Chapter Text
South Africa - Early October
“Hello?” Stiles mumbled into the phone that had woken him up from a deep sleep.
“Stiles?”
“Dad? What’s going on” He asked
“Son, where are you? I need you to come home” His father replied weekly.
Stiles sat up in bed, instantly awake. “What? What’s wrong? Are you hurt ?” he asked.
“I’ve been shot,” His father said. “It’s not serious. I’m about to go into surgery to remove another bullet from my shoulder. I’m going to be ok, I just need you to be here.”
“I’m in Johannesburg, South Africa, Dad. I’ll be home in 2 days. Is Melissa there?”
“She left not long ago, but you should be able to catch her at home. “
“Ok, Dad. Rest. Enjoy the morphine. I’ll catch the next flight I can and I will be there as soon as humanly possible” Stiles replied. “Love you Dad”
“I love you too Son.” The Sheriff said, his voice already fading away.
Stiles hung up and jumped out of bed. He called the front desk and asked for a cab to take him to the airport as soon as possible. While he packed his few clothes into a backpack, he called Melissa. No one answered, so he left her a message.
“Melissa, It’s Stiles. I’m on the way home. I’m in South Africa, so I should be home in about 2 days. Take care of my dad. Love you”, and he hung up.
On the way to the airport, Stiles made a few phone calls to various international travel agencies he had worked with previously to find the fastest route home. Unfortunately, with it being the early hours of the morning in South Africa, his options were limited. Once at the airport, he realized he was going to have to book available flights as he reached other cities. His first available flight took him to Dubai, he managed a very quick transfer to a flight going to Rome, then as luck would have it, he caught a connecting flight to London. Twenty-four hours later he stood in line at Heathrow booking a flight to New York. He arrived in New York City in the early hours of the morning, a day and a half after his phone call with his father. He checked his phone to find a voice mail from Melissa letting him know that his father was recovering and to text her the incoming flight info so she could pick him up. Unfortunately, Stiles wasn’t able to get a direct flight to Sacramento California from New York, so he booked a flight to Minneapolis, figuring that would get him almost halfway and he could decide what to do from there. He hadn’t slept since the first phone call and the lack of sleep was starting to wear him down.
Once on board the flight to Minneapolis, Stiles pulled out his laptop to take a few notes before the plane took off. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a few people in-flight uniforms walk by. He put his laptop away just as the flight attendants were making their way through the cabin to prepare for departure.
“Mr. Stilinski? “ A voice above his said.
“Yes,” He replied, looking up.
“I have a first-class upgrade for you. If you would gather your belongings, I’ll show you to your seat”
“Ok, well, who am I to argue with an unexpected first-class upgrade,” He said with a smile, grabbing his backpack and standing up.
The flight attendant took him up to first class, and then around the partition in front of the first row of seats. There were two seats there. One was already occupied by a man in a Captain’s uniform. He stuffed his backpack into a cabinet in front and took his seat.
“Well, this was unexpected,” Stiles said, not expecting a reply from the man next to him. Much to his surprise the uniformed man lifted his head and said “Hello Stiles”
The uniformed man was Derek Hale.
“Sourwolf! Oh My God. What are you doing here? Look at you in that uniform. Are you the pilot? Why aren’t you in the cockpit? Who is going to fly the plane? ”
Laughing, Derek replied, “Relax, Stiles. I’m not the pilot. I’m deadheading this flight back home for some much-needed vacation. I saw you sitting there and thought you could use a little pampering. You look pretty beat”
“Oh My God, Derek. You have no idea. My Dad was shot and I’m on my way home to be with him while he recovers.”
“Jeez Stiles, where are you flying in from?” Derek asked, “Is your father OK?”
“I left Johannesburg, South Africa the day before yesterday. I’m hoping to be home tonight. I haven’t slept since I got the phone call and I’m pretty much running on empty right now.”
“Wow. No wonder you look so run down. Your dad?” Derek prompts again.
“I had a message from Melissa, you remember Scott’s mother? She said he was recovering nicely and to let her know when I was landing so she could pick me up.”
