Fic: Discovery Channel (8/12) Part 1
Title: Discovery Channel
Author: kayevelyn
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Rating: Overall R
Warnings: eventual knotting
Summary: Stiles is the best werewolf ever. fork in the road au. (were!stiles)
[Read on AO3]
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chris had never thought of himself as an angry person. He’d seen what angry people do, and he wasn’t that. Some hunters were twisted, in the business out of revenge, but for Chris it had always been because hunting was a duty. He’d been born into the life just like the monsters were. They could not exist without the other, which is why Chris never understood the need some people had to rid the world of them. If you killed all the monsters what would happen to you then? Chris knew the drive to kill wouldn’t disappear. It could never be sated, and so if you were in this business for revenge, for the bloodlust, you were only going to eventually be hunted yourself.
Chris was able to compartmentalize these things, or at least he had thought he’d been able to. Maybe the reason he’d always been so calm was because his family had never been in danger before. Allison running out of that school though, terrified out of her mind with Derek Hale right behind her, had made him see red. He’d never had the urge to kill a werewolf so much until he had seen what they could do to his family.
And even if Derek hadn’t harmed her, him being what he was put her in danger of a bloodthirsty, crazed alpha and Chris could not allow that. He could not allow his family, his daughter, to be scared. To feel hunted. He had done everything in his power to make sure that she was never exposed to this kind of life until she was old enough to handle it. He had never planned on raising her like he had been raised: eight years old and already knowing how to load a gun and shoot at a target.
By the time he was ten his father had wiped him of compassion for “the other;” something he’d said would be important when dealing with werewolves. Chris hadn’t known what that meant until he was older and saw some werewolves living their day-to-day lives--not monsters like he had been raised to believe, but normal people.
Chris had fought hard to get rid of that brainwashing, and he thought it made him a better hunter. He could tell the difference between a savage wolf and a tame one, and he could see the signs of one who beginning to crack. It allowed him to do his job, but he never wanted Allison to experience that.
And now he was questioning himself. Should he have raised her differently? Had his father been right? Was he just setting her up to be hurt?
Chris didn’t know.
“What’s that look, big brother?”
Chris looked up from where he was sitting at his office desk to see Kate standing in the doorway. He had been making lists, trying to compartmentalize his emotions again. Derek was not the threat. Derek was the exact opposite of the threat, but Derek had broken the code. Or some part of the code. Humans had been hurt.
“Just thinking about last night.”
Kate nodded. “Hale and the alpha right? Trapping those kids in the school.” She glanced at him from under her hair. “Do you think any of them found out?”
Chris shook his head, trying to go over everything. “The one kid, Jackson, who was hurt? He could have seen something before he was injured. But the others? I don’t think so.”
“Do you really believe that?” Kate leaned back. “The sheriff’s son wasn’t at the game, you know.” Chris looked at her. “And I asked around, apparently Alexis saw him and Hale being talked to by the sheriff after everything.”
“What are you getting at?”
Kate shrugged. “Could be nothing. But it’s a little odd, don’t you think? Teen like that hanging out with an older guy would raise a lot of questions in a town like this, questions we would have heard about.”
“And?”
“Don’t be obtuse,” Kate glared. “The sheriff’s kid probably knows more than he’s telling. They all probably do, but that one in specific. He wasn’t at the game, but he shows up at the school?” She leaned back and Chris rubbed his face with his hand.
“Alexis is getting a copy of the police report to see what was said. It could all have been a coincidence.”
“Or there could be more werewolves.”
Chris looked at Kate. “You think?”
“Always a possibility. We killed the first beta. Hale’s sister might have gone and gotten a second one. Derek is protecting him, or her. You know how those things are, they’ll do anything to protect each other.” Kate kicked her feet up on his desk and Chris stared at the soles of her boots.
“They are all innocent until proven guilty.”
“You know that’s not the way we work, Chris.” Kate dropped her feet from the desk and leaned forward, looking Chris in the eye. “Allison was put in danger last night because we let wolves be innocent until proven guilty. We knew where Hale was, but you wouldn’t let us take the right measures.”
“Or maybe she’s safe because he was there,” Chris bit out and then looked away. “I’m not defending him, and god knows a part of me wishes I had put a bullet through his skull myself, but the cold hard facts are that Hale locked those kids in the room and the only reason one of them got hurt was because he left. Hale protected them, and it isn’t his fault they were put in danger.” He spoke harshly, trying to get through to Kate, but when he looked her in the eye all he saw was bitter disappointment.
“The only good werewolf is a dead one, and you’d do best to remember that,” Kate said before standing up, chair scraping against the wood floor.
Chris ducked his head, looking back at his list. He wasn’t crazy. He was looking at this from the only way a good hunter could. Facts. Emotions had no place in the field.
***
The text from Scott was still up on her phone when Lydia showed up at Allison’s house Sunday morning. Scott had, reasonably, been unsure how Allison was handling the entire issue of werewolves and the fact that her family hunted them, but had been too scared to show up at her house to confront her face to face. She had tried to reassure him as much as she could through texts, but it was hard when she had moments where she would still be freaking out.
It led to a lot of research.
She had spent most of Saturday on her computer going over her family history. She’d always known her last name meant silver, but it had a whole new meaning now that she knew what it tied in to. All the research had made it hard for her to go down and look her parents, and Kate, in the eye during dinner, but she knew she had to do it. She couldn’t show how affected she was by the whole situation.
Watching them had been revealing, because she could feel them watching her in return. They were looking for something, a sign, a weakness, something that said she was breaking. She couldn’t show them that, because they couldn’t know she was in on it. That would put people in danger, and Allison didn’t want to do that to Stiles. Or Derek.
In her research she had found out her family had a code. A motto: We hunt those that hunt us.
Derek hadn’t tried to hunt her, but Allison couldn’t begin to imagine how loose that motto would be when it came to threats towards their family. She had always known her dad was a good shot, his cover story was a gun dealer! And Kate- Kate had already tried to kill Stiles, without provocation, even!
Allison would not be the reason someone was actually killed. She didn’t want anyone to be that reason, which was why she was doing what Scott had asked in his latest text and reaching out to Lydia and Danny to make sure they hadn’t imploded with this knowledge over the weekend.
Lydia looked composed when Allison opened the door for her, and had even smiled faintly at her dad who was watching them from the kitchen. She didn’t even seem too put out when Allison shut her bedroom door to give them privacy, just took a seat at the end of Allison’s bed and looked at the books Allison had hidden under her desk.
“Research?” Lydia asked, inclining her head towards the books.
Allison nodded. “I mean. You have to start somewhere to take all of it in.”
Lydia hmmed and then looked at Allison. “It’s fascinating stuff, isn’t it? I’ve been texting Stiles all weekend so he can clarify for me, but either Derek is answering all his texts, or he’s really messed up over the whole breakup because all I’ve been getting is one word responses.”
“Wait breakup, what?” Allison asked, and then clamped her hand over her mouth, because that wasn’t what she had wanted to ask. She had wanted to ask about Lydia being completely calm over this whole thing and doing research of her own.
Lydia shrugged. “Yeah. I guess Danny broke up with him, which honestly, good riddance because even taking away the werewolf aspect, Danny does not need the bullshit that is the friendship between Stiles and Derek.”
