The man stared back at Stiles, waiting for a response. Stiles wasn't sure what to say. He knew he should probably go get Carrie and his dad, but for some reason he couldn't move. At least, not until his phone rang in his pocket.

"Can you give me a minute?" He asked, shutting the door without waiting for an answer. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and the screen flashed Derek's name. "I'm going to have to call you back." He said as soon as he picked it up.

"Not now, Stiles. There are other werewolves in town. Boyd and Erica-,"

"Trust me, I already know." He said, looking through the peak hole of the door. The man who claimed to be Carrie's dad stood out there, eyebrows drawn together in annoyance. He looked like her, Stiles had to admit. The eyes were the same, but the mouth was different, and so was the nose.

"How do you know that?" Derek hissed and Stiles could just picture him on the other end of the phone, eyes flashing dangerously red.

Stiles winced as he spoke the next words, also able to picture his reaction to them, and it wasn't a good picture. "Because there's one outside my door?"

"Who's at the door?" Stiles dad asked, emerging from the dinning room.

Great, just great. I really need this right now, Stiles thought. He ran a hand over his face. "It's for Carrie." He said quietly, both to Derek and his dad.

There was a low growl coming from the phone as Carrie followed his dad into the living room, a frown on her face as she took in Stiles' expression.

"Who is it?" His dad repeated, walking past his son to the door. Stiles wanted to tell him not to open it, but he knew that if he said that his dad would just ignore him anyways.

The man, Carrie's dad, was still out there, waiting politely on the doorstep, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. When the door open he turned, a pleasant smile on his face.

"You must be the sheriff." He said, extending his hand. "I'm John Conner."

His dad took John's hand but didn't return the smile. "What can I do for you?" He asked, giving the man a wary look.

"I'm here for Carrie." He said simply, just as he had to Stiles.

Carrie's eyes widened and she gave Stiles a questioning look. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything. What could he say? Hey, Carrie, I think that might actually be your dad out there, who is also a werewolf, but you don't know that because you don't know anything because we didn't tell you anything because we are so, so stupid.

"I'm her father." John added, as if that helped. Really, judging from the suddenly shocked expression on everyone, except Stiles', faces, it wasn't helpful at all.

"I'm gonna call you back." Stiles said quickly into the phone. He shut it before Derek could reply. He'd be angry about that, but there were more pressing issues.

"Can I come in?" John asked when no one answered him.

"We were just having dinner and my son just got home from the hospital. How about we leave this until tomorrow at the station?" His dad asked, giving John a scrutinizing look.

Over his dad's shoulder he could see John open his mouth, as if to argue, and then shut it and nod once before walking away.

"Lasagne's going to get cold." His dad said in a calm tone, shutting the door.

They sat down at the table again and this time everyone was silent. Only his dad bothered with eating, both he and Carrie sat there, looking at the table.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Carrie asked finally, looking up. "About being… you know, my… father?" She said the word slowly, as if it was a foreign word.

His dad put down his fork. "Maybe." He admitted. "We can't know for sure until we run his name in the records. There isn't a father's name listen on yours, which is why we didn't contact him after… everything."

Carrie nodded. "And what if I don't want to talk to him?"

"Then you don't have to. Legally he doesn't have any say, if that's what you chose." His dad explained.

Stiles couldn't help but think that maybe they should talk to him. Not as Carrie's father, but as someone who has to know something about werewolves. He was born into a family of ones, according to Deaton. Maybe he could help with The Carrie Dilemma.

What still confused Stiles, though, was that she hadn't shown any other signs of turning. There was no built up anger or random mood swings, like there had been with Scott. She hadn't been acting any different, except maybe a bit quieter, but Carrie had never been the chatterbox type even in the beginning.

It could have something to do with her bloodline, he mused. Maybe that's why the werewolf gene was manifesting differently in her. He just didn't know. They were in the dark about so much. Maybe this John guy could help.

"So we're meeting with this other werewolf pack at a McDonalds?" Stiles asked, eyes wide enough that it was honestly a surprise they didn't pop out of their sockets. "Isn't there, like, some sort of werewolf meet up place or something? I mean, McDonalds?"

Derek sighed heavily. "It's public, it's open, and no one will question why there's so many of us." Derek explained, though he didn't exactly look happy.

Stiles felt the same way. He was waiting for his father and Carrie to get done their meeting with this guy so he could badger them both about what happened. He had wanted to go, and was actually pretty annoyed that his father prohibited it.

