For Helios,

This is the start of a series/collection. All the fics are Stand Alones unless indicated otherwise. What they have in common is that they follow the same premise (as established in the series page: Claudia was the only daughter of the leader of a secret supernatural order, Stiles thus is the heir. Each fic will deal with the story of how things would change if this were reveal in different episodes.

Warnings, so to speak: I'm not a fan of Scott McCall, Alan Deaton or the Argents, as a general rule. I'm also ambivalent on the original Hale Pack, rarely going down the path of the 'perfect Hale pack'.

This first story starts in 3x11 "Alpha Pact".

This fic in particular remains Gen but I expect most of the fics in the series to be either Sterek, or at least Pre-Sterek.


For Justice and Death

An outsider looking in might believe that Isaac and the Argents leaving him behind when going to hunt down the Darach was the last straw. The truth is much more complicated than that. Stiles is used to people not looking twice at him. In a world full of supernatural creatures and those that hunt them, where all important players seem to have superpowers or be incredibly talented and trained like warriors in a fantasy novel, it's no surprise that the plain, vanilla human would be overlooked. Not that he's actually that plain or even human… but that's a whole different issue.

Stiles has never taken offense to people dismissing him. Truly. They see him and think 'human', think 'non-supernatural', 'weak', and that's it; they never look back at him. No one ever stops to consider the fact that he found a dead body (or rather, half), in the middle of the preserve, when even the authorities were having trouble finding it; or that he knew what Scott was before he did; he suspected Peter long before anyone else did, even if he convinced himself it couldn't be because if it were him someone else would have noticed (ignoring his own instincts, not the kind of mistake he'll be repeating, ever); no one ever thinks about the fact that he was the one who connected Kate Argent not just to the Hale Fire, but also to all the other fires she caused across the country! And that's without considering all the things people most definitely know he's done, yet still never focus on: like the fact that he was the one who trained Scott in control; he faced Argent and his hunters with no weapons other than his own wit and cleverness; faced Peter when he was still a feral Alpha; held a paralyzed Derek in the pool, while treading water, for over two hours; created a full mountain ash barrier around a building, without actually having enough ash, or any instruction other than a very vague 'be the spark!' (and what kind of instruction was that anyway?!), refused to reveal secrets from the Hale pack while being beaten by psycho grandpa; drove his beloved jeep through a wall, into a warehouse full of wolves and psycho hunters to save a boy who'd only ever bullied him; stood face to face against not one, but several alphas who could have killed him so easily, without showing an ounce of fear…

More than once Stiles has actually wondered if people around him truly are that blind, or if it's just that they're so convinced of their own image of him, that they fail to see anything that might contradict that image. All except his dad of course, but then again, his dad has always known better! That he might have turned a blind eye at times in order to make things easier (or at least, less complicated) to them both, and especially to allow him to retain the 'plausible deniability' he so dearly needs to be able to do his job, doesn't mean that his dad's in any way blind, or stupid. Stiles knows that's what Scott thinks. That he's so much smarter than the adults around him, that they don't know what's going on. Because his mom is busy, working extra hours to keep up with the expenses of a son who, while he might no longer need all the inhalers, medications and hospital visits he did before, is eating way more than he ever did before, than anyone not-supernatural does. And that's without considering Isaac. Stiles is sure that if Derek hadn't gone to see Melissa and insisted on giving her a monthly stipend to help with groceries, citing that Isaac was his responsibility, there's no way Melissa would have been able to handle it. It's not like Scott has ever contributed to their expenses, even though he's been working for over a year now. No, that money has gone into his bike, and Allison (because of course, even when they claim not to be dating, it's always about Allison-freaking-Argent with that boy!).

Stiles isn't sure when it was that he stopped trusting Scott exactly. Was it when he heard Scott trying to justify Allison's attack on Boyd, Erica and Isaac? (and by all that's holy, how absolutely damaged must Isaac be to be flirting with a girl who already tried to kill him once?!) Was it when he found out about the absolute disaster that went down in that warehouse before he and Lydia arrived? Scott's choices, his betrayal, not just of Derek, but of Stiles himself? Was it when he was in that torture- basement and first found out that Scott was working with Gerard? When he realized that Scott never told Allison the truth about the death of Victoria Argent, thus enabling her to go all psycho-huntress on the Hale pack? No, it was before all that. Even before all the times when Scott kept failing him or simply not being there when Stiles needed him (like in that police van, in the pool, at the ruins of the Hale House, in the hospital, during the school-dance, in the back-room of a veterinary…). He supposes it doesn't matter, the crux of the matter is that he doesn't trust Scott. Doesn't trust him to be there for him, for his dad, for anyone whose name isn't Argent!

Stiles also understood, a good while ago, that they're in over their heads. A feral alpha bent on avenging his murdered family? A psychotic huntress trying to finish what she started when she burnt a whole family alive in their home? Psycho Grandpa using his dead daughter as an excuse to get off killing even more people? Those were bad enough. But now? A pack made entirely of alphas who've killed their own packs? Stiles has trouble even grasping that one. He can still remember when Derek told him what it felt like, to lose a packmate, 'like losing a limb' he said (and Stiles refuses, he absolutely refuses to think about how it must have been to lose as many as he, Laura, Cora and Peter did that day… which he knows were more than eight, a lot more, whatever the official reports might say, no one outside the Hales themselves truly knew how many people were in the house that day; even Stiles can only make a somewhat decent guess… and that's bad enough); so how can there possibly be not one, but at least three alphas who've intentionally killed their whole packs?! (He knows things are different with the twins, but even if they're not as bad as the others, Stiles will never be able to forget that theirs were the hands that held Boyd that day, that pushed him onto Derek's claws; they held Erica and Boyd captive for months, and Cora…) And then there's the Darach… So many people have died, and all for what? Because of a woman hell-bent on revenge? She's killed a dozen innocents, and plans on killing three more, on killing their own parents… It's not that Stiles thinks she doesn't deserve justice for the crimes committed against her, but killing innocents is not the way to go. She especially made a huge mistake when she went after His people… Heather, Tara, Mama McCall, and now his Dad… Stiles is gonna kill her, with his own hands if he has to!

