"Scott?" Stiles called as he walked in through the front door.
The rest of the school day went fine, no other issues. Jackson still hadn't forgotten what I had said at lunch and tried to take it out on me in practice, but wolf hearing made that almost impossible. Lydia kept throwing glances at me, while talking with Allison, all during practice. Some confused, some annoyed and a few were even amused. Those came whenever Jackson or one of his friends tried to test me and I was able to thwart them. I didn't do it every time, mostly because I didn't want anyone- especially Jackson, getting suspicious. Coach was happy and promised me play time in the first game so that's all I cared about.
Stiles and I spent the rest of lunch with Isaac and though he had started to relax a bit as we got to know each other he was far from being comfortable around us, yet. He kept pulling at the cuff's of his long sleeves and I tried not to think to much about why. My mind kept flashing back to the Isaac I knew from before. I didn't really know him before he was changed and the original wolf version of him wasn't someone I really wanted to know, not until Derek showed me the freezer in the basement then I understood why he asked for the bite. But the one that lived with me and my mom, that one I missed. We had kept in touch after he left but only minimally. He was finally enjoying his life far away from the place that tried to break him over and over again. I was looking forward to seeing what kind of life he would have this time around.
"In here." I answered as I unpacked the food I had delivered onto actual plates. Stiles walked through the living room and dining room and looked at the spread on the counter.
"You couldn't get anything healthier?" he sighed, looking at the barbeque and sides I got.
"I got salad." I shrugged gesturing to the big bowl with the leafy greens.
"Yeah, but…" he whined thinking about the diet he had being trying to keep his dad on.
"Stiles we are about to tell our parents that werewolves are real. Do you really want to do that over salad and tofu?" I asked him. He frowned knowing I was right.
"Fine. But he's going to hate what's on tomorrow menu." He agreed and helped me carry everything to the dining room. The door opened as we were setting the table, Stiles insisting that this meal be served with only water. I nodded to him but was sure that at some point alcohol would be broken out.
"Boys, we're here." my mom called, and I could hear both her and the sheriff's footsteps. They both stopped right in the doorway, looks of surprise and bright smiles on their faces. "What's all this?" she asked setting her bag down on the floor. The Sheriff looked like he was two seconds away from drooling on himself.
"We thought we would grab dinner for tonight." I told her. She hummed and then shared a look with the sheriff.
"What did you do?" they asked in unison.
"And who should we expect a call from?" the Sheriff continued, hands on hips as he stared us down, more so Stiles.
"Nothing." Stiles defended, holding up his hands. "We didn't do anything. We just thought it would be nice to talk over dinner."
"Uh huh… Stiles," he sighed. "Just tell me who I need to write a check to or what I need to ground you for."
"Dad, I promise, its nothing like that. Just come and eat and we can all talk. It's nothing bad… not really… I don't think… I mean it cou-."
"Stiles, you're not helping." I told him. He closed his mouth and nodded. "Guys, we just need to talk to you about something and thought it would be better over dinner. So, let's eat and then we can talk."
Neither of them believed us but they slowly made their way over to the table and sat, side by side, like a united front. Stiles and I glanced at each other before taking our own seat. Quietly we all fixed our plates, Stiles glaring at his dad for only putting the equivalent of three forkfuls of salad on his plate before loading the rest with coleslaw, ribs, and bread.
"How is school going?" mom asked, breaking the tense silence. I know she was just trying to ease into what we called this little family meeting for.
"School is going well. Classes aren't so bad right now."
"And lacrosse?" the sheriff asked. I looked at Stiles who was trying to hide his grin. I raised a brow at him, silently asking if he even told his dad about the new position. He shrugged and gave a slight shake of his head that he hadn't. I tilted my head in his dad's direction, widening my eyes, asking if he was going to. He rolled his eyes and nodded. We looked back at our parents to see their amused look at us at our nonverbal exchange.
"Actually dad, I uh… I got a try out in a new position on the team. I might get some play time if I make it." Stiles admitted.
"You did? What position?"
"Uh… goalie. If I make the cut I'll be switching out with our current goalie, Danny, for games." He said, his leg shaking under the table. A slow grin spread across the sheriff's face until it was a full-blown smile.
"Really? That's fantastic Stiles. When will you officially know?"
