I can't just leave my characters alone. I have to take a trip into the future. Six months after the events of my previous chapter, a new resident of the house is introduced. Everybody wants to meet him, and the house is full for the weekend. Three months after that there is a wedding.
Six months later
The girl jumped out of the car and ran across the yard. Periwinkle stood up in front of the doghouse, but she ignored him completely. She hurried up the steps on the porch and gave the door a hard rap. Without waiting for a response, she went inside and kicked her shoes off before she paused a second to orientate herself.
Two sets of eyes stared at her from the living room before both faces they belonged to, cracked into bright smiles. Behind her, she could hear that Alex had caught up with her, and she knew he was going to tell her to calm down, but that would not be possible.
After dumping her backpack on the floor, she moved hurriedly towards the couch. Scott was sitting on the table right in font of Allison. She was curled up in the corner of the couch with pillows stacked around for comfort.
The little bundle in her arms emitted some small sounds, and a tiny little hand stuck out from the multicolored blanket.
Alessa tried to squeeze herself between Scott and Allison, but got stopped by her brother. "I know you're excited, but don't ambush them." He was about to pull her away a little bit, when Scott intervened. "She can sit here. He lifted Alessa off the floor and sat her on his lap, and when she leaned a little forward, she had a perfect view of the baby.
"Aww, he is so cute. Can I hold him?" She threw a brief peek at Allison before she looked at the little baby-boy again. "Maybe not now." Allison drew her breath and leaned back a little. "We should let him sleep now. Maybe later."
For several minutes, the three of them just sat there and stared at the little miracle, sleeping soundly in his mothers arms. "When can I babysit?" Alessa whispered as she eased herself off of Scott's lap. "What's his name? You think he will like me? When will he wake up?" The questions came trickling out too fast for Allison and Scott to answer, and they just looked at each other rolling their eyes.
Alex had been standing nearby, and now he waved Alessa over. "Come on, you can help me with supper." He reached his hand out for her to grab it. "You can ask them later. They just came home, and they all need to rest a little bit."
Reluctantly, Alessa moved away from the couch and grabbed her brother's hand. "I'll be the best big sister in the world." She blushed a little as she looked up at Alex. "I can pretend that he is my little brother, can't I?"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"Uncle Derek!" Alessa placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head when Derek came upstairs. She was standing in the doorway to her room with a disgruntled expression on her face. He would have known that she was slightly dissatisfied without even looking at her. She never called him 'uncle Derek' unless she had a bone to pick with him.
He knew exactly what the problem was. When she started to spend every other weekend in the house, they had hurried to paint the walls and finish the floors in there, but it still looked a little barren and uninhabited. Last time she was there, he'd promised to fix up her room properly.
Feeling that it wasn't really his business, he'd pushed the chore over on Alex and Isaac. Between a few away games for Isaac on the lacrosse team, and Alex' struggles to get through the curriculum in the subjects that he was going to be tested in, they didn't have time for it. That Alex also had a job to go to wasn't helping, so decorating the room ended up on the back-burner.
Derek knew it was his fault; he was the one who'd promised, but attending evening classes at the community college three nights a week, it had slipped his mind.
It didn't help much that Allison started to have contractions about a week ago. After a trip to the hospital, they were told it was false alarm, but the whole household had been a little on edge after that.
When her water broke a few days later, Derek was the one who had to take hae and Scott to the hospital. She'd been in the kitchen with Isaac when it happened, and he was totally freaked out. Stiles and Alex were at the store, and Scott was in no condition to drive.
"Why don't we do it together this weekend?" Derek threw his hands out as he approached Alessa. "With the baby and everything else, I forgot. Will you forgive me?" Alessa's face softened and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Can I decide? Can I pick, uh, colors?"
He looked into the room and nodded. "Sure. Why don't we talk about it over supper, and tomorrow we can go out shopping."
-o-o-o-o-o-
After the initial shock, and a minor temper tantrum, Chris had eventually embraced the news about the baby. He'd been ready to fix up the nursery, and had gotten visibly disappointed when he realized that it was as good as done already. He had reluctantly agreed that Isaac and Alex had done a good job so far, but had demanded to finish it up himself.
When he learned that it was a boy, and that they planned to call him Christopher, he'd been practically ecstatic. Allison had to admit, that in her whole life she'd never seen her dad act like that. She even suspected that he was more excited about this than he was about her own birth.
He'd stayed at the hospital the whole day and a half that she was there. Even if he wasn't allowed in the delivery room, he'd paced the halls instead of going home to get some sleep.
Melissa had been way more grounded. For Allison, she'd been a rock. When everybody else had let their emotion take over, Melissa had been a comfort. She'd been the one person Allison could turn to with her – in her own mind – sometimes silly questions, and she'd never ever let her down.
During these months, the two of them had become more than just family; they had become friends. Sharing her innermost feelings with this woman had been easy, and it had been mutual.