The ringing of his cellphone pulls Stiles out of his thoughts. He answers the call, saying nothing, not even a hello, there's no need.

"We're in position," A voice informs him from the other end. "Going in in two."

Stiles nods wordlessly, despite the man on the other side not being able to see him, they know each other enough for no reply to be necessary.

"Sophia is heading your way." The man on the phone goes on. "She will be your backup when dealing with the other two enemies."

"You know, technically only Blake is my enemy." Stiles points out.

"You and I both know if he's not your enemy yet it's only because he hasn't found it convenient to reveal himself as such." The man points out.

"Point." Stiles admits. "Very well. Lets do this." He takes a deep breath before adding, in a more solemn voice: "For Death and Justice."

"For Death and Justice." The one on the other side of the line echoes.

Stiles has just slipped the phone back into the front right pocket of his jeans when, as if on cue, the roar of a motorcycle reaches his ears. The bike, a modified Kawasaki, comes to a stop less than a handful of feet away from him, the motor idle, but not turned off. Stiles turns in the right direction, right in time to raise a hand automatically, catching the object the rider just threw at him: a leather jacket. He doesn't say a word as he slips it on. He's still zipping it up when a second object's thrown at him: a helmet this time. Neither of the two say a word. As soon as he puts the helmet on Stiles is climbing behind the rider, a woman, and slipping his arms around her waist. Once he's secure, she's kicking the bike back into gear.

It takes them but minutes to reach their destination: Beacon Hill's Veterinary Clinic.

Stiles takes off the helmet, handing it back to the woman, who puts it inside one of the knapsacks attached to her bike. He keeps the jacket though, fingering the hood briefly before choosing to leave it down. He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up rather than combing it.

"Are you ready for this?" The woman asks him.

She has a bit of accent, which isn't surprising, all things considered. In her thirties, 5' 7" tall, with lightly tanned skin and an athletic figure, wavy short chestnut brown hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a thin-strapped royal blue loose top, dark-washed jeans, blue ballerina flats and a light-blue scarf loosely around her neck and shoulders.

Stiles shrugs wordlessly before turning around and heading in. Truth is he's not ready, not at all, but that doesn't matter because this is what needs to be done, so he'll do it. The woman, Sophia, seems to take his silence as answer enough; she turns the bike off, pocketing the key before climbing off it and following Stiles into the building.

"Stiles!" several voices call at the same time. "You came…"

"It's good that you're here man, because we need you." Scott tells him. "To find the Nemeton."

"Really?" Stiles arches a brow in disbelief.

Scott, as always, misses any and all cues as he takes Stiles's words at face value (not for the first time Stiles is left wondering what's the point to him having so many nifty abilities, when he never uses them… none that don't help him with his own popularity).

"Yeah," Scott says immediately. "Doc tell him!"

"Essentially you Mr. Stilinski, Miss Argent and Scott need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents." Deaton explains.

"Really?" Stiles's eyes narrow.

Isaac seems to be the only one to notice that something's off, but no one pays him any attention. The rest of them completely focused on their 'grand plan'.

"If it goes right, the three of you will be dead for a few seconds…" Deaton explains. "But, there's something else you need to think about. This is a dangerous ritual for more reasons than one. You'll be giving power back to the Nemeton, a place that hasn't had power for a long time. This kind of power is like a magnet: it attracts the supernatural, the kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill a bestiary with. It will draw them here, like a beacon."

"I thought we were trying to stop the darach from completing the ritual." Stiles points out.

"It's the only way to find the Nemeton." Scott insists.

"Is it?" Stiles challenges.

That, finally, seems to clue everyone else to the fact that there's something going on.

"So you're saying Doc, that despite you being the local druid, the one supposed to look after a supernatural nexus like the Nemeton, you cannot find it?" Stiles presses.

Deaton freezes, just for a moment, but as far as Stiles (and Sophia) are concerned, that's enough.

"I believe I've mentioned this before Mr. Stilinski, but I'm retired." Deaton tries to excuse.

"Are you?" Stiles insists. "Because according to what I've read. One does not retire from being a druid. That's not a job, it's a… what's the word for it? Right, a calling."

"I don't know what kind of books you've been reading Mister…" Deaton begins.

"Oh, don't worry about my sources doc." Stiles cuts him off, before tilting his head just a bit. "Is that enough for you?"

"More than." Sophia answers as she steps fully into the room.

"Ma'am, this area is restricted." Deaton states. "If you'll go back to the front…"

"I'm not here seeking a veterinarian, as I'm sure you must be well aware Druid Deaton." Sophia states in an authoritative tone. "You can sense me. You must have an idea who I am."

"High Druidess…" Deaton murmurs bowing his head deeply, obvious nervousness in his voice.

"Now tell me, Druid Deaton, what reason could there possibly be for you to push three innocents to do a dangerous ritual sacrifice, especially to such a dark nexus as the local Nemeton?" Sophia demands. "What reason could there be for you to lie to these children, and make them believe that this is the only way they can save their parents?"

Scott, who was about to demand an explanation to what was going on, to who she was, and what Stiles was doing bringing her, finds his line of thought completely derailed by that last statement:

"What…?" He's in shock.

"What do you mean by that?" Allison demands, a hand going to her ring daggers.

"Yes doc, what can she possibly mean by that?" Stiles is smiling as he asks the question, it's not a nice smile.

