Innocence In Being Human 2/3
Innocence In Being Human
Part Two
Stiles wanted to go out and have a look around town while Derek was sleeping but that didn't seem to be an option right now. Derek seemed to know the moment Stiles shifted and would wake up in some sort of panic. It didn't take much to get him to calm down but it was more than Stiles was willing to risk. The last thing he needed right now was for Derek to wake up and completely freak out. That meant Stiles was more or less stuck sitting in their hotel room for the entire night since he didn't need to sleep. It gave him too much time to think which was the last thing he needed to do when he was back in Beacon Hills.
If their interaction at the Hale House was an indicator then Derek was dealing with his family's death better than Stiles was. Stiles remembered standing in the woods as the house burned to the ground. He remembered the heat and the screams that were far too loud. He remembered watching smoke rise from the flame that had nothing to do with fire. He watched it rise into the sky and race away. He knew that black smoke, Stiles could smell who it was, but then the fire trucks appeared. He watched them battle to put the fire out and screaming about how they could get in there to see if anyone was trapped. There are people in there!, Stiles wanted to yell. They're right there, right there, can't you hear them? They're burning! But it was far too late. No one could save the Hale's and he left before they brought Laura and Derek home from school.
Stiles hated everything about that night. What he hated more was how less than twelve hours later he got called to a crossroads and there stood sixteen year old Derek Hale. Stiles didn't deal with children, he had rules for that, but that wasn't the only reason he turned down the deal that day. Derek felt responsible for his family dying somehow yet Stiles knew he was the one to blame. Despite everything he had done over the centuries, the gallons of blood he'd spilled and countless souls he'd taken without a second thought, this was one deal he just couldn't make. He was the one that was in area, he was the one that Saul was trying to draw out, and it worked. It always worked.
Derek stirred the moment the sun peeked over the horizon line. He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom grumbling something about sleep being for the weak minded and how much he resented Stiles for not needing to sleep. I wish I could sleep, Stiles wanted to tell him. I wish I could sleep because then I wouldn't have to think so much.
"So let's look around town and see if anyone can tell us anything about these animal attacks," Derek said. Stiles looked up and absolutely did not get momentarily distracted by that towel hanging far too low on Derek's hips not at all.
"It shouldn't raise any red flags," Stiles said before Derek noticed him staring. "Laura was attacked so it would make sense that you would want to know more. It's just a matter of how long we can dig into this thing before someone notices that we're not looking to purchase a mountain lion hunting license."
That was how Stiles spent the entire day talking to the locals of Beacon Hills without a hint of irony. He never thought he'd have to sit through these types conversations again yet here he was listening to some old lady gossip. He wasn't entirely sure they were going to ever find anything. Whatever was out there was supernatural in some way so the little old lady on the corner wasn't going to know much. Maybe that's why Stiles was more or less tuning her out until he felt something come off of Derek.
"It was amazing," the old lady said. "One moment they said the tumor was terminal and the next day they're calling my husband and telling him that the tests were a false positive and it was benign. They were very apologetic about it; they said that all of the previous tests were positive but this most recent one was negative."
"That's really nice to hear," Derek said though he didn't exactly sound sincere. The old lady just smiled like Derek meant every word.
"I'm sure your sister will be just fine," she said and went back to watering her flowers. Stiles narrowed his eyes but she was just a human, nothing out of the ordinary, but the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.
"Something isn't right," Derek said as they walked further down the street. "We know of at least five animal attacks that have killed three people. Laura was the fifth and the second is also still in a coma so neither of them are telling us anything. That lady's story though; that's the third time I've heard something along those lines."
"False positive tests?" Stiles asked. He checked the shadows of the town, looking for something, anything, that he could talk to and see if they were willing to tell him anything. There was nothing though, still nothing, it was like everything was too afraid to lurk in the shadows in Beacon Hills. "Maybe the hospital labs need some work."
"Or we're not just dealing with animal attacks," Derek said. They sat down on a bench in the shade of a nearby tree as Derek checked his phone. No one seemed to pay them any mind but Stiles kept his senses on high alert anyway. "Not only are people dying but people are also living when they shouldn't be."
"So, we're looking for something that can heal people along with attacking them," Stiles said. "Whatever this thing is it's going to be a pain in the ass. I hate things that can heal other people. It just means they have power to spare and that's never good." Derek pulled the journal his Dad and Uncle Peter put together that he kept in his jacket pocket out. Stiles leaned in so he could read over Derek's shoulder as they began to look through the long list of various creatures that this could be. Derek seemed to be getting more and more frustrating that nothing seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
"Maybe this isn't an occam's razor situation," Stiles said.
"'The simplest answer is usually the right one,'" Derek said and Stiles wanted to give him a gold star. "With hunting the simplest answer is that there is usually only one thing running around causing trouble since two different creatures causing trouble at the same time in the same place isn't as likely."
"So maybe there's more than one thing running around out there," Stiles said glad that Derek was able to catch on so quickly. "And I don't know about you but I find the idea of something ripping someone apart a lot more worrisome than something that goes around making cancer tumors benign. We should focus on the attacks and come back to the healing afterwards."
"What are the odds though?" Derek asked. He closed the journal and tucked it back into his jacket.
"Statistically anything can happen. Did you know that once you're strike by lightning once you're actually more likely to get struck by it again? Someone with your luck should probably take some notes on that," Stiles said. Derek knocked their shoulders together hard enough that it threw Stiles a little off balance but Derek was smiling so it worked out. He smiled anyway until he checked his phone for the third time that hour. "Most of the attacks take place in the late evening and after dark so how about we go back to the hospital so you can stop checking your phone every five minutes and we'll go poking around in the woods at night again." Derek almost looked surprised that Stiles would suggest they go to the hospital again but he also looked very grateful.
"Sounds like a plan," Derek said. They got off the bench and began to walk toward the hospital. Stiles neglected to point out that they didn't have any sort of plan. In the back of his mind Stiles began to work on one while keeping an eye on the all too empty shadows.
+++
Derek knew that going out looking for trouble at night probably wasn't one of his brighter ideas but if they were going to find out anything about these attacks they had to find out what was attacking. If that meant walking around what used to be his family's land then that's what he had to do. Derek didn't really like being back on the preserve. If he tried he could smell the burned out remains of his family home. The area didn't even belong to his family anymore. They didn't pay their property taxes so it was county land now. That set a few of his instincts on edge but they were easy enough to ignore. He wasn't the type of wolf that had a territory so this wasn't any different from any other hunt. That was what Derek kept telling himself anyway and he wondered if he repeated it enough times he would believe it.
"I know the answer to this question before I even ask it," Stiles said. "But I'm going to ask it anyway; any chance you're willing to pack up and leave this one behind? Transfer Laura to a different hospital?" Derek frowned and turned around to look at Stiles. Something was bothering Stiles and he was refusing to say what it was. This wasn't the first time he hinted that they just pack up and leave.
"Something attacked Laura. It tried to kill her," Derek said.
"Like I said; I already knew the answer," Stiles replied. Derek was about to ask why Stiles was so keen to leave but Stiles just brushed by him and kept walking. They were making their way toward the house without trying. Derek wasn't really paying attention where they were going but it was like the world wanted them to see the house at night. The corpse of the house appeared through the trees and Derek breathed through his mouth so he couldn't smell the ash. Stiles wandered ahead absentmindedly looking around. His demure was casual but Derek could see the tension in his shoulders. Everything in the forest around the house was too still and too quiet.
They were outside of the house when Stiles froze.
"Derek," Stiles said.
"What is it?" Derek asked. He didn't hear or see anything.
"You need to leave right now." Stiles was using that tone of voice he used when things were about to go sideways.
"Why?" Derek asked as he took a few steps toward Stiles.
"Because I can't move." Stiles said and if Derek narrowed his eyes he could see someone had drawn a devil's trap in the ground with ash. Derek wasn't about to leave Stiles vulnerable though; something knew a demon was around and it knew how to trap it. There was movement behind Derek's back and suddenly he felt trapped. He knew there was a ring of mountain ash around him now. "It got you too."
"Yeah," Derek replied. He walked as far as he could see the line in the dirt now. It flared to life when he tried to cross it. He was still far enough away from Stiles that neither of them could affect the others circle. "What do you think did this?"
"Or who?" a voice said from the other side of the house. Derek turned and stared in the direction that voice came from because he knew who that was. The voice chuckled and moved in the shadows.
"Who are you?" Stiles called out.
"Derek knows," the voice said. A figure emerged from the darkness and Derek had to swallow the lump in his throat; it was Peter. There weren't any burns on his face or hands from the fire. He looked like he hadn't aged a day in six years. He was supposed to be dead and the mere presence of him made Derek want to bolt.
"Derek, who is that?" Stiles asked.
"That's my Uncle Peter," Derek whispered. "I helped bury your body after you died from your injuries. I was there only minutes after they called time of death. How are you here?"
"It's a very interesting story, nephew, but I'm afraid I don't have the time to tell it now," Peter said. He pulled out a small knife and cut deeply into his hand. The blood fell to the ground and something in the air changed. "Instead, I have to take care of you two before you cause anymore trouble for me."
Derek was about to ask what Peter was talking about when he felt something painful tug in his gut. Peter was mumbling under his breath as he looked at a small book. It felt like someone was trying to tear him in half. It knocked the wind from his lungs and Derek collapsed to his knees. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Stiles fall as well. Stiles was saying something and his hands were pressed against his ears but Derek couldn't hear what it was over the pain. His circle began to glow brighter and brighter until he was almost blinding. He was being torn in half and when Derek looked up he could see Peter's glowing blue eyes just beyond the light. The world began to grow dark around the edges and the last thing he remembered was the distinct feeling of separation.
