The closer they came to the nemeton, the darker the world appeared. The sun had sunken behind the hills, the glowing of it's last warming beams still hanging in the air. Brown leaves fell of the trees, as if it was late fall already, and were whirled up as the ambulance scroched past them.

The streets of Beacon Hills were deserted. Most people had abandoned their homes completely as soon as they grasped the graveness of the situation and their houses stood as silent as ghost, their empty eyes watching the ambulance drive by.

Allison urged on through the dead outskirts of the town towards the preserve. Stiles gulped as he saw the place, where he had spent his whole childhood, again after such a long time. It didn't look at all as he remembered. The once lush gras had withered. The trees' vigorous trunks looked rotten, and some of them had already snapped, as if a great storm had knocked them over.

„This place is depressing", Peter murmured next to him.

„I grew up here."

Peter raised a brow and threw him a critical look.

„That actually explains a lot."

Stiles went into the back of the vehicle to look after Derek. The werewolf was still unconcious and somewhere between Rosedale and Delano, he had broken out into a cold sweat. His wounds didn't heal at all compared to Scott's, who's ankle was already perfectly fine again. Stiles had checked Derek's body for more wolfsbane twice, but couldn't find the cause of his slow healing.

The group was jolted in surprise as a loud clash pierced through the monotonous hum of the engine as something crashed against the windshield. Allison slammed down on the break until the ambulance skidded to a halt.

„What was that?", Peter screeched, one finger pointed at the blotch of blood in the middle of the spiderweb of fractures in the glass.

„I think it was a bird." Allison leaned over the steering wheel and peeked up at the darkening sky.

A group of sparrows passed overhead, flying low and slowly, some of them faltering before their next weak stroke of wing.

One of them gave one last feeble flap, before it just dropped from the sky and hit the asphalt a few feet behind the ambulance.

„It's the dark moon", Scott whispered, somewhere between awestruck and fearffull. „It's starting to drain out their lives."

The group looked silently back at the dead animal, their combined worries filling the air with a chocking tension.

Allison was the first to move again. She took one last look back into the rearview mirror and then drove on towards the nemeton.

The further they drove, the more bleak the forest looked. At the side of the road, they could see more and more dead animals, squirells and rabbits, weasels and hedgehogs, and even a great stag. His impressiv horns had pulled his had down and to the side. His blue tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth and his glassy eyes starred into the depth of the dead forest, never blinking.

Allison turned onto a narrow path and the ambulance rocked with every bigger branch and pothole. Scott and Peter were holding onto their seats, while Stiles did his best to keep Derek from falling off the stretcher. The werewolf groaned with pain every time the vehicle rocked especially hard.

Finally, Allison stopped the car and killed the engine.

„That's the furthest I can drive. We've gotta walk the rest."

They all climbed out of the ambulance, Stiles carrying Derek bridal style, and walked the last mile towards the nemeton as fast as they could. At the horizon glowed the full moon in the dark red colour of freshly shed blood, slowly climbing up towards its peak.

Stiles panted under Derek's weight. Was it possible for the werewolf to have gain weight in the last three hours or did Stiles' adrenaline rush finally wear off? He threw his head back and heaved Derek further up in his arms. Without looking where he was going, Stiles' feet stumbled over a branch and he fell down on his knees, pressing Derek protectively against his chest.

He hissed at the sharp sting in his knees, but immediately tried to stand up nonetheless. Scott stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

„Let us carry him, we can see better in the dark." He pointed at Peter and himself.

„And you werewolves are stronger and have more stamina, yadda yadda yadda", Stiles huffed, but didn't object as Scott took Derek out of his arms. He protested however when Scott threw him over his shoulder with more force than necessary. One of his hands stroke soothingly over Dereks back , while he pointed out Derek's bullet wound with the other, hoping that Scott wouldn't put to much pressure on it, before they swiftly moved on.

They came upon a dark clearing filled with a dead meadow. The trees around it were completely bald, their withered leaves wafting through the air and rustling between the groups feet as they approached the broad tree stump in the middle of the field. Behind the crooked branches, that reached like bony fingers towards the night sky, the red moon floated ominously. The air smelled of decay and Stiles guessed that another rotting animal had to be close by.

