So... a bit of background on this particular piece: When I first started planning "Faceless Vengeance" I knew exactly what I wanted. Being as it was, inspired by Claire's "Judgement and Justice" I had a very clear idea of where the story was going. I was about halfway through the planning for that story when an idea hit me: what if the Judgment was called at a very different moment in time, like, right after the Hale fire? Like, what Laura found out about Derek's relationship with Kate, and her being behind the fire, and blamed him for it all, and decided he ought to be punished by the Faceless? It was initially a very loose idea in my head, didn't really seem to go anywhere, until something else occurred to me: What if the Hale Fire happened, but nobody died? And suddenly I had two pieces with the whole "Call to the Faceless's Judgment" concept instead of one; which is why the other one was called Vegeance, while this remained Judgment.
Dreamcast for this piece: Tomasz Kot as Arek, Kaya Scodelario as Alexis.
For information on the future of this series/collection, please read the End Notes (It's important).
Faceless Judgment
She's sitting on the dirt ground, in the space between the half-burnt ruins of her house and the tree-line. She's wearing washed-off jeans, thick-soled leather boots, a long-sleeved off-white top, loose enough on the neckline for it to fall off her left shoulder, that along with how thin the top is allows the dark-red tank-top she's wearing underneath to be seen; her eyes are dark-green and her long dark-brown (almost black) hair is falling messily down her back. There are people all around the edges of the clearing, but her eyes never stray from one, a boy a bit younger than her, who never looks away from her either. She's still looking straight at him when she uses one of her claws to cut her palm open and starts the spell:
"Past, present, future, all / the time has come for me to call, / I call upon the one who rights, / the wrongs of those beyond my might, / By my blood and by my need, / come to us, I summon thee!" She finishes the spell, loud enough for her own bones to rattle and then… for a moment nothing seems to happen, nothing at all, not a sound, even the wind itself seems to stop blowing for a moment and then… everything happens all at once.
"Laura…" The voice of the one that calls to her is low, almost broken. "What have you done?"
xXx
The last month has been… not the easiest. It started during the Wolf Moon. Or rather, the morning after. One minute she's on the bleachers, sprawled in such a way as to make sure her 'assets' are displayed in the best possible way. Humans might be weak and not worthy of her, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like it when they look at her admiringly (or with jealousy, either one is just fine with her); she especially likes when one or more of them get the notion that she just might choose them, and start sending her gifts. She never will, of course not, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like getting gifts. Some might be pretty useless, what does she want weeds and wild-flowers for? She can get them easily enough in the preserve herself. She likes it when they buy her food, especially those expensive chocolates from San Francisco, and one actually gave her a bracelet once! Stupid human, believing she'd actually choose him. She's a Hale, and more than that, she's the future alpha of the pack, she's worth all sorts of gifts and honors, certainly a lot more than any human boy will ever be able to give her.
So, one moment she's there, carefully sprawled on the bleachers and the next there's pain, so much pain, in her chest, she briefly wonders if she's suffocating somehow. It takes her forever to realize that something's very wrong with the pack.
It's… the rest of that day is a blur to Laura. She remembers Derek finding her, him being as bad off as she, remembers them getting to her car, she has no idea how she managed to drive them all the way to the house in the preserve without them crashing or rolling into some ditch, but they made it. Only to find the house on fire. She doesn't remember a deputy approaching them to question them, and then let them know what happened; doesn't remember the two of them being escorted to an area near the edge of the preserve where her family was, as they refused to go to the hospital (and apparently the humans had the good sense not to force them). She doesn't remember those things, but she knows they happened. Her house was burned to the ground, and it was a miracle they all survived unscathed… more-or-less.
Her mother didn't die but the situation affected her in ways none of them were fully prepared for. She went half-feral and vanished into the woods. Laura knew she was still alive, they could all feel their bonds to the alpha still, though she was clearly half-lost in the wolf, none of them knew when she might resurface. So Laura was forced to step up. She was the heiress, after all, the one who will one day officially be the Alpha of the Hale Pack. So when three days passed and it became obvious that their alpha wouldn't be back any time soon, they all turned to her. They expect her to lead, to be their Alpha-proxy, but how the hell is she supposed to do that? She's barely eighteen, hasn't even graduated from high-school, and they expect her to lead the pack? To be her mom? What the hell is wrong with them?! It's not… Laura's always been proud of who she's meant to be. Of the fact that one day she'd take her mother's, her alpha's place. She's so amazing, always standing tall, full of power, and authority; Talia Hale is someone that every werewolf either respects, or fears, sometimes both. She's a Queen. And Laura, one day she'll be Queen too. Everyone will respect her, or fear her, she doesn't care which, they will see that she's special, that she's the best. That's how she always pictured being an Alpha. After all, that's what her mother does. She's always giving orders, and everyone else has to obey. So how is it that now that she's forced to take her place, it's all turned like this? They respond when she gives orders yes, but they also keep asking her questions, and they expect her to have answers. They expect her to know where they should go, what to say to the humans, how to keep the pack safe… how is she supposed to know any of that?! She's still only a teenager!
At some point she realized she wasn't sure she wanted to actually be alpha anymore. Not if it's this much work! And where the hell was her mother?! Why isn't she taking care of them? That was supposed to be her job, wasn't it? She tried to ask her father that, but he just reminded her that he's just a beta, Talia is the alpha, and Laura her heiress, they're the ones with authority in the pack. And she knew that, it was something she'd always relished, having all that power, and while she could never use it on the adults, that didn't mean she couldn't boss-around the kids, and they had to listen to her! But now… now…
And then her little brother came to her, all sniveling and whimpering and pathetic. Like he's been ever since his stupid little human girlfriend died. Even before that, really, he's always been ridiculous and pathetic, and to think that there are some wolves from other packs who actually believe he should be the next alpha of the Hale Pack! Hah! As if he could ever be better than her! He's nothing, just a beta, nothing important, never will be…
Only, no, he's actually worse than nothing. Because it's all his fault! Because the pathetic little bastard decided to get in bed with a freaking Huntress, and told her all their secrets! He told her about the house, and the basement, and the escape tunnels; all secrets meant to keep the pack safe. Derek betrayed them all! And for what? A piece of ass?! Clearly he wanted to kill them, to kill her, he's probably been wanting to kill her all along, is jealous of her, because she's better than him, always has been and always will be! So Laura decided that enough was enough. Her mother clearly was too softhearted to do what was necessary, but Laura would ensure that the pack would be safe. She would make Derek pay for his betrayal! She considered outright killing him, when he was weeping and simpering at her feet, but in the end decided not to. While most of the pack probably wouldn't turn on her, Peter certainly would, and if there's someone Laura would rather not go against, that's Peter. She had no idea what her mother was thinking when she allowed him to get so much power, the man refuses to submit to her! She's the Alpha-proxy! He's supposed to follow her orders, to do what she says. But when half the time he just ignores her, and even when he does obey her, he always has this little smirk on his face… that makes Laura want to kick him out and run for the hills all at the same time. And Laura hates it! She's the alpha! She has the power! She shouldn't feel any sort of fear, especially not from a mere beta!
