The Berrisford Agenda

The second Derek closed the door and turned to find the three betas sat in an uncomfortable tense silence, he regretted it. He had no plan and no idea how me was meant to actually have this conversation. His mom had always made being Alpha look so easy, and not for the first time he wished she was there to guide him through it. - Which predictably led to a tidal wave of guilt.

Dragging his fingers through his mostly dry hair, Derek stepped further into the living room and cleared his throat. They were all sat in the same seats they'd taken the previous evening, with Peter lounging on the couch and Jackson in the armchair, while Isaac sat beside the fireplace looking like a child.

Derek sighed, "So..." He exhaled, looking between them uncertainly. Maybe he should have accepted Stiles silent offer to stay, he could use the moral support. Also, Stiles would know what to say, or more accurately he'd just bumble his way through until he got the desired result. Seriously, how was he a super-secret science experiment?

"What's so funny?" Peter asked, pulling Derek's attention back to the situation at hand.

Schooling his features, Derek straightened like a regimental sergeant major. "Nothing."

Peter let out a half sigh-half moan sound and shook his head, "Jesus." He let out an exasperated scoff, "He just left." He rolled his eyes, but there was a kind of... warmth in the older man's features as he gave Derek a small grin, that reminded Derek of the good old days, before...

Derek glowered at him, "We're not here to discuss Stiles, we're here to talk about Lydia," He looked at Jackson and Isaac. "and all of you." His eyes settled on Isaac and he felt his gut cramp as the teenager curled into himself. "Isaac?" When the beta lifted his gaze, Derek gave him a reassuring smile, "You don't need to be here." Jackson and Peter were the problem, Isaac had made it clear over the last twenty-four hours that whatever bitter heartbreak he was feeling concerning Jackson and Lydia, wasn't going to affect the pack. He'd been civil to Lydia, whereas Jackson and Peter were clearly unable to be with each other.

"What?" Jackson snapped argumentatively, his eyes shooting to Isaac. What the teenager was going to say died on his tongue as he watched Isaac push his long limbs off the floor and drag his feet across the room. As he passed Jackson, the young man reached out, attempting to snag Isaac's wrist, only for the teenager to dodge his touch and carry on to the stairs.

Derek waited for Isaac to vanish up them, listening for the sound of the betas door closing and the now familiar hum of muffled music that indicated he was blocking out their conversation. Maybe Stiles was right about that sound proofing.

Turning back to the remaining two betas, Derek cleared his throat. He paced over to the fireplace, still trying to figure out what exactly he was supposed to say.

"We haven't got all day Derek." Peter sighed, and Derek shot him a disdainful look.

"What's going on between you and Lydia?" He demanded, eyes fixed on his uncle.

Peter lent back, regarding him, "I'm not sure that's any of your business, nephew."

Derek narrowed his gaze, "I'm the Alpha, and if there's disquiet in the pack, it very much is my business. You know better than anyone what situations like this can do to packs?"

"Situations like what? " Peter smirked, brow quirked amusingly.

Growing frustrated with his Uncle's dismissive attitude, Derek took a step forward in warning, "Peter, stay away from Lydia Martin."

Peter was on his feet in a millisecond, "Excuse me?"

"She's twice your age Peter, and she already has a boyfriend." He gestured back to Jackson, "Who happens to be your pack brother."

Peter's eyes flashed rebelliously, "Firstly, I don't remember accepting you as my Alpha, Derek."

"You're here, that's acceptance enough. " Derek growled through gritted teeth. "And you know it. - If you don't want to be in my pack, Peter, you can leave and fend for yourself."

There was a slight ripple to Peter's features as if his instinct was to shift, but he was holding it at bay. Derek had to acknowledge it was impressive, a year ago he would have attacked.

Inhaling deeply through his nose, "Allow me to remind you, Alpha, that you were having sex not an hour ago with a sixteen-year-old." Peter said with restraint.

Derek stiffened, his claws biting into his palm. "That's different."

"How exactly? " Peter pressed, brow lifted curiously.

"Stiles isn't... He's not like other teenagers his age."

