A young man, early twenties, was sitting in a middle of a luscious green field, flower petals drifting on the wind; the young man aimlessly picking grass deep in thought.
Laughter filled the air, children running about, frolicking through the field, living the life they barely had on earth.
Lily, long curly blond hair and electrifying blue eyes, ran up to the man sitting in the middle of the field. She approaches cautiously, not wanting her prey to notice her. When she was close enough, she pounces, latching onto the back of the man.
"I got you!" Lily smiles, laughing at the person her arms wrapped around.
"Is that right?" Stiles grabs the little girl's arm, swinging her so she's in front of him and starts tickling her.
"No!" The little girl giggles. "Stop it! 'Tiles!" Stiles brings the girl into a hug, kissing her forehead; too caught up with the girl's antics to notice the figure approaching them.
"I see Lily has found you." Stiles looks over his shoulder, taking in the sight of his beloved mother in front of him, he smiles.
"Yeah, she snuck up on me…again." Lily giggles when Stiles lightly taps her nose. April closes the distance between her and the other two and then sits on the warm, welcoming ground. Lily immediately jumps into April's lap and starts playing with the grass, just like Stiles had.
April was brushing her fingers through the little girl's hair then leans down to whisper something into Lily's ear. After a few seconds, Lily gets up from April's lap and races towards where the other children were playing.
"What did you tell her?"
"Oh nothing." Mrs. Stilinski smiles mischievously. Stiles raises his eyebrow, but then his focus is back to plucking grass.
"All those years…"
"I know sweetie." Stiles' mother inches incredibly closer to her son, wrapping her arm over his shoulder and having his head rest on her shoulder.
"I miss them so much."
April could feel a shift in the wind, she tightened her grip on her son; sighing. "Your dad and I love you very much; no matter what, we're by your side."
"Love you guys too, but isn't the 'whole by your side' thing irrelevant now?" howls echo through the peaceful silence. Stiles starts to break free of his mother's warm embrace. "Mom! What's happening?" Stiles shouts as a great distance is put in between his mother and him.
A single tear escapes, streaking April's flawless skin. "We'll always love you my darling."
oOo
Derek and the others made their way back to the Hale home. They were greeted by an overflow of food that was left on the front porch. There was food and cards from people who had known Stiles' father, people from where Stiles had been living for the past ten years and others who had known him when he use to come into their diner at the same time every day. The alpha bypassed the items, walking inside and heading up to his room again.
"Derek?" Danny opened to door to the room, holding a phone in one hand. "Y-you have a phone call." The beta walked into the room, handing the phone over to his alpha and retreating back out of the room and back downstairs to the others.
"H-Hello?"
"Mr. Hale, this is Nancy from the retirement home, I'm so sorry for your loss. Stiles was a great man." Derek choked back a sob. "I know it's still early, but we still have some of Stiles' belongings..."
"I-I'll pick them up." Derek hung up the phone before the woman could reply, got up from the bed and walked downstairs to the front door.
"Dad? Where are you going?" Grace asks.
"I have to go get Stiles' stuff from his other home."
"I want to go." Grace said, reaching for her coat.
"Go where?" Evan, hearing his sister's and father's conversation, questions.
"Dad's going to pick up some of daddy's stuff."
"I want to go."
"Grace, Evan…" Lydia came out to the front room. "I think your dad wants to go alone." The children looked at their aunt then back at their father and nodded in understanding; Derek left for the retirement home.
oOo
"Mr. Hale?" A friendly voice cut through the silence and Derek's thoughts; Derek nodded without a word. "I'm so sorry for your loss. He was such a nice man; stubborn, but full of life and always getting into trouble." Nancy noticed that Derek wasn't looking at her, trying to hide his tears. "Come on, I'll take you to his room."
Nancy led Derek down a long and wide hallway, then stopping, turning to her left to open the door to the room. "I'll be at the front desk if you need anything." Nancy shut the door, leaving Derek alone.
Derek stood still, taking in the scene in front of him. The sunlight was shining through the drapes, bringing the room to life. The bed was made, clutter on the desk, the rocking chair facing the window and a box placed on it. The werewolf walked over to the chair, picked up the box and sat in the rocking chair. Derek ran his shaking hand over the top, and then opened the box, eyes swelling up with more tears.
