Looking Back

A New Year In Beacon Hills

One by one Lydia's guests started to arrive, Melissa and Scott, Kira and her parents and Jordan Parrish, Lydia flashed him a smile as Deputy Parrish came in the door. As the night went on Stiles found Scott sitting by the pool outside staring into the water sitting perfectly still, Stiles knew at once that he was upset. He walked up to his best friend and sat beside him.
"You're thinking about her aren't you?"
Scott kept looking into the water as he said "I never stop thinking about her."
For a moment the two were silent, then Scott turned to Stiles with a look on his face that Stiles had seen many times before. "Stiles do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if, I hadn't been bit?"
"Everyday."
"I bet you wish you wish we could just go back don't you? To when our lives were less complicated." Scott asked. "Before everything that happened. To before I ruined our lives."
"I do, sometimes."
Scott looked at his friend in shock, he had expected Stiles to say the same thing he always did, but this time, he told the truth.
"Scott I'm not gonna lie to you, I think about what life would've been like if you hadn't become a werewolf all the time and how easier things would be."
Scott was speechless, he kept staring at Stiles, his face depicted perfectly the fact that inside, his heart was breaking.
"But then again I think of all the good that happened because of that bite, you didn't ruin our lives Scott, in fact you made them better. I mean look at us, did you ever think we'd end up this way freshman year? We're on the lacrosse team, we both have girlfriends and Lydia Martin, the girl I've been in love with since the third grade, the most popular girl in school is one of our best friends." Stiles paused for a second, "I know that doesn't make up for all the bad that happened but Scott trust me on this, nothing that happened was your fault, do you hear me?" Stiles said as he put his arm on his Scott's back. Scott smiled, "Don't forget, if it wasn't for the bite I never would've gone out with Allison."
"I refuse to believe that."
Scott looked at stiles in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Scott you and Allison were clearly meant for each other, you would've been with her even if you were your dorky human self."
Scott smiled at Stiles. "Thanks bro."
Then the two of them got up and walked inside.

A few miles away Braeden was pulling her car to a stop, inside Derek sat with his eyes closed.
"Can I open them now?" Came Derek's voice with a hint of annoyance in it.
"Calm down you big baby, just a few more seconds."
Braeden helped Derek out of the car and placed her hands above his eyes and slowly gestured him forward.
"Okay, open them."
As Derek opened his eyes he saw that Braeden had brought him to lookout point. The place in the woods that overlooked the entire Beacon Hills county.
"Lookout point? What are we doing here?" Derek asked sounding lost.
Then out of nowhere the entire lookout point was covered in lights hanging from the trees. Derek's eyes widened as he stared around him open mouthed. Braeden walked up to the car and pulled out a bottle of champagne from the back.
"Well I know how much you hate intimate gatherings and socialising with other people, so I figured why not just go somewhere quiet, where you and I, or should I say we can be alone." Braeden said as she stepped closer to Derek.
Derek took one last look around him as if he still couldn't believe it. Then he looked at Braeden and smiled, just smiled without saying a word.
"What? Is it the lights? I knew they'd be too much, let me just go an-" Braden was cut off by Derek grabbing her and kissing her, and then after Derek stopped and Braeden had caught her breath she smiled and asked, "Not that I'm complaining but, what was that for?"
"No ones ever done anything like this for me before." He said as he looked deeply into her eyes. "You and me, together, alone. It's perfect."

Back at Lydia's house Stiles found Malia sitting with a drink in her hand.
"Trying to get drunk again?"
"Yup."
"Not working is it?"
"Nope."
Stiles laughed and took the glass from Malia's hand.
Malia let out a big sigh, "This year has really sucked."
"Yeah I know, but it wasn't all bad."
"Stiles you were possessed by a psychotic fox, you lost one of your best friends, you almost lost your dad and friends, you were almost killed more than 5 times and you still think it wasn't that bad?"
"C'mon it had it's good times."
"Oh really? Name one good thing that came from this terrible year."
"I met you."
Then suddenly Malia was speechless, she was so taken back she couldn't help the huge smile that appeared on her face. She leaned in to give Stiles a kiss but he stopped her by placing his fingers on her lips.
"Not yet." he said
"What?" Malia said sounding impatient.
"Don't worry you'll see."
He took Malia's hand and pulled her into the living room where everyone had gathered.
"One minute to midnight everyone!" Said Lydia's mom.
Scott was holding Kira in his arms, and he was smiling. Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa were talking in a corner and Lydia and Parrish were engaging in a very deep conversation too.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.. HAPPY NEW YEAR echoed the voices from all around the room.
Stiles immediately grabbed Malia and pulled her close to him and kissed her.
The Sheriff and Melissa hugged as they wished each other. Parrish and Lydia engaged in a tight embrace.
Scott placed his hand on Kira's cheek looked deeply into her eyes and said "I couldn't have made it through last year without you. Happy new year Kira."
"Happy new year Scott." Then he held he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

After their kiss ended Stiles's hands found the sides of Malia's face, "I know last year sucked, but I promise you, this is gonna be a good year."
"How do you know that Stiles?" Malia asked while she smiled at him.
"Because we're together."
He placed a kiss on her forehead and they both went their separate ways around the room wishing their friends and family.

As midnight struck lookout point was flooded with the lights of millions of fireworks from all around Beacon Hills, Derek and Braden looked up at the sky and then at each other.
"Happy new year Braeden."
"Get over here." Braeden said as she grabbed Derek by his shirt and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her as her hands held the back of his head, once she stepped back she looked at him and said "Happy new year Derek." and the two of them stood there watching the fireworks together.

A little while after midnight the gang, Scott, Stiles, Kira, Malia and Lydia were all sitting silently in Lydia's backyard, Lydia had snuck a bottle of champagne outside.
"Well here's to us surviving the last year." Stiles said
"Well at least some of us." Lydia added
"Maybe this year won't be so bad." Kira said in her optimistic way.
"Who knows what we'll have to deal with this year." Said Malia
For a minute everyone was silent, Scott knew what he had to do, he was their leader and it was time for him to speak up.
"You know what, it doesn't matter." Everyones eyes were on Scott as he stood up and started to say. "Look, I know we've been through hell this past year." he said as he looked directly at Stiles and Lydia, "But it's like Stiles said, we survived, we always survive, we have overcome death itself, and do you know how we did that?" asked Scott.
"We got lucky?" replied Malia.
"No, it's because we did it as a team, we're more than just a pack, you guys, we are a family, and families stand by one another. "Everyone started to smile as they looked around at each other. They all stood up together as Scott went on to say "So no matter what happens this year, no matter how many dangers we have to face, we're going to do it the only way we know how, together."
And with that the pack, the True Alpha, the Banshee, the Kitsune, the Were-Coyote and the Human all entered the new year together, as a family.