"Neither is Lydia. She's not even human." The ex-alpha pointed out.

Derek opened his mouth intent on replying that neither was Stiles, but that would be a betrayal, so he snapped it closed again. He took a calming breath and trying to regain his composure, shoving the guilt and shame that was slowly bubbling up inside him, down as far as it could go. "Peter," he muttered finally, "She's..."

"She's what Derek? " he seethed, "Too good for me?"

"After everything you did to her!" Snapped Jackson furiously, leaping to his feet. Derek shot his hand out, holding the teenager back.

Peter turned angry blue eyes on the young beta. "Everything I did to her?" He scoffed viciously, "And what about what you did to her? She needed love and comfort, she needed support, and where were you? Too consumed by your own self-loathing and desires. Where were you when I...?" He trailed off, voice trembling.

"Enough!" Derek ordered, shooting Jackson a cold look and giving him a shove, before turning back to his uncle while Jackson reluctantly stepped away.

"Are you the only ones allowed redemption?" Peter asked icily. "Are you the only ones who deserve a second chance?" He looked between them, "I'm not the only one here with blood on my hands, and neither am I the only one that made mistakes. We've all fallen under the power and control of others. - Yet I'm the villain here?"

Derek froze, meeting his Uncle's accusatory gaze. Did he know? Oh god, he had to know. How? With his heart racing, Derek strolled away, leaning heavily on the fireplace, eyes closed as he tried to calm himself. "You killed..." He began only to trail off, voice closing around his sister's name. " I'm sorry. " he muttered finally, words heavy with regret.

"I know." Peter sighed. "So am I."

The room fell silent, a thick cloud hanging over them. Derek couldn't bring himself to turn and face the judgement of his uncle. "Isaac." He said finally, deciding to put his own past aside. Turning slowly, he fixed his green gaze on Jackson, who looked torn between defiance and surrender. "Jackson?"

"What?" The teenager snapped, dropping his gaze after only a few seconds.

"What is going on with you and Isaac?"

"Nothing!" Jackson turned, marching off into the kitchen.

Derek didn't wait, shadowing his steps instantly. "He's not a toy Jackson!" He growled protectively. "You can't just screw him around! He deserves better than that. You don't get to lead him on and then dump him to go running back to your girlfriend, that's unfair!"

Jackson was trying his best to ignore Derek, moving around the kitchen, grabbing a soda and a bagel, pulling random jars out of the cabinets.

"Jackson! He's been through enough; he doesn't need your abuse too!"

That seemed to hit a nerve because suddenly Jackson was turning, eyes flashing blue with anger. "I've never laid a finger on Isaac! Not once!" He growled furiously, "I never would!"

Derek narrowed his eyes at the flushed beta, listening to the way his heart raced frantically. Watching the way his fingers flexed at his side. Inhaling slowly, Derek folded his arms, "There's more than one way to hurt someone." He said cautiously.

Jackson flinched, turning his back to Derek, "There's nothing going on." He argued. "It was just a... - Nothing happened. I'm not gay!" He spat, twisting his head to fix Derek with an angry glare.

Dragging in a deep breath, Derek stared at him, then glanced over to where Peter was perched on the edge of the kitchen table.

Peter shrugged, then looked at Jackson. "There's nothing wrong with liking guys, kid."

Jackson growled, spinning and taking a threatening step towards the older beta. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Give you a chance to steal my girl."

Peter pushed to his feet, moving to meet the teenager. This time, Derek stayed back, waiting and watching. "Kiddo, I already have her, and you know it."

Jackson took a swing for Peter, but he blocked it easily, twisting Jackson's arm up behind his back.

"Peter." Derek warned, but continued to stand on the side-lines.

His uncle shot him a brief reassuring look, then turned back to Jackson. "You don't want her anyway." He said quietly, "Not anymore."

" I love her! " Jackson argued.

Peter huffed out a dry laugh. "Funny, so do I."

"Fuck you!"

Jackson gasped in a pained breath when Peter wrenched his arm up a little higher, "Watch your mouth, boy."

