Chapter 10 When Were's Collide…Part 2

Final chapter :)

Warnings: M/M - so feel free to leave if that's a problem

Spoilers: Entire First Season

Disclaimer: I don't own teen wolf otherwise Derek would have a certain witch with him all the time ;)

As the energy bolt grew closer towards my Mother and the words fell from her lips too slow to stop any real damage, another pulse of energy awakened within me. A primal need to protect a loved one sent fire burning through my veins as the panther joined the game. Of course the change doesn't happen instantly and even with power burning through me I knew death would reach us first. Neither my Mum nor myself were a match for my Father with the sheer amount of magic he wielded - but we weren't alone. With the fatal blow a mere hairs breadth away everything changed with one simple movement. Lydia opened her eyes.

It should have been a moot point and before tonight it would have been, but I wasn't the only one who'd changed recently. As her eyes opened, a force that was entirely her own exploded across the room causing all other energy to be displaced - a supernatural EMP of sorts. My shift was pushed back as were the beginnings of my Mum's defensive spell, but most importantly the lethal spell was instantly dissipated. Not ready to count her blessings whilst there was still danger, a bloodied hand grasped a cursed pendant. With vengeance in her eyes my Mother released the curse from the gem clutched in her fist - causing blisters to flare across my Fathers skin as the spell burnt him from the inside out. Every second the curse grew with intensity but despite his mouth hanging open no screams left him. The best curses bind your tongue after all to prevent their removal. Whatever force had emanated from Lydia before seemed to have vanished now as her eyes were closed once more. Ever devious, my Father grabbed the vase from beside the bed and launched it towards us but in his pained state he missed – still he was close enough to break his attacker's concentration for just long enough to let him flash out.

A small victory smile was already tugging at the corner of my lips as I turned to my Mum who had gone incredibly pale. Eyes widening I took in the vast amount of blood that had pooled around us with only a small amount being my own – my wounds had already started to seal. My Mother on the other hand lacked accelerated healing and the proficiency to use strong enough healing spells in her weakened state.

"Oh god Mum what do I do?" I could feel tears forming at how helpless I felt, if I still had my powers I could have fixed her up in a heartbeat. But now I was useless.

"Shuuush baby you need to go." She paused as her eyes glazed over in pain before they grew a sharp determination, "Go now, something else is happening tonight. I can feel it."

"I can't leave you! Let me get a Doctor or someone, anyone!"

"No. I can deal with that but you can't be here. They'll ask questions that you don't have time to answer. You're not the only one who can recognize Derek's call for help. Help him. I'll b-be fine." Smiling with as much effort as she could muster whilst trying to hold back a grimace of pain she forced me from the room. Not physically, the strength to move was beyond her now, but magically she flashed me as far into the woods as she could manage in her current state. I could still see the hospital. Tears sliding down my face I turned my back to the woman who'd raised me as she lay dying in the hospital and ran to the house where it had all begun so many years ago.

I could feel it now, the charge in the air that told me my Mother was right, tonight was a game changer and I needed to be there. That's not saying that I don't feel like hell for leaving her in such a state but she was right. She could get help where she was but Derek didn't have anyone else to help him. He only had me. With resolve flooding through me I ran as fast as was humanly possible – then I ran even faster. There was only one place Derek could be after-all and the link grew stronger with every step reassuring me that I was getting closer. Trees whipped past me as my desperation pushed me to run ever faster with power roaring through my body just a fraction away from making me sprout a tail.

As clear as if it had been my own chest I felt a bullet narrowly miss Derek's heart a split second after I heard the gunshot not too far off. I could hear voices now; Allison's panicked voice, Chris Argent's voice held a clear threat and then the sound of another gunshot came through from the next clearing. Derek's scent immediately hit me just before his form came into sight, our link guiding my eyes straight to him, his scent seemed to soak the entire area along with the increasingly familiar smell of blood. Sinking straight to his side I put a hand straight over the bullet wound to stem the blood flow whilst it healed. Raising my face slowly to his I met pale green eyes wide with confusion. Cupping his face with my free hand I stroked my thumb across his cheek as he gasped, "I th-thought you were dead".

