A/N, story points:
1. This story is very much AU-ish as I personally call it. Werewolves, but not the same show storyline.
2. To me, Liam is still a little unknown character-wise. So, I've taken his anger issues, naivety and his slowly growing courage that we saw at the end of season four and run with it. This story has no reference to season five.
3. I also feel that Liam would be adopted by Doctor Geyer. This means both he and his mother carry Doctor Geyer's name. BUT, Liam is already known as Dunbar. As he's the primary character, Doctor Geyer is Doctor Dunbar in this. I've also given him the first name of Eric.
4. To those who read A-B-O verse, this is not a full blown A-B-O story in any way, though it could described as being influenced by A-B-O verse.
5. This story turned on it's head between five and ten thousand words, going from a rare pairing to a really rare pairing, so just FYI on that.
FRESHMAN YEAR
"There she goes," Stiles sighs as he watches Lydia toss her curls and flounce away from them.
"What?" Liam looks over at him as he blows a bubble with a frown.
"Lydia Martin, every school boy's dream." Stiles finishes as he watches Lydia turn the corner in her heels and disappear from sight.
"She's not mine." Shit. Liam nearly shut his eyes and groaned as he saw Stiles' amber eyes turn toward him and his brows arch in query. "I don't have one." He blows another bubble, nice and slow in an attempt to stave off the inevitable interrogation he knows is coming. Scott may be the Alpha, but his interrogator was never going to be anyone other than Stiles. Human or not. No one could weasel information out of people any better than Stiles, not even Lydia.
"Really? I find that hard to believe." Stiles' words followed by the wicked smile he lets loose let Liam know he's greatly looking forward to breaking him.
"It's true. No school boy dream, no crush. Nada, nothing, nyet, nein." He blew another bubble as he grabbed up his books and then pulled it back into his mouth before continuing. "I have to go, Dad's here." He jumps off the picnic table and marches damn quick to his father's vehicle. He's in the passenger seat with his seatbelt on before his father has even put the car in park.
Blinking bemusedly at Liam he shakes his head. "In a hurry?"
"Something like that." Liam mutters as he watches Stiles look after him with what could only be described as an evil grin.
"Okay then, fancy ice-cream and a movie and dinner, not in that order? Your mum is working late tonight."
"That'd be great, she won't complain about explosions." Liam's father laughed as he reversed out of his park and Liam joined him. His mother's disdain for loud, exploding movies was a running joke between them.
##########
A few days later, Liam finishes lacrosse practice and heads toward the bleachers to talk to Mason when Stiles comes up behind him and claps him on the shoulders. "Liam buddy! Why don't we go grab a cup of coffee? Mase can come if he wants to, do you want to Mase?" Stiles' grin encompasses both of them.
Before Mason can answer, Liam does. "We can't, we've got plans." Mason, being Mason nods and agrees. It's not a lie because they do have plans, though that isn't to say they couldn't be flexible plans. But not with Stiles, not right now. Liam grabs Mason and drags him to the locker room with Stiles following doggedly behind them.
When he's showered and dressed again, they leave, calling a goodbye to Stiles who is still in the shower. Out on the sidewalk, they begin to walk to Liam's house where Mason is spending the night. "Okay, what'd I miss? Is there a reason we can't hang out with Stiles and your lycanthrope friends? It is Friday night after all."
"Stiles is trying to get me to spill who my dream is." Liam answers as he looks over at Mason.
"Your dream what dude?" Mason raises an eyebrow as he adjusts his backpack.
"You know, that line from the Bon Jovi song my parent's love 'school boy's dream'? Well, Stiles says Lydia Martin is every boy's school boy's dream and I wasn't thinking when I said she wasn't mine. Now he won't let up but he's being sneaky about it."
And of course Mason knew what that meant. "Which means you have to be extra careful or he'll have you confessing your undying love before you know where you are. And that would…yeah okay. But…" He trailed off, looking at the ground as he thought. "What if you said you had a guy crush instead? Or better, some hot nurse or someone at the hospital?"
"Oh, that might work, but who? I mean, who would he back off about without any questions?" The answer comes to both of them at the same time.
"Scott's mom." They said together.
"Now you do realise Scott will more than likely find out about this right?" Mason went on as they turned to head down Liam's street.
