Howdy, last offical part :)

Also, I was chatting with someone and they commented on how old Derek was in this and I felt like clarifying. I have made Derek younger in this than he is in the series so at this point in time Stiles would be about 20 and Derek about 24.

Also for anyone keeping track I changed the ending of the last part of Apartment because Derek turned creepy and I decided to fix it...now he's sad and pathetic!

/ / / / / / /

Part 13 – Protection, Independence and Revenge

Stiles walked away from Derek and turned his stereo on.

"What?" Derek asked.

"I don't like it when the rest of the pack eavesdrops and they will be listening."

"Stiles please take off your shirt," Derek repeated.

With a sad smile at the fact Stiles had been waiting for those words for two years now he sighed and pulled the wet fabric away from his body. He held it loosely in his hand as Derek stared at his arm.

"Who?" Derek asked stepping forward to ghost his fingers along the coloured flesh.

"Jasmine." Stiles said finally a heavy weight flying away with the word.

"When?" Derek's eyes were hard when he caught Stiles' eyes again.

"Two days ago during the day outside with the pool. She came in to talk to me when everyone was out. We had a disagreement."

"About?"

"How pathetic I am."

Derek pulled away and started pacing, all the way to the window and then turned and stalked back. "Stiles."

"I know I'm not Derek. I know I'm not the omega and I know I am part of this pack. She didn't get to me." Stiles said and then laughed. "Besides, she got my message."

"Your message?"

"At the training session where I was up in a tree to tag you guys, you didn't think it was a coincidence that she was the one that got 'killed' did you?"

Derek turned to him with an unreadable expression but Stiles let the smile take over his face.

"You deliberately let everyone else live so that you could send her the message that she shouldn't be fucking with you?" Derek finally asked.

Stiles nodded. "Just a reminder that I might not be able to beat her in hand to hand combat but I am not completely weak. Nothing has happened since."

"But you haven't been here," Derek pointed out his fingers flittering along the bruise again causing a shiver to climb along Stiles' spine.

"Well that is true too. I didn't want to encourage her to retaliate."

Derek sighed and nodded looking around the room then back to Stiles' arm. His face darkened as he looked at the bruises.

"Mostly she was just talking. Comments about me being pathetic because I cook for you guys and I do things for you. Because I look after you all so obviously I'm just a pathetic little omega you are keeping around to do all the crap work for the pack. I just wanted to show her that you don't just keep me around so that Jackson doesn't give the entire pack food poisoning."

Derek laughed. "See when people ask me why I have a human in my pack I should just put a fucking gun in your hands. Or let you plan our next assault, between you and Lydia everyone else has already lost."

"Just wait until the day she decides to take over the pack."

"My attorney already has a letter saying she did it."

Stiles laughed. "Derek, it's fine. I had it under control."

Derek shook his head and started pacing again. "She should not have gotten close enough to do that to you in my house."

"It's not your fault," Stiles said stepping closer to Derek resting a head to his back. "You didn't know."

Derek spun on him. "I should have! You are a member of my pack, you are my responsibility and I couldn't keep you safe here in my own home."

"I didn't tell you and she was very careful not to do anything when anyone else could see or hear anything."

"You should have trusted me enough to tell me."

"I trust you," Stiles said bending to catch Derek's eyes. "You know I trust you but I couldn't say anything. I know what you would have done."

"What would I have done?"

"Put the epic Derek alpha smackdown on her arse."

Stiles barely caught the hint of a smile on Derek's lips before it was gone.

"She has no right to say those things to you, no right to touch what's mine." Derek frowned. "No I mean no right to touch anyone in my pack…because the pack is mine…all of you."

"I knew what you meant," Stiles said with a tiny sad smile.

"Tell me what she said Stiles."

"I've told you."

"Be specific."

"Don't do this to yourself," Stiles went to sit on a chair by the window. "It's not your fault."

"She is my guest and she did this to you," Derek stalked over and gently lifted Stiles' arm as though he could have forgetten about the bruise. "This is my fault."

"Just because something bad happened doesn't make it your fault," Stiles reminded him. "This is Jasmine's fault. And perhaps a little of my own. I never thought she'd get violent."

"This is not your fault."

