Sterek - What's Best For Everyone Chap20

Leah came racing out of school like her backside was on fire. A bright excited grinned pinned to her face. Derek smiled as he bent down to catch her when she launched herself into his arms. Lifting her off her feet. "Hey sweetheart. How was school?"

"Ok. Are we goin’ ‘iles now???"

Derek heart clenched. "Wow. So I don’t even get a hello. It’s just Stiles. Stiles. Stiles. Huh." he pouted.

Leah chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tight while pressing a kiss to his rough cheek. "’ello Daddy."

Turning, Derek carried her back to the car, laughing as she rambled on about her plans for the weekend.

"We’re gonna watch movies and eat popcorn an' lots a candy." she grinned.

Derek turned to her. "No candy."

Leah looked at him with wide eyed horror, her mouth a perfect O. He had to fight back the chuckle that was building in his chest at the expression that easily brought to mind a certain hyper-active teenager.

"But ‘iles say sleepover always ‘ave candy." she whined.

"Does he indeed?"

Leah nodded enthusiastically causing Derek to chew his lips thoughtfully, while Leah watched him with hopeful eyes. There was no way he could deny her when she looked at him like that. "Fine."

Leah beamed at him, fiddling with a large sheet of paper clenched in her hands.

Derek watched her out of the corner of his eye. "What you got there?"

Leah looked up at her dad. "dwaring for ‘iles."

Derek swallowed, remembering the last drawing he’d seen. "C-can I see?"

Leah looked at him sternly, shaking her head. "It ‘iles."

"I’m sure he won’t mind you showing me."

Leah continued to shake her head. Realizing it was a lost cause Derek turned his attention back to the road. He would just have to hope it wasn’t like the one he still had in the desk drawer.

The Camaro pulled into the parking lot of Beacon Hills High School, next to Stiles rusting jeep. Scanning the machine as he opened the door Derek rolled his eyes. The thing could do with another service. He thought, making a note to tell Stiles to bring the thing in as he strolled around the Camaro to open the door for Leah. He still couldn’t understand why the idiot hadn’t gotten a new car liked he’d told him to two years ago. He shook his head, lifting Leah onto his hips. "Let’s go watch Stiles make a fool of himself." he chuckled.

Leah shook her head, glaring at her dad angrily. "’iles is awesome."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Yeah. He likes to think so." though the way his chest tightened at his daughter’s announcement said he agreed.

They made their way towards the back of the school and the sports field. Derek could already see Stiles racing after another player and he cringed as Stiles collided with number 20 and landed awkwardly. Derek felt his heart clenched tight with fear until Stiles pulled himself back to his feet, holding his arms to the sky.

"I’m fine! I’m fine!" he yelled.

Leah cheered. Clapping her hands. "’iles!"

"Stilinski!" the couch yelled across the field. "Try to not break your neck. I can’t afford the insurance!"

Derek watched Stiles head towards Scott, hearing their shared joke. When Scott pointed them out, the teenager turned and waved, Leah waving back enthusiastically. Derek inclined his head and marched towards the bleachers.

"Aunt ‘idia!" Leah yelled, squirming to get out of her dad’s arms and to the strawberry blonde. "Aunt Allison!"

Derek didn’t let her down until they were closer and Lydia was reaching out for the little girl. After setting her down, Derek scanned the seat and noticed for the first time the blonde girl from the previous night and his whole posture stiffened. His jaw tightening.

"You gonna sit down or what?"

Derek’s gaze flickered from the blonde who was watching him closely to Lydia. "I should really….."

He was cut off by Lydia’s hand in his sleeve, yanking him down. "Sit." she ordered.

Derek opened his mother to argue, to ask ‘which of them was the alpha?’ but snapped it closed.

"So have you met Ray-Ann?" Lydia asked causally, turning between them. "She’s Stiles new girlfriend."

Ray smiled brightly at him. "We met briefly last night."

"Oh?" Lydia’s eyes widened with curiosity. "How exactly?"

"He crashed his car outside the movie theatre me and Stiles were at."

Both Lydia and Allison’s heads snapped around to stare at Derek, his gaze fixed on the field and his pack members. "It was an accident."

The girls scoffed.

"What a girlfwend?" Leah asked suddenly looking at Ray with suspicion, bring all their attention to the little girl.

