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Title: <\/b>Do Something <\/p>\n \u201cThis is wrong Scott,\u201d Stiles ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the ends as he paced the small room in the vet\u2019s office. \u201cYou know that you can\u2019t do this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t wrong,\u201d Scott disagreed, self-righteous indignation dripping from every word, exuding from every breath. \u201cDeaton says it’s the only way to set things right, to restore the balance that we messed up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDeaton says?\u201d Stiles turned suddenly, stepping up into Scott\u2019s space, forcing the true alpha to take a step back, despite the fact that Stiles was a mere human in Scott’s eyes. \u201cWhen Scott, when did we <\/i>screw up the balance?\u201d He gestured what was left of the pack that huddled in the room around them.<\/p>\n The world was at war. It had been for the last four years since the night that Scott and Deaton had attempted a cleansing ritual at the nematon and ended up exposing the supernatural world in a single instant by forcing shifts and destroying glamours across the globe.<\/p>\n The lines weren\u2019t clear-cut either. Humans had been a part of the supernatural world since the beginning, and there were certain supernaturals that the mundane world currently accepted at their side as allies; druids, mages, and any that could claim a less monstrous visage.<\/p>\n Beacon Hills had briefly become a refuge for supernaturals and their families when the bombing of Bialowieza Forest occurred six months after the reveal. Someone had discovered that packs were living in and near the forests and preserves across the world. Now it was just as desolate and lawless as the rest of the world.<\/p>\n The Beacon Hills pack had taken shelter in the vet clinic two days ago when the Erinyes had appeared; no one knew why they\u2019d shown up. Now Deaton was suggesting the most asinine plan Stiles had ever heard of.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course we upset the balance Stiles,\u201d Scott insisted, \u201cDeaton would know, he\u2019s our emissary and a druid. It\u2019s our fault that the world is like this. We just need to do this and everything will be better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cScott,\u201d Stiles closed his eyes, reigning in his fraying temper, feeling his magic sparking in his chest. He swallowed it down, now wasn\u2019t the time for Deaton to discover just how much power he had, and it had been a long time since he\u2019d trusted Scott to know the true extent of his power. \u201cYou want to capture a furie <\/i>and ritually sacrifice it so that you can somehow put a spell on the world to make them stop fighting, really?\u201d He asked incredulously. \u201cYou seriously don\u2019t see the problem with this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to Stiles,\u201d Scott set his jaw. \u201cBesides, I\u2019m the true alpha and I\u2019ve made my decision. This is for the good of the world. They need to have peace and learn to get along, whether they want to or not.\u201d With that, Scott turned and left the room.<\/p>\n Stiles stared after him. He didn\u2019t know exactly when Scott had gone so far off the rails, but he decided it wasn\u2019t too long after he\u2019d been bitten. He shook his head and took a last look at those gathered in the room.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s making a mistake,\u201d Stiles said, knowing it was a lost cause. None of the people in here had been around in the beginning. None of them had known Scott before his elevation to the vaunted true alpha status. While Stiles thought it was bullshit at this point, it carried some weight among the supernatural world that he would never understand, mostly because it was Scott who had attained it at sixteen and newly bitten.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the alpha,\u201d Tomek, a werecat from Poland, said with a shrug. \u201cWhat choice do we have anymore, the world…there is nothing left Mieczys\u0142aw.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles looked at the rest of them and thought suddenly of his dad with an ache that took his breath away. \u201cGood men do nothing,\u201d He murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that Stiles?\u201d Deaton asked from the doorway.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d Stiles said, waving him off. \u201cI\u2019m going to head out and see if I can make it home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t safe out there,\u201d Deaton cautioned.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to be a part of this Deaton,\u201d Stiles said. \u201cI can\u2019t stop you or the \u2018true alpha,\u2019 but I\u2019m not going to take part in this farce, and I\u2019m not going to pull your asses out of the fire when it blows up in your faces this time. I\u2019m done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe balance must be restored, Stiles,\u201d Deaton responded solemnly. \u201cWe all have our parts to play, I\u2019m sure that you\u2019ll play your part when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles felt a chill skitter up his back and forced a tight smile, \u201cI\u2019m sure I\u2019ll do what I have to do when the time comes, but I\u2019m done cleaning up Scott\u2019s messes.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned, leaving without another word, suddenly in a hurry to get home and see what the devices he\u2019d stuck in the clinic a few months before had been recording. He thought the conversation currently going on would be relevant to his state of health.<\/p>\n He managed to make his way across town and into his house on foot, avoiding both the furies and anyone who might be looking to take out alone human. Stiles’ house was fortified well. Due to some creative rune work, it would stand against just about anything short of a siege.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck, I could really use you right now Peter.\u201d Stiles leaned his head back on the door closing his eyes, trying not to think about the death of the wolf.<\/p>\n He\u2019d given his life so Stiles and Derek could escape a hunter\u2019s trap three years before, the ultimate redemption Stiles guessed, but Stiles could use Peter\u2019s viciously intelligent mind right now.<\/p>\n Stiles pushed off the door, setting the emergency warding, making sure nobody could enter the house without his invitation, and headed towards his dad\u2019s old office to turn on the listening devices. If they weren\u2019t talking now, he\u2019d see what had been recorded for the previous days. He needed to know what was being hidden because what he\u2019d been told was already bad enough.<\/p>\n He clicked the desk lamp on, forgoing the overhead light, and took a seat in the desk chair before pulling out his keys to unlock the desk drawers. Pulling the largest of them open, he turned the device on and pulled on the headphones. He doubted that Rafe McCall had meant for him to use the equipment in this manner when he\u2019d smuggled it to him before he\u2019d been killed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need him, Scott,\u201d Deaton\u2019s voice was coming through clear. There was a rustle of papers. Stiles guessed they were in the office in the back of the clinic. It was warded and soundproofed, so the rest of the pack wouldn\u2019t be able to hear them if the door was closed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do we need Stiles for this?\u201d Scott\u2019s asked, close to whining. \u201cHe\u2019ll just get in the way. He said he doesn\u2019t want to do this, and you know how stubborn he can be, he\u2019d mess it all up, and you said we need to do this so that everyone will be balanced and peaceful under me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe do need to do the ritual,\u201d Deaton agreed, \u201cYou can see how out of balance the world is. You\u2019re the true alpha, and I believe that this is what you\u2019re destined for, to bring balance and peace to our world, to rule the balance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo why do we need Stiles?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles could practically see the stubborn jut of Scott\u2019s wonky jaw and his scrunched nose as he glared at the wall because he\u2019d never dare glare directly at Deaton.<\/p>\n \u201cStiles is a spark,\u201d Deaton said patiently, \u201cHe harbored the nogitsune in his body and soul. The dichotomy of the two created a false balance in him that can help feed the ritual, give it the power it needs to boost it to the level it needs to cover the entire world and not just our corner of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not going to kill Stiles?\u201d<\/p>\n At least Scott sounded shocked and appalled by that, Stiles thought with a bitter twist of his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cHe should be fine,\u201d Deaton dismissed Scott\u2019s worries, \u201cYou must remember he\u2019s been corrupted by the nogitsune, even though that helps our cause, it might be what dooms him in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n There was silence, and all Stiles heard was his heartbeat in his ears; he closed his eyes as he leaned forward, feeling his heartbreaking.