Chapter 11

Jackson was dead and it didn't make any sense. Gerard needed him. Stiles was gone and that didn't make sense either. He'd practically vanished.

Ev sat on a bench in the locker room, her head in her hands as she stared at her phone willing it to light up with Stiles name on the screen.

Isaac sat next to her as he comfortingly rubbed her back but it did nothing to stop her pounding heart and growing panic.

Scott paced back and forth as the sheriff came in. Ev jumped up, hoping to hear good news but noted his still worried expression. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I got to meet with the medical examiner and try to figure out what happened with Jackson. I've got an APB out on Stiles. His jeep is still in the parking lot, so that means…" he trailed off,"the hell, I don't know what that means. Um– look, if he answers his phone, if he answers his emails, if any of you see him–"

"We'll call you," Isaac said.

"Look, he's probably just freaked out from all the attention or something. We'll find him," Scott assured him

"Yeah. I'll see you, okay?"

The sheriff began to walk away but Ev called after him and then went to give him a hug which they both probably needed.

"We'll find him, Mr. Stilinski," she said in a voice that almost sounded sure.

"I know, Ev," he said with sad eyes and she let him leave this time.

"That's everyone," she said, turning back to Scott and Isaac as they went to Stiles' locker.

"You're gonna find him by scent?" Isaac asked Scott as he pulled out some of Stiles' clothing.

"Yeah, we both are," Scott said, taking out a shirt and handing Isaac a shoe.

"But how come you get his shirt and I get a shoe?" Isaac asked and despite everything that happened Ev managed to laugh which turned into a strangled sob. Scott pulled her into a hug and she tried to pull herself back together.

"We're gonna find him, Ev," Scott whispered into her hair, "I promise."

"I swear when I find Gerard," she said, pulling away and wiping her tears.

"We don't even know if Gerard's the one that took him," Isaac offered.

"Yes, he did. Just to spite me," she practically growled as she pulled herself back together, "We just need to get his scent and then we'll find him."

"Yeah, we-" Scott began but paused when his eyes landed on something behind her. She turned to see Derek.

"Where the hell have you been?" she asked in relief.

"I'm sorry," he said to her and then his gaze hardened as he looked to Scott again, "We need to talk."

"All of us."

Just like that she was sure she was in a bad dream and when she woke up she'd be lying next to Derek and the last few months weren't real as she stared at the very much alive Peter Hale.

"Holy shit," Scott said as Ev stared at Peter with wide eyes, "What the hell is this?"

"You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the sheriff's station," Derek countered.

Scott exchanged a look with a still stunned Ev, "Okay, hold on. He threatened to kill my mom. And I had to get close to him. What was I supposed to do?"

"I'm gonna go with Scott on this one. Have you seen his mom? She's gorgeous."

"Shut up," both Derek and Scott ordered him.

"Who is he?" Isaac asked.

"That's Peter, Derek's Uncle. Little while back, he tried to kill us all, and then we set him on fire, and Derek slashed his throat," Scott said in an almost casual tone.

"Hi," Peter said charmingly.

"That's good to know," Isaac said with a gulp.

"He's also dead," Ev said, finally speaking, "He is supposed dead and not alive. Derek, why is he alive and not dead?"

"Good to see you too, Evangeline," Peter said with a smile.

She looked from him to Derek with wide eyes, demanding an answer.

"Look, the short version is he knows how to stop Jackson. And maybe how to save him."

"I didn't ask for the short version," she mumbled and then added, "and Peter's useless anyway because Jackson is dead."

"What?" Derek asked in shock.

"Yeah, Jackson's dead. It just happened on the field," Scott said, the weight of his words hanging in the air.

"Okay, why is no one taking this as good news?" Isaac asked.

"Gerard never does anything without purpose," Ev said with a sigh, "He wanted this to happen. It's all a part of his plan."

"But why?" Derek asked.

"Well, that's exactly what we need to figure out. And something tells me the window of opportunity is closing. Quickly," Peter said gravely.

TEEN WOLF

"Oh. Oh, they found Stiles," Scott said in relief as they entered the Hale house.

"Really? Where? Is he okay?" Ev asked in relief.

Scott nodded, "He's at home with his Dad."

"Oh thank God," she whispered as Peter went to the staircase and began pulling up floor boards.

"I told you, I looked everywhere," Derek told him.

"You didn't look here," his uncle replied, pulling out a box from beneath the wood.

"What is that, a book?" Derek asked him.

"No. It's a laptop. What century are you living in?" Peter asked sarcastically, revealing the computer as Ev shot Derek an annoyed look, "A few days after I got out of the coma, I transferred everything that we had. Fortunately, the Argents aren't the only ones that keep records."

