Sky awkwardly waves at a few of her classmates she had become reluctantly friendly with as she parts from them after the last class of her day, sighing in relief as she begins to make her way towards her dorm, feeling the call of her bed pulling her along.

There were many other students bustling between buildings, some rushing home, some running to their classes, and some looking like they were sleepwalking. 

It was eerily normal, and as Sky glanced up at the clouds, trying to gauge whether or not it would rain today, she finds that as much as she missed everyone, she enjoys the normality.

It had been almost two months since she, Ariel and Stiles left Beacon Hills to start to get settled into the next part of their lives. Stiles was eager to get started with his pre-FBI program at George Washington University, something that her own Dad had surprisingly helped with -- the man was really trying to worm his way into her life again and she was slowly granting him that wish. Ariel was beginning her Teacher Education Program at Stanford, and just twenty minutes away, Sky was starting her Paramedic Program at National University.

It had been a very teary exit from her home. Her Mom wouldn't stop crying, knowing her kids were growing up and, in her words, because she had never been so proud. Because Sky had managed to do it, despite all the monsters, despite getting kidnapped twice, being erased from existence, they all still somehow made it. Both her kids that were barely kids anymore.

Scott was spending a little longer being an assistant coach at the High School before he went to UC Davis, and Lydia's classes at MIT didn't start for a few weeks. Malia, well, she was itching to fly off and travel through Europe.

And it turned out, it was even easier to stay in control when there was a noticeable lack of life-endangering situations in your day-to-day -- unless you counted drinking enough to make your liver cry. 

There had been a bet on who could drink the most, and who was Sky to not take advantage of the fact she couldn't get drunk?

Two months, and not once had she felt the need to lash out, to flash her eyes, flick out her claws -- though this decidedly did not include the time a guy spilt her coffee before her 9 am class.

She missed seeing Stiles every day, seeing Scott every day, and sometimes it felt like she was missing a limb, but she was learning to live with it, knowing she would see them soon enough. 

It was even harder being apart from her girlfriend most nights, but they had arranged alternate visits every single weekend and hung out as much as they could on weekdays they weren't too busy.

Fumbling with her bag, she grabs the keys out of her pocket once she reaches her dorm room. She had been lucky so far, her roommate wasn't due to move in for another week, leaving the space to herself for now.

Or so she thought. Opening the door, she almost jumps as she spots Ariel sitting on her bed, fiddling with her phone whilst waiting.

Once the girl notices her, she jumps up quickly with a sheepish smile. 

"Hey," she says, walking up to her until she is firmly in Sky's arms.

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow," Sky says in pleasant surprise, then glances back to the door. "And how did you get in?"

"Well, um -- Sorry, I picked the lock, I didn't wanna disturb your day, but --" Ariel shakes her head, smiling slightly at Sky's impressed face. "You'll never guess who called me."

Sky walks over to put her stuff on her desk, "Was it Stiles again? I told him I'm not helping him infiltrate an FBI target, I don't wanna get shot."

"No -- What?" Ariel blinks, then shakes her head. "No, but we will be talking about that. It was Derek, Derek Hale called me."

Sky gapes, spinning to face her, "Derek? How does he even have your number? Where has he even been?" 

"I have no idea, but he has his creepy ways," Ariel sighs.

Sky frowns, "So, what is it?" she asks curiously.

". . . He's with Stiles, they're on their way to Beacon Hills again," Ariel informs her, waiting for her inevitable reaction.

Sky groans, already seeing where this was going, "Oh, don't say it . . ."

Ariel winces, "They need us."

"You said it!" Sky grumbles, slapping a hand over her face in despair. "Why this time?"

Ariel shakes her head, "Scott and Lydia thought they could handle it without telling us apparently, but things are getting out of hand."

"Those idiots," Sky frowns, moving to grab a bag. "What are they facing?"

"Hunters, I think. Allison is trying to help but they aren't listening to her either. Gerard is behind it."

"I hate him!" Sky scowls, only relaxing when Ariel steps forward, rubbing her arms.

"I know, but people have already died, so . . ."

Sky sighs, "It's a good job I don't have class tomorrow."

a/n: a short and sweet nod to season 6b's existence before moving on. one more to go . . . ;-;