When it all falls apart

Chapter Nine

"So, how did it go with Scott?" Stiles's dad asks him when they go out for lunch later that day. Stiles shrugs behind his curly fries, not really knowing how to answer it.

"He talked, I listened and… I don't really know, dad."

John looks up from his salad and raises an eyebrow, but Stiles doesn't elaborate further, just shrugging again. The Sheriff seems to accept that as an answer, and Stiles is left with his own thoughts.

It's not that he hates Scott or anything, it's just that they aren't friends anymore, and that is kind of a fact. It sucks and all, but it's life. Adult life even – how many people can actually say they're still friends with the people they used to hang out with when they were still in High School? Not that many. That they would all still be friends is just an unreasonable expectation Scott has – he still has Isaac, and Boyd and, well, Derek, in a way, since they guy was there for a long while during school. The guy should just… let it go.

He did.

Kinda.

Sure, his best friends are still Jackson and Lydia, but… Well, yeah, he knows he doesn't really have a leg to stand on here, but he doesn't want to deal with Scott, and pack, and all of that stuff anymore.

He finishes up lunch with his dad, and they go their separate ways – John to pick up some things he would need in his house, now that Vanessa is gone (and her stuff is gone too), and Stiles goes home, to deal with planning this week's lessons.

The week goes by with no further incident, except that Scott now has his number, and he had texted him a couple of times – it isn't bad, but it is a bit annoying. He answers, though, because he doesn't want to be rude.

Remodeling on Lydia and Jackson's new place is done that week, and the couple would be moving in by Thursday, which would be great – for all that he tried very hard not to whine and complain too much during the past year, he really does miss having them around, and he has a feeling everything will be better now that they'd be living close by again.

All in all, it isn't a bad week – although Laura and Kate terrorized some of their classmates, and he has to take a mental note to talk to Derek and also Kate's parents as soon as he has the chance about talking to the girls at home that you shouldn't call your classmate an egghead just because he liked wearing yellow hats.

Lydia and Jackson move back that weekend, and they have a barbecue on their new place to celebrate it on Sunday – it's a bit awkward, because Jackson doesn't really keep in touch with his parents all that much, and Lydia's mom had decided to come at the last minute, which meant Lydia had invited her dad too, and they hadn't really been in speaking terms since their divorce in Lydia's freshman year in college.

John hadn't told anyone about his separation from Vanessa, so there are a lot of awkward pauses during lunch, but everyone goes home in one piece, and that's more than they can ask for, usually.

"I swear to god, next time we're hosting this kind of thing at your place," Lydia mutters once the parents are all gone, and it's just the three of them in the kitchen. Jackson is piling up plates as the other two watch, because Lydia had prepared all the salads, and Stiles had manned the grill.

"Eight people can't fit in my place. There's barely room enough for me in my place."

"Exactly," Jackson pipes up from the sink, where's his rinsing the glasses to put them in the dishwasher, "They'll feel crowded and leave early."

"Or they'll feel suffocated and get even more ill-tempered," Stiles says somberly as Lydia laughs quietly.

"What was up with your dad, anyway? Is he feeling bad about Vanessa leaving? Is he ok?"

"He's fine, I think. He kind of says they hadn't been connecting right, and that she wanted stuff he couldn't give her… I don't know. I think… Well, to be quite honest with you, I think he was never really in love with her, he just didn't want to be alone in town. And now I'm back, so…" he shrugs, and Lydia sighs. She knows better than anyone how awkward and weird it can get to try and understand one's parents' love life. For all that Jackson's parents are a bit absent and all, as a couple they work marvelously. It's just the parenting thing they never really got a hang of.

"So…" she starts, changing the subject not to depress everyone in the kitchen, "Jackson and I are starting couples Pilates on Tuesday," she tells him with a smirk, and he doesn't have to be a werewolf to hear Jackson trying not to sigh and failing, "I read it's a great way to keep fit, plus, it'll help us bond as a couple."

Stiles bites his lip to keep form laughing as Jackson turns around and leans against the sink, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm a werewolf, I don't have the ability not to be fit."

"Plus, come on, Lydia, you two have been together since, what, freshman year of High School. If you bond any further, you'll be permanently fused together."

"You need to stop watching Gilmore Girls," she teases him.

"Says the woman who recognized where the quote is from," he teases back, and she smiles softly at him in a way he knows very, very well.

It's the smile she used to have before he ever got together with Danny, when he still thought that maybe the two of them could have a shot. It's the 'you can get anyone else, honey' smile – back then it was because of her, nowadays, it's because of Danny. He swallows dryly and, before she can start offering to introduce him to someone, or worse – decide he should come to Pilates class with her instead of Jackson, to meet cute people at the gym, he gets up from his stool, and hugs them goodbye, using his classes as an excuse.

She frowns, knowing exactly what he's doing, but lets it go, which is a blessing, because it's not always that Lydia just lets him be when she thinks she knows better than him.

