Chapter 32: Back to School

Caroline took in a deep breath, ready to say something more about their search, when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

"Lydia, hey, now's not really a good -" A pause, a gasp. "When? Are you okay?" - "With Allison? That Allison? And Scott was there?" Derek perked, but still tried to be polite and not listen in. "Great, as if we didn't have enough drama going on without those two. I haven't even met her and I know this is going to be a problem. Yeah, we'll be there."

"We?"

That one was loud enough for the werewolf to hear without any powers.

"Yeah, uh, me and Derek. We're following a new lead."

"Uh huh," the voice smirked over the call. "I'll be out front."

Caroline rested the phone against her chin and rolled her eyes.

"Where are we going?" Derek lifted a single brow.

"To pick up Lydia and take her to school. Apparently, her car was totally wrecked last night by some crazed deer. Allison had just gotten back from France, I guess, and they were together. And Scott just happened to be on his bike behind them when it happened. Either your boy is stalking his ex-girlfriend, or fate in this town has just about as much of a sense of humor as it does in ours."

"We're a little busy," Derek huffed. "Can't Allison give her a ride?"

"According to Lydia, Allison is still trying to convince dear old hunter dad to not jump back on the first plane back to France. Guess she's been keeping everything that's been happening here from him. He found out, obviously. Between an Alpha pack and what happened last night, he's ready to drag her out of here. Not to mention that we owe Lydia for letting me crash at her place this summer."

"I think Lydia, of all people, can afford to miss one day of school."

"Hey, hold on. Aren't you the one that gave that big old speech to Scott and the others about going back? About the importance of keeping up appearances and trying to have a normal life? About not letting the Alphas win by keeping them locked away forever?"

"Lydia isn't involved -"

"Like hell she isn't involved. She's spent the entire summer researching, housing a stranger, and keeping Jackson in line. She single-handedly convinced his father not to take that job in London without any compulsion needed, so that Jackson wouldn't be alone and vulnerable to the Alphas. And because when, after all of that, she managed not to kill him when he broke up with her, she deserves a medal of self-restraint."

Derek snorted.

" What ?" Caroline squinted at him.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "Just didn't realize how close you two had gotten."

"Her best friend was in France and, and my best friend was being held captive by Alpha werewolves, and my other supposed best friend can't pick up a phone when the people she cares about are in mortal danger." She paused, looking down. "It was nice having someone."

"You had me."

The weight of the words settled in the car, Caroline swallowing and refusing to meet the man's gaze, missing the look that crossed the werewolf's face as he watched her.

"I meant a girl," Caroline huffed, sharp smile cutting through the tension. "I mean, no offense, but I don't think you'd have much fun spending the day shopping."

"With you and Lydia?" Derek laughed. "I'll take the Alpha pack over that war zone."


"This town is about to turn into a war zone!"

Allison shoved the rest of her books into her bag.

"I think you're being a little over dramatic, dad."

"No, I'm not. You've known about werewolves - about all this - for barely a year. This has been my entire life. You've never come across wolves like this. You don't know what this pack is capable of."

"I know what I'm capable of." Allison stashed the small knife in her belt.

"Allison -" Chris reached for the weapon.

"It's for protection, dad. Just in case. I'm not going to go hunt them down. I'm just going to school."

"That would be a lot more reassuring if you hadn't nearly been killed in that school last year."

"Dad -"

"I'm serious, Allison. This is serious." He paused, catching her eyes in his. "I can't lose you, too."

Closing her bag, she shouldered it and stepped toward him, one hand coming up to rest on his arm.

"You won't."


Stiles flailed, trying to keep hold of his keyboard, and then his desk, his father continuing to pull across the room.

"School," the Sheriff unceremoniously deposited his son on the floor, "now."

"It ran right into their car, dad! Like it was heading for it. Scott said it was scared. Scared of what?"

The Sheriff paused.

"Scott said that? Did you - uh - did you talk to him?"

"What? No." Stiles scooped up his backpack and slipped it on.

"Then how did you - Stiles. You have got to stop listening to the police scanner."

"Sure thing, pops." Stiles plopped down onto the bed to tie his shoes.

"Wait, that wouldn't have told you what Scott said. Scott never even said that to the officers who responded."

"Called Lydia."

"You and Lydia have been talking a lot this summer," his dad cleared his throat. "And seeing each other a lot."

"Yeah, because my former best friend is a jerk and her ex-boyfriend is a were - also a jerk.' Stiles huffed. "And Allison was in France. I was all she was left with. It'll be different, now that school started. She'll have Allison and I'll -" Stiles shifted and stopped speaking.

The Sheriff sighed and sat on the bed.

"You know you're never alone, son." He placed a hand on Stiles' knee. "You've always got me."

Stiles looked away. "I know, dad."

"And you've got Scott."

Stiles shook his head and snorted.

"Look, whatever happened between the two of you - which you still won't tell me - whatever it was, this won't be forever. You and Scott have been together, almost attached to each other, since, well, practically your whole lives. A friendship like that, a bond like that, doesn't just go away after one fight." Stiles opened his mouth but the Sheriff just continued. "No matter how big it might've been. Trust me, everything seems more important, more end-all-be-all when you're a teenager. But you two are gonna make it through this. I believe it. I know it." The Sheriff sighed when his son didn't respond. "Now, come on. You don't want to be late for the first day. Might miss something exciting."

"Yeah," Stiles rolled his eyes, standing. "Wouldn't want that."

A/N: Gosh, it took the Argents long enough to get back into this story. Where the heck have they been? Oh yeah, in France. We're finally syncing up the actual storyline of season 3 of Teen Wolf with these past couple chapters, obviously with some changes.