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Chapter Text

The powerful voice of Freddie Mercury drifts through your Toyota 4Runner as you speed down the California highway. This trip had been a long time coming and you were ecstatic that you could finally make it. It’s been years since you’ve seen your uncle and your cousin in person, the last time being at Claudia’s funeral. You’ve kept in contact with the Stilinski's, constantly messaging Stiles and having monthly Skype calls with him and Noah. Life had been packed full with school but now that you’d finally graduated with your Master’s in Library Science, you had time to make the trip. The boys had started missing calls more frequently and you’d grown worried. The Christmas season had always been hard for the Stilinski’s after Claudia passed, it was hard for your mother too, so you had wrapped several gifts, packed your bags, and hopped in your car for the long drive from Seattle to Beacon Hills.

As you cross the county line for Beacon Hills, you feel the presence of the Nemeton wash over you. When you were younger and had visited the Stilinski’s the ancient tree had felt comforting and protective. Now it just felt wrong. You wonder if Stiles can sense it as well. Magic was something that ran in the family yet neither Noah or Stiles had ever mentioned it to you. Honestly, you and your mother sort of assumed that Claudia hadn’t ever told the boys about the family history before she passed. Maybe while you were in town you could suss out whether he’d discovered his magic or not. There had been numerous rumors over the last few years about the supernatural in Beacon Hills. Werewolves, banshees, and darachs were among the few that you’d heard. If Stiles had the family inclination, it would have had to show itself with everything going on.

As you drive through the streets of town, you watch for all the signs of festivities. Even though California had no snow, there were wreaths and lights strung up everywhere. The sheriff’s station is covered in a wild array of lights and you have a strong feeling that Stiles had something to do with it. You can tell that Christmas Eve festivities are underway by all of the cars parked out front of houses. Expecting Stiles and Noah to be spending the night alone, you’re surprised to find their house is one of those with several cars parked out front. Pulling in behind a black Camaro, you leave your bags in the car but grab the small pile of gifts you have before making your way to the door.

You can hear voices as you get closer but, curiously enough, they stop before you even knock. When you do knock, it only takes a couple seconds for the door to open.

“Hi Uncle Noah,” you give a wide grin to the shocked man who opens the door.

“Oh, wow! What are you doing here?!” He exclaims excitedly, dragging you in for a hug and making you drop the presents.

“I finally had the time to make the trip and wanted to see you guys in person. I figured Christmas was as good a time as any to surprise you but I certainly don’t want to interrupt your evening. I can come back tomorrow if you want.” You tell him, feeling sheepish that you hadn’t considered they might have company.

“Oh, not at all! You are always welcome here. God, it’s great to see you!” Noah beams, not taking his hand off your shoulder.

“Stiles! You’ve got a visitor!” He shouts through the house.

Seconds later, a familiar boy makes his way around the corner with intrigue. When he sees you, his eyes widen and he sprints forward.

“Cous!” Stiles yells as he leaps into your arms.

“Hey Mischief.” You respond, squeezing him tightly.

“Oh my god I can’t believe you’re here. OOO did you bring presents for me? Why are you here? Is everything okay? Did something happen to Aunt G?” He rambles, suddenly nervous that you’re here with bad news.

“All is good in the Gajos family, buddy. I just wanted to see you guys and finally had time to make the trip!” You grin at him.

“We were just sitting down to eat dinner, you have to join us!” Stiles informs you seriously, grabbing your hand to drag you into the other room.

“Oh, I really don’t want to interrupt.” You state nervously.

“Nonsense, you’re family.” Noah assures you, following after his excited son with a smile.

As you enter the other room, your extra senses sound alarms and you realize that the majority of people staring at you aren’t just human. Quickly masking any reaction, you keep your emotions and heartbeat steady as you give the room a small smile.

“Hey Scottie.” You zero in on the boy you’ve met before, realizing he isn’t the same asthmatic that he used to be.

Scott sends you a huge grin and stands up to give you a hug. Noah slides an extra chair and plate in next to his seat as Stiles introduces you.

“This is my favorite cousin! Be nice.” He states.

“Mischief, I’m your only cousin.” You deadpan as you take a seat.

“You’re not even my cousin but I still know you’re the best one!” Scott chimes in making you chuckle.

“Now who might I have the pleasure of dining with this evening and how do you all know my uncle and cousin?” You ask the room.

A confident redhead is the first one to answer your question. “Lydia Martin. Stiles and I share most AP classes together.”

Nodding, you study her. She emanates power and is obviously very smart. Lydia Martin feels like someone you could like.

Melissa McCall is the next one to speak up. “I’m not sure if you remember me but I’m Scott’s mom.”

You send her a grin in response. “I could never forget you or your fabulous stitching skills, Melissa.”

She laughs at the reminder of the time you’d ripped open your arm while playing with the boys as children. The older man beside her is the next to speak and based on their proximity you wonder if they’re a couple.

“Chris Argent. I consult on cases for Noah sometimes.”

You can’t help the skip in heartbeat as you hear his name. The Argents are infamous in the supernatural world and you can’t believe one is sitting here in a room full of supernatural creatures. Whatever is going on here is definitely going to throw you for a loop.

Next, you’re introduced to a Kitsune by the name of Kira who is dating Scott, a wild eyed girl named Malia, and an adorable younger wolf called Liam. A man around your own age introduces himself as Deputy Jordan Parrish with an official air that makes you grin. The curly-haired, arrogant looking wolf sitting next to Argent nonchalantly tells you his name is Isaac and then you’re left with the final person at the table. He’s visibly older than the rest which makes you wonder whether he’s a deputy like Jordan.

“This is Derek Hale. He’s not much of a talker.” Stiles speaks up for the man who looks very uncomfortable.

Studying the attractive man, it’s obvious to you that he’s been a wolf far longer than the others and while he may not be the alpha in name, he’s definitely the one in charge. You meet his gaze dead on.

“And how do you know Stiles and Noah?” You interrogate him in a level tone.

“I… consult on cases as well.” He responds but the hesitation makes it obvious he had to think about the answer.

Satisfied that you’ve thrown him off and that he only knows them through the pack, you nod and lean back in your seat.

“Now who made this food? Because it looks amazing and last I checked, Noah couldn’t cook for shit.” You break the tension.

“Hey!” Noah exclaims in fake offense.

“Cereal and boxed macaroni doesn’t count dad.” Stiles argues before stating proudly “I made most of it. Derek and Melissa helped.”

The Stilinski's lead the way in serving themselves and then everyone follows suit. Once you all are digging in, Melissa starts up a conversation.

“What are you doing in town?” She asks you.

“Now that I’ve graduated, I just had the time and felt like it had been long enough. Monthly Skype calls just don’t do these two justice.” You respond after swallowing a bite of potatoes.

“What did you study?” Lydia inquires.

“I earned a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Washington but my Bachelor’s was in Folklore and Mythology from Harvard.” You inform her.

She nods, impressed, but isn’t the only one listening.

“Why the interest in Folklore and Mythology?” Chris Argent asks with sharp eyes.

“Personal curiosity and a bit of family history.” You respond honestly, not giving anything away.

“Mom always used to read myths for bedtime stories. That’s a family thing?” Stiles looks at you with big eyes.

The entire table seems shocked that Stiles brought up Claudia.

“It is. The Gajos family has a long history in Folklore and Mythology, though in several areas of expertise.” You tell him.

“Claudia always used to have these huge old books she’d read in her free time. I always wondered where she got them.” Noah says.

“Family heirlooms. I’m pretty positive my mother stole them the last time we were here.” You tell him sheepishly.

“She was Claudia’s sister, I’m pretty sure those books meant more to her than me.” Noah gives you a reassuring smile.

Seemingly oblivious to the serious note that conversation has taken, the youngest kid pipes up.

“Did you guys see that the Devenford Prep lacrosse captain got suspended for cheating on exams? We might actually have a chance of winning next week!”

“Liam.” Scott groans quietly which makes you laugh.

“How is lacrosse going this year? Are a lot of you on the team?” You ask, moving with the change in subject.

“Stiles, Isaac, Kira, Scott, and I are on the team but Scott is the captain. We’ve got a 5-2 record so far.” Liam informs you with his mouth full.

“Are you the only girl on the team?” You ask Kira, impressed.

“Yeah.” She replies shyly.

“Badass.” You give her a wink. “I could kick ass back in high school but the coach always refused to let a girl on a team. Last I checked they finally started a female team but it still pisses me off. They actually give you any playing time?”

Scott immediately takes the chance to praise how good his girlfriend is at lacrosse and the kids turn that into a discussion about their very amusing Coach Finstock. The adults all watch with small smiles as they eat and you take the chance to continue studying everyone. You assumed that Jordan and Derek might chat but you find that Jordan hops into a side convo with Melissa, Noah, and Argent while Derek sits there eating silently. Every once in a while his ears will twitch, making you aware that he’s also observing the rest of the room. You wonder what the seasoned wolf has been able to figure out about you. Surprisingly, you find that you aren’t worried about giving too much away. Noah wouldn’t have allowed anyone at this table in the house if they didn’t have a good heart. You also definitely don’t miss the looks that Derek sends to Stiles.

Once dinner is done, you insist on helping clean up and then everyone piles into the living room to watch Elf. Melissa, Argent, Parrish, and Derek excuse themselves and you end up having a nightcap with Noah in the other room while the kids watch. It’s very obviously a pack puppy pile but you’ve already decided not to bring up the supernatural until after Christmas so that you don’t spoil the holiday. The two of you reminisce about Christmas memories from when Claudia was alive which ends up very teary eyed. Conversation turns lighter eventually and you talk about life, jobs, relationships, and everything you haven’t caught up on.

When the kids say goodnight, you tell the boys you should get going to try to find a hotel but they immediately insist you stay at the house. Not knowing how long you’d be staying, you didn’t want to invite yourself to their guest room but they both seem ecstatic to have your extended presence. That night as you lay in the guest bed, you ponder the group you’ve met and just how much your two family members know about the supernatural. Them being in a pack isn’t a turn you expected your visit to take but you’re curious to see how it ends up.

Chapter Text

You’re woken up insanely early the next morning by a very excited Stiles.

“Rise and shine, cous! Stilinski tradition, you know the rules! It’s present time, let’s go!” He yells through your door.

Glancing over at the clock that reads five am, you groan and heave yourself out of bed. You were well aware that Stiles and Noah always celebrated Christmas morning very early but you normally didn’t have to participate. Noah always worked on Christmas so that his deputies could be with family. This meant that Stiles always opened his presents before his father went to work. You stumble downstairs and follow the smell of coffee towards the kitchen.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Noah smirks at you, handing over a mug of freshly poured brew.

“This is one Christmas tradition I never desired to join in on.” You groan, taking a deep sip. “Thank god for bean juice.”

Noah chuckles. “It gets better when you’re used to it. Stiles always makes it worth it. There’s cinnamon rolls to heat up for breakfast after we open presents.”

Looking forward to the food, you follow the Sheriff into the living room and find Stiles waiting excitedly under the tree.

“I didn’t get you a present because I didn’t know you were coming so I spent like three hours last night coming up with a list of things we can do while you’re in town.” Stiles informs you enthusiastically.

“As long as they happen after coffee.” You mumble with a wink. “I knew a surprise visit meant I wouldn’t get a present which is absolutely fine. I prefer giving them anyway. Go ahead and open mine.”

Stiles gives his father the present from you and then tears into his own. Stiles pulls out the red hoodie with a grin.

“You wouldn’t stop complaining about how you’d lost yours. Now you can be Little Red again.” YOu tell him, suddenly struck with the irony of the statement.
“Thank you!” He responds, immediately pulling the hoodie on over his pajamas and then turning to see what his father got.

“This is too much.” Noah tells you with wide eyes.

“It really isn’t.” You tell him with a smile. “I don’t just ignore you when we talk, Noah. Your body language says a lot. I asked around and everyone from the family pitched in. It’s what family does. You don’t deserve to have all that extra pressure hanging over your head.”

You’d been a bit worried about the gift when you thought of the idea but everyone else on the Gajos side of the family had grown attached to the idea. Everyone had known that Claudia’s hospital bills hadn’t been cheap and that Noah had been trying to hide how difficult they were to pay off. With how stressed he’d been lately, you wanted to take the weight off his shoulders so the family had pitched in, holding bake sales and car washes until they had enough to pay off the bills.

“I… I don’t know what to say.” He replies, still in shock.

“You don’t have to say anything. I didn’t want to overstep but I could see how much it was weighing on you. We’ve all had points in our lives when money was tight but right now it isn’t. Family helps each other out.” You draw him in for a hug and then whisper in his ear. “You’ve been through so much and you always do everything you can to help others. It’s about time you let somebody help you.”

Noah looks emotional but you’re glad that he isn’t embarrassed or angry. To distract, you urge Stiles to open another present. The rest of the gifts get under way and the awkwardness of Noah’s first present gets forgotten. By the time Noah has to get ready for work, the three of you are stuffed full of cinnamon rolls, coffee, and happiness.

You and Stiles both give Noah a big hug before he leaves, promising to come visit him at lunch time. Then, you head to get ready for the day and meet Stiles back downstairs.

“What should we bring to the station for lunch?” You ask with a mischievous grin.

“Could we try to make pierogies?” I haven’t had them on Christmas since mom…” Stiles asks quietly.

“Try? Oh no we are going to successfully make perfect pierogies. You are looking at a pierogi master here, Mischief.” You wink at him.

After scrounging through the cupboards to see what kinds you could make, the two of you get to work. Though Stiles seems to have developed great cooking skills, he’s never made pierogies so you walk him through step by step. Christmas music plays in the background and the two of you shout the lyrics at the top of your lungs as you knead the dough. Once the dough is chilling in the fridge, you pose an idea.

“How about we make some kolaczki as well? Make it a true Polish Christmas lunch?”

“Can we?!” Stiles responds excitedly.

“Hell yeah we can!” You grin at him.

Grabbing what you need, you start another mug of coffee before diving into the cookies. Stiles is ecstatic to be making the traditional polish cookies but it hurts both of you that Claudia isn’t the one here to teach him.

“We haven’t made kolaczki since Mom.” He tells you quietly. “It was always her special Christmas treat.”

“My mom and I always make them on Christmas but they never taste as good as Aunt Clauds’ did. She just had that special touch for baking that skipped my side of the family.” You respond gently. “I’m really glad I can be here with you this Christmas, Mischief.”

“I’m really glad you’re here too. I’ve always agreed with Dad’s choice to give most of his deputies the day off but that doesn’t mean that Christmas Day is any less lonely. Normally I end up hanging out with Scott because Melissa tends to work on Christmas too.” Stiles informs you.

“Is Scott all alone today?” You ask worriedly.

“No, the Yukimura’s invited him over for their festivities. He’s supposed to spend all day with Kira’s family.”

“Good. Are any of your other friends alone today? Because we could definitely invite them over if you wanted. What about that Derek guy? He kinda seemed like a loner, no offense.” You question.

“Oh, he definitely is a bit of a loner. I’m pretty sure he’s spending the day with Peter. That’s his uncle. Everyone else has plans, I’m the only one alone.”

“Well you aren’t alone anymore.” You flick some flour into his face, trying to lighten the mood.

“Oh it’s on!” Stiles shouts, throwing a handful back to you.

Avoiding the completed cookies, you two have a pretty epic food fight that ends with both of you covered in flour. Eventually, you surrender to the teenager and flop to the floor in defeat. Stiles joins you, bent over in laughter, and leans over to rest against your shoulder.

“My dad is going to kill us.” He groans as he surveys the miserable state of the kitchen.

“Don’t doubt my cleaning skills, Mischief.” You nudge him. “I’ll pop the last batch of cookies in the oven and clean this up while you go take a shower.”

“You’re the best!” Stiles exclaims, glad to get out of cleaning. As he stands to walk away, he walks with a visible limp. “Oh god I think I’ve got flour in my underwear.”

At his comment, you lose it with laughter. Stiles pouts and makes his way uncomfortably up the stairs. You heave yourself up off the floor to throw the cookies in the oven and start putting things away. Once you hear the shower running, you use your magic to speed up the process of cleaning the kitchen. By the time Stiles returns, the room is probably cleaner than it was before.

“Damn, you weren’t kidding when you said you had cleaning skills!” He exclaims when he walks in, hair soaking wet.

Grinning, you ruffle his hair and make it spray everywhere. “Take the cookies out in five minutes when that timer goes off, okay? I’m gonna go shower quick.

Jogging up the stairs, you take a speedy shower to get rid of the flour in places that flour should not be before you change and join Stiles in the kitchen again. He’d taken out the final batch of kolaczki and was munching on one of the warm ones.

“These are really good!” He tells you with his mouth full.

Humming, you pluck one up and try it for yourself. “You’re right. You’ve got talent, little Stilinski.”

You pull the pierogi dough out of the fridge and the two of you set to work on finishing them so that they’re ready for lunch time. Once they’re finished, you pack them up into a large tupperware container and do the same for the cookies. Stiles carries the food and you hop into your suv to drive over to the station.

“Merry Christmas!” Stiles screams at the top of his lungs when he walks through the front door.

You’re greeted by a grinning Jordan Parrish and several other deputies as the noise brings Noah out of his office.

“Merry Christmas, Stiles.” Parrish replies, eyeing the tupperware.

“Get ready to be treated to a Polish Christmas.” You wink at him as you take the containers from Stiles so go set them out in the break room.

Everyone follows the food and you feel like a mother duck as they all trail behind you. You open up the containers and step back to watch the reaction.

“You made pierogies and kolaczki?” Noah asks with emotion.

“Stiles did most of the heavy lifting.” You tell him, putting your arm around his waist in a side hug. “I felt like you needed a Gajos Christmas.”

Noah gives you a grateful smile as his deputies eagerly start digging in.

“This is my niece, if any of you cared who decided to feed you today.” The Sheriff deadpans at his young coworkers.

They freeze guiltily and turn to give you sheepish smiles. “Thank you for the food.” “This is really good!” “It’s nice to meet you.”

Laughing, you shove Noah towards the table and make him fill up before it’s all gone. Stiles and you join at the end of the line and sit down to eat with them.

“I didn’t know you were Polish?” Asks one of the deputies with a badge that says Romero.

“I’m not.” Noah states calmly. “Stiles' mother's side of the family is Polish.”

“And damn proud of it. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried pierogies and kolaczki.” You wink at her, trying to lighten the mood. “So what’s the weirdest call you guys have gotten today? Am I allowed to ask?”

They all give each other conspiratory looks before breaking out laughing.

“It’ll take these idiots a minute to stop giggling like school girls.” Noah informs you with a grin. “Now don’t you dare start spreading this, Stiles, but Bobby Finstock called a few hours ago. He’d let his dog out to go to the bathroom and locked himself out. Luckily, he brought his cell phone so he could call us. Unfortunately, he also apparently sleeps au naturale and was standing buck ass nude in his backyard when we got there.”

“Oh my god!” Stiles exclaims, then grows a look of horror. “I never needed to imagine Coach standing naked in his backyard!”

You and Noah share a look before cackling at the terror in Stiles’ eyes. Another thirty minutes is spent chatting with the deputies before they all have to get back to work. You and Stiles say goodbye to Noah with big hugs and then head out.

“Is anything around here even open on Christmas?” You ask Stiles as you drive back to the house.

“Only the theater and the Chinese place downtown.” He informs you.

You ponder it for a moment. “Want to see how many movies we can make it through at the theater before your dad gets off of work?”

Stiles turns toward you with a grin. “I’m betting at least three.”

The two of you hop out at the theater and begin your marathon with a horror movie so that you can distract yourselves afterwards with something more light hearted. You make it through two movies before both of your stomach’s are growling. Not ready to go home, you order Chinese delivered to the theater and try to sneak it in. The two guys working are easily bribed with a bag of egg rolls and they let you two take your food into the theater you have to yourselves to watch the new Avatar.