Deaton moves fast, faster than most would have expected, pulling a fistful of some kind of powder out of his pocket and throwing it in the wolves' direction. The two of them pulling back instinctively. It's mistletoe. Stiles and Sophia are faster, a flick of her wrist rendering the powder inert before it can hurt anyone; Stiles for his part goes straight for Deaton, restraining him before he can hurt anyone else. He bends the man over a steel table, with his arms twisted behind his back, pressing against the inside of his wrists just right to ensure he won't be able to attack him, or shake lose.

"Tut, tut, tut, you've been a very naughty oak, haven't you?" Sophia says, almost playfully, though with an edge to her tone.

"What the hell are you doing Stiles?!" Scott yells. "Let him go!"

Isaac and Allison look at him oddly. Then at Stiles, though his own amber eyes are fixed straight on Sophia, who seems to be studying Deaton carefully.

"Aha!" She seems to have found something.

She reaches into the back pocket of her jeans, under the hem of her blouse, pulling out a blade. It's relatively small, about the length of an open hand, entirely made of wood, English oak to be precise; with a wide D and a strange-looking M one over the other in the handle. Stiles knows she made the blade herself, from wood she secured (through prayers and rituals) from the oldest such tree in the province where she was born, back in Bulgaria. The blade is blood-bound to her and will work for no one else. Sophia uses it to nick the tip of her finger, letting a few drops of blood free, which she then uses to draw a single rune on Deaton's forehead.

"Dioueliañ (Reveal)!" She orders as she presses the palm of her open hand over the rune.

Scott tries to interfere but Stiles is faster, a flick of his wrist and there's suddenly mountain ash rushing down from his arm, settling in a circle around both werewolves before either of them can take a single step. While Isaac might not be a threat just yet, Stiles is not going to take any chances. Allison… Stiles doesn't trust her, per say, but believes she's pragmatic enough not to interfere until she knows more.

The moment Sophia's spell works Stiles starts cursing in a mix of languages. There's glowing, and a lot of it, various symbols glowing through Deaton's clothes in various parts of his body, and around the room they're in.

"This is beyond being naughty." Sophia admits, all hints of playfulness gone from her expression. She focuses on Deaton. "I suspect the only reason you don't qualify as a darach yet is because you've made sure to keep your hands clean thus far. Ensuring someone else does your dirty work, and believes they're doing it by their own choice. It doesn't matter, because I can see the truth."

"Will you ensure others do too?" Stiles asks her.

"Soon it won't matter." Sophia shakes her head. "This cannot be allowed to continue."

"What are you doing?" Deaton demands.

He has been silent until then, probably confident in his own power, but no more. It's become clear to him that he's no longer the one in control, and he cannot have that.

"Let me go!" He yells. "Scott!"

Even Stiles can feel the power behind that call.

As for Scott, he shifts automatically, howling and throwing himself against the barrier created by the mountain ash. He looks completely feral.

"What the hell?!" Allison cries out, pulling out her knives automatically, yet clearly not knowing what to do, who to fight.

"What's going on?" Isaac asks, horrified.

"Deaton's controlling Scott." Stiles answers in a clipped tone before turning back to the man. "How long? How long have you been using him?!"

Deaton doesn't answer him, instead he keeps calling out to Scott. And when that fails, he starts chanting, probably a spell.

"That's enough of that." Sophia speaks over him.

She makes a motion with her hand, the one that still has traces of her own blood on her skin, the move like she's slashing the air… there's a sound akin to glass breaking and it echoes all around. Several things happen at the same time: Stiles lets go of Deaton, half stumbling to a side even as he doubles over, exhaling like the air has just been punched out of him. Isaac flinches at the sound, and even Allison shivers. Scott for his part drops to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, which is essentially what he's just become.

It takes Stiles several seconds to recover enough to straighten up and then…

"Well shit," Sophia's well-cultured voice, using such crass language, makes him turn in her direction right away.

It's not that that he's never heard her curse. Rather, she has a habit whenever she does curse, to do so in Bulgarian, or at times, in Romani, which makes it less obvious. For her to curse in English, in front of strangers, it means that something has most definitely not gone to plan. He follows her line of sight to Deaton who, despite Stiles having let go of him, is still bent over the table. Stiles realizes why just a moment later: he's dead. Well shit, indeed.

"How did this happen?" He asks her, it's not that he regrets his death, exactly, but it's hard to make someone really pay for their crimes when they're already dead…

"It seems that the backlash of all his spells, bindings and rituals breaking at the same time killed him." Sophia answers after some consideration.

"Were there any alternatives?" Stiles knows he has to ask.

It's not that he thinks she did wrong, exactly, he's just curious.

"I suppose I could have sought to undo each spell and ritual separately… but the time it'd have taken us, just to find out the right order and a safe way to handle each… it's time we just don't have." She states. "We needed those spells broken now."

"He bound me." Stiles realizes. "Not so much that I'd actually notice, not yet…"

"I think it was rather you being too powerful for him to be able to truly bind your powers." Sophia retorts with a small smirk.

He's about to say something else, when Allison and Isaac calling his name in distress calls his attention. He doesn't even have to ask them what's wrong, as he turns in their direction right in time to see Scott convulse in Allison's arms and vomit what looks like black blood.

"Is that…" Stiles is in absolute shock. "Is he rejecting the bite?!"

What the hell is going on?!

"Bite rejection?!" Allison cries out, shocked.

"But that's not possible, he was bitten almost a year ago!" Isaac snaps.

Yes, he was, and as has been pointed out, Deaton had a hell of a lot of spells and rituals in place: some level of control over Scott, a somewhat loose bind on Stiles's spark and whatever-the-hell he was doing to the Nemeton were just some of them.

