Fic: value of a human soul
Derek woke up confused and in pain. “Laura?” he croaked out.
He tried to move, but screamed as pain flared up his left leg. He looked down and saw nothing below his knee. Derek swallowed back the bile that threatened to come up and gripped at his bleeding limb tightly.
That was when he remembered.
“Laura? Laura!” he called out louder this time. There was no reply.
Derek let go of his leg with a sob and dragged himself toward the wolf armor Uncle Peter had sent to them. He hoped Laura could wait a few more minutes.
****
Derek glanced over at Laura as they sat on the train. She was curled up as best she could despite her metal joints.
“Stop worrying, brother,” she said, not looking at him.
“I’m not.” Derek scowled and turned to glare out the window.
She snorted and nudged at his hand. “You always worry. We’ll find the Philosopher’s Stone and get our bodies back.”
Derek clenched his hands and then winced slightly as his right hand squeaked.
“You need to go see Stiles,” Laura said slyly, nudging at his hand again.
“Shut up.” Derek frowned, flushing slightly.
Laura laughed at her brother’s discomfort, her voice echoing in her armor. Derek slouched lower in his seat and tried to keep from turning redder.
****
Once the train stopped, the siblings exited and made their way toward headquarters to check in with Uncle Peter. They got some strange looks as they walked and many people avoided them entirely. Derek glared fiercely at those people and it annoyed Laura to no end.
“Stop it, Derek,” Laura growled. A man passing by jumped in surprise and walked quickly away from them.
Derek glared at the man and then replied shortly, “Not doing anything.”
“You are. I don’t care what other people think. You shouldn’t either.”
“They shouldn’t stare,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.
“I’m a walking wolf shaped suit of armor,” Laura finally snapped. “Of course they’d stare.”
“Can we not do this right now?” Derek asked wearily.
“Fine.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
****
Emily Hale peeked in on her two children as they played in her husband’s study.
“You know,” she said, walking into the room. “You two shouldn’t be playing in here.”
“We aren’t playing,” Derek said without looking up from the book he was reading. “We’re being careful, Mom”
“Yeah, Mom. We just did a few runes.” Laura pointed to the runes on the floor.
Emily gasped at the complex alchemical runes on the wood floor. She sank to the ground slowly and asked, “You two did this?”
“Yep,” Derek replied. He looked at his mom with a big smile on his face.
“Did Father teach you before he left?”
Laura scoffed. “When would he have the time?”
“Laura…” Emily trailed off.
“Are you mad?” Derek asked with a slight frown. He had put his book aside to stare at his mom.
“No,” Emily smiled at her children. “I’m so proud.” She scooped them up in a big hug and kissed their cheeks.
“Mom!” they shrieked delightedly.
****
“You did good work in Beowawe, Fullmetal,” Peter told his nephew and niece as he worked on a report at his desk. Not receiving a reply, he looked over at them. Derek was slouched low on a couch, while Laura lay at his feet. It was still strange for Peter to see his niece in that armor. He cleared his throat and asked, “Any problems?”
Derek grumbled a reply and Peter could almost see Laura roll her eyes.
“He’s just upset about the Stone,” she said.
“Ah, yes. The fake.” Peter flicked his eyes towards Lydia, who stood next to him. She nodded curtly and left the office. “Derek,” he began as soon as Lydia had shut the door.
“Shut up!” his nephew growled. “I can’t believe I thought it was real.”
“You needed it to be.”
Derek stood abruptly, kicking Laura as he did so, and glared at Peter. “I’ll fix it okay! I’ll get Laura’s body back!”
Peter stared back placidly, saying nothing. He watched as Derek sunk back onto the couch and Laura rested her head on his knee. Derek put his automail hand on her head and rubbed it.
“You two sound squeaky,” Peter sniffed, going back to his reports. “Go see Stiles and send Lydia back in as you leave.”
“Stiles is here?” Laura asked happily. She moved away from Derek and toward the door.
“Yes, and annoying my staff. Go.”
Derek stood up again and went to open the door for Laura. Before he could leave, Peter said, “I’ve never blamed you.”
His nephew paused slightly, but said nothing as he left.
Peter sighed and did his best to focus on his work.
