T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for Peter Hale sat on his couch watching Elf. Everyone was spending the holiday time with their loved ones. Peter was doing the same of course spending his time with Netflix and eggnog. His cell phone laid beside him glowing with new text messages from Derek. Derek was trying very hard to invite Peter to a Christmas party with the pack. It happened ever year yet Peter would never go.
This party was going to be special, though. More special than it has been any year. Derek and his boyfriend were going to announce their engagement so Derek really wanted the only other family member left in Beacon Hills to be at the party.
No matter what the big surprise was Peter still didn't want to go. Peter hadn't always been such a big Grinch about Christmas. Before the Hale fire, Christmas was Peter's favorite holiday. He loved getting presents for ones that he loved and cooking for his family. It didn't seem like it though Peter loved to cook especially Christmas dinner.
The fire in the fireplace burned slowly making it the only heat source in the room. Peter's eyes began to droop as he began to get sleepy. He had a long day of doing absolute nothing Peter really wanted to go to bed. Peter laid back, getting even more comfortable. Peter slowly began to fall asleep, having a nice calming Christmas Eve. That should have been the first clue that something was going to go horribly wrong.
Peter was fast asleep on his couch as the air dropped ten degrees. The fire in his fireplace disappeared fast as smoke slowly went up. The television turned off fast as all the lights in the room turned off fast. There was a cold hand on Peter's shoulder. He then sat up fast claws up ready to fight.
"Big scary monster," the person spoke softly as the person pulled down the hoodie to reveal a very much alive Lora. Lora was a lot paler than Peter remembered. Her long black hair was down and in curls as she smirked at Peter. Her lips were a rosy red as her green eyes stared at Peter. Peter's mouth dropped slightly. The last time he saw his niece he killed her. "Miss me?"
Peter didn't have a remark or anything to say. He just stared at his niece his mouth open wide.
"Close your mouth. You might catch flies." Lora said smiling.
"You're dead," Peter spoke for the first time staring at his niece.
"Technically I'm a ghost. The ghost of Christmas past," Lora explained with a shrug, "but same thing."
"How much did I have to drink?" Peter mumbled pressing a hand to his head. "I mean ghost are not a real thing. They are an Urban tale."
"Yes, because in the supernatural world werewolves, druids, kitsune, and kanimas are the normal things yet ghost is the things that aren't real. Ghost is where we draw the line." Ghost Lora replied sarcasm dripping out of the tone of her voice. "Haven't you seen a Christmas Carol?"
Peter didn't reply.
"It was a movie, a Broadway production, a book written by the famous Charles Dickens," Lora explained crossing her arms. "Come on how come you've never heard of it."
"I'm not a fan of Charles Dickens," Peter replied shrugging.
Ghost Lora rolled her eyes. "Well, there are three ghosts that will appear as people from your life that impact it. I'm the ghost of the Past, and I'm supposed to show you your past. There will also be a ghost to show you your future. Then one last person will come to show you your present."
"You want to show me my family burning in a fire again?" Peter snapped. "No thanks, I lived that one too many times."
"Dude just gets up," Lora said. Lora grab Peter's arm and they walked towards the kitchen. Or at least where the kitchen was in Peter's house. Instead, Peter and Ghost Lora were in the living room of the Hale house before it went up in flames. It was just like when Peter was a kid. The entire living room was decoration for Christmas. There was a big old Christmas tree by the staircase with at least twenty present under the tree. Christmas lights hang all around the stairs. There were children laughing and running around no adults in the room.
"How did you do this?" Peter asked his eyes huge looking around the room.
"Shut up and watch." Lora snapped.
Two children ran into the room. A girl around the age of ten and a young boy around the age of four ran over to the Christmas tree. The two started laughing hard as the girl handed over a blue and gray present to the boy as she brushed a piece of long brown hair behind her ear.
The boy giggled as he took the present.
"Tali it's not Christmas yet." The four-year-old boy said. It was a younger version of Peter.
"I can't wait to give it to you, though. You have been such a good boy this year." The young alive version of Talia said as she shrugged.
Lora chuckled. "A good boy," she then looked over at her uncle that murdered her, "as if."
"Shut up," Peter growled.
The young Peter opened the present fast as which made the young Talia chuckled. Inside the box was a toy wolf with red eyes. Young Peter let out a loud gasp as he picked up the stuffed wolf and held it close to his chest.
"It's 'cause you're going to be such a great alpha when you're older," Talia explained. "I bought it with all of my own money!"
Young Peter wrapped his arms around his older sister hugging her tightly.
"Why aren't you like that anymore Peter?" Lora asked. "You were such a good boy. What happened Peter?"
Peter let out a low growl as he turned to Lora. "Get me out of here."
