Ranchin'
Disclaimer: Inspired by my binging of Netflix's 'The Ranch' recently. Takes place roughly some 35 years later. Allison never died, Kira was forced to leave after season 4 due to her parents got job offers and being overly protective after the second Mexico trip. Scott and Melissa ended up inheriting a Ranch from an Uncle of Melissa's out in Colorado and Scott and Allison were married for a good number of years until she passed away. The two had a son and a daughter and season six NEVER happened and the Hale Fire happened but Kate had nothing to do with it.
Summary: Even with the headaches he's had to deal with over the years, Scott's still pretty certain he prefers the headaches of the Ranch to the crap he had to deal with back in Beacon Hills.
A sigh escaped Scott McCall as he and his daughter arrived on their porch after a long hard day of work out on the ranch. "No matter how tiring this gets, or how much of a pain in the ass it can get, I still prefer it to the crap I put up with in Beacon Hills." Muttered the Alpha of many years as he sat down in the rocking chair near the door.
Inheriting this Ranch from his mom's Uncle had been a Godsend after College in his view. Sure, his mom had wanted to sell it off but Scott saw this as an opportunity to finally leave behind the horrors they kept having to deal with back home. A decision thankfully everyone was on board with, aside from Chris due to the stronger then ever relationship between Allison and Scott. Despite the fact the two men had become allies over the years. Though it had nothing to do with his being a Werewolf but the older man was somewhat tight lipped about things where his feelings were concerned aside from that. Things definitely didn't help after Allison had died in a car accident either. Which had been one of the reasons Scott and Allison's son Lucas had taken off to be a professional Baseball player. Cassandra, his and Allison's oldest of the two children they had looked at him. "I don't know, dad, that trip I took a week back had me under the impression it was real calm like."
Scott snorted at that. "That's cause Satomi made it real clear a few years back that she didn't want any shenanigans from anybody or she'd stick somethin' up the asses of those who tried. Course, it helps your grandfather a year before that in a drunken haze destroyed that damn Nemeton." Cassandra, occassionally known as Cassie, had to wince at the imagery the first part of her dad's words had conjured up in her head.
"I remember hearin' that's about the only thing you two could agree about on in a big way after it happened."
"Yep, Hell about froze over that day. Though I reckon it was already headin' that way when George Takei became President of the US." Not that he had a problem with it, but a lot of folks sure as Hell did at the time!
Though it was agreed on that nobody wanted another Cheetoh Administration happening ever again. Cassie chuckled at that as she sat across from her dad. "Anyway, where's that brother of yours?"
"He said he was gonna head into town and pick up a few bags of Chicken feed." Informed the 30 something year old girl.
Scott gave her a doubtful look, complete with a grunt. "Sure he didn't go to get drunk instead at Merc's?" He asked in a slightly disgruntled tone.
'Merc's' being the only bar in town that Derek and Braeden had opened up some time ago when they chose to settle down in the area. Cora and Cassie also had developed a rather odd relationship shortly after Lucas had returned home once the younger of the two girls had finally broken through the older's hesitancy about the whole thing. Cassie's relationship with Cora was oddly enough, perhaps her most serious relationship too. Lucas had returned to make amends for having practically abandoned them after Allison had died, along with taking some time off from Baseball to let his tweaked knee heal up. Lucas and Cassie were born normal much to Scott's relief and while the option was always there to turn them, neither so far had wanted it. Granted, Scott kinda wished Lucas at least had taken up the offer, if only so that the appeal of drinking Alcohol would be lost on him and perhaps grow up some more. Cassie shook her head. "Nope, we saw that we were runnin' low and he offered to go get more."
A grunt came from her dad and she had to refrain from shaking her head at him. Her daddy hadn't been all that easy to get along with after momma had died. Some theorized his very possible PTSD issues from back in Beacon Hills that he hadn't ever fully dealt with. And the loss of Allison hadn't helped matters any either since she had only died roughly 5 years after his mother had in a peaceful manner in her sleep. A four door red truck then made its appearance in the drive way, causing Scott to perk up without looking like he was doing it much to his little girl's amusement. "Settle down, dad, its just Mrs. Yukimura."
"I don't know what you're talkin' about."
"Hmm… Right."
He glowered at her but it did nothing to lower her amusement over the whole thing. "Hey Scott! Hey Cassie!" Called out one Kira Yukimura as she came out of her truck.
Kira had been a recent arrival about a week after Lucas had shown up, she and her daughter had come to the area seeking a new life after Kira had divorced her husband. Who'd been something of a bastard that she had to go to the Fox Council over in order to gain her freedom of him. Something the man hadn't been happy about but abided so far by the Council's edict since he wasn't looking to have problems with them. That, and he was pretty much tired of dealing with his ex wife and their daughter. Kira had felt a strange pull to come to the town Scott had moved too and when she found a few familiar faces in the area, Scott included, the Thunder Kitsune just had a feeling it was meant to be. It was also quite noticeable that Scott was a little less gruff and smiled more then what he usually did anytime she was around. The man himself could be seen standing up and walking over to the woman who'd come back into his life after so long with a smile on his face. "Hi there, Mrs. Yukimura." Greeted back Cassie.
Gaining a look in return. "Sweetie, I've told you, no need to go by formalities with me."
"You'd have better luck convincin' her that drinkin' should only be done for special occasions." Harrumphed Scott.
Cassie looked at him with exasperation to be seen on her face. "No, daddy, that's Luke. Me? I only do it after bein' around you."
