canon au } { of fixing problems and stepping on butterflies

[beanchaointe]

Stiles: [and while he is waiting in his little room with his coffee, he is busy trying to balance a pencil on his finger because he's bored waiting and it was there and why not?]

Lydia: [is lingering outside the room because she doesn't want to do this but she also doesn't want to leave Scott and Derek trapped in amber forever, so she's just ... staring at his face and trying to remember that he is Stiles and not the nogitsune]

Parrish: [comes up behind her silently, a hand resting on the small of her back] I can do this if you don't want to go in there.

Lydia: [sighs as she glances back at him] It's not that. It's just ... its weird. Seeing Stiles actually being ... Stiles.

Parrish: Olivia vouches for him. Both of them. I think you can extend a bit of trust to him enough to listen to what he has to say.

Lydia: [swallows and nods again, before steeling herself and turning towards the door] Let's get this over with.

Parrish: Lead the way.

Stiles: [and when the door opens, he will turn his head to look at it, losing the balance of the pencil. And then realize the pencil is falling and try to catch it before it hits the floor (dex17) and does]

Lydia: [ doesn't say anything, just moves to take one of the seats across from him and crossing her legs in front of her. She's doing her best to keep her face neutral, a bit like S1 Lydia, but less indifference and more like she's just waiting for him to make a wrong move and prove that this is a trap]

Parrish: [and he's going to do the cop thing and just stand next to the door, arms crossed. This is Lydia's show until she needs him]

Stiles: Oh, you have that don't waste my time face too, alright. I'll get right to it. I'm not the nogitsune, but it was in me. I know how to defeat it, and I can give you the game plan we used, and if you're willing, even help you with it.

Lydia: You can tell me. But I'm not letting that thing out of amber unless your plan is super convincing.

Stiles: [and he will turn his head, pulling back his ear to show her the oni marking that was seared into his skin]

Lydia: That's not what I need to be convinced of. [deep breath] The nogitsune killed Allison. And while yeah, I miss Stiles and wish he was here, I'm not letting the thing that killed her free unless I'm damn sure there's a way to destroy it. That's what you need to convince me of.

Stiles: I need to know first how different this went down from how my world did. I need to know our divergent point in this.

Lydia: [takes a deep breath and leans back in the seat] How do we do that?

Stiles: I know it's going to be hard, but I need to know what happened to make your version of me let him in, and up to when you trapped them in amber.

Lydia: I don't know why. Rosie does, but she wouldn't talk about it, which makes me think it has something to do with her.

Stiles: Rosie?

Lydia: Rosalie? Your sister?

Stiles: Oh. [deep breath] She doesn't exist in my world and all the files I've read don't have that nickname.

Lydia: Oh. Well, I'm pretty sure it involved her life as leverage.

Stiles: That's what happened to me, but it was Malia.

Lydia: Malia. [a beat as she glances to Parrish, before turning back to him] Malia Mendoza? The werecoyote?

Stiles: Yeah. Who is also Peter Hale's daughter.

Parrish: Peter Hale? [eyebrow raised]

Lydia: Y,eah. Talia told us. She's ... been helpful at times, but I wouldn't call us friends. [and she's sorta wanted for murder of terrible people]

Stiles: Talia Hale is still alive? [blinks]

Lydia: Yes. In a maximum security prison designed for people with preternatural skills. She turned herself in after she killed Kate Argent.

Stiles: Oh. [there is no love lost in those two letters] Well, back to the matter at hand. There are two ways to incapacitate the nogitsune. The first is kanima secretions. The other is a kind of moss that grows from the blood of a nogitsune. In my world, there is a fountain in Japan that has the moss. It's a poison to nogitsunes.

Lydia: [takes a notepad and begins to jot things down] Where in Japan?

Stiles: [and he will pull up the info that he had Deaton send him by text when he was thinking of it] If you can't find it there, I can bring you some. I can technically bring you both, but that means I have to make nice with Jackson and not explain what I'm using it for, so I'm hoping you have the kanima stuff already.

Lydia: Jackson Whittemore?

Stiles: That would be the one.

Lydia: .... How did he get turned into a murder lizard?

Stiles: He wanted to be a werewolf and Derek Hale bit him. But he was in the middle of an existential crisis and turned into murder lizard.

Lydia: Oh. [a beat] Derek was never an alpha here.

Stiles: I figured that with Talia still being alive. [smiles]

Lydia: [purses her lips together here] I can check with the lab to see what we have. It's possible that there was some taken to run tests.

Stiles: They shoved it down my throat here, but you can just hose him down with it as he is coming out of the amber, and when he is immobile shoot him up with the poison to keep him unconscious. Deaton suggests redosing the poison every four hours, and the venom in the mouth every 30 minutes for optimal safety.

Lydia: [writes that down] If this is just a suggestion for prolonged stasis, we have a far more foolproof method that he's already in.

Stiles: Did you get the scroll from Takashi?

Lydia: Takashi? Was that Allison's father's contact?

