Well, this is the end of the story. I hope it is ok and if you have the time I'd really like to know what you thought. Thank you

Stiles

The Sheriff sat beside Lydia in the hospital corridor deep in conversation. He listened to her tell him everything she knew about the trip to Mexico. About how Stiles had travelled there to find information on Malia's mother. About his decision to go there alone in order to protect Scott and the others from a showdown with the hunters.

All the while the Sheriff sat, brow knitted with concern. Alternating between shaking his head, rubbing his face with his hands and looking to the sky. The man was at his wit's end. How many times was he going to have to arrive at the hospital to be told his son had got himself almost killed. He thought he had lived through the worst with the whole nogitsune thing, but his son continued to but himself in these situations.

He realised now there was no stopping Stiles doing these things. The boy would always fight for what was right, regardless of the dangers involved. As a father he would have to work out how to live with that and not get his heart-broken in the process.

"Hey there, are you ok?" the Sheriff felt a soft hand on his cheek, he looked up to see Melissa McCall crouching in front of him, full of concern. He had been so involved in his own thoughts he hadn't even realised Lydia was no longer sat next to him.

He was so glad to see Melissa at that moment. If anyone could understand what he was going through it was Scott's' mom. For all the years they had known each other she was still the strongest person he knew.

"Tell me how I'm supposed to keep doing this?" he begged, desperate for someone to give him all the answers.

Melissa just looked back at him, her eyes were filled with sadness and she forced a smile.

"Every time something bad happens to Scott I lie to myself. I tell myself that it is a one-off incident and it'll never happen again. It's the only way I can stay sane"

He took hold of Melissa's hand and squeezed it, a thank you for just being there and understanding what he was going through. Then he let her get up and go back to work.

Stiles had been stuck in a hospital bed since arriving back home. Apparently Lydia had become a little concerned about his health during the drive back from Mexico. There was the three times she had to let him out of the car to throw up plus the conversations they shared that he just couldn't remember.

He tried to protest as Lydia turned towards the hospital. The place really didn't hold the greatest memories for him. But out of the passenger window he caught the sight of Scott and his dad waiting and realised there was no escape.

After a night of painkillers and having fluids reintroduced to his system Stiles was feeling a lot more like himself. It had been a tough few hours. He had not only survived the Calavera's but also a pretty firm lecture from Scott, who had expressed disapproval at his best friends decision to go to Mexico alone.

He was also still waiting on his father's wrath. Stiles' dad had been in and out of the hospital room several times and had yet to verbalise the fury that was clearly bubbling up within the man.

Stiles felt pretty bad knowing all the worry he had put his family and friends through and the only thing that stopped him spending the night wallowing in his regrettable decisions was the view of Lydia sat just outside his room.

The beautiful girl had stayed at the hospital all night, on the bench just across from his door. She had scuff's on her knees and a rip in her jacket probably from hauling his ass through that tunnel. That strawberry blonde hair he loved so much was looking disheveled and he watched as her eyes grew heavy from exhaustion.

He had laid back in the bed, his own eyes growing tired but he fought to stay awake just to stare at the girl who had come to save him in Mexico. The girl who had kissed him twice, the one who had burrowed into his arms in that cupboard under the stairs. The girl who had actually become such an important part of his life.

Stiles have been in love with Lydia Martin since the third grade. But he realised that kind of love was intangible, some form of a fantasy. As he looked at her now and thought about what they had both been through together he realised his love for her had changed into something more, something deeper, solid, enveloping. His eyelids had given into the powerful lure of sleep and even though he could no longer look upon the girl resting on the bench he continued to picture her in his dreams.

"Grab your things son, I'm taking you home" the Sheriff said waking Stiles sometime the next day.

Stiles managed to find a smile as he woke groggily at the idea of getting out of the hospital. He pushed himself out of the bed slowly and went to pull on the clean clothes his dad had left on the bed.

"Oh. And by the way, you're grounded…."

He stopped momentarily while pulling the t-shirt over his head upon hearing the punishment but then sighed in acceptance. He more than deserved to be grounded for putting his dad through such worry.

"…..for a month!" the Sheriff finished

That got a little more reaction from Stiles. A month was a full lunar cycle. The whole of Beacon Hills could be burned into the ground within that time, it was too long, with that knowledge the inbuilt whiny teenager in him seem to come to the surface.

"A month! You Can't keep me home for a month, it's totally unreasonable….." Stiles stopped as he looked at his father. He could see the man fight to keep a lid on his emotions and realised he had just pushed him too far.

