Fic: Discovery Channel (11/12) Part 1
Title: Discovery Channel
Author: kayevelyn
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Rating: Overall R
Warnings: eventual knotting
Summary: Stiles is the best werewolf ever. fork in the road au. (were!stiles)
[Read on AO3]
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Jackson sat in the hallway right outside the double doors that led into the ER. The ambulance had shown up three minutes after Allison, Danny, and Scott had abandoned him in the parking lot, and the only reason Jackson knew the exact time was because there wasn’t much else to do except stare at the minutes tick away on his phone.
Lydia hadn’t woken up by the time the paramedics got to her. She had actually started to feel clammy, the wound on her side bleeding sluggishly. The commotion had brought everyone out of the gymnasium and Jackson had begged to go with the ambulance because the other option was having to explain what was going on to people, and he wasn’t sure he was capable of doing that.
This is why he should have gone with the others. He didn’t know what lies they wanted to tell, and he knew he was going to fuck up. He played the freaked out boyfriend well though, mostly because he was freaked out. This wasn’t part of the plan, and if he had even thought there was a chance of this happening to Lydia he wouldn’t have let her go.
He had though. He had been the one who let her go off unaccompanied. He should have argued with her just a bit more, instead of sitting there moping. But it was too late now. He couldn’t change the past. He could only hope that her body accepted the bite.
Jackson hadn’t delved into research the same way that everyone else had, but he had done some reading in the week since he had found out. He’d taken printouts that Danny had in his locker, and read the few books Lydia had that were in English. So he had a basic knowledge of what happened. There were only two ways the bite could go: either Lydia’s body accepted the bite, or fever took over and she died.
There was no world that existed where Jackson wanted her to die, so he could only pray that her body accepted the bite. Yes, it would be strange knowing that she turned into some ferocious monster on the full moon, and it would probably alienate him even more from the group because he would be different again, but… he could get the bite as well. Then he wouldn’t be different. He would be accepted by Lydia, and Danny.
This sounded like a good plan.
He clenched his fist in thought just as a shadow fell over him, and Jackson looked up to see the Sheriff standing there in full uniform. He swallowed because Stiles’ dad towered above him since he was sitting, and it made him look more intimidating.
“What happened?” The Sheriff demanded and Jackson’s mouth fell open.
He wasn’t expecting to get questioned here. He had come specifically so no one bothered him.
The Sheriff didn’t seem to care about what Jackson had wanted, because he barreled forward with his questions. “What the hell happened to that girl?”
“I-“ Jackson stumbled over his words. “I- I don’t know.”
“So what? You just found her like this?” Jackson watched the Sheriff take a deep breath, obviously at the end of his rope. “The doctors say she had the side of her hip ripped out, and you’re going to tell me you have no clue how that happened?”
It was on the tip of Jackson’s tongue to tell the Sheriff that he hadn’t been the one to find her, that Stiles was. That Stiles, and Allison, and Scott, and everyone knew what was going on better than him, but he kept it inside, because that wasn’t what he was told to say. They didn’t want the cops following after him.
“I- Lydia left the dance.”
“Why?” The Sheriff cut in.
Jackson floundered for a moment. “I- I don’t know. She said something about- about,” he was trying to think of what to say, when it finally clicked. “Kate Argent. She was following her.”
“Kate Argent?” The Sheriff repeated, and it was like all his anger was disappearing to make room for confusion. “Who the hell is Kate Argent?”
“Allison’s aunt,” Jackson said, dropping his head. “Lydia saw her leaving and I think she wanted to talk to her? I followed after her when she didn’t come back, and found her.”
The Sheriff looked around and then beckoned one of his deputies over. “Get me contact information for Kate Argent.” The deputy nodded and then left, pulling out his radio to call into the station.
Jackson was starting to shake, not sure if he had done the right thing. They didn’t want anyone following them, and he had tried to do that.
The Sheriff turned back to him and let out a sigh. “Where’s the rest of your group? Back at the school?”
Jackson looked up in confusion. “What?”
“You know, the six of you. I’m surprised they let you come by yourself. Especially my son.”
Jackson stared slack-jawed at the Sheriff, completely lost about what he should say. “Stiles is with Derek.”
The Sheriff’s eyes locked on him and he suddenly was back to being serious, no longer vaguely relaxed like he had been in the moments before. “Derek Hale?” Jackson couldn’t do anything but nod. “Derek’s been found?”
Jackson felt the pit of his stomach drop out. He hadn’t realized that anyone else had known Derek was missing. This was definitely not something the others would have wanted him to tell the Sheriff, but it wasn’t like he could take it back, because even as he tried the Sheriff was already talking.
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know!” Jackson said, sinking into the seat as the Sheriff placed a hand on his shoulder. “I could have it wrong?”
The Sheriff let him go and turned to the other deputy that was still in the hallway with him. “Radio someone at the school. I want to know the locations of my son, Scott McCall, Danny Mahealani and Allison Argent.” He turned back to Jackson and pointed a finger to him as he started to walk towards the nurses’ station. “You’re staying here until we find them.”
Jackson fumbled for his phone the moment the Sheriff was out of sight, not caring about the deputy.
I think I fucked up. He typed out, intent on sending the message to Danny, before he shut his eyes in frustration. No. They were probably busy and that text would just scare them.
Jackson slipped his phone back in his pocket, not sending the text.
