A/N: Well here we are once again with the next chapter. I hope you like the name that I have given Stiles' mother. I debated for quite a while on that. Naming his father John was much easier as many of the fics that I have read had named him John so I basically went with the flow. So anyway, I hope that you are still enjoying the story and I hope to be able to get to the next chapter soon. But as I've said before 'real' life sometimes gets in the way. For everyone who has favourited and followed me, thank you and to those who continue to leave me reviews, thank you so very much. A review always brings a smile to my face. So I will stop now and let you read chapter fourteen. See you next chapter.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Derek woke with a start and looked around the room. He thought that it had been the early morning sun that had woken him but he quickly realised that it was Stiles who had woken him. He was kicking out with his legs and talking in his sleep. Derek slid his arm under Stiles' neck and gently pulled the younger man against his chest. It stilled Stiles slightly, but he was still murmuring. Derek listened intently and he heard each and every word and it broke his heart. Stiles was calling out to his mother and Derek knew that there was nothing he could do. He just held Stiles against him and he rested his cheek against the top of his head. He just wished that he knew what Stiles was dreaming about.
Stiles wandered through the preserve, not really sure why he was here and why he was alone. He needed to find Derek; he wanted to be with Derek. He needed to go to him, he knew that there was something that he had to do and he knew that Derek would help him. He looked around and got his bearings before he started to walk towards the Hale house. He had only walked a few hundred metres when he came to a stop. He saw a woman standing a little way up the path with her back to him but there was something about her that felt familiar.
He decided to keep walking towards her. She didn't move, almost of if she was waiting to him to join her. As he got closer, his heart started to beat quicker and there was a scent on the air that made him smile, he didn't know why but all of a sudden he felt safe. He kept his eyes on the woman ahead and kept hoping that she would turn around but she never did. When he reached her, he reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. Only then did she turn to face him and Stiles felt his legs weaken.
"Mum?"
"Hello Stiles."
Stiles looked at his mother in shock. She looked exactly as he remembered her. He couldn't figure out why she was here. She had died so long ago yet here was, standing in front of him. She smiled down at him and touched his cheek.
"Mum, how can you be here?"
Gabrielle let her hand drop from her son's face and took his hand in hers and then led him over to a fallen tree on the side of the path. Stiles let himself be led and then he sat next to his mother, still not believing that she was here. He knew a lot of weird stuff happened in Beacon Hills but he had never expected this. He sat and waited, not saying a word, just enjoying being with his mother again but eventually he had to ask again.
"Why are you here?"
"I'm here, my darling, to tell you that you have a job to do. A job that only you can do."
"I don't understand Mum. What job?"
"There's something I have to explain to you and I don't have a lot of time so you must listen. Can you do that for me? Just sit here and listen."
Stiles nodded his head to which Gabrielle smiled and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head before pulling away. She kept a hold of both of his hands in hers as she looked at her son. They remained like that for a couple of minutes as she gathered her thoughts. She didn't want to scare her son but she also needed to make sure that he knew what was coming.
"Stiles, baby, there is evil here and unfortunately it will be up to you to stop it."
"I know mum. Deaton told Scott and Derek and they told me. But I don't think I can do it. I don't have any special powers. How am I supposed to beat Deucalion? He's… Well he's an Alpha; he's an Alpha leader for Christ sake. Tell me mum, how am I supposed to beat someone like him?"
"You have so much more power than you think. Stiles, you come from a very long line of shamans. We have the gift of light. We have always been the protectors. Not only of our families, but our villages. Beacon Hills is your village, Stiles. John and your friends are your family. It's in your nature to protect them. When the time comes, you will be able to harness the power that is within you and use it to kill Deucalion."
"What about dad? Does he know any of this?"
"He knew of my heritage. I loved your father, but he didn't really believe. I know that he wanted to. But if your father couldn't see it, he didn't believe."
"But why does he believe now?"
"So much more has happened and he can no longer hide in the dark about such things. Plus I think your friend Scott showed him, just to make sure."
