Innocence In Being Human 1/3
Innocence In Being Human
Part One
“There is some kind of a sweet innocence in being human- in not having to be just happy or just sad- in the nature of being able to be both broken and whole, at the same time.” ― C. JoyBell C.
Contrary to what everyone thought Derek didn't like to make everything in his life difficult. For some reason it all just seemed to turn out that way no matter what he did. Case and point; Derek was standing in the middle of a hotel room glaring at Stiles and they were arguing over where they were going to go for their next case. Stiles looked like he was about to go insane at any moment and his eyes kept flashing to their demon black. If anyone had told Derek a few years ago that the one person in the world he trusted outside of Laura would be a demon he'd have laughed in their face yet here he was. Stiles was the crossroads demon Derek had almost made a deal with the night that the fire happened but Stiles turned him down. Years later they teamed up and took down the demon that had possessed Kate. Stiles got demoted and dragged back to the Pit for breaking their deal a second time. Every now and then Stiles would have what seemed like PTSD like flashbacks to his in the Pit. Derek wasn't sure he was ever going to truly know what happened to Stiles and what Stiles gave up for him.
A few months earlier a trickster got ahold of them. The world that he threw them into had them as sworn enemies and Derek even got his family back but it wasn't real. The only thing that kept Derek grounded in reality was Stiles. During the vision Stiles admitted that they were connected in a much deeper way. Derek was the reason that Stiles had been on the table in the Pit a second time, Derek was the last person Stiles thought about before they tortured him, and the first person that came to mind when he became coherent again. It connected them and Stiles was reluctant to tell Derek about it since he hadn't intended for the bond to happen. After they escaped and caught the trickster the only thing they were able to find out was that someone hired the trickster to put them into that vision to see if they were in love with each other. That someone ended up being Stiles former second in command and current King of the Crossroads Lydia.
Just two weeks prior Lydia had cornered the two of them with her boyfriend Jackson. Jackson was a kanima and his poison made Derek useless. Lydia tried to convince them to stop working together but they had refused. The thought of leaving Stiles made Derek feel nauseated these days and despite what the trickster said about his vision proving they weren't in love with each other Derek wasn't so sure.
He thought, as a young kid, that he was in love with Kate but it was merely infatuation. Besides that Stiles was the only other person he had slept with. The fierce feeling to protect Stiles from anything that wanted to hurt him, the intense need to chase away the nightmares from the Pit, Derek wondered if maybe he needed to reevaluate what he thought about love. Maybe there was something more between the two of them, something that didn't have a name yet, but maybe they were on their way to something like love. That, however, was not what they were arguing about. Now they were arguing about something Lydia had said before she vanished.
"No," Stiles said. He crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Derek.
"She pretty much spelled it out for us," Derek replied. "Something is going on with Beacon Hills and we need to go check it out."
"You want to trust the woman that poisoned and then threatened to kill us?" Stiles asked.
"I'm not saying we should trust her but why would she say something for no reason?" Derek asked.
"Why would she throw us into some fantasy land to prove a point? This is Lydia; I've known her for decades and I couldn't even begin to tell you her motivations for doing anything. She obviously has some sort of thing with watching us suffer so of course she's going to send you back to the place where your family died." Stiles sighed heavily and narrowed his eyes. "We're not going back there."
"She hinted that we had to, that something big was going on, how can you just sit by and let something terrible happen in the town where I was born?" Derek asked.
"That place is a hellmouth. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a literal door to the Pit," Stiles snapped. Stiles looked so tense that if he moved just the right way he was going to snap. After enough time Derek knew the signs of Stiles' flashbacks and when he was worried about going back to the Pit. Lydia had told them, in so many words, that if Stiles got caught again there wouldn't be any chance of escape. If he truly believed Beacon Hills had a door to the Pit it made sense that he wanted to avoid it at all costs. Derek walked forward and tried to ignore the flinch when he touched Stiles' arm.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," Derek whispered.
"You can't make that promise," Stiles scoffed he he didn't pull away from Derek. "And I don't need you to protect me. We need to have that discussion on your hero complex." Stiles fell silent but he leaned into Derek's presence just a little. "Promise me that if nothing is going on we can get the hell out of dodge."
"If nothing is going on we'll leave without stopping," Derek replied. Derek wasn't sure that was going to be enough to make Stiles feel better but Stiles seemed to accept that this wasn't a battle he was going to win. Instead Stiles nodded and captured Derek's lips into a searing kiss. If there was one aspect of their relationship that Derek really liked it was how physical they were. Touch was the thing that helped keep both of them grounded. If Stiles was having a flashback to the Pit Derek would move close enough that their legs were touching, brush his arm, made some sort of contact that would help ground Stiles in reality. If Derek had a nightmare about the fantasy world where the tricker forced him to watch his family get slaughtered he would wake up with Stiles wrapped around him. Despite what Lydia might think Derek knew they were good for each other.
Stiles walked them backwards to the bed and pushed Derek back. Derek didn't let Stiles get far, though, and pulled Stiles on top of him. They were both exhausted after wrapping up the case about the poltergeist that was haunting a young family so Derek was content to kiss Stiles until his lips were numb. The smell of sulfur that seemed to lurk on every inch of Stiles' clothing was almost comforting at this point in their relationship. It was like a constant reminder that Stiles was a demon and Derek didn't need to always protect him. They could protect each other because that was what partners did. Stiles broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to Derek's; this was oddly intimate even for them.
"Promise me again," Stiles whispered. Derek hated seeing Stiles this worried about something, this tense, but he couldn't sit by and let people get hurt if he could stop it. Derek took Stiles' hand and placed it over his heart so Stiles could feel his heartbeat.
"I promise." Derek knew that his heartbeat was steady because he wasn't lying. He had zero desire to hang around the town that made him think of what he had lost. Stiles nodded and sat up though he remained on Derek's hips. Derek could practically see Stiles pull himself together. As all of the layers that hid the scars were put back into place and Stiles grinned.
"You have blood in your hair. Something tells me you should probably take care of that before you go to bed," Stiles said. Derek rolled his eyes as he pushed Stiles off of his hips and onto the bed. Telling him to go shower was Stiles' way of telling Derek to go away so he could patrol the immediate area before they went to bed. If it made Stiles feel better to go and look around then Derek wasn't about to call him on it. Instead he got his things and went into the bathroom. They were in Iowa so they were still several days away from California. Derek had a feeling that Stiles was going to get grumpier the closer they got so it was probably best to just let Stiles indulge in his paranoia. Derek closed his eyes and let the hot water wash away any remnants of the case from his skin.
+++
They left for California the next morning and less than an hour into the trip Derek knew that this was going to be exceptionally uncomfortable. Instead of taking his normal place in the passenger seat Stiles stretched out along the back seat of the car with a book. There were only a few times during their entire partnership that Derek could think of Stiles sitting away from him. It was pretty clear that, for whatever reason, Stiles was not happy they were going back to Beacon Hills. There was more to this than what he was saying too. Something about Beacon Hills made Stiles want to run the other direction and Derek was curious as to what it was. Stiles, however, didn't seem so keen on sharing with Derek about whatever made him so apprehensive.
Stiles hardly said three words as they made their way into the first town and waved Derek off when Derek asked if he wanted anything to eat. Stiles didn't normally eat but he would get up and sit with Derek in random cafes and diners to keep him company. Derek ate by himself and wondered if there was anything in Beacon Hills that was worth this degree of fighting. The waitress smiled when she brought him more coffee and batted her fake eyelashes. Now he wished Stiles was here more than anything because she was flirting with him. If Stiles was here he'd find some way of getting her to go away without being too mean about it.
"What brings you to town?" she asked. She was wearing so much makeup that Derek could almost taste it.
"Just passing through," he replied. The waitress actually pouted at that and walked away to go get his food presumably. The door to the diner opened and Stiles walked in. Derek was about to wave him over when Stiles made a beeline for the restroom without a second glance at Derek. The waitress saw Stiles passing through and noticed the way Derek was staring. She made a little 'oh I see' noise and gave Derek his food without another attempt at flirting. Stiles left the diner after a moment in the restroom and out the window Derek saw him climb into the backseat again. The food was terrible and everything smelled burnt; Derek just wanted to get out of there.
He was only about halfway through his meal when his phone pinged with a text message. Derek opened it up and saw that it was from Laura.
Just wanted to let you know I've settled into the new place, it said while leaving out where that place was exactly.
And where would that be? Derek typed back. Laura was usually quick to respond but this time it was a long time before she responded to him. Long enough that Derek was almost back in the car by the time she said anything.
I'll call you later, was the message and Derek frowned deeply.
"What's with the face?" Stiles asked from the back of the car. Derek looked in the rear view mirror and could see Stiles looking back at him.
"Laura," Derek replied. "She texted and said that she was settled into her new place but then wouldn't tell me where that was exactly." Stiles stopped twitching in a way that made Derek extremely nervous. "Stiles, what do you know that I don't?"
"Nothing," Stiles said quickly.
"Are you lying to me?" Derek asked.
"I'm insulted that you would even suggest such a thing, hurt even," Stiles said.
"Which wasn't an answer at all." Derek sighed and turned on the Camaro. "Stiles, she's my sister, if she's walking into some shit show that you know about but aren't telling me I'll be really hurt." It was a low blow since Stiles knew how close Derek and Laura were and Stiles knew the lengths that Derek was willing to go when it came to Laura. They were on the highway by the time Stiles said anything at all.
