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janedoeswriting · 7 days

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The Way The Wind Blows (Stiles x OC) Chapter Three

Description: Rhiannon finds herself trapped within her guilty pleasure tv show— Teen Wolf. Now, she must choose which path to take… one that leads back home, and another that follows uncertain adventure.

Tags: extreme slow burn, frienemies to lovers, fix it fic, canon change, actions have consequences.

TW: smut??, angst, fluff, sexual harassment, anxiety, depression, obsession, domestic violence, manipulation, etc. Just please do not read if you are sensitive to difficult subjects.

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(One Way Or Another by Blondie)

It wasn't unusual for Stiles to overdo things, but this was a bit much even for Scott. Second period hadn't even started yet and Stiles was borderline harassing Scott about all the theories he'd thought up during first period. The obnoxious flipping of books and whispering may have been a hindrance to other students' ability to focus, but since it was the first day of class everyone seemed to be too busy catching up with one another before class.

Apparently, Stiles never failed to find a way to create more work in Scott's life than he really needed.

"I'm telling you, she could be a lone wolf. I mean-- maybe she somehow heard about Derek becoming an alpha and came looking for a pack--," but Scott cut him of with a hand covering his mouth. Even though Stiles had been whispering, Scott didn't like running the risk of talking about the supernatural around other people.

"Stiles. Not now," he harshly whispered to his friend. Scott couldn't help but glance at Allison who had just walked into the classroom, but quickly glanced away. Stiles ripped Scott's hand off his face, but just as Stiles opened his mouth to fire off some retort the approach of Allison reigned in Scott's attention. To Scott's silent delight, Allison took the only available seat in the room-- the one right in front of his own. As Allison asked if someone sat there and Scott fumbled awkwardly with his response, Stiles' brain was running a million miles a second.

Stiles' legs tapped out of control and his hands fiddled with his pencil. Possibilities and theories flew through his mind. Scott was very obviously not taking the situation as seriously as he was, which made Stiles clench his jaw and turn away. The room erupted with the sound of cell phones buzzing and dinging. Everyone took out their phones only to read a quote. The English teacher read it allowed as she walked into the classroom.

As the teacher instructed everyone to turn off their phone, Stiles couldn't help but raise his hand. He couldn't turn off his phone--what if there was an emergency? What if his dad called him needing his help? What if Rhiannon ran away again and only Stiles could track her down?

His anxiety was senseless as he shot up his hand and asked to use the bathroom. Stiles slipped his phone into his back pocket as the teacher gave him permission to go, and was out the door faster than she could even ask for his name.

"Stiles--," Scott said to the new teacher as he turned off his phone. "That's Stiles."

The teacher nodded and smiled, checking Stiles' name off the attendance sheet. "Good to know Stiles is just as excited to be here as the rest of you." She said sarcastically and the classroom let out a half-hearted laugh at her cheesy joke.

In the bathroom, Stiles called his father. The phone rang once, twice. Finally, it went to voicemail. He tried again to no avail. Stiles couldn't take it any longer. He couldn't sit there in a classroom waiting for everything to go wrong. He'd make himself crazy wondering whether his father had indeed taken Rhiannon to Eichen House, or if she had been submitted to another hospital stay. Or worse-- if she had somehow escaped again.

He slipped through the hallways away from the prying eyes of teachers or students, and made a break for the jeep against his father's order to stay in school.

In the classroom, Scott got called out of class by his mother. He noticed Stiles' blue jeep nowhere to be found and groaned. "He's gonna be in so much trouble," Scott murmured as he put on his helmet and mounted his bike.

While Scott technically was skipping class, it was only because his mother had called him out due to an emergency. Stiles was straight up going against his dad's orders. As these thoughts ran through Scott's mind while he made way for the hospital.

However, he didn't notice the flock of crows flying directly for the school.

"What do you mean she doesn't exist?" Sheriff Stilinski said.

The absurdity of it confused him to the point of anger. "I'm saying she doesn't have a birth certificate. No record of any family or criminal history. She never had a drivers licence. No medical records except for the hospital. Just... nothing."

Sheriff Stilinski looked at the records and faxes and emails. In frustration he tossed the empty file down on the desk and walked away. The CPS worker was in his office with Rhiannon. At least she has a name, he thought.

The girl had started to talk more ever since Stiles had involved himself. Though, she wasn't talking about herself at all. Or providing any useful information. "We have to get her to speak to a psychologist. And get her checked out again at the hospital," one of the agents said. His entire office had been buzzing all day with the case of the Jane Doe, FBI agents in and out researching and calling. The manhunt that had lasted into the morning had turned into a full on investigation. "Maybe even... Eichen House should take her in." One of them said hesitantly.

"She's not crazy," the Sheriff snapped, though he wasn't quite sure. "She's just a kid. A scared kid."

Finally, the door opened and the CPS worker came out with the girl in tow. She was wearing the clothes they had gotten her after they found her earlier that morning in the forest. She had taken another shower and her cuts had been treated with basic first aid, but she still had bruises and scratches on her arms and legs.

"I've already spoken to doctors and agents and deputies. At the hospital." the girl reasoned. Sheriff Stilinski never thought he'd be so relieved to hear the sound of a teenager's annoyed protests.

Thankfully, the girl's expression looked more sober than it had before. Like she had come out of a foggy haze.

"Before you ran away?" the CPS worker asked with a raised brow. Rhiannon gave an exasperated expression and turned to the Sheriff. "Mr. Stilinski tell her I don't need a psychological evaluation, please. I'm not crazy."

She spoke as if she knew him, which was strange, but the Sheriff had to admit she didn't seem like any of the patients who stayed at Eichen. Sure, she had experienced quite a bit of trauma the past 24 hours, but it was clear that she was somewhat acting like a normal teenager.