When the movie is over, the two of you make your way home with weary eyes from all the screen time. Noah pulls in just before the two of you and looks very confused at your squinty eyes. He laughs when he finds out just exactly what you two had spent the day doing. The rest of the night is spent in an aggressive game of Monopoly that involves lots of yelling and a lot of hot chocolate. By the time you call it a night, you’re satisfied with the thought that this was the best Christmas you’ve had in a long time.

Chapter Text

The morning after Christmas, you wander down to the kitchen to find both Stilinski’s already fully dressed. Stiles immediately sends you back upstairs to get ready, insisting that you join him for his weekly breakfast with Scott. You change quickly and then hop into your car to drive the two of you over to the local diner. Upon your arrival at the diner that lines the preserve and the familiar cars in the parking lot, you discover an important fact that Stiles didn’t tell you.

“Scott isn’t the only one here, Mischief.” You raise an eyebrow at him. “These are the same cars from Christmas Eve. Are you making me crash your friend group’s weekly breakfast?” You ask, full well knowing that it’s a pack breakfast.

“They all loved you! They won’t mind one bit. It’s not like there are any secrets we can’t talk about around you!” He laughs awkwardly as he gets out of the car.

You roll your eyes as you follow him. Even if you weren’t a mage with extensive knowledge about the supernatural, you’d know there was something weird about his friend group. Walking in, you see the rest of them already seated at a large corner table which makes it obvious this is a common ritual. Derek is there at the head of the table, along with Scott, Kira, Liam, Isaac, Lydia, Malia, and another boy that you haven’t met yet. It’s clear they weren’t expecting you when Stiles yanks another chair up next to his own for you to sit.

“That’s Mason.” Stiles tells you, pointing at the new kid. “Mason, this is my cousin.”

“Nice to meet you, Mason.” You smile at him, studying him to see if he’s human. “And it’s a pleasure to see the rest of you again, as well. Apologies for Stiles forcing my intrusion. I trust you all had a good holiday?”

Stiles looks sheepish as your comment but it inspires the rest of them to share what they did for Christmas. When Stiles tells the tale of your time at the movies, Scott and Liam whine with jealousy that you got to eat Chinese in the theater. The waitress comes to take everyone’s drink order and you notice another very nice car pull into the lot. When the door opens, the newcomer makes pretty much everyone at the table grow tense. It is instantaneously obvious that he’s a very powerful wolf and you can’t help but notice how well he wears it. He’s tall and built like Captain America, with bright blue eyes and the perfect amount of stubble. It’s also obvious that he doesn’t get along with the rest of the pack. The man makes eye contact with you and saunters straight over.

“Now who might you be? We haven’t met. I’m Peter Hale, Derek’s uncle.” He grins arrogantly, reaching out a hand to shake.

“Hello, Peter, I’m Stiles’ cousin.” You respond, accepting the handshake.

“What are you doing here?” Stiles asks aggressively, clearly unhappy that the man is touching you.

“It’s the holidays. My lovely Christmas with my nephew put me in the mood to see the rest of the p…osse.” Peter tells them.

“Well we don’t want to see you.” Lydia states snappily, glaring at the man.

“Hmmm, well I can see when I’m not wanted.” He responds nonchalantly, pretending he doesn’t care. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Gajos.”

Peter gives you a smile before confidently walking over to a table in the other corner and sitting down to eat by himself. You can tell there’s a long history between him and the rest of the pack but you’re shocked they would isolate a pack member in such a way. When the waitress comes back with drinks and to take food orders, you stop her before she can leave.

“Can you send a nonfat soy latte over to the man in the corner for me, please?” You ask, getting a smiling nod in answer.

“Why’d you do that?” Stiles asks as the rest of them stare at you in disbelief.

Meeting his eyes, you decide to respond honestly. “It’s obvious there’s a history with him, not that it is any of my business, but he’s Derek’s uncle. He’s family. It’s Christmas time and he’s eating alone.”

Lydia and Scott look confident in their actions but several of the others can’t meet your eyes as they look down guiltily.

“How do you know his coffee order?” Derek asks, addressing you for the first time.

“Call it a gut feeling. He seems like the healthy type.” You tell him, taking a sip of your own coffee.

Derek doesn’t seem too convinced with your answer but he doesn’t push. It’s not visible in his body language but you’ve always had a knack for empathic magic and can sense that he’s grateful for your actions. However complicated his relationship with Peter is, the man is still pack and family.

You know that Peter has been able to hear the entire conversation but when the latte is delivered you still feel every head at the table turn towards him. He pretends to be surprised and then meets your eyes with a grin. You can see, rather than hear, his ‘Thank you, darling’ directed your way before he winks and takes a deep sip. Peter’s dramatics make you chuckle and you send him a nod before turning back to the table.

Once everyone’s food is delivered, the wolves don’t even try to hide their appetite. Stiles can hold his own as a growing boy but he eats nothing in comparison to the others who demolish plates of sausage and large stacks of flapjacks. They continue chatting and you take the chance to silently observe as you eat your french toast. Derek is also silent unless Stiles prompts him into giving one word answers. Unsurprisingly, Stiles leads the conversation with his rambling (a fact that makes you smile) and he only lasts through his first pancake before he spills the news about Finstock’s Christmas problem.

By the time the meal is done, you feel as though you’ve been able to learn much more about the pack through their discussion and body language. You have the waitress throw both Scott and Stiles’ meals onto your bill before following everyone out the door. You make a point to turn and wave goodbye to Peter as you leave. Before you even unlock the 4Runner, a presence at the edge of the preserve draws your attention. The wolves hear the intruders at about the same time.

Immediately, the wolves form a wall between you and the enemy pack, Derek taking a protective stance in front of Stiles. Your cousin immediately starts rambling and freaking out that you’re seeing something supernatural which you find incredibly amusing.

“We’re here for the Banshee.” The alpha growls out.

You’re surprised that this pack is attacking in broad daylight near a public place. It shows either an idiotic level of arrogance or pathetic desperation that makes you curious about what they want Lydia for. As Derek and Scott snarl back their response, you find the interaction interrupted by cackling coming across the parking lot. Peter walks over radiating amusement as he surveys the situation.

“You idiots picked the absolute worst day to try and attack.” He informs them with a smug grin.

Peter stares directly at you and you realize he’s figured out what you are. You’ve got no idea how but you’re impressed and join in on his chuckling.

“I had a feeling you were a smart one.” You wink at him as the rest of the pack stares at you like you’re insane.

“Oh no, we picked the best day. Your little Hunter protector is doing a business deal in the county over.” One of the female wolves smirks at you.

You meet the alpha’s gaze dead on. “Christopher Argent is not the biggest threat in town at the moment and I don’t take threats against my family lightly. This will be your only warning. Leave and do not come back.”

“What are you doing?” Stiles panics as you take a step forward. “This is more dangerous than you know, stay back here!”

“Listen to the puny human. What do you think you are, a hunter in training? You can’t handle us, honey.” The same woman coos at you.

“Fuck around and find out.” You raise an eyebrow at her in challenge.

“Enough of this. Take the banshee.” The enemy alpha growls as you turn back around.

Before any of the wolves react, you fluidly step past Derek and conjure your glowing staff into your hand. The alpha barely has time to look surprised before you strike him solidly in the chest and send him flying back about fifty feet into the trees. You hear shocked gasps coming from Stiles and the others but don’t have time to worry about them as the female wolf comes straight for you. Flipping the staff around in your hand, you dodge her first blow and smack her knees out from under her. She winds up flat on the ground and it only takes a single blow to the head for her to be knocked unconscious. Then, you meet the eyes of the rest of the attacking pack, knowing that your own eyes are glowing deep blue.

“Take your wounded and never threaten this pack again.” You tell them, words emanating with raw power to show them how much you mean business.

Several of them shiver and they scamper to pick up the woman and their alpha before running back into the woods. Dramatically slow clapping from Peter forces you to turn back towards the others as you recede your staff.

“Uhm, what just happened?” Scott asks, dumbfounded with claws and fangs still out.

“You just watched a mage do battle, little alpha.” Peter grins at him. “You should be grateful, it’s not an honor that many receive.”

Sighing, you meet the eyes of your very baffled cousin. “Well, Mischief, it looks like it’s about time that you and I have a little chat.”

Chapter Text

The ride over to Derek’s loft, which you’ve been told is the usual spot for pack meetings, is incredibly tense. Stiles is stiff and silent in your passenger seat as you follow Peter’s car, a sign that means he’s thinking way too hard. You’d told them to call up the rest of the pack so that everyone could lay their information out on the table and knew that Noah was going to meet you there with Deputy Parrish. The unusual silence from your hyperactive cousin makes you anxious. Even though you were a bit upset that you hadn’t known the Stilinski’s were involved with a pack, you didn’t want them to be mad at you for keeping your own secrets. You’re also a bit worried about their reactions when they realize that Claudia knew and never told them.

Pulling into an abandoned looking building behind the others, you park next to the cruiser and get out. Stiles ignores his father, walking straight past him and into the building.

“What’s going on?” Noah asks you worriedly as he watches Stiles.

“Pack meeting. An important one.” You tell him and he looks shocked at your words. “It’s high time we had a talk, Uncle.”

The ride up in the old elevator is awkward and when you walk into Derek’s expansive loft, you see that most of them have already gathered on the couches. Melissa and Argent seem to have made their way over as well. You pull up a chair off to the side, not wanting to intrude on their space, and the silence persists.

Melissa is the first one to speak. “What exactly is going on? Did something happen this morning? And why is Stiles’ cousin here?”

“Stiles brought her to pack breakfast this morning. We were attacked in the parking lot by some wolves who wanted a banshee.” Scott informs his mother.

“Oh, so this is just another ‘horror movies are real’ conversation?” Noah questions, looking relieved.

“No, it isn’t. She single handedly took down the other pack.” Derek deadpans, pointing at you with a glare. “Your niece has some talking to do.”

“Yeah, Peter said she’s some kind of witch or something.” Scott adds on.

“I am not a witch.” You correct, drawing the attention of the entire room towards you. “I’m a mage, there’s a huge difference. Witches take power from others, normally the Earth, using herbs and spells. Mages are born with innate magic. It’s a trait that tends to run through bloodlines.”

“Bloodlines? Are you saying the whole Gajos family…” Noah trails off.

“Some people in a bloodline can have powerful earthshaking level abilities while others just end up with abnormally good luck. Aunt Claudia was more toward that end of the spectrum. She couldn’t perform willful magic but she could make a batch of kolaczki come out perfectly even if she left them in ten minutes too long.” You tell him gently.

“She never said anything.” Noah looks distressed and Stiles does as well.

“Aunt Claudia wasn’t powerful enough to draw any negative attention so my best guess is that she wanted to protect both of you. She wouldn’t have been forced to say anything unless Stiles came of age and showed powers. Honestly, none of us ever knew whether she’d told you or not but as the years went on it seemed the obvious assumption that she didn’t.”

The Stilinski’s go quiet as they think about the new information. Peter takes the chance to ask his own questions.

“Which end of that spectrum do you fall on, dear?” He grins coyly at you.

“To my knowledge, I’m currently the most powerful living mage in the continental United States.” You tell him levelly.

Peter whistles in response and Argent studies you closely.

“What is your goal here?” The Hunter asks with sharp eyes.

“I don’t have a goal here, Argent.” You snap at him. “I just wanted to visit my family for the holidays, I certainly didn’t expect to accidentally end up crashing a pack Christmas dinner. There were rumors about shit going down in Beacon Hills but I never would have guessed that these two were wrapped up in it. Now that I’m aware, you can be sure I won’t be leaving until I know my family is completely protected. I’d also like to be informed on what exactly went down in Beacon Hills that got you all wrapped into this. You’re quite an odd pack, with a large number of bitten minors.”

“That is a veryyyyyy long story.” Isaac smirks at you.

“I have a veryyyyyy long time.” You raise an eyebrow back. “Somebody start talking.”

Scott takes incentive and starts the tale with him getting bitten that night in the woods. His blunt attitude when he talks about the Hale fire and Laura’s death makes you flinch. It’s obvious that he doesn’t consider what the whole thing means to Derek and Peter. Stiles stays quiet but the rest of them, even Derek, take turns jumping in. When the story gets to the Nogitsune and Allison’s death, you can’t hold back. Your talent for empathic magic makes you feel others emotions strongly and that coupled with your own terror over this happening to Stiles sends you sprinting for a garbage can. When your guts are empty, Peter brings you over a glass of water and a piece of gum. You thank him quietly before taking your seat again. Noah grabs his chair and carries it over next to yours so that he can take your hand for comfort.

“Continue.” You state, ignoring the concerned looks that your reaction gets you.

They move on to how Kira, Malia, and Liam joined the pack. The story continues up to present day and then everyone sits there to let it sink in. The emotions that the whole thing has brought up are thick in the air.

“I know there are parts of that story you left out. I will be hearing them eventually.” You speak up. “I’m also not very impressed. There are plenty of things that I could scold every one of you about but I won’t today. I can feel how worked up you all are so we’ll leave it be for the moment.”

“What do you mean you can feel it?” Derek asks a bit nervously.

“You can scent strong emotions and hear when people tell a lie. Mages have a similar ability. Most mages specialize in healing magic or nature magic. I for one specialize in combat magic but I also have an affinity for empathic magic. It means that when your emotions get this high, they permeate the air and I can sense them. I can sense any emotions when I have physical contact.”

Derek looks uncomfortable at the thought and takes a step away, thinking it’ll hide him more.

“Well, I don’t know about anyone else but I’ve got an AP Calculus exam to study for. Is there anything else painful we need to dredge up or are we good here?” Lydia questions haughtily, ready to get out of there.

“For the moment, you can leave. But I assure you, Ms. Martin, everything is not ‘all good’. This pack is going to get a serious fucking remodel.” You respond, getting some squirms in response from the younger ones.

Lydia stands up and makes her way out, the rest of the pack rising to follow. Noah has to go back to work so he heads back to the station with Parrish. Once again, you find yourself alone with Stiles in the car. You pull out of the lot slowly and intentionally turn the wrong way to make the drive longer.

“Mischief.” You start quietly. “I need you to talk to me. I can’t make it better if you don’t.”

After another minute of silence, Stiles finally talks. “Before, I had so many questions running through my head and some of them got answered but I still have a bunch. It’s just…mom? And reliving everything. It’s a lot.”

You reach over and take his hand in yours, tapping out a playful rhythm on the back of it to distract him. “I know it was difficult to bring all of that up again. I’m sorry for everything that has happened, I wish I’d been here. When you’re ready, you go ahead and ask any questions you want, yeah? And Aunt Claudia is still the same mom you remember, just with a bit more history than you already knew. She was loving, and kind, and the best mom you could’ve had. I know she would have helped you through all of this supernatural stuff if she could.”

Stiles sniffles a bit and nods at you. Deciding he needs a pick-me-up, you swing through the drive thru to grab him a chocolate milkshake and some french fries.

About halfway through slurping his shake, he finds his usual voice again. “Does this mean I have magical powers? Is that why I’m good with mountain ash? Who else in the family has magic? What kind of battle magic can you do? Because that thing at the diner was totally badass, can I learn how to do it? I’ve only got my trusty old baseball bat. Are you gonna stay longer now? What did you mean about remodeling things, are they really that bad? Are you gonna go around and scold everyone like a mom because I wanna come with and watch.”

Grinning at his return to normal, you reach over to swipe one of his fries and get started on answering all of his questions.

Chapter Text

About an hour later, once you’ve finally answered all of Stiles’ questions, you decide to give him some alone time. He’s up in his room googling a billion different things he just learned about and emailing some other family members. You can tell he’s still upset about his mom and want to let everything sink in while giving him privacy. Warning Stiles that you’re leaving and will help make dinner when you get back, you lock the door before hopping into your car.

Ever since you’d realized Stiles was a part of the local pack, you’d wanted to get out and set up some wards to protect them. Deciding you can kill two birds with one stone, you reach out for familiar auras and locate Peter Hale. You want to talk with him about everything that happened in Beacon Hills before you got here and this is a perfect opportunity. Plus, you won’t mind some alone time with the handsome man.

Pulling up to a fancy apartment building downtown, you make your way inside and up to the penthouse. The door opens before you can even knock.

“Ms. Gajos, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Peter looks you up and down flirtatiously.

“I would like to set up wards for the pack. I was wondering if you were available to drive me around the county line. It’ll be a good chance to get to know each other better.” You tell him.

“Now this isn’t an attempt to lure me into the middle of nowhere and get revenge for what I’ve done in the past, is it?” He asks cheekily.

“Of course not, Petey. We both know I could do that in the middle of town and not get caught. I don’t need to lure you anywhere to get my way.” You wink at him, turning to walk away. “Coming?” You ask over your shoulder.

Peter grins and grabs his keys, locking the door and following after you. The man leads you out to his shiny red Mustang and holds open the passenger door.

“Love the car, by the way. A Shelby, right?” You tell him as you slide into the leather seat.

“A woman who knows good cars? Just my type.” Peter flirts as he hops in the drivers side.

“I’m surprised let you out of his sight. I figured the boy had a million questions.” The man comments once you pull out onto the road.

“Oh he did but I also needed to give him time to let everything sink in. Figured now was as good a time as any to do some warding.”

“It’s been years since there’s been wards around Beacon County. It will be nice to have them again.” Peter tells you.

“I always thought there used to be wards. What happened to them?” You question.

“The fire. The emissary didn’t think they were necessary after we were all gone.” He informs you.

“Deaton was the emissary, right?” You ask and at his nod, continue. “Why didn’t he put new warding up once you started reforming a pack? I thought he’d been helping you guys out?”

“Nobody but Deaton and I even knew they were supposed to be there. He’s Scott’s main source of information but not a very forthcoming one. Nobody ever thinks to ask me because they wouldn’t trust the answer.”

“This Deaton sounds kind of sketchy. If he’s supposed to be the go-to on supernatural shit around here, he’s been doing a bad job. Leaving everything up to fucking minors. I’m not impressed. Maybe I’ll go have a chat.” You growl out frustratedly.

“Please do invite me if you go to scold him. It would be the highlight of my year to watch someone put that man in his place.” Peter chuckles.

“It’s troubling that they won’t come to you for information when you clearly have lots of it. Is it all in your head or do you just have access to pack books from before?”

“Ah, I see. This is an interrogation.” He says snarkily.

“Maybe it is but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I’ve heard what the others think. Now, I want your side of the story.” You tell him honestly.

Peter contemplates for a moment before responding. “I have a lot of knowledge from before, just because I was older than Derek and more involved in pack business. But I do still have an extensive library.”

“You ever want to get on my good side? Invite me to your library. I love books, especially rare ones.” You grin at him.

“I had a feeling, considering the whole Master’s in Library Science concept.” He smirks back at you.

“Aw! You and Derek gossiped about me?!” You gasp dramatically.

“Of course. We had to have something to discuss on Christmas.”

Both of you smiling, you notice you’re getting closer to the county line. You ask him if he can pull over once he gets to the sign. When he does, you step out of the car and he follows, curious. You walk up near the border and then kneel down to put your hand on the ground. Silently, you push some of your magic into the ground and send it outwards, telling it to warn and protect. Then, you stand up and walk back to the car.

“That’s it?” Peter asks, following.

“That’s it.” You parrot back.

“I could have sworn I remembered wards involving runes and rituals…”

“Mage, not a witch, remember?” You wink at him.

“Is that why your eyes glow?” He wonders.

“Yeah. I can hide them but normally I don’t bother to. The more magic I use, the more they show. Sometimes the color bothers wolves, the blue and all.”

“Certainly doesn’t bother me.” He grins wickedly, flashing his blue eyes at you. “Do mine bother you?”

“No, because I still haven’t heard your side of the story. Feel free to start whenever you’d like, Petey.” You raise an eyebrow at him.

He looks at you thoughtful for a moment. “You know, Derek and Laura weren’t there the night of the fire? But I was. I had to hear my pack, my family, burn alive.”