****
Peter and Lydia stared in horror at the scene before them. A mass of black was at the center of an alchemical circle.
“This is forbidden,” Lydia breathed.
Peter said nothing as he turned from the room and marched out of the house. Lydia followed quickly behind him. Once outside she asked, “Where to now?”
“The Stilinski’s,” Peter said, taking a deep breath. “Derek and Laura were always close to them.”
The two made their way to the car and then to the Stilinski house. Sheriff was outside when they pulled up, seemingly waiting for them.
“I saw you drive past awhile ago. I figured you’d come back this way,” he said slowly. “They’re inside.”
They followed Sheriff inside and Peter spoke up, “Lydia, why don’t you go with Sheriff? I’ll go see my niece and nephew.”
“Of course, sir,” she replied.
Lydia and Sheriff went right into the dining room and kitchen and Peter turned left, going into the living room. He stopped short at the image in front of him.
Derek was in a wheelchair, looking despondent. He had one arm and one leg missing. Next to him, on the floor, was the wolf armor he had given them as a gift. He didn’t see Laura and was about to ask after her, when the armor moved.
“Uncle,” it said.
“Laura?” he asked in shock.
“Yes, Uncle Peter.”
“What happened?”
Derek, who had been looking at the floor, looked up at Peter. He had tears in his eyes when he said, “Mom died.”
****
Laura sniffled as she and Derek sat in front of Emily’s grave. “Dad didn’t even come back for her funeral.”
“Living with Sheriff and Stiles isn’t so bad,” Derek said.
“That’s ‘cause you like Stiles.”
“Be quiet or I’ll tell M-” Derek cut himself off just in time. He rubbed at his eyes.
“I want Mom back,” Laura said softly.
“Maybe we can get her back.” Derek bit his lip.
“How?”
“I read it in one of Dad’s books.”
“I thought that was illegal?”
“Who would we tell?”
“I think Sheriff and Stiles might notice if Mom came back from the dead,” Laura said harshly.
“Do you want her back or not?” Derek shouted as he stood up.
“Of course I do!”
“Then let’s get practicing!”
They kissed their mother’s tombstone before running out of the graveyard and towards home.
****
“Stiles?” Laura asked as she and Derek peeked into Stiles’ workroom. It was technically Derek’s workroom, but he never used it. Stiles had followed the Hale siblings to Central so he could better look after Derek’s automail.
“Hey guys!” Stiles called out from behind a pile of equipment. “Be right there.” Something clattered and Stiles let out a string of swears.
Derek snorted as he moved around some clutter. Laura maneuvered her way through large piles on the ground. She ran into some things, making her armor clang. She settled down near a window.
“Sorry about the mess,” Stiles said as he rounded a pile of leftover parts. “I’m working on some upgrades for you.”
“Fantastic,” Derek sighed. He took off his jacket and shirt. Then he sat down at a worktable, waiting for Stiles.
Stiles sat across from him and leaned over to look at his arm. “Is it fitting okay? We had to change some things after your last growth spurt. I’m worried about it connecting properly. I don’t want it to mess with your muscles or anything.”
“It’s fine,” Derek replied shortly.
“Good. Now take your pants off,” Stiles demanded. He blushed hotly when he realized what he said. “Um, I mean…”
Derek blushed too as he stripped his pants off and stood only in his boxers. Laura chuckled as both men kept blushing. Stiles knelt in front of Derek to check his leg. Then she snorted while they fumbled around each other for a few minutes before Stiles came to her.
“And how about you, Laura?” he asked, kneeling next to her. “I know you don’t have automail, but I can try to help you.”
“I’m fine, Stiles. Thank you for asking.”
“I’ll polish you up anyway.” He smiled at her, getting up to gathering his polishing supplies.
“Hey, finish me first!” Derek protested.
“Oh shush,” Stiles waved him off. “Your upgrades are ready. They just have to be attached. Laura’s upgrades will be quicker than yours.”
Derek grumbled as he pulled his pants back on. Then he slumped over the tables and closed his eyes.
“He still isn’t sleeping well?” Stiles asked, as he polished Laura.
“No. I tell him to since I can’t, but he never listens. Just like always,” she replied. She stretched her body out so Stiles could reach everywhere.
