It's The Same Wherever You Go

Chapter Twenty-Two

New Threat Arises

For the next two hours, Jaydra continues to call Dean's phone, trying to talk the oldest Winchester out of making the deal. Even though the teen knows it won't do any good. That's the Winchester's curse. Always protecting the family, even if it costs their life.

After the hundredth call, someone finally picks up on the other end of the line, making Jaydra's heart jump for joy.

"Dean?!" she squeaks into the phone, making the figure standing in the corner of the room look over. Derek's greenish-brown eyes watch the girls every move, ready to intervene if necessary.

"Sorry, Jay, wrong brother," a warm voice chuckles into the phone, making the female hunter's heart sink in her chest.

Jaydra could barely find her voice. "S-Sam . . .? You're okay . . .?"

"Yeah, Dean told me I took a blow to the back, and that he took care of it," Sam says. "Feel fine, though."

Jaydra smiles, despite the aching sadness and pain in her heart. "I'm glad to hear that, Sammy. Just . . . Just tell Dean that I called, okay?"

"Will do," Sam promises, before hanging up.

As Jaydra lays her cell phone down, another sob passes by her lips. "He made the fucking deal . . ." she says softly, tears flowing down her face.

Derek's heavy hand lays on Jaydra's shoulder, making her look up at the Alpha. And the sight made Derek's inner wolf snarl. Jaydra's, normally happy, green eyes were now red and puffy, tears cascading down her face. That was the last thing that Derek ever wanted to see of Jaydra.

"Don't worry," Derek says, moving to sit beside Jaydra again, kissing her forehead. "The Winchesters always find a way, right?"

Jaydra sniffs and rubs at her eyes, the tiniest of smiles on her face as she nods. "And we have ten years to find one," Jaydra comments, curling up beside Derek, biting her lip as she tries to think about how to word her next request. "Um . . . Would you mind if I stay the night? With everything right now, Stiles and John are the last people I want to see . . ."

A soft blush goes across Derek's cheeks as he rubs the back of his head. "Sure, but you're not sleeping here," he says. "I have another place in town that we'll stay at. Get it all cleared with the sheriff. I just became a free man, I don't want a kidnapping charge next."

Jaydra chuckles, playfully pushing at Derek's side as she picks up her phone and calls John Stilinski.

"Hey, Jaydra," John greets over the phone. "You okay? Stiles says you went for a walk earlier."

Even though she knows John couldn't see it, Jaydra nods her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I'm staying with a friend tonight. Stiles said something about staying with Scott possibly tonight, and it's already late, so . . ."

"Not a problem," John says, making Jaydra let out the breath she had been holding. "Who are you staying with?"

"Just a friend I met at school," the teen weaves around the direct question.

John chuckles. "Alright. Just call if you need anything," he says before hanging up the phone.

Looking up at the Alpha, Jaydra whistles. "That's done, so we ready to go to your place?"

"Want to swing by yours and pick up a few things first? Or are you all good?" Derek asks, grabbing his jacket and car keys.

"I just need a few things," Jaydra says, standing up from the makeshift cot, following Derek out to the car.

ITSWYG

After gathering some sleeping clothes, and some items that Jaydra will need in the morning, the couple drove in comforting silence for roughly twenty minutes until they arrive at an apartment-like building.

"You live here?" Jaydra asks, stepping out of the car.

Derek chuckles and pulls her against his side as they walk up the stairs. "Yeah, it helps on rainy nights."

The small chuckle that passes through the hunter's lips is genuine. "Thanks again," she says, rubbing her arm as Derek pulls on the giant door, revealing a loft style apartment, complete with an upstairs as well. "Woah . . ." Jaydra muses, her green eyes shift around, taking in her environment.

Derek smiles as he watches Jaydra walk around the place, her small bag resting on her back. The thought Jaydra staying under the same roof as him made the Alpha in him practically growl in contentment.

"This place is huge!" Jaydra continues to marvel at the place, until a large yawn breaks forward, making the teen cover her mouth with her hand.

Smiling softly, Derek walks over and kisses her forehead. "Head upstairs and get your ass to bed."

"That an order, Alpha?" Jaydra counters, smirking up at him.

As his eyes flash red, Derek nods. "Yes, now go."

