EAD - Lord Paddington
November 2012

Son,

If you are reading this, the worst has happened and I am either dead or missing, likely due to the actions or inactions of Alpha McCall. (Or you broke into my office just after I finished writing it in which case read no further and forget you saw this letter.)

I know your instincts are demanding you to protect Beacon Hills and to stick with Scott but you need to ignore those instincts, they aren't yours, they are a side effect of being bound to the Nemeton. In the USB drive in the envelope, you will find evidence showing how Scott with help from Deaton either caused or contributed to the deaths of Lydia, Danny, Peter, Chris, Jackson and Ethan, all who openly doubted his claims of being a True Alpha. None of this evidence is useable as he has used his father and his father's contacts to get the evidence dismissed. I have also been told by Jordan that Scott used an alpha order to banish both Derek and Cora from Beacon Hills and they were both specifically banned from contacting you or anyone else in Beacon Hills. They are currently unaware Peter was killed.

I have left contact details on the USB drive for your Uncle Clive. He is aware of the supernatural word and he is also a spark, he has a plan to keep you safe, you need to go to him, leave behind all your trackable electronics, use the cash Mr. Elworthy will give you and just run. You need to ask your Uncle Clive to help hide you from all magical searches as Deaton is more powerful than he lets on and he will go out of his way to hunt you down. They are trying to discredit you and anyone loyal to you before they kill you so they can take control of the Nemeton.

The lawyers will take care of selling everything and they will send you the money via your uncle's lawyers so it is all untraceable.

I love you my little mischief more than anything and I am sorry I couldn't get us away fast enough. Be safe and live your best life.

Noah

Stiles sat back in his seat in shock. He looked up at the lawyer and he asked, "Do you have copies of the evidence printed out or a computer I can use to review it?"

The lawyer, a Mr. Harvey Elworthy, handed over a folder. He explained, "This is all the evidence Noah was able to collect, some of it was not able to be used as it exposes the supernatural world, but Agent McCall was able to get the rest dismissed through the various judges he has blackmailed over the years."

Stiles glanced through the various bits of evidence in the folder before he closed it and he sat back in his chair and sighed, he knew in his heart it was all true he just didn't want to believe the that the man he was so loyal too was so duplicitous.

Mr. Elworthy cleared his throat to get Stiles' attention then he asked, "Would you like us to book you transport to London? Your Uncle Clive is staying in the Paddington townhouse for the winter."

Stiles nodded his agreement. He confirmed, "I left my phone and laptop at the house, both are turned off, the only electronics I have on me are a couple of portable hard drives one contains my bestiary and grimoire and the other has my college notes from my remote classes I was doing during my Junior year, my encrypted tablet that has the GPS function disabled and my kindle which is loaded with books and copies of my bestiary and grimoire, its a wifi kindle paperwhite with no GPS."

Mr. Elworthy turned to his laptop and as he was typing he said, "A driver will meet you in London to take you to your Uncle Clive, we have a passport for you to use under the name Antonius Dominic Paddington. The driver will have clothes for you suitable for winter in London and a burner phone for you to use while you are there." He pointed to a large manilla envelope on the edge of the desk and he explained, "The envelope contains cash both American and Euros in case of emergency, a burner phone you are to leave at the airport here and your passport. Our driver will have your tickets by the time we are done here and he will take you straight to the airport."

Stiles picked up the envelope from the lawyer's desk and he started removing the items within and he placed them carefully in his messenger bag he was carrying. He asked, "What paperwork do I need to sign so you can sell the house, apartment, and Roscoe?"

Mr. Elworthy handed over a pile of contracts which Stiles started to read through and sign. After fifteen minutes everything was signed and agreed upon and Stiles was being led out to the back of the law office to where a driver in a nondescript black SUV was waiting. The driver held the back door open and he handed over an envelope which contained tickets for a flight out of Sacramento Airport direct to London in the name of Antonius Paddington leaving in 6 hours. This was placed in his messager bag with his passport. He got into the back of the SUV and sunk back into the seat as he buckled in. He had a long few hours ahead of him on the drive to the airport.