“I’m right here,” Derek mumbled.
“Shut up,” Stiles and Laura said at the same time. Stiles grinned at her when Derek muttered something back sleepily.
****
“That thing wasn’t human,” Sheriff said as he and Peter faced each other across the dining table. Derek was sitting in the middle with Laura next to him.
“I see,” Peter said, watching his nephew.
“No. You don’t,” Sheriff replied forcefully. “I can’t do alchemy, but these two are gifted at it. Very gifted. They did something no one should do and they brought something dangerous back with them.”
“You took care of it?”
“Yes.” There was silence for a moment before Sheriff said, “You want them to go with you back to Central.”
“I do. Derek would make an excellent State Alchemist. He could find a way to fix himself and Laura.”
“It won’t change anything.”
“I know,” Peter inclined his head. “But they might just help some people along the way.”
“It’s up to them,” Sheriff said, looking at Derek and Laura.
****
“Danny and Matt are having a party for Jessica tonight,” Stiles mentioned as he finished working on Derek’s arm.
“So?”
“I think we’re invited, Derek,” Laura said.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” he snapped.
“Shut up.”
“You shut up.”
“Oh my god!” Stiles cried. “You two never change!”
Derek smiled widely and Laura laughed loudly. Stiles made a sound of disgust and went back to his work.
“We’ll go,” Derek spoke up once Stiles had finished. “But you should stick with us.” He shrugged back into his coat and moved to the door.
“I usually do,” Stiles said confusedly.
“He means you shouldn’t be near Lydia so much,” Laura told him as she walked out of the room.
“But she has nice hair!” Stiles blushed.
Derek frowned. “She’ll never date you. Don’t be stupid.”
“I’m not being stupid! I’m being nice! I don’t want to date her!”
Derek was about to reply, when Laura nudged his legs hard. He stumbled forward and crashed into Stiles. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
“You look good together,” Laura said, the smirk clear in her voice. She turned and left them behind, the door banging shut after her.
Derek looked down at Stiles with a slight flush on his face. “Laura’s so stupid.”
“Oh my god,” Stiles whispered. “You like me!”
“Shut up.”
“You do!” Stiles crowed. He was about to continue gloating, when Derek kissed him.
“Wha-?” Stiles asked when Derek pulled away.
Derek grinned. “Only way to shut you up is to keep you off balance.” He climbed off Stiles and stood. “See you at the party.”
“Idiot,” Stiles muttered as he lay on the floor. “Seriously, they haven’t changed.”
****
“Are you sure about this?” Stiles asked. His dad stood next to him. Laura was on the opposite side of Derek’s hospital bed. He was waiting to undergo surgery for automail upgrades to his arm and leg.
“How long of a recovery time?” Derek asked back.
“Around five years,” Sheriff said.
“Derek…” Laura began.
“One year,” Derek cut her off decisively.
“That’s impossible,” Sheriff said in shock.
“So are other things, but I did those too. Let’s do this.”
“Idiot,” Stiles mumbled. Louder he said, “I better learn more about automail, Dad, so I can help this moron out.”
“Shut up,” Derek growled.
****
One year after Derek’s surgery, he and Laura were practicing behind the Stilinski home. Laura charged at Derek, but he was able to block her attacks and jump away.
“That’s great!” Laura cheered as they ended their fight. “Have you tried alchemy yet?”
“No. I’ve been…hesitant,” Derek admitted.
“You have to try again sometime. Now, for instance.”
“Fine,” Derek sighed. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, placed his hands on the ground, and pulled a large weapon out from it.
“Wow, you didn’t even need to use a circle.”
“You still do?”
“Yes. Derek,” Laura said, and Derek could hear the smile in her voice. “You are amazing.”
He swallowed and looked away. “Thanks, Laura.”
“Yeah, just try not to fail at that State exam,” Stiles said from the porch.
“Oh, shut up,” Derek scoffed.
“Make me.” Stiles stuck his tongue out and then ran as Derek and Laura started chasing him.
****
Derek looked around his new office/laboratory/workshop and raised an eyebrow. “I won’t do anything in here, Uncle,” he told Peter, who was standing in the doorway.