He better get used to have her meddling around again, now that they're living in the same town once more.

When Stiles gets home, he takes a look around his place and sighs – there really isn't much in his new house, to be honest. A lot of his stuff from before is still in boxes in the small guest room, because he could never really unpack it all. It just kept getting harder and harder, and now it's like a part of him is boxed up forever in that room, and he can't even bear to get in there.

He has a feeling it won't last much, though, now that Lydia and Jackson are back in his life more permanently.

He honest to god doesn't really know how he feels about that.

X

Derek can't say he's surprised when Stiles asks him if he has the time to stay for a few minutes after class is over on Monday, so they can talk about Laura's and Kate's behavior towards some of their classmates, because surprised doesn't even begin to cover it.

He's astonished. He's flabbergasted. He's… He doesn't even know what he is.

So he takes Laura's backpack, and watches from the door as she plays with Kate and a few other kids, holding back a sigh – it's so strange to have your kid grow up and change, and he can't get over the fact that if her teacher hadn't called him, he would never know.

About ten minutes after he gets there, Kate's parents also arrive, together, and he has a feeling they got a call, while he was just asked to stay behind – which could mean it was more informal, or that Stiles is avoiding calling him.

Or it could mean none of those things, and he's just being paranoid, which is much more likely.

It takes about twenty minutes for all the kids to get picked up, and then Emily, Stiles's assistant, goes home, and it's just the four of them, while the two girls keep playing at the corner of the room.

They sit in front of Stiles's desk, and Derek takes the minutes it gets everyone to go through pleasantries to look at the guy – he looks tired, but content. He knows Lydia and Jackson moved back that weekend, so he must be happy his friends, his pack, are back with him. The fact that he smiles calmly at the three parents calms him down a little, and he takes a deep breath.

"Thank you for coming, I promise this won't take long at all, but I was always a fan of solving small things soon so they won't become a problem later on."

Derek tries hard to disguise his snort as a cough, and is only partially successful if the warning look Stiles sends him is any indication.

"Did anything happen with the girls?" he ends up asking, almost at the same time as Kate's mom speaks too.

"What did Kate do?"

Stiles smiles again, and shakes his head slightly.

"Everything is fine with the girls, and Kate didn't really do anything by herself," he pauses, seeming to be considering his next words carefully, "The two of them seem to have found it funny to call one of their classmates an egghead, because he likes wearing a yellow cap. While this isn't uncommon behavior for children, the fact remains that both Laura and Kate seem to be becoming leaders in their class – if they find something funny, the rest of the kids repeat it; if they invent a game, everyone wants to take part in it. And when they decide to pick on a classmate…"

"The whole class joins in," Kate's dad says in a tired voice, and Stiles nods.

"Exactly. Now, the girls aren't bullying him, per se, it's very likely they don't realize they could be hurting his feelings with this, and the whole class did many projects today on thinking before acting, and trying to put yourself in someone else's place, but I would like to ask you, if at all possible, to talk to the girls too – not in reprimand, but in a way to… incentive them to act in a more positive manner towards their classmates when possible. Children are children, but their personalities are clear at this age, and Laura and Kate have so much potential, they could use their leadership skills in a positive and bright way if encouraged."

"Do you think some kind of punishment is needed? Grounding, or taking away some of Kate's privileges?" Kate's mom asks, and Derek turns to look at her in surprise.

If he has to do that, he won't know where to start. He never grounded Laura – hell, he never really even reprimanded her.

Is he screwing up his kid? Is she growing up to be spoiled rotten, because he never took the time to realize he was raising a terror?

"I don't think so. Of course, this is up to how you usually deal with this kind of thing, but this kind of behavior is terribly common at their age. They are figuring out who they are, they are developing a whole separate life from their parents, or previous caretakers, it's perfectly normal that they act out – I just asked to talk to you now, so it won't keep happening to the point where it could actually be a systematic thing. As far as I'm concerned, you have nothing to worry about. Just talk to them, and I'm sure it'll be fine," Stiles finishes with a calming smile, and the other couple seems to buy it, asking if there's anything else, and taking Kate home after saying their goodbyes.

Laura is still engrossed in a book on the carpet at the corner, and Derek is having some trouble computing information right now.

"You look like you were hit by a truck," Stiles tells him with a small twist to his mouth – it's like he wants to laugh but won't allow himself to.

"It's just…" he pauses, not really knowing what's the appropriate behavior here, should he ask questions, is that even a part of Stiles's job as a teacher? "Does that happen a lot?" he ends up asking, and Stiles raises an eyebrow, clearly wanting him to clarify what he's referring to, "Parents asking you if they should ground their kids, I mean."

Stiles nods a bit, shrugging.