Peter’s aura grows darker so you reach over and take one of his hands from the wheel. You hold it between your own, playing with his thick fingers to distract from his pain but also so you can feel his emotions better.

He stares at your entwined hands with an odd look before continuing. “The only pack I had left abandoned me here. I was in pain and it was all my mind knew. My pack bonds had been ripped out and didn’t have the will to heal myself. I don’t want to say it, because I’ve always been proud of my intellect, but I lost my mind. With Laura, god I don’t even remember attacking her. I only remember coming back to myself with the power of the alpha spark and realizing what I’d done. Honestly, I think that just made me spiral even more. I have no excuses for that first year, they were right to take me out. But when I came back again, I came back whole. I finally had my head on straight again but I was too ashamed to reveal myself to Derek until I needed to.”

Huffing a bit, he turns and gives you a grin. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a bit of an arrogant dick. Just not as much as I was a few years ago.”

His comment makes you laugh. “I’ll be honest. You wear ‘arrogant dick’ pretty well.”

At that, Peter beams wolfishly. “Careful there, darling. Might give me all the wrong ideas.”

By now you’ve pulled up to the next border line. Grinning as you get out of the car, you lean down and wink at him.

“We’ll see if they’re the wrong ideas.” You state before closing the door.

You crouch down to do your warding and then climb back in. Peter flashes his glowing blue eyes back at your own before peeling back onto the road. He reaches his hand over in a demand for you to continue your touches.

“I’ve always been a bit morally gray. It’s the reason Talia picked me as her left hand. Yet I’d like to think I do everything for the benefit of pack.” Peter opens up.

“I can tell. You aren’t the only one who is a bit morally gray, Hale. I’ve taken a life before. It isn’t something I’m proud of but I would do it again if I thought it was the right decision.” You admit.

Peter looks surprised at that. “Do Noah and Stiles know?”

“They don’t and I don’t plan on telling them. But I do think that they would understand given the situation.”

“And what was the situation?” He pushes.

You ignore his question and put the focus back on him. “You know I’m not only holding your hand for comfort, right? I can feel your pain and guilt, Peter. You aren’t the man that the rest of the pack thinks you are and it hurts you that they push you away.”

Peter tries to pull his hand away at the comment but you hold tight, wrapping it between both of yours.

“For some reason, I enjoy your company. You are not alone anymore, Peter Hale.” You tell him confidently.

The physical contact allows you to feel when his heart skips a beat at the words. You don’t want to make him comfortable so you don’t push anymore. He pulls up to the next and final stop.

“Want to feel the wards?” You ask him with a grin.

Peter looks excited and gets out of the car with you. This time when you kneel down, you reach over and pull him down next to you. One hand holding Peter’s and the other on the ground, you push your magic out. Connecting to the other wards, you weave them together in a full circle around the county and feel the power resonate when they are complete. You hold eye contact with Peter the whole time and his eyes flare blue at the same time yours do.

“Now that is a rush.” Peter grins.

He stands up, pulling you with him. You end up so close your chests are almost touching.

“Wards are nothing compared to battle magic.” You beam at him. “We’ll have to spar sometime.”

Dropping his hand, you climb back into the car to let him drive you back. This time you reach over and turn on his radio, switching it to a local classic rock station.

“Any chance I can take you out for dinner?” Peter asks over your quiet singing.

“I promised Stiles I’d help make dinner with him tonight. Here,” you respond, reaching over to plush his phone out of his pocket. “You really should have a password on this thing. I’ll give you my number, we’ll find another time.”

Peter’s face grows smug as you slide his phone back into his pocket. “You really like touching me, don’t you?”

“Peter. You’ve spent years being isolated from pack and I’m well aware of how much wolves need physical contact. Do you want me to stop touching you?” You raise a snarky eyebrow at him.

“Nope.” He responds, grabbing your hand and playing with the rings on your fingers as you return to your singing.

When he pulls back into his apartment lot, Peter slides up next to your Toyota and walks around to open your door.

“Thanks for making a boring job more interesting.” You tell him as you unlock your car.

“Anytime, darling. I mean it.” Peter purrs at you. “I hope to see you again, very soon.”

“Then, I’ll see you.” You respond with a smile, climbing in and closing the door.

On the drive home, you ponder all of the new information you’ve gotten. Things in Beacon Hills seem very messed up and you plan on fixing them. You need to sort the pack out, spend more time with Peter, and have a serious discussion with this Deaton character. But first, you need to get back and make sure Stiles hasn’t fried his brain with research and make him something healthy for dinner.

Chapter Text

The next morning Noah has off work so the three of you make breakfast together and then sit down to talk about everything. Mugs of coffee in your hands, you and Noah share a grin at the list of questions that Stiles has compiled since yesterday.

“Ok, first off. Can you show us some magic? Because we talked about it a bunch yesterday but I didn’t get to see any cool stuff.” Stiles starts.

His request makes you laugh. “The diner wasn’t enough, Mischief? What exactly do you want to see?”

“Well you said you specialize in combat magic so I know you fight with it but does that mean you can’t do any other kinds? Like could you make stuff grow or float or anything?”

“My specialty just means it’s my strong suit. I’m still capable of all the other kinds of magic.” You tell him.

Holding out your hand, you manipulate the coffee in Stiles’ mug to float in the air. It forms the shape of an octopus before you let it splash back down into his cup.

“Damn.” Noah deadpans. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to all this stuff.”

“We’ll see.” You laugh at him. “What’s next on the list, Stiles?”

“Does it have anything to do with being Polish? Like were our ancestors elves or something?”

“We aren’t descended from anyone exciting, to my knowledge. The Polish have mythology the same way everyone else does, werewolves, demons, witches, the whole lot. If we use runes or words to focus our magic, I’ve been taught to use Polish but I’ve met other mages who use their own native languages.” You respond. “If you’re interested in ancestry and heritage, you should call your grandparents. Ever since those two hit the age where they were a bit old to be using magic, they’ve jumped into research. Last I heard they’d compiled a huge family tree.”

“Ok, cool.” He mumbles, writing down your info. “You said you went around with Peter and put up wards yesterday? How does magic like that work? The kind that isn’t just inside of you.”

“Well, I can push the magic outside of myself to manifest in different ways. The staff I used at the diner is an example, wards are another. Any mundane object can have magic pushed into it. Speaking of which, you should bring me that baseball bat you were talking about.” You tell him.

“You can make it magic?!” Stiles responds excitedly, sprinting towards his room.

“Same goes for you if you want, Noah.” You turn to the older man. “I can put wards around the station, I’ve already put them around the house. Give me your gun and I can make sure it never misses. There are plenty of magical ways to add to your protection.”

The Sheriff considers it for a moment. “I might just take you up on that. Let me think about it.”

You smile at him and then get distracted by Stiles running back down the stairs. He shoves the wooden bat at you and plops back into his chair.

“What are you gonna do to it?” He asks curiously.

“First, I’m going to make sure it won’t break.” Standing up quickly to grab a knife off the counter, you start carving into the wood. “I don’t have to use runes but they ensure that the magic gets embedded more thoroughly. It also makes the bat look cool.”

Stiles and Noah watch as you continue to carve more runes into the bat. “This one makes it fireproof. The warrior rune will add power if you hit somebody with it. Careful with that because it’ll actually make a werewolf bruise.”

At that comment, Stiles grins. “They’ve never let me join them in training before, I only get to watch. Maybe now I can get some hits in.”

“Is there anything else you can think of wanting the bat to do?” You ask, chuckling at his excitement.

“Not right now but if I come up with anything else, I’ll ask.”

Taking the chance, Noah decides to ask some of his own questions. “When you learned about everything in Beacon Hills, you seemed really upset about it. Are things done differently elsewhere? Is there something I could be doing better?”

“Most packs have far more order. They never bite people without consent. When someone is a minor, that means parental consent as well. A fully grown alpha would never have let minors try to hide the supernatural from their parents. Family is pack. The immense mistrust that you all have for each other is something else that wouldn’t stand.” You inform him. “Another thing, no offense to anyone, but Scott should never have become the alpha. He’s a fucking child who doesn’t want to be a werewolf and chooses not to act like one. Scott hasn’t accepted that the wolf is a part of him and that ideology is damaging for the others. I plan on going over there to chat with him later because it’s time that he steps back and lets the adults take control. All of the shit that went down here should never have been left up to children.”

Stiles looks a bit offended at that but Noah nods in agreement. “I wish I knew more about this kind of stuff so I could help more.”

“I’ll help.” You reassure him. “You could also ask Peter Hale about more of these things. He’s the only adult who actually spent part of his maturity in a true pack. The Hales had their shit together and Peter knows how that kind of thing works.”

“Why should we ever trust that monster?” Noah asks angrily, Stiles nodding his support.

“Because you trust me.” You meet their eyes confidently. “I talked with him yesterday to test his feelings about everything. This doesn’t leave the table, and I’ll know if it does, but I’ve never felt that amount of pain and guilt and grief in a person before. The crazed bloodthirsty alpha was not the true Peter. You two of all people can understand what grief can do to a person.”

At the reminder, the two of them soften and take a minute to think. The time after Claudia’s death wasn’t one that they liked to remember. Noah had gone straight for the alcohol and Stiles had ended up spending most of his time with Scott.

“I’ll have a talk with him.” Noah finally relents.

“With wards up, does that mean we won’t get attacked anymore?” Stiles asks you hopefully.

“The wards will warn other supernatural creatures off your territory. Anything relatively powerful would be able to get through but not without warning me first. I’ll know immediately if a threat to the pack crosses the border and be able to take care of it.” You assure him.

“You make it sound like you’re planning on staying a while.” Noah comments.

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome but I’m not sure where I stand. My original plan was to stay for about a week but with all this I’d imagine I’ll be here longer. The second I’ve exceeded your hospitality, tell me to take a hike to a hotel. I don’t want to be a burden on you.” You tell him.

“Family would never be a burden. You’re welcome here as long as you want. I already know you’ve been cleaning the house and cooking for us.” The Sheriff comforts you before smirking. “Speaking of, any chance you can teach Stiles to do that magic cleaning stuff?”

“I can surely try.” You laugh as Stiles huffs indignantly. “You said you’d altered mountain ash before, right, Stiles?”

“Yeah. I only had a handful but it lasted all the way around the building.”

“That’s more than just good luck. We’ll try a few exercises later, yeah? But for now I need to shower. See if Scott is home for me, would you?” You reply, standing up to put your mug in the sink.

You head upstairs and take a quick shower before getting dressed. When you come back down, Stiles lets you know that Scott is home alone and you hop in your 4Runner to drive over.

Scott greets you a bit nervously when he opens the door. “Hi. Stiles said you were coming over but didn’t tell me why.”

“Nothing too ominous, Scotty.” You chuckle at him. “I just want to talk to you about everything.”

“Oh, ok!” The boy responds cheerily, leading you to take a seat in his living room.

“How are you doing, Scott? Be honest.” You ask him with kind eyes.

Scott is quick with his response. “I’m good. I mean the last few years have been really crazy and it’s a lot of work being alpha and I’m about to fail biology even though I want to become a vet like Deaton. I spend all my free time working to save money or with Kira or doing wolf stuff so I don’t ever have time to study and Mom is worried I’m not going to graduate. Mom is constantly working and we still don’t have enough money and I think she’s dating Mr. Argent which is kind of weird because of Allison and it really hurts to think about Allison. Am I betraying her by being with Kira? And because I’m the one who bit Liam I feel like he’s my child or something. That I have to look after him and make sure his grades are good and he’s alright but I don’t do the same for myself. And if I don’t get my grades up I’ll probably get booted as lacrosse captain.”

“Breathe, kid.” You smile at him reassuringly, surprised at how much he’s rambled. “That’s kind of what I expected. You’ve been through a lot in the last few years and it hasn’t let up. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Scott, but I think you need to take a step back.”

“What do you mean?” He asks defensively. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine, Scott. You’re seventeen. Your main worries should be whether you’ll pass the math test on Friday or win the lacrosse game. Not whether everyone you love is going to die because you can’t protect them. You aren’t going to be in high school forever. Enjoy what’s left of it while you can.”

“I’m not giving the alpha spark back to Derek if that’s what you’re asking.” Scott argues.

“That’s not at all what I’m asking. I’m saying you can keep the spark but step back from your duties as alpha. Let Derek and Peter be in charge of the pack business. Let Argent and Noah work with them in regards to protecting Beacon Hills and the pack. You can study the way they handle things to help prepare you for the future, after college, when you’re ready to take on the full alpha roll. At the moment, you deserve to focus on other things. This is a burden that never should have been thrusted on you so young. Let the adults help carry it.” You meet his eyes earnestly, intentionally letting your emotions bleed into your scent.

Scott seems impacted by your words and thinks on them for a moment. “I’m allowed to do that?”

“Of course you are allowed to do that. Not everything has to be on your shoulders, I promise.”

He gulps and looks at you with big eyes. “Would I be letting everyone down?”

“You would be doing what is best for the pack and yourself. I think that is the opposite of letting everyone down.” You assure him.

Scott seems to come to a decision. “How would I do that? Do I have to tell everyone?”

“I can talk to the adults and they’ll take care of it. If any of the others come to you with a problem, just direct them to me or any of the other adults, okay?”

At his final acceptance of his decision, you can feel tension and stress glide off his shoulders into the air. Scott already seems a bit lighter.

“One more thing, Scott.” You speak up before he can get too relieved. “I want you to set up a meeting to talk with Satomi sometime. Or I can get you in contact with another seasoned wolf from elsewhere if you’d prefer that. You have really struggled with accepting that you are now and always going to be a wolf and what that means. It can be really damaging for you not to accept your wolf and I’m worried about you. Would you be willing to do that?”

Scott looks embarrassed but seems to realize you only want what’s best for him. “Yeah, that’s okay. I’ll see if Satomi is free soon.”

“That’s great, Scott.” You smile at him. “On a lighter note, what are you doing for lunch?”

“Oh, uhm, I was just gonna order a pizza since Mom is at work.” He admits sheepishly.

“Nonsense. Grab your coat. I’m going to show you and Stiles how to make a real lunch. You might have a wild metabolism but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feed your body properly. How do you feel about burrito bowls?” You grin at him.

“I love Chipotle!” Scott informs you as he pulls on his jacket.

“Homemade guacamole is even better than Chipotle. I promise.” You reply, leading him to the car to drive back over to the Stilinski house.

You spend the next hour showing the two teenage boys how to make lunch for themselves as Noah laughs at their failed attempts from the couch. After his third snarky comment, you make the sheriff get up and learn with them which immediately puts him in his place. It’s a wild and very messy process but, after a magical clean up, you all sit down to eat and the three of them are very satisfied with themselves for making their own meal.

Chapter Text

Later that afternoon, when Noah is at work and Stiles has headed over to Scott’s for video games, you get a text from an unknown number.

Unknown: Are you available tonight for that dinner you promised?

‘I’m going to assume this is Peter. Yes, I’m free the rest of the day.’ is the response you type out before putting his contact in your phone.

Peter Hale: I’ll pick you up at 6. Wear something nice.

You roll your eyes at his demand but send your agreement. When the time rolls around for dinner, you’ve decided on high-waisted trousers with a button up shirt that is only buttoned halfway. You write a note for Stiles where you’re headed before walking out to meet Peter when the Mustang pulls up. The man himself gets out of the car to open your door wearing a dark gray suit.

“You clean up nice, darling.” He smiles wolfishly at you as you get in the car.

“You as well, Hale.” You respond, watching him climb in. “I’d ask where we’re headed but I don’t actually know many restaurants in town.”

“I’m hoping you enjoy Italian.” is the only hint he gives you.

“Absolutely.” You smile at him.

Peter drives you to a nice looking Italian place on the edge of town. Once again, he opens your door like a gentleman and keeps his hand on the small of your back as he leads you in. He must frequent the place because the hostess recognizes him immediately and leads the two of you to a small table in a quiet corner.

“You bring all the girls here?” You smirk at him.

“Normally I come alone. Nowhere else in town has such good veal.” He tells you.

“It’s like you’re begging me to make a big bad wolf joke.” You can’t help but chuckle.

Peter smirks at you and you’re interrupted by the waiter arriving with a bottle of red wine. He pours glasses for the both of you before setting down menus and some bread with olive oil.

Once you’re alone again, you meet Peter’s eyes seriously. “I’ve been told before that I’m brutally honest but I just tend to prefer being straightforward. I know you view this as a date and I am completely fine with that. I like you. But I like to get to know and trust someone as a friend first before I get into a relationship.”

“I’m capable of respecting your limits, darling.” Peter assures you.

“I’m glad. That being said, I don’t mind the flirting or the touching. Really the only difference is that there will be no funny business until I decide that I can trust you with that much of me. Are you alright with that?” You ask, wanting to make sure you’re on the same page.

Peter’s eyes bore into you and you get the sense that he can tell you’re hiding something. “I am perfectly alright with that. Thank you for being honest. It’s refreshing.”

Relieved to get that out of the way, you look down at the menu. Once you decide on the risotto, you set down the menu and try the wine.

“Jesus fuck, Hale. I don’t even want to know how much a bottle of this costs.” You moan at the extremely fine taste.

“I don’t do second best.” Peter smirks at you, sipping his own.

The waiter returns to take your orders and then you get to really focus on the man in front of you. You dip some bread in the olive oil before filling him in on your day.

“Talked to Scott earlier about you.” You tell him, trying to catch his interest.

“Oh? Do tell.” He replies smugly.

“I asked the kid to step back and let you and Derek shoulder the burden of running the pack. It took some convincing but he agreed.”

“Really?” Peter leans forward in interest. “Now why would you do that?”

“Because he’s a kid.” You respond nonchalantly. “He needs to be worried about math and lacrosse, not life and death. He never should have been worried about all that in the first place.” You raised a pointed eyebrow at him.

“I’ll admit I agree. I’ll also seize the opportunity to stop having to listen to the arrogant child who thinks he knows best.”

“Scott isn’t that bad.” You roll your eyes. “I’m just hoping you and Derek can get some real pack structure going here. You need a better system. No more leaving kids to deal with all of the bullshit you come across.”

“You sound like a scolding mother.” Peter smirks at you.

“God, I feel like one. You should’ve seen me this morning talking about this with Noah.” You laugh at yourself. “I just want everything around here to get better. You’re all great and deserve to not have all this crap constantly derailing your lives.”

“It’s odd that you care so much for people you just met.” He looks at you curiously.

“Well, technically I already knew Scott and Melissa. The empathic magic makes me bond more quickly with people. Since I can feel how things affect them, I always end up caring too much. It’s part of why I don’t like jumping into relationships.” You admit.

Peter nods in understanding as the food arrives and is set down on the table. It looks amazing and you thank the waiter before picking up your fork to dig in.

“Don’t let it go to your head but, damn, you’re right about the food at this place.” You moan as you try the risotto.

Peter’s eyes get dark at the noise you make and he tears into a bite of veal to distract himself. As the two of you eat, you let the conversation drift from serious pack business to more fun things. You discover that Peter also attended Harvard and share the wildest stories the two of you can remember from campus. It’s not at all surprising to you that Peter was in a frat. His personality and the wolf's pack mentality make him the perfect candidate. You, on the other hand, were much more the strictly studious type in college. Begrudgingly, you admit that the first time you went to a college party your freshman year, you ended up puking your guts out on the sidewalk and a kid from your English class had to carry you back to your dorm.

The conversation flows easily and you’re happy to once again find that you get along very well with Peter. Once you’re done eating, he reaches over to take your hand and plays with your rings like he did in the car yesterday. The physical contact is comforting for both of you and you’re glad that it’s something you can provide for him. A touch-starved wolf is a wolf in pain.

When the bill comes to the table, you use your magic to slide it closer to you before Peter can grab it. Taking a fifty out of your wallet, you slip it in the folder before handing it over. The man watches you do so in amusement, sliding his own credit card into the folder. You know the man has money but you do as well and don’t want him paying for everything when you made it clear this wasn’t an official date.