“I know that, Fullmetal, but Stiles can use it.”
“I can’t believe that moron followed us here,” Derek scowled and kicked a desk.
“Please don’t dent anything,” Peter told him. “Stiles is an automail expert. Just be glad King Gerard didn’t allow him to follow you on your journeys.”
Derek shuttered. “Ugh, that would have been awful.”
“Yes,” Peter smirked. “I’m sure it would have been. Now, you and Laura can come meet my staff.” He looked around before asking, “Where is Laura?”
“Hiding with Stiles. We don’t know how to explain her.”
“Leave that to Lydia,” Peter smiled wickedly.
****
The party at Danny and Matt’s was in full swing by the time Derek and Laura showed up. Stiles was talking with Scott, Allison, and Chris, but he left the trio to greet his oldest friends.
“What’s the party for?” Derek asked him.
“Because my little angel is so wonderful,” Danny said from behind him with a big smile on his face.
Derek jumped and spun around to face him, while Laura turned quickly.
“Learn to make some noise!” Derek growled.
Danny laughed and walked over to Peter and Lydia, who were laughing at Jackson’s failed attempts to charm Jessica.
“Sorry about that,” Matt chuckled as he entered the room. “Jess won a couple of gold stars and Danny got overexcited.”
Derek snorted and dragged Stiles away to a corner. Laura shook her head and looked at Matt.
“Still,” she said. “It’s always good to have a party with friends.”
“Yes,” he smiled at her softly.
Laura always found it incredible that people bought the story Lydia and Stiles had spun about her. They had said that Laura had gotten very sick, like their mother, and was bedridden. So, Stiles and Sheriff had made her this remote controlled suit out of wolf armor. She could see and hear everything back in her bed. It was very complicated, Lydia had told people who asked, but they seemed to believe it.
Sometimes Laura could almost believe it too.
She shook her head again, excused herself from Matt and padded after Derek. Her brother was now in a conversation with Isaac. She noticed that his eyes kept flicking towards Stiles, who had gone back to talk to Scott.
Isaac noticed too. He smirked down at Laura and then shook his head. She coughed, trying to hide a laugh. When Derek looked at her suspiciously, she lay down and put her head over her paws, trying to look as innocent as possible.
Isaac laughed at her antics and poked Derek in the side. “Just go talk to Stiles already. You’re driving me crazy.”
Derek grumbled about pushy sisters and friends, but did leave them to go over to Stiles.
Maybe Laura’s life wasn’t perfect, but right now surrounded by friends it couldn’t get much worse.
****
Later that night, as Derek lay in bed and Laura stared out at the night sky, Derek said, “I kissed Stiles.”
“Finally,” Laura snarked. “Are you dating now?”
“No.”
She turned to her brother and asked, “Did you talk to him about it?”
“No.”
“Oh, Derek,” she sighed despondantly.
“Look, it’s important that we fix you first. Then I can worry about my love life.”
“And you.”
“What?”
“Fix me and you.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Derek,” Laura growled angrily. “I’m sick of you putting yourself off.”
“It’s my fault. Why should I get fixed, when it’s my fault?”
“We did it together!”
Derek rolled over and put his back to his sister. Laura sighed and climbed into the bed with him. “We’ll be fine, Derek. It’s okay if you and Stiles date. You know he loves you with or without automail. He always has.”
“Yeah,” Derek said shakily.
Laura cursed and wished she had hands and arms instead of paws. At least with arms, she could hold her brother.
“It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you, Uncle Peter doesn’t blame you, Sheriff doesn’t blame you, Stiles doesn’t blame, and Mom doesn’t blame you.”
Derek let out a small sob, but made no other noise. Eventually, Derek drifted off to sleep. Laura continued to lie next to him, keeping a vigil over him all night.
****
“It’ll be okay, Laura,” Derek mumbled as he dragged himself to the wolf armor. “I can fix this. M-mom said I was a natural. So did Master.”
He dipped his finger in a pool of his own blood and used it to trace a binding symbol on the inside of the armor. He clenched his teeth together as another shock of pain travelled up his leg.
“I can do this,” he grit out. Derek began to crawl back to the circle, where that thing was that came back instead of Mom. He ignored its cries and began to make another deal.