“Good, I’m glad he’s going to be ok,” Derek says “‘I’m on my way home to Beacon Hills too. I’ve been working in Toulouse France for the last few months and I can’t wait to spend some quality time at home doing nothing.”
Stiles settles into his seat while the plane taxies down the runway and takes off towards Minneapolis. Derek dozes off for a few minutes but then wakes up again. He pushes the call button next to his seat, and a few minutes and the male flight attendant comes to see what he needs.
“Hey, Derek. What can I do for you? Who’s your friend?”
“Jake,” Derek replies in his most professional manner, “Can you get me the last weather report from ATC in Minneapolis. I want to know what’s going on with that storm I heard about before we left.”
“Sure thing Derek. Back in a flash” and off Jake goes.
“Is that a friend?” Stiles asks, raising his eyebrows.
“Not really. We’ve been on a few flights together, but he usually annoys the fuck out of me.” Derek replies darkly.
“Whoa. You mean like I used to. ?” Stiles asks with a grin.
“No, he’s far more obnoxious than you ever were. You just talked too much. He tends to be more inappropriate” Derek replies with a frown.
“Wow. He sounds all kinds of special. I’m glad I grew out of that. Now I only ramble when I’m sleep deprived.
“I know,” Derek says with a laugh
“Hey!” Stiles exclaims, laughing as well.
A few minutes later another flight attendant comes by and tells Derek that ATC in Minneapolis has started canceling outbound flights and it looks like they will be stuck there at least overnight.
“Normally I would be freaking out, but I’m so tired I can hardly think straight and a good 8 or 10 hours of sleep will do me wonders,” Stiles says with a sigh. “Do you know of a nice hotel close to the airport? I want to stay close so I can grab the first available flight home”
“Yes, I do. I know the perfect place. I’m sure they will have a room available for you.” Derek replies.
The rest of the flight passes quickly. Jake comes by a few times to check on Derek. Lingering far too long after Derek says that he’s fine and doesn’t need anything.
Derek takes the time to catch up with Stiles since it’s been at least 5 years since they have seen one another. It turns out that Derek is a commercial test pilot and he’s been in France testing a new airplane from a European manufacturer. He rarely flies commercial routes as a pilot since he spends all of his time testing new aircraft. Once in a while, he will relieve a Captain on a long haul flight. This is how he ended up working with Jake a few times.
When they land in Minneapolis, Stiles hasn’t slept in over 40 hours and he’s almost asleep on his feet. They manage to get the last taxi to the hotel.
“Hi, Melanie,” Derek says to the young lady at the desk.
“Welcome back, Captain Hale. Your room is ready and waiting for you as always.” She replies with a smile.
“Do you have any other rooms available ?” Derek asks “My friend here has been traveling desperately to get home to be with his family and needs a good night’s sleep”
“I’m sorry, Captain Hale. We are booked solid. There is nothing available because of the storm and all of the canceled flights.”
Stiles groans. “I just want to get home to see my Dad and sleep. Is that too much to ask?”
“That’s ok Melanie, He can stay with me tonight. I’m pretty sure I can make room for him. We’re heading to the same place anyway. Be careful about going home tonight. It’s pretty nasty out there.” Derek says with a smile.
“Well, a bunch of us are taking over a conference room tonight. It’s going to be a girl's slumber party. We all have to work tomorrow and it’s safer to stay here then try to get home.”
“Sounds like fun. You ladies have a good night.”
“Thank you, Captain Hale. It’s always nice to see you.” Melanie replies.
“Come on, sleepyhead, you need a hot shower and a good night's sleep,” Derek says as he drags a nearly sleeping Stiles with him to the elevator.
The room happens to be on the top floor and takes up the whole corner of the building.
“Sourwolf? How did you manage to snag a kick-ass room in such a nice hotel in Minneapolis ?” Stiles asks in wonderment.
“This room is reserved for me because I fly through Minneapolis a few times a year, and I happen to own the hotel.”
“I would tell you how much I hate you right now, but I’m just thankful to have a place to sleep.” Stiles laughs.
“Go,” Derek says, pushing Stiles towards the bathroom. “Take a shower. You stink and it’s making my nose itch. Throw your clothes outside the door and grab a robe when you’re done. There should be a few in there. I’ll have your clothes washed overnight.”