***
Stiles ran through the woods, perfectly in step with Peter. He tried not to think about the dissonance going on his head that came from working with Peter, the war between wanting to kill him and wanting to submit to being a member of the pack again. Peter was starting to mask his insanity behind friendly words and it was confusing Stiles’ wolf instincts. It felt like the threat of a crazed alpha was disappearing, and with that his wolf’s want for a new alpha was waning. His mind knew though that it was all an act, and nothing Peter did could change their plans.
So instead Stiles kept his mind on getting to the Hale house before Kate. He knew they could get there before her; they had super speed and the ability to avoid roads on their side, but Stiles didn’t want to get overconfident. He just wanted to get there, and rescue Derek before he had to deal with seeing Derek and Kate in the same room. Stiles wasn’t sure he would be able to handle that.
He had almost ripped her throat out at the dance, and out here in the woods he would have none of the human limitations stopping him.
They burst into the clearing the Hale house was in in record time and Stiles immediately went around to the back. He could feel Peter walking at a more sedate pace behind him, but Stiles tried not to focus on Peter. Derek would be there to anchor him again and Stiles wouldn’t need to worry about submitting to Peter anymore.
He grabbed the door handle, hissing through the pain the wolfsbane that coated the metal caused him as he lifted the door up. Peter let out a low whistle.
“So dedicated.” He tsked and smiled at Stiles. “I’m glad I chose such a loyal little beta.”
He ignored Peter’s jab because he could hear two hunters talking and where hunters were, Derek probably was. He looked at Peter before he stepped down into the cellar and into a long bricked hallway that was crudely lit. The surroundings didn’t matter to Stiles because he could see just fine, and he spotted the hunters almost immediately standing at the end of the hall. He started to walk towards them, but Peter put a hand on his shoulder.
Stiles froze.
“Let me,” Peter said loud enough to grab the attention of the two hunters.
Before Stiles could even smell the switch from calm to startled coming off the hunters, Peter was in front of them, and then all Stiles could smell was blood.
He refused to let it bother him and cause him to throw up though, because he had to get Derek out. That was his priority.
Stiles blew past Peter ripping out the heart of the other hunter and he opened the door the hunters were guarding.
The room was dark but Stiles could see Derek on the other side of the room, eyes glowing blue. He felt his body relax now that he had seen Derek for the first time in two weeks. But then he tensed again at the state Derek was in.
He was chained up naked against a cage, arms suspended above his head. There were scars on Derek’s chest, marks from a knife if Stiles had to guess. His eyes darted to the wires taped to Derek’s side and Stiles gasped, crossing the room in a few quick steps.
“Finally,” Derek muttered, as Stiles tore the wires away from Derek’s side, wincing as the live electricity shocked him. “Watch it,” Derek hissed, a little too late, but Stiles didn’t care.
He stared at Derek for a moment, watching as the wounds started to slowly close up now that the electricity wasn’t stopping the healing factor. With the knowledge that Derek would be okay Stiles finally gave into the urge he had had since getting into the room and he wrapped his arms around Derek’s shoulders.
It didn’t even matter that Derek’s skin was cool and damp, and he smelled like a mixture of bad hygiene and spoiled milk. Stiles was a tactile person and touching Derek, feeling his blood rushing through his veins, was more comforting than was probably be healthy. It didn’t matter though because underneath all the bad smells was pack and it was something Stiles had missed so much.
“Stiles,” Derek muttered again, arms jostling to remind Stiles he was tied up, but Stiles didn’t step back.
“Give me a moment,” he said, pressing his face into the crook of Derek’s neck - bad smell be damned. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, but can you unlock me?” Derek mumbled into Stiles’ shoulder.
Stiles stepped back reluctantly, and looked up at the shackles holding Derek’s arms up. It didn’t take much strength to pry them apart, and Derek probably could have done it himself. When Stiles pointed out as much Derek shook his head, body sagging forward into Stiles arms.
“Electricity,” he said. “It was stopping the healing process. Made me lose my strength too.”
Stiles nodded, wrapping his arms around Derek to hug him. “Come on,” he said after a moment. “Let’s get you home.” He felt Derek nod against his shoulder and Stiles shifted. He spotted Derek’s wallet on the table and he grabbed it, before looking around the room for a pair of pants so Derek wouldn’t be naked anymore. All he could find was Derek’s sneakers, which he grabbed in his other hand.
“Don’t even bother trying,” Derek said, looking up and trying to hold his weight on his own feet. It wasn’t working. “My pants were ruined.”
Stiles’ chest tightened for a moment, mind whirling with all the thoughts that he had tried to push away the moment he had seen Derek naked. “What happened?” He breathed out, trying to find some sign that things were okay and not what he was thinking.
“It wasn’t like they could let me down to use the bathroom,” Derek said flatly, and Stiles’ eyes went wide with realization and relief.
“I gotcha,” he said, wrapping his arm around Derek’s waist to support him. “We’ll just grab you some pants later. I had some in my Jeep, but then things happened and I ended up running here.”
“Things?” Derek asked as Stiles walked them out of the prison and into the hallway where Peter was standing.
He glanced Derek over and then raised his eyebrows. “Nice fashion statement.”
Derek grunted. “I’ve been locked up for what?”
“Two weeks,” Stiles supplied, fingers running up and down Derek’s side.
“That one,” Derek said, jerking his head towards Stiles. “I have been pretty much stripped of any dignity I possessed.”
Peter looked nonplussed as he turned and stepped over one of the hunters’ ripped apart bodies. “Well, it’s not like Stiles minds, I’m sure. He’s been pining.” Peter kept talking as he walked towards the door to get out of the basement, but Stiles blocked him out.
He looked over at Derek, squeezing his hip to get his attention. “The plan still on?” He mouthed.
