A/N- Yes, dear readers, I am uploading 3 chapters this evening! Consider it my thanks for your readership and support. That, and I know what it feels like to be enjoying a story and chomping at the bit for more. This one is a little long and features some serious discussions about what is to come. Please post a review and tell me what you think even if you don't want to take the time to sign in.


"Hi," Stiles said, grinning from ear to ear as Derek climbed in to his window. Stiles' dad had just left him to report to the station which meant it was almost time for their meeting. It also meant, more importantly, that Stiles got to spend time with Derek.

"Hello," Derek said. He landed on his feet and a moment of awkwardness passed between them. "What did your doctor say?"

"I'm expected to make a full recovery. I'm still tired and my shrink thinks I'm odd, but she told my father that I'm not crazy which is a plus." Derek laughed as Stiles led him downstairs to the living room. "I'm glad to know that a professional has declared you sane. There are times when I find myself wondering."

"Very funny."

"Who's joking?" Derek kept a straight face until Stiles looked hurt. "You're going to pay for that, ankle biter," Stiles said, hitting him on the shoulder. He and Derek took a seat on the couch and waited for Allison and Scott to arrive. Derek kept his eyes on Stiles as they waited, noticing that most of his color had returned and that he seemed, for the most part, back to his usual self.

"Did they tell you when they would show?"

"Anytime now. Allison may have had some trouble ditching her family. When I talked to her on the phone she said that they were being incredibly protective. I don't really blame them after what I did."

"What the demon did."

"Yeah," Stiles said softly. He leaned back on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. "I remember how good it felt when I shoved that piece of wood into his chest. He wasn't expecting it and the demon was ecstatic, but I felt it too."

"You couldn't control what he made you feel just like you couldn't control your body. You shouldn't feel guilty about it." Derek leaned over and kissed Stiles on the lips. It was a soft, gentle kiss but it was exactly what they both needed. "Derek, we need to talk." Derek knew that they needed to but there was a part of him that just wanted to take in Stiles in silence.

"Yeah, we do," he said finally.

"I need to know where we stand. We both love each other and my finding out your feelings is the only good thing that happened in all of this. Are we together or going steady?"

"Going steady? People don't really say that anymore."

"I know. How do we define us?"

Derek thought for a moment and he put his arm around Stiles. "I love you. I have never wanted to be with someone more. We have to be realistic about our situation, though."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm an Alpha and we aren't always on the same side of issues. I feel like I have to be around you. Like I can't go without seeing you. But that doesn't change our age difference or the fact that you're human and I'm not." Stiles listened and he considered Derek's concerns.

"I have to be with you, too. I can't say it any more clearly. Yes, I'm younger than you and technically us being together would be illegal, but you're a werewolf. My werewolf. We won't ever agree about everything but as long as we can listen to each other we'll be fine."

"What happens when your father finds out about us? We won't be able to hide it forever?"

"Hopefully I'll be eighteen by then. If not, we'll just tell him that you're a werewolf and that us being apart could kill us. I feel like that, actually."

"I guess this means we're going steady," Derek joked.

"Wanna make out with me?"

"Yes, but we have to talk about something else. What are we going to tell people about us?"

"Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone right now. This is new to both of us and I don't want to listen to Scott tell me about how dangerous you are. I like that about you, by the way. I think it's the leather jacket. Very hot."

"Everyone is a fan of the jacket. Alright, we'll keep quiet about us for right now." Derek leaned down and he gave Stiles another peck on the lips, this time a little bit longer. When Derek pulled away his stomach was in nots and he felt like he had become a teenager again, trapped by his feelings and desires without any way to deal with them. He also felt elated that Stiles was his and safe in his arms.

"Damn. Allison and Scott are here." Derek turned to the doorway and his eyes flashed red even though Stiles couldn't see, "and they're not alone." Stiles walked to the door and opened it, allowing Allison, Scott, and Chris Argent in.

"Where's your father?," Argent asked.

"Why do you wanna know?," Stiles countered, not trusting him fully.

"I just don't want him asking me why I'm here. Let's get started."

Everyone took a seat but Stiles was quick to sit next to Derek, raising a few eyebrows as he jumped over the couch to take the seat before Scott could sit there. It also meant that Allison and Scott weren't sitting together which made her father very happy. "So, thanks for saving me from evil. I call our council meeting to order."

"Tell us about the crystal sphere," Argent requested, once Stiles had explained what the demon made him dig up.

"It was made of clear quartz and about the size of a baseball. There were also some weird etchings on it but I don't think they meant anything particular."

Argent sighed as he pulled a book out of his jacket. He flipped the pages until settling on one and then he held it up so that everyone could see. The photograph sent chills down Stiles' spine because he had seen it before. He nodded, "That's it."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that. It's official name is Oscurita Sfera. It's Italian and translates to The Sphere of Darkness. It's also been called Diabolus Furor in Latin which means..."

