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Stardate 41218.5
We are approaching the end of our mission, and will be descending into Earth’s gravity soon. The Starship Beacon crew will compile all remaining data and submit it for review upon their release from exit inspections. All samples from our deep space mission will be transported to our base of operations, where we will continue our scientific inquiry until our next debriefing.
All supernatural life forms that are members of the crew will undergo further examination to determine the effect of space travel on their various beings. Any and all findings will aid the mission in deciding the future of a supernatural presence aboard deep space missions. Over and out.
Stiles sighed, closing the communication screen before slipping further into the comfort of his chair. This past mission had been grueling; as the first deep space mission to include multiple supernatural beings, the expectations were high and the consequences if they had a slip up would be disastrous. Not for the first time Stiles was glad his status as a spark had been stricken from his record; his dreams of becoming a captain would have been destroyed if the academy had known.
He had little to worry about now; they were swiftly approaching the end of this voyage, and all of his crew had proven efficient and indispensible to the mission parameters. Without the pack of werewolves, how would they have detected the fragile life buried so deep underground on Planet Alpha? Without Lydia’s powers, how would they have known where to find the remnants of life that had been so well hidden on the cavernous planet on the outskirts of this galaxy?
Closing his eyes, Stiles replayed the adventures they had along the way. At the start of their mission, the crew had been strangers to him, brought together solely by their dedication to science and their desire to see more supernatural beings introduced into the program. With time, however, they had become a family, not just a pack, and Stiles could not imagine his life without them.
They had been in space for five years; the time could be seen in the dark spots beneath his eyes, in the look of concern that flashed over his father’s face whenever he made a call back home. But the time had brought him so much. At the start of the mission he had been green, fresh out of the academy with special training for taking on the role as captain. He had no friends; being a talent in the academy often left a bitter taste in the mouths of his peers, with the rest unwilling to put up with his excessive chatter.
Starship Beacon was different; he had immediately hit it off with the engineer, Scott McCall, and their friendship had only grown with time to the point where Stiles saw him not just as his best friend, but also as his brother. Scott had left his mother on Earth as well, and with cajoling from both, Scott and Stiles had convinced their parents to spend time together to offset the loneliness. Neither thought that this meeting would be as successful as it had been, but Stiles was unable to feel anything but joy that his father had finally found happiness after so many years mourning the loss of his mother. Once they landed on Earth, it would be a scant few weeks before Stiles and Scott would watch as their parents married and they would become a family.
Scott’s wife, Kira, had joined the crew as the lead communications officer, aided in her understanding of languages and cultures throughout the galaxies. As a kitsune, she and Stiles had formed a friendship based on pranking the rest of the crew, primarily targeting Scott because of his trusting nature. As a farewell gift, Stiles had found time to edit the footage of all of their pranks and had crafted a video for Kira to remember their greatest achievements.
The social nature of werewolves and the psychological consequences of separating packs for such an extended period of time meant that all of the werewolves were members of one pack, each training independently for a role on the ship while working together to strengthen their bonds.
The pack consisted of five betas, a small number that shrouded their strength and ability to protect their territory. Boyd worked as the helmsman, calmly guiding them to each of their destinations with an ease Stiles had never seen before. He worked closely with their navigator Erica Reyes, whose sass brought life to the mission during the endless days in space.
Isaac Lahey and Jackson Whittemore worked together as medics and scientists, often lending their expertise to uncovering the secrets of life on each planet. Their scientific endeavors were aided by science officers Danny Mahealani and Lydia Martin, neither of them werewolves but now core members of the pack that had grown as each day had drawn to a close and the crew had become closer. Lydia’s girlfriend, Allison Argent, rounded out the crew, her work as security ensuring their safety through each stage of their mission. Her ferocious nature when faced with a threat was offset by the sweetness she showed her companions, and Stiles could not wait for the day that she and Lydia would announce they were engaged.
Stiles thoughts drifted back to their primary focus these days; his first officer and the Alpha of the pack. Derek Hale had proven himself to be the greatest challenge in Stiles’ life at the start of the mission. Untrusting and wary of outsiders, he and Stiles argued nonstop in the first days of their journey. The pack had looked apologetic every time Derek had stomped out after a fight, and Scott had assured Stiles that it wasn’t him, Derek just generally did not trust humans.
Their relationship changed when Stiles was forced to reveal his abilities as a spark to save the crew from a darach. After the fallout, when Stiles lay on the ground bleeding because the sheer energy it had taken to the creature had forced cuts on his skin, Derek had gently stooped to pick him up and drained his pain as he walked to the medic bay. From there, they had spent their nights talking, cracked open in ways they never had been previously.
