XVII
DEAD MAN
Stiles stares at his plate, the scrambled eggs clumsily made and the loaf of bread. He doesn't dare to look up, this is the first time he sees his dad this mad.
"I'm talking to you" Simon Stilinski roars jerking Stiles' headphones from his ears.
Stiles sighs Shit he thinks with frustration.
"What the hell were you thinking?" His dad slams his hand in the table.
"I…." Damn he can't find a lie… he is just…
"I what Stiles?"
Stiles looks through the kitchen's window, if he only could tell his dad about the danger they are, if he could tell him that he might die because of his own son, if he could tell him that he is cursed that he must run away from him and not look back. He loves his dad he wants to save but he doesn't have answers and he fears his own dead even though it would settle things down, well, maybe in the past they would have made the difference, the Fenrir is in the town now, he feels like there is nothing he can do anymore even if he lives or die it won't change the fact that everyone in the town would probably die in matter of days maybe weeks if they are lucky.
"I just heard something… a noise coming from the woods"
"So you heard something coming from the woods?" Doctor Stilinski stares at his son as if he might be febrile.
Stiles nods.
"Do you know that the woods are miles away, don't you?"
Crap.
"I mean… I might have overheard a police' radio transmission"
"Yeah? How?"
"Um… in my laptop?"
"Are you spying the police? What is wrong with you? Anyway that's not an excuse to go to the woods in the middle of the night"
"I know dad… I was just… I felt"
"I don't wanna hear it" His dad replies taking a deep breath, his eyes swollen and full of disappointment.
"It was a mistake ok? I wasn't thinking straight"
"That's the problem… this is happening more and more often, you keep disobeying me, doing reckless things, putting yourself in danger why? Why are you doing this to me?" His voice cracks in the last sentence.
Stiles recoils fighting a few tears back, a lump climbs to his throat and is now gagging him, he doesn't want to hurt his dad, he just thought he needed to find what was going on in the woods, but now that he thinks about it, maybe his dad is right, maybe he is putting himself in danger on porpoise.
"I can't live this way"
"I'm sorry" Stiles manages to say.
"I can't trust you" His dad replies with remorse in his voice.
"I'm really sorry dad"
"Maybe I should call Dr. Fintshood"
"No!" Stiles urges to reply… he is not crazy!
"What else do you want me to do then? Tell me how I can help you! For god sake! I have to pay a bill for contaminating the lake, the car is a wreck, and do you know how much I loved to jeep? How your mom…"
"I'm sorry ok?" A tear runs down his cheek. "I won't do it again" Adds in half a sob.
"You almost died son… how can I explain you that if something happens to you, I'm lost? If something happens to you…I…I."
Shit now his dad is sobbing, his face is so red now his veins are popping up all around his temples, his hands are shaking and Stiles… Stiles feels like shit, he needs to do something, he can't stay arms crossed while the Fenrir and his pack takes the town, he has to trust in Derek and whatever his plans are but… he also needs to do something by himself, he can't just die… he must fight maybe he can make things different of how they are supposed to happen.
"You're okay, you're fine" His dad says suddenly and now his arms are surrounding Stiles' head pressing him tight against his father's belly, he can't fight it anymore, he just lets the tears flow savagely all over his face, he feels so powerless.
"I'm fine… I won't go anywhere"
"You won't" His dad confirms with a steadier voice now. "I won't repair the Jeep, so now you can't do your night trips in the woods"
"What?" Stiles says shocked, no his Jeep! He needs his Jeep! "Dad…"
"I won't discuss this… it was your responsibility, I told you that the day I gave you the keys, but it seems that you forgot about it…If you want it back you pay to get it fixed"
"But dad! It was an accident! How am I supposed to go to school now?"
His dad arched a brow as stared at him and almost mockingly "Take the bus"
"What? No!"
"Then walk school" His dad finished sternly patting his back. "I have to go now, you better don't anything stupid from now on, or I'll send you to boarding school" Threatened.
Stiles parts his lips to reply but his dad is faster.
"I mean it Stiles, stay out of trouble"
Stiles nods and loosely wriggles the scrambled eggs with his fork.
Doctor Stilinski goes to the washer machine and takes a clean coat, pats his son's head and leaves the kitchen.
Stiles curses in his insides while takes a sip of his chocolate milk, finishes his breakfast and goes up to take his red hoodie and his backpack. He needs a job, god! He wishes he had time for a job, he really needs his jeep, but let's face it, it won't happen anytime soon. He addresses the front door and takes a deep breath, it sucks to take the bus but he can't do anything about it at least not for now.
He opens the door and the bitter cold air makes him shiver, it is almost summer, it should be warmer by now! Does this have anything to do with the Fenrir? He closes the door and turns on his heels, in front of him is a car with glossy black paint and low tires, what is it doing there? Stiles looks around, the street is empty. He starts walking out of his home feeling a weird uneasiness in the pit of his stomach, he feels observed. When he reaches the street walk suddenly the car's engine comes to life. Stiles spins and the copilot's window sinks down.
"Get up" Says a voice.
Stiles lowers his head frowning and finds Derek in the pilot's seat staring at him with a furrowed expression.
"Derek" He says suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"
"Get up and shut up" The werewolf orders.
Stiles opens the door and wedges himself inside. "What are you doing outside my house?" He asks scornful.
"I ruined that piece of trash of yours, didn't I?" Derek says without looking at him.
"Oh… shit… are you saying that you're going to give me your car in exchange?" Stiles heart leapt with excitement, Jesus! He was going to have a fucking Camaro!
