Baby woke up sleepily to a pounding on the door. He jerked awake, half rolling off the bed before he caught himself and stumbled onto his feet. He yawned, blinking at the bright sunlight streaming through his windows. It was midday and Danny and already left for school. Baby hadn't been in school since Stiles went to Eichen house two days ago. He hadn't heard anything from Scott either but he hadn't really left the house in that time. He yawned, bed head a mess and dark shadows under his eyes. He was still wearing his tshirt and jeans from the night before.

He stumbled downstairs as the pounding continued. "Okay okay", he groaned. His stomach rumbled and he frowned as he tried to remember when was the last time he had eaten blood. Judging from his lack of pulse, probably over a day ago. "What?" He asked as he unlocked the front door. A girl was standing on the doorstep. She was dressed in jeans, boots and a tartan shirt over a grey vest. Her auburn hair was messy over her shoulders and he scent stuck of dog. "Werecoyote", he remarked with a raised eyebrow as he leant against the doorframe. "How can I help you?"

"Are you baby?" She asked. She wrinkled her nose. "So that's what a vampire smells like. Ewww. It's so sweet it's choking". She pulled a face.

"Says the one who smells of wet dog", Baby shot back. "Yes I am Baby. Why?" Then he paused, sniffing her. She smelt of anxiety, determination and confusion. There was also a lingering edge to her scent. A smell of smoke. "You've been near Stiles. You're from Eichen house".

"Yes. I'm Malia Tate. I caught your scent on Stiles and followed it here. He's gone missing. Something happened and he's gone missing. I need to talk to Scott McCall".

Baby felt worry stab his gut. "Let me get my shoes on and I'll take you to him", he stated as he turned inside. He left the door open as he grabbed his phone, wallet and keys. He pulled on socks and his black vans before rejoining her outside. He locked the door behind him with a click. "Come on", he muttered to her. "I'll take you to his house".

——

Baby stayed at Scott's long enough to hear Malia's story and also catch up with what the pack had been up to. Apparently they had decided to rob a armoured van escorting endive de to the fbi. Only, they had run into some trouble. But they had gotten the scroll they had come for. "So you guys went to rob a police van without me?" He huffed angrily as he crossed his arms. "Wow and I thought we were friends Scott".

Scott winced. Only he and Kira were at his house. The others having gone to their respective homes to rest. "I thought you might need some time".

Baby rolled his eyes. "Yeah and now Stiles is running around possessed by a nogitsune. What did the scroll even say anyway?"

"That one way of exorcising a nogitsune is by changing the body of the host".

"Like a werewolf transformation", Baby muttered. "Or a vampire". Scott nodded.

Malia huffed. "Well what has that got to do with this?" She thrust out a photograph, paper yellowed with age, at Scott. Baby and Scott both peered at it.

"Oh that's noshiko", Baby remarked. "Kira really looks like her mother doesn't she?"

"Wait, her mother?" Scott blinked. "Not grandmother? The date says 1943".

"I think you and Kira need to go and talk to Noshiko", Baby stated. Scott nodded and turned to Kira, who was still staring at the photo. She blinked as he touched her hand.

"Yeah. I guess mom owes me some answers".

"Are you coming?" Scott asked Baby.

"God no". Baby snorted. "That woman is scary. And I'm not sure if she'll want to see me again. The last time I saw her, I was seven and it was in New York. The woman nearly killed my sire and I. She didn't think it right for a vampire to change someone so young. Also, my sire had been killing a lot of people in the area, so that might have passed her off too. If she hadn't noticed me at the last minute, she would have cut my head off. That's what you get for surprising a kitsune in the heat of battle". He shook his head. "No. I'm going to go and see the sheriff. He deserves to know that Stiles is missing again, if Eichen house hasn't told him".

"I guess I should go back to my dads", Malia sighed. "He'll be expecting me".

"Hey", baby called as she turned to the door. "Thank you. For coming to me first".

Malia shrugged. "I just thought stiles would want you. He talked like he likes you a lot".

"Oh, well thank you", Baby nodded. "When this is over, I'll owe you a favour". Malia nodded, as if she didn't know what those words meant to a vampire. Baby took favours, he didn't often give them out.