Allison was the only one who knew that Melissa had spent more than one night in the Stilinski house over the last couple of months, and that him selling the house didn't necessarily mean that he would buy an apartment. He'd postpone the sell, because moving in together was a big step, and they both needed time. Allison knew that both Scott and Stiles had their suspicions about the clandestine relationship, but none of them dared to address it.
When they invited the newly hatched grandparents over for dinner, Allison had made sure to invite Stiles' dad too. He was a part of this; he was dating her soon to be mother-in-law, and would be tangled in to baby Christopher's life by proxy.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Tim and Linda were coming to visit, and was supposed to stay at the Hale-house. It was the first time in their lives visiting Beacon Hills without their parents. Stiles was slightly thrown off by the logistics. That Allison would go into labor almost two weeks before her due date was never in the plans. Not that it mattered so much for him per se, but his cousins would arrive only hours before the impromptu dinner party Scott and Allison had arranged for the grandparents.
His cousins and their parents had been there for thanksgiving last year, but they'd only had a brief encounter with his housemates at that point. Stiles had never got around to tell them about his relationship with Derek; he was embarrassingly intimidated by his aunt and uncle's reaction, so he'd sworn everybody to secrecy.
This time, Stiles had decided to come clean, but all this baby business and the fact that Alex' sister was there, screwed up his plans. Alessa's presence was also off schedule. Her foster parents were going on a cruise; they had offered to take her with them, but she wanted to come to her brother instead.
The girl was a talking machine, and Stiles feared that his idea of a subtle approach to the subject, would crash and burn. Alessa would probably tell them everything before anyone else could get a word in. That she was completely absorbed with baby Chris could help, but Stiles was not going to hold his breath.
-o-o-o-o-
Derek scratched his head as he looked into the guestroom. It was easily big enough to squeeze in another bed, but they didn't have one. He'd have to ask someone of they had a cot or something they could borrow.
Stiles was a little freaked out about everything that was going on in the house at the moment, but Derek tried to take it in the stride. Even if he wasn't too crazy about having to engage in conversations with all theses people, he'd discovered that he enjoyed having guests.
Normally, he withdrew from the scene and let the party go on without him, but he liked listening to the chatter. The house was alive, and he got that good feeling from when he was a boy; when the house was never really quiet.
That Stiles' cousins were bringing a friend, threw him off for a second; they really didn't have the room. The basement and the attic weren't quite done yet, so they couldn't have anyone sleeping there. He could have put a mattress in the nursery; the baby wasn't going to use it in a while, but Christopher Sr. had stacked it so full of all his 'necessary' gifts for the baby that it was hard to even get a foot in.
The only option was to put all three of them in the guestroom, and just hope that they would be okay with that. He just had to go out and find a bed of some sort.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Stiles went to the bus-station to pick up his cousins. He knew he was a little late, but he'd sent a text to tell them that he was on his way. As he parked, he saw something that threw him for a loop.
Linda grabbed Christian's hand, and standing on her toes, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Stiles eyes widened. It couldn't be true. If Christian wanted to live a lie, there was nothing he could do about it, but he didn't want Linda dragged into this charade. He chose not to say anything, but as he walked over to them, he made sure Christian could see his disgruntled expression.
At that moment, Stiles disregarded the fact that he hadn't revealed his sexual orientation to them either.
He managed to keep a straight face through the whole drive, but as soon as they arrived at the house, he pulled Christian aside. Linda looked at them curiously, but when Derek came out to greet them, she and Tim grabbed their bags and followed him inside.
"This is not easy." Christian kicked up some gravel. It was clearly hard for him to continue. Stiles clenched his teeth. He really wanted to give the guy a piece of his mind, but decided to listen to whatever lame explanation he had for this.
Christian cleared his throat. "Linda is a nice girl; I've known her all my life. She's almost like a sister to me." He looked away for a second. "When I realized that she had a crush on me, I had to let her down." Stiles couldn't hold it in any longer. "But then you decided to go for it regardless? You're such a fraud."
The boy shook his head. "No! It's no like that." He sighed. "She was disappointed, but I think that... No, I know that deep down she felt the same." Stiles had no idea of where this was going. The two of them had acted like they were a couple.
"Well, as I said; at first she was very disappointed, and she tried to convince me that the sisterly feelings I had for her could go away, so I told her." Christian looked down for a second. "It just slipped out, and before I got a chance to regret it, she... she took it very well."
Stiles didn't understand squat. Linda had come outside again, but she didn't approach them. He threw a peek at her; she was playing with Periwinkle on the porch. Christian followed his line of view. "When school started again, she stood by me."
"I felt so alone, because I knew I couldn't deny it for myself any longer. Linda was there for me and promised to help keep my secret for... for as long as I need. It was her suggestion that she'd act as my girlfriend."
Stiles didn't know what to think. "But here... holding hands, snuggling... this is not high-school." He shrugged and stared at Christian. "Uh, it's Tim. He doesn't know, and I think I fear his reaction the most. He's my best friend, and the three of us have so much fun together. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship."
