Author's Note: I do not own Teen Wolf or its characters. This is set in an alternate universe where Laura and Derek never returned to Beacon Hills, but Peter became a crazy alpha anyway. This is a sequel to Wedding Stiles, The Stuff of Dreams, and The Dancing and the Dreaming.

For the Love of It All

Stiles was nervous. It was sort of new to him. Well, not being nervous, but being nervous about a wedding. Normally weddings are old hat to Stiles. He's planned dozens of them by now. Except, this is Stiles' wedding, and that little fact is throwing him.

His dad is watching him, looking amused.

"Calm down, son. You've got nothing to worry about."

Stiles looked at his dad in disbelief. "Are you kidding? Dozens of things can go wrong. I've seen just about every way a wedding can fall apart. Trust me when I say I have plenty to worry about."

John chuckled and shakes his head. "Stiles, it wouldn't matter if a gang of bikers crashed the wedding, as long as he gets to marry you today, Derek isn't going care about anything else. You could take your vows in your pajamas, and Derek would still be thrilled."

"I just want things to be special."

"They will be."

They were interrupted by Scott poking his head in the door wearing a huge grin.

"I've got a special visitor for you, Stiles."

Talia slipped through the open door. "Papa sent me to make sure you didn't do something stupid."

That made Stiles laugh. "Did he now? And who is keeping him from doing something stupid?"

"Auntie Cora. I'm supposed to tell you that the only thing that could ruin today is that you changed your mind." She frowned a little. "Also, Auntie Cora says you only have five more minutes before it's time."

"Really?"

"Really, Daddy. You're worse at waiting for things than I am."

He couldn't help it. Stiles enveloped her in a tight hug, careful not to muss the flowers pinned in her hair.

"Thank you, Talia."

She hugged him back. "I love you, Stiles."

"Love you too." He pulled away so he could take in her outfit. "You look beautiful."

Talia smiled and did a twirl. Her flower girl dress was white cotton lace with blue and violet ribbons run through the eyelets. Her dark hair had been pulled back in pigtails, and there was lavender and hydrangeas pinned in each ponytail.

"Papa thought so too."

Stiles wasn't surprised. Talia was probably going to outshine both of the grooms in the wedding photos.

Stiles nervously tugged at his cuffs. He was ready. He was going to go in there and marry the love of his life. They were going to sign the marriage license and the adoption papers so Stiles was officially Talia's parent. It was something that he and Derek had talked about a number of times, and Derek had wanted to make sure that if anything happened to him, Stiles would have a legal claim on their daughter. The two of them had decided to incorporate that as part of their wedding since Stiles had been adamant that he wanted to celebrate the three of them officially becoming a family as part of their wedding ceremony.

In the end, they had decided that Talia would be both their flower girl and responsible for their rings. They would sign the adoption papers with their marriage license. And they had gotten Talia a special bracelet to commemorate the occasion. It was a delicate little thing made of silver and moonstones, and Talia loved it. Admittedly, she didn't quite see what the fuss was about. Stiles had been her "Daddy" since about six months after he and Derek had been dating. Talia had taken to Stiles from the start though, which Derek had confided was unusual. And it was true that Talia did tend to be shy with most people.

Scott popped back into the room. "We're ready to go."

Stiles took a deep breath. It was time. He was going to go out there and marry the love of his life, officially adopt his daughter, and celebrate with his friends. He could do this. He'd planned this wedding after all, and he wasn't going to back out now. No way, no how. He wanted to be married to Derek, and if he was having some stage fright about the ceremony, he'd get over it.

Mussorgsky's Promenade started to play, and the processional began. Stiles couldn't see it, but he knew what was happening. First, Scott and Boyd would make their way down the aisle to take up their positions as Stiles and Derek's best men. Then it was Talia's turn to walk down the aisle. After she reached the officiant, Cora would escort Derek down the aisle. His dad took his arm.

"Ready to go, Stiles?"

He nodded. "Yes."

All of his nerves disappeared when he saw Derek waiting at the end of the aisle. When the two of them had sat down and actually started planning the wedding, it had turned out to be pretty easy. Derek and Stiles had both agreed that they wanted it to be in Beacon Hills and that they wanted an outdoor ceremony. It had been more of a challenge to find a location that they felt suited, but after several weeks of searching, the two of them had found a location on the Hale's property. Admittedly, Stiles hadn't seen the site since it was fully decorated. But there Derek stood, underneath a large tree strung with hanging lanterns.