Underneath the rough exterior, Derek was everything Stiles never thought to want. He loved literature and dancing, and dreamed of becoming an architect before turning to the space program to find solace after the death of his family. With each conversation, Stiles fell more in love until finally the two came together after a particularly rough mission, and had been inseparable ever since.
A knock invaded Stiles’ reverie, and he jolted from his spot before pressing a button on his console to signal that he would take visitors. Derek stepped over the threshold as the door opened, easing tension from both they had been unaware of. He was dressed in his civilian clothes, unsuited for a first officer on duty but very much appreciated by Stiles. With a smile, he made his way through the mess of Stiles’ cabin before dropping beside Stiles and wrapping his arms around him.
“I was looking for you,” Derek murmured, inhaling the comforting scent of cinnamon and cocoa and home that wafted from Stiles. They remained in this position, content in silence before Stiles’ curiosity got the best of him and he looked up, meeting whiskey eyes to hazel in search of why Derek was trying to find him.
“Has something happened? I should’ve been notified of any complications. Damnit, I was really looking forward to a nice, long sleep once we landed,” Stiles ranted, distracted by the low chuckle that succeeded his words.
“Nothing like that. I just wanted to show you something. Come on.” Interested, Stiles reached his hand out for Derek’s and together they walked down to the observation deck. As they entered the room, Stiles saw blankets strewn across the floor, creating a comfortable space to lie down and joined by a veritable feast. He glanced at Derek, struck once again by his fierce love for his Alpha.
“Is this what you wanted to show me?” Stiles asked, moved by the gesture but unable to connect the image before him with Derek’s words. He often found himself the recipient of Derek’s caring nature, and could not count how many times Derek had surprised him with his favorite things, blanket forts and movie marathons and curly fries he is still unsure how he made taste so delicious. They reached the blankets, and Derek curled around him, handing him a thermos of coffee and pointing to the shuttered window.
“I’m showing you this,” and with that, the shutters rose, revealing a breathtaking view of the moon and Earth, shining and just within reach. The waters looked crystal clear from this distance, sweeping across the field of vision to be met by land. The land looked more beautiful from here too; from islands barely visible from here to massive bodies of craggy mountains and billowing hills and valleys, this view was nothing short of inspiring.
Derek and Stiles sat in contemplation, each reflecting on the wonder of their world and the gift of being able to explore it. With time, Stiles edged closer to the window, the sheer longing for home blindsiding him after he had spent the last few years cherishing his adventures. His delight read through the slight vibration of his shoulders and his childlike pose, hands pressed to the glass to take him that much closer.
Derek, in turn, watched Stiles, something Stiles could see in the reflection of the glass when he managed to pull his gaze away. Smiling softly, he returned to the nest and Derek, curling back into the space Derek had left open for him.
“Thank you,” he whispered, the importance of the moment driving away the power of his voice. Stiles could not help but reflect on how lucky he was to have met Derek, to be with him now. All of the misunderstandings, all of the fights, they had brought them to this moment, and allowed them to slowly know one another. He could feel this knowledge now, watching as Derek ducked his head with a blush, the sincerity in Stiles’ words clear in the space between them.
“I’m happy to be home,” was his only response, and they each watched as they entered Earth’s orbit, descending into blue skies and fluffy clouds. In time, California would appear before them, and they would be tasked with overseeing both crew and equipment, shuffling about until every task had been completed and they had stepped onto land.
Separation would be inevitable; Derek would walk with the known supernatural members of the pack for extra screening while Stiles would deliver reports to his higher ups. The time this all would take was unknown, but in this stretch of time, as they lay together watching Earth and the other, felt infinite.
“I’m excited for the wedding and for you to properly meet my dad. And before you say that you’ve met him over video conference, no that does not count so suck it up, buttercup.” Derek pouted at the nickname, causing Stiles to laugh harder than necessary at the twin pull of eyebrows and frown on Derek’s face. A warm hand moved onto his mouth, blocking the sound, but was joined by a warm smile on Derek’s lips that showed that he didn’t actually mind.
Grasping the hand, Stiles moved it until their fingers laced together. “I’m most excited about seeing you in a tux, I’m not going to lie,” he said, a teasing lilt entering his voice.
“I bet you are,” Derek murmured, gently squeezing Stiles’ hands. “And maybe we can start planning our own wedding soon,” followed, joy impossible to ignore flowing from Derek’s words.
“Yeah,” was Stiles only response, and together they sat, awaiting the future and the welcome embrace of their planet.