"Well, I'm training with Danny now and Coach said he will let me start in the pregame next week. If I do well enough, then the spot is mine."
"You should see him. The first time coach put him out there, he was good, but I have been watching him at practice and he's doing amazing. He's blocking at least 65% of the shots now and he keeps improving. It's awesome." I said, hyping him up. Stiles smiled, ducking his head as a light blush spread over his face. He wasn't used to this kind of praise.
"That's great, son. I'm proud of you. I have to make sure I have that Friday off so I can see you for myself."
"You don't have to do that dad. There's no guarantee that I will get it."
"Doesn't matter. You're trying something new to you and learning and growing. Even if you don't make the cut for that position, I want to watch you in action. But I have no doubt that you will."
"Thanks." he said shoveling in a mouthful of food, his face blooming even redder.
"And what about you Scott, how are you doing in lacrosse? You're not overdoing it, are you?" my mom asked. Stiles snorted and ended up choking. I patted him firmly on the back.
"No. I'm not over doing it. I'm actually doing really well. Coach put me on first string, so I'll be playing in the pregame as well."
"Really, and your asthma doesn't flare up at all with all that running around?"
"Uhm," I glanced at Stiles before shaking my head. "No, I haven't had any problems at all with it."
"Ain't that the truth." Stiles muttered with a chuckle. I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"Okay boys, what is going on? You called this meeting saying you needed to tell us something. So, what is it?" my mom said setting down her fork and giving all her attention to us.
Again, Stiles and I looked at each other. He shrugged and gestured for me to go ahead. Nerves were making the butterflies in my stomach do gymnastics as I tried to think of how to start this. I looked at our parents and decided that yeah this definitely wasn't going to be a dry meeting. I got up and grabbed two tumblers and the bottle of scotch my mom kept on the high shelf in the cabinet and brought them to the table setting it all in front of them.
"Oh boy." The sheriff sighed, leaning back in his seat, and putting on his cop face.
"Okay, so there's really no easy way to get into this so maybe I should start with show then tell, again." I said. Stiles nodded, gnawing on his bottom lip, nervously. His eyes flicking between all three of us.
Taking a deep breath, I switched my eyes, staring first at the sheriff and then at my mom. The sheriff shoved his chair back standing abruptly and reaching for his sidearm, which he did not have on him, thank God. My mom stared, her hands coming up to cover her mouth.
"Easy." I said, raising my hands.
"Dad, it's okay. It's still Scott." Stiles said.
"What the hell?" Mr. Stilinski yelled.
"What happened to your eyes?" my mother asked, the words muffled. I watched her nervously as I switched them back.
"I'm still me mom, I promise. I'm just also… more." I said reaching out a hand but stopping myself.
"More what? What's going on? How did you do that?" Mom questioned and I could sense the panic rising in her.
"Are you on drugs?" Mr. Stilinski asked.
"Drugs? What drugs do you know that turns someone's eyes red like that?" Stiles asked his father incredulously.
"None that I have seen, doesn't mean they don't exist." He reasoned.
"I'm not on drugs. I'm… a werewolf." I told them. Silence, both staring unblinkingly. Stiles and I looked at each other then back at them, the silence went on.
"You're definitely on drugs." Mr. Stilinski said.
"I swear I'm not." I snorted.
"Dad, come sit. Let us explain." Stiles urged.
"Do you think you're a werewolf also?" he asked Stiles.
"No, I'm still human. Just have a seat and we'll explain everything." Stiles encouraged.
He nodded, taking his seat. My mother was still quiet, and it was just making me more nervous.
"Scott, maybe you should show them the other thing. I don't think they are going to believe it until they see it." Stiles said.
"I don't know, they didn't take it well the first time around." I said, shaking my head.
"What do you mean the first time around? First time for what?" my mother asked.
"I really wish there had been an easier way to explain this because I am sure I am about to completely mess this up, but there was no way you guys wouldn't have freaked out at least a little." I said, running a hand through my hair. "It's still going better than last time, I guess." I muttered.
"Last time for what?" the sheriff reiterated. I blew out a hard breath and stood up, walking to the doorway and faced them.