"So you have something on Jackson?" she asked him.

"Well if you actually give me more than two seconds to-"

"Peter, I'm going to make this very clear. Piss me off and I will kill you this time," she said, crossing her arms and Derek gave her a pleasing look.

"Alright. Alight," he said defensively, "I remember you being much less angsty. You've been spending too much time with my nephew."

She growled under her breath as Scott's phone rang, "Hey, mom, I can't talk right now…What's wrong?"

TEEN WOLF

Ev stood next to Derek behind Peter as he searched through his laptop, "Scott, what's going on at the hospital?"

Derek watched as she listened to what Scott was saying, "Okay, just slow down."

"He's in some kind of transparent casing made from the venom coming out of his claws," she said, looking to Derek in alarm.

"That sounds sufficiently terrifying," Peter quipped.

"They also say he's starting to move," she added and then said into the phone, "Wait, he's moving. He's still alive?"

"Okay, look, I think I found something. Looks like what we've seen from Jackson is just the Kanima's beta shape," Peter explained as Derek and Ev looked at the computer screen.

"What is that?" Ev asked with wide eyes.

"That's his next form," Peter replied.

"He's turning into that? That has wings," Derek stated.

"I can see that," Peter said in terror.

"Tell Scott to bring him to us," Derek said to her.

"Scott listen to me," Ev said, "Get Jackson out of there and bring him to Derek."

"I'm not sure if we have time for that," he replied on the other line.

"Look, somebody actually made an animation of it. Maybe it's less frightening if we–"he played the animation and Ev jumped back in shock as he slammed the laptop shut," Nope, not at all. We should probably meet them halfway."

"Scott get Jackson out of there right now! If we don't stop this Gerard will be the least of his worries," she yelled into the phone, "Get him out now!"

TEEN WOLF

"I have to go meet Scott and Isaac," Ev said, grabbing her jacket off the banister and slipping it on as Derek followed after her, "I'll meet you there okay."

"Evangeline slow down," Peter called after her.

"No," she said, turning back to him with fiery eyes, "You do not tell me what to do. Ever."

He held his hands up in defense, "I understand your disdain towards me-"

"No," she said through clenched teeth, "No you don't understand because the way I see it everything and everyone that gets hurt in this town is your fault. You started this when you bit Scott. You killed Kate and brought Gerard here. Every person that he hurts, every person he kills…that's on you."

The house was silent as they stared down and Derek looked at her with sad eyes. He never thought he'd hear her talk like this and beneath it all was the fact that she thought she'd failed. She thought she couldn't save anyone.

"Fair enough," Peter said carefully, "but you're smart. I know you are. Does this feel right to you? Any of this?"

She swallowed and admitted, "No."

"What's wrong with this?" he prompted, "I know you feel like something's not right."

She sighed, "It feels like we're moving too fast."

"And while everybody knows that moving target is harder to hit…" he trailed off, hoping she'd figure it out.

"We're doing exactly what Gerard wants," she said with a sigh, "He wants us to move fast and get caught up in all this and fail."

"That's right," Peter said and she looked down, "Told you. You're smart."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Derek asked, looking to his Uncle.

"Slow down, get Lydia," he said as Ev looked back up, "And step back to get a clearer view."

"We don't have that luxury," she said darkly, "This man threatened me and everyone I've ever remotely cared about. He took Stiles, the best of us all, just to prove a fucking point so no I will not slow down. I will not step back from this. Gerard is a psychopath and I am tired of standing here not knowing how to protect people from him. He is going down and he is going down tonight. I don't want a clearer view because all I see is red and I want that red to be his blood even if I have to be the one that put it there!"

Peter smirked, "I like you better now."

"Are you two gonna help me or not?" she asked looking from Derek to Peter.

"You know I will," Derek said softly and he grabbed her hand.

"I don't really have much of a choice so-"

"Shut up," both Ev and Derek said as he pulled her to him.

"We'll end this," he whispered to her, "I promise."

"No one else can get hurt tonight," she said with wide eyes, "I can't let it happen."

"It won't," he promised and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, "I'm right behind you."

She let go of him with a nod and went out the door.

"Does she know what we plan do with Jackson?" Peter asked.

"No," he said and looked to him, "but if I get the chance to kill Jackson, I'm taking it."

TEEN WOLF

Ev made her way towards Isaac, Scott, and to her surprise Chris in the warehouse. They were surrounding Jackson in a body bag. She had her bow in hand and arrow's at her back. She'd come fully armed and fully prepared. She was taking down Gerard if it was the last thing she did.

