Chapter Text
It was just the beginning of dusk. The road going into Beacon Hills felt like coming home. Passing the welcome sign felt like a weight lifting off Stiles shoulders. He hadn’t been back to Beacon Hills in so long. He’s missed it. Despite the tension leaving him, he can’t allow himself to feel complete relief yet. He came back to this town for a reason.
Stiles glanced in the rear view mirror at the sleeping little girl in the back seat. This was for her. Everything he’s done, all the bridges he’s burned, all the scars he has, was to protect her. He’d do anything for her. Which is why he’s back in Beacon Hills. He’s ready to end this. He just wants to stop running.
His plan was to take her to the ruins of the old Hale house. A hollowed house perfect for hiding someone for a short period of time. He could protect her there while he finished what he started. He wasn’t expecting to drive the hidden path leading to the old Hale house and finding it littered with various cars and a large, very much not ruined, house. His breath caught.
It was too soon to see the pack. He wasn’t ready to see them. He needed to make everything right with her before he could rebuild the bridges with his pack. He glanced at the girl again. All of this was for her. He didn’t have a back up plan. He was going to have to confront the pack. This could be a good thing. They would probably protect her while he tied up his loose ends. But, they would probably want something from him in return. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for that. It had been so long since he’d talked to any of them. He’d left so suddenly. They might not even want anything to do with him.
He had to try. For her.
He took a deep breath to steady his nerves before getting out of the vehicle. He grabbed the backpack and sleeping child from the back seat and made his way to the front door. He was careful not to wake the sleeping child. He was holding the sleeping child on his hip, the blanket wrapped around her completely. Her soft snores made him look down at her with a soft smile. Her sleeping face, peaceful and innocent, relaxed him marginally. Her cute face would go miles with the no doubt angry wolves in the house. Before he can even reach the door, it opens, Scott on the other side with a shocked expression.
“Hey, Scotty,” Stiles tried for a shy smile. He tried to reign in his anxiety. Being away from everyone for so long really did a number on his social skills. Scott stood there gaping at him in shock. Stiles pulled any confidence he had together.
“Can I come in?” Scott moved out of the way and followed Stiles towards the living room where everyone was. The room was silent as they saw Stiles standing in front of them. Shock written on all of their faces. Stiles tries to steady his heartbeat at all of the attention.
“Um, hey guys,” he doesn’t know how to start. He was used to making plans and everything working out, this was not working out like he planned. Fuck, he’s missed them so much. Seeing their faces now almost breaks him. Lydia was the first to break the silence.
“Stiles?! Where have you been?”Lydia’s glare is harsh but still somehow soft as she looks at him. Her questions seem to break the shock and everyone starts talking at him at once. He holds back his flinch just barley. He’s not used to everyone, hasn’t been around so many people since before he left. The voices fade out slowly as Scott tries to go in to give Stiles a hug. He gives him a forced, tight smile, something almost apologetic as he steps away from his open arms. Scott looks hurt by the rejection.
Stiles lets some of his magic leak out in search of the alpha of the pack. He thinks it’s still Derek but doesn’t want to overstep. He needs all the brownie points he can get at the moment. It comes back to him, telling him the pack dynamics with Derek holding strong to the alpha position. Stiles tries not to think about how proud of the sourwolf he is. He was trying so hard for the pack to stay and respect him and it all paid off in the end. He also tries not to think about how he didn’t get to see any of it. How he was away from his pack.
“I’m sorry. I really am. I know I have a lot to explain, and I promise I will. But I really need a favor first.” Stiles directs all of his attention to Derek, tilting his head slightly in submission. Derek takes it for what it is and nods. Maybe it was the desperation in his voice, maybe it was because he knows Stiles, maybe it was the show of submission. Stiles was grateful regardless.
“Thank you Alpha. I promise I will make everything right. I just have to tie up a few loose ends before I can.” The girl Stiles has been carrying starts to stir.
“I need you to protect her, Derek. Please. I trust you and I really need you to protect her.” Derek's eyes drifted to the moving blanket, confusion written on his face. Nobody seemed to realize Stiles was holding a child before then.
“Who-” Derek is interrupted by a very soft, very cute grumble coming from underneath the blanket. Stiles tries to hide his flinch from the movement but being surrounded by wolves means nothing when trying to hide something from them. Stiles pushed the blanket down and the girl's mop of black hair sticks out everywhere. Stiles never was able to tame her hair. He brushes her hair out of her eyes, gently coaxing her awake. He crouches down as he starts to talk to her in soft polish.
“Bugs, it’s time to wake up. There are some people here who want to meet you. Don’t be scared. They are very nice and we can trust them. They are the friends I told you about. Do you remember?” She gives a little mumble before rubbing the rest of the sleep out of her eyes. Taking a moment to let the words register. Stiles readjusts the girl so she is standing in front of him and he wraps her blanket around her. He holds her steady until she is fully awake and looking at him with wide wonderlike eyes.
