new york wolves } { of uncertain futures and career changes

[hereditare]

Tommy: [wanders in, ahead of his mother while she juggles some bags of groceries and brightly] Hi, Uncle Stiles!

Stiles: Hey, Tommy boy. [and he will go to help Laura] Here, let me take some of these.

Laura: [grateful smile] Hey. What are you doing here?

Stiles: Cora had to go out of town for the week for her job. I thought I could handle being on my own but the place is just too empty without her.

Laura: So you're here for dinner?

Stiles: Pretty much. I figured we haven't had any time together since Cora came home, so I just wanted to get some alpha time in.

Laura: Well, if you're going to eat, you're gonna have to help me cook.

Stiles: Just give me the parts you won't want me to burn

Laura: Alright. Just let me put some of this away and you can handle the chopping.

Stiles: Sure. Until then, I can have nephew time with Tommy. [grins]

Tommy: I wanna watch Princess Sofia!

Stiles: Alright. If that's all you want to do...

Tommy: [and is just going to start singing the theme song in Spanish as he goes for the remote]

Laura: [smirks] He has a little crush on her.

Stiles: Good thing he's bilingual so he can listen to her.

Laura: [she nods] Between you and me, I think it's half the reason why Javi is okay with his son being obsessed with a Disney Princess.

Stiles: [looks at the tv] Well that, and she's cute.

Laura: She is.

Stiles: So where is Javi anyway?

Laura: He's helping Ryan pick out an anniversary gift.

Stiles: Is it that time already?

Laura: I'm not sure which anniversary this is. The Ryans have many.

Stiles: Anniversary of their first pizza kinda of people?

Laura: Oh yeah. But they're adorable, so we forgive them.

Stiles: You have any odd anniversaries like that with Javi?

Laura: Not really. It's hard enough to schedule time for just the one sometimes.

Stiles: Things getting that busy?

Laura: He's running his own team now. It means he has to do a lot more paperwork.

Stiles: [nods] That's good.

Laura: [she nods] It's good though. The closer he gets to "Captain" the less time he's spending in the field and I have to worry about him getting shot.

Stiles: That's definitely good, being that he's human and all.

Laura: Yes, I am aware.

Stiles: It's also cool that he knows what he wants and is on the path to get there.

Laura: It's easy when you've found something, you're passionate about.

Stiles: Yeah, I guess.

Laura: [eyes him a bit] Something you're worried about?

Stiles: [laying on the floor by Tommy, tossing a ball in the air] I just... [sighs] I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing with my life.

Laura: [she glances back over her shoulder and sighs] It's not a simple thing to figure out, Stiles? It never has been.

Stiles: I mean, I'm happy where I am. I'm very happy to be married to Cora... but my life goal at 18 was living to 19. Things after that got complicated, I just didn't really think of what kind of career I wanted to have.

Laura: Okay. [she goes to sit in the living room with him, shifting out to stretch out next to him] Do you like what you do?

Stiles: I like it, but it's just busy work really.

Laura: Well, you've been there a while. Maybe you can talk to your boss about what the next step up the ladder is or see if there's something that you can really sink your teeth into.

Stiles: I guess I could.

Laura: Or just shop around and see if there's other things you are interested in. You don't have to be married to this for the rest of your life. Maybe you could go back to school.

Stiles: Oh god no, I don't need to go through that again.

Laura: [ponders for a moment] Would you be interested in taking a step up to investigator?

Stiles: I don't know.

Laura: Because there's a cybercrime division in Beckett's FBI office. Maybe they have an opening?

Stiles: [tosses the ball in the air] Work for the feds? I think my dad would disown me

Laura: It was just a suggestion. Maybe the NYPD is working on something cybercrimes related?

Stiles: Maybe.

Laura: [she shrugs] Talk to Mac or Adam. Maybe they can recommend something.

Stiles: I just... [tosses the ball again] I don't know what I want to be when I grow up still.

Laura: But you know for sure you don't want to be a lab monkey.

Stiles: Yeah. I mean, it's a good job. Just not for me.

Laura: Then see what your options are where you're at. And if there's nothing that really catches your interest, then start shopping around.

Stiles: I mean I made sure that Cora didn't take a crap job coming out of school. I wanted her to wait and find one she could love. Now that she has one... I should follow my own advice, right?

Laura: Exactly. But also be smart and don't sacrifice the benefits you've built up with the NYPD before you're really sure there's nothing you want there.

Stiles: Yeah, I'm not going to just drop it and bum around at home. I need something to keep me busy or the rest of you will try to hide me in a closet.

Laura: Good.

Stiles: Are you happy being a stay at home mom?

Laura: [glances back at Tommy with a grin] Yeah. I mean, somedays are a little slower than others but I'm really lucky that I get this one on one time with him. I'm really happy.

Stiles: You guys thinking about another anytime soon?

Laura: [a beat] We may have been trying.

Stiles: Aw, that's awesome.

Laura: Yeah. We both came from big families so we kind of want a big one of our own.

Stiles: At least you have all the empty rooms now.

Laura: Yep. Even Malia's moving out soon.

Stiles: Oh? Jeremy?

Laura: Yeah. Not that she wasn't basically living there anyway.

Stiles: They are cute together, can't deny that.

Laura: Yeah. And he's really good with her.

Stiles: I see those two being the couple that never gets married though.

Laura: Oh, God no.

Stiles: At least we will always have babysitters.

Laura: ... I would not rule out children.

Stiles: Oh, I'm not. just not in the near future.

Laura: True.

Stiles: And maybe Tommy will get some cousins sooner rather than later.

Laura: Oh?

Stiles: We've been talking about it. Hence the whole trying to figure things out mindset I'm trapped in.

Laura: [she nods] I'm sure you'll figure it out. Just keep an open mind.

Stiles: Trying to.

Laura: [she reaches over and gives his arm a squeeze] C'mon, let's work on dinner. Javi will be home soon.

Stiles: Alright. I'll come spin your salad.

Laura: [and off they will go and she will hand him various vegetables to chop]

Stiles: [which he can do] So if I cut a finger off, will it grow back?

Laura: Do not cut your finger off in my food.

Stiles: I'm not going to actually do it, but theoretically, would it?

Laura: It would take a little time, but yeah.

Stiles: Good to know. In case I ever do cut off my finger.

Laura: It still is very painful so it's not recommended.

Stiles: Again, not planning to [and he is going to wince because he may have just gotten distracted and cut into his finger]

Laura: [she senses that] Stiles.

Stiles: [and he is going to put the knife down and grab a towel, wrapping his hand quickly] It's still attached.

Laura: You know what, you come over here and stir. I'll chop.

Stiles: Good idea. [and he is going to put his hand up on his head to keep it above his heart while it heals and goes to stir with his good hand]

Laura: [and hopefully they will get through dinner with no more incidents]

Stiles: [nope. He will even be healed back up by the time Javi gets back]