Allison collapsed in her computer seat. It made sense that Danny would want to leave. Even she had felt vaguely voyeuristic watching Stiles and Derek interact with one another. She could only imagine what Danny had been feeling. “Wow,” she breathed out. “How is Danny taking it?”
Lydia tilted her head back and forth, like she was weighing her options. “Is the FBI website still up?” Allison turned towards her computer in confusion, but before she could search to see if it was Lydia started talking again. “He’s not great, but it has not reached dangerous levels yet. He’s been researching with me, so that’s distracting him, as well as being a good sign. And tomorrow they say Jackson will be up for visitors, so his parents will drive us down to Sacramento to see him.”
“Jackson isn’t at the hospital here?”
Lydia’s gave a tight-lipped smile. “There is no plastic surgeon at this hospital, and he needed his cheek reconstructed. His mother was telling me they think the swelling will go down enough to not be noticeable at the dance next month.”
Allison went slack jaw. She hadn’t realized that Stiles had caused so much damage. “Well that’s good?”
Lydia clucked her tongue. “Indeed. Otherwise I’d be forced to drag Danny and Stiles as my date just to make up for it, and who knows when those two will be on speaking terms again. So. Have I passed your psych evaluation? Can you report back to Scott that I haven’t spilled my guts yet?”
“It wasn’t like that, Lydia.”
“Oh I know. That was only part of it, I’m sure. But it was a sizeable part.”
“Well yeah,” Allison admitted, “but can you blame me? This is a pretty big secret and I thought, maybe we should all get together and kinda cover the basics?”
“We can do that at lunch tomorrow.”
“I meant, like with Derek?” Allison dropped her voice to a whisper as she said Derek’s name. She had kept an ear out for someone creeping outside her door, but she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure.
Lydia gave her a look. “I don’t think that’s a wise idea. Not with Danny, at least.”
“Yeah well, I didn’t know they had broken up when I thought of it.” Allison slumped in her chair in defeat.
The silence stretched over the room for a long minute before Lydia shifted and Allison perked up.
“I guess I could convince Danny to come to a meeting,” she mumbled, taking her phone out of her purse. “He was the one to do the breaking up, and he’s going to need to deal with this shit sooner or later.” Lydia started tapping away at her phone and then she paused, flipping her phone around. “This is probably going to go over better if I yell at him. He’ll just avoid my text.”
Allison clapped her hands together and nodded frantically. “Thank you so much. Tell him I’ll be swinging by to pick him up in a few.” She got off of her chair and went to her closet, pulling out her bow and the quiver she had a few practice arrows in.
“What. The hell is that?” Lydia asked, and when Allison turned around she saw that Lydia was staring at her, tongue in her teeth and the phone held away from her ear.
Allison grinned and waved the bow a little. “The other thing I wanted you and Danny for. A cover story.”
Lydia dropped her hand into her lap. “Explain.”
“For the bow or for the cover story?” Allison asked with a smile.
“Both. And for the record, that innocent act is not cute, and you need to drop it.”
Allison laughed, but nodded herself into a more serious mood. She couldn’t help it, she liked seeing the surprise on people’s face. “I’ve been doing archery since I can remember. It’s kinda like a family tradition?”
“Go figure,” Lydia muttered.
“I realize that now. But, I stopped because it’s weird. No one does it anymore. But I think it would come in handy.”
Lydia looked at her. “You mean handy against the alpha?”
Allison nodded. “Every little bit helps, right? And well, if I’m going to be doing this without my parents getting suspicious I can’t just be interested again. But what if, say, you and Danny are a little freaked out after what happened? And I offered to help you two? It would give us a reason to hang out and my parents won’t question it.”
“They might even encourage it,” Lydia said, humming in agreement. “This is surprisingly well thought out, Allison.” She opened her phone again. “I like this.”
Allison grinned and gathered the rest of her things while Lydia called Danny to convince him to come out with them.
***
Stiles rolled over, ducking his head under Derek’s chin so his face pressed into Derek’s neck. His finger kept tracing over where the alpha had cut Derek’s chest, and even though it had long since healed Stiles still felt like he could see it. They had been like this almost all weekend, curled up together, coming down from everything that had happened Friday night while they worked out what to do with the alpha. Their original plan hadn’t worked the way they wanted it to, and Stiles was sure they wouldn’t be able to pull that kind of stunt off again, so they needed a backup, a whole new perspective.
Their planning was made easier by his dad working overtime now that the police had confirmation of who the first victim was. The blood tests were supposed to come back sometime next week, but his dad was already chasing leads that were hopefully not stone cold yet. It felt good that part of it was out in the open, even if it was just a small part, not even a portion of the whole truth.
Derek had given his statement, but they needed to stay low. When he had come back from the station he told Stiles he’d been followed, and that one of the hunters was checking out the police station. No doubt the news of Laura’s death would get back to the Argents soon, and then they’d have new issues to deal with. They’d ridden out the hunters’ assumption of Laura being the alpha for a lot longer than they had thought they could have gotten away with.
Stiles let out a breath and pressed closer to Derek, hands going to his waist so he had something to hold on to. He felt Derek shift and their feet tangled together for a moment before Derek threw a leg over Stiles’ hip, tucking their bodies tight together.
“Your phone is going off again,” Derek mumbled into his hair.
“Probably just Lydia. Or Scott. Maybe both,” Stiles said, mouthing along Derek’s neck. He didn’t want to talk to anyone else. Lydia had sent a one line text saying she was sorry things had ended between Danny and him before everything else had been questions about werewolf lore.
His favourite question so far had been do you have a knot? because apparently Lydia had no shame. That one had been the reason Stiles had passed off the duty of answering his phone to Derek. He was good at one word answers.
Derek shifted, pulling away from him and Stiles dug his fingers into Derek’s shirt, keeping him from leaving. Derek looked down at him with a fond expression, and Stiles relaxed. “I’m just looking to see what they said. It could be your dad.”
Stiles sighed but let Derek grab his phone from the bedside table. He waited patiently for Derek to rearrange himself so they were back in a similar position, but one that would allow Derek to read and respond to the texts.
“Allison says she’s coming over.”
Stiles’ eyes popped open and he looked from Derek to the phone. “What?”
Derek turned the phone so Stiles could see the text, and yup, that’s what it said. With a smiley emoticon. Stiles sometimes couldn’t handle Allison.
“Fuck,” Stiles said, pressing his face into the pillow. “Tell her no.”
He heard the phone buzz again. “She says she’s bringing everyone.” Another buzz. “And that since Scott has a key he’ll let them all in if you don’t answer the door.”
Stiles looked at Derek and he seemed almost too amused by the entire prospect. He grabbed his phone from Derek and flopped to his back.
You should know not to just invade a werewolf’s den, Lady Argent.
He heard Derek snort against his neck, and Stiles shifted with Derek so that way Derek could be the one curled up around him for a change. He waited for another text, keeping one ear on the front door for the group of them.
You’re so cute!!! Allison’s text read.
Stiles blew out a breath. “Someone is rather well adjusted to this whole thing.”
He felt Derek nod against his neck, and he shivered a little when he felt lips on his pulse point. He tilted his head to the side, letting Derek have more skin to mouth along.
“That’s a good thing, right?” Derek asked. Teeth scraped against his neck as Derek spoke and Stiles shivered again.
He dropped his phone back to the bedside table because obviously this was happening whether he wanted it to or not. “I guess? It’s just weird. First Lydia dives right into research, and I mean super accurate research, and now Allison is showing up? And making jokes?”
