Regretfully my winner hasn't gotten in touch yet, so I cannot deliver the fanart like I wanted. I still plan on getting it done as soon as possible, I'll edit the ANs when the time comes, so you'll know, or you can always 'watch' me on Deviantart, where I'll be posting it once it's done.

Don't have much to say this time. Hope you enjoy the conclusion to "The Guardian" and "Chaos Theory" as a whole.

Chaos

Hotch and Reid are the ones to find Derek and Stiles on one of the lesser known roads through the preserve. The first thing they tell the pair of mates is they've, apparently, been missing for three days. Derek's shocked, not having realized that so much time had passed, Stiles, while not having known either, isn't entirely surprised.

A meeting of the pack takes place, where things are discussed. Derek and Stiles never reveal what happened exactly after their blood touched the Nexus. The experience is too intense and too personal for it to be shared with anyone. They do talk about the consequences of their actions. Which are very important, and concern everyone in their pack:

"We're bound to the territory." Stiles announces. "Specifically, I am bound to the Nexus, as its Guardian. Derek, through our bonds, has a connection to the Nexus, and due to that, to the territory. It's not quite as intense as mine, but just as irrevocable."

"What does that mean, exactly?" Noah wants to know.

"It means we belong to the land as much as it belongs to us." Derek says quietly. "It means we cannot leave it."

"How big is this 'land' exactly?" Lydia, the more practical of them all inquires.

"Beacon County is our territory properly." Derek starts.

"The ley-lines actually extend beyond it, and we can travel anywhere they reach…" Stiles elaborates. "We don't actually know what the exact limits are just yet. But regardless, we cannot truly 'live' anywhere other than Beacon County. I may still be able to visit Piper and the others in San Francisco, not sure yet. But if we tried to stay long…" He shakes his head.

"Did you know this when you did… whatever it is you did?" Cora asks, curious.

"I've known for a while this day might come." Stiles answers sincerely. "Paige and I talked about it. About the fact that I had the potential to the Guardian for the Nemeton, for the territory, and the consequences taking up that mantle would have."

Yes, he's known for a while he had the potential, that he personified every single fold of the knot, being a virgin, a warrior, a healer, a philosopher… and a guardian. All at the same time. It was apparently a rather rare occurrence. For someone, anyone, to be all five things at the same time. It's why the Nemeton wanted him so badly as its Guardian. But he couldn't take the mantle until the previous ritual was finished, the circle closed…

He's been aware of his own potential, and of the consequences of ever taking up the mantle. It's a big responsibility, but he knows he can do it.

"How does any of this affect us?" Lydia asks next.

Everyone knows why she's asking. It's no secret that the genius has offers (some full-rides even) from a number of universities across the country, and even a couple in Europe.

"It shouldn't." Derek shakes his head. "Or at least, not directly."

"Because Derek is our pack's alpha, and was when the ritual was performed, him being bound to the Nexus makes him the Alpha of this territory, for good." Stiles adds. "It's not much different from when the Hales first became the official pack of this territory. The first Hale Alpha, and his mate, who was a Spark, bound themselves to the Nemeton. It's how the Hales came to be connected to the territory so tightly. Even when the name of our pack might have changed, the connection remained, and because Derek carries the same spark, because Papa chose to pass it on to him when he believed himself to be about to die… all the ritual did was reinforce a connection that already existed."

"You can go to whichever school you prefer Lydia." Derek assures her for good measure. "All of you can. You being away will not hurt you, and it will not stop you being pack."

"You might feel some… homesickness at times." Peter points out. "But that's not exactly rare, even humans are known to feel it when they're missing their families, their home."

