Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Derek is in the middle of making himself a sandwich when it happens. He feels his fangs and claws come out and know his eyes must be bleeding red. The plate that he’s holding in his hand smashes in his grip, sending shards of glass all over the kitchen. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself and get himself under control. Up until a week ago, it had been years since he felt his control shift like this, but for the past week he’s felt himself shifting at the most random times. Like right now. Normally making a sandwich wouldn’t elicit such a strong response.

“You okay, Der?” Stiles asks Derek, shooting him a worried look from his spot on the couch.

Derek walks over to the couch and takes a seat next to him, putting his head in his hands as he tries to get himself under control. Being around Stiles usually helps and he feels his claws and fangs retract as his breathing slows. “I don’t know. I’ve been feeling off these past few days. I think it could have something to do with the eclipse that’s coming up.”

Stiles runs his hand down Derek’s back, feeling the muscles there start to relax as Derek shifts until he’s lying with his head on Stiles’ lap. Stiles has to fight a smile. Discovering that Derek likes to cuddle had been a pleasant surprise when they first started dating. “It could be. I could look into it if you want. Are any of the other wolves feeling it?”

Derek shakes his head. “Not like this. I think the only one that might be is Peter, though he’ll never admit it. He flashed his eyes at an old lady walking down the street last night. I had to tell her it was the lighting.”

Stiles smirks, running a hand through Derek’s hair. “Are you sure that wasn’t just Peter being Peter?”

“No. He looked just as shocked as I was by what happened.” Derek says, pushing up into Stiles hand. “Plus, I know Peter isn’t necessarily concerned with everyone’s safety but he isn’t reckless. He wouldn’t risk revealing himself to humans like that.”

“True.” Stiles says, absentmindedly playing with the hair on Derek’s neck. He startles a bit when he feels claws on his legs, but he doesn't move, doing his best to keep his heart rate and breathing steady. The next thing he knows Derek is shooting off the couch and scurrying back into the nearest wall as he looks at Stiles with wide, fearful eyes. “Derek. Calm down. It’s okay.”

Derek shakes his head, holding a hand up when Stiles tries to come closer. “Don’t! I can’t… I could hurt you.”

Stiles rolls his eyes, kneeling in front of Derek. “Don’t be ridiculous. You might be shifting randomly but I know you would never hurt me, Der.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know…”

“I do. I know you.” Stiles tells him, his voice firm, leaving no room for arguments. “Whatever is happening isn’t your fault and we’ll figure it out. I’ll talk to Deaton and see if he knows anything, okay?” When Derek nods, Stiles sighs and stands up, reaching a hand out to help Derek to his feet. He rolls his eyes when Derek hesitates, grabbing Derek’s hand himself and pulling until Derek stands. “You going to be okay while I’m gone?”

Derek nods, giving Stiles’ hand a squeeze before letting go. “I’m supposed to go meet Peter on our old land so we can look it over and get the plans started to build the new house.”

Stiles grins. “That’s right! I almost forgot. I wanted to come with you though. I still can…”

Derek shakes his head. “No. You should talk to Deaton. I’ll be fine with Peter.”

“Are you sure?” Stiles asks, not looking convinced. “If you and Peter are both affected by what’s happening…”

“It’ll be fine Stiles. We’ll be out in the preserve away from everyone. And if anything happens I’ll call you, alright? I promise.”

“You better.” Stiles says, leaning in to kiss him.

Derek smiles, kissing Stiles back but pulling away quicker than either of them would have liked. As much as he’d loved to stand around and kiss Stiles he doesn’t want to risk hurting him, not with his control slipping the way it is. “You should get going.”

Stiles nods, giving Derek one more quick kiss before making his way out the door.

Derek gets to the area where the old house used to stand before Peter. He immediately feels something is off. The air around him feels strange and the smell… he wrinkles his nose. If magic had a smell he's sure this would be it. He's just pulled out his phone to call Stiles when Peter pulls up. Peter gets out of his car and stills, eyes surveying the area.

“You feel it too, don't you?” Derek asks, stepping closer to Peter.

Peter nods, a frown on his face. “I don't like it. Let's just get this over with so we can get out of here.”

Derek agrees. The sooner they get away from here the better. He looks down at the phone in his hand and calls Stiles. He doesn't know what's going on here but he needs Stiles to know.

“Miss me already, Der?” Stiles asks as soon as he answers the phone, a smile clear in his voice.

Normally Derek would have a quip back, but right now he's trying to focus. The closer him and Peter get to where the house used to stand, the more wrong he feels. Whatever is happening out here is affecting his shift and it's getting harder and harder to remain in control. One look at Peter tells him he's having the same issue. “Stiles. There's something going on out here. Are you with Deaton?” Derek asks, the words slurring around his fangs.