"I'll make a few phone calls." That was the end of the conversation apparently. Derek clenched the steering wheel hard enough that the leather creaked. First Laura wouldn't tell him where she was and now Stiles wasn't being totally honest. If Derek didn't already know that he was paranoid that would have done it. Now he was glad that Stiles stayed in the backseat of the car playing with the disposable cell phone they had picked up for him a few weeks prior. They didn't say another word to each other for nearly five hours. This was going to be a very long trip.
+++
Derek was in the middle of putting chains on the Camaro so they could pass through the Rocky Mountains when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end. The feeling that settled into his gut was enough to nearly take Derek off of his feet and he had to put a hand out to steady himself. Despite the fact that they had hardly spoken in the last day and a half this was the thing that made Stiles jump out of the back of the car and help Derek to his feet. The local police, who were the ones insisting that Derek put chains on the car, stared at them.
“He slipped on some ice, no big deal,” Stiles said. He flashed a warm smile and nearly shoved Derek into the driver’s seat. “Don’t move; I’ll take care of this.” Stiles slammed the door shut before Derek could even open his mouth. It was probably a good thing because he was about two minutes away from having a full blown nervous breakdown right there in the car. He needed to get himself together; Stiles didn’t know how to drive and the motel they had passed earlier didn’t have any vacancies. Derek really wasn’t in any condition to drive because the last time he felt this he kicked down Laura’s door to see a hunter threatening to blow her head off.
“Are you going to drive us into a mountain?” Stiles asked and Derek hadn’t even noticed him getting into the car.
“Maybe,” Derek replied. “Stiles, something’s wrong with Laura and I don’t have any cell phone coverage until we’re out of the pass.” A beat of silence passed until one of the police officers waved them down. If they didn't get moving they were going to get a ticket and the last thing Derek needed was some sort of paper trail. The roads were terrible so it made sense that he had to drive slow and that was Derek's excuse. Not that he felt like he was going to crash into the mountain if he thought about this too much. Something was wrong with Laura and they had no idea where she was. Stiles couldn't move them somewhere if he didn't know where to go. Derek's hands trembled as he drove through the pass and he jumped when Stiles put a hand on his knee. Derek glanced at the hand and then at Stiles who was staring out the window like they could ignore what was going on. It just made Derek feel a little grounded in a way that Stiles' presence often did. That didn't mean they were going to acknowledge it though because that was something that they never did. Instead Derek let it smooth his frayed nerves enough that they made it through the pass.
Once they crossed into Colorado Derek pulled over at the first motel he could find and got a room for the night. He probably could have driven for a few more hours but Derek was so exhausted from the tense drive that it didn't look like an option. He tried to call Laura right away but it went straight to voicemail which did not make him feel any better. He sent her a text and fell back on the cheap motel bed and closed his eyes.
"We're a few days from California," Stiles said.
"Why would I go to Beacon Hills if Laura needs my help?" Derek asked.
"Just in case nothing's wrong," Stiles replied shrugging.
"You're probably happy," Derek said without thinking. Stiles raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue. "If something's going on with Laura then we won't go to Beacon Hills just like you wanted." Stiles' expression shut completely down and it was like looking into a blank slate. It was a look that Derek didn't like seeing on Stiles because it made how broken he was more obvious. The implications about what he had just said sunk in and Derek scrubbed his hands over his face. "I didn't mean it like that."
"No, you did," Stiles said flatly. "Maybe I should go somewhere else for the night." Derek sat up and looked at Stiles. Stiles was ready to get up and leave without another word and for some reason that made Derek feel even worse. "You're upset otherwise you'd know for a fact that I'd never relish in Laura getting hurt." It was true. If anything Stiles and Laura seemed to like each other to a certain degree now. Derek knew that if he was thinking clearly he would have known that but the knowledge that something could be wrong with his Alpha was overriding all of his other instincts. That wasn't really any excuse for accusing Stiles of being excited that Laura might be hurt.
"No, you're right," Derek said. He wasn't in any condition to spend the night alone until he heard back from Laura. "I know that and I'm just being stupid. You should stay." The phone dinged with a text message just as Derek finished talking. It was from Laura.
Sorry, I was in the car and couldn't answer, but I'm fine. I'm worried I was followed though so I'll send you my location in a few days, it said. Stiles walked over and looked over Derek's shoulder.
"So she's okay then," Stiles said.
"Yeah, I guess she is, maybe I'm just feeling some of her paranoia about being followed," Derek wondered as he plugged his phone in for the night. Somewhere in the back of his mind Derek knew that some paranoia shouldn't have caused that sort of reaction. However, he also knew that Laura was no doubt a little worried about being followed by hunters after the Walter incident. Derek didn't really feel any better but he didn't have any excuse for being an asshole either. Stiles fell back against the bed and began to read some more of what looked like The Divine Comedy which was hilarious on several different levels. Stiles didn't sleep but he would often stay in the same room while Derek slept to more or less keep watch. Derek hadn't really apologized for accusing Stiles of being glad that Laura was potentially hurt but the words got stuck in his throat.
"Get some sleep," Stiles said without looking up from his book. "I'll keep reading inaccurate depictions of hell from an author self insert that manages to rhyme and you get some shut eye."
"I'm not sure if you really understand the humor in you, of all people, reading The Inferno," Derek said. The atmosphere in the room felt a little better and Derek was glad when Stiles smiled to himself.
"Being hilarious is what I do best. Go to sleep," Stiles said. Derek climbed into bed but sleep would not find him. He kept thinking about the various times the world has conspired to make him watch his family die. The fire, finding Laura's body the first time and making his deal with Stiles to bring her back, and the slaughter of his entire family in the trickster's vision. Stiles wordlessly settled down into the bed and let Derek hold onto him. If Derek dug his nails into Stiles' skin as he forced himself to remember that Laura wasn't dead neither of them mentioned it.
+++
The feeling that something was wrong never really left Derek. It set every single one of his nerves on edge and made him snap at anyone that crossed him. He had the worst case of road rage by the time they pass through Utah and their terrible drivers. He cursed the very existence of the Nevada desert and how there is nothing out there. He almost got out of the car and walked through Donner's Pass when it was closed for a terrible blizzard. Stiles was a constant presence at his side but there is only so much help he could bring. Laura still wouldn't pick up her phone when he called but she would respond to texts. Derek just wanted to hear her voice, that didn't seem like it was asking a lot, and he was aching to have a conversation with his sister and his Alpha. They were in a motel waiting for the Pass to open so they could get into California and Derek was pacing back and forth in the room unable to sit still. Stiles sat on the bed, crossed legged, watching him with curious eyes.
"You're a wreck," Stiles said.
"Thanks," Derek snapped but Stiles didn't looked offended. If anything he looked a little amused and Derek wanted to punch that expression off of his face.
"Are you going to roll into Beacon Hills like a fuzzy thunder storm and scare everyone into giving you information with the power of your glare?" Stiles asked raising an eyebrow. Derek was a little surprised by the comment but Stiles held a hand up. "Somehow, I don't think small town folk are going to be okay with something like that. So how about we cut a deal? You get your shit together and we go into Beacon Hills like two relatively sane people. Once we either find out what's going on and stop it or we find out that nothing is going on we go sniff out Laura. This deal requires us to act like we're human."
"I've never been human," Derek replied reflectively. Stiles rolled his eyes and crossed his arms because he knew that Derek was going to agree with him one way or another. "Fine."
"You can admit I'm a genius; I promise I won't tell anyone," Stiles said grinning. "Now, you have to drive tomorrow so get some sleep. We'll be in Beacon Hills in the mid morning, we'll figure out nothing is wrong by lunch, and the hell out of dodge by dinner." Derek didn't comment that Stiles seemed far too confident that nothing was wrong in Beacon Hills. He knew better than to push for questions; if Stiles wanted to tell him something he would tell him in his own time and no sooner. Derek wanted to know why but he wasn't willing to risk Stiles closing up on him now. Not when he had worked so hard for whatever they had now.
+++
Stiles watched the scenery roll by as they drove through the mountains. Derek wanted to leave as soon as the sun was up so Stiles spent the night watching the horizon line outside. He could practically feel Beacon Hills from here and it made his skin itch. Stiles hated that place and he could not for the life of him figure out why Derek was so keen to go back. It was that hero complex that they really needed to have a talk about. If someone was in trouble Derek would run toward the trouble at full speed without any regard for his own safety. It stressed Stiles out because there were times when they should have turned tail and run the hell away. There were hunts that they came out of relatively intact that Stiles was sure was going to kill them. They were lucky, so far, and going to Beacon Hills just seemed like pushing that luck.
There was also the chance that Derek would want to go to his old house. Stiles wasn't sure how he was going to handle that. Derek still felt like 'Kate as possessed by Saul the demon' was still his fault in some way. That guilt would come back full force if they went and looked at the Hale's ruined house. In a way Stiles hoped that the county had the thing demolished while Laura and Derek were away but he had a feeling that was something their luck wasn't going to cover. With the way the universe seemed to love piling on more terrible things into Derek's life there would be blood soaked into the dirt still.
Stiles had leaned back against the motel, just outside their door, and listened while he waited for the sun to rise the previous night. The roof kept the snow from falling on him and Stiles couldn't feel the cold. If anything he liked the cold because it helped him forget burning. He could feel the various different creatures of the night moving throughout the mountains. Nothing had recognized their presence yet but the area was prime hunting grounds for lots of things that weren't too keen with a werewolf and demon in their territory. They were walking a fine line and one day someone was going to take notice of them. Whether it was some other set of hunters or something much worse someone or something was going to notice them.
