Chapter 2: Meet the Sheriff.
Stiles blamed Liam.
This was all without a doubt Liam's fault.
He wanted it to be clear just in case his luck had run out and tonight he actually died.
"Would you stop that?! You're making me nauseous!" Lydia snapped.
The two teenagers were waiting in Stiles jeep keeping watch for the agreed signal and the rest of their friends. They were both feeling nervous, but one wouldn't be able to tell unless they knew them. After all they'd dealt with; Werewolves; Hunters; Nogitsunes; A Dead pool; Surely a teenage witch after their Alpha's heart should not be as frightening.
How was Liam supposed to know his latest love interest was a psycho witch?
How were they to know the heart of a True Alpha- if properly harvested- could resurrect a dead wendigo?
The plan was simple, Stiles and Lydia would be in wait to trap the witch. Meanwhile, Scott, Derek and Liam would bait her into position. They totally had everything under control. Deaton gave them a magic rune and everything. When they activated the rune, the witch shouldn't be able to escape or use her powers.
"I'm sorry, but the fact there is a literal crazy witch after my best friend's heart- and not in the romantic sense- has me too worried to sit still and be pretty!" Stiles snapped.
Lydia glared at him and the frustration he felt quailed under its intensity. Stiles had been feeling anxious for the past seven weeks and it was starting to get out of hand. He couldn't figure out what had him so on edge.
When Derek and Scott finally shared their suspicions about Liam's sorta-kinda-not girlfriend, Stiles had been rightly peeved. How could they NOT tell him!? How could SCOTT not tell him!? Derek, he could understand, the creeper wolf had way too many trust issues to expect otherwise; but Scott?
Stiles hoped this was the reason for his increased anxiety and nerves.
"God, what is with you? You've been weird for weeks now!" Lydia huffed.
Stiles groaned and gripped at his hair. She was right and he'd not at all been subtle about the restless tension he felt. The fact his ADHD only doubled his nerves made him a torment to be around for too long.
"Gaah! I don't know ok! I've just been feeling like something big is in the mix. As in Joker is soon to be attacking Gotham big! I haven't been able to properly focus for weeks and its starting to tick me off!" in frustration he smacked his hand hard on the wheel. Lydia watched him with concern at seeing just how twitchy he was.
"Stiles why didn't you say something?"
He looked at her and immediately knew what she was thinking. It was why he didn't say anything. He could feel his jaw tensing and tried to ignore the rising irritation he felt climbing to the surface. It wasn't the Nogitsune, he was 100 % certain of it. He wasn't suffering black outs and Malia would have told him if he went wandering about town. After Eichen house, only she and Lydia would probably be able to tell the difference.
This was something else, something completely different than an evil fox spirit.
Just as Lydia opened her mouth to speak, he spotted the others arrive.
"They're ready," he quickly said.
He ignored the way Lydia glared at him, silently promising the conversation was not over. They got out of the jeep and hid among the trees waiting for their moment.
After a successful trap, they started to interrogate the witch. It didn't take long for her to start telling her sob story and how she hated werewolves. The more she talked the more Stiles saw how Scott started to doubt their choice to get rid of her. Even though she was promising to kill them all when she got free, Scott obviously felt bad for her and was sure she just needed a chance. Stiles had no such sympathy or faith the witch before them would change.
Scott took a step forward and had the most sympathetic expression. The witch briefly stopped writhing and watched him intently.
"I'm sorry you lost him. I know how it feels to lose someone you love…."
Stiles was so glad Kira couldn't make it tonight. Allison's loss was a burden he'd always carry with him. There wasn't a day that passed where her death didn't haunt them.
"…but this? This isn't the way to heal and fix things. He'll come back but he won't be the way he was before."
She really did look like she was listening. When Scott took another step closer, it was Lydia who alerted them; but it was Derek who pulled Scott back to safety. The blade missed Scott's throat by mere inches.
Stiles didn't hesitate.
So what if he took the decision out of Scott's hands?