In the end she decided she'd find a way to deal with Peter, later. The priority was Derek. Making him pay for his betrayal to the pack. For putting their pack in danger… he might claim that he didn't know what he was doing, what she was. But that's stupid! They all know that Hunters are dangerous. Also, he should have learned his lesson after he chose to date a human the first time. Humans are weak, useless. So Laura decided she was going to punish her little brother, he'd serve as an example for the rest of the pack, no one would mess with the Hale Pack, and most definitely not with Laura Hale, ever again. She was going to make idiot Derek pay dearly, for betraying them, and also, for making her feel so afraid. She hates it! She's a wolf! A future alpha! She isn't supposed to feel fear!
She warned them, both him and Cora, more than once, of what she'd do if they didn't obey her. They probably thought she was joking, but she'll show them. She found the spell in a scroll deep in the big family vault, and a part of her always wanted to try it. That kind of power, being able to command an actual representation of death…? It'd be the perfect way to make Derek, his Hunter girlfriend, and everyone else involved pay. Who knew? There was even the chance she might get rid of Peter once and for all!
So she gathered the ingredients, ordered the pack to gather in the backyard of the burnt husk of what used to be their home (they've been living in a house they'd usually rent out, near downtown and Laura hates it so much…) and then she went through the ritual:
"Past, present, future, all / the time has come for me to call, / I call upon the one who rights, / the wrongs of those beyond my might, / By my blood and by my need, / come to us, I summon thee!" Her voice rose with each verse, to the point where, by the end of it she could almost feel her own bones rattling with the force of her own voice, of the magic she's summoning.
Then… for a moment nothing seemed to happen, nothing at all, not a sound, long enough that she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she'd done something wrong. Had she failed in this very important endeavor? Until she realized that there truly is no sound all around her, nothing seems to be making a sound at all, even the wind itself seems to have stopped blowing for several seconds and then… everything happens all at once.
"Laura…" A voice calls to her.
And that's her mother's (her alpha's) voice. She's back! But why does it, does she sound like that? Her voice so low, almost broken…
"What have you done?" The older woman is naked, mud, sticks and leaves on her tanned skin and usually lustrous raven-black hair.
What has she done?! What was necessary! She has called for justice, for punishment for all those who hurt the pack, who hurt her! For her stupid little brother, his bitch of a hunter girlfriend and everyone else who might have been involved in nearly burning her pack alive? Why doesn't her mother understand that?!
"Foolish brat…" Peter mutters, just loud enough for pretty much everyone to hear him.
"Shut up Peter!" The two females snap at him.
Peter rolls his eyes, however, before he can get the chance to either obey, or needle them further, all heads turn in the same direction: towards the dirt road that branches from the actual road in the preserve, and leads straight to the burnt Hale House. Peter's the first to identify the exact vehicle driving down the road, though as soon becomes obvious, he's not the only one.
"Peter, what did you do?" Talia demands of her brother as she slips on the long-coat one of her betas hands her, long enough for propriety.
"Nothing at all, dear sister." Peter answers in a drawl.
"Humans?!" Laura screeches. "Humans are coming. Have you betrayed us too?!"
"Oh shut up Laura, and speak not of what you cannot possibly comprehend." Peter snaps at her, and when Talia tries to chastise him he turns on her. "It's quite obvious that the brat has no idea of what she's just set in motion."
"I'm punishing the one who betrayed us all." Laura snarls. "Who fucked a huntress, told her our secrets and allowed her close enough to us so that she could try and murder us all."
Derek, standing on the very edge of the treeline, and already noticeably hunched-up, curls even further, as if trying to hide from the condemning looks of his sister and mother.
"He did what?!" Talia practically roars, furious.
"And tell me, Talia dear, how was he supposed to know that the bitch was a huntress?" Peter asks, voice dripping sarcasm. "When exactly did you teach him, or anyone really, to identify threats, be they hunters or anything else?"
"It's mere common sense!" Laura snaps.
"He shouldn't have been getting involved with a human." Talia states coldly. "It's like he learned absolutely nothing the first time."
Derek actually whines about that, the memory of Paige, of her fate, it still pains him. Peter growls in fury, and everyone but Laura seems honestly shocked that she'd say something like that. It's not like anyone in the pack is ignorant to how the loss of the girl has affected Derek. Whether they approved of the relationship or not, whatever they might think of his blue eyes, hie grief over the loss of her cannot be denied, and for Talia to mention it so callously…
"If someone's clearly learned nothing at all, that's you, Talia Hale." A new voice calls.
All eyes turn to the newcomers: There are two men: one in his late twenties, tall, with a strong build, lightly tanned skin, green eyes and brown hair; in a dark-gray cashmere sweater with black-jeans, black-leather boots and a black coat. The second man is in his mid-thirties, almost six feet tall (and still shorter than the first man, who's well past that), slightly tanner, blue eyes and brown hair; even in civilian clothing as he is right then, in a thick brown sweater, jeans and thick-soled boots, all the adults of the pack recognize him as the recently elected Sheriff, and what's more, as the very man who saved all their lives the day of the fire… Finally, with the two men are a couple of children, a girl and a boy who look to be not quite in their teens yet, both are fair skinned and brunette, though the girl's hair is long and in two braids, her eyes are blue and she's dressed in a sweater, jeans, boots and a heavy jacket on top; while the boy's hair is buzzed short, his eyes are a beseeching amber and he's wearing a red hoodie over an over-sized off-white sweatshirt, dark cargo-pants and sneakers.
What calls most attention from both Talia and Peter, is the fact that both men are armed, and while the sheriff's handgun on his waist isn't anything surprising, or particularly remarkable, the other man has two guns and (at least) a handful of blades on him, and more than one smells of a collection of herbs, wolfsbane included.
Talia reacts somewhat instinctively as she bares her teeth (not quite fangs, but still), flashing her alpha red eyes.
"Oh put those away," The taller man says dismissively. "We're not here for you…"
"You will not hurt my pack…" Talia hisses defensively.
"No, of course not, then it'd have been pointless saving you all last month…" The sheriff mutters under his breath.
"Noah…" Peter murmurs quietly.
Peter's at such a loss at the moment. Does… does Noah know? He must, with his complete lack of reaction to Talia's red-eyes. But then, does that mean he knows about Peter? How long? Did Claudia know? Why didn't they ever tell him?!
"Peter, I forbid you from saying anything!" Talia snarls.
The kids scoff, and the other man rolls his eyes, while Noah Stilinski looks straight at Talia, without the slightest fear or hesitation.
"He didn't tell me anything, he didn't need to." Noah points out. "You are aware, I hope that the Shadow World includes a lot more than just werewolves, yes? You might choose to isolate yourself and your pack to the point of making all of you vulnerable; most of us would rather be part of the world than pretend if it's not like us it doesn't exist."
"You're a Hunter." Talia snarls.
"No, spirits woman, use your senses!" Noah snaps. "I'm a spark!"
The way all but Peter blink at him with clear lack of understanding is rather telling and Noah almost wants to smack the alpha for not just being ignorant, but allowing her whole pack to be as well. But no, that's not what's brought them here.
