Jackson woke up early Monday morning before Derek. He untangled their limbs and then went into the bathroom and did his morning routine. He also had to put a new bandage on his neck since the wound still hadn't closed, though it had stopped bleeding. He headed down stairs and made a fast breakfast of half a cantaloupe filled with yogurt and some berries sprinkled on top. It was unusually healthy and something his body craved after his large consumption of meat over the weekend. He left the other half for Derek who probably survived on meat alone and desperately needed literally anything else.

Jackson got his backpack together with the books he needed and headed to his car. He unlocked the door and threw his backpack into the passenger seat and started his drive to school. Like usual he was early and like usual he took his spot on the bleachers and pulled out his book.

He tried hard not to think too much about the shit that was over taking his life. He tried not to think of Stiles and his unintentional infidelity and how confused, angry, sad it made him. He tried not to think of Derek and the way his teeth sank into his neck making him feel something he had never felt in his entire life, the need to submit...and a burning unfulfilled lust. He didn't think of these things, instead he read. Today it was The Plague by Albert Camus.

Jackson read and as usual the world around him continued to move even if he was busy in another. It was the first bell that made Jackson realize how immersed he was in the book. He started his walk to the main building when he saw Stiles standing with his group and across from them was Matt, the guy Stiles kissed, with his group. He was busy making fun of Stiles calling him a faggot and telling him how ashamed his father must be. Stiles tried hard not to react but Jackson could see, the shine of unshed tears in his eyes, the way he trembled slightly, the hitch in his heartbeat as Matt named all his unsaid fears. Scott, Lydia, and Allison just stood in support of Stiles, they just stood there and hurled insults back at Matt. It was pathetic, it was…ineffectual. Jackson walked up to the group and stood in front of Matt.

"What do you want? Are you here to defend the faggot too? Your such a freak, too you know that, you can't just change from one day to another, you can't stop talking just because you feel like it, you used to be popular but now your just another freak like thi-," Jackson punched Matt right under the jaw, it sent him flying straight up into the air and then back down to the ground in an unconscious heap. Jackson just cracked his knuckles, looked up at Matt's group, all of whom took a step back and lifted their hands, and walked away.

Jackson suddenly didn't feel so bad about Stiles kissing Matt, it was a shit thing Stiles did but Matt was a douche, he knew that now, he knew Stiles told the truth about their kiss. It didn't make things better, but punching Matt had allowed him to release a massive amount of tension. Rather than acknowledge the people around him he just walked away and into his first period.

He spent his first few periods rubbing his aching knuckles and enjoying the way they stung. He also expected to get called into the principal's office but he never did. At lunch he sat on the bleachers and ate the sandwich Derek made for him the night before. As he ate Stiles, Scott, Allison, and Lydia walked in his direction. Stiles climbed onto the bleachers and took his seat next to Jackson. The rest of the group just stood at the bottom waiting, Jackson didn't know what for. Stiles just gave them a look and they reluctantly climbed onto the bleachers, Scott and Allison took seats behind Jackson and Stiles, probably to give themselves some fake privacy as they made out. Lydia took a seat next to Stiles, but far from Jackson. They just sat there awkwardly, no one speaking. The whole situation had Jackson laughing, hard. When things get super awkward they always made Jackson laugh, he couldn't believe how stupid these situations could be. Jackson laughed and the group just sat there watching Jackson catch his breath. Once he was done he finished his sandwich and pulled out his book and started reading.

"…Anyways," started Lydia, "the full moon is in two weeks and I thought it'd be a good idea to head over to Derek's early and maybe have like a picnic or something, like relax and shit …do you think Derek would mind?" Everyone in the group looked at Jackson, but he was busy reading. Stiles looked over Jackson's shoulder and saw the small print and could see that Jackson was a pretty fast reader, he flipped pages fast, but he wasn't paying the group attention and so Stiles took drastic measures. He snatched the book right out Jackson's hand, who instantly snatched it back. Stiles was stunned and Jackson seeing the expression on his face, laughed.

"Dude, so hey do you think Derek would let us come over some time to have like a barbeque or something…" asked Stiles.