"A fair amount, yeah," he smiles, then, his eyes sparkling in amusement, "It's not just you, Derek, that is only now realizing that their kid is a separate person from yourself. You're not the only one going through a whole lot of 'My kid's never done this' or 'I didn't even know this was a thing'. It happens a lot, and first time parents usually freak out. Some run to their pediatrician to ask for advice, some run to their own parents, some turn to the teacher," he finishes with another shrug, and Derek nods slightly, releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding until now, "It's part of the job, and it does happen a lot more than you'd think. They aren't the first parents to ask me if their kid should be grounded, and you're not even the first one to freak out in my class this year."

"I bet I was the first one to go freak out at your house, though," his voice is slightly shaken, but Stiles laughs brightly at that.

"This year? Yup. Ever? Not even close."

It's Derek's turn to laugh then, but he sighs soon after, looking at Laura.

"So, you think I should just talk to her?"

"Yeah," Stiles agrees easily, "Laura is such a bright kid, she'll understand it's not cool – I actually think she already did, what with classes and all today. Now that she's loosening up a little more, it's common for her to act out a bit, test boundaries. It's what kids do. Just try to make it clear it's not cool because she could hurt someone else's feelings, but try not to guilt trip her, or make her feel guilty. Keep it light and simple, and you should be fine."

"Light and simple. Right," he nods and gets up, offering his hand to Stiles, smiling at him, and the other man answers in kind.

There's a tiny little part of him that doesn't really want to let go, but there's a knock on the door right then, and he jumps a little, startled, not even realizing how much he wasn't paying attention that he was caught by surprise.

"Hey! Came to pick you up for dinner, Lydia is in Math mood, I need someone to feed me," Jackson says from the door, and he and Derek nod at each other awkwardly.

Stiles smiles at his friend, but Derek isn't paying attention anymore – he calls Laura, thanks Stiles again, and leaves, leaving the two men to their conversation.

As soon as Laura is stripped to her chair, on their way home, Derek takes a deep breath, and nods to himself. He can do this.

"Honey, why did you call one of your classmates an egghead?"

She looks up from her backpack, where she is looking for something, and frowns at him.

"Because he was wearing a yellow hat! Eggs are yellow."

"Right," he tries to think of a positive way to tell her she shouldn't do that, but can't think of anything good, "Don't you think he'd be upset with that?"

"Why?" her frown deepens, "Yellow is pretty! And I like eggs! It's Kate's favorite food!"

Well, at least he now knows for sure that his kid isn't really mean, just bad at compliments.

The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree.

"Well, Mr. Stilinski thinks your classmate got a bit upset at that, because he didn't like it that all your other classmates were calling him egghead too. He doesn't know that you two like yellow. And eggs," he finishes, shaking his head at himself for having this conversation at all.

Raising kids is weird.

She is quiet for a moment, and he takes the time they are waiting for the traffic light to turn green to look at her on the backseat, where Laura seems to be considering something.

"Can I have a yellow hat?" she finally asks, and he smiles brightly, heading to the mall.

His kid is awesome.

X

"So, you make a whole thing about even talking to McCall, but being all buddy-buddy with Hale is ok?" Jackson's voice is teasing, and Stiles flips him off before getting his things.

"It's not like that. He was just freaking out about his kid being a person."

"Oh… Those freak outs, right," Jackson says, nodding along – he had been there for the first one of those, and it won't be the last.

"Plus, Derek never did anything against me back then."

"He bit me," Jackson's voice is a bit offended, but Stiles snorts.

"Yeah, because you asked."

"Fair enough."

Stiles is glad that as the years went by, they mostly managed to get over the crappy parts of their lives in Beacon Hills – Lydia doesn't have anything against any of them, Jackson doesn't really resent Derek – the only thing they were never really comfortable enough to joke around was Scott, but even that is such a minor inconvenience it's fine.

They end up heading to Stiles's dad's house, and settle down to watch old games and chat – Jackson loves John, who took to him easily enough back then, and the man always felt a little sorry for the boy whose dad knew his message wasn't really from him because it had 'I love you' at the end of it.

Tuesday is a good day – Laura comes in with a bright yellow hat and sits by Michael with a bright smile; Kate arrives five minutes later, frowns for about half a second before joining them, and the whole egghead thing is behind them, because that's how kids work.

He gets home, takes a shower, gets himself some food and sits in front of the TV to watch something relaxing (and if he really is binge watching Gilmore Girls it's none of Lydia's business), when, at about eight, there's someone knocking rapidly at his door.

He admits he's a bit scared, but when he looks through the peephole, he sees Lydia and Jackson.

They get in and he notices Lydia is silently fuming, while Jackson looks a mixture of worried and pissed off.

"What is it?"

"You're going to have to call Hale, and ask for a meeting with us or something. I don't know how this is supposed to work."

"What? Why?" he asks, frightened already.

"Well, because we said we wouldn't get into any of this supernatural crap, and I'm pretty sure the Pilates instructor is some kind of electricity demon," Jackson says.

Damn Beacon Hills, man.