canon au } { post-5a, of hospital rooms and moving forward

[impetere]

Stiles: [and he's dozing off in his chair, feet up on his dad's bed.]

Sheriff: [is awake, watching football on the TV on low] Hey Cora.

Cora: [small smile as she makes her way in] Hey, Sheriff. How're you feeling?

Sheriff: A little better every day.

Cora: Good. I tried to sneak you some turkey but Melissa was giving me this look like I shouldn't even try.

Sheriff: It's fine. Stiles got me a slice of pie.

Cora: Good.

Sheriff: I heard things went.... well?

Cora: [she glances over at Stiles to make sure he's still sleeping as she moves to sit in the chair on the other side of the sheriff's bed] It could have gone worse.

Sheriff: I've never seen Stiles hold a grudge against Scott this long.

Cora: I think he feels like Scott gave up on him first.

Sheriff: Scott's a good kid. But he's changed a lot since he became an alpha. It can't be easy on him.

Cora: Scott's a good alpha. But he's also an eighteen year-old kid and Theo got in his head.

Sheriff: He got into all of their heads. Including Stiles.

Cora: [she nods] I know. But while Stiles should have said something sooner, he's also right in that Scott should have known that Theo wasn't telling the whole truth.

Sheriff: Boys have to fix this themselves. Melissa and I can't make them say they are sorry all the time.

Cora: No, I know. And I think Scott wants to, but Stiles won't even give him a chance.

Sheriff: I've found locking them in a room until they talk it out sometimes works.

Cora: I will keep that in mind.

Sheriff: Make sure it locks from the outside so he can't pick the lock.

Cora: Oh, I'd throw them in the vault. The only person opening that door is me, Derek or Malia.

Sheriff: Hide all the breakable stuff.

Cora: [nods] Will do.

Stiles: [making waking up noises, shifting in the chair a bit]

Sheriff: So the doctors are hopeful I'll be moved to home based care before Christmas.

Cora: [yep, swift and sudden subject change] I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Stiles: Good luck finding room. House has been taken over by women. [blinks awake]

Cora: [eyebrow raise] Is that a bad thing?

Stiles: Present company excluded.

Cora: I don't think your dad would mind having Jody around.

Stiles: [groans, shutting his eyes] Images I don't need.

Sheriff: She is a good cook.

Cora: She is. And Claire isn't so bad.

Stiles: They aren't that bad. It's just a lot sometimes.

Cora: It's something you have to get used to.

Sheriff: Only until January, and then you're going off to college.

Stiles: Dad.

Sheriff: No, if I'm out you're going back to school. That was the deal.

Cora: [sighs because she knows it won't be that easy. Beacon Hills never makes it that easy]

Stiles: [sits back in his seat and sighs, trying not to scowl]

Cora: [glances over at him before glancing down at her hands again] It not be a total bad thing. To take a break.

Stiles: I just don't know if it's good for me to go four hours away...

Sheriff: Stiles, it's four hours. I will have three women watching me, plus you know Melissa will be visiting. I'm pretty sure Cora is ready to steal you away from me at this point.

Cora: You can't keep putting things on hold.

Stiles: I know.

Cora: Your dad will be okay.

Sheriff: And if something happens, I'm pretty sure between Jody and Cora's family I will be taken care of in the four hours it takes you to drive here.

Stiles: [just nods]

Cora: [watches him carefully because at the same time, she doesn't want it to feel like they're pushing him out, or making him feel unnecessary. He'll always be necessary] I think it'll be good. Besides, Maria said Hathaway was looking forward to getting started with last semester.

Sheriff: [looks at his son] Time away will help heal things, kid. I promise. Plus I love you, but you're not going to give me baths.

Stiles: That was gross, Dad.

Cora: [she wrinkles her nose because yeah, she agrees]

Sheriff: Isn't it past visiting hours anyway? You two should get going.

Cora: [she gives a small shrug before glancing to Stiles. She'll stay as long as he wants to stay]

Stiles: [he shrugs as well] You sure?

Sheriff: Better to escape before Melissa comes on call and realizes you smuggled me in food again.

Cora: [cringes] She's a bit on the warpath tonight.

Stiles: Yeah, we should make our escape then.

Cora: [nods as she gets up, giving the sheriff a small smile] I'm glad you're feeling better.

Sheriff: Thanks. You just keep keeping him out of trouble.

Cora: I'll do my best.

Stiles: I'll see you tomorrow, Dad. [leans in to hug his dad before going over to Cora's side]

Cora: [takes his hand before they start sneaking their way out of the hospital]

Stiles: [and he will just lace his fingers with hers, knowing their escape path at this point] So how's your sister doing?

Cora: Good. I think she's liked having Parrish all to herself for a while.

Stiles: I hope she didn't share details.

Cora: Not the ones I didn't want to know.

Stiles: That's a relief.

Cora: It's good that they're back though. He seemed really worried about your dad.

Stiles: Yeah, he asked me what visiting hours were so he could try and slip in.

Cora: Good. I think seeing him will help.

Stiles: Me too.

Cora: [gives his hand a small squeeze] How're you doing?

Stiles: I don't know. [which is an honest answer]

Cora: Wanna talk about it?

Stiles: I don't know. I just... last year things were so different and now... now I just feel like this isn't what my life was supposed to be. This wasn't the plan.

Cora: I felt the same way the first Thanksgiving after my mom died. I was in the castle in Scotland with all of the Slayers at this huge mass dinner and I felt so ... alone. The food wasn't right and the people weren't right - I could just tell that it wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

Stiles: [he squeezed her hand again] How did you handle it?

