Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think; I would love to know XD I own nothing and no one, apart from the following: Sam Campbell, Charlie Jones, Zane, Chase, Gabriel, Ben, Mia, Harlequin (Harley),Stiles' fox = Melrakki (Rak), Stiles' wolf = Okami (Oki), Derek's wolf = Cana, Diego, Serena.
JUST SO YOU KNOW: like everyone else, I have no idea what Stiles' real name is, so I'm going along with what everyone else puts :) and I've made his middle name up XD
Please, please review XD
You guys are all so amazing and I love you all! In a non-creepy non-psycho kind of way XD
SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT, BUT I'M AT UNIVERSITY!
Chapter 48 - Part 3
Stiles
We got home at four forty five in the morning, on Friday - August 8th. I was carrying Harley inside, since he had fallen asleep, Derek and Peter bringing in our bags, just like they had on our first day in Paphos.
"We'll leave our bags down here for the night." Derek told everyone. "Right now, sleeping is the most important thing."
He didn't have to try convince us. We all needed to go to sleep. We needed to try and get back into some sort of routine. Thankfully, a lot of us were already changed into pyjamas - like Harley. It just made it easier to just go to bed.
The twelve, technically eleven since I was carrying Harley, moved almost as one up the stairs.
The Betas were the first ones to split off, walking down the hallway towards their rooms, leaning against their partner for support. Derek stayed on that floor, until he was sure they had all eight of his Betas had walked through their doors, before following Peter and I up the stairs.
Out of all of us, I was sure Derek felt the exhaustion more than any of us. He didn't once sleep on the plane, he drove all the way home... He was doing well not to show it, but it was obvious that he was tired.
Peter was the next on to walk into his room, hugging both Derek and I before he closed the door. I thought Derek would go straight to his own room, thought he would want to get some sleep already. I didn't expect him to follow me to Harley's room.
I assumed that he just wanted to make sure everyone got into their rooms. I couldn't say for sure what he was doing it for - just because I was an Alpha, didn't mean I knew what an Alpha thought all the time when it came to their Pack. I didn't think anything of it, I didn't think it was that out of the ordinary for Derek. I mean, he was usually the last one into his room on a night.
Shrugging it off, I just opened Harley's door.
One thing I loved about being what I was, about being a wolf and fox, was the eyesight. I didn't need to turn a light on to see. It made all the difference in the world, not having to turn on a light. It meant I didn't have to risk waking anyone up, well, if Harley wasn't a deep sleeper.
I went straight to Harley's bed, pulling back the covers before placing him in the middle of the bed. He shifted slightly, burying himself into the mattress with Phantasia pulled tightly against his chest.
Smiling a little, I pulled the covers up over the kid, making sure he was covered and warm. Moving a lock of hair from out of his face, I walked back towards the door, closing it as softly as I could.
Derek was just standing there, leaning against the wall next to Harley's door.
"You should get to bed." Derek told me, pushing himself up. "It's been a long night."
"So should you." I said. "You've been up longer than any of us."
Derek just shrugged.
Shaking my head slightly, I moved towards my own door, opening it before turning back to the Alpha wolf. He was still standing there, just watching me, not making any move towards his own room.
"Thank you." I told him. "For taking us there, I mean."
"You don't need to-" he started.
"There is. You've already done so much, not just for me but for all of us. You really are a great Alpha, Derek."
Derek's head dropped to stare at the floor, shaking it. His arms folded over his chest loosely, sighing gently.
"I'm not. My Mom-" he said.
"Was also a great Alpha. I may not remember a lot, but I remember that." I smiled. "She would be proud of you, your Dad too. Trust me on that."
As Derek opened his mouth to argue, I took two large steps until I was standing in front of him, covering his mouth with my hand. I just stared at him, an eyebrow raised, until his mouth closed and his shoulders relaxed. His arms dropped from his chest, resting them by his side.
I only moved my hand when I was sure Derek wouldn't argue. Before he could do anything else, I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around him. I didn't know why I did it. I wouldn't be able to tell anyone why, if they had asked.
"Believe me. You are an amazing Alpha, Derek." I told him. "Don't sell yourself short."
Sighing, Derek moved his arms around me, turning his face down into my hair. He always seemed to do that, whenever he hugged me. Without fail, ever since the incident with Xavier and Veronica.
"Thank you." he whispered. "Now go on, we both need to sleep."
He didn't need to tell me twice.
I was still awake at five thirty that morning. I was exhausted, I wanted to sleep... But, for some reason, I was just laying there, staring at the ceiling. Nothing I did seemed to work; I even tried counting sheep for crying out loud!
All I could think of was Derek.
I didn't know why he was invading my mind all of a sudden. I mean, I was around him twenty-four-seven, so why was I thinking about him during the night? Well, I suppose it could be for the same reason I dream about him... But my thoughts were nothing like those dreams. All I could think of was sleeping next to him, like we had in Paphos.
It was the best sleep I had had in years...
Maybe that's why I can't sleep.
No, that was a stupid reason. Why would I not be able to sleep because I wasn't next to Derek? That was pathetic. Right?
Maybe it's because of that 'Mate' thing Okami and Melrakki keep going on about...
But what did that mean? What did it mean that Derek was my 'Mate', and I his? No one would tell me, even the books were vague. How was I supposed to know if no one would tell me?
