puppy love } { of fake deaths and moving on

[deathlessness]

Hayley: [so they head back to CONTROL to get plotting Stiles' fake death]

Stiles: [and he's been letting Hayley, Rebekah, and Freya talk about what they can and can't do, but finally he looks at Freya and asks] So what happens to me while I'm dead?

Freya: Your soul is temporarily trapped between the living and the dead. You won't remember any of it.

Stiles: Now what happens if like, after Rebekah kills me... they do something to my body?

Freya: Your body will regenerate when the spell breaks and you wake. It's a protection spell, so when it ends, you'll be returned to the state you were in when it was cast on you.

Stiles: What if they try to cut off my head though?

Freya: I think it should cover decapitation. A witch I knew who used it once was immolated to ash, and they were restored as they were.

Stiles: How painful is the waking up then?

Freya: Not very. Have you ever seen anyone snap Hayley's neck?

Stiles: Once or twice.

Freya: It's similar to that. You simply wake up when your body is reconstituted and you won't remember the in between. The real trick, however, is going to be the timing.

Stiles: How so?

Freya: The protection spell can be cast at any time and lasts until you trigger it. However, once it's done, you wake up within twenty four hours.

Rebekah: Basically, it's difficult to fake your death if you wake up in the middle of negotiations.

Stiles: So if we do this, you only have twenty four hours to complete the mission? What if they want to see the body and we need to go overseas?

Rebekah: That is the problem we're considering, but might be side stepped if I kill you in front of them.

Stiles: [and he'll take a deep breath at that] If you bring me there, they may want to be the ones to do it.

Rebekah: Well, good thing we're not using a Gilbert ring. We're using a protection spell.

Stiles: They may also want to keep me and torture me instead.

Rebekah: Well, I could help avoid that if I snap your neck very quickly.

Stiles: I would appreciate it because I've been tortured before, and it's not fun.

Rebekah: Absolutely. Very quick death.

Stiles: [deep breath] And you'll be okay with all this?

Rebekah: Wouldn't be the first time I fake killed someone. Or real killed someone for that matter. I think what matters here is if you're okay with this.

Stiles: What matters to me is that this is ended and I don't have to look over my shoulder or put my son in danger. That makes me okay with it. [he knows he may have issues later dying and coming back, but he won't know until he goes there]

Rebekah: Alright then. How do we do this?

Hayley: Beat him up and send a picture, and then Freya can get started on the spell?

Stiles: If you don't want to beat me up, I'm sure Matt will enjoy helping on this part.

Hayley: That is true. I'll go find him. [and off she will go to recruit Matt for punching Stiles in the face]

Matt: [and he's working on the computer doing stuff, but no he will have NO PROBLEM beating Stiles up at all. It's like Christmas.]

Hayley: [good boy Matt. And after that they'll take pictures of him tied up in a nondescript cell and have Rebekah make contact to see if they'll take the bait]

Source: [and there is a lot of interest and pointing out that payment isn't for a live body. They want him dead, preferably in the most painful way possible. Send video of death]

Rebekah: [nudges Matt out of the way and types] But wouldn't you rather have a ringside seat? Smell his blood in the air and listen to his cries of pain as he dies?

Source: We do not want his blood on our hands. The American government must not know of our involvement.

Rebekah: I'll get rid of the body personally. In fact, the American government will never find it.

Source: [and they will go silent for a few hours, and then there is just a set of coordinates and a date and time]

Rebekah: And we are in. [she grins] The benefits of a thousand years of murder experience.

Stiles: [and he's sore, holding an icepack to his face] And you have a set time for Freya to have the spell start. Too bad it wasn't before Matt beat me up because ow.

Matt: Wuss.

Stiles: You broke my nose.

Freya: [she laughs] The nose will heal. Whatever my sister's about to do to you will not. Now hold still. [and she will get with the magicking]

Matt: [running the coordinates] These coordinates are in Cyprus.

Freya: Any idea who you pissed off there?

Stiles: Cyprus is in the med. With Greece’s financial problems, they have money going through there from lots of sources. I've done jobs there but the one I think of that could lead to this was against a Bosnian, though there was the Bolshevik as well...

Rebekah: Well, we'll find out soon enough. [she waits until Freya finishes before nodding] Ready?

Stiles: [takes a deep breath and then nods, closing his eyes. All his instincts are screaming no at this, but he focuses on Cora and Ben's face, knowing they are going to be safe if he does this and he has to trust his team to take care of him]

Rebekah: Let's do this then. [And off they go to Cyprus, where Rebekah will drive to the location with Stiles in the trunk, yanking him out and pulling him into the building once they get there]

Source: [and it's the father of Bolshevik that Stiles had killed, along with a few buddies from the BKBG acting as guard] So the American assassin is not so impressive when he is bound like the pig he is.

