We Are All We Are Chapter 4: Preparations, a teen wolf fanfic

TW || Sterek || TW || Sterek || TW || We Are All We Are || TW || Sterek || TW || Sterek || TW

Title: We Are All We Are – Defining Pack

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Warnings: shounen-ai, mating/mates, explicit intercourse, anal, fluff, h/c, pack!feels, packmom!Stiles, blood, fighting, AU of season 3, death (NO puppies), hetero

Main Pairing: Sterek

Side Pairings: Scott/Allison, Boyd/Erica, Danny/Isaac, Jackson/Lydia, Peter/Chris, John/Melissa, Ennis/Kali, Aiden/Cora, Aiden/Allison & Ethan/Stiles (for jealousy)

Teen Wolf Characters: 'Stiles' Stilinski, Derek Hale, Erica Reyes, Vernon Milton Boyd IV, Isaac Lahey, Danny Mahealani, Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore, Scott McCall, Allison Argent, Cora Hale, Malia Hale, Kira Yukimura, Ethan, Aiden, Chris Argent, Peter Hale, Alan Deaton, John Stilinski, Melissa McCall, Rafael McCall, Noshiko Yukimura, Mister Yukimura, Bobby Finstock, Adrian Harris, Maran Morrell, Jennifer Blake, Deucalion, Kali, Ennis

Summary: Post season 2 – the four skipped months. Season 3 needs more pack!feels, not just the 'a member of the pack died'-pack!feels. It'll be a slow-built 'fixing season 3' piece, twisting season 3 to my will. Including packmom!Stiles, Sterek, Jackson, Erica, Boyd, Scallison and no dead packmates.

After everything with Gerard, Stiles wonders where his place in the pack is. Or rather, to which pack he belongs and what is going on in general. New faces and the threat of an Alpha pack are really not helping him there. So now he's stuck – once again – rescuing a bunch of stubborn werewolves while trying to deal with his own feelings, not just romantically but also friendship-wise, because he really needs to help Scott sorting things out.

We Are All We Are
Defining Pack

Chapter 3: Preparations

Derek frowned confused and suspiciously as he drove up to the animal clinic. Sniffing the air, he noticed that Scott wasn't in. But Stiles was. Which was the reason why he was right now parked outside the building to begin with. Stiles had texted him to come and pick him up at three o'clock. As if Derek wasn't still confused enough from the day before. The pups had taken so naturally to eating together at Stiles' place and now Isaac was even living with the Stilinskis. Why was Stiles so open to all of this? He wasn't a wolf, he didn't feel the bond like the pups or Derek and Peter. And still, he was putting so much into this. Derek didn't understand it. Mainly so, he guessed, because the way the Betas acted wasn't as intense as Stiles' behavior, even though they should be able to feel the bond. Boyd and Erica had left, Scott had betrayed Derek's trust (once again), those were things Derek would have never even dared to picture happening to a pack. Perhaps he had been spoiled by his old pack, by how closer their family had been. Being a family, both as pack and by blood, was a different bond than turning teenagers into Betas and demanding for them to obey him, he supposed. Still, Derek tried to stay positive – not saying that he succeeded, but Stiles had warned him that his gloomy and dark behavior would be influencing the pups so he should try to man up and be strong for them as their Alpha. Positive thoughts. Not that Derek had many of them. Stiles, he had Stiles. When thinking positive thoughts, that was the first to come to his mind. Stiles, who had rescued him often enough in the past months, who knew how to handle his pups better than him sometime (he knew it, he could admit that Stiles had managed to teach Scott better control than Derek had been able to for Boyd, Erica and Isaac, so he had asked the human to do the same for Jackson, Danny and Isaac now). Stiles, who always had a plan up his sleeves and all the connections they ever had needed. Stiles, who had become Derek's first happy thought (not that he would ever admit that to Stiles, because the boy would probably die of laughing too hard at the mere concept of Derek Hale having happy thoughts at all, much less including him there).

But, as Derek had realized with a start only a few days ago, Stiles wasn't his only happy thought. For far too long, Derek had only known one happy thought at all – Laura, his big sister, his Alpha, his protector, his only family – and then he had lost her. Now he had Stiles. But he had so much more now too, so much more than he would have ever dared to have.