“Not yet. I stopped to meet my Dad at the station. Why? Derek, what's going on? Are you shifting again?”

Derek can feel something starting to change in him, his mind starting to lose focus. Stiles’ voice is the only thing keeping him tethered but he doesn't know how much longer that will last. Derek looks to Peter to see him on all fours, growling, his eyes blue. “Shit. Stiles I don't know what's happening but I need you to get here. And call Deaton. None of the rest of the pack. If this is affecting wolves I don’t want them here.”

“If what is affecting wolves?” Stiles asks, voice sounding panicked. “Derek?”

“I’m not sure.” Derek grits out. “But it’s really hard for me to stay in control right now. And Peter he’s already… shit. Stiles, I’m sorry. I love you.”

“Derek?! Derek! What’s going on? Derek!” Stiles looks down at his phone with wide eyes to see the call ended. He tries Derek again and then a second time but there’s no answer.

“Everything alright son?” The Sheriff asks, looking at his son with concern clear in his face. “Something wrong with Derek?”

“I don’t… I don’t know. He said he was having trouble staying in control. I thought it was because of the eclipse but it might be something more than that. Derek sounded panicked. I’ve never heard him sound so afraid. I need to get out there.”

Stiles goes to leave but the Sheriff’s hand on his arm stops him. “Now hold on just a minute here. If there’s something going on out there you’re sure as hell not going alone. You don’t know what it could do to you.”

“It won’t do anything to me.” Stiles says, trying to pull his arm out of his Dad’s grip. “It's affecting wolves not humans. And even then I think it’s only born wolves. I’m still not going to put any of the rest of the pack at risk though so I need to go.”

“And what makes you think it’s your job to do it?”

“Because my boyfriend is out there scared with who knows what happening to him!” Stiles sighs when the Sheriff’s eyes widen, running his free hand down his face. “Surprise?”

“Not really.” The Sheriff says, letting go of Stiles’ arm. “I kinda figured you two were dating, or at least about to be. You two spend an awful lot of time together. Not to mention all the cuddling on the couch. Derek being a wolf or not, I don’t see him like that with anyone else. You either. I was just waiting for you to tell me.”

“Yeah well. You know now. Can we go please? I need to get to him.” Stiles says, feeling an overwhelming sense of desperation and worry.

“Yeah okay. We can go. But I’m driving. I know you’re worried and most likely going to try to speed.”

“Dad, come on. It’s an emergency!”

The Sheriff rolls his eyes. “I know that, son. Which is why I’m driving. You can’t speed in your jeep. But I’m the Sheriff. I can get away with it.”

Stiles grins at his Dad and follows him out of the station and into his cruiser. “Living on the edge.”

The Sheriff snorts. “I feel like compared to the other things we deal with a little speeding to get to my son's boyfriend who might be in danger isn’t that much of a risk. Speaking of, when do you plan to tell the others you and Derek are dating?”

“We were working up to it.” Stiles tells him, his eyes on the trees that fly by as they speed down the road. He knows his Dad is trying to distract him but he allows it. “It’s not as if we didn’t want them to know. We just wanted some time to ourselves. To get used to being a couple, before everyone else decided to stick their noses in it. And don’t say they wouldn’t because we both know they would. You know they’ll have an opinion about it and neither one of us wanted to deal with that right away.”

The Sheriff reaches over and pats Stiles’ knee. “I know son. But you’re going to have to tell them eventually.”

“I know.”

A few minutes later they pulls up to the land the Hale house once stood. Both Derek and Peter’s cars are there but there’s no sign of Derek or Peter. Stiles feels his heart drop. It gets worse when he steps out of the car and feels the energy around him. “Magic.” He breathes. “There’s magic. And a lot of it. It’s close. Maybe you should stay here.”

“Like hell I am.” The Sheriff tells him. “If you’re going so am I.”

Stiles sighs but nods his head as he starts around the cars, heading towards where he knew Derek was planning to build the new house. He doesn’t see or hear anything at first but then he hears it, there’s rustling nearby and whining. Stiles looks around then he spots clothes on the ground. Brow furrowed, Stiles nervously walks up to the clothes, afraid of what he’s about to find. Sure enough, the clothes are the same ones Derek was wearing the last time Stiles saw him. More than that they’re moving and the whining seems to be coming from underneath him.

Stiles goes to kneel down next to him but the Sheriff’s hand on his arm stops him once again. “Are you sure that’s a good idea son? You don’t know what that could be.”

“Unfortunately I think I have a pretty good idea of what, or rather who, it could be.” Stiles mutters, shaking free of his Dad’s grip and kneeling next to the clothes. He moves them and feels his breath leave him at the site he finds. Underneath the clothes is a plain black wolf, and not a full grown one either. The wolf is tiny and looking up at him with blood red eyes. “Shit. Derek?” The wolf tilts its head at his voice, eyes glued to Stiles, obviously wary.