Rebekah: I didn't find him that impressive at all, but I tend to set a high bar. [and she'll tip her head to the side] Shall we begin?

Source: Yes. [and he will motion for a suitcase to be brought forward with the cash] Make him suffer, and I will double it.

Rebekah: [smiles thinly, before her hand comes up and forces her hand through Stiles' back, through his ribcage to his heart. He may feel her fingers closing around the muscle for a moment, before she yanks it back out and his body drops to the floor. His heart still rests in her hand and once the proper dramatic moment has passed, she drops the now useless organ to the ground] I'm sure you appreciate his heart being ripped out the way he tore out yours?

Source: [and that was a bit more sudden than they were expecting, and one of the men mutter something about a vampire in their home language. He had been hoping to hear the man beg, to cry and ask for mercy before the death] That will do. [and he will turn to leave, letting the man leave the suitcase on the table for her to retrieve before they go to exit]

Rebekah: [she split the difference] Pleasure doing business with you. [is said to their backs as they exit and she steps forward to retrieve the suitcase that she doesn't need, then making her way back to the body. Before they can change their minds and double cross her, there's a blur and both she and the body are gone. she'll take him back to the private plane they chartered and sets him in one of the seats to wait for him to wake up]

Stiles: [and it will take him to the end of the spell, and then his heart, you know, regrowing and it will probably be halfway back to the US when he wakes up with a deep gasp of air and then a mad scramble to try and find a corner as his senses work to get a bearing]

Rebekah: [and she'll reach forward and place her hands on his shoulders lightly] Easy, love. It's done.

Stiles: [his mind has slipped back into spy survival mode and he will push her away, scared for his life as the adrenaline is running through his vein and the last thing he remembered was her causing him a great deal of pain]

Rebekah: [and she will sit back, letting him process for a moment and crossing her legs in front of her] I know I improvised a bit, but reading the room, they weren't going to accept just a snapped neck.

Stiles: [as the last memories come back he is going to claw off his shirt, needing to see his chest and confirm there isn't a huge hole in it] Your sister does good magic.

Rebekah: Yes, she does. Drink?

Stiles: Yes, please. [because as the adrenaline fades, he's going to start shaking]

Rebekah: [and she will pour him a large glass of bourbon and pass it over to him]

Stiles: [and he will down half of it in one go before leaning against the side of the plane]

Rebekah: [and she will settle back across from him, waiting for him to speak]

Stiles: [he doesn't know what to say for a bit, and then asks] Any word on if the show worked?

Rebekah: [and she'll pass him the message from Matt saying that the hit was marked as completed] They're adjusting your CIA file now.

Stiles: [nods and relaxes a bit, taking a sip of the drink and closing his eyes] And the source?

Rebekah: Alive. He paid me and we went our separate ways. I didn't think it would be good form to kill him unless he forced me to.

Stiles: That's probably good. He had guys with him that looked to be from one of their agencies. You wouldn't want a mafia after you.

Rebekah: They knew what I was. They were speaking their native language but I know "vampire" in almost all of them. I doubt I'll be seeing them again unless you give them reason to seek me out.

Stiles: I don't work for the CIA anymore, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Rebekah: Good. Then enjoy your new life.

Stiles: [and so he will, and once they are back in the US he will go back to CONTROL first to see if he needs any debriefing]

Hayley: [he was mostly dead so she needs Rebekah more than him, but she might want him to ID some people quickly. once that's done, he's free to go]

Stiles: [and he will go home first to shower and change, and while he does look a little beat up still - thanks Matt - he will text Cora and tell him that it's over and he's home]

Cora: Are you okay?

Stiles: A little beat up, but yeah, I'm okay.

Cora: Are you going to come over?

Stiles: I'd like to. My face is a bit bruised though so I don't want to scare Ben.

Cora: Bruised how?

Stiles: Matt broke my nose sparring.

Cora: I can warn him. It shouldn't be too bad.

Stiles: I'll be over then in half an hour.

Cora: Okay. [and she'll glance up towards her son] Hey Ben?

Ben: Yeah? [totally focused on his video game]

Cora: Your dad's back and he's going to be here in a little bit.

Ben: Really?!?! [excited noises]

Cora: Yeah. But he wanted me to warn you that he's a little bruised and broke his nose, but he's fine. He doesn't want you to worry, okay?

