Hey guys! I got really inspired by the season finale of Teen Wolf season 4, and this little one-shot evolved. It's really sweet, and is Malia-centric (don't worry, not romantically). I hope you guys enjoyed it, it's really schmoopy and all that crud.

I own nothing but the fingers that I type this story with (and I'm still paying those off)

Pizza Solves Everything

"I don't understand how you can eat that."

The Sheriff is mid-bite, eyes going from his slice of pineapple and anchovy pizza to the girl in front of him who hasn't even touched her slice of regular cheese pizza. He sighs and puts it down.

"Listen," he starts, "I invited you out here to share pizza, not question it. So?" He picks up his slice yet again and shakes it in Malia's direction, to witch she scrunches her nose in disgust despite the smile on her lips.

The Sheriff and Malia are sitting in one of Beacon Hills's pizza places, sharing a slice together while Stiles sits alone in the Sheriff's office. Malia finally picks up her slice and takes her first bite. She savors the flavor, how the grease drips down her face and the taste of sauce and cheese against her taste buds. If she knew how delicious pizza could be, she might have left the woods sooner than when Stiles and Scott found her all that time ago.

"Ugh, Malia," the Sheriff points to his mouth, "ya got a little-"

"Oh," she realizes that it's not polite to have grease dribbling all over her face. She takes her hand and wipes it across the lower half of her face, wiping up all the leftover "flavoring" from the pizza. She looks back up at the Sheriff and smiles. "All gone."

"Malia," he smiles, "you still-let me." He takes a napkin from one of the dispensers on the table and takes Malia's hand in his and wipes away all the grease she got on herself when she attempted to "clean". She just stares at the Sheriff as he swiftly wipes away the rest of the mess. When he finishes, he looks up at Malia expecting a smile, but is thrown by the haunted look that has taken over her face.

"Malia?" he intones, breaking the girl out of her trance, "Are you alright?"

"What?" she blinks, shaking her head to clear her mind from the thoughts that have strayed in, "Oh… nothing. Just-nothing." She goes to pick up the pizza again and takes another bite, albeit smaller than the first.

Sheriff Stilinski, on the other hand, pushes his pizza to the side and takes hers and has it join his, despite her protests. "Malia," he says, "I hoped you knew that you can trust me, and come to me with anything-"

"But I do!" Malia protests, wishing she hadn't offended the Sheriff into thinking she doesn't trust him. In fact, it's the complete opposite.

"So then, please," the Sheriff pleads, "tell me what was on your mind just then?"

Malia looks down from the Sheriff's honest eyes, hesitant to answer. But as the time goes by, she decides it would be better to tell him than to keep it all to herself. She's learned that, in society, honesty is best when dealing with ones you care for.

"It's just… when you were cleaning my hands just then," she says, "it reminded me of something… a father would do."

The Sheriff just stares, a soft "oh" escaping his lips.

"And… well, I've been thinking about dads and parents. I know Peter is my biological father but… he's never cared for me. He tried to use me to go against my pack, my family. And when I think of you, I think of how a father should be, how a dad is supposed to act, and I was… wondering-if it wouldn't be so bad-that I might-"

"Malia," the Sheriff interrupts her speech, "if you're trying to ask me if you'd want me to be your dad, well, I think you're stupid for even questioning it."

Malia was ready for the rejection, but was unprepared for the words that really came from the Sheriff's mouth. She was stunned, eyes wide with shock and mouth gaping. But soon enough she's smiling and jumping from her seat and hugging the Sheriff with all her strength.

"Easy, easy," he says, smiling, "frail human with brittle bones."

"Oh, right," she slowly releases her hold on him and backs up into her seat. She then notices the many eyes that have strayed to their table and sinks lower into the chair. Her hands go to wipe at her eyes that have started to leak, and hiccups a little. The Sheriff hands her a tissue, and she gives him a small "thanks".

"Next time," he says, "I get to be the one that embarrasses you."

Malia snorts into her tissue, and soon both she and the Sheriff-no, her dad-starts to laugh up a storm at the table. Her eyes are watering for a different reason, and for the first time in a while, she feels safe. That all the monsters and hunters and beserkers are distant memories: nightmares that will never bother her in the light of day. Nothing to fear since she has a tough father to protect her from the Kate's and Peter's of the world.

"Now," the Sheriff breathes, wiping away some of the water that had gathered at the corner of his eyes that gathered there at the end of his chuckle fest, "let's continue eating before our pizza gets cold."

"Kay, pop," she pops the "p" sounds at the beginning and end of the word, and he smiles proudly at her, eyes watery for a completely different reason.

He's always wanted a daughter.

Later on, when Malia and the Sheriff are long finished with their dinner, walk in on Stiles still sitting at the desk. A pen is in his hand; the tip in the keyhole of the handcuffs and his face is in pure concentration. A large coughs jars his movements. He flails, the pen flying from his hands, and he falls from his perch and lies on a heap on the floor, arm up due to the handcuffs. He looks at the two who watch his suffering with unadulterated glee on their faces.

"Nice to know you took your sweet time," he deadpans, slowly untangling himself and sitting upright again, "now if you will?" He jingles the handcuffs. The Sheriff sighs but, nonetheless, goes to free his son from his punishment.

"I should leave you here over-night," the Sheriff reasons, but Stiles is already free and rubbing his wrist.

"You're not that mean. Slight, but not big," Stiles responds, heading towards Malia. "Pizza for little ol' me? Why you shouldn't have." He grabs the box from her and puts his arm around her, leading her out of the office. "Let's go home and actually celebrate our rousing success as a team!"

Malia follows Stiles out with an exasperated look on her face, a look she sends back to the Sheriff who is closely behind. When she looks back at Stiles, she feels something inside of her. Instead of that feeling she usually gets whenever he's close to her. It's still warm… but a different kind of warm. The warm you get when you're with family. And in that moment, she realizes something: her feelings towards Stiles have shifted. She's always wanted a mate, but what she didn't realize what she found was… a brother.

"Hey, Wiley, you okay?"

Malia didn't realize she was at the Jeep until Stiles is snapping his fingers in front of her face. She snaps out of her musings again and looks at Stiles, who is looking at her with these big, curious eyes. She can't help but snort and push his face away from hers.

"Just go start the car, doofus," she jokes, getting into the passenger side. He scoffs but does as she says and soon they pull out of the parking lot with the Sheriff following behind.

She knows she's going to have to break it to Stiles soon, that she can't be his girlfriend anymore.

She knows he's going to be heart broken, but will get over it in time.

She knows that there will be tough times ahead, times of sorrow, of loss, of pain.

But right now, all she wants is to spend a little time with her family.

So I hope that this story caught your hearts like I did. I think I might make another story in companion to this, not as a continuation but another one-shot. But that is still up in the air at this point. All I know is that I really loved writing this story, and hoped you loved reading it too.

Oh and please review!