The mobile phone alarm drilled Stiles into the beginnings of consciousnesses. He reached out blindly for it knocking over his lamp and swearing into his pillow till his hand closed over the buzzing object. He dragged it into bed and turned the alarm off. The small screen read 'Wednesday 7:30am 73 F'. He smiled. With a kick his covers fell back and he stepped out of bed. After school lacrosse practice rarely filled Stiles with anticipation but today was different. Today was special. He pulled on his best pants and shirt.
"Stiles you coming down for breakfast?" His father's voice called from downstairs.
"Yeah Dad! Down in a sec" Stiles replied grabbing his gear and school bag.
He stomped quickly down the stairs and dropped his bags in the hall before entering the kitchen. Waiting on the countertop was a hot cooked breakfast of eggs and bacon. His father was sitting at the table sipping down the last of his coffee and powering through the morning paper. Stiles wasn't the only one running late.
"So…" Stiles said starting on the breakfast "Any cases on the go today?"
"None you need to know about" he replied in a mock warning tone.
"C'mon Dad you know I won't tell anyone" Stiles pressed him further swallowing down half a slice of toast.
"No, I know you wouldn't tell anyone" His father replied as he folded his paper and took his cup to the sink "Crashing the crime scene, getting lost for days when a murderer is on the loose because you're looking for him and destroying evidence is something else entirely"
"We all make mistakes" Stiles shrugged as he scooped the last of his breakfast up with toast.
"You look…nice today" He commented tone slightly intrigued.
"This old thing?" Stiles gestured to himself speaking through his last mouthful. His dad let out a snicker before taking him by the shoulders and leading him to the door.
"Just get going or you're gonna be late" He said as Stiles snatched up his bags and stepped out the front door "don't forget the eclipse"
"Sure Dad" Stiles called out with a wave over his shoulder
* * *
"Scotty, scott, scott, scott" Stiles sighed as he as his best friend made their way to their lockers "Today's the day"
"And why do you think today is different from every other day of the year?" Scott asked an amused quirk at the corner of his mouth.
"Because my friend Lydia is coming to watch us at practice," Stiles said throwing one arm over Scotts shoulder.
"And she'll notice you what? Sitting on the bench" Scott offered.
"Nope. Set it up with the coach – I'm gonna shoot the goals this time" Stiles replied flicking his shirt, deeply pleased with his cunning.
"How'd you swing that?" Scott exclaimed.
"Lets just say I may have caught a certain coach in the act of jazzercising last week" Stiles said under his breath "It's been difficult to get out of my head actually but it makes for great black-mail fodder"
"And how are you gonna get a goal?" Scott asked smile widening.
"Well" Stiles said slapping a hand on his shoulder before withdrawing his arm "That's where you come into it. You're goalie today Scott"
"Me?" Scott asked pointing to himself.
"Yep" Stiles replied as they reached their lockers.
"What a crazy coincidence" Scott exclaimed sarcastically.
"The world is full of em" Stiles agreed.
"So…you want me to miss a few?" Scott asked opening his locker and pulling out the books he needed for the next subject.
"If it's not too much on an inconvenience" Stiles with a hint of playful incredulousness.
"Ok but Allison's gonna be there so you owe me" Scott warned.
"Sure you got it – one solid. Just make it look real"
* * *
The lunchroom bustled with students collecting their lunches and choosing tables. The morning classes had gone painfully slowly. Stiles had tried playing the game he used to employ as a child and see how long he could go without looking at any clocks. In the current day and age it was extremely difficult and he had lost the game no less then 37 times during the morning. Stiles gazed around the room waiting for the light bob of long strawberry blond hair amongst the masses. There was a sound repeating near by but Stiles did not register it until a hand closed over his forearm and shook it lightly. His head flicked back to Allison and Scott who where sitting across from him
"Hmmm?" Stiles asked.
"Stiles" Allison said through a smile "I said are you going to watch the eclipse?"
"I haddn't…really…decided" Stiles replied honestly as he hadn't really thought past lacrosse practice and all that it entailed.
"It's going to be at 5" Allison continued before taking Scotts hand and squeezing it "Me and Scott are gonna watch it together from the top of the bleachers. Apparently a lot of the school's gonna be there, it's supposed to be the best view in town"
"Yeah that sounds cool" Stiles said "We'll be at the bleachers after practice anyway?"
He glanced at Scott and noticed something was off. Scott's brow was pinched and he was looking intently at the tabletop. His skin looked slightly pale.
"Scott you ok?" Stiles asked concern creeping into his voice.
"Yeah" Scott said and swallowed "Ill be fine"
Stiles eyed him doubtfully but if Scott was sure he was fine then Stiles was mostly ok with believing him.