“Derek?” The Sheriff asks, voice full of disbelief. “Are you telling me you think that wolf is Derek Hale?”

“Not think. I’m certain it is. Derek was here. He said he felt off and was having trouble controlling his shift. This wolf is under his clothes. It has red eyes. I’m 99% certain this is Derek.”

“Why does shit like this always happen to you?” Stiles mutters as he carefully moves closer to the wolf, sticking his hand out to allow it to sniff his hand. He might be sure it’s Derek but something tells him he doesn’t exactly remember who Stiles is. If he did Stiles would probably have a handful of wolf already. The wolf sniffs Stiles’ hand hesitantly, releasing another long whine before he starts licking Stiles’ hand. Stiles lets out a startled laugh and the wolf, Derek, looks up at him with wide eyes before padding closer to Stiles. “Hey Der.”

Stiles watches as Derek tries to climb up on his lap and fails because he’s so small. He laughs and picks him up, tucking him close to his chest. When Stiles looks down his eyes are no longer bleeding red but are his usual green. “I knew it was you.”

“Stiles?” His Dad asks, sounding nervous. “Didn’t you say Peter was here too?”

Stiles’ head snaps up, as he looks back at his Dad with wide eyes. “Yeah he was. Shit. He must have changed too. Where…?”

Stiles stills when he sees his Dad’s eyes widen as he points to something over Stiles’ head. “Pretty sure that’s him right there son. And that’s no wolf cub.”

Stiles slowly turns his head and looks in the direction his Dad was pointing. Sure enough, there’s a giant wolf sitting a few feet away, watching them. The wolf is grey on the top, with tan mixed in, it’s bottom half tan with flecks of white. Stiles has to admit he's beautiful, maybe not as much as Derek but his colors are striking. “Peter?”

Stiles swears if wolves could roll their eyes this one would. The wolf releases a huff, lets its eyes flash blue briefly, before it pads closer. Stiles stays completely still, except to shoot a look at his Dad letting the other man know he should do the same. Something tells Stiles wolf Peter is slightly more with it than wolf Derek seems to be. Peter stops right in front of Stiles and bends his head down to sniff at Derek in Stiles’ arms. Wolf Derek moves his head to sniff Peter, releasing a happy bark and licking at Peter’s face.

Stiles barely refrains from laughing at the sight. He does grin though when wolf Peter reels back. “So, I need to know if your memories are more intact than Derek’s. But you obviously can’t tell me. Or maybe you can. Okay. I’m going to ask you some questions. I want you to give me one bark for yes and 2 for no. Got it?”

Stiles swears the wolf sighs but a moment later he gives one bark. “Awesome. Okay, so first off do you know who I am?”

One bark. Good. That gives him something work with. “Umm.. now what?” Stiles looks to his Dad who shrugs. He looks back to Peter to see the wolf watching him. “Do you think being here forced the shift?”

One bark. “Do you think it could also have something to do with the eclipse?”

One bark. Stiles nods. “Me too. Okay. I don’t know what else we can figure out right now. And the energy of this place is really putting me on edge.” Stiles looks down at the wolf in his arms and then at his Dad. “Do you think you can take Derek?”

His Dad looks hesitant at the idea. “If he wants me to, Stiles. It doesn’t seem like he remembers much.”

“Not by appearance, no. But I think he does by scent. Stick out your hand.” The Sheriff hesitantly sticks his hand out, allowing Derek to sniff at it. When Derek licks his Dad’s hand before nudging his head against it Stiles smiles. “See I told you. Now here, take him so I can stand up.”

Stiles gently hands Derek to his Dad before standing up. He bends down and picks up Derek and Peter’s clothes, pocketing Peter’s keys, and turns back to his Dad. He sees wolf Derek squirming in his Dad's arms, clearly trying to escape. He stills when Stiles walks closer, watching him with tiny curious eyes. “I think we're going to have to take them home with us, at least for now.” Stiles says, reaching out to take Derek from his Dad. Derek immediately snuggles against him, placing his face in Stiles’ neck. “Still have a neck thing I see.”

Stiles hears coughing and turns to see his Dad rubbing the back of his neck and averting his eyes. “That's not something I needed to know.”

“What? Oh come on! That's not… he's a werewolf!”

Stiles hears huff from behind him and turns to see Peter watching him, his mouth hanging open and tongue sticking out. His Dad snorts. “Peter doesn’t seem to buy that excuse either son.”

