The song that inspired and is featuring in this story is 'Home for the Holidays' written by Robert S. Nevil and Matthew Gerrard, and it was published by Lyrics© Universal Music Publishing Group. I claim no rights to the song.
I claim no rights to the characters of Teen Wolf. They are owned by Jeff Davis.
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'This is the biggest mistake I've made in my life,' Stiles thought as he groaned with his head thrown back and hands covering his face as if he was trying to choke himself. 'I'm never gonna make it in time.' He thought and whined as the receptionist at the information counter of New York City Airport announced that due to the blizzard the flight Stiles needed to catch to be home in time for Christmas Eve wouldn't fly for yet another three hours.
Sure, Stiles attending the meeting in New York for the Law firm he worked for made sure that business wouldn't fail but none the less; right now he considered this the biggest mistake in his life. There he was stuck on the fricking, cold airport, when he could be warm and cuddled with his husband as of three years in their comfy bedroom back in Beacon Hills.
As fates wanted it he missed the first flight because the last meeting of the conference prolonged itself. Then the damn blizzard started and at first they said all flights were canceled only to say that the flights won't be canceled only delayed until the blizzard eases up.
As much as Stiles could see, the blizzard wasn't easing up.
But what was even worse was the fact that his phone decided that it would be a good time to shut down, and, since Stiles gathered all his things from the Hotel he was staying in before the meeting, he had absolutely no way to recharge it.
That meant that his loving husband was probably tearing his hair off in worry because he was probably sure that Stiles was on the first flight which was redirected to an airport somewhere in North Dakota. Hopefully they managed to land safely.
So, to summarize the whole situation, Stiles was trapped on the airport in New York, cold, hungry and growing more worried by the second, because he just had to agree to go to this damn conference a week before Christmas.
Sure, he went because the woman that should have attended the conference in the first place caught what was probably the worst case of a stomach flu Stiles has ever seen. Okay, he had it worse after he, Scott and Isaac took an involuntary bath in a lake saturated with particles of white mistletoe (damn forest Elves), but that was beside the point.
He tried to call Derek from the old phones there on the airport, but the blizzard was messing with the signal.
He was trapped there with no way to call in home and tell Derek that he won't be home for Christmas Eve. 'Christmas either, all things considered.' He thought bitterly. He let his hands fall into his lap and sighed gravely.
'Flight XR-653 for Beacon Hills, California canceled due to the storm over Kansas. All passengers please report to the Terminal.'
"Fuck!" Stiles snapped. If he had something in his hands that he could throw he would have.
He stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. He grabbed his suitcase and all but marched out of the airport throwing his ticket into the closest trash-bin. He ignored the strong wind blowing into his face as he marched towards the Rent-A-Car Agency.
'I should have done this immediately.' He entered the warm office and the clerk behind the table looked at him with a raised eyebrow and a bored expression.
"We're closing." He drawled out and Stiles could feel the nerve beside his eye twitch.
"I don't really care," he pressed out through his teeth as he took his wallet out of his pocket. "I need whatever car you have left." The clerk sighed and rolled his eyes, and Stiles felt the need to bash his head in.
"We have an old Volkswagen Polo Mark IV-…"
"Listen, I don't care if it's from the nineteen hundreds, just tell me where to sign. I have a day's worth of driving in front of me, and I really don't have the patience to listen to you rant and ramble about insignificant things. Give me something that can take me to Beacon Hills without breaking down half way there, and let's get on with it."
The clerk raised an eyebrow at him and pursed his lips. "You'll have to fill out several forms because you're driving the company car out of-…"
"Just give me the goddamn forms!" Stiles snapped and the clerk recoiled. 'Fuck,' Stiles thought as he took a few deep breaths, trying to bring the wolf under control.
He raised an eyebrow when several papers were placed in front of him, and the clerk all but flinched back when Stiles grabbed a pencil off of the table, took his ID card out of his wallet and quickly started to fill them out. He could hear the clerk's frantically beating heart, and his quick, shallow breathing, but couldn't make himself care.
"There," he growled once he was done.