He made a face that said, 'Welll'. Rhiannon huffed and crossed her arms. He couldn't help but smirk. "Cmon', kid. You don't remember who you are or where you came from, and you have a tendency to break hospital windows to make a break for the woods. We've got to try and make sure you're okay." He reasoned.

"How can I prove I'm not crazy?" She offered. The CPS worker inclined her head skeptically and Sheriff Stilinski pursed his lips.

"Let's start with actually answering our questions, not running away the first chance you get, and letting us help you."

Rhiannon pursed her lips and sucked in a breath. He raised an eyebrow at her and she begrudgingly nodded.

It was noon and the entire department was exhausted. There had been at least five coffee runs, six deputies came in on their days off, countless FBI agents in and out, and constant ringing of the phones.

The day finally seemed to be calming when the majority of the agents left, the calls grew scarce, and half of his department finally went home to sleep. Still, they sat in that office. Two agents, one CPS worker, a Psychologist, and a Sheriff.

Rhiannon sat for hours talking. Answering questions. She didn't remember her family. She remembers she had a dad and mom, but can't remember their names or faces or if she had siblings. She knew she wasn't from Beacon Hills, but didn't know where she came from or how she had gotten there.

She ran away from the hospital because she was scared. She'd wanted to go home. It was easy to play the amnesiac lost girl, until Sheriff Stilinski began to ask questions.

"How did you know who I was when we met?" He asked. He didn't sound like he suspected her of anything, but saying 'I don't remember' was getting repetitive.

"It says it on your nametag," she offered. He looked down and lo and behold, his name displayed on his right breast pocket. "You called Stiles and Scott by different names. Tyler and Dylan. Who did you mean?" Apparently, the Sheriff had gotten a thorough statement from the night prior. Rhiannon remained calm despite the panic tugging at her chest. Thank God there weren't any werewolves around to detect her lying heart.

She made a show of blinking in confusion. "I-I don't know. It's like waking up from a dream and remembering it all one moment, and then the next it's gone."

Every pair of eyes on her was sympathetic. Even the FBI agents bought it. Sheriff Stilinski seemed to as well... almost.

"Do you remember your birthday?" the Sheriff asked.

The words left her lips automatically.

"August 18th." She said. "And what day is today?" He asked. She hesitated. She didn't know that answer, but she recalled what day it was back when she was home. "August 3rd, I think." She said. Sheriff Stilinski's lips tightened into a flat line. The one's taking notes fervently wrote. The agents looked to each other. "What? What day is it?" She asked, wondering what secret they all knew that she didn't. Sheriff Stilinski hesitated.

"It's August 23rd," the psychologist said gently.

Rhiannon looked up to the Sheriff again. "So I turned sixteen and I don't remember it?" she asked. The silent question hung thickly in the air.

They were all thinking the same thing: Where had she been in those twenty days she'd been missing?

"Don't worry, Rhiannon. We're going to take care of you." The CPS worker assured her. Rhiannon looked down at her hands, entwined in her lap. "How do I prove I'm not crazy? I don't want to go to--," she caught herself before she said Eichen House. She had to prove she wasn't crazy. Going there was practically a death sentence in this show.

"-to an asylum." She finished.

She looked toward the psychologist. "Rhiannon, you're going to be taken care of. For now, we need to do some more in-depth assessments of both your mental and physical health at the hospital." Great. Just great. She was going to get torn apart by dread doctors or sexually harassed by creepy healthcare workers.

Still, she had no other way to prove she wasn't crazy other than going along with what they said. She turned to Sherrif Stilinski, who looked hopeful.

"I'll go. And I won't run away. If... Mr. Stilinski promises to keep me safe."

She knew he would protect her. Even if she got sent to Eichen, one word from her and he'd have her transferred somewhere better. If there was one think she knew, it was that Noah Stilinski wouldn't break a promise to someone in need.

She could use that to her advantage.

Slowly, he nodded. He was unsure of why she turned to him, or trusted him at all. Why would she ask such a request from him? But she was alone in the world, and maybe he was the most trustworthy figure she knew. The thought saddened him. The idea of his son being in Rhiannon's position caused his heart to squeeze.

"Of course, Rhiannon. I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."

Later, when Rhiannon was successfully admitted to the hospital, the Sheriff got a break down of the plan for how they would handle the girl. "She doesn't seem unstable-- just rattled. After some testing is done, we can diagnose if she just has amnesia or if theres something else at play."

"Do you think she's schizophrenic or something?" Sherrif asked. It sounded silly. The doctor shook his head. "From what I gathered, she's as sane as you or me. Just without the majority of her memory."

Sheriff nodded, relieved to hear the good news. He turned to the CPS worker. "What's the plan? Are you going to have to find her a foster home?" he asked. She nodded. "We'll have to find a temporary placing. The foster options in Beacon Hills are very limited, especially on such short notice. We might have to take her out of town. I assume she'll be in the hospital for at least a few days, if not more. I've got my work cut out for me, Sheriff. Not to mention how difficult it is to find a home that's safe. A young beautiful girl like that is a difficult placement. You never know who might have nefarious intentions."

Stilinski nodded grimly. The thought sunk into his stomach and the promise he made her hung in the air. As the CPS worker walked away, she said, "If you know anyone willing to take in a sixteen year old girl within the next week let me know."

Stiles bolted into the building. It was much quieter than it had been that morning. Everyone seemed exhausted, and Stiles scanned the room only to be stopped by a deputy at the front desk.

"Where is she?" he demanded in labored breaths.

He didn't even bat an eye at Stiles. "She was readmitted to Beacon Memorial."

"Where's my--," Stiles started.

"Your dad is at home. Sleeping. And you should be in school. Learning."

Stiles was already halfway out the door when he heard a call coming from the radios and the room suddenly bustled with energy.

He turned, but everyone was scrambling. Some ran out the door, others answered phone calls and barked orders. Stiles finally over heard it on a radio, "...animal accident at the high school..." His blood ran cold. "What kind of accident!?" he demanded from a deputy using a phone.