+++
Derek was barely awake and he already knew that something was wrong. His eyes wouldn't open and his entire body ached but he was alive. After all of the pain Derek thought for sure that this was the end. For some reason Peter was not only alive but had attacked him as well. None of it made sense. Derek opened his eyes and looked at the night sky through the trees. He couldn't smell or hear anything and he thought that was an effect of being unconscious but it was something else. This wasn't because his senses were overwhelmed; his senses were gone. Derek sat up and looked at his hands. He tried to make his claws come out, he tried to shift, and nothing happened. His wolf was gone; Derek was a human.
Peter was nowhere to be seen and Stiles was still on the ground nearby. Derek tried to stand but his knees buckled under the weight. Derek crawled on the ground to get to Stiles and tried to shake him awake. Stiles didn't wake up though and Derek had to press an ear to his chest to know his heart was beating because he couldn't just listen for it. Stiles wasn't breathing though and Derek had no idea what to do. No one ever bothered to teach his rescue breathing or CPR because he never needed to know them. Derek was just starting to panic when Stiles gasped and coughed violently. Derek rolled Stiles on his side so it was a little easier for him to breath.
"I can't do this, not again, I can't do this again," Stiles mumbled as he tried to suck more air into his lungs.
"Stiles, something's really wrong," Derek said. He helped Stiles sit up and looked into his eyes to try and get Stiles to focus. "Stiles, he took it. He took my wolf. I'm a human." Stiles blinked once, slowly, like he was trying to process what Derek had just said.
"This is bad," Stiles said. "This is impossible. No one should know that kind of spell. That's old magic, way older than me let alone someone that you've known. This isn't possible, this can't be happening, I can't do this." Stiles tangled his fingers in his hair and pulled. Derek had never seen him so unhinged before. Their bond was still there, Derek could feel the pull between them, but it was different.
"What are you talking about?" Derek asked. "Does it really matter how old the magic is? Stiles, I'm human, that seems like a more important issue."
"That spell is more important because it didn't just affect you," Stiles snapped. It took Derek a moment to understand what Stiles was saying but when it dawned on him it stole the breath from his lungs.
"You're human too," he whispered. They were vulnerable out here in the woods and they had to get to safety. Stiles didn't seem to be paying attention though; his eyes were darting around the forest and Derek could feel him trembling. He was shaking too but Stiles was much worse. Derek wrapped an arm around Stiles' waist and struggled to help them both stand. Stiles seemed to catch on that they were moving and supported Derek as well. They stumbled through the darkness leaning their weight on each other. Derek felt like he was missing a limb and every time he reached for his senses it was like running into a brick wall. There was just nothing there.
They were both sweating by the time they made their way back to the car. They were lucky that this happened near his house and the trail was nearby. Derek was sure they would have gotten lost if this had happened in the middle of the woods. Derek's hands shook as he put the keys in the ignition and if he swerved a few times while driving them back to the motel then Stiles didn't comment on it.
The sun was coming up by the time Derek pulled into the motel. He was exhausted in a way that he had never experienced. It felt like his eyes could slide shut and he could sleep right where he was sitting. The nagging sense of danger wouldn't leave him and Derek managed to drag himself to the motel room where he at least had some weapons.
"We need to protect ourselves," Stiles said as if he understood how weak Derek felt right now.
"I'll salt the doors and windows," Derek said. He dug through his bag and pulled out a large bag of salt. It would at least keep out any demon and maybe a few other things that were poking around Beacon Hills. The salt, however, wouldn't keep out Peter. Derek glanced over his shoulder and watched Stiles struggle to move their bed for only a moment before he gave up. Stiles tore off all of the bedding and made a pile on the floor that looked comfortable enough. Derek was about to ask why they were sleeping on the floor when Stiles took out some mountain ash. He tossed it into the air and it formed a perfect ring around their bedding.
"This should keep some of the baddies out," Stiles joked but he was so pale and scared looking that it fell flat. Derek stepped over the mountain ash line and sat down in the pile of blankets and sheets. "What are we going to do? I've only heard about suppression enchantments in passing. This is stuff before my time."
"There has to be a cure or something that can reverse the spell. I want to know how my uncle is alive and why he attacked us," Derek said. A long silence passed between the two of them as Stiles nervously picked at a loose thread on his pants. "What's it like?"
"What is what like?" Stiles replied.
"What's it like being human again?" Derek asked and Stiles tensed up considerably. "I've never been human but you have. What's it like?" Stiles didn't reply for a long time and when Derek finally looked up at him he saw that Stiles was considerably paler. His eyes were darting back and forth like he was seeing something that Derek couldn't. He was shaking and practically hyperventilating. Derek put his hands on Stiles shoulders and forced him to make eye contact. "What's happening to you?"
"Panic attack. I used to get them when I was alive," Stiles said. Derek didn't know much about panic attacks but he could see the way that Stiles couldn't get a breath. Derek turned Stiles around so they were back to front and held onto him tightly.
"Can you feel my chest?" Derek asked and Stiles nodded. "Okay, good, now match my breathing with yours." Derek began to take slow and deep breaths. He could feel Stiles shaking as he tried to breath in and out. It felt like ages for Stiles rigid muscles to finally loosen and his breathing to return to normal. Derek only vaguely remember lying down on the pillows and blankets but he kept his arms wrapped around Stiles. Despite how unsafe he felt Derek fell asleep with a trembling Stiles in his arms.
+++
Stiles woke up slowly and the first thing he became aware of was that someone was wrapped around him like a octopus. He shifted and realized that he was on a pile of blankets and pillows with Derek wrapped around him hidden behind a circle of mountain ash and protected by salt. Stiles swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to calm himself down. It was bad enough that he had already had one panic attack in front of Derek he didn't need to have another. He thought that he would never have to experience a panic attack again yet here he was. It felt strange to be human again. Everything felt different in a way that Stiles couldn't quite put into words. It had been so long since he was alive that his beating heart and the actual need to breath threw him off.
"Stiles?" Derek said sleepily. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Stiles replied and he mentally gave himself a pat on the back with how steady his voice sounded. "Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize," Derek said as he sat up. Stiles wasn't sure if he was seeing things but all of Derek's edges were less sharp now that he was a human. Perhaps it was because he was used to seeing a wolf that anything else was odd. He and Derek never hid their true natures from each other and while logically Stiles knew this was the same Derek it was still like looking at a stranger. "I should have known this would be really weird for you."
"Weird is kind of an understatement," Stiles sadly. He picked at a loose thread on the blanket and tried to ignore the way Derek was staring at him. "We can't just hide in here. We have to find out what kind of magic could make us human."
"I'm more interested in finding out how the Uncle that I know for a fact was dead is alive again," Derek replied. "Either way you're right. We can't hide behind ash and salt because it won't fix anything. I just don't feel--" Derek cut himself off but Stiles knew exactly what he meant. He didn't feel safe. Stiles knew he could tangle with a werewolf and come out on top in the end but now he was just a human. A werewolf could kill him without breaking a sweat. He could trip and break his own neck. Everything about him was fragile and could be broken so easily. "He could have killed us but he didn't."
"That means that the attack wasn't just to incapacitate us so he could make a killing blow. There's a reason he changed us," Stiles said. "That doesn't mean he can't do some serious damage though. We should stick to main street and crowded areas. If we stay in crowds he can't attack us out right. It won't be safe but it'll be safer." Stiles looked up at Derek who was staring at him with an odd look on his face. Stiles was about to ask what was wrong when Derek pulled him into a light kiss. It felt like someone hit him with lightning. Kissing Derek the werewolf as Stiles the demon was very different from Stiles and Derek the humans kissing. For the first time in centuries Stiles felt like the air was being stolen from his lungs and when they pulled away from each other he was panting a little. Derek looked just as surprised as he did. "Wow."
"Yeah, wow is one of putting it. That was different," Derek replied. Stiles had to force himself to stand because he knew if they started touching each other they wouldn't be able to stop. He also damn near had another panic when he had to step out from the mountain ash circle. Stiles held his breath but nothing happened. He and Derek took turns showering and both got dressed. Now that they were out of the relative safety of the mountain ash circle Stiles wanted to get into town where there were people. He was also starving.
It was mid morning by the time they pulled into the same diner that had eaten in a few days prior. The second they walked in Erica waved them over to a table with a bright smile.
"Hello boys," she said but her smile faded when she looked at Derek. "I heard about your sister, Mr. Hale, I'm really sorry."
"Thank you," Derek said. Erica nodded and walked off to get them some coffee. Stiles was still trying to get his breathing under control. He didn't remember feeling this anxious and tense when he was still alive. Then again, he reminded himself, when he was alive he wasn't suffering from PTSD from two stints in the Pit. Derek pressed their legs together and it was enough to calm Stiles down a little. He felt like a wreck. He let Derek order for both of them and they decided it was time to get to work. "So, Peter is alive and he knows some seriously strong magic."
"Seriously strong might be an understatement," Stiles replied though he kept his eyes peeled for anyone that could be listening in on their conversation. Erica had placed them in a booth in a far corner and no one was nearby but that didn't mean anything. "That spell is older than me and older than most things that I know. We're talking ancient here. Whatever taught him that is damn near immortal to know that kind of magic."
"Not to mention it needs to be something that can raise the dead as well," Derek said. Derek pulled out the journal and Stiles sat next to him in the booth. They looked over the book together and Stiles chose to ignore the smirk from Erica when she arrived with their food. Food that turned out to be extremely distracting but that didn't stop them from going through almost the entire journal. Stiles asked Erica for a pen and piece of paper from the pad she took orders on. She looked at him strangely but handed them over. "We need to figure out what we're dealing with here." Derek frowned and watched Stiles draw a line down the middle of the piece of paper. On one side he wrote PETER and on the other he wrote OTHER.
