Apologies! This chapter should have been up yesterday but I totally forgot all about it. We're here now and I hope you enjoy!

Warnings and tags have been added to the fic because in the last couple of chapters there will be some serious, semi-graphic violence. It's not too terrible, I don't think. If you can deal with the kind of violence shown in the tv-show, you'll be fine. Just thought it should be said. Especially because it'll include Minor Character Death (which I've warned for as well).

That's it for now, enjoy the chapter!

Samhain

It takes a few minutes for Chris to fully comprehend it all. He never knew Claudia was carrying twins. Years he spent believing that the love of his life (Noah), his best friend (Claudia) and their baby died in a gas explosion (one that might, but probably wasn't, entirely accidental). Then when finding out that Allison was his… his but not Victoria's… he couldn't known for sure that she was Claudia's, but what other option was there? It made him happy, to know that a piece of her, of them, survived… and yet he could have never imagined everything else. That Claudia and Noah too might have survived, that there might be another child… It almost made him wish he'd looked harder for them, they could have been a family all along! And yet, how would he have done it exactly? The two of them moved to a different city, granted, it wasn't very far, but still, they changed their names, and it's not like, even with Ally alive, he had any reason to believe they might have survived a gas explosion that took not just their apartment but the whole building! If anything, the thought of Ally being in fact Claudia's baby supported, at least in his mind, the theory that his father, or perhaps Kate, might be behind that explosion; one more reason to get himself and his little girl as far away from those monsters as he possibly could.

It takes a while for everyone to calm down. Though not before Noah goes and hugs his daughter, the daughter he believed lost for so very long… whom he never stopped hoping to find some day (though he could have never expected how that would happen, or that she'd be the one to find him, unplanned as it might have been).

"What is your name?" Allison asks Stiles eventually. "Your real name I mean. I've heard dad say something about Mieczyslaw… did I pronounce that right?"

"You did." Stiles nods. "My full name is Mieczyslaw Naiche Stilinski."

"Okay… I know the first is Polish, something about a sword, and that it was the name of our mother's father." Allison says. "But what about your middle name? I've never heard that one."

"It's Apache, it means 'mischief maker'." Stiles explains, smiling humorously before adding. "It's Peter's middle-name."

It was Noah who chose that name, it was something he'd been thinking about for a while. Because their daughter's names were meant to honor two of her parents (Chris and Noah), thus it was only right that their son's honor the other two (Claudia and Peter). It didn't matter that Peter wasn't with them at the time, that they couldn't be sure if he'd ever be. They still had hope, they never stopped having hope… (it became a bit harder, when Claudia died, but by then Peter was once again in their life and he never gave up on him, Noah would be forever grateful for that… as would Stiles for that matter).

It's Lydia who eventually asks how the Argents came to be in Beacon Hills right then. As it all seems a tad to convenient, in her opinion. And it is, though it's not like Peter and Noah weren't expecting it.

"We heard about the upcoming auction of the Hale assets." Allison explains. "We knew that if there was ever a time for any possible Hale survivors to surface, it'd be now. And we also realized that we wouldn't be the only ones to think like that. So we talked to our Matriarch and she sent us here on a double mission: the first concerning the Hunt of Kate and Gerard; and the second concerning finding out if there were in fact any Hale survivors and talk to them."

"About what?" Peter demands before Derek can even think about voicing the question.

Derek might technically not be his Beta (yet) but blood calls to blood. Derek was once his favorite nephew (with Cora being his favorite niece) one of few people in the Hale pack he truly cared about, and if he's completely honest with himself, he never fully stopped caring about the boy. Never stopped wishing he would come back… And while Allison already feels like one of their own (she's Claudia's daughter, Stiles's twin, how could she be anything else?) that doesn't mean Peter's willing to put his trust on Argents just yet (once burned, twice shy and all that jazz).

