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"Okay, kiddo, what kind of cereal do we want this week? Cheerios, cheerios, or… I don't know, Cheerios?" Derek dances a box around, smiling when Charlie lights up with her giggles. "Let's see, those cheerios are boring, these cheerios don't have a sense of humor, but these-- these are perfect."
Charlie takes the box he hands her, wrapping her little arms as far around it as she can and dropping it into the cart behind her.
"Chee-ee-os, Daddy. I wan' my chee-ee-os." She leans back to pat the box fondly. "Goo' Os fo' Charlie...”
"Exactly. Charlie's Cheerios." Derek kisses the top of her head. She so cute he can't help himself. "What’s next on the list, monkey?"
"Doos, Daddy. My doos, an' ouce cweam," Charlies says, nodding sagely as she pretends to read the list. She's only two and a half, but she's one hell of an imitator.
Derek holds her still long enough to read what's actually on the list.
"Let's stop and get soup on our way to the juice, how about that?" Derek starts moving, and all hell breaks loose.
"No no no no no no no!" Charlie wails, eyes screwing up tight. "Doos, doos, no no no no!" Her eyes are glowing already, and Derek can see her baby fangs dropping as she works herself up further.
"Hey, no, we're getting juice, baby. We're getting juice, I promise." Derek tries to pick her up, but she just claws at his arms until he stops. "We don't have to get soup, we can go straight to the juice."
She's winding herself up more with each passing second, her screams turning to yowls as the beta shift starts. She's too young for this, it hurts her too much, but Derek can't seem to do a damn thing about it.
"Hey, no, it's okay." He flashes his eyes, trying to get her to pay attention. "Charlie, we're okay. I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but if you just let me hold you--"
"Maaaamaaa," Charlie screams, whining as she cuts her tongue on her fangs. "Mama! Mama, mama, mama!"
Derek's heart breaks. He can't--
"Hey, um… Can I try something?" The man with the crooked jaw crosses the aisle from the granola. "I don't know if it'll work on her, but…"
"Please." Each new wail drives into his heart, and he can't stand it. "Please, I can't…"
"Okay, here we go." He pauses. "I'm Scott, by the way."
"Derek. And she's Charlie."
"Charlie, okay." Scott reaches a hand out into the whirlwind of Charlie's hands, ignoring the cuts as she claws at him. He manages to hold one of her hands, and she pauses in her clawing to look at him.
"Hey, you're okay." The man's eyes glow red, and Charlie's wails stop almost immediately. "That's it, you're okay. We're okay."
Flecks of black travel up his arm, and Derek feels his heart break again. His daughter is in pain.
"That's it, munchkin." Scott's eyes flicker back to brown, and Charlie's sobs ease into hiccupping whimpers as she shifts back. "Hey, there's those pretty green eyes. All better, huh?"
He moves to pull his hand back, but Charlie doesn't let go.
"Lau' eyes," she says, petting his hand. "Lau' eyes, Daddy, Alpha like Aunt Lau'."
"That's right, baby. Mr. Scott is an alpha like Aunt Laura." Derek puts a hand on her back, trying to help ease her ragged breaths. "Can you say thank you for making you feel better?"
"Thank you," Charlie says shyly, looking up at Scott through her lashes. "Thank you, Cot."
"You're very welcome, Miss Charlie." Scott tries to retrieve his hand again, but Charlie holds on tight.
"Charlie, let Mr. Scott go," Derek says softly. "I'm sure he has things to do."
"My Cot," Charlie declares. "My Cot, daddy, he's mine, can I keep him?"
"Miss Charlie, if your daddy says you have to go, you have to listen to him," Scott says softly. He doesn't pull away this time. "You still have groceries to get, like juice, remember?"
Derek looks at Scott full on for the first time since this whole fustercluck started. He's struck for a moment by his beauty, and then again by the kindness in his eyes as he talks to his daughter.