Scott had struggled after another half mile, the dark moon even taking its toll of the werewolves' strength and Peter had to carry the pentachoron for the last meters.

„Put him in the center", Scott told him hastily.

„Where? Here?"

With Scott's approval, Peter let Derek down onto the tree trump, more carefully than Scott had handled him. The trump was easily big enough for the werewolf to rest upon and he let his tired limps lie where they fell. He mumbled incoherently under his breath, but didn't have the energy to open his eyes.

With shaking fingers, Scott pulled the handkerchief wrapped around the stones out of his pocket.

„You know how this works?", Allison asked him between pants of breath.

„Theoretically", the alpha shrugged.

„Theoretically?"

„The three stones should go around the nemeton, the power source. The pentachoron should be in the middle, then the weapon against evil should work."

Stiles raised a skeptical eyebrow at his friend.

„You've never seen it work before, I guess?"

„No."

Grumbling about stupid secretive werewolves and their stupid secret weapons, Stiles walked around the stump, his eyes darting over the wood.

„Every weapon has a manual, I'm sure this has one, too."

Close to Derek's outstreched arm, he stopped and ducked down to take a closer look at the bark. He wiped away the dirt and uncovered a mark carved into the wood.

„That's it!"

Scott kneeled down next to him and frowned at the mark.

„That's an old rune. It stands for warrior or strength. The emerald!", he suddenly shouted, startling the others. „In the werewolves' culture the color of nature, we gain our strenght from it! The emerald has to be offered from this side. Allison!" He waved the woman over and pressed the green stone into her palm. She cupped it in her hand and stood exactly where Scott told her to.

The three men continued to walk around the stump and paused at the next mark.

„What are you doing?" Peter asked completely lost.

„Trying to keep you in the dj business", Stiles told him briefly, but Scott gave him a more helpful answer.

„We've got to match the symbols. Wisdom."

He gave Peter the sapphire and grabbed him by his shoulders, to steer him infront of the fitting rune.

Scott wiped the dirt off the last mark and threw a short glance at Allison.

„And love and compassion. Done!", he exclaimed with a big smile and held up the ruby.

They stood in silent around Derek and the stump for a moment, Stiles fidgeting behind Scott until he couldn't keep quiet anymore.

„What now?"

„Now we have to activate them", Scott said, scrunching his face insecurely.

„You know how to do that, right?" Stiles squinted his eyes at him and tried his best not to yell at his friend.

„Theoretically?" Scott looked around at everyone's faces, beads of sweat running down his temple. „No."

Stiles shouldered past him and bend over Derek, taking his face between his hands. The werewolf was quivering and sweating vigorously from his strong fever.

„Derek, wake up!"

He didn't stir and Stiles pulled him into his arms, slapping his cheeks softly. Finally, his eyelids fluttered open and he squinted up at Stiles.

„You have to help us, Derek. How do you open the stones?"

Derek closed his eyes wearyly and Stiles was scared that he had lost him again until he heard his faint whisper.

„I am the heart, the muscle and the brain. Past, present and future."

„Yeah, I know the meanings of the triskelion."

„Alpha, beta and omega" His voice grew weaker, until Stiles couldn't understand his mumbling anymore.

„Derek, stay with me, big guy", he encouraged him and shook him in his arms.

The pentachoron threw his eyes back open and looked around as if he noticed his surroundings for the first time. Stiles tightened his arms around him and tried to get his attention back.

„Derek, how do you activate the stones?"

„I am the heart, the muscles-"

He whimpered before his head lolled back and his lips stopped moving.

„Derek!", Stiles shouted out worried, but the wolf didn't react.

He lowered him carefully back down onto the tree stump and looked up at his friends.

„What does it mean?"

„I think that- it's, uh-", Scott stammered.

„Maybe it's a charade", Peter threw in with a wave of his hand. „A game or something."

Stiles grabbed him by his lapels and pulled the dj forward to snarl angrily in his face.

