A/N: Just to avoid confusion concerning Lydia and Peter. The first paragraph of this chapter takes place at the same time Stiles' is at his father's bedside. It should have been in the previous chapter, but I kind mislaid the paper it was written on. So, I've placed it here.

A Fate Worse Than Death?

"So, you're just going to let my father die!"

Stiles words haunted him every step back to the house. He knew he was right of course, either way the Sheriff was going to die. It would be best to at least give him a fighting change. However, every time he considered it; all he could see was Paige's body in his arms. Her blood blackened and coating his fingers. Her teary acceptance of fate.

Derek was bombarded with unknown, and extremely unwanted scents, the before he'd even opened the front door to his house. And it only got worse when he stepped inside. Everywhere he turned there were people. Finstock and the others had arrived long before him and were gathered in the kitchen, seemingly going over plans by the sound of it. To his left, in the den, Cora sat on the couch under her usual blanket, with Aiden behind her and a strange young woman with dark hair in perched on the other end.

Sat in front of the fireplace, sat two strangers. A young Asian girl, her features soft and calm, she looked his way and smiled nervously. Behind her, a man with long blondish hair. Derek's eyes flashed at the man's shifted face and he stepped forward defensively. Before he could do anything, someone was at his side, grabbing his arm. He looked around to see Isaac.

"Whoa there Derek, it's alright." The beta insisted, fingers tight on Derek's sleeve.

Cora and Aiden looked between him and the stranger, while Isaac spoke, "It's alright, Derek, this is Joshua." Isaac said quickly. "He came with Stiles."

Derek gritted his teeth, glaring at the man. "Shift back." He ordered, eyes flashing red.

Joshua scrambled to his feet, sinking back against the fireplace. The young woman, quickly following and placing herself protectively in front of the freakishly tall man, fists clenched at her side. She was quickly joined by the dark-haired girl on the couch and the young man he'd seen sitting on the arm of Isaac's chair. All of them looking ready to go to war.

"Whoa, whoa." Isaac said, panicked, placing himself between them. "We're all on the same side her, okay."

"Either shift back or..."

"He can't." Said the three in front of him.

Derek narrowed his eyes disbelievingly. Behind the small group stood the Joshua, nervous and - scared?

"What do you mean, he can't?" Derek asked carefully, his eyes never leaving the man.

"Like they said, he can't." Derek turned his head to see Alec stood in the doorway of the kitchen, face calm but he could smell the anger and protectiveness. "He was born like that."

Derek looked from the X5 to Joshua, contemplating. He shouldn't trust these strangers, but he knew that Stiles did. The moment he let his guard down, he smelt it. The fear emulating from the tall man, and he sighed. Stiles would be so pissed at him right now, if he weren't sat by the bedside of his dying father. "I'm sorry."

The room was still tense, but Isaac relaxed, as did the other members of his pack. Derek offered the small group an apologetic nod, before turning away. A clear show of trust. "Where's Lydia?"

In a moment, the teenager stepped out from the kitchen, Peter at her side. "Yeah?"

"I need you to go to the hospital?"

"The hospital?" She frowned, confused.

"Stiles is there."

In an instant, everyone was on their guard, looking anxiously at him. "What's wrong with Stiles?" Lydia demanded, hurrying forward.

Derek took a long deep breath, "Nothing. Stiles is fine. It's the Sheriff. He passed out the moment we left the Station." He looked at their shocked faces.

"Is he alright?" Said Parrish, pushing past Alec with a look of concern.

"He's in a coma." Derek informed them. "He's not the only one. The Talbots are there too."

Lydia's back straightened, suddenly alert. "It could be a coincidence?"

Derek scoffed, "It could, but I want you there, in case anyone else comes in." Lydia nodded, hurrying for her coat. "And Stiles could do with the company." Derek added as she slipped her arms into the holes.

Lydia paused, looking at him, almost as if reading his mind. Then she nodded and finished with her coat.

"I'll go with her." Peter stated, stepping past Alec and Parrish to join his girlfriend, snatching his leather jacket off the banister.

"Me too." Parrish said, only for Alec to hold his hand up.

"You need to here." The X5 said. "Father will be here soon, we need to protect the Nemeton."

Parrish looked ready to argue, only to surrender.

Derek turned to watch as Lydia and Peter rushed out of the house, a heavy weight in his chest. Then he turned back to Alec, "Do you have a plan?"

Alec smiled and headed back into the kitchen, Derek dragging his feet to follow.

_(*-*)_

Derek stepped out into the cool night air, taking a silent moment to fill his lungs. Clearing his mind of everything but the current situation, he lifted his head and let out a loud howl. Behind him the windows rattled. He heard his pack in the house, reacting to the sound with quickening heartbeats. Even from outside, he could smell the excitement and anxiety that the call caused.

