Fic: Discovery Channel (12/12)
Title: Discovery Channel
Author: kayevelyn
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Rating: Overall R
Warnings: eventual knotting
Summary: Stiles is the best werewolf ever. fork in the road au. (were!stiles)
Notes: Sorry this took so long to crosspost. I just finished the fic and so I'm spamming the final chapters here. I only really use LJ for archiving purposes so it really is in your best interest to check AO3 if you want updates when everything happens. :)
That said there is going to be a sequel to this fic! And I have details over in this post on tumblr about it. :) Thank you anyone reading the fic here!
[Read on AO3]
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Allison chewed on her nail as she tried not to pace in the waiting room. Her father had left her, Scott and Danny at the hospital, without saying anything. She didn’t blame him for not talking. What did they have to say to each other? The old alpha was dead, and Derek was the new alpha, and Allison had helped it happened. She didn’t regret it and if he tried to make her feel bad she would shut him down.
And if he tried to throw Kate in her face, use her a bargaining chip to make Allison think that werewolves were evil… Allison didn’t know what she would do then. She had already threatened to leave once, and it hadn’t been an idle threat. She wondered if he knew that, if he realized how big the rift could get between them.
Kate had killed innocent people - humans and werewolves if Stiles was right about the makeup of the Hale pack. That was not something Allison could forgive, not by a long shot, and while it had hurt watching Stiles kill her, while that wasn’t the choice Allison would have made, she could understand it. Derek and him, they were close, probably would have made decent friends even without the craziness involving werewolves, it was just something about their personalities that clicked. It wasn’t a hard stretch to believe they would kill for each other, so witnessing it hadn’t been the shock.
No. The shocking part had been her father’s reaction, and how he had fired right at Stiles. It hadn’t been a warning shot either. It had been meant to hurt him. Knock him down. And Allison didn’t care what her father’s reasoning was; if he couldn’t see the big picture, make the connections and see that things happened for a reason, and that sometimes humans were the monsters and needed to be put down, she didn’t want to be involved with that.
She would tell him as much, when she finally got home. If she had a home. It was a distant thought that maybe he would kick her out. He would disown her for siding with the pack. Her mother would stop that though, wouldn’t she?
Allison hadn’t even figured out if her mom knew about werewolves or not. She assumed she had to know, but she didn’t know where she stood on the whole idea. She sucked in a deep breath as she finally gave into her pacing.
It was a lot to think about, but at the end of the day, the entirety of their group of friends was more important than her own problems. Lydia was in god knows what condition, and that wasn’t something they could control. If she lost her parents to this, it would hurt. It would destroy her in so many ways, but only for a little while. She had her friends, and they would be able to take care of her, because all of her problems were something she could control. That they could control.
“Pacing won’t make time go by faster,” Scott said, grabbing her arm as she passed him.
Allison dropped into the seat next to him and crossed her arms as he wrapped her up in a hug. The nurses and doctors refused to speak to them about Lydia’s condition, waiting for her parents, who had gone to Sacramento for a weekend couple’s retreat. They were on their way back though, and once they were here, things could start progressing.
Allison refused to leave until she knew what was going to happen though, and the others had agreed.
Jackson was asleep on Danny’s shoulder, having finally crashed after he had been assured that the three of them were fine. His final question before falling unconscious had been about the alpha, and Allison had heard Danny whisper that they had taken care of everything and Derek was the new alpha. Jackson’s face had broken out into a small smile and it made Allison feel good. Everyone cared about each other, and even if they didn’t always show it, they pulled together in the end.
She spotted the Sheriff down the hall, talking with one of his deputies. He hadn’t left the hospital all night, according to Jackson, sending out other deputies to try and locate Stiles. It was a good thing they hadn’t been able to find them, because a police officer stumbling upon them murdering the alpha was going to raise a few questions.
And then there was the whole penis thing and the fact that everyone had seen Derek’s. That would have definitely caught the attention of anyone passing by.
Hopefully whatever Stiles and Derek were doing didn’t get them caught.
Allison rubbed her hand over her forehead as she stifled a laugh.
Scott looked at her. “What’s the matter?”
She laughed a little bit more, shaking her head. “Just thinking about Stiles and Derek.”
Danny echoed her laugh with a quiet snort. Scott looked between them, confused. “What about them?”
They both stopped and stared at Scott, probably wondering the same thing. Allison darted her eyes to Danny, who shrugged the shoulder that Jackson wasn’t sleeping on.
Allison looked back at Scott. “The fact that they ran off into the woods? Together? And Derek was naked?”
Scott was quiet for a moment and then his eyes went wide. “Do you think they had sex in the woods?!”
“No, they probably had an epic game of hide and go seek in the woods,” Danny said, rolling his eyes.
“Really?!” Scott asked, turning around in the chair he was sitting in.
Allison glanced at Danny, and she could see the conflict in his eyes at Scott’s earnestness. On one hand, no doubt, he wanted to tell Scott that yes, of course they were having sex, did you miss Derek’s erection? but on the other hand, Scott’s eyes were pleading for Danny to tell him that his best friend wasn’t having sex in the woods at this very moment.
Danny sighed. “Yeah. It’s totally hide and go seek.”
Allison buried her face in Scott’s shoulder to smother her laughter. It was good to know that even after everything they could still rely on each other to make the situation better. Now if only they could have that extend to Lydia getting better.
***
Chris gripped the steering wheel as he sat in the garage. It was six in the morning by the time he got back home. He could have gone back after planting the evidence on Kate’s body, but doing that had left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn’t face Victoria like that, so he had taken his time getting back to the house.
He took a deep breath. Victoria had no doubt heard him drive up. She was probably already up and had started her day, and it wasn’t like him to linger. Chris grabbed his bag from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut.
He had been correct; Victoria was in the kitchen, still dressed in workout clothes from her morning run, and cooking pancakes. Chris could smell them from the doorway.
“You two were out late so I decided to make pancakes,” she said, and Chris could only stare at her back. The numbness was starting to kick in, now that he was standing in the brightly lit kitchen.
Kate had liked sitting in the kitchen. She had taken over one of the stools her first day here.
He couldn’t believe he was being reduced to thinking these things. He hadn’t been raised to be sentimental, but somehow he had turned out that way.
“Chris?” Victoria asked, finally turning around. She frowned when she saw he was alone. “Did Kate go to freshen up? I can add blueberries.”
“Kate’s dead,” Chris said, dropping his bag on the kitchen counter to punctuate the statement.
Victoria’s eyes went wide as her nostrils flared. “What happened?”
“She had Derek Hale locked up, and the alpha came to get him.”
“Just the alpha,” Victoria asked, turning off the gas on the stove.
Chris nodded. He needed to keep his end of the deal up, even if it meant lying to his wife. “The alpha killed Kate-“
“And then you killed the alpha and Derek?” Victoria demanded, hands slamming on the kitchen island.
Chris hesitated. He hadn’t expected Victoria to be this invested, but then again she had a vicious streak that sometimes he couldn’t anticipate. “Just the alpha. Derek got away.”
Victoria’s face went cold as she stepped back. “How could you let him go?” She spit out.
“I was a little distracted by my sister getting her throat ripped out by the alpha!” Chris shot back.
“You should have chased him down. Now we don’t know if he got the alpha power or not.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Chris said, voice still almost shouting. “Derek is not a threat. He never was.”
“You’re so naïve,” Victoria hissed. “If he has the alpha power he will be.”
Chris stared her down. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Victoria’s hand went up to her head and she rubbed her temple. “Gerard is going to hear about this, and he is going to demand Derek’s head on a stake.” Chris didn’t say anything to that, because what could he say? Victoria was just speaking the truth. “At least Allison didn’t get screwed up in this,” Victoria muttered, turning back to the oven and turning on the gas. Chris was glad she couldn’t see his guilty face. “Text her to find out when she’s coming back from Lydia’s. We’ll see if some of the boys can stop by before she gets back and we’ll talk tactics.”
Chris sucked in a breath. He couldn’t lie to Victoria about this. He was on a slippery slope, and it looked like he was starting to trip. “Allison isn’t at Lydia’s,” Chris confessed.
“What? She run off with that boyfriend of hers?” Victoria asked with a laugh as she spooned some batter onto the griddle.
“No. She’s at the hospital.” Victoria spun around as Chris continued. “There was an attack. The alpha bit Lydia-“
“Oh, thank god!” Victoria said, voice sounding relieved. Chris arched an eyebrow and she glared at him. “You had me worried Allison had been attacked.”
“No!” Chris said. “No, Allison just found her.”
“Does she know?” Victoria asked, and she stepped closer to Chris, voice low and dark.
Chris shook his head. “No. She thinks it’s an animal attack.”
Victoria breathed, and he couldn’t tell if she was pleased or not. “We should find a way to tell her.”
Chris closed his eyes. “I’m not sure what that would accomplish.”
“Werewolves killed her family. Kate and Allison were very close, I’m sure she’ll take her death very hard.”
Chris wasn’t so sure about that. “I don’t know.”
Victoria sniffed. “Well, it’s not like we’ll have much of an option once Gerard gets here. Now text the others. Tell them I made pancakes and will feed their ungrateful stomachs while we discuss what to do.”
Chris couldn’t argue with her, because the worst part of all of this was that she was right. He dropped his head, and wondered if he should warn Derek and Stiles, or if that went too far past what the truce was about.