Derek shrugged. “Maybe we should have told them earlier?”
Stiles let out a fake laugh, because yeah that would have gone over well, and he heard the front door opening. He could smell Scott, Lydia and Allison, and, after a moment, Danny as well. Derek’s hands on his hips tightened and Stiles gasped as he felt a quick bite on his shoulder. Derek’s tongue licked over the bite like he was apologizing, and Stiles could feel it already healing over even as he gave Derek a questioning look.
“Do you want me to tell Scott to send Danny away?” Derek asked, pushing himself into a sitting position as people came up the stairs.
Stiles rolled over, sitting up as well. “No. It’s. I told him he couldn’t cut us out so I can’t do it, either.”
Derek placed a hand on his shoulder, the same one he had just bitten, and his thumb traced over Stiles’ collarbone. “I’m here for you.” It didn’t sound as awkward as Stiles had imagined it would. It was sincere, and Stiles turned, fitting himself in Derek’s lap as he hugged him.
“I’ll be okay.” Derek bit him gently on the neck this time, and Stiles hit his shoulder. “Stop it,” he said lightly, climbing off of Derek so the others wouldn’t see them like that. He wasn’t embarrassed but it would probably be too much to explain to everyone else. He needed that closeness. He needed Derek, had since he had gotten bitten but even more now.
The door to his room opened just as Stiles dropped to the floor and he looked up at the four of his friends with wide eyes.
“Hey,” he said awkwardly, waving.
The four of them shuffled into the room, and it took a moment for everyone to find a spot to sit. Lydia took the computer chair, while Scott and Allison sat down with their backs against Stiles’ dresser. Danny was against the door, eyes flicking up to Derek before he dropped his gaze to his hands. Stiles wished he could go over there and comfort him, but he wouldn’t know where to begin. He knew why they couldn’t be together. It was dangerous, but that didn’t mean Stiles didn’t want Danny as his friend. They had a great time together, the sex aside. They had things in common, and Danny got references that Scott would never get. That Derek would never get.
Stiles felt Derek rearrange himself on the bed, framing his legs around Stiles’ shoulders and boxing him in. Stiles leaned his head on Derek’s upper thigh and took a moment to just feel Derek’s hands in his hair.
“So now that the shock of everything has pretty much left people, do you want to fill us all in?” Lydia asked, her voice cutting through the silence.
He opened his eyes and avoided looking at Danny. “I don’t really know what to say. You seemed to have your own research.”
“Which you’ve barely begun to verify. And honestly, if your alpha looks like that, is that insane, why are you taking days off and doing nothing?” Lydia snapped. “You should have put it down months ago.”
Stiles tensed up. “We’ve been trying. This was the first time we’ve even really seen the alpha, let alone been able to fight it.” He knew he was sounding defensive but he didn’t care. They didn’t understand how frustrating it had been. “The alpha has had us on a wild goose chase since the beginning. It may be insane but it’s still clever. It’s still capable of playing with us. It’s not some mindless thing. It has an agenda.”
“It wants you in its pack,” Danny spoke up, and Stiles tried so hard not to look at him. “Both of you. And that’s why it went after me, because I was a loose end and it thought I was holding you back.”
Stiles swallowed and he squeezed Derek’s thigh because he couldn’t answer that.
“That’s the theory we are going off of,” Derek said, fingers tracing down to Stiles’ neck in a calming pattern. “You said you got a text from Stiles?”
“Yeah. But,” Danny cut himself off. “Stiles didn’t send it, did he?”
Stiles shook his head. “No. I didn’t. Too busy running for my life.” He risked a glance at Danny when he heard him move.
“What’s up?” Lydia asked curiously as Danny walked over to her, reaching behind her to get at Stiles’ computer.
“If Stiles didn’t send the text that means someone else did,” Derek said tensely.
“The alpha,” Danny said with a nod, logging onto Stiles’ computer. “And if you give me a few minutes I can get you who exactly sent me that text message.”
“You can do that?” Scott asked, getting up so he could watch Danny work.
Stiles stayed where he was, because it wasn’t like he had much of an option. Derek was keeping a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay seated.
“Danny is very talented,” Lydia confirmed, spinning in the computer chair.
Allison let out a low whistle. “So you can just? What? Find out who sent this and then we have the alpha?”
“In theory,” Danny said. “At least we’ll know where the alpha sent the text from, which means we’ll have some idea where it’s staying when it’s in human form.”
“Alphas have human forms?” Scott asked.
Stiles couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Yes Scott, alphas are the same as any other werewolf. It can blend in as a human just like any of us. If it couldn’t how do you think it’s been able to avoid us?”
Scott looked at him apologetically. “I don’t know. I just thought you guys really sucked at tracking.”
Stiles heard everyone else smother their laughter and he rolled his eyes. “Haha, very funny.”
“Got it,” Danny interrupted, leaning back so everyone could see the work.
Derek and Stiles stood up and pushed aside Allison and Scott so they could see the screen.
“What?” Stiles said right as Scott pushed him aside to get back in front of the computer.
“What does that mean?” Scott demanded, pointing at the screen where it clearly said the text was sent from Melissa McCall’s hospital computer. “Stiles, why was the alpha using my mom’s work computer?”
Stiles looked at Derek for help but he couldn’t form words. “I don’t…”
“It probably means nothing,” Derek said, trying to placate Scott, but Stiles could hear his heartbeat skip.
“Bullshit,” Scott snapped. “If the alpha was going after Danny, what’s to stop it from going after me?”
“Scott,” Stiles tried again, but Derek cut him off.
“It’s probably just a taunt and nothing else. You don’t matter like Danny did.” Stiles winced because that was a harsh way to put it, but Derek kept going. “You wouldn’t be a hindrance to Stiles being pack. The alpha has no reason to bother with you.” He turned to Stiles then. “I’m going to the hospital.”
Stiles flipped into action, grabbing his coat from the chair. “Not without me.”
“Stiles,” Derek tried but Stiles glared at him.
“You and me, buddy. Do not fight me on this, Derek.”
“How do you even know you’ll find it there?” Allison asked as the two of them headed for the door.
“We don't,” Stiles said. “We’ll probably need to get footage from surveillance tapes and look over that.”
“Then you’ll need me,” Danny said, getting up.
“No!” Stiles and Derek said at the same time.
Danny glared at them. “You’ll be in a public place. It’s the middle of the afternoon. There is not going to be a giant brawl in the hospital. I will be fine. And you will need me if you want to look at those tapes.”
Stiles bit his lip in frustration. “No Danny. You are not coming with us. The alpha already thinks you’re a threat and if you’re there-” his voice cut off.
Derek picked up for him. “No.” He said, pointing his finger in Danny’s face as if he were some puppy he could tell to stay.
Stiles was not surprised Danny just batted the hand down. “Don’t treat me like a child.”
“I’m treating you like a human,” Derek growled.
“Humans help in packs too.”
Stiles grabbed Derek’s hand before he could take a step towards Danny. He didn’t think anything would come of it, but the intimidation factor was not something they needed. Derek squeezed his hand back, but kept his eyes locked with Danny’s. “Pack members know when to listen, too,” he snapped.
Danny lowered his eyes for a moment, and even though he looked back up it was enough to calm Derek down. “Well, just know that your plan sucks and you need back up.”
“I have back up,” Derek said, nodding to Stiles.