“It’s not an excuse!” Stiles says, taking a deep breath when Derek releases a long whine. He runs a soothing hand down his back before turning back to his Dad. “We need to get out of here. I need to talk to Deaton and see if he knows what’s going on. You can take the cruiser and take Peter and I’ll take Derek with me in his car. We can come back for Peter’s car later if we need to.”

“Why don’t you take Peter?” His Dad asks. “I need to go back to the station and I don’t want to have to explain why I have a full grown wolf with me.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah. Peter why don’t you…” Stiles looks around, spotting Peter already sitting next to the car. He rolls his eyes, walking around to the passengers side so he can sit Derek down. Peter immediately settles in next to him. As soon as Stiles has the door shut he hears howling coming from inside the car. Startled, he looks in the window and sees Derek struggling to climb up the car door to get to the window where Stiles is still standing.

Cursing, Stiles quickly makes his away around the car, throwing himself into the seat. As soon as he’s seated Derek starts trying to crawl his away over to him, his tiny legs not quite able to make it. Peter huffs, picking Derek up the back of his neck and placing him on Stiles’ lap.

Stiles’ sighs, looking down at pup Derek and smiling slightly when he releases a yawn and curls up on Stiles’ lap. “It’s been a long day.”

Stiles decides to wait to call Scott until he’s safely at the house, having tiny Derek in his lap making him feel extra cautious. After he’s parked the car, he picks Derek up, careful not to wake him and makes his way around the car to let Peter out. He can only imagine what his neighbors must be thinking seeing him walking inside with a giant wolf by his side and a tiny one in his arms. If anyone asks he can always say Peter is a large dog that’s a descendent of a wolf.

Once inside, Stiles puts Derek down on the floor giving him free reign to wander around and pulls his phone out, shooting a quick text to Scott asking him to come over. Normally he’d text the rest of the pack but with Derek seeming to not remember anyone Stiles doesn’t want to risk overwhelming him, especially with a bunch of other unfamiliar wolves.

Stiles feels something on his foot and looks down to see Derek looking up at him. Grinning, Stiles sits down cross-legged on the floor, pulling wolf Derek onto his lap. Almost immediately Derek starts jumping at Stiles’ chest until he has no choice but to lay down on his back. Derek almost immediately climbs onto his chest, tucking his face into Stiles’ neck. Once the pup is settled Stiles is unable to resist taking of a picture of himself and wolf Derek. “You’re probably going to be annoyed if you remember this but you’re kinda adorable Der.”

Stiles hears a huff from across the room and glances over to see Peter watching him from a few feet away. Stiles rolls his eyes. “Yeah yeah. You’re beautiful too Peter.”

When there’s not any more movement from Derek Stiles glances down to see the wolf pup asleep on his chest. Stiles sighs. “I wish I would have gotten a pillow. This floor is hard.”

Stiles hears movement behind him before Peter starts nudging at his face until Stiles lifts his head. He’s surprised when Peter settles down to where his back is behind Stiles to where Stiles can rest his head against him and his front paws and head are on Stiles’ chest right next to Derek. “Okay. This is unexpected.”

Peter just huffs, settling down with his head resting against Derek. This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Stiles must have dozed off at some point because the next thing he knows there’s a knock on his front door, Scott’s voice filtering into the room. “Stiles you in there?”

Stiles looks down at the still sleeping Derek and then over at the door before calling out. “Yeah buddy, in the living room. Door’s unlocked.”

A moment later Scott steps in the entryway, surveying the scene with wide eyes. “Uhh Stiles? Why are there two wolves in your living room?”

“Seriously Scott?” Stiles asks, looking up at his best friend. “Use your senses buddy.”

Scott sniffs the air and then looks down at Stiles, shock and disbelief clear on his face. “I smell Derek and Peter. Why do I…? No way.”

Stiles nods grimly. “Afraid so.”

“But how?”

Before Stiles can answer Derek wakes up and lets out a high growl, flashing his red eyes at Scott. Under different circumstances the sound would probably be adorable. But since it’s coming from Derek and being directed at Scott for no reason other than him just being in the same area, not so much. Stiles looks down at Derek, running his hand along his back trying to calm him down. “Der it’s okay. That’s Scott. Not that you remember Scott.”

“He doesn’t remember?” Scott asks, looking at the little wolf on Stiles’ best before glancing at Peter who is staring right back at him. “Does Peter?”

Peter’s eyes flash blue, causing Stiles to roll his eyes. “Yeah I’m pretty sure Peter remembers. Derek seems to recognize scents though so maybe you should let him sniff your hand. That worked with me and my Dad.”

Stiles pokes at Peter until he gets the hint and gets up, allowing Stiles to sit up. He sits Derek on the floor for a moment until he’s on his feet and then picks him back up again. Scott looks at Derek warily when Stiles starts walking closer. When he holds out his hand like Stiles instructs, Derek bares his teeth and growls louder. Scott jerks his hand away, backing up away from them.