Derek frowned "No!" Says bluntly "I'm taking you to school, that's all"
"Oh" Stiles rolls his eyes. "You don't even need a car, you're a werewolf and sure you run faster than this thing"
"You right I do" Derek agrees "But I won't give it to you" Adds chuckling devilishly, his pointy fangs showing beneath his slender lips.
Bastard.
Derek puts his hands on the steering wheel and starts driving away, Stiles sinks in the seat and stares at the road absently, he is a little shocked, who would have thought that Mr. Broody ass would try to emend the side effects of his actions?, well that's not fair half of the things that are going on are because Derek thinks he did an awful thing when he was just a kid and he's trying to doing it right before giving his life to release Scott from his curse.
"What happened to you?" Derek asks with his eyes fixed on the road with his usual stark face.
"What you mean?" Stiles replies confused, what is he talking about?
"You have been crying" Derek points out and arches a brow.
Stiles panics and stares at his expression in the rearview mirror, there is no trace of tears on his eyes or his cheeks, he washed his face several times after cleaning the dishes.
"I hadn't…" He starts.
"Your scent" Derek says and glares at him like saying I know you're lying
"What about my scent?"
"It changes with your mood, today is salty darker than usual"
Salty and darker than usual Stiles repeats in his head chewing his lip, he wishes he could do something about it, Isaac told him once his scent is chaos, is happy and sad at the same time because of his curse, but today… well Stiles has a lot in mind today.
"You're afraid, don't you?"
Stiles shakes his head so hard that he almost breaks his neck, he isn't a coward! "Today is a year and a month since my mom died" He mutters glancing down, damn it! He shouldn't have said that! Derek will probably mock of him or something.
"Oh, I'm sorry" Derek mutters.
Stiles stares at him shocked.
"I lost my mom too…actually…I… killed her" The pack leader mumbles and looks away.
No you didn't! Stiles wishes he could say Derek the truth, but there is so much at stake, he can't help feel empathy for that moody bastard though. The only thing he can do is glance down, and try to chance the subject.
"What is the plan then?"
"That's none of your business" Derek says harshly and Stiles glares at him.
"If you hadn't notice I live here too and I got people to protect!" Stiles grunts biting his tongue and cursing inside, god! Why he has to be so stubborn? Why can't he realize that he needs all the help he can get?
"I don't care, you won't do any help you will just get in our way and Scott needs to be ready to fight for his life, will just distract him, he will care more of your life than his own " Derek growls and stops the car.
Stiles looks around, they are in the parking lot of the school, great! He was about to throw himself from the window anyway, he couldn't believe how stupid Derek was, he would rather die than accept help from him just because he was human.
Stiles opens the door "Thank you" He says bitterly and climbs down but Derek grabs him by the arm and pulls him back in, Damn is hand is burning, Stiles almost forgets that Werewolves are that hot. "What do you want?"
Derek shoves his hands on his pockets and tugs a piece of paper with and address hastily written on it. Stiles takes it and reads it "A Hotel?" He snorts "Shouldn't we have a date first?"
Derek glares at him "I'm living there, the forest aren't safe anymore, give it to Scott"
Stiles nods with boredom.
"Tell him to meet me there after school, we need to discuss our plan"
"Hello! Twenty one century! There are phones you know?" Stiles mocks.
"You idiot, they are probably spying everybody's calls by now"
Stiles holds his breath startled "Really? I thought werewolves…"
"You don't know anything about werewolves"
"I'm sorry" The boy sighs and climbs down.
"Stiles wait" Derek says at his back.
Stiles chest shudders and he stops short but he doesn't turn, he stays there back at the wolf a little startled. How weird is to hear Derek say his name and not call him you or hey.
"Do something about your scent, and tell Allison to do so too"
"Allison doesn't talk to me anymore"
"Just tell her, don't make new friends and don't go anywhere by yourself, avoid to stay alone they won't risk to attack in crowded places"
"I can't pee if there someone around" Stiles explains uneasy and turns on his heels to find that Derek and his car are gone.
….
Allison finishes her breakfast and climbs up the stairs to grab her backpack, it is odd to think that she almost gets used to live in the foster house. But things might change now. She reaches her bed and takes the backpack and the books sprawled over it, she looks back to make sure no one is spying on her and quickly snatches the broken laptop and the binding book from below the pillow, she can trust to leave them there, if someone finds them… well she doesn't want to think about it.
She goes down and meets the rest of the girls at the door right when the bus is stopping to get them to school. Last night she almost got in the woods looking for wolves but luckily she thought better going in there by herself unarmed would have been suicidal, she didn't do much research last night either, when she got to the foster house tried to fix her dad's laptop but it was useless, she doesn't know anything about computers…though… she knows someone that might. Today she will focus on recovering her dad's information from that piece of junk and maybe she can read about the binding book…. She needs it, she might not have weapons now but there are some other things she can learn, she needs to be a quick learner if those werewolves are really in the town as she felt it last night it means that they are all in danger. Sometimes just feels like leaving, getting all her stuffs and get away, there is nothing left for her in Beacon Hills just bad memories but she fears that if her dad is truly alive and comes back for her he won't be able to find her. She needs to find him first them they can both run away and never come back.