He thought about what Lydia said; how they shouldn't work together. How they should 'break up' complete with air quotes because Lydia had to be Lydia even when she was Queen of the Crossroads. Stiles touched his arm where her nails had broken his skin and put that asshole Jackson's poison into his system. It was too potent, even for him, to fight off, and he was helpless. Stiles clenched his fists; he hated feeling helpless.
His helplessness was what the main cause for pretty much everything terrible in their lives. He was helpless to keep villagers from killing Scott all those centuries ago when Scott wasn't a threat to anyone. He was helpless to keep his Dad from getting sick. He was helpless to stop Saul from manipulating him into selling his soul to save his Dad only to turn around kill them both. He was helpless in the Pit as Saul broke his soul and his body. He was helpless to protect Derek and his family from Saul years later. Stiles scoffed to himself; he was even helpless when he was King of the Crossroads. He was helpless to stop Saul from killing Laura years later. He let himself make a deal with Derek to bring her back when he knew it was a terrible idea because he was helpless against someone else losing everyone in their family. He was helpless against his own weakness when his broke his deal with Derek when he knew the consequences. He was helpless in the Pit the second time as they broke him even further and he made it worse for himself by protecting Derek yet again.
Lydia knew how much Stiles hated that feeling which was exactly why she did it. Lydia was smart, far too smart for her own good, and she knew every single one of his weaknesses. If she truly decided to turn against him Stiles had no doubt he would be back in the Pit within a day. Lydia knew exactly what word to say, what to do, that would make him reckless enough to get caught and thrown back down there. Everything from the second round in the Pit was still too fresh in his mind, like gaping wound he couldn't close, and Lydia knew exactly where that wound was.
"She's probably right," Stiles whispered to himself because he was sure Derek was asleep. "Maybe it would be better if we weren't together." Stiles had already painted a giant target on Derek's back. If something happened because he wasn't there to help Stiles would never forgive himself. Somehow, Derek had wormed his way into what remained of Stiles' soul. They were connected, which was a part of that, but there was more to it than that. Derek was something different.
Stiles hit his head against the wall; his feelings were something else he was always helpless against.
Stiles rested his head against the cool glass of the car hours later and tried not to think about it too much. They were almost out of the mountains and they would be in Beacon Hills in a few short hours. He kept denying it to Derek but Stiles knew something was wrong. Whatever it was Lydia was basically baiting both of them when she told them that. She knew they would go and for all Stiles knew they were walking into a trap. Whether that was true or not something was going on there. Stiles knew he was going to be once again helpless to stop Derek from throwing himself into whatever trouble was happening.
They didn't talk much as they drove the last few hours. Stiles put his feet on Derek's dashboard because he knew Derek hated it. Derek moved his legs away and glared at Stiles like he was the worst travel companion ever. Stiles just grinned and tried to ignore the terrible feeling his gut as they got closer to Beacon Hills.
Apparently, not much had changed since he stopped teenage Derek from making a deal at his crossroads all those years ago. As they drove along Main Street several people turned and watched the flashy car go by. Stiles wondered if he could convince Derek to get a more subtle car but there was something about the Camaro that Derek seemed to like despite all of the attention it drew.
"This place hasn't changed a bit," Derek said. He pulled into a small diner off of Main Street and they both got out. Stiles kept his eye out for anything lurking in the shadows that Derek couldn't see but there wasn't anything. That made Stiles even more uneasy; there was always something lurking in the shadows just out of reach.
"Small towns tend to do that. Take that from someone who's been around a lot longer than you," Stiles replied. They walked into the diner and took their seats. A supremely bored looking blonde waitress with bright red lipstick and name tag that read 'Erica' walked up to them.
"Good morning, can I get you some coffee?" Erica asked clearly disinterested in anything they had to say. Stiles wasn't even sure she made eye contact with either one of them. She made Stiles smile to himself.
"Two, thanks," Derek said. Erica nodded and walked back to the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder at them once, then again, and Stiles wanted to groan. Stiles knew how to read people and he knew Erica had just recognized Derek. Instead of bringing them their coffee she ducked into the kitchen no doubt to gossip.
"What's she saying?" Stiles asked unwilling to do it himself. Derek tilted his way that was so incredibly dog like that Stiles had to bite his tongue from making about fifty different jokes.
"She's asking the cook if I'm who she thinks I am," Derek said and he raised an eyebrow. "Apparently, Laura and I are local legends. The boy and girl who lived."
"Didn't they write a book about that?" Derek glared at him and didn't dignify that comment with response. Instead, Erica came back out with their coffee and poured it.
"You're Derek Hale, aren't you?" Erica asked and Stiles gave her bonus points for not beating around the bush.
"Yeah, I am, why?" Derek asked even though he clearly already knew why she wanted to know.
"It's just surprising. The lost kids of Beacon Hills coming home or whatever," Erica replied. Derek's back straightened in a way that never meant good things and Stiles felt his blood run a little cold.
"What do you mean?" Stiles asked because Derek was clearly in no state to hold a conversation. Erica shrugged and poured the second cup of coffee.
"First Laura gets here two days ago and now Derek's here too. You guys must have something to sort out if you came back after all of these years," Erica said. "Now, are you ready to order?"
"Just coffee today, thanks," Stiles said quickly smiling. Erica frowned and walked away. Stiles waited until she was out of earshot before he turned to Derek. "We'll go look for her right now." Stiles knew Derek's priorities and Laura was right at the top of the list. There were a couple reasons Stiles could think of why Laura would keep her location a secret from them but they all tasted like lies. Derek drank his coffee in complete silence and they left without another word to Erica. Derek at least remembered to tip.
For the rest of the day Stiles wandered, drove, and ran around Beacon Hills with Derek as they searched for Laura. Derek said he couldn't smell or feel her which was strange if she was in town. Stiles was going to point out that she could have moved on until they found her car in a nearby motel parking lot. Laura was still checked in and would be for the rest of the week. Derek was getting more and more worried by the second. It was dark now and they were walking through the preserve. Derek was partially shifted and would dart ahead on all fours and circle back to Stiles.
"I can't find her, Stiles," Derek said breathlessly after nearly twelve hours of searching. "Stiles, I can't even find a trace of her." Derek was getting really worked up and Stiles wasn't entirely sure what to do. He wasn't very good with providing comfort but he knew that Derek found his presence grounding. Stiles put a hand on Derek's arm to stop him from pacing. Derek stilled and stared at him. Stiles didn't say anything; he just put both of Derek's clawed hands on his waist and stepped into Derek's personal space. He ignored the claws that were biting into his skin already and pulled Derek's head down so their foreheads were pressed together. Derek closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Stiles just let Derek get himself together but remained entirely aware of everything that was in the forest around them. So far there weren't any threats but they couldn't stay out here vulnerable like this.
"We're going to find her," Stiles said once Derek relaxed a little. Stiles put confidence into his words that he really didn't feel. Derek nodded and closed the distance between them. It was a little strange, the way Derek kissed him, because Stiles could tell that Derek was trying to say 'thank you' without having to actually voice the words. Stiles knew though and he didn't need words. Instead they broke apart and started toward the car. They would look again in the morning and Stiles just hoped that they found Laura quickly and alive.
+++
Derek wasn't entirely sure he remembered getting back to the motel but Stiles must have made sure he didn't kill them as he drove them home. Stiles would normally leave the room and sit outside, Derek wasn't supposed to know about that and he wasn't about to tell Stiles that he knew about it, but this time he stayed in the room. Derek focused on Stiles' steady heartbeat and the sound the pages in Stiles' book made when he turned them. Derek didn't sleep much but the little sleep he did get were plagued by nightmares. He remembered the feeling of Laura dying, he remembered how it was like someone tore a piece of his soul out, and his dreams were that feeling over and over again. The third time he woke up from the nightmare Stiles had wordlessly threaded his fingers through Derek's hair. Stiles was petting him and Derek felt like he should object to that but there was no denying it that it relaxed him a little. Or at least enough that he dozed off again.
The sun was up the next time he woke up to the motel room phone ringing. Stiles cursed and picked up the phone before Derek could move.
"Hello?" Stiles greeted though Derek could hear how angry he was. Derek wasn't nearly awake enough to eavesdrop on the conversation and didn't really care to though he could hear a female voice over the line. It wasn't until he felt Stiles tense up next to him that he realized he should pay attention. "He's right here." Stiles took the phone away from his ear and handed it to Derek. "It's for you." Derek took from Stiles and looked at him but couldn't get any impression about what he was about to hear.
"This is Derek," he said.
"Mr. Hale, my name is Doctor Hiyard at Beacon Hill Medical Center. Are you the brother of Laura Hale?" Doctor Hiyard.
"Yes, Laura's my sister, what happened?" Derek asked quickly.
"We should speak in person," Doctor Hiyard said.
"I'll be right there." Derek hung up the phone and nearly ripped the covers as he climbed off of the bed. Stiles must have been listening to the conversation because he was getting dressed just as fast. They were out the door and on their way to the hospital in mere minutes. Derek tried to reach out to Laura, to feel her, but he couldn't. It wasn't like when she died though; this was a different sort of emptiness.
Derek nearly crashed the Camaro in the parking lot and narrowly missed running into someone as he raced into the hospital. The nurse called Doctor Hiyard to the front desk and Derek felt like he was going to crawl out of his skin waiting. She joined them not long after and she didn't look happy.
"Come with me Mr. Hale," she said though she glanced over her shoulder at Stiles. "I'm sorry but I can only have family members come with me at this time." Stiles blinked, he was surprised that he was being denied something, and looked like he wanted to argue.
"We're together," Derek said. Doctor Hiyard looked a little surprised though not as surprised as Stiles did. "Please, him and Laura are all I have left, and I want him here. I need him here." Stiles' eyes got a little wider no doubt because he heard that Derek wasn't lying. Doctor Hiyard looked a little conflicted but she sighed.
