Chapter 9

"So what now?" Stiles asked over her speaker phone in her SUV.

"Go to your Dad," Ev ordered, "Do whatever it takes to convince him that Matt is the one doing this."

"What about you?" Scott asked.

"I'm soaked, " she replied, "I need to go home and change. Keep me updated. I'll meet you in half an hour at most."

"Okay," Scott said.

"And guys?"

"Yeah, " they both replied.

"Be careful."

As Ev sheathed a knife onto her hip and wore a baggy shirt to conceal the gun on her back she couldn't help but think back to this time last year. She was in Cabo with Mary Ann with no care in the world. She pulled on her leather jacket and laughed to herself as her phone rang.

She checked the ID to see it was Chris Argent.

"Hello?"

"Evangeline I'm going to need you to come to the hospital," he ordered.

"Why?" she asked, tucking two knives into her boots, "Is someone hurt?"

"I'd rather explain the situation when you get here," he said and hung up.

TEEN WOLF

"I'm looking for Argent," she said to the front desk and the receptionist pointed to two chairs in the waiting room where Allison was sobbing on her father's shoulders.

Chris spotted her and gently maneuvered his daughter off with a kiss to her forehead, whispering something. He walked to her and she stared at him.

"Chris?" she said quietly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty hallway, "Chris tell me what's going on right now."

"Victoria is dead," he said and she stared at him in silence, "She took her own life."

She frowned, shaking her head, "You're lying. Is this a test? Did Gerard put you up to this?"

"Allison thought that too," he said with a humorless chuckle, " I would never be this cruel."

"Why?" she asked through a clenched jaw even though she was sure she knew the answer.

"The official report is she's struggled with depression for years," he said, "but I know you can figure out what really happened."

"She was bitten, wasn't she?" Ev asked, looking away from him, "She got bitten and she followed the damn code."

"Yes, Ev," Chris affirmed and she turned her back to him, "Do you know who bit her?"

"No," she whispered, refusing to believe it.

"You know who it was."

"No," she repeated, closing her eyes.

"Evangeline say it!" Chris yelled.

"Derek!" she yelled, turning back to him with tearful eyes, "He bit her, but it was the night of the rave wasn't it? She was trying to kill Scott. She was going to if Derek hadn't-"

"You know what this means, Ev," Chris said almost in regret, "Gerard will use this to call for blood. Derek's blood and his pack."

"So what the hell do you suggest I do, Chris?" she asked, pleading for an answer, "Tell me what I have to do."

"Can you look me in the eye and tell me you can put a kill shot through him?" he asked and she looked away, "In the eye, Ev."

She shook her head frantically, "I can't lead men to slaughter him. I can't."

"And I can't cover this up," he replied and grabbed her shoulders, "Ev look at me. I will lead this mission. You tell Derek and his pack if they want to stay alive to keep out of our way. I will do my best to keep them alive. I'll do my best to keep Derek alive."

She searched his eyes, "Why are you doing this? He's the reason Victoria's dead."

"No," he said with a clenched jaw, " The code is the reason my wife and Allison's mother is dead."

"Thank you," she whispered, "Can I talk to Allison?"

"Don't tell her what her mother was going to do to Scott, Ev," he pleaded, "Leave her this memory. Leave her with her mother's name."

"I won't tell her," she promised and Chris let her go.

She walked to where Allison was, sobbing into her hands and sat down next to her.

"Allison," she said carefully, "You don't have to look at me. You can even hate me. I just want you to know that whatever you need to do. I won't stop you or judge you. That was your mother and I understand but know that I will do what I need to do. Your mother asked me to look out for you and now I know why but obviously you wouldn't want that from me right now considering what Derek did, but you have to understand…I can't let you kill him and whatever Gerard tells you. Whatever lies he tries to shove into your head don't believe them. Think for your own Allison and when you're ready to…I'm here for you."

She got up and began to walk away.

"Ev," Allison's small voice called out and she turned back to the red eyed girl, "I don't hate you but I'm coming for him. Tell Derek I'm coming for him."