“What the hell man?” Scott says, glaring at the little wolf in Stiles’ arms. “Are you sure that’s Derek?”

Stiles nods, looking down at the wolf who is still growling, eyes glued to Scott. “Yeah I am. I don’t know why he’s doing this.”

“We’re not going to be able to talk like this.” Scott says. “My instincts are telling me to make him submit but I don’t think…”

Stiles shakes his head. “Not a good idea. I’ll just…” He looks around the room, eyes falling on Peter before he looks back at Scott. “Go in the kitchen. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Scott gives Stiles a worried look before nodding and heading into the kitchen. Stiles bends down with Derek still in his arms and looks at Peter. “I’m going to have to leave him in here. Make sure he doesn’t get into anything, okay?”

Stiles doesn’t know what he expects. It’s not like Peter can answer him. Except he does, barking once like he did before when Stiles asked him question. Stiles nods, setting Derek down on the ground next to Peter before heading into the kitchen, shooting one last worried look over his shoulder.

---

Peter really should have known his day was going to go to shit. If he was smart he would have immediately gotten back in his car and gotten the hell away from where the old Hale house once stood as soon as he noticed something was off. But no, he chose to follow Derek even closer to where the pull of the energy was. Derek was lucky he was on the phone with Stiles when it started happening, he had Stiles to keep him focused long enough to warn him something was going on. But Peter? His usual anchor of pack wasn’t good enough to help him keep control this time.

He hates being trapped in this form, having to rely on others for things. He has no doubt Stiles will figure out what’s happened and get them changed back, it’s the when that concerns him. What also concerns him is Derek and why he shifted into a wolf pup without his memories when Peter still had his. Peter found himself feeling oddly protective of his nephew given his current vulnerable state. He’s just glad Derek seems to remember Stiles by his scent so he had at least one human he could trust.

The problem is that Derek doesn’t seem to want to be away from Stiles for even a minute. So he knows that as soon as Stiles walks out of the room with Scott Derek is going to lose it. Sure enough, the moment Stiles disappears Derek starts howling, the sound high and grating. It gets worse when Stiles doesn't immediately appear. Peter walks until he's directly in front of Derek, putting his face level with Derek's. He tries flashing his eyes, hoping that might have some effect on the younger wolf. It does, Derek flashes his eyes right back at him and tries to move around Peter to follow Stiles. That was not the effect he was hoping for. Sighing, Peter reaches down and picks up a still howling Derek in his mouth and carries him over to the couch.

Derek might still be howling, but at least he's somewhere high enough that he can't escape. Satisfied, Peter sits down in front of Derek, trying to figure out a way to distract Derek. Before he can think of something Stiles comes running into the room, going right for Derek. He sits down on the couch, picking Derek up into his arms. Immediately Derek stops howling and starts licking at Stiles’ face and neck.

“What the hell Peter?” Stiles asks, shooting Peter an accusing glare. Which is a little unfair. Stiles is the one that left.

“I think it's you man.” Scott says from his spot clear across the room. “He started in as soon as you left the room. Maybe he sees you as some sort of paternal figure.”

Peter really wishes he could roll his eyes and tell Scott what an idiot he is. Instead he barks twice, knowing at least Stiles will understand. The idiot true Alpha, not so much.

“See! Peter agrees.”

Stiles rolls his eyes. “No he doesn't, that's him saying no.”

“How do you know?”

“Because early on I told him to give one bark for yes and two for no.” Stiles tells him. “That's the only line of communication we have so far.” Stiles shoots Peter a grin he really doesn't like. The point proven when Stiles opens his mouth. “Not unless we can teach you to write with your paws.”

 Peter gives a low growl with his two barks to show just how much he does not like that idea.

“So that's a no to writing with your paws. Got it.” Stiles reaches out to pat Peter on the head, laughing when the wolf snaps his teeth at him.

Derek doesn't like it though, releasing a high growl and baring his teeth at Peter. Peter nips his ear lightly in retaliation, earning a startled yelp from Derek and a swat from Stiles. “Don't be mean.”

These two were so obvious, even with Derek in his wolf form. The fact that Scott could see Derek's behavior towards Stiles and think it was paternal is laughable. Derek obviously smells himself all over Stiles and knows they're connected, that Stiles is safe. He didn't need them to tell him about their relationship to figure it out. If he wasn't able to smell it on them he would have figured it out just by watching them. The looks, the lingering touches, the way they always seem to drift towards one another, the way they smell happier when the others around. It's all so obvious if you know what to look for. The others apparently didn't.