In packs it was more intense, especially for wolves. It's why Talia sent Peter to New York when she got tired of dealing with his bout of rebelliousness. It was meant to be a punishment. What she didn't realize was how little attachment Peter felt to the pack. Just the bond to his Uncle Damian was enough to sustain his wolf; and more importantly, that same bond allowed his uncle's last years to be much better than all the previous years he'd spent in the city. In any case, Peter knows there's no need to worry. Wherever Lydia chooses to go, he has no doubt Jackson will go with her. With the two of them being Mates they will be more than enough to anchor each other for however long they stay away from the rest of the pack.

Derek waits until Lydia, Jackson, Cora and Allison leave to do their own things before touching on the other subject he considers truly important:

"I'm sorry," He murmurs, when he fails to find any better words.

"What for?" His uncle asks, honestly confused.

"The Alpha Spark, I…" Derek's at a loss how to explain it. "I never intended to take it from you."

"Derek…" Peter murmurs in understanding, exhaling as he runs a hand through his hair. "You didn't take anything from me, I gave it to you…"

"When you thought you were going to die!" Derek blurts out. "That's… I should have given it back, immediately, before going after Stiles."

"You did what you were supposed to, when you needed to." Peter insists calmly. "Your mate was the priority."

He doesn't say that if Derek had even thought of doing anything else Peter would have sent him on his way… they all know such a thing isn't possible. Not when mates are involved. There's no way Derek could have ever seen anything other than Stiles as priority.

"When I was… dying." It's obvious the thought still affects Peter, affects all three of them, by the way he has to pause before saying the word. "I knew if the worst happened, our pack would still need an alpha, I couldn't risk Deuc taking the power for himself."

"But why me?" Derek insists. "Why not Cora? Jackson? or Noah?!"

"Because we don't want it." It's Noah who answers. "We've talked about it. We've always known that if the worst ever happened any of us could inherit the position. Though it's always been our preference not to."

"I'm sorry I never asked your preference, though truth is, I think it'd still have been you." Peter admits after a moment. "I cannot think of anyone better to be the new Alpha of our pack."

"I don't even know how to be an Alpha!" The younger wolf cannot help it, he whines.

"You're not alone Der, I'm here." Stiles reassures him as best he can, an arm around the wolf, face pressed to the older male's neck.

"Your mate is right." Peter agrees. "You're not alone Derek. You might not know how to be an Alpha. But that's easily remedied. I have no doubt you can do this."

"I… okay." Derek breaks off, deciding, at least this time, to trust his Elders to know what they're talking about. "Okay."

And so starts the new chapter for the Beacon County Pack and Territory…

xXx

Hotch's team stay in town for an extra two weeks. Officially it's to handle the 'sudden discovery' of Jennifer and Duke Blake being serial killers, responsible directly for the deaths of Scott McCall right there in California, as well as Kali Wilde and Ennis Paget in Oregon, and possibly others; a file with their MO has been sent to departments all over the West Coast so it can be compared to a number of unsolved cases, see if anything fits. In reality they handle all of that in a week, taking the rest of the time as a sort-of break (Hotch even arranges for his son, Jack, to fly to Sacramento and goes pick him up so he can meet the pack; and Penelope Garcia, their analyst, takes advantage of the opportunity to join them for the week as well).

On the last day, right as the team's about to leave, Stiles approaches Reid. He's about to climb into a car with Hotch and Jack, while the rest have gone ahead in the two rented SUVs.

"Is everything alright, Stiles?" The doctor is the one who speaks first, noticing the way the younger man cannot seem to stop fidgeting.

"Great!" Stiles blurts, a bit louder than planned. "Absolutely great."

Behind him his mate looks like he's not sure if he should laugh, facepalm, or both.

"Something you need to tell me?" Reid inquires, curious about why he's suddenly so nervous.

He knows Hotch and Jack are probably curious as well, but not intervening, not wanting to make the unexpectedly nervous young man, even more so.