"Figure out what events go with what," Derek said. "Well the attacks are obviously Peter." Stiles wrote that down. "The healing could be from the thing that raised him along with the magic." Stiles wrote the rest of it down. It took some time but they managed to separate every odd thing that was happening in Beacon Hills into two categories. It was just unfortunate that the OTHER category was much larger than the PETER category. Derek paid for their food and they walked down main street. Stiles kept his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary but he couldn't see anything. No wonder humans are always so surprised by the supernatural, Stiles thought. They can't see anything.
Derek apparently couldn't see anything either. They turned a corner and someone yanked Derek into an alley and pinned him to a wall before either of them could react. Stiles felt his stomach drop when their attacker pressed a knife to Derek's throat. She was a young woman, late teens, with long dark hair and even darker eyes.
"This is laced with wolfsbane so you'd be wise not move," she said.
"Whoa, hold on, we need to have a talk about this," Stiles said. Derek wasn't a wolf; that knife could kill him.
"I'm not sure who you think I am," Derek said slowly but the young woman glared at him.
"Your name is Derek Hale and you're a werewolf. I'm a hunter and I'm here to hunt the wolf that's attacking people," she said.
"Can we please talk about this?" Stiles said slowly. "Why don't we put away any sharp weapons and talk about this like adults?" She glared at Stiles for a moment but eventually she took a step away from Derek though she didn't release her knife. "Okay, good, this is better. You obviously know Derek and I'm Stiles, who are you?"
"Names have power," she snapped.
"You're an Argent," Derek whispered. His eyes were wide with something that might have been fear. "You look like her."
"You mean Kate? The woman that you killed?" she snapped.
"There's been a misunderstanding here," Stiles said loudly. "This isn't the place to talk about it. Miss. Argent, will you accompany us to our car? You can keep the weapon if you want but I promise you the last thing we are right now is a threat to you." She narrowed her eyes as she looked between the two of them. For a moment Stiles thought she was going to slit both of their throat and call it a day.
"Allison. My name is Allison," she said.
"Allison. We have a lot to talk about," Stiles replied.
+++
It took nearly three hours of sitting in the Camaro with Allison Argent to explain everything. When they got to the part about Saul Stiles thought she was going to tear a hole into hell herself and go looking for him. She didn't accuse either of them of lying which was surprising but worked in their favor. Stiles had a silent conversation with Derek about how much they wanted to tell this girl about their current situation but the Argent family was an old family of hunters. There was a chance they could know something that they didn't. So they both had to prove to Allison that they were human and tell her why they were in town.
"The attacks are why we're here too," Allison explained. "We had a few hunters stationed here to watch over the town because my dad and I don't want anything to do with this place after Kate. They stopped checking in and we came down here to see what was going on. One of them is missing and the other is in the morgue."
"That was probably Peter's handy work," Derek said bitterly.
"An out of control werewolf is dangerous," Stiles said. "But an out of control werewolf with the knowledge to turn other supernatural creatures is much worse." Stiles turned in the seat so he could look Allison in the eye. He really didn't want to do this but he and Derek were in so far over their heads right now they might as well be on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. "Neither of us can do this alone."
"Are you suggesting we work together?" Allison asked. She didn't sound completely repulsed by the idea which worked in their favor. "I'll have to discuss this with my family. I'll be in touch." Derek and Allison exchanged numbers and she left the car without a word. Stiles watched her go and hoped that he didn't make a huge mistake.
"The Argent family doesn't like werewolves," Derek said.
"So I gathered but they're also much better at hunting supernaturals as humans than we are. Something besides your Uncle is out there, Derek, and it's something very powerful. We can't handle this on our own and I don't have any contacts I want to call on while I'm this vulnerable," Stiles explained. The thought of even Lydia seeing him like this made Stiles shiver. Everything was too easily broken right now and he knew for a fact that it wasn't just his body that was fragile.
"I just hope they don't throw us under a bus when they get a chance," Derek said as he started the car.
"We'll cross that road if it happens," Stiles replied. Derek nodded and started down the street toward the hospital.
+++
It was dark by the time they got back to the hotel room and Stiles was exhausted. This was a different type of exhausted than what he was used to. It almost felt like he could sleep for the next three days if he wanted. Derek looked just as tired as they both stumbled around the motel room. Derek salted the doors and windows while Stiles checked the mountain ash line around their bedding on the floor. The 'do not disturb' sign had kept the cleaning ladies out of their room for the time being.
"No one wonder humans are always so grouchy," Stiles said as he collapsed onto the bedding and closed his eyes. He kicked off his shoes and stretched out.
"What do you mean?" Derek asked. Stiles felt Derek join him on their pile of blankets and pillows behind the relative safety of the mountain ash circle. Stiles opened his eyes and grinned at Derek.
"Being human is exhausting," he said. Derek smiled and shook his head. Stiles was very distracted by that smile for a moment and his human body reacted strongly. This was different from when he was a demon in a host body. Everything was bright and sharp in a very strange way. Derek didn't fight him when Stiles pulled them together. They still fit despite the fact that neither of them were their normal selves. Derek interrupted Stiles introspection by proving that some things never changed and began to kiss along Stiles' neck.
"You smell different," Derek whispered into his skin. "You taste different." Stiles was about to ask if that was a good or bad thing when Derek captured his lips into a mind numbing kiss. Derek was right, it was different, but it was far from bad either. Stiles thread his fingers from one hand into Derek's hair and wrapped another around his waist to pull them closer together. Derek had the weight and strength advantage as a human so Stiles let Derek push him into the bedding as they kissed. He was sure that his lips were going to go numb and Derek's stubble burned in a very strange and new way that sent all of his blood south in seconds. Derek's hands slipped up Stiles' t-shirt and every touch felt like Derek was imprinting his fingerprints into Stiles' skin. Stiles moaned as Derek sucked on his tongue and arched his body so they were not so much close but trying to break the laws of physics.
Their motel room door being kicked open surprised Stiles enough that he jumped. Derek did too though and they frantically broke apart as they stared at their now broken door. The line of salt was broken and Stiles felt like his heart was going to beat straight out of his chest.
"My dear nephew," Peter cooed as he walked into their motel room like he belonged there. Stiles looked at the mountain ash line; it was unbroken. "I always knew you had questionable taste but this is so much worse than that hunter bitch." Stiles felt Derek tense up and he put a hand on his arm to keep Derek from lashing out.
"I saw you die," Derek said. "How are you alive again?"
"That's hardly important," Peter said. "You should be more interested in getting your wolf back. Isn't that what you want?"
"I want to know how you took it in the first place," Stiles said. Peter shifted his gaze to Stiles and flashed his eyes that bright blue. Stiles knew his heartbeat was probably off the charts but he refused to look away from that gaze.
"This is a family matter so keep your mouth shut before I rip your tongue hell spawn," Peter snapped and he turned his attention back to Derek. "All you need to do is pledge allegiance to me and you can have your wolf back."
"You're blackmailing me?" Derek snapped.
"That's such a dirty word," Peter dismissed. "It's more like I'm offering you a pack again. We'll be family again."
"You killed all of those innocent people, you nearly killed Laura, and now you're blackmailing me. I have a pack already and if you remembered what pack was when we were a family then you know this isn't how you do it," Derek spit out. Peter didn't look too broken up by this confession. If anything he looked even more amused.
"You can't hide behind mountain ash forever Derek. You will swear your allegiance to me and we'll send your little mistake there back where he belongs. If you're wise you'll agree to my terms now before I get angry." Peter met Stiles' eyes again and flashed his fangs. Stiles wasn't really paying attention because the words 'back where he belongs' had nearly paralyzed him in fear. Peter strolled out of their room like he didn't have a care in the world.
The motel owner found the two of them them sitting on the floor like that. Derek quickly explained that someone tried to rob them and the motel owner went about finding someone to put a new door up for them. Stiles just sat on the blankets, cross legged, and stared ahead. He didn't really hear any of the conversations around him or anything Derek said. There was something very important he needed to take care of the next day. Stiles closed his eyes and tried not to think about fire or tables or torture. It didn't work.
+++
Derek knew that something was bothering Stiles but he didn't have a chance to ask him what it was. Between the motel manager and trying to keep the local police from paying too much attention to them by the time Derek had a spare second Stiles was curled up on the floor. Derek wanted to wake him up and ask Stiles why he spent the last few hours sitting in complete silence but Derek also knew that Stiles didn't sleep very often. Derek put the lines of salt and mountain ash back up and crawled into their makeshift bed. He tried to sleep and couldn't relax though. He eventually gave into temptation and eased Stiles into his arms. It shouldn't have made him feel better but it did. Derek closed his eyes and hoped he could get some sleep.
The next morning Stiles still wasn't saying much. They ate at a small restaurant on the far side of town that was busy enough that Derek felt relatively safe. He couldn't smell or hear anything and it made him nervous. He hated how weak he felt in this body. The man that kicked down his door the previous night wasn't his Uncle. Peter was a little odd but he would never do something like this. Derek was contemplating hiding out in the city library when Stiles took his arm.
"I have something I need to show you," he said.
"Okay," Derek replied. They climbed into the Camaro and Stiles gave Derek directions to a different entrance to the preserve than Derek was used to. There weren't any cars around and that made him nervous. "I thought we were sticking to crowded areas."
"This is important," Stiles replied. Derek loaded up wolfsbane ammunition but he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be enough to kill Peter. Stiles carried a jar of mountain ash and promised that he could protect them if they needed to. Stiles then turned into the woods and began to walk through the thick trees. Derek followed though he was worried about getting lost. Stiles was walking like he knew exactly where they were going though.
"I don't like being out here like this," Derek said. He had a shotgun in hand but Derek kept his finger off of the trigger. He didn't need to accidently shoot Stiles or himself by being reckless with his weapons.
"This is important," Stiles repeated. Derek wasn't sure how long they walked but the trees parted and revealed a small clearing. There were small pieces of stone sticking out of the ground in rows. Derek knelt down and brushed some of the leaves away from one of the stones. It wasn't just a rock though. There was a name and a date.