"Yeah, gotta figure it. But it's better than the alternative." He said and Mason grunted an agreement.
"Scott's hot." He said out of the blue.
"I guess, but I I'm fairly sure he's straight."
"You always are." Mason's sigh tells a story Liam knows and he hurts every time.
"I'm sorry Mase."
"I know, was my own stupid fault."
"No, it was his for being a homophobic shit of a wanker."
"Oh crap, you've been watching Keira Knightly movies again haven't you? Dude, I really think you might be gay the way you watch her movies."
"Ha, I watch because I think she's hot and you know it!" Liam laughed as did Mason.
"Yeah well, I'd rather have a Mister Darcy any day." Mason laughed as he said it. "I mean really, there's got to be someone else in school that swings my way and who'd like to get together." He laments.
Liam nods in agreement as he strides ahead, taking out his keys as he does so. When they're inside they head straight to the kitchen. Going through their usual Friday routine, they spread out their homework and get to it.
Finishing just as Liam's father gets home they're packing their stuff up and laughing as he comes through the back door after parking his car. "Hey boys, all done for your weekend?"
"Hi Dad, yeah, we're done."
"Excellent, let's get Italian and surprise your mother." Liam smiles and agrees.
Later that evening, he and Mason are settling down to sleep when Mason returns to the topic of Stiles and his pending inquisition. "So how are you going to pull this off? I have no idea how we'd even go about it."
"I know. I'm not sure, but we've got the weekend to figure it out."
"Yeah, and remember you can tell when people are lying." Mason said as he rolled over in bed to face Liam as he lay on his back.
"I know." Liam has to think about it. He and Mason need to do this carefully in one hit so it's not mentioned again. Closing his eyes, he runs through scenarios in his mind, nothing works. Letting Mason's soft, even breathing lull him to sleep as well, Liam realises they might need help.
##########
Lacrosse takes up all of Liam's time over the next weeks. That and Werewolf Training for Dummies as Mason calls it. It was a blessing in a way, Scott biting him. He was so much more self-aware now. Of his surroundings and people yes, but also of himself.
He knew he needed to rein himself in or lose control and instead of lashing out on something, now he could inadvertently lash out on someone and do them permanent damage. And Liam didn't want that. If he knew one thing about himself, having an enhanced everything now, he knew in in the very marrow of his bones he wasn't a killer.
Self-defence was one thing, defending others another. But stone-cold rage killing would kill him when he came back to his senses. And he wasn't going to do that to his family. Or his Alpha and his pack. Or himself.
Scott biting him had given him the capability of controlling his anger, once he'd been taught.
##########
Playing lacrosse that weekend, an injury from a team mate gives Liam the opportunity he needs without him even realising it. Sitting in the waiting room with Scott, Stiles and a couple of others on the lacrosse team as they wait to hear the result, Liam watches Melisa McCall intently as she works nearby. He wonders how to get across his fake crush on her without people realising he's lying.
Stiles does it for him.
"Dude!" His voice is hissed low enough that no human can hear him, but Liam comes to attention at the faint screech in it. "MILF's yes. Scott's mum is NOT in that category! NO!" He leans over as he says this, drawing Scott's attention.
"What?" Liam asks, feeling his face flush in embarrassment even as his mind works a mile a minute. "What are you talking about?" He asks Stiles, very much afraid of what Stiles will say with Scott now looking over at them with a frown.
"You can't crush on Scott's mum! It's against the bro code, and the pack code and just about every other fucking code!"
Liam's gaze flies to Scott who is frowning deeply now as he watches Liam's face. Liam hears him take the faintest inhalation as he scents Liam and Stiles. Mind still running a mile a minute, Liam answers obliquely though neither Scott nor Stiles realise that. "I don't know what you're talking about, I don't have a crush on anybody! Here's my dad!" He jumps up and walks toward his father hoping that it has been enough
That evening at home, he's settling down with dinner when his dad sits down opposite him. "So, why do Scott and Stiles think you have a crush on Melissa?" He asks quietly.
"Um," Liam sighs before he continues. "You know how you said I should play smart, not hard?" His father nods. "Well, that's what I'm doing." He watches his dad watch him and then eventually nod.
"So it's Scott or Stiles you have a crush on and you're deflecting?"