"I am trying Stiles. I am trying my best to come to terms with this path you're on, with the choices you make and will continue to make. " the Sheriff started to say, yelling at his son. Finger pointed in his direction trying to communicate the importance of his words

"The least you can give me is a month, 30 days when I can know that my boy is safe. 30 days of not having my thoughts run wild of the worst possible trouble you could be in. I get that I have to let you grow up Stiles, but just give me this last chance to have my little boy back"

There were tears in the Sheriff's eyes as he spoke and the pain he felt went straight to Stiles heart. As much as Scott and Lydia meant to him, Stiles knew that his dad was the single most important thing in his life. He had nothing to argue back with because he knew in reality he would happily take a year of grounding not to have his father worry for him, so he just nodded in response to the Sheriff request and continued getting dressed.

The Sheriff turned round checking nothing else had been left in the room while his son changed but turned back to see Stiles standing motionless, looking at the door, some of the colour gone from his cheeks. He couldn't explain the expression his son wore other than pained.

"Hey, you all right? Stiles? do you need to sit back down?" the Sheriff asked but got no response. He then followed his son's line of sight to the door. That's when he saw his Deputy, Jordan Parrish standing in the corridor. Young Lydia Martin was hugging him tightly. They watched as Parrish wrapped his coat around the redhead and walked her out of the hospital.

He felt bad for his son. He was in the right building to mend physical ailments but matters of the heart were a whole different story. He put his arm around Stiles shoulder to comfort him.

"Come on son let's go home".

Sheriff Stilinski had introduced the 30 days of being grounded in hope to keep the boy out of trouble. What Stiles had failed to mention was that the most trouble he had been in over recent years had happened within school hours. Luckily the town seemed to be in a supernatural lull and Stiles was able to get through the school day without injury and spend the evenings at home for some 'quality time'.

From talk in the cafeteria and between classes Stiles guessed that the lull in activity would soon come to an end. There was no news on Kate Argent so she was probably still out there planning something big, then there had been Peter Hale, who had begged for Scott to go over to Eichen house to see him. Apparently the man had some important information. Lastly there was Malia and her mother, the unknown entity, who would be returning to town within the next few weeks.

The 30 day punishment came and went fairly quickly. On his first day of freedom Stiles found himself sat in the Jeep at the end of the school ready to drive himself straight home, even though he no longer needed to. He couldn't think of a better plan until he saw Lydia standing on the sidewalk. It looked like she was waiting on a ride home that hadn't arrived. Stiles wound down his window and shouted over.

"Hey Lydia, you need a ride?"

She looked unsure for a moment as she looked down at her phone reading a text before answering. Stiles waited patiently and eventually got his reward. Lydia walked over and climbed into the passenger side.

"I'm supposed to be getting a ride from Kira but she's been held up" Lydia said as Stiles pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards the house. This past month he'd hung out with Lydia at school but purposely avoided asking about anything that might steer the conversation towards her and the Deputy. For some reason it hurt more than seeing her with Aidan or Jackson. He wasn't sure why but it just did.

Lydia watched through the window as the town passed by and number of thoughts running through her mind. She turned back to Stiles and he could feel her eyes on him.

"It feels like within our little group we all have our roles to play. Scott is the leader, Kira's a warrior, Derek's this kind of werewolf encyclopedia and I'm like this warning system".

Stiles looked over briefly not sure what she was saying. He didn't really know what she meant by warning system.

"This banshee thing. It's a curse. All I see is death and I hate it. I don't have special skills or the ability to save people, all I seem to be able to do is warn of death" she said then rested a hand on Stiles' arm.

He felt goose bumps from her touch and wished to god that it meant more than the friendly gesture it offered. Instead he tried to forget the feel of her slim fingers brushing against his skin and kept his eyes on the road while she continued to talk.

"When I'm with you, it's different. I feel that together we try to make sense of what I can do. Find ways to help save people. It's like we are two halves that belong together, don't you think so? " he watched her look down at the pink plastic heart on her bracelet and it made him think of the other half dangling off his Jeep keys.

Lydia pointed at a Beacon Hills street sign as they passed by and continued to speak.

"Together we are like a flaming Beacon. I'm the structure that's only purpose is to warn people of danger and you are the beam of light helping them find a way to safety. That's your role Stiles, you solve the puzzles, you find light in the darkness. You light the way.

You light my way and without you I just feel lost in the dark."

Stiles had stopped the Jeep by the kerb at Lydia's house and listened to her speak. How was he supposed to not fall in love with her when she said things like that. How was he supposed to stand by as just a friend when she had literally just said that they belonged together.

He stepped out of the Jeep to breathe in some fresh air and regain some composure. Lydia climbed out the other side and walked up the driveway to her house. She spoke about school as she walked forcing Stiles to get instep behind her to hear what she was saying.

He watched her long hair bounce across her shoulders and that short skirt sway around those thighs as she walked on. He knew then that he was in trouble. There was no getting past the fact that he wanted Lydia. He wanted her to be his and it was killing him to try to just be friends.

Lydia stepped up the narrow passage along side her parked Toyota. She had been talking the whole time but Stiles had no idea what about. All he could really think about was what she had said in the car.

