Chapter Fourteen – The Overlooked

Jules let the reality of the past hour sink in as Stiles and Scott stared at the broken window. She tried to hold back tears. She was never supposed to be tied up or beaten or watch somebody she loved die. Save for the last part, it had all just happened again. Jules felt pain wrack her body and mind. Lydia had almost been killed, someone else was dead and Stiles's dad had been taken. Jules was numb as Scott and Stiles ran over to her and Lydia; the world seemed to move in slow motion. She remembered the last time she'd felt like that. She remembered the door being kicked down and the barrel of a gun in her face and being forced to the ground. Jules was vaguely aware of Stiles asking her and Lydia repeatedly if they were okay. And the feeling of his hand on the back of her neck and Scott was holding her arm. For a moment her pain dulled. The three of them were all speaking at once, Lydia was crouching next to her, they all were. Jules found that she was having a rather difficult time choosing words that should come out of her mouth. She stared at Lydia, her bright blue eyes flicked to the mark on the other girl's neck. Jules swallowed down a hate filled scream. She grabbed Lydia and despite all pain wrapped her arms around her best friend and clutched the back of her jacket. Jules rested her head on Lydia's shoulder and wondered why they had all fallen silent. Lydia was rubbing Jules's back and shoulder.

"What the hell were you thinking?" She asked her and pulled away so she could look Jules in the eyes. Jules knew that Lydia might expect her to look away. Jules did not. She stared unblinking at her friend.

"I was thinking that if I love someone I will do anything I can to protect them. Even if it's stupid." Her voice was deadly serious. Lydia was shaking.

Stiles put his hand on her arm. "Incredibly stupid!" His voice was half a shout and ruined the moment. Lydia's eyes flicked to him and then back to Jules.

"I agree." She looked furious. "And wrong answer Jules! The right answer is 'sorry Lydia I was not thinking' because clearly, you were not thinking!" She shouted.

Jules let out a hollow and short laugh. "I was also thinking if I'm going to die, which I was almost certain of I might add. I am going to die a badass." She glanced at the boys. "A stupid badass." She grabbed the edge of the desk. "But a badass nonetheless." She quipped. And then with a very painful yank, Jules used the desk to push herself to her feet.

Everything hurts.

Stiles's mouth was opening and closing like a fish, he looked just as furious as Lydia. He looked at both of them. "Hospital. Both of you. Now." He told them and then looked to Stiles. "We've got to get to Derek."

Scott nodded and looked to both of the girls. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked Lydia. Lydia nodded. Jules stared at Stiles.

"I can't go to the hospital. If I go to the hospital I'm dead. My mother would tell me that I had this coming! I can't go!" She growled "I can handle it!" Her voice rose to a tremoring shout and she shook her head 'no' as she spoke.

Lydia looked like she'd just been hit in the stomach with a baseball bat, Stiles looked furious and Scott looked confused but he quickly let it go.

"Can you walk?" He asked her. Jules nodded and stood up straight. "Can you run?" She nodded again and brought up the hem of her t-shirt to wipe the blood off of her face. She became very aware that she'd accidently just flashed her bra at everyone but didn't have the mental energy required to be mortified. And it didn't seem like anyone had noticed, Stiles was gaping at Scott.

"Wait, Scott you can't be serious." Stiles said to him. "She…" He trailed off and looked helplessly at Lydia, Lydia and Jules were having something of a staring contest.

"I'm going to find Allison." Lydia said. "Get to Derek." She ordered. "Before she does."

By 'she' Lydia meant Blake. Jules leaned over and spat blood out of her mouth. "Sorry. Had to be done." She muttered.

Stiles cast another worried glance at Lydia before grabbing Jules's hand. "Come on badass." He muttered bitterly and they followed Scott out of the room. Leaving Lydia behind.

Stiles cast nervous glances at Jules about every three seconds. He had already asked her every concussion diagnosis question he could think of. Now that much of the blood was off of her face she almost looked fine. But he could tell she was in pain, and unlike Scott he couldn't do anything for her.

