*Stiles Voice Over*

When you're the only one of your friends who is human, you come to think there is nothing in life that'll surprise you after a while. When you face down with hunters, psychotic werewolves, evil druids, killer Alphas, dark spirits, legendary beasts, immortal crazed scientists, and all the added trials of every day life...

You go into life, feet first, thinking you'll be ready for anything.

When people talk about the latest horror movie, show, or book you just roll your eyes and smirk. Those people will call you a skeptic or a cynic, or question what the hell happened in your life to not be scared about the things that go bump in the night.

It's not that you're not scared, cos damn if you're not. It's just that you don't let fear keep you down. To quote Four from the Divergent series, 'Fear didn't shut me down, it woke me up.' Those things that went bump in the night that scared normal people, were real threats to people that I loved. As much as I just wanted to close my eyes and pretend none of it was happening, it was. And people I loved and cared for were in the middle of the hot zone.

So yeah, I thought I was about ready for anything.

And truth be told, like many of us, we thought we finally settled into an easy and peaceful time.

After high school graduation, a lot of stayed close to Beacon. It was McCall Pack territory and we all worked too hard to drop that title. I only went for a semester in college before Beacon took another hit of serial killings. I applied to the academy and became a deputy. Between my dad, Parrish, and I we managed to keep control from the law side of things. Deaton and Melissa helped on the medical front, along with Chris Argent who fell into a grey area.

Everyone was soon coming back, finding their place in Beacon Hills. Even if it wasn't as direct in it's safety like my being a deputy, they all helped when the Pack was needed. We strengthen the effect of the pack. Fewer supernatural attacks until it was all very quiet. Alliances with Deucalion helped. As well as Braeden. Chris's hunter connections didn't hurt either. So when I got a call from Quantico to come in for my exams...I didn't feel guilty about leaving.

That was...until it happened.

Let me just state, for the record, even if I believed a Zombie Apocalypse was plausible, I never thought I'd be going through it with Scott's dad.

"How'd it go?"

"Two cans of tuna, a can of Sloppy Joe sauce, and four packs for teriyaki beef jerky." Stiles said as he looked through his backpack, opening it up to let the older man see.

Rafael McCall nodded, "And weapons?"

"A pocket knife, three kitchen knives that were part of a set I think, and a multi-tool screwdriver set." Stiles answered and then asked, "You?"

"There was a food delivery truck. Anything organic rotted but there was some stuff. Two 24 bottle cases of water, and three of Poweraid. We have enough food to get us through for a while."

"Just enough to the next town at least. But we're not going anywhere until I can replace a few parts to the Jeep." Stiles told him.

Knowing that he can't make the case of switching vehicles and to not waste any more time, Rafael nodded. "Alright...but we don't have that much day light left. We look around for parts for another hour and then we head back to base. If we don't have everything by the end of today, tomorrow will be dedicated to finding those parts and siphoning enough fuel to get us away from this city. Alright?"

Stiles nodded. "Meet back at base in an hour then?"

Rafael nodded and the two headed in different directions.

After making sure their supplies were secure and all the parts that Roscoe needed were safe, Rafael and Stiles head to their chosen base camp. Inside they double checked to make sure everything was clear before they began to barricade themselves inside. Once they were confident the doors and any windows were boarded and blocked, they settled down and had something to eat. Their plan had been the same since the beginning. Get to Beacon alive and in one piece. Being as far away as they were, they needed to be smart with their food.

They each had just one can of tuna and a strip of beef jerky.

"I'll take first watch tonight." Stiles offered.

Rafael shook his head. "This place has been quiet for a while. Any activity is on the other side of town...plus we covered our tracks. And we're barricaded in. We'll set an alarm and both sleep. If we want to have energy to find all the things for the Jeep, then we need all the rest we can get."

Stiles looked uncertain but then a yawn broke out of him and he reluctantly agreed. It was decided that batteries wound be used for flashlights and other important situation and emergencies. When they broke into a department store to loot supplies, Stiles grabbed a handful of sport/wrist watches. Watch batteries living a very long life, and they each had two on each hand. They set an alarm for three different times. Dawn, mid-day/noon, and dusk.

It was very easy to lose track of time these days. Every few days, Stiles makes a sun dial to make sure their watches are right. But just don't ask him how many days it's been. He's lost track of those.

Derek slammed his hand into the bottom door of a station wagon's trunk.

"That's it..." he let out a shaky breath. "I'm losing it. Hell, maybe I've already lost it!"

It was insane of him to think he actually caught the scent of someone familiar anyway. Everyone he knew was back in Beacon. As far as he knew, there wasn't anyone out there on East Coast but him. Whatever he thought he smelled, it was all in his head. He's been alone too long. Without proper rest, food or water, and the smell of rotting flesh in his werewolf heightened sense of smell...it was all just...it was wearing him down.

