The shortest base jump was 96 feet. I don't know why that popped into my head as I fell. Maybe because I knew the building I was falling from was probably about 70 ft tall and even as my wings rip out of my back to catch the air, the element of surprise was going to cost me. I tried my best to create the resistance I needed and I know I slowed down considerably before I hit the ground. I felt one of my wings crumple, the hollow bones snapping. My feet hit next, my ankle breaking as it connects to the pavement. Then my head hits the ground with a resounding thwack. All the air has left my body at the impact. I am on the side of the hospital where the dumpsters are, and luckily there is no one back here.

I try not to panic as I wait for my breath to come back.

Finally, I can breathe flipping myself onto my stomach holding in a scream as my broken wing drags across the ground. Everything hurts so bad. I reach under me pulling out my phone, I sob in relief as I see the screen is cracked but working. I try to hit the call button but my hands are bloody from flipping over. I take a deep breath and wipe them on my shirt. I try again and this time I can get to Derek's name. I hit call and listen to it ring and ring. I'm getting tired and decide to try another number, I know Scott can't get to me because of what happened on the roof. He has to help whoever he can first. I hesitate thinking of who to call and know I can't waste any more time. I hit the next number I know won't ignore me.

"Arielle, what can I do-"

"Peter," I gasp out he quiets down immediately "help,"

"Where are you,"

"Hospital, back,"

"On my way," at his reassurance, I curl into a ball. Another call comes across the screen, Scott.

I answer it "Arielle? Are you okay?" I could hear him ask.

"Will be. Don't look," I told him, and he knows I mean to not let anyone else either.

"Okay….I'm sending my mom down there,"

"No," I told him coughing, I'm surprised to see blood. I hung up on him. I take inventory because if I am coughing up blood that means I have trauma to my lungs. My wings had taken the brunt of the impact on my midsection. Then I realized that my tongue was bleeding and that I must have hit myself pretty hard in the nose on my way down.

That did not stop Peter from freaking the fuck out when he saw blood running down my chin. He had driven right next to me barely putting his car in park before checking on me. I could tell he was afraid to move me but knew he had to.

Peter tried to be as gentle as he could but with my wing flopping around, there wasn't much he could do. He kept apologizing as he eased me into the car. I tried to hold in all the whimpers so he wouldn't know how bad I was hurting, but he didn't believe it for a second. Getting to the apartment took less than 5 minutes. He carefully placed me on his shoulder as that was where I would get jostled the least with my wings. Running in the swiped everything off the kitchen table to lay me on it so that my wings were in the air.

I whimpered as he set my foot. It was a more minor injury compared to everything else but it got Peter's confidence up. I winced as he ran his hands gently over my scalp growling when he touched a soft spot and pulled it back to see blood. He scrambled around getting things. I closed my eyes tiredly. I felt him put pressure on the wound with something soft and wrap it tightly onto my head with gauze. I felt his fingers tremble as he touched my wing, I couldn't help the sob that tore through me.

"I'm so sorry," Peter told me a little brokenly "I can only think of one thing that will help with this. I'm going to give you Ephinephren so you can start healing and to distract from the pain," I nodded, okay with anything that may help. I got a shock to my system when it was injected, almost falling off the table if Peter hadn't been holding me down "Now start your healing process!" He demanded so I reached into myself and tried to find that part that can heal others I start on my wing and hear a displeased noise "I know it hurts but you have to heal your head first before everything else," I tremble a little but do as he says. He strokes my hair where I'm not hurting just talking to me softly about the books he's been reading, how he can't wait to see what I do with my life, that even though I am not his he cares for me more than he thought he was cable of.

I listen to him as I try to heal, I finished with my head and start on my wing again. It's a slow process with just how many bones and pieces of cartilage I have damaged in my wing. I know I've lost a few feathers too but luckily they only fell off when I was in the car. I feel the adrenaline leave me halfway through healing, but my wing is at least able to fold against me now, not as tightly as it would have before but well enough. I tiredly started to push myself up, my body is sore from laying on the hard surface. I felt a hand on my back easing me back down.

"Hold on," Peter told me in a calming voice which was a nice change "Just wait until I get ahold of Derek, okay?" I made a sound of agreement, I could hear the clicking of his phone. "Derek is with the sheriff right now at the hospital, do you want to go to his loft?" I debated it but shook my head no. I was just too tired and my body still hurt "Alright let's get you up," His hands carefully maneuvered me off the table, with my wing not flopping around he can cradle me.

