Chapter Text
Stiles trailed after his father, “Why can’t you though? He’s hurting them.”
“He’s hitting them,” The Sheriff turned around to face his son, “there’s a difference, Stiles, I can’t arrest someone for hitting their children.”
“Why not though?”
“Because it’s not illegal, Stiles,” Noah was getting frustrated with how hard it seemed for Stiles to understand the concept of parental rights.
“How is hitting your child not illegal? That sounds insane,” Stiles was really struggling to figure this one out and wrap his head around it.
“How is hitting your child not illegal? That is certainly a very good question, Stiles, the answer is that in the united states parents have rights, one of those rights is the right raise their children however they see fit, as long as they are not putting the child’s life in danger, engaging in other criminal activities around said child, or not providing the child with their basic physical needs, I can’t do anything.” Stiles was shocked into silence, there was no way that was it.
“But- But,” He was trying to find a flaw in the logic he had just been presented with, “those aren’t even really his children,”
The Sheriff took a deep breath and sighed in exasperation, “packs are treated as one family unit, in the eyes of the law, we interpret the relationship between alpha and beta to be that of a parent and a child, and all rights therein are extended to them in the same manner they would to any other biological parent and child.” At the surprised look Stiles gave him he added, “yes, I know about werewolves, you are certainly not the first one who has come to me with concerns about the legality of the Hale Pack’s dynamics.”
“You can’t be serious, right? It’s not right to hit anyone, it’s- it’s abuse! that's not right!-” he was getting more and more worked up about this,
“Stiles! Stiles!” Noah grabbed his son’s arms to stop him from flailing about, “look at me, I know you’re upset, this is your friend, and I get that you’re worried about him, but it doesn't matter what wrong or right, what matters is that everything Derek does is completely legal, it’s definitely extremely traditional, and generally considered out-dated at times, but maybe focus on being Scott’s friend instead of fixating of his homelife.” He let go, and Stiles nodded and started backing away and leaving.
maybe is father was right, he had been at this for quite a while, and nothing seemed to change, so maybe he was right, and he should just start trying to be Scott's friend instead of trying to take control of a situation he had no control over.
A couple days went by without any further altercations. Stiles seemed to have lost the perpetual anger that had been present for a quite awhile. Though it had been replaced by a sense of dejection, though even that began to dissipate soon after.