The rest of the pack had arrived only 10 minutes ago and were baffled by Derek's behavior. Derek had reacted about the same way with the others as he did with Scott, just maybe with not as much hostility. He only watched them warily, growling when anyone got too close to Stiles.

“I don’t get why Derek is so okay with you though, when he’s being wary of everyone else.” Scott says, his eyes watching the way Derek is currently playing with Stiles fingers.

“Not everyone else.” Isaac says, looking at where Peter is resting against Stiles’ leg. Peter has barely spared them a glance the whole time they’ve been there. Derek though, barely let them enter the room without growling. Which leaves Stiles on the couch with Derek on his lap and Peter in front of him while the wolves stand on the other side of the room. The only one he seems sort of okay with is Lydia, who is sitting in the chair next to the couch. “He seems fine with Peter and the Sheriff.”

“Yeah but Peter is family.” Lydia says. “I imagine even as a wolf pup he’d still be able to sense that. And the Sheriff… well if Stiles smells safe to him I imagine the Sheriff would too.”

“Him and Stiles do spend a lot of time together.” Malia points out. “More than anyone else in the pack.”

“True.”

Stiles has only been half listening to what the pack is saying, focusing his attention on Derek instead. He seems to have calmed down slightly, content to just lay on his back and play with Stiles’ fingers. It's something they've done before when Derek was in his human form. Derek would lay on his back with his head on Stiles’ lap, absentmindedly playing with his fingers while Stiles rubbed circles on his stomach. Those little moments with Derek are his favorite. Sure he loves when things get hot and heavy because sex with Derek is amazing. But those quiet moments are perfect in their own way because they mean that Derek is safe and happy.

Stiles is brought out of his thoughts by Scott asking him a question. Stiles glances up at him, trying to bring himself back to the present. “What was that?”

“I asked what are we supposed to feed them?” Scott asks, smirking down at Peter. “Dog food?”

4 barks from Peter.

“That's a double no from Peter.” Stiles laughs, barely refraining from running his hands though Peter’s fur. He keeps having to remind himself that this is still Peter and they're not quite on petting levels. “Want Scott to catch you a deer?”

When Peter barks once Scott shoots him a worried look. “What? Really? I don't have to kill a deer do I?”

Peter gives Stiles a look that clearly means no or that he thinks Scott is an idiot. Probably both. “We can probably just feed them human food, within reason. Despite all the dog jokes I make, they're wolves not dogs.”

“Anyway,” Lydia says, trying to reign in the conversation. “Shouldn't we go talk to Deaton?”

“Probably.” Stiles says, looking worriedly down at Derek. “My Dad should be getting off soon. I'm having him meet us at the clinic.”

“Why?” Malia asks, directing her gaze from Peter to Stiles. She's seemed oddly calm and curious about her Dad being turned into a full werewolf. Then again she was stuck as a werecoyote for years so this probably doesn't faze her much.

“Derek is comfortable around my Dad.” Stiles says, runs his hands through Derek's fur distractedly. “I want him there in case we need to get Derek away from there. Hopefully he texts soon. The sooner we figure this out the better.”

“I thought you'd like wolf Derek better.” Scott says. “He at least seems to like you. I doubt Derek would normally let you do that.”

Stiles doesn't answer, feeling his heart clench. Wolf Derek is cute and cuddly but he misses human Derek already. He can't exactly tell the pack that, not without revealing his relationship with Derek. And he's not about to do that without discussing it with Derek first. Stiles sends Peter a grateful smile when the wolf nudges his head against Stiles’ leg. Peter might not officially know but something tells Stiles he figured it out a while ago.

20 minutes later they're pulling up in front of the clinic. Stiles has Derek held to his chest and wrapped up in one of his shirts, hoping that the smell will calm him. The Sheriff walks over to meet them, squeezing Stiles’ shoulder. “We're going to figure this out, son.”

Derek's head pokes out at the sound of the Sheriff’s voice, causing the man to smile and pet his head. Surprisingly, Derek leans into the touch. “At least he likes you more than the pack right now.”

“I think you know why.” The Sheriff whispers with a smirk.

“Dad!” Stiles whisper yells, eyes darting around, but the pack have all disappeared inside.

“Well it's true.”

Stiles shakes his head, glaring down at Peter when he barks once. “You two are the worst.” Stiles mutters, turning and walking towards the building, his Dad and Peter behind him. “I'm not sure how Derek's going to react to being in such a small room with the pack so if he reacts badly I'm going to need you to take him home.”

The Sheriff nods, following Stiles inside where the pack are waiting. “Of course son.”

Of course Derek doesn't take it well. The minute Deaton steps close and starts trying to examine him Derek starts growling, his eyes glowing red. Deaton sighs, giving Stiles a look. “Can you hold him still please? I need to take some blood.”