She ignored him and quickly barked out to other deputies, "A flock of crows flew through the windows of a classroom at Beacon Hills High. Minor injuries, but a lot of dead crows." Stiles stepped back as another officer ran by. Lights and sirens blared outside as they rushed to the scene. Stiles ran back to his jeep and reached for his phone. If there was a problem at the school, Scott would know about it, since he was still there.

"Scott!! What's goin' on at the school?" Stiles exclaimed as soon as Scott picked up his phone call. "The school? What are you talking about?" "There was an accident right? A flock of crows flew into a classroom's windows."

Stiles turned the key in the ignition and sped down the road after the cops. "I have no idea what your talking about. I'm not at the school, I'm with Derek." Scott said, sounding distressed and in a hurry.

"Derek? What the hell are you doing with--?" Stiles started, but Scott cut him off urgently. "Look-- just meet us at Derek's house, okay?"

"Us?!" Stiles asked, but Scott had hung up the phone. Stiles didn't have time for debates, and made a sharp turn in the direction of the Hale house.

Rhiannon slept for fifteen hours. She didn't even realize how exhausted she truly was until she got there.

She showered again, got another IV, ate a hearty meal of delicious hospital food, and was heavily baraded by doctor and nurse alike. Nurse McCall was nowhere to be seen thankfully-- Rhiannon didn't want to face her quite yet after freaking her out the night before.

Rhiannon remembered what she'd said to Melissa. She told her that she knew about Scott, and that she was from another world. Hopefully Melissa didn't tell any doctors that piece of information, or she'd be tossed in a loony bin in no time. Rhi was secretly hoping Melissa wouldn't tell Scott either, but she knew that was wishful thinking.

When Rhiannon awoke she didn't remember how she even fell asleep. She rang for a nurse and asked for her IV to be removed.

When she realized the time, she sighed.

"It's two in the morning," the nighttime nurse told her. "Are you hungry at all?" Rhiannon opened her mouth but her stomach spoke for her with a loud girgle. The nurse chuckled and tucked Rhiannon back into bed. "Don't run off anywhere. I'll be right back with a midnight snack." The nurse had made a joke, but Rhiannon was too groggy to laugh. She saw some male nurses congregating near a desk area outside the open door. They were talking. "Three runaway patients in a day? I mean how do you even put the wrong person on the operating table?" "I don't know, man. Apparently that kid Isaac was in a bad motorcycle accident. I saw him get brought in. There was blood everywhere. No way he didn't need to be operated on. I saw his wounds."

"Oh, bullshit," one said. "I'm serious. It was probably some other guy they wheeled in there. I'll bet the poor kid is kidnapped."

"He ran away. And he wasn't injured-- it was someone else's blood." "Rightt. Well the chick and the kid will have some fun explaining to do if they ever turn up again. Like this one," he said and gestured to the room. Rhiannon pretended not to hear them and suddenly became very interested in the plant on the side table next to her. "She'll have one hell of a bill when she gets released," he said with a chuckle. "Hey, she's got amnesia. Leave her alone." "Oh come on, you know I'm messin' around. Besides, it's only a matter of time before they ship her to Eichen house anyways."

They went silent as the female nurse returned with a tray of food and kind smile on her face. "Here we are. I got you some McDonalds. We have one inside." Rhiannon brightened at the sight. "Thank you," she said. The nurse beamed at her. "Of course! Are you in pain? Do you need anything?"

Rhiannon took a bite of a chicken nugget and shook her head. When she was finally left alone and her meal was eaten, Rhiannon ran through the possibilities of what she was to do next. She could stay there in Beacon Hills and try to work with Scott and his friends to find a way back home. But their skills had never extended to multi dimensional travel. And side characters generally ended up toast.

If she stuck around the hub of evil supernatural forces, Rhiannon was sure to die. Just an extra character laying out on the concrete after some monster rampage. No, it wouldn't be her. She would have to get out. And that meant she would have to run away again. But this time, more successfully. She couldn't be put into Eichen-- it would be impossible to escape. No, she had to convince them that she was sane, and then when they least expect it she could make a break for it on some bus and get as far east as she could. Maybe she'd eventually make it back to Florida-- where she was from. Was. Was there anyone even there? Would she return to her childhood home to find it occupied by strangers?

Rhiannon didn't want to think about it. All she wanted to do was go home. She could do that. She would do that.

Getting out of Beacon Hills sounded like a good place to start.

The next time Rhiannon woke up, it was a busy day. She did tests, scans, x-rays, answered more questions, spoke to councilors and CPS workers and psychiatric specialists. In and out. In and out. New people, new questions, new tasks.

Rhiannon was feeling like a top slowing it's spin by 2pm. Another knock on the door, and Rhiannon grimaced inwardly. She turned only to find who she least expected. Sheriff Stilinski stood in the doorway.

"Oh-- hello." Rhiannon said. He smiled at her and walked in. The sun shone through the window but the two of them looked ragged in their own ways. "Good morning, or- I guess- afternoon," he said, noticing the clock's display of 1:00pm. Rhiannon was surprised he was there given the timeline of events. In her mind, Rhiannon ran through what she believed was happening. She was in season three in one of the first episodes. She didn't know which one. The way time moved was obviously much different in real life. She was also in a hospital with no clue what events were happening around her other than Issac and Braeden being admitted and leaving. Which meant that the Alpha pack was attacking, and a dark druid in the form of a high school english teacher was at large.

"Heh. It's been pretty crazy. I don't even know what day it is because I slept so much," she said.

Mr. Stilinski smiled. "Today is Saturday. I've got some good news from the doctor-- all of your tests are looking good. They're thinking you may be able to be discharged tomorrow." Rhiannon stomach lurched. "Discharged? Not transferred to the loony bin?"

He laughed heartily. "You're mental health evaluation went well. You're perfectly sane."