Peter walks you back out to the car, arm around you, and guides you into the passenger seat.

“Can I interest you in a nightcap?” He asks slyly as he gets in.

You think about it for a minute before agreeing. He won’t push your limits when you made your position clear but you weren’t yet ready for the evening to end. Peter’s aura grows excited at your answer and you reach over to take his hand with a chuckle.

Back at his apartment, you follow him into the immaculately decorated kitchen and are surprised to see him pull out milk instead of alcohol. Peter then walks you through his process for making the perfect hot chocolate, adding a little Bailey’s to make it interesting, and you watch him with amusement. When you take a sip of the offered mug, you can’t help but be surprised.

“This is just normal hot chocolate but, shit, Peter, you’re right. It is very good for some reason. Did you make it with looooove?” You tease him with a smile.

The man huffs and then walks into the living room with his own mug. You follow and make the bold decision to sit right next to him on the large couch. Peter picks up the remote and you can’t hold in a giggle when you see his selection.

“The Great British Bake Off? Really?” You ask.

“It’s a guilty pleasure.” He shrugs nonchalantly, hitting play.

The episode gets under way and you find yourself curling up into the man next to you, his expensive cologne filling the air. Peter puts his arm around you and the two of you sip your cocoa as you get drawn into the competition. The comforting position makes you lose track of time and your bliss is interrupted by the harsh vibration of your cell phone. Seeing the caller ID with Stiles’ name, you answer.

“Where are you? Are you alive? Did Peter kidnap you? Are you being held hostage? Are you in danger, do I need to call Dad? Or Mr. Argent, he’s more scary. Scary wolf or not I have a magical bat and I will use it!” Stiles rants through the line.

You can’t help but bend over in laughter at the image of Stiles storming in here with his bat to save you and Peter takes the phone out of your hand.

“As you can hear, child, your cousin is completely fine. I assure you I do not tie lovely ladies up unless they ask me to.” Peter smirks.

“Oh my god, Peter.” You smack him in the arm, the comment making you laugh even harder. The downside of alcohol is that it makes you very giggly.

“Stiles, I just lost track of time. I’ll be home soon, I promise. It’s sweet that you’re worried.” You say as you take the phone back.

“If you asked him to tie you up, I do NOT want to know.” Stiles whines.

“I wouldn’t tell you if you asked, Mischief.” You assure him. “I’ll see you soon.”

You hang up the phone to Stiles groans of disgust and grin at Peter. “I guess that means you need to take me home, Hale.”

“I suppose.” Peter sighs, taking your hand to pull you up from the couch.

He pauses the show and goes to put the mugs in the sink. The two of you make your way back down to the car and start the drive back to the Stilinski house, the wolf keeping contact with you the whole way.

“I had a really nice time tonight, Peter.” You tell him as he pulls up to the house. “Thank you. I’d love to do it again some time.”

“Likewise, darling.” He grins at you. “You’re stuck with me now.”

Smiling, you get out of the car and head towards the front door to face the firing squad waiting for you inside.

Chapter Text

The next morning, you and Stiles clear a space in the middle of the living room to test out his magical abilities. Noah had made you promise not to burn his house down before he left for work. Setting out a jar of mountain ash, a candle, a small potted plant, and a glass of water in front of Stiles, you get to work.

“You said you’d been able to manipulate mountain ash before so I think that would be a good place to start. It’s something you already know you can do.” You tell him. “I want you to take a handful of ash and throw it into a perfect circle around us.”

Sties is optimistic on his first try. By the third he’s starting saying random Polish words that he knows to try and make it work.

“I can’t do it.” He huffs.

“You already have, there isn’t a question. You are going to pick up that ash and it will land in a circle.” You state confidently.

Wanting to trick him into knowing he can do it, you use your own magic to manipulate the ash into a circle on his next throw.

“Oh my god! Did you see that?! I did it!” Stiles exclaims in excitement.

“You did. Now to it again.” You grin at him.

The trick works and this time when he throws the mountain ash, it forms a perfect circle without any assistance from you.

“Good job, Mischief. Now, I want you to light the candle.”

Stiles looks around for matches and then gives you an exasperated look. “You want me to light it with my mind? That’s impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible.” You snap your fingers and make the wick flare up in flame. “Magic is about belief, Stiles. I know it sounds stupid but all you have to do is trick your brain into knowing that you can do it. You’ve already proven to yourself with the mountain ash. This is no different. How about you try to extinguish it this time?”

At your words, Stiles looks determined and snaps his fingers in a mimicry of your movement. It doesn’t work. Without even looking to you for assistance, he tries again. The next time, he gives up on the fingers snap and just glares intently at the flame.

“Mischief.” You draw his eyes to meet yours. “Feel the flame. That warm feeling in your gut that you got with the mountain ash? That is your magic. Feel for it and then extend your senses towards the candle. You don’t have to do anything with your hands or say anything, you only need the flame to die out.”

Stiles closes his eyes and meditates for a moment, trying to reach within himself. When he opens them, you can tell he’s found what you mean. He stares at the candle and within seconds the flame goes out. Then, he looks at it again and snaps his fingers to make it light up.

“Fuck yeah, Mischief. That’s what I’m talking about!” You beam at the boy who is already showing talent.

Stiles grins with pride and enthusiasm. “What’s next?”

“The plant. I want you to do what feels right. You could make it grow, shrink, move, die. Whatever you want.”

With the direction, he scoots over in front of the plant and stares at it. Stiles has to close his eyes again to get a feel for his magic but after several minutes you see the leaves start to wiggle. Once he sees movement, Stiles grows more confident and the plant gets about an inch taller.

You high five your cousin and shower him with praise. The celebration is cut off by Stiles’ phone ringing and he scrambles up to go answer it. When he hangs up, he runs back over with an excited look on his face.

“That was Derek. Pack training session in the preserve. I’m totally bringing my new and improved magical bat! Pleeeeeease come with?” He asks you with big eyes.

“I would love to show up all the little puppies.” You smirk back at him.

Stiles runs upstairs to change into sweats and you follow suit once you’ve cleaned up the living room. You change into leggings and throw a windbreaker over your black sports bra before heading back downstairs. Stiles is still clunking around in his room so you grab a bag to fill with water bottles and granola bars for everyone.

“Oh my god, you’re such a mom.” Stiles groans as he comes in and watches you.

“Shut up, you turd.” You roll your eyes at the boy. “You ready?”

Stiles swings his bat around in an attempt to look menacing and nods.

When the two of you pull into the designated spot in the Preserve, you’re surprised to see everyone else already there. Derek and Isaac are going at it in the center of the clearing while the others watch with amusement. The young wolf is getting his ass handed to him. As you step out of the car, Isaac turns to look and ends up on his back with Derek standing over him.

“Don’t let yourself get distracted so easily, pup.” You grin at the curly haired boy on the ground as you set the bag of snacks on the hood.

Isaac rolls his eyes and gets up off the ground with a huff. “Why did we invite them again?”

“Because Stiles got a magical upgrade for his bat! And I’m pretty sure she knows how to fight better than all of us.” Scott responds.

“Look at this beauty!” Stiles exclaims excitedly, running over to show off the runes on his bat. “Who can I hit first?”

“Try your best.” Scott tells his friend with a smug look on his face.

Clearly Scott doesn’t assume anything will be different because instead of trying to dodge the blow, he just watches as Stiles winds up. When the bat makes contact with his side, the alpha flies backwards into the middle of the clearing and lands with a groan.

“Holy crap!” Liam exclaims in awe, running forward to check on Scott.

“That. Was. Awesome!” Stiles shouts excitedly.

When Scott makes his way off the ground, he returns to Stiles with an impressed look on his face. Derek decides to bring things back to order and has Scott spar with Liam. Then, the younger Hale takes it upon himself to show Stiles how to fight. You wonder if it’s as obvious to the others just how gone those two are for each other. Looking around, you meet Peter’s eyes and share a conspiratory grin.

“Would you like to spar, darling? We wouldn’t want you to feel left out.” He asks, making his way towards you.

“Only if you think you can handle it, Hale.” You jest back, grinning.

Peter beckons you forward so you slide off your windbreaker to throw in the car and then pull your hair back. At the action, Peter whistles at you and draws the attention of the others.

“Wait, what?! Since when do you have tattoos?! Oh my gosh are they magical tattoos?!” Stiles exclaims, staring at your skin.

“Some of them are.” You shrug slyly at him.

Your torso and arms are decorated with a lot of ink. Some just for fun but others that are words or runes to help strengthen and focus your magic. Your favorites were the ones that concealed your weapons. The bo staff on your arm was the one you used at the diner and you had an elaborate longsword down your spine that was your favorite weapon. There were also numerous other small weapons littered around your body.

“If this is meant to intimidate me, sweetheart, it won’t work.” Peter jibes, eyeing your body with appreciation.

“Just getting comfortable.” You state nonchalantly, walking up to stand opposite him. “We gonna fight or are you just going to stare?”

Peter’s gaze grows fiery at your words and he makes the first move. Ducking under the arm that reaches for you, you use the other arm to spin him around and deliver a solid kick to his back that sends him about fifteen feet forward. He stalks back towards you with renewed vigor and forces you to take the offensive. Feinting to the right, you spin to the left and send a right hook towards his ribcage. Peter blocks you at the last moment and the two of you continue to send blows. The back and forth continues and you start sweating. If you really wanted to, you could take him out, but it was fun engaging in hand to hand with someone who actually knew how to fight. You barely dodge a fist coming towards your face but as you move you find powerful arms wrapping around you and Peter traps you against his body. Your chest heaves with exertion and you take a minute to rest. Letting your muscles go slack, you lean backwards into his embrace and lay your head back against his chest. The second you feel Peter’s arms start to relax, you grab them and flip him over your shoulder, pinning him down with a grin.

“You shouldn’t let yourself get distracted.”

“Dirty play.” Peter smirks back at you. “If I’d used my claws I’d have won.”

“If I’d used my magic, you wouldn’t have stood a chance.” You chuckle, helping him up.

The two of you come back to Earth and realize that the entire pack has stopped to watch your fight. Everyone is staring at you. Scott and Liam are even chewing on granola bars as they watch the entertainment.

“Aren’t you supposed to be training, dear nephew?” Peter asks dramatically.

Derek gives him a deadpan look and moves back over to where Scott, Isaac, and Liam are trying to learn how to hold back their strength. Lydia has given up on sparring with Kira and is now studying the wooden bat with Stiles. Curious, you walk over to the kitsune standing by herself.

“Why don’t you join the others?” You question.

“I don’t have their strength and they think they’ll hurt me. Normally I fight with my sword.” Kira informs you a bit dejectedly.

“Then how about we train together, yeah? Where’s this sword of yours?” You smile at the girl.

Kira beams back and yanks her belt buckle, snapping it into a gorgeous looking katana.

“Impressive.” You give her a nod.

Then, you reach over your shoulder and slide your longsword from where it is magically sheathed. Spinning the glowing weapon once, you drop into a fighting stance and beckon the kitsune forward.

“Oh my god that is so cool!” She squeaks excitedly before coming at you.

You’re happy to find that Kira is actually pretty good with the katana. She seems to know the weapon by instinct and it helps that she fights from the heart rather than the brain.

“Not too bad, little fox.” You compliment as she back flips over your head to try and disarm you.

“Thanks!” She chirps, pausing to take a breather.

Once again, you come to realize that the clearing has stopped their own training to watch you fight.

“Come on, guys! Are we really that distracting?” You roll your eyes at them.

“That was really hot.” Scott blurts out, staring wide-eyed at Kira.

The girl immediately blushes and you can’t help but bend over laughing.

“I agree.” Peter purrs, coming up beside you. “It’s very alluring to watch you fight. You move very sensuously with that sword.”

“That’s not the point.” You smack him on the arm. “Is this normally how training goes?”

“No. Typically Derek just throws the puppies around until they get tired. I advised him to do otherwise this time.”

“Oh for fuck sake.” You groan. “You guys have so many issues.”

The comment makes Peter cackle. “More than you know, darling.”

Leaving the man to his own amusement, you grab a few water bottles before you make your way over to Lydia and Stiles. They’re curious about the magic and you spend the next twenty minutes answering all of their questions. While you do so, Derek and Peter decide to spar for an example which draws your attention. Where Peter moves smoothly and with planned purpose, Derek tends to go for the brute strength approach. It becomes obvious very quickly that he is motivated by anger. The two of them are clearly fighting through some problem but by the end they seem to have resolved it. Taking the chance, you walk over.

“Too tired for another fight?” You grin at Derek.

The man looks you up and down before raising an eyebrow. He moves into position and you follow suit. You’re curious about the man and know he likes Stiles. Time to see if he can protect your little cousin.

The fight gets intense really quickly. Derek seems to sense that this is some sort of test and puts everything he has into it. You easily get the upper hand and he loses some control on his emotions. In desperation, his claws pop out and the next hit leaves trails of blood down your arm. You hear a rumbling growl come from Peter but ignore it and summon one of your knives. Flipping Derek around, you force him onto his knees and hold the blade to his neck.

“Get better control of your emotions, Hale. Stiles needs you to have control. You ever slip like this with him and I’ll take you out myself. Am I clear?” You whisper lowly in his ear, blocking the other wolves from eavesdropping.

Derek nods so you let up and put the dagger away. You help him up and then force him to meet your eyes instead of staring in shame at your blood.

“Anger is not an anchor, Derek. I won’t even make you ask, I’ll help if you come to me.” You tell him earnestly, knowing he has a good heart.

Derek gives you a look of surprise and you send him a soft smile. Then, you turn back to the group and take down the sound blockers.

“Any other wolfies want to take a shot?” You smirk.

“No, darling. I think we are done for the day.” Peter says sharply, taking your pain away as he touches your arm.

“Oi! No pain draining without consent, Hale!” You smack him on the arm. “Actually, this is a perfect chance for Stiles to try healing magic. Mischief, get over here!”

Stiles runs over quickly and looks squeamish at the blood.

“Just like we talked about this morning, kid. Feel it. Believe it.” You encourage him. “It sometimes helps me to have physical contact and visualize the skin knitting itself back together.”

“Oh god, I can’t do this.” Stiles moans at the thought of stitched skin.

Taking his hand, you place it on your arm and cover his hand with your own. “Close your eyes. Just think about it. You don’t even have to look.”

Stiles begrudgingly does as you ask and the others slowly creep in to watch. After about a minute, they grow restless and skeptical that Stiles can do magic. Then, you feel an itch in your arm and watch as the small scratches slowly close up.

“Stiles.” You jolt him out of concentration.

“I’m really trying!” He complains, squinting even harder.

“Mischief. You already did it.” You chuckle at him, making him open his eyes.

Stiles looks at your arm in shock and then turns to grin at Scott.

“Stiles! You’re magic!” The alpha exclaims in excitement.

“Hell yeah I am, Scotty!” Stiles whoops, doing a little celebratory dance for himself.

Stiles geeks out over his newfound talents with the others and you step off to the side. Peter comes to join you.

“You’re alright?” He asks, trying to be nonchalant.

“Completely alright. I was intentionally pushing Derek’s buttons to see what he’d do. I’ve had worse, Peter. I can handle it.” You tell him.

“I don’t want you to have to handle any injury.” Peter states, wrapping his arm around your shoulders.

“I might not have the fast healing of a wolf, but I’m probably harder than even you to kill, Hale. It’ll be fine.” You nudge him with a grin.

The two of you lean back against his car and watch the others until they decide to head home. When Noah gets off of work that night, Stiles immediately starts filling him in on all the cool new things he learned how to do. Upon learning about Stiles’ healing abilities, Noah smirks at you over his son’s shoulder.

“Does that mean you can heal this rash that showed up on my…”

Noah’s words are cut off by a shriek of disgust from his son and Stiles sprints upstairs to get away. The two of you share a laugh and then you continue telling him the story of how the day went.

Chapter Text

With Stiles still on break from school, the boy is incredibly antsy the next day when Noah goes to work so you decide to take on a project. You hop in the car to take Stiles grocery shopping so that you have all the necessary ingredients. He doesn’t understand why you needed to go shopping but has no problem tagging along. You buy extra food to have around the house so that you aren’t eating all of theirs and then head home.

“I was thinking we could make some golabki for lunch and take them to the station.” You mention as you two are putting away groceries.

Stiles stops and looks at you. “You’re just going to weasel your way into teaching me how to make every Polish food imaginable, aren’t you?”

Grinning, you shrug. “Are you protesting?”

“Nope. I love golabki!” Stiles replies.

Once all the groceries are put away, you take the ingredients you need out and get to work. As the two of you are peeling the cabbage leaves, you seize the chance to poke at Stiles’ brain.

“So, Mischief. What’s the deal with you and Derek Hale?” You ask calmly.

Stiles freezes in panic. “What deal? There’s no deal. Nothing at all with me and Derek. Nada.” He rambles.

Rolling your eyes in exasperation, you grin at him. “I’m not your father, Stiles. I’m also not blind. There is very obviously something there. Talk to me.”

He studies you and relaxes when he realizes you aren’t going to yell at him. “We got off to a bit of a complicated start but he’s always been really attractive.”

“Uh-huh, I have eyes, Mischief.” You smirk at him.

Stiles rolls his eyes at you. “It didn’t really matter before because he was kind of an asshole but now that he’s being nice, I can’t help but have a massive crush on him. He’s been through so much but he’s still a good person. Lately, I feel like we’ve been getting close and he’s started letting me see the real Derek, not macho-werewolf ‘I’m allergic to emotions’ Derek.”

“Derek deserves to have something good in his life. Maybe that can be you.” You offer.

Stiles looks surprised at the comment. “You aren’t worried about the age thing? Or the wolf thing?”

“You’re almost 18. So long as nothing happens until you are of age, I think it’s alright. Your father might think differently. As for the wolf thing, you can handle yourself just fine. You are only going to get better with magic. I also may or may not have threatened him a little yesterday. He knows he’ll have me to answer to if he ever hurts you.”

“You did not?!” Stiles groans in embarrassment.

“Be glad it was me and not your father.” You jest.

“Dad would be so mad if I dated Derek Hale.” Stiles whines.

“Honestly, I don’t think he’ll be mad. The Sheriff who thought Derek Hale was a murderer would be pissed but the dad who knows who Derek really is might be more lenient. The age thing is still a problem but I think that’s the only one. He knows you’re stuck with the whole supernatural thing so that isn’t an issue. Derek seems like a nice guy on the inside and Noah wouldn’t have let him sit at the Christmas Eve table if he didn’t think so too.” You assure him.

“Really? I suppose you’re right. Derek has started opening up more to all of us. Dad even offered to waive the arrest record so that Derek could take the deputy exam.”

“That’s practically a gold stamp of approval from your father.” You state.

The two of you get rid of the cabbage extras before starting on the filling. As it cooks, Stiles brings the topic back up.

“He was really there for me after the whole Nogistune thing. It felt like he understood and didn’t think any worse of me for it. Derek was the only one who treated me like I wasn’t broken. I just want him to let me be there for him in return, you know?”

“I know.” You nudge him lightly with your shoulder. “How about we drop him off some lunch on our way to the station?”

Stiles is excited at the idea and quickly agrees. It takes another hour for the cabbage rolls to be done but the smell makes the whole thing worth it. You package up a tupperware for the station while Stiles puts a little one together for Derek. He adds a few extra for the werewolf’s appetite and then ties a little bow around it which makes you smile. The two of you hop in your 4Runner and then swing by Derek’s loft.

You can sense Derek’s presence and know he is home but let Stiles take them up on his own. It’s hard to shove down the urge to eavesdrop but you allow them to have some privacy. When he comes back down to the car ten minutes later, he has a huge grin on his face.

“I take it things went well?” You ask.

