Uneven Odds

Chapter the Twenty-First

When Mike gets in their room, Harvey is pacing the length of the room, his face a mask of fury.

"Harvey?" he calls, a bit scared, because he doesn't think it's fair of Harvey to be mad at Stiles. The kid is not at fault here – not really. Who would have believed him if he had told them this whole thing before Peter had, apparently, turned into a werewolf in front of Harvey?

"I can't… be in the room with him right now, or I'll say so many things I regret" he answers, his voice tight, and Mike frowns.

"That's not fair. He's just a kid" he says, his voice firm, and Harvey laughs bitterly.

"Exactly, Mike! He's just a kid! It's not his fault and this is not fair! Where was his dad when all of that was happening? How can someone not see in how much pain that kid was in, or see it and not do anything about it? It's not surprising that Peter took him in like that, that he was involved with a man so much older than him – they were apparently the only people who took care of him! I can't… go there and tell him his dead father, the man he worships, was doing a lousy job!"

Mike swallows hard, because while that's true, Stiles looked terrible not a minute ago.

"You have to go and tell him everything is okay, though, Harvey. He's going to assume the worst."

The older man sighs, running a hand over his face.

"I know, I just… need a minute. God, it's…"

"Too much. I know."

Mike watches as Harvey paces some more, and then he leaves the room.

The living room in empty. So is the kitchen, when he checks there, and is with a growing sense of dread that he opens the door to Stiles's room – which is also empty.

"Harvey!" he calls, and something in his voice must have been a warning, because the lawyer comes out of his own room in a rush, "Stiles is gone."

Mike can't be too sure, but he thinks this is what a heart attack must feel like.

X

Derek takes a deep breath, cursing New York traffic even at almost ten on a Monday.

He can feel a sense of such a complete despair burning in his chest, and it's not his – it's Stiles's.

It's not that he can feel whatever Stiles is feeling, it's just that, even being a human, Stiles is his pack. Maybe in more ways than Peter or Cora will ever manage to be again, Stiles has always been there. Stiles, who was hostile and a jerk, but held him two hours above the water, Stiles who looked so scared after they first kissed, Stiles who could stand toe to toe with him on any matter, Stiles, his anchor, and the reason he could actually try and hope for a life not filled with death and despair anymore.

Stiles needs him, and he can fell it – the same way he could feel it the night the Sheriff was killed.

He goes towards Harvey's apartment, guessing that's where Stiles is, and has to brake abruptly when he sees a dark shape on the curb.

Stiles, with a light sweatshirt and his school pants, no coat in sight, is sitting on the curb.

He stops the car, not caring that he's in the middle of the street, and just rushes to him, pulling him up easily.

The boy stares blearily at him, his eyes unfocused. He's freaking freezing.

"What happened?" he asks, taking his own coat, and putting it on Stiles's shoulders.

He doesn't answer, though. He takes a step forward, his hands fisting on Derek's shirt, and buries his face in Derek's neck and … cries.

Huge, unashamed sobs making his whole body shake, and Derek can only pull him closer, trying to warm him with his own body.

"What happened?" he whispers again, but Stiles doesn't seem to hear.

A car horn sounds nearby, followed by a series of curses, and Derek moves them towards his car, putting Stiles in it and getting in impossibly fast. He turns up the heat and keeps turning towards Stiles at every second.

The ride to his place is not long, as he doesn't live too far away, but all the way there Stiles is quiet and it worries him.

Stiles is not quiet like this. This is wrong, so very, very wrong.

They get to the apartment he, Cora and Peter live, and, again, has to manhandle the boy into moving. Once they are inside, he guides him to the couch and sits him down, sitting beside him, pulling him close, and Stiles just… buries himself in Derek, hiding himself from whatever is causing this.

Cora and Peter stare form the doorway – Peter with anger, Cora with uncertainty and pity, and Derek doesn't say anything, just holding Stiles, because maybe, right now, this is just what he needs.