"The Argent Clan is aware that a terrible crime was committed against the Hale Pack, we owe a blood-debt that might never be fully paid, but we'd still like to offer this as a token of our regret. We're aware that there can never possibly be any good restitution, lives were lost and nothing we do will ever bring them back, but we wish to express not just our regret, but also our desire to do better in the future. And, in a way, to show our commitment to you and your pack, in a way that might allow you to be safer than you ever were in the past." Allison finishes her speech by pulling a small wooden box out of her jacket pocket, holding it out without really approaching anyone just yet.

Truth is, Allison's not entirely sure just who she should be offering the box to. Derek Hale is, officially, the only remaining Hale; even though he's also technically an Omega. However, she knows now that Peter is a Hale, he's also an Alpha, and she has no doubt that Corina, and maybe Jackson, are Hales as well (she doesn't remember reading of any Hales that might fit Jackson's description but the pack was pretty isolated, so it wouldn't surprise her if Talia Hale kept one or more of her cubs a secret).

In the end it's Stiles who takes the box (as is proper, with him being the Emissary), he presents it to Derek, who touches it briefly before pulling back his hand and gesturing towards Peter. No words are said in that moment, but the gesture is enough to let everyone know that Derek is as good as part of the Stilinski pack already.

Peter opens the box without actually taking it from Stiles's hands, what they find inside… it's nothing like they'd have ever expected. Nestled on what looks like a very fine off-white powder are half a dozen elongated triangular-ish gray seeds.

"Are those… seeds?" Noah inquires, looking over his mate's shoulder, curious.

"Wolfsbane seeds…?!" Peter sounds half affronted, half-intrigued.

Jackson and Cora lean back and away from Peter, an instinctive reaction to that particular revelation. Lydia for her part leans closer, her curiosity greater.

"It's not just any wolfsbane." Stiles points out after staring at the seeds closely. "It's white monkshood…" he turns to look at the Argents over his shoulder. "I'm not gonna ask if your matriarch knows what she's offering, but I wonder if you do."

"Not really." Allison admits. "Aunt Cécile called it a blessing, and a cure, but I didn't really research it. To be honest, I was more focused on the Hunt of Kate and Gerard."

Stiles nods, he cannot fault her priorities. Truth is, not many people would know what's so special about white wolfsbane… most probably don't even know it exists!

"The Argents have always favored plain purple wolfsbane, though I know a few like Kate and Gerard favored Nordic blue instead." Chris reveals. "We have yellow wolfsbane for when we're hunting down a particularly strong and dangerous shifter. I'm aware there are other kinds, though if anyone uses them I wouldn't know. It's not a topic I've ever been particularly interested in."

"White wolfsbane…" Stiles murmurs quietly, almost reverently, as he stares at the seeds. "It's the only kind of wolfsbane that will never hurt a wolf. Its ash can also be used to cure wolfsbane poisoning, regardless of the kind being used. It can also be used to treat bite rejection. From all my reading most packs believe it to be actually extinct. I'd heard rumors of one such garden still existing somewhere in Europe, but even the best rumors couldn't pinpoint where it was supposed to be exactly."

"So… this is a big deal." Jackson mutters after an extended silence.

"This is a Very Big Deal." Cora qualifies, captions obvious in her tone of voice. "With something like this… as long as we keep some of it close at hand at all times, we'd never have to fear hunters again. Not… we wouldn't be dependent on their own weapons and supplies to treat our wounds anymore. Wouldn't even have to worry about what kind of wolfsbane they're using exactly. And being able to treat bite rejection…"

She trails off, saying nothing else. Stiles glances in Derek's direction briefly, he can almost sense the young were's grief at the memories Cora's words brought forth. Stiles wishes he could say something to comfort him, but cannot think of anything in that moment, and regardless, that's not the moment to talk about that, especially not before the pack and the Argents, most of whom wouldn't even know about Paige…

The conversation for the most part trails off after that. Peter tasks Lydia with keeping the box, and both her and Stiles with researching the best way to grow them and harvest them, all its possible uses. He wants to make sure they'll use the gift to its full extent. Chris is already contemplating what exactly they're going to tell his Aunt, and what they're going to do next. Because Gerard is still out there, still an Intolerable but… he doesn't want to leave Noah (and Peter) not again. Stiles might not be his son, but he's Noah's… and Claudia's… he's Ally's twin! They're everything he's always wanted, always wished for yet never imagined he could have… He's also quite sure Ally would like to stay as well.