Derek just needed his sister back.
He tried to move, but screamed as pain flared up his left leg. He looked down and saw nothing below his knee. Derek swallowed back the bile that threatened to come up and gripped at his bleeding limb tightly.
That was when he remembered.
“Laura? Laura!” he called out louder this time. There was no reply.
Derek let go of his leg with a sob and dragged himself toward the wolf armor Uncle Peter had sent to them. He hoped Laura could wait a few more minutes.
****
Derek glanced over at Laura as they sat on the train. She was curled up as best she could despite her metal joints.
“Stop worrying, brother,” she said, not looking at him.
“I’m not.” Derek scowled and turned to glare out the window.
She snorted and nudged at his hand. “You always worry. We’ll find the Philosopher’s Stone and get our bodies back.”
Derek clenched his hands and then winced slightly as his right hand squeaked.
“You need to go see Stiles,” Laura said slyly, nudging at his hand again.
“Shut up.” Derek frowned, flushing slightly.
Laura laughed at her brother’s discomfort, her voice echoing in her armor. Derek slouched lower in his seat and tried to keep from turning redder.
****
Once the train stopped, the siblings exited and made their way toward headquarters to check in with Uncle Peter. They got some strange looks as they walked and many people avoided them entirely. Derek glared fiercely at those people and it annoyed Laura to no end.
“Stop it, Derek,” Laura growled. A man passing by jumped in surprise and walked quickly away from them.
Derek glared at the man and then replied shortly, “Not doing anything.”
“You are. I don’t care what other people think. You shouldn’t either.”
“They shouldn’t stare,” he grumbled, crossing his arms.
“I’m a walking wolf shaped suit of armor,” Laura finally snapped. “Of course they’d stare.”
“Can we not do this right now?” Derek asked wearily.
“Fine.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence.
****
Emily Hale peeked in on her two children as they played in her husband’s study.
“You know,” she said, walking into the room. “You two shouldn’t be playing in here.”
“We aren’t playing,” Derek said without looking up from the book he was reading. “We’re being careful, Mom”
“Yeah, Mom. We just did a few runes.” Laura pointed to the runes on the floor.
Emily gasped at the complex alchemical runes on the wood floor. She sank to the ground slowly and asked, “You two did this?”
“Yep,” Derek replied. He looked at his mom with a big smile on his face.
“Did Father teach you before he left?”
Laura scoffed. “When would he have the time?”
“Laura…” Emily trailed off.
“Are you mad?” Derek asked with a slight frown. He had put his book aside to stare at his mom.
“No,” Emily smiled at her children. “I’m so proud.” She scooped them up in a big hug and kissed their cheeks.
“Mom!” they shrieked delightedly.
****
“You did good work in Beowawe, Fullmetal,” Peter told his nephew and niece as he worked on a report at his desk. Not receiving a reply, he looked over at them. Derek was slouched low on a couch, while Laura lay at his feet. It was still strange for Peter to see his niece in that armor. He cleared his throat and asked, “Any problems?”
Derek grumbled a reply and Peter could almost see Laura roll her eyes.
“He’s just upset about the Stone,” she said.
“Ah, yes. The fake.” Peter flicked his eyes towards Lydia, who stood next to him. She nodded curtly and left the office. “Derek,” he began as soon as Lydia had shut the door.
“Shut up!” his nephew growled. “I can’t believe I thought it was real.”
“You needed it to be.”
Derek stood abruptly, kicking Laura as he did so, and glared at Peter. “I’ll fix it okay! I’ll get Laura’s body back!”
Peter stared back placidly, saying nothing. He watched as Derek sunk back onto the couch and Laura rested her head on his knee. Derek put his automail hand on her head and rubbed it.
“You two sound squeaky,” Peter sniffed, going back to his reports. “Go see Stiles and send Lydia back in as you leave.”
“Stiles is here?” Laura asked happily. She moved away from Derek and toward the door.
“Yes, and annoying my staff. Go.”
Derek stood up again and went to open the door for Laura. Before he could leave, Peter said, “I’ve never blamed you.”
His nephew paused slightly, but said nothing as he left.
Peter sighed and did his best to focus on his work.