When he was halfway between Beacon Hills and Sacramento Airport he picked up the burner phone and made a call to a number he had memorized from a long time ago.

"Hello?" Derek's voice came through loud and clear, after a few beats the voice again asked, "Stiles?" Stiles thought he sounded worried.

Stiles smiled and replied shakily, "Hey Sourwolf."

Stiles could almost hear Derek frown with his Eyebrows of Doom (Registered Trademark) down the phone as he asked, "What's wrong Stiles? Why are you calling?"

Stiles sighed and he asked, "I can't just call to say hi?"

"No Stiles," Derek huffed out, "I was told you hated me and to never contact you again."

Stiles smirked, "I could never hate you Sourwolf, many many things but never hate. Anyway, I was unaware of certain actions until an hour ago at the reading of Dad's will. I am now following his instructions and I am on my way out of town. I just called to say goodbye and thanks for all the times you saved me." Stiles paused unsure how to continue, "Derek, there is a law firm in L.A waiting for you to call with your postal details so the evidence dad had compiled on the deaths of certain pack members will be safe with you, they will also include new identities for both you and Cora. I will text you the details when we hang up. Use a proxy or two to bounce the package around just to be on the safe side please."

Derek asked, shocked, "Noah is dead?"

Stiles scowled and answered, "Yeah, but not just Dad." Stiles paused to take a few deep breaths to hold off the impending panic attack, he asked, "Were you told Peter is dead?"

Derek gasped out "No!", as much as he was angry at Peter's actions, Peter was one of his last remaining family members and he knew there would no resurrection this time.

"Sorry," Stiles sighed silently cursing Scott, "Scott told me he was killed trying to escape Eichen House and that he would notify you and Cora himself, but Dad's files say otherwise. The file contains evidence on the deaths of Peter, Lydia, Danny, Chris, Jackson and Ethan who have all died in the last two months. Officially the evidence has all been dismissed by various judges indebted to Agent McCall."

Derek asked sadly, "So many of the pack are dead, but, why send the files to me?"

Stiles shrugged and said, "I don't honestly know. I guess… think of it as a contingency. If whatever plan my Dad and my Uncle have cooked up fails, someone I trust needs to have the info when shit really hits the fan."

There was silence on the line, which was suddenly broken when Derek quietly asked, "Will I hear from you again?"

Stiles slumped back in his seat and confirmed, "No, I don't think so, I need to disappear before Scott's plan to frame me for several murders actually works, and as much as I miss you and would love to disappear with you I don't think that's on the cards. Look, I don't think any of us are safe, I know Chris has hidden Isaac away under a new identity, I think you and Cora need to do the same. Drop your phone and anything else electronic after you have the package, do me this one favor and live, stay living and stay safe."

Derek agreed with a simple quiet, "Ok Stiles, as long as you do the same in return."

Derek didn't have the heart to tell Stiles that Cora had vanished a week ago. He was still searching for her but he wasn't holding out much hope that she was still alive, he heard the blip in Alpha Alverez's heart when he relayed the story of her disappearance. The lie when he said that no one in her pack had been able to follow her trail. Derek hated that he didn't know about any of the pack deaths since Scott suppressed his pack bonds.

Stiles whispered a quiet, "Love you Sourwolf." Then he hung up, he sent off the text with the lawyer's details before he took the burner phone apart. Once he got to the airport he would destroy it and drop the pieces into various bins throughout the terminal.

He leaned back in his seat and he just stared out the window, stubbornly ignoring the tears slowly making tracks down his cheeks.

-x-

By the time Stiles arrived at the Paddington Townhouse in London he was exhausted, he couldn't sleep for long on the plane due to nightmares and no matter what he tried he couldn't get his body out of the state of alert he had slid into when he left the lawyer's office in Beacon Hills.

Clive Paddington took one look at Stiles and he asked, "Noahs gone?"

Stiles nodded with a lone tear tracking down his cheek. Clive stepped forward and pulled Stiles into a hug. Stiles clung to his Uncle taking in all the comfort he could. In the space of two months he has lost everyone important to him, they were either killed or he has had to let them go for their own safety.

"I don't understand," Stiles ground out through his tears, "I don't understand why he had to die too."

