Baby|| Stiles Stilinski

24

Lydia drove them in her little car to a familiar cement apartment block. In the daytime, it didn't look any less threatening or gloomy. "What is it with Wolves and places that look like they should be on Buzzfeed unsolved?" Baby asked.

"I think it goes with the trauma and brooding", Lydia sighed as they began climbing the stairs. "I'm still pissed at you by the way".

"Noted", Baby murmured. The door to Derek's loft was shut and he thumped heavily on the metal. It slid open to reveal a sharp handsome man in his late thirties. Both he and Lydia paused, eyes wide. Lydia in shock and anger, the man in defeat and slight guilt.

"You", she breathed.

"Me", the man rubbed a hand over his forehead with a sigh. "Derek!" He called. "We have a visitor".

"What's with the hostility?" Baby queried as they stepped inside the loft after the man.

"That's Peter Hale", Lydia stated. "He turned Scott, killed several people and tried to kill me. Only for us to kill him and now he's resurrected and back, unfortunately".

Baby whistled. "Oof".

Derek appeared, looking as grouchy as usual. Baby grinned at him mischievously. "Derek!" He greeted. "I don't know if your sister told you but you now owe me three favours, since I saved her arse from Aidan yesterday. You should really keep you betas on a shorter leash. I might not save the next one".

"Vamp", Derek greeted icily. "Lydia. What do you want?"

Lydia took a deep breath. "We need to know where the Nemeton is. That's where Miss Blake is hiding her next three sacrifices".

"Ah", Peter sighed. "We don't actually know where that is".

"You don't know where it is?" Lydia repeated in frustration. "But Stiles said you'd been there".

"We have", Peter ground out. "But after a few memorable experiences there, Talia. Derek's mother and my older sister, decided that she didn't ever want us going back there. She knew how dangerous it was and took the memory of it's location from us".

"But then how are we supposed to find it?" Lydia muttered. Baby growled in frustration. Annoyance bubbling in his gut.

"Come on", he huffed. "Since these guys are useless, let's go and met up with Stiles". He and Lydia turned to the door but he called back over his shoulders the the two Hales. "Remember what I said about looking after your Pack Derek. The more I help you out, the more I expect in return. And you already owe me blood".

The door slammed behind them theatrically. Lydia sighed heavily. "Please use your favours to kill Peter", she murmured. "I really hate that guy".

Baby chuckled. "Maybe one day".

——

"It has to be on a telluric current. Maybe even on the axis of two or where they intercept. I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die", Stiles voiced. They were all assembled in Deaton's clinic. Issac and Alison having joined them. Grouped around a steel table, the same one Baby had been treated on the night before. Deaton was pacing the floor, one hand pressed to his mouth in thought as he listened to what they were saying.

"My dad and Gerard were there once", Alison sighed. "But Gerard said that it was years ago and he couldn't remember where it was. My dad isn't really here to tell us now".

"Yeah, mine either".

"I wish I could remember", Baby murmured. He shrugged. "But most of my memories before being turned are hazy at the best of times. So I am literally no help".

"Then how do we find this place?" Issac spoke up from where he was leaning against the wall. No one answered, they all turned to Deaton expectedly.

The Druid took a breath. "There might be a way. But it's dangerous". He turned to them. "We're going to need Scott".

——

Stiles and Deaton went in Stiles' jeep to go and get Scott. They didn't take to long before they were back and Deaton was explaining his plan. The idea was that Stiles, Allison and Scott were to become surrogate sacrifices for their parents. They would all die for a few second before Deaton brought them back. Hopefully. Maybe, it was all very uncertain.

Baby watched as Deaton dropped the last bag of ice into the water. Three metal bathtubs were lined up in a row in his back room. Each full of water, ice and mistletoe leaves. "Do you know what this could do to the Nemeton?" Baby asked Stiles.

"Deaton said that it would light it up as a beacon", Stiles replied. His hands were fidgeting nervously with his dad's badge. The thin metal disk spinning between his fingers. "That it will attract more creatures to beacon hills. Also that it will change us. Leave a permeant trace on our souls and all that jazz".

"The Nemeton is already attracting creatures. I didn't just come here for Danny", Baby murmured. "I could feel it's power. Probably because I've been here before. But it lured me into returning. I don't want to even think what it will be like at full power". It wasn't a comforting thought.

"Yeah well", Stilles sighed heavily. "This is our only option".

"Aright", Deaton spoke up. "What have your brought?"

"Um", Stiles voiced. Thumb tracing the metal. "I've got my dad's badge. Jennifer tried to crush it in her hand so I tried hammering it out a bit, still doesn't look great".

"It doesn't need to look good if it has meaning", Deaton reassured.

"Is that an actual silver bullet?" Issac asked, staring at the object in Allison's hand.

"Yeah. My dad made it as a kinda ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills of a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the code".

"Scott?"

Scott opened his fist to reveal a leather and gold watch. It was old and well worn. "My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say that it was the only thing in her marriage that ever worked", he smiled nostalgically.

"Okay", Deaton announced. "The three of you will get in and each of us will hold you down until you're essentially, well, dead. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back. Someone who has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether". They all looked around at each tier nervously. Deaton's eyes watching them, as if he was seeing into their hearts to assess the pairings.

Baby moved to take a step back. He hadn't been there long, surely he wasn't needed. Everyone else had known each other far longer than him. "Baby", Deaton's voice made him stop. "You go with stiles". Baby and Stiles shared surprised looks.

"Lydia, you go with Allison. And I will go with Scott", Deaton nodded at them. "Issac will be timing how long you're under".

They all shared nervous glances. None of them arguing.

Unedited