Noah never thought of himself as complicated. He worked hard, loved his son, had a few friends, and for the most part he was happy with his life. His simple life. Or what he had thought was simple. Then he found out about werewolves, hellhounds, and magic and things got complicated. On a massive level. Still he had found his rhythm and managed to gain some control out of the chaos that was now his life.
Not to say it was all under control, there were still several things that he couldn't figure out, like his complicated relationship with Argent, his feelings for Melissa, which were even more complex due to her feelings for Argent, why his son and his friends always seemed to be at the center of all the scary shit that happened in town, and today, why every single uniform he and his deputies owned were fucking pink!
He had thought it was a prank at first. Though he doubted his son would do something like this, not to his work uniform. He had been frustrated but not overly worried. He kept a spare uniform at work, so he just wore his civilian clothes into work. He'd change once he got there.
Only when he walked in three of his deputies also in civilian clothes were arguing over a pile of pink uniforms.
"You guys too?" He asked.
All three looked at him, noticed his lack of uniform and nodded. He sighed, "What about your spares?" He asked, his hopes of his not being pink fading as he realized they would have already changed if they could have.
"Same." Wade, the newest deputy said with a frown.
"Great." He muttered. He looked at the uniforms and then his deputies. He was trying to figure out if he could just let them wear their own clothes for a day or two until he could get new uniforms or figure out how to unpink their current ones, when Jordan walked in. The man smiled and greeted everyone pink uniform on and didn't even looked bothered by it.
Noah laughed, leave it to Jordan to find his work uniform pink and just go with it. "Alright, change into your uniforms." He told the others, "I'll see about getting new ones as fast as I can. But for now you gotta wear them as is." There was a couple groans but the three deputies gathered up their uniforms and walked off.
"Thank you." He told Jordan, who just shrugged, "Kinda figured it was a prank, figured might as well."
He smiled, patted the hellhound on the shoulder and wandered into his office. He sent off five quick text messages. Two asking Stiles and Scott what they had been up to late last night, one asking Melissa to verify her son story whatever it might be, two to Argent, asking if he thought the boys had done it, and if not if he knew how it could have been done.
Stiles replied, that he had watched movies all night with Jeremy and Kol and they would vouch for him. Melissa replied that Scott had been home when she got off work, and was asleep now. Then she sent another letting him know that Corey was staying with her and Isaac was back. He sighed, and made a note to look into Corey's parents. Argent replied he would look into it.
He tried to think of the possibility of someone pulling this off as a prank. With the 6 deputies and himself living scattered throughout the town, it seemed almost unimaginable that someone had managed to not only break into each of their homes, unticed, (which was impossible given he had a vampire staying in his guest room), but also the police station which had two different kinds of security, one for humans and mountain ash for supernatural beings. It had to have been magic.
Which meant he better just let Chris handle it. With a sigh, he started in on his paperwork. Sometime later he realized he was humming Jingle bells and lifted his head and looked around to see where it was coming from. And there it was, that damn christmas carol playing from deputy Marshal's radio. Which was weird, they were meant for communication, not music. The blonde deputy was shaking said radio while glaring at it.
Noah got up and opened his office door, "Marshal, what's going on?"
"I don't know sir, it just started playing this stupid song. I have tried changing the channel, lowering the volume, turning it off-"
"And shaking it?" he asked amused.
The deputy docked his head embarrassed, "It won't stop."
Noah walked over and took the radio. The second it was in his hand it stopped. Both him and Marshal gave the thing, a What the fuck look. Figuring there wasn't anything he could do he handed it back. Marshal took it, still giving it a worried look. When nothing happened he put it on his desk.
Almost instantly another radio across the room started playing, 'Silver Bells.'
"You've gotta be kidding me." Noah said. He walked over, found the radio, which was on the charging station and picked it up. Like Marshal's before, it stopped the second it was in his hand.
He groaned as the second it stopped, the one on Jordan's desk started playing, 'Carol of the bells'.Noah looked back at Marshal, to see Wade, Emily, and Jordan had joined their colleague at his desk, all looking at Noah and the radio in his hand.
He shared a what the hell look with Jordan who shrugged looking just as confused as he was.
With a sinking suspicion he walked to the hellhound's desk and picked up the radio. It stopped and then the loud speaker for their small office started playing, 'Santa Baby,' there was a collective groan for everyone in the room and Noah quickly walked over to the controls and touched it, silently praying it would turn off. He let out a resigned sigh when Emily's radio, which was tucked into her utility belt, started playing, 'Grandma got run over by a reindeer.'
"Any chance we can get 'Silver Bells.' back?" Marshal joked. Both Jordan and Emily chuckled.
"Sir, What's going on?" Wade asked.
"I have no idea." He told his deputy.
"Is it…" Emily started, then stopped looking at the other deputies, "Umm, sir, is it one of those things we all pretend not to know about, but notice anyways?" Noah lift his brow at her, but it was Wade and Marshal's not so subtle looks at Jordan that filled him in. The hellhounds' eyes widened, as he too noticed the looks.
Oh, he thought, well it made sense. The police in this town got called into a lot of weird shit, they would have to be total idiots not to notice something was off. He just hadn't realized how much they knew.