"Answer the question," Lora replied strangely really calm.
"Get me out of here." Peter snapped again his fang-popping out of his mouth as he claws popped out as well.
"Why aren't you like that anymore Peter?" Lora wondered. "You were so happy, what happened Peter?"
"My family was murdered in a fire caused by my nephew who couldn't keep it in his pants," Peter growled. "No, get me out of here."
"Fine." Ghost Lora placed both of her hands on Peter's chest. Peter was pushed back by some force and was shoved against his living room wall. Peter looked around and let out a happy sigh being in his own house.
Peter walked right back towards his couch and laid right back down in his spot. He turned the television back on and grabbed the bowl of popcorn that was near him. On the television was a black and white Christmas movie. Peter didn't know what it was, but it didn't matter because the television was turn off.
Peter grabbed the remote and tried to turn it back on. Nothing happen. Peter let out a groan as he the room got cold. He turned around to see some sort of figure in a jet black robe with a hoodie leaning against the doorway.
Almost without thinking Peter's claws popped out. He let out a low growl as the person chuckled.
"The claws won't help." A voice spoke up calmly. The person in the jet black robe took off the hoodie to reviled Stiles Stilinski. Stiles was the only human in Derek's pack. He was very useless in Peter's opinion after all he was very sarcastic and a pain in the butt. He was also Derek's fiancé. Stiles stood next to Peter with a big goofy grin on his face.
"I'm going to give you three seconds to explain why you are in my house before I hurt you." Peter threatened his eyes glowing blue.
"Dude you can't hurt me," Stiles said sounding very entertain. "Remember ghost thing."
Peter let out a loud groan. "Which stupid ghosts are you suppose to be?"
"It's not stupid," Stiles complained. "Look it was really hard getting this job. Derek almost got it than Kate Argent almost got it. Can you please just appreciate it's me as the ghost of the future? I'm supposed to show you're soon to be future if you keep on acting like a Grinch." Ghost Stiles grabbed Peter and opened the front door.
The wind blew in Peter's face as he was outdoors. He was in some sort of cemetery standing in front of a grave.
Peter Jonathan Hale
1986-2021
Loved uncle and friend.
"I died?" Peter wondered glancing at Stiles.
Ghost Stiles nodded his head. "Killed by loneliness."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Fine you were killed by an alpha. You went missing for six months. But everyone stops looking for you after four."
Three people walked over to the grave. Peter recognized one of them immediately Derek. Derek had his leather jacket on as he placed one of his hands on the small girl standing next to him. The girl had long jet black hair and green eyes just like Derek. She had moles all over hair face as she held a thing of flowers in one hand. In her other hand, she held onto the other man standing next to her. Stiles. Stiles had a long cut from the bottom of his left eye to his nose. He looked a lot older and more mature as his jaw tighten reading the gravestone.
"I can't believe you talk me into coming here." Stiles snapped looking at the gravestone then back at Derek. "Out of everyone that is dead, I still can't believe you wanted to see his grave."
"He was family, Stiles." Derek looked back at Stiles than towards the grave.
"Yeah because family loves to give your nephew's husband a scar on his face." Stiles shrugged sarcasm dripping out of the tone of his voice. "Claw and I are going to go see my mom." Stiles took the little girl and the flowers and walked away from Derek who was still staring at grave stone.
"Why aren't the flowers at my grave?" Peter asked looking at Ghost Stiles.
"Really? That's what you want to know, not about the scar on future Stiles' face but the flowers?" Ghost Stiles replied looking at Peter with shock written all over her.
"Oh yeah, what's the scar come from?" Peter wondered.
Ghost Stiles rolled his eyes. "One day you yelled at Derek about being a horrible alpha and how he was going to get everyone kill. You attack him but instead of hitting him you hit Stiles. That was the day Derek kicked you out of the pack. A couple weeks after that you went missing. Derek was the only one that looked for you and gave four months later. The flowers are for Claw's favorite pack members that died."
"Pack members that died?" Peter repeated. He turned around and started to read the gravestones. Allison Argent. Vernon Boyd. Jackson Whittemore. Braeden Matthews. Isaac Lahey. Erica Reyes-Boyd.
"Even if Derek wouldn't want to admit it you were needed in the pack." Ghost Stiles said. "You were the oldest the most experience and had great ideas to stay alive. Without you, some of them died. The ones that are alive live up in New York far, far, away from here."
"This is all because I won't go to the Christmas pack party? Really?" Peter wondered. "You know what I'm starting to not believe this whole ghost crap. All of this for some lame party?"
"It's like the butterfly effect. One little flap of the wings could change a big thing later." Ghost Stiles explained as he gave Peter one last smile and shoved him over one of the graves.