"What? No! Geez, straight here. Probably too straight." The last sentence is said in a dejected tone and has his father reaching across the table for his hand.
"You are not too straight. And if you had more curves than a cyclone I'd still not care. Neither would your mum. But straight, okay. I'm here when you're ready and you've got condoms, don't forget to use them."
Wincing Liam shook his head. "Dad, I'm a freshman, I'm not ready for sex yet, even if others are. And who I like is never going to happen so just forget about that. And don't ever mention this again in front of anyone else. At all. Ever." Liam watched his father to make sure he saw the importance of his words and nodded back when his dad nodded in understanding. "Mason has a crush on Scott though."
"Well, Scott's a good kid, a little idealistic. But doesn't he have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, I think that's why Mason has a crush."
"Well, he'll get back on the horse when he's ready. Now, I'm headed to bed, it's been a long day." Nodding, Liam said goodnight and watched his father walk away.
He was safe.
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Sitting in the crowd with his parents and parents of his friends, Liam looks at the graduates on the podium. Scott and Stiles were graduating, Lydia having graduated early had flown back in for the ceremony. She was already on track to finish her college degree in half the time it would take non-genius students. Her mother wasn't happy that she'd already decided to settle in Beacon Hills once she found a career path to take. That she was taking her time with. Apart from knowing she was going to one day win the Field's Medal of course.
Her hair is piled casually on top of her head, giving her some height, as did her ankle-breaking platform shoes. Louboutin heels whatever that meant. She exuded class and elegance. She also didn't do a damn thing for Liam.
Glancing around, Liam's eyes caught on someone and he grinned at them as they looked back at him. Shaking his head, he looked away. He'd managed to keep his school boy's dream a secret and now Stiles and Scott were just about to graduate.
As Mason had predicted, beyond an irate, warning phone call from Stiles, they'd never mentioned his crush again. Neither had his dad or Mason. Next year, he'd just have Kira and Malia to contend with. And considering they knew nothing about the whole fake crush thing on Scott's mother, Liam was home free.
JUNIOR YEAR
Liam laughed as he watched Mason try on his suit. He'd finally gotten back on the horse and had begun dating a little. It had been sporadic, mostly guys he'd met online, but then, he'd found a classmate who had a cousin and said cousin had seen a picture of Mason on Facebook and things were said, messages exchanged and now a few months later, Mason was going to his boyfriends senior prom at Liam's old school.
"Oh man, I think you need to go classic, you look stupid in that frilled shirt." Liam is blunt as he looks at his friend.
"You think?"
"Yes, you look like some weird person from hundreds of years ago." Malia's voice jerks Mason out of his contemplation of his suit and makes Liam glance over.
"What are you doing here?" He asks as he passes Mason another suit. He hasn't asked anyone to the prom himself, and had turned down any requests to go with someone. He just didn't want to go. It wasn't like it was his senior prom anyway.
"Returning Stiles' suit, he can't come and I can't be bothered to go without him. The concept of prom eludes me." Malia paused and then continues. "Besides, I went last year with Stiles, I don't need to go again." Liam, having extra senses, catches a hint of melancholy, it smells like sour milk on her. He also can't help shaking his head a little at Malia's Lydia-imbued language. She picked up some words and tossed them in with the bluntest and most crass ones at times that it was hilarious.
"Take Liam." Mason's voice jerks him back to the present and he stares at him.
"Dude!" He exclaims, even as Malia agrees quickly. Turning, Liam stares at her as she stares back. "You want me to take you?" He sounds incredulous, he is incredulous.
"You're pack, it makes the most sense. If I have to go…" Malia trails off as Liam's phone chimes in his hand from where he'd been playing Jewels as he waited for Mason. Yes, he liked Jewels and he didn't care if it was supposed to be a girly game.
Frowning, he answers it. "Hey Stiles, what's up?" Stiles didn't usually phone, texting regularly yes, but phoning no.
"Liam, buddy. I need a favour. I will owe you forever." Stiles sounds mildly frantic, which is saying something considering the life they live on the edge of supernatural stuff going down all the time.
"If I can." Liam has learned through experience to never ever just say yes to Stiles.
"Oh you can. I can't make it back for prom, it's either prom or graduation and I really want to see Malia graduate." Liam glances over, knowing full well Malia can hear every word Stiles is saying.
