A/N: Definitely a spec more than anything else. Not my first foray into Fan Fiction but my first in the world of Teen Wolf. Special thanks to my beta Lilah who doesn't even watch the show for enduring the pain of reading this. There's plenty of cheese here, but I wouldn't exactly say it was fluff. I may or may not have screwed up Stiles's character voice in this, I promise I'll fix it in my next go, he's just so hard to write for. This is a one shot right now, if I get enough reviews and feedback requesting it I am open to writing more. I own nothing at all except for this plot. EDIT: I see the feedback and I love the support. I will be posting more to this, I just have to work out the kinks on how exactly I'm going to continue it while staying true to the characters and the series.

The fog was dense. one could barely see what was in front of them let alone a whole forest. No one would be crazy enough to go out in it. Except for Lydia. She was fearless lately. The petite young woman stopped to catch her breath after jogging through the woods. The crackle of the leaves beneath her feet and the whisper the trees made woke her from whatever haze she had been in. She'd poisoned Derek and awoken the beast that was Peter Hale.

She realized this too late and shit was hitting the fan. Her only escape from his clutches was her jog in the mornings while he was asleep. It was during those few minutes that he couldn't bother to reach inside her subconscious and eat away at her.

She couldn't help but feel just a little tingle of sadness for Peter. He was a normal man who was brutally burned and scarred and had spent years in a comatose state, only being able to awaken during the full moon.

Lydia knew better than to let her seldom moments of freedom allow her to feel for the mad man who spent months terrorizing her. She closed her eyes and took in the sweet smell of the flowers growing nearby. She could hear the bees buzzing and the birds chirping. Her Stockholm Syndrome would not get the best of her. She jerked her head as she heard a loud growl coming from the house she was staying in.

The old Hale house. The same house where she raised Peter from the dead weeks ago. The same house Derek barely escaped out of.

The growl become louder and echoed through the woods. She had to turn around and go back. It's wasn't like she had a choice. They were connected forever. There was no way for her to go back to being a normal girl who only cared about boys, fashion and shiny things. Her life was over. She was now Peter Hale's puppet and she couldn't feel for herself anymore.

"We have to figure out a way to stop this!" Scott cried out in rage. He looked over at Derek who was in a deteriorating state, still bloody and broken from his encounter with Peter nearly three weeks ago.

"Scott, I know this might come as a shock to you, but there might not be a way to stop it. Everything we do, we just keep failing. I built an army to fight, and I can't control them anymore. It's Peter's pack now." Derek proclaimed quietly, wincing at every other word. He was no longer the man Scott knew. Derek was defeated. His green eyes that were once filled with intensity and passion were now pale with defeat and depression.

Scott moved closer to Derek, reaching for the bandage on his arm and gently unwrapping it so he could redress it. Once they realized they couldn't fight without each other, Scott figured out what Derek knew all along: they were brothers and they were bonded forever no matter what pack they belonged to. Scott couldn't look at Derek the way he was now. Even when the young wolf was trying to sound stoic he came off deflated like this was the end.

There was a large thump as Stiles walked into the room, tripping over his own two feet. "Guys, I swear I'm going to end up breaking my head in this School Bus you call home." he proclaimed as he entered through the door of the abandoned yellow bus Scott and Derek were staying in for the last couple of weeks.

"If you don't like it you can just leave, kid." Derek stated as a matter of fact.

No matter what shape Derek was in he was always able to muster just one retort for Stiles that both scared the young man and made him like him just a little bit more.

"I think I'll stay for you, big buddy!" Stiles smiled as he patted Derek's leg or what Stiles assumed was patting, because as quickly as his hand went down it jumped right back up.

Derek screamed in pain and agony in response to Stiles's hand "Ow! Not that leg!" he yelled so loud that they could have woken up a hibernating bear.

Stiles recoiled from Derek who was scowling at him and walked away slowly because he was scared to cause Derek anymore pain. Derek's glare didn't help. There was silence in the room until Isaac, Erica and Boyd walked in with news that called attention to the whole room.

"Dr. Deaton and Ms. Morell figured out a way to separate Lydia and Peter," chimed in Isaac.

"Who?" responded Stiles, a quizzical look on his face.

"The witchy vet and guidance counselor, don't you know anyone's names Stiles?" Erica asked exasperated.

"Umm.. let think about that? No!" Stiles exclaimed and looked away from Erica, who was a little too close for comfort next to him.

Her breasts were hanging out of her shirt and were right in his face. Stiles wasn't aware that the gorgeous blonde werewolf was crushing on him and hard, no matter how obvious she tried to make it.

