the shopping anyway, and it wasn't like his father paid attention to what he bought.

When he got home, it was one of the TV dinners with less sodium, and Stiles just didn't feel like cooking anything. His dinner might even be pop-tarts again before he passed out in bed.

Scott was staying with his father for the first month of the summer, and Stiles wasn't sure he was going to survive it. Scott had dodged his last few calls, and so Stiles had stopped calling. He just stayed at home or walked in the Preserve.

Stiles debated not even going home. To see if his father even noticed that he was missing. Hell, he probably would just go to bed and then wake up and go into work again. Even though he wanted to, he knew that he couldn't. His father would be pissed or hurt. He would think that Stiles was dead, and while Stiles was afraid that his father didn't care about him anymore, he couldn't just leave him alone. He'd go right back into the bottle, and this time he might not come out.

There was little to do but walk around. Stiles looked down at his feet and wondered how much a pair of shoes would be that he could run around in. He knew that running in the Preserve would need slightly different shoes than running around on the pavement. His father didn't really limit what he bought, and new shoes were the kinds of things that he was allowed. He thought about what kind of shoes he wanted. Stiles kept on walking around the Preserve until the sun started to go down, and then he headed home. He popped dinner in the microwave while he went up to get things ready for his shower. He inhaled his food and showered before dropping down into the bed and reading with the covers up above his head. He was asleep before his father got home.

"Well?" Talia asked as soon as Peter entered the house just before dark, fully set.

"He was out there all day. He went home to eat lunch, but I lost him in the streets around. I was able to follow him mostly home this evening, though. He lives on Woodbine Lane or at least very close to it."

"I can ask the Sheriff. He lives there. If I had a picture of the boy, I'm sure that he'll know." Talia finished adding the meat into the marinade for the next day for lunch. Peter could smell the spices and found that he loved it. Talia did well with that kind of stuff, but Peter was the cook for the family.

"I don't know that I would do that. I mean a random picture of the boy and asking the Sheriff who he is. I know that you are a City Council member, but it's still a little...shady."

"You are right. I'm just worried about him."

"Who are you worried about? Not Derek again, please?" Cora asked as she entered the room.

"Just a boy who has been walking around the Preserve a lot. Several of us have spotted him around there too much."

"Moles? Buzzcut? Too much plaid? Too many layers?"

"Yes." Peter turned to look at her fully. "Who is that?"

"Just Stiles."

"Stiles?" Peter asked. The name kind of rung a bell.

"Yeah, Stiles Stilinski. You know the Sheriff's son?" Cora looked at them both like they were idiots before she slipped out of the room.

"I remember he was in trouble a bit after his mother died, but he pulled it together and stayed in Cora's class," Talia said.

"So we aren't telling the Sheriff until you talk to Greg. Maybe tomorrow I'll take a walk and actually run into him. Maybe invite him back for lunch. I know you work tomorrow, so I'll see if I can't keep him around for a while. I have no clue if someone else is supposed to be watching him."

"No child should be alone this much, Peter. Not after losing their mother. I'll talk to Greg tonight in the office, where none of the kids can hear us."

Peter nodded his head. He grabbed an apple and chomped on it as he headed up to his office in the house. He bypassed the kids' bedrooms. Spencer was dead asleep, his breathing even, and his heart was racing a little like it always had since he had started his ADHD medication. Cora was listening to music with headphones on. Peter could barely hear it.

Derek was sitting at his desk in his room with a book spread out in front of him. He had no headphones on, but his TV was on low.

"Hey," Peter said as he slipped into the room and shut the door.

"Hello," Derek said. He grabbed a pen and laid it down on a specific line before he looked at Peter. "What do you need?"

"Doing anything fun tomorrow?" Peter asked.

"Not really. I was just going to get some more studying done. They released the book list for my class, and Dad ordered them. I just got them in. I was going to do the reading on the courses I'm least interested in." Derek had pushed through his tenth and eleventh-grade years to get as much done so he could get the hell out of there. Peter admired Derek for staying when he could have left to get away from everyone who talked about him and his relationship with Kate. Still, Derek hadn't wanted to go to Devenford Prep or the other general high school in the area. So he had just graduated early.

Peter grabbed the second office chair in the room and scooted it over. Spencer spent a lot of time working on homework here. It was part of why it was there and why Derek had a huge desk. There was room for Spencer's laptop and books. Peter was worried about Spencer with Derek starting college that the younger boy would get depressed. They would be doing it again when Cora graduated as well. Spencer had been okay after Laura had left, he wasn't that close to her.

"I have a task tomorrow, and I was hoping that you would help me. I don't want Cora because she's...abrasive."

"I heard you guys talking about Stiles. I've seen him in the woods a lot. I assumed that everyone knew he was there. The deputies do a bunch of passes around. I don't know if the Sheriff knows, but the Deputies do. Tomorrow won't be a good day."

"Why?" Peter wondered how much Derek knew about what was going on in Stiles' life.

"Well, usually without fail, Stiles is at the station. I've seen him inside when I've gone with Dad over the summer. The deputies take turns watching him or letting him go on ride-along. I stayed there one day and watched the station. His father-" Derek stopped.

"No child who spends as much as he does outside, alone after the death of a loved one is being cared for. You know how we all feel about neglect."