He feels the boy's breathing calm after a few minutes, clearly crying himself to exhaustion, and falling asleep.

He extricates himself from Stiles's hold, grabs a blanket and pulls it tightly around him.

Leaving the living room, where he knows Peter will keep watch, he takes out his phone.

"Stiles needs the both of you here, now. You better find an excuse and show up" he says as soon as the person answers.

He hangs up, angry despite himself.

Whatever it is Harvey Specter has done to Stiles, Derek will make sure he pays.

X

Harvey didn't sleep. He couldn't even sit down for more than five minutes. He called Donna in the middle of the night, and she tried helping him, but for some things not even she holds the answers. He called the Police, and, even though they said they'd help, is not like a missing sixteen year old, who left the house voluntarily, is going to be their top priority.

He was doing so well. Everything was going so fine.

He's called Stiles's cell a million times. He called Peter Hale another hundred times, but none of them are answering, and he just… doesn't know what to do.

The hours keep flying by, midnight and then two and four. The Police have no news, Mike keeps making them tea and coffee, and he's remotely aware of the fact that Jessica was by at some point, he's not very sure.

How can no one know where Peter lives? They work with the man!

And worse, what if it wasn't Peter who took Stiles, what if he's lost – he himself always insisted he went out with Ray wherever he went, what if now he can't find his way in the city?

He can't think right.

He and Mike are in the living room – Police suggested they stay home in case Stiles decides to come back, as nothing points out to kidnapping, he left because he wanted to, he'll probably come back the same way. The TV in on, but he doesn't really register anything.

He just… wants to rewind the last eight hours and handle the whole thing differently.

But he can't, can he?

"They learn werewolves are real, and leave their doors unlocked. How quaint."

Both men turn to the door, Harvey already half way out of his seat, when their brains catch up the message that is was a girl's voice, and therefore it couldn't be Stiles who spoke.

She has bright strawberry blond hair and the air of someone who measured both of them up and they came up lacking.

"Lydia" another girl reprimands, this one with dark hair, and an apologetic smile on her face.

"Sorry to just… barge in like that. We just came for Stiles's stuff" she says, shrugging and Harvey walks to them, hands shaking.

"What do you mean, his stuff?"

"Well, since you kicked him out, I don't see what you could possibly want with teenage junk" the first girl points out with a voice full of disdain.

"Lydia" this time is the boy who says it, tall and dark haired, a sad frown on his face, as if he's deeply disappointed with what he's seeing right now.

Did Mike put some sort of hallucinogen in his coffee?

"What is the meaning of this? And why would you think I kicked my brother out? You know where he is?"

"So you… didn't kick him out?" the second girl asks, her demeanor changed minutely, and only just now Harvey realizes how defensive she was holding herself before, even while smiling at them.

"He… he just took off, we couldn't find him… Who the hell are you?" he finishes, realizing he's giving excuses to complete strange teenagers on his still broken door.

"I'm Scott. This is Allison and Lydia. When Derek found Stiles last night he called us, and we came" the kid explains, shrugging, as if it's perfectly normal to just come from California to New York overnight because a friend called, "Peter asked us to come here and get his stuff before heading to their place" he finishes and Harvey shakes his head.

"I swear to God, I'm going to kill that man."

"It doesn't really take. We tried" Lydia says, with a small smile, "So what happened? Derek sounded freaked out when we called him back, because of course he hung up on us as soon as he shouts his orders, and doesn't even have the decency to show up to pick is up on the airport."

Harvey looks back, at Mike, who nods at him, and he sighs, running a hand over his eyes.

"He told us everything last night."

"Everything…" Scott prods.

"Everything everything. Peter being dead and the… furry thing. Everything."

"Oh" the boy replies, smiling sheepishly at Harvey, "I guess it didn't go very well."

"You could say that."