She nodded, " Be careful Allison."

"You too," she replied and with a final nod she turned and walked off to meet the boys at the police station. Neither of them had texted her after telling her to meet them there and she was becoming worried.

TEEN WOLF

Derek felt the cut on his neck and when Scott opened the door the venom was already taking over.

"Oh, thank God," Scott said in relief when he saw Derek but it didn't last long because the venom took effect and he fell forward, managing to turn on his back.

"Derek Hale," Matt said, walking to tower over him, "Interesting to finally meet face to face. I've been wondering what kind of man has Ev Deaton so whipped and now that I've got my answer I'm a bit disappointed."

"Don't even say her name," Derek said through clenched teeth.

"What? Ev?" he asked innocently with a chuckle, "You know I like her. A lot. She's kind of every teenage boy's wet dream with her big, green eyes and tight little body. Maybe I'll call her and I'll make you watch while I hit that."

Derek growled and bared his teeth at the Matt.

"Scott?" a familiar voice called out into the police station, "Stiles?"

"Speak of her and she shall appear," Matt said, turning to Jackson under his control, "Go bring her so she can join the party."

Jackson went off and Matt turned to them, "Any of you say a word and I put a bullet in her pretty forehead."

Ev walked towards the front desk, calling for Scott and Stiles. She'd seen Derek's Camaro out front as well.

"Derek?" she called out, "Mr. Stilinski is anybody here?"

She heard a whish behind her and she quickly turned around, pulling her gun from its holster to see no one. She narrowed her eyes as she kept her gun pointed as she slowly turned around to come face to face with Jackson, halfway into his Kanima form.

He grabbed her hand with the gun and squeezed until she had to let go and it skid across the floor. She head-butted him and ran for it but he grabbed her ankle and she fell to the ground. She grabbed her knife from her hip and shoved it into Jackson's arm. He hissed and let her go. Quickly, she grabbed her gun and ran down the hall but not before noticing the dead deputy behind the front desk.

She came to the sheriff's office to see a gun armed Matt with a smile on his face and a terrified looking Scott and Stiles. Derek lay on the ground, probably under the effects of Jackson's venom.

"Ev, so nice of you to join us," Matt said and she raised her gun in the doorway and pointed it level with his chest.

"Matt, I don't want to hurt you," she said carefully, "So please. Put the gun down and call Jackson off. We can talk about this. It doesn't have to be this way."

He laughed loudly, "Is she for real?"

"Ev just shoot him," Derek said from the floor.

"Shut up, Derek," she ordered, "Matt, listen to me. Whatever's going on with you. Whatever reason you have for doing this we can talk this out. We can help you."

"Is that why you have a gun pointed at me?" he asked with a smirk.

"Matt, I'm trained to shoot without missing and I never miss," she said sternly, "I know that when my opponent is armed I should be armed. If I pull this trigger…you will die and I don't want that."

"Oh I have no doubt you won't miss," he said and raised to gun to the side of Stiles' head, "but will it kill me before I paint the walls with whatever brains Stiles has."

She took a deep breath, "Matt. Put. Down. The. Gun."

"Oh come on, Ev," he said with a grin, "You don't have it in you to pull the trigger. Hunter or not you don't have what it takes. Have you ever even taken a life before?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and took the safety off her gun, "No, but I'm willing to start with you."

He smirked, "Either you put the gun down or I shoot Stiles when you shoot me. Do you really want that?"

She met eyes with Stiles who despite his best efforts was completely terrified. Keeping her eyes on him she dropped the gun to her side and Jackson took it from her hand behind her and threw it outside. He pushed her further into the room, right into Matt who snaked his hand around her waist and held her close with a painful grip.

"See now isn't that better?" he asked mockingly and dropped his gun from Stiles.

"Get your hands off her," Derek growled and she kept her hateful gaze on Matt.

"What? The big, bad werewolf doesn't like to share what's his. Maybe I'll steal her away from you Derek so she's mine," Matt said with a sneer beginning to pat her down for weapons. He removed the knife holster from her hip and gun holster from her back. He slowly patted down both her thighs and calves and removed the knives from her shoes. He threw them to Jackson who disposed of them wherever her gun was thrown.

