You don't have to love me [McHaleinski]

Part 2

Part 2

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One question is all it takes for Derek's world to shatter. Again.

He'd started hoping life was done throwing these painful curveballs at him.

And yet Scott is standing before him, sixteen and angry and stuck inside his own life-altering tragedy. His expression is something Derek now only sees in his nightmares, jaw clenched and eyes steely. But there's real fear in his heartbeat and in his scent. It invades Derek through his senses and through their bond, until Derek's just as ready to panic as Scott is. Already, Scott's fangs are dropping, his eyes flickering red.

"Why am I-- what's going on?" His eyes dart around the room, pausing on the rune circle at his feet. On Deaton. On Stiles.

"Okay," Stiles announces, taking a careful step closer. His hands are held in front of him, palms out. "The short version: It's 2014. You're nineteen. But you had a run-in with a witch and got turned into a kid. We tried fixing it, but this happened."

"I'm... I'm what? What?" His chest heaves, fangs sliding up over his lips. And Derek can feel it - feel how far out of control Scott's going. For a Beta, it's bad. For an Alpha - that's a disaster.

"Scott--" Derek tries.

"NO!" It's just shy of a roar, and it hits Derek with all the force of a brick wall. He can't hide his shudder - the way his Alpha's revulsion makes his skin crawl.

"Scott." It's Deaton that steps in, voice smooth and calming, drawing Scott's attention. "Stiles is correct. You've spent the past few days as a seven-year-old. We were trying to reverse the enchantment, but it didn't go quite to plan. But right now, I need you to take deep breaths, alright? Focus on your anchor. Do you remember what your anchor is, Scott?"

"A-Allison."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Stiles go tense. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. It shouldn't.

He reaches out to grab for Stiles' hand. The flicker of movement draws Scott out of his careful focus, anger snapping through his expression at the sight of Derek alone. But he doesn't lose control again. It's... a small comfort.

"Then why are you here?" Scott growls at him. "Did you do this? Did you... get some witch to turn me into a kid?!"

'For fuck's sake--' The exact reason why he and sixteen-year-old Scott argued so often comes flooding back to him. He glares at Scott, at this boy who is so good but so infuriating. "I did not," he snarls, "babysit your seven-year-old ass for four days for this."

That throws the teenager off guard. "You--" A strangled sound leaves his mouth, and he turns to Stiles instead. "You left me with him? Why?!"