"Stiles do something!" Allison yells at him, desperate.

Stiles makes a move to approach him. His mind already working a mile a minute trying to think of some way to save Scott. He has no idea how, all he knows about bite rejection is that it kills the person. Also, it's a very painful way to die…

"No," Sophia stops him.

"What? But… I have to…" He knows he and Scott aren't in the best place, haven't been for a while, but he's still his oldest friend.

"You have a duty Mieszko." Sophia reminds him. "To the Nemeton, to this town, to the Order… to your dad, to your blood…"

Stiles swallows, he knows she's right and yet. "Sofiya…" He forces his voice through the knot lodged in his throat.

"Stiles!" Allison yells even louder, demanding. "You have to do something! You cannot just leave Scott to die!"

No, he cannot. But he cannot leave his dad, and Scott's mom, and even Allison's dad to die either. He cannot put their town at more of a risk than it already is. And that's without considering the blood oaths he'd be breaking…

"Go, I'll see to your friend." Sophia finally assures him.

That does help. Sophia is a druidess, not just that, she's a High Druidess. If anyone can save Scott, it's her (truth is, she has more of a chance than he does, all things considered).

"Look, Allison, Isaac, Sophia will help Scott…" Stiles tells them.

"What…?" Allison's abruptly furious. "No! You need to stay here and…"

"I need to go and get our parents back!" He snaps at her. "You do remember them, don't you? Our parents? Who the darach's planning on sacrificing?! And in any case, Sophia will stay here, she'll help Scott. I trust her."

"But I don't!" Allison insists.

"And I don't trust you!" Stiles cuts her off. "But we have to make do with what we have. So stop yelling and let me do what I have to, and let Sophia do what she can instead of making things harder than they have to be!"

It looks like Allison wants to say more but Stiles doesn't give her the chance, instead heading for the door right away.

"Mieszko!" Sophie calls him at the last moment.

Stiles doesn't even turn, just raises his hand at exactly the right time to catch what she just threw at him: a key.

"Take the bike." She says, somewhat unnecessarily.

He says nothing, just nods and takes off. He has a duty to fulfill…

xXx

"That woman is nuttier than Claudia's keks." Noah mutters, more to himself than either of his companions (colleagues? Fellow kidnapees?), at Chris's rather confused expression he clarifies. "It's a fruitcake, like the Christmas cake. Claudia liked to do her mother's recipe, Polish. That cake had a hell of a lot of nuts…"

"You know, you're remarkably calm for someone who's new to all… this." Chris comments, moving his head this way and that, to signal 'all'.

Noah just cannot help himself, he really cannot. The man is a Hunter, an Argent, he's supposed to be this great badass or something, and he honestly believes that Noah was ignorant of what's going on in his own town?! Scratch that, in his own house! His son is neck deep in all of it, there is no way in hell Noah wouldn't know about it.

"Who says I'm new to any of it?" He asks, a smile on his face that wouldn't look out of place in his son's.

Argent's absolute shock makes him laugh; Melissa's surprise though, that offends him.

"Oh come on!" He exclaims, frustrated. "Mel!"

"Scott said you didn't know!" Mel tries to excuse. "He insisted that I wasn't to tell you anything. That Stiles didn't want you to know!"

"You know, I don't even know what I should be focusing on right now." Noah comments. "The fact that you, knowing about what our sons were getting involved in, believing me ignorant, decided not to tell me. That you even believed that my son would keep something this important, something that involved the safety of my town, from me."

He's about to add something about how he cannot understand her ever believing that him, being the Sheriff, having been such for so long, could have not learned at some point about the existence of the supernatural, especially in a town like theirs. He holds back in the last moment when he realizes the real issue: The fact that Melissa, despite being a nurse for so long, despite the fact that Noah has no doubt quite a few 'odd' things must have come across her at one point or another, she managed to miss all the signs. Or perhaps it was less her missing them, and more her not wanting to see. Noah knows that it happens sometimes. People being in so much denial they won't see what is right in front them… It happens to Melissa sometimes, whenever she chooses to believe Scott's stories about how whatever insane stunt he and Stiles just pulled is all his son's fault. Like Stiles pulled the other boy into it against his will instead of him being all for it every step of the way… It's not that Noah believes his son to be perfect, he knows he isn't. But neither is he the absolute delinquent Melissa seems to believe him to be half the time…

"In any case, yes, I know." Noah states. "I know the kind of things that happen in my town. I know all about feral alphas, and alpha packs, and darachs, and sociopathic old men who believe they can beat up my only son and get away with it…"

He can see the exact moment when Chris gets what he's saying, and what he isn't.

"I didn't know…" The hunter hurries to try and excuse.

"It was happening in your own house!" Noah snaps, loosing his cool, just for a moment. "If you didn't know it's because you didn't want to know. Also, I'm well aware that you did know about the other two teenagers being tortured in your basement."

"I let them go." Chris hissed.

"After they were hunted like animals, and tortured for how long?" Noah retorts. "Don't try to bullshit me Argent. Your father and sister were psychotic murderers, and you? You're a coward."

It looks like Chris wants to say something to defend himself, but Melissa speaks first.

"Wait, were?" She interrupts. "I mean, I know Kate Argent is dead, but he is too? Gerard Argent, I mean. He's truly dead?"

"Well, he better be, otherwise I swear I'm gonna kill him myself for what he did to my son!" Noah snaps in a challenging tone.

He knows Gerard is dead, the Order made sure of that. They also dug up Kate Argent and killed her, again… There's a part that wishes he could tell Melissa. He knows a part of her must still be affected, he knows the old bastard threatened her. And yet… well, if he were petty he'd say that she was the one who chose to keep secrets from him first; but it's not about that at all. It's that this is one secret that he must keep, for the Order, and for his child…

There's silence for a while, until Melissa sees Chris twisting this way and that, eventually pulling something small from the back-pocket of his jeans.