"His father doesn't talk to him much."

"Why do you know all of this?" Peter asked.

"I..I am not sure I want to answer that."

"Derek," Peter said, and he scooted forward. He touched his hand to Derek's knee.

"When you and Mom took me down to the station to talk to the Sheriff, Stiles was there. He was sitting at a desk working on his homework. He asked one of the Deputies for help, but they were busy working up the start of the case file. Stiles wasn't upset. He just set that aside and started something else. When he was done with it, I came over and offered to help. He hugged me at the end, and I knew. Cora knows that I'm fond of him, so she watches out for him at school."

"Why haven't you told any of us?"

"He's just turned thirteen, Uncle. I'm not going near him with any intentions before he's eighteen. I don't...I don't want to put that kind of pressure on him. I was going to tell you before I went to La Sierra University. He's...he's broken right now I don't want to push. I know what that feels like."

"Derek, you could never be like Kate. Never. You don't want to hurt him. I trust that you would never push him into anything. He's lonely right, yes. Do you want him to keep on being lonely?"

"He's got ADHD like Spencer. He's kind of an asshole, but he's not cruel unless someone is cruel to him. When I met him, I felt hope for the first time. He was so young, though, and it made me feel weird. I didn't feel anything other than wanting to be his friend, but I was scared."

"The day after tomorrow, after we talk to your mother and father about this, we can see if we can get him here to the house."

"He doesn't come close. Never. I can almost feel him. It's when I started to watch him more. I'd take my books out to the Preserve and settle in where I could hear him."

"Your father, I think he knows. He told your mother to leave you alone when she found you were in the Preserve more. So we will have to think of a way to get him closer to us. Maybe we can take a walk and talk very loud?"

"He is very curious, but he's stayed mostly away from our land. In a few of the areas where it's not as posted that it's private property, he's wandered in, but as soon as he notices, he's gone."

"Well, we can set up plans when we talk to your parents. Try and get some sleep." Peter pulled Derek in and kissed the top of his head. Derek just leaned into him more, liking the affection. Peter hoped that Derek didn't grow out of it as Laura had.

"I'll finish the last two pages of this chapter and go to bed."

Peter left the room, smiling as he did. Even for a Human, the draw to be near a Mate was strong. It was there the myth of the soulmate came from. The stories of humans just meeting and knowing that each other was perfect. Shifters, but werewolves especially, all had Mates. Peter had met him so long ago, but in the end, even that wasn't enough. He had married and produced an heir for his line. It was only that connection that had allowed Peter to make sure that the Argents paid for what Kate had nearly done to the family.

Stiles heard the laughter, and he was drawn to the noise. He crept up to where they were and watched the two men as they sat on a rock and ate lunch. The smell of it was pleasant, and it made Stiles hungry. He had left the house in a fit this morning. This weekend was supposed to be the trip to LA for a Mets and Dodgers game, but his father was now working. It had been his present for his birthday in April from his father. They had the entire weekend planned. His father was off today, and Stiles had just left after he had been told his birthday present wasn't going to happen. Stiles had the tickets hidden in a book in his room. There were four of them so that Stiles could take two friends. Stiles didn't have two friends, though. He had a kind of friend in Cora, and Scott was still gone. He had hoped to take them, but he wasn't going to ask Cora to go with him when there was no one else to do. He didn't want her thinking it was a date or something weird like that.

All of the girls in school had been acting weird around guys. Stiles knew that it was the age where many of them were starting to want to date or at least find the guys handsome and such shit, but Stiles wasn't sure that he liked girls. He had a crush on Lydia, but most of that was just her brain. She was smart, even if she tried to hide it. It was better to act like that than to tell anyone that he might like guys more.

Stiles sat down on the ground and watched the two guys as they ate sandwiches and talked. They talked low enough now that Stiles would have to get closer to hear them, but he was afraid to. The older man turned, and Stiles knew he was Peter Hale. He worked with Stiles' father sometimes. He was a Prosecutor for the county and also worked some cases for the family law firm. Stiles' father liked him okay enough, but he said that the man was slippery as a snake when he wanted to be. That meant the other person had to be Derek.

Derek had been in a bit of a legal thing a few years back. Not long after Stiles' mother had died, he had been nice though and helped Stiles with his homework when the deputies and father were too busy.

"Why don't you come over and eat, Stiles?" Peter called out, and he turned his head to look right at where Stiles was hiding behind a bush.

"We brought more than enough," Derek said.

Stiles looked at them through the bush and wondered if they were the ones that he felt watching him on occasion when he walked in the Preserve. He tried to stay off of Hale's land, but sometimes it was really confusing in some areas.

"We don't bite," Peter said.

That made Stiles laugh. He covered his mouth when the noise escaped. Derek and Peter were smiling, though. Stiles stood up, gripping his plaid shirt tight and trying not to look scared. Derek was holding out a can of Dr. Pepper. Stiles' favorite drink. He eyed them because they shouldn't know his favorite drink. Peter especially. Derek might have guessed as it had been what Stiles had been drinking the day he helped with his homework, but that was something that Stiles would remember, not Derek.

