Three Misfits in New York

Chapter 25

"Hm." Fury steps a little closer and sizes Derek up. "How dire would you say is the situation in Beacon Hills?"

"Right now? Not very," Derek admits. "They're sounding us out, sending warnings, that kind of stuff. Why?"

"Do you think your uncle would mind holding the fort a little longer? For, say, another couple of weeks? Maybe even a month?"

"I'm not sure mind is the right word here," Stiles interjects. "It's not only him there, which would be bad enough. My ... uh, friend and someone else are werewolves too, but they don't get along with Peter. At all. I don't think we should leave it like that for too long."

Now he has Fury's full attention and like the first time at the Metropolitan, it's a disconcerting feeling.

"It's a long story," Stiles deflects.

"I'd like to hear it anyway, Mr. Stilinski."

"I have a presentation!" Tony crows.

"Right now all you need to know is that an alpha is much stronger than a beta werewolf," Derek explains. "The alpha pack has five alphas. Beacon Hills has only me and three betas. Without me, they'd be fair game. I can't leave."

"What about the boy?" Fury motions at Stiles. "Can't he help out? I heard interesting things about him; surely his little tricks will be enough to buy you a few weeks."

Derek looks at Stiles with such guilty longing that his stomach cramps. It's only there for a second, but Stiles decides to run with it.

"I'll call Peter," he announces. "Can you put him on loudspeaker, JARVIS?"

"Certainly," the cool voice replies. "Calling Peter Hale now."

The call goes through and Peter picks up after a couple of rings.

"You're my favorite human, Stiles, but I get the impression that you're a little clingy."

Stiles pulls a face while the others start at Peter's cultivated voice. "You wish. I'm calling because something's come up for Derek."

"For Derek? Interesting choice of phrase. What would that be?"

Glancing at Derek to see whether he wants to tell his uncle himself and receiving a headshake, Stiles takes a breath.

"Several things actually, but one in particular. An agency wants to keep him here for a couple of weeks longer, for training and stuff."

"An agency." Peter pauses so long that Stiles is afraid he'll explode and run amok every second now. "Which one? And what have you done?"

"Not one you have heard of, I think," Stiles replies. A little petulantly, he adds, "As for what we have done, a whole lot of nothing. We kind of stumbled into it, but it's cool. Derek made a friend and wants to stay. What do you say? Can you keep the alpha douche-nozzles out for that long?"

"That depends on whether that agency of yours has contacts to certain elements of our society that might be helpful."

"They actually offered to send some of their kickass people to Beacon Hills."

"Out of the question," Peter scoffs. "Hunters, however, are a completely different ballgame. Why, just the other day I wondered whether Christopher Argent and his lovely daughter could be persuaded to return to the front lines."

"They won't be enough," Derek says, sounding resigned already.

"Of course not. Nor are they or any friends they might bring trustworthy. Your new friends, however, could keep an eye on them and ensure that they'll leave when the job is done."

Fury makes himself known. "This is Director Nick Fury from SHIELD, the agency that has an interest in your nephew. Give me names and details and I'll see what I can come up with."

"I'm afraid that your helpfulness will depend on the resources Christopher can lend us," Peter says. "He's had a falling out with his father, a leader in the hunting community. Without his pull it'll be difficult to find hunters who're willing to leave the good ones standing."

"Right now I'm not sure there are any," Stiles mumbles, drawing up his shoulders and making himself small.

"It is complicated," Peter agrees easily. "Text me your number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can, Director Fury."

"How is it in Beacon Hills?" Derek asks before Peter can end the call. "How are Scott and Isaac?"

"Annoyingly uncooperative as usual," Peter replies, voice performing the equivalent of an eye roll. "They attempt to better their fighting skills and tried to tail me yesterday." His tone gets smug. "I don't think they liked getting trapped in that hardcore BDSM establishment very much, but I could be mistaken. They did stay for the better part of an hour, after all."

