Halloween rolled around quickly and my excitement grew more and more each day. The fall wind rolled in, bringing the beautiful autumn leaves with it. Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays and I typically filled it with tons of haunted houses, but this year I wanted a calm day. One that was full of sweets and of course a very ridiculous costume.

I stood in the mirror, fixing my hair to the perfect length. My white button up shirt was tucked into my back jeans, topped with red sneakers. Only one more thing that topped the whole outfit off. I leaned toward my desk and grabbed the red fabric. I tossed it over my shoulders and tied the little red string that was hanging from the top of the fabric. With one fluid movement I pulled the hood up over my head, allowing one section of hair to swoop out of the hood.

When I walked downstairs, Derek was exactly where I had thought he was. Sitting on the couch, book nestled in his hands and his feet kicked up on the table.

I stepped into the doorway. "So you know how I said Halloween was my favorite holiday?"

"Yeah," He mumbled, his eyes never moving from the book in his hands.

"Well I really meant it," I mumbled and walked closer. I pressed my palms into the armrest and leaned forward.

Derek finally looked up and met my eyes. His eyes widened as he took in the hood that sat atop my head. "What the hell are you wearing?" He tried to fight the smile the rose onto his face.

I stepped around the couch and kneeled on the cushion next to him. "I'm little red riding hood, but ya know...the male version," I stated and wrapped my arm over the back of the cushion he was leaning against.

Derek nodded slowly and smirked at me. "So Mr. Red Riding hood where's your basket of cookies?"

"Oh that? Yeah I ate them all."

Derek chuckled, the most beautifulest sound that I could of ask for in that moment. "You're such an idiot."

I pressed my forehead against his shoulder. "Yeah and I'm your idiot," I smiled before I sat up straight, looking Derek straight in the eye. "So Mr. Wolf can I see those red eyes of yours?"

He sighed, a smirk playing on his face as he looked away from me for a brief second.

"Aw come on wolfy," I pleaded and nudged my knee against his leg.

When he finally turned to me, his eyes were glowing bright red. The crimson over taking the normal emerald in his eyes.

A huge grin broke out on my face as I fist pumped the air. "Red riding hood and his wolf, taking on the world," I stated, my hand sweeping the air like I was showcasing a new car.

"We should take on dinner. I'm starving," Derek stated, his arm nudging me off the couch.

"Fine. Fine. Dinner for now, but I'm telling you we should totally go on the road," I gave in, grabbing Derek's hand and tugging him off the couch.

We had just started throwing together dinner when the doorbell rang, reminding me exactly why I had threw on this cap in the first place.

I ran over to the pantry. "Shit, Derek can you get the door? I'll get the candy," I rambled, vaguely aware of Derek exiting the kitchen.

Once I pulled out the bag of candy I made my way into the foyer, just as Derek was opening the door. I stepped up beside him, balancing the large bag in my hands.

A small group of children stood on our doorstep, of various ages and heights. Their costumes were unique, broadcasting the different personalities in each of them.

The little girl in the front opened her mouth to say something, but the words seemed stuck in her throat. She stared up at Derek, teetering on her bright red sneakers. Her little tutu swayed with the moment, the fake spiders that were entangled in the tule didn't give away the costume. It was the huge spiderman logo that sat on her chest, that truly gave away the little geek.

"You're Derek Hale right?" She asked, her little voice curious but not afraid.

Derek side glanced me, before he looked back down at the child. "...yes," he mumbled, his voice hesitant.

Her little green eyes dropped as she fiddled with the plastic pumpkin bucket she held. "We're really sorry for what happened to you. Some people in this world are really mean...but we all want to tell you that good things come to good people."

The normally calculated werewolf beside me was stunned for a few seconds. Finally he spoke, his voice a little unsure. "Good people?"

The little boy beside the girl stepped forward, bouncing on his heels. "Yeah you and Stilin..Stil."

Based on the look the little girl gave him I could tell they were brother and sister.

She sighed and turned an intense glare on the boy. "His name is pronounced Stilinski," she corrected him before she turned her attention back to us. "Just remember that things get better," she chirped and smiled.

Derek seemed frozen, taking in the words in an almost awe.

The little girl rose her bucket in the air. "Trick or Treat."

After the kids had left and Derek had shut the door, I turned toward him. "Wow my faith in humanity has rose a little...well at least in the younger generation."

Derek smirked before he stepped closer to me and wrapped his arm over my shoulder. "Come on little red, let's go finish dinner," He teased and lead me toward the kitchen.

Once dinner was closer to being done, the doorbell rang once more. Except this time, it wasn't a few kids. Nope it was my werewolf best friend and his sappy girlfriend, who were both sporting costumes. Allison, wore a bright yellow dress. The fabric clinging to her torso before it flared out in a dramatic drape. Scott wore a tailored blue tuxedo with yellow trimming. Granted as a child I preferred Star Wars over Disney, but it didn't take a genius to tell that they were Belle and the beast.

"Wow real unique guys," I teased, leaning against the door frame.

Scott's eyebrows rose, as his eyes took in the red hood that trailed behind me. "Oh and let me guess, Derek's the wolf," he said with a knowingly smile.

"He may or may not of agreed to that, but that's besides the point."

Scott lost his composure, laughing...well...like the beast he is.

