Saving Lydia


He had finally been dancing with Lydia freaking Martin. Slow dancing none the less, she had been pressed against him in her beautiful white dress with her slightly orange hair tickling his cheek. The music was soft and gentle like her pale skin. Sadly that was when her lovely eyes started to scan the room. He knew who she was looking for, of course he knew. He wasn't stupid. "You okay?" he asked but his stomach sank at her worried gaze. God she deserved so much better than that jockey loser. "Uh…" she seemed a bit confused at his sudden question. "I just need a little break." The small smile on her face wasn't a real one. He had learned to recognize her true smile. This was just a polite one she used to keep suspicion of her when something went wrong.

A part of him wanted to ignore that fact but her fingers squeezed his shoulders tighter, unknowingly portraying her worry. He knew he was going to regret his next words but they came out of his mouth anyway. "You mean you need to go find Jackson." It came out as a sigh, she avoided eye contact which was all the confirmation he needed.

When she finally looked up and nodded at him he simply nodded back and squeezed her elbows reassuringly. "I get it." he managed to keep his voice from cracking to much as disappointment settled down as a rock on his heart. Dropping his eyes to the ground he dutifully followed her out of the gym room, away of the swell of the music and the smell of sweaty teenagers. His footsteps were heavy and reluctant, she was still holding his hand but it felt more like a mother leading her sulking child out of a mall than a girl holding a boy she loved.

As they reached the hall she let go of his clammy hand and shot her a watery smile. "I can take it from here Stiles." Desperately he looked for a reason to stay with her, to go out with her, to keep holding her hand but he couldn't find any. Now it was his turn to avoid eye contact. "Yeah sure. I'll just go back inside. In case you need me." halfway through his sentence the sound of doors slamming closed echoed through the hall, she had already left.

Mumbling a couple of very specific curse words all aimed at Jackson he went back towards the dance to sulk in a chair. She deserved so much better than him. When Lydia didn't return after 10 minutes it was his turn to worry. Deciding he could at least help her find him he picked up his phone to call her. No answer. Maybe she was still out on the parking lot and he could just find her again.

He was too frustrated to stay between all the couples in the gym anyway. Stiles pushed through the silver chords decorating the door when he found himself face to face with Mr Jackass himself. "Where the hell have you been?" the words slipped out of him before he could stop himself, he was to fend up to care about the consequences of being rude to Jackson. He started to answer but Stiles just continued.

"Did Lydia ever find you?" A frown formed onto his perfect square face. The jock let out a tiny little sigh before shooting him a sideway glance that send another wave of frustration through Stiles' body. He shrugged his shoulders hoping to prompt an answer out of Jackson, why couldn't this kid just answer normally. The worried and defeated gleam in the others kid eyes caused him the hesitate a little though. "What? What's wrong?" he demanded as worry started to bloom in his chest.

Jackson swallowed hard, clearly in distress as his breath came out shaky. His normally confident stance had crumpled and his shoulders sagged underneath his impeccable suit. The words came out stammering, almost too soft to hear above the pounding beat. "I was out behind the school, and I…" he trailed of trying to gather himself. The way his ademsapple bobbed made Stiles' heart shiver with worry, something was very wrong.

Jackson shook his head a little before attempting to talk again. "I was out." but he caught himself again shivering as he spoke. Stiles eyes narrowed as he tried to piece together what could have possibly happened to Jackson to get the boy so messed up. It must have been something pretty big. Something pretty bad. "What happened." he pressed. Stiles tried to put some authority in his voice, the way his father talked to confused victims.

His dad used to tell Stiles that this was a way to make people think you had controle and it set their minds at ease. It was supposed to make them think straight and answer quicker. Stiles didn't think he nailed it but he got close enough for it to work. Jackson had made eye contact with him again but those eyes only made him nervouse. They seemed to tell a story that Stiles couldn't understand, all he could figure out from it was that Jackson Wittemore was terrified.

"Jackson." His own voice tripped a little this time. When he looked away again, guilt written all over his face Stiles' heart sank faster than the titanic. "What did you do?" There was a couple of seconds of tense silence before he looked back up at Stiles.