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Scotty shut the bastard down. Be the Scott McCall I know you are,\u201d He whispered helplessly, feeling tears begin to drip from his eyelashes.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you\u2019re right,\u201d Scott responded. \u201cWe have to do what is best for the world. If Stiles was in his right mind, if he wasn\u2019t poisoned by the nogitsune so long ago, he wouldn\u2019t be fighting me on everything. He\u2019d be the first one to help me with this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he would be,\u201d Deaton agreed. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t need to be awake for the ritual. We can put him to sleep. He doesn\u2019t even need to know about it until it’s over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Scott enthused. There was a smacking sound. Stiles guessed that Scott had clapped his hands together in his enthusiasm at the idea. \u201cThat\u2019s perfect. When he wakes up, he\u2019ll see I was right, and if he doesn\u2019t wake up, he\u2019ll never know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you know what to do,\u201d Deaton advised. \u201cGet your pack together and set your trap for the fury and get Stiles to the ritual site in three days before the new moon rises.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Deaton,\u201d Scott said earnestly. \u201cI won\u2019t let you down. You\u2019re doing important work. I\u2019ll make sure that everyone knows that once I\u2019m the true alpha of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles heard a door slam shut a minute later and waited to see if Deaton would say anything else. When the line remained silent, barring the rustle of paper, he turned off the audible sound and set it back to record only. He took off the headphones and put his head in his hands, allowing himself a brief moment to sob as the final death knell to his friendship was made.<\/p>\n Gathering himself, he wiped his face with the tail of his shirt and stood straightening his spine. The Scott McCall he knew was dead, he\u2019d died long ago, and the time to mourn him was long past, now it was time to act. He knew what they had planned, or at least what Deaton had told Scott. Stiles doubted that Deaton had told Scott the truth of the ritual he had planned, just as he doubted that any of them barring Deaton would be coming out of it alive.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not dying for that bastard again,\u201d Stiles stated with conviction, letting his voice echo around the room. There was nobody to hear him but the ghosts of memory that lingered in the walls and furnishings anyway.<\/p>\n He turned to the bookshelf behind the desk and grabbed the books he needed. He had a few emergency plans in place. He\u2019d expected to be including Scott and the pack in them, but needs must, and he\u2019s made contingencies for this scenario. It wasn\u2019t like he hadn\u2019t seen the crumbling of their friendship. He\u2019d been holding onto it with his fingertip because, at this point, it was all he\u2019d had left. Everyone else was dead or as good as.<\/p>\n Derek and Cora had disappeared a couple years back, his dad had died in the first year of the fighting, and the original pack members had gone down early on too. They\u2019d been too young, not one of them prepared for what had come. New pack members had come and died over the years.<\/p>\n For all, the Beacon Hills was a refuge. It was also a death trap; it was still a beacon for the deadly and the power-hungry among the supernatural. Those looking to harvest what they could from the nematon or the power sleeping still in the Hale territory that neither Scott nor Deaton had been able to harvest.<\/p>\n Stiles set the books on the desk and sat back in the chair. He flipped a few open to the pages he was looking for, coming to the spells he wanted. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. He suddenly felt tired and so much older than his twenty-two years. He\u2019d barely made it out of high school before the rest of the world had gone to shit.<\/p>\n Sighing, he went back to what he needed to do. There wasn\u2019t anything left here for him to save and that narrowed down the spells he\u2019d used. He set aside some of the books since they\u2019d been about protecting the town as a whole. He pulled another forward, tracing his fingers over the page. It was so old that he knew the only thing holding it together was magic. He refused to speculate about what the book was made out of because going in that direction led to horror and things best left buried in the past of supernatural terrors.<\/p>\n This spell would require a great sacrifice and, ironically, his death. There was no guarantee that he\u2019d succeed in his goal, but if he did, it would be worth it. He wondered if he could go back far enough. Stiles studied the spell and contemplated the math. He could, in theory, try for the Hale fire, but he didn\u2019t know if his spark would carry him that far. He knew that he could make it to the point of Laura Hale\u2019s death and Peter\u2019s ascension to alpha.<\/p>\n He\u2019d have to choose a nexus point; luckily, there were a few during the periods he was looking at. He could be overly ambitious and go for Paige\u2019s death, the peace summit, the Hale fire, Laura\u2019s death, or Scott\u2019s bite. He didn\u2019t want to wait until later than that, and he definitely wasn\u2019t going to allow Scott to get bitten again if he could prevent it.<\/p>\n He thought of Derek and of Peter and decided to aim for the peace summit. If he could stop or delay the formation of the alpha pack and stop the Hale fire, he might be able to prepare for the outing of the supernatural world better.<\/p>\n His radio crackled while he contemplated how he would complete his preparations without anyone catching on.<\/p>\n \u201cStiles, you there,\u201d Scott hissed and sputtered over the connection. They\u2019d lost cell towers a few months ago and didn\u2019t expect them to be back up any time soon. \u201cStiles, answer the radio. This is important.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles sighed, rolling away from the desk to the cabinet that held the radio. He pressed the button and leaned into the microphone.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here Scott,\u201d He replied, not bothering to hide his irritation. \u201cI don\u2019t have long to talk, I have things to do. Radio communication is for emergencies only.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know Stiles,\u201d Scott responded a second later, either oblivious to Stiles\u2019 irritation or it didn\u2019t get through over the radio. \u201cI wanted to talk to you about our plans.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles scoffed; at least Scott had learned how to be circumspect to some degree. \u201cI have nothing more to say about it, Scott.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but maybe you have another idea,\u201d Scott pleaded. \u201cLet\u2019s just get together and talk this out. Like old times, we used to be able to figure out a solution together.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles scrubbed his hands through his hair, ignoring the dust that shook loose. They hadn\u2019t done that in so long that Stiles didn\u2019t know who Scott thought he was actually going to fool with this line of thought. Did Scott think that he was this ignorant and blind to have ignored everything that had happened all the way back to when they were in high school?<\/p>\n In all likelihood, he did. Scott had a habit, deeply ingrained, of thinking that what he wanted to be real was indeed reality. That\u2019s what this ritual he wanted to perform was all about in the end, a reality that Scott thought was right being forced on everyone else for some sick version of \u2018the greater good.’<\/p>\n \u201cBut this isn\u2019t fucking Harry Potter,\u201d Stiles muttered and leaned into the mic. Despite his feelings, he knew the part he had to play. \u201cI suppose we could meet up and talk, if you\u2019re willing to hear me out this time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Scott said after a long pause, \u201cOf course, we can meet in the morning for breakfast at the loft. Deaton said it’s safe and the pack is headed back there tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about our new guests?\u201d Stiles asked. He\u2019d been careful on his way home and hadn\u2019t seen anyone, but he hadn\u2019t gone looking for them either.<\/p>\n \u201cDeaton is going to set up a spell so we can track them down,\u201d Scott answered quickly this time. \u201cI\u2019ll see you tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Stiles reassured. \u201cTomorrow at the loft. Over and out.\u201d<\/p>\n He listened to Scott sign off and sat back in the chair with a sigh, so that was his timeline. He\u2019d expected a little more time, he didn\u2019t know how Scott expected to keep him incapacitated for three days, but that wasn\u2019t his problem, he supposed. He had tonight to get what he needed done.<\/p>\n He clapped his hands together, \u201cRight, nothing to do but to do.\u201d He rolled the chair back to the desk and stood up to stretch. He\u2019d found himself repeating the phrases he\u2019d learned from his dad more and more these days. Stiles found that he had one for any situation at this point.