“Ok, you’re the boss,” Stiles says, leaving a trail of clothes behind him as he heads off towards the bathroom.
Derek gathers the clothes and put them in a bag. “Maybe we should just burn these” He mutters.
Derek calls down to the front desk where Melanie answers. “Hello Captain Hale, what can I do for you? Is everything ok with your room?”
“Oh, it’s fine as always. I was wondering if Jack was still here?”
“Yes, Captain. What do you need?”
“My friend is in desperate need of some clean clothes. I’m afraid the ones he came in with have seen better days. Can you send Jack to get his old ones?”
“Of course, Captain. He’ll be there in a moment. Will there be anything else ?” She asks.
“No, that’s it. Thank you so much, Melanie. You’re always so helpful” Derek says as he hangs up.
Seconds later, there is a knock on the door.
“Come in Jack” Derek answers.
A young man lets himself in, and Derek hands him the bag with Stiles clothes in it. “Please match these as best as you can from the store. Just take it from my miscellaneous account. Have someone bring the new stuff up in the morning. With this storm, I’m not sure we will be able to leave tomorrow. When you’re done, put these in the incinerator.” Derek says with a laugh.
“Of course, Sir. Will there be anything else?” Jack asks.
“No, that’s it. Just be safe if you’re heading home at the end of your shift.”
“Thank you, Sir. I think I’m going to join the rest of the staff in the conference room tonight. It seems a safer choice and probably a whole lot more fun than driving.” Jack says with a smile.
“Good idea. Tell the rest of the staff to take anything they need out of the kitchen tonight. Keep a list and I’ll take care of it. Raid the bar if you want, but I expect everyone to be sober when they start their shift in the morning.”
“Of course.” Jack says with a laugh, finally losing his stiff composure. “Sleep well, Sir“ Jack takes the bag and closes the door behind him.
Seconds later there is another knock on the door.
Derek opens it to find Jake standing there. Jake pushes his way into the room and closes the door behind him.
“Who’s the new boy Derek? A new fuck puppet for you to play with? Why won’t you play with me, Derek? You know we could have a lot of fun.”
Derek frowns and looks down at Jake. “I’ve told you before, I’m not interested. It’s inappropriate for you to be here.”
“Oh come on Derek! No one needs to know. I’m the model of discretion. You know I’m dying to find out what’s under that hot uniform of yours”
Stiles comes out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Stiles! This isn’t what it…” Derek says exasperated.
“Relax, I’ve got this,” Stiles replies with a grin.
Stiles steps towards Jake and extends his hand in greeting. “Hi, we didn’t get introduced before, I’m Mr. Stilinski.”
Jake reaches out to shake his hand and as soon as Stiles grabs it, he twists Jake around and slams him face-first into the door. It reminds him of something Derek did to him many years before.
“Hi, Jake. Listen carefully. I’ve been awake for almost 2 full days. Not only am I sleep deprived, but I’m pretty stressed out as well.”
“But..” Jake squeaks out.
Pushing his face into the door again, Stiles says with a growl “Don’t speak. If I have to listen to your voice, my ears may start to bleed. Now, let me give you a really quick history lesson. I have about 10 minutes left and then I’m going to pass out. Listen carefully so I don’t have to repeat myself. Remember. Don’t speak. Nod your head up and down for yes, or shake it left to right for No. If there is any confusion about what your answer should be, I’ll tell you what it should be.”
Stiles turns Jake around and pushes him up against the door, putting his hands on either side of his head.
“48 hours ago I was in South Africa when I got a phone call from my dad. He’s the sheriff of my home town and he was letting me know that he was about to go into surgery because he had been shot. My Dad and I have an agreement. My job lets me travel all over the world, and no matter how many birthdays, holidays, or family events I miss. No matter where I happen to be in the world, I drop everything and go home to see him any time he’s been injured on the job. My mother died a long time ago, and even though he’s remarried to an amazing woman we must be there for each other. Can you appreciate that?”
Jake cautiously nods his head up and down.