"Maybe Stiles is right, and I just need to show you all at once, like ripping off a band-aid." I shook myself out preparing to shift. "Stiles, maybe you should come over here, show them that I'm not a danger to anyone." I told him. He nodded and came to stand close by. From one blink to the next I shifted. For the second time the sheriff stood up, stumbling back, and knocking over his chair. My mother shrieked almost falling off her own.
"I'm still me, I won't hurt you. But I'm also this." I said, my voice gruff as I gestured to myself. Stiles placed a hesitant hand on my shoulder.
"It's true. It's still Scott, he just has an alternate form now, like a superhero, Wolfman." He said, trying to be helpful. I chuckled at his reference and shifted back.
My mother stood slowly and made her way over to me cautiously. I bit my lip, scared of what she would say or do.
"Scott?" she whispered. I nodded. "Who did this to you?"
"I'll explain that. But I… are you okay?" I asked.
"I don't know." she said, reaching up to touch my face and hair. "I'm kind of having an out of body experience right now."
I placed my hand over hers and stared pleadingly at her.
"It's still me mom. I'm still your son." I told her. She nodded, dropping her hand but still watching me. "I'll explain everything. I just really need to know that you're okay with this."
"It's a lot to process. This isn't something you see or hear every day. Maybe explaining how this happened will help."
"Okay, let's sit and I'll tell you." I said guiding her back to her seat. The sheriff flipped his chair back to right and plunked down on it watching me cautiously.
"Let me start by telling you both about the supernatural and Beacon Hills."
I started explaining about supernaturals and the kinds there were, that I knew of so far. I touched on the Nematon only because it would come into play when I explain how I got here. I also touched on hunters a bit, but I didn't want to scare my mom more then she already was. Mom listened but I could tell she wasn't sure what to think. Mr. Stilinski stared at his cup as if it held the answers to all his questions.
Silently he put his plastic cup down, picked up both tumblers, set one in front of my mom and proceeded to pour two healthy amounts of scotch into both. They both took big gulps before setting them down.
"So, what you're saying, is that Beacon Hills is some kind of gathering ground for supernaturals?" he asked.
"Not just Beacon Hills, but yes it kind of is."
"And all of this is because of this thing called… what was it again?"
"The Nematon." Stiles answered.
"Right." He nodded, taking another sip. "And how do you play into this? How long have you known about this?"
"Technically, I have known 3 days now."
"Technically? What does that mean?" my mom asked.
"Eh… Scott?" Stiles turned to me, scratching the back of his head.
"So, the next part of this is going to be even harder to believe. It was hard for me to as well, but I can't really dispute the facts. See, I'm not actually from here, I mean this timeline."
Again, with the silence. I get it but all it's doing is making my stomach churn.
"You think you are from the future?" the sheriff asked.
"I don't think I'm from the future, I am, about two years into the future actually."
They both gave a slow blink.
"I have no words for that. In fact, I have no words for any of this. Melissa, you got anything?" he turned to her. Mom picked up her glass and emptied it before refilling it, the sheriff mirroring her.
"Okay, so not only is my son a werewolf but he is actually my son from the future." She said and I nodded. "And there's no way to prove it because anything you say will be something you learned in that future."
"Kind of yeah. I mean I learned some stuff, but I don't know how far it would go in proving it. You would just think that I was told by someone or something. And anything else I could tell you would be future events, so you don't even know about it."
"Okay, like?" she asked. I searched my mind trying to come up with something that she wouldn't have told me herself. The one thing I could mention wouldn't get me far in convincing her, but it was the only card I had at the moment.
"I know why dad left, the thing that made you ask him to leave." I told her, keeping my eyes on hers. She sat up straight.
"You do?"
I nodded. I opened my mouth to say it but hesitated. She took a deep breath and nodded for me to go on.
"One night you and dad got into the argument upstairs, dad was drunk and accidentally pushed me down the stairs. My head slammed into the floorboard, which is where that dent came from. You kicked him out of the house that night, but dad stayed away." I explained. Her breath caught and her eyes glistened.
"You remember that?" she asked, quietly. I shook my head.
"No, I actually don't remember any of that. I know it doesn't really prove anything because you probably just think dad told me, which he did but not until my junior year when he came back to town. He wanted to repair our relationship and we did or were working on it."