„If we don't activate this stones in five minutes, we're dead."

„Dead?", Peter shrieked, all color draining from his face.

„Yes, dead!"

„Too late." They all looked down at Derek, who had breathed the words and was starring up at the sky. In union, their eyes followed his gaze and they saw the dark moon rising further, already close to standing right above the nemeton. The air was filled with electricity and tinged into a red light. They could feel its force soaking in their energy, weakening their bodies and fogging their minds.

In a haste, they turned back to the stones, searching for a way to activate them. Stiles bolted to Allison's side and together they examined the emerald from every side. Scott held the ruby towards the sky and whispered some words in the ancient language of the werewolves.

„I think mine is broken", Peter whined and shook the stone desperately. „Why did I have to get the broken one?"

Scott stopped his incantation and lowered the gem against his chest. The glint of hope had left his eyes and he slowly shook his head.

„We're not gonna make it."

He closed his eyes to hold back tears and let out a deep breath.

The stone in his hand suddenly became warm and as he threw his eyes open, he watched it lightning up in a bright, red flare.

The others looked up at the flash and then jumped to his side, grasping his shoulders and shouting excitedly at him.

„Scotty, what did you do?

„Nothing!"

„Show me what you did!"

„Scott, you can do it!"

„I did nothing."

„What's the trick, my man?"

„Would you shut up!"

„Ok, keep calm, Scott", Allison shushed him with her hands around his face. „Calm down and show me what you did, step by step. Alright?"

Scott was still shaking as she took a step back to give him more room, but at least no one was shouting anymore.

„I- I was standing here", he took in the exame posture he was in before his friends had jumped on him. „I was holding the stone against my chest and I said, uhm-"

He closed his eyes once more and everyone held their breaths as they watched the young alpha intently.

„We're not gonna make it."

„That's it?", Stiles inquired as nothing happened and Scott opened his eyes disappointed.

He looked sadly at Allison and she gave him a rueful smile.

They all winced as the ruby flashed once more, but before anyone could break out into panic once more, Stiles held up a silencing hand.

„Stiles?"

„He said I am the heart", Stiles whispered thoughtfully to himself. „The heart loves. Scott, close your eyes!"

The alpha looked confused but did as he was told.

„Now I want you to think about your mother."

„My mother?"

„Yes! Think about Melissa. All the times she patched you up before you became a werewolf. How she always took care of you and loved you, no matter what."

Scott imagined his mother's warm smile and how she always seemed to know the right thing to say. God, he missed her. He wished he were able to see her one last time and tell her how grateful he was to have her. His heart burned with his regret and the stone in his hand slowly began to heat up.

„That's it, Scott! Now think of all your friends, your beta, Isaac. Or the good times we had back in high school. Remember the time I ran my jeep into a ditch? I only broke an arm, but you refused to leave my side at the hospital."

He could hear the laughter in Stiles voice and had to grin himself. Of course he remembered. He had been so worried about his best friend! The gem in his hand started to move and he struggled to keep a hold of it.

„Now I want you to think about Allison."

Scott didn't need to listen any longer. Her soft face popped up in his mind, her wavy hair, her chocolate colored eyes, her cute dimples. Fragments of memories flashed through his head and he could easily envision the first time he saw her, the moment he knew that he loved her, their first kiss and the joy he felt when she told him that she loved him, too. How he wished he could make everything up to her, to have more time to show her that he could be a better boyfriend.

The ruby suddenly flew out of his hands and he opened his eyes in alarm. The stone was hovering in the air a foot above him and shining brightly in a warm, red color.

Stiles watched it with a confident smirk.

„Take back your positions", he told Allison and Peter. „The muscle is strong and the brain is wise. Go!"

Allison bolted back to her place, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought about her training, all the time she had spend to turn her body into the perfectly working machine it was today. She remembered the lessons her father had taught her, which she had hated back then, but knew about their importance today. How every new achievement had made her stronger, braver, ready to face everything that endangered innocent people. Her concentration was so deep, that she was surprised to notice that she had been muttering the french words of her family's codex under her breath. Bursting with energy and confidence, she opened her eyes and looked down at the hot burning emerald in her hand.

„Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent", she spoke out loud and the gem swirled up into the sky to suddenly halt in mid-air right above her.

„Stiles, my man!", Peter piped up, the sapphire lying inactive in his palm. „I- I- I'm not a genius. I'm not wise, I mean I'm street-smart, but I never graduated. I'm no Stephen Hawking! Why didn't we bring Stephen Hawking?"

He grasped Scott's shoulder, as he came closer to the hysterical werewolf, his wolf coming out as he freaked out and he spoke through his growing fangs.

„Alpha, do you have a PhD? Is no one here a genius? We're gonna die!"

Allison gave Stiles an intense look.

„Stiles, you gotta do it."

„What? No! Scott is the true alpha, he has all the knowledge and wisdom of the werewolves."

„No, she's right. I'm just doing what I have been told, but you are the clever one. You're the one with the plan", Scott reasoned.

„Yeah, but think about all the trouble my plans brought us into." He turned to Allison, his eyes red and stinging with the threat of tears. „Think of Erica and Boyd, what good were my plans to them, huh?"

„How many times do we need to discuss this, Stiles? Their deaths weren't your fault!", the hunter shouted at him. „No one could have known that our cover had been blown and the meeting was a trap. Your plan didn't kill Erica and Boyd, they saved the rest of our team. It saved me! There was no need for you to resign. Everyone told you that it wasn't your fault, but you wouldn't listen to the therapists or your superiors or my father. But you gonna listen to me!"

She snatched the uncut gem out of Peter's hand and pushed it against Stiles' chest. Taken aback, he took hold of it.

„You saved us so many times, Stiles, just by your quick thinking. And I that's why I always knew I could trust in you, because you always came up with something. You're the best partner I ever had."

Tears were gathering now in Allison's eyes and she quickly pulled Stiles into a hug and burried her face into his neck.

„You are the most intelligent man I know, do you hear me? And nothing that happened had been any of your fault."

„Thank's, Allison", Stiles whispered into her hair as he hugged her back.

She tightened her grip on him once more, before she pulled back with a crooked smile and brushed the tears of her face.

„Your plans always got us into trouble", Scott said with a shrug of his shoulder. „But they also always got us back out of it."

He stepped up to his friend and pulled him into another rib-crushing hug, before he slapped him on the back and let him go.

„Thank's, dude."

„Now go be brainy."

Stiles saluted and let himself be guided to the right spot by Scott, thankful that his best friend didn't mention that he was sniveling.

He held the stone in a fist by his side and tried to concentrate on being brainy, but he didn't know what exactly that meant. He wished his father would have been here right now. The man was really the smart one in their family, not Stiles, who only always tried to imitade his father. How much time had he spend to learn the meanings of the police scanner codes by heart, just to understand what great puzzle his father would have to solve next. Again and again had he told him not to go through the case files, yet Stiles had done it anyway, no matter if the contents weren't suitable for minors. It was his proudest day when he got his diploma and started to work for the NSA. Finally, he could prove that his nosiness and need to rethink every problem that was plaguing his mind was useful and more than just some annoying quirks of him. All those nights he had spend studying and researching, just trying to satisfy his urge for knowledge. But it was never really enough, there was always something new to explore. His brain would just get stuck on a topic and he would not be able to let it go until he had solved the puzzle. That's why he was so good at defusing bombs or assembling weapons. He liked to know how things worked, what made the world turn.

His whole world had fallen apart when his colleagues didn't make it out of their mission alive. That day, he had lost all his faith into his abilities. Without a second thought, he had quitted his work and ran to New York, to hide away from everyone he had failed. Yet, he wasn't able to run away from his bad conscience. Every night he dreamed of the people that had lost their lives because of his thoughtlessness. And now he was back in the same position, back at the brink of losing people he loved, if he didn't pull himself together and started to solve this problem.

Goddamnit, there was so much more to this world than what Derek could read on the internet and he wanted to show the werewolf everything, wanted to share everything he knew with the man to see his face light up in wonder, but he couldn't do it if they were dead!

