Work Text:
John Stilinski loved his new promotion. He was Sheriff now. With a shiny new badge and everything. But with shiny badge comes less shiny responsibility. Not the least of which being; going over resumes and hiring a new secretary for the station. He had been reading for hours and the all too similar papers were starting to blur together. Just as he was about to call it a night, he pulled a sheet of silver stationary with purple ink from the pile. The applicant was only sixteen, but she had experience working for her father’s architecture firm and had apparently just graduated high school due to skipping two grades as a child. Smart, experienced, and nowhere in her resume did she use the phrases “Fast learner” and “Works well with others”, though she certainly implied both. His search was over. He could go home, kiss his wife, and give his eight year old son a stern talking to about sassing his teachers.
~*~
When John walked into work that Monday, he was greeted by a girl with large green eyes and a grin that was so sweet, he couldn’t help but smile back. Everything about her was prim and professional with the exception of the thick purple streak that cut through her black hair.
“Hi!” She chirped, thrusting her hand out. “Laura Hale.”
“Sheriff John Stilinski.” He shook her hand, not commenting on the fact that her grip was stronger than his. “You know, your shift doesn’t start for another half hour.”
“I know, sorry. I was worried that I would be late, so I left a bit early. I also wasn’t sure about the dress code…”
“Oh you can wear what you want so long as it’s not inappropriate.” He had a feeling she was wearing the most professional clothes she had.
“Well that rules out my tube top collection.”
John didn’t know how to respond to that until he saw her grin shift into a smirk and realized she was messing with him. “Well at least you have a sense of humor. You’ll fit in just fine around here.”
~*~
Laura’s first day went surprisingly smoothly. Well, not surprising to her, just to everyone else. The systems and procedures at the station were fairly straightforward. Before the end of the day she had everything down and began writing a list of improvement ideas. Just as she was beginning her color coding chart, a little boy walked into the station like he owned the place. He threw his back pack onto the table in the corner and sat down. Laura leaned over the reception desk and rested her chin on her hands, pointedly staring at the boy.
“Hi there!”
The boy looked up with a raised eyebrow. “Hi.” Then he pulled out a workbook and pencil from his back pack and began doing what looked like math homework.
“Can I help you with something?”
“Nope.”
“Are you lost?”
“Nope.”
“Do you need a police officer?”
“Nope.”
“Are you capable of saying anything other than ‘nope’?” The boy’s face scrunched up, like he was trying to decide if responding with ‘nope’ or ‘yep’ would be more annoying. “You know, your face can freeze like that.”
“No it can’t!”
“AH HA! So you do know more words.” The boy sent her a glare that was rendered useless by the smile spreading on his face. “Seriously kiddo, what are you doing here?”
“Waiting for my dad.”
“Who’s your dad?” Laura felt a sense of dread curl in her stomach at the idea of this kid waiting for his father to get out of jail.
“He’s a cop. Well… The sheriff now.” The boy’s face beamed with pride. Not pride at being the sheriff’s kid, but pride for his dad’s accomplishment. Laura breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh! Stilinski Junior.”
“Stiles.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s what my friend Scott calls me because he can’t pronounce my name. Most people can’t, so everybody started calling me that. I like it though.”
Laura nodded and tossed a strawberry Crème Saver at him. “I like you kid. I’m Laura.”
~*~
If asked, Laura would have to say that Stiles was her favorite part of her job. He came in five days a week after school and sat at the table doing his homework until his father finished his shift and took him home. Sometimes he would hum or whistle and he usually changed seats every few minutes. Occasionally, he would just sit or sprawl out on the table. When he had tests coming up, Laura would quiz him, rewarding correct answers with pieces of candy. When it was quiet, Laura would hook her iPod up to speakers and they would dance around the lobby.
The sheriff tried to apologize for inadvertently adding babysitting to her job description.
“Oh don’t even worry about it. I have a little brother. Derek’s older than that now, but I’m more than used to it.”
“Is your brother anything like Stiles?”
“I don’t think anyone is like Stiles.”
“You may be right.”
~*~
One day, Stiles came into the station with a black eye and a scrape on his cheek. There was blood drying under his nose. Laura felt a growl rise in her throat and fought to keep her features human. She all but jumped from behind the desk and dropped to her knees in front of him.
“What happened?” Her voice was calm and gentle as she took his back pack with one hand and touched his face softly with the other, inspecting the injuries.
“Got into a fight.” He mumbled, looking at the floor. The knuckles on his right hand were bruised as well and he had a bump on the side of his head. Laura sighed and picked him up effortlessly, tossing his back pack on the desk before carrying him off to the bathroom.
“Who did you fight with?” She asked as she cleaned the blood off his face.
“Boy named Jackson. He was teasing me so I pushed him. Then he punched me. Then… Well… We both got suspended. Dad doesn’t know yet. They gave me a note to give him.”