Rhiannon smiled, relief blooming within her. "Thank God."

"So, what are you doing here today?" she asked the sheriff, surprised he was even there to pay a visit. In Beacon Hills, there was always something important to investigate.

"Thing's are finally seeming to calm down," he said. "It's been an eventful few days. I wanted to come check and see how you were feeling."

"I haven't remembered anything, if that's what you mean," she said. He shook his head, "No, no. I didn't mean that. It... It must be scary for you being here. I want to let you know that I'm doing the best I can to find your family and get you back home." It was so sincere that Rhiannon felt guilt tug at her heart.

He wouldn't be able to find her family-- they don't exist. Not here.

"Thank you, Sheriff Stilinski." His shoulder radio cracked to life and a voice barked coded orders. He clicked the button and responded. "10-4, on the way to you." He smiled at Rhiannon and said, "Duty calls. Let me know if you need anything. I'll be back tomorrow to help figure out the details of your discharge."

Rhiannon nodded and beamed at him. She felt both guilty and grateful in that moment. Guilty to lie to him, and grateful that he was there for her. She felt safer knowing he had her back-- even if she didn't really deserve it.

One Day Later

Stiles and Scott were in Stiles' bedroom debating on whether or not they should go out.

"Come on, it's the perfect opportunity to move on. You know... forget about Allison like you've been doing all summer." Stiles said. He laid in his bed has he tossed a lacrosse ball up in the air and caught it again.

"It's just weird you know?" Scott said.

"How is it weird?"

"Well, after the deer and the birds-- I mean, I thought you wanted to figure out what's up with that girl Rhiannon. See if she was a lone wolf, like you think? And now you want to go to a party?"

"There's time to figure it out with her. I mean, with the way things are going she'll be admitted to Eichen. We'll have plenty of time to interrogate her then." Stiles said, though thoughts of Rhiannon hadn't stopped plaguing his mind.

After the attack on Issac, and with Erica and Boyd missing, they were pretty much at a standstill. Derek had made very clear that taking on a pack of alphas was for him to deal with and that Scott and Stiles weren't welcome in his endeavors.

For once, Scott had the opportunity to take a step back and be a normal teenager. And yet Stiles suddenly dropping the subject of Rhiannon was a subject of Scott's suspicion.

"You were pretty worked up over it until everything with Isaac and Derek." "Yeah, and the alpha pack out to get us? Derek wants to handle it alone, and I'm not gonna change his mind."

Scott had to agree. It was a relief that this wasn't their problem anymore.

"Maybe a crazy girl is the least of our worries," Stiles added.

A sound at the door notified Scott that Stiles' father had arrived home.

"Your dads here." he said, since Stiles didn't have Scott's supernatural hearing.

After Stiles skipped school the other day his dad had been so swamped with work that Stiles had managed to slip under the wire. The ball Stiles had been tossing in the air missed his hand and smacked him in the face.

"Ow!" Stiles exclaimed, clutching his face. Mr. Stilinski appeared at the threshold. He looked tired, but not nearly as bad as he had been two days ago.

"Stiles," he said and then nodded to Scott. "Scott. I need to talk to you boys about something." Stiles sat up straight and his face turned pale. Great, Stiles thought, fearing the impending lecture.

"Yeah, dad? What's up?" he asked, trying to play it cool.

"You two remember that girl you found the other night? Rhiannon Watson."

Stiles' blood ran cold again but for a different reason. The boys attention piqued.

"Yeah." Stiles said. "Well, she's been discharged from the hospital today." Mr. Stilinski said. "Oh she didn't get sent to Eichen?" Stiles said, and Scott elbowed him in the ribs. Stiles held his side and shot Scott a glare that said 'what was that for?'.

"No she's perfectly fine. Your concern is touching," Mr. Stilinski said both sarcastically and sternly.

Stiles knew why Scott had elbowed him in the ribs in that moment. Because from around the corner there she stood. She wore a baggy shirt and sweatpants that looked like Stiles' old clothes that had no longer fit him. She met their shocked gazes with a chin held high, and awkwardly smiled at them. It didn't reach her eyes.

Mr. Stilinski sucked in a heavy breath and continued. "Well, she'll be staying with us for a bit while a foster family is found. CPS ran out of options, and well--...I volunteered to take her in."

Stiles mouth fell open. Scott blinked, and looked between them.

"It'll be temporary, but I hope you'll will be welcoming to her while she's with us," he said, not really knowing what to say to explain himself. He didn't mean to spring this on his son, but that morning had been a whirlwind. When he impulsively told CPS that he could take her he hadn't thought that far ahead.

A silence hung in the air. "Stiles," Mr. Stilinski said sternly to his stupefied son. "Say hello to your foster sister."

Stiles was in such shock that he remained frozen. Scott took it upon himself to break the awkwarness.

"Hello, I don't know if you remember me. I'm Scott, Stiles' friend." he said as he stood. Rhiannon held her hand out and he shook it. Scott didn't forget what his mom had told him-- that this girl knew he was a werewolf. Still, she smelled and looked human enough. Her heart was racing and in that moment Scott felt badly for Stiles' earlier accusations.

"I remember you, Scott. I-...," she looked down embarrassed. "I'm sorry about how you found me. I was, uh... I wasn't in my right mind."

Stiles blinked and shook himself out of his stunned stupor. He quickly shot to his feet and nodded. "H-hi- Hello." He wiped his hands on his pants and held it out. She looked at it and then shook his hand. He quickly withtook it and shuffled his feet.

Rhiannon looked around trying to avoid the weight of their stares on her. "Well now that we got that out of the way... I got some pizza for dinner. Rhiannon, let me show you to your room. It's just down here to the right." After Rhiannon proceeded down the hall Mr. Stilinski shot his son a look and then left the doorway. Scott and Stiles looked at each other in shock. Stiles' expression also held a little bit of panic.