Stiles gives you a beaming nod and you pull out of the lot to go to the station. Noah and the deputies are thrilled when you show up with food and thank you profusely. There are several new faces to meet and you get to stay there chatting until Noah gets called away on a job. You intentionally don’t mention the detour to Derek’s and the smile on Stiles’ face stays there for the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

It’s New Years Eve and Lydia was taking the opportunity to throw a huge party. She’d shown up yesterday to inform Stiles of her decision and drag him to the mall with several other pack members to ensure he had a good enough outfit. The classy woman had wanted an elegant party so you’d grinned at the terrified look on Stiles’ face and then handed Lydia your credit card, telling her to make him look pretty.

Noah had threatened that he better not get a call about the party at the station and asked that you look out for the kids. That meant you were currently donning a tight navy blue velvet dress with long sleeves and an open back that highlighted your tattoos. You tugged on your heels and grabbed your purse (packed with emergency supplies in case something happened to the kids) before heading downstairs.

Stiles was waiting for you in the living room wearing a dark red button up, dark gray tailored slacks, and a pair of very nice black boots.

You whistle when you see him. “You clean up nice, Mischief. I’d say that’s money well spent!”

Stiles blushes but does a spin to show off his outfit, telling you he absolutely loved it.

“You look really pretty, too. Well not that I look pretty. I look handsome. At least I hope I do.” Stiles rambles.

“Thank you.” You chuckle at him. “You ready?”

Stiles nods and you head out to the car. He directs you to Lydia’s place and you aren’t surprised to see cars lining the street when you get there. You recognize those belonging to other pack members as you walk up to the door. Stiles doesn’t even bother to knock, just letting himself in, and Lydia immediately makes her way over to greet you.

“I have good taste.” Lydia states as she looks Stiles up and down, then turns to you. “And so do you.”

You grin at the girl and compliment her on the deep green dress she’s wearing as well as the decorations she’d set up. Lydia is visibly pleased at the praise and drags Stiles away to another room, leaving you alone in the entryway. Looking around, you see the other pack members mingling amongst themselves and quite a few teens that you’d never met before.

The house is gorgeous and you decide to wander a bit before making the social rounds. Lydia’s party decorations are immaculate but so is the house design that her mother picked out. With all the things you’d heard, you weren’t sure whether you wanted to meet Natalie Martin and were glad she was nowhere to be found.

As you move to study the kitchen, a familiar aura comes up behind you and tries to startle you by putting an arm around your waist.

“You look fabulous this evening, darling.” A low voice purrs in your ear.

“Peter.” You turn around in his arm with a smile. “You look expensive, as always. Tell me, honey, were you actually invited to this party or did you invite yourself?”

Peter grins slyly at you. “I was within earshot when Lydia invited Derek and Isaac. I do believe that counts.”

“Not if it’s wolf earshot.” You roll your eyes, shoving his arm.

“Oh well. I’m here now.” He shrugs smugly.

Sliding your hand down so that you can intertwine your fingers together, you tug him back out of the kitchen. “Show me around, Hale. I want to hear all the gossip you have on the house and all these strangers inside of it. I know you’ve got good info.”

The wolf grins at you before leading you back towards the main room. Peter points out all the Beacon Hills kids that he knows; the local weed dealer, head of the basketball team, daughter of the mayor, the boy who writes the school newspaper. It’s amusing rather than surprising just how much Peter knows about the people in the county and yet still a bit creepy.

“You don’t stalk people anymore, right?” You raise a judgy eyebrow at him.

“No. But I can’t help what they say when I’m within hearing distance.” He smirks.

You move down into the basement, music flooding your ears as you walk down the stairs. The area has been turned into a makeshift dance floor and teens grind against each other all over the place.

“Oh god. Teenage hormones.” You groan.

“What? You don’t like to dance?” Peter purrs, sliding his arms around your waist and swaying a bit.

“Not surrounded by horny children, sweetheart.” You tell him with a laugh.

Peter doesn’t stop rocking you side to side as you survey the room. Liam is swaying awkwardly back and forth as he talks with a pretty dark haired girl. When he sees you he waves awkwardly and you give him a little salute. Next, you spot Mason really getting into it with an embarrassed looking boy and you turn back to Peter.

“You might like being creepy but I do not. And this feels so creepy. We’re too old to be down here.” You whine at the man.

Peter laughs and relents, tugging you back up the stairs. There’s still about two hours until midnight and you have no idea how to pass the time. Peter walks you over to the drink table and pours out two full glasses of champagne. Then, he wraps his arm around your waist and leads you out onto the patio. It’s much quieter outside and there are only a few stragglers, mostly kids who want to smoke.

Hit with inspiration, you hand Peter your glass and then support yourself on his arm so you can untie your heels. You set them off to the side and plop down next to the pool so you can stick your feet in. Then, you reach up and beckon for your glass. Peter hands the champagne to you with a huff and then sets his down on the ground. It takes him a second to remove his shoes and socks and then roll up his pants but eventually he joins you with his feet in the pool.

“Do you have any idea how much this suit costs?” Peter complains as the water laps against his legs.

“Do you have any idea how easy it would be for me to magically clean your stupid suit?” You shove at him.

“Hmm, it’s useful to know a mage.” He hums as he takes a sip of champagne.

“Is that why we’re friends? Because I’m useful?” You raise a teasing eyebrow at him.

“Of course not, darling.” Peter tells you. “We’re friends because you’re the only person in town who isn’t terrified of me or a relative.”

“Maybe you should put some effort into being less terrifying.” You respond with a smile. “But if I’m all you’ve got then I suppose there’s just more for me.”

“You can have as much of me as you want.” He smirks from behind his glass.

“I try to be sweet and you have to make it dirty.” You roll your eyes at the man, flicking him with some pool water.

Peter dodges the best he can and glares at you. “Just because I like you doesn’t mean I won’t throw you in the pool.”

“You know you only could if I let you and I’d drag you right in with me.” You laugh at him.

Leaning into his side, you sip at your champagne and look up at the stars. “Got any New Year’s resolutions?”

Peter is silent for a minute before he responds. “To make things better with the pack. Show them that I’m on their side.”

Heart warm, you reach over to squeeze his hand in reassurance. “That’s a good one. I’m hoping to make things better for you guys around here too, especially for Stiles and Noah. I want to make up for all the things I missed while I was focused on college.”

“Everything that happened here wasn’t your fault, darling. You have nothing to make up for.”

“Most powerful mage in the country and I don’t even know when my own family needs protection.” You huff in self-deprecation. “Same for you, you know? Not everything is your fault, Peter. I mean some of it is, sure, but not everything.”

“Not everything.” He hums in agreement. “There are still things to make up for. Might take the rest of my life but I’m alright with that.”

“You’ve got a good heart, Pete.” You mumble, resting your head on his shoulder.

You look around to see if anyone is looking before you magically refill both of your glasses. Time passes quickly as the two of you sit there by the pool and before you know it, it’s half an hour to midnight.

“I should probably make sure none of those idiots are drunk out of their minds.” You groan, setting down your glass so you can get up. “Noah will kill me if Stiles comes home drunk.”

Peter stands up quickly so he can help you up and then holds you as you put your heels back on. You do the same for him, magically drying off his feet and then supporting him as he gets his socks and shoes back on.

When you get back inside, you’re glad to see all the pack members look sober. That being said, alcohol doesn’t affect them and they’ve definitely been drinking. Drunk or not, they are still acting like idiots. Scott has somehow ended up with his tie wrapped around his head and Kira is trying to get him down off the table. Isaac stands besides them whipping his scarf around and egging Scott on. Lydia is sending them glares from where her and Stiles are playing an intense game of chess in the corner. Malia is standing next to the snack table and scaring anyone away who tries to take pizza rolls away from her. Spotting Derek hiding in the corner, you pull Peter over to him.

“You own something other than leather and henleys?” You ask dramatically as you walk up.

“Just because I don’t wear other clothes around you doesn’t mean I don’t own them.” Derek deadpans.

Grinning, you shove him on the shoulder. “Happy New Year, Derek.”

“You too.” Derek replies with a small smile. “Those cabbage rolls were amazing, by the way. Thank you.”

“Cabbage rolls?! Why wasn’t I delivered homemade cooking?” Peter whines next to you.

“We made them for the station. I can’t help that Stiles wanted a special delivery for Derek and not you.” You smirk at Peter before looking back at Derek. “I’m glad you liked them. I imagine there will be more deliveries. Stiles and I are going to make our way through all the Polish family foods we can think of.”

Derek gives you a nod as Peter complains again. “I want treats too. Am I not important enough to you, darling?”

You smack Peter upside the head which makes Derek laugh. Peter growls at you playfully and lifts you up, carrying you over towards the snack table.

“Now you’ve made me hungry.” He complains, setting you down and surveying the spread.

Peter avoids the kid-friendly foods and goes straight for the canapes. As you two snack, you notice more and more people joining the crowd. Someone turns on the tv and you realize that it’s almost time for the countdown. Stiles comes running up and grabs several cookies, giving you a quick hello. You watch as he tries to look calm as he makes his way over to Derek’s corner and hands the man two of his cookies.

“Those two are so ridiculous.” Peter remarks, watching the same interaction.

“They’ll figure it out.” You chuckle in agreement.

Everyone gears up for the countdown and you look around for the pack members. It seems like all of them are paired up with someone to kiss but when you look the other way, Lydia is standing alone in the kitchen doorway.

As the countdown begins, you squeeze Peter’s shoulder and whisper “I’ll be right back.”

Peter’s eyes look disappointed but you know he can handle it. You make your way over to Lydia. As the countdown hits two, you surprise her by grasping her hand and spinning her in a circle. When it hits zero and everyone screams, you lean over dramatically and give a polite kiss to her hand. As you do so, you peek past her and watch Stiles give Derek a quick kiss to the cheek.

“Happy New Year, Miss Martin.” You grin at her shocked expression. “You’ve thrown a very lovely party.”

When she stops being flustered, she throws you a million dollar smile. “Well I’m glad someone at this party has manners. Leaving the hostess alone at midnight.” She huffs with an eye roll. “Happy New Year to you as well. Now I’ve got idiots to kick off the property. Feel free to rejoin your man.” She tells you, looking past your shoulder.

As she walks away, you turn around and find Peter approaching.

“That was adorable.” Peter states. “A midnight kiss with me would have been far more thrilling, though.”

“A New Year's kiss means far more to a teenage girl than to a grown man like you. I knew you could handle it.” You tell him with a soft smile.

Loud cracking noises fill the air and you can feel Peter flinch ever so slightly next to you. Looking around, you see the noise of fireworks a few houses over is bothering the younger wolves as well and you put up temporary sound mufflers over their ears. They notice the difference and look around in confusion before they notice you grinning at them. You nod your head towards the patio and everyone joins the flow of people heading out back to watch the fireworks.

Peter slides his arm around you as you step outside the door and watch the bright lights in the air. Smiling, you turn your head and follow Stiles’ lead by giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Happy New Year, Peter.” You tell him.

Peter’s aura grows warm in a comforting way and he leans down to give you a kiss on the forehead. “Happy New Year, darling.”

You lean your head against his shoulder and look up at the sky. As you soak in the happy atmosphere, you think about what the coming year might bring for you and the Beacon Hills pack.

Chapter Text

With the new year in swing and the holidays over, Stiles and the others have to go back to school. The kids are busier than ever and you take the chance to set up meetings with the adults involved with the pack. In the first week, you meet with Chris and Noah to set up protective measures around town. You end up warding Argent’s home in exchange for wolfsbane bullets to keep at the precinct.

You also have coffee with Melissa so that you can talk about healing methods for wolves and give her a specially made first aid kit that includes everything she could need. It also has a runed knife but you’re pretty positive Argent’s already made sure she keeps a gun with wolfsbane bullets in the house. You use the coffee meet up to weasel information about the two of them out of her and end up gossiping about the men in the pack. She shocks you with the information that she’d caught Noah and Natalie Martin on a date one time which you mentally note to talk about with the man.

Jordan Parrish doesn’t seem like the coffee chat type so you hook him into a run through the preserve so that you can talk about his experiences as a hellhound. He still seems very lost and confused about the whole thing so you fill him in on everything you personally know of his kind. When you circle back to your cars, you leave with the promise that you’ll have somebody with more knowledge contact him to help him out.

The most work you do is with the two Hales. You spend a lot of time with the both of them working to set up a structure and support system for the pack. The three of you get in contact with Satomi to make sure that alliance is still strong. They also send out a message to the pack that weekly pack bonding time will be every Sunday night and they even offer to help with homework. It’s fun working with them because they’re the closest to your age and the time spent together makes you grow closer to them.

Peter and you spend a lot of time together outside of pack business. You don’t know that many people in town so when Noah is at work and Stiles is at school, you frequently end up texting the wolf. He has a sense of humor that gets you every time and his constant touches comfort you. Peter shows you his favorite spots around town; the best bar, best bookstore, best restaurants, and you quickly find him becoming your best friend.

Derek is a bit more difficult to connect with. Once you spend more time together working on the pack, he becomes more comfortable with you. The younger Hale approaches you about his anger problem and you work with him to find a new anchor. While doing so, you show him some books you’d gathered on pack dynamics and quickly learn that he likes old books. It’s a common ground for you both and end up bonding over your ancient tomes.

With weekly pack get togethers becoming mandatory, you realize that Derek’s loft needs to become far more welcoming. It needs to feel like a home. This realization is how you find yourself in the car with Stiles on Saturday dragging the Hale boys to the nearest Ikea.

“This is going to be so much fun! Ikea is like a giant playground for adults.” Stiles exclaims excitedly from his spot in the back.

“Scandinavian furniture warehouses are a bit too cheap for my taste.” Peter states haughtily next to you.

“Well you don’t have teenage werewolves flopping all over your apartment.” You roll your eyes at him. “Derek isn’t going to want to replace a three thousand dollar couch every time one of them gets too excited.”

“I suppose it will still be better than those abominations he dragged in off the street.” Peter mutters, referring to the couches Derek currently has.

“Thank god you aren’t living in the house in the woods anymore.” Stiles tells Derek. “That was like, really bad for your mental health. I like the loft.”

You had no idea Derek used to live in the ruins of the old Hale house but good god are you glad he doesn’t anymore. The loft is a weird rundown old building but it’s better than the house your family died in. No wonder the guy has so many problems.

Derek looks uncomfortable at the turn in conversation so you change the subject. “Now I don’t care if you decide to spend half your time in the cafeteria, but when we leave today it will be with furnishings for the loft.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Stiles fake salutes you from the back.

Grinning, you get out of the car and head into the store. It might not be Peter’s style but you were going to make him enjoy the trip. You force Stiles to take a map so that he doesn’t get lost and then lead the group over to the living room displays.

“Oh my gosh, this couch is like a cloud!” Stiles shouts as he jumps onto a large, pink, fluffy sofa.

Derek just stares at the couch with a look of disgust.

“Right. Not broody enough for your taste.” Stiles states, standing up to move to the next room.

He skips right over the one that is 80% white and moves toward the dark lit corner. The display room has dark wood accents and a gorgeous dark gray sectional.

“What about this one? It’s dark and mysterious enough for your taste!” Stiles looks at the tag and then grins. “It’s got a matching couch and chairs! Enough for the whole pack!”

Derek walks around, studying the layout and then takes a seat next to Stiles. He sits for maybe fifteen seconds before nodding and standing up.

Stiles cheers and you roll your eyes at Peter. “God, he’s easy.”

Peter smirks at you. “Not everyone can have my impeccable sense of style.”

You move on to the next area after taking a picture of the tag on the sofa. Stiles continually stops the group on the way to point out little decorations and knick knacks that Derek should get. Derek pretty much just lets Stiles throw whatever he wants in the cart. In the kitchen section, you stop Derek and have him pick out a type of plate so that there’s enough for the entire pack when they are over. Unsurprisingly he chooses black and you load up the cart with plates and bowls. You also grab several packs of matte silverware that match his choice.

Derek doesn’t need a bed but somehow the group ends up stalled by the mattresses anyways.

“I could just live here and never get up.” Stiles says as he’s sprawled over a king size mattress.

“You can’t. I’m hungry.” Derek deadpans. “There was a sign back there for meatballs.”

“Oh yeah? You like balls?” Stiles blurts out and then freezes in terror.

Stiles and Derek stare at each other in mortification and you barely hold back a snort. Clapping your hand over Peter’s mouth, you start to drag him away with the cart.

“Don’t. Say. A. Word.” You whisper as you pull him backwards.

When you get out of hearing distance, you let the man go.

“How about you, darling? Do you like balls?” Peter asks with a smirk.

At that, you can’t help but collapse into a chair and release your barely contained laughter. “I can’t handle those two.” You gasp out between laughs.

“Do you think Derek ran away or do you think they’re going for a lunch date?” Peter ponders.

“I really hope the latter. God, Stiles is never going to live that one down.” You grin.

Once you stop laughing and catch your breath, Peter helps you up from the chair. The two of you continue on your way, you pushing the cart as Peter puts his arm around your waist. You browse past the garden section and grab several potted plants. Things like jasmine and lavender would have a calming scent while giving Derek something to look after.

On the way to the storage and organization area, you pass the kids rooms. Your eyes wander and come across a forest themed room that has a miniature tent with a large wolf plushie sticking out of it.

“Oh my god that’s so fucking adorable!” You smack Peter on the arm and point it out.

Peter studies the room for a moment before turning to you with an odd look on his face. “You like children?”

Realizing this is an important question for him, you think about it before responding. “I grew up in a big family. I’ve always wanted to continue that.”

Peter doesn’t say anything but the look in his eyes tells you everything you need to know. The man had grown up with a huge family and a close knit pack. Then, he’d had that torn away from him. You can feel how much he desires to build a new one. Taking his hand, you smile and lead him back towards the storage, mind running through a million scenarios.

The two of you find Derek and Stiles in the food court. There’s several empty plates in front of them but also a very full cart which makes you satisfied. You and Peter join them for a snack before you all head down to the warehouse. It’s wonderful having two wolves to lift things so you and Stiles step back and watch them do all the leg work. You schedule the couches to be delivered the next day and then carry a bunch of bags out to the car.

Back at the loft, you use your magic to clean up the space and then get to work putting away all the things you’d bought. It wasn’t perfect without the couches but it looked much more like a home than it had when you left.

When you return home with Stiles that night and go to get the bags of things you’d bought for yourselves, you find a surprise. Nestled between the organizers you’d bought for Noah and the Swedish snacks Stiles needed, you discover the large plush wolf that you’d pointed out to Peter. Stiles raises his eyebrows when he sees you pull it out but doesn’t comment. You text Peter a thank you and go to bed that night snuggled up with your reminder of the man you’d become so close to.

Chapter Text

The next morning while Stiles is over at Derek’s to see the couches delivered, you spend some time with Noah. The two of you wash the dishes from breakfast and then you pour two mugs of coffee from the second pot you’d made.

“Can we chat?” You ask him, setting the mugs down on the table.

“Of course we can.” He assures you, sitting down in front of his mug with a smile.

“I’ve been here for over a week now and I know my visit is becoming longer than expected. It’s something I’ve been thinking about. When I graduated, I applied to a bunch of different jobs with the hopes that I could choose the best one for me. I wasn’t really considering it much at the time, it was really on a whim, but about a month ago I applied to take over as the new head librarian when old Marian retires.” You tell him.

“Marian at the Beacon Hills Public Library?” Noah questions.

“Yeah.” You affirm. “I got an email last night. They’ve offered me the position.”

“That’s amazing!” He exclaims, reaching over to squeeze your hand.

“I never really planned on settling down anywhere but a big city. Mom and Dad don’t even know I applied here.” You chuckle awkwardly. “It was really just a backup option where I would know people in town but now that I’ve been here for a little bit. Well, Beacon Hills feels like maybe it could be home.”

Noah smiles at you knowingly. “Stiles and I, along with the rest of the pack, would be delighted if you stayed here. Beacon Hills isn’t a big city but it does get pretty wild around here sometimes. Claudia always said it just felt extra special.”

