Stiles Stilinski-Hale, shah, and Laura Hale, potentate, were allowed through the entrance of a rather nondescript office building with very little ceremony. It was not one of their scheduled visits, but they were regulars and, as such, required only minimal security checks. They were also favorites, or Stiles was, in any case. Laura was generally regarded by both local and federal agents as challenging in large doses. However, the security agents were diligent and hardworking. Stiles's neck was checked for bite marks and his briefcase for illegal electronics. He wielded up his baseball bat and gun without question. He'd rather have them confiscate them than try to explain how the baseball bat worked or what kind of bullets were in the gun. Laura's clothing was far too tight for any hidden weaponry, but the guards did check her purse before allowing them to proceed.

Scott was not permitted entrance, though. He was not on the list. Scott just shrugged as Stiles and Laura walked on.

They made their way to the conference room to find the dewan already pacing around. The President was not there. He didn't attend most Shadow Council meetings. He expected to be informed of anything significant but otherwise was uninterested in the minutiae.

"Threat to the President, I hear." The dewan had always creeped Stiles out. He was therefore very unnerved to find out – well, he'd pretty much forced Derek to tell him – that he was actually another relative of Derek's. Peter was Derek and Laura's uncle, to be exact. Stiles's anger at not being told that his husband had family was in a tough battle with his intellectual curiosity at the number of Hales that closely related in consanguinity that had all become supernaturals. He'd had a number of long discussions with his colleagues about it – all in the hypothetical, of course. Stiles wasn't sure the President even realized it. Three family members all on his Shadow Council was not the most unbiased of groups, even if Peter did not seem to associate much with Laura or Derek, and therefore, not with Stiles.

"Hmm," Stiles made a noise of agreement as he and Laura took seats at the long table, leaving the dewan to pace around.

"Serious, do you think? This threat?"

Stiles took his notes out on the ghostly event. He had attempted to remember and transcribe everything the specter had said to him. "The threat came to me via a ghost messenger. I think we must treat it with slightly greater significance than we would some idiot opportunist trying to get his 15 minutes of fame."

Laura added, "And, if a supernatural told the threat to an effervescent, it is likely that someone or someone equally unnatural is involved."

The dewan sighed softly. "Very serious."

Stiles continued. "Derek says that BUR records show nothing of this ghost, either. They've been unable to locate either her or her body since she delivered the message." Stiles had no problem involving the two arms of the government's supernatural supervisory operations. As far as he was concerned, bureaucratic restrictions were fine, but they could really slow a person down. While BUR was supposed to handle enforcement and the Shadow Council deal with legislative issues, Stiles was causing the two to become more entangled.

The dewan was suspicious. "Why was the message delivered to you? And why use a ghost? Most are instinctively afraid of you."

Stiles shrugged. Even when he was properly introduced to ghosts, they were wary. "No clue. If anyone, I figured they would have gone to Derek."

"The fact that you are shah is not well known either, except by the hives. A standard ghost would not have had access to that information. There's even less reason to tell you."

Stiles shrugged again. "Maybe it had something to do with my mother."

The dewan stopped pacing. "Why would it?"

"The ghost muttered something about 'son of Stilinski' as though she were specifically driven to find me because of my name. I thought she meant my father at first, but she said something about effervescent and dead."

"Perhaps the ghost knew your mother in life."

Stiles nodded. "Maybe. Regardless, if the threat is coming from a supernatural, who do we think could do it?"

Laura said immediately, "I know one or two omegas who have been getting restless." She tilted her head and snapped her teeth together a couple of times.

The dewan countered with, "There are some roves with sharp fangs out there."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "I think we ought to take everything into consideration and assume that it could also be a hive or a pack that is involved."

Laura looked cagey and the dewan uncomfortable.

The dewan said, "Fine, but what kind of lead do we have?"

"Only the ghost. I need to find her soon. She was getting pretty unsubstantial."

"Why you?" demanded the dewan.