Derek stepped forward finally, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder and shaking his head. To his surprise, Peter stepped back instantly, brushing his hands on his dark jeans. Jackson turned, gripping his shoulder and showing his teeth to Peter.

"Jackson," Derek said quietly, meeting the teenager's glowing blue eyes, "stay away from Isaac."

The unnatural blue faded, and Jackson blinked up at him. "What?"

"Stay away from him. "

Panic flooded Jackson's face and Derek smelt the fear, "Your kicking me out the pack?" He gasped, physically shaking.

Derek's eyes widened in horror, "What? No! No, of course not. Just..." He breathed slowly, reaching out to set a reassuring palm against Jackson's neck, "He's your pack brother, and that's all." The panic faded but there was still something there in Jackson's eyes, a sadness that Derek understood too well. "Unless you can offer him something more..."

"I'm not... "

"Then you stay away from him. That's an order. You want to fool around with random gu...people, find someone else. Isaac is off limits. Are we understood?" Jackson looked to be on the verge of arguing, then his shoulders slumped and he lowered his head, nodding.

"Understood." He whispered, his voice rough.

"Good."

Jackson looked up, fixing Peter with another hard look, "What about him?"

Derek looked over his shoulder, meeting his uncle's cautious blue eyes, " If Lydia wants to be with him..."

"But... "

"If he's not hurting her, it's her choice."

"Not hurting her?" Jackson snapped, "What about what he did?"

Derek looked between the betas and sighed. "He's..."

A loud thump from the floor above, followed by the sound of breaking furniture, cut the conversation short. The three werewolves took off for the stairs, racing up them and following the sound of a scuffle to Cora's room. The door was open and Derek stared wide eyed as one of the twins held Isaac by the throat, his back pressing into the wall. Isaac clawed at the other werewolf's wrists and torso, but the twin didn't even seem to flinch. Before Derek could say a word, Jackson was rushing across the room to Isaac, claws swiping, a loud roar filling the room.

By the bed, the other twin had his arm under Cora, preparing to lift her from the mattress. Fear flooded Derek at the thought of something happening to his baby sister and he flew at the werewolf, eyes flashing scarlet and a vicious alpha roar slicing right through the air. Everyone froze, Cora's body landing with a heavy thump against the mattress. Derek's clawed fingers snapped out, gripping the twin by the throat and driving him back hard into the wall, teeth bared in another Alpha roar. The twin in his grasp wilted, the struggle subsiding. He gasped for breath as Derek's hold on him tightened.

"What are you doing here?" He growled furiously into the twin's face. The teenager was turning blue but Derek didn't care.

"She said, if we brought her back, she wouldn't die." The other twin behind him spattered, and Derek's head snapped around to see the teenager being held captive by the three betas, his eyes flickering blue and filled with panic as he looked from Derek to his brother.

"Who?" He seethed, glaring at the teen.

"Jul..."

"Don't!" The twin in Derek's grasp gasped out, and Derek tightened his hold a little more.

"Julia."

"You're working for the emissary?" Jackson gasped, "I don't Danny there was something off with you."

"Ethan?" Derek noted, before turning to the one in his grasp, "That would make you Aiden?"

The werewolf lifted his chin defiantly, which only made Derek angry.

"Please," Ethan pleaded, "We're just trying to save Cora!"

"Why? " Derek demanded, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

Ethan looked from Derek to his brother, then over to Cora. "She's pack."

Derek's eyes flashed, "Your pack?" He snarled, "She's my sister, she's my pack!"

Ethan wilted again, concerned for his twin. "Sure, okay. Sorry." He sputtered, "Just please," he looked to his twin, who'd gone white beneath Derek's fingers. "We just want... He loves her!" Ethan finally yelled, struggling to break free of Isaac and Jackson's hold.

Derek's eyes widened as his gaze flickered between the pair. Relaxing his hold on the teenager, Aiden sucked in a shaky breath, his body trembling and Ethan exhaled a relieved sigh. "Thank you." Ethan panted, the fight going out of him.

