Hoping for Heroes

Chapter 8

Harley drives both Scott and herself to meet Allison and Stiles in the woods. They had just found Danny's trunk of his car to be empty, no tablet in sight. They're silent, and it is quite uncomfortable, but Harley doesn't know what to say. Scott is obviously angry about coming out empty-handed, and her social battery is starting to run out. She can only do so much comforting in a day, so she decided to do what she does best; deflect and distract.

"So," she says, clearing her throat. Scott jumps, and Harley smiles to herself. She isn't sure how she keeps managing to sneak up on these werewolves. Scott blushes, embarrassed about being caught off guard so easily.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"How did this all happen?" He tilts his head in confusion, and she clears her throat again, shifting uncomfortably. Small talk isn't her specialty. "Like, the whole werewolf thing. You aren't a born wolf, obviously. You're dating a daughter of a well-known werewolf hunter. Your makeshift pack doesn't include a supernatural creature besides yourself. How does that like, I dunno. Come to be?"

He smiles at her, but his eyes seem far off, like his attention isn't on her. She supposes it isn't; it always seems to waiver quickly once Allison is brought up. "I couldn't really tell you, honestly. I just accidentally got myself bit my Peter Hale, Allison was the new girl who I couldn't help falling in love with, and everything else came together."

"And you just accepted it? Just like that? New friends, enemies, a completely different life?" 

"Sometimes you can't change things. It's like a mountain that you stumble upon on your path. You either climb it, or you just sit at the bottom and hope it moves somehow."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Why not go around it?"

"You can't just go around a mountain," he shrugs.

"Sure you can. You might be walking for a while, but I bet you could get there eventually."

"Well, this is my hypothetical mountain, so stop trying to ruin it for me," he pouts, jutting out his lower lip. Harley can't help the actual laugh that escapes her lips. Scott's features brighten slightly when he realizes he made her laugh. He points at her, then at himself, then smiles proudly. "Yeah, that's right, I'm funny."

"You aren't funny," she denies, shaking her head as she pulls up to where Stiles and Allison asked to meet them. "That was just stupid."

"Stupid enough that you laughed. That's gotta count for something." He grins widely at her.

"You know what, McCall, you-" Harley is cut off by a knock at her car window. She sees Allison peering in the car, looking slightly upset. Allison takes a step back as Harley opens the door and steps out, Scott doing the same on the other side.

"If I'm not interrupting, we could use your help now," Allison says. Scott nods and heads toward Stiles and Jackson, obviously not catching the hostility.

Some werewolf, Harley muses. She grabs Allison's wrist before she can storm away and tugs her closer. Allison stares her in the eye, the two almost the exact same height. The left side of Harley's mouth quirks up. 

"I'm not gonna steal your boyfriend, so you can stop looking so green," she says, and Allison flushes.

"I didn't-" Allison protests, but Harley is already shoving her toward the boys.

"Yeah, yeah. Go on, there's no way these boys can function without you." 

Allison turns to her with a slight smile, embarrassment still evident on her face. "I was a little jealous."

Harley rolls her eyes, but Allison knows it's playful. "Just go clean up their mess."

"You aren't coming?"