Stiles: Yes. They went to him to find out about the Oni, and there was a scroll he was carrying in his silver finger.

Lydia: What did it say?

Stiles: A lot of Japanese, but translated it said you needed the change the host.

Lydia: Change?

Stiles: [nods] So the next thing you need you already have. You need an alpha.

Lydia: In prison.

Stiles: Who may be willing to cooperate to save her son.

Lydia: Her willingness to cooperate isn't the problem. It's Fringe Division's willingness to release her.

Stiles: If your Stiles is incapacitated, take him to her.

Lydia: And I'm assuming that she would have to be able to bite him?

Stiles: Yeah. And it's either going to kill him, or change him. The nogitsune will then flee from him in the form of a fly, so you'll need a containment container to have ready to catch it. For me it came out of my mouth. We used a wooden box made out of the wood from a mountain ash tree.

Lydia: I still need to run it through the proper channels and get approval for this.

Stiles: I think you'll find Olivia willing to help on the Fringe end. She wouldn't have let me meet with you otherwise. And I think for them, it'll be able to show the people who have loved ones in amber that there is hope to one day having them set free if they do this on something you now do have a way to contain. And I'm willing to help. After all, I am the divine move here.

Lydia: It isn't that simple. Look, you're not from this Earth and I get that you're trying to help, but some of those people in amber will never be freed. They're sitting on black holes. And it's not just Olivia's approval I'd need. In order to get an exception for removing amber, it would have to get sent up all the way to the head of the Department of Defense.

Stiles: I know some will never get out. That's not the point. It's the giving of hope that people need sometimes, even when they know it's mostly unlikely.

Lydia: And sometimes false hope can do more harm than good. [a beat] What do we do with the fly after we capture it?

Stiles: Deaton stored it somewhere that no one can access it. I'd suggest concrete.

Lydia: [makes another face at that, before making some more notes] There's no way to kill it?

Stiles: No, not that we found. The Oni, however, we can kill.

Lydia: How do we do that?

Stiles: Silver. We did it with an arrow. Didn't test with bullets.

Lydia: [writes that down] Anything else we should know?

Stiles: From what I'm told, duct tape is a wonderful thing.

Lydia: [she keeps her eyes on her notepad, because Stiles and duct tape is a thing she remembers well, and it's hard to fight the small, slightly sentimental smile that crosses her face. she clicks her pen once, twice, and then she looks up again, business face back in place] Duly noted.

Stiles: And one other thing. It may be hard to think of it, but I know when I was going through it... knowing that there was a chance that I could die in killing it - Scott wouldn't give up on me. But I was ready. If your Stiles is like me, he will be too. Especially if Allison did die.

Lydia: So were Derek and Scott. This wasn't some kind of accident where they got trapped in amber because of an act of God. They knew what they were doing.

Stiles: Oh, I know. But if it comes down to my death for Derek and Scott to have their lives back, I would go every time.

Lydia: I know. But it's also not your decision to make for other you. Or for them.

Stiles: I know. I'm just saying. [because how many times has Stiles made decisions for people over the years, let's be honest]

Lydia: [and she's hit her max on these shenanigans for today, before getting to her feet and making her way to the door] I'll run this by everyone it needs and we'll see what happens.

Parrish: [having been quiet the whole time] We'll let you know how it goes.

Lydia: [and with that, out she will go to find a quiet room where she can catch her breath and be emotional for five minutes]

Parrish: [and he will go check on her after a few minutes]

Stiles: [and he will wait here in case anyone else wants to see him, or Olivia comes to get him]

Alt!Olivia: [will make her way back in with a small smile] So. How'd it go?

Stiles: She's going to run it up the flagpole and see if it can be done. At least that's what she told me. [licks his lips] I had to try, right? I mean, something good has to come from what I went through that could help this place.

Alt!Olivia: [she nods] Agent Martin's always struck me as ... very serious. But she has a lot of guilt for what happened in Beacon Hills, so who knows?

Stiles: No, she's like that in my world too. It's that focused intensity of a literal genius.

Alt!Olivia: Well, until she makes her decision - is there anyone else you want to see?

Stiles: [bites his lip, because he wants to see his alternative sister but at the same time, he isn't sure he should] I don't know.

Alt!Olivia: Well, if you make a decision, I can call and ask if they want to see you.

Stiles: It probably isn't a wise decision to see the other me's family, right?

Alt!Olivia: Well, your sister already knows you exist. So you wouldn't be rocking her world. Might be a little dicey with your mom though.

Stiles: Well, if she wants to see me, you can let her know I'm here I guess.

Alt!Olivia: I will do that. Lincoln will be in in a bit to get your sandwich order for lunch.

Stiles: You guys don't by chance have a phone charger at all?

Alt!Olivia: We don't really have cell phones so ... no.

Stiles: I knew I should have brought the brick.

Alt!Olivia: I'll check back with you in a bit.

Stiles: Thanks. [and he will go back to playing with the pencil since his phone battery is pretty much dead]

Lincoln: [and he will come in and take his lunch order and as he's making his way out ...] Someone's here to see you.

