Anybody Have A Map?
A/N: Story based after the series ended and gives a hint to what Melissa might be doing after the events of the show.
Melissa McCall was a single mum to one son. Being a single mum came with its challenges but Melissa's greatest challenge was raising a teenage werewolf. There were plenty of parenting books on how to raise a child, there were even books that were specific to particular traits that children may have but there were NO books on how to raise a child who also happened to be a werewolf. Granted she was lucky that her son had not been bitten until he was in his mid-teens when he was already able to take care of himself but it certainly didn't make it any easier for her as his mother.
Melissa thought back to the time before her son had received the bite. He and his best friend were both struggling with the fact that they still didn't fit in, the fact that they both loved a sport that they weren't the best at but tried so hard to be.
Can we try to have an optimistic outlook, huh?
Can we buck up just enough to see the world won't fall apart?
Maybe this year, we decide
We're not giving up before we've tried
This year, we make a new start
Melissa remembered every conversation that she had with the boys as she tried to convince them that this wasn't the end of the world. They were both strong and independent young men; they could handle anything if they just tried. Another stellar conversation for the scrapbook
Another stumble as I'm reaching for the right thing to say
I'm kinda coming up empty
Can't find my way to you
The biggest struggle that Melissa had faced was trying to say the right things after she learned the truth about her son. He was her only child, her baby and here she was thinking that things were finally looking up for the both of them only to have those thoughts crash and burn in front of her. She had no idea what to do now.
Does anybody have a map?
Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?
I don't know if you can tell
But this is me just pretending to know
Melissa was terrified that she would do something wrong, more terrified than she had been when her son was born, more terrified than when her husband left her, and definitely more terrified than when she was held in the air by her throat (just because her son wanted to defy one man).
So where's the map?
I need a clue
'Cause the scary truth is
I'm flying blind
And I'm making this up as I go
Every time that she thought she was beginning to be more accepting of her son being the way he was she came across something else that made her question her judgement. Something that seemed so impossible that it just had to be real and of course she would just have to deal with it; like she had to deal with everything else. Another masterful attempt ends with disaster
There were plenty of times that she thought that she was being helpful only to be shot down by her son.
Pour another cup of coffee
And watch it all crash and burn
There were times when she had to take a step back and just let things happen.
It's a puzzle, it's a maze
I tried to steer through it a million ways
But each day's another wrong turn
Melissa knew that nothing in her life would ever be normal after her son was bitten.
Does anybody have a map?
Anybody maybe..
There were no support groups for this sort of thing.
Anybody have a map?
There was no one else who could understand what she was going through.
..happen to know how the hell to do this?
I don't know if you can tell
But this is me just pretending to know
She had friends she could talk to but they didn't really understand.
So where's the map?
There was no where for her to turn.
I need a clue
She was lost.
'Cause the scary truth is
No one that she knew who knew the truth knew how she felt because they really didn't know what she was going through.
I'm flying blind
I'm flying blind
Melissa was surrounded by people who knew and who supported her but they didn't really know what she was going through.
I'm flying blind
I'm flying..
Not even her son knew what she was going through.
I'm flying blind
And I'm making this up as I go
As I go
Melissa looked at the woman sitting across from her at her kitchen table.
"Does it ever get easier, knowing what your child is? Does it ever get easier to help them?" The woman asked.
Melissa let out a deep sigh, "it doesn't get easier but it becomes less daunting."
The woman only looked more worried than she had when she arrived.
Melissa was realising that this was going to be her biggest challenge yet and she was suddenly wishing she had said no when her son had suggested it.
After all Melissa had barely come to terms with her sons change how on earth was she meant to be able to help other parents come to terms with their children's change?