Hand of Death

by Lalaith Quetzalli

(DS's Two Shot) Sometimes it is the smallest of choices, that change things the most. And sometimes things that might seem small, turn out to be anything but. Trust… such a small word, such a big thing. When a wolf chooses to trust, just how much could end up changing? (Poly) (Mostly Pre-Canon) (Pre-Sterek)

2. Part II

So... here we go! The second half of this last piece in my series/collection. First of all apologies because I had every intention of posting this last night, and I totally forgot. Then today I was so invested in writing another story (more about that later) that I kept forgetting until just now. Still at least here it is now!

This starts with a time-jump and we'll soon see how the events of the first part have changed everything. I dearly hope you'll enjoy!

Oh right, and as is often the case in these pieces: WARNING for minor character death (no one from our favorite pack, and certainly no one who hasn't died in other pieces, more detailed information in the end notes). Also, warning for non-detailed miscarriage, and referenced child abuse-neglect.

Without further ado, I give you the second part of Hand of Death!

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Hand of Death (Part 2)

Peter knew from the start that one day something would have to give. Knew it from the moment he told Talia 'No' and walked out of the Hale House, out of the Hale Pack with nothing but the clothes on his back; from the moment he stood at his lovers' door, drenched and so full of nervousness and fear, and above all love, and blurted out: "I'm a werewolf". Knew it from the moment he placed a mating bite on Noah's neck, and then swore himself into the service of Klaudia Sabina Wójcik as her Hand of Death; from the moment her slashed Alan Deaton's neck, leaving him to die at the Nemeton, a sacrifice to the ancient tree; and when just a week later yet again his hands were covered in blood, though this time the blood of life, as he held his lovers' newborn son, His Son! Their Son! Their Mischief…

He knew… yet he never expected it happening exactly like this. With two teenagers: one an apprentice druid, the other a wolf, at their door…

xXx

Peter loves Mieszko from the moment he's placed in his arms: so small, delicate looking, covered in blood and almost glowing with magic… no one misses the fact that the Nemeton basically absorbs all the blood and other fluids from the birth. Also, that despite having just given birth, with no medications and no real medical assistance, Claudia recovers in record time. When they finally make it to the hospital she's already walking on her own.

Peter loves the kid to pieces; Mischief, as he calls himself (as he has trouble pronouncing his own name!). The wolf loves his little family, his little pack, so much. Never could he have expected loving someone, anyone as much, as he loves the little boy, that perfect little mix of the two people Peter loves most… and then Claudia announces she's pregnant again. And it's Peter's! Sabina Leah Stilinski is born on April 15th, 1995, during a lunar eclipse. She, just like her older brother, is born by the Nemeton (which is no longer just a stump by that point, a sapling slowly but surely growing, coming from right in the middle of the old tree, some say that it's almost absorbing the old tree as it grows). At least this time the birth is planned, several magic-users having explained that Claudia giving birth to Mieszko there did help the Nemeton. It's also why the three's handfasting took place right there as well. The more good that can flow into the nexus the better for everyone.

Peter finishes his training with David just fine, and just as planned, after working one more year at the DA office, the two of them leave, opening their own practice: Whittemore & Hale. The first few months or so they get a lot of nosy people, wanting to know if he's truly one of Those Hales. His answer's always the same: no. Eventually people seem to either forget or just not care anymore. He makes a name for himself as one of the best lawyers on the West Coast, specializing in criminal and corporate law (David focusing more on family and health law); more than one person commenting about his 'gift' for knowing when people (whether clients or the opposition) are lying to him.

Claudia quits her job at the library shortly before Mieszko is born. Then chooses not to go back even once he turns one, having decided to try for another baby. The attempts to send the boy to preschool don't go very well. At first Claudia thinks it might be his youth, that maybe he's just too young for it (because of the date of his birth he only just makes the cut for the group, though that also means he's the youngest in the class). Peter thinks it might be that he's too used to their little pack, the boy doesn't like being away from them, especially his little sister, whom he's always doing his best to keep an eye on (despite the fact that he's barely 19 months older than her). When one of the teachers suggests there's something wrong with him… Claudia nearly blows a gasket.

"He has ADHD." Ivor tells them bluntly. "It's actually not that uncommon among those of us with some connection to the supernatural."

"So it's his magic that's doing this?" Noah wants to understand.

"Yes and no." Ivor tries very hard to explain. "Some of it is his magic, but some is truly, simply, the ADHD. It's… you could say that one exacerbates the other. They're connected. The most important though, is that because he has ADHD, he will need treatment, however, because it is connected to his magic, traditional treatment, human treatment, like Aderall and the like, probably won't work, and even if it does, it won't be enough."

"What can we do then?" Claudia just wants to know how to help her little boy.

So Ivor recommends them some behavioral therapies, meditation, teas (as substitute for the usual medication). It works. It's not perfect, and they do need to change some things through the years. But it does help. Somehow, in the time learning to handle this situation, Claudia becomes used to teaching Mieszko herself; and so, even after the ADHD is under control, she keeps doing it. Officially registering him (and eventually Sabina) as home-schooled. It works well for them. Both their kids are incredibly gifted, if each in their own way: Mieszko absorbs information like a sponge, reading and doing research into all sorts of things all the time. He especially takes great pleasure in researching all about magic and the supernatural in general. Even when Ivor tells him he cannot start actual training until he hits double digits and his magic starts to stabilize, that doesn't stop the kid from researching anything and everything on the topic. Peter in particular loves spending time with him, listening to the boy go on about his latest topic of interest. He has such a way of seeing things, of seeing the world, the wolf finds it fascinating.

Sabina on the other hand, while not being a slouch academically, what she truly enjoys are the arts. She never takes any formal classes, explaining she doesn't want people to teach her to do things the way they do. She has a gift for drawing and painting. She also loves music. Claudia teaches her to play all the instruments she knows, though the girl's absolute favorite is the flute because, according to her, she can go into the woods, play it, and the birds will sing with her… She's not a wolf herself (as Peter explains it, the nature of the mother determines the nature of the child), but it's clear that she's a Hale, and not just for her looks (with her mother's fair skin and chestnut brown hair, and her dad's blue-blue eyes), there's something just… magnetic about her. Also, the way her energy, and to a lesser degree her moods seem to wax and wane with the moon; much like young werewolves do (the only difference being she doesn't shift). She's incredibly clumsy, even more so than her brother, yet to all three of her parents' relief she seems to have inherited the wolf's heightened healing.

To the family they're Mischief and Salee (while her name isn't hard to pronounce, she insists that if her brother gets a nickname, then she wants one too), to everyone else: Mieszko and Sabina. Those who haven't known them from the start might believe them to be twins, with how close the two of them are. And it's that the two love each other dearly. Mieszko is so very protective of his younger sister, and Sabina of him as well. The two children, young as they are, understand their differences: like Mieszko's ability with magic, where Sabina has none, while she can heal much faster than he does. He has ADHD, where she is different in her own way. With her family she's just fine, but she doesn't seem to really connect much with strangers, doesn't talk to them, won't respond if talked to; she likes her routines and hates surprises, or people interrupting her when she's in the middle of something.

Claudia never does go back to working at the Library, though once the kids are old enough she does start giving one-on-one classes and tutoring to gifted students in music. Her best student being Paige Krasikeva, a girl about four or five years older than Mieszko, with a prodigious skill for the cello.

For the most part the Stilinskis (and Peter counts as one of them too, to the point where some people, like the old ladies living near the end of the block, who like to sit on their porches and have some drinks while chatting with -or yelling at- each other; every time they watch Peter walk past, they call him Mr. Stilinski; and he knows it's not sarcasm, it's their acknowledgment of their status, of their family), they all keep their distance from the Hales. Peter isn't even sure if the pack as a whole even realizes he's still in town, if Talia herself does. The shadow of a bond that still remains between them so thin Peter's pretty sure she gets nothing from it other than the knowledge that he isn't dead just yet. Some people have to know he's around, of course. Those pack members who do work in town, but they never say a thing, barely even acknowledge it at all. And Peter understands. It's a good thing even. He's not pack. He's also pretty sure none of them have told anyone else about him.

