An: Not sure where this will end up. DO NOT expect frequent updates.
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Haravat Gemin Stilinski felt like his world was falling apart. His mother Isabella was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer 2 years ago and was getting worse. His father Jamie had just been promoted to Sheriff of their home town Beacon Hills so he couldn't stay home and care for her. They were going to have to admit her. Isabella would be staying in the long term care ward of Beacon Hills General Hospital.
Haravat, or Stiles as he preferred to be called, would come see his mom every evening after school and stay till his father got off work. One day about 2 weeks after she was admitted Isabella let Stiles push her around to meet all her new 'neighbors' as he called the other long term patients.
Most were old people who needed more care than the assisted living center could provide. But some were like Isabella and younger with a terminal illness. The last person they visited, the one to the left of Isabella's own room, was a man near her age. Stiles thought there was something different about this man. Something special. He left his mother's chair and crawled on the bed with the man. He ran his finger down the edge of a burn that marred the right side of his face.
"What happened to him momma?" Stiles asked looking back at her.
She smiled sadly. "His name is Peter Hale and his family's house caught fire. He, his niece and nephew were the only survivors."
Stiles stared at the man. Then hugged him tight. "I'm so sorry Uncle Peter. You can share with me if you like." The 8 year old told him. "You can even share Scott too. He's my best friend in the whole world. Isn't that right momma?"
Isabella smiled. "Of course you can make Peter your uncle if you like." She was glad Peter would have someone to love him. Melisa, before being transferred to the ER, had been a long term nurse and spoke of Peter. She said that he would likely never recover but would live a long life here in the ward. He had brain and neural damage but otherwise was very healthy.
She sat and looked out the window as Stiles talked Peter's ears off. Finally he turned and addressed her. "Mom did you know Uncle Peter before he got sick?" He asked
"Yes honey but not very well. He was the high school chemistry teacher, and a lover of books. He came into the shop every week for something new to read. But never did he bring a single one back. I think he was a bit of a hoarder."
Stiles eyes widened and his mind traveled. "Uncle Peter is a dragon?" He asked in an awed voice because everyone knows only dragons have hoards.
Isabella chuckled at him. Only her baby could jump to such conclusions. "Perhaps he is." She conceded happy her son was so imaginative. "Havarat, I'm tired can you take me back? We can visit Peter another day."
Stiles nodded. He kissed Peter's cheek, telling him bye then dutifully took his mother back.
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Visiting Peter became something of a routine. After a while the family started having dinner in his room. It was almost a month after she was admitted that Scott came to visit Peter with Stiles. When he heard Stiles tell him about what happened Scott just watched sitting by the man as his friend spun the tale.
"First thing you have to know about Uncle Peter is that his is a dragon." Scott leaned forward his eyes big. "Yep he has a hoard and everything, mom told me so. You see Uncle Peter's whole family came to visit for a great reunion and then... Just as everyone was singing and having a great time... WHAM!" He shouted smacking his hands together. "Another dragon swooped down." He made swooping motions with his hands. "It was an evil dragon come to eat all the children of Beacon Hills and steal Uncle Peter's treasures. But Uncle Peter was strong. He faced the dragon in mortal combat. They fought and clawed as he tried to protect his hoard and his family. But the other dragon had evil goblin minions that attacked the family from behind. They magicked the house shut and the evil dragon let out a roar of flames burning the whole house. And Uncle Peter roared so loud in pain and anger. He attacked the burning house trying to save the others..." His voice then fell. "But there was nothing left. For dragon fire consumes everything." He looked up at Scott who was crying with his head buried into Peter's undamaged side.
Stiles climbed up on the other and petted his face. "That's how he got the scars and why he isn't getting better. Dragon fire did it."
Scott looked up at Stiles then down at Peter. He ran his finger gently down the seam were burned flesh met unmarred. "Don't worry Uncle Peter." The nearly 8 year old said. "Stiles is going to learn how to defeat evil dragons and then we'll protect you." Scott kissed his unblemished cheek. Stiles smiled proud that his friend believed in him and that Scott would help and love Uncle Peter too.
The two boys snuggled into his sides felling warm and safe in the dragon's den.