Cora: [she smirks] I bailed. Hard. Just hid in my room until Buffy and Dawn came up with a plate and some pie. They watched dumb movies with me and tried to pretend like everything was normal. It was a little easier because they didn't make it seem like it was Thanksgiving, really. After that, Dawn let me start talking to Sweets and by the time the next Thanksgiving came around I had more friends so it felt a little more like family, not this room of strangers I didn't know.

Stiles: We didn't do thanksgiving after mom died. Dad just worked and well... I slept in the back of the car for half the night. But we went to the diner and it was pretty empty so the cook made us hot turkey sandwiches and curly fries.

Cora: That sounds nice.

Stiles: Christmas was the harder one. We had so many traditions...

Cora: [she nods] Christmas sucked that first year too, but at least it was smaller. A lot of the girls got to go home for the holidays.

Stiles: I was at Melissa's while Dad worked. Scott and I started our own traditions like the whole waiting for Santa thing. [and there it is, the pain hidden under the anger at Scott]

Cora: [this time she squeezes his hand, letting him use that to anchor him] You should talk to him, Stiles. Or at least let him talk to you.

Stiles: [just shakes his head] I'm not sure I'm ready to yet.

Cora: [she pauses for a moment, before stopping them as she turns so that she's standing in front of him] How will you know unless you try?

Stiles: Because if I'm not ready and it goes bad... I don't know if I can handle that.

Cora: Why do you assume it's going to go bad? Scott pretty much all but admitted he screwed up before he left - that's why he left. So he could get his head on straight to do better. [a beat] He wants to make amends, Stiles. The only reason it would go bad is if you don't let him.

Stiles: That's the problem.

Cora: [she watches him for a moment] Do want him back?

Stiles: I don't know. The old Scott, yeah, but the last year it just feels like he's been changing and I keep trying to go along but half the time who I am and who he is now don't mesh anymore.

Cora: People change, Stiles. Scott's been through a lot in the past year and so have you. You changed too.

Stiles: [licks his lips, nodding] Yeah, I know.

Cora: I think you're having the same problem that me and Derek had in the beginning. You want to just slip into things being the same as they were but they're not. So you have to make something new. And you have to decide if Scott is worth it to you to put in that work.

Stiles: I just don't know if I can trust him again.

Cora: Well, you can't find out if you don't let him anywhere near you. That's not how it works.

Stiles: [and he just looks away, sighing and instead looking for her car in the visitor's parking lot]

Cora: [sighs as well, before turning and leading the way to the car]

Stiles: [and yup, he's going to just stay quiet, driving them home]

Cora: [she isn't really sure what to say either, and will just stay in the passenger's seat, and head up to his room one they're home]

Stiles: [and when he gets home, he's going to just look around the house and see if anyone else is home first]

Cora: [nope, at least not now. Claire and Alex went out to meet Jody for dinner at the precinct so they shouldn't be back for a while]

Stiles: [and he's going to go upstairs, but he's going to stop at his father's room. He steps in, seeing Jody's stuff in the corner of the room and ignored it to go to his dad's closet and he opens it to reach up and pull down a box. He goes to sit on the bed, reaching into the box and pulling out a photo album. There is a framed photo of a thanksgiving where they had invited Melissa and Scott over and all five of them around the table with Stiles and Scott making faces at the camera, the mothers smiling and Sheriff rolling his eyes at the boys. He held it a moment, and wipes the tear that falls on the glass]

Cora: [moves in to sit next to him quietly, just wanting to be there. She shifts to rest her chin against his shoulder and slips her arm through his to stay close]

Stiles: [and yup, he's going to just break down because it hurts so much right now with everything being broken and not even certain that it's not HIM that's the wrong one and causing all of this]

Cora: [and she will do her best to pull him as close as she can, letting him lean against her for whatever comfort he needs. she isn't going anywhere, no matter how bad it gets]

Stiles: [puts the picture on the bed and hugs her, needing the comfort]

Cora: [holds him close, sliding her fingers through his hair as she waits for him to get it all out]

Stiles: [when he does, he'll pull back and wipe at his eyes] Sorry.

Cora: [she shakes her head] It's okay.

Stiles: I just really wish my mom was here right now.

Cora: I know. [brings her hand up to brush against his cheek gently, pushing the tear tracks away] I wish the same thing sometimes.

Stiles: I know everyone wants me to go to Berkley and move on with my life... I know it's what I'm should do. I just don't know if it's what I need to do.

Cora: What do you think you need to do?

Stiles: I don't know. I just feel that with everything so broken right now... if I leave it's going to get worse. But at the same time it's so hard to stay when all you feel is pain.

Cora: Then why don't you try and fix it before you go. Give yourself that deadline to at least talk to Scott and see if there's a chance of fixing this.

Stiles: [nods] I'll figure something out. [aka he will wait until the last minute]

Cora: [of course he will. he's Stiles. Cora nods, before leaning in closer and placing a kiss to his cheek gently] And maybe stepping away is he best way to get some perspective.

Stiles: [and he leans into her] Maybe.

Cora: And until then, you still have me.

Stiles: [he looked up at her, and there was a soft smile before he leaned in to kiss her, his free hand cupping her cheek]

Cora: [closes her eyes and sighs softly into the kiss, staying close]

Stiles: I don't know what'd I do right now without you.

Cora: Good thing you don't have to find out.

Stiles: Better not.

Cora: You're stuck with me.

Stiles: What will I ever do with you then?

Cora: [she smirks before giving a small shrug] I can think of a few ideas.

Stiles: Oh? [he sees that smirk and laughs] Well, the house is empty for once...

Cora: [takes his hand with a small squeeze before getting up and tugging on his hand] Let's go then.