"I'm sorry for what happens next." Derek had said to her. Yeah, she was sorry now too because she had to harbor bruises and cuts and scraps that healed by morning. They couldn't find her trigger and Derek got more and more frustrated by the day. He would leave for hours at a time, leaving her alone, leaving her to herself.

Aria laid on her bed, reading her newest comic book, flipping through the pages idly. She heard a knock at the front door and got up quietly. She walks over to the front door and opens it to see Issac.

Issac shyly smiles at her, "Hey, Derek told me you were out here. Thought you'd want to see someone who wasn't an asshole. At least less of an asshole." He revises, "Mind if I come in?"

"Please." Aria steps aside, letting him in, "I'm basically losing my mind out here. Probably doesn't help Derek leaves me alone all day and expect me to have found the magical trigger whenever he gets back."

"I actually came here to help you with that."

Aria frowns, "He sent you."

"Of course not, he hates me, remember?" Issac taps the tip of her nose with his finger, "I came here because the sooner we find your trigger, the sooner we get you out of here and back to Beacon Hills."

Aria grins, "So you miss me?"

"Only slightly."

Aria nudges him, "Admit it, you miss me!"

Issac walks past her to the back door, "Are you coming or not?" He calls over his shoulder. Aria grins and runs past him into the clearing. "Never thought you'd be so happy to see me, considering I basically attacked you."

"I think hitting you with a baseball bat really did our relationship some good." Aria says with a smile, facing opposite him in the clearing. "I'm over that - as long as you are, no hard feelings."

"First things first, gotta find that trigger of yours." Issac walks up to her, "Now Aria. I'm going to bring up some really painful stuff that's probably going to make you hate me."

"Give it your best shot."

"Will do. Let's talk about your mom."

Aria's heart rate picks up and she bites her lip. "What about her? Really Issac? You think this is going to-" She asks through her dry lips.

"Stiles is turning into her. The sooner you get back, the sooner you can help him. But instead you're out here with your boyfriend having sex and not bothering to even try to help him or yourself." Issac says coldly.

Aria shoves him, "Issac! Seriously? Shut up! That's not what's happening! This is a little below the belt don't you think-"

"Oh yeah? Is that why you've been out here for a month now? Because that's not happening? Come on, Aria."

"Issac." She warns, feeling her heart beating painfully against her ribcage.

"What are you going to do when whatever is in Stiles takes over? Huh? All because you weren't there to help him? Instead on a romantic getaway with your overage boyfriend-" Then Issac is being thrown across the clearing into one of the trees.

Aria screams. "Shut up!"

Issac gets up quickly, "What are you going to do about it, wolfgirl? Huh? Going to go call your boyfriend for help? Ever heard of taking care of yourself?" He shouts at her, running at her.

Aria's world goes red. This is the part where the memories get hazy and all she can hear is the screaming.

She wakes up in her bed with her wrists tied down and her body secured with duct tape. She thrashed against the holds, the memories slowly coming back.

"ISSAC - NO - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" She can hear Derek's voice but she can't see him. "Are you a fucking idiot? YOU FIND THE ANCHOR FIRST!"

"I did it! That month of your training was just absolutely useless - good job!" Issac cheerfully called back.

The sounds of fighting. The smell of sweat and blood in the air. The screams that seem to echo through the night, bounce off the walls in Aria's head and bring tears to her eyes.

"I-I didn't think..." She hears whimpered.

"Of course you didn't! Get the hell out of here! Aria? Hey Aria, listen to me! No, Aria - STOP!"

Aria remembers looking down at Derek, baring her teeth.

"Would Stiles want to see you like this?" Derek had asked her, "Would he want to see what you've turned into?"

Aria can feel the fur retracting back into her skin, remembering who she was, what she was. She was human and she'd be damned if she let this werewolf thing get in the way of that. She collapses on top of Derek, her eyes tired, they quickly shut.

When she opens her eyes again, she see's Derek in the doorway. "What did I do?" Aria asks.

Derek walks over to her, ripping open the various amounts of tape and restraints on her, "Issac won't be visiting again anytime soon." He explains, "At least he was useful for something."

