After staying in their huddle for what felt like hours, they finally broke apart. Scott stayed next to Isaac this time, with Stiles sticking to Derek. Just because Derek pretended like he didn't need anyone taking care of him, it didn't mean they were going to let him get away with it right now. This circumstance called for as much support as they could muster.

"What happened next?" Stiles asked, resting his hand on Derek's arm. Isaac was huddled in a ball next to Scott, alternating between staring up at Derek and shutting his eyes.

"They thought Isaac would go crazy and violent, but really the opposite happened. He just shut down," Derek said, grinding his teeth as he recounted the story. "It was like there was nothing left in him and he gave up. No matter what they did, he didn't react."

"What did they do?" Scott asked, glancing down at Isaac. He was paying a bit more attention now, probably since he had less memory of these moments.

"They tried hurting him, hurting me, but nothing got through. I was so fucking scared," Derek said, finishing off in a whisper. "They ended up just leaving him there, along with all the bodies. At first they were going to kill him, but they figured making me watch him wither away over the next few days sounded more fun. So that's what I did."

"I don't remember any of that," Isaac murmured, sounding haunted by the lost time. It must be strange to hear someone describe parts of your life you had no recollection of.

"They kept coming in and drugging me, just not as much, since they wanted me to be aware enough of my surroundings to suffer. They didn't bother trying the same with you, because you wouldn't swallow anything. But that ended up being their mistake."

"What did I do?" Isaac whispered.

"The last time they came in, I guess they'd decided they were done playing. They moved you closer to the bars, sat you up so I could see everything, and were about to kill you. I was reaching out for you and screaming for you to fight back, and then you did. It was like the lights came back on and then you were a blur. I couldn't even keep track of everything happening, but it was so loud. And you were in the center of it."

"Oh my God."

"I got lucky enough to have one of the bodies land close enough to the bars for me to grab and they happened to have keys in their pocket. I unlocked the door and rushed out, but by that time, there wasn't much left for me to do. One of the men was gurgling, so I took care of him, but I was more focused on getting to you. You were just standing there in the middle of everything, staring at the- at her body. I wasn't sure if you'd even realize who I was."

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, you didn't. I walked up to you and you immediately fell into my arms. You weren't taking pleasure in what you were doing, you were just trying to survive."

"But they were right, weren't they? They said I was a monster who would lose control and I did," Isaac gasped, shaking as he tried to hold control over his emotions.

"They were about to kill you both and probably countless other people. It was self defense," Scott pointed out, trying to convince Isaac that none of the blame was on his shoulders. It had been an impossible situation with no good solutions.

"If I didn't lose control, why don't I remember it? What would've happened if Derek wasn't there to stop me?"

"Sometimes our brains try to protect us from traumatic things, burying memories so we aren't overwhelmed by them. It's a very normal, human instinct," Stiles explained.

"Aren't you afraid I could hurt you? Or someone else? Am I really worth that risk?" Isaac whispered.

"I bared my throat to you guys when I didn't know the whole story. After hearing it all, I'd do the same. Without hesitation," Stiles said resolutely.

"You shouldn't."

"I trust my friends," Stiles replied simply. Isaac ducked his head back down and started crying again, but Scott just pulled him closer and held him.

"How far away were you?" Scott asked, praying they hadn't been in the preserve this whole time. If they'd been that close without Scott being able to find them, it would be infuriating.

"We were only a few miles outside of town. I waited until the coast was clear, then brought us back into the preserve. It was pretty much instinct at that point," Derek muttered.

"I'm so sorry we didn't find you. We looked for you everyday, but I couldn't catch a scent," Scott said mournfully.

"They knew how to cover their tracks. And believe me, I know what it's like to not be able to find who you're looking for," Derek sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Any progress on finding Boyd and Erica?"

"I kept my nose open for signs of them, but there was nothing. And I was more focused on finding you," Scott admitted guiltily. He'd had to prioritize, but it didn't even matter in the end. For all his searching efforts, Derek and Isaac ended up having to save themselves.

"I'll start looking for them again in the morning," Derek said, nodding in determination.

"Like hell you will!" Stiles shouted, startling them all. Even Isaac popped his head up.

"Stiles-"

"No, don't even think about it. You are in no condition to be traipsing out in the woods."