"Yeah, I don't see why not," said Jackson. He was pretty sure that Derek would do anything he asked. That realization made him smile. The group was happy to just let Jackson go back to his reading and they returned to acting like themselves. Jackson was barely even there, he was busy reading his book, but it was nice to know that, at least for now, he wasn't alone.

After school, Jackson drove home just to check in, but no one was there. He made a quick snack and drove to Derek's. He used the spare key Derek had given him and made his way inside. He walked into the kitchen and set his bags down on the table and decided that he would cook dinner before Derek got home. He dug through the fridge and found some ground turkey and decided to make a turkey loaf. He mixed the ground turkey with some garlic salt, seasoning salt, diced onion, and onion powder. He added an egg and some ketchup and put the entire mixture into a loaf pan and stuck that in the oven. While that baked he made some mashed potatoes and digging deeper in the fridge found some broccoli which he steamed. He finished his homework while waiting for Derek.

Derek was tired, he parked his car behind Jackson's Porsche and was glad Jackson was there. He walked to the front door and unlocked it. Walking into the house he smelled something incredible. He set his jacket on the banister and walked into the kitchen and found Jackson setting the table with two plates of food.

"Hey, you're home. I hope you don't mind I'm here, there was no one at my place and I didn't want to be alone…I made dinner," Jackson smiled sheepishly. He knew that Derek wouldn't mind but he also didn't want to presume. He was a little embarrassed but Derek had this smug happy look on his face that calmed his unease. Derek sat at the head of the table where Jackson set his plate and Jackson sat next to him. He waited and watched as Derek picked up his fork and took a chunk of the loaf and lifted up to his mouth, he stopped and smiled at Jackson who blushed. Derek took a bite and was shocked by how amazing it tasted. The loaf was nice and juicy and all the seasonings really complimented the turkey. Jackson watched as Derek dug into his food and did the same. They both ate in companionable silence and enjoyed their food. Derek got up and pulled two bottles of beer out of the fridge for both of them to drink.

After dinner they both cleaned up the kitchen and then moved into the living room to watch television while their food settled in their stomach. Jackson was happy and like usual he rested his head on Derek's shoulder. He almost feel asleep until he remembered, "Hey, Stiles wanted to know if we could have a barbeque and invite Scott, Lydia and Allison. Would that be okay?" Jackson asked,

"When did you want to do this?"

"Well Lydia wanted to do it on the full moon but I think this weekend would be nice. Anyways, she'll probably be a huge bitch on the full moon and I rather not deal with that….so this Saturday…if it's okay with you,"

"If its what you want I'll do it," Derek didn't know if he could say no to Jackson, especially the way he asked, Derek didn't think Jackson noticed, but as he asked Derek his heart beat started to go crazy. Derek wondered why he would be so scared of asking for something so simple. He knew there was a lot about his home life that he didn't talk about. He knew that Stiles once wanted to talk about Jackson's home life, Scott told him, but they never had that talk. He wondered whether he should ask now…

Instead, he let Jackson fall asleep on his shoulder, like always, and enjoyed the feeling of warmth that spread through his body. He wished it could be like this…forever…but nothing lasted forever. Derek learned that lesson the hard way.

Tuesday morning was a repeat of Monday. Jackson ate some scrambled egg whites and decided that he needed to go shopping for groceries after school for Derek. He made a list and when he got to his car he stuck it to his rearview mirror to remember. He drove to school and parked in his spot and headed to the bleachers and decided to finish off The Plagues. Before he could start though something caught his attention, a small sound, almost like a whimper, and he smelled something he thought was disappointment…maybe sadness. He followed the sound across the field and into the locker rooms. Near the back against one of the lockers on the floor was Danny, he had his head in his hands and was silently crying, but Jackson heard him. He leaned down and touched Danny's shoulder, causing the boy to flinch and look up at Jackson startled.

"Hey…you…you okay?" Jackson didn't know what else to ask, he didn't know what was wrong. Danny laughed though, he wiped his face with has hands and his hands on his jeans.