Derek squinted, and Stiles repeated himself, making sure not to draw Peter’s attention. Luckily he was on a full-blown monologue and didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
“I need time,” Derek mouthed back.
Stiles nodded in understanding, because of course Derek would need to time to recover his strength. He had had it suppressed for the entire time he was tied up.
They would focus on getting out of here and after Derek was healed then they would take out Peter. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.
***
“Stop the car!” Danny demanded just as Allison was turning onto the small road that led to the Hale house.
Allison cursed as she slammed on the brakes, causing everyone to jolt forward as the gears ground painfully high-pitched. The moment the Jeep was stopped Allison was turning around to look at Danny. “What?!”
Danny ignored her as he reached forward as far as he had to, to flick the lights off. “I saw a car,” he whispered.
“What?!” Allison said again, this time a lot lower as she looked back out the front window to try and find the car Danny had seen. It was hard because it was now pitch black and her eyes needed a moment to adjust.
“There!” Scott called out, and then covered his mouth just as quickly.
Allison’s head swiveled towards where Scott was pointing. She narrowed her eyes, like that would help her see in the dark. She could vaguely see the outline of a large SUV off in the distance, mostly hidden behind brush and trees.
“Do you think they’re still around to have seen us?” Scott asked quietly.
Danny snorted. “Stiles probably heard that braking job all the way at the house.”
Allison slowly turned the car off, because Danny was right, the idling of the Jeep was loud as everything in the quiet of the woods. They would be better off walking the rest of the way. “Get me my bag so I can change,” Allison muttered, holding her hand out for Danny to pass her change of clothes. “Cover your eyes,” Allison said to Scott just as she wrapped her hand around the handle of the bag, intent on pulling it forward.
Someone knocking on the window of the Jeep caused Allison to drop the bag, though, letting out a shriek as she did.
At least she wasn’t alone in screaming in terror, because Scott and Danny both screamed with her, all three of them jumping as they turned to see who was there.
Allison’s eyes went wide.
It was her dad.
“Fuck,” she cursed, and then covered her mouth as her dad frowned and motioned for her to roll down the window. She smiled as much as she could as she cranked the window down. “Dad! What a surprise!”
He looked at her, and then glanced at Scott and Danny. “You too,” he said slowly, and then he leaned back to admire the parking job she had done in the middle of the road. Allison’s eyes locked on the gun he had tucked in the shoulder holster he was wearing, and she bit her lip.
Fuck, he was hunting.
“What are you three doing here? Don’t you have the dance tonight?”
Allison made a face as she gripped the steering wheel.
“Don’t tell him anything,” Danny whispered, and Allison felt his hand on her bicep. She looked down quickly and saw Danny had managed to pull one of her arrows up and was trying to hand it to Scott without her dad noticing.
She looked back at her dad and smiled weakly. “We’re running off in the woods to have a threesome?” The look of shock on her dad’s face was priceless and he stumbled back just enough that Allison felt safe turning the Jeep on, shifting it into gear. “Okay bye!” She called, hoping to reverse the Jeep fast enough, but her dad recovered quickly.
He put a hand on the car door and spoke over the rumbling. “Allison.”
She winced as she carefully applied the brakes, even as she saw Scott and Danny tensing beside her.
“The truth,” her father said harshly and Allison bit her lip.
It was Scott who spoke up. “Your crazy sister is holding Derek hostage in the cellar of his old house.”
“The one she burned down,” Danny continued, voice flat.
Allison closed her eyes, because she hadn’t considered that. Stiles had mentioned both facts: Derek was being kept under his house, and Kate had been the one to burn the Hale house six years ago, but it hadn’t connected in the way it did now. This was so much more torturous than Allison had originally thought.
“What?” Her father asked, face dropping into an emotionless mask.
“You heard us,” Scott said, shifting so he was closer to the other window. His face was determined though, no matter how scared he looked. “Kate has Derek, and we need to get there before anyone dies.”
Allison watched her father’s face shift, trying to become calm. It wasn’t working. “No one’s going to kill anyone.”
Danny laughed. “Why? Because of the code?” Her dad’s eyes narrowed and pinned the three of them with a cold look. It didn’t stop Danny. “I doubt that murderer will care about the code when she’s faced with the alpha and two betas trying to escape. Screw the fact that the betas haven’t done anything and one of them is only sixteen.”
Allison’s mouth was dry as she turned the car off again and undid her seatbelt. “We’re wasting time,” she said holding out her hand for her bow. “Let’s go.”
She pushed open her door, pushing her dad back. He still wasn’t talking but it didn’t matter. She could see the shock in his face and it told her that no matter what he said she wouldn’t like it. She heard Scott open his door and she held the driver’s side door open for Danny. He handed her her shoes when he got out.
“You should at least use these,” he said with a smile, nodding to the fact she was still in her dress, and Allison took them as she hung her bow on her shoulder.
“Allison,” her dad said. “This is no place for you.”
“Why? Because I don’t know what I’m dealing with?” She refused to look at him as Danny and Scott fumbled with the backpack, dividing up the explosives. “We know everything we need to know.”
“You planned this,” he said flatly.
Allison nodded. “We didn’t intend for Kate to be here. But she is.”
“Then the explosives are for?”
“The alpha,” Allison said, finally looking at him. “We can’t have a fully functioning pack while he’s around. So Derek is going to kill him and become the alpha.”
She watched her dad’s face twist. “Allison, I don’t disagree but you are too young-“
“Kate didn’t think so. She was the one who showed me where Derek was. She was trying to make me like her. Like you.”
“Allison-“ her dad said.