"Okay?" He questions, not having a clue what Stiles needs.
"Mason and Kira said you weren't going to prom this year, I was wondering if you'd change your mind for me and take Malia? It's her senior prom, I really want her to go." Liam inhales as Malia does and then looks over at Mason with a dirty frown.
"Sure Stiles, of course." He can't say anything but yes. Stiles is Scott's sergeant, he is second in Scott's pack, despite being human. Liam is very aware of that and doesn't care that Stiles is human. They need humans.
"Thanks dude, I owe you big time, forever big time."
Laughing, Liam ends the call and looks at Malia and then Mason. "I guess I need a suit too." Shaking his head, he lets Mason and Malia, followed by Kira shortly afterward decide on a suit and tie and vest for him, smiling bemusedly the whole time.
SENIOR YEAR
Sitting down at the dinner table, Liam looks at his father. Not his biological father no, but his real, read-a-bedtime-story-holding-head-up-from-the-toilet-after-getting-drunk-for-the-first-time-losing-his virginity-story father. "Dad, coach keeps talking about lacrosse scouts." He says as they eat. His mother was working again tonight.
"Okay? I know you're not applying for a scholarship, but what's bothering you about it?" His father watches him carefully.
"I don't know if I'll have time to play in college. I want to focus on my study. I want to be a doctor." Liam breathes out as he finally tells his father his dream.
"With a specialty?" His father asked quietly as they continued to eat.
"Not sure yet, maybe orthopedics or general surgery. Maybe no specialty." Orthopedics was an interest, general surgery would be more practical what with the pack and the humans they kept adding. General surgery would help him with looking after them when they were injured on pack business.
Nodding his dad finished eating. "I'll talk to the coach."
"Thanks. It would just be a waste of time." Liam says quietly. He knows coach won't be happy but he doesn't care, it would be stupid to have scouts come to see him when he didn't need a scholarship. Why take it from someone who needed it? He was glad his father agreed with that sentiment.
##########
Some months later, playing his final high school lacrosse game, Liam realises it's over. And high school is very nearly over as well. After showering, he gathers his belongings and cleans out his locker, not wanting to return to the locker room as most students will the next day.
Hauling it to his car, he shoves it in the back of his own jeep and shuts the hatch, the sealed air sound never fails to make him smile. Focused on it, it misses Malia's approach so her words startle him.
"Great game. Well, I think it was great, I still really don't get the purpose of carrying a tiny white ball in a net with a stick on it from one end of the field to put it into a bigger net, all the while trying to avoid getting permanently damaged." Her dry matter-of-fact voice always makes Liam grin as well.
"Second word said it all, 'game'." Liam answers as he moves toward the driver's side and opens it, putting his key in the ignition. Turning back he looks at Malia. "How's it going Deputy Hale?" He asks quietly.
He knew Malia had had trouble adjusting to Stiles not being around every day. Especially after she'd graduated high school herself. Sheriff Stilinski had been probably a bigger help than his son in the long term if Liam was being honest. He accepted Malia just the way she was, didn't try to change her and he let her forge her own path, only guiding, not instructing her. Which was probably very unfair to Stiles and all he'd done.
But Liam knew that it had been Sheriff Stilinski who had talked to Malia about doing the law enforcement course and becoming a deputy. He'd also been the one to talk to her about taking courses at the community college in regard to the law so she knew how it applied in society .Even if she didn't understand it she could still follow and apply it.
He was also there for her when she made the decision to change her surname to Hale after a DNA test officially confirmed that's who she was biologically, specifically the daughter of one Peter Hale. He'd sat her down one night at a pack meeting when Derek had been in town for Malia to tell him about changing her name and he'd told her DNA didn't matter, her essence, and her grit mattered.
And being biologically Peter Hale's daughter didn't matter one whit to her being a deputy. And Liam knew he'd been there when she and Stiles had broken up. It was inevitable Liam knew. As did the Sheriff he thought. Malia however, hadn't seen it coming.
"Fancy a run?" The offer is out before Liam realises he's spoken.
"Not tonight, I have a date. What about the weekend? I'm off then." Malia says, her tone is both nervous and eager.
