2015.09.25 - Gathering: To La Push We Are Going

**Emitter:** Scott McCall

*Scott, Stiles, and (barely) Liam prepare to depart for La Push, Washington.*

Beacon Hills Air Strip

Beacon Hills has a small private airport as it turns out. One that Scott has never seen until now. He stands on the tarmac with Stiles as a private jet is being rolled from the hanger towards them and the runway. Scott has on jeans and a dress shirt over a t-shirt and work boots, all of which are clean and neat and new looking. Somebody is trying to put his best foot forward it seems. He has a satchel slung over one shoulder and is looking at Stiles dubiously. "I'm still not sure we shouldn't have just taken the jeep up there."

"Look," Stiles says, standing there dressed... just slightly "up" from his usual look, having opted for a nicer, collared overshirt than one of his flannels and a brown denim coat to compliment his dark tee, along with a pair of khaki slacks and a pair of hiking-style boots, just considering where they are headed. With his backpack slung over one shoulder and a small duffel hanging from the other, he turns to smirk at Scott, shrugging as much as his burdens allow, and he says, "Because how often do we get to ride on a luxury private jet?" He reaches over to smack Scott reassuringly on the shoulder. "C'mon. Indulge a little. You're basically going to your first inter-pack diplomatic summit. You should at least get to travel classy."

Scott McCall sighs and glances behind them. "Liam's late." He shakes his head and says, "There's so much that can go wrong with this, Stiles. If we learned anything from the Alpha pack targeting us, it's that we can't afford to look weak in front of other werewolves, ever." The young alpha's expression is worried in a way that he usually only lets show in front of his mom and Stiles. "And to be honest, we ARE weak right now. Small packs, no real heavy hitters. If Jason and his crew decide to come down after us, we're in trouble." He doesn't say 'we'll lose' because, well, he's the alpha. And even with Stiles, he can't ever let that thought show. "And I'm not thrilled about taking you and Liam into what might be a tense, maybe even dangerous, situation. But I need your advice and eyes. And Liam, even if he is new and goofy, is a strong beta. With the tension between the twins, Ethan would be a bad choice for this."

Stiles lets out a small sigh and just...leans over against Scott, hitching up his backpack so he can sling one arm around the back of Scott's neck in an obvious gesture of support and solidarity. Plus, it lets him lean in close to say emphatically, "Look, dude. We're gonna be fine. First of all, I've already been there. Jason's already been here. He knows what we've got. And--hell, he knows *all* of what I've got, since he gave me a full strip-search last time I was up there. Point is, I was as completely vulnerable as I possibly *could* be, and I was fine. I know I was the one who probably distrusted him the most when he showed up, but... I think he's for real. I think he actually wants to help. And I wouldn't be supporting this trip if I thought it was at all a bad idea. Honest. So relax, okay?" He reaches up to muss Scott's hair, like he would have in the old days, and then pulls away again, his point made.

That hug makes Scott grin faintly and then he rolls his eyes, glancing sideways at Stiles, "Could you at least TRY not to get naked in front of somebody who might be the bad guy?" As though his friend makes a habit of it. He narrows his eyes at that hair tug and hip bumps Stiles lightly as the other teenager pulls away. "I know, I'm worrying too much. But ...." He shrugs and sighs. They both know that Scott's life has basically been defined by worry and responsibility since he was bitten and that has just ramped up after he was revealed to be a true alpha. It's a lot to put on the shoulders of a guy in high school, but Scott is dealing. Mostly.

As the plane gets closer, Scott looks sideways to Stiles and adds, "Aiden is a priority, okay? His brother wants him home with us and to be honest, so do I. Especially since Jason seems to have helped him level up somehow. I feel better when I can watch both of them. And with him around, maybe Ethan will have another outlet other than Liam." He looks over his shoulder, still not seeing his wayward beta.

Stiles feigns a scandalized expression, protesting, "Hey! It wasn't *my* idea! When he figured out I'd gotten bit and I told him there wasn't a bite mark on me, he decided to see for himself. Whole thing was pretty damn humiliating, actually." He rolls his eyes with enough emphasis that his whole head gets in on the action. "Anyway--don't worry so much, Frodo. We're going to Rivendell, not Mordor." He smirks again, looking up toward the plane, and says, "Aiden... yeah, sure. I get it. The killier killer twin is getting upgrades to his powers, and you want to make sure he's not going all Dark Side again. Cool. I've got your back, dude." He has also noticed Liam is late, but Liam is usually one to be fairly haphazard about things, anyway. And Stiles figures he needs to give Scott's brain a break, lest he cram in more geek references that his friend will give him funny looks for.

As the plane pulls up near them, Scott shakes his head. "Again with the /Star Wars/ stuff?" He seems to be including the Frodo reference in there, horrifyingly enough. Scott nods at the comment about Aiden. "Yea, if he's powered up again, near to where he was as an alpha, this is when he'll go bad. And drag his brother with him." He shrugs. "If it happens, we'll deal with it." Somehow without killing anybody, because that's not acceptable. Except what else do you DO with a rogue werewolf or two? No sense worrying about it. "But yeah, thanks for coming. And having my back. And not being evil. That's a pretty huge help."

Stiles puts on a face of mock scandalized outrage. "Dude! You haven't seen *Lord of the Rings*, either? As soon as this shit is done, I'm sitting your little werewolf ass down and we are having a *movie marathon*. No getting out of it this time." But he grows more serious as they continue discussing Aiden, nodding. "Obviously. We'll deal with it all. It's gonna be fine." And then he returns the prior hip-bump, grinning again. "And, hey. 'Not being evil' is basically one of my talents. I'd explain better, but if I told you that my lightsaber is definitely blue, not red, you'd just give me that *adorable* clueless look you get every time people reference high culture."

Grinning at Stiles, Scott says, "Deal." And then, predictably, he just tilts his head and looks blank about the lightsaber reference. And then the plane door hatch is opening and a staircase lowering. And from behind them the sound of what is either a herd of horses galloping towards the plane or Liam running late as usual. Scott gives the plane another dubious look and says, "Weird. You'd think they'd look safer when they're smaller. But they really don't."

Stiles throws back his head, laughing heartily, and just starts forward up the stairs to the plane. "Dude, if after everything we've been through, if a plane wreck is our biggest problem? Then our lives are seriously starting to calm down and get more normal. C'mon." He calls over his shoulder, "Liam! Don't trip over those giant puppy feet, will ya?" Snickering again to himself, he makes the rest of the way up and steps inside the jet.

Scott McCall grins fondly at Stiles as his friend disappears into the plane and then waits for Liam, the two of them helping the co-pilot and steward stow their bags and then finally getting on the plane and settling in for the relatively quick trip, while Scott quietly but firmly talked to Liam about being on his best behavior. And then they were rolling out onto the runway. Scott took a deep breath and looked over at Stiles, smiled faintly and shrugged. His tension was obvious but he was playing it off. Scott didn't notice it, of course, but since taking up the whole 'alpha' mantle, he'd started stressing out over everything he couldn't directly control. And then the plane was off and up, taking them north for a meeting that could signal a whole new era in their lives. For better or worse.