"So...let me get this straight. You're from the future but you've somehow managed to set back time to prevent Kate Argent from killing our family. Everything should have turned out fine because you had a plan to tie up loose knots from the future in your now present. Except you realized that you made an error and somehow, a guy from your future who was younger than you and you were sorta crushing on but didn't do anything about because of age difference-"
Derek butted into Laura's sum up, "And there was a lot going on too!"
"Right. But the point is that you messed up in the Time Cave, and seriously, what sort of name is that?"
"It's a cave that exists outside of time and everyone's life comes in an hour glass or clock or pocket watch of some sort." Derek explained with an exasperated breath.
"Right. And you bumped into a table when meddling with yours, dropped his and placed him on the wrong shelve. Somehow making it so he's now older than you in this time line, is a werewolf...and he's dating our brother."
"Pretty much." Derek pouted before taking a long sip of his soda.
He didn't want to risk anyone from his family overhearing them, so Laura drove them all the way to his old favorite hang out before the fire. Because the story he telling seriously bummed her out, Derek wanted to be someplace that'll make him happy and supply comfort hood.
"Assuming I believe this..."
"You heard my heart." Derek deadpanned.
"Which can be manipulated." She countered as she took a bite out of her french fry.
"Laura! Do you really think I would make this up?" Derek demanded.
Laura shrugged, "People do crazy things to get attention."
"Yeah, and if I did I'd do something more rational that won't end up with me getting a psych evaluation! I'd...I don't know, steal dad's car and run it off a cliff!"
"...that would get you a psych eval too, dude." Laura deadpanned.
Derek sighed as he slumped into the table. "Compared to what our lives turned out be, trust me...this is normal."
Laura sighed too as she reached over and grabbed Derek's hand. "Okay. I get that you think this is...real, but Derek, you gotta understand-"
"Let's go to Deaton!"
"What?" Laura asked, shocked by the sudden exclamation.
"Deaton would be able to confirm it somehow! Either confirming the place I went to is real or...I don't know, check my time signature or something. I gotta be carrying some sort of residue from another time line!" Derek exclaimed.
"Who's Deaton?" Laura asked with a confused look.
Derek blinked. Then he remembered he didn't find out Deaton was their pack's Emissary until after he returned to Beacon and Scott was bitten. That was more proof! "He's a vet. His name is Alan Deaton. He's our pack's Emissary."
"What? How do you know? Only mom's supposed to know." Laura eyed him weirdly.
"That's more proof that I'm not making this up! Please, let's just go!" Derek begged.
"Fine." Laura gave in and got up and gathered her things.
Derek did the same and after they threw out their trash they headed to the doors. Only to run into Stiles and and Brett. Derek couldn't help but glare and frown at his older brother. He knew he was being unfair and immature, but...damn it! Brett didn't know Stiles like he did!
Brett didn't gain the deep level of trust Derek did by proving to Stiles over and over again that he was capable of saving people! Stiles didn't spend two hours holding Brett above water when he was paralyzed from the neck down! Brett didn't do whatever he could to save Stiles from a demonic fox spirit!
But this Stiles wasn't his Stiles.
This Stiles grew up going to school with Laura and even Peter. This Stiles apparently is related to Paige and the night Ennis attacked Paige, Stiles showed up and saved her but was bitten in the process. He even went as far as covering for Derek's stupid mistake and saying he had dragged out his cousin because he was bored and curious. (Derek didn't miss the parallels of when he did that with Scott. Or the fact that it was because of Stiles that he didn't have blue eyes in this time line.) It took Paige a while to forgive him and Derek wasn't even sure she really did. But she hung around them, but it was clear it was mostly for Stiles's sake.
His Stiles had been human, but Derek was sure that if he'd ever get bitten then he would have had the same amazing level of control as this Stiles. He was apparently talk of the family. Wonderful, amazing, brilliant. Derek would have enjoyed it more except...except his older brother Brett took too much of a liking to Stiles. And Stiles liked him back. In seemingly a blink, Stiles would be sitting next to Brett in the loveseat instead of on the ground between Cora and Malia who he was helping gain control. They would scent mark each other the moment they see each other every time. Wear each other's clothes, serve each other food, and they weren't fooling anyone when they played footsy under the table.
Others found it cute and adorable. Some of his older, more traditional great uncles didn't care for it, and then there was Derek who no one really could understand where his feelings came from. Because he wasn't acting like a Homophobe. No, he loved Stiles! Maybe because he had gotten used to the new life he made with the pack in Beacon with Scott as True Alpha that he wanted to cling to Stiles when he was part of his family pack in this time. Before Brett and Stiles got together, Derek and Stiles would spend hours together playing video games, basketball, lacrosse...they weren't always alone. They'd welcome anyone to join them, Derek being overwhelmed with joy to having his family back. But his clinginess to Stiles must have been noticeable.