"I'm alright you know." She said feebly. "Honestly," She huffed. "I've had worse."

Stiles sped through the storm behind Scott's bike. Rain beat down on the car.

"I know you think that is reassuring somehow. It's not." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. He wanted to focus on her. He didn't want to think about anything else, because if he did he knew where his mind would go. His dad's bent Sheriff's badge was heavy in his pocket. "I have some Advil in my gym bag, its right behind you, would you just-"

"No." She said flatly and cut him off. "I don't do painkillers." She said in a small voice. He wondered how she could deny them when she was clearly in pain, especially if she continued to forge on through the night. He also wondered when she'd decided that. because he remembered her offering some to Scott before the motel. Before any of this happened,before she was involved.

"Jules come on, you should-" He pressed, if there was anything he could do it was nag.

"Stiles!" She snapped. "Stop it! I don't want any Advil!" She sounded exasperated.

Stiles pondered what her great opposition to some pain killers might be but he dropped it. "I have to do something for you Jules. I'm not Scott; I can't take your pain away!" He said to her, Stiles sounded pained. There was a lot he couldn't do. He couldn't find his dad. He couldn't stop Lydia or Jules from getting hurt. He couldn't save Cora.

I wish I could.

The streets in town were empty. People were staying inside, out of the storm.

"Stiles, I'm not asking you to." She said flatly.

Stiles scoffed. "Yeah? Well you can't just say 'I can handle it' and expect us to let you deal with it alone." His voice was tight; he glanced at the blood on her shirt and then back up to her face. He was expecting her to look angry, she didn't. She just looked exhausted.

"Stiles, we'll find your dad." She said in a strong but quiet voice.

His eyes were set on the road ahead; he clutched the steering wheel and didn't say anything in response. He didn't want to tell her he didn't believe her. He didn't want to tell her that he wasn't as strong as she was. That he didn't understand how she was sitting next to him, ready to take on anything.

"Stiles no one thought I'd ever come home." Jules said, there was a bitter edge to her voice. Stiles knew she was right; it had been an unspoken decision to think of Juliet Hayes as dead. Now he couldn't imagine why, surely her family must have believed that she was strong enough to survive. Or had they not wanted to think of what their daughter might be living for? "We have the who, the what, the when, possible where and most of the why." She sounded determined, hopeful even. Jules reached her hand out of put it on his upper arm. "We have everything we need." Her voice was soft, so was her touch.

Stiles glanced at her, his eyes shone. "Except time."

Stiles had been unusually quiet while Scott and Jules tried to explain what had happened to Derek. She wanted to do more for him. She wanted to find Blake and find some way to drag the truth from her the way she'd tossed Jules to the ground. Easily, without hesitation. Jules was surprised Derek had believed them, but Scott was easy to trust and both he and Jules looked worse for wear.

And it would be tough to ignore Stiles.

Stiles, who was on the verge of tears.

At the end of what was a short but grueling explanation Stiles had pulled her aside while Scott and Derek continued to talk. Her hand had been in his the entire time. She was hyper aware of it, how small her own fingers were compared to his, how even still he was between her and the werewolves. As if there was still some way he could shield her from the truth of it all. Pretend for a little longer that she didn't know. Jules was trying so hard to do what she could for him, but she couldn't think of anything.

Jules watched in confusion as Stiles unbuttoned and pulled off the flannel he wore over his t-shirt and handed it to her. "You're covered in blood." He said numbly.

Jules didn't know if or how she could say no. She could feel her own blood sticking to her back, collar bone and stomach as it dried into the fabric of her shirt. Serving as a dark reminder of her own foolish actions. Reluctantly, Jules took the shirt from him with a nod of thanks and ducked into one of the lofts many corners to change.

"So now what?" She asked somberly as she rolled up the too long sleeves and stood back next to Stiles. Derek tossed a small wet towel at her.

I'm still covered in blood aren't I? Yeah…

"We wait." He told them.

