This is a one-shot for my Teen Wolf Couple Mission (Yes Sterek won the poll. Lydia/Allison got second place.) I'd say I'm posting it in the spirit of the Holidays but it is simply not a Holiday-ish story in the least.

Warning: Angst, character death, mentions of mxm action (a little more than a mention, less than smut….hehehe that's almost like the line from Hamlet: A little more than kin, less than kind or something like that)

Time Wasn't On Our Side

Stiles paced back and forth in the living room of the rebuilt Hale house anxiously; Allison was sitting on the couch, biting her nails as the nerves attacked her too.

He had a bad feeling about this, he told Derek not go after the new emerging pack yet. They weren't ready. His stomach twisted uneasily as he kept on pacing.

"I'm sure they're fine, Stiles." Allison spoke quietly trying to calm down the only other human in the pack. He scoffed at her.

"You know you don't believe that any more than I do. Damn it! He should have let us go with them." He paced even faster now, angry at Derek for making them stay behind; it was irrational, he knew that, the pack would have been too distracted trying to protect their human members to actually pay attention to the battle.

Allison shot up from the couch and Stiles stopped walking, both humans racing to the window of the living room when they heard Scott's howl, trying to catch a glimpse of the pack. Allison finally spotted the man she has been together with for seven years, and ran out of the house, only to stop dead in her tracks when she saw who Jackson and Scott were carrying. She spun around and held Stiles back as he ran out of the house as well.

"What the hell, Allison! Let me through, I want to see Derek." He knew he could have easily fought of the small girl, but he didn't want to hurt her. He brought his eyes to see the emerging pack and his heart stopped beating. "No…" the broken whisper left his lips. He pushed the girl away and ran to where Jackson and Scott gently lowered the body of their alpha, of Derek. Derek's body was covered in scratches and claws. Some of them seemed to have stopped healing half way, others hadn't even begun healing. Derek neck was torn open, dried blood covering his chest.

He pushed Scott away from the body of his mate and kneeled down on the ground, lifting Derek's head into his lap, caressing his face as streams of tears ran down his cheeks.

"No…no...No. Derek, come on, stop playing this isn't funny..." he sobbed.

Jackson walked over to Lydia and Danny, both covered in dirt and healing cuts, hugging them both close as he finally let his grief for his fallen alpha show. He knew he needed to comfort them and make sure the pack was safe; it was his job now as the new alpha. Allison ran over to Scott's battered, but thankfully alive, body and hugged him to her, a hand over her mouth as she tried to muffle her own sobs.

"He's dead, Stiles. He was attacked from behind and before I could help him, the other wolf had killed him." He hung his head in shame.

Stiles cried harder at the news, part of him not believing the horrible truth behind Scott's words but the other part of him recognized it was true as he felt the void in his chest; Derek's presence was missing. Stiles leaned down and hugged the limp body of his mate to his body. Bitter tears drenching Derek's torn shirt, blunt nails digging into the dead alpha's skin.

Stiles watched through empty eyes as the black casket was lowered to the ground. He was numb inside. The Stiles everyone knew and loved was gone. His mate was gone and that was something that Stiles could not handle

Everyone eventually left the funeral service, his pack trying to coax him into coming with them but he refused. He stayed until he was asked to leave by the keeper of the cemetery.

The next day he came back and curled up against the cold headstone. His fingers gently traced the words on it as the ice like wind prickled his skin through the thin sweater he was wearing.

Derek Hale,

Beloved husband, brother and friend.

November 7, 1988 - June 14, 2018

He sobbed, not caring about the people who walked past him as they made their way to the last resting place of their loved ones.

"Derek, I'm so sorry... 'I never got to said goodbye, it isn't right; I should have said I love you when you left. You were only doing what you thought was right. Why didn't I tell you? I should have put my feelings on the matter aside and told you before you left." A whimper made its way through him and he hugged himself, his nails digging painfully into his arms. "I' m not angry at you anymore, I never truly was. I'm sorry Derek. Baby, I miss you so much…." He took in a shuddering breath as his throat closed up.

"I love you and I hate that I can't say that to your face…It's too late to tell you, I know that but I hope you can hear me. I need you to know that I do, you're my everything. I'll never forget you…."

He sobbed louder at the feeling of sheer emptiness he felt in his heart. The mate bond was broken and he remember Derek explaining that werewolves died without their mate. He said humans continued to live but they never felt truly alive after their mate died. He hadn't believed him then but he did now. How was he supposed to live without him? How was the pack supposed to go on?

Stiles shot from his bed, tears pouring down his face and sweat covering his entire body. He turned around to face the side of the bed occupied by Derek and threw himself at him, startling the werewolf out his slumber.

Derek's face took on a look of confusion at his mate's odd behavior but hugged him back either way, rubbing his back soothingly as he cried into his bare shoulder.

"Derek…d-don't go tomorrow. Pl-lease…it's a bad idea…" Stiles cried as he pulled away slightly to look at the lycan in the eyes.

Derek brought his lightly calloused hand to caress Stiles' smooth cheek, leaning up to kiss him lightly.

"You know I have to. That pack is a danger to Beacon Hills, which means they are a danger to our pack." He murmured, his hand trailing to grab onto Stiles' neck, his thumb tracing over his mating mark. Stiles' eyes watered but he saw the determination in Derek's eyes.

"Derek please. I don't think the pack is ready. The other pack is obviously strong. Can't you wait another week or two." He tried convincing the elder once more.

"Stiles, what has gotten into you? Everything is going to be fine." Stiles' tears flowed a little quicker and Derek frowned. Stiles saw the frown and nodded but kissed the werewolf forcefully.

"Just be careful please. I love you…" he whispered against his husband's lips, knowing that no matter what he said, his dream was coming true. He didn't know how he knew but he just did. He knew in his soul that this was the last night he would spend together with his mate.

Derek's mind tried to decipher Stiles' behavior but on the outside he smiled, kissing him again, whispering against the chapped lips his love back.

Stiles pulled Derek's body so that he was covering his, arms tightly holding on to Derek's shoulder, thumbs mindlessly tracing the ink between the shoulder blades. He broke the kiss and looked up at the man he loved.

"Make love to me, please" he begged as tears continued to spill from his eyes. Derek used one hand to wipe away the tears and nodded.

"I love you, mate. Everything is going to be okay." Derek spoke before reclaiming the trembling lips of his younger husband.

As Derek made love to his mate, slowly pushing into and out of his warm body, and kissing every inch of skin he could find, he tried to convince him that everything would be okay. Stiles gripped the werewolf's broad shoulders; one thought flitting through the recesses of his mind, 'Things won't be okay…not with you gone…'

And he cried softly into Derek's neck as the wolf brought them both to their peaks.

Once the lycan had pulled out of him and settled next to him, Stiles hugged him close and buried his head into Derek's chest. His heart already shattering as the day drew closer and as the moment he would lose his husband and mate came more quickly than he was ready for it to.

Thought? Do you hate me? Yes? No? A little? *sigh* sorry….

Told you it wasn't Holiday-ish. To make it up to you guys, I will be posting a Christmas one-shot (most likely Sterek but it could turn into the Lydia/Allison one-shot. You never know ;) hehehe) either tomorrow or the 25th.

Review!