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Cora glowered at the list in her hand, growling softly as yet another harried shopper walked right into her without so much as an apology. The mall was overcrowded, loud, and filled with overlapping, overwhelming scents. She didn’t know how anyone went near Bath and Body Works, and the ridiculously desperate scents coming from Victoria’s Secret made her gag. Shopping for ten people was pretty much beyond her capability, especially during the holidays.

She hadn’t celebrated anything since the fire. Birthdays had gone unnoticed, Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day… she passed them all running through the woods. It was easier than dealing with the raw feeling of her family being gone, of being alone in the world, especially during times when everyone wanted to push you towards someone. She didn’t even know how to celebrate anymore, but Derek had been so happy to be able to share the holiday with his pack… ugh. She really hated disappointing him, especially after he’d given so much up for her. And he was so much lighter, so different after their cross-country trek. Settling things in New York and just seeing the sights, being a family, had settled something in him and she wouldn’t be the one taking it away again.

Thus… the mall. She glowered again at the paper in her hand, huffing to herself.

 “Hey, Baby Hale, what’s got ya glooming?”

Cora growled under her breath, baring blunt human teeth at the spastic teen that had managed to sneak up on her. She was already on edge; embarrassed by her inability to adapt. It was infuriating. It was stupid. It should be just… natural, right? Buy presents, make food, spend time with people. But it wasn’t. She didn’t know what to buy, she couldn’t cook, and she wasn’t even sure she was completely welcome with her brother’s pack, especially since he wasn’t the alpha anymore. It left her feeling unanchored, skin too tight like the full moon was constantly following her. The last thing she wanted to deal with was Stiles. “What the hell do you want, Stilinski?”

“Jeez, Mrs. Grinch, relax. You looked upset.” He ducked his head down, catching her eyes with his. She was surprised to find actual concern there, not the mocking she expected. “You still look upset.” He rested a hand on her arm, drawing her down a small hall that led to the bathrooms. It was cool and quieter than in the main halls and she was able to pull in a deep breath and settle herself a bit. It took her a few breaths to realize that Stiles seemed to know exactly what she needed. He was leaning against the wall, giving her space, though his head was tilted in her direction, watching her with concern. Whatever he saw on her face led him to start talking again, and she grimaced.

 “Alright, Cora, spill. What’s wrong?”

She shook her head with a little growl. Her personal life was none of his damned business, no matter how helpful he was, or what he was to her brother. “Nothing. It’s just crowded here.”

“See, I don’t even have to be a werewolf to know that’s a lie.” Stiles held his hand out and Cora had to blink at the even stare she was getting. It was unnervingly similar to Derek’s and she was surprised at the urge to bare her throat to the loud-mouthed human. “Lemme see it.”

“S-see what.” She peeled her lips back from her teeth again, letting her eyes flash gold for a second to hide the stutter in her speech.

“Nope, not gonna happen. Gimme the list, let’s see what you’ve got, and we’ll work from there.” He gave her a warm smile, but his hand was still out. He wasn’t backing down and that was more confusing than anything else to her.

“I’m fine, Stiles.”

“Cora. Give. Me. The. List.” He rolled his eyes and she sighed heavily, digging into her pocket and handing him the crumpled paper. “Huh. Figured you’d put up a bit more of a fight.” He shrugged and opened the paper as she glowered. “Thought so. Last minute Christmas shopping. I figured you’d have just gone with Derek and Uncle Creepy.”

“I didn’t want to bother Derek. He’s still settling in and adjusting to Scott being the alpha. And Uncle Peter did all of his online.” She sighed, tilting her head back to rest it against the wall. “I don’t… I don’t know anyone well enough to shop for them. And I’m not-” She stopped, shook her head and straightened. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Stiles shook his head, taking a step forward and nudging their shoulders together. “I’ll help.” He held a hand up when she started to argue again. “Nope, I’m helping, you’re stuck with me now, kiddo.” At her disgruntled huff, he laughed, pulling them both away from the wall. “In return, you can keep me company while I bake.”

She eyed him sideways as they walked back into the crowded mall. “You just want a guinea pig.”

“Yup!” He grinned cheerfully at her. “Now come along, my feral princess… we have halls to deck and bells to ring!”

They walked past the food court, but Stiles stopped, grabbed her arm, and walked her back. “Ok… first things first, fortification. You cannot do any important shopping on an empty stomach; it just makes you grumpy and irritable.” He side-eyed her and grinned. “Well… grumpier and irritable.”