"Chris," she said with a frown, "What are you doing here?"

"He's here to help," Scott said.

"I realized who the real enemy was," he said to her and as she looked to him they came to a common understanding.

"Thank you," she said to the man who had trained and believed in her and that never meant so much as it did right now.

He nodded and looked around, "Where's Derek?"

"He's should be on his…" she began and saw him running up to them on all fours, "Way."

He came to a stop by doing a flip and landing on his feet.

"Drama queen," Ev said with a smirk and a small shake of her head. He winked at her and she bit her lips to keep from smiling.

"I'm here for Ev," Chris said, staring down with the younger man, "Not you."

"Same here," Derek replied, staring at him back.

"Both of you stop," she said, gripping her bow, "We're here for Jackson…to help him and stop Gerard. That's our goal."

Derek bent down to the body bag and began unzipping it.

"Where are they?" Scott asked as Ev looked around, wondering the same thing.

"Peter and Lydia," he clarified as Derek seemingly ignored him.

Ev looked down at her boyfriend with a frown and noticed his claws as Jackson's face became visible.

"Derek," she said warningly, "Don't you dare. We're saving him."

"We're past that," Derek said with regret in his voice and refusing to look at her.

"What about–" Scott began.

"He's dangerous," Derek yelled at the beta wolf.

"Hey, look at me!" she yelled at him and he did, "You promised me! You told me no one else gets hurt. You said you'd change. This is your chance to do it. This is your chance to prove to me you are not someone I should be afraid of."

"Gerard controls him now. He's turned Jackson into his own personal guard dog. And he set all of this in motion so that Jackson could get even bigger and more powerful," Derek argued with her.

"No. No, he wouldn't do that. If Jackson's a dog, he's turning rabid, and my father wouldn't let a rabid dog live," Chris said, absolutely sure of himself.

"Chris your father is insane and manipulative," Ev told him with no mercy, "If the rabid dog serves his purpose than he'll let it bite anyone who gets in his way."

"Of course not, Evangeline."

They all turned to see Gerard in the entryway looking every bit as in control as ever. Ev raised her bow at him and sheathed an arrow.

"Anything that dangerous, that out of control," he paused and smiled," Is better off dead."

She heard a grunt behind her and turned to see Jackson fully awake and in Kanima form, shoving his claws into Derek's chest as he rose out of the body bag. He stood to his feet, lifting Derek into the air and then hurled him into the next room.

She turned back to Gerard, re-aiming her arrow but Jackson viciously shoved her to the ground with his tail. She landed head first, the room spinning. She had to get to Derek. She stumbled up, away from the fight and ran to where Derek had landed. He was groaning as he began getting up, the wounds on his chest almost healed.

"Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

"Fine," he replied and kissed her forehead, "Stay down."

"No," she said defensively, "I'm fighting."

"Damn it, Ev no-"

"Derek listen to me," she said, grabbing his face, "It'll all make sense but trust Scott. Trust me. It's going to work out."

"What are talking about?" he asked.

"Trust Scott," she said again and kissed him hard, "Now go fight, baby."

She watched as he went for the Kanima with Scott and Isaac. Chris was on the ground and when she turned around Gerard was just feet from her.

"And here we are at the final showdown," Gerard said, advancing towards her.

She stood up and aimed her bow and arrow at him, "I could end it. I could end it all right now."

"Go ahead, Eva," he mocked, "Your mother would be very proud."

"Don't talk about my mother," she said and just as she released the weapon a hard kick to her side, sent the arrow flying into the wall. She turned to see Allison as she flipped back up, getting in a defensive position.

"Ev, I don't want to do this," she said genuinely, "I don't want to hurt you. I just want Derek."

She fixed her bow across her body and raised her fist, "I told you not to let Gerard into your head Allison. He doesn't care about you. He's doing all of this for him."

"You don't know what you're talking about," she said and with the last word she lunged at her but she dove out of the way, going for the next room where the fight was happening with the Kanima just as Derek was poisoned with Jackson's venom. The Kanima was about to strike him again but she let lose an arrow into its back. He hissed and pulled it out as he turned to her with his reptilian eyes.

"Let's go," she called at Jackson and he made a bee line for her.

"Ev, no," she heard Derek call and she stood her ground, throwing her bow to the ground as she turned her gloves, electricity traveling through them and at her fingertips.

Jackson's hand went for her throat and she grabbed his wrist, electrocuting him. He tried to break from her hold but she took a knife from her side and stabbed it into his shoulder, and head butted him. He roared in pain and they began circling each other.

"Ev, get away from him."

"I told you, Derek," she said, her eyes on Jackson, "I can protect myself."

