A Coward 'Till The End, Lies.

Lies
Don't wanna know, don't wanna know
I can't let you, can't let you go
I just want it to perfect
To believe it's all been worth the fight
Lies

xXx Present Day xXx

A whole day free of school and then the entire weekend off sounded like the perfect remedy for a broken heart to Stiles as she finally got out of bed and dressed at about midday.

She dragged on a pair of ripped black jeans and a green plaid shirt, grabbed her perscription and purse and headed out into the world, thankful that she no longer needed crutches and could finally drive her baby, a rusted blue jeep wrangler, without being forced to sit in the passanger seat.

Shopping was uneventful and thankfully werewolf free, it was days like these she could almost believe she'd made the whole thing up, well that was until she got home and into the shower to see the five jagged scars that ran from just under the left side of her rib cage all the way across and down to her right upper thigh and if she could ignore the fact that her left leg would give out on her if she walked for too long due to the muscle damage left by huge claws. Well at least she couldnt see the scars on her back, although those were apparently the least noticeable, but above all that the fractured feeling of her frist heartbreak was enough of a reminder by itself so yeah, okay maybe she couldnt forget they existed at all.

Scott had already texted about eight times in an hour but had stopped as soon as Stiles had told him she was having a 'girls day', psshh, boys and their weak werewolves stomachs!

She got home about four and woke her dad before starting on the dinner, a home made chicken cassarole with dumplings and all of her dads five a day in it. The perfect comfort dinner.

She set the table for three like always, a way to honor her mom, ignoring that fact that for almost a year she'd been setting it for four and began dishing up.

"Just us tonight? No Derek?" the sheriff asked as he took his usual seat, "Mmmm smells awesome Stiles!"

Stiles froze at the mention of the unmentionable,, "Ermm, I dont know where Derek is, we're err, not talking at the moment." understatment of the year.

Her dad frowned around a mouth full of cassarole. "I thought you two were, y'know," he made a rolling motion with his hands recieving a raised eyebrow from his daughter in return before saying, "y'know, together..."

Stile winced and flushed bright pink choking on a dumpling, "Oh dad no, okay, no we're not together, he just, he's pack, and hes protective of us all, especially me cause im human and breakable and..." she trailed off as a lump appeared in her throat, "Since, Spring formal, he, he's just looking out for me, but hes a prick and he lives in that burnt out husk of a home and he refuses to be happy and he doesnt realize the effect his words have on people and ughh! We're not talking about him anymore! Im calling a taboo!"

The sheriff smiled knowingly but stayed silent as he continued eating, he wasnt 100% happy with Stiles being in love with anyone, yet alone a freaking Alpha werewolf, but his baby wasnt a so much of a baby anymore, she was growing up and there was nothing he could do about it.

"If he breaks your hurt ive got wolf bane loaded into my shotgun shells." he added nonchalantly.

Stiles spluttered out a laugh that felt a little too close to crying for her liking, "Good to know dad, good to know."

xXx 7 months earlier xXx

"Okay, you need plenty of rest, you need to take all of your pills as instructed but NO ADDERALL, keep your leg elevated, if you have to leave your bed have someone carry you or use the wheel chair, change the dressing on your wounds every two days and ill see you in two weeks for your check up." Dr Melissa Mccall, Scotts mum and senior Dr at Beacon hills hospital announced after three weeks of hospital beds and food and lights.

"You mean I can go home?!" Melissa nodded with a smile as Stiles let out a woop! "Yes! Ugh finally! No offence but my bed is 100 times more comfortable than this one and all my box sets are at home and YAY!" The sheriff walked in half way through her happy rant followed by Derek who seemed to be containing a smile. "Dad did you hear the good news!? I get to go home!"

The sheriff grinned wide, "I know but there's one itty bitty catch." Stiles sombered. Oh no this cant be good.

"As I have loads of work following all these attacks, and the fact that you need round the clock care, Derek here has offered to stay at ours and help out until you're better," Stiles let out a squark trying to catch Dereks eyes but he was looking any where but at her. Pfft cowardly werewolf.

"Of course Scott and the others can come round after school, but Dereks the best choice for looking after you, after all his mom and sister were both trained nurses and they taught him everything just in case, so he can help you if anything goes wrong."

For once in her life Stiles was speachless.

"You ready to go then honey?"

Unable to find her voice Stiles just nodded.

xXx Two weeks later xXx

It wasnt that Stiles was a prude, she'd just hadnt ever really fancied any of the boys at school, well other than Jackson, but she wanted to strangle him to death just as much as she wanted to sit on his face so he didnt really count, well that and that fact that he was so far out of her league that it was just plain cruel.

She'd even been worried for a bit that the rumors around school were true and she actually was a lesbian.

But then Derek Hale had moved back into town and her childish, school girl crush that she'd had on him when she was eleven came crashing back with a vengeance accompanied by teenage hormones and that fact that he kept slamming her up against walls because she didnt know when to shut up and the fact that he rarely wore a shirt and well, you've got an extremely horny teenager with no idea on how to act on it.

Even when he was almost dying from Kate Argents bullet Stiles had had trouble focusing on anything but the clenching of his muscles and wondering if he'd arch his back like that whilst she was, and we're getting off topic.

So yeah, Stiles wasnt a lesbian, despite all the rumors, she was however, extremely hot for Derek Hale.