Stiles: Oh? Okay.

Rosalie: [and he'll step aside and Rosalie will stick her head in, giving him a small wave as she does] Hey.

Stiles: [and he will jump up a bit, smiling, but hitting his leg on the table] Ow. Hi.

Rosalie: Hi. [a beat] Which I just said. [another beat] Agent Dunham said you wanted to see me?

Stiles: [snorts] I actually told her to just tell you I was here for the day if you wanted to see me.

Rosalie: Well. I didn't say no. [still stands awkwardly in the corner of the room]

Stiles: You wanna sit down?

Rosalie: Sure. [and she'll go and slide into the seat across from him] Why are you here?

Stiles: Technically that's classified.

Rosalie: Of course it is.

Stiles: But I gave Lydia some advice on how to solve a problem. She's going to see if it's possible.

Rosalie: Oh. [she wrinkles her nose a bit] Did she ask to see you?

Stiles: No, I asked to see her.

Rosalie: I'm sure that went over well.

Stiles: Yeah, but I hope if this works, it will help her. [and you, and mom.]

Rosalie: She just took it really hard, you know? She was the only one who made it out.

Stiles: I heard. [looks over a moment] How much do they let you know about the supernatural world?

Rosalie: I was always following you around. I knew everything you knew.

Stiles: Well, did I ever tell you about kanimas?

Rosalie: Derek did. He got stuck babysitting me and I decided to make use of it. He liked me more than he liked you, but that wasn't by much.

Stiles: Yeah, he tends to threaten me with his teeth.

Rosalie: Well, you tend to irritate him. And his mother raised him not to threaten women unless they really, really deserve it. [a beat] Did the Hale fire still happen on your Earth?

Stiles: Yeah. It did.

Rosalie: That's a shame. Hopefully there's a world out there where Talia didn't lose her mind.

Stiles: [sighs] She didn't survive.

Rosalie: ... Oh. So they lost her and Peter?

Stiles: Peter lived, but he lost his mind. And he's a bit of an asshole.

Rosalie: Oh. Other way around here. Derek and Laura knew she was alive because Laura didn't become an alpha, but they couldn't find her. Turns out, she managed to make it all the way to the hospital in Santa Clarita before she collapsed into a coma. No one had any idea who she was, so she was stuck there for awhile while she healed.

Stiles: [goes to sit] Peter never left Beacon Hills. He ended up being able to shift into a deranged werewolf after a few years and started to terrorize the town. Laura came back and... well it's only him, Derek and Cora left now.

Rosalie: Same here. Laura managed to track down her mom eventually, but the Argents followed her. Killed Laura right in front of her. That's when she went really nuts and started stalking down all of them. Derek managed to talk her down after Kate, but I don't think he feels all that bad about not getting to her before that. Anyway, he convinced her to turn herself in, and she's been in prison ever since.

Stiles: I kinda don't blame her either. The only ones I liked were Chris and Allison.

Rosalie: Same. Now they're all gone.

Stiles: I'm sorry.

Rosalie: [she shrugs] It was a long time ago.

Stiles: [nods] Can I ask... what happened to Dad in your world?

Rosalie: [drums her fingers a bit, before shrugging] I was five, so I don't really remember but the official report is that it was a traffic stop gone bad.

Stiles: [nods] I'm really sorry.

Rosalie: Not your fault. And you know, I still had Mom. And you.

Stiles: I have to admit, I'm kinda curious what I turned out like being raised by mom and not dad.

Rosalie: ... You don't really seem all that different.

Stiles: So I'm still a research nerd with a disregard for the law and put my nose into places it's not really supposed to be?

Rosalie: Pretty much, yep. Though you tried to stay away from anything too illegal because you wanted to do law enforcement like Dad. Scott's dad was going to help you get into Quantico.

Stiles: Yeah, I don't know if that could be said about me. I mean, that whole line of too illegal. Plus Scott's dad is a dick.

Rosalie: [blinks a bit, surprised] He is?

Stiles: You're telling me there is a universe where he isn't?

Rosalie: I mean ... he did pretty well as Sheriff until everything got ambered.

Stiles: [just blinks] Yeah, no that's totally not how it goes at all in my world. Wow.

Rosalie: He ran after Dad died. Been sober for fifteen years. All that stuff.

Stiles: Left the town in shame when Scott was still a kid and only sends cards on birthdays and Christmas.

Rosalie: ... Wow. I would hate that him too.

Stiles: Oh, plus he also tried to get Dad fired.

Rosalie: Dick. [a beat] So ... what is Dad like?

Stiles: He's... oh god um... He's very by the book. He went through a bit of alcohol issues when Mom died, but he's over that now. He has a dry humor, and god knows he puts up with me.

Rosalie: Probably the same way mom puts up with me. [they have a very "lady bird" relationship minus Rosalie throwing herself out of the car at the end]

Stiles: [laughs] God, she has to deal with both of us. Someone should nominate her to sainthood.

Rosalie: She'd say she was just being a mother. She made us, therefore she had to pay the consequences.