Stiles snorts with surprised laughter and the corner of his father's mouth lifts in an appreciative grin.

"Other than that I'm sorry to say that our charming yet murderous friends slashed the tires of your precious Camaro. I don't expect them to show up for another week at least, and by then I'll have an answer from Christopher."

"So Derek can stay in New York?" Stiles asks.

"Yes," Peter sighs with another verbal eye roll. "He can stay, provided that he calls once a day and is prepared to come back at a moment's notice. I'm willing to support him, but not if it means putting my pretty neck on the line for your pathetic ex-friend and Lahey."

"Agreed, Uncle Peter," Derek says maybe a little stiffly, but Stiles can see how pleased he is that Peter actually wants him to stay in contact. "If you need anything, let me know."

"I will. And now excuse me, I promised the lovely Mrs. McCall to watch her house while her severely grounded son is inside. It'll be amusing to coerce one murder pack to go against another while I keep my greatest failure from having fun."

Peter smirks, Stiles knows it, and he doesn't know whether he should be terrified that Derek's uncle got close to Melissa again, or grateful that he's helping her out. He looks at his father and finds him equally torn.

"Sounds like you'll be having a blast tonight," he manages. "We'll see you soon."

JARVIS ends the call and the group looks at each other silently.

"He sounds scary," Pepper says at last and rubs her arms. "I know you said that he's still healing, but are you sure you want him overseeing your affairs, Derek?"

"Yes. He's capable and he deserves the chance to prove himself. He needs it and I do, too."

"Where will you stay?" Stiles asks. "Do you still have your old apartment?"

"Yes, but it's sublet. My things are in storage." Derek shrugs. "I'll find a place."

"Your place is with Captain Rogers," Fury informs him. "I have your key card here. You'll need to come in for a biometric picture and hand scan before your training can begin."

"And he also needs to sign a contract, doesn't he?" Tony idly twirls a pen in his hands. "Detailing exactly what and how much of him you can keep. I'm thinking that blood samples would be too dangerous right now, same with other bodily fluids. And then there's the matter of secrecy. Who'll be informed about his kind? What'll be done with this information? If there are already plans for taking on more werewolves, he should be involved, shouldn't he?"

Fury sighs in exasperation. "Stark, this is not your area. Leave it to my staff and Hale."

"I would, but Sourpuss here is my friend and I can't see a friend being taken in by SHIELD. Not more than absolutely necessary, that is."

"That's sweet of you," Pepper smiles. "Who should we send to represent him?"

Tony smirks and lazily points at Stiles. "Him, of course. Together with myself, because the kid can't think of everything himself."

"We have to get back tomorrow," John sighs. "I'm sure Derek will manage without Stiles."

"Nah." Tony gets up and saunters up to Stiles. Putting his arm around his shoulders, he smiles. "He's on holiday, he can stay, too. Or do you have summer courses? If JARVIS missed them, I'll make him bark like a dog for a day."

"Stark ..."

"Stilinski," Tony returns genially. "Your kid could do with a time-out from your crap. He'd live here, with Pep and I, and could visit his grumpy cat every day. And the Capsicle, too. But most importantly, he could do interesting stuff and brag to his boring schoolmates about his month in New York."

"Tony!" Pepper and the sheriff screech at the same time.

"Kidding, jeez. Two weeks, then?"

John rubs the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe you."

"Me, neither," Pepper takes out her phone and starts tapping on the screen. "Maybe Lydia and Natalie will talk sense into you."

"Why would they? They can stay, too." Tony orders JARVIS to let down a glass screen. Pictures start flashing over the panel. "This is your apartment, Pep will assign a driver to you and we'll set up a credit card because how can you have fun in New York without some cash to burn?"

"We can't accept that," John argues, overwhelmed. "It's way too much."

"It isn't and you can, because I owe Stiles, wait, let me check, aha ... I owe Stiles around twenty mil, final amount pending, of course, so it's the least I can do."

"Twenty what?" Stiles croaks. "Why?"