"So… we don't need Stiles's stuff…" Allison says, looking at Scott, while Lydia's eyes are fixed on Harvey – it's like she's trying to catch him doing something wrong.

"No. What you need is to take me to my brother, before I accuse those people of kidnapping. Stiles is still a minor, they had no right not to tell me where he is."

"Stiles needed time. And if he left, it's because you did something wrong" Lydia says, her voice cold, and Harvey stares at her for a long moment before speaking.

"I know that. But doing something wrong doesn't equal abandoning him."

She stares at him for another moment, and then nods.

"Okay, we'll take you to their place. Come on now" she chides, when he hesitates, looking down – he's in the shirt he was on last night, looking like he slept in his clothes, "It's better if you actually do look like a worried brother and not like a douchebag Lawyer. Derek is going to be pissed off enough as it is" she completes with a smile, just turning around and leaving.

The other two follow, and Harvey turns to Mike, who hugs him briefly.

"Go. I'll stay here, call the office and the school, and get this door fixed. I'm getting tired of people just showing up."

He doesn't need to be told twice before he's out the door.

X

When Stiles finally comes to, he realizes he'll be in some serious pain the rest of the day, because the angle he was sleeping in is all kinds of awkward. He also notices he's on Derek, and he has vague memories of crying on him – also, answering his phone just saying he needed him.

Derek holding him as he broke down.

Derek here in the morning after he breaks down.

He opens his eyes and stares at the man who is looking at him too.

"This is what it should have been like" he says, his voice raspy and quiet. He thinks he's in Derek's place, and if so, Cora and Peter may be around – not that it'll stop them from listening, but he can hold onto that illusion.

Derek frowns at him.

"What should have been like this?"

"When you went to the hospital, the day my dad died. This is what you should have done. You should have let me break down, you should have let me cry and yell and deny it, and then you should have been there for me. This is what it should have been like. This is what you should have done."

Derek is quiet for a long moment after that, looking away.

"I'm sorry" he ends up whispering, and Stiles stares at him – the way he seems to be drowning in guilt.

"I know" he tells him, because he does.

He's not sure he can forgive him yet, but he knows.

"Your phone was ringing before" Derek says after a few seconds, and Stiles sighs, trying to sit up and wincing from the pain in his back and neck.

"I just… took off last night. Harvey must be…" he stops talking, because he doesn't know what Harvey must be.

Pissed? Scared? Relieved?

"He called you seventy three times, and left a voicemail in each one. I'd say he's worried" says a new voice, and Stiles looks at the door to see a girl about his age there – Cora.

"Well, maybe" he mutters, looking down.

"What happened last night?" Derek asks, and Stiles shrugs.

"Peter told him. Not everything, but enough… and by your expression, I'm guessing he didn't tell you about that, huh?"

"No, he didn't" Derek answers through gritted teeth.

"Well, I told him everything. He freaked out, left the room, and then I just… I think I had a nervous breakdown or something. I don't really remember coming here, just… you" he finishes with a shrug, and Derek nods, "Where is Peter, anyway?"

"He left about an hour ago, didn't say where he was going, just… vanished" Cora answers, and Stiles snorts.

"Typical."

"Some things never change" Cora says with a small smile and Stiles smiles back. She doesn't seem to be so bad when he isn't thinking she's sleeping with his boyfriend… ex-boyfriend. Ex.

"I should probably go and… face the music" he says, but Derek shakes his head.

"You should stay a little longer" he says, his voice almost playful, and Stiles tilts his head to the side a bit, suspicious.

"Why?"

"Just because" the man answers, getting up, "The bathroom is through there. I'll make us some breakfast, ad Cora is going to help me."

He leaves, and Stiles stares at the door for a few more moments before shaking his head and doing what Derek suggested.

He can wait for a few more hours to be rejected by his brother after all.

He doesn't really say much of anything, and neither Hale is exactly a talker, so it's a quiet breakfast all in all.

It almost seems like the quiet before the storm.