"Not to disrupt your little bickering session, but how exactly do we break the bond?" Derek asked.

"Apparently there's some sort of spell they have to perform." began Boyd. "There's a weakness inside Lydia that allowed Peter to get inside her head in the first place. Once we figure out what that is, we fight fire with fire and settle whatever issues she has that weakened her. After that she can fight Peter."

Boyd looked almost exasperated having to explain everything in detail to the gang. Unfortunately no one really talked to Lydia these last few months except for one person and that person wasn't exactly listening to anything anyone had to say these days.

"Maybe Alison.." began Stiles, who was immediately stopped by Derek. His green eyes were looking darker again, with the hope of resolution to this hell. The former Alpha seemed to have gained back some of that passion he was missing before.

"No. We won't talk to her. The little one here said that she jogs in the morning before Peter wakes up. Maybe we can corner her there. Stilinski, you go since everyone with half a brain knows you're stalking her anyway." finished Derek.

Before Stiles had the chance to spit out a witty retort, Scott proclaimed that it was done. He and Stiles would go out in the morning to the woods and would try to corner Lydia into telling them how Peter was able to manipulate her.

It was muggy out again. The fog was still dense. Lydia thought to herself how she wished it would just rain already. Peter was sleeping. He looked so peaceful when he was resting. Sometimes, she'd look at him and see a hint of a smile. Other times she'd hear him quietly whisper "I'm sorry Derek" in his sleep. She knew she didn't have much time for her run, her only escapism. She tied her sneakers and began her usual route in the woods. Except this time was different. She sensed other people around her. She hoped they were real people. She'd had enough of those weird hallucinations lately.

It was Stiles. He ran up to her with a smile on his face. An expression she recognized was fake. After everything that's happened to her she was able to sense what was real and what wasn't.

"What do you want, Stiles?" she asked him, letting out a small sigh. "You better hurry up, if you know who sees you he'll kill you."

Stiles furrowed his brow and asked her what it was that caused her to trust Peter in her dreams. It took Lydia a second, but she was able to answer without a doubt.

"He liked me, Stiles. He saw through me. Something about him seemed familiar… I mean he wasn't old like he is now, he was younger… really young… Like our age… and he was pretty hot…"

Before Lydia could continue Stiles stopped her. The look on his face looked seemed like disgust but the redhead wasn't entirely sure. Stiles grabbed her by the shoulders and looked directly into her beautiful emerald eyes telling her that everything was going to be okay. Something inside of her told her to believe him.

Stiles walked back to the bus where the other wolves were sound asleep. Scott could't wake up on time to go with him so Stiles decided to go without him. He turned around to see Derek awake and putting on his shoes. He'd ask him where he was going but he'd just scowl at him and not give much of an explanation anyway so he decided not to. He started walking away when he heard Derek whisper to him.

"I was going out to look for you. What happened?"

Stiles told Derek about how Peter used Lydia's weakness and insecurity over her break up with Jackson to warp himself as a good suitor for her by disguising himself as his younger self. Stiles used the term "foxy" but Derek wasn't sure he liked the description of his evil uncle or anyone for that matter. Derek stalked over to his phone and quickly dialed the vet making him aware of the new information. Derek looked pensive, still bruised from his last altercation with Alpha Peter and he looked more vulnerable than usual. No one in the camp liked it. Everyone began to stir at almost the same time, stretching and some even more growling before they got up.

"I am so glad I am human." said Stiles reacting to the growling.

"You make worse noises, dude." Scott laughed at his friend, gently punching his arm.

Stiles didn't respond but instead gave him a weird look that scrunched up his whole face, he sat down next to Erica who was fiddling with her hair. Moments later they were joined by the witchy vet and the guidance counselor, who'd heard from Stiles what made Lydia connect to Peter.

"So that's the bond…" began the beautiful young guidance counselor. "We have to find her true love. It's the only way to break it. When Lydia's core senses her mate she'll sever the bond with Peter."

Stiles threw his hands up in a huff. "Great! So we have to get Jackson to come and fight the good fight. That kid just got out of crazy Matt's evil clutches! Now we say, oh hey come with us so we can rope you into more crazy things!"

Stiles at this point was rocking back and forth, making his neck red and a vain stick out of it. Everyone in the room recognized when Stiles was annoyed because that's what would happen. Scott put his hand on his best friends shoulder and reassured him.