"I don't belong to anyone," she said with a steady gaze.

"You know Ev," Matt said casually, still waving around the gun, "I figured out that you have a type. Camden, Derek…you like them dangerous…you like a man with a temper."

"What can I say I'm consistent," she said, crossing her arms.

He scoffed, "I mean, Camden was a total dumbass. No wonder he got himself killed in combat. Probably pointed his gun the wrong way."

"Watch your mouth kid," she said through clenched teeth.

"But you now I can be dangerous too. I can have a temper."

She scoffed, "So can I. How do you even know about all this stuff, huh?"

"I've learned a few things lately. Werewolves, hunters," he said, looking from Scott to Ev and then Jackson," Kanimas. It's like a frickin' Halloween party every full moon."

He looked at Stiles, "Except for you, Stiles. What do you turn into?"

"Abominable snowman. But, uh, it's more of, like, a wintertime thing, you know, seasonal," he said sarcastically and Ev sighed.

Matt looked to Jackson and he swiped his claws across Stiles neck. He went down in seconds and landed on top of a very unhappy looking Derek.

"Hey!" Scott protested.

"Leave him alone," Ev said as Matt bent down to them.

"You bitch," Stiles muttered.

"Get him off of me," Derek growled.

"Oh, I don't know, Derek. I think you two make a pretty good pair. It must kinda suck, though, to have all that power taken away from you with just a little cut to the back of the neck. I bet you're not used to feeling this helpless."

"Still got some teeth. Why don't you get down here a little closer, huh?" Derek taunted," We'll see how helpless I am."

"Yeah, bitch," Stiles cheered.

"Matt if I were you I'd stop provoking him," Ev said, referring to Derek, "He does stupidly violent things when he's provoked."

Matt stood up and turned to her, a glint in his eye, "Do I detect a bit of strain in the relationship?"

She rolled her eyes and looked away, "It was more of warning to you but I'll leave you to your deductions."

"Answer the question, Ev," Matt ordered, pointing his gun at Stiles again, "Trouble in paradise with Derek Hale?"

"I don't see how that's relevant," she replied, clenching her jaw.

"Well now it's relevant," he replied, "Now answer before I put a bullet in Stilinski's leg. Derek Hale not boyfriend material?"

"Ex-boyfriend," she said angrily.

"Aw Derek," Matt said in mocking sympathy, "How's that make you feel? You miss your girl?"

"It makes me feel like clawing someone apart," Derek answered and she looked away from him.

Matt laughed," I was wondering how the hell you two made it work. I mean you're a freaking hunter and he's a big, bad alpha but you always did have a thing for bullies, didn't you Ev?"

"Why you doing this Matt?" she asked, searching his eyes, "Why are you killing all these innocent people?"

He snorted a laugh," None of them are innocent. Especially your dead soldier boy toy rotting in the ground."

"I said watch it," she growled at him.

"Oh did I hit a nerve," he said with a chuckle, "You still miss him? Would you even still be with him if he were alive today?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"You would, wouldn't you?" he said and laughed deeply, "You probably would've married the asshole. Well you know, Ev. He would've died right after his father so consider yourself grateful that he stepped on a landmine or something."

She was about to say something else when car lights flooded into the window.

"Who is that?" Ev asked, looking to Scott.

"My Mom," Scott said and her eyes widened.

"Matt let her go," she pleaded with him, "Let Scott go out there and tell her to go."

"If Scott does what I tell him than I won't hurt her. I won't even let Jackson near her," he negotiated.

"Scott, don't trust him!" Stiles said and Matt viciously shoved him off Derek and onto his back to point a gun at his head.

"No, don't!" Ev pleaded, "Don't hurt him."

"Than Scott will do what I say!" he yelled.

"Okay!" Scott agreed, "Okay!"

"You two," Matt ordered, looking from Scott to her, "With me."