She roundhouse kicked him, shoving him back and then delivered her foot to his chest with as much force as she could muster. She kicked him again and again without giving him any time to recover until he was as far away from Derek as possible.

Suddenly, his attention stops being on her and she turns to see Allison making her way towards a partially paralyzed Derek, knives in hands. Before she can make it to him, Jackson has Allison by the throat as Gerard emerges from the shadows.

"Not yet, sweetheart," Gerard said to Allison as Ev took her chance to run to Derek and pull him into her arms.

"What are you doing?" Allison asked in confusion.

"He's doing what he came here to do," Scott said and she turned to look at him with a slight nod.

"Then you know," Gerard said, all eyes on him.

"What's he talking about?" Allison asked, the poor girl realizing she'd been wrong.

"It was the night outside the hospital, wasn't it, when I threatened your mother. I knew I saw something in your eyes. You could just smell it, couldn't you?"

"What's going on?" Derek whispered to her.

"Trust Scott," she whispered, kissing his forehead comfortingly.

"He's dying," Isaac said, smelling the air.

"You monster," Chris said, son to father.

"Not yet," Gerard replied with a sneer.

"What are you doing?" Allison questioned, Jackson's grip on her tightening.

"You'll kill her too?" Chris asked in disbelief.

"When it comes to survival, I'd kill my own son!" he yelled with no remorse, "Scott."

Scott stood up and made for Derek.

"No, Scott, don't," Ev pleaded and Jackson's tail came around her body, dragging her away from Derek.

"Scott, don't," Derek pleaded as he dragged him to Gerard, "You know that he's gonna kill me right after. He'll be an Alpha."

"That's true," he said with a sneer towards Ev, "I told you sweetheart. This is the front row seat to your lover's death."

"Leave him alone," she yelled, struggling furiously in Jackson's grip.

"Don't blame Scott though," he continued happily as Derek's bite got closer and closer, "He knows that the ultimate prize is Allison. Do this small task for me, and they can be together. You are the only piece that doesn't fit, Derek. And in case you haven't learned yet, there is just no competing with love but you already know that. You love Evangeline. Well, I'm doing her a favor. Once you're dead she can find much better company than you."

She watched in horror as Derek was forced to bite Gerard's arm. He yelled in pain and she was sure conquest as Derek was tossed aside. Slowly, a smile spread on her lips though. Black ooze began to drip from his bite along with his nose and eyes.

"What? What is this? What did you do?" Gerard asked in accusation at Scott.

Ev smiled, "We won. That's what we did."

"Ev always said you had a plan," Scott began, "Well we had one too."

"No. No," he said, loosing his calm as the black ooze continued to spill.

"Isn't it about time to take your pills, Gerard?" Ev asked in the same tone he mocked her with. She watched as realization crossed his features.

"I told you that you'd suffer. I told you we'd win and I told you I would stand in your way," she yelled at him as he pulled the medication out and crushed them in his hand. She watched as their saving grace flowed from his palm.

"Mountain ash!" he roars and then drops to his knees and violently spews black ooze. They all looked away in disgust.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she heard Derek ask Scott.

"Because you might be an Alpha, but you're not mine," he replied.

Gerard stopped vomiting and sat up with rage in his eyes, "Kill them! Kill them all!"

Ev looked to Scott in a panic as Gerard collapsed but instead of Jackson slaughtering them, his grip on both Allison and Ev loosened. Allison elbowed him in the face and Ev kicked his feet out from under him. Both girls escaped. She ran to Derek as he embraced her from the floor.

Suddenly, something came crashing through the wall. Derek shielded Ev with his body and when she looked again Stiles was behind the wheel of his Jeep, Lydia in the passenger.

"Did I get him?" he asked, adrenaline obviously fueling him and then Jackson leapt onto the hood," Whoa!"

Both him and Lydia scrambled from the car but Lydia didn't run away. Instead she called Jackson's name, "Jackson! Jackson."

Stiles tried to go to her but Scott held him back, waiting to see what happened.

Ev watched, her heart hammering as Lydia reached out a key to him. In mere seconds the Kanima is gone and Jackson Whittemore begins to come back as he looks at the girl he obviously loves.

Slowly, he took the key from Lydia and took several steps back from her and then spread his arm and closed his eyes.

"What is he-" Ev began but the answer is apparent when Derek leaps up and shoves his claws into Jackson. Peter joins in as they lift him up, their claws the thing that makes the life leave his eyes. She looks away and instead sees Lydia looking on in devastation as Jackson accepts his fate. They release him and he falls to his knees. Lydia runs to him and kneels with him as Derek goes to Ev. She looks at him with hurt eyes.

