Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

June 2009

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Derek looked around the small apartment Laura had picked out for them to stay in while they worked on the house. It was small, only two bedrooms, one bath and a small combined kitchen and living area. But it was homey. Laura had decorated with plants and little nicknacks they’d collected when they drove across the country to get here. She’d also picked out nice furniture for the living area that she said she intended to use somewhere in the new house. It felt warm and inviting.

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Derek never thought they would come back to Beacon Hills. The morning after the fire, Dr. Deaton - their mother’s friend and emissary - offered to take care of the funerals, burials, and Peter’s care for them so that they didn’t have to show their faces around town yet. They’d only just arrived at his house after everything had gone down, having been at the police station. Laura told him to get some rest, that they were leaving after they slept.

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Despite the fact that Dr. Deaton offered to open his home to them both, Laura was set on leaving. She was supposed to go to New York in the fall anyway, and she’d already picked out and signed a lease on an apartment off-campus that Uncle Peter helped her pick out. She was convinced that they had to leave, that the hunters who did this would hunt them too. New York was big, and because it was a city, neutral territory. Meaning they could hide there.

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Dr. Deaton flew out to see them and make sure they had access to Laura’s inheritance and Derek’s trust. Derek hadn’t gotten to see much of the man, but he did overhear a conversation between the man and Laura.

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/Flashback\

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“Laura, your brother needs help. He needs to talk to someone about everything that happened. Losing Paige just months ago - having to kill her himself, plus the obvious grooming that took place when he admitted that Kate Argent was behind the fire. Not to mention losing so many pack bonds at once - especially familial ones. He needs to talk to someone. Honestly, you should as well.” Laura sighed - even that sounds tired. Derek felt guilty. Laura was so tired, trying to juggle her own grief and his on top of her new alpha spark.

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All Derek ever did was make things worse. After all, he got his whole family killed, and they weren’t coming back - ever. He couldn’t even remember the last thing he said to his parents - or his little sister, Cora.

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“You’re right, Deaton. But I just don’t know who to go to. I don’t have the connections my mother had. It's possible that she kept files and records in the vault, but we can’t go back this soon. The Argents could still be watching the town.” Laura sounded desperate.

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“It is okay to need help from time to time. You have my phone number, and I will always be available to you if you or your brother needs it. Beyond that, I’ve compiled a list of therapists in the city who are in the know. The little stars beside some of the names mean they are supernatural as well.”  A paper was being passed.

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“Thank you, Deaton, this means so much to me. I’ll get us both into therapy.” There was a pause.

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“Do you ever plan to come back to Beacon Hills?”

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“Yes.” Laura sounded so sure of her answer, it surprised Derek himself. “We will come back. After I graduate in four years, Derek will be out of high school by then, and I’ll have a degree. We’ll come home and strengthen our pack, rebuild the house and pack, be just as strong as the Hales once were. I won’t let the Argents win forever.” A shiver shot down Derek’s spine, and he realized Laura was letting her new Alpha bleed out as she made her statement.

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“Whether or not I become your emissary, Laura, I will be there in Beacon Hills to help you and guide you.”

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/end flashback\

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Therapy had been hard and messy at first, but after 2 years, Derek didn’t have to go twice a week anymore, and by the time Laura graduated and they moved back, Derek was down to once a month phone calls.

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Paige's death hadn’t been his fault. Uncle Peter had thought he was doing what was best, and neither one intended for Paige to die that night. Kate Argent wasn’t his fault either. He was 15/16 years old when she pursued him, and he was broken up about Paige’s death. She twisted things around and took advantage of him - she’d raped him multiple times - and Derek could own that now. It also wasn’t his fault that Kate Argent trapped his family in the house and set it ablaze, leaving everyone to burn to death.

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Now they were back in Beacon Hills. Laura was at a meeting with the contractor to get started tearing down and rebuilding the house. He also knew that Laura intended to find potential pack mates and rebuild the strength of the pack. Later today, Laura was going to take him to see Uncle Peter in the long term care unit, Dr. Deaton had set him up.

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Derek really hoped that they could rebuild and continue on the legacy of protecting Beacon Hills. But more than that - he hoped that he could learn to call Beacon Hills home again.

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//Break\\

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Derek was quiet while Laura checked them into the visitor log. Dr. Deaton had called ahead of time and made sure that the nurse there would hide the paperwork for them, so no one would know they were visiting. Dr. Deaton didn’t trust the nurse on Peter’s staff - but with no proof other than feeling he couldn’t have her removed without raising some alarms.

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So for now, they had to use Dr. Deaton’s friend and hide their trail still. It made sense, though. All these years and hunters hadn’t found Peter yet - nor had they found the graves of his family, which went undisturbed. Dr. Deaton knew how to cover up tracks. This would be the first time since before the fire that either one of them would be seeing Uncle Peter, and Derek was nervous.

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Dr. Deaton informed him that the man had not healed at all. He was still comatose, and burn scars covered almost all of his body. But his heart was still beating, his organs still worked, and he even had brain activity. Dr. Deaton was confident that the renewal of the pack bonds and having visitors again would help Peter; that he would start to show some progress towards healing. Derek really hoped that he would. Even though he had still been mad and mean towards Uncle Peter at the time of the fire, he really missed the man.

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They were led to a room in the middle of the hall, perfect for blending into plain sight. Derek’s stomach dropped to his feet when they entered the room. There on the bed was Uncle Peter. Sure, Derek knew what condition he was in, but seeing it was different. He was so small and unmoving. Two things Derek never thought of his Uncle.

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Uncle Peter had been his mother’s left hand, the pack enforcer, yet here he lay, broken and alone. Glancing over at Laura, he could see tears welling up in her eyes. Laura fell to her knees at Peter’s bedside, grabbing onto his hand gently. The nurse quietly left the room - shutting the door softly behind her. Derek briefly noticed the druid rune carved into the door frame for protection before turning his full attention to his sister and Uncle.

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“Uncle Peter-” Laura hiccupped. “I’m so sorry for leaving you behind. We should’ve found a way to stay or-or-or to take you with us. We nev-never should have left you all alone, without a pack. I’ve been a terrible Alpha, but I promise you, I swear on our family that I’m going to make this right. I will rebuild our pack and our land, our home. I will find the ones who hurt our family, and I will make them face justice for what they did. I will become the Alpha my mother trained me to be, and I will make you proud.” Derek and Laura both gasped and flashed their eyes as they felt the old, almost dead pack bond flare back to life suddenly.

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Peter’s heart monitor beeped out of rhythm, indicating that he’d felt the bond settle too. Derek and Laura hugged each other as they both started to cry. They were going to help Uncle Peter.

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“We should visit him twice a week, maybe more - we’ll have to talk to Dr. Deaton to see what he can arrange. I think this will be good for all of us.” Laura murmured. Derek nodded and pulled back from the hug.

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“We aren’t going to leave this time, Uncle Peter - I’m afraid you’re stuck with us.” The whispered sentence felt more like an oath - an oath to be better.

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/Break\

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Of the few classes Derek took while in New York - all business classes - and the jobs he’d had working in coffee shops, Derek knew what he wanted to do for a career here at home. Technically, neither one of them had to work - they were rich before the fire, and they only gained more money after - not to mention the uncashed bonds in the vault. But Derek wanted to do something, have something that he could be proud of.

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Which was why he was standing in front of the old Bells, Books, and Spells New-Age shop that used to be in town. Derek remembers going into the store from time to time with his mother and aunt to talk to Mrs. Stilinski, the current Sheriff’s late wife. He remembered his mother’s face when she’d heard the news that her old friend was dead.

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It was currently the only shop available for purchase, unless he wanted to buy a lot and build a whole new building. Derek didn’t need to go through all the hassle, though. He was content with using this old shop. He’d been told there was an apartment above the shop, but that it had never been cleaned out.

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Derek refused to touch the apartment. He had no doubt that those things belonged to the Late Stilinski, and he intended to keep it that way until her family was ready to look through the things. That earned him a small smile from the woman who sold him the shop.

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Derek was meeting Tom, the same contractor that was working on the house, to talk about some minor repairs and things he wanted done to the new space.

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“Okay, so this is gonna be a coffee shop? You don’t need a lot - just coffee and stuff.” Tom commented.

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“Actually, there’s a lot more than that. I want to turn the back room into a kitchen.” Tom huffed.

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“That means new wiring, I’m going to have to cut a hole somewhere to let out steam and smoke and stuff. Plus all the appliances and installing them, that’s gonna be hefty.” Derek rolled his eyes.

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“I want both walls on the sides of the door to be windows. Built-in bookshelves along that wall - art installed on that wall. A counter takes up most of this space.” Derek motioned, moving around the space. “This is where coffee machines and the food that’s already made will go. I want the right side window to have comfy seating - like couches and stuff - my sister will give you more details on that. The left side should be more traditional tables and chairs. And I want those lights where the open light bulb hangs down by the counter, but fairy lights framing the windows.” Derek stopped moving around and looked at Tom, who was staring at him.

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“What do you think?” he asked sheepishly. He knew his vision was a bit much. But he had goals, and his therapist said goals were a good thing to have.

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“I think that as long as you pay the bills, I’ll pole-dance,” Tom said in his sarcastic voice. Derek blushed.

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“Perfect, I’ll send you the plans to your main office, and you guys can get started whenever.” Tom raised an eyebrow, and Derek corrected himself. “You can start tomorrow, and it should be finished in time for school to start in three months.” Tom nodded and left quickly. Derek looked around the empty store he’d bought. He was going to make his dream come true. He was going to open a coffee shop!

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/Break\

August 2009

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Laura smiled as she talked with the head doctor in charge of her Uncle’s medical care. It had only been two months of visiting him, and he was already showing signs of improvement. Looking at him on the bed, she could tell he wasn’t as pale as he used to be. The doctor had pointed out that the scarring around his hands and feet was healing and new skin was replacing it.

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Beyond that, the Doctor had shown her the latest tests and scans that they’d run on Peter’s brain. There was increased activity occurring - more than they had ever seen from him before. Laura had a renewed sense of faith that her Uncle would be able to heal completely and wake up soon. She’d had the Doctor share the information with Dr. Deaton, and they had both agreed that they would be moving Peter to a different facility located in Beacon Hills Memorial. A new subsection of the burn unit that specializes in tracking the healing progression of the scars. Dr. Deaton knew the head doctor there and said they were in the know, so it wouldn’t raise any questions. Plus, this would get Peter away from the creepy nurse who seemed to always be around and was very hard to dodge.

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“Hey, Uncle Peter, the doctor says you seem to be getting better. Deaton and I are going to have you moved to a new place that specializes in this kind of thing. But that’s not why I’m here a day early. I wanted to introduce you to someone.” She paused and motioned for the kid in the doorway to come into the room.

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Laura had met Isaac Lahey late one night when she was visiting her parents' grave site. He’d been working, digging up a grave, despite just turning 15. Considering the late hour, he should’ve been in bed sleeping. He’d smelled injured, and Laura immediately went up to him. It took a few meetings at the graveyard before Laura pieced a few things together.

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She’d sat down with Isaac and confronted him about his father’s abuse. Isaac had been frightened and tried to run off, but Laura took a calculated risk and flashed her eyes at the boy. He’d sat back down, wanting to know what that was.

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Laura had explained the whole werewolf thing to Isaac, who immediately wanted to be one. Laura then explained that he had to be at least 16 before she could offer the bite. However, she’d told him that she’d contacted her family's lawyers and the state. She could still remember how scared Isaac had been.

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/Flashback\

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“So you - you called the cops on my dad?” asked Isaac. Laura nodded as she pushed a donut towards the boy. He was entirely too skinny for his height.

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“I collected some evidence - without anyone knowing - pictures and whatnot. The cops should be arresting your father now.” Issac’s eyes widened in fear.

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“What’s going to happen to me now?” He sounded so small - it made Laura’s heart ache and her wolf howl.

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“Well, kid, there are three things I need to tell you-”

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“There’s more information you need to share with me?” he asked incredulously. Laura laughed.

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“Yes. One, that lady watching us from the corner - she’s the social worker assigned to your case.” Isaac immediately looked towards the lady who smiled at him. “Two, I recently completed and fast-tracked getting a fostering license with the help of my very expensive lawyers - you know, nepotism at its best.” Isaac tilted his head, confused. “Three, if you want, we can draw up the paperwork, and you can stay with me and my brother.” Laura listened to Isaac’s heart skip a beat.

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“You want me?” he asked. Laura’s heart melted, and she reached across the table to hold his hand.

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“Of course I do, kid. You are so smart, hardworking, and above all, you deserve to have happiness in your life.” Isaac was tearing up, while nodding ‘yes’.

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“Yes, I really want to go home with you.”

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/End Flashback\

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It had been the best day of Laura’s life. They’d moved Derek to the couch in their living room and given his room in the apartment to Isaac. After talking with Tom, they learned that with all the payments, he’d been able to expand his business and hire more guys. The house was going to be finished by December.

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“Uncle Peter, this is Isaac. I met him a while back, and he was in a really bad home. So, I took him in. He’s 15 right now, but I’ve promised to offer the bite to him next year if he still wants it. He’s pack now - regardless of if he’s human or not.” Laura motioned Isaac to stand closer; the boy shuffling towards the bed and lightly reaching out to hold Peter’s hand, when Laura encouraged him, too.

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Isaac gasped and stepped back, Laura smiling at him as she felt a new pack bond solidify. Pack bonds were magical. Every member of the current pack had to agree to the member before a bond would form. Humans could feel the formation of the bond and the breakage of the bond, but since they weren’t supernatural, they couldn’t feel the bond all the time, nor the emotions of pack members, or even if they are in danger or hurt. Still, to see the wonderment on Isaac’s face as the bond settled, Laura laughed.

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“That was a pack bond?” he asked. Laura nodded. Isaac bit his lip before turning towards Peter on the bed. “Hi, I’m Isaac - you already knew that - if you can hear us - I think you can - but, um, Laura says that I can call you Uncle Peter as well. So, um, thanks for accepting me, Uncle Peter.” Laura’s gaze softened as she looked at Isaac, placing a hand on his shoulder.

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“How about we go see Derek? I heard he needs more help with the coffee shop-” she trailed off, bumping shoulders with Isaac. “-And I know you’ve been especially interested in it.” Isaac blushed and ducked his head.

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“Yeah, Okay. Bye, Uncle Peter.” Laura smiled and uttered her goodbyes as well before walking with Isaac out of the room.

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/break\

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Derek was standing at the new counter in his shop, looking over some last minute paint chips. He looked up when the bell at the door rang out, smiling at Laura and Isaac as they entered the shop. He’d felt the bond snap into place and settle just 30 minutes ago, and knowing how important physical touch is to new pack bonds, he opened his arms and hugged Isaac when the kid got close enough.

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When Derek had first met Isaac, he understood where Laura was coming from. The kid was so innocent and precious, he had immediately agreed that they should take him in. On another level, though, Isaac reminded him of Cora sometimes. They would’ve been the same age - they might have even known each other in school. Although Cora never brought home any friends, only ever talking about how annoying other girls were and if Derek thought about it hard enough, he believes Cora was always complaining about a girl named Lydia.

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She also commented that boys have cooties and that they are gross, citing some kid with asthma as proof that boys had germs. Even after their mother explained that asthma was not contagious and that they were werewolves who couldn’t get sick. Cora stood her ground. She much preferred her alone time, unlike Derek and Laura, who were always bringing a new friend around at that age.

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Derek’s smile turned a little wistful at the thought - would Cora have grown out of that phase eventually?

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“How was the visit?” asked Derek. Laura hummed as she sat on a stool across from him.

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“It was good. They’re going to move him the day after next to that new place,” said Laura. Derek nodded and looked back down at the papers in front of him.

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“Do you think the walls should be a lilac color or nice normal white?” asked Derek.

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“I think that you should do all the walls in white except for the back wall here, where the menu and kitchen door are. That should be Lilac,” said Laura. Derek furrowed his eyebrows and imagined it. An accent wall would look pretty nice, and it would restore some of the original, colorful charm the old shop had.

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“I’ll mark that down for Tom. Now, if I could only come up with a business name. Tom wants to get the sign ordered tomorrow. Says we are cutting it too close to the opening day.” Laura smirked at him, with an evil glint in her eyes, reminiscent of the ones she’d get before making Derek do something embarrassing.

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“I’ve got an idea and I think we are all going to love it.” Derek sighed but motioned for her to continue. “All Hale Caffeine.” Derek physically faceplanted into his hands, groaning.

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“A pun? On our name? Really?” He questioned. Laura was cackling.

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“Think about it,” she took a deep breath, calming down. “Not only does it include our family name, but it has quirk and character. It makes it memorable and will draw more people in.” Derek had to hand it to her - she wasn’t wrong. He looked at Isaac.

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“What do you think, kid?” Isaac looked surprised to be asked.

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“You want my input on your business?” he asked, shyly. Derek nodded and dropped a hand to rest on the kid’s shoulder.

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“You’re family now - Of course I want to know what you think,” said Derek. Isaac’s eyes lit up at the statement, and a huge smile grew on his face.

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“I personally love the name.” Derek returned his smile and turned back towards the papers.

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“Okay, I’ll inform Tom of this in the morning during our meeting. Also, remember that tomorrow at noon, I’m holding interviews for a baker and a barista,” he said, winking at Isaac. Isaac smiled and nodded, giving a thumbs-up.

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Derek wasn’t sure how many baristas he’d hire, considering he planned on being at the store from opening until closing every day, but he knew a spot was definitely going to Isaac. A nice, easy, normal job that would give him some pocket change on top of his allowance, but also still give him plenty of time for extracurriculars, studying, and sleep. Unlike his previous job, which definitely had to violate some kind of child labor laws.

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Hopefully, the interviews went all right.

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/Break\

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Interviews were not going well at all. It was easy to find baristas. Derek hired Isaac on the spot, and another girl - her name was Emma, she was 23, and looking for a day job while she took night classes to get her Masters degree. Basically, ensuring that Derek would have help, even when Isaac was at school, considering their schedules aligned perfectly. She’d also worked at Starbucks for 5 years before moving out here for her master’s program. So she had experience - probably more than Derek did, if he was being honest.

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But the bakers weren’t going well. There were only two people left in line: an old lady and who appeared to be her grandson. The boy looked to be the same age as Isaac and was holding a small Tupperware container filled with goods. He motioned them forward.

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“Hello, my name is Vernon Boyd - I prefer to be called Boyd. Here is my resume - it's very small as this would be my first job. However, I’ve been baking since I was 9, and I was in ROTC for two years, meaning I am very disciplined. I’m available to work mornings before school and evenings after school, as well as the entire weekend.” Derek looked surprised as he took the resume from the boy and looked at it, nodding. He looked towards his grandmother.

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“I’m this boy’s grandmother. We’ve come prepared to offer that I can come in during the day if anything goes out of stock while he’s at school - free of charge.” She said in a no-nonsense tone. Derek opened the Tupperware and pulled out a Danish, biting into it. His eyes widened in surprise - it was the best Danish he’d ever tasted.

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“This is amazing - one second, Laura,” Derek called out. She popped her head out from the kitchen. “Come try this.” She walked out and bit into the treat, eyes widening.

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“Oh my god, I could marry this Danish.” Derek watched as the boy blushed at the praise; meanwhile the grandmother beamed with pride.

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“I taught him everything he knows,” she said proudly. Derek nodded.

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“I’ve got a counteroffer for you both. I hire both of you - 14 an hour.” Derek held up his hand when the woman started to speak. “This is an amazing Danish. I can only imagine what else you can make. I also want to give you full creative control of the dessert menu - you can make whatever you want.” The boy’s eyes lit up.

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“Really?” he asked. Derek nodded.

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“Yes, really. Have you thought about doing this professionally?” asked Derek. The boy nodded excitedly.

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“I’m hoping to get a scholarship for college. I want to study both baking and culinary - I’ve been told by some of Gran's friends that I’m the next Gordon Ramsey.” Derek let out a chuckle at that.

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“You definitely will be. Does that mean you’re taking the deal?” Boyd nodded excitedly. “Welcome to All Hale Caffeine, and what can I call you, Mrs.?” The woman shook her head, beaming at him.

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“You can just call me Gran, dear.” Derek nodded, and Laura clapped.

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“We’ve got a full staff and we will open in 12 days!” She turned back towards the kitchen. “Isaac, come meet your new co-worker.” Isaac popped out of the kitchen next and smiled.

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“Boyd?” The boy awkwardly waved at Isaac. Isaac smiled. “This is going to be so awesome. I didn’t think anyone else would be hired my age!” Isaac looked down at his feet, shy all of a sudden. “Do you think we can be friends?” Boyd looked at his gran, who smiled encouragingly.

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“Yes!” Isaac looked back up with a huge smile. “I’ve never really had friends before.’ Derek felt his heart melt for the kid, and his sister gave him a knowing look, which he returned by sticking his tongue out as maturely as he could.

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“That’s okay, I haven’t really. There used to be one boy, but he stopped talking to me years ago.”

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“Why don’t you go show Boyd around his new kitchen?” Laura suggested. Isaac nodded and grabbed Boyd’s hand, leading him into the newly finished kitchen.

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“I think this job is going to be a good thing for my boy. He hasn’t really talked to other kids since the accident.” Gran said. Laura tilted her head.

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“Accident?” she asked. Gran nodded, getting a grave look in her eyes.

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“When he was nine, his parents left him alone at the park with his little sister, Alicia. She went missing, and by the time he made it to a payphone to call the cops and then me, she’d been gone an hour. His parents were beside themselves, so busy looking for her, even traveling out of state to follow leads, that he eventually moved in with me and, well he stayed. We haven’t seen his mother or father in 5 years.” Gran explained. Derek’s heart twinged at the thought.

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“I am so sorry for your loss,”Laura whispered, placing her hand on Grans. Grans smiled sadly.

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“I miss that little girl every day. But I'll never forgive my son and daughter-in-law for abandoning and blaming that little boy. They should’ve been at the park watching the kids. Besides, Boyd and I? We’ve got each other. I started teaching him after his sister went missing as a way to distract him.” Derek smiled at her.

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“I think that’s really sweet, and I’m glad you’re here now.” All three adults shared a smile as they heard laughter ring out from the kitchen. Derek had never felt more at peace in his life.

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/Break\

​

It was opening day, and Derek was shocked by how much they’ve sold today. Tons of people came in in the morning and then returned for lunch and dinner as well, getting multiple drinks and desserts. Boyd and his Gran were in the back baking, and Derek, Emma, and Isaac were making nonstop orders. It was amazing to see this kind of support from his hometown.

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They were in a loll now, however, the Sheriff, several deputies, and two teens had just entered. The deputies and the Sheriff were at tables, talking and laughing. The two teens had chosen to sit on the couches on the other side of the shop.

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Derek was pulled out of his musing when one of his cups was slammed in front of him. He looked up to see one of the teens. He had a buzz cut and large brown doe eyes, and a ton of moles. He was smiling at Derek.

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“Sir, this coffee, it's heaven - the greatest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth yet. Hell, it could very well be better than dick - not that I’d know - and I can’t believe I said that to a grown man. Let me start over.” Derek’s eyes widened in shock. The boy took a deep breath. “Can I get this in a bowl?”

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“A Bowl?” Derek asked. The boy nodded.

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“Like a coffee bowl.” Derek blinked at the boy.

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“They don’t make coffee bowls.” He deadpanned.

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“They should, I need this in a vat - no, an IV, I need this more than air.” Derek nodded.

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“I think you need less caffeine.” The boy gasped and grabbed his chest.

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“I’d die without caffeine, I need it like I need air.” Derek nodded and ah’ed at the boy. “No, seriously, though, I’d like two more cups.” Derek nodded at Emma, who started filling two more.

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“Here you go,” Derek said, handing him the cups. “But for what it's worth, I think you’ve had too much.” The boy winked.

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“Nah, that’s just me. Hyperactivity and I, we’re tight.” he crossed his fingers and grabbed the cups, going back over to his friend. Emma came to stand next to him.

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‘That one might just buy us out of coffee.” She said with a smile. Derek returned her smile and nodded towards the Sheriff.

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“I’ve got some business to take care of - can you and Isaac handle the counter?” Emma gave him a thumbs-up. Derek made his way over towards the Sheriff.

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“Sheriff Stilinski, do you have a moment?” Derek asked. The Sheriff looked away from his Deputies and towards Derek with a smile, standing up.

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“If this is about my delinquent kid over there, I promise he won’t be a problem,” the man said in a joking tone. Derek mentally filed the fact that the caffeine addict was the Sheriff’s son.

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“I wanted to speak with you about the apartment upstairs.” The Sheriff’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and his smile dimmed just a little. “I only went in there once, when I bought it. I haven’t touched anything inside, and I won’t. I wanted to let you know in case you or your son ever want to go through anything up there.” The Sheriff blinked a few times before resting a hand on Derek’s shoulder.

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“You are a good kid, Hale. Thank you for that. I’ll talk to Stiles, see what he wants to do about the apartment. I’d completely forgotten about it, if I’m being honest.” The Sheriff looked towards Stiles and his friend, who were laughing over their drinks. “I’m glad you and your sister returned to town - things just didn’t quite feel right without any Hales around.” Derek swallowed the lump in his throat, managing a smile.

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“It’s good to be back, Sir. I was hesitant at first, but now -” Derek trailed off, and the Sheriff nodded.

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“I get it, son. I really do.” Derek and the Sheriff quickly parted ways after that, saying goodbyes, and Derek found himself behind the counter again.

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/Break\

​

Opening day was almost over. They had five minutes left in the day - Emma had already gone home, and Gran was waiting to take Boyd home. Everyone was wiping down tables and chairs when Derek noticed a blonde girl, about Isaac and Boyd’s age, staring into the coffee shop.

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She had her hair up in a ponytail and was wearing baggy clothes. Her eyes looked sunken in, and she was almost too pale. Derek realized that if he could smell her right now, she’d probably smell sick. His heart squeezed painfully - kids always got to him since meeting Isaac - especially the sick kids he’d see in the hospital on the way to visit his Uncle Peter.

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Derek turned towards the two boys. Isaac was cleaning, focused on getting home as fast as he could. But Boyd was distracted and was just cleaning the same table over and over, looking out the window at the girl.

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Derek glanced back at the window to see that a woman, probably the girl’s mother, had joined her. He watched as her face fell, and the two walked away from the shop.

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“Boyd?” Derek called out. The boy in question turned to look at him. “Who was that girl, looking in the window?” Boyd blushed slightly.

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“That’s Erica - Erica Reyes. She’s in our class.” Derek nodded, making a mental note of the girl’s name. Something was nagging him in the back of his mind. He was going to look into this girl, either legally or the slightly less, most definitely illegal way.

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There was just something about the girl that made her stick in Derek’s mind and made his wolf perk up in attention.

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November 2009

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Derek smiled as Laura finished putting up the small Christmas Tree in Uncle Peter’s room. Today was Thanksgiving, and Laura wanted to make the room feel like the holidays for Uncle Peter.

​

He hadn’t moved or awoke at all in the months that they’d been visiting. But his hands and feet looked as if they never had scars to begin with, and that clear skin was spreading up his legs and arms. He was healing, even if it was slow. Plus, the doctor told them, any progress was good progress.

​

Isaac was sitting at Peter’s bedside, holding two plastic Tupperware containers. They’d been kicked out of the apartment’s kitchen by Boyd and his Gran, who insisted on spending the holidays with them. They were cooking dinner, but after hearing about Laura’s plan, they spared some food to bring to Peter.

​

Laura motioned for Derek to sit down as she herself sat down. He took the seat next to Isaac and watched as the boy opened the lids of the containers. One had warm turkey in it - the other a small slice of warm apple pie. Laura had wanted to bring the scents of the holiday to Uncle Peter, believing that he could hear and smell things still. Even if he wasn’t awake.

​

“Hey, Uncle Peter. It's Thanksgiving! I just set up a small Christmas tree in your corner, and we brought some familiar scents with us.” Laura looked down. “This is the first Thanksgiving Derek and I have celebrated since everything happened. So I figured we could all go around the room and say what we are thankful for.” Laura was silent, looking at her hands, twisting and pulling at her fingers. Derek cleared his throat.

​

“I’ll start.” He volunteered. “I’m thankful for the most amazing sister and Alpha. I’m thankful that you, Uncle Peter, are healing. I’m thankful that we have new family with us.” He patted Isaac’s knee at that. “And I’m thankful that I have an amazing business that makes life feel like a dream come true.” Laura was already starting to tear up as she looked at Derek. Derek really didn’t want to cry in return, so he looked to Isaac.

​

“This is the first family holiday I’ve celebrated since Camden left. Even before then, we never had the traditional food, just us. So I guess this is the first holiday since my mom died when I was 6. I’m thankful for all of you, for what you’ve done, saving me from my dad, reassuring me that I can love him and hate him at the same time. For accepting me as part of this family, this pack. I’m just really grateful.” Derek looked upwards, begging the tears not to fall, but he couldn’t help himself. As a few tears slid down his cheeks, he wiped them quickly, raising an eyebrow at Laura, who was a full-on mess.

​

“I just, I love you guys so much. I’m so happy right now. I’m so thankful that Peter is getting better and that Isaac is with us. Kid, it's always felt like you belonged here, from the first moment I met you, and you dodged all my questions. I just really love all of you.” Derek and Isaac both stand up and cross the room, all three of them ending up in a group hug. Maybe this wasn’t the same as the past holidays, but Derek had a feeling that it was a good thing.

​

/break\

​

After being let back into the apartment and after the best Thanksgiving meal she’d ever had, Laura was ready to take this next step. Over the months of knowing both Gran and Boyd, she’d never been more sure. She wanted to tell them about the family secret and invite them into the pack. She’d also give them the option of taking the bite if they wanted it. If they accepted the invite into the pack, she’d have to take them to see Peter.

​

Laura smiled, thinking about her healing Uncle. He was never much of a people person outside of the family. Although Laura can remember a tall figure from her childhood. She couldn’t place him, but knew he hadn’t been family. Peter was her mother’s left hand, and that required shutting emotions off and doing what was necessary to keep the pack safe. Sometimes Laura wondered if Peter took that part too far.

​

He’d never had much of a social life. Just his career as a lawyer and his role in the pack. But Laura did know one thing about her Uncle. He would’ve loved Gran. Even though Laura was sworn to secrecy about the fact that Uncle Peter used to join Grandma Althea’s book club, as he loved to sassy old women that used to convene on the house once a month. Gran would’ve fit in with that group perfectly.

​

Everyone was gathered quite closely by the TV, but they weren’t watching anything, just talking to each other. Laura couldn’t wait to host Christmas in the new Hale House. Tom had informed her that the house would be finished in two weeks, just enough time to move in, decorate, and celebrate Christmas. In Laura’s opinion, that was the best way to break in a new house. Laura tapped her glass with her fork to get everyone’s attention.

​

“Gran, Boyd. There is something about us that I would like to tell you about,” said Laura, feeling a bit unsure of how she’d start this conversation. Gran smiled at her.

​

“Actually, dearie, there’s something I should tell you first.” Laura felt stumped, but she motioned for Gran to continue. “It’s a story of a family, my family, a family where every girl born into the line ended up a witch with magic.” Laura’s eyes widened.

​

“I’d fallen in love and left my coven earlier than my ancestors had, leaving that life behind. My husband and I chose Beacon Hills to settle into because I’d heard the stories of the brave Hale Pack that protected the lands. I only had one child, a son, who gifted me two beautiful grandchildren.” She paused to take a sip of her wine. “I figured I ought to tell you that I know your secret. So does Boyd here - I told him everything after he caught me using magic three years ago.”

​

Laura’s shoulders sagged in relief. She wasn’t sure how she would’ve started the conversation, let alone carry it.

​

“That’s a relief that you two already know. However, I didn’t just want to tell you. I wanted to extend an offer to join our pack. I also wanted to offer both of you the bite; however, the two offers aren’t mutually exclusive, and Boyd, you wouldn’t be able to receive the bite until you're 16.” Gran smiled at her.

​

“Thank you for the offers. We will think about it.” Laura nodded. Everyone had stood up at this point, and they all exchanged hugs.

​

“We will see you at work on Saturday. Oh, and Laura, don't forget your appointment tomorrow.” Laura furrowed her eyebrows.

​

‘What appointment?” Gran smiled.

​

“The spa treatment I booked for you and Derek. Isaac, dear, don’t forget you're spending the night tomorrow.” Isaac nodded and hugged the old woman again. Goodbyes were said, and the Boyds went home for the night. Derek cleared his throat.

​

“Laura, can I talk to you in your room? There’s something I’ve got to show you.” Laura nodded and followed her brother to her room, shutting the door gently. She smiled as she listened to Isaac humming as he finished cleaning up, before turning towards her brother.

​

/break\

​

Derek was nervous, sitting in his sister’s room. He had done something illegal at the hospital two weeks ago, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it since then. After convincing the nurse on duty to check in on his uncle, he slipped behind the desk, pulling up a patient file on Erica Reyes. Derek bit his lip, thinking about it.

​

/Flashback\

​

Derek couldn’t believe he was printing and reading Erica Reyes’ medical file. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the girl. Every day, she would stand outside his shop, longing to come inside. Every day, she never did. Derek couldn’t stop wondering what was wrong with her and if he could help in some way. His wolf felt it too. It was this intense need to protect.

​

Looking at the file, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Erica had epilepsy, and had had it ever since she was a baby. But the crazy thing, the thing that had Derek’s heart stopping, was the prognosis. Her seizures were getting worse and more frequent. They were also damaging parts of her brain. If this trend continues, the doctor believes she won’t make it past 18.

​

Derek and his wolf were distressed. She had so much life left to her, and she hadn’t even been able to live it at all. It wasn’t fair. Derek was going to find a solution to this. He had to.

​

/End Flashback\

​

Derek handed the folded piece of paper in his pocket to Laura, watching as she read through it. Laura looked up at him with a questioning gaze.

​

“I think we should offer her the bite.” Laura’s eyes widened.

​

“Derek, you don’t even know this girl. I especially don’t know her; I’ve never even seen her before. We can just go around giving people the bite. Besides, she’s sick - it won’t work.” Derek threw his hands up in frustration.

​

“That’s just it. Mom always said that only perfectly healthy people could receive the bite, that there was slim to no chance of rejection. Except Paige was perfectly healthy, in peak condition, and she rejected the bite. What’s to say that the bite won’t take on a sick person?” Laura scowled.

​

“That’s beside the point. We can’t just experiment with a young girl’s life like that. We are not gods.” Laura rebutted. Derek flopped onto the bed, running his hands through his hair.

​

“Christ, Laura, she’ll be dead in three years, with a condition that makes it so she can’t even live what life she has left. Sure, she might reject the bite and die - but she’s dying anyway. The least we could do is talk to her parents and explain the situation. It might be a risk they are willing to take.” Laura shook her head.

​

“We can’t just tell people about us. That’s a huge risk, especially considering that we haven’t announced that the Hale Pack is back and growing in size. Remember that Satomi Ito is the only wolf who knows we’re back. This could draw attention from the magic council and the hunters council. Which I don’t need to remind you is public record, meaning the Argents could find us again.” Derek winced. “Besides, we help this sick kid but not another. We can’t bite them all - we can’t save them all.”

​

“Laura, every time I see her standing outside my shop, wanting to come in, wanting to live. My wolf calls out to her. I- I can’t ignore it anymore.” Laura’s shoulders dropped in defeat.

​

“I’m not saying yes. But I’ll think about it. Okay?” Derek nodded, and Laura sat down beside him, laying her head on his shoulder to rest. She was going to think about it!

​

December 2009

​

Laura was running as she tried to make it to the coffee shop. She’d told Derek and Isaac, who both worked today, before the shop closed for the holidays, that she’d meet them there. However, she’d had trouble finding some of the movies she’d wanted to watch today. But she’d found them, now she was late. Laura was brought out of her thoughts when she bumped straight into someone.

​

It was a blonde teenager, in a sweatsuit, with her curly hair up in a poor looking ponytail. Laura breathed in, catching a whiff of sickness from her, but not thinking anything of it. The girl was turning away from the shop, but she didn’t look like she’d gone inside.

​

“I’m so sorry for bumping into you. I’m Laura, the owner’s sister.” She motioned towards the shop. Erica blushed.

​

“It’s okay. I’m Erica. Erica Reyes.” Laura’s mouth fell open slightly, and her eyes widened. This was the girl Derek was always talking about. The girl Derek had stolen medical files of. Laura couldn’t believe that today of all days she’d run into the girl. Laura’s wolf was practically bouncing from joy, an odd reaction considering Laura didn’t know the girl. But that meant Derek was telling the truth when he’d told her that Erica made his wolf react in weird and unexpected ways. She must’ve been too shocked before Erica got defensive.

​

“I’m more than just my illness, you know. I wish people would stop treating me like glass all the time. Everyone constantly stares and whispers, or if they are my age, they stare, point, and laugh, like I’m a freak.” Laura held up her hands defensively.

​

“No, no, no. You’ve got it all wrong. I was just shocked because Derek’s employees, Isaac and Boyd, have mentioned you before. Especially a certain baker.” Erica blushed and looked down at her feet, embarrassed that she’d made a big deal out of nothing. Laura sighed.

​

“Look, I know you can’t have caffeine because of your illness. One of your triggers, right?” Erica nodded. “Just stay here and I’ll be right back.” Laura ran into the shop, right past Isaac and Derek, who were staring at her, towards the container of cookies they were taking to the hospital. She grabbed one and ran back out, startling Erica as she handed the girl the cookie.

​

Erica took the cookie and bit into it, her eyes widening. Laura smiled proudly.

​

“Boyd made those this morning. We sell more than coffee. We have herbal teas, hot cocoa, even water, and soda. Plus many more desserts. Next time - come into the store - try some of them.” She’d said with a warm smile. Erica returned her smile.

​

“I think I will. Merry Christmas, Laura.” she said. Laura returned the sentiment and waved as the girl walked away. Derek and Isaac came to stand beside her.

​

“So?” asked Derek. Laura rolled her eyes and pushed her brother.

​

“Shut up!” All three started laughing as they made their way back towards Laura’s car, but deep down, both Laura and her wolf knew they were doomed. It was practically a done deal.

​

/break\

​

Derek smiled as he entered his Uncle’s hospital room. It was Christmas Eve, and they wanted to celebrate with him. Almost all of the burns on his legs and arms had healed. It seemed as if he’d get better soon. Derek hoped so. He sat the box of cookies down, while Laura propped up the chairs around Peter and Isaac set the thermos of hot cocoa down, pouring each of them a cup.

​

“It’s Christmas Eve, Uncle Peter! As per Hale family tradition, we’ve brought cookies and hot cocoa, even though you can’t exactly eat any of them. But we brought a DVD player and a bunch of the old Christmas animations to watch with you,” Laura said, clapping her hands. Isaac set up the dvd player and popped in the first movie, Roudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Derek accepted a cookie from Laura and dunked it in his hot cocoa. Isaac took the seat to his left and Laura took the seat to his left, as the movie’s narrator came on screen. Derek thought back to the last time he’d seen this movie.

​

/Flashback\

​

Derek was so bored, sitting on the couch surrounded by his siblings and cousins. It was a family tradition for all the kids to watch these movies. The adults would join during certain movies and when they had time, in between preparing everything for the next day. Derek skipped last year, begging to help with the adult stuff, which was way worse than movie watching. And he was only doing it this year to get photos and have stories to share with the girl he’d met at school - Paige.

​

She mentioned that her family always spent the whole holiday together, doing all those cliches you see on TV. Derek really wanted something to show to her - to prove to her that he was different from the assumption she’d made about him.

​

Laura was 17 and had finally put the SAT prep books away to be present. The movie day/night on Christmas Eve was always her favorite tradition. Cora was 10 - soon to be 11 - and was still young enough to enjoy the movies, even if she knew Santa wasn’t real.

​

Derek was sitting on the couch, unlike his sisters, who claimed armchairs. Which meant that he was open season. Sitting on his lap - leaning against his chest and asleep - was his 3-year-old cousin, Anna. On his left and leaning heavily on him was his 6 year old cousin, Jamie, and on his right were the twins, Eric and Aaron - 9 1/2 years old and proud of it - were leaning together with a book opened between them, whispering and laughing.

​

Derek could hear his Uncle Peter and his Aunt Cassie laughing in the kitchen while making more cookies. Uncle Peter and Aunt Cassie were twins as well. Derek mentally groaned at the idea of Uncle Peter having children one day - he’d probably have twins as well, since the genes were so strong.

​

Aunt Cassie was pregnant currently and due in the summer, with another set of twins. While Derek loved his cousins greatly, he couldn’t imagine trying to graduate and get into college while there were so many screaming babies and toddlers running around the house.

​

Uncle David had tried to convince Aunt Cassie to move out of the pack house and build their own close by, considering they were going to have five kids soon. But despite Aunt Cassie being human, all of her children - so far - had been weres. She believed that it was best to grow up in the pack house, not a separate house. Uncle David disagreed, and Derek agreed with him on that. Five kids were a lot, especially in a shared house.

​

\End Flashback/

​

Derek blinked back tears as he remembered he’d used to wish for quiet in the house and for it to be less crowded. Now, he’d do anything to get it back. All of them. The youngest members, Ella and Beth, were only 2 months old at the time of the fire. They weren’t even werewolves, just innocent human babies, and Kate Argent had burned them.

​

Derek threw his arms around both Isaac and Laura, pulling them in close. Both of them cuddled up into his side, causing Derek to smile. He vowed that nothing and no one would hurt his family ever again. He’d do whatever it takes.