Lydia pulled Leah closer, shared a look with Allison. A mischievous and scheming smile spreading across her face. "A girlfriend?" Lydia said sweetly. "You know how Aunt Allison and Uncle Scott are always hugging and kissing…."

"Lydia." Derek said in a warning tone that she completely ignored.

Leah nodded, her gaze flickering between all of them. A whistle sounded in the background and the loud almost angry yell of the couch made Lydia pause for a second. Glancing up to see Stiles, Scott and Isaac marching towards them. Stiles took the steps.

"Hey short-stack." he grinned down at Leah.

"Well that’s because Allison is Scott’s girlfriend." Lydia finished triumphantly.

Stiles frowned looking from Derek to Lydia to Scott, who shrugged.

"’Like you and uncle Peter?"

Lydia inhaled sharply, fighting the flush that was threatening to engulf her face. No one ever actually acknowledged what was going on with her and Peter. Except apparently Leah. Stiles watched her with a raised brow as Lydia slowly nodded, a look of pride in her eyes as she stared down at Leah. There was a weird crackling silence as they all seemed to be waiting for something. Stiles glanced awkwardly between Ray and Derek, shifting on his feet when the werewolf refused to meet his gaze and Ray smiled reassuringly at him. He dropped his gaze to Leah and saw her staring at Ray with an all too familiar death glare. Then he heard it, they all heard it. A low rumbling sound. At first Stiles thought it was coming from Derek but it didn’t sound like his normal ‘I’m going to rip your throat out’ noise.

"Is she….growling at me?" Ray asked with an almost laugh.

Stiles gaped like a fish on dry land, his eyes wide.

"Leah!" Derek snapped, lifting the girl from Lydia’s side.

Stiles watched the whole scene in surprise and confusion, and more than a little embarrassment. He turned to look at the others. Most of them seemed to be balancing a fine line between hilarity and shock. Ray just stood there with her perfect blonde brows pulled tight together.

"I…I…."

"McCall! Stilinski! Lehay! If you don’t get your butts in her now I’ll make sure when you finally do get into the showers the water is ice cold! Move!"

Stiles took the order as an opportunity to escape the awkwardness of the moment and sprinted down the benches, almost tripping on his away.

"I’ll be by the car." Derek said as he walked down the bleachers with Leah in his arms.

"No!" Leah yelled, pointing a finger at Ray over Derek’s shoulder.

"Leah." Derek growled.

Ray stared after the pair with wide eyes. "Well that was….interesting." she murmured.

"Wasn’t just." Lydia grinned, getting to her feet to her feet and brushing invisible dirt off her skirt.

Derek was leaning on the side of the Camaro when Stiles finally escaped the locker room,. Leah was slouched in the front seat pouting, her arms folded over her chest. Derek has spent ten minutes trying to explain simply about Stiles and his girlfriend, but she seemed determined not to accept it. He lifted his eyes at the sound of voices and found Stiles walking towards them with his Lacrosse kit over his shoulder and his arm around his new girlfriend. Derek swallowed hard, glancing up at the moon. He reached out for the control he’d always carried. The anger and hatred, but it was unreachable. Slipping out of his grasp like so many things.

"Hey Wolfman!" Stiles grinned awkwardly as he came to a stop at the trunk. "Where’s squirt?"

Derek clenched his jaw and breathed heavily through his nose. Waving a hand at the passenger’s seat.

"Huh….is she….you still want me to take her?" he asked cautiously.

Derek nodded, not trusting his voice. He yanked open the door and stepped aside. Stiles closed the gap to the door and crouched down next to Leah, who turned angry eyes on him.

"Hey Lee. So you gonna come stay with me?"

Leah lent out of the car and fixed Ray with another death glare. "Not her." she said firmly.

Stiles looked back towards Ray apologetically, before lifting his eyes to Derek who was staring off into the distance. "Leah…." he sighed. He got to his feet and moved closer to Derek. "Dude, maybe she should…."

"No!" Leah squealed, leaping out of the car and wrapping herself around Stiles legs.

"Uh, Stiles."

He looked over his shoulder.

"I should be getting home. I’ll call you later." Ray smiled reassuringly.

"Uh….yeah. You gonna be okay?"