Ben: Did he get into a fight?

Cora: A practice fight.

Ben: But he's okay, right?

Cora: Yes. He is one hundred percent okay.

Ben: Okay. I'll go clean my room.

Cora: ... Okay?

Ben: [what dad was gone on a trip for a few days and he has new stuff to show off but he can't do it with a messy room kid logic go with it mom]

Cora: [she won't dissuade him, she'll just sit up on the couch and wait for Stiles to get there]

Stiles: [and he will show up looking a bit exhausted but wanting to be there]

Cora: [and she opens the door for him with a small smile] Hey. All in one piece?

Stiles: Yeah. [and don't mind him as he just steps in and hugs her tightly. She'll probably be able to feel him shaking just a bit even though he's trying to hide it]

Cora: [and she curls her arms around him tightly, pulling him in and rubbing his back gently] Hey. You're okay. You're home.

Stiles: [nods, but he just sinks into her, needing her right now]

Cora: [and she'll let him do that, closing her eyes and keeping him close]

Ben: [and he will hear his mom and poke his head out of his room] Daddy?

Stiles: [and he will take a deep breath, pulling himself together and putting a smile on his face] Hey buddy, miss me?

Cora: He missed you a lot. Didn't you say you had something to show him, kiddo?

Ben: Uh huh! I cleaned up my room and found it! [and he will disappear into his room]

Stiles: [confused look at Cora]

Cora: [smirks and nudges him forward towards Ben's room] C'mon.

Stiles: [and he will follow her and stand in Ben's door]

Ben: [and he will be standing around his desk where he has cleaned it and put a lego building he had made. He has a picture of the Batcave and while the lego recreation is nowhere near perfect, it is recognizable] I did it myself without any instructions!

Cora: [she had no idea what it was, but when she sees it her eyes widen] Wow, bud. That's great!

Stiles: [his smile is more genuine now as he walks over, looking at it] You really did a good job with this. We may need to fix a few of these up to make them smoother but I don't think I could have done a good job of this.

Cora: [she'll just hang back by the door to give them a moment]

Stiles: You totally got your lego building skills from mom. She can build anything.

Ben: I know. She told me she wanted to make robots.

Cora: Not just robots.

Stiles: She still could, one day. If she wants to. [looks over at Cora and smiles] She's pretty smart, after all.

Ben: Mom is the smartest person ever. Even smarter than Uncle Derek, and he's a nerd.

Cora: Uncle Derek is just a different kind of smart.

Stiles: No, I have to agree with our son, you're much smarter than Derek.

Cora: This is not about Derek. This is about our super smart son who likes to build stuff too.

Stiles: That he gets from you.

Cora: Sure. Maybe he does.

Stiles: No, he totally does. [leans over to tussle Ben's hair] Good job, kiddo.

Cora: [she smiles] Really, Ben. You did an amazing job.

Ben: [grins] And dad, we got your costume. Mom said you like tights so you're Robin and I'm Batman.

Stiles: [one eyebrow up, looking at Cora] Did she now?

Cora: [and there's her innocent face] That's what I inferred from our conversation.

Stiles: Uh huh. [but being back with his family is making him feel better, shaving off the shakes he's had since he woke up] I'll look and see what day we can do the zoo then.

Ben: [bright grin] Awesome.

Cora: [smiles in return as she sees him relax] Ben, why don't you go pick a movie we can watch before bed.

Ben: Okay. [and he's going to go and grab Lego Batman. Who is not surprised?]

Cora: [no one. but it gives her and Stiles a minute alone] You okay?

Stiles: [he could keep up the charade, but he promised he wouldn't lie to Cora so he just shakes his head] But I will be.

Cora: Okay. [and she'll reach for his hand gently before pulling him towards the couch] You hungry?

Stiles: Not really, but I should eat something.

Cora: I think there's some leftover pizza in the fridge. I'll heat it up.

Stiles: [nods, and then huffs as Ben jumps into his lap with the controller on the couch]

Cora: You can start it without me. [and she'll head into the kitchen to make the pizza]

Ben: You sure Mama?

Cora: Yeah, I'll be right there.

Stiles: [and he and Ben will start the movie, sitting back and relaxing]

Cora: [and she will fix the pizza and come out to join them]

Stiles: [and he's exhausted, almost having drifted off before he snaps back awake at the smell of the pizza.] Hey.

Cora: Hey. [and she'll hand over the pizza before settling in next to him] You sure you don't want to go to bed?