"What is that?" Melissa asks him, very interested.

"Ultrasonic emitter," Chris answers with a hint of satisfaction. "A smaller version of what we use to corral Werewolves. Only they hear it. Most of the time, we use it to push them away… Let's see if it works to attract them."

It's just a little while later, probably not even a minute, when they hear noise above them.

"Is that them?" Melissa asks immediately, twisting, trying to see the trapdoor, despite being in the wrong angle from it. "We're here! Scott! We're here!"

Noah says nothing. He knows that not only it isn't Scott there, but who it is exactly. He's proven right seconds later when the trapdoor opens and his son half runs, half tumbles down the rickety stairs, somehow managing not to face-plant. It's enough to make Noah chuckle just a bit. Truly, if anyone were to see his son they'd never believe him to be who he truly is: a warrior, part of the greatest Order of the supernatural world: the Servants of Death…

"Dad!" Stiles cries out, turning to him instantly.

"Stiles?!" Melissa cries out in shock. "Where's Scott?"

"Is Allison with you?" Chris asks him at the same time.

"I'm alone." He says curtly as he pulls a short dagger from a sheath on his left thigh, it's just like Sophia's, except his is made of rowan instead of oak.

He makes quick work of the ropes tying his dad, then Melissa's, and finally Chris's.

"Where is Scott?" Melissa insists.

"Why are you here alone Stiles?" Chris asks instead.

While he knows that Stiles isn't as tight with Scott as Melissa might believe (that boy spends too much time around his daughter, especially for someone who isn't her boyfriend anymore); but he's surprised that Stiles isn't with at least one of the Hales…

"Busy," Stiles answers vaguely.

He really doesn't want to be the one to explain to Melissa that her son might be dying of bite rejection in that very moment. And it's not that he doesn't trust Sophia because he does, with his life, and his father's, but he's never heard of anyone surviving bite rejection…

Melissa is clearly about ready to demand an actual explanation, when the ground under their feet rumbles, the wooden beams creaking ominously.

"Hurry!" He snaps. "We need to get out of here!"

They barely manage to make it out of the cellar, Stiles actually being forced to jump off the steps as they crumble underneath him, and hold onto one of the Nemeton's roots, pulling himself up from there. Chris and Melissa are actually staring at him when he manages to make it out of the sinkhole, an expression like they cannot believe what they're seeing. Noah for his part just rolls his eyes, he'll never stop being amazed by how people keep underestimating his son…

"How did you get out?!" The darach's furious shriek effectively breaks the moment.

Chris reacts instinctively, pulling Melissa as far away from the crazy ex-Emissary (and the hole in the ground) as he can. Noah backs down as best he can. It's not that he wants to hide, but he knows Stiles will be more at ease if he doesn't have to worry about him while he has to deal with the crazy woman.

"You're my sacrifices!" Jennifer shrieks. "Mine!"

"Gods, you're nuttier than Mama's keks lady!" Stiles says in a deadpan tone. "They're people, actual, living, people. Which is more than I can say about you!"

Noah almost facepalms, trust his son to get all witty even in the middle of an actual death-match with an insane witch…

"Stiles…" She changes tracks abruptly, her tone going soft, and so painfully fake Noah cringes. "Can't you see? I need to do this…"

"You need to kill innocents?" Stiles challenges. "You truly believe that you can tell me you need to kill my dad, and I'll let you? What kind of insane reality do you think you live in?!"

"I need the power!" Jennifer shrieks, going crazy yet again. "I need it to fight the alphas, to get my vengeance! I Deserve My Vengeance!"

"You do," Stiles agrees.

That throws everyone for a loop, all except his own father, who only exhales as he closes his eyes. Jennifer herself seems to be the most thrown.

"And if you hadn't killed innocent people, hadn't gone after my friends, my people, I might even have helped you." The teenager goes on. "See, I'm all about justice. And I do understand, that some people deserve to die. But you did go after my people. You killed my classmates, my friends, you tried to kill my father… even now, you're still trying to kill him." He exhales, shaking his head. "That's not something I'll ever allow."

As if on cue, Stiles's phone rings. He doesn't hesitate before answering, putting it on speaker, never taking his eyes off the darach. There are no greetings, no questions, just two sentences in a male voice, the same he man he spoke to before the mess in Deaton's office:

"It's Done. For Justice and Death."

"For Justice and Death." Stiles echoes. "Thank you."

He hangs up.

"What does that mean?" Melissa is the one to ask the question.

"It means the Alpha Pack's been dealt with." Stiles answers evenly.

He chooses his words very carefully. He knows Deucalion and Kali will be dead, with their crimes there's no other choice that'd be acceptable to the Order. The twins… he has no idea what Arek might have chosen in their case, and he's okay with that. There's just no way he could be objective about them. He knows their story isn't the best, but he just… he'll never be able to forget Derek's face, after the loss of Erica, after Boyd…

Jennifer's ensuing shriek sounds almost like nails against a blackboard. It's an awful sound, which makes Melissa press her hands against her eyes even as she tries to curl up protectively around herself, while the two adult men reach for weapons they don't have on them. Stiles for his part, he just keeps looking at the darach, as if completely unaffected by it all.

"You'd deny me my revenge!" She wails at him.

"It wasn't about that at all." Stiles tells her calmly. "It was about ensuring that no more innocents died. As simple as that."

"I will make you pay for this!" Jennifer snarls. "I will kill you! And your father! And everyone who ever thought to stand in the way of my rightful vengeance!"

"No, you won't." The young man says simply.

