Archive of Our Own

For how much he missed his old life, being back in Beacon Hills after a year of living in London felt borderline surreal. Everything was pretty much the same, but he noticed small changes everywhere he looked. The clerk at the gas station had a nose piercing now, but he thought it suited her. The mail carrier walked with a bit of a limp that hadn't been there before. She no longer wore a wedding ring on her left hand either.

The grocery store sign had been changed from red and blue to red and yellow even though the logos inside the store remained the same. He shuddered to think how much would've changed if he'd been gone longer. Despite all the chaos and stress he went through within the town's man-made borders, Beacon Hills was home.

The most glaring change was that the so-called "epic bromance" between ScottandStiles was over. Lydia told him what happened with the fox spirit that possessed Stilinski and how Allison had risked her life and lost. Now Stiles was persona non grata at the lunch table and at all pack events. Jackson could easily see the Stilinski-shaped void where the guy used to fit in the group.

Things were going okay for the most part. He'd only been back a week, but he was trying to put in a real effort to not be a jerk and to go along with the status quo. He actually kind of enjoyed how Kira was so upbeat and a little bit quirky.Mostly, he appreciated that she was a new face that came with a fresh start. Then McCall tried to throw his alpha weight around by telling the entire group to ignore Stiles at all times. The red eye flash made it an order, but something within Jackson resisted and the tentative bonds that had been forming with the pack instantly dissolved.

Two days went by before he understood what it was that made him reject the command. His wolf apparently had opinions about Stiles and refused to be cut off from someone it saw as pack. Stiles had risked his own life to save him on multiple occasions while Scott mostly growled at the wind and took all the credit. He made a plan and picked out the perfect outfit to help him begin phase one of recruiting Stiles Stilinski as an ally.

There would've been a time when he would have immediately rejected the idea, but he saw how the human fought to protect his friends. He wanted that kind of guy to be on his side and his wolf agreed. It wasn't rocket science.

He showed up at school on Monday morning wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a sapphire blue t-shirt that matched his eyes when he shifted. He saw the familiar Jeep in the school parking lot and he went on a hunt for his prey. The chase excited his wolf so much that he nearly laughed out loud when he finally tracked the human's scent to the school library. He entered the room and scoured the area until he found Stilinski sitting on the floor in the back of the last aisle with his body leaning against the wall.

The boy's bambi eyes looked up at him and the scent of crisp apples and cinnamon filled his nostrils. He tamped down the urge to rush forward and sent the guy, but just barely. He walked toward Stiles and noticed the array of books that were spread out around him.

"You've been back two weeks and haven't insulted me once. I was beginning to feel offended."

Jackson wrinkled his nose at the way the human's scent turned bitter. He sat down in an open spot and faced him. His nerves caught up to him and he was reminded of all the times he'd been unnecessarily cruel to the human. He'd changed some, sure, but he was worried that he might not've changed enough.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not here to insult you."

Stiles stared. "Then what do you want? I figured that Scott would've ordered you to stay away from me too."

"He tried, but I'd take orders from a garbage can before I'd take them from him. I wanted to fit in with all of them, to have a pack, but there's no point in trying without you there."

Stiles looked surprised and Jackson could only imagine the various thoughts swimming through the teen's head. He wished he could read him as easily as he could read Danny's facial expressions, but that kind of familiarity took time.

"Excuse me?"

Jackson let out shaky breath. How was he supposed to tell the guy that he wanted him in his life after their shared history? He couldn't just put all of his feelings on the table and expose himself to rejection or ridicule. A part of him wanted to, but he was too scared to ruin everything before anything even started.

He would've blamed it on the wolf if he could, but he knew he had a bit of a crush on the guy even before he was bitten. It was complicated…like everything else in his life. For once, he'd like to have something easy.

"Look, I know what happened. Lydia told me everything and the others filled in the few gaps that she didn't know or remember. As someone who was forced to hurt people against his will, I know nothing that thing made you do was your fault. McCall and the others are too busy vilifying you to see the truth, but I know you wouldn't hurt anyone unless you had to.

"You've saved my life a handful of times by now, I'd bet. I don't want to be in a pack that doesn't have you in it. I know we have things to work through and I'm willing to try. So…I'm sorry for all the shit I pulled the last few years and I hope we can be friends. And thanks…for saving my life."

Stiles appeared to be gobsmacked and Jackson couldn't bring himself to look away from the amber eyes that surveyed him. Eventually, Stiles sat down his notebook and pencil.

"Where's the real Jackson Whittemore?"

"You don't recognize me from my good looks?" He teased.

Stiles shrugged his shoulder. "I mean, it's far more likely that you're a pod person or some kind of shapeshifter in this town. You've been gone a year and I'm pretty sure you hated my guts before you left."

Jackson took a beat before responding. "London was brutal. I got to see what it was like being the outsider and I matured a bit. I never hated you, Stilinski. I wanted the life you had. You know exactly who you are and I spent my entire life trying to be the person my adoptive parents wanted me to be."

Stiles listened to his words and then licked his lips. "That's deep. It sounds like you need a therapist."

"I did that in London, too. It helped me sort some stuff out."

Stiles looked past him when a student started to walk toward them. The student saw them both and promptly turned the other direction and scampered off. Jackson wondered how long it would be before the rumor mill cooked up some juicy story about their secret library meet up.

"So you want to be pals now? How would that work? I'm pretty sure you need an alpha and there's only one of those in town."

Jackson nodded slowly. "I don't have all the answers. I did okay in London without an alpha, but it wasn't as easy as I would've liked. I think we can help each other and I trust you. Besides, you can't be involved with this stuff on your own. Just think it over."

Jackson stood up and he started walking away, but Stiles called out his name and stopped him.

"I don't need to think about it. I'm in."

Jackson walked back and sat down again. His wolf felt content for the first time since he left his kanima days behind him. The tentative warm thread of a fresh pack bond started to form between them and he exhaled a more confident breath.

"Okay. Cool."

"Yeah, cool," Stiles teased.

Jackson gestured at the books scattered around. "What's all this?"

"I've been creating my own bestiary," Stiles answered. "It's essentially a book of creatures. I have a copy of the Argent bestiary, but it's skewed toward hunting and killing which leaves a lot of gaps. Derek offered to show me the Hale version before everything went down with the nogitsune. I guess that's off the table now."

"Probably," he agreed. He was surprised that he felt a pang of jealousy at the idea of Stiles and Derek spending time together, side by side, as they poured over some musty old book. "Maybe there are some we can buy?"

Stiles shook his head. "I doubt it, man. Emissaries do their best to control that stuff so the truth about the supernatural doesn't get out. If they are in the public domain, they're going to be super expensive or loaded with inaccuracies and passed off as fiction."

"Then we'll figure something else out. We could ask Danny to search the dark web."

Stiles met his eyes. "Does that mean he knows about…everything?"

Jackson felt guilty as he shook his head. "I haven't hold him, but I'm ready. He's my best friend and he deserves to know."

Stiles nodded after thinking it over. "He'll be safer if he knows. I went through it all with my dad so I can give you pointers if you want."

"Sure. Thanks."

Stiles looked at the time on his cell and he started packing the books into his backpack. "We can talk about it at lunch if you want to come up with a plan."

"Yeah, definitely," he agreed. He felt relieved to know that he wasn't alone anymore. When he saw the tentative smile on Stiles' face, he felt like he'd passed some sort of test.