It's not like they've just met, the two of them have had occasion to chat, a lot, about a wide array of topics. They even talked about Stiles getting Reid in touch with the Charmed Ones. It took several long chats over the phone, and the Mage vouching for the human FBI Agent, but in the end the Halliwells agreed to meet with him. It wouldn't be at any of their homes, and Reid wouldn't be learning their names until they were sure he was to be trusted. They haven't had the best past experience with LEOs… Stiles is still giddy with excitement regarding that future meeting, can only imagine Reid's face when Stiles introduces him (after they all trust each other enough) to the current Lady of the Lake.

And that's connected with what's going on in that moment. Stiles has thought long and hard about it, and finally decided to tell at least some of what happened to Reid if to no one else. Most won't understand it anyway, but he knows that someone who treasures all knowledge like he knows will not just understand what Stiles will tell him, but how great an honor it is that the information is being revealed to him.

"I found the sword." He finally announces.

"The sword…" Reid parrots, his mind catching up a second later. "The sword of glory?!"

In the background Derek snorts, making Stiles turn over his shoulder to give him the stink-eye. Yeah, knowing what they do now he does realize how pretentious and utterly ridiculous it sounds, but still! That doesn't mean his mate should laugh about it, about him!

"Where did you find it?!" Reid exclaims, very excited. "When did you find it?! How…?"

Stiles cannot help himself, he chuckles.

"Can I see it?" Reid finally settles on asking, after several half-formed questions.

"You already have." Stiles cannot help himself.

Reid blinks, head tilted to the side and it's obvious he's trying very hard to think of where and when he might have seen and how he can possibly not remember it…

"Come on Mieczyslaw just put the man out of his misery!" Derek calls loudly, purposefully.

"Way to steal my thunder Derek!" Stiles snaps, but it's obvious by both his voice and chemo-signals that he's not actually angry.

"Mieczyslaw?" Reid repeats, making sure to pronounce it exactly the same way as Derek.

"That's my name." Stiles clarifies. "It's Polish. A sort-of compound word, Miecz means 'sword' and slaw means 'glory'."

He can tell the exact moment when Reid realizes what that means, by the way his eyes widen in surprise. However, before he has a chance to start firing questions at Stiles, Jack jumps out of the car and pulls him towards it. Babbling about how they gotta go, that they're gonna be late, the plane's gonna leave them. The boy goes as far as turning to look at Stiles over his shoulder, winking at him, so the Mage knows it was completely intentional.

"We'll be talking about this Stiles!" Reid yells at him as Hotch starts the car.

"Sure!" Stiles yells back. "You can drop by whenever you're free. You know where to find me."

Hotch puts the car into drive and they're down the street before the young doctor can think of a proper reply for that.

"I hope you realize you've created a monster." Derek comments as he winds his arms around his mate from behind.

"That's okay," Stiles shrugs, pressing himself more tightly against his wolf. "I probably should have talked to him about it before. I just… wasn't ready. Not sure I am even now. But maybe by the time he comes back I'll be."

"You'll have to be." Derek points out with a hint of humor.

They both know he's right. There's no way Reid will let the matter rest. But that's okay, Stiles knows the human doctor will never use that knowledge against him. It's why he vouched for him with Piper and her sisters, after all. Truth is that the reason he didn't mention his situation before wasn't quite about Reid, and more about him. The Mage is still coming to terms with it all. The fact that who and what he is has been a topic of lore for a long time, much longer than he's been alive. And of course, there's always the chance that the stories aren't exclusively about him. They could have been about someone else, and he just happened to fit; or they could be about many people, like a sort-of archetype… Still, it's not easy to look at yourself and realize that you've become a part of history, of myth and legend. That you're more than just a grain of dirt in the universe. And granted, maybe who and what he is is not that huge in the grand-scheme of things, as far as the world is concerned. But he still has a huge responsibility where their territory is concerned. A duty not only to his pack, but to everyone that inhabits their territory. It's a very heady feeling indeed.

