Keep Walking
choosing your own path
Danny is… bewildered. It's no mystery for anyone who goes to Beacon Hills High that Stiles is a bit… out there when it comes to human behavior. He doesn't follow any of the usual social rules, and ever since Scott became more popular, the boy seems to be even more out there than before.
He was very, very surprised by the whole thing with Jackson in front of the movies, a little over a week ago, and he hadn't, in fact, heard from Jackson ever since. That in and of itself wouldn't have been normal a few months back, but now he was getting used to the fact that his best friend was obviously going through something he didn't want Danny to be a part of.
So now his apparent boyfriend is calling Danny to "talk", so Danny is intrigued.
And worried.
Because he can't quite shake the image of Stiles's hands trembling when he reached for Jackson that night.
Ten minutes after he gets Stiles's call he looks out the window, because Stiles said he'd be right there and hasn't arrived yet, and Danny is curious. He sees the Jeep parked on his driveway, and Stiles is in it, on the phone, gesticulating all over the place, as usual. He seems to be arguing with someone, and Danny hopes to God it isn't Jackson – Jackson doesn't know how to argue. He responds nicely enough to bribery, but he doesn't argue things. He's more of a my-way-or-the-high-way kind of guy.
The talk in the car seems to get to an end, and Stiles gets out, while Danny gets away from the window. He doesn't want Stiles thinking he's creepy – even if of all the people he knows, Stiles is probably the last one to judge him for that. He waits till his classmate has actually rung the bell before answering, and Stiles looks… tired.
"Hey, Danny" he greets with a small smile that lacks Stiles's usually flailing energy, and Danny arches an eyebrow.
"Hi. Come in" he invites, moving out of the way, and Stiles gets in, "What do you want to talk about?" Danny asks right away, because if he lets Stiles get on a tangent they'll be here for a week.
"Ah… you see, this matter is kind of sensitive, do you think we could talk in private?"
Danny glares a bit, and crosses his arms over his chest after closing the door behind him.
"Stiles, if you're here for tips about sex with Jackson…"
"Oh, God, NO! Christ, no, we've been going out for like ten days. Actually, we went out ONCE, and he thinks I ought to thank all the gods that I have him, and this is so not a conversation about sex. Geez, Danny."
The boy actually looks a bit green at the thought of sex, and that only serves to intrigue Danny further.
What the hell.
"Okay, then. Let's go to my room, ok?" he says and walks, expecting Stiles to follow. They're almost there when Stiles's phone starts ringing and the boy curses before answering, as he follows Danny into the room.
Danny sits on his bed, and waves Stiles to the desk chair.
"Yeah?" Stiles says into the phone, and Danny can barely discern Scott's voice, and he sounds freaked out, even if he can't understand what he's freaking out about.
"Jesus… No, Scott, I called Derek because he should know what I'm about to tell Danny" he makes a pause, and sighs again, rubbing a hand over his eyes, "Look, I've gotta do this alone, ok? I don't need…" another pause, and Scott is almost screaming now. Danny is sure he discerns the words Jackson, kill you, and I'm calling your dad if you don't, "I'll call him soon, ok? Can I please do what I came here to do now? I have Derek's permission; he's your… boss. I don't need yours too," Is Danny going crazy or did Stiles hesitate before saying boss? And since when is a Derek Scott's boss? Wasn't the vet's name Deaton? "You don't need to come and get me" another pause, "I said you don't need to come and get me" one more pause, and then Stiles actually throws his left hand in the air, clearly at the end of his rope, "FINE! Jesus Christ, you're worse than my dad! I'll call you as soon as I'm done, and you can come here. Fine."
He hangs up and kind of growls something about overprotective wolves that has Danny frowning.
"Sorry about that" he apologizes with a small, tired smile, "Scott is going a bit nuts about this here. I wasn't supposed to come here, because apparently this should be Jackson's job, but I deserve revenge, and Derek said I could do it, even if I have a feeling Peter was there telling him to let me. All the creeper feels that one, but as long as he's on our side, right?"
Danny takes a minute before answering, because what?
"Stiles, I feel like I've lost half a conversation here."
"Right. So. I don't have any visual aid or anything. If worse comes to the worst I can call Scott and he can prove to you, by showing you, ok? Keep in mind that calling me crazy will have no effect on you whatsoever. Also keep in mind my dad's the sheriff, and he knows all of what I'm about to tell you – and to be completely honest, he knows way, way more than I'll tell you, mostly because some of it isn't any of your business, but also because it's Jackson's job to explain this shit to you, not mine."