She turned away from him. “Are we ready?”
Scott nodded, putting the bag back in the Jeep. “We’ll need to hurry.”
“I can run in these.” She started to follow them but her dad grabbing her arm stopped her.
“Allison, listen to me. You don’t know what you’re dealing with. No matter what you think.”
She shook off his hand, or tried to at least. “I know the alpha attacked Lydia earlier tonight, and that the bite better take because she’s going to be the best beta there is, and with her and Stiles helping Derek run the pack nothing is going to go wrong. I know that Kate killed an innocent family just because of some misperceived threat, and she ran Derek off the road and kept him locked in his own house for two weeks just to torture him, because she knew he’d never give up his pack. And I know you’re going to let me go so I can help my friends, my pack, or you will no longer have a daughter.”
Her dad didn’t drop her arm right away, but slowly he started to nod and loosened his grip. “I’m coming with you.”
“Fine. But I’m in charge,” Allison said, snatching her arm out of his grip. “Let’s go.”
***
Of course it had been too easy, Stiles thought as the final steps out of cellar were blocked by Peter’s back. There was a moment when he was going to ask what was going on, and that they should get out of there quickly, but then he felt Derek tense in his arms, and Kate’s smell finally hit his nose.
Shit.
He glanced around Peter, finally able to get up on the last steps and onto solid ground. Kate was there, alone.
She didn’t say anything as she hid partially behind the shotgun on her hip. If nothing else she was smart. Stiles had to give her that. Her eyes glanced over them, and Stiles could see the faint smile tugging on her lips as she looked at him, almost like a victory.
She probably had had her suspicions that he was the beta, but no proof. Until now.
Stiles didn’t care as he adjusted his grip on Derek, moving slightly in front of him as he dropped Derek’s shoes so he had at least one hand free. Peter still stood in front of them, his body half-blocking Stiles and Derek, and he wondered if it was intentional. Peter was still their alpha, a fact Stiles was aware of right underneath his skin. It hadn’t gone away with the rescue of Derek, and had only grown worse because the three of them were working together as a pack.
It was a dangerous feeling.
Stiles darted his eyes to Peter, waiting for a sign. Kate still wasn’t saying anything, probably trying to calculate wolf speed versus her own reflexes.
They had her outnumbered, even if Derek was still weak, and unless she had backup waiting, it was foolish to think she could win. She might hurt one of them, might even kill one of them, but she’d be overwhelmed quickly.
Peter stretched out his arm, and the movement caught Stiles’ eyes.
It caught Kate’s as well, and her gun jerked just a little. She was tracking his movements, and Peter laughed.
“Not very smart of you, going at this alone.” His voice carried across the distance of the yard. “The problem with you humans, it seems, is your love of solitary fights.”
That brought forth a reaction from Kate. “And how’d that whole pack thing work out for you during the fire?”
Stiles heard his growl join Peter’s just as the shotgun blasted, pellets scattering. On instinct he pushed Derek further behind him and Stiles felt a small spray of them hit his leg, the smell of his blood filling the air, but he couldn’t smell any blood from Derek, so he counted that as a win.
Peter’s roar joined Derek’s, and he lunged forward, shifting into the black monstrosity of his alpha form. Stiles dropped to his good knee, and he tore at the material of his good slacks to try and get out the shrapnel before his skin healed over it.
“Quick,” he hissed, as Derek joined him on the ground, claws ripping open the skin of his thigh to get out the larger chunks of metal. They would need to go over the work later, when they had time.
When Stiles wasn’t concerned about Peter killing Kate before he had a chance to.
He grit his teeth as he let Derek use both hands to work at his leg. He hadn’t realized the desire to kill her was so strong. Hadn’t realized he had decided that he would actually kill her.
Must have happened sometime between finding Derek and seeing her. Maybe if she hadn’t shown up. If she had just been smart and stayed away.
Derek wasn’t even wolfed out the entire way, and he was using human fingers to dig into Stiles flesh. He had been hung up and tortured for too long, and it had been Kate’s fault. Kate was responsible for everything, and Stiles was going to make her pay.
He shook off Derek’s hand as soon as he felt most of the larger chunks disappear. He wouldn’t set off airport security anymore.
“Stiles!” Derek shouted as he twisted, springing to his feet even as the wound still bled sluggishly.
Stiles didn’t care. He could see Kate underneath Peter a few meters away, gun already out of ammo, and Peter open mouthed above her.
He needed to do this now if he was going to at all.
Peter registered his approach, backing off slightly from Kate, but still keeping her pinned. Good. If she had been given even an inch Stiles had no doubt she would find a way out.
All humans had that self-preservation that ran deeper than most insanity.
Derek was still by the cellar door, and he would probably stay there while Stiles did this.
It was funny, actually, watching as Kate relaxed at seeing him. Stiles wasn’t sure she knew what was coming. She probably just saw his face. His human face, because he wasn’t shifted. Not yet. He wanted her to remember his human face when he dug his claws into her throat. But she saw that face and she saw weakness. She saw compassion, no doubt.
“Let me,” Stiles whispered, and Peter growled as he took another step back, letting go of Kate.
She tried to run, springing into action despite seeming relaxed, but Stiles grabbed her. He grabbed her right around the throat and squeezed, and it may have been too quick, it may have been way more than she deserved, but Stiles didn’t care.
Her neck snapped under his hand and blood started to pour onto his flesh as he dug his claws in. Her eyes held onto life longer than he had expected, her body still twitching in his grasp.
He’d killed her, the person who started all of this with that fire.
Stiles felt powerful.
And of course that was the moment he got shot again.
