"How…how's my dad?" Stiles asked Scott as the pack began walking back towards the car park. Danny had joined them, although Ethan had chosen to stay away, as he and Danny hadn't been sure how well Stiles would handle being around Ethan after what had happened to Aidan. Danny had been upfront about the reasoning, which Stiles had found very refreshing. The thing about spending so much time with the League of assassins was that keeping secrets and lying was normal, rather than the exception.

It was probably one of the only things about it that he was truly comfortable with.

"He's good, my mom makes sure he eats healthy, he's about as healthy now as he was before you…went away." Scott replied, "he, um..."

"Relax, I know about the whole… us being step brothers now thing," Stiles smiled.

Scott visibly relaxed, "Ok, good, I wasn't sure how you were going to take that. Hang on, how did you know?"

Stiles shrugged, "Jackson told me,"

"And how did you know?" Scott asked Jackson.

"Danny told me," Jackson smirked in reply.

"And you told me yourself, so there is no need to get cranky about that one," Danny interjected before Scott could even speak.

"Besides," Stiles offered, "Jackson wasn't the only one who told me. I've met up with the Lances since I've been back, and they mentioned it as well. Laurel and Mr. Lance were there at the wedding."

The rest of the pack nodded in acceptance of this.

"So…you guys know them better than I do these days…when is the best time for me to go visit my dad?"

"Err, now,' Scott replied certainly, as if the answer had been obvious.

"Now?" Stiles asked, more than a little hesitant.

"Yeah, your timing is really good. We were actually planning on having pack dinner night at their house tonight anyway, and tomorrow is his day off, so you can spend the day catching up and reconnecting at all that. Besides, I don't think I could go through the whole night being with your dad and my mom without giving away the whole…you're alive, thing. You know how bad I am at lying, especially to your dad." Scott enthusiastically told Stiles, not noticing the way Stiles shifted his weight nervously.

"Ok," Stiles nodded slowly

"Are you sure you're okay about the 'us being step brothers' thing?' Scott asked, finally noticing that something was bothering Stiles.

Stiles snorted and rolled his eyes, "Dude, if I wasn't concussed when I found out I would have skipped around the room screaming like a little kid on Christmas morning,"

"Aha," Jackson exclaimed loudly, "so you admit you were concussed that night."

"Seriously, you try being human and having your head kicked into a air conditioning unit and then walk away without feeling it for a bit afterwards. Trust me, on the grand scale of concussions that one barely registered a blip."

"Your head was kicked into an air-conditioning unit?" Scott exclaimed protectively.

"Long story, I'm fine." Stiles brushed away the alpha's concern, "now, what's the plan. If we're going to this dinner thing we better head off…I'm hungry."

TW/A

As Jackson parked at the front of the house his father now lived in with Scott's mom, Stiles' gut was churning, and he didn't need the looks of concern both Jackson and Scott were giving him to tell him that his scent was probably flooded with anxiety. He had been nervous before he'd been reunited with the pack…but this was worse. This was his dad…the one that Stiles had missed the most in his years of absence, both on the island and with the league.

Stiles wondered what his father would say if he knew what Stiles had trained for when he'd been in the league…what he'd done on the island. He'd be shocked…horrified at what Stiles had done, and what he had been trained to do. While Stiles could truthfully say that he'd never been sent out with orders to kill anyone by the League, his hands certainly had blood on them. On the island there had been numerous times when he'd had to kill in self defense, and Stiles had forced himself to learn to deal with it.

Death had become a part of his life, something he walked in the shadow of each day. It was a part of him now, unavoidable, given his lifestyle. Even if he could get out of it…get away from the league and have the chance at a normal life, he was fairly sure that he wouldn't be able to handle it...and that was the truth.

Stiles knew his father wouldn't understand the person Stiles had become. Stiles had been through too much that his father couldn't know about, and even if he did, it was so far beyond anything he had gone through that he wouldn't ever be able to understand where Stiles was coming from.