'It's like we are two halves that belong together'

She stopped and turned round to face him and thanked him for bringing her home. Her hand once again moved to touch him, this time on his chest and Stiles seem to freeze causing Lydia to pull it away in confusion.

"You have to stop doing that" he said realising that he couldn't keep pretending that her friendship was enough for him

"Doing what, Lydia asked genuinely unsure what was happening.

"You know what Lydia. The way you touch me, the way you look at me sometimes, the way you kissed me back at your birthday party. I can't do it anymore. I'm sick of getting my hopes up just to watch you go off with some other guy. You know how I feel about you, so please just stop." His little rant had caused Lydia to step back until she almost touched the car behind her.

"How am I supposed to know how you feel about me Stiles? You've never actually told me, you've never asked me out"

Stiles stepped closer to the girl while he thought about what she was saying. Of course he had never asked her out. Rejection had been an almost certainty. He had much preferred to live in the fantasy world where hope remained, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

"Well, it's recently been pointed out to me that you don't usually wait to be asked, when you want something you just go out and get it"

Lydia leaned towards him, slowly placing her hand back on his chest. Her eyes lifted to meet his as she let her fingers slide across the cotton of his t-shirt until she could feel his heart beat underneath.

"What do you think I'm doing now Stiles? I've seen what I want and I'm trying my best to get it"

Stiles couldn't quite hear himself breathe anymore. Did she mean what he thought she meant? Did she want him? His hesitation seemed to force Lydia to convince him more.

"Your 10 year plan to make me fall in love with you has worked"

It all seemed too good to be true, just too much. He leaned into her so that their foreheads touched and closed his eyes. He wanted so much just to kiss her, but what happens if it wasn't real. Did she even understand just how huge this was for him?

"I'm warning you Lydia, don't mess with me on something like this" he whispered, truly terrified to make the first move.

The hand still resting over his heart slowly reached behind his neck and he felt Lydia pull him forward until she had her mouth pressed against his. The familiar taste of her lips wiped any doubt from his mind that this wasn't real. They were two halves that belonged together.

The soft feel of her skin against his made Stiles lean closer, a little too eagerly causing them to stumble until Lydia fell back against the car door. He couldn't stop, there was a need building inside him as he felt her hands grab tighter around his neck.

He pushed harder against her, wanting more, wanting to feel her closer. He was torn between the need to just devour the petite strawberry blonde or to slowly savour the moment for as long as possible. He tried for the latter but the heat coming off the girl was driving him crazy.

Pressed against the car door Lydia writhed under him, her hands finding their way under his shirt and grabbing at him fervently. It was all too much for Stiles and he swiftly grabbed her hips shifting her to the hood of the car. He heard her breath hitch under his touch and he slid his hands over her thighs pulling her legs around his waist. He now had that closeness he desired and slowly moved his lips so he could taste other parts of her body. Her neck, her shoulder.

He was so lost to the sensation of having the girl of his dreams wrapped around him that it took a good few minutes to actually realise she was calling his name.

"Stiles, Stiles, stop!" she called out breathlessly and he had to force all his energy to pull back from the redhead.

"What is it? did I do something wrong?" he called out equally out of breath

"You need to make sure I get home safely" she said

Stiles looked behind him at the front door to Lydia's house, totally confused by her comment. Why had she made him stop when she was already home. He turned back to face the very flushed looking girl perched on the hood of a Toyota.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked with pure frustration at her badly timed comment.

She shifted forward slightly, her eyes filled with desire.

"When have you ever stopped at the front door when making sure I got home safely?" she asked

It took Stiles a good few moments to understand what she was saying. He had never just walked Lydia to the front door. He had always carried straight on through to….her bedroom.

That was an invitation he wasn't about to pass up. He slid Lydia forwards off the hood.

"You're right, I mean who knows what could be waiting inside your house. Prada could be sitting behind the door ready to bite your head off, I think I had better see you safely inside"

Lydia smiled seductively at him and pulled him towards the house.

"Wait!" Stiles said just needing to ask one question, one that he may regret

"You and Jordan?"

Lydia shook her head.

"There is no me and Jordan, never really was" she answered "What about you and Malia?"

"Totally over, she deserved better than me" he said pulling Lydia towards him

"Woah, wait, don't I deserve better?" she quickly asked reading into his last comment.

Stiles looked down at the only girl he have ever really loved. He drank in everything about her. Those perfect lips, that beautiful hair. Her intelligence and her bravery. He held her face in his hands and spoke honestly

"I can be better Lydia, for you I will be better"

She leaned up and kissed him again before guiding him into the house.

Stiles didn't know what the future held. What dangers were just around the corner or how those dangers would affect their relationship. But that could all wait.

Tonight he was following Lydia Martin through her house to hopefully finish off what they had started in the driveway.

Tonight Stiles had finally got his girl.