When they reach Derek, his dad gives him a hug then goes to sit with Melissa. Stiles takes Derek's hands, and their officiant starts the ceremony. To be honest, Stiles really isn't paying attention to most of it. He'd been at enough weddings to know how they went, and really, most of this wasn't that important.

However, he was paying attention when it came time for their vows. He and Derek had talked about writing their own, but in the end, they'd decided that they'd rather keep their personal thoughts on the subject private. Instead the two of them had picked out vows that seemed to fit their relationship well and had personalized them just a little. Stiles got to go first.

"Derek Sheridan Hale, I cherish you for being all that you are, all that you are not, and all that you can be. Know that I am here for you, and that your pain will be mine and your joy mine as well. All I ask is you: your love, your trust, your caring, your partnership. I choose you to be my husband."

He was a little misty eyed, but Stiles had made it all the way through his vows without crying. He was going to count that as a win. Besides, Derek was looking a little teary too. He squeezed Stiles' hands gently as he started his own vows.

"Zdzisław Stilinski," Derek grinned. "I know you hate using your real name, but I can actually pronounce it, so you can deal with it today."

Stiles let out a watery chuckle at that.

"Zdzisław Stilinski, I cherish you for being all that you are, all that you are not, and all that you can be. Know that I am here for you, and that your pain will be mine and your joy mine as well. All I ask is you: your love, your trust, your caring, your partnership. I choose you to be my husband."

Their officiant smiled. "Do you have the rings?"

Talia pulled the ring box out of her flower girl basket.

"Please repeat after me: I give you this ring. Wear it with love and joy. As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and every day."

Stiles and Derek exchanged their rings with no mishaps. The officiant smiled, "I am pleased to introduce to you Stiles and Derek Stilinski-Hale. You may now kiss."

Talia let out a cheer which made most of their guests laugh. Talia also led the recession back down the aisle. While everyone else headed across the way to the meadow where the reception was set up, Derek and Stiles slipped away to sign the legal papers. Stiles ran his fingers over his new wedding band. He had the feeling there was a silly smile on his face, but he figured he was allowed. It was his wedding day after all.

Stiles wasn't really expecting the applause that started when he and Derek rejoined everyone else. But he wasn't given any time to contemplate before Talia was dragging both him and Derek to their table.

"We can't eat until you two sit down, and I'm hungry."

He and Derek share smiles as they let their daughter chivy them to dinner. It's not a huge group that's gathered here to help them celebrate. They both had wanted a smaller, more intimate ceremony, and there weren't more than a hundred guests at most. Most of them were Stiles' friends and family, and he can't help but feel a pang in his chest for all of the Hales who can't be here to see how happy Derek is. But Derek's not alone. Cora is here to celebrate with them, and there were quite a few people from Rosenhale who also came. Besides, part of the reason for this celebration was the fact that they shared both family and friends now. Of course, that had been true before he and Stiles had decided to get married.

Once dinner was well under way, the speeches started. To be completely honest, Stiles hadn't been looking forward to those. It wasn't that he didn't think his dad or Scott would have nice things to say, but the speeches were typically where every wedding reception got awkward. He needn't have worried.

"The first time I met Derek Hale it was one of the worst days of my career. But I really didn't think too much of it at the time. Stiles was ten, so admittedly I wasn't really think about his potential spouses at the time. The second time I met Derek, however, I knew something was up," John grinned at his son. "Stiles had asked me to pick Derek and Talia up at the airport. It had been at least ten years since I'd seen Derek, and I really had no clue who to be looking for. Then this little whirlwind crashed into my legs and declared 'Mine!'. She was followed by a panicky looking father. We spent about three hours in the car together, and Stiles was the main thing we talked about. I was pretty sure then that we'd be adding both Derek and Talia to the family. I won't welcome you to the family, Derek, since you've been part of it long before this, but I'm glad that you and Stiles have made it official. We're all lucky to have you in our lives, though I'd say Stiles is the luckiest of us, and I'm proud to call you both sons. And I know Claudia would be too. To Stiles and Derek."