“Well he’s not gonna be happy that you resorted to violence, but I’m sure he’ll be glad you stuck up for yourself.”
They spent the rest of the day sitting behind the desk watching movies on Laura’s lap top. She ordered them a pizza that they had all but obliterated by the time the sheriff returned to the station.
~*~
Laura had just finished filing all the closed cases and was about to eat her lunch before organizing the open ones when a very haggard looking sheriff ran back into the station. Laura could smell the fear and anxiety rolling off of him.
“Everything alright boss?” She kept her voice calm as she stood up and looked him over, checking for injuries.
“No. Yes. I mean…” John sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Can I ask you a colossal favor?”
“Anything.”
“Is there any chance you can give Stiles a ride home after your shift? My wife… She’s in the hospital.”
“Is she ok?”
“They don’t know. She collapsed at work. She’s awake now and they’re running some tests but… I’m headed there now and I don’t know how late I’ll be. I realize it’s a lot to ask.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Do you want me to stay with him until you get home?”
“I couldn’t ask you to-”
“You can, and I will. If you really feel bad about it, you can throw a few extra dollars in my paycheck next week. Call it overtime.”
John seemed to calm considerably and gave her a tired smile. “Thanks Laura. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
“Crash and burn. Now go see to your wife. I’ll take care of the rugrat.”
~*~
Stiles could not sit still in Laura’s car. In the fifteen minute drive, he managed to open every compartment, rifle through every paper, and somehow got a footprint on her dashboard.
“Pipsqueak, you know I love you, but this is a brand new car and I will throw you out of it while we’re still moving if you break anything.” She followed her threat with a large grin and pulled into the driveway. “Repeat after me: I will not mess up Laura’s Camaro.”
“I will not mess up Laura’s Camaro.”
“Good boy.”
About three movies and half a pizza into their Disney movie marathon, Stiles began peeling the label off his soda bottle. “Hey Laura?”
“What’s up pipsqueak?”
“Is my mom gonna be ok?”
Laura sighed and pulled the boy into her lap. For all his fidgeting and running around and his volume, she sometimes forgot how small he was.
“She’s gonna be fine. I’ve never met your mom. But I know anybody who your dad loves that much, and who made you, has to be one tough lady.” She rubbed his back and kissed the top of his head. “So stop your worrying and give us a smile. There you go.”
“Hey Laura?”
“Yeah pipsqueak?”
“Can we watch Nightmare on Elm Street?”
“Not a chance in hell.”
~*~
When John came home at ten o’clock, Stiles was conked out, still curled up in Laura’s lap.
“Hey. The hospital wants to keep her overnight for observation. I can bring him back with me if you wanna head home.”
“I’ll stay with him. It’s no trouble at all, I can drop him off at school before I go in to work.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Besides, I like being able to help. When Derek was this little and actually listened to me, I used my powers for evil. This is like a second chance.”
John chuckled and knelt down, kissing Stiles’ forehead. “Hey buddy.” Stiles grumbled and opened one eye. “Your mom’s ok, but the doctors want to keep an eye on her all night to be sure. I’m gonna go back and keep her company and Laura’s gonna take you to school tomorrow.”
“Ok. Give mommy a hug for me.”
“I will. Love you kiddo.”
“Love you to daddy.”
John patted Laura on the shoulder as he stood up. “Thank you so much for this.”
“Anytime. And if… Well. Just know that I mean it. You guys need anything. Anytime. I’m happy to help.”
~*~
Between hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, and a long list of tests, Laura’s babysitting duties expanded over the following months. She had become a regular staple of the Stilinski household and her family had taken to teasing her about ‘joining a new pack’. Six months in and the doctors still had no idea what was wrong with Amy Stilinski. Laura didn’t know any more than they did, but she could smell the sickness getting stronger and Amy getting weaker.
Laura began a mission to make life easier for everyone around her. She had the station running like clockwork. When she was home she made school lunches for her brother and cousins. She cleaned both her house and the Stilinski’s. She kept Stiles laughing and rearranged Amy’s medicine cabinet for her. On more than one occasion, she found herself making food for her boss because he had gone days forgetting to eat.
It was almost a year after Amy’s first hospital visit that her doctors finally agreed that she had cancer. Laura took Stiles to the beach to give his parents some alone time to process everything. Stiles stood at the shore line, the tide causing his feet to sink in the sand. As he looked out at the water, he had an expression on his face that was far too serious and contemplative for a nine year old boy. It reminded Laura of the look Derek got when he was upset.
“Everything is gonna be ok pipsqueak.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes I do.”
“What if it’s not? What if you’re wrong?”
Laura pulled off her hat and settled it on Stiles’ head. It was too big and almost covered his eyes. “You’re a tough kid. You get that from your parents. Your family is one of the strongest I’ve ever seen. You’re gonna get through anything. You got that?”