"This is a graveyard," Derek said. Stiles was standing in the middle of the graveyard and watching him carefully.
"How many ways are there to get rid of a demon?" Stiles asked.
"Two," Derek replied. "Exorcism doesn't kill them but it does get them out of the host body and our knife kills them."
"Wrong. There are three ways," Stiles replied. He knelt down and moved some leaves aside. When he didn't stand up Derek joined him on the ground. The gravestone was small and the first name was gone but the last remained. STILINSKI. "'Stiles' isn't my real name; it's a nickname."
"This is your grave?" Derek asked and Stiles nodded. "You grew up in this area?"
"Yes, a long time ago. This is where my original human body is buried because there is another way to kill a demon; you burn the bones of the demon's human body," Stiles explained. "If you take these bones and burn them I'll die." Derek felt like his chest was about to cave in. This was extremely important information and Stiles was just giving it to him. Stiles had just gave him a sure fire way to kill him.
"Why are you showing me this? Why are you telling me this?" Derek whispered. Stiles ran his fingers roughly through his hair and stood up.
"I wasn't the same person after I went to the Pit the first time. I didn't like who I was when I emerged from the fire and brimstone. I changed. I'm not the same person I was when I went down a second time. I'm different again. It's getting to the point where I don't even recognized myself anymore." Stiles paused and clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "If something manages to kill me when I'm vulnerable like this I'll get kicked back down to the Pit again and I don't want to know how I'd turn out after a third time. I don't know what kind of person I'd emerge as after a third trip." Derek stood up slowly and took a few steps closer to Stiles.
"I won't let anyone send you down there again. I'll protect you," Derek promised but Stiles laughed bitterly.
"You can't make that promise but I know one promise you can make." Stiles opened his eyes and stared at Derek intently. "If it looks like I'm going to get sent down there again I want you to come here and burn my bones." Derek felt like someone just punched the air out of his lungs. Not only was Stiles trusting him with the key to kill him but now he was making Derek promise to pull the trigger if the worst should happen. "Derek," Stiles said and it was like he could sense that Derek was about to argue. "You won't like the Stiles that crawls out of the Pit for the third time. I won't like that Stiles. I'm trusting you with this."
"You're trusting me to kill you," Derek said.
"Yes," Stiles replied without hesitation. "I'm trusting you to kill me. No one else knows about this place or where I'm buried. You're the only one who could help me if I'm down there again. I can already hardly remember what I was like when I was human. I don't want to forget entirely. Promise me that you'll do it if it comes to that."
"Stiles, I--"
"Promise," Stiles said harder. Derek looked Stiles over; he could see how tense he was. He could see the underlying twitches that were from nerves and how afraid Stiles truly was of going down there again. Derek tried to think of some excuse that could get him out of this kind of promise but he also hated the idea of Stiles suffering. Stiles had suffered enough.
"Only as an absolute last resort," Derek said.
"So you'll do it?" Stiles asked and Derek nodded slowly.
"I promise that if you're heading down to the Pit again I'll come here and burn your bones," Derek said. Stiles visibly relaxed and flashed a bright smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Let's get out of here." Stiles turned and began to walk back toward the car. Derek knelt down and moved a few more leaves aside. There were two more stones near the right of Stiles' grave. One said JOHN and the other said CLAUDIA. Derek stood up and jogged to keep up with Stiles. That didn't stop him from looking over his shoulder at the old graveyard as they left it behind. Derek really and truly hoped that this was a promise he wouldn't have to keep.
+++
Derek wasn't sure what he could possibly say to Stiles right now that could make this situation better. Stiles looked like he just bit into a lemon and was uncharacteristically quiet. Derek parked the Camaro on main street and they both began to walk down the road. He wasn't sure where they were heading but it seemed better than sitting around and doing nothing. That was how they ended up at Beacon Hills Library way in the back hunched over any book that looked remotely useful. Stiles skimmed book after book and muttered 'useless' under his breath.
If Peter was back from the dead and could make them human there was a very good chance that putting a wolfsbane bullet in his heart wouldn't do the trick. That didn't stop Derek from keeping wolfsbane loaded rounds in his gun but he just had a feeling that it wasn't going to be enough. Whatever was helping Peter knew magic older than Stiles so they probably prepared him for the worst. Derek sighed and walked through the stacks to find Stiles. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peter and Derek froze. They were in a public place sure but that didn't mean anything.
Derek ran down the aisle until he found Stiles looking through a book. He didn't waste time to explain, it felt like he could feel Peter breathing down neck. Stiles stuttered in surprise but Derek was physically stronger than him as a human so Stiles didn't really have a choice when Derek pulled him to the back of the library and shoved him in a closet.
"What the fuck Dere--"
"Put the circle up," Derek said. There was just enough room around them for Stiles to make an extremely small circle of mountain ash.
"You saw him," Stiles said and Derek nodded. "We need to find some other way to defend ourselves. We can't risk a wolfsbane bullet not doing the trick or running out of mountain ash. There has to be something else we can do to protect ourselves."
"Agreed," Derek replied. They were nearly chest to chest inside the small circle in the closet and Derek could hardly see anything. He was stressed and Derek was halfway tempted to push Stiles into their motel room, lock it up, and hide in bed for the next day or so. There was no telling how long they were going to be stuck in here and Derek wasn't even sure how he was going to tell if it was safe or not without his hearing. Now seemed like a good time to talk to Stiles about his request and what it meant. Derek wasn't comfortable with the amount of responsibility Stiles was placing in him. Derek had just found the words to talk to Stiles about it all when the door suddenly opened. Derek put a hand on his gun, ready to fire, but it wasn't Peter.
"Aren't you two a little old to be playing seven minutes in Heaven?" Allison asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I wouldn't know anything about Heaven," Stiles replied. They got out of the closet and Allison was eyeing the ring of mountain ash.
"I'm going to guess you saw something," she said.
"Yeah, I think so," Derek replied. "We're not sure a wolfsbane bullet to the head will even kill Peter. We're not 100% sure what he is right now or what raised him from the dead."
"Besides shooting someone in a library seems like bad taste," Stiles said grinning.
"And hiding in a closet is obviously an alternative solution," Allison deadpanned. "Walk with me." Stiles and Derek gathered any information they found that might be useful and left the library with Allison. They walked down the street together like they didn't have a care in the world but Derek kept an eye out for Peter but made sure to watch Allison as well. Just one glance at her and Derek could tell that she was armed. "The Argent family is a matriarchal unit so I have the last say in whether or not we get involved with something. I've discussed it with my Father and we've made a decision."
"You're here talking to us so I'm guessing you're getting involved," Stiles said.
"Yes," Allison said. She turned a corner and knocked on a small door down an alleyway. Derek wanted to make a snarky comment about cliches when a slot opened and closed like this was some sort of mafia movie. The door opened and Allison gestured for them to follow her. The man inside was older with the bluest eyes Derek had ever seen on a human and a dangerous look in his eye. "This is my Father, Chris. Dad, this is Derek and Stiles, the two I told you about."
"Allison told me about the story you told her about my sister, Kate," Chris said. Derek tensed and hoped he wasn't going to get a gun pulled on him. "My sister wasn't herself before she vanished. We didn't think possession at the time but it makes sense." Chris offered a hand and Derek shook it. Chris' gaze lingered on Stiles a little longer but he still offered a hand out to shake.
"Now that the formal introductions are out of the way let's figure out what raised Peter Hale from the dead," Allison said and turned on a light. Derek raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. There were several stacks of old books on a table along with two open laptops.
"Are we going to have a research montage? Can I pick the music?" Stiles asked.
"I regret ever showing you television," Derek said. Allison and Chris looked at each and had a silent conversation that often came with close family units.
"Let's get to work," Chris said. Derek and Allison each took a laptop while Chris and Stiles began to look through the books. Chris and Allison would ask Stiles various questions about the magic and how old he thought it was but they didn't ask him about being a demon or the Pit. Derek was so grateful for that; Stiles was extremely on edge and they didn't need to have a panic attack in front of people they didn't entirely trust yet.
"We've decided that there is more than likely more than one thing running around right now," Stiles explained. "Normally that would be stupid but Peter can’t raise himself from the dead. We broke everything up into two categories. We need to find out what taught him the spell that changed us. If we find out the origin of that magic we find out what raised him from the dead."
"So we're going off the assumption that whatever raised Peter also taught him that spell," Allison said.
"My family knew quite a bit," Derek said. "We go back generations but there's no way Peter knew that spell before the fire. If my parents knew about something that could take our wolves away the first thing they would have done is give us a way to counter it. Something like that is too dangerous to keep from us." A long silence passed as Chris and Stiles looked through various books and Allison and Derek looked through an extremely impressive digital bestiary. Derek was halfway tempted to ask for a copy.
"Stiles," Allison said. "What can you tell us about angels?" Derek was about to open his mouth to tell her that angels aren't real when he noticed the way Stiles had tensed up considerably. Stiles wouldn't have reacted like that unless there was a good reason.
"They don't usually get involved," Stiles said lowly. "If you asked one why they would tell you it's because of free will but the reality is they think they're above the rest of us. They can bring people back from the dead, heal the sick, and if anyone knew magic that old it would be an angel."
"What kind of angel raises someone from the dead and then let's them go around killing people?" Derek asked but Stiles shook his head.
"How do you deal with angels?" Chris asked.
"You mean 'how do you kill them?'" Stiles said. "You don't. The only thing that can kill an angel is another angel. I've been told about banishing wards and an extremely powerful demon might be able to kick them back to Heaven but there's no way for us to kill them." Stiles looked up from his book and Derek had never seen him look so grim. "If Peter has an angel on his side there's nothing we can do to stop it."