Part 2
Author: kayevelyn
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Rating: Overall R
Warnings: eventual knotting
Summary: Stiles is the best werewolf ever. fork in the road au. (were!stiles)
[Read on AO3]
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Jackson sat in the hallway right outside the double doors that led into the ER. The ambulance had shown up three minutes after Allison, Danny, and Scott had abandoned him in the parking lot, and the only reason Jackson knew the exact time was because there wasn’t much else to do except stare at the minutes tick away on his phone.
Lydia hadn’t woken up by the time the paramedics got to her. She had actually started to feel clammy, the wound on her side bleeding sluggishly. The commotion had brought everyone out of the gymnasium and Jackson had begged to go with the ambulance because the other option was having to explain what was going on to people, and he wasn’t sure he was capable of doing that.
This is why he should have gone with the others. He didn’t know what lies they wanted to tell, and he knew he was going to fuck up. He played the freaked out boyfriend well though, mostly because he was freaked out. This wasn’t part of the plan, and if he had even thought there was a chance of this happening to Lydia he wouldn’t have let her go.
He had though. He had been the one who let her go off unaccompanied. He should have argued with her just a bit more, instead of sitting there moping. But it was too late now. He couldn’t change the past. He could only hope that her body accepted the bite.
Jackson hadn’t delved into research the same way that everyone else had, but he had done some reading in the week since he had found out. He’d taken printouts that Danny had in his locker, and read the few books Lydia had that were in English. So he had a basic knowledge of what happened. There were only two ways the bite could go: either Lydia’s body accepted the bite, or fever took over and she died.
There was no world that existed where Jackson wanted her to die, so he could only pray that her body accepted the bite. Yes, it would be strange knowing that she turned into some ferocious monster on the full moon, and it would probably alienate him even more from the group because he would be different again, but… he could get the bite as well. Then he wouldn’t be different. He would be accepted by Lydia, and Danny.
This sounded like a good plan.
He clenched his fist in thought just as a shadow fell over him, and Jackson looked up to see the Sheriff standing there in full uniform. He swallowed because Stiles’ dad towered above him since he was sitting, and it made him look more intimidating.
“What happened?” The Sheriff demanded and Jackson’s mouth fell open.
He wasn’t expecting to get questioned here. He had come specifically so no one bothered him.
The Sheriff didn’t seem to care about what Jackson had wanted, because he barreled forward with his questions. “What the hell happened to that girl?”
“I-“ Jackson stumbled over his words. “I- I don’t know.”
“So what? You just found her like this?” Jackson watched the Sheriff take a deep breath, obviously at the end of his rope. “The doctors say she had the side of her hip ripped out, and you’re going to tell me you have no clue how that happened?”
It was on the tip of Jackson’s tongue to tell the Sheriff that he hadn’t been the one to find her, that Stiles was. That Stiles, and Allison, and Scott, and everyone knew what was going on better than him, but he kept it inside, because that wasn’t what he was told to say. They didn’t want the cops following after him.
“I- Lydia left the dance.”
“Why?” The Sheriff cut in.
Jackson floundered for a moment. “I- I don’t know. She said something about- about,” he was trying to think of what to say, when it finally clicked. “Kate Argent. She was following her.”
“Kate Argent?” The Sheriff repeated, and it was like all his anger was disappearing to make room for confusion. “Who the hell is Kate Argent?”
“Allison’s aunt,” Jackson said, dropping his head. “Lydia saw her leaving and I think she wanted to talk to her? I followed after her when she didn’t come back, and found her.”
The Sheriff looked around and then beckoned one of his deputies over. “Get me contact information for Kate Argent.” The deputy nodded and then left, pulling out his radio to call into the station.
Jackson was starting to shake, not sure if he had done the right thing. They didn’t want anyone following them, and he had tried to do that.
The Sheriff turned back to him and let out a sigh. “Where’s the rest of your group? Back at the school?”
Jackson looked up in confusion. “What?”
“You know, the six of you. I’m surprised they let you come by yourself. Especially my son.”
Jackson stared slack-jawed at the Sheriff, completely lost about what he should say. “Stiles is with Derek.”
The Sheriff’s eyes locked on him and he suddenly was back to being serious, no longer vaguely relaxed like he had been in the moments before. “Derek Hale?” Jackson couldn’t do anything but nod. “Derek’s been found?”
Jackson felt the pit of his stomach drop out. He hadn’t realized that anyone else had known Derek was missing. This was definitely not something the others would have wanted him to tell the Sheriff, but it wasn’t like he could take it back, because even as he tried the Sheriff was already talking.
“Where are they?”
“I don’t know!” Jackson said, sinking into the seat as the Sheriff placed a hand on his shoulder. “I could have it wrong?”
The Sheriff let him go and turned to the other deputy that was still in the hallway with him. “Radio someone at the school. I want to know the locations of my son, Scott McCall, Danny Mahealani and Allison Argent.” He turned back to Jackson and pointed a finger to him as he started to walk towards the nurses’ station. “You’re staying here until we find them.”
Jackson fumbled for his phone the moment the Sheriff was out of sight, not caring about the deputy.
I think I fucked up. He typed out, intent on sending the message to Danny, before he shut his eyes in frustration. No. They were probably busy and that text would just scare them.
Jackson slipped his phone back in his pocket, not sending the text.
***
Stiles ran through the woods, perfectly in step with Peter. He tried not to think about the dissonance going on his head that came from working with Peter, the war between wanting to kill him and wanting to submit to being a member of the pack again. Peter was starting to mask his insanity behind friendly words and it was confusing Stiles’ wolf instincts. It felt like the threat of a crazed alpha was disappearing, and with that his wolf’s want for a new alpha was waning. His mind knew though that it was all an act, and nothing Peter did could change their plans.
