There Are No Wolves in California

by DiscontentedWinter

Sterek Fanfic
A grieving Derek Hale returns to Beacon Hills.
He meets Stiles Stilinski, a boy suffering frontotemporal dementia, who has delusions that Derek is a werewolf.
He's crazy.
And maybe he's just what Derek needs.
***
READ THE TAGS!!
Words:5074 complete

Genres: Fan Fiction, M M Romance, Short Stories, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT, Young Adult

15 pages, ebook

First published May 3, 2015

About the author

See also: Lisa Henry

Permission granted by the author

Reviews

[Julio Genao · Rating 5 out of 5]

very short, very beautiful, and very much dependent on nothing—not the originating show, not any of the thousands of subsequent experiments in fanfic—but the idea that you never need any more logical or pressing a reason to be kind to another person—to be love—than a moment's compassion, anywhere, anytime, perhaps at a diner, where you sit grimly eating your dinner, when some random crazy kid steals one of your curly fries, and starts talking to you about things you do not understand, and—instead of guarding your peace—you sit there, and let him talk and eat your food, for no other reason than because someone needs to, and today you decide it's okay for that someone to be you.

you should read this.

[Emma Sea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, you want my tears, Lisa? Here, TAKE THEM ALL.

That was fucking exceptional. Also soul destroying. Thrust those words all the way into my heart and then twist them, why don't you.

[Lilia Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

When am I going to stop crying?
My dog is staring at me--he looks worried, like he wishes he could help.
There's no help for this, though.

(Added 8 hours after the above)
Can't stop thinking about this line:
Derek closes his eyes briefly. Werewolf hunters. It’s a hell of a lot more exciting than the truth: faulty wiring. Maybe even something a little more meaningful, a little less fucking arbitrary. He almost wishes it were true.

[Otila · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Saved you, sourwolf."
"You did," Derek says, and wonders when it became true, exactly. When this kid crashed against him and shoved so much light into his life that he could see again, feel again, live again. "You always do, right?"

My heart hurts.

(Fluffy fluffy Sterepy actually.)

[BWT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single time I read this I wind up a sobbing mess.

He’s beautiful and he’s wonderful and he’s so very, very alive, that Derek thinks the entire universe must be broken, so broken, when a boy like this can’t stay in the world.

When Stiles finishes the story he grins. “Saved you, sourwolf.”

“You did,” Derek says, and wonders when it became true, exactly. When this kid crashed against him and shoved so much light into his life that he could see again, feel again, live again. “You always do, right?”

“Right,” Stiles says. He rests his head against Derek’s chest and drifts off to sleep with a smile on his face.

***

There will always be a part of Derek that is broken.

There will always be a part of him that will never heal.

But he won’t let anger be his anchor.

This is one of the best things I have ever read.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**

I honestly don't know what prompted me to read this again. Other than whenever I see another DiscontentedWinter story in my feed I think about this one.

This story that makes me read through my tears.

This story that shatters my fucking heart and makes me full out sob and then quietly cry long after I finish reading it.

This story which, in eight pages, holds more depth, more emotion, and more everything.

💔

**~~**~~**~~**~~**

This is what I woke up to Sunday morning?! It's a DiscontentedWinter story so I have to read it, right? Right. YOU JUST RIPPED MY HEART OUT! How could you do this to me?! This was so fucking PAINFUL to read...I full out cried, ugly crying, and I had just woken up!

The feelings this brings on? It's brilliant. It's one of the best things I've ever read. It is beyond whatever puny human words I could think of to properly praise it.

Lisa, I hate you and I love you for writing this.

Stiles rolls over to face him. His eyes are wide and bright. “And, Der, my dad? Will you look out for my dad?”

Derek swallows and nods.

Stiles blinks and tears slide down his face. He sniffles and tugs his hand free to wipe them away. “Because, you know, it makes logical sense. You’re a son without a dad, and he’ll be a dad without a son, so…”

And suddenly he’s crying.

Derek wraps his arms around him, his own tears stinging his eyes.

If the death of a loved one is a trigger, I would say maybe this isn't for you. I cried hard while reading this and for about an hour after. But I'm not sorry for reading it; I also know without a doubt I'll read it again. Because even though it brought up some ugly feels, it was kind of cathartic as well.

So, so brilliant. Made even more so that it was an off-the-cuff story written in an evening.

Bravo, Lisa! Bravo.

[Jenni Lea]

I've already made my apologies to Lisa but I'll go ahead and say something here as well.

I will never ever be able to read this because of one particular tag. I'm sure it is devastatingly beautiful because that's how she writes but it's gonna be a no for me. Just can't.

Sorry again. :(

[Dalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ugly crying*

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Beautifully heartbreaking. My tears were plentiful.

Derek thinks the entire universe must be broken, so broken, when a boy like this can’t stay in the world.

Gah! My feels!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well.



If you thought Promise You'll Look After Him was a tough one, wait until you read 'There Are No Wolves in California'.

You should heed the tags and the author's note.

Except for this part: "You guys, I don't know where this piece of misery even came from. I'm a nice person, I swear. I like puppies and bubble mix and fuzzy things."
I'm skeptical, Lisa, very skeptical.


This is some deliberate soul-crushing angst. And that's a compliment.

"Human, Derek thinks. Fragile. Mortal. Dying."


Now I have to go finish a term paper. I have no idea how I'm going to get myself to focus after reading this.

