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"So. Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" John asked as they passed meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy, and peas around the table.
"I'm kind of an innocent bystander," Claudia said. "I suspect I have things to add but, well, this seems to be Peter and Mischief's story."
Peter looked at Stiles with a soft smile. "Mischief? It's appropriate but not what I expected."
Stiles nodded. "It's what mom always called me. When... after, I couldn't stand anyone using it, so I started using Stiles. It was that or Miec, for Mieczyslaw. And I hated that, so Stiles it was."
"After what?" Claudia asked gently.
Stiles set down his fork, looked up, took a breath and said, "You have frontotemporal dementia. If we don't do anything about it, you become... not yourself. The dementia is horrid for you and for us. And you die in the next eighteen months."
The medical term coming from the mouth of an eight-year-old was even more chilling, Peter realized. Both Claudia and John looked pale.
"You're sure?" Claudia whispered.
"Have you... lost time? Misplaces simple things? Tried to do something you can normally do without thought and just couldn't do it?" Peter asked.
Claudia flinched. "I... I went to put on sneakers yesterday and didn't know how to tie the laces. I put on other shoes..."
"What do we do?" John demanded.
"The Nemeton said we can save you if..." Stiles looked at Peter, who nodded, "you let Peter give you the Bite and turn you into a 'wolf."
John shook his head. "I know those words were English, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Let's start with something that might be simpler," Claudia said. She held out a hand and a blue flame danced about for a moment. "I have some magic."
Stiles held out his hand. The flame was bright red and larger. Ii didn't disappear until Stiles closed his fingers. "I have more magic."
"O-o-o-kay..." John said slowly. "I know there are things that go-bump-in-the-night. I... I didn't expect it in my own family."
"And, well, Peter is a 'wolf!" Stiles said proudly. "An Alpha. The only type of 'wolf that can give the bite and turn a human into a 'wolf." He poked Peter's arm. "I think you need to demonstrate."
Peter didn't move from the chair but shifted to his beta shift. He held it for a moment, then shifted back.
Stiles beamed. "See! Isn't it cool?"
John stared. "I'm not sure cool is the word I would use but... okay." He rubbed his forehead, then looked carefully at Peter. "Your family..."
"Yes," Peter nodded. "My sister is the Alpha. All of her children are 'wolves. There are Pack members that are human but Talia is kind of reverse-speciest. The Pack is like ninety percent 'wolves and she only takes in humans when they are family.."
John sat back for a moment, obviously thinking. "That explains so much about this town."
Peter shrugged. "Family history says there have been Hale 'wolves in Beacon Hills for close to two hundred years. The town grew up around us."
"So... becoming a 'wolf would cure the... what did you call it?" John asked, looking at Stiles.
"Frontotemporal dementia," Stiles said carefully.
"And what does the new moon have to do with it?" John asked.
"It's just a good time to give the Bite," Peter replied. "The full moon has an affect on 'wolves and the two weeks between the new moon and the full moon gives some time for the new 'wolf to adjust to their new senses and instincts."
"Like what?" John asked.
"The basic senses are enhanced. Sharper sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Touch is also more sensitive. Healing is also enhanced, which is what Claudia needs. 'Wolves can heal from most injuries, and we're pretty tough in general. We can survive a lot of things that would kill a human." He took the knife that was next to his plate and ran it across the top of his arm. He heard John take a sudden breath. The cut welled with blood for a moment, then visibly healed as they watched in silence. Peter mopped up the lingering blood and the skin looked like it was never harmed.
"It can be overwhelming to a new 'wolf," Peter continued. "Being an adult who is in control of her own magic gives Claudia an advantage in dealing with the new experiences. But that's not a guarantee. New 'wolves are often locked up until we are sure they can maintain control of themselves."
"That explains a lot of things," John nodded. "When I was in the service, there was a fire-fight and I knew I saw a soldier get shot. But by the time the dust settled, he was fine and I was told it was my imagination."
"Most likely a 'wolf, but there are other forms out there that can shift and heal," Peter said. "It's just that 'wolves are the most common."
"What about what Claudia and Stiles can do?" John asked.
"Magic!" Stiles grinned. "Mom is a... witch?"
Claudia nodded.
"And, something you should never say to anyone, because it's dangerous, I'm a Spark," Stiles said. "I'm as much magic as human. So while I can't heal as quickly as Peter, I'm pretty tough."