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"Jamie." Isabella said to her husband after 3 months in the hospital. "Perhaps we should make this relationship official."
"What do you mean Izzy?" Jamie asked looking at his wife. He was doing his paper work in her room while the boys were next door with Peter Hale. He didn't know the man but his brother-in-law Mathew had been Jamie's predecessor. He had been a good and well loved sheriff. Several of the officers, Jamie included, didn't believe the fire had been an accident. But if they were right the perpetrators had better hope they were long gone. Because cop killers never got any sympathy.
"I think you should apply to be Peter's power of attorney, his legal guardian so to speak." Isabella replied. She was feeling good today so she was sitting up in the lounge chair knitting.
"What about his family?" he argued. But she knew from his tone it was just to investigate not refuse.
"Well Laura would only by 19 maybe 20 and Derek is what 4 years younger than her. Making him 16 at most. They're children and if they hadn't skipped town I'd ask you to take guardianship of them as well." She said in an even tone.
Jamie smiled. He loved his wife more than air. She had such a warm heart and loving nature. And their son was all the best parts of her. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."
She gave him a winning smile amber eyes dancing with happiness. He only wished she still had her full dark coco waves. But the treatment had taken those from them. He sat there and watched her thinking of the nights he use to lay awake for hours just running his fingers through her soft smooth hair. Jamie wouldn't cry, not in front of her and Stiles. He would wait till he was alone in the house to morn all they had lost and all they may still lose.
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Getting PoA over Peter was laughably easy. But as a result Jamie and Stiles had to go through all his things. The first words out of Stiles mouth when they opened the door to his storage container was "He really for real is a dragon." Not that Jamie could disagree. Peter Hale was a very eclectic hoarder. He had crystals, art, sculpture, model cars (the kind you spend weeks building and painting), fine china and books. Lots, and LOTS of books. The whole container was stuffed to the gills with... stuff. Jamie just sighed. They would be years sorting through all this and they hadn't even seen the man's house.
Jamie decided to tackle the house first and leave the container for now. It was a nice 3 bedroom 2 bath near identical to their own, even on the same street. When they first entered it looked nothing like he was dreading. The house was actually neat as a pin. High end furniture, expensive art and decor. The only things not out of some designer catalog were the pictures of the Hale family. They were displayed tastefully throughout the home.
The only odd things were the... he didn't want to know, growing in the frig and the home office was turned into a chem lab. Or potions lab as Stiles declared it. Jamie again said nothing because right along side several chemistry books that went so far over his head there were books on runes and alchemy.
Up stairs one of the bedrooms was a guestroom slash library. In the closet was clothes for kids and teens, likely for if his nieces or nephews stayed over. The other bedroom was a closet slash library. Books and designer clothes everywhere all obsessively organized. The brands Jamie recognized were out of his pay grade and comfort zone. He had known in theory that the Hale's were rich and only worked to starve off boredom but DAMN.
The master was like the rest of the house well decorated and high end. Stiles and Jamie choose several things to bring to the hospital to make the room feel more like a home. Mostly photos, books and clothes with a few art pieces to liven up the place.
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His mom had been in the hospital almost 6 months when Stiles saw a little girl about his age in the halls. She had nice blonde hair and looked like she was sick.
"Are you ok?" he asked coming over.
She looked up eyes big and wide. Then looked down and nodded.
"What's the matter are you sick?"
"Kinda." She replied.
"How can you be kinda sick? Do you have cancer?" He looked stricken at the thought. "You can't have cancer. Your hair is to pretty to cut off." He told the girl
she giggled and turned pink. "You think I'm pretty?" she asked
"Yeah. Almost as pretty as my mom." Stiles replied, and that was a high complement from him.
She smiled at him. "I'm Erica."
"Haravat, but call me Stiles since no one says it right." he told her. "So why are you in the hospital?"
"I have epilepsy. I get seizures and have to come here till I'm normal again." she told him in anger and shame.
He touched her arm. "Why would you want to be normal?" He asked her truly puzzled. "Normal people are stupid."
