The Lives We Lead | tmr/tw • tw/tmr |

(22) Brunski Is A Bastard And Allison Is A Queen (Blink If You Agree)

(This takes place during season 3B- a year before Stiles Becomes Thomas, and DURING his possession by the Nogitsune.)

Rama wanted to spend the rest of her night basking in the memory of wiping that smug grin of the Nogitsune's face, leaving it with fear in its eyes. Instead, she had to argue with her father.

"Dad," she pleaded. "You shouldn't go back to work so soon."

"The medical bills are going to be hell," he muttered, drinking the protein shake she made him with disdain--he still wasn't allowed to eat anything other than soft foods and she already argued that he couldn't just eat mash potatoes for the next week.

"I'll help pay for them," she assured him. The thought of him going back to the high school while he was still recovering unnerved her. Another week of recovery sounded reasonable, but that next Monday? It made her feel queasy. With everything that could happen in just an hour in Beacon Hills, she didn't feel confident he'd return from an eight-hour day of teaching.

"Renee, you take care of me far more than I would ever expect of you--and I love you for it," he explained, trying to hide his grimace as he glanced at the green shake in front of him. "Even if this tastes like crap... but money doesn't grow on trees--not even for you."

It was another one of those moments she questioned how much he understood about the supernatural world. Should she just tell him of everything that was happening and hope that would be reason enough to keep him in the house? She feared telling him everything would have the opposite effect, making him even more likely to walk right into harm's way for whatever reason he could think of—and she wouldn't have that.

"Dad, I can budget helping you and keeping you out of debt!"

"With your government salary? Honey, we gotta be realistic here."

Rama sighed, realizing just how fruitless it was to argue with him, "Just... be careful, okay?"

"Aren't I always?" he asked as if the answer was obviously yes.

She decided it wasn't worth arguing about.

*****

She spent a large chunk of the next day at the vet office, explaining the Nogitsune flies to Deaton. After listening to her father complain about wanting steak more than ever when he couldn't eat it, she had practically rejoiced when Nada called her and told her to go see Deaton.

"So the Nogitsune will use these flies to possess werewolves?" Deaton summarized. "Which ones?"

"I'd tell you if I knew," she sighed, leaning against his desk. "The Laws of the Realm prevented Nadaviel from sharing any more than how the fox demon can use them with even me."

"Thank you for sharing as much as that," he told her honestly. He could how she beat herself up for things out of her control. She may have been the most powerful being in Beacon Hills, but there were still many, many things beyond her reach.

"There's one more thing I think might be useful," she spoke as she stopped at the door, much like how she stopped to address the Nogitsune—except she faced Deaton out of respect. "Banshee's may be immune to kanima venom, but not many other supernatural creatures can resist its effects."

"I'll keep that in mind," Deaton smiled.

*****

The following day, Rama felt incredibly useless as the Pack had the Nogitsune paralyzed at Scott McCall's house. She snuck around outside the house, feeling like a creep as she listened to Deaton and the others discuss what to do with Stiles. Scott believed the bite could kill the Nogitsune inside of Stiles and she almost burst into the house to tell him no, knowing that killing the Nogitsune while they were still connected would kill them both. She couldn't discuss it with Deaton since he had to go and help the possessed werewolves, but she knew she'd have to do something before they made a very big mistake.