The clerk grabbed the papers, stapled them together, gave Stiles the copies and stood up on shaky legs. "F-follow me, sir," he stuttered out and all but ran out of the room.
Stiles grabbed his bag and walked after him. Another clerk ran over to him, and she smiled at him brightly as she handed him the keys to the old red car sitting alone in the garage.
"Here you go, sir. Have a safe trip. All the papers for the car are in the-…"
"Thank you, lady. I'm really in a hurry," he interrupted her as he marched over to the car. She watched him with a raised eyebrow as he unlocked the car and threw his bag in the back passenger seat. Before he entered he looked at her and a spark of guilt tugged at his heart.
'They're just doing their job,' he thought as he tried to calm his raging nerves. He took his wallet and walked over to the female clerk.
"Listen-…" he checked her name tag and looked at her shortly, "Clara, I'm sorry for being a prick. I've had a really bad day, on top of a really, really bad week." He pulled out two hundred dollar bills and handed them to her.
"No, sir, please-…"
"No," he interrupted her and pushed the bills into her hand. "One's for you and the other is for that guy, Jeff. Have a Merry Christmas." He turned on his heel and marched over to the car.
"Sir!" she called out and he looked at her over the top, already half way in the car.
"Yes?"
"Don't go through the city, the traffic is awful. Take a left turn once you get off the airport and go around the city. You'll save yourself at least four hours." He smiled at her and nodded.
"Thank you."
"Merry Christmas!" she called out to him as he slammed the door closed.
He took a deep breath as he started the car and drove out of the garage when the door opened. He was taking slow, deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. He would make it.
Sure, he wouldn't be there by dawn like he planned, but he would make it. All he had to do was drive through 10 States during the worst blizzard he has ever seen on an empty stomach and without a drop of coffee in his system.
He growled lowly and shut the radio off as he waited for the road to clear. Clara was right. He would save four hours if he just went around the city, but first he had to get off of the damn airport.
He tapped the steering wheel with his fingers quickly as they moved slowly down the road. He was about to take a turn when he saw a family of three, a man and a woman with a child in her arms standing off to the side, and the man was holding up a sign which said Sacramento, California.
Stiles took a deep breath with every intention of driving past them only to stop.
He closed his eyes and shook his head.
'They're probably in just as much trouble as you are, Stiles. Get a grip.' He shut down the engine and got out of the car.
"You're going for Sacramento?!" he called out and the small family looked at him with wide grins.
"Yes, sir! Our flight was-…"
"I'm going for Beacon Hills, so I have to pass through Sacramento on my way there. Hop in."
The family grabbed the two bags they carried off of the floor and all but ran over. Stiles opened the trunk after he grabbed his bag from the back seat, and dumped all three bags there. Once they were in the car, Stiles took a deep breath and thanked whoever was listening that his way cleared.
"Thank you, sir. We have been standing there for an hour and no one stopped," The man sitting in the front passenger seat said and Stiles hummed as he took the left turn off of the airport. "I'm Daniel Johnson, and this is my wife Claudia and our daughter Mary." Stiles looked at the woman and daughter through the rearview mirror and nodded at them.
"Stiles; Stiles Hale," he introduced himself and Daniel nodded at him.
"Thank you for taking us along, Mr. Hale" Mary said and Stiles spared her another glance.
"Well, I couldn't let a cute little lady like you freeze outside, could I?" he tried to smile, but somehow he thought he failed. "And call me Stiles; everyone does," he added and his passengers nodded at him.
"You said you are going to Beacon Hills," Claudia spoke up and Stiles swallowed with slight difficulties.
He was a wreck. He was hungry, tried and increasingly sleepier, and the woman in the back seat had long brown hair and kind brown eyes. Not only was he missing Derek and the Pack, but right now, sitting in the back of the car he rented, was not only a woman with the same coloring as his mom, but the same name as well.
"Yes, ma'am."
She smiled kindly at him and Stiles forced himself to focus on the road. "Call us by our names, Stiles. We have a long trip in front of us, after all," she said and Stiles nodded shortly. "So, since you're wearing a suit under that jacket, I suppose you were on a business trip?"