xXx

At Sunset Stiles is the first to move. His pack following, and after an invitation (though with no real explanation) Chris and Allison follow. The Stilinski backyard is simple but nice, there's a herb garden, a big tree and a lot of space (most of the food they harvest themselves are in what's technically Hale property; they even have a grove where they grow several strains of wolfsbane, just in case). What would surprise most people, if they knew about it, is the discreet gate in the back-fence. It's not obvious to those who don't already know it's there, it leads to a sort-of deer trail and straight into the preserve. It's the path they all use when they want to go for a run, or a walk, or anything like that.

Stiles leads the group to a decent sized grove, not too far into the preserve. A fire-pit with dried wood already prepared for them. Stiles says a prayer, before snapping his fingers, a small, almost glowing flame appearing on his hand. He directs it to the dried wood, which catches fire quite quickly, easily turning into a bonfire. One by one the members of the Stilinski Pack walk around the grove, finding some piece of wood and then throwing it into the fire as they quietly request protection, for themselves and the pack. Derek and the Argents follow after some prompting from the others. After they've ll taken part Stiles steps forth again. He doesn't have any piece of wood, but instead he pulls out his athame and cuts open the palm of his left hand, holding it above the bonfire as he whispers the traditional prayer, letting his blood drip down his hand and into the flames. The fire seems to almost glows as he finishes, the flames rising to envelope his hand briefly and when its back to normal his wound's healed.

Derek tenses, Stiles noticing it from the corner of his eye. He regrets not warning the were about what was going to happen, of course seeing something like that would affect him. Peter and Cora have grown used to it and thus remain unaffected, but it's the first time Derek's participated in a Samhain ritual… hopefully it won't be the last.

Things are simpler from then on. Stiles, being the one with magic, will tend the fire and ensure it keeps burning until the end of Samhain (the next sunset). Lydia stays beside him, but because of her place in the pack, and because that festival is important to her nature as a banshee. The Veil is the thinnest and for someone with her power, her potential, the day can be a blessing or a torture. Being with the pack allows her to accept the good parts of it, and better deal with the bad ones. (There's a reason none of them attend school on Samhain, and the teachers have long since stopped expecting them to).

The ritual comes to an end at sunset the following day. In the last couple of hours Stiles has been adding less and less kindling so the fire will lessen, not quite letting it die yet, not until Samhain officially ends. When it does he buries his hand into the remains of it, pulling out a small flame, the last of the fire. With it in hand he approaches each members of the pack (old and new), letting them inhale the smoke while he recites the same blessing over and over again. (This time Derek's been warned beforehand, so he's not shocked, or upset, nor does he feel like he or anyone else is in any danger). Once that's all over Stiles closes his hand into a fist, extinguishing the flame. He takes a seat on the ground to meditate and rest some, while everyone else gathers some of the ashes of the bonfire and runs in different directions, scattering them across the preserve and the edges of town (extending the blessings). Once all ashes have been scattered they return to the Stilinski house for dinner.

xXx

After dinner, right as the Argents are about to leave, Noah asks them to wait for a moment. A look from him is enough for Stiles to take off like a shot, exhaustion mostly forgotten as he practically races up the stairs and towards his bedroom; he returns less than a minute later with a small cloth bag in hand, which he hands to his dad without a word. Father and son talked about things earlier, they're both in complete agreement.

"I have something here for you," Noah tells Allison. "You can consider it a birthday present… though I'm aware it's a small thing, for all these years…"

"You… you don't have to give me anything." Allison hurries to reassure him.

"I know I don't." Noah smiles gently at her. "It's something we want you to have. We think Claudia… We think your mom would want you to have it too."