Clive shook his head, "The actions of the misguided can not be easily understood, nephew." Clive turned and with his arm around Stiles' shoulder, he led him to a cozy and warm living room deeper into the townhouse.

He gestured Stiles towards one of the large Chesterfield sofas facing the fireplace and he moved to an intercom on the wall. He ordered, "Ashton, please bring through the hot chocolate and snacks." Before he moved to seat himself opposite Stiles.

Stiles looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and raised an eyebrow.

Clive smirked and said, "In terms you would understand, Ashton is my Alfred. There are other servants here but they are managed by Ashton and his assistant. If you need anything while you are here just use the intercom."

Stiles nodded to show he understood then he sat back and he asked, "Why didn't mom talk about you or the rest of her family?"

Clive shrugged, it looked out of place on the aristocrat, he tried to explain, "I think it stems from losing her sister when she was young. Claire was killed when Claudia was at university. She was studying history, she wanted to research our roots, where sparks came from. After Claire was killed she withdrew and transferred to one of the colleges in California to finish her degree. I don't know if she wanted to be closer to Claire who ran away to the states to marry her husband or if she just wanted out of the life we have here as Claire did."

Stiles frowned and said, "Stanford, she went to Stanford and she finished her history and medieval studies degrees. What were she and Claire running from? She always refused to answer when I asked why she left England."

Clive waited until Ashton had placed the hot chocolates and snacks down on the table between the two sofas before he answered, "What do you know of the Paddington family?"

Stiles shook his head and he simply said, "Nothing."

Clive sighed and he started to explain, "The Paddington family is known for being a long line of powerful sparks. We are normally raised as guardians."

Stiles held up his hand and he interrupted his Uncle when he asked, "Guardians of what exactly?"

Clive looked at Stiles and sighed as he said, "Nemeta."

Stiles slumped in his seat and he exclaimed, "Fuck! So that's why mom was drawn to Beacon Hills?"

Clive reluctantly nodded. "She didn't realize until you were all settled in Beacon Hills that she was being drawn there. The local wolf pack had hidden the Nemeton under some fairly hefty wards. It is my belief though that her ability to bond with the Nematon is what lead to her murder."

"Someone worried it would be taken out of their control?" Stiles pondered quietly, almost a whisper, "The pack or the druid? Hard to tell since she died before the fire."

Clive nodded, "So while you believe she died of a disease, dementia wasn't it? Our investigation showed she was actually poisoned by magical means."

Stiles asked, "And you worry that whoever killed mom has their targets set on me?" He looked down at his hands, "They have systematically taken away everyone important to me, Dad, Derek, Peter, Chris, Lydia.

Clive smiled sadly, "Noah always said you were smart as a whip. We have kept in touch, he knew of your mothers magic, he wasn't sure if you had yours but he was pretty sure you had found out you were a spark."

Stiles nodded, pausing to take a sip of his hot chocolate, he confirmed, "I was told by the local druid Alan Deaton that I was a spark."

Clive's eyes blazed, "What? He knew?"

Stiles nervously nodded, "He said he could sense my spark."

Clive stood and started pacing, he turned to face Stiles and said, "A druid, not even a darach, would be able to sense the magic of a spark, only a mage or a dark warlock would be able to detect your spark."

Stiles asked, "So it's likely the cryptic fucker is the one behind dad's death."

Clive stopped pacing and he asked, "How did Noah die."

Stiles shrugged and said quietly, "I don't know, I was notified by Jordan, one of his deputies, that he was attacked and that he died quickly. Jordan wouldn't give me further details, said he couldn't while it was still being investigated. Two days later the will was being read and I left town. Dad's lawyer said you had a plan to keep me safe and alive."

Clive sat and with a serious look he said, "I plan to hide you in time."

Stiles raised an eyebrow and he snarked, "Seriously Uncle Clive? How will that work? Won't they just be able to find the older version of me?"

Clive snorted and shook his head, he explained, "You won't be you. Did you know you had a cousin? Claire's son, Anthony Dominic DiNozzo. Claire died when he was 8, he died in a hazing incident at a boarding school when he was thirteen." Clive saw the look of contemplation flit across Stiles' face, followed swiftly by the look of intense planning. Clive interrupted his train of thought when he cleared his throat and said, "You do realize there are rules? That you won't be allowed to change events."

