Chapter Text
It was weird, being home again. Everything looked so… normal, as if nothing had happened.
Well, almost nothing. There were still pieces of the salad bowl on the tiles in the kitchen. Had it really only been—Stiles consulted his phone—seven and a half hours since Dad had dropped the thing? It felt like a lifetime ago.
… Lifetime!
The lack of a map and a photo on the table seemed wrong, somehow. It was logical that they were missing, considering he’d never performed the spell in this timeline.
And yet…
He found himself standing in front of the bookshelf with the framed photos of his high school milestones, staring at the one from graduation day and feeling utterly lost for a moment.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Dad asked, his shoulder gently bumping against Stiles’.
Stiles didn’t have the words to express what was going on in his head right now, so he quietly shook his head.
That was apparently the wrong kind of response because a moment later, there were hands on his shoulders, turning him around so he was facing Dad. He met worried eyes, and his breath hitched in his lungs. Why was it suddenly so hard not to cry?
“Stiles,” Dad whispered. “Please don’t shut me out.”
And just like that, Stiles’ walls crumbled.
“You died!”
“Yes, and I’m so sorry about that. But…” Dad trailed off, looking confused, and Stiles got it. They’d talked about it already, hours ago. It wasn’t actually new knowledge.
Between then and now, though, they’d learned new things that made it harder for him to deal with the loss.
“You were literally obliterated. There would have been nothing left of you that could have been buried. And, dammit, do you know how likely it is that my spell would have failed if the Nemeton hadn’t wanted to save you so badly?”
It seemed like Dad had not considered that until now because he was starting to sway on his feet and had managed to grow even paler than back in the warehouse. Due to his job, and also due to all the supernatural shenanigans, he must have been aware of his own mortality for many years, but this was different since it wasn’t just something that could happen to him at any time. It had happened.
And now Stiles felt like an asshole for letting his own frustration and fears get the better of him. So he did the only thing he could think of, short of openly apologizing: He pulled Dad into a hug that he hoped like hell was reassuring and soothing.
It helped him, at least, by reminding him that they’d managed to prevent the catastrophe. Dad was still here. He still had a chance to grow old.
Speaking of…
“It’s past midnight.”
Dad’s answering snort was tremulous, but amused. “It’s even closer to two than one in the morning now.”
“Happy birthday,” he whispered and pressed his face to Dad’s shoulder.
Why was this the thing that finally got his tears rolling?
“Oh.”
Yeah, that’s what Stiles had thought. With everything they’d had to deal with in the almost six hours that had happened twice, Dad had totally forgotten what the occasion for Stiles’ visit was.
“Thank you. This was not quite how I had planned to start the day.”
“Not quite, he says,” Stiles mumbled against the fabric of Dad’s shirt. “I vote for completely uneventful birthdays from now on. For both of us. Excitement is overrated.”
“True,” Dad agreed. “How about we start right now? Get some much-needed sleep, have some late breakfast once we aren’t dead on our feet—”
“Too soon!”
“—anymore, and then have a lazy day in the backyard?”
“I made a cake.”
“Ooooh, you’ll let me have a cheat day? What a generous gift!” Dad teased and received a jab to his ribs in reply.
“Also thought about having a barbecue in the evening, but that’s off the table now.”
“Okay.”
“Okay? Are you feeling well?”
“Just tired. And willing to make amends.”
Damn, and here he’d thought he’d been done crying… To avoid getting even more sentimental, he extricated himself from the embrace, bid Dad a good night, and fled up the stairs.
~
When Stiles walked into the kitchen several hours later, Dad was already there, his mug of coffee forgotten as he stared hard at his phone.
Uh oh…
“Is the lazy day canceled?”
Dad blinked at him. “No? Why would it be?”
“You looked rather grim for a moment.”
“Jordan just sent an update, but that’s nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow. There seems to be enough evidence to hold Trip and Jason for longer than 24 hours. And if he’s right, and this becomes a larger investigation, it’ll take a while to see it through anyway. He told me quite firmly that he doesn’t want to see me at the station on my day off.”
“Makes one wonder who’s the boss, eh?”
“Shush, you.”
“Do you think this is going to be a larger investigation, too?”
“Probably, yeah,” Dad said, tapping his fingertips on the table in thought. “The thing with the phoenix keeps bothering me. The crate must have been one of their more recent hauls, and they definitely hadn’t known what was in there. If I had to guess, I’d say someone else decides which places they break into. And it’s Trip who gets the instructions.”
“True. Jason didn’t give the impression that he thought he was part of a larger operation. Trip was a lot more shifty in that regard.”
“They also hadn’t known about the supernatural until last night. But I think that the one who told them to take the crate knows.”
“That could end up getting messy. Promise me you’ll be careful!”
“Of course. I honestly don’t want a repeat of last night.”
“Good. Because potential mortal danger aside, you have a compromised magical tree invested in your well-being now, too.”
“I still can’t believe it wants me to protect the territory.”
“You’re saying that as if you aren’t the sheriff. You’ve been protecting the territory for years already. And doubly so since you’ve learned about the supernatural. So that’s not going to be a new job for you.”
Dad didn’t look like he agreed with him, but Stiles thought he’d learn, given enough time. Besides, the Nemeton was growing again, and it had taken in the phoenix, a creature that stood for renewal and purity. It stood to reason that it would eventually cleanse the contamination the Nogitsune had left behind. That would likely make Dad’s job even easier.
Maybe he should pay the Nemeton a visit before he left for college again. It may have had selfish reasons when it rescued Dad, but it still deserved his gratitude because, ultimately, it had rescued Stiles right along with him.
His worry about the investigation of the phoenix issue remained, but he wasn’t above begging the Nemeton to keep an extra close eye on Dad during the process. He’d pay whatever price was needed for that. Although… maybe he wouldn’t even need to because it was a foregone conclusion. He might just have the staunchest ally in a sentient tree when it came to Dad’s protection.
So, despite Dad still looking skeptical, Stiles resolved to keep encouraging him. He’d remind him to enjoy the day and celebrate a birthday that almost hadn’t happened. They had won this round. That was something to be proud of and take courage from.
For now, they’d eat cake. And later, they’d make plans to ensure their future would be bright.