Allison's trembling, just slightly, as she takes the cloth bag when it's offered to her. She doesn't even move before turning it over into her opposite hand. What falls into her hand is a necklace. The chain is thin and rather plain, but what calls Allison's attention is the pendant hanging from it. About an inch in diameter, it's a triquetra, except instead of the more traditional version of it, it' seems to be made of three curves with edges that cross over each other slightly. It's made entirely of silver…

"Oh…" Chris breathes out as he looks at the necklace over his daughter's shoulder, he clearly recognizes the object.

"This was my mother's?" Allison's whispers in a damp voice.

"Yes," Noah smiles, tears on the edges of his own eyes. "She… she had a necklace, when I first met her. Not this one, a different one, with the more traditional triquetra. It got lost during the move to our apartment, when we all began living together. How Claudia loved that necklace! So we decided to get her a new one. It was… a bit insane to let you the truth. Kit, Peter and I went to each and every jewelry we could find, and nothing. Not a single necklace with that design, or at least one similar enough. A young man in the last jewelry we went to… he didn't have one either, but he offered to make it for us. His was a small business, family-owned, but their true specialty was in custom pieces. Ours was his very first work. Taking advantage of the fact that is was going to be custom-made we decided to change the design a bit. See… we wanted the necklace to be a representation of all of us, together. Your father donated the silver…"

That calls Allison's attention instantly: "Your bullet…"

"No, not my bullet." Chris smiles even as she says it. "My mother's arrow-tip. She gave it to me on her death-bed. Gerard and Kate never knew, I kept it a secret. It… felt right, to use it for that. Especially when, right after first putting on the necklace, Claudia announced that it was perfect, and how one day she'd pass it along to our daughter… to you…"

"The modified triquetra was in Peter's honor…" Noah goes on.

"They're crescent moons!" Allison realizes then.

"Yes," Noah agrees. "I paid for the job. So, we all contributed in our own way. Claudia loved the necklace." He smiles at the memory. "I remember that with the first one, she always said it represented the three things that cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, the truth… but the new one was different. She said it represented us. Kit… Chris, Peter and myself, that we each were one of the crescents."

"And mom?" She asks.

"Easy, she's the circle, enveloping us." Noah replies. "She's with us… always."

A tear falls down Allison's eye, a watery chuckle escaping her throat.

"Will you put it on me, please?" She asks.

"Of course," He agrees immediately.

It takes but a moment for Noah to clasp the necklace around Allison's throat, the chain is just long enough for the pendant to rest bellow her clavicle, just above her chest.

Stiles smiles as he sees Allison, his twin (his little sister!) with that necklace. He still remembers seeing his mom wearing it. She never took it off, not for anything, not until she began getting really sick. Then one day, in one of her better moments, she took the necklace off and placed it in Stiles's hand:

"I want you to keep this for me Mischief… When the time comes, I know you'll find the right person to give it to…"

A part of Stiles wonders if perhaps his mom, in some way… if perhaps a part of her always knew the necklace was meant for Addy. Perhaps it was just something she wished but wasn't sure would ever be possible. It's not like his parents ever gave up looking for her, but they could never find her, not the slightest clue, and yet…

And it's not like Stiles doesn't have something of hers too. There's a red leather jacket at the bottom of his closet, one he rarely wears but loves very much… it was hers. And more precious than any material possession, he has his memories of her… Something that his sister regretfully will never have. But at least he can make sure that Addy knows about her, knows that their mother loved her very, very much, and even if she's now on the Other Side, that love will never stop existing.

xXx

Things begin settling down, slowly but surely, in the following days. Three days after Samhain, Allison and Chris set up a video-call to France, where they announce the death of Kate to their Matriarch, as well as their decision to stay in Beacon Hills and join the Stilinski Pack… if the Alpha will have them. There's a lot Cécile isn't told, nothing beyond Stiles Stilinski being her grandniece's twin brother, as well as the son of the Alpha-Mate and second of the Stilinski Pack. There's in fact a little revelation during the call, when Stiles explains that he's the current Emissary, but will only stay in that position until Lydia's ready to take it on. They don't talk about what his position will be then (Chris debates between Heir Apparent… except that'd be a tad hard, seeing how he's not a wolf and Sparks cannot be turned; and Left-Hand… which is a terrifying prospect; depending on the day of the week and Stiles's latest shenanigans).