~*~
Stiles wanted to visit his mother. She had been spending almost all her time in the hospital and he missed her. John was working but Laura had the day off. As she walked into Amy’s room, the smell hit her like a brick wall. But she plastered her trademark sweet smile on her face and helped Stiles climb onto the bed next to his mother. Amy’s breath was labored and every few minutes she would wince in pain. Laura sat on the other side of her and took her hand, turning her arm so neither Stilinski could see what she was doing. As she took some of the pain, she could hear Amy’s breathing and heartbeat calm, her smile seeming more genuine as she chatted with her son. Later, when Laura and Stiles walked out of the hospital, he looked up at her.
“Is my mom gonna die?” His voice was so forlorn and worried, Laura couldn’t help but lie through her teeth.
“Of course not pipsqueak. She’s gonna be fine.”
~*~
“That’s not how it works, and you know it.”
“You’re the alpha! It works how you say it does.”
“You know better than that.”
Laura had never been so angry with her mother in her entire life.
“She’s dying. This kind, wonderful woman with her loving husband and amazing son, is going to die. I can’t just do nothing. You could save her!”
“Or kill her. Which is more likely, considering her condition. I’m sorry Laura. I really am. I know how much you care about that family. But becoming a werewolf is not some magic pill we can give people to fix their lives. It’s so much more than that. It takes so much more. To turn someone… It changes them. It changes their whole life.”
“At least she would have a life.”
“No, Laura.”
Laura slid down the wall and sat on the floor, holding her head in her hands. “I have to do something.” Her voice was broken and pleading.
“You are.” Her mother sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around her like she did when Laura was little. “You’re doing everything you can to help her. To help all of them. You take care of them. You make their lives as easy and comfortable as possible. You’re there for them.”
“She is going to die.”
“Yes. And when that happens, you’ll be there to help her husband and son through it. Being a good friend isn’t about fixing every problem. Sometimes it’s about helping pick up the pieces.”
~*~
John’s head was buzzing as he walked up to the station. He wished he was anyone else in that moment. Laura Hale had been his family’s saving grace for almost two years. She was a wonderful person who deserved only wonderful things in her life. His deputies each offered to do it for him. They all loved Laura but he was closest to her. After everything she had done for him and his family, he owed it to her to be the one to tell her. He just didn’t want to.
~*~
The smell hit Laura before anything else. Ash and smoke. Charred flesh and burning paper. The smell of death covering the smell of… She looked up and saw the sheriff standing in front of her. Why did he smell like her pack?
“Laura sweetie. We need to talk. Come into my office.”
~*~
Stiles was helping Laura alphabetize and file mug shots when his father walked into the station. It was hours before his shift was done. He was dirty and sweaty and he looked like he was about to cry or fall asleep. Laura looked scared as she followed him out of the room. Stiles wished he knew what they were talking about. Then Laura started screaming.
Stiles raced to his father’s office and threw open the door. Laura was crumpled on her knees, one hand over her face and the other held by John. He was telling her everything was going to be ok but his words were drowned out. Laura’s wails echoed off the walls, sounding almost inhuman. She wasn’t crying or screaming. It was a combination of the two that made Stiles’ heart clench. It was as if the world was ending. Stiles didn’t know what to do. He dropped to the floor and put his arms around her. He didn’t know what was wrong. He just knew he wanted to make it better.
~*~
The next day, Stiles went to Laura’s house. Or what was left of it. Laura and a boy who he assumed was her brother were clearing salvageable items out of the building and into Laura’s car. When Laura saw him she ran over.
“Hey pipsqueak. What are you doing out here? It’s not safe.” Her lips curled, trying to smile, but she couldn’t quite manage it, so Stiles smiled big enough for the both of them.
“I made you and your brother some dinner.” He held up the large paper bag filled with the Thanksgiving dinner he spent all night on. Fresh tears sprang into Laura’s eyes and she gave a genuine smile as she took the bag and set it down so she could hug him. Stiles didn’t care that she was hugging him so tight he could barely breathe. He just held on as tight as he could, burying his face in her hair.
“Thank you Stiles.” She whispered, before pulling away. “I actually have to talk to you about something.” She held his hands in hers and took a deep breath. “Because of everything that’s happened… Derek and I… We have to go away for a while. I’m not sure for how long. I don’t want to go. You have to know that. I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go.”
Stiles nodded, trying not to cry. “Are you gonna come back?”
“I’ll try. I promise.”
Stiles hugged her again, half hoping that if he didn’t let go, maybe she would take him with her. He knew he was losing his mom, and now he was losing his sister. Somehow he knew he wouldn’t see her again.
“I love you pipsqueak.”
“I love you Laura.”
~*~