"Take him down stairs." Derek ordered, attention still fixed on Aiden, who was gasping in a lungful of breath, his eyes shifted to where Cora lay awkwardly on the bed. He listened as Jackson, Isaac and Peter manhandled Ethan out of the room. "Don't let him out of your sight, and if he tries to leave..." He knew he didn't need to finish that order.

Alone with Cora and the remaining twin, Derek took a step back, but didn't shift back into his human form. " Where is she? "

Aiden rubbed at his throat, meeting the Alpha's hard red gaze and refusing to reply.

"He said you loved her?" Derek jerked his chin in the direction of Cora, "If that's true, tell me where the Emissary is or she's going to die."

"Let me take her or she's going to die." Aiden argued, his voice weak from Derek's assault.

Shaking his head, Derek huffed out a humourless laugh, "She stole my sister once, I won't let her be taken again. You tell me where she is, I'll kill her and Cora will be fine."

Aiden shook his head, "You can't kill her, she's too powerful."

Derek took a threatening step forward, "Tell me where she is?"

Aiden stared at him, body language defiant, but the way his pale eyes flickered electric blue told Derek the omega was rightfully intimidated. Then the teenager's gaze drifted to the bed, his eye's searching over Cora's features. Either the kid was a really good actor, or he genuinely did care.

A mixture of feelings swirled around in his chest at the look the omega was giving his baby sister, but she wasn't a baby anymore. She was 17 and had spent the past seven years living a different life doing...god knows what. His gut clenched at the memory of Cora's green eyes tainted with blue. Aiden's were blue too. "Who did you kill?" He heard himself demand.

Aiden's head snapped around to fix Derek with a hard defensive look. "No one who didn't deserve it." He spat back.

Narrowing his eyes, Derek folded his arms across his chest once more, "Your eyes say differently."

Aiden frowned, his lips drawing into a thin line. "What?"

"They're blue, which means you've taken a life. A human life. - An innocent life."

Aiden stared at him it made Derek feel suddenly uncomfortable, "That's..." The omega muttered, "No. They deserved to die. "

That feeling in Derek's gut twisted again, "Is that what she told you?"

Cautiously, Aiden moved closer to the bed, his hand stretched out. Every instinct in Derek wanted to leap forward and drag the teen away from his sister, but if he wanted answers he knew he had to show some sign of compromise. "We were abandoned." Aiden started, lowering himself down to kneel beside the bed, the fingers of his right hand curling around Cora's, while his left slipped beneath her neck. "Thrown away like garbage. Julia gave us a home; she gave us a pack." He lifted Cora's hand to his lips, eyes drifting closed for a second.

"At what price?" Derek seethed.

Aiden looked up at him, "Don't judge us!" he snapped furiously, "Where were you?"

Derek narrowed his eyes at the teenager and stepped forward, "How dare you!" he growled, "My sister and I thought she was dead. I've spent the past seven years mourning her." His voice cracked with the confession, "Don't assume to know me."

Aiden wilted once again, despite the defiance in his eyes. He turned back to Cora, "She thought you were dead too." he told Derek. "Julia said..." the teenager trailed off, once again pressing his lips to the back of Cora's hand.

"The Emissary lied to you. She's made you kill for her and is now trying to kill Cora. Tell me where she is and I can stop her."

Aiden scoffed, "I just told you, she's too powerful. She has the power of the Nemeton at her disposal."

"The Nemeton." Derek frowned. The word rang a distant bell in the back of his mind, a faint memory. His mother's hushed voice. His father's concern. - Deaton's reassurance.

"Come with me." he ordered, stepping towards the door. When he looked back to find Aiden still knelt beside his sister's bed, he gritted his teeth, curling his fingers into tight fists at his side. "I said come with me. I'm not leaving you here alone with her." He added before the Omega had a chance to argue.

Reluctantly, Aiden got to his feet, Cora's fingers slipping from his own the further he moved away from her, until her hand dropped to hang limply off the edge of the bed. "What are you going to do with me?"

Derek regarded him for a long silent moment, before replying in a cold distant voice, "Right now... Nothing." He waved his hand out into the corridor, "After you."

