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ilovewriting06 · 2 months

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Mischief and Angel- Part 11

I snarl down at the grinning face of Kate Argent before raising my claws ready to slash out her throat when she chuckles, spitting up a little blood, "Her birthday is February 2nd by the way."

I falter slightly and she laughs her sadistic little laugh, "Yeah, what's her name? Lola isn't it?"

I let out a growl and she smirks, "She's yours you know, biological and all that jazz. Congrats."

I pull back in surprise, craving answers and Kate takes my moment of distraction to stab a wolfsbane laced dagger through my torso. My eyes widen as I gasp in pain before I'm being pushed to the ground. I hiss and choke out a cry as the blade is twisted in a full circle as Kate's face appears above mine, "Don't worry dear, I'll tell you everything you want to know, but it'll be on my terms."

I weakly try and push her hands away before she pushes herself up, using the handle of the dagger as her only leverage. I arch in pain as black starts to cloud my vision telling me I'm about to pass out. I frantically look for someway to leave a message when I make eye contact with the camera and try my best to leave a message. I take gasping breaths as my vision fades in and out and the last thing I see is Gerard Argent looking down at me with a sneer before glancing up and looking, presumably at Kate, "Tell her, and then kill her."

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Stiles POV

"What do you mean she's missing?!"

"Stiles, calm down."

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down Scott! My fiancée is missing, my mate Scott, and I can't fucking feel her and it's freaking me the fuck out! So someone, tell me what the hell is going on and where the hell my fiancée is?!"

I feel someone lay a hand on my shoulder and I instinctively fling my arm back effectively knocking the hand off of my shoulder before spinning around to seethe at Dad, "Don't. Touch. Me."

He holds up his hands and backs up slightly before speaking, "Hey, sorry, sorry, but you need to calm down Stiles. Let Lydia explain and then we'll figure out what to do."

I take a deep shaky breath before sinking down to sit on the bottom of the stairs, "Okay, okay," I look up and meet the gaze of a worried and guilty Lydia, "What happened?"

Lydia's frown deepens and I notice how she's slightly shaking and her bottom lips quivers, "I-I don't know what happened, we were at the mall, just window shopping you know?"

Allison lays a comforting hand on Lydia's arm, "Deep breaths Lyds, we need you to tell us what happened so we can find Y/n. Do this for her."

Lydia takes a deep breath and nods once before her eyes harden as her guilt turns to determination, "We were at the mall since we both had a free day and it has been quiet on the Gerard and Kate issue for awhile and we had just finished eating when she said she needed to run to the bathroom. I offered to go with her but she said no, that she would be right back because she only had to pee and then she asked me to look for the one candle scent that Stiles loves. I watched her walk towards the bathrooms and then she never came back. I went and looked for her and all I found was what looked like blood splatter on the wall, it looked like someone's face was slammed against it and their nose started bleeding."

I clutch my hands into fists as I check in on our bonds to see if I can feel her but it's still silent. I take a deep breath before dropping my face into my hands and fighting back tears as I whisper, "Pain, so much pain and anger."

Everyone turns to look at me and I rub my hands down my face before sniffling as I sit up straight, "The last thing I felt from her was sudden, it was anger, a lot of anger, and then unfathomable pain, right before terror took over for a split second before she disappeared. The bond is still there and I haven't went fucking crazy yet so she's still alive. It feels like the bonds when she's asleep so I think she was probably knocked out."

Everyone lets out some sort of whimper or whine, including the humans, before the door is flung open and Melissa comes rushing through demanding, "What happened?! Why did I get the 911 text, who's hurt, who's missing, or who do we have to kill?"

She stops in the entryway as she takes in everyone and I can see the moment it clicks that the only person not present is her daughter. She sucks in a breath before her eyes settle on my and I can see the fear in her eyes which has me choking back more sobs as she asks, "Stiles, where's my daughter?"

I bite my cheek trying to gain control before swallowing and then standing up, "We don't know." Her eyes widen as she comes to stand in front of me, "What do you mean you don't know? Can't you feel her or do your weird voodoo mate shit and find her?"

I shake my head slowly and whisper, "N-no, I...I can't, I'm sorry Melissa but I can tell you that she's still alive."

Her eyes widen even more before dropping into a glare, "Sh-She's alive?! That's it?! Aren't you her mate and supposed to know this crap?! What the hell were you even thinking letting her go out alone when two fucking psychos are on the loose and clearly after blood?!"

I swallow her words as they cut deep before answering, "She wasn't alone, she went with Lydia. I thought-I thought she would be okay to get out of the house for a couple hours."

Lydia shrinks back as if she had been slapped, and I can't help but sympathize because I'm feeling about the same x10 right now. I lick my lips out of nervousness, praying that Melissa is done shooting bullets but it appears they're going unanswered today.

"Lydia! You sent her out with Lydia! The least threatening one in the pack and you send my daughter out with her? What the hell is wrong with you Stiles, you're supposed to stop her from doing stupid stuff when there's psycho killers on the loose! What were you thinking? Hell, were you thinking at all?!"

I flinch back before looking at the floor as Scott jumps forward, "MOM! Stop! Are you thinking? You know no one can tell Y/n what to do besides look at him, he's beating himself up right now without you coming around and adding fuel to the fire. He's more connected to her than any of us and as soon as he felt her bond go silent he went batshit crazy, it took Boyd, Erica, Isaac, and me to keep him from running out here full on white eyed and sparked out."

I glance up as Melissa's anger falters and Scott continues, "Jesus Mom, she's his mate, his world, take what you feel right now and multiply it by 1000, that's what he feels like right now. Just, calm down before you send him into another spiral, because although his eyes are really frickin cool, he's really freaking scary."

Melissa turns to look at me and I look away to avoid eye contact before stumbling back as I'm slammed into before being wrapped in a rather tight hug, "Oh God Stiles, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of it, I was just angry and scared and you were who I took it out on. I am so sorry, honey."

I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a tight hug as she sobs into my shoulder and I fight to hold back my own tears because I know if I start crying now I'm not going to stop.

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I tap my fingers against the desk as dad scrolls through the security tapes from the mall looking for any idea as to what happened and where she went. We're 103% sure it was Kate and Gerard but we still don't know specifics.

I perk up as Dad stops fast forwarding through the tape when he sees Y/n and Lydia in the food court and from there we bounce between the cameras until she disappears into the bathroom. Luckily there is a clear shot to the bathroom door to make sure no one steals anything and we watch as a blonde quickly slip through the door less than a minute after Y/n and I can feel my eyes flash white as I let out a pretty impressive snarl, "Kate."

We watch until they exit through the bathroom door together and then slipping out of a back door on the backside of the mall. Dad switches cameras again and I watch as a pretty brutal fight breaks out until Y/n has Kate pinned down and has the opening for a final blow before she falters. I lean forward and furrow my eyebrows wondering why she faltered before scowling and wincing as she's pushed off Kate and the dagger that had been embedded in her flesh is twisted. I close my eyes and look away not being able to stomach the pain on her face, at least until Dad gasps, "Stiles."

I look at him before he rewinds the tape and points before slowing it down, "Watch."

I flinch as the dagger is twisted and pushed on as if it isn't impaled through my mate's stomach. I watch as Y/n's eyes dart around somewhat frantic before she makes direct eye contact at the camera before moving her hand in multiple different signs that I vaguely recognize but have no idea how to interpret.

I grit my teeth out of irritation before I remember where exactly I had seen those signs before. I scramble for my phone before dialing the only person I can think of that would know what the hell Y/n was trying to tell us.

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Lydia strolls through the office door less than ten minutes later before moving to look at the screen, "Okay, what do you need me to try and interpret?"

I replay the tape again and can see the tears as she sees her best friend get stabbed before she gasps. She narrows her eyes before rewinding the tape for a few seconds as she looks at me, "It's sign language, we learned some of it so we could talk to each other during school. We only really ever got the basics and the alphabet figured out but she's spelling something out, I need a piece of paper and a pen."

This time Dad is the one that scrambles to pull a notepad out of his desk before plucking a pen out of his pen holder and all but shoving them at Lydia. Lydia takes them before she rewinds the tape for approximately another eternity before she hands the paper to me, "I think it's for you."

I look down at the paper and my breath hitches at the three words scribbled on the paper, 'she is ours.' I slam the paper down on the desk causing Dad and Lydia to jump before I angrily seethe, "Of course they were the ones to fucking take Lola."

Lydia looks at me with concern and confusion in her eyes, "What are you talking about? Lola's safe at home."

I point at the note before running a hand through my hair, "Y/n and I had a hunch that the baby she miscarried, wasn't actually miscarried."

Lydia furrows her eyebrows in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

I let a sad smile slip out before pointing at the screen, "When she faltered, when she could have killed Kate but didn't, I think Kate told her what we had suspected...Lola is our biological daughter that was somehow taken from Y/n, more than likely transferred to someone else."

She stares at my in shock before asking, "Is that even possible?"

I sigh before nodding, "Yeah, I went to Deaton about it and he said that it is possible but you would need another woman to carry the baby to full term and a witch to actually transfer the baby from one womb to the other. It was only ever used in dire situation, like the original, biological mother is dying and the baby is moved to another woman to carry the baby."

Lydia gapes, "You mean to tell me that some sicko magically moved a baby out of Y/n's womb, causing her to fall into grief because she thought she miscarried the baby, into another one?"

I nod and she scowls, "What kind of fucking sicko would do that?!"

I raised an eyebrow and she deflated, "You...you don't think Kate...?"

I blanche at he suggestion before I shakily nod, "I-it...the timeline would work. If we're right and Lola was transferred to-to Kate, oh God that makes me sick, it would make sense as to why they dropped off the map for all those months."

I look to see Dad scowling, obviously paying attention as Lydia asks, "Is-is Lola related to Kate somehow?"

I let out a relieved sigh and shake my head, "No, not possible. She was simply just a carrier. Y/n and I had already made Lola, she was 100% our DNA and they couldn't change that. Kate would have only carried her and then gave birth to her, but no relation and she wouldn't have the same motherly love that Y/n would have had. Well, Y/n/n has it now, but no, no relation to the Argents, thank fuck."

Surprisingly Dad is the one to sigh in relief, "Oh thank God, I can't stand the Argents, except for Allison, and sometimes Chris. I'm still a little mad that he was going to shoot you when everything went down with the nogistune."

I go to respond before I jump up so fast my chair almost flips before turning to Dad and Lydia with wide eyes, "She's awake!"

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A/n- Well, some mysteries are slowly getting solved, now they just need to find Y/n before it's too late. Let me know what you think!

Tag List: @ah-blossom @gabby988 @zanypaintermoon

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invisible-storyteller · 9 months

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Come steady me

(Read it on AO3)

For @tw-anchor-down's Full Moon Round. Pairing: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale Rating: Teen and Up Words: 5620 Summary: Eli has trouble with his shift, which wouldn't be so embarassing if he wasn't the only one in the family who hasn't found his anchor yet. Then his father gets kidnapped. He's a Stilinski-Hale, though. Was he really expecting to have an easy life?

"I still think you should come with us."

His dad lingered in the doorway like a bad habit he couldn't shake. His eyes were achingly hopeful - something Eli considered one of his dad's greatest weaknesses: seeing more potential in someone than truly existed.

"I made my choice, Dad," Eli stated with perhaps more edge to his voice than intended. It wasn't the effect of the full moon, just the exasperation of this short exchange between them slowly developing into a monthly routine by now. "Just go, have fun. I'll be fine."

His dad nodded with that tight-lipped smile and head duck combo that let Eli know just how reluctant his father's compliance was. It didn't matter much in the end because he was soon disappearing into the woods with two of Eli's siblings on his literal tail and one riding atop his back, while Eli was left sighing wistfully after their retreating forms and enduring the mockery of his own human-looking fingers.

"All wards are up," His tata announced cheerily once the front door's lock slid into place, and he emerged from the kitchen with two highly mounted bowls of popcorn. "So. What are we watching?"

Eli shrugged dejectedly, grabbing one consolation bowl for himself. "What about that new superhero movie with the dude who can manipulate time?"

"Now you're talking my lingo," His tata finger-gunned him as they made their way towards the living room.

"Don't say 'lingo'," Eli grimaced, then pointed to the bowls, "Only two?"

"Your sister's already called dibs on the scoop."

Sure enough, Tally was sprawled out on the couch - looking like a Greek depiction of hedonism - with a tube of ice cream mixed in with jelly beans at the ready. Apparently, four years was enough time to get accustomed to a life with siblings.

"Hey, make space, peasant," Eli ordered as he grabbed hold of his sister's ankles and tossed them off the couch.

"Na-ah, dogs aren't allowed on the couch," Tally grinned, placing her feet back up.

"A dog joke? That's very original."

"You're not my boss," Tally smiled devilishly as she popped a gummy bear into her mouth, "And you never will be because you're not the next alpha in line. Deedee will inherit the power."

"Seriously?" Eli grunted (mostly to no one) and turned to his father with open arms and a face that screamed 'Do something!'.

"You gotta fight your own battles, kiddo," Was his tata's helpful reply from the comfort of his ensured seating. The family's armchair was always reserved for him and Dad, and courageous be the person who breaks that rule.

Eli huffed indignantly, standing directly in front of his sister and blocking her view. "I'll throw popcorn in your hair."

"I'll catch it in my mouth." Tally retaliated, trying to scoot lower to better see the TV.

It was basically a challenge at that point, so Eli couldn't be blamed for throwing a handful at her and then seizing the opportunity to settle onto the couch when she flailed to catch the popcorn bouncing off her face.

"That was cheating," Tally accused petulently, "Tata, Eli cheated!"

"Tallytab, just share the couch with your brother."

Tally glared at Eli with such ferocity even a werewolf would envy, and so Eli very maturely stuck his tongue out at her while their tata searched the new movie up on MetvX.

"You know," Their tata started in that fake-nonchalant tone that set alarms off in Eli's head, "It sure would be better to run in the wild than hang out with your old man and your little sister."

Eli didn't answer at first, partially because it was true, but mostly because they both knew the exact reason why Eli wasn't joining the others on their run. This was the same old topic, and he was getting kind of tired of all the pestering.

"I don't want to ruin their night."

"You wouldn't," His tata reassured, like always.

"But I did," Eli countered, stubbornly refusing to make eye contact with his father, "Twice. First, my powers didn't even manifest and they had to jog beside me and escort me the whole time so I wouldn't twist my ankle. The second time my powers did manifest, and what would you know? I lost control! And almost ate someone's cat. Raw."

"Yucky," Tally grimaced while the movie's intro began to play.

"I am better off here within the wards," Eli mumbled with finality, and thankfully, after a few seconds, his tata conceded and turned his gaze back to the TV.

And Eli definitely didn't spend the entire movie thinking about how cool it would be to run under the moonlight.

***

His parents always insisted that Eli was a late bloomer. In all honesty, Eli wasn't sure if he wanted to believe that because 1) if it turned out he wasn't actually a werewolf (with a spark for a father that was more than likely), it would be pointless to fool himself and 2) if he was indeed a werewolf but without an anchor to stabilize him, maybe it was better for his abilities not to manifest at all. It was embarrassing enough that his three younger, non-human siblings were already masters of their powers, while he - as the oldest child - was falling behind.

His "brooding" ("He inherited this from you, Der! It's your fault!") was interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice cutting through the general ruckus of a high school's lunch period.

"Oops, better watch out next time, guard dog."

Dominic's words were seeping with derision, drawing the entire student body's attention - and thus Eli's and Hikari's eyes, too - to the group of jocks parting the sea of teenagers as they made their way across the cafeteria. Although Eli was part of the same team, he was considered a "last resort" most of the time and so couldn't sit with the star players (they said so), not that he had any desire to abase himself like that. That clique was dedicated solely to competing with and bringing down anyone who posed a supposed threat to them, and that was why Dominic deliberately rammed into Mars's shoulder while passing him, almost sending the younger boy's tray clattering to the floor. It seemed that two months had brought no change on that front.

Eli and Hikari nodded to each other before quickly gathering their trays and joining Mars and his friend Rain on the other side of the room.

"Good reflexes," Hikari complimented as they settled opposite the two sophomores.

"Still not good enough to make team captain," Mars mumbled, his fingers absent-mindedly drumming atop the table.

"Don't worry, the others will eventually realize what a dick he is, and then they'll pick you as their new captain, for sure. You'll be unstoppable." Eli comforted with more hope than actual conviction.

"Not as long as he has his following," Mars shook his head, his nails turning pointy for a second before returning to their normal shape.

"How do you do it?" Hikari asked, eying the group of jocks with disdain, "I would have sliced him open with my katana by now. I might still do it. What's stopping me?"

"The law?" Eli asked, to which Hikari rolled her eyes like their statutory rules were a particular inconvenience of hers.

"I can't lose control," Mars answered the original question, "That would diminish any chance I have against that douchbag. And you know how much trouble I could get into."

Unfortunately, they all knew. Their school was extremely unsympathetic towards supernatural creatures - a result of humans trying to adapt to cohabitation with the supernatural in the past decade with more adverse success than not - meaning that the smallest slip-up could get you behind bars or sentenced to excessive community work, and that was the favourable scenario. A family of werewolves already had to leave town because of the backlash they faced from the community, and Mars clearly didn't want to bring their family to the same fate.