"Leave Jackson to me. You guys start the ritual. Derek, you and the rest of the pack need to distract Peter." Scott stated.

Derek's mouth began to twitch and a smile started to form across his face. He remembered when Scott didn't know what he was doing and now he's stronger than ever. A true Alpha fighting for his pack. Not an animal like Peter. If anyone was going to take down Peter it was going to be Scott. He had something worth fighting for. He had a mother who loved him and a dorky best friend. He had the heart that Peter was missing. Derek continued to smile and stare at Scott who was commanding the team. His sense of pride was radiating through his bruised body.

"We meet at the Hale house! 9:00 sharp. Jackson will be there I promise." He stated before stalking away.

"So all we have to do is get Lydia into this circle with Jackson and the spell is broken?" asked Stiles who didn't seem like he was too into the idea.

"Yes," responded the Vet.

He went on to explain the unbinding ritual and the way it works. The wolfsbane powder had to be used to create the circle and the ritual which binds a wolf to his mate for life would be chanted. Lydia would then fall from Peter's hold and onto her mate's: Jackson. He also proceeded to state that it would only work if he was her true mate. If for some unknown reason he wasn't, the spell wouldn't work and they would all have to make a run for it.

Erica asked the question on everyones mind. "Why a wolf curse? Lydia is human."

"It's the closest spell we have, but it should work the same way. Both spells are used to bind and since it has to do with matters of the… heart. It should be fine."

There was a rustle in the trees of the woods they were standing in. Scott and Jackson walked toward the group. Everyone looked shocked that Jackson would come and did nothing to hide it.

"Let's just get this over with." he said quietly looking down at the ground.

They began their trek over to the old Hale house where Lydia's future hung in the balance.

Peter Hale was fussing about the house looking for something. Lydia looked up at him like he was the second coming. Her eyes were gleaming as she stared at him. The intellect she prided herself on was gone. All she had left was her admiration of Peter. He consumed her when she was with him. He put his hand on her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheek bone up and down.

"My beautiful girl, you have done well. It's a shame you don't even know what you're capable of." he lifted his hand from Lydia's face and commanded her to walk outside with him. "You're in for a treat tonight. My nephew and his idiot friends seem to think they can tear us apart. Don't they know what we have is special?"

His voice was menacing. He kneeled forward a little bit and put his lips to her cheek kissing it softly. His blue eyes examining her face for any recognition of who or what he really was. The real Lydia, the one inside the glass eyed zombie she'd become, was terrified and helpless. She heard the chanting. It was mesmerizing. It sounded like the Gregorian Chants she'd heard in music history class. It was calling to her and for some reason she couldn't help herself. Everything became a blur.

Inside the circle was Jackson. He was smiling and holding his hand out to her. She was so engrossed she missed the destruction behind her.

Peter, Derek and Scott were clawing away at each other. Peter sent the Beta and former Alpha flying in all different directions but they were resilient. Wearing nothing but an electric blue, satin, sleeping gown that Peter had gotten for her, she walked down the burned steps, onto the dead leaves and stepped inside the circle. Jackson looked down at her and kissed her. She was wrapped in his arms. The chanting continued in the background but nothing was happening. Everything seemed like it was moving slow motion in Lydia's mind. The fighting, the chanting, the kissing. She was feeling free, until she opened her eyes and Jackson's face became Peter's. She wanted to leave. She was done with this. She wrapped her hands around Jackson's neck and began choking him. Jackson was still weak after being stripped of his Kanima strength and Lydia was taking advantage of it.

Stiles looked over at the Vet and shouted over the chanting. "This isn't working! She's strangling Jackson! Scott and Derek are getting thrown around like rag dolls! The least we can do right now is save Jackson."

The Vet looked at Stiles and nodded his head. If there was one thing they could still do, it was save Jackson. He clearly wasn't what Lydia's heart truly desired. There was something wrong. Peter was still bound. He nodded over at his friend who in exchange nodded back and was about to blow out the spell when a large thud surprised her.

It was Derek.

He was in the middle of the circle. The wind started to howl. The trees were thrashing back and forth. Lydia's hands which were still around Jackson's neck were now at her side. She dropped to the floor next to Derek. The circle erupted in a fire and Peter growled before jumping into the circle and leaving Scott bloody and out of breath.

Lydia looked up when she saw Peter coming for her. She felt like beauty and this was the beast. She let out a piercing scream. Before Peter could grab her, Derek jumped to his feet. Something inside of him erupted and he felt heavy hearted and angry. He lunged at Peter who went flying backwards. But instead of coming back for him, he stalked away into the darkness he was fond of. The only thing guiding him was the glow of his red eyes.