Stiles immediately started to chant, reciting an ancient old ritual that summoned a void of nothing. He didn't care at all when the witch began to cuss and scream as the void sucked her into its depths. He didn't stop when Scott cried his name and asked him to wait. He especially didn't care about the warning Deaton had given him about the origins of the ritual he was doing. When the witch was gone and the void had disappeared; Stiles and his friends were still alive. It was all he cared about.
"Why did you do that!? I could have changed her mind," Scott growled with despair.
Stiles didn't say anything but Derek spoke up in his defense.
"She tried to kill you Scott."
Stiles stayed quiet and once again someone else spoke.
"It doesn't matter, she's gone. Stiles, drive me home. Now." Lydia abruptly ordered before turning and walking away.
When he did speak, it was more out of obligation than actual want. He looked to Scott and gave a shrug of his shoulder, ignoring the way he looked at him.
"You want a ride?" he offered.
Scott shook his head and Stiles didn't hover. He followed after Lydia and left. Derek doubled back to go get Liam, the baby beta had gotten injured. He'd stayed behind and out of the way, Derek decided to make sure the kid healed up properly. If it meant leaving Scott alone, that was just a simple coincidence. Scott found himself alone in the woods lost to dark thoughts and regrets.
They'd changed.
None of them were the same and it was becoming harder to pretend.
The four of them had gained and lost so much in the past year. They should have expected it, but they didn't want to acknowledge it. Perhaps, it was for that reason fate decided to interfere and force them to face a long buried truth.
(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)
There wasn't much Deputy Jordan Parrish couldn't handle. He'd survived the military and just recently a supernatural dead pool. In his humble opinion he considered himself a pretty easy going guy. He loved his job- despite the unexpected reveal of the supernatural world and his own role in it- he was also coming to love Beacon Hills. It felt like home, more so than where he grew up. Despite such thoughts, he should have known better to expect nothing exciting at the station.
Nothing normal ever really happened in Beacon Hills.
"…All I'm saying is that when a dude walks in asking to see the sheriff, try telling them he's busy with a smile!"
Parrish quickly studied the stranger currently causing a scene. The most notable thing was the over sized clothing; ripped denim jeans and a black guns and rose's band tee. Beneath the shirt, they wore a grey long sleeve and black wool finger less gloves. The black beanie on their head covered most of their hair, but Parrish could see enough to call it a dark brown.
He stepped closer when he saw the visible annoyance on his co-worker's face.
"I'm sorry but the sheriff is not available for visitors at this time," Holly tensely spoke.
"Is it important?" the stranger questions.
"Of cour-"
"As the sheriff, shouldn't his priorities be the safety and trust of those who he has sworn to protect?"
"Yes, but-"
"As a fellow resident here in Beacon Hills; I'm getting the impression you're implying the sheriff has more important things to do than to listen to what I have to say. An unfair assumption for you to make, seeing as I haven't even told you what I have to say."
Holly scrambled to defend her previous words, growing flustered with the line of conversation.
"I'm sure what you have to say is important, but he is unavailable. If it really is a prime priority another officer would gladly offer you their assistance."
The stranger stood taller and folded their arms.
"I'm looking for Sheriff Stilinski and only him. He's the best of the best and we got business to talk."
Initially, Parrish would have called them rude, but he'd seen how Holly tended to deal with people. The way the stranger had dressed told him she'd probably been rude when they'd approached her. She should just be glad the stranger wasn't yelling, just speaking in a stubbornly reasonable tone. If occasionally it sounded judgmental and unimpressed, Parrish couldn't blame them. Still, Holly was his co-worker and the station had a reputation to protect. He'd make sure to mention this to Sheriff Stilinski and hope he'd deal with Holly.
"Is there a problem here?" he asked.
He ignored the visible relief Holly's face expressed and focused on the visitor. He was only mildly surprised to find that the stranger was female. She eyed him shortly before scoffing and looking annoyed.
"Depends, are you anymore competent than Miss Judgement over there?"
Parrish ignored the pointed jab and assured Holly he'd deal with it. He pulled the woman to the side, mostly as a precaution in case she started to shout. He cleared his throat, and placed his hand over the note book and pen they readily carried as part of their uniform.
"How can I help you mam?"