"No," Stiles said. "But I never took into account the fact she's a werewolf so of course things would eventually escalate to physical messages."

"I put you in danger by welcoming them here."

"They are your friends how were you supposed to know she was dangerous?"

"She said it didn't she? She kept making noises about humans in a wolf pack, I wasn't listening."

"Derek, she is nuts! She hid it well and she really didn't want you to know." Stiles said emphatically. "She desperately wants you back. For some reason she sees me as an obstacle, probably because we live together and has decided to scare me off. I can handle all of that, don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Derek asked turning and stepping over in front of Stiles. "I don't care that you can handle it, of course you can handle it. You can handle anything, fuck you have my entire pack of werewolves handled all the time. But you shouldn't have to handle it. What on earth made you think you needed to handle it alone?"

"Okay, stop saying handle it," Stiles said with a smile but Derek just continued to glare at him. "Alright fine, listen she knew Laura. You enjoyed having them around and enjoyed talking about Laura so I just let you have that."

"I could hit you," Derek said. "That has to be the most stupid reason in the history of Stiles decisions."

"Nice."

Derek flicked his eyes out the window and glared, Stiles could hear the faint rumble of his growl working its way through his chest.

"Derek?" Stiles said after a few silent moments.

"If you ever let someone do that to you again without telling me I will…" Derek trailed off his body suddenly shaking with anger.

"Rip my throat out with your teeth?" Stiles asked.

Derek let out a huff of laughter before he crouched down in front of Stiles and caught his eye before speaking. "Stiles, do you really think…"

Stiles didn't get a chance to know what Derek was going to say because there was suddenly a large bang from downstairs and they both turned and ran from the room.

At the base of the stairs sat a broken table and Lydia and Jasmine rolling around on the floor trying to rip one another to shreds.

"Lydia!" Stiles said running down the stairs. "Guys why aren't you doing anything?"

"Was her turn," Scott said viciously looking at the bruise on Stiles' arm before looking back at the two female betas.

"Her turn," Stiles turned to the rest of the pack and glared at them all. "Do you honestly think this is going to help?"

"Lydia get off her," Stiles didn't step into the fray knowing that he could be hurt by either of them intentionally, or not, very easily. All he got in response was a growl. Derek stepped past Stiles and grabbed hold of Lydia hauling her up and away from Jasmine who climbed up and growled at Lydia who was bleeding profusely from a number of wounds.

"Lydia, stop!" Derek growled at her, Lydia snarled at him but dropped her head and nodded shortly still glaring at Jasmine over Derek' shoulder.

Stiles stepped forward and pulled Lydia closer to him, the female werewolf kept her eyes on Jasmine as she moved towards Stiles.

"What do you think you are doing?" Derek asked stepping towards Jasmine.

"She started it," Jasmine growled. "Doesn't know her place."

"My place is most definitely between you and Stiles you vicious whore," Lydia spat.

"Lydia," Stiles said tugging more forcefully on her arm. "Come on let me look at you."

"I'm fine," Lydia said her eyes flicking to Stiles, down to his bruise.

"The blood tells me differently," Stiles said again pushing her down into a chair and using his ruined shirt to wipe at the wounds and see which ones were bad.

"You have been attacking members of my pack?" Derek asked. Stiles didn't bother to look up just kept his back to his pack and focussed on Lydia while watching them from the corner of his eye. He knew he could turn his back on her if he wanted, though it would be epically stupid at this point but he knew nothing was getting to him with the rest of the pack in the room.

"She started it," Jasmine repeated.

"I'm not talking about her," Derek said stepping closer. "I'm talking about you assaulting Stiles, a member of my pack."

"Just as pathetic as I thought you were," Jasmine glared at Stiles. "Running to Derek to dob on me."

"He didn't come to me," Derek said his hands fisting at his sides. "I saw the bruise you gave him and then he confirmed it."

"I think you're going to be fine," Stiles said quietly to Lydia who was looking over his shoulder basically ignoring him.