“That it does.” You grin. “You don’t think I’m rushing into it?”

“I don’t. You’re a smart woman who always thinks through every aspect of a decision. You should still talk to your parents but I think this last week has shown that you would do really well here.”

“Thanks, Uncle Noah.” You respond, moving over to give him a hug. “I’m gonna go Skype my parents right now.”

Later that night, after a day of long discussions and lots of thinking, you get to relax over at the loft where they are having the first official weekly pack night. The teens had shown up and immediately snooped around every inch of the loft to see all the new things. They were ecstatic about the couches and were now lounging on them as they ate the fifteen pizzas that Derek ordered. You’re sitting in one of the large chairs with Peter, watching and chatting quietly with the man.

“Dare I say it but does Derek actually look happy?” You whisper in Peter’s ear.

Peter studies his nephew before replying. “That does seem to be his happy face.”

You grin and watch as Stiles reaches over to steal one of Derek’s slices of pizza. It seemed like everyone was on board with pack bonding time and you were glad they had this part of the week allotted for it. They needed to spend time together doing things other than training or fighting for their lives. School didn’t feel like it really counted since they were all in different classes.

Liam had brought Mason, who seemed surprised to be included, and the two of them were arguing with Scott about a video game. Lydia and Isaac were talking quietly about what you assumed was gossip on the other end of the room. Kira was trying to teach Malia about New York and what it was like to live there.

As you sit there, Stiles tries to catch you off guard and whips a piece of pizza towards Peter’s face. Unsurprisingly he fails and you freeze the slice midair before it reaches your spot. Stiles looks at you in terror when he sees your expression and immediately shrieks before sprinting away. He only makes it halfway across the room before you send the slice of pizza flying after him. Stiles ends up with sauce all over his head, laying face down on the floor.

“Derekkkkkk. She’s being mean.” He whines for backup.

“You started it, Stiles.” Derek deadpans.

Stiles sits up and pouts at his wolf. “You’re supposed to take my side, Sourwolf!”

Derek shrugs and you laugh as Stiles tries to get pepperoni out of his hair. Eventually you take pity on him and help him clean up. The conversation turns elsewhere once you sit back down and the night goes on.

“Hey, Pete?” You whisper as he watches Liam show Mason how he can do a backflip.

“Yes, darling?” Peter turns, giving you his full attention.

“There’s something I want to tell you. Well, tell everyone. It’s a big decision but I’m hoping it’s a good one.” You tell him.

He looks into your eyes and then turns his head, eyes flashing blue, letting out a huge growl at the pack. “Shut up.”

“That isn’t what I meant, asshole.” You laugh, smacking him on the arm. “I can’t believe you just did that. Wait, yes I can.”

The entire room is staring at you now and you decide to just get it over with. “I have a little bit of an announcement. I was offered a job and I’ve decided to accept. You’re looking at the new Head Librarian of the Beacon Hills Public Library.”

“Oh my god! You’re staying?!” Stiles exclaims in excitement.

“Marian is leaving?” Scott asks a bit sadly.

“Does this mean you’ll let us into the library after hours?” Lydia questions with a raised eyebrow.

“I take it, you're glad I’m staying?” You laugh at their reactions.

“Yes!” Is the resounding response you get.

The pack is excited about the news and Lydia immediately offers up a realtor she knows to find an apartment. Stiles jumps in to say you should bring storytime back to the library and then it spirals into an argument with the others about what things they should make you change. Letting them get distracted, you turn your head towards Peter.

“What do you think, Pete? You alright with me making Beacon Hills my home?” You ask softly.

“I think it’s a wonderful decision, darling.” He informs you with a smile. “It means you’ll get to spend more time with little old me.”

“Mhmm, yeah that’s totally why I made the decision.” You roll your eyes at him.

You lean into Peter’s side for a few minutes and then get the urge for a treat.

“Peteyyyy?” You whisper quietly.

“Yes?” He raises an eyebrow at you.

“Will you make me cocoa? Nobody makes it as good as you do.” You flatter him dramatically.

Peter huffs but stands up and heads towards the kitchen. You follow excitedly and watch him browse through what ingredients Derek has. Eventually he finds dark chocolate, sugar, and oatmilk.

“This will have to do.” He mumbles in annoyance at the lack of his usual supplies.

Smiling, you sidle up next to him and watch happily as he stirs the concoction. Peter pours out two mugs and then you head back to the other room so you can curl up on the chair.

“Hold up.” Stiles interrupts the conversation about Devenford Prep. “Where’d you get hot chocolate?”

“Peter made me some.” You reply.

“Peter… made you hot chocolate.” Scott repeats slowly.

“I happen to be an excellent chef, McCall.” Peter smirks from behind his mug.

“No fair! Why does she get special privileges?!” Stiles whines.

Derek takes the chance to smirk at you. “Maybe if you sit in Peter’s lap, he’ll make you cocoa too, Stiles.”

It’s a side of Derek you haven’t seen before and you stare at him, mouth open, for a few seconds before breaking into laughter.

“Derek Hale, I didn’t know you had it in you.” You chuckle.

“You make it easy when you’re draped over him all the time.” Derek snarks back at you.

Sputtering, you start to blush. “I am not!”

“You are!” Stiles backs him up. “You two are constantly touching!”

“Well, he’s nice and he smells good!” You blurt out in self defense and then realize you just stuck your foot in your mouth.

“Oh my god, she is related to Stiles.” Isaac jibes from across the room and you feel your cheeks flush.

Burying your face in Peter’s shoulder, you can feel him shaking with laughter along with the others. Peter runs his fingers through your hair and makes you look back up.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush before, darling. It’s adorable.” He whispers in your ear.

His comment makes you blush even more and you squirm with embarrassment at all the eyes on you. It’s a level of banter you haven’t really had with the pack before and it makes you feel like you’re starting to become one of them. You suppose they wouldn’t have invited you to pack night if they didn’t think you belonged. The camaraderie just makes you feel even more like staying in Beacon Hills was going to be the right decision. Ready to get rid of all the attention, you turn to the group and smirk at Stiles.

“So, Derek. Have you ever heard the story of the first time Stiles went to Disneyland?”

Stiles stares at you in horror and runs forward to cover your mouth but Scott takes over for you. He jumps into the story about how Stiles thought Gaston was a real person and tried to beat him up in the middle of the park for what he did to Belle. Stiles runs over to Scott to shut him up but you pick up where he dropped off and Stiles is left with nothing to do but slump with defeat as you and Scott tell his crush all of the most embarrassing stories about his childhood.

Chapter Text

With Lydia’s insistent help, it only takes you two weeks to find a perfect apartment and sign the lease. The new place is a spacious one bed, one bath that is smack dab in the middle of town. It is within walking distance of the library and Peter’s apartment while only a five minute drive to the loft and a ten minute drive to the Stilinski house. You were ecstatic about finding a new home but not looking forward to moving everything over from Seattle. Noah felt bad that you would have to move everything on your own, magic or not, but he couldn’t get off of work and didn’t want to leave Stiles alone. His urging is how you find yourself watching Iron Man 3 with Peter Hale on a plane to Seattle.

You are the type to find the cheapest flight available but, as could be expected, Peter was not. When he’d heard that you were going alone, he’d offered to come with and then insisted on upgrading you both to first class.

“I don’t understand why he puts up with that annoying pest of a child.” Peter comments as he sips on his complimentary champagne.

“You can act like you hate children all you want, Petey, but we both know it isn’t true.” You smirk at him.

Peter opens his mouth to complain and you shoot one of your pretzels into it, making him shut up. He huffs but returns his gaze to the movie, chewing on the pretzel and then reaching over to steal more.

When you land, the two of you grab your luggage and then take a taxi back to your apartment near the university.

“I always forget how many noises and smells there are in large cities.” Peter says with a look of disgust as he gets out of the taxi.

“I know, wolfie.” You smile at him. “I had a couple wolf friends throughout college so my place is both sound and scent proofed.”

Peter doesn’t look too happy at the idea of you having other wolf friends but is very grateful for the wards when he steps into the peace of your apartment.

“This is… cozy.” He remarks as he takes in the space.

“Not all of us are millionaires, Hale.” You roll your eyes as you set your luggage down. “I had tuition fees to pay.”

“Cozy can be a good thing.” He hums, studying the big family picture you have propped up on the side table. “You don’t have that many things. Is it really going to take two whole days to pack everything up?”

At his comment, you give him a mischievous grin. “Welllllll, I may have exaggerated. I can pack everything in about an hour with my magic.”

“Then why on Earth are we waiting two days for the moving truck?” He looks at you with annoyance.

“Because I thought it would be fun to make you take a little vacation. What do you say? Wanna see Seattle with me?” You grin.

Peter’s expression softens. “You sneaky fox. Well I suppose since we’re already here…”

You tug both suitcases over into the bedroom and then turn to look at him. “How do you feel about dinner? There’s an Italian place about a block from here that can compete with your favorite back home. I’m friends with the head chef so I know we can get in.”

Peter raises an eyebrow. “I doubt anything can compete but we shall see. Give me time to change into something less… traveled.”

You roll your eyes at the fashionista and give him the room to change. Calling the restaurant, you let your friend know you’re coming and then change into something nicer yourself.

Peter ends up very pleased with your choice, admitting that the osso bucco is delicious but that he prefers the service he gets back in Beacon Hills. You have a delightful evening and take a walk around the area, arm in arm under the city lights, after dinner. When you get back home that evening and get ready for bed, Peter looks a bit nervous for the first time since you’ve known him.

“What’s wrong, Petey?” You ask worriedly.

“Do you have blankets that I might be able to use?” He requests politely.

Realizing what he means, you grin. “Peter, I’m not going to make you sleep on the couch. We’ve cuddled enough times that I think we can survive two nights in the same bed.”

“I just didn’t want to push your boundaries, darling. But I must say I’m glad. That couch does not look very comfortable.” He replies, climbing in next to you.

“Yeahhhh, I’m not taking that puppy with me. Got it on sale at Target but it’s hard as a rock.” You chuckle, reaching over to turn off the light.

Peter lays there quietly, keeping his distance. It’s weird and eventually you huff as you turn over and stare at him.

“Peter. Relax. If I was uncomfortable sharing a bed with you, I would make you sleep on the couch.”

It’s sweet that he’s worried about your boundaries but at the moment you find it annoying. You scoot closer to steal his body warmth and only fall asleep once you feel him relax.

In the morning, you wake up completely entwined with Peter. He must have woken first because he greets you as soon as you wake.

“Good morning, darling.” He purrs in your ear.

You huff into his chest. “You’re warm, don’t wanna get up.”

“But if you don’t get up, we can’t do whatever exciting things you surely have planned for the day.” Peter reminds you.

At that, you open your eyes and sit up. “I was thinking we could spend the day at Olympic National Park. Nature, hiking, no people or noise or weird smells. What do you think?”

“Taking your wolf into the woods?” He chuckles at you. “That sounds perfect.”

You untangle your limbs excitedly and move towards the kitchen for breakfast. Thankfully, you’ve still got lots of coffee and granola bars left over from before your Christmas trip. Once you two are dressed and ready to go, you take him down to the closest bodega to fill a bag with lunch and snacks for the hike.

It takes two hours to get there but in the end it is totally worth it. Peter might have been a fan of the more expensive things in life but his wolf loved the outdoors. He looked happily dazed amongst the trees. Olympic National Park put the Beacon Hills Preserve to shame. The two of you hike for an hour or so before stopping in a little clearing to eat lunch. You munch on your sandwiches and then show Peter how you can use your magic to instantaneously compost the food scraps.

You spend all day in the woods, wandering, trying to find animals, watching Peter climb several trees. By the time you make your way home that evening, you’re exhausted but happy and Peter’s aura is radiating content bliss in a way you haven’t felt before. He curls into you without hesitation that night when you go to sleep.

The next day is your last day in Seattle so you set an alarm for six am. Peter is very grumpy at being woken up so early.

“Why are we awake?” He rumbles in your ear.

“Because I want to take you over to Pike Place Market before it gets too busy. I don’t want to overwhelm your senses.”

Peter begrudgingly untangles himself from you and goes to take a shower. The early morning wake up is worth it once you get there. You get pastries and coffee, wandering around to look at everything. Peter buys a bottle of specialty wine to bring back for Derek and you grab several bags of your favorite grounds to share with the pack. It’s a peaceful way to end the trip and the two of you head back to the apartment with smiles once it starts to get busy.

True to your word, it only takes you an hour to pack everything up. Peter goes to get the moving truck and you carry boxes down to the garage. He lifts the heavier boxes and in no time the two of you are ready to head back to Beacon Hills.

You hate long car rides and apparently so does Peter so you try to pass the time by cranking up the music and singing dramatically to each other. The more bored you get, the more desperate you become to pass the time and you start sharing stories. You tell Peter about your first relationship, the first time you discovered you had magic, your family, and the worst punishment you’d ever earned as a kid. In turn, Peter opens up and tells you about his memories before the fire, how he used to be Derek’s favorite uncle and the way he used to come to him for everything. By the time you make it back to Beacon Hills, you and Peter feel closer than you’ve ever been.

It’s mid afternoon when you pull into the parking lot and you’re surprised to see lots of familiar cars. Peter had texted Derek that you were almost home and the man had rallied the troops to help you unpack. You’re incredibly grateful not to have to do all the work and you curl up in a chair to take a quick nap while Derek commands his betas to do all the heavy lifting. Even the humans were helping, Stiles and Lydia were unpacking your books to put on the shelf so that they could see which ones they wanted to borrow.

You only nap for half an hour before Noah wakes you up to let you know he’s going to drop the truck back off. Less tired and excited to set up the apartment, you get up and start putting away the dishes, using magic to clean them out as you do so.

“Wait a minute.” Stiles shouts from his spot as he watches you do so. “Could you have used magic to do all of this?”

“I thought your motivation was sweet.” You grin at him.

“Oh my god!” “I can’t believe you.” “I could’ve been studying!” are included in the resounding whines that you get from the pack.

“Okay, okay. Dinner on me as a thank you. What do you guys want? Pizza, Chinese, Indian, anything.” You tell them to calm them down.

“Butter chicken!” Stiles shouts excitedly and Scott joins in, effectively starting a chant of ‘Butter Chicken! Butter Chicken!’.

You order a truck load of food and then get to work helping set everything up. The kids watch in awe and annoyance as you float things here or there. They are easily distracted though when they hear the delivery man pulling up. Liam runs to get the food and you can’t help but smile as the pack tears into their meal, making your new apartment feel like a real home.

Chapter Text

At the end of your first successful week of work at the Beacon Hills Library, you invite Peter over for a celebratory dinner. It had been a stressful week full of time-consuming projects and you were glad to end it with your best friend.

“Congratulations on not burning the library down, darling.” Peter smirks at you when you open the apartment door.

The man hands you a bottle of Pinot Noir that you know is insanely expensive and makes his way inside.

“I’m glad you have so much faith in my professional ability.” You grin at him, pulling him into a hug. “I swung by the store on my way home and grabbed some pancetta. How do you feel about carbonara?”

Peter nods his affirmation and walks into the kitchen to find wine glasses. He grabs two and then pops open the wine with a claw to pour it out.

“Drink. I imagine you need it after the first week of a new job. Nobody at the library has been giving you any trouble, have they?” He asks as he hands you a glass of wine.

“None at all.” You tell him, taking a sip. “They are all lovely and even if they weren’t, I’m not going to set my attack wolf on them.”

“I detest the title of attack wolf. I am much more of a logically protective wolf that shouldn’t be messed with.” Peter turns his nose up at you.

“Mmmm, I prefer Stiles’ title of CreepyWolf. It’s more fitting.” You reply with a grin, pointing him towards the pancetta to start chopping.

“I am not creepy.” He protests weakly.

“How many people have you stalked? Face it, Petey, you relish the fact that you’re creepy.” You tell him over your shoulder as you get to work on the pasta.

“No comment.” Peter deadpans, making you turn and give him a laugh.

You put on some quiet jazz music and then start kneading the pasta dough. When Peter finishes his task, he comes around the counter to take a seat and watch you knead. His close attention sets your senses alight.

“You must be very good at massages.” He grins at you over his glass.

“Stop staring at my hands, weirdo.” You raise an eyebrow at him, trying not to blush.

“What else would you prefer I stare at?” Peter smirks.

You huff and roll your eyes. “I’d prefer you stop staring and help. Get over here and cut this into strips with me.”

Peter chuckles at your diversion but comes around to stand next to you as you roll the dough out flat. You turn around to grab your knife and return to find him slicing pasta with his claws.

“Peter Hale!” You smack him on the arm. “Wash your claws first, you animal!”

“You said you wanted help!” He laughs at you but complies.

Once the pasta is ready, you throw it in boiling water and then stand there drinking wine as you wait for it to cook. Fly Me to the Moon comes on your speaker and you turn to Peter with a huge smile, setting down the glass.

“This is one of my favorite songs.” You tell him, taking his glass from his hands to place next to yours.

Grabbing his hands, you place them on your waist and then put yours on his shoulders. You sway back and forth, pulling him with you until he takes initiative and joins in. Peter tugs you in even closer, making you laugh, and you sing along with the music.

“Fill my heart with song. Let me sing forever more.” You serenade, sending Peter backwards into a dramatic spin that makes him roll his eyes.

“I thought I was leading, darling?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Earn it.” You dare.

The challenge prompts a rumble in his chest and you find yourself lifted off the ground as he spins you around in the air. You can’t help but let out a laugh and relent to let him lead as the song finishes.

When the pasta is done cooking, you get to work finishing the carbonara. You cook the pancetta and Peter gets everything else ready. Then, he throws in ingredients as you mix everything together.

The two of you sit down at the counter to eat side by side and spend the meal chatting about the week. Peter seems glad that things are going well for you at the library. You finish your food first and when Peter takes a sip of wine you sneak a forkful from his plate. It prompts a playful growl out of him but he pushes his plate closer so you can steal more if you’d like. He helps you with the dishes after dinner, drying after you wash.

Finishing the last dish, Peter turns to you with a soft smile. “The usual, darling?”

His question makes you beam and you nod happily. Peter sets down the plate and then raids your cupboards to find chocolate. He pulls out all his ingredients and then sets to work making his special cocoa. The drink, along with the Great British Baking Show, had become a staple for when you two spent the evening together.

Peter pours the concoction into two mugs and then you curl up on your new couch, much more comfy than the Seattle one, to watch cookies get made. About halfway through your mug of cocoa, you turn to look at the man snuggled up to you.

“Hey, Peter?” You draw his attention. “Do you remember the conversation we had the first time we hung out?”

Peter looks at you and takes a minute to think of what you mean. “The one about how it wasn’t an official date?”

“Yes. Uhm,” you look at him nervously. “Are you still interested in more?”

At that, he sits up a bit and grows more attent. “More than friendship? Darling, I will take whatever you feel comfortable giving me.”

“I really like you.” You smile softly. “And I trust you. That isn’t something I can say for a lot of people.”

“Are you asking what I think you are asking, sweetheart?” He purrs, making you get goosebumps.

You nod confidently and Peter takes the mug from your hand to set it down on the coffee table. The last thing you see are his eyes boring into yours before he moves in and captures your lips with inhuman speed. All sound fades away as your senses narrow in on the man caging you in.

Peter barely gives you a chance to catch your breath as he slides you down on the couch and climbs above you. You’re aware of every inch of his body against yours as you fight a battle of dominance with your tongues. Biting at his lips makes a low rumble sound through his chest, a sound you can feel when pressed so closely. He returns the move with ferocity, nipping at your bottom lip and then making his way down your neck to bite at it.

“Fuck, Pete.” You gasp as he nibbles at the sweet spot below your ear.