"Would you like to get coffee? There's a Starbucks…"
Charlie perks up at the mention of Starbucks, which may be a sign of a problem on Derek's end.
"Pop, Daddy. Pop pop pop'n'doos for me for to eat. A pink one, Daddy. I wanna pink pop."
Derek really shouldn't say yes to a cake pop at ten in the morning, but after the meltdown he can't help but agree.
"Sure, monkey. We can see if they have cake pops when we get up there."
"I'd love coffee," Scott says with a smile. "Especially if it means I get to talk more with my new best friend."
"My Cot," Charlie says firmly, grasping his hand. "Pop'n'doos wif my Cot."
"And your Daddy," Derek points out.
"An' Daddy. Cot an' Daddy an' Charlie an' pop an' doos."
Charlie holds Scott's hand the entire way up to the Starbucks, but the man just takes it in stride.
"You're so good with her," Derek says quietly, lifting Charlie onto his hip as they stand in line. "I haven't seen her latch on to someone like this in months."
Scott shrugs. "My bro and his wife have a whole herd of kids, and I spend a lot of time with them. They're all troublemakers, the whole lot of 'em, but they love their Uncle Scott."
"I'm sure." Derek turns his attention back to Charlie, who's clamoring for her "pop'n'doos."
"Okay, so she wants the pink cake pop," the barista says, looking a little frazzled. "Is that cool with you? Also, what the heck is 'doos'?"
"It's juice." Derek sets the bottle he grabbed from the cooler on the counter. "And yes, she can have the cake pop. A grande soy flat white, please."
He turns back to Scott. "What do you want?"
"You really don't have to..." Scott trails off as Derek raises his eyebrows. "A grande peppermint mocha, and I do want whipped cream. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Can I get a name for those?"
"Derek," he says, handing over his credit card. "Thanks."
Charlie makes grabby hands at Scott as soon as they settle at a table.
"Hold, Cot. Me hold, please." She keeps grabbing, even after she takes her cake pop. "Hold, Cot, please."
He sets his coffee down and holds his arms out. Charlie grabs onto his arms and tugs until Derek passes her over.
"Thank you." Charlie smacks a kiss on his cheek and settles in with a happy sigh. "Good hold of me, Cot."
Scott chuckles. "Thanks, Charlie. Glad to know I'm good for something."
It's so weird to see Charlie this comfortable with a stranger, but Derek doesn't feel anything off with this new alpha. If it keeps Charlie from shifting and hurting herself, he won't argue.
"Lots of things," Charlie corrects. "Holding. Smiling. Wolfing. Cot is good for lots of things."
Derek is going to die from how cute Scott's surprised smile is. It should be sickening, but all he can think about is how to get him to do it again.
"Daddy, I can hold phone?" Charlie holds her hands out until he hands it over. She promptly shoves it in Scott's face. "Do the thing, Cot. Wanna press the button to find you."
Scott laughs, taking the phone gently. "Are you sure your daddy wants my number? I don't want to jump to conclusions."
"Cot can do the thing, right Daddy? So we can call? Talk lots and lots?" Charlie pouts, putting on her best puppy eyes. "Please?"
Derek looks from her daughter to Scott, who's just smiling easily like he can't help it.
"Sure, monkey. We can get Mr. Scott's number, if he wants to give it to us." Derek reaches over to unlock the phone. "If he doesn't want to--"
"I do," Scott interrupts. Embarrassment floods the air for a brief second. "I mean… I'd like to see you again. Both of you, I mean."
"Okay. Cool."
…
Derek stares at Scott's number in his phone after Charlie goes to bed, at the goofball selfie he put as his contact picture.
Fuck.
…
S: Sorry if I overstepped. I just wanted to help.
D: No, it was cool. I'm glad you could help her when I couldn't.
S: Good.
S: She's a pretty cool kid.
D: I'm a little partial myself.
…
Charlie insists on calling Scott when she gets home from Laura's on the next full moon, tugging at Derek's pants insistently for the better part of an hour until he finally gives in. He's too worn out from trying to keep her calm to fight giving her what she wants.