There is a sort of discomfort bugging her from the very moment she stepped in the classroom just an hour ago. She has been trying to ignore it but it is complicated, it isn't just as if someone is staring at her. She knows that someone is staring and by the insane prickling in her hand she knows that that someone is Stiles, but she can take it. What the hell does he want? Why he is so utterly determined to talk to her? Well, she can't blame him, she is dying to interrogate him about what happened last night in the woods but there is a little problem… she doesn't trust him.
At lunch she goes to the cafeteria and puts a single apple in her tray then she sits in her usual table with Lydia and sighs, it is unbelievable that after all those months she still has to stand the curious eyes of the rest of the school, drilling her thoughts and gossiping about what happened to her dad, half of the school believes that her dad set the house on fire and died in it because she was pregnant and that Scott was the father of her child and the other half says that she set her house on fire to kill her dad.
She should have known that today was going to be different than other days, yet she wasn't expecting Scott to leave the jock's table for the first time and join them in theirs. Allison rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath, feeling his amber piercing eyes addressing her looking for hers, but she doesn't dare to glance back at him, damn his ears he is probably listening to her heartbeat and how it rate rose as soon as he took seat before her.
"Well, well" Lydia starts pouting her lips. "Mr. Jock himself decided to suddenly comes to our table"
Scott grins sheepishly to her and Allison suddenly feels the need to smack him in the head.
"What are you doing here? "Lydia demands with contempt.
Scott bits his lip and stare at Allison's friend with puzzled look. "I came to talk to Allison"
"Oh yeah? That's funny cuz the last I checked you were ignoring her like the rest of the…"
"Lydia…" Allison starts but Lydia rises her hand and doesn't let her finish.
"No Allison I must say this… Her dad got missing! Her home exploded! Where were you Scott? Where were you when she needed you most?
Allison feels Lydia's words as a knife through her chest, she knows where Scott was. He was trying to hide her, to protect her from the horrors of…
She shakes those stupid and girly thoughts out of her head.
"Hey guys!" Says a newcomer.
Great Allison thinks biting her lip and scratching her prickling hand.
"Now you?" Lydia laughs bitterly.
"I need to talk to Allison" Stiles explains shrugging and Allison looks away.
"You got nothing to talk to her, you failed as friends and… everything else" Lydia points out.
"Lydia is alright, I'll talk to Stiles" Allison says trying to calm down the waters and keep away the nosey looks of the rest of the school from their conversation. She needs to know what the hell Stiles wants or else the spark won't leave her alone in the whole day.
Lydia is about to reply but Allison stands before her friend can say anything else and beckons Stiles to follow her out of the cafeteria. Right outside the double doors Stiles grabs her by the arm and presses her tight, the spark burst and suddenly she fears utterly sad and concerned, damn him and his feelings.
"We can't go any further" He warms blinking probably fighting the overwhelming of her feelings in his mind.
"Why not?"
"It is dangerous" He mutters looking at both sides of the empty hall. "They are here"
"I know" She snaps back harshly.
"You were there in the woods too last night by yourself? Are you crazy?" He grunts.
She rolls her eyes "That's none of your business what I do and what I don't and I wasn't there I… felt it"
Stiles gaps, he knows what she is talking about thought instead of staring at his right hand he grabs his chest as if feels exposed.
"Derek says we need to hide our scent" He mumbles.
And as soon as she hears the name the blood in her veins starts running cold "I don't follow orders from him"
"Allison please…"
"Don't treat me like a child Stiles, you lied to me"
"You lied to me too" He shoots back.
And there they are again.
"I didn't lie, I didn't know what the hell was going on with me, what did you want me to do? Run and tell you hey I'm a binder though I don't even know what the hell it is?"
"The same happened to me" He defends himself "I didn't even know till that night, you have to trust me"
"You knew about the wolves though"
He looks away.
"See? That's why I won't follow orders from you or that guy"
"Allison is for own good, our scent is too strong we need to hide it, he is just trying to help you and I do too"
"You wanna help? Fin my dad! Or better tell me why you said that about my mom that night!"
Stiles steps back looking away again.
"I… can't I promise I'll tell you but I can't do that now is too risky"
"Why is it risky Stiles?" She roars.
He shush her and she suddenly feels the need to kick his ass, he can't tell her because he is a liar, he is trying to buy for Derek. He is on his side. She can feel it through their connection, he is hiding shit, a lot of shit from her and she can feel it too, his fear… for some reason he feels sorry for her and at the same time doesn't want to be near her, he is a bastard.
"Tell me!" She demands.
"I'm sorry I can't do that right now"
"See? That's why I can't trust you" She snaps.
"All…"
"Leave me alone Stiles" She replies bitterly and crosses the double doors right when the bell rings.
Allison sighs with frustration she didn't even have chance to taste her apple and now… now they have Mrs. Greenberg class and everything else. She takes gets in the classroom and sits next to Lydia feeling Stiles' and Scott's eyes bored on her, why they have to be so stubborn? She takes a deep breath and tries to keep her mind calm. It is true Stiles has a point, she needs to be in low profile now that the wolves have arrived, so far as she had read from the binding book she have learned that wolves and binders aren't friends, actually binders aren't friends with most of the supernatural creatures out there so she better stays out of their radar for now, or at least until she finds her dad.
They wait for twenty minutes for Mrs. Greenberg to arrive meanwhile she chats with Lydia about some skirts the girl saw in the mall two days ago and she wishes Allison can join her in there to try some, also she asked her a couple of minutes ago about what Stiles wanted and Allison had to lie, of course, she can't Lydia anything about what's going on so she just told her that Stiles wanted to apologize for ignoring her the last months but now he feels sorry for what he did. Lydia just rolled her eyes after that, Allison knows how much she misses Jackson and she can't help but feeling miserable for she did to her friend, she got a prove of true love that night months ago when Jackson held her hand tight and said how much he loved her when they both thought they were going to die. Allison had to wipe that memory from her friends' mind, Stiles and herself agreed to keep Lydia out of the supernatural crap that haunts them.