Peter knew from the start that it wouldn't be easy. The life he's chosen, living apart from his pack, from any pack. The bond he has to Claudia, as her Hand, and to Noah, as Mates, they're enough to keep him stable, to ensure he won't be going feral. And his whole little family, they've become as good as his pack and they treat him as such, with constant touches, hugs, cuddles and any other form of scenting they can think of. Claudia also ensures that they eat not just healthy, but non-processed foods, and that the products used for bathing, washing the clothes and cleaning the house are either scentless, or have natural scents that won't hurt the wolf. It is, in many ways, the ideal for a wolf (at least one that lives with humans). Still, they do not live any more in a bubble than the Hales do. Time passes, the world keeps turning, and some times things happen that are just beyond their control…

It starts with rumors. Several of Peter's contacts (which he still keeps in touch with, though none of them really know where it is he lives nowadays) inform him that there's been whispers about an upcoming Peace Summit. That Deucalion Morgan is calling for several packs in Northern California to meet with Hunters in an attempt to settle a peace treaty. It is rumored that the leaders on the Hunters side are Alexander and Gerard Argent. Peter knows that's not gonna end well. Argents… they're the kind of Hunters that seem to enjoy toeing the line. They can always justify their kills (though there are whispers that more than once the charges have been either faked, or that they provoked the wolves first, somehow), though it's quite clear that for them it's not merely a matter of necessity, a hard duty, but something many of them thoroughly enjoy. Then Alexander Argent dies.

Peter knows from the moment those news reach him that things aren't going to go well. Gerard Argent doesn't seem to him like the kind of man to take the death of his brother lying down. Especially if, as some of the rumors claim, he took his own life after being bitten by an alpha: a turning bite. The werewolf expects that development to end any and all possibilities for a so-called Peace Summit. It doesn't. That's when he starts suspecting that something else is going on. And he informs his beloveds.

"We need to tell the children." He finishes.

"And make them afraid?" Claudia's not sure it's a good idea.

"It's not about making them afraid, but about making sure they're being smart." Peter points out. "I don't know what the hell Talia's even thinking, allowing this so-called Summit to take place in her territory. We may not be able to stop it from happening. But we can work to ensure that our people will be safe."

They all know that while his first priority might be their little family, he's not just talking about them. So they talk to the kids, make sure they understand to stay away from the preserve and any other risky area, at least for the time being. They might be children, but they're no fools; and they understand the adults expect them to be mature enough to not risk their lives stupidly. Especially, they can see that their parents will be able to focus better on their own duties if they can trust the kids not to put themselves in danger needlessly. Noah makes some modifications to the station's schedules, and the patrol routes, to keep all his fully human deputies away from the area where Peter's contacts believe the meeting will be taking place (the Industrial sector, near the edge of Beacon Hills, the farthest away from the Hale House… which makes sense in a way).

That's something else that's changed in recent years. After Deaton's death… it's the accepted theory that he did a lot of magic, on a lot of people. Either because he wanted it, or as some sort of side-effect, one of the things the magic did was make sure some… irregularities that took place in Beacon Hills went unnoticed. That all stopped after the pseudo-druid's death. Among the many different individuals and groups that took an interested in Beacon County was the FBI. They sent the brand new BAU, founded and lead by a man called David Rossi. There was a full audit done on the Sheriff's Department, and more than a few people got fired (including Rafe McCall, and one of their newest recruits: Haigh); the worst of all was perhaps the old Sheriff, who got sent to jail for taking bribes and blackmailing. With the situation, an extraordinary election was called. Noah won by a landslide. That was back when Claudia had just announced her second pregnancy. Noah came very close to refusing, not wanting to risk the job keeping him from his family. Rossi assured him that once they tracked the problem to the top, found who it was that was blocking the funding, they'd be able to hire more people, which would in turn allow everyone to keep better working hours. But for all that to be possible they needed to be sure that the new Sheriff was the right person… in the end Noah gave in. He's so good at his job that despite elections having been called twice since then no one has even considered running against him.

The FBI never did find who was at the top of the conspiracy against Beacon Hills, though they did manage to connect their situation to similar ones taking place in several other counties across the country. The case is still being investigated… Peter (and Noah) have their theories, but no way to prove them, so they've said nothing about it. Content to let it go as long as things remain alright in their hometown.

A body is found just days later, by a little-used road that goes through the preserve, one that leads to Beacon Valley. It's a young man, with no ID on him, killed by several shots to his back… it's horrible, the thought that that young man, little more than a boy really, was shot like that while trying to flee from his attackers… The body is taken to Beacon Hills Memorial, and Noah is notified, both when the body arrives, and when a man tries to claim it, refusing to leave even when the people at the hospital explain that they cannot release the body until the investigation into the death has been concluded (and until they know who the young man is, and make sure the man is truly his family). When the man (a really big man, enough Noah cannot help but fear things might go wrong at any moment) practically growls at him and his eyes flash red for a fraction of a second, Noah knows the situation is escalating, in more ways than any of them could have ever planned or prepared for.

"This is bad." Peter mutters grimly once Noah has finished explaining the situation.

"How bad?" Noah asks, though he's not entirely surprise by that assertion.

"The alpha you just described is Ennis Browne." Peter explains. "His territory is south of here, near Modesto. The young man you mentioned was found dead… I cannot know for sure of course, but if he reacted that strongly chances are it was his nephew. I don't know his name, but it was well-known that Ennis's heir was his sister's only son."

"His nephew…" Claudia murmurs, horrified.

"His heir…" Noah latches onto the part he believes will be most relevant. "This is gonna be bad, isn't it?"

"More than you can imagine." Peter says grimly. "It's likely the boy was killed by Hunters. Add the recent death of that Argent Hunter…"

"That so-called Peace Summit will be a bloodbath…" Noah mutters between gritted teeth.

He's not wrong. Noah's plan works as expected, none of his deputies are around when it all goes down; and thankfully the abandoned warehouse where everything takes place is far away enough from the residential sector that while some people do report hearing strange noises, no one calls in 'shots' or anything like that outright, allowing Noah to not get involved in things. He sends a couple of deputies a few days later, just for protocol, they find traces of something, but nothing concrete. It's clear that whatever took place, it's been cleaned up. The official version is a drug-operation (explaining the chemical smell) that moved, hopefully out-of-town. They all know it won't be that easy, though Claudia at least hopes…

And then it happens. Peter's on his daily run through the preserve. He's made it a tradition, keeping an ear and an eye on the territory. It might not be his, officially (he's not an Alpha, or even part of the Hale Pack, but he still cares!), but he cannot help his desire to help. The moment he hears the first howl he's changing his route. It's automatic, as he starts following, first the howls, then the scent of foreign wolf… an alpha!

Peter is vaguely aware of the fact that he's close, dangerously so, to the high-school. The running trails, they aren't ones he tends to go on. He knows there are Hales attending the high-school. Talia's nephew, and her two eldest children. Part of keeping away from the Hale Pack, is keeping away from places they frequent (it's also why he avoids Rogers' AutoShop, always taking his car to a place in Beacon Heights; though most people, even David, thinks that it's just him being a snob). He manages to find the wolf eventually, he's running in a half-crouch, prowling; he's on the hunt! Peter has no idea who the other wolf, the alpha, might be hunting; though he does realize instinctively that it cannot be good. What the hell is Talia thinking, allowing another alpha to hunt in her territory?!

Peter hesitates just for a fraction of a second. Taking down an alpha who has 'guest-rights', who was invited by the local alpha into the territory… it's not the kind of thing that ought to be done. At the same time, the alpha is hunting, which isn't right either; and Peter can tell he's not after Hunters. He can pick out the scents of confusion, apprehension, fear, something herbal, and musk, a wolf! But there's no wolfsbane, or mistletoe or lemongrass, none of the scents that he associates with Hunters. Which means that a guest-alpha is hunting either a human who's around wolves, or both a werewolf and a human… Whichever the case, it cannot be good. So Peter stops hesitating and he just…acts. He leaps at the other wolf, going straight for his throat, not giving him a chance to fight back, to even realize there's a threat coming, until it's much too late.

