My Beta, MidnightMoonWarrior (who is awesome for putting up with me and makes excellent suggestions), said I should stick a disclaimer up here. So, here goes. Hey, everybody! I totally own next to nothing, but definitely not anything you see here. I own not Teen Wolf. I'm not even sure I own Marion or Cooper. I will, of course, be claiming Fred the Parrot.
On a different note, I know next to nothing about building a house. So if any steps are out of order, I'm an idiot, okay?
On a third, but related, note, this is a dull chapter. It probably sort of sucks, but I didn't want to just say "Hale House was restored." So if you wish to skip this chapter, I don't blame you.
On a fourth note, SailorNova007 put this story in her community a while back, and I only just noticed. I would like to say I'm honoured.
On a final note, I'm surprised no one commented on the giant Doctor Who reference I dropped in last chapter. After noting that Doctor Who is fictional in-universe…what is Bad Wolf? Why is Danny having weird dreams? I want to see you guessing in the comments.
The official start of summer was signalled by Derek declaring that he had finally finished the process of getting all the permits in order for them to begin rebuilding the Hale House. Original floor plan in hand, with the materials ordered and on their way, construction was ready to be started by the Pack.
The teens, naturally put up arguments about how it was the beginning of summer, but in truth, they were as ready to begin as their Alpha was.
In turn, Allison informed her father, who called a meeting of all the hunters under his command. "The Hale House is being rebuilt and we will be helping, to repay what one of our own did there. The Hale Pack was always known for their peaceful demeanour and stabilizing influence on the region. We must remember that these wolves have, as of now, abided by the code and deserve respect."
The construction began on a hot day of June with the destruction of what little remained of the original house. The groaning, rotten floor boards were scrapped as the burnt walls finally fell to rest, relieved of their pained burden. Smells of ash and dirt filled the air, the tension of the area turning into relief as the history was being changed, but not forgotten. This the werewolves did themselves, as the nature of their abilities made destruction easier than creation. Barely an afternoon was taken to the task, leaving the group tired, but hopeful of what was to come.
The next day, building began in the newly vacant space, and ten hunters led by Mr. Argent arrived to assist the Pack. The frame of the house was erected and a good part of the siding was put on. Work was completed, but more could have been done; little to say, more stares of suspicion were given between the wolves and hunters than nails were hammered.
The second day of construction brought progression in the project, eleven enemies of wolves showing up to assist. The electrical and plumbing systems were started, largely by the hunters, who were actually doing work as compared to the day before. The rest of the workers continued the roofing and siding, while some brought supplies to the three groups.
Day three of restoration to the ruined Hale property was aided by nine hunters, Mr. Harris included, as insulation was installed. The gaping squares in the sides were filled with windows, as an actual house was seen instead of a building.
On the fourth day, the hunters returned thirteen strong with Mr. Harris in their ranks, along with a dozen people that Derek had never met. Seeing his confusion at the group, Stiles whispered an explanation, "That's everyone who could be implicated in the fire, if the department wanted to push it. Most of them probably took a bribe or were manipulated." With that, the day consisted of dry walling to create a blank canvas around them.
On the fifth day, the local Catholic priest showed up, along with the majority of the guilty helpers and eight hunters. Danny went up to the clergyman after a couple hours and asked, "Father, why did you come to assist us? The Hales were never Catholic."
The priest said cryptically, "I try to protect my flock, but I recognize the need to have sheepdogs. Some may go rabid, but generally, they just protect the flock by being wolves in sheep's clothing."
That was the day of painting. Lydia had approved each room's color as it was generally agreed she was the best interior decorator of the pack. Most rooms were painted in earth tones.
On the sixth day, the deep brown hardwood flooring went down. (Ahh, details. Good job) Everyone from all of the previous days came to help, so those who couldn't fit inside did landscaping outside. Star of Bethlehem, asphodel, rue, rosemary, white heather, witch hazel, and rain lily surrounded the house to fill in the barren land.
On the seventh day, everyone rested.
The eighth day was decorating every room. Lydia personally selected every piece of furniture in the house, starting months before, save for four rooms.