Cécile is sincerely happy for her nephew and grandniece; she better than most knows how much they've been hurt, by Gerard (and she'll never understand what her sister saw in that awful, vicious man), Kate (Cécile's wondered more than once if she could've done something, anything at all to keep her niece from turning into a monster, pointless as such thoughts are), and even Victoria. The Matriarch truly believes that Christopher and Allison will be happier in Beacon Hills… also, and while she might not admit it out-loud just yet. She has hope. Hope that one day Allison might be able to carry on her legacy, not just as leader of the American branch of their clan, but as Grand Matriarch of the Argent Hunters…

Derek, Chris and Allison officially join the Stilinski Pack on the night of the New Moon, as is tradition. Shortly afterwards the auction of all Hale assets finally takes place. Derek reclaims a few things, mostly simple objects with more sentimental value than material. As planned, Harvey helps Peter acquire most of the real estate through some shell companies. Right afterwards, the old Hale House is taken down once and for all, the old tunnels sealed-off to prevent others taken advantage of them (again). An architect is hired (one in-the-know regarding the supernatural) and the work to create a new Pack-House starts. It's not that they all don't love their home, because they do. But they're also very much away that the Stilinski place isn't quite big enough for their needs, not anymore. And while for the time being Allison, Chris and Lydia are still living in other places, that will change in the future. Also, while Harvey, Mike and Donna might not live with them (not even in Beacon Hills itself) they want them to know there's a place for them in the Pack House. They always knew they'd have to move one day.

They all work together as they plan for the new Pack House. It will be a huge building, three floors, as well as a basement and an attic. The basement will hold their training room (including gym equipment, mats, and everything else they can think of), the library, an armory, a few cages (just in case) and the panic room. The ground-floor will have several sitting-rooms, offices, a formal dining room, a huge kitchen, a movie-room, an infirmary, what the teenagers like to call 'the puppy-pile room' (which is essentially a room with a very thick and comfy rug and enough pillows, cushions and blankets for the whole pack to cuddle each other, even sleep if that's what they want). The rest of the floors will hold bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms for each member, or mated pair of the pack, with a few extra rooms for visitors, and to allow the pack to grow in the future. The attic is set to be Stiles's magic-room.

Noah, Peter and Chris never really talk about their relationship where the younger members of their pack might hear them, but it's still not a surprise when Chris starts staying the night every so often, or when they see the finalized blue-prints and realize that the room that used to be marked as Chris's now says 'guest-room'. By the time the building of the Pack House is finished and they're all moving in, no one bats an eye when seeing all three men taking the boxes with their stuff into the master-bedroom.

Derek's the only one that seems honestly shocked by the developments:

"I don't see what's so surprising." Peter says in a fake-calm tone. "They're my mates."

"Mates…?!" Derek's eyes go very wide. "The both of them?! But… I…"

"Derek…" Peter drops his fake relaxed attitude, and even his mix of worry and annoyance at what he thought was his nephew being judgmental, when he realizes there's more to it all than the younger were not liking Peter's choices. "Nephew, what do you know about mates?"

"I…" Derek honestly doesn't know much, and even what he does know, he has a trouble putting into words. "Paige…"

"Ah…" Peter exhales, sad, as some things become abruptly clear to him.

The loss of a mate, even just a potential one, would explain so much about Derek, about his state of mind back then, not just immediately after the loss of his girlfriend, but also regarding Kate, and even the fire. Peter thought he already knew all there was to know about that time. It wasn't easy to convince Derek to make an official statement about Kate and what she did. While the statute of limitations means that no charges could be brought against her, even if they tried, it does put into perspective all the evidence Noah's been gathering concerning the Hale Fire. In many ways such actions would seem pointless, with Kate being dead, but Noah's a big believer in Justice, and while he might not be able to send Kate to jail, he'll make sure that the world knows the kind of monster she was, same as everyone associated with her (he's still working on finding damning evidence for her accomplices… those that they didn't arrest the night Derek was rescued at the very least, and who ended in Eichen House when they began making crazy claims about werewolves and monsters and many other things). This did cause a bit of a fallout on Chris and Allison, but the last remaining Hale being seen around town with them helped stop the gossiping. Surely if Derek, knowing what he did, chose to associate with them they must be alright!