He takes me to the bathroom where he places me on the counter, easing me to lean against the wall with the right side of my body that didn't feel the impact. I didn't even notice when he shredded my shirt with his claws, carefully cutting right above my wings so they didn't press against them. He did the same with my pants, slitting the jeans up the whole of my leg so he didn't have to wrestle them off with my broken foot. Once I was in only underwear he got a hot washcloth and started to wipe away blood, tears and whatever had been on the dirty pavement. He got a separate washcloth for my head, taking off the gauze, and carefully separating my curls to check on my wound. Which I had healed first thanks to him.

He made a frustrated noise "I may not be able to get all of the blood out of your hair, but I don't want to risk putting you in a bath or a shower right now with your wings out,"

"That's alright," I tell him tiredly. He doesn't look like he agrees but he nods. Once I am cleaned up Peter gets me back into his arms and to his bedroom where he carefully places me. He goes into his closet and is back with a soft button-down shirt that he slices most of the back off of so it crates a U from shoulder to shoulder. He carefully cuts my bra off and slides the shirt around me so the U is right below where my wings come out and then helps me put my arms in so I can button up the front. Then he orders me to lay down, which I did even as his gentle hands are there to make sure I don't jostle too much. The lights are shut off and he settles at my front and moves my head so it's resting on his bicep, the other coming around under my wings.

I hear him taking a shuddering breath before I fall asleep.

()()()()()()()()()

I groaned as I rolled onto my stomach and the pain is so much worse right now because I ache all over.

"Hold on," a gruff voice tells me before I am screeching at the cold placed on my back. A firm hand holds me down as I flop around angrily "They are just cold packs," Peter scolds me as he places more all around me and I hiss at him. I blink my eyes open to see him roll his eyes at my dramatics which is super annoying because he is the dramatic one.

"Take them off," I whine at him my lip coming out in a pout.

His gaze falls to it and then he shakes his head "Cold packs for two days, heat for the last,"

"But I heal faster than everyone else!"

"Yes that's true, but since your wings still have gone back into you I'm pretty sure you're still hurt. Which means you need the cold packs. I'll be happy to take them off once your feeling better,"

"You just like torturing me," I whine again. And he just stares at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, I want to hurt you more than you were last night. All bloody and crumpled on the pavement all alone. That gave me so much joy," He deadpans and I feel like a jerk.

I lift my hand to take his "Thank you," I tell him even as I shiver at the cold. He looks uncomfortable.

"Don't do it again," he orders, and it's my turn to roll my eyes, which hurts because I have a headache. He must notice because he is gently taking the ice packs off of me to help me sit up, then hands me water and four ibuprofen "It's five in the morning now, I can't imagine you going to school, especially if you can't retract your wings. Do you want to sleep more?" I shook my head I was sore enough that I don't think I could sleep anyway.

"What else happened last night?"

"I'm not exactly sure, everyone seems to be cagey. I didn't tell him exactly what happened but Derek was helping the Sheriff. I told him I had you and that I would be on my best behavior," He told me smirking. I smiled a bit "Do you want to go over there now?"

"Yeah I guess, he has better junk food than you," I teased. He shook his head in exasperation.

())()()()()()()()()()

Peter wouldn't let me walk with my foot broken which I was secretly grateful about because it hurt. It was super swollen but I knew it would have been much worse if I didn't have accelerated healing. Right now I was standing on one foot in the elevator with Peter, as soon as we got to the loft he had swooped me up in his arms again. He impressively smacked the alarm off with one arm holding my entire weight. Which I know is easier for supernaturals but still, it's attractive.

He called for Derek as I admired his arms until I heard the same sickening thud as last night on the roof. I stared in horror at the axe stuck in Peter's chest right above where he held me. He made a choking sound as he hit the ground on his knees tightening his hold so he wouldn't drop me. I scrambled out of them ignoring the fire in my leg as I stepped on it.

"Peter," I gasped in horror as I try to figure out what to do. I heard a step behind me and my mind caught up to the fact that someone had to have thrown it. We were about to die by axe murder. I stood up and turned as Peter called out for Derek again. I was horrified by the sight of the person in front of me. He had no mouth, ghostly white, and no hair anywhere. I watched as he tilted his head and started to type on a keyboard on his wrist.

"Don't worry, Peter. Derek's next," the keyboard spoke out in a robotic voice. Fuck that.