Lowering his head, the howl softly dying on the wind, Derek stepped closer to the steps and waited, listening at the world beyond the trees. It wasn't long before he heard the rushing of feet and caught the familiar scent of pack on the air. Behind him, the door opened, but he didn't turn to regard Isaac, instead keeping his gaze trained on the woods.

A few seconds later, two figures came bursting out of the preserve, half shifted and eyes glowing bright amber in the night. They skidded to a halt in front of the house, eyes searching for sign of trouble. Derek exhaled a long breath and waved them to stand down.

It took Boyd and Erica a few seconds to fully calm themselves. They glared past Derek and Isaac, to the house, noises flared. Another second passed before Erica straightened, eyes shooting back to Derek. "Stiles?" She sighed, relief clear in her tone.

Derek nodded; his lips pressed into a thin line. Boyd stepped forward, "Who are they?" He demanded, nostrils flaring once more as he looked back to the house.

Stepping down from the top step, he pressed his hand to the place between Boyd's shoulder and neck and gave a reassuring squeeze. "They're no threat to us."

"They're Stiles family." Isaac interrupted helpfully.

Erica frowned at him, "Where's Stiles? He's not here."

Derek exhaled, "Stiles is at the hospital." At the flare of concern, he quickly clarified, "With the Sheriff."

"He's in a coma." Isaac said, helpfully.

Derek shot the teenager a weary look, before turning back to the two betas. They'd been around less and less since Boyd's their return, and desperate what he'd told the Sheriff, he knew the real reason they didn't want to be at the house was because of Ethan, Aiden and Cora, and as much as it pained him, Derek understood.

The thing was Derek understood them. He knew what it was like to be manipulated by someone and have that manipulation cost lives. So, even if Cora weren't his sister, Derek thinks he would have taken them in anyway.

"I'll explain everything later," Derek sighed, "Right now we have things to do." Turning, he jerked his head for them to follow him.

Inside the house, everyone was pretty much the same has they'd been almost an hour ago. The air became thick with hostility and Derek let out a soft growl that had everyone calming. He led Erica and Boyd into the kitchen. "There are the final two members of my pack. Erica, Boyd." He gestured to each of them. "This is Alec and Henry Tate, and of course, you know Finstock. They're Stiles - uncle?" He said uncertainly, watching as Alec shrugged.

Both Erica and Boyd's stared at the couch. "Wait, what?" Erica frowned, "You're...what do you mean, uncle?"

Finstock glared impatiently between the teenagers, "Uncle. A male relative. The brother of one's father or mother." He said slowly, then rolled his eyes. "If the school was still open, I'd have to have a word with the principle about holding you back, if you're struggling with the concept of familial relationships."

Alec cleared his throat, "We don't have time to dissect the family tree, we need to get those tunnels filled before Manticore get to them."

"Manticore?" Boyd frowned, looking between them all.

Derek had filled them in a little about Stiles and what he was, but clearly not everything. "The people that took Stiles."

Ignoring Derek and the others, Alec turned back to the map spread out on the table. "We'll split up, take out all the tunnels. - Joshua and I will take the tunnel from the museum. Finstock and Henry will take the school tunnel." The pair gave a nod of confirmation, then Alec turned to look expectantly to Derek.

"Boyd and Isaac will take the tunnel from Dead Man's Lake." He glanced at Boyd for reassurance, unsure whether it was write sending him back there. However, Boyd straightened to his full height and gave a sharp nod. "And I'll take the hospital." He said almost reluctantly.

"On your own?" Erica said, frowning.

Derek sighed, "Peter's already at the hospital, I'll have..."

Before he could finish, the door opened, and Peter strolled in. Derek's heart leapt into his throat, and he turned to meet his uncle. "What's happened?"

Peter waved him down, "Stiles and the Sheriff are fine. Lydia told me to come tell you, that Talbots are dead. And two more people have been brought in."

Derek frowned, looking from Peter to Alec and the others, then back to his uncle. "Who?"

"Meredith Walker and Robert Quincy. - And yes, Robert Quincy isn't on the list, Lydia's working on it." Peter grunted impatiently. "What's going on here?" He said, regarding the map.

Without bothering to explain, Derek stepped away from the table, "Let's go. Erica, you take Jackson and collect your parents, bring them here."

Erica's eyes widened with surprise, "What? Why?"

Derek looked at her, dark brow raised, "Because your mother is at risk from Manticore. The house is the safest place for her."

"What about my parents?" Jackson demanded.

Peter shifted uncomfortably as Derek replied, "Your parents aren't on the list, Jackson. Stheno has no interest in them."

"Doesn't mean they're not in danger." Jackson argued angrily.

"He has a point." Alec agreed, much to Derek irritation. "Manticore won't think twice at using civilians to get what they want."

Derek stared at the man and gave a slow nod. "Right. Okay, Jackson, collect your parents too." His eyes drifted over to where Boyd stood anxiously. "Boyd, you collect your mom."

