Interlude 1: Fell for you.

Jackson does as he's told, and with Derek now gone, he feels the anger drain out of him as he climbs into bed, relief taking over and just pouring out of him into silent tears as he takes Danny in his arms. He's never been so scared in his life, thought the worst had happened to Danny, thought he would never see him again. Danny strokes his back while he lets out a few shaky breaths, his arms tightening around Danny as he tries to calm down from this embarrassing breakdown. All the stress and anxiety he's been building up for the past few hours are coming crashing down on him and he just can't help it. It does take him a couple of minutes to compose himself, his arms never leaving Danny, reveling in the warmth that his best friend procures him.

"I thought I'd lost you," Jackson manages to breathe out between hiccups.

"Hey, I'm all right, Jacks," Danny says in this soothing tone of his. "But my shoulders would appreciate it if you didn't hold on so tight."

Jackson backs off immediately, apologizing profusely and helps Danny lie back carefully on the bed all the while taking a look at Danny's shoulders, pulling up the short sleeves of his white tee shirt to reveal round-shaped scars. It looks like someone drilled directly into the joints, or stabbed him even. Jesus.

"What happened to you?" Jackson asks his best friend and lies on his side, his eyes never leaving Danny's face.

"After second thought, can I tell you later?" Danny yawns, eyes already closed, body completely relaxed. "I'm exhausted."

"All right," Jackson doesn't insist, even if he's dying to know what happened. He's just glad to have found Danny back but doesn't dare falling asleep like he did earlier today. It's creepy as hell but he just lies beside Danny, staring at him, afraid to have him disappear again. Danny falls soundly asleep almost instantly, showing just how exhausted he actually is.

Jackson's heart has yet to slow down to a normal rhythm and he takes deep breaths to calm it down, being that close to Danny not helping at all. He wanted to kiss Danny right there when he saw him—he still does—but something is still holding him back; the time doesn't feel right.

He loves Danny, of that he's sure, but there's still that awkwardness around it; Jackson does realize how weird it is. There's probably nothing worse than falling in love with your best friend, especially if said best friend doesn't reciprocate your feelings. Then everything is just awkward and eventually you lose them, one way or another. However, being in a relationship with someone who already knows you like the back of their hand, who understands you in a way that no one else does? Jackson can't imagine a better lover than that.

He loves Danny, and he's stuck in the unknown, in that endless doubt about where his love for Danny could lead him. It all comes down to one question, really: does Danny feel that way about him ? Could he? Depending on the answer, Jackson's life goes on extreme opposites: lose your best friend or gain the best boyfriend imaginable. Because of the former possibility, Jackson doesn't act, he just can't risk it, the stakes are too high. He hates himself for being so vulnerable and he hates Danny for being so oblivious and for turning him into such a mess. Most of Jackson's frustration comes from that stupid crush that turned into so much more, a little crush that didn't want to blow over, a crush that has grown into something so terrifying it has Jackson scared and angry all the time. He doesn't even remember when he started harboring these feelings for his best friend, but it has partly made him the man he is today.

He's not dumb, he knows where Danny's headed, and he knows how ambitious Danny is. He knows all about his best friend's plans: go to college then go to med school, get his M.D. and Ph.D. and do his residency abroad. Danny's brilliance and ambition have but fueled Jackson's already strong desire to be more than a dumb jock, to prove to the parents that abandoned him just what they missed. Lacrosse is just his ticket to college, all Jackson really cares about is academics, he works hard on his studies and even though he's not as smart as Danny or Lydia, he can hold his own, he's doing a little better than average.

The recent events might have just given him the push he needed. Derek Hale. That bastard has screwed things up for Jackson, has brainwashed Danny, seduced poor, innocent Danny into thinking he can trust him. Jackson hates Derek Hale more than ever for even coming close to Danny, for touching Danny, forkissing Danny. Danny is his and no one else's. Danny is Jackson's first friend, his confident, his best friend, his first love. Almost losing Danny earlier has made Jackson reconsider his position on what to do regarding Danny. He wants to do something about his feelings; he's ready to do it, even if it scares the hell out of him. He'll take things slow; the last thing he wants is to spook Danny by dropping the bomb on him.