"I press his face an' he talks to me." Charlie hits his contact and the speaker button, setting it on her tummy like Derek has a thousand times.
God he loves his kid.
"Hey, Derek, what's up?" Scott says, stifling a pretty obvious yawn.
"Is Charlie, Cot! An’ Daddy, but Charlie mostly. Wanted to say hi hewwo, how was moon?" Charlie chews on a piece of her hair, staring eagerly at the phone.
"My moon was good, Charlie. I got to play with my pack, and my goddaughter just recently had her first full beta shift so she got to run with the grownups last night. Did you and your Daddy run with your pack?"
"I play with the tuzzins, the leetle ones even though I'm big." Charlie sighs dramatically. "Charlie full shift, but hurts lots and lots so no running for Charlie."
"I'm sure your Daddy just wants you to be comfortable," Scott says softly. "Did you have fun with your little cousins, at least?"
"Yeah, we played lots and lots until we all fell 'sleep all together with lots of cuddles," Charlie says, still staring at the phone. "Ooh, Cot, Daddy lasagna come for dinner?"
"Try using more words, monkey," Scott says, before Derek has a chance to. "The middle ones are just as important as the main ones."
"Daddy makin' lasagna for to eat, Cot. Wanna come for dinner for to see Charlie and eat lasagna?" Charlie's pouting, even though Scott can't see her.
"I'd love to, if your daddy is okay with it."
Charlie turns her puppy eyes on Derek. "Please, Daddy?"
Derek doesn't even want to pretend to say no.
"Sure, monkey. I'd like to have Scott over for dinner."
"Daddy said yes! Six time? Big hand twelve, leetle hand six? Bedtime is half of seven time, big hand six, leetle hand seven."
Scott's laugh is fond, warm. "I think six would be perfect. You're good at time, Charlie."
"Lots of practice, Daddy teaches me things." Charlie blows a kiss at the phone. "Six for dinner, Cot. Bye bye!"
"Bye, Charlie." Then, softer, "Bye, Derek."
He hangs up, and Derek looks over at Charlie with a laugh.
"You're better at flirting than I've ever been, monkey."
Charlie hands him his phone and clambers down from the couch, rambling nonsensically. She gathers the toys strewn across the room into the basket under the window, cleaning up without prompting for the first time possibly ever.
"What's up, kiddo?"
"Nice house for Cot, Daddy. Wanna make smile, so nice house." She fluffs a pillow, frowns at it, and fluffs it again. She looks so much like her mother that it hurts.
Derek scoops her into his arms the next time she wanders by, kissing her cheeks and her forehead and her hair until she squeals with giggles.
"You're my favorite, kiddo." He holds her close, rubbing his cheek over hers fondly. "I love you."
"Love you too, Daddy." Charlie's eyes go gold and she yips quietly, rubbing back. "My daddy."
"My Charlie."
…
Between the two of them, they get the house straightened up by five. Charlie insists on a bath, complaining about her "wolfy hair" and her "dirty evvything" until he agrees to help.
Of course, when Scott arrives they're both soaked and Charlie can't decide on what she wants to wear.
"Charlie Hale, you have five minutes. I'll come help you get dressed once I let Scott inside." Derek peels his soaked t-shirt off and tosses it into the hamper. He barrels down the stairs to open the front door. "Hey, sorry, we had a bathtub tsunami to deal with."
Scott grins, eyes flickering down Derek's torso and back up. (He's still got it, fuck yeah.)
"No problem, I didn't wait long at all." He holds out the bag in his arms. "I brought wine and apple juice, figured I'd cover all our bases."
"That's great, thanks. Come on in, I just need to get Charlie into some clothes." Derek glances down. "And me, I guess. Though I am wearing pants, which is one step further than I've gotten Charlie so far."
Scott laughs, following Derek inside and setting the bottles on the kitchen counter.