"We don't have a problem with it sir," Wade said quickly patting Jordan on the shoulder. "We're just tired of not knowing what's going on."
"Wendy and Xander too." Emily said, bring in to two deputies who's day off it was.
Noah sighed, "Okay, I think I need to arrange a time for all of us to talk about the weird shit that happens in this town. But not right now, work your shifts, try to ignore the uniforms and radios for now. I'll see if I can figure out what's going on and I will find time to fill you guys in." They all nodded, looking relieved. Jordan was the only one that looked worried, despite Wade's words.
"I'll be in my office." He said. Once his door was closed he called Chris.
"Still nothing on the uniforms," the man said in lue of hello.
He smiled, "How about our radio's playing Christmas carols?" he asked.
He heard the hunter let out a breath. "I'm not sure, it sounds like a prank. But I know the kids wouldn't mass with you or the deputies, too much of a chance it would interfere with your jobs. But another kid maybe?" He knew Chris was thinking out loud so he didn't answer the question, "Someone who wouldn't care? Or they want to throw you off? But that doesn't solve the how?"
"Magic?" He asked, because he had seen it do a lot of weird shit, why couldn't it be used it just a silly childish way.
"Could be, but I've never seen a spell for pink police uniforms or making radios play christmas music." The man sighed, "Give me some time, and let me know if anything else weird happens."
"Will do."
"Bye Noah." Chris said before hanging up. Noah groaned and put his phone back on his desk.
Chris definitely fell under the newer more complicated part of his life. Most of their conversations the first couple years were about cases or the children. It wasn't until they had been kidnapped and held together for hours that he really got to know the man. And about the things that his son and Scott were involved it. He hadn't expected more tentative friendship, based on their childrens' friendship and the need to protect them.
However Melissa started inviting Chris to their weekly dinners. A tradition that had started after Claudia died. It was a way for them to catch up and attempt to keep up with the chaos their sons caused. The dinners had become less weekly and more monthly in recent years because of how hard they both had to work. But with the knowledge of werewolves and hunters, they had picked them up again. Chris joining them had been unexpected but not unwelcome. Him and Melissa had both learned more about the things happening in town then they ever would have from the boys. And somehow along the way the three of them had become friends.
The problem was Noah knew Chris was interested in Melissa, that they both were. He wasn't sure when his feelings for her went from friends to more. But the first time he noticed, he had been holding her hand as she cried over the fact Rafe hadn't shown up at the hospital when Scott had had a nasty asthma attack. Something shifted inside him and after he had gone home and drank himself into oblivion feeling guilty about it.
It had taken him years to stop feeling like he was being unfaithful to Claudia's memory and accept how he felt. Only by that time, everything started going insane in town and he hadn't gotten to act on his feelings or even see how Melissa felt about him.
Now Chris was in the picture and Noah had no idea what to do. Noah had no doubt the hunter knew how he felt. Still neither of them made a move. Nothing past the small things they both did to try and make things easier on her. Taking her lunch or dinner when she was trapped at work. Check in on the kids and offer to pay for food for the pack dinners. He knew Chris was teaching the kids self defense and he himself had attended a lesson on gun safety, which Melissa had pleaded for. She wanted to know that even with their claws and teeth they knew how to handle a gun. She said even if she wasn't the biggest fan the bad guys where and she wanted to know the kids understood how to use one.
The things that bothered him the most about Chris, was that he wasn't really bothered by the man. He had seen enough domestic disputes involving love triangles and cheating in his career to know that two men wanting the same woman didn't end well, at least for someone. And yet, he felt not envy or jealousy when he knew Melissa and Chris were together and he wasn't there, nor did he feel anger when the other man hugged her or held her hand.
There was a small voice in his head that sounded a lot like his son, telling him that maybe he should pay more attention to how he felt about the hunter. That maybe he was missing the obvious but that small voice scared him so he ignored it. Or at least tried to.
He just knew that whatever it was the three of them just kept dancing around each other and it was getting exhausting.
Stiles' POV
He had woken up when his dad texted him asking what he had been up to the night before. Even half asleep he grinned, his dad only did that when something strange had happened and he wanted to make sure Stiles wasn't involved.
Which whatever happened this time, he hadn't been.
Him and Jeremy had forced Kol to watch Iron Man and Captain America because somehow the vampire had never seen them. He wanted to get the pack together before they moved on to The Avengers, make a night of it.
Laying in bed he debated going back to sleep. It was still early enough that he could get a couple hours before anyone forced him out of bed. Unfortunately his mind was too awake for that so he rolled over and fell out of bed. Picking up his phone he tiptoed across his room and peeked inside Jeremy's room.
The hunter was sound asleep head resting on Kol's chest while the vampire played with his phone. He looked up and raised an eyebrow at Stiles who grinned.
"I think I'm going to go for a walk." He whispered. The vampire's forehead creased and he mouthed 'Why?'
Stiles shrugged, "Clear my head, I guess." he whispered back. Kol looked away and fiddled with his phone, a second later Stiles's phone beeped.
"Wants me to go with you?" the text read. Stiles shook his head and the now frowning vampire.