Suddenly, Christian straightened himself up a bit and shook his head. "As far as I know you haven't told them about yourself. You are really in no position to judge."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The first thing that happened when they were all seated was that Alessa asked if they could say grace. It had never happened before, and almost all of them got slightly thrown. Christian couldn't know that they didn't do that in this house, so he grabbed the girl's hand and waited for the others to hold hands too.
When nobody else followed suit, he just bowed his head and whispered a few words. Then he squeezed Alessa's hand before he let go of it. It was a little weird. The other things that happened were mostly just annoying.
Chris Sr. was unable to sit still for more than two minutes without checking on the baby that was sleeping soundly in his little bassinet on the couch.
Mrs McCall and Mr Stilinski sat across the table from each other, and seemed to have a silent conversation going. Small, almost invisible hand-gestures and eye-movements made up most of it, but ever so often, single words slipped out. There was nothing especially revealing with the words per se; it was their eyes that spoke the loudest.
Linda was constantly touching Christian. She stroke his forearm, nudge him gently, or she let a finger run over his hand. It almost seemed forced, as if she was trying too hard. Christian himself didn't seem to mind, but there was an uneasiness in his whole posture, as if he was sitting uncomfortably.
Stiles kept throwing small peeks at them, and it looked like the whole thing annoyed him greatly. He didn't say anything, which in itself was kind of strange; Stiles was normally quite talkative. His cousin Tim had the same disgruntled expression on his face when he looked at Linda and Christian, but he seemed to try not to.
Alessa kept dropping food on the ground; it was clearly intentional, even if she knew that she wasn't allowed to feed Periwinkle under the table.
Isaac and Derek had been busy all day with Alessa's room. They'd also had to go and get one of those roll-away beds for their extra guest. It had taken it's time, and they hadn't eaten much during the day, so in the beginning of the meal they – and especially Isaac – focused mostly on their food,
Derek was not an expert conversationalist, and even if he tried to be a good host and engage the guests, his efforts seemed futile.
Scott also seemed a bit out of it. He had a deadpan expression on his face, and he sometimes had to cover up a yawn. Everybody knew that the baby had kept him and Allison up half the night, but Allison didn't seem to have any problems with it. She was more busy trying to calm her dad down, and she managed for a split second before he got up to check on the baby yet again.
They were half way through the main course when Alex had had enough. This was not a dinner party. It was more like a bunch of strangers forced to eat together. Except for Isaac and Derek, it didn't seem like anyone even payed attention to the food. They all ate without the ranting that Alex had become quite accustomed to. It wasn't like he absolutely needed the feedback, but this was highly unusual.
He tapped his glass with the fork and got up from the chair. When he was sure that he had everybody's attention, he started the little speech that had been brewing in his head for a while already.
"We're here to celebrate the arrival of a new family member, but this does not feel like a celebration." He could see that the others exchanged looks, and the embarrassed faces told him that they agreed. "Baby Chris is the only one here who knows how to behave in this specific situation."
Alex twisted his hands and drew his breath before he continued. "It looks like everybody here has too many secrets, so lets just get them out in the open." Some of them seemed bewildered, and a couple of them looked a little scared. Stiles lifted his hand as if he was trying to stop him, but Alex was on a roll.
"Alessa! You can get up and put Periwinkle outside. He is not allowed to sit under the table." His sister tried to protest, but he gave her a piercing stare before he kept going. "I'm sorry Mrs McCall, but what you and Mr Stilinski have going on is hardly a secret anymore. I'm sure both Stiles and Scott will be happy to learn that their parents are dating each other."
Suddenly Scott didn't seem so tired anymore. He and Stiles exchanged a look before they both stared at their parents. Mr Stilinski blushed a little and was about to say something when Alex shushed him. "Sorry officer, I'm not done."
He stared at Chris Sr. "You sir, behave like a impatient child. The baby is fine, he'll tell you when he needs attention. Trust your daughter." He turned to Linda and Christian, and hesitated for a second. He didn't know them and didn't want to be too rude. With a quick nod towards Tim, he dived into it.
"To our guests from Arizona. Sorry guys, but it seems like the three of you have something brewing. Tim looks like he's about to pop, and Christian..." Alex exhaled audibly before he continued. "I can understand that you feel uncomfortable; me and my housemates haven't done much to make you feel welcome, but you're hiding something, and that's not on us."
Alessa came back after putting Periwinkle outside, and Alex waited until she was seated again before he turned to Stiles. "I don't know what's wrong with you. I agree that Linda is overdoing it trying to show her affection for her boyfriend, but she can date whoever she wants. If you don't like it, you have to remember that she may not be so thrilled about you and Derek's relationship either."
Linda looked up abruptly. Her eyes widened and she shifted her gaze between Stiles and Derek. Stiles practically froze up while Derek shook his head and emitted a small chuckle. Isaac hadn't lifted his head during the speech, but now he got up and forced Alex down on his seat. "Alex, you're losing it. It's enough now."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
It was amazing how they all had managed to keep quiet during Alex' monologue. That there had been a few attempts to stop him didn't count. At the moment, everybody was just sitting there staring right at him, and Allison couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him.