"The drones, kid," Tony reminds him. "Nice spending money, right? You should start with the spending immediately. Two weeks are short."

Stiles looks at his dad, heart in his throat and mouth dry.

"Oh my god, I can't believe you, Stark." John crosses his arms in front of his chest and scowls. "Buying my kid's love like that."

"It'll be a time-share. Although not really if your people at the station can spare you a little longer."

Sadly, they cannot, though not for lack of trying. There is just too much to do for too few police personnel, especially now that young people go increasingly more often to illegal raves, or into the woods to drink. Adding the threat from the alpha pack and John has to admit defeat.

"If he stays here, I want Derek by his side," he says after ending the call with his second in command. "He won't go out alone, he'll have people tagging him and I want him home in Beacon Hills when Derek gets home, whenever that will be. You'll also make sure that he won't spend 20.000 dollars in a week, Pepper, because I've seen Stiles' college fund and it's not pretty."

"Uh, John, about that." Pepper wets her lips. "Tony wasn't talking about twenty thousand dollars. Stiles earned twenty million dollars so far ... John? Are you going to collapse?"

It would have been funny if Stiles weren't as floored as his father.

"As amusing as all of this is, we should finalize your plans," Fury says, startling everyone but Coulson. "Is your kid staying, sheriff, or is he not?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose so." John eyes Tony like he's crazy. "But I seriously want someone to monitor him."

"Consider it done," Coulson says. "The same goes for Miss Martin and her mother, should they choose to remain here. I'll also arrange for lessons in self-defense."

"We'll take good care of him, John," Pepper reassures him. "You'll sign him over to me so you can be sure that he'll be well taken care off. We also have a very good financial advisor, I'm sure she'd be happy to have a talk with Stiles."

That decided, Fury and Coulson take their leave and the party returns to the sofa where Stiles chugs down a large glass of water.

"Looks like I don't have to find a job next school year after all," he says weakly once his head isn't spinning any longer.

"And looks like I was right," Tony says smugly. "It didn't take me a week to get your father to sign custody over to me. Consider yourself owned, Spark Boy."

The sheriff groans and buries his face in his palm.

oOo

It's past ten in the evening when Lydia and her mother finally manage to meet them. Flanked by a harried looking Clint and Natasha, both women seem a bit worse for wear, but otherwise well satisfied with the day's results. Lydia accepts their praise and cheer with sweet smiles and tight embraces, lingering the longest with Stiles.

"Did you order my mango curry?" she asks, finally putting her little purse down and stepping out of her high heels. "I could eat a tree."

Stiles and John serve her and Natalie hot plates of the delicious food and then sit down to hear everything about the championship's after show and the people they've met.

"It was incredible," Natalie concludes what must have been half dream and half nightmare. "I didn't expect so many people to be interested in my baby. In a way it was good that she already has a very good offer. It took the stars out of our eyes and allowed us to actually meet people and not potential sponsors."

"Which is why my purse is full with business cards of self-important, chauvinist pigs who think they can gain a stupid bimbo to not only do their work, but also warm their beds," Lydia says dismissively. "What went on while mom and I were being courted?"

"Oh, how to tell her?" Tony asks gleefully.

Pepper slaps him. "A lot, to be honest. Why don't we start with the easy part?"

"What is the easy part?" Tony smirks. "The part where Fury came here and demanded that our sourpuss join SHIELD? Or the part where Sourpuss looked sad enough to melt my ARC reactor and I simply had to offer Stiles a place to stay for another couple of weeks in New York so he wouldn't be alone? Or maybe the part where Stiles called the psycho uncle to make sure that Hale could stay and accidentally managed to get SHIELD involved with your thing after all?"

Lydia gapes at him. "What?"

"It's true. I asked Fury whether it would be possible to invite Derek to become my steady sparring partner and I guess he decided to cut to the chase before you all went back to Beacon Hills," Steve explains. "Sorry about that, by the way. If I'd known that he'd propose a long term arrangement, I wouldn't have said anything."