In any case, even through all that, as Derek managed to, slowly but surely, recover from the loss of his old pack, as he came to accept the Stilinski Pack as his new one, Peter never realized how much he still hurt inside. Or how much the young man didn't understand about why he hurt so badly, even after so long.

"Mates are… more complicated than most people would probably expect." Peter tries his best to explain. "Humans like using terms like twin-flames, soulmates, etc… they're wrong, and right, depending on what version they're going with. Now, the first thing you need to understand is: mates exist, everyone has them. And when I say everyone, I mean truly everyone, all supernatural beings, and even mundane humans. The difference between us and humans is that the thing that makes us different; stronger, faster, enhanced senses… also changes how he react to our mates. While humans can see a person and realize they have potential, the more perceptive ones might even realize, at least at an instinctual level that what they have is very special; us supernaturals though, we actually feel an attraction, a desire… a need to be as close to those people as we can. Now, that doesn't mean that we're destined to be a perfect match or anything like that. Mates don't actually have to be sexual, at all. And even those that may choose to be together, that does not mean they're assured a perfect relationship; like with all things, you have to work for it."

"Is it normal… having more than one mate, I mean?" Derek asks.

"It's… not abnormal. The other difference between humans and supernaturals when it comes to mates is that humans are… 'flexible' you could say, in ways supernaturals aren't. That means that a human may today be your perfect match, but as they go through life and change, that may change as well. We supernaturals… we're set in our ways to a certain point, more than humans are. This is also important where it comes to the claiming of a mate, because once a supernatural has claimed a mate… that's it, there's no going back, to undoing that, even with multiple mates, taking a second mate will not erase the bond with the first… and it can only ever be done if the first approves. Humans… they cannot participate in that claim the way we do, they don't feet it the same way. And that means they can walk away…"

"You told me Paige had to be a wolf to be my mate."

"I… that's not exactly what I said. I told you that as wonderful as your girlfriend might be, she was human and thus couldn't be your mate, that Talia would never accept her at your side. I didn't expect that to make you decide she needed to be turned. Then again, it wasn't an unfair assumption to make, I guess." Especially considering how Talia reacted to Peter's own argument that Noah and Kit were his mates; Derek might not have known about that, but Peter's own experiences would have colored his words. "You have to know Derek, if I'd met her before that night, if I'd known what she was…"

"What she was…"

"She had magical potential. Dormant but still there. It's why her body rejected the bite. And if she truly was your mate, or at least had the potential for being so, that explains so much…" The boy was so very vulnerable, hurt in ways even he himself didn't understand, and they did nothing to help; Peter could forgive himself, focused as he was on Claudia, on Stiles and Noah… but what about Talia? And the rest of the Hale pack? What excuse had they for leaving the boy hurting and vulnerable and where a psychotic bitch like Kate Argent could just take him and use him and none of them ever noticed a thing?! "Now, you asked about multiple mates. It is possible, as should be obvious. Noah and Chris both are my mates. Once again, you must understand that having the potential for something, doesn't make it a sure thing. Jackson and Lydia for example, they're mates, they acknowledge that and have already pledged themselves to each other, in time they will claim and mate with each other… there was another. Jackson had another potential mate, but that person decided to ignore that potential, and Jackson accepted that choice." Danny would always hold a special place in Jackson's heart, but whatever there could have once been between them was lost when he chose not to be a true part of the pack. "Cora… as far as I know she hasn't found any mates, or potential mates, nor is she interested in doing so." Peter has his own suspicions, regarding a potential mate, but wasn't going to meddle, it'd be up to them, as it should be.

