thepicketfencecliche | canon au } { post-504: condition terminal

Malia: [after Deaton takes the body from the scene and confirms that Malia did not, in fact, kill Tracy, Malia is told to make her way back to either Stiles’ or the library to continue with more research into what the hell is going on. She's got a pile of mixed feelings that she can't talk to her adopted dad about, however, so time to check in with the bio dad. Ring ring ring Peter phone.]

Peter: [they are in a seedy motel, having just gotten back from the diner. He looks at his phone, and it's Malia. he always answers her calls if he has reception] Malia?

Malia: Hey. [there's a beat because she has to figure out where to start, so she decides to start with the good things first] I beat a kanima today.

Peter: Really. [blinks] There was a new kanima in town? [there is confusion in his voice, but there is pride too.]

Malia: She had kanima venom. [and she'll explain the whole Tracy-was-a-werewolf-and-kanima-but-she-was-made-not-supernatural] Anyway, she attacked the four of us in the clinic, and I managed to get unparalyzed first and then I saved Lydia's mom by managing to get Tracy to wake up.

Peter: Are you okay?

Malia: Yeah. [physically. There's another beat before she follows up with:] No. These weird guys with masks showed up after I managed to get her to stop and they killed her. I tried to stop them but they were way stronger than me. [there's more but she isn't really sure how to say it]

Peter: [sitting on the edge of the bed] Okay. What did they do? [because he instantly believes her.]

Malia: They ... injected her with something. I don't know what it was.

Peter: Was that what killed her?

Malia: Yeah. It was this weird metallic stuff.

Peter: [thinking noises as he grabs paper to scratch down notes] How many of the masked people were there?

Malia: Three.

Peter: And so they just killed this girl and then left you alone?

Malia: Yeah. I don't know why.

Peter: Probably because they didn't want to go against your pack yet. What did they say?

Malia: [makes a face] They said her condition was terminal.

Peter: [licks his lips] That sounds like something a doctor would say.

Malia: I don't know. They were all wearing masks.

Peter: [doctors... supernatural... his mind instantly goes to one place] Any other strange or unusual activity happening in town? Or around Eichen House at all?

Malia: I try and stay away from Eichen House if I can help it. [no fond memories of that place] But other than there being a new werewolf in town, no.

Peter: So a werewolf and a kanima.

Malia: More like a werewolf and a kani-wolf. [there's a beat] Oh. And there was a wolf with raptor talons that tried to come after Scott but Scott ran him off. [is that all of them? It's been a very busy few weeks. Yes, that's it.]

Peter: [closes his eyes] It sounds like someone's been experimenting on werewolves.

Malia: Actually, it's more like someone's experimenting on humans. Tracy was able to go right through mountain ash like it wasn't even there. Deaton thinks it's because she wasn't born or bitten she was made.

Peter: Well that's not frightening at all.

Malia: That's the same thing Deaton said.

Peter: Deaton's seen a lot of things in his time. If this worries him, you should all be worried.

Malia: Trust me. We are. Well ... I am. I'm still not sure if Scott and Stiles believe it actually wasn't me. [which comes out more cavalier than she actually feels it is]

Peter: [blinks] Why wouldn't they believe you?

Malia: I don't know. Probably because I'm still a little more violent than I should be?

Peter: Well, then that's on them. [yup, taking Malia's side] But... Stiles is easier to convince if you have evidence. Perhaps you can go search for some to make them believe you for their own good.

Malia: No, they believe me now. Deaton proved it. It just ... was weird at first.

Peter: [nods] Well, I can only imagine that things have been stressful for everyone before this started.

Malia: Yeah. It doesn't help that Stiles is freaking out about other stuff. [annnnnnnnnd subject change] So what have you been doing?

Peter: ......... [nope, that's Cora's business to tell him, right?] We're doing well. Eating crappy diner food somewhere in the middle of Utah at the moment.

Malia: [leans back against the wall and plays with the bottom of her shorts, thinking quietly for a moment] Have you found anything?