Stiles huffed an exasperated "Of course there is." He rolled his eyes and he asked, "What rules?"

Clive smiled and started to list the rules, "Your memories of events will be blocked when you arrive by my younger self, you will live your life as Antonius Dominic DiNozzo in the USA, Paddington when in England, my younger self will adopt you and you will be my heir for the Earldom. Your cousin was due to move to Rhode Island Military School when the hazing incident happened. We will cast a few spells on you before we send you back, so you match in age and general description. To be honest the only real difference between you both is your eye color and your hair will need to grow out a bit. You will remember that you time traveled and the people you knew but not how you met or major events in your lives."

Stiles asked, "What about Anthony's father? Won't he notice a son still living in the States when he knows his son died?"

Clive shook his head and scoffed, "That conman didn't even notice when he left Anthony behind in a hotel in Hawaii for three days when he was 12, it wasn't until his accountant canceled his credit card for fraudulent charges that the abandonment was noticed. He disowned Anthony soon after. You will spend your breaks between semesters here with my younger self being trained in both your duties as a peer and in magic."

Stiles frowned and said sardonically, "Well he sounds like a great dad. I guess that's why you will adopt me huh."

Clive smirked and said, "He married Claire for her money, he didn't realize that my father cut her access to most of it when they married. He believed that as she was not the heir to the earldom she only got a small trust fund."

Stiles snorted and he asked, "And he believed that?"

Clive nodded. He looked at Stiles messenger bag and he asked, "Have you got chargers for everything in there? I know you don't have a phone or laptop, just your encrypted tablet, your kindle, and a couple of portable hard drives?"

Stiles nodded, he said, "A laptop would be great but a lot harder to hide, both my tablet and kindle have cases that make them look like old books. The tablet case has room for various cables. Given my penchant for collecting old books, it won't seem out of place and I can hide them in my bookshelves when I am not using them. Oh, my dads lawyer said he would take care of sending you my book collection. Peter had helped me collect quite a few rare books about sparks and various supernatural creatures before he was killed. I have scanned a lot of them to add to my personal bestiary along with my copies of the Hale and Argent bestiaries but the books themselves are quite valuable and I wanted them to go to a good home."

Clive reassured Stiles, "I have a grand library they will find a good home in. A safe home. Are they safe now? Won't Scott remove what he perceives to be pack property from your house when he realizes you are missing?"

Stiles shook his head, chuckled as he said, "He can try. Thankfully neither Scott or his emissary know the location of Peter's apartment where I had everything important stored."

Clive asked, "Noah mentioned Peter gave you some bearer bonds?"

Stiles blushed and said, "I forgot I told Dad that. I got pretty drunk after we cremated Peter, he didn't want a funeral. I have them here with me. Peter's various bank accounts have been split between me and Derek, Cora said she didn't want any of it. The lawyer will be sending that through to your lawyers to reduce the risk of them tracking me down by the money trail."

Clive pulled out his phone and he confirmed, "I already received the estimated amount from your dad's lawyer, which includes the estimates from the sale of the house and the apartment, which will be added to your trust fund when you arrive in the past. Invest it, I am sure you paid some attention to companies that did well as you grew up." He noticed Stiles trying to stifle a yawn, "For now, time for sleep, once you have had a decent sleep we will figure out what spells we will need to change you to Antonius Dominic DiNozzo-Paddington heir to the Earldom of Moynihan before we prepare for the time travel ritual."

Stiles stood and stretched, he said, "Lead me to a bed and I am sure I will sleep for a week."

Clive called for Ashton and Stiles was led to a room with a huge comfortable bed. Ashton reassured Stiles, "Your uncle has activated the war wards, nothing is getting in. Get some real sleep kiddo. The intercom is on the wall, call me if you need anything, any time day or night, my kind doesn't sleep."

Stiles nodded, not really taking in what was said as he stripped down to his boxers and climbed into the bed, he tucked his messenger bag under his pillow for safekeeping before passing out into an exhausted slumber.