I snarled and launched myself at him tackling him down. He twisted enough in the air that I came down on my hurt side causing me to cry out in pain. I didn't let go. He punched downward right on my temple. Now I understood the expression seeing stars. I grabbed his arm ripping off the glove with the keyboard. I rolled away despite the pain in my wing. As soon as I was up I got sliced at by the back of the axe, I pulled my head out of the way enough so it didn't get embedded in my head but sliced my forehead open from right above my left eyebrow to the middle of my forehead where my hairline was. Blood began to pour down my face and into my eye just for his fist to hit me in the gut. I collapsed on the ground the wind knocked out of me I watched as he went to step toward Peter again and I did my best to imitate a growl Derek would admit. He took one last look at Peter and walked out of my line of vision. I allowed myself to go limp as I hear the elevator running.

I gave myself a second to catch my breath then I was crawling my way to Peter. He was gasping and one arm was on the axe like he was going to push it out, I stopped him "We don't know if pulling it out is going to make it worse," I told him trying to wipe the blood out of my eyes. I heard the elevator again and got back on my feet swaying and telling myself I could fight if I needed to. Then Derek was stepping through the door. I let out a relieved sigh and let my body drop back down to Peter.

Derek stared at me in shock and horror for a second before running to me "I'm okay, I'm okay. Peter needs help," I knew he wanted to ignore me but that I would fight him on it. He ripped his sweatshirt off and handed it to me to press against the cut on my head. Then he turned to his uncle grabbing him and tossing him none too gently so that he was leaning against the desk. Then he ripped the axe out of his chest, making a sound that made me want to puke. Peter looked like he may pass out and was clenching the desk hard.

Derek took the time to smell it and then tossed it on the desk "The axe was laced with wolfsbane. I don't know the species so I'm going to have to burn it out," he told him nonchalantly.

"I think I can handle a little fire," Peter rumbled back looking at the lighter in Derek's hand. Derek smiled, lit it, and used that to light the blow torch in his other hand "Ah, hell," Peter whimpered. I wanted to be sick even more but I could see how bad Peter was feeling so I hopped over to them on one leg sliding myself up to brace his arms down so he didn't pull away. Then he was screaming. I held him down as best as possible. When Derek finally turned off the blow torch I sagged in relief letting my death grip on Peter go. I didn't mean for him to slide onto the floor.

Derek gave me a look that said stay put and helped Peter back up. Once he was Peter told him "He said he was after you,"

Derek looked skeptical as he went and got his first aid kit "How does a guy with no mouth say anything?" He asked him while unpacking it.

Peter held up the glove I had ripped off of him "With this,"

"I'll take it to the Sheriff after I take care of Arielle. You're supposed to be dead so go hide," He ordered Peter. He rolled his eyes but came to check on me before he left. I thanked him again for helping me and he was on his way. "You smell like him," Derek told me gruffly "And your only wearing his shirt,"

I smiled and leaned my forehead against his "Yeah, he cleaned me up last night and had me sleep in his bed. Someone went missing last night,"

"Sorry, I didn't know what happened. He said you got hurt, but not this bad. I would have come. I was helping the sheriff,"

"It's alright,"

"Now let's get you to bed," He told me picking me up easily.

I laughed "I already slept for a long time,"

He kissed me hard "I didn't say we were going to sleep, just to bed," I could get behind that 100%

I felt so much better after our morning exercise. We had to be creative since I couldn't be on my back due to my wings, and we had to watch out for my broken foot which had caused a lot of laughter. We lay next to each other on our sides.

"How does that work anyway? The sex into healing?" He asked me curiously.

"Oh it goes into energy, not just healing, the more energy I have the better I heal," I tell him as I take off my gauze to show that my head was almost sealed up. It was still an angry red though. He looked at me like that didn't answer his question "Okay, well you know how succubus take a human's life force when they have sex?" I ask and he nods "Well we basically take all that energy that is being used and we…add interest I guess. So it's not just beneficial to one, but both. I can't make someone stronger than they are but if they are feeling weak it can heal them. So I take the energy from both of us, multiply it, and then disperse it back evenly,"

He nodded "So you're the opposite of a succubus?" He asked and I made a so-so motion with my hand.

"I'm still pretty hot though I think," I winked at him and he laughed and agreed.

"Can you bring your wings back in yet?" He asked one hand gently running down one of my folded wings.

