Soul Sparked

Chapter 5: Compassion is Key

Stiles was an excellent helper and his mommy always thanked him for every chore he did without being asked. Stiles would grin with pride at the praise, and he was glad to make his mommy smile so much. She had been so sad lately and he didn't know why.

"Mommy? Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Claudia gave a small smile and nodded. "Mommy's ok sweetheart. Just tired. Shall we watch a movie?" she asked with a pat to the couch cushion.

Stiles grinned and joined his mommy on the couch. "Yes please."

Claudia pulled up Fox and the Hound which had been Stiles's favorite movie since he was a toddler. While they watched Noah drifted in and took a seat in the recliner throwing a fond look at his mate and child. Naturally Stiles grew tired but not before Claudia had fallen asleep and he put a blanket over her before allowing his daddy to usher him upstairs to bed. He went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth and changed into pajamas but then he froze.

"D-Daddy?" he cried out.

Noah hurried to his son. "What's wrong son?"

Stiles put his hand on his heart. "My mate is hurting daddy. Look," he gestured to his mark that had settled right over his heart. "Mate is hurting. What do I do? I want to make it better. Where are they daddy? I can–" he choked back a sob, his breathing speeding up. "I need to help my mate!" he started to panic and then sobbed as his dad pulled him into his arms rubbing his back soothingly.

"Oh kiddo. I know. I know," he shushed his son and picked him up carrying him to his room. "Stiles, it'll be alright. I promise," he assured his son.

"How do you know that daddy?" he asked, his eyes wide and shining with tears.

"Because your mate has you and you love them so much even though you don't know them. So, I know they can feel that you care even if they don't know it's from you," he smiled reassuringly as he coaxed his son into bed.

"Promise daddy?" he whispered.

Noah placed a kiss on his son's forehead and nodded. "I promise," he smiled as his son's whole body relaxed and waited until Stiles had fallen asleep before heading downstairs where his wife was still asleep. He carried her to bed next and his heart hurt at how easy it was to carry her. It had nothing to do with his strength and more to do with how fragile she was now that she was getting worse.

Stiles's mother became terminally ill when he was thirteen. The past two years had been rough but he stayed strong. However the last six months had been torture after he realized she wasn't going to get better. He was inconsolable and begged her not to leave him.

"Mom? It's me. Please don't leave me," he sobbed quietly. "I need you," he pleaded. "Dad needs you too."

Noah had gone to talk to the doctor and Stiles stayed with his mom. He knew something was wrong and his whole body ached as if her pain was his pain.

He cradled his arm where his soul mark sat looking back at him. "Pretty Little Wolf," he whispered, running his thumb across the mark.

His mom turned her head towards Stiles, dragging in a deep breath. "Patience my Little Mischief. Don't take your mate for granted. It's called a soul mark for a reason."

Stiles's eyes snapped to his mom's and he smiled. "I know mom. I remember what you and dad taught me," he assured her. "I'll never forget that, especially because you'll always be here to remind me," he said, his voice wavering slightly.

Claudia gestured to his heart and nodded once. "I'll always be—" she dragged in a breath. "Right here," she brushed her fingers over his heart.

As she finished speaking she let out a long exhale, her body going still and the monitor making a flatline sound.

Stiles's eyes went wide and he shrieked loud enough that his dad came running in only to find his son crumpled in a heap on the floor. "Stiles?" he choked out, falling to his knees next to his son.

Stiles didn't move as purple sparks danced across his finger tips, a tell-tale sign of him being a spark and Noah glanced over to see his mate no longer living, peacefully still on the hospital bed. His gaze fell to where her hand rested on her own soul mark.

He let out a loud gut wrenching sob as the bond broke inside him with his wife's final breath but he shoved it down and gathered his son into his arms. The tears didn't stop for hours and he was numb as the nurses came in and attended to everything. They even did a non-invasive assessment of Stiles since he had yet to regain consciousness. When they cleared Stiles, Noah took his son home and put him to bed before sinking onto the desk chair in his son's room knowing that they were all each other had now.

When Stiles was a kid he was always on the go but after his mom died things changed. He had a harder time focusing, couldn't stop talking or fidgeting but he still excelled in his classes and after they got him some medication to thwart his ADHD things improved even more. That didn't mean that Noah got to see the son he had before Claudia died but it did mean the nightmares lessened although some nights he woke to find his son asleep in his bed. He didn't have the heart to send him back to his own room. So he simply helped guide his son's head to the other pillow and tucked him in. After all, it was almost time for Stiles to start his freshman year of high school and that in it of itself was enough to set anyone's nerves ablaze.

Luckily over the summer Stiles had made friends through attending a summer camp. He flourished there in ways Noah hadn't seen coming. Malia, Isaac, Jackson, Scott and Lydia were regulars at the Stilinski residence and on those nights the house was more alive than it had been in a long time. Noah watched as his son opened up with his friends and saw the smile every time they were there that he had thought he'd never see again. The night that Noah found that smile directed at him when Stiles thanked him for letting him have his friends over was the first time he knew that things were going to be alright.

"You're welcome kid," he said with a smile.

Stiles woke up early for school before the sun was up and wandered into the bathroom. He undressed and took a shower only then noticing there was no mark on either of his arms. Only after searching using the mirror did he realize it was settled over his heart again. He felt his shoulders sag and after drying off he changed into boxers, jeans and a t-shirt before taking a seat on the end of his bed.

That was where his dad found him. "Hey Stiles?" he said as he stopped in Stiles's doorway. He noticed that Stiles had his hand on his heart.

"Do you think that when mom died my mark was on my mate's heart like theirs is on mine?" he asked quietly.

Noah went and sat on the bed next to his son. "Yes. In fact, I know it was because that only happens when our hearts are broken. It's to remind us that we are that piece of their life that is missing. It reminds us that although they are hurting, one day we're the one who is going to be able to pick up the broken pieces when they can't."

Stiles leaned his head on his dad's shoulder and sniffled, wiping his face. "I wish I could hug my mate and tell them everything will be ok. Mom said that my mark is special and I just have to be patient," he said softly. "It's just hard to know they're hurting and I can't do anything about it."

"Yet," Noah put his arm around his son, giving his shoulder a firm squeeze. "Yet," he amended. "Can't do anything yet but one day you will," he said in a soft but assuring tone.