Chapter Text
It had almost been ten long and frankly worrisome years since John Stilinski-Hale had seen his first-born son, for nearly ten long years he’d gone without any contact what-so-ever with his little Mechislav all because of his ex-wife who’d abducted their son, stolen him during her weekend with their only child. The last time John had seen his son, hugged him, was when John had foolishly handed his little boy over to his bitter ex-wife who’d glared at John like he was the scum of the earth, refused to give him an extra minute to hug and say his goodbyes to his little boy. Ten years ago on the parking lot outside of his fresh and new workplace he’d handed his son over to Claudia believing she’d bring his son back on Sunday even with her clear loathing of his life, even though she considered him an unfit-father and an unfit human John couldn’t back then believe that his former best friend to return his son because John unlike Peter had foolishly thought that Claudia was nothing but a bitter over their marriage ending and John finding love in Peter Hale; it was hard to believe that his best friend since early childhood and the woman who’d protested for equal rights and spoke about how everyone should have the right to marry and have kids could suddenly become so hateful, hateful enough to hurt him in the deepest and most sadistic of ways. But Claudia had changed even before John divorced her, even before John found Peter, she’d begun to change soon after their Mechislav’s birth.
Ten years ago John learned not to trust people blindly, ten years ago an AMBER alert had been issued for Mechislav Ziemowit Stilinski but nothing had come from it.
During the passing years while John moved on to some degree with his husband and mate it was clear Claudia did not as she would occasionally send a handwritten letter that was full of hatred and words of biblical judgement that at times were thick with horrid threats that kept him on edge and awake for days worried for the safety of his husband and family, it had been that sick and twisted hatred which she sent him in black and white that had driven John to seek custody of their son and it had been that loathing Claudia showed him and Peter that had swayed the court to side with him; and perhaps the statement of a four year old boy expressing how he didn’t like it when his mama said horrible things about his papa and Pete was the true weight that had swayed the court in John’s favor, then again John had nearly been ready to deny Claudia any access to their son after hearing some of the horrible things Claudia had said to their little boy some of which had kept their son awake at night or suffering from nightmares that prompted the boy to spend most nights sandwiched between John and Peter little hands holding tightly to each of their hands, but John had grown-up without his mother and hadn’t wished the same for his son and so he’d made a horrible mistake in judgement one which had fueled most of Peter and his fights for years because Peter had grown to love Mechislav as if the boy with brown eyes and pale skin as his own: Peter had blamed John for the loss of their little Cub as much as he’d blamed Claudia for it which John understood and accepted, it was his fault not listening to Peter when he’d voiced his increased worries about the damage Claudia was causing to their Cub and for not listening to his son when he’d asked to stay home with him and Peter instead of going to stay for a few nights with his mother, John had and did blame himself for the ten years his son was missing.
Not a single letter Claudia sent him held any news on his son, none not a single word on how his son was doing and if you’d ask John he’d preferred Claudia telling him his son hated him because at least then he’d know something about his kid, at times on the darker moments of his life he had these moments when he feared that Claudia might’ve done something to their son and left his body somewhere in a ditch or in a shallow grave without John knowing it; he’d even had nightmares where his ex-wife took out her rage on his child and disposing of his body by burning or just throwing him in a dumpster, regardless of the dream John always awoke from these dreams crying and screaming.
It’s only a few days shy from the horrid ten year anniversary of his Mechislav’s abduction when finally the long awaited and unexpected call comes, after ten long years of wishing on every evening star as well as the falling ones and every flickering light of lit candles John Stilinski gets the call he’s always wished for; his son had been found, alive but injured.
John Stilinski had taken the first flight to Chicago with Peter’s blessing and words of, `Go John, bring our son home.´ by the time John arrived in Chicago the Hale’s family lawyer Deucalion was already standing there at the airport with his team, Deucalion was smiling and was all welcoming although there was a hardness there that prepared John for possible bad news or delays when it came to him taking his son home; before they were even inside the ridiculously pompous town car John had been updated by Deucalion on the situation of his son who had been assaulted by Claudia who’d been according to the evidence gathered been trying to kill their little Mechislav.
Without the 911 call the half-deaf next-door neighbor had made John might’ve been on his way to the morgue instead of the fancy private hospital Deucalion had moved Mechislav too, and by the time they reached the hospital John had learned the disturbing extent of Claudia’s actions.
After hearing how his ex-wife had attempted to first poison their son with an assortment of pills and what appeared to have been a cheap variation of rat-poison she’d found down in the basement of the building she and Mechislav were staying at, but when poisoning hadn’t worked fast enough for Claudia’s liking she’d moved to stabbing their son who’d been suffering for only God knew how long, after hearing the horrors his son had to go through and survive before he was saved had John calling Peter in tears.
