It's The Same, Wherever You Go

Chapter Eighteen

Where Loyalties Lie

After escaping Peter Hale's clutches, Stiles and Jaydra race over to the high school to find Scott, letting him know what all they learned. When they pull into the parking lot, they notice that the entire place is empty, save a few cars that were scattered across the parking lot.

Racing into the locker room, Stiles blurts out to Scott, "Dude, we have a huge problem!"

Without looking up, Scott merely replies, "Trust me, I know." Finally looking up, Scott's chocolate brown eyes lock with Jaydra's gree. "Derek's with the Alpha now?! That makes this so much more difficult!"

"He can't help it," Jaydra says softly, rubbing her arms.

"Yes, he can, Jay!" Scott growls out, jumping up from his seated position on the bench. "Derek was all gung-ho, ready to kill the Alpha before he learned it was his uncle! Your family can't interfere like that!"

Running a hand through her sandy blond hair, Jaydra sighs deeply, her green eyes locking with Scott's brown. "Family can when they turn out to be your Alpha. Derek's uncle is the last bit of family he has, Scott," she says softly. "Peter's the Alpha in Derek's family pack. That kind of loyalty is unwavering, and it can be deadly to others."

Scott lets out a grunt of frustration, before turning and throwing a chair across the room.

"Feel better now?" Stiles mutters sarcastically before his face becomes puzzled as he looks at Scott's neck. "Dude, what happened to your neck?"

"Peter did it," the pup explains, turning to look at his two best friends. "And after he did it, I got these weird images in my head . . ."

Jaydra's eyes are wide as she lets out an audible gasp. "He showed you . . . He showed you the Hale fire, didn't he?"

Scott's reply was just a single nod, as his hand went to the back of his neck, rubbing at the spot lightly. The four claw marks already healed, for the most part, save for a couple scabs.

Stiles looks between the two people in front of him. "Hey, guys," he voices, gaining their attention. "Let's head home. It's been a long day."

ITSWYG

The following day, the three teenagers were in Stiles' jeep, trying to come up with a plan for Peter and Derek, before Scott completely stiffens up.

"Scott?" Jaydra asks, shaking his shoulder lightly. "You alright?'

"Jackson's nearby," he replies. "And Chris Argent is with him."

"Where?" Stiles asks, changing the direction of the jeep.

The three teens found themselves driving about two miles away, before finding Jackson and Chris parked in an empty parking lot of a rundown, old, business. As soon as the Jeep came to a halt, Jaydra was out of the vehicle in record time.

"What's going on?" she asks, her eyes narrowing in on Chris.

"Hey, Jaydra," Chris politely greets, nodding his head slightly. "Your friend, here, was having car trouble. We're just taking a look."

"Oh really?" Jaydra asks, walking back to stand by the engine with Chris. Glancing down into the engine, Jaydra notices a jamming piece that forces a car into total engine failure, but with a trackable GPS. "Huh, would you look at that," the hunter says, leaning down to grab the piece. "A cable came loose." When she straightens up, she shoves the piece into Chris' hand.

Chris just smiles at Jaydra, his hand enclosing around the piece. "Seems like your dad taught you more than I thought. Again, I express my deepest condolences," the Argent hunter says, before turning to leave.

Once Chris' vehicle was out of sight, Jaydra completes a full one-eighty, and slaps Jackson on the back of his head. "YOU MORON!" she snarls out.

"OW!" Jackson hisses out, rubbing the back of his head. "What are you even doing here!? You three following me now?!"

"Yes, you fucking idiot!" Jaydra practically screams, rubbing her head again.

Scott walks up beside Jackson. "You almost gave everything away, right there!" Scott explains.

"What are you talking about?" Jackson asks, looking between his two teammates.

"Chris thinks you're the second beta!" Jaydra announces. "He planted a piece in your car so he could get you alone. I know you're dense, man, but did you seriously not see that he was heavily armed?"

At this handy piece of information, Jackson visibly pales. "H-He was armed?"

Jaydra nods. "Yes, and he was ready, and willing, to attack if you posed a threat to him."

"This is great," Scott sighs out, sarcasm dripping from every word, his eyes locking with Jackson's. "Now, he thinks that there's something wrong, and now I have to keep an eye on you, so he doesn't kill you too!"

Jackson, even faced with the possibility of dying, just smirks at Scott. "Then you know you have to do it. Give me what I want, and I will be fine protecting myself."