"I couldn't leave you again now could I?" The joke came out feebly, but I meant it. I wouldn't leave him again, too much had come between us already.

Derek opened his mouth to speak again but no words left him, he just lay there with his mouth hanging open as he struggled to comprehend the situation.

"Allison get back!" Chris Argents' voice sliced through the private bubble we'd formed around us. Heads turning in unison we saw the others knocked down to the floor as Peter Hale dragged Kate Argent into the house that had already seen so many horrors already. Glancing around to assess the situation I realized that I needed to get Derek out of here – or at least that's what I thought. Derek seemed to have remembered his vengeful side as he ran into his house just as Peter Hale dropped Kate Argent's lifeless body to the floor. I felt the change in the air as Scott and Derek shifted; apparently my senses could still detect a change in energy.

As the sounds of a fight reached me I was already racing through the front door where Allison stood torn between running and staying to help. Seeing me she turned tearful eyes wide with fright but I cut her off before she could say anything. "Allison you need to get outside now, there's nothing you can do" I tried to say the last part softly but I don't think she heard me she just swallowed nervously and walked past me.

"Well well if it isn't Daddy's little boy."

Honestly I don't know what it was; whether it was Peter's taunting tone, the fact he had Derek pinned to the floor under his foot and was slowly choking Scott or maybe the temper all shapeshifters seemed to have – but I exploded. White-hot heat just flashed through me, as my clothes ripped apart and I suddenly found myself on all fours. All my fur stood on end as I let out a ferocious snarl whilst every muscle in my body tensed for action. Surprise flitted across Peter's face for a split second before he launched Scott at me. Darting to the side I easily dodged his assault and leapt across the room as instinct told me to bite. Ignoring it I swiped out with my claws as I collided with the alpha knocking him into the wall. Peter was no novice fighter though and whilst he may not have wrestled such a large feline before he quickly adapted. Fingers closed around my skull as he smashed my head into the fireplace and stars burst into my vision. Slumped on the floor as I tried to recover he sent a kick straight into my ribs, lifting me off of the floor as pain flared through me. Derek snarled at the assault, claws swinging towards Peter who dodged again before throwing Derek into another wall. Heat wrapped around me once more as my wounds healed – pain may cause werewolves to shift back but I felt stronger. More powerful. Taking advantage of Peter's back being turned, Scott jumped at him. Peter snarled now as the beast started to emerge. Grabbing Scott straight out of the air he threw him through the window. Listening to instinct this time I shrank back into the dark corner. The beast once more, Peter leapt through the window after Scott with a monstrous roar that truly reflected the creature within.

Predatory instinct taking over, I moved out of the room pushing all my weight onto the backs of my paws to avoid making any sound. Reaching the doorway I crept forward as quietly as I could. Peter growled now as Scott flipped backwards out of his grasp. Muscles tensing I pounced silently at his exposed back. Ignoring my brain I clamped my jaw shut over his shoulder, teeth piercing the flesh with disturbing ease. A panther's bite is strong enough to pierce turtle shells but it was still frightening when I bit straight through the bones in his shoulder with minimal resistance. The surprise caused me to loosen my hold enough for him to throw me off, blood flowing rapidly from his arm. Landing on my feet I dashed backwards to avoid his retaliation, only it was interrupted by the sound of a car. Jackson's Porsche came into view as his horn blazed. Much to everyone's surprise Stiles jumped out of the driver's seat with his arm spinning out as he launched a Molotov cocktail at the beasts exposed back. Peter reacted faster than anyone could have expected, turning around in a fraction of a second he went to catch the flask in his left hand, and he might of done – if his left shoulder wasn't almost completely crushed from my bite. Realising too late, Peter spun his arm into contact with the flask when his hand didn't respond and instead the glass shattered and the liquid within instantly set his arm alight. Shaking his arm in vain to put out the flames, the Alpha was hit by a second flask thrown by Jackson – this time directly onto his chest. Flames engulfed his entire body, igniting the werewolf for the second time in his life. As his flesh melted Peter collapsed to the floor, with even his werewolf healing having reached its limits, he lay dying.