So instead Stiles kept his mind on getting to the Hale house before Kate. He knew they could get there before her; they had super speed and the ability to avoid roads on their side, but Stiles didn’t want to get overconfident. He just wanted to get there, and rescue Derek before he had to deal with seeing Derek and Kate in the same room. Stiles wasn’t sure he would be able to handle that.
He had almost ripped her throat out at the dance, and out here in the woods he would have none of the human limitations stopping him.
They burst into the clearing the Hale house was in in record time and Stiles immediately went around to the back. He could feel Peter walking at a more sedate pace behind him, but Stiles tried not to focus on Peter. Derek would be there to anchor him again and Stiles wouldn’t need to worry about submitting to Peter anymore.
He grabbed the door handle, hissing through the pain the wolfsbane that coated the metal caused him as he lifted the door up. Peter let out a low whistle.
“So dedicated.” He tsked and smiled at Stiles. “I’m glad I chose such a loyal little beta.”
He ignored Peter’s jab because he could hear two hunters talking and where hunters were, Derek probably was. He looked at Peter before he stepped down into the cellar and into a long bricked hallway that was crudely lit. The surroundings didn’t matter to Stiles because he could see just fine, and he spotted the hunters almost immediately standing at the end of the hall. He started to walk towards them, but Peter put a hand on his shoulder.
Stiles froze.
“Let me,” Peter said loud enough to grab the attention of the two hunters.
Before Stiles could even smell the switch from calm to startled coming off the hunters, Peter was in front of them, and then all Stiles could smell was blood.
He refused to let it bother him and cause him to throw up though, because he had to get Derek out. That was his priority.
Stiles blew past Peter ripping out the heart of the other hunter and he opened the door the hunters were guarding.
The room was dark but Stiles could see Derek on the other side of the room, eyes glowing blue. He felt his body relax now that he had seen Derek for the first time in two weeks. But then he tensed again at the state Derek was in.
He was chained up naked against a cage, arms suspended above his head. There were scars on Derek’s chest, marks from a knife if Stiles had to guess. His eyes darted to the wires taped to Derek’s side and Stiles gasped, crossing the room in a few quick steps.
“Finally,” Derek muttered, as Stiles tore the wires away from Derek’s side, wincing as the live electricity shocked him. “Watch it,” Derek hissed, a little too late, but Stiles didn’t care.
He stared at Derek for a moment, watching as the wounds started to slowly close up now that the electricity wasn’t stopping the healing factor. With the knowledge that Derek would be okay Stiles finally gave into the urge he had had since getting into the room and he wrapped his arms around Derek’s shoulders.
It didn’t even matter that Derek’s skin was cool and damp, and he smelled like a mixture of bad hygiene and spoiled milk. Stiles was a tactile person and touching Derek, feeling his blood rushing through his veins, was more comforting than was probably be healthy. It didn’t matter though because underneath all the bad smells was pack and it was something Stiles had missed so much.
“Stiles,” Derek muttered again, arms jostling to remind Stiles he was tied up, but Stiles didn’t step back.
“Give me a moment,” he said, pressing his face into the crook of Derek’s neck - bad smell be damned. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, but can you unlock me?” Derek mumbled into Stiles’ shoulder.
Stiles stepped back reluctantly, and looked up at the shackles holding Derek’s arms up. It didn’t take much strength to pry them apart, and Derek probably could have done it himself. When Stiles pointed out as much Derek shook his head, body sagging forward into Stiles arms.
“Electricity,” he said. “It was stopping the healing process. Made me lose my strength too.”
Stiles nodded, wrapping his arms around Derek to hug him. “Come on,” he said after a moment. “Let’s get you home.” He felt Derek nod against his shoulder and Stiles shifted. He spotted Derek’s wallet on the table and he grabbed it, before looking around the room for a pair of pants so Derek wouldn’t be naked anymore. All he could find was Derek’s sneakers, which he grabbed in his other hand.
“Don’t even bother trying,” Derek said, looking up and trying to hold his weight on his own feet. It wasn’t working. “My pants were ruined.”
Stiles’ chest tightened for a moment, mind whirling with all the thoughts that he had tried to push away the moment he had seen Derek naked. “What happened?” He breathed out, trying to find some sign that things were okay and not what he was thinking.
“It wasn’t like they could let me down to use the bathroom,” Derek said flatly, and Stiles’ eyes went wide with realization and relief.
“I gotcha,” he said, wrapping his arm around Derek’s waist to support him. “We’ll just grab you some pants later. I had some in my Jeep, but then things happened and I ended up running here.”
“Things?” Derek asked as Stiles walked them out of the prison and into the hallway where Peter was standing.
He glanced Derek over and then raised his eyebrows. “Nice fashion statement.”
Derek grunted. “I’ve been locked up for what?”
“Two weeks,” Stiles supplied, fingers running up and down Derek’s side.
“That one,” Derek said, jerking his head towards Stiles. “I have been pretty much stripped of any dignity I possessed.”
Peter looked nonplussed as he turned and stepped over one of the hunters’ ripped apart bodies. “Well, it’s not like Stiles minds, I’m sure. He’s been pining.” Peter kept talking as he walked towards the door to get out of the basement, but Stiles blocked him out.
He looked over at Derek, squeezing his hip to get his attention. “The plan still on?” He mouthed.