Peter’s aura grows darker the more worked up you get and you swear he almost starts purring when he makes you let out a high pitched whine. Not wanting to let him have all the fun, you use your magic to flip the two of you and are rewarded with a flash of glowing blue eyes. You smirk at him and dive back into him, losing yourself in the muscular man. Pulling away, you work down the line of his throat and give a sharp bite to the vulnerable side of his neck. He growls at the provocative move and sits up sharply with you in his lap.

“Stay the night?” You ask him breathlessly.

Peter gives you a wordless answer, grinning with sharp teeth and standing up to carry you into the bedroom.

Cocoa and baking shows are quickly forgotten as you spend the evening getting to know every inch of the man you’d grown so attached to.

Chapter Text

When you wake up the next morning, it’s to Peter plastered against your back. He stays that way as you go through the morning, arms around your waist and face tucked into your neck as you make omelets for breakfast.

Both Noah and Melissa have to work all day so you plan on going to Stiles and Scott’s one o’clock lacrosse game. Peter leaves with the promise that he can return in an hour to take you to lunch and the game. He pretends like he’s doing it as a favor for you, to keep you company, rather than to support the kids but you can see past his facade.

When the man returns to pick you up, he drags you in for a kiss as you get in the car. Then, when you pull away, he turns into the back seat and throws something at you. It’s a worn looking maroon Beacon Hills crewneck. Grinning at him, you slide off your jacket and pull the crewneck on, not failing to notice how much it smells like Peter.

“I thought you needed some more team spirit.” He tells you, obviously enjoying the look of you wearing his clothes.

“Says the man who is wearing a sweater to a lacrosse game.” You roll your eyes at him.

Peter reaches over to entwine your hand with his and pulls out of the parking lot. When he arrives at his destination, you can’t help but coo at him.

“Awww, Petey. You’re taking me to where we first met? That’s adorable.” You smirk at him.

“We’re here for burgers, not sentiment.” He huffs at you as he gets out of the car.

You link your arms together as you enter the diner, knowing he was actually being sweet, and tug him over to the booth he sat at that first breakfast. The two of you spend the next half an hour chatting over burgers, sharing an oreo milkshake, and stealing each other's french fries. Not wanting to be late, you head over to the school with fifteen minutes to spare.

Holding hands, you and Peter walk towards the bleachers as you survey the scene. Both teams are warming up and even with helmets on you can pick out all of the members of the pack. Sending a tendril of your magic out to poke at your cousin, you get his attention and then wave while pointing at the huge ‘Go Stiles!’ sign that you made. Stiles waves back at you with a grin and pokes Scott to point you out. Scott gives you a greeting wave and you tell him ‘Go kick some ass, Scotty’ because you know he can hear you from across the field.

Lydia, Malia, and Corey are sitting with some other kids from school so you merely wave at them in greeting before taking a seat on the other end of the bleachers. You cheer loudly for Scott as the game gets under way and he scores on the face-off. After a few minutes, Peter huffs in amusement and nudges you, pointing towards the end of the bleachers. You turn to look and see a familiar black leather jacket peeking through the metal.

“Derek Hale, stop being creepy and get your ass over here. It’s not embarrassing to support your pack.” You whisper under your breath.

You see the leather jacket grow stiff and then the shape of Derek makes his way around the corner and up to sit next to Peter.

“Hello, there.” You smirk at him.

“God, you smell like Peter pissed in a circle around you.” He deadpans snarkily back at you.

At the insinuation, you freeze and feel the color rising to your cheeks. You quickly shove your magic outward to block your scent which causes a wounded whine to pierce your ears.

“Peter, I don’t want the kids to know what we did last night?!” You argue to the whining wolf.

“But you smell like mine.” Peter informs you, gripping your hand more tightly.

Realizing how much it means to him, you reluctantly release the magic. Derek dramatically waves his hand in front of his nose to embarrass you but Peter rumbles happily at your side. He pulls you in for a kiss before you hit him on the arm and tell him to stop distracting you from the game.

“Took you two long enough to get together.” Derek sasses.

“Do you really want to start that with me, Hale?” You raise an eyebrow at him, smirking.

He catches your drift and backs down, turning his attention back to the field and letting you do the same. You’re really impressed at how good the pack is while still holding back their supernatural abilities. Scott and Liam lead the team with scoring and Isaac is by far the best defender. When Kira scores a goal, you can’t help but jump up.

“Fuck yeah, Kira!” You scream loudly, drawing glares from the adults around you.

It gets you a beaming wave from the girl herself so you don’t feel bad at all. You continue cheering energetically everytime one of the pack does something good.

Peter even speaks up when the ref makes a bad call, yelling out onto the field “Do you need the card to my optometrist, idiot?! In what world was that a cross-check?!” when Isaac gets a personal foul.

Derek and the rest of the pack stare at Peter in disbelief but you laugh and egg him on, glad that he’s standing up for his packmates.

“I’m ecstatic you’re supporting the kids but let’s refrain from assaulting the ref.” You chuckle when he moves to stand and Derek yanks him back down into his seat.

Isaac’s penalty is up quickly and when he returns to the game he obliterates the next Devenford Prep player who moves to score a goal.

At halftime, you take the chance for a quick break.

“I’m gonna run to the bathroom real quick.” You tell the boys as you stand up. “Here, Derek, hold this.”

You shove your ‘Go Stiles!’ sign into his hands and then quickly walk away, not even bothering to hide your grin as Peter cackles at his nephew.

When you return to the stands, Derek isn’t even trying to hide the sign. Searching out Stiles, you feel for his presence and get a giddily pleased aura that tells you he saw Derek with the sign. You walk back up to take your seat next to Peter and don’t even bother to ask for the sign back, deciding that it’s Derek’s job now.

At the start of the fourth quarter, when Beacon Hills is up by enough that Finstock doesn’t care anymore, he sends Stiles into the game. Your cousin fumbles his helmet as he runs off the bench but is visibly very excited to get to play. He seems to understand their play book perfectly but isn’t in a position where the ball ever seems to come near him. Scott and Liam continue working perfectly in sync and while you’re happy that they’re doing great, you want Stiles to have some fun too.

“Scott. Liam. For fuck’s sake. Get Stiles the ball.” You state loudly enough that they can hear.

And hear you they do. The next trip down the field, the ball somehow ends up in Stiles’ stick and Liam clears his path to the net. Stiles looks shocked at the situation and freezes for a minute.

“Run, Bilinski! Run!” Finstock screams from the sidelines.

The yelling snaps Stiles back into motion and he sprints towards the goal. As he nears the goal, he fakes at the last moment and the goalie falls for it, ball shooting past his left side into the net.

“Hell yeah, Mischief! That’s how you do it!” You scream, Peter and Derek standing up with you as you cheer.

You reach over and shove Derek’s sign into the air. He uses it to hide his face but you know he’s proud of Stiles. The boy himself gets smacks to the helmet from Liam and Scott who celebrate with him on the field. You’re sad that Noah wasn’t here to see it but glad that Stiles got a chance to shine.

Once you sit back down, your phone buzzes in your pocket and you take it out. It’s a video from Lydia showing the scoring play and then zooming in on your reactions afterwards.

You laugh out loud and shoot her back ‘You’re a fucking gem, Lydia Martin.’ Saving the video, you forward it to Noah so that he can see Stiles’ success. Noise from the other side of the stands draws your attention back to the field and your heart starts racing at the sight.

The largest Devenford Prep player had the ball and was plowing his way down the field. With his confidence still high from his goal, Stiles seems to think he’s going to take the kid out. You can only watch as your cousin moves to block the large boy and gets thrown backwards. Stiles screams when they impact and you’re on your feet in an instant, sprinting onto the field. Derek follows right after you and with your speed, the two of you beat Coach out to Stiles.

“Shhhh. I’ve got you, Mischief. It’s gonna be alright. Tell me what hurts, bud.” You coo softly as you drop to your knees next to the groaning kid.

“Side. Think… ribs.” Stiles moans.

Derek reaches down to grab Stiles hand, discreetly draining the pain with the lines hidden beneath his leather jacket. You pull up Stiles’ jersey and gently feel around his ribs, sending your magic out to find the problem.

“Uhm, excuse me? Who are you?” Finstock asks when he finally makes it over, joining the group surrounding Stiles.

“Family.” You respond.

“And who is he?” The man points at Derek.

“Oh that’s Stiles cousin, Miguel!” A kid you’ve seen in pictures jumps in.

Derek freezes in mortification and you lean down next to Stiles.

“Oh, I can’t wait to hear that story.” You whisper.

Stiles groans even louder with embarrassment and you take the moment to heal his fractured rib. Then, you lean back, pull down his jersey, and pat him on the shoulder.

“Just a rib contusion. He’ll be sore but fine. Stiles can still finish the game if he wants.” You tell Finstock, helping Stiles up off the ground.

Coach nods in acceptance and yells at the team to get back to work. You pull Stiles in for a hug so that you can whisper in his ear.

“It wasn’t a contusion. You broke your fucking rib. No more charging high schoolers that are built like goddamn rhinos, alright, Mischief?”

Stiles looks at you sheepishly when you pull away. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

You let him run back off towards Scott and make your way off the field with Derek.

“It’s sweet how worried you were, Miguel.” You grin, nudging him with your shoulder.

“Shut up.” He groans back, knowing you’re going to find out the story eventually.

It isn’t until you retake your seats and fill Peter in that you realize Derek had carried the large ‘Go Stiles!’ sign all the way onto the field and back.

At the end of the game, you watch Liam and Scott hoist Stiles up onto their shoulders to carry into the locker room. You wait until they come back out and walk over to say hi.

“Great game, boys” You grin, yanking Stiles in for a hug and ruffling his wet hair.

“Thanks for coming!” Scott tells you happily.

“Yeah, thanks for coming.” Stiles parrots, looking straight at Derek when he does so.

Derek nods sheepishly, trying to hide the sign behind his back.

“Guys, you coming?” The boy from the field yells over at the kids.

“One sec!” Scott shouts back.

“Who’s that?” You smirk at Stiles who blushes.

“Danny.” He tells you. “Danny who is telling us to get a move on because the team is going out for post-win pizza. I gotta go.”

The boys look antsy to get going so you yank Stiles in for another hug and pat the rest of them on the shoulders.

“I’ll see you guys later.” You tell them with a smile.

As they turn to leave, Peter stops them.

“Wait.” He states, reaching into his pocket.

Peter rifles through his wallet and pulls out a hundred dollar bill.

“For the pizza.” He says, handing the money to Stiles.

The boys stare at him in disbelief and you grin at their reactions. They didn’t know Peter’s nice side the way you did. Nodding, they move on their way but Stiles turns back after a couple of steps.

“Don’t think this means I didn’t notice you’re all up on my cousin. We’ll be having a conversation, Creepy Wolf.” He states as menacingly as he can before turning back and running after Scoot.

Peter looks offended at the idea of getting a talking-to from a teenager and you can’t help but break down in laughter at the man. You tug him in for a smiling kiss and then pull him towards the car.

“I say we deserve a post-win snack as well. How about frozen yogurt? You coming, Der?” You turn back with a grin at the man who shrugs and follows after you, lugging his large sign awkwardly.

Chapter Text

The next weekend, you set forth to take care of something that had been bothering you since you’d come to town. The Nemeton. When you heard the story of everything that had happened in town, you understood why the ancient tree had felt so differently than the last time you were in Beacon Hills. Nemetons were powerful supernatural beings and you wanted this one to be as healthy as possible.

When you get up that morning, you ask Stiles if he can come over because you want him to help you with some magic stuff. Unsurprisingly, the kid is already up and is knocking at your door within half an hour. You let him in with a smile and then sit him down at the counter in front of the plate of muffins that you’d made for breakfast.

“Ooooh, blueberry are my favorite!” Stiles moans as he takes a bite.

“I know, Mischief.” You chuckle, pouring out two mugs of coffee before adding creamer to Stiles’ and sitting down next to him.

“So, what’s the magic stuff you wanna show me?” He asks excitedly.

“I want to cleanse the Nemeton.” You tell him softly.

Stiles freezes at your words. “You can’t go out there?! That tree is dangerous!”

“I know exactly what the tree is, Mischief. And I want you to come with me for a reason.” You hold his gaze, trying to reassure him. “There are not many things in this world, natural or supernatural, that are inherently evil. A Nemeton is usually a powerful positive force to have on your land. Now, I’m unsure why this one was cut down but I know that isn’t the only bad thing that has happened to it. Paige’s death, the Darach, the trapped Nogitsune. All of these things corroded the magic of the tree. When I used to come visit, the Nemeton would feel like a warm hug to my magic before I even knew that I had magic. Now the tree feels like nails on a chalkboard. Returning the tree to a healthy state is important for the pack but also for the land.”

Stiles remains stiff, not touching his muffin, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

“Why do I have to go with you?” He asks quietly.

“It’s not a punishment, Stiles.” You give him a soft smile, putting your hand on his shoulder. “I know that your history with the Nemeton is bad but I think it will help heal some of your trauma to feel the tree change, to be a part of making it a good thing again. Also, you are lined up to be the emissary of the Hale pack. Care of the Nemeton is a job that falls to a pack’s emissary. The cleansing ritual is something you need to know.”

“Wait, hold up, I’m gonna be the emissary?!” Stiles gets distracted. “I thought Deaton was the emissary. And I thought it was the McCall pack?”

“Deaton was the emissary to Talia Hale. In my personal opinion, not a very good one. He has not been forthcoming with any of you and never retaken the oath so no, he is not Scott’s emissary and never will be so long as I have any sway here. The name of a pack does not always change with the alpha spark. The Hales have claimed this land for generations. That isn’t so easily undone. Unless they relinquish any claims or there is no longer any Hale in the pack, it will remain the Hale Pack. That’s just how it works. I’m not sure you guys realize just how big of a deal the Hale family was.”

“Woah.” He looks at you, stunned. “Wait, why wouldn’t you be the emissary?”

“First, I’m not officially a part of the pack. Second, though I’ve been asked a fair amount of times, I’ve never accepted a position as emissary. I’m not sure I would accept even if Scott did ask. I prefer the freedom to move around and help whomever I wish. Still, I would be here to train and help you with your duties.” You smile at him.

“This is a lot of information.” Stiles states.

“It is. So eat. Drink your coffee. Think things over. Then, we can head out to the forest.” You tell him, ripping into your own muffin.

Stiles does as you say, finishing his breakfast quietly and thinking about everything you’ve told him. You can practically see his mind running a million miles a minute. When he’s done, he downs the rest of his coffee and gives you a nod.

“Alright. Let’s do this.” He declares.

You put the mugs in the sink, grab two water bottles, and then tug on your boots before heading out to the car. When you pull out of the driveway and start towards the preserve, Stiles turns to look at you suspiciously.

“Do you even know where the Nemeton is?”

“We can always find the Nemeton, Mischief. I used to wander out there by myself even when I was little. Can’t you feel it?” You grin at him.

“No!” He whines. “We walked in circles for ages trying to find the stupid thing!”

“Feel for your magic. Close your eyes if it helps.” You tell him, watching as he complies. “Now push it away from yourself.”

It takes him a moment but eventually you can feel his presence. You give him a little nudge with your own magic.

“Woah, what was that?!” Stiles exclaims loudly.

“That was me, buddy.” You laugh. “Now push it out further and feel for other presences. The Nemeton feels like it’s presiding over everything in the area. It’s the largest and most prominent thing that you’ll find. But, like I said earlier, it feels really wrong at the moment.”

Stiles closes his eyes again and focuses on his magic. He furrows his eyebrows in concentration. At his expression, you can’t hold back your laughter.

“Oh my god, Stiles. You look like you’re constipated. Relax.”

“Well I can’t when you’re making fun of me!!!’ He yells at you with a pout on his face.

“Alright, alright. Try again. Think of it more like a meditative reach outwards than trying to force your magic away.” You advise.

Stiles gives it another go but with more patience this time. You drive quietly and let him put his feelers out. After several minutes, he sucks in a sharp breath.

“I remember that presence. It feels …”

“Like the time surrounding the Nogitsune?” You finish for him gently. “That’s the most interaction you’ve had with the Nemeton and when you would’ve felt it’s strongest presence. It’s alright to be nervous or scared, Stiles. You’ve had really bad experiences with the tree.”

“I can do this.” He responds confidently as you turn off onto a back road.

You drive as far into the forest as you can before parking and climbing out. Stiles follows after you with less excitement. You lead the way towards the Nemeton and Stiles moves closer to you the nearer you get to the clearing, brushing shoulders when you reach it.

“The tree itself can’t hurt you, I promise. And not a damn thing will hurt you while I’m here.” You tell him, squeezing his shoulder and then walking forward to crawl up onto the stump.

“Do we really need to sit on the tree?” Stiles whines nervously.

“Yes. It’ll be alright. Come here.” You beckon him up next to you.

Stiles makes his way over, touching the bark several times to make sure it won’t hurt him as though it’s a hot surface. When he does climb up, you position him to sit criss-cross in front of you and then hold his hands.

You play with his fingers to try and soothe him while you explain the process. “Magic doesn’t require words but this stuff really isn’t my strong suit. I’m going to repeat a mantra in Polish to try and focus the magic as I work. First, we need to leach the negative energy out of the tree and then we have to renew the positive power. To leach the energy, it’ll feel like metaphorically pulling goo out of the tree with our magic. The second part involves sharing power with the tree. I’ll let you feel what I do but won’t let you participate because you don’t have enough control yet and could easily over exert yourself.”

Stiles nods in understanding and squeezes your hands.

“Uwolnij negatyw, odnów pozytyw.” You recite to him.

“Release the negative, renew the positive.” Stiles raises an eyebrow. “That’s the most exciting chant you could come up with?”

“Oh, shut it.” You roll your eyes with a grin. “It only has to work for me.”

Setting your shoulders back, you meet his eyes confidently and nod. Then, you start chanting. “Uwolnij negatyw, odnów pozytyw. Uwolnij negatyw, odnów pozytyw.” Stiles joins in with you quietly, slowly gaining confidence as time passes. Keeping your eyes locked on his, you shoot your magic outwards and grab at the roots of the tree. The bad energy feels like tar as you pull at it. You do most of the work but eventually Stiles catches on to the process and starts to help you pull. Stiles eyes start glowing bright green as he uses more power than he has before and you can feel yours glowing icy blue in return.

It takes probably twenty minutes of chanting before every bit of negative energy has been removed. At that point, you keep holding one hand with Stiles so he can feel what you’re doing but place the other on the stump of the tree. You stop chanting and focus on fuelling the Nemeton. Time becomes obsolete as you work and you’ve got no idea how long you’ve been sitting there. Eventually, Stiles gets bored and starts playing with the fingers of your hand that he’s still holding.

“You’re distracting me, Mischief.” You speak up, making him jump at the sudden noise.

“Sorry.” Stiles squeaks back.

“It’s fine. I’m about done.” You say, opening your eyes.

You let go of his hands and slump towards the tree, laying down on your back.

“Fuck, that was draining.” You groan as you feel all your energy dissipate.

Stiles runs towards the car and then scampers back up the stump next to you.

“Here.” He says, shoving a water bottle into your hands.

“Thanks, Mischief. You’re the best.” You smile at him, popping open the water and chugging it.

Stiles sits down again and takes sips from his own water bottle.

“Soooo, everything went how it was supposed to? The tree is safe now?” He questions.

“Yup. The tree is better than safe. I’d imagine it will start sharing energy with the forest and the wards within the week. That’s why the Preserve was always so dead and dry. Now, it should start turning green and full of life again.” You reply.

“Wow. I can’t believe we did that.” Stiles looks proud.

“Hell yeah, we did. You used enough power that your eyes started glowing, did you notice?”

“What?! No way! How do I do it again?!” He exclaims excitedly.

“Push your magic up into your eyes.” You tell him.

Stiles does as you advise and his eyes start to glow weakly. You pull out your phone and take a picture to show him.

“Awesome. Wait, why are they green?”

