Chapter Text
Stiles woke up with a feeling that today was going to be a bad day. Granted he had that feeling almost everyday since moving to Eureka but it felt extra strong today. There wasn’t much he could do until whatever disaster was heading his direction arrived. Stiles was currently having breakfast in Cafe Diem before heading up to GD for the day. He was supposed to help with some experiment that Taggart was running.
“Morning Stiles, what would you like for breakfast?”
“Hey Zoe, I’ll take the California scramble.” Stiles liked the teenager as they had bonded over having dads who were both Sheriffs.
“Coming right up.” She looked out the window before pausing as an unknown teenager walked into the cafe. They didn’t get strangers in Eureka, let alone teenage strangers. “Uh, are you lost?”
“I don’t think so.”
The voice was familiar to Stiles who spun around the stool almost falling off but getting to his feet quickly. “Eli?”
“Stiles! Oh thank god, I don’t have to search this whole town for you.” Eli almost tackled the man in a hug. He was clearly scenting the human. “I wasn’t sure if Dad’s contact information for you was still accurate.”
Stiles could feel all the eyes on him in Cafe Diem. He also noticed a couple folks do a subtle sniff of the air which made him internally roll his eyes. “Eli L Hale, what are you doing in Eureka at 7:30am on Wednesday during the school year? How did you even get here? Does your father know where you are?”
“I needed to talk to you in person. Your dad gave me the keys to the Jeep that Dad had repaired.” Eli looked down at the ground. “And Dad’s dead so no he doesn’t know anything right now.”
Stiles stared at the teenager for a moment. “Can you repeat that last one again?”
“Dad is dead.” Eli let out a whimper still trying to remain in control like his Dad taught him.
“How?” Stiles could sense Deputy Jo Lupo coming over. She was a human born into a pack.
“The Nogistune came back when Allison did. Deputy Parrish set Dad on fire to stop it.” Eli relaxed a little when he noticed Stiles without thinking had moved to be between Eli and the approaching deputy. “I didn’t want to go live with Scott and Allison. So I look the Jeep and went to the last place I knew you’d been working.”
“Excuse me?” growled Stiles. He noticed the flinch from Eli. “I’m not angry with you, Eli. I’m furious at the adults who didn’t tell me what happened. That nobody else decided to I should be informed that Derek was dead.”
“Your dad said you had your own fires to put out. And Scott said you didn’t care about Beacon Hills anymore.”
“Stiles, do you need help?” asked Jo being careful not to get to close to the upset teenager.
“I don’t know yet but if you could let Henry and Taggart know I’m probably not going to be in today. I need to find out what all has happened on the Hellmouth and what folks are keeping from me.” Stiles pushed Eli into a booth. “Sit and eat while I figure out who fucked up what back in Beacon Hills. Zoe, can you get him the meat lovers scramble?”
Eli looked like he was about to argue he wasn’t hungry when his stomach made noise much to his embarrassment. Zoe nodded as she went back to let Vincent know there was a brand new person to cook for. Jo gave Stiles a nod before heading to the station to let Carter know supernatural chaos was possibly coming to Eureka. It amused her that Jack was better with supernatural cases then straight up science experiments.
“You eat, I’ll make calls. Then you can nap at my place while I make more calls.” Stiles was focusing on the anger instead of the pain for the moment. “I’m going outside but you can see me through the window. Don’t move from that booth.”
Eli again looked like he would argue but something in Stiles voice reminded him of an alpha so he just sat there waiting for food. He felt mildly safer for the first time since he watched his Dad die.
Stiles pulled out his cellphone the second he stepped outside and dialed.
“Sheriff Stilinski here.”
“Hello Father Dearest. Is there something you might have forgotten to tell me?”
“Who called you?”
“Nobody. However I am staring at my jeep right now while Eli is eating breakfast in a cafe where I can keep eyes on him while I find out what the FUCK is going on in Beacon Hills? And why the fuck nobody thought to tell me Derek was dead! Or the that fucking Nogistune was back. Or Allison is alive and hooked up with Scott again?”
“You are angry.”
“Oh I am so far beyond angry. Does anyone even know that Eli has been gone from Beacon Hills from 12-14hrs? That is how long driving to where I am would take.” Stiles was having to take a few deep breaths so that he didn’t start a fire or blow something up again. “Please don’t tell me you were seriously going to give custody to McCall and Argent?”