***
Stiles and Derek checked out of the motel at six in the morning, both of them freshly showered and Stiles feeling at least a little more settled. He couldn’t speak for Derek, but Stiles had a feeling that he was doing better as well. The bond wasn’t quite the level of awareness that Stiles had felt right at the end of it all with Peter, where all his instincts were connected to Peter, but it was stronger than it had been there when Stiles and Derek had both been betas.
That said, Stiles could feel the difference in Derek as they got closer to the hospital, how he started to tense up. And it wasn’t just the physical tensing that clued Stiles in to the change in their dynamic, Stiles could feel his hackles rising in response to Derek’s tense mood. A quick glance at him caused Derek to try and force himself to relax, obviously aware he was starting to affect Stiles.
“Sorry,” Derek said, uncrossing his arms and letting out a big breath. “I didn’t realize it would happen this quickly.”
“What?” Stiles asked as he stopped at a red light. “The whole wolfiness?”
A faint smile crossed Derek’s face at Stiles’ phrasing. “That’s one way to put it, but I meant the way you react to it. I didn’t bite you-“
Stiles cut him off with a laugh. “Uh, yes you did. You practically tore open my shoulder.” He had been ignoring the numb throb in his shoulder from where Derek had spent a good long time biting into, and then licking to try and help it heal. He had glanced at marks that still hadn’t healed right before they left the motel and a part of him wondered if it was going to actually scar. He had never been injured by an alpha since being bit, but he knew alphas could cause lasting damage.
“I guess I did,” Derek said slowly, like he was remembering everything they had done before commenting on it.
“Maybe that was enough for the alpha power to register me as essentially your bitten beta, instead of just one you inherited.” The light turned green and Stiles started driving again. “And since I - you know - forged that final bond with Peter before his death,” because there was no way Stiles was going to mention Kate at this moment, “we’re starting off like I was a full fledged pack member without more death.”
“Maybe.” Derek drew out the word, and it was obvious he was thinking. “It’s different.”
“What? The alpha power?”
Derek nodded. “I thought I had some idea what it would be like, especially because Laura didn’t seem that bothered by it, but I can definitely see why others would kill for it. Knowing you have a pack who will fight for you,” Stiles could feel Derek looking at him and he gripped the steering wheel a little bit tighter because Derek’s voice was dropping into a low rumble, “I think for any werewolf that means a lot.”
“You’re always going to have me, Derek. You’ve always had me.”
Stiles could see Derek continue to smile out of the corner of his eye, looking so pleased with himself. He was still tense, obviously wary of what was to come, but it wasn’t raising Stiles’ hackles like it had been before. Stiles dropped one hand off of the steering wheel and fished for Derek’s hand, linking their fingers together, which made turning into the hospital parking lot a bitch, but it was totally worth it to feel the steady pulse coming from Derek’s hands in his.
When he pulled into the parking lot he made sure that he parked far away from the police cars that were still littering the area. That didn’t even include all of the civvie cars that Stiles knew belonged to junior deputies.
Derek’s heart was picking up as he eyed all of the cop cars and Stiles squeezed his hand. “You don’t need to come in. I can understand that you probably don’t want to get questioned.”
“They found my car, I take it?”
Stiles nodded. “Yeah, and my dad came to question me since I’m the only person the town thinks you talk to.”
Derek huffed, shaking his head. “I need to check on Lydia, and the others. It’s this instinct.”
Stiles felt Derek’s hand clench into a fist around his own fingers. “Let’s go then.”
It was weird, not feeling the need to say certain things like I understand to Derek now, because that feeling that connected them seemed to transmit the sentiment well enough. Not telepathy, but how awesome would that be? It was just the feeling of urgency, the need to check on their pack members, to make sure they were alright.
They walked through a side door, hoping to not grab the attention of anyone, but there were cops at every entrance, and the deputy leaning against the vending machine by the door had Stiles made in a moment. He didn’t even have the chance to duck behind Derek, before the deputy, Remy, was stalking towards him with a scowl on his face.
Stiles knew all the cops under his dad’s watch, but Remy was one of the ones with seniority, having joined the force as a deputy-in-training the year before Stiles’ mom had died, and he had picked up a few extra hours babysitting a much too hyperactive nine-year-old Stiles. So Remy knew Stiles, and had the rare privilege of being able to ream him out if his dad wasn’t around to do it. Which explained why Stiles didn’t protest when Remy grabbed him by the ear, shooting a glare at Derek before looking back at Stiles.
“Do you have any idea how much your Jeep sticks out in this town?”
“Hello to you, too, Gambit,” Stiles said, dropping Derek’s hand after a squeeze to try and calm him. He could feel Derek getting angry at someone pretty much assaulting him, and ripping Remy apart was not the answer.
“That’s Deputy Gambit to you, buddy. Your dad has been driving himself crazy looking for you, and when I get sent out to look for you, half-terrified that you had gotten into a crash because apparently you left the school in a huff after being dumped, the last thing I was expecting was to find you parked by the Hooker Hotel.”
Stiles winced. “I wouldn’t call it a hotel so much as a motel, and there really weren’t that many hookers there, you would be surprised actually how upstanding the place is.”
Remy shook him and Stiles really hoped that he didn’t hear Derek’s growl. “Not the point, Aiden.”
“Hey! First name usage!” Stiles yelped, drawing the attention of the few nurses who were starting to come in for the daylight shift. He pried himself away, rubbing his ear more for effect than anything else. “At least say the whole thing if you’re gonna pull that on me.”
Remy darted a look at Derek, and it was obvious he was finally getting a good look at him for the first time. “Fuck, that kid really was telling the truth.”
“What kid?” Stiles asked, straightening up.
“The prissy one with the lawyer dad,” Remy said, waving his head. “Said you’d run off with Derek Hale. We’d pretty much assumed he was dead, no offense,” Remy said, looking Derek up and down one more time before grabbing hold of Stiles’ shoulder. “Come with me. You have so much to answer for.”
Stiles winced, and he didn’t even have a chance to ask Remy if he had mentioned the whole motel thing to his dad before he was being dragged into the waiting room and he saw his dad and the rest of the pack.
His dad looked exhausted, but he perked up as he saw Stiles. It wasn’t a good perk up though, and he stalked towards him, wrenching Stiles away from Remy to give him a good shake of his own before pulling him into a hug.
“Where the hell have you been?” He asked, burying his face in Stiles’ shoulder and squeezing one more time before he stepped back to look Stiles up and down.
So Remy hadn’t mentioned anything. Stiles couldn’t stop himself from looking back at Remy, and subsequently Derek, who was trying to inch his way towards the pack, all of whom looked half-zombified while Jackson slept on Danny’s shoulder, wanting to check on them no doubt.
“Stiles!” His dad shook him briefly and Stiles looked back at him.
“Sorry! I just. Derek…” he trailed off, not sure what to say. How the hell were they going to explain this? “I got a call from him and went to pick him up.”
His dad’s eyes darted to Derek, brow furrowed. “And where the hell has he been?” He let go of Stiles to turn his attention to Derek.
Stiles watched Derek take a step backwards, and it was amusing because he was an alpha now, but he was still intimidated by someone. Granted, Stiles’ dad could be pretty scary. “I-“
“Because we looked all through those woods for you and didn’t find a single trace. And now you’re just calling up my son for a ride like nothing happened?”
Derek looked like a deer caught in the headlights, before he ducked his head. “I don’t remember much after the crash. I uh - I got picked up though, and by the time I was conscious enough I couldn’t get out.”
Stiles’ dad was stepping closer to Derek. The waiting room was empty except for their group, but Stiles was still aware that his dad would need an official statement. “Couldn’t get out? What, you were being held prisoner or something?” It was obvious it was taking a lot for his dad to believe Derek.
Derek shrugged. “Pretty much. I managed to break out of my bonds tonight though, and got to a pay phone.”
“Why didn’t you call-“ Stiles’ dad stopped himself, probably remembering the conversation they had had after the night at the school. He sighed. “Who kidnapped you? Why would they? Does this have to do with your sister?”
Derek didn’t meet anyone’s eye, and Stiles wondered what he was going to say. “Kate Argent and a few buddies of hers. We’ve uh- been involved before.”
“Kate- Kate Argent,” Stiles dad repeated, before looking at Remy. “Get a hold of Troy. Find out his status on looking for her.”
Stiles’ mouth went dry. They were already looking for Kate. That wasn’t good. He darted a look towards the pack, but the three who were awake all looked confused. It must have been Jackson.
Shit.
Stiles’ dad pointed at Derek, moving closer to him. “I want an official statement. Not right now because I have to make a few phone calls, but later. If you skip town I will track you down. Do you understand?” Derek gave a sharp nod as Stiles’ dad took his finger out of his face. “Good.” He turned and looked at Stiles. “You. Get home now.”
Stiles opened his mouth to protest. “But my friends?”
“You can see them later. You are in so much trouble buddy.”
“Are we talking like first name kind of trouble?” Stiles asked, testing to see how bad of a mood his dad was in.
“Oh, this is so beyond first name trouble. This is full name kind of trouble,” his dad said, frowning.
Stiles winced. He looked at the pack, and Scott mouthed good luck. Stiles waved, looking at Derek, but he just shook his head, nodding towards the group. Stiles nodded, understanding that he was going to talk with everyone to make sure they were alright.
They would meet up later.