"Yea…I'm okay…it's just...something stupid…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really I just…I broke up with my boyfriend," Jackson hadn't known Danny had a boyfriend. It wasn't that Danny hadn't had boyfriends, but last time he and Danny talked, Danny was definitely single. It made him realize how disconnected he had been the last couple months and he regretted the way he and Danny had allowed themselves to grow apart from each other. He sat next to Danny on the floor of the locker room, he didn't want to leave him alone.

Danny was embarrassed to have been caught crying, but the truth was he was really sad. He had thought that the relationship he was in was going to turn out to be something more than just a series of booty calls. It hadn't. Instead the guy only ever called Danny when he was alone and horny, and Danny like an idiot always went when he called. The worst part was that he did it because he really liked the guy, he thought he was in love, but he never stopped to consider whether John, that was his name, loved him back. He felt stupid, which just made him feel sadder, how had he blinded himself so much? He didn't know. He'd gotten to school early to work out thinking that maybe the strain of lifting weights would keep him from thinking about his break up, but he broke down before he even changed into his work out clothes and slid down the locker and just lost it.

"Hey…hey...it's going to be okay," Danny hadn't realized that he'd started crying again till Jackson placed his hand back on his shoulder and started to squeeze it lightly.

"It's so stupid…but I'm sad," Danny cried and Jackson patted him unable to think of anything else to offer but physical contact as a reminder to Danny that he wasn't alone. They sat like that for a few minutes more while Danny composed himself.

Jackson offered to spot Danny as he did a few dozen bench presses, Danny agreed. He was glad Jackson found him, it helped him feel better to know that maybe everything will be alright, even if thing sucked.

"Hey," started Jackson as they changed out of their sweaty clothes, "If you want I can kick his ass, I'm pretty good at that," Jackson wiggled his eyebrows at Danny who couldn't help but let out a huff of laughter.

"No, its okay but thanks for offering," Danny realized that while Jackson had changed, he was still himself. The old Jackson would have asked the very same thing. Danny pointedly avoided asking him about the horribly large bruises on his body or the large…Bite mark?...on his neck. Jackson noticed his concerned looks but was grateful for the silence.

After school Jackson went home and cleaned his room, he had invited Danny over to spend the night and his room desperately needed a dusting. He cleaned his room until the surfaces were shinning and then the bathroom until the smell of bleach, lemons, and ammonia slowly wafted out the door. He then decided to clean the kitchen and the living room so the house didn't seem so uninhabited. It took him several hours and Danny was due any minute he went upstairs took a quick shower and dressed.

He heard someone at the front door and ran down to open the door. It was his father, home from the office. Jackson was shocked for a second before greeting his father and stepping out of the way to allow his father inside and followed him into the kitchen.

"Dad, you're home early…I invited a friend over, he should be here any minute…"

"Don't worry I'm not staying long, your mother is still in New York working on some art exhibit and the company wants me to head there too so I won't be back until Friday. I just came home to pack a few things and then head to the airport. Also," Mr. Whittemore's voice took on the tone that Jackson knew too well, the one that made sweat breakout on the back of his neck, made his heart stutter and hands shake, "when I get home we'll talk about why you haven't been coming home and where exactly you've been spending your nights, understood" It wasn't a question.

"Yes, sir," responded Jackson.

went up to his room and on his way past the front door he said, "Jackson your little friend is here," and climbed the stairs. Jackson took quick quite breathes to compose himself before Danny could see him but it didn't matter. Danny just gave him a look, and Jackson, Jackson just smiled and asked Danny if he wanted pizza. He didn't wait for an answer he called an all natural organic pizza place he knew. They delivered and were super expensive but it didn't matter. He ordered a large pepperoni, a large with roasted vegetables, and a large white pie.

Danny put his stuff down in the living room and Jackson told him to turn on the television, ESPN was showing college lacrosse games and Danny and him sat down to watch them. Jackson's dad left without saying good bye and Jackson let out a shaky breath of relief. Again, Danny gave him a look Jackson pointedly ignored. An hour later the pizza showed up and together they devoured all three pizzas watched half of a game before Danny insisted they watch the marathon of Molly Ringwald movies they were giving on HBO and Jackson caved, he wanted Danny to feel better about his breakup.

