Chapter 25

"So...," Stiles said as he came into her room later that day. "What did you and Jackson talk about?"

"Really Stiles? That is super subtle," Scarlet said as she put down her paint brush.

"You do realize that you are painting Derek right," Stiles asked as he studied the painting.

"What? No, it's not him, I'm just...," Scarlet trailed off as she stared at the canvas. "Ok, it's him. I'm worried about him Stiles, I don't get why he is helping Peter. I don't understand what is going on, and I am afraid that Peter is going to make him hurt Jackson, because Jackson wants to be like them so much. I tried to talk him out of it Stiles, I really did, but he won't listen. He thinks he can protect me, and himself, from anything if he gets changed."

"Uh, did you tell him that your current werewolf boyfriend can't even do that? I mean if anyone should be able to keep you safe it would be Derek, he's been a werewolf his entire life, which must have been really weird when he was a baby. I mean can you imagine what a toddler werewolf must look like? I mean you walk into your son's nursery and he starts growling at you from his crib, that would be," Stiles babble excitedly.

"We aren't talking about Derek's childhood! We are talking about the fact that Jackson has deluded himself into thinking he can handle this and he has no idea what he is getting himself into! This is bad Stiles, this is really bad," Scarlet exclaimed.

"Well there is nothing you can do about it right now, so let's go downstairs, get something to eat, and... see what happens next."

"Fine," Scarlet groaned. She flipped the canvas over so it was facing the wall and followed Stiles downstairs.

They wandered into the kitchen immediately noticing that their dad was at the table, with papers surrounding him. They exchanged a look before moving into the doorway. "What cha' doin," they asked together.

"Work," he mumbled.

"Anything we can help with?"

"You know if one of you poured me an ounce of whiskey and the other made me a sandwich, that would be awfully nice."

They exchanged a look before scrambling to do what he asked. Stiles got to the table first and took the seat next to him.

"Any leads," Stiles asked.

"Hey," he said as he smacked Stiles' hand. "You know I can't discuss that."

Scarlet brought the sandwich in and moved some of the papers to make space for it. She passed Stiles the papers, after he set down the glass. She raised her eyebrows at the amount of Jack in the glass, but didn't say anything.

Their dad quickly drained his glass as they glanced over the papers. Scarlet was staring at a picture of Derek intently.

"Derek Hale would be a hale of a lot," their dad said. "Hale of a lot..."

"Hell of a lot," Stiles supplied.

"Yes," he said as he gave Stiles a thumbs up. "A hell of a lot easier to catch if we could get an actual picture of him."

"How do you not have a picture of him," Stiles asked in confusion.

"Its the weirdest things, its like every time we take a mugshot, its like two laser beams were pointing at the camera." He tugged his glasses off and rubbed his face. "God, that ounce hit me like a brick. And I have said way too much, and if you repeat any of this."

"Dad its us, we aren't going to say anything," Stiles said quickly. "Right Scar?"

"Yeah, I mean who would we tell," she replied.

"See the thing is, they are all connected. I mean the bus driver that got killed, he was an insurance investigator assigned to the Hale house fire."

"Terminated over suspicion of fraud," Stiles read off a paper.

"Exactly."

"Who else," Scarlet asked.

"The video store clerk, that had his throat slashed, was a convicted felon with a history of arson."

"What about the other two guys? The guys that got killed in the woods," Stiles asked.

"Priors all over their records, including," he started to say.

"Arson," Scarlet and Stiles said together.

"Your twin thing still freaks me out sometimes," their dad admitted.

"Maybe they all had something to do with the fire," Stiles whispered. Their dad leaned away from the table and let out a sigh.

"Another shot," Scarlet cried as she grabbed the bottle.

"No, no, no, no more."

"Dad, come on you work really hard, all right? You deserve it," Stiles replied.

"Oh my god, I'm going to have such a hangover," he said as he motioned for Stiles to pour him another.

"You mean are going to have such a good night sleep," Stiles said as he poured the glass. "We are going to have an eternity in the lowest circle of hell."

"Keep pouring, worry about our souls later," Scarlet hissed.

"What did you say Scar?"

"You should eat your sandwich! Wouldn't want it to get soggy," she exclaimed as she pushed it toward him. She picked up some more of his papers and glanced over them as Stiles handed him the glass.

He finished the glass and rolled it against the edge of the table. Stiles caught it when he dropped it accidently. "There are just so many other questions," he sighed.

"Like what," Stiles asked.

"Well if Derek wanted to kill everyone involved with the fire, then why start with his sister? She had nothing to do with it, and why make it look like some kind of animal did it? When that, when that cougar ended up in the parking lot, I checked with animal control, you know that the instances of wild animals reports are up 70% over the past few months. Its like this is so crazy, I don't know how..."