Stiles huffed and headed back to his Jeep. He was in so much trouble. Best to start making plans for the pack in case his dad decided permanent grounding was the best answer.
***
All in all it was probably for the best that Derek had told as much of the truth as he had, if for no other reason than it got the police out of the hospital, because now they had another lead to chase. It gave Derek a chance to talk to the rest of the group without drawing suspicion.
Scott’s mom came over as the police were filing out, motioning for Scott to follow her, but he begged to stay, because Allison was staying. Derek arched an eyebrow, unsure what was going on because it was obvious that Scott was almost dead on his feet. Scott’s mom just sighed though, and tossed her bag over her shoulder as she left.
Derek looked back at the group. “Why don’t you go home?”
Scott rested his head on Allison’s shoulder, threading his arm through hers. “I’m on first watch.”
“First. Watch.” Derek repeated.
Scott nodded, yawning. “Yeah. To make sure nothing happens to Lydia. And if something does happen, we have someone here to report to the rest of the pack. At noon Stiles said he’ll be back, and then Danny and Jackson at nine tonight.”
Stiles, of course. Who else would come up with a rotational schedule? Well, actually, Derek could believe Danny or Allison doing it, but Stiles made sense too. “When did Stiles come up with this idea?”
Scott yawned again and Allison ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure, but he texted us about two hours ago checking in to see what was happening.”
That sounded like it was around the time Stiles had forced Derek to go shower again, this time alone so showering actually occurred. Of course he would also take the time to check on everyone. Derek nodded, looking at the other three. Jackson was still asleep on Danny’s shoulder, not waking up at all and Derek was impressed.
He shuffled for a moment, not sure what to ask. He could already tell they didn’t know anything about Lydia, or else they would have mentioned something, but that wasn’t the only thing he wanted to talk to them about. How to approach it though?
Allison was looking at him, tired but alert, and Derek decided that blunt was the best course of action.
“Allison, can I talk to you?”
She tilted her head to the side, pushing Scott off of her gently. “Sure thing.”
Derek nodded to Danny. “Don’t leave yet. I want to talk to you after.”
Danny made a noise of agreement, shifting his hold on Jackson, probably trying to make him more comfortable.
Allison followed Derek down the hallway, away from everyone else. Derek was distantly aware they were headed towards Peter’s old room, and he wondered when the staff would notice he was missing. Just another thing to add to the list of things Stiles and he would need to worry about. And the rest of the pack, especially if Allison and Danny agreed to the bite.
Derek remembered Chris’ request, but honestly, after Lydia, Allison was who he had wanted for a beta. She was smart, resilient and bull-headed enough to make her opinion known. And even if she couldn’t say it to him, she could talk to Stiles, and Stiles could talk to him. She would be perfect. Derek turned to look at her once they were alone.
Before he could speak though, Allison was already doing it, hands clasped together in front of her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t do anything when I saw you there. I panicked, and I mean I told Stiles, he was the first person I went to because I knew he would know what to do-“
“It’s fine.” Derek cut her off. “That wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“But it’s what I wanted to tell you. If I hadn’t been so shocked maybe…” she trailed off, and Derek sighed.
“Allison. I’m fine. I got out, and we killed the alpha.” Her shoulders drooped, and Derek didn’t know what else to say to make her feel better. “You were a great help out there.”
She looked up, and it looked like she wanted to smile. “Really?”
He nodded. “That’s why I wanted to ask you this.” She nodded, waiting for him to continue. “The bite,” he said, “do you want it?” He heard her heartbeat pick up, and he couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or not. He continued. “It won’t be like Lydia or Stiles. I’m giving you the choice because that’s how it’s supposed to be. You know I won’t be like Peter.”
A smile graced Allison’s face, but she stayed quiet as she thought, looking away from Derek. He let her take her time. He knew this could be a tough choice, especially for Allison. Everything he was asking of her.
“I can’t,” Allison finally said, shoulders dropping. “I want to, but - I think it would be better for my dad if I stayed human.” Derek couldn’t argue with that, but he still had wanted her. “But, as a human I can probably get information from any hunters who come to town.”
“This is true,” Derek said, nodding.
Allison tapped her toe lightly on the ground. “So… I’m not exiled for saying ‘no’ right?”
Derek shook his head. “Of course not. You’re a good fit, Allison.” She beamed at that.
“And when I ask?”
“If you change your mind I think you’ll make a great addition,” Derek said.
Allison’s face broke into a huge grin and she clapped her hands together in delight before wrapping her arms around Derek’s neck. He wasn’t expecting the hug and he stood there stiffly as Allison hummed excitedly, squeezing. “Thank you,” she said, voice squeaking as she pulled away just as Derek got up the nerve to pat her on the back. “I’ll go get Danny for you, okay?”
He nodded, watching her leave. He exhaled, disappointed. He knew it had been a long shot to get her to agree, but he had to try. And it hadn’t been an outright refusal. It had been a not now. She had the right to change her mind, and Derek was okay waiting for it.
Danny came around the corner a moment later, and Derek stuffed his hands in his pockets. Danny hadn’t been in his original plans, because Lydia and Allison took precedence, but he couldn’t feel the shift in Lydia so he needed someone else. Danny was third on the list, and Derek was sure he knew it.
“You’re going to ask me if I want the bite, aren’t you?” Danny asked, skipping over all pleasantries.
Derek had to admit he admired the way Danny always cut through all the shit. “Yes. I need a pack I can trust.”
“And I’m that, I know.” Danny looked at Derek, and then licked his lips as he shook his head. “I can’t do it Derek, I’m sorry. I’m not-“ he cut himself off, but Derek didn’t say anything. He let Allison take her time, he was going to extend the same courtesy to Danny. “I told Stiles - god, yesterday, it’s only been a day,” he rubbed his forehead. “I’ve thought about it, a lot, and I’m not sure it’s what’s best for me. I’m worried, especially after everything, about losing myself and…” he trailed off, heart skipping. Derek wanted to press, but it wouldn’t be respectful. “So. No.” He looked Derek in the eye, and even though his heart was jack-hammering in his chest his eyes were determined.
Derek nodded, dismissing Danny with a wave of his hand.
So they were back at square one, but it was okay. They still had a pack, even if they were just a mix of humans. And he liked the mix of humans; it just wasn’t going to be enough.
He and Stiles needed to talk.
***
Danny tucked his arm under Jackson’s armpit. “Come on, I’ll call my mom for a ride.”
Jackson wanted to protest but he felt too numb. He had passed out almost as soon as he had been assured that everyone was okay, the adrenaline leaving his body. The few hours he had slept hadn’t made anything better though. Lydia’s parents still weren’t there, and so no one knew what was going on. He didn’t want to leave until he had answers, but Danny was having none of that.
“Come on, Allison and Scott are taking the first shift, and then Stiles will be here,” Danny said, walking Jackson to the exit.
“When did we come up with this plan? Why do we have this plan?” Jackson asked, trying not to trip off of his own feet.
“It was while you were asleep, and it’s so someone is always with Lydia for when she wakes up. Whoever is there will contact everyone else with status updates. It will stop the pack from worrying.”
The pack, Jackson thought. So that’s what they were referring to themselves now. He could... handle that. As long as he was part of it. As long as they kept him in the loop. Which, if Danny was calling him pack, then he was part of it, right?
Danny sat Jackson on a bench right by the door as he reached into his pocket for his cellphone. “I’m just calling my mom,” Danny said as he took a few steps away so he could hear his mom on the other line.
Jackson squinted in the morning sunlight, looking down at his hands. He was still so twisted up about Lydia. The fact that Derek and Stiles hadn’t given them any answers about what could happen to her didn’t make him feel any better, but then again it wasn’t fair to expect them to know everything. If they knew everything they wouldn’t have been stumbling around like idiots before they had met up with everyone else.
Danny hung up the phone and came to sit beside Jackson again, pocketing his cellphone. “Mom’s on her way. She’s not exactly happy I’m at the hospital, so there might be a little bit of yelling.”
Jackson couldn’t stop from smiling, just a little. Danny’s mom was such a worrier. She couldn’t even watch their lacrosse games because it was too violent. The first time she had tried, when they were in fifth grade and not even in an official league, not even five minutes in she had run onto the field and stopped the game because Danny had taken a hit to the gut. Jackson never thought it was a bad thing, because it was obvious how much Danny’s mom cared for him.
“It’s fine. I’ll handle it somehow,” he said, nudging Danny’s shoulder a little. Danny nudged back, returning his smile, though it wasn’t as bright as he normally smiled. He was probably exhausted from their night, and having to deal with the police and talking to Derek (their leader?) probably wasn’t easy.
“Hey, what did Derek want?” Jackson asked, trying to sound casual. It wasn’t that he cared or anything. But if it was pack business maybe Jackson could help with it.
Danny frowned. “He asked if I wanted the bite. I assume he asked Allison the same.”
Jackson’s mouth went dry at that, but it made sense. Of course Derek would need to get his other betas, and of course he would want to pick the best, and who was better than Danny, honestly? Danny would make an awesome werewolf. “Oh. So when is he doing it?”
Danny looked at Jackson. “Doing what?”
“The bite.”
“He’s not,” Danny said slowly. “I said no.”
Jackson’s entire body relaxed when he heard that. He hadn’t even realized how much it was going to bother him knowing that Danny had taken the bite and Jackson hadn’t. But Danny had said no, for some reason.