​

/Break\

​

Christmas was winding down, dinner had been finished, gifts exchanged and opened, and now they were all sitting around the fireplace at the new house. Laura had been given two weeks to get ready for Christmas, and she went over the top. Every inch of the house was decorated, and not one area was left alone. Not to mention all the decorating that had been done outside.

​

“Listen up, everyone.” Gran called out. Boyd was smiling nervously beside her. “We’ve thought a lot about your offer last month and we’ve come to a decision.” Laura smiled warmly from beside the woman. “We will accept your offer to be in the pack.” Laura squealed and hugged both of them, shooting off the couch and throwing her arms around them. Derek and Isaac both smiled.

​

“Also,” Boyd started as Laura pulled back. “I’d like the bite when I’m 16.” This time, Isaac was shooting off the couch and into Boyd’s arms, hugging the other boy. Both boys were laughing as they embraced.

​

“Okay, Okay. I love that idea!” Laura said, bringing attention back to her. “I’ll take you two to see Peter tomorrow so the bond can form.” Both nodded at her.

​

“If you’ve done this to your house in two weeks, I wonder what his hospital room looks like.” Gran teased. Laura blushed and fiddled with her hands.

​

“It’s not a lot. I was trying to imitate how my Aunt Cassie used to decorate for the holidays.”

​

“Well, you did amazing. Aunt Cassie would’ve loved it. She would’ve declared you her heir,” said Derek with a soft smile. Laura smiled at him as her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

​

“I should also tell you, Derek - I’ve thought about your request and I plan on talking to Erica’s parents next month after the holidays.” Derek’s eyes lit up, and he smiled even wider.

​

“Wait - Erica Reyes?” asked Boyd, his face unusually flushed. Laura nodded.

​

“Yeah, do you know her?” asked Laura. Boyd shook his head no and looked down at his lap. Isaac grinned and elbowed him.

​

“Know her? Boyd thinks she’s the cutest girl at school.” Isaac teased. Laura awed quietly.

​

“Well, I’m going to explain everything to her parents and offer her a spot in the pack and the bite - once Isaac, our baby,” she leaned over ruffling his hair, “is all grown up in June.” Isaac batted her hand away from his hair.

​

“I think she’d make a lovely werewolf,” said Boyd, refusing to look at any of them. Derek smiled at the display. He remembered his first crush, Paige. With time and a lot of therapy, it didn’t hurt to think about her anymore. Derek even thought Boyd looked cute in his quiet reluctance to talk about his obvious crush. As Laura and Gran started a conversation about the decorations, and Isaac and Boyd started to tussle around with each other, Derek fondly smiled at the scene. It was nice to have a loud and full home once again.

Chapter Text

March 2010

​

Derek smiled from where he was behind the counter of the coffee shop. Isaac and Boyd were sitting at a table working on their homework. It was a slow day, so Derek told them they could study until they were needed. The bell chimed, bringing Derek’s attention to the front door.

​

Erica had been coming in every day since Laura and Derek had sat down and talked to both her and her parents. Her parents had been worried and scared at first when the whole Werewolf thing was revealed, and they hadn’t been happy that Derek had looked at Erica’s medical files without permission.

​

They’d requested extra reading material so that they could do their own research instead of relying solely on the words of Laura and Derek. Derek had provided them with many books from the Hale vaults that specialized in explaining these types of things. After a week, Erica’s parents had called and requested a meeting.

​

They admitted that they were out of options and that they wanted to give their daughter a chance at a life. Laura had been very reassuring and answered all of the questions that they had.

​

It had been decided that they would set up a whole biting ceremony in June, the day after Isaac’s 16th birthday. Biting ceremonies weren’t done all that often anymore. It was more of an outdated practice, but Laura wanted to build the pack the right way, and it would also give the magic of the bite more of a chance at being successful, and no one would reject the bite.

​

Ever since Erica’s parents gave the okay, Erica had been coming into the shop every day for a small dessert. She’d sit at the counter and eat it, occasionally talking to Derek or Laura, if Laura stopped by to visit the shop. Usually, she did, at exactly 3:00pm, so she could run into Erica, but some days Laura couldn’t get away from whatever it was she was doing.

​

Laura still wouldn’t tell Derek what she spent her free time doing, since she didn’t work at the shop or have a job at all. Plus, she couldn’t be doing official Alpha things yet, because they hadn’t announced their pack's presence yet.

​

Derek raised an eyebrow at Erica as she tried handing him money after being handed her dessert.

​

“You have to let me pay.” Derek shook his head.

​

“No. You don’t have to pay - Pack doesn’t pay,” said Derek. Erica pouted.

​

“I haven’t met Peter yet, so I’m technically not pack.” Derek’s inner wolf growled at that notion, and Derek frowned.

​

“You are pack and you are not paying.” Erica sighed and sat down to eat her dessert. Derek watched as she shyly turned around and waved at Boyd, who was already smiling and waving at her.

​

“You can go join them, you know?” Erica turned to look at Derek with a contemplative look on her face.

​

“What if it's awkward?” Derek snorted.

​

“Oh, it will be. But that’s how it’s going to be the first few times you hang out with someone new until you all get to know each other better.” Erica bit her lip and nodded, fiddling with her dessert. Derek continued to stare at her until she sighed and got up, making her way over to the boys.

​

She hesitantly sat down and pulled out her own school work while the boys talked and smiled. Derek watched with a smile as Erica quickly relaxed and even started to crack jokes with them. The Hale Pack’s future was a bright one.

​

/Break\

​

Derek smirked as Stiles entered the shop and walked up to the counter. The boy had an unzipped duffel bag on his shoulder, filled with what looked like books. His hair looked crazier than normal, and he had a pencil sitting on his ear. He was jittery too, almost shaking where he was standing.

​

“I need the largest cup you’ve got.” The boy exclaimed. Derek raised an eyebrow and looked towards Emma, who was just finishing up her shift duties before leaving.

​

“Emma? What has Stiles ordered today?” Stiles deflated a little and pouted. Emma just shook her head fondly.

​

“He came in this morning and ordered three cups of his regular order. He downed two right here in the shop, back to back, and took the third cup to go. At lunch, he returned and ordered three more cups. This time, one of them was his friend’s usual order.” Emma motioned towards the other boy Stiles was always with, who was already sitting in their usual spot, bent over a notebook, an open textbook lying a few inches away.

​

“Oh, all of his cups were extra large, as well,” Emma informed him before hanging up her apron and making her way into the back room. Stiles threw his hands up in the air.

​

“So much for customer confidentiality," he scoffed. Derek bent his head downwards and gave Stiles a look.

​

“That’s not a thing.” Stiles raised his eyebrows.

​

“It’s totally a thing. It became a thing before things even existed.”  Derek shook his head.

​

“No, it didn’t,” he rebutted. Stiles smiled and pointed at him, snapping his finger.

​

“You can’t possibly know that, you weren’t there.”

​

“Neither were you.” Stiles' smile dropped a little before returning full force.

​

“One cup of coffee, please,” Stiles widened his eyes slightly and jutted out his bottom lip.

​

“Sure, one cup of decaf coming right up.” Stiles gasped and dropped his bag to the floor to grasp at his chest.

​

“You’ve wounded me. You’ve killed me. I’ve been slain. I single-handedly keep this shop in business, and you want to give me poison." Derek sighed at Stiles’ dramatics.

​

“You don’t need any more energy. Besides, isn't caffeine supposed to calm people like you down?” Stiles scoffed.

​

“You can’t say people like me, Sourwolf.” Derek’s eyes widened in surprise, and Stiles winked at him. The little prick winked, like he didn’t just drop the biggest bomb ever.

​

“I’ll bring your order to you.” Stiles frowned at the change in their banter but nodded and went over to his friend. Derek shook off his shock and commenced his plan. He pulled out a bowl he’d bought just for this, and filled it with decaf coffee.

​

Derek walked over and set it down with a straw in front of Stiles, who gaped at it open-mouthed, speechless.

​

“One coffee-bowl,” Derek smirked. Stiles looked up at him like he had grown another head.

​

“You are a god, you are a life-saver.” Derek held back his smirk as Stiles took a sip, still praising him. “You are the worst. You evil-vile man, you. This is decaf.” Stiles whined. Derek laughed, as did Stiles’ friend. Stiles looked between the two of them helplessly. “You both are the worst.” He pouted. Derek sighed.

​

“You make it too easy - just too easy, Stiliniski,” Derek replied. He turned and grabbed Stiles’ actual order off the counter, handing it to him. Stiles raised an eyebrow, suspicious of the new cup, before hesitantly taking a sip. Derek walked back to the counter, parting ways with one last little jab.

​

“You really shouldn’t drink so much caffeine.” Stiles just rolled his eyes and continued happily sipping his drink, while Derek resumed work as usual.

​

/Break\

​

Isaac and Boyd were having lunch together, and Boyd didn’t want to study for the upcoming history test next period. No, he wanted to talk about Erica.

​

“I just know her hair has to be soft. Like a cloud, could you imagine running your hand through a cloud? And did you see her smile at me the other day? I thought my heart stopped. I literally died and went to heaven. I don’t understand why more people don’t see how beautiful and perfect she is.” Isaac placed his hand on Boyd’s.

​

“Boyd, buddy. Calm down. I understand that you think she is the best. Personally, I’m into dudes, so I can’t help you there. However, I can be your wingman.” Boyd looked weary at Isaac’s comment.

​

“What does that mean?” Isaac smiled just a little too wide, if Boyd’s fear was anything to go by. Isaac stood up on his seat.

​

“Erica!” he called out. Everyone in the lunch room turned to look at him, including Erica, who was blushing. She looked at him questioningly. “Come sit with us!” he called out again. She nodded, and everyone watched as she walked over and sat down with the two lone boys at their table, before resuming what they were doing prior.

​

“What’s up?” she asked, as she pushed food around her tray.

​

“Well, pack equals friends, equal family. So of course, you should sit with us - like every day. Besides...” Isaac trailed off before smirking towards Boyd. “A little birdy told me you were perfect.” Erica smiled and blushed, ducking her head, while Boyd’s face also lit up - which made Isaac a little proud, considering it took a lot for Boyd’s face to show color. He chuckled and ducked when Boyd threw a fry at his head.

​

Last year at this time, Isaac would be sitting quietly at the joke table. No one talking to him, but no one kicking him out either. And Boyd would’ve been sitting by himself. The Hales were kind of the best thing that ever happened to him. Isaac smiled at Erica and Boyd, who started shyly talking about classes. They gave him this after all.

​

June 2010 *

​

Derek smiled as he thought about the party that was winding down. Today was Isaac’s 16th birthday, and the boy was so excited to celebrate. Isaac had tearfully admitted that the last time he received a birthday cake was when his mother was still alive and that the last present he received had been from his brother, just a few days before he’d deployed.

​

Derek knew deep down that no one deserved an amazing birthday like this more than Isaac. He should’ve been having holidays and birthdays all along, and Derek would never be able to understand how Isaac’s father was able to abuse his own kid - the only family he had left in the world. Derek could hear the teens in the rec room, playing Mario Kart on the Wii, while the adults sat out in the living room talking shop. Derek almost went with the teens to play video games, but he wanted to make sure he knew every detail of the biting ceremony that was coming up in a few hours.

​

“Since Isaac’s birthday fell on a full moon this year, that means that your betas will have nearly a whole month to learn to control and anchor themselves. That also means that we have to have the ceremony at 1am instead of midnight, as the moon will have less influence.” Laura nodded.

​

“It seems like everything is falling into place. You know Peter accepted Boyd and Gran back in December, and he accepted Erica back in April, around Easter. The bonds feel strong and settled. We rebuilt the house,” she motions all around them. “And Uncle Peter has been making amazing progress. Nearly all of his burns are gone, with a few remaining around his ears and eyes. He’s even started to squeeze hands whenever we hold his hand. I think he might wake up soon - maybe by the end of the summer.” Deaton smiled.

​

“I’m glad things are working out well. I know it seemed as if Peter was never going to get better or wake up.” Laura nodded.

​

“So how exactly does this ceremony work?” asked Gran. Deaton straightened up.

​

“Basically, they will kneel before Laura, under the moonlight. Laura will ask each of them if they want the bite. When they respond yes, she’ll proceed to ask them what they can offer the Hale Pack. They will give their answers. Laura will accept these offerings, and then she will bite them. This ceremony doesn’t completely get rid of the chance of rejection. However, it significantly lowers it.” Deaton explains.

​

“But the chance isn’t completely zero?” asked Derek, biting his lip. Deaton nodded.

​

“A rejection could still occur, but the ceremony gives the person receiving the bite a bigger chance.” A tense silence fell upon the group before Laura smiled softly.

​

“I have faith that they will all take to the bite.” Deaton smiled back at her. Derek hoped everything worked out well.

​

/Break\

​

“Are you guys worried about the bite killing us?” asked Erica. Isaac and Boyd looked towards her, pausing the round of Mario Kart they were in the middle of.

​

“I’m not worried about it personally,” said Isaac, “Either we die doing something we want or we die eventually.” Boyd nodded.

​

“It’s just life. Of course, I’m worried; hell, I’m even scared. But that’s part of being human.” Boyd said, shrugging.

​

“I guess I’m just worried. I’ve lived 16 years, and I haven’t lived at all. I’ve always been sick, spending all my time at the doctors, taking medicine, having tests done, and being told what I couldn’t do. Now I have the chance, and I’m afraid it’s going to be taken away from me.” Erica looked everywhere but at the boys, embarrassed that she was getting so emotional about this.

​

Erica looked up as she felt both boys sit beside her. Isaac’s hand found hers.

​

“I never thought I’d make it to 18. I figured either my old man would kill me or I would. I didn’t have any plans or hopes. I never thought about college or a career. But these past few months with the Hales - I’ve gotten the chance to think about a future where I’m alive. I choose to focus on that.” Erica smiled sadly and squeezed Isaac’s hand.

​

“I’ve had those thoughts,” Boyd admitted quietly. Erica leaned into his side, offering silent support. “After my parents left and I shut everyone out, I was alone. I had Gran and no friends. I believed that my sister's disappearance was my fault. But really, it was my parents' fault. Who expects a kid to look after another kid? But for a long time, I let that loneliness eat at me and chip away at who I was. Going to the open interviews at the shop was my Gran’s latest attempt to give me something. Now, I want to keep baking and cooking. I want to go to school for that, maybe open my own restaurant one day.”

​

“I think I'd like to start small. Maybe learn to walk in high heels? Go to a movie theater and watch a movie without a seizure.” They all chuckled.

​

“How about this, after we all live through the bite. Boyd and I will take you to the mall with the Pack credit card, and you can get all the high heels you want.” Erica smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around the boys and hugging them.

​

“For what it’s worth, I hope we all make it,” said Boyd. The teens started to giggle, interrupted by Derek.

​

“Guys! It's time to start the ceremony,” Derek was standing in the doorway to the rec room, smiling at the group of teens. It was show time.

​

/Break\

​

Laura smiled at each of the three teens in front of her. She’d start in order of the oldest and work her way down to Isaac. Each of the teens was kneeling in front of her in the dirt. Derek and Gran stood up on the back porch, watching over the ceremony. She looked towards Deaton, who nodded.

​

“Erica Reyes, do you want the gift of the bite?”

​

“Yes, Alpha.”

​

“What will you offer the pack in exchange for the gift?”

​

“I offer myself, my body, and my intelligence.” Laura smiled down at the girl.

​

“I, Laura Hale, Alpha of the Hale Pack, accept your offering.” Laura knelt down to the girl, who’d bared her throat in submission. Laura elongated her fangs and bit down where the neck meets the shoulder. Laura pulled back when the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.

​

Erica had gasped at the bite as the sensation of pain hit her hard and sharp. Laura stood back up and moved on to the next.

​

“Vernon Boyd, do you want the gift of the bite?”

​

“Yes, Alpha.”

“What will you offer the pack in exchange for the gift?”

​

“I offer myself, my body, and my strength.” Laura smiled at Boyd, who looked so sure of himself.

​

“I, Laura Hale, the Alpha of the Hale Pack, accept your offering.” Laura knelt down, and Boyd bared his throat, and Laura bit down in the same spot where the neck and shoulder meet, drawing back once the coppery blood filled her mouth. Boyd had refrained from gasping, but he had a look of amazement in his eyes. Laura stood back up and stopped in front of the youngest, smiling warmly at him.

​

“Isaac Lahey, do you want the gift of the bite?”

​

“Yes, Alpha.”

​

“What will you offer the pack in exchange for the gift?”

​

“I offer myself, my body, and my loyalty.” Isaac was looking at her with such devotion in his eyes.

​

“I, Laura Hale, the Alpha of the Hale Pack, accept your offering.” She knelt down, Isaac already baring his throat to her, and she bit him right where the shoulder and neck meet. She pulled back at the taste of blood. Isaac gave a slight wince of discomfort, but he looked so incredibly happy. Laura stood back up.

​

“As Alpha of the Hale Pack, I declare this ceremony complete.” The wind picked up suddenly, seeming to be all around them, and Laura gasped as she felt a gentle warmth radiate over her. She could tell the three teens had felt it too. The wind died back down, and everything was calm.

​

“Okay, everyone,” Laura called as she clapped her hands. “We set up a special room, next to Isaac’s, with three beds so that you could all be together tonight. We all need to get some rest. It's currently 2am and we’ve got a lot of work to do come morning.” Everyone nodded and started to head back into the house. Laura turned when she felt someone tap her shoulder.

​

It was Isaac. He was standing there, looking awkward, but smiling.

​

“I just wanted to say thank you,” Isaac said as he hugged her. Laura wrapped her arms around him and pouted as she noticed he was growing.

​

“You’re getting taller again.” Isaac laughed and pulled out of the hug.

​

“Not all of us can be short.” Laura gasped as Isaac ran off towards the house. She smiled, watching him go. She knew exactly what he was thanking her for.

​

/Break\

5am

​

A nurse was sitting at the desk, desperately waiting for her shift to be over. Night shifts weren’t the most fun, and besides, she had to get home and make breakfast for her kids in an hour. At this point in her shift, she was struggling to keep her eyes open.

​

Just as they closed, heavy, and with the intention to stay closed, a monitor beeped. She jolted up, looking at the computers. Which room did it come from? Suddenly, more beeping came out, and her pager buzzed. Room 111 was pressing the call button.

​

She gasped and jumped up, paging the doctors and other nurses on shift. Room 111 needed assistance. Room 111’s patient had woken up.

​

Peter Hale had finally woken up from his 5 ½ year coma.

​

/break\

​

Derek smiled as he helped Gran plate up some pancakes. Gran had made a whole breakfast buffet while Laura went to wake the teens and check on them. Derek had woken up to the pack bonds feeling different, reflecting the change that the teens had undergone.

​

“Gran, you are a godsend,” said Boyd as he came into the room, smelling his grandmother’s delicious pancakes. Derek noticed the tension fall from Gran’s shoulders. She’d been nervous that something would happen to her grandson - namely, death. Derek understood where she was coming from with that worry. He’d felt it too, himself. However, being a wolf meant that he could feel the pack bonds all the time. He’d known instantly when the change occurred.

​

Isaac came into the room next, still in his PJs and rubbing his eyes. He sat down next to Boyd, stealing a piece of his bacon. Boyd didn’t seem to mind, focused on eating his pancakes.

​

“Okay, everyone, I’ve got someone for you all to meet,” Laura called out, walking into the room. “Erica!” The girl walked into the room looking amazing. Laura had clearly helped her curl her hair and do her makeup. She had on a neutral lip color, light eyeliner, and mascara. Laura must have given her some old clothes, before Erica was wearing a nice blouse and a mini skirt that Derek knows Laura wore to a frat at some point.

​

“I’m wearing heels!” Erica squealed with a smile. Isaac and Boyd were both cheering and stoking her ego. Derek looked at Laura with a raised eyebrow.

​

“I promised she’d get to buy bigger ones. However, all I had were these kitten heels. You know I’m more of a boot girl.” Laura defended. Derek shook his hand with a fond smile. Before he could say anything, Laura’s phone started ringing.

​

“It’s the hospital,” she said quietly. The teens halted their conversation, staring at Laura as she answered the phone. Derek watched as he felt his throat close up. Had something happened to Uncle Peter? Derek tried to listen to the conversation on the phone, but he was too panicked to pay attention and focus on it. Laura finished the conversation and turned towards everyone.

​

“As I’m sure some of you heard, that was the doctor. Apparently, Peter woke up around 5 this morning. They’ve finished running tests, and they want us to come in to see him.” Derek sighed in relief. Uncle Peter was awake!

​

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Gran said. “I’ll stay here and clean up, but the rest of you need to get moving. You can’t just keep the man waiting.” Laura smiled and thanked her before turning towards the Betas.

​

“Go finish getting ready, if you haven’t already. We’ll meet out by the cars in 10 minutes.” Everyone nodded and went off to do their own things. Laura walked over to him. “How are you doing?” Derek shrugged.

​

“On the one hand, I’m happy and relieved he’s finally awake. On the other… I worry that he's going to be upset.” Laura sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

​

“I know what you mean,” said Laura.

​

“Guess it's time to put that therapy to good use now.” Derek and Laura shared a laugh. They were finally going to see their Uncle Peter after nearly 6 years.

​

/Break\

​

Derek and Laura met the doctor outside of Peter’s room. The teens all sat in the chairs that lined the hall. Everyone had agreed that Derek and Laura would talk to Peter first and get an idea of the situation before introducing the teens to him.

​

“From the tests we have run, he seems completely fine. He can walk and talk. He is able to lift things, and he doesn’t seem to have amnesia of any kind based on the questions we asked him. He was violent when he first woke up; however, he calmed down when we gave him some sedatives.” Laura nodded.

​

“Can we go in and talk to him?” The doctor nodded. Laura glanced at Derek, the question clear in her eyes. Derek nodded. They were going to do this together. They entered the room and closed the door behind them. Peter was sitting towards the window, his back to them.

​

“Uncle Peter?” At Laura’s voice, the man turned around, a cold and distant expression on his face.

​

“Niece.” His tone was sour and made Derek flinch slightly from beside Laura.

​

“What do you remember?” Laura’s own tone hardened in response to Derek’s reaction. Derek smiled slightly. His big sister would always look out for him. Peter’s look became bored and disinterested.

​

“I remember waking up to smoke and a blazing fire. I grabbed your sister and we ran. We all discovered that the tunnels were blocked, a lot of people died down there. Then we discovered that there was mountain ash all around the property. Your mother died in the kitchen. I blocked Cora’s body with mine. I was on fire, but kept telling her we’d be fine. I noticed the ash caught fire and burned away by one of the windows, and I placed Cora outside the house. I told her to run. I told her not to stop running.” Peter paused and casually crossed his arms.

​

“I assume I made it outside. The doctors said that they found me in front of the house, burning. I also remember my last two-pack bonds breaking and being trapped in my own mind. Now, I don’t remember all of it. But I do know I was alone and I wanted revenge.” Laura flinched at the mention of them leaving, her shoulders sagging.

​

“So you remember everything,” Derek said bluntly. Peter looked away from Laura with a frown.

​

‘Why don’t you fill in the blanks?” Peter suggested. Laura’s shoulders started to shake, bringing the attention back to her.

​

‘Cora’s alive? She’s been alive this whole time?” Derek pulled his phone out.

​

“I’ll inform Deaton. While we’re here, he can start putting out feelers to his contacts; maybe he can find her.” Derek suggested.

​

“While this family reunion is touching, I have a feeling, judging by the pack bonds I have now, that I’m missing quite a bit of information.” Peter still looked unbothered and distant, and it made Derek’s heart ache to imagine that they caused Peter to feel this way.

​

“After the fire, with the hunters still around, we had to run. I was already going to New York - I just moved up my timeline and took Derek with me. Deaton helped a lot. He arranged everything and even looked after your care. He also suggested a supernatural therapist for both Derek and me.” Peter raised his eyebrow, clearly wondering what this had to do with anything.

​

“It was the therapist who helped us realize that we needed to come back to Beacon Hills. So once Laura finished her degree, we came back. Last year at this time. We came to visit you immediately, and our pack bonds snapped back into place.” Derek explained.

​

“I regretted leaving you behind - not trying to have Deaton move you to New York - not coming back as soon as the hunters left. I’m a terrible alpha for leaving you when you needed me.” Derek watched as a few tears slipped out of Laura’s eyes.

​

“Well, you left me, abandoned me, doomed me to insanity.” Derek stiffened as Laura started to sob. “But you came back, I started to heal, and you built the pack back up.” Derek looked at his Uncle, unsure if he liked the change in the tone.  Peter had stood up and was moving around the room, looking at the various pictures they’d set up in various spots.

​

“If it had been reversed, I wouldn’t have stuck around. But I’m also resourceful enough to have figured my way back. Probably would have slain my enemies too.” Peter was studying his fingernails, not even looking at them. Laura laughed, while sniffling, drawing Peter’s attention to her with narrowed eyes.

​

“Who even says ‘slain my enemies’?” Derek let out an unexpected laugh at that. The siblings set each other off, laughing. Peter stared at them like they’d grown two heads, before clearing his throat.

​

“Speaking of enemies, who are they?” asked Peter. Derek tensed up and sat down heavily in the chair.

​

“It was my old substitute teacher, Ms. Silver.” Derek paused, taking a deep breath. “Her real name was Kate Argent - which she’d told me the day of the fire. She had groomed me and assaulted me and convinced me that she loved me. I showed her the house one day. When she told me who she was, I panicked. I didn’t go home that night - I wasn’t sure what to do or who to go to about what had happened. So I waited at the school for Laura to finish her study group. For a long time, I thought it was my fault. But it wasn’t. It was Kate’s.” Derek explained.

​

“Is she dead yet?” Both shook their heads no. Peter sighed, “I guess it’s a good thing your left hand is awake again. That is, if you still want me.” That was all it took for Laura to jump on Peter, collapsing in his arms.

​

“Of course I do! However, we can’t go after the Argents yet. We need to strengthen and train our pack first. Then get re-established with the councils. In the meantime, we can collect evidence against her for what she did. Once we are re-established, we can do this the right way.” Peter groaned.

​

“You’re just like your mother, always doing things the right way. But I digress. If this is what you want, this is what we will do.” Peter accepted. They hugged again, and this time Laura motioned for him to join. Derek got up and joined the hug, feeling like a little kid again. When they pulled back, Peter tried and failed to hide his tears.

​

“So when do I get to meet these new pack mates? I’m assuming they just went through the changing?” Laura nodded.

​

“They are right outside. They wanted to come and meet you right away,” said Laura. She walked over to the door, sticking her head out of it. The three teens came into the room.

​

“Let’s see how well my senses remained while I was in a coma by guessing your names. You,” Peter said, pointing towards Isaac, “smell like family, always have. I’m guessing you’re Isaac, then. Which makes you Boyd, the one who always smells like dessert. Meaning you’re Erica.” The three teens all nodded at Peter. “Well, you can either call me Peter or Uncle Peter if you want.”

​

“Did you tell him yet?” asked Isaac. Peter turned to look at the siblings.

​

“We rebuilt the house. We can show you it after we sign your discharge papers,” said Derek. Peter nodded.

​

“And what exactly do you all do throughout the day?” Asked Peter.

​

“Derek opened up a coffee shop, which Isaac and I work at -” Erica cut Boyd off.

​

“Get this, they named the shop: All Hale Caffeine. Isn’t that the most diabolical name ever?” Peter nodded.

​

“It sure is creative. Did Derek come up with this?”

​

“Nope, Laura did,” said Isaac, smiling at him. Derek sighed.

​

“Can we not have this discussion again? Besides Isaac, you wanted the name, you liked the name.” Derek defended. Isaac shrugged.

​

“It’s a good name, doesn’t mean I can’t make fun of it.” Derek gaped at him before sighing. This is what his life has come to.

​

“How about I go with Peter and sign some discharge papers, and then we can get back home and spend the whole day pack bonding?” suggested Laura. Everyone agreed with that plan, and the two left the room.

​

“He’s kind of like an older, scary version of you.” Erica looked at Derek. Derek smiled fondly.

​

“People used to think he was my older brother. He was so much younger than my mom and my Aunt. He was 18 when my sister Cora was born. There is only an age gap of 14 years. So people always assume.” Derek said, laughing.

​

“You have to tell us all the embarrassing stories of growing up with Peter,” requested Isaac. Derek nodded with a smile on his face. For once, the memories didn’t seem to hurt as much.

​

August 2010

​

Laura was smiling as she cleaned up around the house. Even though Erica still lived with her parents, she spent most nights and days at the Hale House. Beyond that, Gran and Boyd had decided to take up her previous offer and move in. The house was full once again, and Laura forgot how nice it was to have some kind of mess to clean up.

​

She’d been working hard on making the transition as easy as possible for her betas. She wanted them to have good control over their wolves and still be able to do things other kids their age did. For their credit, they had been working really hard.

​

The first moon proved that point. Isaac had not lost control once, having found his anchor easily. Of course, he also had a small freak-out when he realized what his anchor was. Isaac had chosen his father, and at first, everyone thought he was anchoring himself in anger, but he’d actually anchored himself in love.

​

Laura had sat with Isaac and reassured him that he could love someone that did awful things to him, but not want the man back in his life or anywhere near him. Isaac had been so worried that everyone would think there was something wrong with him for how he felt, but Laura talked to him, and he eventually told everything the truth about it.

​

Peter has actually commented that it fit the pup well, that he seemed like someone who would anchor themselves in a good emotion like love, instead of anger.

​

Erica and Boyd had a slightly harder time anchoring themselves at first. It was actually Derek who convinced Laura to leave them alone in the room where they had them chained in. Laura hadn’t thought that was a good idea - she feared they’d fight each other and hurt themselves. But Derek had been right. 20 minutes later, they were being called back in, and both wolves had blushes spreading across their faces.

​

Apparently, they were each other’s anchor. Laura wasn’t surprised that they seemingly had crushes on each other; she’d witnessed their cute interactions plenty of times. But she was shocked that their wolves, being as new as they were, felt comfortable enough to latch onto each other.

​

After that, Laura, Peter, and Derek took the pups out for the full moon run. She’d figure it would take at least a few full moons before they were ready for that, but they seemed to fit into being werewolves perfectly.

​

Of course, there were times when emotions ran high or the teens would get a little too upset, and they flashed their eyes or their claws came out. But, surprisingly, Peter had worked with the pups on calming exercises he apparently used when he was their age, and it seemed to be working.

​

With school starting in a few days, the pups were excited for their Sophomore year to begin. Erica had completely overhauled her wardrobe and, in the process, reminded Laura just how much she, herself, liked fashion. The girls had gone on plenty of trips and had a few more planned before school started. Erica was determined to step into the light this school year and be more than that sick girl everyone made fun of. Laura was proud of her for taking this step and letting the ‘world’, in this case the high school, see the real her.

​

Isaac and Boyd had decided that they wanted to try out for Lacrosse this year, and Derek had jumped at the chance to train them. Derek had never played the sport - he’d played basketball before they’d left for New York. But Derek could train them to differentiate between their regular strength and werewolf strength, and how to mix them just enough to give them a boost, but not to cheat. So Derek was working with them on drills and plays he’d remembered watching the lacrosse team do back when he was in school.

​

Laura had to admit, the boys looked good, and she had no doubt that they would be able to make the team. Laura had dug through some of her old boxes that had been stored in one of their vaults for her old clothes. She’d managed to find two Beacon Hills High shirts, so she’d have to go out and buy some more so she could properly support the pups while they played.

​

It seemed like everything was coming together nicely. Laura and Peter had decided that the start of the school year would be a good time to inform the councils of the Hale Pack’s return. Peter had settled in nicely. There were times when they fought, and ugly words were exchanged between them.

​

But, they’d decided to do phone calls with her therapist in New York, together, so that everyone could work through their trauma revolving around the whole fire and abandonment. They both wanted to work on their relationship with each other, and things were going really well.

​

After a week resting and being out of the hospital, Peter had reinstated his law license and started to reach out, quietly, to some Hale Pack allies, hoping that one of them would take in or knew where Cora was.

​

So far, they’d found no leads. The Ito Pack had promised to keep an ear out for Cora. Satomi had been so happy to realize that Laura and Derek had come home and rebuilt their pack. Satomi had been close friends with both their Grandfather and Mother. Probably the closest of all their allies, especially since Satomi’s pack lived right next door to them in the next town over.

​

Peter was hopeful that they would manage to find Cora soon. That she, at 11 years old, couldn’t have gone far. But every dead end left Laura feeling shaken. She should’ve realized that there was still a pack bond connected to her little sister before she’d left. She should’ve known to look for her or at least ask Deaton to look for her.

​

But Laura just hadn’t felt the bond when all was said and done. She’d taken Derek and run, breaking their bonds to Peter in the process. What did Cora go through? Did she get lost in the woods, cold and all alone? Did she find somewhere or someone safe to stay with? Laura really hoped that Cora had found someone, a family even, that took her in and loved and cared for her.

So Laura was cleaning the house, and sometimes she felt like a good, strong Alpha. Other times, all she could think about was her failures, what she did to Peter, and what she did to Cora. She really should’ve known better.

​

/Break\

​

Derek sighed and wished he could close the shop early. He’d felt on edge all day, and getting into a verbal sparring match with Stiles, while usually fun, wasn’t this time. Stiles had requested 5 cups of coffee, and Derek had refused. That boy was drinking so much caffeine he’d probably die from it. It wasn’t healthy. After 20 minutes of verbal lashings, Derek got Stiles to settle for three cups of coffee. Derek would’ve preferred one cup, but he had to make do with what he had.

Regardless, Derek was already tired because the boys had kept him up all night practicing. School started tomorrow, and so did tryouts, which took two days in total. They were nervous and wanted the extra practice, which Derek was alright with, until he got a call at 4am from Emma, informing him that she was sick and couldn’t open the shop.

​

Suddenly, Derek had to be a charming human being on only two hours of sleep. Isaac, who was working the counter with him, was all smiles and sunshine because he got a full 8 hours before his shift started.

​

The front door’s bell chimed, and Derek looked up with a smile, calling out a welcome, before freezing at the sight in front of him.

​

There stood a teen who couldn’t be older than 16. She had curly brown hair and a wide grin on her face. But she looked exactly like Kate. So much so that Derek’s nervousness started to fray. It had to be a coincidence.

​

“Hi, can I get a small latte and a chocolate donut?” Derek nodded and moved to start making her drink, while Isaac fetched the treat.

​

“Di-did you just move t-to town?” Derek asked, stuttering slightly. Isaac raised an eyebrow at him as he handed the girl her donut. She smiled warmly at him.

​

“Yes, actually, I just moved this week. My name is Allison Argent.” Derek’s hand slipped, and the milk went everywhere, hitting the cup so hard and fast that the cup fell over, spreading the coffee all over the counter. Derek began to clean up, apologizing, when his name was called out.

​

“DEREK!” He looked up to see Stiles marching behind the counter. Bewildered, Derek let Isaac take over cleaning up and remaking the girl's drink.

​

“You are behind the counter,” Derek said dumbly. Stiles nodded.

“Ah-ha. That’s right, I am. I demand that you give me the rest of my coffee.” Derek blinked, confused.

​

“You can’t be behind the counter, you don’t work here.” Stiles scoffed and threw his arms in the air.

​

“Of course, I don’t work here. You couldn’t afford me.” Stiles was getting louder as he talked. But Derek’s whole focus was on him.

​

“You said you wanted three, I gave you three. Get out from behind the counter.” Stiles rolled his eyes.

​

“You,” he said, pointing at Derek, “gave me a caffeine allowance, and it is unfair. I want my two other coffees,” Stiles whined. Derek shook his head.

​

“Then order them from in front of the counter.” Stiles shook his head and crossed his arms.

​

“Nuh-uh, no way, Sir. If I do that, you’ll talk me out of it, with that charming smirk on your face.” Derek physically face-palmed and barely noticed the front door’s bell chime again.

​

“This is the counter,” Derek motioned towards. “I am the worker, you-” he pointed towards Stiles, “are the customer. That means you go on that side.” Stiles pouted and patted Derek on the shoulder.

​

“Listen, show’s over,” Stiles said softly and more quietly than Derek had ever heard him before. “That girl left. Look, I don’t know who she is or why you were panicking. But you’re welcome for the distraction.” Derek blinked, surprised as Stiles moved away from the counter and back towards his seat.

​

“Isaac, we are closing in two hours.” Isaac blinked, surprised at the early closing. “Text Laura and tell her we need to have an emergency pack meeting at 7.” Derek turned away and made two more cups of Stiles’ order. He took them over to Stiles and sat them down in front of him.

​

Stiles looked up at him, doe eyes wide in surprise. Derek smiled and started to walk away.

​

“Wait, let me pay you.” Derek turned towards Stiles.

​

“It’s on the house as a thanks, and we’re closing early today at 6.” Stiles smiled at him and turned back towards his work while Derek made his way to the counter. The Argents were in town, in Beacon Hills, and that wasn’t a good sign.

​

/break\

​

Derek and Isaac were silent as they walked into the house. Isaac had tried asking what was going on, but Derek didn’t reply. He needed to focus on driving them back to the house without freaking out.

​

Derek mainly drove out of muscle memory, mainly focusing on calming techniques his therapist had taught him. Isaac fiddled with the radio a bit before turning it off. Derek felt bad that he was treating Isaac this way, but he would explain everything at home.

​

The sight that greeted him in the house was a kitchen table filled with the pack. Erica and Boyd were sitting together on the bench part of the table, their backs to him. Erica had turned her head, though, to smile at him when he entered the room. Peter was sitting at the head, arms crossed, and looking worried. While Laura was pacing the room. She stopped and threw her arms up in the air, exasperated.

​

“Really? Derek? You have Isaac text that we need to have a pack meeting, but then you don’t tell anyone what it is about. We are freaking out here. What happened? Is everything okay?” asked Laura. Derek sighed and rubbed his eyes. Isaac had gone over and sat done at the table. Derek followed him, dropping into the seat next to Isaac.

​

“We had a customer come into the shop today.” Derek paused, taking a deep breath.

​

“That’s nice, Derek. You know that’s what makes a successful business.” Peter deadpanned. Derek rolled his eyes and looked at Peter, irritated.

​

“She looked a lot like Kate Argent. Except she was way younger, probably 16. I asked who she was, because I’d never seen her before. She said her name is Allison Argent.” Laura fell into another chair, shocked, mouth open. Peter, meanwhile, growled, his icy blue eyes flashing. The betas all tensed up at the mention of the name.

​

Argent was not a word that was used often around the teens. However, they had been taught about prominent hunter families - the Argents being one of them - and they had been told of the role Kate Argent played in the Hale Fire.

​

“So the Argents are back in town. There must be a reason - they wouldn’t just come here to settle down. They only go where they can hunt.” Peter elaborated.

​

“Does that mean they found out about us somehow?” asked Laura, her expression tight.

​

“It is possible, or they could be tracking a threat that hasn’t made itself known to us yet. Either way. You need to get on the phone right now and contact both councils. I don’t care that it is 7pm; they need to know that we are back and a full, proper pack. Before the Argents can use it against us,” said Peter.

​

Derek felt overwhelmed and like he’d been run over by a bus. Why couldn’t they just get to be happy? Everything was always an ordeal. They were all finally at peace, and everything was coming together, and now, hunters were in town. Worse, Argents. What if they brought Kate with them? What if she gets hold of him? Would she kill him or worse?

​

“Look, I’ll go contact the councils. Derek, you and the teens need to go to bed. School starts in the morning, and you are responsible for driving them. Everything is going to be fine. Everything will work out. It would be highly illegal for them to make a move now. Especially when Peter’s been tracking down evidence against Kate for us. They try to take us down, we’ll take them down instead.” Deer nodded and was about to follow the teens up the steps when the landline started ringing. Peter was sitting at the table, staring off at nothing, and Laura was on her cellphone, calling the magic council.

​

Derek turned around and picked up the phone.

​

“Hello?”

​

“Is this the Hale Property?” Derek recognized Sheriff Stilinski’s voice, coming through the phone.

​

“Yes, this is Derek. How can I help you, Sheriff?” The other man sighed.

​

“In 20 minutes, all of the station and as many state police officers as we can get will be on your property while searching the preserve. A couple found half a body tonight. We will be looking for the other half.” Derek’s eyes widened. Some had died in the woods, and Derek hadn’t even sensed it, being so thrown over seeing an Argent today.

​

“Okay, would your men like some help from my Uncle Peter and me? We both grew up in these woods; we know them better than anyone.” Derek offered.

​

“That would be really helpful, actually. I’ll swing by the house to bring you both to the search parties.” Derek confirmed with the man and hung up the phone; at the same time, Laura got put on hold.

​

“I’m going to be stuck here all night,” Laura complained, holding music coming out of her phone as she sat down at the table, resting her head against one hand.

​

“Well, Peter and I are going out.” Peter looked over to his nephew.

​

“To do what?” he asked incredulously.

​

“Look for a body.” Peter raised an eyebrow and smirked, nodding his head.

​

“It looks like the threat is making itself known after all.” Derek sighed. This was going to be a long night. 

Chapter Text

Stiles screamed as he fell from the porch roof of his best friend's house. Scott screamed back at him, holding a baseball bat protectively in front of him.

​

“Stiles!” Scott admonished as he let the bat fall to his side in a relaxed grip. He was glaring at Stiles. Stiles shrugged and smiled at him.

