Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe.

Winning Heart's Desire

There were any number of reasons that this was a bad idea. Stiles was familiar with most of them. The woods around the old Hale manor were not safe for regular humans, let alone a half-human, half-fae like himself. There was magic in these woods of the dark sort. It had crept in over the years after the Hale manor had been burned to the ground with most of the family inside. There had been three known survivors the siblings, Laura and Derek, and their uncle, Peter, who had been badly burned. But bad luck had followed them as well. Peter had gone mad and tried to kill everyone in their village. Laura had been murdered, and Derek had disappeared altogether.

But Jackson had challenged Stiles, making disparaging comments about both the young man and his father in front of the Lady Lydia. And while Stiles might have resigned himself to the fact that it was Jackson that Lydia was betrothed to, he still felt like he had to prove himself to her. After all, excepting himself she was the smartest person he knew even if she did hide it behind a meek ladylike façade. So here he was determined to bring home proof that he had ventured to the old Hale manor and come back to tell the tale.

All Stiles had to do was pick some of the purple flowers that only grew around the Hale manor. Pick the flowers and bring them back. It seemed simple enough. Stiles trusted himself clever enough to avoid much trouble. He was only half Fae himself, but his mother had taught him how to protect himself before she died, and Stiles had spent much of the past few years studying magic himself. He'd had to. Last year, his best friend Scott had been bitten by a werewolf. Scott had survived, but not without becoming a werewolf himself.

Being a werewolf wasn't the death sentence it used to be thankfully. It had been years since werewolves had been openly hunted. Most of them lived quiet lives. However, they did try and keep themselves for the most part. As far as Stiles knew, there hadn't been any werewolves in Beacon Hills for decades. When Scott had been bitten, Stiles had thrown himself in to research on the subject to help Scott control himself. That had been nearly two years ago now.

Scott had grown to an Alpha werewolf in his own right and was now happily betrothed to a kitsune lady. That had left Stiles a bit at loose ends. There was only so much research he could do these days. He had gotten a reputation as a scholar, but he really didn't have much in the way of challenges. He had no sweetheart and too much time on his hands. Which was how he got goaded into this little endeavor.

Stiles stumbled into a sudden clearing, and he felt his jaw drop. He had never seen the Hale manor in person before, but he had heard tell of it. Even so many years after the tragedy the what was left of the building stood tall. Stiles could see scorch marks upon the stone, and burnt timbers that have collapsed. Ivy has covered much of the stonework that remains, but Stiles can see the bones of what must have been a beautiful home one. His heart hurts a little for the family that lived here, and all around him he can feel the pain, despair, and desperation sunk into the land in the dying moments of its previous caretakers. He can see why this place would attract dark practitioners.

He was slightly uneasy as he made his way around the building, looking for blooming wolfsbane. All he needed was a couple of sprigs, and then he could head on home. Stiles finally found what he was looking for at the back of the house. The plant covered the ground behind the manor; there was almost a full field of it. Stiles quickly knelt down to gather up some. As he broke the first stalk, a voice came from behind him.

"This is private property. You're trespassing."

Stiles whirled around to find a tall man, only a few years older than himself, standing behind him. A single glance told Stiles that the man was nobility, dressed in silk and velvet. A broadsword hung from his belt. What marred his handsome visage was the glower on his face, heavy eyebrows pulled together and pale jewel like eyes cold.

Before he could think, Stiles was speaking. "Well, the owners sure aren't keeping up on their maintenance. Besides, this is rightfully Hale land, and there is no Hale heir to claim it. So really it is up for grabs to whoever is willing to risk claiming it and rebuilding here."

The man's face darkened. "And you are the one claiming this land then?"

Stiles shrugged. "I might as well. I need a project to work on, and it does no one any good sitting here and festering, drawing in dark practitioners."

That was completely spur of the moment decisions on his part, but as soon as Stiles had made that the declaration it felt right. The Hales deserved better than to have their legacy be a ruin known for its dark presence on the land. And for some reason, that declaration also seemed to ease something in the other man.

"I see," he said, and Stiles waited for him to add something else. "You will make it so laughter rings where only screams now linger."

It sounded like an order more than anything. Stiles just nodded, still gripping his small bouquet of wolfsbane. The man held Stiles' gaze for a moment more then turned and stalked away. Stiles brain didn't really kick back into gear until he had disappeared from sight. He raced around the side of the building were the man had disappeared, but there wasn't any trace of him. Shaking his head, Stiles knew it was time to leave.