"You okay, Stiles?" Scott's voice cut through Stiles' thoughts.

Stiles swallowed and nodded, "Just imagining how many different ways this could end badly."

"Dude…it's your dad…he's just going to be glad to see you."

"Yeah…I I know that, it's just…I've found that planning for worst case scenario tends to be a good way to go for me."

Jackson couldn't help but snort at the comment, reminded forcibly of Oliver. Stiles reached out and smacked Jackson on the arm.

"Shut up."

"Sorry," Jackson apologized; although everyone in the car knew that he wasn't sorry at all. Stiles sighed and shook his head at Jackson's behavior. Sometimes it was obvious how much his former teammate had changed, and at others it wasn't apparent at all.

Still, Stiles got out of the car, noticing how Danny had parked in the street and those that were in that car were standing beside it, waiting. Stiles looked back over his shoulder at Scott, who gave him a reassuring smile and a nod, before Stiles approached the house, the rest of the pack, Jackson and Danny included, following a respectful distance behind.

Not trusting himself to say anything, Stiles stepped up the steps leading up to the front porch of the house and up to the front door, shifting his weight nervously on the doormat, before he gingerly raised his fist and knocked on the door, before he took a step back. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath until he began to feel light headed, and he forced himself to exhale, using the breathing exercises he'd been given as a child when his panic attacks had first appeared to regulate his breathing.

Within the house Stiles could hear muffled voices. He recognized his dad's voice straight away, and Melissa's. There were others, though ,that were too faint for Stiles to hear, although Stiles figured that they were the members of the pack that hadn't come to intercept Jackson…Chris Argent and Jordan Parrish.

Stiles heard the footsteps approaching the door and felt his entire body tense up, as if he was about to begin sparring with Nyssa or Ra's himself. If someone were to ask him, at that moment, which was more frightening, the idea of fighting Ra's Al Ghul, or of facing his father after so many years, Stiles would say his own father, every single time.

It was too late to back out now, though, as somebody inside the house was opening the front door. Stiles knew straight away that it was his father, although his father wasn't looking at him.

"Scott, how many times do we tell you that you don't need to knock?" Noah Stilinski said, before he looked at Stiles…

And froze.

Stiles, for his part, wasn't doing much better. He bit his lip, taking in the sight of his father after so many years. His hair was greyer than it ever had been, and Noah's face had more lines on it, but otherwise he looked very much the same as he had, albeit it seven years older with the additional strain a highly demanding job.

Eventually, though, Stiles forced a tentative smile on his face, "Um…please tell me you're not about to have a heart attack, Dad," Stiles gently asked, using a gentle, teasing tone, although he knew his dad would be able to see right thought it. Stiles watched as his father blinked, his eyes drifting over Stiles' shoulder, towards where Scott was standing. Stiles glanced over his shoulder, seeing the slight, barely there, but at the same time, encouraging, nod Scott gave Stiles' dad.

"Stiles?

"Hey dad, um…I'm not dead."

"Obviously," Noah choked out, before he reached out and pulled Stiles into a tight hug. Stiles, however, was ready for it, closing his eyes and just relaxing into it, burying his face into his father's jacket, relieved to find that he still smelled the same, just the same as when he'd used to hold Stiles close when he was a child and he'd fallen over and scraped his knee, just like he had the night that Stiles' mom had died, just like he had the night that Stiles had been abducted from the lacrosse field by Gerard Argent, just like he had the first time they'd seen each other when Stiles was free of the nogitsune.

"I'm sorry," Stiles whispered as tears rolled down his face, "I'm so sorry, Dad, I'm sorry I'm sorry."

"Shhh, it's ok, it's ok, you didn't do anything, you're ok, and you're back." Stiles' dad told him, holding him tightly across his back with one hand while combing his fingers through Stiles' hair with the other, his voice just as thick with emotion as Stiles' own was.