It's only after he's torn the other wolf's throat out that Peter remembers one key detail: he was an alpha. The power hits him like a freight-train. His knees buckle and he collapses, curling into himself in an instinctive move to try and protect his body, despite it being useless, claws buried into the earth. He holds back the desire to howl, to roar. The last thing he needs is to announce to anyone and everyone that he's an alpha. If things were dicey with the Hale Pack before, now… it could be catastrophic. Still, it's not easy, the power rushing through him. In the end it's only the bonds he already has, to his beloveds, to his children, that keep him grounded, keep him sane. Still, the whole thing leaves him with an absolute need to find himself, to hold onto them until he's fully assimilated the alpha spark; he only waits long enough to dispose of the dead alpha's body, make sure he'll never be found, not by the Hales, or by anyone else, then he turns around and runs all the way back home.

The news about the dead body come out two days later: Rodrigo Diaz was one of the high-school janitors. He was apparently working that afternoon. It's impossible to tell if the alpha went after him for whatever the reason, or if he was just collateral damage. The fact remains: he's dead. Peter's still contemplating what, if anything, they ought to do about that. If Talia's doing anything at all (most likely not). When something completely unexpected happens: there's knocking at their front door… It's not entirely shocking, especially when they all hear Paige's voice outside. She visits with certain regularity, being one of Claudia's students. And yet, it's not a class-day; what's more, it's Saturday, the one day they all have free and that they tend to spend together as a family, just the four of them… And then Peter picks up on the other scent coming from just outside his home: wolf. There's a wolf with Paige. He's about to say something, but by then Claudia's already at the door, opening it:

"Paige?" She asks even as she opens the door, worry settling upon her. "Is everything alright? We don't have class today…"

"No, I know we don't." Paige agrees. "This is… something else. Can we come in Mrs. S?"

"Of course Paige, of course, come in." Claudia leads them straight to the living room. "Would you like something to drink? I'm afraid we don't have any sodas, but I do have coffee, tea, might even have some lemonade left, and if not I'll be making some more in a few minutes…"

Paige turns to look at the young man with her, who looks so nervous, skittish, it makes Claudia want to hug him, hold him tight. Something's terribly wrong with that boy and it makes her motherly instincts go into overdrive. It also makes her eyes look for her own kids. They're in the backyard, picking lemons from one of the two big lemon trees in the corners of the property. Sabina reaches down at one point, picking some strawberries from one of the bushes; strawberry lemonade being a favorite of hers (Claudia herself sometimes likes to add cucumber to hers).

"Oh… just water is fine Mrs. S!" Paige hurries to tell her.

"So Paige, who's your friend?" Claudia asks as she pours two glasses of water.

She cannot help but find Paige's friend familiar, somehow. Not in the traditional sense, like how one may see a person and see a likeness with someone else; it's different than that, deeper, an instinct inside her…

"Right," Paige looks beyond flustered by that point, blushing as she gestures at her friend. "This is my best friend…"

"Derek…?" The word comes out of Peter's mouth, half stunned exhalation, half shocked surprise.

The boy, Derek, reacts automatically to the sound of his name, turning to the voice calling it, to the man standing there, on the other side of the room. His eyes go wide in surprise.

"Uncle Peter…?!" Derek jumps to his feet automatically. "You… you're alive?!"

xXx

Peter goes deep in the preserve, as deep as he can get without actually abandoning the territory, there he yells and snarls and punches the stony wall of a cave-entrance until his knuckles split and his hand starts bleeding… then he punches some more. He holds back from howling though, no matter how much a part of him might want tu, he might be beyond furious, but he's not yet lost hold of his senses. Howling would only manage to call the wrong kind of attention. Things are bad enough already!

Paige's friend is Derek, Derek Hale, Talia's second child, her only son… Peter's nephew! Peter can still remember babysitting a very young Derek whenever Talia said she couldn't stay with him; which was often, she always claimed to be so busy, with 'work' and with the pack. Peter never really believed it. Really, on the 'work' front, most of the investments were set up a long time ago, and as far as he knows, she never changed them, even when new businesses came up, some that would have given her a better return for her investments, she was content to keep things as they were; and the pack… everyone had their duties, their 'chores' within the pack, all but her, all she did was 'supervise'. Peter always suspected that Talia just wasn't the motherly type, perhaps wasn't even interested at all in being a mother; she just did it, had children, because it's what was expected of her… or perhaps it was the responsibility. She was the one to take care of him growing up, she was more his mother than an older sister, the closest thing he had to an actual parent, with his mother dead, his father completely uninterested in him, and what wives he had later on more interested in gaining favor for themselves and their own children. Maybe Talia just got tired of having to look after children…

Peter himself has always loved kids. He wasn't close to Laura, but then again, she was the only child of hers Talia consistently paid attention to. But Peter spent a lot of time with Derek, more than either Talia or Zachery, it'd seem at times. He loved the little kid. He was such a bright child. So full of light and dreams and hope… all that seems to be gone now. There's very little of that bright baby left in the shifty, nervous teenager Claudia's student (and distant cousin) brought to them. And when his eyes glow blue… that's when Peter knows that he's failed his nephew.

It's not… Peter cannot help but wonder, if he could have done something, could have made things better for Derek, had he stayed. If he could have been there for the kid… Yet at the same time Peter just cannot imagine making any choice but the one he made. Leaving Talia… or not quite, going to Noah and Claudia that evening, being honest with them, choosing them… it's the best decision Peter's ever made. He's convinced of that. The life he has now: with his beloveds, his kids, his friends, his job… he wouldn't change it for a thing.

Still, reaching that conclusion doesn't make things any easier. Finding out the kind of things Derek, his nephew, has been going through. With his parents' neglect, his older sister's bullying and the rest of the pack simply… not caring. He tried so hard to be a good son, a good beta, but nothing was ever enough (Peter empathizes). And to find out that he was kicked out, disavowed, for his blue eyes?!

"I don't understand." Claudia murmured once hearing that part. "What do blue eyes have to do with anything?"

"They show I'm a murderer." Derek stated darkly.

"Stop it!" Paige cut in before anyone could comment, smacking Derek in the arm. "You did not kill anyone, do not say that!"

"It's my fault Paige," Derek insisted. "My fault, I…"

"You feeling guilty about things doesn't make those same things your fault." Peter pointed out, more calmly than he actually felt.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek seemed thrown by that statement.

"Blue eyes in a shifter," Peter explained for the benefit of everyone. "The Hunters call them murder blues. It's actually quite more complicated like that. See, red eyes show the shifter is an alpha, while most betas have golden eyes. A beta's eyes turn blue as a sign of innocence lost… at some point this was taken to mean that the beta in question had killed, even that they killed an innocent. But it's not that simple. See, it's not about anyone else but the betas themselves, it's their innocence that is lost. Most Omegas eyes are blue, not necessarily because they've killed, but because being alone, in the world, without a pack they can trust, take refuge in… it's not an easy way to exist. Such circumstances will almost always lead to a loss of innocence in many ways. From the need to kill to survive, to simply the loss of security, of a safe harbor." He paused before adding, more quietly. "My own wolf-eyes went blue when I was a child, after one too many times of listening to my alpha, my father, yell at me over the death of his wife, my mother. Most came to believe that my mother died giving birth to me, that my birth killed her and I was guilty in some way."

"As if a child could ever be guilty of anything, simply for being born!" Claudia cried out, horrified. "That's… that's ridiculous!"

"It is." Peter agreed. "But that's what everyone believed. But see, my mother didn't die giving birth to me. It weakened her, yes, but she didn't die until months later, she got sick that winter, badly sick, her defenses weren't fully recovered yet, and it was too much for her."

"But… she was a wolf." Noah didn't understand.

"She was, but even a wolf can become sick if they aren't feeding right, receiving the right nutrition." Peter explained quietly. "My old alpha had some very specific ideas about how things should be done in his pack. He was… old school, you could say. Home-births, no doctors, no medicines. As wolves, we were supposed to be better than all those 'human things'. But even born shifters can fall prey of a virus, even shifters need vitamins, especially when pregnant. I only found out this when I was older, but the emissary of the time recommended a very strict diet for my mother, very nutritious, as well as several supplements, vitamins. She got none of it. Because we got nothing we didn't grow ourselves."

Claudia was covering her mouth with her hands, beyond horrified at the image being painted.

"But, but…" Derek was just as affected. "He did that, and then he blamed you?!"