"Just proving my point," Jasmine muttered, Stiles looked at her and knew now that everything was out in the open she had no reason to try and hide anymore. He wondered if she was more dangerous like this. "Running around after them like their-"

"Omega right?" Stiles said stepping forward to find Scott and Jackson suddenly at his sides. "Jesus guys don't go all ninja on me. You keep saying it, you keep telling me I'm the pathetic little omega but I'm not. Omega wolves are ones without packs, you know that, we know that, everyone fucking knows that but you have to keep perpetuating this idea of omegas as the servants of the werewolf pack even though it's a disgusting and horrible tradition. But you're right I do look after my pack," Stiles looked at the two wolves on either side of him. "And they look after me because we are a pack so just stop. It's not worth it so…just stop."

"A human cannot be a member of a wolf pack. You know nothing about werewolves and what it takes to be their pack mate."

Stiles sighed at Jasmine's continued dislike; he wasn't going to convince her to feel any differently so he just let it go. "Of course I do, scratching behind their ears, the occasional belly rub. Taking them for a walk sometimes."

Jasmine snarled at him but he didn't bother to react just dropped back to stand against the wall and leave his pack to it. Stiles didn't have the energy to deal with her anymore.

"You think you have the right to talk about us like that?" Jasmine asked.

"You need to stop talking to Stiles," Scott said with his own snarl.

"Why?"

"Because you are very lucky Stiles pulled Lydia off you before she ripped your fucking head off for touching Stiles like that," Jackson spat.

"Okay," Stiles said grabbing Scott's and Jackson's shoulders. "Take a step back, it's a bruise and not worth all of this. She grabbed my arm and gave me a bruise."

"It was bad enough when she was just saying things to you," Danny said. "Not that you'd ever tell us what she said."

"She is one werewolf and you all know what she has been doing so you shouldn't be ganging up on her like this."

"She deserves whatever she gets for what she did to you," Lydia said suddenly standing at his back.

"Is ganging up on her any better than what she did to me?" Stiles asked the general air since he was now surrounded by betas.

"How can you even ask that?" Danny said turning to him. "You did nothing wrong, you didn't attack her first, you were just being you and she started bullying you."

"Yes she did," Stiles said. "And now she can't anymore but I think this might be overkill. You're all ganging up on her which isn't going to calm anyone down."

"Aren't you mad at her?" Lydia asked. "Don't you want revenge?"

Stiles stopped. "What would it solve? She doesn't think humans should be in werewolf packs and she is definitely not the only werewolf out there who thinks it. Trying to beat that thought out of her isn't going to solve anything."

"You're ours Stiles," Scott said. "No one gets to do that to you."

"Naww, so sweet. Now back to hell off, it's a bruise. She didn't beat me with a stick. Now let me handle it okay just step back and relax." Stiles knew his pack was being protective, and it was lovely to be protected when needed but he could feel the antagonism in the room escalating. He knew if left to it Jasmine would say something that would end with at least one of Stiles' pack attempting to remove her head. He didn't want to deal with Jasmine, he honestly just wanted her gone, but if the choices were a fight between his pack and John's pack because of something one of the betas did he would choose to deal with Jasmine. John and Monica had done nothing, had been nothing but kind to him the entire time they'd been here and even if Jasmine was a manipulative, prejudiced bitch in the end that shouldn't end Derek's relationship with John. If one could in fact be salvaged.

"I don't think that's a smart idea," Lydia said.

"I never said I was going to go over there and punch her, that's just silly."

"As if I would let you get that close to me," Jasmine said her eyes narrowed at him. "You tell Derek's pack what to do like you have any right?"

"He has every right to ask his pack mates to follow his instructions," Derek said stepping closer to Jasmine. "As you should know, you come from a family of werewolves, you know that not all children are born with the gift, they are just as much pack as any other member."

"They are bitten," Jasmine reminded him.

"Only if they want it."

"Only in your pack, in ours you took the bit and you were glad to be a true member of the pack, a true werewolf."

"Is that what happened to you?" Stiles asked before his brain caught up with him. "Were you born human?"

Jasmine snarled at him. "Don't talk to me."

Stiles held his hands up and nodded. Now that Derek was standing between his pack and Jasmine the betas had relaxed. They were all standing around him still, he could feel them touching him but that didn't surprise him. They knew he was hurt now and they'd want to keep physical contact for a while for reassurance but it didn't look like things were going to escalate anymore. Derek was calm even if Stiles could see the tight set of his shoulders, he was angry but he wasn't about to eviscerate Jasmine with it. Knowing things were more relaxed, even if Stiles had been expecting to hold Derek back from Jasmine at some point, allowed Stiles to relax and press close to his pack.