He roamed around for a while.

Part of him thought about...opting out. He thought about doing that more times than he was willing to admit. With the guilt he's carried before all this happened made it even easier. But he could never go through with it. His animal instincts always kicked in and pushed him towards an animal's main goal. Survival.

He was about to head back to the shit-hole he's been calling home for the last couple weeks when the wind changed direction and he caught the scent again. He took big whiffs of air. He smelled a lot of the same. Death and destruction, chaos and gun powder. But hidden beneath or between or a mix of all that...

"Stiles..."

Derek ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He dodged corners and made sharp turns, leaped over stuff but he finally saw it.

Dented, rusty, but still as blue and beautiful as he remembered.

But no Stiles in sight.

That made Derek worry. Was Stiles even alive? Or had he been out here in this shit-storm and died along the way and someone just jacked his Jeep?

No!

Derek shook his head and refused to believe Stiles was dead. Looking up to the sky he saw that it was getting dark. The Walkers became more active at night. By now people have learned the basic habits of these things and what to do. When it gets dark you hunker down in a place you make sure no one can reach you. That's what Stiles did, he told himself. He's fine and secure, and waiting for morning to come to his Jeep and move out.

Opening the Jeep Derek reassures himself of his mental ramblings, nearing pleas, with noticing how fresh Stiles's scent was in his Jeep. He's been around it recently and that gave Derek a comfort like nothing before. He climbed into the back and rummaged through the things there. He found a piece of clothing. It was dark from dirty and long wear, holes and tears every so often, as well as different color string that patched up even more holes. He lifted it up to his nose and took a deep breath, and nearly got high off of the calming scent of Stiles that came off of it. If he was right, and he was over 90% sure he was, this was the same red hoody Stiles has used plenty of times during his adventures in Beacon.

It made him smile.

He used it as a pillow as he laid out in the back seat. Closing his eyes he rested for maybe an hour or so...time was tricky these days. But he was restless and anxious to see Stiles again. He let himself focus on the Jeep. Breathe in and out Stiles's scent. But as he took into account all he smelled inside, he noticed something from the front and the back. The amount of smells that were similar to a mechanic's garage. Break oil, anti-freeze, gasoline. Derek raised an eyebrow before getting out. Walking to the front of the Jeep he popped the hood and used his werewolf eyes to assess the damage.

And there was damage.

No wonder Stiles was still there. The Jeep wouldn't make it far in this condition.

Looking up at the sky Derek knew it was dangerous to be out, even as a werewolf. But if he at least began repairs, it would make getting the Jeep up and running tomorrow go faster. The sooner that's done, the sooner he and Stiles can begin their journey home.

Derek pulled the hoody over his head and let out a sigh of relief. It was...tighter than he'd like, but it was comforting. Once he looked at the damage done and what needed fixing, he turned on his werewolf eyes and began to seek out cars he knew would have the parts needed. Going here and there to look for the tools he needed to get things done.

He ran into four zombies.

They weren't a match for his werewolf strength, but getting them to not attract the attention of others to Stiles's Jeep was annoying.

All the while he was out searching for tools and parts, Derek kept his nose and ears out for Stiles, hoping to catch a hint, but...no. No luck.

But that's okay. By morning he'd see Stiles. Right now he'd concentrate on the Jeep.

"So, you got a plan?" Raf asked as he and Stiles gathered their gear and headed to the Jeep.

"Yeah. I know which cars I want to look through to get the parts we need. I remembered where most of them are from our scouting yesterday." Stiles replied.

Both were armed with their agent standard hand guns, though they each had a few more hidden on their bodies...and well, two bigger guns not as well hidden poking out of their bags. They were armed, but low on amo. Plus considering noise attracts the zombies, they only used them as a last resort.

They were nearing the Jeep when Raf motion them to stop. Stiles looked at him questionably, and the older man pointed to the Jeep. Concentrating hard, Stiles tries to see what Rafael was spooked about.

Then he saw it. Movement.

"Oh, hell no! No damn Walker's gonna be making a mess in Roscoe!" Stiles exclaimed as he marched up to his Jeep.

"Stiles!"

Stiles reached into his side for a pocket knife, "Don't worry, I won't make any unneeded noise."

Reaching for the door handle, Stiles raised his knife with Rafael standing behind him, gun at the ready, and then he pulled. What he saw was...

"Derek!?"

"Ugh...Wha-Stiles?!" Derek jumped out of the Jeep and stood in front of Stiles.

"Oh my god! Is it...Oh my-" Stiles was about to jump on Derek but Rafael yanked him back.

Stiles looked at him questionably but Rafael didn't lower his gun from Derek's head.

"Whose blood is that?" Rafael demanded.