"What do you know? You're normal." She said with a glare
"Me?" he asked stressing the word. "No way. How could you say that? I'm Stiles, not even my name is normal. My best friend has asthma, I can speak Polish and pig Latin, and the most unnormal thing ever is that my uncle is a dragon."
Erica blinked. "A dragon?"
"Yep he has a hoard and everything. He has a secret lair, and a potions lab, and his face was almost burned off in an epic fight against an evil kid eating dragon." Stiles explained
"Really?" she replied
"Yeah you want to meet him?" Stiles told her enthusiastically. "I was just going to read him one of his werewolf books he has a whole collection."
Erica looked at him unsure but then nodded. She didn't know what to make of the scared man but she felt bad for him. At least she got to go home, he had to stay here forever.
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Mr. and Mrs. Reyes didn't know what to say when Erica asked to go to the hospital. So they followed her. There they found 2 little boys about her age sitting with a long term patient playing monopoly.
"Uncle Peter." the taller, fairer boy whined. "No fair. How can you be winning?" He glared at the motionless man in the bed.
Erica knocked on the door causing both boys to jump and the fair one to fall out of the bed.
"Erica!" They both called coming over and hugging her.
She laughed and hugged them back. "This is my mom and dad." She told them. "Mom, dad this is Stiles and Scott." the boys waved when she said their name and shook the Reyes hands. Well Scott did. Stiles shook David's hand and kissed Emily's
"What a gentlemen." Emily said smiling at him.
"Yeah Uncle Peter taught me." Stiles said. "Ones of his books said a knight should kiss a lady's hand. And Scott and I are going to be knights so that if any evil dragons come around we'll slay them and protect our family. Scott tried to tell Erica that she was a lady in waiting since she's not grown up but Erica didn't like that. So she's going to be a shield maiden. They're like girl knights."
"Really?" Emily asked with a giggle. These 3 were so cute. David gave them an indulgent look.
"Where are your parents?" David asked
"My mom and dad are working." Scott replied
"Yeah his mom is a nurse in the ER. His dad is a FBI agent, which is super cool. My dad's the sheriff." Stiles boasted. "My mom owns a book store down town, but she's sick now and has to work from her room next door." he said sadly
David looked a bit ashamed that he had made the energetic young man sad. Emily smiled. "why don't you go play your game while we go introduce our selves to you mother?"
the kids nodded and all 3 climbed on the bed. Erica on the right Scott the left and Stiles at the foot. They started the game over since Peter had pretty much beaten the boys any way. "Stupid dragon hoards." Stiles mummered as the parents left the room
they got on well with Isabella. She was a sweet woman and before the week was out the Reyes' arranged to join the family for dinner a few nights a week. They were over the moon that Erica had friends.
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Emily and David learned quickly that given a topic Stiles would research it to death. By the time Erica had been their friend a month Stiles was teaching them about epilepsy. He could spout facts, figures and statistics like no other. If he could only focus it was untold what the boy could do.
But they didn't know how loyal and protective the boys were till they along with Melisa McCall and the Sheriff were called to the school. There they met the Whitmore's. Sitting in the office was Stiles with a busted lip and a black eye, Scott laid on his back face flushed from an asthma attack eye also black. Erica knelt by his side holding his hand as his breath was still not quite normal. And another boy, likely the Whitmore's who was black and blue, both eyes darkened, and a bloody rag to his mouth.
"What on earth happened?" Emily asked, as Melisa knelt by her son.
"Your delinquents attacked our boy again is what." Mr. Whitmore said
"Jackson pushed Erica." Stiles defended. Scott just nodded. Erica looked away. "He didn't even say sorry, he just did it on purpose."
"Did not" Jackson replied glaring.
"Stiles Stilinski what have I told you about fighting in school?" Jamie asked his son
"Have a good reason. I did he could have given Erica an attack and then she would have to go the hospital and then she would have missed going to the fair, even if she can't ride rides we still wanted to go and if she was hurt we couldn't." Stiles was almost in tears by the end. Scott nodded quickly again
"Yeah and I...been saving... up for... more games." he wheezed out.
Emily almost wanted to cry too. These boys would give up going to the fair they had been talking about for weeks just because Erica couldn't go. The fact they would fight to defend her made her love the sweet young men even more.