She gave a scoff at his use of mam, but didn't react rudely like she'd done to Holly.
"I need to see the Sheriff."
"Sheriff Stilinski has yet to arrive, but if it is indeed urgent, I offer all the help I can give."
Parrish only started to regret his choice of words, when he spotted the twitch of her lips. He felt uneasy and by the glint of the woman's honey brown eyes, he deeply wished he'd just left her for Holly to deal with. Regardless it was too late, and all he could do was suffer.
(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)
Sheriff Stilinski was a lot of things; a widowed husband, a single father, and the Sheriff of Beacon Hills. He loved his wife- will always love her; He loved his son- even if majority of the time he drove him insane and worried him to near death; He loved his town- despite the recent crazy of supernatural things and the lack of trust they've started to have for him.
Despite how much he loved his life, he would be the first to admit that it was simply too much at times. Beacon Hills was once that little town where the biggest threat was dealing with vandalizing teen punks and the occasional speeding ticket. Now, he spent late nights combing over cases revolving around murder, missing suspects and unsolved cases that undoubtedly were caused by supernatural means. The worst part, was acknowledging the fact his kid was right in the center of all that crazy.
All those nights he thought Stiles was safe at home, he'd actually been out and about with everything that went bump in the night. Things like Werewolves, Giant Lizards, Hunters and a fucking evil fox spirit. How the hell was he supposed to protect his boy when Stiles kept charging towards the crazy without a single care about his own safety?
He took several greedy breaths and tried to calm himself down from another panic attack. He felt wrung out and tired, too old and way in over his head. After another few gulps, he pushed himself to get out of the car. He couldn't afford to let himself be dragged down, not when he's got a job to do and a kid to protect.
When he entered the station, seeing a flustered Deputy Parrish and the watching eyes of many officers was not what he expected.
"…and that's why I don't like anyone calling me mam. Don't get me wrong pretty boy, the captain America vibe you project is a real turn on. I'm sure a lot of women would totally agree to a quick fu-"
He hid his grin and pointedly cleared his throat, enjoying the way his officers jumped with surprise. Out of all of them, his deputy looked the most relieved, while the woman causing all the excitement seemed to pout.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, not bothering to hide the mirth he felt.
"This woman has been meaning to see you Sheriff," Parrish hastily informed by pointing at the woman.
The woman in question huffed and batted away Parrish's pointed finger.
"It's rude to point Pretty Boy."
He had to laugh at that, since all the murders and such, the station hadn't received a lot of visitors. In fact, more than half the officers in hire were fresh faced newbies or transfers. Beacon Hill's police force had greatly decreased in the past year, and he hated to remember why. He focused back on the present and quirked a brow of interest.
"Sheriff Stilinski, how can I be of service?"
The woman smirked and strolled forward with mischief in her eyes that seemed familiar. It wasn't till her smirk turned into an impish smile, that he realized just who she was.
"Ngaw, come on chief. Don't tell me you've forgotten your favorite criminal? It took a lot of effort, and a couple more years than expected, but I'm finally a free agent. What better way to celebrate than come on down and visit my favorite moral compass?"
He remembered that face and those eyes. It'd been years and at first glance he hadn't recognized her. Now, he could easily place those familiar honey brown eyes filled with mischief and trouble. She was older, no longer a child but a woman grown. He couldn't ever forget her, not when she'd once been a major presence in his life.
"Araiya Black, my own personal headache," he drawled with a smile.
She didn't hesitate to laugh at his words before drawing close for an embrace. She wasn't any taller than before, but he was glad she no longer seemed as scrawny. She mumbled into his uniform as if she knew just what he was thinking.
"Don't lie chief, I was the best headache you ever had."
He'd missed her, it really had been too long. He didn't know how much till she literally walked right back into his life. He could feel the curious and strange looks from his fellow officers. There were exactly five people among them who had the faintest clue as to who she was. He couldn't blame the rest for being curious, they didn't understand who she was. He wasn't worried, certain it would only take a few weeks before the word would spread.
A Black was back in Beacon Hills, and that was big news.
It was maybe exactly what Beacon Hills needed amidst all the recent chaos.