Maybe his admiration and relief of having someone familiar near did develop into a crush. It wasn't hard. Stiles was gorgeous...more so as he grew up. And now Derek was the jailbait, but it was different and he didn't feel freaked out as much. He told himself he could wait...and then he came home from a basketball game with friends(yes, actual high school friends!) and caught Brett practically sucking Stiles's face off while having him pinned to the counter!
"You okay, Der?" Stiles asked with concern.
Derek blushed and looked away. "'m fine."
"Yeah, probably just gas from the crap he ate." Laura chimed in.
"Laura!" Derek cried out, embarrassed. Then he turned to Stiles and stated clearly, "I do not have gas!"
Stiles chuckled, "It's cool, dude. So you guys leaving already?"
"Yeah, places to go, people to talk to." Laura replied.
"Can't it wait? I'm paying for pie." Stiles offered.
Brett frowned a bit as he pulled Stiles closer; possessively.
Okay, so it was clear in his family that Derek was crushing on Stiles. And maybe that he was jealous of his brother. And his brother didn't find it cute like everyone else.
His older brother leaned in to whisper, despite that they were all werewolves and could hear him perfectly!
"Babe, come on. It's suppose to be a date. Can't be one if you're inviting pack to come along to chaperone."
Stiles smirked and whispered back, "What if I need them to make sure my virtue isn't compromised?"
Brett smirked back, "We both know that happened long ago."
"Ew, you guys are being adorable. We're out. See you guys later." Laura said as she grabbed Derek's arm and dragged him out.
Derek was quite all the way into the car and even the first half of the ride. Laura was racking her brain as to what she could say but really, she had no words.
"We didn't like each other at first..." Derek said quietly. "We thought the other was an annoying inconvenience who didn't matter. But we needed each other. I had the answers to the supernatural world he and his friend were tossed in and...I was alone. Until I had them." He paused for a moment as memories of him warning Scott and Stiles about the Argents and fighting Peter, and then the whole thing with Jackson and the Kanima. "He was human. I was a werewolf. We butted heads so much...but he was clever. And witty. And he saved my life though I was an ass to him. I saved him and kept his dad safe...we trusted each other before we liked each other."
Having reluctantly told Laura how it was that an Argent got the jump on them, she knew how important trust was to the...older Derek.
Unable to find any words, she just drove.
"Remarkable."
"Time-Magic-Particles...you really are a time traveler, Der." Laura commented as she watched the oversized glitter-like particles float around Derek.
Deaton tried to deny Derek's claimed, but after blurting out some facts, and his reasoning of how he knew, Deaton couldn't hold back his curiosity. While Derek retold Deaton the story of how Derek managed to 'set back time' and about his reasons(In really plain and basic terms. Deaton didn't want to know specifics in fear things would change too much if Derek told him more than he should. Time was a fickle thing.)
"In a sense. But it was more like he reset time from a certain point." Deaton clarified.
"So...what now?" Laura asked.
"Well, normally I would suggest telling your mother about this. But...in cases like this it's important to keep it in a small circle. The more people that know, the more easily things can get bad fast." Deaton answered.
Laura frowned, "How?"
"Well. Time is ever flowing. It's flexible to an extent. But there are some fixed points in time. No matter what happens, time will bend and shift any way it needs to make certain things happen. If Derek were to tell events of the future to others, those who don't like the outcome and try to change it, put in motion events, or stop events from happening. Which can lead to dangerous situations. The unbirth of a loved one. The start of a war between wolves and hunters."
"Someone who used to be human and younger than you, is now older and a werewolf." Laura finished off.
Deaton raised an eyebrow at them, but didn't press.
Derek sighed. "I...we may have to tell mom."
"What? Why?" Laura questioned.
"There were lives that were improved and saved by the Bite. I...I failed people. But mom won't. And they need this. They need us."
Deaton and Laura shared an uneasy look but two hours later, Talia was informed and already thinking very critically about Derek's 'addition suggestions' to the pack.
It took about six months to study everyone and convince his mother that it was for the best. With some it was easier to decide, like Isaac. They rescued him from his abusive father while his brother was overseas. He was too young to receive the bite but he was a promising candidate that Derek took under his wing and stepped up his Older Brother game.
