fadingspark | Homecoming for the Omega

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Homecoming for the Omega

Scott's car was silent as they drive back from Mountain View. Dina was fast asleep in the booster seat that belonged to her cousin, his tiny plush dragon clutched in her hands. It was raining as they got over the mountains, and as they passed the sign welcoming them to Beacon Hills, Stiles just sighed.

"You know, I wasn't really planning on ever coming back here," he admitted to Scott.

Scott looked over and gave him a half smile. "Yeah, we all knew. But it's your home too, bro. You belong here."

"I don't know where I belong anymore."

Google had gone through a new cycle of employees, and Stiles found himself with the pink slip he had feared was coming. Things at home hadn't been good, and his focus had suffered because of it. The daycare hadn't asked why Stiles was picking his daughter up early that day, but he didn't want to have a fight when he got home, and Suzanna at least didn't like to fight in front of their daughter. It was his one saving grace.

But today was different, and even Dina's crying from her room wasn't enough to stop the screaming from his wife about just how worthless he had become, how he couldn't even hold down a job anymore, and why couldn't he see what he was doing to the family. And then came the bombshell - she was leaving him. His lack of attention had made her look to another, and he at least knew how to treat her.

She started for the stairs and it was there that Stiles found his strength to fight back. "Fine, leave if you want, but like hell I'm letting you take Dina with you."

The hand slapped across his face, hard enough to snap his jaw. "Claudia is my daughter, and she's coming with me."

It was a raw look in his eyes that made Suzanna step back as his fingers gripped the railings for all his worth. "She's my daughter. You barely spend any time with her since she stopped being a baby. You can have whatever you want, but you're not taking her from me."

He was given until morning to get out. Scott had been there in three hours with the SUV to help. Boxes with clothes, toys and a computer were packed and secured. A Google Bike - last year's office christmas present - was strapped to the roof and the three of them disappeared into the night leaving Mountain View behind.

"I just wanted to be happy, Scott." Stiles touched his cheek at the bruise forming there. "Why is it I can't ever get what I want?"

Scott looked in the rear view mirror. "You did, Stiles. You got one thing."

Turning to look into the back seat, Stiles smiled at his little girl sleeping, then resettled back in his seat. "Yeah. She's enough."

They arrived at the Stilinski house just after one in the morning, and the family came outside as Stiles and Scott exited the car. Carefully, Stiles carried his daughter inside and Melissa showed him where she could sleep in the den in a pile of pillows and a tent made from sheets. Once his arms were free, his father pulled him into a hug, then looked at his face and shook his head. "You okay, son?"

Stiles shook his head. "No. But I'll get there."

*~*

It took him a few weeks to get things in order, but he finally got a small home business up and running in Beacon Hills providing help for small businesses looking for web presence as well as app building. It was easy to work from home, but with Melissa and his father watching Dina, he could get away and focus at a coffee house or in the park for a few hours.

Scott had warned him that he had told the Hales of his return. All but Cora, who was out in Boston, which was a relief in a way. It would make readjusting to the town easier. But he was expecting the slow manifestation of friends he hadn't been able to see in the last three years as Suzanna's control had kept him close to home. Only now, far from her and that life, did he see what had been happening and he was angry that he had let it all happen.

But that was his past. He was working on making a future for himself and Dina, and that was all that mattered now.

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Stiles looked up from his tablet where he had been hard at work to see Allison over him. He scrambled to sit up, managing to almost knock over his coffee but he had actually grow a bit more graceful in his fumbling moments to avoid breaking or damaging things.

Survival skills. Don't ask.

"Again? Really? Scott didn't tell me that." He smiled at his sister in law. "Congrats."

Allison lowers herself down onto the bench with a soft sigh, moving her hand to the small of her back as she did. She's not showing much, but everything is already starting to hurt.

"I guess he's just used to everyone already being able to tell." Because werewolves and all. She smiles a bit as she nods. "But yeah. Thirteen weeks."

Malia, in the meantime, is just going to follow Ryan all over the playground, soaking in as much kid time as possible.

"Where's Dina?

"Go team human." He smirked at Allison. "But no really, that's awesome. You guys are like, the perfect family already."

He reached for his coffee. "Dad's getting in some grandpa time with his granddaughter and they took her to IHOP. Melissa is meeting me here soon to drop her off when they leave for work."

"Good. Then she can get some cousin time." She glances up to where Malia is hanging out with Ryan on the swings. He's laughing loudly as he swings back and forth in the kiddie swing. Malia's pushing him and he's chanting for her to go higher, higher, higher. "Provided Malia's willing to separate herself from him."

Not that she minds. It's better this way. It's better than Malia making puppy faces at the kids because she wants one of her own so badly even Allison can feel it.

"Dina could use it." He rubbed his neck. "I should have brought her around to see you guys more. You're all family, and yet basically strangers to my daughter. I'm sorry about that."

He was apologizing a lot, way more than he used to.