"Yes, ma – Claudia," he quickly corrected himself. "I had a conference this week here in New York City and I missed the first flight for California because the last meeting prolonged itself. I'm a lawyer," he added before they asked. He let go of a breath of relief when the traffic around them thinned. He shifted gears and leaned back in his seat, his eyes focused on the road in front of them.
"You seem awfully young," Daniel spoke up and Stiles chuckled dryly.
"Youngest DA in the history of Beacon Hills," he murmured and Daniel and Claudia smiled at him.
"That's great," Daniel said. "We were here because of my business as well. I am a representative for Generic Motors, and my wife and daughter went with me. We hoped we would be in Sacramento before Christmas Eve. I suppose all of our plans fell down the drain." Stiles snorted. "Luckily we managed to call my mother-in-law to inform everyone we would be late."
"I wasn't so lucky," Stiles muttered. "My phone shut down during the meeting and I couldn't recharge it. Even if I somehow managed to do so, I doubt the call would go through."
"I see that you are married as well?" Daniel said and nodded towards Stiles' left hand, where a simple wedding band made out of white gold glimmered in the weak light.
"Yeah," his voice broke on that one simple word.
"May we know the name of the lucky girl?" Claudia teased and Stiles blushed.
"His name is Derek."
"Oh!" the adults exchanged a glance while Mary tilted her head to the side.
"I apologize; we were wrong to assume…"
"It's alright," Stiles interrupted Claudia and gifted her with a small smile. "I've gotten used to it."
"He's waiting for you to come home, isn't he?" Claudia asked and Stiles couldn't help but laugh.
"Right about now I think he's tearing someone a new one. Last time we talked was over 24 hours ago. He must be worried sick. I have a feeling my welcome won't be all that warm. He was against me going away. We feared something like this would happen."
"You couldn't predict this," Daniel tried to reassure him but Stiles snorted and shook his head.
"Every time either he or I go somewhere things get complicated. Last time Derek went to visit his sister in Iowa I ended up involved in a bank robbery and in the hospital for a month because one of the robbers got a little too nervous and his gun accidentally fired. Where I'm standing, I'm happy he hit me instead of anyone else." He murmured and the other two adults in the car exchanged worried frowns.
"You were shot?" Mary asked in awe and Stiles hummed.
"It was a clean shot through my right shoulder. It missed everything vital."
"You were lucky," Daniel commented and Stiles shot him a sideways glance.
'Yeah, and Derek all but forced Scott to give me the Bite once I healed enough for the Bite to work,' he thought and a fond smile tugged on his lips.
"It's a good thing that this time it's only a blizzard," Claudia said and Stiles hummed.
"Yeah, but I bet he's still tugging his hair off in worry," he murmured and shifted gears as they climbed the highway.
"You'll be home in no time," Daniel said and Stiles threw him a small glance. "We all will."
Stiles focused on the road again and took a deep breath. 'I sure hope so.'
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"Derek, you need to calm down," John said to his son-in-law. The whole Pack was gathered in Stiles and Derek's house. They were all worried, but Derek was the only one pacing the room like a caged tiger.
Sure, they understood why.
For some reason either Derek or Stiles always had something bad happen to either one or both of them when they're apart. For example, one time while Stiles was still at college, Derek and Scott had to meet up with a Pack in Illinois to arrange a treaty. Stiles and Derek were only dating at that time, but they both knew that one day they would get married, preferably the moment Stiles had his Mastery.
Back to the point.
Derek, Scott and the Pack they were meeting had a nasty run in with Hunters.
Scott got off with just an arrow in his thigh.
Derek, on the other hand, almost lost his right leg. Thankfully the Emissary of the Pack they were meeting got there in time to save him.
The Point was that whenever Stiles and Derek were apart something bad happened to them. Now it could be that luck was simply not on their side and that they were both trouble magnets in their own right. When they were together they watched each other's back and (most of the time) they were alright. When they were apart? Not so much.
"I tried calling him. The call didn't go through. Before the electricity went out, I heard in the News that the airplane Stiles was supposed to take got redirected half way because of the storm. They could have crashed for all we know!"