Melisa covered her face she couldn't be mad at Scott for what he did he had noble intentions but they went about it all wrong. "Boys you can't pick fights in school."
Erica looked up. It was her turn to be brave. "They didn't start it. Jackson pushed me first. Stiles told him to apologize then called him a …. " She looked at Stiles.
"Bungler." Stiles supplied
"Yeah a bungler and Jackson got in his face. Scott pushed him back and Jackson hit Scott. Then Stiles attacked him." Erica explained.
The Sheriff and Mrs. McCall both looked at the Whitmore's "Now who's delinquent did what?" Melisa asked eye brow raised.
"This limpet is lying of course." Mrs. Whitmore argued.
"Don't call my Erica a liar." Emily warned. Erica was their one and only and no one said anything about her.
"Ladies please." the principle said trying to calm the situation. Three ticked off mother bears was not his idea of a good day. He was just thankful it was the sheriff and not Mrs. Stilinski that woman scared him when defending her babe. Once they were inside his office he was not happy to tell them that all 4 were going to earn a detention for this but that Jackson as the instigator, according to witnesses, would have to serve 3.
The Whitmore's were none to please not with the out come or their son. The 3 other children were all taken to get and ice cream, as a reward for standing up for their friends, and then to the hospital to stay with Peter, Emily and Isabella while Jamie, David and Melisa got back to work.
Emily and Isabella had a good chuckle listening to Stiles tell Peter the story of how they heroically defended Erica who was brought low by a deadly gorgon. The mothers also heard Erica determined to become a better shield maiden.
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The 3 children and 5 parents had formed a tight knit group. Agent McCall was as far as the others were concerned a dead beat dad. He was hardly around and didn't do much beyond scolding Scott for one fault or another. David and Jamie tried to fill that void in the boy's life but it was hard. Melisa McCall on the other hand was a great woman, but she didn't like to be at the hospital when she wasn't working.
A year after the 3 became friends their lives changed again. Stiles and Erica were now 9 but Scott had a few months to go. When Jamie got called about a domestic. He didn't know what he would find but a raving Darrel Lahey was not it. The mans biggest mistake was when he threw a beer bottle at one of the officers. Once he was arrested for disturbing the peace and assaulting an officer Jamie began searching the house for his son.
Jamie Stilinski had never in his life wanted to kill someone in cold blood as much as he wanted to kill Lahey when he found the young boy in a freezer. He immediately took the boy in to have him looked at.
When Melisa left Issac's room he knew that something was wrong. Her face was blood red but her lips were white. She was snorting like an angry bull. Jamie asked her what was wrong and all he got was a glare and paperwork shoved in his chest as she stomped off down the hall.
He looked down and nearly turned green. All he could focus on were the words tearing and assault. All he could think about for a long while was that this boy was his sons age, he saw Stiles face and it made him even more determined to crucify this man.
Jamie marched down to Isabella's room and told her everything. The mother was angry, horrified and saddened. At her urging they called Emily and David. Both sets of parents would apply for the adoption of Issac.
While waiting for approval Issac was being kept in the hospital for healing and observation. Melisa introduced him to the children. Issac was very skittish at first but warmed to the kids quickly. He still clammed up if a man walked in the room but was getting better with women.
When both families were approved they decided to let Issac choose. He looked between Erica's parents and Stiles'. He ended up asking to be a Stilinski because the sheriff had saved him. Erica just smiled and said he was still her brother. And Scott agreed.
Emily, Melisa and Isabella shared a smile. They may be too young to think about it now. But give them a few years and 'sister' may not be the term for Erica anymore.
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Issac was trying to settle into his new family but it was hard. He understood that is new mom was sick, very sick, and that she had to stay in the hospital. And he most of the time understood Stiles, his new brother. Issac liked Stiles they were almost twins, but Issac was older by 5 days. Scott was also like a brother and Erica like a sister. Issac was ok with that, he was the oldest, even if Stiles was the one always in charge.