“It hadn’t been decided yet. We haven’t had the will reading yet. I know Derek did set one up according to Peter. Look Stiles, I’m sorry okay. I didn’t think you wanted to be involved in Beacon Hills drama anymore.”
“Fuck you, Dad. You know damn well you should have contacted me the instant it was confirmed that the Nogistune was back. And unless Derek changed his paper work in the last six months then custody of Eli was going to go to me anyway. So I repeat fuck you.” Stiles hung up the phone before he made his Dad the target of his rage. There were better targets. Much better targets. Dialing the next one to yell at.
“Hello Stiles. I take it my great nephew reached you safely?”
“Fuck you, Peter. I’m so angry with everyone right now.” Stiles glared at garbage can and cringed when it exploded. “What was that?”
“My temper.” Jo stuck her head out to give him a look. “I’ll pay the fine.”
“Stiles, I’m sorry. I wanted to call you earlier but things moved quickly. Now, I repeat my great nephew arrived to you safely right?” Peter tried to hide his concern.
“Yes, Eli is here and eating right now. Whose brilliant idea was it not to call me?”
“I think you know the answer. It was McCall and his Emissary Stregoneria.”
“Of course it was. I thought Deaton was shady but that is nothing on this new one. I will be in contact then, Zombie Wolf.” Stiles hung up with deep a sigh. He knew his friendship with Scott had been strained over the years but he wasn’t expecting this level of betrayal. But in hindsight Stiles really should have known better. Looking at his phone the last few texts he had from Scott were just generic holiday greetings. In fact Stiles had to scroll three years back for an actual conversation. That was around the time Deaton retired.
“Stiles, are you okay?”
“I thought I told you stay in the booth?”
“Yeah, but you looked upset.”
“Kiddo, I am upset but that isn’t your fault. I am furious with the dickheads back on the Hellmouth.”
“Like that old show Buffy?”
“Old show?” Stiles blinked. He was getting old apparently. “Yeah, like that ancient show from the late 90s. But at least I guess we can be happy that Beacon Hills mystical power thing is in the woods and not under a school. Go back inside and finish eating. You don’t need to be part of the call I’m about to make.”
Eli frowned before nodding slowly going back inside trying to ignore the itch that all these strange eyes on him felt like. He knew something was weird about this town. After all Stiles had lived here for almost five years now.
Stiles took a few more moments trying to center himself before calling the man he once thought of as a brother but now was nothing more than a selfish dick in Stiles eyes.
“McCall here. Why are you calling me so early?”
“Hello, Scotty.”
“Stiles? What’s wrong? Why are you calling me so early?”
“Gee, Scott, why don’t you try using that brain of yours for a moment and think about why I might be calling you.”
“Why are you mad? Allison being back is a good a thing.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck about your Juliet being back except for concern of what came with her. Try again.”
“I guess Lydia told you Derek Hale is dead?”
“Nope, I haven’t spoken to her in over a year. But that is a part of it. Come on, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
“Stiles, it is too early to be playing games.”
Stiles could tell the other man was rolling his eyes. “Are you missing any other pack members?”
“Uh, I don’t think so.”
“Wrong answer, Scott. Very wrong fucking answer.”
“Huh? Just spit it out, Stiles. I was hoping to sleep a little more this morning.”
“Eli Hale is no longer in Beacon Hills and hasn’t been for at least 14 hrs.”
“WHAT!?! Fuck, that little shit. I told him we were going to leave town back to LA today. Allison and I don’t want to be in Beacon Hills any longer.” It was clear that Scott had no real care about Eli.
“Wow, I don’t even know where to start with you. First of all you were never going to get legal custody of Eli. Derek made sure he would go to me, Issac, my father, Malia, Peter, Cora, Jordan, Liam were on the list but not you, Scott. That doesn’t mean you should have left a teenage pack member alone to grieve for his father so much that he could have a fourteen head start on leaving town.”
Scott just growled into the phone. “Stay away from Beacon Hills, Stiles. This doesn’t concern you. I’m the alpha and I’ll decide who takes care of that brat. He should have died with his family.”
