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"Here."
Peter stared at the crudely wrapped box in his hands with a feeling of confusion, a feeling that increased when he saw who gave it to him.
When Stiles told him that he'd invited Malia to their house for Christmas, he hadn't expected anything to come of it.
Granted, he and his daughter had gotten a lot closer recently, especially after he regained the Alpha status and she joined his pack. Still, he never thought she'd actually respond to the invitation, let alone bring a gift for him.
Yet here she was, standing before him, giving off a scent of nervousness so strong that it overpowered everything else.
"Well, aren't you going to open it?"
"I'm not going to find a dead animal in this, am I?"
"No, Stiles already gave me a lecture on proper gifts for humans," Malia sighed in exasperation," Kira sent a severed head to Scott though."
"Whose?"
"Theo"
"Who knew such a sweet girl could be so vicious?"
"Yeah, yeah, my girlfriend is a badass," she said dismissively as she waved her hand towards the box," Would you hurry up and open that?!"
Shaking his head at the girl's impatience, he slid his claw through the tape and pulled the wrapping off. When he opened the lid, Peter noticed two pieces of paper inside. He was puzzled at first, and then shocked as he began to read what was on them.
The first document was for a name change, showing that Malia had forgone being a Tate and officially declared herself a Hale.
The other was identical to the birth certificate hidden in the vault, except it was amended to show him as the father.
"Malia...what..."
"I know there's a lot of time that we can't get back....and while I can't go rip out your sister's heart and hand it to you, I thought this might be the next best thing....if you want it..."
'If you want me' is what she didn't say, but Peter heard it anyway.
Carefully, he set the papers on a nearby end table before pulling his daughter into a tight embrace. She was surprised at first, but gradually relaxed and wrapped her arms around him.
"Merry Christmas, Daddy."
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart."
Stiles, who'd been leaning against the doorway watching the exchange , gave them a few more minutes before clearing his throat to get their attention.
If both father and daughter looked a little teary-eyed when they separated, he didn't call them out on it.
"Did you need something, Darling?"
"I just wanted to let you guys know that dinner is ready....also does this mean you're gonna call me Dad too, Malia?"
"Don't press your luck, Stiles."
"It was worth a shot," Stiles sighed before turning back towards the kitchen, "guess I'll try again when your baby sister arrives in seven and half months."
He left the room, completely oblivious to the shocked look on Peter and Malia's faces.
"Is he...."
"Did he just...."
"STILES?!"