Stiles lost track of time, safely wrapped up in his dad's arms, more comfortable than he had been in years. An hour or more could have passed and he wouldn't know about it. Realistically he knew that it hadn't been that long, but it still felt as though it had been awhile when a voice broke through his thoughts and his focus on his dad and how it felt to be in his father's arms.

"Stiles?" Scott's mom shrieked happily from within the house, having obviously come to check what was taking so long. Stiles felt his father pull away, and was momentarily disappointed, up until he felt Melissa's arms wrap around him in a bone crushing hug, although he still felt his dad's arm on his back, not gone completely.

"You're back, Oh my gosh, you look so thin, and you've grown up so much, you're so tall now," Melissa babbled happily, Pulling away and cupping Stiles' face between her hands as she looked him up and down. Stiles wondered what she would say if she could see through his clothes, at the scars that decorated his body. She'd probably wrap him up in a blanket and never let him out of her sight again.

Stiles faltered slightly as he realized something. He didn't know what to call Melissa. Obviously Ms. McCall wasn't a valid option these days, and yet Mrs. Stilinski just sounded wrong in Stiles' head, and he just wasn't ready to call her mom, not when he wasn't doped up on sedative. Even calling her Melissa, while ok in his head, seemed wrong, despite the fact that he was older now than what she had been when she'd had Scott.

"Since when have you babbled?" He asked with a smirk, "that was always my thing."

"Somebody had to fill in the silence," Melissa replied gently, before she'd kissed him on the cheek. Stiles blinked and a tear rolled down his face, which Melissa gently wiped away with the pad of her thumb.

"Um," Stiles faltered slightly, "I heard about you guys getting married. Congratulations."

"How?" Stiles' dad asked, although he was visibly relieved. Stiles could imagine that his father wasn't looking forward to that particular conversation

"Various sources," Stiles shrugged, "I'm happy for you, really."

"Thank you, Stiles."

"Mom," Scott offered, finally stepping up onto the front porch. Melissa lightly slapped her son's shoulder.

"Is this what you meant by that cryptic little text? A little more warning might have been nice," she scolded, although there was no heat in it.

Stiles coughed, "my bad, Scott didn't know I was coming until, literally, like an hour ago."

"Dude, I didn't know you were still alive until like an hour ago," Scott replied, "let alone coming for dinner.

"Even more my bad…sorry," Stiles coughed awkwardly, before he was trapped back in his father's embrace. Stiles let his father lead him over the threshold and into the house, aware of the pack following them, now that the initial reunion between Stiles and his father, and new step-mother had taken place.

"I'll go set the table for another three places," Melissa offered.

"It's ok, I'm not staying," Danny offered, "I've got to head back to L.A. tomorrow afternoon, and my mom would kill me if I missed dinner tonight."

"Are you going to be ok to catch up tomorrow morning?" Jackson asked.

"Obviously. I'll forward the video to you later."

"You filmed me meeting up with my family and friends?' Stiles asked, pulling away from his dad and facing Jackson, who shrugged unapologetically.

"I was asked to."

Stiles nodded in understanding. Of course Oliver would want to know that his reunion with his family went ok. Oliver had become rather protective of Stiles during their time on the island, and it made sense that, after thinking Stiles had been killed with Sara by Slade on the Amazo, he would continue to be a tad protective of him.

"Big brother is always watching," he joked. Jackson snorted and nodded in agreement.

"It's good to see you again, Jackson. Stiles…I'm glad you're not dead." Danny waved, before he headed back to his car. Scott waited until Danny was safely in his car and driving away, before he closed the door, while his mother bustled away to add another two seats to the table, Kira and Liam going with her to help. Stiles could hear Melissa talking to someone, and when that someone replied Stiles recognized the sound of Chris Argent. He felt his stomach clench uncomfortably. The last time he'd seen Chris had been a couple of days after Allison's funeral, and Chris had visited the Stilinski home. He'd told Stiles that he didn't blame him for Allison's death, but that hadn't prevented the full blown panic attach Stiles had gone into, nor the nightmares about Allison's death. Chris had kept his distance after that, although Stiles remembered overhearing his father talking to Chris one night when he was pretending to sleep.