Stiles: Yeah, like I said, I need to eat something. [and he will shift to nibble on the pizza, but he doesn't have much of an appetite]

Cora: [she nods and settles next to him, letting him nibble as he needs to and just letting him know she's there. She probably won't say much through the movie until Ben falls asleep]

Ben: [which he will do halfway through because it's late and he spent a lot of energy cleaning the room]

Stiles: [and he barely eats half a slice]

Cora: [that's fine, she didn't bring him much. and she'll move to scoop Ben off his lap and pull him into her arms] Why don't you leave that in the kitchen and head in. I'll join you once I've got him in bed.

Stiles: [nods and he will get up and leave the plate in the kitchen before heading to the bedroom. He'll sit on the edge of the bed waiting]

Cora: [and she will tuck Ben into bed, and clean up in the kitchen, before making her way in and going to sit next to him] Do you want to talk or do you want to sleep? Or ... talk until you sleep?

Stiles: I just... I can't stop shaking. It's been a day since I woke up and I still can't stop.

Cora: [she watches him softly for a moment, before climbing into bed and tugging on his hand gently] Come here. [and if he comes, she'll settle with him resting his head against her chest and run her fingers through his hair]

Stiles: [and he will easily go with her and curl into Cora's arms, and she will feel that shaking is still there as he just focuses on breathing]

Cora: [and she will just keep her fingers slow and steady before she speaks again] You know, Ben thinks you should move in with us.

Stiles: Does he now? [small laugh] I don't know how Scott would feel about that.

Cora: [she smiles] He made the very eloquent argument about how I'm always sad when you leave, but I'd be less sad if you didn't have to leave all the time.

Stiles: Well, at least we know I don't have to leave much anymore beyond the daily job. [looks up at her] If it helps, I feel sad when I leave too.

Cora: [she pauses for a moment, her hand brushing against the side of his face] It's more than that. Sometimes it feels like the only time I'm happy is when you're here.

Stiles: Do you want me to stay? Even after all this?

Cora: I always want you to stay. Always. But I don't want you to move in here just to make me feel better.

Stiles: What about to make me feel better?

Cora: As long as you really do want to be here.

Stiles: While I was doing all this, that was the only thing that kept me from snapping. I'd close my eyes and think of you and Ben, and it was the wanting to come home to you I held onto.

Cora: You can always come home to me.

Stiles: You know, up until I left Beacon Hills, I used to keep my bedroom window unlocked. Just in case you came back to find me.

Cora: I almost did.

Stiles: [he reached up to hold her cheek] I never stopped loving you, Cora. I don't think I ever could. Making a home with you is all I ever wanted.

Cora: [she watches him, studying his eyes for a moment before nodding her agreement] Okay.

Stiles: So are you asking me to move in?

Cora: [she nods] If you want to, yeah. I want you here.

Stiles: Then I'll see if my roommates will take well to notice for me moving out.

Cora: [and she smiles a bit, before leaning in to kiss him deeply]

Stiles: [and he will kiss her back, and then whimper and pullback] Ow, nose.

Cora: [she cringes, the hand against the side of his face taking the pain gently] Sorry.

Stiles: I'm going to break Matt's nose the next time we spar.

Cora: Sounds like he deserves it.

Stiles: Technically he was doing what we asked him to, but he had too much fun with it.

Cora: I'm sure he knows he has it coming.

Stiles: It shouldn't take too long to heal.

Cora: Good. Because if you're going to be living here, I want to be able to kiss you. A lot.

Stiles: Yeah, I agree with that assessment.

Cora: Though it will get harder for us to have bed time activities once Ben gets his ears.

Stiles: Well, obviously your folks did otherwise you and Derek wouldn't be here. How was their bedroom different?

Cora: Laura was four when we were born. She wasn't a wolf yet.

Stiles: True. but they were still doing it. And they probably were after she was too

Cora: I'm not having this conversation with my father.

Stiles: [thinks] I bet I could have Bruce and Lloyd figure out how to turn the cone of silence into a bedroom of silence.

Cora: Ae you sure you want to have that conversation?

Stiles: [thinks a bit] I think for our continued sex life, I can handle the awkward.

Cora: I appreciate your sacrifice.

Stiles: Anything for you.

Cora: I love you.

Stiles: I love you too.

Cora: [she kisses him softly before settling him close again] Get some sleep. We can talk about it more in the morning.

Stiles: Yeah, sure. [but he won't last until morning because halfway through the night he has a nightmare about having his heart ripped out and well, he's going to wake up screaming]

Cora: [and that will jerk her awake, and she reaches out to try and comfort him] Stiles?

