"A dead fish?" said The Sheriff with raised eyebrows. there was disappointment in his voice and it was like paper cuts around Derek's heart.
"Yeah pretty rare one too but when I went back there apparently someone hand't been doing their job and the thing was just floating in the tank."he lied and each word stung and weighted on his tongue.
"Well what would I have done with a fish anyway. Hmmph! Just like Claudia to give me something... something completely useless."
Derek laughed patting John on the back but he could hear the pain and hurt in his voice even as he tried to laugh it off and appear unfazed.
What was Derek thinking? How could he possible do this to the sheriff. Didn't he deserve to know that Claudia had made an order for a rare fish that turned out to looked a hell of a lot like Stiles form the waist up? That even if this thing wasn't actually his kid that it looked like him or would that hurt all the more if it turned out this wasn't really Stiles, just some hoax... a hoax that Derek had fallen for. Yes he knew it was wrong but he couldn't stop himself. He had something that he hadn't had while the Stiles had been life. Time alone with him. All the time in the world. Just him and Stiles and even if this thing wasn't really stiles it would do and he would be saving the sheriff heartbreak if it wasn't. he was helping... or so he had to tell himself over and over again.
"Seems like a lot of trouble to go through for a fish." said Parrish sitting on the desk , arms crossed looking affronted that the sheriff's time had been wasted.
"What kind of fish was it? maybe we can try to get the shop to find another one since it died on their watch."
"Um, you know, I'm not sure. Didn't get a really good look at it. The Martin girl who runs the place whisked it away. um I'll go back and see if they would be willing to replace it but I'm not sure. The thing looked unlike any fish I had ever seen. Might be the last of its kind or not even worth the trouble."
The Sheriff shook his head and Derek let out a mental sigh of relief.
"Its fine. Don't need you bothering that girl or people seeing police there on a regular basis. I'll be fine guys I promise." said The Sheriff getting up from his desk and stretching.
"Been talking with that new shrink. Your uncle uh Peter I think Derek. Been helping me through this a bit."

So that's who they had assigned to be John's doctor.
His uncle Peter was a pretty famous psychiatrist and grief counselor, having helped Derek and his sisters after the fire that killed their entire family. He was good at his job...even if Derek always got the feeling that beneath that calm veneer and those perfect V neck shirts there was something dark and traitorous lurking. He remembered how his mother was always a bit wary of his uncle and never really left Derek alone with him for too long. The man had a way so speaking that got inside your head. which was truly perfect for the field of work he had chosen but still Derek didn't overly trust Peter, though he was glad The Sheriff was finally seeing someone about all this.
though maybe he was the one that should be talking to a psychiatrist instead because what he had done was wrong on so many levels that he had to be insane.
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Derek set by the pool staring at the flash of garnet scales and mother of pearl translucence that was Stiles' tail as he swam lazily through the water. Derek had been watching him for hours. He couldn't tare his eyes away the moment he found him in the pool. He had come home to find him already in the saltwater pool Derek had prepared for him. they had even dropped off some of the silver fish that he had been sharing his tank with. Derek had tried to make the pool look and feel as much like what he assumed his natural habitat would be. he had installed sea grass and coral and lined the the entire pool with natural pebbles and stone. He filled the entire pool house with large floral bushes and palm trees the block the windows. Even though he knew no one would set foot on the old hale property, he didn't want to take the chances of Stiles being seen by anyone but him. He would just tell any one who asked why he was spending so much time there that he was finally getting round to those reservations he had been planning for so long.
Derek watched Stiles swim gracefully in the deep end. chasing after the silver fish, catching them then letting them go before ducking back into the tall sea grass to hide and do the same thing all over again. He had never seen such graceful movements, especially not with Stiles. That just wasn't the word you used to describe the lanky, clumsily kid he had known,but this Stiles was all that and more.
Derek studied him closely from afar amazed with all the things he found.
Stiles' body was long and lithe like it had always been, the same collections of muscles from lacrosse but now slightly more defined and streamline. His eyes were the same honey brown they had always been but sometimes when the light hit them the wrong way, they turned just as blood red as the scales of his tail. The tail was something Derek studied as well. It was longer than Derek was sure stiles legs would have been making him 7-8.5 feet in length from head to fluke. The fluke or tail fin of tail resembled that of a dolphin but only in structure, the rest of it was very much like that of a fish...though like no fish Derek had ever seen. The scale melded seamlessly into the skin of his hips save for a line of them that grew up along his spine then fanned out, along his shoulder and neck, spattered about like freckles. The tail itself didn't bend where the knees of a human would be, but a bit lower and Stiles seemed to be able to bend and wrap the tail around things as well though not like a snake... more like and eel. The tail moved like that of a dolphin or whale when he swam.
Stiles hands were strangely discolored, starting in the same garnet/blood red of his tail about half way up the forearm and darkening to almost black as they reached the fingers. There was shimmery almost translucent webbing between each finger and his nails were long and almost talon-like.
Stiles hair was much the same way it had been the last time Derek saw him , or at least the same length. there seemed to a sheen over like the inside of a seashell, mother of pearl tint of blue and pink and pearl and bronze.
all and all he was beautiful much the same way the original Stile shad been to Derek...but there was something off about this one. Something primal. Something that made Derek pull his feet from the water when Stiles swam too close or avert his gaze to avoid locking eyes as he was doing now.
"Um I guess its time I feed you huh." Derek said standing up.
"The lady at the other pet shop thought I was crazy when I kept asking what do large fish eat. she gave me a variety of things to try though."
Derek tried the the shrimp first throwing a few into the water. the silver fish liked them but Stile ignored them completely laid out under water watching Derek.
it unnerved him how little stiles seemed to move when doing this. even his tail was still.
he tried a few live squid next only for them to swim off into the sea grass and still Stiles didn't move.
next was a large Salmon. Stepping to the edge of the pool Derek dangled the fish in the air
"Come one. There has to be something you like." he groaned but still stiles staid perfectly still.
he sighed closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead.
sudden;y there was a loud splash and Derek nearly screamed! Stiles had his the fish seized in his mouth, sharp needle like teeth only inches from Derek's hand.
He quickly let go and Stiles darted way to the corner with the fish where Derek watched him swallow large chunks of it whole, scales, meat, bone and all. Derek's heart was pounding in his chest. he stumbled back words a big falling flat on his ass and just stared at Stiles who stared back intently, the light hitting his eyes the wrong way making them glow red. He was waiting...Derek reached into the bag from the shop and pulled out another salmon and threw it. Stiles arched his long body into the air perfectly and caught it in his mouth, giving Derek yet another glimpse of those sharp needle like teeth.
How had he not noticed those before! Those things had been so close to his hand that if Stiles had been so incline he could have bitten Derek's fingers clean off . Derek had seen a documentary on sharks and every thing about stiles mouth was extremely shark like.
he watched as Stiles tore into the second fish then turned to him.
Did he want another one? How much would Derek have to feed him before he was full. How much do mermaids eat...and was fish all they ate? How much of Stiles nature was like that if most large predatory fish? Slowly he swam over the edge of the pool causing Derek to jerk his legs out of reach in fear. the hungry glint was gone from his eyes and he inclined his head...almost sweetly. Almost like Stiles had done a few times when he had caught Derek looking at him too long
"Are... are you really Stiles... our Stiles?" Derek asked inching a bit closer to the edge but his legs still felt spring loaded, red to jump and run at the drop of a needle
My Stiles?"
The light caught Stiles eyes again, turning them glowing red and then he was gone , darting off below the water and into the safety of the sea grass.