He walked Stiles to class and he held his head high when they passed Scott and Isaac in the hallway. He saw a flash of red and purposefully ignored the true idiot and his new shadow.

"This is me," Stiles announced once they had arrived.

"I'll meet you here after and walk you to your next class."

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to," he said. He reached out and squeezed the boy's shoulder, but it was more about scent marking him than offering reassurance. Stiles seemed to understand because he returned the favor and then walked inside the classroom. Jackson turned back and smirked at McCall before he went into his own class across the hall.

Danny sat on the couch looking bored. They had some 90s television show on but neither of them were paying much attention to it. Jackson had talked it over with Stiles during lunch and decided that he was going to open the can of worms with Danny after school.

Now that they were at Jackson's home, he was beginning to second guess himself. Danny seemed to sense the tension, but he wasn't calling him out. That left the two of them sitting in silence.

"So…I'm a werewolf," he spat out, desperate for a starting point. "I used to be human and then I was a weird vengeance lizard for a bit, but the Hales killed me and I came back a proper werewolf. Don't freak out?"

Danny turned and looked at him before laughing. Jackson frowned. He thought Danny was laughing because he assumed it was some big joke. Danny reached over and squeezed his knee with the kindest expression possible.

"Thank you for finally telling me."

"You believe me? Just like that?"

"Of course I do. I dated a werewolf for a hot minute, but he left when his twin brother died. It was a messed up situation from what I could gather."

He started connecting the dots in his head and realized who Danny was referring to. He suspected that his friend had quite a few gaps when it came to the twists and turns of the story, but he seemed to know enough to get the gist of the truth about Beacon Hills.

"You have no idea."

So Jackson told him. He turned his body toward his best friend and opened up about everything that he'd been hiding, even about the stuff that happened to the others and what he went through in London. He explained about Matt and the hunters and what happened to Stiles. By the end of the twenty minute info dump, everything had been revealed. Well, almost everything.

"There's something else. I'm pretty sure I'm into Stiles."

Danny's eyebrows went up toward his hairline, but they didn't quite reach.

"I knew you had a thing for him! Well, either Stiles or Scott. It was one of them."

Jackson wrinkled his nose. "Definitely not McCall. He's not a troll or anything, but the guy isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer."

"Whereas Stiles gets hotter every year and he's always been intelligent. He's really filled out those flannel shirts lately. I guess fighting monsters helps with that."

He nodded in agreement. He wasn't prepared for Danny's question.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Jackson sighed. "I'm pretty sure he's still into Lydia. It's not like he'd ever be into me, Danny. But we both need a pack and we can become friends."

Danny squeezed his knee for a second time. "Don't give up without even trying. I think he might surprise you. And I want in."

"You want a threesome with me and Stiles?!"

Danny laughed so hard that he snorted. "No, dumbass! I want to be in the pack with you and Stiles. I want to help keep you safe and my computer skills might actually be useful."

"That would be great, but you know that it's dangerous."

"I'll be careful," Danny assured him. "I figured out about werewolves on my own and I'm still pretty good at karate even though I quit the summer before high school."

"Thanks, Danny. I'm sorry I lied to you for so long. I had a lot of stuff to figure out on my own before I could even think of sharing any of it with you, but I still lied. I'll do my best to make it up to you."

Danny smiled. "Wow. You really did change in London. The therapy must've cost a fortune."

"Around thirty grand," he estimated. "Thank God for private insurance."

Even though Danny's parents were comfortable and upper middle class, the guy never did seem to laugh at his rich people jokes. He blamed it on the fact that their upbringings were so different.

"Is it weird being back without your parents? Do they know about you?"

Jackson shook his head. Things had become tense with them, even more than it had been before they left Beacon Hills. They were smart enough to know he was keeping secrets and hurt that he refused to confide in them. He really felt like they had washed their hands of him.

"I haven't told them about being a werewolf or about being into guys," he confessed. "You know how they are. Neither of them wanted to leave London so it took me a year to talk them into letting me come home alone. It's a mess."

Danny wrapped his arm around his shoulder and hugged him from the side. "It's okay, Jackson. One thing at a time, just like when we make lacrosse plays."

"I guess."

He felt happy to be back on good terms with his best friend. A second tentative pack bond had already started to form and he knew Stiles would be okay with Danny joining up. He tried to focus on the positives: Danny had forgiven him and Stiles was willing to try being friends. All in all, he felt like he made the right decision to return to Beacon Hills.

He'd work on his relationship with his adoptive parents when the rest of his life started to become something he could talk to them about. He didn't know if he'd ever tell them about the supernatural, but he'd at least be able to show that he'd put in the effort and worked to be a better person.

The three of them meshed well as a pack. Danny helped to even out Stiles' eccentrics and Jackson's own pessimism. They'd already found a lot of information about the supernatural on the dark web in obscure places that only those in the know would be able to find it. Stiles' notebook was filling up quickly and Jackson's packmates were talking about making an all digital version so it could be easily shared if need be.

They were sitting at the lunch table talking about the strengths and weaknesses of wendigos when someone surprising approached their table with her packed lunch in her right hand. The girl was wearing a cute dress with leggings and feminine-style boots that reminded Jackson of a passion fruit smoothie.

"Can I join you?"

The three of them nodded without hesitation. She sat down and opened her lunch while smiling at the three of them. She took a bite of her food and realized they were still staring.

Jackson looked over her shoulder and saw the way Scott was glaring in their direction.

"Let me guess. McCall put his foot in his mouth."

Kira sighed melodically. "I'm just tired of all the blaming. What happened wasn't Stiles' fault and they can't accept that. My mom was the one that summoned the nogitsune, but Scott and the others refuse to place any of the blame on her. Allison was nice, but she wasn't the perfect person that they're putting up on a pedestal."

"She changed a lot when she became a hunter. A lot of that was Gerard's influence," Stiles explained.

"I just need a break from all of them," Kira confessed. "And I'd like to be friends with all of you. My mom doesn't like Scott's superiority complex and she's been dropping hints that I should find a better group to hang with. I'm finally starting to see her side of things."

"The more the merrier," Danny offered. Jackson wanted to punch him in the shoulder for being such a dork, but the sentiment was true. Kira seemed like she would fit in well with the three of them and they wouldn't force her to leave Scott's pack to be their friends.

"I heard what you guys were talking about on my way over and I wanted to point out that a wendigo's claws are weaker than their teeth. The claws are primarily used to subdue their prey."

Stiles smiked. "That's right. What else do you know about wendigos, Kira?"

"Not much," she admitted. "Most of what I know is from television shows or video games. But I do know that they're more familial than they're portrayed in media. I wonder if there are any in town."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Stiles said. "The nemeton draws all kinds of people to us. We should add that creepy tree to our research list, Danny."

Danny pulled out his phone and added it to the research list. Kira seemed happy about being included and Jackson knew she would be an ally to them. If he could get her to join up, even better.

"Kira, do you want to join us at my house after school? We can show you what we've come up with so far," Jackson offered.

She seemed hesitant at first, but all of her doubts quickly subsided. "That would be great. I know a lot about more about kitsune if you need any information for your beastiary."

"You can totally help me fill in the gaps," Stiles encouraged. "And Danny found some stuff on the dark web that we need to go through so we can filter out anything untrue. You can ride over with me if you want."