Sighing, I sat up, my duvet pooling around my waist. The only way I would get any sleep, if I was right, was if I was with Derek. It was a ridiculous thought, surely that wasn't right... But, it would hurt to try. Right?
Before I could change my mind, I threw my covers off of me, swinging my legs out of bed and headed for my door. I didn't bother shutting my door once I had walked out - it wasn't like I was in there or anything - so I just pulled it to.
I walked carefully to Derek's mine, just in case anyone had their door open. I didn't want to wake anyone up prematurely. I opened Derek's door as quietly as I could, only to find him awake, sitting in bed, reading.
Well, this is embarrassing...
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, quietly, looking up from his book.
"Pretty much..." I sighed, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.
All Derek did was move over, flipping back his duvet. He smiled a little, gesturing for me to come in with his head.
I shut his door quietly as I walked in, hesitantly walking closer. It took me a few seconds before I actually climbed in next to him, the Alpha wolf flipping the duvet back over me the moment I was laying down.
I watched him for a moment, looking at him in the dim light of his lamp. Half of his face was casted in shadows, the other half casted in light. It brought out the slight dusting of freckles on his face, the sharpness of his features.
Derek just kept reading. It was such a calm, relaxing moment that it almost lulled me to sleep. Almost.
"What are you reading?" I whispered after a short silence, looking up at him.
"A book." he smirked.
Glaring, I reached up enough to lightly hit Derek's arm, the Alpha only chuckled in response.
"It's a book of fairytales." he told me, looking to me.
"What, like Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood?" I snorted.
"No, not like them. These are fairytales our kind tell their children. My Mom used to read them to me when I was younger... This was one of the few books we managed to save from the fire."
Derek stroked the pages of the book with his thumb, a small sad smile creeping onto his face. I reached out my hand again, placing it gently onto his arm.
"Read to me?" I asked, softly.
Derek just smiled, turning back to the book.
It wasn't even an hour later when I woke up. For the life of me, I just didn't know why. Well, not until I looked towards the door. I could see Harley's face in the morning light peaking around the door, tear tracks running down his cheeks and his lower lip quivering.
The moment he saw me awake, he came into the room fully.
He walked to the edge of the bed as soon as he had closed the door, Phantasia gripped in his left hand, sniffling.
"Come here, Sweetheart." I whispered, folding back the duvet.
The kid dived into the bed next to me, huddling as close to my chest as he could get. He was shaking fiercely, still crying a little as he buried his head into my chest, his hands gripping into my shirt.
Automatically, my arms came up to wrap around him, one hand resting on the back of his head, whilst the other stroked up and down his back, trying to calm him down. It hadn't happened a lot since he started living with us but, every so often, Harley would have a nightmare. He would never tell me what it was of, but I assumed it was about what had happened to his parents, about being left behind by the others of his kind. The only thing I could ever think to do was to let him crawl into bed with me, holding him close until he calmed down, trying to get him to smile and remind him he wasn't alone.
I never knew if it actually helped him, but it worked to relax him enough to get him back to sleep.
It was as I moved to hold him that I noticed the arm around me. Only then did I remember that I wasn't in my room. It didn't scare me, not like it would have done before. The presence, the scent...
How could I not realise it was Derek?
"It's ok, Sweetheart." I told him. "You're ok."
He just kept shaking, trying to push himself closer to me as his hands tightened in my shirt. It hurt me. It physically hurt me to see him upset. I mean, it hurt me if anyone I loved was distressed, you know?
I didn't know what he had dreamt about but, whatever it was, it had terrified him. Sometimes, it could take hours before I could calm him down, sometimes only a handful of minutes. I could never tell how long it would take when he was in such a state.
I just kept muttering to him, trying to comfort him into a state of calm. I kept trying to tell him he was alright, that he was safe. I held him as tightly as I could, as if holding him close would take away all the fear, all the pain.
It didn't seem to be working or, at least, not as fast as I had hoped it would. I wondered just what he had to have seen to scare him so badly... Just what had happened exactly.
I didn't expect Derek to move. I had thought he was fast asleep, that he was too tired to wake up so soon. But, when I felt the arm around me shift, I knew that thought was wrong. He only moved his arm enough so he could place his hand firmly on Harley's back, just underneath my own. Derek moved his arm, pushing until my back hit his chest. The movement seemed to shock Harley, enough to stop the tears. I heard as Derek lifted his head, felt it as he placed it lightly onto my bicep. I could only just see his face from the position he was in, seeing his eyes open in slits, heavy with sleep.
"Hey, Bud." he croaked, a small smile on his face, moving his hand to Harley's face. "What's with the sad face, huh?"
I watched as Derek wiped the tears away from Harley's face, ruffling his hair. The kid didn't say anything, just hiccupped as he lay there, sniffling.
"Have a nightmare?" he asked, waiting for Harley's nod. "Well, hey, it's ok. You know none of us will let anything hurt you, right? You've got nothing to be scared about."
"C-Can I still stay here?" Harley stuttered, his voice raw from the tears.
"Course you can. Now let's go to sleep, or we'll be grumpy when everyone else wakes up, wanting food."
Harley huffed out a small laugh, Derek ruffling his hair a little more before he lay down again. Derek shuffled closer behind me, his face burying into the back of my neck, as Harley settled down against my chest again.
I waited until I knew Harley was definitely asleep before I even let my own eyes close... It was the quickest I had fallen asleep.