<-- back | forward -->
Part Two
Stiles wanted to go out and have a look around town while Derek was sleeping but that didn't seem to be an option right now. Derek seemed to know the moment Stiles shifted and would wake up in some sort of panic. It didn't take much to get him to calm down but it was more than Stiles was willing to risk. The last thing he needed right now was for Derek to wake up and completely freak out. That meant Stiles was more or less stuck sitting in their hotel room for the entire night since he didn't need to sleep. It gave him too much time to think which was the last thing he needed to do when he was back in Beacon Hills.
If their interaction at the Hale House was an indicator then Derek was dealing with his family's death better than Stiles was. Stiles remembered standing in the woods as the house burned to the ground. He remembered the heat and the screams that were far too loud. He remembered watching smoke rise from the flame that had nothing to do with fire. He watched it rise into the sky and race away. He knew that black smoke, Stiles could smell who it was, but then the fire trucks appeared. He watched them battle to put the fire out and screaming about how they could get in there to see if anyone was trapped. There are people in there!, Stiles wanted to yell. They're right there, right there, can't you hear them? They're burning! But it was far too late. No one could save the Hale's and he left before they brought Laura and Derek home from school.
Stiles hated everything about that night. What he hated more was how less than twelve hours later he got called to a crossroads and there stood sixteen year old Derek Hale. Stiles didn't deal with children, he had rules for that, but that wasn't the only reason he turned down the deal that day. Derek felt responsible for his family dying somehow yet Stiles knew he was the one to blame. Despite everything he had done over the centuries, the gallons of blood he'd spilled and countless souls he'd taken without a second thought, this was one deal he just couldn't make. He was the one that was in area, he was the one that Saul was trying to draw out, and it worked. It always worked.
Derek stirred the moment the sun peeked over the horizon line. He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom grumbling something about sleep being for the weak minded and how much he resented Stiles for not needing to sleep. I wish I could sleep, Stiles wanted to tell him. I wish I could sleep because then I wouldn't have to think so much.
"So let's look around town and see if anyone can tell us anything about these animal attacks," Derek said. Stiles looked up and absolutely did not get momentarily distracted by that towel hanging far too low on Derek's hips not at all.
"It shouldn't raise any red flags," Stiles said before Derek noticed him staring. "Laura was attacked so it would make sense that you would want to know more. It's just a matter of how long we can dig into this thing before someone notices that we're not looking to purchase a mountain lion hunting license."
That was how Stiles spent the entire day talking to the locals of Beacon Hills without a hint of irony. He never thought he'd have to sit through these types conversations again yet here he was listening to some old lady gossip. He wasn't entirely sure they were going to ever find anything. Whatever was out there was supernatural in some way so the little old lady on the corner wasn't going to know much. Maybe that's why Stiles was more or less tuning her out until he felt something come off of Derek.
"It was amazing," the old lady said. "One moment they said the tumor was terminal and the next day they're calling my husband and telling him that the tests were a false positive and it was benign. They were very apologetic about it; they said that all of the previous tests were positive but this most recent one was negative."
"That's really nice to hear," Derek said though he didn't exactly sound sincere. The old lady just smiled like Derek meant every word.
"I'm sure your sister will be just fine," she said and went back to watering her flowers. Stiles narrowed his eyes but she was just a human, nothing out of the ordinary, but the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.
"Something isn't right," Derek said as they walked further down the street. "We know of at least five animal attacks that have killed three people. Laura was the fifth and the second is also still in a coma so neither of them are telling us anything. That lady's story though; that's the third time I've heard something along those lines."
"False positive tests?" Stiles asked. He checked the shadows of the town, looking for something, anything, that he could talk to and see if they were willing to tell him anything. There was nothing though, still nothing, it was like everything was too afraid to lurk in the shadows in Beacon Hills. "Maybe the hospital labs need some work."
"Or we're not just dealing with animal attacks," Derek said. They sat down on a bench in the shade of a nearby tree as Derek checked his phone. No one seemed to pay them any mind but Stiles kept his senses on high alert anyway. "Not only are people dying but people are also living when they shouldn't be."
"So, we're looking for something that can heal people along with attacking them," Stiles said. "Whatever this thing is it's going to be a pain in the ass. I hate things that can heal other people. It just means they have power to spare and that's never good." Derek pulled the journal his Dad and Uncle Peter put together that he kept in his jacket pocket out. Stiles leaned in so he could read over Derek's shoulder as they began to look through the long list of various creatures that this could be. Derek seemed to be getting more and more frustrating that nothing seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
"Maybe this isn't an occam's razor situation," Stiles said.
"'The simplest answer is usually the right one,'" Derek said and Stiles wanted to give him a gold star. "With hunting the simplest answer is that there is usually only one thing running around causing trouble since two different creatures causing trouble at the same time in the same place isn't as likely."
"So maybe there's more than one thing running around out there," Stiles said glad that Derek was able to catch on so quickly. "And I don't know about you but I find the idea of something ripping someone apart a lot more worrisome than something that goes around making cancer tumors benign. We should focus on the attacks and come back to the healing afterwards."
"What are the odds though?" Derek asked. He closed the journal and tucked it back into his jacket.
"Statistically anything can happen. Did you know that once you're strike by lightning once you're actually more likely to get struck by it again? Someone with your luck should probably take some notes on that," Stiles said. Derek knocked their shoulders together hard enough that it threw Stiles a little off balance but Derek was smiling so it worked out. He smiled anyway until he checked his phone for the third time that hour. "Most of the attacks take place in the late evening and after dark so how about we go back to the hospital so you can stop checking your phone every five minutes and we'll go poking around in the woods at night again." Derek almost looked surprised that Stiles would suggest they go to the hospital again but he also looked very grateful.
"Sounds like a plan," Derek said. They got off the bench and began to walk toward the hospital. Stiles neglected to point out that they didn't have any sort of plan. In the back of his mind Stiles began to work on one while keeping an eye on the all too empty shadows.
+++
Derek knew that going out looking for trouble at night probably wasn't one of his brighter ideas but if they were going to find out anything about these attacks they had to find out what was attacking. If that meant walking around what used to be his family's land then that's what he had to do. Derek didn't really like being back on the preserve. If he tried he could smell the burned out remains of his family home. The area didn't even belong to his family anymore. They didn't pay their property taxes so it was county land now. That set a few of his instincts on edge but they were easy enough to ignore. He wasn't the type of wolf that had a territory so this wasn't any different from any other hunt. That was what Derek kept telling himself anyway and he wondered if he repeated it enough times he would believe it.
"I know the answer to this question before I even ask it," Stiles said. "But I'm going to ask it anyway; any chance you're willing to pack up and leave this one behind? Transfer Laura to a different hospital?" Derek frowned and turned around to look at Stiles. Something was bothering Stiles and he was refusing to say what it was. This wasn't the first time he hinted that they just pack up and leave.
"Something attacked Laura. It tried to kill her," Derek said.
"Like I said; I already knew the answer," Stiles replied. Derek was about to ask why Stiles was so keen to leave but Stiles just brushed by him and kept walking. They were making their way toward the house without trying. Derek wasn't really paying attention where they were going but it was like the world wanted them to see the house at night. The corpse of the house appeared through the trees and Derek breathed through his mouth so he couldn't smell the ash. Stiles wandered ahead absentmindedly looking around. His demure was casual but Derek could see the tension in his shoulders. Everything in the forest around the house was too still and too quiet.
They were outside of the house when Stiles froze.
"Derek," Stiles said.
"What is it?" Derek asked. He didn't hear or see anything.
"You need to leave right now." Stiles was using that tone of voice he used when things were about to go sideways.
"Why?" Derek asked as he took a few steps toward Stiles.
"Because I can't move." Stiles said and if Derek narrowed his eyes he could see someone had drawn a devil's trap in the ground with ash. Derek wasn't about to leave Stiles vulnerable though; something knew a demon was around and it knew how to trap it. There was movement behind Derek's back and suddenly he felt trapped. He knew there was a ring of mountain ash around him now. "It got you too."
"Yeah," Derek replied. He walked as far as he could see the line in the dirt now. It flared to life when he tried to cross it. He was still far enough away from Stiles that neither of them could affect the others circle. "What do you think did this?"
"Or who?" a voice said from the other side of the house. Derek turned and stared in the direction that voice came from because he knew who that was. The voice chuckled and moved in the shadows.
"Who are you?" Stiles called out.
"Derek knows," the voice said. A figure emerged from the darkness and Derek had to swallow the lump in his throat; it was Peter. There weren't any burns on his face or hands from the fire. He looked like he hadn't aged a day in six years. He was supposed to be dead and the mere presence of him made Derek want to bolt.
"Derek, who is that?" Stiles asked.
"That's my Uncle Peter," Derek whispered. "I helped bury your body after you died from your injuries. I was there only minutes after they called time of death. How are you here?"
"It's a very interesting story, nephew, but I'm afraid I don't have the time to tell it now," Peter said. He pulled out a small knife and cut deeply into his hand. The blood fell to the ground and something in the air changed. "Instead, I have to take care of you two before you cause anymore trouble for me."
Derek was about to ask what Peter was talking about when he felt something painful tug in his gut. Peter was mumbling under his breath as he looked at a small book. It felt like someone was trying to tear him in half. It knocked the wind from his lungs and Derek collapsed to his knees. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Stiles fall as well. Stiles was saying something and his hands were pressed against his ears but Derek couldn't hear what it was over the pain. His circle began to glow brighter and brighter until he was almost blinding. He was being torn in half and when Derek looked up he could see Peter's glowing blue eyes just beyond the light. The world began to grow dark around the edges and the last thing he remembered was the distinct feeling of separation.
