The Huntress {Stiles Stilinski}

The Tell - Happy Birthday!

  Raelynn's P.O.V.

The movie store is pretty empty. I'm browsing the rom-com section, trying to find a movie me and Allison will both like. It's our birthday tomorrow, and we have this tradition that on the night before our birthday we watch a movie together, usually in Allison's room because my TV isn't as big as hers. As I'm browsing I see Jackson come into the store, a bored expression on his face. I keep my eyes down onto my section before he huffs.

"Can someone help me find The Notebook?" he shouts, presumably so a member of staff can hear him.

I cross down through one of the aisles and tap his shoulder. He turns and gives me a small smile. "Hey, Jackson, right?"

"You're - Allison's twin?" he asks, pointing at me. Slightly rude, but I ignore it.

"Uh-huh," I say with a nod. "You looking for something?"

"The Notebook," he replies. "Lydia's kinda obsessed with it."

I chuckle and look around the aisles. I've seen The Notebook at Allison's request. I watched it with her and it was a sloppy romantic film. Not my style at all. "Hmm, I prefer action movies."

He chuckles and follows me through the aisles until I find it. I'd seen it a moment ago when I was looking for mine and Allison's film. I pick it up and hand it to him, which he returns with a smile. "Thanks. You'd think one of the staff members would answer when I asked."

I raise my eyebrows with a slight nod and look behind me to see a pair of feet poking out from the horror aisle. "Oh, my God." I walk over with Jackson on my heels and peer at the staff member led on the ground, clearly dead. His throat is slashed open and a pool of blood has formed around his head. I cover my hand with my mouth as I look into his dead eyes. There's a growl from behind us and I turn with Jackson to see the glowing red eyes of the Alpha. I gasp and knock into Jackson, pushing him with my body. "Go, move!"

"What the hell is that?" he breathes as we land in between two aisles. "Rae, get off of me!"

I'm led on top of him, but that way I can protect him. "Shut up!" I snap. But there's a groaning, as if the stalls are being knocked over. I hear the DVDs hitting the floor and roll off of Jackson. "Move, Jackson, now!" But we're too slow, and my legs get trapped beneath the stall. I whimper as pain spreads through my legs and Jackson is led a few feet away, one of his legs trapped under the same shelf. The Alpha is crouching on top of him, his claws resting just above Jackson's neck where Derek had pierced his claws a couple days ago. The Alpha suddenly retreats and jumps out of the window past a car in the parking lot.

"Rae?" Jackson asks. "Are you okay?"

"Super," I moan as I try and move my legs. I twist my body slowly to reach into my jean pocket and pull out my cell phone.

"What are you doing?" he says. "Who you calling?"

"The police," I reply, dialling 911. "There's been a homicide, Jackson, I need to call them. Hello, yes, I'd like the police please. I'd like to report a murder. And could you bring an ambulance, too?" I hang up and let my body flop on the floor.

"Why do we need an ambulance?"

"Boy, you ask a lot of questions," I sigh. "Because I think my legs are badly hurt, and you don't look too good yourself. Now would you shut up and hope your ditz of a girlfriend comes in a minute to lift this thing off of us before my legs lose circulation. I'm kind of attached to these things, you know."

He chuckles and shakes his head, but it appears Lydia doesn't want to come in and lift the shelf from our legs, so we wait until we see the blaring of blue and red lights from outside before I make any attempt to move. The deputy that was on the desk when I met Stiles' dad comes in and helps lift the shelf off my legs, helping me to my feet so the paramedics can assess my legs and see the damage. I hope it's not broken bones.

I see the Sheriff's car pull up while I'm sat on the edge of the back of the ambulance, so I'm half in the vehicle and half not. Stiles rushes out as he sees me sat there with a blanket around my shoulders and kneels down so I don't have to look up to him. "Hey."

"What happened?" he asks gently, taking my hand and squeezing it softly.

"I'll explain later," I say, making knowing eyes at the fact that Jackson, Lydia and the Sheriff are here.

"Why the hell can't I just go home?" Jackson shouts, making me jump. Stiles stands up and wraps an arm around my shoulders, rubbing my back gently. I lean into his chest and inhale his scent, which is hard to describe but to me it just smells of Stiles. "I'm fine."