​

“Why do you have a bat?” Stiles asked, eyes falling back to the sports equipment at Scott’s side. “Do you even play baseball?” Scott rolled his eyes and helped Stiles climb over the porch rail.

​

‘I thought you were a predator.” Scott admitted sheepishly. Stiles raised an eyebrow and shook off the rude response that was climbing up his throat.

​

“Okay, whatever, so you won’t believe the call my dad got 20 minutes ago.” Scott raised his eyebrow and motioned for Stiles to get to the point. “The whole station’s been called in, and some state police as well. Two hikers found a body in the woods.” Stiles tried to hide the excitement in his voice, but he just couldn’t. Nothing this cool has ever happened in this town, not since the supernatural had left. This was the first big thing to happen since the Hales had returned.

​

“A dead body?” Stiles looked at his best friend, disappointed. What kind of question was that?

​

“No, a body of water. YES, a dead body - dumbass.” Stiles sassed. Scott smiled sheepishly before frowning.

​

‘So what are they looking for?” Stiles’ grin spread wider across his face.

​

“That’s the thing, they only found half a body.” Scott looked shocked at the admission, mouth falling open.

​

“So…wanna find half a body with me?” Stiles asked. Scott looked back towards his house.

​

‘I wanted to get some rest before tomorrow’s tryouts.” Scott said weakly. Stiles raised an eyebrow and smirked at Scott. Scott stared at him for a few seconds before groaning.

​

“You owe me, seriously. Let me get some shoes.” Stiles pumped his fists in the air and whooped. This was going to be awesome.

​

/break\

​

Stiles smiled sheepishly at his father, who had sent the state police officer away and was standing with… Derek and Peter Hale. Stiles knew Peter had woken up from his coma, but he had yet to see the man around town. Damn - those Hale genes were strong.

​

“You do know this is private property, right?” Derek asked, sarcastically. Stiles stuck his tongue out at him before looking at his dad, who was staring at him with a disappointed glare.

​

“Where’s your partner in crime?” His dad asked, crossing his arms. Stiles looked away from his dad and shrugged.

​

“Who? Scott? He’s at home, sleeping, getting ready for school tomorrow.” His dad gave him an unimpressed look.

​

“That was a lie.” Peter pointed out. Stiles groaned. He’d forgotten that werewolves were accurate lie detectors. His dad sighed and moved around Stiles, shining his flashlight out into the woods.

​

“Scott! Are you out there?” Stiles sighed in relief when Scott didn’t reveal himself. Scott must’ve gotten away from them when the officer first caught Stiles. His dad turned towards the Hales.

​

“Can you two track his scent?” Both Hales tensed in surprise, looking between Stiles and his father. Stiles smiled - they didn’t know that they knew, interesting.

​

“What do you mean, Sheriff?” Derek asked, innocently confused. Stiles smirked; those kinds of acts never worked on his father. Stiles would know; he’d tried it before.

​

“Your werewolves.” The Sheriff sighed again. “Look, my wife and son both have magic.” At this, the two wolves looked at Stiles, questioningly, to which Stiles sarcastically waved back at them. “I’ve known for years. That’s why I was okay with you two joining the search. Now, can you find Scott? It’s too dangerous out here for him alone.” He paused and glared at his son. “The killer could still be out there.”

​

Stiles paled at the thought. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. But if the killer was still out there, then Scott was in danger. He could get hurt or killed, and it would be all Stiles’ fault. Because he’d dragged Scott out of the house when all Scott wanted to do was go to sleep. He’d left his asthmatic best friend without a flashlight and ran ahead of him of all things, when Scott couldn’t possibly keep up with him.

​

Why did Stiles even think this was a good idea?

​

“I know what your son smells like and Scott - that’s the boy you’re always with in my coffee shop, right?” Stiles nodded towards Derek. “I can smell him in that direction, but he’s pretty far away.” The group started in that direction.

​

“When we find Scott, I’m taking you boys home, and we are going to have a discussion about this wild concept called invasion of privacy. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?” Stiles nodded and followed his dad in the direction the wolves went off. Everyone came to a stop as they heard a boy yell.

​

“That’s Scott!” Stiles called out, panicked. The group took off running in the direction, making a sharp turn through some trees and bushes before running out onto the main road, seeing Scott standing there. “Scottie!”

​

Scott turned towards Stiles with a panicked expression on his face. He stumbled towards Stiles and into his arms, rambling.

​

“Sty, it was a Wolf. I saw the body and then- then the deer came out of nowhere. My inhaler, I-I dropped it. Man, that’s going to be expensive to replace. And then this wolf came out and attacked me. It-it bit me.” Scott took a deep breath and pulled up his shirt, showing them the bite. Derek and Peter both swore while Stiles pulled Scott’s shirt back down.

​

“Everything is okay, son, take a deep breath and calm down.” The Sheriff stepped up to the boy, resting a hand on his shoulder in a comforting way. Scott immediately started to calm down.

​

“Sheriff, this is going to require further conversation, back at the Hale House. Where no one can overhear anything.” The man nodded towards Peter. “Scott, do you remember the wolf’s eyes?” Scott nodded.

​

“They were red.” Peter nodded.

​

“That means that the killer is an Alpha, Sheriff.” Noah nodded and rubbed his eyes.

​

“Look, for now, I’m going to take these boys back to my place. Tomorrow after school, I’ll bring them both to the house, along with Melissa McCall - she’s Scott’s mom.” Peter and Derek nodded.

​

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Scott said. Stiles pulled his friend into another hug.

​

“We will tell you everything tomorrow at the Hale House. Okay Buddy? Besides, it seems that Sophomore year will be getting a lot more interesting.” Stiles tried to smile, but knew it didn’t meet his eyes. Yep, life was about to get really interesting.

​

/break\

​

Derek was driving the Camaro to the high school with the betas inside. Erica and Boyd were in the backseat, and Isaac sat in the passenger seat. All three were uncharacteristically quiet.

​

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked. They all smelled of nerves.

​

“I’m nervous for everyone to finally see me,” Erica admitted. “I want to own my transformation and show them all I’m not geeky, freaky, sick girl Erica anymore. But I’m also worried about being judged.” Derek nodded in understanding.

​

“I get that. Aft,” Derek paused, swallowing thickly, “After Paige died, I was worried about going to school and people judging me. All you have to do is walk with your head high - no matter how much you want to look at the ground - don’t. Also smile. Basically, you fake it - everyone will believe it and eventually you’ll believe it as well.”

​

“Thanks, Der.” Erica shot him a grateful smile. Derek moved his gaze to Boyd’s through the mirror.

​

“It’s just nerves about tryouts.” Isaac nodded in agreement.

​

“We’ve been working so hard at getting good and differentiating between our strengths. But the team is already really good. While just being on the team would be fun. It would be more fun to be on the first string,” said Isaac.

​

“I get that. When I started playing basketball, I was on the bench a lot of the time for my first year. But you keep working hard, and you don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. You guys got this. You’ll do amazing,” said Derek. He pulled into the school parking lot and parked beside a Porsche of all things. Next to the car was a teenage boy, glaring at him and his car. Derek rolled his eyes, but something about the boy’s expression was familiar to him.

​

Once the betas had gotten out, Derek backed up and went to leave the parking lot, slowing down when he saw Stiles and Scott, whom he waved at. Stiles smiled at him and waved back before Derek pulled back out onto the main road. Derek had to get to work.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was sitting on the bench while the coach had the first line warm up. They always did a warm-up in front of the newbies, then Jackson, the team captain, would stay on the field and give Coach something to measure the newbies against. Tomorrow would be the second half of try-outs, where the bench warmers and the newbies that made the cut try to get promoted to the first line, and the first line players try not to suck and get demoted. Stiles had remained a bench warmer throughout junior high and freshman year - no doubt that would remain the same this time around.

​

Coach had put Scott on goalie, probably expecting Scott to fail. But Stiles had checked Scott’s bite wound himself; it was completely healed. That could only mean one thing - Scott was going to turn into a werewolf. That meant that he’d start to feel the advantages like speed and agility. Stiles had no doubt that Scott was about to show everyone up.

​

And honestly, Scott had been having a great day. Stiles was surprised when the new girl was introduced as Allison Argent - a name Stiles was familiar with - and when Scott immediately gave her a pen. Stiles’ ADHD always got the better of him, and sometimes he couldn’t focus. But when he’d heard that name, he’d fixated on it. He noticed every little glance and smile those two shared throughout the day.

​

It seemed like real puppy love there. And Stiles was happy for his best friend, Scott didn’t get many wins afterall. But that relationship was a powder keg about to explode. Stiles also noted how Allison latched onto Lydia Martin.

​

A lot of people assumed that Stiles had a crush on Lydia, maybe even Lydia thought that herself, if she even realized that he existed. But that wasn’t the case. Stiles wanted to beat her. Lydia was ranked number 1 in their class, and Stiles was number 2. Although with how stacked his classes were this semester, if he could ace all of them, he’d surpass Lydia.

​

Lydia probably didn’t even know that she was competing with Stiles, or that anyone knew she was the smartest in the class. But to Stiles, Lydia was the one to beat, his academic rival. And Lydia had immediately sunk her claws into Allison upon meeting her.

​

Stiles looked up, towards the field when Coach blew his whistle. Scott was grabbing his head and not even ready for the guys to start shooting, but one asshole went ahead and did. Stiles winced when Scott caught the ball with his face. However, every other shot was stopped by Scott - even Jackson’s shot. Mister Team Captain couldn’t even get past Scott McCall.

​

“Okay, everyone off the field, MCCALL!” Coach grabbed Scott as he was making his way towards Stiles. He shared words with Scott before letting him go. “NEWBIES! On the field. Keep your numbers on because I didn’t learn any of your names, and I won’t.” Coach blew his whistle again.

​

“Dude, what did Coach say to you?” Scott smiled, looking dazed.

​

“He said I had a real opportunity to play this year if I continue to play like that,” said Scott. He’d turned around to reach for his water. When he turned back, Stiles caught a huge grin on his face. “Allison just smiled at me,” he whispered. Stiles shook his head and smiled at Scott - that boy was unbelievable sometimes.

​

/break\

​

Isaac smiled at Boyd as they ran suicides with the other tryouts. Neither one was slowing down or even getting winded. All of the running that they’d done in the woods with Derek had really helped prepare them for this. The others were slowing down; some one had already puked. But Coach kept blowing his whistle, demanding more. After another 5 minutes, Isaac and Boyd were the only ones left running.

​

“OKAY! Stop running. That was pathetic, you losers can’t even handle a simple running drill. Let’s hope you can at least pass and catch the ball.”

​

Everyone paired up and started passing back and forth. Isaac worked with Boyd, neither one of them dropping the ball for even a second. Then, the pairs lined up. They would be passing while running to the other side of the field. Isaac and Boyd were last in line, and they watched as not one pair made it to the other end of the field, although two pairs made it about halfway.

​

“You ready?” Boyd asked. Isaac nodded, and the boys set off, running and passing the ball back and forth between each other. At some points, they even made their passing distances change from longer to shorter. Isaac knew they were showing off once they finished at the other end of the field. But it felt great to be so good at something for once.

​

Coach blew his whistle. “THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! DANNY-” The Goalie stood up from the bench. “GET OUT HERE, I WANT TO SEE IF THESE IDIOTS CAN MAKE A SHOT!” Isaac saw multiple kids frown, and one looked at his shoes - they honestly seemed disheartened.

​

Boyd clasped him on the shoulder, smiling. “We’ve got this in the bag, dude.” Isaac smiled back at him.

​

It became quickly obvious that while some of the other tryouts could make it to the net, Danny was just too good at blocking the shots. Others couldn’t aim anywhere near the net, and they quickly left the field after Coach Finstock laughed at them.

​

Whenever Isaac or Boyd stepped up to shoot, it always made it in the goal, past Danny. Isaac ran through the breathing drills in his head and kept himself in check - not once did he use his werewolf strength, and he could tell that Boyd hadn’t either. All of that practice really paid off after all. Coach blew his whistle.

​

“NUMBERS 1O AND 11, OVER HERE!” Isaac and Boyd ran over to the coach, surprised that their temporary numbers had been called out. “Who are you and where the hell did you come from?” Before Isaac or Boyd could answer, Coach cut them off, “Doesn’t matter, you made the team, and if you play like that tomorrow, you’ll be first line.” Coach grinned at them with crazy eyes before shooing them away, motioning the other tryouts to come to him.

​

As they walked away, Isaac heard the coach mutter gleefully: “The bigger they are - the bigger they are.” Isaac and Boyd shared a look and burst out laughing, while the coach explained that he would be putting a list up by his office of who made the cut.

​

Erica bounded up to them and kissed Boyd on the cheek, pulling back with a smile. She then wrapped her arms around both of them.

​

“You guys killed it out there!” They thanked the excited girl. Isaac stumbled a bit as Jackson walked back, bumping into them.

​

“Wow, you losers didn’t completely suck out there.” Erica started to growl, but Isaac gripped her hand.

​

“Ignore him - everyone else in his life does.” Isaac made sure to say it loud enough so that Jackson could still hear it, as well as most of the team and his girlfriend, Lydia. Jackson tensed up, but he didn’t turn around; instead, he gave his girlfriend a kiss. Isaac glanced at Erica and Boyd to find them looking at him, surprised.

​

“What?” he asked. Erica smiled.

​

“You were vicious just then.” She pointed out. Isaac shrugged.

​

“Yeah, well. No less vicious than Jackson ignoring the obvious abuse I suffered across the street.” Isaac shook his head - he didn’t want to think about that. “Anyway, Boyd and I need to get cleaned up. Derek will be here in 20 minutes.” Erica nodded, and the two boys walked back towards the school.

​

“I know Whittemore is a sore spot - but, did he smell oddly familiar to you?” Boyd asked. Isaac shrugged.

​

“Kind of, but it was probably nothing,” said Isaac. Although Isaac couldn’t shake it from his head. He’d smelt a hint of minty woods on Jackson’s scent - reminiscent of the way the Hales always smelled. Isaac pushed it out of his head, though. He needed to be ready to go when Derek got there.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles sat next to Scott, with his father on his other side. Melissa was beside Scott on his other side, and boy, did they make a good family picture. Too bad his dad and Mama McCall just weren’t into each other like that. They were sitting on a couch in the newly built Hale House. Peter Hale was in the room with them, talking to his father about a case, while they waited for Laura to get here. Apparently, she’d inherited the Alpha Spark after the fire.

​

Laura came into the room, looking frazzled with her hair up in a messy bun. She smiled at the occupants in the room, but she was clearly tired.

​

“Sorry about the short delay. I was finishing up a Skype meeting with a few important people.” She said, sitting down across from them. “So, Scott... Peter here tells me you were bitten last night-” Melissa gasped and looked at her son, who refused to look at her. “Am I right in assuming that it is completely healed?” Scott nodded, and Laura sighed.

​

“What I’m about to tell you and your mother may be hard to hear at first, but it is the truth. The creature that bit you last night was an Alpha werewolf.” Laura held her hand up when Scott went to interrupt. “They have invaded our territory, and we plan to track it down and stop it. However, you were bitten in the process. Only a bite from an Alpha can turn a human into a werewolf.” At that, Laura beta-shifted, letting her eyes flash red and her fangs elongate. Both Scott and Melissa gasped as Scott’s eyes turned golden in response to her shift.

​

“You’re the one who bit me!” Scott claimed. Stiles grabbed Scott’s shoulder, making him turn back towards him.

​

“She didn’t bite you, dumbass. She wasn’t even in the woods. She was at home. She just told you that another werewolf has invaded her territory.” Scott furrowed his eyebrows.

​

“You and Noah don’t seem surprised.” He commented. Stiles nodded.

​

“My mother had magic, and so do I. My mother was also close friends with Talia Hale.” Stiles explained softly. Scott’s shoulders fell.

​

“So, I’m a werewolf? Does that mean I’m a monster?” Laura let out a chuckle, bringing their attention back to her.

​

“No. You don’t have to be a monster, unless you choose to be one. Right now, you are packless, an omega, but the Alpha will come back for you. Having a pack gives alpha’s strength. I’m willing to offer you a place in my pack - the Hale Pack - among my betas. We can train you so that you can learn control over the shift and your newfound abilities.” Scott nodded.

​

“Is there any way to reverse the bite?” Melissa asked. Laura shook her head.

​

“Unfortunately, no. There are a lot of rumors, but nothing has proven to work. It is unlikely there is a way at all.” Melissa nodded.

​

“What happens to him if he doesn’t join a pack? What is a pack?” asked Melissa. Laura took a deep breath before launching into her next explanation.

​

“Without a pack, he will continue to be an Omega - eventually, he’ll become feral and unable to control himself at all. At that point, he will run around killing people with no sanity or choice in the matter - until either hunters or another pack puts him down.” Melissa nodded, looking scared.

​

“A pack is basically a group of betas led by an Alpha. We have pack bonds that connect us and make us feel close to one another. We can also find each other by howling, and we can feel each other’s emotions. Before my family died, we were one of the family packs. Everyone in the pack was related mainly, and newcomers only joined through marriage. My pack now consists of myself, my Uncle Peter, my brother Derek, and my three betas. All unrelated to me by blood, but those I love just as fiercely as family.”

​

“You mentioned other packs; how many are there?” Stiles looked towards Laura, interested to know if she knew the number.

​

“I can’t give an exact number as I don’t work for the Magic Council or the Hunters Council. However, a rough estimate of at least 30 different packs in California. There are more in big cities because they are neutral territory, so packs can form and live there quite easily. Out here in small towns, it's mainly one pack presiding over the land.”

​

“What are those councils you mentioned?” asked Melissa. Stiles shared a look with his Dad, who was nodding along. Melissa was asking all the right questions.

​

“The magic council is composed mainly of magic users, who keep track of all packs, enforce the laws of our kind, and settle disputes with the hunters. They also have Alpha Packs, which are packs consisting of Alphas only that act like a police force. The Hunter Council is made up of 10 of the most prominent and large hunter families, and they ensure that their hunters follow codes and don’t kill indiscriminately. They usually work together well, but there are exceptions.”

​

“Okay - so how does Scott join your pack?”

​

“Mom!” Scott winced. Melissa turned and looked at her son.

​

“You went out into the woods to find a body, while the killer was still at large. You got bit by some animal and didn’t tell me. It healed, and you didn’t tell me. And now you think you have a choice? You aren’t going insane - understood. You are not going to be hunted because you want to throw a fit. You will join the Hale Pack, because it is what’s best for you.” Melissa ranted. Stiles, eyes wide, slides away from the mother and son pair. An angry Melissa was scarier than any supernatural creature. Scott deflated slightly, but stood his ground.

​

“I’ll only join on one condition.” Everyone in the room looked at Scott, surprised. What was he doing? He had nothing to barter? Didn’t he realise that Laura didn’t have to offer this? “You want me in the pack - you have to accept Stiles too.” Stiles gasped.

​

“Dude!” Scott turned towards Stiles.

​

“We are brothers. I go where you go, dude. Nothing is going to change that. Plus, you have magic - that’s so cool!” Stiles laughed and hugged Scott.

​

“That is perfectly acceptable. You guys can come back tomorrow and meet all the betas, see how you vibe. You’ll be pack; however, it might take some time for the bonds to form as you get to know each other. Once they form - I’ll do a claiming ceremony with you, Scott, so you’ll officially be my Beta.”

​

“What about Stiles?” He asked.

​

“Stiles isn’t a wolf - nor was he a member of another pack. Technically, you still have the bond to the Alpha that bit you until the others form. So, I have to officially claim you when it's time. Stiles is a free agent and doesn’t need an official claiming.” Both boys nodded. Laura’s phone started ringing, and she groaned.

​

“Okay, I’ll see both of you tomorrow after school. Scott, if you feel your wolf coming out, try breathing exercises for now. We’ll dive into control and all that tomorrow.” Laura rushed out before answering her phone and stepping outside the room. Peter sighed.

​

“Let me show you out. Melissa, you have my phone number if you have any more questions. Sheriff, if you find yourself bored, definitely feel free to call me anytime.” Peter smirked, and his dad blushed, and what? Was Peter Hale flirting with his dad? And was his dad kind of into it? Stiles looked at Peter and nodded. Peter was attractive - but Stiles assumed his dad was straight. Was that not the case? Stiles would have to find out more.

​

/Break\

​

Jackson spotted Scott standing by his locker and couldn’t help the rage that built up. That loser had no skill at their last summer practice, and now he was suddenly good. Jackson didn’t buy that for a second. McCall was a terrible player; he had to be using. Jackson stormed up to McCall, ready to confront the man.

​

“All right, little man -” Jackson slammed Scott's Locker shut, getting in his face. “- how about you tell me where you’re getting your juice.” Scott looked at him, confused and blinking.

​

“What?” Jackson reigned in his urge to punch McCall.

​

“Where. Are. You. Getting. Your. Juice?” Jackson repeated, slowly. Scott furrowed his eyebrows, looking even more confused.

​

“My mom does all the grocery shopping.” Jackson felt his nostrils flare, and the urge to punch McCall came back with a fiery vengeance.

​

“No. Listen, McCall, you are going to tell me exactly what it is you’re using and who you’re buying it from, because there is no way you are kicking ass like that out on the field without some sort of boost.” Scott’s eyes widened in realization.

​

“Oh. You mean Steroids. Are you on Steroids?” At the question, Jackson slammed McCalled into the lockers. How dare he mock Jackson? Jackson worked far too hard at being perfect to be taking steroids.

​

“What the hell is going on with you, McCall?” He asked, getting in Scott’s face. Scott went to say something, but apparently thought better of it because he smiled.

​

“Nothing is going on with me, Jackson. Some of us don’t need a chemical boost to be good.” Jackson released McCall, shoving him back against the lockers.

​

“You think you’re funny, McCall, don’t you? I know you’re hiding something, and I’m going to figure out what.” Scott stood there, leaning his head against the locker. Jackson took a few steps away from him. “No matter how long it takes.” Jackson turned his back to McCall, making his way to the field for the rest of the tryouts.

​

Whatever game McCall was playing, Jackson could do it better. After all, Jackson was the best.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles sat on the bench, gaping like an idiot in reaction to what his best friend had just done. The first group of guys trying out for the first line had been on the field, and Scott had quite literally grabbed the ball and ran; dodging everyone on the field, flipping over a guy, and landing the shot in the net. Stiles had jumped up, cheering him on, and he knew Allison had as well, since Scott had looked past Stiles and smiled stupidly.

​

Now, Coach was talking to Scott and the other guys. Stiles wasn’t going to try for the first line. He didn’t really want to either. Scott came jogging up to him as the next group of guys went out onto the field.

​

“Dude, I’m on first line!” Scott announced excitedly. Stiles tossed his arm over Scott’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

​

“That’s great, buddy. Damn, that flip you did was out of this world. I thought Jackson was going to lose it.” Scott smiled at Stiles and shrugged before turning to look fully at Stiles, as Stiles focused on watching the tryouts. Boyd and Isaac seemed to be doing really well.

​

“Do you think we already know the other betas?” Scott asked. It hit Stiles then. Isaac, Boyd, and Erica had started hanging out last year, around March. Not only that, but both Isaac and Boyd looked unbothered by the amount of work Coach had put them through yesterday. Not to mention Erica and her glow-up. She seemed unworried about her illness and walked around in heels. Stiles was pretty sure she couldn’t do that in case of a seizure. Pretty sure - maybe he should research it later.

​

“I think Isaac and Boyd are part of the pack,” Scott whipped his head over to look at Stiles. “I also think Erica is.” Both boys turned to look at the girl, who was already smirking at them. Scott and Stiles shared a look and turned back towards the field.

​

“So… I’ve got a date with Allison on Friday." Stiles slapped Scott’s arm.

​

“Dude, that's amazing!” Stiles said. Scott smiled.

​

“She stopped at the clinic yesterday after we closed. She had hit a dog, and after helping the dog, I-I asked if she wanted to go to the party with me.” Stiles nodded.

​

“Smooth, dude. Be her hero and make yourself irresistible.” Scott smiled and huffed, shaking his head.

​

“Lahey; Boyd,” The boys in question looked up in shock, “That’s right, I learned your names - and I don’t just do that for anyone. You two are on the first line. Don’t screw it up. The rest of you,” Coach shook his head. “You all are truly pathetic. Greenburg - take a lap - seriously get out of my face.” Stiles shook his head at Coach’s antics.

​

“Guess it's time to go meet the pack.” Scott nodded, and the boys got off the bench, heading back to the locker room to get ready.

​

/Break\

​

Meeting the pack had gone really well. Stiles and Erica had bonded over comics of all things, with Boyd adding little comments here and there. However, he was a recent convert, so he struggled to keep up with Stiles and Erica, who’d read many, many comics across many, many years.

​

Scott and Isaac hit it off as well. They talked about Lacrosse, classes, and, surprisingly, animals. Isaac was interested in what Scott did around the vet clinic. Derek had stopped by during his break at the coffee shop to officially introduce himself to Scott, but then he had to go.

​

The sweet, charming man that Derek was, he came with Stiles’ usual order. He’d also brought Scott’s, but Stiles was going to pretend that Derek did that special just for him, instead of as a welcoming thing. Stiles knew Derek had just turned 21 and that he was a little too old for him. But Stiles figured if he flirted and kept his game up eventually he’d be legal and Derek would notice him. 17-year-old Stiles really liked that plan.

​

So meeting the pack was going great, until it wasn’t. Laura had joined them, wanting to talk about the full moon, which was on Friday. Laura wanted both Stiles and Scott to be there all night. Scott would probably need to be chained up for the first few moons until he could control himself. Laura had a special room in the basement for this purpose.

​

Scott liked this plan until Laura informed him that he’d have to cancel his date and move it to a different day. It was like the world was ending. Scott flipped out and stormed out of the house, dead set on walking home. Stiles smiled apologetically, and Laura told him that he’d have to convince Scott to see the severity of the situation.

​

Laura had also told him that the day after the full moon was going to be a pack bonding day that they both had to be at as well. So, Stiles was supposed to get Scott to reschedule his date. Which was easier said than done. For three days, Scott avoided any conversation about the full moon or canceling his plans. But Stiles was going to do this; he was going to be useful for his Alpha, because he wanted this to work. Stiles had wanted to be a part of a pack since his mom told him about her pack. She’d had to leave the pack to marry his father - but the way she talked about it, Stiles knew pack life was for him.

​

So Stiles invited Scott over to get ready, like a good bro.

​

“Stiles, man, I think this outfit is okay,” Scott said as he walked into the room. Stiles nodded, looking Scott up and down.

​

“Yeah, it's perfect for when your heart starts pumping and a buzzing builds up under your skin and you lash out and kill her.” Scott groaned.

​

“Not you too. Look, it is going to be fine. I don’t even feel any different.” Stiles rolled his eyes and stood from his desk to get in Scott’s face.

​

“No, it's not. Whether you want to or not, you will transform tonight, and you will hurt someone, because you have no control yet. The moment you get angry, it is over. You blow your secret, hurt someone, and blow the Hales’ secret on top of everything. You need to cancel.” Scott shook his head no, and Stiles dived for his phone, grabbing it and scrolling.

​

“What are you doing?” Scott asked, sounding upset.

​

“Canceling your date,” Stiles replied. Suddenly, there was pain in his back, chest, and head as Scott slammed him against the wall.

​

“NO!” Stiles winced and tears pricked his eyes as he stared at his best friend in shock and fear. Slowly, Scott’s eyes started to reflect Stiles’ emotions, and Scott set him down, backing away from him in shock, staring at his hands.

​

“What did I do? I - I didn’t mean to. Sty, I’m sorry.” Stiles shook himself off and picked up Scott’s phone, which fell to the floor.

​

“I’m canceling the date. You really like Allison, and she really likes you. It’ll be fine.” Scott nodded and sat on Stiles' bed, numbly. Stiles sent a quick text to Allison - coming up with a story that could be used all weekend.

​

“I told her you got contacted by your Dad’s partner; I also explained he was an FBI agent, and that he was in the hospital, having been shot. You are panicking and packing a go bag to drive down to L.A. with me to check on him.” Scott nodded.

​

“But I haven’t seen my dad since I was 7.” Stiles rolled his eyes.

​

“Does she know that?” Scott shook his head ‘no’. Stiles sighed as Allison’s face flashed on the screen - she was calling. Stiles handed Scott the phone.

​

“Hello.” Stiles motioned him to put it on speaker. Scott did with a sigh.

​

“Hi, Scott. I’m sorry to hear about your dad. It's totally fine that you have to cancel tonight. Besides, parties aren’t really my scene. Lydia will get over it.”

​

“Would you be open to rescheduling our date?”

​

“Of course, Scott. We can talk about it on Monday, okay? Let me know how your dad is.” Scott was smiling with that stupid grin on his face.

​

“I will, thanks, Allison. Bye.”

​

“Bye, Scott.” Scott ended the call and looked towards Stiles.

​

“So are you driving to the Hale House?” Stiles nodded and grabbed both his bag and the one he’d sneakily packed for Scott when he was at his house last night. Scott raised an eyebrow at the bag.

​

“Don’t worry, Melissa knows where we will be for the weekend.” Scott shook his head with a smile.

​

“Not exactly what I was worried about.” Stiles shrugged and led the way to his Jeep. They had a full moon to conquer.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles had helped Laura and got Scott chained up in the basement, and took a seat in the corner beside her. Laura had a small TV set up with security cameras of the preserve. Apparently, Peter installed them all over the property the Hale family owned after the body was discovered. Peter had also decided that he wasn’t interacting with anyone tonight - focusing on researching something in the library.

​

Laura had seen Stiles’ questioning look and told him they’d discuss it tomorrow. Erica and Boyd had decided to stay in tonight as well. They were up in the living room watching rom-coms and had invited Stiles to watch with them. But Stiles had to be here for Scott, and he also didn’t want to third-wheel the couple.

​

Derek and Isaac, on the other hand, were going on a moon-run around the property, which was why Laura was keeping an eye on them from the cameras. Usually, she would go with but she didn’t want to leave Scott by himself. She was going to try to coach him through his first full moon.

​

Due to Scott bailing all week, she hadn’t had time to talk to him about control or anchors. Although she was attempting to now.

​

“Werewolves have anchors. This can be an emotion, a thing, a place, or a person. Anchors can help us connect to our humanity and remain calm. My anchor is my family - my pack. I remind myself that they need me, and it keeps me grounded.” Laura explained. Scott nodded, but his eyes seemed distracted, and he looked flushed, his hair flattening against his forehead.

​

“I-I don’t feel so good,” Scott admitted. Laura nodded while Stiles fiddled with his hands, nervous for Scott.

​

“That’s perfectly normal. The moon is almost completely in position over us. You will start to feel the pull, and you will most likely shift. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to hurt anyone.” Laura reassured him. Scott started to grunt in pain, hands coming up to hold his head, eyes squeezed shut.

​

“Don’t try to fight it, Scott. If you feel control slipping, it is best to let it happen. Especially when you don’t have an anchor yet,” said Laura. Scott growled, and Stiles watched his friend’s ears get sharp and pointy; claws coming out and fangs - holy shit. Stiles knew about werewolves, but he’d never really seen one shifted. Also, Scott’s eyebrows just kind of disappeared.

​

For a few minutes, there was no sound, just Scott occasionally pulling on the chains that held him and Laura clicking through the cameras. Stiles looked away from Scott, trying to focus his attention on the cameras as well. Laura stopped on the one that had Isaac and Derek. They had stopped running and seemed to be talking.

​

“Look here, Scott,” Laura called out softly. “It’s Derek and Isaac - your pack mates.” Scott seemed to relax slightly - no longer moving and tugging at the chains. Just watching the boys on the screen. Scott’s breathing calmed back down to normal.

​

Stiles watched as Derek tensed on the screen before yelling something at Isaac. Whatever it was, Stiles didn’t know, but suddenly there was a flash and then… Isaac had been shot by an arrow.

​

Laura’s eyes flashed red at the sight, and Scott howled, angry. He stood up and started fighting the chain with renewed strength. When he looked at Stiles, there was no recognition in his eyes. Scott was completely freaking out. He’d even started to pull the chain off the wall. Stiles backed up, pressed hard against the door to the room, breathing heavily.

​

Laura stood between him and Scott, and she roared - the ground shaking. Scott’s eyes flashed and faded, and Scott just stopped, looking back at the camera, making a pained sound, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.

​

Stiles breathed out shakily. “What just happened?” Laura turned to look at him from where she was bent, checking on Scott.

​

“Hunters just attacked us on our property. You bet your ass, I’m calling the council about this matter.” Stiles nodded. Laura stood and motioned for him to follow. They went back upstairs to where Erica and Boyd were standing, looking worried.

​

“Scott is passed out, probably will be for the rest of the night. Derek and Isaac were attacked. They are on their way back now. Go get Peter, I’ve got a phone call to make.” The betas nodded and ran upstairs to look for Peter.

​

Laura turned to look at Stiles, who was waiting for some direction. “Do you know how to make hot chocolate?” Stiles nodded. “You have free rein in the kitchen. Get some cups ready. Isaac is going to need some after tonight.” Stiles nodded and got to work while Laura was on the phone.

​

Stiles just finished adding marshmallows when he was joined by the other betas in the kitchen, and Derek and Isaac walked in through the front door. Seeing Derek, Laura paused her conversation.

​

“It was Chris Argent.” Derek’s usually emotion-filled tone was void, empty, and dull. Stiles handed him a drink first. Derek managed a weak smile at him.

​

“Mr. Sinclair, my betas have informed me that Christopher Argent of the Argent Clan was the one who led the attack on my pack. My betas are peaceful and haven’t hurt anyone, not even a fly. There is no reason for him to have come onto my property and shoot my pack.” Laura huffed, listening to their response.

​

“Well, you see to it that the Argents understand that. We are a peaceful pack, and this is our territory - not hunter territory. They step out of line again, and I will be filing a formal complaint against them and taking action.” Laura hung up the phone. She took her cup from Stiles’ outstretched hand.

​

“Isaac, pup, are you alright?” she asked. The boy was on the couch and was surprisingly cuddling with Stiles, as Stiles ran his hand through his hair. Isaac nodded.

​

“I was scared.” The boy admitted. “I couldn’t see anything after the flash, and I was so panicked that I forgot the plan Derek told me. And-” Isaac’s voice cracked, and he wiped his eyes hurriedly. “It hurt so much when that arrow went through my shoulder.” Laura nodded and stood with hard eyes.

​

“The council said that they would call Argent first thing tomorrow. I think we also need to pay him a visit. This can’t stand.” Laura said.

​

“There might be a problem. A Scott-shaped problem.” Everyone looked at Stiles. Peter smirked.

​

“Scott seemed to freak out when Isaac got hurt.” Peter pointed out.

​

“There’s that - but the girl Scott has a date with - her name is Allison Argent.” The silence that clung to the room was heavy.

​

/Break\

​

Scott ran into the locker room on Monday, looking panicked. Stiles and Scott had spent the weekend at the Hale house, getting to know the pack and teaching Scott some methods on how to bring control back.

​

Scott had been practically glued to Isaac all day Saturday, no matter how many times everyone told him Isaac was fine. It seemed to finally set in to Scott that being a werewolf was dangerous, and it wasn’t something he could ignore. Stiles was glad that Scott learned this lesson early on, because if he had taken any longer, he could’ve gotten seriously hurt. Especially with a feral Alpha on the loose.

​

“Dude!” Stiles looked over at Scott, who’d sat down on the bench in shock. Stiles made eye contact with Isaac and Boyd, making them look over at Scott. They both finished getting dressed and came over towards the boys.

​

“So…is everything okay with Allie?’ Stiles asked. Scott nodded. “That’s great, dude.” Scott mumbled something that Stiles couldn’t hear, but it had Isaac rolling his eyes and Boyd shaking his head. “What?”

​

“You guys weren’t lying. Allie’s dad - he’s the hunter from the other night. I recognized him.” Scott seemed heartbroken. “Does this mean I can’t go out with Allison? Because she’s so funny and smart and pretty and -” Stiles cut Scott off.

​

“Scott, Laura is going to do what any good alpha does.” Scott looked up at Stiles, confused. “She is going to talk to Argent and get the rundown. If she doesn’t think Allison is going to be dangerous towards you, then you should be fine. But, please, if it is going to be life-threatening - do not do a Romeo and Juliet bit - not a love story and they both die in the end - so don’t do that.” Scott nodded with a slight smile.

​

“Yeah, I guess you have a point. You usually do.” Stiles bumped his shoulder.

​

“You guys ready to go out there! Practice is going to be awesome!” Issac slung an arm around both Stiles and Scott, worming his way in between them. Everyone laughed.

​

“Hell yeah!” Stiles called out - the boys sounding out after him. He smiled as they ran out to the field. The pack seemed like a really good thing.

Chapter Text

Stiles was sitting on the bench beside Isaac while Boyd was on the field. Scott seemed on edge and distracted since finding out the news about the Argents - Allison’s family. Stiles winced as Jackson threw McCall to the ground. Isaac leaned over into Stiles’s space.

​

“Do you think he’s going to be alright?” Stiles sighed and looked towards Isaac. Stiles had never really thought much about Isaac Lahey before now. He’d heard that the boy's father was arrested, and his dad, himself, said the man was a piece of shit, but Stiles never sought the boy out nor really thought about him.

​

“Scott is pretty single-minded. He’s going to think about Allison and nothing else.” Stiles admitted. It felt weird to be talking about his best friend’s weakness like that, with someone else. But it was the truth, Scott would hyperfixate on one thing in his life before moving on to the next. For example, he wasn’t worried about being a new werewolf until it became dangerous for Allison. The mere idea of hurting her had him changing his tune about the pack.

​

“Oh no,” said Isaac. Stiles snapped his head back towards the field, to see Scott running straight to Jackson, bending and -- oh god, he sent Jackson over his shoulder onto the ground. Everyone rushed the field as Jackson clutched his shoulder.

​

Scott, however, was backing away, and because Stiles was focused on him, Stiles saw his eyes flash golden. Stiles and Isaac immediately followed after him, Boyd coming up behind them.

​

“McCall has got to get a handle on his wolf soon. He could’ve seriously hurt Jackson.” Boyd commented. They burst into the locker room.

​

“No - go away,” Scott growled at them. Isaac set his gear down gently by the door.

​

“Scott, you need to calm down.” Stiles tried to reason with him. Scott’s head snapped up, and he stared at Stiles before pouncing. A hand wrapped around Stiles’ arm, pulling him back, as Boyd jumped where he was and wrapped his arms around Scott, trying to keep him in place.

​

Scott fought against Boyd’s hold, but the boy remained firmly in place. Isaac took a slight step in front of Stiles, with his hands up and out in front of him.

​

“Scott, It's Isaac.” Scott stopped struggling as hard, but he was still breathing heavy, his shift form completely out in the open. “You need to remember the breathing exercises Laura taught us. Breathe in for two, out for three.” As soon as Isaac stopped talking, Scott tried to launch himself out of Boyd’s arms.

​

Stiles looked around for something that could be used to calm him down. His eyes landed on the fire extinguisher. It would shock Scott, which might not calm him down, but would break the wolf’s hold on him. Stiles ran over to it and ripped it off the wall, aiming towards Scott.

​

“Boyd - close your eyes and mouth.” Stiles lifted the nozzle and started spraying all over Scott and, by extension, Boyd. When he stopped, both boys were standing apart, and everyone seemed to have their wolves under control.

​

“Good thinking, Stiles,” Isaac commented. Stiles sent a grateful smile his way.

​

“Boys?” Stiles jumped as Erica’s voice came out from behind him. He turned and smiled.

​

“Hey, Erica.” She smiled at him and stepped around him.

​

“They are taking Jackson to the hospital. Practice is over. Maybe we should go wait at the cafe to hear news about Jackson.” Erica suggested, looking over all the boys. Boyd smiled at her and stepped up to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

​

“Sure, babe. Let me get changed.” Isaac rolled his eyes behind the couple, which caused Stiles to snort a little.

​

“How are we going to get news about Jackson?” asked Scott, looking down at the floor. He was pouting and had a guilty look in his eyes. Scott might not like Jackson, but he never intended to hurt him either - that much was obvious.

​

“Today, during Chemistry’s lab, I got paired with Allison and Lydia. I decided that I needed some female friends. Put two and two together, Scott.” He nodded and made an ‘o’ sound.

​

“Well, I think it is awesome that you are making new friends,” said Stiles. Erica smiled at him with a slight blush.

​

“Thanks, Stiles. Anyway, I’ll meet you guys outside. Laura is stopping, and she said she’ll take some of us to the Cafe. Stiles, you still have your jeep.” Stiles nodded. “Great, we can take two cars, instead of trying to all fit in the Camaro.” Isaac made his way to his locker and laughed.

​

“I’ll ride with Stiles and Scott, you lovebirds can have the Camaro.” Erica stuck her tongue out playfully before leaving the locker room again. Stiles set the extinguisher down and made his way to his locker.

​

“I really didn’t mean to hurt him,” said Scott. Stiles smiled sadly at his brother.

​

“I know Scottie, I know.”

​

/Break\

Stiles smirked at Derek as he slid into one of the counter seats. The man was wearing a blue flannel shirt, unbuttoned, and man, did that undershirt show off the goods. Derek looked tired and sweaty.

​

“What happened to you?” Stiles asked. Derek sighed as he fished Stiles’ favorite mug down from the shelf above him.

​

“The oven broke - I fixed it,” Derek grumbled. Holy heavens above. That man could fix things - god, what Stiles wouldn’t give to have him fix some things. Stop Stiles, he berated himself. This could not happen. 1. Derek was too old, or Stiles was possibly illegally young. 2. Derek was so far out of his league that Stiles would have a better chance chasing a princess. 3. Derek barely tolerated him.