“It smells.” She wrinkled her nose to prove her point, ignoring his weird habit of making up words.

“Of course it does. It’s full of grease and carbohydrates and sugar. But it’s better than wandering around hungry, trust me.”

Stiles was a force of nature when he got started. Cora caught herself staring at him in surprise more than once after he bullied her into eating not only McDonalds, but grabbing a sundae from Dairy Queen as well. She could even admit that he was right… she didn’t completely feel like ripping anyone’s throat out now. The insights he had on the pack were stunning, and she had to wonder how much of his flailing social awkwardness was just for show. She was a werewolf and hadn’t picked up on half of the crap he just seemed to know.

“Boyd actually hates reading. It’s a holdover from before the Bite; to hide the fact that he was alone, he’d pretend to read. If you want to get him something he’ll use, get him an mp3 player. He loves music, but his family isn’t exactly rolling in it… he doesn’t get nifty gadgets all the time.”

“Isaac loves to draw. Especially when he gets overwhelmed; you can tell he’s had nightmares because his hand and wrist are covered in graphite. I’ve been trying to get Derek to encourage him to take classes or something, but… ugh, he’s such a sourwolf sometimes.”

“Lyds is a drama queen, but you can’t go wrong with good coffee. Seriously, I’m pretty sure java makes up half her blood stream. And we’ll be doing the girls at Starbucks a year-round favor. She’s made them cry. More than once.”

“Allison likes to pretend she’s a big bad huntress 24/7. And believe me, I’d never tell our Katniss she isn’t. But she’s really a girly girl underneath it. She likes to cuddle, she has stuffed animals… she’s a real-life Disney princess. Like… Mulan or something. It’s ridiculous. Get her something soft and snugglable and she’ll love you forever.”

“Scott got into a vet tech program, so I’m trying to get everyone to coordinate their gifts so Mrs. McCall doesn’t have to get him a ton of stuff while he’s away at school. Anything that will make his dorm room better, or help him study, or even relax is awesome.”

By the time they were done, the sun had set, the mall was getting ready to close, and Stiles swore, because he had almost forgotten what he’d come there for. They ran across the mall, laughing as they scrambled carefully through the knick knack store he had been headed to originally. When she saw his purchases, she doubled over, almost howling with laughter. It only got worse when the confused clerk rang them up, tentatively wishing them a happy holiday.

“All right, it’s too late to bake tonight. So, your wolfy ass, my place, 10am tomorrow morning. I’ll store the presents there so you don’t have to worry about the sniff-machines ferreting out what you got.”

Cora nodded, blinking a little. The entire trip felt surreal and she was a little dazed. “I still don’t understand why… but, um… thanks.”

At 9:45 the next morning, Cora was knocking on his door, balancing two large cups of coffee and a bakery bag in her free hand. When the door opened, she couldn’t bite back the smile at Stiles’ appearance. Low-slung pajama pants, a batman tank top that had obviously seen better days and bed-ruffled hair made him look absolutely adorable. A faint odor of fear tickled her nose, but it faded fairly quickly when he saw her.

“Heya, short, dark, and gorgeous. You’re a little early, but that’s cool. And using the door. At least one of you knows its uses. I’m a little saddened that it’s the feral mountain woman who knows how to knock, but hey, gift horses and all that. C’mon in. I was gonna make breakfast, but this… this is so much better. Instant food.”

She followed behind him, amused and a bit confused by his chatter. The reason behind it became abundantly clear when he grabbed an orange bottle from the counter and dry-swallowed a pill from it. “Just woke up?”

“Yeah, I was up late doing some other stuff. So… breakfast, then it’s experiments in baking time.” He grinned at her and she smiled back.

“You make me eat gross things, Stilinski, and I’ll rip your tongue out of your head.”

He didn’t even bat an eye at the threat, just waved her off with a chuckle. “Please. There’s no way these could be gross, we made them every year before…” He stopped, shook his head. “They’re my mom’s recipes, they’ll be delicious.”

She let it go with a simple nod, sipping her coffee and nibbling delicately at the chocolate danish she’d gotten. Derek had told her a bit about Stiles’ background while they traveled; he had made an effort to get Cora to understand that Stiles knew better than the rest of them what they’d gone through. Though she felt for the loss of Stiles’ mother, Derek’s ramblings had gotten on her nerves. She had finally told her brother to either hit it or quit it when they got home. The resulting blush and sullen silence for two days was so worth it.