Stiles mouthed 'Is she a wolf?' Scott shook his head. She smelled perfectly human.

'Sister?' Scott mouthed to Stiles teasingly. Stiles bent backward with his hands on his head and then stepped forward into the hallway. He caught a glimpse of Rhiannon and his father walking into the guest room diagonal across the hall from his own bedroom.

Scott followed, pushing Stiles down the opposite direction and into the kitchen. On the dinnertable two boxes of pizza sat.

"What-," Stiles bit out in a hushed whisper, but the sound of footsteps snapped his mouth shut. He did his best to act natural as his dad approached them.

"I expect you boys to be the most welcoming people in the world to that poor girl. She's been through a lot, you hear me?" he whispered to them, and then walked over to get some plates. Stiles and Scott sent each other looks and then sat at the table.

"Rhiannon, do you want anything to drink? We have some coke, or milk if you'd like?" Mr. Stilinski called loudly. Rhiannon appeared from the hallway.

"Um, I'll just have some water." she said, trying not to glance at the two boys gawking at her. "Thank you, Mr. Stilinski." she added.

Rhiannon fiddled with the edge of the table as she sat across from them. "So, uh, Rhiannon--," Scott started. "Rhi." she corrected.

"Right-- Rhi. How long will you be staying here?" Scott asked. Mr. Stilinski shot him a vicious look that Rhiannon didn't see and Scott gulped. "Well I don't know. As long as you'll have me, I guess." she said, looking at Stiles.

"These two go to Beacon Hills High School. If you want, you can start there whenever you feel up to it. The hospital said you can take as long of a break as you'd like until your comfortable." Mr. Stilinski said as he set the water in front of her and began making her a plate of pizza. It was cheese. They never got cheese. Only pepperoni. Stiles sucked in a breath and attempted to speak. "You got cheese?" He asked, and felt stupid for saying it. "We got both." His dad said. Scott and Stiles opened up the other box and began to serve themselves. Rhiannon did the sign of the cross and began to silently pray.

The table went quiet. She looked up in confusion at their stares. "What?" she asked. "Your... religious?" Mr. Stilinski asked. She blinked at them. "Oh. I guess, yeah." she said, feeling stupid.

"I don't really remember...But I was. I think..." and trailed off. Mr. Stilinski smiled. "It's alright. That's good. Muscle memory can help, right?" His hopefull comment brought a small smile to her face. "Right."

Mr. Stilinski bowed his head and when he noticed the boys staring dumbfounded, he gestured for them to follow. They immediately bowed their heads in prayer. "Bless us Oh Lord and these thy gifts which we are about to receive through Thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen." Mr. Stilinski said with Rhiannon. Stiles picked up on the prayer halfway through, remembering it from his childhood.

They hadn't prayed in years. Not since his mother died.

They dug in silently. Mr. Stilinski cleared his throat and picked up the conversation. He was trying his best to be welcoming and warm, which wasn't his strong suit. "So, boys--," he said. They sat ramrod straight with mouths full of pepperoni pizza. "What are you up to tonight?" Stiles chewed and swallowed quickly. "Uh, there's a party."

"A party?" "Yeah, Heather's birthday party."

"Oh Heather. How is she?"

"Good. She's good." Stiles said. In truth he hadn't caught up with her in a while and was surprised to receive an invitation to the party. Nonetheless he was still eager to go. "Good." Mr. Stilinksi said. Normally when they ate there was no pressure to make conversation. Now, a fear of silence hung in the kitchen.

"Well... why don't you go with them, Rhi?" Mr. Stilinski asked. Stiles almost spit out his gulp of soda, and Scott patted his friend on the back as Stiles coughed. "Um, it's okay-," she started.

"You were telling me in the car that you were excited to be a normal kid again, right? Why not?"

He sounded so hopeful that Rhiannon hesitated on her decline of his offer. "Stiles, you'd take her around, introduce her to some friends, right? Make her feel welcome?"

It wasn't a question but a command. Stiles nodded. "Yeah, yeah for sure. You should come," he said but didn't really mean it. "Great." Mr. Stilinski said and took a bite. Rhiannon met Stiles' eyes with a very slight wince. Stiles swallowed and nodded, fighting a grimace.

Rhiannon sat on the bed and looked at herself in the vanity mirror across from it. Her clothes were baggy, and were a combination of what Sheriff Stilinski had brought to her and stuff from charity donations. An old star wars shirt and athletic sweatpants-- both a size too large for her.

Mr. Stilinski said they would swing by the charity center in the morning to get her some new clothes, but she wished they had done that earlier.

After the excruciating dinner Stiles and Scott made a break for Stiles' bedroom. She tried to back out of the party but Mr. Stilinski looked crushed at the idea that she didn't feel welcome, and she didn't have the heart to go through with it.

Now she sat waiting for her final hour of reckoning. A knock sounded at her door. "Come in," she called, pretending to tie the laces on the battered converse that had been donated to her. "Are you ready?" Stiles said. He looked like a lamb for slaughter. "You don't have to bring me, Stiles. It's oka--," she said, but cut herself off at the sight of Mr. Stilinski standing at the edge.

"Don't worry. It'll be fun!" He didn't sound very enthusiastic.

The car ride was excruciating. Scott climbed in the back seat and Rhi had no choice but to sit shotgun. Stiles fumbled with his keys, dropped them, and then it took a few times of turning the key for the engine to start.

"Come on," he begged the car. "Come on." Finally, it burst to life.

Stiles let out a short laugh of relief. "She's a bit rusty."

Rhiannon nodded in acknowledgement, and looked out the window. The sky was colored a burnt orange as the sun set. They drove down the road. Scott lightly smacked Stiles on the shoulder and made eyes at him to say something. Stiles shrugged like he didn't know what to say until he finally gave in.

"Listen-- about the other day-," he started but Rhiannon interrupted. "Don't worry about it. Let's just forget the whole thing." She said firmly. Stiles couldn't object to that, and then Scott gestured for him to try again.