Stiles: [laughs] Yeah, that sounds like her. What I remember of her.

Rosalie: It's so weird. You had Dad but no Mom and I had Mom but no Dad.

Stiles: From what I've been told, it's common. Our universes are parallel but at the same time it's a whole flip of a coin life in some instances. Like Mom got sick before she could have you I guess here. The whole thing with switching Talia to Peter in who survived the fire changed a lot of their dynamics.

Rosalie: Mmmm. And you survived the Nogitsune but my brother didn't.

Stiles: We also don't have amber.

Rosalie: That's not a bad thing.

Stiles: I can see. [leans in] I don't want to get your hopes up, Rosalie. But if Lydia can get permission and what I've told her from my own experience works, there's a chance, just a chance, that we could save them.

Rosalie: [blinks at him] What do you mean?

Stiles: Ever since I met you, I've been studying about how different your brother and my nogitsune experience went. I know how I was saved. I know how to poison, incapacitate, and remove a nogitsune. But it's a risk at the same time, and I don't know if the ingredients even exist here.

Rosalie: None of that really matters because he's in amber.

Stiles: I know. But that doesn't mean he has to be forever.

Rosalie: Tampering with the amber is a really serious crime.

Stiles: Which is why we're asking for permission. My doing things not so legal days are mostly done.

Rosalie: Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up either.

Stiles: I'm trying not to, but I can't sit and do nothing when I have the information in my head. But it's up to Lydia and Parrish on getting permission and seeing if it's feasible.

Rosalie: Which means Lydia has to decide if it's worth it to get her hopes up.

Stiles: [nods]

Rosalie: So ... really don't get your hopes up.

Stiles: She took it that bad, huh?

Rosalie: [pauses for a moment before running a hand through her hair] The Nogitsune killed Allison, and it took losing what was left of her friends to put it away. The only comfort she really had was that there was no way it was ever getting out of that amber to hurt anyone else. You're asking her to risk that.

Stiles: I know. And if she says no, then I'll go with her decision. And actually mean it.

Rosalie: Good.

Stiles: So... [rubs his neck] I hope it's not awkward that I wanted to see you again. I never had a sibling before.

Rosalie: [shakes her head] No, it's cool. Just ... we probably shouldn't do it too much or I'm going to have to start figuring out what to tell Mom.

Stiles: You got an internship at Fringe?

Rosalie: She will never buy that.

Stiles: Why not?

Rosalie: Because I'm not the hugest fan, aside from Lydia and Parrish.

Stiles: And now me? [smirks]

Rosalie: You don't count, you're from another Earth.

Stiles: Well, true.

Rosalie: I'd take local cops over Fringe agents any day of the week.

Stiles: Yeah, Dad gives me a lot of shit for taking the federal officer route.

Rosalie: Parrish is such a nice guy that I don't think it's possible for the Fringe ilk to get to him, and I know why Lydia's working here. Its where she thinks she can make the most difference, and she's smarter than ninety percent of them.

Stiles: I'm willing to bet more than 95%.

Rosalie: Considering this was a department was founded by two mega geniuses, I feel safe with my estimate.

Stiles: If you say so.

Rosalie: [nods] Lydia looks out for me. And I look out for her.

Stiles: Good. That's a good thing.

Rosalie: Yeah. Just don't be too hard on her.

Stiles: I'm never hard on Lydia.

Rosalie: Not unless you want something.

Stiles: Yeah but even then... It was Lydia. [ he had that crush forever until he got to know Cora]

Rosalie: And she could still tell when you were disappointed in her.

Stiles: So you think she's going to do that with me too?

Rosalie: As I said. You're not that different.

Stiles: Point. I'll try to go easy on her.

Rosalie: Thank you. [a beat, and away from this] So what's your life like, other than FBI agent.

Stiles: Well... I live in Boston, right now at least while I'm learning the Fringe ropes. They're hoping to train me into being the West Coast liaison for the LA slash Beacon Hills area.

Rosalie: Boston's nice. At least that's what I've heard.

Stiles: Yeah. It's different than California though. Sun rises over the ocean and sets over mountains. So weird.

Rosalie: Are you by yourself out there?

Stiles: No. Cora Hale is with me.

Rosalie: ... Cora Hale? Really?

Stiles: [smiles] We're engaged.

Rosalie: ... Well, I didn't see that coming.

Stiles: Yeah, neither did I honestly. But we just fit.

Rosalie: Then good for you.

Stiles: Thanks.

Rosalie: Sounds like you have a really good life. Even though I'm not in it, which is major points against it.

Stiles: Well, technically, you are in it now. If you want to be that is.

Rosalie: Kind of hard to be part of the important stuff when you can't tell anyone I exist.

Stiles: Do I look like someone who follows all the rules?

Rosalie: I also can't go to things.

Stiles: [face falls a bit] That's true.

Rosalie: [she shrugs] It's okay. I'm not supposed to go to them. It's not my world.

Stiles: Would it be easier on you to just forget I exist?