Stiles frowns, looking from Derek to the needle in Deaton’s hand. “Is that really necessary.”

“I'm afraid so.” Deaton only looks a little bit regretful. “I need to examine his blood. I'll try to be quick.”

Stiles nods, picking Derek up off the examination table and holding Derek close. Derek immediately tucks his face into Stiles’ chest. Stiles almost releases a yelp of his own when Derek barks as the needle goes in, trying to climb his way over Stiles and away from Deaton.

After that it's impossible to get Derek to calm down. He refuses to let Deaton anywhere near him, coming close to almost biting the man. Stiles can't blame him. He'd probably do the same thing if he was in Derek's position.

Peter is a lot more calm, sitting patiently while Deaton examines him. When Deaton is done he looks over at Stiles and Derek. “I believe I have what I need.”

“So Derek can go?” Stiles asks, running a soothing hand down Derek's back.

“Yes both him and Peter can go. The rest I can do without them.”

Stiles nods, turning to his Dad who has already walked forward, ready to take Derek. Stiles looks down at Derek, leaning close and speaking quietly to him. “I'm not sure how much you're going to understand but my Dad is going to take you and Peter home. I'll be there as soon as I can.”

Stiles can't stop himself from leaning down and placing a kiss on Derek's head, ignoring the looks he's probably getting from the rest of the pack. Stiles heart clenches when he hears the way Derek starts howling as soon as Stiles is out of site. He just hopes his Dad or Peter are able to calm him down. Otherwise it's going to be a long wait.

Stiles has no idea how long Deaton disappears for. It was probably only minutes but to Stiles it felt like hours. Stiles spent the whole time walking the length of the room, ignoring Scott's pleas for him to sit down.

“Do you know what’s going on?” Stiles asks, still pacing the length of the room, only shooting a glances at Deaton when he enters the room. He hates being away from Derek right now but he needs to know what's going on with him, and since Derek's not really able to be around the pack right now he has no choice but to be here without him.

“I think so, yes.” Deaton says, flipping through the pages of one of his books. “There are ley lines in Beacon Hills, one of which happens to lie on the Hale property. It’s rare but sometimes they can act up and make born wolves shift, usually while retaining some of their human appearance. I imagine that paired with the upcoming eclipse made the shift more intense, causing both Derek and Peter to do a full shift.”

“That’s why I could feel it too right? Because ley lines are tied to magic.”

Deaton nods. “Yes, I imagine you would be able to feel the energy and it’s pull because of your spark.”

“And it won’t affect Scott and the other wolves?” Stiles asks.

Deaton shakes his head. “No. They’re bitten not born. The Hales though, are tied to this land so that’s probably why it had the effect it did on Derek and Peter.”

Stiles sighs. “Well great. Something else to screw Derek over. Please tell me there’s a way to fix it.”

“I’m not sure.” Deaton says, sounding far too calm. “I can see what I can find, but I do believe the situation should right itself.”

“Right itself?”

“Yes. Once the ley lines eventually settle and the eclipse passes they should turn back. It might take a few days after the eclipse is over but they should return to normal after that.”

“Should?” Stiles asks. “You’re not certain?”

Deaton gives Stiles a bland smile. “Nothing is ever certain Mr. Stilinski. I’ll let you know if I find something.”

Deaton closes the book and heads back to his office, seemingly putting an end to the conversation. Stiles heads outside, wanting to get back to Derek as quick as he can but he’s stopped by Scott before he can get in his jeep.

“So what are you going to do with Derek and Peter?” Scott asks.

Stiles tilts his head, giving Scott his best ‘what the hell are you talking about look?’ “Derek and Peter are obviously staying with me.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Isaac asks. “It’s Peter. And yes he might remember who he is but that’s not exactly reassuring since Peter is kind of a psycho.”

“He’s gotten better.” Stiles tells them, surprised to find himself actually defending Peter. “And I’m not just going to throw him out. It helps Derek to have him around.”

“Yes but why is it your responsibility to look after Derek?” Scott asks, looking at the others before going on. “We’re pack. We should at least help until they change back.”

Stiles laughs. “Are you kidding? He barely lets you in the same room with him without freaking out. I’m not going to let you look after him. There’s no telling what could happen.”

Isaac crosses his arms, giving Stiles an unimpressed look. “Let us? He’s our Alpha… or one of them. So what gives you the right to decide what’s best for Derek?”

“Because he’s….” Stiles stops, catching himself before he can finish that sentence, only completing it in his head. My boyfriend. Stiles sighs, hands clenched at his sides. Like hell he was going to let them take Derek. “Because he trusts me. And I know him better than anyone. Don’t even try to argue with me on that. I know him. I know what he would want. He’s made it clear what he wants already in his own way. He’s staying with me so drop it.”