"Yeah, that would be awesome."

Jackson choked down the pangs of jealousy that started to pick away at his insides. He knew that Stiles wasn't into Kira, but that didn't mean he wanted them spending time alone together. He stabbed the mystery meat on his plate and shoved an oversized piece into his mouth.

Danny gave him a weird look and proceeded to make small talk with Kira. Jackson listened and focused on not saying anything that would ruin the girl wanting to join up with them if it eventually came to that. The longer he listened, the more he realized what a genuinely kind girl she was. Kira was the kind of person he needed in his life if he wanted to become a good person.

"Incoming," Stiles warned by way of a fake cough. Jackson could smell McCall's alpha stench more and more as he walked up to them. The acrid wave that proceeded him let him know that the true idiot was seething on the inside.

"Kira, what are you doing?"

"I'm making new friends and correcting a mistake I made in my friendship with Stiles."

Scott frowned. He clearly didn't get it. "Why would you want to hang out with them?"

"Is there something wrong with us, McCall?" Danny asked. Scott stammered over a response before he turned and walked away. The four of them shared a laugh, but they all knew it wasn't the end of Scott throwing his opinion around.

Jackson was heading back to class from a bathroom break when his wolf senses kicked into overdrive. His hearing immediately cut through all the surrounding chatter and isolated Stiles' voice. He took off into a run and came upon Scott holding Stiles against the wall in one of the stairwells. Jackson slammed his body into McCall's and sent him flying into the corner.

"I'm okay," Stiles insisted.He knew the human was lying without even needing to listen to his heartbeat. There was stress in his voice and the confined space smelled only of Stiles' fear.

"Assaulting students with all those alpha powers. I'm sure the hunters would be real interested to know how unhinged you're becoming, McCall."

Scott's eyes filled with crimson. Jackson refused to back down.

"I heard some of the things you said to him," he added. "Stay away from him or you'll regret it."

Scott glared. "This isn't your business, Jackson. Kira's in my pack and you're both going to leave her alone!"

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Kira's a big girl, Scott. She can make her own decisions. And you're lucky Jackson showed up because I was about to kick your ass."

"You're nothing," Scott told his former friend. "You weak and you've always been a pain in the ass. You're responsible for what the nogitsune did…for everyone it murdered. I promise that you're gonna pay for what you did to Allison."

They were all startled by the appearance of a new voice at the top of the stairs. "You know that Stiles is innocent of any involvement, Scott. I'd expected more compassion and understanding from a true alpha. My brother will be equally disappointed to learn that you've been using your strength to bully Stiles."

Jackson recognized the school guidance counselor on sight. He thought she also taught one of the foreign languages at the school, but he couldn't remember her name or which language it was. He looked to Stiles for an explanation, but the guy looked like he just wanted to get out of there.

"That's not what happened. He's corrupting people! I bet he's using some kind of dark magic that he learned from the nogitsune."

The guidance counselor's face gave nothing away. "I suggest you all return to your classes. I'll let my brother know he needs to have a long conversation with you about the realities of the supernatural world and your appropriate role, Scott."

Jackson followed Stiles out of the stairwell and down one of the hallways. He heard Scott trying to convince the woman that he was right and smirked when she ordered him to either go to class or to detention. Jackson followed Stiles into the bathroom and found the guy splashing water on his face.

"Please tell me you don't believe anything he said."

Stiles looked at him. "No, he's lashing out at me because he feels guilty that he couldn't save Allison. It just hurts that the guy I thought would be my brother for life hates my guts over something I had no control over."

"He could come around in a couple decades," Jackson suggested. It was more a dig at Scott's stubbornness than anything helpful, but it succeeded in making Stiles smile for a few seconds.

"I doubt it. Thanks for getting him off of me. I know I said I was gonna kick his ass, but the truth is that I froze up. I don't want to fight him. I don't want to hurt him or anyone else."

"That's how I know nothing was your fault. You've got me and Danny now and we have your back. And Kira seems like she cares about you too."

"Thanks. Come on. It's my turn to walk you to class."

Jackson went along because he could sense that Stiles wanted to change the subject. They were approaching the door when he stopped and pulled Stiles into a hug. It was awkward for half a second and then it felt right. When neither of them separated, he knew it was something they both needed. They stood that way for a couple of minutes and only separated when the door opened and their lacrosse coach walked in on them.

"Hey, Coach," Jackson said. He felt the sting of blush on his cheeks and could only imagine what the man was thinking. He didn't dare look at Stiles under the man's gaze.

"Jackson. Bilinski. This is the type of team bonding I like to see. Now get to class before I make both of you run suicides. I have to pee and I don't need an audience."

They laughed the entire way to Jackson's classroom. "See you last period, Jackson."

"It's a date."

Stiles smiled the most genuine smile at him before walking off. He felt like an idiot for saying something so lame, but at least it got the guy to smile. As he returned to his seat and ignored the ire of the teacher wondering what took him so long, he found himself consumed by thoughts of how beautiful the guy looked when he smiled. He didn't know what he was going to do about his crush, but he did know that he was lucky to have the guy's forgiveness.

He made a promise to himself that he wouldn't make Stiles regret giving him a second chance.

Jackson was disgruntled to be woken up at the crack of dawn by someone calling his phone. He expected for it to be one of his parents in London that didn't care about something so pedestrian as the time difference, but he saw Stiles' name on the caller ID. He accepted the call.

"Stiles?"

He could hear multiple heartbeats on the other end of the line, but he was most concerned by the heavy breathing before the caller responded. "Jackson, we have a problem."

A chill went up his spine. The voice on the other end wasn't Stiles, but it was familiar. "Derek? What are you doing with Stiles' phone?"

"It's complicated. Stiles said you were the person to call. Get to my loft as fast as you can. I'll text you the address."

"Is Stiles okay?!"

Derek responded tersely. "It depends on whether or not the bite takes. I gotta go. Just get here."

The call was ended and Jackson scrambled to get dressed. Last he heard, Derek had left town with his sister after two out of three of his betas were killed. He couldn't stop picturing Stiles bleeding out and calling for him. He grabbed his wallet and keys and had his car started before the text with the address came through.

What good was being a werewolf if he couldn't sense when Stiles needed him? He punched his dash and winced when the clock on the radio fizzled out. He just knew it was going to be an expensive fix, but he couldn't focus on that stuff when his pack mate was potentially dying a few miles away.

He sped and he didn't care if the sheriff himself pulled him over. Thabkfully, Beacon Hills' finest weren't on duty in the area he was traveling in. He got to the old building within twelve minutes and he parked in the lot. As soon as he exited the car, he picked up the scent of his packmate's blood. He ran inside and used his nose to get to the elevator which reeked of blood, sweet, and enough chemosignals to make him nauseated. The text mentioned the top floor so at least he wouldn't have to search the entire building.

The bones of the building were fine, but everywhere he looked was something in need of renovation. The wooden and carpeted floors were stained; the paint on the wall was peeling away like it was trying to flee the building to save itself.

When he reached the top level, he exited the elevator and walked down a dimly lit hallway. He didn't entirely trust Derek Hale after their history, but he knew he'd have to set all of that aside if it meant getting to Stiles. His pack mate needed him and he wasn't going to let the guy that killed him once stand in his way.