What reason?
“Why?”
Danny glanced at Jackson. “Honestly? I’m still not over Stiles, and I’m afraid I only want the bite so badly because a part of me thinks we could get back together. And that’s not a feeling I want to base decisions on.”
Jackson was having trouble breathing. There was a pressure on his chest at the idea of Danny getting turned, of everyone getting turned and he wouldn’t even be asked. But. Danny had said no. So he didn’t need to worry about this now. They weren’t leaving him. And maybe Derek was just taking his time asking everyone. He’d been rejected by Danny at the very least, and who knew what Allison’s answer had been. But maybe one rejection had stung his pride enough and made him not want to ask the rest of them right now.
Jackson would wait.
***
Stiles was sitting on the living room couch when Derek let himself in through the front door. It was weird, seeing him standing there like nothing was different, and Stiles stared for a moment.
“I’m surprised you were let go.”
Derek nodded, shutting the door and coming over to the couch. “Everyone got busy looking for Kate, so it was easy to slip away.”
“That’s good,” Stiles said, unable to stop his voice from going flat. In the forty-five minutes he had been alone the adrenaline had started to fade, and reality was starting to set in. Or at least, Stiles felt like reality should be setting in. It didn’t feel any different though, and it should, because things were different. So different.
Derek frowned at him, kneeling down so he could look Stiles in the eye. “You look like shit.”
“I feel fine,” Stiles said, because objectively he did. He was just off, because he didn’t feel like he should.
“You don’t look it.” Derek cupped his cheek, and turned his head from side to side, looking for something. He didn’t seem satisfied with what he saw, and he pursed his lips.
Stiles closed his eyes. “It’s just weird. My hands were soaked in blood, and I feel like, even though I washed them I should still see it. Basically I keep looking at my hands waiting for that Lady Macbeth moment, and I think the fact that I’m not having it is freaking me out more than anything else.”
Derek’s face softened. “It’s not strange. Not freaking out I mean.”
“Kill people often?” Stiles asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“No. But Stiles, we aren’t like other people. Our motivations aren’t like other people’s. Kate and my uncle? They needed to die. They were murderers.”
“I know. I just feel like I’m broken.”
“I don’t think you’re broken.”
Stiles couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face at that comment. “Thanks. I mean. You’re damaged enough for this relationship, no need to add mine to it.”
Derek’s laugh echoed throughout the house and he grabbed Stiles’ hand, pulling him off of the couch. “Come on. Some sleep will help you feel better, I bet.”
“Sleep, eh?” Stiles said as he let himself be dragged up the stairs. He took off his shirt as Derek shut his bedroom door, because even if nothing happened, feeling skin-to-skin contact was nice and it would help him sleep.
Stiles’ room still smelled like Derek despite how long he’d been missing; scents took longer than two weeks to fade. But now that Derek was back, filling the air with his scent, Stiles realized how much it had truly faded over the last couple of weeks. The knowledge that now his den would smell right again loosened something inside him, and Stiles relaxed, climbing into bed and pulling his comforter over himself.
His room hadn’t started to lose Derek’s scent in the two weeks he’d been missing; scents took longer to fade than that, but it was definitely noticeable, now that Derek was back. Stiles relaxed, climbing into bed and pulling his comforter over himself.
“So what happened after I got exiled?”
“Both Allison and Danny said no,” Derek said, sliding into bed with Stiles.
Stiles frowned. That wasn’t what he was expecting Derek to do while he was gone, but he had been expecting that reaction. Danny had pretty much told him that same at the dance, and it wouldn’t be smart for Allison to say yes, no matter how brilliant she would be. They would need to come up with another solution. “Was it more of a not now or a definitive no?”
Derek rolled over with Stiles as he reached for the notebook he had kept the list of candidates in. “With Allison it was closer to not now, but it wouldn’t be until much later. She’s worried about her family’s reaction.”
“Understandable,” Stiles said, though it still sucked that he had to make a sad face next to Allison’s name, and then Danny’s. He looked to the top of the list, to Lydia’s name that he had circled and highlighted.
“She didn’t smell like a werewolf at the hospital,” Derek said quietly, kissing Stiles’ shoulder as he curled up to him.
“Maybe the bite just hasn’t settled yet. If it hasn’t taken then she wouldn’t smell like us.” Stiles knew it was a long shot but the other option was that Lydia was going to die and that could not happen. He might not harbor the crush he had before, but he still liked her, possibly even more now that he knew her.
“Maybe,” Derek agreed, even though he didn’t seem sure. “But we still need another beta. And we should have a second option in case the first falls through.”
“It just feels weird, looking outside of the pack for another beta.”
“I know Stiles, but we need someone else.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just going to suck, taking the time to indoctrinate someone else into the pack. The dynamic will be off. Hierarchy and all that. But I guess if we do it slowly, introducing them as a human for a while...” Stiles trailed off in thought.
“No,” Derek said. Stiles raised an eyebrow. “We don’t have time for that, Stiles.”
He frowned looking at Derek. “What do you mean?”
Derek sighed, flopping on his back. “I think... I know more trouble is coming.”
“Explain.” Stiles twisted in his arms so he could comfortably stare at Derek for a prolonged period. “In detail. Do not start off this pack lying.”
“I was going to. I just didn’t have time before, and I couldn’t - I couldn’t feel it like I can now.”
“Feel what?”
Derek huffed. “When an alpha comes into power-”
“Don’t give me a fucking story, Derek,” Stiles growled. “What’s coming? Hunters? Other werewolves?”
Derek licked his lips. “That one.”
“Werewolves,” Stiles said flatly. “To what? Challenge you?”
Derek nodded. “Essentially. They’ll be trying to see how our pack is, how we operate, and if they find us lacking they’ll put one of their own in my place.”
“So we need betas. Good betas and sooner rather than later.” Stiles grabbed his notebook and looked forlornly at it. “Do you want me to start doing recon?”
A smile tugged on Derek’s lips. “Yeah.”
“So what are we looking for? Loyal? Smart? Gullible?” Stiles grabbed his pen, ready to take notes.
Derek was silent for a long moment. “We need people who won’t be missed.”
Stiles sighed. “It sounds so awful when you put it like that.”
“We might need to fight the alpha pack. And I don’t trust Argent’s word worth a damn, so I’m sure hunters will still be a problem.”
“I agree,” Stiles said, starting to jot down names, already trying to remember people that stood out.
The girl who sits in front of me in Spanish
The curly brown haired boy
The curly blond haired boy
The super tall guy with freckles
Locker 578 girl
Beats by Dre girl
Ally Sheedy in Breakfast Club girl
“This won’t be easy,” Stiles muttered as he came to a blank. Seven descriptions were a good place to start. He’d probably get one decent candidate out of this list. It would probably help if he knew their names though.
“Do you have any other suggestions?” Derek asked, snorting at the list before he rolled on his back.
“Well, it’s not like we have any other choices. I mean, where else are we going to get pack members if you don’t bite people?” Stiles asked as he put his notebook to the side, curling up to Derek’s side.
“The only other way packs grow is werewolves giving birth to werewolf children,” Derek said, eyes closed.
Stiles snorted, giving in and licking Derek’s shoulder. “Well, that’s not gonna happen, so I guess we are back to option A.” He was expecting at the very least some sort of nod in agreement, but Derek just stayed quiet, forehead crinkled in thought. “Derek,” he said slowly, “agree with me. That’s not going to happen. You aren’t going to knock up some passing beta are you? Do you even need a werewolf to give birth or will a human do?”
“It doesn’t need to be a woman.”
Stiles sat up with a jolt. “No. Absolutely not. Tell me you are kidding.”
Derek’s face slowly broke into a small grin. “I’m kidding, Stiles.”
“Oh, thank god,” Stiles said, sinking back into the bed and curling up to Derek’s side.
“Only born wolves can do it, so I’d have to be the carrier.”
“OH MY GOD!” Stiles screamed into Derek’s side. He smacked Derek’s chest as he let out a pitiful whine. “You can’t be serious. Okay no. This conversation is over. We are going back to plan P. And sticking with plan P. You are going to bite random teenagers who are stupid enough to get lost in the woods, and hope for the best okay?”
Derek snorted. “That’s plan P?”
“Yes. And we are sticking to it. So get running naked in the woods and start biting, dammit.”
In retrospect that was probably not the best thing to say, because Derek flashed a smirk before he sunk his teeth into Stiles’ shoulder. Stiles gasped, arching his hips against Derek’s. This was something he could get behind. Definitely a good thing, though apparently they would need to discuss condoms.
At a later date. Not right now. For now they could practice safe-sex by having Stiles on the bottom. This was a good idea, and of course just as Stiles pulls Derek away from mauling his shoulder to kiss him nice and deep, that’s when his dad comes home.
“Stiles, get your ass down here!”
Stiles broke the kiss, groaning as he pulled himself off of Derek. “Coming!” He shouted back, smacking Derek’s shoulder when he grinned. “Stop it, you.” He kissed Derek quickly before climbing off of the bed. “Now stay.”
Derek glared at Stiles, before casually tossing up his middle finger. Stiles let out an offended gasp and then stuck his tongue out.
“Stiles! I am not in the mood for your dawdling!” His dad shouted again and Derek shooed him away.
Stiles laughed as he shut the door to his bedroom and headed downstairs to see to his dad. They had a lot to talk about.
