See Chapter 1 for all warnings.
To Save Them All
29
"Hello," Allison says openly and sweetly, because that is Allison as she is now, she's not learnt to be wary of strangers, or her family.
"Sweetheart you're hurt," and Gerard is a past master of looking absolutely harmless and like a sweet old man who only has your best interests at heart.
"I'm fine," and to my surprise she takes a step back from him, clearly some survival instinct is kicking in for her. "I'm sorry I don't know who you are and I'm just waiting for my dad to get here."
"Oh I'm sure Chris will be a while, he was always running late when he was a boy," Gerard's words have my hackles rising and wondering if he had anything to do with Chris' car trouble.
And I'm witness to that strange female intuition as both Allison and Erika move casually but suddenly they're both behind me. "Then Stiles will be happy to let me stay at his," Allison says calmly, "His dad the Sheriff will be home now," and there's her warning to him to back off because she has protection.
My admiration of women goes up another notch, and it's a pretty high bar to start with.
Her words also cause Gerard to look at me and my idiot mask is in place, the same mask I've been perfecting all my life, I hope it doesn't slip. Alan and Peter might be dangerous but they're hamstrung by what they want, Alan wants Scott so he'll play nicely to keep Scott, Peter wants revenge on the Argents but he also craves a Pack which gives me a chance to control him. Gerard wants to live and he has nothing else left to lose, he'll destroy anyone and anything to get what he wants.
"And you would be Stiles?" He doesn't sound impressed by me and I'm more than happy for him to overlook me.
"Yes sir, and my dad really is the Sheriff, do you need any help?" Because I'm just the idiot son who tries to be nice to people, and I really hope he says no and leaves.
"Yes," and my heart sinks, "I'm Allison's grandpa, I've not seen her since she was a little baby, I heard all about these terrible things happening and I just had to come and help my family."
"Grandpa?" Allison says and steps around me to get closer to Gerard, and this is all going to shit on my watch.
"Wow I didn't know Mrs Argent had called her dad," I deliberately act like I'm assuming he's Victoria's dad, "It's nice to meet you sir," I step in front of Allison again and hold my hand out like I really am glad to meet him.
For a few seconds his own amiable mask slips and then he blinks and it's back, "Oh no young man," he shakes my hand, "I'm Chris' dad. The young scamp is being his normal hard headed self and he's determined to stand on his own two feet," his face falls, "And with the dreadful news about Kate, family should come together in these trying times not pull apart," he's still very convincing, still very manipulative and there's no way I'm letting Allison anywhere near him.
"Yes sir," I pull my phone out and dial Chris' number as quickly as I can, once he hears his dad is here he'll flip out and hopefully keep her well aware from Gerard, "I'll let your son know you're here and then I can give you and Allison a lift…"
Another thing I forgot about Gerard is how fucking fast he is. He might look and act like a harmless geriatric but he's also been a deadly hunter since he was ten years old. One second I'm waiting for Chris to pick up his phone and answer me, the next I'm flat on my back staring up at the sky stunned with Gerard glaring down at me.
And then I flashback to the basement.
To Gerard leaning down over me as he punches me again and again, Erika and Boyd screaming in the background from the electricity, all of us helpless to save any of us.
"Stiles," That's Erika, she's kneeling next to me, "Lay still, you banged your head when Mr Argent attacked you," her voice is hard and I blink in confusion not really understanding what the hell just happened.
Why the hell am I on the ground?
Allison's on her phone, I can hear Chris' voice from the other side and my own dad's voice, they must be together somewhere, they're both urging Allison to stay put and stick with the teachers.
Teachers?
Coach Finstock is by Allison and being his normal crazed self, but in as caring a manner as he can be. The nurse pushes past him and comes straight to me, "Stiles, can you hear me?" She asks and I blink stupidly at her. "Somebody had better have called an ambulance," her voice is deadly and there's more light as people take a few steps back from me.
The moving crowd reveals Boyd standing with his back to me, and I blink a few more times as I realise he's in front of Gerard who's doing his best to appear harmless again. Only Boyd's stance is different to how mine was, he's balanced a lot better, this time Gerard won't be able to sweep Boyd's feet out from under him so easily.
Someone squeezes my hand and I glance over to find it's Erika, in a role reversal to when she had her fit she's not taking care of me and this is all wrong, I'm supposed to be taking care of them, I'm a werewolf now I'm not supposed to be knocked out or whatever the hell happened to me.
Shit.
"Stiles, breathe," Erika rubs my shoulder, "You're okay," except I'm not and my breathing is getting faster and faster, the far too familiar symptoms of an impending panic attack are getting stronger and my mind is starting to flash back to that fucking basement, how it smelt, the feel of the floor under me, the sounds.
"Inhaler," I gasp and hope Erika knows what I mean, she lets me go and I mentally flounder as the wolf rises quickly, I'm under threat and it wants to burst out. My placebo inhaler is placed in my hand and then Erika helps me take a few puffs from it, and the panic recedes enough for me to think, even as my ears catch the sound of approaching sirens.
I just have to hang on long enough and they'll take me away from here, I can go home and regroup.
No one is letting Gerard go anywhere and even though he's a supposedly sweet old man he broke cover enough that he's spooked people. Which is good because I'm kind of a mess right now, in fact I'm shaking too, I've not reacted like this to a fight for decades.
"STILES!" That's dad he's nearly here.
"Over here Sheriff Stilinski!" Allison calls out.
"ALLISON!" And Chris is here too.
"Chris," Gerard goes into gentle mode but his son is having none of it.
"Get away from Allison," Chris is back into icy mode as he charges in to stand by Allison, "Don't you ever come near me or my family again."
"Son…" Gerard tries but my dad is here now, in uniform and with two deputies.
"Stiles," and I don't resist as my dad kneels down and takes my other hand, he looks so worn out and worried, "What happened?"
"The man that said he was Allison's grandpa used his walking stick to take Stiles' legs out from under him when Stiles said he was going to phone Mr Argent," Erika says clearly and her voice carries. "It was like a fight scene from a movie," she sounds a little awed, "I've never seen anyone move like that in real life," her hand tightens on mine, "Stiles hit his head on the ground and got knocked out for a few seconds.
Except I'm a werewolf and knocking me out is much harder to do than if I were human.
Just how hard did I hit my head?
A/N: Sorry for any and all mistakes, I've tried to catch those I could, but I'm only human.