"Do not speak to any member of my pack like that," Derek's voice was firm but Jasmine looked at him defiantly.

"You really choose him? You protect and defend that pathetic little human? You are weak for allowing him into your pack, for allowing him to make your pack weak!"

Derek grabbed Jasmine around the throat and pushed her against the wall, lifting until her feet where trying to gain purchase on the floor.

"That human." Derek growled out. "Is the only fucking reason I am not dead. He is the reason most of my pack isn't dead and the fucking reason I am not going to rip your throat out. If you come back here and insult my pack, threaten them or try anything like what has been happening here this week I will ensure that there will be nothing left of you for your brother to bury. Do you understand Jasmine?" Derek spat out her name.

Jasmine nodded watching Derek with suddenly wide and terrified eyes.

"Derek," John said from behind him appearing through the door.

Derek let go of Jasmine and stepped back keeping his body between her and the rest of his pack.

John stepped up and into Jasmine's space. "What is going on?"

Jasmine looked at her brother and then beyond him to Stiles. "I was just putting him in his place."

John turned and looked at Stiles, the pack stepped closer to him but Stiles pushed them away. "She's been telling me I shouldn't be in Derek's pack," Stiles explained going with the general gist of things rather than getting into anything specific. Stiles was a little confused at the way Derek had immediately let go of Jasmine, the way he stood back now. It wasn't how Derek normally acted when one of his pack had been hurt.

"Be honest," Lydia hissed in his ear.

"Fine, she's been doing it repeatedly and viciously but she was only talking until the other day when she grabbed my arm," Stiles held it out so everyone could see really wishing this was all over already.

"Not even proof of your uselessness could make them see; you broke your nose and had to be taken care of. Pathetic."

"You did that to Stiles?" John asked. "You caused that?"

Jasmine nodded glaring at the human.

"Jasmine!" John's voice was low almost a growl causing his sister's eyes to flick back to him and her head to bow. "Derek welcomed us into his house and you repaid that by attacking one of his pack?"

"He's not worth all of this."

John growled at her warningly. "Whatever you feel about humans in packs it is Derek's pack. Stiles," John turned to look at him and Derek stepped out of the way coming to stand beside but a little behind Stiles the rest of the pack adjusting to make space. "As the person who was injured you may request a punishment."

Stiles frowned. "I don't understand."

"I will be reminding Jasmine of the correct way to interact with other packs we are aligned with but as the person who was injured you are welcome to request a punishment."

"I don't want to punish her," Stiles said.

"Stiles, she hurt you-" Derek's warning look cut Lydia off even as she glared back at him.

Stiles continued. "Most of what she did was just verbal. I would be happy if she just left me alone. I don't think me punishing her is going to convince her that I have earned my place in this pack."

"Trust me Stiles she will not bother you ever again."

Stiles nodded. "Then you can do as you want."

"Derek," Jackson said stepping forward.

"Jackson be quiet," Derek said looking at his pack. "Wait and I will explain."

"Jasmine, go and pack now," John said pushing his sister in front of him. Monica followed them moments later from where she had been standing hidden by the open door.

As soon as they were gone the pack turned on Derek. Stiles stayed by his side curious about how this all worked.

"What are you doing Derek?" Scott asked coming forward. "Why are you just letting her leave?"

Derek turned to his pack and sighed. "If one of you ever did something like that I would never allow another alpha to punish you. That is my responsibility as alpha, it is accepted between packs that unless the wolf kills a member of the other pack, without certain types of provocation, their alpha is the one to hand out punishment. John has done nothing wrong," his eyes cut to Stiles who nodded. "And as such he has every right to punish Jasmine as he sees fit. She will never be allowed here again. If she comes near Stiles, or any of you again, if she attacks any of you, then I will step in. Then I will ensure she understands more fully that no one is allowed to attack any of my pack."

"That is crap," Lydia said. "You've punished people for less than this."

"Never another wolf, and never physically."

"You held Danny's ex James up against a wall and told him that if he ever treated Danny like that again you'd beat him with his own arm." Jackson pointed out. He'd wanted to do the same, to do more, at the time but Derek made it to the cheating manipulative bastard first.

