Peter froze when he heard Derek's voice behind him asking, "Peter?"

Peter turned slowly and he saw Derek standing behind him, he narrowed his eyes and he said, "You're not supposed to be in Beacon Hills, you're supposed to be in San Diego at that conference."

Derek shrugged, "Noah sent someone else. It's no big deal." He leaned forward and he asked confusedly, "Uncle Peter, why can I smell Stiles on you?"

Peter dropped his head and he swore quietly, "Fuck, he's is going to kill his father." He noticed that Derek was in his deputy uniform and he asked, "When are you due on shift Derek?"

Derek checked his phone for the time before he shrugged and he answered, "In about twenty minutes."

Peter took a deep breath and he said, "I have to go. Sorry." He turned to run before he turned back and he said, "Please don't follow me, I will find you after your shift."

Peter took off at a run for the station knowing that Stiles was having lunch with Noah in his office.

Peter ran into the station and he ignored the deputy trying to stop him at the front desk, he snarled at Noah before he said to Stiles, "Time to go. Chop chop."

Noah frowned and he asked, "Peter, what are you doing?"

Peter growled, "Getting him out of here before your interfering causes him to be hospitalized with another panic attack."

Stiles stood and he moved to stand next to Peter who slumped in defeat when he heard Derek's heartbeat enter the building. Stiles recognized the slump for what it was, he glared at his dad and he said quietly, "You promised."

Noah nodded solemnly as he agreed, "I did, but you don't know the whole story. I decided that eight years was long enough for you to run away from all that you left behind."

Stiles demanded, "So why didn't you talk to me instead of blindsiding me."

Noah rubbed his hand down his face and he said sounding defeated, "Because every single time I tried you hung up on me. If I tried while you were in town you left. I have been trying for years to get you to listen kiddo." Noah looked at the door and he yelled, "Hale, get your furry butt in here, I know you're listening."

Derek walked in quietly and he shut the door behind him. Noah pointed at all of them and he demanded, "Sit!"

As they all sat, Peter and Stiles on the sofa at the back of the room and Derek in one of the visitor chairs Stiles snarked, "They aren't actually dogs dad."

Noah shrugged and he snarked back, "It worked didn't it."

He looked at the three of them and he drummed his fingers on the desk as he felt out how to approach the discussion that needed to be had. He asked, "Can I get a straight answer for why you left Stiles?"

Stiles shook his head and he withdrew into himself as he refused to look anywhere but his hands. Peter leaned into him and he murmured, "Want me to tell them sweetheart?"

Stiles looked at Peter with a sad look on his face and he nodded. He went to stand but Peter pulled him back down. He whispered, "No more running, we face it then we can go home if you still want to leave."

Stiles huffed and he sank into the back of the sofa he was sitting on.

Peter explained what Scott had put Stiles through since he had been bitten. The multiple kidnappings that could be linked to Scott's actions or inactions. The fact that Scott would never listen to advise from Stiles even though Stiles was the one who did all the research for the pack. He went through how it all came to a head while trying to deal with the alpha pack when Scott got his alpha upgrade which led to him going full douche.

Stiles snorted and he muttered, "That's an understatement. Post coma insane you was less douchey than Alpha 'Everyone can be trusted' McCall."

"Anyway," Peter said, talking over Stiles muttering, he went on to explain how Scott always listened to Alan Deaton over anything Stiles said and when Noah, Chris, and Melissa were taken by the Darach, Deaton wanted them to do a surrogate sacrifice to help them locate the Nemeton and to nullify their sacrifice in the five-fold-knot. He laid out how Stiles refused to do the ritual Deaton was proposing and instead turned up at Peter's thought to be hidden apartment asking for help.

Peter could see Stiles was starting to tense up and he pulled Stiles into a half hug before he continued the explanation. He said to Noah, "Scott was livid and when we all arrived at the distillery Scott was screaming at Stiles about not finding you guys in time. He completely ignored everything Stiles was saying about already finding you all. The only thing that stopped him attacking Stiles outright was you three arriving in the SUV behind Stiles."

Stiles spoke up and he said quietly, "That wasn't why I left Beacon Hills though. Why I left with no way to be contacted."

Peter sighed and he agreed, "No. It wasn't."