"He's not a Hunter, though I am." The other man points out calmly. "I am Arek, and my protege: Alexis. However, we're not the ones you should be focusing on."
Three of the newcomers turn to look at the youngest in their group, which prompts the Hales to do the same. The kid for his part is staring straight at Laura, who ever so slowly starts to squirm at the very intense look.
"What do you want?!" She snaps eventually.
"It's not a matter of what I want." The kid states in a voice that sounds almost too serious for a boy as young as he must be. "You're the one who called, remember?"
More than one pair of eyes widen at that.
"You can't be…" Laura begins.
The boy pays her no mind, he wordlessly extends a hand to a side and the girl pulls from the inner pocket of her jacket a small dagger made of iron, with a slit in the middle, the length of the blade; the grip is covered in strips of black leather, and the handle is shaped like a rose, an English rose… the symbol of the Kemp Hunting Clan. The boy pulls the dagger out of its sheathe (black leather, with an English rose inlaid in gold), slipping the sheathe into an inside pocket of his hoodie and keeping the blade in hand as he approaches Laura.
Everyone in the pack seems to be in too much shock to even think of stopping him, and then he's standing in front of Laura:
"I am Mieczyslaw Jan Stilinski, only son of Noah Janusz Stilinski and Claudia Gajos Stilinski, formerly Klaudia Sabina Wójcik, only daughter of Mieczyslaw Wójcik." The boy declares as he slowly but surely draws the blade against the palm of his left hand. "I am the blood of the Faceless. I am Death's Servant… I am Death's Seneschal…" When enough blood has pooled on the palm of his hand he twists his wrist letting the blood fall right where Laura made her own spell, before sealing things with: "For Justice and Death."
"For Justice and Death." Arek, Alexis and Noah echo.
The silence extends for several seconds, it's as if everyone's waiting for someone else to speak, or perhaps it just that no one really knows what to say.
"What's going on here?" Talia demands.
She's profoundly rattled. Ever since the fire everything's gone wrong. Her pack was almost annihilated! Hunters attacked them! How did they dare do that?! The Hales are an ancient, powerful, peaceful pack! And they're supposed to have a Code! Her pack is innocent! How dare they attack?! She's furious, beyond furious even, it's almost enough to drive her crazy… Which is exactly why she left. When they managed to get out of the house, when she saw her den, her whole life, burning like that, and realized that she owed her life to a human, to the very man Peter's been trying to have read-in, claiming he's his mate… Mates don't exist! Her little brother should know better. And humans are in no way fit to be part of most packs, certainly not the Hale pack! Except he's not human, is he? And how come she didn't know that? Peter's lack of surprise tells her he most definitely did. And he didn't tell her! Why?!
"There was a Call to the Judgment of the Faceless." Arek informs her, all of them really.
"What does that even mean?" One of the younger wolves, on the other side of the backyard, asks just loudly enough to be heard.
The question makes the newcomers look at each other. They imagined that the wolves weren't fully aware of what they (or one of them at least) set into motion with that spell, but if they truly haven't the slightest idea of what's going on…
"In ancient times there existed the Faceless," It's Alexis who handles the explanation, after a little silent prompting from her tutor. "A cult of religious assassins who worshiped Death, calling it the Many-Faced-God; they claimed to be delivering the 'gift of death' whenever they'd kill someone. In the time since the Faceless have come to be thought of as a myth by most, those who believe they ever existed at all. A few though know better. The Faceless never ceased to exist, they just changed, with the times, and the peoples. Their ideals evolved as well, from a worship solely of Death, to one of Justice and Death. The Servants of Death, is what they're known as now.. They're the ones who will protect those no one else may, those misunderstood, believed to be monsters; from those no one else would dare go against."
"Like Hunters…" At least two of the Hales murmur in understanding.
"Why didn't they come before?" Talia demands. "Why now? When it's already too late?"
"Too late?" Peter scoffs. "Too late for what? No one is dead Talia, stop being melodramatic! And how were they supposed to know something was coming when even we didn't know?"
"You should have known!" Talia snaps at him. "It's what you're supposed to do, see the threats before they get to us!"
Peter opens his mouth when, unexpectedly, someone else speaks up in his defense.
"And what threats was he supposed to find in Colorado?" It's Noah, and all eyes turn to him instantly. "How was he supposed to find out anything about threats in your territory when you kept sending him away on pointless errands?"
"You know nothing…" Talia practically snarls, eyes flashing bright red. "How dare you…?!"
"Oh, put those away!" Noah drawls. "They mean absolutely nothing to me. You're not my alpha. You have no power over me. Now stop acting like a little girl who didn't get the new doll she wanted and focus on your pack. I think you've abandoned them for long enough, haven't you?"
Talia looks like she's about to blow-up, possibly even literally, but once again, she's interrupted.
"Laura Ava Hale did a spell, with which she called the Faceless to impart Judgment." The boy, who's commonly known as Stiles, announces. "It was the spell that called me here, as the only remaining Wójcik alive, it falls onto me to handle things."
"How can you?" Laura demands. "You know nothing! You're human!"
"Of human I have very little." Stiles chuckles, it's not a nice laugh. "And knowledge or lack thereof matter very little. I'm not the one judging you, Death is, I'm just her Mouth, so-to-speak, as her future Seneschal." He tilts his head to a side. "And I can tell you, you're wrong."
"What?!" Laura hisses, she hates it when people tell her she's wrong, about anything.
"You think that you get to choose who's judged, and who isn't." Stiles explains, paying no mind to her posturing or her anger. "You think you can use me to punish your brother, and then send me away. But Laura Hale, Death is not for you to command. From the moment you placed the blood on that crystal, the die was cast."
"It's Derek's blood, not mine, or anyone else's!" Laura insists.
Peter actually rolls his eyes, wondering if his niece is truly that stupid.
"Yes, and you're all family by blood, are you not?" Stiles points out the obvious. "You're all Hale Pack. Even those who might not have been born as such. The blood of one, is the blood of all. So you're all subject to Death's Judgment now."
"That's… that's not what I wanted." Laura's voice shakes slightly as it hits her. "I… I don't think I want this anymore."
"Didn't I just say? Death isn't for you to command." Stiles reminds her. "From the moment you set things into motion it was too late to stop it. Judgment begins, now." He straightens up: "Laura Ava Hale, step forth and be judged."
"No," She childishly refuses to even get on her feet. "This isn't what I asked for. I want Derek punished. I won't do what you want and you cannot make me."
"Suit yourself," Stiles shrugs, it doesn't really make a difference to him, whether she's kneeling or standing. "Laura Hale, you were chosen by the current Hale Alpha to one day inherit her spark, to one day be The Hale Alpha, why?"
"Don't know, don't care." Laura shrugs. "And it's none of your business anyway."
"I suppose that's true." Stiles agrees. "Much as I'd like to focus on the fact that all you care about regarding the Alpha position is the power it'd give you, the ability to command others. The fact that you're childish and immature and have none of the qualities expected of someone who's supposed to not just lead and protect a pack, but also stand guard over a territory, particularly one where a Nemeton, the oldest of all even, stands… I suppose it is not my place to impart judgment for that. And if it ever became necessary you wouldn't be the one held responsible, as you're not, in fact, Alpha."