Danny glanced at him, and then looked back at Derek. “I’m not reviewing those tapes with you two when you end up needing me.”
Stiles watched as Danny leaned against his desk and then he looked at everyone else. “We’ll text you once we have an update. You guys shouldn’t stay here.”
“We’ll move to my place,” Lydia said, standing up. “Allison was going to show us some archery.”
Stiles arched an eyebrow, but Derek was already moving towards the door. Archery he mouthed at Allison and she waved at him as Derek pulled him out of the room.
“Have fun fighting the alpha!” Allison called.
“Think it’ll work?” Lydia asked.
There was a beat before Allison answered amidst laughing. “It would take a miracle. Goodbye!!”
Stiles appreciated the reference because it meant they would win.
***
They ran to the hospital, because Derek didn’t think either of them had the ability to drive at the moment. He could feel Stiles vibrating and he was sure he was almost exactly the same way. The hospital was still bustling with activity by the time they got there, and Derek grabbed Stiles by the shoulder, slowing down their pace so they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves.
Derek tucked his hands in his coat pocket, looking around the entryway for any sign of something being off. He could see Stiles sniffing discreetly, trying to find Scott’s mom no doubt.
“The alpha has never been here,” Stiles whispered and Derek nodded, heading down one of the hallways.
It was strange. The alpha had pretty much laid claim to the entire town, but the hospital was strangely empty of its scent. That didn’t sit well with Derek. He felt Stiles walking behind him and he wondered what image they presented to the rest of the hospital. No doubt that even when they found Scott’s mom she would have her own questions to ask about why they were there.
“I can’t find Ms. McCall,” Stiles said. “And I have no idea which computer could be hers.”
Derek took a sharp turn, heading towards the long-term care section of the hospital. “We’ll ask Jennifer.”
“Jennifer?” Stiles picked up his speed so he was walking alongside Derek instead of behind him. “Didn’t realize you were on first name terms with anyone here.”
Derek snorted, taking his hand out of his pocket to take hold of Stiles’ hand. “She’s the nurse that looks after my uncle. She’ll know where Scott’s mom is.”
“Your uncle?” Stiles asked, stopping mid-step and dropping Derek’s hand. “I didn’t know you had an uncle that was still alive.”
Derek stopped as well, looking back at Stiles. “What does it matter? He’s been in a coma since the fire.”
Stiles did that thing where he flailed his arms around and puffed out his face, before settling for an angry scowl. “Dude! You can’t just! There was a suspect here the entire time and you didn’t even think to mention it to me?”
“A suspect? What do you mean a suspect, Stiles?” Derek asked, stepping closer to him, feeling anger starting to well up. He’d thought Stiles would understand why he couldn’t mention Peter, and he definitely had never thought Stiles would jump to such a ridiculous assumption. “He’s been mostly dead since the coma.”
Stiles flailed some more and Derek could smell the frustration rolling off him. “Mostly dead means he’s slightly alive, and slightly alive with the power to heal means going completely insane in your own mind means perfect candidate for crazed alpha.”
“Now Stiles, I wouldn’t say I was crazed. That’s just mean.”
Derek and Stiles froze. Derek couldn’t smell anything different, and the hospital kept buzzing around them, people going about their own business, but it was like something was crushing down on him. He was in the presence of an alpha and it spoke with his uncle’s voice.
“Derek,” Stiles whispered, glancing over Derek’s shoulder.
He spun around, not caring what it looked like in the crowded hallway. He kept his eyes open, looking for his uncle, the alpha, his sister’s killer. There he was, leaning against a wall, casual as could be in street clothing.
Derek blinked. Peter’s face was completely healed, and it most certainly hadn’t been the last time Derek had seen him. Something must have shown in his expression because his uncle smiled and pointed nonchalantly to the right side of his face, and the unmarked skin.
“I was waiting for a more dramatic moment but you two are just not ones for drama are you?” His uncle didn’t look like he should. His eyes were different, cold and uncaring.
Derek felt Stiles grip his arm, and when he glanced at him he could see the golden eyes of the wolf. His head snapped back to his uncle, or at least, where he had been.
“Do come along, pups,” Peter’s voice called. “Don’t want to cause a scene in the middle of the hospital, do we?”
Derek swallowed and stalked after his uncle, bringing Stiles with him.
“Derek,” Stiles whispered, but he didn’t continue speaking just slipped his hand down Derek’s forearm so their fingers could intertwine, and when Derek looked back at him it was like his face was an open book. He looked terrified and it only took a moment to figure out why he wasn’t talking. He didn’t want Peter, the alpha, to know why he was afraid. No doubt he could sense it, but he couldn’t read Stiles’ mind and right now their secrets were all they had.
Derek knew why Stiles was afraid though. He’d always been scared of losing control, terrified that once he met the alpha he wouldn’t be able to go through with their plans. Instinct would kick in and it would be too much for him. He’d be driven to serve the alpha and it would end with Stiles hurting the people he loved.
Derek shook his head slightly as they walked out of the hospital, into the back parking lot where Peter was waiting for them. He wasn’t going to let Stiles lose himself. They were in this together and that was not changing. He had Stiles’ back the same way Stiles had his. This is how they worked, and how they would work once it was just them. Them and their pack.
Derek pushed the thought to the side. They couldn’t afford to be distracted by whatever was going to be between them, and he was pretty sure Stiles was on the same page.
He stopped in front of his uncle, keeping a tight hold on Stiles’ hand.
“You two are so precious,” Peter said, looking them up and down. “Working together and making my job so much easier.” Derek was impressed that Stiles didn’t answer, but to Derek that just showed how scared he was. Peter didn’t seem to care. “So you two have found me out. Or at least, I let you find me out. What led you here? What mistake did I make?”
“I doubt you made any mistake,” Stiles said, ducking his head. “We always thought we’d find you right when you wanted us to.”
Peter’s eyebrow rose in surprise and he tried to stare Derek down to see if Stiles was lying, but Derek had worked on his poker face for too long not to have it crack now. “Too true. I figured someone in your rag tag group could figure out how to trace that message. I’ll admit it was a little sloppy on my end, but, well. You have to do what’s best for pack.” He flashed a grin and took a step forward, and it was all Derek could do not to lash out.
But the plan had changed now, hadn’t it? He thought back to the conversations Stiles and he had had this weekend, wrapped up in the safety of Stiles’ bed. They weren’t capable of taking on the alpha so they needed to take a different approach. Appeal to the alpha’s weakness, his need for a pack.
He jumped a little when he felt Peter’s cool hand on his cheek. He hadn’t been expecting it, and the only thing that let him know he hadn’t lost face was the fact that Stiles had jumped too. Peter looked at them fondly.
“You two have changed your tune. Quite a difference from earlier when you were hell bent on killing me.” Derek watched as his thumb traced Stiles’ cheek slowly. Peter was no doubt trying to cement the bond between Stiles and him. He would need to if he wanted them to be pack. “Why’s that?” Peter tilted his head. “What game are you two trying to play now?”
Stiles licked his lips. “What does it matter? You’ll always win.”
Peter laughed at that, dropping his hands from their faces. “Look at that spunk. I guess I made the right choice picking you.” Before either of them could say anything else Peter had wormed his way in between the two of them, breaking the death grip Derek had been keeping on Stiles’ hand. “We are going to have so much fun, you two. I can just tell.”