Stiles: [and the screaming will stop as he collapses back into her arms, hyperventilating and shaking hard]

Cora: [and she will curl her arms around his chest and pull him in close, brushing her hand gently against his chest] Easy, Stiles. Easy. You're here and your safe. Just take deep slow breaths.

Stiles: [and he's going to close his eyes and try to focus on his breathing to get it under control]

Cora: [and she'll keep soothing him with her voice in his ear, coaching him through each breath until his heart rate slows]

Stiles: [and eventually he will get back to breathing normally, and then curling around her to calm down the rest of the way]

Cora: [and she will wrap her arms around him more tightly and keep him close] Better?

Stiles: [and he will just nod, focusing on breathing so he's not going to speak]

Cora: [that's fine, she'll hold him until he's ready to talk, if he wants to talk]

Stiles: [and after deep breath] Things didn't go as planned.

Cora: What do you mean?

Stiles: Rebekah was supposed to kill me one way, but she didn't. I didn't see it coming. She reached into me... [and his heartbeat starts to pick up as he thinks about it again]

Cora: Hey. It's okay. You're here now. [and she didn't like it that Rebekah didn't stick to the plan, but Stiles is still here so that's what matters]

Stiles: I saw... I saw her...]and he's going to paw at his shirt, needing to see his chest to make sure it wasn't open]

Cora: [and she'll help him get it open or pull it off so that he can see]

Stiles: [and he is going to press his hands to his chest, right over his heart to feel it beating]

Cora: [gently moves her hand over his and lets it rest there]

Stiles: I felt it all. I wasn't supposed to feel it.

Cora: [her face softens a bit] I'm sorry.

Stiles: I can’t stop seeing it.

Cora: [she pauses before turning to look at him] Normally I wouldn't be an advocate for compulsion, but ... this seems like a lot to have to deal with.

Stiles: [shakes his head] I have vervain in my system.

Cora: We could wait until it runs out. It only lasts twenty four hours, right?

Stiles: It's an implant. I'd have to take it out, and then wait the time.

Cora: Then ... maybe you can talk to Hayley about it. Considering she's also ... died before.

Stiles: [nods] I can do that.

Cora: And if you want to stay here for the nightmares, I won't say no to that.

Stiles: I was going to stay for more than the nightmares.

Cora: I'd hope so. But I don't want you to feel like you have to suffer alone.

Stiles: [nods, and he looks to the door] Ben must have slept through that.

Cora: [she pauses for a moment, tuning her ears to the sound of her son's heartbeat]

Ben: [nope, totally out like a light with a 1 on that roll]

Cora: Yeah, he sleeps like the dead sometimes.

Stiles: I'm glad. [and he's going to just relax against her]

Cora: [and she keeps him close, her hand staying over his against his heart] It'll be okay.

Stiles: I just don't want to see it again when I go back to sleep.

Cora: Is there anything I can do to help with that?

Stiles: [and he's going to lace his fingers with his] Just hold me so I know you're there.

Cora: [nods as she presses a kiss to his pulse point] I'm not going anywhere.

Stiles: [and he is going to try and go back to sleep, but he's going to not really fall into a deep sleep, a bit fitful but no more bad dreams]

Cora: [and she'll stay up to keep an eye on him just in case. she can nap later]

Ben: [but of course someone is going to come and jump onto the bed way early in the morning because he's awake so everyone should be awake]

Cora: [may have started dozing a bit and jerks awake when her son cannonballs onto the bed] Benny, kiddo.

Stiles: [and he's going to jerk awake as well, his grip on Cora's hand tightening a moment before he sees his son and just takes a deep breath] You scared me, kiddo.

Ben: But it's morning and time for breakfast.

Cora: Yes, but we've talked about knocking when doors are closed, remember?

Ben: [and his face drops] Oh. Sorry.

Cora: [she nods] Just remember for next time okay?

Ben: Yes, mom.

Stiles: Trust me, kiddo. That rule will save you one day from seeing things you don't want to see

Cora: [smacks his shoulder gently] Why don't you go set the table for breakfast, Ben? We'll be out in a minute.

Stiles: [rubs at his shoulder because ow]

Ben: Okay. [and he will climb off the bed and head to the kitchen]

Cora: [sighs as she watches him go before lowering her voice] Still sure you want to move in?

Stiles: I can put in a silent alarm that goes off when his bedroom door opens so we get some warning.

Cora: Mmmm. Or we remember to lock the door when we're ... engaged in adult activities.

Stiles: That too.

We'll figure it out.