Derek squinted, and Stiles repeated himself, making sure not to draw Peter’s attention. Luckily he was on a full-blown monologue and didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
“I need time,” Derek mouthed back.
Stiles nodded in understanding, because of course Derek would need to time to recover his strength. He had had it suppressed for the entire time he was tied up.
They would focus on getting out of here and after Derek was healed then they would take out Peter. Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.
***
“Stop the car!” Danny demanded just as Allison was turning onto the small road that led to the Hale house.
Allison cursed as she slammed on the brakes, causing everyone to jolt forward as the gears ground painfully high-pitched. The moment the Jeep was stopped Allison was turning around to look at Danny. “What?!”
Danny ignored her as he reached forward as far as he had to, to flick the lights off. “I saw a car,” he whispered.
“What?!” Allison said again, this time a lot lower as she looked back out the front window to try and find the car Danny had seen. It was hard because it was now pitch black and her eyes needed a moment to adjust.
“There!” Scott called out, and then covered his mouth just as quickly.
Allison’s head swiveled towards where Scott was pointing. She narrowed her eyes, like that would help her see in the dark. She could vaguely see the outline of a large SUV off in the distance, mostly hidden behind brush and trees.
“Do you think they’re still around to have seen us?” Scott asked quietly.
Danny snorted. “Stiles probably heard that braking job all the way at the house.”
Allison slowly turned the car off, because Danny was right, the idling of the Jeep was loud as everything in the quiet of the woods. They would be better off walking the rest of the way. “Get me my bag so I can change,” Allison muttered, holding her hand out for Danny to pass her change of clothes. “Cover your eyes,” Allison said to Scott just as she wrapped her hand around the handle of the bag, intent on pulling it forward.
Someone knocking on the window of the Jeep caused Allison to drop the bag, though, letting out a shriek as she did.
At least she wasn’t alone in screaming in terror, because Scott and Danny both screamed with her, all three of them jumping as they turned to see who was there.
Allison’s eyes went wide.
It was her dad.
“Fuck,” she cursed, and then covered her mouth as her dad frowned and motioned for her to roll down the window. She smiled as much as she could as she cranked the window down. “Dad! What a surprise!”
He looked at her, and then glanced at Scott and Danny. “You too,” he said slowly, and then he leaned back to admire the parking job she had done in the middle of the road. Allison’s eyes locked on the gun he had tucked in the shoulder holster he was wearing, and she bit her lip.
Fuck, he was hunting.
“What are you three doing here? Don’t you have the dance tonight?”
Allison made a face as she gripped the steering wheel.
“Don’t tell him anything,” Danny whispered, and Allison felt his hand on her bicep. She looked down quickly and saw Danny had managed to pull one of her arrows up and was trying to hand it to Scott without her dad noticing.
She looked back at her dad and smiled weakly. “We’re running off in the woods to have a threesome?” The look of shock on her dad’s face was priceless and he stumbled back just enough that Allison felt safe turning the Jeep on, shifting it into gear. “Okay bye!” She called, hoping to reverse the Jeep fast enough, but her dad recovered quickly.
He put a hand on the car door and spoke over the rumbling. “Allison.”
She winced as she carefully applied the brakes, even as she saw Scott and Danny tensing beside her.
“The truth,” her father said harshly and Allison bit her lip.
It was Scott who spoke up. “Your crazy sister is holding Derek hostage in the cellar of his old house.”
“The one she burned down,” Danny continued, voice flat.
Allison closed her eyes, because she hadn’t considered that. Stiles had mentioned both facts: Derek was being kept under his house, and Kate had been the one to burn the Hale house six years ago, but it hadn’t connected in the way it did now. This was so much more torturous than Allison had originally thought.
“What?” Her father asked, face dropping into an emotionless mask.
“You heard us,” Scott said, shifting so he was closer to the other window. His face was determined though, no matter how scared he looked. “Kate has Derek, and we need to get there before anyone dies.”
Allison watched her father’s face shift, trying to become calm. It wasn’t working. “No one’s going to kill anyone.”
Danny laughed. “Why? Because of the code?” Her dad’s eyes narrowed and pinned the three of them with a cold look. It didn’t stop Danny. “I doubt that murderer will care about the code when she’s faced with the alpha and two betas trying to escape. Screw the fact that the betas haven’t done anything and one of them is only sixteen.”
Allison’s mouth was dry as she turned the car off again and undid her seatbelt. “We’re wasting time,” she said holding out her hand for her bow. “Let’s go.”
She pushed open her door, pushing her dad back. He still wasn’t talking but it didn’t matter. She could see the shock in his face and it told her that no matter what he said she wouldn’t like it. She heard Scott open his door and she held the driver’s side door open for Danny. He handed her her shoes when he got out.
“You should at least use these,” he said with a smile, nodding to the fact she was still in her dress, and Allison took them as she hung her bow on her shoulder.
“Allison,” her dad said. “This is no place for you.”
“Why? Because I don’t know what I’m dealing with?” She refused to look at him as Danny and Scott fumbled with the backpack, dividing up the explosives. “We know everything we need to know.”
“You planned this,” he said flatly.
Allison nodded. “We didn’t intend for Kate to be here. But she is.”
“Then the explosives are for?”
“The alpha,” Allison said, finally looking at him. “We can’t have a fully functioning pack while he’s around. So Derek is going to kill him and become the alpha.”
She watched her dad’s face twist. “Allison, I don’t disagree but you are too young-“
“Kate didn’t think so. She was the one who showed me where Derek was. She was trying to make me like her. Like you.”
“Allison-“ her dad said.
She turned away from him. “Are we ready?”
