DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TEEN WOLF. Thank you all so much for the support, I can't wait to read your reactions to this chapter.
CHAPTER SEVEN
I was terrified of the giant man standing in our doorway, covered in blood. Before I could scream, my mother was at the door.
"Charlie, honey, why don't you go into the living room and see if you can find a movie for the two of us to watch." My mom said bending down so that she was eye-level with me.
I looked over to the big man who was still glaring at my mother, but she just placed her hand on my cheek directing my attention back to her.
"It's alright dear, this is my friend Ennis, and we're just going to have a little talk for a few minutes and then you and I will have our movie night okay?"
"Okay," I said giving the man one final glance before hiding near the entrance of the living room to better hear them.
"I thought I told you not to come to my house-" my mother hissed. "My family doesn't know about any of this and I'd like to keep it that way!"
"I wouldn't have to if that idiot brother-in-law and husband of yours didn't get in my way!" The man roared.
"Keep your voice down when you're in my house, you may be an alpha, but I am not one of your betas." My mother's voice was quiet, but there was a harshness to it I had never heard before. "Now why are you at my home, covered in blood and terrifying my eight-year-old?"
"Ken is dead, and the police won't release the body to me." The man said, his voice was much softer this time.
"Give me a little while to find a sitter and I'll meet you at our usual spot, see what I can do." My mother said.
I ran to the cabinet that held our movies and pretended to be looking for a title.
"Hey kiddo, my friend has an emergency and needs my help, I know we were supposed to have movie night do you mind hanging out with Scott, Stiles and Theo at Theo's house?" My mom asked me.
"Okay Mama"
I woke up and tried to shake the image of the man covered in blood. He had come only a year or so before my mom took off, and I had always wondered if she had left with him- or because of him. She had called him an alpha in the dream, and now I couldn't help but wonder if she had been involved in all of the supernatural going on. Maybe I was projecting, though, maybe she knew nothing about it and my mind had only thrown the words in to make sense of the fact that my mother left us with little more than a goodbye.
Dad knocked on my door, and I physically shook my head to get rid of any last remnants.
"You okay kid?" He asked seriously, he could read me like a book most of the time.
"Yeah, just a bad dream," I told him.
"Mom dream?" I nodded.
I never told him about the man, I'd never told anyone about him. But Dad had figured out Mom was involved somehow.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead. "We're gonna be okay Kid."
"I know."
"Better get ready, don't want to be late for school." He said walking out the door.
I got up and dressed in a hurry, making sure to smear something on my face, so Lydia didn't drag me to the bathroom again.
Stiles and Dad were already at the table, I grabbed half of the bagel off of Stiles plate and dug in.
"So how're we getting to school?" I asked through mouthfuls of bagel.
Dad grinned at Stiles.
"I thought I'd let you guys take Beulah."
"It's not even fair!" I complained to Stiles as I hopped into the passenger side of the Tacoma.
Stiles was petting the steering wheel; my dad didn't often date, so most of his mid-life crisis attention had been spent on tricking out his truck. It wasn't that Stiles didn't love his jeep, Roscoe, it was just that he really, really loved Beulah.
"You don't have a license; I do," Stiles said starting Beulah and backing out of the driveway carefully before heading towards Scott's house.
"No I mean, I get grounded for last night and you get Beulah." I pouted Stiles turned to me with a serious face.
"I got paralyzed and had to watch a teenage mutant ninja turtle murder somebody with MY jeep."
"You win... hey can you go by the old distillery?" Stiles looked at me like I was crazy.
"You mean the creepy abandoned building that is now home to the occasional drug deal? Why the hell do you want to go by there?"
"It's the longer route to Scott's and I don't want to have to face Harris yet."
"So we'll pull through a drive-thru or-"
"Stiles would you just do this for me?" I snapped.
He looked at me suspiciously but made the left turn. I stared out the window and watched.
I had seen the man once since that day at our house. I was twelve, Scott and Stiles were at camp, so it was just me and Isaac for the summer. We had been riding our bikes around town all day and decided to explore the old distillery.
I had found it with Scott and Stiles the year before and didn't think anyone would be there. I had just turned my head to make sure Isaac was still behind me when I ran into something hard and crashed onto the ground.
A pair of hands pulled me to my feet, and I was standing face to chest with the same man I had seen with my mother.
"You should be more careful where you're going, it's dangerous out here." The man said I stood frozen in fear, the man didn't recognize me, but I recognized him.
