"Can it… Can I… be fixed?" He asked, looking up at us all with a horrified expression. I glanced at Derek first, before meeting eyes with Scott. "We don't know." Scott said, looking back at Jackson, who-by the expression and the fear in his eyes- looked as if someone had just shot him in the stomach. After a moment his jaw clenched and he nodded once. I could see the effort it took for him to bite back the pain. It was written all over his face. I bit my lip and looked around the room. Stiles seemed scared out of his wits which- in all fairness, was understandable. He was standing in a room full of supernatural creatures that-were we to all suddenly go rogue- he'd wouldn't have the slightest fighting chance against. Scott on the other hand, owned an expression of pure conviction; strength, and an air of power. I knew by the look that sprang from his eyes that he was determined to fix this one way or another. I looked at Derek and saw a combination of pity and sympathy in his features. I don't think he wanted this to happen to Jackson. Why would he? I knew the thought of this being his fault made it worse for him. I could just barely see the guilt hidden behind the sympathy in his eyes.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I felt sorry for Jackson. He never wanted this. That much I knew indefinitely. He was scared, and alone. Actually, no. I mean, in a way he wasn't exactly alone. Scott was here. Stiles was here. Hell Derek and I were both here. And I barely knew him. But… he didn't deserve this. No one did. And it wasn't fair that he was made to be someone's guard dog through some kind of psychic bond that he never signed up for. Once we figured out who it was that was controlling him- we were going to end them. We were going to make sure no else got hurt. Not at their hand, and not at Jackson's. "Derek, Selene?" Scott gestured to us, pulling Stiles along toward the hall. We followed them and waited for Scott to explain needing our presence.
"Look, I think here is the best place to keep him for now." Scott said. "Yeah- Scott's right. It's the first time we've been able to get the jump on him. Ever." Stiles added. I looked up at Derek's six foot frame and into his eyes to see them fill with agreement. "But he needs to be watched." Stiles said with a glance at Scott, before looking between Derek and I. When he looked back up at Derek, fear immediately found it's way into his eyes. "You know so that none of the Argents get to him. And so that if he does… lizard out, that we can keep and eye on him. Just… just in case." Stiles said, shrinking in stature a little as he continued to make eye contact with Derek. I understood his fear-a match between him and Derek would be like a match between a monster truck and a clown car. I looked up at him. "Their right. At least until we find out how to fix this. We have no other way of protecting him, or the general public." I said. He looked down at me for a moment before nodding. "Alright. While your in school I'll watch him." Derek said, glancing down at Stiles with a look that visibly made him quiver on the inside. I nodded. "Then we switch shifts." I said. I looked over at Stiles and Scott, who nodded in agreement. "I'll take the first shift." I said, looking up at Derek who stiffened at my side. I knew the idea of leaving me here alone with Jackson left him feeling on edge. Truth be told, I was actually fond of his protective nature. It was flattering. "Go let the rest of the pack know what's going on. They need to be apart of this too." I said. And while my words struck truth in him, he was obviously reluctant to leave my side. I tilted my head to the side and put on an expression of "pleading". "I'll be okay." I said. His jaw clenched for a moment before he exhaled and nodded. He leaned down and kissed me fiercely, giving e a moment to tangle my fingers in his hair. "Oh god- get a room!" Stiles said. We parted long enough for Derek to shook him a look fierce enough to make him hide behind Scott- who seemed thoroughly uncomfortable. He looked at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck in the awkwardness of the moment. I rolled my eyes and looked up at Derek. "I'll be back in a couple of hours." "Then I'll take the next shift." Scott said. I nodded. We walked back toward where Jackson stood, looking some-what like a lost puppy. If a lost puppy had just realized it had been responsible for the deaths of A LOT of people. So… guilty in every way. Derek, Stiles, and Scott all left, and I pulled up a chair, letting it sit about four feet away from the circle he sat in. After about an hour or so of agonizing silence, and my own ability to find some sort of twilight zone for my mind, he spoke to me.
"What are you gonna tell my parents?" He asked, some-what quiet now that the realization had had time to set in. "He speaks." I said, watching his non existent reaction. "About me not being home?" He elaborated. I thought for a moment. While the question did raise a bit of a point, I was already beginning to figure out it's answer. "Well… are you willing to help us help you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He nodded silently after a quick moment of consideration. "Then you can text them, and tell them that you're spending a few days at a friend's house. Tell them it's for one of the subjects at school you need help with." He nodded, immediately taking out his phone and sending a text to who I assumed was either his mom or dad. I looked at him as he finished sending the text, sticking his phone in his pocket. He sat down cross-legged on the floor, looking up at me. "So, how'd you get involved?" He asked. "Let's just say I stumbled into the wrong town at the wrong time." I said simply, looking down at the floor for a moment. "You're… you're a werewolf." He said. I looked up at him, and nodded. "So that's why you know about all this." He said. I nodded. "Yeah. Like I said, wrong town, wrong time." His jaw clenched for a moment, like he was having a hard time breathing. "Can I ask you something?" He said. I gestured for him to "ask away". "Do you know why this happened to me?" He asked, his eyebrows narrowing at his own question. Unfortunately it was a question I didn't have a good answer to. "No. I don't know why this happened to you. In all honesty I kind of wish I did." He narrowed his eyes at me for a moment. "You don't even know me." He said. I shrugged. "That doesn't mean I agree with what happened to you either." I said, running a hand through my hair. He seemed slightly shocked at what I said, but remained quiet. For the next hour we remained in silence. Finally Scott showed up to relieve me of my shift. He walked through the door, texting someone on his phone. "Stiles is gonna take the next shift." He said. I nodded, passing him on the way out. "Hey Selene?" He said. I glanced over my shoulder at him. "Yeah?" I asked expectantly. "Thanks." He said. I nodded, heading for the abandoned basement, and what was most likely a semi-concerned Derek.