"I will be, one day." She snarls at him, ignoring the fact that she doesn't, actually, want to be Alpha, not anymore, a no-name will not come and tell me what she can and cannot be!
"For the sake of both your pack and the territory, I hope not." Stiles says stoically, then with a low, half-inaudible sigh he spins around, intentionally turning his back on the she-wolf, ignoring her snarl as he focuses on his duty once again: "Derek Samuel Hale, step forth and be judged."
Because his back is to Laura he doesn't see the moment her expression changes from furious to gleeful, though everyone else does. Peter actually looks like he's going to try and interfere, until he suddenly feels a hand on his wrist. He knows it is Noah before he even turns to look at the other man; a part of him wonders when the man got so close to him (and how didn't he notice?!), the greater part of him though is completely focused on his nephew, and Noah's son…
"Everything will be alright…" Noah whispers, pressing himself close enough to the werewolf to speak into his ear, to ensure he alone will hear him.
Peter actually shivers, though whether it's due to the words, the voice, or the feel of Noah's warm breath against his neck… his wolf whimpers pitifully in the back of his head.
Derek swallows as he steps forth. He's considerably taller than the young Stilinski boy, and going by instinct alone, he drops to his knees before him gracefully, so as to put them at a more even height. The boy… there's a word in the back of his mind, it's not his name, or at least, not the name he used when sealing the ritual but… it's like it's there but he just cannot reach it, like some kind of elusive memory…
'I am sorry'… the words are only mouthed, but Derek picks up on them and… they don't change anything, he knows. Whatever's coming it's going to hurt, but he knew it would from the get go, didn't he? From the moment Laura told him she was going to summon the Faceless to punish him for his betrayal… So many times she threatened both him and Cora with such a thing, whenever they didn't do whatever she wanted, or didn't do it promptly enough for her tastes, or didn't show her the deference she believed she deserved… in other words, whenever she had an excuse. Even then, he never expected her to actually do it. Though he supposes he shouldn't be surprised, he did betray his pack, after all. Maybe, maybe this is how things are meant to be. Maybe once he's paid for his crimes he'll finally be at peace; he'll probably also be dead, but he's mostly accepted that, at least. He only feels bad for the kid, he looks so young, it doesn't seem right to put such a burden on him, of his judgment, and then carrying out the sentence.
"You dated the human girl, Paige Krasikeva?" Stiles begins, voice perfectly even, as he makes sure to hide how much he doesn't want to be doing this… yet it's his duty, and so he'll do it.
"Yes," Derek feels a pressure, some imperative to answer and does so promptly, at the same time he blanches, he wasn't expecting them to start with that… though he supposes it's only right. It all began with Paige, after all, with him murdering her…
"You killed Paige Krasikeva?" Stiles asks next, though they both know the answer already.
"Yes," Derek answers anyway.
They can both hear the derisive comments from more than one pack-member (starting with Laura), as well as Peter's quiet whine, yet pay none of them any attention.
"Why?" Stiles asks next, head tilted to a side.
"I…" A part of Derek wonders if he truly doesn't know, thinks it'd unlikely, which means that he wants him to say it, for some reason. "She asked me to. Ennis bit her against her will…" Once he starts, it's like he cannot stop, as she lets it all out, the explanations no one before has ever been willing to listen to. "I just wanted her to know the truth about me. I loved her so much! And I wanted to be able to share that part of me with her. It… it didn't feel right, to be with her, when I wasn't being completely honest. Relationships don't work when there is no honesty…" It sounds almost like he's quoting someone. "But instead of reading her in, of explaining things to her, Ennis just… he bit her. Against her will! And then… and then the bite didn't take! She was in so much pain…" He laughs then, a dark, painful laugh. "And it was all for nothing! She knew about me already! She knew what I am and she didn't care. She loved me! And she was bitten against her will, and it didn't take and she was in so much pain…" He's crying now, thick tears falling down his cheeks and sobs that make it harder for him to speak but he keeps going: "She asked me to… she… she said please…" His whine is so deep it sounds almost like a howl. "So I ended it. I ended her pain…"
Cora and one other member of the pack are crying silently at the story. Peter himself isn't crying, but he's just as affected, cursing himself for not getting there on time, to rescue the girl, to stop Ennis, or at the very least, to keep his nephew from having to bear such a burden…
"Yes, you did." Stiles agrees, eyes bright with tears he refuses to let fall. "You gave her a gift Derek. The gift of death…" The boy extends a hand, tracing a single finger under each of the wolf's eyes: "The guilt of Paige Krasikeva's death is not for you to carry…"
Derek flashes his wolf eyes, just for a moment, almost reflexively; and Peter could have sworn that just for an instant, a fraction of a second, his blue eyes turned gold… they go back to blue so fast he isn't sure he saw things right and yet…
"You dated another human woman, what was her name?" Stiles asks next, then, before Derek can answer, he revises: "Not the name others might have told you is hers, but the name she gave you as hers when you knew her…"
"Katie Vermeil…" Derek answers honestly.
"The French teacher?" One of the betas asks, surprised.
"She was also the swim-coach…" Noah points out, apropos of nothing.
"The swim…" Peter repeats, when it suddenly hits him. "The chlorine…"
Noah doubts it'd have made much of a difference, really, he's quite certain Alpha Hale never trained any of the younger betas to pick up on the scents that meant danger: like wolfsbane, mistletoe, wintergreen… but still, the fact remains that the woman had a plan in place to hide any scent that could have possibly given away her status as a Huntress…
"A woman, in her twenties, working as a teacher and swim-coach in the high-school showed interest in you, did anyone notice?" Stiles very carefully enlists the facts, she wants everyone to face what happened; what they, in a greater or lesser way, let happen.
"Laura did, somewhat." Derek admits. "Told me I was a fool if I thought a woman like her would be interested in me. I… I felt good. Knowing she was interested. That Laura was wrong…"
"You told no one you were dating." It's not actually a question, and while it might not be exactly important for the judgment, Stiles is taking certain liberties to drive the point home.
"No," Derek shakes his head. "No one other than Peter ever supported me with Paige, so I saw no point in telling them."
"She knew about you being a wolf, but you never told her." Again, not a question.
"She said she was part of a minor hunting family, but that she'd left because of a disagreement with her brother, that they had very different viewpoints regarding Hunting." Which was actually very much the truth. "I… I liked her knowing. Liked not having to hide though…" He shifts, uncomfortable. "She didn't like it. She said it was okay but sometimes… sometimes it seemed like she really, really didn't like my wolf."
"And still you went and fucked her?" Laura asks derisively. "How stupid do you have to be? How utterly pathetic and…"
Stiles waves a hand in an almost dismissive gesture and Laura suddenly finds herself unable to say a word. Still, the damage's done, as is obvious by the way Derek's gone back to hunching in on himself. Even if he had been physically beaten he could not have possibly looked worse!
"Derek…" Stiles murmurs, voice so soft, so gentle.