Stiles took a step back, and the look on Derek's face fell. He looked sad. Stiles held onto his shirt tighter before he took two steps forward.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked.

"Why do you have Dr. Pepper?"

"Cora told us about how you pranked Jackson after he made you spill your Dr. Pepper all over yourself. You are only allowed one a day, and your father does watch how many you go through in a week." Derek stood up. He grabbed a brown paper bag from the cooler that they had and set it and the Dr. pepper on the rock that was a little way away from where they were, and then he went back over to where Peter was.

"Why did you bring me food?" Stiles asked as he looked in the bag and pulled out the sandwich. It was made the exact way that he liked it. There were even Doritos in there, and Cora said that most of her family dislikes them, so they never buy them.

"We were trying to trap you," Peter said.

"PETER!" Derek yelled.

Stiles just laughed, though. Peter's eyes said that he meant what he said.

"Why?" Stiles asked.

"Cora says you are lonely, and in the Hale house, no one is ever lonely unless they want to be. My sister and I thought you might like to come there instead of spending most mornings and afternoons wandering alone around the Preserve."

"I tried to stay away from the Hale property." Stiles opened the sandwich because even if it was drugged or something, Wilcox knew where he was. He had checked in on Stiles the night before after a few drunks being rounded up had made his father send him home. Wilcox said that he was going to check in on him every day, or Roberts.

"You did fine. Derek noticed you, and so haven't I. We've been both checking on you to make sure that you don't get hurt."

"Well, I hope you two are the only ones. I knew someone was watching me but could never see them."

"We are."

Stiles nodded and started to eat. He watched the two Hales with a close eye as he did so. He drank the Dr. Pepper slowly, cause even warm pop was better than no pop. He found a pack of Reese's in the bottom, and he sighed. The Hales were kind of creepy, but with two lawyers and Miss Talia on the City Council, he didn't think they would try anything with him.

"So, you want me to go to your house when I'm bored?" Stiles asked.

"Well, you don't have to, but it's an option. I'm sure Cora would love to do things with you. We have an Xbox and a PlayStation, I think we might have the newest Nintendo system or the one before that. Spencer might enjoy having someone to play with as well." Peter made it all sound like he didn't care either way, but there was something in his eyes. He looked worried.

Stiles hadn't seen an adult look worried about him in a long while. Well, after his mother died and some of the Deputies looked like it on occasion but mostly it was his father, looking at him like he was a disappointment.

"I have ADHD, and sometimes I can't shut up or sit still."

"That will watch Spencer and his ADHD and not sitting still. He doesn't ramble too often, but he can," Derek said with a smile.

"Really?" Stiles asked. He scooted closer to them on his rock as he snagged a cup out of his package of Reese's.

"Yes. I'm shocked that Cora hasn't told you," Peter said.

"She gripes about him, but everyone that I know who has a younger sibling, or an older one gripes about them. I guess it's like a normal thing. I don't know. Scott's my only other friend really, and he's an only kid. I sometimes feel like I'm his older brother, but then he's only a little bit younger than me. Do you guys like cooking? I like cooking. Maybe sometime I can make you guys some Polish food. Mom used to make it with me, but she's not around anymore, and the last time I made some, Dad started crying and didn't eat." Stiles kept to himself that his father had drunk himself to sleep that night. He didn't do it all that often anymore. Just on the big days, Mom's birthday, the day she died, Stiles' birthday, and their anniversary. Most of those Scott was usually around, and Stiles could slip out and go to his house.

"We would be delighted by that," Peter said.

Stiles nodded his head and smiled, pushing away the sad thoughts.

"Did you want to come home with us?" Derek asked.

"Can I call Deputy Wilcox and let him know where I am? He likes to check on me after his shift since he knows that I spend time here."

"Of course, you can call him now on my cellphone if you wish."

"I have one. Since I'm home alone a lot, dad wanted me to have one. It's pretty simple, but." Stiles pulled his phone out of his pocket. He turned away from the two Hales and placed the call. Wilcox was going to stop by the Hale house on his way home, and if Stiles were ready to go back, he would take him; if not, they would make plans then. Any of the deputies on patrol would swing by and get him like Tara. Stiles really liked her. "I'm good! If I'm ready to leave when Wilcox gets off, he'll take me home, or someone else can stop and get me. Dad's...busy."

Peter raised an eyebrow at that. Stiles just shrugged. He wasn't going to expand on that at all. Peter thankfully left that alone.

Peter looked at the boy who was passed out on the couch. He had played video games all afternoon with a rotating group of people. Derek pushed off playing, but he stayed in the room with Stiles and whoever he was playing with to be a careful adult. It was kind of adorable the way that Derek had already imprinted on him.

The knock on the door didn't shock Peter. He walked over and opened it. He was surprised to see not only Matthew Roberts but Sean Wilcox as well.

"Come in, gentlemen. Do we need the Alpha for this?"

"You'll be fine, Peter," Roberts said as he slipped in. Wilcox followed, and they both stopped as soon as they saw Stiles.

"He doesn't sleep well at all in strange places with his pillow," Wilcox said.

"Well, we kept him entertained for the evening and then stuffed him full of food. He passed out not long after dinner."

"Sean, Matthew, to what do we owe the visit?" Talia asked as she slipped into the room with Greg behind him.