And wouldn't you know it, at that moment there is a little girl coming running at him, a mess of a blonde ponytail, jeans and a tutu, and a shirt that read WARNING: TINY GEEK APPROACHING. Daddy! she cries as she all but flings herself into Stiles' lap.

Allison smiles a bit as she sees her approach. She can see a lot of Suzanna in her, which is a shame, because that's a reminder that no one needs, but there's a lot of Stiles too. That smile? All Stiles.

Melissa comes up behind them and gives Allison a wave which she returns, bearing coffee for Stiles. With it also comes chants of "Grandma Grandma Grandma" from the tiny McCall on the swing set, which gets Melissa laughing all the same.

"Looks like he's having a good time."

"Oh, Aunt Malia time is always a good time."

"You are a godsend, Melissa." It had taken a lot of work not to call her Ms. McCall. He still slipped, which was especially awkward with it being Mrs. Stilinski now. He took the coffee and sipped it, then watched as Dina saw Allison and curled up into his lap, waving at her aunt.

"Don't be shy, Dina. You know your aunt Allison."

"Hi Aunt Allison. I got my nails painted." and she shows her, each finger a different bright color. "It's a rainbow."

Edited 2014-07-23 15:48 (UTC)

Allison gives her a wide easy smile, even though it hurts a little that she's still so shy with her. She shouldn't be. They should have all been one big happy family, and she doesn't know how they got so off course, but that doesn't really matter now.

"They look very pretty, Dina. I especially like the blue ones."

Ryan is toddling his way across the park, eventually latching himself on to Melissa's leg with a big grin. "Hi, Grandma."

"Hi, Ryan." She crouches down and kisses the top of his head. "I would love to stay but I gotta go to work. I will see you later, kiddo."

"Okay!" He laughs a bit as Malia catches up with him, scooping him up to pull him into her lap.

"Alright, munchkin, listen up." She crouches down on the ground so that Ryan is looking up at Dina. "That is your cousin Dina."

Ryan's eyes go comically wide. "I have more cousins?!"

"Yes, silly, you knew that," Allison scolds him gently, even though there's a smile on her face.

"I must have forgotten," he says innocently with a bit of a shrug and Malia digs her fingers into his side a bit, making him laugh.

"Yes, well, your cousin, Dina is new here, and she's also a Stilinski."

"Like Grandpa John?"

"Exactly like Grandpa John. And Stilinskis and McCalls have a very, very longstanding history of being super awesome friends." She turns him so that he's looking at her. "Now, I know you know this playground like the back of your hand. Think you can teach her all your secrets?" Ryan nods in agreement before wriggling out of her lap and reaching for his cousin's hand.

"C'mon Dina let's go! We don't have a lot of time!"

He lies. They have plenty of time. It just never feels like it when you're two.

Malia was a stranger to Dina, and she retreated a bit more into her father. But she knew of Ryan and had seen him once even though that had been forever ago. When Ryan went to take her hand, she looks up at her dad.

"It's okay, Dina. Ryan will show you everything. Just remember, no talking to strangers."

Yes, Daddy. She kissed his cheek, then took Ryan's hand and she went with him.

Stiles smiled a bit. "Five minutes, and we're going to have to pry them apart," he told Allison, then looked up at Malia. "Hey stranger."

Edited 2014-07-23 16:02 (UTC)

The retreating hurt, just a little, but she knew that kids needed time to warm up to people, and Malia had no problem with waiting. It's hard, sometimes, to be thrust into a family and not really know who they are, so Malia was more than willing to give them a little time. She watches the kids run off, before taking the seat on the opposite side of him from Allison.

"Hey yourself. Nice to have you back."

There was a reason why Dina retreated that he wasn't going to speak out loud. Same reason he warned her not to talk to strangers before she left with Ryan into a town as small and safe as Beacon Hills. But it was the same reason Stiles wasn't nearly as relaxed as he used to be in his own skin, and problems that were going to take a long time to fix.

"Yeah, well, I wish I could say it's nice to be back, but you know." He shrugged. "It is nice to have you guys around again though."

She nods a bit as she turns to look at him, and then she stops. Her eyes narrow slowly, before reaching for his chin gently - he can shrug her off if he needs to, but her eyes are roaming over his face, more concern than anything else.

She works in family law. She knows that Stiles being back home isn't the end of the road. Just like she also knows that those scares aren't from some being excessively clumsy. Stiles was never incredibly graceful, but he wasn't that clumsy either.

"Did you document these when they happened?"

Stiles remembers how the Hales were and once, he may let Malia give him the once over without complaint. But he pulls away quickly, his eyes shifting from friendly to nervous in a heartbeat, and then apologetic as he looks at his coffee in his hands, his leg starting to jump.

"They were accidents," he said, defending Suzanna in that.

There are things she could say. Once upon a time, she would have probably gone for something along the lines of "Did she 'accidentally' miss blinding you when she gave you that black eye?" but working with other abuse victims has softened her approach.

But only somewhat.

Allison, however, is just as sharp as she always was. When Stiles jerks away from Malia, he turns right into Allison and her hand comes up in an expression of comfort before she can stop herself. Her hand moves to his hair gently, soothing, trying to pull him back into a place where he's safe. Distanced or not, Stiles is still her friend.