When it seemed Peter was struggling with how to continue Derek asked quietly, "Uncle Peter, why did you yourself leave?"

"Honestly?" He asked, and when Derek nodded he said, "I realized that the only people in town that would ever trust me to be pack were you and Stiles and neither of you were alphas. Scott would never accept me as pack. A wolf can't live like that without going omega so I made the call to leave, I had a friend in L.A. who I knew accepted strays into her pack so I started packing. Stiles turned up on my doorstep to return the books we used to find the Nemeton while I was packing and he asked to join me."

Peter smiled sadly, he looked up at Noah and he said, "I think the final straw for both of us was watching Scott let a healed Deucalion go free on just his word that he would behave."

Stiles shook his head, he said to Peter, "No, for me the final straws were him turning to you and warning you to stay away from me like he owned me, then after you left, when I argued with him about his decision to let Deucalion go free and clear with no consequences, he just flashed his new alpha eyes at me and he said I am the alpha and it's my decision."

Noah sighed and put his face in his hands he muttered, "Bloody hell."

Stiles snarked, "I refused to follow an alpha who's lone brain cell resided in his dick. So I left."

Derek and Peter both snorted but tried to hide it.

Noah asked, "What do you know about what's been happening in Beacon Hills in the years you have been gone."

Stiles shook his head, "Nothing, nada, zip. I made a deal with Peter that he wouldn't share unless you or Derek were in life-threatening danger. The few times he tried I had panic attacks so bad that I ended up in the hospital."

Noah narrowed his eyes as he noted that both himself and Derek were on the very short list and he asked, "Why?"

Stiles shrugged as he explained, "I knew, I knew that if I heard about minor stuff happening I would want to come back and help. That wouldn't have been so bad, except, I didn't trust that the next person Scott trusted wouldn't be the one to actually succeed at killing me. The thought of it was enough to send me into a panic attack. It took a lot of therapy for them to stop. It's the same reason I made you promise to not say anything before I would agree to visit while the pack were all out of town."

Noah frowned and he asked, "What do you mean? Who nearly killed you?"

Stiles turned and buried his head in Peter's shoulder and he mumbled, "Gerard nearly killed me in that basement, he tortured me for over 4 hours and no one noticed I was even injured except for Derek and Peter. After Gerard let me out I found out Scott worked with him to essentially rob Derek of his body autonomy by forcing him to bite Gerard. Then to add shit onto Scott's giant pile of trusting everyone fuckery, Scott knew that Deucalion kidnapped Cora, Boyd, and Erica. He was aware that his pack killed Erica and Boyd, and tortured Cora, I was able to link Deucalion, Kali and Ennis to the slaughter of at least 12 packs that I was able to find, a total of over 130 people and wolves including at least 25 children and he ignored all this even though I gave him copies of all the evidence I had. Instead he gave Deuc a clean slate when he let him go and he accepted the Voltron twins into his pack."

Peter lifted Stiles' chin and he said, "Breathe Stiles. Block it all out and concentrate on your breathing."

Noah cleared his throat and he said, "Scott isn't the alpha. He hasn't been since a few weeks after you left."

Stiles sat up and he asked, "What?"

Derek moved so Stiles could see him and he flashed his red alpha eyes. He explained, "I wasn't happy that Scott just let Deucalion go and neither was Chris, and Scott wouldn't listen to us either. We ended up working together to watch Deucalion when he left Beacon Hills. When the first thing he did was to start harassing Satomi Ito's betas we took him out."

Stiles said, "So that explains you getting the alpha spark, but not how Scott lost his."

Noah said, "We still don't fully understand it, all we know is that when Derek returned with Chris after killing Deucalion, Scott was waiting for them at the loft and he was ranting incoherently about having blue eyes."

"Huh," Stiles pondered, "Gerard must have died while he was alpha."

Derek nodded, "We figured it was either that or the ritual Deaton used to get Scott alpha'ed up had consequences he didn't warn Scott about. Chris never heard from Gerard after he escaped from the warehouse."

Stiles asked, "So where is Scott now?"

Noah shrugged, "He and Melissa left town as soon as he graduated. Chris keeps an eye on him through various contacts but I lost interest, to be honest."

Stiles smirked, "Let me guess, it was my fault he lost his alpha spark?"