Without Peter’s comfort and encouragement John would’ve probably had a complete breakdown on the enclosed parking lot of the hospital. Without Peter’s words of “We’ve waited for this day for ten years John, ten years, so you can’t freak out now not until we have him home.” hearing Peter use the word We reminded John of the fact that he wasn’t the only one who’d spent years hoping for the best and fearing the worse, hearing Peter say We reminded John of the way Peter had reached out to every pack known in the US more than a couple times a year reminding them of the child missing; hearing Peter’s We and not You reminded John of how Peter had built Mechislav his own bedroom in their house even though there was no guarantee they would ever find the boy, every three years Peter would change the wallpaper or the frame of the bed like the batman bed became a bunk-bed because of possible sleepovers two a single bed, We reminded John that if Peter could he would’ve been there with him but because Peter had to stay with the little ones it was John’s job to see this through.
It was John’s job to bring their son home.
Still nothing Peter had said to him could’ve prepared him for what the four doctors told him once he entered the pristine building, to hear how close his son had come to losing his life two nights ago was enough to cause John to tremble like a little leaf stuck in a tree, to hear how close he’d come to visiting his son in the morgue instead of a hospital where his son remained living and breathing.
After hearing the horrible deeds done to his son by the woman who had birthed the boy, John had to ask the question that had been on his mind ever since the call had come, `How – how could she, how could she do this to him? ´
Dr. Pope looked as lost for answers as John was but repeated none the less the same damn thing everyone else had when speaking about Claudia or the crimes she had committed, `She was a very sick woman Mr. Stilinski, I doubt she even realized what she was doing.´
`You should focus on your son now, sir, ´ the doctor said squeezing his shoulder, `There’s nothing more you can do for your wife now.´
`Ex-wife.´ John said with an air of loathing which wasn’t new as he’d grown to hate his former best friend almost as soon as John realized Claudia had abducted their son with the full intention of never bringing him back, he’d been disappointed in Claudia when she’d started to spewing her words of hatred not only to John and Peter but also their son, but when she took his son everything changed; the very second John realized his son was gone John had sworn that once his son was back where he belonged that he John Stilinski would never again allow Claudia near his son, back then he hadn’t though it would take this long for his son to be returned to him.
`I understand you’d like to take your son home as soon as possible, ´ Dr. Martinez says, her voice is soft and gentle much like it had been when she’d explained to him the damage the poisoning and stabbings had caused his son, Mechislav had lost one of his kidneys and there was some possible nerve damage to his right hand, but his son was alive and that was all that really mattered to John at the moment.
Once more Deucalion steps in cutting the doctor off, he’d done it so many times already that John’s own fingers and toes weren’t enough to keep track of the interruptions, `We’ve already arrange counseling for young Mechislav as well as,´ the Dr. Martinez didn’t seem to appreciate Deucalion talking over her and so she did the same to him which earned her a couple of points in John’s eyes, she goes as far as turning her back on the Alpha and focusing on John alone which the Sheriff can appreciate, ` Mr. Stilinski, I understand you want to take your son home, but Stiles..´
`Stiles? Who or what is a Stiles? ´ Deucalion asks and one of his comrades with iPads is scrambling to find answer to the question looking as bewildered as Deucalion looks annoyed and John isn’t sure if it’s Deucalion’s lack of knowledge that is irritating the Alpha enough to cause him to growl or if it is the fact that his assistant had allowed such a thing to happen or both.
`Your son prefers to be called Stiles, ´ Dr. Brier says the tall man with dark skin and an air of authority that was enough to cause John to stand up a little bit straighter, `his name, the one given to him by you and his mother hasn’t been used in years, Stiles himself doesn’t recall it really anymore, he’s been called Stuart, Thomas and a few other names during the years and so he’s created a name for himself one which keeps him from losing who he is.´
`Claudia, Claudia gave him that name, it was her grandfathers.´ John says voice tight because he’d wanted his son to have a simpler name and what’s worse is that Stuart and Thomas had been two of the names he’d sneaked on the list of names for their son, but back then after his son’s birth he’d been in a joyous haze of becoming a dad which had made him agree to anything Claudia wanted. Dr. Brier nods in understanding which Deucalion repeats his opinion about how Mechislav was an abomination of a name.
`So he – he likes to be called Stiles.´ John says with a sigh and the doctors nod, and John can deal with the name change, considering everything else he had to deal with, this odd little name was the smallest one of a long list of things he and Peter would have to deal with once John returned home with his son.
No, that wasn’t right John thought, No not my son but ours, Peter’s and mine.
John turns his gaze towards the door behind which his son was held and he takes a deep breath before asking, `What aren’t you telling me? ´ John has been on the job enough years to see the signs of people keeping secrets or withholding information, his gut instinct had only been enhanced with the bite.