He staggered as his arm was suddenly wrenched upwards and, startled, he let go of the burning hot stone that had scorched his palm and had left an angry red splotch. Within the blink of an eye, the sapphire shot up into the air and then hovered above Stiles, as if it never had moved at all.

Yet, the rich blue light it radiated didn't dim out. It's beam reached over the clearing and met the other two stones' lights right above the nemeton. The colors mixed flawlessly, creating a ring of a vibrant rainbow that surrounded the white glowing middle, where all colors blended into the brightest light.

Stiles raised his arm over his face, trying to shield his eyes from the blaze. He was frozen in awe of the stones magic. Beneath the glaring spectacle, Derek was still lying stock-still, his face slack, and the sight roused Stiles from his silent admiration.

As pretty as the lights were, they still didn't seem to do anything against the dark moon. According to Scott's sketchy explanation, Derek was an important part of the weapon, but the pentachoron was lying impassive on top of the nemeton.

He dashed to Derek's side and took him into his arms, shaking him slightly.

„Come on, Derek. Wake up!"

The werewolf grumbled, but opened his eyes obediently.

„It's time for you to work now."

„Protect life", Derek muttered, barely able to keep his eyes open. „Until death."

„No, Derek, listen to me", Stiles urged him on. „Listen!" He took his face into his hands and forced the trembling man to look at him.

Derek was panting with the effort of sitting upright, but he forced his eyes wide open and focused them on Stiles. Stiles had pulled him so close, that Derek could feel the humans warm breath on his face with every desperate word he said. He leaned further into Stiles comforting bodyheat and closed his eyes in bliss as he felt the man's fingers combing through his hair.

„I know you're very tired. I'll take you on vacation, when we're done here, I swear", Stiles rambled on insistently. „I'll take you on vacation, a real vacation! Just you and me. But listen to me, if you don't do something right now, we all gonna die. Do you understand?"

„What's the use of saving life, when you see what you do with it?", Derek breathed between pants.

Stiles winced at his words. He knew exactly what Derek was talking about. All the pain and misery in the world. The cruelty and injustice that people had to fight with every day. Even the nights Stiles woke up in terror because he had dreamed once again of his own failures that will plague him until the day he died. It all could be over in a few minutes.

But there was so much more to loose than just pain and Stiles felt it as he looked into Derek's hopeless eyes.

He slung his arms around the werewolf and pressed him even closer. His face was burried in Derek's hair and he hoped that his voice wouldn't betray his uncertainty now.

„You're right, Derek. You're right, but there are- there are some things, very nice things worth saving. So beautiful things!"

Derek was limply hunched over Stiles' shoulder. Turning his face into his neck, he took a deep breath and let Stiles' voice and scent wash over him.

„Like love?", he rasped and Stiles' words were filled with new vigor.

„Yes! Yes, love! That's good, that's a good example. Love is worth saving."

„I don't know love."

Derek leaned back and looked up at the silently glowing stones above them. His throat felt constricted as he tried to grasp the feeling, but found that he had nothing to compare it to.

„I don't know love, I was built to protect, not to love. There is no use for me other than this."

„No", Stiles whispered, one hand stroking over Derek's cheek. „No, no, no! You're wrong! You're so wrong. I need you. I need you very much!"

With a sigh, Derek turned his eyes back at Stiles and searched his face, for what exactly, he didn't know.

„Why?"

Stiles held his gaze only for a moment, before he pulled him back into his embrace and hid his face in Derek's hair.

„Because...", he trailed off, scared of the significance of what he felt, afraid of rejection.

From the side, he could hear Allison encouraging them and his face burned in embarrassement as he remembered that he wasn't alone with Derek.

„Tell him, Stiles!"

Once again, Derek pulled out of his embrace and faced Stiles with a furrowed brow.

„Tell me. Please. Why do you need me?"

„Because..." He bit his lip and clenched his eyes shut, not able to look at Derek's pleading eyes any longer.

„Tell me."

„Because I love you", he let out in one breath. The second the words were out of his mouth, he felt his heart swell and a heavy weight leaving his shoulders. He knew it was true, he knew it with his whole being and his soul rejoiced with the beauty of his feelings for Derek.

