"Sooooo... tell me more about your mystical arm bruising." Stiles gave a rather heartfelt smile as she slid into the seat next to Allison
"Not you too." Lydia rolled her eyes. "There is nothing mystical about the bruise."
"Now Lydia my Queen I am never one to argue but lets be real, when was the last time you had a bruise that was also a cool design?" Stiles paused. "Because I have had lots of fun bruises and none of mine have ever let Scott and I do a captain planet link up thing the way yours have."
"I had rope bruises that looked like rope once." Allison offered.
"I think I like you bestest now that you are back." Stiles pats Allison on the head. "Also have I mention I am very into the new hair cut."
"Thank you Stiles." Allison smiles and then went back to googling the strange symbol.
"So you handled that situation with grace." Lydia was teasing of course.
"Says the girl who tried to kill Derek with her mind." Stiles retorts. Okay yeah she is not dealing with this like an adult.
"Well he deserves it." Lydia gave an idignant sniff. "After all the work we have done with you."
"This makes me sound like a pet project."
"That is exactly what you are my dear." Lydia stood. "Now if you will excuse me."
"What?" Stiles asked Allison
"Don't bother, she has her sights set on a new boytoy."
"But I thought I was her new toy/" Stiles gives Allison a dramatic little pout and her friends has to cover her laugh to not be kicked out of the library.
"That might be but you are in fact lacking the boy part of the equation."
"True facts."
This was a bad idea. This was a horrible idea. One they should not be doing anything of the sort to poor Isaac who really could use a life time of care and comfort without this kind of stuff. And secondly he was going to have to be in the same room as Stiles for the second time today.
He had just barely made it through the first time by the skin of his teeth. (Was that how that phrase went?" The point was nearly every part of him had wanted to apologize and beg for her to come back. Well most of him. But another louder part of him knew that it would not do any good. Stiles was not the forgiving type, he had seen her computer there was an entire folder dedicated to people who had wronged her and how they would pay. He was not kidding. The file on Jackson had been particularly disturbing. But not as bad as that of the pharmaceutical industry. Frankly the world should be terrified of Stiles.
"Something on your mind Derek?" Deaton phrased it like a question but it wasn't a question, not really. It was a statement with the implication that Derek needed to reply.
"The Alpha pack." Derek was not in the mood for cryptic vet time. Oh god, he literally cannot except Stiles because he now thinks in in her terms.
"Hmm." Deaton expresses with his normal about of information. "Stiles!" Deaton greeted the girl as she entered the room before anyone else arrived. "Thank you for coming early. If you don't mind helping Derek fill the tub with the ice from the freezer it would be a huge help."
If his life was one of those documentary shows like The Office, this would be the moment to stare at the camera pleading for help.
The walked out of the room together heading towards the storage room to get the ice. And for a while they worked in relative silence. Derek opened the door for Stiles and she entered grabbing several bags of ice before holding it open for him in return as he took some as well. They walked said bags over the the sports bath in the main room and began tearing the plastic to dump the ice into the tub. But it was only a few more moments before Stiles' natural tendency to speak kicked in.
"Is it just me or does he do this shit on purpose?" She stage whispered.
It was like a knife to the chest. Derek wanted to say something, wanted to laugh or smile or anything. And then the dream he had occurred to him again.
Stiles walking into a fray of werewolves and being cut down. Stiles tied to a chair bleeding out from alpha wounds as Derek it held from reaching her. Stiles blaming him for Scott's death. And endless list of thing of nightmare visions that had haunted him since the moment Peter had truly explained what they were dealing with.
He wouldn't do that to her. He couldn't. His happiness was not the important thing here.
"That was sufficiently traumatic." Stiles feels the need to tell the room at large. None of them really react. Scott kind of nods but it clear that he is holding down the 'we are better than this' line that all the men in the room seem to be doing. "Also I am going to update the ladies on these developments."
"Um why?" Isaac barely gets out around some truly impressive puppy eyes and shivers. Stiles has to force herself not to consider Isaac in Halloween costumes normally meant for dogs.
"Because we are going to be better communicators this year so the shenanigans of last school year Never. Happen. Again." A stare for each werewolf to drive the point home. "Also because y'all suck at remembering to text. And besides putting us all on one friends and family plan keeping Lydia updated is the best way to make sure everybody knows everything."
"How exactly?" Derek this time.
"Because that girl will actually beat you with knowledge." Scott scoffs. "You laugh now but you should have seen that college TA over the summer. Nah. This is the best plan we have to date."
Stiles took a moment to text her new best friend. Well other bestie. Wait. Scott before Allison, Allison before Lydia, all of them before literally everyone else in this room, then her dad, then Chris Argent, then Derek Hale. Yes. Pecking order.