Matt grabbed Ev by the arm and shoved the gun into her side, "One wrong move, Scott and Ev bleeds out."

She met eyes with him and she gave him a small smile, "It's okay, Scott."

TEEN WOLF

Matt led them into the hall as Melissa came through the door.

"Mom," Scott called to her.

"You scared me, where is every–" she took in the scene of Scott and Ev with Matt holding a gun to her.

"Mom, just do what he says. He promised he wouldn't hurt you," Scott pleaded with her.

"Just listen to Scott, Melissa," Ev said with a nod.

"They're right," Matt said, removing the gun from her and she only had a moment of relief before he shot Scott, "But I didn't say I wouldn't hurt you."

"Scott!" Ev shrieked, reaching for him but Matt held her back as Melissa went for a son, "What the hell was that for? He didn't do anything!"

"Back!" Matt orders Melissa as tried to get to Scott who could barely keep himself up against the counter, "Back!"

"Mom, mom, stop, mom!" Scott warned her as Matt continued to wave the gun.

"I said get back!" Matt yelled, growing panicked.

"Scott," Melissa said in near tears.

"Melissa, please," Ev begged, "He'll shoot him again. Just listen to him."

"Get up, McCall," Matt ordered and Scott did as he was told.

He led them into the jail cell where she saw Mr. Stilinski handcuffed to a pole as Scott locked his mother in a jail cell.

"Matt? Matt, listen to me-" Stiles' Dad tried to reason with him as Melissa cried.

"Shut-shut-shut up!" he stuttered and pressed the gun to Ev's temple," Everybody shut the hell up or I shoot her next!"

She screwed her eyes shut as she felt the cold barrel on her skin. She had to repeat in her head that she wasn't afraid. She couldn't be afraid but this time it wasn't just herself she had to fear for. She wasn't afraid for herself. She was afraid for Scott and his Mom and the sheriff and Stiles and Derek and one wrong move and all of them could end up dead…along with her.

"Get up, McCall!" Matt barked, the gun still on Ev.

"Please, he needs to see a doctor," Melissa pleaded, holding her son's cheek through the bars.

"You think so?" Matt asked with a smirk.

"Hey, hey, you take that gun off that girl," the sheriff yelled and Matt did no such thing, "She's done nothing wrong. You leave these kids alone."

"It's all right. I'm okay," Scott tried to assure his mother, "It doesn't hurt, mom."

"'Cause that's the adrenaline, okay?" she told him and looked to Matt," Please, let me just take a look at him, okay? I mean, I can help stop the bleeding."

"They have no idea, do they?" he asked in amusement.

"Please. Let me just take a quick look. I–"

"Shut– shut– shut– shut up! Lady, if you keep talking, I'm gonna put the next bullet through his head," he said and pointed the gun at Scott, his grip still on Ev.

"No!" Ev protested and grabbed his hand, pointing the gun back at her head, "You want to shoot someone? You shoot me. Keep that gun on me. Do not hurt any of them. Not Scott. Not Stiles. Not Melissa or the sheriff. You keep it on me."

Matt scoffed, "The brave ones are the stupidest."

"Back to the front, McCall."

He dragged them back to the sheriff's office where Scott and Stiles were still lying motionless on the ground.

"The evidence is gone. Why don't you just go?" Scott asked, clutching his side and finally Matt let go of her. She went to Scott and put her arm around his waist and put his arm over her shoulder as she held him up.

"You-you think the evidence mattered that much, huh? No, no, I–I want the book," Matt said, his words breaking. He was slipping and he knew it.

"What book?" Ev asked, trying to keep him talking.

"The bestiary. Not just a few pages, I want the entire thing," Matt ordered.

"We don't have it. It's Gerard's. What do you want it for, anyway?" Scott questioned.

"I need answers," Matt said frantically.

"To what?" Ev asked loudly, "What is this all about? Why the hell are you doing this?"

"Because of this," he yelled and lifted up the side of his shirt to reveal Kanima like scales on his skin.

Ev stared at it, "Balance."

"What?"

"Balance," she repeated, looking him in the eye, "You broke the rules, Matt."