He wondered if it was some kind of trap to lure him there, but he could hear Stiles' erratic heartbeat once he approached the elevator. Even if Hale had managed to fake the blood and other scents in the building, it was impossible to fake the heartbeat that was all too familiar to him now, a chaotic mix of thunderous beats followed by a short staccato finish before it all began again.

He walked through the oversized doorway that had been left open. The loft air was a little stale and most of the surfaces had a decent amount of dust that had accumulated on them. Jackson spotted Stiles on the mattresses near a massive hole in the wall. He had an almost irresistible urge to hire an interior decorator if he was going to be spending any length of time in the place, but he pushed down those remnants of his adoptive parents' influence.

The coppery redolence of the boy's blood in the air made Jackson want to howl and then murder anyone that even thought to try to touch his human. Stiles seemed to be passed out which, from the look of the damage to his torso, was a good thing.

"What happened?"

Derek looked up from where he was seated on the floor by the foot of the bed. "I was tracking some hunters that were killing innocent people, mostly weres with a few humans in the know. I followed them to LA and then Sacramento before they gave me the slip. I asked Stiles to help me do some research on the family. They must have followed me to the meet-up because they started shooting up the place."

"Stiles' house?" Jackson asked. He wondered if the sheriff was okay. For Stiles' sake, he really hoped so.

"No, an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. It was supposed to be a quick meeting and then I'd go back to tracking them, but they were tipped off somehow. They shot him when he saved me from two hunters. I killed them all and by that point, he'd started to lose too much blood. There wasn't wolfbane in the bullets, so I offered him a choice."

Jackson risked looking over Stiles' body. The guy looked pale lying there wrapped in bandages and towels. He could smell the gunpowder residue along with traces of the hunters that clung to his clothes. His favorite red hoodie was crumpled on the floor and soaked in his blood. He couldn't lose Stiles now that they'd finally been making progress.

"Is he…?"

Derek shook his head. He appreciated that the werewolf didn't make him finish his question.

"The bite took. He's going to make it. Do you want to tell me why he insisted that I call you? I thought you left."

"I could say the same to you." Jackson realized how harsh his words sounded, so he followed up his statement. "I came back."

"So did I," Derek replied, equally terse.

Jackson sighed. He really didn't want to fight the guy. He just wanted to protect Stiles and see him through the transition.

"Scott and the others blame him for the nogitsune. They kicked him out of the pack and even now, months later, they refuse to talk to him. I was back for a week before I realized my wolf was telling me that there was no pack without him in it. We worked out our issues and now we're a pack of four. The two of us along with Danny and Kira, although she hasn't officially joined up."

"Scott's an idiot," Derek said. "I was still living here when the nogitsune took control of his body. Stiles isn't responsible for any of it."

"I know that and you know that but getting him to believe it isn't so easy. His dad barely talks to him and I caught McCall holding him by the throat in one of the stairwells at school. It's not a good situation."

Derek met his eyes. "I messed up so much when I became an alpha. I lost Boyd and Erica and Scott always chose The Argents or his boss over me. When I used the alpha power to save my sister, I thought I was finally free of the burden that came with it. It meant I wouldn't get anyone else killed."

"But you're an alpha again, right? Stiles told me only an alpha can turn someone."

Derek nodded his head. "I was in South America last month when it just returned out of the blue. The emissary of the pack we were staying with said I had finished healing the alpha spark so I left. My sister chose to stay with an alpha that actually knows what he's doing. God only knows where my uncle is, but I hope he's far away from here."

"You and me both. I'm still pissed at him for what he did to Lydia."

"So is Stiles," Derek noted. There was a sadness in his tone that Jackson picked up on. "I'm glad you all have each other."

Jackson took a few steps closer and he started to pull some of Stiles' pain through his forearm. He'd learned how to do it from a beta that he met in London, but he'd never had to use it on anyone. He stopped when his arm started to go numb.

"So what's next for you? The hunters are all dead, you said."

Derek shrugged. "I don't know."

"Stay with us," Stiles croaked out, eyes closed but seemingly conscious. His heartbeat was more steady. "Be our alpha."

Derek shook his head. "I don't know how."

"Then well figure it out together," Jackson stated. It felt like the right move. Their group needed an alpha and that was even more true now that Stiles was becoming a werewolf. "None of us is perfect, but at least we can look out for each other. I know you blame yourself for what happened to me, but I practically manipulated you into biting me when you'd just become an alpha. It can be different this time. We can have a fresh start."

He hadn't realized how much he wanted Derek's approval until he saw the alpha thinking over his words. In the beginning, he'd been afraid of Derek. The guy had actually made an effort to keep him afraid which didn't do either of them any good when it came time for them to communicate as an alpha and beta should. And then Derek had just abandoned him when the bite went wrong.

He inhaled a breath and cleared his mind, choosing to focus on Stiles. If Derek wanted into their pack then he could forgive and move forward, but that wasn't up to him. Derek had to want it too.

"I'll think about it. You need to rest, Stiles."

"He already passed out again," Jackson confirmed. "He's right though. We're a pack without an alpha and you're an alpha without a pack. We all know the risks this time around. McCall will sell us all out the first chance he gets. We need each other."

Derek chuckled before he stood up and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You're starting to sound like Stiles. Does he know you're into him?"

"No," Jackson admitted. If Derek could see it so easily then Scott and the others probably could too, he realized. But he really didn't care what any of them thought. "We just became friends. I don't want to ruin it."

"That was fine when he was human, but he's about to develop enhanced senses. It won't take him long to suss it out for himself. For what its worth, I think he'll take it pretty well."

"How so? He's spent the last few years mooning over my ex-girlfriend. I don't have a shot. Of course, Danny says he might surprise me. What does the two of you know that I don't?"

"The only one that has those answers is Stiles. I think he's worth the risk, but you need to decide what you want."

Jackson was scared of Stiles' rejection, but he could at least admit that to himself. He just wasn't sure he was ready to talk about it all with Derek Hale.

"Then lets steer this conversation to your interior decorator," he suggested.

"What interior decorator?" Derek asked, clearly confused.

"That's my point. This place is depressing. The landlord must be a deadbeat to even consider renting it out."

Derek stood up straighter and Jackson sensed that he'd said the wrong thing. "I own the building."

Jackson rolled his eyes. Yes, less than ten minutes and his foot was already in his mouth. "That actually makes a lot of sense. How's your credit score? I could probably make it happen for just under fifty thousand if we did all the work ourselves. Why is there a massive hole in the wall, by the way?!"

"The real estate agent said it added character."

"Was she evil?" Jackson inquired, already convinced that the building was a death trap.

"Probably," Derek said, confirming his suspicions.

Danny and Kira showed up with him the following day after school. It was much less enjoyable without Stiles there, but the guy needed to recuperate away from anywhere that Scott McCall could reach him.

He was ready to make Stiles' day by telling him that one of the teachers gave McCall detention for arguing about a character in a book that the class was reading -- somehow McCall thought the villain was actually a good guy in need of redemption, the freak -- but his plans were waylaid by the fox that was sleeping on the foot of the mattress.

Derek looked at all three of them and sighed loudly. "It's Stiles. Was there any doubt he'd do things his own way?"

"He's so cute," Kira whispered, eyes wide with wonder. "Is it really him?"

Derek nodded after he took a drink of bottled water. "The first time he shifted on accident. After that, he just seemed to get a kick out of annoying me with how easy it was for him."

