The Pack

Chapter 35: True Asshole & Ricky.

In the distance future...

"Why did you come all the way over here? Just to tell me hello?" The Old Man looked suspicious over the young man. "No, I knew your father. Every time he came to me, it was for something. You do want something?"

Ricky Stilinski-Hale looked at the Old Man. That was just a nickname, albeit. The man was about forty-six years old but he looked way older than he should, hence the nickname. Ricky just stared at the man's clothes. Some pair of dirty boots, a jacket over a green sweater, a cowboy hat and a circled gray beard.

"I want to you to come clean, my father has a fucking crisis. And Nick is searching for a ghost! For what you created." Ricky said.

The Old Man sighed. "Not my fault, and he wasn't my creation. Your father, Stiles." He spat the word with utter hate. "He helped me make what your cousin is searching for."

"Do not put the name of my father in this conversation. If it wasn't for you, none of this fucking shit would have happened. This is all your fault and you need to grow a pair of balls and admit it." Ricky got up from the dirty, muddy sofa.

The Old Man chuckled. "What are you gonna do? Are you forgetting something? You're the son of Stiles Stilinski and Lydia Martin. A fox and a Banshee. And you turned out human. I have a big advantage over you."

"Grandfather Chris has taught me something about self-defence against supernatural creatures. Turns out, with training, a human can be as dangerous as a werewolf even more."

"Of course he did." Old Man muttered. "He is Chris Argent after all. But that doesn't give you a complete green light here. You're talking to an experienced supernatural creature."

"I'm talking to a coward." Ricky spat out.

"Well then, it's resolved." Old Man smiled. "I'm a coward. Now, go on and leave me alone. Is bad enough you followed me all the way here."

This time, it was Ricky's turn to laugh. "Oh, no. You are not leaving, not any time soon. Nick went to who knows where to find Liam Dunbar and dad has a fucking fit."

"Stiles knows what to do, he's been an Alpha for what? Twenty-two years now? Go bother him."

Ricky sighed. "Old Man, you backed down once from the war because you were afraid of what could happen. You left your family alone and didn't do anything when they need you. Don't back down again."

Old Man sighed as well. He faced Ricky. "Look, Ricky, I like you. You're a great man, you bear for your family and you care about yourself like any Alpha should do. But you get nosey just like Stiles and sometimes, people just want to be left alone."

"Even those who didn't do shit?"

"Even those who faced their worst fears."

Ricky looked down again. He had heard marvelous things about that man who was staring at the white wall. He had heard of what he did in his time and how, how he was one of the greatest supernatural creatures in the world. However, the greatness had declined to just leave a bitter old man who rather be stuck in his truck and drink beer laced with Wolfsbane than to face his fears.

But Ricky was desperate. His family was falling part all over again. He was two years younger than Nick, his cousin who was the troublemaker. And Ricky wasn't exactly around when Liam Dunbar came for the first time and wanted to take Nick away from them. But he knew his father and dad were having a fit all together. And it was happening again. Now, Stiles did everything he could to calm the situation down. Derek in the other hand, tried to think of a solution. But Ricky knew the only answer to that problem was the Old Man.

But the Old Man didn't want to do anything related to Stiles Stilinski or Derek Hale. He had left those two names in a long past, he had left them along with some of his memories. He wasn't even sure they would received him with the caring and open arms of a family but rather with the betrayed looks of an old friend. The Old Man's past was blurry not for Ricky but for himself, he liked to drink it away before it became clear, it hurt less like that. But that was just lying to himself.

"Tyler, I beg you." Ricky said, the desperate tone going down his throat. "I wouldn't ask you if I knew this wasn't the only way. But my family could be in danger. You once understood that."

Tyler just stayed in the other side of the couch. He was muttering something very low for Ricky's human ear to hear. But it wasn't answer, it was more like a question. Or a statement.

"Your past is my future. And the future of my cousin. Be helpful for once in your miserable life and come with me." Ricky stated.

Tyler shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Ricky but I can't help you. I can't be be who you want me to be. Maybe once a long time ago I would jump without a question in front of a train to save your family but I cannot afford to do that right now."

"So, that is it? You just give me a cheap-ass excuse to not come and aid the people who helped you over the years? You just stay in your fucking homeless house drinking booze until the end of your days?" Ricky spat out.

"You do not know the whole thing-"

"I knew what I needed to know! My father and da dad talks wonders about you! Everyone in my Goddamn family talks wonders about you. And when you scarred me five years ago, I kept your secret. I Goddamn kept your secret. And hoped that you were the one, the one everyone was talking about."

Tyler looked pissed himself over those words. "I did this because it was the best thing to do! I did this because I was the Alpha of my pack. You are just a fucking kid who doesn't know shit. And your father and dad do not either because they need me! Who the fuck needs me! The world is better without me. Now go, before I decided to leave you with a permanent scar."

Ricky knew there was no reason to argue with him. Tyler was as stubborn as they come. Life had made him bitter and a hypocrite. If he didn't want to help him, then Ricky needed a back up plan. Half of him knew he was gonna refuse but half of him had hoped Tyler would do the right thing to do. As he took his stuff and walked to the door, he made a last stop to face the werewolf.

"We all need you. We all needed you. And even more than we want to admit. You helped people in your time and you helped my family to be together. You were the werewolf. The one who defeated his own evil father. The one who pulled the Hales to end the horrible feud."

Tyler just grunted. He didn't like to be reminded of his horrible and blurry past.

Ricky opened the door. And he walked out it. And before he closed, he looked at the werewolf.

"We need you, Scott. We need Scott McCall, The True Alpha."