"The Devil's Rage," Allison said. Her father nodded.

"It's a bad sign if it shows up in multiple cultures, right?"

"Yes. All of my books tell me that it is activated or destroyed by something called a yajati. I'm afraid that's where my research ends. I haven't been able to find a translation."

"So we don't know how to destroy it. What do we do?"

"I'm not sure. Do you remember anything else?"

Stiles tried to focus, but the fact that his and Derek's knees were touching was very distracting. "Um, some things. The demon's name was named Andras. He wanted to use the orb to make people kill. He did some magic to cloak it from human sight."

Allison's father had already started looking through his book for a mention of the name. Derek was worried. "So he dug up this sphere and he cloaked it from human eyes. Do you know if he activated it?"Stiles shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. I'm still not even sure why the demon chose to possess me out of everyone."

Argent stopped on a page and read for a moment. When he looked up he was staring at Derek and Stiles like he knew something. It made the both of them uncomfortable.

"Andras was known as a killer of men and an inciter of war. He is depicted as a male with the head of an owl and would ride on a large black wolf. Kind of like an Alpha."
"You think he chose me because I look like an owl?"

"No. In ancient times owls were a symbol of both death and wisdom. This suggests that he only possesses smart people." Stiles looked confused, "Lydia is much smarter than I am. Why not her?"

"Because Lydia is a girl, dork," Scott said.

"This book also speaks about a connection between the demon and a large black wolf that it would ride on. It kind of sounds a lot like an Alpha. I think he chose Stiles because he is smart and he knows Derek. The demon probably sought to manipulate him in some way. I just don't understand why it thought taking over Stiles would allow it to manipulate you?" Everyone was looking at Derek now, expecting answers.

Derek froze. It made sense to him because he loved Stiles. He would do anything for him, even kill him to get the demon out of his body. His silence told the rest of them that something was going on that they didn't know.

"Derek, what aren't you telling us?"

"Nothing. It doesn't make any sense to me, either."

"Let's go back for a minute. If the Sfera were activated and violent emotions were unleashed, who would it affect?," Allison asked. Her father smiled showing them that he was impressed with her question.

"Humans for sure. Werewolves might be, but they might also have an immunity. Supernatural beings have immunities to different things just as certain humans do. I don't think we'll know until we know."

"Which means that we still have time. Maybe Andras cloaked it because he didn't have whatever he needed to activate the Sfera?," Scott wondered.

"Could be, but we shouldn't go near it until we can get a translation."

"I think I may know someone who can help. Lydia."

"Lydia speaks Sanskrit?" Scott looked like someone was joking but he didn't understand the punch line.

"No, Allison is right. Lydia is a secret genius and she can help us. The problem is that she's going to want answers about everything that has been going on."

"So we tell her," Allison says, "she's been trying to figure things out since Peter mauled her. I honestly think this will help her and us."

"I can't go," Stiles said, "you'll have to do it."

"Allison and I should do it," Scott said. The prospect didn't make her father happy but everyone else understood the reasons. "It's because he can prove it to her and because she trusts Allison more than anyone," Derek said.

Chris relented and nodded, closing the book and putting it into his pocket. "Then I suggest we adjourn our meeting for the time being. Once we have a translation we can figure out a game plan to find the Sfera and hopefully destroy it."

"Agreed," Derek said. Everyone stood up and Stiles led them all to the door. One by one they left but Stiles grabbed Derek before he went through and he pushed him against the wall, mashing their lips together. When they separated for air, Derek was smiling. "Don't forget, I'm still expecting you tonight."

Derek nodded and he kissed Stiles again. "I'd better go. They'll be wondering why I stayed behind. See you tonight."

Derek walked towards the main road as the three of them got into the car. "Do you need a ride to your house?"

"No, but thanks. Let me know how things go with Lydia, alright?" Allison nodded and Derek took off running. He ran through the woods feeling like his life had suddenly changed for the better. He resented all the time he spent distrusting Stiles and Scott, wishing that he had been able to realize his feelings earlier. He cut through the edge of the city and walked the last mile to the abandoned train yard. He stopped when he got inside.

"Yo Derek, what is that godawful smell in here?," Boyd asked. "That's the scent of Stiles," Isaac said, annoyed.

"Derek, you brought him here?"

"No. Why are you all back?"

"We finished the mission and grabbed the book you wanted." Erica tossed the tome at him and he caught it. His hand traced the title printed on the side and though he didn't know the language it was in, he knew it was a book on the Kanima and other creatures of abomination.

"Thanks for getting this. No one was hurt?"

"We didn't kill anyone. Erica knocked out a security guard at the museum but we destroyed the video footage like you said. It was cake."

"Tell us, Derek. Why do you smell like Stiles?"

Derek sighed. He had hoped to have the Sfera situation resolved before his pack had returned but he knew that they could be useful if they were able to reign in their aggressive tendencies. "A lot has happened since you've been gone," he said, intent on telling them almost everything.