A/N

Hey guys! Sorry this update is a little late in the day. I hope everyone had a good and safe New Years Eve. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, and as always remember to check out my Supernatural story "one way ticket." Have a great 2015 and enjoy!

Ch. 10

Pride and Prejudice

"Sneaking out? Keeping secrets? Talking to the enemy? I really wish this was the first time we've had this conversation, Allison." Allison rolled her eyes. Yes, she had been worried about her father's reaction, but in the car ride home she had realized that her father couldn't do anything. Not when there was a threat like the Winchesters, and whatever was on their heels. During her conversation with Stiles Allison had begun to realize that the infamous brothers didn't cause trouble. They were trouble. And if they were here, more bad things would be on the way. Not that her dad needed to know that.

"Allison! Are you even listening to me?!"

Rudely shocked out of her thoughts, Allison replied somewhat scathingly "Yes. I'm listening. The Winchesters are dangerous. Stay away from them. You're grounded- or you will be if I can figure out how you keep sneaking out." Chris sighed.

"More or less, I guess. I'm not mad, Allison." Allison scoffed. "Really, I'm not. I'm just worried. I trusted Stiles a lot. I thought it was good for you to not be the only human in the pack. Turns out he was hiding a 16 year secret and we were as clueless as a couple of deer. I needed time to process that and you sneaking out didn't help." All of the sudden Chris looked very tired. Allison began to feel bad. He was right. Allison acted foolishly. Dean Winchester himself had said yesterday-was it really only yesterday- to never attack an enemy you know nothing about. While she hadn't been going to attack, it was the same type of foolishness. So was keeping valuable information from her father out of spite.

"He's still the same, Dad. He's still Stiles. He was actually pretty happy to see me." Chris relaxed upon hearing this and Allison smiled. Her dad had enough stress in his life. She didn't want to be responsible for any of it.

"And the Winchesters? How were they?" Allison's grin faltered. Telling her dad what they had said would be a very delicate process.

"Um... They were nice?"

"Are you asking? Allison, what did they say to you?"

"They made it very clear that they are here to protect Stiles. They seem to respect other hunters, up to a certain point. They aren't planning on going on a mass murder spree, but," Allison gulped and prayed her father would understand, "they told me this story about this town called Mystic Falls, and how it was a pack of teenage-"

"Vampires. I've heard of them. I didn't know it was the Winchesters who took them out but it doesn't surprise me." Allison relaxed when she saw how not-freaked-out he looked, but still felt the need to protect Stiles.

"They weren't threatening me, Dad, more like just making it clear that should circumstances change-" To her surprise, Chris started laughing.

"Allison, sweetheart, that is the oldest trick in the hunter book. But," and Allison swore her father looked almost impressed, " I didn't expect them to be that smart. Drawing parallels like that. It's very-"

"Humanizing?" Chris nodded. "Dad, I don't think we need to worry about them. Besides threatening the existence of the pack, well, they were very nice." Allison admitted, somewhat ashamedly. "They would do anything for their family, and we would be lying if we said we weren't the same."

"Their definition of 'everything' is drastically different than ours." Chris mumbled, but nevertheless he conceided. "But Stiles can be trusted, even with his brothers on edge about him being in a werewolf pack?"

Allison smiled. "I don't think that's the problem. Stiles kind of gave me the whole Winchester story." Chris looked taken aback. "I'll explain later, Dad. But by the sound of it, having a problem with Stiles' friends would be majorly hypocritical. Actually, I believe what they said was something along the lines of 'we don't want our brother bullied.'" Now Chris looked majorly taken aback.

"Their whole life story? In six hours?" Allison shrugged.

"'Know thy enemy", right?" Chris raised his eyebrows. "What?" Allison asked indignantly.

"I thought they aren't our enemies." Chris said. Allison rushed to explain herself.

"No Dad, of course not. I mean, yeah, it helps, but- Stiles told me a lot about other creatures. And how to fight them. I just- I-" Allison looked helpless as she revealed the real reason for her visit with the Winchesters.