"Not a werewolf, and given what happened between them I think I was justified."

"When my dad swept into town you told him to treat me and mum right or he'd be answering to you," Scott added.

"Not a werewolf."

"You yelled at me for an hour when I accidently hurt Lydia," Jackson said. "All she gets is a warning never to hurt Stiles again."

"My pack."

"You strung me up in a tree when I dislocated Stiles' shoulder." Danny added.

"My pack and you were being really reckless."

"You scratched the car of my ex-boyfriend when he posted stuff about me online."

Derek grinned at her. "Not my pack and fun."

Stiles left his pack to their argument knowing they would argue with Derek about his decision for a while but Stiles felt comfortable leaving this to John. He slipped away to the hallway where the guest rooms were and into the room with Monica after making sure Jasmine was not there.

"Stiles," Monica said looking up from her packing. "Are you okay? Would you like me to check your arm?"

"It's fine I think," Stiles looked down at it realising he was still shirtless, he'd have to go upstairs and fix that at some point. He shook his head and pulled back to the conversation.

"Can I look anyway?"

"Of course," Stiles said stepping forward. "Have a look."

Monica lifted his arm and tested it, pressing gently against the arm around the bruise and then down his arm. "Make a fist, good, wriggle your fingers. I think you're right it looks okay but just keep an eye on it. Jasmine is very strong. Given the size of the bruise and the viciousness of the colours she could have easily done some serious damage."

"And I am merely a human."

Monica laughed. "That too, the nose looks okay."

"I can breathe a little easier today than I could yesterday."

"It will take a good long time to not hurt at all."

Stiles nodded while Monica went back to the packing. "I really enjoyed meeting you and listen I know things have turned bad and I completely accept if you never want to but," Stiles handed Monica a slip of paper. "This is my number. I would like to keep in touch. I know Derek would…it's not my place but I really hope everything with Jasmine won't make you guys never come again. I mean I never want to see Jasmine again at this point but I know Derek would like to see John again. Not my place to invite you back or anything but I was hoping we could keep in touch."

Monica took the paper and tucked it into her pocket. "You'd really welcome us back?"

"Of course," Stiles said. "Unless you think I should be kicked out of Derek's pack since I'm human as well."

Monica smiled at him. "I think you are perfect for this pack just as you are Stiles."

"Me too," he said with a smile. "Do you want some help?"

"No," Monica said. "I've got it covered, you can keep me company if you want though."

Stiles nodded and moved over to the chair.

"What did she do?" Monica asked a few minutes later.

"Started off just small things, you are an omega, you are pathetic, you are just being used by Derek and the pack."

"Lovely."

"I got the impression she hasn't been completely nice to you either."

Monica smiled at him. "You do watch things carefully don't you. She isn't impressed by any made werewolf, she thinks born ones and better, stronger, more perfect."

"So she doesn't like you being bitten by her brother."

"Or marrying him, or eventually having kids. She keeps it to herself mostly, the occasional comment but John sets her right whenever he sees it. She isn't around us much. She travels and I think she has something going with a werewolf in another pack."

"And she wants Derek."

Monica nodded. "It looked like it from before we even got here, but it became obvious that wasn't going to happen when we arrived and I think that-"

"Proverbial straw?"

"Exactly, plus how…close the two of you are."

"Yeah that featured quite heavily in the private conversations we had after a while. I didn't realise how obvious I was being before she saw it."

"It's not obvious to Derek."

"Good."

"Why?" Monica asked coming over and sitting at the end of the bed so she could look at Stiles while he answered.

"I think I have now met all of Derek's exes. I don't fill either requirement."

"Requirement?"

"Female," Stiles smiled at her sadly for a moment before shaking himself when winking. "And a little batshit crazy."

Monica laughed then covered her mouth suddenly and shook her head. "You're good with the pack. But any human who willing joins a werewolf pack could be considered a little batshit."

"I have my dad, but this pack are my family as well."

"Maybe if he knew how you felt and you knew for sure how he feels things would be able to get better. I get the impression you've been interested for a long while."

Stiles nodded. "Too long but I'm not brave enough to say it. Maybe one day. Either that or I'll just be sad old Uncle Stiles who has the good toys and doesn't count how many lollies the kids have."