"But you've only been a werewolf for what? Four months?" Hikari continued, digging into her mashed potatoes with gusto, "Your control is impressive."

"He's just good at everything," Rain interjected in half-amusement half-irritation, "Lacrosse, self-control, maths. And here I am, still unable to figure out my powers."

"Yeah," Mars grinned back at his friend, "Otherwise you could tell me if I'mma ever win against that fuckin' scrub."

Rain looked ceiling-wards like this wasn't the first time this conversation happened, and Eli could seriously understand their struggle. Obviously, he didn't know the next thing about psychic powers, but he had first-hand experience with the frustration that came with not having a handle on your superhuman nature.

"How did Derek teach you control so quickly, anyway?" Hikari inquired, and Eli once again remembered why Mars refused to mingle with his friend group at school.

"He told me to find an anchor," Mars stated simply, then pointed to the wireless earbud in his right ear, "Back in my town, me and my friends would go to the basketball court after school hours. Some of them were art students from around the block so they would bring music and like, get buck wild with the moves, man. It was crazy! And the music reminds me of that time."

"Before the bite," Eli finished the other's thoughts.

"Yeah," Mars nodded dolefully, "Derek said that I could use music as my anchor. Ya know, to remind me that I'm still in control of my body and shit. Just like when I'm dancing."

"What are you listening to?" Eli asked, expecting some heavy metal to channel all that anger.

However, when Mars offered the unused earbud to him, Eli realised he shouldn't have been surprised to hear Dua Lipa's Levitating blasting at full volume from the device.

"These songs are so old school," Eli remarked as he gave the earbud back.

"Yeah, and they are still slammin'," Mars replied confidently before explaining: "Gets me into a good mood. Better than the techno shit that's so hyped right now."

"I guess," Eli shrugged.

"You'll get the hang of it," Mars said, voice much lighter, "Like Derek says: it takes persistence and belief."

"You mean stubbornness and spite," Eli corrected, prompting Mars to laugh and the conversation to drift to different topics.

In the following three days, Eli tried to rely on his own tunes to call his wolf forward without any noticeable progress. His powers seemed unwilling to show themselves after that one catastrophic full moon, and all he got from his music therapy was back pain (from trying to lift the family car) and a twisted ankle (from jumping out of his second-floor room). For a whole week, the only thing he could think about was how fast his siblings would heal from these injuries, although, finally having an excuse to warm the bench at lacrosse games was a welcomed repercussion.

***

"Bye, have fun!" Despite the cheery goodbye, his tata hadn't come back into the house yet, which could only mean one thing: Eli's parents were shamelessly making out on the front porch, which, first off, ew, and second, the movie now couldn't be started lest they risked getting grounded for a week.

This will take a while, Eli thought as he got comfortable on the couch.

"Why don't you go?" Tally asked nosily as she was prone to do when she was overcome by boredom.

"To be a burden? No thanks."

"But you have powers!"

"Do you see them anywhere? 'cause I don't."

"Three full moons ago you did that parkour from roof to roof, that was cool. And! And you slept in the lion's cage at the zoo."

"It's interesting how you remember all that but you couldn't recall this afternoon where my pop tarts disappeared to." Eli groused, hoping his parents weren't using tongue or this would be a long interrogation for Eli.

"Would it help if I punched you?" Tally suggested, making Eli wonder if his family was a bad influence on her, "Pain's s'possed to help."

"You punching me with your noodles arms? Yeah, totally gonna work."

It was Eli's fault, really, letting his guard down, because the next second, Tally reached over the couch and punched him square in the arm with all the force of a fierce primary schooler.

"Ow, what the-"

"I guess it doesn't," Tally pouted, before settling back into her corner, "Or you're just a loser."

"Thanks," Eli said while rubbing his arm, "But I'm not the adopted one."

"No, I am. Which means our parents at least wanted me."

Eli shot his sister a death glare, unsure how so much evil could fit into such a small body. "They wanted me too! I'm the oldest, which means they anticipated me the most."

"Weren't you a surprise?"

"Okay, let's just start the movie already," Eli grumbled, deciding that getting his ass whipped by his tata was still a better choice than his present torment.

"I just don't know why you're scared."

"I'm not," Eli denied rather weakly.

"You are. You're scared to go on runs."

"Finding an anchor is hard, alright?!"

"But it isn't," Tally argued, clutching her unicorn plushie tighter, "When I get mad, I just think of a nice place and the anger goes away."

"A nice place?"

"Like that," Tally pointed towards the kitchen, and Eli immediately knew she was talking about one of her drawings they had on the fridge. The one with the cove on it.

"That calms you down?"

"Yeah," Tally affirmed, "When Rony exploded my dinosaur plushie with that fireball, I was really angry at him. But then I remembered what the kid in that cartoon said about anger, and how it's normal, but sometimes you can't do anything to change what's happened so you have to focus on something else. So I did what he did and imagined a place where I was happy. Like that beach where my parents took me once. I liked it, we collected a bunch of seashells."

"The ones in your room?"

"Aham," Tally said, looking at her plushie instead, "Mom said that life is like the ocean, and we are just tiny seashells in it. And that waves come and go, like bad feelings. So when I feel something bad, I just remember the waves and I know if I don't fight it, it will pass. And I'll be happy again."

Eli didn't know what to say, he was mostly just stunned into silence. Thankfully, that was the moment their tata came back to the room, hair a tousled mess and lips slightly bloody, a pink flush colouring his cheeks that Eli wished was from embarrassment.

"I'll be, um... down... in a sec," Their tata excused himself as he ran upstairs, no doubt into the bathroom, and Eli made sure to put this memory later onto the list of 'Reasons why my future therapist will side-glance me'.

It was a small solace to know that Tally shared his misery.

***

The elevator jostled as it came to an abrupt stop, stuck between two levels, and soon descending into darkness before the backup lights flickered on.

"They shut down the power," Audie noted, pressing the emergency bell in vain.

"Really? I wouldn't have figured it out on my own," Eli sassed, carding through his hair in frustration, "Just so you know, I'm blaming you for this."

Audie glared him down in response, having already mastered her look of alpha reproval at the age of 16, and Eli was once again dreading the day she would take over the family territory. Eli was nevertheless right: his sister had been the one to insist he drove them to the hospital as soon as Melissa's call came in. Apparently, vampires had been secretly feeding on half-leg-in-the-grave patients until Melissa noticed the bite marks belonging to a person who had previously shown signs of improvement, and Eli's parents shortly arrived at the premises to confirm her theory. The vampires, for obvious reasons, weren't thrilled about the deputies now monitoring the halls, and long story short, the whole nest showed up, Eli's parents were kicking ass, but the bloodsuckers were hauling people out of the wards with inhuman speed and wiping the witnesses' memories, and so here Audie and Eli were. As reinforcement.

As if.

"Would you have let them fight alone?" Audie berated, her voice almost as threatening as the yellow glow of her eyes.

"Our parents can handle it, that's what they do."

"So you think this isn't your responsibility?"

"Since when is a vampire attack our responsibility?" Eli snarled, unable to unravel his sister's point, "The adults should handle it, with the cops! And they had it under control."

"Yeah, as much as a fucking wildfire," Audie hissed, her breaths coming quicker with every new scream her ears were able to pick up on, "Our parents are out there and who knows what is happening to them! Innocent people are getting used as some kind of all-you-can-eat buffet, we are stuck in this goddam elevator, and you say you don't care?!"

Audie's words came out as a near growl by the end, and Eli recognized the telltale indications of an impending panic attack. His sister's shift usually came along with the fear, and that was one of the reasons she had been home-schooled last year - more out of embarrassment than the possibility of hurting someone. Eli felt horrible, both because he had somewhat contributed to their messy situation and also because he was lost for what to do. Their parents knew how to deal with the panic attacks, but now Eli felt ashamed that as an older brother he never learnt how to help his sister. Audie might be the next alpha in line, but Eli was her big brother, and it was his job to look after her.

Audie growled again with fangs elongating and claws sinking into her palms painfully, and Eli contemplated getting closer to her before barely discernable words were audible around her heavy breathing.

"Alpha... beta... omega..."

It was like a chant she kept repeating despite the interruption of screams from outside. Audie clutched her triskele necklace - a smaller version of the family talisman - while attempting to regulate her breathing and not relenting until her face was devoid of wolfy features. Suddenly, all sounds ceased past the doors, and the normal lighting returned as the elevator jerked back into motion.

"We're moving."

Audie opened her eyes, tucked her necklace back into her shirt and steadied her stance against whatever was awaiting them downstairs.

"Get ready to fight," Audie commanded, her voice leaving no space for disobedience, "We are Hales. This is our legacy. We protect people."

The words appeared to calm her down, and Eli had no wish to fight her claims. He took a deep breath instead.

"I'll protect you," Audie promised out of nowhere, just as the doors opened to a crowd of disoriented and terrified people.

Alongside his sister, Eli felt unexpectedly secure.

***

"You can do this," Their father repeated but Eli wasn't even sure the message was getting across to his little brother. Rony had curled up on the floor a few minutes ago, face hidden behind his knees while he rocked rapidly back and forth, and didn't show any indication of abandoning his chosen corner in the family basement.

"Ican'tIcan'tIcan'tIcan'tIcan't..." Were the words on a loop that Rony whispered with his hands stubbornly covering his ears. Audie was kneeling in front of him, struggling not to touch Rony after that one time the boy screamed at the contact, but their sister was evidently getting more riled up by the minute.

"Yes, you can!" Audie pressed, despite the futile incentive, "Rony, you have to focus. You have to find Tata."

"You're the only one who can do this," Their dad affirmed in a softer tone, not that it mattered. He was just as, if not more, wrung out than the rest of their family, so his encouragement registered more as a desperate plea rather than a confident boost.

It all went to hell when their tata was running away from the nest of vampires. He had concealed his scent and heartbeat to hinder the nest's manhunt, but his plan had backfired when their dad failed to locate him as well. Now their tata was taken and their other father was clearly blaming himself for losing sight of his mate, and Eli's little brother who was only 13 and barely having started working on his magic was the only one with the means to salvage the situation. The problem was that location spells weren't an easy trick for beginners, especially those under immense stress of possibly losing a parent.

"I can't do this, he's gonna die," Rony muttered under his breath, further upsetting every else in the room.

Eli could feel the waves of worry wafting off Mars when he leaned closer.

"He has no confidence," Mars noted to Eli, "Like when he does math. He has to feel like he knows what he's doing to make it work."

Meanwhile, their dad was rumbling lightly and taking loud breaths in the hope that Rony would follow his example.

"You've done this once, Rony," Their dad said after a minute of useless attempts, "I saw it. You did it with Tata."

"But he was here then, and now he isn't..."

Eli felt so powerless - a state that was becoming aggravatingly regular. The only thing he could think about was the responsibility he had as the oldest sibling, how he had to do something. This was about their family, for crying out loud!

"Hey, Rony," Eli sank to the ground much to everyone's surprise, and truly, he shared the sentiment. He would have also liked to know what he was going to do next. "List me all the Star Wars movies in chronological order."

"What?" Audie whisper-shouted but Eli just pushed her face away.

“The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars, Revenge of the Sith, A Star Wars Story from 2018 and then the one from 2016, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, The Rise of Skywalker, and A New Order from 2026.”

“Awesome,” Eli said a bit stupefied, biting his lip as he racked his brain for another one of those rants Rony was prone to, “Oh! Who's the most commonly appearing character in the Marvel comics?”

“Wolverine.”

“What was the first PG-13 movie?”

“Red Dawn.”

“Where did they film the Lord of the Rings?”

“New Zealand.”

“How many movies are in the Fast and Furious series?”

“21.”

Throughout the impromptu quiz, Rony’s heart rate began to gradually settle, and Eli could see Audie's curious eyebrow raise from the side.

“What?” Eli cracked, turning to his sister with an irate look, “I pay attention.”

“Except in school,” Audie replied, but their bickering was short-lived when they noticed Rony's grateful eyes blinking up at them.

“How…?”

Their father was rubbing his thumb against the back of Rony's neck - a soothing gesture and subtle pain leech wrapped in one - and he gave Eli a silent nod as the ghost of a smile tentatively returned to his face.

“If you can remember all of these things,” Eli turned to Rony with a proud smile, “Then you can also remember a location spell.”

Rony stared ahead with unfocused eyes as if contemplating the truth of those words, before rising to shaky legs and addressing the room with a hesitant but determined gaze.

“We’ll need the keys from the jeep.”

***

"You know, for an ambush, it feels kinda like a trap."

"Duck!"

Eli dropped to his knees at Hikari's shrill warning, a dismembered hand quickly joining him on the ground as a vampire hissed above.

"My point still stands," Eli commented, taking a few seconds to assess his surroundings.

He saw Malia's water gun discarded on the side as she was reduced to fighting with her claws, and there was a blast of magic knocking his father somewhere into the far-end walls.

"We need a new plan," Eli grunted as he kicked a looming vampire in the groin and sprung to his feet.

"Do your thing. I'll cover you."

With Hikari's assurance, Eli tried to get a good look at the building's outlay past the nest of vampires swarming the place. There were around ten of them, but the biggest issue had to be his father's adamancy about not killing a single one, only scathing them with holy water and the first rays of sunlight. They timed their attack to the early morning for that exact purpose, not that any light could penetrate the old establishment. In its heyday, it must have been some mythical forest-themed dark ride, which was ironically on-point for their town, but half of it had collapsed into itself and now there was debris littering the base floor where Eli's pack was fending off bloodsuckers left and right. Since the supernatural became a daily addition to the local government's life, the town had to allocate large portions of its funds to defence and covering up tracks, so wastelands like these became the perfect hideouts. Eli now wished they had torn this place down decades ago.

"Let's go up!" Eli shouted, dodging to the side and aiming for a hill of rubble.

"Why did I agree to this?" Hikari muttered under her breath but kept cutting limbs off the occasional vampire as they both climbed their way up towards the roof. Eli even witnessed one grow a new arm out of the severed-off flesh and scrunched up his nose in distaste.

"I'm totally with you, Eli, but you do have a plan, right?" Hikari asked, right as they reached the building's wooden structure.

"Yeah, totally."

"Why did that sound like you don't know what you're doing?"

"Just keep them off!"

Eli continued his ascend until he was perched atop a narrow beam. He balanced against the nauseating prospect of seeing his pack fighting for their lives down below and accidentally caught sight of his father throwing fire blasts at his own family with burgundy hues colouring his eyes. His tata was still under the vampires' mind control, it seemed.

Thankfully, Eli secured his posture on the timber, the roof almost grazing his hair.

"Can you do it?" Eli wished for his friend's help, but Hikari was too busy deflecting vampires as they jumped up to the higher levels.

"You gotta do it, Eli!"

That was an absurd request, seeing how the world was spinning around Eli and he had a serious worry he might faint off the beam.

"Punch through the roof!" Hikari roused, having figured out the contingency plan Eli was going for.

"I can't! I don't know how to transform!"

His heartbeat was fast, too fast, his ears feeling like they were stuffed full of cotton. He felt useless, obsolete, like a deadweight next to Hikari's strenuous work to keep him safe. His family was counting on him, he had to bring the wolf forward, yet, he had no idea where to start.

This was Eli. This was all he ever was. A letdown.

"You did it once, Eli!" Hikari's voice broke through his self-deprecation before she kicked a vampire off the wooden frame.

"Yeah, and lost control."

"Not the full moon!" Hikari grumbled with a look over her shoulder as she reassumed a fighting stance. "It was in first grade! I got lost in the woods!"

"It's just a hunch but maybe this isn't the time to discuss your attempt to find the fairies' kingdom," Eli commented, squatting out of a vampire's swing and punching him a few feet downstairs.

"Yeah, I was dumb, not the point," Hikari hissed, hitting a vampire with the back of her katana and sending him tumbling into another beam. "You found me, Eli! You used your nose and found me! The only reason I got home was because you had your night vision!"

"I was a kid!" Eli argued, looking at his hands and remembering that one dreadful full moon. He hadn't just jumped around on houses and howled at the moon like Tally assumed, he pierced Audie with his claws. He tossed his own father into a tree. He was dangerous. "I couldn't hurt anyone!"

"Stop being afraid or we'll fuckin die!" Hikari shouted, eyes burning with the flames of irritation and fear, "Your family will die, Eli! Do you understand that?!"

Eli's gaze lowered to the ground floor where his siblings were fighting as best as they could, putting themselves in danger despite their father's order to stay behind. He noticed the sheriff shooting special bullets at the half-dead creatures, and Parrish drenching them with the last remains of his holy water beside Mason. Kira was keeping two vampires occupied, while his father was desperately working on getting through to their tata, getting tossed into a nearby wall for his efforts.

There was no telling when backup would arrive. His family could die by that point.

Eli felt a surge of something - a kind of power not unlike the pull of the Moon.