She feels happy for Lydia though, after what happened with Tackler and the lies she said so Lydia wouldn't remember what Jackson had said to her she is a new person. When Allison and Lydia first met she realized that her best friend had an issue about boys, she constantly needed a guy flattering her o kissing her feet, they called her the bitchleader after all, later they mocked of her because Jackson dump her and now they just feel sorry because her last boyfriend died on strange circumstances, but Lydia doesn't need a boyfriend when once in a time she spies the jocks' table with the corner of her eye looking for Jackson she seems to understand now that happiness doesn't lay next to a man, unless that man is your father… and that… is the reason why Allison feels so miserable. She can let go Scott, he is just a boy she still feels her stomach tickling whenever he is around she doesn't care about him anymore or at least she tries to… but her dad? Well that is a different story. She craves for his stare, for his food, for his yells, for his jests, for his love and his company.
After what feels like thirty minutes, she looks around and then realizes that their teacher haven't made it to the class, right when she stands and sweeps the loud room with her eyes someone steps back to her and she quickly seats back, but it isn't Mrs. Greenberg, but Harris.
"Hello everybody" He says with friendly voice, though his eyes aren't kind at all.
"What's Mrs. Greenberg" Asks a voice from the back of the room.
Harris frowns as if he is considering to answer the question or not.
"Mrs. Greenberg doesn't feel well and called to cancel her classes" He explains sternly "And since you're my last class of the day I decided to take her hour and be done with it so we can go home early"
Go home early? Allison doesn't have a home, she has a shelter, thought in other hand now that she will have spare time maybe…. Maybe she can do something about her dad's laptop and see if she can find any clue that can lead her to him.
….
The sun hits him in the eyes when he comes out of the school, he gave Scott the piece of paper Derek gave him right after Harris' class and though he wants to join them in the hotel to hear about the plan he isn't in the mood to hear sparky tell him he shouldn't be there, the truth is that he shouldn't be anywhere, his time passed almost seventeen years ago and now he is living in a borrowed time.
Most of people at school has cars, it is part of being a spoiled teenager near the senior year. Stiles had a car now it is just a drenched piece of junk. He knows what Derek said about not staying alone and everything else but actually that is exactly what he needs. While he walks like the utter loner he is toward the bus stop near school he can't stop thinking about last night. There are certain things that still bugs him. Those weren't a thousand werewolves, actually they were ten or fifteen wolves at much. Then… where is the rest of them? Are they slaughtering the surrounding towns? Getting more and more people into their army? It is scaring to think about it, he is not sure how in the hell they are going to defeat a thousand werewolves he doesn't want to imagine a larger number.
A car horns loudly and Stiles comes to his senses, he is in the middle of the street staring at the roofs of the buildings. He makes a sign to the car and waddles to the street walk. He sits in the bus stop's bench and looks around. The city is calm, it is just another day in Beacon Hills, people walks down the streets, many shopping groceries, there are girls laughing outside the coffee store, there are mothers carrying their children and peeking through the store's windows and it is a sunny day even though it is a little chiller for the season. They don't know, they don't have a clue that soon they skies will become cloudy and a war will sweep the town.
A storm is coming he recalls Isaac's voice saying those words in his head.
He glances ahead while he waits for the bus and then he stops a flower shop, some girls are smelling the tulips with dreamy faces. His dream comes to his mind, the flowers, the butterflies…the blood.
Stiles shakes his head and crosses the street. The graveyard is near him and he hadn't go to visit his mom since his dad moved her body from Connecticut months ago. Now she rests in Beacon Hills, the town where she was born, just like she would have wanted to.
She would have wanted to live He thinks with grief and stops in the flower shop. He buys some white roses –his mom favorites- and strides off. The graveyard is empty, is a large space at the west of the city established right in one of the hillsides that connects the town with the woods. It is partially empty and surrounded by undergrowth and newborn pines. Stiles comes in passing by the graves without reading the names on them. His mom is near the end with her parents and her brother at her right, at her left is an empty place waiting for him. How long will it be until he ends up in here? Hours? Days? Months? Something is certain, it won't be long.
"Hey mom" He says pretending to be cheerful to not concern her.
He takes the flowers and gently places them in the top of the grave.
"I'm sorry I didn't came before" Mutters picturing now his mom scowling at him.
He smiles.
"I'm just coming through a lot lately, school is fine by the way. My grades are still high, my dad is doing better every day though we got an arguing this morning about coming out of home in the middle of the night in a school day"
He makes a pause to think what she would have said about it, if his mom were alive she would be chastising him right now.
"Yeah I know… I just…" His voice cracks. "Everything is wrong mom, I don't have friends anymore and feel lonely and just spend the days at home reading and waiting… waiting for everything to be done, but…I'm scared and I feel so useless, something awful is about to happen and I can't do anything about it. Everyone is going to die mom, everyone will die and it is my fault, the same way it is my fault what happened to you"
Stiles shuts his eyes feeling the warm tears running down his cheeks for the second time today and recalls Derek's words, about his scent, about his mood. He is cursed the same way Derek thinks he is, with the difference that his curse is real, evil people murdered Derek's parents, Stiles killed his mom and will probably kill the whole town and he can't do anything about it, it is a dark thought a thing that has been piercing his soul for months since Deaton told him the truth, he is responsible for that is happening and he doesn't know how to make it stop, he should have died. He should have died that day instead of being born, that way his would have been alive and none of this would be happening.