The flowers he'd picked proved that he had fulfilled the challenge and earned him quite a bit of notoriety around town, but Stiles found himself caught up in plans for rebuilding the Hale manor. The next day found him buried deep in research, attempting to find what documents he could about the Hale land. If Stiles was going to do this, he was going to do it right. And there was plenty of work to do.

He would need to clear the land and inspect the ruins to see if it could be rebuilt or if he needed to start from scratch. He needed to know the extent of the lands he was laying claim to. And he needed to find a way to drive the darkness from the land and protect them. Stiles knew some very basic warding magic, but he would need something stronger for this project. Stiles never thought about giving up on it either, though just about every single person he mentioned it to thought he was mad. But Stiles knew that it was something he needed to do.

It was not until a week later that Stiles returned to Hale manor or Wolf's Den as he'd learned it was originally named. Stiles brought a notebook with him, so he could make notes. He'd managed to find quite a bit of information in the town's records, and to be honest he'd gotten himself into a much larger project than he'd realized. The Hale land was huge, and Stiles knew that he couldn't start by protecting all of it. So he was going to start with rebuilding the Wolf's Den and move on from there.

Stiles spent the afternoon carefully diagramming the foundations of the old manor house. They were about the only thing that was still sound. He'd need to hire some workers to clear the rest of the debris before he could start making plans to rebuild. Stiles hadn't been able to find the original plans for the manor, so he would have to come up with something new.

He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice he was no longer along until a throat was cleared behind him. Stiles almost fell over. The man from before was standing behind him.

"Warn a person!" His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

The man just glanced at the ruined building. "So you are making good on your pledge."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "I said I would rebuild. What is your name by the way? I can't keep calling your 'Mysterious Man' in my head."

"Derek."

"A pleasure to meet you, Derek. I'm Stiles."

Derek arched an eyebrow at that name. Stiles just smiled and said nothing more. It was a nickname, but it was what most folk called him. His mother had always cautioned him against giving out his true name, and Stiles had taken it to heart. At this point, there were maybe only two people in the world besides himself who knew his true name. He was used to the strange looks the name caused.

He turned his attention back to mapping out the building. Stiles figured that Derek would either strike up conversation or leave as he pleased. The man was more than a bit of a mystery. He wasn't anyone Stiles had seen around the town, and he was very familiar with the town's regular citizens. He also didn't match the description of any of the area's more far flung nobility. And Derek clearly was nobility even if he hadn't given Stiles a surname or a title. Derek did not stay. The next time Stiles looked up from his work, Derek was gone.

But that did set a pattern. Derek would appear whenever Stiles was out at the ruins. They would have a brief conversation, and then Derek would disappear again. Stiles never caught him leaving, but he was gone all the same. But slowly Stiles realized that Derek was lingering longer and contributing more to the conversations. On afternoon, Stiles found himself arguing about obscure points of lore.

"I'm telling you, I've tried the spell using both dried and fresh feverfew, and it's far more effective with dried. I don't care what the books say."

Derek snorted. "Just because it was more effective once doesn't mean will always work that way."

"You malign my research skills. I tested the spell with both variations at least five times before coming to any conclusions."

"But does it bear up in a real situation? Testing a spell is one thing, but having it actually hold when needed is another."

It was fun. Derek gave as good as he got, and there were very few people around that could match Stiles in verbal sparring. Of course, most of his friends and acquaintances thought him mad to take on such a project. His father had been skeptical, but he had been encouraging at least.

"You've needed a project to focus your energies on for a while," he said with a smile. "And it never struck me as right to just let that ruin continue to decay. It will be good to have it restored."

And Stiles was finding it a little bit harder than expected to find people to work out the site. But he managed to come up with some good warding spells that would protect the new house and ward off anything using dark magic. He had already started putting some of them in place. One of them had to be laid in the foundation stones of the house it was meant to protect, and since Stiles had access to those at the moment, he had already started laying that particular ward.

When he had put the first rune in place for the ward, Derek had inspected it and seemed pleased. The older man seemed to enjoy watching Stiles work magic. If Stiles was working magic, it was almost certain that Derek would linger. He wasn't sure why, but it was a pattern that Stiles wasn't going to ignore. Derek intrigued him more than just a little, and Stiles was bound and determined to figure out who exactly he was and what his story was. So far it had proved to be an interesting challenge.

