Due to the rigor of school, I am sad to say that updates will now be limited to once a week. My deepest apologies about that. On a happier note, thank you (as always) for the very nice review! This chapter's song is "The Reason" by: Hoobastank.
Chapter 11: "The Reason"
"I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You"
The sound of Stiles' familiar dying Jeep caused all four to look away from the boy in front of them and move towards the broken wall. "Where are you going?" The boy asked his eyes wide in fear at the prospect of being left alone now that he had awoken in such a strange place. Scott pointed, not trusting himself to speak, and the boy nodded before attempting to walk that way but instead collapsed as his legs gave out. "I got you." Isaac managed as he caught the boy with a slight grunt and helped him to loop an arm around his shoulders. Allison stepped back and took the boy's other arm. "Where's my mother?" He asked pitifully and Allison and Isaac just stared at the ground rather than answer leaving the boy to stare at Scott and Braeden as both looked at one another to see who would be the bearer of bad news. "You'll see her in a bit; you've just wandered a long way from home." Scott lied through his teeth causing his heartbeat to stammer wildly but the boy didn't notice, luckily, so the other three just nodded before Isaac and Allison began helping him through the treacherous hallway littered with debris from the cave-in with Scott and Braeden covering their backs.
"Scott! Isaac! Allison! Braeden!" Stiles could be heard yelling from just a few yards ahead and Scott hollered back a response as the group picked up their pace. Stepping into the starlit night, Isaac breathed a sigh of relief at the feeling of open space combined with the new moon. Since becoming a wolf, he had always loved new moons the most because they were the easiest nights of the lunar cycle to control his wolf side. He'd gotten better at controlling the wolf in him but it was still harder some nights than others with full moons being the most difficult of all. The sight of Stiles sprinting pell mell towards them with Malia and Kira keeping up at an easy jog got Scott distracted and he yelled for the trio as the hunters struggled along with the boy held up between them. "Stiles! Kira! Malia!" Scott was tackled by Stiles as the human hugged him and yelled. "You're alive!" When Kira cleared her throat with her hands on her hips, Stiles shrugged as he pulled away. "He was mine first." The human muttered and Kira just rolled her eyes before hugging Scott close and murmuring something in relief that sounded along the lines of "You're okay." Ignoring the exchange between her boyfriend and the two supernaturals, Malia stared at the boy suspended between Allison and Isaac. "Is that Derek?" She asked suspiciously and Stiles turned to look at the boy with surprise written on his features. "Sort of."
The boy looked up at him and gave him a one eyebrow up look of confusion himself. "Who are you and how do you know my name?" Scott sighed as he pulled away from Kira and stepped closer to the newcomers about to explain but Braeden beat him to it as she launched into an explanation that Allison and Isaac proceeded to completely ignore as they continued to help assist the boy to the Jeep. "Allison?" The banshee called as she stepped out of the Jeep and walked over to help her and Isaac. "Why is Derek…" She continued and Isaac shushed her by interrupting her quickly. "Let's just get him in the car and get him to safety and then we'll talk." Lydia nodded at his explanation and opened the front door of Stiles' Jeep in order to assist them with getting the younger Derek into the vehicle. Stepping away from the vehicle. the trio heard Derek's whimper and Lydia turned around and sighed. "I'll stay with him." As much as Lydia hated it, Allison knew that the banshee was like the pack mother and only she could comfort the terrified amnesiac boy. Isaac interlocked his fingers with hers as they walked back towards where the rest of the pack and Braeden were discussing this development, giving her hand a squeeze she glanced over at him and smiled weakly. "It'll be okay. We'll figure it out." He mouthed before letting go of her hand and she nodded slowly as her mind spun trying to figure things out while missing the comfort of his warm touch.
Throughout all this, the rest of the pack had remained talking over the incident and by the time that Isaac and Allison had returned, they were coming to the conclusion that they had to get Derek back to Beacon Hills as soon as possible, or at the very least away from La Iglesia and Kate. "I'll cover for you with the Calaveras; say that Hearne and Argent here brought everyone back to Beacon Hills to deal with them." Isaac and Allison nodded as the mercenary continued, "I'll be back to check on him in the next few weeks, he was once a client of mine too." Stepping towards her bike, Allison and Isaac took this as a signal to go and headed back to Lydia's car leaving Scott, Stiles, Kira, and Malia standing there dumbfounded. "Now go!" Braeden ordered as she revved up her bike and drove off into the night.