****
Peter and Lydia stared in horror at the scene before them. A mass of black was at the center of an alchemical circle.
“This is forbidden,” Lydia breathed.
Peter said nothing as he turned from the room and marched out of the house. Lydia followed quickly behind him. Once outside she asked, “Where to now?”
“The Stilinski’s,” Peter said, taking a deep breath. “Derek and Laura were always close to them.”
The two made their way to the car and then to the Stilinski house. Sheriff was outside when they pulled up, seemingly waiting for them.
“I saw you drive past awhile ago. I figured you’d come back this way,” he said slowly. “They’re inside.”
They followed Sheriff inside and Peter spoke up, “Lydia, why don’t you go with Sheriff? I’ll go see my niece and nephew.”
“Of course, sir,” she replied.
Lydia and Sheriff went right into the dining room and kitchen and Peter turned left, going into the living room. He stopped short at the image in front of him.
Derek was in a wheelchair, looking despondent. He had one arm and one leg missing. Next to him, on the floor, was the wolf armor he had given them as a gift. He didn’t see Laura and was about to ask after her, when the armor moved.
“Uncle,” it said.
“Laura?” he asked in shock.
“Yes, Uncle Peter.”
“What happened?”
Derek, who had been looking at the floor, looked up at Peter. He had tears in his eyes when he said, “Mom died.”
****
Laura sniffled as she and Derek sat in front of Emily’s grave. “Dad didn’t even come back for her funeral.”
“Living with Sheriff and Stiles isn’t so bad,” Derek said.
“That’s ‘cause you like Stiles.”
“Be quiet or I’ll tell M-” Derek cut himself off just in time. He rubbed at his eyes.
“I want Mom back,” Laura said softly.
“Maybe we can get her back.” Derek bit his lip.
“How?”
“I read it in one of Dad’s books.”
“I thought that was illegal?”
“Who would we tell?”
“I think Sheriff and Stiles might notice if Mom came back from the dead,” Laura said harshly.
“Do you want her back or not?” Derek shouted as he stood up.
“Of course I do!”
“Then let’s get practicing!”
They kissed their mother’s tombstone before running out of the graveyard and towards home.
****
“Stiles?” Laura asked as she and Derek peeked into Stiles’ workroom. It was technically Derek’s workroom, but he never used it. Stiles had followed the Hale siblings to Central so he could better look after Derek’s automail.
“Hey guys!” Stiles called out from behind a pile of equipment. “Be right there.” Something clattered and Stiles let out a string of swears.
Derek snorted as he moved around some clutter. Laura maneuvered her way through large piles on the ground. She ran into some things, making her armor clang. She settled down near a window.
“Sorry about the mess,” Stiles said as he rounded a pile of leftover parts. “I’m working on some upgrades for you.”
“Fantastic,” Derek sighed. He took off his jacket and shirt. Then he sat down at a worktable, waiting for Stiles.
Stiles sat across from him and leaned over to look at his arm. “Is it fitting okay? We had to change some things after your last growth spurt. I’m worried about it connecting properly. I don’t want it to mess with your muscles or anything.”
“It’s fine,” Derek replied shortly.
“Good. Now take your pants off,” Stiles demanded. He blushed hotly when he realized what he said. “Um, I mean…”
Derek blushed too as he stripped his pants off and stood only in his boxers. Laura chuckled as both men kept blushing. Stiles knelt in front of Derek to check his leg. Then she snorted while they fumbled around each other for a few minutes before Stiles came to her.
“And how about you, Laura?” he asked, kneeling next to her. “I know you don’t have automail, but I can try to help you.”
“I’m fine, Stiles. Thank you for asking.”
“I’ll polish you up anyway.” He smiled at her, getting up to gathering his polishing supplies.
“Hey, finish me first!” Derek protested.
“Oh shush,” Stiles waved him off. “Your upgrades are ready. They just have to be attached. Laura’s upgrades will be quicker than yours.”
Derek grumbled as he pulled his pants back on. Then he slumped over the tables and closed his eyes.
“He still isn’t sleeping well?” Stiles asked, as he polished Laura.
“No. I tell him to since I can’t, but he never listens. Just like always,” she replied. She stretched her body out so Stiles could reach everywhere.