"I saw them Stiles. I saw them and I left." "What did you see Jackson?" he flinched when Stiles raised his voice the tensions breaking his patience and resolve. "The red eyes." Terror that was the only emotion that ran through Stiles' body when Jackson finally spoke. "In the woods outside of school. They were glowing. I am sure I saw them." He might have continued if Stiles hadn't run by him, shoving him to the side as he remembered Lydia. She was out there, alone. She didn't even know what was out there.

He cursed at himself for not being faster, for not figuring out why Jackson had been so scared. He pushed out side into the cold night air, desperately looking around himself in hopes of seeing Lydia somewhere. Nothing. He mind raced. Where had she gone? Where would she have gone to? Oh god he should have stayed with her! What was wrong with him! He cursed his own mind for not concentrating. Where would she have gone to look for Jackson?"

The lacrosse field, she had to be there. He sprinted down the stairs and around the school not even thinking about the consequences. He had to find Lydia. He had to protect her and get her the hell inside. "Jackson?" he heard her voice in the distance. Faint but clearly Lydia. Panting he rounded to the corner, all the spotlights were on. That was never a good sign.

Her voice echoed through the misty night again. "Jackson?" her voice was softer this time more hesitant. His heart raced inside of his chest and his lungs burned but he couldn't stop. Whoever she was seeing on the field wasn't Jackson. She had to get out of there. "Jackson is that you?" he could see her now, in the middle of the field with her back to him. In front of her was a tall shadow of a man, he was certain he knew who it was. The realisation stole his breath in horror. The man was walking towards her at a steady pace, unwavering and certain.

"Jackson. Is that you?" the sound of her voice was so soft and he knew she knew it wasn't Jackson, the start of fear coated her words and he knew if he could see her face that she would be crying. This couldn't be happening, not to Lydia. She didn't deserve this. For once in his life he wished he had been bitten so he could race towards her and save her from the appending attack. But no, he was weak and slow and he would never get there in time.

"Lydia!" he cried out desperately. She turned towards him as he finally reached the field. For a second confusion was all that was written on her face. "Run!" He watched her as Peter loomed up behind her. His shirt and tie as red as his eyes. No! He had to stop him, he had to save her, he had to be faster. The cold air bit into his skin as the wet grass moved underneath his feet, he almost slipped.

The young girl flipped around her eyes meeting those horrible once of Peter Hale. He watched hopelessly as the jaws of the wolf opened, he was close enough to see those horrible canine teeth as he crept closer to her. A terrifying growl ripped from the monsters throat as he lunged at the terrified teen. She collapsed underneath his weight, blood already staining her white dress. She had been so shocked, so surprised that she hadn't even screamed.

Her body dropped onto the wet grass, long wounds on either side of her arms as Peter dropped onto his knees next to her. Stiles didn't even think to run the other way as he finally reached her, he practically slide over the wet ground next to her. His body came to an abrupt halt just millimetres away from her still from when Peter moved over her with a growl. The movement was predatory more wolf than human, as he protected his prey from intruders. Both of them were on all fours, Peter hovering over Lydia with Stiles only a centimetre away. Her blood stained his teeth and chin, he could smell it on the man's face.

Out of pure instinct Stiles backed away a little at the sound. Carefully raising his hands at a sign of submission as he sat on his knees, as he would do with a rabid dog instead of a human. But his eyes stayed on Lydia, her eyes and fallen closed and blood slowly dripped from her wounds. His heart broke at the sight, he had been too late, her chest still rose but she had been bitten by a wolf. Her life would get turned upside down, there was no stopping that now.

The wolf had moved closer to him, still emitting a low growl from inside his chest. When he glanced into those blood red eyes he had to supress a whimper and was forced to look away. "Don't kill her." he spoke quickly, scared that his words would get stuck on the way out. His breathing was ragged as the reality of the situation hit him again. "Please." He found himself begging the alpha along with every single god he could think of. He had to at least save her life.

A bit of humanity returned to Peter as he raised his hand. His fingers twitched as he studied the young man shivering in front of him, begging for another person's life. He glanced at the young woman underneath him and let out a small smile. "Of course not." he inched a little closer to Stiles. "Just tell me how to find Derek."