He clears his throat "um… do you remember…." He starts and then the memories of his childhood start coming to his mind. His mom can't protect him now or tell him what to do, but at least she can listen to him the same way she used to and let everything out can't fix the things but helps to make him feel better.
….
He has been waiting the whole day but finally Scott, Isaac and Jackson are here. They are in the lobby of the hotel sitting comfortably in the cushions and pretending to be having a good time as the good friends they are. It is annoying, because the place is crowded and they most talk in low voices to not let someone hear their conversation, but it is the only they can communicate now, it is dangerous to go out there, the Fenrir and his slaves must be spying everybody's phone calls for sure, they have taken the woods.
"This is not a good idea" Jackson says sternly, he has his arm crossed and won't stop looking around every two seconds.
"I told you to stay calm, they won't come here looking for us" Derek replies in a mutter.
"Why don't we just go to your room?" Scott arches a brow.
"Most of this places have safety cameras, for now they have the control of everything in the town for sure, we are safer him among the humans"
"Derek… we have lacrosse practice" Isaac reminds him.
"Don't be stupid, you can't keep playing to be teenagers, we are all in danger"
"Then what is the plan?" Jackson asks still looking around. "Should we bring you some team players?"
Team players? Derek repeats in his mind not getting his point. "What do you mean?"
"We need more wolves on our side" Isaac reminds him.
Derek can feel his insides scorching raw, not this again "No more wolves" He replies with clenched teeth.
"What?" Isaac says a little loud.
Derek quickly grins pretending they are joking about something to not rise suspects and then glares at the traitor.
"We still can't turn anyone else, it is too risky you saw what happened with Scott in the beginning and Jackson had it rough too" He reminds him.
"So what? Are we staying arms crossed waiting for them to kill us?" Isaac spits despitefully.
"If you are so afraid of dying then you should have gone with your friends when you got a chance" He shoots back with his jaw set.
Isaac looks away angrily.
He can't trust in Isaac, not after what he did… what should he do? Don't they get it? He is as concerned as they are, but if they start turning random people into wolves they could end murdering everybody instead of protecting them, they must be careful…something…something is just not right.
"What do we do then?" Jackson asks irate.
All wolves think they are leaders, stupid reckless kids, as soon as he dies on Scott's hands Isaac and Jackson will tear each other's throats to become the new alpha, the leader of a broken and doomed pack.
"We wait" He explains.
Isaac and Jackson stare at him suspiciously. He knows what they are thinking, they think that something is going on with him, that maybe he is going to betray them.
"We wait to die, you mean" Jackson chuckles.
"No… we wait and we stay under their radar, hide your scents, don't use your phones to talk about anything relate to them or us, keep your senses alert and stay with your families and friends"
He looks at Scott's confused expression "Protect them" He finishes.
"Good plan, but I don't know if you remember but… I have no family because of them" Isaac points out.
Derek can see it, he is growing impatience, something changed about him since December, what could it be? For a second he reminds him of Stiles, acting reckless and putting himself in trouble without measuring the risks he is putting himself into.
"I can't wait for them to just kill me"
"You don't get it do you?" Scott suddenly says and now Derek can see some flicker behind his eyes, recognition. He knows what is going on.
"Something is not right" The boy explains in low voice "We can't just turn werewolves or go to find them, something is going on here"
He is not just strong, he is smart Derek thinks impressed and a little proud.
"What do you mean?" Jackson inquires.
"Last night, they could have killed us and take Derek… but they let us be"
Isaac and Jackson crane their necks toward Derek now and he just can nod to them, and lets Scott continue his speech while he looks around and makes sure no one is listening their talk.
"They want Derek, they want his power" The young wolf makes a pause "Or at least that is what we thought"
"Something changed" Derek agrees. "Last night, they could have taken me… but they let us go"
"They just wanted to scare us" Scott agrees with him.
"Why?" Isaac frowns.
"That's what we are going to find out tonight" Derek explains. "Isaac you and I are going to the woods tonight and look for them, if they want me they won't miss the change to catch me"
"Are you going to let them catch you that easily?" Scott is confused now.
"If they are interested in me after all, they will catch me eventually I'll just ease the things a little for us" Derek says with a grim face.
"That's all?" Isaac says. "We just give up?"
Derek shakes his head "Once in there, I'll defy the Fenrir, it is my right as a pack member and if I beat him, the rest of the pack will lose what links them together, they won't a porpoise and I'll send everybody home"
"When you became so optimistic?" Isaac snorts. "You can't beat him"
"Maybe I can" Derek asks a brow daringly.
"What about us?" Jackson asks eagerly.
"You both go your homes and stay with your families, if everything goes wrong take your parents and your friends and go"
He looks at Scott, he knows he doesn't like the idea.
"But what if…" Scott starts.
Derek rises his hand to shut him.
"It was never your fight, I shouldn't have involved you in this and I'm sorry, we have no chance against them and I won't send you to a slaughter, live your lives, grow up get kids and everything else"
Derek stands and shows them the way out, it is the only way, he can't let them die because of him, the best thing Scott can do is Take his mom and Stiles and go away before it is too late, Isaac is right it is almost certain that Derek doesn't stand a chance against a Fenrir, but he will fight and he will win there is no other way, this will end here and tonight.
