Hoping for Heroes

Chapter 6

Harley is in the backseat of Allison's car as they pull up to Lydia's house to drop her off. She stays silent as Allison turns to face Lydia.

"I need you to promise that you won't say anything about what just happened," Allison tells Lydia.

"I'll promise not to say anything about what just happened if you can tell me what the hell just happened!" Lydia demands.

It's- it's kind of complicated."

"Well, how 'bout you start with why was Derek there? Or where Jackson went, or what is wrong with Erica?" Allison clenches her jaw and looks down. Harley shifts awkwardly in her seat as the two friends fight. She shouldn't even be there, but she didn't have any other way to get home besides walking, and she was worried she wouldn't make it with the blood still leaking from her wound. 

"Oh, do you need a minute to come up with a plausible lie?" Lydia continues.

"Part of the reason why I'm asking is because Scott and I aren't supposed to be seeing each other, okay? So, it's better if you just keep what you know to yourself," Allison snaps.

"Fine. I'll keep what I know about you and your boyfriend-which is nothing-to myself. God, Harley knows more about you two than I do, and you literally have never even actually met her before yesterday!" Lydia shoves the door open as Harley curls into herself and turns toward the door. Normally, she would say something in this moment, but she feels it's better to keep quiet. Besides, she's starting to feel slightly dizzy from the blood loss, and she hopes the makeshift bandages aren't leaking too badly.

"Hey," Allison sighs, grabbing her shoulder and pulling Lydia back into the car. "He's not just my boyfriend. You get that, right?"

Harley shakes her head quietly, just to herself. No, Allison, she thinks. I don't think she does, considering that doesn't make any sense.

"Let me go," Lydia says. 

"Just for one second, please try and remember--" 

"Remember what?!" Lydia whips her arm down and faces Allison.

"Remember what it feels like. All of those times in school when you see him standing down the hall, and you cannot breathe until you're with him. Or, those times in class when you--you can't stop looking at the clock because you know that he's standing right out there waiting for you. Don't you remember what that's like?" Harley frowns softly, and she can almost feel the hurt radiating off Lydia.

"No," Lydia denies.

"What do you mean, 'no'? You've had boyfriends," Allison pleads.

"None like that." With that, Lydia shoves her way out of the car. Allison looks distraught, and Harley shifts her body so she can lay a hand on her shoulder.

"She'll be okay, Allison," she reassures. "She's upset she's never had that. You and Scott are pretty one in a million, though. Most of us haven't really felt loved in a long time." Allison turns her slowly to face her as she speaks, her eyes not leaving Lydia as she walks inside.

"I just, I don't know. I thought she would know." Allison panics once she fully turns and sees Harley's pale expression. "Oh, oh my God. You're losing a lot of blood. I need to get you patched up." She quickly starts the car and pulls out of the driveway.

"Allison, just get me home, I'll be fine."

"I can't just leave you, Harley. I'll bring you to my place and patch you up. You can sleep over. I don't want you dealing with this by yourself."

"And how are you going to explain this to your parents? Your dad isn't a fan of your friends."

"We're friends now?" Allison teases, trying to lighten the mood.

"I just got clawed by a werewolf for you guys, I feel like the least you can do is call me your friend," Harley deadpans, but the smile on her face gives her away. The smile soon turns into a groan once Allison hits a pothole and Harley's body jerks. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Allison eventually gets Harley home and walks Harley to the door, despite Harley's insistence that she's okay and it doesn't even hurt that badly anymore. Just as the girls are trying to enter the house, they run into Alayna. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees her daughter. Her face turns angry once she realizes who Allison is. 

"You have 5 seconds to explain why an Argent is in my kitchen," Alayna says calmly, but her expression proves to be anything but. 

"Harley mentioned that your family isn't a fan of mine, which is fine, but she's bleeding pretty badly and she needs your help," Allison explains. "I'll be gone once she's okay, I promise."

Harley huffs. "I'm literally fine, I just need to get some stitches. I can do them myself."

Alayna rolls her eyes. "Just give me a minute, sweetheart." She jogs to the kitchen and grabs a first aid kit. "Help her to the couch."

Allison stays until Alayna finishes up the stitches. She's surprised to see an Argent care so much about someone who isn't a hunter. 

"Want to explain this to me now, filia?" Alayna asks Harley.

"You remember the Hale pack, right?" Harley starts as Allison helps her up into a sitting position. Allison moves to leave, but Harley grabs her hand and tugs her back into the seat next to her. Alayna is surprised, but keeps her facial expression neutral. 

"Yes, of course," Alayna confirms. "Peter was killed, Derek is the alpha. Deaton told me this, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, he's got some betas now. Three of them. Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes. They want Scott McCall, but he's got his own makeshift pack basically, which is this human boy, Stiles, a girl that they don't know what's up with her, Lydia, and Allison here, who is obviously a hunter."

Alayna turns her attention to Allison. "What's an Argent doing helping a werewolf? You in love with him or something?" 

Allison shifts uncomfortably. Harley's mom's gaze is heavy, almost as if when you meet it she is able to learn all of your secrets. "Something like that, yeah."

"Who hurt my daughter?"

"Isaac Lahey."

Alayna nods. "Thank you for bringing her home. If she trusts you, I do too." She stands and motions for Allison to follow her. As they reach the door, Alayna says, "I know what it's like to face those who don't believe the same as you. If you need a safe place, know you're welcome here."

Alayna smiles, and Allison finally notices the similarities between her and her daughter. Their smiles both tug slightly higher on the left side, and the edges of their eyes both crinkle the same way. However, Alayna features look a lot harder than Harley's, like she's seen many more hardships and holds far more secrets. Allison supposes she has. She swallows hard. "Thank you. That means a lot."

Alayna nods. "As long as you and your friends are taking care of my daughter, it's no problem at all." She steps out of the way to allow Allison to walk to her car. As Allison leaves, she can feel Alayna's gaze on her back. 

"Trying to scare her, mom?" Harley calls from the living room.

"No," Alayna denies. "You trust her, I will too. I just want her to understand that we are far better as friends rather than enemies."

"You act like we have some almighty power we're hiding."

Alayna laughs. "Don't be ridiculous." She lowers her voice and murmurs to herself. 

"It isn't we who have it."

**A/N filler chapter, but I'm trying to follow along with the timeline of the show and this seemed to be best fit for Harley!