I don't own Teen Wolf.

A Garden for Claudia- Chapter 7- Two Paths Walked

Stiles reached out to his nightstand and placed a hand on the frying pan as the alarm clock blared. He glanced at the time and scolded himself for setting it early on the day before school began. He grimaced as he addressed the clock, "I've already hit two werewolves, you are next." The alarm continued to blare as he reached over and turned it off. Stiles sighed as he looked at his phone and noticed that Scott still hadn't responded to his text. He jumped out of bed and cleaned up, his resolve to wait for Scott to message him faded as his determination to find out what two alphas hunting him down had to do with his best friend grew.

After getting cleaned up Stiles sprinted down the stairs and noticed his dad sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. Stiles stepped into the kitchen and was greeted with, "G'morning son. It's a little early for you to be up on the last day before school, isn't it?"

Stiles smiled and said, "Just trying to reset my sleep schedule for school you know."

John glanced up from his paper and looked at his son. Most of the scrapes looked smaller and the scabs were noticeable but Stiles didn't appear to be any worse for the wear. "When are you going to see Tyler and Taylor?"

Stiles shrugged, "I don't know, I was thinking about paying Scott a visit."

John shrugged, "It's funny, his mother said he came by the hospital to visit but I don't remember seeing him."

Stiles narrowed his eyes a little as he asked, "Scott didn't visit me. Unless I was unconscious but I don't remember being unconscious. Was I unconscious?"

John shook his head, "No. I think he was there but I don't know. Well kiddo, I'm heading to work. Try not to do anything to destructive today or piss of any more wildlife."

Stiles grinned, "I'll try dad but no promises. On second thought, I should visit you at work a little more often."

John groaned, "You want to make sure I'm not cheating the diet, don't you?"

Stiles smiled a large toothy smile, "Guilty."

John shook his head, "Fine. Let's go before I'm late."

Stiles grabbed his keys and followed his father.

After he finished up at the station, Stiles drove to Scott's house, with emotions and questions swirling in his mind. His brakes squeaked as he pulled into the driveway at the McCall residence. Their car was gone and Stiles figured his mother must be at work. He walked up to the slowly and a deep breath before knocking on the door.

The door slowly opened and Scott stood on the other side wearing a t shirt and shorts, clearly lounging around on his day off and the day before school. Scott said, "What's up dude? I didn't expect you to come by so soon."

Stiles smirked and said, with a hint of anger, "If you actually responded to my texts then I wouldn't be knocking on your door this morning."

Scott sighed and nodded as he let Stiles into the house and both men walked up to Scott's room. Scott walked over to the edge of his bed and sat down. Stiles closed the door and stood by the entrance. "We need to talk."

Scott slowly lowered his head, "Yeah. I'll go first. Stiles, I am, I am." Scott mumbled the last words and Stiles finished the sentence, "A werewolf."

Scott quickly raised his head and met Stiles' gaze. He asked, "Dude, how do you."

Stiles smiled a little, "Know? The night of the family dinner. I saw your eyes."

Scott shook his head, "But there is more to it than that. How do you know about werewolves?"

Stiles shrugged, "Let's just say that you aren't the only wolf in my life."

Scott blurted out, "Are you a hunter?"

Stiles shook his head emphatically and flailed his arms a bit, "No, I am not a hunter. I am not trying to hurt or kill you Scott. You are my best friend. What made you think that I am a hunter?"

Scott slowly lowered his head, "I heard it from someone."

Stiles raised an eyebrow and said, "Derek Hale maybe?"

Scott was surprised once again, "How did you know?"

Stiles began to pace in front of Scott, "Derek Hale decided to pay me a visit night before last. He said he wanted to talk before he knocked the gun out of my hand and received a frying pan to the face. He's your alpha, isn't he?"

Scott slowly nodded, "Yeah, I've been training with him. Why was he at your house?"

Stiles shrugged, "Not house, my room. I don't know, besides wondering about me running into Laura and accusing me of being a hunter."

Scott asked, "Dude, you have a gun?"

Stiles rubbed the back of his head as he smiled nervously, "Yeah. Let's just say a hunter dropped it when he tried to kill a couple of strays in my garden."

Scott tilted his head in confusion, "Why do I get the feeling that there is more to that story."

Stiles laughed nervously before he began, "You see, what happened was." Stiles increased his pacing speed before he continued, "There were these two omegas, Tyler and Taylor, who were hiding in the shed and one hunter was in my garden when I woke up and went to the garden. He threatened me with his monkshood 9mm before I kinda disarmed him and threatened him with the same weapon. He left and I nursed the two wolves back to good health. Then I was attacked by a large, vicious alpha in my kitchen. He smelled like death and I could've sworn he was going to kill me. Then I went to the hospital. Which by the way, I knew you were there even if you never made it to the room. When I got home, Derek decided to pay me a visit but I knew enough to expect another attack. Do you think Derek was the first alpha?" Stiles took a deep breath after he finished his verbal diarrhea.