Part 2
Author: kayevelyn
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Stiles/Derek
Rating: Overall R
Warnings: eventual knotting
Summary: Stiles is the best werewolf ever. fork in the road au. (were!stiles)
[Read on AO3]
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chris had never thought of himself as an angry person. He’d seen what angry people do, and he wasn’t that. Some hunters were twisted, in the business out of revenge, but for Chris it had always been because hunting was a duty. He’d been born into the life just like the monsters were. They could not exist without the other, which is why Chris never understood the need some people had to rid the world of them. If you killed all the monsters what would happen to you then? Chris knew the drive to kill wouldn’t disappear. It could never be sated, and so if you were in this business for revenge, for the bloodlust, you were only going to eventually be hunted yourself.
Chris was able to compartmentalize these things, or at least he had thought he’d been able to. Maybe the reason he’d always been so calm was because his family had never been in danger before. Allison running out of that school though, terrified out of her mind with Derek Hale right behind her, had made him see red. He’d never had the urge to kill a werewolf so much until he had seen what they could do to his family.
And even if Derek hadn’t harmed her, him being what he was put her in danger of a bloodthirsty, crazed alpha and Chris could not allow that. He could not allow his family, his daughter, to be scared. To feel hunted. He had done everything in his power to make sure that she was never exposed to this kind of life until she was old enough to handle it. He had never planned on raising her like he had been raised: eight years old and already knowing how to load a gun and shoot at a target.
By the time he was ten his father had wiped him of compassion for “the other;” something he’d said would be important when dealing with werewolves. Chris hadn’t known what that meant until he was older and saw some werewolves living their day-to-day lives--not monsters like he had been raised to believe, but normal people.
Chris had fought hard to get rid of that brainwashing, and he thought it made him a better hunter. He could tell the difference between a savage wolf and a tame one, and he could see the signs of one who beginning to crack. It allowed him to do his job, but he never wanted Allison to experience that.
And now he was questioning himself. Should he have raised her differently? Had his father been right? Was he just setting her up to be hurt?
Chris didn’t know.
“What’s that look, big brother?”
Chris looked up from where he was sitting at his office desk to see Kate standing in the doorway. He had been making lists, trying to compartmentalize his emotions again. Derek was not the threat. Derek was the exact opposite of the threat, but Derek had broken the code. Or some part of the code. Humans had been hurt.
“Just thinking about last night.”
Kate nodded. “Hale and the alpha right? Trapping those kids in the school.” She glanced at him from under her hair. “Do you think any of them found out?”
Chris shook his head, trying to go over everything. “The one kid, Jackson, who was hurt? He could have seen something before he was injured. But the others? I don’t think so.”
“Do you really believe that?” Kate leaned back. “The sheriff’s son wasn’t at the game, you know.” Chris looked at her. “And I asked around, apparently Alexis saw him and Hale being talked to by the sheriff after everything.”
“What are you getting at?”
Kate shrugged. “Could be nothing. But it’s a little odd, don’t you think? Teen like that hanging out with an older guy would raise a lot of questions in a town like this, questions we would have heard about.”
“And?”
“Don’t be obtuse,” Kate glared. “The sheriff’s kid probably knows more than he’s telling. They all probably do, but that one in specific. He wasn’t at the game, but he shows up at the school?” She leaned back and Chris rubbed his face with his hand.
“Alexis is getting a copy of the police report to see what was said. It could all have been a coincidence.”
“Or there could be more werewolves.”
Chris looked at Kate. “You think?”
“Always a possibility. We killed the first beta. Hale’s sister might have gone and gotten a second one. Derek is protecting him, or her. You know how those things are, they’ll do anything to protect each other.” Kate kicked her feet up on his desk and Chris stared at the soles of her boots.
“They are all innocent until proven guilty.”
“You know that’s not the way we work, Chris.” Kate dropped her feet from the desk and leaned forward, looking Chris in the eye. “Allison was put in danger last night because we let wolves be innocent until proven guilty. We knew where Hale was, but you wouldn’t let us take the right measures.”
“Or maybe she’s safe because he was there,” Chris bit out and then looked away. “I’m not defending him, and god knows a part of me wishes I had put a bullet through his skull myself, but the cold hard facts are that Hale locked those kids in the room and the only reason one of them got hurt was because he left. Hale protected them, and it isn’t his fault they were put in danger.” He spoke harshly, trying to get through to Kate, but when he looked her in the eye all he saw was bitter disappointment.
“The only good werewolf is a dead one, and you’d do best to remember that,” Kate said before standing up, chair scraping against the wood floor.
Chris ducked his head, looking back at his list. He wasn’t crazy. He was looking at this from the only way a good hunter could. Facts. Emotions had no place in the field.
***
The text from Scott was still up on her phone when Lydia showed up at Allison’s house Sunday morning. Scott had, reasonably, been unsure how Allison was handling the entire issue of werewolves and the fact that her family hunted them, but had been too scared to show up at her house to confront her face to face. She had tried to reassure him as much as she could through texts, but it was hard when she had moments where she would still be freaking out.
It led to a lot of research.
She had spent most of Saturday on her computer going over her family history. She’d always known her last name meant silver, but it had a whole new meaning now that she knew what it tied in to. All the research had made it hard for her to go down and look her parents, and Kate, in the eye during dinner, but she knew she had to do it. She couldn’t show how affected she was by the whole situation.
Watching them had been revealing, because she could feel them watching her in return. They were looking for something, a sign, a weakness, something that said she was breaking. She couldn’t show them that, because they couldn’t know she was in on it. That would put people in danger, and Allison didn’t want to do that to Stiles. Or Derek.
In her research she had found out her family had a code. A motto: We hunt those that hunt us.
Derek hadn’t tried to hunt her, but Allison couldn’t begin to imagine how loose that motto would be when it came to threats towards their family. She had always known her dad was a good shot, his cover story was a gun dealer! And Kate- Kate had already tried to kill Stiles, without provocation, even!
Allison would not be the reason someone was actually killed. She didn’t want anyone to be that reason, which was why she was doing what Scott had asked in his latest text and reaching out to Lydia and Danny to make sure they hadn’t imploded with this knowledge over the weekend.
Lydia looked composed when Allison opened the door for her, and had even smiled faintly at her dad who was watching them from the kitchen. She didn’t even seem too put out when Allison shut her bedroom door to give them privacy, just took a seat at the end of Allison’s bed and looked at the books Allison had hidden under her desk.
“Research?” Lydia asked, inclining her head towards the books.
Allison nodded. “I mean. You have to start somewhere to take all of it in.”
Lydia hmmed and then looked at Allison. “It’s fascinating stuff, isn’t it? I’ve been texting Stiles all weekend so he can clarify for me, but either Derek is answering all his texts, or he’s really messed up over the whole breakup because all I’ve been getting is one word responses.”
“Wait breakup, what?” Allison asked, and then clamped her hand over her mouth, because that wasn’t what she had wanted to ask. She had wanted to ask about Lydia being completely calm over this whole thing and doing research of her own.
Lydia shrugged. “Yeah. I guess Danny broke up with him, which honestly, good riddance because even taking away the werewolf aspect, Danny does not need the bullshit that is the friendship between Stiles and Derek.”
Allison collapsed in her computer seat. It made sense that Danny would want to leave. Even she had felt vaguely voyeuristic watching Stiles and Derek interact with one another. She could only imagine what Danny had been feeling. “Wow,” she breathed out. “How is Danny taking it?”