"She was… she was there." Derek admits with a quiet whine. "When Paige died and I was so lost, and mo… my alpha sent Peter away, and Laura was always tormenting me, and no one in the pack wanted to be around me because of my blue eyes… she was there. And she seemed to like me, most of the time. She didn't always like my wolf, but I thought it was just because of how she was raised or… or that my issues with control, since Paige's death… that it was just that. She was nice to me! She wasn't supposed to try and kill my pack!"
"No, no she wasn't." Stiles nods, returning to his formal attitude. "Derek Hale, the guilt for the fire that destroyed the Hale Pack House, that could have killed most of the pack, is not on you. Kate Argent's actions are not on you. The woman is a Huntress, a predator of the worst kind, an ephebophile, and before the sun sets, she will die."
At the same time he says that Stiles abruptly raises a hand. Alexis whistles then, and a moment later they can all hear the scuffle.
"What's going on?" Talia demands.
As if in answer to her question four individuals dressed all in dark jeans, shirts, heavy green-gray jackets and thick-soled boots, with an array of weapons each and smelling of gunpowder and herbs crossed the tree-line, they were shepherding a fifth person, this one clearly a woman, blue-eyed blonde in a skin-tight top, dark-leather pants, jacket and boots to match.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She snarls at the hunters around her. "Who the hell do you think you are?! I am the Matriarch of the Argent Clan!"
"Are you?" Arek asks in a perfectly deadpan tone. "Because last I checked it was Gerard calling the shots, and you were nothing more than his weapon."
"You answer to me!" Kate demands.
"No, they don't." Alexis steps in. "They answer to me."
"And who the hell are you brat?" Kate says derisively.
"Alexis Bellona Kemp, soon-to-be Matriarch of the Kemp Hunting Clan." Alexis announces, completely calm.
"The Kemp don't come to America." Kate says in disbelief.
"We didn't use to, that's right." Alexis agrees evenly. "We also used to believe the American Argents to be honorable. Such has proven not to be the case."
"What would you know about honor?" Kate snaps at her. "Standing among beasts instead of slaying them! I at least still know my duty!"
"I do too." Alexis replies. "The duty is to protect, not to kill indiscriminately. You've forgotten that, Katherine Argent, if you ever knew it. Regardless, you've been found guilty of eight counts of attempted murder, and many more of outright murder, as well as several counts of statutory rape, torture… and the list goes on and on."
"You cannot kill me." The blonde's actually smiling as she says that. "My people would destroy you if you tried."
"I won't kill you," Alexis agrees. "Though it has nothing to do with any threats. If your father, or any other Argents even think about coming after us they'll be destroyed. Plain and simple. They might still be, depending on how complicit they are with you and your crimes. But no, your fate is not in my hands." She turns to Stiles. "Seneschal…"
"My thanks, Lady Kemp," Stiles nods formally. "If your men could secure her. I'll deal with the matter once the ritual is over."
Alexis nods and at her signal one of her hunters knocks Kate out and then they carry her away.
"What… what the hell was that?!" Talia demands.
"That was us dealing with things." Alexis informs him. "Now, our Seneschal has business that must be finished."
"Derek Samuel Hale," Stiles calls, once more turning to focus on Derek. "Katherine Argent will pay for her crimes against you, and for her attempted crimes against your blood. Just like Alan Deaton has already been made to pay…"
"Alan…?" Talia demands. "What have you done to my Emissary?!" Talia demands.
"His fate was not for me to decide." Stiles informs her. "The High Druidess of North America saw fit to take matters into her own hands where he's concerned."
"And considering that his crimes included poisoning the local Nemeton, attempting to steal power from it, attempting to bind the Hale pack to himself, to bind my son's powers, as well as selling rare strains of wolfsbane, mistletoe, foxglove and vervain to dozens of hunters; and finally, selling mountain ash also to hunters, including the very same that was used to trap you and your pack in your house when it was set on fire… maybe you could be a little more grateful." Noah states in a drawl.
"What?!" Peter roars, then focuses on Talia. "I told you! I told you that fucking so-called Druid wasn't to be trusted! How the hell am I supposed to be an effective left-hand when you either send me away or simply ignore my warnings?!"
Stiles pays no mind to what's going on with the pack, or at least, with most of them, his whole attention is on Derek, and on what he, with his magic, is perceiving in the beta.
"You have been wronged," The boy murmurs quietly as he extends a hand, almost but not quite touching the wolf. "Your trust betrayed, time and time again. Especially by one who ought to have protected you, to have been your mother as much as she claimed to be your alpha."
"I am the alpha!" Talia snarls.
"You are, but are you a mother?" Noah's the one to speak up, tone clearly challenging. "A sister? Somehow I don't think so."
Before Talia has the chance to retort to the (not-so-)veiled accusation Stiles moves his hand, fast, he taps Derek's temple several times in quick succession, and each time there's a sound, like something metallic, breaking. After the last one Derek actually doubles over, curling in on himself as if in pain, before arching up and letting out a near-deafening howl.
"I'm sorry for the pain," Stiles whispers softly. "I promise it'll be worth it. Be at peace, and free of guilt that was never yours to start with."
When the young wolf's eyes finally open after the howl, his eyes are flashing… gold. And Peter's not the only one to notice.
"What the hell?!" Several of the betas exclaim.
"That's impossible…" Zachery, the father of Talia's children murmurs in disbelief.
"Not impossible, just rare." Arek murmurs. "The 'murder blues' have never been such, not really. They are never caused by the killing, but by the guilt the wolf feels for that death. It doesn't even matter if they have anything to do with it, not really. I've known wolves who've killed dozens, their eyes never being anything but gold, and young wolves who've never spilled a drop of blood with blue eyes…"
"That's bullshit!" Laura snaps. "Derek killed! His human girlfriend! He admitted it right here!"
"He was as guilty of that girl's death as a veterinarian might be when putting down a horse with a badly injured leg. Sometimes death is preferable to endless pain…" Stiles says quietly. "Death is not an enemy to be defeated. It's as much a part of life as life itself. It is… regretful, that Derek had to be the one to do it. But his actions were an act of mercy, not of violence, not a crime."
Derek bows his head, grateful. He doesn't know how to explain it, Peter and Cora both told him before that he was no to blame, and he could never believe them, not completely. Maybe it was Laura's condemnation, his mother's disappointment, or perhaps his father's continued silence. But now… he does feel that he's not to blame. Not for Paige's death, and not for Kate's actions. He's, truly, at peace. And there's something else, in the back of his mind… when Laura insulted him just now he couldn't help but think of the first time she did so, and he suddenly remembered him and Peter hiding in some kind of cellar when he was very young and his uncle still a teenager; he remembers them ending there after hunters attacked them for no reason in the woods. He also remembers Laura mocking him when they finally got back home, making fun of the fact that he needed his mom to save him… The real shock though is that he's quite sure he had no memory of it, any of it, until just a few minutes ago…
"Talia Hale, step forth and be judged." Stiles calls as he takes a quarter turn and focuses straight on the alpha.