The sole girl of the group stares at Jackson with pure disbelief. "You really do just think about what works for you, what can give you any upper hand, don't you?"

Jackson nods, before looking at Scott. "Now, give it to me. I'll survive on my own."

"NO, YOU WON'T!" Scott yells out, practically snarling at Jackson. "All the bite does is make things worse!"

Jackson raises an eyebrow, before scoffing. "Yeah, McCall, it makes it so much worse. You can hear anything you want, run faster than humanly possible. Sounds like a real hardship."

"Yeah, I can run really fast now, except half the time, I'm running away from people trying to kill me!" Scott says, finally letting out all the pent up resentment he's had since acquiring the bite. "And I can hear things, like my girlfriend telling people that she doesn't trust me any more right before breaking up with me! I'm not lying to you, it ruins your life!"

Jackson holds up a hand, stopping Scott's rant. "It ruined your life. You had all the power in the world, and you didn't know what to do with it. You know what it's actually like?" Jackson asks.

"Oh, please enlighten us!" Jaydra says, crossing her arms.

"It's like you turned sixteen and someone bought you a Porsche when they should have started you out with a nice little Honda. Me? I drive a Porsche," Jackson smirks, turning to leave.

"And, yet, you're still painfully human like Stiles and me," Jaydra calls out, before walking back over to Stiles' jeep. "I can't take this shit anymore, take me to Beacon Shots for my shift, please."

ITSWYG

After pulling her shift at her job, Jaydra walks into the Stilinski home feeling fully exhausted. Walking into the kitchen, she notices John Stilinski sitting at the kitchen table with files everywhere, racking his brain over the case he was on.

"Hey, Jaydra," he greets, rubbing his forehead.

"Hey," she reciprocates, walking to the fridge and pulling out a water. Glancing up, she notices that Stiles had joined them in the kitchen as well.

"Whatcha doing?" Stiles asks his dad, his eyes glancing up at Jaydra.

John snorts slightly. "Work, what else?"

"Anything we can help with?" Jaydra asks, downing half of her water.

John smiles softly, silently appreciating that these two teenagers want to help ease his workload. "If one of you could pour me an ounce of whiskey, that would be awfully nice."

Jaydra left the room the second the word ounce left John's mouth, knowing what he wanted. She walks back into the kitchen with the bottle of whiskey, as Stiles scrambles to grab a glass. When Stiles lays the glass on the table, Jaydra easily pours John about half a cup of whiskey and hands it to him.

"Thanks," the sheriff says, downing the drink easily.

"Not a problem," the hunter says softly. Jaydra then goes to grab a glass, and fills up John's glass again, before filling one for herself.

"Jay," John groans out softly, rubbing his eyes. "You know I just can't look away, knowing you poured that."

Jaydra raises an eyebrow as her eyes lock with the Sheriffs. "Rather I go out and get it?" she challenges, holding the glass.

John sighs heavily, knowing that she was right to some extent. At least if she did it here, he could keep an eye on her. "Just one," he finally relents, before looking over at Stiles. "Don't even think about it. I can still whip your ass for it."

"Yet she gets a free slide?" Stiles asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Jaydra isn't my kid, I can't touch her," John says, glancing back down at the files.

"That sounded so much dirtier than you intended, John," Jaydra says, causing the three of them to laugh, really laugh, for the first time in a long while.

"Any leads?" Stiles asks after the laughter subsides.

John rubs his eyes as he motions for Stiles to pour him a bit more. "You know I can't discuss that with you."

Stiles gets an idea and practically fills the glass up with whiskey, knowing that his dad isn't exactly a heavy drinker. "There you go, dad."

John drinks the whiskey, before looking back over the files. "You know, Derek Hale would be a whole hale of a lot . . . hale of a lot?" he slurs, his words mixing together.

Jaydra chuckles. "You mean, hell of a lot?" she asks, sipping at her drink.

Snapping his fingers, John points at Jaydra. "Yes, that's what I meant. He would be a hell of a lot easier to catch if we could get an actual picture of him.

That makes Jaydra raise an eyebrow, as Stiles voices the questions she was silently asking. "How do you not have a picture of him?"

"It's the weirdest thing!" the sheriff says, amazed. "It's like every time we tried to get a mug shot, it's like these two laser beams were pointing at the camera . . ."

"Nice," Stiles says softly, making Jaydra chuckle.

John Stilinski groans as the liquor started getting to him. "I have said way too much, and if you two repeat any of that-" but Stiles cuts him off.