She totally agreed with everything that had been said, but that didn't mean it had to be said. If the dinner party had been a little awkward before this, it had now reached a new level of awkward. It didn't look like anyone was going to try to fix it, so she took it upon herself.
"I agree with him, although..." She shook her head and smiled. "You could have been a little more subtle about it." Alex looked like he was about to cry, and that would probably not help the situation much. "Relax. You have worked really hard with this this, so I can understand that you wanted it to be perfect, but come on."
She was about to continue, when Mr Stilinski cleared his throat. "Stiles, Scott. It is true. Me and Melissa are dating. We have for a few months now, and we are happy. How Alex could know I don't understand. We have done our best to keep it a secret, but I agree with him. Better to get it out in the open."
Something happened with the mood in an instant. Allison had only succeeded partially, but this cleared the air. Even if Scott and Stiles looked like they'd just landed from another planet, the rest of the crowd seemed to enjoy the news.
Allison noticed that her dad was about to get up again, but then he just peeked at the bassinet and smiled. "Sorry. I'm just... a silly grandfather. I know he's alright, but..." He shrugged and threw his hands out. "I'm going to spoil him rotten if you don't stop me."
Derek sounded like he was choking, but he was only trying to cover up a chuckle. "I think you've already proved that. He has more clothes and stuff than the rest of us combined." He smiled and stared at Stiles sitting on the opposite end of the table. "So you didn't tell your cousins that we are a couple? Shame on you."
The mood around the table had changed significantly. There were smiles all around, and when Isaac proposed a toast for honesty, they all joined in. All, except for Tim.
He sat right across the table from Allison and when she smiled at him, he just frowned. He lifted his glass with the others before he turned to Christian. "Honesty." For a second he seemed to be in pain, but managed to compose himself. "I know you're gay. Linda told me everything, but I wanted you to tell me yourself. I can't believe that you thought our friendship wasn't strong enough for you to come to me."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The silence around the table became painstaking. Isaac wanted to do something about it, and he searched his brain for something to say. Tim looked like he wanted to leave; Stiles seemed to try not to laugh, and Christian's face was as red as a beet. The rest of the crowd just sat there like dummies.
The high pitch scream from the baby startled them all; Chris Sr, Allison, and Scott jumped up and ran over to the couch as if it was a race, and Tim slumped his head down, staring at his plate.
"Oh God!" Isaac rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "Welcome to the world little guy. Brace yourself. The drama of growing up in a gay household can break your back." It was probably not the correct choice of words, but he couldn't help himself.
"Can I move in here too?" Christian's words came as a surprise. "I'm joking!" He was still blushing, and he kept staring at Tim. "I'm sorry Timothy. Our friendship means the world to me, and... I'm so so sorry I didn't tell you." He threw a peek at Linda. "I should have known that you couldn't keep this from your brother." He paused for a second. "Maybe I did know."
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Derek withdrew to his room and let Stiles take care of their overnight guests. Through the whole drama around the dining-table, he'd been enjoying himself. He'd tried not to show it too much; for some of them, it had been a little traumatic, and he didn't want to make it worse by laughing out loud.
After Allison had fed the baby, Scott volunteered to take him upstairs to change his diaper. He never came back, and when Allison went to check, her two boys were fast asleep in their room.
Chris Sr decided to take an early night as well, and left shortly after the dessert was consumed. With a promise to help with the baby whenever they needed him to, he took off.
Stiles subjected his dad to something of a third degree. It ended in a bear hug that Melissa also got dragged into. Shortly after that, the two of them also decided to leave.
Their three overnight guests had kept to themselves throughout the goodbye scenes, and Derek had no urge to stay for what would possibly be yet another confrontation. Allison fled upstairs as well, while Alex and Isaac cleaned up after the meal.
Derek sat on the bed, and decided to dive into the college books again when he heard a soft knock on the door. It opened before he got a chance to say anything. Alessa stared at him for a second before she stepped inside. "Can you read me a story?"
Propped up in bed with the little girl tucked to his side, Derek smiled to himself. Alessa was part of this weird family now, and he hoped that eventually she'd move in for good. The logistics involved with having another child in the house, would be easily overcome. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she belonged there with them, and that she completed the family.
He didn't get far into the book about Matilda before Alessa started do doze off. After another few minutes, she was fast asleep next to him. Derek pulled the blanket over her and went back to his own books. He could put her to bed later.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
"So he's your, like, uh, hubby, sort of." Linda was practically stammering as she nodded towards the upstairs, indicating that she was talking about Derek. Stiles felt equally awkward. He should have told them before; in hindsight, he didn't even know what he'd worried about. If they didn't approve it was really no big deal, he and Derek was going to be together forever regardless of anyone's approval.
The look on Linda's face told him that he'd been wrong. She seemed happy about the news, although she'd been a little disappointed that Stiles had tried to keep it a secret. He followed her line of view and nodded. "Yeah, we're a couple, and I'm sorry I didn't trust you."
