canon au [post 6x04] } of memories and unanswered questions

[ohgodwhyme]

Jody: [and she's brought him some paperwork in the middle of the shift and his talking him through some of it, but she's also noticed that he's been distracted, so when he doesn't respond right away she frowns] Boss? [there's a beat and when that doesn't work:] Sheriff? [one more pause] ... Noah?

Sheriff: [sighs, going to rub at his eyes] Sorry, Jody. You were saying?

Jody: I need your John Hancock here and here. [there's a beat] You alright?

Sheriff: Sorry. [and he will go and sign those] I'm just trying to solve something in my head.

Jody: Wanna try solving it out loud?

Sheriff: It doesn't really make any sense.

Jody: Maybe saying it would help.

Sheriff: I have, a few times. Still doesn't make sense.

Jody: [goes to close the door to the office on the quiet bullpen, before moving to his desk to find the bottle of scotch] Maybe this'll help. And you can say it out loud to me.

Sheriff: You're not supposed to know about that bottle.

Jody: I'm not supposed to know about a lot of things. I'm nosy. It's one of the reasons you hired me. [and she'll pour them both a few fingers before sitting across from him] What's on your mind?

Sheriff: You ever think that something was taken from you, but you can't remember ever having it?

Jody: [she can ponder what this is about] You think you had someone taken by the Ghost Riders.

Sheriff: I don't know. I think so, but there's not a single piece of proof.

Jody: Who do you think they were?

Sheriff: [takes a sip of the drink] I think I had a son.

Jody: [her face softens for a moment, and she thinks of her own son that she lost] I'm sorry.

Sheriff: Claudia and I... it just was never the right time, you know.

Jody: [she nods] But you think that maybe it might have been, and you just don't remember it?

Sheriff: Right. And if that's true... why?

Jody: I don't know. [there's a beat] When you think about him, even if you don't remember him, how do you feel?

Sheriff: Honestly? Frustrated.

Jody: [she laughs] A normal emotion regarding a teenage boy, but what else?

Sheriff: That's actually the majority of it.

Jody: Is there anything deeper than that? Because frustration can come from a lot of things. Kids generally generate more feelings than that.

Sheriff: Lately I just... it's like I'm alone. Which is so strange because I have a house full of people.

Jody: I wouldn't call Claudia a house full of people.

Sheriff: No, I've got Cora Hale living there too.

Jody: Oh, right. [there's a beat] Did you think your son ... ?

Sheriff: It's a theory.

Jody: [nods once] Well ... there's a way to find out for sure.

Sheriff: How's that?

Jody: Paternity test. Or ... grandpaternity.

Sheriff: [shakes his head] I can't do that.

Jody: [she nods. it's a tricky thing, and she can understand why asking Cora for something like that is difficult] I know. It's just ... an option. If you really wanted to be sure.

Sheriff: .... Maybe after the baby is born. But then I'm also going to have to tell Claudia about all of this...

Jody: You don't think she would want to know? That she has a son out there somewhere?

Sheriff: As far as she knows, we don't have kids and she is happy with that.

Jody: [purses her lips for a moment, because she doesn't know how a mother couldn't feel that ache - know that something was missing from her life - but that isn't her business] Eventually she's going to have to know. Especially if it's the truth and Scott and Company manage to figure out a way to rescue the people being taken.

Sheriff: I know, but I don't want to break it to her until I know for sure. Right now it's just a hypothetical.

Jody: [she nods] I know Natalie's daughter is getting a little bit ... crazy about all of this, but ... absence of proof doesn't necessarily prove anything either.

Sheriff: Lydia is just doing her banshee thing. [waves his hand] She won't let anything go.

Jody: Maybe she has good reason. Sad to say, but she hasn't been wrong yet.

Sheriff: [he tries to think back, but no, all the times she had been wrong has involved Stiles and he is not in Sheriff's memories so no Lydia being wrong]

Jody: [sighs as she finishes off her drink] Maybe it's worth giving the girl a little leeway.

Sheriff: Yeah, but until I have to tell Claudia, she's off limits. And so's Cora.

Jody: Fair enough. [though heh sorry sheriff. Lydia's going to screw up that one all on her own]

Sheriff: And speaking of which, I should probably get back to the two of them.

Jody: [she nods] I'll clean up. That paperwork isn't going to file itself.

Sheriff: Thanks, Jody. [and he will stand up to go and grab his coat]

Jody: [and she will put the glasses away and gather up the paperwork to go file] Have a good night, Sheriff.

Sheriff: [and he will grab his keys out of his coffee cup and head home]