It took two days for us all to get over our jetlag. We were still exhausted, don't get me wrong, and the next day we had to fly out to Dallas again, so we weren't doing a lot on that Sunday.
In fact, all we were doing, was Puppy Piling in the living room and just having a movie day.
Well, I say movie... I was actually introducing them all to the wonder of Anime. The first Anime on the list? Blue Exorcist. It had be one of my favourite Animes of all time. There were so many that I loved, but Blue Exorcist was one of the first ones I had ever seen.
I remember going into the local library in Dallas, grabbing a computer as far away from everyone else, and watching them all online. I would spend hours in the library, just watching as many episodes as I possibly could.
It was the only way I could watch any of them.
They had, thankfully, been on the Netflix thing Lydia had told me about. I had pointed it out as soon as I had seen it and, what with all of them being curious, they wanted to watch it. Now, how many of them would like it I didn't know. But we were going to find out.
I sat there, grinning, with Harley sitting half on Derek and half on me, as the first episode started. I loved that I could sit there and openly watch something I loved, and being able to share it with the people I loved.
As we sat there, my eyes were glued to the screen. I leant against Derek, pressed firmly against his side and my head on his shoulder, hugging Harley close to the two of us. To be honest, I wasn't exactly aware that that was what I was doing. It didn't really click in my mind.
Neither of them seemed to mind, however.
Derek's arm had moved around my shoulders, Harley had snuggled back into the two of us, hugging Phantasia to his chest. It just felt nice, it was relaxing. It was nice to just be able to sit down and do something like this.
Before coming to Beacon Hills, it had been years since I had done anything like this. The last time was when I was eight years old and my Mom felt well enough to actually do something. She had loved to just make a nest of pillows and blankets and duvets on the floor, spending the day doing nothing but watch films... We usually watched Disney, since I was so young, but I loved every single moment.
I couldn't say how many of them we watched. I wasn't exactly paying attention to that. All I knew was that we had watched quite a few of them before the others fell asleep.
Derek and I were the last two awake.
Derek had turned off the TV the moment the first person fell asleep, everyone else nodding off quickly after. I could never get over just how quiet it was in the house when everyone fell asleep.
When I lived in Dallas, when Dad was asleep, it was never quiet. There was always this static in the air, this loud electric buzz that never went away. It was always so tense, I was always waiting for him to crash into my room.
But here, in Beacon Hills, in this house... It was quiet.
I kind of loved the sound.
Or lack of it, should I say.
I wanted to smile. I really did want to smile. But I couldn't. How could I when my Dad was still out there? How could I when no one knew where he was? For all I knew he was making his way, or already in California. He could be in Beacon Hills.
He could be waiting to make his move.
No, that's crazy.
I couldn't think like that.
If I thought those things, then I was letting him win.
If I thought those things, the I was undoing everything I had done whilst living in the house.
"Are you ready to go back to Dallas?" Derek asked, jolting me from my thoughts.
"Honestly? No." I sighed. "I don't want to go back. I never want to go back. I have everything I need, I have my Mom's ashes... I never want to go back."
"Even if it means trying up loose ends?"
Looking down at Harley, I found him shivering slightly. I moved the duvet higher up on him, making sure he was covered as I thought about my answer.
On the one hand, it was worth going back, just to be finished for good. On the other hand, there were too many memories, too many fears, in that place. I didn't want them dredged up again. I didn't want to run the risk of being grabbed again.
But could I leave everything as it was?
"Well, it's only two out of three loose ends." I said in the end.
"They will find him, Stiles." Derek told me. "He can't run forever."
"I hope to God you're right."
At nine o'clock on Monday morning, we were on the plane to Dallas. Harley, Sam and Charlie were coming with us this time and they had agreed that, whilst the Pack and I were at the court house, the three of them would stay in the hotel.
It was the only way I was allowing them to come along.
Harley kind of understood what was going on. He knew more about me getting my record expunged, as opposed to the trial against Zane and everything he had done. I mean, come on, why would I tell a fourteen year old with the mind of a seven year old what this psycho had done to me? Why would I ever do that to Harley?
If I wasn't going to let Harley in the court room, I most definitely wasn't going to tell him about Zane.
Then again, I didn't know how much Harley had heard the Pack tell Sam and Charlie. For all I knew, Harley already knew everything or, at least, a part of what Zane had done to me.
I hoped to God I was wrong about that.
Leaning back against the seat, I tried to think of absolutely anything to get my mind off of that thought. I just wanted to think of something happy!
FLASHBACK - Sunday, July 27th 2014
Derek and I had gone into town, looking around for some of the things everyone would need for our trip to Paphos. Things like sun creams for the humans, a first aid kit just in case. Just little things like that.
It was just the two of us, Harley staying behind and learning more piano from Peter, whilst the others were... Well, they were doing whatever they did when we weren't there. It was actually quite nice, to be honest, just the two of us. It hadn't been just the two of us in quite a while.
I didn't care about the looks or the whispers. I was too excited for the trip... I was almost bouncing off the walls!
To be honest, that was probably why Derek took me out of the house...
I couldn't help it. I couldn't help being so keyed up. It was the first holiday I was going on, ever. I was getting on a plane to go somewhere fun. I wasn't going back to Dallas, I wasn't running away from anything... I was going on a holiday!
Peter kept saying he was surprised I was one of the oldest, if I was acting this way. He didn't care though, I could tell. He liked the fact that I was so hyped up, he liked the fact that I was acting so much like I used to, when I was a child.
