I'm so sorry it took me this long!
But I kind of got involved with Come Out and Play, and work and stuff.
You may be glad to know that, I think, we're getting to the end of this story. Just this one and two more chapters, and we'll be done.
Pale Horses
Something Settles
When Isaac gets back in the house, Stiles is still smiling. The other boy simply stares at him, but shakes his head and follows Stiles up the stairs, where he shows him to his room, where he'll be sleeping.
They grab their school stuff and head to the living room – usually, Stiles either works in his own room or the dining room, but none is an option right now: his room because he has a feeling Derek would flip at being ignored in the kitchen, and the dining room because of their lack of tables.
Stiles starts looking through Isaac's notes, and the other boy is working on some homework. They can hear Derek in the kitchen, and finally the man comes out, holding a plate with sandwiches on it.
He sets the plate on the table, and Stiles looks up, his mouth hanging open.
"Dude, what?" He says, and Isaac hides his snicker behind his notebook.
"They are called sandwiches, Stiles. You eat them." Derek says, as if he's talking to a very small kid and Stiles glares at him.
"I know what they are, what I didn't know was that you could make them." He points out, and Derek rolls his eyes.
"It's not rocket science, and you need to eat. Your dad would kill me if I let you go hungry. You're injured."
Stiles smirks at Derek.
"I'm injured, and you're afraid of my father." He teases, and Derek glares at him.
"Well, he is the Sheriff." Isaac says quietly. He's smiling a bit nervously, as if he isn't quite sure he's allowed to play along, as if he's expecting to be left out or turned down.
It makes Stiles heart break a little bit, and that's why he smiles at Isaac.
"Eat up, little wolf, daddy made you a snack." He says, grabbing a sandwich for himself, and pushing the plate towards Isaac.
"If I'm the dad, you're the mom, Stiles." Derek says, and there it is again, the smirky smile he shows sometimes, playing along with them, and Stiles can feel Isaac relaxing.
And then he realizes what Derek's said when Isaac starts laughing.
"Hey! That's not nice, sourwolf!" he protests indignantly, but Derek merely runs a hand on his neck and goes to the couch, leaving them to work.
They can hear the TV on the background, and Stiles is pretty sure Derek is watching something on a sports channel, while they work.
Is this it? Is this how things are going to be when everything is okay, when Jackson is fine, and Peter is dealt with, and the Argents aren't trying to kill them all? Is this his family now? His dad, and Derek, and Erica, and Boyd, and Isaac, and Scott – his weird family?
He thinks about it for a second, and he thinks about a place big enough that they could have all of them over when they wanted to, and where there's land enough around it that they can run during the full moon in their wolf forms, and where there's always someone around.
Where there's no more loneliness, and no more fear of being rejected, and no more hiding who you are?
Because if it is, Stiles can totally get used to it.
Perhaps he already is.
X
Derek is trying this new thing where he doesn't think about the things that are happening, because if he does, he'll freak out so badly he'll do something stupid, and hurt everyone.
So he isn't thinking.
He's watching TV.
Watching TV and absolutely not thinking about the fact that for the first time ever since his family had died in the fire, he feels at peace.
He had forgotten what this felt like. This calm, this certainty that things would be okay, that he didn't need to run anymore, that everything he needed was here – even if they were in danger now, they would deal with it.
He could feel it.
The way Isaac's and Stiles' voices come from the other side of the room, their quiet banter, arguing over Chemistry, the way the pack had behaved before, talking things through, instead of his usual bark and obey. How Stiles knew Isaac longed for some company, some sense of normalcy.
They are healing.
And the problem is Derek doesn't think he deserves to heal. He chose those teenagers to be his new pack for a reason, anything he gave them was better than what they had, and they wouldn't expect more than that. They wouldn't expect a family, a sense of belonging, of feeling complete only when you know your pack is safe, and sound, and happy. He would get the power he needed, and they would have a better life, and that was it – no pack, no attachments, no true feeling of family.