“Good Boy. Now, from what I just heard, you were being extremely inappropriate to Captain Hale, and from what I understand, this is something you’ve done more than once. I’m sure your employer had rules against sexual harassment, and what I heard sounded like it. Captain Hale said he wasn’t interested and yet you continued your advances. Should Captain Hale decide to press a sexual harassment claim against you, I would certainly be happy to contribute my observations. Would you like that, Jake?”
Jake shakes his head back and forth, eyes wide.
“Let me tell you a secret Jake since you seem to be so interested in what’s under Captain Hale’s uniform. And it will be Captain Hale from now on. You may no longer call him by his first name because you’ve been so incredibly rude. Do you see that look? The scowl on his face? The brooding eyebrows? The clenched fists? Do you see it?”
Jake nods his head.
“Good. I saw that look once myself. When I was 16 I suffered from ADD, and I could never shut my mouth. One day Captain Hale had enough and he picked me up over his head and threw me across the room where I slammed into the wall. I didn’t break anything but it hurt like hell and I had some colorful bruises for a while. So, what’s under that uniform is a lot of muscles. “ Stiles leans in close to Jake’s head and says seductively. “Lots of big, strong, hairy, ripped, muscles, and I just saved you from being thrown down the hallway like a rag doll. Captain Hale is an incredibly patient man, but you’ve pushed him too far and you’ve crossed the line. Can you understand that Jake? Nod your head up and down like a good boy.”
Jake quickly nods his head several times.
Looking towards Derek, Stiles says “I think he’s getting a clue here.”
Stiles turns back to Jake. “Now, you’re going to apologize to Captain Hale. No, you’re not going to speak now. Remember, I don’t want my ears to bleed. You can talk to him later if you happen to be on another flight together. Tomorrow morning, you’re going to ask room service to send up the biggest breakfast for 2 that they can put together. Captain Hale is a serious carnivore, so make sure there is a lot of meat. Some bacon, sausage, and ham is a good start. Make sure there are eggs, toast, hash browns, maybe some pancakes and lots of coffee with cream and sugar. You’re going to pay for it, and you’re going to leave them a very generous tip for doing so.10 AM sounds like a good time to me.”
Stiles pushed Jake to the side and opens the door. His towel unravels and falls to the ground, leaving Stiles standing there naked. Jake notices and his eyes go wide again.
“Don’t look. There is nothing down there that would be interested in you. We both have far better taste. Now, I’m going to bed. Get out!” Stiles pushes Jake out the door and slams it shut behind him.
Stiles picks up his towel and turns around to Derek who is now staring at him with his eyes wide open. “What? You just have to know how to talk to people Derek.”
“He wet his pants,” Derek says and they both dissolve into laughter.
Eventually, Stiles throws his towel at Derek and stretches out on the bed. “Lydia taught me well. Sorry Sourwolf, I sleep naked. Throw a blanket over me if it bothers you. I'm too tired to care. I promise not to take up too much of the bed" Stiles says with a yawn, his voice fading.
“Goodnight Stiles. I’ve missed you” Derek says quietly.
“I’ve missed you too, Derek”
Sometime in the middle of the night Stiles stirs because he hears Derek talking on the phone with someone.
“Brad, I know our resources are stretched thin here with this blizzard, but I need a favor,” Derek says quietly.
“I need a chartered flight out of Minneapolis to Sacramento. I’ll fly it myself if you can get me the aircraft and get it cleared for takeoff by local ATC. You know I’m qualified to fly damn near anything so I don’t care what it is. I just need it fueled and staffed. I’ll pay for the charter myself if it’s an issue.”
“Yes, I know it’s totally out of character for me to ask such a thing. I’m helping a family friend get back home to be with his father who is in the hospital. You know I never ask for anything other than an odd day off here and there, and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
“Thanks, Brad. Whatever you can do is greatly appreciated. Goodnight.”
He fishes around for Stiles' telephone and finds Melissa’s number. He sends her a text from his phone.
Stiles delayed. Blizzard in Minneapolis. Stiles will be home tomorrow come hell or high water - Derek
A few minutes later a text comes back - “Thanks for taking care of him. Safe trip - Mel.”