He could only hope Araiya brought with her more good luck than bad.
(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)
She missed him. It really had been too long since she'd seen him. He felt the same only older and worn down. She hadn't been in Beacon Hill's for so long, the town felt like a stranger to her. Only he felt familiar and so she savored the feeling without shame. Araiya felt her beanie fall from her head and her hair spill out in all its glory. She felt him laughing before he tugged at one of her locks, after which she reluctantly pulled away.
"Never thought I'd see the day you'd grow out your hair," he teased.
Araiya stuck out her tongue playfully before smirking. It really felt like old times and she felt nostalgic just thinking about it. He told their watching audience to get back to work and motioned for her to follow him. While he closed the door to his office, she quickly marveled at the room. She'd always thought he'd make a better Sheriff than Deputy, she's glad to find she was right.
"So, what brings you back here? Not that I don't trust you, just that I doubt it was solely out of some sudden need to see me," he inquired lightly.
She let him settle into his seat as she tried to figure out where to begin. She had no idea how to start, no idea what to say or even how she would begin to explain. Already she could feel her control slipping and threatening to overwhelm her.
"Araiya?" the Sheriff softly prompted.
"How'd they find her, chief?" she managed to croak.
He immediately knew what she was referring to; for a brief moment she saw anger in his eyes. It faded as slowly he realized just why she was asking. When he spoke, it was with caution, wary hesitance at sounding like he was accusing her.
"You didn't know?"
She swallowed at the words and only shook her head.
None of them knew, if they did she would have come sooner. If any of them had known someone would have come immediately to ensure the proper arrangements were conducted. Beacon Hills was much too important to simply leave abandoned without maintenance. The Black's had a long history with the town; to the point one might as well call them a founding family. Up until a year ago, there was always a Black in Beacon Hills. Sheriff Stilinski sighed and slowly started to speak. He knew how important Augusta Black was to the woman before him. Araiya listened and struggled to hold back the pathetic sob in her throat.
The Black family was large, and they spanned throughout many countries. However, the Main blood line could easily be traced to a collective few; specifically through the children of William Black and Maria Faenza nee Black. Augusta was William's younger sister and Araiya's great aunt. The Blacks were old and hoarded many secrets, secrets that often ended with death. It was why Augusta's death was so suspicious.
Augusta Black died on the night of the New Year for 2011.
She shouldn't have died without at least one of them knowing.
It's no coincidence that since her death the crime and death rates of the town's population had increased. It was because of that vast increase, the Black family had been made aware. It took a phone call from the current head of the family and a mass group skype call, before Araiya had been on a plane with orders to investigate. The death of a Black member from the main bloodline was not something to be ignored.
"…we tried to contact relatives, but no calls got through. The address book she had in her car was out of date. At the time we weren't sure if anyone was getting the emails or letters that were sent."
A minor stroke while driving before succumbing to a heart attack in hospital four weeks later.
Augusta Black may have been old, but she was a fighter. She wouldn't have lost to a heart attack. Araiya knew her great aunt, had lived with her for two years and knew her best out of everyone. She could feel her grief morphing into that of anger. The taste of it hot on her tongue and heavy in her chest. It called for blood and violence, pushed the thought to the forefront of her brain. It blinded her and taunted her into a furious rage.
"What happened to her body?" she gritted out, while her nails dug deeply into the arms of her chair.
"We buried her over at the local cemetery."
"Was she alone?"
The thought of her Aunt being alone hurt more than anything. Augusta Black may have been cast out from the family, but she was always loved. Araiya jolted when she felt the Sheriff place a comforting hand on her shoulder. She hadn't even noticed him move.
"No, she wasn't alone."
She relaxed at his words and curled closer to his side seeking comfort. She focused on his strong presence rather than the rage in her chest. She absently questioned him on what happened to her Aunt's things and belongings. He didn't move away from her side, just answered her questions with ease. She only fell silent at realizing just how little there was for her to handle. At seeing her surprise, Sheriff Stilinski snorted and gave her an unimpressed glare.
"Augusta wasn't just dear to you, kid," he huffed.
