Sterek Library (a03 Edition)

Samhain

By; nightlight9

Summary: The ghost of Talia Hale has been showing up in Stiles’ bedroom on the night of Halloween for years. Normally their conversations are pretty normal. But when she shows up screaming about how her daughter is going to be killed, Stiles knows that he’ll do anything to prevent that from happening.

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Like always, Talia Hale shows up just after the sun goes down on Halloween night. Stiles, who has been expecting her, doesn’t react when she flickers into existence in the middle of the room. He has his legs thrown up against the wall while he lays sprawled across the bed, tossing a ball into the air and catching it before it can hit him in the face.

Without looking over at her, he says, “I think I’m going to give up lacrosse. I know last year I was telling you that I thought it was perfect for me, but-.”

She cuts him off. “Stiles!” In all the years that he’s known her, Talia has been the picture of calm and steady, even when Stiles himself was in the midst of a breakdown. Hearing her frantic tone startles him enough that instead of catching the ball, his hand closes around empty air so it falls down against his forehead in an unforgiving wack.

Rolling onto his side with a low keen whine, Stiles finally looks over at where Talia is watching him. Year after year, Talia has remained the same, frozen in death and perfectly composed. Now she holds her body with enough tension that her fear is visible, and there’s something wild in her expression.

Her eyes are glowing red.

“Whoa, hey.” Rolling over, he sits at the edge of the bed, reaching out towards her as though getting ready to put his hand on her shoulder. He makes sure not to touch her though. “Talia, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

Even as he asks, the question gives him pause. He doesn’t know what could be wrong with a ghost. He barely understands where Talia exists the other 364 days of the year when she isn’t occupying the space inside his bedroom (he’s still not 100% sure that she exists at all). But it’s obvious that something is very, very wrong.

At her sides, Talia’s hands flex. “You have to help them, Stiles. You have to save her.”

Swallowing, Stiles prods, “Who? Talia, who are you talking about?”

She isn’t looking at him anymore, and as she stares at the wall it’s clear that she’s seeing beyond his bedroom. Her gaze is very far away. “He’s going to kill her, that bastard. It’s been an act this whole time, and he’s going to kill her, and Beacon Hills will be doomed. My family, this land, he’s going to betray them and destroy it all.”

Raising his voice in the hopes of getting her attention back, he snaps, “Talia! What are you talking about?”

Quick as a whip and too fast to be human, she turns on him. Her lips are curled up into a snarl, revealing fangs instead of teeth. For the first time since her first visit, Stiles is afraid of her. “My daughter! That fool is going to kill my daughter! His own niece, Gods dammit!” Crumbling to the ground, Talia buries her head in her hands. “I’m useless like this. I can’t even warn them about what’s coming. You’re the only hope I have, Stiles. You can save her. You can save everything.”

Normally, Talia has enough energy that she’ll stay visible and present for hours before fading away again. Now though, her form flickers with her grief, power stripped from her rage.

Carefully, Stiles folds himself down beside her, ignoring how his hands are trembling. As he watches her presence flicker, an anxious energy grips him. “Talia, please. Tell me what to do.”