Fin
Author: kayevelyn
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Rating: Overall R
Warnings: eventual knotting
Summary: Stiles is the best werewolf ever. fork in the road au. (were!stiles)
Notes: Sorry this took so long to crosspost. I just finished the fic and so I'm spamming the final chapters here. I only really use LJ for archiving purposes so it really is in your best interest to check AO3 if you want updates when everything happens. :)
That said there is going to be a sequel to this fic! And I have details over in this post on tumblr about it. :) Thank you anyone reading the fic here!
[Read on AO3]
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Allison chewed on her nail as she tried not to pace in the waiting room. Her father had left her, Scott and Danny at the hospital, without saying anything. She didn’t blame him for not talking. What did they have to say to each other? The old alpha was dead, and Derek was the new alpha, and Allison had helped it happened. She didn’t regret it and if he tried to make her feel bad she would shut him down.
And if he tried to throw Kate in her face, use her a bargaining chip to make Allison think that werewolves were evil… Allison didn’t know what she would do then. She had already threatened to leave once, and it hadn’t been an idle threat. She wondered if he knew that, if he realized how big the rift could get between them.
Kate had killed innocent people - humans and werewolves if Stiles was right about the makeup of the Hale pack. That was not something Allison could forgive, not by a long shot, and while it had hurt watching Stiles kill her, while that wasn’t the choice Allison would have made, she could understand it. Derek and him, they were close, probably would have made decent friends even without the craziness involving werewolves, it was just something about their personalities that clicked. It wasn’t a hard stretch to believe they would kill for each other, so witnessing it hadn’t been the shock.
No. The shocking part had been her father’s reaction, and how he had fired right at Stiles. It hadn’t been a warning shot either. It had been meant to hurt him. Knock him down. And Allison didn’t care what her father’s reasoning was; if he couldn’t see the big picture, make the connections and see that things happened for a reason, and that sometimes humans were the monsters and needed to be put down, she didn’t want to be involved with that.
She would tell him as much, when she finally got home. If she had a home. It was a distant thought that maybe he would kick her out. He would disown her for siding with the pack. Her mother would stop that though, wouldn’t she?
Allison hadn’t even figured out if her mom knew about werewolves or not. She assumed she had to know, but she didn’t know where she stood on the whole idea. She sucked in a deep breath as she finally gave into her pacing.
It was a lot to think about, but at the end of the day, the entirety of their group of friends was more important than her own problems. Lydia was in god knows what condition, and that wasn’t something they could control. If she lost her parents to this, it would hurt. It would destroy her in so many ways, but only for a little while. She had her friends, and they would be able to take care of her, because all of her problems were something she could control. That they could control.
“Pacing won’t make time go by faster,” Scott said, grabbing her arm as she passed him.
Allison dropped into the seat next to him and crossed her arms as he wrapped her up in a hug. The nurses and doctors refused to speak to them about Lydia’s condition, waiting for her parents, who had gone to Sacramento for a weekend couple’s retreat. They were on their way back though, and once they were here, things could start progressing.
Allison refused to leave until she knew what was going to happen though, and the others had agreed.
Jackson was asleep on Danny’s shoulder, having finally crashed after he had been assured that the three of them were fine. His final question before falling unconscious had been about the alpha, and Allison had heard Danny whisper that they had taken care of everything and Derek was the new alpha. Jackson’s face had broken out into a small smile and it made Allison feel good. Everyone cared about each other, and even if they didn’t always show it, they pulled together in the end.
She spotted the Sheriff down the hall, talking with one of his deputies. He hadn’t left the hospital all night, according to Jackson, sending out other deputies to try and locate Stiles. It was a good thing they hadn’t been able to find them, because a police officer stumbling upon them murdering the alpha was going to raise a few questions.
And then there was the whole penis thing and the fact that everyone had seen Derek’s. That would have definitely caught the attention of anyone passing by.
Hopefully whatever Stiles and Derek were doing didn’t get them caught.
Allison rubbed her hand over her forehead as she stifled a laugh.
Scott looked at her. “What’s the matter?”
She laughed a little bit more, shaking her head. “Just thinking about Stiles and Derek.”
Danny echoed her laugh with a quiet snort. Scott looked between them, confused. “What about them?”
They both stopped and stared at Scott, probably wondering the same thing. Allison darted her eyes to Danny, who shrugged the shoulder that Jackson wasn’t sleeping on.
Allison looked back at Scott. “The fact that they ran off into the woods? Together? And Derek was naked?”
Scott was quiet for a moment and then his eyes went wide. “Do you think they had sex in the woods?!”
“No, they probably had an epic game of hide and go seek in the woods,” Danny said, rolling his eyes.
“Really?!” Scott asked, turning around in the chair he was sitting in.
Allison glanced at Danny, and she could see the conflict in his eyes at Scott’s earnestness. On one hand, no doubt, he wanted to tell Scott that yes, of course they were having sex, did you miss Derek’s erection? but on the other hand, Scott’s eyes were pleading for Danny to tell him that his best friend wasn’t having sex in the woods at this very moment.
Danny sighed. “Yeah. It’s totally hide and go seek.”
Allison buried her face in Scott’s shoulder to smother her laughter. It was good to know that even after everything they could still rely on each other to make the situation better. Now if only they could have that extend to Lydia getting better.
***
Chris gripped the steering wheel as he sat in the garage. It was six in the morning by the time he got back home. He could have gone back after planting the evidence on Kate’s body, but doing that had left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn’t face Victoria like that, so he had taken his time getting back to the house.
He took a deep breath. Victoria had no doubt heard him drive up. She was probably already up and had started her day, and it wasn’t like him to linger. Chris grabbed his bag from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut.
He had been correct; Victoria was in the kitchen, still dressed in workout clothes from her morning run, and cooking pancakes. Chris could smell them from the doorway.
“You two were out late so I decided to make pancakes,” she said, and Chris could only stare at her back. The numbness was starting to kick in, now that he was standing in the brightly lit kitchen.
Kate had liked sitting in the kitchen. She had taken over one of the stools her first day here.
He couldn’t believe he was being reduced to thinking these things. He hadn’t been raised to be sentimental, but somehow he had turned out that way.
“Chris?” Victoria asked, finally turning around. She frowned when she saw he was alone. “Did Kate go to freshen up? I can add blueberries.”
“Kate’s dead,” Chris said, dropping his bag on the kitchen counter to punctuate the statement.
Victoria’s eyes went wide as her nostrils flared. “What happened?”
“She had Derek Hale locked up, and the alpha came to get him.”
“Just the alpha,” Victoria asked, turning off the gas on the stove.
Chris nodded. He needed to keep his end of the deal up, even if it meant lying to his wife. “The alpha killed Kate-“
“And then you killed the alpha and Derek?” Victoria demanded, hands slamming on the kitchen island.
Chris hesitated. He hadn’t expected Victoria to be this invested, but then again she had a vicious streak that sometimes he couldn’t anticipate. “Just the alpha. Derek got away.”
Victoria’s face went cold as she stepped back. “How could you let him go?” She spit out.
“I was a little distracted by my sister getting her throat ripped out by the alpha!” Chris shot back.
“You should have chased him down. Now we don’t know if he got the alpha power or not.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Chris said, voice still almost shouting. “Derek is not a threat. He never was.”
“You’re so naïve,” Victoria hissed. “If he has the alpha power he will be.”
Chris stared her down. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Victoria’s hand went up to her head and she rubbed her temple. “Gerard is going to hear about this, and he is going to demand Derek’s head on a stake.” Chris didn’t say anything to that, because what could he say? Victoria was just speaking the truth. “At least Allison didn’t get screwed up in this,” Victoria muttered, turning back to the oven and turning on the gas. Chris was glad she couldn’t see his guilty face. “Text her to find out when she’s coming back from Lydia’s. We’ll see if some of the boys can stop by before she gets back and we’ll talk tactics.”
Chris sucked in a breath. He couldn’t lie to Victoria about this. He was on a slippery slope, and it looked like he was starting to trip. “Allison isn’t at Lydia’s,” Chris confessed.
“What? She run off with that boyfriend of hers?” Victoria asked with a laugh as she spooned some batter onto the griddle.
“No. She’s at the hospital.” Victoria spun around as Chris continued. “There was an attack. The alpha bit Lydia-“
“Oh, thank god!” Victoria said, voice sounding relieved. Chris arched an eyebrow and she glared at him. “You had me worried Allison had been attacked.”
“No!” Chris said. “No, Allison just found her.”
“Does she know?” Victoria asked, and she stepped closer to Chris, voice low and dark.
Chris shook his head. “No. She thinks it’s an animal attack.”
Victoria breathed, and he couldn’t tell if she was pleased or not. “We should find a way to tell her.”
Chris closed his eyes. “I’m not sure what that would accomplish.”
“Werewolves killed her family. Kate and Allison were very close, I’m sure she’ll take her death very hard.”
Chris wasn’t so sure about that. “I don’t know.”
Victoria sniffed. “Well, it’s not like we’ll have much of an option once Gerard gets here. Now text the others. Tell them I made pancakes and will feed their ungrateful stomachs while we discuss what to do.”
Chris couldn’t argue with her, because the worst part of all of this was that she was right. He dropped his head, and wondered if he should warn Derek and Stiles, or if that went too far past what the truce was about.