"Sure, text me…wait have you still got voice to text disabled?" He knew she'd switched it off so she wouldn't text Stiles after she'd gotten irate and done it a couple of times in hurt and anger. Her inability to text via a keypad was a running joke among the pack. When Malia nods, Liam smiles. "Call me then." He gives a wave and gets into his jeep. Putting on his seatbelt, he shoves the vehicle in gear and drives away.
Looking into the rearview mirror, he sees Malia standing alone looking after him. Catching her eyes in the rearview mirror, Liam can't help but flash his at her, causing her to grin in reflex before she flashes her own right back.
##########
"So where are you going to go to college?" Malia asks Liam several weeks later. Winter has given away to spring and they've been running in the preserve and are now rinsing off their sweat in the river. Liam has grown used to Malia's lack of concern that he see her naked and has slowly lost his inhibitions in front of her as well.
"I've been accepted to a few, I'm leaning toward Yale. Lydia is doing her master's and doctorate there and there's a good pack I can run with there too."
"Are your…parents happy with your choice?" Malia hesitated over the word parents as they trod water and talked. Liam's heart ached for her.
"Yeah, both of them are. It'll be weird being away from them, but good at the same time you know? Shit! Sorry." Liam says quickly as he realises what he's said.
"It's okay. And it really is okay now. John has been a great help. Stiles was great. And Scott and even Derek, but John has been really good, almost like a father kind of." Liam nodded. Malia's loss of Henry Tate within a year of her return had not been a good time. It was made worse by the fact that he'd never been able to stop blaming her for the death of his wife and biological daughter.
"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean." He answers quietly, the mood turning somber.
"So, Stiles rang me a few days ago. To tell me he's seeing someone. And bringing her home for a visit at summer time. He wanted me to have advance warning so I wouldn't rip her head off when I saw her for the first time. Oh and she's a born werewolf."
"You're a born coyote, who gives a rats ass?" Liam loved Stiles, but like Lydia his interactions left a lot to be desired at times. Except with Scott. Those two had an almost mystical connection on a plane no one else could ever hope to step up to.
"That's exactly what I said. And what Scott said. Oh and that she wasn't pack." Liam laughed and after a few seconds Malia joined him.
"He never did try to change me you know? I will always appreciate that."
"I would too. And hey, you had a good time with him when we weren't trying not to die." Liam said as he turned around and began to dog paddle toward the rocks where they'd jumped into the water.
Just before he begins to shift back to wolf form - he'd been able to do that for nearly a year now - Malia speaks again. "Thanks for being a friend Liam, not just in school, but now as well. You're kind of my best friend."
Heart aching for Malia's loneliness, even though she doesn't recognise it as such, Liam grins as he lets his body fall and changed to the burnt gold-coloured wolf he was, his golden eyes glimmering at Malia, watching intently as she walked unashamedly naked from the river and changed as well.
Making a mental note to figure out how to help Malia get more friends, Liam lopes back toward their vehicles, Malia's mottled grey coyote form sliding in beside him companionably.
##########
It's Mason who gives him the idea when they're online messing around one night.
A week later, Malia found herself in between the two of them at Liam's place as they introduced her to chatrooms and helped her set up an online name. "Now, you have to work on the assumption that someone somewhere one day will more than likely crack your identity, so don't say anything you're going to get fired over being a public official and stuff okay?" Mason says to Malia as they watch her work through the ropes of logging onto her newly created private e-mail address and help her sign up for Twitter. Lydia had set up Facebook with her student and then work e-mail and did most of her updates. But now Malia was learning to utilize it to find online interests as well as to make her own updates. As she changed her e-mail for Facebook from work to her new G-mail one, Liam mentally crossed his fingers.
A few days later, a message pops up on Liam's Facebook page when he's at school. 'thank u' He grins at the message from Malia.
'no probs' he sends back as he moves between classes, followed by 'run soon?' her response is immediate.
'forsure' Her running her words together made him laugh.
He hadn't anticipated the monster he'd created when they'd helped her set up her online profile and taught her to use it though. Doing shift work, Malia had no comprehension of times and time zones. Liam frequently found his phone beeping at him during all hours of the night.
The one thing that freaked him out big time though was that Malia then dragged him and Mason around to help the Sheriff set up Facebook and an online profile. A few days later an irate message from Stiles made Liam wince and switch his phone off altogether.