His phone beeped again, "you're not suppose to go out alone."
Instead of replying out loud, Stiles texted the vampire back, "I'll be close enough for you to hear if anything happens. I just want to clear my head a little, and Jer looks way too comfortable for you to get up." When he hit sent, he made sure to look up at the vampire who grinned huge when he read it.
"Fine," Kol said, "But yell if you need me."
But like all good plans, the second Stiles was outside his phone rang. The number was unknown and he gave a split second thought to not answering, but with all the new people in his life it was possible it was one of them.
"Hello?" He said answering the phone.
"Stiles," His heart skipped and he swallowed, "Have you heard from Peter?" His stomach dropped and he let out a groan, because of course the stupid werewolf wasn't calling to talk to him, not really.
"No, why?" He asked moving away from the house and towards the front of the house. He promised Kol he would stay close, so hopefully a walk around the block would be enough.
"I haven't heard from him in the last couple days. I'm worried." Stiles stopped walking.
"How long? Exactly?" He asked. He wondered why Peter had vanished on his nephew.
"Two days." Stiles let out a breath, that wasn't long for Peter. The man probably was just ignoring Derek.
"He's disappeared for longer." He said. He heard Derek growl.
"Not like this. We have been talking every night. He's been keeping tabs on you guys and what's going on in town-"
"Wait? Peter is in town?" Stiles asked, spinning around and hurrying back towards his house. They had all thought, that damn psycho had followed his nephew and niece when they left. It's one of the reason's Scotty hadn't been freaking over his texts being ignored. But if Peter was suppose to be in town, keeping an eye on them, then there was no reason for the man to ignore Scott.
"Yeah, Stiles, how could you not know that?" He could hear the worry in Derek's voice.
"Shit." Stiles muttered as he pushed open his front door. "Kol wake Jeremy up, and come down here." He said in his normal voice. The vampire had promised to listen for him. So he knew he was heard.
"Because," He told Derek, "Scott's been trying to get ahold of him for a while now. We thought he was with you and ignoring us. We didn't know he was still in town." He heard something smash on Derek's end of the phone.
"Hey, calm down!" He ordered the wolf, "He could still be ignoring everyone, let us look for him, now that we know he should be nearby."
"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked walking into the kitchen.
"Derek. I'll call you back." As he went to hang up he heard the werewolf shout his name. He tried not to feel guilty about hitting the end button.
"We gotta head to Scotts. Remember two of the pack members we told you about Derek and Peter."
"Yeah." Jeremy said, looking a little lost.
"Well we thought they were together. But Derek just called. He's worried because he hadn't heard for Peter. Who is supposed to be here."
"That can't be good." Jeremy said already reaching for his jacket that Kol had appeared holding, the vampire then throw Stiles car keys at him.
"Thanks." He said.
As he drove he tried not to worry about the older wolf. Peter had made it clear all he cared about was himself, and maybe Derek. But lately he had changed, not drastically, but started showing up when danger was around, bitching and complaining about it yet still helping them if they needed it. Stiles, got the feeling Peter cared about their crazy little pack more than the man wanted. Which Stiles got a kick out of. He really should have thought it was weird when ferals attacked and Peter hadn't just appeared like he normally does. Sure, he had assumed the man had taken off with Derek, but it wasn't the first time Peter had left town only to return when they needed help. He cursed himself for not thinking more about Peter not showing up.
He hoped the man was okay, and just ignoring them like that had thought.
Sam's POV
Sam jumped when his phone started ringing, it was resting next to his elbow as he read so when he did he knocked it off the table and onto the floor. He bent down to pick it up and tried not to cringe as 'Girl's just want to have fun,' blared through the room.
He frowned as he held the phone in his hand. It had played the same obnoxious song that morning when Dean had called and he had changed it. He knows he did and since Dean was still passed out on one of the two crappy beds in their motel room, he knew his brother hadn't had a chance to change it back. And yet, the damn song was back.
Decided to ignore it for now he answered, "Hello?"
"Sam, can I ask you a few questions," It took him a second to recognize the sheriff's voice.
"Sure." He replied.
"Do you know anything that can make police radio's play music? Or a way for every police uniform to be changed to a different color. Even the ones at the officers homes? I asked Chris, he's looking into it but I figured you or your brother might know something?"
"Could be a spell?" Sam replied, trying to think it over. "Bobby, our friend, thinks someone with magic is helping the wolves hide, this could be there way of trying to distract the local cops."
The man on the other end of the phone sighed, "Yeah that's what me and Jordan were starting to think. Anyway you boys can undo it? The uniforms aren't too bad and are replaceable, but the christmas carols are starting to give me a headache."
"I can come look for a hex bag or whatever they are using to anchor the spell. Break it. Or if there isn't anything? I can try and cleanse the station or block the spell. Let me grab a few things and I'll head over."
"Thank you, Sam." Noah replied, letting out a long relieved breath.
"No problem, give me 10 minutes." There was a hum of acknowledgement before Sam hung up. He was too busy gathering his laptop, jacket, and a book to notice the bowl of hard candy that appeared on the motel table. Or the bright blue stuffed elephant the now rested against his pillow.