Home (Sciles AU)

Chapter 13

Stiles POV

It's been six days since I've been let out of the hospital and my life is starting to get back on track for me. I finally get back to work and it doesn't take me long to pick up where I left off, getting back into the swing of things again. It's a good thing I do really love my job, despite the not so amazing pay if you're trying to raise a little girl as well as look after yourself. I have hospital bills to pay for now too, which I'm not excited about, but Dad, Lydia, Jordan and Isaac are helping me pay for the extra hospital expenses and other things that I am just short of money for. I feel bad for them doing this for me, since I don't really have a way to pay them back yet, but they tell me not to worry about it and they just want to help me out because we're family and that's what families do. I felt a little better after that and I really appreciate how supporting my dad and my friends really are. I wouldn't be able to survive without them.

While I am at work at the office, Lydia, Jordan, Dad and Isaac all take it in turns to look after my daughter while I'm gone. They also look after the house and clean up a bit. It's nice to come back to a house that's not completely atrociously messy and to see Claudia having fun with Dad or Lydia or another person that she trusts and loves. Usually by the time I get home from work, I'm exhausted and ready to fall onto my bed and sleep. I'll usually find time to make Claudia dinner though, if my dad or my friends haven't already prepared dinner for us.

Even Scott has started helping me out a bit, especially as our kids become closer friends. He looks after Claudia when he's free and I'm at work sometimes, which is good, because it means that Claudia and Jason get to spend more time with each other. Their friendship definitely reminds me of how Scott and I used to be at school. I tell Scott that he really doesn't have to do so much for me, considering he has his own life to worry about, but Scott always responds by telling me that it's fine and that he wants to do this for me, and it doesn't feel like something he has to do. He's just helping me out because he wants to. That makes my heart jump and my cheeks blush a little. I do really appreciate his help though. I think Claudia really likes it too. She's always excited when they come over. It doesn't seem to be just for Jason either. She really likes Scott too, which I'm really happy to see. I don't know why she likes him so much, but she obviously trusts him heaps. I mean, why else would she sleep in his lap? Anyway, I am very grateful for what Scott is doing for my small family, and I hope that I'll be able to offer him the same support for him if the situation ever does arise.

As for how my friends and I all split up and went out separate ways after high school, we are trying to fix that. Who knew that being bashed by your ex can cause that to happen, right? Anyway, the point is that we are seeing a lot more of each other, to make up for all those lost years. We hang out with each other at each other's houses or even go out to lunch or dinner together. It's really fun getting to know my friends who I haven't seen in 10 years again. I would have thought it'd be awkward, but surprisingly, it's not that bad. We just talk about how our lives have been ever since we left high school, what careers we have, the places that some people have travelled to and so on. We laugh a lot and crack heaps of jokes with each other, the tension and awkwardness in the air disappearing very quickly. It really does feel like we are in high school again. I'm very proud of my friends and where they have ended up in life. They have all done well. It's been fun to find out what they have been up to in the last 10 years. I sort of skip over the fact that I was abused for a number of years while I was in my first and only relationship, not really sure if I'm comfortable with sharing that with everyone yet. Due to this, my life sounds very boring. Scott, Lydia and Isaac obviously know that I'm not talking about everything that happened to me, as I can see the pained looks in their faces. The others get curious about who attacked me, but I just lie and I say that I don't know, that it was probably just some burglar. They seemed to believe that.