"Sparks are rare," Peter said. "There are never more than a handful in existence at any one time. Mostly because their power is built on belief. Whatever they believe they can do, they can do."
"But they aren't invulnerable," Claudia added. "And, someone could threaten one of us, or a third party, to make a Spark do what they wanted done."
"Taking family hostage is a time-honored tradition among Hunters," Peter nodded.
"Hunters?" John went still.
"Just like it sounds," Peter replied. "Because 'wolves have supernatural capabilities, it's difficult to apply the standard justice system to 'wolves. Hunters came into existence to deal with rogue supernatural beings. But, as with any group, there are extremists who believe that all supernatural beings are bad. There are too many people who would just as soon kill me, Stiles, and Claudia simply for existing."
John took a breath. "What do we do?"
"We're careful," Claudia said. "Even if we think we know the other person is supernatural, you don't know what they believe. We don't use our capabilities in public. We only do things behind closed doors."
"Which is one of the reasons Talia is careful who she makes part of the Pack," Peter said. "Adding the wrong person to a Pack can be its downfall."
"Which is why Peter has to Bite mom before the doctors get involved," Stiles added. "We don't want a record of her being sick anywhere, since a 'miraculous' cure can raise suspicion."
"It's a mindset," Peter said. "You have some of that, in a different way, as a Deputy. You're cautious, learn to listen to what people are not saying, and to look at all the evidence when dealing with a crime. You don't talk about active cases. Being supernatural is kind of parallel to that."
"Can you do it sooner?" John asked. "I mean... if it will prevent the dementia from getting worse..."
"The Nemeton did say at the latest..." Stiles said thoughtfully.
"Nemeton?" John asked.
"The short version is a magical spirit that, fortunately, likes us," Stiles said. "It's more than that but the essence is that the Nemeton is a manifestation of magic."
"How do you know all this?" John asked. "You're only eight!"
"Oh. Well. Umm..." Stiles hesitated.
"We need them to trust us," Peter said.
Stiles gave a gusty sigh. "Yeah. It's the cautious part of me coming out." He looked at his parents. "Time travel."
Claudia nodded. But John looked wary.
"That's... impossible!" John protested.
"Nothing is truly impossible, if you want it badly enough," Peter said. "I'm going to spare the details, because we're here to make sure the same things don't happen again. But the world went to hell with the supernatural reveal. Stiles and I appealed to the gods to be given the chance to fix the worst of it. We can't prevent every bad thing from happening but we can stop some major events that will happen in our lifetime."
"Why you?" John waved a hand at them. "What makes the two of you so important?"
"Part of it is because we made the sacrifices needed," Peter said. "And, while we may not look like much right now, we're literally the power couple on the west coast, if not in North America. Stiles is a Spark and the Guardian to the Nemeton. I'm the Hale Alpha."
"Couple?" John frowned.
Peter held up his left hand. "Not for a long time. But... Stiles?"
"Oh! You got one, too! Cool!" Stiles held up his left hand.
They had matching tattoos on their ring finger. "We're... bonded, is the best term. But nothing physical is going to happen until Stiles is eighteen," Peter explained.
"That's forever!" Stiles protested. Then sighed when John all but growled. "We'll have long lives together. I can wait."
"Better," John bit out.
"The Nemeton marked us, both as a sign of its approval and as a sign that we are together," Peter said. "Most people will see it as a birthmark. Supernaturals will see it as a sign of commitment."
"What else?" John asked.
"Umm..." Claudia hesitated.
John turned to Claudia and took her hand. "Might as well spill. It can't be any more surprising than what Peter and Stiles have said."
"My maiden name is really Gajos," Claudia said softly.
It was Peter's turn to take a breath.
John glanced at Peter. "That means something to you."
Peter nodded. "You're the missing heir?"
Claudia nodded.
Stiles poked Peter. "Is that good or bad?"
"Both," Peter admitted. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the lore is that the Gajos family is originally from Eastern Europe. They were royalty in a country that no longer exists. But there were both shifters and Hunters in the family."
"I'm the youngest of three," Claudia took up the story. "I had two older brothers, the oldest was to inherit. But living with my parents was... stifling doesn't even begin to describe it. I was sixteen when I ran away. I took enough money to get to the US, built a new identity, and made a new life."
"Your brothers?" John asked gently.