They should not care about each other; they just had to fight together.
And then Stiles came along, and it all went to hell.
Derek is actually feeling resentful of the fact that he's happy. Truly happy. He's not feeling miserably alone anymore, he's content. His heart is at peace knowing his mate and one of his pack are just a few feet away.
He made them sandwiches for Christ sake!
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts and his feelings, because he can't deal with it right now. He has other things to do, such as finding out if Gerard was truly a werewolf without changing, because if he was, then the man might not be really dead.
And that thought alone makes him ache again – he can still hear Stiles' screams ringing in his ears, his despair, the way Stiles felt against him, still and empty – and that's what makes him feeling like an idiot for not wanting this.
Stiles is it for him, he's everything. It's stupid that he's saying he will fall in love with him, it's such a human emotion – he's more than fallen for Stiles, his belongs with Stiles, and that's bigger than falling in love.
Or it will be, if he is ever brave enough to claim Stiles.
Derek tries focusing on the game again, he honestly has no idea what is going on on the field, but as long as he can pretend to be watching it, he will.
He doesn't have to wait long, though, because soon he can hear the Sheriff's car coming on the street, and Derek turns around to talk to Stiles.
"I'm going to go now, and I'll be back in the morning to talk to you. Stay out of trouble, and call if anything happens." Stiles looks at him as if he wants to argue, and he decides to continue, "Isaac will be able to help if anything happens, but I would feel better knowing you'll call me."
Emotional blackmail. He can do it. Stiles looks conflicted for about half a second, his instincts to deal with everything by himself fighting against his will to actually make Derek happy.
"I promise." He says, and Derek gives him half a smile, and leaves, touching Isaac's shoulder briefly in his way out.
Stiles' dad gets home just a few seconds after Derek goes away, and he raises an eyebrow at Isaac, but that's the only sign he gives that he's not getting what the hell is going on here.
They spent the night in, and nothing happens for once.
Stiles goes to bed early, because he's tired, and falls asleep to the sound of his father asking Isaac if he'd like to watch a game with him.
He truly doesn't even need to be a werewolf to hear how pleased Isaac is at the invitation.
It must be really late at night when Stiles wakes up to the sound of steps on the stairs. He opens his eyes carefully, and sees Isaac is already awake. They keep quiet, both internally panicking about what to do – jump up and attack? But what if it's his father (even if he knows it isn't, because his dad doesn't step that lightly), and what if it's just a regular thief, who's decided to rob the sheriff's house as revenge for being wrongly arrested, which then doesn't make him a regular thief anymore, but a very stupid, yet vengeful, man.
"I'm calling Derek." Stiles whispers at Isaac, who's lying on his bed on the floor and staring creepily at the door.
"That was exactly what I wanted to hear." They both hear Derek's voice in the corridor, too quiet to wake his dad up, but loud enough that they can hear him just fine.
When he opens the door to Stiles' room, the boy throws a pillow at him.
"You complete jerk! We were worried!"
"I'm sorry." He says, but he's grinning, so it doesn't look as if he's truly apologizing.
He gets in, and Stiles sits up in bed, Isaac looking at the two of them curiously, and just a bit unsure of himself.
Derek doesn't say anything; he just sits on Stiles's bed, takes off his shoes, and lies down, pulling Stiles down with him.
"Hey!" The boy starts protesting, but Derek merely growls.
"Sleep." He says, "Both of you."
Isaac does lie down, and Stiles glares at Derek, who glares right back.
Eventually, the man closes his eyes, and Stiles shakes his head.
So, this is his life now. Nice, great, amazing.
But even ranting internally, he has to admit that the thought of Derek and Isaac with him makes him feel calmer.
It's pack.
It's home.
It's safe.
And with that thought, he falls asleep again.
X
"I'm going, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Stiles says, and he can just tell Derek is grinding his teeth not to growl at him.
