Past

Stiles stumbled back into Derek's loft hours later, hanging onto Scotts shoulder. Everyone was still in Derek's loft. No one had wanted to go home until they knew what was happening to Stiles.

The door slid open, the only sound in the tense atmosphere. Stiles stumbled in and everyone jumped up immediately. Derek was the closest and he came over and hooked his hand around Stiles waist, supporting him. Stiles leaned into him, glad for his support and warmth. "What did Deaton say was wrong?" asked Lydia as they led Stiles to the single couch in Derek's loft.

Scott explained and Josh looked one in wide eyes."He can't go back to the Fbi yet can he?" asked Josh once the explanation was over.Scott shook his head."We are going to have to say a family emergency has come up and he can't go back yet." replied Scott. "None of us can leave until th..."

But that was as far Scott got before Lydia interrupted him. She had turned deathly pale and was standing haunting still."The ghost riders." she said. "It takes like they did. They took people. This thing takes souls." She looked up at Scott, her bright eyes seeming even bigger in her slim face. "It will take and take until everything is gone. It's the redemption for what the ghost riders failed to do. This town should be gone. We should wiped off the map. But we are still here. And they will start with you."She pointed a trembling finger at Stiles. " You were always supposed to go first. It will take you again. It will take everyone in the order they went last time but no one will come back."

"Lydia." Scott started to walk up to Lydia and took her hands. She whimpered as if in pain."I can feel it calling to me." She whispered."It's ok." Scott pulled her to his chest and rocked her side to side, whispering that everything's ok.

"Banshee." Peter said in Joshs direction, nodding at Lydia. "She's a harvenger of death, fully able to predict the death and misery that's yet to happen." "Don't talk about it like that." snarled Derek at Peter's amused and slightly sarcastic tone. "Don't forget that you were the one who tried to kill everyone until you were set on fire and died. "

Josh paled even more at that news."Ok." Stiles said, getting to his feet now that the trembling had stopped. He still swayed a little from the headache and had to use Derek for support. "I think that's all the misery we can handle in one night."

Scott nodded, turning around. "I'll take Lydia home." he said. "I'm going to be here at first light so we can discuss what to do." "I should probably leave too." Said Alison.  Stiles nodded and they left. Peter slunk off somewhere so it was just Josh, Derek and Stiles."So what do you think of everyone then." Stiles asked Josh."I-i-i don't even know what to say! Everyone is just soo powerful and brave. What have you guys been through to get you all like that and in such a close pack?!!"

Stiles exchanged a look with Derek. "Do you really want to know?" asked Derek. Derek had left for a year but he knew everything that happened from Scotts explanations."Yes." nodded Josh."Ok then." Stiles sat down. "You're going to be here a long time."

Stiles talked well into the night, with Derek chiming in with details that Stiles forgot. By the end of it Josh was shaking."How are any of you even here?" he said with shock, "You should've all been dead 1000 times over."

"I know." replied Stiles. "Now you get about the ghost riders and about how this entire town shouldn't be here. Turns out we've upset some super natural law and something has come back to make sure the job is finished this time."

Josh sank back into the sofa, sitting on the other side of Stiles."I still can't believe you've done all of that. And now Scott helps people who don't know what they are or how to control the supernatural power?"Stiles nodded"He's also the protector of Beacon Hills and has been since he was about 17 years old, so about 3 ish years ago."

"So what happened to you then kid." asked Derek. Stiles shook his head at Derek but it was too late; the damage had already been done.

Josh's awestruck expression dropped into one of stiff iceness."It's ok if you don't want to talk about it yet." Said Stiles, putting a hand on Josh's shoulder.

"No it's ok." Said Josh but with an almost flat tone to his voice. "I had a family once. They were all werewolves and we lived peacefully amongst the normal people. Until the hunters came little under a year ago. "

"Monroe." Snarled Derek, his claws sliding out and right into Stiles back."Ow Der claws!" Stikes squirmed and Derek retracted him and hugged Stiles  as an apology. Stiles thought his heart was going to explode as he was enveloped in the scent of musk and wolf."Yes Monroe." continued Josh. "You said she and Gerad nearly turned the entire beacon hills against the supernatural. I regret to say she is still that powerful. There were 6 hunters, came at the dead of night. I shared a room with my younger sister L-l-lucy."And with that a small tear slipped down his cheek but Josh made no move to wipe it away. It fell off his chin and onto his shirt.