Rosalie: No! Don't fuck with my head.

Stiles: [hands up] I wouldn't do that. I mean just me not trying to reach out when I'm on this side, that's all.

Rosalie: No, it's okay. I don't mind if you do. Just kind of sucks for the things I'm curious about.

Stiles: Like what?

Rosalie: [a long awkward pause before ...] Dad.

Stiles: [smiles, and he will pull out his phone. It's not like he can make calls, but he has pictures] Want to see pictures? I can also tell you more.

Rosalie: [she shrugs] We have pictures, it's just ... I only really have one good memory of him, you know? Because it was so long ago? There was this book I liked and if he was home he would read it to me before bed. I remember sitting in his lap and hearing his voice, but unless I'm looking at a picture, I can't really remember his face. It might be nice to have something more ... solid.

Stiles: [licks his lips and flips through the pictures] Well, Dad recently got remarried in this. Just so you know. Took him almost 14 years but who's counting. [and he will pull up the video of him, Scott, and Sheriff hanging out the morning of the wedding, Stiles of course ragging on his dad and the long suffering look on Sheriff's face dealing with his son]

Rosalie: [it's still not quite what she was looking for, but it's a good happy medium. It makes him feel like a real living person, rather than a memory. Even if her father is still just a memory] What's his wife like?

Stiles: Jody, she's a kickass sheriff from this South Dakota town. She learned about the Supernatural before she came out our way. She needed a change of location, and Beacon Hills is always hiring. She's got a good heart - she has two girls that were orphans and in bad places that she took in. But she doesn't take any shit from me.

Rosalie: Good. You ran every guy Mom tried to date out of town.

Stiles: Oh, I tried to run her out of town. Scott and I had a vision of Melissa and Dad.

Rosalie: [wrinkles her nose a bit] Ew.

Stiles: In my world, they kinda worked together to raise me and Scott.

Rosalie: No, it was the same with Mom, but even if Mom swung that way and Scott's dad wasn't still in the picture, it would have made that crush I had on Scott when I was twelve pretty weird.

Stiles: ...... [nope he can't help it and he will cover his mouth trying not to snort as he laughs]

Rosalie: Yeah, this you had about the same reaction when he figured it out.

Stiles: [coughs, trying to sober up] Sorry, just yeah. Did you...?

Rosalie: You saw his heart eyes for Allison, right? Yeah, no, nothing happened and I got over it.

Stiles: Yes, we all witnessed that disgusting display of PDA.

Rosalie: It wasn't that bad.

Stiles: At least with Kira he wasn't as goofy.

Rosalie: Who's Kira?

Stiles: She was a new girl in town around the time the whole nogitsune stuff was starting. He dad was teaching AP history.

Rosalie: [shakes her head] She didn't come here.

Stiles: Oh. Well, she's nice. If you ever do get to meet her, I think you'll like her. [beat] However, if you ever meet a Theo Raeken, use the bat and don't think twice.

Rosalie: Noted. [but he probably never will with no alpha to find]

Stiles: [safety first] Well, lunch should be getting here soon. And hopefully Lydia will get back to me soon.

Rosalie: I actually have to go to class too. But it was nice seeing you, Stiles.

Stiles: [nods] It was good seeing you too, Rosalie.

Rosalie: [she nods, and off she goes to head back to school]

Stiles: [and he will just go back to his pencil]

Lydia: [it's going to be a while before he gets an answer because she's trying to do the math and make sure everything checks out]

Stiles: [that's fine. he'll probably doze off after awhile. He still has the ability to fall asleep anywhere]

Lydia: [she also could probably use someone to talk it out with if you're feeling up to Parrish for a little bit?]

Parrish: [well, he's been at her side the whole time. what's up Lydia?]

Lydia: Do you think this is stupid?

Parrish: Stupid how?

Lydia: That I'm even considering it?

Parrish: That you're wanting to see if you can finally save your friends? There's nothing stupid in that

Lydia: What if it goes wrong?

Parrish: Well, if you want to do it, we won't disable the amber until we are sure we have everything in place so that we can contain the nogitsune. I'll have a firehose of kanima venom ready to cover him with if we have to. The people nearby will be fine if they take in a bit of the venom in the process if it means they are free after.

Lydia: This is Beacon Hills. Nothing ever goes that perfectly.

Parrish: He did say that Stiles could die. That would be a non-perfect ending.

Lydia: For me a non-perfect ending ends with the nogitsune getting away.

Parrish: [sighs] What did Agent Stilinski mean by being the divine move?

Lydia: It's from a Korean board game. A divine move turns a losing game into a winning one.

Parrish: But he said that he is it. Not the plan, but him.

Lydia: [she pauses for a moment] I don't know. None of this really makes any sense.

Parrish: We can ask Astrid to run the scenario to get the odds.

Lydia: [she nods, before glancing back to him] Do you think it's worth the risk?

Parrish: We're just running odds. Lincoln would want us to anyway.