"I think that they are here to check out intentions on the newest of the brood." Peter's eyes dropped to where Stiles was still asleep.

"I'll get Derek, and we can all slip up into the office. I'll have Cora come down and read just in case Stiles wakes up and is worried why he wasn't picked up yet." Greg kissed Talia's cheek before he walked toward the stairs.

"Why Derek?" Roberts asked.

"That will be explained. Drink?" Peter asked.

"Beer," Roberts said, and he allowed Wilcox to usher him out of the living room and up to the office.

Peter grabbed the beers and checked on Stiles before heading up. He passed Cora with a book in her hand.

"He's not good when he wakes up alone in places. He freaked out once when he fell asleep on the bleachers. We heard him scream from inside. It was just after his mom died. It's just something about him."

"That's why we didn't want him waking up alone."

Peter ruffled her hair with his free hand and then kept on going up. Derek was on the one love seat in the office that he always dropped down on. Peter took the place beside him after handing the two deputies their beers.

"So...who is going to start?" Roberts asked.

"Stiles is my mate," Derek said.

The two wolves raised their eyebrows and looked at Talia.

"He's stayed away, but the whole family has been catching Stiles out in the Preserve nearly every day. He goes back home for lunch and then goes back after."

"Little shit lied to me, and I didn't even notice," Wilcox said.

"What?" Greg asked.

"He promised that he would call and tell me every time that he went out. Every day?"

"Except for the one where he goes to the station."

"Noah loves him; I promise I just...I don't know what's going through his head." Roberts rubbed his eyes and tipped his head back. "Back in April, his father got him tickets to a Mets game this weekend in LA. Stiles loves the Mets. Noah told me yesterday before he left that his father was working now. The thing is that there is no reason. No one is sick. We have no current big case that would need it. He's not taken any days since he got back from grievance leave. He donated some of his vacation to another Deputy six months back when he was dealing with a sick child."

"His birthday," Derek said.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure he told him today." Roberts looked like he was pissed off to say those words.

"It explains the way he was when he got into the Preserve today. I smelled tears," Peter said.

"So you guys are what? Taking him in?" Wilcox asked.

"It's better than him running around the Preserve."

"He'll figure out that you are werewolves. He knows there is something up with us, and he'll connect how we act with you act, and he will get it. The kid is too smart. He realized that Haigh was lying about cases when just hearing him talk about things, and he was looked into, and it was found he was fired and put in jail."

"I didn't realize that he was the one to do that," Peter said. He had been the one to handle that case in the courts. It was brought up that his co-workers had been the one to put it together after hearing him talk in the bullpen at work. He hadn't thought anything different, so Peter assumed since it wasn't brought up that Noah had kept that quiet even from his deputies.

"Yes. It was kept really quiet. So...what are you going to do?"

"What's the chances of Noah letting us take Stiles to that? I'm sure we can get seats."

"Noah bought four tickets so that Stiles could take two friends. Last I heard Stiles had been planning on asking Cora and Scott, but Scott's not around, and he didn't want to make it weird by just inviting Cora."

"They are at the weird age where others could think they are dating if that happens," Talia said.

"So Peter, Derek, Cora, and Spencer. As well as Stiles. I'm sure that Peter can find out the area and get a single ticket there."

"We can ask Stiles. He might not want to go with us when he was planning to go with his father."

A knock on the office door had then all looking. Talia got up and unlocked it and opened it. Stiles was rubbing at his eyes before he looked at Wilcox and smiled at him. He looked at Talia, and then Greg and his mouth kind of popped open.

"Holy shit!" Stiles rushed at Wilcox and stood in front of him. "This is your Pack!"

Wilcox just looked at Peter and raised an eyebrow at him. "Kid is too fucking smart."

"Dollar in the swear jar," Stiles said.

"We aren't at the station," Roberts drawled at Stiles.

Stiles huffed and turned around he looked at Peter then Greg and then Talia. "Alpha Hale, thank you for letting me spend the day."

"You are most welcome, Stiles; you can call me Talia, though."

"Or Tally. It's what I call her," Peter said.

Stiles laughed and looked at Derek. "Can I come over again tomorrow?"

"Of course. I have nothing to do, and we can maybe get in some Mario Kart. I heard you smack talking Spencer about the rainbow road."

"I'll own you," Stiles said with a grin. He looked back at Talia. "Is it okay that I know?"

"Of course. You would never hurt us."

"NO! Wilcox and Roberts are my favorite people, even before I found out they go howling at the moon once a month."

"I'll send him home with a few books," Peter said. He stood up and pulled Stiles with him and into the library across the hall. Stiles stopped and just looked around slowly. If this were in a movie, his eyes would be sparkling. His mouth did drop open.

"Can I read any of these?" Stiles asked.

"Well, most of them, if you learn languages. There are a few that are too old for you. Others wouldn't interest you as it's just for people who can do magic."

"So only your magic users read about it? What if that person isn't around?" Stiles asked.

"I know enough to help with anything that needs to be helped when our Emissary isn't around for Talia to talk to."

"Who is it?"

"Secret, even from me."

"Gotcha," Stiles said.