"Very well. Come with me," she said. Stiles joined Derek as they walked through the hospital hallway. They were close enough that their shoulders were touching but Derek didn't want to give Doctor Hiyard an excuse to throw Stiles out. That was his reasoning anyway when he took Stiles' hand and threaded their fingers together. Derek held on a little too tight and it must have been hurting Stiles' hand but he didn't say a word. They stopped in front of a room with a window. Inside was Laura.
She looked horrible. Her skin was ashen pale and there was a breathing tube down her throat. There were various bandages all over her body and she wasn't stirring. Derek stared because this didn't make sense; Laura was an Alpha and she should be healing. No matter what happened there shouldn't be a need for those machines to keep her breathing.
"What happened?" Stiles asked as if he knew that Derek couldn't form proper words yet.
"We're not entirely sure Mister," she trailed off.
"Just Stiles is fine."
"Stiles, then. Some hikers found her last night out on the preserve. We think she's been out there for at least a day, maybe two, and judging from her wounds it's a miracle she's alive at all." Doctor Hiyard explained.
"What sort of wounds?" Derek asked and if his voice cracked no one acknowledged it. He was a little thankful for that.
"It looks like some sort of animal attack," Doctor Hiyard said sadly. "There is some sort of rabid mountain lion out there on the preserve. Your sister isn't the first person that's been attacked recently." Derek filed that away for later but right now Laura was the important thing. "We got her stabilized and an old attending recognized her from when your family still lived here. We were surprised to find you in town too though. She's in a coma and, I have to be honest with you Mr. Hale, I'm not entirely sure she's going to come out of it." Derek swallowed the lump in his throat and watched as a machine let his sister breath. At some point he released Stiles' hand because he saw Stiles digging around for a pen and paper.
"Here's Derek's cell phone number," Stiles said as he scribbled on a piece of paper. "Add that to her file. When do we need to get billing sorted out?" Derek kind of loved Stiles a lot for taking charge of this situation. Derek wasn't even thinking about billing or how the doctors could keep on contact with him.
"Can I go see her?" Derek asked.
"Yes," Doctor Hiyard replied. Derek tuned out the rest of the conversation that Stiles and Doctor Hiyard were having when he walked into the room. The hospital smelled overwhelmingly like blood, death, and antiseptic. It reminded him of when he and Laura went to visit Uncle Peter a few times before he sercomed to his injuries from the fire. There was a hint of Laura there though and when Derek touched her hand it was like their connection flared back to life. She was still there, they were still pack, and she was still his Alpha. Derek pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down.The door closed and Derek looked up to see Stiles leaning against the door.
"The Doctor says all we can do it wait for now. If Laura's going to wake up she'll wake in her own time," Stiles said. "She said she'll be in contact with one of us as soon as something changes."
"She's not healing Stiles," Derek whispered. "No mountain lion could do this to Laura."
"I know. There is something out in that preserve that's attacking people." Stiles dragged another chair and sat down next to Derek. Derek began to feel a little awkward about telling that Doctor that he and Stiles were in a relationship and how he made it sound serious. That wasn't his place.
"I'm sorry about--"
"Don't be," Stiles interrupted. "Do you hear anything?" Derek was confused for only a moment when realized that Stiles was asking if there was anyone nearby that was listening to their conversation. He stretched his senses as far as they would go and no one was close enough that they could hear anything they were saying. Derek shook his head and Stiles sat up a little more. "What injuries are extremely hard for Alpha werewolves to heal?"
"Attacks from creatures more powerful than them," Derek replied instantly. It almost felt like Stiles was testing his knowledge or something. "Demons, some form of magic users, some forms of the Pagan gods, and other Alphas. One of those things is out there and it's killing people and it tried to kill Laura." Derek turned to Stiles who was glaring at the hospital wall like it personally offended him. "Stiles, if there is something that powerful out there we can't just walk away." Stiles closed his eyes and clenched his fists; for half a moment Derek thought they were going to argue over this. When Stiles opened his eyes again they were black though it faded almost instantly.
"Of course we'll find out what did this," Stiles said though he didn't sound entirely thrilled by the idea. Normally, Stiles was more than happy to go on hunts and the more dangerous they were the more excited he got. He loved to say that he wanted to 'go poke the bad thing with a stick' like they were something that was fun to taunt. This time Derek couldn't get a read on him. This time Stiles looked angry and apprehensive. Derek wanted to ask why but Stiles wouldn't tell him. He guessed he should be thankful that Stiles was agreeing to this hunt at all.
Derek took Laura's hand in his and drained some of her pain. When it got to be too much Stiles moved so they were touching. It helped and they didn't leave Laura's side for several hours.
+++
It was not so much that the hospital staff kicked them out as they politely pushed him out the door. They reminded Derek that they had his number and the second something changed they would call him. They reminded him that he was a human being that needed to get sleep which made Stiles smirk. They left the hospital and got some food in a grill that served late. Everything smelled like yeast and beer but it was the only place they could really go to get some food nearby. Derek didn't really consider himself in any condition to do any driving. This was becoming a running theme that Derek wasn't okay with.
"I did some snooping," Stiles said. "I managed to find out where in the preserve they found Laura." Derek's fork hovered in mid air and he stared at Stiles.
"How long have you known?" Derek asked.
"A couple hours but before you yell at me saying I should have told you earlier I'd like to remind you that in that hospital room was where you wanted to be," Stiles said heeding Derek off at the pass. It annoyed and frightened Derek how well Stiles could read him at this point. Derek knew he wasn't an open book yet Stiles never seemed surprised by anything he did. "So you finish eating because I can't have my guard dog getting grumpy from hunger and we'll go take a look."
"I'm not your guard dog," Derek replied despite the fact that he knew Stiles was baiting him and he should keep his mouth shut. Stiles grinned, folded his arms on the table, and leaned forward.
"No, the guard dogs I used to have were much different from you," he said. Derek absolutely did not let Stiles see him shiver a little at the mention of Stiles' old guard dogs. He already knew all about hell hounds and what they did. Oh a whim he once asked Stiles what they looked like to which Stiles instantly with 'you don't want to know.' Sometimes, between the touches and the sex, Derek would forget that Stiles used to be King of the Crossroads. He took human souls and sent his hounds on them years later to drag the unfortunate person to hell for all eternity. The ten years number wasn't completely arbitrary, Stiles told him one night, apparently ten years was just long enough for someone to forget the price they had paid. It made Derek feel a little sick, if he thought about it too much, that he was partners with Stiles at all. Stiles was a demon and Derek should have driven the demon killing blade into his heart over a year ago. Yet here they were sitting in a grill as Stiles watched Derek eat a burger.
"You're the worst," Derek said and Stiles' grin widened. "The absolute worst."
Derek finished his food and followed Stiles' directions out to the preserve. Once they had locked the car Derek followed the fresh footprints into the woods. It didn't take long for him to smell Laura's blood soaked into the dirt and it made him angry. Something attacked his sister, his Alpha, and that was not something Derek could forgive. Derek forged ahead and Stiles kept up easily behind him. There was an upside to Stiles being a demon; Derek never had to worry about protecting him too much. Stiles could more than handle his own in a fight.
The yellow crime scene tape blocked off the area where the hikers found Laura. The smell of her blood was overwhelming but there was something else underneath it. Derek couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly and he let Stiles wander around the area as he tried to process it.
"I don't see anything of note," Stiles said as he looked around. "Too many footprints to see if there were any tracks. I don't think this is where she was attacked though."
"Neither do I," Derek said. He looked around; they were on Hale land now and if there was one place Laura would go it was the house. There was a faint blood trail that Derek followed through the woods until the blackened skeleton of his family's house came into view. Stiles touched the small of Derek's back in that way that helped keep him grounded. This was the first time he had seen the house since he and Laura packed up and never looked back. Stiles eased past Derek and began to poke around the outside of the house.
"I think these are Laura's footprints," Stiles said. He pointed to a section of dirt on the ground and Derek was inclined to agree; they did look like Laura's boots. There was something in the air, though, that made him feel strangely safe. Over the smell of rotting wood and ash there was something here besides Laura that he hadn't felt in a long time. It must have shown on his face because Stiles frowned. "What is it?"
"It smells like pack here," Derek said.
"Laura was here and this was your house; I'd assume it still smells a little like home," Stiles replied but Derek shook his head.
"No, it smells like there's someone from my pack, my family, here." Derek said and began to look around for some sort of evidence of another werewolf. If this was where Laura was attacked the attacker did an excellent job of covering any evidence of the fight. Derek wanted to go through the house but it was getting exceptionally late. The dust on the floorboards revealed no footprints going in or out of the house. Laura was here but she could just been paying her respects and was attacked nearby. It set his teeth on edge, this feeling of pack that wasn't from Laura, and he wanted to find it. Stiles, however, had his arms folded tightly across his chest and he was staring at the dead leaves on the ground like they could reveal the secrets of the universe. "Stiles."
"Maybe things will look better in the morning," Stiles said. "You've had a long day so I think it's sleep time." Derek wanted to argue but he did feel exhausted down to his bones.
"We're looking into those other animal attacks tomorrow," Derek said and Stiles nodded. "Sleep sounds good then." Out of the corner of his eye Derek thought Stiles look very relieved that they were leaving but he couldn't figure out why. It was his house, his family that died there, so he was the one that should have been affected by it. Yet the further they got away from the property the more relaxed Stiles got. He didn't offer up why and Derek didn't ask.
