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With Derek becoming Alpha and turning his little hellspawn's into wolves and having them terrorize the school, it hasn't been the best year for Stiles. Much less when despite all the crappy things Jackson's done as a human and then a Kanima, Lydia still thinks he's #boyfriendgoals, and Scott and Allison worry more about their relationship than the supernatural shit going on. Stiles was one of the few humans involved, someone who could turn a blind eye and continue to live his life as peacefully as possible in this crappy town and yet doesn't.
No matter how much he tried to help his friends, there was never a thank you. No one ever praised his efforts or seemed to care whether he was holding up okay or not. Everyone else just seemed to be out for themselves...or at least those they cared about. Stiles could see that Allison was trying to keep Scott safe from her father and her family while helping Lydia adjust to knowing. Jackson liked the new abilities but continued to walk as if he were human, but a better form of human and continued to treat everyone but those of his inner circle like shit.
When Stiles went to Harris' class he had a chance to sit next to Scott but decided that today...he wasn't. He went to the middle and sat next to Eric Bemis.
"Hey, Eric."
Eric seemed a bit surprised to have someone sit next to him, let alone talk to him, but smiled when he saw Stiles. "Hey man. How's your dad?"
"Good. How's your mom?" Stiles knew that Eric's dad was a cop and a shitty person. Or had been. He'd died. Stiles hadn't gone to the service but his dad had.
"She's good. Anne's been hanging out more and more, making her happy so..." Eric said with a shrug.
"Very devoted to God, Anne?" Stiles asked. Eric nodded. For once, though Harris saw him talking, didn't give or threaten him with detention. Maybe that was just because of Eric. He was very loved by the teachers, especially in the science community.
For once, the class had been fun. He and Eric finished their work and talked about some of his side projects that he had going on. It was actually pretty exciting. When Eric invited him to lunch, Stiles decided to join him rather than sit with Scott and be ignored, insulted, and miserable.
He couldn't help but look over and even if he hated how he was treated, he looked on with longing.
"You can go and sit with them if you want," Eric told him.
"I..." He knew he could be overheard. Not that they would be listening to him anyway, but if they did, they would just mock him. So he shook his head. "Nah."
Stiles and Eric had a free period and decided to join Abby for her lunch break. Eric was telling him all about Abby and he couldn't help but see some of himself and his crush on Lydia in Eric and Abby. Before he was sure that Abby didn't really give a damn one way or another about Eric, but lately they've been hanging out more and more. Stiles was always keeping his eyes and ears open, so he knew everything happening at the school. It was how he was trying to keep him and his so-called friends safe.
Maybe Abby and Eric just had that luck.
The boys walked in just in time to see Abby stand up for her friend and smack Christian on the back of the head with a lunch tray. Everyone was left shocked and impressed. Eric then nudged Stiles towards the table and Abby and the girl nodded to them. They began to talk about the up and coming lacrosse game, which made Stiles make a face. "It's a shitty season."
"My parents are out of town...would you guys like to come to a party?" the girl asked.
"Totally. We're in." Abby agreed for them.
Eric looked at Stiles, and he shrugged. "I never say no to a good party."
He got a text from Scott telling he needs his help with a date with Allison. Stiles rolled his eyes and ignored it. He'd rather deal with the awkwardness between Abby and Eric than whatever the hell Scott and Allison were trying to do.
Eric invited him over to study for chemistry anyway, and it sounded much more fun. When he got to Eric's though, his mom told him he was next door with Abby. He thanked her, though not before getting a few very awkward statements about being a teenager and pretty cute and if he and Eric ever wanted to experiment that she was cool with it but to be safe. That both being boys didn't excuse or forgive unsafe sex.
He couldn't get next door fast enough.
Stiles was about to knock when he saw that the door was opened. As a cop's kid, and also knowing about the supernatural, this made him angsty. He poked his head inside and called out, "Abby? Eric? Mr. and Mrs. Hammond?"
Technically he wasn't invited in, so he was trespassing...but the murder scene he walked into in the kitchen was kinda worse.
"Um...hi." Stiles deadpanned as he absorbed everything he was seeing.
"Stiles! Uh...this isn't what it looks like!" Eric exclaimed.
"Looks like a murder scene...a bloody one," Stiles stated.
"Okay it might be what it looks like but we can explain! We're not evil!"
"Are you werewolves?" Stiles asked seriously. Too seriously. But he's only ever seen such graphic shit when werewolves are involved.
"Um, no. We're all human. Except for my mom. She's uh..she's a zombie." Abby answered honestly.
"Well, I like to call it myself a Mombie." Sheela tries to make a bit more cheerful.
"Technical terms aren't the main concern right now, hon!" Joel stressed as he smiled at Stiles with what looked like a painful smile. "Look, I know this seems really bad! Like insanely bad but-...wait, why did you ask if we were werewolves?"
"Knock knock! Hammonds?"
"Fuck! It's Anne!" Joel hissed as he looked around everyone.
They were all covered in blood and in no condition to speak to the human police. Stiles had plenty of questions but he knew they'd have to wait. So he acted on instincts. "It got this...start cleaning up."
Before anyone could object or ask questions, he darted to the door and smiled as he stonewalled Anne from stepping any more into the house.