It takes a phone call from Malia and Sheriff Stilinski and a threat from Malia to bite off his testicles before she just climbs in his bedroom window one night, switches on his mobile, punches him for his pin and then lets it download everything. She deletes all of Stiles' messages except the apology and leaves again, all without saying a word as Liam rubbed his throbbing arm.
At least she hadn't bitten off his testicles.
##########
Standing on the podium himself this time, Liam looks out at the crowd gathered for his graduation. His parents, members of his pack. He smiles as he thinks of where he'll be in a few months' time. He couldn't wait, but as his gaze catches Malia, he realises he was going to miss her as much, if not more than his parents.
It was normal that he'd grow and move away from his parents, expected even. But Malia had become his best friend, right alongside Mason this past year. Liam felt guilty that he was leaving Beacon Hills and she wasn't.
"Whoo hoo!" The words drag him back to the present and he throws his cap in the air with everyone else, jumping off the podium, he makes his way to his parents, hugging them tightly. Other members of the pack come up and he hugs them too, even Stiles and Derek.
Later that evening at Malia's loft, formerly Derek's, they all celebrate Liam and Mason's graduation. Pack. He was going to miss the hell out of them even though he'd see Lydia daily according to her and Derek more than likely every few weeks as he was now living and working in New York. But still, his favourite pack members, he wouldn't see after summer until Christmas time. Liam had decided not to come home at Thanksgiving because of the distance and the short break.
He'd already been organised by Lydia to go with her to Derek's place in New York and he was looking forward to that. He hadn't been to New York since he'd gone with his parents when they'd gotten married.
"Well, we're all done now." Mason says as they stand at the drinks table, both drinking the non-alcoholic punch.
"We are, I'll miss you." Liam says as he leans over and hugs Mason, his growth spurt put him taller now which he was still getting used to. He was Stiles' height. Taller than Derek, which was just weird.
"Miss you too bro." Mason says as he returns Liam's hug. "Skype and stuff won't be the same, let's make the most of the summer, yeah?" Liam nods enthusiastically. "Road trip, just the three of us." Mason continues making Liam frown.
"Three of us?" He asked as he pulled back.
"Yeah, you, me and Mal." Mason had started calling Malia Mal when he'd gotten to know her after she'd started going online. Liam still wasn't sure how he got away with it, but he did. And she'd let him get away with it too. But no one else.
"Oh…okay. Cool." Shrugging, Liam let it go, it would happen or it wouldn't.
Glancing around the room, he watches his own school boy's dream dance and laugh. She sure was gorgeous. Shaking his head, he looked away, putting her in the box firmly marked 'high school crush – never attained' and then grinned as Malia made her way over to them both.
"Did Mase tell you about our road trip?" She asked with a mile wide grin.
"He did, but he didn't say where." Liam accepted her arm around his waist easily. She was touchy-feely with him though not with many others, Mason a little but not Stiles anymore, though she was with his dad.
"San Francisco baby!" Mason declared loudly as he raised his hands in the air making Liam roll his eyes.
"You just want to visit the gaybourhood." He said even though he laughed.
"Well, I want to see the prison, John had me over to watch Alcatraz movies a few weeks ago, it looks so cool." Malia said as she took Liam's punch and drank some down before handing it back. He took it automatically and drank the rest before turning to refill his cup and hand it back to Malia without asking.
It's only when he feels a tug on his opposite arm that he looks over to see Stiles looking at him in anger. "You moved in?" He said as he stepped up into Liam's space.
"What?" Liam can smell the anger radiating off him. Malia's arm tightens as she steps closer, making Stiles actually growl at them.
"Get a grip dude." Liam says as he looks over Stiles' shoulder for Scott who was wrapping his own arm around Stiles' waist and pulling him away.
Shaking his head, he takes back his drink and downs it. Withdrawing from the conversation, he listens, still feeling included as Mason and Malia plan their trip. He knows instinctively that Malia won't be coming. Stiles had felt threatened by him tonight, which Liam didn't get, but he knew, as sure as he knew he could turn into a wolf that before the night was over Stiles and Malia would be back together.
Glancing around the room again, he smiled, despite everything.
He was a high school graduate.