"Well," she sighed in a shaky voice. "It really doesn't help with proof, but it does make me a bit angry at your father for telling you. I never wanted you to know that."
"I know mom. But I'm glad he did. It's what helped us to start getting closer I think."
"Okay, uh, since that wasn't really a good example. How about me? Tell me something that Stiles wouldn't have been able to tell you." The sheriff said, leaning in closer. I glanced at Stiles and back at him.
"There are only few pieces of information I know about you, but I am not sure how much of it Stiles knows, and I don't want to bring up any painful reminders." I said.
"About his mom, my wife?" he asked. I nodded hesitantly. That was part of it, but I was more so referring to his dad, whom I met when Lydia, Malia and I went to see him when Stiles disappeared.
"What? What about mom?" Stiles asked, looking between us.
"I know about the night they decided on your name." I grinned at him. He blinked at me in surprise.
"You know? I don't even know that. I just know that I was named after my mom's dad and nicknamed after my dad's dad."
The sheriff grinned leaning back and crossing his arms.
"Go ahead. Let's hear what you know." He encouraged. I nodded and turned to Stiles. The story was cute.
"So, from what your dad told me, and this was during that whole Ghost rider thing, him and your mom were lying down, a couple of weeks before they were to move away from college. And they were talking about their future, kids and what to call them. Your dad tells her that if they have a son, he wants to name him after her father. She laughs and says, why would you want to saddle a poor kid with a name like that? He tells her because he's a great father. One I wish I had. A father I hoped to be. Then she smiles and they kiss and says, 'it's okay. We'll name him that. But-."
"It won't matter, by the way. He will be called Stiles." The sheriff finished, looking mystified. I smiled at him nodding. "How the hell could you have known that?" he asked.
"You told me once; it was during something that was going on and we were trying to help Stiles. That's a story I can tell you about later. I just wanted to show you guys that this is real. I'm real and what I have been through from the age of 16 to 18 was real. I was brought back to change things, to… hopefully make sure everyone survives this time."
"This time? who didn't survive before? Were you? were we?" mom asked in rapid fire.
"Hold it, hold it. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this future thing. What exactly happened that you came back and how exactly did you come back?" the sheriff asked.
"Okay, to explain how I was brought back let me tell you a little more about shifters. There are basically three… types of shifters, alpha, beta, and omega. Beta and omegas are base level for shifters, whether you are a born or a made one you start out as either a beta or omega. The only difference between those two are that betas belong to a pack and omegas don't. Alphas are usually considered the leaders of those packs if they have one, but it's also a power thing. Betas, being a part of a pack are a bit stronger than omegas because they draw on the strength of their alpha and pack. Omegas are kind of lone wolves, so they aren't all that strong, there are factors there that play into it, but they are still strong in their own right. Alphas are usually the strongest."
"Okay, so how do you know if you are encountering a beta, omega or an alpha?" he asked.
"Eye color. Betas and omegas have either blue or gold eyes. If they are gold then they are still, innocent isn't really the right word for it but that's what we are going to go with. It means they have never had to kill. Blue means they have had to take a life before, an innocent life." I explained.
"Your eyes are red. Why?" mom asked.
"Alpha." The sheriff guessed. I nodded.
"Yes, but I'm in a special category. I'm a rare kind of alpha. It's called a true alpha."
"Okay, and what exactly does that mean?"
"Oh, can I?" Stiles asked raising his hand. I snickered nodding to him. "So, a true alpha is one who rises purely on the strength of character, by virtue, and by sheer force of will."
I looked at Stiles.
"How did you know that?" I asked.
"I called Deaton, Monday after we left. When I was researching the other stuff, I got curious about the true alpha thing and called him to ask about it. that was the definition he gave me." he shrugged. I huffed with a smile, of course he did.
"Deaton? You mean Dr. Deaton, your boss?" mom asked.
"Yeah, he knows all about this stuff. He said you can call him with questions. But back to what we were talking about. So being a true alpha means that I have a certain connection with the Nematon, and that connection paired with what happened to me is what brought me back to this time so I can correct somethings and hopefully change the future for the better."
"And what exactly happened to you to make that connection and bring you back?"
I sighed and decided to give the cliff notes version as I knew that telling them the full story right now would spark outrage, anger, and fear.