"It's the terrible twos, man. We couldn't keep Maggie-- my goddaughter-- in clothes from age two to age three. It was a mess, but she did eventually outgrow it."
"Daddy," Charlie yells down the stairs. "I picked! Help please, wanna come kiss Cot's face!"
You're not the only one.
The thought comes as a surprise, though Derek has to admit part of him has been gearing up to the idea.
"I'm coming, monkey." Derek turns back to Scott. "If the timer goes off before I get her dressed, could you just pull the lasagna out of the oven?"
"Yeah man, no problem."
Derek heads upstairs to find Charlie bare naked in the hallway, waving a blue dress and bright pink leggings at him.
"Gotta dress, hurry!"
He manages to help Charlie into her clothes quickly, before she rattles out of her skin in excitement. The moment her ponytail is tied, she bounds down the stairs and straight to Scott's waiting arms.
"Kiss your face!" Charlie smacks a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for tummin' to dinner, Cot!"
"You're very welcome, Miss Charlie. I'm honored for the invitation." Scott lets her rub her hands over his cheeks, seemingly pleased at the tiny show of possession. "I hear we're having lasagna?"
"An' salad, I helped!" Charlie wriggles down, grabbing his hand and tugging him into the kitchen. "I put in the pomatoes an' the carrots! Daddy used the knife though, a'cause I'm too leetle."
"That makes sense." Scott follows Charlie to the oven as the timer goes off.
"Lasagna, Cot, Daddy said so."
Derek slides in to pull the pan out before Scott can move to get it. "That's only if I was upstairs, monkey."
"So… Cot help wif doos? A'cause evvybody helps for dinner at Hale houses." Charlie nods sagely, happily parroting her aunt in the process. "Even leetle ones an' guests."
Scott laughs. "I'd be honored to help with the juice, kiddo. Show me where the cups are?"
Charlie climbs onto the counter before Derek can stop her, opening the cabinet with the glasses.
"Ta da. Mine's the ones with the lids," Charlie says, pointing. "Gwon-ups get glass glasses."
"Gotcha." Scott gets down the appropriate glasses, turning to the fridge for the juice.
"Charlotte Elizabeth Hale, off of the counter," Derek says firmly.
Charlie clambers down and plasters herself to his legs. "Sorry, Daddy. No big names, I'm sorry."
Derek scoops her up and nuzzles her cheek until she giggles.
"Apology accepted, kiddo. I just don't want you falling, okay?"
"Okay."
Somehow, they manage to get all three of them dressed, at the table, with both a drink and food, all at the same time. It may actually be a miracle, given Charlie's penchant for mid-meal stripping.
"What are you, Cot? Doctor? Police man? Vetare-- veterie-- animal doctor?"
Scott laughs fondly, and Derek finds himself struck by how easy it comes to the man.
"I'm an animal doctor, good guess. I work with Dr. Deaton over at Beacon Hills Animal Hospital." Scott gestures toward town. "It's the building next to the Chipotle, down the block from the movie theater."
"Oh, with the puppies and kitties on the sign? We go by for grocery store." Charlie shoves a forkful of pasta into her mouth. "Iff ih a fuhn jah?"
"Chew and swallow, monkey, then try again," Derek says quietly, rescuing the end of her ponytail from a tomato-ey death. "We need to use our manners, remember?"
Charlie nods, chewing dramatically.
"Is it a fun job?" she asks, finally done chewing. She gasps, apparently realizing something. "Do you get puppies an' kitties an' leetle baby lizards?"
"I haven't had any lizards, but I have worked with lots of puppies and kitties-- and turtles, we can't forget the turtles."
Charlie's excited gasp is as adorable as it is hilarious, and Derek can't help but chuckle fondly. He can feel Scott's eyes on him, but by the time he turns, Scott is paying attention to Charlie again.
(He must be imagining the flare of want that appeared just for a second. He hasn't been on a date in ages, he's out of touch.)