Stiles: Probably should go before he comes back.

Cora: [she nods, before leaning in to kiss him softly] Pancakes?

Stiles: Yeah, pancakes works. With bacon.

Cora: Sounds good. [and she'll climb out of bed and head off to make them all some breakfast]

Stiles: [and he's going to change clothes into something more relaxing before coming into the kitchen and sitting with Ben]

Cora: [and they can have a fun low key family day as a result!]

Stiles: [yup, because he has the day off to unwind before coming to work]'

Cora: [and at some point Cora will grab a nap because she was playing guard dog]

Stiles: [and he is going to surprise her by going to cook dinner with Ben to have it almost ready by the time she wakes back up]

Cora: [will stir at the smell of food and wanders her way out sleepily] What's this?

Stiles: This is my making you dinner.

Cora: You didn't have to do that. [not that she's complaining but she would have made dinner when she woke up]

Stiles: I wanted to. And Ben helped, right?

Ben: I got to make the garlic bread and peel garlic

Cora: Well, it smells really good.

Stiles: Here, try the sauce. [and he will scope up a spoonful of it. They probably put in too much garlic, but it's spaghetti and meatballs so yeah]

Cora: [and she will lean in to try it and ... yeah, it's a little garlicy, but she likes garlic] That's not bad.

Stiles: Good. [grins] One of the three meals I know how to make.

Cora: [smiles as well as she steps back] Want me to set the table?

Stiles: I will not say no to that.

Cora: [and she will go to grab some plates and get the table ready]

Stiles: [and they will have spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and then have tv time before sending Ben to bed]

Cora: [and once that's all done, it's just the two of them alone] So how are you doing?

Stiles: Right now, I'm doing good. We'll see where my nightmares take me.

Cora: Did you want to go try and talk to Hayley?

Stiles: I'll see her tomorrow at work.

Cora: Okay. [and she'll just curl into him a bit]

Stiles: [holds her for a bit, and then is going to lean down and kiss her]

Cora: [is more than happy to kiss him back, shifting a bit so he can do that better]

Stiles: [and no, he's going to just stretch over her and kiss her deeply, really needing the connection]

Cora: [and she will shift back to let him settle above her, her hands moving to rest against his sides to keep him close]

Stiles: [yeah, he needs this. A little bit of living instead of thinking about the dying]

Cora: [well, he is more than welcome to do as much "living" as he wants but if they're going to be taking off clothes they should go to the bedroom]

Stiles: [he will get there in a moment when he realizes he needs to take clothing off] Bedroom?

Cora: [she nods, because yes, she definitely could some physical reassurances that he's there and alive]

Stiles: [and he will get up and help her up and to the bedroom. And yes, he will lock the door this time]

Cora: [good boy. And once that's done, she'll pull him in for a deep kiss as they move back towards the bed]

Stiles: [and he's going to work on getting her clothing off before she falls back on the bed]

Cora: [and she will do the same with him to save some time]

Stiles: [and then there will be a lot of touching and foreplay]

Cora: [she always did love foreplay. and eventually her hand will go fumbling for a condom out of the nightstand]

Stiles: [and he will help her get it on, and then he will take his time making love to Cora]

Cora: [and she will enjoy every moment until she falls over the edge dropping back against the bed with a sigh beneath him]

Stiles: [and he will hold himself over her a moment before sinking down onto her and holding her tightly]

Cora: [and she snakes her arms around him, keeping him close and pressing a kiss to the nape of his neck]

Stiles: [and he smiles at that, and before he knows it, the words are coming out of his mouth] Marry me.

Cora: [and she blinks because that's not what she was expecting in that moment] What?

Stiles [he swallows, looking at her this time] I don't want to lose you again. I need you... I want you to be with me. I know we're still figuring this out but I know that there's no one else I want in my life but you.

Cora: [she studies his face for a moment, and just to be on the safe side] Are you sure?

Stiles: I think I've been sure since I was sixteen... but I know for sure now.

Cora: [there's another beat, and part of her wonders if they would still be doing this if he hadn't just died but in the end, she knows that it's always been Stiles too. This feels right.] Okay.

Stiles: [they would, eventually. but it was that death that made Stiles see his priorities crystal clear for the first time in a long time. And he will just smile at her response and lean down to kiss her]

Cora: [and she leans into the kiss eagerly, pulling him closer, and when it eventually breaks she pulls back to look at him] Can we ... keep it to ourselves for a bit? At least with my family?

Stiles: Sure. Though I am tempted to just elope and maybe one day we'll tell them. Though Ben would probably spill the beans so let's not tell him anything just yet.