* * *
Stiles threw on his lacrosse uniform with indecent haste oblivious to the movements of his teammates. The coaches practice pep talk which mostly seemed to consist of remember the titans quotes only vaguely caught Stiles attention as he watched the hall that led to the field. In his heart of hearts he knew a few goals wouldn't win Lydia over but today wasn't about that anyway. It was about proving that he could be more then a benchwarmer.
They walked down the hall and into the afternoon light. Stiles glanced up at the sky and could already see the moon beginning its slow ascent towards the sun. In the distance he could see the bleachers where already beginning to fill up with people angling for good seats to view the eclipse. Stiles swallowed nervously only now realizing that he would have to play for more then a few girlfriends and best friends.
As they approached the field his eyes locked on to her. She was sitting at the very top of the stands back to him. Her hair trailed down resting between her shoulder blades. She was wearing a loose pink singlet and was chatting to Allison. His fear began to melt away at the sight of her.
"Scott-" Stiles said turning to his side but found no-one there. He searched the faces of the players till he found his best friend. Scott was trailing far behind the team and his feet where sluggish in their drag across the ground.
"Scott c-mon" Stiles called willing him to hurry up. Scott gave a little jerk and doubled over hands clutching his knees to hold himself up.
"No" Stiles said glancing at the stands before looking back to Scott "Not now" He jogged to Scott's side.
"You ok?" Stiles asked.
"No" Scott groaned through clenched teeth "I feel sick"
"Maybe-maybe you can just run it off you know" Stiles offered "Maybe you just need to get moving"
"Something's wrong" Scott said with a shake of his head "I have to go"
"But Lydia-" Stiles began but Scott cut him off glaring up at Stiles from his hunched position.
"Stiles!" he snapped eyes golden and face a sickly pallor.
"Alright, Alright" Stiles said pulling Scotts arm over his shoulder and helping him back to the changing rooms. He threw one last look to the stands "Maybe you could try to time your crisis's a little better in the future"
* * *
Scott was sticky with sweat by the time Stiles helped him into the back seat of his jeep. He curled his knees up to his chest restraining whimpers and Stile's disappointment was nullified by his growing concern. He glanced around the bustling school car park filled with people arriving and heading to the lacrosse field. He rounded to the driver's side hoping no one had seen him helping Scott onto the backseat. He jumped in starting the car and turned to Scott.
"What should we do? Should we go to the hospital?" Stiles asked.
"I don't know" Scott bit out "No…I think I'm going to change"
"No dude – you can't" Stiles hissed, "There are people everywhere"
"Take me home" Scott said pleadingly and Stiles complied pushing the jeep into reverse and backing out of his spot.
"So what's going on?" stiles asked, "Talk to me Scott what's happening?"
"I was feeling weird at lunch then my body started to hurt" Scott paused to tense up "It's pretty bad now"
"Could you have been poisoned or something?" Stiles asked.
"No…I don't think so…I would have smelled it" Scott said shaking his head eyes squeezed shut.
"Ok" Stiles mind raced trying to think of what else it could be. As they drove out of the school grounds stiles noticed people on the street where beginning to stare skywards. Stiles checked his watch to see it was 4:15 "What about the eclipse? Does that count as something? Is it like a full moon?"
"Stiles. I. Don't. Know" Scott says breathlessly from the backseat "My heart feels like it's gonna beat out of my chest"
"Ok just take it easy - breathe" Stiles ordered while Scott forced slow breaths in and out "Not poising, you haven't been shot, uh you don't have wolf allergies-"
"Maybe we should ask Derek" Scott bit out expression creasing into pain.
"No way" Stiles flat out refused "He's never any help. He'll just tell you to join his stupid pack"
"Fine" Scott snapped "So you take me home and then what?"
"Handcuff you to the radiator and wait - worst case scenario you wolf out and are stuck to the radiator for the night" Stiles explained, "When's your mum home?"
"Not till morning"
"Perfect"
Stiles sped to Scott's house all the while listening to his best friends cries and moans from the back seat. The second they arrived Stiles leapt out and opened the back door. Shadows had bloomed around Scott's eyes and his canines were sharp and long. As Stiles pulled him out and helped him up to the house he wondered if Scott where caught in the middle of a transformation as he didn't seem to be all wolf or all human. Scott passed Stiles his keys leaning against him heavily eyes tightly closed as though even light was too much to handle.
Stiles unlocked the door and helped Scott upstairs to his room. Once Scott was propped up against a wall Stiles rushed back downstairs to collect their bags and the handcuffs from the boot of his car. As he pulled the bags from the back he glanced up. The moon was close to the sun now the black shape hanging ominously in the sky.