At least he's not alone. Derek is by his side, and he'll always be. Stiles truly believe that the two of them together, they can do anything.

xXx

Samhain comes around sooner than expected, or at least, that's how it feels to some of them. Despite it falling on Monday and Tuesday, the whole pack takes both days off. Well, Noah cannot exactly take both days, but he changes shifts to ensure that he can spend the time of Samhain itself (from sunset on the 31st to sunset on the 1st) with the pack. Allison has been preparing for it, and on that day she joins Stiles as they both deal with the rituals. Even if her magic is next to nothing, she still wants to be deeply involved in it all, cannot help but feel closer to their mom, the mom she could never meet… and yet ever since their battle with Deucalion that day, when the awful Alpha tried to strangle her, only for his hand to be burned by her triquetra pendant… by her mom's pendant… There are times when she can almost swear she can feel her right there with her, with all of them.

They get a very special guest on the night of Samhain: Paige. Derek's absolutely delighted to see her, remembering that she's dead after he's already gone to try and hug her, his shock growing when realizing he actually can.

"It's Samhain." Stiles reminds him. "The day the veil is thinnest."

"This… it's not like before." Paige clarifies after they've hugged it out for a while, not just her and Derek, but her and Stiles as well. "I'm no longer tied to the Nemeton, or the Nexus, or anything else in this plane. In fact, this will be my last visit. I was given permission to come one last time, to say goodbye. And thank you… not just for me, but for all of us. All of us who've crossed to the Other Side, and all who're still here, whom you protect every day, by being the line between the innocents and the monsters, the real monsters, whether mundane or supernatural. I wish you all the best. Derek, Stiles, and to your whole pack… May it be a very, very long time before we meet again…"

"Thank you Paige…" Derek murmurs, placing a short, soft kiss on her brow. "Be at peace."

"I will." Paige assures him.

And then she's gone…

xXx

Stiles knows pretty much everyone in the pack expected him and Derek to consummate their mating bond as soon as he turned 18. Even his dad, while he might not like to acknowledge it, he understands mating bonds. Stiles has a feeling he wouldn't have said a thing even if Stiles and Derek hadn't waited. Then again, no one really seems to understand why they chose to wait, why they're still waiting.

They wait until December. It's the full-moon on the 10th, but more than that, there's a Lunar Eclipse that day. The moon rises early on Friday afternoon (the 9th). As is usual for the pack they all run and play around for several hours, allowing the wolves to expend the extra energy. They hunt a decent sized deer, Stiles and Derek working together to cook the meat on a fire-pit just past the edge between the pack-house and the forest, while Allison and Chris handle some bread and vegetables they have on hand for such days. The desert are s'mores.

Once the food is all gone the group begins to split as is usual. While in other packs sometimes wolves like to mate in the forest, Lydia refuses to have sex on the forest-floor, so she and Jackson head to their room. The three pack-elders do the same (mostly in deference to Chris). Allison and Cora choose to stay where they are, at least for the time being, taking advantage of the warmth the fire brings. Donna stays with them (the three of them try to be there for as many full-moons as they can, though it's not always possible), while Harvey and Mike head to the guestroom that's as good as theirs (neither of them comfortable with the idea of having sex in the wild). The true surprise comes perhaps when Derek and Stiles, instead of staying with the girls, or even heading into the house, go into the forest instead. Two distinctive howls, one human, one wolf-like, announce what's going on…

In their bedroom Peter laughs almost maniacally, while Noah just sighs and shakes his head.

"The chase is on…" Peter cackles.

Chris pulls him to lay on top of him on the bed, shutting him up with a kiss, the last thing they need is for Peter to annoy Noah and have him cut them off. Peter laughs into the kiss but doesn't try to say anything else. Mentally wishing his son and nephew the best.

Stiles runs. He never slows down, nor does he look back to see how close Derek might be, he's not stupid. He puts all his energy and his focus on it, determined to give his soon-to-be mate a run for his money.