Peter wasn't sure that the little shit wasn't going to figure it out. Peter had a long time ago. He kept an eye on Deaton and the way he did things, dropping hints into others' ears, so they checked on him as well. Peter was shady but only about the stuff he knew needed to be. A shady Druid was not a good idea.

"So I learned everything from the Internet. Does silver really kill you?"

"No, it's the name of the first family that started to hunt those of us who went bad. We have unstable people, just like humans. Their name is Argent, which in French meals silver. There are ways of killing us, but I don't think I should tell you that."

"No, not yet, at least. So what are you going to give me?"

"A book about the history of the Hale Pack. We've had a few names when we moved from the British Isles and came here and integrated with a tribe who lived around here back then. I think you'll like it and it will help you understand us. This is a new version that I had self-printed from a local place. I typed it up as part of a college writing class that I took. I aced it by the way." Peter smirked at Stiles.

Stiles stuck his tongue out at him and then walked over toward the books on magic. Peter just about said something when one of the books started to move and then fell to the floor. Stiles looked at Peter, and the look on his face said that he didn't do it, which Peter could see. Stiles could reach his hand out, and he still couldn't touch the shelf much less the book that was above his head.

Peter walked over and picked it up. It was a beginner's magic book that Peter had never been able to read. He had found it in a book sale at some point when he was a teenager. Peter opened the book and handed it to Stiles.

"Oh, this is in English," Stiles said.

Peter looked down, and it was still in another language to him. It looked like Stiles had magic. The rumor behind the book said that only those who were supposed to have it could read it. Peter had kept it in case one of Talia's children had magic.

"Well, then. I guess you are meant to study magic. But let's keep that between us, shall we?"

"How much would you charge me to take me to LA this weekend for an afternoon or evening?" Stiles asked.

Peter's heart broke on that. He was asking a stranger to make his birthday present a reality. While they had a lot of fun, Peter was sure that Stiles was just lonely as hell.

"Wilcox and Roberts told us. Derek, Cora, and Spencer could go with us. I'll find another ticket in the same section. Just text me the section and row and such. I'll see what I can do."

"Really?" Stiles pulled out his cell phone and tapped on it before he handed it to Peter to put his number in. Peter went ahead and began to put most of the family in. Stiles didn't seem to freak out when Peter kept it.

"Yes. I think it would be fun. Spencer likes baseball well enough, and Derek plays."

"Oh, he does? Oh, but he's going to college this year, and Cora said that he will be busy with pre-med and won't be joining the team."

"No, but he will be part of a summer league here this summer and next." Peter closed the contacts app and handed the phone back.

"Not basketball?" Stiles asked as he started to scroll through the phone. His eyes were lighting up more and more as he took in all of the names that were in there and the main house phone. He grinned at Peter before hugging his phone for a few seconds.

"He likes it, but he likes baseball better."

Stiles nodded his head. He looked around the room again. "So this and the history, and I can come back when I want more?" Stiles asked.

"You can come back even if you don't need more yet. You are welcome anytime."

2010

Stiles laughed as Spencer pulled him into the woods. A bandana covered his eyes, and he could only hear Spencer's steps.

"If you walk me into a tree, Spencer Hale, I will delete all of your saved data for your games."

"I would never do that, to you, at least."

Stiles wasn't sure what was going on, but he had been ordered to go to the Hale house after school. Stiles had told them he was going to see about dropping into the station to see his father since he had been gone to work before he had woken up. Stiles kept trying, but his father had mostly checked out. It had taken him three months four years ago to realize that Stiles wasn't eating at home, mainly because the card Stiles used to buy food had a lot more money on it than it should have. Stiles pretty much ate breakfast at home, and that was it. Talia sent lunch in for Stiles with Cora, and then he ate at their house six out of the seven nights of the week.

There was nothing that would have proved to Stiles that his father would change today, but he had tried. The birthday cards slipped to him by the deputies were nice. He had them in his backpack that was in the back of Peter's car.

Noah had greeted Stiles quickly and then went back to his work. Stiles had asked him if he would be home for dinner, but Noah had said no.

When Stiles had left the station, Peter had been waiting on him. Peter promised that Wilcox would drop his bike off at his house that evening when he got off work. Stiles had resigned himself to nothing from his father on his sixteenth birthday. His dad knew it was coming up. He had applied for his permit with his Dad when he hit fifteen and a half. All of the Hales above the age of eighteen had helped him get the hours needed. Peter even let him drive his car around town a few times to ensure that he had excellent driving skills. He was more than prepared for the test as Greg had made sure that he could drive in any condition. Hell, he had driven a lot in the dark and in the rain.

Stiles missed a lot of stuff with his father, but he had learned two years before to stop holding out hope. He was buried in work, and one day he would notice that Stiles had grown up without him able to claim anything. Today was supposed to be a good day—the day where he got the present that his mother promised him before she died. Stiles wasn't even sure that his father remembered, though. Stiles tried not to picture it either.

Talia took a lot of pictures of him doing various things. There was even a scrapbook of pictures for him in the house. After Stiles graduated high school, he was going to take it back to the house and put it with the ones that his mother had made of him before she had died. There was a small gap, but it would be enough.