As the weeks crept by, progress continued to be made. Stiles finally found workers willing to come and clear the ruins, leaving only the foundation there ready for Stiles to start rebuilding. He did regret that Derek did not appear once while they were there. But once they had left and Stiles was left alone with the bare foundation, Derek reappeared once again.

"When does the building start?"

Stiles startled slightly then turned to look at the other man. "Not for a while yet. I have to put together some plans first. But at least now that I have the bare foundations I can finish laying the first of the wards."

"I thought they were already in place?" Derek frowned.

Stiles shook his head. "I've started them, but the ward isn't complete yet. Now that the foundation is clear though, I can finish the spell."

And Stiles didn't waste time in doing so. He's almost ninety-eight percent sure that Derek meant him no harm, but it never hurt to be safer rather than sorry, especially in a place that could draw in dark practitioners and the Unseelie Court. It was a simple enough spell to cast now that all four runes were etched on the foundation stones. There as a brief flash of light, and then Stiles could feel the ward humming in his bones. It was small in comparison to what he eventually had planned for the site, but it would protect the house well, and it would give Stiles a foundation to build the rest of the wards on. Derek didn't seem to react to the new ward at all, save for a minute easing of the tension in his shoulders.

"What do you have planned next?" Derek asked him.

Stiles just sighed. "Well, I have to finish having plans drawn up for the house, and then I have to hire builders for that. Once the house is finished, I can start working on the grounds. I already know what I want for the gardens, so that part is easy. It's actually planning the house itself that is giving me the most trouble at the moment. It is not at all my area of expertise, and I'm having trouble finding someone willing to help me. The fact that I need to use the existing foundation complicates things a little. I have some ideas planned out, but not much. I could bring them next time I come out here if you like?"

Derek offered him a genuine smile. "I'd like that."

When Stiles headed home that afternoon, his mind was a buzz with the mystery of Derek. He really did need to figure out who the man was. It was clear that he had no harmful intentions towards Stiles, otherwise the ward would have repelled him, but beyond that, Stiles really had no clue. All he had to go on was the man's first name and the fact that he was definitely nobility. So when Stiles returned home for the day, he began earnestly searching for information.

He didn't find much unfortunately. Derek was not a common name in their area, and sadly, the few nobles baring that name did not match Stiles' Derek at all. There was one who was in his nineties two counties over, and another who was only two in the next county. Interestingly enough, there had been a number of Dereks in the Hale family tree. Had there been any surviving branches of the family, Stiles would have assumed that Derek was related to the Hale family in some way. That would make sense actually given the man's interest in the sight. And it might be possible. After all, Derek Hale had just simply disappeared off of the face of the earth without a trace. For all Stiles knew the man could have simply changed his name and started a new life.

That was the conclusion that made the most sense to Stiles in the end. His Derek must be a descendant of Derek Hale. He had probably been curious about his family history and come to see what was going on at the old family seat. Stiles didn't know why he was still hanging around, but he didn't exactly mind either. He rather liked the man's company. Stiles just wished that he would come to town once in a while or stick around for more than just a conversation or two. And he was still insanely curious about Derek himself. Stiles knew next to nothing about him.

He did bring the few plans he had when he returned to the work site. He honestly would welcome any input he could get. Building a house from close to scratch was something that Stiles had never even contemplated. He had always expected to either live in his father's home or buy one of his own eventually. But part of him is thrilled with the idea of creating something to his own tastes, that was made to suit him and no one else. Stiles knew that he wanted a large library and room he could use a study. He knew that there should be a good kitchen, and he probably needed at least two or three guest rooms, but other than that he had no clue.

The Stilinski home was not a grand manor house. It was a fine town house, but it was rather small compared to what the Wolf's Den had been when it still stood. And it wasn't like Stiles had a partner or a family to help him fill the house. At least, not at the moment. Perhaps not ever if his luck with love continued in the way that it had so far. But even if he did end up alone, he would still have guests. Scott would visit with Kira and their children one day, and Stiles would play doting uncle to them.

Shaking his head, Stiles turned his attention back to his plans. He still felt like things were missing, but he couldn't figure out what.

"You should move your study and library to the second floor," Derek's voice came from behind him. "The first will need space for a dining hall and sitting room as well as the kitchen."

Stiles looked up to find Derek peering over his shoulder. "Any other suggestions?"

"May I?"