With a final look back at Cora, Aiden stepped over the threshold.

_(*-*)_/

"They can't be trusted." Peter said, eyes fixed on the twin werewolves as they sat awkwardly on the sofa, shoulders pressed together.

"I don't trust them." Derek grumbled, his back pressed against the kitchen counter, cell phone pressed to his ear as it rang out. "They have information."

Peter gritted out a frustrated noise, "Fine, let me talk to them."

Derek's gaze snapped to his uncle. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. - Dammit, he's not answering." Derek frowned, staring down at the phone, a sense of foreboding slowly seeping into his bones.

"Maybe he's sleeping." Peter huffed, "You probably tired him out this morning. – Or perhaps he's busy with more research." he added with a smirk dismissively.

"They only left a little while ago." Derek argued, fear growing in his gut. "He always answers my calls." pushing himself off the counter, he turned to Peter. "Call Lydia. Now."

Suddenly alert, Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out his own phone, his thumb moving swiftly over the screen. The room filled with the sound of ringing as Peter held it out. With each unanswered second that passed, Derek's heart beat that much quicker and the panic grew.

Looking up from the cell screen Derek saw is concern mirrored back at him. "Go." he ordered. Peter headed for the door, Jackson on his heels. He stepped back into the den, fixing the twins with a look of warning. Lifting his cell once more, he scrolled through the contacts, hitting the number for the Sheriff's office. Part of him wanted to wait for news, but he knew that Stiles' father would never forgive him if Derek didn't let him know something might be wrong.

A friendly female voice answered, "Beacon Hill's Sheriff, how can I help you?"

"I need to speak to the Sheriff."

"And who shell I say is calling." the woman asked.

Inhaling deeply Derek replied uncomfortably, "Derek Hale."

"I'm sor..."

"It's about Stiles." Derek cut through before she could dismiss him further.

"Putting you through." the woman replied, her tone instantly filled with concern.

After a few long anxious seconds, the Sheriff's voice filled his ear. "Hale? What's happened to Stiles?"

"I don't know, maybe nothing." Derek tried to reassure, "But he's not answering his phone."

"That's hardly..."

"He never ignores my calls, Sir. Never. He knows it could be important." The Sheriff's sigh told Derek the man thought he was overreacting. "Sir, he's always on call for...Club business."

There was a long silence. When the Sheriff spoke again, it was clear he understood. "When did you last see him?" he asked, now sounding equally as worried.

Derek could hear the sound of a cell phone being dials in the background. "He left..." he glanced over to the wall clock, "…thirty minutes ago. He was heading home to shower and talk to you."

"Alone?" The Sheriff asked distractedly.

"No, Lydia Martin was driving him back to town."

There was no answer from the Sheriff, but Derek could hear the sound of a phone ringing in the background and knew he was trying to call Stiles himself. Only there was no answer. Then there was the scrap of wood on wood. "I'm heading over to my house. If he's not there, I'll make my way to your place."

"Peter and Jackson are checking the road into town."

"If you hear from him before I get there, call me."

"Of course." Derek replied flatly. As if he needed to be told that.

_(*-*)_/

The minutes ticked by in agonising silence. Derek sat on the cushioned kitchen chair staring at the twins, his cell moving between his palms frantically. Isaac paced in front of the large window behind the couch, attention split between Derek, the twins and the still empty front yard.

Looking at the time on his phone, Derek was surprised to see it had only been a few minutes since he'd hung up from the Sheriff and there was still no word from Peter or Jackson.

As if summoned into existence, his cell screen lit up, Peter's name flashing to life. "Peter?"

"He's taking care of Lydia." Jackson said, voice tense with jealousy but he continued talking to Derek, "We found the car just outside of town."

Derek leapt to his feet. "Stiles?"

There was a long silence, and that was all he needed for his world to crumble around him. "He's not here." Jackson confirmed.

Derek let out a sound in the back of his throat, part growl, part pained whine.

"Derek, there are track marks."

Shaking off his own pain, Derek refocused. "W-What?"