It took them all morning, but finally, six hours later, Stiles pulled the final batch out of the oven. They were covered in flour and Cora had a crusty piece of dried dough on her nose. Stiles hadn’t fared any better; there was chocolate in his hair and dried egg smeared across one cheek. They were laughing at Christmas parody songs and Cora was snacking happily on a small pile of ‘test’ cookies.

“Ok… I really need to clean this mess up.” Stiles looked around the kitchen with a sigh. “And we still have to get those presents wrapped.”

“Mmhmm.” Cora bit into another cookie before standing. “All right. I’ve got dish duty; you get the rest of it.” She hid her smirk at the human’s incredulous look before he gave her a nod.

“Yeah, that… ok, that works for me.”

They worked in a companionable silence, and Cora had to stifle giggles, because Stiles was a dancer. Apparently to everything, including bad holiday gag songs. She did give him the fair warning that if he started twerking, he was finishing the dishes on his own.

“Please… I have class. You’re more likely to find me pole dancing with the broom, honestly.” He blushed when she laughed, but the punch to her shoulder was light.

“Don’t do it right now, I don’t have any singles. Besides, Lydia would kill me if I got to see you pole dance and she didn’t.”

“Yes, keeping my sweet strawberry blonde angel happy is a goal of mine.” She didn’t miss the eyeroll, and grinned back at him.

Between the two of them, it didn’t take long to get the mess cleaned up. Stiles’ over-the-top dramatic rendition of ‘Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer’, complete with fake hysterical sobbing, had Cora laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe, so she retaliated with ‘Jingle Bells, Batman Smells’. Stiles gripped his ratty tank top as if to protect it from the slight, falling onto the couch in chagrin.

“You wound me, madam!”

“Heh, not yet I haven’t.” Cora let her grin turn feral, amused now rather than irritated when Stiles just laughed harder.

“So, hey, I didn’t poison you, which I think we can chalk up into the win category. And we still have plenty of time to wrap presents before the party tonight. So!” He clapped his hands together once and stood back up. “Let’s go get them. The only safe place from werewolves is down here… the rest think my window has an open-door policy.”

With them working together, it only took one trip to haul everything back downstairs. Cora gratefully accepted tag and tape duty when Stiles smiled at her. “When we have more time, I’ll show you how to wrap them yourself, but like I said, elf complex and limited time, so…”

She enjoyed watching him; the way his fingers slid across the paper, the small smile that played on his lips, and the way his tongue poked out when he had to finagle an oddly shaped gift.

“You’re really good at this.” She trailed off, not sure how to express what she meant.

“You mean for an ADHD-riddled spaz who has trouble sitting still for more than 30 seconds?” He grinned at her, finishing up Boyd’s present and setting it on the growing pile.

“Yeah.”

“It keeps me focused. I like working with my hands, it keeps me busy without trying to force my brain into a single pattern of thought for too long. I bake, I sew, I tried crocheting for a while… not too bad, but it didn’t really catch my interest for long. I repair lacrosse nets, especially Scott’s because he’s terrible at keeping his equipment together… basically anything that’s repetitive but constructive. M-my mom… she was big into all of the holidays, so I know how to carve a pumpkin and roast seeds, I wrap gifts, I can make homemade chocolates, and I make a mean birthday cake.”

It made her smile again, bumping her shoulder against his. “You’re not too bad, Stilinski. Still frail as hell, but I guess you can stay.”

“Your approval, oh sweet star of the evening, is all I look for in life.” He smirked, wrapping the last of the presents and stretching. “All right… cookie sorting time. Everyone gets a tin with 3 dozen cookies, the sourwolf gets extra, and dad only gets 12.” He pulled her into the kitchen and they got to work.

“Why does Derek get extra cookies?” She wasn’t pouting, but she had helped him all day. She popped another cookie in her mouth, munching loudly to irritate him.

“Because Derek has a major sweet tooth, and deserves good things.” He blushed and snapped his mouth shut, obviously embarrassed by his word-vomit. She was disturbed to realize that she found it endearing. Maybe he did poison her.

“Uh huh… Derek deserves good things more than anyone else?” She grinned cheekily at his bitch-face, filling a tin quickly with a basic cookie assortment. It was definitely her sisterly prerogative to tease her brother’s boyfriend. And he was pack. It felt nice to be able to joke around, especially because Stiles generally gave back as good as he got.