….
She went to a computer store and bought some tools to try to fix her dad's laptop. It is true Lydia is super smart and everything else, and even thought it sounded like a good idea at first now Alisson knows better, after what Stiles said to her she can't stop thinking about what happened her friend during the Sadie Hawking's night, the prettiest girl in town with her beautiful dress and hopes and dreams almost taken away from her just the same way her boyfriend was, no… it is too much. Allison, Stiles and Jackson agreed to stay away from Lydia to keep her safe and even though they are still being friends and acting like normal girls it is different to involve Lydia in that crazy shit she is into, she knows a bit about computers though, she can fix it, she just needs to extract her dad's hard disk and connect it to the desktop computer in the foster house, rummage as much as she can and hope to find a clue about where her dad might be, if he is still alive.
On her way to the foster house she stops again outside the debris of her old home, and the memories come again, that gigantic flames licking everything, she is not sure how the laptop survived thought she thinks it has something to do with the binding book being almost on top of it, it is untouched too and she can't help thinking that there is some kind of protecting casted on it, or else the weather would have damaged it.
Allison stares a chunks all over the floor still thinking why the city hadn't move them yet. If she could only find her dad's weapons…
"Hey" Says a voice at her back.
Allison spins as quick as she hears the voice and something squirms inside her when her eyes' and Scott's ambers met.
"Sc…Scott... What are you doing here?" She says startled.
"I needed to talk to you" He says lowering his glance to not look at her straight in the eye.
"You have been following?" She stutters feeling suddenly harassed.
Scott shakes his head "Actually…" He takes a minute to thinks his reply and a kicks a rock with the tip of his sneakers "I followed your scent"
Allison steps back, feeling her heart slamming her ribs, it is stupid. She knows that Scott is a werewolf, yet this is the first time they talk about it and somehow it feels like he is confirming her worst fears. She can't go back now. It's too late.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to upset you" He says with his eyes fixed on the floor.
Why is he talking so weird?
"I have nothing to talk to you" She replies bitterly and tries to pass by him to go back to the foster house but he grabs her by the arm and something shudders in her chest.
Scott leans toward her and slowly sucks a breath "Your scent…" He mutters delighted and yet she can see an edge of terror in his voice.
He shakes his head again "I'm sorry… I just missed it"
Freak she things disgusted, even when he is a werewolf he still acts like the dump boy she once thought she knew.
"You're a monster" She breaths out accusingly.
He nods without daring to look at her in the eye.
"I won't take long" He promises.
"Then talk" She orders, let go her arm brusquely.
"You need to go" He mumbles.
Allison holds a wry mock is this for real?
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm gonna find my dad and them I'm gonna hunt the monster that murdered my mom"
Scott looks at her confused.
"Allison please, there are dangerous creatures in the town!" He says looking around as if he is making sure that they are not being observed.
"What? Werewolves?" She spits with despise.
He nods with his cheeks reddening.
"I don't care"
He shifts in his place as if trying to find patience "You don't get Allison they are going to kill you if you don't go… your scent… you smell…"
"What about my scent?" She asks genuinely curious, Stiles something about their scent too and… now Scott.
"There is something about you… it almost makes me lose my mind when you're around, you don't know how hard is to stay away from you and near you at the same time, it is the happiest and the saddest thing I ever felt and I can't… I can't find this urgency inside me, this need for you and at the same time the fear… it draws me to you and pushes me aside but I keep begging for of you"
Allison holds a sigh, he won't play with her mind, she is not naïve, she is not stupid anymore, he is a liar and that's all.
"Say whatever you want Scott, I won't fall for you again, there is no play for flatters or flowers, I can't feel anything for you anymore" She says less bitterly than she wanted.
"It isn't just me Allison, Isaac and Jackson feel the same way near you or Stiles"
Stiles again.
"There is something about you both… I can't place it with words, it's like trying to explain why the world spins"
It is because of conservation of angular momentum dump werewolf she thinks almost chuckling.
"You need to go Allison, somewhere else safe"
"I won't go anywhere" She defies him even though she knows she can't stand a change unharmed.
"God Allison!" He gasps with frustration. "Don't you see that I'm trying to help you?"
"Help me?" Allison snorts. "You want to help me? Then tell me where were you when my house exploded?!" She grumbles with anger.
"I…"
"Go ahead my superhero, tell me how you tried to find my dad and…"
"Allison"
"What? Scott what?" She yells biting her lip.
"I'm sorry… I really do but you have to let go your dad, he's not coming back"
"You don't know anything about my dad!"
"It's been months! You need to think about yourself!"
"All that I can think is that I lost my dad, because of werewolves, I lost my ability to trust anyone because of werewolves. I lost my mom because of werewolves. Werewolves have just brought pain and tears to my life" She says holding back her tears.
"You need to trust me, please" He begs.
"Trust you?" Allison laughs as if it is the funniest thing in the world.
"Tell me. How can I trust you? When you're with the guy who murdered my mom?" She finishes and starts her way back to foster house.
"Allison" He hears Scott calling her at her back.
"Stay away from me Scott, because next time we meet I gonna kill Derek, if you stay in the middle I won't hesitate to shoot an arrow to your head"
Allison starts running toward the foster house, the chill breeze makes her shiver, and her lungs beg for air after ten minutes but she doesn't stop, she doesn't do it until she is back in her shelter. When she comes in, she greets everybody with a smile in her face, climbs up the stairs and goes straight to her room right when she can't fight her tears back anymore. She crumbles in her bed and cries like a sobs like a stupid little girl who misses her dad.