He clenched his hand into a fist and punched upwards, the roof giving way under his knuckles. It hurt, of course, but the strength cursing through his body nearly numbed out all pain and healed his bones before he could really complain about them. He repeated this action a few more times, hearing the wood crack under the pressure and then jumping from the height as the roof began to collapse. Parts of the building's structure shattered around him as he landed in the centre of a ring made by the light filtering through the hole.

Eli immediately sensed a vampire's faltering steps.

"A little light won't save you, boy," One of the vampires taunted, although he made no move to approach the cascade of sunlight.

Eli raised his head and locked eyes with his sister's shocked expression right in front of him. Then, she let her eyes flash back at him while their dad screamed at Eli to find cover.

"Just wait for it, Dad" Audie smirked, and as if on cue, Eli let out a piercing howl.

It was like a shockwave, with the others following him and making the building shake with the vibrations of their battlecry. The humans and the vampires covered their ears, except Eli's tata, who sagged back with the force of it and looked up at Eli with yet again amber eyes above slightly parted lips. He was back.

"Fuck yeah, kid! That's what I'm talking about!" His tata cheered, not wasting a second to gather their dad into the light circle just as the rest of the pack hurried under the protection of the Sun. His tata let the sunlight bounce off his skin and moved the rays around the room like bright, yellow strikes which the vampires fought to evade. It made the scene look like a cheap-quality disco club. "Let's rattle!"

Eli roared with unfamiliar confidence and with their tata on their side, the pack managed to prolong the battle at least long enough for Rain and Tally to finish the circle of mountain ash outside. Before closing the barrier, their tata formed a light shield around them so the supernatural members of their pack could escape while the vampires remained efficiently trapped inside.

As soon as they were outside the mountain ash circle, the local vampire leader appeared on the abandoned amusement park's site, quickly succeeded by Mars and the supernatural council's secretary pulling up in the jeep.

"Is my timing right?" Mars asked with an uncertain sweep of his eyes.

"Perfect, kiddo," Their tata said with a relieved sigh.

"Where are they?" The vampire leader asked, to which Eli's dad pointed to the half-collapsed building.

"They are all alive," He also emphasized which the vampire ruler acknowledged with a grateful nod.

As the leader and the mage secretary went to handle the ragtag nest, Eli pulled Hikari close to his chest and uttered litanies of gratitude to his best friend.

"You were awesome, too," She said in response, pulling away and ruffling Eli's hair in fondness.

"And now?" Eli asked, still breathless and elevated by victory, just as his dad stepped up to his side.

"Now?" His dad repeated, pulling Eli into a half-hug, "Now we go home."

***

His body cut through the current as rows of trees swam past him, leading to the denser part of the forest. The wind abated here, allowing him to hear the noises following his run and alerting him that he wasn’t alone on this special night. Between the branches, the Moon bathed the preserve in guiding light, and soon enough, he stumbled onto a wide cliffside overlooking the expanse of their dark-clad city. Above the clamour of the nightlife below, he heard six familiar heartbeats catch up to him.

Eli's eyes interlocked with his father’s red ones beside him, flashing back yellow in carefree joy. He felt his pack - his family - all around him, and like a thick blanket of fog on an autumn dawn, peace descended to surround him.

He let out an ecstatic howl, his father and siblings following suit, and even the human members' terrible imitations of a howl brought a smile to his face. His tata honked the car on top of that, and their synchronized song filled the alley before climbing high among the stars where his ancestors, undoubtedly, watched on.

The twinkling sky was disturbed by storm clouds gathering somewhere in the distance, but there was no fear in Eli's heart. As Tally had said, the waves would come and go. And Eli had his family to anchor him down.

#original: teen wolf fanfic #sterek #eli stilinski hale #oc stilinski-hale kids #twadfullmoon23 #twanchordown2023

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princeescaluswords · 1 year

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I need to thank you for opening my eyes to something as well as showcase reading a point of view matters, even if one doesn't realize it. The Stiles as the main character stories has flooded ao3 so much that when I started my own W.I.P I didn't even question the elimination of Scott. And even when I added him I didn't question my dismissal of him as important. Becoming a member of the Scott defense squad I see now that that is a very bad way to go. Even if the focus gets sift to Stiles as a main character it does not take away the fact that the main character is the main character and has importance. And unfortunately a trinkle down effect of reading so many stories that tell a particular story It causes the readers to have a mindset of what a character is like even if they don't realize why that character was written that way in the original piece that portrayed him that way. And even worse when they don't take in the source material it paints a picture that doesn't showcase the character in the best light. Even though I saw the source material and loved it It did not stop me from going down this route because of everything that I had read. So again I thank you, and the rest of the defense squad for opening my eyes.

Let me make things perfectly clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with writing a Stiles-centric story. There are no ships involving Stiles that should not be written or explored. My involvement with End Racism on the OTW isn't because Stiles will never be my favorite character. It's because there is a vast majority of people who claim to be Stiles fans, Derek fans, Sterek fans, Steter fans, or fans of any other ship which involves white characters who are not actually motivated by those characters but instead by racist fury because Teen Wolf never pretended to be anything other than a story about a Latino teenager.

It's not about one story. It's about all of them together. It's about the fact that the OTW's policies for AO3 aid and abet a large part of my fandom to indulge in racist fantasies without regard to the parts of the fandom damaged by it, and they do so by hiding behind a screen of polite indifference and pearl-clutching about freedom. And from everything I've read and seen, it's not just my fandom.

Teen Wolf is simply the fandom in which I witnessed it. Look at that picture up there from Night School (1x07). It's a pretty classic horror shot, no? Now think of the majority of stories on AO3 where

Peter's murder sprees and selfishness are excused because of the fire.

Derek's terrible decision making and massive trust issues are excused because of what Kate Argent did to him.

Stiles's lies and outbursts are excused because of his mother's death and the nogitsune.

Isaac's brutality and indifference are excused because of his treatment by his father.

Yet, Scott is dismissed as 'whiny' and 'ungrateful' because he didn't immediately see being a werewolf as a positive thing. There was an untagged story yesterday which has Stiles wishing Scott would get his head out of ass and realize all that being a werewolf had done to him was cure his asthma, get a girlfriend and make first line.

What's the difference between these five characters? This isn't one story, or ten stories, or a hundred stories, but literally thousands of stories that contain these tropes.

Hey, remember when Peter literally beat Derek into submission and savaged Lydia to get Stiles to cooperate?

Remember when Derek tried to murder Lydia for something she didn't do and drive Isaac away by throwing glass at his head?

Remember when Talia Hale covered up her brother's and son's involvement in the death of a young girl and badgered a woman to carry her child to term?

Remember when Scott told Stiles that it was wrong to kill the victim of a mad scientist's experiments and lying about it and maybe he should go talk to his dad?

And yet, I can guarantee you that there is only one of those four alphas who is portrayed consistently as an obtuse tyrant. (Hint: it's not the white ones) And this isn't one story, or ten stories, or a hundred stories, but literally thousands of stories that contain these tropes.

And it's not just the lead. Let's take a look at how the fandom treats secondary characters on AO3:

Talia Hale (1 episode): 5190 stories

Laura Hale (2 episodes): 8760 stories

Jenna Geyer (mentioned once; name is fandom generated): 617

Claudia Stilinski (1 episode; impersonated for 8 episodes): 3079

Derek Hale's Father (never appeared or mentioned): 843

Noshiko Yukimura (16 episodes): 470

Ken Yukimura (20 episodes): 261

Satomi Ito (3 episodes): 284

David Geyer (5 episodes): 351

See a pattern? You should. As I said, it's not one story, it's thousands.

No one's saying that you or anyone else shouldn't write fictions that focus on Stiles or Sterek or even stories where Scott is a terrible person. It's the trends. If transformation is what AO3 and OTW tout as their purpose, and that transformation is about variety and exploration, why is it always the white characters that get the benefit of it? When it comes to transformation, why do characters of color get erased, caricatured, or robbed of their narrative roles?

Don't tell me that it isn't damaging.

Do you know how many times I've encountered a person who entered Teen Wolf fandom through AO3 and Tumblr who believed that the characters of color are either terrible (such as Scott and Deaton and Braeden) or unimportant (such as Boyd or Mason or the Yukimuras)? More than I or anyone else should be comfortable with. But this is part of the mechanism. There aren't little racism fairies that visit people in their sleep; it's not a bacterial infection; it's not the work of a secret cabal. Cultural racism is maintained by institutions, and it is transmitted by institutions, and this is one example. OTW and AO3 are two such institutions.

Thanks for writing. I'll take what you told me as a compliment.

#end racism at the otw #fandom racism #teen wolf fandom racism #scott mccall defense squad #stiles stilinski #sterek

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sterek-stuffs · 1 year

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Like leaves

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Fall in Vermont was really pretty. Stiles could admit he had been bummed to find out he had a spark back in his senior year of high school, only to discover he would have to move to Vermont if he wanted to learn and develop into a proper emissary. Sure, there were other magic schools closer to home, or at least closer to something, but the one in Vermont was the best and the only one that actually had other supernatural courses, and the prospect of studying with all different kinds of magical people was appealing.

Still, moving away from his dad and his best friend had been hard. Was still hard. Stiles had never had the easiest time making friends, so it had been a pretty lonely first couple of months. He had a few people he was friendly with now, namely Grace, a surprisingly cheery harpy, and Charlie, a vampire. When they had started planning a horseback ride to watch the leaves, Stiles had been all for it, and immediately booked his reservation at the place he'd heard offered the best tours, Moonrise Valley Stables. When his friends had flaked out on him, he figured he might as well go anyway, since the views were supposed to be stunning.

Which brought him to where he was, perched atop a roan mare called Dusty, holding onto the saddle for dear life, wandering after a group of families with kids through the woods. The nature really was impressive, he'd give it that, the blue sky contrasting beautifully with the bright-colored leaves, that varied from pale yellow to burnt orange to bright red to deep burgundy. The brisk fall breeze made his cheeks redden, but wasn't cold enough to be uncomfortable. And the fact that he didn't even have to walk? This had been a good idea after all. Dusty seemed content to plod along after the other horses, so little by little, Stiles started to relax, first letting go of the saddle, then not holding the reins so tight, finally managing to enjoy the views fully. He was just pointing out a pair of bluebirds to one of the kids on the tour when a loud "GOBBLE!" and a swoosh of wings came from his left, spooking his horse into a wild run into the trees.

"Oh, shit!" Stiles managed to squeeze his legs around the horse's body to keep from falling but that only seemed to make Dusty run faster. The wind whooshed around his face and he could feel his heart pounding wildly in his chest. He was still holding onto the reins but pulling at them seemed to have no effect on the sprinting horse, and his left foot had slipped off the stirrup. He quickly managed to grab onto the saddle again - he never should have let it go - and bow down low over Dusty's neck to avoid taking a branch to the face and to try and calm her down a bit. They seemed to be following a deer trail, and he had no idea how he'd even get back to the original trail.

What he did not expect was to hear rustling in the undergrowth apparently following beside him and keeping up with his horse. From the corner of his eye he could see a dark shape moving through the trees and his adrenaline spiked again, cold sweat beading in his lower back. He tried to remember if there were wolves in Vermont. He was pretty sure there were bears, too. Shit. He might be truly actually fucked. He was good at offensive magic but he wasn't sure any of his spells were enough to take out a bear. Magic also tended to work better on other magical beings so he wasn't even sure it would work at all!

He was just praying to every deity he could remember when he saw the dark shape run a little bit ahead of him and stop, turning into a vaguely humanoid shape with a… flannel shirt? Fortunately, the sudden appearance caused the horse to stop, but unfortunately it caused the horse to rear, which finally sent Stiles tumbling into the thankfully leaf-covered ground. He rolled a bit and landed on his back, winded and confused, breathing heavily. The blurry outline of a man took shape as he approached him, with a hand extended.

"You're not a bear," was the first thing out of Stiles' mouth. He didn't take the proffered hand.

The stranger laughed, and his voice was low and pleasant when he replied, "yeah, I don't have the right build for that."

Stiles felt his cheeks redden and sat up, finally taking a good look at his… savior? God, he hoped so, because the man in front of him was gorgeous and it'd be a bummer if he turned out to be a serial killer. He was wearing jeans, heavy boots and a flannel over a plain white T-shirt, and seemed to be about as tall as Stiles himself. He had a full beard that begged to be touched, a sharp nose and green-gray eyes under really impressive eyebrows.

He shook himself and reached up for the other man's hand, pulling himself up before he felt his magic reacting. When he looked up, the man's eyes were no longer that weird gray-green, but were instead shining amber. A shifter. Probably a werewolf, by the way his magic was reacting. He could feel it trying to reach for the man, like a puppy asking to be petted. His spark was especially attuned to moon magic, and werewolves were basically moon magic made flesh. It's why he wanted to become an emissary in the first place.

The man growled low, probably at the overfamiliar way Stiles' magic was behaving.

Stiles let go of his hand. "Sorry, dude! Didn't mean to do that! It just reacts to stuff sometimes. You're a wolf?"

The stranger looked at him with narrowed eyes for a few seconds, probably listening to his heart, which wouldn't be too helpful with the way it was still beating kind of fast. For many reasons. Stiles took the chance to finally look around, and saw Dusty haphazardly tied to a tree branch a few feet away, looking for all the world like a nice, calm horse. Sleepy, even. Stiles knew better. Still, it was strange that she was so at ease near a werewolf. Most prey animals tended to get nervous at best when this close to an apex predator. Stiles looked back at said apex predator to find him still staring. "Were you with one of the tours?" He asked.

"Yeah, it was going fine but then Dusty here got spooked by a… wild turkey?" He gestured vaguely at the horse.

The stranger laughed. "We got a few of those around, yeah. She should know better than to take off like that, though." He walked towards Dusty, grabbing her reins again and bringing her back to Stiles. "My family owns Moonrise Valley. I'm Derek." He offered his hand.

"That's awesome! I'm Stiles," he said as he shook Derek's hand, "I'm studying magic at Underhill University."

He grinned. "I figured."

Oh, god, he had cute bunny teeth. Stiles was doomed.

"Let me just text my sister to let her know I found you. She was the one leading your ride. Though she probably knows by now or she'd already be here." Derek started leading the horse along the small trail they were on, and Stiles followed. He'd thought the trail had been in the opposite direction, so good thing he wasn't alone or he'd probably be lost for days.

He scrambled for something to say. "Sooo, your family that owns Moonrise Valley… Are they also your pack?" No one had ever accused him of not being nosy.

"Yeah," Derek replied, looking at him curiously. "Why?"

"No reason! Just wondering, because of the name and all. It's cute!" He grinned and winked at Derek, who snorted and rolled his eyes, but didn't look too annoyed. The fact that his family was also his pack meant he was probably a born wolf, the first one Stiles had ever met.

"The name was my father's idea. We used to be called just Hale Stables, but when we started offering tours and trail rides, he thought it sounded more memorable." He shrugged, but he sounded fond.

"Wait, Hale Stables as in the Hale Pack?" The Hale Pack was well known in the emissary circles; Their current alpha was pretty powerful, and had a lot of sway in the supernatural community even though her pack wasn't that large. Some people also said that the Hale pack 'wolves could do a full shift, but Stiles wasn't sure he believed that. It sounded like fairytale stuff and if there was one thing he'd learned from the supernatural world was that things were never like the stuff in fairytales. For better or worse.

"Heard of us, have you?" He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, the Hale Pack. I hope that's not gonna be a problem."

"No, dude! Of course not! I just heard a lot about the Hale alpha, all good things, don't worry!"

"Yeah, okay." He shook his head. "I'm sorry for making you fall off your horse, by the way. I didn't expect her to rear like that, but there's a drop off ahead and I was worried you guys might take a tumble, so I had to act quick." It was clear he was trying to change the subject, and Stiles wasn't about to deny him, despite his curiosity. Derek had been kind to him, and he didn't want to make him uncomfortable or anything.

"No problem, the ground was pretty soft, with all the leaves, and it wasn't a big fall anyway. Thanks for getting her to stop running." They had been walking while they talked, toward what Stiles assumed was the original trail his tour had been following, until they reached a clearing and stopped.

Stiles finally looked around, surprised to see a cozy little cabin, a small garden with empty planters out front, and what looked like a chicken coop to one side. To the other side, near the back, he could see an old tree stump with an axe stuck to it, a few chopped logs spread around. It kinda looked like it came straight out of a fairytale.

While Stiles had been gawking at the house, Derek had moved and tied Dusty to a wooden pole near the porch, and turned back to look at him. He hurried closer. "I thought we were going back to the trail."

"Sorry. Laura said she'd move on with the ride, since you guys were almost done anyway. You can book another one, free of charge, of course." Derek smiled, and Stiles melted. "Do you want to come in for a cup of tea? Sorry, I don't really have coffee," he said apologetically.

"A cup of tea sounds nice, thanks." He was usually a coffee drinker, but he wouldn't complain if it meant he could spend some more time with Derek. They headed inside, which was small and cozy but still bright and clean. The main room was kitchen, dining and living room all in one, with a huge fireplace and a comfortable-looking sofa. Two doors to the right led to what Stiles assumed to be a bedroom and a bathroom. "This place is nice."

