No one ever really questioned why he was so acceptant of the supernatural. It just seemed to be his thing. Some people were into sports, others into fashion, Stiles?... He was the geek who was into the supernatural lore and played games like World of Warcraft and such.

He wasn't as bulgy or big as some of the other guys. He was a teenager and so people merely thought that his not wanting to take off his shirt around others was because he lacked in the self-esteem department.

It was easier to let them all believe what they wanted. Even if it wasn't the truth. The truth was...far-fetched, even to his werewolf, hunter, and banshee friends. Hell, even to his father. That part had been part of the punishment.

What punishment do you ask?

Well...let's backtrack. As you know...magic is real. A lot of the monsters that go bump in the night actually exist. Some even still do the bumping part. Or in Stiles's case, thrashing you against a wall or lockers part.

...he may be a special case. A magnet for weird.

Or not really. Not with magic being involved. Not the Vegas kind that's all smoke and mirrors. The Merlin and Morgana kind. The Sabrina the Teenage Witch kind. The Bonnie Bennett from the Vampire Diaries kind.

The kind his mom could do. She was a witch and when he was little he remembered her doing tricks for him. Like at bath time when she made the bubbles into shapes that danced along the bath tub's edge. Or at night when she made his ceiling like the nighttime sky full of stars that made just light enough to see but still dark enough to sleep.

She was a Muggleborn so she wanted him to have as much access to Muggle things as magical things. He grew up watching superheroes and reading comics. When he saw his mom do magic he let himself believe she was like Wonder Woman and would be invincible.

She died of Muggle reasons and no magic could save her.

She wasn't there when he got his letter of acceptance to Salem Institute's School of Magic. But his dad hugged him twice as hard for the both of them because he had been just as proud.

Stiles took to magic like a duck to water. He was so curious and eager and asked questions Purebloods didn't think to ask. It got him noticed. It gained him privileges and honors. By the time he was thirteen he was taking advanced classes and even sitting in the tutoring sessions with some of the older kids. By the end of the year, he told that some of the students would be going to England. The Twi-Wizard-Tournament was to take place and they managed reservations to attend. Since the Salem Institute was built in the Colonies of the early years of the United States, it was one of the other schools besides Hogwarts that was governed by The Ministry of Magic. Which was why the trip was possible at all.

He'd been beyond excited. Even more, once he read up on the tournament. His professors said that he and the others wouldn't be allowed to enter their names. That their main reason for going was an educational purpose. They would all be housed in different houses and were to take notes on the people that were assigned to shadow.

Traveling there and arriving there were amazing and breathtaking experiences. Stiles saw many different people and the Tournament was a great time for Wizards and Witches of all sorts to show off their heritage, regardless if they were from Hogwarts or not.

Stiles was 'sorted' into Ravenclaw and he was to shadow Cho Chang. She was a really kind girl who didn't tire of his questions and managed to keep up with them. That was an impressive trait in itself. Through her was how he met Cedric Diggory and damn if he wasn't a charmer. So when he came looking around all confused after the first challenge (and yes actual DRAGONS!) it was Stiles who helped figure out what he should do with the clue. He also convinced him to tell Potter. Cedric smiled at him with this weird kind of smile and Stiles blames the yellow from his robes and the sun that made it seem like he was glowing all heavily.

He then rounds up the courage to talk to the famous Harry Potter. And by rounds up courage, he means throws a mud ball at Malfoy when he picks on Harry and tactfully zapping all the buttons he saw with a spell that made them grow wings and fly away.

Awkward, brave, don't know any better, wayward teens needed to stick together. Stiles acts a bit as a bodyguard for Harry since then. Mostly because his lack of filter make him act before he thinks. He even got into the face of scary Durmstrang students. He got a black eye and a broken arm. (which was fixed in a jiffy by Madam Pomfrey. Someone else who he made good friends with after sending her a thank you card and flowers. You gotta keep those who fix you up happy so they'll fix you again next time. With Stiles, there was always a next time.) He also got a visit from Viktor Krum who came to apologize for his classmate's rude behavior. Stiles made a Muggle reference and he and Viktor talked a lot after that. He apparently liked talking to people who didn't ask him too much about him or Quidditch.

He gave Viktor tips on what to talk about with Hermione before he asked her to the Yule Ball. He nudged Harry to hurry up and ask Cho and convinced Cho to give Harry a shot. Not every day the Chosen One asks you out. He kept looking for people who may make a good match, especially for Cedric since he was a Champion and a date was mandatory.

Imagine his surprise when he is asked to be said mandatory date.