….
"And well that's basically what have happened since you left" Stiles finishes, although at first he just wanted to recall good times with his mom he couldn't hold it back anymore and ended up telling her the whole story of what happened last year and how scared he is and how much he sorry for being the cause of her death.
He feels a little better now, even though he is crying and everything else but at least his mom knows the truth now, if she can hear him of course.
"You know?" He says with the shadow of a smile as he rubs his eyes "We could make a wont of this, would you like that? You and me here every Sunday sharing stories, maybe dad could come too and would sit hear eating sandwiches"
Stiles chuckles. "Like our picnics with grannie and pops every Saturday, remember?"
Stiles closes his eyes and tries to bring back the memory of those sunny…sunny days at… he place it right in his mind, he feels like he is seeing it but he can't actually reach the memory, he can't remember… was it?
A cold draft comes from behind and dishevels the hairs in the back of his neck.
"You did it Ronny, just stole that ball" He says accusingly.
"I didn't" Ronny yells.
"No yet! Not yet!" He repeats over and over.
Not yet
Stiles rises his hand and slightly touches the back of his neck trying to reach something there. The wind blows harder and almost freezes his hand.
"It's better if you sit, you will feel some sleep after I'm done" He hears his own voice say.
"It will be a boy" He mutters "It will be a boy" His voice comes out faintly.
Stiles kneels before his mom's grave touching his nape, scratching it.
What? He thinks what was it?
A cry… a high pitched cry of kid. Stiles jolts on his place and fights the drowsiness away, what happened to him?
Another cry, louder this time but yet it feels farther than the first, a kid is crying outside the graveyard, he just heard it… needs his help.
A whine and a Stiles gets a goose bump, is there people dying already? Is he imagining it? No... It is outside the graveyard he can feel it.
Stiles spins on his heels and looks at his mom's grave to say goodbye when it comes to his mind. Something that Marin told him months ago. A line of fertility made with graveyard's dirt. Stiles takes a minute to think about it and then kneels and takes a handful of dirt, even now after a year his mom can protect him. A line of fertility a line of protection created by a binder…he is a binder… well he can bind… maybe it means something.
The sobs grow fainter. Stiles clenches his fists and runs toward the exit. He opens the screeching grating and looks around expecting find a pandemonium, people running down the streets for their lives and massive dark-pelted werewolves tearing down their throats and chopping their limbs….but… instead his finds his dad, coming in carrying flowers with him.
"Son!" He says startled to find him there. "You should be at school"
"Dad! A kid! Did you see a kid?" He asks quickly sweeping the street with his eyes and finding it almost empty.
His dad's brow furrows, "No, there wasn't a kid here, are you feeling alright?" Doctor Stilinski asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine I'm just… I could swear I heard a cry"
"Come on inside, I brought your mom white roses" His dad says patting his shoulder.
But I heard he thinks.
"Her favorites" Stiles replies with a grin. He comes in with his dad and realizes that he is still clutching the handful of dirt, he was going to risk his life if it was necessary, he knew he couldn't stand a chance against the werewolves, that he was a hopeless human or at least that was what he thought, he can bind after all… he can make a difference, he will make a difference. He will fight and protect everyone he cares not matter what.
….
Why Allison have to be so stubborn? Why she won't listen to him? Scott is mad right now, not mad at her but her decisions. Though there are things that are making him feel uncomfortable right now, what was that about Allison's mom? He know she is dead but… was it really Derek who murdered her? Why? Scott can't think straight, he is too confused and dazed, Derek will go tonight to meet with the Fenrir and challenge him, what if he get killed? There will be no hope, he should be on his side.
He throws his backpack over the couch and starts climbing up the stairs still thoughtful. He feels so powerless right now, is he really going to leave Derek to die? If Derek dies he will be cursed forever though it isn't an issue anymore considering that he can control himself now, even on a full moon but… still, he is not sure if he wants to live this way for ever, what is he going to do? Get his own pack?
He sighs and ends the stairs, he has practice right, he needs a shower though, how stupid sounds, go to an stupid practice and pretend that everything is alright when actually he is just waiting for the bloodbath with his arms crossed.
He opens the door right when an odd scent fills his nostrils, Scott something a living thing. His heart gives a lurch as his hand loosely tries to reach the light switch. There is a shadow sitting on his bed.
….
She eventually stopped sobbing, she had to wash her face multiple times though her eyes are still a little swollen. She isn't sure why she was crying anyway, nothing has changed, her dad is still missing and she needs to find him no matter what and Scott… Scott.
Allison shakes her head. It isn't time to think about silly things and stupid werewolves. She goes to her desk, brings the laptop over the table and starts working on it. It takes her ten minutes to extract the hard disk, luckily it seems intact. She takes it with her and the rest of the stuffs she bought and sneaks into the hallway. At the other side of the room near the dolls and rest of the toys for the girls is the computer.
Allison looks both sides and then sits in the computer, she does the proper connections thanking that the little girls aren't around and then boots it. After a couple of minutes the OS pops in the screen and Allison starts digging in the drives, she finds the new one and clicks it open. She is in!