​

Every time Stiles was in the coffee shop, Derek was always sighing and trying to get Stiles to leave. Always commenting on his consumption of caffeine in an attempt to shame Stiles into leaving. But Derek made the best coffee in town, and it felt good to be in the shop. It might not be his mothers old shop anymore - but he felt close to her here. So, Derek was never going to get rid of him.

​

Besides, they were pack now, so hopefully Derek would learn to like him. At least today, it seemed like Derek wasn’t upset with Stiles; instead, the stove and dressed like that, he was giving serious Luke Daines vibes.

​

“I didn’t know you could do that,” Stiles admitted. Derek went about making his usual as well as what he assumed were the others’ usuals. Derek smiled slightly and looked up at Stiles.

​

“There’s a lot you don’t know.” Derek finished the drinks, motioning for Stiles to follow him. Derek moved around the counter, holding the tray of drinks. Stiles followed him over and sat next to Scott. Everyone took their drinks. God, Stiles had been thinking about this Coffee all day. He immediately chugged the whole cup, setting it down before Derek had even handed out all the drinks.

​

Erica and Boyd were looking at him with wide eyes; Erica’s mouth was hanging open. Isaac had worked plenty of nights while Stiles was here and saw him do it all the time. Scott, well, he was used to this behavior - practically immune to it, at this point.

​

Derek sighed and placed a hand on Scott’s shoulder, causing the younger boy to look up at him. Derek pointed towards Stiles, who was smiling.

​

“Don’t end up like him. It is not healthy.” Scott smiled and picked up his drink, taking a sip.

​

“No one is like Stiles - and that’s a good thing - Stiles is one of a kind.” Stiles gasped dramatically and wrapped an arm around Scott.

​

“Love you too, Bro.” Stiles picked up his discarded cup and handed it to Derek. “A refill, please.” Derek raised an eyebrow and sighed, taking the cup back.

​

“Everyone, shut up,” Erica said. The group looked at her as she was reading something on her phone. “Right now, Jackson’s shoulder is messed up. Doctors said he can play if he gets a shot first, so he should be good to go in two days. But it's not a fix and might not even work.” Scott groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.

​

“Well, that’s good. Jackson is going to be fine. Now we can focus on getting you ready for the game,” said Stiles. Scott shook his head.

​

“I think I’m going to talk to the coach, see if I can’t get out of one game. I need more time to get a handle on this.” Scott admitted. Everyone nodded.

​

“We’re pack now. If you want to do this, we will support you,” said Isaac, earning himself a smile from Scott, which made a slight blush fill his face. Stiles made a mental note about that reaction - he had a feeling it would be important later.

​

/Break\

​

Scott had followed Coach into his office, attempting to have some privacy for their conversation. Coach was leaning against his desk, looking at Scott expectantly.

​

“I can’t play in the game tomorrow night,” said Scott. Coach’s eyes widened slightly, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

​

“What do you mean you can’t play in the game tomorrow night?” Scott sighed and glanced around the room.

​

“I mean that I can’t play the game tomorrow night.” Coach raised an eyebrow at him.

​

“You can’t wait to play the game tomorrow night.” Coach Finstock replied, giving Scott the chance to back out of the conversation.

​

“No, Coach, I can’t play the game tomorrow night,” Scott said slowly to the coach. Finstock narrowed his eyes at Scott and looked him up and down, thinking.

​

“I’m not following.” Scott sighed and started to fiddle with his hands - why did this have to be so difficult?

​

“I’m having some personal issues,” Scott admitted with a sigh as he looked Coach in the face.

​

“Is it a girl?” Scott furrowed his eyebrows.

​

“No.”

​

“Is it a guy?” Coach sounded surprised. “You know our goalie, Danny’s gay.” Scott raised an eyebrow at Coach.

​

“Yeah, I know, Coach, but that’s not it,” Scott explained. Coach gave him a knowing look.

​

“You don’t think Danny’s a good-looking guy?” Scott was starting to feel confused about how they got to this point. Sure, Danny was alright to look at, but … Scott shook the thoughts away as they steered towards a certain blonde.

​

“ I-I just-I think he’s good looking.” Scott backtracked, “But I like g-girls and that’s not it.” Scott tried to reign in his frustration, but Coach was starting to get on his nerves.

​

“What? Is it drugs? Are you doing meth?” Coach sounded slightly more concerned about this idea. “Because I-I had a brother that was addicted to meth, you should’ve seen what it did to his teeth. They were all cracked and rotted. It was disgusting.” It sounded disgusting and totally off the topic of the discussion. Why did Coach always share personal stories?

​

“My god, what happened to him?” Scott asked, concerned that maybe this person he didn’t know was hurt or killed. Coach pulled a face and replied:

​

“He got veneers.” Scott rolled his eyes and sighed, annoyed. “Is-is that what this is about? Are you afraid of getting hurt, McCall?” Coach sounded amused.

​

“No,” Scott said, glancing down and back up again. “I’m having some aggression issues.” The coach smiled, and Scott was relieved, thinking that Finstock was actually going to understand.

​

“Well, here’s the good news: that’s why you play lacrosse, problem solved.” He leaned back away from Scott, onto his hands.

​

“Coach, I can’t play the game tomorrow night,” Scott said forcefully. Coach Finstock raised an eyebrow and smirked.

​

“Listen, McCall, part of playing first line is taking on the responsibility of being first line.” The coach stood up and got in his face. “Now, if you can’t shoulder that responsibility, then you’re back on the bench until you’re ready.” The threat was loud and clear.

​

“If I don’t play the game, you’re kicking me off the first line?” Scott tried to keep the hurt out of his tone. Finstock’s eyes softened just slightly.

​

“McCall, play the game.” The coach said, before walking past Scott and back into the locker room. Great, Scott had to play the game now. He couldn’t just lose his spot on the team because he was a little out of control, could he?

​

Scott sighed. Maybe he should. There is always next year. By then, Scott should have his wolf under control. What was he supposed to do here?

​

/Break\

​

With all the thinking, Scott blew off math class - going to the nurse instead. He still didn’t know what to do. He sighed as he put some books into his locker. Someone cleared their throat behind him. Scott turned his head to see Lydia Martin standing there.

​

‘So, Scott.” Lydia began, trailing a finger down his arm. It made Scott’s stomach churn, and he took a step back. “I heard that you aren’t playing tomorrow night. After you took out my boyfriend. Do you want this team to lose?” Scott stared at her, dumbfounded.

​

“No.” Lydia hummed and raised an eyebrow.

​

“Good, so you’ll play tomorrow night, alongside Jackson, and together you will win. Do you know why?” Scott shook his head ‘no’. Lydia smiled, “Because I don’t date losers. And..” Lydia stepped slightly, causing Scott to notice Allison talking to Shawn, another guy on the team. “Neither will my new best friend.”

​

“You’d force Allison to dump me?” asked Scott, unbelieving. Lydia gave him a pitying look.

​

“Not in so many words. I’ll just introduce her to every single guy I know, especially the ones on the team. Eventually, she’ll find someone more than you.” Lydia declared, pursing her lip. Scott shook his head, unsure of what to say, but he didn’t wait long, because Isaac and Stiles joined him, and Isaac looked mean.

“Are you really that superficial that you only date Jackson because he is a winner. That must suck, being so worthless that you have to rely on a dumb jock to tell you how to feel and think. Not to mention using him to elevate your status at this school.” Scott’s eyes widened alongside Lydia’s when her mask fell in shock.

​

Isaac was always so nice to everyone. Scott didn’t know that he could be mean like this.

​

“That is not the only reason.” She protested. Isaac’s smile twisted.

​

“Oh, really? Because he has never cheated on you. Yet, you throw yourself at whatever successful guy will take you. I’ll even bet that you secretly made eyes at Scott here during tryouts to piss Jackson off.” Lydia scoffed.

​

“Whatever. I’m done with the conversation. Besides,” she eyed Scott up, “I have people to introduce to Allison.” Scott’s eyes widened.

​

“I’ll be there tomorrow night. I’m going to play.” He decided. He couldn’t lose Allison - he just couldn’t. Isaac’s hand found his and gave it a squeeze. It felt nice and warm and brought Scott’s attention away from Lydia and towards his friends.

​

“You alright, Scottie?” asked Stiles. Isaac was still holding his hand and looking at him, concerned.

​

“Yeah,” Scott said, taking back his hand to tussle his hair with it. “Lydia is just intense.” His hand tingled from Isaac’s hold. Isaac gave him a tight smile.

​

“We should get training on the calming techniques then,” said Isaac. Scott nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Why wouldn’t his hand stop tingling? Isaac smiled at him, which Scott immediately returned.

​

“Awesome! I actually found some stuff on the internet that we could try. Apparently, they use this one technique.” Scott nodded along to Stiles’ explanation, while trying not to look at Isaac. Why was he feeling like this?

​

/Break\

​

Laura looked up from her computer as a knock sounded through the house. Everyone was out and about right now. So, someone else must be knocking on the front door. Laura stood up and moved around the room, making her way to the entryway. She opened the door to find Sheriff Stilinski on her doorstep.

​

The man looked tired and run-down, with bags under his eyes. He was frowning when she opened the door. She smiled at him, which he returned.

​

“Sheriff, what can I help you with?” she asked. The Sheriff sighed.

​

“Our dogs finally picked up a scent in the woods. It led them to a fresh mound of dirt by the old Hale House. Since it is on your property, I wanted to let you know that we’ve called for a dig team. We strongly believe it to be the other half of the body.” Laura’s eyes widened.

​

Someone had buried a girl on their property, right by the old, burned-out husk of her childhood home. That was horrible, but it also seemed intentional. Like, someone had planted the body there. Maybe someone was trying to lure the Hales out. But who?

​

The hunters' council had called her back and informed her that the Argents had been spoken to and that no unwarranted attacks were going to occur. So, if not them, who?

​

“Thank you for letting me know, Sheriff. When you guys figure out Jane Doe’s identity, could you let me know?” Laura asked. The Sheriff nodded.

​

“I suppose we could. As long as you keep it under wraps until an official statement is made.” Laura nodded in understanding. The Sheriff sighed. “I should get back over there.” Laura smiled at him and they parted ways, Laura shutting the front door softly.

​

This was troubling - maybe enough that she’d need Peter to focus his attention on it, instead of on finding Cora.

​

/Break\

​

It was game time. Scott had practiced the calming techniques all night and all day leading up to the game. He could do this - he needed to do this. He looked at Isaac, who had come to stand beside him.

​

“Look, Laura, Derek, and Peter are all here tonight. With advanced hearing, they will be able to know if you need help. Don’t hesitate to call out.” Scott nodded, earning a smile from the taller boy.

​

Before Scott could say something, Coach blew his whistle. It was time to get on the field. Scott rolled his eyes as Jackson smirked at him. He just had to focus.

​

Jackson had the ball, and he passed it to Isaac, who spun around the opponent and tossed it back to Jackson. Three guys were coming up on Jackson, and no one was open except for Scott - but Jackson didn’t pass it. What the hell was he doing?

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was jittery on the bench; Boyd was next to him, staring straight at the field. There were five minutes left in the game, and Scott hadn’t gotten the ball once. Judging by the looks on Isaac’s and Boyd’s faces when they switched out - Scott was getting upset, mad even. Stiles looked behind him. Allison was sitting with her father and Lydia. The other girl was making Allison help her hold signs for Jackson.

​

Stiles groaned - this is not good. Knowing Scott, he’d probably already seen what the girls were doing. Scott was already having trouble with control.

​

“Maybe I should rip that sign up,” Isaac muttered as he sat next to Stiles. Stiles raised an eyebrow at the boy’s bitterness.

​

“It’s not like she’s your girlfriend,” Stiles said, jokingly. Isaac rolled his eyes.

​

“Doesn’t matter, you don’t cheer on another guy when the guy you supposedly like is playing on the field.” Stiles nodded and looked back towards the field. Scott had taken the ball. Stiles elbowed Isaac to get him to look up.

​

Scott ran down the field and threw the ball in. Lining back up with the rest of the team. However, Stiles knew his friend was losing control. Especially when the other team passed Scott the ball.

​

“Did, did the other team just purposely pass us the ball?” Coach sounded dumbfounded.

​

“Yep, Coach, sure did,” Stiles responded. Seconds later, Scott scored again. The teams were now tied.

​

“This isn’t good. He’s getting more aggressive. If I were there, I’d bet his eyes were glowing. Shit, he can’t pop his claws, that would be a dead giveaway,” said Isaac. Stiles clapped.

​

“What if we pulled a high school musical moment?” Stiles suggested. Isaac turned to look at him, confused.

​

“What are you talking about?” Stiles sighed.

​

“Okay, don’t laugh. But in HSM 3, during the finals, Troy is about to lose his cool, but then Gabriella stands up and sings his name and tells him he can do it.” Stiles explained. Isaac narrowed his eyes at him.

​

“This isn’t a fictional movie, Stiles. Besides, how would you get Allison to say that, without tipping her father off? Remember, he doesn’t know who the new members of the pack are yet.” Stiles shrugged.

​

“What was your idea?” Isaac looked lost for a moment before shrugging. “You don’t even have one! You just judge all of mine, but don’t even think something up on your own.” Stiles exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Isaac shushed him.

​

“This is it, Stiles. This last play determines who wins.” Stiles focused on the field, where Scott had gotten the ball, yet again. He ran towards the net, before stopping, looking around at everyone around him. Stiles took a deep breath and threw caution to the wind.

​

“You got this, Scott. Just put the ball in the goal, and you can run off.” Stiles said under his breath. Isaac shot him a look, but Scott seemed to keep moving, flying the ball into the goal and right through it. Everyone in the stands jumped up, cheering on the win. Stiles smirked at Isaac.

​

“Told you it would work,” he said. Isaac pointed towards Scott, who’d thrown his glove on the field and ran off of it, as the crowd stormed the field.

​

“He wants us to meet him in the locker room; he needs Laura.” Stiles nodded.

​

“You guys go ahead. I’ll catch up in a second.” Stiles turned around to see his dad on the phone, looking concerned. “Dad?” He motioned for him to wait, and Stiles bit his lip, hoping that the pack would be able to calm Scott down without him.

​

/Break\

​

Isaac led the pack into the locker room, just in time to see Allison and Scott kissing. Guess he didn’t need the help after all. Although Isaac did spot one of the mirrors being broken, which was probably Scott’s doing, before Allison showed up. The two parted, Allison blushing and looking down at the floor, embarrassed over being caught.

​

“Oh, sorry to interrupt, we just wanted to congratulate Scott on the win,” said Derek. Allison nodded and turned towards Scott.

​

“I’ll see you around?” she asked innocently. Isaac rolled his eyes as Scott smiled and nodded. Allison quickly left the locker room, leaving the pack alone.

​

“Guys, I think I found my anchor,” Scott admitted. Isaac clenched his fists, tight. “I think it's Allison - she calms me down, she grounds me.” Isaac moved away from the group and towards his locker.

​

“That’s great, Scott. Now that you know what your anchor is, we can train you to keep an ear out for her or her heartbeat. How to narrow your focus in your mind to a memory of her as well. Those things will help you keep control.” Laura explained softly. Isaac started to undress, taking his jersey off.

​

“So are we all still going to that after-party at Jackson’s?” Erica asked. Boyd and Scott both confirmed. Isaac frowned.

​

“I’m not really in the party mood right now,” Isaac admitted. Laura turned to look at him, concerned, but before Isaac could reassure her that everything was fine, Stiles came running into the locker room.

​

“They id’ed the body.” He said, out of breath. Derek stepped up to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder. Stiles smiled at him, trying to catch his breath.

​

“So, who was it?” asked Scott. Isaac raised an eyebrow towards Stiles, watching the boy slowly straighten up as his lungs started to work.

​

“It was Mrs. Beaudorie, the French teacher.” Confusion clouded the room as everyone thought about that admission.

​

“Isn’t that the teacher who was always on leave or taking a sabbatical when you guys were in school?” Peter asked Laura and Derek. Derek nodded, his face closing off all emotion.

​

“Yeah, well, she still does that now. What doesn’t make sense is why the Alpha would kill her,” said Stiles. Laura sighed.

​

“We will look into her later. Right now, we should leave, and you guys should get cleaned up,” said Laura. Everyone nodded, and Isaac stared into his locker - lost in his own thoughts.

​

/Break\

​

“So we now know who the first victim is,” said Peter. Laura raised an eyebrow at his word choice, smiling at him.

​

“There hasn’t been another victim yet.” Peter crossed his arms over his chest.

​

“This Alpha was feral enough to rip a woman in half and bite someone without consent. Not to mention the trail of bodies it left behind, which caused the Argents to follow it here.” Peter pursed his lips.

​

“Derek knows why the French teacher was killed, doesn’t he?” Laura sighed and dropped her head onto her arms.

​

“Let’s hope he’s wrong. But we honestly won’t know until the Alpha kills again. Unless we try to find the other victims,” said Laura. Peter hummed.

​

“When are we going to talk to the Argents about their actions?” Laura lifted her head to look at Peter, sighing.

​

“I know you would have already gone over there.” Laura shifted in her seat and leaned back. “But from what Scott and the others have said, and what I observed tonight, Allison clearly doesn’t know about her family or the supernatural. So I’m waiting for her to be out of the house and for them both to be there before I go over. I want to keep the kids out of it as much as possible.” Laura explained. Peter nodded.

​

“I understand where you are coming from. Perhaps you are right. It is interesting, though, that they haven’t told Allison yet. We could use that to our advantage.” Peter said, taking a sip of his drink with a smirk.

​

“What do you mean?” asked Laura, leaning forward slightly with an interested glint in her eyes. Peter smiled.

​

“I mean that if there comes a time when we would need to use this information,we could always reveal the truth to the girl. Create a wedge between her and her family and possibly gain a new ally,” said Peter. Laura hummed and nodded. It was underhanded - but an interesting idea nonetheless.

​

/Break\

​

Jackson sat on the edge of his bed, looking down at Scott’s glove. He’d thrown the glove on the field and left it. Jackson was ready to begrudgingly give it to him and tell him good game. After all, Jackson was captain and he wanted the team to succeed, even if he had to work with McCall of all people.

​

However, when Jackson picked the glove up, something in him told him to go home. To take it with him. Sitting here now, looking at the glove, Jackson could see that each finger had a puncture mark. Small, but noticeable. Something deep within Jackson felt it was familiar.

​

Jackson turned the glove over and over, looking at the holes in every direction and angle. He felt something build up in his throat and threatened to come out. Jackson was so tired he didn’t even try to fight the small whine that came out. A knock sounded at his door.

​

“Jax, everything okay in there? Everyone is wondering where you’re at.” It was Lydia. Jackson put the glove down, ignoring the protesting of his body. He stopped in the mirror and fixed his hair a little before smirking and opening the door.

​

“I’m fine, babe. Just getting ready to party.” Lydia smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She wasn’t totally convinced. But she kissed Jackson lightly and grabbed his hand, dragging him downstairs to where the party was.

​

But despite all the classmates at his house, the loud music of the party, the alcohol, or the fact that the beautiful Lydia Martin was on his arm, he couldn’t stop thinking about the glove and the reaction he’d had to it. It almost felt as if something was trapped and trying to get out.

​

Jackson didn’t know what was wrong with McCall, but he was going to find out.

Chapter Text

Scott smiled as Allison pushed him back into the bus seat, grinning at him. He landed against a solid chest, and arms wrapped around him. He turned his head and looked up at Isaac, who was grinning at him softly. Isaac leaned down and kissed him. Scott felt a sudden warmth spread throughout his body. They pulled apart and all three started to giggle. Isaac unwrapped his arms and pushed Scott towards Allison, who was smirking at him.

​

Scott went in for a kiss from Allison, but stopped when he saw his claws. Scott was filled with a sudden rage, and he lunged at Allison, trying to slash at her. The girl screamed and tried to run, but a good slash on the calf had her falling over. Scott latched onto her ankles and started dragging her backwards, towards him, ready to kill her.

​

Scott gasped, startled as he sat upright in bed. The morning sun was peaking through the window, and he was drenched with sweat. What the hell was that dream? It felt so real, like he was actually there, doing those things. And why was Isaac there? Why did he kiss him? Scott wasn’t into guys - he knew he wasn’t - but that kiss - is that what it would be like to kiss Isaac in real life?

​

Scott groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. Picking up his phone, he shot a text to Stiles, telling him that they had to meet up to talk about a weird dream. Guess it was time to get ready for the day - there was no way Scott could even try to go back to sleep after that dream.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles sipped on his coffee as Scott told him about his dream. Emma had sighed and told Stiles this morning that daily coffee would kill him. Stiles knew Derek told Emma to say that, so he brushed it off. Scott, however, was worried the whole way to the school.

​

“So you attacked Allison in this dream?” Scott nodded, looking concerned, eyes flickering around the hallway, as if he were searching for the girl. “Have you spoken to her?” Scott groaned.

​

‘She’s not answering any of my texts or my two calls.” Scott complained. Stiles nodded and led Scott to make a turn down a hallway that led outside.

​

“Okay, let’s go check the parking lot. Allison usually shows up at the same time as Lydia, and Lydia is not here yet.” Scott pulled a face at the mention of Lydia, and okay, yeah, knowing your enemy’s schedule that closely was considered weird, but Stiles had to make sure he could get to school before Lydia. It was just another way to one-up her.

​

As they opened the doors, their mouths dropped in shock. Police were sectioning off the area around the school bus, which was torn up and covered in blood. Stiles looked at Scott to see his eyes wide with panic.

​

“That’s so not a dream,” Scott exclaimed. He took off into the school. Stiles swore and dropped his coffee, pulling out his phone and following Scott. He dialed Isaac’s number.

​

“Hey, Stiles, I’m not at school yet. The police are checking to make sure Derek isn’t some criminal before letting us near the school.”

​

“No time for that, Isaac. Have you seen Allison anywhere?” There was a pause.

​

“Yeah, she just entered the school.” Stiles sighed and called out for Scott. But before Scott could turn around, he ran right into Allison.

​

“Thanks, Zac. I’ll see you in a few.” Stiles hung up and watched as Scott calmed down, helping Allison pick up her books that had fallen to the floor, when Scott collided with her. Stiles decided to turn and leave the two to their alone moment. Scott had been way too freaked out this morning.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was scrolling through the news feed on his phone, while Erica and Boyd cuddled up next to him. Scott and Allison were talking softly to each other, while Isaac stabbed his salad from beside them.

​

Scott seemed to be behaving weirdly towards Isaac today, but Stiles chalked it up to the freak-out earlier. He glanced up when three people joined their table. Danny sat next to him, while Lydia sat next to Scott. Danny smiled at Stiles slightly, and Stiles blushed, looking back at his phone.

​

“Move,” Jackson grunted at the person who’d sat at the head of the table.

​

“Why don’t you ever ask Danny to move?” he whined. Stiles gave Danny a sideways look to see the older boy smirking.

​

“Because I don’t stare at his girlfriend’s coin slot.” The guy huffed, but moved so Jackson could sit down. He was about to speak when Stiles cut him off.

​

“So apparently, the guy they found attacked on the bus was Mr. Myers. He worked at the school as a bus driver.” Scott gasped.

​

“No way, I used to ride his bus, dude.” Stiles slid his phone towards Scott, so he could look at the article. Scott pushed it back to him, and Stiles turned his phone off.

​

“Whatever, no one really cares about some stupid animal attack,” Lydia said, pursing her lips. “So what are we doing tonight?” she asked, looking at Scott and Allison, both of whom looked confused.

​

“Lydia, Scott and I are hanging out tonight.” Lydia rolled her eyes.

​

“Obviously, hon. I figured we could do a double date…” Lydia’s eyes trailed the rest of the table, landing on Erica and Boyd. “Or a triple date.” Allison and Scott exchanged awkward expressions before agreeing.

​

“Sorry, Lydia. I would love to, but tonight is Boyd’s Gran’s birthday. We’re celebrating with her.” Stiles did not need to be a werewolf to know that Erica just lied through her teeth. Scott looked slightly alarmed at that and looked at Stiles.

​

“No problems, hun, another time. We should go bowling.” Scott chuckled nervously.

​

“Yeah, I’m a great bowler,” Jackson smirked.

​

“Then, this should be fun.” Scott looked at Stiles and kicked him under the table. Stiles sighed quietly and did the most dumb thing he could think of.

​

“It could still be a triple date,” said Stiles, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Lydia tilted her head, her eyes scanning him. “Danny?” He turned to the older boy, who was looking at him suspiciously. “Do you wanna go bowling?” The boy stared at him, blinking a few times. Across the table, Scott made a confused sound. Lydia clapped her hands together.

​

“That settles it then. All 6 of us will go bowling tonight. Stiles, I’ll pick you up around 8, and we can go to Ally’s to get ready.” Now, it was Stiles’ turn to be surprised. Lydia actually wanted to spend time with him - keep your friends close and your enemies closer - smart move.

​

/Break\

​

“Dude, you suck at bowling.” Scott groaned. Stiles and Scott were walking down the hall after school had ended.

​

“I know, this is going to be so bad.” Scott paused and looked over at Stiles. “Asking Danny out? That came out of nowhere. Besides, I thought you had that crush on Derek?” Stiles shrugged and reshouldered his backpack.

​

“You remember how Danny sent me into a sexuality crisis that led to my bi label.” Scott nodded. “Well, Derek is way too old for me anyway, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Besides, you can crush on multiple people.” Stiles frowned for a second, not really believing himself, before fiddling with his strap.

​

“What’s wrong?” Scott asked. Stiles sighed.

​

“I don’t think Danny actually likes me that much. I think Lydia is forcing him to do this tonight.” Scott wrapped an arm around Stiles' shoulder.

​

“Dude, you are a catch. Danny would be lucky to date you.” Stiles smiled.

​

“Do you think gay guys find me attractive?" Scott nodded.

​

“Totally, dude. You are the perfect definition of a twink. You just need to put yourself out there more.” This time, Stiles’ smile reached his eyes.

​

“So, are you going to the Hale House after work to talk about your dream?” Stiles asked. Scott’s eyes widened.

​

“Shit, I’m late for work. I’ve got to go.” Scott began to run before looking back at Stiles. “Hale House 6.” Stiles nodded, and Scott raced off. Stiles watched him run before turning around and yelping. Lydia Martin was right behind him, with one perfectly manicured eyebrow raised.

​

“You actually like Danny?” Stiles blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. Lydia’s usually cold, calculating gaze was absent. Replaced with something almost genuine. Stiles shrugged and looked away from the girl.

​

“Wear that green polo of yours that you wore during finals for luck. It really makes your eyes pop and you look good in green.” Stiles looked at Lydia in surprise. “Don’t forget I’m picking you up at 8.” Stiles nodded, and Lydia walked away. Did he just receive advice from Lydia Martin?

​

/Break\

​

Stiles sat next to Derek in the Jeep as they watched Scott and Laura head towards the school bus. After explaining everything to Laura, she had determined that the best way to figure out what happened was to revisit the scene of the crime. Derek and Stiles were there to be lookouts. Plus, Derek could function as backup if it was needed.

​

“Can I ask you a question?” Derek raised an eyebrow at Stiles. Stiles bit his lip. “I have a date tonight, but I’m not really sure he likes me.” Derek stared out the windshield for a moment.

​

“Stiles, if this guy doesn’t see how amazing you are, that’s his loss.” Stiles blinked in surprise, not expecting that answer from Derek. “On the other hand, some people don’t instantly fall in love. Instead, it is slow and gradual. Over time, they realize how much they’ve fallen for the person.” Stiles took a deep breath and looked over at Derek.

​

Derek was still staring out the window, a wistful expression on his face. Stiles couldn’t believe that they seemed to be having this deep conversation.

​

Meanwhile, Derek was sad. He knew it was a bad idea, bringing these ideas to the forefront of his brain. He didn’t want to think about his feelings towards Stiles. They were completely inappropriate, considering their ages. Besides, Stiles clearly didn’t feel any way towards him; Stiles would never be cruel enough to intentionally talk about his romantic pursuits in front of him, otherwise.

​

Derek would just have to settle for being his friend, for being his packmate. Derek had finally opened himself up to love, only to fall in love with the one person he couldn’t have. Derek Hale’s luck with love was nonexistent. He turned to look at Stiles, his eyes wide and his cute little mouth dropped into an ‘O’ shape.

​

“Stiles, you are amazing. You work your ass off for the best grades, take all the hardest classes, and you jump into the supernatural world like it was nothing. Know your worth. If you own it, others will see it. This guy will see it,” said Derek. Stiles nodded, blinking.

​

“Thanks, Der. I - that really means a lot,” said Stiles, smiling softly as he looked back towards the bus. Only to swear. Derek looked over to see a police officer approaching the bus. Stiles lay on the horn. Scott and Laura came running off the bus, towards them. They jumped the fence and jumped in the backseat, tires screeching as Stiles backed up and turned the car around, speeding off.

​

“Good news, I didn’t hurt anyone last night,” said Scott with a smile. Stiles shot a smile at his friend. He knew Scott was worried about hurting Allison.

​

“Bad news, the Alpha still has a hold of Scott. Despite the bond forming between me and Scott, the alpha is still fighting for control over Scott. We need to be very careful from now on. Maybe even ramp up the beta’s training in hand-to-hand combat,” said Laura. Derek nodded. They believed the Alpha to be feral, but it seemed sane enough not to let Scott go. It could pose a huge problem.

​

“Dude, Lydia is picking you up in thirty to get ready.” Scott pointed out. Stiles swore again.

​

“Okay, everyone, hold on tight because things might get a little hairy,” Stiles claimed as he pressed down on the gas. Derek grabbed onto the handle above the door and checked that his seat belt was tight. He was not dying, just so some high schoolers could get to their date on time.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was lying on Ally’s bed, watching Lydia destroy every outfit Allison picked out. It was almost unbelievable how judgmental the girl could be.

​

“Sweetie, look at Stiles. He took my advice, and he looks hot. You need to do the same.” Allison rolled her eyes.

​

“I think what I’m wearing is fine,” Allison admitted. Lydia sighed, but before she could say anything, the door opened and in walked Allison’s dad, Mr. Argent. Stiles had only seen him on camera, and that camera did not do him justice. The man was hot - too hot.

​

“DAD!” Allison scolded the man. He looked at them sheepishly before pausing on Stiles.

​

“Sorry, I forgot to knock. Should’ve done that. Why is there a boy in here with the door closed?” Stiles should not have reacted the way he did to that underlying threat, but how did someone’s voice get that deep?

​

“Hi, Mr. Argent,” Lydia called out, lying down on the bed with a smile. “Stiles here is getting ready with us. He’s going out with Danny tonight.” Stiles blushed under the man’s gaze, looking anywhere but his face.

​

“Dad, Stiles is into boys.”

​

“And girls.” Allison sighed.

​

“And girls. Besides, he’s Scott’s best friend. Nothing was going to happen.” Allison explained. Mr. Argent nodded slowly.

​

“You’re not going out tonight. There’s a police curfew.” He said. Stiles cleared his throat.

​

“Actually, my dad said it was alright if we came straight home from the bowling alley, and well, my dad’s the one who made the curfew,” said Stiles. Mr. Argent glared at him.

​

“Your father is the Sheriff?” Stiles nodded. Mr. Argent sighed.

​

“You keep your phone’s tracker app on the whole time. You better only be at the bowling alley and home. Understood?” Allison squealed and hugged her dad.

​

“Understood. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Allison even kissed her dad’s cheek, which made the man melt completely.

​

“Be safe tonight,” He murmured, planting a kiss on her forehead, before leaving the room. Once Stiles heard the man going downstairs, he commented.

​

“God, Ally, your dad is so hot.” Allison made a disgusted face as Lydia agreed with him.

​

“Guys, stop being gross. That’s my dad.” Allison said, slipping on her beanie and grabbing her keys.

​

“Let’s go rock this date.” Lydia cheered. Stiles smiled as he followed Lydia to her car. They were meeting the others there. He fiddled with his fingers, absently. He was nervous. Danny had never really shown an interest before, but he was always nice to Stiles. Lydia noticed his nerves.

​

“Stiles. Trust me, Danny is excited to go on this date.” Stiles nodded and smiled. But as he entered the car, he couldn’t help but feel even more nervous than before.

​

/Break\

​

“Derek,” Isaac whined from his spot on the couch. Derek raised an eyebrow at the young beta.

​

“Isaac,” Derek mocked him. Isaac rolled his eyes in response before sitting up.

​

“Will you drive around while I sleep in the Camaro?” Derek closed his book and placed it beside him.

​

“Why?” Derek asked. Isaac shrugged.

​

“I - I’ve been having trouble sleeping, and I talked to Laura and Peter, and they suggested doing something else, something that could distract me. Peter suggested a car ride.” Derek’s eyes softened. After working at the cafe all week, he really just wanted to relax, but Isaac needed his help. Derek would gladly give it. Isaac deserved the world.

​

“Go get the keys and a blanket.” Derek sighed. Isaac smiled and gave Derek a small hug before leaving the room. Derek smiled to himself. Isaac had made so much progress over the past year, blooming into a bright and funny young man, instead of the meek and timid man his father had tried to shape him into.

​

/Break\

​

Derek sighed quietly as he pulled up to a gas station. Isaac had been asleep for two hours now, and he looked so peaceful. So Derek kept driving. But now he was dangerously low on gas. While he was at the pump, a car pulled up behind him and one in front of him. Derek squared his shoulders as he saw Chris Argent hop out of one of the cars and approach him.

​

“Hello. Lovely night.” He picked up the station's cleaner. “Black cars, they are so hard to keep clean.” Derek frowned and took a step back away from the man. His eyes were the same as Kate’s. Derek wasn’t ready for this. Derek didn’t want to go through this confrontation.

​

“I haven’t done anything wrong.” Derek tried to keep his voice steady as Argent's men surrounded his car. Isaac was asleep in there. Derek had to protect him - he was just a kid!

Chris smiled at him.

​

“Let’s see to it that you don’t.” The man dropped all pretense of nicety, turning to walk back towards his car. Derek bit his lip and couldn’t stop himself from saying:

​

“The councils are both watching you.” Chris turned back around with a raised eyebrow and motioned towards his men. Derek braced to be hit, but instead he heard glass shattering. Opening his eyes in horror, he saw his car windows smashed out. Chris was smirking at him until Isaac’s cries were heard. The smirk fell off Chris’ face as he realized there was someone else in the car. Derek growled and flashed his eyes, pushing the men out of the way and opening the door. Isaac was lying in a puddle of glass.

​

Derek gently pulled Isaac out, and as soon as he was, Isaac wrapped his arms around Derek and started sobbing into his neck. Derek felt his heart break as he tried to calm the young boy down. What if this sets back all of Isaac’s progress? Why couldn’t those Argents just leave well enough alone? He glared at Chris when the man tried to step forward.

​

“I-I didn’t know,” the man said. Derek just growled at him again, hugged the boy tighter. Then, he heard police sirens, and the entire place was surrounded. Derek looked back towards the car to see Isaac’s phone on and Sheriff Stilinski’s number pulled up.

​

“What the hell is going on here!” Noah exclaimed as he got out of his car. Isaac calmed down slightly and looked up from Derek’s neck, tears still streaming down his face.

​

“Those three attacked us and smashed the windows on me.” Isaac’s voice sounded so small. The Sheriff motioned for his deputies to arrest Argent’s men, while he pulled his cuffs out for Chris.

​

“You have the right to remain silent; anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney; if you can not afford one, one will be provided to you. Do you understand your rights as I have read them?” Chris nodded, and the Sheriff led him off. As the cars disappear in the distance, Isaac stops crying, and Peter comes out of the shadows.

​

“Wonderful performance, pup.” Peter praised Isaac. Derek looked between the two of them, confused.

​

“What’s going on?” asked Derek. Peter looked at his nail, bored.

​

“I received intel that Chris Argent was going to confront you either tonight or tomorrow at your coffee shop. Considering what he did to your car, this was clearly the best route to take.” Derek looked towards Isaac, who was rubbing the back of his neck.

​

“I’m sorry for lying to you. But Peter said we were helping you.” Derek nodded.

​

“It’s okay, pup. You are a great actor, though.” Isaac smiled at him.

​

“Yeah, well, you’re a great caretaker. The way you pushed those men out of the way and held me. It was like a mom protecting her children.” Isaac teased. Derek wrapped an arm around the pup’s shoulders.

​

“Well, you are my younger brother. I’ve got to protect you.” Isaac gasped in surprise, and Peter joined the hug.

​

“I, for one, am very happy to have another nephew to spoil,” said Peter. Derek pinched his uncle as Isaac started to cry for real.

​

“I love you guys.” Derek and Peter hugged him even tighter.

​

“So, since it's your fault the windows are broken, you’re paying, right?” Peter sighed but handed over his card, earning himself a smile from Derek. The real question was how Laura was going to handle Chris Argent attacking Isaac again.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles smiled at Danny as he approached them. Jackson had met Lydia halfway, and Scott, the puppy that he is, was waiting for the car and opened Allison’s door for her.

​

“Hey, Danny.” Stiles greeted nervously, he went in for a hug, but the older boy shifted last second and Stiles thought better of it, awkwardly backing up and putting his arms at his sides. Danny’s smile looked strained.

​

“Hi, Stiles.” Before he could say anything else, Lydia dragged Jackson past him.

​

“Let’s go get a lane.” She said excitedly. Stiles followed the couple into the bowling alley and up to the counter. Stiles turned towards Danny.

​

“What size shoe?”

​

“11” Stiles nodded and asked for a 10 and 11, paying for both pairs. He turned and handed one to Danny.

​

“Thanks.” Stiles nodded and tried to swallow the nerves down. This was just Danny. Danny was nice and kind and the total opposite of scary. Maybe this was what first dates were like, just one big nerve ball. They sat down next to each other and put on their shoes.

​

“So, do you like bowling?” Stiles asked. Danny nodded. “I haven’t been bowling in years. It's something I used to do with my dad before the whole promotion.”

​

“That sounds like fun.” Stiles attempted to smile at the response, but he’s not sure he quite managed it. Danny wasn’t usually like this - was it because he was nervous too?

​

“Okay, losers, let’s play,” Jackson said, drawing Stiles' attention.

​

/Break\

​

They had finished their rounds of bowling, and Stiles was just confused. Scott and Allison were whispering to each other, and Lydia and Jackson were all up in each other’s business. But Stiles could barely get Danny to answer a question, let alone hold his hand. Did Danny not want to be here? Lydia said he did, but for someone who wanted to be here, he wasn’t acting like it.

​

“Stiles, I totally forgot that I have to take Scott to Allison’s. Would you be able to get a ride with Danny?” Stiles looked over at the older boy, who was staring ahead of them at Lydia. “Danny?” she asked impatiently. Danny blinked and nodded.

​

“Yeah, I can take Stiles home,” Danny confirmed. Stiles smiled at him. Danny started walking to his car.

​

“That was sad to witness,” Jackson commented. Lydia glared at Jackson, causing him to take a step back.

​

“Okay, listen. Stiles, when he drops you off, kiss him. Show him what you’ve got.” Stiles raised an eyebrow at Lydia’s suggestion.

​

“Lydia, I don’t think he even likes me.” Jackson snorted and got elbowed by Allison this time, frowning and rubbing the area.

​

“Trust me on this, I’m never wrong about this sort of thing.” Stiles frowned, but nodded. “And Stiles, call me if something goes wrong.” He nodded and followed Danny to his car. As they drove in silence, an idea popped into Stiles’ head.

​

What if Lydia was trying to distract him or trick him so that his grades would slip? Was she actually being nice to him, or was there some ulterior motive at play? Stiles looked over at Danny nervously as the boy pulled into Stiles’ driveway.

​

“I had a fun time tonight,” Stiles admitted quietly. Danny nodded. “Maybe we could do it again?” Danny shrugged and frowned. Danny turned to look at Stiles, as Stiles took a deep breath.

​

“Stiles I -” Stiles cut the boy off with a kiss. It was small and fast, and Stiles pulled away, embarrassed. Danny looked shocked for a second before his stare hardened. Stiles had a sinking feeling he’d done the wrong thing. Should he have asked first? Probably, consent was important after all.

​

“I’m sorry, I-I should’ve asked firs-” Danny cut him off, offering his usual smile.

​

“It’s okay. Have a good night, Stiles.” Stiles nodded and got out of the car. Before he could say anything or thank him for the ride, Danny was pulling back out of the driveway. It felt like a rejection. His first date and first kiss with a boy who seemed uninterested.

​

Stiles thought back to all the stories his mom used to tell him about how she’d met his father. Dates were supposed to talk to each other and hold hands. They were supposed to do the bare minimum and be interested in the person they were on the date with.

​

Stiles felt so stupid and so embarrassed. No wonder Jackson kept making comments all night long. Even he knew Stiles was making a fool out of himself. Stiles’ phone buzzed - a text from Derek. Reading the text, Stiles sighed and got into his jeep. He needed to get to Scott’s. He could worry about Danny and how stupid he felt later. It would probably still hurt by then anyway.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles screamed when the lights in Scott’s room turned on, and Melissa readied a bat at him.

​

“STILES!” Stiles was breathing heavily as Scott ran into the bedroom.

​

“Do either of you actually play baseball?” He was ignored as Melissa turned towards Scott.

