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[mamanurse]

[Melissa appears on camera, wearing her nursing scrubs, looking more than a little frazzled. Her jaw is set and she also looks pissed in addition to frazzled. Look out, mom on a rampage.]

Okay, you know what? It can't hurt, here goes nothing. I get here somehow I don't quite remember, and I'm told that talking to a bunch of strangers on-line will answer all my questions. I really hope that's the case, because I'm not feeling in the mood for any games.

So, tell me where I am please? And how I can get home? I don't have any on-line names, you can just call me Melissa. I don't mean to be rude, but I have a job to do and a son to raise and a mortgage to pay. So...I gotta go.

Comments

[affectioning]

For you. For me it has. I'm from that night. Later on. [ No need to discuss the what. Saving Deaton. The vault. Finding out he might be a true alpha whatever that even means. ] It doesn't make any sense. I know that. But, I promise you it isn't a joke. [ And then the worst of the news. ] And also that you can't get back. None of us can.

[mamanurse]

[Now she's just staring at him like he's crazy.]

What? What do you mean, we can't get back?! That's crazy, I have a job, you have school, there's a mortgage on the house that needs to be paid, what about Stiles' dad? Oh my god...

[affectioning]

Stiles dad isn't here. Before today I didn't think I'd ever see you again. [ An then caveats. ] Except, the City - that's what it's called - it can send us back. We just won't remember it. We'll live for however long, and then come back with new memories. It happened to Stiles once. I talked to someone today who's been here four times. [ It's insane, mom. ] I know it's crazy. It's really crazy. And scary. And there's a lot more I can tell you but - we should probably go somewhere.

[ That merry-go-round is creepy. ]

Are you hungry?

[mamanurse]

[She realizes that he's just as worked up as she is, and the line about thinking he'd never see her again pierces her heart. She takes his hands in hers and squeezes tight.]

Oh, honey. It's okay. I'm here. We're gonna get through this, like we always do.

I am hungry. Let's go get some dinner or something. I promise I won't choke if you keep dropping bombs in my lap.

[affectioning]

[ He squeezes her hand back. She's actually here with him. How horrible is it that Scott's first thought is Stiles doesn't have his dad. Sometimes, it even surprises the narration how unselfish Scott McCall is. (Especially, when those times he's been selfish have backfired royally.)

He lets go of her hands. ]

This way. There's a good restaurant here. It's called The Blue Light. [ And he'll wait until she falls into step with him. He won't even walk faster than her which he's used to doing. And before he gets to any more bombs. ] How was work? How's Danny doing?

[mamanurse]

[She's trying to take in all the new landscape, and yeah, still kinda creepy, mainly for how empty it all is. She stays in step with him, her hand on his arm.]

Danny's doing much better. He's in recovery now, and they're monitoring him. He'll be on oxygen for the next couple of days, but he'll be fine.

[affectioning]

[ He brings her back into the town square. People are there. It's more lively. But, some things aren't open again yet. ]

Good. [ He doesn't know what he'd do if Danny ended up being another sacrifice. That was mistletoe. He remembers it distinctly. ] What was Stiles' dad doing at the hospital?

[mamanurse]

[She gives Scott a little look, raising her eyebrows at him.]

He's the sheriff. Investigating the murders. Which, honestly, why haven't you and Stiles told him everything yet?

[affectioning]

[ He stops at that, knowing it was going to come to this at some point. Not an abrupt stop, but another step and then he's slowing down. ]

Stiles doesn't want to tell him. He thinks it keeps him safe. A lot of times I agree. [ When he has stumbled in the right direction, he's almost gotten killed. ] It's one thing to have a son who's a werewolf. [ He defers to Stiles. ] We talked about telling him. I thought he might've. [ He starts walking again. ]

I found Deaton. And the Sheriff found me.

[mamanurse]

You found Deaton? Oh, thank god. But...if the Sheriff found you, then you...he saw you as a wolf?

[As they get further into town, she's relaxing a little bit more. Thank god her son's here, otherwise she'd never stop fretting.]

[affectioning]

He didn't. [ He thinks back. ] I don't think he did.

[ No, he'd just been dropped on the floor. Only Deeaton had seen his eyes. ]

The darach had spread mountain ash around him. Remember what that is? [ After a second of recognition. ] I couldn't get to him. I tried. Then the sheriff got there, I was on the ground and he shot Deaton's hands free. He ran forward, breaking the circle. [ He's sure. ] I didn't wolf out.

[ Turning a corner. ]

I met with Stiles, Cora Hale, and Lydia. We tracked where the next sacrifice would be. But, the alphas were also ready for Derek. They cut the power. I sent Stiles and them to his loft. I found Deaton in the old bank, in a vault. And Stiles' dad. He saved him, Mom.