"O…kay?" Danny agrees, looking more and more suspicious by the second.
"Right. Well. You know how Jackson had been acting extra weird the past couple of months before the whole dying-not-dying thing? The mood swings, the getting away from you and Lydia thing, and all of that?"
"Yeah. I do" Danny answers, a bit bitter, because, well, it had sucked. And Jackson wasn't over it yet, apparently, if he was calling Stilinski his, and Danny didn't even know why.
"Well, here's the deal, in a clear, simple way: Jackson – and Scott, Isaac, Erica and Boyd – are all werewolves" he says and then he waits.
Danny doesn't know if he should get angry or worried. On one hand, Stiles sounds deadly serious, and maybe he's gone crazy. On the other, maybe this is Jackson's idea of a joke.
He doesn't say anything, he just looks at Stiles and the boy opens his mouth to continue, when his phone rings again. Stiles looks at the screen, and then he answers it – and puts the call on speaker phone.
"Heeeeeey, dad!" he says cheerfully, and Danny can only stare, because why would Stiles want him to listen to a conversation between him and his dad?
"Where are you?" comes the angry, worried voice of the Sheriff, "Scott called me ten minutes ago, completely insane with worry, because you said you were going to Jackson's. I don't want you alone with that boy. You call Scott, or you call Derek – hell, you even call that Lahey kid – but you do-not go to Jackson's alone."
And now Danny is actually worried, because this is the Sheriff.
What the hell?
"I'm at Danny's, dad. Scott is coming over to pick me up later, and I called Derek before to let him know what I'm doing. I went to Jackson's, but it was fine. He's fine."
"Fine. I want you home in an hour, and not a second later. I'm calling Scott right now to let him know that. Ask him if he can spend the night – I have the night shift again, and I don't want you alone here, when that boy can come in."
Stiles actually sighs then, looking sad, and completely miserable.
"Okay. One hour and I'm home. I swear."
"Love you, son."
"Love you too, dad" Stiles answers and turns off the phone, staring at Danny, "That is the result of the talk Jackson had with my dad five days ago. My dad who, by the way, knew nothing of this funky, werewolf business until Jackson went there and told him, to try to force me to become one too."
"Is that why he's trying to date you? To convince you to… become a werewolf?" Danny ends up asking, because, well, what does someone ask when he is told his best friend is a werewolf, and the sheriff of the town seems to believe it too?
"Oh, no. That's a complete different matter, actually. I'll get to that after I give you the basics – the very basics, though, because Jackson is going to do all the hard part of this after we are done talking here" he says with a small smirk, before continuing, "So, what you do need to know is: there's a pack of werewolves in town. Jackson is in it. So are Scott and Isaac and Peter – and, well, me now, because of everything. Derek is their boss, their Alpha, they answer to him. Jackson got bitten by Derek a while ago, but he had a wee bit of trouble changing – just… when you talk to him about this, ask him about the Kanima. Don't forget it – Kanima, ok?" he looks definitely evil saying that word, and Danny can only nod, "The part where I'm actually with Jackson is that… well, every wolf has a mate. Jackson doesn't possess an ounce of self-control and marked me. Which means we're stuck with each other forever – no matter that I truly, really, really despise him, and after a small part of our conversation today, I effectively hate him too. This is what I came here to tell you. So you can actually talk to Jackson into him turning into a real human being – you know, as much of a human as he can be, being a werewolf. Because if he doesn't, I swear to god I'm gonna let him get killed."
Danny is stunned by the amount of information. He's not quite sure he believes any of it, but, well, it's so insane, so completely stupid to do this, if it's a lie, because it'd be so easy to find it out, that he's actually tempted to believe it.
"Just… think about it, okay, Danny? Scott suddenly doesn't have asthma anymore? And gets great at Lacrosse? Derek Hale comes back into town and suddenly the body count is higher than the past ten years put together – arson at the Hale place put aside? Peter Hale goes missing from the hospital, and then suddenly has made a miraculous recovery? Isaac getting all confident and hot; and Erica Reyes? Have you seen her lately? The only one who hasn't changed is Boyd, but he's the only one who has any sense. Plus, Lydia leaving? Out of the blue? You really don't think there's something weird with any of it?"
Danny can't deny it's weird, but werewolves? Seriously?
"Look, go and talk to him. He'll show you. He'll probably ask you to come to him, anyway, I just wanted to be the one to tell you because revenge. He told my dad without my permission, so I told his best friend. Because his parents already knew, so it'd be kind of dumb telling them. But yeah, Danny-boy, welcome to Beacon Hills, where werewolves actually exist."