<\/p>\n He thought back to the clinic and the quote he remembered from his childhood. He couldn\u2019t remember what had made his dad say it, only the disgust in his father\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for a good man to do nothing,\u201d Noah Stilinski said, glaring out the window, a glass of whiskey in his hand.<\/i><\/p>\n His mother had wrapped her arms around his waist, \u201cIt\u2019s a good thing then, that you\u2019re a good man doing something.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n Stiles had watched from his seat on the stairs as his father\u2019s shoulders slumped. He\u2019d turned and let Claudia take the whiskey and hold him. They\u2019d eventually come and taken Stiles from the stairs, and everything had been all right in the end.<\/p>\n Stiles had never forgotten that moment, though, maybe because it had been so near the end of his mother\u2019s lucidity, and it had driven home his father’s reliance on her in those moments.<\/p>\n Stiles then decided that he wanted to be a good man doing something. He didn\u2019t know when he became one who did nothing. He didn\u2019t think he was a bad man, but he didn\u2019t know that he could call himself a good one any longer. Looking back, there had been moments where he could have stopped Scott, but he hadn\u2019t, he\u2019d sat back, and things were playing out this way because of it.<\/p>\n He left the office, now wasn\u2019t the time to stew over his failures. He had a chance to get this right, to \u2018do something. He didn\u2019t know if that would make him a good man or not, but at least he could stop the world from coming to this.<\/p>\n Grabbing a couple protein bars, he ate quickly, washing them down with a bottle of water. Heading down into the basement, he began to set out what he needed for the spell. It would take much in terms of external elements since it would be powered almost entirely by his will and his spark.<\/p>\n He thought back to what Deaton had said about the nogitsune and his possession. He didn\u2019t know if that would play a part or how much, so he factored it in as a contingency but didn\u2019t make it part of the main spell component.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, thistle, bay leaf, some iris,\u201d He muttered as he sorted through the herbs and flowers drying over his head before heading to the fresh plants in stasis on the shelves. Another secret from Scott and Deaton. He grabbed a wide assortment of components that would offer protection, power, and most of all, luck. \u201cI\u2019m going to need all the luck I can get.\u201d<\/p>\n He started up the stairs with his arms full and laid his haul out on the kitchen table before heading back to the office to grab the spellbook. The kitchen would be the easiest room to set up since it had a door to the backyard where he\u2019d perform the spell.<\/p>\n It would be better at the nemeton, but he didn\u2019t think he could take that risk, and he doubted there was an inch of the tree or root system left untainted by Deaton. Stiles hadn\u2019t been allowed near it in close to a year. He hadn\u2019t fought Scott on it because, at the time, there had been other things to worry about, but he\u2019d wondered.<\/p>\n He thumped the book down on the table before heading out to the garage. He\u2019d been living on the lower floor almost exclusively since his dad had died. He couldn\u2019t face the empty rooms upstairs.<\/p>\n There was a shower set up just off the mudroom between the garage and the house. He washed quickly, changing into a relatively clean pair of jeans and a grey henley that had once belonged to Derek if he remembered correctly.<\/p>\n He took another bottle of water with him to the table and sat so he could read over the spell one last time. Brushing his hair back out of his face, he tied it back to keep it out of the way. It needed to be cut, but he hadn\u2019t had the time for it lately, and there wasn\u2019t anyone he trusted to come near him with scissors.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d He said softly, finishing his water. \u201cI can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n Reading through the spell again, he realized just what he\u2019d be losing when he went through with it. He wouldn\u2019t be able to be himself if he wanted to prevent anything, so he couldn\u2019t simply send his consciousness back.<\/p>\n The spell didn\u2019t account for that, but Stiles was used to throwing his spark at something until it did what he wanted. He wasn\u2019t sure how things would turn out in this case, but since one of the pillars of his magic had started out as belief, he knew he\u2019d get his way this time as long as he didn\u2019t waver during the spell.<\/p>\n \u201cThere isn\u2019t time to change it anyway,\u201d Stiles muttered, rubbing both hands over his face, pushing his exhaustion away. He didn\u2019t have any more time. It had officially run out.<\/p>\n Stiles prepared the herbs, spices, and other ingredients, infusing them with as much of his magic as possible. He was glowing as his spark worked with the ingredients in his direction, his fingers sparking when he spoke the ritual words over the bowl before he went barefoot into the backyard, bowl in hand and spellbook under his arm.<\/p>\n He settled on the ground comfortably with his back to the trunk of the only tree in his wards. The bowl was in front of him, and he set the book next to it, open to the correct spell ritual. Twisting his fingers, he caught the spell components alight and began to chant.<\/p>\n The air shivered, shuddering around him, the fabric of the universe slipping by, and he caught it with the tips of his nails. Stiles tilted to the side, rolling to his feet and adjusting his grip on the invisible edges of time and reality. His magic and the magic he\u2019d called swirled around him. Tongue tripping steadily over the words, mind fixed on what he wanted to do, Stiles pushed and pulled with his will and his magic.<\/p>\n Pressure building, Stiles found himself gasping out the last few words of the spell.<\/p>\n The world broke apart, shattering like crystal on concrete.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat have you done?\u201d Lydia whispered, breath icy against his neck, as she circled around to face him in the dark nothingness. \u201cStiles this can not be undone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe other options were worse,\u201d He shrugged, trying to focus on the hazy outline of his dead friend and not the ache in his chest. \u201cLooking good Lyds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t change the subject Mieczys\u0142aw,\u201d She snapped, the blueish light outlining her crackled.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t dare,\u201d Stiles smiled. \u201cIt is good to see you Lydia.\u201d<\/p>\n Lydia sniffed, \u201cYou always managed the impossible, Stiles,\u201d She sighed, reaching forward to take his hand; in the vast darkness, she was the only source of light.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t trying for impossible,\u201d Stiles argued. \u201cThe world was dying Lyds, and what Deaton planned with Scott–\u201d He shivered at the horror of what would have happened if they\u2019d succeeded.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware,\u201d She looked over her shoulder. \u201cThey\u2019re aware, but Stiles no one is granted the scope of what you are demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t call it a demand,\u201d He replied, trying to scuff his toe, but he was standing on nothing and floating in nothing. \u201cIt was a very sincere request.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSell your bullshit to someone who hasn\u2019t slept with you,\u201d Lydia rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. \u201cSeriously though Stiles, this is all or nothing. Is it worth it?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles let the smile slip from his face, the laughter from his voice, \u201cIt was worth everything just to try Lydia, if I\u2019m granted even half of what I ask for I\u2019ll count it a win.\u201d<\/p>\n The nothing around them pulsed for three beats, and the light that had been emanating from Lydia expanded to encompass them both. Stiles blinked, raising his hands against the sudden brightness. When he lowered his arm, he saw that Lydia had been joined by three shapeless figures who stood arrayed behind her.<\/p>\n \u201cMieczys\u0142aw Stilinski,\u201d They intoned, and Stiles couldn\u2019t tell if it was only one or all of them that spoke. \u201cYou will be granted your petition. In payment, you will become as you are named, a sword where it is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to need a little more detail on this sword business,\u201d Stiles protested, holding his hands out in front of him, ignoring Lydia’s sharp look. \u201cI won\u2019t be anyone\u2019s hitman, especially some amorphous supernatural power.\u201d<\/p>\n There was silence, and then a strangled choking sound echoed around them. It took a minute for Stiles to realize that they were laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will right the wrongs that we were blinded to the first time, when we reset, we shall be blind again until you can undo the spells. One of ours betrayed us and we wish to see him punished, You are mortal Mieczys\u0142aw, you can move where we can not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I only need to agree to take care of this betrayer and you\u2019ll send me back like I\u2019d planned?