The sound of Andy’s sobbing was what really distracted Derek. He shut off the iron, pushing it aside so he could get out of his room. He had to get to her before she woke Olly up and made him start up too.
Pushing her door open, he tried to ignore the way all of her posters and princessy things had been taken down and hidden away. It was a surprise, to say the least, when Derek had come home one day to see it all gone….but each child had their way of coping with a loss, and Derek figured having a room full of stuff that was bought by Stiles was not going to help Andy forget him. It must have been why she would go through with hiding the stuff she loved.
“Andy, what’s wrong, honey?” Derek asked softly, sitting down on her bed and letting her sob and crawl into his lap. He rubbed a hand down her small back, kissing her cheek and reaching up to wipe at the tears on her face. “Why are you crying?”
Moaning sadly, Andy snuffled into Derek’s shoulder and said, “want my froggy,” with a sniffle. Derek glanced around the room, still holding her and rocking her, and tried to find the frog plushie that she usually slept with. Derek had originally been repulsed by the doll, wondering if it was supposed to be high or something, until Stiles explained that it was ‘Prince Naveen’s suave face. He’s a ladykiller, Derek,’ to him like Derek was a total idiot.
“I don’t see it,” Derek looked again, turning to search the bed and see if maybe it had gotten knocked under a pillow, “did you leave it in the other room?”
Suddenly, the volume of Andy’s cries ratcheted up and she clutched to her father. Derek was torn between panic at the loudness of it, and panic at wanting her to stop being so upset. Lifting her up, Derek carried Andy out into the living room on a quest for the toy.
“What did you do with it, baby?” Derek asked when he had searched every nook and cranny with no success.
“Gigi took it!” Andy warbled. Derek felt his gut drop and his lungs burn hot. Gigi was what their most recent sitter went by (because Gertrude was too difficult for the children to pronounce), and though she was an elderly woman with a sharp smile…she was also a werewolf who was strict in the traditional ways.
Upon hiring her out of desperation, Derek had undergone harsh, backhanded comments about young alphas ruining tradition by having pups out of wedlock. He hadn’t cared for her words, but she had been the only person that was able to deal with the violence that came from the children’s temper tantrums.
Stiles, apparently, was the only human who didn’t quit the second he got a miniature set of fangs sunk into him.
