"Are you sure you have to go?" A boy with a mop of brown hair hanging on his head shifted on his dorm bed while the other boy tugged a book out from under him. Shooting Stiles his classic puppy dog pout. Nope, not working. The seventeen year old was growing immensely immune to his best friends facial putty persuasions. He had to go home, it was Allison's engagement party event and although she was not technically blood, she was his sister by bond. Left to them at the age of 7 before her talent year and adopted by the Stilinskis. He promised he would come home for this.

" Yes Scott, I promised, besides its only for the weekend, and then I'll be home again Monday." He turned to Scott with a smile. "Besides, if I didn't come back, you would trip over yourself trying to talk to the ladies."

"Other way around buddy." A voice sounded at the slightly ajar door. It was Jackson, not only was he a particularly annoying jerk, but he also happened to be the first non talented friend he'd had. Jackson was friends with Danny, childhood best friend who left at the age of 10 and wrote him ever year, Stiles just couldn't find the will to write him back. It hurt, sort of like a betrayal. It wasn't Danny's fault obviously, his mother was married to a non talent and thus decided being away from the community of witches would do some good.

Nearly 7 years later, Stiles was away from the community. Out of the little village and into the city where he shared a Dorm with Scott, had for the past 4 years. They even were looking around at colleges. His parents refuse to talk about it without getting huffy, or teary eyes, but Stiles is set on putting himself through school, getting an amazing job and putting distance between his family and the constant reminder that he was nothing like them.

Jackson was Aunt Berty's son, not Stiles real Aunt but everyone called the adults Aunt and Uncle even if they weren't. Danny's real father died a month before he was born, both his parents were talented, his father he's grown with was just plain old human, religious and particularly grouchy, all the time. Why his mother married him, Stiles would never know. Jackson's mother was best friends with Danny's mother, and thus the 'brother bond' between Jackson and Danny formed. Much like the bond between Scott and himself had formed since he began school in the city. Even Jackson attended out here at Avery Prep. Berty wasn't as 'tightly wound' about the idea of letting Jackson live in the city away from the community as his own parents.

The only difference? Jackson liked going home every weekend and visiting, where as he himself, did not. "Move it Kid, or i'm leaving you behind." Jackson huffed. Impatient was his middle name.

"Dude, you're both going?!" Scott sat up suddenly, swinging his legs around to stand up. "What am I supposed to do by myself? Whose going to love Scott?"

"McCall, please shut up, I cannot handle your whining." Jackson said as he hauled Stiles bag of books up off the computer chair. "How much homework did you plan on doing this weekend Stiles, seriously this is going to break my car."

"Now whose whining." Stiles shot back with a smug grin as he slid his biology book in last on the top, causing Jackson to glare.

"You're evil."

Stiles just grinned more, placing his last pair of clean jeans into the second bag before zipping it up and hauling it over his own shoulder. Scott let out a long exhale. "Well...maybe you can ask your parents to let me come next time, maybe I can come with you to the wedding?" Scott nudged.

Jackson and Stiles shared a look, they both knew the reason they did not bring anyone from the outside in. It wasn't exactly that they weren't welcome, Stiles and Jackson just knew how difficult it was to explain to someone about magic, let along the mere fact at how dangerous it could be for the family. Hell, Stiles dad barely handled it when his mother Claudia finally told him. He handled it alright for a while, until he met the family. Now that, Stiles kind of wished he'd gotten to witness.

"I'll see what they say, no guarantee's though." Stiles offered a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. His family was something he wished he could share with his best friend. Stiles had told Jackson multiple times he wished their families were normal, just so he could have a normal life and bring home a friend like normal people do. Without the dancing around fires, lighting candles, singing and the occasional kid throwing about their talents and cheating at cards.

That must have been good enough for Scott, for he half hugged Stiles, trying to share it with the bag lodged to the kids side, and then patted Jackson's shoulder before he watched the two disappear from the room. Dropping to the floor to work on his homework.

"This sucks." Stiles piped up once they were clear of the building and in the car. Jackson started it up and put it into drive. "Last time we asked to bring an outsider in who wasn't to be married to us or anything, it was Olivia, and Carl nearly set her on fire at the dinner table."