"There was an altercation that I was wounded in. the result of that is what brought me back to now."
"You're sugarcoating." The sheriff said.
"Yes, I am. And it's not because you guys won't find out at some point, but I already know how that's going to go and for this conversation it's not really important. I promise that at a later time, after you guys have had time to process everything, I will go into detail on everything." I told them, hoping they wouldn't push.
Stiles stayed quiet beside me watching them, biting at his nails.
"I really want to push this; I want to know what happened. I want to know everything, but I also understand that I probably won't like what your life was like then. I'm honestly still trying to believe this whole thing. Besides the wolf thing, which I clearly saw, this isn't something I can wrap my head around." My mom said.
"I know and I'm sorry to dump all this on you both but… the last time you guys found out it wasn't in a good way, and it was much later after some things had already happened. I didn't want to make that mistake again. Also, there are some things that will start happening soon and I wanted you both to know so you could be careful."
"Okay, and what kinds of things are happening right now that you needed to clue us in now?" the sheriff asked. Stiles and I looked at each other. It was time to get to business.
"There are a few reason's Stiles and I wanted to have this talk with you guys. One being we wanted you to be more careful while you were at work. Some of the things that happened involved the two of you and you were both ignorant of the underlying danger. Sheriff-."
"Scott, you know you don't have to call me that. You can use my name or just Mr. S." the sher-, Mr. S said. I nodded.
"Okay, Mr. S," I started because using his first name given his position just seemed wrong, I don't care how long I've known him. "Your job in particular puts you in the crosshairs of the supernatural, especially since you don't or didn't know anything about them. Werewolves, shifters, are hard to put down, even with bullets. But there are certain things that can be done and used to aid with that in case the need arises. Stiles has actually been doing research on a few things to see if we can find a way to weaponize them just in case. Also, I know for a fact that some of your unsolved cases that you couldn't really make headway on is because of the supernatural. I can help you with those, or at least with information. There's one case in particular that I definitely plan to help you solve."
"Which case is that?"
"The Malia Tate case." I told him.
"Wait, the same Malia you were dating before?" Stiles asked, I nodded.
"That case sounds familiar. Missing persons, right?"
"Sort of. Her mother and sister died in a car crash, but Malia's body was never recovered from the wreck. It's not because she was dragged off by wild animals or was taken by someone from the wreck. It's because she's a shifter, a werecoyote to be exact. She's still out in the woods. She was never able to change back to human." I explained. his brows raised in surprise.
"And you know where to find her?"
"Sort of. It's more like I can track her, but I do know what area she is in."
"Track her?"
"Yeah, shifters kind of have some enhanced abilities."
"I know this is getting us off topic, but what kind of enhanced abilities?" mom asked.
"Enhanced hearing, smell, for Alpha's when we use our eyes, we can see a bit further then humans and…" I said getting up and moving to her side. "May I?" I asked holding my hands just over her head. She nodded, warily. I placed both hands at her temples and pulled the pain of the headache she had developed over the course of the conversation from her. she sighed in relief.
"Whoa, what did you just do?" Stiles asked, mouth open, again. I wonder if I should worry about him developing dry mouth at this point.
"She had a headache, so I pulled some of the pain from her. it's one of the abilities we have." I told him, taking my seat again.
"You can pull pain? Seriously? Oh, I am so taking advantage of that after practices." He told me excitedly. I snorted.
"We can also self-heal, as long as it's not life threatening. Which is why the bite I got when I was changed disappeared the next day." I could see the questions forming in my mom's head and continued on. "So, I can track her. right now, she is safe there, no one knows she's there. They just think she is a regular coyote. I want to find her soon but not just yet. There are a few other things that need to be done first. But if there's any way, we can take a look at the files for the cold cases we may be able to lead you in the right direction."
"Legally I can't let you look at those files. But if I happen to bring my work home with me one day and one just happens to be open on the dining room table then I can't control what your eyes may or may not see, especially if I leave the room for a moment for some reason." He said. Stiles grinned and I nodded.
"Mom, I don't know how many weird injuries you see in a day or even wounds that you may have tried to treat that weren't as bad as you first thought they were. Possibly even patients that just seemed to disappear without a trace when they shouldn't have even been able to walk. Some of those may actually be supernatural related. I just want you both to be aware. Not saying that ever one of those cases are supernatural related but be cautious when handling them just in case. Also, you, being my mother, can be used against me. it's happened before and, just be careful of who is approaching you that you don't know."