Jules didn't realize how badly anger would burn her the next time she saw Blake. She could barely think as the woman tried to defend herself.

"Ask her why she almost killed Lydia and Jules." Scott said to Derek. Jules stood next to Stiles, all of her rage and hate overpowered any fear she might have.

There are more important things then being afraid.

"Lydia Martin? I don't know anything about that!" Blake defended herself. "And Juliet is right there!" She gestured to her. But it looked like Derek had had enough.

"What do you know?" he asked shortly.

"I know that these kids, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story." She turned to them. "And one they can't prove by the way!"

Scott pulled a bottle form his pocket and shook it. "What if we can?" He asked her.

"What is that?" Blake asked him.

"My boss told me it's a poison and a cure…" Scott stepped forward, Jules stayed at Stiles's side. Wanting to reach out to him, but not in front of Blake.

"Tell me Juliet, have you found your Romeo?"

She shuddered and refocused on Scott.

"Which means you can use it" He unscrewed the cap. "And it can be used against you." He explained calmly.

"Mistletoe." She sounded enraged.

Scott released the contents of the jar; the powder flew the air and encircled Blake. And for a second Jules saw what she really was. A monster. A slashed and horrifying monstrosity. Unwittingly she grabbed Stiles and pulled them both back. He looked at her in shock. Her heart pounded. Jules's eyes flicked to Derek, he looked like he might not have really believed them until then. Her heart broke for him. Jules knew the stories; he'd already lost so much.

Blake ran for the door but Derek caught her around the throat and lifted her into the air. "Derek, wait, wait." She pleaded as his fingernails shifted into claws.

"You need me!" She shouted.

She's right.

Jules glanced at Scott.

"What are you?" Derek asked her to admit it.

"The only person who can save your sister." She choked out. "Call Peter. Call him!" She pleaded.

Jules grabbed Stiles's hand as Derek pulled out his phone and continued to dangle Blake in the air. Part of her wished they could just rip her throat out and be done. But she knew that there was more at stake than that. They all did. She squeezed Stiles's hand.

Derek's fingers tightened around Blake's neck. Jules cringed, she knew what that felt like. It wasn't fun.

"Derek." Scott said. "Derek what are you doing?" he asked urgently.

"Her life – it's in my hands!" Blake gasped.

Derek raised her higher into the air. "Derek." Jules warned.

"Stop, Derek, stop." Stiles walked towards them, bringing Jules with him. His voice was breaking.

"Stilinski, you'll never find him." Blake told him.

Jules was outraged, Stiles had lost one parent, he shouldn't have to lose both of them. He shouldn't have to know what that felt like. A fierce wave of protectiveness joined the rage in her blood.

"Derek." Scott said again. "Derek!" He spoke harshly, with authority. Like he was the alpha instead.

Derek dropped Blake on the ground, she fell to her knees. Thunder cracked outside.

"That's right. You need me. All of you." She said proudly as she looked to the four of them. Jules let go of Stiles's hand and walked up to her, she kicked Blake onto her back. Jules then crouched down next to her. Feeling a lot more confident with the others around.

"And why do I need you?" She asked Blake in the same mocking tone Blake had used on Jules and Lydia earlier.

The older woman got to her feet and smirked at Jules, who stared defiantly up at her.

"Because I know who you're afraid of, and I know how to stop them."

"I don't know, something feels wrong about this." Stiles said quietly. "You know, we proved it to Derek, but she still had this look like it didn't matter. You know, like it was a still going according to plan." He said, he didn't sound nervous or distressed or upset in any way. Just steady, like Stiles. Urgent and calm all at once. He turned to Scott and then glanced in the mirror back at Jules. "You saw it didn't you?"

"I think it still is." Jules said in a low voice. "Going to plan, I mean. I don't think it matters to her that Lydia is still alive or that Derek knows. Organized serial killer." She glanced at Scott. "Even her mistakes might not matter." Jules huffed.

Scott looked at both of them like they were far away, he was deep in thought. Jules sighed and rubbed her face. She felt her phone in her pocket.