“Well, not more, per se…” He stared down at the larger tin that obviously belonged to the broody ex-alpha. “Yes. More than anyone else; with the possible exception of you.” She blinked in surprise at being included, thankful that he was still staring at the tin like it held the answers. “I can’t fix all the bullshit from the last couple of years. There’s nothing… I can’t. But I can try to make the little things better. So yes. Derek gets extra cookies. You get help whether you wanted it or not. I don’t lace Peter’s eggnog with wolfsbane.” He shrugged, straightening and reaching for the cookies. “My contribution to pack harmony.”

Cora leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly, smiling gently. He really had no idea how much he did for everyone, and she was quickly realizing that he didn’t do things like Lydia did, waiting for the payout, or like Isaac did, just hoping that someone would love him. Stiles did things because they were the right thing to do and he didn’t expect anything in return. The more time she spent with him away from Scott and Derek, the more she realized she could really like the quirky teen. He was a survivor, and if anyone could understand and appreciate that, it was her.

 He quickly packed Derek’s tin and set aside the dozen cookies he allotted for his father. She quirked an eyebrow as he did. “Why does your father only get a dozen? Shouldn’t he get more?”

“Nope. Too many sweet things aren’t good for him. His diet’s pretty strict.”

“Aren’t you the one enforcing his diet, though?” She remembered a phone argument about the Sheriff eating red meat during a pack meeting, but couldn’t really understand why Stiles cared so much.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one who cares about the damned diet, but seriously… his heart isn’t gonna give out on him because he couldn’t refrain from eating greasy cheeseburgers and donuts. I’ve seen the other cops he works with, I’ve gone to some of the conventions with him and seen others. I’m not letting my dad turn into that. Even if he does think I’m just torturing him.” He closed the lid on his father’s tin decisively, glaring at it like it was the cause of all his woes.

Cora moved to his back, wrapping her arms around his waist and cuddling him. It was instinctive to touch and soothe an upset packmate and she could smell the fear and anger rolling off of him. “You know Derek and Scott listen to his heart, right? If there was something wrong, we’d know it long before it turned into a problem.” She took a deep breath, resting her chin on his shoulder as he mimicked her breath, finally relaxing against her. “We won’t let you lose him, Stiles. Or any of us.”

After a minute, he grabbed her hands, squeezing them gently before pulling her away. “C’mon, these aren’t going to pack themselves.” She nodded and set to work filling tins, smiling as he started directing which cookies went into which tin. The happy atmosphere from before was back as he once again showed a knowledge of their pack she was starting to appreciate.

“Allison hates peanut butter; swap those out for the butter.”

“Danny is a chocolate fiend; make sure he gets a couple extra double-dips.”

“Erica gets the extra peanut butter ones.”

“How do you do that?” Cora was putting the last tag on as she asked.

The question had obviously caught him by surprise, making him blink. “Do what?”

“How do you know what each person likes, or doesn’t like, or does with their free time? How do you keep it all straight?” She leaned against the table, arms folded. “You didn’t need to be so specific; you could have just let everyone trade themselves. You didn’t have to make sure the presents I picked didn’t suck. Hell, I haven’t exactly been the nicest person to anyone, especially you. Why do you do all this? How do you do all this?”

“Pffft. You’re trusting that I know what I’m talking about. I could have led you completely wrong. I could be making all this up as I go.” He grinned, resting his hip against the table and crossing his arms.

She narrowed her eyes when his heart stuttered. “Werewolf, idiot. I know when you’re lying… or just flying by the seat of your pants.” She leaned forward. “So how do you do it?”

He rested his finger at the side of his nose, smirked and pushed away from the table. She somehow knew he wasn’t going to answer, and it bugged her, but he talked quickly as she opened her mouth. “We need to get going. I still have to stop off at the station. Dad’s working an overnight and needs dinner.”

She wouldn’t comment on the hitch in his breath, or the way his mouth turned down, but she noticed and it bothered her. The sheriff was in the know, but the gap between father and son was still evident. Cora was beginning to think it had been there since Stiles’ mother died.

They packed the Jeep up together and he turned the holiday parody songs back on.  He made a quick stop at the station, dropping off his dad’s present and cookies and letting him know he’d be gone for the night. Cora stayed in the car, not wanting to interrupt the little bit of family time Stiles was getting.

She watched him walk back out, straighten his shoulder with a deep breath and make his way back to the car. As he slid in the driver’s seat, she looked him over with narrowed eyes.

“What…?”

“You ok?”

“Yeah. I’m good. Surprised Dad, caught him eating onion rings again. Ugh… told him he’s gonna be living on tofu through the New Year if he doesn’t stop. Onion rings are so not on his approved diet list.”