"So who's all coming with us?" Stiles asked, jumping up on the train car.

Derek looked up at him from where he was working on something that had to do with a wrench and a bunch of scrap metal. "You're not coming."

Stiles' mouth flopped open. "Like hell I'm not!"

"You're not," Derek said firmly. "If something happens I can't spend half my focus trying to protect you. You're not coming. That's final."

Stiles huffed out an annoyed breath. "Do you not remember that day in my room when I told you I was sick of you guys pushing me around and telling me I can't do things? Yeah, well, I'm still sick of it, but I'm also done listening. If you don't want me there you're going to have to tie me to this train car because if you don't, I'm coming."

Derek didn't even look up. "That can be arranged."

Stiles stood up and balled his keys in his hands. "No way. You need me. I'm an asset, Derek, and I can help."

"You could get killed," Derek snapped, eyes flashing. "We have no idea what we're walking into here. The fact that they're trespassing on our territory is already enough to start a fight, now with your friend Carrie in the mix-,"

"So let me help." Stiles urged.

"No." Derek had that look on his face that said his mind was completely made up. "You stay at home until I call you."

Stiles snorted and turned his back on Derek. "Whatever."

Stiles parked down the street from the fast food restaurant and sat in his jeep, grinning. Did Derek actually believe he'd be bossed around that easily? He knew Derek would have to past the road in front of him to get to the restaurant, so he was going to wait until the familiar car passed by and then he'd head in. Derek couldn't exactly throw him out of the place. Well, he could, Stiles mused, but he would really, really regret it.

He was too busy watching the road that he didn't notice anyone walking up behind his car until a hand slapped hard on the window and he jumped, letting out a very manly scream.

"Why would you do that?" Stiles demanded, narrowing his eyes at Carrie.

She laughed. "Sorry, I just- I needed a good laugh."

"What are you doing here?" He asked, looking back down the street so he wouldn't miss if Derek drove by.

Carrie raised an eyebrow and looked down at herself. "Uh, walking to work?"

Stiles tore his eyes away once again to give Carrie a quick once over, and then he paused before laughing. "You've got to be kidding me."

Carrie frowned. "It was the only place that would hire me. I had no previous experience, so…" She blushed when Stiles continued laughing. "It's not-,"

"No, I'm not making fun of you." Stiles wheezed, trying to calm himself. "It's just a really, really small world. Do you want a ride the rest of the way?"

She nodded and walked around to the other side of the car. Now he'd have an excuse to go and Derek couldn't even yell at him… that much.

"So, how did your meeting go?" Stiles asked as he drove.

Carrie bit her lip. "It was confusing. And awkward. I don't-," she sighed. "I don't understand what he wants, to be honest. Or why he waited until now to try and contact me."

"So what are you going to do about him?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Your dad says we can set up meetings, in public places, for me to get to know him, if I'd like. I still haven't decided."

Stiles wondered if he should warn her that the man in question, her father (still weird to think about that) was actually having a meeting at her work soon with Derek and the rest of the pack, and the rest of his pack, which she still didn't know about. Crap.

Stiles parked the car at the far end of the lot and Carrie didn't comment on it, just raised her eyebrows as she hopped out of the car, Stiles following behind her.

"I'll see you after." Carrie told him as they walked in, going in separate directions.

Stiles walked up to the counter, ordered himself a cheap meal and then sat down at one the booths that allowed him to watch both doors. After about ten minutes he spotted Carrie, who was being shown around by a guy probably their age who he vaguely recognized from school.

"I told you not to come."

Stiles whirled, hand clutching at his throat. "What does everyone have to sneak up on me?" He squeaked.

Derek just stared him down until he started to feel guilty. He hated that feeling. He shouldn't feel guilty at all. He was part of the pack, by extension. They couldn't just chose to include him when they wanted and then tell him to get lost when it was convenient.

"Where's everyone else?" Stiles asked, looking around.

"They're coming." Derek admitted, sliding into the booth seat in front of Stiles. "You're not going to leave if I tell you to, are you?"

"No." Stiles said defiantly, his chin jutting out. "I'm eating, and I'm staying."

"Told you he'd come anyways." Erica commented as she slid in beside Derek. She reached over and stole a fry from Stiles plate. "He should be here."

Stiles grinned until Derek's angry gaze made him falter. "So when's the other pack coming?"

Derek looked around. "They should be here and minute now."