They were sitting on the stairs waiting for Tim and Christian to talk it out. The two boys were in the living room, and Stiles could hear whispers from there. He tried not to eavesdrop, but it wasn't easy. He was perfectly capable of turning off his werewolf-hearing, but he was very curious.
"Alex is gay too, right?" Linda had lowered her voice, and was looking at him and Isaac stacking the dishwasher together. Stiles chuckled a little. You had to be blind not to see that Alex was gay, so he didn't feel that he had to answer. "The two of them are a couple also. Didn't you see them together after supper?"
She stared at them for another moment before she turned back to Stiles. "I guess I did, but they are so... what a waste." She smiled shyly, and Stiles could see that she blushed a little. "I didn't mean that, it's just... the best ones are..."
Stiles wrapped an arm around her and gave her a hug. "I know. We're special, but there is a straight guy somewhere out there for you. Just you wait and see, you're still young." He couldn't hear a sound from the living room anymore and felt an urge to check what was going on in there, but he managed to stay put.
Linda sighed heavily. "Not in our neighborhood. The boys at school are just stupid. Christian was always different. I compared everybody to him, and they all fell through." She leaned her head on Stiles' shoulder and sighed again. "I have to get out of there sometime. I can't wait to go to college."
Stiles could understand her. Without a car, it wasn't easy to hang out with anybody outside the small community she'd grown up in. "It'll be easier when you get your license. It's not that long until you turn sixteen."
They got interrupted by Tim and Christian. "It's all good, we're still best friends." Tim smiled and looked at Linda and Stiles. "We can handle this." He rolled his eyes and nudged Christian gently on the shoulder. "I really have no choice. It's not that there are too many friends to pick from up there in the mountains."
Linda emitted a small chuckle. "Exactly!"
-o-o-o-o-o-
The house was quiet. Allison was dead tired, but she couldn't sleep. There was no real reason for it; she was calm and collected, but the Sandman had obviously decided to skip her on his round.
It wasn't that she'd been lying there sleepless for long. It was only a little more than an hour since she went to bed, convinced that she'd pass out as soon as her head landed on the pillow. There was a brief moment of oblivion before she started to listen to the sounds around her. They didn't bother her much, and was not the reason she couldn't sleep.
Scott and Christopher Jr were almost breathing in sync. The baby's soft breath was almost undetectable, and she knew that the only reason she could even hear it was because she was a werewolf. Scott wasn't very loud either, but it sounded like he was sleeping very deeply. It wasn't so strange; last night, baby Chris had kept them on their toes.
Allison had got a chance to get some shuteye when she fed him before the dinner-party. And that was probably part of the reason she'd been a tad more alert than Scott during the meal.
She'd heard sounds from the kitchen also; the refrigerator door slamming shut a couple of times, and a few giggles between Isaac and Alex. There were some whispers in the hall that she couldn't make out, but shortly after that it all went quiet. Maybe not completely. Someone was coming upstairs, and she guessed that the rest of the housemates were going to bed as well.
Lying there, staring into the ceiling Allison wondered how it was possible to know if the baby was a werewolf. He looked just like a normal baby, and she couldn't sense anything that would give away his status. How Derek's grandfather could know that Talia was one on the day she was born, was beyond her.
The only conclusion she'd come up with so far was that they had to have injured her in some way to check if she had healing powers. Allison was not going to do that. If Chris Jr was a werewolf they'd find out soon enough.
She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else. A small sound from downstairs told her that not everybody was in bed yet. Maybe it was just one of their guests using the restroom. It didn't matter, Allison could feel that she was about to fall asleep, and she just hoped that the baby would let her get a couple of hours at least.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Alex wanted to check on Alessa before he went to bed, but Isaac had stopped him. "She's fine. She has to be exhausted from all the work she put in today. Let her be." As they walked past her room Alex knew that Isaac was right. He didn't have to constantly worry about his sister and her place in the house.
They all knew she belonged there, and if everything went according to plan, she could be a permanent member of the household before the year was over.
He biggest issue had been that Alex couldn't provide for her; that Derek had enough money didn't count, because he wouldn't be her legal guardian regardless.
That issue had resolved itself in a surprising way.
There were two reasons for that. Alessa had a trust-fund, and Sonya had signed it over to Alex. It wasn't big money, but enough to keep her fed and clothed for a good while. That Alex had managed to find a job, was also helpful, although it didn't provide much income yet.
Driving around Beacon Hills to show Alessa her new hometown, he'd come across a small restaurant; it was really not much more than a diner, but the sign in the window asking for part time help had intrigued him.
Being his most charming self, he'd went inside to do some inquiries. Without any papers to show for himself, he didn't have very high hopes, but it turned out to be an unnecessary worry.
The owner – a little old lady – just needed someone to come in during peek-hours to help out with whatever came along. Peek-hours didn't happen very often at this run-down place, and to begin with, Alex had only worked about ten hours a week. He busted tables and did the dishes; he cleaned up spills and occasionally served coffee.