Derek looked around the circle of Wolfsbane. What should have made him weaker actually gave him strength. He was too busy thinking about where Peter had gone, he didn't notice everyone staring at him and the two teenagers at his feet. Jackson was stirring and groaning in pain from Lydia's strong hold on him and Lydia looked completely out of it.

"What the hell happened anyway? I take it the spell worked?"

Everyone looked at each other not saying a word. Scott walked up behind Derek. He was catching his breath. Boyd, Erica and Isaac looked at each other when Derek barked at them.

"Speak!"

"Um..well the spell didn't work with Jackson, boss." Isaac explained. "It only worked when you got thrown in… so like should we start calling her mom?"

Stiles laughed a little but then proceeded to cry out about how much it sucks because Derek is the ultimate scary boyfriend.

It hit Derek like a ton of bricks. He looked at her lying there in her night gown completely oblivious. She was absolutely radiant. She always was. He couldn't help but stare at her when he saw her. Something about her always caught his attention. Her skin so pale and bathed with the light of the moon, he grabbed her still body and carried her in his arms. She tussled for a quick moment burying her head safely in his chest.

She opened her eye lids mid way. Her green eyes were sparking with life again. He didn't care that she was clutching onto his neck which was still bruised from last time.

"Derek…"

He looked down at her and didn't say a word, carrying her to some unknown part of the woods. The sky erupted and rain poured on them, almost symbolic of what was happening in their small but fragile world. He kept walking with her in his arms looking straight ahead. He had to make sure she was still okay. He had to get her away from everyone. He knew it was far enough when he couldn't hear Stiles ramble on about how he took her away to have his way with her so he could cement the whole soulmates thing and asking if he would do it doggy style. Stiles was a clown, but he was a good kid, Derek thought fondly.

His thoughts were disrupted by a shrill voice, shouting something directed at him.

"Um…excuse me! Put me down! I know you're big and all but you are not protecting me from the rain, and oh my God… why am I in the middle of the woods again?" she started speaking a mile a minute. "I'm glad I'm wearing clothes this time even though you've clearly entered a wet t-shirt contest!"

He looked down at himself and realized his white t-shirt was completely soaked just like she said. Derek was listening to her rant and he couldn't believe he was hanging on every word. He put Lydia down next to a rather large tree that could do the job of shielding her from the rain. Derek examined every inch of her, starting with her legs and ending at her eyes. He admitted that his eyes did linger a little longer at her chest. He may have been in a deteriorated state and fancied himself a gentleman but he was still a man.

"I saw that!" she squealed.

"Saw what exactly? Me saving you?" he asked in a sarcastic tone that didn't work out too well with Lydia who started jabbing his side and hitting him upside the head.

"You're a pervert! Why are we even here and what did you save me from?" she asked and genuinely looked confused.

"What is your last memory?" Derek asked her, concern in his small voice.

"It was prom! Duh!" she replied.

He knew she was lying. He didn't know how but she was shielding herself from the truth and that was okay with him. He smiled a little smile to himself. One that he rarely ever let anyone see. Come to think of it, the last person that saw him smile like that was Kate Argent back before he realized she was plotting to kill his entire family.

"Well, if it's still prom, I think I should ask for at least a dance.." he held out his hand with a toothy grin. "It's the least you can do to repay me…"

He was still wet and she was trembling from the cold. Lydia looked like she was contemplating it for a second but decided to take Derek's hand anyway. He put his arms around her waist and she stood on tippy toes, wrapping her arms around his neck. The only music around them was the rain pouring from the sky as it tapped rhythmically on the ground. Lydia got tired of dancing on her toes and put her feet on top of his looking up into his eyes. Derek leaned his head down to kiss her but before he could complete the action she slapped him.

"No!" she screamed.

Derek stuttered out an apology. Lydia tilted her head giving him a withering state with her green eyes before jumping on him and landing in his arms. Her face now next to his, she stopped him mid sentence. Lydia parted his lips with hers and slid her tongue inside his mouth. He retaliated, caressing his tongue with hers. She pulled back, staring at him once more.

"Let's get one thing straight. I kissed you. You belong to me! Not the other way around? Okay?"

He smiled and laughed to himself.

"Okay, boss…I'll go brand your name on my ass right now."

She jumped off him and stood so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body. She looked up at him with a half smile on her face and bit her lip.

"You might as well… I heard wolves mate for life." she teased with a grin.

.