"So what are you two love birds doing down at la casa de Stiles?"

He was finally able to gather himself enough to answer my question. "We figured we give you guys some company," he chirped, but I could see the sadness in his eyes. He knew about Cora. He had to know. With the way that he glancing behind me before he fixed his gaze on me.

I sighed. "I don't know, it's been a long day and-"

"And I have this," Allison interrupted, raising her hands in the sky like she was carrying a very important lion cub. Which, all Disney puns aside, was a very important item.

"You brought me cake?" I gasped, my eyes focused on the oasis she held in her hands.

She nodded, excitedly. "So I say we kick back and rent some horror movies to get this Halloween night pumping."

I don't know if company really sounded good, or if the cake in her hand was taking over my brain. Either way I agreed to have them over and Derek actually seemed quite happy to have them there.

There was a certain light in his eyes when Scott ran over and tackled him with a hug.

Allison, of course, wasn't as touchy. She made herself right at home, yelling her hello over the commotion of Scott bear hugging Derek.

We were in the middle of waiting for the food to be done cooking in the oven when Allison's tone dropped. She looked at me first. "Can I talk to Derek?" Then she froze and glanced over at him. "I mean if it's okay with you."

Derek's eyes found mine, before he nodded and rose from his seat.

Once they were in the backyard, Scott nudged me his eyes focused on the window where you could see the two standing.

Allison's dressed shined in the light, a stark contrast from the full black garb that I had forced Derek to wear.

"She said she had wanted to talk to him about losing someone so close," he stated and leaned back against the counter. "How's he doing?"

I sighed, my eyes finding Derek's frame through the window. "As good as he can be, I guess. He's still having nightmares, but I think my presence calms him a lot. Relatively speaking, he has been smiling."

Scott nodded slowly, before he glanced over at me. "And how are you?"

I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. I knew he'd see through it though. "I'm getting there. I just...I don't feel comfortable leaving him here alone. That's when C...what happened, happened. I don't want him to feel like I'm suffocating him though."

"I don't think what happened would happen to Derek. He's a collared were, that being said, if someone was to harm him you'd have them caught by law. They saw she didn't have a collar and took their chance."

I nodded and glanced over at Scott. My eyes caught on the thick leather that wrapped around his throat, right under that stupid crooked jaw of his. "I hate this."

"What?" he asked and looked over at me.

"I hate this law. I hate that good people like Cora have to suffer. I hate that you and Derek are confined to life with a collar…"

Scott's hand rose and landed on my shoulder. "If it means anything, both me and Derek have very good homes. It makes this whole law a little less crueler."

I smiled, my eyes trailing back to look out the window. "That's true, I just wish all were's had that luxury."

"Me too Stiles. Me too."

A few minutes after Allison and Derek returned the food was ready.

Derek seemed a little down after he walked back in, but that seemed to fade away fast when he was back inside.

We all separated to do our assigned jobs. Derek was to go and retrieve blankets and pillows for the living room floor. Allison was supposed to search the movies to find some good ones. Scott gathered drinks for everyone and I grabbed some pizza for everyone.

Allison ended up picking about three different movies and none of us really complained.

I had snuggled down into Derek's arms, the blanket close to my face and his arms wrapped around me. Don't get me wrong, I love scary movies, but I have to ward off the inevitable goosebumps the suspense gives me.

Derek didn't seem to mind that I was practically laying on top of him. He just shuffled down into the blankets, his warm breath blowing against the top of my head.

Scott, being the sugar puppy he is, was engrossed in the movie. Muttering comments almost as if he was in the actual movie.

This didn't bother me though, in fact, it was almost refreshing. I made it through half of the second movie before I passed out.

Allison and Scott didn't plan on spending the night, but somewhere between the chase scene and the stab scene we all fell asleep.

When I woke up, the sun was blinding me from the window, casting shadows on the face in front of me.

It was almost like before, when me and Scott used to sleep over and pass out playing video games. He was even sleeping the same way. His arm stretched out, dangerously close to becoming a weapon to my face. His nose twitched slightly. It was the same, yet very different.

For one, I had a huge warm werewolf wrapped around me.

Derek's face was stuffed into the crook of my neck, his breath splaying out over my collar bone. His arm was locked securely around my waist, his hand laying over my chest, right where my heart was. His legs were tangled and wrapped around mine.

Two, Scott had his own little cling on attached to him.

Allison was curled around him, her head laying on his chest.

I smiled and looked back up at Scott, right as his eyes flickered open.

"Morning Scotty."

His eyes finally pried open, a loopy grin forming on his face. "Good morning Stiles. Just like old times huh?"

"Yeah, just like old times."

Although it was different I had to admit that I really loved the differences.

Breakfast was filled with smiles and random spurts of food fights. Derek played sourwolf when I threw some scrambled eggs at him and they landed in his hair. That facade didn't last long though before he smiled and plucked the food particles out of his hair and stuffed them in his mouth.

This is what I wanted our life to be like. Random sleepovers in the middle of the week, breakfast food fights and uncontrollable laughter. No more death, no more fights. I knew that was too much to ask for though, not right now at least. I had a job to be done and that realization hit me like a freight train. Powerful and intense. Was I scared? I guess, but the need to enact revenge was so strong that my fear seemed to be nonexistent.