"Shut up," he said, pointing the gun to her.

"You're killing people who don't deserve it," she continued, keeping her eyes on him and not the gun between her eyes, "Bennett, Tucker, Jessica, Sean, Kara, Lahey-"

"Shut up," he yelled.

"You killed people who weren't murderers," she continued, "You broke the rules and now the rules are going to break you."

Matt lowered the gun and grabbed her and Scott, shoving them back out the door," Let's go!"

He led them into one of the many empty dark rooms and began pacing back and forth frantically.

Ev had found paper towel and she gently pressed them to Scott's already healing wound.

"There. You know, I–I feel sorry for you, McCall, 'cause right now, you're thinkin', "how am I gonna explain this when it heals?" And the sad part is, you don't even realize how incredible it is that you actually are healing. 'Cause you know what happens to everyone else when they get shot? They die."

"You drowned," Ev said, trying to take attention away from Scott, "That's why you hate water. I saw the look in your eye after I got you out of Lydia's pool. That's how I figured it out."

"He shouldn't have let them drink," Matt said, looking off at nothing.

"Who?" Ev whispered gently, going towards him, "What happened to you? Let me help you. I can help you."

Matt looked up at her with soft eyes for the first time that night," You said that same thing that night."

"What night, Matt?" Scott asked, "What happened? Who was letting them drink?"

"Lahey!" he yelled and Ev jumped back," He shouldn't have let them drink."

"Who?" Ev whispered.

"The swim team! I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know they had just won state, and Lahey, he's letting his favorites come over to have a couple drinks to celebrate. Who cares if they're 17, right?"

"Lahey let them drink?" Ev asked in confusion.

She'd never gone to one of Camden's swim parties at his house. She was a year younger than him so she never felt totally comfortable around them. She made up an excuse about how she had to study or work at her Dad's office every time and he never pushed it.

"You went to go see Isaac, didn't you?" Ev asked, trying to help him along.

"He had this first edition Spider–man, or was it Batman? And we were gonna make a trade. But then I'm over there and I hear music. And everyone's having a good time, and see Sean. He throws Jessica in the pool. And then Bennett goes in and then Camden. Isaac's jarhead brother, he grabs me. He thinks it's funny."

Ev looked at him in genuine sympathy, "He threw you in."

"I yelled that I can't swim, but nobody listens. I go under and I swallow water, and no one cares. And I see these bodies underwater. I see Jessica's got her hands down Sean's board shorts. Tucker's grabbing Kara. And I'm drowning. I'm dying, and they're laughing. All of a sudden, I was just…I'm lying by the pool. And Lahey is right there, right above me, and he says you tell no one! This, this is your fault! You don't know how to swim? What little bastard doesn't know how to swim? You say nothing! You tell no one! No one!"

"Oh Matt," she said softly with kind eyes and then her eyes widened as she remembered, "I remember. I was gonna go to that party. I never went but they'd won state and Cam really wanted me there so I gave in but I never made it."

Ev drove down the road at night with a sigh towards Camden's house.

"He just won state," she mumbled to herself, "You're being supportive. You're being the supportive girlfriend. You'll go for an hour or two then say you have a headache than go home. They're just juniors. They can't bite."

She continued to motivate herself until she came to a stop light at the entrance of the neighborhood to see a little boy, soaking wet and huddled on the sidewalk.

"Oh my God," she said out loud and opened her car, abandoning her vehicle as she ran to him, "Are you okay?"

The small boy didn't answer as she knelt down in front of him on the road despite only wearing a pair of shorts, "Hi, sweetie. My name is Ev. What's your name? Can you tell me your name or where your Mommy and Daddy are?"

He remained silent and she touched his arm to feel his skin, "You poor baby you're freezing."

She ran back to her car and opened her passenger seat where she had her towel she was going to use for the pool party. She grabbed it and ran back to the boy, Draping it over his shoulders. He was so small it covered his entire body. She rubbed the towel on him, drying him up.

"Honey, What happened to you? Let me help you. I can help you," she said, trying to get him to speak, "What's your name?"