"He's doing his job, Jackson," I say, slightly muffled from how I'm leaning against Stiles. "You don't need to shout."

"I hear ya," Sheriff Stilinski says to Jackson, "but the EMT says you hit your head pretty hard. They just wanna make sure you don't have a concussion."

"What part of 'I'm fine' are you having a hard problem of grasping? Okay, I just wanna go home." Jackson gets a bit too into Sheriff's face for my liking, and apparently Stiles feels the same. He tenses beneath my head, and I narrow my eyes at Jackson's back.

"And I understand that."

"No, you don't understand, which kind of blows my mind since it should be a pretty basic concept to grasp for a minimum wage rent-a-cop like you!" Jackson snaps, and I sit up fully now. "Okay, now I wanna go home!"

"Jackson!" I say loudly, making all eyes turn to me. "He's trying to keep you safe, okay, there's no reason to shout at him like that. I do wanna go home though, Sheriff."

"Okay, honey, we can take you home," Sheriff says. He calls someone over and explains to them that he's going to drop me and Stiles home and then he'll be back at the scene. "Come on, let's go."

"So you're letting the girl who called for an ambulance go home?" Jackson shouts, and I limp away from the ambulance, putting the blanket back in the ambulance. "Unbelievable."

I climb shakily into the back of the cop car, and Stiles gets in beside me. I strap my seatbelt in and then rest my head against Stiles, who wraps his arms around me, keeping me close to his chest. I feel him kiss my head and then rest his cheek against the top of my head, and I smile to myself, closing my eyes. When we're home, Allison comes out to help me. "I forgot the movie."

"It doesn't matter," she says, shaking her head. "I'll just be a sec, we have some crutches in the broom closet."

"Why do you have crutches in the broom closet?" Stiles asks, lifting me off my feet and helping me climb the porch steps. When he sets me back down he takes my hand.

I laugh. "Who knows with my family, right?"

"Will you be in school tomorrow?" he asks hopefully, and I smile.

"Yes, Stiles, I'll be in school," I say with a chuckle. Allison comes back with the crutches and I lean up to kiss his cheek quickly. "Thanks for escorting me home, sir."

"My pleasure, madame," he grins, bowing. Sheriff honks his horn to tell Stiles to hurry, and Stiles rolls his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Allison hands me the single crutch and I hobble inside. "Are you and Stiles together?"

"What?" I ask. "No. We're just friends."

"Friends with benefits?" Allison suggests, nudging my ribs with her elbow.

"What, no. Ew, Alli, come on," I laugh. I head to my room and she follows, helping me down on my bed. "I'm sure I'll be better by tomorrow."

"I hope so," she says, and then she digs around in my desk drawer, pulling out a DVD. "Would you like to complete our birthday tradition?"

"I would love to," I say, nodding at the DVD Alli's holding. It's Sleeping With The Enemy, and it's one of my all-time favorite films. I watch it until the end credits roll, by which time my eyes are drooping closed. Allison pulls my covers over me, kissing my forehead. "Night."

"Night," she says, closing my bedroom door.


When I wake up, the pain in my legs are gone. I can walk, but it still hurts a little. I grab Allison's present after I've gotten dressed and brushed out my hip length hair, leaving it natural. I burst into her room to see her packing her bag for school. Exact grins climb onto our faces, and we rush forwards and hug each other tightly. "Happy birthday!" I say happily.

"Happy birthday!" she replies, squeezing me tighter. "I have your present."

"And I have yours." I hand her the box I'm holding and she hands me mine. We open the presents at the same time, and I see that Allison has given me a ring with our birthstone in the middle of it. "I love it!" I squeal, sliding it onto my finger. It's a perfect fit.

Allison's box contains a bracelet with charms hanging off of it, reminding her of all the times we've shared together. She smiles and hugs me, and I squeeze her. "17, huh?"

"Strange," I say. "I expected to feel older."

"What's Stiles gonna say?"

"Nothing probably," I say, but I stop when Kate comes into Alli's room.

"Happy birthday, girls," she says, hugging us together. "Hey, Allison, listen. You know I feel totally horrible about my behavior the other night, right?"

"Oh, totally forgotten," Allison says, waving her hand at Kate.