[ He looks at her, a prolonged look before sliding around a person he wasn't going to walk into because he has werewolf senses. ]

Which is another thing. You can't mention anything that's happening back in Beacon Hills. Derek doesn't even know Cora's alive. And Stiles still thinks the darach is going after virgins only.

[mamanurse]

[She takes all that in as quickly as she can, because she knows Scott has a tendency to skip over details to 'protect' her. And also because he's a 17 year old boy. It still takes her a second to absorb it all.]

So...wait, people can come into this place from our pasts? Or even our futures? I take it back, I'm totally gonna choke on this meal.

[affectioning]

Please don't choke. You just got here. [ And more bombs. ] Also, [ Her favorite word, right? ] If you die here, actually die here, you can't get back. Ever.

[mamanurse]

...Well, I would assume so, since you're dead.

[A beat, followed by a flat look.]

Are you telling me people can come back from the dead in general?

[affectioning]

Here. Yeah. It hasn't happened since I've been here. [ He doesn't want it to happen, honestly. ] And I'm not dead. When I say we can't get back I mean it doesn't let us.

[ Following all of this? Because, there's more, Mom! But, first, the door! And holding it open. ]

[mamanurse]

Wait, you mean...

[That's when he opens the door for her, and she has to put this conversation on hold. She holds up two fingers to the host at the front, and then settles in to the booth with her son. Hopefully the chatter of the restaurant will cover their weird conversation.]

...Okay. Run that by me one more time. Are you saying that if we die in this world, we can never get back home again? Or if we die here, we're never able to come back?

[affectioning]

[ It wouldn't be the weirdest conversation today. ]

If we die here, we can never get back home again. I think. There's a fringe group working on getting everybody out. Maybe, that'll be a part of it. [ He looks off for a second, okay, he's back. ] What else...

[mamanurse]

[She frowns at that, but...in consideration of the fact that she'd be dead the thought of not being home after that is a minor one. Dying is pretty final, after all.]

Honey...honey. Listen, if we're stuck here, then...we're no worse off than when your dad left, right? We'll start all over again. Whatever weirdness is going on, we'll be fine.

sob.

[affectioning]

We will.

[ And he knows this. So, an NPC waiter comes up and before Scott can do or say anything different, Scott looks up and literally says ] Truth or Dare?

omg

[mamanurse]

[The waiter blinks, shakes his head, and looks to Melissa with a 'wtf' look on his face. It echoes Melissa's.]

...What are you doing?

it's his curse today

[affectioning]

[ He blinks. Not the time or the place. But, that's his burden for hopefully only 24 hours, but apparently it can last 48? Not okay! ]

We need a minute.

[ A sheepish closed mouth smile as he guiltily turns to his mom. ]

And I'm sorry! [ He calls after the waiter. ] I'm cursed.

i know dear god scottie

[mamanurse]

Cursed? What? Since when? Is this a werewolf thing?

[Oh god Melissa you have no idea what you're in for.]

[affectioning]

No. It's a City thing. [ A deep breath. ] There used to be people who ran things. They called themselves deities. But, they might not have been. Their job was to curse us. Periodically, I guess. But, a group fought them, ousted their regime and tried taking over. They tried stopping the curses by blocking the energy that causes them but that got everyone sick. Not me, I'm okay. And so is everyone else. I got here too late to be affected.

[ Wait, he should backtrack. He frowns. ]

And a curse is, well, it can be anything. But, it can change your personality - make you do things like this. All day I've asked strangers Truth or Dare. And if they actually played, I felt compelled to play along. Derek figured out I was cursed. But, it's not something you can stop. It just ends.

[ Another breath. ] Anyway, the group, they called themselves anonymous, started up the curses again and this weekend is a weekend of random ones. I saw a memory of Stiles' on the network. So did everyone. And Jim's.

[ Oh, a fun bomb to drop. Eyes wide, now, as he leans in. ]

Oh! Also. Things and people that were fictional - aren't. Here. Captain Kirk is here. And so is a lot of his crew. Stiles and I are friends with them. And I'm not kidding. [ He sits back. ] I can't control it.

[mamanurse]

[As all of this tumbles out of his mouth, she's following along helplessly, bobbing her head along slightly at each point, and blinking a lot.]

There are curses that change your personality, and Captain Kirk is here. The Captain Kirk. Star Trek. Like, the television show.

[Then she turns to the side, and raises one finger to signal their waiter.]

Waiter! One martini. Double gin. Thanks.

[affectioning]

No, movie Kirk. The new movie. Chris Pine Kirk.

[ Hey, what about him? ] And a coke? [ Or a beer? ]