They are at Stiles's again, and the whole day had gone by with no incidents. Isaac had gone to school, and reported Jackson was still going, and still normal; John had reported no weird happenings in town, and things were shaping up to be fine at the night of Scott's submission to the Alpha.
Except at five o'clock, just an hour before they had agreed to meet at the abandoned warehouse Derek had been calling a hideout, Chris Argent had called and asked for a meeting.
Apparently, Derek had gone to the man the night before, and demanded some answers – Chris, in light of Stiles' torture and on the behalf of his daughter's mental balance, hadn't shot first and answered questions later, and had said he'd look into it.
Now he had, and he wanted to meet to give those answers.
Thus Derek declaring Stiles wasn't going to his best friend's acceptance into his pack.
As if.
"Stiles, Argent might be using this to trick us!"
"Yes, and that's all the more reason for me to be there, because in case you have forgotten, I'm a wolf too now, Derek! I can help!"
"You're injured! You're not even going to school!"
"And you and I both know that's just to avoid suspicion, and that I am perfectly fine!"
"What if you lose control?" Derek bites out, his eyes flashing red.
"I won't. Because you'll be there, and you're my anchor." Stiles answers and Derek falters at the words, because, well, that was pretty big.
Emotional blackmail: two could play that game, Stiles thinks, smirking internally.
Not that it isn't true – well, technically it isn't, because he hasn't really shifted all the way to know it, but he's pretty sure he's right.
"I just… I don't want to risk you." Derek says, and Stiles starts to realize there's something more into this than just Derek being paranoid.
"What is it?" He says, looking at Derek firmly, "Just tell me, or I'm withholding sex." He threatens, and that startles a laugh – short and raspy, but a laugh, aha! Triumph! – out of Derek.
"We're not having sex." Derek deadpans, and Stiles smirks at him.
"Well, and if you don't tell me, that's not going to change any time soon." He says, still smirking.
"Who says that's going to change either way?" Derek bites out, and Stiles's smirk vanishes.
Oh. Okay. So, he's the mate, and the man had pretty much admitted he could fall in love with him the day before, but he doesn't want to have sex with him.
That's… confusing. And demeaning, in a way Stiles can't quite put his finger on yet.
Derek notices the change in his behavior, and sighs angrily.
"I didn't mean it like that, I just… Damn it, Stiles!"
"Wow, hold on there, mister, how come you get to be pissy right now?"
"We're meeting at my place." Derek says, and Stiles looks at him as if he's unbalanced.
Which he probably is, but ok.
"I know." He answers, and Derek shakes his head.
"No, Stiles, my place. The Hale house."
Well, that explains the paranoia and the anger and just about everything in that very confusing conversation.
"Chris chose the place?" He says quietly, and Derek nods, "Gotta love those Argents, huh?"
Derek doesn't say anything, but Stiles sighs.
"Look, it makes me twitchy, and I know you won't like it either, but it's Scott's acceptance to the pack, and a whole lot of answers we really need here. I've been in the pack for just a few days, but I was already involved in this for way longer, and I want to know what the guy who almost killed me had to hide so badly. I need to know. I want to know that he was only doing this because he was crazy, and not because this is something that runs in the family, because then I'll have to worry about Scott more than I already do. I have to go. I want to. And I know you're the Alpha and everything, but protecting people isn't about not letting them make their own choices, and I want to go." He stops talking, and stares at Derek, looking right into his eyes, "And you can't stop me." He adds, just for effect.
Derek doesn't say anything, he just looks angry and broody and dark: his default setting is back! They leave a note for his father, and drive to the Hale house in Derek's Camaro.
They are the very last to arrive, and Stiles can tell every single wolf is very, very nervous about being so close to a hunter and his offspring of craziness without their Alpha. Derek gets out of the car first, and he doesn't wait for Stiles.
Pack dynamics, maybe? Showing he's the Alpha, and doesn't wait for anyone, or is he just pissed at Stiles coming at all?