"Thanks," Derek said from the kitchen area, where he was preparing the tea. Stiles wondered if he imagined the tips of his ears getting a little darker. He soon brought them two steaming cups of fragrant tea and motioned to the front door, leading them to the porch, where a wooden bench was set overlooking the woods around the house.

Stiles sat and blew on his tea a bit, waiting for it to cool. "Do you also do the horseback ride tours? Or is that just your sister? Do you work at the stables too?"

"Only if they're understaffed. I used to do tours, back before we had a good roster of employees. Laura still does because she loves it, but she doesn't have to." He seemed relaxed, sitting and drinking his tea. The leaves were pretty but they had nothing on Stiles's view right at that second.

"So, you just rescue poor clumsy sparks from crazy horses?"

Derek laughed, which was soon becoming one of Stiles's favorite sounds. "I'm actually a licensed forester. And Dusty's not crazy. She just saw a chance and took it. You were probably slacking, anyway." His tone was clearly teasing.

"Well, yeah! I didn't expect you guys to put me on a crazy horse!" He absently gestured with his hands, nearly spilling his tea. "You probably did this on purpose, to get me away from the group, lure me here and murder me or something."

"Oh, and you fell right into my trap, huh?" Derek's smile was sharp and, for the first time in their short acquaintance, Stiles would describe it as wolfish. It was an unfairly attractive look.

"Well," he said, "it's not like I'm defenseless." He touched Derek's hand with a finger, pushing a little bit of his spark into the touch. It was meant to feel tingly, at most, but he startled so hard he almost dropped his cup of tea. "Sorry!" Stiles said immediately.

"Don't worry." Derek was definitely blushing now. "I just wasn't expecting it to feel like that."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like it's pulling at my wolf." Derek flashed his eyes. "Like the full moon."

Now it was Stiles's turn to blush, which he knew for a fact did not look as attractive as when Derek did it. "My spark," he explained, "is especially attuned to the moon. It's why I'm training to become an emissary. Why I came to Vermont."

"Good." Was all he said in response.

After a few long minutes, he reached his hand for Stiles. "Give me your phone. I'll add my number. When you want to go for a horseback ride, call me and I'll take you."

Stiles handed him his phone. When he handed it back, their fingers touched, and Derek's eyes flashed bright amber again.

They finished their tea in silence, looking at each other more than at the beautiful scenery around them. There was tension in the air, but it didn't feel bad or awkward. It felt expectant, like a new beginning.

When the shadows started growing longer, Derek took the teacups back inside. Stiles walked over to Dusty, petting her velvety nose, and smiled at Derek when he approached. "Ready to go back?" he asked, and Stiles nodded back.

Derek helped him scramble back onto the horse, and then climbed up behind him, taking the reins and effectively caging him in. Stiles shivered.

The trip back was a blur of red and gold leaves, Derek's woodsy, smoky scent, the feel of his arms brushing against Stiles's as he guided the horse through the trails, low conversations between long moments of silence.

When they reached the stables, the sun was setting and the wind was getting chilly. Derek dismounted first and waited while Stiles did the same - with only a little less grace. When he turned back, Derek was staring at him so intensely it gave him goosebumps. He walked closer, pressing Stiles's back against Dusty's warm side, caging him in again. With a breath of relief, Stiles reached a hand and finally touched that soft beard, bringing his mouth into a soft, unsure kiss. Derek was breathing hard, eyes closed, and he responded by grabbing Stiles's waist and deepening the kiss until they were both panting and holding onto each other like they couldn't bear to be apart. The hard, deep kisses turned back into gentle and unhurried, until Derek was just nosing at Stiles's temple and dropping little pecks near his ear and down to his neck, making him laugh softly. After a few more minutes they managed to separate, and he walked back to his car on wobbly knees.

"Call me," was all he said before closing the jeep's door, and Stiles nodded, keeping his eyes on Derek as long as he could as he maneuvered towards the road. When he got home a few hours later, he still felt like he was falling.

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#sterek #teen wolf #sterek fic #teen wolf fic #stiles stilinski #derek hale #autumn fic #my fic #teen wolf sterek #fanfiction

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nrnyx · 2 years

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🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh?

Oh goodness, so my whole Sterek fic Wicked Ink has been so enjoyable to write. I make myself laugh constantly writing and rereading it. Stiles is just hilarious in this one, and that's kind of weird to say since I'm the writer, but I swear it's like I don't even know what's going to come out of Stiles' mouth myself sometimes. I don't even know if I can pick a moment but...

“If you don’t mind me asking. How did you two meet? I mean no offense, but I have to admit I’m insanely curious. You’re not Derek’s usual type. You seem far too interesting for my nephew. He usually goes for more… boring personalities.” A woman who looked a lot like Derek’s dad asked from across the table.

Stiles could tell by the amusement dancing in her eyes as she looked at Derek that Laura and Cora definitely got their humor from their dad’s side of the family. Stiles also didn’t miss how the Jennifer woman shot a sharp glare across the table, and he filed that away for later. There was some history there then - not that Stiles hadn’t already suspected it with the way she looked at Derek.

It also hadn’t escaped Stiles’ notice that Derek didn’t look at her. In fact, he seemed to actively be avoiding any kind of interaction with her, even just a glance, which meant there was some potentially serious and uncomfortable history there they would have to unpack at some point. That was okay exes didn’t scare Stiles. He had an uncomfortable one of his own, after all.

Jennifer was pretty enough, but she did look boring as fuck and stuck up. That could also be the reason Derek’s mother seemed so frosty toward him. Jennifer was her emissary, which meant they were close - which meant whatever this was, it was probably a messy family drama situation, and Stiles was now part of it. Lucky for Derek, he was hot as the sun, totally worth it, and Stiles wasn’t scared of getting a little messy for the right reasons.

“Oh, it’s a heartwarming story, really,” Stiles started, smiling as he saw Derek’s hand move to cover his eyes as if it could hide himself from the trainwreck that was about to happen. “So his pack came into my shop.”

“Your shop?”

“My tattoo parlor.”

“You own a tattoo parlor?”

“Yes, in Beacon Hills. It’s my hometown.”

“So you’re a tattoo artist and a musician?”

“Yes, I offered to do a tattoo for Baby Boy.”

“Baby Boy?”

“Isaac… you know, tall, curly hair, completely adorable but could commit murder - Baby Boy… anyway, they dragged this guy along the next time they came in,” Stiles patted Derek on his perfectly broad chest. “And let me tell you, when I laid eyes on him - the guy should really come with a warning, honestly. I mean, the genetics in your family are crazy impressive, and this guy is just a masterpiece. Generations in the making. He was like - like the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen. My brain couldn’t even process the level of perfect alpha specimen standing there. It was pretty much love at first sight, and I said to him - I said -”

A large, firm hand grabbed the back of his neck and snatched him up like a disobedient pup, and Stiles was honestly surprised it had taken Derek so long.

“Stiles, you are not about to repeat what you said in front of my grandmother, parents, and the pups,” Derek warned, voice low and commanding in a way that did things to Stiles he was sure the other adult wolves around the table could sense.

Stiles bared his neck a little in supplication for Derek in front of them, knowing what it looked like and the effect it had on the alpha. He sent Derek’s aunt a wink. “Yes, sir.”

Derek growled softly against his ear, and his hand tightened a little, causing an excited shiver to race down Stiles’ spine. He and Derek needed to have a talk. The alpha was doing crazy things to Stiles and his magic. Things that Stiles had never felt before with anyone. Stiles knew he was provoking Derek, but he couldn’t help it. His magic craved the alpha and his dominance as much as Stiles’ body did. It was only their first date, but they would need to sit down and have a talk about what this meant.

Derek’s aunt looked positively delighted as she glanced between them. “Oh, you’re a handful, aren’t you.”

Stiles grinned. “I try to be.”

Derek huffed beside him, letting his hand fall from Stiles’ neck to wrap his arm back around Stiles’ waist. Stiles loved the weight of Derek’s arm around him. “Please don’t encourage him.”

“Oh, come on, Derek, we’re just trying to get to know your new beau. Can you blame us for being curious? You’ve never been so quick to claim anyone, not to mention someone so fun,” a well-dressed man sitting beside Derek’s aunt with his arm over the back of her chair spoke up. His eyes lingered on Stiles’ collar, which was more open now, revealing the bite mark beneath. Stiles didn’t do anything to try and cover it back up.

“They think I’m fun,” Stiles stage whispered, turning in the arm Derek had wrapped around his waist and leaning close until his whole front was molded to Derek’s side. “I’m totally in, dude.”

Derek gave his waist a little squeeze, bringing their bodies even tighter together. “Don’t call me dude.”

“I could call you daddy instead,” Stiles murmured, lips tilted up in a smirk against Derek’s ear.

A man further down the table choked on his food, someone else knocked over a glass of wine, Derek’s aunt gave a startled laugh, while his ex Jennifer looked like she’d sucked on a lemon. Stiles glanced at Talia, who looked speechless, which was probably a rare thing for her, but Derek’s father had a large hand covering his face as his shoulders shook, and he tried to control his laughter.

Derek’s eyes were hot and sharp with a nonverbal warning when they cut to him, and Stiles felt himself shiver in a way he knew Derek could feel as well, considering Stiles was pressed right up against him. The muscle in Derek’s jaw flexed as he put his free hand over Stiles' mouth.

It was probably for the best.

For the writer ask: https://at.tumblr.com/nrnyx/700645268338753536/b0dlneqsgo5i

#sterek fic #sterek au #sterek fanfic #sterek fanfiction #sterek #eternal sterek #stiles stilinski #stiles x derek #derek hale #ask game #ask me things #anon ask #writer asks

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naivemlnd · 2 years

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Fat Weight Loss Camp

Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale

This story includes: Fat Camp, Weight again, Failed Diets, Camp Counselor Derek, Chubby Stiles

Ok this idea is 100% inspired by @achubbydumpling and their amazing fat camp series (which you should read!!)

At 16, Stiles was recommended to a ‘weight loss camp’ by his doctor.

“You’re already about 80 lbs overweight. And from what I hear,” the doctor glanced at Stiles’ dad, “you aren’t likely to lose this weight without help.”

No way. Absolutely no way, this couldn't happen.

Stiles tried to argue, to get his dad to see reason. He couldn’t go, they’d starve him to death!! But even Stiles couldn’t deny the truth. He had problems. Self control was simply not his strong suit. He’d tried dieting. Plenty of times. But whatever measly amount of weight he managed to lose would always pile back on in a matter of weeks.

And Stiles’ father clearly didn’t know how to help his son. With him being the Sheriff and all, he wasn’t home too often to cook healthy foods or monitor Stiles during his many dieting attempts. Plus, Sheriff Stilinksi could hardly boil water let alone cook, and so they lived off of takeout and junk.

And so Stiles had gone from fluffy to chubby to properly fat in the years since his mother’s death.

So he went to fat camp weight loss camp.

The first day was awkward. There was a beautiful view, though. Stiles could appreciate that the camp was on Hale Lake, with shining blue waters surrounded by gorgeous green woods.

Stiles was surrounded by other fat adolescents, boys and girls all intermixed. No one was particularly friendly, but Stiles talked enough (he rarely shut up the whole day) that people generally started to enjoy his company.

His counselor Derek however, was rude. He was also drop dead gorgeous, should-be-in-a-magazine kind of handsome, so hot Stiles wanted to lick whipped cream off of his abs.

But that was beside the point.

Derek was a hardass, always trying to get his group to do more workouts, to push themselves, and by the end of week 1, Stiles thought he was actually going to die.

He didn’t die. But he also didn’t lose any weight.

“That’s normal,” the nurse said while Stiles stared down at the ‘292’ on the electronic scale. “It takes a few weeks to see real progress.”

Well, a lot can happen in a few weeks.

Because by week four, Stiles had cracked a little bit of the mystery that was Derek Hale. Stiles had realized after hours of pestering, of annoying, that he could get Derek to smile. Then eventually laugh.

And since Derek was never hanging out with the other counselors, Stiles decided to befriend him.

It took a bit of awkwardness, and a lot of small talk, to get Derek to open up. But he did.

And Derek revealed that he was only working here this year as a punishment. Because he was Derek Hale. Hale as in Hale Lake, in which this summer camp resided.

“Wait, so your parents own this place too?” Stiles asked.

Derek scratched the back of his head and looked away. “Yeah, I usually work at the baseball camp across the lake. But I pissed mom off so I’m here for the summer instead.”

Stiles felt his eyebrows rise.

“So you’re rich huh?”

Derek shot Stiles an annoyed look, to which Stiles held up his hands in surrender.

“I just meant, since you can afford it, I’d appreciate it if you could hook a guy up with some real food. I’ve been deprived for a whole month.” Stiles scratched at his tummy, puffing it out a bit for effect.

Derek was effected, but he didn’t laugh like Stiles expected. He blushed.

There was a pregnant silence before Stiles started compulsively talking to ease the tension.

But the next day, Derek slyly handed Stiles a warm bag of Wendy's and nodded his head towards the woods, away from where he and his bunk were supposed to have free time.

Stiles stuffed his face with spicy nuggets, a baconater, and fries, hidden behind a tree in the woods. He shook the bag into his mouth, hoping to get all the crumbs.

This was not his finest moment. But god, the food had been so good!

After that, Derek started bringing more treats, and more often. Stiles always greedily gobbled them down. It became obvious that if this continued, that by the end of camp that Stiles was going to weigh more than he had when he arrived.

He hoped no one would notice.

"313," the nurse said. She shook her head. She'd been puzzling over Stiles and his weight problem for the past three weeks. She continued to lower his daily calorie limit, but he still kept gaining.

"Must be my metabolism," Stiles suggested.

She didn't look convinced, but said, "Better keep your exercise up then."

"Of course," Stiles replied, thinking of his couch and video games back home.

"Well, it wasn't so bad was it?" Sheriff Stilinski said once Stiles was checked out.

"No, it was actually sort of fun."

Stiles couldn't wait until next year.

#chubby stiles #stiles x derek #fat camp au #chubby kink #chubby kink writer #weight gain fiction #weight gain #weight gain fanfiction #chubby teen wolf #this is mainly fluff #but I like the premise and can write more sexy stuff later

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skyofstorms · 11 months

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Stiles Stilinski | Request Muse

Age: 18

Fandom: Teen Wolf

Species: Druid

Pronouns: He/Him

Romance: Bisexual

Face Claim: Dylan O'Brien

About:

Stiles is the only child of the Beacon County Sheriff, and best friend to Scott McCall. He's always been a kind an playful kid, growing up in Beacon Hills and becoming (and staying) best friends with Scott, who over the years has become more of a brother to him than anything. Although he never personally knew the Hale family, he cried when he discovered the family had been killed. A small part of this was because at the time, the nine year old knew his mother, Claudia was sick. It was during a doctor's visit that he briefly met Laura and Derek in the cafeteria with his dad. After that day, he didn't see either of the two again, and two years later, when his mother died, he was too hurt to remember he'd ever even seen the siblings. During her fight, he had kept his hair basically shaved to support her and in his grief, he could never bring himself to let her go entirely by letting it grow out. His dad cooed by drinking, and it got out of hand to the point Stiles, only barely a teenager, was taking care of the bills and cooking while attending school. When Scott's mom stepped in and helped his dad get sober, Stiles felt a great relief in no longer having to run the house and go to school.

When their sophomore year began, Stiles overheard a call on his dad's police scanner about a body and decided he'd drag Scott out for a late night adventure. The result was Scott's being turned and the chaotic life of a human among the supernatural began for Stiles. While he helped Scott, he had a few encounters with Derek that led him to not like the older male, partially because he felt like Derek hated him for some reason. Once they discovered who the alpha was that turned Scott, Stiles helped kill Peter and found a little relief since the man had attacked and bitten Lydia, who was somehow immune to the bite. The next semester would be a little harder, since Scott and Allison were secretly seeing each other, Derek was making a willing pack of his own. The issue with the kanima had Stiles feeling useless on more than one occasion, but when all was said and done, he was present for the resolution of Jackson finally being turned into a wolf. When Erica and Boyd were kidnapped, Stiles decided that since Scott was working so.much, he could help locate them, and spent much of the summer helping Derek, Isaac and (although he didn't like it) Peter try to find the missing betas.

It was during this particular summer that Stiles (although he'll try to deny it) actually fell for Derek. He was unaware of when he'd begun enjoying spend time with the wolf, but it happened and Stiles felt like an idiot for loving someone who hated him. However, it was a conversation with Derek that convinced Stiles to let his hair grow. He'd commented about needing his hair cut and when asked about it, Stiles explained it was the only way he kept his mom close to him anymore. When Derek told him he didn't need to do that in order to keep his mom close, Stiles couldn't help but remember that initial brief meeting at the hospital the day of the fire and realizing that Derek didn't just have his mom, but all of his family that was killed to remember. Weeks later, the alpha pack and darach showed up and Stiles found the semi-peaceful life he'd had over the summer was over, and in the end he had to almost die to help end the power struggle and war between the two clashing forces. However, the effect of it was his becoming possessed. While being controlled by the void fox, a nogitsune, Stiles caused chaos, havoc l, nearly wiped out the small town he'd grown up in. The thing he hates most about the possession was kissing a girl he didn't even know because the fox was in control of his body. He tries not to think of that kiss, glad the fox hadn't gone further than that, knowing it was purposely toying with his feelings for Derek by doing so. It was by the sheer force of will and help of his pack of friends that Stiles overcame the power and will of the fox and became able to be himself again. Despite being just human, Stiles bears much of the guilt from his possession as his own and his nightmares make it hard to get a decent night's sleep. But there's power breaking the surface, the spark that drew the nogitsune to Stiles has been lit and is waking up for the first time.