"That's why I said in the morning. I'll be fully healed by then," Derek argued.

"Look, I know you are desperate to find them, but you can't go back out there so soon. We just got you back and I'm not ready for you to take that risk again!"

"That's not your call to make."

"Bullshit it isn't my call! We were the ones trying to keep this pack together while you were gone. I'm not going to sit back and let it be torn apart again!"

"We aren't even in the same pack. And with Isaac and me gone, you two are pretty much your own pack anyways," Derek pointed out.

"Well, maybe I don't subscribe to traditional pack boundaries. I say we are all one big pack and I assumed the role of Alpha in your absence, only to be transferred back to you when I see you are fit to take up the mantle once more," Stiles boasted, puffing his chest out.

"I don't have to listen to you," Derek sighed, clearly trying to stop himself from becoming agitated.

"Fine, then I'm coming with you," Stiles shrugged.

"No, you aren't. You and Scott are going to stay with Isaac."

"You aren't going without me either!" Isaac huffed, wiping away his tears.

"You need to stay here and focus on getting better," Derek said, letting his voice go gentle.

"If you think I'm going to let you go out there alone after what happened, you're insane. The only reason we came out of this whole thing alive is because we were together and I'll be damned if I'm letting you out of my sight. And fuck you if you think you're gonna leave me behind!" Isaac shouted, nearly hyperventilating toward the end. Scott rubbed his back, trying to get him to calm back down.

"Even if we aren't in the same pack, we've been working together regardless. We're friends and friends take care of each other. Let us take care of you," Scott proposed, hoping Derek would stop being so stubborn and listen to them. They had enough to deal with concerning helping Isaac recover mentally, they didn't need Derek unnecessarily fighting them along the way.

"I'll give you three days, and then I'm going out whether you all like it or not," Derek relented, dipping his head in surrender.

"Agreed, we will revisit this discussion in three days," Stiles said quickly, clapping his hands and standing before Derek could protest his obvious misinterpretation. "I think the next order of business should be getting some sleep, then in the morning I'll go on a supply run so I can make everyone great grandma Stilinski's famous chicken noodle soup."

"I don't know," Isaac mumbled, leaning further into Scott's embrace.

"I promise, it's really good. Legend says it can cure anything," Stiles said.

"It's not that," Isaac sighed, rubbing his cheek against his shoulder. "I don't think I want to fall asleep." Scott thought back to all the times Isaac had fallen asleep earlier and woken up screaming and he couldn't blame him for being reluctant to try again. But he was obviously exhausted and sleep was important when it came to healing and being healthy overall. Extreme fatigue would only make things worse.

"I'll stay with you," Scott offered. He was prepared to stay with Isaac and Derek for as long as it took for them to get better. His mom had been really understanding of his need to be out so much and she'd probably jump at the idea of him staying put and helping someone sleep through the night. Even if he wasn't home, at least she knew he wasn't out somewhere in danger.

"You don't need to do that. You shouldn't have to babysit me," Isaac muttered, easing himself away slightly.

"I don't have to, but I want to. What I said to Derek goes for you as well. Friends help each other and that's what I plan on doing. I know you'd do the same for me," Scott replied.

"I hope you all have big beds, because I'm staying too," Stiles added, grinning down at Derek. "You wanna be the little spoon?"

After Stiles remade a couple protein shakes according to the instructions and Derek and Isaac choked them down, they headed to bed. Scott had dragged their mattresses together and thrown down all the pillows and blankets he could find on top, making a pretty comfortable looking nest. Stiles refrained from making wolf den jokes and guided Isaac to the center, covering him with as many blankets as the teen could stand. He finally cracked the first smile they'd seen from him since their return.

Derek ended up being the big and small spoon, wrapping his arms around Isaac and holding him tightly to his chest. Stiles slid him behind him, holding back a giggle as he eased closer to Derek's back. The older werewolf growled a little before giving up and pulling at Stiles until he was snug behind him. Scott laid down in front of Isaac, making sure his face would be the first thing he saw if he woke up from a nightmare.

Scott had spent every night of the past two weeks tossing and turning, worried sick about his missing friends. Now they were back and things weren't perfect, but they had escaped another irreversible tragedy, and that was all he could ask for.