Chapter 1:
Stiles was woken by the sense of wrongness permeating through his room. There was something that didn't belong there. A few months ago he would have put it down to one of the Pack coming for a visit, but with the majority dead, travelling, or just not that close to him, he knew that wasn't the case.
Opening his eyes to a squint, he realised the chill was coming from the bedroom's open window. There was a miniscule hitch to his breathing when he noticed this, having purposely closed the window since the Deadpool, in a vain attempt at comfort. He may not have been on the list, but he was close enough to a handful of them to be easily considered for the use of bait, if need be. Stiles made sure to keep his body relaxed and breathing even, so as not to alert whomever had decided to break into his room, that he was awake.
The sound of rustling cloth and flash of white drew Stiles' attention to his desk. He could see a barefoot woman with long brown hair, a flowing white dress that seemed to glow faintly, and opaque wings glinting from her back.
The woman suddenly straightened from where she had been leaning over the top of his desk. As she turned, her dress fluttered silently. "You're awake." She said. Her voice seemed to ring and echo throughout the room, an ethereal quality to it. "I have come to compensate you." She told him as she looked at him with clear eyes. Stiles sat up, figuring there wasn't a point in pretending anymore.
"Compensate me?" He questioned. "For what?" He scrubbed a hand over the side of his face in a vain attempt to rid himself of his sleepiness.
"I failed in correctly maintaining your fate." She told him. "I was lax in my duties, and you suffered what you were not meant to, and so I shall compensate you. What do you wish for?" The woman told him.
Stiles sighed. "Am I dreaming? I'm dreaming, right?"
"No. You are awake." She told him before smiling, causing Stiles to subconsciously relax. "I am Nortia. I have influence over time, fate, destiny and chance. But I failed to correctly help yours along. You may ask for anything within my power."
"I don't really want anything. I know for a fact," Stiles pointed to exaggerate his factual knowledge. "That getting wishes granted by the supernatural will end badly because they'll be twisted it in some horrible, grotesque, way! Completely ruining the wish anyway." Stiles gestured.
"That is true." Nortia told him. "Then, perhaps we could talk hypothetically?" She asked. Stiles swayed his head in consent. "You are filled with many a regret, if you could change one thing, any one thing that happened within you time of existence, what would it be?" She inquired, delicately lowering herself to sit by his legs on the bed. "Do not forget that, even hypothetically, there would be a ripple, changing many things from then on." She reminded him.
"Hypothetically?" He checked. At her nod, he continued. "Hypothetically, if I could change any one thing from any point in my life, I would…" He stopped to pause for a moment. "I would stop Derek's girlfriend, Paige, from being bitten by Ennis."
Nortia looked momentarily surprised. "That is a rather selfless wish." She told admirably.
"No its not." Stiles told her. "It's a selfish wish. If Paige doesn't get bit, she doesn't die. If she doesn't die, Derek won't be manipulated by Kate. No Kate, means no fire. No fire, means Peter doesn't go crazy, set up a Deadpool with a Banshee, and kill his niece to be an Alpha. No crazy Alpha means no supernatural problems for me, Scott, or any of my friends. No crazed Alpha out for blood, no Kanima murdering everyone on the swim team, no psychotic old man trying to beat me and hunt down Scott, Erica, Boyd and Isaac. Also no Alpha pack or Darach issues, because the Hale's would sort it out, which means no dying! No Nogitsune possession, no bomber, Sheriff station or Hospital massacre. Liam won't be turned either… So much crap could be avoided with the single instance of Paige not being bitten!" By the end of Stiles' rant, his breathing had become labored and wheezy.
Nortia watched him silently for a moment. "So you wish to protect your friends from the supernatural-related threats that they would otherwise have to face?"
"Yes!" Stiles exclaimed. "Wait, no! That's not it! I just don't want to be involved with any supernatural crap! So my friends can't be either!"
"You are terrible liar. You enjoy being knowledgeable of the supernatural world. You do not enjoy the danger it brings to your loved ones." She told him.
Stiles sighed and exasperated "Oh, my god!" under his breath, raking his hands through his hair and flopping onto his back on his bed.
"No. I am a Goddess." Nortia corrected. "I shall, hypothetically, allow you to have your wish now. Good luck." She bid her goodbye as she faded away.
"Wait, what?" Stiles sat up again. "Hey!" He exclaimed jumping from his bed as he realised she was no longer there. He spun around quickly. "What does that even mean!?" He demanded. "Nortia!"
As he spun around for a second time, still searching the woman out, he noticed that his room had gone pitch black. He couldn't see a thing. He felt bump into his leg just before his surroundings begun to brighten up again. He looked around and noticed he was in the school corridor. Looking to his feet, there was a moss green rucksack leaning on his calf. After bending down to open the top, the was a note with cursive writing;
Some things you may need. –Nortia
Stiles sighed. "Great. Thanks." He muttered to himself as he roughly zipped it closed once more, not bothering to check what was inside, before shoving his arms through the straps and hefting it onto his back.
As he began to walk passed the classrooms, he realised he was still in his night wear, consisting of a pair of grey joggers and a black t-shirt he'd stolen from Derek on one of the many occasions he'd had to spend the night strategising with everyone in Derek's Loft, but with the addition of socks and shoes. "Well, she's thoughtful, I'll give her that." He grumbled as he trudged through his moonlit school.
Not long after he began to wonder aimlessly, he heard a female's voice call out; "Derek?" In mild confusion.
