Title: Foresight - VIII
Author: tmjohn72
Rating: T
A/N - I am so sorry this took me an extra day to get up. My Internet router at home has a few Gremlins going crazy. As a bonus I was wrong about this being the last chapter. There are actually nine. Here they are! Once again, I am so thankful for everyone's kind comments. Please enjoy!
Stiles tried to watch television but he found that it wasn't distracting enough. He did the dishes and finished them just as his father got home. The Sheriff seemed a little calmer but when Stiles watched him retreat into the office and pour himself a glass of whiskey he knew that he wasn't taking his news as well as he would have liked. After a moment his father emerged from his office and he took a seat at the table.
"First of all, I get that you need to punish me for skipping school. I know it was stupid, almost as stupid as invading a crime scene, but no matter what Derek said, it was all my idea."
"That is the first thing about this whole situation that I believe."
"Good. You should know that Derek and I are officially dating. It isn't infatuation, like what it was with Lydia."
"How do you know?"
"I feel it," Stiles eventually said, "like I have this connection with him. He isn't the same with me as he is with our other friends. He's sarcastic and grumpy and distant, but he's also compassionate and protective."
"I feel like we're talking about two different people. Stiles, you know that this relationship can't work. He's older, for one."
"Yeah, he is older. Six years, to be exact, which is like the worst age difference ever in today's society. I was being sarcastic if you didn't pick up on it."
"You're only seventeen."
"I'll be eighteen in less than a year. Derek and I are meant to be."
His father narrowed his eyes. "You said the same thing about Lydia Martin, I believe."
"I did, you're right. The difference is that this is real. I don't know how to explain it to you."
"You can start by telling me the truth about how you met Derek and why he's even in your life."
"Scott and I ran into him on his property. Scott dropped his inhaler the night you found me in the woods, the same night Laura's body was found. We were there the next morning."
"So he what, introduced himself?"
"I already knew who he was from your files. He returned Scott's inhaler and told us to leave his property. I didn't trust him at first. I even kind of hated him, in fact. But he helped Scott deal with some personal things and, over time, I fell in love with him." The Sheriff was quiet as he took in the story. His eyes remained on his son the whole time.
"I've talked to people that have seen all of you together around town so it isn't exactly a surprise, except for the fact that you're admitting it. I've also heard that he was at the station the night we were all taken hostage."
"Yeah, he was there. It's complicated."
The Sheriff sighed. "This is what I don't understand. Why are there all these secrets in your life?"
"I'll tell you if you really want to know."
Before the Sheriff could say anything Stiles heard a puff of air and saw the colored dart pierce his father's neck. He reached for it and pulled it out. As he started to look around Stiles heard another puff of air and felt a sharp pain in his own neck. He knocked the dart away and locked eyes with the Hunter.
"Stiles, run," his father said, as he collapsed to the floor.
"Derek...," Stiles managed to say, before everything faded away.
His head was pounding. He looked around and saw the cup of water sitting on the table next to him. He stared at it for a long minute and decided against drinking it. "Dad?," he managed to ask.
"Your father isn't here. He's sleeping it off at home and he won't be dying tonight as long as you tell me everything I want to know about the Hale pack." Stiles turned to the voice. His eyes were green and cold and the way they were focused on him gave Stiles the creeps.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He knew the guy probably remembered him from the whole drinking poison incident but he figured that it wouldn't hurt to try to play dumb.
"I've been watching you, Stiles. I know that you have a thing for the Alpha. I also know that he feels the same way about you which pretty much makes you the best bait ever. There's no way he'll let you be held captive for long."
"So you should let me go. We don't want to kill you. You can leave town and go on with your life. Preferably somewhere far, far away."
"That's not going to happen. Did you know that Alpha werewolves form a connection with their mates over time? Losing a mate would be a profound loss that everyone in the pack would feel. How about we see just how much he really cares about you?"
"I think I'll pass. How about a nice word game instead?"
"I heard that you had a mouth on you," he said, as he closed the distance between them. His fist moved fast and Stiles felt his face burn from the punch. When the sudden numbness faded he felt the split in his lip and tasted the blood.
"You shouldn't have done that. Now they're going to kill you." It was a confidence that came from nowhere. He wasn't sure if was because he knew that there were people in the world that cared for him or because he wasn't just a regular human any longer. He felt stronger, whatever the reason. The Hunter was annoyed by his threat. He threw another punch, hitting Stiles in the abdomen. He heard the rib crack and felt the pain tear through his entire body. He winced when the Hunter landed another punch, this time to the side of his face.
"I don't like doing this, Stiles. I know it isn't your fault that you're friends with them. It's not easy to turn your back on the people you love when they turn into violent creatures."
"They aren't recklessly violent. They don't hurt people for the fun of it, unlike you."
"I kill werewolves because they're a threat. You're just too blind to see it."
Stiles watched the Hunter walk across the room and reach into a bag. He rummaged through the contents for a moment and then pulled out a syringe and a vial of liquid. He watched as the needle entered the vial and the contents were drawn into the syringe. When the air bubbles had been removed he began his walk toward Stiles.
"What is that stuff?"
"It's a special recipe. It contains a paralytic so that you can't fight and a cocktail of medications that cause every pain center in your body to fire at the same time. Speaking of fire, you and your friends tried to burn me alive. You're going to have to answer for your part in that."