"Whoa there! Hey Stiles...I heard you were here. I thought I'd come and say hi." Anne told him with a smile.
Stiles returned the smile, and he was hoping it would look less suspicious than Joel's. "Hey, Anne! Haven't seen you in a bit. How are you?"
"I'm doing well. The Lord has shown brightly upon me, even in the darkest times when Dan went missing. Hey, are the Hammonds around?" She asked, trying to see deeper into the house.
Stiles blocked her view and even led her way towards the door. "Heeeey....listen. I was hoping I could talk to you? Outside. In private."
Anne frowned a bit, "I should probably check out where the Hammonds are-"
"But it's urgent!" Stiles stressed.
"Oh. Okay. Sure." She shrugged and followed him outside. They closed the door and she crossed her arms over her chest and asked, "What's up?"
"Hm?" Stiles asked, blanking.
"What did you want to talk about?" She reminded him.
"Right. Um...well. It's...it's a little awkward."
"Is Noah drinking again?"
"What?" Stiles demanded, very offended. "No! Dad's...he's not drinking. Not like that anymore."
"Hey, it's a hard job. And after what happened to Claudia...it's never easy. But I'm glad it's not that. I like him. He's a good moral man, doing God's work. But if it's not about him, then what is it?"
"Uh...right. The reason I called you out here. Well...I need a favor."
"What sort of favor?"
"Lahey. He and I aren't what you call friends...we're more like the opposite. But still...I think I need to point this out. Dad's made inquires but nothing ever stuck...I don't like Isaac but that doesn't mean I don't believe in justice. His dad's a dick and he needs to meet God's righteousness. But no one is looking hard enough. Dad's got enough cases and he can't spare anyone but what about you? There is no one so devoted as you. Through God's will, I believe, wholeheartedly, that you can get Isaac justice."
Anne looked at Stiles for a long moment. Too long for Stiles's nerves, but it seemed to have done the trick.
"Alright. I'll look into Lahey. See if I can build a case. I'll tell you if there's anything."
"Thanks, Anne. You're the best. And look...Isaac doesn't care for me. And I don't know how he'll feel if you get anything concrete on his dad. So...can you just not mention me at all?"
She winked at him and patted his shoulder.
Stiles watched until she left. He let out a deep breath before heading back inside.
He helped the Hammonds and Eric clean up while they talked. When they finished, they all sat in the living room staring blankly into space.
"Zombies..." Stiles muttered.
"Werewolves..." Eric muttered, shocked and in awe.
"Hunters..." Joel whispered, clearly troubled.
Derek's pack and Scott's...band of misfits who didn't all like or trust each other, were having their little piss fight. Stiles kept himself away from all of that since he started to hang out more with Abby and Eric, and helping Joel Hammond look for a cure.
He spends a lot of time trying to find a cure with Joel. They bond. Stiles has missed hanging out with his father, and having to hide all of the supernatural things from him hasn't helped Stiles look very innocent. He's missed being close to his father and Joel seems to be glad to have someone not only take this seriously but contribute actual helpful things.
He's cornered by Derek once who stutters out warnings about messing around with older people, especially those that are married. Stiles is angry at suddenly and randomly being relevant to Derek after being nothing but an annoyance. And only to be accused of being a homewrecker. He doesn't really correct Derek. He doesn't owe him an explanation...and personally, he liked dealing with zombies more than he did werewolves.
That sparked something. Both in Derek's pack and in Stiles. Suddenly Erica, Boyd, and Isaac were sitting next to him if they had a class together. Or joining him and Eric at lunch. Stiles has told Eric and Abby to not talk about anything supernatural at school because werewolf hearing was totally a thing that could get them in crappy situations. Isaac, for example, might have heard that the reason his father was taken into custody with solid evidence found by Deputy Garcia was that it might have been Stiles who tipped her off. He was an awkward angry mess that Stiles didn't want to deal with, and with the help of Abby, didn't have to.
She was very strong-willed and told Derek's pack what was what. Much to Eric's dismay, people thought they were dating. It didn't help that Jackson was being a jackass in gym and pushed Stiles's buttons too far. And maybe the fact that he's committed murder to help Sheila and protect Eric, that's he's so full of rage. The period before, Jackson insulted him and tripped him. Scott stood by and did nothing except pull Allison off to the next class with Lydia. His body went into autopilot. He got up from the table to throw away whatever was on his tray, he gripped it hard, as he walked over to Jackson's table with a clear and calm face, and he smacked Jackson on the back of the head and knocked him out.
He thinks Lydia, Danny, Scott...almost the whole table, called out his name in shock. But he didn't stay. He walked over to his table, where Eric was, looking very shocked too and told him, "I'll meet you guys after school. I'm going to go help Joel."
Eric just nodded and watched him go.
"Stiles pulled a me on Whittemore?" Abby asked Eric next period.
"Sheah..." Eric let out a chuckle and nodded. "He said he was going to help your dad."
"Cool. I think I might go join them."
"What? You're gonna skip class again?"
Abby shrugged. "There's a lot more interesting things out in the world, Eric. What am I learning here? Nothing but fuckery. I'm gonna go see if I can catch up with my dad and his favorite son."
Eric watched her go for a bit before he ran up to her, "Wait up! I'll come too!"