#request muses #request muse; stiles #stop rewind and turn back time ⇼ queue

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meant-to-be-a-hero · 1 year

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Season Six, Episode Ten: Riders On The Storm

Taking a break for Christmas after this so I can watch some movies and stuff, then I'll hit the last 10 between Christmas and New Year.

So who's even left at this point? Scott, Lydia, Malia, Liam, and now Stiles? That's it?

Didn't they stop filming the season for a while at some point, so DOB could come back? So like, Theo's hair is really long when he gets out of the Hunt, among other things.

Ominous ticket board is ominous.

Well this is heartbreaking.

And he came back in Roscoe instead of the forest because...dramatic effect, presumably?

Uh. Who put those there? That's some speedy construction.

"A Stiles?" - Yesssssss

Yeah, you can tell there's been a time jump behind the scenes, DOB looks different. His hair's longer, and his face is a little chunkier.

Ooh, green fire. Parrish got a Wild Hunt upgrade.

This is the Corey-is-a-machine bit, isn't it? Time for pain.

That's Corey's voice!

Parrishtinguished.

Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow? Or divert the tracks, same thing.

Corey is the VIP for this episode, I'm calling it now. He's the key here.

"Wanna split up?" "Never again." <3

Theooooooo. They probably let him out for being too much of a bastard and annoying them all tbh.

Liam, comedy genius.

"Welp, guess everyone dies." - Speaking of comedy genius.

Malia's never called Peter 'dad' before, has she? That's why it works this time, especially since there really isn't an emotional connection there other than mutual irritation.

Should Liam not be...on fire? Or is the rift just wide open now?

Pfft, gone again, well done Stiles.

I guess because the worlds are merging it makes less difference. Same reason why Scott and Stiles don't end up in the train station.

Is Peter in 6B? I feel like he isn't, or not much if he is.

There's that blue hallway again.

Unnecessary flippy shit, my one true love.

Oh Corey, sweetie.

Puppy Pack reunited though.

Stiles with a gun to his head in a locker room. We've been here before.

Yesssss Lydia!

"I didn't say it back." "You didn't have to." - :')

What's the point of having ghostly cowboys if you're not gonna have a Mexican standoff?

Woooo, snog time!

"That was so hot!" - Melissa, oh my god lmao.

"You would have made an excellent Nazi youth." - He's Latino, so I doubt it, but also, what a fucking insult.

Fake Claudia making one last attempt at being a horrible cow.

Ew, that make-up's not...nice...

"No one likes a Nazi." - Line of the episode.

You lose, you Nazi scumbag.

Scott doesn't have his split fangs any more? Aww.

Banshee scream powered bullet? Now that's what I call teamwork.

Someone pushed his luck too far, didn't he? Nazi Ghost Rider is a bad look.

So yeah, Beacon Hills is safe, but won't the Hunt just go take somewhere else? They're not really defeated as much as diverted away from the people we care about.

The Nine Herbs have become a bit of a deus ex machina at this point, haven't they?

Aww, baseball bat bequeathment.

"They'll always need us." - Hell yeah they will. 06x01 callback.

With a little more epilogue, that could have been a series finale tbh. But nope, 10 more episodes to go!

I do hope everyone got to finish college between 06x20 and the movie, they deserve at least that much.

#Lem's Teen Wolf Rewatch #Beware The Liveblogging Lem #Teen Wolf

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harringtonstilinski · 2 years

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You’ll Always Be My Hero - Chapter 94 ; Face-to-Faceless

Author: @harringtonstilinski Characters: Stiles Stilinski x Emma Thomas (OC) Word Count: Warnings: angst, arguments between scott&emma, gerard, A/N: Hi, friends! 94 Chapters down, 6 to go!! If you like this chapter, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox. As always, read at your own risk and enjoy 😊

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When I woke up the next morning, I was utterly confused as to why I was laying in Scott’s bed. Sitting up and rubbing a hand along my face, I looked to my right, seeing Scott in his chair, sleeping. Chuckling, I looked around me, trying to find something to throw at him. Finally spotting something at the end of the bed, I grabbed it and threw it at him, effectively waking him up.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” I said. “Have nice dreams?”

He chuckled, stretching out his tired muscles.

“Thanks for letting me sleep up here. I don’t really know how I got up here or how I even got to your house, but thanks.”

He smirked, looking down then back up at me. “It’s not a problem, Em. You, uh, you kind of passed out from losing a lot of blood. Mom patched you up.”

Confused, I threw the covers off my legs, seeing that Melissa did, in fact, stitch me up. “Well, that was awfully sweet of her.”

“Yeah,” he said. “She said you should be able to walk on it since it wasn’t that bad because of Liam’s belt around your leg.”

I was reminded of when I instructed Theo on using his belt as a makeshift tourniquet when I got stabbed in the side by Tracy. Shaking my head of the memory, I looked over at Scott, a small smile on my face. “Yeah. Even though it went all the way through.”

Scott chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s never too early for you to be sassy, is it?” I copied Scott’s moves before replying, “Never. You know you guys love it.” I sighed and looked down at the stitches in my leg. “Did you tell Stiles?”

Seeing Scott shake his head from my peripherals, I looked over at him as he said, “No. Didn’t wanna worry him, ya’know.”

I nodded in understanding. Stiles needed to stay protected from Gerard. I could care less if he knew about the thing causing all of us to freak out, but Gerard was the one thing I wanted Stiles to stay protected from.

Reaching for his phone, Scott read the notification that was on the front of his screen before he looked up at me. “You up for an adventure?”

I sighed. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

~~~

After Scott and I got dressed and jumped in the Jeep, we went over to Liam’s house. Mason had texted Scott saying that Liam was still at home and wouldn’t get out of bed for anything. Cue Scott and I going over there to make his ass go to school.

Once we got there, Liam’s stepdad let us in, letting us know that he was upstairs, claiming to be sick. Ah. I knew this trick all too well. You see, when Stiles first got his license, and after he ran the Jeep into a ditch, I was terrified to ride with him. So, I would play sick a lot, but after a few times of doing this just to get my dad to take me, he caught on. Now, don’t get me wrong, I felt super bad about doing it once he cornered me about it. Never again did I play sick… unless I was actually sick…

Scott and I ran up the stairs to Liam’s bedroom, where I had to stop for a second because the dull pain in my thigh was hitting hard. Yes! I forgot slash didn’t want to take the pain meds. They made me extremely sleepy.

Scott ran over to Liam’s bed, saying his name and trying to pull the covers off… to which Liam just held onto the blankets and “coughed”, not letting Scott pull them off.

“No, I’m--I’m sick. I’m sick,” Liam faked.

Scott turned his head over his shoulder to look at me and sighed, looking back over towards the lump in the bed that was Liam. “You’re not sick.”

“Yeah, I--I’m like deathly ill,” Liam said. “It’s serious. I think-- I think it’s the flu.”

“Okay, for starters, the flu isn’t that deadly if treated right,” I said. “And second--”

“It’s not flu season,” Scott said, to which I pointed at him, lips scrunched and brows raised.

“Good point.”

“Uh, then I probably have pneumonia,” Liam said, continuing on with his excuses.

“I used to catch it every six months when I was a kid,” I informed him. “So, I think you’re good. Plus, you’re a werewolf. You can’t get pneumonia.”

“But you know what you can get is in trouble for being late to school,” Scott added.

“So, come on, let’s go,” I said, clapping. “Up and at ‘em, let’s go. Ass out of bed.”

Scott chuckled at my antics while grabbing the blankets, saying, “God, you are related to Coach,” before he pulled the covers from Liam’s head.

Liam popped up, leaning back on his elbows as he elaborated, “I don’t think I should go to school. Or outside. Or anywhere. Ever again,” before pulling the covers back over his head.

“Do you want me to handle this?” I asked, looking at Scott. He shook his head, saying, “I got this,” before looking back over towards Liam. “It doesn’t matter what you think, okay? Because you gotta go. Now all you do is pretend like nothing happened.”

“Pretend?” Liam asked, popping out from under his covers again. “I’m just supposed to pretend?”

“Yeah, if anyone asks,” I said. “You can always tell them that you’re practicing your Halloween makeup.”

Scott looked back at me, facial expression reading, stop just stop. A look I was all too familiar with because he used to give it to Stiles. A lot. He looked back over at Liam, shaking his head. “Think of it like when Superman gets caught with his glasses off. You know, he doesn’t give up. He puts them back on and says I’m still Clark Kent.”

“You want me to wear glasses?” Liam asked.

I attempted to cover a snort, but it didn’t go unheard. I looked at both werewolves, trying not to burst out laughing. Scott looked at me like he wanted my help this time. “What?”

He motioned over to Liam with his eyes, my mouth dropping open as I remembered what Liam just asked and squatted a little.

“Oh! That!” I said. Looking back over at Liam, I said, “No! We want you to go to school, okay?” Scott grabbed Liam’s blankets and pulled them, essentially pulling his Beta, as well. “And be Liam Dunbar. Just like how Superman has to be Clark Kent. Like how Spiderman has to be Peter Parker, and Captain America has to be Steve Rogers.”

“You’re such a Marvel nerd,” Scott chuckled.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

“Em, Captain America is just Steve Rogers,” Liam said. “He doesn’t have to pretend. Everyone already loves him. Unlike us, who everyone hates.”

My eyes softened at his words, trying to understand where he was coming from.

“They hate us for trying to save their lives,” he continued.

Scott squatted next to him while I walked over and sat on the bench at the end of his bed, putting Scott in front of me. “You’re right,” Scott said. “We are trying to save lives.”

“Which is why,” I said, gaining attention from both werewolves. “You’re gonna get up and go to school and pretend like nothing happened. Also, think of yourself as Steve Rogers. He was shot up with the super soldier serum, which gave him the ability to be Cap. Scott bit you, so think of that as your own super soldier serum. You’re like Cap but without the superhero name and suit.”

“She’s right,” Scott said. “Because if you don’t, more people could die.”

Liam turned his head to look at me, sad eyes looking into mine. “Because of me.”

“Don’t blame yourself for that, love,” I said.

“We really didn’t know Brett or Lori,” Scott said, his voice soft. “Well, not like you did. But we know you.” He looked over to his left, grabbing something before coming back over and setting it down, which just so happened to be Liam’s backpack, on his Beta’s lap. Sighing, Scott laced his fingers together and placed them on top of the backpack. “And if you’re afraid of seeing more of your friends die, you’ll go.”

They looked at each other before Liam finally decided to get up, get dressed and have Scott and I take him to school.

~~~

Scott and I met Malia, Lydia and Argent at his bunker, telling Lydia and Argent about what happened last night.

“They were murdered,” Scott said, holding a bloody lacrosse stick before setting it on the table.

I sighed, crossing my arms. “Killed by the new hunter in Beacon Hills.”

Turning to face Argent more, Scott said, “Ya’know, when he took out the Hellhound, we thought that it was luck.”

“That we were dealing with an amateur,” I added. “But now that we know whoever this new hunter is--” I looked at the back of Scott’s head, already tired of all this. “He has a teacher. Gerard.”

Argent looked at me like I had three heads, scrunching his eyebrows. “How do you know?”

Sighing again, I looked down at my shoes. “I heard him and the person he’s teaching.”

Argent crossed his arms, eyes dancing between me and Scott. “Which means this is my fault.”

“Argent--”

“I’m the one who let him go, Emma,” he interrupted.

“You couldn’t have done anything,” Lydia said.

“He could’ve killed him,” Malia said.

I looked at Argent as he tilted his head in agreement with her words.

“Just saying.”

“We’re not executioners,” Lydia said.

“You are when it comes to war,” Malia said.

“That’s why we’re gonna make peace,” Scott said.

“With Gerard?” I sassed.

Turning to face me, Scott put his hands on my shoulders. “Em, you know what’s coming.” Keeping his hand on my left shoulder, he looked at the other three in the room. “We all keep using the same word.”

“War,” Argent and I said.

“So what stops a war from happening?” Malia asked.

“Peace summit,” Argent said.

“Right,” Scott said. “We meet face to face with Gerard. Find out what he wants and then we stop all this before it gets any worse.”

“Scotty, need I remind you the last time Gerard was at a peace summit was with Deucalion,” I said. “He blinded him and then killed everybody else, including his own men.”

Argent took two steps towards Scott before saying, “I’ll go. I mean, he’s not going to kill me.”

“Are you sure about that, Argent?” I asked.

He looked at me from over Scott’s shoulder. “Not really.”

“Sweet baby Jesus,” I whispered.

Scott moved so that his arm was wrapped around my shoulders. “All we need is to find out what he wants. Then we can bargain.”

“Scotty, even if he does agree,” I said, looking up at him. “His terms might be difficult to meet.”

Scott looked back down at me, confidence in his eyes. “Well, that’s why it’s a negotiation. I don’t expect to get anything without giving something up.”

“And what exactly are you planning on giving up?”

“She’s right, Scott,” Argent said. “You’re gonna have to figure out just how much you’re willing to give, and how far you’re willing to go to stop a war.”

~~~

After we left the bunker, I was pretty upset with Scott for wanting to meet with the person who wanted him dead, what seemed like a whole lifetime ago.

“Em--”

“Uh-uh. You don’t get to talk, Scott McCall. You did all the talking in the bunker.”

He sighed, gripping the steering of the Jeep a little harder. “I get you’re upset--”

“You’re damn right I’m upset,” I said, voice raised, stern. “Scotty, I almost lost Stiles a few months back. What if Gerard wants to kill you? I can’t lose you, or almost lose you, too. Scotty, you’re my best friend, my brother. You’re not going alone.”

“Em, Stiles would literally kill me if something happened to you.”

“Scott, at this point, I don’t really care if anything happens to me,” I said, leaning my elbow against the window. “I’m so sick of everyone protecting me. When’s it going to be my turn?”

“You’re protecting Stiles,” he said.

I sighed. “Not the same.” I looked over at him. “Scotty, we’re in this together. We started this journey of supernatural...ness together. We’re gonna deal with it… together. I won’t stand by and watch you go on a suicide mission. I’m going with you. End of discussion.”

He spared a quick glance at me, seeing the fear in my eyes, and sighed. “Alright.”

“Okay,” I whispered. “Thanks for taking me to the school. Uhm, could you maybe give me--”

“Em, don’t worry about it,” Scott said. “I’ll come pick you up and take you home.”

“Thanks, Scotty,” I whispered as he pulled into the school’s parking lot. I smiled at him before I got out, and closed the door before walking through the school to Coach’s office.

The moment I stepped inside his office, I couldn’t help the chuckle that came out of me.

“What?” Coach asked. “What’s so funny?”

I shook my head. “Your hair gets crazier and crazier every year, but this-- this takes the cake. Could we maybe tone it down a little bit next year?”

He looked at me like he was unimpressed with me. “If you’re standing next to me, not a chance.” Standing from his chair, he took a sip of his coffee before setting the mug back down, and walked towards me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head, handing me my clipboard. Opening the door, he held it open for me to walk into the locker room first.

A look of confusion spread across my face at the team standing in front Liam. “What the hell’s going on here, boys?” I asked, earning Liam to turn around and look at me.

“Who called a meeting without me and Emma?” Coach asked. “Guys?”

I watched as Liam turned his head to look at Nolan. And, yes. I was fully aware of what he did to Corey. He’s lucky I don’t take that same pen and stab him in the hand with it.

“Uhm, hello?” I said. “We said who called the meeting?”

Liam looked at me, taking a couple steps towards me. “Uh, I did. Sorry, Emma, but uh, my-my grades are slipping a-and I need to take a step back from the team. We just voted Nolan to be the new team captain.”

“Nolan?” Coach asked, looking up in thought. “Yeah. Nolan’s perfect. He’s a great player. Nolan’s got amazing leadership skills. Which one of you is Nolan?”

“Sweet baby Jesus, Bobby,” I whispered, pinching the bridge of my nose. I looked up at Liam, continuing my whispers, “I’m not done with you yet.”

Liam turned his head away from me, revealing Nolan, who had his hand raised.

“Yeah, that guy!” Coach beamed. “How about a big hand for your new team captain, Nolan! Let ‘em hear it!” The team minus me and Liam cheered for Nolan. You could say that I was peeved at Liam for giving up his position. I guess what Scott and I were trying to tell him this morning didn’t stick.

~~~

Running some forms up to the front office, I spotted Liam, Corey and Mason walking down the hallway. I wasn’t seeing red, per se, I just wanted to talk with the three of them. So, I did what any other Banshee would do. Joined their conversation.

“I overheard Nolan talking to Gabe,” Corey said.

“You better hope for Nolan’s sake it’s that I don’t kill him myself,” I said, wrapping my arm around Corey’s middle. Even though I was older by two years, he was still taller than me.