Oh god. Oh no.

Jules decided to leave it off. She looked back up and noticed Stiles's eyes were flicking to her again, she quirked an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"What was that bit about her knowing who you're afraid of?" Stiles blurted out.

Jules froze, "Uh…"

"Is it your parents?" He asked, he sounded somewhere between worried and livid. Jules was shocked.

"No! It's not my parents! It's… well frankly I have no idea." She said petulantly. Scott turned around, eyebrows raised; she shot both boys a scowl. "It's a problem for another time, that's what it is." She muttered.

"You're afraid of someone but you don't know who but Blake knows who?" Stiles confirmed that was the situation, he spoke like his words were just falling out of his mouth, he wasn't thinking, just talking.

"Priorities!" Jules shouted at him.

"We are driving to our priorities!" Stiles rebutted. "We have time to talk about this so who-"

Jules poked her head up between the front seats. "Stiles this is not for you to know!" She snapped at him and glared at Scott, who promptly turned back around. She leaned back into her seats and rubbed her eyes.

I should have left that bitch alone.

Her eyes flicked one last time to Stiles; he looked hurt, by her. Jules felt a sharp pang of guilt and looked away from him. She couldn't have him know. Because if he knew about one thing he would have to know about all the others. Jules didn't want that. She wanted to pretend he thought she was normal, at least for little while longer. She didn't want to burden her pain on everyone else, not when they had enough of their own.

Upon arrival Stiles reached into the back and grabbed a bat off the floor.

The three of them headed for the entrance to the hospital.

"What's that?" Scott asked him, likely he couldn't believe Stiles was walking into supernatural mayhem with a baseball bat.

"Well you got claws I got a bat." He jerked his thumb at Jules. "She's got pain tolerance."

Jules snorted but it didn't sound like Stiles had meant to be funny. Stiles stopped her just before they got inside, and the rain came down on them in sheets. "What?" She asked him as Scott, Derek and Blake went inside.

"Two things. One, do not, under any circumstances, do what you did at the school!" He shouted. His eyes were focused on hers she nodded numbly and took in his expression. He looked sick with worry. She wanted to make everything okay, make sure that he'd be alright. "And two" He held up two fingers "I'm sorry. I shouldn't push but-"

Seriously? Are you doing this now?

"Stiles I don't need my past to be what you see when you look at me." She cut him off in a weak voice.

"Jules when I-" He started but he didn't get to finish. Scott interrupted.

"Guys!" He called them.

What? When you what?

She thought as Stiles grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. Jules was furious with herself, lives were on the line, they were running around with a serial killer and she was so badly to know how Stiles was going to finish that sentence.

Ridiculous.

Stiles could not believe himself. Talk about poor timing for Jules to say that to him. He had a three second apology planned out in his head.

"Stiles I don't need my past to be what you see when you look at me."

He wanted badly to tell her that it wasn't, but it didn't look like he'd be getting a chance any time soon.

"Scott! Scott!" Melissa called from behind them. They all turned around, Jules looked puzzled for a moment. "What are you doing here?" Melissa asked him. Her eyes flicked to Jules and Blake, people she didn't know. "The hospital's evacuating." She explained.

"We're here for Cora." He said urgently.

"What?" She looked at them. "All of you?" She furrowed her brow. "Why does Stiles have my bat?"

Scott told his mother to trust him and that she needed to go. Stiles watched, puzzled as Jules darted away from them and then back again. Something was shining in her hand. He nudged her; she held it up and twirled it. She had grabbed a scalpel from a nearby cart. Stiles tightened his hand around his bat.

"The building is supposed to be clear in thirty minutes. We've got two ambulances that are coming back. One's ten minutes out, the other's twenty." She told them. "Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement garage." Melissa explained and the five of them went off down the hallway, leaving Scott's mother behind.

Jules stood in the corner next to Stiles, behind Blake. She clutched the tiny knife in her white-knuckled hand, entirely prepared to use it. She knew that feeling would eat away at her.

I'm turning into one of them.

