Chapter 24

Still Derek's P.O.V.

***

The first week goes by in a blur. Because there was no body and no evidence that Stiles has died, they can't give a proper burial. The sheriff is a shell of his former self and drinks too much whiskey. Derek couldn't stay in the same house, especially when everything smelled like Stiles.

He ran in his wolf form through the woods, not going home, only running, hunting, and sleeping. After a week, his uncle Peter had enough.

''Nephew, you can't keep doing this.'' Peter drawled from his place against a tree.

Derek just growled at him and ignored him while walking away.

''You can't abandon your pack because your crush just died.''

Derek was on Peter within seconds, growling and roaring in his face. Peter couldn't tell him what to do. Peter was one of the most horrible Alpha's that had ever lived! Even Scott was better in his 'True Alpha' fase. Derek was glad those powers disappeared when Scott submitted to Derek.

Scott was a powerful beta, but he wasn't cut out for Alpha. Hell, Derek wasn't cut out to be Alpha, but the powers just returned to him when he was in South America visiting Cora.

''Calm down, nephew. I just want to make sure you don't kill yourself out here while you should be taking care of your pack and the sheriff. Or do you think that Stiles would like it that you let his father drink himself to death?'' Peter calmly said with a still wolfed out Derek on top of him.

Derek flinched, knowing Peter was right. He should get over himself, get over the fact that he would never see Stiles again while desperately wanting to.

He could almost hear Stiles's voice in his head. Disappointment in him being a failwolf, being a sulky brooding Sourwolf.

Derek got off Peter with a whine before turning back to human. He sat in the grass with his knees pulled up, and his elbows resting on them.

''What am I going to do, uncle?''

He was hit in the head by jeans, Derek glared at Peter, but the heat just wasn't behind it.

''You are going to get dressed, get home and clean up, then you are going to assemble the pack for a pack night tonight, and then you are going to go the Stilinski household and get the sheriff to stop drinking. Whatever it takes.''

''That's actually good advice, coming from you,'' Derek grumbled. Peter smirked in response.

''You wound me, nephew, even you should know that I have my moments,'' Peter said with a fake pout.

''Moments of insanity? Or moments of being a pain in the ass?'' Derek said with an eyebrow raise when he pulled up his pants.

''I'm not even going to respond to that.''

Peter went silent, and they started walking towards the exit of the preserve. After fifteen minutes of silence, Peter began to talk again.

''You know that this isn't your fault, right?'' He softly said, and Derek inhaled sharply by the softness of Peter's tone.

This tone was what he had heard before the fire when uncle Peter meant fun and games. The Peter before he lost everything, just like Derek. The Peter he could talk to.

''I'm his Alpha,'' Derek responded in a quiet voice.

''That doesn't mean that you could protect him from everything. He was taken from us. We couldn't do anything about it. You couldn't do anything about it, Derek.'' Peter said, emphasizing you.

Derek knew this. He knew from experience that he couldn't protect everybody. Just look at Erica and Boyd. Hell, even what happened to Stiles with the Nogitsune, he couldn't save him then, and he couldn't protect him now. But that didn't mean it hurt any less.

He only grunted in response, not wanting to respond properly at the moment. Peter rolled his eyes but didn't comment anymore.

After two hours, Derek stood in front of the Stilinski home again after a week of bringing the bad news. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

He could hear bottles clashing together inside and knew that it would be empty whiskey bottles. When the door didn't open, Derek forced it open.

He closed it carefully before walking inside. The sheriff was passed out on the couch, empty bottles everywhere. Derek clenched his jaw before shaking the man's shoulder.

''Wa - m up - Hale? What you're doing here?'' Came the groggy response.

''I'm here, so you don't drink yourself to death,'' Derek said, knowing he should be direct with the man.

''Fuck off.'' The sheriff growled back.

''No.''

''I lost my - son, Derek. I'm not going to bounce back from this.'' He said while rubbing his face with his hands.

''You're not the only one who lost him, and Stiles wasn't the only one depending on you. You have a whole town, depending on you, to be the sheriff. How do you think Stiles would've reacted if he saw you like this?'' Derek knew it was a low blow to bring Stiles in this, and he felt his wolf whine inside, but he needed to tell the man so he would hopefully get his shit back together.

The sheriff stayed silent, but it seemed like he was processing what Derek said.

''I'll try. But- when Claudia died - I was also broken. I drank myself stupid, just like I'm doing now. If Stiles wasn't there, I would have drunk myself to death. Now he's gone- and I don't know why I must keep going. Not without them.'' The sheriff was sobbing again, and Derek again wanted to join him in his grieving, but he needed to take care of the sheriff. Stiles would've wanted that.

''Sheriff-''

''Call me John, kid, if you are the one that's going to help me through this, you better call me by my name.'' The sheriff - John - gruffly said.

With that, they fell into a weird pattern. Derek would come by every two days, and they would eat together, talk about Stiles or stuff Derek never had talked about.

''So you always thought you were to blame for the fire?'' John asked after they're fourth or fifth diner.

Derek swallowed away the lump that was stuck in his throat before he nodded. The feelings he had suppressed for so long came rushing back to the surface. It felt unfair to dump it on the sheriff.

''Son, she was clearly psychotic. You were sixteen when she made a move. You were sixteen, Derek. You weren't to blame.'' John said with confidence, and Derek saw Stiles in him, not by appearance, but by the determination. It hurt him even more because Stiles would've said the same thing.

They kept meeting like this, and it seemed to help the sheriff and Derek both. After two months, Peter went with him to dinner, confusing the hell out of Derek.

Dinner went by like always, and even if the sheriff thought it was strange that Peter was with Derek this time, he didn't comment on it. Just grabbed an extra plate and gave the man a beer.

Derek decided to ignore it, until after four months since Stiles's death, Peter opened the door instead of the sheriff.

''What are you doing?'' Derek hissed when he walked past his uncle. Who looked really cozy inside the Stilinski home.

''Have dinner with my nephew and boyfriend,'' Peter responded snarkily. Making Derek stop and slowly turn around. He didn't hear a lie. Why didn't he hear a lie? Oh my god, John and his uncle were dating! Oh my god! If Stiles was still alive, he would kill Derek.

''Seriously?!'' Derek yelled. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see a slightly amused sheriff.

''Son, please, Peter has been coming here just as long as you, he is also helping me get back on the rails, and it has been - nice,'' John explains with a kind smile. When Derek looks back at Peter, he also has a soft expression, something he hadn't seen on his uncle's face for a long time.

''Fine, but if you hurt even one hair on his head, I will -''

''Rip my throat out with my teeth, yeah, yeah. That threat is getting old, nephew.'' Peter said with a smirk.

Derek just growled at Peter, who held up his hands in a surrender motion. Dinner was a little awkward that night, but even Derek could see that John and Peter cared for each other.