You've got the love I need to see me through - Baby in the Pack

12

With Billie's naps more evenly spaced throughout the day, it's much easier to get her to sleep that night. The adults gather around the campfire built by Isaac and Boyd; Derek's Second is lecturing Isaac on the finer points of building a campfire, stopping him whenever Isaac wants to put too much wood on at a time. Across the fire are Lydia, Allison and Erica sitting together, each with a goopy green mask on their face. "Hydrating and exfoliating," Lydia assured him when he turned down her offer to get one too. Jackson and Scott also politely refuse, although Derek has a feeling they wouldn't if they'd been in the privacy of their own homes.

Derek sits on one of the logs around the fire, Cora leaning against his leg on one side as she sits on the grass. It's nice to have his sister home. She has a good life with her other pack and isn't even technically his Beta, yet it always feels good to have her close.
A little ways over, Stiles is working with Scott, Liam and Malia to make s'mores for everybody. They've taken it up a notch by filling up the metal skewers with as much marshmallows as they can fit. Predictably, it all turns into a sticky mess. So when everybody has their s'mores and Cora grabs Stiles to sit with her - expertly tackling him so he lands within the v of Derek's legs - he is still licking sugar off his fingers.
"And here I thought Billie was the messy eater," Derek remarks drily, accommodating Stiles to lean against the inside of his knee.

Stiles releases a sticky thumb from his mouth with a pop. "Excuse you? My daughter has the table manners of a princess!"

"A ten month old princess, yes." Derek faces Stiles' stuck out tongue with a blank expression.

Cora leans her arms on his knee to talk to Stiles and pretty soon they've both seemingly forgotten they're practically sitting on top of Derek. He doesn't mind, though, enjoying the close contact and listening to their conversation without needing to join in.

When he hears a small cry coming from the tent he stiffens, pricking up his ears. Stiles notices, looking up at him questioningly. "It's nothing," he confirms after a moment, "she fell back asleep again."

"You don't need a baby monitor with Papa Wolf around," Cora jokes, making Stiles blush with the mention of the affectionate nickname he used for Derek earlier. The Alpha grips his sister by the back of her neck, shaking her a little for teasing her packmate. He doesn't object to the name, though, secretly even likes it.

Most of the pack gravitates towards Derek's side of the fire, piling in together until each pack member touches at least two of the others. On one side his pack blends over in Scott's pack, with the way Lydia and Allison lean against each other. Everyone is connected, werewolves and humans alike. The Alpha wolf inside him revels in it, the feeling almost as strong as when they howl at the full moon together.
Stiles stays in his spot between Derek's legs the whole time, until he ends up with his back against his Alpha's chest. "Look at you, you're practically purring, aren't you?" he remarks teasingly, looking up at Derek.

He looks down and raises an unimpressed eyebrow. "Wolves don't purr."

"Sure they do." Stiles rubs the side of his head against Derek's chest like a cat and the werewolf can't stop the contented rumble that rolls through his body at the blatant scent marking.

"You're a menace," he threatens a laughing Stiles, hauling him upright - and closer - when the younger man tips over in his joy.

Just like last night they leave the fire for their bed in small groups, if only because there isn't enough room at the one available sink for them all to brush their teeth at the same time. Derek and Stiles are the last ones by the fire. Stiles watches Derek make sure the fire will go out from where he sits cross legged in the grass. "It's our last night under the stars," he says wistfully.