"Hey Stiles, it's your dad. I can't make lunch; I'm in the middle of a case. I'll call you later."
Stiles frowned as he erased the message; his dad had been busier than usual lately. He knew his dad had a fully staffed department now, able and willing to handle cases without him. He tapped the phone against his chin, wondering if there wasn't something that could be done to get his dad a somewhat lighter schedule.
"Stiles," someone called.
Stiles looked up and glanced up and down the street, finally spotting Ethan waving from beside a red car. "Ethan," Stiles said, "how was the drive?" He straightened up and shoved his phone in his pocket.
"Long," Ethan said, "I understand why you always hesitated on the drive." They shook hands and Ethan looked around, "Where's Danny?"
"Yeah," Stiles said, "we need to talk about that. Why don't you come inside?"
"Stiles," Ethan said as he followed Stiles into the brewpub. "Where's Danny?"
"He's not hurt," Stiles said, "but he's been arrested for hacking an international military database."
"Jesus," Ethan said.
Stiles nodded as he ducked behind the bar and began pouring coffee. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, but I think Danny will be fine. There are… circumstances that make a difference." He slid the mug across the bar, "Ethan, I need you to trust me, okay?"
Ethan hesitated then took the mug.
"By the way, Scott's pissed about it. He wants me to do something, but I won't. Danny hacked a database that makes witness protection look like Facebook, there are consequences to those actions, and I agreed that Danny should be arrested. It's a lesson that needs to be taught."
Ethan stared at Stiles, "Danny wouldn't hack something like that."
Stiles poured a splash of Irish whiskey in his coffee, "He wouldn't do it voluntarily, no."
Ethan's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, the door slammed open. "Can we put wolfsbane in his coffee?" Lydia asked as she walked into the pub.
"No," Stiles said, "we can't." He poured her a mug and held up the whiskey.
"Yes," Lydia said. "He's being ridiculous. It's as if he's stunned that someone who broke the law is getting in trouble for it."
Stiles widened his eyes, "No, how horrible. You'd think breaking the law was a crime."
Lydia smiled at him and turned to Ethan, "How have you been Ethan?"
Stiles sipped his coffee, wondering if they'd seen each other since that horrible semester junior year. He thought they might have, but he'd never orchestrated a meet up. Loosing Aidan had hit them both hard, and he hadn't wanted to hurt the woman he still loved dearly, and the man he'd come to respect.
"I'm all right," Ethan said, sipping his coffee. "I'm still not sure what happened with my Alpha. He knows I don't like women that way."
"I'm sure whatever happened, we can sort it out," Lydia said.
"Do you have a place to stay?" Stiles asked.
"Danny gave me a key to his apartment ages ago," Ethan said, "I was planning to stay there for now. I don't have a plot of personal money. My pack card's been cut off already."
Stiles nodded a little.
"Well, we're hiring."
All three of them jumped as Karyna and Marci came out the door to Neverland. Karyna smiled, "I mean, I don't imagine you're the type to wait tables, but Stiles could use an assistant in the back."
"Karyna, we said," Stiles began.
"Our investor came through," Karyna replied cheerfully. "We can afford for you to have an assistant." She met Stiles eyes, "Come on Peter Pan, you know you need the help."
Stiles had to wonder which of their so-called investors had offered up cash. He didn't think it would be RJ, he'd said something about advice being more fruitful. Bulkmeier, call me Bulk, had been more genial, but he had admitted that he had hired people to handle his finances. Neither of them had seemed the sort to invest more after the initial start up money.
"Sure Tink. Thanks." He turned to Ethan, "How do you feel about learning to make beer? I don't think the smell will be that bad, and hey, making beer is an awesome hobby."
Ethan tilted his head, clearly considering it.
"We can start you at fifteen an hour easy," Karyna said, "and that's with paying a little over for our other staff."
"That's," Ethan began.
Marci cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, they're so pushy. Why don't you take some to think about it, maybe come by when Stiles starts brewing and see if it's something you want to do."
Ethan nodded, "That sounds like a good idea."
"I'm Marci," Marci added, "I don't think we've actually met."
"Karyna," Karyna said, "I'm sorry. I forgot you didn't know us."