Smiling softly, Jaydra leans up on her tiptoes and kisses Derek's lips softly, before turning away and running upstairs to the bedroom, which she promptly passes out on the bed, her brain shutting down from all the bullshit that's accumulated over the past twenty-four hours.

ITSWYG

For most of the next day, Jaydra stays with Derek at the loft, looking through her copy of her father's journal. Of course looking for demon deals. She was going to save Dean, even if it kills her.

Jaydra was nose deep into the book, when her phone begins to ring, startling the hunter.

Reaching over to pick up her phone, Jaydra answers the call. "Hello?"

"Jay?" Stiles' frantic voice comes from the receiver, making Jaydra narrow her eyebrows. "Lydia's gone missing!"

"What do you mean, missing?" Jaydra asks, jumping up and looking around for a jacket to wear since the sun had long since went down.

"Missing, you know! Gone! Gave us the slip! SHE WENT AWOL!" the buzz cut teenager shrieks into the phone. "She left the hospital, and we're sure she's not wearing anything!"

"That's not like Lydia . . . I'll meet you at the hospital," Jaydra informs before hanging up.

Not having found her own jacket, Jaydra notices one of Derek's lighter jacket sitting on the back of one of the chairs. Grabbing it, the blonde engulfs herself in the jacket, nearly moaning at how much it smells like him.

"And what are you doing, clothes thief?" Derek asks, coming down the stairs.

Jaydra turns around and smirks at the Alpha, a light blush on her face. "I'm stealing one of your jackets because it's cold and I'm going to help Stiles look for Lydia. She ran away from the hospital."

Derek raises an eyebrow, walking over to the female hunter. "Alright . . . Just be careful, alright?" he says, kissing her forehead.

Nodding, Jaydra wraps the jacket around her body tighter, before leaving the loft.

ITSWYG

After racing to the hospital, Jaydra locates the famous blue Jeep that belongs to Stiles and climbs into the back.

Shortly after getting situated, a very familiar werewolf pup makes his appearance.

"Jaydra?" Scott asks, his chocolate brown eyes looking at her in slight surprise. "You're already here?"

"No, Scott, this is a hologram projection, and I was about to say, 'Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope'," Jaydra says, running her hand through her sandy blonde hair.

Scott rolls his eyes and climbs into the passenger seat of the Jeep. "Is sarcasm second nature to you?" he asks.

"Noooooooo," Jaydra draws out, smirking.

Taking a deep breath, Scott tenses and looks back at the hunter. "Why do you smell like Derek is surrounding you?"

Blushing lightly, Jaydra shrugs. "I was cold after you guys left and he loaned me a jacket. I just never gave it back," Jaydra says, lying a bit. But with the hunter life, Jaydra knew how to keep her heart from giving away too much information. "But, enough about me . . . How's Allison holding up?"

Scott tenses up slightly, before turning to look at the hunter. "Good, I assume."

Jaydra raises an eyebrow at the blatant lie Scott is trying to feed her, not even trying to hide it. "Oh, don't assume, Scott. It'll just make an ass out of you and me," she says, before chuckling. "You two must've been interrupted since your shoes are on backward."

"THEY'RE WHAT?!" Scott freaks out, looking down at his feet, his face burning red.

Throwing her head back and laughing, Jaydra smacks her hand on the seat. "You WERE with her, you liar!"

Before Scott could retort, he looks over to the double doors at the hospital. Out came Stiles, running and clearly two seconds away from panicking.

After jumping into the Jeep, Stiles shoves a hospital gown with some blood on it into Scott's hands.

"This is the one she was wearing?" Scott asks, bringing the cloth up to his nose, before noticing that his best friend still hasn't said one word. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt her, Stiles. Not again."

Stiles swallows the lump in his throat and nods. "All right, just shove the thing in your face and let's find her."

Stiles reaches down and starts the ignition of the jeep, only to nearly jump out of his skin when Allison appears in the high beams. "WOAH!"

Ignoring the shout, Allison runs over to the passenger side window. Scott's window.

"What are you doing here?" Scott asks, glancing around the parking lot. "Someone's going to see us."

Allison shakes her head. "I don't care. Lydia is my best friend, and we need to find her before they do."

"They?" Jaydra asks from the back. "My money's on you don't mean the police."

Allison's eyes lock with Jaydra's green ones. "I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUVs."

"That's a hunting party . . ." Jaydra muses, her knee beginning to bounce in the back of the jeep. "Fuck . . ."