The boy gets out of the car, and looks around him – they are all in front of the house, but none of them makes any sign that they want to get in. Ok, it'll be an outdoorsy kind of night. Chris is holding himself together like a bow ready to shoot, but he reeks of anxiety. Something is making the hunter nervous and sad, and Stiles looks at Allison next.
Well, that's a wreck waiting to happen. She looks so lost, and so sad, and so completely miserable Stiles can't even summon up enough anger at her for, you know, being there when he was being fried to death. Scott is staring at Allison with longing, but he's holding his ground. Isaac, Erica and Boyd are nearest to Derek, who stops walking when he's opposite Chris, in a sort of circle. When Stiles gets to where they are, Boyd takes a slight step to the right, leaving a spot open directly to Derek's right.
Oh, yes. His spot. He takes his place quietly and stares at Chris, who looks at him and then looks down, clearly showing he isn't here for a fight.
"What did you find out, Argent?" Derek asks, his voice demanding and angry, and so very Derek Stiles wants to shake his head, but he doesn't, because that could be taken as demeaning in front of an enemy – and he knows that man is the enemy, even if they are kind of working together now.
The man takes a deep breath, and stops, looking up.
He's trembling. Allison probably wouldn't notice, but all the werewolves do – he's shaking a little, his hands are unsteady.
"He was stopping his change with those pills." He says, "We looked at the body last night, and today we took samples to Deaton – of both the pills and his own blood. He was actually stopping the change. Deaton thinks it wouldn't work for very long, so the bite wasn't old, probably from his last hunt, but it was effective enough that we didn't notice."
He looks at Derek straight in the eye, as if waiting for the Alpha to mock him – Argent obviously doesn't know Derek. He would never mock the death of a family member, even though he hated him.
"Did it affect… uhm, his mental balance?" Stiles can't help but ask, because, honestly? He'd feel a lot better if the whole kidnapping him thing was fruit of a very psychotic side effect of an Anti-Werewolf medication than, you know, pure hatred.
"No." Chris answers, looking at Stiles, "His choices were his own, till the very end."
Including the choice of not telling Chris or Victoria that she didn't have to change if she didn't want to. That she could have lived, if only a little longer.
"It's not a cure, then?" Derek presses on, and Stiles looks at him quizzically, noticing he glances at Scott while he's talking. Better ask the question that it's burning inside Scott than let him speak and ruin their organized pack image, "It's not that effective?" He continues uninterestedly, and Chris shakes his head.
"Nothing can cure you. Even the myth of killing the one who made is a lie. And the suppressant wouldn't work forever, a few more months and it would have killed him or made him change into a beast."
Derek nods, but then Stiles remembers something else.
"Is he dead for real?" He says, and every eye in the clearing turns to him, including Allison's. He expects to see her mad at him, but she only looks regretful, "It's a valid question, we aren't exactly easy to kill, and I don't think a shot and an arrow would be enough. I'm sorry if that's insensitive, but I'm kind of terrified of that guy, ok?" He finishes, raising his hands in surrender, and Derek looks at him for a second, before pulling him to his side, one of his arms around him, and he nips at Stiles' neck.
In front of the Argents.
Okay, that's totally weird in the nicest way possible.
Chris stares at the interaction with narrowed eyes before answering.
"He is." He says shortly, but none of them are really convinced.
"Are you sure about that?" Erica asks, tilting her head and looking hot and dangerous – it's a look she can pull off easily.
"Yes." All of them stare, because it's Allison who answers. Her voice is thick with tears, and she looks broken, "It's a new arrow. It wasn't laced with wolfsbane, it was made of wolfsbane. He did it himself. It would kill any wolf instantly." She looks at Derek, then, and they all can see she's trembling, "It was one of a kind, he took the secret of it to the grave with him. And it was intended for you." She whispers, lost and hopeless.
She's just lost two family members. She's alone and lost and scared, and Stiles' heart aches just by looking at her.