Stiles picked out the appliances for the kitchen, knowing best what the pack would need: a very large fridge, a stand-alone freezer, a five-burner electric stove top, a double stack of stoves, and an over-the-stove microwave and hood combination. All of these were selected in sleek black and chrome, preapproved to go with the deep red of the kitchen walls and the ornate chestnut of the favorite thing about the kitchen was the large island in the middle because of the useful counter space.
Isaac went shopping with Danny for his own furniture, with the promise from Lydia that she would say nothing about his choices. They picked out his bed first, finding one that he actually liked and not simply the cheapest (the one he was using before was an old guest bed that needed replacing anyway, at least according to Derek). Danny managed to convince him that he needed a full instead of just a twin, the consequence of that decision meaning that the quilt Isaac had been using no longer fit the bed; the quilt was a dear gift from his grandmother and the sudden loss of it was not taken well. Isaac was nearly thrown into a silent panic attack, until Danny called Lydia for suggestions. Lydia immediately had an idea and said that it would feature prominently in a room, she promised. After Isaac calmed down, they found a full comforter that looked like the full Tardis. Then the pair found royal blue sheets and, on a whim, a white pillowcase to mimic the Tardis's light. The timid wolf had not really picked a theme before for his room, so it was painted a gentle cream.
The fastest wolf then picked out a solid five shelf mahogany bookcase, a matching desk, a four drawer chest-of-drawers in a similar color, and a bedside table.
Derek simply took his old furniture to the rebuilt house. His room was a lively green, so his simple khaki sheets and bedspread went well in the room. He had a single red oak bedside table and a cedar six-drawer chest-of-drawers. A single singed painting depicting the Derek's family hung on the wall, as one of the few personal things that survived the fire.
The fourth room Lydia did not furnish was the Pack room. It was the only room in the house to have wood paneling. In it, Derek laid out two king mattresses side by side and then two twin beds at the end, covering the floor. There was barely enough space to put the brown sheets on the mattresses, but it gave the illusion of a solid ground to sleep on. Painted onto the ceiling was a starry night, complete with the full moon and stars. As it was the only room on the second floor not to have a window, the space seemed like a dark, comforting den for them all to share. Over all, it had the feel of a forest glade.
The first room the stylish redhead selected furniture for was the living room, which was painted a light green. She chose two brown leather couches: one L-shaped, designed to seat five; and a three-seater. She put the couches in the living room in a U-shape, facing a 60" wall mounted TV. Underneath said television was a low, white oak wood bookcase that held the PS3, the games, some movies and the cable box. In the center of the couches went a large white oak coffee table.
The second room was the dining room. It was painted a gentle golden brown, and had mahogany table large enough to fit the pack twice over. The dark wooden chairs had a garnet seat cover.
The three guest bedrooms had all been painted a pale olive. All three had plain white oak bedside tables, a leaf patterned bedspread, khaki sheets, and a king bed.
Derek's bathroom was given a "mountain stream" theme, starting with a shower curtain. The walls were painted a moss green. The granite countertop had a child's wolf toothbrush holder on it. The towels and floor mats were a deep brown. The shower was tiled in marble slabs, as was the floor.
Isaac's bathroom, Lydia decided, needed to be fun, childish, and exactly what he wanted, not boringly adult. So, she gave it a Spiderman theme: shower curtain, floor mats, toothbrush holder, and towels. The floor was a checkerboard red and blue pattern with black grout. The walls were painted blue.
The guest bathroom was painted a sea green and had an ocean theme: a fish shower curtain, teal towels, teal floor mats, and blue tile.
As the dust settled, the pack settled in for a night together in the restored ancestral home. Stiles and Isaac began by cooking a fantastic meal of honey roasted ham, yams, sweet green peas, and a chocolate cake for dessert. Derek came to check that nothing was on fire an inordinate amount of times. After eating, the pack watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
I'm going to say that I feel like the beginning of this chapter was a bit like Genesis…by the seventh day, I decided to roll with it. I apologize for the long Author's note at the beginning, but I had a lot to say to you guys.