A/N - Haven't heard from a lot of my old fans, I hope you guys are out there, somewhere...I really need some input as we get down to the wire. I did have a funny private message that read "Ted never acts this way on the show." That's because he's an OC, dude! I'm flattered that he could pass for a real character, though I'm dying to know who the author thought he was. Anywho, please review when you can and any advice, critique or old fashioned 'good job' is greatly appreciated, and thank you to those who have been doing just that.
While Derek was putting the 'old folks' through their training, the younger Hales would often find something to do to occupy their time. Laurie was a force of nature on the training field, able to use her gymnastic skills in tandem with her werewolf abilities to wipe the floor with just about everybody save her father and brother. As Alphas, their brute strength alone was too much for her, though tactically she was at least as competent as Stiles. She was a master of 'intermodal' fighting, riding that edge of transformation that left one with the best abilities of both human and wolf. As she learned to trust the instincts of her inner wolf, she became better and better at relinquishing control and taking it back at the right moments. She had progressed to the point where she could summon or banish it at will, though a low level of discomfort with the beast remained. It upset her to think that this would vanish over time as well.
Moose was away with his folks that week, so she spent most the break from school hanging out with Erik and Robin. They often went to the movies or the mall, or ate at some of the more expensive steak houses in the area (Robin felt very uncomfortable in diners). Laurie noted how happy the two were when they were together, and she was inwardly thankful that, for now at least, the drama in their lives had tapered off.
And as if a mischievous god heard these thoughts, she was once again plunged into frantic worry.
They were at an arcade when a fight broke out among some of the local kids. Erik was playing 'Giggling Space Penguins from the Vicinity of Ursa Minor', and his score was up to 999,999,999,999,785. A 250 point penguin waddled onto the screen while laughing hysterically, and Erik was about to blast it into smithereens and cause the score to roll completely over when he heard Robin's voice.
"Hey, I'm not with these guys, you can let me go now!" One of the bouncers had broken up the fight and was herding the group towards the exit. The arcade was very dark, and Robin came out of the rest room at exactly the wrong time and got swept along with the other exiles. The bouncer (at least as tall as Moose…and almost equally wide) paid no attention to the boy's protests, and gave him a helpful shove.
The bouncer felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and screamed silently at the pair of demonic red eyes that seemed to hover in the darkness. Then a pair of mutant paws seized him and hurled him through the air like a rag doll. Erik's eyes faded back to normal. He had barely shifted, and was indistinguishable from the other kids when the lights were suddenly flicked on.
"Erik…it was all right, you didn't have to do that." Robin murmured as they made their escape in the confusion.
"He touched you. Nobody does that. Ever." Erik never resembled Derek more than in that moment.
A vengeful goddess met them outside, a she-demon masquerading as his sister. She spoke something in a foreign language.
"Whatthehelliswrongwithyou?" They made for the exit while people were helping the astounded bouncer to his feet. He seemed none the worse for wear, though a few more feet would have put him through the tinted window that looked out onto the street. They fled for the Camaro and raced away before someone stopped them. Laurie was fuming. Erik had his arms folded in a defiant gesture that she bleakly realized he copied from her. Robin was torn between gratitude for Erik's concern and guilt that Laurie was so angry with him.
"Erik, you could have killed him!" she shouted as she got the Camaro up to full speed, dodging through the maze of traffic in a way that would have impressed Stiles. And Mario Andretti.
"I was trying to." Erik shot back.
"Erik, its one thing if someone tries to really hurt one of us, like Stucky did…"
Robin flinched.
"Don't say that name!" Erik roared, his fangs jutting out while his eyes burned an unholy crimson. Robin shrank down into his seat, getting more and more scared at the battle between the two siblings.
Laurie felt the whip-crack of the Alpha command in her mind, and she flinched herself and almost drove them into a ditch. Even her father had never used that power on her.
Laurie pulled over at the first convenient spot and made a decision. She pulled out her phone and sent off a text. She received a response in less than 5 minutes while Erik sulked and Robin stared out of the window. Then she started the car again and pulled back onto the road, heading for the highway out of town.
By the time they reached White Rapids, Erik's anger had mostly dissipated, and he apologized to Robin for overreacting. He was about to apologize to Laurie as well and explain to her why he was so protective of his mate when he looked out the window.
"Uh, Laurie? Where the hell are we?" he asked.
"White Rapids. There's somebody I want you to meet."
