"Grandma! look at this!"

"Oh? What is it?" The woman smiled, hoisting her grandson onto her lap gingerly.

"It's a wish!" He cheered, holding up the pine needle by her face, "If we both pull on it, then whoever gets the poopy part gets a wish!"

She giggled, "The poopy part?"

"It looks kinda like poop to me." Stiles informed, bringing the pine needles closer to his eyes so that he could look at it once more, "Doesn't it?"

The woman brought a wrinkled hand up to her grandson's head, ruffling the hair lightly, "Well, how about we pull it?"

"Yeah!"

Chuckling, the pair took both ends, pulling quickly as the top snapped, Stiles getting the wish. "Well then," she encouraged, "What are you going to wish for?"

"That Grandma is always with me!"

She smiled happily, "I will."

Stiles hadn't even realized he was crying until he felt the fist few tears roll down his cheek. He really hadn't had much time to think about her death before, he'd been in a daze after they barged into the building. He remembered a bit of it, but it was really a fast blur. He'd gone into a panic attack before he could really process it all.

But now... it was different.

He'd processed it, thought it over, remembered the gory details. It can really mess you up to see your grandmother's insides spewed over the walls around you. It was coming down hard... like a ton of bricks crumbling on top of him.

Andrew was awkwardly trying to fix the situation, "L-look, we didn't..."

"My Grandmother..." Stiles choked on his own words, shaking his head as he shut his eyes, "She was my family. Even you'd understand something like that right? ...Or wouldn't you?"

Andrew reached a hesitant hand out to him, "Please, just-"

"Don't touch me!"

Stiles batted his hand away angrily. He'd gained the attention of more then a few of the wolves now, but didn't care. How was he supposed to just talk with these people? Pretend like nothing happened?

It wasn't long before there was an angry looking Derek nearly running over to them, fangs bared at Andrew, who drew back obediently. "What did you do to Stiles?!" He demanded, wrapping an arm around his mate before having it angrily pushed away, "S-Stiles?"

Stiles turned his back to Derek, "I just want to go home..."

Everyone was silent, watching as Derek nodded solemnly, glaring over at Tagumik, "As I said, we're leaving."

"What's the fuss? Over one old hag?"

This time it was Stiles' turn to glare over at him. No one had any time to react before he was on Tagumik, swinging a hard punch to his face. Normally, this wouldn't have effected a werewolf, but it was so unexpected, especially from Stiles, that he was caught completely off guard.

"That hag was my grandmother." Stiles told him, eyes like a dead fish, "I don't know what fucked over your sense of humanity, but when it comes to my family, I don't take these things lightly."

Tagumik lifted a hand to his mouth, wiping back a few drops of blood.

"Humans may seem weak to you, oh high and mighty, but we're tougher then we look."

Tagumik let out a low chuckle, "Then why didn't you save her? You were there weren't you?"

"Enough!"

All eyes turned to Andrew, who had clenched fists at his sides, "Enough lying and murdering!" he shouted, "This pack was created so that we could live up to our potential as wolves! Not become the monsters the world thinks we are! I had no pleasure in killing her! ... and..." he turned his eyes to Stiles.

They were sad eyes. No longer the same piercing green from before, but now dulled and wet, "and I'd take it all back if I had the chance to..."

Stiles let his eyes fall to the leaves, "...I'm not staying here another second..."

It was still silent when he started to leave, no sounds but the echoing of leaves being crunched mercilessly beneath his feet.

Do leaves have feeling too? Would anyone bother to notice if one drifted away silently? Would we even care?

Should we care?

Is that all people are?

Floating leaves in the distance...

Stiles tilted his head higher, staring up at the tops of the trees, littered with red and orange crinkled leaves. It was nice to see the sun starting to peek through the branches, smiling back at him as he took another step. It was nice to escape for a moment. He hardly ever found a moment to think about these things.

It made him sad.

"Stiles!" Derek called from behind, trotting up eagerly, "Wait!"

Stiles turned lightly back to him, "Mm?"

"Are... you alright?" he asked, keeping himself close to the boy as they stood for a moment.

"I'm fine."

Derek frowned, "Far from it. You're not yourself."

"Shut up." He warned, "We only met a few days ago! You don't know me! This is all your fault you know!"

"Stiles... What happened!? You were fine this morning!"

"I... I looked over the leaf... "

Derek crossed his arms, "You what?!"

"I WASN'T THINKING ABOUT IT! I WAS TOO BUSY THINKING ABOUT YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! ALL OF IT!"

"Stiles calm down-" Derek attempted, reaching out a hand to him.

"Stop it! I just want to go home!" He cried, swatting away his hand.

Stiles hated himself for being so cross with Derek. It wasn't really his fault. He knew that somehow, and yet.. truly... he just couldn't stop himself from speaking so harshly.

It hurt a lot.

He was confused.

"...I just want to go home."

Derek let his eyes fall to the ground sadly before nodding quietly, "Alright... Lets get going then."

Stiles raised a frustrated hand to his head.

"Grandma?"

"Hmm?"

"What does it mean to be in love?"

The woman smiled down at the boy in her lap, "Someday when you're older, and much grown up, you'll meet someone you always want by your side. Someone who will be there for you, and you'll want to be there for them as well."

"But- how will I know?!"

"They'll start to slowly become the most important thing in your life."

Stiles forced himself to suck it up.

He wouldn't cry.

This was for the best after all...

...Right?