The very same Derek Hale that was currently living in her house, helping her change and shower and put on fresh bandages. He's even cooked for her for gods sakes! And whilst she may be hopped up on more drugs then she could count on her fingers, (mostly because shes drugged up like all the time), shes totally convinced that he's been sleeping in her bed and not in the guest room he's been given because she keeps waking up to gentle fingers brushing through her hair and soft lips pressed to her forehead, in a way her father never does.

Her bed even smells like Derek. The whole house smells like his posh aftershave, hell Stiles herself was pretty sure she smelt like him too. Its pretty distracting.

She wasnt deluded though, she was pretty sure she knew what was going on, she was the weakest member of his pack and she was injured, Derek was simply marking her so everyone knew she was pack and not to be messed with just as much as he was making sure she knew she was pack and that she was protected. If was basic werewolf 101.

Until, y'know, it sort of wasnt.

xXx

"You dont know what you're talking about Jackson so shut up."

Stiles was on the cusp of being awake but part of her was still being pulled down by the drugs in her system so she couldnt quite break the surface and wake up.
she knew there were people in her room though, definetely Derek because he hadnt left in the two weeks she'd been home and by the sounds of it Jackson, which in itself was strange because she and Jackson still werent getting on, pack or not.

"I'm right, I know I am, Stilinksi's your mate! Thats why Peter used her to get to Scott instead of Alison, he used Stiles because he wanted to get to you aswell!"

Derek growled low and threatening in his throat but it did nothing to quell the smug tone of Jackson's voice.

"Leave it alone Jackson or I'll make you shut up." he bit out around clentched teeth.

"Okay, okay calm down, its not like im gonna tell her but, why dont you just claim her dude? Your wolf is making all of our wolves skittish and if I figured it out you know Lydias going to and she'l tell Stiles straight away."

"Jackson."

"What dude, its so obvious, I mean she smells just like you, not like pack, like You and if you just..."

"Im not claiming Stiles, Jackson, now get out and go to school."

"But.."

"Out. School. Now."

The front door slamming signal Stiles was alone with Derek again.

"Shh Stiles, its still early, keep sleeping."

A small smile crept onto her face as a heavy weight dipped the bed next to her and a cool hand smoothed her hair away from her forhead.

Mates with Derek... that sounded nice.
Too bad she wouldnt remember it in the morning

xXx

"STILES SIT YOUR ASS DOWN!" Derek growled at her as she tried to get off of the couch without his help.

"Keep your hair on grandad i just need to use the bathroom, its like five steps away! Im not a toddler I can do it on my own!" she defended rolling her eyes at her overprotective alpha.

"Now Stiles. Wait two minutes and ill help you, youre gonna hurt yourself, STILES!"

Too late, her leg gave out as soon as she took her hand off of the sofa ad she crumbled to the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"Fuck!"

Derek was across the room in a second, scooping Stiles up into his arms and cradling her against his chest, his nose buried in her neck.

There were tears in her eyes but the pain had vanished as soon as he'd picked her up, now she just felt stupid.

"Okay, you were right, erm Derek?"

"Shh."

Stiles, for once in her life did what she was told and relaxed into his arms, Derek moved them to the couch laying them both down and curling around Stiles' slighter body.

"Not that im not all for cuddles but.."

"Shh!"

"Okay fine, fine, i'll shut up!"

Derek made a sortof growl in his chest as she finally settled, he was so warm and suprisingly comfortable considering he was all hard muscle and 'oh yeah there goes my mind to the gutter', Stiles didnt realise she was falling asleep until Dereks voice brought her back.

"I thought I'd lost you."

Stiles twisted in his arms turning to see his face, he looked like he was the one in pain instead of her.

"I only fell theres no need to worr.."

"Not just then, back at the school, when Peter... I thought i'd lost you just like I lost them."

The 'them' goes unexplained, Stiles knew he meant his family and by association Peter too, even if he wasnt himself at the end.

"Im fine," she assured him cupping his face in one of hands to make him meet her eyes, "I'm right here see, I'm fine."

He nodded slightly and it made her heart stutter in her chest, she'd never seen Derek look anything but angry or annoyed or in pain. He looked so much younger laying beside her on her beat up couch in her haunted house, he actually looked 22 instead of some ancient werewolf, as if the world resided on his shoulders.

"He picked you because of me, not because of Scott. If he'd only been going after Scott it would have been so much easier for him to get to Ailson then you. He rang you because it would hurt me, Scott was a secondary thought, it was me he wanted to punish." A shudder ran through his body and he pulled Stiles closer. She'd never heard him speak so much in her life, it made her feel oddly privelegded.

"When I was battered and bleeding and he was saying how youd make an excellent alpha female, he was seriously contemplating doing it, he was gonna bite you and turn you and rub it in my face that you were his and not mine," anger clouded his eyes before he chuckled slightly, "It wouldnt have worked though, he realised that after just five minutes with you, you'd never submit to him, youre too strong to be controlled by someone like him." Dereks voice sounded strangely proud, proud that Stiles was strong even if she was only a human in his pack.

That pained look crossed his face again as he screwed his beautiful sea foam eyes shut.

"But then he ripped you open instead and, and I... I couldnt imagen a world without you in it." He slowly opened his eyes and Stiles was staring straight back, warm cinnamon into apple green, it felt like the only possible, reasonable thing in the world to do was kiss eachother.

So that was exactly what they did and after recalling their moments in hell it was like waking up in heaven.

To Stiles it felt like coming home and the look on Dereks face told her that he felt exactly the same.