He moves fast, faster than most non-supernatural can follow: with one hand the draws the blade, the athame out of its sheathe once again, using it to slash open the palm of his opposite hand, before thrusting that bleeding hand to the side, letting his blood fall, drop by drop, onto the Nemeton's peeking roots…

The ground rumbles, and the three would-be-guardians react instinctively, moving away from the Nemeton. Stiles for his part doesn't move so much as an inch, and the darach… she makes an attempt, to move, to throw herself at him in some kind of vicious attack, only to find out she cannot. It's like she's speared to the ground, the earth is holding her in place. And not just that, but as she realizes a few seconds later: her power is being forcibly pulled away from her. All the magic making her strong, beautiful, keeping her alive…

"What…? No!" She cries out, going from furious to desperate. "Why are you doing this?! You said you understood! I deserve my justice!"

"Yes, you do." Stiles says stoically. "And so does Heather, and Tara, Emily, Kyle, Mr. Westover, even Harris, and everyone else you murdered in your mad dash for power that was never meant to be yours anyway." He exhales. "At this point killing you'd be a mercy. But in the end, it's not up to me…"

Suddenly it's no longer just the four of them in that clearing, by the Nemeton. Instead they're surrounded by a dozen ghostly figures, the spirits of those Jennifer 'sacrificed' to the Nemeton. Those whose life and power she had no right to… which is why they're taking it all away now. It's not like doing it will bring any of them back. The dead… well, the dead can come back to life (as Peter's has proven), but it requires a set of very specific circumstances, not the least of which is that they must want to return to the living. Whatever some people might believe, that's not something that happens very often. It is said that the peace that can be found in the Other Side is such that very rarely would an individual be willing to give it up for a return to a life full of trials, and sadness, and passion, and pain, and happiness, and grief and chaos and… pretty much anything but peace.

It's all very anticlimactic in the end. Stiles just stands there, never taking his eyes off Jennifer as she loses it all: first her beauty, then her strength… by the end she's on her knees, shaking, body deformed and covered in badly healed scars. And even that only lasts for a few seconds, before she collapses, dead, her body desiccating very fast. It's made clear then, that if it weren't for the Nemeton she'd truly have died, back when Kali attacked her. And while Stiles does regret what happened to her; she became as much of a monster as the ones she wanted revenge on. She couldn't be allowed to go on, much like the Alpha Pack couldn't be allowed to.

Stiles waits until the Nemeton shifts again, roots slithering out of the ground to wrap around the darach's remains, pulling them down and into the earth. He supposes that's one way of handling cleanup! At least he won't have to spend time burning the corpse, and scattering the ashes… he's still salting the earth, just in case.

Melissa seems to take that as some sort of signal, for she's upon Stiles almost immediately.

"Where is Scott?!" She demands.

He pulls out his phone, seeing he has a text from Sophia. It says that Scott is alive, fully human and in Beacon Valley's General Hospital. His father is there, apparently the hospital tried to locate his mom but, of course, Melissa wasn't answering her phone.

"He's at the hospital, in Beacon Valley." Stiles informs her as he puts his phone away.

He cleans his athame on his jeans, paying no mind to the blood he ends up leaving on them; before returning it to the sheathe on his left thigh. As he looks up he notices Chris looking at him oddly, he's not sure why.

"What…? Why?!" Melissa demands.

"It's a long story…" Stiles mutters.

They walk for several minutes before eventually finding Chris's SUV, which Jennifer apparently commandeered when she took him. The bike is also there and Stiles takes a moment to activate the magical protections on it. He knows there's no way Melissa will let him go without an explanation about what happened to Scott, exactly. The bike will keep, he can go back for it later, or maybe Sophia will.

Chris takes the driver's seat, with Melissa on the copilot's, allowing the two Stilinski men to sit in the back. The trip to Beacon Valley is quite stressful, as Stiles tries to explain to Melissa that Scott is at the hospital, that he's not a werewolf and will never be one again; once Deaton's spells were broken he immediately began rejecting the bite, they're lucky Sophia found a way to save his life, as bite rejection has always been fatal. In any case, Scott is human again, which means he's asthmatic once again, that's the main reason why he's in the hospital. Sophia could undo the damage of the bite rejection, but asthma is an entirely 'natural condition' so-to-speak; not a supernatural wound or illness than can be cured by magic. No, they won't be biting Scott again, they really can't. No one will be doing the spell Deaton did, because that's really, really bad magic. No one truly in the light ever would. Besides, Scott never wanted to be a wolf, always claimed that it ruined his life so… wish granted!

Stiles's not stupid, he understands why Melissa wishes Scott could be a wolf again. But that's not going to change anything. The sooner they accept their new reality, the better.

Things get a bit messy at the hospital when Rafael McCall sees the four of them and starts demanding to know where they've been. He's only just getting into his stride when another man approaches them:

"Excuse me, Sheriff Stilinski?"

The man is tall, a bit over six feet tall in fact, with a strong built, rectangular face, lightly tanned skin, light facial hair, green eyes and brown hair; he's wearing a black suit with a white crisp shirt underneath with the top two buttons undone and no tie.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Rafael McCall clearly doesn't like being interrupted.

"Aron Franciszek Arkadiusz, originally with the CBS." The man states in a clipped tone. "Currently on loan with the FBI regarding a case of serial killers believed to be working across several borders."

"Why would the FBI need someone from the Polish Bureau?" McCall dismisses the Polish Agent almost immediately as unimportant.

"Because several years ago we had a case with some notorious similarities to this one." The foreign man states. "We knew the best way to handle things. Thankfully Sheriff Stilinski was very willing to work with us and thanks to that we were able to storm their newest base of operations just earlier today."

"What…?" It's clear that Rafael wasn't expecting that.