"You're around me a lot, as I recall. Is there somethin' you're tryin' to tell me, Cassandra?" He replied a bit dryly with a hint of something else in his voice that basically implied her next answer better be a smart one instead of a dumb one.
Realizing the situation before her, Cassie winced at how she'd put herself into that particular situation. Especially when she could tell he had nearly come close to three naming her! "Um, no! No, not at all! And for the record? Luke's the one who got into your Dwarf made Jim Bean the night before!" She responded quickly and then hauled ass for safer ground inside the house as he watched her go with a shake of the head.
Kira chuckled. "Imagine having that kind of power back when Liam was new to the life." She said and gaining a snort of amusement.
"Mighta kept him from havin' that 6th kid two years back." And that was no joke either!
As his first actual Beta, along with his second Beta known as Hayden, along with a friend she made during Scott's Senior year known as Gwen, had found themselves in a relationship that shouldn't work but did. Even years later and was still more wild then what Cassie and Cora's relationship was. "Yeah, that is pretty crazy."
There's just no way she could do something like that! "Almost as crazy as the time I nearly flipped my lid when I first learned about my little girl's thing with Cora."
"Why didn't you?" Wondered Kira, granted, last she knew, he was pretty accepting of things but fatherhood was a whole different matter!
He looked at her for a moment. "I remembered your parents and realized them two girls didn't have a damn thing on that." Scott replied with a shrug and getting a laugh in return.
"Well, that's one way to put things into perspective."
"Yep, anyway, not that I mind you bein' here and all, but why are you here? I know you coulda smelled me a mile away given what I've been doin' since this mornin'." The Alpha Rancher asked curiously.
Kira stepped up to him with a smile on her face. "Well, I wanted to know if I could take an old Wolf like you out for dinner tonight."
"Will there be steak?"
"Its a possibiliity."
"I'm payin', right? It'd offend the old values around here if I let you pay." He told her semi-seriously and getting an eyeroll in return.
"Yeah, well, its the 21st century so I'm sure they'll be able to get by." Came the teasing response.
Scott chuckled in amusement. "Right, I almost forgot."
"I don't see how you could given the fact Martha Stewart likes to remind us of that as often as she can when on the air."
"I still fail to see how that woman became the second female President of the US." He muttered with a shake of the head.
"I think my mom might have had something to do with that but she denies it anytime me or dad asks."
"Smart woman."
Kira grinned at that. "Has to be after 900 years, now… Enough stalling you old Wolf, dinner with me tonight or what? And remember, I know how to hogtie now thanks to Malia." Semi-joked Kira with that grin still in place.
And that was a woman who had taken to Ranch life surprisingly well after she and Stiles had moved to the area about 8 years back! Something Stiles often found himself the victim of much to Malia's, Derek's, and Scott's own amusement. "Hot damn! Woman after my own heart!" Declared the Alpha Rancher with a laugh.
"But yeah, let me go get washed up and put on my best outfit and we'll go eat."
"Sounds like a plan!" A nod came her way and the two went inside.
Though Kira remained in the kitchen where Cassie was nearby the sink as she'd been eavesdropping as her dad went up to get a shower. Sitting down at the kitchen table, the Thunder Kitsune and mother made herself comfortable as she took in the area around her as she hadn't really been in the house all that much due to being busy. "You make him smile." Suddenly said Cassie.
Breaking the mother and Kitsune out of her thoughts. "Hmm?"
"You make him smile. And I mean a lot. Somethin' he hasn't done much of in the last 16 years since momma died. Hell, I was beginnin' to think that beard of his was too heavy for a smile to form." Cracked the girl.
Kira smiled at that. "You know I'm not trying to take her place, right?"
"Oh, I know. No one could. But I'm glad you came back into his life. Just… Just don't break his heart, alright? I'm not sure he could take it. Hell, I'm not sure Luke and I could take it." Cassie said with a small shudder.
A nod came from Kira after that. "Well… Its early, so one step at a time, okay?"
Especially as she was still fresh to the whole single scene herself! "I can work with that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go shower, and then shower some more at Cora's since I think her shower needs a little more naughty exposure in it." Informed Cassie with a naughty smirk on her face.
Thank God for two bathrooms in the house! Something momma had been insistent on after Lucas got to using up too much bathroom time in the only bathroom they had at the time. Cassie can still rememberly quite clearly the amount of bitching her daddy had done when he also got talked into putting in a secondary piping system for the second bathroom so water issues wouldn't be a problem if both showers were being used or whatever. Kira shook her head in amusement at the girl. "Right, didn't need to know that but right."
Cassie chuckled and walked off with a salute and a slight swagger, making Kira shake her head at the girl's antics. "And to think, Mel thought moving here was a bad idea." Murmured Kira and then rolling her eyes at Scott's response to that that she thankfully heard with her advanced hearing.
"Sorry! But its gonna take more then your grumpy self's words to convince me moving here was a bad idea!" Sing songed the Kitsune with a smile and then laughing at his response.
As come on now, Scott, his kids, and some of their friends from Beacon Hills lived here in this little town. And no way it could be all bad at all because of that in her eyes!
Author's Notes: So my intention today was to start writing for the third season of Altered Life, but other things came up like yard work and me being a little paranoid about potentially getting Poison Ivy on me again. But I will start it soon! And may there have been much enjoyment of this one! Bonus points to those who catch a reference to 'Training The Pack' in this one.