“It’s not,” Corey said, returning the hug I was trying to initiate.

“You’re spying on them?” Mason asked.

“Since he stabbed me? Yeah.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I would, too.”

“Nolan’s gonna try and make Liam shift,” Corey said, turning his head from me to Liam. “He needs proof and he wants everyone to see it.”

“So, what’s he gonna do?” Liam and I asked.

“I--I don’t know,” Corey said. “That’s all I heard.”

We stopped at the end of the hallway, turning to face the other students.

“Could you stop obsessing about what people are saying?” Mason asked.

“Nolan’s coming,” Liam said, looking at the three of us. Having a small freak out moment, Liam looked around.

“Liam, what are you doing?” I asked.

“Looking for a place to hide,” he said.

I turned around with furrowed brows at seeing him eye the door behind us. Guidance Counselor’s office. He ducked in the office right before Nolan and Gabe rounded the corner at the end of the hall. They stood there, looking at us like we knew where Liam was, but didn’t want to give it up.

A female’s voice saying Liam’s name from the room behind us had me turning my head in that direction. Wait a second. That was the same voice I heard in the tunnels last night.

I heard her saying something about branches in the woods that caught her neck. I’ve been through those Preserves a million different times at night, even spent two different nights alone, and never once did I hit my neck on a branch. They’re too high up.

“Hey,” I whispered to Corey. “What’s the counselor’s name?”

“Monroe,” Corey answered.

About ten seconds later, Liam walked out of the room, putting his hand around my upper arm. “I need to talk to you,” he whispered. “I need to ask you about what voices you heard in the tunnels.”

~~~

Scott ended up picking me up from the school. Something about needing my support, whatever the hell that means. Complete silence in the Jeep as I could tell there was something bothering him. I didn’t feel like pushing it, though. He’d talk when he’s ready.

After parking the Jeep and both of us getting out, we walked into the kitchen from the back door, hearing Melissa and Argent talking about Scott.

“I’ve never told Scott or Emma to run and hide, and I’m not going to start now,” Melissa said. My brows shot up into my hairline at her statement.

“Emma’s been hurt countless times because of all of this, Melissa,” Argent said. “I think her own parents would defend--”

“Emma has been like a daughter to me and a sister to Scott for most of our lives,” Melissa said. “Defending her and patching her up is the only thing I know how to do, other than my job as a nurse and Scott’s mom.”

Argent sighed. “Melissa, Scott was dead in your arms once before, and you had to bring him back yourself. Emma was dead in Scott’s arms, and he brought her back himself.”

“It was the mushrooms that brought her back,” Melissa argued, Scott and I taking that as our cue to walk further into the kitchen.

“But it was Scott who pushed the jar to the ground,” Argent said. “He brought her back. Melissa, what if this is the one fight they don’t come back from?”

“There doesn’t have to be a fight,” Scott said, arm around my shoulders.

Argent sighed. “Do you know something I don’t?”

“Someone,” I said, looking up at Scott. The both of us moved towards the couple, Scott’s arm never moving from my shoulders. I sighed as we stopped in front of them, crossing my arms, stating, “Tamora Monroe-- she’s the new hunter.”

~~~

Lydia had called to let me know that she spoke with Monroe, per our request, and that Monroe said she’d meet with us. Scott and I walked down the stairs as I said, “Even though we asked, it still feels like a trap.”

“Em, you heard Lydia. She said that she would meet to talk,” Scott said, looking over his shoulder at me.

“Meeting alone in the middle of the tunnels with a werewolf hunter? It feels like a trap!”

Turning around to face me once we reached the kitchen, arguing, “Then what do you want me to do?”

I stopped at the table, crossing my arms and feeling my brows meet my hairline. “You really wanna argue? ‘Cause you know who’s gonna win here, Scott. Don’t go.”

“Emma, Gerard is recruiting new hunters,” Scott said, turning his body to face me more. “And he’s murdering our friends. He’s not gonna stop unless I convince him that we’re not his enemy.”

“What happens if you can’t?” I asked, voice raised a little. “You’re gonna get yourself killed. We need you! I need you! Scott, I told you earlier that I can’t lose my best friend, my brother. Please… don’t ask me to by meeting with Gerard. He’s wanted you dead since you were bitten.”

Scott looked at me with soft eyes, his own dancing between mine before he sighed. “I-if I didn’t think you guys could beat him without me--”

“God,” I said, looking up at the ceiling and turning around. “That’s not what I mean!”

“Then what do you mean?” Scott asked, voice raised.

I turned around to face him quickly, tears lining my waterline. “I won’t ask you to go on a fucking suicide mission! Do you know how I'll feel if you get killed? I’ll be devastated. Do you know how Stiles will feel? Devastated that his best friend put himself in danger, in front of a hunter with a gun! Yeah, you’ll most likely heal, but what if that bullet is laced with Wolfsbane? You won’t come back from that!”

He put his hands out to his sides, raising his arms a couple inches. “What do you want me to do, Em? Stand by and watch other supernatural creatures, yourself included, die by the hands of a couple hunters who want us all dead?”

“Don’t. Go,” I said, the tears now falling down my face. Taking the steps back to him, I put my hands on his chest, balling the material of his shirt in my hands. “Don’t go. I won’t ask you. I will continue to repeat this for the rest of my supernatural life if I have to, but Scotty-- you’re my best friend. I can’t lose you, I won’t lose you.”

He put his hand on the back of my head, guiding my forehead to rest against his chest as I let out all of my frustration and worry. I couldn’t help but think of all the bad stuff that could happen. Him getting killed, or me getting killed. What would Stiles do, what would he say?

“I love you, Em,” Scott whispered. “You’re my best friend, and I love that you’re protective over me right now.”

“Somebody has to be,” I whispered back.

He pulled back a little, looking at me with confused eyes.

Sighing, I said, “You know what I mean.”

“I’m kind of confused,” he said.

“You’re always protecting us, your pack,” I explained. “Don’t you think it’s time for someone to protect you?”

He sighed, pressing his lips to the top of my head. “Emma, I have to try this. All I want to do is to get Monroe to trust us. Lydia even told you that she agreed to this peace summit. And I have to go.” He pulled back a little, cupping my cheeks in his hands, thumbs catching the tears that just didn’t want to stop. “I’m going alone.”

I sighed exasperatedly, not wanting to have another argument. Looking up at him, I noticed his eyes were behind me, nodding his head once before looking back at me. Sighing once more, he leaned forward, lips pressing against my forehead. Looking me back in the eyes, he backed away before turning to face the door completely.

I went to follow after him to argue with him that I was going with him when arms wrapped around my middle, pulling back into their chest. At first, I thought it was Stiles, whom I was going to kill if it was, but feeling boobs on my back, I retracted my thought, now knowing it was either Malia or Lydia. But with the strength around my middle, I was safe to assume it was Malia.

Scott turned back around to face me for a moment. I took this as his last hoorah before getting a bullet lodged somewhere on his body as he walked out of sight.

“It’s all gonna be okay,” Malia whispered. “I have a plan.”

~~~

I had asked Malia to take me to the station so I could see my dad, and so that she could finish getting her part of her plan ready. I really needed his comfort right now if I couldn’t get it from Stiles… only the moment I stepped foot in the door, Parrish, Sheriff and Dad were walking my way.

“Daddy, what’s going on?” I asked.

“Hospital,” Dad said. “Melissa said she wanted to show us something.”

I nodded. “Okay. I’ll come with.”

“Emma--” Sheriff started.

“Noah, please. I’ve had enough bad news to deal with today,” I said, putting my hand out. “I just--” I sighed, looking down at my shoes. “I just need to be around people who bring me comfort if I’m not getting it from Stiles… considering he’s 3000 miles away.”

The three of them sighed, causing me to look up at them. “Alright,” Dad said. “We’ll fill you in on the way there.”

~~~

Getting to the hospital, Melissa met us at the front, instantly giving me a hug. I guess Scott called her and told her about our argument. “Scott can be really dumb sometimes,” she said, rubbing my shoulder blades before pulling back. “He’s lucky to have a friend like you.” Looking over my shoulder at the cops, she tilted her head in the direction she wanted us to follow her in. “This way.” Walking into the morgue, I wasn’t surprised that we were in here. One of the many places we’ve called our second home.

“I’ll be the first one to admit,” Melissa said. “Some pretty strange things have been happening.”

“Tell me about it,” I sassed. A not now look was shot my way from dad. “Sorry. I’ll try my best to keep the sass to a minimum.”

Melissa chuckled, standing in front of a body locker. “But the body couldn’t have moved.”

“Why not?” Parrish asked.

Looking at Parrish with an incredulous look, Melissa said, “Because it’s locked in a drawer, and it has no skin or DNA. And no face.”

“So, this thing,” I said, pointing to the locker. “It scared the hell out of you and Argent?”

“Did it without moving an inch,” she confirmed without missing a beat.

Standing back a step from in between Dad and Sheriff, the two of them and Parrish, reached for their guns as Melissa turned to open the locker, giving me a look that I nodded at. She opened it up, fully prepared for the fear that was sure to come.

Looking in the locker, I was utterly confused. “Uh, Melissa? There’s nothing in here.”

“Ah, great,” Sheriff said.

Melissa looked in the locker before rolling her eyes and closing it. As if just realizing I was standing here, she looked at me like I was crazy. “Wait, why are you here? I thought you were supposed to be with Scott?” I shrugged my shoulders, biting the inside of my lip. “He didn’t want me to go.”

She sighed. “Yeah. Like I said, he could be stupid sometimes. And so can you.”

Shock came over my face at what she said, so she put her hands up, saying, “Let me explain. When have you ever listened to Scott and Stiles telling you to stay put.”

I thought for a second before shaking my head. “Never.”

“Why are you going to now?” she asked, putting her hands on my shoulders.

Confidence hit me like a bus, my spine straightening. “Let me know when and if you find the body.” Turning from her hold on me, I gave my dad a hug, telling him to be careful before pressing a quick kiss to Sheriff’s cheek, telling him the same thing.

Once I realized that I didn’t have a way to the tunnels, I called Malia and asked if she was ready for her part of her plan. And thank God she was because she was in front of me at the hospital in two minutes flat, speeding off to the tunnels.

The moment I got into the tunnels, I closed my eyes and concentrated on Scott’s presence, booking it when I knew where he was. Before he could turn down another tunnel, I grabbed his arm, whispering, “You’re not doing this alone.”

“I thought I told you--”

“Have I ever listened to you and Stiles telling me to stay put? No, I haven’t. So, you’re not doing this alone.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Just follow my lead, and please, keep the sass to a minimum.”

“I’ll bring it out only if necessary.”

Turning back around, Scott started walking again a few feet before stopping at an opening, sights turning to what was down at the other end. Monroe and two of her goons… all three with guns. Perfect.

“I thought we were here to talk peace,” Scott said.

“I agreed to come,” Monroe said. “I never agreed on a peace.”

A crackling sound made us jump, Scott and I looking behind us. A third goon standing there with an Electric Baton and an AR against his front. Double perfect.

I turned my sights back to Monroe, crossing my arms and my sass coming out as I said, “If you brought them, I guess Gerard’s here, too, isn’t he?”

“Emma,” Scott whispered, warning in his voice.

“I can’t control it,” I whispered back. “You know this.”

Monroe stepped towards Scott and I, standing about 3 feet from us as Gerard said, “Right here, Emma,” and stepping out of the shadows. “Hello, Scott.”

“Whatever he’s told you, there’s another side of the story,” Scott tried to reason.

“Isn’t there always?” she asked.

“What were you hoping for here, Scott?” Gerard asked.

“We were hoping to talk to someone reasonable,” I said, setting my sights on the old man.

“You haven’t lost your sass, Emma,” Gerard said. “I like it.”

Scott sighed next to me, saying, “Trust me, he’s not the kind of person that you want to follow.”

“He’s gonna lead you off a cliff,” I added.

“Following me?” Gerard asked. “No one here’s following me, Scott. I’m merely an adviser.”

I looked over at Gerard, seeing his eyes point to Monroe. “Wait, hold up,” I said, putting a hand up, scrunching my face in confusion. “This is because of you?”

“That’s right,” Monroe said. “I’m surprised, Emma. By your records, you were Valedictorian, 4.0 GPA-- the smartest in your graduating class… other than Lydia, of course. I’m shocked it took your smart brain this long to figure it out.”

I scoffed, not believing that she was questioning my smarts. “Yeah, well, I’ve been dealing with a lot lately.”

“Like Stiles not being here?” she asked.

Looking at her like I wanted to kill her, Scott put his arm in front of me, keeping me from doing so.

Monroe chuckled, looking between me and Scott. “You two are negotiating with me.”

“Okay,” Scott sighed. “Tell us how to settle this.”

“What do you want?” I sneered.

She was acting as if she were thinking hard for a moment before finally saying, “I wanna see a werewolf beg for peace. I wanna see and hear a Banshee scream for the ones that she loves.”

As if my eyes couldn’t widen even more from shock, Scott answered, “Fine. Okay, I’ll beg. I-I’ll do whatever you want. Just tell me that we don’t have to kill each other. That we can find a way to make peace.”

She looked unimpressed after Scott’s little speech. “That wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.”

I sighed. “People are dying.”

“They’ve been dying,” she exclaimed. “You only care now because it’s your people.”

“You have to want something other than seeing us all dead,” Scott said. I looked up at him as he had this look on his face. “What if we leave Beacon Hills? All of us.”

“Uhm, excuse me?” I said, brows furrowed.

“If you leave, we’ll follow you,” Monroe said. “We’ll hunt you down until every single one of you is gone.”

“Jesus, now I’m wishing the Hunt took us,” I muttered, before looking at her. “Newsflash, some of us have actually been protecting you.”

“Don’t listen to them,” Gerard said. “They want you to be afraid.”

“Can it, old-timer,” I sneered.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of us,” Scott said. “We protect people. People like you.”

“People like me?” Monroe asked. “You don’t know anything about people like me.”

“So…” I said, gaining her attention. “Help us understand. Tell us what made you hate us so much.”

“I don’t think you want to press that button, dear Emma,” Gerard said.

“No,” I said, crossing my arms. “No, I think I do.”

“Something happened to you, didn’t it?” Scott said, arm wrapping around to my back, pulling to block me in case anything happened, causing me to uncross my arms. I set my hand on his arm as he said, “Something bad.”

“Bad doesn’t even come close,” Monroe said. STORY TIME! “There was a faculty meeting that ran late one night. We were complaining about the new course rubric. I thought that was the worse thing I’d have to deal with that year. I was wrong. We all heard it. This sound coming out of the shadows. Probably an animal, they said. But not like anything I’d ever heard. When it moved, it moved faster than anything I’d ever seen.”

Scott looked back at me when he felt me stiffen. The Beast.

“I saw teeth and claws-- fangs,” she went on. “And then there was blood everywhere. I couldn’t believe I was still alive.”

“If one of us had been there--” Scott said.

“You were there, Scott,” Monroe exclaimed. “Both of you. And the Deputy. Don’t you remember? Did you even think to check if anyone was still alive?”

Scott’s demeanor fell a little as he said, “I didn’t know.” I knew there were tears lining my vision, but I wasn’t sure about Scott. The only thing I could see was the back of his head.

“You didn’t care,” Monroe said. “How many had to die so you could keep your secret? So you and your friends could carry on as if nothing ever happened. I was there. Lying under those bodies. Hiding and waiting for someone to finally find me. You shouldn’t have come alone, Scott.”

Offended, I said, “Uhm, he didn’t?”

As she reached for the gun on her holster, Malia’s voice came through the tunnels. “He didn’t,” before a body was thrown against the wall, Malia and Lydia gracing us with their presence not long after.

Removing the gun from the holster, Monroe pointed the weapon at me and Scott, her two goons behind her following suit.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Scott said. “We did not come here to fight.” His hold on me tightened, protecting me.

“Well, then you came here to die,” Gerard said.

Malia growled at him, gaining the attention of Monroe’s gun. “We’re trying to protect you.”

“You might wanna control your Beta, Scott,” Gerard said. “She could get you all killed.”

“We’re not the enemy,” Lydia said, fear lacing her voice. “There’s something else going on.”

“We don’t know what it is, but we promise you, there’s a bigger problem,” I said, my own fear showing.

“Something worse than supernatural cannibals?” Monroe said.

“It’s frowned upon in most societies,” I said.

“Em--” Scott said.

“Yeah, I know everything now,” Monroe said. “Wendigos, Oni, Werecoyotes. People being murdered as human sacrifices?”

“We tried to stop those,” Scott said, sounding surprisingly calm.

“And how many people lost their lives while you were trying?” Monroe asked.

“Too many,” Scott and I said.

“It was twelve!” Monroe said.

The lights started to flicker as I looked around, saying “Lyds?” to which she hummed in agreement.

Putting her gun down, Monroe turned her body halfway to point at one of the goons behind her. “His son was one of them. His throat was cut and his head bashed in.” Turning to her other goon, she said, “His brother was a deputy. Gutted and torn apart.” She raised her gun back up to Scott’s chest, saying, “The official report read Animal Attack.”