***
Stiles and Derek checked out of the motel at six in the morning, both of them freshly showered and Stiles feeling at least a little more settled. He couldn’t speak for Derek, but Stiles had a feeling that he was doing better as well. The bond wasn’t quite the level of awareness that Stiles had felt right at the end of it all with Peter, where all his instincts were connected to Peter, but it was stronger than it had been there when Stiles and Derek had both been betas.
That said, Stiles could feel the difference in Derek as they got closer to the hospital, how he started to tense up. And it wasn’t just the physical tensing that clued Stiles in to the change in their dynamic, Stiles could feel his hackles rising in response to Derek’s tense mood. A quick glance at him caused Derek to try and force himself to relax, obviously aware he was starting to affect Stiles.
“Sorry,” Derek said, uncrossing his arms and letting out a big breath. “I didn’t realize it would happen this quickly.”
“What?” Stiles asked as he stopped at a red light. “The whole wolfiness?”
A faint smile crossed Derek’s face at Stiles’ phrasing. “That’s one way to put it, but I meant the way you react to it. I didn’t bite you-“
Stiles cut him off with a laugh. “Uh, yes you did. You practically tore open my shoulder.” He had been ignoring the numb throb in his shoulder from where Derek had spent a good long time biting into, and then licking to try and help it heal. He had glanced at marks that still hadn’t healed right before they left the motel and a part of him wondered if it was going to actually scar. He had never been injured by an alpha since being bit, but he knew alphas could cause lasting damage.
“I guess I did,” Derek said slowly, like he was remembering everything they had done before commenting on it.
“Maybe that was enough for the alpha power to register me as essentially your bitten beta, instead of just one you inherited.” The light turned green and Stiles started driving again. “And since I - you know - forged that final bond with Peter before his death,” because there was no way Stiles was going to mention Kate at this moment, “we’re starting off like I was a full fledged pack member without more death.”
“Maybe.” Derek drew out the word, and it was obvious he was thinking. “It’s different.”
“What? The alpha power?”
Derek nodded. “I thought I had some idea what it would be like, especially because Laura didn’t seem that bothered by it, but I can definitely see why others would kill for it. Knowing you have a pack who will fight for you,” Stiles could feel Derek looking at him and he gripped the steering wheel a little bit tighter because Derek’s voice was dropping into a low rumble, “I think for any werewolf that means a lot.”
“You’re always going to have me, Derek. You’ve always had me.”
Stiles could see Derek continue to smile out of the corner of his eye, looking so pleased with himself. He was still tense, obviously wary of what was to come, but it wasn’t raising Stiles’ hackles like it had been before. Stiles dropped one hand off of the steering wheel and fished for Derek’s hand, linking their fingers together, which made turning into the hospital parking lot a bitch, but it was totally worth it to feel the steady pulse coming from Derek’s hands in his.
When he pulled into the parking lot he made sure that he parked far away from the police cars that were still littering the area. That didn’t even include all of the civvie cars that Stiles knew belonged to junior deputies.
Derek’s heart was picking up as he eyed all of the cop cars and Stiles squeezed his hand. “You don’t need to come in. I can understand that you probably don’t want to get questioned.”
“They found my car, I take it?”
Stiles nodded. “Yeah, and my dad came to question me since I’m the only person the town thinks you talk to.”
Derek huffed, shaking his head. “I need to check on Lydia, and the others. It’s this instinct.”
Stiles felt Derek’s hand clench into a fist around his own fingers. “Let’s go then.”
It was weird, not feeling the need to say certain things like I understand to Derek now, because that feeling that connected them seemed to transmit the sentiment well enough. Not telepathy, but how awesome would that be? It was just the feeling of urgency, the need to check on their pack members, to make sure they were alright.
They walked through a side door, hoping to not grab the attention of anyone, but there were cops at every entrance, and the deputy leaning against the vending machine by the door had Stiles made in a moment. He didn’t even have the chance to duck behind Derek, before the deputy, Remy, was stalking towards him with a scowl on his face.
Stiles knew all the cops under his dad’s watch, but Remy was one of the ones with seniority, having joined the force as a deputy-in-training the year before Stiles’ mom had died, and he had picked up a few extra hours babysitting a much too hyperactive nine-year-old Stiles. So Remy knew Stiles, and had the rare privilege of being able to ream him out if his dad wasn’t around to do it. Which explained why Stiles didn’t protest when Remy grabbed him by the ear, shooting a glare at Derek before looking back at Stiles.
“Do you have any idea how much your Jeep sticks out in this town?”
“Hello to you, too, Gambit,” Stiles said, dropping Derek’s hand after a squeeze to try and calm him. He could feel Derek getting angry at someone pretty much assaulting him, and ripping Remy apart was not the answer.
“That’s Deputy Gambit to you, buddy. Your dad has been driving himself crazy looking for you, and when I get sent out to look for you, half-terrified that you had gotten into a crash because apparently you left the school in a huff after being dumped, the last thing I was expecting was to find you parked by the Hooker Hotel.”
Stiles winced. “I wouldn’t call it a hotel so much as a motel, and there really weren’t that many hookers there, you would be surprised actually how upstanding the place is.”
Remy shook him and Stiles really hoped that he didn’t hear Derek’s growl. “Not the point, Aiden.”
“Hey! First name usage!” Stiles yelped, drawing the attention of the few nurses who were starting to come in for the daylight shift. He pried himself away, rubbing his ear more for effect than anything else. “At least say the whole thing if you’re gonna pull that on me.”
Remy darted a look at Derek, and it was obvious he was finally getting a good look at him for the first time. “Fuck, that kid really was telling the truth.”
“What kid?” Stiles asked, straightening up.
“The prissy one with the lawyer dad,” Remy said, waving his head. “Said you’d run off with Derek Hale. We’d pretty much assumed he was dead, no offense,” Remy said, looking Derek up and down one more time before grabbing hold of Stiles’ shoulder. “Come with me. You have so much to answer for.”
Stiles winced, and he didn’t even have a chance to ask Remy if he had mentioned the whole motel thing to his dad before he was being dragged into the waiting room and he saw his dad and the rest of the pack.
His dad looked exhausted, but he perked up as he saw Stiles. It wasn’t a good perk up though, and he stalked towards him, wrenching Stiles away from Remy to give him a good shake of his own before pulling him into a hug.
“Where the hell have you been?” He asked, burying his face in Stiles’ shoulder and squeezing one more time before he stepped back to look Stiles up and down.
So Remy hadn’t mentioned anything. Stiles couldn’t stop himself from looking back at Remy, and subsequently Derek, who was trying to inch his way towards the pack, all of whom looked half-zombified while Jackson slept on Danny’s shoulder, wanting to check on them no doubt.
“Stiles!” His dad shook him briefly and Stiles looked back at him.
“Sorry! I just. Derek…” he trailed off, not sure what to say. How the hell were they going to explain this? “I got a call from him and went to pick him up.”
His dad’s eyes darted to Derek, brow furrowed. “And where the hell has he been?” He let go of Stiles to turn his attention to Derek.
Stiles watched Derek take a step backwards, and it was amusing because he was an alpha now, but he was still intimidated by someone. Granted, Stiles’ dad could be pretty scary. “I-“
“Because we looked all through those woods for you and didn’t find a single trace. And now you’re just calling up my son for a ride like nothing happened?”
Derek looked like a deer caught in the headlights, before he ducked his head. “I don’t remember much after the crash. I uh - I got picked up though, and by the time I was conscious enough I couldn’t get out.”
Stiles’ dad was stepping closer to Derek. The waiting room was empty except for their group, but Stiles was still aware that his dad would need an official statement. “Couldn’t get out? What, you were being held prisoner or something?” It was obvious it was taking a lot for his dad to believe Derek.
Derek shrugged. “Pretty much. I managed to break out of my bonds tonight though, and got to a pay phone.”
“Why didn’t you call-“ Stiles’ dad stopped himself, probably remembering the conversation they had had after the night at the school. He sighed. “Who kidnapped you? Why would they? Does this have to do with your sister?”
Derek didn’t meet anyone’s eye, and Stiles wondered what he was going to say. “Kate Argent and a few buddies of hers. We’ve uh- been involved before.”
“Kate- Kate Argent,” Stiles dad repeated, before looking at Remy. “Get a hold of Troy. Find out his status on looking for her.”
Stiles’ mouth went dry. They were already looking for Kate. That wasn’t good. He darted a look towards the pack, but the three who were awake all looked confused. It must have been Jackson.
Shit.
Stiles’ dad pointed at Derek, moving closer to him. “I want an official statement. Not right now because I have to make a few phone calls, but later. If you skip town I will track you down. Do you understand?” Derek gave a sharp nod as Stiles’ dad took his finger out of his face. “Good.” He turned and looked at Stiles. “You. Get home now.”
Stiles opened his mouth to protest. “But my friends?”
“You can see them later. You are in so much trouble buddy.”
“Are we talking like first name kind of trouble?” Stiles asked, testing to see how bad of a mood his dad was in.
“Oh, this is so beyond first name trouble. This is full name kind of trouble,” his dad said, frowning.
Stiles winced. He looked at the pack, and Scott mouthed good luck. Stiles waved, looking at Derek, but he just shook his head, nodding towards the group. Stiles nodded, understanding that he was going to talk with everyone to make sure they were alright.
They would meet up later.
Stiles huffed and headed back to his Jeep. He was in so much trouble. Best to start making plans for the pack in case his dad decided permanent grounding was the best answer.