Cora: I wouldn't be against that idea regardless. I don't really want a wedding. We could just take Scott and Lydia and go to Atlantic City or something. [at this point in time, she doesn't really want any of them there]

Stiles: I think that's a good plan. And we can have my dad watch Ben that weekend and tell him as we're leaving so he isn't completely left in the dark.

Cora: You can tell your dad, if you want, and Scott. I just ... I don't want to deal with my family right now.

Stiles: Then don't. You have me and Ben to deal with. Trust me, that's more than enough to handle.

Cora: [she nods in agreement, before looking up at him with a small smile] You don't know how much I wish I had stayed, some times.

Stiles: [smiles back] Probably the same amount of times I wished you'd come back to me.

Cora: I almost actually got on a bus once.

Stiles: There would have been an open window waiting.

Cora: I know. I just ... chickened out, I guess.

Stiles: We were kids. You didn't know this is where life would take us. [he strokes her cheek] Hindsight is always 20/20.

Cora: Yeah, I know. And we're here now.

Stiles: And I'm never letting you go again.

Cora: Good. Because I don't think I'd make it if you did.

Stiles: One thing you don't have to worry about. [and he will kiss her. His spy days are really over now]

Cora: [and she kisses him back, and they'll probably dissolve into another round of engagement sex?]

Stiles: [oh yeah. and he will sleep completely through the night because he's in a good place now]

Cora: [well, that is very good, because now she won't stay awake like a nervous nelly watchdog]

Stiles: [and they will wake up and Ben needs to go to school and Stiles has to go to work and he will hesitate outside of the tree, looking at it but not activating it to go down just yet]

Allison: [comes up behind him and holds out a coffee] Hey.

Stiles: [and that will knock him back to reality] Hey. [oh look coffee] Thank god, I forgot to get some.

Allison: Don't give God all the credit. I'm the one who bought it. [tips her head to the side] You okay?

Stiles: Who says you're not a god? Goddess? [smirks, taking a sip while looking at the tree] Not really, but I think the fact I can admit that might be a good thing.

Allison: That is progress. Want to talk about it?

Stiles: I think it's really Hayley I need to talk to. But - well its connected to the whole... [waving his hands to indicate the whole price on his head thing]

Allison: [she nods, before reaching forward to punch in the code for the door] Well, you're not going to be able to talk to her about here.

Stiles: Yeah, I know. [he goes to follow her]

Allison: [and down they go to the bullpen, where she will branch off to talk to Matt, but before she goes, she'll hand him another cup] For Hayley.

Stiles: Thanks. [and he will take the coffee and go off to find his partner]

Hayley: [and she is sitting at her desk, doing some paperwork. bleh, paperwork]

Stiles: [knocks on the door, smirking a bit] Need a distraction?

Hayley: God, yes. What have you got?

Stiles: First, coffee from Allison. Second, a semi-broken partner who needs your help.

Hayley: [she frowns at that, before waving him in] Shut the door.

Stiles: [which he does before going to sit across from her] I've been having a side effect that isn't very pleasant.

Hayley: Nightmares?

Stiles: Yeah, watching Rebekah kill me over and over again. Sometimes how it happened, and sometimes with Cora and Ben watching.

Hayley: Yikes. [she frowns] I'm sorry. She told me she had to improvise.

Stiles: Did she tell you how she improvised?

Hayley: Not specifically, but knowing the Originals, I'm going to guess it involved relieving you of your heart.

Stiles: [bites his lip and nods, looking down] I keep seeing it, Hayley. Even when I'm not asleep.

Hayley: [she nods slowly, reaching for her coffee and leaning back at her desk] Did I ever tell you how I died?

Stiles: No.

Hayley: [she nods again then sighs] I was nine months pregnant and Klaus was brokering some kind of deal to become King of the Werewolves. He had these witches helping him. But what he didn't know is that all the factions in New Orleans had set him up for a double cross. The humans were actually this werewolf bloodline that had been in hiding for years, the witches were secretly working for his batshit crazy mother, and the vampires didn't want to succumb to Mikaelson rule. They were making these moonlight rings for the werewolves, and what we didn't know is that the way they designed the spell would sap Klaus' strength, making him unable to fight back on a full moon. So when the moon rose, the human faction turned, took the rings, Klaus was useless and the witches took me.

Stiles: They do this before or after Hope was born?