Things get interesting in the early morning. Just as expected, as the moon turns red, the lunar eclipse in progress, Derek's wolfy-abilities lessen, before eventually vanishing entirely as the Eclipse becomes total. Having timed it well, the two of them reach the clearing with the Nexus just before the moon goes fully red.

Stiles takes a good look at Derek, asking with his eyes if the wolf (though in that moment he's more human than he's ever been in his life) is ready. Derek just rolls his eyes slightly before pulling off his long-sleeved pale-gray henley. He kicks off his boots. Despite it being December already, the clearing with the Nexus is unseasonably warm (probably due to the magic). Stiles practically tears off his hoodie, a red hoodie because he just cannot help himself, though he chose not to take his mom's jacket, not wanting to risk something happening to it. He reaches for his long-sleeved shirt when Derek pushes down his dark jeans. Stiles freezes entirely as he realizes his wolf likes going commando, he's so hot it should be illegal, and Stiles might be drooling… just a little bit.

Derek chuckles slightly as he ends up helping his mate take off his clothes. Though even then he cannot hide the light reddening to his cheeks. He knows people consider him attractive, it's not that. But thanks to the bonds that already exist between them Derek can tell that while the young Mage lusts for him, it's not just about that. It's not just physical attraction. Stiles loves him, Truly and completely. More than Derek ever thought he could be loved. Just as much as Derek himself loves Stiles in return.

Eventually they manage to get both of them naked.

"Everything alright wolfy?" Stiles asks cheekily as they lay on the dirt, right beside the Nexus.

"I'm just sorry we cannot make your first-time more special…" Derek admits quietly as he lays over his mate, the both of them moaning at the skin-to-skin contact.

It's not like they're entirely untouched. In the months since they began dating, especially since Stiles turned eighteen there have been hugs, touches, a lot of cuddling, a hell of a lot of kissing, even some heavy petting. They went as far as masturbating together, once, but they've never actually had sex.

Virginity's a big thing, where magic's concerned, as they both know. And sex magic is a thing. Even if most people not-in-the-know might see it as only an excuse for porn. But Stiles knows that with his power, and his status, losing his virginity in a sex ritual could be a big thing. He and Derek talked it out, and they both agreed. It was Derek's idea to wait for the Lunar Eclipse, it'd be on a night of a full moon, which would satisfy rituals where werewolves are concerned, but the eclipse would lessen his power enough that he wouldn't risk hurting Stiles, that was important to him. And while Stiles is convinced that Derek wouldn't have hurt him regardless, he also knows that there's great magic in important celestial events, like a Total Lunar Eclipse. So he agreed with the plan.

"Stiles…" Derek starts, burying his nose into his mate's neck to calm his nerves.

"You're here Der," Stiles murmurs, nuzzling behind the wolf's ear. "That alone makes it perfect. Now come on Derek… Alpha, claim me…"

Those words, the use of his title… it's enough to almost drive Derek nuts. It's certainly enough to push him over the edge. Soon enough they're lost in each other's skin, body, moans, desires and passion entwined, as the last of their bonds is sealed, making their union completely unbreakable.

In the morning Derek's the last to wake up. It takes him a few seconds to remember where they are, exactly, and even when he does he cannot help the feeling that something just doesn't fit, somehow… his mate is curled up, half beside him, half on top of him, they're both still entirely naked, though somehow not cold. Their skin somewhat sticky, yet less than the wolf would have expected, all things considered. And somehow, the peeking roots, fallen leaves and grass cradling them seem to be enough to make them comfortable…

His eyes snap open then, as he realizes what it is that doesn't fit. He's quite certain there was nothing but dirt underneath them the night before, no grass, and certainly no roots. Not since the Nemeton burnt… Only in that moment there's not only grass and roots but, as he realizes the moment his hazel eyes fully open and take in the scene around them, there's a tree, a very tall oak tree with a thick trunk rising above them. The two of them lay in what looks almost like a nook, half on grass, though their upper torsos are surrounded by peeking roots, their heads cushioned by the trunk of the tree itself.