"Can I hold? Baby turtles, big mama turtles, gwanpa turtles? Charlie hold turtles?" Charlie bounces in her seat. "An' dibs on leetle baby lizards!"
"If you want to come visit, I certainly wouldn't mind you holding the turtles and tortoises. We have a Russian tortoise who lives at the clinic, and he loves having his shell scratched." Scott looks over at Derek for a second. "You'd have to ask your dad, though."
"Daddy, can we visit? Can we, please?" Charlie puts on her best puppy eyes, head tilted like the cub she is. "Pleeeease?"
Derek laughs, passing her a napkin. "Sure, kiddo. I'd love to."
The rest of dinner passes in a whirl of excited questions about animals and Scott's easy, kid-friendly answers. By the time everyone is ready for dessert ("ouce cweam" of course), Charlie has all but talked herself asleep.
"Still wanna ouce cweam, Daddy," she says sleepily, rubbing her eyes with her hands as Derek wipes them clean. "Still wanna ouce cweam, Cot no go home yet, Daddy."
Derek kisses the top of her head, holding her hands for a moment so he can wipe her face without interruption.
"If you can stay awake, you can have dessert. You'll have to ask Mr. Scott about him staying, though."
Charlie sighs dramatically. "I too sleepy, Daddy. Wanna ouce cweam, but too sleepy."
"How about a compromise? Chocolate instead of ice cream, and then teeth brushing and bed."
Charlie nods and turns to Scott. "Stay for chocolate an' bed?"
"Sure, sweetheart." Scott turns back to Derek. "You cool with that, man? I don't want to overstep…"
Honestly, Derek would do anything to see Charlie this happy all the time, but he won't say as much out loud.
"You aren't overstepping. Stay as long as you like, Charlie and I don't have work in the morning."
"Wed'days are play days," Charlie announces. "No Daddy work, no letters or numbers, just lots an' lots of play!"
Scott chuckles. "Sounds like fun."
"It is," Derek says, ruffling Charlie's hair fondly. She turns her face to rest against his palm, rubbing happily until she's content with her scent. "Come on, monkey, we need to get cleaned up and get you your chocolate."
"Candy first, Daddy. So only clean once, yeah?" Charlie scrambles down from her booster seat and zooms over to where the candy is stored. She tries to climb up on the counter, but Derek catches her first.
"What's the rule about the candy cupboard?" He asks, holding her out in front of him.
"Only gwon-ups can open it," Charlie says with a sigh. "So no leetle people get sick from too much."
"Or…?"
"Or burn on stove a'cause it could be hot. Candy, Daddy? Puh-leeease?"
Derek sets her on the floor and opens the cabinet. He pulls out a mini Hershey bar for Charlie and a milky way for himself.
"You want something, Scott? We've got a little bit of everything."
"Skittles?" Scott perks up a little, sniffing the air. "I smell skittles."
Derek snorts. "Yeah, man." He tosses the packet at him and closes the cabinet.
"Teeny chocolate for teeny wolf," Charlie sing-songs, sliding her claws out to open the wrapper. Derek encourages her to practice, so she learns not to hurt herself and others. "Beeg chocolate for beeg wolf. Kittles for Cot wolf. Candy, candy, yay."
She all but inhales the chocolate, still managing to smear it around her mouth. Derek still hasn't figured out how she does it, and she does it consistently. He just retrieves the damp dishrag to wipe her face and hands, declaring her dress a lost cause until he can get it in the wash.
"Thank you, Daddy." She pats his stomach. "Good Daddy."
Derek kisses the top of her head. "Ready to go get ready for bed, baby?"
"Cot come? Help kiss goodnight?" Charlie looks over at Scott with a pout and puppy eyes. "Please?"
Scott melts, his smile turning softer, fonder.
(Somehow it makes him even more attractive, something Derek didn't think possible."
"Sure." He pops the last Skittle into his mouth. "Lead the way."
