Title: Phases of the Weaker Heart
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Gen, pre-Derek/Stiles
Categories: Friendship, Character Study
Length: Long (16,197 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ:  calrissian18
Author Website:  calrissian18

Summary: She’s still standing, and it’s a weak thing to count her successes by, but she’s building up to being strong. Maybe for the first time.

Review: After season two, Allison is a mess of conflicted feelings, still reeling from her mother's death, angry with Derek, and conflicted about Scott. The last thing she needs is to get paired for a school project with Stiles, who is still sporting bruises from his encounter with her grandfather. Allison hasn't spoken to Stiles since the finale, and didn't particularly like him even when she was dating Scott. After some initial awkwardness, Allison realizes that she and Stiles make a good team -- she just didn't realize that being friends with Stiles meant she would need to spend time with Derek.

Those looking for the Derek/Stiles pre-slash will find enough solid interaction to satisfy them. But the meat of the story is Allison's developing friendship with Stiles. I loved the way both of their hard edges clashed against each other before they finally found their fit. The characterization in this story is brilliant all around. But my favorite thing about "Phases of the Weaker Heart" is watching Allison work through the pain and anger of her mother's death and finally begin to heal. calrissian18 really digs into Allison's emotions, and she isn't afraid to face up to the more difficult ones. The result is a complicated and engaging character study. Readers can relate to this Allison, even when they don't agree with her actions. It's the kind of nuanced treatment Allison deserved in season 3, but never got. I'm glad this story finally does her justice.

Phases of the Weaker Heart