Stiles goes to get in his jeep but Scott’s words make him pause. “You should at least try to lock them up or chain them up on the day of the eclipse.”

Stiles whirls around, giving Scott his filthiest glare. “I am not locking Derek up. He’s going to be fine during the eclipse as long as he doesn’t have anyone antagonizing him.”

“It’s for your own safety Stiles.” Lydia says, her voice calm. “Wolf pup or not, he is still an alpha. If he loses control and bites you… if you know Derek so well you would know how guilty that would make him feel.”

Stiles knows that she means well, that she is trying to think about what’s best for him in her own way but he still feels like he’s been slapped. Part of him knows she’s right, that if something were to happen to Stiles while Derek was like this he would carry that guilt forever. It wouldn’t be his fault, but Derek is the king of blaming himself for things he shouldn’t.

“I’ll see how he behaves as it gets closer to the eclipse. If he starts acting out I’ll do something about it. But I am not chaining him up.”

“Fine.” Scott says, apparently deciding it’s best to let the Derek argument be for now. “But what about Peter?”

“Peter still remembers what his anchor is and seems to be in control.” Stiles says, not even wanting to think about the kind of struggle it would be to get Peter chained up somewhere. “But I’ll keep an eye on him too.”

Stiles heads home only feeling slightly better than he did before his talk with Deaton. Sure, he had an answer and idea of when Derek would change back but that doesn't help. Derek and Peter are still going to be stuck in their wolf form for another 6 days. And now he has to deal with the pack poking their noses around. He doesn’t know how many more of their questions he can take before he finally snaps and comes clean if only to get them off his back.

The house is quiet when Stiles pulls up. He doesn't know whether he should feel worried or relieved.  Stiles is quiet walking into the house, not wanting to startle Derek. The sight he sees when he walks into the living room makes him pause. His Dad is sleeping on the couch, which isn’t anything new. His Dad falls asleep all the time watching the game. What is surprising is that Derek is curled up on his Dad’s chest, face tucked into his neck, sleeping soundly. Stiles grins, pulling out his phone to snap a quick picture. When he turns around to go into the kitchen he jumps. Peter is sitting in the entryway to the kitchen watching Stiles.

“Stiles?” He hears his Dad ask.

Stiles sighs, he must have made some noise when he saw Peter. Stiles is relieved when he turns around and Derek is still asleep. “I see you made a friend.” Stiles says, grinning down at his Dad.

His Dad looks fondly down at Derek. “He wanted up on the couch with me. I thought he’d just curl up on the end. Surprised the hell out of me when he curled up like this.”

“He likes to cuddle.” Stiles says with a shrug. “And now I have proof that you do too.”

“I’m not sure that’s very good blackmail son.” His Dad shakes his head. “So what did you find out at Deaton’s after we left?”

Stiles sits down with his back resting against the couch, wanting to be close to Derek. “Deaton thinks it’s magic related and they are going to change back on their own. He said there are ley lines in Beacon Hills and there just happens to be one of the Hale property and it’s acting up. Since Peter and Derek are Hales and born wolves they were more affected by the ley lines power. That and the upcoming eclipse forced the shift.”

“When did he say they’d change back?”

“He thinks a few days after the eclipse.”

Stiles hears a huff and then the sound of paws on the tile floor in the kitchen. He looks over to see Peter heading out the screen door. When he looks at his Dad the man just shrugs. “I thought it might be nice for them to go out every now and then. Especially Peter since he has his memories. You can’t just keep him locked up in here.”

“If you say so. He’s the one risking running around Beacon Hills as a giant wolf.”

“I imagine Peter knows the risks.” is all his Dad says.

A moment later Derek starts moving on his Dad’s chest before he blinks his eyes open slowly. His eyes immediately find Stiles and he releases a high whine as he tries to scramble over to him. Stiles stands up, bending down slightly to scoop Derek up in his arms. “Yeah I missed you too big… well little guy.”

Derek licks his face in reply.

“I wonder how much of this he’s going to remember.” His Dad muses.

“I’m not sure.” Stiles shrugs, smiling down at the wolf in his arms. “I think we’re going to head to bed. I’ll see you in the morning Dad.”

“Night son.”

Stiles deposits Derek on his bed when he gets upstairs and quickly changes into some sweats and a old shirt of Derek’s. He debates leaving the wolf in his room while he brushes his teeth but decides against it. He lets Derek explore the bathroom while he’s doing what he needs to do before scooping him back up and carrying him into his room.

“You know, you’re getting spoiled being carried everywhere.” Stiles tells him, putting him back down on his bed. Stiles quickly gets under the covers, smiling when Derek curls up next to him, both of them ready to get some sleep after the long day they’ve had.