Isaac was loyal and eager to learn more, happy to have a fatherly figure that wasn't torturing him on a mental and a physical level. He was good, clever and with some training he would be a very strong Beta. And, even Derek had to admit, the blonde was very lovable – a Golden Retriever pup, as Stiles always called him when he patted Isaac's blonde curls. Isaac was his, Derek's first Beta and the first one to not only accept him as an Alpha as leader, but also as a fatherly figure, giving him the feeling of having a real pup in the blonde. Isaac was Derek's second happy thought.

Jackson – Derek winced mentally – would have never been Derek's idea of a happy thought. But the obnoxious, selfish jock had changed. The kanima incident had worn him out, made him almost shyer, in a way that spoke of how much he had started to fear himself. He was afraid to hurt – to kill – someone, maybe even someone he loved, not that he was one to admit that he loved anyone at all. It was probably the reason Derek had been so harsh on Jackson right from the start, the popular boy reminded him of how he had once been himself and also how he was now. Afraid of being left alone, afraid of losing someone again and just wanting a place to belong. Derek could see that now, thanks to a very informative conversation with Stiles he has had. The reason why Jackson had wanted the bite wasn't just that he wanted more power, but even more so because he wanted a pack, a place where he would be accepted, where he would belong without having to be the best of the best. Derek saw that, every time they interacted as a pack. Ever since Jackson had become a Beta, a werewolf, what he had always wanted, he was the most responsive to Derek's Alpha status. Sometimes his ego and desire to always be the number one made him act out, but in the long run, Jackson was longing for a family to belong to just as much as Isaac. Sometimes, when he was laying alone in the dark, Derek wondered what may have happened if he would have paid closer attention to Jackson's family situation, closer attention to Jackson. Maybe they would have been able to dissolve the whole kanima-drama earlier, if he would have taken an Alpha's responsibility over Jackson after the bite. But he had been too afraid. Something had happened, something he couldn't explain or understand. It looked as though Jackson's body was fighting the bite, but Jackson hadn't died. Derek should have paid that more mind, concentrated on helping his Beta instead of hunting more teenagers he could turn.

Happy thoughts, sourwolf, chided a voice in Derek's head that sounded way too much like Stiles.

No use dwelling in the past and the what-ifs. Right now, Jackson was on a good way. He was stubborn, a little too competitive and sometimes too much of a jerk to his fellow pack-mates, but Derek was pretty sure that on the long run, Jackson's desire to belong would outweigh his desire to be the best. Jackson could become a good werewolf and a good Beta, if he allowed himself to. In Jackson, Derek had found a Beta that truly needed a mentor and guidance (not saying that Derek was really sure how to provide that, but he tried) and that gave Derek the feeling of being needed, being useful, being a true Alpha. Jackson was one of Derek's happy thoughts.

"Good, you're on time! But... I'm late. Damn", Stiles' voice interrupted Derek's thoughts, making the Alpha stare over at the teen who entered the Camaro. "We're on time, still."

"On time for what, Stiles?", grunted Derek with a slight glare, he hated not knowing.

"We're going house-hunting", declared Stiles with a slightly manic grin. "This is going to rock."

"House-hunting...? I've hunted many things so far, but houses... Don't tell me there are creatures in Beacon Hills that make houses move", groaned the Alpha exhausted.

"What? No", frowned Stiles ridiculed. "We're meeting my neighbor, the real estate agent I've been telling you about yesterday. Weren't you listening? You have three to five werewolf pups, a demanding redhead, a creepy uncle, a handsome young genius and yourself. Face the facts, the Hale pack keeps growing and you need a proper den. You don't just need a place where you, Peter the Creeper and my favorite puppy can sleep, you also need a place for pack meetings, a place where every member of your pack can feel safe and home. And you can't tell me the old Hale house is such a place, because – and I know it used to be your home – it's wrecked. It doesn't even have a roof. You can't live there, even if you were alone you couldn't live there. But with your pack, with Isaac and Peter staying with you, with the threat of another pack invading your territory."