Even Derek liked it. He couldn't hide it from me.
Derek knew exactly where to go to get everything we needed. We only had to go to one store. There wasn't many people inside, even the cashier was out the back. It was just Derek and me.
Whilst Derek veered off to the right, heading in the direction of the items we needed, I went off to the left. It wouldn't do any harm to look around...
But that was when I found the soft toys.
Well, foxes are mischievous...
I picked up one of the toys - a bear - locating Derek easily above the shelves. Drawing back my right arm, the bear in my hand, I launched the toy at his head. I ducked down the moment it connected with his head.
I didn't know what to expect next, but I couldn't help snickering as I crouched down next to the toys. I could say for certain that I didn't expect something to be thrown at my head.
I spun round quickly on my knees, finding Derek behind me, smirking.
This means war.
In a flash, Derek I grabbed as many of the kids toys as possible. For a few seconds, we just stared at each other, grinning, armed with the next stuffed animal.
Derek was the first one to attack.
I could barely see through the sea of toy animals flying back and forth. The situation was so ridiculous, toys bouncing off of each other, some of the squeaking as the connected with the other or the floor. The only other sound was the sound of us laughing, loud and childish.
I couldn't say what possessed me to start it. It just seemed like a good idea, a fun idea. And it was. It definitely was a fun idea. I never had anyone to fight like this with, playfully... Derek was, in my mind, the best person to do something like this with. I mean, he always looked so serious but, really, he was could just be a big kid. Just like the rest of us.
I wouldn't be able to tell you who one. All I knew was that, in the end, the stuffed toys were on opposite sides of the store, both of us panting and giggling like children.
I could barely stand, I was laughing so much, tripping on air as I stumbled towards Derek. It just made me laugh harder, wondering how on Earth I hadn't managed to stay up right. I didn't know why it was so funny. It wasn't. It really wasn't all that funny.
I only stopped laughing when I looked up at Derek, the fit slowly dying away as I continued to stare at him. He was smiling, just staring at me and me at him. For a moment, that was all we did.
"You should smile more." I told him, quietly. "You look nice when you smile."
"Same goes for you." he whispered.
END OF FLASHBACK - BACK TO: Monday, August 11th 2014
Yeah, that would do it...
Nothing happened after that. All we did was put the toys back in place before the cashier walked back into the store. We had bought the items we needed, heading back home. That was it.
Did I wish I swallowed my fear and kissed him? Yes. But that would never happen. It would only end in tears, on my part.
I didn't want to risk that.
By three o'clock that afternoon, we were at the hotel. The Embassy Suites, just like the last time we were in Dallas.
By four o'clock that afternoon, the Pack and I were at the court, whilst Charlie, Sam and Harley stayed at the hotel.
This was only the start of the trial against Zane. Because of how much they had on him, it was spread over two days, at least, so it was hopefully all going to be over and done with by the next day.
We were all in this room, waiting to be escorted into the courtroom. We didn't know exactly who else would be in the room. Just like we didn't know if I was going to be the only one, out of the eleven of us, to be brought up to the stand. I mean, when I was questioned about Zane by the Sheriff's Department, when I had to tell them everything, I had mentioned him finding me in California. As soon as they had realised the Pack had had a run in with him, they started to question them too.
For all we knew, someone in the Pack could be asked to approach the stand.
I couldn't stop pacing.
I couldn't stop worrying.
I didn't know what was going to happen, what the outcome would be.
I was anxious. I just wanted it all over and done with already. I mean, anyone in my position would. All I wanted was to finish already, with all of it, and just go home. Was that too much to ask?
My wrist was caught as I paced back again, my arm jerked towards whoever had caught it. I stumbled back slightly, knocking into someone's chest.
Derek's chest.
He didn't let go of me.
"Breathe." he muttered to me. "Just breathe."
His free hand landed on my shoulder, close to the base of my neck. The pressure was comforting, almost like a reassurance. It fell nice. It felt like I could actually think straight... It felt like I could actually be calm.
"Everything will be fine." Derek told me. "Trust me. He'll get what's coming to him, don't you worry."
I could do nothing but nod.
Two hours.
That was how long it went on for.
I hadn't yet gone up against Zane, they hadn't even gotten through half of his offences! Hearing it all, hearing the names of all the people he had hurt... It was overwhelming. And none of them had gotten past the age of twenty one.
It was sickening, hearing how all of them were found, hearing about what had happened to all of them.
Everything that they would say threw my back to a moment of my time with Zane. It would remind me of something he had said, or a situation he had put me in. It took everything I had not to just run out of the doors. I couldn't do that.
If I ran, then he would win. Not just against me, but against all of us - against everyone he had done wrong to.
I couldn't let that happen.
The moment we got back to the hotel, we found Sam, Charlie and Harley. The three of them were gathered in mine, Derek's and Harley's room, sitting together and watching the TV that was in there, talking quietly. Their heads snapped up as soon as the door opened.
Harley ran to us, grinning, the moment he saw us. I lifted him the moment he was in reach, hugging him to me as I walked further into the room. I walked towards the empty bed, crawling into it without letting go of him.
At that moment, I just wanted to shut everything from the first part of the trial out. I just wanted to forget it all.
"Is everything ok?" I heard Charlie ask the others, quietly.
"It will be. Once we all get to go home." Peter replied.
"Should we leave?" Sam whispered.