\u201d Stiles asked suspiciously, feeling his eyebrows climb up his forehead. \u201cThat sounds too easy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou forget mortal,\u201d They spoke, swaying forward to a rhythm that he couldn\u2019t make out. \u201cOnce you change one event, you change them all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d be wise to listen, Stiles,\u201d Lydia interjected, face set in severe lines. \u201cI know you probably won\u2019t, but try. Pick the events that are the most important to change, the most important to avoid. You won\u2019t be able to avoid everything, no matter when you end up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to save them all Lydia,\u201d Stiles said helplessly, rubbing his hands over his face. \u201cI have to try.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you do,\u201d Lydia said, sighing. \u201cBe wary though, you are going to cause a ripple, and while most won\u2019t notice it, there will be a few that\u2019ll notice the ripples and investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m guessing they won\u2019t all be friendly,\u201d Stiles replied, smirking.<\/p>\n \u201cThey will not,\u201d The beings said, looming closer still. \u201cThey will want to eat the spark out of your heart and attempt to master time and fate for themselves. Power like this is a heady meal for those that can find it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWonderful,\u201d Stiles said, thinking to how attractive a treat he\u2019d been to outsiders coming into Beacon Hills as just the lone human in the pack there at the end. \u201cFine, I agree to your deal. I\u2019ll take care of your betrayer, and you\u2019ll send me back with no other strings?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the knowledge that you will be given this opportunity alone,\u201d They intoned. \u201cYou will not be allowed a second petition should you fail in your self appointed tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo get it right the first time,\u201d Stiles replied, nodding. \u201cGotcha.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStiles,\u201d Lydia glided forward, cupping his face and pressing her forehead to his. \u201cIt isn\u2019t about getting it right. You know you won\u2019t be able to save everyone, no matter where or when you end up. Don\u2019t worry about being right, just try and be a good man like you wanted to be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes a good man have blood on his hands, Lydia?\u201d He whispered, closing his eyes and trying to breathe in her scent but finding only the strange fragrance of lake water and lightening lingering around them.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that man is you, then I would say yes,\u201d Lydia replied, rolling back from the tips of her toes, brushing his lips with hers as she went. \u201cJust remember we make better friends than lovers, okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles barked out a laugh, \u201cMaybe, but it was fun while it lasted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t say it wasn\u2019t,\u201d She winked, smiling. \u201cAre you ready?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles drew in a breath, closing his eyes and centering himself. Stiles opened his eyes, facing Lydia and the beings, \u201cI\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n The world around them pulsed, and the beings disappeared with a soft popping sound.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t forget to take care of yourself Stiles,\u201d Lydia said quietly, her voice carrying between them on another pulsing of light before she too disappeared.<\/p>\n The light faded with Lydia, but Stiles could still feel the steady pulsing. It was like a heartbeat, but not exactly.<\/p>\n It thudded through until it was all he could feel, all he could hear. He felt himself move through the ripples they\u2019d made for him. Sliding from one side of time to the other, the jagged edges catching at him, carving marks on his skin, scars that would remain to mark his passing. He could just make out the rifts closing behind him as he passed through and the reality that there would be no return pierced his heart. Everything was about to change, and only he would know. Darkness swallowed him, and he knew no more.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles came awake to claws at his throat and the roots of the nemeton at his back. Blinking, he found himself looking into the angry and devastated eyes of a young Derek Hale. He looked to the right, ignoring the scraping of Derek\u2019s claws against the skin at his neck when he heard a whimpering cough and saw Paige Krasikeva laying on the ground coughing up the black poison that would lead to her death. He\u2019d never met her, of course, but he didn\u2019t imagine that Derek had been in this situation more than once.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh,\u201d He said, reaching up a pushing Derek\u2019s hand away from his throat without taking his eyes off the dying girl. He\u2019d missed his mark, but not by much. He wondered why they thought he should be dropped here at this precise moment, was he supposed to comfort Derek or kill Paige for him?<\/p>\n \u201cI said–\u201d Derek interposed himself between Stiles and Paige, his teeth bared and eyes flashing. \u201cWho are you and what are you doing here? I won\u2019t let you hurt her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t hurt her any more than she already is, kid,\u201d Stiles said, glancing at this very young version of the Derek he\u2019d known. He really was just a kid right now, and he looked like his whole world was being ripped apart. \u201cShe\u2019s dying from that bite.\u201d<\/p>\n Derek whined but held steady between Stiles and Paige. \u201cWho are you, and where did you come from?\u201d Derek was also behaving more like Scott than Stiles had suspected he ever would, but Stiles supposed Derek was justified to be concerned about his girlfriend in this situation. He was only fifteen if Stiles remembered the timeline correctly.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what it looked like?\u201d Stiles mused. He simply sidestepped Derek, moving to the girl on the ground. Derek had folded a jacket under her head, but that was the only comfort she had. Her body was curled against the pain that was wracking her body with shivers. She was coughing the black blood up, so he knew the poison response had reached her lungs. \u201cHello, young lady. You don\u2019t look so well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt hurts a little,\u201d Paige gasped, her eyes sliding over his shoulder to Derek. \u201cJust a little.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLying doesn\u2019t help anyone right now,\u201d Stiles reproached with a tsk, laying a hand over her heart and letting his spark warm. \u201cHe can tell when you lie if he\u2019s had enough training.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Paige frowned, a wrinkle forming between her eyes. \u201cThat\u2019s not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWerewolves never are,\u201d Stiles huffed a laugh. \u201cNow hold still, let\u2019s see what we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you help her?\u201d Derek asked hopefully, coming to crouch on her other side and hold her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Stiles answered honestly. He\u2019d never heard of trying to cure a bite rejection. \u201cDo me a favor and don\u2019t try and pull her pain right now. I need to get a clear reading on her first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Derek nodded fervently, obviously willing to do anything that might help Paige.<\/p>\n Stiles marveled at this Derek for a brief minute, at how trusting he was. One second demanding to know how a stranger appeared out of thin air, and the next willing to do whatever he asked because he seemed to be helping. Yes, definitely a little too much like a young Scott before he\u2019d been tempered by life. Unfortunately, Scott hadn\u2019t changed with his hardships. It had brought out his flaws and made them worse, destroying them all in the end. Stiles shook his head and focused on Paige, trying to read her reaction to the bite.<\/p>\n Her body was rejecting Ennis\u2019 bite. That was obvious, but why? He dug deeper with his magic, moving swiftly but with delicate footsteps through her system. He saw the source of the poison wreaking havoc on her body. She\u2019d taken a tincture of mistletoe and rowan. It took everything in him not to jerk back in shock. That was a failsafe mixture that hunters were known to use when they went into the field so that a bite wouldn\u2019t take. It meant death through bite rejection. Which was what was happening here.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh,\u201d Stiles murmured; he lifted up her shirt to inspect the bite wound but was unable to see anything because of the mess from the black blood. \u201cGet me something clean this off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh, here,\u201d Derek said, quickly stripping off his shirt tossing it to Stiles. \u201cIt\u2019s a little dirty already.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be fine.