Scott blinked a few times after his best friend finished, "I don't think Derek was the alpha that attacked you. I have been with him the majority of evenings since that night on the trail."

Both young men sat in silence for quite a few minutes before Stiles broke the silence, "Dude, why didn't you tell me earlier? I know it's tough but I am still here for you."

Scott looked to the floor, "I know, I should've. I'm sorry.

Stiles walked over to Scott and the two men embraced each other in a man hug, "It's alright. I'm sorry for not making it any easier."

Stiles remembered that Taylor and Tyler were supposed to come back to his house and asked, "Hey Scott, do you want to meet the omegas? They should be coming back to my place and if they are looking for a pack then maybe with you wouldn't be such a bad idea."

Scott smiled and nodded, "Sure, plus I bet they could help with my training since Derek just mainly yells and hits me."

Stiles smirked, "Dude, you totally need a better Yoda."

The two teens left the McCall residence and took the jeep back to the Stilinski household. When they walked through the front door, Stiles said, "Your increased senses let you find my stash that night."

Scott grinned his goofy, lopsided grin, "Guilty."

Stiles muttered jokingly, "Bastard."

The smell of the aconite in the house began to irritate Scott and he said, "I need to step outside, I am having trouble breathing in here."

Stiles remembered using some of the monkshood to try and protect the house and instinctually guided Scott to the back door. As they moved through the living room and into the kitchen, Scott wolfed out and his eyes glowed. Stiles didn't miss a beat as he threw open the back door and the two rushed out into the garden.

When they reached the garden, they realized that they weren't alone. Three men stood near the break in the fence. The leading man looked to be a decade or so older than the two younger men. He carried himself with confidence, a five o'clock shadow and a chrome desert eagle. As soon as he saw Stiles and Scott he raised his weapon and trained it on Scott. He grinned and said, "Thank you Mr. Stilinski, the guys were right when they said you have great aptitude as a hunter."

Scott quickly turned to face Stiles as the rage swelled in him and Stiles could read the betrayal that was plastered across his face. Stiles quickly said, "I didn't do this, you have to believe me! I promise you, I am not a hunter."

Scott barely responded, "Stiles?"

Picking up on the distress, the elder hunter said, "Drop the act Stiles. We appreciate your help bagging another omega. Don't worry, he won't hurt another living soul, ever again."

Scott heard the clicking of the weapon and the last thing he saw before running back through the house was the look of guilt plastered across Stiles' face. Once inside Scott busted through the front window and ran to his alpha.

Chris grinned as he watched Scott run and nodded to his hunters to follow him while he kept his weapon trained on Stiles. "I didn't know you knew so many werewolves, Stiles."

Stiles closed his eyes and breathed deeply as the realization of events began to sink in. When he opened them, Chris had already lowered his weapon and put it back in the holster. Chris said, "We need to have a talk Mr. Stilinski."

Stiles quickly responded, "I'm sorry I made your follower look like an idiot and you can have the gun back, just leave my friends alone."

Chris grinned, "I don't want the weapon back. I have a proposal for you. One that I think will be equally beneficial for both of us."

Stiles spat, "I don't know how you can be offering me a proposal when I don't even know your name. Plus I know what you and your cronies do and I am not going to kill my friends."

The elder hunter nodded and said, "Perhaps we did get off on the wrong foot. My name is Chris Argent and I have to admire the dedication you have shown in your garden. You have potent varieties of monkshood that I didn't think could even be grown here."

Stiles sighed and mumbled, "It was my mother's garden."

Chris continued, "And we don't just kill werewolves indiscriminately. We live by a code, one that I think will help you come to the right decision. We hunt those who hunt us. I actually came to your house hoping to find clues to track down an alpha, one that is killing people."

Stiles gasped, "The dead girl."

Chris initially looked surprised but quickly regained his composure, "So you already know then? You are more resourceful than I thought."

Stiles mentally kicked himself and said, "What do you want, Chris?"

The hunter said, "For now, I want your help tracking down the alpha. In time you'll come to understand what kind of danger these so called friends of yours are but I understand how teenagers can view things in only narrow terms."

Stiles asked, "So you'll leave my friends alone?"

Chris nodded, "For now but you have to hold up your end of the bargain, otherwise I can't control how my men will handle things."

Stiles racked his brain for a moment before he decided, "Fine, I'll do it. I'll help you but only because that thing tried to kill me."

Chris smiled, "Good choice." He pulled out a two way radio and depressed the side button to talk and said, "Let the wolf go. We have all we need for the moment."

After a brief squelch they replied, "Affirmative. Returning to headquarters."

Chris walked up to Stiles and extended his hand, "I think you'll find that this is the best way for things to go."

Stiles bit back his anger and self-loathing as he grabbed Chris' hand and shook it. "If my friends get hurt, all bets are off."

After they finished shaking hands, Chris said, "Don't worry, I am a man of my word. I am going to take my leave, you have a lot to do before school tomorrow."

Stiles nodded a little and watched Chris exit the garden through the break in the fence. When he was confident that the hunter was gone he whispered, "What have I done?"