"You wanted to know more about hunting." Allison nodded. Chris sighed. Instead of being mad, he looked weary again. "Why didn't you just ask me?"

"I didn't think you would tell me anything." Allison replied, very quietly. "And I didn't think you'd know. Half the stuff Stiles told me about, well, I'd never even seen in the bestiary. Please don't be mad." Chris smiled at his daughter.

"I'm not mad, honey, but I never wanted this life for you in the first place. I should have known eventually you'd branch out to satisfy your curiosity. Honestly, I'm glad. You learned from the best." Upon hearing her father's approval, Allison positively beamed. "However, it will be dangerous to have them in town too long. Trouble practically seems to follow them." Allison decided it was best to not disagree. "If they are still sticking around because of Stiles, then we need to help." Allison nodded.

"We need to get him back in the pack." she said. She and Chris began planning. It shouldn't be too hard, right?

It was almost noon by the time the pack met back up again, this time outside of the old Hale house. The Autumn air was a little chilly for an outside meeting, but Stiles suspected the real reason to the location was to keep the damage of property to a minimum. Just in case, let's say, a fight broke out. Not wanting to release his imagination on worst case scenarios, Stiles instead thought about the morning he had spent with his brothers, talking about stories they hadn't yet had time to relieve over the phone. Stiles had given his brothers grief for not taking him with on a hunt against DRAGONS of all things, but to be fair he had been rather tied up (literally) with a killer English teacher. Still, dragons. Kind of awesome. Stiles pulled up to the Hale house in his jeep, his brothers right behind him, and took in the people waiting for him, or rather the lack thereof. He was first. Unusual, given he was always late for things like this, but not unexpected. Stiles would not be surprised if the pack did not show up at all for this meeting, and would be even less surprised if he never saw any of them again. With a sigh, Stiles exited his jeep, and heard two telltale clunks as his brothers left the impala.

"Bit of a ghost town isn't it?" Sam commented as he gazed up at the burnt house apprehensively. Stiles supposed that anyone would be creeped out by the house the first time they saw it. With it's broken windows, it's ashen gray boards, the fact that the back half was missing and the scorched trees around it, it more than spooked Stiles.

Dean whistled. "This was some fire. I don't think our house even looked this bad, and that fire was downright demonic." Although Dean said this jokingly, there was a faint look of hurt in his eyes. His mother's death still haunted him to this day.

Wishing to lighten the mood, Stiles said "You know, if this whole diplomacy thing doesn't pan out, you guys could always bond with Derek about tragic house fires." Sam and Dean both chuckled. All of a sudden the telltale snap of a broken twig caused all three Winchesters to whirl around. Emerging from the treelines was Scott, with his hands up, flanked by Peter, Derek and Isaac.

"Sorry, We didn't mean to frighten you" said Scott somewhat guiltily. Stiles took in Scott's messy hair and tired eyes. The werewolf looked like he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. That makes two of us. Stiles, knowing the sleep loss was due to him, instantly felt guilty. Here was Scott, spending half the night worried about him, and what was Stiles doing? Bragging about the very story that had gotten them into this mess! Stiles did not have long to stew in this newfound guilt, however, because less than sixty seconds later, the Argent's enormous SUV pulled up to the house, with Chris and Allison in front and Lydia in the backseat.

Upon stepping out of the car, Chris Argent surveyed the scene and, seeing that no one was killing each other, relaxed his hand from where it had been reaching towards his gun. Allison climbed out of the passenger seat and immediately made eye contact with Stiles. He looked from her to her dad, silently asking if she had gotten in trouble. Allison shook her head, unnoticeable to anyone who wasn't looking for it. Lydia straightened her dress with a disgruntled huff and stood next to her best friend. The group now formed a misshapen circle around the Hale house driveway.

Sam cleared his throat and nudged Stiles. "What?" The boy asked indignantly. It was then that Stiles noticed everyone was looking at him. "Oh."