"No, not forgotten by me," Kate carries on. She's hiding something behind her back, and I try to see what it is but she moves so I can't. "Come on, call me a 'horrid bitch' or something."

"You were just being - protective."

"I was being a protective horrid bitch - Who is - giving you your birthday present early so you'll forgive her. Forgiven?" Kate hands over the box, and Allison opens it to reveal the Argent heirloom necklace. I have one similar to that in my desk. Kate tells Alli that if she ever wants to learn about our family history, she just has to look up the pendant.

I follow Kate out of Alli's room and going downstairs, grabbing my bag on the way. "You were supposed to give her that when Dad told you to!"

"She loves it, what's the matter?" Kate shrugs, getting a glass of apple juice from the refrigerator and handing it to me.

"Thanks. The matter is she'll actually research it, and the come the questions," I snap. "Who do you think will get the blame when you're gone, huh? Me!"

"Rae, chill," Kate says, placing her hands on my cheeks. "Allison needs to understand our family, and this is a good way to start. Now, go, you'll be late for school." I make to go but she grabs my hand. "Wait, wait. Your present is in the garage. Want to see it?"

I follow her down to the garage and see a brand new bow and arrows, and I jump up and down. "Thank you! I love them."

"I'm glad you like it, because," she says, dragging 'because' out, "you're gonna help me on a hunt."

"I - I am?" I ask. I attempt at acting flattered but I'm not sure it worked.

"Mmmhmm. Do you know someone called Derek Hale?"

"No," I lie quickly, smoothly. "Why?"

"There's an Alpha. I bet that's what attacked you in the movie store yesterday, and that's who's killing people. And Derek is going to lead us to him," Kate says, looking me in the eyes. "Now go to school."

I drive me and Allison to school in the Impala, not seeing Stiles or Scott outside. I see the Jeep, though. When I open my locker, I see two balloons tied to two presents. I turn and see Stiles coming up the hallway with a bouquet of flowers, Scott smiling beside him. I blush and look down, looking back up when they reach me.

"Happy birthday," Stiles says, pressing a kiss to my cheek. I smile even wider and take the flowers he offers me.

"Thank you," I whisper, and hug Scott.

"Take a look in your locker," Scott says, pointing with his chin to my open locker. I turn around and open one of the presents, finding a bracelet in there with a silver wolf charm hanging from it. "I hope you like it."

"Thank you so much!" I say happily, hugging him again. He puts it on for me and then spots Allison, wishing me happy birthday again and then rushing off. I turn to Stiles and smile. "Thank you for the flowers."

"That's not all I got you," he grins, and I raise my eyebrows and pull out another present to see a white photo frame holding a picture of me and Stiles at lacrosse practice, pulling goofy faces. I smile and feel a lump arise at the back of my throat. I'm sat on the bench behind Stiles, and he's sat on the bench in front of me. I blink away the tears, feeling more than grateful that someone other than Allison got me a present. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah," I laugh nervously, meeting him midway for a hug. He's wrapped his arms around me, so my arms are trapped against his chest. "Thank you so much."

He wipes away one tear and I smile. "Happy sweet 16."

"Ah, more like sweet 17," I shrug. He looks at me with curious eyes and I half smile. "My dad wanted to home-school me so he could teach me how to hunt better, but after a year he sent me to normal school. Allison was a year above me, but when we started moving around a lot she got held back a year." Stiles nods in understanding as we head to Chemistry class. "Can I tell you something?" I wait for his returning nod before I do. "Kate's asked me to help her hunt Derek."

"What did you say?" Stiles asks quickly.

"I said I didn't know the guy and that I'd help," I say quickly. When I see his wide eyes I shake my head. "What else could I say? 'Hey, Kate, your perfect hunter niece has decided to stop hunting for a while because her best friend is a werewolf and she actually knows Derek Hale and refuses to help you kill him'?"

"Somethin' like that," Stiles jokes, and I smile, pushing him.

"I have a plan," I say. "I'll just get into the house the back way and warn Derek. She can't hear me like he can, so if I say it quiet and loud enough, I can tell him."

"You sure it's safe?"

"Yeah. They won't hurt me. Now, can we talk about something else?"