Stiles heard people moving around, making just enough noise that he knew that they were there but not who was there or what was going on. Cora and Greg had learned the hard way not to scare him with things. He had put Greg through a wall, and Cora had been tossed into a tree. It was after Greg that Peter had reluctantly told Talia about training him in magic. Talia hadn't been that happy, but when Stiles said he didn't want anyone to know, she had seen why Peter hadn't told her. Stiles wasn't a threat, and while the lie had been needed, Stiles saw no reason to feel bad about it.

Peter had been proud of him for learning how to lie to Talia.

"Spencer?" Stiles asked when Spencer let go of his hand.

"Close your eyes," Spencer said.

Stiles did, and then he felt the bandana coming off, and then hands were over his eyes. He was directed forward. It wasn't Spencer who was doing as this person was just a little taller than him. It left a few people, but the hands were what told him that it was Derek. He had callouses from baseball on his hands. Stiles swallowed because this meant that Derek had taken the day off of school, given that it was early. Though really, he probably only missed his one afternoon class that Stiles knew was one that he was ahead in.

"Ready?" Spencer asked.

"Yes?" Stiles answered. He wasn't even sure if Spencer was talking to him.

"Not you silly, everyone else."

Stiles laughed but heard Talia say yes.

Derek removed his hands from Stiles' head. It was obviously a birthday party for him. He really wanted to know who ratted him out. He'd been skipping out on birthday parties and the like. It was probably Wilcox or Roberts. Everyone knew it was in April, but the Hales had learned to just have a meal for him on a random day in the month and give him his presents then. He didn't really need a party. Today though, was a good day, even if he was a little emotional. The wolves probably smelled his emotions, but no one said anything.

"So these presents are just small ones," Derek said.

"I don't mind." Stiles didn't care if they got him clothes. They cared enough to give him a party, that was more than enough.

"Well, we know that, but the reason the gifts are small is that we got you something else. Everyone pitched in on it. Though technically, we kind of did something illegal to get you that present, so we hope that you don't tell your father." Derek didn't move from behind, but he did have his hands on his shoulders.

"Okay." Stiles was pretty sure that one of them could kill someone in front of him, and he wouldn't care.

"Ready?"

"Talking to me this time?" Stiles asked Spencer as he looked at the boy.

Spencer nodded his head really fast.

"Sure."

Derek used his hands on Stiles' shoulder to turn him to the side, but there was nothing there. "Now it's not quite how it was before, but sitting in a garage for a few years meant some issues. So Peter stole it from the garage and then had some help from a friend who made an image of it. It's still there, the image that is."

Stiles turned his head a little more, and then he saw it. His mother's Jeep on the path behind him. It was the only path big enough for the Jeep to get through in the Hale part of the Preserve.

"It's fully running, and a few inside bits were replaced as well as a few outside. The outside ones were painted the same color of blue, and Peter said you wouldn't mind that the whole thing hadn't been painted."

Stiles spun around and wrapped his arms around Derek. He latched onto him tightly, and he didn't care that Derek swept him up into his arms before walking them over to sit down. Stiles was crying, and he knew it, but he didn't care about that either.

The Hales left them alone until Stiles was mostly done crying. He planned on going around to every one of them and hugging the shit out of them—even Peter, who didn't like hugs.

The start of the party had a little of a pall over it, but as Stiles' spirits picked up, the party did. After the presents had been opened, Stiles talked everyone into going back to the house. He was tired of being outside. Derek and Stiles loaded the Jeep down with Stiles' presents, and then they went back while everyone else cleaned up.

"Was it okay?" Derek asked.

"What?"

"The Jeep. It was only after we had started to work on it that we realized that we should maybe have asked."

"No, it's fine. Mom wouldn't want me in something that was a death trap. I'm sure that your parents will be happier with me driving a safe vehicle since I'm sure that Cora and Spencer will want rides to school every day. Cora's been talking about it. It'll be nice. I can be free, you know. Won't have to wait on Peter or someone to come and get me. Especially with you at college. It'll be good. I can be with mom again sort of."

"I get that. I loved getting my Camaro when I turned seventeen. I had to drive around Mom's old car before that."

"You love that car," Stiles said. He parked the Jeep in a spot he hadn't noticed before, just to the garage's side that had been built two years earlier. He knew it was there, but now it had a sign on it that stated it was for him. Peter must have put it there after Stiles went into the house after being picked up.

"Yeah, I do."

Stiles parked in his spot. He had a spot!

"So I was thinking after we do dinner, and yes, Dad's making those curly fries of his that you like so much when the sun sets we can head out."

"What about college?"

"I don't have a class until noon. I'm gonna get up early and drive home. My two morning classes are canceled for tomorrow. They had a wiring issue, and it needs to be taken care of, so since I'm in two classes in a row in the same room with the same professor, they canceled. I got the reading done, and we were given assignments, but I already did those as well. I made sure I could hang here as much as possible."

"You didn't have to."

"Yes, I did." Derek glared at Stiles.

Stiles' heart raced a little, and he wondered if Derek knew about his crush. Stiles had it for a while, but he had never said anything about it. Derek saw him as a little brother or something like that. Stiles also knew of what had happened with the Argent family. He knew that there was something significant there he hadn't really ever pushed until Peter told him and it was why they were all kinds of worried about a lot of things. Especially when Stiles had come back smelling of wolfsbane once. Stiles had met a Hunter, and the wolfsbane of his had transferred to Stiles. The Hunter hadn't known that Stiles knew the Hales, he was just checking in with Stiles' father with the weapons he was carrying for his business.