​

“Do either of you care that there is a police mandated curfew?” Both boys said no. She sighed. “That’s enough parenting for one night. Go to bed.” She left the room with an exhausted sigh. Scott turned to look at Stiles, confused.

​

“What’s up? Did that whole Kiss thing not go well?” Stiles winced at the reminder.

​

“Not here about that. Laura wants us to be at her place tomorrow morning for breakfast. The latest victim is dead; he died from his wounds.” Scott sat down on his bed.

​

“This alpha has killed two people now. Do you think they know why yet?” Stiles shrugged.

​

“Guess that’s what the meeting is for.”

​

/Break\

​

Laura had spoken to the whole pack about how the man knew who Derek was despite never meeting him before, which confirmed their suspicion that the victims were connected to Hales somehow. Though they didn’t know how yet. She also informed everyone that Chris Argent got himself arrested, but that he’d been let go this morning.

​

Stiles sighed as he thought everything over. There was something the Hales weren’t speaking about. An important piece of the puzzle that could really help them figure out who the Alpha is. But he wasn’t going to push, on the off chance that it had to do with a dead relative. He knew from experience how painful it could be to talk about them without being ready to.

​

“Hey,” Derek said, handing him a cup of coffee. “How’d the date go?” Stiles frowned.

​

“I don’t think he likes me very much.” Stiles sighed and downed the cup in one go, surprised when Derek handed him another one. “What, no speech about how caffeine is bad for you?” he asked.

​

“Do you feel bad?” Stiles nodded. “Then you need more, obviously. That’s how addicts work.” Stiles let out a surprised laugh at that line, having not expected it from the older man. “Besides, screw that wannabe Ken doll. I can’t believe he fumbled the bag with you,” said Derek.

​

“How do you know he looks like a Ken doll? Or even who I was with?” Derek blushed.

​

“I asked Erica, and she had a picture.” Stiles laughed again, feeling better.

​

“What are you doing, Sourwolf? Stalking a teenager?” He teased him, Derek blushing even brighter. Derek moved away from him with a smirk.

​

“I guess you won’t need that third cup after all?” Stiles gasped and finished his second quickly.

​

“Gimme.” He said, making grabby hands at it. Derek shook his head no. Stiles pouted and widened his eyes slightly. Derek’s own eyes took on a surprised tone, and he lowered his arm just enough for Stiles to reach the cup and take it. Cheering in victory, he raced over to the kitchen table where the other sat, eating breakfast. Stiles flashed a big smile at everyone as he drank his third cup - All Hale Caffeine, indeed.

Chapter Text

Derek sniffed the air, exchanging a look with Peter.

​

“It smells like the Alpha went in both directions,” Derek commented. Peter nodded, looking troubled. He examined the surrounding area.

​

“We are in the warehouse district. Keep to the roofs and sides of buildings. We are going to have to split up for this one. I’ll go right, towards the suburbs, and track him on the ground. You go left.” Derek nodded and took off towards the nearest building, jumping and climbing until he got to the roof of the first building. The scent was even stronger up here, but when he turned around to inform Peter, he’d already taken off in his direction.

​

Derek readied himself and started running across rooftops, chasing the scent of the Alpha. It actually felt kind of freeing to feel the air hitting his face as he opposed it. Just as he was about to land on the next roof, his body lunged sideways, and a rippling pain filled his mind. Derek missed the next building and hit the fire escape, ricocheting off and hitting the building he’d just left, falling to the ground with a loud thud.

​

Derek groaned in pain and curled into himself. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will the pain to go away, but it wouldn’t. He must’ve been shot at - so Peter was probably on his way back, having heard the gun. Derek cursed himself - he should’ve been more aware of his surroundings, especially with the Argents in town. Chris had gotten himself out of jail easily, leaving his two men to take the fall for the crime.

​

For whatever reason, the Argents were gunning for the new Hale Pack; probably wanted to finish the job they started - even if they claimed they had no part in it. Even if the councils said nothing can be done without evidence. Derek tensed as a hand landed on his shoulder. He opened his eyes, feeling dizzy and seeing his surroundings spin. His ears began to ring loudly.

​

After blinking a few times, the dizziness abated, and the ringing stopped.

​

“Derek!” Uncle Peter had come back for him, just like Derek knew he would. He winced as his Uncle dragged him into a sitting position. He was holding a casing.

​

“It’s a special Argent blend of wolfsbane. I texted Laura to tell her you were hurt. She’s going to have Deaton waiting for us at the house. But, this is Nordic Blue Monkshood - Deaton might not have this blend.” Peter informed him. Derek nodded and gripped his smoking arm.

​

“Let’s just get home,” Derek said weakly. Peter nodded and helped Derek back to where they had parked the Camaro. His arm ached in pain the entire walk there. It was going to be a painful drive home.

​

/Break\

​

Laura Hale was pissed - beyond pissed at this point. After the incident with the Camaro and another conversation with the council, she’d been assured that the Argents would be on their best behavior, that Chris Argent had signed an agreement to leave the Hale Pack alone and only go after the feral Alpha on the land.

​

Now, her baby brother has been shot, with an Argent bullet. To make matters worse, Peter told her that it was Kate Argent - that bitch dared come back onto Hale Land, after everything she did. There was no doubt in Laura’s mind that Kate saw who she aimed at and knew it was Derek and not the Alpha. Yet, she took the shot anyway.

​

Deaton had informed her that he didn’t have the blend. But the best way to make Derek comfortable while they thought of a plan was to have Laura and Peter alternate and take Derek’s pain. But before she could do that, she had a council to call.

​

“Hunter’s council, Shelby speaking.” Laura sighed in relief. She’d been worried that the early hour of the morning would mean no one would answer.

​

“This is Alpha Laura Hale calling, again. My right hand was shot approximately 2 hours ago by Kate Argent. He didn’t approach her or threaten her. In fact, he was minding his own business, tracking the feral Alpha on our land, when she decided to shoot him.” Shelby sighed over the phone, and Laura could hear her pulling up files.

​

“Alright, miss. Since this is the third occurrence in less than a month of the Argents attacking your pack, we are required to send one of our agents out, as well as contact the Magic council and have one of their agents come out as well. Until then, we highly advise you to avoid all contact with the Argents. Right now, they are considered rogue until the evaluation, meaning that we consider them violent and they could do more damage than good.”

​

“I understand, thank you.”

​

“You are welcome. I hope your right hand will be alright. If the worst happens, call the council again. If he dies, we will put a warrant out for Kate Argent’s arrest.” Laura quickly said goodbye and hung up the phone. Turning around, she saw all three teens sitting on the steps behind her.

​

“Is Derek going to be alright?” Erica asked. Laura sighed.

​

“We don’t know yet. It depends on whether we can get a bullet.” Laura rubbed her eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me before you sleep over?” Erica blushed and stepped further away from Boyd.

​

“We can stay home today and help,” Isaac said. Laura shook her head ‘no’ and smiled softly.

​

“Der would want you three in school getting an education. Don’t worry about us. I will come up with a plan; I always do.” Isaac smiled and hugged her before going back upstairs. Erica followed after him, calling dibs on the master bathroom.

​

“Laura?” She smiled at Boyd. “Maybe you should call Scott. He - he’s been seeing Allison.” Laura nodded. That was a good idea. She checked the time; Scott would already be on his way to school, so she’d have to wait until after school. She would not allow any of her betas to skip school - even to save Derek.

​

“You’re right. I’ll call him later, okay?” Boyd nodded and headed back upstairs as well. Laura sighed and made a pot of coffee. She’d have to call Emma and tell her to close the shop after her shift was over. The girl was understanding of last-minute schedule changes and wouldn’t mind. Today was going to be a long day.

​

/Break\

​

Scott was at his locker, talking to Stiles about going over to Allison’s to study, when his phone rang. Scott pulled it out of his pocket, seeing Laura’s contact flash on the screen. He showed it to Stiles with a frown before answering.

​

‘Hello?” Laura hadn’t ever called Scott before. Usually, Stiles would pop up in her contacts first as she saved him as Caffeine Addict and they were usually together anyway, so Laura didn’t make two calls.

​

“Scott, there’s something I’ve got to tell you and a favor I need to ask of you.” Laura sounded worried and tired.

​

“What’s up?” Scott moved to put the phone between him and Stiles, so Stiles could know what was going on.

​

“Allison’s aunt, Kate, came to town last night, and she shot Derek in the process. Do you remember what I told you about wolfsbane?”

​

“Yeah.”

​

“There are different blends of it, and Deaton doesn’t have any of the kind Kate used on hand. Derek is - well - he’s dying right now. The only way we can save him is with another bullet like the one that hit him. Kate Argent has them, and we have it on good authority that she’s staying with her brother. Can you get in the house and get us a bullet?” Scott’s eyes widened, and Stiles gasped.

​

“Y-yeah. I’m supposed to go over there after school and study. I’ll try to find the bullet.” Stiles took his phone.

​

“Is Derek alright? Is he conscious?” Stiles asked.

​

“Stiles? I should’ve known Scott and you were together. Derek is doing as well as can be expected. He’s in a lot of pain.” Stiles nodded.

​

“Okay, I’ll be there in 20 minutes - 15 if I speed.” Stiles hung up the phone before tossing it to Scott and running towards the parking lot. Scott’s phone vibrated with a text.

​

Look for Nordic blue monkshood.

​

Scott saved the message and grabbed his things. He needed to get to Allison’s house fast.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was sitting next to Derek, holding his hand while tapping his foot. Peter was across from him, doing some werewolf pain drain thing, to help Derek feel more comfortable. Something was pulling in Stiles' chest, a feeling like he could do something - but Stiles didn’t know what he could do - he felt helpless.

​

“You seem worried,” Derek commented. Stiles rolled his eyes and looked straight into Derek’s.

​

“Of course I’m worried. I care about you, you idiot. You’re dying, and we have to hope Scott can find a bullet - one bullet in a house of hunters who probably have thousands of bullets.” Stiles frowned and tried to stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. He opened his eyes when he felt a hand grace his cheek, cupping it.

​

Derek was looking at him with a soft look. His eyes open and honest and his mouth turned upwards in a small sort of smile.

​

“I'm going to be alright. Do you believe in Scott?” he asked. Stiles nodded.

​

“Yeah, I believe in him.” Derek’s thumb started to rub a circle into Stile’s jawline.

​

“Then, I believe in him too. I’m going to be just fine,” said Derek. Stiles brought his hand up to hold Derek’s against his skin.

​

“You better be-” Stiles took a deep breath, fighting off the tears and the lump in his throat. “Because if you’re not, I’m so resurrecting your ass just to kill you myself.” Derek smiled and coughed a little.

​

“You do that, and who will make you coffee?” Stiles giggled a little at that.

​

“I don’t know and I’ll never know, because you’re going to be fine,” said Stiles, smiling at Derek and letting Derek’s hand fall from his face. Derek returned his smile. Everything would be alright. Scott had this handled.

​

/Break\

​

Scott tried to keep his emotions to himself, but he was not happy about the outcome of the evening. One, Derek was dying, and Scott really didn’t have time for a dinner party. Two, he wasn’t ready to meet Allison’s family. But here he was sitting awkwardly beside Allison at the table with her mother, father, and aunt.

​

“Scott, do you want anything other than water to drink?” Mrs. Argent asked. Scott smiled politely at her.

​

“Oh no, I’m good, thanks.” He said, taking a sip of his water.

​

“We can get you some beer.” Scott looked at Mr. Argent, confused. Why would the man offer alcohol to a minor?

​

“No thanks,” Scott said, slightly uncomfortable. Mr. Argent raised an eyebrow.

​

“A shot of tequila?”

​

“Dad, really?” Allison cut her dad off. Scott shifted in his seat, the uncomfortable feeling building more and more.

​

“You don’t drink?” Scott looked at Mr. Argent, feeling lost.

​

“I’m not old enough.” He said, confused by the question.

​

“Well, that doesn’t seem to stop many teenagers these days,” Mrs. Argent cut in. Scott looked at her in realization. Mr. Argent was testing him, making sure he wasn’t a bad influence on Allison. That was a thing good dads did.

​

“No,” Scott agreed, “But it should.” Kate smiled.

​

“Good answer.” She said with a smile. The woman definitely made him uncomfortable, especially earlier when she commented on his eyes. “Total lie, but well played.” Scott blushed slightly. “You may yet survive the night.” Scott tried to return her smile, but it felt more like a grimace to him.

​

“You must smoke pot.” Scott choked on his water, setting his glass down as Kate pushed back.

​

“Okay, changing the subject to something a little less conservative. So, Allison tells me you’re on the lacrosse team. I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about that - how do you play?” Scott relaxed a little at the question, but then panicked because he had no idea how to describe the sport - and maybe this is why his English grade is so bad.

​

“Um, well, you know hockey? It's like that, but on-only played on grass.” Scott winced internally at that explanation. Mr. Argent raised an eyebrow at him.

​

“Ice hockey on grass is called field hockey.” Allison sighed.

​

“Okay, so it's like field hockey, except the sticks have nets.” Allison shot a glare at her father, while Scott looked down at his plate.

​

“Can you slap check like in hockey?” Scott blinked a few times at Kate before answering.

​

“Yeah - yeah. Except it's just the gloves and the sticks.” He took another sip from his glass. Kate smiled at him.

​

“Sounds violent, I like it.” Mr. Argent rolled his eyes, and Scott really just wanted to be anywhere else.

​

“Scott’s amazing, too,” Allison said, jumping in. “Dad came with me to the first game; wasn’t he good?” She asked. Scott could tell by her tone that she was leading her dad somewhere unpleasant. Mr. Argent sighed.

​

“He was fine.” He agreed.

​

“He scored the last shot, the winning shot.” Allison pointed out with a bright smile.

​

“True, but he didn’t even score at all until the last few minutes of the game.” Ouch, not his fault, Jackson turned the team against him. Allison blinked and took a deep breath before continuing.

​

“His last shot ripped a hole through the goalie’s net. It was incredible.” Allison took a sip from her cup.

​

“Well, I think the goalie was playing with a defective stick.” Allison slammed her glass down. The tension was palpable, and Scott knew he needed to fix it somehow.

​

“I-ah-I think I’d like that beer now.” It was quiet for a second before Kate started laughing, and even Chris smiled a little at it.

​

“You were kidding, right?” Scott nodded with a smile.

​

‘Yeah.” Scott’s phone kept vibrating, drawing everyone’s attention to it. He checked and looked up.

​

“It’s my mom, I should probably answer.” Scott excused himself and went into the kitchen.

​

“Hello?”

​

“Scott, do you have the bullet?” It was Stiles; he sounded panicked.

​

“No, the Argents invited me to stay for dinner, so you can get whatever you want, Mom.”

​

“You have twenty minutes to get it before I come to that house and demand it,” said Stiles, seriously.

​

“Yes, Mom, I’ll be home by 7, I’ll finish up and leave in about 20 minutes.” He knew the Argents could hear him.

​

“You better.” Stiles ended the phone call.

​

“Love you too.” He walked back to the dining room. “Would it be alright if I use the bathroom before dessert?” Mrs. Argent smiled at him and informed him where the guest bathroom was. Scott shut the door to the guest room as he made it in. He looked around and saw a black duffel bag under the others. Pulling it out, he unzipped it and saw it. The Nordic symbols Laura had informed him would be near the bullet. He grabbed one and zipped the bag back up.

​

Scott quickly put everything where it was and went into the bathroom, flushing the toilet and washing his hands, on the off chance they could hear him. He made it back to the table and took a deep breath.

​

“So Scott, Allison was telling us you work at the Vet Clinic?” Scott smiled at Mrs. Argent.

​

“Yes. I usually just feed the animals and assist Dr. Deaton from time to time.” Mr. Argent cleared his throat.

​

“Have you ever had a rabid dog?” Scott looked towards Mr. Argent, feeling uneasy.

​

“No.” He said, shaking his head. Mr. Argent smiled.

​

“There is no way to save a rabid dog. I once had a dog growing up. He got bitten and contracted rabies. At that point, they are so far gone that they can’t even think straight, and really letting them live is only prolonging their suffering and letting them hurt others. So you put it down.” Scott inhaled sharply, and his eyes widened. Did they know?

​

“Exactly, we all heard Scott’s conversation with his mom - he needs to get going. I’ll walk you to the door.” Allison offered. Scott stood up, following her.

​

“Thank you for the food, Mrs. Argent. It was delicious.” The woman smiled as Allison pulled Scott from the room. They came to stand in front of the door.

​

“I’m sorry about tonight.” She said, pushing her hair out of her face. Scott smiled as he put on his backpack.

​

“No, uh, it wasn’t really that bad. There was this one dinner where my parents told me they were getting a divorce,” Scott said, shaking his head, “that was definitely the worst.” Allison smiled. She leaned in for a kiss, but Scott pulled back slightly. “Your dad is watching.”

​

“Good.” She said, and then she kissed him. Scott sighed slightly into the kiss before they parted. Allison smiled and opened the door for him.

​

“Wait a second, guys.” Kate walked up, stopping them. “I have to ask.” Kate paused before trying to smile reassuringly. “What did you take from my bag?” Scott’s eyes widened in shock, and he looked at Allison. Allison looked back at him.

​

“Do you need me to repeat the question?” Scott looked at her, confused, hoping he could pull off the lie. Allison’s dad approached them.

​

“What’s going on?” he asked. Kate looked at him and started explaining.

​

“When I left, my bag was closed, and after I went into my room, it was open, after Scott had used the bathroom.” Mr. Argent raised an eyebrow at the boy.

​

“He didn’t take anything,” said Allison. Kate gave her a pitying look.

​

“Something was taken. Now look, I hate to be the accuser here, Scott, because I really do love those adorable puppy eyes, but I don’t know if you’re a klepto, if you’re curious, or if you’re just stupid, but answer the question.” Scott shook his head.

​

“Nothing. I- I didn’t take anything.” He said. Kate smirked.

​

“Then you won’t mind proving it, turning out your pockets?” she asked.

​

“Dad,” Allison interjected. Mr. Argent gave Allison a look, and Scott knew he agreed with Kate. “Stop, I’ll prove you wrong.” Allison dug into her back pocket. “It wasn’t Scott going through your things, it was me,” Allison said, pulling out a condom. Scott took a step back in surprise as his eyes widened. He looked Allison up and down.

​

Did she think they were going to do something while studying? Maybe Scott should’ve taken Isaac up on his offer to study instead. Not that Scott didn’t thoroughly enjoy making out with Allison earlier, but sex was something he wasn’t ready for.

​

Awkward silence fills the air as Allison looks at Kate and her Dad; the two adults share their own look.

​

“I’m just gonna go,” said Scott, quickly opening the door and leaving. He got on his bike and smiled at Allison, who was in the doorway. He sent a text to Stiles.

​

Got it

​

Good - Erica’s waiting a mile away

​

Scott pocketed his phone and started pedalling, stopping at the Camaro. He threw his bike in and hopped in the front seat. Erica started the car, speeding away from the curb.

​

“You have got a lot of explaining to do later,” said Erica. Scott frowned and sank into his seat. He knew he had to apologize. Derek could’ve died while he was stuck at the Argents. Scott closed his eyes and hoped they’d make it there in time.

​

/Break\

​

Scott burst through the bedroom door with Erica trailing him. He handed the bullet over to Peter. Scott came to stand next to Isaac, and Isaac was grateful for that, because as soon as Scott was close enough, Isaac leaned into him. Scott wrapped an arm around Isaac, pulling him closer.

​

Isaac was worried about Derek. The older man had just passed out a few minutes prior to their arrival, and he looked really pale. Plus, his heart was slowing down. Scott rubbed his shoulder with his hand and stuck his head into the crevice between his shoulder and neck, nosing at his pulse point, trying to calm Isaac down.

​

It made Isaac’s heart jump for a different reason. Scott being this close, holding him like this. It led to Isaac having ideas and dreams and getting hurt when he saw Scott and Allison together.

​

Peter opened the bullet, dumping the wolfsbane out and burning it. Laura and Boyd were positioned, holding Derek down, and Peter rubbed the powder into the hole. Derek’s eyes flew open, and he howled in pain. Isaac squeezed his eyes shut at the sound and only opened them when Derek calmed down. The hole was completely healed, and Stiles had collapsed on top of Derek, hugging him for dear life.

​

“Never-ever, do that again, Sourwolf,” Stiles said, before pulling back slightly to look Derek in the eyes. “You hear me. You’re not allowed to die. I- I- In fact, I demand to go first.” Derek smiled softly at Stiles, and Isaac felt as if he was intruding on a moment.

​

“Okay. I agree.” Stiles just collapsed back on top of Derek, hugging him again. Scott made a whining sound and drew everyone else’s attention.

​

“I’m sorry, guys. I was almost too late. It's just Allison’s dad and aunt caught us hanging out, and they invited me to dinner - only it didn’t feel like an invite. But it did give me the opportunity to get the bullet. I- I should’ve been more focused on helping Derek.” Scott was frowning and staring at his feet. Issac, still in his hold, turned around and hugged him.

​

“It’s okay, Scott,” Laura said. “You made it here and you did so safely, without alerting the Argents to the fact that you’re a were. You did a great job.” Scott lifted his head off Isaac’s shoulder and smiled at her.

​

“Besides, without, I would’ve actually died,” said Derek, jokingly. Stiles pinched him in the arm, causing Derek to look down at the boy.

​

“Let Peter know who's staying tonight. I’ve got a meeting to have,” said Laura, with darkening eyes. The betas all nodded, and Isaac pulled away from Scott completely. Laura left through the door, and Peter remained smirking at her exit.

​

“What kind of meeting?” Erica asked. Peter laughed.

​

“I think Chris Argent is going to remember what it's like to shit himself.”

​

/break\

​

Laura knocked on the front door of the Argent house. Chris opened the door with a smile. That smile, however, fell when he recognized the woman on his doorstep. Laura smiled vindictively.

​

“Hello, Chris. I wanted to stop by and inform you of a few things.” Chris glared at her and stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.

​

“What do you want, Hale?” Laura shrugged and tilted her head from side to side.

​

“Oh, I want hunters to leave my family alone. But that’s not going to happen.” She took a deep breath as Chris raised an eyebrow.

​

“My brother is going to live, by the way, no thanks to you or your sister.” Chris’ eyes hardened even more. “I called the council, and both councils will be sending representatives down to observe you and your family. One more step out of line and a full-blown investigation would occur.” She paused, laughing slightly.

​

“Now, your father had the resources to disappear and stay hidden from the councils. But I don’t think you and your wife can do that. Maybe Kate could. But you have Allison.” Chris took a sharp inhale. “That’s right, I know about the daughter. She goes to school with my kid, Isaac, the abused boy you retraumatized the other night.” Chris hung his head in shame.

​

“Now, I understand that your daughter knows nothing about the supernatural and that you want to keep it that way. I respect that, and I also want to keep my kids out of this. But know this, Chris.” She stepped closer to the man, looking him dead in the eye.

​

“If you or one of yours touches one of my kids again - and yes, that includes my adult brother - I will tell Allison everything. The whole truth, and I will turn her against you faster than the speed of light. Do you understand?” Chris nodded sharply, glaring at her. Laura smiled and stepped back from the man, patting him on the shoulder.

​

“Have a good rest of your night.” She said, turning and making her way back to her car. She laughed again when Chris slammed his door shut. Laura was done letting the Argents play games. They wanted to play, she’d play, and she’d win - that was a promise!

Chapter Text

Jackson groaned. He was sitting outside the video rental store with Lydia. They always did movie nights once a week, and every week for about 4 months, they watched The Notebook. It was a good movie the first 10 times, but now, he hates that damn movie. But Lydia refused to watch any other movie.

​

“I’m not watching The Notebook again,” Jackson said. Lydia raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. Jackson sighed and got out of the car, slamming his door shut. He made his way into the store, but came to a stop in the doorway. He had goosebumps up and down his arms, and everything in his body was telling him to run.

​

But Jackson couldn’t go back to the car empty-handed. Lydia wanted to watch The Notebook, and, if Jackson was being honest, he was a bad boyfriend - the least he could do was get her the damn movie. So he pushed the feeling off and walked through the store.

​

“Can someone help me find the Notebook?” Jackson called out. Jackson stopped walking when he saw the body of the store clerk, cut open and bleeding out. His eyes widened, but before he could turn and run, something heavy landed behind him. This time, he listened to his instincts and ducked behind one of the shelves, hoping that whatever that was wouldn’t be able to find him.

​

Of course, combined with his luck, his chances were slim, and the monster pushed the shelves over like dominoes. By the time Jackson tried to move, he was trapped, a shelf on his legs. He closed his eyes as he heard something walk closer to him.

​

His eyes squeezed even tighter together when he felt a hot breath on his neck. He heard a sniffing noise and then a purr, before his eyes snapped open as he screamed. There was a beast in front of him, and it was roaring in his face. Its canines huge and fang-like and its eyes two balls of red light. The beast purred again and latched onto Jackson’s shoulder, biting down hard.

​

Jackson screamed as blinding pain filled his mind and senses. The monster jumped over him and ran for the storefront. Jackson flinched when he heard glass breaking and Lydia’s scream. He prayed she was alright; that the monster left her alone.

​

“Jackson!” Lydia called out from the front of the store. Jackson took a deep breath and responded.

​

“Lyds! Call 911 and tell them there’s a dead body.” Lydia came into his line of sight. She looked terrified, but otherwise untouched.

​

“You’re bleeding - that beast bit you.” She said, Jackson closed his eyes.

​

“Lydia, call 911!” Jackson yelled. Lydia picked up her phone and made the call. Jackson felt all the fight leave his body, and he slumped against the floor. That thing was no mountain lion, and whatever it was, it was clearly interested in Jackson.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles watched Jackson and Lydia as his dad pulled the cruiser up to the video store. Lydia was arguing with one of the EMTs. Laura pulled up behind them in the Camaro.

​

“Stay here,” said the Sheriff. Stiles rolled his eyes and grabbed his dad’s wrist, bringing his attention to him.

​

“Dad, if Jackson really was bitten, Laura might need my help explaining things. Not to mention that Jackson doesn’t even know any of the Hales. It might help the situation to see a friendly face.” The Sheriff sighed.

​

“Fine, but you don’t go anywhere near the store. You stay near Whittemore.” Stiles nodded in understanding, smiling when he got out of the car. Laura stopped right next to him.

​

“What’s Lydia arguing about?” Stiles asked. Laura looked towards the couple before looking back at Stiles.

​

“Lydia is insistent that there was a bite mark on Jackson and that all the dried blood around the area is proof. However, the EMT keeps telling her that there is no wound at all.” Stiles’ eyes widened, and Laura nodded with a grim expression.

​

“So Jackson’s body has accepted the bite.” The two made their way over to the couple and the EMT. The EMT excused herself after Laura told her the Sheriff wanted a rundown of any injuries.

​

“Lydia, the Sheriff said your mom can take you home now. We’ll deal with Jackson - help him with his wound.” Laura said. Lydia pursed her lips, looking between Laura and Stiles before huffing and stopping off towards her mother.

​

Jackson was looking at them with a guarded expression, but Stiles had known the guy since they were little - he could tell Jackson was scared by what he saw in the store. Stiles hopped up and sat down next to Jackson, in the spot Lydia had just vacated.

​

“Jackson, my name is Laura Hale -” Jackson cut her off.

​

“You’re a werewolf - aren’t you?” Stiles’ eyes widened and shared a look with Laura, who seemed just as surprised.

​

“Yes - I am, and considering that your wound is completely healed and at record speed, I’d say you’re one too.” Jackson laughed bitterly and shook his head, looking down at the ground.

​

“That’s what happened to McCall, wasn’t it? There is no way asthma just cures itself. Or the fact that he’s super strong. Plus, I have his glove from the first game with puncture marks in the fingers. God, it all makes so much sense now.” Jackson ran his hands through his hair, messing up the usually perfect style. Laura crouched down to make eye contact with Jackson.

​

“We need to talk about what this means and the dangers that come with being a werewolf.” Laura’s tone was hard, and so were her eyes. Jackson looked hesitant and unsure.

​

“Jackson - the monster that bit you tonight and that has been killing everyone was a werewolf. He’s an Alpha, but he’s packless and feral. He needs a pack - whether those packmates want him or not. Most likely, he’ll force you to kill with him; he tried with Scott, after all. He’s dangerous and vicious, and we are trying to stop him from hurting anyone else. But on the other hand, there is a family of werewolf hunters who don’t seem to follow the hunter’s council laws and codes. They will try to kill you if they find out what you are.” Stiles ripped the band-aid right off, bluntness and all. Jackson flinched at the harsh words.

​

“I-I don’t want to be a killer, nor do I want to be hunted. I - I just wanted to level the playing field with Scott - not get caught up with all of this.” Jackson admitted. Laura placed a hand on Jackson’s shoulder.

​

“I completely understand how you’re feeling, Jackson. Are your parents here?” Jackson shook his head. Stiles frowned. Why would his parents not be here? He was just attacked. “Is it all right if I take you back to my house? You could meet some of the other members of the pack, and we can discuss, in more detail, how to move forward.” Laura suggested. Jackson looked away from her and to Stiles.

​

“What would you recommend?” Stiles blinked in surprise, eyes widening slightly.

​

“You’re asking me?” Jackson rolled his eyes.

​

“It’s obvious that this pack likes you, Stilinski, especially if you know all these details.” Jackson was frowning again, and he’d wrapped his arms around himself.

​

“You should come back with us, Jackson. As a wolf, you need a pack, especially since you’re a bitten.” Jackson nodded, and Laura smiled.

​

“Alright, Kiddos, hop in the Camaro.” She said, standing with a smile on her face. Stiles called dibs on shotgun and hopped in, leaving Jackson in the backseat.

​

Once Laura got in the car and turned it on, she frowned. Stiles noticed her sniffing the air of the car; she seemed confused.

​

“What is it, Laura?” Stiles asked. Jackson leaned forward, poking his head between the seats to look at Laura.

​

“It’s just - I wanted to smell Jackson, make sure he didn’t have any other injuries. But when I smelled him, he smelled like pack - like family.” Stiles raised an eyebrow.

​

“What does that mean?” Jackson asked. Laura put the car in reverse and started backing up.

​

“Usually, there isn’t much of a difference between smelling like pack and smelling like family. But that’s because most born wolves are family packs. For a bitten to smell like family, that would have to mean there was a blood connection somehow.” Jackson frowned and leaned back against the car seat, staring straight out the window.

​

“I-I was adopted.” Silence filled the car as Stiles and Laura made eye contact. “It was closed, apparently. D-Danny tried to hack the files once, but we’ve never been able to figure out who my birth parents are.” Jackson admitted. Laura let out a shaky breath.

​

“First thing tomorrow, I’m going to reach out to some contacts and get your original records, okay?” Stiles looked at Laura, who seemed worried. Was it possible that Jackson was a Hale? But wouldn’t that have meant he was a werewolf all along? The rest of the drive was silent.

​

When they reached the house, Derek and Peter were waiting on the porch. They both looked worried. Laura, Jackson, and Stiles met them on the porch.

​

“What’s wrong?” Laura asked.

​

“Scott called Isaac about two hours ago. He was having trouble ignoring the Alpha’s call. We went to bring him back here, and he struggled the whole way. There’s some damage to Peter’s Cobra.” At this, Peter glared at the ground and huffed. “But once we got Scott in the house, surrounded by pack, he was perfectly fine. Isaac and Scott are sharing a room tonight.” Laura nodded.

​

“The angrier the Alpha gets, the more fight Scott is going to have to put up,” she murmured.

​

“Erica is also here - and according to Gran, she snuck into Boyd’s room an hour ago,” Peter commented.

​

“So, it looks like we have a full house tonight. Derek, Peter - this is Jackson. The alpha bit him.” Laura introduced the boy. “Jackson, Derek is my right hand and closest confidant, Peter, my uncle, is my left hand, the pack enforcer. He deals with threats to the town and the pack.” Laura explained softly.

​

“So you guys are in charge?” All three of them nodded, and Jackson looked at Stiles questioningly. Stiles shrugged.

​

“I don’t really have an official role; just a human beta.” Derek sighed at that notion.

​

“Stiles will have an official role as soon as he comes into his heritage.” Stiles frowned at that.

​

“Just because my mom had some slight magical gift doesn’t mean that I’ll have one too, Sourwolf,” said Stiles. Derek pulled Stiles slightly away from the group.

​

“Yes, that’s true; however, not all emissaries have magic,” Derek argued. Stiles sighed.

​

“Agree to disagree for now. I’m exhausted and so is Jackson.” Derek made eye contact with the other boy, over Stiles’ shoulder, and sighed.

​

“Jackson, let’s get you set up in a room for the night, and tomorrow we’ll answer all your questions,” Derek said.

​

‘What about School? I have perfect attendance, I can’t just miss. Besides, my grades could slip; what if I miss something important?” Jackson sounded panicked, which was not a tone he’d ever heard from the other boy. Usually, Jackson was the picture of confidence; nothing shook him.

​

“Look, Jackson, you need the day off, especially after getting attacked the way you did. No one is going to think less of you for needing a day. Besides, we’re in all the same classes, I’ll take notes for you.” Stiles offered. Jackson looked unsure, but ultimately conceded, letting Derek lead him into the house.

​

“So, another new Beta? It seems our pack is growing in numbers.” Peter pointed out. Laura sighed and rubbed her eyes.

​

“I had hoped to have found Cora by now. But there have been no new leads at all. And I think Jackson might be related to us.” Laura said. Peter raised a single eyebrow and nodded.

​

“I still have a few foreign contacts to reach out to. It's possible Cora isn’t in America.” Stiles snorted.

​

“How would an 11-year-old girl get out of the country without an adult or a passport?” Peter rolled his eyes.

​

“You’re the clever one, darling, you figure it out,” Peter said, pushing past Stiles and into the house. Stile followed after him, calling out.

​

“When you say stuff like that, it makes you sound like a creeperwolf.” Peter snorted and continued walking to his room. Laura came up behind Stiles.

​

“You should get to bed, you’ve got school tomorrow,” said Laura softly. Stiles gave the Alpha a hug and went upstairs. Bed sounded like a good idea.

​

/Break\

​

Laura whistled to herself as she moved around the kitchen, cleaning up. Isaac, Erica, Boyd, and Stiles were all getting picked up by the Sheriff for school and were getting ready to go, waiting by the door. Derek was going to take Scott after Laura talked to him. It was quiet at the table where Jackson and Scott sat.

​

“Scott?” The boy in question looked up at Laura with large puppy eyes. Laura tried not to smile, but that boy was so dog-like sometimes. “You have to go to school all day, okay? You’re failing chem, which means you need to go with your mom to conferences tonight. But your grades have been slipping in general. Do not disappoint me, okay?” Scott nodded, looking dejected.

​

“Let’s go, Kid. I’ve got to get into the shop soon,” said Derek. Scott stuffed the rest of his food in his face and fled after Derek.

​

“Scott might need some tutoring at this point,” said Peter, as he entered the kitchen. Laura frowned but nodded.

​

“He just needs to finish adjusting to everything.” Peter hummed and grabbed a slice of toast. Jackson, at the table still, cleared his throat.

​

“So, Stiles mentioned hunters last night; is- is that what happened to your family?” The question was quiet and heavy in the air. Laura turned away from the sink, wiping her hands dry as she faced the boy. Peter was staring off, probably thinking about the fire.

​

“Yes. A hunter had tricked a younger member of our pack and learned all our secrets. She trapped nearly everyone in the house and burned it to the ground. Human members and all.” Laura said bluntly. Jackson flinched in his seat. “You can ask any questions you have.”

​

“Stiles, he also mentioned a council?” Laura nodded.

​

“Yes, there are two. The magic council, which lays out rules and laws for supernatural creatures, and a hunter’s council, which lays out rules and laws for hunters.” Jackson nodded.

​

“What’s going to happen to me now?” Jackson asked.

​

“Well, there are two options. One, you could join our pack if you’d like. Or two, we could find another pack willing to take you. But you absolutely can’t be on your own, that would make you an omega, and you’d go insane.” Laura explained. Jackson looked at her in shock.

​

“You want me?” He sounded small - the complete opposite of what he sounded like at the lacrosse game Laura had gone to. It was Peter who spoke up.

​

“Whether Laura’s hunch about you is correct or not, of course, we want you. You are just a pup - you need a pack and a support system. Clearly, you don’t have one now.” Peter pointed out. Jackson looked down at his plate, twirling his fork.

​

“I’d like to stay.” Jackson decided. Laura nodded with a smile.

​

“I’d love for you to stay,” she said, flashing her eyes. Jackson’s eyes flashed back in response, more yellow than golden. Interesting; she’d have to look into that. She could tell Peter found it interesting as well. “My contacts said that they should have your original documents by the end of the day.” Jackson nodded.

​

“Why don’t you go pick out a movie to watch. We have a large collection.” Jackson nodded at Peter’s suggestion and made his way to where Derek said the living room was. “Oh, and Laura, I will be attending Isaac’s conference with you.” Laura raised an eyebrow.

​

“Why?” Peter licked his lips.

​

“I heard a certain police officer was going to be there.” Laura grimaced at the tone her uncle used and shook her head.

​

“I don’t even want to know.” She left the kitchen, called out for Peter to finish cleaning up, and went to her office to work.

​

/Break\

​

Scott smiled at Allison as he approached her locker. There were balloons coming out of it, and the girl seemed embarrassed.

​

“Is it your birthday?” The girl nodded and pushed the balloons back inside.

​

“Just, don’t tell anyone. I don’t like people to know.” Allison admitted. Scott frowned.

​

“Why?” Allison blushed slightly and looked around the hall before leaning closer to Scott.

​

“I’m 17.” Scott nodded.

​

“Because of all the moving around, right? You got held back.” Allison smiled at him and gave him a peck on the lips.

​

“You are the first person to ever assume correctly.” Scott blushed. “Anyways, I was thinking, since Lydia isn’t here, that I would maybe just skip.”

​

“Skip?” Scott asked. Allison nodded and pushed a book into her locker, causing another balloon to float out and Allison to sigh.

​

“Yeah, I’ve never done it before. Do you wanna skip with me?” Scott bit his lip. Of course, he wanted to skip with her. But Laura asked him to stay in school and reminded him of his grades and the conference tonight. He didn’t want to give Harris any more material to tell his mom.

​

“I-I can’t. I’m failing Chem, and I have to go to conferences tonight. But you should if you want to.” Scott rushed to say. Allison frowned, but nodded.

​

“I totally get it. Maybe we could hang out a little after school.” Allison suggested. Scott smiled.

​

“Maybe, I’ll have to check.” Before Allison could say anything else, someone called out Scott’s name. He turned to see Isaac. The boy was motioning him to come closer. He turned back to Allison with an apologetic look.

​

“I’m sorry, I should go see what he needs. I’ll see you at lunch?” Allison nodded, although a little disappointed. Scott surged forward and kissed her lightly. “Happy birthday.” Scott turned and walked towards Isaac.

​

“Okay, so I talked to Harris. Which, as you know, is impossible, and he said that he’d allow me to tutor you for our next test. But, if you don’t at least get a C, he’s going to have to inform Coach and have you pulled.” Scott blinked in surprise.

​

“Thanks, man.” He said, throwing an arm over Isaac’s shoulder. “So how do you wanna do this?” Isaac was flushed, possibly too hot in the September heat.

​

“I was thinking that on days without practice, we could study together after school for an hour or two, and then on days of practice, you could spend the night at the pack house, and we could study together.” I can also help you with your other subjects. I- I mean, I average a B, but I can try to help.” Isaac offered, with a shy smile, painted across his cute face.

​

“That sounds like a plan. This afternoon, then?” Isaac nodded, and Scott squeezed his shoulders before letting go. “I’ll see you next period,” Scott called out as the bell rang. He needed to get to his math class before he was late. It seemed as if he’d be getting his grades up.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles rolled his eyes as he capped his highlighter. Mr. Harris was such a dick sometimes. Stiles glanced around the room before his gaze fell onto Danny, in front of him. He hadn’t spoken to Danny since the date, and Stiles had given up hope of a second one. But it still bothered him, and he wanted to know what the other boy was thinking.

​

“Danny.” He whispered, leaning closer to the boy. Danny lifted his head and sighed.

​

“What?”

​

“Can I ask you a question?”

​

“No.” Stiles rolled his eyes.

​

“Well, I’m going to ask anyway. Has Jackson talked to you about the attack at all?” Danny paused in his writing.

​

“No.” He said, going back to writing.

​

“Danny?”

​

“What?” This time it was harsh.

​

“Can I ask you another question?”

​

“No”

​

“Was Lydia in homeroom this morning?” Danny paused his actions again.

​

“No.” Stiles bit his lip and leaned closer to Danny.

​

“Danny.” He slammed his pencil down with a sigh.

​

“What?”

​

“Do you find me attractive?” Danny stilled, and Stiles leaned closer to the older boy. However, Stiles leaned a little too close and fell off his chair. Everyone in class was looking at him. He fixed his seat and went back to his work. He’d just confront Danny after class.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles chased after Danny once the bell rang.

​

“Danny!” He called out. The older boy actually stopped and turned around, but he looked upset.

​

“What?” His tone was harsh, and Stiles couldn’t help flinching slightly.

​

“I wanted to talk to you about the other night.” Danny rolled his eyes.

​

“Look, Stiles, I get it. You were questioning things, and you wanted someone to experiment with. But I don’t do that. At all. The only reason I went bowling was because Lydia told me I had to, and Jackson backed her up.” Stiles took a step back from the other boy as he angrily spat out his explanation.