"So he's a werefox?" Danny asked. "I thought they were rare."

Derek nodded slowly. "They are. How do you know that?"

To be fair, Jackson kind of wanted to know the answer to that too. Kira looked ten seconds away from rushing over to the bed and scooping Stiles up into her arms. He knew Kira wouldn't hurt him. But something about Stiles' vulnerable state made him more on edge. Even the pack was being looked at with suspicion which made him feel a bit guilty.

"Stiles is creating his own beastiary and I've been helping him with information I can find on the dark web. He won't add anything unless there are three separate sources to confirm things and werefoxes are allegedly rare so that entry is pretty empty at the moment."

"I didn't know he was doing that," Derek commented. "I'll give him access to my family's beastiary and the research materials in our vault. Werewolves and werefoxes actually work quite well together. In fact, during the middle ages, it was common for packs to seek them out to form alliances with."

"Does that mean you're staying?" Jackson inquired.

Derek nodded. "If you'll all have me."

"Of course we will," Kira said. "I talked to my mom about things and she wants to meet with you at some point to offer her help with training you to be an alpha. She's known quite a few and is old friends with one close by that would be willing to meet with you."

Derek looked surprised by her kindness. "Thank you. That would be great."

"So should I call you Alpha Miguel then?" Danny teased.

Jackson had no idea what his best friend was referring to, but Stiles apparently found it funny. He'd shifted back to his human form and was naked, his modesty protected only by how he was turned on the bed, and he began to laugh. It was a sound that eased the tension that had been building in Jackson's bones ever since Stiles had been hurt.

"Oh, man, I really needed that," Stiles eventually spoke.

"I'll let him explain while I fetch him some clothes," Derek said before disappearing upstairs via the spiral staircase. It added way more character to the building than the hole in the wall. In fact, Jackson's hastily drawn up plans had made the staircase a visual focus point for the eventual renovation.

The two of them listened about the time Stiles, Danny, and Miguel had all been in the same room together. Danny had sussed out Derek's real identity the day after he helped track Scott's phone, but there was no need to discuss it since he was still in the dark about so many other things.

Jackson felt a pang of jealousy when Derek returned with clothes that smelled of the alpha instead of himself. They all averted their eyes while Stiles got dressed. The new werefox looked adorable in the oversized sweater and sweat pants. He very purposefully avoided looking at the way the fabric visibly bulged over Stilinski junk.

He walked forward and pulled Stiles into a hug which the werefox returned. It was the comfort of pack, but it was also making sure that Stiles carried his scent along with their alpha's.

"Okay, that was nice. A surprise, but a good one. I'm okay guys. Totally healed and everything."

"You could've been killed," Jackson scowled. He shot Derek an apologetic look when he realized how it probably sounded like he was blaming the man. "The hunters got what they deserved though."

Derek nodded once in agreement. Kira was the next to hug Stiles. "I guess we're cousins now," she teased, referencing the connection they shared. She seemed to remember something then because she reached into her backpack and pulled out an old book that lightly smelled of incense and perfume.

"What's this?" Stiles asked when she handed it to him.

"A gift from my mom's personal collection. There are some parts about kitsune, but it's mostly about werefoxes. She thought it might help you get a start on the reasearch."

Stiles hugged her for a second time and Jackson bit his tongue to keep from lashing out in jealous rage. "That's so cool! Thank you, Kira. And thank your mom for me too."

"I will."

They all sat down and talked a bit before Jackson looked to Derek. "Now what?"

"We make it official," Derek suggested. "There's a ritual that we need to perform to strengthen the pack bonds that have started to form between all of us. That will make me officially your alpha. Then we can discuss your renovation plans."

Stiles looked at him with a frown. "You want to renovate your parents house?"

Jackson smiled at him and shook his head. "No, I want to help Derek renovate this building into a proper pack house for all of us. He already agreed to let me rent one of the apartments in the building so I can get some independence from my parents."

"Don't worry, his rent will be very affordable with the pack discount."

"Can we have a library?" Stiles asked. "For research."

"Why don't you show them what you have so far," Derek suggested.

Jackson happily complied by pulling the notes and plans from his backpack. He knew there would be time to discuss things like furniture and paint colors later on. He started with his vision and then Derek shared his own plans including a secure area in case they needed to lock someone up for their own safety.

"Jackson, this is incredible. You did good," Stiles told him. If he sat up a little straighter then no one would blame him. Apparently he liked getting praise from Stiles. If the smirk coming from Danny's side of the room was any indication, he wasn't hiding his affection for the boy as well as he thought he was.

"It's just some rough drafts and a few sketches. We'll have to get estimates on what we can't accomplish ourselves, but Danny can help keep us on the right path. His dad's a contractor as you all know."

"He builds office buildings and hospitals mostly," Danny informed Derek and Kira, neither of whom knew. "But we could probably talk to him to get help with estimates and getting everything to code."

"We have time," Derek assured everyone. "I'm not going anywhere."

Jackson sensed a change in Stiles' scent and he turned to look at him. The werefox's head was down and he looked lost in thought.

"You okay?" He whispered, knowing Stiles would hear him. Honey colored eyes looked up at him and their owner nodded.

"I want to tell my dad," he decided. "He knows about the supernatural now, but he doesn't know about my falling out with the pack or about any of this. I want to tell him."

"You should," Derek agreed. "Whenever you're ready."

Stiles inhaled a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. "Thanks. I started thinking about him because him and my mom renovated our house when they moved in. So he could probably give us some tips here and there."

"He's welcome any time. He's your family so that makes him pack…if he wants to be," Derek explained.

"So tell us about this ritual," Danny said, changing the subject. "Do we need to wait for the full moon?"

Derek shook his head. "No, we can do it right now. You each have to submit to me and I have to accept you as pack. Its not all that complicated."

"Huh. Somehow I thought it would be more involved," Stikes said. "Does it involve howling at least? If it doesnt, it seems like a missed opportunity."

Derek rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. "You can howl if you want to, but it isn't required."

"Oh, I'm definitely howling," Stiles responded. When Jackson met his eyes, his heart stopped when his crush winked at him. The butterflies in his stomach that soon followed told him that his crush wasn't just a crush anymore.

"I'll go first," he announced, jumping to his feet. He needed to distract himself from thoughts of feelings and from Stiles because getting rejected by a crush sucked, but falling in love with a guy that rejected you was a whole other level of bad news.

One by one, they stood with Derek and repeated a few lines of text that had presumably been written centuries earlier and passed down for generations. The pack bonds tying them together grew stronger with each person that went so by the time Stiles was done, they all felt a little bit euphoric.

"I can't believe I told you all my name," Stiles pouted.

Jackson reached over and put his hand on his official packmate's shoulder. "I've known your name since the second grade when I got a look at the class roster. Not even I was a big enough ass to tease you about your name. Besides, as someone who was adopted, I think it's cool that you have a name that connects you to your heritage. 'Jackson' is hardly unique."

"No, but you are," Stiles responded.

Maybe it was the euphoria or the emotion at finally finding a place where he felt like he belonged. Whatever it was, he knew he would give up his life to protect his pack, and he knew that he'd sacrifice his life a hundred times over to protect Stiles.

He'd been back a few months and his crush on Stiles had blossomed into so much more. He pitied McCall if he ever found the true alpha's hands anywhere near what belonged to him.