"I’ll be fine. Night."

"Night Ray."

Stiles watched his girl walk away and felt Leah’s possessive grip on his legs ease. Staring down at her he inhaled sharply at the hurt look in her eyes. "Leah…lets get you home." he turned back to Derek to say something only to find himself alone. He looked around quickly. "Dude?"

Derek’s head appeared from the trunk of the Camaro, a bag in his hands. "Here."

Stiles yanked open the jeep door and threw his bag into the back before turning to Leah, lifting her. Her arms snaked around his neck, holding on a little too tight. He reached for the bag. "Thanks. - When….are you picking her up or do you want me to drop her off?"

"I’ll collect her from school on Monday." Derek said. His voice harsh. "If that’s alright with you?"

"That’s cool." he nodded. "I can drop her stuff off…..or give them to Isaac?"

Derek shrugged. "Whatever."

The pair stood awkwardly silent for a few moments before Derek stepped closer to Stiles, his head lowering to press a kiss to his daughter’s cheek. Lingering over her warm cheek a longer than necessary. "Be good Sweetheart." he murmured into the girl’s ear. Groaning inwardly when their combined scent crawled its way up his nose and into his brain.

Stiles back stiffened as he inhaled Derek’s aftershave and the aroma of car oil and leather. He felt his heart scattered, his eyes drifting closed. He swallowed a few times but it didn’t stop the effect the alpha’s proximity was having on him. He could practically feel Derek’s rough stubble ghosting his cheek, before the man was gone and he could breathe again. Opening his eyes, he found Derek was already climbing into his Camaro. He watched the car pull away, Leah waving from his arms. A heavy dizzy feeling pressing in his head.

"’iles?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can we go home now?" Leah asked tiredly.

Stiles looked down at her with a warm smile and nodded, carrying her around to settle her into the front seat.

"I’m home!" the Sheriff called as he marched into the house, his tone cheerful. "And I brought dinner!" he was suddenly met in the hall by a screeching three year old, as Leah came racing out of the kitchen covered in flour.

"Shewiff!" she squealed, leaping at him.

The man barely had time to brace himself and the pizza box before he had a little girl clinging to his leg.

"I hope you’ve got a clean pair for tomorrow Dad." Stiles laughed from the doorway.

"Luckily." the Sheriff nodded. "You going to take one of these?"

Stiles chuckled as he stepped forward and took the Pizza box. Turning back to the kitchen, leaving his dad to deal with the little girl.

"How are your kiddo?" the Sheriff asked, crouching down to lift her into his arms.

"Me and ’iles makin’ cookies." Leah told him with a bright grin.

"Really?" the Sheriff lifted his chin, intrigued as he carried Leah into the kitchen.

Leah nodded. "Chocwit chip."

"Hmmm." he licked his lips dramatically. "My favourite."

"That’s a shame as you’re not having any." Stiles shook his head as he prepared the plates.

The Sheriff looked at Leah with an overly expressive pout. "He’s so mean to me kiddo."

Leah giggled, leaning in to whispered, not so quietly into the man’s ear. "I sneak you some."

The Sheriff pulled back to meet the little girl’s mischievous gaze and winked. "Thank you." he whispered back, before setting her down on her booster chair then taking the seat next to her. "And what's this?" he asked pulled the large sheet of paper towards her.

"It's a picture Lee did for us at school. I was thinking it should take pride of place of the refrigerator." Stiles replied.

The Sheriff started down at the images of himself, Stiles and Leah all stood side by side with huge grins on their faces. "Absolutely."

Stiles carried over the plates and napkins before going back for drinks.

"So what you two got planned for the weekend?" The Sheriff asked reaching for a slice of pizza.

"Baloo!" Leah squealed with a mouthful of cheese.

Stiles rolled his eyes. "I’m not watching Jingle Book all weekend Lee, no matter how much I love you." he chuckled.

"Widing Hood?"

Stiles sighed warily, shaking his head. "Maybe she would have been happier at the house with all the weird full moon stuff happening." he shook his head.

The Sheriff looked from his son to the little girl. "Would she….have been safe there?" he asked. He still wasn’t sure how everything worked, and he’d never actually asked.