The boy's eyes didn't leave the body trapped underneath Peter, until he made his demand. The kid smelled like fear, adrenaline and desperation, his heart which had already been going at a record pace spiked when he was presented with that horrible choice. Peter enjoyed watching him struggle. "What?" Stiles managed to force out a reply. Everything was going too, none of this was supposed to be happening. He couldn't process the words with Lydia just lying there on the grass, bleeding.

Peter shifted a little and let one of his claws trace a line on the unconscious girls face when he repeated his statement patently. He already knew the outcome of this conversation but he didn't mind playing with prey a bit longer. "Tell me how to find Derek Hale." He just loved to watch the boy tremble with fear, trying to figure a way out of a hopeless situation. He wondered if the kid would be foolish enough to try and stop him from ripping the girl's face of. He probably would.

Stiles mind was racing and so was his heart. The man wasn't making a direct threat but he was merely showing Stiles how helpless he was against him. Lydia could die in a second and Stiles wouldn't be able to do a thing. Tears were threating to escape as he stammered. "I don't know that." God he was terrified, he hadn't even thought about his own safety yet. "How would I know that?" He hoped that this would satisfy him, make him go away. He couldn't just sell out Derek right? That wasn't right.

But looking down at Lydia's blood face and dirty curls nothing at all felt right that particular night. He needed help, back up. Where was Scott? Hell he'd even settle for the argents if that meant getting Lydia out of this situation unharmed. He couldn't even get his body to stop shivering.

It seemed as if the monster in front of him had an answer ready because he barely waited for Stiles to finish speaking, almost as if he already knew how this conversation would go. "Because you're the clever on aren't you? And because deception has a particular acrid scent, Stiles." A whole new wave of fear coursed through him, he knew he was lying. He could bloody smell it! "Tell me the truth."

He face was so close that Stiles could feel his breath on his skin, he kept on getting closer and every fibre in his body was screaming at him to run away from the monster. He must have looked so pitiful in before the powerful alpha, shaking, shivering. Unable to save this one person. "Or I will rip her apart." The threat came out with such ease that Stiles knew it wasn't a fake one. This time an actually sob managed to break free, he had no way out. Something had to give.

The alpha's gaze was hard and cold, drilling into him and demanding submission. He was in full controle of the situation and he knew it. "Look, I don't know, okay?" he tried one more time, he tried to hold the other man's stare but couldn't. Those eyes held nothing but death and destruction. God his hands were still touching Lydia. He didn't know how hurt she was if she would even make it out alive.

"I swear to God, I have no idea." his heart hammered hard enough that he thought it might break out of his chest. The words came out stuttering and weak, a desperate plea for mercy. His eyes hesitantly caught that of the mans a couple of times to see if he had bought the lie, but he couldn't keep them focused for more than a moment before feeling terror flooding his lungs. God he couldn't breathe. Stiles thought he was going to pass out as his lungs tried to suck in air but his panic was making it impossible.

Suddenly he lost composure and a roar ripped from the man's throat making his ears ring and his heart stop. "Tell me!" The roar wasn't a human sound and it echoed into the cold night. Stiles could feel his resolve snap as a branch underneath a boot. Without realising he even turned his eyes to the ground showing pure submission to the demand of an alpha. "Okay, okay, okay, look." The rambling began and he couldn't stop it. The only thing in his head was the thought of saving Lydia and that awful sound forcing him to tell the truth.

"I…" his eyes met the eyes of the monster searching for a glimmer of mercy or humanity and found none. The words came out broken and stammering. He had to suck in air hard to concentrate, terrified that if he made one mistake he would have to watch Lydia's throat getting torn open by vicious teeth. "I think he knew…" "Knew what?" peter snapped making Stiles sink deeper into himself, squeezing his eyes shut for a second.

"Derek, I think he… I think he knew he was going to be caught." He hated himself for breaking, he hated himself for being so weak that he was giving this horrible creature what it wanted. "By the Argents?" "Yeah." He confirmed with a weak nodded. Adrenaline was still coursing through him, pushing him to do something anything, but he couldn't do anything without killing Lydia and possibly himself. "And?" god those eyes, even when blue could bore a whole into his skull.