It wasn't the greatest job, and the pay was lousy, but he loved having something to do outside the house.
When one of the cooks suddenly just quit, Alex stepped in to help. He still didn't work full time, but it didn't take long before the few regulars started asking for the 'Alex-burger'. Enjoying his new-found fame, he sometimes even worked for free because he knew that the owner was struggling to keep the place afloat.
The chef was good, but his creativity wasn't anything to brag about. He'd kept the same menu for years, and although it was excellent food, it didn't bring new customers.
When Alex suggested to add a pasta-dish to the 'daily specials', it was with a promise to make it himself on his own time. The somewhat simple Spaghetti Bolognese had been a big hit, and that's when it all changed.
Mrs Schwartz, the owner, wanted to give him a full time position, but there wasn't enough money. A random health inspection had made it clear that the kitchen needed to be upgraded and that would take all the funds she had and more.
It wasn't easy to go to Derek for help, but when Alex eventually managed to find the courage, the Alpha had been listening with interest.
Nothing was decided yet; Derek needed time to look into it, but there was a possibility that he'd invest in this dingy old diner and help make it into the restaurant Mrs Schwartz had always dreamed about.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Derek trailed off from his books. They were extremely boring. He didn't really regret that he picked courses on economy and management, but sometimes he wished he'd started with something simpler, or at least something more enjoyable.
The little girl sleeping next to him didn't make the situation any better. It wasn't that he didn't like having her there; she had often fallen asleep in this bed, and he regretted being so lenient about it. Sooner or later, he had to get up and carry her to her room, unless Stiles came and did it for him.
He couldn't picture himself as a businessman; not like his grandfather or the forefathers before him. The woods they owned had been the main source of income for the family, and back in the day, it had been a workplace for most of the pack.
During his mothers reign, it had been downsized; lumber didn't provide the the same revenue as before. The city was now harvesting the forest and it provided Derek with a nice monthly income, but it wasn't enough for this extended family.
The skills of his forefathers had left him with a small fortune in the bank, but a lot of it had been spent on rebuilding the house. It wasn't like they would starve anytime soon; Stiles and Scott brought in some money, and with Alex' new job, they managed fine.
It was still a little bothersome that he hadn't done anything to increase his own worth. Investing in Mrs Schwartz restaurant could change that, but it could also go horribly wrong. Managed in the right way it could be the new family business, and Derek didn't have a doubt in his mind that the old lady was capable of running it. With limited resources she'd kept it afloat for decades, although it had to have been struggles along the way.
Technically, he'd already made up his mind. It was his money, and as the Alpha of the pack, he didn't have to consult anybody. He was still not going to do that. They were a family now, and everybody had to have their say in this.
This had been a year of big changes for the lot of them. More than a year really. When Scott got the bite, it had impacted all of them one way or the other. Without it, Derek would probably never have met Stiles, and the sometimes turbulent relationship between Scott and Allison could have gotten a totally different outcome.
Without the bite, Scott could easily have ended up as a hunter, and Beacon Hills would not have been a place to stay for a stray wolf. That there was another werewolf in this town; a guy that needed all the help he could get, had made it easier to stay. That Scott hadn't been interested in forming a pack had been disappointing, but that changed as well. Derek smiled to himself. If anyone had told him that Scott would come around and join him, a lot of things would have been handled differently.
Derek still cringed when he thought about what he did to create a pack of his own. He was so not ready, and he'd killed Erica and Vernon. So he hadn't done it himself, but his actions had led them to their death.
He pushed the sad feelings away and tried to focus on the present. The happiness he felt every day waking up in this house with all his best friends around him, could only compare to how it was to grow up in the old house with the big Hale-family.
Throwing a peek at Alessa's messy head of hair, Derek almost got a little emotional. He wanted her to have the same experience he had in this place. A childhood free of worries, and with enough people around to never get bored.
Baby Chris – with Hale as his last name – would always be cared for by everybody in this weird and twisted family. Derek loved him as if he was his own, and he would protect him from harm till the end of days.
With a sigh, he picked up his book again. Getting through college was part of the plan; he needed to keep studying if he wanted to be able to provide for his extended family, so he had to prevail.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Linda, Christian, and Timothy had finally turned in. Stiles sat down on the stairs and listened to the whispers from the guestroom. It didn't take so long before it went quiet; they were probably exhausted from the trip, and the events of the evening must have taken it's toll as well.
Starting with Scott and Allison bringing Chris Jr home on Thursday, this weekend had been quite eventful already, and it was only Friday night.
Stiles didn't really mind; he enjoyed a little bit a drama from time to time, and even if he'd been the center of it for a brief moment, it had been fun.
That Derek seemed to enjoy this even more wasn't such a big surprise. Stiles had learned that even if Derek didn't like to partake in the ruckus, he loved a full house and everything that came with it. In the beginning of their life in this house, Stiles had been quite annoyed when Derek took off and left the rest of them to sort things out. He was the Alpha, and should help out with the problems.