"No. I think it would be better if we all stayed here." Derek told her.
He was right about that. I didn't think it would be a good idea if I was left alone. I didn't know what I would do if they left me alone.
I didn't want to be alone.
Tuesday, August 12th.
That was the end of Zane's trial - well, my part of it, anyway.
I had gone on the stand.
Derek had gone on the stand.
Peter had gone on the stand.
Derek and Peter told all they knew - Peter only about what happened at the house; Derek about what had happened at the house and what he found when he saved me from Zane's apartment.
I was the last brought up.
I had to recount everything, just like I had with the police. I was asked so many questions, people asking me why, people asking me what I did, people asking me how I felt. At one point, they even seemed to be dubious about the scars Zane had left on me because, apparently, he hadn't done that on any of the others.
I almost ripped my shirt off of my body, just so I could prove it. I gestured to every scar I could that I knew were the ones Zane had left. I showed them every burn left there. The sick, smug grin on Zane's face was all the proof they needed to believe me.
We were allowed to leave after I had testified. One of the Deputy's had said, however, that they would call and let me know what the verdict was. For some reason, it could take a couple of months for them to come to a decision.
I was just glad to leave.
I didn't want to stay there, with Zane, any longer than I absolutely had to.
"I wish we could just go home now." I sighed, wrapping my arms around my torso.
"But then you wouldn't be able to get your record expunged tomorrow." Isaac said, walking next to me as we made our way into the hotel, behind the others.
"It's just a hearing. There's nothing to say that it'll actually happen."
"There's no reason why it wouldn't."
Turning my head to look at him, I could see the truth he held in his words, could hear it. H fully believed that there was a possibility.
I hoped he was right. I hoped that it would actually happen. That way, no one could use it against me, because I would have been found to be innocent of all my charges.
We didn't fly home until four in the afternoon, the next day.
The hearing to get my record cleared hadn't taken as long as Zane's trial. We were in and out in only a couple of hours. But, just like Zane's trial, I wouldn't find out the outcome for a couple of months and they said they would call.
I would have preferred to know, then and there, just so I didn't have to deal with any of the waiting.
That was all that was left - the waiting.
I hated the not knowing.
I hated the waiting.
It was one of the things I hated about the plane ride home.
We didn't land until five in the evening, California time, not getting home until after seven. We picked up take out on our way back, no one wanting to wait around for the oven to actually cook anything.
Honestly, I didn't want to cook anything.
The nest was still in the living room from the day before we left - all the pillows and blankets and duvets - and the DVDs were all still laid out by the TV.
We could all see how we were spending the rest of our night.
Derek helped me dish out the food onto plates, whilst the others rearranged the nest a little, getting the next DVD into the player. It was a well practiced routine that we had had in place for months. No one had to be told what to do to be able to do it, they just knew what their job was.
It was nice having a routine.
It was nice knowing what to do.
It was nice being with the people I loved.
I actually felt relaxed again.
I actually felt like I could breathe and there wasn't this weight pressing on my chest.
It felt like I could actually function like a proper person... Something I never thought would happen.
Thursday, August 14th, was a normal day, thankfully. Waking up, having breakfast, just doing whatever we felt like doing.
It was just a nice, calm day.
Well, until I was asked by Isaac what I wanted for my birthday.
I didn't know how he knew when my birthday was. I never told anyone and I didn't know it Peter and Derek remembered and, if they had, if they had told the others. So, to say it took me by surprise, was a huge understatement. As soon as Isaac had asked, everyone was on my case, trying to get me to tell them, even if it was just one small thing.
"Oh, come on, it's twelve days away!" Danny sighed. "We need to have some idea."
"Yeah, you've always gotten us something." Erica agreed, folding her arms over her chest.
"Oh, wow, I've drawn pictures." I said, dryly. "It's nothing special. It's just another day."
None of them took too kindly to hearing that.
"Tough shit." Jackson glared. "You don't get to decide that."
I just sat there, staring at them all. None of them were going to back down, none of them were going to give me an out. They wanted to know, they wanted me to tell them, and they're weren't taking no for an answer.
"I-I don't know..." I whispered, looking down at the kitchen table. "I've never really thought about it."
They wavered.
All of them, just a little bit.
"I, uh... I never had to before." I admitted. "I haven't celebrated my birthday since I was six."
"Why not?" Boyd frowned.
"My Mom started to get sick."
Looking back up at them all, I saw a look of understanding came over them, folded arms dropping to their sides. They no longer looked demanding, instead looking sad and slightly embarrassed, their scents overrun by the two emotions.
"It's fine though, really." I said, trying to smile. "It's what I'm used to. You really don't have to get me anything."
Somehow, I didn't think that would be the end of the conversation.
It was just after midday when Peter came to my room, knocking on the slightly open door to get my attention. I looked around from where I was trying to get my new shirts and hoodies to fit in my closet, thinking it was about time I put them away, finding the older wolf watching me, amused.
"I've never had this many clothes." I laughed. "It's kind of weird."
"It will be for a time, my boy." Peter chuckled. "But, trust me, you will get used to it."
"How long did it take you, after everything?"
"A good few years."
Grinning, I moved away from my closet, putting the t-shirts and hoodies I couldn't fit into it onto the end of my bed.
"So, what can I do you for?" I asked, turning to face him.
"Well, I was going through the holiday pictures - uploading them onto the computer, printing them off." Peter explained. "And I thought you'd might like these."