"Looks like we have an infestation on our hands." I heard a woman's voice this time, and when I turned to look in her direction, she was holding onto Isaac by the scruff of his neck.
"An infestation of what exactly?" A third voice asked he was standing beside the building, sunglasses hiding his eyes and a cane in his hand.
"Looks like a couple of trespassers" The man that had me said.
"No. We didn't mean to; we thought this place was abandoned, we just wanted to go exploring, we're sorry." Isaac said.
I was still too frightened to talk.
The man by the building smiled.
"I don't believe any real harm was done, Ennis, Kali, let the children go. We'll consider this a warning this time, but I must warn you if we find you, here again, the consequences will be most severe."
Isaac and I nodded before getting back on our bikes and getting the heck out of there.
"Mind telling me why you wanted to take the scenic route?" Stiles asked.
I snapped out of my thoughts. He wasn't going to drop it.
"I was just checking on a friend." I answered.
I had gone back freshman year to see if the people were still there, I think I kept hoping I'd catch a glimpse of my mom too.
We had pulled up to Scott's house, and I didn't want to have to explain myself to either one. Which I was luckily spared from since all Scott talked about was getting a hold of the Argent's Bestiary from Gerard, and how exactly we could go about it.
I tuned the two out and tried to clear my mind of thoughts about my Mom and tried to focus on memories of Isaac. But it would have been so much easier if I'd had the real him there to distract me. On the plus side, I was grounded, and I hoped that meant he'd be invading my reality very, very soon.
When we got to school Lydia observed me critically.
"Better. When do you get those ugly stitches out?"
"Uh, next week I think why?"
"I wanted them gone for the game Friday."
"Why?"
"So I can make Matt fall for you-"
"Okay one Lydia, Matt likes Allison, and two I can't go anyways I'm grounded."
"Matt is a man and men can be easily swayed and just un-ground yourself. I've made my decision."
"Well when you put it like that" I said sarcastically, heading towards my locker to grab my books. "Lydia, I don't like Matt."
"Why?"
"I don't know. He's not my type."
"Are you seeing anyone else?" She asked hands on her hips and staring me down.
"Technically..." I trailed off.
"Who Greenburg?"
"What NO!" Why did everyone think I liked Greenburg? Jeez you go to one freaking dance and you're practically engaged. The ginger wasn't giving up that easy.
"His name is..." Think Charlie "Jose"
Lydia stared at me. "Jose?"
"Yeah, uh, he's my Cousin Miguel's friend."
"Well I'd like to meet this Jose-"
"You can't!"
"Oh really? And why is that?"
"Uh... he's not actually from here he's- he's from Canada... yep. Jose the Canadian." Lydia raised her eyebrows at me skeptically and then walked off.
I was about to head to English when I saw Harris with smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"Stilinski, come with me." I cursed my luck and followed him in.
I was going to die. Argent had already poisoned me and Harris loathed the very ground I walked on. I was sure whatever was about to happen wasn't good.
"Miss Stilinksi, Mr. Harris here tells me the two of you've had a disagreement." I heard Ms. Morrell's voice instead as we came in.
"I requested to speak to the Principal about this issue."
"He's away, but considering I am the Guidance Counselor, I'm sure I'm more than qualified to handle this dispute." Ms. Morrell said silencing Harris with the same look she gave us in French.
Harris huffed but launched into his version of what had happened. When it was my turn I tried to spin it as best I could, paying particular detail to the fact that Harris had intended for me to fulfill Stiles' punishment as well. Ms. Morrell looked at Harris.
"Is that true Adrian?"
"W-she didn't elaborate I thought it would teach the two of them a lesson." Harris argued lamely.
"What time did Stiles' call come in?" Ms. Morrell asked me.
"Uh..." I pulled my phone out and clicked on the recent calls so that she could look for right one.
"It seems to me that no additional punishment is necessary-"
"WHAT?" Harris was red faced.
"School policy says we can't hold the kids after 5 P.M and the call came at 5:03, Charlie was on her own time when the phone was answered." Ms. Morrell said. "Although Charlie you really need to work on respecting your elders better."
I nodded stunned.
When I walked to the front desk to get a hall pass, Harris was lumbering towards me.
"You got off on a slight, very slight technicality Stilinski, it won't happen again. I'll be watching every move you make from here on out and I will destroy you"
I had the urge to ask him if he planned to get "my little Stiles too".
I headed back to English for the remaining few minutes. I couldn't believe I'd gotten off!
