Chapter 10
Later that night Scarlet was home alone, Stiles had been gone all day with Scott and she had no idea what was going on with them. Scarlet grabbed her phone and called Derek. "Miss me already," he asked in greeting.
"Very funny, no I'm here by myself, I don't know where Stiles went, and my dad is at the station all night, with everything that's happened I don't want to be alone. It's going to sound really silly of me to ask but...," Scarlet babbled.
"I'll come over," Derek said before she could finish.
"You don't mind?"
"If your brother isn't there, I really don't mind."
"Hey, he's my twin, its a special bond," Scarlet shot back.
"Yeah, special," Derek replied. "I'll see you soon."
Scarlet hung up the phone and headed downstairs to wait for him. She wandered into the kitchen and tossed some popcorn in the microwave. She was still standing there when she heard a series of creaks in the floor upstairs. Scarlet froze and stared at the ceiling, but then she heard it again. She shakily reached over to the knife block and pulled out the biggest one.
Scarlet crept over to the stairs and peered up them. She slowly made her way up the stairs, listening as she went. There was nothing in her dad's room, nothing in Stiles' either, which only left her room. Scarlet took a deep breath and peered around the corner of her doorframe.
"Hello? Is anyone there? You should know that I have a knife and my hulking boyfriend with incredible rage issues will be here any second, so you should leave," Scarlet called as she stepped into the room.
The shadows shifted across the wall and her curtains flapped in the breeze. She didn't remember leaving her window open. Scarlet flipped on the light and glanced around the room. It must have been the wind, she quickly crossed the room and shut the window. When she turned, Scarlet saw someone standing in her doorway and screamed. She backed away until she bumped into the wall and held the knife up with two hands.
"Seriously? What are you doing," Derek asked as he stepped into the room. "Also I don't have incredible rage issues."
"You have got to stop doing that," Scarlet cried. "Have you never heard of ringing the doorbell? And I know you don't have rage issues, but someone who had broken in wouldn't know that."
"It was unlocked, I let myself in, you knew I was coming over. What's with the knife," Derek asked as he pried it out of her hands.
"I thought I heard someone walking around up here, so I brought a knife in case I had to defend myself until you got here," Scarlet explained. She rolled her eyes at the look Derek gave her.
"What made you think someone was here," Derek asked as he glanced around the room. It didn't smell like her, but he couldn't place the scent.
"I was in the kitchen and I could hear the floorboards creaking, which is usually a sign that someone is walking around up here. I think it was just the wind, my window was open, but I don't remember having it open though."
Derek immediately moved over to the window and examined it. He pushed it open and leaned outside. The scent was there too. He came back in and shut the window back, locking it. "You're right, it was probably the wind," he assured her. "So this is your room?"
"Oh, yeah, this is it," Scarlet said as she gestured around. "I would have cleaned up, but I didn't think we'd be up here with the sex ban and all."
Derek raised his eyebrows at her before glancing around. "You only ever have sex in a bed," he asked as he moved over to a wall that was covered with artwork.
"Yeah, well in a bedroom anyway," Scarlet said as she came up behind him.
"You painted all of these?"
"Most of them," Scarlet replied. She pointed to the four in the center. "My mom did these, I guess that's where I got it from. My dad gave them to me after she died."
"They're beautiful, all of them, I didn't realize you were that good," Derek admitted.
"Well, you've never seen my artwork, how could you know?"
Derek remained silent as he studied them. He finally turned back to her and steered her toward the door. "Come on, I think you burnt the popcorn."
"Oh shit," Scarlet exclaimed as she raced ahead of him to get downstairs. Derek smiled and followed after her. Scarlet pratically flew into the kitchen and threw open the microwave, the stench of burnt popcorn was overwhelming. "Man, and that was the last bag!"
"We don't have to have popcorn," Derek told her as he came into the room. He opened the window over the sink and flapped his arms around trying to direct the smoke toward the window.
"I didn't have dinner, and I have a feeling you haven't eaten either," Scarlet explained. She ran a hand through her hair and opened the fridge. "All we have is cereal and eggs."
"You are in luck, I love cereal," Derek said as he reached around her and pulled the milk out. Scarlet smiled sheepishly before opening the cabinet and raising up on her toes to try and get the box. Derek came up behind her and put a hand on her back as he pulled it down for her. She turned before Derek could move back and quickly kissed him.
"Thank you, for coming over and putting up with me being crazy," Scarlet said softly.