Peter landed back in his living room on the floor in front of his couch. He let out a groan as he touched the back of his head. Peter sat up and looked around the room waiting for the next ghost. He wanted to get this crap over with so he could just go back to sleep. He stood up and started to look around his apartment. He went into the kitchen, no ghost was there. Into his bed expecting to find a ghost yet still nothing. Finally beginning to give up Peter went back into the living room not bothering to check the bathroom.
"Come on!" Peter shouted looking around the living room. "Let's go stupid ghost! Let's get this crap over with so I can go back to bed. Come on!"
"There's no need to shout." A voice said behind him.
Peter turned around fast to see the last person he expected, Talia. Talia stood next to the window with a soft smile. Talia was in a fur-lined green robe that hung onto her body. There was a holly wreath on the top of her hand as her long black hair was in curls. Unlike the other Talia didn't look pale. She looked normal and beautiful, just as Peter remembered her.
"No." Peter started to shake his head back and forth. "Send me someone else. Send me someone I killed not you."
"Sorry. You're stuck with me." Talia smiled.
"Send Stilinski back or something," Peter begged as he looked up at the ceiling. "Please! Not her!" Peter's voice started to break as he stared at his sister once more. He ran towards her embracing her in a big hug. He expected to go right through his older sister but instead Talia hugged him right back. She smelled like a Christmas dinner as she held onto her younger brother tightly.
"Are you real?" Peter wondered as he pulled away.
"No just the Ghost of Christmas Present," Talia explained as she touched her younger brother's face. She then opened the window as she turned back to her brother. "Come on, Peter. We're almost done. Just one last thing and then you can go back to bed." Ghost Talia smiled a warming smile that Peter missed so much. "I promise." Talia held out her hand as Peter took it without a second thought. Talia then pushed him out of the window. Peter yelled at the top of his lungs as he hit his stomach with a loud thump. He turned around fast to see his sister just floating down. Peter stood up standing next to his sister trying to see what was scene this time.
It was Derek's loft. The fire was the only light source as he sat on his couch the coffee table close by him looking at papers. Stiles walked up towards him with two cups of hot chocolate. He placed them on the table and sat next to Derek grabbing his hand as he looked at the papers.
"Still looking at wedding idea?" Stiles guessed kissing Derek on his cheek.
"Did you know there so much crap we have to do just to say I do in the end?" Derek exclaimed looking at Stiles. Stiles chuckled softly looking at his soon-to-be-husband.
Stiles picked up and notepad and pen. "Well let's do the easiest part first. Guests. Who are we inviting?"
"Your dad and your family of course," Derek said. Stiles started to write the name on the pad. "The entire pack. How many people so far?"
"Umm…." Stiles started to count. "Nine."
"Did you add Peter?" Derek wondered.
"Do you think he will come?" Stiles asked. "I mean if he won't even come to the party tomorrow what makes you think he is going to come to the wedding?"
"Yeah," Derek nodded his head, "wishful thinking huh? I want Braeden to come she saved my life more times than I can count."
"Then I want Danny to come," Stiles replied. "He needs to know that I married my cousin Miguel."
Derek let out a low growl that made Stiles break out laughing. "You promise me that we would never speak of that."
"Why are you showing me this?" Peter wondered turning to his ghost sister.
"You needed to see that Derek does care," Talia explained. "Peter, you the only family he has left. You have to go to the party. You have to go to the wedding. Peter if not for you, for the rest of us."
The setting change as Peter was back in his living room sitting on the couch yet again all alone. For once, he didn't want that.
"Merry Christmas." Stiles greeted kissing Allison on the cheek as she and Scott walked in. The loft was covered in Christmas lights and decorations all hung by Derek and Stiles the night before. Everyone in the pack was at the party. Christmas music was in the background as food was on the table. Everyone was talking with each other as they placed presents by the big Christmas tree that was sitting next to the case of chairs. Derek walked up to Stiles placing an arm around his waist.
"I got to say we through a pretty good party," Derek mumbled looking around. Everyone was smiling having a good time which was something that didn't happen often.
"Sorry that Peter didn't show up babe," Stiles said.
Derek shrugged. "I didn't think he would anyways."
The door opened to relive Peter with presents in his arms. Everyone got quiet as Peter walked in towards the Christmas tree and placed all of the presents down. He then turned around to look at everyone.
"What?" Peter wondered.
"What are you doing here?" Derek wondered as he and Stiles walked towards Peter.
"I wanted to wish you and your soon-to-be-husband a merry Christmas." Peter shrugged. "And I bought presents for everyone."
Stiles let go of Derek and wrapped his arms around Peter smiling. "Merry Christmas."