She starts rummaging around her dad stuffs, she can't help feeling relieved and happy it is almost as being in front of her dad after so long, a part of her is thrilled and another terrified of she might find but yet she continues with her task, she must find any clue of where her dad is if he left on free will and abandoned her or if he was kidnapped. Maybe he is with Uncle Jeremy after all. If she could find him…
She looks around folders and archives and some old videos taken with the cameras around the town, finally she finds what she is looking for. A backup of phone numbers. Great she thinks with relief, she opens the software and before her thousands and thousands of numbers and email addresses appear before her eyes.
She scrolls down the addresses and numbers until one calls her attention Supernatural Threats Control Unit she reads in her mind… what is that? A secret society? Is that the people for her dad works? There are phone numbers and email addresses, maybe she should write them, even if they don't know about where her dad is they can help to find him. She takes a sheet of paper and writes down all the numbers and emails and then starts scrolling up looking for Uncle Jeremy's number.
"Allison?" A voice says at her back.
She jumps on her feet and quickly closes the archive and looks back, Mrs. Berth is standing before her with a frown on her face and an eerie look on her eyes.
"Hey Mrs. Berth" She says with a fake smile.
"Are you alright?" The mom asks and then Allison recalls her swollen eyes.
"Yeah… I just… I think got the cold"
"Oh sweetie, you should have told me at once"
"I didn't want to bother you"
"You don't bother me, I love to have you here"
Allison grins again but this time for real.
"Honey… Dr. Fintshood is here" The woman says hesitantly.
"Today? Shouldn't she come tomorrow instead?" Allison frowns.
"It is…a special visit" Mrs. Berth tries to explain "Can you come downstairs? She is waiting to talk to you about something important"
Allison stands from the chair quickly "Is something wrong?"
"Oh honey no" The woman giggles putting a hand on her shoulder.
Allison climbs down the stairs followed by Mrs. Berth and goes to the meetings room next to the kitchen. She finds Dr. Fintshood sitting behind the Mrs. Desk who welcomes her with a smile.
"Sit please Allison" Dr. Fintshood says beckoning at her with her hand.
"Is there something wrong?" She asks again and the woman smiles.
"Of course not honey, there just some things that have come to our knowledge about your situation"
Oh no they found his body, he is dead… he is dead… Dad. She thinks fighting back the tears.
"Is he dead?" She asks with her voice cracking in the last word.
"Calm down honey, unfortunately we hadn't find anything about your dad just yet" The woman says with a sad look in her eyes.
"Then what you want to talk me about?"
"This morning while you were at school, one of your relatives came to social services office"
Relative?
"Your uncle to be more specific?"
"Uncle Jeremy?" Allison says a little breathless, she is a little relieved and terrified, she hadn't see her uncle Jeremy since she was a girl and she doesn't know if he knows about the binders and everything else though she hopes he does, she hopes he can help her find her dad.
"No honey, your Uncle Brian, your mom's brother" Dr. Fintshood explains.
Mom's brother? Her mom was only child.
"He is waiting for you outside"
….
Mellissa walks hastily down the hallways of the hospital, she has been on duty the whole day but finally she has some time to come here, even though she isn't assigned to the case she feels the urgency to get involved, she doesn't know why the sheriff haven't shown much interest on it, everyone should be working on it.
"Mel" She recognizes Simon's voice at once.
She spins and finds him coming into the hospital as he puts on his coat and meets her.
"Hey Simon" She greets him with a smile and take a look at him, they hadn't talk much the last months, she actually hadn't been the most social person since December after all what happened with Scott and Stiles she just… she doesn't feel like talking to her best friend so she usually avoids the conversations with the man but now… well she is sure that her son is involved somehow with what happened to that man and she needs to know the truth about it as bitter as it can be.
"Is everything okay?" He asks a little preoccupied.
She nods "I just…"
"Oh god!" He starts speaking quickly "You found Longshots body don't you? You found his body"
"Simon shut up!" She chuckles, she have forgotten how much Simon could ramble in matter of minutes even though she missed that.
"Is not that" She explains "I came for what happened"
His concerned face quickly fills with some curiousness and some dread "Oh! I thought you weren't in the case" He replies as they both start walking toward his office.
"Actually I'm not" She confirms "But… I don't know… it's kind of scary don't you think?"
"Scary?" He chuckles "I think I peed myself"
"You were there?" She says startled.
He nods "I heard the screams and came as fast as I could and found this man shouting, begging for help and his body! Started getting full for bulges, like moving muscles it was almost as if they were alive!"
She swallows picturing the scene in her mind.
"What happened then?"
"He exploded, like a bomb" He mutters with his eyes open as plates as he opens the doors for her.
They both get inside his office, Simon sits behind the desk and Mellissa takes the chair before him.
"That's it?" She asks frowning.
"Well they started doing analysis to his blood and everything" He explains.
"And nothing living came out of the body?" She inquires chewing her bottom lip.
He shakes his head.
"What do you think, have you ever seen anything like it?"
"Not it my whole life, everything is perplex and confused no one knows what happened"
"His name was Thomas Hill" She says recalling the poor information she could collect before coming out of the commissary "His family said that he was out jogging, no one knows what could have happened to him"
"Something definitely out of this world" Simon mutters with a frightened face.
"What do you mean?"
"The bones… he had fifty more bones than an average adult human being"
Mellissa gasps open mouthed.
"But that isn't the rarest thing" Simon whispers with his eyes absent as if he is recalling his scariest nightmare.
"What is it?" She frowns feeling her hands trembling and her heart thrumming.
"Those fifty extra bones marrow bone and things like claws they were they were new"
"How new?"
"As if they were growing right when he was dying… almost as if… as if he were"
"Transforming in something else" She finishes for him.