The lights started flickering again as I studied Monroe’s goons body language, including her own. “It’s amplifying their fear,” I said.

“We’ve all lost somebody and you wanna get revenge, I get that,” Scott said, his own fear coming through, his grip on me tightening as much as he could. “But just listen to me. Something escaped the Wild Hunt.”

Gripping his arm tighter, I said, “Scotty, Scotty, it’s here. It’s here right now.”

He looked at me, asking, “What?” before looking back in front of him.

We heard screaming next, then one of Monroe’s goons started shooting all around him, Scott’s hold on me switching from my front to my back as he shouted, “Get down!” as the goons yelling and gunfire continued.

“Hey, stop,” Monroe said. “Stop shooting!”

“That thing’s making them panic,” Scott said, holding me against his chest, the both of us sitting on the ground.

“Ya’think?!” I yelled at him. I looked back at him over my shoulder. We stood up together, moving to hide behind a wall, Malia and Lydia following. My back was still against Scott’s chest as he poked his head around the corner, one of Monroe’s goons shooting at us.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Malia asked.

The four of us heard clattering above us, the gate opening as Scott asked, “What is that?”

“Backup,” Lydia said.

A flare dropped onto the ground in front of us, Parrish dropping soon after in a crouched position before lifting his head and letting out a roar, his eyes their Hellhound Orange.

We watched as Parrish walked into gunfire, deputies' uniform still on. He pushed one of the goons into the wall before grabbing the slab of muscle by the neck, yelling and lighting himself on fire, sending both him and the figure up in flames, the four of us cowering back behind the wall.

I poked my head around the wall, seeing the lights flickering back on as a smoked out Parrish tried to stand up from his lay on the ground. Scott ran forward, helping the Hellhound stand. Looking to our right, we saw the burned body of the thing we brought from the Hunt.

Scott and I walked to our left a few feet down the tunnel. I put my hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn around to face me. “They didn’t come here to negotiate,” I whispered. “You did everything that you could.”

He looked at me, eyes holding an emotion I couldn’t put my finger on. “No, not everything. Not yet.” The look of pure confidence and anger took over his features.

“Come on,” I said, rubbing my hand on his arm. “Let’s go home.”

~~~

Upon arriving at Scott’s house, what scared the hell out of me was seeing a girl sitting in the kitchen as we walked in.

“Scott, Emma,” the girl said. “Scott McCall, Emma Thomas.” She went to take a step forward, but Scott ran up to her, saying, “Wait, hey, hey. Hey, sit down.” Looking back at us girls, he said, “She’s a werewolf.”

Malia and I walked forward, me crouching in front of her, even though it hurt like hell. “Who did this to you? A hunter?” She blinked and shook her head, thinking about the event that caused her to come here. “A deputy.”

I looked up at Scott, hoping it wasn’t my dad who did this. Looking back to her, I asked, “They’ve got a deputy?”

“Yeah, but not your dad,” she said.

“Oh, thank God,” I breathed, hanging my head.

“They’ve got everyone, Em,” Scott said.

Great. Just perfect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N 2: hi, friends! i’m so excited for the next two chapters, y’all don’t even know, lol. but,let me know what you thought! again, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox.

Additional Note: i probably won’t do anymore timezone reblogs from here on out since the feedback on this series has stopped, and reblogging isn’t doing shit.

~~~

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~~~

*Please don’t post my writing anywhere else without my consent. The author of this work will always and forever be @harringtonstilinski.

All characters, story lines, and plot aside from Emma and her storyline & plot, are all of the work of Jeff Davis. Our home slice Emma was made up all by me. As well we her parents and their storyline throughout the series.

*These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.

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Posted on August 7, 2022

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ageofevermore · 2 years

Text

Her House

SUMMARY — It’s not Harry’s house anymore, it’s your daughters.

PAIRING — Dad!Harry Styles x Mom!Reader ( SMAU / 0.4k )

AUTHORS NOTE — Inspired by As It Was BTS because dadrry has my entire heart

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ynstyles: girls day

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Harry smiles, watching you tend to your daughter from across the room. You put her down for her afternoon nap an hour ago, hoping she’d sleep for a few hours. Harry smiled knowingly, watching you lift the very awake little girl into your arms. Her small hands, which you kissed a million times a day, now all sweaty from being tucked under her chin, grabbed onto the neckline of your top and your gold necklace chain.

Harry reached out for the both of you, smiling fondly. He took the baby from your arms, pecking your lips and then your forehead when you came close enough. Your daughter, still tired from her lack of nap, laid her head down on Harry’s shoulder, small fingers grabbing at the hair on his neck.

“Missed Daddy?” You cooed, sitting down opposite to them. The concrete floor was cold beneath your thighs, and you shivered a bit. “It’s only been a couple hours.” You scoffed playfully, shrieking in pure adoration when Harry lifted a naked foot in your direction, pretending to kick you away.

“Leave ‘m girl alone.” He teased, nibbling at the baby’s neck with a gentle fondness that you’d only seen him possess with her. Sure, your husbands great with children and he loves them all, but you’ve never seen any love like the one her has for you and her. “Gonna be a Daddy’s girl when yer older, yeah?”

You laughed heartily, rolling your eyes. “Already is.” You couldn’t help but watch them both with a love drunk smile on your lips. If this was the happiest moment of your life, it would be the best one ever.

“Let me get a picture of you two.” You prompted, not waiting for Harry to agree; he always did. You leant forward on your knees, pulling your phone out of your side pocket. “Can Mommy have this? Just for one second?” You coax the dummy from between her lips, able to snap a few pictures of your loves together before her chin quivers and soft cries dramatic escape her, Harry’s smile doubling as he laughs.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Here, you can have your dummy back, sweet girl.” You giggled, leaning forward to settle the nipple back between her lips. She settles in seconds, cuddling back into Harry’s arms like nothing happened.

“Definitely Daddy’s girl.” You smirked, giggling. Harry rolled his eyes fondly, shoved at your leg with his foot, effectively knocking you over this time. The both of you laughed loudly, more in love then ever.

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harrystyles: May 20th

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#harry styles #dad!harry styles #harry styles x reader #dad!harry styles x reader #harry styles fluff #harry styles smau #harry styles blurb #harry styles oneshot #harry styles fic #smau

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andreafmn · 3 years

Text

I'm Not Afraid - Chapter 1

Word Count: 3,325

Characters: Female Reader Argent Character, Original Male Argent Character, Derek Hale, Allison Argent, Scott McCall, Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey, Lydia Martin, Chris Argent, Jackson Whittemore

Story Description: (Y/N) Argent arrived at Beacon Hills to put to rest her father's sister, Kate Argent. For the first time, her family has decided to settle down and sustain a life in this interesting small town. After 17 years, (Y/N) has the opportunity to establish interpersonal relationships but will she be ready to face the complications that come with relating to her cousin's, Allison, friends; especially, the infamous Derek Hale. She will face the adventure of being associated with the Derek and McCall pack as well as being faced with the discovery of certain aspects of her life she never imagined.

*DISCLAIMER* I do not own in any way Teen Wolf, all credits of the pre-established characters, script, and storyline belong to Jeff Davis and MTV Network. The only thing I own is Argent Reader insert, her immediate family, and her storyline, as well as her effects in the others' storyline.

Chapter: 1/?

Chapter Description: (Y/N) finally arrives at Beacon Hills for the funeral of her aunt and meets a certain wolf to which she feels a special connection.

A/N: Second fandom I'm writing for. I love Teen Wolf so much and the trope of hard Derek but only soft for you makes my heart sing. If you enjoy my writing I’ll also be posting them in AO3 and Wattpad along with other stories (I also hope to start taking requests if ya’ll want) Hope you enjoy and all constructive criticism is encouraged.

Next ->

Chapter 1

I hugged the black coat to my body as hard as I could whilst pushing through the sea of press. Our family's last name became quite known after the reports about my aunt, whose burial we were attending. She had allegedly burned down a house with people in it. She killed them in cold blood. I hugged my grieving uncle and his less grieving wife, then my cousin who had a painful look on her face. I hugged her the longest. She let herself crumble on my arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Even though she was a horrible person she was still our aunt, family.

I took my seat behind Allison when my father, my mother, uncle Chris, and aunt Victoria stood up. Allison didn't lift her head and neither did I. I just tried to comfort her.

"It's been such a long time I don't expect you to call me grandpa." We both looked up to see a white-haired man who resembled the Argent features. "Don't worry about it, just call me Gerard." He hugged both of us, an overpowering aura emanating from his being. When we were engulfed, I looked to the side and saw two boys squatting behind a gravestone. If they were hiding, they were doing a horrible job at it.

"But I prefer Grandpa," Gerard said walking to his seat. I sat back down and drifted off during the whole ceremony. Once it was over, I joined my parents and we drove to our new house. I have a feeling that life here will be very interesting.

That weekend I decided that I had been putting working out off for too long. I changed into comfortable workout clothes and gave food to my dog, Brody. I headed out the door, put my earbuds on, and started to jog. I really didn't know where I was going since it was a new place for me, all I know is that I kept running until I reached the woods. The bad thing about this, I had no idea how to get back home. Even though I knew of this sidetrack and I knew I would be late to get back home, I kept running, needing a release from the mundane feeling of being new in town and having to reunite from our estranged family in a funeral.

I had gained a lot of momentum. God knows how fast I was running at this point that is until I hit something, it almost felt like a wall. When I looked up, I saw a very handsome guy. Spiked hair, green eyes, and slight stubble. If it weren't for the fact that I was already sweaty I would have started to sweat showers of how nervous I was. That is until he opened his mouth.

"Watch where you're going." He growled at me.

"How about you fucking move and not be a prick?" He looked at me with big eyes, probably in surprise, but quickly changed to his menacing look. Who was he trying to fool?

"Well, this is private property, which means that you're trespassing, meaning you should pay more attention to your surroundings."

"I'm sorry but a burnt-down house with almost no walls or roof is barely a property. So, how about you stop being an idiot and I can be on my way." I started to jog once again but he gained my attention once more.

"You're new here, aren't you?" I turned around to face him.

"What's it to you?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I'll take that as a yes." The cockiness oozed out of his pores.

"And why the hell should that matter?"

"Because no one would dare talk to me that way."

"Who would be afraid of a little sour wolf?" He tensed up. "Dude, chill. I'm just kidding. But I doubt anyone would be afraid of Mr...."

"Hale. Derek Hale." He said extending his hand to me. Gee, after screaming at me he wants us to be acquaintances. I thought about not shaking his hand, but I didn't want to be rude. Well, more than I have been already.

"(Y/N). Argent." I shook his hand. Strong grip. Suddenly I felt a rush of déjà vu; I had met him the day before. "Wait, aren't you that guy I accidentally hit with my grocery cart yesterday?"

"Yeah, that really hurt. You hit my ankle. You could've had me limping."

"But you're not, so be grateful I didn't break your ankle." He laughed. "Damn, if I had known how cocky you really were, I would've hit you harder."

"So, you admit that you hit me?"

"Oh yeah, of course, I hit you. Accidentally that is."

"Yeah, yeah."

I looked around trying to find where the hell I had come from but there wasn't even the slightest trail as to where I was to go.

"So, miss (Y/N). Do you even know your way home?"

"No, but I'm sure I can find my way back." Then, he took keys out of his pocket and pointed to his car.

"Come on, I'll drive you around and you just tell me when something seems familiar."

"And why should I go with the guy that almost ripped out my throat for bumping into him? For all I know you could be driving me to my death." I crossed my arms over my chest, and he let out a loud sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry for snapping. But I'm trying to be nice. That doesn't happen very often."

"Alright, Mr. Hale. I'll let you take me home just because you are being nice now, after being a prick, and I'm exhausted."

"See, no one can resist me." I rolled my eyes at his cockiness. Seriously does he buy cans of it on eBay?

"Don't get cocky with me. I can punch the living daylights out of you." He chuckled and started to drive.

We drove for about 20 minutes until I finally recognized the curb that led to my house. Upon arriving at my driveway, I got out of the car and walked to the driver’s side.

"Give me your hand” For some reason, I felt compelled to do so. He took a pen and wrote down a number. "Call me if you ever need a tour of the town."

Three weeks later, I walked inside the school to meet up with Allison. I moved here with my family since dad had some business taking float. Being the new kid in town is never fun. I would know. I switch schools almost every year. The pro and con about this would be not being attached to anyone. Usually, I'm the one who doesn't talk to anyone and is called a freak. A derogatory term given to people who are way too different from others, but a title I wore proudly.

"Oh my gosh, (Y/N)! How have you been?" Allison wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. It was as if she hadn't seen me just three weeks ago.

"Hi, Allison. I've been good, getting acclimated to the new town. You?" You would think that because we were cousins, I would be more affectionate towards her but honestly, I wouldn't see her again for like three more years, so what's the point?

"I'm good. A little rocky at the start of coming here but good." Then, a boy with a buzz cut and one with great brown hair walked by and smiled at Alli. "Ooh, you should come meet my friends. Stiles, Scott!! Come here." The boys turned around with goofy grins on their faces.

"Hey, Allison. Who's this?" Buzzcut kid said.

"This is my cousin, (Y/N). She just moved here from Virginia."

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Scott." The one with the great hair said.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Stiles." I shook their hands and smiled.

"Nice to meet you, too, buzzcut." Allison and Scott laughed but Stiles only ran his hand through his hair, suddenly becoming hyperaware of his lack of locks.

"Allison. Who might this sexy lady be?" I rolled my eyes. The last thing I need is a narcissist with a god-complex trying to get close.

"Oh, Jackson, this is my cousin, (Y/N)."

"Hi." He extended his hand and looked me up and down.

"Hi." I smiled sarcastically, and when I didn't extend my hand, he dropped his.

Finally, after standing awkwardly behind Allison whilst her friends talked, the bell rang. Talk about saved by the bell.

"Hey, (Y/N), what's your first class?" I checked my schedule.

"Um, chemistry."

"Oh, good, then you're coming with us to Mr. Harris' class," Scott said pointing towards him and Stiles. I smiled and walked behind them.

Once we got to the classroom everyone turned to me, the ever-present sign of being new in the class evident in the stare of my classmates.

"Um, hi, my name is (Y/N) Argent and I'm new." The teacher, whom I guess is Mr. Harris, turned around to face me.

"Oh, yes, Miss Argent. Welcome. You will be sitting next to Isaac Lahey. Lahey, raise your hand." Once Isaac raised his hand, I noticed he was sat near Stiles and Scott. Two people I was trying to avoid. As I walked past, I accidentally pushed Stiles' book on his lap, startling him, resulting in an awkward descent from his lab stool onto the floor.

"Hi, again. I guess we are gonna see a lot of each other for the rest of the school year." I nodded and he scratched the back of his neck. "So, um, what school did you come from?"

"Lancaster High," I responded whilst writing down what Mr. Harris was writing on the board. Stiles kept trying to talk to me, but I would only give him short, cold answers or just ignore him. That is until Mr. Harris called our attention, that's when he finally got the memo to shut up.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to introduce myself since we're gonna be seated next to each other all year. I'm Isaac."

"I figured." I tried giving him my best smile. The vibe he was giving off seemed like he needed it. "I'm (Y/N)."

"Well, nice to meet you, (Y/N). Now I'll leave you to the class because if I don't I know I'll be failing even more than I am."

"Oh, well, maybe I can tutor you some time. I'm actually really good at science. My mom was a chemist professor once upon a time so I'm bound to understand all this."

"Really?!" His puppy eyes seemed to light up and I nodded. "That would actually be amazing."

"Sure thing. Now let's get back to class."

After Chemistry finished, I put everything in my bag as quickly as possible and sped to my next class, Math. Thankfully, none of Allison's friends shared this class with me but I did share it with Isaac. I didn't consider him much a friend but more an acquaintance in desperate need of help.

As the day progressed, I noticed the rest of my classes were shared with one or more of Allison's friends. They all tried to strike up a conversation but were quickly discouraged when met with my one-worded or vague answers. Especially, Stiles. He tried especially hard to get answers out of me, only being met with the occasional laugh or stare at his comical occurrences. He seemed like the kind of person you could just open up to. The same could be said about Scott. His shy nature was alluring, and he portrayed himself as a very trustworthy and loyal being.

But I would not allow myself to let them in. My whole being yearned for a real friendship, someone to share nothing and everything; never again.

At lunch, I sat outside and ate my food quietly, a book in front of my face to shield my eyes from the sun the prevalent stares of my peers. After some minutes of appreciated loneliness, the empty table was filled with conversating teenage bodies. I smiled politely but, in my mind, I was cursing them out.

"So, (Y/N), how's your day been?" Allison asked whilst munching on an apple. I swallowed what was left of my bite and answered.

"Fine, thank you." This time no one pressed on after my short answers, finally getting the hint of my disinterest. In the corner of my eye, I saw Isaac sitting under a tree munching on half a sandwich. I excused myself and went to join him, heavily enjoying his tranquil aura.

"Oh, hi, (Y/N)." He smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, Isaac. Is that all you're eating?"

"Yeah. I'm not very hungry." He looked down as if he were ashamed.

