• Baby Boy •

Comfort

It wasn't till about 10pm that Derek decided to stop working and close up his shop. He opened a motor repair shop about six months ago, he had the money and since he enjoys vehicle maintenance - it helps him relieve stress - he figured why the fuck not. Recently has been a complete rollercoaster of emotions and it's where he goes when he's feeling too overwhelmed. It's not Stiles' fault but it's all so huge and complicated and scary and Derek... Derek is terrified.

When Derek got back to his apartment, it was all quiet so he figured Stiles and Eli were asleep. He gently put his keys on the console table by the front, not to make too much noise and then lightly crept down the hall to the living room. That's when he heard it, or more so, didn't hear it. He was trying to listen for their heartbeats, it's comforting to hear them, and yet he couldn't. He walked into the spare room Stiles and Eli had occupied the last couple of days and saw that neither were there, it wasn't like they just up and left because the sheets were rumpled and Stiles' phone was still on the bed side table.

And the lamp was on the floor...

And the old teddy bear that Stile gave to Eli was on the opposite side of the room...

And the smell... it was horrible. The room stank of fear and distress and anxiety.

"Oh shit" Derek quickly mumbled as he realised what must of happened. He ran out the room, reached for his phone as aggressively grabbed his keys by the front - complete opposite of when he'd came in. He calls Stiles dad, listening to the phone ring two- three- four times, and with a sigh of relief, Noah finally answered.

"Derek? What's wrong? You never-" The sheriff seems tired, obviously, seen as he's been at work all day. But that doesn't stop Derek from interrupting him mid sentence.

"Stiles and Eli... there gone!" Derek says harshly as he starts the car. He has no idea where he's going to go, but he'll search the damn whole state if he has to.

• ~ •

Stiles woke up to a horrible pounding in his head, the tightness in his chest overwhelmingly unbearable, making him breath quickly and sharply.

"Eli. Eli where are you?" Stiles only just whispers through a croaky voice, it's all he can do it that point, his words feeling caught in his throat, fighting to get them out as he struggles to breathe. He's slowly blinking out the fog out of his eyes, the numbing haze that he's trying hard to fight off. Then he hears it, the gentle tears, he looks around, still struggling to see through the black static. "Eli?" He says gently, he's scared, so fucking scared. "Eli, it's okay, I'm here" Stile tries his best to be reassuring, but he knows there really isn't much he can do in this situation. He finally sees a small dark shadow and tries his best to run at it - only really being a slow jog due to the weakness in his knees, but still - then he hits his head on a bar and mumbles curses under his breath to it. He hears a very faint giggle, Eli's giggle. "Daddy getting hurt makes you laugh does it?" Stiles smiles as he blinks away the stars.

Are you fucking serious?

There's a wall of bars between them, like a prison cell, and Eli is on the other side of them. Stiles reaches his hand through the bars and puts his hand on Eli's head, gently stroking it, making sure he's really there. Eli is trying to squeeze through the bars, get to Stiles, desperate for comfort.

"Eli, hey, you're going to hurt yourself" Stiles says as he gently tries to stop him, continuing to stroke his head and hold his hand.

"Dadda" Eli sobs and Stiles is fight back the rock in his throat, desperately holding on for him and Eli, desperately trying not to fall apart in front of him.

Then Stiles hears the jangling of keys and he can feel Eli start to shake under his palm. Men walk in and unlock the door to Eli's half of the prison. Eli looks to Stiles, who can only just see him through the dark, his eyes going glossy. Stiles feels his heart shatter at the look. The men walk in and pick up a thrashing Eli, kicking and screaming.

"Where are you taking him!" Stiles shouts as he gets him, hands holding the bars as he shakes them. "Don't fucking hurt him! Or I swear-" Stiles can feel his body trembling, hands struggling to grip the bars as they sweat profusely. He can feel his head pounding and chest fighting as he watches them take his son. "Leave him alone!" Stiles yells through croaked sobs and they shut the door behind them to the room the cells were in. Stiles can still vaguely hear a screaming Eli and that's when he breaks, he falls into the corner and sobs. Voice going hoarse as he struggles to fight back the tears. He doesn't know if he's shaking with fear or rage. He does know one thing though, they are going to fucking regret this.