AN Please, please don't kill me.

Peter stared up at the loft. He was too far away to hear much, but he knew what was going on up there. He knew that the whole Pack was up there. He yearned to go up there, to be able to join them for a meal or movie. He wanted to know Stiles's friends, to apologize for scaring the girl. He wanted the easy acceptance that lived between Scott and his three betas. He wished he didn't have a memory of Scott, looking cold and blank saying, "Derek asked, so yes, I'll be your Alpha if you want. I'll protect you as long as you don't kill people or deliberately call trouble on us. Just don't expect a warm welcome when you show up."

He wanted to go up there and feel like pack, but he didn't. He'd burned that bridge the day he'd decided to bate and kill his own niece.

Peter's phone beeped, he checked it, and then swore. Anna was reminding him of their reservations. He started his car and drove away.

JJJJJJJJJJJJJ

Jackson had kept minimal contact with the people in Beacon Hills. He was able to admit now that it was more about his embarrassment at what he'd done than anything about the people left behind. After calling his wife, and Alpha, to reassure her and promise he'd be on the road as soon as he could, Jackson stared into the living room of the loft. Scott, Derek, and Isaac were sitting in the dining room sharing out boxes of Chinese. Scott kept offering pieces to the girl beside him, and every glance reminded Jackson of the looks he'd seen between Scott and Allison once.

The other girl, the werecoyote, was perched on the spiral staircase, hunched over one of the white cardboard boxes and watching the room suspiciously. She almost looked like she expected someone to take her food.

Stiles and his friends were perched together on the couch with a couple of boxes, talking and laughing quietly. As he watched, Stiles and one of the girls started dueling with chopsticks, grinning and laughing as they tried to get something out of one of the boxes.

"Jackson," Danny said, "come on, I saved you some of the chicken fried rice and an eggroll. Kira almost took my hand off over this eggroll."

Jackson grinned, "Sure, sorry. Hannah wasn't happy." He took the box Danny held out and followed him outside to the balcony.

"We'll have you on the road home as soon as possible," Danny said.

"So Stiles really did cut him off from everything," Jackson said as they settled.

"Yeah," Danny said, "nobody knows where he's been. It's as if he dropped off the face of the planet. I tried looking, but it's hard to find someone when you can't even spell his first name."

"Are you sure he didn't change it?" Jackson asked.

Danny laughed, "He doesn't have to, Jacks. That name is perfect for hiding because people either don't know it or can't spell it."

Jackson stirred his rice for a moment, "You're right, Dan-Dan. I still don't understand what happened. I mean, Stiles and Scott have always been Stiles and Scott, platonic life partners."

"That's better than testicles one and two," Danny muttered as his phone buzzed. "Hello?" He asked.

"Danny, hi!"

Jackson winced slightly, because it was always difficult not to overhear phone calls. He figured that if Danny's little sister was having a crisis, she would have sounded more like she was crying, and Danny would kick him out if he wanted him gone.

"Hey Jamie," Danny replied. "What's up?"

"We have a new science teacher and he is so hot." Jamie squealed, "Like, old guy hot, but still hot. I sent you a pic. I can't wait for school to start if he's teaching me chemistry."

"School is important," Danny said. "Look, Jamie, I'm kind of in the middle of something. Do you mind if I call you back later?"

"Sure," Jamie said, "I just thought you'd appreciate my science teacher as much as I do."

Danny chuckled, "I'm sure I will. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye Danny," Jamie said.

Danny hung up as his phone alerted him to a new message. "My sister is more boy crazy than I ever was," Danny said as he let Jackson see the picture. It was a picture of an older man with spiky black hair, glasses and a grin. Under it was the text, 'Doctor Tommy Oliver, PhD in Attractive'.

Jackson snorted as the door to the loft burst open, "Hey," Stiles said. He was wearing a suit; at least, he was wearing suit paints and a purple shirt with a cut on the side. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked over. "Karyna, Marci, and I are about to hit the road. I just wanted so say- what's that?"

Stiles was staring at Danny's phone.

"The new science teacher at the high school," Danny said, letting him see it.

Stiles chuckled, "At least he'll be better than Harris. I've got to go though. See you later Danny, nice to run into you again, Jackson." Then he was gone again.

The gathering broke up after that, with Danny offering Jackson his guest room. Jackson accepted gratefully and left. As the elevator took them down, Jackson heard Malia say something about running the territory before bed.

"Don't mind Malia," Danny said. "She spent half her life as an actual coyote."

"Your pack is weird," Jackson said.

"Dude, it's Beacon Hills," Danny replied.

MMMMMMMMMM

She ran as hard as she could, ears straining for any sound from the monster. She ducked under bushes and dodged trees, trying not to whine in fear. She hadn't meant to do it, she'd just been running when she'd stumbled into what was apparently it's nest.

There was a series of steady thumps, and then that grating cry.

Malia leaped over a small bush and stumbled as she landed on a hard surface. Tar and asphalt filled her nostrils and she whined. She'd found the road!

Bright lights washed over her as she tried to get herself in motion again. Brakes squealed in unison with the monster's cry. She froze for a moment as a child's scream filled her ears, and then she bolted again.

The horrible sound of crumpling metal, breaking glass, and a child's scream pushed her onward.