Stiles poured another cup of steaming hot coffee, and went to wash his hands at the sink.
The house was empty and quiet...
When his dad was there, or Scott- Stiles felt like it was filled with just a little life and human emotion.
But when he was alone like now with his shadows...all he saw everywhere was the lack of his mother's presence.
She'd once washed her hands under that very sink tap. The house had been built for a family...
Stiles turned the water off and kept his hand on the handle, imagining he was somehow touching his mother's hand there.
He sighed and grabbed his coffee, making his way back upstairs to the solitude of his bedroom. At least he had something to do there...
And yet, he didn't go back to his open laptop with it's Google results for 'vampire legends'. Rather, he went to his closet, where he kept the most private thing in his life.
He opened a little cabinet there, and his bedroom's light illuminated the contents...
There was a picture of his mother smiling softly like he would smile. Her face was checked with moles like his...
Stiles smiled at the picture and picked up the matches, shakily lighting the candles he kept in his little shrine.
He clapped his hands together and bowed his head. He saw his mother again, or so he could envision with his eyes closed. He tried to reach out to her energy, as though that were possible.
"The spark in me touches the spark in you," he muttered aloud. "The spark in me touches the spark in you..."
He thought he'd somehow joined with his mother's spirit, and an orange glow caused him to open his eyes fast.
The candle flame jumped, and stood like a pillar of fire. Stiles felt like raw energy was raising his hairs. This was the progress he'd been shooting for...
"The spark in me touches the spark in you!" he said louder, like he had authority.
The energy in him was building and peaking, and the flame jumped again as he chanted.
Suddenly he stopped, as his energy levels dipped. The candle flame shrunk and popped out.
He fell forward on his face, feeling exhausted and drained.
"I'm sorry mother," he whispered aloud to his bedroom. "I don't have the power. Not like you did..."
He was sweating. He could feel the damp sweat on the end of his brunette locks, as the carpet pressed into his forehead. His breathing came rapidly and manic.
Suddenly he raised himself up, as his ADD brought him his second wind.
Stiles raised his hands in observance to his mother's shrine once more and closed the cabinet doors.
There was a Ouija board on top of the cabinet, which he tried to avoid consulting if possible. Instead he grabbed up his mother's Tarot cards next to that.
He'd had to fight with his dad like crazy to get them, but finally the sheriff had given in, deciding Stiles was old enough to dabble if he wanted.
Claudia Stilinski had joked with people about having magic, but only Stiles and his dad knew she had really practiced the Craft.
Stiles doubted Wicca was what she had practiced and believed, but it was the best he could do. She'd never taught him any Polish folk magic.
He sat on his bed and began dealing a Tarot spread. He was surprised by the appearance of the Lovers card, followed by the Wheel of Fortune. The next card was the Chariot...
Stiles stopped and placed the deck aside. Something was urging him to look closer.
Maybe the Lovers meant his dad and Melissa. They were much friendlier these days, though they played it off to their kids...
Stiles closed his eyes and inhaled for clarity. The Wheel of Fortune could mean a bend in the road. A change in fortunes even.
What did the Chariot mean?
It could be an arrival. Might be something coming or going away...
Stiles gathered the cards and returned the deck to it's place. He went back to his research on vampires.
Even Scott was starting to believe...given the victims the police were finding. All drained of blood, and all with puncture marks...
Stiles was so absorbed in reading he barely registered footsteps, and then tapping on his door.
"Hey!" he exclaimed with a jump.
"Relax kiddo," John assured him, pushing the door open. "Can we talk a sec?"
Stiles sighed, running his hand over his forehead, but he could tell this was important.
"Yeah I guess," he agreed.
John looked at Stiles's bed before sitting on the edge, making eye contact.
"Melissa and I have made a decision."
Stiles's eyes lit up, and he definitely was alert now. He looked at his dad hopefully.
"We'd like to move in together. That is...this house."
Stiles felt his mouth drop open slightly.
"Does that mean Scott and me...we're gonna be actual brothers?"
"We don't know yet," John admitted. "Are you...okay with this?"
"Well yeah!" Stiles snorted with an actual full on smile his father hadn't seen in years. One that showed his teeth and reddened his cheeks.
John hugged Stiles, patting his back affectionately. His son's boyish smile made him believe he'd finally done something right...