Stiles focused as the man got closer. When he was preparing to inject it into Stiles he concentrated and watched as the syringe leapt from the Hunter's hand and entered his neck. The Hunter panicked as Styles telekinetically pushed the plunger which sent the serum into his body. Screams soon filled the room and Stiles, not knowing how long the Hunter would be incapacitated, struggled to free himself and loosen the ropes around his wrists.
When he managed to free one hand he began to work on the other, even as the man before him started convulsing. When he was on his feet he immediately ran for the door and struggled with the locks. When they wouldn't open he concentrated, picturing the mechanism and willing each of them to open with the power of mind. One by one they unlocked, clicking and clacking, until the last one was finished. Stiles reached for the doorknob and he was greeted with fresh air when he swung the door open.
Then he ran, heading for the forest in the hope that the pack would catch his scent and figure out where he was. He ran until his legs gave out and the throbbing pain in his abdomen became too much. The tree he leaned on was damp from early morning dew and it was only then that he realized he had been held overnight. When he started to plan his next move he pushed the fatigue away and focused on escaping, especially since he was sure the Hunter was still alive and he could be coming after him at any time.
With the sun rising he was able to determine that he was headed in the correct direction, so he stood up and continued walking. He walked until the pain became too much and then he slowed. "Where are you guys?" Frustrated, he sat on the ground and took a moment. When an idea popped into his head he almost didn't believe it would work, but he cleared his doubt away an put his hands to the dirt and held them there. When he wasn't pulled into a vision he growled, albeit a weak human version, and stood back to his feet, determined to keep moving.
He made it ten steps before a barrage of arrows stopped him in his tracks. As he looked around he saw a collection poking out of the trees to either side of him. He spun around and looked into the enraged eyes of the Hunter, who seemed weaker but still intent on killing him.
"You're up and moving already? Talk about unfair."
"All of this time I thought you were human. You know what they say. Fool me once..."
"I am human," he said, raising his hands above his head.
"Humans aren't telekinetic. You're something much closer to the werewolves you hang with than you are human."
He shrugged. "It doesn't really matter if you're planning on killing me." The Hunter smiled as he raised the crossbow and aimed the arrow directly for Stiles' heart. "No, I guess it doesn't."
When he fired, Stiles heard the snap of the mechanism. There wasn't much he could do except panic, and he used that panic to focus. The arrow hovered about a foot away from his body as it came to an abrupt stop. "You're shooting at a telekinetic. What did think would happen, genius?"
Stiles flung the arrow back from where it came but he was too slow. The Hunter dodged the arrow as it flew past. It became stuck in the trunk of a tree not too far from where he had been standing. "I obviously need more practice. And you obviously need more arrows." The Hunter tossed the crossbow down and he smiled at Stiles. It was a look that didn't make him feel warm and fuzzy all over, so Stiles took a few steps and pulled one of the arrows out, intent on using it as a weapon if he needed to.
The Hunter took slow steps towards him and Stiles could see his eyes looking around, figuring out possible scenarios as he tried to figure a way out of all of them. "I have to admit. This kind of sucks."
The Hunter laughed. "You're an abomination, kid. It's nothing personal."
"I've met an abomination before. He was scaly and had this awesome paralyzing venom. I kind of wish he was here right now."
"He's here. Just in a different form," he heard Jackson say, and he turned in the direction of the voice. The Hunter immediately grew nervous as the pack slowly moved in around them, moving closer so that that they could both see they were all around them blocking any chance for him to escape. Stiles recognized the circular pattern they were in as one that he had watched them practice at their various pack meeting training sessions. "I have to say," Jackson added, "I'm a little touched that you asked for me over your boyfriend."
"Technically I wished for scaly reptilian Kanima, not jackass Jackson. Still, I can't complain too much since my chances of survival have drastically improved."
"Stiles, you're in pain," he heard Derek say, and the red eyes immediately turned on the Hunter as he unleashed the most ferocious growl that any of them had ever heard. Stiles watched as the Hunter began shaking as the realization of what was about it happen hit him.
"Scott, get him to the car," Derek said, his voice deep and gritty.
"I'm fine," he told them, intent on showing that he didn't need to be sent away when the killing needed to be done. It was a blur of movement as the Betas moved in, clawing and biting at the hunter until he was just a body on the ground. Derek was by Stiles' side in a minute and holding him. He did his best to ignore the way Derek was smelling him and when it became annoying, the Alpha backed away as if he sensed it.
"We need to get you to the hospital."
"No, I need to see my dad."
"He's at the station organizing search parties."
"Fine, someone get me to the hospital before I puncture a lung."
"I'll take you," Derek said, and when the Alpha picked him up and carried him, he didn't complain. It was a nice, safe feeling and he leaned his head on Derek's chest until they emerged from the forest, which only took about five minutes. "First to the hospital, then I have call my dad."
"Do you want to use my cell? You can call him on the way."
"No, he'll just show up and start asking questions. We need to decide what we're going to tell him."
"He's your father. You should decide if you want him to know or not."
"Yeah, but I'm a member of your pack. We should make this decision together." Derek nodded as he helped Stiles into his car.
"Alright, we'll decide in between the x-ray and the phone call. Right now you should just try to rest. We'll be there soon."
"You're the Alpha," he said, closing his eyes and showing Derek that he knew arguing wouldn't be of any use.
