#10

Elie was jogging along the deserted road. Her heart was pumping hard and sweat rolled down her face. Thick fog began to roll in from the woods and soon the road was completely covered with the thick milky mist. It was so dense that she couldn't see where she was going anymore. She slowed down and looked around, clutching her side as she gathered her breath. Elie was startled but continued to walk towards what she believed or hoped was the right way. Fogs were common in Beacon Hills but she had never seen anything like this. It was like walking through the clouds. She took her earphones out, rolled it up and put them into her pocket. All Elie could hear were her own breathing and her pounding heartbeat. No birds chirping and no branches rustling in the wind. The complete silence added eeriness to the fog, as if someone or something was lurking behind the fog.

Elie walked cautiously through the fog and was startled when it suddenly got darker as if the sun had disappeared. She took her iPhone out of the armband to use the flashlight app, and that was when she realised that she had no signal. It was strange because even in the woods, she would have gotten at least one bar and she was on the main road or at least she thought she was. Maybe she had become disoriented by the thick fog and had wondered into the woods without realising it. But then again she hadn't walked into a tree so she should still be on the road. She looked down at her feet. She was standing on the grey asphalt which told her that she was still on the main road. Not wanting to risk being hit by a car, she decided to move towards the side of the road. She turned right and walked few steps until she stepped onto a softer ground. She didn't want to stray too far from the road, so she walked between the asphalt and the mulch.

After walking for few minutes, Elie decided to try the GPS system to locate her position and figure out a way home because it didn't look as if the fog would lift anytime soon and she still had no idea where she was going. When she was waiting for the map to open, she heard a noise that made her blood freeze. It was a low pitched growl. Elie slowly turned around but she couldn't see anything, and the growl got nearer and nearer. Her heart was pumping faster and faster as she kept turning to see where the sound was coming from.

It was then that she saw a dark shadow slowly emerging from the fog, and her heart stopped when she saw the two red glints in the fog. Elie turned and ran as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Frantically running through the fog, her foot was caught in something and she fell over. She looked back to see what had tripped her over, and she realised that it was a body covered in blood.

She turned the body around to see who it was. It was the dead janitor. Elie quickly withdrew her hand. Her legs felt like jelly and she couldn't stand up, but she really wanted to get away from it so she began to crawl, and as she did so the fog suddenly cleared. She looked around and realised that there were more bodies strewn around the woods. Her heart stopped and her hands felt numb when she recognised some of them. She couldn't see their faces, but one body was wearing an officer's uniform, and another wearing a familiar looking hoodie and jeans. She desperately made her way towards them and with shaking hands she slowly turned one the body around and saw the deathly pale face of her brother covered in blood. Tears began to stream down her face and she cried out,

"No…..no, no, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Elie! Elie, wake up!"

Suddenly, Elie heard her brother's voice and it dawned on her that she had been dreaming. She sat up on her bed and looked around. She was in her room, and in her bed. When she saw Stiles who was very much alive, she immediately hugged him to make sure that it was all a dream and that the brother she was seeing was real. He was stunned by her reaction but hugged her back. He assumed that she was shaken up by what had happened at the school.

When Elie realised that she was hugging her brother, she quickly let go.

"Um…sorry, for waking you," said Elie as she wiped away her tears.

"It's okay but you really freaked me out. I thought something was actually in your room…" he explained and Elie's eyes fell on his baseball bat on the side of her bed.

"It was just a nightmare…I guess," said Elie as she smiled weakly. Stiles rubbed her arm to comfort her and asked again,

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yup….go back to sleep, I'm fine"

After sending Stiles back to his room, Elie sat crouched on the bed and quietly sobbed into her arms. She couldn't stop shaking. It had felt so real. She wiped away her tears and she got back under the sheets. She lay on the bed and tried to go back to sleep but she couldn't get the image of the lifeless and bloodied bodies of her dad and brother out of her mind. So she turned on the bedside lamp, grabbed her phone and earphones to listen to music as she lay in the dimly lit room.

#

The school was closed while the police searched the building for missing Janitor but the lacrosse practice was still on, so Elie decided to go.

"I'm fine Coach, I can totally play."

"Are you sure? What happened to your face?" asked the Coach as she pointed at Elie's bruised chin and cut lip.