Peter placed three pictures into my hand, before turning around and leaving. I didn't even have a chance to say thank you.
Looking down at the first picture, I found that it was one taken on our second to last day in Paphos. The picture was of all fourteen of us, standing on the beach with the sea behind us, with the sun setting. Everyone was grinning, clutching onto each other.
The second picture was of Derek, Harley and me. The three of us were in the indoor pool, Harley in my arms with Derek grabbing the both of us from behind. The picture was taken the moment after that had happened, when I had realised it had happened and the three of us were laughing, huddled together.
The last picture was of just Harley and me. The two of us on a sun lounger whilst at the beach with that crystal clear water, with the rockless sand. We were just laying back in the chair his arms reaching back to wrap around my neck as he grinned at the camera.
Peter was right, I did like them.
I placed the three picture, immediately, in the draw of my bedside table, wanting to keep them there until I had something to put them in. They were perfect little mementos of our trip, something I could look at and remember the fun we all had.
I couldn't keep the smile off my face for the rest of the day.
Wednesday, August 20th, Derek took Harley and I out of the house, just to spend the day together. It was just us three, the others busy working or, well, just not awake yet.
He took us to Redding again, just like he had the first time the three of us had gone out. The drive was nice, just the three of us listening to the radio and talking throughout the drive. Talking with them both was always easy. I knew I wasn't able to talk about a few subjects, what with Harley being around, but the conversation was always flowing when I was with the two of them.
I couldn't say why Derek decided that the three of us would spend the day together. I didn't ask. But I wasn't about to complain. I liked spending time with them both, I liked being able to walk around somewhere people didn't know me.
It was a nice day. The sun was shining, barely any clouds in the sky. Harley stood in between Derek and I as the three of us walked, holding both of our hands with Phantasia in the hand holding mine. He was happily talking as we walked, Derek being just as animated back to him.
I could do nothing but watch them, smiling.
As we walked into the mall, I couldn't help but feel relax. Knowing that I didn't have to worry about who was around the corner, knowing that I didn't have to keep looking over my shoulders...
It felt like this huge weight off of my shoulders, you know?
Looking around, I spotted the fountain that sat in the middle of the mall. All I could do was remember the last time we were there, explaining to Harley why we kept saying to all the people coming up to us that he was not mine and Derek's son. But, then, all I could think was what happened that night, once we got home - Harley asking if he could call me his brother, even though we had different parents.
I liked that moment.
I liked that he asked me that.
In a way, it gave me a reason as to why I felt so protective towards the kid, but it also meant that he didn't mind.
"Stiles? You ok?" Harley asked, looking up to me with wide eyes.
"Yeah, I'm good, Sweetheart." I grinned. "I'm really good."
"You sure? You went all spacey."
"I'm sure. I was just thinking."
Derek took us to this little cafe in the mall, the three of us sitting in a booth near the back. Harley was a over the moon kind of happy; I had never seen him act in such a way. Whenever Derek and I would ask him what had him in such a good mood, not that it was a bad thing, he would just say he was happy to be with his two favourite people.
I couldn't describe the kind of good feelings that his words gave me.
Harley sat at the table, swinging his legs as the three of us looked at the menu, Phantasia sitting on the table in front of him.
That was when he spoke.
"Why aren't you two dating yet?" Harley asked, out of the blue.
I pretty much chocked on my cola. I almost sprayed it everywhere!
"Why do you ask that?" Derek coughed, his eyes wide.
"Well, I was talking with Peter and the others and they were talking about it." Harley explained. "I didn't know what they meant, so Peter told me. So, why aren't you?"
I didn't know what to say.
I mean, what could I say?
It wasn't like I could turn around and say I wanted Derek and I to be together. It wasn't like I could say anything like that with Derek sitting right there. I probably wouldn't tell Harley, even if we were alone, because kids sometimes forgot their brain to mouth filter.
Isaac was staying as the only one who knew, not that he knew the extent of it.
"I mean, you just have to get together, right?" Harley asked.
"Uh, no. No, it's not that easy, Bud." Derek said, carefully. "It's kind of complicated."
"But you love each other, right?"
I was, in no way, prepared for this conversation.
It took a while to get Harley off of the topic of Derek and me dating. He didn't stop talking about it until food was put in front of him.
It was the hardest conversation I had to get through.
As the three of us walked around the mall, a couple of things had caught Harley's eyes. He never said anything to us. He never stopped us and asked if he could get a closer look. He just let us walk on by.
A lot of those stores, however, were at the front of the mall, somewhere we had to walk past to get back to the car. So, obviously, as we made our way that way again, I made sure to go into every single one of those stores, asking Harley if he saw anything he liked.
Harley was hesitant at first, not knowing if he should go and show me what he had been looking at before. It took me walking over to a skirt, asking what he thought of it, to get him to do anything.
Even though Harley knew we all knew he was Gender Fluid, he was still hesitant around all of us. He hadn't yet dressed in any of the female clothing he had, he hadn't once said he was a girl on any particular day... Honestly, I didn't know if he genuinely hadn't been in that state of mind yet, or if he was too nervous to act and wear what felt comfortable.
I wanted Harley to realise that it was ok. I wanted Harley to know that he could be himself around all of us. I wanted Harley to know that he didn't have to worry about being bullied or pushed out, because it wouldn't happen.