"Malia," she says softly, catching the scar on his left side, and it's not an admonishment. It's just a confirmation.

"Once is an accident. More than that is a pattern." She keeps her voice calm, shifting a bit to go into her pocket for her phone. "Do you have a custody agreement yet?"

Allison helps, and his leg stops twitching after a moment as his heartbeat calms back down. "No. She just told me to leave. The house was hers from her father. She was going to take Dina, but I refused to let her, so she left with her new guy to wherever. She hasn't even bothered to call since to check on her."

Malia nods a bit, making a mental note of that. She then exhales slowly, taking baby steps into this. They're going to need all the ammunition that he can get, but she knows she has to ease him into that.

"Just because you have Dina now doesn't mean it'll stay that way. You need to get a custody agreement, signed by a judge. That's the only way you'll be able to keep her for good."

His head snapped up to look at her, his face paling at the thought of losing his daughter. "I... I can't afford that. I don't have anything, Malia. I lost my job... can't get into the bank account... I only have her."

His eyes go to try and find the kids in the playground, worried she would be gone suddenly. It was his worst fear currently that she would get taken back to Suzanna and he wouldn't have his baby girl anymore.

But she was safe with Ryan playing in the sandbox, trying to build a castle.

"No, you have me. This is what I do." Or, at least, what she's working on doing. This is her job, and she's really, really good at it.

Allison gives his shoulder a soft squeeze, getting up and moving closer to the kids to see what they're doing. Pregnant or not, Allison is still one of the scariest hunters around. Add Malia not too far away, and those kids are perfectly safe.

Malia keeps her hearing tuned on them for a moment, but keeps her focus on Stiles.

"Stiles, I've got them. Look at me."

He looks back at her as he watched Allison walk over, the fear still in his eyes. The boy who was once certain of everything in his life was now a man scared of losing the only thing he had left that mattered to him.

"I don't know what to do to keep her safe, Malia. I need to keep her safe."

"I know. And I'm not going to let Suzanna take her away from you."

She glances back to the kids for a moment, before turning back to Stiles. "My boss is one of the best family law guys around. If I asked, he'd probably take the case pro-bono. But the sooner you get the ball rolling on this the better, and you're not going to want to pull your punches."

Which she knows is going to be hard for him. There's still a part of him that loved her once. He's going to have to pretend that part of him doesn't exist.

"We were going to take Ryan up to the preserve to see my aunt after this. If you want, Dina can go with Allison and I can take you to see Sam. The sooner we get started on this, the less time she'll have to snake her out from under you. But I promise you, Stiles, I will not let her take your daughter."

Because regardless how things ended with him and Cora, he's still family. And Malia takes care of her family.

"Dad's been trying to convince me too. Something about protective orders and child support." He looked at Dina again. "I don't want to take her mother out of her life, Malia. I know what that's like. And what if I lose? I mean, I don't have income at all right now. What if a judge says she belongs with her mom because she can support her and this doesn't work?"

Running is better. Running is what he was getting real good at.

He shook his head at the idea of Dina going to the preserve. "She won't know anyone there. She'll be scared and I won't be there..."

"If you don't at least try, you will lose." And she means that seriously. "Right now, if we let her set the narrative, a judge will side with her. She's her mother, she can support her, there's no reason why she shouldn't. But if we can document a history of abuse and neglect, show that you take better care of her and that you have a support system here for her, that can go a long way."

She's seen cases be won with less. She knows that they can do this. She pauses for a moment, considering. "Scott will be there. We were going to meet him there for dinner." There's another beat. "Why don't you come with us? I know Talia would probably like to see you, and if you want to keep her safe, there's no one better to. It might be a good idea to help her get used to her? We can make an appointment with Sam tomorrow."

Dina knew Scott, so that would be okay. And while Stiles wasn't really certain where he stood with any of the older Hale members, he couldn't deny that the Hale House was probably the safest place on Earth for his daughter.

But there were a lot of memories there too, ones he didn't want to remember. Memories that still, even now hurt him more than Suzanna could ever inflict on him.

Shut up, Stiles! You can't say anything to me about this. You never loved me to begin with! You're still in love with that stupid bitch who left you for the Lockwood prince. Maybe if you actually loved me, none of this would be happening!

"I don't know..."

"You're pack, Stiles."

She knows that he's human, she knows what happened with him and Cora, but the rest of them never stopped considering him pack. She knows that Talia, at least, didn't hold it against him, because she knows it was Cora's choice.

"You've always been pack. You were pack before her and you'll still be pack long after her. Dina too."

He sighed, knowing Malia wasn't going to let it rest. And he had been debating on returning Peter's call for awhile now. Plus he hadn't seen Isaac in a long time either. Melissa and his dad were both working, so they would be on their own for dinner anyway.

He was going to have to face this sooner or later.

"Is Cora here?"

Because he could handle it, but he wasn't sure he could handle her. Not yet.

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