Wordlessly, Stiles handed him the plans and the charcoal stick he had been using. Derek frowned at the papers for a moment before he started sketching. After the first few minutes, Stiles starts to fidget, but he didn't dare say anything and break the spell. It looked like Derek knew what he was doing, and Stiles was incredibly curious to see what he had drawn. It seemed like forever, but Derek finally handed the papers back over to Stiles.

"What do you think?" Derek sounded a little gruffer than usual.

For once, Stiles didn't know what to say. What Derek had handed him were fully fledged plans for a house. Stiles recognized some pieces like the library and the study, now moved to the second floor along with what was labeled as a music room. Down on the first floor there were servants quarters, a sitting room, a dining hall, and kitchen as well as a veranda overlooking what would become the gardens to the back of the house. There was a master suite on the third floor as well as plenty of other bedrooms and on top of that there was an attic for storage. It was well thought out and pretty much perfect to Stiles' mind.

"Wow," he finally managed. "This is just about perfect. I can't believe this."

He looked up at Derek. "Thank you."

"It was nothing."

Stiles snorted at that, but he didn't press the point. Knowing Derek as he did now, it would just make the man uncommunicative and liable to leave all the sooner.

Instead, he took a deep breath and started planning ahead, hoping to entice Derek to stick around and discuss plans with Stiles.

"All right. That's plans taken care of. Now I just need to get this house built. I'll need to supervise since I want to work the rest of the wards into the house itself, and it will be best to do that as it's being built. Which means I have to put off building for at least a month."

That got Derek's attention. "What?"

Stiles just sighed. "I'll need to be here almost daily when the building actually starts if I want to work my magic into the house. But my best friend is getting married in two weeks and my father makes his annual report to the capitol right after that. I'll be gone for almost an entire month. Of course, that will give me a chance to pick up a couple of rare spell ingredients."

"I won't see you for a month?" Derek sounded almost upset. "Why didn't you tell me before now?"

Stiles shrugged sheepishly. "It sort of slipped my mind. I've been more focused on the house than anything else of late."

Derek looked a little bit mollified at that, and it suddenly struck Stiles that Derek must look forward to and enjoy their interactions at least a little bit even if it might not be as much as Stiles did. That was kind of comforting.

"I'll be back before you know it," Stiles told him. "I doubt you'll even notice that I'm gone."

Derek snorted at that. "But you will be back in a month?"

"Yes," Stiles nodded. "I'm not going to abandon you or our project."

It was only later that Stiles would realize that he'd referred the rebuilding the house that way, as if it was something the two of them were building together. And Stiles hadn't really realized until that moment that he was going to have to go several weeks without seeing Derek. Which explained his bad mood by the time he got home that afternoon. Still, it wasn't a total loss. At least now he had plans for the house, and he could things set up, so that when he did get back he could immediately get the ball rolling on the building.

As it turned out, Stiles barely had the time to do that before he had to leave for Scott's wedding. And once he had arrived there, he had his hands full. There was absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that Scott and Kira were head over heels in love with one another. However, that did not keep both the bride and the groom from getting extremely nervous before the ceremony. Stiles was kept busy calming Scott down and convincing him that no, Kira wasn't going to change her mind at the last minute.

The ceremony was lovely though, and Stiles was thrilled for Scott. His best friend deserved all of the happiness in the world, and it was so very clear just how much he and Kira loved one another. Stiles saw them off on their way for their honeymoon journey before heading for the capitol city with his father. The annual trip was something that Stiles always looked forward to. It was one of the few times that it was just himself and his father any more. The two men were still close, but this particular trip was always the time when they caught up with one another and reconnected.

This year Stiles found he was spending much of his time talking about Derek and their project. He didn't even really realize it until his father mentioned the fact that he had yet to meet Derek.

"I do expect that if this man continues to court you that you will be introducing him to me."

"What? No, Dad," Stiles shook his head. "Derek isn't courting me. I'm not sure we're even friends. "

Sheriff John Stilinski gave him a long look. "This man is helping you rebuild a house. He drew you quality plans for this house and didn't ask for any money, and he was upset when he was told he wouldn't see you for a month. That does not sound like an acquaintance to me."

Stiles didn't have a response for that. He hadn't ever really thought about his relationship with Derek in that light, but now that his father had brought it up, he couldn't seem to stop. Thinking back on it, he could sort of see a courtship going on between himself and Derek. It wasn't a very traditional one, but it was something of a courtship. Of course, Stiles didn't know if Derek had meant it to be. If Stiles hadn't recognized what was going on, it was possible that Derek hadn't either. Which meant that maybe Derek wasn't courting him. And Stiles couldn't decide if wanted Derek to be courting him or not.