Stiles laughed and nodded his head, knowing that that would certainly make his father believe. But he really hoped that he had believed him simply because he had told him. Stiles sat quietly, letting what his mother had said, sink in.
"What is the 'gift of light' mum?"
"It's hard to explain baby, but it's basically the goodness and pureness of your spirit shining through. It gets stronger with love and I know that you have love all around you. You have your father, your best friend and now this young man, Derek. You love him, don't you?"
Stiles looked over at his mother, not sure what he expected to see but he smiled when all he could see was love shining from her eyes. He looked at her and he didn't really know how to answer her. He loved being around Derek but it was all so new. He had thought that he had really disliked Derek but maybe, as they said, it was a thin line between love and hate.
He closed his eyes for a moment and thought of Derek and he felt his heart start to soar. Maybe he did love Derek after all. He opened his eyes and looked over at his mother. She smiled angelically at him and nodded down to their joined hands. Stiles followed suit and was surprised to see his hands glowing with a bright light.
"Whoa, what's going on?"
Gabrielle smiled at her son, "Just thinking about Derek, and the love that you feel for him, has brought your gift out. This is what I mean; it's your gift of light."
"I'm not sure that I understand."
"You know that someone like Deucalion is full of hatred and anger, which brings out the evil. An evil that knows no bounds. Whereas you, my darling boy, are filled with joy and love which brings out the goodness in you and you just happen to have the ability to use that goodness to wipe out evil. That is what you are meant to do. Does that make any sense?"
Stiles slowly nodded his head, believing for the first time that he just might be able to do this monumental task that had been set down for him so many years ago. He looked over at his mother again and he smiled, letting her know that he finally understood what she was saying. His mother smiled at him again and she stood up. Stiles lifted his head to keep watching her.
"It's time for me to go."
"No mum, please. Stay with me, help me."
"My darling Stiles, you don't need me. You have the strength inside of you and what you don't have; the three men in your life will provide it for you. They are your triskele. They are the three parts of your heart."
With that, Gabrielle turned away from her son and started to walk down the path. Stiles tried to get up and stop her but he couldn't move. He called out to her though.
"Mum, please don't leave me. I need you. Please mum, come back. MUM!"
Stiles opened his eyes and he realised that it had all been a dream. He wondered how much of it was true or if he had just made the whole thing up? He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even realise that he was wrapped up in Derek's arms. When he finally realised where he was, he turned his head so that he could look directly into Derek's eyes. He was struck again by how right it felt to be here with him, how it felt like everything would work out whenever he look into his eyes.
"Good morning," he said as he smiled up at Derek. "Did you manage to get some sleep?"
"Actually I did. It seems that snuggling with you helps me sleep. That is until you kicked me awake this morning."
"I'm sorry."
Derek hushed him by giving him a kiss. Stiles moved so that he was facing Derek and he wrapped his hands around Derek's waist, letting them drift up and down his back as he deepened the kiss by letting his tongue dart into Derek's mouth. Derek growled softly in the back of his throat causing Stiles to smile. When the kiss ended, Stiles rested his head back on Derek's chest and he let his hand laid on Derek's stomach. This was how the nurse found them when he came in to the room half an hour later. He had been told that this couple would often sleep in the same bed together so he wasn't surprised. He just asked Derek if he would mind hoping out of the bed whilst he checked Stiles' obs. Derek smiled and told him that of course he could. Derek remained in the room, not wanting to leave Stiles alone.
Just as the nurse was leaving, Stiles' doctor and father came into the room. His chart was passed from the nurse to the doctor who thanked him and then read over the file. John had taken a seat by his son's bed and Stiles noticed that he looked very tired; he had red eyes and hadn't yet shaved. Before he could ask what was wrong the doctor started to speak.
"Well we have two options Stiles. You have actually responded well to treatment and I think that you may even be able to go home. But before you get to excited, I will expect you to follow every instruction to the letter. I will also have a home care nurse come visit you every day as well. If she reports back that you aren't doing as you're told, or that your recovery isn't on track, you will be back in here quicker than you can say….."
Stiles nodded his head and smiled. "I promise to do whatever you tell me to do. Just the thought of sleeping in my own bed is making me feel better already."