"Of course, he was the alpha, he could do no wrong!" Peter's sarcasm was more than evident. "And Talia followed his lead. Even when she should have known better. She was always one to believe than an alpha's word is law." He exhaled. "I suppose in her mind the truth didn't matter. If the alpha wanted to blame me, he was the alpha, and that was that."

Both kids, and even Noah snorted, it was clear what they thought about that. Finding out that Talia declared him dead years ago truly does not endear her to anyone in their little family either. Peter supposes it's only to be expected, they're His family after all. Also, both Noah and Claudia have expressed their opinion regarding Talia more than once, since first becoming aware about his situation and the Commands his sister gave to keep them apart.

Still, the story did what it was meant to: it helped calm Derek down, see things more clearly. Him feeling guilty over the death of Diaz didn't make it his fault. They, he and Paige, were the ones being pursued by the alpha that day, because for some reason, in his insanity, Ennis decided that biting some random teenager to fill the empty spot left by his lost nephew made any amount of sense. Or maybe… maybe he thought Paige was more than just Derek's friend, perhaps he expected that if she became his beta that would give him an in with the Hale Pack. Shows how little the fool understood of the Hale Pack. Even if he'd been right and Paige had been more than just Derek's best friend, Talia… well, chances are she wouldn't have allowed the union, and if pressed either Paige would have been made to join the Hale Pack, cutting ties with both her human family and Ennis's pack; or, most likely, Derek would have had to abandon the Hale pack if he wanted to be with her.

Peter supposes it doesn't really matter. He could see Derek's reaction the moment he laid eyes on Mieszko, when the children entered the house, carrying armfuls of lemons. The older wolf didn't miss the fact that the younger one had no idea what was going on… He supposes it's no surprise. With Talia so against the mere idea of mates why would she teach her pack anything about them? Still, they have to know, because just by Derek's instinctive reaction, and by the way Mieszko himself seemed to be unable to help himself, turning to Derek as often as possible, Peter has no doubt that those two are mates (he can only hope Claudia and Noah won't blow a gasket…).

In any case, Derek has been kicked out of the Hale Pack, because of his blue eyes. The idea was apparently Laura's originally, though Talia was the one to order him away and to break the bonds to him. The poor boy was left alone, without a penny, or a roof over his head, no more clothes than the ones on his back, and metaphorically bleeding at the loss of all his pack-bonds. It was Paige's idea for the two of them to go to the Stilinskis. She knew about Peter… he supposed she might have even realized that, regardless of what comments he might make sometimes on the matter, he was, in fact, one of Those Hales…

At least the issue of Derek's Omega status is one easily solved. Peter's an alpha, after all. Has been since the night he killed Ennis. After managing to find balance, following the rush of power he wasn't really in any hurry for pack. Or not more than he already had, in any case, his bonds to his little family enough to sustain him. Still, the idea of having an actual beta, and for it to be Derek, it's not one he dislikes, not at all!

xXx

Homeschooling Derek is Sabina's idea. Or rather, she's the first who says it, like it's a fact, instead of just a possibility. She does that sometimes; if she did it with any sort of consistency her family might believe her to be magical in some way, like perhaps psychic, a seer, or a prophetess. But it's not like that. While she can predict some things, it's only ever about Peter, and now Derek. Mieszko believes that it might be because of her wolf blood, that despite her not actually being a wolf, she's still connected to them, might be able to reach through the bonds and 'read them', even if in a different manner than the actual wolves. It's how she always knows where Peter is, even when he runs off when his anger almost gets the better of him; why she's so good at avoiding all in the Hale Pack whenever she and her mom go for groceries, or running some errands downtown. She realizes Derek doesn't really want to go back to school before he admits anything to the family.

It turns out to be a good idea. Apparently Laura's been spreading all kinds of rumors, from her brother being a fool, a runaway, a psychopath. Obviously the teachers don't pay her much attention, but the other students? It'd have been torture for Derek, had he gone back. Laura does bully Paige for a few days until she gets in trouble with the teachers. Paige for her part does her best to avoid her. Laura's on her last year anyway, soon they'll be free of her.

The thing is, Laura's a bully, has been one for years (ever since Talia declared her the future alpha). Derek was always her favorite target, closely followed by the rest of the pack children. In her mind, while she might not have been able to order around the adults, the children should get used to doing everything she wants. In school, seeing Derek just take her bullying despite being tall, athletic and pretty popular (mostly due to being the basketball star player), made it so no other student dare stand up to her. And then Paige does. And not only that, she brings Laura's actions to the teachers' attention. Forcing Laura to realize that all the power she thought she had was nothing more than an illusion. The she-wolf hates that. Hates Paige. But there's nothing she can really do about it.

And then a new substitute teacher arrives to the school… Her name's Katie Vermeil, she's hired to fill in teaching the French Elective when the professor abruptly leaves mid-semester, she also helps as the Assistant Swim-Coach.

Both Claudia and Peter get the feeling that something's… off almost from the moment the woman sets foot in the territory. Yet they don't know what's causing it. Several people come and go from Beacon Hills during those weeks, following the stalling of the investigation into Rodrigo Diaz's murder. Noah knows from the start they're never going to find the one responsible, that he isn't anywhere for them to find; but still he ensures that the investigation is handled carefully, as best as possible. That no one will ever have reason to believe he didn't do everything in his hands to bring the murderer to justice.

Diaz's isn't the only recent murder. There was also Miss Baccari, whom one of Noah's deputies found near one of the jogging trails in the preserve. She was badly mauled, enough that it could have been declared a wild animal attack… except for the human-shaped bruises found on the victim's neck, and the DNA under the her nails. Sadly, Baccari died before any questions could be asked about her attacker, or even what she was doing in Beacon Hills at all. The main theory was that her killer had used a savage animal as weapon, instead of a more traditional one. A level of depravity that lead to the FBI being called in.

And then… fire. The Hale House is on fire. And everything's an absolute mess.

When it's all said and done Beacon Hills is going nuts. People are practically up in arms about the group who tried to kill a family by setting fire to their own home while they were inside. In that moment it doesn't matter if most people don't really know most of the Hales; if they're so isolated, living in the middle of the preserve, that most of those in town saw them more as urban legend than reality. In the end, a family almost died, and it was the fault of an insane psychotic woman and a bunch of sycophants.

It's probably a good thing the FBI are still in town as they end up taking over the investigation when some research is done into Katie Vermeil and it's discovered that such a woman does not exist. Katherine Argent on the other hand… Heads roll (only metaphorically, thankfully). Apparently the school decided there was no need to do a proper background check on the new teacher, because she was so nice, and so good and so talented… what need was there for a background check?! And as if that weren't bad enough already, it's discovered that the odd chemical that was used as an accelerant was a special formula, created by none other than Adrian Harris, the new Chemistry Teacher! The man tries to argue that he had no idea what Katie/Kate was planning, but no one believes that he could hear someone ask for a formula to make stone burn, and not at least be suspicious of something being wrong.

Something else that comes up during the investigation is that apparently Kate was quite close to one Laura Hale. Several seniors state that they saw the two women chatting together more than once; no one knows what they talked about, exactly, but it's quite suspicious. Especially because no one really has great things to say about Laura. Calling her an entitled bitch, a bully of the worst kind, among other things.

In any case, most of the Hales are alive. It turns out that the house, being very old, had some escape tunnels, from a time when 'savages' roamed the land and such things were created for the safety of the 'civilized people' living in those homes. The Hales managed to escape the fire through the tunnels. And then… well no one really knows. Some say that some of them went back to ensure everyone got out; others that they wanted to catch those responsible in the act… regardless of what the original reason, the plan might have been, some things are fact: Laura Hale is dead; several bullets were fired at her, though the coroner declared that the one to kill her was the one to her neck, which severed her spine entirely. Kate Argent is dead too; torn apart savagely in such a way that they only know it was her because of her possessions in the truck found abandoned near the house; the coroner could never determine what kind of animal might have killed her, or how any sort of animal could have gone for her and not anyone else, the Stilinskis knew better. The Hale Pack is gone. At least all of those who bear the Hale name, apparently Talia just grabbed them all and left. She left behind those members of her pack who weren't born Hales (as if decided they weren't important enough…).