Peter: We found one incident that we can confirm had her hands in it. It's very recent, so we're getting close. [there's a moment he looks away and lowers his voice] I have a scent now. So I will know her when I see her.

Malia: [she nods as she considers quietly for a moment, still picking at the hem of her shorts. She doesn't realize at first that Peter can't see that part so there's just a lot of silence before she can find the words] What if I said I didn't want to know?

Peter: [he blinks a moment before leaning into the wall] If you don't want to know, Malia, I'll stop sharing with you what I find.

Malia: [nods again] It's just ... things are going really well with my dad. [a beat] I mean my other dad. And Stiles had this freak out about Theo and I just ... I saw the picture he found and I think it might be better if I don't find her. I ... I don't think I need to find her like I did before.

Peter: [takes a deep breath] Are you worried that pursuing this in any fashion will bring her to your doorsteps? Or is it that you just would rather feel better not knowing how bad this side of your family tree may be?

Malia: I don't think I need to know her to know who I am.

Peter: [nods] Very well. Then moving forward, I'm not going to send you or Stiles updates on the search, or answer questions no matter how much you ask.

Malia: Thank you.

Peter: You're welcome. [there's a softness there, the rare fondness he still has for his family. His daughter] How's everything else going for you? Have you made a decision on school yet?

Malia: Not really. Dad says I can take a year off if I wanted to before college since I'm still acclimating, I just ... don't want to be stuck here all by myself with just Liam.

Peter: [smiles a bit. Her vocabulary is growing using a work like acclimated] I would assume Scott wouldn't go too far, since he would need to be there for Liam.

Malia: Kira says he's looking at some vet school.

Peter: Which means he will also be staying close to Deaton for his practical work with that.

Malia: Yeah, but Stiles and Cora are going to Berkeley and Lydia is looking at Northwestern with Allison and Isaac is probably going to go wherever Allison goes, so ... I don't know.

Peter: These are the moments when you just need to follow your heart. Derek will still be there, and Satomi’s pack is around somewhere that you can find friends in as well. [thinks] I think your father may be right, in a way. You have done a lot of adjusting in the last year to everything. Perhaps it will give you some time to just focus on yourself and what you want, and not what people expect from you.

Malia: [nods, considering for a moment] I'll figure it out. It just doesn't really seem important right now. Right now, I have to go find the creepy masked people so the rest of the pack doesn't think I'm crazy.

Peter: If it helps, I don't think you're crazy. Find what you need to prove you're right, and don't take unnecessary risks until you know what those people are.

Malia: I won't. [maybe] I'm supposed to meet Stiles to go over what I saw so maybe that will trigger something.

Peter: Good. Just stay safe, and if you guys need us, just call and we'll come. [not that the pack needs him, he knows. Buffy, yes. Peter they probably are happy is far, far away]

Malia: I'll tell them. I'll talk to you later.

Peter: Talk to you soon. [and he will hang up]

Buffy: [glances up from flipping through the channels and raise her eyebrows] Someone in Beacon Hills playing mad scientist?

Peter: Yes. Do you think you can put an inquiry into Deaton to get more information? [he knows he won't be able to get anything out of the other man]

Buffy: Sure. I know a couple other strings I can pull too. [she tucks her legs under her Indian style as she reaches for her phone] There was a military group that played patchwork monster under Sunnydale back when I was a freshman at Sunnydale U. I still have some contacts there, I could see if they've heard anything about someone picking up Professor Walsh's experiments.

Peter: Good plan.

Buffy: [nods as she starts texting, both Deaton and Riley.] It might take a while for Riley to get back to me but he usually sends some kind of answer sooner or later.

Peter: Alright. I think I'm about ready to get a few hours of sleep. Are you going to patrol here too?

Buffy: Nah. I am officially off duty. [as soon as she finishes sending her text messages]

Peter: Good, then you should get some sleep too.

Buffy: Sounds like a plan. [she finishes the text to Riley with a smiley face and then places her phone back on her nightstand as she curls up on her side of the bed to face him] Done.

Peter: [and he's going to actually do what he said and hold her and close his eyes to go to sleep]

Buffy: [and she will curl up and drift off not long after]