Next came Scott, who nearly had a fatal asthma attack. This one was easier because in this life, Stiles and Scott were still pretty close. Stiles babysat Scott a lot and was like an older brother to him. Nearly losing him like that, he begged Talia to help him. Scott was bitten and has been under Stiles's careful care, Derek joining in and bonding like nevre before.
Derek urged Stiles to help him convince Scott and Isaac, who had become the best of friends, to hang out with Boyd and let Erica join in. Erica had her infamous seizure where she pissed herself and someone tried recording it, but Scott was there to snatch the phone and break it. She got the bite next, like Scott, because of a medical emergency.
Boyd and Isaac would get the Bite too, but when they were older. That didn't mean they didn't hang out around the Hales as their new family.
They were happier than Derek ever remembered them being, and he felt really happy.
And well...Stiles noticed how much he's stepped up in the pack and helped his mother find those who needed the bite. It wasn't about power and greedy. It was about helping those who were out cast and belittled for being poorer and different, find a place they belonged and felt safe and loved.
Derek's reply. "I've been lonely. And I don't want them to be."
Derek was in the living room cleaning up after he and some of the others watched a movie, when Brett stormed in.
"What's wrong?" Talia asked, immediately sensing her son's irritation and anger.
Brett's eyes glowed as he went straight for Derek. He grabbed the front of Derek's shirt and pushed him until they were near the wall, and then slammed him so hard, some of the frames fell.
"BRETT!" Talia yelled.
"You son of a bitch, you ruined everything!" Brett hissed as he pressed Derek more against the wall. It was painful and hard to breathe.
Talia came and ripped Brett off of Derek, eyes flashing red and making her son submit. While the others watched with widened eyes and shock, Talia radiated power and anger as she demanded, "What the hell is going on!?"
Brett tried to reach Derek again but with a growl from Talia he backed off. Though he was pacing like a caged animal in his space. He then glared at Derek and let his eyes flash again, "I asked Stiles to marry me."
Derek's eyes widened and his chest tightened with an ache.
"But he said no! He said no and it's all his fault!" Brett growled as he tried to lunge himself at Derek again.
"Brett, enough!" Talia ordered, standing between her sons.
"We all knew about his stupid puppy crush! It was pathetic, not cute!" Brett ranted.
"Brett, I said enough! Go cool off!" Talia demanded in her strictest voice.
Brett growled lowly before storming off.
All this time Derek remained there, rattled and out of it.
"Der? You okay?" Talia asked him gently.
Derek snapped out of his stupor. "Uh...I...yeah. Can I go to my room, please?"
Talia looked at him with concern before nodding.
"Well...that was interesting." Peter commented from the doorway, carrying groceries with his brother-in-law.
"Stiles?" Derek was surprised to find it was Stiles when he answered the door.
Everyone was out doing their own thing, he was the only one in the house.
Stiles raised a bag that had a delicious smell coming out of it. "I brought food...you busy?"
"No. Come in." Derek let Stiles in. It shouldn't be weird, Stiles has been part of the pack for a long time. Long enough to have his own key and semi-claim on one of the guest rooms. But since his and Brett's break up...he hasn't been around much.
They settle into the living room, pulling out the food Stiles brought and watching some movie Derek wasn't paying attention to, too busy freaking out inside.
"It's not your fault we broke up." Stiles stated out of nowhere.
Derek didn't know what to say, feeling uncomfortable, embarrassed, happy, and shy all at once. So he just stuffed his face with fries.
"He felt jealous. Too jealous. And it wasn't the first time. I thought...I thought we could work it through. But then he just proposed because you and I were hanging out more! But it wasn't like we were alone. We were with Scott and Isaac! Or with Cora and Malia and Peter!" Stiles exclaimed and then sighed tiredly. "I wasn't ready to get married and he just...blew it out of proportion with jealousy and insecurities and...it stopped being fun and happy, his company."
"What...what about now?" Then a sudden awful thought crossed his mind. "You're not leaving the pack right?!"
"What? No! Course not." Stiles shook his head and Derek let out a sigh of relief. "But I am leaving. For a while. I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" Derek asked.
"My mother's old Polish home-town. My grandparents are still there and well...it's a good distraction. Plus a good excuse to enforce my Polish."
Derek nodded, taking it in. But the thought of Stiles being away so far made him feel things. Things that made him act. Before he could help it, he had his lips pressed against Stiles. Stiles didn't return it, but didn't push him away either. When Derek pulled back, they were still close face to face.
"Come back." Derek asked quietly. Part of him didn't think he deserve it, since in his time line he left without a goodbye. But things were different.
Stiles nodded. Quickly, he gave Derek a peck on the lips. "I'll come back."