​

“I-I wasn’t questioning or experimenting. I’ve known for years now that I was bisexual.” Danny snorted at his words, and Stiles felt a deep hurt pang throughout his body.

​

“Yeah, right. Look, Stiles, I don’t appreciate you lying to me. You clearly aren’t Bi or gay - I mean, look at yourself.” Stiles felt tears fill his eyes as he looked down at what he was wearing. He was wearing jeans and a funny graphic tee. What was wrong with that? Stiles took a deep breath as frustration hit him full force, and he looked back at the boy.

​

Danny was taken aback by Stiles’ expression, but Stiles was not going to let this idiot walk all over him.

​

“God, I can’t believe I ever liked you. You are so nice to everyone. Even to me. I thought - I thought maybe you’d like me back. I can’t believe I wasted my first ever date and kiss on you. You’re such a Dick!” Stiles yelled at the boy, pushing past him and out the front door. He tried to fight the tears, but they just kept falling.

​

Fuck Danny and his stereotypes and his PMS. Stiles would rather be pathetically single and alone than keep chasing after a boy who clearly doesn’t think much of Stiles. He was soon to be first rank in their class. He was an amazing detective, and he was funny. Fuck him.

​

Stiles got into his jeep. He needed to go see Lydia anyway and make sure she was alright. They’d begrudgingly grown closer since the date, and Stiles knew Jackson was in no state to check on her himself.

​

God, boys sucked.

​

/Break\

​

Laura rubbed her eyes and called out for both Jackson and Peter, who joined her in her office. She’d just gotten off the phone with Stiles, who’d informed her that Lydia Martin had gotten a picture of the Alpha but that she was so high right now that Stiles was able to delete it. She’d also just gotten an email with the files she’d requested on Jackson.

​

Jackson was a Hale. He was Peter’s, and apparently, he had a twin sister. But her records were proving harder to find for Laura’s contact.

​

“Did you hear back?” Jackson asked. He sounded so hopeful. Laura nodded.

​

“I did. It turns out that, well.” She paused, looking between them. Peter’s eyes started widening. “Peter is your father, and you have a twin somewhere out there.” Both of their eyes widened in shock. Jackson fell onto the couch in her office, staring straight ahead.

​

“That’s not possible. I- I don’t remember having kids or even sleeping with a woman,” said Peter. Laura frowned, and realization dawned on her.

​

“Mom.” Peter looked at her questioningly. “You remember how she erased the memory of the location of the Nemeton from you and Derek. What if-” Laura couldn’t finish the sentence. Why would her mother do that?

“What?” Jackson asked.

​

“It’s possible that my sister used her Alpha powers to erase everything from my memory, so that she could take you and your sister from me. I- I would’ve been 18 at the time.” Jackson stood up, angry.

​

“Why would she do that? Why would she take me away from my family? I’ve spent most of my life trying to please my parents, when I could’ve been with my actual family all along. I’ve always felt something was wrong, something was missing, something,” Jackson lost his steam and collapsed back onto the couch. “I’ve also felt like something was calling out to me, and I was always so empty when I couldn’t find it.”

​

Laura and Peter both moved towards the boy and pulled him into a hug. The boy sobbed against them, letting the dam finally break completely.

​

“Look, Jackson, you have a place here, no matter what. Our door is always open.” Jackson nodded.

​

“Can I - can we get to know each other?” Peter nodded.

​

“I would very much enjoy that,” Peter said.

​

“Jackson, I’m going to enter Peter’s mind tomorrow, I’ll find those memories, I promise.” Jackson nodded and they group-hugged again.

​

“Just so you guys know, I’m kind of a huge asshole, and I’m not always this open about my emotions.” Laura laughed.

​

“That’s alright. Peter’s kind of an asshole, too.” Peter flicked Laura at that response, and she stuck her tongue out.

​

/Break\

​

Peter smiled at the other parents as they met up outside the school. Laura had wanted to meet and get progress reports on all of her pups. Isaac had gotten glowing reviews; the teachers were proud of all the progress he’d made since leaving his father’s care. Laura had preened at that, and Peter smiled. Isaac had worked hard to bring his grades up after everything that had happened.

​

Erica’s mother stopped by briefly to tell them that Erica’s grades were finally improving, now that she didn’t miss school to go to the hospital all the time. She’d teared up, informing them that the teachers thought Erica had a good chance of getting into a good college if she kept up the hard work.

​

Erica’s parents still felt awkward around the Pack and preferred to pretend like it didn’t exist, so this was Peter’s first time even meeting the woman. But it seemed like she loved her kid a lot.

​

Gran had just finished telling them that Boyd’s teachers were impressed and that the home economics teacher had recommended him for a summer camp for aspiring chefs and bakers. It was months off, but the teacher wanted Gran to really consider it. That’s when the Sheriff joined them.

​

Noah Stilinski looked tired, but still managed to look fine. Peter let his eyes travel up and down the Sheriff's body. Laura smiled at the man and elbowed Peter, probably able to smell and was disgusted by Peter’s arousal.

​

“Stiles gave his economics teacher a paper on the history of male circumcision.” Everyone in the group paused, and Peter laughed.

​

“That boy-oh, his brain is so fascinating," Peter commented. Noah rolled his eyes at the comment.

​

“According to the man, it was well written and researched. Organized beautifully, and he gave Stiles a B. Apparently, he’d have given Stiles an A if he had thrown any kind of mention of economics into the paper. That man disturbs me.” The group chuckled, all having met with Coach. He was weird.

​

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard fighting near them. Two people were yelling at each other. The group moved to see what the commotion was and found Chris Argent and Melissa McCall yelling.

​

“My daughter studies history with your son, and suddenly she’s got a B instead of an A. Your son is a bad influence.” Melissa scoffed, and Peter noticed Scott behind her, looking dejected.

​

“My son isn’t a bad influence. He’s been going through something personally. Maybe your daughter got a B because she’s not as perfect as you want her to be.” Peter expertly moved over and between them.

​

“Enough.” Chris looked surprised to see Peter, while Melissa looked annoyed. “You should not be doing this in front of Scott. He’s just a kid.” Chris moved away slightly at that comment, frowning.

​

“Allison is grounded until she brings her grade up. I don’t want her seeing your son outside of school until then.” Peter saw Chris’ wife, Victoria, shaking her head behind the man. Clearly, she didn’t agree with his stance.

​

“Fine -” Melissa was cut off by an actual scream of terror as everyone in the parking lot started running around panicked. Most tried to get in their cars and drive off. Peter moved away from the adults and sniffed the air.

​

There was an animal running around the parking lot. An actual mountain lion by the scent. Peter moved towards Noah, wanting to keep the man protected. And good thing too, because Peter had just moved him out of the way when the car he was behind backed out. Noah was breathing heavily and drew his gun, still leaning into Peter’s hold.

​

The mountain lion was right there in front of them. But before he could shoot it, another shot rang out. Peter whipped his head to see Chris Argent standing there, holding a smoking gun. Noah was instantly out of his arms and in Argent’s face.

​

“You brought a loaded weapon onto school property? What if your aim was off, you could’ve killed someone.” He was yelling at the man.

​

“I assure you, Sheriff, everything was under control. Nothing would’ve gone wrong.” Noah glared at the man, and Peter was reminded of how much he liked a man with authority.

​

“You will be in my office first thing tomorrow morning with your permit to conceal carry. If you aren’t, I will arrest you with a warrant to search your house.” Argent nodded, and the Sheriff moved away from him. Animal control was already on the scene; someone must’ve called them. He looked at Peter.

​

“Thank you for the assistance.” Peter nodded and smirked.

​

“No problem, and you know you can arrest me anytime.” He purred, making the older man blush before he walked back towards his niece, who was shaking her head at him. He just chuckled and walked her back to her car.

​

It seemed the Sheriff might be more interested than he originally thought.

​

/Break\

​

Kate smirked as she approached the burnt-out husk of the Hale House. Poor Derek and his older sister have to live in this hovel. They should’ve burned that night, too. But Kate was running out of time, and well, she still succeeded after all. She kicked the front door open, ignoring the warning sign that said the building was scheduled for demolition.

​

“Derek! Come out to play! Don’t you wanna talk to me?” Kate called out. A chuckle came from behind Kate, and she was pushed onto the ground, sliding onto someone’s feet.

​

“Hello, Kate Argent. My name is Marin Morrell. I’m a representative for the Magic Council. Behind you is Braeden Morrell, my wife, and a representative for the Hunter’s Council. We are here, in Beacon Hills, to conduct an official investigation into your family and you.” Kate glared at the woman as she stood up.

​

“We haven’t done anything wrong,” Kate said, with a smirk. Marin looked right through with her stare.

​

“We’ll be in town for a while.” Kate turned to look at the hunter behind her. She had her gun trained on Kate.

​

“This is the official warning. We’ve already introduced ourselves to your brother. If you step one foot out of line, we will know, and there will be an arrest warrant for you. You remember the process. It's the same one we went through with your father.” Kate glared at the reminder of her father.

​

“My father was just doing the right thing - killing those beasts. Besides, you haven’t caught him yet.” Marin tipped her head in acknowledgement.

​

“Not yet, but you aren’t your father, Kate, and I doubt he’d risk his own freedom to try to help you disappear.” Kate was pushed into the wall by an invisible force, and the breath was knocked out of her lungs.

​

“You will stay away from the new Hale Pack. There is your warning.” Kate chuckled. Little Laura, such a pussy she had to call the council. How weak. The two left Kate on the ground of the burnt house, struggling to catch her breath.

​

Kate sighed. She guessed it was time to visit that Coffee Shop her niece told her about. After all, she and Derek needed to have a conversation.

​

/Break\

​

Derek was opening the coffee shop that morning. He’d told Emma to take the day off while he trained the new employee he’d hired. He looked up with a smile when the front door opened, only for that smile to drop. Standing in the doorway was Kate Argent, smirking at him and raking her eyes up and down his body. Derek shivered in disgust.

​

“We are closed for another 20 minutes.” He pointed out. Kate laughed.

​

“Derbear, I thought we could talk, catch up.” Her smile turned sinister. Derek shook his head and remained behind the counter.

​

“We have nothing to talk about, Kate. You raped me when I was 15 - actually, you started when I was still 14. You used and abused me. You won’t get to do that again. So you should turn around and look for another victim. I’m sure you’ve left them all over the country.” Kate glared at him.

​

“Is that any way to talk to your old lover?” Derek scoffed as Kate tried to make herself appear seductive.

​

“Get out, Kate. I have the right to refuse service to whoever I want.” Kate pouted.

​

“Are you still upset about the whole fire thing? There’s no evidence I did it.” Derek rolled his eyes.

​

“I don’t know Kate. Are you sure you covered your tracks that well?” Kate went to retort, but stopped when Derek’s new employee, Braeden, walked out of the kitchen. Without saying anything, Kate left the shop, and Derek felt like he could breathe again. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to see Kate again.

Chapter Text

Scott smiled at Allison as he entered her room from the window. He’d offered to use the front door, but Allison told him not to, though she wouldn’t say why. He straightened up and brushed out his clothes, noticing a necklace on Allison’s nightstand.

​

“Cool necklace.” Allison smiled as Scott pointed out the necklace. She tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

​

“Yeah, my aunt gave it to me as a birthday gift. Apparently, it is a family heirloom.” Allison explained. Scott nodded and picked it up, turning it around and examining it. “You know, you’re focusing on the wrong thing.”

​

Scott placed the necklace down, confused, and turned to see Allison holding her bra with one finger as she smirked at him. Scott’s eyes widened as Allison let the bra fall to the floor. Scott tried really hard to look at Allison’s face, not wanting to be disrespectful. Scott’s stomach was churning, and he wasn’t sure what was happening here.

​

Allison walked up to him, kissing him and pushing him back against her bed. Scott fell onto the bed and wrapped his arms around Allison, pulling her closer. Allison smiled against his lips and ran her tongue over his bottom lip.

​

Scott, hesitantly, opened his lips, moving in sync with Allison. He tried to enjoy it, but all he could think about was where to put his hands and if he was doing this right. Allison seemed to be enjoying herself - so maybe he was. Allison’s hands found their way into his hair, running through it and tugging, before trailing down his face and neck, feeling his chest. Just as her hand was about to slide under his shirt, a knock came at the door.

​

Scott pushed Allison off of him with wide eyes and leapt off the bed.

​

“Just a second,” Allison called. She motioned towards the closet, but Scott was so panicked that he climbed back out the window. He sat on the roof for a second, breathing heavily. He was confused - making out with Allison hadn’t ever been that difficult before. But Scott couldn’t stop overthinking everything that was happening. He’d felt so nervous about his actions that he didn’t even really enjoy it, and shouldn’t he enjoy making out with his girlfriend? As he calmed down, he listened to some of the conversation going on in the room.

​

“You really wanna know something about your family history - look up the Beast of Geavudan. They used to call him Le Bête.” Kate was explaining this to Allison. Scott texted that name to Stiles, figuring if the hunters found it important, that it might be important for them to know as well. Besides, Stiles loved research.

​

Scott climbed off the roof and made his way to his car, getting in and starting it. Before Scott shifted gears, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stick up. Turning his head towards his window, he saw red eyes looking back at him. Scott held his breath, waiting to see what the Alpha was going to do. The eyes disappeared, and suddenly there was a claw on his window, in the dew.

​

The claw slowly went around in circles, drawing a perfect spiral. Scott waited for something else to happen, but nothing came, and Scott let go of the breath he was holding, grabbing his phone and snapping a quick picture of the symbol, before putting his car in drive. He needed to get to the Hale House - now.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was sitting at the kitchen table in the Hale house when Scott came bursting in through the door. Everyone else had already turned in for the night, but Stiles didn’t have to be home for another hour. Plus, Derek had asked him a question about Star Wars, and they’d been talking about it for a while now.

​

Derek paused in what he was saying to turn and look at Scott, who was out of breath and wide-eyed. Scott fumbled with his phone for a few seconds before practically throwing it at Derek. Derek caught it with ease as Scott practically collapsed next to Stiles.

​

“Where did you get this?” Derek asked, his tone taking on a serious edge. Derek passed the phone over to Stiles so he could see it as well.

​

“The Alpha approached me when I was about to leave the Argent’s. He didn’t do anything or say anything - just drew that symbol and left.” Scott explained, worriedly.

​

“What does this mean?” asked Stiles, sliding his previously discarded chem notes closer to him so he could write stuff down.

​

“In our culture, it means revenge,” Scott whined a little at that notion. Stiles jotted down a crude drawing of the spiral and an equals sign to the word revenge. He really should look into some books on werewolf culture - maybe finally go through his mom’s old apartment.

​

“But revenge on who? How are all these deaths connected? They feel random at best.” Scott pointed out. “I mean, the French teacher, bus driver, video store clerk - what do they have in common?” Stiles winced, drawing Scott’s attention. “What?”

​

“There were two more bodies found near the park tonight. That’s why my dad extended my curfew and told me to come here.” Stiles admitted.

​

“So that’s five people - not to mention the fact that the Alpha was near Argent's house, what if they are connected?” Scott was working himself up again, so Stiles placed a hand on his leg, grounding him.

​

“I can understand a wolf wanting revenge on an Argent.” Derek said, “It’s possible one of them broke the code and did something wrong.” Derek’s tone was guarded, and it hit Stiles then.

​

None of the Hales would talk about the fire - not often at least - and when they did, it was almost like they knew who started the fire. Could all these killings lead back to the Hale Fire? What if someone else made it out of the house that night - what if the Alpha was Cora? Stiles knew they were looking for her, after all. Unless this person was also the victim of a fire-based attack, seeking revenge on behalf of the Hales.

​

“I think it's time to reopen my dad’s files on the Hale Fire,” Stiles admitted. Derek looked at him, surprised. “Think about it, the only thing that’s ever happened in the past, what 10 -11 years was the Hale Fire. There really isn’t any other tragedy that occurred on this land that warranted revenge.” Stiles elaborated. Scott looked at him, confused, while Derek nodded along, looking lost in some train of thought.

​

“Are you also going to look at that thing I texted you about?” Scott asked. Stiles nodded and gathered up his things, shoving everything into his bookbag.

​

“Yes, I’ll look into it. I’m heading home now. So I can look through those case files.” Stiles bid both Scott and Derek goodbye, hopping into his Jeep to head home. If this really was connected to the Hale Fire, they might be closer to finding and stopping the Alpha then any of them even realized.

​

/Break\

​

Jackson sighed and shouldered his bookbag as he approached Scott at his locker. The last time he did this, he accused the younger boy of using steroids to be good at lacrosse. Now, Jackson knew the truth. Laura had looked into Peter’s mind, and she had found the stolen memories, unlocking them.

​

His aunt Talia had taken him and his sister away from Peter in the middle of the night. Had asked an old witch friend to block Jackson’s supernatural side; his sister not showing any signs at all. Then she’d separated the two babies, giving each to a different family and covering up any documentation.

​

Laura reasoned that his birth mother wanted both him and his sister dead - something about stealing her power from her. Aunt Talia was just worried that Peter would get killed, the babies would get killed, and, just for fun, this woman would also take out the Hale family.

​

Despite all of that, Jackson couldn’t help but hate that person. Finding his sister proved to be more difficult than uncovering his records. But they’d also had a base to go off of, while they had nothing on his sister.

​

Laura commented about getting her mother’s claws out of storage, but Peter shot the idea down, saying his sister was better at covering her tracks than just letting vital information lie around like that.

​

Jackson knew that the Hales planned to speak to his adopted parents soon about everything that had been discovered. David and Mary Whittemore weren’t bad parents, they just weren’t around a lot, and Jackson knew they loved him, and they were hurt every time Jackson refused to tell them he loved them back, but he just wasn’t sure how they would react to the news of Jackson wanting to connect with his birth family. Not to mention the whole supernatural aspect that Laura claimed they had to tell their parents about.

​

Now, Jackson knew he had to apologize to Scott. They were going to be pack mates and not only that, but they were team mates, they needed to trust each other and work together. So, as much as it pained him, Jackson was going to be the bigger man.

​

“McCall.” He called out. Scott jumped slightly and turned away from his locker to look at the other boy. He seemed confused about why Jackson was speaking to him.

​

“Hey, Jackson, what’s up?” Jackson came to a stop right in front of Scott and rubbed the back of his neck.

​

“I - I wanted to apologize about how I’ve been behaving towards you lately. I - I know I’m an asshole on the best of days, but I took it way too far at times.” Scott smiled widely at Jackson.

​

“That’s okay, dude. One day, you were the best player, and the next, the asthmatic kid who couldn’t aim to save his life was outshining you. You were totally within your rights to be upset. Maybe we can start training together - with Isaac and Boyd - that way we can understand how to differentiate between our super strength and our regular strength.” Scott offered. Jackson blinked in surprise and shook his head.

​

“You’re going to forgive me, just like that?” Scott nodded and turned to grab his history textbook.

​

“Yep, just like that. We are pack now - and the way Laura explains it, we’re family now, and every family has that one asshole that they all love anyway. I figured it would be Peter, but…” Scott trailed off, shrugging.

​

“Oh.” Jackson tried not to feel emotional at that comparison. “We could totally train together.” Scott smiled and shut his locker.

“See you later, Jackson.” Scott turned and left, heading off towards his classes, leaving Jackson feeling confused but also hopeful. Maybe it wasn’t too late to turn things around, and maybe he didn’t have to completely change his attitude to fit in. Especially since he apparently acted just like Peter - his father.

​

/Break\

​

Scott furrowed his eyebrows as Isaac prepped the next vocabulary question. Isaac wasn’t holding back with these questions, and they were difficult.

​

“Positive charge?” Scott took a deep breath - P=proton, N=neutral, Negative - left Electrons.

​

“Proton?” Scott asked more than he answered. Isaac smiled at him and cheered a little. The rest of the pack was smiling at the interaction.

​

“Just yesterday, you couldn’t answer the question; now you are! This is totally going to work. Do you want to continue with Chemistry or do you wanna look over some History timelines?” asked Isaac. Scott thought about it.

​

“How about we take a break for now, and after school we can study History?” Scott suggested. Isaac smiled and nodded in agreement, setting his notecards down and focusing on his food. Stiles appeared suddenly and sat down next to Scott, clapping his hands to draw the pack’s focus to him.

​

“Okay, so my brilliant mind has been at work again.” Stiles was shaking slightly, and he had an All Hale Caffeine cup in his hand.

​

“Dude, did you sleep?” Stiles scoffed.

​

“Sleep is for the weak, Scottie.” Isaac cleared his throat and motioned towards the coffee cup.

​

“How much caffeine?” Stiles blushed slightly.

​

“Derek would only give me two cups. This is decaf.” Erica snorted and covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide. The whole table burst out into laughter at her reaction.

​

“So what exactly did your brilliant mind discover?” Boyd asked, as he passed his cookie over towards Erica, with a soft smile.

​

“Okay, so first, Scott had me look up the legend of the Le Bête. Apparently, it's like the origin of the Argent family of hunters. The king at the time ordered the beast to be hunted, and it killed like 300 people. It was an Argent family member who supposedly killed it. Not important.” Stiles waved his hands. “What is important is what I found out about the Hale Fire.” He pulled out pictures of the victims.

​

“So Garrison Myers was the insurance guy who claimed the fire was an accident and not arson. Apparently, before becoming a bus driver at Beacon Hills, he’d travelled around the country and was an insurance agent in multiple towns, both before and after the fire. He was let go when he got caught accepting a bribe. He returned the money, and the company never pressed charges. He came back to Beacon Hills and became a bus driver until he died.” He pushed the photo forward.

​

“The store clerk used to be a firefighter. He was assigned by the fire chief to investigate alongside Myers. He was fired and in jail for two years when the fire chief discovered he’d been covering small arsons and labeling them as accidents, getting rid of evidence and such.”

​

“These two were found dead last night. Their names are Reddick and Unger. They were brought in multiple times over the years as small-time arsonists, but nothing ever stuck because, yep, you guessed it, their childhood friend, the store clerk, covered for them. They were held for 72 hours after the Hale House fire because police found them near the site with accelerants. However, with no other evidence, they were let go.”

​

“There are reports of a blonde woman seen around these guys around the time of the fire, but no concrete leads yet. And I don’t know how the French teacher plays into this yet. I might need someone with hacking skills to help. Maybe Jackson could convince Danny indirectly.” Stiles said bitterly.

​

“Wait, so they were all connected to the fire. Some of them were even connected to multiple fires. Does that mean whoever the Alpha is, they were a victim of this group?” asked Scott, tilting his head.

​

“That is exactly what that means. I’ve sent the information to Peter. Since it is the left-hand’s job to look into this kind of stuff.” Stiles said. The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Scott packed up his things alongside his friends and made to head to class. He stopped, however, when he heard someone call out his name.

​

He turned to see Allison walking up to him, with a stack of books in her arms. He smiled at her and waited for her to catch up to him, waving his friends off.

​

“Hey Scott! So, I talked to Harris, and he let me switch lab partners to you. Since your tutor is in a different period, that way we could also study together.” She said, smiling. Scott’s stomach felt a little weird. He must’ve eaten something bad.

​

“That sounds like fun.” Allison and he started walking to class.

​

“Yeah, maybe we could study together after school.” Scott frowned and stopped walking, turning to look at Allison.

​

“I can’t after school. Isaac and I are supposed to study for that history test later this week. But maybe we could hang out later around 8? Depending on how the first study session goes.” Allison frowned for a second before smiling.

​

“That sounds like an awesome plan. Tell Isaac I said hi.” Allison requested before she kissed Scott’s cheek. She turned and made her way to Lydia, who was standing at her locker, fixing her lipstick. Scott smiled at his retreating girlfriend, pushing the bad feeling out of his stomach and making his way to math class.

​

/Break\

​

Allison sighed as she answered her phone. Lydia was calling. Lydia had been in a great mood lately, and it probably had to do with Jackson. He’d approached her earlier during her free period when he was skipping chem to apologize to her. He explained why he’d been such a dick and that he wanted to work on it, because he wanted both her and Scott to like him.

​

Jackson seemed to mean it, too, as he was nice all day long, with only a few snide comments being made about other students.

​

“Okay, so, sex with Jackson is like a hundred times better when he’s being all considerate. At one point, I was uncomfortable, and he actually stopped and thoroughly prepped me some more before continuing. I have never orgasmed like that in my life.” Allison pulled a face.

​

“Hello to you, too, Lydia. How nice to hear from you.” Lydia laughed at Allison’s response.

​

“Hun, you sound frustrated and repressed.” Allison rolled her eyes.

​

“I don’t really think Scott is interested in Sex. At least, not with me.” Allison admitted. He never seemed to be into any of the make-out sessions, and he always seemed uncomfortable.

​

“Allison, Scott is a teenage boy - of course, he’s interested in sex. I’ve yet to meet one that isn’t.” Allison laughed a little at that.

​

“I don’t know. Is it normal for boys to cancel plans to study with their friends? I mean, does Jackson cancel on you to hang out with Danny?” Lydia scoffed.

​

“No, the boys have two nights a week for them. They don’t get anything else unless someone dies or breaks Danny’s heart. I run a tight ship. What I want - I get.” Allison shook her head and fiddled with her necklace.  “Who is he hanging out with anyway?”

​

“Isaac Lahey.” Lydia h’mmed.

​

“If I had to bet, I’d say that boy is definitely not into girls. Maybe…” Lydia trailed off.

​

“What?”

​

“Maybe Scott’s actually gay.” Allison swallowed a lump in her throat.

​

“I hope not. I - I really like him. Lyds… I think I might love him.” Lydia tsk’ed.

​

“Allison, if you think he’s keeping things from you and that he doesn’t want you, there is probably a conversation you two need to have.” Allison sighed.

​

“Anyways, enough about me. Tell me all about Jackson.” Lydia immediately launched into an overly detailed replay of her time with Jackson, which was enough to make Allison blush and splutter at multiple points during the retelling.

​

/Break\

​

Scott stopped writing suddenly when he realized something. He looked up at Isaac, who was sitting across from him on his bed.

​

“So these guys lured their enemy out by tricking them with noise. Then they jumped the enemy and took them out?” Isaac looked up and nodded, confusion clear in his gaze.

​

“Yeah, at its base level, that’s what you can sum it up to.” Scott nodded.

​

“Can- is- is there a way that wolves can- like - call out to other members of a pack?” Isaac nodded.

​

“Yeah, through their howls. Laura told us to howl if there was ever danger so she could find us. They call it echolocation.” Scott nodded.

​

“And technically, I’m connected to the Alpha still, until the bond with Laura solidifies, so I could howl and the Alpha would come to me, right?” Isaac nodded slowly.

​

“Theoretically, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.” Scott jumped up off the bed with a huge smile, wrapping Isaac in a hug.

​

“You are a genius. You’re amazing, Zac. I’ve got to go, I’ll see you later, okay, love you.” Scott rushed out of the room, oblivious to the shell-shocked boy he left behind. Scott hopped on his bike and texted both Stiles and Derek to meet him at the school. They were going to stop the Alpha - tonight.

​

/Break\

​

Scott smiled as both Stiles and Derek pulled up to the school. Derek was still wearing his uniform for the shop, and Stiles was holding a coffee cup. Scott rolled his eyes. Those two probably argued before coming here in separate cars.

​

“I have a plan to lure the Alpha out and trap him,” Scott said in place of a greeting. Stiles clapped his hands and said.

​

“That’s great.” Scott smiled at his friend.

​

“Derek, you’d wait on the roof and contact Laura when the Alpha shows up. I’ll go into the school with Stiles and get on the loudspeaker. I’ll howl and use echolocation to draw the Alpha here. If we can keep him interested long enough for Laura and Peter to get here, they can work together to put the Alpha down.” Derek and Stiles looked impressed with his plan.

​

“That could work - but you should remember that a lot can go wrong with that plan.” Derek pointed out. Stiles slapped his arm.

​

“Oh, c’mon, don’t be such a Sourwolf,” said Stiles. Derek rolled his eyes.

​

“I’ll head up to the roof now.” Scott and Stiles grinned at each other and ran up to the door. Scott reached out and shifted, breaking the chain on the door. It took them a few minutes to get to the office and turn the loudspeaker on.

​

“Remember, Scott, let your instincts take over.” Scott nodded and took a deep breath before howling into the microphone. Stiles stumbled slightly as the floor shook from the force of Scott’s howl.

​

“That was so cool!” Scott smiled at Stiles, and they made their way back to the door they’d used. Scott stopped Stiles from going further, pointing at the Jeep. The hood was bent up, and the battery was sitting next to it. The boys exchanged a scared look with each other before they heard growling. The Alpha was right in front of them and running for them. Scott grabbed the chain and pushed Stiles back into the school. Shifting, he bent the chain around the door and prayed it held up.

​

“Dude, we’re trapped.” Stiles pointed out. Scott sighed. Hopefully, Derek had reached Laura, and he would be here any second to help.

​

/break\

​

Laura and Peter both jumped from where they were sitting as the howl reached them. One of the betas was calling out to her. Footsteps pounded as Isaac came running downstairs.

​

“It’s Scott.” His eyes were wide and filled with panic. Erica and Boyd followed him downstairs.

​

“He’s near the school,” said Peter. Laura nodded and grabbed her car keys.

​

“C’mon, we’ve got to get to the school.” Everyone went out to the cars to get into them.

​

“Laura?” She looked back at Isaac. “I think Scott wanted to lure the Alpha out,” Laura swore and kicked the car into gear. What the hell was Scott thinking?

​

/Break\

​

Jackson pulled up to Allison's house, with Lydia next to him, fiddling with the radio station. Lydia was picking Allison up to hang out since Scott had stood her up.

​

“Guys, I got a text from Scott. He needs us all at the school.” Allison said in lieu of greeting them. Jackson got out of the car and pulled the seat forward so Allison could get into the car. Then it hit him, Jackson nearly stumbled as the force of the howl hit his ears. Scott was in trouble.

​

Jackson’s stomach felt as if it had bottomed out. Scott was in danger and asked them to come. Lydia and Allison didn’t even know about the supernatural. Jackson got back into the car and started driving to the school as the girls talked. He had a feeling Scott didn’t send the text - but he couldn’t leave his new pack mate to fend for himself either.

Chapter Text

Stiles and Scott raced through the school hallway, as far away from the door and the Alpha werewolf that wanted to rip their heads off as possible. Scott pointed towards an open classroom, and Stiles nodded, both boys sliding into the room and shutting the door. Stiles bent over, hands bracing his knees as he caught his breath. Scott was by the windows, peering out, trying to get a good look at where the Alpha might be.

​

“Scott, he’s totally going to come into the building.” Scott looked over at Stiles with wide eyes, realizing how serious the situation was.

​

“We just have to stay ahead of him until Laura can get here.” Scott reasoned. Stiles nodded and stood up, about to say something, when suddenly glass shattered from the window next to Scott; a heavy object landed and slid across the floor.

​

“Is that my car battery?” Stiles asked as Scott leapt across the room and latched onto Stiles’ wrist, dragging him back into the school hallway.

​

“We can go to the locker room - hide in the lockers, they should be big enough.” Stiles nodded and followed Scott into the locker room. He held his breath as the locker room door opened right as they closed their lockers. He could see a slight movement of light and heard the jingling of keys.

​

Stiles watched as a shadowy figure walked past the lockers and towards the showers. It must have been the janitor. After all, his eyes didn’t glow like the Alpha’s did. Stiles very nearly pissed himself when a black monstrous figure landed from the ceiling in front of his locker. The figure looked around with glowing red eyes, pausing on the lockers he and Scott were in. Before narrowing in the direction of the showers.

​

The creature stalked off towards the showers. That damn Alpha was toying with them. It knew exactly where Stiles and Scott were, and yet - he was going after the janitor. As soon as the janitor started screaming, Stiles and Scott were out of their lockers and running. Scott’s head snapped to the left as they came to an intersection in the hallway.

​

“I think Jackson, Lydia, and Allison are here. I thought I might have heard someone scream earlier,” said Scott. Stiles' eyes widened, and his breath picked up.

​

“We’ve got to get to them.” Scott nodded and led the way. Stiles realized that they were heading towards the lobby. They slowed down as they saw the others.

​

“What are you guys doing here?” Scott asked, stressed. Allison looked scared, fumbling with her phone, while Jackson was looking in the direction they’d come from, probably hearing the screams of the janitor. Lydia just looked numb - staring straight ahead.

​

“I got this text from you, Scott. That you wanted us to come here.” Allison shoved her phone at Scott, who took it and showed it to Stiles. That was definitely Scott’s number. Scott handed her phone back and checked his pockets.

​

“I - I don’t know where my phone is. I had it when I left Isaac’s, but I don’t know-” Scott was running his hands through his hair, pulling slightly and sounding frustrated.

​

“Okay, calm down. We will figure it out, but we should probably get a move on to somewhere less open,” said Stiles, with perfect timing as well, since the Alpha appeared at the end of the hall and roared. Stiles’ eyes widened, and he turned, signaling everyone to run.

​

They made it into the cafeteria and blockaded the door. Which would’ve been a great idea if there hadn’t been a wall of windows in front of Stiles.

​

“Stiles - call your dad,” Jackson said. Stiles shook his head. His dad might know what they were facing, but that was still a feral alpha werewolf, and his dad’s regular bullets wouldn’t do anything against it. It would just get him dead. Lydia seemed to snap out of her funk and pulled out her own phone.

​

“I’m calling 911.” They waited as the phone rang. “Hi, I’m at Beacon Hills High School and -” Lydia looked at them in shock. “They hung up on me. They said they’d been informed of a prank at the school.” Everyone stopped to look around at each other. Everyone wore terrified expressions on their faces.

​

“Scott?” Allison’s voice spoke up in the silence. “What is going on - who is that out there?” Scott looked at Stiles, unsure of what to say.

​

“Tell her.” Stiles’ tone was hard. They couldn’t afford lies right now, not when they were trying to survive the night.

​

“Scott - they should both know.” Stiles tried not to let the surprise show on his face that Jackson was agreeing with him. Scott sighed.

​

“We don’t know who that is exactly.” At Allison’s pinched expression, he held up his hands. “We don’t know who that is - but we know what they are. That person out there is a werewolf - a feral Alpha to be exact, and we know this because they bit both me and Jackson, and we’ve turned into Werewolves as well - but we aren’t with them obviously - instead the Hales have been helping us - they are born wolves and that’s a whole other explanation….” Scott trailed off when he saw the upset expressions both girls were giving him.

​

“Werewolves aren’t real, Scott, and I don’t appreciate you making fun of this situation when there is someone trying to kill us.” Allison snapped. Stiles groaned.

​

“He’s not lying. Jackson, Scott, show them your beta shifts.” Stiles said. Both boys closed their eyes and opened them, their golden eyes shining out as their eyebrows did that weird disappearing act, and fangs elongated out of their mouths. The sideburns grew in quickly and left just as quickly as both boys shifted back.

​

Lydia’s mouth had fallen open in surprise, while Allison took a step away from them in fear. Scott semi-whined at the girl’s action, and Stiles wasn’t going to stand for this.

​

“Okay, one: they aren’t going to hurt you, they are in control. Two: We need to work together to survive long enough for the Hales to show up. Laura and Peter must be on their way by now. Three: Any questions you have, I’ll try my best to answer them, but first, I’m going to call my dad. Just in case.”

​

Stiles brought his phone to his ear and listened to it ring before it was sent to voicemail. “Hey, Dad. When you get this, come to the school - the Alpha is here and it's hunting me and my friends.” Stiles hung up the phone.

​

“So you’re telling me that you are some kind of creature and that thing out there is as well?” Allison sounded frustrated and confused, and there were tears building up in her eyes.

​

“Yes, and that Alpha out there, they are the one going around killing all those people, not a mountain lion,” Scott said, hanging his head. Allison let out a helpless laugh at the situation. Before anyone could say anything, something was thrown against the barricaded door. They heard a ‘oof’ as it fell to the floor.

​

“Stiles! Scott!” The boys exchanged a look. It was Derek.

​

“We’re here,” Scott called out. Derek grunted as the Alpha threw themselves on top of him.

​

“There should be a back staircase that takes you to the second floor. Find a classroom and hide. I can feel it, Laura is almost here.” Stiles nodded, spotting the doorway that led to the back stairs. Everyone ran up, sliding out of the stairway’s door, and looking down the hallway of classrooms.

​

“The Chem room - it's one of the only doors that has a working lock,” said Stiles, pointing to the open door. They scrambled inside and locked the door, chests heaving for air.

​

“Why does that Alpha want to kill us?” Allison demanded to know. Stiles rolled his eyes.

​

“We don’t know - okay? We don’t know anything about this alpha other than the fact that they are insane. Are you getting the picture now?” Allison was taken aback by Stiles’ tone. But Stiles was too tired right now to really care.

​

The ground shook, and two Alphas roared. Jackson collapsed to his knees, gripping his head, while Scott shifted and looked towards the door.

​

“They’re in the gym - we have to go help them.” Stiles stopped Scott from leaving, while Lydia helped Jackson stand up.

​

“You have no physical training - Laura didn’t get that far with you yet, and Jackson definitely has no training. Going in there without being able to fight or having any weapons would cause Laura, Peter, and Derek to get distracted. You could get someone else killed tonight.” Stiles reprimanded. Scott flinched at the reminder of how useless he was in the scenario they put themselves in.

​

“Wait,” Lydia said, bringing the room’s attention to her. She was looking at the chemical storage. “We could make a weapon.” She looked straight at Stiles, pursing her lips. “Do you know how to make a self-igniting Molotov cocktail?” Stiles’ eyes lit up.

​

“Duh,” he replied. Lydia smiled and pointed towards the cabinet.

​

“You get the chemicals - I’ll get the supplies. We can probably make two or three, depending on how much of the chemicals Harris has on hand.” Stiles nodded and pushed past Scott, rooting through the chemical cabinet for what they needed. The room was dead silent as Lydia and Stiles worked - though both Scott and Jackson kept their eyes on the door, probably able to hear the fight that was happening downstairs.

​

When they were finished, they had three cocktails ready to go. Stiles and Lydia both kept one and then handed the last one to Allison.

​

“Here’s the plan: we are going to go in there, but Jackson and Scott are going to distract the Alpha long enough for us three to throw these at them. He’ll light on fire and hopefully die.” Allison looked nauseous as she took the cocktail into her hand. The group of five ran downstairs and into the gym. Peter, Derek, and Laura had the Alpha surrounded and took turns landing hits.

​

Isaac was lying against the wall, holding a bloodied nose; Erica was beside him, clutching her arm. Boyd was in front of the two of them, fangs and claws out and ready to attack should the Alpha come towards them. Derek made eye contact with Stiles, his wild eyes taking the boy in and noting the bomb he was holding. Derek gave a slight nod, and the Hales got out of the way. Jackson and Scott ran to the other side of the gym, screaming obscenities at the Alpha. Their red eyes tracked to the two betas, turning its back on the three humans.

​

“Now!” Stiles shouted. All three of them threw the cocktails, all of them landing perfectly on the back of the beast, igniting and feeding each other’s flames. The beast fell to the ground, roaring in pain. Peter and Derek rushed over with fire extinguishers and put the flames out.

​

The Alpha was now an unrecognizable human, burnt to a crisp and moaning in pain. Laura stood above them, frowning.

​

“Silver.” The Alpha whimmered out, before Laura crouched down and slashed his throat wide open. Letting the Alpha’s suffering end.

​

“Guys, we need to get you out of here, especially on the off chance that the Argents show up,” Stiles commented, helping Isaac stand as Boyd helped Erica up. Both of their injuries had already healed. But Scott pushed Stiles to the side to inspect Isaac.

​

“Are you okay?’ Isaac smiled and nodded. Scott breathed a sigh of relief, and Stiles shook his head at Scott’s antics before realizing that the room had fallen silent.

​

“Stiles, why would my family show up at all?” Allison asked, voice barely above a whisper. Stiles’ eyes widened as he realized what he’d said. He’d forgotten that Allison wasn’t supposed to know about her family. He looked at the Hales helplessly, and Laura motioned for him to tell her.

​

“Because Allison, your family is a family of werewolf hunters.” Allison’s eyes bugged out, and she looked ready to freak out. Laura stepped up to the girl.

​

“Look, there is no time to explain right now. The cops will be here soon, and most of my pack needs to leave before then. But you can come to my house at any time and I will answer all the questions you have. But, Allison, you can’t let your family know that you know yet. Okay? We have to let them think the Alpha is still alive and a threat. My uncle Peter has already ensured they’d find evidence of it.” Laura explained. Allison nodded, and tears began to fall down her face. Laura smiled at the girl in sympathy and left, taking the rest of the pack with her, leaving the five teens to themselves.

​

But not for long, because Stiles’ dad was bursting into the room with his whole station, guns out and ready.

​

“Stiles! What happened?” His dad asked, coming up to him and wrapping him up in a hug. Stiles shuddered for a moment and returned his dad’s hug. He pulled away from his dad and smiled, sadly.

​

“It’s a long story.” His father raised an eyebrow at the wording, nodding in understanding.

​

“So Scott and I got a text on Scott’s phone saying to come to the school, and it was tagged with Allison’s name. When we got here, the door was open, and we went in only to hear screaming. We ran, but someone destroyed my car battery. We were stuck, and we must’ve lost Scott’s phone along the way. We bumped into these three, and Ally had a text from Scott that told them to come to the school. This masked man with red eyes brought the janitor into the locker room where we were hiding and started just tearing into him and gutting him, saying that he’d do the same to us. He called us toys. We were running, and I called you. After that, he must’ve caught up because he’d knocked us all out and brought us to the gym. He- he held both Lydia and Allison at gunpoint and told us three that we needed to set that man on fire. He’d made Molotov’s, apparently. We- we didn’t want to - but he was going to kill them, so we did, and then he - he put out the fire and dug out this weird knife thing that looked like a claw and tore at that man’s throat.” Stiles started crying as the events of the night caught up to him.