Hayley: Before. The witches took me to an abandoned church in town and actually induced labor magically. Thing is, the ghost of Esther Mikaelson decided, in her infinite batshit wisdom, that my baby was a danger to the world and needed to be sacrificed and consecrated to the ancestors so that her power could be part of the collective, but couldn't be used against them. But there wasn't anything I could do to stop them - as much as Hope tried to protect me from the womb a lot of my natural werewolf protections kind of got neutralized while I was pregnant, and I wasn't strong enough to hold off two Harvest Girls and one of the most powerful witches the French Quarter had ever seen brought back from the dead. [a beat] Klaus eventually caught up to us while I was in labor, but even he couldn't stop him - they pinned him to a wall so that he could watch his daughter being born, but do nothing to actually protect her. [she takes another swallow of her coffee] Anyway. They delivered Hope, and I asked to hold her. Genevieve put her in my arms for maybe a minute, before she reached up and slashed my throat.

Stiles: [and he will wince at that] Wow, I'm never going back to New Orleans.

Hayley: Yep. [she swallows a bit] Anyway, they snapped Klaus' neck to keep him from follow them, but since Hope's blood was in my system, I woke up about an hour later in transition. We managed to save Hope, and I had to use her blood to complete the process, but we knew New Orleans wasn't safe for her, so we sent her to live with Rebekah, who was outside the city at the time, and we faked her death. Just until we could make things safe for her - or at least safer.

Stiles: How did you manage to get past all of that and not keep seeing it all?

Hayley: I killed the entire Guerrera werewolf line. And did a lot of other ... not really healthy things.

Stiles: [nods] Yeah, that's not really an option for me.

Hayley: No. But therapy might be. You still have to see that CIA appointed shrink right?

Stiles: Technically.

Hayley: PTSD is legit in the world we live in. And the CIA knows way more about it than they let on. They might be able to give you some coping strategies. Other than that ... the only thing I can think of is time.

Stiles: Cora suggested compulsion.

Hayley: That is an option. But there are some catches there - it's not a permanent fix. And with trauma like this, if I compel it away and the compulsion is broken at any point, you could wind up worse off than you started. Or even worse, flashes will start to leak through and you could feel like you're losing your mind a bit.

Stiles: [nods] So I guess therapy then. Maybe it'll actually work this time.

Hayley: Maybe. I've found it usually works better if you want it to.

Stiles: Probably. And not making excuses to skip my appointments.

Hayley: That too. [she tips her head to the side] And you can come talk to me. Whatever you need.

Stiles: [nods] Which brings up something else I've been thinking about. I'm thinking about putting in my notice.

Hayley: Here?

Stiles: [nods] I don't think I have the capacity to handle it anymore. I need to stop doing this because I need an outlet, and work on finding a real future for me. I'll stick around until we get Klaus back because I promised you I'd help you with that, but after that, I think I need to be cut loose.

Hayley: [she listens for a moment, before nodding] Okay. I totally understand. I mean, it sucks, because I'll have to break in a new partner, but I understand.

Stiles: And things may change, but after everything that happened, I need to put my family first, and this isn't the safest place for me to be.

Hayley: Fair enough. Are you sure you want to get involved in this whole Klaus mess? Because that may not be the safest place for you either.

Stiles: I keep my promises. I'm with you through this until the end.

Hayley: [she nods] I appreciate that. We're getting close though. We just have to finish wooing Tyler Lockwood.

Stiles: How's that been going?

Hayley: He defaulted to Elena because she's a better chess player than he is, particularly with the Originals, and she wants us to use her blood to make Klaus human. Which I took to Marcel, because I thought maybe we could get through this peacefully, but he wants Elijah to agree to it too.

Stiles: Would he?

Hayley: Honestly? I have no idea. I know Klaus would do it for his daughter, and I'd like to believe that Elijah would do it so that Klaus could be with his daughter and none of the rest of us end up dead, but at the same time ... he's been a vampire for a thousand years. I feel like humanity may scare him more than taking on Marcel ever could.

Stiles: Then we should hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

Hayley: Yep. We'll see what happens.

Stiles: Well, with that said, I only have one other thing to do before I start work today.

Hayley: What's that?

Stiles: [stands up, smiling] Break Matt's nose.

Hayley: [sighs] Oh, God. This should be good. [and she will get up because she's so going to watch.]

Stiles: [and off he will go to find Matt and be like “yeah, I’m back what'd I miss” and then when it's over he will quickly and precisely hit matt right in the nose breaking it cleanly and there will be cussing and a squabble between the two guys because this is how they bond]

Hayley: [and she and Allison will just chat over coffee because this is good for them to get out their 8 year old aggression]