"I think… I believe Paige had the potential for being my mate." Derek murmurs after a while. "I don't really know if it'd have worked. The dreams she had… she wanted to go to Juilliard, to be a professional musician, I'm not sure that'd have been compatible with pack life, even if I'd been willing to follow her to New York…"

Peter says nothing, just letting his nephew get it all out. He doesn't doubt the boy, if he believes Paige was a potential mate, then she was. Derek was always very much in touch with his wolf. Their wolves would never lead them astray in such matters. And regarding Kate… there was a chance (a big one) that Derek might have blamed his wolf for the loss of Paige. Believing that her being his mate contributed to her ending dead, to him having to kill her… Peter wouldn't be surprised to learn that Derek chose to ignore his wolf, refused to listen to it when it came to Kate. And then… then it was too late. Laura clearly never helped him, if she even knew what happened to Derek; Peter thinks not. Truth is that as awful as Laura's strange attitude, the way she could be smothering at times, then neglectful at others, messed up with Derek, Peter doesn't want to imagine what she might have done to him if she'd known about Kate.

Peter's eventually pulled out of his spinning thoughts when Derek speaks again. It takes him a moment to realize that his nephew's moved, he's no longer sitting on the armchair opposite his, on the corner of Peter's home-office. Instead he's standing by the window, eyes fixed outside, to where several of the teen members of their pack are playing some kind of game.

"Stiles is my mate." Derek announces next, never taking his eyes off the outside (off Stiles).

Peter isn't surprised at all. He doesn't have all the details, not really, the boy has always been a very private person. Even then, Peter knows that Stiles is aware he has a mate, a wolf, how much or how little Stiles knows about this wolf, Peter doesn't really know, but if it truly is Derek (and Peter has no reason to believe it isn't), the Alpha believes Stiles is just the person to get his nephew to move on, to finally heal, once and for all.

"I think this is something you should be talking about with him." Peter points out.

For several seconds Derek doesn't say a thing, to the point where Peter begins to doubt he'll be getting a response at all. Until finally Derek lets out a breath, lowering his head and closing his eyes before turning to his Alpha, slowly, as if it took some great effort (as if it pained him) to tear his attention away from his potential mate.

"He's so young…" Derek murmurs eventually.

"He might be young, but he's not naive." Peter tells him evenly. "He's mature, intelligent, strong. He knows exactly what this world, what this life is all about." Peter ponders on the best way of saying something before finally saying it: "Who tells you that he's not aware already of the potential the two of you have?"

"He'd have said something already."

"Would he?" Like you have? He doesn't say. "Perhaps he's waiting for you to give him a sign. For you to be comfortable enough in this town, in our pack… to be ready to even think about finding a mate…?"

Something in his words seems to reach Derek, Peter can see it in the way the expression on his nephew's face changes, comes alight again, and when Derek turns away from him, to once again look outside (at Stiles) there's a feeling in him that wasn't there before… it's hope.

xXx

By mid-May the Stilinski Pack is fully moved into the new Pack-House. Peter, Noah and Chris are together and happy, and while Allison has chosen to keep the name of Allison Argent, she and Stiles have taken to truly acting as the twin-siblings they are (Stiles making sure to spend plenty of time with Cora and even Jackson still, to make sure neither of them think Allison's taking their place or something like that). Derek has settled well into being part of the Stilinski Pack, even if he hasn't yet talked to Stiles about them being potential mates. Everything seems to be going so very well… and that's when people begin to die in suspicious circumstances… all individuals connected in one way or another with the Hale Fire…

So... anyone wanna guess what's coming up next? All who try will get special mentions and lots of virtual cookies (wolf-shaped double-chocolate cookies!). And if someone manages to hit the nail straight in the head I promise a piece of fanart (banner or wallpaper) of any of the pairings shown in this fic, or specific character of your choice, to be posted in my DA account with a mention of why it was created. So... anyone wanna give it a try? (the time will be up when the next chapter goes online, on Monday night, Sept. 13th. With the prize, if such is indeed made, revealed two weeks after that, along with the fic's finale).

See ya around!