<-- masterpost | forward -->
Part One
“There is some kind of a sweet innocence in being human- in not having to be just happy or just sad- in the nature of being able to be both broken and whole, at the same time.” ― C. JoyBell C.
Contrary to what everyone thought Derek didn't like to make everything in his life difficult. For some reason it all just seemed to turn out that way no matter what he did. Case and point; Derek was standing in the middle of a hotel room glaring at Stiles and they were arguing over where they were going to go for their next case. Stiles looked like he was about to go insane at any moment and his eyes kept flashing to their demon black. If anyone had told Derek a few years ago that the one person in the world he trusted outside of Laura would be a demon he'd have laughed in their face yet here he was. Stiles was the crossroads demon Derek had almost made a deal with the night that the fire happened but Stiles turned him down. Years later they teamed up and took down the demon that had possessed Kate. Stiles got demoted and dragged back to the Pit for breaking their deal a second time. Every now and then Stiles would have what seemed like PTSD like flashbacks to his in the Pit. Derek wasn't sure he was ever going to truly know what happened to Stiles and what Stiles gave up for him.
A few months earlier a trickster got ahold of them. The world that he threw them into had them as sworn enemies and Derek even got his family back but it wasn't real. The only thing that kept Derek grounded in reality was Stiles. During the vision Stiles admitted that they were connected in a much deeper way. Derek was the reason that Stiles had been on the table in the Pit a second time, Derek was the last person Stiles thought about before they tortured him, and the first person that came to mind when he became coherent again. It connected them and Stiles was reluctant to tell Derek about it since he hadn't intended for the bond to happen. After they escaped and caught the trickster the only thing they were able to find out was that someone hired the trickster to put them into that vision to see if they were in love with each other. That someone ended up being Stiles former second in command and current King of the Crossroads Lydia.
Just two weeks prior Lydia had cornered the two of them with her boyfriend Jackson. Jackson was a kanima and his poison made Derek useless. Lydia tried to convince them to stop working together but they had refused. The thought of leaving Stiles made Derek feel nauseated these days and despite what the trickster said about his vision proving they weren't in love with each other Derek wasn't so sure.
He thought, as a young kid, that he was in love with Kate but it was merely infatuation. Besides that Stiles was the only other person he had slept with. The fierce feeling to protect Stiles from anything that wanted to hurt him, the intense need to chase away the nightmares from the Pit, Derek wondered if maybe he needed to reevaluate what he thought about love. Maybe there was something more between the two of them, something that didn't have a name yet, but maybe they were on their way to something like love. That, however, was not what they were arguing about. Now they were arguing about something Lydia had said before she vanished.
"No," Stiles said. He crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Derek.
"She pretty much spelled it out for us," Derek replied. "Something is going on with Beacon Hills and we need to go check it out."
"You want to trust the woman that poisoned and then threatened to kill us?" Stiles asked.
"I'm not saying we should trust her but why would she say something for no reason?" Derek asked.
"Why would she throw us into some fantasy land to prove a point? This is Lydia; I've known her for decades and I couldn't even begin to tell you her motivations for doing anything. She obviously has some sort of thing with watching us suffer so of course she's going to send you back to the place where your family died." Stiles sighed heavily and narrowed his eyes. "We're not going back there."
"She hinted that we had to, that something big was going on, how can you just sit by and let something terrible happen in the town where I was born?" Derek asked.
"That place is a hellmouth. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a literal door to the Pit," Stiles snapped. Stiles looked so tense that if he moved just the right way he was going to snap. After enough time Derek knew the signs of Stiles' flashbacks and when he was worried about going back to the Pit. Lydia had told them, in so many words, that if Stiles got caught again there wouldn't be any chance of escape. If he truly believed Beacon Hills had a door to the Pit it made sense that he wanted to avoid it at all costs. Derek walked forward and tried to ignore the flinch when he touched Stiles' arm.
"I won't let anyone hurt you," Derek whispered.
"You can't make that promise," Stiles scoffed he he didn't pull away from Derek. "And I don't need you to protect me. We need to have that discussion on your hero complex." Stiles fell silent but he leaned into Derek's presence just a little. "Promise me that if nothing is going on we can get the hell out of dodge."
"If nothing is going on we'll leave without stopping," Derek replied. Derek wasn't sure that was going to be enough to make Stiles feel better but Stiles seemed to accept that this wasn't a battle he was going to win. Instead Stiles nodded and captured Derek's lips into a searing kiss. If there was one aspect of their relationship that Derek really liked it was how physical they were. Touch was the thing that helped keep both of them grounded. If Stiles was having a flashback to the Pit Derek would move close enough that their legs were touching, brush his arm, made some sort of contact that would help ground Stiles in reality. If Derek had a nightmare about the fantasy world where the tricker forced him to watch his family get slaughtered he would wake up with Stiles wrapped around him. Despite what Lydia might think Derek knew they were good for each other.
Stiles walked them backwards to the bed and pushed Derek back. Derek didn't let Stiles get far, though, and pulled Stiles on top of him. They were both exhausted after wrapping up the case about the poltergeist that was haunting a young family so Derek was content to kiss Stiles until his lips were numb. The smell of sulfur that seemed to lurk on every inch of Stiles' clothing was almost comforting at this point in their relationship. It was like a constant reminder that Stiles was a demon and Derek didn't need to always protect him. They could protect each other because that was what partners did. Stiles broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to Derek's; this was oddly intimate even for them.
"Promise me again," Stiles whispered. Derek hated seeing Stiles this worried about something, this tense, but he couldn't sit by and let people get hurt if he could stop it. Derek took Stiles' hand and placed it over his heart so Stiles could feel his heartbeat.
"I promise." Derek knew that his heartbeat was steady because he wasn't lying. He had zero desire to hang around the town that made him think of what he had lost. Stiles nodded and sat up though he remained on Derek's hips. Derek could practically see Stiles pull himself together. As all of the layers that hid the scars were put back into place and Stiles grinned.
"You have blood in your hair. Something tells me you should probably take care of that before you go to bed," Stiles said. Derek rolled his eyes as he pushed Stiles off of his hips and onto the bed. Telling him to go shower was Stiles' way of telling Derek to go away so he could patrol the immediate area before they went to bed. If it made Stiles feel better to go and look around then Derek wasn't about to call him on it. Instead he got his things and went into the bathroom. They were in Iowa so they were still several days away from California. Derek had a feeling that Stiles was going to get grumpier the closer they got so it was probably best to just let Stiles indulge in his paranoia. Derek closed his eyes and let the hot water wash away any remnants of the case from his skin.
+++
They left for California the next morning and less than an hour into the trip Derek knew that this was going to be exceptionally uncomfortable. Instead of taking his normal place in the passenger seat Stiles stretched out along the back seat of the car with a book. There were only a few times during their entire partnership that Derek could think of Stiles sitting away from him. It was pretty clear that, for whatever reason, Stiles was not happy they were going back to Beacon Hills. There was more to this than what he was saying too. Something about Beacon Hills made Stiles want to run the other direction and Derek was curious as to what it was. Stiles, however, didn't seem so keen on sharing with Derek about whatever made him so apprehensive.
Stiles hardly said three words as they made their way into the first town and waved Derek off when Derek asked if he wanted anything to eat. Stiles didn't normally eat but he would get up and sit with Derek in random cafes and diners to keep him company. Derek ate by himself and wondered if there was anything in Beacon Hills that was worth this degree of fighting. The waitress smiled when she brought him more coffee and batted her fake eyelashes. Now he wished Stiles was here more than anything because she was flirting with him. If Stiles was here he'd find some way of getting her to go away without being too mean about it.
"What brings you to town?" she asked. She was wearing so much makeup that Derek could almost taste it.
"Just passing through," he replied. The waitress actually pouted at that and walked away to go get his food presumably. The door to the diner opened and Stiles walked in. Derek was about to wave him over when Stiles made a beeline for the restroom without a second glance at Derek. The waitress saw Stiles passing through and noticed the way Derek was staring. She made a little 'oh I see' noise and gave Derek his food without another attempt at flirting. Stiles left the diner after a moment in the restroom and out the window Derek saw him climb into the backseat again. The food was terrible and everything smelled burnt; Derek just wanted to get out of there.
He was only about halfway through his meal when his phone pinged with a text message. Derek opened it up and saw that it was from Laura.
Just wanted to let you know I've settled into the new place, it said while leaving out where that place was exactly.
And where would that be? Derek typed back. Laura was usually quick to respond but this time it was a long time before she responded to him. Long enough that Derek was almost back in the car by the time she said anything.
I'll call you later, was the message and Derek frowned deeply.
"What's with the face?" Stiles asked from the back of the car. Derek looked in the rear view mirror and could see Stiles looking back at him.
"Laura," Derek replied. "She texted and said that she was settled into her new place but then wouldn't tell me where that was exactly." Stiles stopped twitching in a way that made Derek extremely nervous. "Stiles, what do you know that I don't?"
"Nothing," Stiles said quickly.
"Are you lying to me?" Derek asked.
"I'm insulted that you would even suggest such a thing, hurt even," Stiles said.
"Which wasn't an answer at all." Derek sighed and turned on the Camaro. "Stiles, she's my sister, if she's walking into some shit show that you know about but aren't telling me I'll be really hurt." It was a low blow since Stiles knew how close Derek and Laura were and Stiles knew the lengths that Derek was willing to go when it came to Laura. They were on the highway by the time Stiles said anything at all.