Even the maybe, not likely, dragon uncle made some sense. He was like Issac, he had been hurt so the Stilinski's adopted him. No the person Issac couldn't figure out was Jamie, his new dad. He was nothing like his old dad. He was calm and quiet, he never yelled and he never got angry with them. Even when Stiles and Scott got him to help egg Mrs. Mutton's house. He was disappointed and for some reason making his dad upset with him hurt more than most of the beatings his old dad gave.
Back when his mother was still alive it wasn't too bad his dad didn't hit him and Caleb much. He'd just yell and tell them how horrible they were. Well mostly him since Caleb was nearly perfect. After her death it got worse then when Caleb left Issac was left alone with his father.
But he didn't have to think about that now. He had a new mom and dad. His mom sang to him in Polish, which Stiles was helping him learn as a surprise to her. Their dad took them camping and fishing for a whole weekend, just the 4 of them. Stiles told him one night in secret that Scott's dad was a bad dad too. Not as bad as Mr. Lahey but not good either. Stiles, his twin, as he liked to think of him was the best. He always shared his toys, and games, and gave Issac all his cookies when they had the coconut ones he liked best. But most of all Stiles shared his parents. He never got jealous when their mom would hold him or when dad would let his have shotgun in the cruiser. Issac decided that he was going to try his best to be just like Stiles, only with less talking.
Stiles was doing his best to be a great brother to Issac, but he couldn't understand why the boy hardly ever spoke. He would answer only direct questions and rarely ever asked any. He was so silent at first Stiles worried if he was mute. Dad said that it was because his other father was so bad to him he was afraid to speak.
It took a while but Stiles figured Issac out. He learned to read his face and motions rather than the tone of his voice. He could tell what his brother liked (coconuts and warm milk) and didn't like (carrots and math). Stiles was worried at first about touching Issac since he had been so hurt but after the first time he hugged him Stiles knew Issac loved affection.
Once they became close Issac started sneaking into Stiles room and crawling into bed with him. Stiles just pulled his brother close and buried his face in his curls. Issac was stiff for a while but then he relaxed going to sleep easier. After that they were inseparable. Where Stiles went Issac followed. If Stiles said to do something Issac never thought to say no.
Their mother asked Issac one day to go and visit Uncle Peter while she talked to Stiles.
"Mom?" he questioned wondering if he was in trouble.
"Haravat, honey. Issac seems to follow you like a little lost puppy." She told him
Stiles just nodded. "Yeah Erica says he's one of the wolf cubs from Uncle Peter's books on werewolves."
Isabella smiled. "Well honey, Issac has put a lot of trust in you. You need to be careful you don't abuse that trust. Do you understand?"
Stiles looked up at her head tilted then smiled. "Yeah, like don't tell him to do something a-plor-able" He sounded out the big word he'd recently learned.
"Deplorable." She corrected.
"Deplorable." Stiles repeated with a nod. "Like telling his to eat dog poo or steal. Or make fun of others, or be friends with Jackson..." He stated listing random things not to tell Issac to do.
Isabella laughed at her child's antics. "Yes those are good examples save the one about Jackson. You should try and be friends with everyone. A famous person once said; Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them friends? Think about that next time you have a run in with the Whitmore boy."
Stiles nodded with a pout. "ok mom." He said even if he didn't want to make Jackson a friend. He would be a terrible friend look at how he talked to Danny. Everyone loved Danny. Jackson was a jerkity, jerk face, king of all the jerks. Stiles left to go draw and color in Uncle Peter's room. Issac was sitting there watching the door waiting for Stiles hoping he wasn't in trouble
Stiles smiled. "Don't worry bro. Mom just wanted to tell me that since you listen to me so much I have to be responsible and not ask you to do evil things."
Issac smiled and handed over some paper for Stiles to use. The two quietly sat together neither noticing the soft smile forming on Peter's lips.
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AN: Derek is 18 not 16 but they don't know that yet. In Isabella's eyes he's a kid so she just guesses he's 16. The fire happened 2 years before the start of this fic.
This was inspired by Strength of the Wolf. Great fic you should read it and give the author good reviews so she(he) updates soon.
Peter is NOT really a dragon. Stiles is just a kid and the only creature he knows that has a hoard are dragons, so in his mind Peter is a dragon.
The quote is by Abraham Lincoln