Derek and Noah both nodded in agreement. Derek said, "His logic is seriously flawed. Oh and nothing is ever his fault."

Peter snorted and Stiles asked, "I'm curious, how long did it take him to realize I was gone?"

Noah laughed out, "Months, it wasn't until Jackson asked where you were when he was on a visit home that he realized he hadn't seen you."

Derek asked, "So where have you been? The few times I have seen Peter he never even let on that you were with him."

Stiles smiled and he said, "L.A. with Peter. I ended up working in Hollywood. Living the dream… I went to college with help from Peter and got an Arts degree, amongst others, and then I ended up with a job as a researcher on a supernatural tv show about 6 years ago. First as an intern during the school breaks then as a full-time researcher as I worked my way onto the writing team as a writer, now I get credit on shows under my pen name as an episode writer."

Noah asked, "And you and Peter? Are you together? What's going on there?"

Stiles grimaced at his dad and he screwed up his nose as he said, "Ewwww no dad, just no."

Peter chuckled and he looked down at Stiles who was ensconced in his lap and he said, "You need to tell them, sweetheart."

Stiles huffed and he lifted his head from where he was hiding it in Peter's shoulder and he flashed red eyes at his dad and he said, "I'm his alpha. He's my lone beta and as part of that I get to demand cuddles. Wolves are tactile ya' know."

Peter was about to speak and Stiles flashed his eyes at him and said, "No! They are not princess cuddles. Stop calling them that you bloody wanker."

Noah asked with a warning tone in his voice, "Stiles?"

Stiles sighed, "So about three months after we moved I must have still smelled like the pack, we don't know if it was the smell of Peter on me or I still smelled of Scott's pack but while I was doing a visit to the local colleges to choose which one to attend I was attacked by a rogue alpha. He just didn't count on me being armed with a wolfsbane imbued knife which I drove straight through his heart. I made my way home and Peter helped me through the turn. I offered him the alpha spark but he refused and still refuses point blank to take it."

While Noah and Peter processed that surprising news Peter asked, "So if Scott left, what happened to the twins?"

Derek said, "They are still around, they have been loyal to the pack even after Scott lost his alpha spark. Danny and Ethan got married about, umm, three years ago now I think. Aiden works for the high school training to replace Finstock when he eventually retires."

Noah cleared his throat to get their attention after exchanging glances with Peter and he suggested, "Derek I have put you down for a day off so why don't you take him back to the house to catch up. Maybe try to talk him into staying."

Stiles scowled at Noah, but before he could speak Noah held up his hand and he said, "Kid, I can read between the lines. You hate it in L.A. I know you don't need the TV job anymore but you are just too stubborn to come home. So I am breaking out my best weapon. Deputy Hale, hop to it."

Stiles rolled his eyes and he stood, he gestured to Derek to go ahead as he snarked, "Lead on McDuff." He turned back to Peter and he said, "Keep your phone on."

As Stiles left the office he heard his father reassuring Peter that Stiles would be fine once he had all the information. Part of Stiles wanted to leave Beacon Hills and go home where he was safe in his bubble. The other part of him, the curiosity he never managed to bury wanted to know what he was missing.

Derek led him to his SUV in the car park outside and drove him out through the preserve to a huge almost mansion-sized house in the middle of the preserve. He entered the garage that was attached to the house and then motioned for Stiles to get out of the SUV.

Stiles stood and stared stunned when he saw a repaired Roscoe parked up in the garage. He walked over to her and he ran his fingers across the door where he remembered claw marks from Scott losing control, he inspected the front where you could no longer see the dents from driving her through a wall into the kanima. He looked up at Derek and he asked, "How? Why?"

Derek smiled and he explained, "The 'how' would be your Dad. I asked him if I could get her repaired for you, the engine has had a complete overhaul without losing her inherent Roscoeness. The 'why' is because you're pack. You might have been away for the last eight years but the Hale pack of Beacon Hills still considers you part of our pack. She gets taken out every few weeks to keep the engine ticking over and to stop the battery going flat."

Derek led Stiles on a tour of the house including the bedroom they decorated for Stiles and office they built especially for Stiles and Peter to share for pack research. Stiles fell in love with the massive library that took up almost half of the second floor of the house.

When they settled down on one of the sofas in the library Stiles flailed his arm around encompassing the library as a whole as he asked, "Has Peter seen this?"