Upon returning to the two vehicles, the pack found that Lydia had Derek almost asleep in the front seat but their presence startled him awake. "Seriously?" Lydia complained with a glare at them as Stiles headed to the driver's side and shrugged with a muttered apology. "We're going back to Beacon Hills, okay?" Derek, the young teen, nodded and turned to Lydia, "Can I ride with you and the wolves who carried me?" Allison turned her head to look at him and then pointed a finger at herself earning a nod from the boy and a snort from her. "I am not a wolf." Isaac looked at her with his eyes wide and his face the image of sadness; the perfect puppy dog face on a teen wolf. "You say that like it's a bad thing." Rolling her eyes at his reaction she turned to Derek and added, "Wolves are great but I am a Chinese Huang, a phoenix. Totally different species." Turning back to her boyfriend she added as a joke, "I will burn you." The Beta looked at her wide eyed in feigned fear, the sadness gone from his features, and took a step back as Derek's laughter rang out sounding far more innocent than he ever had. Ignoring the two's antics, Lydia took charge and ordered "Let's get going, I'll drive my car. Derek sit up front and if the two of you so much as look at each other in any way that might even possibly be seen as passionate I will be pulling over immediately." Rolling her eyes at Lydia, the more promiscuous of the two friends, Allison just grabbed Isaac's hand as he smirked at Lydia and asked as loud as he could, "Think she'll notice if…." trailing off as he pretended to lower his voice and earning a shriek of annoyance from the redhead. "If you so much as dare!" As the whole pack laughed, Isaac looked over at his girlfriend asking for forgiveness and she shrugged before whispering just loud enough for him to hear, "It's okay, I found it funny."
Derek was still laughing by the time they got in the car and got everything moved around to make room for two in the back seat. Isaac enjoyed the sound from his shrunk former Alpha; even if it was false, Derek deserved some happiness because as soon as he remembered everything, his life was going to be marred permanently all over again. Allison's hand squeezing his was what brought him out of his thoughts and made him smile in exhaustion over at her. "Just thinking." He explained and she nodded too tired to ask him what it was about. Sitting down had reminded them both of how truly exhausted they were from staying up all night and from breaking out the rest of the pack not to mention fighting a berserker. "Just five minutes." She murmured as she leaned against his shoulder and was met with no reply. Opening one eye to look up at him, she saw that he had already fallen asleep with his head leaned back on the headrest behind him and she smiled up at him. "You're cute when you sleep." The huntress murmured before leaning her head back onto his shoulder and promptly joining him in dream land.
Car rides like this were definitely better, Isaac decided when he woke up to his nose being assaulted by the scent of her cedar shampoo coupled with her lavender soap and the omnipresent scent of wood burning. Looking over at the source of it, Allison, and her hair that had mostly fallen out of her bun and tangling in masses on his shoulder, he grinned. Her eyes were closed and she looked relieved in a way that she only could when she slept. Like him, she worried too much when awake to actually look their age rather than like a worried adult with stressed out adult expressions. Not wanting to wake her, he shifted carefully, while keeping his shoulder still, and stretching his legs carefully. "Stop moving." The huntress groaned without opening her eyes and Isaac froze, so much for not waking her. "Sorry." He whispered back and Allison moved her head so that she could look up at him as she spoke. "S'alright. Your heartbeat picked up that's why I woke." Isaac glanced away at that, he didn't have any control over that. "Nightmare?" She continued and he shook his head, normally yes but not today. Today was anger. "Just little angry at the injustice of it all." Allison knew what that was like but also, more importantly, about his anger issues in the past and how hard they were to control. "Are you angry right now?" Isaac shook his head as he tried to find the words to explain what exactly he was feeling at the present moment. "No, it's not like that. I used to be angry all the time," He was wide awake now, and the words kept tumbling out of his mouth, "At myself, with my father, with everyone. You know what anger like that feels like, don't you?" The huang nodded, after Gerard had brainwashed her, she had learned what that kind of anger felt like. "But I found an anchor, a reason to control it if you will. Scott has his morality, Derek uses others as punching bags, and I, well, I have someone I want to be better for."