“Stiles…”

“It’s fine, Cora. Just… it’s fine. Let’s go do the party thing, ok?”

She looked out the front window, reaching out and squeezing his hand lightly as it rested on the gear shift. She was there, if he wanted it. Not that she was ever really great at giving comfort, but someone should be there. He flicked his eyes to her and nodded silently.

Stiles’ mood brightened the closer they got to the house; by the time they arrived he was laughing brightly and singing along with the radio as they parked. Someone obviously had been bitten by the spirit of the holiday – the front yard was lit up by the lights strung along the porch. He bounced out of the car, grinning widely. “Holy crap, it looks great!”

Cora rolled her eyes, helping him grab the bags from the back of the Jeep. She had to admit, it did look good. It felt like home, something she had been missing for way too long. She was surprised by the suddenly possessive feeling to keep it; to hope that she was allowed to stay. Stiles’ touch on her arm grabbed her attention, and she smiled back at him, motioning to the front door. “Let’s go.”

“Ho ho ho, pups, I come bearing a baby Hale and gifts!” Stiles’ voice echoed in the entry way and he got a chorus of greetings as he dropped the presents carefully by the tree. Ten seconds later, Cora was stepping out of the way and laughing with everyone as he ended up with an armful of werewolf. Scott had launched himself across the room at him, fake howling as Stiles staggered under the weight. “Oh my god, Scott! Get off, you weigh a ton!” He laughed, hugging his best friend tightly before dropping him on the floor. Isaac and Danny were curled up on the oversized armchair and each lifted a hand in greeting before returning to their cuddles. Boyd and Erica had been lounging in the loveseat, but Erica had made her way over while Scott was clinging to Stiles, peeling him away to kiss his cheek.

“Happy Holidays, Batman.”

“Heh, you too, Catwoman.”

Cora walked past Boyd on her way to the kitchen, dropping a kiss on his head. He smiled up at her, nodding to Stiles as he passed and Erica reclaimed her seat. Uncle Peter’s gift to the pack, his peace offering, as it were, was to work a similar magic to bring Erica and Boyd back from the dead. That had been the only reason Lydia and Stiles had forgiven him, and had even allowed Derek to breathe a little. The two had willingly submitted to Scott as their Alpha once Derek had explained everything to them.

As soon as Cora stepped into the kitchen, a delicious, familiar smell hit her. She sniffed, blinking. “You’re making Mom’s ham?”

Peter walked in from the backyard and nodded, ruffling her hair lightly. “And her mashed potatoes, and your Nan’s candied yams.” He looked at Derek with an almost fond smile. “Someone went digging through the safe deposit boxes.”

“Who’s making dessert?” Cora smiled as Derek walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against her older brother, letting her eyes close for a minute as the warm feelings of pack, home, love washed over her. Getting used to casual touches had been difficult for them both, but once they did, nothing felt safer than being near Derek.

The ex-Alpha snickered a bit. “Apparently, Lydia and Allison have that covered; they’ll be here in about an hour. Everything go ok at Stiles’?”

“Yeah, it was fine. No poisoning occurred, so I’ll call it a win.” She stepped away from him, leaning over to grab a pickle and pop it in her mouth. She wrinkled her nose slightly. Apparently spending most of the day with a Stilinski meant talking like them eventually. She’d warn Derek, but she wasn’t sure he’d care.

“Hey! I heard that!” Stiles grumped from the doorway, walking over to shove her lightly before eyeing the snack-food set up. “Do we wanna set these out as puppy treats before the food?”

“Stiles…” Derek growled, turning back to check the potatoes. “They’re not puppies. And yes, hopefully that’ll keep them out of the kitchen until dinner.”

“Because that’s totally not something you do with puppies…” He shared a smirk with Cora then walked behind Derek to grab some plates. She noticed that he leaned against the werewolf’s back for a second before pulling everything out. It made her smile, though she rolled her eyes with Peter.

Stiles set the plates down on the table, grabbing two and piling them up with snacks for the older Hales. It amused her to see that Derek’s plate had more sweets on it, while her uncle’s was loaded with meats and cheeses. Both men nodded their thanks, brushing their shoulders against Stiles’ before going back to their cooking. The teen grabbed a couple bowls and a tray. “C’mon, Cor, let’s get this set out before Scott starts sniffing around Derek’s pant legs. Trust me… it’s never a good thing to see him beg.”