The proceeding month went by without any issues. The packs were still at odds, but McCall and his group stayed away from theirs. Stiles' dad took his son's news well and they'd all started to get together for what they liked to call "family dinner" every Friday night. It was the sheriff's third meal with them when he'd pulled Jackson aside under some false pretense to thank him for bringing his son back to him.

It felt like more credit than he deserved, but the sheriff refused to hear it. They shared a hug and somehow all the past misdeeds that he'd done, most of which had actually had been directed at Stiles, were forgiven. He promised the man then and there that he wouldn't abuse the clean slate he'd been given.

Stiles had tears in his eyes when they returned to the room. They shared a smile with each other and then they poured over the week's renovation schedule. Between all of them, they were actually accomplishing quite a bit without any outside help. Danny's dad had given them a lot of tips and helped to draw up a working list to get everything up to code since getting the renovation permits required the approval of an inspector.

Jackson was due to move into his own apartment by spring. He was still dreading that email correspondence with his parents, but he'd made arrangements to copy all the necessary important documents he needed so he could file for emancipation if it came to it.

"Jackson, what paint color do you want for the hallway?" Danny asked.

"Something neutral would probably be best," he decided. "Especially if other people are going to move in at some point."

"I definitely am," Stiles said. He squeezed his dad's shoulder to make sure the man knew he wasn't rejecting him or his home. Derek had told the sheriff about pack bonds and how it was common for everyone to live under one roof so John Stilinski understood his son's reasons.

"I will after college," Kira announced. "My parents are insisting I live at home until then, but they're fine with me staying over."

"How many apartments does this building have?" Noah asked. "It might be an option when I retire. I won't need the big house for just myself."

"There's the loft, two on the first floor, and four on floors two and three. And that doesn't include the renovated fourth floor that will hold the research library and office spaces, or the basement. There's plenty of room to grow when everyone is ready, but living there isn't a requirement."

"I can see the benefits," John said. It sounded like praise and Derek took it as such. "And the proximity to the preserve is a plus."

Derek nodded. "Absolutely. I have to go get the steaks ready to grill."

"Don't forget about our guest," John said. That caught everyone's attention.

Jackson could scent the sheriff's comfort so whomever was coming had to be someone safe. Derek didn't seem surprised so they'd clearly talked it over privately. John appeared to like that he knew something that most of them didn't for a change and thus he refused to give it away.

"You all will just have to wait until they arrive. But don't worry, they're a friend."

Jackson felt a new level of jealousy when the mystery guest arrived and Stiles jumped up and ran to greet them. Of course, Jordan Parrish was one of John's deputies and that meant he and Stiles were at least familiar with each other. He narrowed his eyes and focused his vision on the exact spot where Parrish's hands rested on Stiles' shoulders.

Danny kicked him under the table and made him realize that Derek and Kira were both staring at him. Thankfully, John, Stiles, and Parrish didn't see any of it.

"For those of you that don't know, this is Deputy Jordan Parrish. He's been an ally to me these last few months and apparently he's fireproof which is useful in this town."

"I'm a Hellhound, but I'm still figuring all of that out. Thanks for letting me tag along, Alpha Hale."

Derek and Jordan shook hands and their touch lingered so long that all his insecurities about Stiles and Jordan dissolved away. There was a definite attraction between the deputy and their alpha. The way their scents went sweet and then a but musky gave it all away.

"Jordan, you can sit by Derek since you're the guest of honor," John said. Stiles nodded his agreement to the seating arrangement too which made Jackson wonder if there had been some plan brewing to set the two of them up. It obviously wasn't happenstance, but he'd have sworn in a court of law that Derek Hale was straight even ten minutes earlier.

"Thanks. Sheriff Stilinski--"

"I've told you that you can call me John when we're off duty, Jordan," John interrupted.

"--encouraged me to tag along and I couldn't resist a home cooked meal."

"You're welcome here any time," Derek told the man, maintaining eye contact.

Jackson found himself wondering how long it would take before the two of them fell into bed together. The attraction was palpable and very mutual.

"Oh, I forgot the veggies," Stiles announced. "Jackson, would you mind helping me bring them up?"

As a werefox, his strength was far superior to what it had been when he'd been human, but he didn't second guess Stiles' reasons for asking for his help. In hindsight, he really should've known better.

The werefox didn't confront him until they were in the parking lot and out of earshot of the others.

"What was that about?" Stiles asked.

"What was what about?"

"You were glaring daggers at Jordan when he came in. I even heard you grow at one point. And then it was like your mood instantly shifted right around the time Derek and Jordan started making eyes at each other."

Jackson shrugged and opted to open the back hatch of Roscoe to get the vegetables and make an escape. Except there weren't any vegetables there when he looked.

"You set me up."

"I set you up," Stiles confirmed. "Now answer my question."

Jackson decided to go for some truth before attempting to lie through his teeth. He doubted he would succeed but felt like he had to try.

"I was protective over you when he touched you because you're pack, Stiles. Then I saw that he wasn't trying to hurt you and I relaxed."

"You mean you saw how Jordan and Derek made heart eyes at each other and relaxed." Stiles took a step closer. "Why is that?"

"Dunno. It was my first time meeting him?"

Stiles, bless him, saw right through that attempt to diminish everything. It would've been annoying if he wasn't in awe of how the werefox could read people. He felt like the sheriff could do it too which explained where Stiles got it from.

"You remember Harley, right? She moved back to Beacon Hills last semester and we have a few classes together," Stiles began. "She asked me if we were dating the other day and it got me thinking."

"That sounds dangerous," he teased. His words had lost their bite ever since he'd consciously decided that they were going to.be friends. Apparently, he couldn't just turn it back on whenever he wanted.

"Stop being cute. I'm trying to figure out if you like me or not."

Jackson took a step toward him. "What are your shiny new senses telling you?"

"Not much," Stiles revealed. "They go all haywire around you. I'm guessing there's a reason for that."

Jackson smirked. Two could play at the game Stiles had started. "Could be."

Stiles closed the distance between them and he brought their faces inches apart. "Please tell me I'm not imagining it."

"Imagining what?" Jackson asked, playing dumb.

"You like me," Stiles seemed to realize. Jackson thought it was obvious in a number of ways, but the most noticeable was that he hadn't pushed Stiles away. But he wanted to have his fun.

"Yeah, you're one of my best friends."

"Do you get jealous when hot deputies touch your other best friends?"

Jackson frowned. "You really think that guy is hot?" Apparently it confirmed everything because Stiles leaned in and suddenly their lips were slotted together as if they'd been designed to do just that.

"Jordan is hot," Jackson agreed when they came up for air. "But he's a troll compared to you. And I don't just like you, Stiles. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you."

Stiles went still. His pupils were blown and his lips looked to be inviting him for another round. "Oh. Okay, that's good to know. I'll make sure to give Harley an update the next time I see her."

Jackson laughed at the way the werefox seemed to be trying to work everything out in that mind of his. "Sounds good. Maybe you can tell her you're my boyfriend at the same time…to clear up any confusion."

A smile crept over Stiles' face. "Boyfriend. I like the sound of that."

"Just the word in general or specifically associating that word with me?" He asked, just to be annoying. He always loved pushing Stiles' buttons and now he finally understood why.

"I don't know. Since I've never had any other boyfriends there isn't enough data to go on."