"Okay. Great. Forgotten. Already gone. All the memory just--," and then he got smacked in the shoulder by Scott and Stiles realized how insensitive he sounded to the amnesiac sitting passenger. Talking about forgotten memories maybe wasn't the best idea.

Rhiannon didn't know how to ease the tension but also didn't know if she even wanted to. Against her better judgement she spoke. "Thanks for taking me along but you guys don't have to bring me to the party."

"No!" Scott said quickly. "It'll be fun. Don't worry." But Rhiannon could feel that they knew it wouldn't be fun with her there, and were just doing what Stiles' dad told them to.

"I... Don't plan on staying here for long. In Beacon Hills." Rhiannon said.

"Why not?" Stiles asked. Rhiannon let out a short laugh. Because there are murderous supernatural creatures at every turn. And I'm a side character-- a villians main course. "I'm gonna go home." she responded. The boys were quiet for a moment. Right. That probably sounded really sad coming from a girl who had no home or family or memories of either.

"When I remember what home is." she added. Her quick mindedness was at the least a relief. The sun sank beneath the horizon and colored the clouds into beautiful purples and reds. She'd never been to California before, Rhiannon realized. It was pretty.

"Well in the meantime...," Stiles said trailing off. He didn't have much to say. Scott cut in, "You've got us."

Did they have her? They hardly even knew who she was. It sounded so surface-level that Rhiannon let a scoff slip.

"Right. Look- I don't need to be your friends. Your dad has been very kind to me. I don't know why, but he has. And I'm grateful to him. But you don't have to force yourselves to-," she said, but Stiles interrupted. "We're not! It'll be fun. New girl in town, fresh meat," Stiles said. Ironic, Rhi thought. "You'll fit right in."

As Scott sat in the back, he remembered again what his mother warned him. The memory flashed in his mind. She knows what you are.

"Soooo... What were you doin' out there? In the woods." Stiles said.

"Stiles." Scott said sternly. But Rhiannon responded matter-of-factly. "Waiting to get run over."

It was a joke, but they were so surprised they didn't laugh. Rhiannon sighed. This was going to be a long night.

Rhiannon had already thought through her plan of action during her stay in the hospital.

Plan A was to avoid any main characters and to get the hell out of Beacon Hills the first chance she got. Plan A was obviously dashed to the wind when Sheriff Stilinski volunteered to take her in and pushed her together with the main characters.

Plan B was to play dumb. To pretend like she didn't know anything. She wasn't crazy. She was just some poor, helpless girl who had nothing to do with the supernatural and nothing to do with Scott McCall.

Apparently, Scott had plans to scratch out Plan B too.

"My mom told me she met you. In the hospital." he said. Rhiannon froze up at the mention of Scotts mother. The way she had acted and things she said that night weren't fitting in with the whole 'nothing to do with Scott McCall' thing.

"Did she?" Rhiannon responded, trying to sound bored. His supernatural hearing picked up on the stutter of her heart.

"She said that you knew me."

"I do know you. You almost ran me over." she said.

"Right, but-," Scott started. "And you saw me naked." Rhiannon added, hoping that adding some discomfort would change the subject. It did somewhat. Stiles' face turned beet red and he shifted uncomfortably. Scott coughed. "Right. That too."

Much to Rhi's dismay, he continued. "She also said you knew what I am."

The atmosphere changed instantly. Rhi tried to cover it by playing dumb.

"What, a lacrosse player?"

"How do you know he plays lacrosse?" Stiles asked suspiciously. Rhi raised a brow and pointed a thumb to the lacrosse stick in the back seat next to Scott.

"Oh. That's mine." Stiles said.

"So you don't play lacrosse?" Rhi asked Scott. Scott tipped his head to the side. "Well.. I do-,"

"Great. Then it's settled. You're both lacrosse players."

Scott didn't know what to say. He believed his mother, but what if she was wrong? If this girl didn't know that he was a werewolf and he came out and said it, it wouldn't be good for him. Maybe she'd go around telling people he was a freak who thinks he's a wolf. Or maybe...

"That I'm a werewolf."

Stiles swerved and looked in the rear view mirror at his friend like he had gone mad.

"Is that an inside joke I'm supposed to know about?" She asked smoothly. Stiles subtly let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Yeah, sorry. It was." Scott said.

They finally reached the party. There were cars parked along the street and a house lit up with lights and people lingering outside. Stiles parked and turned off the car, eager to get out of this situation as soon as possible. "Here we are! Party time." He let out an awkward laugh.

Rhi got out and opened the seat for Scott to climb out of the car. He did smoothly and she pushed it back in and moved to climb back inside. "What are you doing?" Stiles asked. "Waiting in the car." She responded as if it were obvious.

"Yourrr not coming in?" Stiles asked.

Rhi shrugged. "I don't really want to. You guys have fun. I'll be here when you're done."

Stiles looked at Scott and begrudgingly gave in. Rhi watched as they walked down the sidewalk into the frey. She recalled the mental notes about what happened that night and knew there was nothing she could do to stop a pre-existing plot from unfolding.

As Scott and Stiles walked down the sidewalk Scott glanced at his phone. One missed call from Allison. "That was a genius move. Just go ahead and tell everyone you're a werewolf. It's a great conversation starter," Stiles said sarcastically, still reeling from his best friend's leap of faith.

Scott ignored the notification and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

"She knows." Scott said. Stiles was taken aback. "What?" he asked.

"Her heart skipped a beat. She was lying."

"Maybe she just realized you're crazy." Stiles reasoned. Scott shook his head, and knew the truth.

So Rhiannon did know.

"That means she's hiding something. Why would she lie about knowing what you are?" Stiles said. "And why is she so determined to get out of Beacon Hills?" Scott added, taking note of how strange it was that she would rather wait in the car than go with them.