After the first store, Harley was a lot more open with what he had seen before and what he liked. Harley would physically drag us towards something that would catch his eye, even asking mine and Derek's opinions on the clothing. It felt like he was finally allowing us to know this part of him.
In the end, we had take Harley into every store I had seen him staring at something in, walking out with, at least, one bag from each store.
Derek walked ahead of Harley and I when we were heading to the car, going to open it and put all the bags away so we were ready to go the moment we were buckled in. I carried Harley towards the car, the kid clinging to me from the moment we had walked into store number three. I didn't mind, though.
"You don't have to be scared to say anything, you know." I told him as I walked. "You can tell us if you see something you like the look of."
"Are you sure?" Harley asked, huddling a little closer to me.
"Of course. You have nothing to be ashamed of, Sweetheart. I love you the way you are. So does Derek, so does Peter... We all do. You can tell us. Ok?"
Harley just nodded, a small smile on his face.
I just hoped he would remember that.
Friday, August 22nd, I did something a bit different from usual.
From the moment I woke up, at five that morning, I moved all furniture away from the wall my bed was placed against, the wall to the left as soon as you walked through the door. I placed a plastic covering onto the floor, placing masking tape along the creases in the walls and along the skirting boards.
Yeah, I was painting the wall.
I had wanted to do it for quite some time - put something on the wall that I could look at, to remind me of all that had happened. I had only just come up with the right design, a design that I thought captured the essence of what I wanted it to mean.
I started with a pencil in my hand, lightly sketching out the image I wanted. I needed to get the letters in the right place, I needed to get the actual picture in the right place. I needed it to all to be absolutely perfect. And that was for no reason other than the fact that's how I wanted it.
I'm a perfectionist, so sue me.
I had to use a chair. I wasn't tall enough to reach as high as I needed to. It was strange, I wasn't used to having a canvas as big as my wall. It felt so unnatural to me. But it was the only place I could put it, it was the only way I would really see it.
I had to rub it out too many times for my liking. It was either not high enough, or not the right size, or too slanted... There were countless imperfections that would make me have to start over.
I was just glad I didn't have an intricate design to recreate on the wall.
It took, almost, five hours before I was happy with the way it had turned out. Only then did I actually take a break. I ended up going downstairs, to the kitchen, to start on breakfast. I mean, just because I had a project to attend to, didn't mean I was going to neglect my usual routine.
Besides, I was going to be faced with eight hungry pups, a hungry Fairy child, a hungry zombie-wolf and a hungry Alpha in less than an hour. No one wanted to face that, trust me. But I wouldn't have it any other way, if I was being honest.
I loved being able to take care of them all. I liked having a purpose. I knew the others would think it ridiculous if I told them that, they would tell me I did have a purpose and looking after them was not it. But, to me, it was. I wasn't caring for them because I wanted to, I didn't have a choice in the matter. Though, if I did, I would choose it all the same. Looking after them was instinct, a second nature. It was as if I needed to care for them, needed to protect them in any way I could.
I loved being able to do that.
I went back to my room after lunch, getting started on the actual painting.
They were all curious as to what I was doing in there, all of them being able to smell the lead and slight paint scent that had stuck to my clothes. Throughout my time in my room, one or two at a time, they would come up and look in on what I was doing.
I didn't close my door.
I didn't stop them from seeing what I was doing.
I wanted them to see it.
I wanted them to know what I was putting up.
I had no reason to hid it from them.
At one point, I even had Harley come into my room and sit on my bed, watching what I was doing from the other side of the room and talk to me. That was all. He didn't ask me about what I was doing, I think he understood that he had to wait until it was finished to know, so he just spoke about anything and everything that came to mind.
I didn't finish until almost seven that evening.
Some of the paint had dried, since I had to leave it before moving onto another section. Now I just had to wait until the rest of it dried, so I could put my bed and bedside table back against it.
It was high enough on the wall that none of the actual picture would be hidden, and I had already moved all of the shelves so they wouldn't obstruct it.
Only once I was happy with the way it had turned out did I get everyone up to see it.
As you looked at the wall, right in the middle, was a moon, a mix of white, grey and silver. To the left of it, was a stark white wolf neck and head, it's right eye showing, painted in a bright red. To the right of it, was an orange, brown, white and black fox neck and head, it's left eye showing, painted in a bright purple. Behind it all was a grey and black sky, clouds misting behind them. Above it all, in red and purple, large block letters, was the word: CHANGE.
It was to remind me of all the change I had gone through. To remind me of all the change I was going to go through. To remind me of everything that had changed in my life, for good and for bad.
It was to remind me that change could be good.
The next day, at some point in the afternoon, everyone was a bit antsy. The only thing that anyone could think of to do?
Train.
We hadn't trained in a while, in fact, I couldn't remember just how long it had been... I wouldn't have been surprised if we were out of shape, even if it was just a little. Walking into the training room was a little strange.
Harley followed as all, as was expected. I didn't really think he'd want to be sitting by himself, in the living room or his bedroom. The only problem, however? Harley wanted to join us in training...
I wanted to say no.
I wanted him to sit out, like he had before.
I didn't want him getting hurt.
I mean, we were all twice his size, if not a bit more, in both height and width. Everyone had a lot more strength in them than he seemed to have.
I had said as much to Derek, as we had made our way to the training room. I had told him what I had thought, what I had feared. Yet, still, Derek didn't listen and agreed to let Harley join in with us. I couldn't deny the fact that it made him happy, his entire face lighting up as he grinned.
