p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""No,"/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""But-"/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""No! Scott, we don't have time and it's next week," Derek said, sighing. "We don't have people organised or anything. We can't have a Pack Christmas by then. Maybe next year." And with that, Derek turned around and walked off. Scott turned to Stiles, /"I just wanted a Christmas for the pack," he said./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""I know, Derek is just a party pooper," said Stiles, hoping to get a laugh out of his best friend, but it didn't work. Stiles sighed. He knew he was going to regret this./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Fine," he whispered, knowing that Derek was only upstairs, and could probably hear everything they were saying, "why don't we just throw a surprise Christmas?"br /"A surprise Christmas?" asked Scott, confused. /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Yeah," said Stiles, a smile making its way on to his face. "Come on, I'll tell you more where old Sour Wolf can't hear us." He dragged Scott out of the loft, straight in to the truck./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Right, so what do you mean a surprise Christmas?" asked Scott, as soon as the door closed. /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""We just don't tell Derek. And maybe not Peter," said Stiles. "We get them out of the house, and then, when they get back, we'll have the decorations and a tree and a Christmas dinner all ready."/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""This is genius!" said Scott, face beaming. "We can invite the whole pack! And we can all do something, and Derek will be so surprised! It'll be great! And we can-"/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Stiles listened to Scott's ramblings as he started up the truck. He wasn't sure how realistic any of this was, but as long as Scott was happy, that was ok with him./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Stiles dropped Scott home and, as soon as he reached his own home, his phone /emYou have been added to a new chat: "Surprise Christmas!"/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Stiles laughed; Scott certainly hadn't wasted any time. The first message was already /strongemScott/em/strongem: Guys Derek says we're not doing Christmas so we're going to have a surprise one for the whole pack!/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Scott grinned, looking at who he'd added. Everyone they needed was there: Isaac, Allison, Lydia, Kira, Aiden and Ethan. He'd even added Cora, who neither of them knew very well./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemAllison: /em/strongemOk, sounds like fun! :) When are we doing it?br /strongScott: /stronga href="x-apple-data-detectors:/0"Next Saturday/a, maybe?/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Stiles frowned; he'd planned to have dinner with his dad that /strongemStiles: /em/strongemUh Id planned dinner with dad that daybr /strongEthan: /strongand im going out with Danny/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemScott: /em/strongemBring them!/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemScott: /em/strongemAnd I'll invite mum!/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemScott: /em/strongemEveryone bring their parents! We can have a huge party!/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemLydia: /em/strongemAlright, this sounds like a plan, then. Well done Scott, you actually had a good /strongScott: /strongHey!br /strongLydia: /strong;) br /strongLydia: /strongAnd hey, also, I'll do the turkey, Mum and I have a great recipe/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemKira: /em/strongemWe'll do veg, then :)/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"em /em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"It didn't take long for everyone to assign themselves a job. Saturday worked for everyone, and all of the parents seemed really enthusiastic about a Christmas that they wouldn't have to organise. That was the a href="x-apple-data-detectors:/1"Sunday evening/a; they had five more full days until their Pack Christmas./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The Pack seemed excited a href="x-apple-data-detectors:/2"on Monday morning/a: even Lydia and Aiden were smiling more than usual. Their usual cynicism seemed overridden by their new Alpha's happiness. Scott was grinning all the time; Stiles was glad that Derek wasn't in school with them, or he'd definitely have guessed that something was up. Of course, Stiles knew of Scott's love for Christmas, but he felt that it was more than just a usual excitement for the holiday. Stiles knew that Scott had felt particularly defeated by the events of recent times. The deaths of Boyd and Erica had shaken everyone, and added a tension to the already new pack. Jackson nearly dying and then abandoning them to move to England had thrown him. And this party was one of the first things that Scott was organising as an Alpha. Of course, most Alpha related tasks did not mean organising a party, but it was still enjoyable to do, just this once./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"It was Tuesday afternoon when Cora finally replied to any of the messages in the /strongemCora: /em/strongemSo we don't tell Derek or Peter, then?/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Stiles rolled his eyes./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemStiles: /em/strongemThats the idea/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemCora: /em/strongemThey won't be pleased/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemStiles: /em/strongemNah theyll be fine/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemCora: /em/strongemFine, I won't say anything. And I'll get them out of the house on Saturday. But I'm not claiming any responsibility when Pere gets pissed off./em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Stiles grinned. That was exactly what they'd needed Cora for./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemAllison: /em/strongemThanks, Cora :)/em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"strongemCora: /em/strongemNo problem. It'll be nice for some sort of happiness around here. We've not celebrated Christmas since the fire. Maybe it'll just add some cheer to this place./em/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""How did I manage to get roped in to this?" asked Stiles, walking through their local mall, carrying five shopping bags./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Aiden wasn't free," said Lydia, looking at some tinsel and baubles in the next shop. "And I wasn't going to carry the bags. And Allison is pining after Scott, so she's busy too- Oh, look!" Stiles rolled his eyes, rushing to follow Lydia as she eyed some particularly flashy lights over in the corner./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Derek's loft won't fit most of this stuff!" he said, as Lydia threw more decorations at him./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Fine," she said, going off to pay. "One more shop, then!" She threw another bag at him and marched out. Stiles saw her go over to small shop in the corner of the mall. It was a seasonal store, and only opened around Christmas time. It was very red and green. Stiles approached it warily. He could hear the Christmas carols from all around it. He barely made it inside before Lydia marched back out./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Christmas hats!" she said, grinning and holding up a bag. "And a Christmas Jumper especially for Derek." Stiles laughed./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Excellent idea, Lydia," he said. Perhaps shopping was worth it if he got to see Derek in an embarrassing Christmas jumper./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"a href="x-apple-data-detectors:/4"Saturday morning/a arrived much earlier than Stiles had thought it would. His phone buzzed as a href="x-apple-data-detectors:/5"eight am/a, and he blearily answered it./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""What?"/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hey, Stiles! What time are you coming to pick me up?" It was Scott./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Dude, Cora isn't getting Derek out of the apartment until two, we have plenty of time," managed Stiles./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Right," said Scott. "I just thought that maybe we could give Allison a hand with dessert, maybe?" Stiles took a deep breath and sat up./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Fine, I'll be 'round in fifteen minutes," he said, trying to ignore the fact that it was still dark outside./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Thanks bro!" said Scott, and Stiles could practically hear his smile down the phone. "See you then!"/p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Stiles got dressed with his eyes half closed, and managed his way down the stairs. He was careful not to make too much noise, so as not to wake his dad. He scribbled a note to explain where he was, quickly made some toast and was out the door with plenty of time to collect Scott. /p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"When he got to Scott's house, Scott was standing outside the door. On seeing the jeep, he ran up and jumped in./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""To Allison's house!" he said, grinning. Despite the hour, Stiles had to smile at the enthusiasm./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"Allison was barely dressed when she opened the door. She had some fluffy pyjama bottoms on, and a hoodie. She also had flour in her hair and on her nose./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Hey guys," she said, grinning. Scott gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before they all walked through to the kitchen./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"The kitchen looked like a small bomb site. Ingredients scattered very counter, and the sink was already piled high with dirty dishes. Allison looked somewhat sheepishly around the kitchen, as if only just realising what a mess it was./p
p class="" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;""Sorry," she said, biting her lip. /p