Monica laughed and looked like she was going to move before she grabbed Stiles' arm. "He protects me, they have had some epic fights and she is better than she used to be. But even an alpha can't change how you think. What I'm trying to say is he will punish her for what she did."

Stiles nodded. "I don't know if it will do any good but I never doubted he would. Derek trusts him to handle it and I trust Derek's instincts."

Monica stood with a decisive nod and went back to packing her and John's things.

"I'll leave you to it," Stiles said. "I hope to hear from you but I'll understand if I don't."

"I will call you," Monica assured him.

"Bye Monica," Stiles said wrapping his arms around her in a quick hug.

"Goodbye Stiles."

Stiles turned and walked out of the room and back down the hall. He bypassed his stonily silent pack in the hallway and went upstairs. He was still without a shirt and now cold from the wet pants. He had a couple smears of Lydia's blood on his arm so he stepped into the shower for a quick hot clean and then redressed. He rubbed his towel over his hair trying to decide if he hoped Jasmine was already gone when he got downstairs or not. Finally he ran out of ways to stall and he went back down.

Lydia had obviously also gone and showered her cuts healing and covered. The rest of the pack was standing around in their still wet clothes watching Stiles walking down the stairs.

"I'm fine, I was cold."

Derek nodded at him but Stiles could tell half of his attention was down the hallway where the two guest rooms were. Jasmine was still here.

"You all calm now?" He asked the rest of his pack.

"Derek explained it to us," Jackson said but Stiles could tell from the look on his face he had not accepted Derek's explanation.

"Good," Stiles said. "I think it's a very sensible idea. Letting the alpha be in charge of consequences."

"She might be let off easily," Lydia said and from the way Derek tensed Stiles knew that wasn't a new argument.

"No she won't," Stiles said before Derek could. "I trust John to do the right thing, and even if he didn't she won't be coming back."

"No she won't," Derek said.

"John and Monica can though, right?"

"You would let them?" Derek asked turning to Stiles completely for the first time.

"It's your house I wouldn't be letting them do anything. But I would welcome them if they did come."

Derek was surprised but after thinking for a moment he realised he really shouldn't be. Derek knew Stiles had gone down to see Monica before his shower while Derek had been trying to explain to his pack that letting Jasmine leave was the best thing to do. Derek had been struggling with his desire to rip Jasmine apart since he'd seen the bruise on Stiles' arm. He was supposed to protect his pack, his entire pack. His feelings for Stiles made all of this worse but the desire to punish the person who'd hurt a member of his pack was something he was familiar with. He'd felt it in every one of the instances that his pack had reminded him of to convince Derek to give into his desire for retribution.

Derek hoped that he was able to remain friends with John but he was prepared for the fact that this could mean that he would never be a welcome acquaintance of John's again.

Derek turned his head but it was Allison coming from upstairs, she'd disappeared to change during the argument less able to stand in cold clothes than the wolves in his pack. She smiled at him tightly before walking over to Stiles. His entire pack was sticking close to Stiles still. They'd known something was happening though. They knew that Jasmine was a threat even if they didn't know she was violent. They had known and Derek had no idea. He should have known. He'd seen that Stiles didn't like her, he'd known how she felt about humans in packs since she had made it obvious enough that first day. He'd never seen anything though but there had been signs and Derek had been too stupid to see them. Stiles not coming to training, he always came to training. The fact his entire pack went to Stiles' for a day instead of coming to Derek's like they normally would. The way the pack had been distant instead of coming over all the time. Derek should have known something was wrong but he'd enjoyed spending time with John, discussing things not all of his pack would or could understand, and he'd ignored it all thinking it was less of a problem than it really was.

Derek blamed himself for not seeing it but he was furious at his pack for not telling him out it when it was obvious they had known and he didn't. They should know better than to keep things like this from him. They should by now understand he would protect every single one of them. When Jasmine was gone, when the threat to his pack was out of his house then he'd have a discussion with his pack about all the ways they'd fucked up. When that was over then he'd focus on all the ways he'd fucked up.