"What was that? That I'm a fucking homicidal maniac?" She asks, rubbing her wrists.

"That Stiles is your anchor."

She quietly eats chinese food across the kitchen table from Derek. She would look up at him every so often to see him so focused on his egg roll it was as if it were alive. Aria would return to eating her rice but she felt the guilt plague her.

"I'm sorry, for today." Aria finally says softly, breaking the ever growing silence. She looks at Derek and he stays silent for what feels like eternity. She glances down because she feels like he's disgusted with her.

"Don't be sorry."

Aria glances up to see him staring intensely at her.

"It's what you are now."

Aria looks back down at her food, feeling the tears brimming in her eyes. She pushes away from the table, going into her room and slamming the door. She lays down on her bed, but the tears refuse to come. They stay safely on the lining of her eyes, refusing to move but refusing to go. She curses the fact he never put locks in this damn cage of his. She didn't want to be this.

Derek walks in, shutting the door quietly behind him. He sits down on her bed. She pulls herself up, furiously rubbing the tears out of her eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, I know I'm a real asshole and all-" He starts.

"Just, don't." Aria shoos him away, "I need to get used to this. To feeling like this."

"I know it's hard-"

"Do you?" Aria throws back her head and laughs, "I almost killed Issac, didn't I?"

The silence is all the answer she needs.

Derek nudges her curled together formed, "Hey, don't do that."

"Do what?" She grumbles.

"Get all sad and pouty."

"Am not pouty." She responds in a very pouty-like fashion. She scoots closer to him, "Let's talk about something else. Tell me when I can get out of here. We've already figured out what my trigger and anchor are. So what's the point of hanging around?"

Derek shrugs, "We still have a group of Alphas after you."

Aria groans, putting her forehead against Derek's shoulder, "Oh yeah, them." Aria looks up at Derek, "I did manage to trip you when I was human. Imagine how much of a badass I am in full wolf form."

Derek pats her knee, "We'll test it tomorrow morning, for now, get some sleep, you need it." He lightly kisses her forehead but the kiss lingers. Their eyes meet.

Aria slowly smiles, "You could sleep here." She offers, her cheeks turning a slow deep red.

"That really sounds like a bad idea Aria.. I wouldn't want to.. take advantage of you.. or anything.. like that." Derek stands up, but Aria grabs his arm.

"I love bad ideas." Aria chirps, "Come on. Don't tell me you're afraid."

Derek sits back down on her bed, "Afraid?"

"Of being stuck with a sexually deprived teenage girl. Seems like a nightmare." Aria flirts with an all-telling smirk.

Derek visibly licks his lips, "We're supposed to be training."

"I think we should be allowed to have a little fun." Aria puts her hand on his thigh and leans in to kiss him. He seems unsure at first when her lips touch his, but his instincts quickly take over. Pushing her deeper into the mattress with his body, his lips leaving hot kisses everywhere.

Aria giggles when he lightly nips at her neck. They make out for what feels like hours. Aria reaches for the bottom of his shirt but he quickly stops her.

"You're not 18."

Aria rolls her eyes, "Who cares about that?"

"I do."

"Want me to run out and get a fake ID?"

"Not funny."

"You smiled."

Aria wakes up in Derek's arms. With his perfectly clothed chest against her back, his breath on her neck. She snuggles closer into him, wishing she never had to wake up and face what she was now.

She grabs her phone and sees a text message from Stiles.

Come home soon.

Aria texts him back, won't be much longer now, I've pretty much got this entire thing under control.

She turns her phone off, setting it back on the bedside table, and falls asleep once more. When she wakes up again, the warm space Derek occupied is gone. She gets out of bed, softly padding into the living room to see Deucalion and Kali.

"What did you do-" Aria asks but is quickly cut off by Deucalion.

"Don't worry, darling. He's not here. He was gone before we got here. You two make the cutest couple. Not the most productive couple, but the cutest." Deucalion says with a smile, "Now, lets talk."

"The hell if I'm talking to you-" Aria growls and she can feel her eyes burning a vibrant red.

Deucalion only smiles, "Now there's my girl."