Derek then strips to his boxers and crawls into bed next to Stiles.
He wakes up just after 8 am the next morning. Stiles is wrapped around him like an octopus. He finds it comforting if a bit uncomfortable. He carefully unwraps himself and crawls out of bed, heading off to the bathroom to get his day started.
When he comes back half an hour later, Stiles is sitting up in bed rubbing his face.
“Wow, I feel like I've been resurrected from the dead. Thanks for letting me stay here, Derek. I needed the sleep.”
“Don’t worry about it” Derek replies.
“Oh, someone came into the room and dropped some packages off. I looked long enough to make sure it wasn’t Jake and fell back asleep.”
“It was probably Jack with your clothes” Derek drops a robe on the bed for Stiles. “Come on sleepyhead, let’s see what we’ve got, and see what we can do to get you home.”
Stiles starts to dig through the bags like a kid on Christmas morning. “Wow. I don’t know what to say. This is way too much” Stiles says excitedly.
“Come on. I’m sure you looked fresh and perky when you got on your first flight, but it’s a wonder they let you on the plane in New York. You looked like death warmed over and smelled just as bad. Now go get dressed. Room service should be here shortly and I don’t need the staff talking about me being in here with a naked man.”
Stiles grabs the bags and heads off to the bathroom. “After Jake, I’m sure I am the least of your problems,” he says with a laugh. “Besides, if breakfast doesn’t appear on time, I’m going to throw him down the hallway myself.”
Half an hour later, Stiles returns dressed, looking fresh and well-rested.
“You don’t have to worry about Jake,” Derek says with a smirk. “He checked out around 5 AM this morning. He decided it was better to stay at the airport so he could catch the next available plane home. He did place a really large order for room service though. It should be here shortly. The front desk said he looked like he had spent the night sleeping under a desk. The poor boy is probably gonna have nightmares for weeks.”
Laughing, Stiles replies, “Well, at least you didn’t unleash the wolf on him. He might have needed therapy after seeing the fangs and glowing eyes.”
An hour later, both Stiles and Derek are stuffed from the massive breakfast that was delivered. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Stiles says with a yawn. “I’m sleepy again.”
“That’s your body saying you need fuel and rest. You’ve worn yourself out, Stiles” Derek looks down when his phone starts to buzz. “Oh, let me take this. It might be our ticket home.”
“Good Morning, Brad. Please tell me you have good news” Derek says into his phone. “No, tell me the bad news first. Ok. Really? Good. I can live with that. Let me make some phone calls and we will be there in a few hours. I’ll call ahead and let them know when we are on the way. Thanks, Brad. I owe you one.” Derek hangs up his phone and looks at Stiles.
“Good news. I’ve managed to arrange a flight home for us. The bad news is that the Minneapolis airport is still closed and doesn’t expect to open again until this evening unless another storm develops. However, Flying Cloud regional airport has an open runway due to an organ transplant flight coming in this morning. There will be a plane waiting for us there at 2 pm. and ATC has permitted us to take off.”
“Shit yeah! I’m finally gonna get to see my Dad!” Stiles yells in excitement.
“Why don’t you call him, and then get your stuff together? I need to give the local pack a courtesy call before we can go.”
Stiles calls his father. Everything is ok. He will be discharged in a few hours. He told Stiles to just get home and he will see him there. He probably needs the sleep more and once the Sheriff gets home, he’s not going anywhere for a while.
Derek calls the local pack. Though he’s an alpha in his own right, he doesn’t have a pack and has no plans on rebuilding the Hale Pack. He always calls the local pack to let them know he will be coming through their area. He’s on good terms with the Ten Thousand Lakes Pack and sometimes socializes with them when he has free time.
“Hello, Lakota Dispatch, where may I direct your call?”
“Derek Hale calling for Thunder Wolf Lakota.”
“One moment, Alpha Hale, I’ll put you through.”
“Derek? Are you still in town ?” The thunderous voice asks when the line picks up.
“Hey, Thunder. The blizzard shut down the airport and I didn’t expect I would get out of town today. Plans changed at the last minute and I wanted to let you know I’ll be traveling across the area to get to Flying Cloud airport for a flight home.”