Stiles nodded. "You know Carrie's here, right? And she still doesn't know anything."

"I know. I can smell her, faintly." He crinkled his nose. "You really shouldn't eat that." He commented, looking down at Stiles' plate with disgust.

Stiles picked up his burger and took an unnecessarily large bite and Derek just rolled his eyes.

Isaac and Boyd joined them soon after, both of them carrying trays of food. "You want anything?" Isaac asked Derek, gesturing at the extra meal he bought.

"Not when it smells like that." Derek huffed.

They ate in silence for a few minutes while a bunch of questions flooded his mind, like how many other werewolves there were, exactly, and why Scott hadn't been invited. He kept them to himself, though, mostly because Derek still looked pretty upset that he was there.

When Derek's whole body tensed and Erica's nails extended to claws as she clutched her drink tightly in her hand, Stiles looked around.

There were four of them. He recognized the man from last night, John- Carrie's father- but the rest of them were strangers. There was one girl who had long, straight black hair that rivalled Erica's in length and, he couldn't help but notice, was totally hot. In a scary, I-could-rip-your-throat-out kind of way which, come to think of it, was apparently his type.

Derek cut his eyes to Erica and she jumped out of the booth quickly, Derek following her movements.

John walked straight up to Derek and then they both just stood there, inches apart, staring into each others eyes.

"Hell-ooo," the girl cooed, pushing between them. "John, don't be rude. Please, introduce everyone." She ordered, her eyes not leaving Derek, though they didn't exactly stay on his face. Stiles bristled, watching her eyes run up and down him from head to toe. "I'm Morgan." She said, extending her hand. "And I know exactly who you are."

The second Derek took it Stiles felt something inside him snap angrily, and he wanted to stand up and push her away from Derek. The only thing that stopped him, too, was the fact that he was boxed in by Isaac, who had put a restraining grip on his wrist, as if he could sense Stiles' thoughts.

"I think we have matters to discuss privately." John said stiffly, jerking his head at a table far from where the pack was sitting. Not that it would do much to help, werewolf hearing and all. "You three wait here. Don't do anything you'll regret." He added to Morgan in particular.

"Aren't you all just adorable?" Morgan commented, grabbing the small table near their booth and dragging it so the their table was now extended enough to fit their pack.

The wolves bristled and he could almost see Erica's insult forming on her lips before Boyd gave her a silencing look and she held it back. They weren't much younger then the other wolves, but John's pack was all obviously adults.

"Winston, Mitch, sit, mingle. It's not often we get to socialize with other packs." Morgan explained. "Packs are so… territorial."

One of the guys, Mitch or Winston, he wasn't sure, sat down on Morgan's left while the other sat down across from her. Stiles ignored them, trying to figure out what Derek and John were saying. He was probably the only one not privy to the words they exchanged and that annoyed him.

"What's going on?" Stiles hissed in Isaac's ear.

Isaac's eyes were on the table, his head tilted in the direction of Derek as if he couldn't care about what was going on around him. Unlike the rest of them he didn't even pretend to not be eavesdropping.

"They're discussing… boundaries." Isaac said quietly, frowning. "Their pack wants to stay. Not permanently but for an extended period of time."

"As long as the girl stays, we stay." Mitch or Winston commented, picking up on their conversation. "He won't leave without her."

Isaac's hands balled into fists. "Then I guess you're not leaving."

Suddenly everyone at their table relaxed and then Derek was walking back towards them, indicating that Isaac should move to make room for him and he did, getting out of the booth so Derek could slide in beside Stiles.

The other pack stood as John walked past them, towards the door. Stiles could see Carrie, who had been listening intently to something the guy she was standing beside said, until she spotted him. Her eyes widened a fraction and then she took in Stiles and the rest of their pack, and then John's pack, who had stood and started following him.

"Just so you know," Morgan put in, not hurrying after her alpha the way the others had. "I can break that bond, if you ever want to get out of it." She said to Derek.

Derek gripped Stiles' thigh under the table. "We're pretty happy the way we are, actually." Stiles shot out. He wasn't sure if that was true for both of them, exactly, but everything inside him argued that Morgan was a threat to whatever he and Derek had, and therefore he had to asset himself.

Morgan grinned wickedly. "I don't think your alpha feels the same way." She tossed over her shoulder as she sauntered away.

Sorry for the extended break between updates, I was having serious writers block and I just could not write this chapter. But I think I'm over that now, so woo. :) - C