“I’m right here,” Derek mumbled.
“Shut up,” Stiles and Laura said at the same time. Stiles grinned at her when Derek muttered something back sleepily.
****
“That thing wasn’t human,” Sheriff said as he and Peter faced each other across the dining table. Derek was sitting in the middle with Laura next to him.
“I see,” Peter said, watching his nephew.
“No. You don’t,” Sheriff replied forcefully. “I can’t do alchemy, but these two are gifted at it. Very gifted. They did something no one should do and they brought something dangerous back with them.”
“You took care of it?”
“Yes.” There was silence for a moment before Sheriff said, “You want them to go with you back to Central.”
“I do. Derek would make an excellent State Alchemist. He could find a way to fix himself and Laura.”
“It won’t change anything.”
“I know,” Peter inclined his head. “But they might just help some people along the way.”
“It’s up to them,” Sheriff said, looking at Derek and Laura.
****
“Danny and Matt are having a party for Jessica tonight,” Stiles mentioned as he finished working on Derek’s arm.
“So?”
“I think we’re invited, Derek,” Laura said.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” he snapped.
“Shut up.”
“You shut up.”
“Oh my god!” Stiles cried. “You two never change!”
Derek smiled widely and Laura laughed loudly. Stiles made a sound of disgust and went back to his work.
“We’ll go,” Derek spoke up once Stiles had finished. “But you should stick with us.” He shrugged back into his coat and moved to the door.
“I usually do,” Stiles said confusedly.
“He means you shouldn’t be near Lydia so much,” Laura told him as she walked out of the room.
“But she has nice hair!” Stiles blushed.
Derek frowned. “She’ll never date you. Don’t be stupid.”
“I’m not being stupid! I’m being nice! I don’t want to date her!”
Derek was about to reply, when Laura nudged his legs hard. He stumbled forward and crashed into Stiles. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
“You look good together,” Laura said, the smirk clear in her voice. She turned and left them behind, the door banging shut after her.
Derek looked down at Stiles with a slight flush on his face. “Laura’s so stupid.”
“Oh my god,” Stiles whispered. “You like me!”
“Shut up.”
“You do!” Stiles crowed. He was about to continue gloating, when Derek kissed him.
“Wha-?” Stiles asked when Derek pulled away.
Derek grinned. “Only way to shut you up is to keep you off balance.” He climbed off Stiles and stood. “See you at the party.”
“Idiot,” Stiles muttered as he lay on the floor. “Seriously, they haven’t changed.”
****
“Are you sure about this?” Stiles asked. His dad stood next to him. Laura was on the opposite side of Derek’s hospital bed. He was waiting to undergo surgery for automail upgrades to his arm and leg.
“How long of a recovery time?” Derek asked back.
“Around five years,” Sheriff said.
“Derek…” Laura began.
“One year,” Derek cut her off decisively.
“That’s impossible,” Sheriff said in shock.
“So are other things, but I did those too. Let’s do this.”
“Idiot,” Stiles mumbled. Louder he said, “I better learn more about automail, Dad, so I can help this moron out.”
“Shut up,” Derek growled.
****
One year after Derek’s surgery, he and Laura were practicing behind the Stilinski home. Laura charged at Derek, but he was able to block her attacks and jump away.
“That’s great!” Laura cheered as they ended their fight. “Have you tried alchemy yet?”
“No. I’ve been…hesitant,” Derek admitted.
“You have to try again sometime. Now, for instance.”
“Fine,” Derek sighed. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, placed his hands on the ground, and pulled a large weapon out from it.
“Wow, you didn’t even need to use a circle.”
“You still do?”
“Yes. Derek,” Laura said, and Derek could hear the smile in her voice. “You are amazing.”
He swallowed and looked away. “Thanks, Laura.”
“Yeah, just try not to fail at that State exam,” Stiles said from the porch.
“Oh, shut up,” Derek scoffed.
“Make me.” Stiles stuck his tongue out and then ran as Derek and Laura started chasing him.
****
Derek looked around his new office/laboratory/workshop and raised an eyebrow. “I won’t do anything in here, Uncle,” he told Peter, who was standing in the doorway.
“I know that, Fullmetal, but Stiles can use it.”
