No bond appears at the hospital with Stiles, and Scott tries his best to understand. When his best friend pushes him, yells at him that he’ll heal and where was he and why didn’t he do something and why didn’t he do anything at all and why didn’t he trust him, Scott tries his best to understand. He doesn’t yell back, doesn’t say I’m not and I was dying and I was dead and why didn’t you trust me, doesn’t ask if his best friend and right hand still thinks of him as not human or if not human has changed to monster. Scott tries his best to understand, because that’s what an alpha does. That’s what a person does. And he can wait until Stiles is ready, can do his best to ignore Theo’s voice in his head whispering if and that’ll never happen and you’ve lost him forever. Scott can wait, and when Stiles is ready he knows he’ll feel whole again.

The fifth bond almost makes Scott sigh in relief as he steps back from hugging the still-bed-ridden, but now healing, Sheriff Stilinski. It’s a firm presence, on par in strength with his mother’s and Lydia’s, and it gives him hope. For what, he’s not sure.

The sixth one was unexpected Before, but now as welcome as all the others. All it takes is one phone call, the confirmation that the hunter will do anything the pack needs, and Chris Argent slides into place in a way that would make the man he once was stagger in disbelief.

Scott draws a small circle in the dust of a tunnel, and Stiles completes the McCall Pack symbol by drawing a bigger one around the other, and an itching that’s been at the back of Scott’s mind since they healed the Sheriff vanishes, replaced by a bond once stronger than any other the alpha knew. It isn’t now, but Scott knows it will be eventually. It’s his bond with his brother, how could it not be?

The eighth one is Kira, shooting into place like a lightning bolt as they kiss in the backseat of Stiles’ jeep, clutching each other as if, when they let go, the other will disappear again. Scott knows that somehow - the distance, his death, him coming back for her, her saying she loves him - their bond is stronger than ever Before. No matter how far either of them ever goes from the other, it won’t break again, no matter how much it stretches. Only death will ever have a chance at tearing them completely apart.

Liam’s bond, like Stiles, starts coming back as an itch Scott can’t scratch. It slowly grows stronger as the beta tries to make up for attacking and weakening his alpha to the point he was an easy kill, as the alpha finally gives into instinct and follows his beta to ensure he’s safe. When Scott reveals himself and they walk, side by side, shoulders occasionally brushing down the hall, pack scent spreading from alpha to beta, the bond clicks into existence with no fanfare but for the itch disappearing and Scott feeling as close to right as he’s felt since Before. It’s still weak, no where near as strong as a bond between alpha and beta should be, but Scott knows that’ll change with each moment they spend together, each conversation, each time they save each other.

The tenth and eleventh bond return one after another, Deaton’s with a giant hug and Malia’s with a look and smile shared between them, both softly snapping into place with a touch of wild spark lying underneath it all.

The twelfth one snaps into place with a single bite, Hayden’s bond molding into a space among all the others.

With all the new bonds, both reforged and recently created ones, one would think the Pack would feel whole. That won’t happen for awhile, though - not until others come home.

Note: You can find the entire series on AO3.