Something else about the smell had set Peter after him, and Stiles had never asked. He hadn't wanted to push in where he wasn't welcome. So he just stayed out of it, but he now carried an excellent knife with him everywhere. Greg had taught him how to wield for maximum damage but hopefully not killing.

Dinner passed by in a flash, and since the cake was eaten before along with snacks, there wasn't as much as usual given the appetite of wolves. Stiles had wanted to stay like that forever, but he was more interested in getting some one-on-one time with Derek. When Derek was home, Stiles tried not to hang around too much, but Cora usually talked him into it. Stiles wasn't fully family even if they called him that. He tried not to wear out his welcome. Even if he now had a bedroom there.

The bedroom still shocked him, and most weekends, at least, he stayed there. He made sure that his father knew where he was. Though, Stiles wasn't sure that his father really cared. He was probably happy that Stiles wasn't around anymore to have to worry about.

"Ready?" Derek asked as he slipped on his leather jacket and held out Stiles' to him.

"Where are you going?" Spencer asked.

"Out for a drive in the Jeep, you are not invited."

"Ah, shucks, please?" Spencer turned to look at Stiles with a pout.

"Stiles can take you out alone after he's got his full license. You can wait!" Derek laughed as he said it, but still, Spencer stalked off upset.

"I don't-"

Derek shook his head. "Nah, just you and I. We've not got a lot of time together when I'm home. Mom says you are trying to give me more time with family. Stiles, you are family."

"Yeah, but I'm not like blood."

"Werewolves consider more than blood family. You are my family." Derek tugged Stiles in and hugged him.

Stiles soaked up the warmth of that. Derek wouldn't think that if he knew that Stiles was crushing on him so hard. He'd take this night driving in the dark and being with Derek to last him for a while.

2012

"You look handsome," Talia said as she looked up at Stiles, who was escorting Cora down the stairs. She had a camera in her hand, taking many pictures. Stiles was used to that. "And you are stunning, Cora."

"I feel like a Barbie doll," Cora said.

"You promised you would let me get this all out since you've never gone to any other high school dance.

"I got us rechargeable lights to turn on and off in Roscoe for after, when we hit the diner and eat better food," Stiles said in Cora's ear. He whispered despite everyone but Spencer being able to hear them.

"Two am is when you two are supposed to be home. Do not make me call Wilcox or Roberts to hunt for you. They are both working tonight."

"Yes, Ma'am," Cora said.

Stiles kept his eyes on the stairs as they walked down them. He really didn't want to trip or make Cora do it. He was sure that she would keep him up, but he didn't want to risk it. Talia and Greg, and possibly Peter, had paid a lot of money for Stiles' suit. It was actually not a rental. Peter had told him that he didn't need it, and it wasn't like he had grown all that much more over his senior year, he was probably pretty much at his height. He might fill out some, but that would be easy with the style of coat that had been bought. Well, that was what Peter had said. Stiles was still sure he was lying about that.

"Oh, Greg, get a picture to text to Derek."

Stiles tried to let go of Cora and step away. Talia tutted, though, so he stayed still and looked at Greg. Stiles had no clue why Derek would want him in the picture. He smiled at the camera, though. He was hoping that Derek liked the look of him at least a little bit.

"Okay, Cora, you alone."

Stiles stepped away when Talia said that. He stepped over to where Greg was so that he wasn't in the way. He grinned as Cora even stuck her tongue out at him.

"And now you Stiles. We can print one out, and you can take it the next time you go and visit your mother."

Stiles nodded his head. He couldn't speak. He had told Talia about that one night when she had held him as he cried on his mother's birthday when his father hadn't even come home. No one really knew where he had been. Wilcox found him sitting at his mother's grave, drunk, and had taken him home. Stiles had stayed with the Hales.

"Hey, Stilinski, you look like a twink who is trying too hard!" Cora called out.

Stiles stuck his tongue out at her, and he saw Greg taking a picture. Then he started to type. He was sending it to someone. Probably Peter, who was working as a chaperone for the night. Stiles was still trying to figure out what Talia had on him that would make him do that. He loved his nieces and nephews but had never gone to the prom to chaperone from what Cora said.

Just as they were getting into Roscoe, Stiles felt his phone vibrate. He sat down and pulled it out of his inner suit pocket and looked at it.

You look handsome, Derek had sent.

Stiles tried not to squeal at that. Cora tipped his phone over and made a disgusted noise; she had been doing that a lot over the past month.

"Let's get going. I promised Mom that I would stay for an hour, so if we get to the food first at that stupid dinner that our student council pushed into it, I can get to the dance get the hour done."

"Are we still meeting the group?" Stiles asked.

"Yup. We should get there before them."

Stiles nodded. He was looking forward to Prom a little. Ten of them were going as friends, so Stiles would be dancing with all of them on and off. There was one couple in the group but Jake, the guy was on the autism spectrum, and so he didn't like to be touched so going with the group meant he wouldn't be alone and Sally, his girlfriend, could dance with people who wouldn't be hitting on her. None of them had gone to any of the other Proms and just went to the last one so their parents could get pictures and all of that stuff to show that they had survived high school.