"Have to admit, this is not quite what I expected." He hears Stiles murmur.

Derek looks down at his mate, whose arms are now crossed over the wolf's chest, head propped on them as he contemplates the tree.

"What did you expect?" Derek cannot help but ask.

"Well, I hoped the ritual would be enough to allow for a new beginning." Stiles admits. "A new Nemeton to grow. But not this much. I was hopeful for a seedling, maybe even a sapling, but this?" He raises a hand, waving it in the direction of the tree. "This is more than I could have expected even in my wildest dreams!"

"So this is a good thing then?"

"It's a very good thing Der. It means… it means the land's happy with us. It trusts us, to guard it, to lead it…"

"And we will. We'll do things right. Together."

"Together."

They can do anything as long as they're together.

xXx

Hotch phones Stiles the day after Christmas to warn him that Reid's managed to make some sort of arrangement and is taking a long weekend off after New Year's. Stiles chuckles at the thought of how eager the human must be to have arranged for a second vacation when, according to Emily Prentiss, they called the attention of their bosses when they got a week off right at the end of their case in Beacon Hills (even if, officially, they were still on duty, their bosses couldn't have missed Garcia and Hotch's son getting on a plane to NorCal right when they did). Especially because most of them hadn't expressed any interest in so much as a day off in years. Once he stops laughing Stiles invites Hotch to join Reid, and to bring his son along as well if he wished. He knows the two of them will be just as interested, and that they can be trusted (he also knows there's a potential for… something, between the Agent and the Doctor, even though there's no way of knowing if either of them will ever act on it). Hotch agrees.

Stiles is right (of course), Reid, Hotch and Jack are all absolutely delighted when they hear the story of what happened with the Nexus in the preserve, both before and after they left, hearing about the birth of a new Nemeton…

"Do you realize how… how monumental this is?" Reid asks, eyes bright and eager. "There's been no new Nemeta in millennia!"

"Not that we know of." Hotch clarifies.

It's an important clarification. With how zealously guarded Nemetons are, there's no reason to believe anything related to most such sacred groves would be public knowledge, not even inside the Community itself. However, Nemeton are such a big deal because (most of the known ones) are ancient trees (the oldest in the world, some have theorized), so the rise of a new one could, in fact, be considered a Very Big Deal).

Then there's the meeting with the Charmed Ones. The meeting goes better than any of them could have expected. Stiles isn't sure what's affecting Reid more, getting to meet the most powerful witches of the age… or the fact that one of them is the current Lady of the Lake… and when Piper actually shows them Excalibur… (Stiles quite certain for a while there that Reid's gonna faint from the shock alone). Both FBI Agents promise never to reveal what's been told to them in confidence, and Piper tells them that if he and his team are ever in need of magical help they can count on them. It's a big deal, and not only because the Halliwells have been mostly retired for years, but also because they're trusting government agents to know the truth about them, to call on them when they might believe it necessary… considering their past dealings with certain members of law enforcement, it's more than Stiles ever thought could be possible.

xXx

Lydia and Jackson choose to attend Stanford. While they both have acceptance letters from other colleges, even some that might have once been Lydia's dream (like MIT and Harvard), truth is that neither of them wants to be so far away from the pack. Even knowing that they'd be alright, that their mating bond would allow them to anchor each other enough that the absence of the pack wouldn't actually hurt… they don't want to go. And Stanford is not a bad university, the best for what each of them want to study (Lydia Mathematics and Jackson Law).