"….I walked into a door. My knee is okay now, look!" said Elie as she jumped up and down and sprinted on the spot. She wasn't lying about her knee but she was actually sore all over, especially her shoulder. But she really needed to play. She didn't want to have another nightmare like that ever again, and she figured the only way to stop it was to push herself physically and wear herself out completely, so that she would not dream at all when she went to sleep. At first the Coach seemed somewhat hesitant but seeing the pleading look in Elie's eyes, she let her join the practice.

It felt good to be back on field and for a moment, Elie felt happy again despite the sharp pain she felt every time she came in contact with another player. The pain and fatigue was the only way to block out the fear and anxiety she felt about the whole alpha situation.

#

"What do you mean the alpha wants you to get rid of your old pack? And since when are we your pack?!" Elie asked Scott who looked miserable. The three of them had gotten together at a local cafe after Elie's practice.

"He…he wants me in his pack. And I guess it's a wolf thing….you can't belong in two packs" Scott explained as he stabbed at his salad with a fork.

"And why blame Derek?"

"Um…I thought he was dead so you know…I didn't think he'd mind…."

"Really? How can you do that to him? I thought he was helping you?"

"Hey, Elie why are you taking his side?" Stiles protested.

"I'm not taking anyone's side! Look around Scott, there's alpha running around trying to kill you or turn you in to a murderer, and the hunters are trying to hunt you down and, we can't tell the police because who would believe us? And you betray the only person who can actually help you? You're …."

"Stupid? I know, I know…"

"I was going to say jerk, but hey, that works too."

"Give the guy a break, Elie, he just got dumped…"

"I didn't get dumped! We're taking a break…"

"Isn't that the same thing?" Elie asked as she looked at Stiles who just shrugged.

"No!"

Elie knew that for Scott, getting Allison back was his priority right now, but for her it seemed that the alpha situation was getting more urgent because it was no longer just hiding in the shadows but willing to show itself. What if Scott refuses to kill his old pack and the alpha decides to do it for him? The images from last night's nightmare came into her mind and she literally had to shake it off. Having faced the alpha, even if it was just for a brief moment, Elie knew how hopeless she was, they all were, against this monster. The more she thought about it, they needed Derek. She knew Stiles would flip at the idea but the truth was that Derek was the only one who can help Scott, unless another friendly werewolf decides to drop by at Beacon Hills. She knew Stiles was smart, but there were limits to his help simply because he was not a werewolf. I mean you can't Google everything right?

Elie pretended to go to the toilet and sneaked out to the parking-lot and after making sure that the boys were nowhere in sight, she took a deep breath and called Derek. As she listened to the dial tone, she almost wished that it would go straight to voicemail but to her surprise he answered.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Um…it's Elie. I don't know if you remember, but I'm Stiles' sister."

"I remember. What do want? Is something wrong?"

Derek's tone was not hostile but not too friendly or inviting either so she began to immediately regret calling him. But she told herself that she was doing this for Scott and not because she wanted to see or talk to him or anything.

"Um…no, I was actually wondering if you were okay."

"I'm fine."

"Oh….um…good. Um…can…can we talk? Like in person?"

"….."

"Um…if you don't want to, that's fine"

"I can't leave my place…so my place?"

"Um….okay. I'll be there around six."

After hanging up the phone, Elie leaned on the wall and sat down on the footpath because her knees felt weak. Her hands were still slightly shaking. She couldn't help it but she was slightly upset that he didn't sound too pleased to hear from her. Why give me his number then?

#

Elie walked through the woods to the Hale house. She couldn't ask Stiles for a ride because he would start asking questions and she didn't want to tell him about this...just yet. So she just told him she was off to see Jessie. It was a long walk to Derek's place but she figured it would be a good way to tire herself out.

By the time she got to the Hale house, she was sweating and her cheeks were red. It was quiet and the house looked empty so she was wondering if she should call to let Derek know that she was here, when he suddenly called out from behind her. She was so startled that let out a scream and dropped the white reusable grocery bag she was carrying.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Derek apologised and knelt down to pick up the contents of the bag.

"You didn't...I was just startled...I'm not scared of you" said Elie as she just gave him a sheepish grin and quickly shoved the muffins, cans of baked beans and spaghetti, and apples that were scattered around the ground into the bag.

"Really?" He grinned.

"Should I be?"

Derek just chuckled and Elie's heart skipped a beat.

When they had picked up everything, Derek led her up to the house and invited her in.

"Um…these are actually for you." Elie said as she followed Derek into the house. He turned around looking puzzled so she quickly explained,

"I thought you might need these, and because you know…you are on the run all because of the boys."