"I'm pretty sure I already know the answer," he whispered into the werefox's ear. He kissed the spot below on Stiles' neck and then he nuzzled the exact spot to spread his own scent there. The way their scents combined left him heady and wanting more.

"Me too."

Stiles kissed him and then he took a step back. Jackson tried to follow, but a hand to his chest stopped him. "Later," he promised. "Right now we need to go back upstairs and pretend that I forgot I already brought in the veggies."

Jackson shook his head. "Won't do any good. They all already know I'm into you."

"I'm pretty sure the growling let the cat out of the bag."

"Can't help it. I bet you twenty bucks Derek would growl at you if you went upstairs and tried to touch Parrish."

Stiles scoffed in mock outrage. Jackson liked that he'd finally gotten to know Stiles so well that he knew the difference. "I can't go around putting my hands on hot deputies, Jackson. What would my boyfriend think?"

"Yeah, that's probably wise. I hear your boyfriend is the jealous type."

"And an amazing kisser."

After an awkward couple of minutes where he refused to make eye contact with anyone, the group settled and shared a wonderful meal. Stiles didn't leave his side for the entire night until they were forced to end the evening.

"Do you need a ride, Jackson?" Sheriff Stilinski offered.

"No thank you, sir," he replied. "I drove myself."

The sheriff nodded thoughtfully while Stiles looked between the two of them. "Aren't you going to tell Jackson that he can call you John at pack functions?"

The sheriff shook his head. "I don't think it would be appropriate for my son's boyfriend to call me by my first name until we've had a few family dinners together with just the three of us."

Stiles gaped open-mouthed at his dad in shock. "Who spilled the beans?"

"I'm a cop," was the man's only response. He looked back and saw that Parrish was still chatting with Derek and then looked at the two of them. "I actually need to stop by the office on my way home to get some paperwork done. Jackson, would you mind giving my son a ride home?"

"I would be happy to, sir."

The man clapped them both on the shoulder and then he made his exit. Danny and Kira were pulling out of the parking lot by the time they made it back downstairs. The sheriff had taken Stiles' Jeep to the station so that Parrish could stay and chat with Derek for as long as the young deputy wanted. He left the keys to the Cruiser so Parrish wasn't pressed to go before he was ready.

"That went pretty well," Stiles noted as they got into his Porsche.

"Yeah, it did." They held hands like an old married couple for the entire drive. After a quick kiss goodnight on the front porch, Jackson went home to an empty house with a heart more full with love than he ever would've thought possible.

Navigating the high school social scene and the other pack was an annoyance, but not an impossible feat. Danny and Kira had started to pal around together so they could have some time alone just being boyfriends, but neither of them were ready to put their relationship on full display for every student and teacher to see.

Jackson trusted Stiles and didn't mind the attention he got from others until he caught some guy leering after him at the end of one of his classes. He was late meeting Stiles because he had to talk to his teacher about his updated grades and Stiles didn't want to leave their meeting spot without him.

The guy took advantage of that fact by cornering Stiles. When Jackson arrived, Stiles' efforts to end their conversation were failing.

"--boring town, but I bet we could find something to do to entertain ourselves."

"Sorry I'm late, I had to check on my grades now that all my makeup work is turned in. Who's this?"

"I'm Greg. Who are you?"

Stiles moved to stand between them. "Greg is a new transfer student. He moved here last week and was chatting me up about activities."

"I thought I was trying to ask you out," Greg responded after running a hand through his dirty blond hair and putting on his best cheesy smile.

"Sorry, I'm not interested. You should check out the GSA that meets every other Thursday in room 402."

Greg attempted to pout but it just made the guy look ridiculous. "Are you sure? You're breaking my heart."

"He already has a boyfriend," Jackson said without hesitation. He was over the stranger trying to steamroll Stiles. He wasn't worried that Stiles would accept, but he was worried Stiles would get fed up and break the guy's nose.

Greg's smile fell and he backed away for the first time, his eyes darting between the two of them. "O-oh, shit, I'm sorry. I'll just…go."

They stood shoulder to shoulder as they watched him walk away. Stikes decided to break the tension by offering up a suggestion. "We could always set him up with Danny."

Jackson shook his head. "Danny can do better. Are you okay?"

They looked at each other and Stiles nodded. "Yeah, he was just starting to annoy me. I could've handled it though."

Jackson had no doubt about that. "I got annoyed and protective."

"I liked it," Stiles told him. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

Jackson laughed. "Next time I'll be the damsel and you can be the guy coming to my rescue."

"Oh, you like to role play?" Stiles asked. It was a rhetorical question and he wouldn't have been able to answer even if he'd wanted to. "Good to know."

By the end of the day, somehow word of their relationship had spread throughout the entire school. He met up with Stiles, Kira, and Danny by one of the benches near the library on the exterior of the school. It was more private and they'd started meeting there in order to avoid running into anyone from the McCall pack.

"So its official then?," Danny confirmed. "My best friend is officially dating one of my other BFFs."

"Everyone knows," Jackson realized. He wasn't ashamed or afraid, but it still felt odd to him for everyone to know his business. But they'd known about his beginning and end with Lydia, so why shouldn't they know about how much he cared about Stiles?

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked him.

Jackson kissed him and hugged him close. "I'm good. It's just weird being out, I guess."

"You get used to it," Danny assured them both. "What about you, Kira? Anyone catch your eye recently?"

Kira blushed and shook her head. After things ended with Scott, she seemed to focus on herself. "No, I don't think so. I'm open to meeting someone, but no one has asked me out."

"We can set you up with someone if you want," Stiles offered. He held Jackson's hand and leaned into his space, but the beta loved every second of it.

"So it's true then," A familiar voice called out. The four of them turned to see Lydia walking toward them. It was clear she was referring to his relationship with Stiles and their physical contact.

"Is that a problem?" Jackson asked.

She appeared to think it over before answering. "No. It's about time you both figured it out."

"I did love you," Jackson told her. "I just wasn't in love with you. I know how shitty that sounds, but we used each other."

She nodded and then exhaled a ragged breath. "Look, you didn't hear this from me, but something's wrong with Scott. He attacked Isaac the other day over a minor disagreement and his eyes are yellow again. You should all steer clear of him for a bit…at least until Deaton figures it out."

"Thanks for letting us know," Stiles told her. "I'll make sure my dad checks on Melissa and gives her support if she needs it."

She nodded and then abruptly turned on her Prada heels and walked off like the sidewalk owed her money, the clickety-clack of her shoes were audible even after she disappeared from sight.

"That was very mature of her," Danny commented, breaking the silence when no one else knew what to say.

"We need to let Derek know about Scott," Stiles decided. While they were making plans to go there to fill him in, his phone vibrated in his pocket. When he looked at it, he saw a text message from his mother demanding that he come straight home.

"I gotta go," he said. "My parents got in just after lunch and they want me home."

"We'll go to Derek's loft. Call us if you need us," Stiles said. The werefox wouldn't let go of him until he agreed.

Jackson was dreading the reunion. The only thing that made him feel safe was that he had an escape plan if need be. There was no doubt in his mind that the sheriff would let him stay over if he got kicked out of the house, and Derek would offer the same. He gathered up his courage like a shield and walked into his childhood home.

His parents had heard him pull into the driveway because they stood there like they'd been waiting in that exact spot all damn day. "Hi," he said, not really knowing what else to say.