Chris cleared his throat. Is that a hunter thing? Is that what I'm going to turn into? Focus, Stiles. Stiles was, however, too panicked to focus. It had only begun to hit him that today he could lose all of his friends. Mentally stricken, it took Stiles a minute to realize Argent had begun speaking.

"-all know why we're here." Chris was saying. "The decision to remove Stiles from the pack was suspended due to emotional duress, and now we move to make that decision." The pack, including Scott, Derek, Peter, Allison, Lydia, and Isaac, all nodded in consensus. Dean, however, interrupted.

"Do you guys always talk like this? With this formal crap?" Dean ignored the harsh glares he received from Sam and Stiles. Chris smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"No, Dean," Chris replied in a clipped tone, "not always. But in matters of importance, like this, it helps for clarity's purposes. Expelling a pack member is a serious matter that is almost impossible to reverse, so whatever works. May I continue?"

Dean nodded and mumbled "Yes, Sir" just a little too sarcastically for Sam's taste.

"Anyway," continued Chris, "I don't think something like this should just be Scott's decision."

"No," Derek growled. "That goes against the whole point of there being an alpha." Peter nodded in agreement, his angry stare never leaving the Winchesters.

Sam shifted uncomfortably under the former alpha's gaze. "What if everyone casts a vote that ultimately leads to Scott's decision if it ties?" he proposed. Derek thought about it for a second then curtly nodded. The rest of the pack murmured their consent. Stiles, however, was internally panicking. He knew Scott could not make a decision like this, and as he looked into Scott's eyes, he saw the Alpha knew this as well. Stiles and Scott could only hope that it didn't come down to a tie.

"Well," said Allison promptly, the noon sun surrounding her like a halo, "I think Stiles should stay. He's been nothing but an asset and he'll probably be amazing once he gets to show off his hunter skills. A pack as accepting as me and my dad should be able to handle a Winchester." Stiles smiled at Allison gratefully, and even Sam and Dean looked appreciative. Allison beamed at all three of them. She had come a long way, Stiles though, from the girl unwilling to risk her pack standing for him less than a day ago.

"Ok," said Scott, using every ounce of strength he possessed to remain calm. "That's one yes for keeping Stiles in the pack. Who's next?"

"Me." replied Derek. "I vote no." He looked Stiles in the eye before elaborating. "I'm sorry Stiles. You're a great kid, and, like Allison said, you've been nothing but helpful. However," at this, Derek faltered, but Peter egged him on and he continued. "you lied to us for almost two years. You're a Winchester, and they are more of a beacon for trouble than Beacon Hills. People know who you are now, and they're going to come for you. You stay with us, and we are asking for all sorts of trouble that we can't defend ourselves from. My priorities are with the pack, not you. I'm sorry." By the time he finished, Derek was looking at the floor. He couldn't bear to see Stiles' crestfallen face. Dean growled menacingly, and Sam put a threatening hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for your input." Dean ground out, allthewhile shooting a glare so vile at Derek, the wolf felt like it was liquefying his kidneys. "Who's next?" Dean barked, daring anyone else to insult his little brother.

"Well," began Chris ignoring the shift of Dean's attention to him, "I am also putting the pack's interests at heart. Which is why I think Stiles should stay." Derek opened his mouth to protest, but Chris plowed on. "Stiles killed a demon that was terrorizing this town, and if he really is John Winchester's son then he's been trained by the best. To ignore that would be idiotic. He's a good kid, and should be treated like one, not to mention that to have a Winchester as an enemy is basically a death wish." Dean nodded.

"Thanks." Stiles mumbled.

"Whatever gets the Winchesters out of town fastest." Replied Chris, not taking his eyes off of Dean. Dean looked like he was about to provide a scathing retort but stopped when Sam elbowed him in the ribs. Peter watched the brotherly interaction with a raised eyebrow.