​

He knew the tears would make his story more believable, but that wasn’t why he was crying. He was scared - and he finally let himself feel that fear. The deputies around them looked horrified at the recounting of the events. 

​

“Okay - Okay.” His dad said, rubbing his back.

​

“My deputies are going to take you guys home, okay. Don’t worry about the cars, the Station will handle them. Scott - Is your mom home?” Scott shook his head no. Melissa usually worked the night shift on Wednesdays. “Okay, both of you are going to the Hale house - Tara will take you. I don’t want you alone right now.” Before his dad could say anything else, Lydia collapsed, red seeping out of her side and through her shirt. Stiles shared a look with Scott as they realized Lydia must’ve been attacked earlier, before they all met up. His dad was yelling for the EMTs.

​

“Please, let me go with her - that’s my girlfriend,” Jackson begged. The EMTs let Jackson come with them, and Stiles could see him getting in the ambulance. Lydia had to be alright - she just had to be. Whatever the injury was, she had to get better. But the trail of blood left behind wasn’t promising. Stiles got into Tara’s cruiser, thinking about everything that had happened.

​

/break\

​

Scott ran up to Allison before she could get into the cop cruiser. She looked tired and upset and wouldn’t look him in the eye.

​

“Allison, I’m going to get a new phone and I’ll call you-” She cut him off by holding up her hand.

​

“Don’t. Don’t call me, don’t talk to me, just don’t.” Scott furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

​

“What, why?” Allison’s eyes filled with tears again.

​

“Why? Because you have been canceling plans left and right, and you kept this huge secret from me and- and I find out my whole life has been a lie and my family has knowingly lied to me. I- I just need some time and space to figure everything out.” Scott nodded.

​

“Okay, so we’re on a pause, that’s fine, whatever you need.” Allison huffed and stepped away from him, shaking her head.

​

“No, Scott,” she said, crossing her arms. “Not a pause or a break. We’re done. It's over.” She walked away from him and got into the car. Scott blinked numbly in surprise, a deep ache filling his chest. He - how - what? Scott felt inexplicably sad as he walked over to Tara and slid in next to Stiles.

​

They had bigger things to worry about, like waiting for the Id of the Alpha and hearing if Lydia was going to be okay or not. But Scott’s mind kept wandering to Allison. He loved her - loves her, he wasn’t sure, but he knew that he cared for her, and he blew it. She would never want to be near him ever again.

​

/Break\

​

Derek glanced at both Stiles and Scott as they sat at the table, silent and sad. Tonight had been a rough night, but in the end, the Alpha had been stopped. Derek had set two coffees in front of the boys - not their regulars, but Derek wasn’t equipped to make those at home. Both drinks were barely touched, a sign that something was truly wrong.

​

“So the Argents found the evidence, and they strongly believe that the Alpha attacked the kids, but that the Alpha got away. It helped that Allison told them the story Stiles made up, word for word. If we are lucky, Kate will trip up and reveal that she's the one behind the fire.” At Peter’s words, Stiles looked away from the table and up at them with a light in his eyes.

​

“What do you mean? How is Kate Argent involved in the fire?” asked Stiles. Derek flinched as he thought about the events that led to the fire. A flinch that Stiles latched onto immediately, eyes glued to Derek. Derek sighed.

​

“When I was a Freshman in high school, I was going through some stuff. I had just lost my first girlfriend - a story for another time - and I was in a bad place mentally. The French teacher went on leave around that time, and there was a substitute. Miss. Silver. She was nice and made me feel cared for and seen when I was so depressed. She got into my head - made me think she loved me. We’d slept together a few times, and I snuck her in and out of the house. I never realized that she lied about who she was until after the fire, when Deaton had dug around and discovered that Miss. Silver was Kate Argent.”

​

Stiles stood from the table, downed his whole cup of coffee, and ran off towards his bag. He came back with a stack of papers and a notebook.

​

“Okay, so Miss. Silver was the name Kate went by when she was teaching. How old were you?”

​

“I’d just turned 15 when things got mature,” Derek said with a frown. Laura rested a hand on his shoulder while Peter looked over what Stiles was working on.

​

“The French teacher was the only thing that didn’t make sense to the rest of the victims. But she would’ve known that a student had died. Would’ve known that some kid was vulnerable. What if she left on purpose? What if she was working with Kate? I’m going to need someone to hack her employment records. I’ll have to ask Danny for help - even if he’s rude and mean, he's a killer with computers.” Stiles was jotting something down.

​

“What is all this?” Peter asked. Scott looked over the paper.

​

“Those are the connections the victims had with the fire.” Stiles nodded and pushed some towards Peter.

​

“Some of the victims had a history that was shady. Not just in Beacon Hills, but other places too. I’m willing to bet money that the Alpha is connected to a fire in some way and that his ID and the information Danny will help me dig up on the teacher will be the final nail in the coffin.” Stiles got up from the table and poured himself another cup of coffee. Derek smiled softly as the boy came back into himself.

​

“What does all that mean, and why is Stiles talking loud enough to wake us up?” Isaac asked sleepily from the stairs, where he stood with Erica and Boyd.

​

“That, my good sir,” Stiles said, pointing at Isaac, “means that we might just have a serial arsonist on our hands, and if we can uncover her methods, we can prove it.” Stiles had a determined look on his face as he came to stand in front of Derek.

​

“I’m going to get justice for you and your family.” Derek smiled, surprised as he looked down at Stiles. This teenager, who had just gone through something traumatic, was willing to put off his own recovery and help Derek get the closure he truly needed. Derek knew, looking at Stiles, that he would do anything for this boy - he’d kill for this boy and he’d let himself be killed for him too. Derek was well and truly whipped.

Chapter Text

Scott sighed from where he was lying on his bed, rolled up in his blankets, when his mom knocked on his door. He really didn’t want to talk to her or anyone. They’d had two days off from school, while the police cleaned up the mess the Alpha left behind. But now it was time to go back - although the principal had assured the students who were trapped in the school that night knew they could take as much time as they needed without penalty.

​

Scott was hung up over the Alpha, which was saying something, because any normal person would’ve had nightmares about the whole situation for weeks. Scott was relieved that his plan had worked, albeit differently from what he had hoped. But they’d stopped the Alpha, and the Hales were now one step ahead of Kate Argent.

​

What was bothering Scott was the fact that Allison broke up with him. He really loved her - he knew that he did - and had accidentally told Stiles a few times. But he’d never told her how he felt, and now she was gone. Scott doubted she would take him back, let alone be his friend again. That sucked. He liked spending time with her - she was funny and nice, and it was so easy to talk to her.

​

“Scott, honey.” His mom walked around the room and crouched down at his bedside, making eye contact with him. He knew he looked like crap, and judging by the look on his mom’s face, she knew it too. “Do you want to stay home another day?” Scott shook his head and sat up, throwing his blankets slightly off.

​

“I can’t, Mom. Today is that big Chem test, and Isaac has been working with me around the clock to get my grades up. I can’t let him down,” said Scott. His mom frowned at him and stood up, sitting next to him on his bed.

​

“You wouldn’t be letting anyone down, Scott. Plus, you can always retake the test when you are ready to go back to school.” She paused, searching his face. “Unless this isn’t about the test. Honey, do you want to talk about Allison?” Scott frowned and shrugged.

​

“I guess. I-I really liked her mom. I think I even loved her, and now she’s gone. She wants time and space to figure everything out. She didn’t like that I lied to her or that I kept canceling plans to study with Isaac. But- if I don’t get my grades up, I can’t play lacrosse mom. And I’ve tried studying with Allison before. We never get anything done, we just end up making out.” Scott immediately shut his mouth; he couldn’t believe he had just told his mom that.

​

“Most boys don’t complain about making out with a girl they like,” she stated calmly. Scott looked down at his hands, not wanting to witness his mom think about this topic. “Scott?”

​

“I don’t know, Mom, it always felt weird. I mean - it was nice - but I-I don’t know.” Melissa wrapped an arm around her boy, drawing him close. Scott appreciated the gesture.

​

“It’s okay to not be ready for that level of intimacy. And when Allison is ready to talk to you again, you should discuss this with her, okay?” Scott nodded, and Melissa patted him on the back before standing up. “Alright, young man, let’s get you to school.” Scott raised an eyebrow at his mom’s antics, laughing as she rested her hands on her hips.

​

“Okay, okay - I’ll go shower real quick,” Scott said, smiling as he entered his bathroom. He had a test to ace after all.

​

/Break\

​

Chris pulled up to the school and locked the doors before Allison could get out. Having his baby girl returned home the other night by a police officer after the feral Alpha had chased her through the school was terrifying. Allison was the light of his life and the only reason he remained under his family’s thumb for so long. Her coming that close to dying was not okay.

​

“We could always do homeschooling - at least until this maniac is caught.” Allison rolled her eyes at his suggestion. So, he knew he was being overbearing and coddling her ever since she was brought home. He’d even offered to allow Scott to come over to help her feel better - though he’d never admit that to anyone else, and Allison, hopefully, wouldn’t tell her mother or aunt - just to find out that they were broken up.

​

Allison had cried when she admitted that, and suddenly, Chris was okay with leaving her side for a moment so he could go kill Scott. Before he could do that, however, she admitted that she broke up with him, and she wasn’t sure if it was the right move to make. Chris had no frame of reference for teenage girl heartbreak and had no idea what to tell her, other than to talk to her aunt or her friends about it.

​

Allison had refused to speak to her aunt, though. She’d said she didn’t want her aunt to convince her of anything with the Scott situation, that she was old enough to make her own decisions, but Chris wasn’t buying it. Something had to have happened between the two of them - something more than just Kate accusing Scott of stealing. Allison had also informed him that Lydia was in the hospital still and not awake yet - according to Jackson - and Chris really didn’t like that she had, yet, another boy’s number in her phone.

​

“Dad, I have that big Chem test today that I can’t miss. Not to mention that I’m supposed to hang out with Erica after school; get some girl perspective on my problem.” Allison sounded annoyed, and it made Chris wince lightly. There was once a time when his little girl hung on every word he said and thought he was the coolest. That clearly wasn’t the case anymore, now that Allison was growing up.

​

“Yeah, Chris, she’s got places to be and people to see,” Kate said in a teasing tone, seeing how upset Chris really was.

​

“Fine. Text me after the test,” Allison rolled her eyes, “I want to know how you think you did. Also, let me know when you get to Erica’s house and if you’ll need a ride home or not.” Allison nodded and tried the door handle again - it was still locked. She gave her dad a pointed look.

​

“Just - if you need to come home at any point during the day, call me. I’ll keep it on all day. Just say the word and I’ll come get you.” Allison’s eyes lost some of their annoyance, and she nodded.

​

“Of course, Dad. I love you and I’ll see you later.” Chris sighed and unlocked the door. Allison hopped out and shut the door. “Bye, Kate, love you.” Then, she was off and into the school.

​

Kate turned to look at Chris with a raised eyebrow as he pulled out of the school parking lot and back onto the road.

​

“Are you really thinking of making a peace treaty with the Hales in exchange for their help finding this Alpha?” she asked, her tone filled with disgust.

​

“Kate,” Chris sighed. “We are good hunters. But we came extremely close to losing Allison the other night. Even if we started her training now, she’d never be ready or capable of taking on the Alpha by herself. We can barely manage to find the Alpha, let alone get a shot at it. If working with the Hales to eliminate a threat is the only way to keep my baby safe, then that’s what I’ll do.” His tone was hard. Kate rolled her eyes.

​

“Give me one more week, give me until the winter formal, and if I haven’t managed to catch them or make any progress, you can make your stupid treaty.” Chris sighed and nodded.

​

“You have exactly one week. But your focus is on the Alpha. That means you can’t take Allison dress shopping for the dance or anything like that. You need to focus on finding this animal and putting it down.” Kate nodded with a frown.

​

“I’ll do whatever I have to to keep Ally safe, Chris.” Chris just hoped his sister was telling the truth for once.

​

/break\

​

Scott entered the testing room beside Stiles. It was hard, but he walked right past where Allison was sitting and didn’t look or talk to her. His mom had been clear; Allison wanted space, so Scott had to give her space. It was as simple as that. No matter how much Scott wanted to fix things with Allison, he had to let her come to him, in whatever way she wanted.

​

He took a seat and accepted the test packet that Mr. Harris handed to him. The room quickly filled up as the bell rang.

​

“Okay, you all have an hour to take this test. No cheating, no talking, no getting up. You may begin.” Mr. Harris sat in the front of the room, and everyone opened their testing booklets. Stiles was beside him, lightning fast. It made sense. Stiles was always prepared for school tests. No matter how distracted he may get or however many research binges he went down, Stiles was the smartest kid in the school, and he knew what he was doing.

​

Scott, on the other hand, usually struggled. However, he’d managed to get through the first two pages of the test before someone snapped their pencil. From there, all the sounds were amplified, and Scott couldn’t control his hearing. All the noises were ringing in his head, and he distantly remembered that tonight was a full moon.

​

He tried to focus on the test, but he couldn’t make up the words, all of them blurring together. He felt his breathing pick up. He couldn’t even read the stupid test, which meant that he was going to fail. He’d wasted Isaac’s time and energy for nothing. Allison would never want to be his friend again because he was the worst person in the world, and everything was falling apart and spinning out of control and -

​

Scott stood up and ran out of the room, struggling to breathe. He heard Mr. Harris call after him, but he couldn’t make himself stop or go back. Right now, he just needed to calm down and catch his breath.

​

/break\

​

Stiles finished the last question of the test, just as Scott fled the room. Stiles stood to follow, and Mr. Harris blocked his path.

​

“Mr. Stilinski, you need to sit down and finish the test.” Stiles rolled his eyes and handed the test to Harris.

​

“I finished it already - it wasn’t even that hard. Next time, use harder questions.” Mr. Harris took the paper with a stunned expression. Stiles had never talked back to the man before - usually because his father raised him to respect teachers even if they were wrong or rude.

​

The room broke out in shocked whispers as people realized Stiles wasn’t joking or lying. Mr. Harris stepped aside and let Stiles collect his bag and leave the room. He chased after Scott, knowing that he’d go hide in the locker room for some privacy.

​

Entering the locker room, he heard a shower running. He made his way towards it, seeing Scott sitting on the floor, soaking wet and unable to breathe. Scott’s hands were shaking with tremors. Stiles knew exactly what this was - it was a panic attack. He’d gotten them all the time after his mom had died.

​

Stiles dug through his bag and pulled out the emergency inhaler he carried for Scott. Scott took the inhaler and puffed - feeling his lungs fill with air.

​

“I-I had an asthma attack?” He asked, confused. Stiles shook his head.

​

“No, Scottie, you had a panic attack.” Realization filled Scott’s eyes, and Stiles smiled sadly. Scott used to hold him through panic attacks, grounding him. They hadn’t had to do that in a long time.

​

“Sty - I - Everything is falling apart, and I feel like it's all my fault.” Stiles turned off the shower as Scott looked at his hands.

​

“Nothing is your fault,” Stiles said. Scott looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

​

“Yes, it is. If I had just stayed away from Allison like everyone told me to, the Alpha would never have tried to kill her. She wouldn’t be traumatized.” Stiles frowned.

​

“By that logic, it's my fault that you got bitten because I took us out into the woods that night.” Tears were running down Scott’s cheeks now.

​

“No - it's not. I made the decision to go with you; you didn’t force me. I made the decision to ask Allison out - I made the decision to make out with her even if it felt wrong - I made the decision to distract Isaac from his own studying to help me and I’m just a lost cause whose going to fail out of school and let the team down and I bring nothing to the pack. Jackson’s family, Isaac, Erica and Boyd are all considered family. Me - I’m just a useless teen who got bitten by accident. Hell, I bet the Alpha didn’t even want me, and that’s why he bit Jackson.” Scott was sobbing, and Stiles threw his bag down and cradled the boy in his arms, the way Scott used to do for him, regardless of if his own clothes were going to get wet.

​

“Scottie - none of this is your fault. You didn’t create the Alpha, you didn’t kill the Hales, and you are a newly bitten wolf. You are working on it. The Hales don’t put up with bullshit or lies; they want you in the pack. Allison is perfectly fine, and she is the daughter of a hunter family; she was always going to get pulled into this life. Lastly, Isaac wanted to spend time with you - he likes spending time with you. He thinks you are funny and nice, and Isaac is the kind of person to stick around. He- he just attaches himself like glue.” Scott let out a little giggle at that, hiccupping as he wiped his tears and calmed down.

​

“Really?” Stiles nodded vigorously.

​

“Really. Isaac loves hanging out with you. I, personally, think he’s trying to replace me, but he can’t possibly replace your brother - now I could make room in the best friend suite for him. But I’m MVP.”

​

Scott sniffled. “Yeah, you are.” Stiles squeezed his shoulders.

​

“We are going to have to talk to both Mr. Harris and the principal about what happened today,” said Stiles. Scott nodded.

​

“My mom always told me to be honest about my mental health; so I guess I’ll tell them the truth.” Stiles smiled and nodded, standing up and offering a hand to Scott. Scott took the hand with a grateful smile. “Thanks for following me.”

​

“Dude, I’ll always follow you - wherever you want to go.” They hugged, and Scott pulled back with a smile.

​

“Thanks, but I think this next conversation is one I have to have on my own,” said Scott. Stiles nodded and latched onto his hand, giving it a squeeze.

​

“If that’s what you need.” The bell rang, and both boys shared a look.

​

“Looks like that conversation is happening now.”

​

“Scott McCall, report to the Principal’s Office.” Scott groaned.

​

“Yeah, right now.” Stiles laughed and clapped him on the back.

​

“Go get 'em, dude.” Scott gave Stiles one last hug before heading towards the office.

​

/break\

​

Scott smiled as Derek pulled into the school parking lot. After talking with the principal and Mr. Harris, it was decided that Scott could retake the test at a later date and that he should probably go home. They figured that the events at the school were traumatizing for him - and perhaps they were. But Scott needed a ride.

​

His mom had driven him to school, knowing he’d catch a ride with Stiles after practice. So Scott called Laura, who couldn’t come get him, due to work, and he really needed to ask her what she did for work, and she told him she’d send Derek. It was Derek’s lunch break at work, and he had gladly taken up the task of picking Scott up.

​

He got up and opened the passenger door, greeting Derek and sliding in. He was about to shut the door when he heard his name called out. Looking back towards the school, he saw Isaac running out with his bag. Isaac got to the car and jumped in the back.

​

“Isaac, what are you doing here?” asked Scott. Isaac wiggled around and got comfortable before smiling at Scott.

​

“I called Laura and asked her to call me out, seeing as she is my legal guardian.” Scott slowly shut his door and buckled in.

​

“That doesn’t explain why, though.” Scott pointed out. Isaac rolled his eyes and sighed.

​

“Scott, you had a panic attack in the middle of a test. You are going home. I figured I’d come too, that way you have company.” Isaac was still smiling at Scott, and Scott felt warmth bloom in his chest. Isaac was such a good friend.

​

“Okay, yeah. We could go back to yours and hang.” Derek nodded, and they pulled out of the parking lot.

​

The ride to the Hale House was quiet, soft classical music filling the car. Isaac had hooked his phone up to the aux and decided that they needed something calm. It was nice, and Scott had a matching soft smile the whole ride.

​

Derek dropped them off in front and went back to the coffee shop so he could resume his shift. The boys made their way into the house and to the living room. Isaac pushed Scott onto the couch and told him not to move.

​

Isaac brought back blankets and pillows, which he set up around Scott and then left the room again. This time, his return was with two bottles of water and popcorn. He placed the waters on the coffee table and handed Scott the popcorn. He settled next to Scott, under the same blanket, and turned the TV on.

​

“So, I discovered Grey’s Anatomy the other night with Erica. I think we should restart it and watch it together. What do you say?” Scott smiled and nodded.

​

“That sounds perfect,” said Scott. He threw an arm around Isaac’s shoulders, the taller boy snuggling in close as Netflix's logo appeared on screen. Scott felt nice and warm - content.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles steeled his nerves and approached Danny after practice. Practice had been odd. Coach didn’t realize that Jackson and Scott weren’t there until after he’d named them co-captains of the team. When Boyd pointed that fact out, Coach shrugged and told them that somebody had better let them know the news.

​

Danny looked surprised and sheepish when he noticed Stiles by his locker. He smiled at him and rubbed the back of his neck.

​

“Hey, Stiles. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about -” Stiles held up his hand, silencing the other boy.

​

“No. We aren’t going to have some awkward conversation over what happened. We went on a date - it didn’t go well - we’re better as friends - end of story. Moving on, I need your help gathering less-than-legal information on our old French teacher.” Danny’s eyes bugged wide, and he looked around to make sure no one overheard.

​

“Stiles, I -”

​

“Don’t even try to lie. I know my dad arrested you for hacking when you were younger. He knows I’m asking you. You’ll be fine. Just,” Stiles paused, searching the older boy's face. “You want my forgiveness, you have it - if you get me that information.” Danny searched his face before sighing, shoulders dropping.

​

“Okay. I’ll get you the information and come over tomorrow to share my findings.” Stiles smiled and winked before walking away. He was going to figure this out - he just knew it.

​

/Break\

​

Allison followed Erica into the new Hale House. Erica had explained that after the fire that killed nearly everyone in the Hale family, they had rebuilt. The old house still stood, and the new one was protected by wards, so only those who had been told about the house could find it. It was a safety precaution, considering it was a hunter who had trapped the family and burned them. Erica didn’t give details on that, but what little she’d told Allison had her horrified.

​

Sitting in the kitchen were Laura Hale and Peter Hale; although Peter Hale seemed to be working on something, with a notebook and laptop in front of him. Laura smiled warmly when the girl entered the room. It surprised Allison - Laura did not know her at all. Allison figured that since her family was hunters that Laura would hate her or, at the very least, distrust her. Which Allison voiced as much, without thinking.

​

“Why don’t you hate me?” Laura frowned slightly before settling back on a small smile.

​

“Allison, supernatural creatures don’t hate hunters. Only the ones who think themselves above the laws our people created jointly. The ones who kill indiscriminately. You aren’t even trained. In fact, you don’t really know anything about our world. Besides, my packmates speak highly of you,” said Laura. Allison blinked in surprise, her mouth falling open a little. Laura laughed a little at her reaction, which in turn caused Allison to blush.

​

“They have?” Laura nodded, and her expression turned serious.

​

“What we are talking about is to stay between us, okay? You absolutely can’t tell any of your family about this.” Allison nodded, concerned.

​

“Obviously, you know who is in the pack, because you saw us in the gym. Your family does not know that there are other Hale Betas. They believe it is just the survivors - it has to stay that way for as long as possible.” Allison furrowed her eyebrows as she realized her family must’ve been one of the ones who didn’t follow the law.

​

That didn’t sound like her family, especially her father. But, Allison guessed, if they could hide a whole other life, maybe Allison didn’t know them as well as she thought she did.

​

“Erica, very clearly likes you - you are one of her only female friends. Isaac thinks you're really sweet. Scott’s taken by you - but I understand that’s a touchy subject. But all of them argued for you on your behalf, saying that you could be trusted. So here’s how this meeting is going to go: I’m going to tell you about the creation of our councils and how they work together. Then, I’ll tell you what I know about your family and their history. I’ll try to answer any questions you may have at this time, and know you can always reach out to me or come back if you find yourself with more questions, alright?” Allison nodded and sat down across from Laura at the table.

​

“Back during the ancient days, humans and the supernatural lived together in harmony. The really old hunter families policed the supernatural - making sure no one got hurt along the way. However, there was a Romeo and Juliet situation - one of the hunters fell in love with a beautiful mage Nemotoma. His family assumed she’d spelled him to love her - not understanding that her magic was rooted in nature and different from that of witches and warlocks.

​

They killed her and every creature that had tried to protect her. Myth has it that as she lay dying, she chose successors who’d just been born and, with her last breath, turned into a beautiful tree filled with magic. Heartbroken that his love had died because of bigotry and misinformation, he created the hunters council and filled millions of books with research on every supernatural creature he could find - they were called bestiaries, and he urged other families to create their own.

​

The hunters had assumed him dead after the fire at the Library of Alexandria. In reality, one of his werewolf allies had found him and turned him, saving his life. Together, their pack, whose emissary - that’s a magic user that gives guidance and counsel - was one of the babes his love had blessed; a spark of his love had gathered members of all kinds of supernatural folk, and they created the magic council. Similar, yet different to the hunters council.

​

With the creation of the council, he revealed himself still alive and his once hate-filled family reunited with him, and together the councils worked in harmony, making laws and creating a joint policing force to keep the order and peace.

​

Eventually, the supernatural faded from humanity’s minds, only the hunters remembering as history moved forward and empires had risen and fallen. The laws were updated to fit with the changing times, and a new goal emerged, one to not only protect humanity but to keep them in the dark.

​

As for the Babes that had been blessed, it is said that each bloodline still holds the magic to this day, and when each original babe died, they too turned into trees filled with magic. After much research into the trees, the magic council found that they were called Nemetons and that their magic was a beacon to supernatural creatures. Not only that, but the land they were on was more lively and fertile. One town in London didn’t even feel the effects of the plague all around them because of that magic. It was protective magic there to serve the people its original users loved.

​

Nowadays, the councils are reachable through phone calls and emails, and they even have their own prisons and judicial systems that were modelled after the way humans do things. Do you have any questions?” asked Laura.

​

“So there’s no exact date of when everything happened originally?” Laura shook her head.

​

“Most books that would’ve recorded the date were in the library when it burned and never recorded again afterwards. So, there really is only a rough estimate.” Laura explained. Allison couldn’t believe what a rich history these councils were steeped in, all that tradition and history and just - it - it was crazy. Allison itched to learn more.

​

“How can I learn more?” she asked. Laura smiled at her.

​

“That is the base story that is told to all hunters and supernaturals. If you want more information, you actually have to be employed by one of the councils. They keep their secrets and history close, and only those they trust get to learn of it.” Peter said, interjecting into their conversation. Allison nodded.

​

“So, how does my family come into play with all of this?”

​

“Sometime after the French-Indian War, your distant ancestor fell in love with a man with the name Argent, and they hunted Le Bête.” Allison looked up in surprise. “Yes, Scott and Jackson told us you were researching that - Le Bête was a werewolf and was actually the woman’s brother. After that, your family became a hunter family - they even came up with a family motto - We hunt those who hunt us.” Allison nodded.

​

“I get the feeling that my family isn’t a good one?” Laura nodded gravely.

​

“I don’t know a whole lot about when your family's downfall occurred, but there are some things I can tell you. Your family is one of the few where if they get bitten or turned into a supernatural creature, they kill themselves - no exceptions. Your grandfather, Gerard, has a warrant out for his arrest by both the councils. He attacked during a peace summit, killing wolves, injuring an Alpha, and killing his own men, to set the Alpha up. Magic proved the opposite of his story, and he ran.

​

An investigation into him and his work showed a lot of corruption and unauthorized activity. He’s been underground and in hiding with rogue hunters he employs himself. Right now, your family is under observation by both councils after attacking my pack 3 separate times unprovoked.” Allison’s eyes widened.

​

“What do you mean?” Laura winced a little.

​

“There were some altercations. But it has been taken care of legally. So you don’t have to worry about my pack retaliating." Allison nodded and frowned.

​

“I feel like there is something else about my family. Something you don’t want to bring up.” Peter chuckled.

​

“The girl’s observant, just like her father.” Laura sighed.

​

“Your Aunt was in town when our house burned down. To make matters worse, she was sexually abusing my 15-year-old brother.” Allison gasped, and tears filled her eyes.

​

“How- How could she do that to a child?” Laura shrugged and got up, wrapping Allison in a hug. The two girls remained like that until Allison pulled back. She wiped her eyes and squared her shoulders.

​

“I want to be trained. Can you train me the proper way?” Laura looked surprised by the question, but before she could answer, another voice called out from behind Allison.

​

“She can’t. But I can.” Allison turned to see a dark-skinned woman standing in the doorway, holding hands with another dark-skinned woman. “Name’s Braeden - I work for the hunter’s council, and this is my wife, Marin, she works for the magic council. I can teach you the right way.” Allison nodded and tried to look cool and professional.

​

“Before we start, I need to go shopping for a new compound bow.” Braeden raised an eyebrow and nodded.

​

“I’ll take you.” Allison thanked Laura for the explanation and told her she’d most likely be back with more questions before following the older woman out of the house.

​

On her way out, she caught sight of two boys in the living room, asleep and cuddling with each other. It was Scott and Isaac. Allison’s stomach twisted at the sight - but she shook it off. She needed to focus. She was going to train and become a proper, good hunter. She was going to restore her family name.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles waved at Jackson as the boy left the hospital. It had been touch-and-go with Lydia for the past few days, but she finally seemed to settle. Her mom had informed them that whatever was in the bite wound, Lydia was having an allergic reaction to. Derek had stopped by to sniff the girl under the guise of dropping off coffee for his favorite customer.

​

She wasn’t a wolf, and she wasn’t turning into a wolf either. Stiles started to worry, thinking that the girl was dying and rejecting the bite. But Derek frowned and looked her over, stating that she wasn’t rejecting the bite either, because it was a lot messier and more painful, and the girl would’ve died by now.

​

Stiles had Laura reach out to the magic representative in town, Marin, who was the new French teacher and guidance counselor at his high school, to come in and check on the girl. They had decided the best time was during the full moon, so that Jackson wouldn’t get in her way. He’d been a lot more protective of the girl since she’d entered the hospital.

​

“Stiles, hello.” He smiled at the woman at the door.

​

“Ms. Morell, please, come in.” She entered the room, returning his smile, and sat next to the girl.

​

“This is very simple. I already cast the spell outside of the room. All I have to do is touch her, and I’ll know if she’s supernatural or not. If that part of her is active, I should be able to differentiate her species.” Stiles nodded and watched Marin grab Lydia’s hand. Marin’s eyes slipped closed, and Stiles waited with baited breath.

​

His lungs were burning by the time Marin opened her eyes and dropped Lydia’s hand. The smile on the woman’s face had Stiles breathing out a sigh of relief.

​

“Miss. Martin, here, is immune to the bite, and if I’d have to wager a guess, most supernatural toxins as well. She is a banshee.” Stiles blinked in surprise. His mom told him that she’d known a banshee at one point in her life, but that the woman had to be locked up because she wasn’t using her powers properly, and it drove her insane.

“When your friend wakes up, I will visit with her family and explain everything. I can even offer some training for the girl while I’m in town. Enough training that she should be able to avoid going insane. Mr. Stilinski?” Stiles raised an eyebrow at Marin as she paused. “Do you want me to check on your power levels?” Stiles’ eyes hardened.

​

He knew logically that he’d inherit his mom’s powers - she’d been the Beacon Hills spark since her mom died when she was 11. But he figured when the powers didn’t manifest, that it was dormant in him, something he’d pass to his kids.

​

“There could be something wrong; it is best to check now.” Stiles nodded and held out his hand. Marin frowned and gasped.

​

“Your magic is locked away - well, it is waiting for a spark to ignite it. The Spark has always been connected to the Nemeton and the pack that’s bonded with the tree. Your mother died just a month before the Hale fire killed nearly the whole pack. Your magic felt it and decided to lock itself away until it was safe to come back out.” Stiles’ eyes widened.

​

“But, I’m already a part of Laura’s pack, shouldn’t that have done the trick?” asked Stiles.

​

“No,” Marin shook her head. “The bond between a spark and Alpha is forged over months together, sometimes years. Your own mother was bonded to the Blackwood alpha before her death, and your grandmother was actually bonded to Satomi Ito. The spark usually chooses the alpha. However, another alpha could move into the territory and try to take you.” Stiles’ heart rate quickened, and he looked at Marin worried.

​

“What does that mean? That anyone could just kidnap me and force me to be in their pack?” Marin sighed.

​

“They can’t kidnap you, at least, legally. The magic council would be all over that situation. But, as an unbound Spark, you have to entertain their claim, even if you don’t choose them. If you want to quicken your magic activating and your bond with Laura as your alpha, you could train yourself in non-nature magic. The more you exercise that ability, the more awakened your spark will be, and the bond between you and Laura could become one of emissary and alpha. With an official ceremony, it is likely your spark would activate and you’d be tied to the Hale Pack.” Stiles nodded, with a frown. Marin rested a hand on his shoulder.

​

“I knew your mother, Stiles. She had her workshop in her apartment. Perhaps there might be something in there that can help you on your journey.” Stiles nodded and thanked Marin. The woman left quickly, and Stiles collapsed next to Lydia. What was he going to do?

​

/Break\

​

Laura smiled as she looked around the basement at all the pack members. Everyone had decided that it was safer to spend the full moon inside and together. The danger the Argents posed with their shoot first, ask questions later, meant that it just wasn’t safe to go out. Jackson and Scott were both chained to the wall, but they’d long since calmed down. It had only taken Scott an hour to get a hold of himself and control the wolf. Jackson took slightly longer, with it being his first full moon, but he seemed to get a grip on it, especially when Peter joined them downstairs. It was most likely the familial bond between them that helped settle his wolf/coyote hybrid, which, yeah, had been a surprise to find out that he was a hybrid. Apparently, knowing that Jackson was a coyote, Peter suddenly remembered the Desert Wolf - a known coyote assassin.

​

Recovering Peter’s memories was a long process, and Laura didn’t really like what she saw. Her mom was splitting the twins, ripping them away from Peter, while Peter was begging her not to. It messed Laura up, realizing that her mother wasn’t a complete saint. The twins were at risk of being killed by their mother, but with a pack as big as the Hales were, they could’ve protected the kids, gotten the councils involved.

​

But, Laura would never admit it, but her mother’s decision meant that the children weren’t in the house during the fire. They were alive. She just had to track down the girl - her cousin. She didn’t even have a name - but she was working with Deaton and their family lawyers to figure this out. There had to be a paper trail somewhere. After all, children don’t just suddenly appear out of thin air.

​

Laura was drawn out of her musings when a scream ripped through the house. Everyone was clutching their ears, and Jackson looked confused for a second before muttering:

​

“Lydia?”

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was arguing with Melissa that Mrs. Martin approved of him staying the night when they’d heard the scream. It was coming from the direction of Lydia’s room. Stiles hadn’t had time to tell the others about Marin’s findings, wanting them to focus on the full moon and teaching the new wolves control. But as he and Melissa turned the corner to see Lydia standing there, breathing heavy and eyes vacant and empty. He really wished he had called someone.

​

Lydia had just let out a banshee scream; her powers were manifesting fast enough that she was already awake and walking around. Stiles had just reached her when she collapsed into his arms. He struggled against the sudden weight but remained standing.

​

“Milton.” She murmured before falling unconscious again. What the hell did Milton mean? Stiles passed the girl to the nurses and pulled out his phone. There were 3 missed calls from Derek and a text from Laura, asking what happened. It looked like he was interrupting a full moon night after all.

Chapter Text

Stiles smiled and sipped his coffee from the porch of the Hale House as he watched Danny get out of his car. He raised an eyebrow in surprise when Danny pulled out a computer bag and a poster. Stiles couldn’t help the smug look that grew on his face - he knew Danny would find something.

​

“Stiles,” Danny was out of breath and wide-eyed. “You aren’t going to believe what I found.” Stiles jerked his head towards the front door, following Danny in. “I spent all night researching Mrs. Beaudorie, and once I found all her secret identities, I found another interesting link to her, a substitute named Miss. Silver and not only that, but researching the areas of overlap produced some interesting findings -”

​

“Danny, did you sleep at all?” Stiles asked as they entered the dining room, where everyone was waiting for them. Danny had called and insisted on telling him everything before school, so Stiles had assembled the crew - minus his dad, Mama McCall, and Lydia, who wasn’t being released from the hospital until later after school. Danny blinked sheepishly.

​

“I might’ve forgotten.” Stiles sighed and motioned for Scott to go get another cup of coffee. Scott came back with two cups, one for Stiles and one for Danny, which was good thinking on his part because Stiles had just finished his cup.

​

“We have that huge game tonight that determines if we’ll be on the road to states or not.” Stiles reminded him.

​

“Yeah, well, I have two study hall periods, I’ll sleep then.” Danny set up his computer at the head of the table and spread out the poster he’d had wrapped up. He really had made a timeline with dates and pictures.

​

“So, as it turns out, our French teacher went by many different names, was employed temporarily at 19 other schools, and there is an application pending for Devenford Prep, and had a knack for taking long vacations and leaves, having the same substitute teacher come in for her every time. This teacher’s name was Miss. Katherine Silver, and she was dumb enough to use her actual photo for all her temporary IDs at these schools. Ladies and Gentlemen - Kate Argent.” Everyone stared at the PowerPoint Danny had put together.

​

“I can’t find what our French teacher’s real name was - but I was able to stalk Kate’s whereabouts and I found out that these two were not only college roommates but spent the summer in the French countryside together. So they go way back.” Danny showed them some photos of two little girls, which mildly concerned Stiles.

​

“Okay, so the teacher had connections to Argent. But can you cross-reference these dates with the dates of fires that killed all or most of the families?” Danny snapped his fingers and pulled out a clear sheet that had writing on it, laying it across the timeline.

​

“Already ahead of you. I recognized that the second time this happened lined up with the time of the Hale Fire. It kept nagging me in the back of my mind, and so I decided to look into it. Every single time, Miss. Silver took over, there would be a fire, and about a month or two after the fire, Miss. Silver would leave the town. The first fire was 10 months before the Hale fire and was sloppy - police ruled it arson, but could never find any suspects. There was only one survivor. The second fire was the Hale Fire, and the technique used was used on all subsequent fires - almost as if they learned a new method.” Danny pointed at the last date on the timeline.

​

“This fire killed the Jones family back in July, with only one remaining survivor - a 15-year-old boy named Milton. In fact, all of the survivors were underage boys. The Hale Fire was the only fire to have more than one survivor. So in the span of 7 years, Kate Argent has killed 20 werewolf packs.” Everyone in the room froze and looked at Danny in shock. Before Peter stood up and had Danny against the wall, claws to his throat.

​

“How the hell did you know that?” Stiles wanted to step forward, but Derek had stepped in front of him, while Boyd positioned himself between Derek and Laura. Erica and Isaac remained at the table, eyes flashing, while Scott and Jackson stood there, confused. Danny smirked.

​

“Let’s just say I know because I am.” There was a light in Danny’s eyes, and Stiles was confused by his reaction. Peter’s eyes narrowed.

​

“What are you?” he asked, sniffing the boy, which Stiles had to stop himself from laughing, because Peter looked so weird, smelling Danny’s neck.

​

“Don’t you know it's rude to ask people that? Besides, I heard you like research, figure it out. But I’m here to help. Now that I know what’s been going on, I want to find a way to bring that bitch down.” Danny said. Peter slowly let go of him, and everyone in the room relaxed. Jackson had a huge smile on his face.

​

“Dude, you know about the supernatural, which means I can finally talk to you about stuff again.” Danny smiled and clubbed Jackson on the back.

​

“Yeah, you can, got anything you wanna say right now?” Danny asked with an easy smile. Jackson ducked his head.

​

“Well, my father just threw you against the wall.” Danny blinked in surprise. “And I’m a werewolf myself, I think.” Laura clapped to get everyone’s attention.

​

“Look, we’ll meet back here after school is over. You all need to go; this week is homecoming, and you have a game tonight.” Isaac groaned, and Erica squealed.

​

“Oh, I can’t wait for Lydia to be released, then we girls can go dress shopping.” Boyd was smiling softly at Erica’s excitement, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging her close. Stiles smiled at the happy couple. He’d probably be going to the dance by himself, at least Scott would be as well. They could be lonely together.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was walking down the empty hallway on his way to the bathroom when he passed Harris’ classroom. The door was closed, but he could see his dad in the window, talking to Harris. Why would his dad be talking to Harris? Stiles had a perfect grade in his class right now, so it couldn’t be about grades, and Stiles had surprisingly stayed out of detention so far.

​

Stiles pulled out his phone and sent a text to his dad, telling him that he should swing by the Hale House after work to tell Stiles what his super secret meeting with Harris was about. Stiles slipped his phone back into his pocket and continued on his way, wondering what they could possibly be talking about.

​

/Break\

​

Scott smiled as he saw Allison enter the English room. Her seat was right in front of his, and despite her little sigh, she still sat down there. Despite his mother telling him to give her space and let her come to him, he missed talking to Allison and hanging out with her. So, he was going to try to talk to her.

​

“Allison?” He whispered. The girl turned around with a questioning and annoyed gaze.

​

“Class is about to start.” She commented. Scott smiled.

​

“I’ll make it quick. I just wanted to ask if you had any plans later?” Allison frowned and turned around to fully face him.

​

“You don’t need to know if I have plans, okay, Scott. We aren’t together anymore, and I'm still working on getting over that. I’m not at the just friends stage yet of our break up. I thought you understood that.” She sounded hurt, and there was hurt reflected in her eyes. Scott frowned.

​

“I’m sorry - I,” Scott bit his lip. “I just miss you.” He admitted softly. Allison smiled sadly at him.

​

“Yeah, but you never missed me when I was there.” She turned back around, and the teacher began class. Scott stood up.