Lydia tilted her head back and forth, like she was weighing her options. “Is the FBI website still up?” Allison turned towards her computer in confusion, but before she could search to see if it was Lydia started talking again. “He’s not great, but it has not reached dangerous levels yet. He’s been researching with me, so that’s distracting him, as well as being a good sign. And tomorrow they say Jackson will be up for visitors, so his parents will drive us down to Sacramento to see him.”
“Jackson isn’t at the hospital here?”
Lydia’s gave a tight-lipped smile. “There is no plastic surgeon at this hospital, and he needed his cheek reconstructed. His mother was telling me they think the swelling will go down enough to not be noticeable at the dance next month.”
Allison went slack jaw. She hadn’t realized that Stiles had caused so much damage. “Well that’s good?”
Lydia clucked her tongue. “Indeed. Otherwise I’d be forced to drag Danny and Stiles as my date just to make up for it, and who knows when those two will be on speaking terms again. So. Have I passed your psych evaluation? Can you report back to Scott that I haven’t spilled my guts yet?”
“It wasn’t like that, Lydia.”
“Oh I know. That was only part of it, I’m sure. But it was a sizeable part.”
“Well yeah,” Allison admitted, “but can you blame me? This is a pretty big secret and I thought, maybe we should all get together and kinda cover the basics?”
“We can do that at lunch tomorrow.”
“I meant, like with Derek?” Allison dropped her voice to a whisper as she said Derek’s name. She had kept an ear out for someone creeping outside her door, but she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure.
Lydia gave her a look. “I don’t think that’s a wise idea. Not with Danny, at least.”
“Yeah well, I didn’t know they had broken up when I thought of it.” Allison slumped in her chair in defeat.
The silence stretched over the room for a long minute before Lydia shifted and Allison perked up.
“I guess I could convince Danny to come to a meeting,” she mumbled, taking her phone out of her purse. “He was the one to do the breaking up, and he’s going to need to deal with this shit sooner or later.” Lydia started tapping away at her phone and then she paused, flipping her phone around. “This is probably going to go over better if I yell at him. He’ll just avoid my text.”
Allison clapped her hands together and nodded frantically. “Thank you so much. Tell him I’ll be swinging by to pick him up in a few.” She got off of her chair and went to her closet, pulling out her bow and the quiver she had a few practice arrows in.
“What. The hell is that?” Lydia asked, and when Allison turned around she saw that Lydia was staring at her, tongue in her teeth and the phone held away from her ear.
Allison grinned and waved the bow a little. “The other thing I wanted you and Danny for. A cover story.”
Lydia dropped her hand into her lap. “Explain.”
“For the bow or for the cover story?” Allison asked with a smile.
“Both. And for the record, that innocent act is not cute, and you need to drop it.”
Allison laughed, but nodded herself into a more serious mood. She couldn’t help it, she liked seeing the surprise on people’s face. “I’ve been doing archery since I can remember. It’s kinda like a family tradition?”
“Go figure,” Lydia muttered.
“I realize that now. But, I stopped because it’s weird. No one does it anymore. But I think it would come in handy.”
Lydia looked at her. “You mean handy against the alpha?”
Allison nodded. “Every little bit helps, right? And well, if I’m going to be doing this without my parents getting suspicious I can’t just be interested again. But what if, say, you and Danny are a little freaked out after what happened? And I offered to help you two? It would give us a reason to hang out and my parents won’t question it.”
“They might even encourage it,” Lydia said, humming in agreement. “This is surprisingly well thought out, Allison.” She opened her phone again. “I like this.”
Allison grinned and gathered the rest of her things while Lydia called Danny to convince him to come out with them.
***
Stiles rolled over, ducking his head under Derek’s chin so his face pressed into Derek’s neck. His finger kept tracing over where the alpha had cut Derek’s chest, and even though it had long since healed Stiles still felt like he could see it. They had been like this almost all weekend, curled up together, coming down from everything that had happened Friday night while they worked out what to do with the alpha. Their original plan hadn’t worked the way they wanted it to, and Stiles was sure they wouldn’t be able to pull that kind of stunt off again, so they needed a backup, a whole new perspective.
Their planning was made easier by his dad working overtime now that the police had confirmation of who the first victim was. The blood tests were supposed to come back sometime next week, but his dad was already chasing leads that were hopefully not stone cold yet. It felt good that part of it was out in the open, even if it was just a small part, not even a portion of the whole truth.
Derek had given his statement, but they needed to stay low. When he had come back from the station he told Stiles he’d been followed, and that one of the hunters was checking out the police station. No doubt the news of Laura’s death would get back to the Argents soon, and then they’d have new issues to deal with. They’d ridden out the hunters’ assumption of Laura being the alpha for a lot longer than they had thought they could have gotten away with.
Stiles let out a breath and pressed closer to Derek, hands going to his waist so he had something to hold on to. He felt Derek shift and their feet tangled together for a moment before Derek threw a leg over Stiles’ hip, tucking their bodies tight together.
“Your phone is going off again,” Derek mumbled into his hair.
“Probably just Lydia. Or Scott. Maybe both,” Stiles said, mouthing along Derek’s neck. He didn’t want to talk to anyone else. Lydia had sent a one line text saying she was sorry things had ended between Danny and him before everything else had been questions about werewolf lore.
His favourite question so far had been do you have a knot? because apparently Lydia had no shame. That one had been the reason Stiles had passed off the duty of answering his phone to Derek. He was good at one word answers.
Derek shifted, pulling away from him and Stiles dug his fingers into Derek’s shirt, keeping him from leaving. Derek looked down at him with a fond expression, and Stiles relaxed. “I’m just looking to see what they said. It could be your dad.”
Stiles sighed but let Derek grab his phone from the bedside table. He waited patiently for Derek to rearrange himself so they were back in a similar position, but one that would allow Derek to read and respond to the texts.
“Allison says she’s coming over.”
Stiles’ eyes popped open and he looked from Derek to the phone. “What?”
Derek turned the phone so Stiles could see the text, and yup, that’s what it said. With a smiley emoticon. Stiles sometimes couldn’t handle Allison.
“Fuck,” Stiles said, pressing his face into the pillow. “Tell her no.”
He heard the phone buzz again. “She says she’s bringing everyone.” Another buzz. “And that since Scott has a key he’ll let them all in if you don’t answer the door.”
Stiles looked at Derek and he seemed almost too amused by the entire prospect. He grabbed his phone from Derek and flopped to his back.
You should know not to just invade a werewolf’s den, Lady Argent.
He heard Derek snort against his neck, and Stiles shifted with Derek so that way Derek could be the one curled up around him for a change. He waited for another text, keeping one ear on the front door for the group of them.
You’re so cute!!! Allison’s text read.
Stiles blew out a breath. “Someone is rather well adjusted to this whole thing.”
He felt Derek nod against his neck, and he shivered a little when he felt lips on his pulse point. He tilted his head to the side, letting Derek have more skin to mouth along.
“That’s a good thing, right?” Derek asked. Teeth scraped against his neck as Derek spoke and Stiles shivered again.
He dropped his phone back to the bedside table because obviously this was happening whether he wanted it to or not. “I guess? It’s just weird. First Lydia dives right into research, and I mean super accurate research, and now Allison is showing up? And making jokes?”