A monster. Not like Blake. Not like Aiden. She meant the kind of monster she knew. Jules shuddered. Once this was over, she'd need a serious nap. She might even finally take one of those pills.

"You don't have to keep me on a leash, Derek. I'm going to help." Blake said to him.

Jules rolled her eyes and glowered at Blake.

I'd get over killing you.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, Jules followed the group warily. Waiting for something to happen. The lights flickered and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Empty hospitals spell imminent disaster. This is just fact.

She almost ran into Stiles when they stopped. Cora and Peter were gone from the room. Jules hoped that they'd gotten lucky and had been evacuated. But the trail of black blood told her otherwise. For a brief moment Jules felt like asking what the black ooze was but filed that question away for another time. Jules's head snapped up as they heard growling. She raised her scalpel, well aware of how useless it would be against a werewolf. She jumped as Peter was tossed through the doors and appeared at their feet.

"Oh no." She groaned.

"We got a problem." He said to them. "Big problem."

Jules raised her eyes to the end of the hallway. Her heart leapt into her throat.

Voltron wolf. Because this day couldn't get any worse.

The twins roared and for a moment everyone froze. And then Derek did something very stupid and very admirable, he ran at the twins. Scott followed him.

So I'm not the only one.

Jules's eyes fell on a body at the end of a hallway. "Cora!" She yelled. Stiles nodded and grabbed Peter, Jules chased after them. She stopped and turned around as Blake began backing away.

"Do not, under any circumstances, do what you did at the school!" Sorry Stiles.

Jules ran at her and Blake turned around and headed for the elevator. Jules tackled the woman and rolled her onto her back. Jules's heart pounded as she straddled Blake's chest, pinning down the woman's arms. She held the scalpel to her throat. She hesitated, thinking of Stiles.

We need her.

Blake smirked and a force pushed Jules back and onto the ground. She kicked Blake square in the chest and then the thigh as the woman climbed on top of her. Jules slashed out with the knife and cut her across the face. Someone was screaming her name. Blake pinned Jules's armed hand above her head and Jules punched Blake square in the neck. Blake choked but seized the scalpel from Jules and sliced her across the collar bone. Stiles screamed and Jules realized that it must have looked like her throat had just been cut. Blake laughed.

"Your Romeo."

She scrambled off of Jules and back to the elevator. Jules got to her feet.

"Jules! Jules! Juliet Hayes I swear to god!" Stiles screamed.

Jules turned around and barreled to the side to avoid the oncoming twins. Her chest stung but she could tell Blake hadn't cut very deep. She sprinted down the hallway to Stiles. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders, gaping at her. He was holding her close enough to him that she could feel the heaviness of his breathing.

I'm fine, I'm fine, stop liking at me like that, like…

Like what? The last time she had seen that look was the first time she'd seen her family after three years. Open, guileless, utter relief.

"Is Cora okay?" She asked Peter and looked past Stiles.

"She's alive." Peter said solemnly. "We've gotta move."

Jules raced after Peter and Stiles into an exam room. Scott and Derek were close behind, unfortunately so were the twins.

"Don't stop, don't stop." Derek shouted.

Stiles stopped. "Stiles!" Derek called.

Jules ran for Stiles but Derek caught her around the waist and held her back. She repeatedly elbowed him to try and make him let her go as Stiles slammed the growling twins over the head with his bat. It did nothing but shatter the wood. Stiles backed away from the alphas and scrambled across the room to meet them. Derek let go of Jules. She hit Stiles on the shoulder.

"That was stupid!" She yelled at him lividly.

"Oh? That was stupid? You-" He didn't get to finish, which seemed to be happening a lot, as the overhead light was forced into the twins face.

Jules would have laughed if she hadn't been terrified. She and Stiles reached for each other's hands as they darted out of the room. Bat-less, knife-less, defenseless humans.

As the power winked out and the backup lights came on the group of them settled into and exam room.

"Where's big guy?" Peter asks as he lay Cora down.