He says yes, because how can he say no to that amazing, brilliant smile?

Neville Longbottom helps him practice. As the Champion Cedric would have to take the lead, so he let Neville take the lead as well. Harry supplies him with Robes since his Muggle suit wasn't all that great. He's thankful, but Harry insists it's the least he could do for getting him a date with Cho.

At the ball, while he's waltzing and then rocking out, having the time of his life with Cedric, Viktor and Hermione, and Neville and Ginny, he wonders how things could go so well.

And then he learned not to question life.

Some of the Merpeople's captives made sense. Ron Weasley was Harry's best friend. Gabrielle Delacour was Fleur's little sister. Hermione Granger and him being hostages to Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory respectively...well, it raised a few eyebrows.

Still...at this moment all Stiles was getting were mini-lectures from his professors about meddling. But they were half-hearted. Mostly they were impressed with how well Stiles adjusted to different forms of magic and way of the world. And the positive attention Salem Institute would receive because of it wasn't bad either.

Shit really hit the fan when Stiles began to have nightmares. Very vivid nightmares that he was sure were more than just jitters. He tried to tell some of them to his classmates from Salem but they told him it was probably just the fact that the year was almost over. They would be going home soon, and his time with Cedric and Viktor and Harry was almost up. Stiles agreed...until that night when his nightmares got worse.

He knew he wouldn't be heard. No one would listen. So he took action into his own hand. He was clever and a rule breaker. That equaled one hell of a combination. He made portkeys. One that he managed to slip into Cedric as a good luck charm. It was rigged so as soon as Dark Magic was felt, it would teleport Cedric somewhere safe. He made another because he knew he had to. That one he snuck on Harry without his knowledge.

When the ground beneath him shifted and he wasn't in the stands waiting anxiously anymore, but right next to Harry, he acted on instinct. Wand at the ready he ejected the knife away from the rat looking guy and pulled Harry away towards safety. The battle itself was fuzzy to Stiles. In all honesty, it was all a whirl and a roar and he acted on instinct. It was the first time he really felt his core. He remembered once his headmistress tried to explain he was different. He was a Spark.

Someone tried stabbing Harry again and Stiles pushed Harry out of the way and was stabbed in his palm himself. The knife-like a lightning rod and Harry like a conductor, Stiles felt the jolt that went through him, followed by the burning inside his body that felt like magma. There was a light and it was blinding. The ground shifted beneath him again and then everything went dark.

The next time he woke up he was alone in the infirmary. It was short lived before Madam Pomfrey came in to inspect him. She smiled sadly at him before leaving. Soon his professor came in looking like he bit into a very sour lemon. After him came Dumbledore and the other heads of Houses, people from the Ministry and even the other school's head leaders.

Stiles was in trouble, how much though, he didn't expect.

He didn't get to say goodbye.

His professor escorted him via the Floo Network to the Ministry where he stood before the Minister. He was given a lecture and accused of a lot of things. He had to bite his lip hard when his wand was snapped in half. It was a sound that would haunt him forever. He was expelled from school and exiled from the magical communities that had become a huge part of his life. Due to the Statue of Secrecy, there would be a Wizard to visit his father and erase the memory of magic being real from him. It was Dumbledore's influence that he got to keep his own memories and Stiles wasn't sure if he was grateful or not. After being placed in the Leaky Cauldron for the night, Stiles showers and notices his new scar. It looks like tree roots...or like lightning.

He thinks of Harry. Wonders if he's alright. Wonders about Cedric.

He looks away from the scars. Puts on a shirt and a sweater and even then he crushes the mirror, still being able to feel it!

He's enrolled in the same school as Scott. The Muggle world is a bit hard for him to fully adjust to, but he does it. He's weird but it becomes his thing. Soon Werewolves become real and it takes up a lot of Stiles's time.

He does his best to ignore his lightning scar. He's not sure what his father think happened to him, but they ignore it, so it's a thing. It was something that maybe only Scott knew of other than his dad.

So when he's changing one day in the locker room after practice and everyone's already gone, he jumps when he hears a voice.

"When did that happen?"

"Derek!" Stiles squawks as he hurries to throw on a shirt. He's almost got his jersey on when Derek stops him.

He's really close and his hand hovers over his scar. Stiles suddenly feels anger and defensive as he slaps Derek's hand away. He pulls his jersey on and tugs on it firmly.

"Stiles..."

Stiles looks at him coldly. Sure Derek has seen him pissed off because of Scott and Werewolf related issues, but this was different. This was the seething anger of hurt and betrayal of being pushed out of his own world mixed with devastation. "It's not for you to know."

