The clinic was quiet, the kind of quiet that felt too heavy for a room that had seen so much blood and chaos. The soft hum of the lights filled the air, broken only by the steady rhythm of Stiles tapping his fingers against the metal table. Scott sat beside him, elbows resting on his knees, staring at the floor as his mind replayed everything Deaton had said earlier that day.
He needed to figure out what came next. Not just for him but for everyone.
"So," Stiles said finally, spinning halfway in his chair, "you're really planning to go all zen Alpha now? Meditate under waterfalls and talk to glowing wolves in the woods?"
Scott looked up with a small laugh, the sound dry but real. "Maybe not that far. But Deaton's right. I've spent so long reacting to everything, hunters, Alphas, monsters, that I forgot what it means to actually lead."
Stiles raised an eyebrow. "You've led pretty well so far, dude. Everyone's still alive. Mostly."
Scott shook his head. "Barely. We've all been running from one fight to the next. I don't want that to be who we are anymore. I think it's time to get the pack together again."
That caught Stiles off guard. "Now? After everything? Why?"
Scott's voice softened. "Because this might be the last time I can."
He leaned back, staring at the wall as if the memories might fade if he didn't look directly at them. "Isaac's leaving soon. He's going to France with Argent for training and to help deal with whatever's left of the Nogitsune's trail. It's good for him. He needs to get away from Beacon Hills."
Stiles's face fell slightly. "You don't think he's coming back, do you?"
Scott shook his head. "No. And honestly, I hope he doesn't. Not because I don't want him here, but because he deserves peace. He deserves to be somewhere that doesn't constantly remind him of what we lost."
The silence that followed carried Allison's name in it, even if neither of them said it out loud.
Scott ran a hand through his hair, his voice quiet again. "Derek's leaving too. He's taking Cora somewhere safe. I think he just wants to spend time with her, make up for the years they lost. I don't blame him. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's Derek."
Stiles gave a slow nod, his usual sarcasm replaced by something more thoughtful. "So, what does that leave? Just us?"
"For now," Scott said. "But maybe that's enough. I want to bring everyone together one more time before they go. Say what needs to be said. Then I'll talk to Deaton about going to Satomi."
Stiles blinked. "Satomi? The peaceful Alpha lady Derek mentioned? You think she'll even take you in?"
Scott smiled faintly. "Deaton thinks she will. He says she can teach me what it means to lead with peace, not power."
Stiles leaned forward, mischief creeping back into his tone. "So you're going to be all peace and kumbaya, huh?"
Scott's smile tightened. "Maybe a little bit, but like I said to Jennifer, it might not be my first resort. I'm willing to kill if needed."
The room fell silent for a beat, the weight of the words hanging between them. Stiles's expression shifted from teasing to careful. He knew Scott wasn't speaking lightly.
Then Stiles smirked faintly. "Well, let's just hope your version of inner peace doesn't end with someone losing a limb. I kind of like all mine where they are."
Scott chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
"Yeah," Stiles said, grinning. "But you'd be lost without me."
Scott rolled his eyes, but there was warmth there now, the kind that only came from years of surviving side by side.
"Actually," Scott said, "I was hoping you would come. Deaton said you should start learning what it means to be an emissary, the right way. If I'm going to learn how to lead, I want you to learn how to guide."
Stiles looked at him, surprised. "You really think I could do that?"
"I know you can," Scott said simply.
The words hung between them, quiet but sure. Outside, the last of the evening light spilled through the clinic windows, painting the floor in gold and shadow. For a moment, everything felt still. Peaceful.
Scott glanced toward the door, his expression calm but resolute. "Let's get everyone together tomorrow. One last time."
And as the room fell silent, Stiles could see it in Scott's eyes, the determination of someone who had been broken, remade, and was finally ready to lead again.