"Well," began Peter, "I agree with my nephew." He gestured to Derek standing next to him. "Only I'm not sorry. Winchesters are volatile, and I will not stand to harbor one." Dean and Sam began to look angry, but Peter continued, raising his voice. "The fact that I've been working with one for a year and a half makes no difference. I've seen how strange this past year has been, and it was probably Stiles' fault. In fact," Peter's voice dropped to a whisper and he looked at Stiles with hate in his eyes. "Who's to say it wasn't all your fault, Stiles? The Hale fire, Kate Argent, everything?" Stiles shied away from Peter and Dean looked murderous. He began to run towards Peter but Sam forcibly restrained him.

"You're joking." said Stiles, struggling to be heard over his brothers' scuffling. "Are you really saying this," He gestured around at the burnt trees and the shell of a house, "was my fault? I was raised a hunter, Peter, but I wasn't insane like she was. I didn't even know about the wolves until Scott was bitten. I wasn't even suspicious until Laura's death! You're only blaming me, Peter, because you still can't get over that it was all Derek's fault!" Derek flinched but made no effort to disagree. "You know," Stiles hissed, a sharp contrast to his previous steadily raised voice, "I was gonna kill you. I figured out who you were and I was going to hunt you down and gut you myself, without Scott or Derek even knowing. I only didn't because they," He gestured wildly behind him at his flailing brothers "talked me out of it! They're the reason you're alive, Peter, and I'm the reason you survived that demon. You want to talk trust? I've been holding your life in my hands for a year." Stiles was shouting at this point but he didn't care. He was seeing red. The number of times he could have killed Peter- oh he was right to not trust him but to accuse him of the Hale fire? As if he could take innocent lives like that!

"Funny that you bring up demons," replied Peter, his voice deathly quiet, "cause I'm looking at one. How long has it been since you were drinking demon blood, Sam? A year? Less? Not long enough in my book." Peter's hate-filled eyes bore into the middle Winchester's skull. Sam froze, his arms still locked restrainedly around Dean's elbows. Dean took this opportunity to break free from his brother's hold before whirling around to face Peter.

"You smart-ass SON OF A BITCH!" Dean roared. Peter didn't flinch but rather smirked, even as Dean made a move for his gun.

"DEAN!" Stiles yelled, deciding to intervene. "He's not worth it!" Dean looked at Stiles for a long time before reluctantly putting his gun away. Peter's smirk broadened. "Thank you for your opinion, Peter." said Stiles icily, never taking his concerned eyes off of Dean.

"Um..." mumbled Scott, clearly at a loss as to how to safely diffuse the situation.

"Well," quipped Lydia, uncharacteristically timid, "If I could say something?" Scott nodded, and the rest of the pack turned to look at her. "I want to keep Stiles here. Not for the pack's safety, but for Stiles'." The pack and the Winchesters gaped at her. "I mean," continued Lydia, her voice steady as she became more sure of herself, "that if Stiles didn't have a home here in Beacon Hills, he would be with his brothers. And they should be dead. I sensed that they were wrong the moment they walked in the door, and it terrified me. I know that they are really good people, and hunters, but I'm terrified that if Stiles goes with them he will meet their fate. I don't want that to happen." She looked at the Winchesters apologetically. Sam met Lydia's eyes and she could see that he had the exact same fears. This solidified Lydia's opinion, and it was with her usually bright and sassy self that she marched over to Stiles and slapped him on the face.

"Aahhh- OW!" he exclaimed comically, clutching his cheek where a red handprint was blooming.

"That is for not telling us sooner!" She said, with the tone not unlike a concerned parent. Then, much to Stiles' surprise, she hugged him. He looked frantically at Sam and Dean over Lydia's bright red head, who merely chuckled and gave looks that said 'you're on your own, man.'

"Guys, we still have one vote." Scott reminded everybody. As if on cue, the entire pack turned to look at a suddenly startled Isaac. "Isaac, your vote will either cause a tie or render my opinion obsolete." Scott did his best to keep the plea out of his voice, but failed.

