It was a a bit over midnight. Sheriff Noah Stilinski was on duty. He'd been taking extra shifts since Stiles moved away to attend college. It had been rough to be alone at home, so working overtime was taking his mind off of it.

"Excuse me, sheriff?" One of his deputies asked.

"Yes?"

"Somebody reported a illegally parked car at a gas station."

The sheriff nodded.

"Okay. Thank you. I'll look at it."

Noah grabbed his keys, flipped them in his hand and headed to his car. It was a quiet night. Not many reports so he took care of most of it.

He didn't know the car. Yet he still walked up and glanced through the windows, seeing a silhouette. He knocked, making the silhouette stir awake and stretch. Noah pointed to the door handle and the boy stumbled over to open the car.

"Hey, I know you." Noah said. "You're Theo. You went to school with my kid."

"Yup." Theo said and rubbed his neck. "It's good to see you sheriff. Listen, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll find another spot."

"Actually, why don't you and I have a chat at the station?" Noah asked.

"What? I-I know I'm illegally parked but you aren't gonna arrest me for that are you?"

"No." The sheriff quickly said. "But I will pull you in for a chat. Here, give me your keys and get into the front seat of my car."

Theo reluctantly obeyed and got into the man's car. They drove back to the station is silence. Noah mentioned for Theo to take a seat and he sat across the desk.

"Why'd you be sleeping in your car with no heat on?" Noah asked.

"I'm saving the fuel."

"No, why'd you sleep in a car at all?"

Theo shrugged.

"I don't know where else I'd sleep."

"At home?" Noah suggested. Theo looked at his hands. The sheriff nodded as he understood what was going on.

"What about food?"

"I'm managing." Theo said. The sheriff nodded.

"Listen Theo. This is what I think you need. I think you warmth, a roof over your head and actual bed and maybe even some company."

"What I need is for your deputies to stop waking me up every damn hour. What I need is a gods night of sleep!"

"You need care." The sheriff said carefully.

"I'm 18 years old! I don't need anyone!"

"Theo." Noah said making the boy go quiet. "You are 18. But you are just a kid. I know how much of your childhood was taken away from you. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have someone take care of you for just a little while."

"I don't want it. I don't want some psycho foster family."

"No one said anything about that."

The teen was shaking. Both from being cold and anxious.

"Wouldn't it feel nice to have some roof over your head?" Sheriff asked. Theo didn't answer.

"Just for one night?" Noah the said.

"Just one night then."

Noah nodded and led the boy to his car again. He told the deputies that he was going home. Again the car ride was filled with silence. Once they got home, Noah keyed them in.

"Stiles' room is upstairs. You can sleep there tonight."

Theo nodded and headed upstairs. Noah heard the door shut. He made some cup noodles for himself and watched some tv. After and hour he decided to go to bed. He knocked softly on the door to Stiles' room before entering. He saw Theo on the bed, breathing heavily but facing away from the door. Noah grabbed a blanket and gently threw it over the teen's shoulders.