Mama Hale

3.26.65

-Recap-

Lydia chuckles. "I-I just-I don't know. I just read it somewhere. And if I was really smart, I would tell you to sign up for a few sessions with a guidance counselor."

Stiles chuckles and they sit in silence, until it hits Stiles.

"Morrell."

(3rd P.O.V.)

Lydia looks at him and they scramble to grab their bags and race to her office. Stiles pushes open the door, only to find a student sitting in a chair, but no Morrell.

"Are you here for Ms. Morrell?" Stiles asks her.

"No, I thought this was gym class." She sarcastically replies.

"Sweetheart, we're not in the mood for funny." Lydia snaps. "Do you know where she is?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be waiting here for 20 minutes. So how about you two back out the door and wait your turn." The student sasses.

"We're not here for a session." Lydia sasses right back.

"Well I am. And I've got some serious issues to work on."

"Hey, wait, wait, wait. You're Danielle." Stiles points out. "You're Heather's best friend."

"I was Heather's best friend." Danielle sadly sighs. "We've been working on that issue three times a week."

"Hold on, did you say Ms. Morrell's 20 minutes late?" Lydia stops the girl.

"And I don't know why, either. She's always on time." 

Lydia looks forward, thinking it through. "I was seeing her at the beginning of the semester. She was never late."

"Then she's not late. She's missing." Stiles mutters.

"What if we're not the only ones who think she knows something?"

"Then I want to know what she knows." Stiles jumps behind her desk, going for her drawer.

"What are you doing?" Danielle exclaims.

"Trying to find her." Is Stiles' reply, pulling open the drawer of files.

"Those files are private." Danielle presses.

"Yeah, she's kind of right." Lydia agrees.

"That one's yours." Stiles holds out Lydia's folder.

"Let me see that." Lydia swipes the folder from him, laying it on the desk and looking through it.

"Wait, Lydia, that's your drawing." Stiles stands up, looking at the paper.

"Yeah, I know. It's a tree." Lydia shrugs it off as Danielle stands up, looking over Lydia's shoulder.

"Yeah, good too." Danielle compliments.

"Thank you."

"No, Lydia, but that's the same one, though."

"Same as what?"

"The same one I always see you drawing in class." Stiles' voice quiets as he speaks.

"It's a tree. I like drawing trees."

"No, but it's the exact same one. Don't you see?" Stiles reaches for her bag. "Alright, gimme your bag." He pulls her notebook out, flipping it open and laying it beside the paper in the file. "There, see?"

They start flipping the pages, showing the exact same tree on each one, identical from the branches to the trunk, to the pencil stroke.

"Okay, you can have my session." Danielle calls, grabbing her bag. "You got bigger issues." She leaves while Stiles continues flipping.

"What is this?" Lydia shakily gasps.

Stiles stops on one page, looking at the tree before slowly lifting up the notebook and turning it upside down.

"I know where they are."

They turn and rush out of the room with their things, Stiles explaining on the way.

"The nemeton. That's where she's keeping them. It has to be."

"Stilinski!" A voice calls from down the hall, halting the teens. Stiles groans. "All right, look, go get Derek, okay? He and Peter, they've been there before, so they'll know where it is. Tell them it's the root cellar, all right? They'll know."

Lydia walks off just as Stiles turns around to face Agent McCall.

"Did you know your dad's car is in the school parking lot and has been since last night?" McCall questions.

"No. What does that mean?"

"It means he's officially missing. Where's your sister?"

"She had to take the day off." Stiles shrugs. "Her husband's sister is sick and isn't doing too well. They're spending the day with her."

"And her sons?"

"She only has one son." Stiles frowns. "Isaac Hale. Hunter is our brother."

"Your little family is a mess." McCall mutters. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

The teen leads his best friend's father into an empty classroom, both of them sitting themselves on desks facing each other.

"Stiles, why am I getting the feeling you know something that could help us find your dad?"

"If I did, why would I not tell you?"

"If it meant helping your dad, why wouldn't you?"

"So you're asking me to tell you what I wouldn't not tell you?" (I'm definitely proud of myself for writing that sentence off of memory and not from using the subtitles.)

"First, I have no idea what you just said. Second, how about you just help me help you?"

"Well I don't know how to help you help me tell you something that would help you if I don't know it." Stiles replies, amused by his wordplay.

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

"I don't know anything, okay? Can I just go?"

"Where are your other friends?"

"You mean Scott?"

"I mean Scott." Agent McCall nods. "Isaac Hale, Allison Argent, these twins Ethan and Aiden. I've been told your whole little clique didn't show up at school today."

"I don't have a clique." Stiles says, getting jittery. "And I already explained Isaac."

"Stiles, come on. There's been a pretty disturbing amount of violent activity in this county in the last few months, several murders tied to this school. I don't know what's going on here, but it's serious. And-hey." Agent McCall stops upon noticing Stiles not looking at him. The teenager slowly turns his head to look back at him. "Your dad is missing." Stiles is quiet, and McCall stands. "Fine. But I don't want you going home alone. You have someone you can stay with tonight?"

"Uh-" Stiles stops himself from saying Lyrica, not wanting to draw her husband into his mess.

"He's with me." A voice calls from the doorway and Stiles and McCall both turn to face the veterinarian.

Edit: May 22, 2020. I'm gonna have to go through and redo all the chapter names.