Stiles really hadn't thought about the possibility of having to face Allison's father so soon after returning to Beacon Hills, although he wasn't particularly sure why. He already knew that Chris was a member of the pack, so he being at a pack dinner wasn't a surprise…it was just something that Stiles hadn't taken into consideration.

So much for seven years of planning for every possible worst case scenario.

"Stiles, you ok?" Scott asked, breaking through Stiles' thoughts. Stiles nodded

"Yeah, I'm fine," Stiles replied, forcing his heart beat not to jump. It was something he had put a lot of time and effort into practicing, and he hadn't had many opportunities to put his training to the test. Scott, however, seemed convinced.

It was good that Scott had broken Stiles free of his own thoughts, because Chris Argent and Jordan Parrish had appeared, emerging from the kitchen. Chris took a few steps forward before stopping, and a strange silence seemed to fill the room.

"Stiles?" Chris asked after a few moments.

"Yeah," Stiles nodded, although he avoided looking at Chris in the face. Perhaps it was a cowardly move, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Allison's father in the eye.

"You…you're alive? How?"

"It's a very, very, long story, most of which I can't tell you, but I am still human, and as far as I know I haven't been possessed." Stiles shrugged.

Chris blinked at Stiles' response, "That's…ok, good. You look…very grown up. Jackson, you do to… I'm glad neither of you are dead."

"I think we all are," Derek agreed.

"And Stiles, for what it's worth…I don't blame you for what happened to Allison, Ok…and I never have."

"Thank you for that, Chris," Stiles nodded, surprised that hearing Chris say it lessened the weight that seemed to have hung from his shoulders. Stiles still blamed himself, he probably always would, but it had helped to hear Chris Argent, Allison's father of all people, tell him that it wasn't his fault, eased the tension coiled in Stiles' spine.

Stiles was confident that Chris wasn't lying, he'd gotten very good at telling when people weren't being truthful over the years, and knowing that Chris had forgiven him had helped him relax a little, knowing that Chris, at least, wasn't about to launch across the table and try to kill him during dinner.

Lydia crossed across to where Parrish and Chris were standing, putting her arms around Parrish's shoulders as he gently pulled her into a hug, and Stiles noticed the quick, sideways glances that both Scott and Derek sent towards Jackson…as if they wanted to see what his reaction to the display of affection from Lydia towards another male would be. Jackson, for his part, didn't react in the slightest, and Stiles couldn't help but inwardly smile at the way Scott and Derek both visibly relaxed.

Jackson, for his part, rolled his eyes, "Ok seriously? Come on, it's been seven years. Did you really think that I would freak out if I saw Lydia with another guy? It's been almost eight years since Lydia and I have been together. Do you really think that, if I was still in love with Lydia like I was in high school, I would have stayed away for that long? I'm not like Stiles…I had the option of coming back whenever I wanted to."

Scott had the decency to look ashamed, while Derek just looked away.

"So, Jackson, how have you been anyway, you look well." Stiles' dad offered politely, moving out of arm's reach of Stiles for the first time, and shaking Jackson's hand. Jackson nodded politely.

"I've been fine, thank you sir. It wasn't always easy, but I managed."

"That's good to hear," Noah Stilinski replied, and Stiles noted how his father seemed impressed with the maturity Jackson was displaying. It wasn't surprising, in Stiles' youth he'd ranted about Jackson and his bullying behavior to his dad on more than one occasion.

"I've gotta say, I was surprised when you two showed up together…is there a conversation that I need to…"

"Oh my God, no dad, just…no," Stiles exclaimed in horror. Jackson too looked similarly mortified, although Scott and, surprisingly, Chris, both let out loud snorts of laughter.

"Jackson has a girlfriend, well, on and off anyway," Stiles pointed out to his father, "I am so not his type."