"I don't have any concrete information but I heard that they both died," Claudia said. "If nothing else, neither had children. Which makes me the heir to the Gajos family. There are cousins that I had assumed would inherit but, well..." she looked at Stiles and Peter, "I don't know if that serves us well anymore."
"There's more family?" Stiles asked.
Claudia nodded. "It's been a long time since I've talked to anyone but, yes. There are a handful of cousins as well as people affiliated with the family." She looked at Peter. "I assume you have lawyers and accountants that work for the Hale family."
Peter nodded. "Supernatural families tend to live long and use that to invest well. I have a trust fund from my grandmother that has over ten million dollars in it."
"Hey! We're rich!" Stiles cheered.
"Brat. But, yes, we are," Peter grinned. "Talia has a bigger trust because she had kids early. We all have significant life insurance policies on us. And the money doesn't just sit. That's why I was at that strip mall dedication. There's Hale money invested in that, and the passive income from properties like that feed back into the family trust."
"You own most of Beacon Hills," John said thoughtfully.
"Meh," Peter shrugged. "Maybe twenty-five percent. Too much investment in one place is also not a good practice. There are holdings in cities and towns in a hundred mile radius. As well as stocks and bonds. It's pretty diversified."
"The Gajos family goes back further than the Hale family," Claudia added. "I have no idea what the family net worth is but, well, it's a lot."
"I'm.... speechless," John said.
Claudia smiled and leaned over for a soft kiss. "I didn't want it. I didn't want the responsibility. It was like living in a cage. Anything I wanted to do had to 'reflect well' on the family. I could barely wear what I wanted to wear, much less do anything I really wanted to do. So I gave it all up and ran away."
"Your parents?" Peter asked.
"Father died just before Mischief was born," Claudia said. "Mother is still alive. I know she knows where we are." Another sigh. "The minute she knows that Mischief has magic, she's going to push to bring us back into the family. She'd look to take Stiles away from us."
"Not going to happen!" Stiles said firmly.
"We deal with that on our terms," Peter said. "While the Hales aren't quite in the same category, I understand the heavy hand that comes with the family legacy. We use Stiles' connection with the Nemeton and our bond as a club."
"That will bring them here," Claudia said.
"Then they are on our territory," Peter said.
Claudia looked thoughtful. "I don't know..."
"We fix mom first," Stiles said. "We become Pack in a way that can't be argued with."
"That will also help," Peter nodded.
"Let's finish eating first," John said. "I need to have a minute to think about all of this. I'm going to have a lot of questions, but right now, I don't even know where to start."
"This is good!" Stiles said as he mashed his food together. "I love your cooking." He took a forkful of the concoction he had made and shoved it into his mouth.
Peter rolled his eyes but dug into the meal.
"I know enough about Packs to know that more than one Alpha in a Pack can be... awkward," Claudia said.
Peter nodded. "Talia is going to be furious," he admitted. "Although, from what the Nemeton said, I'm guessing her attitude is not completely her own."
""Do you have a safe place to stay?" Claudia asked.
"That's one of the things I did today," Peter replied. "I saw my lawyer and she got me a room at Flanagan's B&B for the next three weeks. That will give me a place to stay until school starts. But she's looking for an apartment or a house to buy. Having my own place will be better, even if Talia becomes more accepting."
"You're going away to school!" Stiles' voice was pained.
Peter turned to Stiles. "Yes. But we'll talk on the phone regularly and I'll be here for all of the holidays."
Stiles huffed. "You better!"
"And you'll be going to school about the same time," Claudia said.
"Oh, man!" Stiles whined. "That's going to be awful! I mean... I already did all that and I'm going to be bored as hell... heck."
"Umm... how old were... are? When the time travel happened?" John asked.
"Twenty-six," Stiles said. "I graduated from college and was working independently, selling magical things to people that needed them."
"The Pack usually home schools kids, mostly because it's harder to manage strength and healing among human kids. And puberty is another challenge," Peter said. "You may want to consider 'home schooling' Stiles, to manage the school thing." He gave a grin. "Think of it as protecting teachers from a bored Stiles."
John rolled his eyes and Claudia gave a small laugh.
"Puberty!" Stiles was aghast. "I gotta go through that again? Not fair!!!"
"It should be easier," Peter said. "For one thing, you'll have a Pack at your side. Your magic is already under control."
"Knock on wood," Stiles tapped on the table. "Let's hope that everything comes together. I'm not doing that ritual again!"