`Your son, sir, ´ Dr. Pope says voice cautiously, `He’s been through a lot and we’re at this moment concerned about possible infections…´
`Which can be handled back in Beacon Hills, where Stiles will be surrounded by family…´ Deucalion says but Dr. Brier steps right over him and John sees the flash of irritation wash over the Alpha’s face.
`Mr. Stilinski-Hale, your son is severely malnourished,´ Dr. Brier’s words hit him hard sure he’d been told his son was somewhat underweight but it seemed like his son was more than just on the skinnier side of things, `we are concerned about his lack of appetite as well as the clear apprehension he has towards food in general.´
`And these sort of issues can be dealt with back in Beacon Hills, ´ Deucalion says firmly his frustration evident as he continues, ` Sheriff Stilinski-Hale has responsibilities back home, one of which is his young family and that is why we’ve taken measures to ensure his son has the best support and care during the travel which will continue once he is home where he belongs.´
Dr. Brier turns to face Deucalion and something about the way the man stood and carried himself before the blind Alpha reminded John of those pro-wrestler on TV, `I think Stiles staying here for a few more days would do him no harm.´
` Doctor,´ Deucalion begins voice tight with surprised anger, `there are great many a things that the Sheriff has waiting for him back home,´ and John could not argue with that for he did indeed have a family waiting for him back home as well as a town to protect, and he had left rather expectantly leaving a fresh-faced deputy in charge, `and unless you can give us evidence that would contradict the assessment of our own physician who earlier today gave young Stiles the greenlight for travel.´
`I see no reason why we should continue this line of conversation.´ Deucalion says with that odd tone of voice that could bring anyone into an obedient silence, however Dr. Brier seemed to be tone-deaf.
`Sheriff,´ says the good doctor Brier who turned towards John in a weak attempt to ignore Deucalion, `Your son has suffered a great deal of psychological as well as physical abuse and I am certain it has been ongoing for years,´ just the thought that Claudia might’ve abused their son for years truly set John into tailspin, once upon a time such an idea would never have crossed his or Claudia’s mind because there had been a time when she’d called their son her little Treasure.
`And frankly sir, ´ Brier says rather hesitantly, glancing over at the very door John had been eyeing, `your son believed you were dead.´
John has to seek support from the nearest wall while chocking out a single word which Deucalion and his clan of high-priced lawyers and assistants mirror.
`What? ´
`I was present when Stiles was told that you were on your way, ´ Brier says and something about the way the doctor causes John’s heart to sink to the floor, `Stiles’ reaction was one of shock followed by anger because he thought it was all a cruel joke, ´ John looks back over at the door behind he imagined his son was being held, kept, `Stiles’ anger was closely followed by a sever panic attack.´
It’s difficult to continue hearing all the dreadful things his son had gone through, hearing how his son had panicked to the news that his dad was coming to get him, to take him home, there was no doubt in John’s mind that if he hadn’t taken the bite his Alpha had offered him years ago that the stress and despair of the situation would’ve killed his heart and him.
`It took a little bit of talking and some google search to help Stiles adjust to the notion that you sir are in fact alive.´ Dr. Brier says softening a bit at the end as if understanding how difficult this was for John to hear.
`Jesus, ´ John breathes out, his face is starting to itch from all the times he’s rubbed it with his callused hands.
`At least we now know why he never contacted you John.´ Deucalion says with this sort of uncaring fashion that reminds John why Deucalion’s pack remained small, most people after spending an hour with the Alpha declined his offer of the bite, it was this trait that gave the man the nickname the Demon Wolf.
John can only respond to the Alpha with a short nod, and later on he finds some smidge of comfort in the knowledge that his son hadn’t deliberately stayed out of touch but that the decision had been made by Claudia.
`You need to understand, sir, your son has lived in appalling conditions and under the assumption that you died, ´ Brier continues and John knew some of the horrendous conditions his son had lived in after all there had been crime scene pictures as well as statements for John to read through, and all of them had painted a pretty grim picture of the life his son had lived.
When John had questioned how no one had been aware of the life Stiles had been forced to live, Deucalion’s had pointed out that no one had even known that the woman living in apartment B8 had a son; his son had lived a solitary life, no school or friends, locked away inside a small apartment without any other company than Claudia and a handful of books, there hadn’t even been a TV or an old radio to keep the boy a touch of the world outside the apartment. His son had been isolated, alone, trapped with a lunatic of a woman.
`It will take time for him to adjust to this new and unfamiliar situation.´ and of course John understood this and he would do everything he could within reason to help his son, but Deucalion was right John couldn’t afford to remain in Chicago for too long and there were means with which they could help his son in Beacon Hills; not to mention that John would have a support network there to help him deal with everything, a support network that he believed would help his son as much as it would help John.
`I do understand. ´ John says rubbing the wariness from his face, `and I will take it all inconsideration, ´ Brier seemed to sense the incoming but as he tensed visibly.
`But for now I’d rather just see my kid.´