Eli who had slipped back outside and heard both sides of the phone call. Remembering lessons Eli closed his eyes focusing feeling pack and family bonds. He found the weak pack tie he had with the McCall pack and snapped it. Falling to his knees he let out a whimper of pain getting Stiles attention at the same time a cry of pain echoed from the phone.
“Eli Hale is no longer your concern, Alpha McCall. And Beacon Hills is not your territory any longer. You do not get to decide who comes and goes. You failed in your duties to be the Alpha in Hale territory. You have not gotten any better as alpha since high school. Peter once said something about how I was a dangerous enemy to have. You are going to be finding that out real soon, Alpha McCall. That is a promise. I have to go take care of my pup now. Hope you have a bad day.” Stiles put a little magic behind his words. Scott McCall was about to have a bad day of minor curses such as damp socks.
“Hey, is that kid okay?” asked Zoe from the door as she was just helping with the breakfast rush before school.
“Currently, no. But he will be.” Stiles placed a hand on Eli’s chest and felt their bond strength to that of a parental one. Eli must have wanted it badly because it didn’t take much effort on Stiles part. “Eli Hale, meet Zoe Carter. She has a brilliant mind and we will all be her minions when she takes over the world in a few years.”
Eli blinked at parental bond he finally had with Stiles. He looked at the other teenager again. “Hey we didn’t officially met earlier. And I am going to be fine just as soon as we get my Dad back, right, Stiles?”
“I thought you said your dad was dead?”
“Derek is just mostly dead.” Stiles frowned as figured out that was the reason he hadn’t gone to Beacon Hills the moment Derek died, he could still feel a faint mate bond between them. They’d never acted on it, timing and emotional baggage but it existed nonetheless.
“Princess Bride is real?” asked Zoe before shaking her head. She had to get to school or she’d be grounded. “I’ll talk to you later, Stiles. And Eli get my number from him. We Gen-Zs have to stick together.”
Eli nodded watched her go before turning to Stiles. “Now what?”
“Now I call the rest of the Hale pack members here to Eureka. Then I figure out exactly what Scott and his emissary did to bring Allison back. That should give us the clue to figure out how to bring your father back.” Stiles sent out a mass text to Jackson and his husband Ethan, Isaac, Kira, Malia, Liam, Cora, Peter and Danny. “And once I have a plan then I will burn Beacon Hills to the ground if anyone tries to stop me from bringing your Dad back, trust me on that. And if need be the world can burn too.”
“I do trust you, Stiles.” Eli felt hope that he wouldn’t have to miss his Dad for much longer.
“Stilinski, I thought dreams of megalomania was corned by my boyfriend?” asked Sheriff Carter coming up behind them with Allison Blake and Nathan Stark.
“I said I don’t dream about world domination all the time,” Stark was trying not to pout.
“They killed my mate in front of his son, Jack. In the same way as the rest of the Hale family had been murdered when Derek was the same age. This time it wasn’t a hunter but a hellhound. They are going to suffer and so will anyone who gets in my way.” Stiles rage had just been building since the first phone call. The parental bond with Eli only feed into because he needed to make sure his pup was safe.
“Shit, I’m sorry to hear that Stiles.” Jack had an odd friendship with the younger Spark. “Let us know what we can do to help.”
“Volunteering us?” Allison asked amused. They’d only officially been a throuple a couple months. “But he is correct, Stiles. Please let any of us know what we can do to help. Please don’t forget to use all the resources you have access too. You are a parent now to a teenager without a partner currently. We know something about that.”
“Thanks, Ali. I will keep that in mind. I’m going to take Eli back to my place for now. Tell Fargo to do anything that could risk the town and consequentially my pup’s life or I will feed him his Buffy figures piece by piece.”
“I’m sure he remembers from the last time you threatened him but I will give him a reminder.” Nathan had been amused by Stiles and Fargo odd friendship too. The three went into Cafe Diem to eat and gossip.
“Keys?” Stiles held his hand out.
“Please can’t I drive?” Eli frowned.
“Nope, you don’t know where my place is and I can see you haven’t slept much. I’m driving. Keys, Eli.”
Pouting Eli handed over the keys to the Jeep and got into the passenger side. Once his seat belt was buckled Eli fell asleep before they had pulled out of the parking space. Stiles might have helped him get there.
“Hang in there, Derek. This will be fixed.”
Back in California the Nemeton glowed red as those words were spoken by Stiles in Eureka.
TBC