Danny tilts his head to the side, as Stiles sends a text, presumably to Scott, and gets up from his chair. They walk to the door, and when he opens it, Scott is already sitting on the hood of Stiles's car, looking at them with an awkward smile. Stiles turns to leave, when Danny holds one of his sleeves.
"Is that why you're afraid of him?" he asks, and he sees the boy freezing.
"Afraid of whom?" Stiles tries to play dumb, and Danny makes a face, showing him how unimpressed he is with it.
"That day we met, you were trembling, Stiles. Your hands were actually shaking. Is this why? Because he's a werewolf?"
Stiles looks at Scott, who's frowning, and then he shakes his head.
"I'm afraid of him because he's Jackson, Danny. It's got nothing to do with being a werewolf."
And with that, he leaves.
Danny stays by his door for about five minutes, trying to get his mind around all of it.
He wants it all to be a lie so bad, but honestly?
It makes… sense.
He gets his car keys and leaves.
He's going to confront Jackson, and this time he won't just let himself be pushed away. He wants answers, and he wants them now.
The drive to Jackson's house is mostly spent in contemplation of all that Stiles had said. Jesus Christ, if there's even the tiniest bit of truth in any of the things the boy told him, Jackson is so completely screwed.
All of them are.
He gets out and rings the bell when he gets there, smiling politely at Jackson's mother.
"Hello, Mrs. Whittemore. Can I speak to Jackson, please?"
"Oh, dear, I'm not sure Jackson is up to speaking with anyone right now" she answers.
She's pale and looks sad and worried. With every passing second Danny is more and more convinced Stiles was at least partially telling the truth.
"Well, Stiles sent me?" he risks – it doesn't quite sound like the ringing affirmation he means to, more like a question, but he tries.
And then Emily Whittemore smiles at him.
"He did?"
"Yes. So, could I talk to Jackson?"
She opens the door all the way, and ushers him in.
"He is in quite a state. Stiles coming by earlier helped, but he's so… miserable" she tells him quietly while they walk to the stairs. When they get to the bottom, she smiles, and sends him up, "If you boys want anything to eat, there are some snacks in the kitchen. I have a meeting, but I'll be home later" she finishes with a kind smile, leaving, and Danny smiles back.
He gets to Jackson's door and doesn't bother knocking. They've known each other since diapers were all they wore; he doesn't need to knock when he comes into Jackson's room.
Or maybe he should, because Jackson is sitting in the middle of his bed, his arms around his knees – which are covered in some sweatpants Danny didn't even know he owned, let alone wore – and he sounds as if… as if he's sobbing.
"I don't want you here. Go away" Jackson says without raising his head. Danny gets in and closes the door behind him.
"You don't even know who I am" Danny says, and Jackson snorts.
"Yeah. I could hear everything my mom said to you. I could hear you sighing from inside your car, Danny. I knew it was you."
Jackson finally raises his head and stares at Danny, and he looks miserable. Danny approaches slowly, and sits on the bed, facing Jackson.
"So, all those things Stiles told me…" he doesn't get to finish it, though, because Jackson stares at him and suddenly his eyes are glowing, a bright electric blue color, that just isn't normal.
"I won't risk shifting now, because I might just lose it, and go after Stiles, and rip his head off, and then I'm dead, because Argent, or the sheriff, or Derek, or my own miserable wolf will end me."
Danny stares at Jackson for a full minute before saying anything else, or even moving. Jackson stares right back, waiting.
It's eerily reminiscent of the talk they had when they were fourteen, and Danny had just told Jackson about being gay. He just let the truth go out there, and then he waited for his best friend to make the first move. Rejection, or hate, or acceptance, or indifference.
All Jackson had done was scrunch up his nose and tell him that now he would have Lydia Martin as his girlfriend very easily, because Danny was the only true competition at that school.
Which was a pretty Jackson-y kind of answer, because he always thought of things in his own terms. When someone tells him something – anything – he doesn't analyze it from the person's perspective, but his own: how will that affect him, how can he take advantage of it, how will that be bad or good for him. If he isn't affected by it, he just doesn't very much care about anything.
It's not exactly the best way to deal with, well, life, but Danny likes Jackson.
He really does.
And the way his friend is talking so casually about being murdered isn't sitting well with Danny – even if all the stuff about werewolves is actually true.
"So, it's true, then. You really are dating Stiles?" he asks, and Jackson actually snorts.
