The Sum of Its Parts

The Sum of Its Parts by KouriArashi is an epic AU series in the Teen Wolf fandom that started as a simple "what-if/fork in the road" AU became a series that, according to the author "ate my life"Series page on AO3
==Stories in the Series==
"Onwards and Upwards" is a series on one shots that take place in different poing within the series. Below is the chronological order of stories, as provided by the author:
* Coming Undone - Stiles deals with the aftermath of being abducted by Peter Hale and left for dead. It's harder than he would have thought to accept his place in the pack when he's convinced that he's the 'weak one' and can't protect himself. Fortunately, Scott and Sheriff Stilinski are there to help, and to nag Derek until he helps, too.
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 1 - This ficlet takes place directly after the events of Coming Undone. Probably about a week or two weeks later.
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 2 - Sheriff Stilinski talks to Derek about his relationship with Stiles
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 5 - Christmas fic
* A Place We Call Home - Stiles and the others decide to expand the pack. There's this kid Derek met in a cemetery named Isaac...
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 3 - Derek and Stiles go to NYC to pack up Derek's apartment there
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 4 - Pack plays in the snow
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 6 - Stiles talks to his dad about Derek's unease at sexual jokes
* The One You Feed - The alpha pack is in town, and they’re not too happy with the way things are in Beacon Hills. Stiles may have to choose between his life and his pack.
* The Boy in Red - A sorcerer comes to Beacon Hills. When he seems to be targeting Stiles' pack, Stiles goes to Dr. Deaton for advice. But can the mysterious veterinarian really be trusted?
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 12 - Time travel fic... sort of?
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 9 - How Derek, Stiles, and Erica got their open relationship ironed out
* Making Connections - Every ten years, the hunter community hosts a gathering of all the hunters in the area, to share information and discuss tactics and strategy. This time, Chris Argent is the host, and a hundred hunters or more are coming to Beacon Hills.
* With Friends Like These - One thing Stiles is looking forward to about a semester in Neptune is going to a place where there isn’t magic and monsters lurking in every corner. Or so he thinks. Then the bodies start dropping... (a crossover with Veronica Mars)
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 7 - The exploration of Derek's asexuality.
* The Line in the Sand - When a friend shows up on Stiles' doorstep asking for help, Stiles knows he can't refuse. What he doesn't know is that he's walking into a trap designed just for him.
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 8 - What the outsiders in Beacon Hills think of Stiles and his pack
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 10 - A character fic about Jake Argent
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 11 - An afternoon with badass!Victoria
* Thicker Than Water - Stiles is busy enough with his final semester of high school and his ever-growing pack without his grandparents showing up. He wants to keep them clueless about the supernatural to keep them safe, which won't be easy to do with a new killer stalking the streets of Beacon Hills...
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 13 - A collection of supernatural outsider POV scenes
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 14 - Boyd through the series
* Where the Heart Is - Nobody is more surprised than Derek when Cora turns up on his doorstep in Beacon Hills, to warn him about an alpha named Deucalion
* Onwards and Upwards - chapter 15 - profiles Stiles had written for the hunter app
* The Shade and his Daughter - Stiles is quite content knowing that Peter Hale is dead and in the ground, which is why it's a little disconcerting when Peter starts showing up in his dreams, telling Stiles that his daughter is in trouble.
==Comments and Reviews==
While the crossover with Veronica Mars has met with a largely positive response, there were negative comments as well.
==Relationships in the series==
The first two major stories in the series "Coming Undone" and "A Place We Call Home" are marked as gen, but with the third one "The One You Feed", the author started to add relationships tags.
In the notes to the third fic, KouriArashi notes:
The series doesn't put romantic/sexual relationships at the center of the story, even Stiles and Derek's asexual relationship isn't put ahead of the actual plot of the stories (though at times, it does play and important part in the plot)
==Portrayal of Asexuality==
Until the coda one shot set after With Friends Like These, Derek's sexuality isn't actually labeled. While his lack of interest in sex and his platonic yet still very close and emotional relationship with Stiles is addressed and discussed it's done in a round-about way. It's implied that Derek's avoidance of sexual situations is a direct result of the abuse he experienced with Kate. Chapter 7 of "Onwards and Upwards", in his conversation with Mac, he states once and for all that those two things are not connected. This was met by a generally positive reaction, especially from the asexual part of the fandom.
In Chapter 10 of Where the Heart Is, Derek comes out as asexual to Stiles. A lot of fans (if not the vast majority) greeted that development positively and with enthusiasm, but some expressed confusion, saying that if they were in a committed relationship for so long, how could they not talk about it sooner, how could it be that Stiles didn't know.Comment on Chapter 10 by kattale, accessed November 27, 2014.
A lot of asexual fans like Derek's portrayal.
==Fanart for the Series==
* Art inspired by the series by hydraarill
* Covers for each major story by KylieL
* Covers for each major story by chi_virus
* The Boy in Red (Painting) by charlaine2124
==Other works inspired by the series==
* Raid by Zethsaire, inspired by The One You Feed, When Stiles kills Peter and becomes an Alpha without being turned, Derek has to find a way to train him while protecting his own pack.
==References==
Category:2010s