Derek shrugged. “Maybe we should have told them earlier?”
Stiles let out a fake laugh, because yeah that would have gone over well, and he heard the front door opening. He could smell Scott, Lydia and Allison, and, after a moment, Danny as well. Derek’s hands on his hips tightened and Stiles gasped as he felt a quick bite on his shoulder. Derek’s tongue licked over the bite like he was apologizing, and Stiles could feel it already healing over even as he gave Derek a questioning look.
“Do you want me to tell Scott to send Danny away?” Derek asked, pushing himself into a sitting position as people came up the stairs.
Stiles rolled over, sitting up as well. “No. It’s. I told him he couldn’t cut us out so I can’t do it, either.”
Derek placed a hand on his shoulder, the same one he had just bitten, and his thumb traced over Stiles’ collarbone. “I’m here for you.” It didn’t sound as awkward as Stiles had imagined it would. It was sincere, and Stiles turned, fitting himself in Derek’s lap as he hugged him.
“I’ll be okay.” Derek bit him gently on the neck this time, and Stiles hit his shoulder. “Stop it,” he said lightly, climbing off of Derek so the others wouldn’t see them like that. He wasn’t embarrassed but it would probably be too much to explain to everyone else. He needed that closeness. He needed Derek, had since he had gotten bitten but even more now.
The door to his room opened just as Stiles dropped to the floor and he looked up at the four of his friends with wide eyes.
“Hey,” he said awkwardly, waving.
The four of them shuffled into the room, and it took a moment for everyone to find a spot to sit. Lydia took the computer chair, while Scott and Allison sat down with their backs against Stiles’ dresser. Danny was against the door, eyes flicking up to Derek before he dropped his gaze to his hands. Stiles wished he could go over there and comfort him, but he wouldn’t know where to begin. He knew why they couldn’t be together. It was dangerous, but that didn’t mean Stiles didn’t want Danny as his friend. They had a great time together, the sex aside. They had things in common, and Danny got references that Scott would never get. That Derek would never get.
Stiles felt Derek rearrange himself on the bed, framing his legs around Stiles’ shoulders and boxing him in. Stiles leaned his head on Derek’s upper thigh and took a moment to just feel Derek’s hands in his hair.
“So now that the shock of everything has pretty much left people, do you want to fill us all in?” Lydia asked, her voice cutting through the silence.
He opened his eyes and avoided looking at Danny. “I don’t really know what to say. You seemed to have your own research.”
“Which you’ve barely begun to verify. And honestly, if your alpha looks like that, is that insane, why are you taking days off and doing nothing?” Lydia snapped. “You should have put it down months ago.”
Stiles tensed up. “We’ve been trying. This was the first time we’ve even really seen the alpha, let alone been able to fight it.” He knew he was sounding defensive but he didn’t care. They didn’t understand how frustrating it had been. “The alpha has had us on a wild goose chase since the beginning. It may be insane but it’s still clever. It’s still capable of playing with us. It’s not some mindless thing. It has an agenda.”
“It wants you in its pack,” Danny spoke up, and Stiles tried so hard not to look at him. “Both of you. And that’s why it went after me, because I was a loose end and it thought I was holding you back.”
Stiles swallowed and he squeezed Derek’s thigh because he couldn’t answer that.
“That’s the theory we are going off of,” Derek said, fingers tracing down to Stiles’ neck in a calming pattern. “You said you got a text from Stiles?”
“Yeah. But,” Danny cut himself off. “Stiles didn’t send it, did he?”
Stiles shook his head. “No. I didn’t. Too busy running for my life.” He risked a glance at Danny when he heard him move.
“What’s up?” Lydia asked curiously as Danny walked over to her, reaching behind her to get at Stiles’ computer.
“If Stiles didn’t send the text that means someone else did,” Derek said tensely.
“The alpha,” Danny said with a nod, logging onto Stiles’ computer. “And if you give me a few minutes I can get you who exactly sent me that text message.”
“You can do that?” Scott asked, getting up so he could watch Danny work.
Stiles stayed where he was, because it wasn’t like he had much of an option. Derek was keeping a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stay seated.
“Danny is very talented,” Lydia confirmed, spinning in the computer chair.
Allison let out a low whistle. “So you can just? What? Find out who sent this and then we have the alpha?”
“In theory,” Danny said. “At least we’ll know where the alpha sent the text from, which means we’ll have some idea where it’s staying when it’s in human form.”
“Alphas have human forms?” Scott asked.
Stiles couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Yes Scott, alphas are the same as any other werewolf. It can blend in as a human just like any of us. If it couldn’t how do you think it’s been able to avoid us?”
Scott looked at him apologetically. “I don’t know. I just thought you guys really sucked at tracking.”
Stiles heard everyone else smother their laughter and he rolled his eyes. “Haha, very funny.”
“Got it,” Danny interrupted, leaning back so everyone could see the work.
Derek and Stiles stood up and pushed aside Allison and Scott so they could see the screen.
“What?” Stiles said right as Scott pushed him aside to get back in front of the computer.
“What does that mean?” Scott demanded, pointing at the screen where it clearly said the text was sent from Melissa McCall’s hospital computer. “Stiles, why was the alpha using my mom’s work computer?”
Stiles looked at Derek for help but he couldn’t form words. “I don’t…”
“It probably means nothing,” Derek said, trying to placate Scott, but Stiles could hear his heartbeat skip.
“Bullshit,” Scott snapped. “If the alpha was going after Danny, what’s to stop it from going after me?”
“Scott,” Stiles tried again, but Derek cut him off.
“It’s probably just a taunt and nothing else. You don’t matter like Danny did.” Stiles winced because that was a harsh way to put it, but Derek kept going. “You wouldn’t be a hindrance to Stiles being pack. The alpha has no reason to bother with you.” He turned to Stiles then. “I’m going to the hospital.”
Stiles flipped into action, grabbing his coat from the chair. “Not without me.”
“Stiles,” Derek tried but Stiles glared at him.
“You and me, buddy. Do not fight me on this, Derek.”
“How do you even know you’ll find it there?” Allison asked as the two of them headed for the door.
“We don't,” Stiles said. “We’ll probably need to get footage from surveillance tapes and look over that.”
“Then you’ll need me,” Danny said, getting up.
“No!” Stiles and Derek said at the same time.
Danny glared at them. “You’ll be in a public place. It’s the middle of the afternoon. There is not going to be a giant brawl in the hospital. I will be fine. And you will need me if you want to look at those tapes.”
Stiles bit his lip in frustration. “No Danny. You are not coming with us. The alpha already thinks you’re a threat and if you’re there-” his voice cut off.
Derek picked up for him. “No.” He said, pointing his finger in Danny’s face as if he were some puppy he could tell to stay.
Stiles was not surprised Danny just batted the hand down. “Don’t treat me like a child.”
“I’m treating you like a human,” Derek growled.
“Humans help in packs too.”
Stiles grabbed Derek’s hand before he could take a step towards Danny. He didn’t think anything would come of it, but the intimidation factor was not something they needed. Derek squeezed his hand back, but kept his eyes locked with Danny’s. “Pack members know when to listen, too,” he snapped.
Danny lowered his eyes for a moment, and even though he looked back up it was enough to calm Derek down. “Well, just know that your plan sucks and you need back up.”
“I have back up,” Derek said, nodding to Stiles.