"Sure. See ya", then the werecoyote was striding out of the door. Baby following behind her.

——

"Oh you're still here?" Baby asked as he strode to the front desk. Parrish was manning it today. His spicy, fiery scent softer the usual but still remaking of hell hound. Baby ignored it and leaned on the wood next to Mr Argent and Derek. "They haven't let you go yet? Why were you arrested in the first place?"

"Baby", Argent greeted as Parrish began setting their belongings down in front of them. Derek was lingering at his side, his own belongings back in his pockets. Baby nodded at him and the Wolf nodded back.

Parrish clicked a button and a baton unfolded with a snap. "I'm sorry but I can't let you out with this. It's way above the legal voltage limit".

Argent sighed tiredly. "I only use it for hunting". He shot a slight glance at Derek and Baby at the word. Baby grinned sharply and Derek avoided the gaze.

"Yeah well I'm pretty sure you can use it to jump start a 747", Parrish remarked back. Baby sniggered. The deputy had a dry sense of humour that was actually quite funny.

"This property belongs to me and the charges were dropped", Argent stated. "Although I'm not exactly sure who's responsible for that".

"I am", Sheriff Stilinski spoke up as he rested a hand on the table next to Baby. "I'll take care of this Parrish".

"Sheriff I'm not kidding", the blonde leaned closer. "This thing is a few watts from being a light saber".

"It's over Anikin, I have the high ground!" Baby quoted, thickening his British accent for his best Ewan McGregor impression. Both Parrish and the sheriff shot him looks.

The sheriff too the Baton and folded it back up. "I said I'll take care of it. Now, you two. Come with me. Baby, why are you here?"

"Stiles is missing again and I thought I would catch you up on what Scott's got going on. Thought it might help".

The sheriff sighed. The sound laden with exhaustion and worry. Baby could feel his own worry in his chest. A heavy weight in his lungs. "I know. And I appreciate it. Come with me to my office". He lead them through the station and into the sheriff's office at the back, shutting he door firmly behind them.

Baby pulled over a chair and took a seat at the desk. He sounded back in the wooden frame while Argent and Derek remained standing. "The specialist I saw in LA told me the thing that every doctor says when they're trying to avoid a law suit. 'We can't say for sure'. And then I spoke with Melissa". The sheriff pulled out plastic pages from the files on his desk. "These are brain scans. My wife's and Stiles. I knew they were similar but they're the same. Exactly the same". He lined the clear pages over each other and they matched. They matched as if they were copies of the same scan.

"I'm guessing this isn't possible", Derek spoke.

The sheriff looked at him. "Not even remotely".

"So he isn't actually I'll?" Baby asked hopefully. "I told him that I couldn't smell illness on him but he didn't believe me. I knew that he wasn't ill".

"So the trickster is still playing tricks", Argent stated as he set the scans down.

"But why this trick?" Derek asked.

"When I was in the army", the sheriff voiced. "An officer told me 'if you want to defeat your enemy, don't take away their courage. Take away their hope".

"You don't look like a man to give up hope easily", Argent stated.

"But stiles might". The sheriff sighed. "If this thing inside him, if it's using his mother's disease as some sort of psychological trick, then this isn't just a fight for his body. It's a fight for his mind, right?"

"I don't want to sound silly", Baby spoke up. "But do you think that maybe breaking up with me was part of it? Getting him isolated. Using everyone he cares about against him? I have only known him for just over seven months but I know that he would do anything for his friends".

The sheriff sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I wouldn't put it past it. I'm sorry". Baby rubbed his hands over his face, hair still bed head messy.

"I just want him to be okay", he whined.

"You know he's left people severely injured", Argent reminded.

"And others severely dead", Derek added.

The sheriff inhaled. "That's why I need the two of you. I need people who are experienced in this kind of thing. I need you to help me stop him".

"You don't mean stop him. You mean trap him", Argent corrected. The sheriff held out the baton and Argent took it. For a second, the sheriff didn't let go and the two men looked at each other. Then he let go and Argent took the baton and clipped it on to his belt.

"So". Baby voiced. "How do I help?"

Unedited