“The nice people you told me about? And we trust them?” She responds in polish. Stiles smiles sadly at the fact that was the first thing she asked and nods.
“Yeah księżniczko, we can trust them. I promise. Are you ready to meet them?” She nods eagerly. “Remember what I said about secrets, we still have to keep ours for a little bit longer okay?” She nods again and Stiles switches to English.
“Everyone, I would like you to meet Czeslawa. She prefers Bugs though. A little easier to pronounce. Czeslawa, these are the people I told you about.” She looks at each of them with sharp eyes still brittled with a little bit of sleep. It unnerves them.
“Alright, księżniczko. You’re going to stay with these nice people for a little bit, okay? I’ll be back really soon. You’re safe with them.” She jumps on him to give him a hug. She may not know what he’s going to do but she knows that he’ll come back. She just needs a hug.
“Stiles-” Derek starts a little exasperated. Before Stiles can cut him off, Bugs turns to him and narrows her eyes and him. Promptly shutting him up.
“That one sourwolf?” She asks looking back at Stiles. Derek’s eyes widen slightly and Stiles hears a few people in the pack snicker. Stiles gives her a nod, a smile tugging at his mouth. She grabs her blanket and makes her way to where Derek was sitting in an armchair and starts making grabby hands at him. Shocked, he reaches down and picks her up, not sure what she wants. The pack shares looks of shock. Stiles takes the backpack off his shoulders and sets it beside Derek's chair before pulling out headphones and a coloring book and crayons. Bugs took them gratefully and set to work on her newest masterpiece.
“Stiles, what the fuck is going on?” Derek says after making sure Bugs headphones were secured on her head. He doesn’t seem mad at least. Small wins, Stiles.
“I promise I will tell you everything when I get back. I have to do something really important. I really need you to trust me right now. I put up some protection wards around the house before I came in, you’ll be safe here. Just don’t leave. Please don’t leave. Don’t let her leave either. I really need you to trust me. I’ll be back within 72 hours. Please please protect her. Nothing should happen. I really am sorry for springing this on you all of a sudden but I had nowhere else I could take her. No one else I can trust. She wasn’t safe anymore.” Stiles rambles feeling desperate with each word that slips out of his mouth. Derek's face looks serious but his eyes are looking at Stiles with such softness he didn’t realize he had missed it until just then.
“Stiles,” his voice soft and gentle. “We’ll protect her. I trust you.” Stiles relaxes marginally and lets out a breath of relief.
“Thank you,” his voice comes out soft. He tries to say everything he can with his eyes before they drift to the little girl sitting in his lap.
“She has everything she needs in the bag. She should sleep peacefully but if she wakes up from a nightmare tell her you are going to wrap her in her blanket like a cocoon, make sure she responds coherently before doing it and she should be fine after that.” His voice was soft but even he could hear the pain in it. He tried not to wince at the fact that wolves could probably tell too. Stiles takes a deep breath before pushing the headphones off of the little girl's head. Her eyes met his.
“I have to go now.” She gives him a scared look and he knows the wolves can smell her fear from the looks on their faces. He gives her a small smile and pushes her hair behind her ear.
“It’s going to be okay. I’ll be back before you even notice I’m gone. You’re safe here. Don’t be scared. The strong wolves will protect you. Remember the stories I told you? They won’t let anything happen to you.“ She pushes off of Derek to give Stiles a hug. He kisses the top of her head squeezing his eyes tight before pulling away.
“Be safe, Mischief. I be good, promise. Go get them back.” She says, giving him her signature grin. He grins back at her.
“Don’t you worry about that.” He says giving her a mischievous grin and wiggles his fingers in front of her face. Small colorful sparks burst from his fingertips and she giggles trying to mimic the show of magic. Stiles ignored the gasps from the pack. Just another thing he is going to have to explain later.
“Go back to coloring, księżniczko.” He says putting her headphones back on. He waits a moment for her to continue before standing again and turning his head away from her so she can’t see his face.
“Fuck,” his voice is low as he scrubs a hand down his face. He settled Derek with a look, taking the other by surprise. “She gets nervous around a lot of loud things, if her heartbeat spikes, give her the headphones and the coloring book or the other book in her bag. She’s not super keen on touch unless she approaches you first and any sudden movements scare her.”
“We’ll protect her, Stiles. She’s safe with us.” His face was serious and Stiles knew that she was. He nods in acknowledgement to the wolf.
“Thank you. I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Derek nods in response and Stiles makes his way back to the Jeep.
Stiles rested his head against the wheel and took several deep breaths. He had to get it together.
For Bugs and his dad and the pack. He had to do this, he had to protect them. He could do it, he’s powerful, he’s trained for this. He can do it. He has to do it. For Bugs.
He can’t afford to think about how he’s gotten here. About all the things he’s missed with the pack. All the birthdays and small moments. Can’t afford to think about how they all look so different but the same. How Derek looked at him. Like hope and home and longing. He needed to stay focused. Maybe he could think about all of that once this was over. Once they were free.