"Dad, its Jaydra and me. We're not going to say anything," Stiles assures, and Jaydra nods to confirm.

John sighs, really needing to talk this out to find some kind of connection. "See, the thing is, they're all connected. I mean, the bus driver that was killed, he was an insurance investigator assigned to the Hale house fire . . ."

Jaydra's eyes widen as she fishes out the paper. "And the investigation was terminated under suspicion of fraud . . ." The teenaged hunter couldn't believe what she was reading. "What else?"

"The video store clerk who got his throat slashed, he was a convicted felon with a history of arson," John says, his face in his hands.

"And the two guys found in the woods?" Stiles pressures.

"Priors all over their records, including-" Once again, the sheriff was cut off, but this time by Jaydra.

"Arson," she says softly, leaning back in her chair. "So they all possibly had something to do with the Hale fire . . ."

"Want another shot, dad?" Stiles asks, ready to pour.

"No, no, no, no more," John says, shaking his hand.

"Come on," Stiles urges. "You work really hard, all right? You deserve it."

John just stares at his son, before heaving a large sigh. "God, I'm going to have such a hangover."

"You mean a good night sleep," Jaydra chuckles, watching Stiles pour the drink.

"And I'm going to have an eternity in the lowest circle of hell," Stiles mutters.

ITSWYG

After sitting at the kitchen table for what seems like hours, the three investigators were nowhere closer solving the case than when they started.

"There're so many questions unanswered," John says, rubbing his forehead.

"Like what?" Jaydra asks, holding the files in her hand, trying to find some connection other than the Hale fire, and who the main person behind it was.

"Like if Derek wanted to kill everyone involved with the fire, why did he start with his sister?" the sheriff asks, looking at Jaydra and Stiles. "She had nothing to do with it. And why make it look like some kind of animal did it? When that cougar ended up in the parking lot, I checked with animal control."

"You did?" Jaydra asks. "What did they find out?"

"Did you know the instances of wild animal reports were up seventy percent over the past few months?" John asks.

Jaydra and Stiles both stayed quiet during this question, but both of their minds drifted to Peter Hale.

"It's like they're just going crazy," John says. "Running out of the woods . . . I just don't know."

"Maybe something's scaring them out," Jaydra offers.

Stiles nods. "Maybe some new animal that came in."

The sheriff nods and looks over at Stiles and smiles. "You know, I miss talking to you," John admits.

Stiles glances down at his phone as Jaydra feels her vibrate as well, guessing that it was the same message, she left if up to Stiles. "I have to make a phone call," he says to his dad. "I'll be right back."

"I do," John continues. "I miss it . . . And I miss your mom . . ."

It was as if someone dumped ice cold water on the two teenagers. Stiles practically froze in his spot, whereas Jaydra was just surprised that John mentioned it. Never once since living here did Jaydra hear John talk about his wife, nor Stiles his mother. Bobby filled her in that the woman died when Stiles was a kid, and Jaydra knew not to press that sore button.

"What did you say?" Stiles asks, his voice breaking slightly. When John reaches out to pour himself more to drink, Stiles stops him, begging for his dad to say it again. But it wasn't to be.

Jaydra just looks between the two, before walking over to John and helps him to his bed. When she returns to the kitchen, she sees Stiles still sitting in his seat.

Taking a deep breath, Jaydra walks over and pulls Stiles into a bone crushing hug. "I'm sorry . . ." she says softly. "If you need me, just let me know, Stiles." And with that, she pulls back and pats his arm. "And hey, you still have your dad."

Stiles nods, rubbing at his eyes. "Thanks, Jay," he says quietly, before leaving the room to make the call to Scott.

ITSWYG

The call from Scott was panic ridden as he explains to the two that Peter was taking Scott's mother, Melissa, out on a date. Stiles immediately jumps on board to help, and when Jaydra says she would, Scott stops her.

"Jay, I need you to stay at the house, in case Peter has a backup plan," Scott explains.

"You're getting smarter, pup," Jaydra comments, but pushes Stiles out the door. "Go!"

And it seems like no time passed, when her phone begins to ring, and the message wasn't good.

"Peter's going after Jackson now! Derek has him!" Scott practically screams into her ear.

"I'm on it," Jaydra promises, before running out to her car, and floorboarding it to the charred remains of the Hale house. Jaydra couldn't explain the sure feeling she had that Derek would be there, but she trusts her instincts.

As she pulls in front of the Hale house, she exits her Nissan Skyline and races up to the door. That's when Derek's voice became clear.

