Firehouse 7, Chicago, 2006
After finally being given his navies and official fire helmet, Parker found himself drifting from house to house. Every firefighter always started off that way before finding their forever home- or somewhere they'd call home for a long time but for that to happen...
Well, it took time.
And Parker wasn't exactly one who enjoyed waiting, patience didn't come naturally to him as a boy nor as a newly blessed adult.
Stress balls, rubber bands snapping against his wrist, green teas - none of them worked.
After a little while of trying, he just accepted that he'd be annoyed at the waiting game. If he'd been waiting for four months already, what was another four? Or ten?
"Stilinski!" A voice called out, the voice of his current residential firehouses chief.
Parker had only been at Station 311 for six weeks after being phased out of his last for reasons unknown to him, but he found it quite nice. There were cultures he'd never known before, people he would've never spoken to if not for that opportunity and he ... well, he enjoyed himself there.
He hoped he'd be there for longer, but being called into the bosses office was never a good sign for a Stilinski.
"Yes, Chief?" Parker's voice came out louder than he had expected but the hints of fear were still there.
Losing the friends he had made in this house would break him, and he hated starting out all over again. This house was even a five minute drive from his place! A win, win, in his eyes.
"I think it's time."
An open ended statement, time for what? Time for tea, who were they? The British? Time for drills?
"Stop thinking, kid. It's time for you to take off that candidate shirt and put on a proper 311 shirt." Chief Cardoza said, taking in the boys reaction and noticing that he hadn't actually heard what he had said.
The way Parker's face dropped, he thought he was going to have to find yet another place to be dropped off at in rotation once more- until he heard the claps.
"Wait- what?" Parker finally managed to splutter out, his face tinged a slight shade of pink.
"You're shitting me?!"
That wasn't exactly the phrase that the Chief nor Parker was expecting to come out of his mouth.
After months of being a piece of driftwood in the Chicago River that was the fire service reserve of candidates- all equally desperate to find their docking station and become a permanent fixture to the Chicago system.
It was finally Parker's turn to do what Hanna and Isabel did. Throw a party, celebrating how things always go in a circle.
'Maybe it was worth getting shot,' Parker thought before quickly thinking that nothing was worth getting shot over, but at least he was able to have new experiences in a new city, with new people - people who didn't know about the supernatural...
or about him getting shot.
Chicago, despite all of its negatives (the constant snow, the lack of his family, the cold), meant a fresh start for him and he had needed that. He needed to regain his confidence, the confidence people saw was fake - but people can only fake it for so long.
"Congratulations, Parker Stilinski. Welcome home."
A hand extended towards Parker, holding a shirt that wasn't brandished with the word 'Candidate' on the back. That was the final staple in his contract that actually made the whole thing feel real. This wasn't a dream that would end the minute he woke up, this was his new reality and he was...
So happy to tell Stiles the moment he got home.
"This is probably the best news I'm going to hear this year." Parker finally replied after what felt like a year of actual silence.
That was just after the applause stopped and arms were coming to wrap him up in a large house-hug. Despite it being a nice gesture, it was one of the worst things that could've happened to an unsuspecting werewolf who hadn't exactly learnt subtlety... or how to determine threat from friend.
"Welcome party at Kenneys Dive?" Parker's new work colleague asked his boss, and whoops of cheers chimed out.
Clearly, they were all also big fans of Kenneys and his cheap alcohol prices. Whilst all of these were perks of Kenneys, what Parker loved most about it was the cheap snacks. Kenney always had a constant supply of salted crackers on standby for when the hungry wolf finished his shift at the end of the day.
If it wasn't for Kenney, Parker's food bill would be astronomical.
"Can I invite a couple people? Just - like, maybe three?" Parker asked before sending the mass text he was compiling as the others spoke.
Drowning out the sound after the yes was easy enough to do, but calming the buzz of his phone was not.
Eden Murphy jumped at the chance, she had been accepted into her own firehouse two months prior and was waiting for the day to receive the same text she had sent Parker.
Hanna and Isabel were just happy to be getting out of their apartment for a night, and meeting new people. The social wolves in them weren't easily tamed, and Parker should've probably thought about inviting them for a moment longer, but... he was trying to impress Hanna in any way he could.
"See you tonight? Say... 7?" Mac, the firefighter who had been showing Parker the way, shouted out from his car, earning him a thumbs up in response from Parker who was already past the first bus stop.
Seven, that gave Parker three and a half hours to get himself sorted for yet another party at Kenneys.
Jeans and a shirt would probably be enough. It wasn't like he was going to be promoted at this party, so he wasn't trying to dress to impress.
The walk home was quick, but that might've been down to Parker walking much quicker than usual, wanting to have enough time to have a clean shaven face and at least a half decent shower before he used all the hot water.
Isabel had been constantly asking questions about if there were any jobs for paramedics going inside the same firehouse but those questions were left unanswered. Parker didn't know, and he hadn't been there long enough to ask.
It had only been two hours since he had been given the invitation to stay.
Every mirror Parker walked past had to be inspected, from the way it looked on the wall to whether or not it needed lifting.
As he did that, he also inspected his own appearance, from the way his hair looked to how the clothes were on him. He This did lead to three outfit changes, which was a new record for him.