"So... why are you coming?", frowned Derek confused and winced internally.

"Thanks, I feel the love", snorted Stiles with a glare. "Because you would miss the most obvious and forget half of everything. So I'm coming with you to make sure the house fits the needs of the whole pack, because I can see you just buying the next best empty space without furniture or practical function just so I'd shut up."

Derek nodded slowly and started driving, following Stiles' directions. No need to argue with Stiles if the boy was right. But with the kamina around and Gerard, Derek just hadn't found it particularly important to move into an apartment and house, renovate, buy furniture and everything. Now, with no immediate threat – the Alpha pack hadn't done a thing aside from painting their symbol on Derek's door and that had been two weeks ago now, there weren't even news of animal attacks so there was no lead to follow anyway – perhaps it was time to find a proper place to stay.

His pack was growing, after all. Which reminded him of his list of happy thoughts. He was still on it, it was his daily practice to not be such a sourwolf anymore, as Stiles like to phrase it.

Danny. Danny was good, a genius in what he was doing even. The hacker had aided them his help before, even though he hadn't known why. Now, with Danny in the loop and in the pack, things would be much easier. Having another Beta also made him stronger again. Boyd and Erica leaving had weakened him again, but Danny gave him additional strength. And he made Isaac happy, which seemed to be the main reason why Stiles wasn't throwing a giant fuss at Derek turning another teenager. After everything Isaac had been through, he deserved happiness, he deserved having a mate to lean onto. Danny was responsible and cautious, a good combination, especially considering that they not just needed to keep their secret anymore but also be on the look out for the Alphas. And Danny had used his hacker abilities – at the suggestion of Stiles – to get Derek signed as Isaac's legal guardian. Otherwise, the blonde would have either gone into the system, or worse yet, he would have been carted off to his great-grand aunt in Canada, being forced to leave the pack. And even if Derek would have tried to become Isaac's legal guardian, a former murder suspect (two times, thanks to Scott), who was a homeless single man without work was not the first choice to be trusted with a child, especially not with one with such a troubled past. Danny was a happy thought.

Albeit she spend most of her time driving Derek crazy, Lydia was a happy thought too. If only because she was Jackson's mate and legitimately the only force to control Jackson whenever the Beta was in one of his power-hungry phases. The fact that she was fluent in archaic Latin and a teenage genius (why were the teenagers of Beacon Hills so overly intelligent anyway? Derek briefly considered if perhaps the water supply was enchanted) only added to her appeal. She was a little bossy and demanding from time to time, but Derek saw that she too just longed for acceptance, to not always be forced to be the best. He saw where she and Jackson came from.

Disturbingly enough, even Peter was one of Derek's happy thoughts. Because he was family. And even though he had killed Laura, Derek was desperate to believe that it had been in a frantic craze, when Peter hadn't been fully healed and mental not stable. He knew better, deep down, Derek knew better, but he wanted not to. So for now, he simply cherished the fact that he still had family.

Erica and Boyd, even though they had left. They were his Betas, part of his pack. And as far as Stiles had told him, the two had wanted to return. Getting them back, having his pack complete again, was Derek's highest priority at the moment, even more important than the Alpha pack.

"So, what do you think about the house?", asked Stiles.

Derek blinked a couple of times and took a look around. They were standing in a spacious living room, he could see a big garden through the glass windows. When had they even entered a house?

"Hn", grunted Derek with a short nod, not sure what to say. "What do you think?"

The best way to distract Stiles from the fact that Derek hadn't been paying attention. Making Stiles talk. And really, in the end they would take whichever house Stiles was most comfortable with anyway. Derek had been fine living in the train depot and his old house for the past few months, after all. So his taste probably wasn't the best to consult.

"Well, it has three bathrooms – one on this floor, one on the first floor and a very small one connected to the master bedroom – which is pretty neat. Because I don't think you want to fight with the Betas who gets to shower first and we should have an extra bathroom for the girls... Ten bedrooms, which should be enough, I suppose..."

"You suppose?", snorted Derek with one raised eyebrow. "It's only me, Peter and Isaac."