"I'll make a few phone calls." That was the end of the conversation apparently. Derek clenched the steering wheel hard enough that the leather creaked. First Laura wouldn't tell him where she was and now Stiles wasn't being totally honest. If Derek didn't already know that he was paranoid that would have done it. Now he was glad that Stiles stayed in the backseat of the car playing with the disposable cell phone they had picked up for him a few weeks prior. They didn't say another word to each other for nearly five hours. This was going to be a very long trip.
+++
Derek was in the middle of putting chains on the Camaro so they could pass through the Rocky Mountains when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end. The feeling that settled into his gut was enough to nearly take Derek off of his feet and he had to put a hand out to steady himself. Despite the fact that they had hardly spoken in the last day and a half this was the thing that made Stiles jump out of the back of the car and help Derek to his feet. The local police, who were the ones insisting that Derek put chains on the car, stared at them.
“He slipped on some ice, no big deal,” Stiles said. He flashed a warm smile and nearly shoved Derek into the driver’s seat. “Don’t move; I’ll take care of this.” Stiles slammed the door shut before Derek could even open his mouth. It was probably a good thing because he was about two minutes away from having a full blown nervous breakdown right there in the car. He needed to get himself together; Stiles didn’t know how to drive and the motel they had passed earlier didn’t have any vacancies. Derek really wasn’t in any condition to drive because the last time he felt this he kicked down Laura’s door to see a hunter threatening to blow her head off.
“Are you going to drive us into a mountain?” Stiles asked and Derek hadn’t even noticed him getting into the car.
“Maybe,” Derek replied. “Stiles, something’s wrong with Laura and I don’t have any cell phone coverage until we’re out of the pass.” A beat of silence passed until one of the police officers waved them down. If they didn't get moving they were going to get a ticket and the last thing Derek needed was some sort of paper trail. The roads were terrible so it made sense that he had to drive slow and that was Derek's excuse. Not that he felt like he was going to crash into the mountain if he thought about this too much. Something was wrong with Laura and they had no idea where she was. Stiles couldn't move them somewhere if he didn't know where to go. Derek's hands trembled as he drove through the pass and he jumped when Stiles put a hand on his knee. Derek glanced at the hand and then at Stiles who was staring out the window like they could ignore what was going on. It just made Derek feel a little grounded in a way that Stiles' presence often did. That didn't mean they were going to acknowledge it though because that was something that they never did. Instead Derek let it smooth his frayed nerves enough that they made it through the pass.
Once they crossed into Colorado Derek pulled over at the first motel he could find and got a room for the night. He probably could have driven for a few more hours but Derek was so exhausted from the tense drive that it didn't look like an option. He tried to call Laura right away but it went straight to voicemail which did not make him feel any better. He sent her a text and fell back on the cheap motel bed and closed his eyes.
"We're a few days from California," Stiles said.
"Why would I go to Beacon Hills if Laura needs my help?" Derek asked.
"Just in case nothing's wrong," Stiles replied shrugging.
"You're probably happy," Derek said without thinking. Stiles raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue. "If something's going on with Laura then we won't go to Beacon Hills just like you wanted." Stiles' expression shut completely down and it was like looking into a blank slate. It was a look that Derek didn't like seeing on Stiles because it made how broken he was more obvious. The implications about what he had just said sunk in and Derek scrubbed his hands over his face. "I didn't mean it like that."
"No, you did," Stiles said flatly. "Maybe I should go somewhere else for the night." Derek sat up and looked at Stiles. Stiles was ready to get up and leave without another word and for some reason that made Derek feel even worse. "You're upset otherwise you'd know for a fact that I'd never relish in Laura getting hurt." It was true. If anything Stiles and Laura seemed to like each other to a certain degree now. Derek knew that if he was thinking clearly he would have known that but the knowledge that something could be wrong with his Alpha was overriding all of his other instincts. That wasn't really any excuse for accusing Stiles of being excited that Laura might be hurt.
"No, you're right," Derek said. He wasn't in any condition to spend the night alone until he heard back from Laura. "I know that and I'm just being stupid. You should stay." The phone dinged with a text message just as Derek finished talking. It was from Laura.
Sorry, I was in the car and couldn't answer, but I'm fine. I'm worried I was followed though so I'll send you my location in a few days, it said. Stiles walked over and looked over Derek's shoulder.
"So she's okay then," Stiles said.
"Yeah, I guess she is, maybe I'm just feeling some of her paranoia about being followed," Derek wondered as he plugged his phone in for the night. Somewhere in the back of his mind Derek knew that some paranoia shouldn't have caused that sort of reaction. However, he also knew that Laura was no doubt a little worried about being followed by hunters after the Walter incident. Derek didn't really feel any better but he didn't have any excuse for being an asshole either. Stiles fell back against the bed and began to read some more of what looked like The Divine Comedy which was hilarious on several different levels. Stiles didn't sleep but he would often stay in the same room while Derek slept to more or less keep watch. Derek hadn't really apologized for accusing Stiles of being glad that Laura was potentially hurt but the words got stuck in his throat.
"Get some sleep," Stiles said without looking up from his book. "I'll keep reading inaccurate depictions of hell from an author self insert that manages to rhyme and you get some shut eye."
"I'm not sure if you really understand the humor in you, of all people, reading The Inferno," Derek said. The atmosphere in the room felt a little better and Derek was glad when Stiles smiled to himself.
"Being hilarious is what I do best. Go to sleep," Stiles said. Derek climbed into bed but sleep would not find him. He kept thinking about the various times the world has conspired to make him watch his family die. The fire, finding Laura's body the first time and making his deal with Stiles to bring her back, and the slaughter of his entire family in the trickster's vision. Stiles wordlessly settled down into the bed and let Derek hold onto him. If Derek dug his nails into Stiles' skin as he forced himself to remember that Laura wasn't dead neither of them mentioned it.
+++
The feeling that something was wrong never really left Derek. It set every single one of his nerves on edge and made him snap at anyone that crossed him. He had the worst case of road rage by the time they pass through Utah and their terrible drivers. He cursed the very existence of the Nevada desert and how there is nothing out there. He almost got out of the car and walked through Donner's Pass when it was closed for a terrible blizzard. Stiles was a constant presence at his side but there is only so much help he could bring. Laura still wouldn't pick up her phone when he called but she would respond to texts. Derek just wanted to hear her voice, that didn't seem like it was asking a lot, and he was aching to have a conversation with his sister and his Alpha. They were in a motel waiting for the Pass to open so they could get into California and Derek was pacing back and forth in the room unable to sit still. Stiles sat on the bed, crossed legged, watching him with curious eyes.
"You're a wreck," Stiles said.
"Thanks," Derek snapped but Stiles didn't looked offended. If anything he looked a little amused and Derek wanted to punch that expression off of his face.
"Are you going to roll into Beacon Hills like a fuzzy thunder storm and scare everyone into giving you information with the power of your glare?" Stiles asked raising an eyebrow. Derek was a little surprised by the comment but Stiles held a hand up. "Somehow, I don't think small town folk are going to be okay with something like that. So how about we cut a deal? You get your shit together and we go into Beacon Hills like two relatively sane people. Once we either find out what's going on and stop it or we find out that nothing is going on we go sniff out Laura. This deal requires us to act like we're human."
"I've never been human," Derek replied reflectively. Stiles rolled his eyes and crossed his arms because he knew that Derek was going to agree with him one way or another. "Fine."
"You can admit I'm a genius; I promise I won't tell anyone," Stiles said grinning. "Now, you have to drive tomorrow so get some sleep. We'll be in Beacon Hills in the mid morning, we'll figure out nothing is wrong by lunch, and the hell out of dodge by dinner." Derek didn't comment that Stiles seemed far too confident that nothing was wrong in Beacon Hills. He knew better than to push for questions; if Stiles wanted to tell him something he would tell him in his own time and no sooner. Derek wanted to know why but he wasn't willing to risk Stiles closing up on him now. Not when he had worked so hard for whatever they had now.
+++
Stiles watched the scenery roll by as they drove through the mountains. Derek wanted to leave as soon as the sun was up so Stiles spent the night watching the horizon line outside. He could practically feel Beacon Hills from here and it made his skin itch. Stiles hated that place and he could not for the life of him figure out why Derek was so keen to go back. It was that hero complex that they really needed to have a talk about. If someone was in trouble Derek would run toward the trouble at full speed without any regard for his own safety. It stressed Stiles out because there were times when they should have turned tail and run the hell away. There were hunts that they came out of relatively intact that Stiles was sure was going to kill them. They were lucky, so far, and going to Beacon Hills just seemed like pushing that luck.
There was also the chance that Derek would want to go to his old house. Stiles wasn't sure how he was going to handle that. Derek still felt like 'Kate as possessed by Saul the demon' was still his fault in some way. That guilt would come back full force if they went and looked at the Hale's ruined house. In a way Stiles hoped that the county had the thing demolished while Laura and Derek were away but he had a feeling that was something their luck wasn't going to cover. With the way the universe seemed to love piling on more terrible things into Derek's life there would be blood soaked into the dirt still.
Stiles had leaned back against the motel, just outside their door, and listened while he waited for the sun to rise the previous night. The roof kept the snow from falling on him and Stiles couldn't feel the cold. If anything he liked the cold because it helped him forget burning. He could feel the various different creatures of the night moving throughout the mountains. Nothing had recognized their presence yet but the area was prime hunting grounds for lots of things that weren't too keen with a werewolf and demon in their territory. They were walking a fine line and one day someone was going to take notice of them. Whether it was some other set of hunters or something much worse someone or something was going to notice them.