Danny suddenly shifts on the bed, his arm wrapping around Jackson's waist, causing him to gasp and break out of his train of thoughts. Jackson finds himself face to face and heart to heart with Danny, they're so close it gets Jackson all hot and bothered as their groins almost touch. He turns his back on Danny, willing his arousal to go away, telling himself that taking advantage of his best friend is just wrong, no matter how much he wants it. Danny doesn't help either, his arm pulling Jackson even closer, pressing their bodies completely flushed together, nuzzling against the nape of Jackson's neck.

It takes every will power Jackson has in him not to move and not jump Danny's bones. Jackson has never wanted anything more in his life, he's overwhelmed and breathing with difficulty. He grasps Danny's hand dangling over his belly and brings it up to his chest, entwining their fingers together and he squeezes his eyes so hard it brings him tears and sparkling stars behind his eyelids. And he prays. He doesn't pray regularly, even if his parents have raised him catholic, but he's praying now and he prays for Danny, he prays for this torture to just end. He's in love and not once in his life had he ever thought it would hurt so much.

A couple of hours ago

Stiles can't get his stupid phone to work—thanks to Derek—can't even call Scott to tell him about Peter holding Danny captive. He could go to the Hale house but Stiles knows better than confronting the alpha—he hasn't forgotten their last encounter—and besides, Derek's already on his way there. So instead he runs the few blocks over to Scott's house, hoping his best friend isn't out today. Stiles figures Derek could use the help, two werewolves is better than one, right? God he hopes Danny's okay, he doesn't know what he'd do if Danny...if something happened to Danny. He pushes the thoughts aside, he'd rather not think about that right now.

Stiles gets in the McCall household easily with his own key, calling out for Scott while he climbs up the stairs to the bedrooms.

"I'm in here," Scott shouts back from his room and for once, Stiles finds him actually doing his honest to God homework at his desk.

"Peter, he's got Danny," Stiles blurts out, his lungs burning as he tries to catch his breath and wipes the sweat away from his eyes.

"What? Danny? Why?" Scott bolts up from his chair, Stiles' panic now having contaminated him as well.

"To get to Derek, I presume," Stiles answers, so glad to have filled Scott in about what happened yesterday. He doesn't think he's in any state to do much explaining here. Stiles could hear Danny's screams over the phone and has been feeling awful since then. This is pretty much all his fault. He's the one who brought Danny into this, by asking him to help them the other day, he led the alpha to him. "Scott, we have to do something, Derek's already gone to get Danny but I'm sure he could use our help."

Scott takes a deep breath, fidgeting nervously. "All right, do you know where he is?"

"At the Hale house," Stiles replies and Scott bolts out of his room, urging Stiles to follow after him. "Wait, don't you think it'd be faster if I took the jeep?"

"Okay, I'm right behind you."

The ride to the woods is pretty smooth, it allows Stiles some time to calm down a little and fill Scott in, having already told him about what happened last night, about the identity of the alpha. He tells Scott about what happened between Danny and Derek at his place yesterday—something he didn't think of import last night, what with the news that Derek's uncle is the alpha and was beating the shit out of his nephew.

"That's insane," Scott says as they get out of his jeep. "Danny and Derek? I mean, Danny I knew, but Derek, really?"

"Yeah, I know," Stiles says, the image of Derek pressed against Danny burned forever in his mind, it's disturbing. They walk fast through the woods, trying to find their way to the Hale house. Stiles follows Scott, he'd most likely get lost on his own, he finds it hard to find his way in the middle of all those trees. Scott suddenly stops short, head tilted and brows furrowed in concentration, indicating he's probably listening.

"Hold on," Scott raises his hand, stopping dead in his tracks. "I can hear them."

