The knock on the door was brief and functionary. Rafael made a short, distracted sound of admittance and didn't look up from his work.
"Agent McCall? There's a man here to see you?"
"Who?"
"Ah he didn't-hey!"
Rafael looked up. There was a well dressed, dark-blond haired man standing in the doorway with the surprised deputy.
"Excuse me, who are you?" he demanded, standing up.
The man smiled, impeccable.
"Let's just say that I am an expert in the field of certain monthly habits of a select few" he said smoothly, gesturing grandiosely with one hand. Rafael froze and eyed him. His palm itched as he flicked his gaze to the frowning deputy. Quickly, he smoothed his features.
"Ah, yes, the consultant. The Donovan case. I am so sorry, it's been a crazy morning. Why don't you take a seat, mister...?"
The stranger smiled brightly and moved forward with the liquid grace of a predator.
"Thank you so much"
Rafael gritted his teeth and looked at the deputy, who was still frowning in the doorway.
"Thanks, deputy, ahh...that'll be all" he stumbled.
With a grunt, the other man left, and Rafael returned his attention to the man now sitting across from him, fingers forming a polite steeple, blue eyes piercing and intelligent.
"So. Who are you?" Rafael demanded, leaning on his desktop so he could loom over the other man. He smiled again, in the way of a fox about to devour a chicken.
"I am...interested in securing your son's wellbeing. What more do you need to know?"
"Everything" McCall hissed, knuckles whitening on the desktop. The man smirked.
"Starting with your name"
The corner of the smirk dropped an touch. He gave a short, sharp, resigned sigh and dropped his hands to the arms of the chair.
"My name is Peter Hale. And no, I'm not dead. I mean I was, briefly, but this is hardly the place to discuss that"
Rafael's eyes widened and he straightened, reaching for his piece from under his jacket. Peter raised a hand to halt him.
"Now, now don't do that! Don't do that. Let's, discuss this. Like adults. Hm?"
"You turned my son into...you tried to kill my wife"
"Ex-wife, and no. I never would have hurt Melissa. I quite like her. At one time I wanted her by my side-" Rafael had the gun on the desktop, safety off, before Peter could finish. He showed his hands in surrender.
"-but, I see that is, not what you'd like to hear, so. Let's talk about Scott"
He clapped his hands together like an overly chirpy therapist.
"You ruined his life"
Peter dropped the brightness immediately.
"I made him better. Greater. Stronger. No more asthma, the chance at the girl of his dreams...and boy too I am lead to understand. He's a busy man, your son. He's a sporting hero, first line at lacrosse, captain of the team. What more could a teenage boy want?"
"A normal life" Rafael spat.
"Normal?-" Peter snorted derisively.
"-Human. Pathetic"
He leaned forward, prompting Rafael to flinch backwards.
"You've seen what we can do, Agent McCall. We're stronger, faster, than you could ever imagine. It's a gift...that is, wasted on youth. I could show you this world"
"I don't think I'm interested"
Peter smiled that terrible, cold smile of his again. He raised a hand slowly and tapped his ear.
"I can hear you lying, Agent McCall. I think you're very interested"
There was a long pause and the two faced off silently across the desk. Minutely, Rafael let himself sink back down into his chair. Peter leaned back, crossing his ankle onto his knee and resting his laced fingers on the raised leg.
"I thought only an Alpha could turn someone into..." said Rafael slowly.
"Ah. Yes, there is that. Which is why I am here, and I see already that you're concerned for Scott's welfare. Being an Alpha is such a terrible responsibility"
Rafael leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
"What exactly are you saying?"
"Scott is only a boy, Rafael-sorry, may I, call you Rafael?"
The FBI Agent narrowed his eyes.
"Go on" he said instead.
Peter smiled humbly and unwound his long legs, speaking persuasively with his hands.
"So very, very young. He should be given the chance to enjoy his life, to make mistakes, and explore. You can't do these things as an Alpha. Every decision you make is life or death. Every little action has severe consequences. Scott will never be able to go to a party, never be able to forget about life for a while. He must be strong and able and constantly on his guard. The things they've been fighting? It's only just the beginning. Do you really want to level such a burden at your own son?"
The words struck hard inside Rafael. He scratched the back of his neck, thinking of the slouched line of Scott's shoulders, of the blood all over his arms the night at Derek's loft. How cold his eyes were when he leapt heedlessly out of the window to Isaac's aid. He raised hand and rasped it over his eyes and mouth, a deep, thoughtful furrow dividing his forehead.