"But what about the…"

Derek's eyes landed on Parrish, "You go with Isaac."

Parrish gave a sharp nod and strolled over to join Isaac, while Boyd headed for Erica. "I want everyone here by the time I get back with Stiles and the Sheriff."

Derek looked at the remaining strangers, "

With that settled, Derek heads for the door, Aiden and Peter close behind him.

_(*-*)_

"So." Peter sighed, "What's happening between you and young Mr Stilinski?"

Derek growled as he worked on the explosives. "None of your business." He grunted out.

Peter was silent for a few seconds before adding, "He's been back barely a few hours and you're already fighting."

"We always fight." Derek replied sharply.

Peter scoffed, "Trust. – But that was more foreplay. This however," He sniffed at the air, "Is a real fight. The kind that never ends well. – For any of us."

Derek stiffened, staring at the wall with gritted teeth. He secured the remote transmitter, then turned and furiously marched away. "Mind your own damn business, Peter." He repeated with gusto.

This time, Peter was silent for almost ten minutes, their footsteps the only sound in the long tunnel. Even when they paused every few feet to place the explosive, Peter said nothing, and Derek allowed himself to relax. – As much as anyone setting charges to bring down a tunnel could relax.

That of course was his mistake. Peter waited until he'd left his guard back down before attacking once more. – Typically. "It's only natural for him to ask."

Derek's head snapped around to glower at his uncle, "What?"

"I mean, considering the situation, anyone would."

Inhaling slowly through his nose, Derek turned to Aiden, "Go on ahead," He ordered. Aiden looked between the pair, before huffing an uninterested laugh, and took off down the tunnel.

Aiden was barely gone before Peter continued, "And quite frankly Derek, it's a logical solution. Our natural immunity might be all that's needed to save him. After all, if he dies…."

"Stop." Derek snapped, eyes flashing red. Peter stared blankly back at him, brow raised with amusement.

"I'm simply saying, considering out situation…."

"There's no guarantee the bite will work." Derek argued icily.

"And let's be honest, your pack is lacking some maturity." Peter adding as if Derek hadn't spoken.

Derek turned on his heels and started walking again, calling back over his shoulder, "I'm not going to risk it."

"Risk what exactly?" Peter called after him, following at a casual stroll. As if they were down in the tunnels on a family outing. "He's already dying." He reminded calmly.

Derek walked on; lips pressed into a thin frustrated line. Peter could never understand because he wasn't there. – Except he'd seen it, hadn't he. So why was he trying….

"I understand you're nervous." Peter said, as if reading Derek's mind. "What happened with Paige was deeply traumatic, but Derek – Derek!" Peter's fingers curled around his shoulder, forcing him to stop and turn.

Derek growled at his uncle, eyes aflame in the dark. Peter snapped his hand away from the alpha's shoulder and sighed, lowering his gaze to the rock laden ground as he spoke, "It wasn't your fault. Surely you know what"

Derek gritted his teeth for a few moments. "I bit here, and she died. She died a long and painful death, and I won't put John through that. I respect him too much. – And I care too much for Stiles to put him through the pain of watching his father die like that."

Peter looked up and sighed again, "My god, I – I thought you. – "He shook his head, and dragged a hand through his hair, "What happened to Paige, what she went through, had nothing to do with rejecting the bite. Surely you know what." At Derek's baffled face, he kept speaking, "When someone rejects the bite, Derek, they simply fall into a coma, and usually die. Like Lydia almost did. What happened to Paige that wasn't – Derek think…" He urged, taking a step forward, "You've seen the reaction Paige."

At Derek's confused stare, Peter exhaled, "Gerald Argent." He reminded him.

Derek stared at his uncle, mind working a thousand miles a minute to slot the pieces into place. Making connections.

"You said yourself, Kate knew about you and Paige." Peter reminded him impatiently.

Derek took a sharp breath, stumbling back as if he'd been punched. Shaking his head, he muttered, "No. No it…"

"I'm afraid so, nephew." Peter said gently. Probably the gentlest he'd been in Derek in years. "I was sure you must have known what caused such a distressing reaction. Especially considering what happened with Argent."

Derek turned, staring ahead into the dark tunnel, his mind whirling. Had Kate done the exact same thing to Paige as Scott had done to Gerald.

"Undoubtedly, that's were Deaton got the idea." Peter observed bitterly.

Derek's fingers curled into fists as his sides, drawing blood from his palm. His mind wanted to rebel at the idea, but deep down, he knew it was the truth. For so many years he'd blamed himself for what happened to Paige. So certain that it was the bite that killed her. It had never occurred to him that Kate had had a hand in it

Now though, it all seemed so obvious. But why manipulate Paige into getting bitten if she'd poisoned her to die from it.

Peter gave a regretful glance before turning away and beginning to walk on, and the final piece slipped into place. Of course, Derek sighed. To start a war.