+++
Derek was barely awake and he already knew that something was wrong. His eyes wouldn't open and his entire body ached but he was alive. After all of the pain Derek thought for sure that this was the end. For some reason Peter was not only alive but had attacked him as well. None of it made sense. Derek opened his eyes and looked at the night sky through the trees. He couldn't smell or hear anything and he thought that was an effect of being unconscious but it was something else. This wasn't because his senses were overwhelmed; his senses were gone. Derek sat up and looked at his hands. He tried to make his claws come out, he tried to shift, and nothing happened. His wolf was gone; Derek was a human.
Peter was nowhere to be seen and Stiles was still on the ground nearby. Derek tried to stand but his knees buckled under the weight. Derek crawled on the ground to get to Stiles and tried to shake him awake. Stiles didn't wake up though and Derek had to press an ear to his chest to know his heart was beating because he couldn't just listen for it. Stiles wasn't breathing though and Derek had no idea what to do. No one ever bothered to teach his rescue breathing or CPR because he never needed to know them. Derek was just starting to panic when Stiles gasped and coughed violently. Derek rolled Stiles on his side so it was a little easier for him to breath.
"I can't do this, not again, I can't do this again," Stiles mumbled as he tried to suck more air into his lungs.
"Stiles, something's really wrong," Derek said. He helped Stiles sit up and looked into his eyes to try and get Stiles to focus. "Stiles, he took it. He took my wolf. I'm a human." Stiles blinked once, slowly, like he was trying to process what Derek had just said.
"This is bad," Stiles said. "This is impossible. No one should know that kind of spell. That's old magic, way older than me let alone someone that you've known. This isn't possible, this can't be happening, I can't do this." Stiles tangled his fingers in his hair and pulled. Derek had never seen him so unhinged before. Their bond was still there, Derek could feel the pull between them, but it was different.
"What are you talking about?" Derek asked. "Does it really matter how old the magic is? Stiles, I'm human, that seems like a more important issue."
"That spell is more important because it didn't just affect you," Stiles snapped. It took Derek a moment to understand what Stiles was saying but when it dawned on him it stole the breath from his lungs.
"You're human too," he whispered. They were vulnerable out here in the woods and they had to get to safety. Stiles didn't seem to be paying attention though; his eyes were darting around the forest and Derek could feel him trembling. He was shaking too but Stiles was much worse. Derek wrapped an arm around Stiles' waist and struggled to help them both stand. Stiles seemed to catch on that they were moving and supported Derek as well. They stumbled through the darkness leaning their weight on each other. Derek felt like he was missing a limb and every time he reached for his senses it was like running into a brick wall. There was just nothing there.
They were both sweating by the time they made their way back to the car. They were lucky that this happened near his house and the trail was nearby. Derek was sure they would have gotten lost if this had happened in the middle of the woods. Derek's hands shook as he put the keys in the ignition and if he swerved a few times while driving them back to the motel then Stiles didn't comment on it.
The sun was coming up by the time Derek pulled into the motel. He was exhausted in a way that he had never experienced. It felt like his eyes could slide shut and he could sleep right where he was sitting. The nagging sense of danger wouldn't leave him and Derek managed to drag himself to the motel room where he at least had some weapons.
"We need to protect ourselves," Stiles said as if he understood how weak Derek felt right now.
"I'll salt the doors and windows," Derek said. He dug through his bag and pulled out a large bag of salt. It would at least keep out any demon and maybe a few other things that were poking around Beacon Hills. The salt, however, wouldn't keep out Peter. Derek glanced over his shoulder and watched Stiles struggle to move their bed for only a moment before he gave up. Stiles tore off all of the bedding and made a pile on the floor that looked comfortable enough. Derek was about to ask why they were sleeping on the floor when Stiles took out some mountain ash. He tossed it into the air and it formed a perfect ring around their bedding.
"This should keep some of the baddies out," Stiles joked but he was so pale and scared looking that it fell flat. Derek stepped over the mountain ash line and sat down in the pile of blankets and sheets. "What are we going to do? I've only heard about suppression enchantments in passing. This is stuff before my time."
"There has to be a cure or something that can reverse the spell. I want to know how my uncle is alive and why he attacked us," Derek said. A long silence passed between the two of them as Stiles nervously picked at a loose thread on his pants. "What's it like?"
"What is what like?" Stiles replied.
"What's it like being human again?" Derek asked and Stiles tensed up considerably. "I've never been human but you have. What's it like?" Stiles didn't reply for a long time and when Derek finally looked up at him he saw that Stiles was considerably paler. His eyes were darting back and forth like he was seeing something that Derek couldn't. He was shaking and practically hyperventilating. Derek put his hands on Stiles shoulders and forced him to make eye contact. "What's happening to you?"
"Panic attack. I used to get them when I was alive," Stiles said. Derek didn't know much about panic attacks but he could see the way that Stiles couldn't get a breath. Derek turned Stiles around so they were back to front and held onto him tightly.
"Can you feel my chest?" Derek asked and Stiles nodded. "Okay, good, now match my breathing with yours." Derek began to take slow and deep breaths. He could feel Stiles shaking as he tried to breath in and out. It felt like ages for Stiles rigid muscles to finally loosen and his breathing to return to normal. Derek only vaguely remember lying down on the pillows and blankets but he kept his arms wrapped around Stiles. Despite how unsafe he felt Derek fell asleep with a trembling Stiles in his arms.
+++
Stiles woke up slowly and the first thing he became aware of was that someone was wrapped around him like a octopus. He shifted and realized that he was on a pile of blankets and pillows with Derek wrapped around him hidden behind a circle of mountain ash and protected by salt. Stiles swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to calm himself down. It was bad enough that he had already had one panic attack in front of Derek he didn't need to have another. He thought that he would never have to experience a panic attack again yet here he was. It felt strange to be human again. Everything felt different in a way that Stiles couldn't quite put into words. It had been so long since he was alive that his beating heart and the actual need to breath threw him off.
"Stiles?" Derek said sleepily. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Stiles replied and he mentally gave himself a pat on the back with how steady his voice sounded. "Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize," Derek said as he sat up. Stiles wasn't sure if he was seeing things but all of Derek's edges were less sharp now that he was a human. Perhaps it was because he was used to seeing a wolf that anything else was odd. He and Derek never hid their true natures from each other and while logically Stiles knew this was the same Derek it was still like looking at a stranger. "I should have known this would be really weird for you."
"Weird is kind of an understatement," Stiles sadly. He picked at a loose thread on the blanket and tried to ignore the way Derek was staring at him. "We can't just hide in here. We have to find out what kind of magic could make us human."
"I'm more interested in finding out how the Uncle that I know for a fact was dead is alive again," Derek replied. "Either way you're right. We can't hide behind ash and salt because it won't fix anything. I just don't feel--" Derek cut himself off but Stiles knew exactly what he meant. He didn't feel safe. Stiles knew he could tangle with a werewolf and come out on top in the end but now he was just a human. A werewolf could kill him without breaking a sweat. He could trip and break his own neck. Everything about him was fragile and could be broken so easily. "He could have killed us but he didn't."
"That means that the attack wasn't just to incapacitate us so he could make a killing blow. There's a reason he changed us," Stiles said. "That doesn't mean he can't do some serious damage though. We should stick to main street and crowded areas. If we stay in crowds he can't attack us out right. It won't be safe but it'll be safer." Stiles looked up at Derek who was staring at him with an odd look on his face. Stiles was about to ask what was wrong when Derek pulled him into a light kiss. It felt like someone hit him with lightning. Kissing Derek the werewolf as Stiles the demon was very different from Stiles and Derek the humans kissing. For the first time in centuries Stiles felt like the air was being stolen from his lungs and when they pulled away from each other he was panting a little. Derek looked just as surprised as he did. "Wow."
"Yeah, wow is one of putting it. That was different," Derek replied. Stiles had to force himself to stand because he knew if they started touching each other they wouldn't be able to stop. He also damn near had another panic when he had to step out from the mountain ash circle. Stiles held his breath but nothing happened. He and Derek took turns showering and both got dressed. Now that they were out of the relative safety of the mountain ash circle Stiles wanted to get into town where there were people. He was also starving.
It was mid morning by the time they pulled into the same diner that had eaten in a few days prior. The second they walked in Erica waved them over to a table with a bright smile.
"Hello boys," she said but her smile faded when she looked at Derek. "I heard about your sister, Mr. Hale, I'm really sorry."
"Thank you," Derek said. Erica nodded and walked off to get them some coffee. Stiles was still trying to get his breathing under control. He didn't remember feeling this anxious and tense when he was still alive. Then again, he reminded himself, when he was alive he wasn't suffering from PTSD from two stints in the Pit. Derek pressed their legs together and it was enough to calm Stiles down a little. He felt like a wreck. He let Derek order for both of them and they decided it was time to get to work. "So, Peter is alive and he knows some seriously strong magic."
"Seriously strong might be an understatement," Stiles replied though he kept his eyes peeled for anyone that could be listening in on their conversation. Erica had placed them in a booth in a far corner and no one was nearby but that didn't mean anything. "That spell is older than me and older than most things that I know. We're talking ancient here. Whatever taught him that is damn near immortal to know that kind of magic."
"Not to mention it needs to be something that can raise the dead as well," Derek said. Derek pulled out the journal and Stiles sat next to him in the booth. They looked over the book together and Stiles chose to ignore the smirk from Erica when she arrived with their food. Food that turned out to be extremely distracting but that didn't stop them from going through almost the entire journal. Stiles asked Erica for a pen and piece of paper from the pad she took orders on. She looked at him strangely but handed them over. "We need to figure out what we're dealing with here." Derek frowned and watched Stiles draw a line down the middle of the piece of paper. On one side he wrote PETER and on the other he wrote OTHER.