He opened his eyes and looked at Derek as if he saw him for the first time. He was everyting Stiles could ever wish for and so much more. His chest felt clenched as he thought about that in a minute this could all be over and him and Derek would have never been. If this was the last thing he could do, then he would show Derek exactly how he felt.

„I love you."

Stunned, Derek tried to find something to respond. He didn't understand why Stiles would say this. He was nothing worth of love. He was just a weapon, a thing with purpose, a purpose he refused to oblige as long as there was no reason for him to save this miserable world. But Stiles loved him and his heart felt as if it would burst out of his chest with the knowledge.

Was this love? This uncertainty, the dizziness in his head, the overwhelming feeling in his chest. He couldn't distinguish between his feelings and his body's feverish symptoms anymore. As the pressure of it all became to much for him, tears started to fall from his eyes. He wanted to tell Stiles that he was stupid, that this could not be the love he had read about, when Stiles suddenly pressed his lips to his mouth.

The kiss was firm and urgent, the arms around him clinging to his shoulders with desperate strength. It took him a moment, before he started to respond to the kiss, but as soon as he began to move his lips against Stiles', he could feel the man's tension dissolving. His whole body was aflame with the need to get closer to Stiles. His lips tingled pleasently and the warmth in his chest grew and grew and grew until he thought that Stiles must feel it through their clothes. He never felt so good, as if this was where he was meant to be, right here in Stiles' arms, kissing him.

Everything else was meaningless for him, as long as he could stay here with Stiles. Screw protecting the world, the only thing he needed to protect was the man in his arms. He would keep him save from any harm. He never ever would to let go of him again.

Slowly, the stones around them started to turn. Their lights began to focus into a strong beam aiming at the nemeton, as they spinned faster and faster, stirring up wind. Scott pulled Allison down to the ground, holding a protective arm over her head, and Peter crouched down next to them.

The three beams were pointed clearly on Stiles and Derek now, but they didn't break their kiss. They held onto each other through the noise and the force of the storm rising around them.

A burst of energy shot through the beams like a lightnening strike and struck with a loud explosion in the middle of the nemeton.

Stiles couldn't hold Derek any longer and the werewolf was wrenched backwards, his arms falling limply to his sides, as a burning bright light flashed out of Derek's chest and shot upwards into the air. The noise was deafening and even behind his closed eyelids, Stiles could see the brightness of the light. Though it felt burning hot, the ray didn't hurt his skin. Nevertheless, Stiles was worried about Derek and what the bundled energy could do to him. He was about to throw himself over him to finally stop the assault on Derek's body, when suddenly it was over.

The flow of energy stopped, the last remains disappearing in the sky, and the clearing was dark again. The three stones fell out of the air and landed with a small thud in the dead grass. Lying in the dirt, they seemed very ordinary and useless.

Stiles let his head fall back and looked up where the light had vanished. Above them stood the moon, broad and white like a shiny silver coin. The color of blood had been washed away from it with all it's power and Stiles could feel his own energy coming back to him. He hauled Derek's weak body back into his arms. He was unconcious, but still breathing and Stiles pressed his wet eyes into his neck, still unable to believe that they survived.

A loud howl burst through the silence and Stiles looked startled at Scott.

Peter seemed to have been just as shocked by Scott's outburst as Stiles and punched the alpha hard on his shoulder.

„What's wrong with you?", he snapped. „What are you howling for? Every five minutes it's a bomb or something!"

Scott didn't seem to mind the dj's scolding, he was occupied with Allison, who had thrown her arms around his neck with a shout of joy.

Peter let out an angry snort as no one was paying his complaining any attention and turned around.

„I'm leaving!"

Allison untangled herself from Scott and followed him hastily.

„I'll watch out for Peter, you two bring Derek", she shouted gleefully over her shoulder and even though every muscle in Stiles body hurt and he felt way to tired to do anything except fall to the ground right here and now and sleep for twenty years, he couldn't help, but return her broad smile with one of his own.