The alpha stares at the boy, as if trying to show some sort of superiority, or intimidate him; she clearly knows it's pointless to try and avoid what's coming, her daughter went and did something stupid and now they'll all pay for it; but that doesn't mean she'll ever recognize any sort of authority of anyone, especially not a human child, over her!
"Talia Hale, Alpha of the Hale Pack and of the Beacon Territory, in the name of Justice and Death you're called to answer for the breaking of your oaths." Stiles calls, his voice slightly layered; echoing, as if for a moment it isn't just him speaking.
There's a sharp inhale as everyone in the clearing is left in shock at that.
"What…?!" Talia cries out, clearly not expecting that. "I haven't broken any oaths!"
"Did you or did you not swear an oath to guard the territory?" Stiles questions, the echo gone from his voice, but not the power.
"I did swear." Talia answers. "And I…"
"And did you or did you not agree that Alpha Ennis Browne should be allowed to seek vengeance for the loss of his Beta, while in your territory, with the knowledge that any possible conflict between him and the Hunters would potentially risk those who inhabit your territory?" The boy speaks over her, voice hard and cold.
"I…" Talia's clearly not entirely sure how to respond to that. "Ennis deserved his vengeance. The beta lost was his nephew, his chosen heir. He deserved to make the Hunters who took the boy from him pay."
"He did," Stiles agrees, which only seems to throw her. "And what did the people in your territory, under your care, deserve? By your leave, Ennis Browne went hunting for his enemies in your own territory. Your people are not just the wolves in your pack, Alpha Hale. All who inhabit in your territory are meant to be under your protection: that includes all supernatural creatures, and all humans, whether magical or mundane." He pauses, giving everyone a moment to grasp the implications of that, before getting to the point. "By your leave, Ennis Browne was allowed to attack whoever he considered his enemy. What's more, it was your words that made it so he believed himself with the right to select someone to become a new Beta, one that'd take the place of his old one. And he selected Paige Krasikeva. A young, human mundane was bitten against her will, rejected the bite, and died, because you believed Ennis Browne had the right to do as he wished, in your own territory."
It's quite clear, by everyone's shocked expression, that no one's ever seen things in that particular light. And to think they're just getting started…
"And what justice was Paige Krasikeva granted? Or her family?" Stiles pushes. "Left to believe that their beloved child went running in the woods, fell and broke her neck? And Ennis Browne still walks free. What justice is there in that, Alpha Hale?"
"They're human…" Talia begins.
"And that makes them less-deserving of justice than you?" Stiles cuts her off. "Than Ennis Browne? I'm not saying the Krasikevas needed to know about the existence of the Shadow World, but they deserved more than the belief that their daughter died in some bizarre accident. And beyond any possible knowledge or lack thereof, their family, their dead child, deserve justice for the innocent life lost…"
Stiles lets the silence continue for several seconds so they'll all have the chance to absorb the words, their importance. He's also giving Talia a chance to show some regret for her actions, to offer to make amends. She doesn't.
"Talia Hale," He continues when it becomes obvious Talia won't take the chance being offered to her. "Did your or did you not allow a Peace Summit to take place in your territory?"
"I did," Talia states, chin jutted out in pride. "There was nothing wrong with that. It was a Peace Summit after all."
"Truth, yet you suspected it would fail." Stiles reminds her. "Told Alpha Deucalion thus."
"Gerard Argent wasn't one to seek peace." Talia states simply.
"No, he wasn't." Stiles agrees. "And yet you let the Summit take place, in your territory. Knowing from the start the object wouldn't be achieved. Knowing the risk of a confrontation between the Hunters and the packs was high. You put your territory, and the people you're meant to protect, at risk… again."
Much as he might want to blame the mess with the Nemeton on Talia, he knows that one isn't on her. It's on Alan Deaton, who's already paid for his crime, and on Talia's father, who's already dead and beyond Stiles's reach (but not beyond Death's). Even the Nogitsune they found in the roots of the tree cannot be blamed on him. Though he doesn't actually know who's to blame for that, Miss Sasaki took the trapped Void Kitsune with her to Japan, promising to stay in touch with Sophia. So Stiles is sure he'll hear when they finally have answers to those questions.
He cannot help but wonder, how different things would have been, if his dad hadn't had that sudden urge to go into the preserve for no apparent reason, a month ago. If Stiles himself hadn't insisted on tagging along. If Arek and Alexis hadn't been in town already, delivering some keepsakes and to repeat their condolences for the deaths of his mom, the year prior, and his dziadek (grandpa), earlier that very month. Sophia was in town already as well, having dropped everything and gotten on the first plane to Beacon Hills she could find when the news of the Seneschal's Death reached her. Stiles isn't sure they'd have been able to save the Hales, to put a stop to Deaton, to even realize how dangerous the situation with the Nemeton was, if they hadn't all been in town at the same time. And of course, it was Alexis's people who captured Kate…
"My Lord," Peter calls respectfully as he bows his head respectfully.
"Peter Hale," Stiles addresses him. "A request, have you?"
"I request leave to go after Ennis Browne." Peter explains.
"What prompts your desire to hunt him?" Stiles questions, though he has some idea.
In the background Talia snaps something about her being the Alpha, not the kid, but neither of them pay her any mind.
"Justice for the Krasikevas, and safety not just for our territory, but for all." Peter answers honestly. "You're right. Ennis should have never been allowed to act as he did while in Beacon Hills, and he certainly should have been made to pay for what he did to that girl. I cannot undo the evil that's been done already, but I can seek to make amends, and ensure no one else will die because of him."
"You have Death's leave and blessing to act." Stiles nods, his eyes go black for a moment before he adds: "If during your hunt you come across a scarred woman, by the name of Julia Baccari, tell her Death will bless her and aid her in her pursuits, as long as no innocent blood is spilled in her quest. She will aid you if you aid her, and together the two of you will be able to stop much darkness before it can fully gain form."
"I'll do it." Peter nods.
He returns to his spot next to Noah for the time being, though a part of him is already starting to plan how he'll find this Julia Baccari, and what connection she might have to his own Hunt.
"Is that it?" Talia asks in a lofty tone, like some high-society lady who believes she's too good for what's going on but too polite to send them away.
"Know this Talia Hale, your attitude means nothing to me." Stiles states evenly. "You're not my alpha. You're nothing to me."
She could have been. If she'd cared to bring into her pack more than wolves, more than those she found convenient. And then Death whispers something into her ear and the boy's eyes go wide, just for a moment.
"I am the Alpha of this territory!" The she-wolf retorts, defensively.
"You don't even know what that means!" Noah's the one to snap at her. "I bet you have no idea who and what even lives in your territory!"
"Shut up!" Talia snarls.
Noah snorts, and the two Hunters just huff in dismissal.
"If you want to keep living in my territory you will obey me!" Talia hisses.
"Or what?" Stiles asks in a deceptively low, very controlled, tone of voice. "You'll use your Alpha roar on us? And when that fails, because like we've said, we're not wolves, then what? Will you use your claws, rip out our most troublesome memories to make us more compliant?"
"What…?" Noah's horrified at the very idea.