"Derek, I'd know – You'd know if that happened!" Scott jumped in. "Stiles is alright. I'm sure he's on his way here. You know nothing can stop him once he sets his mind on something. He's safe and he's on his way home. I know it."
Derek spared a glance for Scott before he returned to pacing.
"There's more to this than your worry about Stiles though," Lydia said and Derek let go of a small whine which surprised everyone.
Now that they thought about it, they have never seen Derek this distressed. Sure, he worried every time Stiles was away for more than a day, but never like this; never this much.
"Derek, what aren't you telling us?" Mellissa asked and placed her hand on John's forearm in a comforting gesture.
"It was supposed to be a surprise for Christmas," Derek rasped out and dragged his right hand through his hair, before he fisted it on the back of his head.
"What was?" Isaac pushed and Derek sighed. He allowed his arms to fall to his sides and threw his head back with a growl.
"He's pregnant."
"WHAT?!" Everyone jumped at his words. Everyone except Danny, that is, whose hand flew to his own growing stomach.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Allison asked.
"Like I said; we wanted to tell you for Christmas. That's why Stiles called you all over." Derek spoke in a weak voice and rubbed his face with his hands.
"Son?"
Derek looked up when someone placed a hand on his shoulder and his eyes met John's kind, calming gaze.
"Stop worrying. Stiles is alright. I would bet my life on the fact that he hotwired a car, and that he's driving himself home. You know just as well as I do that he's stubborn as hell. He'll be here before we know it."
"The fact that he's driving through a blizzard and that he has to cross 10 states to get home isn't exactly reassuring." Derek muttered and John chuckled.
"That's Stiles we're talking about," he drawled. "He never does anything by halves."
Derek snorted and rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."
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"Son, pull over."
Stiles frowned when Daniel snapped him out of his musings. "What?"
"You're about to fall asleep, and your stomach's rumbling up a storm. Now, that over there is a gas-station. You're going to eat something and then you'll get some sleep. You've been driving for almost 7 hours. We need to stretch our legs either way."
Stiles looked at Claudia through the rearview mirror and at the little girl sleeping on the back seat.
He could use some rest.
Scratch that, Stiles needed rest. Sleep, shower and food, not necessarily in that order. He nodded with a sigh and drove onto the gas station. He groaned when he stepped out, closely followed by Daniel and Claudia. He ignored the cold wind and snow, placed his hands on his back and leaned backwards as much as he could.
"You should have gotten a hotel room to get some real rest, not drive through 10 states. He would have understood."
He jumped around when Claudia spoke from behind him with eyes wide and his breath stuck somewhere in his throat. Her eyes were warm and there was a small, knowing smile on her lips.
"What are you-…"
"I can smell it on you," she said and Stiles' eyes widened when her eyes glowed red for a second.
"You're an – You're an Alpha," he breathed out and she laughed lightly. He swallowed difficultly when she took a step closer and gently cupped his face in her hands.
"And you're a Beta; a pregnant Beta." Her eyes softened even more if possible and she sighed. "You need rest, sweetie. Daniel and I can drive in shifts. I told him to buy something for you to eat and drink and then you'll get some much needed rest, alright?" she smiled at him and he nodded.
"I just – I just want to get home," he breathed out as tears started to sting his eyes. "I just want to get home to my Mate."
She nodded in understanding. "I know, sweetie, and you will."
"Ready to go?"
They looked at Daniel, and Claudia wrapped an arm around Stiles' shoulders. "We are." She led him over to the front passenger seat and opened the door for him while Daniel handed Stiles a bag full of food and a few bottles of orange juice.
"Not as healthy as it should be, but if will suffice for now," he said and winked at Stiles who was cursing the hormones rampaging through his body for making such small gestures of kindness bring tears to his eyes.
"Thanks." He murmured and Claudia nudged him gently into the car.
"Let's go."
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Derek jumped to his feet when his cell phone rang, and within minutes everyone was in the kitchen where he and John were preparing coffee for everyone.
"Is it Stiles?" Scott asked while Derek opened the new text he just received. While the whole Pack gathered closer in expectation, John placed his right hand on Derek's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze and Derek started to read the text.