"What are they saying?" Stiles asks, curious and wishing he could listen in too. They must be nearing the house, Stiles thinks, his heart speeding up as he waits for Scott to report what he's hearing. Please, tell me Danny's okay. He would never forgive himself. Stiles knows he's been pretty reckless himself, with everything he's done for Scott but he never even thought he could involve other innocent people like this, had never gauged the risks. Scott hushes him as he keeps listening, not bothering retranslating everything he hears. Scott keeps walking slowly, presumably to get closer and hear more clearly but Stiles starts to get antsy with every step he takes, the suspense killing him as he waits for an answer.

"Danny's a werewolf," Scott breathes out finally after he stops moving, the Hale house now in clear sight before them. Everything is dead silent around them, almost eerily so, the clearing around the house surrounded by leafless trees, the ground covered in auburn and the small breeze brushing past them making the leaves to rustle at their feet.

"He's…he's what?" Stiles can't believe what Scott's just said. "Did…Did Peter turn him?"

"No, no," Scott shakes his head. "He's a hybrid."

"You mean, he was born half werewolf?" Stiles starts to get it. A hybrid, half werewolf, half human, right? He'd never even thought about it, but he guesses it makes sense.

"Yes, now stay quiet," Scott orders him a little harshly, which Stiles doesn't appreciate. The change in Scott is drastic; he goes from focused to wide eyed and mouth gaping.

"What? Dude, stop leaving me hanging!" even Stiles' patience has its limits.

"Uh…oh man," Scott stutters. "They're talking about…werewolves mates or whatever, something about Danny being Derek's mate? I don't know, it's hard to focus, there's a loud heartbeat."

"Mates? Like what, life partners? Play mates? What does that mean?"

"Oh no," Scott suddenly says. "They're after Allison's family."

It doesn't surprise Stiles at all; the Argents are hunters after all, it's only logical that Peter would be out to get them. But the mate thing? He can hardly believe it, still can't wrap his head around the idea, which is still unclear to him. What does it even mean, werewolves mates? He figures it probably has something to do with sex, if the way Derek jumped Danny yesterday is any indication, and that would actually explain why Peter abducted Danny in the first place. To get to Derek. Although it doesn't make Stiles feel any better about the whole situation. He's the one who put Danny in it, after all, sort of.

"The alpha, he knows we're here," Scott grabs his shoulder suddenly, his fingers tightening their grip so hard it hurts.

"Ouch, man, easy!" Stiles hisses, taking his friend's hand off him. "How do you even know that?"

"He whispered to me," Scott shoots back, beginning to walk away quickly from the Hale house.

"Wait, where are you going? Shouldn't we get Danny?" Stiles follows after Scott, once again, it seems like he's been doing a lot of that lately and he doesn't like that very much.

"Danny's fine, Derek's taking care of him and Peter isn't going to hurt him anymore," Scott replies, walking his way through endless trees, clearing the path for Stiles. "Come on, man, let's go!"

"What else did they say?" Stiles asks, not really knowing much about everything Scott heard, and it kind of annoys him, to be in the dark like this.

"I don't know, I stopped paying attention after Peter talked to me, I don't want him to find me," Scott picks up the pace, now jogging faster back to Stiles' jeep. It took them almost twenty minutes, according to Stiles' estimation, to walk to the Hale house in the woods, and they were walking energetically already. They must have been running for ten minutes now, and even at the pace they're going at the moment, Stiles doesn't know if they're going to make it in time before Peter catches up with them.

Stiles doesn't know what's really happening ; one moment he's running right behind Scott, the next he's violently swept off his feet, and it feels like he's literally flying for a moment until he falls on his back to the hard ground. It all happens so fast that it leaves him a little dizzy, and when he opens his eyes he's looking up at a cloudy sky and tall trees. And that familiar face, only it's not deformed like Stiles remembers it to be.

"Hello again, Stiles."

tbc

I know, another cliffhanger, but honestly, it feels weird to leave a chapter with anything else but that. I had a busy week, couldn't get much writing done. You guys can all thank Torchwood Miracle Day for putting me in my inspired state of writing, when I'm so emotionally riled up it can make write anything.

I'm excited about this Interlude, I loved writing it, even if it took me bloody well long enough to write, and I'm excited about what this is setting up for what's to come.

As usual, thanks for the reviews, tell me what you think!