***
All in all it was probably for the best that Derek had told as much of the truth as he had, if for no other reason than it got the police out of the hospital, because now they had another lead to chase. It gave Derek a chance to talk to the rest of the group without drawing suspicion.
Scott’s mom came over as the police were filing out, motioning for Scott to follow her, but he begged to stay, because Allison was staying. Derek arched an eyebrow, unsure what was going on because it was obvious that Scott was almost dead on his feet. Scott’s mom just sighed though, and tossed her bag over her shoulder as she left.
Derek looked back at the group. “Why don’t you go home?”
Scott rested his head on Allison’s shoulder, threading his arm through hers. “I’m on first watch.”
“First. Watch.” Derek repeated.
Scott nodded, yawning. “Yeah. To make sure nothing happens to Lydia. And if something does happen, we have someone here to report to the rest of the pack. At noon Stiles said he’ll be back, and then Danny and Jackson at nine tonight.”
Stiles, of course. Who else would come up with a rotational schedule? Well, actually, Derek could believe Danny or Allison doing it, but Stiles made sense too. “When did Stiles come up with this idea?”
Scott yawned again and Allison ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not sure, but he texted us about two hours ago checking in to see what was happening.”
That sounded like it was around the time Stiles had forced Derek to go shower again, this time alone so showering actually occurred. Of course he would also take the time to check on everyone. Derek nodded, looking at the other three. Jackson was still asleep on Danny’s shoulder, not waking up at all and Derek was impressed.
He shuffled for a moment, not sure what to ask. He could already tell they didn’t know anything about Lydia, or else they would have mentioned something, but that wasn’t the only thing he wanted to talk to them about. How to approach it though?
Allison was looking at him, tired but alert, and Derek decided that blunt was the best course of action.
“Allison, can I talk to you?”
She tilted her head to the side, pushing Scott off of her gently. “Sure thing.”
Derek nodded to Danny. “Don’t leave yet. I want to talk to you after.”
Danny made a noise of agreement, shifting his hold on Jackson, probably trying to make him more comfortable.
Allison followed Derek down the hallway, away from everyone else. Derek was distantly aware they were headed towards Peter’s old room, and he wondered when the staff would notice he was missing. Just another thing to add to the list of things Stiles and he would need to worry about. And the rest of the pack, especially if Allison and Danny agreed to the bite.
Derek remembered Chris’ request, but honestly, after Lydia, Allison was who he had wanted for a beta. She was smart, resilient and bull-headed enough to make her opinion known. And even if she couldn’t say it to him, she could talk to Stiles, and Stiles could talk to him. She would be perfect. Derek turned to look at her once they were alone.
Before he could speak though, Allison was already doing it, hands clasped together in front of her. “I’m so sorry I didn’t do anything when I saw you there. I panicked, and I mean I told Stiles, he was the first person I went to because I knew he would know what to do-“
“It’s fine.” Derek cut her off. “That wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“But it’s what I wanted to tell you. If I hadn’t been so shocked maybe…” she trailed off, and Derek sighed.
“Allison. I’m fine. I got out, and we killed the alpha.” Her shoulders drooped, and Derek didn’t know what else to say to make her feel better. “You were a great help out there.”
She looked up, and it looked like she wanted to smile. “Really?”
He nodded. “That’s why I wanted to ask you this.” She nodded, waiting for him to continue. “The bite,” he said, “do you want it?” He heard her heartbeat pick up, and he couldn’t tell if it was a good thing or not. He continued. “It won’t be like Lydia or Stiles. I’m giving you the choice because that’s how it’s supposed to be. You know I won’t be like Peter.”
A smile graced Allison’s face, but she stayed quiet as she thought, looking away from Derek. He let her take her time. He knew this could be a tough choice, especially for Allison. Everything he was asking of her.
“I can’t,” Allison finally said, shoulders dropping. “I want to, but - I think it would be better for my dad if I stayed human.” Derek couldn’t argue with that, but he still had wanted her. “But, as a human I can probably get information from any hunters who come to town.”
“This is true,” Derek said, nodding.
Allison tapped her toe lightly on the ground. “So… I’m not exiled for saying ‘no’ right?”
Derek shook his head. “Of course not. You’re a good fit, Allison.” She beamed at that.
“And when I ask?”
“If you change your mind I think you’ll make a great addition,” Derek said.
Allison’s face broke into a huge grin and she clapped her hands together in delight before wrapping her arms around Derek’s neck. He wasn’t expecting the hug and he stood there stiffly as Allison hummed excitedly, squeezing. “Thank you,” she said, voice squeaking as she pulled away just as Derek got up the nerve to pat her on the back. “I’ll go get Danny for you, okay?”
He nodded, watching her leave. He exhaled, disappointed. He knew it had been a long shot to get her to agree, but he had to try. And it hadn’t been an outright refusal. It had been a not now. She had the right to change her mind, and Derek was okay waiting for it.
Danny came around the corner a moment later, and Derek stuffed his hands in his pockets. Danny hadn’t been in his original plans, because Lydia and Allison took precedence, but he couldn’t feel the shift in Lydia so he needed someone else. Danny was third on the list, and Derek was sure he knew it.
“You’re going to ask me if I want the bite, aren’t you?” Danny asked, skipping over all pleasantries.
Derek had to admit he admired the way Danny always cut through all the shit. “Yes. I need a pack I can trust.”
“And I’m that, I know.” Danny looked at Derek, and then licked his lips as he shook his head. “I can’t do it Derek, I’m sorry. I’m not-“ he cut himself off, but Derek didn’t say anything. He let Allison take her time, he was going to extend the same courtesy to Danny. “I told Stiles - god, yesterday, it’s only been a day,” he rubbed his forehead. “I’ve thought about it, a lot, and I’m not sure it’s what’s best for me. I’m worried, especially after everything, about losing myself and…” he trailed off, heart skipping. Derek wanted to press, but it wouldn’t be respectful. “So. No.” He looked Derek in the eye, and even though his heart was jack-hammering in his chest his eyes were determined.
Derek nodded, dismissing Danny with a wave of his hand.
So they were back at square one, but it was okay. They still had a pack, even if they were just a mix of humans. And he liked the mix of humans; it just wasn’t going to be enough.
He and Stiles needed to talk.
***
Danny tucked his arm under Jackson’s armpit. “Come on, I’ll call my mom for a ride.”
Jackson wanted to protest but he felt too numb. He had passed out almost as soon as he had been assured that everyone was okay, the adrenaline leaving his body. The few hours he had slept hadn’t made anything better though. Lydia’s parents still weren’t there, and so no one knew what was going on. He didn’t want to leave until he had answers, but Danny was having none of that.
“Come on, Allison and Scott are taking the first shift, and then Stiles will be here,” Danny said, walking Jackson to the exit.
“When did we come up with this plan? Why do we have this plan?” Jackson asked, trying not to trip off of his own feet.
“It was while you were asleep, and it’s so someone is always with Lydia for when she wakes up. Whoever is there will contact everyone else with status updates. It will stop the pack from worrying.”
The pack, Jackson thought. So that’s what they were referring to themselves now. He could... handle that. As long as he was part of it. As long as they kept him in the loop. Which, if Danny was calling him pack, then he was part of it, right?
Danny sat Jackson on a bench right by the door as he reached into his pocket for his cellphone. “I’m just calling my mom,” Danny said as he took a few steps away so he could hear his mom on the other line.
Jackson squinted in the morning sunlight, looking down at his hands. He was still so twisted up about Lydia. The fact that Derek and Stiles hadn’t given them any answers about what could happen to her didn’t make him feel any better, but then again it wasn’t fair to expect them to know everything. If they knew everything they wouldn’t have been stumbling around like idiots before they had met up with everyone else.
Danny hung up the phone and came to sit beside Jackson again, pocketing his cellphone. “Mom’s on her way. She’s not exactly happy I’m at the hospital, so there might be a little bit of yelling.”
Jackson couldn’t stop from smiling, just a little. Danny’s mom was such a worrier. She couldn’t even watch their lacrosse games because it was too violent. The first time she had tried, when they were in fifth grade and not even in an official league, not even five minutes in she had run onto the field and stopped the game because Danny had taken a hit to the gut. Jackson never thought it was a bad thing, because it was obvious how much Danny’s mom cared for him.
“It’s fine. I’ll handle it somehow,” he said, nudging Danny’s shoulder a little. Danny nudged back, returning his smile, though it wasn’t as bright as he normally smiled. He was probably exhausted from their night, and having to deal with the police and talking to Derek (their leader?) probably wasn’t easy.
“Hey, what did Derek want?” Jackson asked, trying to sound casual. It wasn’t that he cared or anything. But if it was pack business maybe Jackson could help with it.
Danny frowned. “He asked if I wanted the bite. I assume he asked Allison the same.”
Jackson’s mouth went dry at that, but it made sense. Of course Derek would need to get his other betas, and of course he would want to pick the best, and who was better than Danny, honestly? Danny would make an awesome werewolf. “Oh. So when is he doing it?”
Danny looked at Jackson. “Doing what?”
“The bite.”
“He’s not,” Danny said slowly. “I said no.”
Jackson’s entire body relaxed when he heard that. He hadn’t even realized how much it was going to bother him knowing that Danny had taken the bite and Jackson hadn’t. But Danny had said no, for some reason.