It takes all of Stiles's self-control and training not to laugh at the amount of bullshit coming out of Arek's mouth in that moment. Except, not quite. Truth is, even Isaac, werewolf that he is, won't be picking up on any lies, because there aren't any. Arek is good at choosing his words and keeping some things just vague enough that he never lies, even if he doesn't say the full truth either. Also, it was his idea to go with that particular plan. He does in fact work for Poland's equivalent of the FBI. While strictly speaking there has never been something like an Alpha Pack in Europe, there was a group, an Alpha and his closest followers who were bad enough, back in the early 2000s. The FBI didn't actually call him, he was the one to offer his services. While most mundane humans might remain ignorant regarding the supernatural, there's at least one high-ranking individual in each of the Alphabet Agencies (not just in the US, but in most of the world) for them to know when it's better to let the experts handle it.

Finally, Arek's particular plan doesn't only serve to explain the Order having dealt with the Alpha Pack; but they'll also be able to include Jennifer Blake. To Stiles, the most important part is that his father will no longer have the stain of there being so many unsolved cases in his jurisdiction. (Stiles has every intention of having Arek add the cases related to the Argents, and Peter's rampage to the list while they're at it).

Rafael McCall is clearly unhappy when realizing that not only he won't be able to impeach Noah, but the man's being held as an exemplary Sheriff now, while he (Rafe) is left looking like an idiot who jumped the gun and in the end knew nothing at all. All he can do at that point is cut his loses and leave before someone thinks to ask how exactly Rafe ended in Beacon Hills when another FBI representative was already working on the case; because clearly, if he were there legally he'd have known about the joint operation taking place…

Because Arek revealed himself and the 'public story' in such a way, the two of them end up leaving together so they can get to the Sheriff's office and start working on the paperwork to make everything official. Melissa of course is staying with Scott. Chris offers to take Stiles back home (he's already given Sophia the key to her bike, and one of Arek's men will be taking her to where Stiles left it). Stiles agrees.

The teenager isn't surprised at all when Chris starts talking:

"They're Servants of Death." It's a statement, not a question.

Stiles doesn't reply, he doesn't see the point. The truth is obvious enough.

"That man, the Agent, he's the one who called to let you know the Alpha Pack was taken care of." Chris continues. "'For Justice and Death'… their Order has always claimed they serve justice and death. They're members of that Order… as are you."

Stiles remains silent. What's the point in confirming the obvious? Besides, it's not like Chris is actually asking any questions.

"Is he actually a federal agent?" The hunter asks.

"Does that matter?" Stiles retorts, though he doesn't wait for an answer. "Yes, he is in fact, a Federal Agent."

Just like Sophia's an emergency nurse, and he's a high-school student and all other members of the Order have their respective professions. They might be Servants of Death, yes, but that's not all they are. They're also people. Real people, with real jobs, real lives…

They finally make it to the Stilinski house, where Stiles jumps out of the SUV without even turning to say goodbye. He's feeling jittery, spending time in close-quarters with someone he doesn't trust will do that to him. Next time he'd rather walk, he thinks. It's not that he doubts his ability to defend himself if it ever were necessary, but still. Stiles doesn't trust the Argents, he never will. At this point it's a matter of 'the devil that you know'… he could find a way to run them out of town, but that probably wouldn't help in the long run. Because if it weren't them, it would be some other Hunters. At least the Argents they already know how to handle…

xXx

On Monday Stiles goes straight to the offices upon arriving. He has some arrangements to make. The counselor's not in (and Stiles does wonder how long the school will wait before doing something about it; it's not like Miss Morell is coming back, judging by Sophia's tone when announcing the Druid Council would 'want to talk to her'… well, Stiles may not be a druid, but he can read between the lines), but one of the secretaries, Miss Adams, approaches him right away. She seems surprised when he explains what he's there for, but not in a bad way. And he understands, what he's there to do, people have been waiting for him to do it for years, yet he was never interested… until now.

When he steps out of the office he's surprised to see Cora there. Mrs. Martin (apparently the school called her in to help when they realized they needed someone else to help cover for Morell's duties) is with her, taking papers as Cora signs them. Stiles isn't surprised she's alone, she's eighteen, just like him. Still, he's surprised she's at the school at all.

"Well, I suppose you'll be in good company," Mrs. Martin comments, looking at both of them.

"Huh?" There's no way Stiles can hide his expression of absolute incomprehension.

"Derek says if I'm staying I've gotta finish high-school." Cora explains succinctly. "We got my… cousin in South America to e-mail me my transcripts. I should be a senior, except for a couple of junior classes I don't have the credits for. So it was either join senior year and take those classes in the afternoons, or join junior year and probably end up with a very loose schedule both years. I chose the first, of course, and I thought I'd be the only one until Mrs. Martin pointed out that you were fixing your schedule to move up to senior year as well."

"Yeah well… it felt like it was time." He says, somewhat evasively.

What he doesn't tell her is this: that he, just like her, should have been a senior all along. That he isn't because back when he was still in elementary, back when his mom first got sick, he kept skipping school to spend time with her, first at the house, and later on at the hospital. That when she died, in between his own grief, his ADHD and his dad going off the rails he just couldn't bring himself to care about school. Also, back then Scott was his best-friend (his only friend), and when Stiles realized that repeating the year meant being in the same classes as him… he liked that. So he chose not to make up the work, even when given the opportunity. Now, now he knows Scott isn't who he used to think; there's a chance he never was it's just… back then they had no one but each other and now… it's different now.