Stiles met his dad’s gaze across the table. "With Derek, Isaac and Scott? Absolutely. Peter’s…." he shrugged. "…might be a little bit more….cautious. As for…." Stiles glanced at Leah who was watching him though her lashes. "….Alex. I have no idea."

The Sheriff nodded. "Well she did raise her for three years and obviously nothing happened." he waved a hand in Leah’s direction. "So it’s a pretty safe bet that Alex wouldn't be a threat to her safety."

Stiles hated his dad sometimes. He hated that he was always so rational and level headed. All Stiles wanted to do was hate the woman, he wanted to think the worst of her and there was his dad making a case for the defence. "I guess." he murmured, staring down at his pizza. Picking at the topping.

"I know…." the Sheriff started, glancing at Leah for a second. "….things are…difficult for you right now. I get it, really. But….she’s…"

"I know." Stiles cut his dad off before he finished a sentence that was undoubtedly going to embarrass them both. "I just….I can’t shake it."

The Sheriff looked at his son sympathetically. "Maybe its for the best." he said after a few minutes silence.

Stiles kept his gaze locked on his plate.

"You’ll be going off to college soon, meeting new people…." he said meaningfully. "And…well he’s…." he glanced at Leah once more, but her attention was fixed on her food. "….a lot older than you."

"I know." Stiles sighed. "And he’s clearly not interested right. I mean if he was he would have done something before now."

"Yeah." the Sheriff replied blandly. Not believing that for a second. "Of course, you’re the son of the town sheriff and underage, and I’ve already got enough reason to dislike him so…."

Stiles met his dad’s gaze with a spark of hopefulness.

"But….Stiles…" the Sheriff sighed. "…that doesn’t mean you should hold out hope. You’ve been down that road before remember and that didn’t work out. - I don’t want you spending all your time pinning for someone who for whatever reason isn’t going to….return your feelings."

The pair stared at each other over the table, silent acceptance, support and gratitude passing between them.

"I’m seeing this girl." Stiles finally said. "Ray-Ann Walsh."

The Sheriff frowned, his eyes snapping around to stare at Leah as that now familiar sound rumbled out of her throat at the mention of Ray-Ann. Stiles met his dad's confused look and shook his head. A silent message of 'ignore it'. So the man did. "Since when?"

"We went out last night."

"Is that….a good idea?" he asked cautiously.

"You just said you didn’t want me pining?" Stiles gaped.

"I know…but it’s….I just don’t…."

"She knows everything." Stiles finally confided. "About….him. Well not everything obviously. I mean I didn't tell you for like two years so I'm not going to blab to her after only one date but she knows that I...how I feel. She’s even met him. She hasn’t long broken up with her ex. It’s not serious, we just both….it’s senior year, you know. I’m going to need a date for Prom."

"Prom is six months away."

"I like to plan ahead." Stiles shrugged with a laugh.

The Sheriff fell silence, watching his son curiously through his lashes as he tried to concentrate on his meal. Till finally the silence was too much. "Am I going to get to meet her?"

"At some point." Stiles replied nonchalantly.

"And does she know about…." he nodded his head towards Leah.

"Lee? Yeah she…they met….hence the growling."

"Oh." the Sheriff shook his head. He looked at Leah again with concern. "How are you going to explain when…..stuff happens?"

"No!" Stiles snapped. "No stuff will be happening!" he waggled his finger at his dad. "I made a deal with the gods, no weird life threatening monster attacks during senior year. This is going to be normal. So very normal. Boringly normal."

The Sheriff smirked. "Right. Because your so easy to live with when there isn’t a crazy beast out there for you to track down. I remember the spring break sophomore year. You drove me insane for weeks."

"Yeah but that was before I had a girlfriend….."

"No." Leah snapped, glaring at him over the table with narrow eyes.

The Sheriff’s head shooting around to stare at her before looking back at Stiles. The teenager turning red and swallowing hard.

"Lee…." he sighed. "….Ray’s really nice. You’ll like her when…."

"No." she shook her head, slouching in her seat, her arms folded over her chest.

"Sweetheart?" the Sheriff pressed softly. "I’m sure she’s nice."

"I don’t like her!" Leah snapped. "’iles mine and daddy’s."