“I dunno… Some people might say begging is a turn on.” The squawk she got from him was definitely worth it. So was the faint flush to the tips of Derek’s ears.

“Oh my god! One: That’s Scott. He’s my brother. That’s disgusting. That would be like… like… Peter in a leather speedo, man. Not cool! Two: You are a deviant. An evil, wicked deviant who is evil.” He had put the dishes down on the table to point at her. His finger swung to point at Scott, who was creeping over. “And you! No. Bad alpha. Back to the couch until you’re called. Gah!” He threw his hands up as Isaac’s head peeked over the back of the couch and Erica slunk forward. “Impatience! Mutiny! Food coup!” He continued to squawk and flail, flapping his hands to keep the wolves at bay while Cora put everything else out. Boyd and Danny were openly laughing at him now and Derek’s laughter could be heard from the kitchen as well.

“Derek! Dammit, not good role model material, dude.”

Derek walked to the doorway, wrapped an arm around Cora’s waist and grinned broadly. “Don’t call me dude. And I never said I was a role model. The Alpha should be able to control his pack.”

“Pfffft, please… the Alpha can’t control his own salivary glands, much less everyone else’s. Get back, you fiends!” Stiles was laughing too, swatting at hands that got too close until Derek took pity on him. Cora smirked openly, knowing it was only a matter of time until her brother took the human’s side.

“All right, back off and let Stiles and Danny get plates first. If you guys get at this, there won’t be anything left.” Danny got up, kissing Isaac’s cheek and slipping behind Stiles to grab a plate.

“Should we save some for Lydia and Allison?” Scott had straightened, leaning against the chair Isaac was still in.

“Nope. Not happening. If they wanted food, they should have gotten here on time.” Stiles shook his head, almost smacking Danny before he reined his flailing limbs in. “If Cora and I had time to do all of our present wrapping and baking, and still get here in time, they certainly did.”

Cora arched an eyebrow, grinning at Stiles. “You mean, you won’t save any for the strawberry blonde goddess?”

“Nope. I love Lydia, but seriously, she needs to learn some time management, apparently. Or is it just something about Allison that makes everyone’s priorities go whack?” He narrowed his eyes at Scott, looking like he was trying to read the future, or the past, on his best friend’s face.

“Not discussing anything like that with you, Stiles.”

“Puh-lease! You, sir,” he stabbed his finger at Scott, but Cora noticed he’d slid closer to Derek; looking for protection, maybe, “are a giant hypocrite who tells me all sorts of unwanted details! I know things about Allison that no one should ever know about their best friend’s girlfriend. I could give Lydia pointers! Pointers, tips, and tricks, Scott!”

“Stiles! You said you’d never mention-“ Scott growled, crouching a bit again. Cora was unsettled for a minute, but then noticed the playful stance her Alpha (and that still felt weird to say, or think) had taken.

“Nope.” Stiles popped the p, smirking. “I said I’d never tell Allison. Didn’t say anything about not mentioning to anyone else how much she likes licking, or that the backs of her knees are ticklish, or…” He yelped and dove for the front door as Scott roared and started chasing him. Everyone else laughed, Derek shaking his head and followed them outside.

A yelp and a thud made everyone rush to the porch in time to see Scott pick himself up from in front of Allison’s SUV. Stiles had rushed over, hands moving rapidly as he checked over his best friend. “Gah, seriously, Als, you know there are wolves running around out here, you can’t just drive up like a bat out of hell!” He helped Scott stand as he scolded the huntress, who was looking ashamed of herself. Cora watched as Isaac rushed down to help them, but Stiles just swatted his hands away, taking his best friend’s weight on his own.

Allison scurried around the car, biting her lip. “Scott, I’m so sorry. Are you ok? Seriously… I’m really really…” She was cut off by Scott’s pained laughter as he limped up to the porch where Stiles set him down. “It’s fine… it’s not the first time you’ve hit a dog to get my attention, ya know.” Allison laughed too, dropping a kiss on his head quickly.

Well, if no one else was gonna say it… Cora smiled mirthlessly, staring at Allison. “Uh, no, actually it’s not all right. Ha ha, great that Scott got hit by a car-“

“Hey!” The Alpha’s indignant yelp went ignored as Cora stalked off the porch towards Allison.

“But right before Scott was there, it was Stiles who was running outside. Believe it or not, there are humans who do frequent this house and these woods.”

Allison stiffened, glaring back. “I know. I’m one of them, remember?”

“Che, barely. You’d be singing a different tune if it was Lydia who got decked. Be more careful.”