"Right", nodded Stiles with a disbelieving expression, starting to count off on his fingers. "It's you. It's Peter. It's Isaac and Danny. It's Jackson and Lydia. It's Boyd and Erica. It's me. And, I think, or maybe hope, well most likely hope, Scott. Not yet, probably not for months, but I think that if we give him time, he will realize what a dumbass he has been and join the pack."

"I'm not moving in with eight teenagers and my uncle", blinked the Alpha stunned.

"Of course you're not", snorted Stiles as if Derek was being very stupid today. "It's only you, Peter and Isaac living here. At least for now. Boyd and Erica had kind of been living at the train depot with you too, so once we rescue them – and we will rescue them – they'll be moving in here too. And you know how Jackson and Lydia live, their parents don't really give a damn. I mean, come on, Jackson's parents didn't even notice that he has been constantly disappearing for months now, that he has been behaving strange and they never ever saw any blood anywhere, not even on the towels or tiles? Really? And Lydia? She's been running around Beacon Hills naked after getting attacked and the best her parents can come up with is the guidance counselor? That's kind of embarrassing for them. They're part of your pack too and you need to offer them a place. If they have a fight with their parents or just feel left out again, they need to know that they can come to you and that they won't have to awkwardly sit in the living room, but that they have a room, that you are making room in your life for your Betas. And Danny? I think with Isaac living with you and Danny's parents not knowing shit, which is safe and will be kept that way, he will be over often, so let Isaac have a grown-up room with space for two. And with everyone having a place to stay here, I think I should... uh... too? You know, as member of this pack and all. That would mean you'd need seven bedrooms. And with your tendency of turning teenagers, I'd rather go with too many rooms than with someone having to share a room with Peter. Then there's the matter of an office, we need an office in this house. Some place to collect the books, researches, data and everything we need to fight the monsters of the night and all."

Derek nodded occasionally, whenever he had the feeling that Stiles wanted him to agree. What Stiles was saying was making an awful lot of sense. He hadn't counted that in. His old pack had been living together anyway, because they were a family. But now it wasn't granted that the Alpha had a place to stay for his Betas. He needed to give them this feeling of safety, the chance to come to him whenever they wanted or needed or life just got too hard for them.

The two of them toured the whole house about three times and judging by the spark in Stiles' eyes, they wouldn't need to look at any other houses. What Derek valued was the spacious property at the outskirts of town and close to the forest. Isolated, no noisy neighbors and space to run and train.

"Thank you, Stiles", said Derek softly as they got back to the Camaro.

"Did you... really just say what I think you said?", asked Stiles scandalized.

"Don't ruin it", frowned the Alpha irritated. "It was good, looking for a house. And your input helped a lot, there are still... I'm not used to being the Alpha yet, there are still many aspects that I don't take into account. I don't know how you do it, because you're only human-"

"Maybe because I am only human", grinned Stiles and shrugged. "You've lived your life as a Beta so far, you never met the responsibilities of an Alpha. I researched them because all this supernatural stuff is news to me. Something you never did because you probably expected it to come naturally to you, just like being a werewolf did. You just need a little help, that's all, and then you'll grow into this position, I'm sure of it."

Derek nodded and stared out of the window, partly ashamed that a werewolf, an Alpha even, needed the help of a human to lead his pack, and partly relieved that he had Stiles at his side. "I'll drive you home. I guess Isaac won't be all that comfortable being alone with the sheriff."

"No", declined Stiles and shook his head. "I mean, my dad is working late today, so Isaac is probably busying himself with Danny because he has the house to himself. It took that pup a whole of two hours to get homey and comfortable. Anyway, you don't need to drive me home, I still have to run an errant. Just let me out at the grocery shop, okay?"

Derek frowned as he nodded slowly. It wasn't a lie, but he could still hear how Stiles' pulse had sped up just the slightest bit. Shaking his head, he pulled up in the parking lot. He shouldn't pry. Stiles had done something for him today, so he should at least give Stiles the benefit of doing something for himself too, whatever it was. He watched the teen climb out of the car.

"Good night, Stiles. I'll see you tomorrow to sign the contract?", asked Derek a little unsure.

"You mean... you really want to buy it?", grinned Stiles broadly and obviously satisfied.