They left the car, and Laurie went up to the house she remembered and rang the bell. Harris answered the door and ushered them inside. He looked physically ill, and Laurie wanted to ask him if anything was wrong, but decided to keep silent. She had the idea he would think it rude. He lowered himself painfully into his wing back chair and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Laurie, if you wouldn't mind, please fetch me a Vitamin water from the fridge. Help yourselves to one of them, and there's bottled water besides."
Laurie did as requested, getting bottled waters for herself and the boys. Harris drank his Vitamin water slowly. The teenagers, thirsty from their flight from the arcade finished their waters off quickly.
"Erik, this is Mr. Adrian Harris. He…was our mother's mate. I mean, our real mother."
Erik's eyes got wide. Even Robin looked amazed.
She continued. "Erik, since you became an Alpha…you've been a little out of control. He's going to show us how to keep you from hurting anyone the way you almost did today." She turned to Harris. "So, how does this work?"
"It is the very height of simplicity. We must wait a mere thirty more seconds. Perhaps a bit more…" He said with a chilling smile.
Laurie looked confused. "Thirty more seconds?" She looked down at the empty bottle in her hands. "Oh, hell no…" A rushing blackness suddenly claimed all three of them.
"…perhaps a bit less. You see? Total control." Harris whispered as he rose to his feet. He had a great deal of work to do, and little time to do it in.
{}{}{}{}
Adrian Harris was true to his word. He meant no harm to either of the Hale siblings, nor to their mates or families. Thanks to the computer technical skills taught to him by an old friend of his, he even learned that Chris and Vivian Argent had been turned by Derek Hale. He respected what it must have cost them to make that decision, and was awestruck by the demolition of the wretched Council that they orchestrated. As such, he did what he would never thought he would be capable of doing and forgave them their crimes. In fact, he intended to take a leaf out of their book and wipe out the world's population of Hunters for good. No one would ever again have to die because of some stupid pointless vendetta. No one would ever have to be left alone like he was.
But where Chris and Vivian Argent relied on technical genius to accomplish their ends, Harris wanted a more…traditional solution.
He lifted Erik Hale and carried him to a small work room in the back. Placing him face down on a padded table, he pulled the boy's shirt off and studied the clean flesh of his back. Whistling, he opened an old wooden chest and removed two ancient wooden carvings that bore symbols representing the Sun and Moon (full, with a crescent on each side). He held the Sun carving next to Erik's body. Nothing. Frowning, he did the same with the Moon carving and was rewarded with a flash of heat as the symbol began to glow a dull crimson. Success, at long last. The promise of ages past was about to be realized in this boy and his mate. And Harris…the poor human who lost his one true love to the hatred of the Hunter/Werewolf war, he and no other would be the one to bring about Ragnarok…the release of Fenrir. If only Laura could know that her child would avenge her death in such an extraordinary fashion.
Whistling, Harris pulled out an ink gun from a drawer and plugged it in, fitting a fresh cartridge of black ink into the slot. He worried about the trembling his hands had developed of late, but as he began to sketch the design into Erik's skin… his hand seemed to firm up…almost as if some other force or power was guiding him. He knew what force that was.
In half an hour, the design was complete. Erik's unconscious body healed the damage almost as soon as it was completed. The tattoo glowed a fitful crimson, and the carving which bore its likeness crumbled into fine ash. Ironic, since it had come from the World Ash Tree.
With some difficulty, Harris got Erik's t-shirt (Batman's logo adorned the front…did kids even read those comics anymore?) back on and he quickly carried him back into the living room.
Robin was next, and in another half hour the Sun Sigil was emblazoned on his back, the second carving falling to ash a moment later. He remembered that Erick Hale had done this to his own son with the Triskelion Sigil…the triple spiral signifying the promise of vengeance against the Gods, against Mankind…and the World. Shortly after the Hale fire occurred, Harris had received a package in the mail. It contained the recipe for the Aconite tea, the two carvings and a photograph of the third that once existed before Erick Hale tattooed it on Derek's back, shortly after his sixteenth birthday…mere hours before the rest of the family burned to death. Fenrir protected Derek and Laura, and had seen to their survival. Derek was fated to be the Harbinger, and Laura was to be mother to one of the Keepers of the Keys, the other being his eventual mate…the boy Robin. The unlikely union of the trio of Alphas, gathered at the place of imprisonment at the moment of eclipse would unlock it forever, and unleash Fenrir on the world. A letter (long since burned) in Erick's package told him all of this, and that Laura's death was unavoidable. Laura knew this and explained it to him the last time he saw her alive, when Harris begged her to either kill him or turn him. She said Harris needed to stay human so that he could avoid the Wasting and remain alive to put the final steps of the prophecy in motion. She even had some of her eggs harvested in case it happened before the time was right. A human had to be the father to fulfill the prophecy, and Harris had supposed it would be him, but fate had chosen Stiles Stilinsky instead. No matter. The secret had been passed down from Eowin to Caleb and Caleb to Erick…ending a chain of conspiracy that had likely started with the first werewolf to receive the Gift. Harris considered it a great honor. He had played a small part in the grand scheme that was now complete. The Keepers had received their Keys. Harris had used all of his knowledge of chemistry to refine the Aconite sedative into an odorless, colorless and tasteless mixture to accomplish this task. In a perfect world, Erick could have prepared his son for his grand role (and Derek done as much for his own son), but the boy was simply too young and his father taken from him too soon for him to be initiated into the mysteries. No worry; Fenrir would see to the rest…even the Hunters had their own part to play.