Stiles took the information in, glancing back at his jeep down the road. He turned back to Scott. "Do you think we can trust her?"

"No." Scott said quickly. "Not until we know how she knows I'm a werewolf."

Stiles sucked in a breath. "Great. Just great. We've got a suspicious person who came mysteriously out of the woods living in my house."

Rhiannon wished she had a journal to write down what she knew. To put it all on paper so she didn't forget anything. She made a mental note to get her hands on a journal the first chance she got.

In the meantime, she slumped in the seat and tried to remember what happened in this episode. They went to a party. Heather tries to have sex with Stiles. She gets kidnapped and sacrificed because she's a virgin.

Rhiannon's blood ran cold as a realization hit. She was a virgin. And a side character.

What if the story could change? What if she was the next sacrifice? She certainly wasn't in a good position-- alone in a car. Defenseless.

Rhiannon opened the door and ran down the street. Scott and Stiles were approaching the house.

"Wait!" Rhiannon called. They stopped and turned around. She reached them panting.

"Wait."

"What? Change your mind?" Stiles asked with an edge to his voice.

"Yes.... Yes I want to go."

She was still breathing heavily but the boys looked at each other. Scott shrugged and said, "Okay. Let's go."

Rhiannon felt relief as she stepped between them and led the way into the house. Normally she would have been riddled with anxiety at the thought of entering a party sober knowing absolutely nobody. But now, she was just relieved that she wasn't in impending doom.

She just had to stay with Scott. With Scott she would be safe.

When she entered the house a blond girl looked at her in confusion. "Stiles!" She exclaimed, but slowed as he came to a stop next to Rhi. Her expression looked a bit disappointed as she appraised Rhiannon. "Whose this?" Heather asked.

Wait, wasn't she supposed to kiss him?, Rhi thought in confusion as she looked between the two. Stiles was caught off guard but quickly recovered. "Oh! This is my new foster sister."

Foster sister. It sounded silly to Rhi, but she smiled pleasantly and held out her hand to Heather. "I'm Rhi, nice to meet you... His dad uh... made him bring me." Rhi added, noticing Heathers disappointment. Who was Rhi to stand in the way of the girl's targeted conquest?

"Oh..." Heather said, taking Rhi's hand and shaking it. Rhi grabbed Scott's forearm and dragged him forward. "And Scott," Rhi added. She met Scott's gaze with a cry for help. She knew a scorned woman when she saw one. The last thing she needed was for some girl to get the wrong idea and start unnecessary drama. "Hi," Scott said. Heather smiled tightly at them. "Do you guys want a drink?" She asked with a smile.

Rhi's brows furrowed. A drink? Wasn't she supposed to take Stiles down to the cellar and proceed to get kidnapped?

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Stiles said enthusiastically. Heather smiled at him and lead them all to the kitchen.

What is happening? The plot can change?

"Here we are," she said, handing them all freshly poured jungle juice. When Heather handed the cup to Rhi she spilled it. All down Rhi's front. Stiles' old star wars shirt and sweat pants were soaked and sticky.

"Whoops," Heather said with a vicious smile. Bitch, Rhi thought.

"Woah," Stiles said, not clocking how non-accidental the accident was. He rushed to grab a towel and started drying Rhi off. Rhi stepped back and took the towel from him. Stiles realized he had overstepped a boundary and blushed. This only seemed to piss Heather off more. "I'm sooo sorry. You can borrow some of my clothes! Scott, would you take Rhi upstairs? My room is the first door on the left."

Scott looked at Heather in confusion but Rhi smiled tightly and led the way. Behind them, she heard Heather say to Stiles, "Want to come grab a bottle of wine downstairs? This stuff isn't that good."

As Scott trailed behind Rhi, he heard her grumbling angrily. "Are you okay?" he asked. Rhi turned and saw Scott's concerned expression. She sighed.

"Boys are clueless." She said. They found her room, but a random couple was making out passionately on the bed. Rhi quickly shut the door and moved on. "I'll just wipe it off in the bathroom," she reasoned.

Scott checked his phone when it buzzed again. A notification displayed 'one message from Allison'.

"Hey, is it alright if I step out for a minute?" Scott asked. Rhi looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah. Just don't disappear. I don't really know anyone here."

Scott nodded reassuringly. "I'll be right back."

Rhi sighed. She was alone. She took off her shirt and ran the stain under the water to scrub the fabric clean and muttered to herself about people who deserved to die.

All of a sudden, Stiles himself barreled inside and shut the door behind him. When he turned he ran straight into Rhi, who couldn't catch herself in time. "Woah!" he exclaimed, catching her by the waist and arm before they toppled over.

"Shouldn't you be in the basement?" Rhi asked. Stiles looked down at her partially naked body. His hands held her warm, bare skin. He jumped back red as ever.

"You sure do blush a lot." She commented, returning to her task of scrubbing the shirt clean. "W-w-what are you- I'm sorry! I didn't know--," he stammered. "It's fine. Nothing you haven't seen before, right?" She said, which only sent him further into stuttering embarrassment.

He looked at her as she wrung the shirt out and began to put it back on.

"Did you not find her room?" he asked. He was still breathing heavily from his quest to find a condom, but being alone with Rhi wearing nothing but a bra and his sweatpants seemed to take priority in his mind.

"Nah. Aren't you looking for something?" She asked, straightening herself out. She was wet now, but at least not soaked in mysterious alcohol. Stiles' eyes lit up at the reminder of what he was there for. Rhi opened the drawer for him. There, a box of XXL condoms sat. "Stay safe," she said as she opened the bathroom door and headed down the stairs to find Scott. Stiles reached for the box and then turned. Rhi opened the front door and much to her surprise, Stiles called her name. "Hey, where are you going?" he asked. She turned to him.

"To find Scott. Where are you going?" She asked, but he seemed to be following her out the front door.

