Chapter Text
The shop that Scott and Allison owned was old and had a perpetually dusty look no matter how many times a year they closed down for a “spring cleaning”. (Stiles had his doubts about what they actually did on these days.) The actual shop operated on the ground floor, leaving the top floor free for Scott to work on making the new hats, and for the couple to live in when the shop was actually closed for the day. Stiles new both shop and house like the back of his hand, had slept on the room that was always reserved for him, had made fun of Scott’s little working booth more times than he could count. It was still not home, not really, Stiles could have no home away from Lydia, but it was a safe place. And Allison was always useful to talk to.
Stiles stopped about a block away and checked the street for any signs that the McCall & Argent hat shop was entertaining guests. Namely, Allison’s father, the Witch’s brother. He cast a quick tracing spell, holding Derek next to him. When he made sure that the street was clear he walked to the shop, and banged the door open.
“Scott!” he yelled at the top of his voice, grinning at Allison who was sitting behind the counter. “Leave the ugly cherries out of the hat and come down to greet your friend properly!”
There was a crash and a second later Scott came barreling down the stairs and tackled Stiles to the ground, laughing. Allison walked and stood over them, with her arms crossed and her boot tapping her floor. Stiles pushed Scott off and sat up, smiling at her. She helped him up and gave him a quick hug.
“It’s good to see you. It’s been far too long this time.”
Stiles nodded and turned to Derek, who was sitting just outside the door, watching the street.
“Come inside, Wolfman, we’re going upstairs.”
Derek looked at them and walked inside the room cautiously, staying away from Allison. Scott sat up and looked at the wolf and then up to Stiles, raising an eyebrow.
“Please tell me it that’s a really strange dog?”
Stiles shook his head.
“Right”, Scott got up and closed the door, latching it shut and turning the sign. “Let’s go upstairs and you can tell us everything.”
“It’s quite a long story Scott and the vocabulary can be difficult, are you sure you don’t want the summary?” Stiles called back as he walked upstairs, Derek at his heels.
*
Allison was glad to see Stiles, of course she was. The wizard didn’t visit them often and it was hard to contact him when he changed name every second week and his real house kept travelling around the country. But she wasn’t Scott, blinded by countless years of friendship and unable to recognize his faults.
Stiles was a cold man and selfish, he had been so for as long as she knew him.
Scott was unable to see it, but if Stiles had taken time out of his precious schedule to visit them, then he must need something. And need it badly.
She listen to his story about how they came across Derek in the waste, what had been done to him by Kate, the heartbreaking drama of his family. She could see Stiles’ eyes gleaming with excitement as he weaved the story together, each word chosen carefully to inspire sympathy. He was convincing. In another life he would probably be truly moved by a stranger’s curse, he’d have moved the earths and heavens of all twelve realms if it meant saving a person in need.
But Allison was an Argent and she would not be fooled by flailing limbs and a strong voice. In this world Stiles only cared for the adventure, for a break in his routine, and to prove himself grander than Kate.
She crossed her arms and leaned back on the wall.
“That’s all very well, Stiles. But what can we do about him? Neither Scott nor I have any magical talent as you very well know,” she said, looking at him.
He smiled at her and he looked so much like a young boy that she felt a need to hug him, shelter him from the big bad world. She checked his clothes for woven spells before she allowed herself to accept the emotion as her own.
Growing up with Kate had made acts like that a habit. Always second guess. Always assume your brain is lying to you.
Scott leaned forward in his chair looking at Stiles.
“Whatever it is we will help you,” he said, and Allison knew he was honest.
Her kind hearted fool.
“You have no magic that’s true but your family has a talent for locating people of magical abilities Allison. I will need your help to find Isaac… And Scott, how long has it been since we went to an adventure? It will be like old times! So, are you coming?”
She could see Scott agreeing even before Stiles finished speaking.
There really was no point in trying to get out of it anymore. She sighed and smiled at the two men, giggling together over a funny memory of their “adventures”, probably about Scott sitting on a hedgehog, or Stiles getting his eyebrows burnt off trying to catch a falling star.
She moved to her room and started packing. It had been too long since she last went hunting, but she was ready.
Whether or not the world was.
“SCOTT,” she called out, “STOP MESSING AROUND AND COME PACK YOUR BAGS. I REFUSE TO DO IT FOR YOU.”