The huntress looked up at him as she understood that she was that someone, the reason that he could control his anger now. "You're my reason too. After my mother, I was just so angry about everything. I only realized I'd gone too far after nearly killing you. I wanted to prove I was better not just to Scott and my father but to you. You thought I was a bad person; I wanted to prove I wasn't. Isaac, you were the one I wanted to protect from the start and I was the one hurting you. I had to prove myself again to you most of all." The teen boy pressed his lips to her forehead gratefully, unaware of Lydia watching them from the rear view mirror and thinking aloud, "Finally." He pulled away only to lightly press kisses down her face until his mouth was inches away from hers. "You've proved it a hundred times over." She beat him to the kiss and molded her lips to his in gratitude. If not for Lydia clearing her throat, the two would have undoubtedly gone further. Pulling apart and blushing, the couple looked at Lydia who smirked and added a warning, "Next step is pulling over love birds." Ignoring the urge to correct the banshee that only one of them was actually part bird, Allison just nodded and curled back up against Isaac's warm side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her close as they both dozed off back into the bliss only sleep could offer.
"We're home!" Lydia announced loudly earning a growl from Isaac and a moan from Allison at the prospect of having to wake up at all especially with the stormy night raging outside. "I'm just dropping you off at the car." The banshee continued as the huang opened her eyes and groaned as she pushed her aching muscles into a seated position. "Hope one of you is alert enough to drive home in this. We're going to take him to Deaton, he's getting worse. He passed out a few hours ago and he's been getting colder since." Isaac looked over at Allison in surprise and even though his bones ached in exhaustion he looked over at Derek and then turned to Lydia. "Do you want our help?" Isaac asked out of obligation while yawning and Lydia just shook her head. "Go home; you're no help if you're completely exhausted. Deaton and Scott will handle it." The duo nodded and Allison looked at him with one eyebrow raised in an unspoken order. "Fine, I guess I'm driving then." Leaving their bags for another day, Isaac tumbled into the driver's seat and revved up the engine as Allison pulled her door closed and leaned her chair back. "If I'm driving you are so not napping on me." She groaned and gave him the puppy dog look desperately. "It's five minutes from here, you'll live and then we'll both curl up in your bed and sleep for the next week." Allison sighed in resignation, he was definitely right but still. "Plus I am the king of the puppy dog eyes so don't even try." Her laughter reverberated around the car as he drove down Main St. and smiled himself.
That smile grew the closer they got to the Argent's apartment and the warm bed that awaited them there. Pulling into the parking structure, Isaac drove into the marked parking spot and turned the car off with a grin that spread from ear to ear. "Now we really are home." Allison sighed with relief as she stepped out of the vehicle quickly followed by Isaac. Looping his arm around her shoulders, the wolf yawned and the huang smiled at him sleepily. The couple walked together to the elevator and he pushed the up button before leaning against the wall pulling her with him. He probably would have taken a nap right there if the elevator had not arrived so quickly. She glanced over at him and grabbed his arm pulling him onto the elevator and pressing the button for floor number 4. The elevator ride had never taken so long, they both agreed as the bell finally dinged that they had arrived. Staggering from the elevator to her door, Allison jammed her key into the fob and wrenched the thing open before tripping over her own feet and almost tumbling to the ground if not for Isaac reaching out and catching her. "I got you my lady." He joked as he picked her up bridal style and chuckled at her light giggle before she leaned her head against his chest. Carrying her into her room, he placed her gently on the bed and she sat up with a smile before patting the mattress beside her. Collapsing beside her, Isaac only paused long enough to pull of his boots, holster, and jacket while Allison pulled off her knife belt, boots, and jacket. Simultaneously the pair fell backwards onto the bed and laughed weakly; everything was funnier the more tired you were. Pulling her into his side, Isaac held her close and nuzzled his face into her hair. Most boys found that gross but he loved the way her hair smelled and it made his wolf side feel calm. Just like that, both fell asleep in seconds.
Someone's phone went off awakening Isaac and Allison who both were assaulted by the noise with their heightened senses. "Shut it off!" He groaned and rolled over so his back was facing her. Smacking him lightly in the shoulder, Allison rolled out of bed and over to where his phone, of course it was his and not hers, was loudly announcing a call from Lydia. "What in the hell are you calling about this early in the morning?" Allison growled into the phone and heard Lydia obviously gulp on the other end of the line. "Derek's gone, he attacked Deaton when he woke up and ran off. Scott isn't answering his phone and we need major help." Isaac, who could hear the whole exchange as clear as day, was on his feet and looking for where he'd tossed his boots and holster the night before. "We're on our way Lydia stay put." She replied before ending the call and turning back towards her boyfriend. Passing her her knife belt, the wolf belted his own holster on and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, "Will we ever catch up on sleep?" The huang smiled despite herself and shrugged as she replied while starting towards the door knowing that he'd follow, "Sleep is for the weak."
Thanks for reading! Should update next week around this time. Thanks for your continued support, it means the world to me. As always, read, enjoy, and review!