"You're too good to us chief," she teased with gratitude.
The rest of her visit consisted of talking about old memories. They remembered her Aunt Augusta and the antics of her younger self. They glossed over the fact Augusta's properties and will had yet to be attended to. Araiya vaguely shared a few bits about what she'd done since she'd left. She only frowned when she noted the stress Sheriff Stilinski spoke with about his recent cases. Soon, they both could no longer procrastinate in their responsibilities and with great reluctance, Araiya spoke up.
"It's been real good seeing you chief. I'd love to stay longer, but I'm pretty sure your pretty boy deputy is getting antsy waiting to meet with you."
Sheriff Stilinski only rolled his eyes at the tease. He watched as Araiya rose from her seat and started to straighten out her ridiculously over sized clothing. There always had to be something out of place when it came to her. He shouldn't have expected anything else. When he next spoke it was with fond exasperation and concern.
"You have a place to stay?"
"Duh, I'm not actually a hobo, contrary to what your desk officer assumed."
The Sheriff made a mental note to talk to Officer Holly about her conduct when treating with visitors. He then narrowed his eyes with suspicion, which only prompted Araiya to smile at him with innocence. He knew better than to trust a smile like that.
"No one's been able to find you're Aunt's mansion since she's passed. You know anything about that?"
Araiya's smile morphed into an impish grin.
"Aunt Augusta was paranoid chief, you know that. If it was a bitch to find the mansion back in the day, what on earth made you think it'd been easier to find now."
"Araiya," he sternly warned, feeling much like he was dealing with Stiles.
"It's not breaking and entering if you have a key!"
He let out a loud groan and Araiya let out a laugh.
"Get out of here kid. Now that your back, don't go causing too much trouble. I got enough cases on my plate and my own kid to worry about."
Araiya snickered and gave him one last hug. He squeezed her tight both to reassure her and let her know he's glad she's back. He mentioned that she should stop by for dinner and she snorted at his words before pulling away.
"We'll see about dinner," she mumbled.
Just before she left his office, she gave one last loud farewell.
"You're a saint chief! I'll be sure to only rob the bank on Monday's."
Araiya snickered as the office burst into whispers. She let her smile sit on her lips until she was safe from their gawking eyes. As soon as she was alone, the rage she'd felt came flooding back. She braced herself against her bike and fought to control herself. She had one last visit to make for the day before she started on things at her Aunt's mansion.
She had to hold out until then.
She clung to the thought as she hopped on her bike and rode to her next destination.
(^~^) KEEPER'S KEEP (^~^)
After Araiya had left, he tried to make his way through the cases on his desk. It didn't stop him from over thinking everything he'd learned from her visit. He'd known the Black family since he'd been a teenager himself. He'd known Araiya as a 13 year old punk who hung out with the weirdest people. Augusta Black had been a feisty old woman, but Araiya had been a trouble magnet. The linchpin of all sorts of incidents and what followed. Regardless of all that, he considered the lot to be as good as family, even if they weren't blood related.
It'd been much too long since he'd seen a Black. While he'd missed Araiya, she wasn't the Black he expected to return. At seeing her now, older and no longer a child, he was even more aware of the similarities she inherited from him.
"Sheriff?"
He shook himself out of his thoughts and beckoned for Parrish to enter. The ease he'd felt completely disappeared at seeing Scott McCall follow after the deputy. Sheriff Stilinski felt dread build in his gut and prayed to god the teen hadn't come to report something supernatural.
"What are you doing here Scott?"
Scott awkwardly shuffled on his feet and tried no to look so guilty. He couldn't bear to meet the sheriff's pointed stare and mumbled his words out.
"So… erm, if a missing report comes in about a Cindy Stines. I think you should know that she was a witch and wanted to carve out my heart to resurrect her dead Wendigo boyfriend."
Sheriff Stilinski groaned feeling the beginning of a headache grow, while his Deputy gaped.
"You mean witches are real?" "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" they asked at the same time.
The sheriff prayed to the gods that soon everything would get easier, but more importantly, he prayed it would all go back to normal soon.
He should have known better than to get his hopes up.