Later that night they made their way up to Jackson's room and prepared for sleep. Jackson had pulled out the inflatable mattress for Danny who threw himself onto it and rolled around until he was comfortable. Jackson climbed into his bed and they settled down to sleep. Jackson calmed his mind by thinking of almonds and pines cones, which he swore he could smell coming through his window, and by running his hands across his neck, touched the raw little cuts which were finally slowly healing over.

He could feel hands on him touching him everywhere, could feel his flesh give underneath sickeningly cold steel, felt the wet ground beneath his small feet. Smelled antiseptic, bleach, and the iron rich smell of blood he'd become so familiar with. He ran and ran and ran and was scared but it didn't end it flashed across his eyes through his brain, it was red and it was painfully it hurt and he ran and the voices called they called him back and away and he ran and he thought he was free but he wasn't it was different but still the same and he ran and it didn't matter over and over and red and painful.

"JACKSON!" Danny yelled. Jackson woke with a start, shoot up straight on his bed almost slamming his head against Danny who dodged quickly. Jackson was breathing hard, his heart was beating so fast it hurt, he was covered in sweat and his clawed hands tore into his palms as his fanged teeth did the same to his tongue.

"Dude, are you okay…you were trashing around your bed…I thought you were having like a seizure or something, I almost called the paramedics…"

"I-I-I'm okay…," Jackson tried to catch his breath. He didn't know what was wrong. "I-I-I-I think I was h-having a night, a nightmare." He was trembling hard but could not remember what had scared him so badly, all he knew was that he was terrified.

"You scared the shit out of me," said Danny as the tension of the situation disappeared.

Jackson was scared and wished more than anything that Derek was there, he would protect him…from what Jackson didn't know. He just wanted to feel safe. Instead he asked Danny to lie in bed with him.

"Jackson…your not…you know what," Danny just had to see Jackson terrified eyes, "okay," he knew he couldn't deny him.

They didn't touch but they were close and Jackson could feel Danny's body heat and that was enough to calm him slightly. His cell phone vibrated, he always left it on his nightstand, it was a message from Derek.

'Are you okay'

'No'

'Want me to come over,'

'Yes but don't dannys here'

'you sure?'

'yea I still haven't explained about the whole werewolf thing'

'alright if you need me call me'

'I will'

Jackson took a deep breath and listened to the noises of the forest outside his window could smell the woods, maybe almonds and pine cones, Danny's scent of sweat and cologne, and allowed them to all mix together and calm him. Danny's steady heart beat and slight snoring helped lull him into sleep.

Derek pocketed his phone and waited for Jackson to fall asleep. He climbed the house and looked into Jackson's window saw the two boys in bed together, and surprisingly he wasn't jealous. Jackson wanted him, he knew, he just had to make Jackson know. For now he was content on prowling around Jackson's house for a few minutes wondering what it was that scared his pup so much. The fear was so strong Derek had felt it all the way back to his empty house, it propelled him out of his front door and out into the woods before he knew what was wrong and it disappeared just as fast. He arrived as Jackson friend woke him, could hear the chaotic way his body had responded, could smell the fear so strong it gagged him. But it was just a nightmare. He made his way home and sent Jackson one more message, he wouldn't be spending anymore nights alone this week because he was staying at Derek's.

Deep in the woods, Chris Argent came across the decimated corpse of…well he wasn't sure what, he thought it was a bear but the thing was rotting and giant chunks of flesh hung loose on its exposed bones, scavengers had gone to town on it. Through out the clearing Chris could see the remnants of a battle, blood was splashed across the tree and the chunks of rotting flesh hung from branches, giant claw marks took giant chunks out of entire tree trunks and on the bones he could see how easily the claws tore through the flesh to slice deep gouged in the bone. The bear never stood a chance. Chris saw prints in the mud dried hard, they were big. Chris thought he knew what it was, in fact he knew exactly what it was. Wolf prints didn't get this big normally. He cut the prints out of the mud and decided to compare him them with the prints that he thought belonged to Derek Hale. If they were the same he wouldn't worry, but if they weren't, well…he had just bought a new gun.