"Not yet, if you look at them you can see one still isn't properly healed. I think I have to wait until it is. It's going to make life difficult,"

"I haven't seen them in a while,"

I bit my lip "It hurts more and more every time I do it," I admitted "I don't know why, but some half angels can use them easily, others never get wings, mine just feel like my whole back gets ripped apart. Which it does because every time I've done it, it has left my back a bloody mess,"

"I'm sorry, I know you don't feel angelic sometimes," Derek murmured holding me closer.

"That's okay, we're all good at different things. My talent seems to be more of the healing and the emotional side. I feel a little cheated though," I said through a smirk.

"Why's that?"

"I heard about a half-angel who could control the weather, the freaking weather! I mean how cool would that be? Storm was always my favorite x-men," I told him, and he laughed.

"Well now that we got some more of your healing restarted, why don't we head to the police station and tell the Sheriff he's got some bait," Derek asked. I tensed at the thought of the scary man coming for him but he just brushed his hand down my arm telling me it'll be okay. He used my distraction to look at my foot which was a yellow color. We both sighed in relief because even though it still hurt that meant it was healing. He helped me get some jeans on and gave me one of his green henleys to wear since my shirts wouldn't cover my wings. I tucked the front in and let the back hang loose, but it looked funny. I pulled a thin brown bomber jacket over it and while it made me look a little bulkier than I am it didn't look as strange.

"Ready," I told him.

()()()()()()()()(()()()()

We met with Sheriff Stilinski in his office, I could see Haigh looking at us so I closed the blinds he could see through from his desk. Derek was explaining about the axe murderer.

"I still don't get ho this guy has no mouth. How can he eat?" the sheriff asked.

"I didn't get a chance to ask, I was trying to avoid having Peter and myself killed. I almost got an axe to the head,"

"It's actually a tomahawk," Derek mentioned casually. I shrugged tomato tamato in my opinion.

The door opened as the Sheriff asked "Who runs around with a tomahawk?"

I waved to Jordan who smiled at me "I carried one for IED removal in Afghanistan. It's military. And so is that," he said pointing at the keyboard. I absentmindedly wondered what you would use a tomahawk for to remove bombs.

"Do you know what it's used for?" Sheriff asked him.

"Well, this one looks like it's been modified," Jordan said flipping it over in his hand

Derek gave a nod and the Sheriff closed the door behind him "Show us,"

He connected it to the computer and started clicking away "How did you get this anyway? Does this have something to do with Sean's death?"

"I pulled it off the guy when he got too close," I told him.

Jordan stopped typing and looked searchingly at my face "You went up against a killer?"

I shrugged "It was either that or let him kill me,"

"Is he after you?"

"Something tells me he isn't," I said looking pointedly at Derek when he started typing faster.

About an hour later I'm forcing myself to not pace since it would hurt my ankle and probably distract Jordan

"Okay, I think I got an IP address," he tells us 5 minutes later

"That means we can find him, right?" The sheriff asked getting all up in Jordan's personal space. He was staring at the computer as if he understood what was on the screen which I doubt.

"Definitely. Especially if-" The glove started to move on its own

"What was that?" Derek and I asked looking at each other slightly creeped out.

"I think I found a message," Jordan told us "Does anyone recognize the handle "Benefactor"?"

I shook my head as Derek read over his shoulder "Money transferred. What does that mean?"

The Sheriff stood up with a sigh "That means this guy is not just a killer. He's an assassin,"

"Well that's not good," I told them a little obvious "But also that means he's not a serial killer right? He's not just going to be murdering a bunch of random people,"

"That's true," Jordan told us "I just don't know what a 15-year-old kid would have done to get on an assassin's list, and we don't know who else might be on it,"

"Well, where is the IP address telling us to go?" The Sheriff asked him.

"The high school,"

Great, just great. Nothing good happens at that school at night. The Sheriff thanked Jordan and let him out of the office despite his protests. I'm sure he didn't understand why Derek and I were still in there.

Derek wanted me to stay behind but he knew I wasn't going to, so he didn't try to argue as we followed the Sheriff to the school. I was glad to know the Sheriff trusted Derek so much and I went to my happy place imaging Derek working at the police station, yum. Gotta love a man in a uniform.

We walked quickly and quietly up the steps both Derek and the Sheriff on high alert checking around us. I didn't think that the benefactor would just be chillin on the steps when there was a creepy high school that everyone seems to be able to break into. Sure enough, the doors opened without any resistance. They moved cautiously in but let the doors go. I quickly caught them and shut them gently. Boys, they never remember the small things.