Lydia: That's not what I mean. I mean, outside the numbers, Scott, Derek and Argent knew what they were doing. They made the choice. How am I supposed to decide to take that back from them.

Parrish: Because you're not taking it back. You're finishing what they started.

Lydia: It's been five years, Jordan.

Parrish: Not to them.

Lydia: Yeah, that's part of the problem.

Parrish: You're trying to talk yourself out of it.

Lydia: I just don't think I could handle it if this went wrong. If this goes south and the nogitsune escapes, they'll blame me.

Parrish: Who?

Lydia: Scott. [and Derek and Argent. but mostly Scott. They agreed that they were doing this for Allison. Lydia doesn't want to look so desperate for her friends back that she did the opposite of the thing they agreed to do]

Parrish: Scott made this choice knowing that there was no other option. He didn't know that a Stiles from the other universe would have an answer. And if there was a chance, slim as it is, to save Stiles, what do you think he would want you to do?

Lydia: [a long quiet pause as she weighs that] Save Stiles.

Parrish: [puts a hand on her shoulder] Then he won't blame you.

Lydia: [swallows and nods] Will you help me sell it to our bosses?

Parrish: If it's what you want. [thinks] I honestly see the merit of doing it. He is right - the people need hope. To be shown that we aren't just doing this and forgetting. That if we have an answer, we will go and fix it and save the people in the amber.

Lydia: Let's just hope they see it that way.

Parrish: [nods] And we have the supplies needed.

Lydia: [she nods and off they go to run it up the flagpole! And then we can handwave some stuff and jump to everyone's out of amber part? Scott, Derek and Argent are sleeping it off and Stiles/the nogitsune is kanima'd?]

Parrish: [totally. Did they bring Agent Stilinski to help?]

Lydia: [sure why not? But they can't get rid of the nogitsune until Scott wakes up, and it gives them some time to get a message to Cora that her brother is back in the land of the living]

Stiles: [and he will take up nogitsune watch, making sure that his double stays in the little body bag of kanima venom with the duct tape over his mouth and getting his regular shots of the moss poison]

Cora: [and she'll swing in to go sit by her brother's bedside, glance at the two Stileses and squint] The fuck?

Parrish: You're seeing double.

Stiles: [looks up at hearing Cora's voice, blinks] Um.. hi.

Cora: What genius decided that there should be two of them?

Stiles: Wow, that hurts.

Parrish: He's from the other universe. He's the one who brought us the schematics to be able to neutralize the nogitsune.

Cora: Oh. [sorry Stiles, this is a Cora who never came to care about you that way, so she's mostly indifferent to all of this] Okay. [and off she'll go to push herself on up her brother's bed, before reaching one hand up to brush a hand against his temple]

Derek: [and his eyes will twitch as he gets her scent, leaning into her hand]

Stiles: [watches them a moment, then takes a deep breath and focuses on his unconscious twin]

Cora: [smiles softly before whispering] Missed you too, big brother.

Derek: [and his eyes will open a bit, looking at her with a hint of a smile] Cora.

Cora: Hi. How're you feeling?

Derek: Tired. Sitff.

Cora: Take it easy. You've been asleep a long time.

Derek: How... how long?

Cora: [deep breath] Five years.

Derek: [groans] Great.

Cora: Better than forever which is what it was when you called me and told me about this stupid idea you had to get yourself trapped in amber.

Derek: It was... the only way...

Cora: Well lucky for you, Lydia found a better one.

Derek: I don't... understand...

Lydia: We found a way to save Stiles.

Derek: [turns his head towards her] Lydia?

Lydia: [she nods] Its been a while.

Derek: What... way?

Lydia: We have to change the vessel. Change Stiles from a human to something else.

Derek: ... My mother?

Lydia: Actually, we were thinking Scott. The DOJ wouldn't okay it for Talia.

Derek: Oh.

Lydia: I didn't want to cost her her visitation.

Derek: [nods, then looks at Cora] Have you... seen her?

Cora: [she nods] It takes forever to get the requests approved, but I get in once every couple months.

Derek: [smiles at that, because at least one of them was going]

Cora: She's been doing better. She'll be really happy to see you.

Derek: Me too. [takes a deep breath]

Cora: So we're just waiting on Scott?

Stiles: [yeah, he's not sure how this is going to go down]

Derek: Where is... he?

Lydia: [turns and points to the gurney where they left Scott]

Scott: [totally sleeping off the amber nap]

Lydia: He'll wake up soon, but until then we're using manila venom to restrain the nogitsune.

Derek: Kanima venom? [he goes to try and sit up] Where did you get that?

Lydia: Fringe Division. They had samples for a study they're doing on its properties.

Derek: But how did you...

Stiles: [sighs and stands up because it's better to get it over with sooner rather than later] Because of me.

Cora: There are two of them now. Also Lydia works for Fringe Division. [fills in the blanks]

Derek: [just stares at Stiles, his jaw set]

Stiles: I'm safe. [shows the oni's brand behind his ear] See, nogitsune free.

Lydia: He's from another Earth. An Earth where they don't have amber and had to find another way.