He was very fond of Derek. He liked spending time with him, and he wanted to get to know him better. But at the same time, Stiles was a little afraid of losing the easy camaraderie and banter that he had with Derek now. Things were good the way they currently were, and Stiles wasn't sure that changing them would be for the better. It was something that he kept turning over and over in his head until they finally returned home.

It had been a successful trip all in all. Scott was now quite happily married to his lady love, and the two of them were all set to start a new life together. His father had been giving a commendation for his actions over the past year in keeping the peace and administering justice on Beacon Hills. And Stiles had been able to collected all of the rare ingredients that he would need for the next set of wards for the house. So Stiles was in a very good mood when he headed out to the house site.

It was just as he left it. Stiles smiled as he walked around the foundations of the house. He couldn't wait to see what it would look like when the builders started to work. It suddenly felt very real to him that he was going to have a house here. He was just rounding the last corner of the foundation when he spotted Derek, standing next one of the remaining patches of wolfsbane. Stiles smile widened.

"Derek!"

The man looked up, and Stiles was suddenly struck by how somber his expression was. In fact, it was almost completely blank with only his eyes betraying what he was feeling.

"So you have returned."

Stiles hurried towards him. "Of course I did. I told you I would. What is wrong?"

Derek frowned. "What makes you think something is wrong? Are you ready to begin the building?"

Stiles snorted. "Don't try to change the subject. And it's written on your face."

Derek sighed. "I'm not ready to part ways with you, Stiles, but I am afraid I must."

That made Stiles frown. "You're leaving? When will you be back?"

Derek just sighed again. "I won't be returning, Stiles. As much as I would love to see this house rebuilt and full of laughter once more, I will not be able to. I will trust you will keep your vow to do so anyway."

"I don't understand."

"I cannot escape my fate any longer. After this full moon, I will not see anything any longer."

"Explain," Stiles demanded, "or I'll not let you leave. I might not have much magic, but I bet I could manage that."

Derek growled and his eyes flashed red at Stiles.

"You're a werewolf." Stiles tilted his head to the side. "I should have noticed before. That's not getting you out of explaining."

Derek looked irritated but gestured for Stiles to sit down. "The night Kate set our home on fire, my Alpha, my mother gave orders for all of us to run, and we could not disobey. As I ran into the woods, I trip and hit my head. When I woke, I was in the home of a beautiful woman who claimed she had rescued me. It was only later that I learned she was Queen Jennifer of the Unseelie Court and that I was trapped Underhill."

Stiles nodded then blinked. "Wait. You're Derek Hale? The original one?"

Derek rolled his eyes. "Yes. Every seven years on the night of the Blood Moon, Jennifer and her court sacrifice one of their human captives. I have been a favorite of hers in past years, and so have escape, but this year my luck as run out."

"Is there no way to escape?" Stiles felt sick at the thought of Derek being killed. "You're here in the real world now. Can't you just leave the reaches of her power? Eventually, once I'm done here, this place would be beyond her reach and you would be safe."

Derek shook his head. "I cannot go beyond this place without being pulled back Underhill. It is only my family's tie to the land here that allows me to visit."

Stiles frowned, trying to remember everything his mother had ever told him about the Fae. There had to be away to rescue Derek. A glimmer of memory popped into his head.

"Strictly speaking, you are the Queen's property right? But she can be challenged, and the winner could be able to keep you. I mean, I'm only half Fae, but that should count if I remember correctly."

Derek was staring at him with a shuttered expression, almost as if he was afraid to hope.

"It is not as simple as all that. For the challenge to be valid, the challenger must actually love me."

Stiles snorted. "Well, that's not a concern. My biggest worry about returning was that I had realized we were courting, and I wasn't sure that was your actual intention. Now, how do we do this?"

Derek looked startled. "On the night of the Blood Moon, Jennifer's court will ride out along the King's Highway to the stone tor that stands above Beacon Hills. You'll need to intercept us before we reach the stones. I'll be riding on white horse, but other than that I don't know what you'll need to do."

"I can figure it out," Stiles said with a grim smile. "The full moon is in two days, right?"

Derek nodded. "Yes."

Stiles nodded sharply. "All right then. We can put off starting to build the house until I have you safe. I need to do some research."