Allison for her part chooses to attend the Community College in Beacon Valley, where she earns an Associate Degree in Criminology. What she focuses on though, is on becoming a Bounty Hunter (the official title is Bail Fugitive Recovery Agents, but the twins insist Bounty Hunter sounds more grand). This not only works as a mundane job, but it also allows her to do her 'other work' as a supernatural hunter without calling attention upon herself. It's her idea (fleshed out a bit with help from the pack, especially her brother), but she intends to ensure her Hunters can operate in a way that will be perceived as legal for the most part. While they still won't be revealing the supernatural world to most mundane humans, with some help from the FBI (mostly Hotch and his team) they will ensure that when her hunters go after someone the 'Hunt' is legally sanctioned. Even if any crime scenes need to be 'sanitized' and some crimes redacted. She believes it can be done. That it will serve to protect not just them as hunters, but the supernatural as a whole. Hotch likes the plan, and backs her up completely. Knowing that if it works the way she wants it to, that'd mean being able to trust the Hunters, then maybe the FBI would be able to turn their attention entirely to human threats once again. Let those involved with the supernatural police their own (it's how its supposed to be, even if some got lost and twisted along the way).

No one's sure when Allison and Cora get together, exactly. While Peter claims to have always suspected that the two of them are (potential) mates, they never act the way the other mated couples in the pack do. There's no smell of sex, no pheromones, no suspicious sounds or anything of the like. Even when the two girls can be found on a couch, cuddling while watching a movie, or criticizing the latest episode of America's Next Top Model. It's until Noah sees the girls kiss on the lips, once, when Allison returns from her latest job out of the state (the longest she's ever been away from home since joining the pack) that it all comes out:

"We're platonic mates." Allison explains, when everyone just keeps looking at them. "We don't have sex. I mean, we hug, cuddle, even kiss sometimes, but sex? No."

"I don't do sex, at all." Cora adds for good measure.

"You're Ace." Stiles realizes.

"Asexual." Lydia clarifies for her mate's benefit.

"I think that's the word, yes." Cora nods. "Don't care whatever they call it. I love Ally, she loves me, and we don't have sex."

"OK." What else could they have said?

And really, is it that different from Claudia? Some might see it like the opposite, in some ways. As she was interested in the sex, but not the romance, while Cora's the other way around. But in the end, that's not what truly matters: what matters is that Allison and Cora are mates, they've claimed each other, and they're happy. Everything else are just details.

Stiles and Derek do get married, eventually. Truth is marriage, human marriage, was never really a priority of theirs. They were mated, claimed, fully committed to each other, and everyone knew it. People in Beacon Hills knew them and treated them as if they were already married, so it wasn't something that seemed that important (that doesn't mean though that when one day Derek unexpectedly goes down on one knee and pops the question, ring in hand and everything, Stiles says no… he'd never do that!).

It's not a big wedding (not like what Lydia and Jackson choose for their own). Just a private ceremony, half hand-fasting, half civil ceremony, followed by a what's essentially a pack barbecue where they invite their closest friends, mostly people who know about the pack (which means they don't have to hide how much they're all truly eating, or drinking, or the fact that none of them can truly get drunk anyway).

The big surprise is perhaps when Derek signs the marriage certificate as Derek Stilinski…

"It's only right." He says when his whole pack looks at him strangely. "The Stilinski Alpha should be a Stilinski…"

And maybe it's time for the Hale name to rest in peace… for good.

xXx

It's Cora who first brings up the matter of children.

"I made a promise to Mischief, years ago." She explains softly, looking at both of her brothers (one by blood, the other by choice). "While he didn't tell me who he suspected his potential mate to be, I knew there was as much a chance of it being a boy, as it was of it being a girl. I promised him that if his perfect mate turned out to be a man, I'd be his surrogate."

"Wouldn't that be… not the best idea?" It's clear Jackson's making an effort to find the right words. "I mean, Derek's your brother."

"Yeah, but I never said I'd be having Derek's child, did I?" Cora asks, impishly.

"That's actually my part of the offer." Allison offers, waiting for all eyes to turn to her before continuing: "When I first thought of this I didn't actually know about Cora's promise to Stiles…"

"Thought of what?" Chris inquires, though he has his suspicions.