Stiles: In my world, you all saved my life using this blueprint I gave Lydia. You should be able to do it here too. With a small modification.

Derek: Small?

Lydia: Apparently he managed to get out of it without becoming a werewolf.

Stiles: It still almost killed me. But this will work.

Lydia: One of the agents ran the numbers. We don't just have to take his word for it.

Scott: [and while they were talking, he woke up and sat up because True Alpha is awesome like that] So what do we do?

Lydia: [spins around surprised, but is happy to see him] You bite Stiles.

Scott: [looks at the one standing up, and then the one in the weird liquid bubble] Which one?

Stiles: Please not this one.

Lydia: The one who's still unconscious.

Scott: I don't want to do it against his will.

Stiles: [licks his lips] Did he go through the process of thinking that he had frontotemporal dementia first before he went to Eichen?

Lydia: [frowns then looks at Scott]

Scott: Yeah. He thought he was going insane.

Stiles: [steps closer, hands out] And when he was freaking out, scared that he was going to become sick and die, you told him that you'd do something to save him.

Scott: How do you know that?

Lydia: I'm guessing because the same thing happened to him.

Stiles: Yeah.

Scott: [looking at Stiles, his head tilted as he just looks into his eyes] And back then, if I had to turn you to save you?

Stiles: [licks his lips] Being a werewolf is better than being dead. Just don't be expecting me to get that stupid tattoo.

Derek: [coughs, trying not to laugh]

Lydia: [again, confused, but whatever.] We don't really have a whole lot of time to debate this.

Stiles: [looks over at Cora, holding out a wooden cylindrical box with a screw on wooden lid] How good are you at catching fireflies?

Cora: You're kidding right?

Stiles: Derek and Scott are still recovering from the amber. You've got the fastest reactions of the group at the moment. [smirks] You can do it.

Cora: [sighs as she takes it] Fine.

Stiles: It will come out of his mouth. Be ready.

Scott: [moves over to the unconscious Stiles] I'm going to need a part of him to bite.

Parrish: I'm on that. [and he will slap on his plastic gown and gloves to go and open the bag to grab an arm, and using a towel to wipe the venom off Stiles' wrist] That should be enough.

Evil!Stiles: [eyes fluttering at the touch]

Cora: [takes the container and just waits]

Scott: [looks at his Stiles] I hope you understand it's what's best, buddy. [and bite time]

Evil!Stiles: [eyes shoot open, but he can't move so it's just frantic eyes and then he's gagging]

Parrish: Ready, Cora?

Cora: [nods, not really sure what she's looking for but she's assuming its a bug?]

Stiles: [and he will have a mason jar that will fit into the wooden box, just in case to help out]

Parrish: [and he will pull out the tape, and a single fly buzzes out]

Cora: [and she will dart forward, catching it easily in the wooden container, and screwing the lid on tight] ... That's it?

Stiles: That's it.

Alt!Stiles: [coughing] What's going on? Why can't I move?

Lydia: We had to dose you with kanima venom. It'll wear off once we clean you up. [and she'll gesture to one of the orderlies to get him on a gurney to do just that]

Cora: [holds out the container in front of her] Someone take this thing from me and lock it up somewhere? I don't want it.

Parrish: I know just the place for this. [and he will take it and go somewhere with it]

Stiles: [and he will blend into the background, as so not to freak his double out]

Scott: [smiling] Come on, buddy. I'll keep watch.

Cora: [nods and goes back to Derek's bedside]

Lydia: [will follow with Stiles because they need to make sure that Stiles is Stiles.]

Alt!Stiles: [is really confused] So why was I in kanima venom again?

Lydia: What's the last thing you remember?

Alt!Stiles: I was in Eichen House and Rosie was visiting. [he looked up at the ceiling] Is she okay?

Lydia: Rosalie is fine. But you were possessed.

Alt!Stiles: I know. It was me or... [swallows] It was going to kill her. It had possessed this other kid, Oliver. He had a drill to her head.

Lydia: Well, it took us a while, but we figured out how to get you de-possessed.

Alt!Stiles: ... How long is awhile?

Lydia: Five years.

Alt!Stiles: [looks at her, and then Scott] ... Amber. You used amber.

Lydia: It was the only way to make sure it didn't hurt anyone else.

Alt!Stiles: No, you, you did the right thing. But why am I out then?

Lydia: Because we figured out away to separate you.

Alt!Stiles: And you risked it... for me?

Lydia: And Derek and Scott and Argent.

Alt!Stiles: [and he will just smile up at her, because he is still totally in love with you, Lydia, in that crush way] Thank you.

Lydia: I'm going to call your mom and your sister. Let them know.

Alt!Stiles: Thank you.

Agent: Ready for the washdown, Agent Stilinski?

Alt!Stiles: Agent?

Lydia: [whoops.] This one's not an agent.

Agent: My apologies.

Alt!Stiles: [as he's being lifted, he's got that what are you not telling me look]

Scott: [stripping down to his underwear] I'll help once the venom is off.