(From: Stiles)
If we managed to find the right number, this text should have reached Mr. Derek Hale. My name is Claudia, and I am the Alpha of the Sacramento Pack. I just wanted to inform you that your Mate is safe and sound and is currently getting some much needed rest while my Mate drives the car Stiles rented in New York. He should be home around noon tomorrow. My husband will drive until we reach Sacramento because Stiles is in no condition to stay awake for long. I strongly suggest you make sure he gets some much needed peace and calm once he comes home.
I wish you all the best for the upcoming holidays and as the Alpha of the Sacramento Pack, I offer sincere congratulations concerning your unborn child. You, Mr. Hale have a strong Mate, and I can tell that your child will also be strong.
I look forward to meeting you one day.
Sincerely yours,
Claudia Johnson
If John wasn't standing beside him as his pillar of support, Derek would have sagged to the ground in relief.
"See?" The former Alpha looked at his father-in-law and smiled. "He's just fine."
"Only Stiles would run into an Alpha like that," Lydia commented dryly and everyone either chuckled or snickered.
"Well, at least he didn't hotwire a car," Isaac drawled and John and Derek snorted.
"You think he wouldn't have done that if the Rent-A-Car didn't have any cars left to rent?" Derek murmured with a small smile on his face and the others exchanged exasperated glances.
"I wouldn't put it past him," Scott grumbled and winked at Derek when he looked at him. "Come on, we all need to get some rest." As the Pack slowly left the kitchen, Derek took a deep breath, placed the phone on the table and rubbed his face with his hands. He felt John clap his shoulder and let his hands fall to his sides.
"He's coming home, Derek."
Said Werewolf smiled and nodded as Mellissa leaned on John with a small smile aimed at Derek.
"Yeah; he's coming home," Derek agreed, feeling just a little bit relieved.
"Get some rest, Derek. You need it," Mellissa said and Derek bowed down when she moved closer to kiss his cheek.
"I will," he said and smirked when he saw John roll his eyes.
Derek was well aware that his father-in-law knew he wouldn't rest until Stiles was home. Never the less he followed after Mellissa after he clapped Derek's right shoulder again. Once Derek was alone he took the phone and read the text again. A small, relieved smile covered his lips and he let go of the heavy breath that rested in his lungs for hours.
Yes, he wouldn't be able to sleep before Stiles was back in his arms, but at least he knew his Mate was safe.
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Stiles woke up with a groan and hissed when a knot in his right shoulder made itself known.
"Good morning."
He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion.
"Morning?" he murmured. "How long was I asleep?"
"Over 16 hours. You hardly moved ever since we got you settled," Daniel informed him. Stiles tilted his head back. His seat was completely lowered back and Claudia was cradling Mary in her arms, both of them asleep behind the driver's seat.
Stiles swallowed with slight difficulties and straightened. Daniel laughed and Stiles blushed when his stomach rumbled. He saw Claudia tossing him a small smirk before Stiles sat up and pulled on the lever that would straighten his seat.
"There should be another sandwich in the bag, and another bottle of orange juice in there. We should be in Sacramento in two hours and from Sacramento to Beacon Hills is just another three hours ride. You can even make it in half an hour less since the storm stopped." Now that Daniel pointed it out, Stiles saw that indeed the blizzard was over, and the world around them was covered in snow.
"Wow," he murmured. "I hadn't seen this much snow since I was a kid."
"Quite beautiful, isn't it?" Daniel commented. "Oh, and I just wanted to tell you. Claudia and I took the SIM card from your phone. We managed to send a text to your husband after the storm stopped. He knows that you're alright and on your way home." Stiles let go of the breath he was unconsciously holding and relaxed in his seat.
"Thank you," he spoke in a raspy voice and Daniel smiled at him.
"Werewolves should stick together. Claudia and I talked while you were asleep. We've known about the McCall Pack for a few years now. You're built yourselves quite a name. It would be our honor if you came to visit us in Sacramento after the holidays."
Stiles smiled and nodded. "Only if you agree to visit Beacon Hills as well; I do believe you would like it there."
Daniel nodded with a small smile and reached over to clap Stiles' knee. "Now, eat something and go back to sleep. Our house in Sacramento is close to Starbucks, so you can get yourself a cup of coffee once we get there."