Jackson chuckled at the memory as he turned onto the highway entrance down the road. "Yes, but Olivia actually managed to pass out in her soup and we convinced her that the fire didn't come from Cliff's hands. Just the angle of the candle in front of him made it seem that way and he knocked over it over."

"Good thing Cliff was nine," Stiles leaned his head against his hand on the window. "Kid's get away with a lot."

"Some kids." Jackson's tone changed and Stiles lifted his head to look at him. His hand moved fro its position on his knee to rest a moment on Jackson's shoulder, giving it a squeeze of comfort.

Jackson wasn't always such an ass to everyone, and truthfully he's only like this to bullies and such. Strange right? Seeming like a bully himself. His father's a talentless, and because Berty did not want to leave, she brought his father into the family. Berty was young when they had Jackson, she was only seventeen and being still a child and not wanting to leave her family behind, she married Jackson's father. We never mention his name, and just as rarely talk of the events after Jackson was born.

Poor kid, got the brunt of his fathers stress. He couldn't handle the magical family aspects, secluded himself from the events, drank, and as Jackson hit 8 and showed no signs of talent, he got violent. You'd have thought he'd be happy, that he didn't help birth a freak as he called them, but no he blamed the kid for wasting eight years of his life, for being the reason he was stuck in the freak show and had no friends left. That Jackson somehow ruined his life.

There was so much more, however Jackson ended up fighting back one night at the age of ten and although the abuse was more violent outbursts, throwing things at him and many cruel words that stayed with the boy to this day, he'd made to hit his mother and Jackson wasn't having it. He took one of the melting candles off his mothers alter and threw it right in his face, burning or distracting the man long enough for Aunt Pearl to barrel into the room and touch him on the face, freezing him in living place.

Berty and the rest of the family found out gradually over the years that He-who-shall-not-be-named did a lot more damage that let on. Some scars were so deep they would never be forgotten. Stiles only knew, because Jackson confided in him. Trusted him. Scott may hold a place as one of his best friend, but Jackson was his brother. Jackson was the only other person in the world he could talk to. Who understood what it was like.

Stiles hadn't realized how long they had been like this, his hand on Jackson's shoulder, driving down the high way, until the sound of the blinker came on and the car tilted right, taking the off ramp towards Spring Lake. He let his hand drop, wincing at the sore and stiffness of his muscles from being in place so long. It was a good hour drive if you were slow, but Jackson manages to drive like a bat out of hell, so 40-45 minutes max it takes him to shuffle down the highway without a ticket or killing them. Thankfully there was hardly any traffic.

"I can't believe Allison is marrying a Hale, what do we really know about them aside form Creeper Hale who hovers over us every gathering...it's weird?"

"They're one of the strongest coven's beside ours in the northern hemisphere, Lydia technically isn't a Hale. Remember? Her family's coven was close with the Hales before Lydian's parents died a few years back and they took her in." Jackson stated plainly. Stiles just sighed and muttered under his breath as they pulled off the road, into the parking lot of the Bookstore subtly known as the 'Lost & Found' Old books, new books and on occasion the special person looking for help looking for a lost thing. It's family ran. Normally it was Allison who ran it but he had the privilege of taking that over this evening before the engagement events. After all, it was only...3:45pm...Stiles noted the dashboard clock below the CD player slot.

"I'll come pick you up at closing, which is at 8. 'kay?" Jackson looked at him, and Stiles glared back, with no malice, just irritation. When Jackson didn't budge, or offer to, who knows 'take over', Save him from this, tell him he was just kidding and he could go back to the city in the comfort of Scott's comic knowledge and video games. Something other than the quirk of his brow. "Get. Out. Stilinski."

"Ugh, FINE!" Stiles huffed, throwing the car door open and climbing out and shutting the door. He thought about bringing his homework, he really did. Probably should have now that he stood at the front of the shop, watching Jackson peel out of the parking lot and out of sight. "Asshat." he grumbled to air, turning and pushing the door open. Bells above it jingling his entrance right as Allison turned the corner.