Then, feeling greatly daring, Stiles leaned forward and kissed Derek. It was soft and brief, but Stiles felt an almost magical spark shot through him at the contact. He rose to his feet but turned back to look at Derek.

"I will see you in two days if I don't see you before then, Derek. Jennifer is not going to win this time."

The first thing Stiles did upon returning to the Stilinski townhouse was go to the library and retrieve his mother's books from the locked bookshelf where they were kept. When she had chosen to marry and live amongst humans, she had brought with her a few tombs of lore to teach any children she might have of their heritage. Stiles hoped they would have what he needed to know in them. His mother had been of the Seelie Court rather than the Unseelie Court, but the rules for both were much the same.

His father noticed that he had practically locked himself in the library for most of the day, but that wasn't exactly strange behavior from Stiles, and he did not comment. He did, however, raise an eyebrow when Stiles asked him for pure iron dagger. It wasn't something that they had ever kept at home due to Claudia being Fae, but Stiles knew his father had them in his armory at work.

"Why would you need such a thing? That much iron could burn you with prolonged contact," John asked with a frown.

"Not if I'm wearing silk gloves," Stiles replied. "I have some concerns about the Unseelie near the house. I just want to make sure that it's safe until I can get the final wards built."

So he had the iron dagger just in case he needed a weapon. The night of the Blood Moon, Stiles stole out of his home, dressed in pants and a vest of blood red, worn over a milk white shirt. Over everything was a forest green clock, both the color and his own magic would keep him invisible from the Fae's sight. Belted at his waist was the iron dagger and a pouch containing a vial of holy water and one of graveyard dirt. Between that and his magics, it should be enough to defeat Jennifer.

Just as the full moon was rising, Stiles slipped out of the townhouse and headed for the stone tor that stood on a large hill just beyond the town. He hadn't risked talking a horse. His cloak should keep him from being seen, but he couldn't hide a horse as well, and the element of surprise was one of the things he had going for him in this fight. The air was crisp and cool and barely a hint of a breeze. Stiles could feel the magic in the air, pressing down on him. There was no one else out and about. Which was sensible. If it weren't for the need to save Derek, Stiles would be curled up in his bed, safe behind his wards.

It didn't take him long to find a good hiding spot along the path that led up to the tor. He had a good view of the road and was hidden by a large rock. Now all he had to do was wait.

As the moon rose higher, the sound of chiming bells filled the air, and a procession of horses appeared on the road. Stiles watched transfixed. They were probably the most beautiful animals he had ever seen, and their riders shared their almost unearthly beauty. Their faces were almost too perfect, and they sent a slight chill down Stiles neck for there was no joy or laughter in their faces, just cold cruelty. He held his breath as they started to ride by his hiding spot.

First came an honor guard, dressed in silver chased armor and riding horses of dark grey who were also armored. Behind them came a woman who had to be Jennifer, the Unseelie Queen. She was dressed head to toe in midnight blue and sliver, and her long dark hair fell unbound down her back, adorned with silver and jewels. The look in her dark eyes made Stiles shiver.

Behind Jennifer rode three people who were clearly not Fae. They did not have the unnatural beauty of the others, and while they tried to keep their faces in the same expressionless way as the others, Stiles could see fear on two faces and a hint of a smile around the lips of the third. The first rode by Stiles on a coal black horse. He was tall and handsome, but Stiles ignored him. Next came a woman riding on a horse the same dark brown as mahogany. Stiles let her ride by as well. Last came Derek, riding a milk white horse.

Leaping out of his hiding spot, Stiles grabbed Derek, yanking him out of the saddle and holding tight. He knew he didn't dare let go. Before he could attempt to do anything else though, the two of them were surrounded by Jennifer's guards. Jennifer stepped into the circle across from Stiles and Derek. Up close she was just as beautiful and just as terrifying as she was from a distance. She looked Stiles straight in the eye, and he held Derek a little tighter.

"Give me Derek Hale," said Jennifer, "and I will give you all the jewels my people are wearing tonight."

Stiles shook his head. "No."

Jennifer smiled at him. "Give me Derek Hale, and I will make you the most powerful man in this county."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "No."

Now Jennifer frowned, but Stiles still did not ease his grip on Derek.

"Give me Derek Hale, and I will give you the power to make anyone fall in love with you."

Stiles snorted. "And again no. I don't need to make anyone fall in love with me. I already have all the love I need, and I will not let go of the man I love."