"Or something's scaring them out," Stiles said softly.

"You know I miss talking to you," he said as he stared at Stiles. "Its like we never have time..."

"Dad, I have to make a phone call," Stiles interrupted. "I'll be right back."

"I miss her, I miss your mom," their dad mumbled. Stiles froze in the doorway to the kitchen and Scarlet exchanged a look with him. "And you, Scarlet you look so much like her. You are so beautiful honey."

"What'd you say," Stiles asked as he came back toward the table. Their dad went to pour himself another glass, but Stiles caught the bottle.

"I miss her."

"I miss her too," Scarlet softly.

"So do I," Stiles admitted. They all stared at one another for a long moment.

"We, uh, you should go to bed dad, maybe something will come to you in your sleep," Scarlet suggested, simply to break the silence.

"Good idea kid, I'll see you two in the morning."

Scarlet and Stiles watched as he stumbled up the stairs and into his room. "Stiles, are you ok?"

"Yeah, you?"

Scarlet nodded, not trusting herself to speak. They never talked about their mom, it was too painful. Stiles' phone rang causing them both to jump. "Hey Scott," he said quickly. "We need to talk."

His face bunched in concern as he listened to Scott. "I'm on my way, I have an idea," Stiles said quickly. "Peter is taking Scott's mom on a date. We have to go stop him."

"What about Derek?"

"I have no idea! Are you coming," Stiles demanded.

"No, I'll try and find Derek, maybe I can talk some sense into him," Scarlet said as she followed him out of the house.

"Be careful, you don't know what Peter's done to him," Stiles warned.

"You be careful too, you are the one going up against Peter," Scarlet replied. They both nodded at the other before setting off, Stiles in the jeep and Scarlet on foot through the woods. Scarlet wished she had brought a flashlight as she trudged through the woods toward the Hale house. She knew the way, but it would have been less creepy with some light.

Scarlet paused outside the house before wandering inside. "Derek," she called as she entered through the back door. She wandered down the hallway and into the living room. "DEREK!"

When no one answered, she shut the door to the living room before sitting down on one of the sofas. She sighed and leaned her head back as she waited. She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there when she heard the front door open. She didn't move, figuring Derek would know she was there.

"Its the house, it's the same house," she heard someone else say. Scarlet tensed when she realized it was Jackson.

"What'd you say," Derek asked.

"I've dreamt about this place, I remember the staircase, I remember these walls, I remember everything."

"You've been here," Derek asked.

"No, never, I dreamt it," Jackson explained. "There's no one else here."

Scarlet slowly slid off the couch and crept toward the door, she pressed her ear against it, listening intently.

"And no one else coming," Jackson asked a tremor in his voice. She heard a thump and pressed closer to the door. "No, please don't, I'll shut up. I'll never say another word again, I'll leave Scott alone. Please, you can't do this! Please, I don't deserve it."

Scarlet clamped a hand over her mouth as she heard Jackson sob. She was shocked that Derek would do this, and terrified by it at the same time.

"I think you do," Derek replied coldly.

"No," Jackson cried.

"Look around you! Wouldn't there be someone here trying to save you? There's no one here, there's a reason, no cares that you drive an expensive car, no cares that you have perfect hair, and no one cares, that you're captain of the lacrosse team," Derek shouted.

"I care," Scarlet said as she shoved the door open.

"Excuse me, co-captain," Scott said from the top of the staircase.

Scott leapt to the bottom of the stairs as Scarlet darted over to Jackson. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him out of the way. Both Scott and Derek shifted, growling simultaneously.

"Move," Derek ordered.

"No," Scott snapped.

"Fine, I'll kill you too," Derek replied.

"Derek," Scarlet cried as she stood up.

"Cover your eyes," he shouted as he dropped to the floor. Scarlet barely had time to do what he said before a bright flash filled the room. Bullets began to shatter through the walls, if Scott hadn't been standing directly in front of her, she would have been shot.

Scarlet screamed as Scott pulled her toward the wall, clutching his side. "Oh god, Scott," she cried as she pressed her hands against it trying to stop the blood from rushing out. "Derek, what do I do?"

"Scott go, get her out of here," Derek shouted from across the foyer.

Scott coughed up blood, grimacing in pain as he did so. Derek dashed across the hallway and grabbed Scott shoving him up the hallway toward the back of the house.

"Run," he shouted over the gunfire. He grabbed Scarlet and pushed her after Scott, but she wouldn't let go of his arm. "Go Scarlet."