"I am sorry." Derek says, looking at her and startling Stiles – what? The big bad wolf is apologizing? "I didn't mean to bite your mother, and I only did it to defend Scott. She was killing him, and even though he was betraying us, I couldn't let a teen die."
Allison doesn't answer – she just looks down, and they can see the tears fall to the ground. Chris pulls her to his side, strangely mirroring Stiles and Derek's position.
"We know. The Argent clan is going through a rough patch, and we trust the Hales won't do anything stupid. We call a truce." Argent says, and they can all see how much this costs him, his pride, his beliefs, the memory of the ones he lost to them, but he's doing it anyway, and Stiles can see why: his daughter. He wants her to have time enough to heal, he wants her to stop hurting, and it won't go away, ever, the pain and the misery of losing her mother, but she can get better.
She has to.
And Chris is willing to give them all a chance if it means he will have a chance to let his daughter heal in peace.
Derek stares at Stiles for a second, and Stiles nods at him.
"We accept it." He finally says, staring at Argent, and finally letting go of Stiles to offer Chris a hand.
The hunter looks as if the hand will burn him alive, but he takes it, and they shake on their truce. Stiles lets go of a breath he didn't even he was holding, and hopes to God this truce will last.
"In the name of our truce, I will let you know now that Peter Hale is alive, and on the hunt for my mate." He says, the words paining him, to share information with the enemy, but it's to keep his mate safe, so he'll do it.
"We'll do our best." Chris says, and Stiles can smell the lie on him.
He's a hunter; he probably wishes Peter will wipe them all out before they kill him.
The Argents turn to go away, and Stiles sees the very meaningful look Allison and Scott exchange.
They are so not over.
The acceptance of Scott in the pack is slightly anticlimactic after the meeting with the hunters, but he's officially in the pack after submitting to both Derek and Stiles.
He's at the very bottom of the food chain too, and that makes Stiles smiles a bit, because, come on, Scott is good at being a werewolf, and terribly at being a friend, he needs to learn.
The others leave after that, Scott being teased by Erica and Boyd endlessly, while Isaac tries to defend him, and Stiles and Derek stand there, looking at the ruin of a house.
"You need a decent place to live."
Stiles comments, and Derek turns to stare at him, eyebrows raised.
"What? You do, Derek. We can't be trying to find you in a warehouse all the time, and as soon as my dad realizes the crises is over, after we deal with Peter and Jackson, he'll want to know things about you. Do you think it'll be any easier for him to accept you if you're living like a criminal? Besides, if this progresses, I won't be living with my dad forever, and I refuse to live in a dump. I'm not saying renovate the place, I'm saying find an apartment." He finishes shrugging, but Derek's brain has apparently stopped.
Oh, maybe he shouldn't have gone for the 'we'll probably live together' thing?
"I mean, we can, if you want to. Or we can, you know, be all modern, and live each at our own place, it's fine. More than fine, really, I think you'll murder me if we have to live together for longer than a few days. It was only a thought anyway. Look, if you want to stay at the warehouse it's okay, I'll just find myself an apartment when I graduate, and I can be the normal one in this…" But he doesn't finish, because Derek is kissing him.
Again.
Apparently, kissing Stiles is the new Shut up, Stiles for Derek.
Slowly, he pulls away, smirking again.
"I'll find a way." Derek says, and pulls Stiles after him to the car.
Okay, then.
Everything is fine and dandy until they come home, and then they smell something weird in the air, something strong and strange, that they can't properly identify.
The house reeks of it when they get in there and find house completely normal – but empty. His father's car is in the driveway, but he isn't home.
He's nowhere to be found, and he's not answering his phone.
And that's when Stiles understand what they are actually smelling – they are smelling fear.
Fear, and Peter Hale.
I'M SORRY FOR THE CLIFFIE!
Next chapter will be up tomorrow, it's already in the works!
Thanks a lot for your support and patience, guys, you are all amazing!
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