"Matthew," he said, finally speaking in a trembling, small voice.

"You got a last name Matthew?" she whispered with an encouraging smile, "Or a phone number so I can call your Mommy and Daddy?"

He went back to silence and she tilted his face up to look at her, "Matthew, whatever happened to you…you don't have to be afraid now. I'm here. It's okay."

He looked up at her with teary blue eyes.

The same blue eyes she was staring into now.

"You drove me to the hospital," he said, remembering what happened next.

"You only told me your name. I left once your parents came," she said, "You never told me what happened to you."

"I didn't tell anyone. And I would see them at school, and they wouldn't even look at me. I'd wake up in the middle of the night. I'd gasp for breath. And my parents, they thought I was an asthmatic. They– they– they– they even gave me an inhaler. They didn't know that every time I closed my eyes, I– I was drowning. You know about that little white light that they talk about, you see when you die? Well, I didn't see anything. Just darkness. Everything was dark. But then– then came the Argent's funeral, and everything changed. I was taking some photos, and then, purely by accident, Lahey gets in one of the photos. I look down at the screen on my camera, and I just had this unbelievable rage that fills up inside of me, and I just– I look at him, and I–I wanna see him dead. And the next day, he actually was. You know, Einstein was right. Imagination is more important than knowledge. It was like something out of Greek mythology," he paused and looked to Scott, "Like– like the furies coming down to punish Orestes. You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Was– was he the guy who stabbed out his eyes?" Scott asked reluctantly.

"No you dumbass!" Matt yelled.

"God, that's Oedipus, you dumbass!"

"The furies are deities of vengeance, Scott," Ev said quickly.

"Their tears ran of blood, and they had snakes for hair. If there was a crime that had gone unpunished, the furies would do the punishing. Jackson is my fury. You know, when I saw him the next night, it was like this bond had been cemented between the two of us. I knew he had killed Lahey for me, and I knew he would do it again. So I went to Tucker's garage. I even paid for an oil change. And guess what. He didn't even recognize me. So when he wasn't looking, I took a shot of him from my camera. And in a few hours, he was dead. So I took more pictures. All I had to do was take their picture– And Jackson would take their life."

"But they didn't deserve it," Ev said gently.

"You," he said, pointing the gun at her, "I thought since Camden's dead I'll kill his girl. Then I found out it was you. I saw your face and I couldn't. I just couldn't and I hate you for it because your stupid boyfriend was the one who started this and he's dead!"

"Matt he didn't mean to do this to you," she said, putting her hands up in defense, "Cam was a good guy. A really good guy and what he did to you was wrong but it wasn't purposefully. His father was the one who wronged you but he didn't kill you. Stop this, Matt. Stop all of it. Let us help you. We can help you. I can help you just like I did that night. I know you're not a bad guy. You're just angry."

"Shut up!" he yelled and Scott pulled her back, "I want to do this! I want them dead! I want all of them gone!"

The window in the room shattered and a smoke bomb flew through the window.

"What is this? What is this? What's happening? What's going on?" Matt asked frantically.

"That's a hunter smoke bomb," she said, staring at it, "We have five seconds before it-"

The grenade went off and smoke filled the room.

"Scott!" she yelled, reaching for him and they fled the room for the sheriff's office, "It's the hunters. They're here for Derek. Gerard's here. You have to do it now. "

"I've got this," he said as they ran into the office. Ev saw her weapons on the floor and picked them up. She ran inside as Scott pulled Stiles up from the floor still half paralyzed.

"Scott take Stiles!" she ordered him.

"What about you?" he asked.

"I've got this," she said and he stayed in his place, "Go! Now! Get your mother and get the sheriff! Go!"

He did what she said as she dropped down to Derek, "How far can you move?"

"I can feel my legs a little," he said and she pulled him up with all her strength.

"If I knew all this weight wasn't muscle I'd tell you you're getting fat," she attempted to joke as she pulled him along.

He chuckled, "It's usually me carrying you."