"Figure out what events go with what," Derek said. "Well the attacks are obviously Peter." Stiles wrote that down. "The healing could be from the thing that raised him along with the magic." Stiles wrote the rest of it down. It took some time but they managed to separate every odd thing that was happening in Beacon Hills into two categories. It was just unfortunate that the OTHER category was much larger than the PETER category. Derek paid for their food and they walked down main street. Stiles kept his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary but he couldn't see anything. No wonder humans are always so surprised by the supernatural, Stiles thought. They can't see anything.
Derek apparently couldn't see anything either. They turned a corner and someone yanked Derek into an alley and pinned him to a wall before either of them could react. Stiles felt his stomach drop when their attacker pressed a knife to Derek's throat. She was a young woman, late teens, with long dark hair and even darker eyes.
"This is laced with wolfsbane so you'd be wise not move," she said.
"Whoa, hold on, we need to have a talk about this," Stiles said. Derek wasn't a wolf; that knife could kill him.
"I'm not sure who you think I am," Derek said slowly but the young woman glared at him.
"Your name is Derek Hale and you're a werewolf. I'm a hunter and I'm here to hunt the wolf that's attacking people," she said.
"Can we please talk about this?" Stiles said slowly. "Why don't we put away any sharp weapons and talk about this like adults?" She glared at Stiles for a moment but eventually she took a step away from Derek though she didn't release her knife. "Okay, good, this is better. You obviously know Derek and I'm Stiles, who are you?"
"Names have power," she snapped.
"You're an Argent," Derek whispered. His eyes were wide with something that might have been fear. "You look like her."
"You mean Kate? The woman that you killed?" she snapped.
"There's been a misunderstanding here," Stiles said loudly. "This isn't the place to talk about it. Miss. Argent, will you accompany us to our car? You can keep the weapon if you want but I promise you the last thing we are right now is a threat to you." She narrowed her eyes as she looked between the two of them. For a moment Stiles thought she was going to slit both of their throat and call it a day.
"Allison. My name is Allison," she said.
"Allison. We have a lot to talk about," Stiles replied.
+++
It took nearly three hours of sitting in the Camaro with Allison Argent to explain everything. When they got to the part about Saul Stiles thought she was going to tear a hole into hell herself and go looking for him. She didn't accuse either of them of lying which was surprising but worked in their favor. Stiles had a silent conversation with Derek about how much they wanted to tell this girl about their current situation but the Argent family was an old family of hunters. There was a chance they could know something that they didn't. So they both had to prove to Allison that they were human and tell her why they were in town.
"The attacks are why we're here too," Allison explained. "We had a few hunters stationed here to watch over the town because my dad and I don't want anything to do with this place after Kate. They stopped checking in and we came down here to see what was going on. One of them is missing and the other is in the morgue."
"That was probably Peter's handy work," Derek said bitterly.
"An out of control werewolf is dangerous," Stiles said. "But an out of control werewolf with the knowledge to turn other supernatural creatures is much worse." Stiles turned in the seat so he could look Allison in the eye. He really didn't want to do this but he and Derek were in so far over their heads right now they might as well be on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. "Neither of us can do this alone."
"Are you suggesting we work together?" Allison asked. She didn't sound completely repulsed by the idea which worked in their favor. "I'll have to discuss this with my family. I'll be in touch." Derek and Allison exchanged numbers and she left the car without a word. Stiles watched her go and hoped that he didn't make a huge mistake.
"The Argent family doesn't like werewolves," Derek said.
"So I gathered but they're also much better at hunting supernaturals as humans than we are. Something besides your Uncle is out there, Derek, and it's something very powerful. We can't handle this on our own and I don't have any contacts I want to call on while I'm this vulnerable," Stiles explained. The thought of even Lydia seeing him like this made Stiles shiver. Everything was too easily broken right now and he knew for a fact that it wasn't just his body that was fragile.
"I just hope they don't throw us under a bus when they get a chance," Derek said as he started the car.
"We'll cross that road if it happens," Stiles replied. Derek nodded and started down the street toward the hospital.
+++
It was dark by the time they got back to the hotel room and Stiles was exhausted. This was a different type of exhausted than what he was used to. It almost felt like he could sleep for the next three days if he wanted. Derek looked just as tired as they both stumbled around the motel room. Derek salted the doors and windows while Stiles checked the mountain ash line around their bedding on the floor. The 'do not disturb' sign had kept the cleaning ladies out of their room for the time being.
"No one wonder humans are always so grouchy," Stiles said as he collapsed onto the bedding and closed his eyes. He kicked off his shoes and stretched out.
"What do you mean?" Derek asked. Stiles felt Derek join him on their pile of blankets and pillows behind the relative safety of the mountain ash circle. Stiles opened his eyes and grinned at Derek.
"Being human is exhausting," he said. Derek smiled and shook his head. Stiles was very distracted by that smile for a moment and his human body reacted strongly. This was different from when he was a demon in a host body. Everything was bright and sharp in a very strange way. Derek didn't fight him when Stiles pulled them together. They still fit despite the fact that neither of them were their normal selves. Derek interrupted Stiles introspection by proving that some things never changed and began to kiss along Stiles' neck.
"You smell different," Derek whispered into his skin. "You taste different." Stiles was about to ask if that was a good or bad thing when Derek captured his lips into a mind numbing kiss. Derek was right, it was different, but it was far from bad either. Stiles thread his fingers from one hand into Derek's hair and wrapped another around his waist to pull them closer together. Derek had the weight and strength advantage as a human so Stiles let Derek push him into the bedding as they kissed. He was sure that his lips were going to go numb and Derek's stubble burned in a very strange and new way that sent all of his blood south in seconds. Derek's hands slipped up Stiles' t-shirt and every touch felt like Derek was imprinting his fingerprints into Stiles' skin. Stiles moaned as Derek sucked on his tongue and arched his body so they were not so much close but trying to break the laws of physics.
Their motel room door being kicked open surprised Stiles enough that he jumped. Derek did too though and they frantically broke apart as they stared at their now broken door. The line of salt was broken and Stiles felt like his heart was going to beat straight out of his chest.
"My dear nephew," Peter cooed as he walked into their motel room like he belonged there. Stiles looked at the mountain ash line; it was unbroken. "I always knew you had questionable taste but this is so much worse than that hunter bitch." Stiles felt Derek tense up and he put a hand on his arm to keep Derek from lashing out.
"I saw you die," Derek said. "How are you alive again?"
"That's hardly important," Peter said. "You should be more interested in getting your wolf back. Isn't that what you want?"
"I want to know how you took it in the first place," Stiles said. Peter shifted his gaze to Stiles and flashed his eyes that bright blue. Stiles knew his heartbeat was probably off the charts but he refused to look away from that gaze.
"This is a family matter so keep your mouth shut before I rip your tongue hell spawn," Peter snapped and he turned his attention back to Derek. "All you need to do is pledge allegiance to me and you can have your wolf back."
"You're blackmailing me?" Derek snapped.
"That's such a dirty word," Peter dismissed. "It's more like I'm offering you a pack again. We'll be family again."
"You killed all of those innocent people, you nearly killed Laura, and now you're blackmailing me. I have a pack already and if you remembered what pack was when we were a family then you know this isn't how you do it," Derek spit out. Peter didn't look too broken up by this confession. If anything he looked even more amused.
"You can't hide behind mountain ash forever Derek. You will swear your allegiance to me and we'll send your little mistake there back where he belongs. If you're wise you'll agree to my terms now before I get angry." Peter met Stiles' eyes again and flashed his fangs. Stiles wasn't really paying attention because the words 'back where he belongs' had nearly paralyzed him in fear. Peter strolled out of their room like he didn't have a care in the world.
The motel owner found the two of them them sitting on the floor like that. Derek quickly explained that someone tried to rob them and the motel owner went about finding someone to put a new door up for them. Stiles just sat on the blankets, cross legged, and stared ahead. He didn't really hear any of the conversations around him or anything Derek said. There was something very important he needed to take care of the next day. Stiles closed his eyes and tried not to think about fire or tables or torture. It didn't work.
+++
Derek knew that something was bothering Stiles but he didn't have a chance to ask him what it was. Between the motel manager and trying to keep the local police from paying too much attention to them by the time Derek had a spare second Stiles was curled up on the floor. Derek wanted to wake him up and ask Stiles why he spent the last few hours sitting in complete silence but Derek also knew that Stiles didn't sleep very often. Derek put the lines of salt and mountain ash back up and crawled into their makeshift bed. He tried to sleep and couldn't relax though. He eventually gave into temptation and eased Stiles into his arms. It shouldn't have made him feel better but it did. Derek closed his eyes and hoped he could get some sleep.
The next morning Stiles still wasn't saying much. They ate at a small restaurant on the far side of town that was busy enough that Derek felt relatively safe. He couldn't smell or hear anything and it made him nervous. He hated how weak he felt in this body. The man that kicked down his door the previous night wasn't his Uncle. Peter was a little odd but he would never do something like this. Derek was contemplating hiding out in the city library when Stiles took his arm.
"I have something I need to show you," he said.
"Okay," Derek replied. They climbed into the Camaro and Stiles gave Derek directions to a different entrance to the preserve than Derek was used to. There weren't any cars around and that made him nervous. "I thought we were sticking to crowded areas."
"This is important," Stiles replied. Derek loaded up wolfsbane ammunition but he had a feeling that it wouldn’t be enough to kill Peter. Stiles carried a jar of mountain ash and promised that he could protect them if they needed to. Stiles then turned into the woods and began to walk through the thick trees. Derek followed though he was worried about getting lost. Stiles was walking like he knew exactly where they were going though.
"I don't like being out here like this," Derek said. He had a shotgun in hand but Derek kept his finger off of the trigger. He didn't need to accidently shoot Stiles or himself by being reckless with his weapons.
"This is important," Stiles repeated. Derek wasn't sure how long they walked but the trees parted and revealed a small clearing. There were small pieces of stone sticking out of the ground in rows. Derek knelt down and brushed some of the leaves away from one of the stones. It wasn't just a rock though. There was a name and a date.