Matt grinned at me as I climbed into my seat.
"What'd I miss?"
"Not much, we've got group projects on Grapes of Wrath assigned-"
"Shit"
"Don't worry, you're working with me, although you had quite a few bids going-"
"Bids?"
"Sorry it sounded better in my head. Do you want to get together after school to work on it? I think practice gets out early today." He asked.
I bit my lip, I didn't want to miss Isaac but I wasn't even sure when he'd be coming.
"Do you mind coming to my house? It's just what with my new fashion accessory, I'm sort of at the mercy of other people for transportation and plus I'm grounded at the moment so."
"That's fine, would you like a ride?"
"No that's okay, I have to wait on Stiles anyways he's driving Beulah- my Dad's truck." The bell rung. Matt helped me grab my things, I'm sure I was over thinking it because of Lydia's new bright idea, but Matt was laying it on kind of thick. I took my things from him.
"Thanks. See you later." I said making a quick exit to Chemistry.
Harris kept his word. I hadn't been in the room 2 minutes before I'd been given a lunch-time detention for being a distraction (I dropped my pen on the floor).
"Perhaps you can manage to remain here for the entire duration this time." Harris told me at lunch as I re-entered the room.
I really hated this guy. I took a seat and started counting the minutes.
Right now while I withered away in detention, Scott and Stiles were attempting to recruit Allison to help find the Bestiary, Erica was sharpening her claws somewhere- hopefully at the same table as Boyd since that was the main reason he had turned, Derek was most likely brooding and Isaac was? What did a fugitive werewolf do during the day? Train? I assumed Derek must be training the betas but what exactly was he teaching them? How to brood, how to wear leather jackets, how to act cocky? Were they looking for the lizard creature too? Isaac never told me what had killed his father but I assumed for my own peace of mind that it had to be the same thing that had attacked Stiles there couldn't be more monsters out there could there?
The bell startled me from my thoughts and I rushed off to gym class. As soon as Stiles and Scott came into sight I grabbed them
"So?"
"We've got a plan." Scott said.
"Which is?"
"A plan." Stiles said annoyed.
"Why won't you tell me what it is?"
"I don't know that we can trust you-"
"Are you kidding me right now?"
"Why did you want to go to the distillery this morning?" Stiles asked.
I felt my heart about to explode.
"I can't talk about that here." I told him.
"Does it have something to do with Isaac?" Scott demanded.
"What? No. Why would you think that?"
"I can smell his scent on you." Scott told me.
I felt myself go red.
"Okay, so Isaac payed a visit late last night-"
"Oh my god! I do not want to hear that!" Stiles exclaimed.
I rolled my eyes.
"We didn't do anything!" Scott stared at me. "Okay we may have made-out a little, oh Shut up Stiles!"
Stiles now had his fingers in his ears and was screaming "LA LA LA" at the top of his lungs.
"So who were you looking for at the distillery?" Scott pressed.
"Scott I promise I'll tell you two later, I can't right now." I pleaded Scott looked at me for a second.
"On the way home, you tell us and we tell you, it's probably safer that way anyways." He said motioning towards the entrance to the girls locker room where Erica stood listening. I nodded and headed that way.
As soon as I got to the door, Finstock called me back to the bleachers.
"Stilinski-" I was pretty sure I was the only girl he referred to by their last name only.
"Yes coach?"
"Funny thing happened today, I decided to read the paper and there's no Lacrosse article in it."
"Well you see I kind of had a lot of mishaps and didn't get a chance" I said motioning to my cast, Coach folded his arms nodding his said understandingly.
"Yeah, I realized that which is why I went to Sadler to ask him why he didn't assign another kid to the story and you know what he told me?"
Oh Shit.
"He said that there had never been a story, that actually, you weren't even on the paper"
"Uh yeah, about that. See what had happened was, I had planned to join the paper and I was hoping that I could use the Lacrosse article to get on but then my friend got arrested...and I got hurt... and poisoned..." I waited a second.
Coach looked uncomfortable. I tried to maintain the kicked puppy look and then-
"Well Sadler's an idiot for not thinking of using that article anyways, take a seat Stilinski."
"How the hell do you keep getting out of stuff?" Stiles asked, he and Scott had apparently been using Scott's super-hearing again.
"I told you, don't hesitate" I smiled.
Lydia grabbed me by the arm and steered me over to her and Allison, I had really wanted to talk to Erica today considering we hadn't spoken since- well since she was human, Lydia apparently had other plans.