They all soon discovered that it wasn't about that. It wasn't Derek's way of avoiding confrontations, it was more about his trust in them. He trusted them to solve it between themselves. When they bickered about who's turn it was to do the laundry, or when it was time to vacuum, Derek excused himself and left.
He always did his own chores without complaining, and expected everybody else to do the same. When they were less willing than able, he let them be. It was minor issues, and they always managed to come to an agreement.
The lists that they had made to solve these smaller issues were more or less obsolete now. Scott, Isaac, and Stiles still procrastinated somewhat, but when everybody did their part, it wasn't a lot of work.
Alex' name didn't appear on any of those lists. He was managing the kitchen; cooking for them every day, and he also volunteered to take care of the downstairs bathroom. Between that and taking care of Alessa, studying to get his GED, and being the main provider for Periwinkle, he had enough on his plate. It was amazing that he managed all this, as well as keeping a part time job.
Stiles knew they were spoiled, and the spats they had in the beginning were kind of embarrassing to think about in hindsight.
Derek didn't only retract to his room when the going got tough; sometimes, he took off into the woods, and Stiles knew that he was roaming around in his four-legged skin. He'd gone with him on a couple of occasions, but it didn't feel right. Wolf-Derek could outrun him, and when they were together, Stiles felt that he was holding him back. Sneaking around between the trees, Derek was practically invisible, while Stiles' own pale face stuck out like a sore thumb.
Leaving Derek alone on these trips hadn't been easy; Stiles could always feel a yearning in his being when he was left alone in their big bed, but these lonely trails though the woods ultimately made Derek a better person. He was normally not gone for long anyway.
Stiles got up and ascended the stairs. He was happy. From the moment they moved in, he'd felt like this was home; as if he'd always belonged here in this house.
Stiles opened the door to their room quietly. He was pretty sure that Derek would hear him regardless, but there was no need to make too much noise.
Derek didn't even react; he had his headphones on, and was indulged in one of his college books. Next to him, Stiles could see a messy head of hair and the outline of Alessa under the covers. He sighed. It wasn't the first time the girl had fallen asleep in this bed. Derek never bothered to read to her in her own room, and she always passed out after a couple of pages.
He stood there for a good minute before Derek lifted his head in surprise. He'd obviously not been aware of Stiles' presence. With a telling gesture, he indicated that Stiles had to carry Alessa to her room before he started to assemble his books.
Stiles shook his head and smiled. This started to become a habit, but he didn't mind. The bond between Derek and the little girl pleased him; Alex was her legal guardian, but Derek treated her like a daughter. That side of Derek was new, and it made Stiles proud.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
It had been a tumultuous weekend. Allison and Scott and actually planned to tie the knot that Saturday, but Baby Chris decided to come a little early, and had screwed that up. It didn't matter.
Allison didn't care that he was born out of wedlock; it was more a concern for her dad and for Scott.
When it had to be postponed anyway, she'd suggested to Stiles that they could have a double wedding in June, but he wasn't that interested in getting married anymore.
When it was revealed that Stiles and Derek were engaged, he'd been pissed because she and Scott stole his thunder, but he'd mellowed quickly. The two of them had talked about it, and Stiles seemed fine with being engaged for life.
Instead, he and Alex had dived into the planning of her and Scott's wedding. Their guests from Arizona didn't know; it was going to be a surprise for them that they would attend, so there was no need to explain anything for them.
For Allison, it was really a relief. She went along with it for Scott's sake, but she'd always had a dream about fitting into her mom's wedding-dress. Being pregnant in her last trimester for the ceremony had made that impossible, but now she could.
They hadn't invited too many people to the party, so it was easy to alert them all about the cancellation. On the other hand, it had resulted in a run of folk coming around to see the baby. Lydia and Danny came on Saturday, and none of them wanted to leave. Danny's reasons had obviously not had anything to do with Chris Jr, even if he tried his best to make everybody believe that.
Christian had been a big help. With his multiple siblings, he had more experience with babies than any of them. Allison didn't know if anybody else noticed, but she'd seen the expression on Danny's face when Christian soothed Chris Junior.
She had to remind Danny that the boy was only sixteen, and he'd practically crumbled under her stare. Christian's toned body and his bulging muscles had fooled Danny big time. That he seemed so confident handling the baby didn't help much on his perception, so he'd been a little embarrassed.
That Christian was equally intrigued by Danny, wasn't hard to decipher, but Allison suspected that he wasn't used to getting this kind of attention from a guy. The two of them had exchanged contact information, but Danny had left shortly after that.
Allison had never been especially skilled in the household chores, but as the only girl in the house, she'd noticed that the others expected more from her than they were willing to admit. It had been a bumpy ride in the beginning, but they had eventually understood that she wasn't going to act as their mother.
She never had any problems with Derek and Alex; the two of them treated her as an equal. That Alex had pampered her a little because of the pregnancy didn't bother her; she'd taken care of Alessa for him on multiple occasions.