"I can't believe my son is giving me the don't talk to strangers talk but okay, I will be more careful knowing what I know now."
"Thank you. Another reason we are doing this now is because of another old case, Mr. S. The Hale fire from 6 years ago. I know who the arsonist is, and I also know that the murder of the girl found in the woods, or half of her, is connected to that."
"Wait, you know who set the fire?"
"Yes, and they will be back in town in a couple of weeks. They are also one of the targets of the killer."
"You know who the killer is?"
"Yes, they are the same person that turned me into a wolf."
Both parents picked up their forgotten tumblers and took big gulps before setting them down.
"I think I'm going to go make some coffee." Stiles muttered, getting up and heading to the kitchen.
"Probably a good idea." I told him, as both parents were looking a little glassy eyed.
"Okay, who is it?" Mr. S. asked. I shook my head.
"Not yet. I will tell you, both of you but not right now. he started all this to draw the arsonist back to town. He has plans but I've been able to talk him out of some of those plans at least for now. the plan to get the arsonist back, though, is still in play and we need to let that happen. We need them back in town and we need to use them to draw their partner or leader back to town as well. if not, well I have already lived through what happens with both of them free to cause chaos."
"So, you have talked to this man? The one who bit you and killed someone?" mom asked.
"I have and I know what you're thinking but he's not… okay so he's not a good guy either but he isn't completely bad, but I honestly understand his reasons for doing this. I'm really not sure if I couldn't go through what he did and not want to do what he did either. But I have talked to him, and he promised not only to leave you guys alone but also to lay low for a while. Just until I can come up with a plan that will make those responsible pay."
"I don't know if I like this, Scott. I mean not only does it sound like you are putting your life on the line for all this, but you are knowingly withholding information on at least two criminals. Wouldn't it be better if you just told me who they are so I can look into them and maybe find a way to get them put away for their crimes." Mr. S sighed, shaking his head.
"I would agree with you. But the arsonist has too many connections and you won't catch them that easily, but I have ideas on that which I do want to run by you later. I think there is a way to get to them but it's going to take a bit of time and I need a few people to be a part of that talk. I promise once all the players are on the board I will fill you in on everything and we can find a way to put them away. I would much rather that then what happened the first time around. All that did was cause more problems. Just give me until next week."
"Well, I want to put them away as well, so if giving you that little bit of time helps to do that then fine. But the minute everything is in place you call me."
Stiles came in with two steaming cups, setting them in front of the parents and took his seat again.
"Thank you and I will. Now the last reason I wanted to do this now. I actually do need both of your help with this one and the sooner we can do it the better."
"And what is that?"
"There's a kid who I know, for a fact, is being abused. In my timeline he was only able to escape that life because his father died. He ended up being the main suspect. He was innocent but because of some things that were discovered and a testimony from his neighbor across the street all arrows pointed to him."
"What was found?"
"An old deep freezer with bloodying nail marks on the inside of the lid and a lock on the outside." I told them, getting angry all over again.
"What the hell?" my mother shouted sitting ramrod straight, her face contorting in rage. "What kind of sick bastard would do that to their own child, any child, any person?" she ranted.
"Who is it?" Mr. S. asked, his voice like steel but I could see it in his eyes.
"You already suspect, don't you?" I asked him. his eyes narrowed in response. "You've gotten calls before about him, haven't you?"
He nodded once, stiffly.
"And you couldn't arrest the man or get Isaac out of there?" Stiles asked.
"Not enough evidence and the kid won't talk. His father has him too scared to. I know what that feels like. Believe me I have been searching for ways to get him out of that house for a while. But we can't just barge in without some kind of proof or something." he explained, tiredly.
"I think I have an idea of how to get him out safely and semi legally. But I want your opinion on it."
"Alright, let's brainstorm. After finding out just what this kid has been going through, I'm willing to break a few rules to make sure he's okay." He said.
Okay, let's figure this out."
** I hope I did this talk justice. I know Scott wouldn't be eloquent in trying to explain. he would be too worried about their reaction. Hope you enjoyed. **