He thought about what Lydia said; how they shouldn't work together. How they should 'break up' complete with air quotes because Lydia had to be Lydia even when she was Queen of the Crossroads. Stiles touched his arm where her nails had broken his skin and put that asshole Jackson's poison into his system. It was too potent, even for him, to fight off, and he was helpless. Stiles clenched his fists; he hated feeling helpless.
His helplessness was what the main cause for pretty much everything terrible in their lives. He was helpless to keep villagers from killing Scott all those centuries ago when Scott wasn't a threat to anyone. He was helpless to keep his Dad from getting sick. He was helpless to stop Saul from manipulating him into selling his soul to save his Dad only to turn around kill them both. He was helpless in the Pit as Saul broke his soul and his body. He was helpless to protect Derek and his family from Saul years later. Stiles scoffed to himself; he was even helpless when he was King of the Crossroads. He was helpless to stop Saul from killing Laura years later. He let himself make a deal with Derek to bring her back when he knew it was a terrible idea because he was helpless against someone else losing everyone in their family. He was helpless against his own weakness when his broke his deal with Derek when he knew the consequences. He was helpless in the Pit the second time as they broke him even further and he made it worse for himself by protecting Derek yet again.
Lydia knew how much Stiles hated that feeling which was exactly why she did it. Lydia was smart, far too smart for her own good, and she knew every single one of his weaknesses. If she truly decided to turn against him Stiles had no doubt he would be back in the Pit within a day. Lydia knew exactly what word to say, what to do, that would make him reckless enough to get caught and thrown back down there. Everything from the second round in the Pit was still too fresh in his mind, like gaping wound he couldn't close, and Lydia knew exactly where that wound was.
"She's probably right," Stiles whispered to himself because he was sure Derek was asleep. "Maybe it would be better if we weren't together." Stiles had already painted a giant target on Derek's back. If something happened because he wasn't there to help Stiles would never forgive himself. Somehow, Derek had wormed his way into what remained of Stiles' soul. They were connected, which was a part of that, but there was more to it than that. Derek was something different.
Stiles hit his head against the wall; his feelings were something else he was always helpless against.
Stiles rested his head against the cool glass of the car hours later and tried not to think about it too much. They were almost out of the mountains and they would be in Beacon Hills in a few short hours. He kept denying it to Derek but Stiles knew something was wrong. Whatever it was Lydia was basically baiting both of them when she told them that. She knew they would go and for all Stiles knew they were walking into a trap. Whether that was true or not something was going on there. Stiles knew he was going to be once again helpless to stop Derek from throwing himself into whatever trouble was happening.
They didn't talk much as they drove the last few hours. Stiles put his feet on Derek's dashboard because he knew Derek hated it. Derek moved his legs away and glared at Stiles like he was the worst travel companion ever. Stiles just grinned and tried to ignore the terrible feeling his gut as they got closer to Beacon Hills.
Apparently, not much had changed since he stopped teenage Derek from making a deal at his crossroads all those years ago. As they drove along Main Street several people turned and watched the flashy car go by. Stiles wondered if he could convince Derek to get a more subtle car but there was something about the Camaro that Derek seemed to like despite all of the attention it drew.
"This place hasn't changed a bit," Derek said. He pulled into a small diner off of Main Street and they both got out. Stiles kept his eye out for anything lurking in the shadows that Derek couldn't see but there wasn't anything. That made Stiles even more uneasy; there was always something lurking in the shadows just out of reach.
"Small towns tend to do that. Take that from someone who's been around a lot longer than you," Stiles replied. They walked into the diner and took their seats. A supremely bored looking blonde waitress with bright red lipstick and name tag that read 'Erica' walked up to them.
"Good morning, can I get you some coffee?" Erica asked clearly disinterested in anything they had to say. Stiles wasn't even sure she made eye contact with either one of them. She made Stiles smile to himself.
"Two, thanks," Derek said. Erica nodded and walked back to the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder at them once, then again, and Stiles wanted to groan. Stiles knew how to read people and he knew Erica had just recognized Derek. Instead of bringing them their coffee she ducked into the kitchen no doubt to gossip.
"What's she saying?" Stiles asked unwilling to do it himself. Derek tilted his way that was so incredibly dog like that Stiles had to bite his tongue from making about fifty different jokes.
"She's asking the cook if I'm who she thinks I am," Derek said and he raised an eyebrow. "Apparently, Laura and I are local legends. The boy and girl who lived."
"Didn't they write a book about that?" Derek glared at him and didn't dignify that comment with response. Instead, Erica came back out with their coffee and poured it.
"You're Derek Hale, aren't you?" Erica asked and Stiles gave her bonus points for not beating around the bush.
"Yeah, I am, why?" Derek asked even though he clearly already knew why she wanted to know.
"It's just surprising. The lost kids of Beacon Hills coming home or whatever," Erica replied. Derek's back straightened in a way that never meant good things and Stiles felt his blood run a little cold.
"What do you mean?" Stiles asked because Derek was clearly in no state to hold a conversation. Erica shrugged and poured the second cup of coffee.
"First Laura gets here two days ago and now Derek's here too. You guys must have something to sort out if you came back after all of these years," Erica said. "Now, are you ready to order?"
"Just coffee today, thanks," Stiles said quickly smiling. Erica frowned and walked away. Stiles waited until she was out of earshot before he turned to Derek. "We'll go look for her right now." Stiles knew Derek's priorities and Laura was right at the top of the list. There were a couple reasons Stiles could think of why Laura would keep her location a secret from them but they all tasted like lies. Derek drank his coffee in complete silence and they left without another word to Erica. Derek at least remembered to tip.
For the rest of the day Stiles wandered, drove, and ran around Beacon Hills with Derek as they searched for Laura. Derek said he couldn't smell or feel her which was strange if she was in town. Stiles was going to point out that she could have moved on until they found her car in a nearby motel parking lot. Laura was still checked in and would be for the rest of the week. Derek was getting more and more worried by the second. It was dark now and they were walking through the preserve. Derek was partially shifted and would dart ahead on all fours and circle back to Stiles.
"I can't find her, Stiles," Derek said breathlessly after nearly twelve hours of searching. "Stiles, I can't even find a trace of her." Derek was getting really worked up and Stiles wasn't entirely sure what to do. He wasn't very good with providing comfort but he knew that Derek found his presence grounding. Stiles put a hand on Derek's arm to stop him from pacing. Derek stilled and stared at him. Stiles didn't say anything; he just put both of Derek's clawed hands on his waist and stepped into Derek's personal space. He ignored the claws that were biting into his skin already and pulled Derek's head down so their foreheads were pressed together. Derek closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Stiles just let Derek get himself together but remained entirely aware of everything that was in the forest around them. So far there weren't any threats but they couldn't stay out here vulnerable like this.
"We're going to find her," Stiles said once Derek relaxed a little. Stiles put confidence into his words that he really didn't feel. Derek nodded and closed the distance between them. It was a little strange, the way Derek kissed him, because Stiles could tell that Derek was trying to say 'thank you' without having to actually voice the words. Stiles knew though and he didn't need words. Instead they broke apart and started toward the car. They would look again in the morning and Stiles just hoped that they found Laura quickly and alive.
+++
Derek wasn't entirely sure he remembered getting back to the motel but Stiles must have made sure he didn't kill them as he drove them home. Stiles would normally leave the room and sit outside, Derek wasn't supposed to know about that and he wasn't about to tell Stiles that he knew about it, but this time he stayed in the room. Derek focused on Stiles' steady heartbeat and the sound the pages in Stiles' book made when he turned them. Derek didn't sleep much but the little sleep he did get were plagued by nightmares. He remembered the feeling of Laura dying, he remembered how it was like someone tore a piece of his soul out, and his dreams were that feeling over and over again. The third time he woke up from the nightmare Stiles had wordlessly threaded his fingers through Derek's hair. Stiles was petting him and Derek felt like he should object to that but there was no denying it that it relaxed him a little. Or at least enough that he dozed off again.
The sun was up the next time he woke up to the motel room phone ringing. Stiles cursed and picked up the phone before Derek could move.
"Hello?" Stiles greeted though Derek could hear how angry he was. Derek wasn't nearly awake enough to eavesdrop on the conversation and didn't really care to though he could hear a female voice over the line. It wasn't until he felt Stiles tense up next to him that he realized he should pay attention. "He's right here." Stiles took the phone away from his ear and handed it to Derek. "It's for you." Derek took from Stiles and looked at him but couldn't get any impression about what he was about to hear.
"This is Derek," he said.
"Mr. Hale, my name is Doctor Hiyard at Beacon Hill Medical Center. Are you the brother of Laura Hale?" Doctor Hiyard.
"Yes, Laura's my sister, what happened?" Derek asked quickly.
"We should speak in person," Doctor Hiyard said.
"I'll be right there." Derek hung up the phone and nearly ripped the covers as he climbed off of the bed. Stiles must have been listening to the conversation because he was getting dressed just as fast. They were out the door and on their way to the hospital in mere minutes. Derek tried to reach out to Laura, to feel her, but he couldn't. It wasn't like when she died though; this was a different sort of emptiness.
Derek nearly crashed the Camaro in the parking lot and narrowly missed running into someone as he raced into the hospital. The nurse called Doctor Hiyard to the front desk and Derek felt like he was going to crawl out of his skin waiting. She joined them not long after and she didn't look happy.
"Come with me Mr. Hale," she said though she glanced over her shoulder at Stiles. "I'm sorry but I can only have family members come with me at this time." Stiles blinked, he was surprised that he was being denied something, and looked like he wanted to argue.
"We're together," Derek said. Doctor Hiyard looked a little surprised though not as surprised as Stiles did. "Please, him and Laura are all I have left, and I want him here. I need him here." Stiles' eyes got a little wider no doubt because he heard that Derek wasn't lying. Doctor Hiyard looked a little conflicted but she sighed.