Stiles had to wipe at his eyes. His dad was right though. His mom would have loved both Derek and Talia. Then it was Cora's turn. Her expression was mischievous as she stood.

"So, I have a lot of stories from Derek's childhood that I could. It would be really easy for me to completely embarrass him with some adorable tale. But most of you know that Derek and I are still getting to know one another after years of thinking the other was dead. I know exactly how hard it is to start again, and how scary it is to even contemplate trying to build a new family and a new future. But I'm not sure if I can tell you just how proud I am and how happy am at the new life you've built. I'm so glad you didn't decide that it was too scary to trust Stiles with your heart. I know you made the right choice, and I know you two will be happy together. So, may your joys be as bright as the morning, and your sorrows but shadows that fade in the sunlight of love. To Derek and Stiles."

Derek is looking a little teary himself. Scott was grinning as he took the mike.

"So, I'm sure most of you folks know that I'm Stiles' best friend. However, the first time I heard about Derek, it was because his fiancée, who wasn't Stiles by the way, was ruining my wedding. Those are my wife's words, not mine. Anyway, I didn't really know who he was or care. But Stiles did. And since I'm a good best friend, I got talked into helping Derek get settled in when he moved back to Beacon Hills and Stiles was still in New York. I have to admit I warmed up to Talia before I did Derek. But then, it's hard to fall in love with her." Scott gave Talia the puppy dog eyes, and she smiled at him. "Anyway, it wasn't until Stiles came home to help with my wedding that I really started paying attention to Derek. But even as caught in my wedding as I was, I couldn't help but notice the way that Derek made Stiles light up. Even if was something as simple as Derek dropping off curly fries for Stiles when he was working late. Stiles is my brother, and I've always wanted him to find something special like Allison and I have. Someone special to complete him. Once I saw him and Derek together, I knew he had. So, here's to Stiles and Derek."

That just left Boyd to take the mike.

"I don't have a lot to add to that. You already know that Derek and Stiles are crazy, both in general and about each other. So let me offer this instead: May blessings be upon your house, your roof and hearth and wall; may there be lights to welcome you when evening's shadow falls. The love that like a guiding stars still signals when you roam; a book, a friend: these be the things that make a house a home. To Derek and Stiles."

With the toasts complete, it was Stiles and Derek's turn. Stiles took the mike from Boyd.

"So, we can all admit that giving me a microphone is probably a bad idea. But since it is my wedding, I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

That prompted quite a bit of laughter.

"Anyway, we both want to thank everyone so much for supporting us by being here today and helping us make today special."

He handed the microphone to Derek. "Stiles said I didn't have to say much which is fine by me. Today has been amazing so far, and it wouldn't be the same without you here to celebrate with our family."

"Derek and I are looking forward to celebrating many more milestones with everyone over the years," Stiles continued. "And since Talia is timing us, and she gets a dollar for every minute past the first three we go, we had better wrap this up. Enjoy the rest of your meals. The dancing will be starting soon, and dessert will follow that."

He turned the microphone back over to their DJ and returned he his attention to his meal. He'd seen enough couples miss out on their food during their reception to not make that mistake. Derek catches his eye, and for a moment everything else disappears. Then Talia elbowed him wanting help cutting her steak. But the warm feeling in his chest didn't disapear. Stiles didn't think it ever would.

Once he'd cleaned his plate, Stiles stretched and took a look around. Most of the guests were finishing up the meal and were getting a little bit restless. He slid his hand into Derek's.

"Ready for our dance?"

Derek wrinkled his nose. "I supposed."

"It won't be that bad, I promise. Just pretend we're in the kitchen. You dance with me there all the time."

"Nobody is watching us in the kitchen."

"All right folks, let's welcome to the happy couple to the dance floor."

Stiles smiled at his husband. "That's our cue."

The two of them took their places on the flat grassy lawn that was serving as the dance floor. The DJ gave them a nod before starting their chosen tune. That had actually been one of their hardest decisions. Finding a song that they both liked, that they could dance to, and that felt right for their first dance had proved to be a challenge. In the end, one song had stood out amongst the rest. So, as the strains of Let Your Heart Hold Fast filled the air, the two of them began to dance. Derek was stiff at first, clearly uncomfortable with their audience. However, Stiles leaned in close and began singing in Derek's ear.