That's when Stiles noticed all of Derek and not just that Derek was there and not dead or undead or unaccounted for. He was as dirty as any person they came across, but the blood was present and it couldn't be ignored. Worry flared in Stiles like a wild fire.

Derek looked down at himself before looking back at the two. Though he spoke to McCall he was looking at Stiles. "Walker. I ran into a few while I was out last night."

"What? Are you crazy!? You're not supposed to be out a night with those things out there!" Stiles exclaimed.

"I saw the Jeep. Checked under the hood. It needed repairs. I got to work on it."

"Were you bit?" McCall demanded.

Derek nearly laughed at the question, but if he somehow kept any sense of humor after his family was killed, the zombie apocalypse killed whatever remained. "No. I don't have a gun...when I have to kill a Walker, I have to unfortunately get close."

Rafael and Stiles shared a look and Derek sighed before he began to strip. He kept his shoes on but he dropped his pants and pulled over his tank top. Stiles averted his eyes, but McCall looked because he was looking for any bites or scratches. When he didn't see any he let out a sigh of relief and lowered his gun. "What progress have you made on the Jeep?"

"Other than some fuel, I think I have it as fixed as I could get it with the thing I had...it can get us out of town anyway. Can we...I mean, can I..."

Stiles lunged himself at Derek and hugged the hell out of him. "Of course you're coming with us! We're going to get home...the three of us. We're going home."

"I wish you'd stay in the Jeep and let us handle it." Derek sighed as he grabbed the cables and began to connect them to their proper place.

"And I wish you'd understand that this is my Jeep and I will oversee anything done to it. Plus...it's night. We all need to be alert." Stiles told him while he made adjustments.

"My senses can alert us if there's any Walkers heading our way. And considering we're out int he open, the inside if the safest place for you." Derek told him.

"It could also work as a way to trap me. And there's three of us, Derek. We have to work as a team. No need to overexert yourself. You don't have to woo us...so don't go wasting any useful energy, okay?" Stiles told him in turn.

He's seen it happen before in some of the groups they've passed. Those were led some groups, expected new members to show their worth. Sometimes in reasonable ways, like gathering food or supplies. But also some of the darker stuff like...putting out as a sex slave.

"You guys ready?" McCall called from the car they hotwired.

Stiles nodded to Derek, who nodded back, before getting into the driver's seat and calling out, "Ready! Go!"

They drove for hours and hours.

Every six hours or so, switching drivers. With there being three of them now, they dared to drive at night as well. One would sleep in the back while one drove and the other kept analyzing their map.

Due to some major road blocks caused by the chaos of the beginning of the apocalypse, they sometimes had to make U-Turns and use bypasses and side roads. One time they ran out of gas in the middle of the road with no other cars in sight to siphon fuel from. Not wanting to risk leaving anyone behind, they grabbed their important gear and walked seven miles before they could get gas.

They made it a few states before Derek, with the most mechanic knowledge of the three, told them the Jeep couldn't take much more without some tuning. With all the progress they made in getting West, they were all disappointed by the stop, but Stiles understood, and so did McCall.

The dynamic was a little weird, Stiles noticed it. He knew what it was too. He's always been aware that he's never really been an Alpha Male. Being assertive and dominating in some respects, still didn't give him an Alpha personality. Something that both Derek and Rafael had. Their survival instincts were all the same and kept them on the same page so far, but Stiles was beginning to notice how the others reacted rather...off, to the other's suggestions.

Stiles made sure to intervene before anything got ugly. Like when they arrived in a town that seemed to be deserted. Derek and Rafael began to argue about what place they'd bunker down in. Why hospitals and clinics were a bad idea even if they probably had their own generators and some much needed medical supplies, to the school which may have much needed supplies and room for them to be safe for a few days and they could hide the Jeep.

Luckily he was driving, so he ignored both of them.

He knew where they needed to go. It took some driving, but they finally arrived.

"Sheriff's station?" Rafael asked.

Stiles drove into the parking lot which had a tall gate which he mentally told himself to come lock if and when the inside was secure. When he found a place to park, he shut off the engine and got out to stretch. Rafael and Derek got out too and looked at Stiles expectantly.

Rolling his eyes, Stiles began to explain while heading to the trunk for his stuff. "The hospital's too dangerous. Any place that was once used to store dead bodies is dangerous. What we need are tools and weapons. This is our best shot to get weapons and other emergency items and tools. Maybe even find a working radio and find other people. Sheriff's stations, like hospitals are equipped to survive dangerous situations. Zombie apocalypses were always a joke that should have, in hind sight, be taken more seriously, but my point is, this is were we're more likely to find some of the good stuff. Amo and weapons, food and water, clean clothes..."

They followed Stiles inside and they did a thorough sweep, with Derek nodding to Stiles that he didn't hear anyone other than them. Stiles ran outside and locked the gate and did a perimeter check with Derek and secured all sides, as well as any vehicle left on the lot.

