A Coward 'Till The End, Lies.

You're never gonna love me so what's the use
What's the point in
Playing a game you're gonna lose
What's the point in saying
You love me like a friend?
What's the point in saying it's never gonna end

Stiles was all curled up in bed, X-men playing low on the tv, a half melted carton of icecream sat on her bedside table, a box of tissues strewn across her bed sheets, her ipod, now sporting a cracked screen, was somewhere on the floor by her dresser after she'd hurled it at the wall because every song reminded her of him.

Fucking tall, dark, broody werewolf.

She screwed her eyes shut upon hearing footsteps getting closer to her door. Shit, was it already morning? Ughh if her dad was home it was almost time for school, no way could she deal with that hell hole today, she hadnt slept at all and she knew her Adderell bottle was completely empty after the exams she'd had all week.

"Sweetie?"

Stiles lifted her head slightly to see her dad haloed in light from her open door, "Hey, dad, how was work?"

The sheriff shrugged, running a hand down his tired face, "Long, boring, y'know the usual." He paused taking in the sight of his daughter, dark circles under her eyes, her short brown hair knotted and sticking up in every direction, she looked wrecked, almost as bad as she had all those months ago. He shivered at the thought. "Hey erm, as its Friday why dont you skip school today, you need to get a new perscription anyway and you dont have any exams today, you look like you could use a day off."

Stiles grinned at her dad suddenly greatful that she at least had him, "Ooh Sheriff Stilinski breaking the law," she goaded recieving an identicle grin in return.

"Yeah yeah, I'll arrest my self later, right now though im gonna collapse in my lovely comfortable bed and sleep until i have to go back to work at six tonight."

Stiles nodded curling back into her sheets, " Ill go shopping after i get my pills, make you something other then that vending machine crap i know youve been eating."

The sheriff chuckled before mumbling, "I sometimes wonder which one of us is the grownup."

He closed her door with a tiny click making his way to his bedroom across the hall, Stiles stayed completely still until she heard the tell tale snores that told her, her dad was out for the count. Great, he knew something was up now, ugh how was this her life?! Last year she'd been nerdy-tom-boy-virgin-Stiles, that weird girl who's only friend was Scott Mccall, the only girl on the boys lacrosse team, the sheriff's daughter who never dressed or acted like a girl and was probably a lesbian.

Now she was Stiles, the girl that almost died from an animal attack and now hangs around with the popular kids and werewolves and happens to be caught up in some kindof wierd sex dance with the alpha of the pack who cant decide whether he loves her or wants to throw her off of a cliff. How the hell did she get here? Oh yeah that was right, Lydia!

xXx 8 months previous xXx

"I am not wearing that!" Stiles exclaimed at the tiny piece of fabric Lydia was insisting was a dress but looked more like a hankerchief and ohmygodarethosesequins? "No way in hell!"

Lydia glared, something Derek had obviously been teaching her as it was pretty effective before slamming the hankerchief back onto the rail.

"Jesus christ Stiles its not like dressing like a girl will actually kill you! We've been dress shopping for the spring formal for three hours and you havent liked one dress, NOT ONE DRESS!"

Damn, Lydia was freaking terrifying, Stiles didnt know her well enough before the bite to know if it was a Lydia thing or a werewolf thing but she doesnt really wanna risk asking.

"I'm sorry, im just not good at this stuff." she whined bringing her puppy dog eyes out to play because if nothing else Stiles was cute as fuck when she widened her caramel eyes. A trick her mother had taught her.

Lydia's glare faultered and cracked before she let out an adorable giggle, "Come on Stiles theres a vintage shop next door that might have something, i'm getting you laid if it kills me!"

Stiles fushed bright red as half the shop span around at Lydias slightly louder than necessary comment before being dragged from the shop.

Five minutes later Stiles was shoved into a dressing room with six dresses and a promise that Lydia would buy her curly fries if she tried at least four of them on and damn her because she knew Stiles's weakness and was flaunting it unfairly.

Stiles took a deep breath and studied the dresses before her instantly dismissing the two pink ones. She decided, in a moment of girly clarity, that the silver dress was too pale for her skin tone and black was way too remisant of her mothers funeral for her liking. There was no way in hell she was wearing gold, ever!

So that left one dress. One bright red dress. One bright red, floor length, fucking ball gown with a slit to her mid thigh that made her look like a freaking cat walk model.

"Oh my god Stiles, Im actually so jealous right now i sort of want to sabotarge you." Lydia exclaimed as Stiles exited the changing room and did a little twirl for the red haired girl, blushing slightly as she did so.

"I feel... pretty." She annouced feeling foolish and idiotic for getting all girly over a dress and how the heels shed crammed her feet in made her feel elegant and sexy for the first time in her life.