Walking out of his house, Derek went straight for his uncle's dying form.

"Derek wait! You said the cure comes from the one who bit you!" Scott's pleas caused Derek to pause momentarily. "Derek if you do this I'm dead, her father, her family, what am I supposed to do?" The beta paused as he debated with himself, but then Peter made the decision for him when he gasped, "you've...already...decided - I can smell it on you"

In the blink of an eye Derek's hand swung down and his claws sliced open his uncle's throat, finally ending the monsters rampage once and for all. Turning around with eyes glowing a devilish red he pronounced "I'm the alpha now."

Chris reacted first, nodding in acknowledgement to Derek or perhaps even as an apology for his sister's actions, he pulled Allison away from Scott and back to his car. I still caught the flicker of his eyes taking in my form and the frown that appeared as he did so. Waiting until the sounds of his footsteps were out of my enhanced hearing range, I met Derek's watchful gaze. Dimly aware of Stiles walking over to Scott and slapping him on the back in a one armed hug; I started to cautiously step towards Derek as he did the same. Smiling to myself, which felt bizarrely different on a feline face, I rushed forward almost seamlessly blending from four paws to standing on two human legs before I jumped into Derek's open arms – we had the move well rehearsed, well minus the shifting on my part anyway.

Realising almost straight away that I was naked as I felt the cold leather of his jacket brush against my bare skin I shivered and hugged him even tighter unwilling to part from him so soon. Snuggling my face into his chest I inhaled sharply, recommitting his scent to memory as I felt him doing the same to. His fingers tenderly touched my chin, tilting my face up to look at him. Eyes appraising every fraction of my face he leant down so that his lips could meet my own. All his worry, pain and love mingled together in the kiss as his determination to show how much I mean to him merged with my silent promise: I'll never leave you again. Pulling apart I couldn't help but smile as I looked into his eyes once more and murmured, "I love you Derek."

Matching my smile with his even more dazzling own, he replied "And I love you Alex".

Derek moved in for another kiss but just before his lips touched mine one Stiles Stilinkski interrupted us, "Guys I know we just killed the big bad wolf and this is your reunion but can you please put some clothes on!"

Turning around from Derek as he growled in annoyance at the interruption, I turned to go into the house as Stiles made a show of covering his eyes with a mock-horror look on his face. Quickly darting into the house I found my eyes instantly attached to the lifeless body of Kate Argent. For Derek I felt happy that she was dead and he had some justice, but I couldn't help the part that was happy purely for myself in knowing that the psychopath was out of our lives permanently. Managing to salvage my jeans and shoes that had fortunately slipped off rather than torn when I'd shifted, I walked back out with only my bare chest exposed. Thanks to the muscle I'd put on from my newfound were-panther side I can't say I felt self-conscious in the slightest over my broad chest with its tight and firm muscles.

"Soooo whilst I'm sure you're all horribly shocked Derek isn't the one saying this…" I paused with a smirk at my boyfriend, "But thanks for uh well helping us take down the bad guy."

Scott's mind was clearly working overtime assessing his situation with Allison, Jackson was suspiciously quiet, and Derek seemed content to wait expectantly on the outskirts of the group so naturally Stiles was the respondent.

"Well y'know all in a days work when you're awesome and I mean that's what 3 things you owe me for now? Helping sourwolf over there when he was shot, creating the distraction at school and now the ultimate help: taking down the big bad guy." He paused with an extremely self-satisfied look on his face before he continued, "So I'm thinking that's worth eternal riches, some cool magically enchanted armor that lets me fly and shoot angry lions out of my fingertips or my very own submarine to take me to Atlantis. Take your pick."

Laughing at the bizarreness of his disturbingly typical outburst an idea came to me, "How about I put in a good word with Lydia for you?" Pretending to ponder it for moment whilst stroking his non-existent beard, he opened his mouth in a wide smile and replied, "Deal, but how good a word are we talking?"

"Stiles trust me I'll tell her what a great guy you really are. And from me? That's going to get her to at least stop pretending she doesn't know who you are." A beat, and "Oh and just so you know, Atlantis isn't real."