In the box were dozens of photos: Stiles with Grace and Evan when they were growing up, more pictures of the pack at gatherings and pictures of a smiling Derek and a laughing Stiles. Derek carefully looked at each picture, remembering the day when each one was taken, the feelings that they felt, the laughs that were shared. When Derek looked at the last picture, he noticed letters that were written to him; letters that were never sent. Derek started to read them.
Derek,
You should really see your children, Grace acts more and more like you everyday. Yesterday, she decided that she would jump from the top of the stairs down to the first floor, Evan of course encouraged her. She jumped and broke her leg and arm before I even knew what was going on. They are quite the handful.
It has been about seven years since you left and it doesn't get any easier. I'm waiting for the day that you and the others come home safely to me. Until that day, I will wait for you and keep wishing on that star. Love you always
Stiles
Derek kept reading each letter, and then came across the last one.
Dearest Derek,
If you are reading this, it is probably because of my passing. Do not cry, for I am now in a better place and I can now see and be near you, even if it is only in the hereafter. Take care of the children and reassure them that their daddy is fine and that I love them and that I never stopped loving them.
Over the years I have had time to think about everything. The day you and the others left broke my heart, I knew it had to be done, but I just wish that things could have been different. Not only did we miss out on being together over the years, but the missing of your children growing up, seeing who they were becoming, but I guess, in reality, it is I who has missed out. Not being able to see you all these years, every morning I wake up, feeling empty, incomplete and shattered. I wish you were there every morning, to kiss me into consciousness, to feel your warmth surrounding me; now it is just a ghost, something that I will always miss. You are my mate Derek, my one and only, my better half. I never stopped loving you, my dear, dear Derek. I hope that you will remember the amazing, yet extremely short time that we shared together, that is the only thing that has been keeping me going: the thought of you when we were together all those years ago and the hope of you returning home to me.
I want you to do me a favor, tell the others that I've missed them too over the years.
To Grace and Evan, my beloved children, I've never been so proud of them. They did things that they weren't told to do, they knew that things had to be done. Take care of them Derek, hold onto them, don't ever let them go. I wish that I could have seen them in action, they'll make great betas and great fighters, as much as I hate the idea of them fighting, I know that they'll succeed and kick some hunter ass.
Tell Scott, Jackson and Danny thank-you for leaving their left over food under their beds. I really enjoyed picking that up after two months being there. I think it growled at me.
To Allison and Lydia, the sweetest, most caring and loving women I have ever met, tell them to keep you men in check, I know how you are Derek and although I know Lydia can hold her own, they might need a little help when it comes to giving you your weekly bath. I'm sorry Derek, werewolves might like their natural scent, but to human noses, you just stink!
Take care of yourself Derek, give the kids a kiss for me and give the others a hug. I miss you terribly, but I'll be in great company when I get to where I'm going.
Love you always,
Stiles
The letter floated to the floor.
oOo
Unseeing eyes shot open, lungs full of air, and a deep gasp brings a soul back to the living; the occupant searching frantically around the pitch black enclosed area; hands aimlessly roaming, trying to find an escape.
Memories of the past few months replay in his mind: The retirement home, Nate visiting him, telling the man about werewolves, reuniting with the pack, receiving the bite…Derek. With each passing memory, the silent echo of cracking bones could be heard, elongated nails scratching the unforgiving wooden box, eyes flashing gold.
Six feet above ground, the rather sunny, peaceful day turned gray. Huge dark, thunderous storm clouds rolled in from the west, the crack of lighting snapping a distant tree resounding through the area, strong winds knocking down electrical lines and uprooting trees, animals scurrying through the dense woods in search of shelter.
A clawed hand reaches to the sky, at first only grasping air, then grabbing dirt and a figure emerges from the mud. The muddy figure stands shakily on its two feet, hunched over, scowling. Its eyes were rimmed with red, searching for the others, searching for revenge. A menacing howl escapes his lips, allowing it to be carried with the wind to send the message of a returning pack member.
Stiles lived…but in an attempt to flee from the nightmare of his resurrection, he let his new counterpart take over and gave in to animal instinct and blood lust that flooded the wolf's mind.
Due to new, brilliant, and epic ideas from hbrackett, this chapter evolved into something 10000 times better than the original. With this new development, there will be more chapters, I don't know how many, but there will be more.
Again, a huge shout-out and thank-you to hbrackett, you are truly amazing and I love your ideas, you made this story better!