"Very well. Come with me," she said. Stiles joined Derek as they walked through the hospital hallway. They were close enough that their shoulders were touching but Derek didn't want to give Doctor Hiyard an excuse to throw Stiles out. That was his reasoning anyway when he took Stiles' hand and threaded their fingers together. Derek held on a little too tight and it must have been hurting Stiles' hand but he didn't say a word. They stopped in front of a room with a window. Inside was Laura.
She looked horrible. Her skin was ashen pale and there was a breathing tube down her throat. There were various bandages all over her body and she wasn't stirring. Derek stared because this didn't make sense; Laura was an Alpha and she should be healing. No matter what happened there shouldn't be a need for those machines to keep her breathing.
"What happened?" Stiles asked as if he knew that Derek couldn't form proper words yet.
"We're not entirely sure Mister," she trailed off.
"Just Stiles is fine."
"Stiles, then. Some hikers found her last night out on the preserve. We think she's been out there for at least a day, maybe two, and judging from her wounds it's a miracle she's alive at all." Doctor Hiyard explained.
"What sort of wounds?" Derek asked and if his voice cracked no one acknowledged it. He was a little thankful for that.
"It looks like some sort of animal attack," Doctor Hiyard said sadly. "There is some sort of rabid mountain lion out there on the preserve. Your sister isn't the first person that's been attacked recently." Derek filed that away for later but right now Laura was the important thing. "We got her stabilized and an old attending recognized her from when your family still lived here. We were surprised to find you in town too though. She's in a coma and, I have to be honest with you Mr. Hale, I'm not entirely sure she's going to come out of it." Derek swallowed the lump in his throat and watched as a machine let his sister breath. At some point he released Stiles' hand because he saw Stiles digging around for a pen and paper.
"Here's Derek's cell phone number," Stiles said as he scribbled on a piece of paper. "Add that to her file. When do we need to get billing sorted out?" Derek kind of loved Stiles a lot for taking charge of this situation. Derek wasn't even thinking about billing or how the doctors could keep on contact with him.
"Can I go see her?" Derek asked.
"Yes," Doctor Hiyard replied. Derek tuned out the rest of the conversation that Stiles and Doctor Hiyard were having when he walked into the room. The hospital smelled overwhelmingly like blood, death, and antiseptic. It reminded him of when he and Laura went to visit Uncle Peter a few times before he sercomed to his injuries from the fire. There was a hint of Laura there though and when Derek touched her hand it was like their connection flared back to life. She was still there, they were still pack, and she was still his Alpha. Derek pulled a chair up next to the bed and sat down.The door closed and Derek looked up to see Stiles leaning against the door.
"The Doctor says all we can do it wait for now. If Laura's going to wake up she'll wake in her own time," Stiles said. "She said she'll be in contact with one of us as soon as something changes."
"She's not healing Stiles," Derek whispered. "No mountain lion could do this to Laura."
"I know. There is something out in that preserve that's attacking people." Stiles dragged another chair and sat down next to Derek. Derek began to feel a little awkward about telling that Doctor that he and Stiles were in a relationship and how he made it sound serious. That wasn't his place.
"I'm sorry about--"
"Don't be," Stiles interrupted. "Do you hear anything?" Derek was confused for only a moment when realized that Stiles was asking if there was anyone nearby that was listening to their conversation. He stretched his senses as far as they would go and no one was close enough that they could hear anything they were saying. Derek shook his head and Stiles sat up a little more. "What injuries are extremely hard for Alpha werewolves to heal?"
"Attacks from creatures more powerful than them," Derek replied instantly. It almost felt like Stiles was testing his knowledge or something. "Demons, some form of magic users, some forms of the Pagan gods, and other Alphas. One of those things is out there and it's killing people and it tried to kill Laura." Derek turned to Stiles who was glaring at the hospital wall like it personally offended him. "Stiles, if there is something that powerful out there we can't just walk away." Stiles closed his eyes and clenched his fists; for half a moment Derek thought they were going to argue over this. When Stiles opened his eyes again they were black though it faded almost instantly.
"Of course we'll find out what did this," Stiles said though he didn't sound entirely thrilled by the idea. Normally, Stiles was more than happy to go on hunts and the more dangerous they were the more excited he got. He loved to say that he wanted to 'go poke the bad thing with a stick' like they were something that was fun to taunt. This time Derek couldn't get a read on him. This time Stiles looked angry and apprehensive. Derek wanted to ask why but Stiles wouldn't tell him. He guessed he should be thankful that Stiles was agreeing to this hunt at all.
Derek took Laura's hand in his and drained some of her pain. When it got to be too much Stiles moved so they were touching. It helped and they didn't leave Laura's side for several hours.
+++
It was not so much that the hospital staff kicked them out as they politely pushed him out the door. They reminded Derek that they had his number and the second something changed they would call him. They reminded him that he was a human being that needed to get sleep which made Stiles smirk. They left the hospital and got some food in a grill that served late. Everything smelled like yeast and beer but it was the only place they could really go to get some food nearby. Derek didn't really consider himself in any condition to do any driving. This was becoming a running theme that Derek wasn't okay with.
"I did some snooping," Stiles said. "I managed to find out where in the preserve they found Laura." Derek's fork hovered in mid air and he stared at Stiles.
"How long have you known?" Derek asked.
"A couple hours but before you yell at me saying I should have told you earlier I'd like to remind you that in that hospital room was where you wanted to be," Stiles said heeding Derek off at the pass. It annoyed and frightened Derek how well Stiles could read him at this point. Derek knew he wasn't an open book yet Stiles never seemed surprised by anything he did. "So you finish eating because I can't have my guard dog getting grumpy from hunger and we'll go take a look."
"I'm not your guard dog," Derek replied despite the fact that he knew Stiles was baiting him and he should keep his mouth shut. Stiles grinned, folded his arms on the table, and leaned forward.
"No, the guard dogs I used to have were much different from you," he said. Derek absolutely did not let Stiles see him shiver a little at the mention of Stiles' old guard dogs. He already knew all about hell hounds and what they did. Oh a whim he once asked Stiles what they looked like to which Stiles instantly with 'you don't want to know.' Sometimes, between the touches and the sex, Derek would forget that Stiles used to be King of the Crossroads. He took human souls and sent his hounds on them years later to drag the unfortunate person to hell for all eternity. The ten years number wasn't completely arbitrary, Stiles told him one night, apparently ten years was just long enough for someone to forget the price they had paid. It made Derek feel a little sick, if he thought about it too much, that he was partners with Stiles at all. Stiles was a demon and Derek should have driven the demon killing blade into his heart over a year ago. Yet here they were sitting in a grill as Stiles watched Derek eat a burger.
"You're the worst," Derek said and Stiles' grin widened. "The absolute worst."
Derek finished his food and followed Stiles' directions out to the preserve. Once they had locked the car Derek followed the fresh footprints into the woods. It didn't take long for him to smell Laura's blood soaked into the dirt and it made him angry. Something attacked his sister, his Alpha, and that was not something Derek could forgive. Derek forged ahead and Stiles kept up easily behind him. There was an upside to Stiles being a demon; Derek never had to worry about protecting him too much. Stiles could more than handle his own in a fight.
The yellow crime scene tape blocked off the area where the hikers found Laura. The smell of her blood was overwhelming but there was something else underneath it. Derek couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly and he let Stiles wander around the area as he tried to process it.
"I don't see anything of note," Stiles said as he looked around. "Too many footprints to see if there were any tracks. I don't think this is where she was attacked though."
"Neither do I," Derek said. He looked around; they were on Hale land now and if there was one place Laura would go it was the house. There was a faint blood trail that Derek followed through the woods until the blackened skeleton of his family's house came into view. Stiles touched the small of Derek's back in that way that helped keep him grounded. This was the first time he had seen the house since he and Laura packed up and never looked back. Stiles eased past Derek and began to poke around the outside of the house.
"I think these are Laura's footprints," Stiles said. He pointed to a section of dirt on the ground and Derek was inclined to agree; they did look like Laura's boots. There was something in the air, though, that made him feel strangely safe. Over the smell of rotting wood and ash there was something here besides Laura that he hadn't felt in a long time. It must have shown on his face because Stiles frowned. "What is it?"
"It smells like pack here," Derek said.
"Laura was here and this was your house; I'd assume it still smells a little like home," Stiles replied but Derek shook his head.
"No, it smells like there's someone from my pack, my family, here." Derek said and began to look around for some sort of evidence of another werewolf. If this was where Laura was attacked the attacker did an excellent job of covering any evidence of the fight. Derek wanted to go through the house but it was getting exceptionally late. The dust on the floorboards revealed no footprints going in or out of the house. Laura was here but she could just been paying her respects and was attacked nearby. It set his teeth on edge, this feeling of pack that wasn't from Laura, and he wanted to find it. Stiles, however, had his arms folded tightly across his chest and he was staring at the dead leaves on the ground like they could reveal the secrets of the universe. "Stiles."
"Maybe things will look better in the morning," Stiles said. "You've had a long day so I think it's sleep time." Derek wanted to argue but he did feel exhausted down to his bones.
"We're looking into those other animal attacks tomorrow," Derek said and Stiles nodded. "Sleep sounds good then." Out of the corner of his eye Derek thought Stiles look very relieved that they were leaving but he couldn't figure out why. It was his house, his family that died there, so he was the one that should have been affected by it. Yet the further they got away from the property the more relaxed Stiles got. He didn't offer up why and Derek didn't ask.
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