"Doesn't anyone want a cup of tea?" Stiles finally said stepping away from his pack and heading for the kitchen. The rest of the wolves followed him but Derek remained where he was. He would not move until she was out of his house. There was only one way for her to get from her room to his pack and he was going to be standing in the way.

A few minutes later Derek heard Stiles coming out of the kitchen. "Sit the hell down seriously," obviously directed back to the rest of the pack in the kitchen.

"Here," Stiles said handing Derek a mug of tea. "I thought it might help."

"Thanks," Derek said taking a sip and then putting the tea down on the unbroken hall table.

"You just going to stand guard here until they leave?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Stiles disappeared and then moments later he's back standing next to Derek and sipping his own cup of…peppermint tea. The smell was soothing as was Stiles' presence, not that Derek really wanted to admit it.

"Do you think you'll be able to stay friends with John?" Stiles asked a few minutes later cutting through Derek's focus on the hallway.

"I hope so, but she is his sister."

Stiles nodded. "Thank you."

Derek spun and looked at Stiles; there was nothing that Stiles could possibly have to thank him for. "What for?"

"For not attacking Jasmine, for leaving her to John, for telling her that I saved your life."

"Stiles, don't thank me for leaving Jasmine be, if I didn't like John so much I wouldn't have been able to stop myself. She hurt you deliberately."

"I'm glad you didn't regardless, it would have just made her angrier. She wants you back."

"I'm not interested." Derek said. "And I was never hers."

"She didn't know that. She kept telling me how things were going to change when she was a part of the pack, when she was your mate and she had control."

"She would have never been my mate. I don't have one."

"Oh." Stiles said and then took another sip of his tea.

"And Stiles," Derek reached out and rested his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I was being truthful when I said you saved my life, that you'd saved all our lives. You have more than earned your place in the pack, not that you ever needed to but if you did you've done so time and time again. She's wrong, you belong here."

Stiles beamed at him. "It's nice to hear that sometimes but I know and I'm not going anywhere."

Derek smiled. He wanted to pull Stiles close and tell him that he loved him, that he wanted to kill that bitch for thinking she could talk to Stiles like she had. That Stiles was everything Derek wanted out a mate and that he wanted to do something terrible to himself for allowing it to happen under his nose, in his own house. But he bit his lip and held it in and reminded himself that this was just more of a reason to keep his distance. If Stiles became anything more than he already was in the pack then he would be vulnerable to more attacks like this one. Derek would be vulnerable to more attacks like this one. More likely though Stiles would be very polite, very sweet and he'd yank Derek's heart out of his chest when he told Derek that he cared for the werewolf but he just wasn't interested.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise what was happening." Derek said instead.

"They knew Laura you wanted to spend time with them. Jasmine took advantage. It isn't your fault. I made sure no one told you."

"Don't do that again. You, everyone in the pack are more important than people I knew a long time ago," Derek said firmly.

Derek wanted to say more when he heard John and his pack moving down the hallway. He heard his own pack moving in the kitchen, they had been able to hear the other pack too. Moments later John appeared in the hallway Jasmine coming behind with her head down. He could hear the rest of the pack moving behind Stiles. John stopped in front of Derek but Jasmine and Monica kept moving out the door. Derek watched her until the door close firmly behind her. If she was willing to break Stiles' nose when everyone was watching he really didn't want to think about what she would be capable of now that she had nothing to lose.

"I'm sorry about her behaviour Derek," John said when he had Derek's attention. "She knows better than this."

"It's not your fault John," Derek said.

John nodded. "Stiles…Monica mentioned your conversation I hope that we are able to take you up on your offer."

Stiles stepped forward and held his hand out to John. John gripped his hand and shook it. "It was very nice to meet you John, I hope we meet again."

Stiles tried pulled his hand back but John kept a grip. "Stiles, I know my sister is prejudiced against humans in werewolf packs not that I realised how bad it was but she is wrong Stiles. I can see why Derek made you part of his pack, a very valuable one if your aim is any indication."

Stiles smiled at him. "Thanks."

Derek stepped forward when John and Stiles let go.

"Goodbye," John said to the pack behind Stiles. They all said their goodbyes and wished him a safe journey.

"I'll see you out," Derek said smiling at John.

"Not quite how I expected us to be leaving," John said when they were standing on the porch. Derek could see Jasmine and Monica sitting in the car.