"Look around you!" he yells, most likely to Jackson. "Wouldn't there be someone here trying to save you? There's no one here. No one cares that you drive an expensive car, no one cares that you have perfect hair, and no one cares that you're the captain of the Lacrosse team!"

Jaydra calmly walks through the door of the Hale house, moving to stand in front of Jackson, facing the blue-eyed beta. "Sorry, man, he's the co-captain," she says.

Derek's eyes, which have been hard and cold to Jackson, immediately softens when it registers that Jaydra stood in front of him. "Jaydra?" he says softly, before going back into that loyal beta mode. "Get out of the way . . . Please . . ."

Jaydra shrugs and puts her hands in her pockets. "You know I can't do that, lover-boy. I really can't stand by and let you turn Sir-Pain-In-My-Ass here."

Derek snarls, baring his slightly elongated fangs. "I don't want to hurt you . . ."

Suddenly, Scott lands in front of Jaydra fully wolfed out. "Then take me on," the young pup growls out.

Derek roars out in anger, his wolf side coming to light. "Fine," he agrees, lunging at Scott.

While the two werewolves fought each other, Jaydra grabs Jackson and pulls him off the stairwell, away from the fight.

"You hurt?" she asks, her green eyes scanning over his body quickly.

Jackson shakes his head, but another question arises. "Want to explain why Derek didn't want to rip your throat out when you came in?"

"Not the time, or the place, Jackson," Jaydra says, before turning to look at the two werewolves.

A loud roar rips out into the air, making Jaydra's green eyes fly over to Derek. But he wasn't the source of the cry. Looking over at Scott, the hunter's eyes widen as she sees blood pooling around Scott's lower left side. Someone was outside shooting at the Hale house.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Jaydra screams, forcing Jackson out the back of the house. Once Jackson was out of sight, the girl runs over to her friend Scott, only to feel her right shoulder suddenly feel like it's on fire.

Reaching over her shoulder, Jaydra felt a wet spot appearing on her shirt, and her hand was coated in blood.

"JAYDRA!" Derek roars, making the girl look over at the blue-eyed beta. "GET SCOTT AND GET OUT!"

Derek's order snaps Jaydra out of her shock of being shot, as she nods and grabs Scott's arm, leading him out of the house, and away from the gunfire.

The two teens get plenty of distance between the attack, only for the two of them to collapse in the woods.

Hissing in pain, Jaydra sits up and looks around, noticing for the first time that Derek wasn't behind Scott and her, meaning he took the ambush on by himself.

Trying to stand up again, Jaydra glances down at Scott, who's heavily breathing. Moving close, Jaydra notices smoke coming up from the bullet, as if it was burning Scott's skin.

"Wolfsbane," she mutters.

Suddenly, someone steps on a branch, alerting Jaydra to their presence. Turning towards the sound, Jaydra's eyes widen slightly when she sees Deaton standing before here.

"Miss Winchester," Deaton says politely, bowing his head. "I'm Deaton, Scott's boss, and the local veterinarian."

Jaydra stands up and looks at that dark skin man before a lightbulb goes on in the back of her head. "You knew the whole time . . ."

Deaton chuckles softly. "Perhaps. But will you allow me to help you and your friend?"

Jaydra bites her inner cheek, before going with her instinct again, allowing Deaton to walk over to Scott, picking the young werewolf up in his arms.

ITSWYG

At the veterinary clinic, Jaydra tells Deaton to work on Scott first, since Wolfsbane won't do anything to her. So, Deaton just places a bandage on her shoulder, before going to work on Scott's bullet wound.

Right after pulling the bullet out of the wound, Scott began to regain consciousness.

"W-Where am I . . .?" he asks softly, groaning as the pain sets in.

"You're fine," Deaton assures. "I've given you something that should . . . speed up the healing process."

"But you're a vet," Scott argues, the drugs lulling him back to sleep.

Deaton chuckles softly. "That's very true, and ninety percent of the time, I'm mostly treating cats and dogs."

That answer satisfied Scott before he let himself fall back into the realm of unconsciousness, making Jaydra smile. If he didn't feel safe, Scott's werewolf side wouldn't let him do that so easily.

"And Miss Winchester, I believe it's your turn," Deaton says, changing his gloves and picking up clean and sterile tools.

Nodding, Jaydra shrugs off her shirt and lets Deaton work on removing the bullet lodged in her shoulder. This bullet removal procedure wasn't her first time, and it certainly won't be her last.