"What now?" Noah asks with an exhale.

"Now we establish ourselves properly, secure our position in the territory, before someone else decides that the place is up for grabs." Peter states solemnly.

"Can you do that, with just two wolves in your pack, yourself included?" Noah asks, worried. "I mean, not saying the rest of us don't matter, but we're not wolves so…"

"I probably could, if necessary, but it won't be just the two of us." Peter assures him. "I got a call from Hank, both him and Phil are interested in joining my pack; Hank also asked for permission to give my number to the Hanses, so I'm expecting another call sometime today or tomorrow. Carly called Derek asking if I'd be willing to take her and her son in. So as you can see, it's not just the two of us anymore."

Noah nods, but says nothing for several seconds.

"Darling…?" Peter asks softly.

"I've been thinking about it." Noah explains, thoughtfully. "Vaguely in the past, but more and more recently." He looks straight into Peter's blue eyes. "I want you to give me the bite."

"Wha…?" Peter's taken completely by surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Completely." Noah nods.

"What about your spark?" Peter just wants to be sure.

"What I can do with it is minimal, and no better than what I could gain from becoming a werewolf." He turns to Claudia. "I know you want to remain as you are, love, I just…"

"I know." Claudia interrupts him gently with a soft kiss. "You have as much of a right to make your choice as I do. I'm happy as a human, have never been interested in being anything else. You want to be a werewolf, and I do believe it's a good idea, so you should do it."

And so they are all agreed.

"I still cannot believe mo… Talia, did that." Derek murmurs after several seconds.

He still hesitates whenever he talks about her. It's not… Talia was never a mother to him. She was always his alpha, nothing more. But when he started high-school… he couldn't call her that, not before humans who knew nothing about the supernatural, and neither could he bring himself to call her by her name. So he got used to calling her 'mom'. Truth is, if he regrets one thing about them all leaving, it's losing Cora. His little sister is… she's Derek's favorite person. The only one who's always been there for him. Despite being younger than him by several years she's always been so strong. It pains Derek to think he might never seen her again…

"I'm actually not surprised." Peter admits with a shrug. "Talia's never been the kind to stand and fight. To 'stand her ground' as some might say. Regardless of how she might try to portray herself some times, she's not a fighter. No, if she believes in one thing: it's in survival. Her own above everything else. And of course, she's an alpha, an alpha cannot be such without a pack, so of course her pack has to be taken along."

"That doesn't explain why she'd abandon the others." Claudia murmurs.

"Actually it does." Peter nods. "They're not Hales. It's… bitten wolves can choose to change their names, it's symbolic more than anything else, a show of submission beyond the typical. Hank, Phil, Carly and the Hansens, they never did that, they held onto their own identities. It shows in how they had their jobs, and they kept their original names. In Talia's mind, that means they were never fully Hales."

Noah and Claudia both still think it's quite ridiculous, but do not press the topic. They have other things to focus on like, like Peter said, securing the territory. Also, while they haven't exactly talked about it in depth just yet, a Huntress, an Argent died in Beacon Hills. That's bound to have consequences. They must be ready to deal with them.

xXx

Time passes. Some things change. Others… don't. The Argent attack doesn't happen. They hear the rumors, that Gerard Argent is preparing to move on Beacon Hills, that he intends to 'kill them all'. But the man never shows. Eventually a new rumor emerges: that Gerard Argent is dead, that he was murdered in his bed, inside a locked bedroom, in a secret safe-house, with the place full of guards and with the best security systems money can buy. None of that meant much in the end as he still died, a blade through his heart. The closest clue to who might be responsible: a metal disc found left on his forehead: a brass coin with a faceless head engraved…

Four years after the fire, a dirty, exhausted and very nervous girl shows up at the Stilinskis' door: her skin is tanned, long straight hair raven-black, her eyes hazel… and it's that very specific combination that tells everyone who exactly it is. They've all heard about Derek's little sister Cora. The baby of the family. Have heard how, if Talia never cared much about Derek, with Cora it was even more noticeable. And yet he always tried to be there for her. Watched over her, played with her. Didn't care when Laura would mock him for it, called him a girl, and a baby, and so many other things. He only cared about Cora; that she had fun, was happy. And Cora… Cora loved him… They all know especially how much it hurt Derek to lose Cora when Talia took the pack (or at least those she cared enough to take with her), and ran. It was even worse than when she initially kicked him out (because back then he at least had the hope of eventually seeing her again, when she started going to school, with them gone though…). Peter did try to find them, managed to pick up on enough rumors and whispers to deduce the general are where they might have settled, yet despite him being willing to pay handsomely for any information, there was never any. It was as if Talia and her pack never came out of whatever hole she lead them to!

"Is this… does Derek Hale live here?" She asks, voice thready, weak.

"Oh my darling…" Claudia's motherly instincts rush to the surface instantly. "Why don't you come inside? Have a glass of water, maybe some lemonade?"

"I… I need to find Derek." Cora insists, even as she follows Claudia to the kitchen. "I…"

"Little bit…?" A voice interrupts.

The voice… Cora reacts automatically, head snapping in the direction of it instantly. And there he is: Derek, her big brother: so much like how she remembers him, and at the same time, nothing at all like the boy she remembers. He's taller, and broader, with a hint of a beard on his face. But more than that. He's happy. There's a smile on his face, the likes of which Cora has never seen on him. The closest he ever got, the small smiles he'd give her sometimes, were nothing like that, they were never as big, or as… it's like he's not only smiling with his mouth, or even his face, but with his whole body!

"Derek!" She practically shrieks as she throws herself at him.

Claudia says nothing as she places a glass of lemonade on the island, not wanting to interrupt the happy reunion. A single tear rolls down her cheek but she pays it no mind. She's happy, happy for those two, and for her family as a whole (and yes, Derek is her family, regardless of his surname). When she feels her son press to her side she raises her arm just enough to side-embrace him. She's not surprised. Mieszko and Derek are inseparable. Have been since Peter sat them down and explained what the instinctive connection they felt to each other was. Since he explained mates, and choice, and matches, and that both boys could travel the world over and never would they be able to find someone who fit them better than each other (much like him and Noah). They might still be young, more friends than anything else for now, but Claudia has no doubt that her two boys will be together forever…

Claudia gets to work on some cold cut sandwiches for the kids, Cora included. Nothing big, just enough to tide them over until dinner. It takes very little prompting from Derek for his sister to tell him everything:

"She's gone insane!" Cora exclaims, in a tone that Claudia would normally chalk to teen-aged dramatics, but thinks might be deserved in this case. "Absolutely nuts Der! I… Dad says that Laura's death broke her. But that's not true. Things were already bad before that…"

"Dad never wanted to see it." Derek shakes his head somewhat sadly. "He loves her too much. Even if she'll never love him back."

"He's crazy too." Cora snaps. "Every time I tried to make him see how bad things were he kept insisting they'd get better. That all we had to do was wait, wait and trust in our alpha. Trust?! In the woman who never cared about any of us?! She's driven everyone away! She's so absolutely crazy. Do you know how we've been living the past… I don't even know how long it's been! We were living in a ranch in the butt-end of nowhere! We had literally no neighbors, the closest town was over two hours away! And we were never allowed to go. We were ordered to never leave the ranch. Matty and Jilly almost died the first year! We had nowhere near enough food and Talia refused to allow anyone to go to the town to buy anything. Said we had to be self-sufficient. And when one of the crops failed… it was insane!"

It does sound insane. No one's surprised to learn that pretty much everyone's left. And then Cora goes into even more insane things: like Talia's obsession with having another child, with bringing Laura back…

"It's like she thought that if she had a baby, that baby would be Laura somehow." Cora scoffs. "I know Dad tried to remind her she still had a child, me. But it was like… like she just didn't hear him. Or maybe she just didn't care."

Apparently Talia did become pregnant at some point, but because the land where they settled wasn't the best, the troubles they had getting good crops and the like. Their diets were never the best. They managed to survive through the worst of it, but Talia's baby didn't. That apparently was the final nail on the coffin. Cora didn't even try to make a plan. There wasn't enough food for her to hide any significant amount; so she just packed a bag full of clothes, and left.