Back inside, Stiles headed straight to the locker rooms and turned on the water. He held his hand under the stray for a moment and then he smiled brightly at the other two, "We got hot water!"

"What? No way." Rafael said breathlessly as he went to see for himself. And yes...that was hot water. "But how? Power went out of this place...months ago!"

"I told you. Sheriff's station, like the hospitals are equipped to survive and remain alive, even after an emergency. Granted, before that was a mega storm like a tornado or hurricane...or a lasting black out." Stiles's face darkened a bit before he snapped out of whatever thoughts and looked back at the other two. "This place has it's own generators and propane lines. I don't know how long we'll have it, but we should enjoy while we can."

"Find anything?" Derek asked McCall.

"Guns. Lots of them...not as many as there should be, but more than enough for all of us." He replied.

Derek looked around the armory and nodded, seeing gaps of where weapons used to be. "And amo?"

"We got plenty of that too. You find anything around this place?" McCall asked while he motioned his finger in a circle.

"Some boxed food. The sort you find for a can drive." Derek mentioned, pointing towards the direction. "We have enough canned food. Plus water you and Stiles got from the city. And the one from here looks clean enough."

"I'd still feel safer boiling it. Just to be safe." McCall stated.

Derek nodded. "After doing proper inventory, tomorrow I can head out and see if I can catch us some meat."

"You hunt?"

"Enough."

"Well...don't get over zealous. Our plan is to fix up the Jeep and head home. Stick to squirrels and bunnies."

"You looked stressed." Stiles commented as he entered the room Derek was in.

"Am I supposed to feel anything else?" Derek asked, and there was tension in his voice.

Stiles shrugged. "I...I don't know. I just...you normally try to keep it all well hidden. I'm wondering what has you like this, that it's visible for even me to notice."

Derek sighed, "Sorry...I just...you and me? I consider you my friend, but I don't make friends easily. I'm not even sure we are, but it's the closest thing I've got to a friend."

Stiles stepped forward and grabbed Derek's hand, "We are friends, Derek."

That made the edges of Derek's lips twitch upwards. "I'm glad. Doesn't make it easier..."

"What?" Stiles pressed. Wanting to know, if it meant helping Derek.

"Why aren't you home? Why...why were you out there, with Scott's dad, of all people?"

Stiles smiled sadly. With Derek's hand still in his, he pulled him along until they were in a conference/questioning room that had couches.

"Even though I was the only human, one who could walk away if I wanted to...it didn't feel like I could. Protecting Beacon would always be in my blood. For a while when I was a deputy alongside Parrish, I felt like I was doing something. Making a difference. But then the pack started coming back and...I wasn't doing as much anymore. I still was, but...in comparison, ya know?" Stiles shrugged. "Anyway...so at some point I sent in an application to Quantico. I knew it was a long shot. The amount of people they accept...comparing my qualifications against others who have had more...I didn't think I'd get in. But still...I hoped."

"And you got in." Derek said. "And you worked with McCall?"

Stiles shook his head, "No. But he heard my name being mentioned and well...his relationship with Scott and Melissa was getting better. Hell, even his and my dad's. I mean, it wasn't like we went out to eat or games or anything...but we acknowledged each other at work."

"So when all hell broke loose, you two paired up?"

"Not exactly. At first I had a desk job. I was slowly working my way into the field and it was in one of those instance when a suspect pulled a knife on me. He stabbed me and I had to be taken to the hospital. That's where I was when shit went down."

Derek's eyes widened and Stiles nodded. Hospitals were major hot zones when all this started. Either crawling with Walkers or army officials who were shooting up like crazy, letting panic rule them.

"I'm not sure how he did it, I was still doped up pretty bad with meds, but he got me out. He managed to find us shelter but it wasn't easy. I couldn't be moved easily or quickly. People were terrified of infection, which is what happened to my wound. But Rafael didn't give up on me. He cleaned my wound and risked his life getting the antibiotics I needed. It wasn't easy, or fun, but I pulled through. And the rest...well, it's history."

Stiles let the hot water run over his tired and achy body. If they were moving soon, it didn't really matter if he used up a lot of the hot water. Hot showers were a luxury and he won't know if this was his last. So he wanted to enjoy it and not think about a bunch of other things. Like the things he's seen and has had to do, or wonder if any of his friends are even still alive. Or if his dad-

The door to the locker room opened and he looked over to see who it was.

Derek, fully naked, stalked into the showers with his eyes on Stiles. They made eye contact, with neither of them blinking. Soon Derek was under the spray with him. Their bodies pressed together and Stiles felt that Derek was as aroused as he was becoming.

He closed his eyes as Derek did too and leaned in. He didn't want to think. Thinking only depressed him with all of the facts that were his reality. This? This was a good distraction though. One he planned to enjoy.