Derek nodded, "I have asked him to come home every time he visited but he would just say it's not time yet. That he wasn't ready. We never figured out he was with you, this was the first visit I have ever smelled you on him."

Stiles pulled an amulet out of his shirt where it was hanging on a leather cord. He explained, "Peter has a mage friend who makes us amulets. He uses one that hides my scent on him whenever he visits on his own. Because he doesn't plan his visits carefully around the pack he is careful to make sure he doesn't smell like me. My amulet which I wear pretty much permanently hides my wolf so I seem human to the various creatures I work with on the show I work on. Peter didn't use the amulet to hide my scent as Dad assured me that everyone was away either for work stuff or at conferences. Turns out he's a lying liar that lies."

Derek sighed, "Sorry, that might be a little bit my fault. I worked out why I kept being sent to conferences after the last time you visited. So last week when he gave me the details I asked him how you were and if he was looking forward to your visit. I may have also asked him to tell you we miss you."

Stiles sighed and he said, "He's meddling. He doesn't like me living in L.A. He knows I am just doing it out of habit these days. My novels have been doing well over the past few years and my publisher has been pushing for me to move to writing fiction full time instead of just where I have time here and there around school and work."

Derek asked, "What do you write?"

Stiles smirked, "Supernatural mysteries. Each one based around various real creatures with a dose of mythology added in to keep hunters off my back."

Derek reached under the coffee table and he pulled out a paperback book that looked well-read and he threw it on the table in front of Stiles.

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck and he blushed as he saw the book by M.G. Hale sitting in front of him and he confirmed, "Uh yeah. That would be one of mine."

Derek leaned forward and he tapped the book in front of them and he asked, "You know what my biggest regret about you leaving was?"

Stiles shook his head, he cleared his suddenly dry throat and he said, "Nope. No idea."

Derek moved closer and he said quietly, "I regret not telling you how I felt about you. I regret waiting until you were 18 to tell you."

Stiles frowned and he said, "I was 18 when I left, I turned 18 the day Argent Snr. had me down in that freaking murder basement."

Derek smirked, "I know that… now, I found out when I asked why your dad wasn't putting out an alert for a missing kid. He let me know you were already 18. He then explained how you were held back a year and that you could have caught up but you didn't want to because you liked sharing classes with Scott. He found out after you left that you had already graduated high school."

Stiles nodded, "Its also why I kept the buzzcut through school. It made me look the same age as everyone else."

Derek shuffled closer again and he leaned into Stiles and he asked, "Will you stay? Co-Alpha the pack with me."

Stiles shuffled closer so their knees were touching and he whispered, "Why?"

Derek leaned forward and he took off Stiles amulet as he leaned into Stiles' neck, he ran his nose up his neck to his ear and he whispered, "Because I want my mate with me."

Stiles pushed Derek back and he straddled his lap pulling him into a long-awaited kiss. He pulled back slightly and he murmured, "Are you sure? I am still a bit of a hyperactive spaz these days."

Derek chuckled and he said dryly, "If Uncle Peter hasn't killed you yet I am sure I will be fine." He smirked but continued, "Bad jokes aside, I miss you Stiles. It's like you took a part of me with you when you left."

Stiles rested his head on Derek's shoulder and he murmured, "I left part of me behind. It's why I could never stay away for long. My original plan was to leave on my own and lose contact with everyone, even my dad. I couldn't do it, my heart is here. My pack is here. Speaking of pack, do you want to tell me who the eleven, no twelve heartbeats are downstairs. I mean they are doing their best to keep quiet but Peter has helped me really hone my senses. I know he and dad are down there but who all is with them?"

Derek sighed and he said loudly, "No patience the lot of them." Quieter he asked, "Are you ready for this?"

Stiles nodded and cheekily he asked, "Piggyback? We'll go down and see them."

Derek nodded, he waited for Stiles to clamber up then he leaned forward and picked up the amulet from the table, he asked, "Do you need this?"

Stiles took it and as he balanced carefully on Derek's back he grabbed the amulet in both hands and he snapped it in two. He dropped the pieces on the coffee table near his book and he said, "No, no more running, no more hiding."

Derek leaned his head back and he kissed Stiles before he whispered, "Welcome home."