"I had your money." She explains to Derek quietly. "The one you were saving, to buy yourself a used car?" When Talia refused to buy him one, even though she did buy Laura a brand new Camaro. "When She kicked you out… Laura threw out everything of yours except a few things I had. But I was the only one who knew where you kept the money, so I saved it. I used it to buy some food once I reached the town, and I found a nice lady at the store who helped me. I wanted to buy a ticket to California, but no one would sell me one, said that my parents had to buy the ticket." She snorts. "I was starting to consider finding a map and just, you know, walking, when I met her. She was really kind, and kept asking me if I had someone waiting for me. If I should even be trying to travel on my own. I made up a story about… I don't even know what it was about, but I think she knew I was a runaway. She still helped me though. She bought all the bus tickets I needed, and when the man selling them realized it was for me, she told him she was my godmother and there was an emergency, that I had to return home and she couldn't take me. They arranged for me to sit near the front in every bus, and the driver would check in with me at every stop to make sure everything was alright. I slipped away when we made it here to Beacon Hills, otherwise I think they'd have insisted on calling you or something."

Noah makes a mental note to check in with his deputies, just in case the driver or someone else at the station is looking for Cora. Peter for his part decides to use those tickets to track down where Cora was, hopefully he'll be able to find this woman that helped his niece and reward her 'appropriately'. It does occur to him that doing that might allow him to find out where Talia is staying nowadays, but truth is, he doesn't really care.

One thing does change with Cora's arrival though. It's become obvious that as big as the Stilinski home might be, it just isn't enough for them all anymore. Even with all the other members of their pack living at their own places. They're just too many. So Peter decides it just might be time to build a new Pack House… They don't call themselves the Hale Pack anymore, though it'd be their right, he's the Alpha, and he's a Hale, after all. But after all the things Talia's done, all the things she's done wrong, he wants to set himself apart. Also, he, Derek and Cora might be Hales, but they also have Stilinskis, and Rogers, and Hansens and… it wouldn't be right to just use one of their names. So in the end they become the Beacon Pack… It feels right. A new name, for a new Pack, for new lives for them all.

xXx

They never hear from the (other) Hales again. Just, one day Peter realizes that the phantom link, the slight shadow of a bond he used to have with Talia has disappeared entirely. It was still there after he left the Pack, even after he became an alpha. One day, he isn't even really thinking about it; he's been having a hard week, a full work-load, several difficult cases. Sabina was sick for a few days, nothing truly serious, just a cold; though it still threw him off, and he hated not being able to be there for his little girl. He finds it almost funny how, when he finally has the time to just be with her, cuddle in a couch Sabina for some reason decides to run her hand over his head and down his neck, like she's scenting him, or soothing him (petting him?). He wonders briefly if there's something wrong, and when he checks on the pack-bonds, that when he realizes it, the empty space where a very thin, barely there bond used to be.

He knows what it means: Talia is dead (probably Zachery as well). Peter takes a moment to study his emotional response and soon realizes that there's no grief. It's not that he never loved Talia, because he did, very much. The thing is, he loved the Talia that loved him, that was more mother than sister, that was there for him, his only real family, his only real pack, when his own father did not want him. The Talia who was family, not just alpha… That Talia disappeared a long time ago, Peter grieved that loss then. Now, the Talia Hale that died was but a shadow of the woman she once was, and one Peter stopped caring for when she gave him the order that almost (almost!) pulled him away from his beloveds forever. Truth is Peter will never stop feeling grateful for David. For the words he said to Peter that day. The human might not realize it, but it was that conversation which changed everything for Peter, which gave him the strength and will to go against Talia once and for all. To choose Noah and Claudia. If it weren't for that, for him… Peter cannot imagine the kind of life he might be living…

Surprisingly enough, the ones they do end up hearing from again, are the Argents; when three of them move into Beacon Hills in the Winter of 2010.

Chris doesn't understand why things are so hard! From the moment Victoria announces that they are moving to Beacon Hills, everything that could go wrong, does, and even some things that… Chris just doesn't understand. Victoria first chooses a nice, big house in the rich neighborhood, they do a virtual tour and while Chris thinks the place is a bit big for just the three of them, it's Victoria's choice, so he starts making arrangements. The moment the real estate agent hears his name, he hangs up. And not just him, all real estate agents refuse to work with them, even the local bank won't give them service.

It actually takes Chris a few days and over half a dozen rejections before he realizes that it's only after he's said his name that other refuse to work with him. They finally end up buying a house directly from an old man, it's much smaller than the one Victoria originally wanted, and in a less affluent area of town; it's clear the old man doesn't much like doing business with them either, but he's been trying to sell the house for a while now, so he does sell to them… Chris does believe that they ended paying more than the place is actually worth but… The place doesn't come furnished, and when they go buy furniture, they're refused service again, the young woman handling the sales straight out telling them:

"We don't do business with your kind."

At first Victoria thinks that must mean she's supernatural. She isn't. As they find out, everyone in town remembers Kate Argent and what she tried to do to the Hales. Some people even know that it wasn't the first time that the woman killed (some rumors got out during the investigation, there was 'nothing' the sheriff could do about it). A lot has changed since then, what Hales still live in town are well known and loved: from Peter Hale, the successful criminal lawyer; Derek Hale, who does work as a volunteer EMT, while sometimes working at Rogers' Autoshop; and Cora Hale, who everyone knows can take fantastic pictures, even if she's never taken a single photography class (it's a gift!). No one really wants any Argents, or anyone else who might prove to be a danger to them.

They still stay, try to make it work. It's not Chris's preference, but then again, he's not the one who calls the shots in their family, Victoria is. He thinks his wife, and to a lesser degree their daughter are obsessed, insisting on there being 'unfinished business' in Beacon Hills. Chris thinks things would be so much easier if they forgot all about Beacon Hills and the Hales, if they all moved on. But once again, it's not up to him, he just follows orders…

The first time they make plans to go hunting, they're stopped at the sports store, the manager (looking pretty put upon at serving them after most of her workers refused to do it themselves) cancels their purchases before telling them, very pointedly that hunting in the preserve is forbidden. Chris tries to explain that they're not going to be in private property, but apparently all of the preserve is privately owned nowadays, and All kinds of hunting is forbidden.

"As if human laws apply to us." Victoria scoffs.

She doesn't much like having to order online what they failed to buy at the sports store, but she still does it. And a few days later they're on their way. Only to be stopped by a patrol car.

"Tell me something Mr. Argent, Mrs. Argent, Miss Argent, do you have hunting permits?" The Deputy (a Tara Graeme) questions them.

"We do." Victoria bluffs.

"You do? That's interesting." Tara nods. "I hope you realize that hunting permits from other areas do not apply to this place. In particular since all hunting is forbidden here. Though I'm sure you already knew that, what with Mr. Argent being a registered arms dealer. Now I'm gonna have to ask you to surrender all your weapons, you can get them back once you bring your licenses and carrying permits to the station…"

For a moment Chris thinks that Victoria is actually considering shooting the deputy, though she thankfully doesn't. Might have something to do with the fact that a man steps out of the patrol car right then, calling to her partner, asking if everything's alright, a hand over his own gun, on his hip. Making it obvious that Graeme isn't alone.

They only get two of their guns back. The rest being retained while forensics study them after finding 'suspicious ammo' in them. The Argents are also warned about using doctored ammo as, while not technically a crime, depending on what the bullets have been altered with, it could end up being one. Chris could also end up having trouble with his clients if it were to be found out, that he's been modifying ammo illegally. Chris could almost swear that the sheriff knows exactly what is in those bullets…

Even after that Victoria refuses to leave. It's just after New Years when the three of them find themselves in the preserve, armed and ready, finally. Allison claims to have heard some howling in the distance the last couple of nights, which seems to make Victoria especially eager. They hike through the forest for over an hour before they see any sort of sign, there are some claw marks in a few trees, and what looks like they might be smudged paw-prints on the ground; nothing too clear. Chris is about to ask a question when they all hear it: a branch breaking. Chris has just a fraction of a second wondering why that feels… off, when Victoria spins around and is shooting before any of them can really take a look at whatever made that sound. They all hear the shot, followed by something: a whine, or groan, or something like that; meaning that Victoria hit something… Allison draws her bow, aiming into the thick trees but there's nothing.