"Sure. He tells you I'm a freaking werewolf, and you focus on my new relationship."
"I'm trying very hard not to think about this crazy thing that may or may not be truth. So, yes, I'm focusing on your relationship status. At least now it makes sense that Lydia went away. What happened? You couldn't get to her in time to bite her or something?"
Jackson shakes his head and, despite Danny's teasing tone, he looks miserable all over again.
"It doesn't work that way. A mate… is. I can't explain it. She was actually hugging me, and then I could… smell Stiles, and all of a sudden he was everything that existed in the world. That only thing that mattered was to get to him, to mark him, because there were so many threats there, so many things could go wrong, and I couldn't let him get hurt. He had to be marked."
Danny keeps his silence when Jackson stops talking, because it's a very rare occurrence that he will. Every once in a while Jackson's mask falls down, and he comes up for air, and then he lets it all out, usually drunk to a stupor, and he lets Danny know that's wrong with him, even if he denies it to hell and back when he's sober again.
Jackson isn't drunk, but he clearly needs to talk.
"So I did it. I let Lydia go, and I grabbed him, and I bit him, and then… well, honestly? I don't even know. Derek had to pry me off of him. There was blood everywhere, and Scott took him away with Peter's help, and I couldn't think anymore" he continues, staring at the walls behind Danny's shoulder, "Derek says I went feral. I lost all humanity, and went completely wolf. I stayed like that for a few hours, I think, before I calmed down, and, well, Stiles was home. I couldn't see him. Derek kept me in a cell in his basement for a thirteen days, and I honestly thought I would die, because this… worry I had, that Stiles was dead, or dying, or where was he, and why he didn't want me, and what could I do to make this work and have him. I didn't even think of Lydia at all, Danny, and I…" he swallows hard, and closes his eyes, apparently trying to regain his composure, "Then he came. I think Peter had to threaten him, and I kind of attacked him again, and he was just so afraid, you have no idea. But he was there. It was all that mattered. Except he didn't want to be, and I could feel it, in his heartbeat, and the smell of fear and rejection – it drove me insane."
Jackson makes a pause, and stares at his friend, finally, shaking his head.
"When I finally went to see him, at his place, he smelled so much like Lydia, he had gone to say goodbye, and I… lost it. Again. Because I could finally remember her right, and I could think of her, and I know Stiles is mine, but I can't make everything I feel for her disappear, and… So I did something stupid again. And again. And then I suggested he should get bitten, and went behind his back to tell his dad about werewolves, and now he honest to God hates me."
"What happens if he doesn't want to be with you?" Danny asks, and Jackson's eyes glow again.
He's growling.
"He's mine" Jackson bites out, and Danny's eyes go wide because whoa.
"I know. He's all yours" he answers, resisting the urge to get up and away from the bed.
Jackson takes a deep breath again, looking down.
"Sorry. It's… difficult."
"So, it's all true then. He told me make you tell me all of it. He only told me you were a… well" he can't quite say it, because it's so ludicrous, "He said it was your job to tell me everything."
Jackson snorts again.
"I don't know everything. That little shit is up to his neck in werewolf business. By the way Derek and Peter speak of him you'd think he was a werewolf. He is in it from the very beginning, because of McCall, and I don't even remember most of what happened these past few months."
Danny looks intrigued for a moment.
"Because of the Kanima?" he asks casually, and Jackson actually pales, looking afraid and lost.
"He told you about that?" he whispers, and Danny shakes his head.
"No. But he did tell me to ask you about it."
Jackson stares at Danny for a long moment, before shaking his head.
"He does hate me. A lot. I have no idea how this will work."
"I still don't get it. What work?" Danny asks, confused, "Aren't you already with him?"
Jackson shakes his head again.
"No. I mean, he's with me. We're together, but he doesn't… accept it? I can't quite explain it. I just know he isn't… committed to this. And I know that with what went down earlier he might as well go and tell Argent to finish me."
"It's the fourth time you mention Argent. Are we talking about Allison here?"
Jackson stares at his friend and looks just a bit like the cynical bastard he knows and loves. It warms Danny's heart.
"Her whole family is made up of werewolf hunters."
Danny is stunned into silent, while his eyes go wide.
"And she was dating McCall?" he says, and Jackson throws a pillow at him.
"Can we focus on my problem here? Who cares about Mogly and Katniss when my mate hates me!" he exclaims, and startles a laugh out of Danny.
Well, it's good to know some things never change.
"Okay. Have you tried, you know, seducing him?" Danny asks, trying not to think of Stiles like that.