"You know, just because this gu connected to the school's WiFi, doesn't mean he's still here," Derek told the Sheriff.

The Sheriff agreed "True. But I've seen enough in this school to keep my gun in hand when walking in after dark," I couldn't help but agree as I held a small knife in my hand. Although I was slightly regretting it. We walked down past about ten classrooms before the Sheriff paused "Like blood," He casually mentioned while pointing his flashlight at it. Ew.

"That doesn't make sense," Derek said confusedly.

"Yeah, no kidding," The Sheriff said taking a look with his flashlight all around us. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Why couldn't I have night vision? The dark freaks me out.

"That's not what I mean. I should've caught the scent before we walked in," Derek replied. The sheriff and I stopped to look at him in confusion. That is weird. I bit my lip in worry. Maybe though it wasn't real blood which means it is a trap.

"Hold on," The Sheriff told him grabbing his hand before Derek could pull the door open "You nervous makes me nervous," I couldn't help but to agree. Derek doesn't usually get nervous easily, and I could feel it coming off of him.

The Sheriff shined his light in the room to see if he could see any movement he shook his head at us and proceeded to gently turn the handle and open it slightly. Then he paused as Derek got down to look through the door.

"It's an explosive," Derek told us and the Sheriff closed his eyes "A claymore," Then he was turning around quickly "Get down!" He shouted as he tackled the Sheriff, I crouched down expecting an explosion but instead, a tomahawk was embedded in the wall where the Sheriff's head used to be. I scrambled back up as I watched the benefactor leap off the staircase. This man scared the hell out of me.

He went for Derek who was just getting up off the ground I lept and punched him right in the face. He drew back as I tried to hit him again and kicked right at my injured ankle. I collapsed gasping in pain. Derek headed for me but the benefactor had just thrown the Sheriff into the lockers. He started to swing his tomahawks at Derek who dodged them beautifully. Derek grabbed his shoulder and threw him face-first into the locker and then threw him onto the ground. The benefactor lept back up, I kicked out the back of his knees and Derek front kicked him back into the lockers again, that's my man.

The benefactor would not calm down, he went after Derek again. The Sheriff was still on the ground. Derek grabbed him and bent his arm backward making him drop one of the tomahawks, then he was able to grab the other arm and cross the benefactor's arms so that it was like he was in a straightjacket. The Sheriff was up and pointing a gun at him

"You have the right to remain silent," The Sheriff said which caused me to laugh inappropriately "Anything you say, can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have got the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one…" I was checking on my ankle as he had a cuff put on his wrist.

"No," Derek said which made my head snap up in confusion why he would be stopping this, but he wasn't looking at either of the men next to him but up the hall "Peter, no!" Then grabbing the Sheriff and diving them out of the way. Peter was running faster than I had ever seen him, straight at the benefactor. He had him tackled on the ground before I could process what was happening. Peter started to claw at him.

"Peter!" I screamed and was sprayed with blood. I tried to pull him off but he just threw me back into the lockers where the wind was knocked out of me again. More blood sprayed me and he didn't stop until he pulled out what I think was the man's throat and let it fall to the ground. I stared in horror as he got up calmly using a handkerchief to wipe off some of the blood that was dripping off of him. I saw the Sheriff out of the corner of my eye, pointing a gun directly at Peter. I've never seen him so angry. Peter just shook his head no and turned around. The sheriff cocked his gun and I was in between Peter and the gun with my hands raised without a second thought.

Derek headed to me "We've learned a better way," he called to Peter brokenly.

"I'm a creature of habit," Peter threw over his shoulders and went through the door. Derek reached me and pulled me to him. I grabbed his forearms pushing him away slightly so I could bend over where I threw up everything that was in my stomach. I was dry heaving as he gathered my hair back away from my face and held me in place. When I was able to stand up straight I wiped the back of my mouth on my bomber jacket and happened to see the blood sprayed everywhere.

"Get it off! Get it off!" I cried as I stripped my jacket off and frantically tried to scrub my face. I was gagging, I could taste the copper in my mouth. Derek was trying to tell me it was okay but it wasn't, none of this was okay. I sobbed and scrubbed harder. I felt hands pulling mine away from my face, a wet paper towel was wiping away the blood on my face and hands. The Sheriff had got them from the bathroom while I was having a panic attack. I shuddered as Derek pulled me into his arms soothing me. I clenched his shirt in my hands shaking. I can't believe that just happened.