Derek's mouth curls up a little. "Yes, you'd have."

"Alright, I would have. I'm not as nice as people think." Steve smiles and bumps Derek's shoulder with his own.

"Cute. So, are you staying, sheriff? Stiles?"

"I have to go back, but Stiles will stay for as long as Derek can stay," John replies. "Tony offered to put you and your mom up as well, if you're interested."

Mrs. Martin regretfully shakes her head. "I'd love to but I have a job interview next week. And I'm not sure I'm comfortable leaving Lydia here on her own." She smiles weakly at Tony and Pepper. "No offense to you, of course, but it wouldn't be right to burden you with the care of my daughter when you're already taking care of Stiles."

Tony rolls his eyes and sighs. "People and their morals. Pepper."

Pepper narrows her eyes at Tony's imperious tone but obliges. "While we were waiting for you, we worked out how to do this for Stiles. He decided to first spend a week with Steve and Derek at the SHIELD quarters and learn as much as he can about self-defense. After that he'll move into the tower, where Tony can show him around and help him decide where he wants to intern after High School. The same offer is open to Lydia; we'd love to have her here."

Natalie looks a little overwhelmed and Lydia radiates breathless anticipation.

"I don't know," she says hoarsely. "It's so far away, and there is her ... her affliction. What if she needs me?"

"I don't want to undermine your authority, of course," the sheriff tells her gently, stroking her arm, "but since SHIELD will have an eye on Stiles, I'm pretty confident that he'll make it back to Beacon Hills in one piece. I also know that he and Derek will do their best to protect her, especially concerning her new senses. You know that. At this point, New York is hardly more dangerous than our town."

"I'd love to stay, mom," Lydia says softly. "Please say I can."

Natalie laughs and brushes a tear from her lashes. "As if I stood a chance against you, sweetheart. But you'll call at least once a day and avoid trouble, or you're coming home at once."

"I promise. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

The Martin women hug and suddenly the tension leaves the room. Weary giddiness takes hold of them, even Steve who apparently can't quite believe that he got his way - and got to stay with them after Fury finished his business at Stark Tower.

Tony breaks out a bottle of ridiculously expensive champagne and finally, finally they toast Lydia and her victory, order even more ridiculously delicious Pizza and dessert and spend the night of their lives with indoor fireworks, music and a lot of laughter.

It is absolutely fantastic to shake off the troubles in Beacon Hills, the failed relationships and the worries about the future and just celebrate the here and now.

oOo

It is hard to let his father go. Stiles has imagined being cool with seeing his old man off, but now that the time has come to actually say goodbye, he finds that his throat is closed off and his eyes itch a little.

"Hey," John sighs, amused. "It's just for a couple of weeks, kiddo."

Stiles stares at his shoes and shrugs. "I know. It's just ... I'll miss you, okay."

John gathers Stiles into his strong arms and hugs him tightly. "Love you, kiddo. Have a lot of fun, and remember, don't spend all your pocket money at once."

"Love you too, dad. Get home safely and remember to paint the symbol on your car."

"I'll do that first thing," the sheriff promises and lets go to embrace Lydia. Derek is last, but certainly not least, to Stiles' surprise. It's a little awkward, but the werewolf doesn't look bothered at the contact. Stiles is even sure he sees him giving his dad's cheek a phantom rub with his stubble.

After more promises of taking care and behaving themselves, John and Natalie are swallowed up by the many people going through security and Derek, Stiles and Lydia go back out to see their plane depart.

For an hour, they're undisturbed but then a black limo rolls up to their hide-out at the long time parking space.

"Where to?" the driver asks and Stiles grins.

"What tickles your fancy more, exploring Tony's tower or walking over the Time Square and gawk at people?"

Lydia's smirk and Derek's cautious smile mean the world to him. He takes each by the hand, marveling that they actually let him, and drags them towards their ride and the best working holiday they'll probably ever have.

End of part 25

End of Misfits, Part I