"Yeah. That day, after the movies. Things were going well, and then he kind of went all… philosopher on me. Like how we didn't have to rush things, because we have forever, and how he's never done any of this before. Which I hadn't considered thinking about, because we're sixteen. How does he live?"
"Stiles isn't like that, I think" Danny says, frowning a bit as he thinks, "I mean, he's pretty closed up when you think about it. We know personal stuff about pretty much everyone in school, but when you think about Stiles no one knows a lot. I think not even McCall does. And before he got popular, Stiles was actually the one who led that duo. He talks and talks, and always manages to divert the attention off of him to whatever stupid thing he's doing. What do we know about him?" Danny says, thinking hard about it.
"We know he's mine" Jackson points out, possessiveness clear in his tone, and Danny rolls his eyes, "We also know he's got a crush on Lydia. He was crying, when I bit him. Because she was with me" his voice is quiet when he says that, and Danny takes a mental note to try and find out what happened on this day, when Stiles got bitten, because it sounds so damn serious and miserable, "His best friend is McCall, even if I think they are having some sort of problem, because they haven't been as close, lately. He knows about werewolves, and he's Peter's favorite. Derek's too, honestly. If I didn't know any better I'd say those two would like to have Stiles as a mate" he finishes grumpily, and Danny has to bite his lip to stop himself from, laughing.
Jackson is jealous of Stiles Stilinski.
What has the world come to?
"Okay, so this is it. He has no experience, you can't rush things. You said so yourself, you guys are it, so take it slow. What's so hard about that?"
"Danny, he doesn't want to take it slow, he wants me dead. Plus, it isn't just this relationship thing. It's… dangerous. Really dangerous. Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd are missing, did you know that? Derek thinks it's something really bad coming. On the night of the full moon he had us all worried sick, he searched all night long, and couldn't find a single trace of them. He did find something else, though, which he didn't tell me, but he did tell Scott. Who'll tell Stiles. And Stiles is human. It's dangerous for him, and he doesn't care. I have to protect him, and he won't let me. I don't know how to deal with him, because he never, ever, does what I want him to do!"
"But how much trouble can he get into? I mean…"
Jackson snorts again.
"Okay, you know him even less than I do. He can get into all the trouble. Into everything. He and McCall think they are like super heroes, and Derek encourages them."
Danny nods.
"Okay, even if it's true, I think your problem is that you're trying to treat Stiles like you treated Lydia, and you can't do that."
Jackson just stares at him, annoyed.
"Don't get mad, but it's true. She loved you. She did everything for you. You've never had to fight for her, because she was there. He isn't. As far as I understand it, you need him, and he's being kind enough to try. Seriously, Jackson? If a guy who pulled half the shit you did on him told me I had to spend the rest of my life with him, I'd tell him to go hang himself. He's putting his life at your disposal, and you're complaining he won't follow you like a trained dog. I'm not saying lie on the ground and let him walk over you, but you can't assume he wants you. I didn't even know he was truly gay, honestly. I just assumed he was always asking questions to annoy me."
Jackson is quiet, and Danny narrows his eyes at him.
"You don't know either, do you? You just assumed he'd feel attracted to you because you're you! God, Jackson, you fail at life sometimes!"
"Thanks, Danny, that's very helpful" Jackson says with a glare, and Danny just shakes his head.
"Look, I don't like this situation, and I haven't yet decided if you're telling me the truth or not, but I'm going to assume you're not a complete basket case, and think you're telling the truth. So I'm going to try and help, and you'll be indebted to me forever because that's how long your relationship will last. So, tell me everything you know about this business, from the very beginning."
Jackson opens his mouth to retort, but then his whole face freezes, and he smells the air, just like a dog. Danny is about to ask him what's wrong, when Jackson's eyes glow blue again, and his face changes.
"Shit" the blond says, and then he's running through his house. Danny follows him as fast as he can, but he can't quite match Jackson's pace.
When he gets to where the blond went, he freezes too.
On Jackson's back door is a body.
His skin is very dark, but the blood is evident against his torso and jeans. He's shirtless, and there's an arrow through where his heart should be.
Should be being the key part, because there's a hole in his chest.
Jackson looks afraid and sick, and Danny is just considering throwing up when Jackson puts his head up and howls.
Not five seconds later a stronger howl answers; and Danny is scared into silence.
Holy freaking shit, Stiles was telling him the truth.
Tada!
Hope you all enjoyed it!
Again, not quite what I had planned, but oh well. It works.
What do you think of it? Let me know!
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