“Great. Thanks for letting me know. We run security at Flying Cloud now. They might have been caught off guard if you just showed up. Everything else going ok?”
“Yeah, things are great. I’m heading home for a long-overdue vacation. I ran into an old friend on my flight here and he’s trying to get home to see his father who’s in the hospital. I pulled some strings and managed to get a flight out.”
“Wow. Sorry to hear about your friend. I hope his father is ok and makes a speedy recovery.”
“Thanks, Thunder. How is your Pack Elder? Has she improved any?”
“No. She has realized that her time is limited. She decided to stay in human form through the end, but her wolf is pretty much running the show. We will be lucky if she makes it to the end of the month. Any chance you can come back and say goodbye to her before she passes? You know she adores you.”
“I’ll try my best. As soon as I get home so my friend can check in with his father, I’ll make plans to come back. It shouldn’t be more than a week or so. Does that work?”
“That’s fine, Derek. I’ll let her know you’re trying your hardest to make it back. Maybe that will give her the strength to hold on a little bit longer.”
“Thanks, Thunder. I’ll call you from California and let you know when to expect me back. In the meantime, call the hotel when the Tribal Meetings start. You can use our large conference room as long as you need it.”
“Thanks, Derek. That will make this transition so much easier. Have a safe flight.” Thunder says and the line goes dead.
“Stiles?” Derek calls out. “Are you packed and ready?”
“Waiting on you Captain Hale. Let’s get this show on the road”
Derek stops by the main desk where Melanie is once again at her post.
“Hi Melanie, Can you call Jack for me? I need a ride to Flying Cloud regional airport so I can get home. Have him bring the big truck from the garage.”
“Certainly, Captain Hale. Will there be anything else?”
“Yes, there is. Is the large conference room booked at all for the next few months?”
Looking at the system calendar, Melanie replies that it is free.
“Great. I want you to block it off for the next 3 months. The Lakota’s are about to lose their oldest tribal elder and I’ve offered the conference room to them for Tribal meetings. They have some unique taste in food, so if they ask for anything, call Native Game Butchers in St. Paul and have them deliver whatever they need. Don’t worry about the costs. They pay cash for everything and you’ll get a large cash deposit when they arrive. It will most likely cover everything they may want while they use the room, with plenty to spare. I would expect some of them to sleep in the conference room until the meetings are over.”
“Oh, that’s so sad to hear. I’ll make sure they have everything they need. Will there be anything else?”
“No, Thank You, Melanie. I’m not sure what I would do without you.”
“Thank you, Captain Hale, Have a safe trip home.”
Jack pulls up to the front of the hotel in the largest four-wheel-drive truck Stiles has ever seen. Derek and Stiles crawl into the back and they are on their way.
Stiles asks Derek about Melanie. “Dude is the girl at the desk, you know” Stiles makes claws and bares his teeth while growling.
Derek laughs, “No, she’s not a werewolf, but she’s not entirely human either. I don’t know exactly what she is. She is amazingly efficient at her job, absolutely discreet, and she runs that hotel as if it were her own. In exchange for maintaining my privacy, I don’t inquire into hers.”
“Hey Jack, do you know what Melanie is?” Stiles asks on a whim.
Jack looks up into the rearview mirror and his eyes turn black. “Indeed I do know what my sister is, but it isn’t my place to say” He replies blank look on his face.
Stiles lifts his hands in a posture of surrender. “Sorry, no offense meant. My curiosity gets the best of me sometimes.”
“No offense taken Sir. Your reputation precedes you Mr. Stilinski. None of us is entirely human” Jack says with a serious tone.
“Nope. I’m pretty sure I’m just a plain, boring, human being who’s somehow stumbled into the knowledge that sometimes the things that go bump in the night aren’t just our imagination.”
“Captain Hale. It just occurred to me, and my apologies if I’m out of line by presuming to even ask this. Does that Lakota Pack know that Mr. Stilinski is traveling with you?”
“No, but I don’t see why it would be important. Why do you ask?”
“Captain, again, my apologies, but do you truly not know what Mr. Stilinski is? I could feel his latent power the second you stepped into the hotel together.”