"Oh sure sure I get yah wink wink nudge nudge and all that." He even tapped the side of his nose as if it was really a secret I'd just confided in him.

Laughing to myself I walked back over to Derek who held out his jacket for me despite the cold air not even bringing a shiver out of my shifter body. The concern made me remember who wasn't here at the moment and my thoughts drifted back to the hospital where my Mother was hopefully already on the road to recovery. Saying one thank you to the others in goodbye I started heading back to the hospital with Derek at my side slowly catching him up to date. Despite missing out on so much I couldn't help but drift out of the conversation as my pace sped up in anxiety to check on her. It didn't matter that we had no idea how to find my Father or what he was really up to, only that once me and Derek were with my Mum again we could face those problems head on knowing we were all safe. That means it goes without saying that when I rushed into the hospital and impatiently asked for my Mother's whereabouts and the receptionist looked at me in confusion, that I started to worry.

"I'm sorry but where the hell is she?! I know – I mean I was told she was in some kind of accident on her shift and was in a bad way so how can you possibly have no idea where she is!" Panic was starting to emerge as anger but the receptionist was unfortunately very familiar with angry relatives taking the same course I had in their worry.

Speaking calmly and slowly she soothed, "My records show your Mum hasn't checked in. Is there any chance the person who gave you this information was mistaken?"

Fists clenching in aggravation, my retort was pushed down when Derek's warm hand settled around my wrist with his thumb rubbing soothing circles into it. Speaking with the calm I'd failed to muster Derek spoke to the receptionist whose name I now remembered as Judie. "Please forgive him he's just very worried. We have no reason to doubt this information. Is it possible she is being treated but isn't on the system yet? Surely you must know her, Violet has always been well liked around here."

" I can check the with the nurses station. If she's supposed to be on shift now they will be able to tell us more." She turned to the side in her swivel-chair to pick up the large phone and pressed the button to connect her directly to the nurses station.

"Ah hello Abbie it's Judie here, I have Violet Evans' son here convinced some terrible fate has befallen her." A pause, then "Oh…hum...ah that is strange…yes very unlike her…have you got someone to cover? Yes, okay thank you." Her cheerful expression turned pondering as she turned back to face us. Gripping Derek's hand tight in my own as my heart lodged itself in my throat in worry; he gestured with his free hand for Judie to share her findings.

"Well it's a minor worry but your Mother seems to have just left her shift partway through without saying a word to anyone. I'm sure she's at home feeling mighty foolish for forgetting to tell someone she wasn't feeling well enough to work." She smiled at the end as if it made sense that my Mum would just up and leave all her patients without telling anyone.

Nodding stiffly I pushed away from the desk, dragging Derek with me still firmly hand in hand. He didn't try to offer any words of false hope that we'd get home and find her on the sofa eating ice cream after having pulled a magic potion out of nowhere and suddenly not needed to seek medical attention after all, Derek was just a presence ready to hold me together when the world came crashing down. It was with desperation that I started to run home with him. A blind desperation to know that she was safe and that her injuries really weren't that bad and somehow she was fine was what I clung to.

Pushing open the front door even after my senses told me no one had been in the house since I'd left earlier, I looked around hopelessly. When no familiar face framed with curly hair appeared before me the truth finally hit me. Sinking to my knees in despair I was pulled back against Derek's body as he wrapped his arms around me to comfort me and stop my steady flow of tears.

"She was s-so weak when I left, th-there's n-nno way she left on her own. I th-think someone took her. Derek someone's taken her and I don't know how to f-find her without my magic." Completely breaking down now, as I knew it was the truth. Even with Derek's soothing words and protective hold I knew we had another battle not far ahead of us. But as long as I had him with me I knew we'd find a way, because whether or not we knew all the players on the board or why my Mother had been taken we would always fight for the ones we love.

-Fin -

A/N: Well that's the end of my first ever fanfic and I hope you all enjoyed it :) I do intend to write a sequel at some point although not for some time yet as I have other fics I want to dabble in. Thanks for reading and those of you that reviewed and most of all thanks for coming along for the journey!