Two hours later, Stiles was slipping out the gym's side door with Cora behind him laughing. The rest of the group came out as well. They were all laughing so hard that a few were inhaling loudly because they couldn't breathe.

"Diner?" Stiles asked.

"Hell, yes. I'm hitching with you, Stiles," Gene said as he patted Stiles' back. He got into the Jeep in the back, knowing that if Cora was in the Jeep, she got the front.

"Don't forget the Sheriff's have sober checks all around the town," Stiles yelled out. He got a few noises that he was sure letting him know they remembered, so Stiles got into the Jeep and saw Cora pulling the heels off and putting on her combat boots. He grinned at that. He told her she could have changed before then as her mother wanted to see her all dolled up, but she had endured the dance with the heels to help her feel taller.

Stiles led the caravan toward the diner that they all liked to hang out at. This was the last big thing that they were doing as a group before graduation, and a few were leaving to head to college early as three of them were going to live with their other biological parent in the town where the college was. Gene was going on a vacation with his family, and by the time that he got back, Stiles and Cora would be heading to San Francisco. They had both got into the University of California there. It was something that Stiles was looking forward to. Derek had an apartment that his parents paid for so that he didn't have to worry about a job while going to Med School at UC-San Fran. It also meant that Cora didn't have to have her housing paid for either. It was a three-bedroom, and Spencer could sleep on the couch when he came out once a month for the weekend.

There were many plans in the making, and Stiles was happy to be getting out of Beacon Hills. He planned to learn every inch of his new city before school started, including finding the best curly fries. He wanted to eat them all. He also wanted tacos. So many tacos.

Between Stiles' trust that his father had put a lot of the insurance money from his mother in and other family over the years that his mother had put in there and the scholarships that Stiles had been awarded, he didn't have to have a job. Cora didn't either, so they could focus on school. Stiles was looking forward to that. He knew that it wasn't like Cora wasn't going to use the card that she had that her parents paid off to get food all the time, and the Hales had already told him to get what he needed on it.

"Dude, checkpoint," Cora said.

"Ugh," Stiles said, but he didn't back down the street as that would mean that someone would come after him. None of them had drunk the spiked punch, so they were all good. There were two lanes so that the cars could split off, and the four vehicles did. Stiles chose the one to the right, and he groaned when he saw his father standing there, looking at him shocked. Stiles rolled down his window.

"Hey, Dad," Stiles said as his father walked over. Stiles didn't shut off the Jeep but just smiled at his dad.

"Stiles, I didn't realize you were going to prom this year. I figured you would go for your senior year."

Stiles looked away and saw Wilcox turning around at that. He saw the look on the man's face. Stiles just grinned at him. He turned around to face his father. He nearly burst out laughing at the look on Cora's face. Gene was probably just trying not to laugh out loud. Cora was used to this, though. His father hadn't realized that he had turned sixteen, until three months after he had where he had officially given Stiles the Jeep.

"Yeah, well, it's actually my senior year."

"But...Scott's only a Junior."

"Yeah, he was always a year under me."

"But you failed the fifth grade."

"No, I nearly did, but I got my head on straight."

"Huh. Well, you seem fine. These guys with you?"

"Yeah, we are all headed to the diner for better food—the dinner at the dance kind of sucked—rubbery and very wet chicken. Going to get a burger and shit. We stayed away from the spiked punch." Stiles had asked Cora which was safe and which wasn't, and they had all stuck to it after Stiles had "tested" it to make sure that it was fine.

"Well, have fun." Noah tipped his head at the other two in the car then stepped back. "They are all clear!"

Noah waved Stiles through and then the other car behind him without making them stop.

Stiles turned at the next light, and there was the diner. He looked at Cora, who was bent over her phone. She seemed to be very busy texting someone. Probably Spencer about how horrible it had been. Cora had fun dancing, but she had been hit on a lot, and she didn't like it.

Just as Stiles was getting out of the Jeep, he heard his ringtone go off. He pulled his phone back out to see that it was Derek. Stiles shook his phone at Cora, and she nodded before heading inside.

"Hey," Stiles said as he answered it.

"I'm sorry."

"Dude, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Cora texted me about your father."

"It's nothing big, Derek. I mean it. I'll be gone from here soon, and it's not like he can make me stay at the house anymore or would even care if I wasn't there. I'm just staying until I graduate. Your mom and dad have already promised I always have a room at their place, and Peter's going to help me move out. He said he's already set aside the day to help me load stuff into your father's SUV."

"Whatever you need, Stiles, just ask. I'll do anything that I can. I promise."

"I know you will." Stiles smiled because the Hales was the one rock in his life since he met them. "Oh, did I tell you that Peter's got a line on a guy who can help teach me magic the rest of the way in San Fran? Like I would be able to do like one day a week with him during the school year and then my breaks and even summer if I'm not coming home with you guys."

"Yeah, he did."

Stiles talked to Derek about everything going on until Cora marched out and hung up on Derek after yelling at him and dragging Stiles inside.

It was his life with eh Hales, and he was happy about it all.

The End