“Lydia has enough intelligence to stay out of the woods at night.” The red-head sniffed, moving next to Allison to glare at Cora as well.

Stiles huffed, patting Scott’s shoulder before hopping off the porch and between the three women. “All right, enough. Allison knows she has to slow down, and it wasn’t me who got hurt, it was one of you quick-healing freaks, so everything’s fine. It’s Christmas.”

Lydia glowered, but pulled Allison into the house, handing her bags off to Isaac and Boyd. Stiles turned back to Cora, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Hey. I’m fine, Scott’s fine, nothing’s wrong. Let’s go back to decking the balls and hanging the halls… Uh.. I mean.. wait…” He spluttered and Cora finally cracked a real grin, then a soft giggle that surprised her.

“You’re an idiot. I don’t know why my brother puts up with you.” She shoved his shoulder as they made their way back into the kitchen.

“My hot-” He got cut off as a hand snaked over his mouth. Derek kissed the side of his head, smirking at Cora.

“Cookie-making skills.” She laughed again at her brother’s serious expression, coupled with the blush just barely visible through his scruff.

“Uh huh. I’d be careful then, oh brother mine. He tends to share his cookie-making skills with everyone. Just as a warning.” Both Hales laughed as Stiles spluttered and flailed at them, finally turning on his heel to check the ham.

“Oh. My. God! Neither of you are getting cookies ever again. Ever. That’s it. I’m giving Peter all your cookies! See how you like it when Uncle Creepy is drooling all over them and you get none. Hmph!” He closed the oven door and glared until Derek walked over and nuzzled his cheek.

Cora took her cue from Derek’s eyes flicking back to her… as much as it wasn’t Stiles who got hurt, it could have been and her brother was understandably paranoid about losing people. She sauntered out to the living room, snagging a roll of turkey and plopping down next to Boyd. Scott had changed clothes and Lydia was directing Isaac on how to arrange the presents they’d brought. Their desserts sat on the table in the corner and Cora was glad they at least had the decency to give Stiles and Derek a few minutes.

She looked up as Allison settled next to her, biting back her growl. The brunette took a breath before looking over at her. “I’m sorry. You were right. I was more concerned with being late than I was with what could have been running around the forest. And I know that Scott and Stiles are generally the worst for it, so it makes it doubly bad.”

Cora nodded, biting back the sharp retort in favor the ‘holiday spirit’. “Just be more careful. Even if we heal, it still hurts like a bitch.” Allison nodded again, pressing her lips together for a second before taking her place next to Lydia again.

The Hale House was filled with laughter and badly sung carols. Food was devoured, with Stiles bemoaning the lack of leftovers and Scott quickly getting Boyd and Isaac to help with the dishes. Cora could admit that when it mattered, he was a good Alpha. He might even grow into a great one, and she was pleasantly surprised to discover that she wouldn’t mind being around to see it happen. Derek and even Peter were smiling, genuinely happy with the cacophony around them. It felt good. It felt like family, like pack and she was content and settled in a way she hadn’t been since the fire.

After dinner was cleaned up, Stiles bounced up. “Presents! It’s present time!” Everyone groaned, but as a group, they made their way back to the living room, settling into smaller piles. Erica snuggled up to Boyd; Isaac was curled up on Danny’s lap. Scott smiled and lifted his arms a bit as Allison and Lydia settled against his sides. Cora tucked herself under Peter’s arm and Derek took the recliner while Stiles acted as Santa, calling out names and handing out gifts.

When all the presents were distributed, Stiles called out. “1… 2… 3!!” The house was filled with the sounds of shredding paper and happy yelps. Erica, Scott, Stiles, and oddly Allison ripped into their gifts with all the dignity of a 5 year old. Everyone else proceeded with a little more dignity, but she noticed that Peter was already munching on the cookies Stiles baked while he opened the rest of his gifts. Apparently no one could resist them. When he opened the box of watches that Cora got for him, he leaned over and kissed her forehead with a soft smile.

Allison gasped, pulled the deep purple throw from its paper and wrapping it around her shoulders. The top was plush velour, the underside was lavender fur. Cora had loved the way it felt on her skin (and had maybe bought herself one in red), and after listening to Stiles, she figured something soft would be perfect for the huntress.

Scott was sitting in a small pile of Ikea space savers, a hotplate, and a new computer. He was holding a black hanger in one hand and a black binder tablet in the other. “Uh… guys?”