When the next movement comes it's from the least expected direction; their left instead of the front, almost from the direction they were coming from, rather than where they were heading… or so he thinks. The preserve is so big, so many of the trees look so similar, and Chris really hasn't had the chance to familiarize himself with the place. Not with all the complications, and Victoria insisting that they move forward despite them.

"Mr. Argent…" The man might be in civilian clothing, but that doesn't stop Chris from identifying him instantly as Sheriff Stilinski. "Mrs. Argent, Miss Argent. I thought my department had made it more than clear that hunting, Any Kind of Hunting, is forbidden in the preserve." He makes a pause before adding, full of power and authority. "Especially the kind of Hunting that requires exotic substances like wolfsbane, and mistletoe and such…"

Victoria's gun is raised and cocked before the sheriff's even finished speaking. However, before she can even think about pulling the trigger there's a howl, loud, to their right (what was their front, before they turned to face the sheriff). Allison reacts, aiming an arrow… and then there's another howl at their back, and two to their left. They're surrounded! Chris looks around and he can see them then, glowing eyes: some golden, others blue, and one pair bright red…

Great is his surprise however when not only none of the wolves step out of the trees, but instead a woman steps forth, seemingly emerging from the underbrush, in front of them and a bit to their right. Of average height, porcelain skin, chestnut brown hair, amber eyes, she's dressed in jeans, a thick shirt and a heavy jacket on top. She's carrying no weapons, which Chris cannot help but find strange for some reason (considering that even the sheriff is clearly armed, a gun on his hip). She's smiling… it's not a kind smile.

"In case my husband, and all his deputies, and all the people in this town haven't made it clear," She states (and that's when Chris realizes that must be Claudia Stilinski, the sheriff's wife… though there are rumors that the two of them are in an established relationship with the eldest Hale as well). "You should all leave Beacon Hills. We do not want you here."

"You cannot make us leave!" Victoria scoffs. "We're free to go wherever we want."

"Sure you are." Claudia agrees evenly. "You're free to move, and to live. But you're not free to hunt, and you're certainly not free to kill. See, we know what your kind are like. And we don't want such… individuals, here."

"Really, and what 'kind' are we?" Victoria demands, darkly.

"Criminals…"

"Arsonists…"

"Pedophiles…"

"Murderers…"

"Monsters."

As each word is pronounced people step out of the trees all around them. It takes but a second for Chris to realize that there's more than he though, even after seeing the multitude of glowing eyes. He doesn't know if that means that not all of them are wolves, or if it's just that not all of them revealed their presence earlier. In any case, there's still way too many of them for just three hunters. He hopes Victoria will realize that…

"You know not what you speak of." Victoria hisses.

"Oh, I know exactly what I speak of, Victoria Argent." Claudia retorts. "The list of crimes of each member of your Clan is so long I'd never stop listing them."

"We protect the world from the monsters!" Allison yells righteously.

"Really?" A new voice asks.

There's more than one surprise, and not just on their side, Chris notices, when a figure steps out of the shadows. Younger than all the others, perhaps about his daughter's age: with alabaster skin, dark brown hair, amber eyes and moles on one side of his face. He's wearing a plain, somewhat loose white shirt, tight dark jeans, black combat boots; all of that topped with a leather jacket of a blue so dark it's almost black, with the hood pushed back. He stares at each of them in turn, and when Chris's own eyes meet the boy's amber ones for a moment he thinks they turn black and… it's a terrible feeling, like he's looking straight into the darkness, and the darkness is looking right back at him. Fear seizes his heart, the likes of which he hasn't known since his father beat it out of him when he was still young and following him on his first hunts. Chris has no idea what the boy is, and he doesn't want to know!

"Tell me, Allison Argent, what kind of monster was Brian Lancaster, the six year old human kid, the youngest member of the Lancaster pack, which your parents attacked last year?" The boy asks, voice dark, cold and with a current of steel. "Or better yet, how about Juliet Taylor, the pregnant woman your mother murdered in cold blood on her way to the store. How about…"

"Stop it!" Allison yells. "We hunt those who hunt us! That's our Code! If mom killed them then they must have done something to deserve it!"

"Hunt…" The boy scoffs. "You have no idea what it means to be hunted. But tell you what. I'll give you one chance. A single one. And that's it."

"Who the hell are you," Victoria cuts him off. "To think you have any right to speak like that to us? To make any demands of us?"

"My name matters very little," The boy says with a shrug. "I'll tell you what does matter though: I am the blood of the Faceless… I am an Envoy of Justice, a Servant of Death… and I say that the next time you spill innocent blood, you will die."

Chris blanches from the moment the first epithet is pronounced, he knows this won't end well.

"Who do you think you are to threaten me?!" Victoria roars. "I am Victoria Argent, nee Fowler, Acting Matriarch of the Great Argent Hunting Clan. You are nothing, you're but an insect, not even worth…"

"For Justice and Death." The boy finishes, ignoring Victoria's words entirely.

Victoria is beyond enraged by the boy clearly ignoring her. Chris knows this isn't going to go well. Chris might not be the most erudite of men, but after the death of his father he did his research. He knows who the Servants of Death (the ancient Order, those once known as the Faceless…) are. He knows this isn't a fight they can win. But Victoria… she's blinded, by anger and her own pride. She shoots. The boy has no reaction at all, even as the bullet carves into his arm. It's not too bad a wound, the bullet didn't even penetrate, more of a burn than anything else and yet… all eyes are on it, they all see the moment a single line of blood falls down the pale arm, to his hand, and then a single drop falls onto the earth… they never do see the drop touch the mossy ground, as right in that very moment Allison's cry calls all attention in a different direction: to where Victoria has just collapsed.

Chris's eyes go to the blood on the boy's arm… the Servant of Death's arm… to the ground, and then his wife. And he knows, without anyone having to tell him, that she's dead. She died after spilling innocent blood.

Chris cannot know if it's some kind of spell, a curse, or something else. He doesn't care to find out. All he can think of in that moment is grabbing his daughter and getting out of Beacon Hills before he loses her too! It's just a matter of time though, even if he might not be ready to admit it (he never will), Allison is too much her mother's daughter, has embraced the worst traits of the hunters. Sooner or later she will spill innocent blood… and she will die. And Chris… what will he do then?

xXx

Days later they're all sitting together in the pack-house living room, several of the adults basically trying to interrogate Stiles. Wanting to know how exactly he knew the things he did, that he confronted Victoria Argent with. Even Peter and Noah, with their long and detailed investigation of the Argents did not know for sure that the Argents were behind the decimation of the Lancaster Pack, and they'd never even heard about Juliet Taylor; though in the days since Noah looked for her in the system, found out that the death was declared a 'hit-and-run', and that her boyfriend moved to a different town with his son shortly afterwards, without leaving a forwarding address (which is perfectly understandable if he knew, or even had the slightest reason to suspect the truth behind his mate's death).

"How long have you been hearing the voice kid?" Mieczyslaw's question takes everyone completely by surprise.

"Tata (Dad)?" Claudia asks, confused.

"Death." Mieczyslaw clarifies, though still looking straight at his grandson, rather than his daughter. "How long have you been hearing her?"

"I…" Mieszko hesitates before revealing. "Years? I don't… I don't remember, sometimes it's hard to remember a time when I couldn't hear her."

There are several sharp intakes of breath all around, but it's as if once he's started, once he's finally gotten the chance and the courage to start talking about that, the boy just needs to keep talking, to let them know everything.

"I… I'm actually not sure if 'hearing her voice' is the right way to put it." The teen aged boy continues. "I mean, I call it that, to myself, but I've never actually heard like… words, you know? It's like… I know things, and I know she's the one telling me, but I can't exactly quote phrases, or sentences, or anything like that. She told me about the Lancasters, and about Miss Taylor, and others… so many others!" He sobs, just a bit. "She was really, really angry with them, the Argents I mean. Said they were monsters and o…" he swallows. "Oathbreakers. She said… said she had a gift for them. Wanted me to give it to them…"

Which explains what happened to Victoria Argent. It's not that they weren't all already more than aware of the power Mieszko possesses as a spark, but what he did that day was completely new. A curse (it's the best word they've found to describe it) was extremely effective. Also, according to the Order, it counts as Mieszko's kill, which means that despite still being only seventeen, for the Order he's an adult, and one of their own (as he's delivered their Gift).