That his long years of waiting were finally over made him want to laugh and cry and dance with glee. Yet…there was one more task to perform, wasn't there?
"Laura…I'm coming. I'm coming to see you soon. Very soon now…" he whispered aloud.
He approached Erik on his chair, pried open the boy's mouth and placed his wrist against the teeth.
"If it is the will of the Great Alpha, of Fenrir, that I be granted the boon to join the Great Pack, who are the spirits of every werewolf that has ever died in your service… then let this Keeper be the one to bestow your blessing. Let me suffer the Wasting, and join my mate Laura in your kingdom until the Earth is yours."
Erik remained out cold, but the wolf inside him (perhaps obeying the command of one greater) emerged for a moment and penetrated Harris' skin with his teeth.
Harris looked at the fresh bite and rejoiced. Now, there was nothing but to travel to the Hale forest…to follow the Trifold Path and enter the secret clearing, now that he was finally worthy to do so. The wolf in him would begin to die almost as soon as it was born, and he wanted to find Laura and see her one last time as a living man… to tell her what he had accomplished… before he joined the Pack for eternity.
Maybe then, she would at last forgive him.
{}{}{}{}
They woke up within moments of each other, and found themselves alone in Harris' apartment in the little house. They looked at each other confusedly, and all were able to tell with one sniff that they were alone.
Laurie checked her watch, and had a mini heart attack.
"Twenty minutes to curfew guys, and we already missed dinner." This, more than anything else that had occurred, motivated them to flee the apartment and race to the car. They broke laws of physics as well as laws of speeding, and got Robin home just in time for him to avoid getting in trouble. They called the Hale home from there, and told their parents they were on their way. Derek, distracted and frazzled from a day of training the Martins, Whittemores and Argents just said 'yeah, yeah…grab yourselves some dinner on the way home' and hung up. Erik and Laurie breathed a sigh of relief and drove home at a more leisurely pace after stopping for fast food at the Beacon Hills Burger Barn.
"So, what happened there? Did he drug us?" Erik asked once they had eaten their fill and started the drive home.
"Yeah, same stuff Dad gave you when you were freaking out about Robin that day. I should have known he'd pull a fast one. Once again, I put you in danger…and Robin too. But I had this whole conversation with him about our mother, and he almost never lied! He was telling the truth when he said he would never hurt us, I could tell…so whatever tonight was…it means maybe he changed his mind, or whatever he wanted could be gotten without…"
"Shit." Erik muttered.
"What?" Laurie gave him a quick glance while she drove.
"Laurie, there's blood in my mouth. I can taste it. Harris wanted to be a werewolf. I think you better tell me everything he told you."
Laurie went over as much of her first talk with Harris as she could remember.
Erik considered this. "I know what you were trying to do…and once again, I forced you to do it. I'm sorry about the arcade…but Laurie…you don't know the bond I have with him, how much I care about him and worry about him. He's a werewolf, but in many ways he's still…dealing with what happened to him. He needs to be protected… and I know that's how you feel about me. I really understand you for the first time in my life. But if what Harris said was true, wouldn't the bite just kill him? His mate…our Mom…is dead."
"I don't know. Maybe the rules are different if you get it after your mate dies…he never said and I didn't think to ask."
"I know where I could check. Dad has a book by this Eowin Radcliffe guy, and it's supposed to have all of our…lore in it. It's Pops favorite book and he keeps it hidden." Erik resolved to find it tomorrow. "Let's just forget about Harris for now, we have enough going on lately."
Laurie agreed, though something about the whole situation bothered her. Why drug them so he could get the bite, just to die from it? Should she tell their parents? She could just imagine the look on Derek's face…he hated Harris with a passion. And Stiles had told her not to go off and meet any strange people.