Scott didn't need to hear another word as he opens his door and ushers Allison to get inside. They need to get the Jeep on the road so they can find Lydia.

ITSWYG

As the jeep races down the roads, trying to find some trail of Lydia, Stiles begins to asks the more serious questions.

"If she's turning, would your family actually kill her?" Stiles asks, glancing back at Allison.

"I don't know," she admits, rubbing her arm.

Jaydra speaks up, making her voice known. "Usually, the Argents have some kind of code they live by, so if Lydia doesn't hurt anyone, she should stay off their radar."

"Should?" Allison asks, looking at the hunter.

"I've seen some Argents leave the code behind," Jaydra says quietly, not looking at the inexperienced Argent in the eyes.

Allison groans, wrapping her arms around her body. "They won't tell me anything," she says. "All they say is that we'll talk when the others get here."

"Others?" Jaydra says, turning to fully face the girl. "What others?"

"They won't tell me," Allison admits, hanging her head in shame at not knowing the information.

Deciding to get away from the subject that Jaydra wants to avoid for all eternity, the hunter looks over at Scott, calling out, "Scott, we going the right way?"

Scott, who has half of his body out of the passenger window, nods. "Yeah, we're going the right way, but we need to take the next right!"

After looking at Scott's actions, Jaydra smiles slightly. "Is anyone else having flashbacks of the show Grimm?" she asks, trying to lighten the mood.

It doesn't work.

ITSWYG

After following the trail, the group finds themselves in front of the burnt remains of the Hale House.

"She came here?" Stiles asks, looking at Scott. "You're sure about it?"

Scott nods. "This is where the scent leads."

That being all the information she needs, Jaydra jogs up towards the Hale House, wrapping Derek's jacket closer to herself.

"Look at this!" Stiles says, making everyone turn their attention to Stiles. "I think it's a trip wire."

Stiles pulls on the wire, trying to find the main source of the trap, only to string up his best friend in the most common werewolf trap ever.

"Stiles . . ." Jaydra chuckles, walking over to Scott. "Next time you see a tripwire, don't trip it."

"Yep . . . Noted . . ." Stiles says, rubbing the back of his head.

The trio walks over to the strung up pup, only for Scott to shake his head. "Someone's coming! Go and hide!"

Not needing any more information than that, Jaydra grabs ahold of Allison's and Stiles' arm, pulling them to hide behind a tree. Lo and behold, the trap belongs to Chris Argent.

Allison's father, Chris, squats in front of Scott. "Evening, Scott," he says, smirking at the pup.

Jaydra leans against the tree, listening to the underlying threats that Chris is giving Scott, but when one specific threat is told, Jaydra couldn't keep herself hidden any longer.

"Scott, do you know what a hemicorporectomy is?"

"Something he doesn't need to know," Jaydra calls out, making Chris and his Argent lackey's turn to look at the new arrival. "That tactic was deemed unethical by other hunters unless they have a medical degree."

Chris stands up, his cool eyes meeting Jaydra's heated ones. "Jaydra, how nice to see you."

"The feelings mutual," Jaydra snarls, glaring at the older Argent. "But, if you don't mind, Scott and I are going to find our human friend."

Chris chuckles. "Let's hope she's still human when you find her." Looking back down at the young werewolf, Chris smirks. "But, just for the history lesson, Scott, a hemicorporectomy is a medical term for amputating somebody at the waist."

Scott pales, his chocolate brown eyes looking up at Jaydra to see if the words were true.

"Yeah, you Argents really liked that technique, huh?" Jaydra counters. "Splitting someone in half. But that take a tremendous amount of strength, Chris. Can you still do that in your older years?"

Chris' eyes flash at the insult, but he keeps his cool. "Let's just hope a demonstration is never necessary," the hunter says, turning to leave.

After getting Scott down from the trap, the teens turn to search the Hale House, but Lydia was no were to be found. With the trail going cold, the teens had no choice but to return to their homes.

ITSWYG

Waking up early for school the next day, Jaydra walks downstairs, finding John Stilinski eating breakfast.

"Morning Jay," he greets her, munching on his food.

Jaydra yawns, waving her good morning to him, as she searches for something small to eat for breakfast. "Find anything on Lydia?" she asks, when her muscles finally come back under her control after the yawn.