"On the road and in the dirt where the car landed. Footprints too. He was grabbed Derek, at least two people."

Frowning, Derek's head snapped to the twins, "How many of you are there?" he demanded angrily. When neither teenager made to answer, Derek took three steps forward, gripping Ethan by the throat and yanking him from his seat. Aiden attempted to attack in his brother's defence, only for Isaac to sink his claws into the omega's shoulders and force him back down. "How many?" Derek roared.

Swallowing against his palm, Ethan wheezed, "Us, Cora and one other; Alicia."

"Where are they?" he demanded, furiously.

"I don't know." Ethan choked out, eyes face turning red. "We've been here."

Narrowing his eyes at the omega, he bared his teeth, the sunlight gleaming off his canines. "To distract us?"

"No." Aiden argued, "We came for Cora."

"I don't believe you."

"Derek? Derek!"

With his fingers still around Ethan's neck, Derek returned the phone to his ear. "What?"

"What do you want us to do?" Jackson sounded panicked and fearful.

"Call in the accident." He realised suddenly that he didn't have the Sheriff's personal number, which meant that he'd hear about it via the police radio. Dammit.

"Okay."

Derek hung up without another word and refocused on the twin in his grasp. "Where would they take him?" he demanded.

"Who?" Aiden asked, and Derek tightened his grip on the teenager's brother. "I don't know!" he said fearfully. "Probably the same place they're holding the other two."

"Other two?" Isaac gasped, "Which other two?"

"The big guy and his mouth-piece girlfriend."

Isaac met Derek's gaze over Aiden's head. "Erica and Boyd?"

Aiden nodded and Derek bared his teeth as he demanded, "Where?"

"I don't know." Aiden said quickly, "We never went there."

"We weren't allowed." Ethan gasped weakly, "The N-Nemeton."

Derek released him, causing the teenager to collapse onto the floor at his feet. Ethan rubbed at his throat. With a nod from Derek, Isaac released his brother, and Aiden scurried off the couch to get to his twin. "You okay?" Ethan gave a nod.

Derek took a step back, mind reeling as he tried to think what to do next. The Emissary had Boyd and Erica, just as Stiles suspected, and neither of the twins were willing to give up a location. It would take time to get the information out of them, but Derek didn't have time. It wasn't just about rescuing his betas, they had Stiles too.

And there was Cora. He couldn't leave her alone in the house, neither could he leave Isaac with his sister and the twins. - But he wanted to go. Head out to the crash site and try to pick up Stiles trail.

His stomach twisted again, heart racing with fear and anger. He should have driven Stiles home himself, He scolded.

"Derek," Isaac called behind him. It was only when he turned to regard the beta that he heard his cell ringing.

"Stiles?" He said hopefully, answering the unknown number.

"Where is my son, Derek?"

Closing his eyes, the Alpha turned away from the teenagers, taking a step into the kitchen, "I..." He swallowed around the lump in his throat, "I think the Emissary has him." He confessed breathlessly.

"What?" The Sheriff snapped impatiently.

"I have two of the werewolves who've been working for her, but they're not talking."

"What do you mean they're not talking. Bring them to the station, I'll... "

"You'll do what?" Derek snapped, frustrated by the Sheriff's ignorance, "They're werewolves, not delinquent teenagers! You remember what happened with Isaac, and Matt?"

There was a long silence. Derek could hear the older man's heavy breathing and could easily imagine the look on his face.

"So what do we do?" The Sheriff finally gritted out.

"Make sure Lydia's alright, I'm going to call Deaton."

Another silence filled with frustration and heavy sighs. "Fine. Keep me informed." Before Derek could reply, the line went dead.

Every nerve ending was sparking to life, his flesh felt as if it were on fire. His hands were shaking as he stared down at the cell phone, unable to silence the voices in his mind screaming that this was all his fault. If only he'd kept his distance. If only he hadn't allowed Stiles to worm his way into his life. – If only he'd never fallen in love, then Stiles would be safe. Protected from the karmic curse the universe had placed on him as punishment for his sins.


A/N: At best there is maybe another three chapters left of this story, so be prepared.