Bullets continued to rain through the walls, and Derek threw himself over her, shielding her. He let out a cry of pain as a bullet hit him in the back. Derek grabbed her face in both his hands, staring at her for a long moment. "You have to go Scarlet," he urged.

"Not without you, please Derek. Don't do this, you don't have to do this," Scarlet pleaded as tears filled her eyes. She flinched as the next round of bullets started. She ducked her head, pressing her face against his chest. "I love you, don't do this to me."

"I'm doing this to protect you," Derek explained. "Everything that I'm doing is for you, it is to keep you safe. I'm sorry about Jackson, I didn't want to do it, but Peter would have hurt you if I didn't. I love you, you have to go, please Scarlet. Go."

Scarlet put her hands on either side of his face and held him still for a moment. She'd never been this close to him while he was shifted, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. "Be careful," she whispered.

"Go," he said again before pushing her away from him. "Don't stop until you get out of the woods."

Derek rushed to the front door, glancing back at her as she moved up the hallway. She paused to look back at him for a moment. They stared at one another for a long moment before he pulled the door open and stepped outside. He let out a angry roar, and Scarlet took off running. She scrambled through the woods, the sounds of gunfire slowly fading behind her. She tripped over something hitting the ground hard.

Scarlet glanced back and realized it was Scott she had tripped over. "Scott," she cried as she scrambled over to him. Smoke was rising out of the place he'd been shot. "Oh god. Scott what do I do? Scott?"

Scarlet shook him a few times trying to get his attention. "Scott, talk to me, come on, you have to talk to me Scott!"

"Alison," he mumbled.

"Good, tell me about her, tell me about Alison, what do you love about her Scott," Scarlet said as she pulled up his shirt to look at the wound. She gasped loudly, the skin around it already looked infected. "Scott, tell me what you love about her, damn it!"

"Her hair, her... bravery... her mind," Scott mumbled.

Scarlet heard a twig snap behind them and she whirled around to find Scott's boss behind them. "Dr. Deaton, can you help him? He got shot, I don't know what to do! Please, he's going to die," Scarlet pleaded.

"It will be ok Scarlet," he said as he picked up Scott.

"Stop," Scott whispered.

"It's all right Scott, you're going to be all right," he said reassuringly. "Were you hurt Scarlet?"

"No, Scott and Derek, they protected me."

"You should get home, Scott will be fine. I'll make sure he calls you in the morning."

"I want to stay with him, please?"

"You have to go home, your brother and your father will be worried about you. Come see Scott in the morning, he'll be fine with me. I promise," Dr. Deaton assured her.

"Ok, but if anything happens, you'll call me?"

"Of course, now please, go home."

Scarlet nodded before heading in the direction of her house. It didn't take too long for her to get back there. She managed to creep inside, locking the front door behind herself. She snuck up to her room, sitting down on the foot of her head and burying her head in her hands. Her door squeaked open and she knew it was Stiles.

Stiles sat next to her on the bed, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Did you find him?"

"Yeah, he had Jackson, he was going to kill him, but Scott and I were both there. He said he was going to kill Scott too, but then... then there was this flash of light, and Scott got shot and Jackson, god I don't even know if he's ok! And there was so much blood, and Derek told us to leave, but I couldn't leave him there, not while those people were shooting at us! So I begged him, literally begged for him to come with me, but he said he couldn't, he had to protect us. Everything he is doing is to protect me! And then he ran out of the house, right into the gunfire, he could be dead for all I know," Scarlet exclaimed frantically. The tears she had been trying to hold back all night, finally broke free and she sobbed into Stiles' shoulder. "I can't lose him too Stiles, I can't."

"It's ok Scar, I'm sure he's fine. He's a werewolf, I mean he's hard to kill, I'm sure he'll be fine. Peter won't let anything happen to him, he'll be fine, you'll see," Stiles said soothingly. "Is Scott ok?"

Scarlet nodded quickly as she wiped a hand over her face. "Dr. Deaton took him with him, he said he would keep Scott over night and call us if anything happened."

"So the man that we thought was the alpha but isn't the alpha is actually a werewolf doctor," Stiles asked.

"It would seem so, I mean he's a vet, so maybe it's kind of the same thing," Scarlet said hopefully.

"He's going to be ok Scarlet."

"How do you know Stiles?"

"I... I just do," he said with a shrug.

"That is not as reassuring as you hope it would be," she said with a small smile.

"Hey, I am your big brother, and as your big brother, I say he is going to be fine!"

"You are only older by a few minutes," she said as she pushed him off the bed. She pulled Stiles to his feet and hugged him for a moment.

"Try and get some sleep," Stiles said as he let go of her.

"Night big brother," she called after him.

"Good night little sister!"