“Our eyes aren’t like those of wolves. Every mage has a different color that reflects our personality and strengths. Even other blues I’ve seen were darker than mine. I’ve seen mages with purple, yellow, orange, red, even one who had black eyes. Based on the tests we’ve done and your color, I’m pretty positive that nature magic is going to be your strong suit.” You inform him.

“That’s so cool. I’m gonna send this to the group chat.” He replies, staring at the phone.

Once you’re rested enough, you stand up and climb off the stump. You’d hoped to be able to venture under the tree but it was still completely buried from when the adults had been trapped under there. Stiles hops back in the car with you and you drive to the diner instead of back home, needing an energy boost.

“So, do you feel better about the Nemeton now, Mischief?” You ask him as you dip a french fry into your milkshake.

Stiles sips at his chocolate shake and thinks on it for a moment before he responds.

“I think so. I wouldn’t say that it felt comforting or like the kind of place I’d want to hang out but it didn’t feel so bad when we were done.” He tells you. “I’m not scared of it anymore.”

“I’m glad. The bad connotation of the things that went down aren’t ever going to leave but maybe you can make some positive memories with the tree. It’s not like you have to recharge it every week. You really don’t have to go back there unless you want to. I’m proud of you for coming with today and for how good you did.” You smile at him.

“Thanks.” Stiles blushes a bit. “Derek said I look like the Green Lantern.”

“Speaking of, the first time a mage shows their eyes is an important step that should be celebrated. We should have a special dinner or something. What sounds fun to you?”

“Could we make Placki Ziemniaczane?” He asks hopefully.

“We’ll swing by the store on the way back to my place. How many people should we make them for? Just us and your dad? We could invite Peter and Derek over too. Orrrrr we could invite the whole pack?” You ponder.

Stiles pops a curly fry in his mouth and thinks on it for a few seconds. “I know Lydia is busy and that Scott is having a date day with Kira. Maybe we can invite Derek and Peter?”

You nod and start running through a list of things you need to buy in your head. Once the two of you are done, you run to the store and then head back to your apartment so that Stiles can grab his car. You call Peter to invite him on the way over to the Stilinski house and Stiles takes care of texting Derek. You also take the initiative to inform Noah because you have the gut feeling Stiles will be too focused about Derek coming over to remember. The rest of the afternoon is spent singing along to David Bowie and making potato pancakes.

When Noah gets home, he yanks Stiles into a big hug.

“I’m proud of you, kid. Your cousin said this is a big deal.” He states when they separate.

“It is.” You grin at them as you come in from the kitchen. “My parents made me babka when my eyes started to glow.”

Noah goes to change out of his work clothes and you return to set the table. You light three candles on the dining table and then use your magic to turn them bright green. Stiles grins excitedly when he sees them.

Before Noah comes back down, there’s a knock on the door and you let Stiles get it. Derek stays in the living room to talk with Stiles while Peter comes straight into the kitchen to greet you. Once Noah returns, everyone sits down at the table to dig in and question you two about the occasion.

“You cleansed the Nemeton?!” Derek asks in shock once he realizes what you were celebrating.

“We did. The Nemeton is still a Beacon but a positive one. It won’t call enemies here, only peaceful supernatural creatures.” You inform him.

He doesn’t say anything but you can feel the relief coming from the men.

“So this eye thing, is it like the first time a born wolf transforms?” Peter questions.

“It is.” You grin at him. “How’d you celebrate yours, wolfie?”

“A nice dinner with my family. And then sneaking into the kitchen to binge on ice cream once everyone had gone to bed. Surprisingly, I didn’t get caught until the next morning when I started throwing it all back up.” He admits.

“Oh my god.” You laugh. “You’ve still got that sweet tooth.”

“That I do.” He smiles, leaning in to give you a quick kiss.

“Ew, stop that.” Stiles whines, causing you and Noah to laugh at him. “Derek, what about your first shift?”

Derek looks embarrassed as Peter starts laughing.

“DerBear here shifted younger than anyone else in the family. He wanted to celebrate by playing games in the woods while everyone was shifted. Kid got distracted and showed up at the house an hour later with a squirrel in his mouth.” Peter informs the group.

“Oh my god. Please tell me you don’t still eat squirrels.” Noah chuckles as Stiles breaks out laughing.

“Only when in full shift.” Derek admits, blushing.

Everyone laughs and Stiles saves his man by telling the Hale boys the story of Noah’s first shift as a deputy. It was a classic, hilarious and sweet, because it was how he met Claudia. You all continue socializing and it feels like a family dinner.

At the end of the night, Peter hops in with you to come back to your apartment and Derek says goodbye to Stiles at the door. The two of you watch from the car as Derek awkwardly hands Stiles a gift and you make a note to pester the boy about how the thing between them is going the next time you see him.

Chapter Text

The next day you’re still incredibly antsy so you take it upon yourself to organize pack bonding for Sunday. You check in with everyone’s availability and tell them to meet you out at the picnic area in the Preserve at lunchtime. The weather is supposed to be fairly nice for this time of year and you think the fresh air will be good for the wolves.

Peter can sense your restlessness so he spends the day with you. You go grocery shopping for supplies and then make brownies at your apartment. Derek spends the day subtly stalking Stiles and texting you updates on how he’s doing which is creepy but in a sweet way (maybe?). Argent sends you updates on the hunters’ whereabouts and eventually you start to relax. Peter spends the night and finds his own way to help you relax, keeping you up late until you can’t keep your eyes open anymore.

The following morning is spent chopping fruits and veggies, packaging your food, and filling up a cooler with drinks. You show Peter the proper way to layer a sub sandwich which sparks an argument that gets him delegated to cooler duty. Once everything is ready, you pile everything into the 4Runner and drive out to the Preserve. By the time the first car shows up, you’ve got several picnic tables pulled together and the food laid out.

“Omg brownies!” Liam yells in excitement when he climbs out of Stiles’ Jeep and sees the food.

“Double chocolate brownies.” You grin at the kid.

Corey and Stiles join Liam at the table and chat with you while you wait. Scott is the next to show up, toting Kira on the back of his bike. Malia shows up with Lydia and Isaac hops out of Argent’s SUV. Chris brings a six pack of beer for the adults and sets it down by you with a grin. Melissa arrives still wearing scrubs and Noah shows up in the patrol car with Jordan in the passenger seat. Once everyone is there, they all dive into the food.

It’s nice to see everyone together after the incident at the school on Friday and you find yourself leaning into Peter to watch as you munch on carrots. Stiles and Isaac get into an argument about Call of Duty, which thanks to Derek you know they spent all day playing yesterday. Argent rolls his eyes and pops open several beers, handing one to you with a knowing look that makes you laugh.

Leaving the kids to their own business, you chat with Melissa about the new coffee shop opening downtown and make plans to go with her. You also weasel Derek and Jordan into a night at the club away from the kids. Peter looks very excited at the thought of you dancing around drunk while wearing tight clothes. His leering makes Noah uncomfortable so the Sheriff takes the chance to ask about how things are going at the library. You spend the next twenty minutes detailing all of the new programs you’ve started up and how they're turning out to be very rewarding.

Once everyone is done eating, you can tell the kids are getting restless so you pose a game of hide and seek throughout the Preserve. They look excited at the prospect of running through the woods and immediately start arguing about who has to be it first.

“I’m not going to be it! I would take ages to find one of you. You can hear me coming!” Stiles whines.

“If you make me be it first, I promise the first person I find will be in a lot of pain.” Isaac threatens nonchalantly.

“Okay, okay, calm down. I’ll be it.” Scott speaks up, always ready to take one for the team.

They all cheer and then immediately sprint away from the clearing. Peter sees that you plan on staying with the other adults and huffs impatiently into your neck.

“Oh, I see. The big bad wolf wants to run around in the woods?” You grin, turning to meet his eyes as Argent chuckles at the comment.

Peter raises a challenging eyebrow at you and then grabs you out of your seat before you can blink, sprinting into the woods.

“You can’t just kidnap me!” You yell at him through your laughter.

“I believe I just did. And you’re mine, so it doesn’t count as kidnapping.” Peter smirks, stopping to set you down.

The quiet peace of the Preserve sets your thoughts racing again and you grow quiet.

“Something is still bothering you, darling. What is it?” Peter asks, wrapping his arms around your waist.

“Stiles could have been seriously hurt on Friday.” You mumble.

“But he wasn't and I hate to break it to you, darling, Stiles has been through much worse.”

You turn and smack the man on the arm. “That doesn’t help, Peter!”

“Alright, fine. Right now, he’s running through the woods like an idiot with a pack of wolves. Not running from, but with them because he can get along with anyone. I’ll bet by the end of the day he’ll have found some other creature in the woods to befriend.” Peter tells you. “So stop worrying about the boy, he’ll be fine.”

He tugs you in close and captures your lips with his own. You melt into the kiss before pulling away.

“You’re trying to distract me.” You deadpan.

“Mhmm. Is it working?” Peter hums.

You stare at him for a moment.

“Yes.” You finally admit, pulling him back in for another kiss.

Peter grips you tight and walks you backwards until your back hits a tree that he can push you up against. His body is taught against your own and you lose yourself in the man for some amount of time before rustling grabs your attention. You barely have time to turn your head and look before you hear a high pitched scream.

Liam is standing at the edge of the woods with his hands over his eyes.

“Oh my god!” He yells, stumbling backwards as quickly as he can.

“Peter, you’re supposed to keep an ear out for people. Now, we’ve scarred the poor boy.” You smack your boyfriend on the arm.

Peter only smirks at you and shrugs.

“Sorry, Liam!” You yell at the wolf who is now running away.

Peter moves to pull you back in and you slip out of his arms.

“Nope. I think that’s a sign that we should rejoin the game.” You grin at his pout of annoyance.

Taking his hand, you lead him wandering through the woods to see if you can find anybody. The only sounds you hear are rustling leaves, chirping birds, and critters that scurry around.

“Hear anything?” You ask Peter impatiently.

“There’s somebody whispering over there.” He informs you, pointing off to the right.

You follow where he leads and eventually you can hear the noise as well. It sounds like somebody is arguing. Bursting past the trees, you freeze at the sight of who you find.

Derek and Stiles are hiding behind a large bush together, seemingly arguing that Stiles should find his own spot.

“See! I told you Stiles would find a creature to befriend!” Peter comments with a smirk as he walks onto the scene.

“Hey!” Stiles exclaims with a pout.

Derek growls at his uncle and immediately lunges after him, chasing the man through the woods. Once they’re out of sight, you turn to your cousin with a mischievous grin.

“Want to learn how to hide your scent?”

Stiles nods eagerly and you point up at the tree next to you.

“Let’s hide up there and I’ll show you.” You tell him.

The two of you scamper up the tree and hide behind the leaves of one of the large branches. Quietly, you explain to Stiles how to mask his scent from the wolves and it only takes him a few minutes to figure it out. He is just in time as Peter and Derek return to the area.

“Where did they go? I can’t smell them.” Derek asks his uncle in confusion.

You turn to Stiles and count to three with your fingers. When you get to three, you both leap from your branch and onto the wolves. Derek lets out a loud startled yelp.

“Got ya!” Stiles shouts with a grin, giving the wolf beneath him a noogie.

Peter turns his head to look at where you’re clinging to his back.

“Hang on, Spider Monkey.” He tells you with a devilish grin, grabbing your legs and sprinting off into the woods.

“Oh my god, I hate you! You did not just fucking quote Twilight at me!” You yell as the trees rush past.

Peter just cackles maniacally in response and keeps running so you hold on tighter to his shoulders. It’s actually kind of peaceful. You send out your magic to see if anyone is around you and sense that Scott and Kira are hiding in a clearing up ahead.

As Peter sprints past the two teens with shocked looks on their faces, you shout out “Peter watches Twilight!”

The sound of Kira’s laughter echoes through the woods as Peter moves away.

“Oh, I’m going to get you for that.” He rumbles, turning to head towards the creek.

When he gets there, Peter spins and throws you into the icy cold water. Shivering, you turn and stare at your boyfriend. It’s amusing to watch as his eyes change from amused to terrified. Reaching out with your magic, you grab onto the wolf and yank him into the water with you. Then, you climb out and use your magic to dry off.

“Fuck, that’s cold.” Peter whines as he scrambles out of the creek.

“It is.” You deadpan with a raised eyebrow before breaking into a grin.

You refuse to dry him off and Peter complains the entire walk back to the picnic area. When you make it back, you see you’re the last ones to return and everyone turns to stare.

“Awww, look at the wet puppy.” Isaac coos with a smirk.

“You know, I really can see the resemblance.” Stiles joins in. “They’re both supernatural, obsessed with the new girl in town, stare a lot, have creepy stalkerish tendencies. Peter could definitely be an Edward Cullen.”

The whole table breaks out in laughter and you can’t help but chuckle as Peter growls in annoyance. His growl isn’t effective at scaring any of them into silence and it eventually turns into a pout as he flops down into a seat. Taking pity on him, you walk over and grab two brownies. You dry him off and then plop into his lap, munching on your own brownie as you feed him the other one.

“Sorry, Petey, but you’re never going to live this one down. Tell me. Was it just the movies or have you read the books too?” You ask him with a grin once he relaxes.

“They’re popular mainstream books about the supernatural. It was research!” Peter declares.

“Sure thing, Hale.” Noah tells him with a serious look on his face. “I read police romance books sometimes for research too.”

It takes a moment for the table to realize that Noah is just fucking with Peter and when they do, they break out into hysterics. The next twenty minutes are spent pestering Peter about what other kinds of books he’s read for ‘research’. It’s fun to watch the banter and the fact that Peter takes it lightheartedly without getting angry at anyone makes you happy. It’s nice to see how much Peter and the pack have warmed up to each other since you’d arrived in town. The way he acted with you seemed to show them all that the evil psychopath he was a few years ago wasn’t the real Peter. Derek seemed the most glad about the new development.

Eventually, everyone grows tired and starts making their way home. Derek stays back to help you clean up and quietly thanks you for doing everything. You pull him in for a hug before he leaves, glad that he was getting better at dealing with his emotions. As you watch everybody pull out of the Preserve, you think of the way things have changed since you arrived in Beacon Hills and ponder how they might continue to change in the future.

Chapter Text

“Mish…meechclaw…uhm… Stiles Stilinski!” The announcer calls as Stiles walks across the stage in his maroon colored cap and gown.

Your entire row in the bleachers stands up and cheers, screaming loudly for the boy. Stiles turns and waves as he shakes the principal's hand and shows off his new diploma to the crowd. In usual Stiles fashion, he trips on his way off the stage and barely catches himself before he faceplants, turning to give a dramatic bow when he does.

Malia follows after him, having worked with you and Derek on math so that she could graduate on time. They join the rest of the pack back in their seats and you smile as you watch them all open their diploma folders as they compare them to each other. Kira Yukimura is the last name called and you join in with her father’s cheers.

The rest of the ceremony goes by in a blur. Lydia gives a rousing valedictorian speech that is both inspiring and a tad aggressive at the same time. Stiles and Lydia receive awards for academic achievement that for some reason are placed around their necks by Finstock, of all people. Scott gets called up to receive a scholarship for his athletic achievements and the rest of the team in the crowd starts chanting ‘Captain! Captain!’ which makes the boy break out in a lopsided grin.

As the ceremony comes to a close, the principal asks them all to switch their tassels over to the other side. You watch closely as they do so and chuckle when you see Malia rip her tassel straight off the cap in frustration. They are pronounced graduates and all the students stand up to throw their caps into the air. When they do so, Scott lets out a big (and fake) howl and the rest of the pack joins in. The air is filled with ‘awooooos’ and screams as the new graduates celebrate their accomplishment.

It’s hard to believe that the kids are already graduating and getting ready to head off to school. Squeezing Peter’s hand, you give him a proud smile that is reflected back at you. Then, you turn to Noah on your other side and pull him into a one-armed side hug.

“Let’s go find our boy, yeah?” You grin.

The entire group of pack family surrounding you stands up and makes their way down on the field to find the kids. You have a much easier time with it than most because Peter and Derek just smell their way on over. When you reach them, Stiles sprints straight at his father.

“I did it, Dad!” He yells, trapping his father in a tight hug.

“Of course you did. God, I’m so proud of you kid.” Noah beams back at him.

You watch similar celebrations around you; Isaac getting an awkward hug from Argent, Melissa smothering Scott, Mr. Yukimura grabbing onto Kira. Stiles lets go of his father and moves directly over to you.

“I’m so fucking proud of you too, Mischief.” You tell Stiles as you squeeze the life out of him.

Stiles gives you a huge smile and then moves past you to his next target. Sliding his arms around Derek, he pulls the man down for a kiss that receives wolf whistles from Scott and Liam. Derek looks uncomfortable but Stiles is radiating so much happiness that he puts up with the public display of affection. God, you were so glad those two had finally gotten their shit together. It had taken a month after Stiles turned eighteen but now that they were a couple they were both far happier than they were before. You wouldn’t be surprised if Derek followed Stiles to LA when he left for the FBI Academy.

The next person to make their way over to you is Lydia. You two had grown closer over the past several months and you were excited to see where the genius woman went in life.

“Congratulations, Lyds.” You say as she leans in to give you European style air kisses. “The valedictorian speech was glorious. I’m not sure whether more kids looked like they wanted to stand up and cheer or piss their pants.”

The comment makes her smirk. “That was the point, of course.”

“God, Cambridge better prepare themselves for the hurricane that is Lydia Martin.” You laugh.

“Damn right, they better. Now don’t go thinking that you can escape wedding planning with me just because I’m away at MIT. I expect Skype calls for all decisions and better be getting an invitation to dress shopping.” Lydia informs you seriously.

You beam and look down at the ring on your left hand. Peter had proposed a few weeks ago and you’d been riding the high ever since. The ring Peter got you was small and vintage with a blue-tinted stone that matched your mage eyes and Peter’s wolf eyes. That he hadn’t gone all out on some huge expensive diamond ring made it clear just how much he knew you. You’d said yes without hesitation and now Lydia brought up wedding planning every single time she saw you.

“Of course. I wouldn’t dare exclude you.” You respond with a grin.

Lydia walks over to one of her teachers and Scott is the next one to come say hi.

“Congrats, Scotty.” You tell him as you yank him in for an aggressive hug and hair ruffle. “I’m so damn proud of you, kid.”

Scott beams with that lopsided grin of his and you can tell that he’s proud of himself. He’d been working really hard to get his grades back up and at the same time working hard to learn how to be an alpha. Next year, he would be staying in Beacon Hills to continue working with Peter and Derek while also attending Beacon Tech to start his path to becoming a veterinarian. Even though you’d promised to look after Liam and Corey if he went away, his alpha instincts made him want to stay close to his pack and bitten beta.

Liam steals Scott’s attention by running up and yanking the alpha into a crushing hug. Smiling at the display, you look around at the pack surrounding you. The aura of pure happiness in the air was intoxicating and you knew that Peter could feel it too. You could almost see him smiling underneath that pesky mask of indifference.

The seniors had to leave to get to their all-night celebration but you knew you would see them soon. The pack had planned a graduation dinner tomorrow night and you already had all of their presents wrapped up and ready to go.

It was wild how quickly you’d gotten attached to these kids and their pack but you wouldn’t trade it for the world. You’d made a difference by choosing to stay in Beacon Hills and you were glad for it. Everyone was safe and happy. The kids were headed off to college or jobs, Argent and Noah had a perfected system for dealing with supernatural threats, and Derek was even rebuilding the Hale House out in the woods with Peter’s input. You pull your fiance close to your side and rest your head on his shoulder.

“We’ve got an amazing family, don’t we?” You whisper.

“Yes we do, darling. Yes we do.” Peter hums back happily, squeezing you in closer.

The two of you stand there and watch as the kids jump around and run towards their cars in excitement. It’s a happy twinge that you feel in your chest when you watch Stiles pull away in his ancient Jeep. You just can’t wait to see where this odd pack of kids find themselves in the future. Whether they return or stay away, you know that you and Peter will be there to help them with whatever they need.