"She wouldn't dare…" Alexis mutters, hand hovering over her crossbow.
Arek says nothing but his expression says enough, he does believe Talia very much capable of something like that.
"How many times, Talia Hale?" Stiles goes on. "How many times have you buried your claws in the back of your own betas' necks and stolen their memories to ensure their compliance? How many of them have you denied their mates? Their children? Their own choices?!"
"I Am The Alpha!" Talia roars. "Betas are supposed to obey their alpha."
"Just like the Alpha is supposed to guide, protect, and nurture their betas, not just order them around." Stiles points out, seemingly entirely unaffected by Talia's roars. "You don't deserve your pack, Talia Hale."
"You cannot take them from me!" Talia snarls.
"No, I cannot." Stiles agrees, however, before Talia can howl her victory, he adds: "But I can and will right the wrongs you've committed against them all."
He doesn't give her the chance to say anything, try and fight it, or make him stop, nothing at all. The boy's eyes go all black abruptly and then he's on the move. He's fast, too fast for even most wolves to follow. Talia doesn't even feel the touch, though she certainly feels the consequences: like a tearing, inside her head, and at her core, in the source of all the bonds to her pack.
It takes but a few seconds for the boy's actions to become obvious, as all her betas start howling and snarling and cursing her.
"The Faceless was called, Judgment has been passed." Stiles declares, one eye still black on black, the other his usual amber-brown on white. "It is done. For Justice and Death."
It might not have been the most traditional judgment, no official sentences were passed (though there's no doubt there will be consequences, especially with the last thing Stiles did). Will it be enough? He doesn't know. He hopes so.
"For Justice and Death." Noah, Arek and Alexis echo.
Stiles approaches his dad, and the other two as they prepare to take their leave.
"Mischief…?" A quiet voice calls.
Stiles reacts almost viscerally to the use of that name. He spins around, lightning sparking a bit on the tips of his fingers as he comes face to face with the speaker: none other than Derek Hale!
"That's you, isn't it?" The young wolf asks quietly.
"How do you know that name?" The boy asks, voice a bit hoarse due to the mix of emotions.
"It's… it's what she called you." Derek explains quietly. "Your… your mom…"
"What?!" Stiles isn't the only one shocked by that.
"I saw you, in a park in town, over a year ago." Derek tells them all, though his eyes never leave Stiles. "You were on a swing, seemed to be having a lot of fun. And when she called to you that it was time to leave, that's what she called you, Mischief…"
"When he was little, he couldn't pronounce his own name." Noah explains softly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, entirely ignoring the boy's mutter of 'who ever thought it was a good idea to name him something 99% of the people cannot begin to pronounce…'. "The closest he could get was 'Mischief', Claudia decided it fit him quite well, so she took to calling him that."
"But that's not what you're called now…" Derek's noticed that too.
"No, I go by Stiles now." The boy says simply.
He doesn't explain why, and Derek doesn't ask. It seems obvious enough, at least to him.
"Did you need something, son?" Noah asks him next.
"I…" Derek hesitates, second-guessing himself, will they think he's confused? Insane? Maybe depraved? He's not Kate! He swears he's not!
"Derek…?" Stiles tilts his head to a side, staring at the wolf, as if trying to see through him.
"Do you need help?" The wolf blurts out in the end. "With… with Kate?"
"Unfortunately Kate is something I've gotta deal with myself." Stiles tells him quietly. "Death demands the Gift be given to her. This is not the kind of job I can leave to anyone else."
"But aren't you… well, too young for this?" Derek tries his best to explain his thought. "It just… it doesn't feel right, to leave you to carry that burden."
"I'm to be the Seneschal of Death," The boy reminds him softly. "This, my taking a life for Justice and Death, is something that would have happened sooner or later."
"And couldn't it be later?" Derek presses, then revises. "I'm not saying you let Kate go! But cannot someone else deal with her. If you'll end up having to do something like this sooner or later, it cannot wait until later? You're young still, you deserve to be a child for a little longer."
"Not just anyone can do this." Stiles does his best to explain things to him. "Even a Servant wouldn't be enough. Not with someone who's been Judged the way she has."
"And cannot you choose some kind of… of proxy, or a deputy, or something like that?" Derek knows it's a little insane, but he just cannot help but keep pushing.
"I could choose a Hand but… it's not that easy." Stiles shakes his head.
"Why not?" Derek wants to know.
"Because for it to be effective, my Hand would have to be bound to me." Stiles clarifies. "Tight enough for them to be considered basically as a part of me. That kind of bind is intense, invasive and very permanent. As much, if not more than a mating bond."
Derek took a moment to fully grasp that, though his choice was made already.
"I'll do it." He announces, not an ounce of hesitation in his voice.
"What…?" It's clear none of the humans expected that.
"I'll be your Hand." Derek confirms.
"Son, you do not have to do that." Noah tells him quietly. "As much as I may hate this facet of things, as much as I may wish it weren't necessary, I know what it means for my son to be the next Seneschal of Death. This isn't something you need to take upon yourself…"
"I know that," Derek nods calmly. "I'm still willing."
"I… why would you do that?" Stiles finally manages to ask. "You… do you understand what it'd mean? For you to be my Hand? You'd be bound to me, permanently. And because of who and what I am, this is one bond even death wouldn't be able to break. This… I cannot promise you what kind of life you'd have, if you did this. Your pack, your mate, I'm not sure they'd even be able to accept something like this…"
"I'm leaving the Hale Pack." Derek says quietly. "After what Laura did, and what we just found out M… Alpha Hale has been doing all this time… I don't trust them. Either of them. I cannot have them as my alpha. I could seek some other pack. Though the kind of bond that'd go into being your Hand might just be enough to keep me anchored. And if you and your father are willing to allow me to stay close…"
"Of course, Derek it's not that, it's…" Noah exhales. "Are you sure this is what you want to do? What about your future? Your… your match?" He shakes his head. "Mate, match, the point remains. What about them?"
"I…" Derek knows they won't just let it go, so he decides to be honest. "Stiles is my mate sir. That's… I knew it from the first time I saw him. That's… that's why…"
"That's why Talia took your memories." Arek deduces.
"Yeah, I think so, I… she doesn't really believe in mates so…" Derek shrugs as best he can. "I swear to you, I would never try to force anything! I know the age difference is… I'm not like Kate, I promise you I'm not, I…"
"Derek, son, easy!" Noah does his best to calm the teenager down. "It's okay, I know you're nothing like her."
"Kate Argent's a monster, you're not." Alexis says, rather succinctly.
"I… okay," Stiles nods. "If that's truly what you want. I'll take you as my Hand. The rest… we'll see where things go from there."