"I heard the screams and that was what woke me up. My mother ran into the room, her arms covered in blood. I knew from the scent that it was my fathers. She thrust my 5 year old sister Lucy into my arms and told me to run. I jumped out the window and ran for my life. I kept Lucy's head pressed to my shoulder so she didn't have to witness her mother slaughtered. "

"Wow." said Derek. "That's really something.""You don't understand." Said Josh and turned away."I do though Josh." replied Derek with the maximum softness he could summon, " My entire family was burned alive in a fire set off by a hunter, only Peter, me and one of my sisters survived."

"My mother died after going mad and whispering her son was out to kill her." added Stiles.

"We all know greif Josh, and we can help you get through this.  You can put your family by your heart and we'll put them in ours too alongside Brett, Derek's family, Erica, Boyde and everyone else we have yet to loose."

Josh turned back around and nodded sadly."Yeah I would like that." he replied softly. Stiles smiled. "I'm going to head off to bed now. It's getting pretty late." Josh was still speaking in that sad, soft tone. The clock on the wall chimed 1am.

Before waiting for an anwser, Josh stood up and slowly walked to the spare room where he'd be staying.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to his sister?" Asked Derek once Josh was gone."I don't know." replied Stiles. "All he would tell me is that she died."

●●●

"Wake up!" The sound pierced through Stiles's dreams and woke him up with a start."Who's died?" Stiles said, blinking the sleep from his eyes."No one." Said Lydia who was standing behind Scott.

The sunlight was streaming through the window and Stiles could see it was 7am. Scott had promises he'd be back here at first light and here he was.

A hulky mass stirred underneath Stiles and he suddenly realised him and Derek had fallen asleep on the sofa together.Scott laughed."So are you two finally a couple now or what?" Asked Scott, still laughing.

Derek slid his hand into Stiles as they both stood up. Stiles sensed Derek look at him out of the corner of his eye, as if silently asking for his opinion. Stiles smiled.

"Yeah." he said. "I guess we are." Dereks grip on his hand tightened in agreement. "Well come on then!" yelled Scott now at the other side of the room. Peter had appeared out of nowhere and Josh had been awake ages ago.

"Where's Liam and everyone?" Derek asked, his face dropping back into neutral. "Sleeping." replied Scott. "They've got college in a few hours."Josh came to stand next to Stiles and Derek."Why isn't Scott, Lydia and everyone else you mentioned not in college?" he asked."They are the protectors of Beacon Hills. They can't go to college. At one point they were but something came up so they couldn't leave. At times I think my pack are the only ones stopping anything coming into this supernatural beacon of a town."

Josh nodded and Stiles walked back to the table with him, letting go of Derek's hand. Stiles felt like he was walking in a daydream when it came to Derek.

"Right." Scott surveyed all of them, "I've been thinking about this what Lydia said last night. She said about us being taken in order. Allison, Isaac and obviously Josh weren't taken. Who was taken after Stiles?"

The question rebounded across the room."Gwen." suddenly said Lydia. "She was taken and then it was you Peter."

"But where's Gwen?" Stiles asked. "She remembers nothing about the ghost riders so we are going to have to find her and just look over her without intervening."

Lydia snapped her fingers."I can find out where she is." Lydia said. "I know everyone from the high school days."

Stiles nodded,"Peter, you were taken but you are the  literal defintion of evil so I wouldn't worry. ""Ha ha funny." drawled Peter, rolling his eyes."Liam, Corey, Mason and Theo were also taken. We know where they are but they might need to take time off collage for a bit." Scott added.

"And we might need to warn my dad and Mellisa." said Allison. She had appeared in the room and joined the conversation.Lydia nodded in agreement

Scott had paled all the time they were talking. Lydia grabbed his arm."What's wrong?" "Malia." he said."Oh god." Lydia turned around. "Malia is in France with Isaac. And we have no way to get to her. "

Well that was one long chapter! Comment your opinions and vote xx