Alt!Stiles: Wimp. [and in the shower they go]

Lydia: [deep breath] I should go call the family.

Parrish: [returning at that point] Do we need to do any tests though, just in case? Before you put them through a reunion?

Lydia: [glances back to E1!Stiles] How do we do that?

Stiles: Do you have an oni available?

Lydia: Do you know how to summon one?

Stiles: A kitsune has to do it. When they sacrifice a tail, it gives them control of them, or summons them.

Lydia: So how do we find a kitsune?

Stiles: Japan? I mean, I'd suggest a circle of mountain ash and making him walk through, but he's a werewolf now so that will affect him no matter what. [thinks] Scott could mindwalk in his head. [looks over at Derek] Right?

Derek: [thinking] Yeah, he'd be able to sense if there was someone else in Stiles' head.

Lydia: How dangerous is that?

Derek: If he doesn't get his claws in right, or Stiles shifts, it could sever his spine.

Lydia: That sounds like too big a risk, given that he's new to the whole werewolf thing.

Derek: I can do it.

Lydia: Are you sure?

Derek: [nods] My mom taught me.

Lydia: Would it be safer to have her do it?

Derek: It would.

Lydia: Then maybe we should try that instead. I'll talk to Agent Dunham.

Stiles: you may want to keep him venomed until then. Oral doses so people can touch him. Just until you know for sure.

Lydia: He's going to hate it.

Stiles: Yeah, I know. I hate it every time.

Cora: Happen to you a lot?

Stiles: More than I'll ever admit. [smirks]

Cora: Doesn't surprise me.

Stiles: You know, I forgot how angry you were when we first met.

Cora: [eyebrow raise] What's that supposed to mean?

Stiles: [shrugs] Nothing. You're just a lot different where I'm from. That's all.

Cora: Okay. [like she doesn't really believe that, but sure]

Stiles: So do you want me to stick around until you check him over?

Lydia: You don't have to. I'm sure we'll be fine.

Stiles: If you need me, you know how to get in touch with me. [he takes a look at all of them, and gives them a nod] Good luck, moving forward and all.

Lydia: [nods] Thanks.

Stiles: [and he will take his exit, heading back to Liberty Island so he can head across the universes]

Cora: [where his Cora will be waiting for him at home with the puppy]

Stiles: [and he will slide in, mentally distracted]

Cora: [glances up when she sees him with a smile] Hey.

Stiles: [sees her and smiles] Hey.

Cora: Have a good day?

Stiles: It was... productive.

Cora: Good productive or bad productive?

Stiles: Good.

Cora: Then good. [a beat] Do you want to talk about it?

Stiles: Part of it is classified.

Cora: Tell me about the part you can talk about?

Stiles: [takes off his jacket and tie, letting it drape over a chair] Without the classified part, it's hard to explain.

Cora: [holds up a hand to him to pull him closer] Try me.

Stiles: [takes a deep breath] Okay. Imagine a world where everything you know as reality could be just a bit off. The whole how life changes with making a different choice.

Cora: Okay.

Stiles: So like, I learned about something and how a choice had changed a lot of people. I knew how to fix it too, and so I did. It won't put everything back to how it should be, but it'll help a lot of people

Cora: That's a good thing, isn't it?

Stiles: I hope so. [rubs at his eyes] I just hope I didn't step on a butterfly in the process.

Cora: Okay, first of all, that's a time travel metaphor. Second of all, you did a good thing. You helped people. You're not responsible for other people's choices.

Stiles: I know. But if I hadn't given them the information...

Cora: Then they would be stuck in a bad situation with no one to help them.

Stiles: Maybe.

Cora: [reaches over to rub his shoulders] You did the right thing.

Stiles: I really hope so.

Cora: I love you.

Stiles: I love you too. And I'm really glad we made the choices we did. Even if some of them caused problems.

Cora: I am too.

Stiles: [and he will lean in to kiss her]

Cora: [kisses him back with a happy sigh]

Stiles: I also like you much better when you're not mad at me.

Cora: ... Have I been mad at you recently?

Stiles: No. No you haven't. And hopefully I will keep it that way.

Cora: Me too. Because I don't like being mad at you.

Stiles: Same here. [snuggles closer]

Cora: So what do you want to do tonight?

Stiles: I could use a long shower, and then maybe we can just netflix and chill?

Cora: Sounds perfect. While you shower, I'll take Rocky for a walk.

Stiles: That works.

Cora: See you in a bit.

Stiles: [and he will kiss her again, and then get up to go and shower]

Cora: [and she will take Rocky on an adventure]

Stiles: [and he will be on the couch dozing when they get back, exhausted from everything]

Cora: [smiles softly and heads over to kiss his forehead]

Stiles: [smiles in his sleep, curling towards her]

Cora: [brushes a hand over the top of his head] Stiles?

Stiles: [sleepy] Hi.

Cora: Hi. Wanna go to bed?

Stiles: [goes to answer, and yawns] Yeah, probably should.

Cora: Okay. [takes his hands to pull him up] Come on.