"We have to get you out of here," she said as she started running out of energy to carry him just as he gained back all feeling and released her, "The hunters are here for you."

"What? Why would-" he stopped when she stopped walking to stare at him, "I did it to save Scott."

"And you didn't tell me. You bit an Argent and you didn't tell me. Now she's dead and they're using it to fuel the fire," she said, holding his gaze, "It doesn't matter now. We have to get you out of here."

"If the hunters are after me doesn't that include you?" he asked.

"No," she said as they continued walking along.

"You're not a hunter anymore?" he asked in shock.

"I'm still a hunter," she said and he grabbed her, stopping her stride, "This isn't just about beating you anymore, Derek. This is about hunting you down and killing you. I can't be a part of that. I won't."

"You gave it up for me," he said, searching her eyes.

She pushed him away and kept walking," We have to keep moving."

Just as she was about to round a corner Derek pulled her back.

"What are you doing here? It wasn't supposed to happen like this," she heard Scott say.

"Trust me, I'm aware of that," Gerard answered.

"Derek come on," Ev whispered, trying to pull him away but he didn't budge.

"I've done everything that you've asked of me. I'm part of Derek's pack, I've given you all the information that you wanted, I told you Matt was controlling Jackson–"

Ev sighed knowing how bad this sounded.

"Then leave him to us. Help your friends. Leave Matt and Jackson to me. Deal with your mother. Go!"

"You dropped this," Scott said and Ev knew he was giving him the pills.

"Go," Gerard said again and Scott ran past where they were hiding.

"Derek come on," she whispered, pulling him in the opposite direction, "We have to get out of here."

TEEN WOLF

Ev pulled her wet hair back into a ponytail as she sat down on her bed after a shower for what felt like the first time in years. Derek sat on her window seat, looking out.

"Allison's looking for blood Derek. Your blood," she said with her back to him, "And not just you. Isaac, Boyd, Erica…they're in danger."

"Because of me," he said.

"It doesn't matter what happened, Derek."

"It just matters I didn't tell you," he said with a sigh.

"Scott wasn't wrong when he said you keep things from me."

"Scott's working with Gerard," Derek countered.

She sighed, "That's not the point. You didn't tell me."

"Would you have let me hold you last night? Would you have let me touch you like I did?"

"I would have told you to go as far as you could as fast as you could."

"Would you have come with me?"

"This is my home, Derek," she whispered, pushing her hair back.

"And you're my home, Ev," he said standing up and going to kneel in front of her as he held her face in his hands, "I'm not going anywhere without you."

"Derek…" she whispered, removing his hands from her face, "We're not together anymore."

"Tell me you don't want me back," he demanded, holding her gaze.

"Derek-"

"Tell me and if your heart falters I'll know you're lying and I'll leave."

"I…"

"But you learned to keep your heartbeat steady, didn't you?" he whispered, "Guess I'll just have to get closer."

The sweater she'd thrown over her leggings to wear to bed hung over her shoulder enough as it was so when pushed it down over her heart she gasped at his touch. He leaned close until his lips brushed against her breast.

"Say it," he said and she was pretty sure her heart was beating so loud a lie wouldn't have changed a thing.

"I don't want you back," she whispered.

"Lie," he said simply and then smashed his lips to hers.

She quickly pushed him away, "I can't, Derek. You need to go. Find your pack. Warn them."

"Tell me why you want me back but you can't do it."

"Because what I want and what I need are two very different things."

"Well then you need me because there's no way I can need you this much without it being mutual."

"Derek what I need is for you to be safe and alive and when this is all over then we can talk about this but right now you have a pack and they need you more than I need you."

"Come with me," he pleaded, "Be with me."

She shook her head," I can't. Not now."

He sighed and stood up. She followed after him as he walked towards the window. She unlatched it for him and he stepped onto the roof, crouching down in front of her as he placed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you," he said, his lips against her skin.

"I know," she said with a sigh.

With that, he leapt off the roof and she watched as he flipped to the ground.

"Show off," she whispered but he heard her and turned around with wink before running off into the night, "I love you too."