What reason?
“Why?”
Danny glanced at Jackson. “Honestly? I’m still not over Stiles, and I’m afraid I only want the bite so badly because a part of me thinks we could get back together. And that’s not a feeling I want to base decisions on.”
Jackson was having trouble breathing. There was a pressure on his chest at the idea of Danny getting turned, of everyone getting turned and he wouldn’t even be asked. But. Danny had said no. So he didn’t need to worry about this now. They weren’t leaving him. And maybe Derek was just taking his time asking everyone. He’d been rejected by Danny at the very least, and who knew what Allison’s answer had been. But maybe one rejection had stung his pride enough and made him not want to ask the rest of them right now.
Jackson would wait.
***
Stiles was sitting on the living room couch when Derek let himself in through the front door. It was weird, seeing him standing there like nothing was different, and Stiles stared for a moment.
“I’m surprised you were let go.”
Derek nodded, shutting the door and coming over to the couch. “Everyone got busy looking for Kate, so it was easy to slip away.”
“That’s good,” Stiles said, unable to stop his voice from going flat. In the forty-five minutes he had been alone the adrenaline had started to fade, and reality was starting to set in. Or at least, Stiles felt like reality should be setting in. It didn’t feel any different though, and it should, because things were different. So different.
Derek frowned at him, kneeling down so he could look Stiles in the eye. “You look like shit.”
“I feel fine,” Stiles said, because objectively he did. He was just off, because he didn’t feel like he should.
“You don’t look it.” Derek cupped his cheek, and turned his head from side to side, looking for something. He didn’t seem satisfied with what he saw, and he pursed his lips.
Stiles closed his eyes. “It’s just weird. My hands were soaked in blood, and I feel like, even though I washed them I should still see it. Basically I keep looking at my hands waiting for that Lady Macbeth moment, and I think the fact that I’m not having it is freaking me out more than anything else.”
Derek’s face softened. “It’s not strange. Not freaking out I mean.”
“Kill people often?” Stiles asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“No. But Stiles, we aren’t like other people. Our motivations aren’t like other people’s. Kate and my uncle? They needed to die. They were murderers.”
“I know. I just feel like I’m broken.”
“I don’t think you’re broken.”
Stiles couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face at that comment. “Thanks. I mean. You’re damaged enough for this relationship, no need to add mine to it.”
Derek’s laugh echoed throughout the house and he grabbed Stiles’ hand, pulling him off of the couch. “Come on. Some sleep will help you feel better, I bet.”
“Sleep, eh?” Stiles said as he let himself be dragged up the stairs. He took off his shirt as Derek shut his bedroom door, because even if nothing happened, feeling skin-to-skin contact was nice and it would help him sleep.
Stiles’ room still smelled like Derek despite how long he’d been missing; scents took longer than two weeks to fade. But now that Derek was back, filling the air with his scent, Stiles realized how much it had truly faded over the last couple of weeks. The knowledge that now his den would smell right again loosened something inside him, and Stiles relaxed, climbing into bed and pulling his comforter over himself.
His room hadn’t started to lose Derek’s scent in the two weeks he’d been missing; scents took longer to fade than that, but it was definitely noticeable, now that Derek was back. Stiles relaxed, climbing into bed and pulling his comforter over himself.
“So what happened after I got exiled?”
“Both Allison and Danny said no,” Derek said, sliding into bed with Stiles.
Stiles frowned. That wasn’t what he was expecting Derek to do while he was gone, but he had been expecting that reaction. Danny had pretty much told him that same at the dance, and it wouldn’t be smart for Allison to say yes, no matter how brilliant she would be. They would need to come up with another solution. “Was it more of a not now or a definitive no?”
Derek rolled over with Stiles as he reached for the notebook he had kept the list of candidates in. “With Allison it was closer to not now, but it wouldn’t be until much later. She’s worried about her family’s reaction.”
“Understandable,” Stiles said, though it still sucked that he had to make a sad face next to Allison’s name, and then Danny’s. He looked to the top of the list, to Lydia’s name that he had circled and highlighted.
“She didn’t smell like a werewolf at the hospital,” Derek said quietly, kissing Stiles’ shoulder as he curled up to him.
“Maybe the bite just hasn’t settled yet. If it hasn’t taken then she wouldn’t smell like us.” Stiles knew it was a long shot but the other option was that Lydia was going to die and that could not happen. He might not harbor the crush he had before, but he still liked her, possibly even more now that he knew her.
“Maybe,” Derek agreed, even though he didn’t seem sure. “But we still need another beta. And we should have a second option in case the first falls through.”
“It just feels weird, looking outside of the pack for another beta.”
“I know Stiles, but we need someone else.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just going to suck, taking the time to indoctrinate someone else into the pack. The dynamic will be off. Hierarchy and all that. But I guess if we do it slowly, introducing them as a human for a while...” Stiles trailed off in thought.
“No,” Derek said. Stiles raised an eyebrow. “We don’t have time for that, Stiles.”
He frowned looking at Derek. “What do you mean?”
Derek sighed, flopping on his back. “I think... I know more trouble is coming.”
“Explain.” Stiles twisted in his arms so he could comfortably stare at Derek for a prolonged period. “In detail. Do not start off this pack lying.”
“I was going to. I just didn’t have time before, and I couldn’t - I couldn’t feel it like I can now.”
“Feel what?”
Derek huffed. “When an alpha comes into power-”
“Don’t give me a fucking story, Derek,” Stiles growled. “What’s coming? Hunters? Other werewolves?”
Derek licked his lips. “That one.”
“Werewolves,” Stiles said flatly. “To what? Challenge you?”
Derek nodded. “Essentially. They’ll be trying to see how our pack is, how we operate, and if they find us lacking they’ll put one of their own in my place.”
“So we need betas. Good betas and sooner rather than later.” Stiles grabbed his notebook and looked forlornly at it. “Do you want me to start doing recon?”
A smile tugged on Derek’s lips. “Yeah.”
“So what are we looking for? Loyal? Smart? Gullible?” Stiles grabbed his pen, ready to take notes.
Derek was silent for a long moment. “We need people who won’t be missed.”
Stiles sighed. “It sounds so awful when you put it like that.”
“We might need to fight the alpha pack. And I don’t trust Argent’s word worth a damn, so I’m sure hunters will still be a problem.”
“I agree,” Stiles said, starting to jot down names, already trying to remember people that stood out.
The girl who sits in front of me in Spanish
The curly brown haired boy
The curly blond haired boy
The super tall guy with freckles
Locker 578 girl
Beats by Dre girl
Ally Sheedy in Breakfast Club girl
“This won’t be easy,” Stiles muttered as he came to a blank. Seven descriptions were a good place to start. He’d probably get one decent candidate out of this list. It would probably help if he knew their names though.
“Do you have any other suggestions?” Derek asked, snorting at the list before he rolled on his back.
“Well, it’s not like we have any other choices. I mean, where else are we going to get pack members if you don’t bite people?” Stiles asked as he put his notebook to the side, curling up to Derek’s side.
“The only other way packs grow is werewolves giving birth to werewolf children,” Derek said, eyes closed.
Stiles snorted, giving in and licking Derek’s shoulder. “Well, that’s not gonna happen, so I guess we are back to option A.” He was expecting at the very least some sort of nod in agreement, but Derek just stayed quiet, forehead crinkled in thought. “Derek,” he said slowly, “agree with me. That’s not going to happen. You aren’t going to knock up some passing beta are you? Do you even need a werewolf to give birth or will a human do?”
“It doesn’t need to be a woman.”
Stiles sat up with a jolt. “No. Absolutely not. Tell me you are kidding.”
Derek’s face slowly broke into a small grin. “I’m kidding, Stiles.”
“Oh, thank god,” Stiles said, sinking back into the bed and curling up to Derek’s side.
“Only born wolves can do it, so I’d have to be the carrier.”
“OH MY GOD!” Stiles screamed into Derek’s side. He smacked Derek’s chest as he let out a pitiful whine. “You can’t be serious. Okay no. This conversation is over. We are going back to plan P. And sticking with plan P. You are going to bite random teenagers who are stupid enough to get lost in the woods, and hope for the best okay?”
Derek snorted. “That’s plan P?”
“Yes. And we are sticking to it. So get running naked in the woods and start biting, dammit.”
In retrospect that was probably not the best thing to say, because Derek flashed a smirk before he sunk his teeth into Stiles’ shoulder. Stiles gasped, arching his hips against Derek’s. This was something he could get behind. Definitely a good thing, though apparently they would need to discuss condoms.
At a later date. Not right now. For now they could practice safe-sex by having Stiles on the bottom. This was a good idea, and of course just as Stiles pulls Derek away from mauling his shoulder to kiss him nice and deep, that’s when his dad comes home.
“Stiles, get your ass down here!”
Stiles broke the kiss, groaning as he pulled himself off of Derek. “Coming!” He shouted back, smacking Derek’s shoulder when he grinned. “Stop it, you.” He kissed Derek quickly before climbing off of the bed. “Now stay.”
Derek glared at Stiles, before casually tossing up his middle finger. Stiles let out an offended gasp and then stuck his tongue out.
“Stiles! I am not in the mood for your dawdling!” His dad shouted again and Derek shooed him away.
Stiles laughed as he shut the door to his bedroom and headed downstairs to see to his dad. They had a lot to talk about.
Fin