[Jyanx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful, haunting, and beautiful. I love the different take on the source material. I wouldn't call it a happy story, but it isn't misery porn either. The ending will stay with me for awhile. Hopeful and loving, and sob worthy.

[Rosa, really]

I'm gonna save this one for when I'm in the mood to be especially depressed.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, that mood comes around more often than is actually healthy.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only slightly easier than watching someone drown unwanted puppies.

Conceptually brilliant. F***


--<>--<>--<>--<>--
Waiting until I feel strong enough to withstand this one.

I really admire all my friends who run straight into Henry's stories knowing full well that it'll be an emotional threshing. Sliced into slivers, each piece falling off one at a time as they read. I can't do this, yet.

ETA: Seriously, everyone I know cried reading this. Everyone.

[Dreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in the morning and had to go to work with red eyes, so fucking sad, sniff!

****************************************************************

“This is the best birthday ever,” Stiles says after a while. “It’s my last one, isn’t it?”
Derek holds him closer and doesn’t answer. What is there to say?

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And, Der, my dad? Will you look out for my dad? [...] Because, you know, it makes logical sense. You're a son without a dad, and he'll be a dad without a son, so..."

I say this with great affection, but fuck you, Lisa Henry!* There isn't enough cheap wine in the world to un-break me and make this story okay. *sobs ugly, ugly tears*


*I'm only kidding. PUH-LEASE don't stop writing Sterek! :D

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well shit...

[Alvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OF COURSE I CRIED LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!!!

Buddy Read with RB (Braden)!

Aside from the obvious of death of one of the MAIN characters (which will CRUSH you, I tell you), Stiles' sickness made me sad too. I think dementia was tackled in a good way here. That scene with Stiles' Dad and Derek crushed me.
I was also crushed when Stiles talked about this:

At times, the story becomes awkward when it tells all that happened in Teen Wolf was not true..

Derek and Stiles' relationship here was a better than a lot of other Stereks I've read. It's more of a companionship, which worked for me here since they are both going through something.

As usual, it was well-written, has great timing, and has a good pace.

For those who think they won't be able to handle this, I think you can. We need this sometimes, a sad story. Not every story has a happy ending.

4.5 STARS.

[Adrianamae · Rating 4 out of 5]

So today is my birthday and this sad, tender sobfest is my gift. It's very creative and well thought-out, so that the plot effortlessly melded with the Teen Wolf reality. I cried buckets, so now I have new wrinkles to go with the birthday age.

Thanks, Lisa, for a beautiful, heart-wrenching story.

[Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't hate you, Lisa... But you broke my heart. Now PLEASE write some fluffy sugary sweetness?

Read 5/3/2015
Reread 1/6/2017 what the f*ck was I thinking?!? This broke me the first time, and I read it again?

[Lori]

I love your words DiscontentedWinter and I didn't think there would be something of yours I wouldn't read.....but there is. I cannot cope with major character death especially if it's the one I suspect. I am in no doubt that the writing here is exceptional, but I just can't do it. Sorry. :)

[Tara♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When this kid crashed against him and shoved so much light into his life that he could see again, feel again, love again."



Absolutely devastating and absolutely beautiful.

If anyone needs me I'll be in the corner crying my heart out.

[Fifi LaFleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbroken. This is so beautiful and awful and a knife to the bittersweets. Oh, then twist that knife a bit.

I think Discontented Winter broke me reading this one. Really good. Really sad.

I need a hug.

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written as always.

Heartbreaking and painful.

Definitely read the tags!!

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart just broke 💔

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It sucks beyond words to lose the people we love. It sucks beyond words to lose the ones who love us. I don't know which is worse. Or if one is a blessing. Not the dying but the living.

I went into this knowing it would make me cry. If not for the warnings but for the reactions from my friends.

I'm still glad I read it. Sometimes the crying is good. It reminds us we're alive. Like howling.

Ok now I'm gonna read Emma's After, inspired by this story.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

OHMYGOD, the tears and feelz and the love! So effen creative an idea and so beautiful and so sad. I am suitable impressed and equally devastated.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn it Lisa. Yeah, I cried. (Read the tags.)

[Kat]

Y'all can stop reccing this.... CHICKEN. Okay, bye.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021
Godsdammit.

Re-read 2-15-17
Aww, so sad. :( If you read I Know Where Babies Come From, Derek series first, and then read this, it will Break. Your. Heart.

Original review 6-9-16
This does have a sad ending, and it won't mean as much if you haven' read some of the other stories. I did tear up a little. Very emotional, very sad, but totally worth it! It reminds me of a Buffy episode where she is in a mental hospital and vampires, her friends, etc, are all just in her head. It's never really answered if what she is experiencing is just a trick of magic from Warren and his gang, or if in fact it IS true and she is just crazy.

In this story, it's clear that Stiles is living in a fantasy world and there are no werewolves. It's too bad the writer didn't keep going with this story to show Derek finding someone to love and build a family with.

Great story, emotional, and I think I will read this again.

[atmatos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa, I just want you to know you made me cry at work with this beautiful evil story.
This is worth the tears people!!!

[Aimee ~is busy sleeping~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugly crying right now. I swore to myself I would never ever read this knowing how it ends, but today I guess I woke up feeling not miserable enough and just started reading. Gawd. It was of course beautifully told and written, as is DW's style, and I just loved the idea of "what if fanfic was a real-life delusion?" (even more than it already is, I suppose)
That's all. Can't write anything else, still reeling from my emotions.