Stiles groaned and looked heavenwards. "Oh, thank God. I'm dying for a cup."
Daniel chuckled and shook his head at him. "Eat and sleep, remember?"
Stiles grabbed the bag and pulled out the ham sandwich that was calling to him like the song of a siren. "You don't need to tell me twice."
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'Just a few more minutes. Just a few more minutes. Just a few more minutes and I'll be home.' Those words rolled around Stiles' mind ever since he entered Beacon Hills.
He was hopping in his seat and his hands were gripping the steering wheel almost maniacally tight, and he was blinking back the tears of relief and happiness that threatened to fall.
He was home.
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Oh, there's no place like home for the Holidays,
'cause no matter how far away you roam
when you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze
for the Holidays, you can't beat home, sweet home.
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He drove onto the front yard of his and Derek's house and almost forgot to unbuckle his seatbelt in his hurry to get out. Everything was covered in pure, untouched snow, but Stiles could hardly see any of it.
He got out of the car and stepped into knee-high snow, and his heart skipped a beat when the door opened and the whole Pack rushed out with Derek and John in the front; and Stiles laughed through his tears.
He was home.
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Take a bus, take a train, go and hop on an airplane,
put the wife and kiddies in the family car,
for the pleasure that you bring when you make that doorbell ring
no trip could be too far.
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"Stiles..." Derek breathed out, but Stiles heard him.
He could hear the frantic beating of Derek's heart. He could smell Derek even from over 15 meters away.
"Stiles!"
Within seconds Stiles was in Derek's arms with his face buried in Derek's neck, and Derek's nose nuzzling again his ear and neck.
"You're back. You're home. It's okay."
Stiles choked up on tears and hugged Derek tighter. "Yeah," he breathed out brokenly. "I'm home."
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Oh, there's no place like home for the Holidays,
'cause no matter how far away you roam
if you want to be happy in a million ways,
for the Holidays, you can't beat home, sweet home.
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Stiles sighed as he nuzzled his cheek into his pillow. It's been an exciting day. Christmas was just a few hours away, and Stiles couldn't be happier. He met a few wonderful people and he made it back home despite the blizzard. His family was sleeping in the guest bedrooms in the house, and he was in his own soft, warm bed.
He groaned in pleasure when he felt the bed dip behind him, and a second later a strong, warm body was spooning him from behind. He shivered when Derek kissed his naked shoulder and placed his hand on Stiles' already bulging lower stomach.
"We're never doing this again," Stiles muttered and Derek nuzzled his nose behind Stiles' ear. "I'm never leaving for more than a day, ever again."
"You've said that the last time something like this happened," Derek grumbled although Stiles detected the teasing note is Derek's voice.
"Well, this time, consider this an oath." Stiles nudged back against Derek. They shifted around a bit until Stiles was lying on his back and Derek was looking down at him leaning on his left elbow. "I'm not leaving for more than one day ever again."
Derek smiled at him lovingly and bowed down to kiss him. He growled in slight warning when Stiles took a hold of Derek's head and his fingers entangled in the soft, short hairs on the nape of Derek's neck.
"Or you if have to go, we're going together," Derek whispered against Stiles' lips and the younger Werewolf grinned.
"Now, why didn't we think of that before?" he drawled and Derek rolled his eyes.
"Because last time we tried that trick, the rest of the Pack tagged along."
"I'm not much for group vacations," Stiles droned and Derek chuckled.
"We could run away," he spoke against Stiles' lips as he dragged his right hand down Stiles' side.
"NO SEX IN A FULL HOUSE!" John's voice echoed through the house and Derek choked up on laughter while Stiles covered his face with his hands. Once Derek managed to suppress his laughter and Stiles managed to fight down the furious blush, they shared a small glance and a wink.
"A vacation does sound good," Stiles whispered and Derek smirked.
"DID SOMEONE MENTION A VACATION?!"
"LYDIA!"
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If you want to be happy in a million ways
for the Holidays, you can't beat home, sweet home.
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I love this one.
Do you?
All my love,
Ms. Yuki