She handed Derek the bag which was full of food.

"…thanks, that was…very thoughtful"

"It's the least I could do…and thank you"

"For what?"

"Not ripping out their heads."

Derek looked down at the bag and then at Elie and smiled. It seemed like a genuine smile and Elie's began to flutter. For a moment she was lost in his smile but she got herself together when she remembered why she was here.

"Um…I know you have every right to be angry at them, but I was hoping you know…you'd stick around and help out Scott."

"….why are you doing this?"

"Because I need you…"

Derek's eyes widened at Elie's answer and she began to turn red as she quickly clarified her statement.

"I mean I need you to help Scott. It's for Scott."

"Do you li-" Before Derek could finish the sentence Elie denied it.

"Ew! No! He's like my brother…He's my best friend.…and I don't want to lose anyone anymore….I'll bring whatever you need, and I'll talk to my Dad about the other night…I don't think he's fully convinced that you had anything to do with it anyway but…I'll….I'll talk to him. And to the boys too. About making it right. So can you please forgive them and help Scott?"

Elie pleaded as she looked at him nervously. She couldn't read his face when he wasn't smiling but his expression softened for a brief moment and he finally said,

"…..okay."

"Really?" Elie's face lit up at his answer but her face fell when she began to tell Derek about Scott.

"I'm really worried about Scott because you know, Allison broke up with him and he's not acting just sad and mopey but ….he's starting to get angry and aggressive….which is totally out of his character so…I thought he might do something during the full moon, you know?"

"I'll keep an eye on him"

"Thank you…um…I think I should get going…If you need anything else, just let me know…" said Elie as she left the Hale house.

"I'll be fine….but thank you" said Derek as he walked Elie out.

Elie hesitated for a moment but took a deep breath and turned around to face Derek and ask him what had been bothering her from day one.

"Um…one more thing…why….why did you give me your number?"

For a moment, Derek looked taken back…it was as if he had forgotten that he had given her his number and Elie's heart sank. The explanation that followed didn't make her feel any better either.

"…I was trying to keep my eye on Scott because it was full moon and I wasn't sure whether he'd go for you or the other girl, and I assumed you knew about the whole werewolf situation so, I thought if I left my number, you'd call me if something happened. I mean, I couldn't be at two places at once…so I left my number and went to the party to keep my eyes on Scott and his other friends…"

"Oh, okay….um…thanks? I guess…um….anyway…I better get going….so…bye" Aaaaaand this is the end of my crush, she thought. It felt as if she had been dumped…even though there was nothing between them to be over. She quickly turned around to walk out of the woods when Derek suddenly called out to her.

"Elie!"

Her heart fluttered when she heard him say her name. When she turned around, he smiled and said,

"Thanks for the groceries. And call me if something happens,"

#

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see"

"We really shouldn't be out here. My mom is in a constant state of freak out from what happened at the school."

"Well, your mom isn't the Sheriff okay? There is no comparison, trust me."

"Can you at least tell me what we're doing here?"

"When your best friend gets dumped – "

"I didn't get dumped. We're taking a break."

"Well, when your best friend gets told by his girlfriend that they are taking a break, you get your best friend drunk!" said Stiles as he held up a bottle of Jack Daniels.

They went to their usual place up in the clearing and started a fire in the rusty steel drum. They sat around the fire and passed along the bottle. Stiles was trying hard to cheer Scott up but he seemed preoccupied and as was Elie. She kept thinking about Derek. She had known, even before she asked, that he hadn't given her his number because he was interested in her in any way….but expecting it didn't mean that it hurt less. She told herself it was for the best. It wasn't as if her crush on Derek was going to become more than an unrequited crush. There was no way that he would fall for her…so it was for the best. I should stop before I fall harder for him, she thought to herself as she took a swig of the whiskey and handed it to Scott.

Elie hadn't had enough sleep and she had worn herself out with the lacrosse practise and walking over to Derek's, so she got quite tipsy after only few sips. She lay down and looked up at the stars. So this is what having a crush on some feels like….it sucks.

She also felt guilty about not telling the boys about what she done today. And she was the one who said no more secrets. She felt like such a hypocrite but she knew Stiles would over-react. I'll tell them but not just now. I'm waiting for the right moment. So technically it's not a secret. I'll tell them when Derek comes up in our conversation, she thought to herself.