Jules hovered over her, her fingers on Cora's neck. Stiles wondered what Jules thought taking Cora's pulse would do; maybe it just made her feel like she was doing something. Blood seeped from the slash across her collarbone and Stiles had to look away. For a moment, not a long one, but a split second, Jules had been dead. And Stiles's brain was fuzz until he realized that she wasn't, she was on her feet and ready to chase the woman who had just held her life in her hands. Stiles remembered the moment right after his mother died. It had seemed so surreal that her heart was no longer beating, that there was nothing he could do. There hadn't been grief or anger or anything, first it was emptiness for a few seconds and then unbearable pain. But this time the world had fallen silent until Jules had gotten back up again. The first thing he heard was himself screaming her name.

"He's close." Derek answered his uncle, snapping Stiles back into the moment.

"What about Miss Blake?" He asked Derek. Scott shook his head.

"What do you mean? What does that mean? Like, she's gone?" Stiles shouted.

She can't be gone we need her.

"Scott are you kidding me!" He shouted at him, Derek shushed them. Jules rushed over to Stiles and put herself between him and Scott. Stiles stared at her.

"It's me. It's on me. That's my fault." She stuttered out. "I had her…" Jules trailed off. Scott grabbed her shoulder.

Doe she actually think…

"It's not." Scott said to her. Jules looked unconvinced.

"Be quiet." Derek hissed at them. Stiles snapped.

"Me be quiet? Me huh?" Stiles went up to Derek. "Are you telling me what to do now? When your psychotic, mass murdering girlfriend – the second one you've dated, by the way, has got my dad somewhere tied up, waiting to be ritually sacrificed?" He whisper-shouted at him but his voice was rising as he got closer to Derek, Derek was glowering at him. Stiles didn't care; he had to yell at somebody.

Jules and Scott were right next to him again, her hand around his.

"Stiles, they're still out there." Scott said to him.

"And-and they want her, right?" Stiles confirmed. "Which means now we don't have her either, so my dad and Cora are both dead!" He shouted in Derek's face. Jules yanked him away.

"They aren't." She said calmly and glanced at Scott.

"Not yet." His best friend told him.

Stiles glanced back and forth between the two of them. His best friend and his… other friend. Both of them dealing with so much.

And they have the patience to deal with me.

Scott, who must feel like he had the world on his shoulders and Jules who had just put her life on the line for him. Stiles watched as Scott walked over to Derek and Cora and Jules turned him around, he faced away from the others, just to her.

"Sties you need to keep it together. We need you." Her voice was firm, authoritative. "Oka-" The door bursting open interrupted her and her face changed, she looked murderous. Right now there was only one person he could think of who could do that.

"You can't." They all turned around to see Blake looking at Scott. "Only I can. I can save her, and I can tell you where Sheriff Stilinski is." Jules interlocked their fingers. "But there is a pack of alphas in this hospital who want me dead. So I'll help you… but only when I'm out of here and safe." She slid her eyes over them. "Only then." She emphasized.

Derek shoved over a tray table and ran at her, Scott grabbed him.

"Derek wait!" He shouted.

Stiles and Jules stayed where there were.

"She was trying to get out!" Derek pointed to her.

"I was trying to keep from getting killed; something Juliet over there didn't exactly help with." She snapped.

Jules smirked and looked proud of herself. Stiles was still furious she had tried to take on Blake alone. Again.

"If you want to show you're one of the good guys, then heal her." Stiles bargained with her.

"Not until I'm safe." Blake said again.

"I'd like to volunteer a different method of persuasion." Peter said darkly. "Let's torture her."

"Works for me." Derek said and tried to get past Scott.

"All in favor of torture?" Jules asked the room with her hand raised. Stiles was tempted to lift his arm also, but he didn't think there was anything they could really do to hurt Blake.

The P.A squeaked and Jules jumped. Melissa's voice came over the speaker, speaking for Deucalion. Stiles could feel everyone sink but Jules looked as enraged as ever.

"He's not gonna hurt her." Blake broke the silence.