"Your English partners? That's great!"
"Lydia no." I said exasperated.
The ginger couldn't take a hint and I didn't know what else to do, it's not like I could tell her I was seeing a fugitive.
"You know what, that's fine. It's perfect actually, you need to play hard to get it'll make him want you more." It was like arguing with a brick wall.
xxx
The rest of school was a blur, I think we were studying World War One but I got dates confused fairly easy and honestly, I just wound up imagining what Isaac's next visit would bring. I sat on the bleachers and watched the team practice while I worked on homework. Matt had waved when he came on the field, Stiles had mouthed something that probably rhymed with "What the truck?" and I ducked my head. Greenburg looked at me like a kicked puppy... I was definitely going to hell.
The ride home was a dead silence. I wanted to know where we were at with the Bestiary but I didn't want to tell them why I had Stiles drive through South-side. Stiles stared at me through the rear-view mirror and Scott turned around to face me.
"Well?" Stiles said.
"Well what?"
"Charlie, what's going on?" Scott asked. I sighed.
"I was looking for my mom." And I told them, everything from the man coming by my house when I was little to seeing him and the other people at the distillery. I even told them about my fears that my mom had left with them. The only thing I left out was the mention of alphas, the man had been terrifying but chances were it wasn't real. I never remembered either of them using alphas or betas when I'd had had the dream before.
This supernatural stuff was making me crazy!
Scott filled me in on operation Bestiary, the plan was for Allison to get Gerard's keys to his office so Stiles could check it out during the game Friday. Assuming I could take Lydia's advice and "unground" myself I'd be serving as the backup plan.
The boys took off to take Scott to work and I went to let Matt in who had followed us there. Stiles had offered to stay as chaperone (he really didn't like Matt) but I sent him on. Matt wasn't that bad... a little odd but who was I to talk.
"So what's the project?" I asked pulling out two bottles of water and passing him one.
"Well there was a few ideas we could choose from, but I thought it might be neat to do the photo gallery thing. We find photos from the depression migrant workers and contemporary ones and compare and contrast them. There was other ideas on there if you don't-"
"No I love it, I mean to be honest I didn't care to much for the book, but I like the idea of tying the theme into today, I mean that's what makes a story great right? Being relatable?"
"Yeah that's what I was thinking." Matt said excitedly. We got on my computer and started searching out some photos for the project when I heard a crash coming from a very suspicious part of the house.
"What was that?" Matt asked worried.
"Uh, my cat" I heard another thud. "He's a big cat... and clumsy... you know what I'll be right back." I took off to my room.
I opened the door to see my bedside table on the floor. "Seriously" I said to myself, it looked like the culprit was gone.
I turned around to shut the door but Isaac was standing by it with a finger to his lips.
I nodded.
"Everything okay?" Matt asked.
"Uh yeah just give me a second." I said shutting the door and locking it quickly.
"What the hel-" I started but Isaac's lips crashed against mine. He moved me against the door.
"Get rid of him." He- well he sort of growled, kissing down my neck. I slipped out of the door.
"Are you alright? You're face looks real red." Matt asked concerned.
"Y-yeah- I mean no, my wrist is really bothering me, I think we're going to have to cut this study session short." I said.
Matt stared at me confused.
"Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks, I'm just gonna lie down for a while, I'll be alright." I told him trying to remain calm and not kick him out the door.
"Okay, I hope you feel better" Matt said beginning to gather his things. It seemed like forever before he left and I could go back to my room. Isaac was sitting on my bed.
"What was he doing here?"
"School project." I said sitting beside him.
"Good. I was worried Lydia had set you up-"
"What how did you know she-"
"Erica overheard her-"
"You had her spy on me!"
"No! Not exactly Derek saw you at the distillery and I was worried about you I asked Erica to keep an eye on you."
"Why was he there?"
"An errand I think. I'm not sure. Are you okay?" He had laced my fingers in his. I leaned against his shoulder.
"Yeah... I think I am. How much time do we have?"
"Not long. Derek went out, but Boyd is supposed to be there for Training at 7 so I've got to be back before then. Erica said she'd cover for us." I didn't know how I felt about that, I was still a little pissed she'd knocked Stiles out and broke the Jeep.
"Better make the most of it then." I said pulling him to me.
So, we have a little clue into Charlie's Mom, do you guys have any ideas on what her connection to Ennis and the story might be?