\u201d Stiles wiped gently at the wound near Paige\u2019s left hip, ignoring her gasps of pain. He inspected the oozing wound before laying his hands on either side of it. Why did this seemingly ordinary girl have a hunter\u2019s remedy in her system? And it was flooding her system, he saw. It wasn\u2019t the bite that was killing her; it was the hunter\u2019s remedy poisoning her to keep the bite from taking root.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you help her?\u201d Derek asked quietly, his voice breaking — cracking from youth and the strain of the moment.<\/p>\n Stiles sat back, absently wiping his hands on Derek\u2019s discarded shirt before tossing it back at the kid. He studied the girl on the ground and thought back to what he knew about her. Stiles had never delved very far into the story of her bite and death. It was an event that had obviously devastated Derek and left him open to the manipulations of Kate, but it had never seemed important enough to investigate beyond that. Now though–now, there appeared to be more to the story than he\u2019d guessed.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Stiles answered honestly. He reached down and tilted the girl\u2019s face towards him. \u201cI might, but I need to ask a few questions first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have time!\u201d Derek growled, eyes flashing gold, his emotions swinging again, and Stiles felt a sudden sympathy for the Derek in his time having to deal with a teenage Stiles and Scott.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have to make time or any attempt I make will be for nothing when we\u2019re all murdered leaving here,\u201d Stiles responded coldly, not taking his eyes off Paige. \u201cNow sit down and shut up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Derek sucked in a breath on the question, choking on the confusion.<\/p>\n \u201cShut up,\u201d Stiles repeated. He tapped Paige\u2019s cheek, getting her to open her eyes. \u201cHey there, I need to ask you some questions. It’s essential that you don\u2019t lie to me, or I won\u2019t be able to help you. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n Paige nodded weakly, \u201cI\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Stiles smiled sharply. \u201cWhat do you know about werewolves?\u201d<\/p>\n Beneath the pain, she looked startled, \u201cNot much, always knew there was more to Beacon Hills than what could be seen. More to Derek and his family, but no one talks about what that is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you been taking any medications lately?\u201d Stiles asked, watching her closely. \u201cHerbal supplements, vitamins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm,\u201d She furrowed her brow in thought, coughing harshly.<\/p>\n Derek repositioned them until he had her head in his lap; Derek brushed his hands over her hair, \u201cHow does this help?\u201d He tried to glare at Stiles, but the fear in his eyes made it less than effective.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did I say?\u201d Stiles raised a brow at Derek. He wondered if he\u2019d been this much trouble for Derek when they\u2019d first met and decided he\u2019s probably been more. Now Stiles was a decade older than Derek and had little patience for his interruptions right now.<\/p>\n \u201cI just started some supplements a few weeks ago,\u201d Paige murmured.<\/p>\n Stiles got the impression that if the poison hadn\u2019t left her so pale, she\u2019s have been blushing tomato red. \u201cSupplements?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey were suggested to me for–\u201d She cut her eyes up to Derek, \u201cstuff. I was given a whole month supply, they said if it didn\u2019t work then I wouldn\u2019t need to buy any.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho, Paige,\u201d Stiles asked, leaning closer, \u201cWho suggested and gave you these supplements?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA friend of the Hales,\u201d She whispered, grasping Derek\u2019s hand. \u201cDr. Deaton.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe vet?\u201d Derek asked, confused.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh,\u201d Stiles said. He had a feeling he\u2019d just discovered why he\u2019d been dropped in this time and place. \u201cOkay, so here\u2019s the thing, kids. Those supplements wouldn\u2019t have hurt you on their own, but pairing them with the bite creates a poison because they are not werewolf friendly. You with me so far?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo she\u2019s not rejecting the bite. She\u2019s being poisoned?\u201d Derek asked, clutching at Paige\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much,\u201d Stiles agreed, nodding. \u201cNow enough time has passed that the magic of the bite and the herbs have intertwined. I can pull it all out, but it will be excruciatingly painful, and it still might kill you. It also means that you can never take the bite in the future, or you will reject it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t do it,\u201d Paige coughed up more black blood, her body quivering with the strain. \u201cI\u2019ll die anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Stiles said, meeting her eyes. \u201cBut you should always have as much information as possible before you make your choice. Sometimes death isn\u2019t the worst option.\u201d<\/p>\n Both teens looked at him like he\u2019d lost his mind, but he supposed they were a little too young to have learned that lesson yet.<\/p>\n \u201cDo it,\u201d Paige said firmly before another coughing fit overtook her. \u201cI want to live.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re sure,\u201d Stiles said, but he was already moving. He shoved Derek out of his way and laid Paige flat on the ground, uncurling her from the fetal position she\u2019s curled into. \u201cYou\u2019ll need to hold her down so she doesn\u2019t hurt herself, can you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Derek replied, shakily swallowing visibly. \u201cYeah, I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles directed the boy to hold down Paige\u2019s arms, \u201cCarefully, she\u2019s going to thrash around and you want to avoid dislocating her shoulder if possible, so hold her here near the bicep, not the shoulder or collar bone.\u201d He adjusted Derek\u2019s grip and then straightened the girl\u2019s body back out from where it had begun to curl back up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt hurts,\u201d Paige whispered, but it was clear that she wasn\u2019t speaking to either of them. Her eyes were beginning to glass over, and the poisoning was seeping from her pores now.<\/p>\n Stiles narrowed his eyes. He didn\u2019t have much time. He\u2019d told them the truth. This could end up killing her; what he didn\u2019t tell them is that even if he succeeded, there could be some damage left behind if he didn\u2019t get all the poison out. This was going to be exhausting.<\/p>\n \u201cDerek,\u201d He said, getting the kid\u2019s attention. \u201cWhen I\u2019m done here, I need you to stand guard. You are to let no one, and I mean no one, near me. Not your mother, not your emissary, not god himself if he were to come down for a visit. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Derek asked, his face scrunched up and head tilted. \u201cMy mom can help you if you need it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe she can, kid,\u201d Stiles shrugged, moving to straddle Paige\u2019s lower body. He hoped to keep her thrashing too much this way while Derek held her upper body down. \u201cBut it isn\u2019t wise to allow anyone unknown near a vulnerable mage, okay?\u201d He\u2019d keep the fact that he was a spark hidden for as long as possible, no sense in letting the world know what a tasty treat he was.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess,\u201d Derek said hesitantly, firming his grip on Paige at Stiles\u2019 direction.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I count on you, Derek?\u201d Stiles asked, knowing it wouldn\u2019t make any difference. He was going to attempt to heal Paige regardless of Derek\u2019s answer, but he thought he knew Derek well enough that he trusted him even as a fifteen-year-old to try and follow through if he said he\u2019d do something.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019ll keep watch if you need me to,\u201d He said, nodding, his eyes slipping away from Stiles to Paige when she whimpered again.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to start,\u201d Stiles warned them both. \u201cIt\u2019s going to hurt and she\u2019s probably going to scream Derek, watch your control.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Derek said, his voice small in the underground cellar beneath the nemeton.<\/p>\n Stiles just nodded and began. He lifted Paige\u2019s shirt to bare her stomach and the bite mark. Placing one hand just to the right of the mark, near her navel and the other on her forehead, he began to feed his spark into the girl. He first directed it into her bloodstream to hunt out and destroy what remained of the hunter\u2019s remedy. Getting rid of the poison wouldn\u2019t do him any good if the magic of the bite and the remedy were still creating more.