"I'm just glad we're not in trouble." Laurie sighed in relief.
"Then why are our fathers standing in front of the house with glow-in-the dark-Glares?" Erik looked worried.
{}{}{}{}
After Erik and Laurie left, Robin decided to take shower and go for a quick dip in the pool before bed. Danny and Ted often relaxed in the attached hot tub for an hour or two most nights, and had no problem with him swimming any time. He left his room in his bathing suit, and joined them in the backyard.
"Hey Dads."
"Hey Robin," called Danny. "What did you guys do today?"
"Not much, went to the arcade then…took a trip to White Rapids and came home." Robin got on the diving board, the fluorescent lighting around the pool illuminating his back. He jumped up and down on the board, getting ready to make a splash big enough to soak his fathers in cold water.
"ROBIN TAYLOR STARK!" roared Ted. Robin fell off the board in surprise, landing with an awkward splash in the pool. This was the first time either of them had ever yelled at him like that. Terrified, he climbed out and walked over to them.
"Y-y-yeah D-dad?" he was scared out of his wits. What had he done wrong now?
Danny climbed out of the hot tub, and turned Robin around. Robin felt fingers poking into his back.
"Ted…it's real. He's got a real tattoo."
Robin whirled back around. "What?" He turned around a few times trying vainly to see what they were talking about.
Danny and Ted marched him into the bathroom on the first floor of the house leaving a soaking wet trail behind them. They gave him a small hand mirror, and Robin saw the design for himself. Bewilderment now added to his fear.
"I didn't do that!" he protested.
"Of course you didn't! You can't tattoo your own back! Where did you get this done? Who did this? What possessed you to do this without even asking us? Do you have any respect for us at all? You act like we're not even your parents!" Ted fumed.
"Ted…" Danny began. Ted was missing Robin's face crumpling in on itself the more he yelled.
To Robin, having his parents yell at him this way was the most horrifying thing that could happen to him. It confirmed all his worst fears, justified all of his most paranoid delusions. At that last remark, critical mass was reached. The Alpha wolf inside him came roaring to the surface for the first time since his elevation.
"LEAVE ME ALONE! I HATE YOU BOTH!" the transformation ripped its way through him, and the two Betas were savagely knocked to the side as Robin broke the bathroom door off its hinges and fled. There was a huge crash as the Alpha broke through the glass doors leading to the back yard and fled howling into the night.
Danny and Ted looked at each other, stunned.
"Oh my God…" began Ted.
"I better call Derek." Danny said simply.
{}{}{}{}
Danny was just pulling up as Erik and Laurie got out of the Camaro.
"What's wrong?" Erik asked. No doubt it was either Harris or the arcade, though for the life of him he couldn't figure out how they would know already.
"Did you take Robin to get a tattoo, or get any yourselves?" Danny asked, since Stiles and Derek were still stuck in Glare mode.
Erik laughed. Whatever he had been expecting, this was not it.
"No, are you guys insane? I know I'd be killed if I did that without permission. I don't even really want one anyway. Neither does Robin, for all I know."
The three parents listened carefully, detecting no lie…and now they were more confused then ever. Lydia came out and joined them.
"Would you two mind showing us your backs? Lydia, check Laurie while we check Erik."
Laurie would have laughed if they didn't look so serious. She pulled up her blouse in the back for Lydia's inspection.
"No tattoo here, guys." Lydia called.
"Duh," said Laurie.
Erik pulled his Batman shirt off and turned around.
"See? No tattoo! Now what's this all about?"
"ERIK STEVEN HALE!" Stiles and Derek bellowed. Erik jumped a few feet in the air.
"Guys, at the risk of yet another rampaging Alpha roaming the night, just stop right there." Danny advised them. "They obviously don't know how they got them. Erik, I don't know how to tell you this, but not only do you have a real nifty tattoo of the moon on your back, Robin has one of the sun on his. Well, we freaked out on him, and now he's gone and Ted is at home having a nervous breakdown. Also, Robin is an Alpha."
Erik stared at them, his astonishment so authentic that they believed he had no clue.
"Laurie! Tell them everything that happened today. I'm going to find Robin."
Laurie gulped, knowing they would murder her when she confessed.
"See you in werewolf heaven!" she called after her brother as he transformed and took off. She turned back to her soon-to-be executioners. "See, it all started when I was trying to find out more about Laura Hale…"
Derek's eyes flashed crimson.
Laurie gulped once again. They weren't off to a good start.
A/N - Good? Bad? Is Ted a jerk, or can he be forgiven? Let me know! All the best, hbrackett.