Shaking his head, the sheriff looks up at Jaydra. "Not a damn thing. But, I did find something interesting. Ever hear of a grave robber stealing a liver?"

Tensing at the information, Jaydra's mind ran through hundreds of different creatures that could be after a liver. But werewolf wasn't at the top of the list.

"Haven't heard anything about a grave robber stealing a liver," Jaydra says. "Unless the body was fresh and they were hoping to score some money on the black market."

"Funny," John says dryly. "But this body was buried in the ground for months, maybe even a year. So why take the liver now?"

Jaydra shrugs her shoulders as she grabs her backpack. "Don't know. But I'm sure you'll find out why."

Walking past the sheriff, Jaydra pats his shoulder twice, her way of saying goodbye to her father-like figure.

ITSWYG

As she reaches the school, Jaydra walks into the locker room. The teen meets up with her two best friends, as the three of them go to question Jackson. Since he was the last person Lydia wanted to see, who she loves, who her possible werewolf side could be craving.

"If Lydia wants to take a naked hike in the woods, why should I care?" Jackson asks, closing his Lacrosse locker.

Scott sighs. "Because we have a pretty good idea that she might be, you know, turning."

"Turning?" Jackson says, obviously toying with the group. "Turning into what?"

"A fairy tale princess riding a fucking unicorn!" Jaydra says, before glaring at Jackson. "What the fuck do you think?"

"Well, I think if Lydia's turning, she's not the one who's going to need help," the co-captain says, smirking.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Stiles asks, "What do you mean?"

Jackson laughs, not believing how naive the group is. "When I was with Lydia, you should have seen the scratch marks she left on me." That jab was obviously pointed to Stiles, the one who's had a crush on Lydia for years. "What do you think she's going to do with a set of real claws?"

Jackson pushes past Scott, Stiles, and Jaydra, or at least he tries to.

The moment Jackson's shoulder makes contact with Jaydra's, the hunter grabs the co-captain by his shirt and practically slammed him into the lockers, gaining the attention of some of the players nearby. But with the murderous look on Jaydra's face, no player is brave enough to intervene. Not even the coach.

"Now you listen to me, you sack of shit . . ." Jaydra snarls in Jackson's face. "You may not give two shits about what happened to Lydia, but the fact of the matter is she was looking for you when she was attacked." Jaydra's eyes burned with a fury behind their green color. "So, I'm putting the blame on you."

"You can't do that!" Jackson says. "I didn't have anything to do wi-"

"YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT!" Jaydra yells, punching the locker beside Jackson's head, slicing her knuckles on the sharp bends of the metal. "She went looking for you, and she was attacked. Now, she's missing, and there's a good chance she might not make it back. So, yeah, I'm blaming you. And if anything happens to her, you will see me again, and it won't be pretty."

Jaydra forces herself back, storming out of the locker room. The room that was so quiet even Stiles' would have been able to hear a pin drop.

ITSWYG

Having finally cooled down from threatening Jackon, Jaydra makes her way across the cemetary, just in time to catch the funeral for Kate Argent. Even though she would rather be anywhere else but here.

But she's not alone. Stiles' and Scott also hid behind their own gravestones. But each of them was there for a different reason.

Scott for Allison.

Stiles' for Scott.

Jaydra to see the new wave of Argents that will surely come.

Her green eyes scan over the new faces that arrived for the funeral, but as one comes into her line of sight, Jaydra grows pale.

"Jaydra?" Scott asks, noticing how his friend's heart was racing. "What's wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost."

~A ghost from the past,~ she says in her mind as her green eyes focus on the one, the only, Gerard Argent.

"I got to get out of here," she says as she pants heavily.

"What? Why?" Stiles asks, looking at Jaydra. "What did you see?"

"The one thing I never wanted to see . . . Ever . . ." Jaydra says, making a dash for the woods.

As she runs, flashes of the boy she tried to save from a vampire nest flashes before her eyes. Gasping at the sudden flash, Jaydra trips and falls in the woods, tears falling down her face.

She had promised him that he would live to see another day.

She had promised him that he could go home to see his family.

She had promised him that he would never see those monsters again.

All of those promises she made blew up in her face, though. When Gerard Argent let the boy turn into a vampire, forcing Jaydra to kill the boy.

Gerard Argent was a monster.

A monster that Jaydra was terrified of.

And the scariest part? He's completely human.