Elie stared at the night sky, while Scott drank in silence and Stiles rambled on as he chugged down the whiskey. After a while, Stiles also lay down, but he continued to talk in an attempt to cheer up his best friend.

"Dude, she's just one, one girl…you know, out of so many….there's so many other girls in the sea."

"Fish in the sea."

Stiles was right. Derek isn't the only guy out there. There's like plenty of fish out there.

"Fish? Why are you talking about fish? I'm talking about girls. I love girls. I love them. I love…especially one with strawberry blond hair, green eyes, 5ft 3…"

"Like Lydia?"

But then again, they aren't Derek. Elie thought about his smile. And there was something about his eyes that just mesmerised her. And he CAN be nice as she remembered him thanking her for the groceries and telling her to call if something happens. She knew he was just being polite…but his smile made her heart flutter anyway.

"Yeah…Exactly, hey! How did you know I was talking ab – what was I talking about? Hey, you're not happy…take a drink,"

"I don't want anymore, "

"You're not drunk?"

"Not anything."

"Hey it's like…maybe it's like not needing your inhaler anymore you know? Maybe you can't get drunk…..as a wolf. Am I drunk?"

"You're wasted."

"Yeah!" Stiles shouted as he punched the air.

That was when Elie heard the rustling leaves and footsteps. She quickly stood up and looked around. Shit! What if it was the alpha? Her heart was pounding so fast, but when she saw two guys emerging from the woods, who very much looked human, she breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around and looked down at Stiles who continued to ramble on.

"Ow, come on dude, I know it feels bad, I know it hurts…I know but…I don't know…but I know THIS! I know that as much as being broken hurts, being alone is way worse. That didn't make any sense. Hahahaha, drink!"

"What have we here! Look at the three little bitches getting their drink on," said one of the stranger to emerge from the woods. He snatched the bottle from the ground as Stiles was reaching for it. The guy also grabbed Elie's waist and pulled her closer to him. She tried to get out of his grip but he was too strong so she was about to punch him when the other guy grabbed her arms.

"You're a feisty one aren't ya? I like feisty girls" he grinned as he tightened his grips around Elie's arms.

"Let me go!"

Before the boys could react to what was happening, Elie stomped on the foot of a guy who was holding on to her waist and struggled out of his grip when he loosened his grip as pain shot through his foot. Elie kicked the other in his side and pulled her arms back when he let go. Then she quickly ran back to the boys. Stiles put his arms around her and looked at Scott.

"F #$ing bitch!" The guy who had his arm around Elie took a step towards Elie and Stiles but he was cut off by Scott, who stood in front of him. The other guy who had fallen on his knees, stood up groaning in pain. Elie had learned kickboxing so she knew her kick was more than feisty.

"Give it back," said Scott as he glared at the guy.

"What's that little man?" the guy who had grabbed Elie and the bottle taunted Scott.

"I think he wants the drink," said the other guy, also in a mocking tone.

"I want the bottle," said Scott without taking his eyes of the guys.

"Scott, maybe we should just go." Stiles was beginning to get concerned because he remembered that anger was the trigger. He wasn't sure if he could stop Scott if he went berserk tonight because Scott was temporarily without his anchor – Allison.

"You brought me out here to get me drunk Stiles, I'm not drunk yet," said Scott in a calm yet tense tone. As if to challenge Scott, the guy took a sip. Scott took a step closer and repeated his request, which was beginning to sound like a threat.

"Give me the bottle."

The guy refused.

"Give, me, the, bottle, of Jack," Scott repeated again but this time it came out like a growl and his eyes began to glint.

"Scott?" Worried that Scott might go wolf right there and then, Stiles called out to him again.

The guy was clearly freaked out by the glint in Scott's eyes, because he handed back the bottle without a word. Scott snatched it out of his hand and threw is as hard as he could towards the woods and the bottle soared through the air and shattered as it hit a tree. Scott glared at the guys again then turned around at the twins and said it was time to go.

"Okay, so please tell me that was because of the break-up, or because tomorrow's the full moon?"

Stiles said as he followed Scott down to the Jeep. Scott didn't say anything and kept going. Elie followed in silence. She had never seen Scott act like that before. It had to be the full moon right? Or was it part of being a werewolf? Were the werewolf powers changing Scott?


A/N: Thank you for reading, following and reviewing you lovely people! I realised that the school had been closed for two days following the Night School incident so I've fixed it up a bit...sorry!