The doctor laughed and told them that he would go and organise the paperwork. He said he'd returned in half an hour and then Stiles would be free to go.
So two hours later, John was helping his son get settled into his bed. When he was all tucked in, Stiles was glad. He didn't think that he would tire as quickly as he had and he told his father that he was just going to rest for a bit. John told him that he would come up and check on him later. All Stiles could do was nod briefly before he closed his eyes. John watched him for a moment from the doorway before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. He met Derek in the hallway and told the other man that Stiles was resting and that he should come downstairs as he had something to tell him. Derek looked at John before nodding briefly and following Stiles' father down the stairs into the kitchen.
John told him to take a seat as he took out a couple of cups and poured them each a cup of coffee. He placed a cup in front of Derek and he took the seat opposite. He took a couple of mouthfuls of his coffee before he reached down and picked up the notebook that he had been reading the night before. Leaving it closed, he placed it on the table between them.
Derek looked at the book before looking up at John. He didn't actually ask what it was but he did raise his eyebrows enquiringly. John pushed the book over to the other man and opened the book to where Gabrielle's letter was. He then sat back and waited while Derek read it. Derek looked up when he was finished and all he could do was stare at John.
"What does she mean? All she said was basically what Deaton had already told us."
"I know but she knew Derek. All those years ago, she knew and she didn't tell me. What am I supposed to make of that?"
"Exactly what she said in the letter. She didn't want either your or Stiles to live with the knowledge. She gave you both as normal a life as you could have."
John sat there and nodded his head, realising that of course he knew all of that and he understood but he just wished that Gaby had been able to tell him.
Stiles hadn't been resting for long when his stomach started to growl. He tired to ignore it but that just made it worse. He eventually got up and decided to go and get some food. He walked barefoot down the hallway and before he could enter the kitchen, he heard his father and Derek talking. He stopped immediately and listened to the two of them. They were talking about his mother and something she had written. He wondered if it was something similar to what he had dreamt. He hadn't wanted to believe it, he'd wanted to believe that it had just been a dream but it appears that that was not the case. He was just about to enter the kitchen when he heard Derek speak again.
"Why don't you just come in and join the conversation Stiles."
John quickly looked over to the doorway just in time to see his son enter the kitchen.
"How long were you standing there for?"
Instead of Stiles speaking, it was Derek's voice that he heard.
"He hasn't been there long, although long enough to hear what we were talking about."
"Damn your werewolf senses," Stiles mumbled as took a seat next to Derek. Derek smiled at him and as soon as Stiles was seated, he took a hold of his hand, bringing it up to his lips and placed a quick kiss on his knuckles.
"I thought that you were resting," John said looking worriedly at his son.
"I got hungry," Stiles responded, shrugging his shoulders. John got up immediately to grab him some food but Stiles told him to wait. When John had sat back down, Stiles spoke again.
"Show me this letter that the two of you were talking about."
"I don't know son."
"Please dad, I need to see it."
John nodded to Derek to give the book to his son but he still didn't look to happy about it. Stiles opened the book to the right page and he read the letter that his mother had written to his father. When he'd finished he look at the two men in his life and he knew that he should tell them about his dream but he didn't know where or how to begin.
"Stiles, I can hear the cogs in your brain working overtime. What are you thinking about?"
Stiles looked over at his father, knowing that he couldn't hide anything from him.
"You can tell me son, no more secrets."
Stiles nodded his head and he felt Derek squeeze his hand in silent support, Stiles smiled at him and he closed his eyes briefly before he started to explain the dream that he had had the previous night. Both John and Derek listened intently as Stiles told them about meeting his mother in the forest and how she had told him that he would be the one to kill Deucalion and more importantly, how to do it. He told them that along with Scott, they would be a major force as well. That it was their love that strengthened him. He then went on to explain, as best as he could everything else that his mother had told him. When he finished, he just sat at the table looking at the two men as they sat there in silence. It was his father who broke the silence first.
"Well I guess we had better make sure that you get your strength back. You've got to be at full strength if you are going to defeat Deucalion."