“I can’t believe that moron followed us here,” Derek scowled and kicked a desk.
“Please don’t dent anything,” Peter told him. “Stiles is an automail expert. Just be glad King Gerard didn’t allow him to follow you on your journeys.”
Derek shuttered. “Ugh, that would have been awful.”
“Yes,” Peter smirked. “I’m sure it would have been. Now, you and Laura can come meet my staff.” He looked around before asking, “Where is Laura?”
“Hiding with Stiles. We don’t know how to explain her.”
“Leave that to Lydia,” Peter smiled wickedly.
****
The party at Danny and Matt’s was in full swing by the time Derek and Laura showed up. Stiles was talking with Scott, Allison, and Chris, but he left the trio to greet his oldest friends.
“What’s the party for?” Derek asked him.
“Because my little angel is so wonderful,” Danny said from behind him with a big smile on his face.
Derek jumped and spun around to face him, while Laura turned quickly.
“Learn to make some noise!” Derek growled.
Danny laughed and walked over to Peter and Lydia, who were laughing at Jackson’s failed attempts to charm Jessica.
“Sorry about that,” Matt chuckled as he entered the room. “Jess won a couple of gold stars and Danny got overexcited.”
Derek snorted and dragged Stiles away to a corner. Laura shook her head and looked at Matt.
“Still,” she said. “It’s always good to have a party with friends.”
“Yes,” he smiled at her softly.
Laura always found it incredible that people bought the story Lydia and Stiles had spun about her. They had said that Laura had gotten very sick, like their mother, and was bedridden. So, Stiles and Sheriff had made her this remote controlled suit out of wolf armor. She could see and hear everything back in her bed. It was very complicated, Lydia had told people who asked, but they seemed to believe it.
Sometimes Laura could almost believe it too.
She shook her head again, excused herself from Matt and padded after Derek. Her brother was now in a conversation with Isaac. She noticed that his eyes kept flicking towards Stiles, who had gone back to talk to Scott.
Isaac noticed too. He smirked down at Laura and then shook his head. She coughed, trying to hide a laugh. When Derek looked at her suspiciously, she lay down and put her head over her paws, trying to look as innocent as possible.
Isaac laughed at her antics and poked Derek in the side. “Just go talk to Stiles already. You’re driving me crazy.”
Derek grumbled about pushy sisters and friends, but did leave them to go over to Stiles.
Maybe Laura’s life wasn’t perfect, but right now surrounded by friends it couldn’t get much worse.
****
Later that night, as Derek lay in bed and Laura stared out at the night sky, Derek said, “I kissed Stiles.”
“Finally,” Laura snarked. “Are you dating now?”
“No.”
She turned to her brother and asked, “Did you talk to him about it?”
“No.”
“Oh, Derek,” she sighed despondantly.
“Look, it’s important that we fix you first. Then I can worry about my love life.”
“And you.”
“What?”
“Fix me and you.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Derek,” Laura growled angrily. “I’m sick of you putting yourself off.”
“It’s my fault. Why should I get fixed, when it’s my fault?”
“We did it together!”
Derek rolled over and put his back to his sister. Laura sighed and climbed into the bed with him. “We’ll be fine, Derek. It’s okay if you and Stiles date. You know he loves you with or without automail. He always has.”
“Yeah,” Derek said shakily.
Laura cursed and wished she had hands and arms instead of paws. At least with arms, she could hold her brother.
“It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you, Uncle Peter doesn’t blame you, Sheriff doesn’t blame you, Stiles doesn’t blame, and Mom doesn’t blame you.”
Derek let out a small sob, but made no other noise. Eventually, Derek drifted off to sleep. Laura continued to lie next to him, keeping a vigil over him all night.
****
“It’ll be okay, Laura,” Derek mumbled as he dragged himself to the wolf armor. “I can fix this. M-mom said I was a natural. So did Master.”
He dipped his finger in a pool of his own blood and used it to trace a binding symbol on the inside of the armor. He clenched his teeth together as another shock of pain travelled up his leg.
“I can do this,” he grit out. Derek began to crawl back to the circle, where that thing was that came back instead of Mom. He ignored its cries and began to make another deal.
Derek just needed his sister back.