Stiles tossed the bags over his shoulder and jogged back up to the house dumping them in the hallways closet. He took the stairs two at a time and opened Scott's bedroom door cautiously not sure if he would find Scott or an angry werewolf.
In the middle of the room he lay. His body writhed on the ground eyes flickering gold and rolling upwards. Quiet pained rumbles gurgled at the back of his throat and Stiles released the handcuffs moving to Scott's side. He grabbed his shoulders and pressed them back into the floorboards in an effort to keep him still. His heart thumped in his chest mind racing through all the things he knew about werewolves, none of them mentioning epileptic fits.
"Scott" he tried "Scott can you hear me?"
Scott's body started to jolt and his expression gave no signs of awareness. Stiles couldn't bring himself to chain Scott up in his near-catatonic state. Scott shouted head pitching back and body following with a painful arch. Stiles knew that there was one person who knew more then he ever would about werewolves. Watching Scott's pale shaking form made his mind up.
"Scott if you can hear me I'm gonna get Derek ok?" Stiles said trying to sound reassuring. He stood striding out of the room eyes holding on Scott till the last second "I'll be back ok? I'll be back - just hang on!"
* * *
The blue jeep screeched around the corner and flew down the empty road. Stiles checked the sky though squinted eyes. High above the black sphere seemed to touch the suns surface and Stiles swore flooring the accelerator. He knew Scott's attack couldn't be coincidence it had to have something to do with the eclipse.
"Why do we have to cut these things so damn close" Stiles recited, no-one there to hear his Back to The Future Quote. He felt Scott's absence sorely then and glanced at his phone sitting face up in the messenger seat. The screen was blank.
"Text me Scott! Text me and tell me you're awake" Stiles muttered. In the distance the shell of Derek's house came into view between the trees and he let out an irritated "ah-ha!"
"C'mon baby, c'mon, c'mon" Stiles begged his car to go faster finally screeching to a stop by the side of the road. He yanked the key's out, unclipped his seat belt and leapt from the car scarcely pausing to slam the door behind him. He shot through the forest leaves and twigs splitting underfoot. He knew Derek could hear him.
"Derek!" Stiles shouted waiting to see the front door above the porch open "Derek!" He ran left and right avoiding trees and stumbling over branches. He tripped and nearly fell mid run but righted himself and kept on going. As he reached the front yard he felt a cold shiver run up his spine and noticed the sunlight began to fade. He threw a look skyward to see the black circle half over the sun. He took off again feet thumping up the wooden steps of the porch.
"Derek!" Stiles shouted beating on the door with his fist and jiggling the handle "Derek I need to talk to you! Derek!"
"Get out of here Stiles!" Derek's voice shouted back reverberating through the door. Stiles knew Derek would have heard him coming.
"No man! Scott's in trouble! He's wolfing out and seizing I think he's sick" Stiles called the wooden door unyielding under his fist.
"I said GO! Fuck off" Came Derek's harsh voice from behind the door. Stiles could hear the cadence of a rolling warning snarl in Derek's tone. Stiles grit his teeth.
"Not till you tell me what's wrong with Scott!" Stiles shot back kicking the door "Help us!"
Darkness fell over the forest and Stiles looked at the trees, shade hanging heavy on the branches.
"Derek!"
"LEAVE!" Derek roared.
The temperature fell.
"NO!"
The front door issued a harsh snap as it ripped open and Stiles took a step back. Derek launched from the darkness behind the door barreling into Stiles and sent them both sailing off the porch. They hit the ground the impact forcing the air from Stile's lungs. Stiles gasped gaping up at Derek's werewolf form looming over him more monster then man. His eyes burned red with fury and Stiles shrieked. He struggled but Derek's hands and powerful upper body pinned him still. Derek roared the sound guttural and so loud it shook Stiles to his very core. Stiles let out a terrified shout as the gnashing huge teeth filled his vision and then there was nothing.
* * *
Stiles raked in a gasp eyes blinking open. He tried to catch his breath blurry sight clearing to take in his bedroom. His giant snowboarding decal hovered above him cementing the knowledge that he really was home. He let his eyes slide closed again. He did a quick mental check of all his facilities and found his body to be thankfully intact and without injury. He was amazed that Derek had not made good his frequent promise to rip Stiles throat out and let out a long grateful sigh.
As his drowsy haze began to clear he wondered how he'd made it home the night before. All he could remember was going to Derek's to get help for Scott. He sat bolt up in bed snatching his mobile off the bedside table and flicking into the text screen. His fingers flew over the keys firing off five texts in a matter of seconds.
Stiles Stilinski: Scott
Stiles Stilinski: Scott u ok?