Finally, he looked back at Peter, who had been silent the whole time.
"What's your plan?"
"Well, you'll forgive me if I don't show all my cards at once. Scott and Stiles are, after all, not my biggest fans"
"From what I hear, they have good reason not to be...Jesus, wait, you? You're the one who tried to bite Stiles"
He remembered the wide eyes and clenched jaw of the boy in the forest, the way his shoulder had defensively hunched.
"I offered-" Peter insisted firmly, and then softened with a smile.
"-but can you imagine? Stiles is already a force to be reckoned with, purely on guts and intellect. Give him strength and speed and ability...he'd be unstoppable"
Rafael suppressed a shudder at the very thought.
"So what? You're obviously offering to be the Alpha in Scott's place but...-"
"...well, normally a Beta becomes an Alpha by killing one, but I didn't kill anyone. I just, sorta, became...an Alpha. Like I decided or something
"-...how exactly do you think Scott is going to enjoy his life if he's dead" said Rafael harshly, remembering Scott's words.
"I don't want to hurt Scott. You see, Rafael, I bit him, I turned him. He is mine to protect, he's...like a son to me" Peter vowed fervently. "There are other ways of going from one to the other. After all, Derek is no longer Alpha and he is very much alive"
"You're saying that you could—what—take away, Scott's Alpha...powers?" he fumbled for the right word, but Peter didn't seem to notice. He nodded seriously.
"Very much so. Scott could have all the perks and none of the responsibility"
Rafael clenched his hands together and rested his elbows on the desktop. Peter smiled again, rose and brushed himself off.
"Well, I'll leave you to contemplate...ah, but...before I do..."
He looked up at Peter from under his furrowed brows.
"Fifteen year old Paige Johnson. Animal attack, 2003"
"Why would I care about an animal attack?"
"Disappointing, Agent McCall. You've been here long enough to be suspicious of any death in Beacon Hills that the coroner rules 'animal attack', surely"
There was a very sharp point centered on his nose when Rafael walked into his hotel room that night.
"Whoa! What the-!"
"Shut up. Where is he?"
It was Allison Argent, levelling a crossbow at the middle of his face, her hair pulled back, exposing her sharp, angular features. He flicked on the light with one of his raised hands, replying crossly.
"I don't know what you're-"
"Bullshit! Where is Peter Hale?" she snarled, stepped even closer. His back hit the door as he avoided the weapon.
"Allison, I don't know what you're talking about, now put that down before I make you!"
She made a disbelieving sound, but she lowered the crossbow, pointing the steel-tipped bolt at the ground. Movement behind her made Rafael realise she wasn't alone; Lydia was standing by the kitchenette.
"How the hell did you get in here?" he demanded, more shaken than he was willing to admit.
The girls ignored him.
"Peter's back in Beacon Hills. You told us you'd tell us if he showed up again. Instead, my Dad tells us that he saw him. Some asset he's turned out to be" Allison turned at last to Lydia, gesturing at Rafael with her crossbow.
Lydia didn't reply. She was staring right at Rafael, and he swallowed when he saw her face. This was not the flawless, ruthless being who'd cornered him in a coffee shop. She was paler than he'd ever see her, her face completely unmasked, like somebody had shaved her features down to the bone.
"Did you know, or not?" she asked.
"Know wh-about Hale? No. Of course not!"
Allison looked frustrated.
"Should've bought Isaac" she muttered.
"Who's side are you even on?!"
"Scott's! I am on Scott's side! I want what is best for my son"
Lydia made a wounded sound.
"That's how he'd make it sound. Oh God-" she whimpered.
"-That's how Peter would sell it"
"Sell what?" said Rafael, confused at her weakness.
"Anything! Whatever it is that he's up to. He'd use you!"
"Why him? We don't even trust him" said Allison.
Rafael almost defended himself, and then realised she was right, and went quiet. Lydia was looking right at him, direct and penetrating, like she was trying to burrow inside his soul.
"I was the one who bought Peter Hale back from the dead. Perks of being a wailing woman, a banshee. I've got a direct private line to the other side" Lydia began, hugging her middle.
"You have no idea what Peter Hale is capable of. He crawled inside my head, McCall, and he played in there like a rabid dog. If I find out that you've been lying to us...the consequences will not be pretty, do you understand?"
"I am an Federal Agent, Miss Martin, you should really rethink threatening me" he blustered.
"I am not threatening you" she told him softly, and followed Allison out the door.