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s burning,\u201d Paige cried, her body arched and twisted once. Derek held her as her head turned side to side. \u201cI\u2019m burning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you\u2019re not,\u201d Stiles murmured absently as his magic snuffed out the last of the remedy, and he set to work negating the magic of the wolf bite, something that was only possible because of the false rejection and how close to death the girl was. He didn\u2019t know of anyone else who\u2019d ever been able to do it, and he wasn\u2019t sure that he\u2019d be successful, but a large portion of his ability was based in belief. So Stiles willed himself to believe, sweat began to trickle down his forehead and off the tip of his nose.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re bleeding,\u201d Derek said, sounding horrified.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it happens,\u201d Stiles gritted out, sliding his hand directly over the bite, the source of the wolf magic in Paige\u2019s system and staging an all-out assault on it. He imagined that his nose was bleeding as it tended to do when he did things like this, which is why he rarely did them.<\/p>\n Paige was thrashing violently; her whimpers had become shouts as her body fought back against Stiles physically as well as magically. That was a surprise. Paige had a well of magic in her. It wasn\u2019t a deep well, and she wouldn\u2019t ever be more than the equivalent of a hedgewitch, but Stiles had seen hedge witches do some incredible things in his day.<\/p>\n \u201cCuriouser and curiouser,\u201d Stiles mumbled, coughing up blood from his lungs and spitting it to the side. He purposefully ignored the way he felt the nemeton greedily sucking it down.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Derek demanded, in between whispering reassurances into Paige\u2019s hair. He was bent nearly in half, holding her down, his face curved into her neck when she wasn\u2019t rolling her head violently back and forth.<\/p>\n \u201cNevermind, for now, I\u2019m busy,\u201d Stiles said, shoving his spark deeper into the girl, eating away at the wolf\u2019s magic, but using was delicacy he had to preserve her well of magic. That might just be enough to save her life, and it might answer the questions Stiles had about why she\u2019d been targeted in the first place. Derek wanting her to be changed so he could keep her had always seemed a bit odd and out of character to him. The fact that the story had come from a post-fire, post-resurrection, and bitter Peter Hale had left him taking the story as fact-filled with fiction. Now he had to wonder if the story had been fiction peppered with a couple of facts.<\/p>\n \u201cStop, it hurts!\u201d Paige was twisting so violently that she almost dislodged Stiles. \u201cDerek!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here, Paige,\u201d Derek responded, kissing her forehead when she stopped tossing her head about briefly. He looked up at Stiles. \u201cHow much longer?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles was drenched now, exhaustion creeping over him in a slow but steady wave. \u201cI\u2019ve neutralized the medication and the bite, now for the poison,\u201d He said grimly, meeting Derek\u2019s eyes. \u201cThis will be the worst part, you\u2019re going to have to have a steel spine for this kid, or all this will be for nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can do it,\u201d Derek replied, smoothing back Paige\u2019s hair as she settled once more, sweaty and pale on the ground. \u201cAnything mister.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles smiled grimly, \u201cAlright then, here we go. Hold her down again.\u201d He waited for Derek to get into position once again before putting both of his hands on Paige\u2019s abdomen and pressing down.<\/p>\n Paige screamed, muted as it was by the earthen cellar they were in; it still echoed around them.<\/p>\n Stiles fed his spark into the well of her magic, giving it the ability to fight off the poison, the infection on its own. He simply provided the energy, so to speak, bolstering the system. Since Paige had some magic, it was better to let her system use what was familiar to her to fight off the poison than ram through it with his own magic. Unfortunately, that wouldn\u2019t have worked with the wolf magic since it would have naturally subsumed Paige\u2019s small well if she hadn\u2019t been drugged.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t, I can\u2019t do it,\u201d Paige begged, twisting, tears turning red with blood. \u201cPlease make it stop.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can, Paige,\u201d Derek replied harshly with tears in his voice. \u201cYou can. You\u2019re so strong. I\u2019m so sorry, Paige. I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPaige, I need you to concentrate,\u201d Stiles snapped out; he removed his hands from her stomach and gripped her chin, holding her still. Even as her eyes rolled in her head, he tried to get her attention, smacking her on the cheek just hard enough to shock her but not enough to leave a mark. “Paige.”<\/p>\n \u201cIt hurts. Make it stop,\u201d She begged, focusing on him now.<\/p>\n \u201cI will, but you have to do something first,\u201d Stiles promised. He\u2019d changed his plans once he\u2019d realized her magic, and now he needed her cooperation. \u201cI know this is hard, but do you feel that fire in your navel here?\u201d He pressed the palm of his hand to the spot.<\/p>\n Her eyes rolled for a second, \u201cIt burns,\u201d She murmured, brow furrowed. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t hurt, not like the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Stiles nodded, even though she wasn\u2019t looking at him. \u201cI need you to focus on that fire and imagine it burning away all the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow can she–\u201d Derek began leaning forward to look at Paige\u2019s stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cJust pet her hair and help her focus Derek,\u201d Stiles said, waving him away. \u201cThis isn\u2019t something for werewolves, just hold her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBurn away the pain?\u201d Paige shivered, biting her bleeding lip and closing her eyes, her face so pale the veins could be seen just below the surface. \u201cI can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you can,\u201d Stiles agreed; he leaned down just enough to put one hand on the ground beside them and left the other on her stomach. \u201cKeep your eyes closed. I\u2019m going to lead you through this, okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Paige replied softly; bloody tears soaked her dark hair, and Derek just rested his head on her\u2019s. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles closed his eyes and threaded a strand of his magic into Paige. He waited for a minute and felt her focus on her well of magic. \u201cNow, imagine that fire as a deep well filled with molten gold. Can you do that?\u201d He never imagined that he\u2019d be teaching magic 101 on the fly to some kid in the past when he\u2019d been given these lessons, but he was suddenly grateful to the teachers he\u2019d managed to find and their unconventional training methods.<\/p>\n \u201cI-yes, I see it,\u201d Paige murmured, awe overcoming the pain in her voice briefly. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful. Are you doing that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is all you kiddo,\u201d Stiles said, drawing power from the earth and the nemeton to keep him going through what was to come. \u201cNow comes the hard part, I\u2019m going to throw you a line, do you think you can catch it and add it into your well there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe,\u201d Paige said tiredly, shifting restlessly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Derek muttered eyes narrowed suspiciously when Stiles glanced at him.<\/p>\n \u201cHush pup,\u201d Stiles murmured, \u201cWe\u2019re doing delicate work, stop interrupting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmph.\u201d Derek\u2019s brows furrowed, but he subsided, worried eyes going back to Paige.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Paige, here it comes,\u201d Stiles warned, and closing his eyes, he gently spooled out his magic, tossing a line towards her magical well. He could have forced his way in like he\u2019d done earlier, but this way was better for the both of them if she could catch it and direct her own purging and healing.<\/p>\n \u201cI see it!\u201d Paige gasped, and she caught the line.<\/p>\n Stiles chuckled despite the gravity of the situation. The girl was enthusiastic. She\u2019d definitely caught it, practically yanking it into the well. \u201cExcellent, Paige. Now we\u2019re going to burn out the poison in your body and get you back to the picture of health.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Derek asked, and then he cringed back when Stiles frowned at him.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, I want you to imagine that well of molten gold expanding until it floods your whole body,\u201d Stiles instructed, and when she did just what he thought she would, he cautioned her, \u201cSlowly, you don\u2019t want to miss anything. Think a slow syrup over a fast flood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdagio, not presto,\u201d Paige breathed, reaching over blindly to clutch at Derek\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that means slow and not fast, then sure,\u201d Stiles agreed, opening his eyes, allowing magesight to fall over his vision for the first time and taking in the whole world around them, not just the focal point of the girl. She was directing the purification of her body like a natural, and unless something drew it off course, he didn\u2019t need to give it all of his attention anymore.