"Ethan," Ethan said shortly.
Marci smiled as she tilted her head a little, "We know of you, what with you and Stiles having coffee dates every Thursday and all."
"Not dates," Stiles said automatically.
"Somehow, I think we came in at exactly the wrong moment," Peter announced, sounding almost gleeful.
"Peter," Stiles said, glancing at his backpack. He sipped his coffee casually. "I wasn't aware you were invited."
"Scott said we should all say hello to Ethan," Peter replied as Derek and Scott followed him, followed by Malia and Kira.
"Where's Isaac?" Marci asked.
"Working," Scott said, "he's been getting more business lately."
"That's good right?" Marci asked carefully.
"He owns a cemetery and funeral home," Scott replied grimly.
"As lively as this conversation is," Peter said, "I am here for a reason other than to meet Ethan again." Everyone looked at him in surprised and Stiles began to sidle over to his bag. He still didn't trust the resurrected wolf. "I know most of you have had the mates conversation," he said quietly, "and Derek must remember that my wife, though I loved her dearly, was not my mate." He closed his eyes, actually looking almost tortured for a moment. "While I was traveling this past year, I met someone, her name is Anna."
Stiles glanced at Scott, who was frowning.
"Anna is my mate. She knows, as does her Alpha, what happened here in Beacon Hills. They've offered me a place in their pack that I may finish healing. I know that none of us are on good terms any more, and I regret that it was my own actions that created this distrust. Perhaps in the future, Alpha McCall, I might be permitted to contact Derek, Malia, or Cora if they should so choose?"
Scott swallowed, looking at his packmates, and then at Stiles, then turned back to Peter, "If Malia, Derek, and Cora are willing to speak with you, it will be their decision. Returning to Beacon Hills will be a different discussion entirely."
"Thank you," Peter said. "I'll have movers empty out my apartment within the week. Maybe, when I am better healed, we can find a path to reconciliation."
"Perhaps," Scott said tightly.
Peter nodded to them and looked at Malia and Derek for a long moment before he turned and walked out of the pub. Stiles leaned over and saw Peter hug a pretty woman with dark brown hair that had two silver wings that had been pulled back from her face. She kissed his cheek, laughed, and pushed him into a silver SUV.
"Well, that was something," Marci said.
"So, what were you talking about?" Scott asked.
"Ethan and I used to have coffee on Thursday at adjacent tables," Stiles said. "His pack territory was up against my Academy grounds. It was not a date. We just happen to have coffee at the same time in the same location."
"I'm with Danny," Ethan said, "If we aren't mates, then we're both idiots. Also, my Alpha liked to keep in contact with a Spark like Stiles. I might pass on messages from my Alpha from time to time, but it wasn't like we were actually talking to each other."
"What are you looking for here," Scott asked quietly.
"Just some place safe," Ethan said, "I need to get my feet under me, maybe make some cash of my own. Danny gave me a key to his apartment years ago, and Stiles offered me a job. I don't know that I could stay in Beacon Hills for the rest of my life, but long enough to get my feet on the ground and my head on straight would be nice. I want to be with Danny."
Scott nodded, "I offer you the protection of the McCall Pack while you are here. I assume Stiles told you about Danny?"
"That he was arrested for hacking?" Ethan said, "Yeah, Stiles told me. He also explained why he agrees with it. I agree with Stiles, and I would bet that Danny does too."
Scott scowled, but he didn't say anything.
"Is there any other reason we're all here?" Stiles asked, pouring a fresh cup of coffee. "And where's Jackson?"
"Jackson is trying to find a way out of Beacon Hills," Kira said, "but all the rental centers are out of cars for a few days, and the bus station closed six months ago from a lack of business here."
"Damn, that sucks," Stiles said.
"That being said," Marci said, "we have to get ready for tomorrow, we're doing interviews all day. Unless you all want to pitch in and help organize everything."
"I need to check on the brewery," Stiles said, "want to come with, Ethan?"
"Sure," Ethan said, putting his cup on the counter.
"Great," Stiles said. "The first thing you need to be aware of when it comes to a brewery is that everything has to be very clean."