Scott nodded, putting the bag back in the Jeep. “We’ll need to hurry.”
“I can run in these.” She started to follow them but her dad grabbing her arm stopped her.
“Allison, listen to me. You don’t know what you’re dealing with. No matter what you think.”
She shook off his hand, or tried to at least. “I know the alpha attacked Lydia earlier tonight, and that the bite better take because she’s going to be the best beta there is, and with her and Stiles helping Derek run the pack nothing is going to go wrong. I know that Kate killed an innocent family just because of some misperceived threat, and she ran Derek off the road and kept him locked in his own house for two weeks just to torture him, because she knew he’d never give up his pack. And I know you’re going to let me go so I can help my friends, my pack, or you will no longer have a daughter.”
Her dad didn’t drop her arm right away, but slowly he started to nod and loosened his grip. “I’m coming with you.”
“Fine. But I’m in charge,” Allison said, snatching her arm out of his grip. “Let’s go.”
***
Of course it had been too easy, Stiles thought as the final steps out of cellar were blocked by Peter’s back. There was a moment when he was going to ask what was going on, and that they should get out of there quickly, but then he felt Derek tense in his arms, and Kate’s smell finally hit his nose.
Shit.
He glanced around Peter, finally able to get up on the last steps and onto solid ground. Kate was there, alone.
She didn’t say anything as she hid partially behind the shotgun on her hip. If nothing else she was smart. Stiles had to give her that. Her eyes glanced over them, and Stiles could see the faint smile tugging on her lips as she looked at him, almost like a victory.
She probably had had her suspicions that he was the beta, but no proof. Until now.
Stiles didn’t care as he adjusted his grip on Derek, moving slightly in front of him as he dropped Derek’s shoes so he had at least one hand free. Peter still stood in front of them, his body half-blocking Stiles and Derek, and he wondered if it was intentional. Peter was still their alpha, a fact Stiles was aware of right underneath his skin. It hadn’t gone away with the rescue of Derek, and had only grown worse because the three of them were working together as a pack.
It was a dangerous feeling.
Stiles darted his eyes to Peter, waiting for a sign. Kate still wasn’t saying anything, probably trying to calculate wolf speed versus her own reflexes.
They had her outnumbered, even if Derek was still weak, and unless she had backup waiting, it was foolish to think she could win. She might hurt one of them, might even kill one of them, but she’d be overwhelmed quickly.
Peter stretched out his arm, and the movement caught Stiles’ eyes.
It caught Kate’s as well, and her gun jerked just a little. She was tracking his movements, and Peter laughed.
“Not very smart of you, going at this alone.” His voice carried across the distance of the yard. “The problem with you humans, it seems, is your love of solitary fights.”
That brought forth a reaction from Kate. “And how’d that whole pack thing work out for you during the fire?”
Stiles heard his growl join Peter’s just as the shotgun blasted, pellets scattering. On instinct he pushed Derek further behind him and Stiles felt a small spray of them hit his leg, the smell of his blood filling the air, but he couldn’t smell any blood from Derek, so he counted that as a win.
Peter’s roar joined Derek’s, and he lunged forward, shifting into the black monstrosity of his alpha form. Stiles dropped to his good knee, and he tore at the material of his good slacks to try and get out the shrapnel before his skin healed over it.
“Quick,” he hissed, as Derek joined him on the ground, claws ripping open the skin of his thigh to get out the larger chunks of metal. They would need to go over the work later, when they had time.
When Stiles wasn’t concerned about Peter killing Kate before he had a chance to.
He grit his teeth as he let Derek use both hands to work at his leg. He hadn’t realized the desire to kill her was so strong. Hadn’t realized he had decided that he would actually kill her.
Must have happened sometime between finding Derek and seeing her. Maybe if she hadn’t shown up. If she had just been smart and stayed away.
Derek wasn’t even wolfed out the entire way, and he was using human fingers to dig into Stiles flesh. He had been hung up and tortured for too long, and it had been Kate’s fault. Kate was responsible for everything, and Stiles was going to make her pay.
He shook off Derek’s hand as soon as he felt most of the larger chunks disappear. He wouldn’t set off airport security anymore.
“Stiles!” Derek shouted as he twisted, springing to his feet even as the wound still bled sluggishly.
Stiles didn’t care. He could see Kate underneath Peter a few meters away, gun already out of ammo, and Peter open mouthed above her.
He needed to do this now if he was going to at all.
Peter registered his approach, backing off slightly from Kate, but still keeping her pinned. Good. If she had been given even an inch Stiles had no doubt she would find a way out.
All humans had that self-preservation that ran deeper than most insanity.
Derek was still by the cellar door, and he would probably stay there while Stiles did this.
It was funny, actually, watching as Kate relaxed at seeing him. Stiles wasn’t sure she knew what was coming. She probably just saw his face. His human face, because he wasn’t shifted. Not yet. He wanted her to remember his human face when he dug his claws into her throat. But she saw that face and she saw weakness. She saw compassion, no doubt.
“Let me,” Stiles whispered, and Peter growled as he took another step back, letting go of Kate.
She tried to run, springing into action despite seeming relaxed, but Stiles grabbed her. He grabbed her right around the throat and squeezed, and it may have been too quick, it may have been way more than she deserved, but Stiles didn’t care.
Her neck snapped under his hand and blood started to pour onto his flesh as he dug his claws in. Her eyes held onto life longer than he had expected, her body still twitching in his grasp.
He’d killed her, the person who started all of this with that fire.
Stiles felt powerful.
And of course that was the moment he got shot again.
Part 2