What the hell was that? Stiles thought to himself as he walked away from Scott and Allison's PDA session in the hallway. Where the hell did that come from? He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts; as soon as he saw Allison run up to Scott in the hallway he felt this weird aching, in his chest, and he had never felt anything like that before.
"Hey, Stiles, wait up!" Scott called making his way to his best friend. "Why'd you walk away like that?"
"I don't know, it looked like you guys were busy."
"Yeah, no, I mean, are you alright? You look a little weird."
"No…I mean yeah! No, I'm fine, just you know, this whole 'hunter' thing is still new to me," said Stiles. "I mean she's really cool and she did help us beat the alpha…Peter, but I'm just weird to this whole hi-I'm-a-werewolf-and-I-date-a-werewolf hunter, thing."
"Dude, I understand that, but she makes me happy and I love her and she loves me. And I trust that she'd never do anything to hurt me and vice versa."
"Yeah…" Stiles said dejectedly. A locker slammed as they came face to face with Jackson and Danny.
"Hello boys, how are you feeling on this wonderful day in Beacon Hills?" Jackson said in a tone that was more than comforting, in fact, it wavered on cocky and conniving. Scott sniffed and Stiles heard it.
"There's something different about you." Scott said with narrowed eyes. Jackson breathed deep and clapped his hands together."It's the promise of a new day! After what happened at Derek's house everything just seems more vibrant and more real! It's like I've got a new lease on life, and I am not going to waste it."
Scott's eyes flicked to Danny, who was looking at Stiles through the corner of his eyes.
"Jackson.," Stiles said in a hushed but serious tone, "what exactly is this 'new lease on life' you talk about?"
Jackson, narrowing his eyes and leaning close to Stiles' face speaking at a volume that only they could hear, "let's just say that I'm going to have a howling good time from here on out." The shorter boys stared intently at the taller boy and only flinched when he yelled for Danny.
"We have business to take care of boys, after all, Scott, you're not the co-captain anymore. Looks like Coach didn't like that crap you pulled at the Formal."
"Crap?" Asked Danny, eyes darting to Scott and then back to Jackson.
"You know I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying he wasn't supposed to be there in the first place." Jackson said almost defensively.
"Whatever, can we just go? Coach asked us to come before class, and cla_" The bell rang. He looked up in annoyance, "let's just go, I have an economics quiz." The two boys walked down the hall as Scott and Stiles stared after them.
"Do you think…?" Stiles started but couldn't finish because Scott was already nodding."We should go see Derek."
"Can it wait? I have that same economics quiz," said Stiles and then both boys ran to class just as the late bell began to ring.
…
The boys looked up at the charred house, it's broken windows standing out against the charcoal black of the wood paneling. "Why do you think he still lives here? I mean, it can't be good for his already damaged psyche."
"You know he can hear you, Stiles."
"Is that supposed to scare me now because he's an alpha? It didn't scare me when he was a beta and it sure as hell doesn't scare me now."
"You're lying," a voice said from behind them and they both jumped nearly a foot in the air.
"Derek! What the fu.." yelped Stiles trying to catch his breath.
"How did you get behind us like that? I didn't even hear you," Scott got out breathing hard.
"I can't believe you're so jumpy,: he said looking at Scott. "You, on the other hand," he said turning to Stiles, " are a horrible liar. And I didn't need to hear your heartbeat." He looked down at the boys, his intense glare boring into them.
"We need to ask you something," Scott started.
"I know what you're going to ask and the answer is yes." The boys looked at each other, and Stiles started, " Are you telling us what I think you're telling us?"
"That I turned Jackson? Yeah, I'm an alpha now, and every alpha needs a pack."
"How can you say that?" Scott asked incredulously. "After everything that happened with Peter and you go and do this?"
"What can I say, the boy was more than willing. The perfect beta if you ask me, willing to follow my every order. There was desperation and then gratitude, it was delicious actually."
"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there," Stiles cutting in, "Since when does Jackson take orders from anyone?"
"Since I gave him what he was so determined to get, the bite, and since I gave it he so graciously has to follow everything I say."
"Scott, we should go…there's something not right about him," Stiles said in a hushed tone to his best friend.
"It's so cute of you to think I can't hear you, Stiles. You see, what I want the both of you to understand is, I'm the alpha now and what I say goes. And betas, seeing as how they are not alphas, have to follow everything an alpha says. Seriously, have you guys not seen Animal Planet?"Now, turning to Scott, "I was hoping that you'd decide to join me as my beta, I'd be a better alpha than Peter was anyway and you already come to me enough as it is. Not much would change, except you know, you'd actually have to listen to me now."
"Derek, we're gonna leave now, there's someone we have to check up on," Scott said as he started to follow where Stiles had started inching away.
"Fine,' Derek called after the two boys, "but I'm going to tell you this: I'm not here to hurt you guys, I'm a friend remember? Oh! And Scott, don't forget to ask your girlfriend about her dad's new friends."