Stiles Stilinski: Scott what happened?
Stiles Stilinski: Why haven't u texted me yet man?
Stiles Stilinski: SCOTT
Scott McCall: Chill Stiles, gimmie time to reply
Stiles breathed a sigh of pure relief. He fell back onto his bed sighing heavily through a smile.
Scott McCall: I'm fine dude. Last thing I remember was u going 2 get the cuffs then I passed out
Scott McCall: I woke on the floor this morning feeling fine. There's some claw marks around my room but nothing else is damaged. What happened 2 u?
Stiles sat up, swung his legs over the edge of his bed and stood to make his way to his draws.
Stiles Stilinski: Went 2 c Derek. Sour wolf did jack all. He tackled me off the porch and scared the crap outta me –
Something moved in his peripheral vision and Stiles looked up to see Derek shirtless in the corner. Stiles shouted and fell back onto his bed staring wide eyed at the corner. His stomach dropped as Derek vanished from view. Slowly he sat up Derek re-appearing. His mind tried to understand what was happening.
"Oh my god" Stiles hushed as Derek mimicked him. He touched his face and Derek did the same "It's-it's" Stiles stuttered falling off his bed onto his hands and knees. He crawled over and reached out pressing his fingers into the cool glass of the mirror on the inside of his opened closet door.
"OH MY GOD!" He shouted leaping away from the mirror as if it where on fire voice now obviously an octave lower and rougher then Stiles was used to "OH MY-" He made it half way through his second cry when his Dad's voice sounded from below.
"Stiles is that you?"
"Oh shit oh shit oh shit" Stiles swore through Derek's mouth walking over to the door "uh-uhm" he raised his voice trying to find the right pitch, Derek's tone sounding ridiculous "Yeah Dad, feeling a bit sick actually" he pretended to clear his throat.
"Your voice sounds terrible"
"Yeah I might stay home" Stiles called back "You head to work…I'll uh I'll go back to bed for a few hours"
"You sure you don't want me to bring you anything?"
"Yeah dad I'm fine" Stiles assured him walking back over to his mirror rubbing his eyes before gazing at the reflection. What stared back was a pair of bright green surprised eyes under dark heavy eyebrows. Stiles dragged his palm across the rough stubble scattered over his chin and back through the sleek black hair
"Nooo I am not fine so far from fine how did this happen?" he spoke listening to Derek's voice.
Stiles closed his eyes tight then opened them and Derek remained. He slapped himself hard and pinched himself to no avail. Derek was still there standing where he was standing. He found it difficult to even produce pain. In spite of this he decided he was not dreaming. He paced back and forth across the bedroom glancing at the mirror every now and then. No matter how many times he stared at the mirror the image did not change into a skinny, shorthaired teen. He was, without a doubt, in Derek's body.
"Ok" Stiles said to the mirror "Ok. Ok ok. I'll go see Derek. This has to be his fault. Yep. Gotta be"
His phone buzzed nearly making Stiles jump out of his new skin. He whipped the phone off his bed sheets.
Scott McCall: Stiles are u there?
Stiles Stilinski: Yeah man, hit you back in a minute
With a gentle flick of the wrist Stiles tossed his phone meaning for it to land on the foot of the bed. It twisted fiercely through the air and ricocheted off the headboard making Stiles jolt before landing on his pillow.
"Wha-" the word died on the tip of his tongue as a sound needled its way into his ear. He pressed a hand over his ear and looked down the hallway realizing with astonishment that the sound was not coming from his house. Slowly he removed his hand as he recognized it was a tv. He went to his window and leaned out following the noise. Through his neighbors window he could see a soap opera playing on their tv set. He leaned back in through the window staring down at the street trying to curb his surprise. He sniffed the air and immediately coughed and let out a disgusted
"Aw!" quickly he searched for the offending item discovering it to be a pair of dirty socks under his bed "So that's where you went" he said holding them as far from his face as he could on his way to the dirty clothes basket. He dropped them in and snapped the lid shut wondering how he could not have noticed the stench before.
"Well duh I'm an alpha now" Stiles snorted to himself as he opened his clothes draw. He pulled out the largest t-shirt he had, one he'd ordered over the Internet but had been sent in the wrong size. As he held it out in front of himself the idea sunk in and he froze. He looked down at his arm and tensed it watching the muscle and sinew roll under his skin. He walked over to the mirror t-shirt in hand and stared into this reflection with a grin. There was a unique opportunity here, Stiles thought to himself, and it would be a pity to waste it.
"I am batman"
He slammed the closet door pulled on the t-shirt and grabbed his mobile.
Stiles Stilinski: Meet me in the car park in 20. Stiles out.