That's Paige. You want to stop her getting the bite, don't you? An ethereal voice floated through Stiles' mind. Now you can. Go! With that, Stiles picked up the pace and began heading towards where he heard Paige call out from.
"Derek, is that you?" She called again, this time with some uncertainty.
There was an ominous silence, before the suddenness of running feet pounded through the school hallways, and a growl reverberated along the lockers.
There was a sudden collision against him, and all he could see was long brunette hair. He grunted in pain from hitting the floor. She moaned as she pushed herself up. After giving him a brief look of confusion, she grabbed his arm, pulled him up and ran back the way he'd come. Not a moment later, Ennis came bumbling round the corner, wolf shift in full-swing. "Holy-!" Stiles cut himself off before gripping Paige's hand tighter, and forcing her to run faster and in stronger strides.
"What the hell were you thinking!?" Stiles demanded. "I don't care who calls you out at night, you don't go out at night!" He yelled at her.
"Wha-! Like you can talk! Why are you at school so late!?" She snapped back, heaving breaths slowing her words.
"Saving your ass, like I do Derek's apparently!" He growled out through clenched teeth.
"You, you know Derek? He called me out, is he here?" She asked.
"Yeah, somewhere!" Stiles stated harshly. "Scream his name, and sound like your hurting, he'll come racing then." He told.
Paige shook her head. "He'll be in danger too!"
"He's got a better chance against him than we do right now, so scream!" He yelled.
"Derek! Help me, please! Derek!" Paige's voice thundered through the school, pounding through every classroom, reverberating through every corridor. Hammering at Derek's conscious, as he sat in the boys changing room.
He tossed the basketball aside and ran as fast as his wolf could make him, racing to get to Paige.
Stiles and Paige had been running passed a set of stairs when Paige tripped, the tight hold Stiles had on her hand, half pulling her forwards and half dragging him down. In a mess of limbs, Stiles fell to the ground alongside Paige. Ennis was on them almost immediately, grabbing Paige's ankle and dragging her back. A shrill scream left Paige's lips as Stiles tried to pull her back towards, which worked with a jolt as Ennis let go of her leg in order to grab her arm, not noticing Stiles' tug.
Paige was dragged up and on top of Stiles, who then flipped them over, covering Paige with his own body.
At that moment, Derek burst through the double doors at the end of the entrance, took in the site of Paige, terrified, and a boy he'd never seen before, protecting her despite the horror rolling off of him in waves. No. Derek thought. I don't want this. And now an innocent bystander got mixed up in it too… this is all my fault… with a howl, Derek charged at Ennis, colliding with him, only to be instantly thrown into the lockers as if he weighed nothing.
Derek lay on the floor, momentarily stunned, as Ennis made his way back over to the pair next to the stairs. By then, Stiles had got up and was crouching by Paige, a tight grip on her arms, ready to haul her up, when he noticed a shadow round the next corner from the corner of his eye, and an advancing Ennis from the other.
"Peter, you asshole!" Stiles called out to the shadow down the corridor. "Call of your mutt!" Ennis gave a deep threatening growl at Stiles' insult, focus shifted from Paige to him. "Run!" He pushed Paige towards the shadow of Peter, praying he wasn't as much of a dick now as he will 0be, and will get her to safety.
"But Derek-" She tried to protest.
"Will be fine! Go!" He snapped. She glanced at Derek, who had pushed himself up and nodded for her to leave, before heading in the direction Stiles had pushed her. "Yo, Ennis! You're as ugly as ever!" Stiles called mockingly. "You won't be any prettier in ten years' time!" He jeered.
Ennis let out a loud, threatening roar before charging Stiles.
Stiles flailed his arms around slightly, slipping one of his bag straps off of his shoulders, and swung the bag with as much force as he could at the Alpha's head. There was a sickening thud as the bag made contact, knocking the wolf back with a howl of pain as blood began to drip down from his temple. Stiles gave his bag a stunned look, oblivious of Ennis dark glare. "What the heck did she put in this thing..?" Stiles muttered, amazed.
"Watch out!" Young Derek cried out as he pushed himself up.
Stiles looked up in time to dodge the swipe aimed for his face, a faint scratch covered his cheek as he fell back onto the stairs behind him. He watched with wide eyes as Ennis drew back for another strike.
"Run!" Derek shouted as he leapt onto Ennis' back, arms circling his throat tightly. Stiles scrambled through the contents of his bag while Ennis shoved back, smacking Derek into the lockers, but he hung on persistently.
Wrapping his hand around a jar of black ash, Stiles let out a cry of triumph. Thank you Nortia! "Derek," He called as he unscrewed the lid. "Get away from him now!" Stiles threw the contents of the jar at Ennis, believing in it to encircle him, just as Derek got out of reach.
Everyone froze as Ennis hit an invisible wall, growling and thrashing within the circle of mountain ash.
"What, what is that?" Derek asked, voice half awed and half fearful.
"Mountain Ash." Stiles replied with panted breath. "Thank Nortia, it was in the bag." With that, Stiles carefully made his way around the captured Alpha. Ennis let out a ferocious growl aimed at him, causing him to flinch back with an involuntary; "Oh, god!" slipping through his lips as he came to a stop next to Derek. "Time to leave?" He asked. "I think it's time to leave." Stiles nodded.
Derek gave him a strange look before grabbing Stiles by the arm and tugging him after Paige.