"Where did Scott--," he started, but stopped as soon as he saw Allison, Lydia, and Scott on the front lawn. The two approached the trio.

"Allison, Lydia? What are you doing here?" Stiles asked.

The two girls looked concerned and had a serious air about them. Stiles quickly shoved the condoms in his pocket before anyone saw. "What happened?" He asked Lydia. Rhiannon noticed Lydia had a bandage over her forehead.

"Whose this?" Lydia asked, aprasing Rhiannon. Allison seemed to be doing the same. "This is Rhi. My dad is fostering her." "Fostering her?" Lydia asked severely. Rhi's eyes lingered on the bandage, but met the girls' scrutinous gaze.

Stiles nodded. Rhi shifted awkwardly. "I'll leave you guys to it-," Rhi started, but Allison quickly said, "It's alright. We were just leaving."

Allison looked to Scott, who nodded at her in some mutual understanding that Rhi wasn't included in.

Scott turned to Stiles and Rhiannon as the girls walked to their car. "What's up with them?" Stiles asked him. Scott glanced at Rhi.

"I'll tell you later." he said.

Rhi didn't know why but she felt embarrassed at the subtle exclusion. She needed to cut the silence as soon as possible, so she said the first thing that came to mind. "Stiles is gonna have sex with Heather." Rhi stated. It sounded childish coming out of her mouth. Stiles turned to Stiles incredulously. "What?" Scott exclaimed, a sudden smile blooming to his lips.

"Oh shit!" Stiles was hit with a realization, and turned and bolted inside.

Scott looked to Rhi for an explanation. She smiled and said, "He came into the bathroom looking for condoms."

He laughed. "No way." he said as they walked back inside. He was clearly ecstatic for his friend.

Rhiannon smirked and rolled her eyes. As they walked back into the party, though, Heather's friend approached them. "Hey, do you know where Heather is?" She asked. Rhi's stomach dropped. For the first time, Rhi realized what was truly happening.

"No, why?" Scott asked. "We haven't seen her. Do you know where Stiles is?" She asked looking around.

"He's in the-," Scott started, but then Stiles appeared from the basement with a look of confusion on her face.

"Heather wasn't down there." He said, sounding deeply disappointed.

"She probably went to find someone else to lose her virginity to," the friend added, turning back to her friends without a care in the world. Stiles was taken aback in offense. Scott stifled a laugh.

It didn't occur to any of them to be weary. It seemed so innocent-- Heather had just gone somewhere else. At her own party. Rhi's stomach turned over and she gripped the wet spot on her shirt.

Rhi couldn't stop herself as she said, "Wait! Are you sure she's okay? I mean-..." they all looked at her, "What if she's in trouble?"

Heather's friend scoffed as if it were the silliest thing in the world. "She's fine. She barely even had anything to drink anyway. I'll find her eventually." And with that the conversation was over. But you won't. You won't find her.

Before that moment it had all seemed like she was outside her own body staring down at this world from somewhere else. Like what she did and said didn't really matter in the end. Like this plot was something she had nothing to do with and no control over.

Except, Lydia had a cut on her forehead when she saw her just moments ago. One that wasn't there in the original plot of the story. When had Lydia gotten a forehead injury?

Upon the sight of it, Rhi had realized the truth. Somehow, her actions had an impact on this story. The butterfly effect could change everything. Even her barest of interactions could have drastic effects on what she knew to be true here.

And if that were true, then it meant she had indirectly allowed Heather to die. Without stepping in and helping when she had the chance, had Rhi been compliant in her murder?

She remembered sarcastically grumbling about the Heather's mean behavior from earlier. That seemed so long ago now in the face of the truth. This wasn't just a story anymore. This was her reality. And she had the power to change it.

"I- I don't know." Rhi said quickly to Scott and Stiles. "I don't know how to explain it, but something feels off."

Scott and Stiles met eyes and then turned back to her. Stiles sighed out his disappointment at his own fumble with Heather.

"Don't worry. Just an average day for me." He said, thinking Rhi was feeling guilty for indirectly cockblocking him (even though she hadn't in the slightest. Stiles had done that to himself.) "I'm not exactly smooth with the ladies."

Scott patted his friend on the shoulder and they lead Rhiannon back outside toward the direction of the car. "Don't you think we should find her?" Rhi asked desperately as she fell behind them. "Nah. Her friends will do that just fine. Besides, I don't think we really want to." Stiles said without hiding his disappointment as he alluded to the inappropriate activities Heather was probably partaking in currently.

Rhi stopped for a moment, her mind racing. She couldn't convince them unless she told them the truth. But what then? Would they be able to help Heather, or was it too late? Would they blame her for not saying something sooner? Maybe if they knew about her situation, they could somehow get her back home. But then wouldn't she be dragging herself into a story where she didn't belong? Opening up a new conflict that they didn't have room for? If she told them the truth, she could possibly prevent them from helping those in need? What if her attempt to save one person resulted in a domino effect that hurt many more?

Even more tormenting was the thought of changing the plot enough to not know what was coming next. To alter the timeline and leave her unable to help them in the future when it really mattered. Unable to help herself. When it really mattered.

The memory of seeing Allison for the first time flashed in her mind. She was beautiful in person. Prettier than Rhi thought of herself, which was rare because Rhiannon thought herself to be quite beautiful. And if it weren't for the white bandage across Lydia's forehead, she would have been a sight for sore eyes too.

She recalled the look in Scott's eyes as he gazed longingly at Allison. It was only for moments, but Rhi felt like she knew them. She could see Scott holding Allison's lifeless body. See him blame himself for her death.

Rhi could save her. If she planned it out well enough, she could save her.

Rhi clenched her fists. In that moment she made the difficult decision. It weighed on her shoulders despite herself. She followed the boys down the sidewalk. She ignored the idea of Heather being sacrificed.

She got into the jeep without a word.

===

Notes: Thank you all for reading.

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