"What?" Scott said turning around, but no one was there. Stiles looked at his friend, licking his lips, "we should go, I have to check on Lydia and you're going to call and tell Allison to meet us at the hospital."
…..
"Allison, hi!..No, I'm fine. I need you to meet us at the hospital….Yeah, we're gonna check on Lydia but there's something that I need to talk to you about…Yeah, Stiles and I are already on our way to the hospital…Just meet us there, I'd rather tell you in person." Scott hung up his phone and looked at his friend, eyes intent on the road, "Well…?" Stiles asked, raising an eyebrow but not looking away from the road. "She's gonna meet us there, she just had to talk to her dad first so she might be a while."
"Fine…"Stiles looked at his friend and then back to the road, questioning, "…what do you think Derek meant about asking Allison about 'her dad's new friends?'" Scott, looking out the window and then down at his hands, "I don't know, but I have this feeling that Peter was the least of my worries."
…
The boys stepped off the elevator and looked at the girl laying in the hospital bed, still unresponsive. The doctor's had said that she was improving but couldn't understand why she hadn't woken up yet, on paper she was okay just a little scarring , but she just would not wake up. "Are you okay? Scott looked at Stiles as they stood by Lydia's bedside, looking down at the still strikingly beautiful girl even though she was bandaged and hooked up to machines. Stiles sighed, placing his hand on that of the girl laying in the bed, "I'm fine, just…this is all my fault. If I had just stood up to Peter...maybe…maybe she wouldn't be here, you know? Here in this bed, not waking up, scarred and probably ruined all because I was weak."
"You were not weak," Scott said, looking intently at his friend. "You were not weak, you did what you had to do. If you hadn't told Peter where to find Derek he would have killed her and you. You did what you had to do. She's better in this bed than in a grave, a name added to the list of Peter's victims." Stiles, eyes still trained on the girl he's felt so strongly for since he could remember, murmured to himself, "I should've taken the bite. I could've stopped him."
"You did stop him," Scott interrupted. Exasperated, Stiles breathed out, "I wish you would stop doing that." Scott, looking at his friend with questioning eyes, "what?"
"I wish you would stop doing that." Stiles, walking over and picking up Lydia's chart, "I don't like you phoning in on my thoughts." Scott exhaled, "but you talk out loud to yourself, I can't help it if I overhear." Running a finger over his lips while looking at Lydia's last check up just said, "fine, just…don't say anything, pretend that you don't hear me okay?" They looked up as Allison walked into the room.
"Hi Allison." Scott beamed.
"Hey Allison." Stiles, still distractedly flipping through Lydia's file said.
"Are you guys okay? Did I walk in on something?"
"No, we're good," Scott said reaching for Allison's hands, "we have to ask you something." Allison looked from Scott to back where Stiles was still distractedly reading Lydia's file, hips lips moving as he silently read to himself. "Okay…" she said turning back to Scott, "what is it?"
"Okay, don't take this wrong but_"
"Is your dad still planning on killing Scott?" Stiles interjected. Scott gave him a look that said what-the-hell-dude and turned back to Allison. "Well…?" Stiles added, now looking up at both of them.
Allison, looking shocked at the bluntness of the question."No. As far as I know he hasn't planned to continue to hunt Scott, and I have been listening to him and mom's conversations."
"Okay, well that's nice. Another thing, what's this I hear about your dad having some 'new friends?'" Stiles, looking expectant of an answer blinked at Allison.
"Dude, what the hell, this isn't the Spanish Inquisition." Scott added looking incredulous.
"No, it's fine," Allison said, turning from Stiles to Scott and back again, "my mom did say something about others coming, but that's all I heard. That's all she said."
"Well, which is it? Is it all you heard or id it all she said?" Stiles said placing the file back in it's holder. Scott, standing up finally said, "hey! Leave her alone, she hasn't done anything to you."
"Scott please, it's fine, he's concerned about you, I understand," Allison, taking a step towards Stiles said, "that's all she said. Like I told you, I've been listening in on every conversation I can and she hasn't said anything else about these 'others, but I'm still listening. I even went through some of the family files while they were out this weekend and I couldn't find anything that could lead me to whoever she was talking about." They looked up as a nurse walked into the room.
"I'm sorry, but we only allow two guests at a time."
"It's fine," Stiles said, "I was getting ready to leave anyway. Scott, can Allison take you home, I have to go check something."
"Uh yeah, it's no problem, I can take you home." Allison said turning to Scott.
"Okay, so I'll see you guys. Let me know what the doctor has to say about her, okay?" Stiles said looking back to Lydia from where he was at the door.
"Yeah, no problem man…are you sure you're okay?" Scott said looking concerned for his friend.
"I'm fine, I just have to go see something," he said and walked out the door. Allison and Scott looking at each other and the nurse looking at them feeling the energy in the room.