I'm on a break for a day or two, imma go touch some grass.
"This is deputy Graeme,"Stilinski announces looking at all of them with obvious distrust"don't weird her out."
"Hi guys" Tara grins showing off cute dimples.
"Hello there" a guy in the back coos lasciviously in answer.
Everyone groans automatically.
"Don't even start Haige" Stilinski complains"I'm not above locking you up."
"Finally another girl!" Deputy Jones cheers.
"Sam's a girl" reminds Luke.
Jones dismisses him quickly "She doesn't count."
Huh. Maybe she should take offense.
"Welcome Graeme. I hope you like dark humor" Hughes warns with a smile.
"Depends, is it dark humor or just men's humor?"
Hughes raises an eyebrow"what's the difference?"
"Dark humor is funny" Jones clarifies while admiring her nails, Sam snickers next to her.
The Sheriff tiredly puts on his jacket.
"Jones, show her around, will ya. Grey you come with me."
Chris eyes the scratches on her skin when Stilinski goes sit in a corner, busy reading the contracts.
"What's the deal with that?"
"I had a one on one with a very mean pigeon," Sam explains deadpan serious "I lost, his right hook was really something." She sighs and looks at the void with emotion "he took all my money."
"Happens to the best of us." Chris nods empathetically "How long do you plan on staying in Beacon Hills?"
"Right to the point huh."
This whole thing is new. Braeden and Camden were always the ones doing the talking, she doesn't know if Chris even knew the sound of her voice before last Friday.
"I don't know" she ends up answering "A while? I don't have any reason to leave."
"But do you have any reason to stay?"
Oh so we attacking people now.
"Already wanna get rid of me, Argent?"
"It'd be really convenient if you stayed, actually. We might even hire you if you're interested, but it's good to have you here regardless -especially as a cop."
Maybe Beacon Hills is even more crowded than she originally thought if the hunters are that eager to get help. Okay, all she needs to do is remember how a person who knows their shit would handle this. What would Braeden do?
... No fucking clue.
Great.
Well here goes nothing.
"No hiring but we can help each other out."
Chris seems satisfied. "Fine by me. You can also use our training grounds if you don't have a place to train yet. I've got a few guys you can use as punching bags."
Oh god.
"Holy shit you mean it??? Really I can??"
Chris chortles at the enthusiasm.
"You're still a bit weird Grey." His laugh cuts short when he clearly hears something sneeze in the cop's duffel bag.
He gives her an alarmed look but she completely ignores the sound and shrugs.
"No idea what makes you think that."
Satomi has a few pleasures in life.
One of them is her pack.
Another one is watching the sun rise every morning.
Another one is watching all her guests' distorted expressions when they first drink her tea. Petty, yes. But also really entertaining. See it as a social experiment.
Today she is pleasantly surprised.
Sam, she finds, is admirably keeping perfect composure.
Truth is, the food as a soldier is not exactly gourmet material and the orphanage was much worse, so Sam's not remotedly impressed. She drinks perfectly calmly while both Brett and Lorilee braid and play with her hair.
Malia is rolled up between her criss crossed legs, growling every time either kid gets too close.
Wolves and coyotes are never friends, but they can cohabitate...Sometimes.
Though Malia, shifted or not, is still four years old. She does need other friends than Meredith and Spirit. Sam needs to work on that.
"Why are there scratches on your face and your hands?" Brett inspects her skin with great focus.
"A russian mobster had me thrown in a pool of weresharks."
He giggles and resumes the braid he was working on.
"Soldier, soldier, look I got new fangs!" Lorilee bares her teeth at her.
"Pretty cool, Wolfie-aouch."
Sam placidly lifts Lorilee in the air by the back of her shirt until she stops biting her arm. Satomi hides her rictus behind her teacup.
"Why did you come, soldier?"
"The Argents want to hire me."
The alpha's eyes grow a bit wilder.
"I said no."
"However?"
I said that we could help each other depending on the situation."
Satomi should shout and kick her out of her house, Sam thinks. But all she does is wear the smile of an indulging teacher.
"Listen well, soldier."