"For a while now, a few years actually, I've been thinking about asking Derek to be my donor." Allison explains. "I want my child, the next leader of the American Argent Branch to be as much a Hunter as a Wolf."

"They wouldn't actually be a wolf." Peter points out. "From what we know, it's the nature of the mothers that decides the nature of the baby. No one knows why it is that way, it just is. But that's why Jackson was born human; even though once bitten his eyes shone blue, like those of all born wolves, he was born human, because Maggie, his biological mother, was human. On the other hand, if Cora were to have a baby with Stiles, that child would be a born wolf."

"But my baby could still be turned, like Jackson?" Allison wants to know.

"They could, if that's their choice." Peter nods. "Though it'd have to be Their choice, and no one else's. Otherwise we could risk… issues arising."

"Okay, that's… okay." Allison nods. "Though I suppose we're getting ahead of ourselves. The boys haven't said a word yet!"

"I think we're still processing." Stiles offers, while Derek does nothing but stare.

It isn't that he forgot Cora's promise all those years ago, it's just that… so much's happened… while he didn't forget, it's not something he's thought about for a good while either. Children haven't been on his mind for a very long time… Yet once Cora's brought it up the thought of it, of a child, of children he and Derek may be able to call their own (and Cora's and Allison's… it's customary in packs for everyone to be involved in the raising of children anyway!)

After thinking it over for a while, and consulting doctors 'in the know', they choose to do 'at home inseminations'. The boys donate sperm and the girls handle the insemination themselves, in the privacy of their own bedroom.

It works on Cora first. Which doesn't actually surprise them. Allison finds herself pregnant as well the next time they try it. On the first ultrasound they learn they're both having girls.

"Is that a blessing or a curse?" Her own twin asks, unable to stop laughing.

"We'll know in a few years." Allison declares, though she cannot help but smile.

More than once in the following months the pack comes to wonder how wise an idea it was for both women to be pregnant at the same time. The cravings get pretty strange at times and the mood-swings are completely insane. Yet when the babies arrive, everything's absolutely perfect.

Cora gives birth first, on a full-moon. At Stiles's suggestion she gives birth by the new Nemeton, with help from a midwife who's in-the-know despite not being supernatural. She gives birth to a girl: Luna Claudia Stilinski, a born wolf, with her mother's hair and her father's (and grandmother's) eyes. Two weeks later, during a Solar Eclipse, Allison gives birth to Artemis Paige Argent. It's her idea to give birth in the Nemeton clearing as well, as she knows that doing so, the act of bringing life into the world, and offering the blood from that birth to the Nemeton is big magic, one that makes the Nemeton, and thus the territory, stronger. They may not know it yet, but those girls will one day lead not just the Stilinski Pack but more, much more…

And so it goes. New beginnings, new stories where, as always, even the smallest things (like a boy gifting a girl a friendship bracelet, or four people just meeting by chance in a diner) can change everything…

And thus this story ends.

I hope you liked it. Please don't forget to like/kudo/bookmark, leave a review/comment. Let me know what you liked, what you didn't. If there's anything in particular you'd like to see in some future fic of mine. I still have some plans in the back-burner, though currently I'm deep in the Shadowhunters fandom (Malec all the way!).

On that front. If you like Shadowhunters, and Malec, maybe you'd like to read my time-travel fix-it series "Butterflies and Hurricanes"?

Thanks so much for reading, and hope to see you around!

If anyone's interested in writing a sequel, remix, sidestory, AU, translation, making fanart, a podfic, or pretty much anything, feel free to do so, just please let me know so I can see it, and link it so everyone else can find it too. And don't forget to give me what credit I might be due.

If anyone's interested in my original works, I have three published novels, available in both digital and paperback formats, all three of them can be found in Spanish (Jade, Xochiyao, Quetzal de Plata), the latter two in English (Xochiyao, Silver Quetzal). Written in both languages by me. They're available through Amazon and B&N, where I publish under the name of Lalaith Quetzalli Caresi.