His mother clicked her tongue. "Have you lost weight? Are you eating actual food or just the trash you get at the school cafeteria? I'll never understand why you wanted to come back here when your private school in London had their own chef. Is that a new shirt?"

Jackson looked down at the blue hoodie he was wearing over his t-shirt. "Yeah, Stiles got it for me."

His dad frowned at that. "The Stilinski boy? Please tell me you haven't been associating with him and that nurse's kid. Why can't you spend more of you time with Danny? That kid is going places."

"I have been spending time with Danny. And with Stiles and with Kira. We're our own group now. All that should matter is that I'm the happiest I've ever been."

His mom scoffed. "Oh, we know all about it. The rumor mill doesn't stop at the school lockers, Jackson. I just got off the phone with Ms. Jameson and her son told her that you're in some kind of relationship with another boy!"

"Please let it be Danny. He's the only person in this town that I can stand. And it doesn't hurt that his parents are clients of mine."

"Stiles is my boyfriend," he announced. He felt like he had to say it or risk regressing to the same kid that refused to tell his parents anything other than what they wanted to hear. His desire to be the perfect son for them turned him into a kanima and he couldn't live those lies anymore. He had to be himself.

His mom looked disappointed and his dad actually looked angry. "Did we teach you nothing? Stilinski and his kid are nobodies! We don't care that you're experimenting or even if you're gay, but you're a Whittemore. We have standards, Jackson."

Jackson rushed forward without thinking. He pressed his dad against the wall with an arm across his chest. "Do not talk about Stiles like that! I love him and I'm done trying to be the perfect little soldier that never says anything and never steps over the line. My grades are the highest they've been ever because Stiles, Danny, and Kira help me study. They've been there for me more in the last few months than the two of you have been in my entire life so show them the respect that they deserve.

"Sheriff Stilinski may scrape every penny he has, but he always focuses on making his son's life better. I'm not going back to the way things were before, so we can either find common ground or we can--."

"Get out of our house!"

Jackson backed away and stared at his mother. She looked surprised that the words had come out of her mouth, but she was the type to double down instead of backtrack. He could see that his dad agreed with her and he laughed as the tears began to fall. The oddest thing was that he never felt more free.

"Fine. Give me a minute to collect a few of my things and then I'm gone. I'll leave the keys to the house and the Porsche on my desk right next to my phone."

He left them standing in the hallway while he grabbed his go bag. The paperwork for his emancipation were already filled out along with the rest of his documentation. He left behind everything that was a part of his old life and prepared to move forward.

His parents had left the hallway on his way out and he exited the house without another word to either of them. He was certain it would be the last time they spoke. It wouldn't take long before they removed all traces of him from their lives and he was ready to start doing the same.

He made it to the end if the block before his emotions spilled out of him. That was where Stiles found him, tears falling to the ground like a summer storm.

"It's okay, Jackson. I'm taking you home. You don't have to talk about it until you're ready and you never have to leave, okay? You're safe."

"I love you, Stiles."

"I love you too, pretty boy."

His dad was the vindictive type, but neither him nor his mother stood in the way of his emancipation. By the time he was finally cleared to be on his own, his parents had put the house he grew up in on the market and fled to Arizona. He was given provisional access to his trust funds and would be more than comfortable, but he would still make something of himself just to prove to them that he was capable of succeeding without them.

Sheriff Stilinski took him in without question and the only ground rule was that they had two separate bedrooms. The man knew their relationship went deeper than most teenage romances, but he still had to put on a show of good faith in case anyone came looking to investigate them.

By the time Jackson was thinking of moving into his renovated apartment in the loft, John and Stiles were thinking of moving along with him into the apartment across from his. The house had a lot of memories of Stiles' mother, but John seemed to finally be able to move forward. As Stiles put it, their home was just a house since Claudia Stilinski still lived, in some small way, through the both of them. Jackson found that kind of poetic and he thought he was doing the same for his birth parents.

By the end of winter, the reprieve they'd been given had ended. The truth about Scott's true alpha status came out when Deaton was caught siphoning off the last of the magic from the nemeton. If the man had succeeded then Beacon Hills would've died along with the tree in the forest, but Deaton fled to avoid capture when Derek talked to Alpha Ito about alerting the hunter and emissary councils to what he'd been up to.

Scott was no true alpha at all. He'd been the unwilling recipient of stolen magic that came about through multiple stolen lives, but the guy doubled down and still saw himself as better than Stiles, Derek, and the rest of their pack. Things came to a head at the start of spring when Scott went full omega.

Melissa pleaded for help, but all they could do was send him to Alpha Ito's pack as a provisional member. There was too much baggage between all of them for Derek's pack to be a good fit and Derek told them all that Alpha Ito could get him the help he needed. At least he would have a shot at having a good life that way.

"Are we really doing this?" Jackson overheard Stiles ask his dad. The last few boxes of the Stilinski home were loaded into the back of the Jeep as the two men did a final walkthrough. Jackson stood in the driveway so they could have some privacy and as much time as they needed.

Parrish was now living with Derek. Their instant attraction turned into a whirlwind romance that rivaled his own relationship with Stiles, but they were all glad to see their alpha happy and with someone that treated him well. Somehow everything just seemed to fit for them.

The sheriff and Melissa were casually dating too. She was doing better since Scott was doing okay with the Ito pack. Jackson found himself wondering if she'd eventually move into the apartment across the hall from his when Stiles was ready to move in with him in their apartment. Just the thought of them living together made him feel at peace. They all had a lot to figure out, but they had the time and the space necessary. Soon they'd be dealing with college and trying to start careers, but the pack would be a constant through it all.

"Ready to go, Jackson?" The sheriff asked after locking the door one last time.

"Yes, sir."

"Suck up," Stiles teased in passing. He grabbed his boyfriend by the waist and kissed him senseless until John cleared his throat and reminded them they were in public and very much not alone.

"Now's as good a time as any, son," John told him. "Call me John, or dad if it doesn't seem weird."

"Dad," Jackson agreed without any hesitation. It felt right, just like Stiles felt right and the pack felt right and moving back to Beacon Hills had felt right.

"Let's get over there before Derek and Jordan decide to rent our apartment to some other guy with an obnoxious teenager."

"They would never even think of it. Some stranger off the street doesn't have a repertoire of mom's delicious Polish recipes like we do."

"Good point. You'd better drive, Jackson. I'd like to arrive with my valuables in one piece and my son is a menace behind the wheel."

Jackson took the keys from Stiles' hand by whispering something about whipped cream and a blowjob after his dad was moved in. Jackson loved his life and he was truly happy.

As each year passed, Jackson found himself thinking less and less about the people that left them along the way. He'd heard Lydia was a successful researcher on the fast track for CEO at a big biomedical research company. Melissa didn't talk much about Scott other than to say her boy was happy with his own family on the other side of the country. For Jackson, that little tidbit of information wad enough.

Threats came and went, but the pack thrived. New pack members joined them, but Danny, Kira, Derek, and Jordan were the ones that stood up with them in front of their friends and family when him and Stiles got married during their junior year of college. They eventually dopted five kids over the span of ten years, two of which were human and the rest werewolves that had been orphaned and needed safe homes.

The Hale pack became renowned all over again and the sanctuary of Beacon Hills brought new prosperity and growth to the aging town. To say that they all lived happily ever after would be an understatement.

The End