The Unexpected Journey- A Sterek Novella

1. Upside Down and Inside Out

Stiles had been waiting for some fun to finally find its way into his life and he loved the attention he was getting at the moment. He also loved the carefree way Caitlin danced with him and didn't make him feel awkward for his outdated dance moves but just laughed and followed along. Soon she was pulling him toward the staircase to the right of the makeshift dance floor that was set up in the middle of Derek's loft apartment. Stiles sat on the step expecting Caitlin to sit down but she held up a finger and sauntered off returning shortly and handing him a cold beer asking if he had a bottle opener.

     Stiles fumbled in his pocket taking out his key ring then popped the top off the icy brew and quickly slurped off the suds that rose to the top then opened Caitlin's beer and passed it to her. Stiles wondered again at his luck in meeting up with her again, here of all places. She looked like a futuristic car hop tonight in her glowing wig and body paint and he thought it was adorable and fit in perfectly with a few of his fantasies. Caitlin saw him staring at her and grinned leaning in and kissed him suddenly smack on the lips taking Stiles by surprise.

                "Uhh...I thought you liked girls!"

                "I do like girls, do you?"

                "Absolutely!...  Sooo you also like boys?"

                "Absolutely!... Do you?"

     Stiles was momentarily taken aback by Caitlin's casually quipped reply to the question and the words 'no, no' were on his lips immediately but something in the way she asked made him stop and actually ponder the idea before the thought was lost as she giggled and leaned up and kissed him again.

     Breaking the kiss she giggled again and said, "Come on let's dance."

     "Yeah, OK." He grinned at her licking his lips tasting the odd flavor of her glow-in-the-dark lipstick.

     The next hour on the dance floor with her was the most relaxed he had been in what felt like years. Well it had been almost two years since Scott had been bitten and almost every waking moment since had been spent either protecting Scott's secret or his life or both, and everyone around them as well. Glancing around Stiles saw Allison on the dance floor with Isaac in a nearly embarrassing display of sexual tension and energy. Their bodies pressed so close you couldn't see any light between them and they were staring at each other like there was no one else in the room. Just on the other side of them was Danny and Ethan laughing and dancing together and even Scott and Kira were doing their fair share of flirtatious dancing with each other. It was intoxicating just being completely carefree for those precious minutes. He put his hands on Caitlin's waist and shimmied up to her, dancing behind her hip to hip managing to actually keep up with the music and her rhythm. He flung his head back closing his eyes and let himself get lost in the music, secure in the knowledge that for once everyone he cared about was safe and having a good time.

     Stiles and all his friends were lost in the music so no one saw when Derek made an appearance at the entrance of his own front door and found his house overtaken with a bunch of scantily clad teenagers covered in every color of the rainbow. The music vibrating through his chest made his heart pound just from the primal beat. He swept his gaze quickly around the room and the first person his eyes lit upon that he recognized was Stiles who had his arms wrapped around some strange girl swaying wickedly with her.

     Derek should have known, only Stiles would be fool enough to pull something like this, probably out of spite toward him, and think he would get by with it. He growled low in his throat ready to charge through and break up this little soirée and take pleasure in embarrassing Stiles in the process. Maybe he really would rip his throat out this time, with his teeth, slowly.