"Well, Isaac?" Peter said menacingly. "What'll it be?" Isaac visibly shrunk back, looking afraid. His eyes darted from person to person before resting on Stiles. He gulped.

"Hey, hey take it easy! Don't scare the kid!" Dean exclaimed, to no one in particular. "Isaac," he said, and Derek looked taken aback at the sudden kindness in his voice, "don't worry about what you say. Just do whatever you think is right."

"I-, I-," Isaac faltered. He couldn't handle it. Not the pressure or Scott's silent plea or Peter's threats. Isaac's innate desire to please everyone would get him no where. How could he suddenly seize control of Stiles' life when he had for years failed to control his own? Frantically, Isaac's gaze darted around. Then he locked eyes with Stiles and he knew what he had to do.

"The Winchesters scare me, and I don't like being afraid. I attacked them out of fear, I was scared of their retaliation, even their back story chilled me to the bone. I didn't sleep at all last night because I was terrified of either the Winchesters or the many things they hunted. It doesn't really matter which. I look at Stiles and I'm afraid." Stiles winced, but otherwise remained expressionless. "I'm afraid of what he represents, of the person he's hid from us, and especially of what he will become. I feel like I don't know him anymore, and I don't like not knowing. It terrifies me that he's a hunter and I had no idea. It terrifies me that he has freakishly tall brothers who rose from the dead. It terrifies me that he was able to kill the single most horrific specimen I have ever seen like it was nothing. I don't know how I could live with that." Isaac took a deep breath, and the pack seemed to freeze until he exhaled. "I don't know how I will live with that, because as far as I'm concerned, Stiles is staying. I'm afraid of him, now, and I'm afraid of the Winchesters, but you know what? Maybe it's time I face my fears." With that, Isaac walked over to Stiles and gave him a big hug, one lanky boy to another. There was a pause before Stiles' face broke into a big grin. Isaac steadily grinned back, and instantly he knew that he had done the right thing.

"Stiles, you're staying." Scott said happily. Everyone looked ecstatic except for Peter. Even Derek managed a quick grin.

"Well, this has been touching." said Dean, a trace of exhaustion in his voice from fighting against his brother. "Stiles, do you mind if we swing by your place to grab our stuff before high-tailing it out of here?"

"You're not staying?" asked Stiles amid the chatter and hugs as Allison, Scott, Lydia and Isaac talked about the day's events. A disappointed look crossed Stiles' face, eerily similar to Sam's 'puppy dog eyes.'

"Nah, best not. Wouldn't want to complicate-" Dean was cut off by a shrill ringing coming from his jacket pocket. Fumbling for his phone, he glanced at the caller id and grimaced. "Crowley" he mouthed at his brothers as he answered it. A sour look passed on Sam's face before he nodded. He tossed Dean a grey packet that Stiles suspected contained Mountain Ash and Wolfsbane. Dean caught the bag one-handedly, phone pressed to his ear, before moving into the treeline. Before he was out of earshot, Stiles managed to catch an exchange of odd formalities- Sam would have to explain "Moose" and "Squirrel"- but that was all. Out of the corner of his eye, Stiles saw Peter make a move as if to follow Dean. Stiles rushed to head him off, but Sam beat him to it.

"Don't even think about it." Sam warned. If it had been a regular human who had ordered him, Peter would have brushed past the flimsy words. As it was, he merely sulked, slinking back into the clearing, but not before shooting a glare at each of them. Stiles turned to Sam with a worried expression. "It's fine." Sam reassured him. "I'm sure it's just Crowley following up." It was an empty statement, and both of them knew it. Crowley was the king of Hell. He wouldn't need the Winchesters to know if a demon had died. If he was calling then something else had happened. Or he knew about Stiles. Neither one was a very pleasant thought.

Before Stiles could voice his fears, however, Dean strolled back into the clearing. "Bad news." he called, catching the attention of everyone present. "That demon you iced yesterday? Well, turns out he did have backup, and they're coming this way."