"So let your heart hold fast for this soon will pass…"

Derek relaxed against him, and the rest of the dance was much more comfortable. Once their first dance was done with, they had one more special dance planed. They had decided against a parent-child dance for Derek and Stiles because Stiles was the only one who had a parent who would be able to dance with him. However, a father-daughter dance for both of them with Talia made a good substitute. Besides, as happy as Talia was about the wedding, Stiles did want to make sure that she didn't feel left out of things. After all, she was part of their family too, and they were celebrating that as well.

So Talia first danced standing on top of Derek's feet and then Stiles. And once that was over with everyone else took to the dance floor. That was when Stiles really felt like he could relax. There weren't any more events that needed him or Derek really. There wouldn't be a cake cutting since he and Derek had decided on cupcakes, so really all they had left was to have a good time celebrating with their friends and family.

Stiles probably ended up dancing with just about everyone before the night was over. He couldn't help but smiling when he spotted Talia sitting on Derek's lap, the two of them sharing a cupcake. Stiles made his way over to join them. Talia offered him a cupcake with a yawn.

"Thank you. Tired, sweetheart?"

Talia nodded and cuddled into Derek's chest.

"Grandpa is going to take you home tonight, remember?" Derek said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She nodded again.

"I'll grab, Dad. I think we should be able to make our escape soon."

It wasn't hard to find his dad and Melissa, sitting at one of the tables and chatting with some of the older Rosenhale employees who had come. Stiles smiled at the group.

"Everybody having a good time?"

His dad grinned at him. "Yes. How does it feel to be a married man?"

"Very nice. However, I have one sleepy little flower girl on my hands that I need to get taken care of before my husband and I call it an evening."

John chuckled. "Well, then I'd better collect my granddaughter."

He got to his feet, and together the two of them made their way back to Derek and Talia. His dad wrapped an arm around Stiles' shoulders.

"I know I've already said this today, but I'm so proud of you, son. And your mom would be too. If she were here, she would be so happy and proud. She would love Derek and Talia so much. You created a wonderful family for yourself, Stiles."

Stiles couldn't find words, so he just hugged his dad instead. They reached Talia and Derek with no problems. Derek smiled at John.

"Thanks again for taking her tonight."

"Not a problem. Melissa and I never mind spending time with our favorite granddaughter."

Stiles shook his head. "She's your only granddaughter."

"So far."

Stiles arched an eyebrow. "Do you know something I don't?"

John shrugged as he took a sleeping Talia from Derek. "Just that Scott has been nesting lately. I wouldn't be surprise if they have an announcement sooner or later."

His dad carried Talia back over to his table, leaving Stiles and Derek alone. Derek tugged Stiles into his lap.

"Ready to head home?"

Stiles leaned in to kiss him. "Yes."

His husband smiled back at him. "Good. I don't think anyone will notice if we slip out now."

Stiles looked around. Allison and Scott were still dancing together. Cora, Isaac, and Danny were chatting with Oliver and Felicity, a pair of wedding planning clients of Stiles' who had become good friends. Erica was curled up in Boyd's lap, the two of them talking quietly. Melissa had a sleeping Talia in her lap while she and John shared a cupcake. He got to his feet, linking his hand with his husband's.

"Let's go."

It's easy enough for them to slip away from the festivities. The makeshift parking lot for the ceremony is less than a ten minute walk away, and Stiles is thankful to discover Derek's Camaro hasn't suffered too badly at the hands of their friends. There were a bunch of old sneakers tied to the bumper, and someone (Stiles guessed Erica by the handwriting) had written "Finally Tied the Knot" on the back window.

The drive home is over quickly. Stiles leaned over the center console to kiss Derek again. Then he pulled away and grinned.

"Come chase me, Sourwolf."

With that, Stiles let himself out of the car and ran for the front door. He barely made it inside before Derek had him pinned against a wall, kissing the breath of him.

"Mine," Derek growled.

"All yours," Stiles agreed.

Derek nuzzled his nose and kissed him again. By the time the two of them reached their bedroom, they were breathless from laughter and kisses. They were officially each other's now, and no matter what the future held for them, Stiles knew that facing it together was worth every hardship. It had to be when the joy was so strong.