Derek nods vehemently. It's like he said already, he won't try to force anything, not now, not ever. If, once Stiles is grown, he's interested, they'll see where their relationship goes. For now Derek's more than happy to be his friend, and Hand…
xXx
Kate's sacrificed to the Nemeton by Derek Hale, as his first act as the Hand of Death. He's a bit surprised upon realizing that he doesn't feel anything at all regarding his actions. No regret and no guilt. Kate was a Huntress, and more than that, she was a monster. She used him, would have killed his family if given the chance; just like she's already killed others. He did what he had to do in order to protect others, innocents. He took no pleasure in his actions (he's not about to start killing for no reason), but he doesn't feel guilty for doing what he knows was necessary to ensure the safety of others. His eyes remain gold…
Arek takes it upon himself to notify the Argents of Kate's fate. It goes unsaid but fully understood that he will be dealing with Gerard as well, and the rest of that Clan will probably be put under close observation at least for the next decade, to ensure they do not got down the same path.
Peter leaves that very night, returning a month later, with red eyes and a story about Deucalion going nuts, wanting to create some sort of pack made entirely out of alphas; of the two alphas he managed to convince to follow in his footsteps, annihilating their whole packs… he also tells them the story of Julia Baccari, the Emissary of one of those alphas, who was almost killed and only survived due to the magic in the Nemeton. Apparently she took Peter's words to heart, teamed-up with him and together they killed Ennis, Deucalion, and her own former alpha: Kali. Julia fell dead the moment the fight was over, her last words a request that Peter pass on her thanks, for being given the chance and the help to take her Vengeance.
"What are you planning to do now?" Noah asks after they all share dinner.
"Well, that depends entirely on you, I guess." Peter shrugs a bit.
Noah arches a brow.
"I'm not going back to the Hale Pack, for a lot of reasons, beyond the most obvious one." That being that he doesn't actually need to, being an alpha himself now.
"I didn't think you would." Noah replies. "Will you establish your own territory some place else? Or do you plan on taking it from Talia? I suppose it depends entirely on what your priorities…"
"I don't care at all about Talia!" Peter snaps.
"Peter…" Noah begins.
"Do you want me?" The wolf finally blurts out. "I… I know I messed things up, royally, time and time again in the past. I… I wanted so much to be here, for you, and for Clau, and when she died, but with Talia's alpha-edicts, and then her sending me away; and I didn't want to leave Derek and Cora behind, the way Talia treated them, they needed to have someone on their side and…"
His tirade gets cut off when Noah's suddenly there and he pulls the wolf towards him, capturing his mouth in a brief, but very intense kiss.
"Are you sure?" Peter demands when they break off. "I need you to be sure Noah. Because once I have you I'm not giving you up. I swear I…"
The spark cuts him off with yet another kiss, this one longer.
When they eventually separate, pupils dilated with lust and panting for breath, Peter seems to be considering saying something when they're interrupted.
"Get a room!" It's Stiles calling from the living-room. "Der says you're stinking the place up!"
Peter can vaguely hear his nephew whining about him not having said that, and Stiles giggling. He says nothing though, completely focused on Noah's hand in his as the older man guides him up the stairs and straight to his bedroom. And well… that's that.
"Are you happy?" Derek asks his young (thus far platonic) mate quietly.
"Ecstatic." Stiles answers brightly as he cuddles against the teenager.
And what's there not to be happy about? They're in peace, the territory is secured. His dad's happy, and so's Peter. Stiles knows plans are already being made to get Cora out of the Hale pack and to theirs. Stiles seriously doubt Talia will be putting up much of a fight. She's having a hard enough time keeping her pack as it is, what with so many of its members choosing to switch packs. Unsurprising, after all her past actions, her crimes against her own pack, were revealed. Stiles seriously doubts the Hale Pack will endure another generation. Even if Laura stays, she'll never be an Alpha (Death made sure of that). And maybe that's how it has to be, maybe it's time for a new pack to rule and guard over the territory… The Stilinski Pack has a nice ring to it…
So, what do you think? Am I insane or what? (Well, I very much know I'm insane, but I also believe that's a separate matter).
If anyone's interested, remember how in one of the first pieces (I think it was "Choices") Stiles makes a comment about a twelve-year-old hitting harder (than Gerard)? Yeah, that was Alexis. (She and Stiles would have met the summer after Claudia died, with her being 12 and he 11-going-on-12) I didn't have the chance to go into her whole story in this (as going into it would have broken the flow of the fic), she's Arek's niece. I imagine the Kemps being a Hunting Clan that specializes in demons and other dark creatures. The last matriarch, all of her children are dead; all she has left are several grandchildren, most of whom aren't even Hunters. Arek's her grandson, however, because he's a servant, he cannot be a Hunter as well (oaths were sworn), so instead he offered to train the only child of one of his sisters, Alexis, who volunteered to take up the Hunter life and become the next Matriarch (there are others interested in being hunters, but not leading). I imagine her and Stiles learning a lot about fighting together and becoming close friends (and her cursing in the future about her duties and how if she weren't Matriarch she'd be there with Stiles when everything goes down in Beacon Hills). I suppose, in a sense, she's what Allison could/should have been.
Thanks for reading, please don't forget to review/comment, maybe like/kudo and perhaps even favorite/bookmark! As always, there's blanket permission if anyone would like to make a sequel, prequel, sidestory, remix, translation, fanart, podfic, etc.
Now, regarding the future of this series/collection. I'm taking a break. Switching to a different fandom for a few months. That doesn't mean this is over, it's not. I have every intention of coming back to this series in a few months. Have some ideas already for future pieces, just nothing concrete enough to have actually gotten to write a full One-Shot for it yet. You're welcome to say which you're most interested in, or if you have any other ideas:
* I've been asked to write one that takes off at the very start of the series. So I have this idea of something (either the Argents' arrival, Laura's, Peter's awakening, or something else entirely) calling Stiles's attention and making him decide to act before things can go nuts. (Suppose it can be considered pre-Canon even, but regardless). Tentative title: Heir Apparent.
* Ever since I wrote the prelude I've had this idea in my head, what if the Stilinskis found out what was really going on with Claudia, early enough to do something about it. Claudia still wouldn't want to be Seneschal herself, but I have this image of Noah offering to act in her stead, and having introduced the concept of the 'Hand of Death' in this very piece...
* Someone suggested one where Stiles comes face to face with a de-aged Derek and I'm incredibly tempted to write a piece where Stiles goes to rescue Derek from Kate, finding him de-aged, and go from there. My main problem here is that I've no idea how to handle the basis for it, as it'd make no sense for S3B to have gone as in canon; really, the moment Stiles went missing at the very start of his possession Noah would have called in the Cavalry and the Order would have sorted him out. And I've no idea how everything would have gone after that.
* I have an idea for a piece where Stiles decides to help Peter after seeing him in the hospital, years before canon. No idea for anything else, just that. I'm hesitant though, precisely because of how young Stiles would be.
* On that same vein I have a vague idea for a piece where the Argents arrive with all sort of (bad) intentions, having no idea that Beacon Hills is not your normal town. There are more supernaturals than humans living in it, and it's ruled by a beautiful woman everyone refers to as 'Lady Death'... (What if Claudia was the one who came across Peter and decided to help?)
* After my comment about how dark "Causality" almost got, I had someone showing interest in that, so I might just write it at some point.
* I have someone interested in a crossover with HP, have some vague ideas, nothing concrete yet.
* And of course, if anyone has more ideas, please let me know and I'll see what I can do!
See ya all in a few months with the next piece in this series/collection!