"And what about you?" Derek asked curiously, "You meet anyone when you were away."

"Well…I did almost get married at one point…" Stiles shrugged, just to see what the reaction was. It was worth it. His father paled dramatically, and Scott choked.

"Married?" Stiles' father exclaimed, "Stiles, that's a big deal."

"I said almost. We didn't go through with it, thankfully."

"Why?" Derek asked.

"Well, A, I wasn't her type, and B, she told the one organizing it that if he did make us go through with it she would slit my throat while I slept. He decided it wasn't worth the bloodshed, luckily for everyone involved."

"Sounds like it was a good call," Chris offered, although Noah had retreated back to Stiles' side and pulled him into another tight hug.

"What are your plans now that you're back?" Scott asked as Stiles dad, with his arm draped protectively over Stiles' shoulder, led the group towards the kitchen, where it sounded as though dinner was ready.

"Um…that's the thing…I'm not staying in Beacon Hills."

A/TW

When Felicity arrived at Verdant's basement the morning after she'd dropped the bombshell on Oliver regarding the identity of Roy's father she wasn't surprised to find Oliver there already, engaged in an exhausting looking workout. One glance at the sweat on Oliver's back, shoulders, arms, chest and face told Felicity that he'd been at it for awhile, and it was likely that Oliver hadn't slept at all that night.

"Oliver," Felicity called out, knowing not to go too close to Oliver when he was engrossed in his training. Both Oliver and Diggle had warned her to stay away, just in case one of them accidently lashed out at her.

Oliver blinked, and turned his attention towards her, his eyes clouded with lingering frustration, before it faded away and Oliver gave her a relived look.

"Felicity," he greeted, "Did you have a good night?'

"Better than yours by the looks of it," Felicity observed, dropping her handbag under her desk before she turned and watched Oliver as he pulled on a t-shirt, the material clining to his sweaty skin, "did you sleep at all?"

"No," he admitted honestly, looking rather sheepish at the admission, "I…I went back up to the mansion and looked up some stuff."

"And then you decided that it was time for a workout," Felicity nodded, having known Oliver for long enough to know the man's usual coping methods.

"Something like that," Oliver shrugged. Felicity frowned and approached Oliver, resting her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"What did you find?" She asked.

Oliver, however, evaded the question, "Did you run the DNA analysis again?"

"Yeah, straight after you left," Felicity nodded, "I got the same result."

Oliver nodded and sighed, avoiding meeting Felicity's gaze. It was obvious that something was bothering him.

"Oliver?' Felicity asked.

"It's true. I found some stuff that my parents had left for Thea and I, but we'd never looked at it…until I looked through it last night. Both my dad and my mom wrote me a letter about it. Roy…Jackson Whittemore…is my half brother."

"And how do you feel about that?' Felicity asked.

Oliver shrugged, "I don't even know," he admitted, "When I first read the letters…it brought a lot of memories back…memories that I thought I'd put behind me. Memories of when I was younger, when I knew that my dad was cheating on my mother, and then of…of those last few days after the Queen's Gambit sank, before my dad died. Sometimes I would see him watching Stiles, and I used to wonder why. Now I know. He knew that Stiles grew up in the same town as Jackson… they're close enough in age that they were probably in the same class at school, so they probably knew one another. I think that is why he couldn't bring himself to kill Stiles…because he didn't want to kill the classmate of the son he never got to meet."

"It's ok, Oliver. I'm sure your dad is proud of Roy, and of how you've looked after him, even without you knowing the truth," Felicity offered, "and I'm sure that once he gets over the shock Roy will be happy to have you as a big brother. At least it will give him and Thea something to bond over."

Oliver couldn't help but snort in amusement, "I can't believe that my sister and my brother have dated. It's almost as bad as when Tommy used to comment on how Thea had gotten hot."

"Well…at least Roy and Thea aren't actually related." Felicity nodded with a small smile.