"This is a graveyard," Derek said. Stiles was standing in the middle of the graveyard and watching him carefully.
"How many ways are there to get rid of a demon?" Stiles asked.
"Two," Derek replied. "Exorcism doesn't kill them but it does get them out of the host body and our knife kills them."
"Wrong. There are three ways," Stiles replied. He knelt down and moved some leaves aside. When he didn't stand up Derek joined him on the ground. The gravestone was small and the first name was gone but the last remained. STILINSKI. "'Stiles' isn't my real name; it's a nickname."
"This is your grave?" Derek asked and Stiles nodded. "You grew up in this area?"
"Yes, a long time ago. This is where my original human body is buried because there is another way to kill a demon; you burn the bones of the demon's human body," Stiles explained. "If you take these bones and burn them I'll die." Derek felt like his chest was about to cave in. This was extremely important information and Stiles was just giving it to him. Stiles had just gave him a sure fire way to kill him.
"Why are you showing me this? Why are you telling me this?" Derek whispered. Stiles ran his fingers roughly through his hair and stood up.
"I wasn't the same person after I went to the Pit the first time. I didn't like who I was when I emerged from the fire and brimstone. I changed. I'm not the same person I was when I went down a second time. I'm different again. It's getting to the point where I don't even recognized myself anymore." Stiles paused and clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "If something manages to kill me when I'm vulnerable like this I'll get kicked back down to the Pit again and I don't want to know how I'd turn out after a third time. I don't know what kind of person I'd emerge as after a third trip." Derek stood up slowly and took a few steps closer to Stiles.
"I won't let anyone send you down there again. I'll protect you," Derek promised but Stiles laughed bitterly.
"You can't make that promise but I know one promise you can make." Stiles opened his eyes and stared at Derek intently. "If it looks like I'm going to get sent down there again I want you to come here and burn my bones." Derek felt like someone just punched the air out of his lungs. Not only was Stiles trusting him with the key to kill him but now he was making Derek promise to pull the trigger if the worst should happen. "Derek," Stiles said and it was like he could sense that Derek was about to argue. "You won't like the Stiles that crawls out of the Pit for the third time. I won't like that Stiles. I'm trusting you with this."
"You're trusting me to kill you," Derek said.
"Yes," Stiles replied without hesitation. "I'm trusting you to kill me. No one else knows about this place or where I'm buried. You're the only one who could help me if I'm down there again. I can already hardly remember what I was like when I was human. I don't want to forget entirely. Promise me that you'll do it if it comes to that."
"Stiles, I--"
"Promise," Stiles said harder. Derek looked Stiles over; he could see how tense he was. He could see the underlying twitches that were from nerves and how afraid Stiles truly was of going down there again. Derek tried to think of some excuse that could get him out of this kind of promise but he also hated the idea of Stiles suffering. Stiles had suffered enough.
"Only as an absolute last resort," Derek said.
"So you'll do it?" Stiles asked and Derek nodded slowly.
"I promise that if you're heading down to the Pit again I'll come here and burn your bones," Derek said. Stiles visibly relaxed and flashed a bright smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Let's get out of here." Stiles turned and began to walk back toward the car. Derek knelt down and moved a few more leaves aside. There were two more stones near the right of Stiles' grave. One said JOHN and the other said CLAUDIA. Derek stood up and jogged to keep up with Stiles. That didn't stop him from looking over his shoulder at the old graveyard as they left it behind. Derek really and truly hoped that this was a promise he wouldn't have to keep.
+++
Derek wasn't sure what he could possibly say to Stiles right now that could make this situation better. Stiles looked like he just bit into a lemon and was uncharacteristically quiet. Derek parked the Camaro on main street and they both began to walk down the road. He wasn't sure where they were heading but it seemed better than sitting around and doing nothing. That was how they ended up at Beacon Hills Library way in the back hunched over any book that looked remotely useful. Stiles skimmed book after book and muttered 'useless' under his breath.
If Peter was back from the dead and could make them human there was a very good chance that putting a wolfsbane bullet in his heart wouldn't do the trick. That didn't stop Derek from keeping wolfsbane loaded rounds in his gun but he just had a feeling that it wasn't going to be enough. Whatever was helping Peter knew magic older than Stiles so they probably prepared him for the worst. Derek sighed and walked through the stacks to find Stiles. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peter and Derek froze. They were in a public place sure but that didn't mean anything.
Derek ran down the aisle until he found Stiles looking through a book. He didn't waste time to explain, it felt like he could feel Peter breathing down neck. Stiles stuttered in surprise but Derek was physically stronger than him as a human so Stiles didn't really have a choice when Derek pulled him to the back of the library and shoved him in a closet.
"What the fuck Dere--"
"Put the circle up," Derek said. There was just enough room around them for Stiles to make an extremely small circle of mountain ash.
"You saw him," Stiles said and Derek nodded. "We need to find some other way to defend ourselves. We can't risk a wolfsbane bullet not doing the trick or running out of mountain ash. There has to be something else we can do to protect ourselves."
"Agreed," Derek replied. They were nearly chest to chest inside the small circle in the closet and Derek could hardly see anything. He was stressed and Derek was halfway tempted to push Stiles into their motel room, lock it up, and hide in bed for the next day or so. There was no telling how long they were going to be stuck in here and Derek wasn't even sure how he was going to tell if it was safe or not without his hearing. Now seemed like a good time to talk to Stiles about his request and what it meant. Derek wasn't comfortable with the amount of responsibility Stiles was placing in him. Derek had just found the words to talk to Stiles about it all when the door suddenly opened. Derek put a hand on his gun, ready to fire, but it wasn't Peter.
"Aren't you two a little old to be playing seven minutes in Heaven?" Allison asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I wouldn't know anything about Heaven," Stiles replied. They got out of the closet and Allison was eyeing the ring of mountain ash.
"I'm going to guess you saw something," she said.
"Yeah, I think so," Derek replied. "We're not sure a wolfsbane bullet to the head will even kill Peter. We're not 100% sure what he is right now or what raised him from the dead."
"Besides shooting someone in a library seems like bad taste," Stiles said grinning.
"And hiding in a closet is obviously an alternative solution," Allison deadpanned. "Walk with me." Stiles and Derek gathered any information they found that might be useful and left the library with Allison. They walked down the street together like they didn't have a care in the world but Derek kept an eye out for Peter but made sure to watch Allison as well. Just one glance at her and Derek could tell that she was armed. "The Argent family is a matriarchal unit so I have the last say in whether or not we get involved with something. I've discussed it with my Father and we've made a decision."
"You're here talking to us so I'm guessing you're getting involved," Stiles said.
"Yes," Allison said. She turned a corner and knocked on a small door down an alleyway. Derek wanted to make a snarky comment about cliches when a slot opened and closed like this was some sort of mafia movie. The door opened and Allison gestured for them to follow her. The man inside was older with the bluest eyes Derek had ever seen on a human and a dangerous look in his eye. "This is my Father, Chris. Dad, this is Derek and Stiles, the two I told you about."
"Allison told me about the story you told her about my sister, Kate," Chris said. Derek tensed and hoped he wasn't going to get a gun pulled on him. "My sister wasn't herself before she vanished. We didn't think possession at the time but it makes sense." Chris offered a hand and Derek shook it. Chris' gaze lingered on Stiles a little longer but he still offered a hand out to shake.
"Now that the formal introductions are out of the way let's figure out what raised Peter Hale from the dead," Allison said and turned on a light. Derek raised both of his eyebrows in surprise. There were several stacks of old books on a table along with two open laptops.
"Are we going to have a research montage? Can I pick the music?" Stiles asked.
"I regret ever showing you television," Derek said. Allison and Chris looked at each and had a silent conversation that often came with close family units.
"Let's get to work," Chris said. Derek and Allison each took a laptop while Chris and Stiles began to look through the books. Chris and Allison would ask Stiles various questions about the magic and how old he thought it was but they didn't ask him about being a demon or the Pit. Derek was so grateful for that; Stiles was extremely on edge and they didn't need to have a panic attack in front of people they didn't entirely trust yet.
"We've decided that there is more than likely more than one thing running around right now," Stiles explained. "Normally that would be stupid but Peter can’t raise himself from the dead. We broke everything up into two categories. We need to find out what taught him the spell that changed us. If we find out the origin of that magic we find out what raised him from the dead."
"So we're going off the assumption that whatever raised Peter also taught him that spell," Allison said.
"My family knew quite a bit," Derek said. "We go back generations but there's no way Peter knew that spell before the fire. If my parents knew about something that could take our wolves away the first thing they would have done is give us a way to counter it. Something like that is too dangerous to keep from us." A long silence passed as Chris and Stiles looked through various books and Allison and Derek looked through an extremely impressive digital bestiary. Derek was halfway tempted to ask for a copy.
"Stiles," Allison said. "What can you tell us about angels?" Derek was about to open his mouth to tell her that angels aren't real when he noticed the way Stiles had tensed up considerably. Stiles wouldn't have reacted like that unless there was a good reason.
"They don't usually get involved," Stiles said lowly. "If you asked one why they would tell you it's because of free will but the reality is they think they're above the rest of us. They can bring people back from the dead, heal the sick, and if anyone knew magic that old it would be an angel."
"What kind of angel raises someone from the dead and then let's them go around killing people?" Derek asked but Stiles shook his head.
"How do you deal with angels?" Chris asked.
"You mean 'how do you kill them?'" Stiles said. "You don't. The only thing that can kill an angel is another angel. I've been told about banishing wards and an extremely powerful demon might be able to kick them back to Heaven but there's no way for us to kill them." Stiles looked up from his book and Derek had never seen him look so grim. "If Peter has an angel on his side there's nothing we can do to stop it."
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