Even if not before, right now he would. Just to see Stiles' eyes sparkle like that. Derek nodded, causing Stiles to grin even broader and bump his fist into the air. The teen stood outside the car, waving the Alpha off, standing there and waiting until the black car disappeared around the corner. Once Stiles was sure that his Alpha was truly gone, he slowly made his way over into the opposite direction, away from the grocery shop. The motel was a little shabby, but it was exactly where Stiles needed to be right now. Walking up to one of the tiny flats, he knocked the door.

"Stiles", came the gruff answer. "I doubt that Allison wants to talk to you at the moment. Or that you want to talk to her, really. If you don't mind, leave now."

"Chris", smiled Stiles in a sickeningly sweet way that was obviously fake. "I didn't want to talk to Allison, I came here for you. I have a request... or two."

Chris Argent grunted, crossing his arms over his chest and raising one eyebrow. "Why would you come to me with a request? Don't you have your pet werewolves for these kind of things?"

"This isn't something I can ask them. And you owe me a favor", stated Stiles, dropping the act.

"I wasn't aware that I owe you anything, Stilinski", frowned the hunter.

Suddenly, and very surprising for Chris, he had an angry teenager all up in his personal space. "You do. You and your hunter's honor owe me, you and your family owe me. I want a gun. Because I can't just walk into a store and buy one, with a set of silver bullets. And after all the shit your father put me through in your basement while you were idly standing by, you owe me protection."

Chris froze for a moment and guilt flashed through his eyes. "Do you even know how to shoot?"

"I'm the son of the sheriff in a small town", snorted Stiles with one raised eyebrow. "I've learned to respect a gun and how to properly handle it before I could walk so I'd never get any stupid ideas with my dad's. Well, okay, not that early, but you get it, right? Oh, and another thing. You'll come over tomorrow afternoon, my dad will work long. I need your help with something."

"With what?", glared Chris slightly irritated. "I'm not your personal maiden."

"I've talked to Deaton, ordered enough mountain ash wood to put up a fence. Seeing as wolves aren't much of a help when it comes to that, I need a human who won't ask stupid questions to help me put a new fence up", replied Stiles a little on edge.

"You say they're your pack, but you still want to put up protection from them around your house and a gun to poison them with?", asked the hunter a little intrigued and suspicious.

"Not against them", growled the teenager, straightening some as though he just had an idea. "There is a threat in Beacon Hills. And if it'll be as bad as the kanima, it will get my dad as the sheriff involved. I don't want him endangered. He's human, he doesn't know shit about this stuff. I need to know he's safe. Look, I... help me with this and I'll tell you more about the threat. You're a hunter of honor, aren't you? This is about protecting the innocent, isn't that what you hunters are supposed to do? I need to keep my dad safe, he's... my only family. You need to understand that, you would do everything to protect Allison too, wouldn't you?"

"A threat?", frowned Chris and Stiles could see the flips his stomach must be doing. "Can't we just catch a break for once...? I'll help you. But that will be the only thing. You'll not come to me again with any kind of favors, are we clear? And I want all information you have, not some half-assed parts that you deem best. Allison is the only family I have left and if there is another danger in Beacon Hills, I need to know it. Just as you need to protect your father."

"I think we have an understanding then, Chris", smiled Stiles coyly. "Tomorrow around noon? Your daughter has math then so she won't be asking where you are and I'm free."

"For now we have an understanding, Stiles", nodded the hunter a little reluctantly.

"Oh, wait!", exclaimed the teen as Chris turned back to close the door.

"What else, Stilinski?", asked Chris a little sharp. "Don't test my patience."

Stiles chuckled slightly, rummaging around in his back-pack until he pulled a small card out and held it out for Chris to take. "My neighbor's business card. She's a real estate agent. I figured... you and Allison won't want to live in a motel for forever. You can't do that with a teenager. And she, no, both of you, already have been through enough. You need a new start."

"A new start...", repeated Chris and heaved a sigh, taking the card. "Thank you, Stiles."

Author's note: Next chapter will finally have some Scott and what he is thinking of all of this. Also, it will have Stiles/Jackson bonding and Peter the Creeper!