"Shut up." Derek and Jules said simultaneously.

Stiles frowned.

Weird.

He looked at Scott, searching his mind for something to say.

"He won't!" Blake said again, her eyes fell on Scott. "Scott, you know why. Tell them it's true." The lights flickered and Stiles felt Jules's pulse jump.

"What does she mean?" Derek asked Scott.

The room was otherwise silent.

Blake looked at Scott expectantly and then rolled her eyes. "You're not the only one he wants in his pack." She said to Derek.

Jules made a small noise, Stiles's eyes flicked and then rested on her. She looked furious, that had been the default all day. But he there was more there, he could feel it in the beat and skips of her heart, how close she was standing to him, the occasional quiver of her lip. She was terrified. Stileswas too.

"Deucalion doesn't just want an Alpha pack, he wants perfection." Blake explained.

"He's an obsessive." Jules added. Blake nodded.

But it's Scott that's his obsession, not Derek. And that makes a hell of a lot more sense.

"That means adding the rarest of alphas into his ranks." Blake continued.

Twins, Kali does weird stuff with her feet and Scott is what…?

"A true alpha." Peter completed her thought.

"What's that?" Stiles asked them as they all looked at Scott.

"The kind that doesn't have to steal his power from another. One that can rise by the force of his own will." Peter went on, Scott avoided his eyes. "Our little Scott."

"It doesn't matter." Scott said to them and turned back to Blake. "We still need to get her out of here."

"Scott your mom-" Stiles started urgently and went over to his friend, inadvertently pulling Jules with him.

"My mom." Scott cut him off. "Said there's one more ambulance coming in twenty minutes and I don't think we've been here that long. So if we can get down to the garage, get to the last ambulance, we can get out of here." He said to them, it sounded simple enough.

Some things are easier said.

"The twins aren't gonna let us just walk out." Peter reminded them.

Thank you Peter. We'd all forgotten about them.

"I'll distract them." Scott said.

"You mean you'll fight them." Derek clarified.

"No." Jules interjected. "You'll die."

She felt Stiles looking at her so she ignored him.

"Whatever I have to do."

Never good words to say.

"Thanks Peter for offering to be first up against the wall." Jules muttered as she rummaged through the room. "Wouldn't mind you dead anyway."

"I heard that." He said harshly form the other side of the room.

"What?" Stiles asked.

Jules shook her head and rolled her eyes. She yanked open a cupboard and was faced with painkillers.

Don't they keep this stuff under lock and key?

She scanned the shelves searching for anything that could help. Her eyes fell on the one thing she never wanted to see again.

Great. Wow. Fantastic. Life is just handing me a basket of mini muffins today, isn't it?

She froze and stared at the bottle. She could hear the others talking, Derek and Stiles in particular. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him putting an AED back in its place. Her heart pounded and she wanted just to slam the door

I could just take it. Pocket it. There's gonna be needles in here somewhere.

Her hand was on the bottle, she rotated it in her fingers. She felt sick with herself.

Take it. No do not. Really though, why not? I deserve some stress relief, my entire life is absolutely absurd and it's not going to get better. Yes this is true, but you know what won't help at all? YOUR DRUG ADDICTION! PUT IT BA-

"Can that help?" Derek's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"He-help? Wha- who?" She stuttered and Derek stared blankly at her. She pushed the bottle back inside and slammed the cupboard shut. Stiles was watching her, a worried look on his face.

That doesn't mean anything. He's not worried about me.

Jules for a second was tempted to scream that she wasn't a drug addict but that seemed counterintuitive.

"Epinephrine?" Scott asked the room.

"Main ingredient is adrenaline." Jules stated numbly.

"It's only gonna make him stronger." Derek elaborated.

Jules noticed Stiles staring back and forth between them with an odd look on his face. Peter froze.

"How strong?"

Jules stood back up, "That is the worst good idea I have ever heard in my life." She said in a flat voice to Peter. "Do it."

Hope you guys are enjoying :) Any feedback is always welcome.