CHAPTER 29

Promise

"What are you doing, Mar?" Stiles questioned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Mars looked up from his computer screen, quickly exiting all tabs of incognito exploration. Mars was sitting up beside him, he laid his head on her lap so he could see. "You've seen this show a hundred times." He mumbled, making himself comfortable, Freaks and Geeks was a mutual love of theirs.

"Bill was the first love of my life." Mars noted, playing with the short hair on his head.

"Were you up all night?" Mars unplugged the headphones from the jack and nodded. Despite his concern he mumbled "What time is it?"

Mars looked at her phone; "8:45"

"Early." He commented. "Aren't you tired?"

"No."

Stiles noticed her distance. "Are you okay?"

"I'm deeply annoyed," She noted, transfixed on the screen and acting like she didn't want to be disturbed.

He made himself comfortable. " I'll stop talking then."

"No, you won't."

"Yeah, probably not."

His face fell. "Well if you must talk, at least say something worth listening to." She shut the computer, moving it to the bedside table.

Stiles didn't move though. "You're in a pissy mood"

"I'm always in a pissy mood."

"Yeah, that's very true." They both went silent. Stiles had a lot on his mind, a lot of questions that he needed answers to. He wasn't afraid to ask, he was used to her lashing out on him. "Uh, what happened with you and dad?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I talked to him yesterday he was stressed and quiet and… not very dad." Stiles felt her tense.

"He's got a lot on his plate."

"Yeah, I know, but I have a feeling it has something to do with you getting put in custody? What happened?" He was gentle in his questioning. It upset her more than if he'd been forceful.

He intentionally neglected to mention how the night went on his end. The deep-rooted dread he had when they were separated at the school and the subsequent panic attack in front of Lydia.

He'd thought Mars was dead, it was like someone had killed him too when he'd realized it. He had to know how she got away.

"I don't want to talk about it." Mars shook her head, trying to calm down her stomach.

Stiles sat up swiftly, becoming twitchy in his frustration. "You never want to talk."

Mars got up, putting pants on. "I have to bring Da's car back. I'll get the booze while I'm out. Meet you and Scott later?" She didn't wait for a response, she was already halfway out the door by the time she finished her sentence.

"Mars, come on." Stiles jumped up and went after her, turning Mars around once her got hold of her arm. "You can't just shut me out-" He lamented. "Again."

He ran a hand down over his face in the same fashion Sheriff was prone to. His frustration was rapidly getting the better of him. "We're supposed to tell each other everything." He wouldn't let her eyes leave his.

Why was she being like this? He couldn't comprehend it. He'd been through everything with her, he knew everything about her, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what happened along the way that made her how she was now.

He missed the old her, the Mars who was full of joy and could move mountains and loved so deeply she couldn't stand the butterflies in her stomach with nearly everyone she met. In that moment, Stiles realized something he should have a long time ago.

That girl was gone.

And he was in mourning.

Mars' shoulders fell away with her cool demeanor. "Sheriff thought I was on something, I wasn't this time. I freaked out. There's nothing to tell. If you want to know so bad, ask one of the 20 people that saw it." The walls re-emerged as quickly as they'd fallen.

"I'm so sorry that happened."

"The worst part-" She had to stop talking for a moment to hold back the tears. "-The worst part was knowing that because I was the one to get help, you were going to die. I thought, for 10 hours, that you were dead. And it was my fault."

They sat down on the stairs together, his arm around her waist and leaning her head against his shoulder. She didn't cry. She knew he didn't say anything because she was right. She was convinced of it. "I didn't die though, Mars. I'm okay."

"I know. But what if you weren't? What then?"

He hesitated, his grip tightened for a second. "I know I tried to talk to you before- and you said I shouldn't worry- but I am. I'm very friggen worried about it."

"About?"

"You know what." She did know, she knew very well. So much so that the tremor in her hand would have reminded had she forgotten.

"Stiles." She caught his attention. "What happened with your dad… it was a wakeup call. I'm going to calm down, okay?"

"Can you promise me?"

"I promise. Nothing but alcohol, which I will only drink with you."

"I'm holding you to it."

"Good." She stood. "I do have to bring the car back." He let her go this time.

She drove home, the music so loud she wouldn't have been able to hear a banshee scream let alone her own thoughts. She intentionally left the volume on as loud as possible for her father when he turned the car back on.

She brought the car keys inside, dropped them on the kitchen counter and headed to her room. She changed into clean clothes and wiped off her makeup. She made sure Doc was fed and kissed him before heading back for the door.

"It wasn't very kind to leave just as I got here, you know." Teta's thick accent came from behind her.

Mars stopped, the muscles in her back tensing before walking back into the kitchen where her grandmother sat on a barstool. "I didn't feel I had much of a choice."

"There is always a choice, Tera." Mars didn't want yet another lecture, but kept the thought close to her chest. "What's all this about?"

"It's not important." Mars couldn't relax, she'd just been ambushed by Stiles, it seemed like it would never end.

"You were arrested again, I'm going to disagree." Mars thought this wasn't like Teta, frankly, Mars didn't know Teta knew about any of the previous arrests. "Be honest for once, girl." Mars licked her lips in annoyance, but held her tongue out of respect. "Is it about happened with your father?"

"You know?" Mars couldn't figure out what to make of that.

"I know, Tera. She's not the first and she sure will not be the last." Mars felt tears welling in her eyes, what could she possibly say to that? Was her family honestly that fucked?

"And you're okay with this?"

"Of course I am. He's my son." Teta was always honest, it was both her best and her worst trait. Mars knew her family strongly favored men, but this seemed to push it too far. "They all do it, your grandfather did it too. They are men. Realize this and move on. Do not punish your father for what he cannot control."

"What he can't control?" Mars had to stop and remind herself Teta was old and it was different then. She shouldn't judge her, but it was hard. "I- I can't-" She walked away, and bumped into Mary on her way out. "Mum," She gave an awkward nod. She never thought she'd be siding with her mother, let alone feeling sympathy.

"Mars." They both stood still, looking at each other. "Do you need a ride anywhere?" Mary tried. That was the last thing Mars wanted. The second she was alone with her mother, she knew she would spill the beans- and she promised she wouldn't.

"Erm- No, I mean, I'm good." Mars scratched the back of her neck, Mary was resisting yelling at her over the arrest. "Thanks though."

"Are you staying here again then? Need to know if I should set the place at dinner." Mary had her hopes, but she didn't let them get too high.

"No, don't bother. Stiles-"

"Right." Mary cut her daughter off. "Well, um, have a good day then."

"Yeah, you too."