​

“May I go to the nurse?” The teacher nodded, and Scott fled the room, wanting to be anywhere else when the tears started to fall. He’d really screwed everything up.

​

/Break\

​

Jackson was sitting beside Lydia in the hospital, waiting for the discharge papers to be filed so they could leave. The bite on Lydia’s side was slowly healing, and the doctor said it would clear up on its own. Ever since Lydia had woken up, she had stopped having a reaction to the bite. Jackson still couldn’t believe that he hadn’t smelled the blood on her that night. Even if he was still new to the whole werewolf thing, he should’ve known that she’d gotten injured.

​

“So, according to the representative from the magic council that Stiles brought in to look at me, I am a banshee, which is something that runs in family lines, yet no one else in my family was one.” Jackson nodded, and Lydia typed something on her phone. “And this Peter, your biological father, has books on the topic that he is willing to let me read?”

​

“Yes, Lydia. Peter says that it is important that we train your powers so you don’t go insane.” Lydia nodded, still typing something on her phone. “What are you typing?” Lydia rolled her eyes and pursed her lips.

​

“A to-do list, Jackson. I need to look into and research my family to see which side this runs in. It's possible that someone else is going through this or has gone through it and can help me. I also need to make time to read through those books and apparently have this Morell lady work with me on some of my abilities - whatever that means. You know me, Jackson, I never do anything halfway - it is either going to be done correctly and efficiently or not at all.” Jackson nodded.

​

“You seem way too accepting of this.” Lydia shrugged.

​

“Maybe this can explain why I keep dreaming of a 15-year-old boy talking to me,” said Lydia. Jackson raised an eyebrow.

​

“Put on your list: talk to Hales about freaky dreams.” Lydia scoffed but typed it anyway. Jackson bit his lip and sighed. “You should probably also look for a date for homecoming.” Lydia’s head snapped up to look at him, shocked.

​

“What does that mean?” She asked, hurt. Jackson winced and looked at his hands.

​

“A lot is going on, Lydia. I’m a werecreature, my bio dad is alive and actually wants me - always wanted me. I don’t know what to do, whether I should tell my adopted parents. I don’t want to fail or let anyone down. I’m trying to lead the team to victory with McCall of all people, someone I’m still learning to like. I- I just don’t have time or energy to focus on a relationship - not with everything that is changing; not with me changing. Lydia, I love you - but you deserve better, you deserve someone who has the time to dedicate to you, and you don’t deserve me stringing you along and treating you like crap.” By the time he finished talking, he’d stood up and moved across the room. Lydia was sitting on the bed with a soft smile on her face, her eyes tearing up.

​

“Okay. That’s totally understandable and a really mature thing to do. Just know that we’ll always be friends first, above all,” said Lydia. Jackson smiled at her, and the two shared a hug. Jackson had been worried that Lydia wouldn’t accept his reasons - call them excuses - that she would force him to stay. Sure, their relationship had always been a little toxic, but that would’ve made it worse, and they would’ve grown to resent each other.

​

“Now, since you aren’t going with me to homecoming, you get to go shopping with the girls and help me pick. Your fashion sense is incredible.” Jackson laughed and smiled, nodding his head.

​

“It sounds like a lot of fun.”

​

/Break\

​

Stiles sighed as he took a step back. They’d moved the table out of the dining room and set up small TV tables. They’d moved 21 boards into the room, each one dedicated to a different fire, and the last one was dedicated to the feral alpha and his victims. Danny was sitting on the floor with his computer and a printer, printing off pictures that the betas were tacking to the boards. With everything spread out like this, it was easier to picture what was happening.

​

“Holy shit!” Stiles looked towards Danny and away from the boards. Danny was staring at his screen in shock before tossing a marker towards Isaac. “Write each date down in order of fire, skipping the Hale Fire.” Date listed out dates, which Isaac wrote under each survivor's picture on the open spots of the boards.

​

“Are those?” Danny nodded at Stiles' question.

​

“Those are death dates for the survivors.” Stiles’ mouth dropped open in shock. Each survivor had been killed anywhere from a month to two months after their fires. There was no date under Milton Jones, though. “I’m going to try to hack into the files on their deaths, see what the corner said about it.” Stiles nodded.

​

“We’re back!” Erica called out. She and Boyd had run for coffee and treats. They walked in with a bunch of cups and two bags of pastries. It seems they also brought Derek with them. Derek, who was holding a thermos of what smelled like Stiles’ usual order. Stiles bounced up to him with a smile on his face.

​

“Oh, Sourwolf! Did you bring me a special order?” Derek rolled his eyes and handed the thermos to Stiles. Stiles smirked at the slight blush on the older man’s face. However, said man caught him smirking before smirking himself. He leaned down into Stiles’ space.

​

“Of course I did. After all, we need that brilliant mind of yours working at full capacity.” Stiles mentally cursed as his eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly as his face flushed with warmth. Derek’s eyes held sincerity in them, and it made Stiles feel glued to the spot. Derek’s smirk softened to a smile. “Don’t get used to it, you little addict.” Derek backed away and went to help Boyd.

​

“Did you know that Lydia’s drink was like a 20-step process?” Stiles hummed at Boyd’s question.

​

“Lydia and Jackson should be here in a few minutes, and my dad is on his way. He said he’s got something that will help us with our investigation.” Everyone nodded. Just then, Laura and Peter walked in, accompanied by his dad.

​

“You really should try it out. I heard their food is to die for.” Peter was saying, Laura shaking her head. His dad laughed.

​

“That is not a place you go to by yourself, Hale,” Peter smirked.

​

“Perfect, then we can go together tomorrow?” His dad frowned slightly, but nodded.

​

“I mean, I do have tomorrow off.” Peter clapped.

​

“It’s a date.” Stiles stared in shock as his dad didn’t even react to that declaration and set his file down on one of the empty TV tables, opening it up. Peter was not going to be his stepfather - absolutely not, but before Stiles could say anything, Jackson and Lydia arrived through the back door.

​

“Okay, so this is an investigation into Kate Argent and her crimes. What we need is to find a connection between all the victims and a way to tie her to them. Let me see what you all have so far.” Lydia said, taking over and looking over each board meticulously.

​

“While she does that, let me tell you a little story.” The Sheriff said. “Your teacher, Harris, was a heavy drinker 6 years ago. And one night, he was approached by a hot blonde who wanted to talk about chemistry. How to dissolve a body, how to cover one’s tracks, and - yep, you guessed it, how to get away with arson. Now he was drunk off his ass and couldn’t really remember anything about the girl, except for this.” His dad pulled out a piece of paper, showing everyone.

​

Lydia paused in her search of the board to look at the drawing, eyes widening at the same time as Scott’s.

​

“That’s Allison’s necklace. Her aunt gave it to her for her birthday.” Lydia informed them, whipping out her phone and calling someone. “Can you bring that family necklace to the Hale House. We think we found something.” Lydia hung up the phone and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Ally will be here in 10.” Lydia looked at everyone’s confused and shocked faces. “What?” Stiles smiled.

​

“You are a goddess, Lydia Martin.” Lydia smiled condescendingly at him and turned back towards the boards, finally making it to the last board.

​

“I got the files,” Danny called out, the printer roaring to life. Stiles picked up a few sheets that were already done.

​

“All of the deaths were labeled suicide by gunshot to the head. All the bodies were severely malnourished, and it was believed that they were depressed due to the recent deaths of their family. Each corner described what the bullet looked like in their files, but none of the detectives on the cases looked into it further; no one ever put it together.” Stiles blinked in surprise at what he was reading.

​

“What didn’t they put together?” Jackson asked, leaning over Stiles’ shoulder. Danny responded.

​

“Every single bullet was a different type and size, but they all had the Argent family crest stamped on the casing.” Peter scoffed.

​

“Kate was so confident in her abilities to cover everything up that she was sloppy and left casings behind at the scenes. That’s just asking to get caught.”

​

“Oh my god.” Everyone looked towards Stiles, who was staring at the board in horror. “Kate, she assembled a loyal team who’d never betray her. Because to do so would take themselves down as well. She left one male survivor alive - usually an underage male. Laura wasn’t in the house that night because she’d been called into work last minute, and Peter and Cora surviving long enough for the fire to burn the mountain ash and break the barrier was a fluke. Derek had said he wasn’t in the house that night - did Kate know you wouldn't be home?” Derek nodded.

​

“Yeah, she always knew my schedule, told me that I had to tell her.”

​

“She - She would get close to an underaged male member of the pack - control them, use them, hell, probably even sleep with them - then she’d kill the entire family, leaving them alive - the sole person who would inherit the Alpha spark - without any pack bonds to support them. They’d go feral without a pack, and she’d hunt them down and kill them - citing that they were too far gone or self-defense or some bullshit to the councils to justify the kills instead of rehabilitation.” The silence was thick in the room, but Stiles couldn’t really hear, his ears ringing, as he pieced it together.  

​

“She’s a serial rapist and serial arsonist.” There was a gasp as the dining room door shut. Allison was standing there, holding her necklace. She had tears in her eyes as she handed the Sheriff the necklace.

​

“So, she really is a monster?” No one could look Allison in the eyes. “Then we stop her.” Before anyone could react or say anything in response, Lydia gasped. She was standing in front of the board for the latest fire and staring right at Milton Jones’ picture. Stiles suddenly remembered the name Lydia had said when she’d first woken up.

​

“I know him. He’s been in my dreams since the accident.” Lydia turned to look at everyone. “He’s always so desperate. He kept saying he had to do it. His pack was looking into the Hale Fire after you’d reached out about Cora - they had found something - other fires. He thought he could trick Kate, use her game against her - but she killed them all. It was all his fault - he’d lured Kate in.” Her breathing turned shaky. “The first dream, right before I woke up, he tore a spiral into his chest and died, that’s -” Lydia cut off.

​

“That’s why you woke up screaming.” Stiles finished for her. “ We killed Milton Jones because he was the alpha. He knew who to target because he’d figured it out beforehand.” The Sheriff sighed.

​

“Look, you kids need to get to the school for the game. We don’t want the Argents to get suspicious that we might be on to them, and if any of you are missing, they’ll notice. I’ll stay here with Laura and Peter. You two call the councils’ representatives. We will put everything together. With the eye-witnesses and the necklace and bullets, we should be able to paint a pretty convincing picture to arrest her.” Everyone nodded, and Allison stopped Derek on her way to the cars, which also meant Stiles was stopped as he was behind Derek.

​

“Do you think my parents knew about this?” Derek looked at the ground.

​

“I don’t know Allison. Your father is highly talked about. He’s a good man who truly believes in the code. But, I don’t know.” Allison nodded with a frown.

​

“Where do I go if they all get taken in?” asked Allison. Stiles looked towards Derek, who finally made eye contact with Allison.

​

“My uncle’s a lawyer and my sister works in the mayor's office. If you want to stay with one of your friends, we can help you do that - or the hunter’s council could step in.” Allison nodded, looking worried. Stiles stepped around Derek and placed a hand on Allison’s shoulder.

​

“Hey, that’s the worst casinero. Besides, you are practically pack now. I mean, we almost died together.” Allison gave him a weak smile.

​

“Thanks, Stiles.” She left quickly, leaving Derek and Stiles standing in the doorway.

​

“Did you mean what you said about her father?” Derek nodded.

​

“Chris Argent is usually known as the Good Argent.” Stiles nodded.

​

“Okay, then. Let's get to that game!” Stiles turned and smiled at Derek. “I’m playing tonight.” Derek’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

​

“Really?” Stiles laughed and hit him in the shoulder.

​

“Yes, really. The coach said that I suck slightly less than Greenburg, so I’m in tonight.” Derek smiled.

​

“Then I guess I should stick around and watch the whole game.” Derek teased. Stiles smiled and opened his jeep’s door, looking back at Derek.

​

“I’d like that.” He said, feeling brave. Derek smiled at him, and Stiles hopped in his jeep. Scott and Isaac both looked at him weirdly. “What?”

​

“That was disgusting,” said Scott. Isaac nodded in agreement.

​

‘Yeah, don’t flirt with my brother.” Stiles rolled his eyes.

​

“I wasn’t flirting, and even if I was, he wouldn’t actually be interested in a 17-year-old.” Isaac blinked in surprise.

​

“17?” Stiles nodded.

​

“Yeah, I missed so much school while my mom was sick and after she died, so they held me back, which was okay with me because it meant I got to be in Scott’s grade. Our moms were friends, so we were too.” Stiles smiled, remembering the good days.

​

“Let’s stop focusing on the past, though,” said Scott, “let’s focus on the future we are going to have after we win this game.”

​

“Aye aye, Mr. Co-Captain.” Isaac saluted. They all fell into laughter as Stiles drove.

​

/Break\

​

Scott was on the field with Isaac, Boyd, and Stiles, putting his gear on when he heard something interesting.

​

“What if the Alpha has a beta, Chris. You said it yourself, you shot a small one. I’d bet anything that it's that Whittemore kid.” Scott looked towards Kate and Chris, who were looking at Jackson.

​

“I mean, Allison comes home talking about him being an asshole and how toxic he and Lydia are, and then all of a sudden, he completely changes and dumps his girlfriend. No one changes overnight without a little help.” Scott’s eyes widened and he shared a look with Isaac and Boyd who heard the same thing.

​

But before he could get to Jackson and share this development, Coach blew his whistle. They had a game to win.

Chapter Text

Laura stared ahead at the mess of her dining room. Marin and Braeden had been going through everything for an hour now. They moved together like a well-oiled machine and didn’t need to speak while working; they just silently handed each other the correct files at the correct times. Laura felt a little jealous at that sight.

​

She hadn’t had any time since the fire to even think about relationships, and now, as an Alpha of a growing pack of teens, she really didn’t have the time to dedicate to anyone. But, looking at that power couple, she really wishes she had someone who understood her like that.

​

“Okay - this was a lot.” Braeden started.

​

“What steps can we take to stop her?” Peter immediately jumped in. He was antsy, waiting to hear about how they could stop her. He didn’t like to wait, and Laura knew that if she’d let him, he would kill Kate Argent. But that wouldn’t solve anything and could give the Argents an opening to attack Pater in return.

​

“First, the Sheriff is going to have to request all these files the legal way, or else we can’t use them against her, considering you obtained them illegally.” They nodded. “Then our councils are going to have to look into each of the Alpha’s victims to get an idea of their background. After that, we can build the case and have her brought in as well as any remaining parties involved.”

​

“How long could all of this take?” Laura asked. Every day, the Argents loomed over her betas, and she could tell it was stressing them out. It was stressing her out, as well. She just wanted to build a nice, stable pack and live peacefully. She did not want to be one of those packs that were constantly fighting or in danger. That was the last thing she wanted.

​

“It could take a day or two, or it could take months.” Braeden shrugged.

​

“Well, I’ll make sure I put a rush on those files. I don’t see any issue with getting them sent to my department. It should only take a day or two. The furthest one out is in Maine, but they might email it if it's digital instead of mailing it out. Especially when they find out it's a rush request.” The Sheriff explained.

​

“If these victims' lives were as open as they had to have been for Stiles to find most of the information on his own, I don’t foresee any problems, other than that French teacher,” Marin revealed.

​

“So, basically, we could have Kate Argent and potentially her sister in law and brother arrested for the rest of their lives, in a few days' time?” Peter asked. Braeden smirked.

​

“With what she’d done, they’ll all get death sentences.” Peter sat up straight at that, pleased. Laura worried her lip, unable to stop her thoughts from spiraling.

​

“What if she makes a move before then? She doesn’t seem to even care about your presence, at least Chris is wary.” Marin laid a hand on her, giving it a gentle squeeze.

​

“There’s nothing to be worried about. If she makes her move, we will catch her and stop her, arresting her on the spot. We will keep the balance.” Laura tried to relax at those words, but she couldn’t seem to keep herself calm. Deaton should probably be called about these findings. He always had a way of knowing when something had happened or was going to happen. Perhaps he could help Laura feel better about all of this. She tried to smile, but knew it didn’t reach her face. She wondered how the game was going.

​

/Break\

​

Scott smiled as the team fled back into the school. Everyone was cheering and yelling. They had won - undefeated in their conference, and now they were moving towards the States. It was kind of crazy to even think about. Stiles was next to him with a wide grin on his face. Stiles had scored one shot tonight and successfully passed the ball to others who also scored.

​

“Scottie, man! First line and we just won - together.” Stiles wrapped him in a celebratory hug, which Scott returned fully. Despite the fact that they were all stinky and sweaty, Scott loved getting hugs from Stiles. He was a person who hugged with his whole body, and it always made Scott feel warm to be on the receiving end; to be loved by someone else in such an all-encompassing way.

​

“I know, dude! It's awesome.” Stiles pulled out of the hug and was immediately tackled by Erica, both of them laughing. Scott looked around with a huge smile before getting knocked on the shoulder. Isaac came to stand beside him with his huge grin that displayed his dimples and showed off his teeth. His eyes were alight with joy as he looked at Scott.

​

“We won - All thanks to our captain,” Isaac said. Scott smiled.

​

“Co-captain.” He reminded the other boy. Isaac rolled his eyes and threw an arm over Scott’s shoulders, enveloping the other boy in his scent and warmth. Scott tried to contain his pleased sigh, not wanting to embarrass himself.

​

“You’re really good at Lacrosse, Scott. You didn’t develop skills because of the bite. It only cured your asthma.” Scott smiled slightly and bit his lip.

​

“I really like playing lacrosse. I want to try for a scholarship - maybe go pro. I can work on my doctorate while playing and then retire and be the most amazing Vet around.” Isaac’s grin was softer now, looking at Scott.

​

“That sounds like an amazing plan,” said Isaac. Scott looked around to see if anyone was paying attention before leaning his head closer to Isaac’s, trying to ignore the way his heart rate raced away at the closeness of the other boy and the way his stomach tingled pleasantly.

​

“Don’t tell anyone. But there are going to be scouts at the next game to see some of the juniors and seniors. I’m going to try to get on their radar and impress them. I heard Coach talking on the phone about it.” Isaac grinned and went to move even closer to say something when Scott’s name was called out.

​

“Scott!” He turned slightly to see Allison standing there, behind them. “Can we talk?” Scott looked towards Isaac, whose eyes dimmed a little before reaching out and surprising the taller boy, pulling him into a hug. Isaac’s breath tickled his ear and sent a shiver down his back. Isaac pulled back first, to Scott’s disappointment.

​

“I’ll see you in there.” Isaac went into the locker room, and Scott turned his attention towards Allison. She was frowning, staring after Isaac. Scott was confused by the reaction; he’d assumed that Allison and Isaac were friends, but maybe they weren’t. Allison smiled at him and fiddled with her sleeves.

​

“You were really great out there.” Scott smiled.

“Thanks.” Before Allison could say anything else, they were joined by her father. Chris was smiling at him, warmly.

​

“Good game, Scott. You played well.” Scott blinked in surprise. This, coming from the man who wasn’t impressed by him just months ago.

​

“I thought you didn’t like me,” Scott said. Confusion seeped into his tone. Allison’s eyes widened at his boldness.

​

“Well, Scott, you aren’t dating my daughter, so I don’t have to hate you anymore.” Chris laughed slightly as Scott looked towards the floor, and Allison whipped her head to glare at him.

​

“We’re leaving.” She said, pulling her father away. Scott watched them leave. He didn’t understand why Allison had wanted to talk - of course, she didn’t get any time to tell him. But, still, the point remains that Allison asked him for space earlier in the day. Scott wasn’t even sure if he wanted a relationship with the girl; most things hadn’t felt right when they did them together. But Scott loved spending time with her; she was so nice and funny. And Scott, he knew he loved her. Maybe he should talk to his mom about what was going on. She would probably know.

​

Scott shook his head and joined the team in the locker rooms, getting pats on the back for a good game. But Scott couldn’t focus on the victory anymore - too busy worrying about his feelings.

​

/Break\

​

Jackson was upset, driving his Porsche recklessly through the warehouse district. He’d gone home for the first time in a week last night, and his parents hadn’t even noticed that he’d been gone. When he’d brought it up with them, they’d looked surprised, and his dad had immediately gone back to his case work.

​

His mom had, at least, asked him if he was at Danny’s or Lydia’s. At that moment, he thought about telling his parents about the Hales and how they were his biological family. But, he’d decided against it, saying he’d spent the time with Danny.

​

His mom didn’t press for details - she never did - and his dad just continued working. So Jackson stormed into his room and slammed the door. This morning, when he went downstairs, there was money on the kitchen counter for him and a note signed by both of his parents that they loved him. In his disappointment his anger, he’d left the money behind and hopped in the stupid car his parents had bought him and drove.

​

Maybe he just wanted to feel alive or something other than the numb emptiness he was constantly trapped in. His parents weren’t mean or cold - just distant and busy. He knew they loved him, but sometimes it would be nice if he had the attention and support that other parents gave their kids. But, maybe that was the problem; he wasn’t their kid - not really. He was someone else's kid that they’d adopted.

​

Jackson was pulled out of his thoughts as his car’s lights came on, and it made a dying sound as it came to a stop. Jackson swore and hit the wheel. He got out of his car, slamming the door and reaching for his phone. He’d have to call a tow truck and then someone to come pick him up. Danny was busy today. Derek had mentioned an all-day shift at the shop; it would be a cold day in hell before he would get into Stilinski’s jeep, and Lydia mentioned a girls' day so that Erica, Allison, and she could plan their shopping trip tomorrow for homecoming. Which seemed like a lot, but that was Lydia for you.

​

Before Jackson could figure it out, another red SUV pulled down near him. He was immediately on edge as he saw Mr. Argent get out of the car. He’d avoided the Argents successfully since the Hales had explained everything to him. Mr. Argent was smiling.

​

“Car trouble?” Jackson tried to school his expression into one of indifference. He couldn’t let the man know how nervous he was - but that was easier said than done. Especially when the man walked towards him.

​

“It’s probably nothing - I’ll have to have my guy look at it,” Jackson said with false bravado. Was this man just like his sister? Was Jackson going to be killed? Chris smiled again.

​

“I can take a look at it.” He offered, leaning through the open window and popping the hood. He led the boy around the car. “I can show you what to look for.” Jackson didn’t flinch when the man touched him, but he did when the man pushed, forcing him to bend over to look at the engine. Jackson’s heart was racing, and his nerves were haywire.

​

“It’s Jackson, right? You go to school with my daughter, Allison. She said you underwent some personality changes. You want to tell me why?” Jackson shook his head as the man’s grip on his shoulder tightened. Before Jackson or Chris could say anything else, there was a rattling and squealing sound as another car came upon them. Chris let go of him, and Jackson stood up, relieved to see Stiles and Scott in that piece of shit Jeep.

​

“Hey, Jackson - you need a ride down the street. There’s a shop that has a tow truck.” Stiles called out. Jackson took a step away from Chris and towards the Jeep.

​

“Yeah, probably should. I’m crap with cars anyway.” Jackson admitted. Scott hopped out of the Jeep and held the backseat forward for Jackson to crawl inside. Just as Jackson was about to get in, his car started back to life, and Chris was smiling.

​

“Told you I know a thing or two about cars.” He shut the hood and looked back at Jackson. “If you want to talk, you know where to find me.” Jackson nodded, his mouth feeling ashy and dry, holding back the need to swallow. Once Chris was back in his car and driving away, Jackson looked at the other two.

​

“Call a tow truck - I’m not getting back in that car when it's clear he did something to it. How did you find me anyway?” Jackson asked as Stiles pulled out his phone to call a truck. Scott’s face gained a pinched expression.

​

“We were looking for you so that we could tell you what I overheard at the game last night.” Jackson shook his head, motioning Scott to continue. “The Argents, they think you're the Alpha’s beta. They - I think they might be coming after you,” said Scott. Jackson reared back in surprise and shock.

​

“They think I’m the beta - out of all the dramatic upgrades and the handful of other betas, they think I’m the one they are looking for - why? Because I apologized for being an asshole?” Jackson ran his hands through his hair, pulling slighting. This couldn’t be happening to him. Scott placed a hand on his shoulder.

​

“It’s going to be alright. Peter said they weren’t going to hurt you - not with Marin and Braeden watching their every move.” Jackson rolled his eyes.

​

“Yeah, no, right. They aren’t going to hurt me. They are just going to psychologically torture me.” Jackson sighed and let his eyes fall shut. “Look, after the truck picks up my car, can you guys take me to the Hale House?” Scott grinned at him, and Stiles nodded from inside the Jeep.

​

Jackson would rather be at the Hale House, where they talked to him and worried about where he was and who he was with. At least they cared all of the time - not just when it was beneficial for them too.

​

/Break\

​

Jackson stared at Peter from the kitchen island. Peter had ushered him into the house and told him to sit down at the island. Jackson must’ve looked pale and shaken up about what happened with Mr. Argent because Peter was being overly gentle - in a way that Jackson only saw him be with Derek or Laura, or that one time Isaac had a nightmare.

​

Peter had started chopping up meat and vegetables, and he was making Jackson soup. Because Jackson wasn’t feeling well, and even though he couldn’t get sick as a werewolf, his mental health was just as important. A thought that had floored Jackson, because he’d never thought of it that way before. He always just bottled up his emotions and then lashed out at school by bullying other kids.

​

Peter, who had just finished moving the soup to bowls, had placed one in front of Jackson and then sat beside him. Jackson couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten a meal with his parents that wasn’t a work function. His hesitation and shock must’ve been noticeable, because Peter looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

​

“What’s wrong?” Jackson shrugged and picked up the spoon, twirling it in his bowl.

​

“I don’t know. It's stupid. I- I just haven’t had a meal with my family in a long time.” Jackson saw Peter frowning out of the corner of his eye. He decided to distract himself by trying to make soup. His eyes went wide - it was delicious. Peter chuckled.

​

“It is a family recipe. My Aunt Annaliese taught it to me. It's really just a fancy, all-out chicken soup. I could teach it to you, if you’d like.” Jackson nodded.

​

“I don’t think I know how to do any kind of cooking; it might be useful to learn.” They sat in silence for a few beats.

​

“Jackson - I - I would never want to come between you and your adoptive parents. I know they raised you and you have this bond with them-” Jackson snorted at that thought, “but I want you to know that I want to get to know you and spend time with you. If I had had the choice, I-I would never have given you or your sister up.” Peter sounded vulnerable, and Jackson smiled at the other man.

​

“I like the sound of that.” Jackson looked away from him, “To be honest, the bar is set pretty low in the parental department.” Peter placed a hand on Jackson’s shoulder, right where Argent’s had been. But unlike that, Jackson didn’t feel uncomfortable or nervous. Instead, he felt warm, and he wanted to turn and pushed into the older man - he - he had the urge to hug him.

​

“My parents love me, and it's not like they are abusive or anything. I just wish that they would have more time for me. That we could spend time together and talk about our days; do the stuff the pack does, you know?” Peter nodded.

​

‘Well, if the bar is really that low, I suppose we are just going to have to raise it.” Peter smirked at him. “I’ve got a lovely date tonight with the Sheriff, will you help me pick out an outfit?” Jackson raised an eyebrow. “What? You’ve got incredible taste. Talent recognizes Talent.” Jackson laughed and shook his head.

​

“Sure, I’d love to help you get ready.” After that, they settled into a comfortable silence, exchanging stories back and forth while they ate.

​

/Break\

​

Stiles was staring at his dad as his dad adjusted his tie. He was dressed up nicely for this little dinner with Peter Hale. How those two even got to know each other, let alone spend time together, was beyond Stiles. But they were apparently into each other. His dad sighed as he looked up to see Stiles leaning against the wall.

​

“What’s up?” Stiles raised an eyebrow at his dad’s question.

​

“Oh, nothing, just wondering why you’re going on a date with Peter Hale?” His dad spun around and looked at Stiles with wide eyes.

​

“It’s not a date, son. We are just two adult members of the pack who are tired of all you teens.” Stiles rolled his eyes and followed after his dad when he walked away towards the living room.

​

“Dad, Peter called it a date. It's just you two, despite the fact that there are other adults in the pack. Plus, he stares at your ass.” That last one was pointed out to him by Lydia, who spent 20 minutes in the same room with them and picked up on the tension. The doorbell rang, and Stiles followed his dad to the door.

​

Peter was standing on the other side, dressed nicely as well, holding flowers. Forget-me-nots, ironically, were his father’s favorite flowers, and out of season, so how he got them was a miracle. Peter was smiling at his dad, who was staring at the other man. Stiles groaned and grabbed the flowers.

​

“I’ll put these into some water.” As he turned around, he said, loud enough for his dad to hear - and Peter, though he had those supernatural hearing abilities. “Definitely a date.” His dad was blushing.

​

“I- I’ll be back late tonight. If you go out, text me where and for how long.” Stiles nodded, and the two men were off. Not before Stiles heard:

​

“You look absolutely ravishing tonight, Darling.” Stiles literally dry heaved at that disgusting line as he shut the door. What was he going to do by himself for the next few hours?

​

Turned out he didn’t need to think of anything because Erica texted him about a mandatory pack movie night at the Hale House. He sent the text off to his dad about his location and the unknown length of time before hopping into his Jeep. Maybe he could convince Derek to make him his usual and bring it with him to the house.

​

/Break\

​

Derek smiled as he set the coffee orders down on the counter. When Isaac had gotten the text about a pack movie night and then another text, this time from Stiles, about them bringing coffee, Derek had been happy to fill out those orders before closing.

​

He’d also been happy to come home to a full house. It reminded him of when he was younger, when he lived in a different house, no less warm than this one, filled with family and joyous laughter. Everyone was here except for Peter and Noah, who were on a date, and Melissa, who was working night shift. Laura seemed at peace in her chair, as everyone seemed to argue over what movies to watch.

​

Derek frowned, looking over the room. Everyone was here except for Jackson. Uncle Peter had mentioned spending the day with Jackson and that the other boy was going to work out at the school for a while, but surely he’d be finishing up soon. Especially since there was a pack night involved. Jackson seemed to love spending time with the pack, even if he didn’t physically say it. Derek could scent the contentment on his wolf whenever the other boy was surrounded by the pack. He checked his phone to see a text from Jackson.

​

At the house - meet me there.

​

Was Jackson at the old house? Because he wasn’t at this house. That didn’t make any sense. Jackson had no reason to be at the old house. Unless he’d caught a whiff of something, or heard something. Unless hunters chased him down in the woods, and he didn’t want to lead them to the pack house. Even with the wards, if Jackson ran this way and then disappeared while running, hunters would mark the location and wait for someone else to leave and suddenly appear to know exactly where to find them. Was Jackson in danger?

​

“What’s wrong with you, Mr. Sourwolf?” Stiles asked teasingly, with a huge grin, as he entered the kitchen area, startling Derek so badly, he’d dropped his phone into the pile of the betas’ bags and things that were by his feet.

​

“Jackson texted that he’s at the house and needs me to meet him there. So I’d better go, make sure he’s alright.” Stiles smiled at him as he grabbed his coffee order. Derek tried to ignore how warm his chest felt and the sound of contentment his wolf gave off whenever Stiles smiled at him. Stiles was too young - he was only 16 - and Derek wasn't; he was 21 it wasn’t appropriate.

​

Derek shook his head and bent down to pick up his phone. Before his hand found it, he looked up at Laura, saying his name. He picked up the phone while raising an eyebrow at her.

​

“Do you want someone to go with you?” she asked playfully, winking at him. Derek sighed.  

​

“No, but if I’m not back in an hour, call Peter.” Laura rolled her eyes as Stiles looked at Derek, concerned.

​

“There’s nothing to be worried about, Der. You are just going to the old house to bring Jackson back here. If something was wrong, his text would’ve said so.” Laura pointed out. Derek frowned but didn’t argue her point. Maybe she was right, maybe everything was perfectly fine, and he was freaking out for no reason.

​

“I’ll be back.” Stiles saluted him and marched back to the living room, handing everyone their drinks. Derek smiled softly at the scene before leaving, shutting the front door behind him.

​

/Break\

​

Derek came to a stop outside the old house but couldn’t smell Jackson anywhere. Maybe he meant the house, as in the one he lives in with his parents. Didn’t Peter mention something about his Porsche breaking down? Derek slipped his phone out of his pocket, intending to call Jackson when he realized this wasn’t his phone.

​

The screen saver was a picture of Allison and Scott, and he didn’t even know the password for the phone. He must’ve grabbed Scott’s new phone by accident when he’d dropped his into the betas’ pile.

​

“I was wrong after all. Jackson’s not the Alpha’s beta - is he? He’s a Hale beta.” Derek’s eyes widened, and his veins turned to ice as he turned around to see Kate standing there holding a familiar phone - Jackson’s. Before Derek could shift and attack, he was hit from behind, crumbling to his knees as his vision darkened before going completely black. It had been a trap.

​

/Break\

​

After a long discussion, the group finally settled on Legally Blonde and then The Notebook, because Lydia refused to concede to them. She cited that she hadn’t been able to watch it yet for the month since she and Jackson had been attacked when he went to rent it. The movie had just gotten to the admission video scene when the front door tore open.

​

Jackson was standing there, breathing heavily, having clearly run from wherever he was. He was still in his workout clothes, and there was dried blood on his face and head. No wound, though, which means it was old blood. Laura was immediately out of her chair, eyes flashing as she took the beta into her arms. Someone paused the movie, and everyone turned to pay attention to the scene in front of them.

​

“What happened?” Laura asked, examining Jackson’s face. He looked worried and scared.

​

“I-I’m not sure. One second, I was working out, and the next, some lady called out into the locker room asking for help. When I turned to look at her, I was hit over the head. When I woke up, my phone was gone.” Lydia gasped, looking around the room.

​

“Does anyone hear that?” she asked in a small voice. Allison was immediately at her side, trying to get her to look at her.

​

“Hear what?” Boyd asked, confused. Laura tried to calm herself, listening to the room, but she didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.

​

“Chains - rattling chains and a hum of electricity. It's all around.” Lydia’s voice trailed off, sounding far off, far away from them at the present moment.

​

“That would be a banshee premonition.” Gran walked into the room, wrapped in a dressing robe with slippers. “She’s hearing something very real - she might even develop the ability to see it. I’d wager a guess that she’d dream about it tonight.”

​

“What does that mean, Gran?” Boyd asked his grandmother. The old woman sat down beside Lydia, with a sigh.

​

“Not all predictions are those of death - some warn of danger or the potential of danger or death. It is hard to say.” Laura frowned and turned back to Jackson.

​

“Your phone is missing? Did you text Derek at all?” she asked. Jackson shook his head, causing Laura to swear. “It was a trap. They wanted to lure Derek out using Jackson.”

​

“Who?” Jackson asked, sounding frustrated.

​

“Argent,” Lydia whispered, before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Laura sprang into action.

​

“Allison, Erica, take Lydia to her undesignated room. You remember which one?” Erica nodded. “Isaac, call Peter and tell him Derek has been taken! Stiles, you are with me in the dining room - we need to call Marin and Braeden and look into next steps. Everyone else, try to enjoy the movie, Der- Derek would want you to.” Laura commanded. What kind of Alpha was she if her own brother was getting kidnapped behind her back? She prayed Lydia wouldn’t see him dying in. Laura couldn’t lose another person.

​

/Break\

​

Peter smiled at Noah as he walked the man up to his door. Dinner had been delightful, especially after he cleared up his intentions and made it known he wished it to be a date. Noah had blushed so beautifully at that declaration and stuttered out an agreement.

​

They got along great and spent most of the night talking about sports from high school, their jobs, and even shared thoughts on intellectual matters. As it turns out, Noah had been reading all of Stiles' school books so that he’d be able to help his kid. Even though Stiles is a genius in his own right and never needed the help, they’d been able to discuss topics at length together.

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“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Noah admitted. Peter smirked, showing just a slight amount of teeth. Noah had smelt heavenly all night - soft honey and warm cinnamon that mixed together in such a way as to make Peter feel like he was floating. He locked eyes with Noah.

​

“I did as well. Perhaps we could do this regularly?” Peter suggested, bringing a hand to rest on Noah’s waist. The other man’s heart skipped a beat at the physical contact, looking up at Peter with a slightly open mouth.

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“Like - like dating?” Peter smiled softly at the man’s question, leaning in and putting his mouth on Noah’s ear, he chuckled, liking the way his warm breath caused the other man to shake slightly.

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“Mh… I’d call it courting, but it's the same principle.” Noah nodded at the title.

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“That sounds…lovely.” Peter pulled back enough to look at the other man’s eyes. They were close, so close, that all he had to do was lean forward and kiss those lips. Currently, there was a tongue darting out to run across those lips, and Peter’s wolf wanted to catch it. So he leaned forward.

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Just as his lips were brushing Noah's, his phone started ringing - Isaac’s ringtone. He groaned slightly and looked at Noah.

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“We aren’t done.” He said, the other man flush and breathless, just nodded. “Hello, pup, what’s up?” He answered the phone.

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“Peter.” Isaac sounded panicked and breathless himself, which immediately put Peter on edge, as he stepped away from Noah. “It’s Derek - they tricked him, and they took him?” Peter’s grip tightened on his phone.

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“Who, pup? Who took Derek?” The line was silent as Noah came to stand beside Peter, resting a hand on his shoulder, his concerned gaze searching Peter’s helpless one.

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“The Argents.” Peter’s phone cracked in half as he howled, Noah holding onto him as he fell to his knees. His nephew was once again at the mercy of those monsters.

Chapter Text

Everyone was sitting around the living room when Marin and Braeden showed up. Peter and Noah had shown up ten minutes after Isaac had called them, and everyone was tense while waiting for the representatives to show up at the house.

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“Okay, so from what I understand, Kate most likely took Derek without anyone else’s knowledge. Because we were watching the Argent house tonight and Chris and Victorica never left or received any phone calls outside of Allison calling to tell them she was spending the night at Erica’s.” Braeden lay out.

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“Has Kate tried to contact you at all, Allison?” Marin asked. Allison nodded and wordlessly passed her phone over to the druid. Marin nodded while she read the texts. “So they haven’t figured out that you know about the supernatural yet. It seems as if Kate wants you to meet her to possibly show you Derek and tell you everything. This is good.” Laura slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her chair falling backwards, the slam making Isaac flinch.

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“That’s good? None of this is good. My baby brother has been kidnapped, despite the fact that all I’ve done is try to protect him and my pack the legal way. You two were supposed to keep this from happening.” Peter stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. Braeden looked sad by the reaction, while Marin didn’t react - fully in her planning mode.

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“Yes. If we play our cards right, Kate will be so desperate that she will give Allison the address. Think about it; if Allison ignores her all night and all day tomorrow, then right before the dance, she can reach out to Kate, and Kate will jump on the opportunity to influence Allison. She’ll give us the exact location of where she’s keeping Derek, and we can go get him while the kids are at the dance.” Laura blinked back in surprise. She sheepishly picked her chair up off the ground and sat back down.

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“That could actually work.” Marin nodded. She glanced around the room, eyes landing on Jackson.

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“You told me that Chris approached you this morning when your car broke down. Did he say anything to you?” Jackson, not used to the attention, was speechless.

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“Uh…he told me that I could always talk to him if I needed to,” Jackson responded with a shrug. Marin snapped her fingers.

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“That’s perfect.” She turned towards Allison. “I assume you were going to have your dad drop you at the dance tomorrow night?” Allison nodded. “When he does, Jackson, you need to distract him. Chris Argent has a code; he doesn’t hurt kids. We just need to bait him by giving him information,” said Marin.

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“You want Jackson to tell him that he’s the beta?” Noah asked, skeptically.

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“No,” Marin said, shaking her head. “If he were to do that, Chris would probably take Jackson somewhere else, instead of the dance, and we can’t have eyes everywhere at once. It would have to be one of the other betas.” Marin explained.

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“I’ll do it,” Scott volunteered. “Chris won’t make a scene about it until after the dance - especially since both Allison and I would already be in the gym. If we all plan to stay inside the school, then he’d probably wait around until the dance ends and we all leave. Which would give you enough time to get Derek and get back to watch over Chris’ actions.” Scott explained. Stiles blinked in surprise, and everyone was quiet.

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“How do you struggle so much with school and then come up with a plan that good?” Scott pushed Stiles’ shoulder and rolled his eyes.

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“That plan holds merit.” Braeden mused. Peter cleared his throat and gained everyone’s attention.

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“How will we know for sure that Kate will give us the actual location and not just a secondary location?” There was a groan off to the side, and everyone looked back at Scott, who looked frustrated.

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“This is Derek’s phone. He-he must’ve grabbed mine instead of his when he dropped it earlier.” Stiles cheered, gaining a few eyebrow raises.

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“If he has Scott’s new model phone, we can track it. Which means when Kate sends the address to Allison, we can confirm if that’s where Derek is.” Stiles told the group.

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“If we can find him now, why don’t we?” Boyd asked, crossing his arms. Erica was hugging him from behind, trying to comfort Boyd.

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“Because, while we would be able to go get him now, Kate could have extra help we aren’t equipped to deal with. Not to mention the very real possibility that she wouldn’t be there and cover her tracks. That would mean that it's her word against Derek’s, and we wouldn’t be able to arrest her. If we wait, we know we can catch her in the act.” Marin explained.

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“Okay, why don’t you all get to bed. You all can stay here tonight - we have plenty of guest rooms, and I was going to suggest the newest members pick out their own rooms anyway. You all have a long day of getting ready for the dance and last-minute shopping.” Laura ordered. Everyone looked uneasy, but they’d grabbed their things and gone upstairs to look for rooms. Stiles knew he shouldn’t, but there was no way he was sleeping tonight with all the worrying and overthinking he was doing in regards to Derek.

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