Having the little girl there had been a comfort. Allison enjoyed every moment of it. That she'd been a little bossy at times suited Allison fine. Even if she was only six, she was a girl, and it was nice to have someone of her own gender in the house.
Derek's connection with the little girl was more of a surprise. In the beginning, Alex seemed to have a few issue to struggle with, but Derek had stepped up and taken care of Alessa as if she was his own. Allison knew that Stiles had been equally surprised, but the expression on his face when he saw the two of them together was telling. Stiles loved this side of Derek.
Allison picked up the baby and carried him downstairs. Their guests were leaving, and Stiles was going to take them to the bus-station.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Another three months later
The house was quiet. A full moon was hanging in the skies, and everybody knew that Derek would run out sometime during the night. It hadn't happened too often lately, but he'd be unable to resist this time.
They were all capable of dealing with this, and with Alessa at the house, they had to. She didn't know that she was living with werewolves, but sooner or later they'd have to tell her; sooner or later they'd have to give her the choice.
The letter that came in the mail this morning had been a relief to all of them. Alessa was going to be a permanent resident of the house.
Derek's decision to invest in Mrs Schwartz's business had payed off, and Alex was now making a decent income.
The attic was finished. Derek and Chris had made it into a nice spot for them to withdraw to if they wanted some time alone without going to their bedroom. It also served as extra guestroom, which was nice; especially this night with the unexpected overnight guests.
The basement was also done, and it had drawn a few of the guys from the lacrosse team over from time to time. Working out down there was preferred since the gym at school was kind of run down.
When Christian showed up to the party as Danny's 'plus one', they all got a little surprised. Derek had been a little concerned until someone reminded him about his own pursuit of Stiles.
-o-o-o-o-
The wedding had been magnificent. Scott was so nervous that most of his housemates thought he'd pass out, but he prevailed and gave his wife a speech that had everybody in tears. Stiles and Lydia – the best man and the maid of honor – did their part, and the rest of the evening was just awesome.
Leaving Chris Jr with Melissa for the night had not been easy for the newlyweds, but Derek had insisted that they took his offer to spend the night in a hotel. He'd wanted to send them on a honeymoon, but they'd turned it down and settled for only one night away from the house and the baby.
Christian, Danny, and Lydia were going to spend the night. For Lydia, it wasn't really a choice; she was so drunk that Derek decided to not send her home. Christian was welcomed to stay regardless; they couldn't just ship him back to Arizona, and Danny... he just stayed.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Stiles had been a little worried that they would see Derek outside if they peeked out of the window. How to explain the sighting of a wolf in an area where wolves hadn't been seen in more than a hundred years would be a problem.
His concerns were unfounded; Lydia passed out quickly. Danny and Christian withdrew to the attic where they spent the night mostly talking. There might have been other things than talking going on up there, but nobody heard anything suspicious.
-o-o-o-o-o-
When Derek came back in the early morning hours and snuck under the covers, he smelled of pine and wildflowers. Stiles dug his face into his chest and breathed in the scents before he wrapped his arms around him and tugged him closer.
Derek was always extremely cuddly and very aroused after these nights in the woods, and Stiles was ready and willing. With all emotions running high the last evening, he could barely wait for his mate to come back.
With the house crawling with guests, they had to keep it down, but over time they'd learned to do that.
Stiles had prepped himself for the encounter, so when Derek pushed him over on his stomach, he was as ready as he could be.
They took their time. There was no need to rush anything. Stiles knew he would have a sore asshole for a while after; Derek like to play a little before he cummed, but it didn't matter. It would heal nicely before the sun hit the top of the trees surrounding the house.
These slow, silent sexual encounters were the best. No words and no need to scream out loud was divine. Derek seemed to be able to last a lifetime, and Stiles tried to hold back. Eventually it was impossible, and he was always the one who caved in first.
The few moments they had the house for themselves, they didn't hold back. Noisy sex was, for Stiles, a necessity from time to time; he really enjoyed being loud, but this was different. The clandestine nature of it made it all so special. With werewolves in the house, it was hard to have a private sex-life, so they had perfected it.
Scott and Allison had obviously done so too, whereas Alex and Isaac had no shame.
Clinging to the pillow as he cummed on the linen, Stiles begged Derek to get it over with. He'd been fucked in the ass for more than a half hour, and was ready to get a bit of shuteye before everybody else woke up.
Derek was clearly more than ready, and with his claws dug deep into Stiles' shoulders, he released his load with a muffled growl.
Someone else had sex that night as well. It wasn't Danny and Christian; the boy wasn't quite ready for that yet. It was definitely not Alex and Isaac; keeping quiet wasn't their forte, and everybody could easily tell when the two of them were at it.
They didn't know it at the time, but nine moths later, only four days after Chris Jr's first birthday, Allison went into labor, and little Talia was born.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The end...
Thanks to everybody who have bothered to read this long story. Thank you for the feedback and the follows. I will keep writing, but this fic is over now.