So naturally he sees more of Derek, but without the usual impatient hatred, he reserves for Stiles. He tries to look at Stiles in a way that is nearly unsettling, yet oddly enticing. Stiles had set up this persona people have handed him since permanently joining the Muggle world. Embraced it with every fiber of his being. Though he nearly mastered it...but parts linger from his other self. The one he has to lock away and maybe it was a bit ironic that a werewolf was unknowingly looking for another side to Stiles that shouldn't be real but is.

Stiles wants to badly to jump at the chance to share his past life with someone...anyone! But he can't. He simply can't.

Or so he thought.

It was after he, Scott, and Allison sacrificed themselves for their parents that he sees them. Stiles began to have dream visions again. They were the type of dreams that you swear you remember but the next morning when you try to remember, they're at the tip of your tongue but can't fully put it into words. It was dark though...Stiles put it off as side effects from dying. Or from being possessed by a demonic fox. But the feeling he had each time he woke up thrashing in his bed was familiar...the only other time he had it was in England...just before the third task.

He didn't know what to make of them, so he kept his mouth shut. Not like he had anyone to talk to about them. Then...it happened. His Jeep is in the shop because of a supernatural encounter, so Derek, all newly interested in Stiles Derek, offered him a ride. Erica's in the passenger seat and Isaac and Stiles were in the back. Boyd had somewhere else to be and Stiles was thankful. Boyd was a big guy and the back of the Camaro wasn't all that roomy.

"Who's that?" Erica asked as Derek eased to a stop in front of the Stilinski household.

Stiles looked over and his heart stopped...then sped up.

"Stiles?" Derek asked while Isaac nudged him.

Stiles ignored them as he bolted from the car and ran to him. It's been so damn long since he's seen anyone from the other world. And he hadn't known what happened to him and they were all in so much danger.

Viktor's open arms awaited him and he spun Stiles as he picked him up off the ground. Stiles was crying tears of happiness that he tried in vain to wipe away.

"Oh my god! I can't believe you're here! Wait!" his brain caught up with his reality. "Why are you here? What happened? Is everyone okay? Is everyone alive?"

The Bulgarian chuckled deeply and his accent was as thick as Stiles remembered. "Ve are all fine. Thanks to you."

Stiles blushed as he looked away and shrugged.

"Ve need to talk, but...may ve do it inside? In privet?" Viktor asked as he sent the Camaro a stern stare.

Stiles looked at the car where Derek was already out of his seat and staring menacingly. Erica and Isaac took a moment before joining their Alpha.

Stiles looked back at Viktor and nodded. He opened the door and let the older Wizard inside. When he turned Derek and the other two were in front of him. Derek practically growled as he spoke. "Who is he?"

Stiles ignored him and instead said. "Thank you for the ride. I'll see you guys later."

"You expect us to leave you with Terminator in there?" Isaac asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Guys...it's...it's under control. He's not a threat. He's...he's a friend."

They all looked at him with varying expressions before Derek demanded, "How did you meet?"

"He's Bulgarian, I'm Polish. As hard as it is to believe, I have a life outside of all...this." he pointed between them after looking back at the door to make sure Viktor wasn't there. He didn't want the pack to know he knew about the supernatural.

Derek was going to speak again but Stiles stepped inside and slammed the door and locked it. He found Viktor and tapped his ear with one hand and then placed his index finger on his lips for the 'quiet' gesture.

Viktor seemed to understand and pulled out his wand and placed a silencing charm around them. Stiles let out a sigh of relief. "Can you double check the locks too...they're...clever, if not violent."

Viktor raised an eyebrow. "Verevolves are not vhat I expected."

Stiles' eyes widened. Among Wizards, werewolves aren't...that well looked upon. They didn't necessarily shared Hunter point of views, but still not the same views Stiles had.

Viktor must have read his look because he was quick to assure, "Dey are not vhy I am here...vell, not completely. You and your knowledge of Verevolves is."

Stiles cocked his head to the side confused.

"Havf you heard of Fenrir Greyback?"

Stiles had. Vaguely. And it was all bad.

Derek strained his ear as much as he could but no matter what he couldn't hear a peep from the other side of the door. He growled at it until Erica and Isaac whimpered at the killing intent he was giving off. He stormed away from the door and headed to climb through Stiles's window. Erica and Isaac followed after him.

They all reached the living room in time to see the stranger bring Stiles close and hold on tightly, then there was this CRACK sound and the two vanished into thin air.