"But do you hold a man or a monster?" Jennifer asked with a sneering grin.

In his arms Derek shifted, his form twisting and writing as he became a gigantic snake. It was an old trick, one told in more than one tale, and Stiles had been expecting it. So when Derek became a serpent with coils wrapping around him, Stiles did nothing save for hold on tight. When the snake did not get him to loose his grip, Derek changed again. This time he had become a giant spider. Admittedly, that was far more effective in creeping him out, but Stiles still held fast. He continued to do so even when Derek became a growling bear, a shrieking eagle, and a clawing crab.

But once Derek shifted into an enormous black wolf, Stiles knew that it was time for him to act. One arm wrapped on around the wolf's neck, he used the other to fish out the two vials from his belt pouch. It was a bit tricky to do one handed, but he managed to get them open and carefully poured the graveyard dirt and holy water out in a circle around the two of them. Then he let his magic flare just a little, trigging the wards worked into the dirt and water. Beside him, Derek shifted again, back into his human form, albeit naked this time. Stiles tried not to stare.

Derek smiled at him and slid his hand into Stiles'. Together they faced Jennifer.

"You think to challenge me, you insolent half breed? You are nothing. Barely a spark to my inferno of powers."

Stiles smiled even as his wards held her back. "Sometimes all you need is a spark."

"A curse on you, Gwalchgwyn Szczepan Stilinski, and a curse on your home," Jennifer snarled at them. "And as for you, Derek Niall Hale, if I had known the trouble you were, I would have plucked out those pretty eyes of yours and replaced them with ones made of emerald."

Derek just smirked. "You forget, Jennifer, we stand within wards of blessed water and consecrated ground. Your curses have no power here."

It was Stiles who laughed though, raising his hand to point at the horizon. "Furthermore, dawn is breaking, and I don't believe you made your sacrifice. I have a feeling you have bigger problems than the two of us."

She fumed, but she had no choice but to leave. Stiles and Derek watched until Jennifer and all of her court had disappeared back under the hill. Derek let out a sigh of relief, and Stiles grinned, taking off his cloak and handing it to him.

"So, you're free."

"I am."

"What do you plan to do now?"

Derek frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Stiles shifted a little uncomfortably. He didn't really want to just come out and say it, but Derek was free now. He didn't have to stick around with Stiles. He could go wherever he wished. Stiles wanted him to stay, but he didn't know what Derek really wanted, and he wasn't going to be responsible for trapping the over man again just after he'd gotten his freedom back.

"I mean you can do anything you want now. Go anywhere in the world."

Derek shrugged.

"Where else would I want to go? I no longer have a pack. Everyone I care about is here. We still have a house to finish building. Unless," his voice trailed off a little, "you don't want me to stay?"

Stiles shook his head. "What? No, I just want you to know that you can leave if you want to."

"Well I don't."

Stiles smiled. "All right then. Let's go home. Let's try to avoid my dad though. I don't think we want the first time he meets you to be when you're just wearing my cloak.

Five Years Later

Laughter rang out as two dark haired children chased Stiles around the garden. Derek just smiled as he gently rocked the baby. Beside him Kira shook her head.

"I don't know where they get all of that energy."

"Stiles or the twins?" Scott asked.

She shot an unamused look at her husband. "The twins of course. I gave up on understanding your best friend years ago. At least he doesn't mind being chased by them, and he almost as much energy as they do."

John just shook his head. "It's hard to believe he has a newborn. Speaking of which…"

Derek handed over the man's granddaughter. Ever since Talia Claudia Stilinski-Hale had been born, her grandfather had been besotted with her. Not that Derek could blame him, he and Stiles were much the same. She was their tiny little miracle, and Derek knew he was utterly blessed to have her. He was blessed to have all of this really. He had a beautiful home, a wonderful husband, a new pack, and an adorable daughter.

Stiles rounded the corner, having doubled back towards the veranda with Aiko and Atsushi McCall hot on his heels. He reached the table the rest of the adults were seated out slightly out of breath but with a smile upon his lips. He leaned in and dropped a light kiss on Derek's lips.

"Any of the shortbread cookies left?"

Derek laughed and handed him the plate. The four year old twins clamored onto their parent's laps and helped themselves to the tea time goodies. Stiles leaned against Derek's chair and ran his fingers through his husband's hair. Behind them the Wolf's Den loomed, and the echoes of laughter bounced off its walls.