She nods easily enough and Stiles isn't sure if she's being dismissive of his comment, or just being respectful of his desire to not go into details. She surprises him yet again when, the moment she's done with her paperwork she announces they're going to have lunch together, then proceeds to drag him to the cafeteria just long enough for each of them to pick something (whatever looks least bad) and then they head to a corner of the bleachers where they can talk in private. He hasn't seen Isaac or Allison all day; he knows Scott is still in the hospital, and Lydia only pays attention to him when she needs him for something. This he's finally come to see and accept, letting him move on from his crush to her when he realized he was only ever in love with his image of her, of the beautiful genius who'd one day step out of the shadows and be true to herself; rather than the real her, of the girl who is truly a genius, yet cares so much about looks and popularity that she'd rather pretend to be someone she's not than be true to herself. It was a disappointing realization, truly; though at the same time he's come to accept he was never truly in love with her; and the reason he knows that is because he's found someone, someone he truly loves, can potentially love for the rest of his life… if he'll give him a chance.

"So…" He speaks up once he knows for sure they're alone. "You wanted me out here all alone, what for? Not to kill me, I hope."

"You're an idiot." Cora deadpans.

She looks so much like her brother when she says that, in that tone… Stiles is so focused on not reacting to that fact, that it takes him completely by surprise when she changes tracks entirely:

"Thank you," she murmurs, tone soft, almost… nervous?

"What…?" Stiles really wasn't expecting that.

"You saved my life." She clarifies.

He thinks about denying it, he really does. But before he can she pulls out an ashen black marble, or what looks like one. Stiles knows exactly what it is and it makes him close his mouth so fast his teeth clink together painfully. He knows what it is, and apparently so does she. Mistletoe powder… the very same that was slowly killing her… until he used his magic to pull it out of her, while he stood guard over her unconscious form in that ambulance…

"I don't remember it… not really…" Cora explains quietly. "But I know that I was dying of mistletoe poisoning, and then I wasn't." She turns to look at the ball she's holding between two fingers, turning it this way and that, as if studying it. "And I know that this smells of mistletoe, of magic…" she turns back to him. "and of you."

Stiles has no words to say to that.

"My brother is bad at human communication, at 'using words'." Cora says then, in a complete non-sequitur. "It's not exactly his fault. See, I'm not sure if you realize this but, we Hales, we're not human. We're werewolves. We smell emotions, hear heartbeats, and so many other things… we communicate in so many levels, beyond the verbal one. When I was little I hardly ever spoke, didn't see the need to. The fire changed that… it changed all of us, in different ways. I know it can be hard, that it can be frustrating and…"

"Stop." Stiles has to interrupt her, he has to. "I understand… or well, not quite understand but… I know what it's like, to not be the way others expect you to be, to not be able to be who and what they want. I…" He runs a hand through his hair. "I've made a lot of mistakes with your brother. So many… and some day I'll actually sit him down and apologize for them. For all the ways I, knowingly and unknowingly hurt him."

"He'll forgive you, he already does." Cora assures him, a hint of a smile on her lips.

She reminds him so much of her brother in that moment, it almost leaves him breathless. He could fall in love with her so easily. Chances are, if he hadn't met her brother first he'd probably be completely gone on her. Then again, the only reason she affects him so much is precisely because of the way he keeps connecting her with said brother. What Stiles feels for Derek could never be called a 'love at first sight', it was anything but; but that's probably a good thing (considering Scott and Allison and how much of a mess their relationship is); still, he knows for a fact that he loves Derek. Hopefully one day soon he'll get the chance to tell him.

"The reason I brought this up is," Cora continues. "My brother cannot think of a way to ask you, but I know he'd like it if you'd agree to be an Emissary…"

"Emi… his Emissary…?" Stiles is breathless with the shock.

"Our Emissary actually," Cora corrects, a hint of a smirk in the corner of her mouth. "We want you as the Hale Emissary."

"Yes," he blurts out almost immediately.

He takes a moment to feel out things and then shifts, looking past Cora, to the treeline past the lacrosse field; he cannot quite see Derek, but he knows the wolf is there…

"Yes," he repeats, voice softer but full of purpose, also, he knows the wolf will hear him just fine. "I'll be honored to be your Emissary…"

The pair of red glowing eyes that suddenly can be seen in between the shadows of the trees is enough to tell him that not only Derek is truly there, but he heard Stiles.

"Great!" Cora states with a grin. "I'm catching a ride with you to the loft after your last class is over. We're having our very first pack meeting today!"

Stiles is still nodding when they can both hear the school-bell ring, lunch is about over and they need to be getting to their next class. While Stiles will be moving onto senior class in January, he still has to finish the term with the juniors. And while Cora technically isn't attending yet, she probably has to to take a bunch of placement tests still. So they get moving. Stiles looking over his shoulder in the direction where he can still sense Derek one last time before stepping into the school building. Things have taken such a turn, like he could have never expected.

He's so excited about being the Hale Emissary! He still needs to have a serious talk with the Hales. Not just to apologize to Derek, and to Peter (and wait, how long was Derek in that treeline, did he hear what Stiles said to Cora?! It's not that he's ashamed, or regrets it, just… he'd prefer it if he'd had the chance to say those things to him directly…), but also… there are things they need to know, if they want him as part of their pack. Things like how gone he's on Derek (it won't interfere with the pack, he'll make sure of it, no matter what, but still) how he's not only part of the most secret (and powerful) supernatural Order: the Servants of Death, but also will, one day, when he's ready (when the day comes that he takes a life himself, for Justice and Death) be the one to lead it…


So, what do you think?

I hope you like this premise. If anyone would like, I'd welcome ideas, suggestions for upcoming fics. Where in the series would you be interested in me focusing for the next story? I have one more fic with this premise written, and then we'll see where the muse (and your ideas!) take us.

As always, I give blanket permission to any and all who might be interested in making fanart, fanvids, translations, remixes, podfics, etc. Just remember to give credit where it's due, and let me know so I can go take a look too!

Thanks for reading. Please don't forget to leave kudos/comment. See ya around!