<\/p>\n Stiles focused on the roots that took up one wall of the make-shift cellar, and using the hand that was still on the ground, he dug his fingers into the earth. Stiles drew more power from the earth at the same time as he sent out queries to the area around the nemeton. He discovered that the tree was still housing the nogitsune and fought off the full-body shudder he wanted to give. He made a note to add that to the top of his to-do list, though.<\/p>\n \u201cMister,\u201d Derek said, drawing Stiles\u2019 attention away from his assessment of the nemeton and the current threats of the territory.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Stiles cocked his head and looked at the kid, aware his eyes were glowing only when Derek winced back. \u201cAh, sorry about that. What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPaige fell asleep, but she seems better?\u201d Derek asked, frowning but using gentle hands to brush Paige\u2019s hair back from her face and using the shirt that he\u2019d stripped off for Stiles to use earlier to clean her up as well as he could.<\/p>\n Stiles turned his full attention back to the girl. He knew that nothing had gone wrong, or his magic would have pulled him out of his communing with the ley lines. He saw that her magic was cleaning up the last of the poison, but she had excised what was killing her for the most part. Stiles began the steady process of unweaving his magic from hers and retracting it from the well.<\/p>\n \u201cIs she okay?\u201d Derek asked softly.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Stiles reassured once he\u2019d finished retracting the rest of his magic, re-spooling back into his spark. He rolled off the girl, feeling the muscles cramp in his back and legs. He forced himself to ignore it, to finish the roll until he was on his feet, trying to shake off the cramps and numbness. \u201cShe just about done healing, only a few minor patches left. Her own magic should have those taken care of while she sleeps.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe has magic?\u201d Derek stared at Stiles, eyes wide, mouth slack.<\/p>\n \u201cShe has some,\u201d Stiles shrugged, rolling his neck to work out the stiffness. He didn\u2019t know how long he\u2019d been down in the cellar or how long he\u2019d been working on Paige, but his body felt like it had that time he\u2019d had to heal older future Derek from a wolfsbane bullet and a wendigo bite at the same time. That had not been a fun crash afterward. \u201cIt isn\u2019t enough to make her much of a target, but it\u2019s enough to train up if she\u2019s interested, and it\u2019s what saved her life here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew she was special,\u201d Derek whispered, leaning over and pressing his lips to her hair.<\/p>\n \u201cDerek,\u201d Stiles rebuked, getting the teen\u2019s attention. Stiles frowned and crossed his arms when Derek looked up at him with those wide hazel eyes. \u201cShe would have been special without magic, as a human with no supernatural gifts. Her magic didn\u2019t make her special.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Derek protested. \u201cIt\u2019s just, with this Mom and the others will like her, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles stared at Derek, feeling exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with the magic he\u2019d used. He spared a brief moment to wonder if future Derek had ever felt this way back in the beginning and realized that he must have. \u201cIs that why you arranged for Ennis to bite her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?!\u201d Derek sat up so quickly that Paige murmured and rolled into a more comfortable position but didn\u2019t wake up. \u201cI didn\u2019t arrange for anyone to bite her,\u201d Derek hissed at him, getting to his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cThen how about you tell me what happened to her?\u201d Stiles asked, wondering how much of the story that Peter had spun was true and what he\u2019d gained by the blend of fact and fiction he\u2019d woven together.<\/p>\n \u201cI was supposed to meet her after practice tonight and then we were going to go meet my mom,\u201d Derek glanced over his shoulder at Paige. \u201cI was going to see if Peter was right, if Mom would be willing to tell Paige after getting to know her or if I was going to have to keep it a secret forever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeter,\u201d Stiles murmured. This was quite a bit different from the story he\u2019d been told. There was nothing about the bite in this version.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, my uncle,\u201d Derek said, shrugging. \u201cHe\u2019s only a few years older than me, I think maybe your age?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Stiles waved that away. He didn\u2019t need to tell Derek that he knew precisely how old Peter was right now. \u201cGo on, practice was over and–\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Derek shrugged one shoulder. \u201cAfter I changed, I was waiting for Peter in the locker room. He was our ride. Paige was supposed to meet us at the front of the school. I heard her scream and ran; Ennis was there, she was on the floor and when I attacked him, but he was so much bigger than me.\u201d Derek\u2019s shoulders hunched, and he looked so small.<\/p>\n Stiles was suddenly reminded just how young and naive this Derek was, how little he\u2019d lived, \u201cI\u2019\u2019m sure you did what you could Derek. Ennis is an Alpha. A large and brutal one at that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Derek stayed hunched and continued his tale. \u201cHe flung me into a wall and left, I was too late. Paige had already been bitten. She was rejecting the bite and I brought her here, I don\u2019t know why it just felt like this would be the safest place for her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Stiles said. He turned to the roots, narrowing his eyes and placing a hand on them. The nemeton pulsed back at him. \u201cRight, so did you see Peter?\u201d He turned back around to look at Derek, fighting the wave of dizzy exhaustion that threatened to swamp him. He didn\u2019t know when or if Talia would show up, and he\u2019d like to be conscious when she did or long gone.<\/p>\n \u201cI–uh–I didn\u2019t look for him after I found Paige,\u201d Derek said, looking startled.<\/p>\n Stiles imagined he hadn\u2019t thought of much since he\u2019d found Paige, \u201cOkay, well, she\u2019s going to be fine, and I think you can get her back home or to your mom now. I\u2019m going to head out.\u201d He gave the area another cursory glance to orient himself, the only real-time he\u2019d been down there it had been in the midst of rescuing his dad, and the cellar had been near collapse. He located the way out and headed towards it.<\/p>\n \u201cWait,\u201d Derek said, grabbing his arm. \u201cMy mom will want to meet you. We don\u2019t even know your name and she\u2019ll want to thank you. I want to thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome kid,\u201d Stiles said, pulling his arm from Derek\u2019s grip gently but firmly. \u201cBut I need to be going, there are things I have to take care of. I have promises I have to keep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI-\u201d Derek reached for him again but pulled his hand back before grabbing him when Stiles glared. \u201cI just want to know what to tell them. Who do I say that you are?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles stared at Derek. That was a good question. He was going to be around the area, and he had no doubt that he\u2019d be in and out of Beacon Hills if he didn\u2019t outright settle in the territory with the way the land and the nemeton were both trying to latch onto him. He\u2019d need to give Derek something to tell his mom, the alpha, that wouldn\u2019t mark him as an immediate threat.<\/p>\n Paige moaned, drawing Derek\u2019s attention, and he was immediately at her side, helping her sit up.<\/p>\n \u201cPaige,\u201d Derek said, pulling her gently into his arms and rubbing his cheek over the top of her head. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a stupid question,\u201d Paige replied softly, voice cracking. \u201cI don\u2019t hurt as much, but I feel like one big bruise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll feel like for a while,\u201d Stiles said. He scanned her one last time and saw that the poison was gone as he\u2019d expected. \u201cYou\u2019ll be exhausted for a few days, but your energy will replenish soon with food and rest.\u201d He turned to leave again, now that Derek was distracted with the girl.<\/p>\n \u201cWait please,\u201d Derek called. \u201cJust your name.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles sighed. He knew that he had to give them something, but he hated coming up with something like this on the fly. He knew that his younger self was out there, and while he wasn\u2019t going by Stiles yet, he would be soon. \u201cMieczys\u0142aw,\u201d Stiles finally replied, going with his full name. No one used it, and he\u2019d never gone by it in the past; not even his mother had managed it past his first year.