"Neither did I," Derek said with a sigh.

"She never used to be so prejudiced."

Derek nodded. "I don't remember her being that bad."

"I'll sort it out," John said. "Thank you for leaving it to me."

"That's the way things are done," Derek reminded him.

"Yes but given that she picked Stiles I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd lost a little control."

"Stiles?"

John looked at him. "Oh Derek don't be silly of course I've noticed. You should hurry up and do something."

"He's not," Derek said. "I'm not. It's not."

"Right," John said. "Forget it."

"He's part of my pack but it's nothing more than that."

"Exactly how he feels as well," John said.

Derek nodded. John punched him on the arm and shook his head.

"I will keep in touch better this time."

"Really?" Derek asked.

"Stiles gave Monica his phone number, seems he would like to keep in touch with us so really how can I hold a grudge when it was Jasmine's fault."

Derek grinned at him. "I'm really happy about that."

"Good," John let out a deep breath and his face hardened. "We had best be off. I'll call you."

"Bye John," Derek said. "Pass it along to Monica. I hope things get better with Jasmine."

John nodded and with a final handshake he walked out to the car. Derek stood on the verandah until the car disappeared and the door opened behind him.

"They're gone?" Allison asked.

"Yeah."

"Come on, Derek." Stiles said. "Come inside, I'm sure you'll hear from John again."

Derek nodded and walked inside with his pack.

Stiles pulled him into the kitchen. "Your tea will be cold. I'll make you a new one."

"I'll make the tea. I can't poison anyone boiling water," Jackson said.

"No," Derek said. "None of us changed after being caught outside. Everyone upstairs and into dry clothes."

"Perfect," Stiles said. "Allison and I will make tea."

Allison followed Stiles into the kitchen but Derek grabbed Lydia's hand and nodded up the stairs. She frowned but followed him. Derek waited until all of his pack was at the top of the stairs before he turned on them. He watched them all for a moment and against his better judgement he started to pace.

"Obviously I have somehow made you four idiots think that just because I have never been much of a dictator that I am not your alpha." Derek turned to them all, allowed himself to half transform, his mouth full of teeth, his eyes electric blue and his fingers tipped with vicious claws. "If any of you ever fucking let someone take advantage of your pack mate without telling me again I can assure you I will leave you no doubt as to exactly what punishment is. Do you understand?"

"Derek." Lydia started stepping forward.

"No!" Derek bellowed out, his voice deep and terrifying the wolf just shy of breaking out. "I know I should have seen it so don't start Lydia. But I didn't. Your job as a pack is to take care of your pack mates. You should have told me. I wouldn't have allowed her to hurt him like that."

"Stiles told us not to." Danny said. "If we had known she turned physical we never would have…he said she had been rude to him. Called him an omega. We never would have kept it from you if we knew what she was doing."

"You know we would never allow something to happen to him, he's our family," Scott said. "I would never allow anything to happen to him. He never told us it was anything worse than her telling him that he shouldn't be here and implying he was an omega. If we'd known how bad she was we never would have agreed to keep it from you."

Derek could hear the guilt in what his pack was saying. They hadn't know how bad it was and they felt they should have too. Derek was glad they realised how desperately bad this could have been. He wasn't letting them off the hook, just being mean to Stiles and bullying him was enough to have been mentioned to Derek.

"I don't care. I don't care if he makes you swear a blood oath not to tell me if something is going on, if someone is harassing of one of the pack you need to tell me. That is my job as alpha, to protect you, to help you." Derek started pacing again his eyes flicking between green and electric blue.

"He's okay. We were taking care of him," Lydia said.

"I know but I should have…if I'd known she wouldn't have had a chance to hurt him like that." Derek said looking at them all his pale green eyes uncomfortably vulnerable. He turned and left the room walking into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

The End

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This is where Chapter 7 of Apartment.

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This is the end of the story as far as the Growling 'Verse is involved however as many of you know I write some alternate ficlets that get them together when all the UST is killing me :) if you are interested in reading an alternate ending to this where they get together that won't be verse compliant when I finally put this verse into one chronological story I am interested in writing it though with uni still being lovely and hectic, the big bang I am writing for TW and the championships coming up the updates might be slow.