"Nonsense! Here," I gave him the other half of my burger and another bag of chips I had in my bag. "You can't tell me you're not hungry. You're a boy in peak development."

"Thanks." He smiled as he continued munching on his food. I put on some music and we continued eating in silence. No conversation required.

The day went on smoother than it started. Classes flew by fairly quickly and the incessant chit-chat seemed to diminish. During last period I was like every other student, anxiously waiting for the bell to signal the end of the school day. When my pleads were answered, I packed the necessary book into my bag and left the rest in my locker, expertly avoiding any more social encounters. Quickly, I made my way to the waiting open car door of my father's car, ignoring Allison's beckoning me t.wards the small group of friends.

"How was your first day, darling?" My father spoke up breaking my attention from the scenery.

"Like any other first day I've had." I smiled. "The towns might change but school is always the same."

Finally at home, we were greeted with the sight of my mother cooking; people were coming over.

"(Y/N), honey, Chris, Victoria, and Allison are coming over tonight. So, go do a quick workout and come back to get ready." I nodded and ran to my room to change into workout clothes.

My routine would normally consist of waking up, working out, go to school for a dreading eight hours, come back home, workout again, do my homework, eat, and go to sleep. I lead a very monotonous life and it had been this way since I could remember. One of my earliest memories was of my father teaching me archery alongside Allison, a great distraction to our always disrupted home life. As I got older, my father started training me in boxing and knife maneuvering. How would these skills help me in life were still a mystery but I felt safe knowing them.

I got changed and decided to take Brody out with me on a quick jog through the woods. "Hey, boy, ready to go?"

He jumped on me which I took as a yes and started for the woods. We ran down the same trail I had been going on for the past three weeks. Mostly, I went down this track in hopes that Derek would make an appearance, and today was not the exception. As the ruins of his house came to view so did his tall figure.

"Trespassing again?"

"It doesn't count if I know the owner." During our greeting, Brody's leash slipped out of my hand and he ran to jump on Derek, leaving slobbering licks on his cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He chuckled and helped me bring him down.

"I guess he likes you, even though he doesn't like anyone but me. Guess you're special."

"Maybe." He grinned.

Out of nowhere, I hit him in the shoulder. "What was that for?!"

"For trying to run me over with your shopping cart two days ago. It was uncalled for."

"No, it was revenge. You hit ME first. In the ankle."

"You're still on with that. Come on, sour wolf. That happened three weeks ago, and it was an accident."

"Whatever. Come on, I'll give you a ride home. It's getting kind of dark." This had also become part of my routine. After "bumping" into Derek he would offer to drop me off at my house, claiming it was for security.

"Okay, we're here. By the way, the offer to show you around town is still up. Just call me whenever." He said as he stopped the car in front of my house.

"Alright, will do, and thanks for the ride, Derek. I'd invite you in, but my family is coming over."

"No worries, maybe another time."

"It's a date. Anyways, thanks again. See you when I see you."

"Okay, goodnight."

"Night." He waited until I entered the house and drove away.

"Munchkin, is that you?" My father screamed from the kitchen.

"Yeah!" I screamed back.

"Okay, well, go take a shower and get ready your uncle will get here soon."

I hurried up the stairs and hopped in the shower letting the hot water stream down my body calming any aching muscle that was palpitating. In my room, I searched through my closet for an acceptable family dinner outfit, deciding a grey sweater and black jeans would be enough. I braided my hair out of my face and went downstairs to help my mother set the table.

After we put the last plate the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" I ran to the door and was greeted by my uncle. "Uncle Chris!" I jumped and he hugged me. There was no doubt that he was my favorite family member, his presence was always welcoming. His wife on the other hand was as cold as the winters we spent in New York. She was nice but absolutely scary. "Hi, Aunt Victoria."

"Hello, (Y/N)." I hugged her and said hi to Allison.

"Come in, guys." They walked in and I closed the door behind them.

"So, (Y/N), how have you been?" Uncle Chris asked while stuffing his mouth with mom's famous lasagna.

"I've been good. I mean, moving all the time takes a toll on you at first, but I got used to it. It's easy now to pack it all up once the school year ends."

"Oh, honey, that must be so hard on you," Victoria said. I could not read her tone, her words spoke in sympathetic notes with an underlying melody of sarcasm. Not knowing what to answer, I bit my lip and nodded.

The whole evening was spent on us catching up and eating, laughing, playing games, but the good times came to an end when the clock hit 9:00 pm. It was stupid to set a curfew, but my mom usually had everyone in bed at this time, 10:30 as of late.

"You better come around the house more often." Uncle Chris demanded and hugged me.

"Yes, sir." I raised my hand to my eyebrow and saluted, as did he.

"Let's go, Chris. And thank you for the lovely dinner, Rebecca," Victoria said linking arms with my uncle and smiling at mom.

"No problem. Come by any time." They talked for a bit more and after they left, I went upstairs to change for bed.

"Momma, I'm gonna go to sleep."

"Okay, honey. Goodnight." I went upstairs, brushed my teeth, and put my hair in a ponytail.

Before bed, I made sure everything I would need for the next day was packed into my bag and made sure my alarm was set. I pulled all the throw pillows from my bed and set them aside, then making my way to the window to draw the curtains. Something caught my attention in the backyard, though. My eyes squinted trying to make out the figure in front of me. Blinking the confusion away, I made a double-take and looked back at an empty yard. I laughed to myself as I crept into bed. Why would Derek be in my backyard?

Next ->

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asterekmess · 3 years

Note

Did you ever watch Buffy? The first episode where Anya was introduced was titled "The Wish" and all I can think about is if Scott McCall had ever run into a pure Sidhe where they offered him a wish. Instead of, "I wish Buffy had never come to Sunnydale." It would be more, "I wish I was never bitten to become a werewolf." But just like all feaye tricks, the outcome is more, his Dad ended up with primary custody rather than his Mom and he was forced to leave BH. And then Stiles ended up more friends with Heather and others. And while Scott's life is worse, when he tracks down the others he finds all of theirs are greatly improved.

I think about it a lot and how Scott never really dealt with the consequences of any of his actions, everyone else did, and how an episode or mini-arc could have fixed a flaw in the show's design. I mean, we were already dealing with a lot of Celtic lore, why not someone from the Sidhe courts?

I have no idea why this took me so long to answer, so apologies for that. <3 I did watch buffy! I've seen all of it, and all of Angel as well. XD

I remember 'The Wish' episode, and whoooo boy it gave me chills. I loved how big the butterfly effect was, how something that seemed so small, something that Genuinely seemed to be the cause of a lot of problems in Sunnydale, ended up being so important to how things had progressed. Because, yeah, you would think Buffy not coming to Sunnydale would be a Good Thing, right? Sunnydale didn't have all of these insane issues before she arrived. It was quiet, and nothing big or scary ever happened. Her arrival matches perfectly with when everything started going absolutely nuts, so whatever selfish ideas Cordelia had, her thought that Buffy not coming to Sunnydale would be a good thing, makes sense. Except that, as she finds out, she's entirely wrong. Buffy's arrival was a lucky coincidence, or fate, whatever your taste leans toward. She showed up right as things started going nuts, and she kept it from going SO MUCH MORE NUTS.

Now, moving on to TW, it is a fascinating mix of being the Exact same situation, and the exact Opposite. I'll add a Read More, cus' holy god is this a lot of Rambling.

Because Scott wishing not to have been bitten...yeah, the bite Did improve things. But it improved things for him. He would absolutely regret making the wish, just like Cordelia did, because he would realize how many good things the bite had brought with it. BUT, conversely, he would have to realize how many good things the bite had brought for him, not for other people, and how their lives either wouldn't have been affect, or might've even Improved without him being bitten. Without the bite, Scott wouldn't have gotten on first line, period. His health issues made very clear in the five minutes he had them that any kind of stamina based sport was just out of the question for him. If he is unable to walk through the woods at a moderate pace without needing to grab his inhaler and stop against a tree, he just plain cannot play lacrosse for two or three hours of running at high speeds and working a bunch of muscles in his upper body. He likely wouldn't have gone out with Allison, because he would have no convenient way to get her attention. Furthermore, he wouldn't have the extra senses that both impressed her on the lacrosse field, and told him about her 'family dinner' the night of Lydia's party. (I've discussed this before, but... While it's true, Allison would have still brought him the dog; that dog would likely have attacked him, and his chances with her would have been shot in the foot when they both got in massive trouble and he likely had to go to the ER for stitches or something. Without Allison or first line, he wouldn't have started hanging out with the 'cool kids,' and quite frankly, wouldn't have had anyone to help him study for the classes he was struggling with. It's true that he also wouldn't have had werewolf things to worry about, or even a girlfriend to distract him from homework, so maybe that wouldn't have been such a huge issue, but still.

If we look at other people's lives and how They would have been affected by Scott not getting the bite...well, let's talk about that.

Stiles didn't get on first line because of Scott, or because of a werewolf bite. Or even because of the werewolf bullshittery occurring in town. He was put on first line because of his abilities, and even after being taken OFF first line for missing the game, he was put Right onto the field in the next game, chosen OVER other players who were perfectly viable options. Which means, he still would've ended up on first line. Allison wasn't interested in dating before she met Scott, and part of her draw to him was based on how 'different' he was. He knew things she didn't know how he could know, he had a weird ability to calm a furious, injured dog, and he had charisma that was ALSO gained from the bite, since being on first line made Scott Much more self-confident. If she didn't end up dating him, it's likely she wouldn't have dated at all. Which would mean no hiding from her parents, no strange conflicts of interest, AND, interestingly enough --depending on her involvement in the murders, etc that would still be occurring in town--no night in the school that would scare her bad enough to ask Kate for extra help and tip her headfirst into hunter training. AND, even if she DID still end up getting those lessons from Kate? There would be no bitterness to fuel her behavior at the end of season 1.

Allison was Traumatized after Kate showed her Derek on the grate. She was horrified, and didn't know what to do about it, and while we can ramble all we want about the morality of her not confronting her family (whom she's just discovered is willing to electrocute people) about it, the fact is that she pushed the thoughts aside to stop freaking out and went to that dance. Where she found out Scott was a werewolf, and was So fucking Betrayed that she was willing to help Kate catch him and Derek. No Scott, no betrayal, no willingness to help Kate recapture the miserable man who'd been chained up in a basement.

If we go back to that specific night, and try to unfold the events from there if Scott hadn't been bitten, things get a little complicated, but I'll take a few artistic liberties. Scott isn't bitten. Presumably, he just happens to get out of the woods in time, or he gets caught with Stiles by the sheriff, or doesn't go to the woods in the first place. These all change the possible outcomes of that night. If he hadn't gone in the first place, and Stiles went alone, would he have been bitten instead? Would Scott have been dragged into all of this anyway, but without the protection and boost of being a werewolf and cured of his asthma? If he weren't the one bitten, and he saw everything Stiles gained from it, would he still have such a hatred for the bite? Or would he want it, like Erica did, to cure him and make him powerful and cool? But, let's assume Stiles doesn't get bitten either. The second half of Laura's body still hasn't been found, and Stiles has no reason to fear running back into the preserve the next day, and no real punishment from his father as far as we can tell. So, does he go back to look again? If he did, he would run into Derek, because Derek would still be there after retrieving Laura's body himself. He would see Derek and still recognize him, and from there, things might spiral, still involving Stiles in the supernatural, and it's likely Stiles would try to involve Scott, and Again we get hit with "Would Scott want the bite, if he hadn't gotten forcibly bitten in the first place?" The answer is probably yes. He wanted to be cool, and popular, and on the lacrosse team. He wanted everything being a werewolf gave him. BUT if we're looking at this wish as similar to "The Wish," then no matter what, Scott won't be bitten. He'll be transported to a new world where it just never happened, and he'll be human, and forced to watch everyone around him be just plain different. Scott not being bitten would isolate him from Stiles, if Stiles got involved in the spn anyway. We SAW how Stiles cut off his other friends once the spn starting getting in the way. He and Harley? We have no clue how close they were. They were close enough for her to tease him about his crush on Lydia, for her to wander up comfortably to the locker and talk to them. And he cut her off as soon as the werewolf stuff hit. What if he cut Scott off? To protect him, if nothing else, like he did his own father. Once he realized the danger involved, I doubt he would be willing to put Scott in harm's way.

So, Scott would not only lose first line, lose his girlfriend, lose his popularity, lose his health and strength and heightened abilities, lose his 'importance' to the goings-on of Beacon Hills, but he would also lose Stiles, who seems to have been his only friend, unless he also had a relationship with Harley.

Okay, I've rambled enough about the what if's, so let's talk about the Reason why this wish would go so badly for Scott, in such a different way than it went for Cordelia. Cordelia, first off, wished that someone Else would not have/do something, rather than wishing for herself not to have done something. She watches how fucked up the world gets, and how much worse her life is without Buffy around to save the day. Scott wished for Himself not to have done something (even something passive, like 'get bitten') and would have to watch how fucked up his world gets, and how far behind he would fall. The other's lives might not necessarily get better, because Peter is still on the loose, and the hunters are still there, etc etc, but they would still Progress, while Scott would stay stagnant.

And WHY is that? Because Scott isn't important to the story. It DOESN'T start with him. That's the Whole Point of his character. He is supposed to be the 'everyman' who gets dragged into crazy shit and becomes integral to things that he wasn't ever meant to be a part of. The guy who wanders into becoming King or 'The Hero' that will save the world, even though he's just a small lad from a tiny town, whose highest prospects were "get on first line."

He was NEVER supposed to be Buffy, or if he was, it was done Very Badly.

But Beacon Hills WASN'T a quiet town before Scott was bitten; however much he might've said 'nothing ever happens in this town.' It was FULL of bullshittery and magic from the very beginning. There was the fire, and Paige, and the blinding of Deucalion, and the death of Alexander Argent, and the Nogitsune in the internment camp nearby. All of these things were around So much longer than Scott's bite, and they'd been affecting the world that whole time too. Because yes, in Buffy, the master was There before she was, but he was literally rendered inert by the situations he was in. And the things he'd done happened Centuries before, not six years. There is a difference. Sunnydale was Not Known for the insane number of weird deaths. Beacon Hills was. And aside from the Nogitsune, every single fucking thing that happened in Beacon Hills, was attuned to the Hale family in one way or another. Deucalion's blinding occurred during a meeting on Hale land, because Talia was known as a wise leader, etc, in the area and other wolves flocked to her. Deucalion biting Argent seems unrelated (if you even believe Deucalion did that, despite being a fucking pacifist before Gerard blinded him), but again, it occurs just a couple hours away from Beacon Hills, which is Hale Territory. The one who plays the Buffy role here? Who shows up at just the right time, and launches themself against an endless wave of evil, with slightly enhanced senses and a thorough need to do good and not back away from things that 'aren't they're problem'? The actual hero who is somehow tied to everything going on in ways even they don't understand? Was Derek. The guy who entirely unwittingly allowed Julia Baccari to survive, because he was trying to be merciful to his first love. Who entirely unwittingly was manipulated into giving up information that let a hunter kill his family. Who followed his sister back to town after six years of just trying to survive in New York, fell into a fucking tragedy, and decided to stop the bad guys anyway, even though he knew he didn't stand a fucking chance.

And as annoyed as some might get. The 'everyman' who stumbles onto the set and accidentally becomes integral to the saving of the world? The one whose ambitions are small and who expectations are smaller? Who is misunderstood, and has abilities that aren't recognized or appreciated, that doesn't really fit in, but tries their best anyway? The literal Angel to Derek's Buffy?

Is fucking Stiles. The son of the sheriff who just could not let it go when he discovered there was something funky going on. Who hung around on the edges, even though he wasn't really wanted, because he needed to help. Who ended up saving Derek's life over and over, and becoming so important as to be Derek's anchor? Who literally WENT DARKSIDE and HAD TO BE NEARLY KILLED, even though Derek didn't to kill him???

I know how it sounds, but JD SAID he took inspiration from Buffy. The issue is that his parallels are between DEREK AND STILES, and BUFFY AND ANGEL. Respectively.

Derek might act like the broody bad boy, but it is STILES' mentality that matches Angel's behavior, and it's Derek who matches Buffy.

I'm so fucking off track. Scott would be miserable if he ever managed to get a wish and used it to keep from having been bitten. And it would be sad. I would feel bad for him, had I watched something like that happen. Seeing him realize that most of the good things he had, he only got because of the bite. That Stiles would still be on first line, that Lydia and Jackson would still be the popular kids. That Allison wouldn't know he existed, or if she did would avoid him entirely. That Jackson would never have been turned into the kanima in the first place. That everyone else would move on and up in life, and he would still be standing at the bottom step. Because it wasn't his actual limitations that were holding him back, it was his refusal to accept them, to work with them, and to just plain stop Envying Everyone Around him, and start living his own fucking life instead of trying to steal other people's.

Scott wishes he were Cordelia, and I promise that would backfire too.

#personal #anti-Scott McCall #meta ramblings #go for it #this is way too long #but i had feelings #the more you guys made me talk about this #the more I want to write a Buffy fusion #or a tw rewrite with Scott not being bitten #or fucking Both #or both Combined #SOMETHING

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