Stiles gapped at the little girl, his face on fire. "I…." he looked to his dad for help but the man looked just as uncomfortable and uncertain of how to proceed. "….have you finished?" he asked quietly, nodding to her plate. Leah nodded, shoving the not entirely clear plate away. "Why don’t you go watch TV then before its bath time."

Leah scrambled off the chair with help from the Sheriff and vanished into the living room.

"Stiles?"

"I’ll talk to her. She’s just…..confused." he said shoving back his chair and reaching for the plates.

The Sheriff shook his head. "I don’t know son. She’s grown very attached to you, and I know she calls you dad sometimes."

"That’s just a joke Lydia put in her head."

"Stiles." the older man got to his feet, following his son across the room to lean on the counter. "I think you might…..maybe spending so much time with her isn’t such a good idea. If she’s this attached now, imagine what she’s going to be like in six months when you leave."

"So maybe I won’t leave." Stiles said without thinking.

"Son? Son you can’t stay here just for her?" he frowned, tugging at his son’s shoulder. "Stiles? You have a chance at a real future."

"I don’t have to go to college for that." Stiles counters. "And I’m only going to come back anyway."

The Sheriff sighed. "That’s as may be, but you need to go son. You need to experience life away from here. - Away from the dangers and constant threats."

"Away from the pack you mean." Stiles said angrily.

"Yes. Alright that’s exactly what I mean. You’ve been putting your life on the line for them since you were sixteen Stiles. Don’t you think it’s time you started putting yourself first?"

"Maybe I don’t want to. - Their my family Dad. You and them, your all I have. - And I don’t want to lose that."

The Sheriff took a step forward. "If they're your family son, you won’t lose them. Anymore than you’ll lose me." he said gently, taking his son’s shoulders.

Stiles stared at his father with a watery gaze. "I’ll talk to Leah. Make her understand. - I’ll tell her I’m leaving soon."

The Sheriff nodded sadly. "You should….explain about Derek too. That you two aren’t…."

Stiles shook his dad off, turning away. "There’s nothing going on. He’s with Alex, I’m with Ray. - And in six months I’m leaving. I’ll explain it all."

The Sheriff pushed his hands deep into his pockets and watched his son for a few minutes as the teenager busied himself around the kitchen, a heavy weight in his stomach. He didn’t want to see his boy hurt, but it looked like that was inevitable. - If he was honest he’d known that. Since the day he’d found out Derek Hale was involved in Stiles life, and that fear had only grown over the years. But he hadn’t expected it to be a double heartbreak, care of a certain red haired three year old.

After a bath Leah was settled into her bed, her princess covers pulled up over her small frame and her little grey wolf pressed to her cheek. Stiles sat on the edge of the bed, worrying his lip. How was he meant to explain about the complexities of his and Derek’s relationship to a three year old girl who only saw the world as black and white?

"’iles?"

"Lee…I need….." he shook his head. It was too late for that conversation now. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they’d talk. Tomorrow he’d explain. "You want a story?"

Leah nodded. "Shewiff." she yawned.

Stiles rolled his eyes, pushing himself off the bed and walking to the door. "Dad, the Queen of Wolves demands a story!" he yelled, grinning at Leah as she giggled against her pillow.

It took only a few minutes before the older man was stood in the doorway looking at the little girl. "You summoned me your highness?" he bowed and Leah’s giggles turned into a belly laugh.

"Story."

"A story?" he nodded. "Of course. And should I ask which?" he was already reaching for the book of fairytales and flicking to the page. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Widing Hood." Leah yawned again.

"Like we couldn’t guess, huh Stiles?"

Stiles laughed and settled down on the floor at the end of the bed and waited as his father began the story. As his dad’s voice wove the tale, Stiles head fell back against the wall and his eyes drifted closed. Images of a dark hair, handsome wolf swirling into his mind, familiar woodland around him.

"Stiles?"

The teenager’s eyes snapped open to see his dad staring down at him. "Huh?"

"Go to bed, she’s out like a light." he whispered, holding his hand out to help his son to his feet.

"Right." Stiles nodded, accepting the help. Stepping past his dad he walked to the side of the bed and pressed a kiss to Leah’s red head before turning off the bedside lamp and turning to leave. Anxiety battled to extinguish the warmth in his chest as he paused on the threshold of the room to give her one last look before heading to his own bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long and difficult day, he'd need to be well rested.