"That…" Claudia's totally at a loss for words as she turns from her son to her dad. "Tata? What does that mean?"

"It means córeńka (daughter) that a choice has been made." Mieczyslaw tells her kindly.

"A choice?" Claudia still doesn't understand, and that makes her both nervous and upset. "What choice? Whose choice?"

"Death knows mom…" Mieszko whispers quietly, not quite looking at her. "She knows that you don't… that you don't want to be her Seneschal."

"I… I don't…" Claudia doesn't know what to say to that. It's not a lie, is the thing, and yet…

"Death knows you're her loyal Servant, with your Hand, but you don't want to be Seneschal." Mieszko continues. "You don't want to, but you think you don't have a choice. Everyone deserves to have a choice… So I told her I'd do it. When the time comes. I'll take Dziadek's place, I'll be Death's Seneschal."

"Oh Mischief…" Claudia's speechless, all she can do is cry and embrace her son, hold him tight against her.

It's true, she's never wanted to be Seneschal of Death. She didn't even want to be part of the Order, but that part was non-negotiable thanks to some very old oaths… Still, the thought of her child, her only son (who's still a child, no matter what the Order might say about traditions and coming-of-age rituals!) taking her place…

"It's okay mom." Mieszko does his best to reassure her. "I'm not being pressured into this, I promise you. I made my choice."

And Claudia knows her son enough to believe him. She might not like it, not at all. But she does not doubt that if he's in this position, he chose it. At the same time, she cannot help but think that maybe Death (if there is truly such a being as an embodiment of a Power like Death) planned it that way, from the moment that her son started hearing her voice… that has certainly never happened to Claudia, she'd remember something like that!

Most people are still busy processing all that, when Mieszko's attention is drawn by the hand slipping into his, fingers intertwined.

"Our choice." Derek whispers, quietly enough for only Mieszko to truly hear. "I'm not leaving you Mischief. We're together, in this, as in everything else."

"Yeah, okay." Mieszko agrees, blushing slightly.

They haven't actually been dating (officially dating) for very long. It's… Mieszko and Derek have known each other since they were eleven and sixteen respectively. Six years have passed, almost to the day, since they met for the very first time. There was an instant connection, from the moment they first laid eyes on each other. Thanks to Peter they knew what it meant, the potential that existed between them. The two knew, almost from the start, that one day they'd be together, but they were in no rush; and it wasn't just about their age, they wanted to be ready, both of them. So they continued with their schooling. Eighteen months after the departure of the Hales, Derek got his High-School diploma and left for CSU in Sacramento, where he studied to be an EMT. Mieszko and Sabina both finished their own education before going to Berkeley together. Their plan: to open a store: half teas, herbs, flowers and handmade jewelry (to mundanes it'd seem like a strange but interesting mix, supernaturals would know better). Mieszko would be the one infusing the magic on some stones in order to create talismans, wards, and aids for spellwork. Though his actual degree was to be on criminal law, as he planned on also being a PI, working the kind of cases 'normal investigators' would never be able to solve.

They're still working on that. In fact, the siblings will be going back to Berkeley soon. It just happened that they were on their winter break when the mess with the Argents went down.

As for Derek and Mieszko themselves, they are together, officially and everything. They haven't gone on too many dates yet, busy as they were keeping an eye on the Argents (everyone knew that, sooner or later, they'd do something). Mieszko hopes they'll have a better chance during spring break, and definitely during the summer; Derek has also promised to drive to Berkeley for a visit when he has a chance. They're keeping things simple for now, what with Mieszko still underage; and neither of them are in a rush. They know they're mates, they know that however long it might take, they'll be together in the end. It's nice, having that certainty, that security.

"Together." Mieszko adds for good measure.

And because he just cannot help himself at even the best of times, he steals a quick kiss from Derek. Of course, because that's just his luck, everyone's looking at them by then. Suddenly he has one parent teasing him, another cooing, the third threatening them both if they do anything untoward, his sister seems to be unable to decide if she ought to tease him, coo, or laugh and his Dziadek… he's just looking at all of them in silence, probably wondering what he did to deserve such an insane family. Mieszko has certainly wondered that himself more than once!

But being honest, Mieszko wouldn't change his family, not for anything in the world. His mom, his dad and his papa; his little sister, his Dziadek, and Papa's niece and nephew, and Uncle David and Aunt Liz (who might not be such by blood, but still!); and then there are all the other people: like Sophia, and Ivor, Alexis, Arek, and every other member of the Order who's spent time with them throughout the years; and also Hank, Phil, Bree, Mark and all the other members of their pack. Some of them (many of them) might not have any blood connection to him, but who cares? Family is about more than just blood! He knows that the relationship between his mom, dad and papa isn't what most people would consider normal, but who cares? They're not family, they're not pack! The same applies to his own relationship with Derek; yes there is a difference in ages, but age is just a number, and their connection… that is so much more…

Things might not be perfect all the time, but they are right now, and that, that's enough.

---

So... what do you think? I hope you enjoyed it.

In case someone really wanted to know. The warning for minor character death was regarding: Deaton (in part1), as well as several minor characters (several unnamed wolves, hunters, and unnamed janitor), Laura Hale, Kate Argent, Gerard Argent, Victoria Argent, as well as Talia and Zachery Hale. Oh, and an unborn baby.

There was a piece I considered but never wrote, some of you might remember it. The tentative title was "Lady Death". Now, I decided at some point that the kind of person Claudia would have to be in order to take the mantle of Seneschal herself, didn't fit with the character I've been creating throughout this whole series/collection. And I've tried to be consistent with the portrayal of my characters, even with how some things change with this new background and powers, and even some characters. I've tried to keep our main characters true to themselves (hope I've managed). So, "Lady Death" didn't fit with all that. Still, the one scene that I'd planned I decided I could rework a bit and included here (it's the one concerning the Argents and their arrival to BH in what would be 'canon time').

So this is, most definitely, the end of this series/collection. I hope you've all enjoyed at least one of my offerings. Please let me know what you liked, what you didn't. If there's anything you might like for me to write (cannot make any promises other than I'll try). I've actually had a couple of people already make very interesting suggestions for future stories. Ideas that don't really fit into this verse, but that if the muse ever strikes you can be sure I will write them, and will dedicate them to those who inspired the stories!

Having said that. I do have the idea of some day writing another series, connected a bit to this. Remember I once talked about crossovers, and never did write any? Aside from including characters and shows like Charmed, Criminal Minds, and the CSI and Law and Order franchises as background for several of the pieces, I mean. Well, I'd still like to do that. I had this idea of making Sterek travel from one universe to another, universes without Seneschals, where they'd have to intervene, for Justice and Death. For the longest time I wasn't sure how to even begin that, until I was about halfway through HoD and realized that this piece's version of Stiles and Derek would work very well for this idea so... when the time comes, that'll be a project of mine (cannot promise when that'll happen, but it will). As for what the crossovers will be. Right now I have three vaguely planned: the MCU, BtVS, and maybe (huge maybe) canon TW (either one of the latter seasons, or the movie), we'll see how it goes. As always, suggestions are welcome.

As for other current projects. I have two more movie fix-its (more, because I've already posted one, called "Third Time's the Charm"), you'll be able to find them in the coming weeks. Also, I'm planning on posting a little Modern Royal AU Sterek fic in a couple of days. Why so soon? Because part of the fic happens on Beltane and for some reason I got it into my head that it was a good idea to post it then. Hence my being so focused on writing that. I just finished it earlier today and I still have to try and do some editing, the cover, and such. Hope you'll like that one too!

On another front. There might be a podfic coming for one of the fics in this series. I'll keep you guys posted. And hopefully a trailer at some point. I've also been thinking about putting together a 'dreamcast picture' or something like that, and post it on my tumblr or something, but not sure if that's even something you guys would be interested in.

So, that's that for now. It's been an absolute pleasure. See you in my other fics (I'm not walking away from TW just yet!).

P.S. Don't forget to comment/review and to like/kudo, fav/bookmark please! I leave for your feedback!