"Pretty? Honey you look drop dead gorgeous and if i was a guy i would totally be tapping that, im also rethinking my dress because if you look that good next to me i need to step up my game." Lydia annouced before giggling, Stiles blushed the same shade as her dress but grinned at her new friend anyway.

Realistically she knew the only reason they were hanging out was because they were the only two girls in a pack of male werewolves but, it felt nice to have a girl friend for a change and it felt like they were closer to being actual freinds and not just class mates brought together by fairy tail shit gone rogue, it was good being able to act like a girl for a change.

Lydia flashed her a devious grin, which made Stiles as nervous as Scott without Alison on a full moon, and whipped out her credit card from her purse waving it around like a golden ticket to Willy Wonkas chocolate factory, "Mom and dad are arguing like crazy and trying to win me over at the moment which means i have a crap load of guilt money to blow and as my life sized barbie doll that means were going to the salon!"

"God help my soul."

Lydia just smiled curling their arms together and dragging an unwilling Stiles across town.

xXx

In the last few hours Stiles had been groomed and plucked and waxed and blowdried and tamed and painted and made up and massaged until she felt wrecked and boneless and totally violated but, it had payed off because she looked HOT!

As in Lydia hot!

She looked Alison hot!

She looked hot enough to stand next to Derek and not feel inferior hot!

"Oh sweet heaven above I have a daughter!" The sheriff managed to choke out after almost coughing on his beer as Lydia lead his teenage tom-boy daughter turned beauty queen down their stair case.

"I know right, Im a genious!" Lydia sung taking Stiles's hand and spinning her so the Sheriff could get the full vision, Stiles' face was red hot but under her ivory concealer her blush was unnoticable. Part of her sortof wished she could crawl back into her baggy jeans and checkered shirts but she decided that as she was probably gonna die alone without getting married she should enjoy her one chance at wearing a fancy ass dress.

There were tears in her dad's eye as he took a shed load of photos of the two girls and just as they were about to leave he tugged his daughter into a bear hug, "Your mom would be so proud of you baby," he murmered into her hair before pushing her away gently, "You girls be good, dont do anything i'll be arresting you for later."

xXx

The Spring formal was exactly like Stiles expected it to be, there were over the top decorations, spiked punch and a mixture of cheesy pop and mainstream dance music blasting through the sound system.

One thing she hadnt expected was all the looks and stares from everyone she passed and the way boys kept asking her to dance, she even kept over hearing people whispering about her saying; "Who the hells that?" And, "No way is that Stilinski?" and her own personal favourite, "Shit Stiles is hot! I always thought she was a dyke!"

Scotts eyes had bugged out of his head at the sight of his best friend and he'd spluttered nonscene for about five minutes before he had to run because he wasnt supposed to be there and the coach had noticed him, always the amazing best friend was Scott.

Jackson's had been the funniest reaction for he hadnt recognized her and had spent ten minutes trying to chat her up until Lydia punched him and pointed out who she was. Needless to say he looked sick and embarressed as hell, it was over an hour ago and she hadnt seen him since.

xXx

Stile's phone had been ringing non stop for the past ten minutes, the flashing screen showing Derek's name, she would pick it up but it was too loud inside and trying to get out of the party to answer it was proving hard when everyone kept stopping her to compliment her dress or ask for her number or trying to cop a feel, freaking boys and their teenage hormones.

"What Derek! Jesus give me a chance to answer the phone! It cant be THAT pressing?!" She pretty much shouted down the phone as she stumbled out into the night air, a dark chuckle made the hairs on the back of her arms stand on end.

"Im assuming this is Stiles?"

"Who, who is this?" her blood felt like ice in her veins somehow knowing who it was without asking, wishing it was anyone else.

"This is Peter Hale, please come to the Lacrosse field as soon as possible..."

"No! Stiles dont!!" Derek sounded like he was gargeling on something, the image of him puking up black goo sprang to her mind and suddenly her knees were weak, it sounded like he was choking on his own...

"Now, now Derek, Stiles can make her own decisions. Five minutes or your friends are dead."

The line cut off but Stiles was already running, her heels kicked off on the stone steps of the school as she sprinted as fast as she could to the lacrosse pitch, her newly manicured feet squeltching into the mud and grass, her dress clutched in one hand so she didnt trip.

It felt like she was in some twisted version of Little Red Cinderella; suddenly the clock had struck midnight and now everyone was gonna die. Oh god, no, stop panicing, this is no time for a panic attack.

