See Chapter 1 for all warnings.


To Save Them All

53

The FBI agent assigned to drive me to and from school, while maintaining a low profile so he can guard me, is stonily driving like a robot and he's going to stick out like a sore thumb at school. As much as I want to pound my head on the dashboard I know what it's like to be the one worrying about loved ones, so I let dad get away with this and grit my teeth.

Parking in the visitor spaces and making as splashy an entrance as he can I vaguely wonder how he even managed to make it through the training and exams. Maybe the fact the guy is clearly an idiot is why he can be spared from the manhunts going on to guard me.

Shaking my head I wander off to go and find my friends. And then I spot a potential problem. Chris Argent is standing with his daughter and I'm not sure if I should avoid him or just breeze up to them.

It wasn't my fault his wife pushed me down the stairs so I breeze up to them, "Hey guys," I chirp and pointedly don't look at Chris.

"STILES!" I'm enthusiastically greeted and hugged by everyone, well everyone but Chris who looks like he swallowed something sour.

"Stiles," Chris clears his throat, "If I could have a quick word?"

A few of my friends make token protests, but I'm right out in the open, there are plenty of witnesses and the archaic CCTV cameras to protect the teachers' cars to stop him doing something stupid.

We step just far enough away that human hearing won't make most of our conversation out, he looks really uncomfortable and I find it fun to cross my arms and wait for him. "I'm sorry," he mumbles, "I'm sorry Victoria broke the Code the way she did."

"Which time," I can be very annoying if I want to be, "When she poisoned the OJ, the black bean, the pudding, probably the coffee I never got a chance to drink, or would it be the time she dragged me out of bed and shoved me down the stairs?" He looks really guilty now.

"All of them. I still don't understand why she did it. You're not a threat to us, you're not rabid yet, you're very family orientated which will make for a stable Pack," he's confused again.

Sighing I drop my arms, I'm not really feeling confrontational about this, "Mr Bowman, I already told you, if you live your entire life only knowing one thing, one way to be, then that's all you'll ever do. Mrs B only knows hate and murder, she's been taught to hate werewolves with an unthinking racism, why would she let facts, the truth, or logic get in the way of that unrelenting hatred?" He blinks at me a bit stunned, "Why even look at the basis of that hate, or why you teach your children murder, torture, terror, and all the tools and skills of being serial killers. I'm actually surprised more of you don't snap like Kate and start destroying large swathes of the population whether they're human or werewolf. So it's not your fault your wife is the way she is, just don't expect me or my dad to come over any time soon, it's depressing to keep dodging murder attempts."

"I…" He's just standing there looking shocked so I walk off and leave him.

"Are you okay?" Allison hugs me and shoots her dad an angry glare.

"Yeah, your dad tried to apologise, and he really doesn't understand why your mom did what she did," I try to sooth Allison and my friends.

"I don't understand why she did what she did," Allison admits, "Who cares if you're gay? You're still you and there is a very lucky guy out there just waiting to find you," thankfully they all seem to think Allison's mom is just homophobic, which is handy.

"Thanks Allison," I hug her back, "You're a good friend."

Surrounded by my new circle of friends I get lead to my lock and we all get ready for classes. A few of the other kids are whispering and I zero in on their conversations, they've all heard about Allison's mom pushing me down the stairs and the fact that I'm gay, I'm now a hot topic of conversation.

For the first time ever a few of the girls actually talk to me, though the boys are acting weirder than normal and give me extra space. Bemused by the way teens work I wander down the corridor to the canteen when a hand grabs my arm and yanks me towards an empty classroom.

Lydia's lucky my werewolf senses realised it was her or else I could have hurt her badly. Instead I let her hustle me into the classroom and close the door behind us.

"Hey Lydia," I give her a goofy smile, I'm guessing I can pretend I was hiding my gayness by acting like I was in love with her, "How is my strawberry blonde goddess today?"

"You can drop the act Steven," she crosses her arms and glares at me.

"Stiles," I correct her.

"What?" She frowns in confusion.

"It's Stiles, not Steven," I go to leave but her hand clamps onto my arm and holds me in place, not that I couldn't break her hold, but I don't want to call too much attention to myself.

"Stiles, then. I want you to know that I'm not fooled by your little act of being gay," and I should remember to never underestimate her, the only advantage I have is that she's completely ignorant about werewolves.

"Act? Lydia your boyfriend's best friend is gay, how am I acting gay when I am gay? I like guys," I pull out of her grasp and move away acting offended.

"You might like guys Stiles, but you didn't fake the whole over the top crush on me thing either, I know when guys are really into me, and you were," she pauses as I mentally map out ways to escape from her, "Emphasis on 'were', because the first day in school you weren't yourself, in fact there are several anomalies that all seem to trace back to you."

Crap.

"Anomalies? Me? Lydia I'm just the idiot goof ball son of the Sheriff, there are no anomalies that don't involve ADHD and too much Adderall," I do my best to dismiss her and head for the door again.

"Then why aren't you on the Lacrosse team? I saw you on that field Stiles, you're better than all of them, even Jackson," Damn it, I keep going for the door, "I also saw the desk with the break in it when the girl was having a fit, there are plenty of anomalies Stiles and I will keep looking."

"Look all you want," I graciously tell her, "You won't find anything, because there is nothing to find, bye Lydia, have a nice life," I bow to her and go to sweep out of the room.

"Who is he? This boy you're in love with?" She asks and I freeze for just a second, but it's a second too long, "You are just as into girls as you are boys Stiles, so the only reason you'd be acting the way you are is if there was someone, other than me, that you're interested in, after all I've been the subject of your special brand of obsessive love for years…"

She smirks at me, "See I was right Stiles, and yes," she walks towards me slowly, "I will be watching you," she passes me with a flit of her hair, "And I will find out everything."

Shit.

She's gone and I mentally kick myself for underestimating her. I won't make that mistake again, she's only going to see Stiles from now on and I act like nothing's wrong in the canteen where I sit with my friends and put up with the idiocy of teens and their hormone fuelled logic.

The agent is there to drive me home and when I get in I dive onto Peter's bed and curl against his side. He's on my laptop again but he lifts up an arm so I can snuggle into him. Lydia was totally right, there is a guy and I am totally into him.

"So how was your day?" Peter asks as he absently taps on the keyboard.

"Okay I guess, being a teenager again sucks, I preferred being an adult, yes I had to work and keep the money coming in, but god it was better," I whine and dodge the Lydia problem, I have it under control, everything's going to be fine.

"Well it won't last, you'll graduate in a few years," he points out, "Then you just have to survive college again," he smirks and I mock growl at him.

"Yeah? Well this time I'm not traipsing around the country for college, I'm going to the community one nearby," I rest my head on his shoulder, "If teenagers are bad I dread to think what college kids are like," I shudder and he chuckles.

After yesterday's little outburst Peter's being more approachable and I'd say more invested in life too. He and Derek are tentative around each other but again they're rebuilding their relationship and that's something I never thought I'd live to see.

I might be stuck as a teenager, but life is good right now.


A/N: Sorry for any and all mistakes, I've tried to catch those I could, but I'm only human.