“What do you mean Jack? I’ve known Stiles for at least 15 years. He’s just Stiles. He was a pain in the ass teenager who never shut his mouth, but no matter what we faced, he always had a plan, and more of us would have died if it wasn’t for him.”
“What? What do you mean Jack? The Nogitsune has been gone for years. Don’t tell me some dark spirit has possessed me again. I’m not sure I can deal with it a second time.” Stiles looks at Derek with panic in his eyes.
“I’m sorry Sir, it isn’t my place to speak about these things. I do humbly suggest you call the Lakota Pack and let them know that Mr. Stilinski is with us before we make it to the airport.”
Stiles looks at Derek again “ Derek…..”
“Relax, I’ll figure this out. Nothing is stopping us from getting you home to your father. We’ll deal with this after we get home. Don’t stress about it. I don’t need you to have a panic attack here.” Derek pulls out his cell phone and redials the last number.
“Lakota Dispatch, how may I direct your call?” The same voice as before answers.
“Alpha Hale calling for Lakota Thunder Wolf”
“One moment Alpha Hale”
“Derek, is everything OK? I didn’t expect to hear from you again” The booming voice on the other end asks
“Thunder, Jack has informed me that I may have made a huge mistake by not informing you who my traveling companion is. Hold on, let me put you on speaker” Derek moved the phone away and hits the speakerphone button so Stiles can hear too.
“Really? Who are you traveling with then?“
“Stiles Stilinski. His father is the Sheriff of Beacon Hills. That’s where we’re heading home to.”
“Well, that's an unexpected twist. Our Elder said he would be coming soon, but I didn't expect him to be with you now" says the deep voice from the phone.
“Thunder, help me out here. I’m confused. I’ve known Stiles for many years. He was just an annoying teenager with a brilliant mind and a minor ability with magic. Now he’s a photographer who travels around the world. If he’s anything, he doesn’t know it himself.”
“Then you don’t know,” Thunder says matter of factly. “I think you should talk to Dr. Deaton when you get home. I would ask him why he hasn't shared this knowledge with you. He is your Emissary after all. I insist that the two of you return as soon as possible. You must be here before the Elder passes. She will guide you both through this. I don’t yet know myself and what she passes to me with her Alpha’s power will take me months if not years to comprehend. Trust me on this, my friend. Her passing may bring his full power to the surface. Her knowledge will be invaluable to him. Without her, you may find him to be... difficult.” With a click, the line goes dead.
Derek looks over at Stiles who is pale and looks like he’s about to faint. He reaches out and puts his hands on either side of Stiles' face, and draws the tension away. Stiles relaxes into his hands and leans forward, throwing his arms around Derek’s waist. “Not again. I thought all of this was behind me. I thought I could just live my life in peace if I keep my knowledge of the supernatural to myself.”
“Relax. There was a reason we ran into each other on that flight out of New York. We’ll figure this out together. Right now, let’s concentrate on getting you home to your father. Then I think I need to go strangle Deaton”
They arrive at the airport and are greeted by security at the gate. Jack has a brief conversation with them and then heads off to the Executive hanger. He pulls in close to the waiting jet and shuts off the engine. He turns to Derek and says "Captain, my apologies if I have misspoken. I was not aware of the full situation. May I offer some advice?”
"Sure, Jack. You've always been honest with me.”
"Keep Mr. Stilinski close. His power is latent, but should it awaken unexpectedly, your wolf will be able to provide the steady calm he will need. Please call me when you are returning and I will pick you up to see the Elder. I, too, wish to give her my regards before she passes. She is an old friend.”
"I wasn't aware you knew her Jack, but I'll be glad to have you along. Your knowledge of the supernatural has always amazed me.”
"I am far older than I appear, Sir. I have known the Elder since she was a child. If you need anything before you return, please let Melanie know. She will pass the message along to me and I'll take care of it.
"Thank you, Jack. Oh, one more thing, can you call ahead and have my car waiting for us when we land ?” Derek asks.
“Certainly Sir. Have a safe journey home.” Jack replies.
“Ok, Stiles, let's go home.”
Derek and Stiles exit the truck and head to the plane.