Cora nodded towards the tablet. “That’s supposed to go in a binder, for notes. You write on it like paper, and then transfer the notes to your computer.”

Understanding blossomed on Scott’s face and he nodded with a bright smile. “Thanks, Cora, that’s gonna be really useful.” He looked at the hanger again, looking up when Stiles started laughing.

“That’s for all the hot chicks you’re gonna pick up, dude. It lets your roomie know the sex is happening.” He was cackling, holding his sides like they hurt.

“Stiles… man, just… ugh.” Scott laughed, throwing the hanger at his head and grinning widely when it bounced off. “You need it more… how many times have I walked in on you and Derek?”

“Oh my god, dude, party foul! You come in through my bedroom window, at my house. I shouldn’t have to worry about anyone other than my dad walking in on me blowing my boyfriend. Ass.”

Cora grinned widely as Derek flushed, suddenly very occupied with folding the paper he’d pulled off his gifts. “So, Scott, how many times have you walked in on Stiles blowing my brother? Just… a rough estimate.”

“No, nope, nuh uh, not happening. You bilingual? ¡No! We are not discussing that, we are moving on.” He pointed at Scott. “I’m trading you in for a better best friend.”

Everyone laughed and went back to their gifts. Erica gave Cora a wide grin, holding a large cosmetics case in her hands. Isaac was staring at the tabletop easel and artist box with a small smile and Cora watched his fingers twitch like he couldn’t wait to put it to use.

Danny laughed when he opened the small box Cora had given him. “How many fake IDs do I need?”

Cora grinned. “Well, how long did it take you to replace the one the police took? This way you don’t have to wait. And these were done by a good friend of mine from New York. She’s expensive, but she’s the best. Enjoy, and don’t get into trouble.”

Lydia was already reading the instructions for her new French press coffee cup. She looked up at Cora with curious eyes. “You always say the coffee around here sucks… I figured you could make your own and not worry about it anymore.”

She shrugged and Lydia nodded. “That was… thoughtful. Thank you, Cora.”

Their moment was interrupted by Stiles. He burst out laughing, holding a brown leather book to his chest. “Cora… oh man, this is the best. You’re the best. Officially my second-favorite Hale ever. Maybe my second favorite werewolf.” Scott’s indignant ‘hey!’ went unnoticed. “This is awesome. ‘The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Handbook’. I can’t… where did you even find this?” He pulled out the small cup warmer and laughed again. “Man, you are seriously the best.”

Cora smirked. “You always bitch about your coffee getting cold because you forget that it’s there when you research. I thought it was appropriate.”

Derek held up the box holding a top-of-the-line radar detector. He arched an eyebrow at his sister and she giggled. “You drive like you’re on a racetrack, Der, and every car out there is trying to beat you.” Her grin turned devious. “And it would be nice if Stiles’ father never caught you two making out in the backseat of the Camaro.” His blush was all the answer she needed, and its twin on Stiles’ face made it that much better. “You’re welcome, boys.”

She glanced at Boyd and noticed that the normally stoic werewolf was smiling. A blue iPod sat in his hands and he was looking at the back of it, reading something over and over. Erica poked his shoulder to get his attention. “Read it out loud, babe.”

Boyd looked up, catching Cora’s eye before looking back down. “It says…” He cleared his throat, the nervous action making everyone else look up and pay attention. “It says, ‘To keep you sane in the dark. –Love, Cora’” He smiled warmly, holding an arm out. Cora walked over and curled up against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Erica reached over and grabbed her hand, cuddling against Boyd’s other side.

“You made a really horrible experience bearable… and I never got the chance to thank you.” Cora’s words were soft, but Boyd nodded, tightening his arm for a hug. Everyone looked around uncomfortably until Stiles coughed and stood, motioning for Peter.

“C’mon, Fester, let’s get some pies and coffee. The eldest Hale stood and everyone else started gathering gifts into piles, giving Cora, Boyd, and Erica a few minutes to themselves.

Cora watched as everyone settled back down with pie and coffee. Stiles insisted that ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ get put on, with Scott calling dibs for Rudolph after. She smiled, lost in her own thoughts. Two years ago, she wasn’t even thinking about Christmas. Last year, with Boyd and Erica dead and Derek dealing with guilt and rage, the holidays were the last thing on her mind. This year, despite the catastrophe that was mall shopping, she found that she was still capable of celebration. And as Scott and Stiles made everyone laugh by doing the Snoopy dance, she let herself laugh with them, happy to be surrounded by her family and her pack.