Danny glanced at him, and then looked back at Derek. “I’m not reviewing those tapes with you two when you end up needing me.”
Stiles watched as Danny leaned against his desk and then he looked at everyone else. “We’ll text you once we have an update. You guys shouldn’t stay here.”
“We’ll move to my place,” Lydia said, standing up. “Allison was going to show us some archery.”
Stiles arched an eyebrow, but Derek was already moving towards the door. Archery he mouthed at Allison and she waved at him as Derek pulled him out of the room.
“Have fun fighting the alpha!” Allison called.
“Think it’ll work?” Lydia asked.
There was a beat before Allison answered amidst laughing. “It would take a miracle. Goodbye!!”
Stiles appreciated the reference because it meant they would win.
***
They ran to the hospital, because Derek didn’t think either of them had the ability to drive at the moment. He could feel Stiles vibrating and he was sure he was almost exactly the same way. The hospital was still bustling with activity by the time they got there, and Derek grabbed Stiles by the shoulder, slowing down their pace so they wouldn’t draw attention to themselves.
Derek tucked his hands in his coat pocket, looking around the entryway for any sign of something being off. He could see Stiles sniffing discreetly, trying to find Scott’s mom no doubt.
“The alpha has never been here,” Stiles whispered and Derek nodded, heading down one of the hallways.
It was strange. The alpha had pretty much laid claim to the entire town, but the hospital was strangely empty of its scent. That didn’t sit well with Derek. He felt Stiles walking behind him and he wondered what image they presented to the rest of the hospital. No doubt that even when they found Scott’s mom she would have her own questions to ask about why they were there.
“I can’t find Ms. McCall,” Stiles said. “And I have no idea which computer could be hers.”
Derek took a sharp turn, heading towards the long-term care section of the hospital. “We’ll ask Jennifer.”
“Jennifer?” Stiles picked up his speed so he was walking alongside Derek instead of behind him. “Didn’t realize you were on first name terms with anyone here.”
Derek snorted, taking his hand out of his pocket to take hold of Stiles’ hand. “She’s the nurse that looks after my uncle. She’ll know where Scott’s mom is.”
“Your uncle?” Stiles asked, stopping mid-step and dropping Derek’s hand. “I didn’t know you had an uncle that was still alive.”
Derek stopped as well, looking back at Stiles. “What does it matter? He’s been in a coma since the fire.”
Stiles did that thing where he flailed his arms around and puffed out his face, before settling for an angry scowl. “Dude! You can’t just! There was a suspect here the entire time and you didn’t even think to mention it to me?”
“A suspect? What do you mean a suspect, Stiles?” Derek asked, stepping closer to him, feeling anger starting to well up. He’d thought Stiles would understand why he couldn’t mention Peter, and he definitely had never thought Stiles would jump to such a ridiculous assumption. “He’s been mostly dead since the coma.”
Stiles flailed some more and Derek could smell the frustration rolling off him. “Mostly dead means he’s slightly alive, and slightly alive with the power to heal means going completely insane in your own mind means perfect candidate for crazed alpha.”
“Now Stiles, I wouldn’t say I was crazed. That’s just mean.”
Derek and Stiles froze. Derek couldn’t smell anything different, and the hospital kept buzzing around them, people going about their own business, but it was like something was crushing down on him. He was in the presence of an alpha and it spoke with his uncle’s voice.
“Derek,” Stiles whispered, glancing over Derek’s shoulder.
He spun around, not caring what it looked like in the crowded hallway. He kept his eyes open, looking for his uncle, the alpha, his sister’s killer. There he was, leaning against a wall, casual as could be in street clothing.
Derek blinked. Peter’s face was completely healed, and it most certainly hadn’t been the last time Derek had seen him. Something must have shown in his expression because his uncle smiled and pointed nonchalantly to the right side of his face, and the unmarked skin.
“I was waiting for a more dramatic moment but you two are just not ones for drama are you?” His uncle didn’t look like he should. His eyes were different, cold and uncaring.
Derek felt Stiles grip his arm, and when he glanced at him he could see the golden eyes of the wolf. His head snapped back to his uncle, or at least, where he had been.
“Do come along, pups,” Peter’s voice called. “Don’t want to cause a scene in the middle of the hospital, do we?”
Derek swallowed and stalked after his uncle, bringing Stiles with him.
“Derek,” Stiles whispered, but he didn’t continue speaking just slipped his hand down Derek’s forearm so their fingers could intertwine, and when Derek looked back at him it was like his face was an open book. He looked terrified and it only took a moment to figure out why he wasn’t talking. He didn’t want Peter, the alpha, to know why he was afraid. No doubt he could sense it, but he couldn’t read Stiles’ mind and right now their secrets were all they had.
Derek knew why Stiles was afraid though. He’d always been scared of losing control, terrified that once he met the alpha he wouldn’t be able to go through with their plans. Instinct would kick in and it would be too much for him. He’d be driven to serve the alpha and it would end with Stiles hurting the people he loved.
Derek shook his head slightly as they walked out of the hospital, into the back parking lot where Peter was waiting for them. He wasn’t going to let Stiles lose himself. They were in this together and that was not changing. He had Stiles’ back the same way Stiles had his. This is how they worked, and how they would work once it was just them. Them and their pack.
Derek pushed the thought to the side. They couldn’t afford to be distracted by whatever was going to be between them, and he was pretty sure Stiles was on the same page.
He stopped in front of his uncle, keeping a tight hold on Stiles’ hand.
“You two are so precious,” Peter said, looking them up and down. “Working together and making my job so much easier.” Derek was impressed that Stiles didn’t answer, but to Derek that just showed how scared he was. Peter didn’t seem to care. “So you two have found me out. Or at least, I let you find me out. What led you here? What mistake did I make?”
“I doubt you made any mistake,” Stiles said, ducking his head. “We always thought we’d find you right when you wanted us to.”
Peter’s eyebrow rose in surprise and he tried to stare Derek down to see if Stiles was lying, but Derek had worked on his poker face for too long not to have it crack now. “Too true. I figured someone in your rag tag group could figure out how to trace that message. I’ll admit it was a little sloppy on my end, but, well. You have to do what’s best for pack.” He flashed a grin and took a step forward, and it was all Derek could do not to lash out.
But the plan had changed now, hadn’t it? He thought back to the conversations Stiles and he had had this weekend, wrapped up in the safety of Stiles’ bed. They weren’t capable of taking on the alpha so they needed to take a different approach. Appeal to the alpha’s weakness, his need for a pack.
He jumped a little when he felt Peter’s cool hand on his cheek. He hadn’t been expecting it, and the only thing that let him know he hadn’t lost face was the fact that Stiles had jumped too. Peter looked at them fondly.
“You two have changed your tune. Quite a difference from earlier when you were hell bent on killing me.” Derek watched as his thumb traced Stiles’ cheek slowly. Peter was no doubt trying to cement the bond between Stiles and him. He would need to if he wanted them to be pack. “Why’s that?” Peter tilted his head. “What game are you two trying to play now?”
Stiles licked his lips. “What does it matter? You’ll always win.”
Peter laughed at that, dropping his hands from their faces. “Look at that spunk. I guess I made the right choice picking you.” Before either of them could say anything else Peter had wormed his way in between the two of them, breaking the death grip Derek had been keeping on Stiles’ hand. “We are going to have so much fun, you two. I can just tell.”
Part 2