"I had to," he whispered and she didn't answer as she let him pull her into him.

"Do you–do you still–"Jackson stutters.

"I do. I do still love you. I do, I do still love you. I do. I do. I do still love you, I do," Lydia said as if begging him to stay and then he closes his eyes and she lays him down, a sob escaping her throat.

Ev looked around and panicked when she saw Gerard was gone, "Where's Gerard?"

"It's okay, Ev," Derek assured her, "We got him."

She nodded with a sigh and leaned back into him. She missed this. She missed him so much.

Suddenly, Jackson starts to rise from the ground. He moves slowly, his head bent as they all look on with wide eyes.

"Oh my God," Ev whispered with a small smile.

Finally, he throws his head back and roars. Ev liked to think it was a sound of triumph.

TEEN WOLF

The next morning, Ev emerged from her shower to see Derek sitting on his spot on the window seat. He looked to her and his eyes glowed red as he took in her wet hair and short bath robe.

"Tone it down, wolfman," she said with a smirk and took a seat opposite him, "Is Isaac okay?"

"Yeah," he said with a sigh, "Little shaken up after last night but yeah. He's okay."

"What about Erica and Boyd?" she asked carefully, "Any word from them."

"No," he said regretfully.

"You have any idea where they are?" she asked worriedly.

He looked out the window again. He had a very good idea where they could be. The alpha pack sign painted on his door gave him more than an idea. It gave him an answer. They had Erica and Boyd. It was just a question of where.

"No," he lied, looking back to her, "They said they'd found another pack. Hopefully they're with them."

"Hopefully," she agreed.

"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded with a frown.

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"You were fighting, Jackson," he confessed, "And winning."

"Correction, I won," she said with a smile.

He chuckled and then his expression became serious, "You were amazing. You kept saying you could take care of yourself…I just never knew how well."

"So does this mean you'll take the overprotective boyfriend down a notch?" she teased.

He snorted a laugh, "Hell, no."

She rolled her eyes with a sigh, "What happened to changing?"

"In reference to the violence as a negotiating method," he clarified, "I will never stop being overprotective of you. Got it?"

"Got it," she said, putting her legs in his lap.

They sat in silence for a few moments before she said, "Argents leaving town."

"What does that mean for you?"

"I like being a hunter, Derek," she admitted, "I'm good at it. Even you said so…but right now there are things I've been neglecting."

"So you're done?" he asked, trying to hide the relief in his voice.

"For now," she replied, "but when I'm needed don't try to stop me from going back."

"I won't make it easy either," he said and just as she was about to argue he added, "I have another job for you."

She narrowed her eyes, "I hear an innuendo coming on."

"I'm asking you to be my emissary, Ev."

"What?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Be my emissary," he repeated, "Help me be a better alpha."

"So continue telling you what to do and have you blatantly ignore me, right?"she asked with a smirk.

"No," he said sheepishly, "It'd be official. Every decision I make, it would be your job to make sure it's the right one."

"Why don't you ask my Dad?" she offered, "He'd be much better at this. He was already an emissary."

"To my mother," he said, "He was an emissary to my mother and I don't think he's ready to be one again after what happened to her. That's why I'm asking you. You have it in your blood, Ev. You can do this."

"And you'd actually listen to what I have to say?" she asked, beginning to mull it over.

"Yes," he promised.

"So what's my job description exactly?"

"Advising me in what I do to for the good of everyone," he answered, "but you pretty much already do that. I just want to put a label on it."

"Trying to tie me down, Hale?" she teased.

"Don't flatter yourself," he said and kissed her lightly, "I've already got you."

"Oh really," she said, and adjusting herself so she was straddling him, "Because I think I've got you. In fact…I think I own you."

He groaned, "You're going to hold that over me, aren't you?"

"You might as well have my name tattooed on your ass," she continued to tease, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I've got you on a leash. You're kind of my bitch at this point."

He rolled his eyes, "You're having way too much fun with this."

"You looove me," she sing songed.

"Yes," he said with a steady gaze and she stopped smiling, "I love you very much."

"I will be your emissary," she said, stroking his cheek.

"Good. I can't do this without you."

"I can't do this without you either."

"Don't ever leave me again," he pleaded, pressing his forehead to hers, "No matter how hard it gets promise me you won't leave me like that again. Promise me you won't let me go."

"I promise," she whispered, "No matter what happens I will always hold tight to you…to us."

"I love you little red riding hood."

"I love you wolf man."

With that, he picked her up and carried her over to the bed. As he made love to her for the first time in way too long, he hoped that he could protect her from what was to come. He wouldn't lose her again.