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Derek frowned, looking up from where he\u2019d been staring at Paige.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name,\u201d Stiles-no he had better start to think of himself as Mieczys\u0142aw. \u201cYou can call me Mietek, that should be easier.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMietek,\u201d Derek rolled the name over, almost getting it right. \u201cOkay, thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles regretted not telling Derek to just call him Stiles at this point. \u201cTake care of her, make sure she gets some rest and that no one messes with her magic until I can get back and assess her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will thanks Mietek,\u201d Derek replied earnestly, even as he tightened his grip on Paige.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, thank you,\u201d Paige said softly, leaning back onto Derek\u2019s bare chest and smiling weakly.<\/p>\n Stiles waved and left the cellar before they could stop him again, emerging into the dark woods. Stiles shivered as the breeze brushed over him as he moved through the trees.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if this makes me a good man dad,\u201d Stiles muttered into the night, using a touch of magic to enhance his sight enough so that he wasn\u2019t stumbling over the rough forest floor. \u201cBut I definitely changed things here. Only time will tell how much. I really wish you were here to tell me I was doing the right things.\u201d<\/p>\n With what he\u2019d just discovered, Stiles was certain that the event of Paige\u2019s death was a more significant event than they\u2019d ever considered. Paige had had magic, and she\u2019d been given herbs to make her reject the bite, and not just any herbs but the specific formulation known as the hunter\u2019s remedy. Then someone had sent Ennis after her.<\/p>\n \u201cCuriouser and curiouser,\u201d He repeated his earlier thoughts. Deaton had a hand in this, but what had he hoped to gain by having Paige killed and in this manner? \u201cNo one could have expected Derek to be the one who actually killed her or for him to do it at the Nemeton, not originally.\u201d He moved a couple branches out of his way as he stepped out of the woods and onto the edge of the high school property. \u201cAnd I have to stop talking to myself.\u201d He gave himself an internal shake before he made his way along the edge of the property. Stiles slowly let his vision edge closer to normal now that he had the property lights around the school.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are they?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles had made it to the parking lot and turned to face yet another ghost. He tilted his head and studied a young Peter Hale. The man was currently about the same age as Stiles, somewhere in his early twenties, good-looking, dressed in jeans and already wearing the v-neck he\u2019d become famous for in the future. Peter was looking a little rough around the edges. His hair mussed, eyes a little wild, and for all that he was trying to look both nonchalant and threatening, Stiles had faced off with Peter on multiple occasions after he\u2019d been hardened by the death of his pack and driven insane by the loss of pack bonds. This baby-faced version of the ruthless Hale left hand didn\u2019t worry Stiles. Besides, Stiles had learned to read Peter a long time ago.<\/p>\n \u2018Hell, I think he\u2019s younger than I am,\u2019<\/i> Stiles thought with not a little hysterical humor. This night had gone on too long already, and Stiles needed to find a place to curl up and process it or sleep. Probably both.<\/p>\n \u201cI said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I heard you creeper,\u201d Stiles replied, waving him off as he thought. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to figure out why you\u2019re accosting me and who exactly you\u2019re looking for.\u201d Stiles didn\u2019t bother putting any effort into keeping his heart rate steady or using the other tricks to hide deception because, truthfully, he didn\u2019t know why Peter was coming after him or why Peter was even still at the school.<\/p>\n Peter took a step forward in a way that would have been threatening if Stiles hadn\u2019t faced off with a feral version of him in a parking garage and walked away relatively unscathed. \u201cMy nephew, where is he?\u201d There was a definite growl underlying the words now.<\/p>\n Stiles stared at Peter and wondered if the man was really going to expose werewolves to him on the assumption that Stiles already knew about the supernatural. Despite what the man might scent on Stiles, there was nothing to prove what Stiles might know<\/i> or who Stiles was.<\/p>\n \u201cHow am I supposed to know who your nephew is?\u201d<\/p>\n Stiles could almost hear Peter\u2019s teeth grind in the cool night air, and he tried not to grin, even as he wondered when Peter really started to learn how to be a left hand. Despite his situation, Stiles found himself enjoying talking with this version of Peter even if Peter didn\u2019t seem to be appreciating it very much right now.<\/p>\n \u201cDerek Hale,\u201d Peter replied with deliberate calm as he took another step closer. \u201cWhere is Derek Hale.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Stiles said, nodding, pursing his mouth as if in thought. He kept his body loose, arms at his sides, though. For all that Stiles enjoyed seeing Peter alive and young, he was aware that this Peter didn\u2019t know him and that Stiles had ended up in the past with only the clothes on his back and his magic. While his magic was a formidable weapon, he\u2019d used quite a bit of it to heal Paige, so he didn\u2019t want to be caught by surprise if Peter decided to attack. \u201cDerek Hale, yes. Young kid, earnest, has a few anger issues. Cute girlfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Stiles sighed suddenly, serious, and as much as he wanted to stick his hands in his pockets, he didn\u2019t. They were still sticky with the black blood from Paige\u2019s wound, and he was surprised that Peter hadn\u2019t said anything about that, but maybe Peter was more cautious than Stiles had been taking him for. \u201cI just left them beneath the roots of the nemeton. Both alive and set to stay that way. For now.\u201d<\/p>\n Peter\u2019s eyes flashed for just a second before he closed them, \u201cWhat is that supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt means,\u201d Stiles said, his voice dripping with venom and ice as he leaned forward and into Peter\u2019s space disregarding his earlier caution to emphasize his point. \u201cSomeone tried to kill the girl and your nephew almost got caught in the crossfire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA bite\u2026\u201d Peter bit off whatever he was about to say and turned his head away from Stiles to look over at the tree line.<\/p>\n Stiles turned with him, reaching out with his own magic. \u201cHello, Alpha Hale.\u201d<\/p>\n Derek and Peter had been right. Talia Hale had a presence. She walked like a queen out of the preserve and onto the parking lot’s asphalt. Stiles briefly wondered how many more of his life-changing moments would occur at this high school before shoving the thought aside.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know me,\u201d Talia said, looking at Stiles in a way that made Stiles feel like she was trying to look through him. \u201cBut I don\u2019t know you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Stiles agreed with a shrug. He moved until he had both Peter and Talia in front of him and no one at his back. \u201cI don\u2019t know you, but I know of you and I would be very surprised if you\u2019d ever heard of me. Flabbergasted to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Title: Do Something Author: Sibyl_Moon Fandom: Teen Wolf Characters\/Pairings: Pre-Stiles\/Peter & Derek\/Paige Genre:\u00a0 AU, Time Travel, Mystery, Angst, Apocalypse Warnings: Canon-Typical-Violence, Discussion-Murder, Word Count: 11,365 Chapter One \u201cThis is wrong Scott,\u201d Stiles ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the ends as he paced the small room in… Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,8,9],"tags":[11,60,17,18,20,24,49,30,31,32],"class_list":["post-640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ead","category-steter","category-teen-wolf","tag-au","tag-canon-typical-violence","tag-ead","tag-evil-author-day","tag-fix-it","tag-magic-stiles","tag-peter-hale","tag-stiles-stilinski","tag-teen-wolf","tag-time-travel"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sibylmoon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAuthor: <\/b>Sibyl_Moon
\nFandom: <\/b>Teen Wolf
\nCharacters\/Pairings: <\/b>Pre-Stiles\/Peter & Derek\/Paige
\nGenre:\u00a0 <\/b>AU, Time Travel, Mystery, Angst, Apocalypse
\nWarnings: <\/strong>Canon-Typical-Violence, Discussion-Murder,
\nWord Count: <\/b>11,365<\/p>\nChapter One<\/h1>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sibylmoon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Do-Something-simple-banner.jpg?resize=300%2C105&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nChapter Two<\/h1>\n