I didn't have the heart to say no.
He was going up against Allison first. Out of everyone, she was the one that I trusted to most not to hurt him, mainly because she was the only one without the supernatural strength. She wouldn't be able to hurt him and the arrows she used for training against us were fake.
Allison I could trust.
Allison and Harley walked onto the mats, the Fairy child letting his wings manifest as the huntress loaded her bow. The entire time, Harley just beamed, hovering ever so slightly above the ground as his wings fluttered excitedly.
"I'll go easy on you." Allison told him, giving him a gentle smile.
Harley stopped the first arrow moments after it left the bow.
It dropped to the ground almost instantly. Harley's hand was extended, the grin on his face turning into a sly smirk. I had never seen that look on his face, I had never seen him so smug. At that moment, he looked far older than he seemed.
The next arrow shot up to the ceiling, to the far right of the room, dropping as soon as it hit the end.
The next arrow spiralled away from him, as if it had been caught in a strong wind.
Arrow after arrow was shot, but Harley seemed to deflect them all.
I just couldn't understand it.
"I can manipulate the elements. Fire, water, Earth and air. As well as gravity, oxygen, steel." Harley snickered. "Any element you can find on the periodic table humans use, I can manipulate too. Cool, huh?"
The kid was packing far more power than any of us first thought...
Sunday, August 24th, Sam had come to the house some point after eleven. Charlie was away at a meeting, about an hour away, and Sam staying alone was still a worry - not just for Charlie, or even us, but for Sam herself as well. Sam didn't trust herself, so staying with us until Charlie was back was the only way forward. But it was fine, Charlie would be back home by the next day, anyway.
It was nice having Sam around, just being able to talk with her about things the Pack didn't understand - this mainly included many Fandoms, but neither of us cared.
Besides, it meant I knew Sam was eating proper food, not that microwaveable stuff.
Having Sam over also meant art. Recently, whenever she was at the house, we would break out the art supplies, just doodling and having fun. The fact Harley would join us, in my opinion, made it all the better. I liked that he was finding interest in things, that he didn't have to just rely on sitting somewhere, talking to people all the time. I liked that he was branching out, figuring out what he liked to do.
"So you painted, like, a mural?" Sam clarified, dragging her pencil along the paper in light strokes.
"Yeah. Thought it would be a good thing to have, you know?" I said. "I thought it was a good idea."
"Damn right it is! I'm thinking of putting one in the new house, in my studio."
"What's a studio?" Harley asked, looking up from his paper.
As Sam explained to him what it was, I looked up to see Derek watching us, just like he had the first time Harley drew with Sam and me. He was just leaning there, against the doorframe, watching us with that faraway smile on his face. He seemed to do that a lot. Whenever I was with Harley, he always had that look on his face, watching from a few metres away.
I didn't know why.
That day, I was changing that.
I stood up, walking over to the Alpha with a determined step. I grabbed him by the hand, dragged him over to the table Sam, Harley and I had stationed ourselves at and forced him to sit with us. I pushed paper and a pencil in his direction the moment the two of us were sitting around the coffee table, waiting until he started to do something before returning to my own doodle.
Sam snickered, staring down at her paper. Her eyes, every now and then, would flick from me to Derek, her lips curling into her mouth as she tried not to laugh.
I didn't care.
I didn't want to cook dinner.
No one wanted to wait for takeout.
The diner wasn't too far away from us so, in the end, the was our choice. It was good food, good service, good company. What more could a person want? It was just a nice, relaxing night.
Not many people were out that night, which made it better. No one was staring, no one was whispering. In a way, it felt like people were starting to get over whatever rumours they had heard, finally moving on with their lives. I mean, come on, how boring does your life have to be if you're talking about someone else?
It was nice.
It was calm.
It was normal.
We were walking back to the cars when it happened.
"Oi, Sam!" a male voice yelled.
Sam stiffened the moment she heard that voice. She started to mutter under her breath, cursing to herself as she ran a hand over her face. Everyone was asking what was going on, everyone wanted to know what was happening.
As far as I could tell from her mumbling, through gritted teeth, the guy was a ex of hers, from years ago. Apparently, he had had kicked her out, leaving her homeless.
The guy slid right up to Sam, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end.
He was propositioning her.
For sex.
Some of the things he was saying made my skin crawl.
Thankfully, Peter had covered Harley's ears.
Sam did something...unexpected.
Sam grabbed Derek, jolting him forward until he was standing beside her, wrapping her arms around Derek's left arm, almost clinging to it.
"I'm so sorry." she said, a fake smile plastered onto her face. "I'd love to, but I'm engaged to this muscle man."
Derek's eyes almost popped out of his skull, confused. Everyone was trying to smother their laughter, almost to the point of having to turn their backs on what was happening. I wasn't laughing myself, but I couldn't help smiling a little.
I mean, the situation Derek had been, unwillingly, dragged into, was hilarious.
The situation as a whole? Not so much.
The guys wasn't believing it. He folded his arms, a smug smirk on his face as he looked between Sam and Derek.
"Oh yeah? Prove it." he demanded.
That was when she did it.
Sam kissed Derek.
IT'S 1:57pm HERE IN ENGLAND (January 16th 2017) AND I'VE HAD THE SHITTEST DAY, SO PLEASE MAKE MY DAY BETTER!
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