"When they were shot, he and Scotty…" he hesitated for a second when he remember that his was the beast that had turned Scott's life upside down without blinking. "I think he took Scott's phone." "Why?" Peter turned his head slightly trying to catch the kid's eye again. He liked seeing him tremble before him, it made him want to keep the boy so that he could always feel this powerful.

"They all have GPS now. So if he still has it and if it's still on." He fell silent for a second but Peter didn't push him, he knew that he would tell him. What he didn't expect was that Stiles looked him straight in the eyes when he did finally speak, they were filled with pure hatred for Peter. But the wolf smelled the fear and self-hatred for spilling the secrets rolling of the boy's body and wasn't fooled.

Still even though the kid was shaking as a leaf Peter had to admit that he wasn't a coward. "You can find him." he finally relents the last bit of information that Peter so desperately wanted. A horribly satisfied smile spread across Peter's lips showing of his perfectly white teeth while rising from the ground finally moving away from the girl.

"You are coming with me." he stated calmly readjusting the sleeves of his leather coat carefully. "And you'll show me how to track my nephew." The kid stayed on his knees staring defeated at the ground. "No. I'm not just letting you leave her here." Peter merely let out a frustrated sigh not meeting the boys eyes as he whipped away some of the girls blood. "You don't have a choice, Stiles." He explained. "You're coming with me."

The wave of hopelessness coming from the teen stung bitterly in his nose, he cherished the smell. "Just kill me. Look I don't care anymore!" Stiles felt his heart breaking as Lydia's chest kept on rising shallower he had failed. He didn't protect her, he had let her go out in the night fully aware of the danger. Instead of staying with her he had been drowning in self-pity in the gym hall and now he had betrayed Derek which meant he had betrayed Scott.

If he couldn't even protect his friends than what was his worth? He was nothing. A dirty hand moved into his flied of vision and he slowly raised his eyes to see Peter nonchalant stretching out a hand to help him up. He was still holding a white handkerchief dirtied by Lydia's blood. But the hand didn't stop, no those horrible fingers pressed against the bottom of his chin and he felt himself standing at the pressure of them.

They were sharp with the nails of a wolf and dug deep into his skin threating to break it and draw blood. Now he stood there breathing heavily, his hand grasped Peters wrist and arm to balance himself and in a feeble attempt to stop the pressure of the nails. A part of Peter was amused to see that Stiles still had some self-preservation yet and studied those eyes for a second. He wasn't going to leave her alone in the cold night and would go down fighting.

Letting out a deep sigh he dropped his hand from his chin. "Call your friend. Tell Jackson where she is. That is all you get." Stiles breathing slowed a little and a bit of hope lit in his chest. He couldn't believe the words coming out of the alphas mouth but he wasn't about to question them. Quickly he fished the phone out of his pocket and dialled the douchebag's number wishing fervently that he'd pick up. Peter moved away from Stiles, uninterested in the conversation to come.

Stiles' fingers shook as he pressed the phone against his ear, while Peter walked into the woods he allowed himself to collapse onto his knees. He used his free hand to press onto the wound on Lydia's skin, she had gone so still and so cold. "What do you want Stilinski?" he could have cried right then and there.

"Jackson." He spoke quickly his voice still unsteady. "I found Lydia but she is hurt badly." He had to draw in a quick breath then. "She is one the lacrosse flied. Hurry she needs an ambulance." He wanted to tell Jackson to run like his life dependent on it. He wanted to tell Jackson that this was all his fault that if he had just taken Lydia to the dance none of this would have happened. He want to tell Jackson to get Scott because the big bad wolf was here.

But once he had told Jackson where Lydia was a powerful hand gripped his phone and tossed it away. Fingers dug hard into his shoulder and dragged him from the grass and away from Lydia. "You're driving." The voice hissed into his ear. Just as they were about to disappear into the woods Stiles caught a glimpse of Jackson running towards the field and allowed himself to relax for a second.

That second didn't take long because he quickly found himself being shoved into the driver seat of his own jeep. The realisation that this wasn't over hit him as a sledge hammer and the fact that he was still very much in danger burned through him. The werewolf dropped down next to him with a warning growl. "Drive." Stiles drove, the only thing he had to focus on now was staying alive.


A/N: Thank you for reading my take on this episode of Teen Wolf