It was both a way of passing the time and to also calm the inner voice that kept telling him things weren't right, or that the mirror itself was wonky. Becoming hyper fixed on mirrors wasn't ideal but it did the trick of allowing time to pass as if it was water through a sieve.
Usually, Parker would be quite happy with being fashionably late, but this time was different.
More often than not, the parties that were being held were for the Lacrosse team, and he was captain. So- in his mind, the party didn't actually start until he arrived.
This one, was in honour of him.
Being late to that would just be a big old kick to the teeth for his new Chief.
He had fifteen minutes to walk from his apartment to the bar, usually a twenty minute walk but he had the confidence that he'd make it there just in time. Hopefully even with a minute or two to spare—
Knocks, or rather loud, obnoxious thumps (that would get him into some bother with his neighbours above), rattled his apartment.
"POLICE! OPEN UP!"
After that, followed giggles. If Hanna had changed her voice, maybe Parker would've been terrified, but with her husky tones - it was hard for her to hide them.
"The doors op—" yet again, cut off by the sound of the door.
This time however, the door was slowly being opened.
Behind the half-cracked door, stood Isabel and Hanna, one held a big bottle of what looked like champagne and the other had chocolates.
A perfect celebratory gift, if he did think so himself.
"You should've heard your-" Isabel cut herself off with yet another bout of laughter.
"C'mon old man, we're gonna be late! I'm driving." Hanna interrupted her sisters laughing spree, holding her hand out for the man to take.
His eyes looked at her hand and then back to her face maybe twice before he realised the hand was indeed for him to take, and he did. Of course, Hanna heard and probably felt his heart pick up, but said nothing of it.
Isy's face was more than enough of a tell.
"Congratulations, Mister Fireman."
"Well that was oddly sexual..."
Parker allowed the two girls to walk ahead and bicker about whatever that was in peace.
Locking the door behind the three of them, Parker froze in his place for a moment. Everything had taken so long to sink in, but it was all real.
As real as the day he was born.
"Hey, wait up!"
The journey from the apartment block to Kenneys Dive took less time than it should've. Usually, Isabel gets distracted by Hanna who gets distracted by shops, or dogs - usually dogs - and it adds at least ten minutes onto the journey.
But today was different. It was like they were both trying to be on their best behaviour.
As the bright yellow and blue sign of Kenneys came into view, the noise of people hurrying into position was almost like fireworks to Parker.
At least he now knew what to expect the moment the doors swung open.
Or so he had thought.
Pushing the two sided door away from him, Parker noticed the lack of firefighters from his new firehouse. There were paramedics, still in uniform, and Eden Murphy sat on a bar stool, a hand clutching a glass of fizzy coke.
So much for a turnout.
"Hey, Murph."
Eden Murphy turned her head, wearing a small smile delicately laced with happiness and confusion.
"I thought you said this was a party- Park, no one's here.." Having trouble hiding her laughter and the overall humour she found in the situation, the smile on Edens face grew exponentially.
Before Parker had chance to reply, people burst through the door, letting off party streamers left and right. The loud bang of the door ricocheting off of the wall made Parker jump, but the streamers made him almost jump out of his skin. Streamers of red white and blue landed all around him, and unfortunately for a man who detests glitter, glitter too.
The clapping didn't cease until Chief Cardoza raised a hand, silencing the masses - including the people who had no idea why they were clapping.
"Tonight-" the man started, his gruff voice rattling off of the furniture in the bar, "tonight is about Parker, a man who defeated all odds and actually managed to worm his way into our house."
It didn't exactly sound like the sort of speech Parker was expecting, but it was in true Cardoza fashion.
Insult them and then hit them with the actual compliment.
"His constant supply of snacks no one has ever heard of and his constant daydreamings should mean that he's a terrible candidate, but when it comes to being needed - he's there, like a dog." Cardoza continued, earning a sort of knowing glance from Isabel.
"That is why we are all grateful that he accepted our request to have him permanently within Station 7, Truck 117."
As the man finished, Parker was pushed forward by Eden and Hanna, who both looked as proud as punch.
Reaching the centre of the ring that had formed, Parker stood like an idle car, unable to bring himself to take another step forward. Though, the moment a hand was extended towards his own, his hand shot out like water from a hose.
Instead of shaking hands, a new shirt was placed into Parker's hand, one identical to his old Candidate shirt. Instead, written on the back of the navy shirt, was P.Stilinski.
Before Parker had the chance to say anything, Mac stood forward with something of his own to hand out.
"We all know family means everything in our field- and we also all know how you care so deeply for your little brother." Mac started, finally handing Parker the item that was in his hand.
It was an identical shirt to how own, except on the back read M.Stilinski.
"Fuck-"
"We broke him this early?"
"Correction, you lot broke him. We just came for the free food." Isabel commented, before walking off to talk to Cardoza.
This was what family in Chicago really meant.
It was foreign but nice. Nice enough to want to keep it exactly how it was and that was a rarity when it came to family in any world.
"Kenney, turn the music up please?"
And that was what he did. Allowing the emergency service members to party til their hearts were content, helping to reset their bodies with one shot at a time.
"K-"
"Snacks are on the side, Parks."
Including Parker's stomach.