"Clearly I have to do it. I was the one she was looking for, so I'm the one she'll talk to. Either of you will probably do more harm than good. I'm already concerned that Derek is blundering around without supervision."

Laura laughed.

Stiles continued, uninterrupted. "A ghost left untended, no preservation. How long do you think she'd remain sane?"

The dewan answered, "Only a few days."

"And if she were properly preserved?"

"Several weeks."

Stiles chewed his lower lip. "That's a pretty big window."

"It would have to be someone who has died recently, though. And was left near enough to the townhouse."

"Hmm, maybe a morgue?"

Laura nodded.

"Do we inform the President in the meantime?" Now that they had some kind of plan, the dewan seemed to feel that pacing about was no longer necessary. He came to sit at the table.

Laura took a stand at that. She always took a stand over control of information. "Not just yet, I think. Not until we have more concrete evidence. All we have now are the mutterings of a mad ghost."

The next day, Stiles woke up, snuck across the balconies connecting Laura's townhouse to his own and down the stairs only to find Erica seated in the living room, chatting amicably with one of the clavigers.

"Oh, Stiles! I have to tell you!"

"Huh?" He not very awake yet. He had in fact skipped his morning coffee, as he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be getting it at Laura's place or his own under this new arrangement. Connor was still asleep and Derek was nowhere to be found, so he didn't know who to ask either.

"Stiles! You have to say yes. You have to!" Erica grabbed him around the midsection and squeezed. Stiles was still very confused.

"To what?"

"I'm having a baby!"

"You're what? With Boyd?"

She smacked him. The thing about Erica was, if she meant to hurt you, it probably wasn't going to. But if she smacked you in jest, it would probably leave a bruise. This was one of the latter kinds. Stiles rubbed his shoulder tenderly.

"Of course with Boyd, you idiot."

"Can I just say that I still think it's weird that you call your own husband by his last name?"

Erica rolled her eyes, but ignored the comment. "You have to be the kid's godfather. I haven't asked Boyd yet, but I know he'll do whatever I ask."

Stiles grinned. That was the Erica he knew. "Of course I will! Congratulations!"

Erica's grin practically blinded him. "That's not actually why I'm here. We had our first doctor's appointment this morning. We were going to wait to tell people, but I can't wait. I promised Boyd I would, but I saw you and I just can't. You know me."

Stiles hugged her to him one more time. "You're going to be a kickass mom, Erica."

"Well, of course. But, the real reason I'm here. Two days ago I was leaving Lydia's shop. You know I still help her out? She's been in and out of town so much."

Stiles nodded.

"Well, a ghost popped right up in front of me! Said the strangest thing about a snake. Something like 'the snake is inequitable' or something similar. Then he asked me where you lived. I know they're all tethered, so I didn't see the harm in telling him."

Stiles gave her a sharp look.

"I know. I know. Once I realized Derek and Chris were looking into BUR records on a ghost that popped up here, I got suspicious, so I thought I should come tell you. I think it has something to do with the Order of Ouroboros."

This comment brought Stiles up short. "What did you just say?"

"The Order of Ouroboros. You must have heard of it."

Stiles blinked in shock. "Yes, but how have you?"

"I've been working with Lydia for months. She's not exactly subtle about her membership in it. I think once she realized I knew she made it clear that the main order is fine – it's the offshoots that cause trouble, like the one that Blake chick was in who took you hostage."

Stiles nodded. He'd had his suspicions about Lydia, but hadn't asked her. He'd been doing is research about the Order of Ouroboros since his returned from Europe. It was that order, after all, that Danny had rescued Connor from – even if he had also said it was one of the more fanatical offshoots.

When Erica left, Stiles stopped Finstock who had been hovering not-so-subtly in the hallway. "Is there a local Order of Ouroboros chapter in the area? Perhaps you ran across it while you were on the force?"

Finstock gave him a long look. "About a block over. I noticed the marking just after you began visiting Laura here."

"Marking?"

"Yes. There is a snake sketched on the door handle. Number eighty-eight."