She screeched to a halt at the middle of the field, skidding onto her knees next to Dereks limp form, there was so much blood she couldnt tell where he was bleeding from, his hazle eyes fluttered open before widening in shock, "Ugh no, Stiles its a trap why are you here!,"

"Of course its a trap," she spat in reply, slightly hysterical as she tried to help him to his feet, " Im in a fucking fairy tail nightmare that i cant wake up from," She muttered under her breath as Derek shakily got to his feet before collapsing back to the ground.

"Run, he'll be back soon just..,"

"Ahh Stiles, so nice of you to join us," Peter greeted before letting out a low whistle of appreciation, "I see what my nephew see's in you, youre one hell of a looker."

The growl that escaped Derek would have normally scared the shit out of her, but next to Peter he looked like a kicked puppy.

"Yeah and you look like one hell of a phycotic pedophile."

Peter chuckled, "Oh, shes a fiesty one, its such a shame i have to kill her, although," he paused for dramatic effect shooting Derek a mocking smile, "I could always give her the bite, oh yes, she'd make one hell of an alpha female."

Derek, in a fit of rage, struggled to his feet and ludged at his uncle, only to get his side ripped out before being flung across the pitch.

Stiles felt physically sick.

"Ahhh, right on time," Peter sighed, holding his hand out to Stiles like a gentleman from an old black and white film asking to have 'this dance'.
"Scott, i see you got my call!"he shouted out over Stiles' shoulder with a grin on his face before whispering, "Take my hand Stiles or i'll kill your friend." low enough that even Scott with his wolfy hearing couldnt hear.

Her hand was in his before she'd even processed it and then suddenly her back was pinned to Peter's front his other hand splayed across her stomach. Her heart jack rabbiting in her chest, oh god she was gonna die, wearing red at the hands of a wolf! Fuck no, her dad, this would destroy her dad! No, no, no, no, no! She's seventeen and gonna die a virgin! That is so fucked up!

"PUT HER DOWN!" Scott snarled, much closer now, he was fully wolfed out but he didnt stand a chance, not against the Alpha, not without Derek.

"You refused to kill her, so I'm going to do it for you."

"NO!"

xXx

Stiles woke up eight days later to Derek asleep at the foot of her hospital bed, Scott curled up on the floor in the corner of the room and Jackson and Lydia sharing the sofa under the window. It was really early in the morning judging by the weak sunlight creeping through the gaps in the shutters and there wasnt a part of her body that wasnt screaming in pain.

"Oh shit,"

Her tiny whimper had all four werewolves wide awake, instantly jumping to their pack human's defence, Dereks eyes were glowing red as he fluttered uselessly over her and woah, that was new. Apparently a lot had changed while she had been asleep. Alpha Derek, huh, she wasnt sure whether to rejoice or run in fear of those crimson eyes. A slightly deeper breath than before had her almost screaming in pain, yeah they'd be no running any time soon, rejoice it was.

"You're alive," her voice was rough and it hurt her throat to talk but she didnt care.

Scott looked like he wanted to hug her till she couldnt breath but didnt know where to touch without hurting her, Stiles wasnt sure it was possible.

Derek looked like he wanted to smack her for being so stupid and then swath her in cotton wool and woah that was a strange thought.

"I'm more suprised youre alive than any of us!" Lydia annouced sounding extremely relieved, perching on the edge of Stiles bed and taking her hand in both of her own. "Its been so quiet without you."

Stiles managed a small smile, noticing out of the corner of her eye how Derek slunk over to the couch and sat next to Jackson, who might have been pack but was anything but a friend to Stiles. She could see how tense the new Alpha was, every muscle in his body ready to fight at the smallest of incident. He was blaming everything on himself again and it was obviously affecting the pack.

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, "It wasnt your fault Derek." Stiles had cut Lydia off mid sentence casting the room into silence. Derek stiffened under her gaze.

"He used me to get to you, how is that not my fault?" he asked, voice small, self hating. Stiles cracked her trademark grin.

"Hey if anything its Scotts fault," she said with a giggle ignoring the flare of pain in her chest, causing her best mate to squark in outrage. "I'm kidding! Im totally kidding! But really its noones fault but my own, I made the decision to run into certain death, i took his hand when he asked, i didnt run like you told me to, i was trying to be the hero but apparantly im destined for the role of damsel in distress," Derek didnt look convinced but his shoulders had at least slouched slightly, Scott was glaring at her jokingly, Lydia was smiling a secret little smile and Jackson looked as uncomfortable as a vegan at a bbq.

"Oh shit! My dress! Oh its probably ruined! And i dont even remember what i did with your shoes Lydia! Oh crap they cost a fortune!" The room dissolved into laughter at her rant, the pack needed a little light relief and if that job fell to Stiles well then who was she to complain.