"Daddy, c'mon! Brush an' story, c'mon!" Charlie clambers down from her chair and grabs Scott's hand, tugging him up the stairs. "Daddy!"
Derek follows behind them, shaking his head at his exuberant daughter. Somehow, between the two of them, they get Charlie calmed down enough to get her teeth brushed and into her pajamas.
"Daddy, Cot tell story?" Charlie asks, snuggling into the covers of her little girl bed and clutching her blanket to her chest. "Please?"
"If Scott wants to, monkey. Ask him."
"Cot tell story?" Charlie holds her hand out. "Hold, tell story?"
Scott takes the hand she offers and thinks it through.
"There is a woman who is called La Loba who wanders the wilderness of Mexico gathering bones from wolves long passed," Scott says after a moment. "There are not enough wolves in the world anymore, so she has made it her duty to help them continue. She searches the mountains, the dry river beds, until she has enough for a full wolf. "
"How make real?" Charlie asks, enraptured. "How fix?"
"She sits and thinks, and thinks, and thinks, until she knows the song she will sing for this wolf." Scott glances up at Derek for a second. "She sings, and slowly the wolf starts to reform. She sings, and the wolf grows from a sad pile of bones to a full animal again. Soon, her song lets the wolf breathe, helps the wolf to live once more."
"Yay! Fix!" Charlie squeezes his hand. "What now?"
"Sometimes, if it strikes her fancy, she keeps singing and singing until, finally, the wolf leaps up and starts running. The wolf runs and runs, and as la Loba sings-- the wolf turns into a human woman, laughing and dancing into the sunset." Scott's smile is bittersweet. "Some say she steals souls, but, really… she gives them back. So, if you're lost in the desert and you hear singing, maybe, just maybe, you'll meet a brand new werewolf."
Charlie's eyes are wide as saucers. "Just story? Not real?"
"Yeah, monkey, it's just a story." Scott brushes a kiss on her forehead. "I wish I could find her sometimes, trust me."
"Okay." Charlie sighs, and it breaks Derek's heart. "Maybe I sing and try later, yeah?"
"Sure, sweetheart, you can try," Derek murmurs, kissing the top of her head. "For now, you need to rest. You want to be rested for our play day tomorrow."
"Okay, Daddy. Love you." Charlie snuggles even deeper into her blankets. "Pancakes?"
"Of course. I love you too." Derek squeezes her hand. "Sleep for now."
"Mmkay." Charlie blinks sleepily, turning her attention to Scott. "Thank you for staying. Kiss an' hug?"
Scott does as she requests and slips out of the room after Derek, following him back downstairs.
…
They end up in the living room, sipping beer that won't do anything and staring at each other when they think the other isn't looking.
It's Scott who breaks the silence.
"What happened to her mother?" he asks softly. It's not probing, and he sounds completely genuine in his concern.
"Car accident. Drunk driver plowed through a red light, pinned her car between him and a wall, the… the engine caught fire." Derek scrubs a hand over his eyes. "Werewolves heal, but there are some things you can't survive. The whole thing blew, there was no... There was no chance."
Scott reaches across the gap and rests a hand on Derek's forearm. When Derek looks up, all he sees is a furrowed brow over a sympathetic smile. For some reason, he keeps talking.
"Charlie was almost two, and the bond snapping was…" He shakes his head to clear it. "She full shifted without warning the moment Paige passed. I felt it too, like a piece of my soul ripping away, but Charlie…"
"She's too young," Scott finishes. "It makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint, but in reality…"
"It hurts her. She can't control it, she's not old enough or developed enough, so it just hurts." Derek closes his eyes. "I don't know how to teach her. I wasn't supposed to do this alone."
Scott slides his hand down Derek's arm to take his hand, pulling away what little physical pain he finds.
"I wasn't supposed to do this alone," Derek repeats, broken.
Scott just squeezes, and, somehow, it makes everything just a little better.
…
D: Thank you.
S: You're welcome.