"Anytime, besides its better than sitting at my house, I don't even have power right now," Derek explained. "Bowls?"
Scarlet pulled down the bowls and let Derek fix their cereal. She hopped up onto the counter and picked up her bowl. "Oh, spoons," she said as she set the bowl back down and leaned over to open a drawer. She pulled out two spoons and passed one to Derek. "So, what do you want to do?"
"What do you normally do on Friday night," Derek asked.
Scarlet considered saying something flippant along the lines of shotgunning beers and tipping cows, but she decided against it. "Depends, during the summer I spent most of them with Jackson. Before that, Scott, Stiles, and I usually hung out and watched movies or something."
A strange look passed over his face at the mention of Jackson, but Scarlet chose to ignore it. If he had a problem he could say something about it, she wasn't going to make it an issue. "Movie it is," Derek said as he finished his cereal. He rinsed out his bowl and put it in the dishwasher. He waited for her to finish before doing the same with her bowl and spoon.
Scarlet took his hand and led him into the living room. They settled onto the sofa and she handed him the remote. "You pick," she said as she rested against him. Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders and that was how they stayed until Scarlet fell asleep a few hours later.
Derek gently scooped her up and carried her upstairs. He tucked her into bed, pressing a kiss to her cheek, before leaving the room.
...
Stiles burst into her room the next morning, shocking her awake. "You have to come with us," he demanded as he raced around the room trying to find her some shoes.
Scarlet groaned as she sat up and stared at him in confusion. "What is going on?"
"Come on, we have to hurry or we will miss it! Scott is already outside!"
"Miss what," Scarlet demanded as she climbed out of bed. She stayed in the sweatpants and tanktop she had on last night, but grabbed a jacket and pulled on the shoes Stiles was holding out.
"We found the other half of that dead body, at Derek Hale's house," Stiles explained.
"What," Scarlet cried as she stared at him. "Are you saying Derek murdered her?"
"It certainly looks that way," Stiles said as he grabbed her arm and drug her down the stairs. They quickly climbed into the jeep and took off. It didn't take long for them to get to Derek's house. Scarlet immediately leapt out of the jeep and stared around frantically.
They had gotten there just in time to see Derek being led out of the house in handcuffs. "Oh god," Scarlet mumbled as she met Derek's gaze. He looked furious with her and she didn't understand why.
Scarlet and Scott both noticed that Stiles was creeping toward the police car Derek was sitting in. "What is he doing," Scarlet said as she took a step forward.
Scott grabbed her arm and tried to stop her. "Scarlet, he's dangerous, Derek could hurt you."
Scarlet jerked away from him and glanced around as she made a beeline toward the car, she noticed that her dad was approaching and paused. He pulled the door open and yanked Stiles out. Scarlet was praying that they would move far enough away from the car that she would have a chance to get in it, but no such luck. She stared at Derek through the window but he wouldn't look back at her.
Stiles grabbed her arm as he came by her and pulled her back over to the jeep. "What the hell did you two do," Scarlet demanded as soon as they got in the jeep.
"What are you so mad about," Stiles asked.
"Tell me what you did!"
"We found the other half of the body! Derek had it buried right next to the house, he obviously killed her!"
"Do you know who it was," Scarlet asked.
"What," Scott asked as he twisted around to look at her.
"The dead girl, do you know who it was?"
"No, why would we?"
Scarlet leaned back and shook her head, she would put money on it being Derek's sister. She ignored Scott and Stiles as they started searching the internet for something. It wasn't until Scott shouted that she looked at them.
"Stop saying werewolves, stop enjoying this so much!"
"Are you ok," Stiles asked.
"NO, no I'm not, I'm so far from being ok," Scott cried.
Scarlet leaned into the front seat and noticed the pained look on his face. "Scott, what's wrong?"
"Look you're going to have to accept this Scott, sooner or later," Stiles replied.
"I can't."
"Well you're gonna have to," Stiles cried.
"No, I can't breathe," Scott exclaimed. He slammed his hand against the roof of the jeep. Scarlet leaned further into the front and grabbed his bag searching for his inhaler.
"It's not in here Scott, where is your inhaler?"
"Pull over," Scott ordered.
"Why? What's happening?"
Scott opened Stiles' notebook and Scarlet saw the rope and tiny purple flowers that were inside. "You kept it," Scott demanded.
"What was I supposed to do with it," Stiles asked.
"What is it," Scarlet interrupted.
"Stop the car," Scott roared his eyes flashing gold. Scarlet jerked away from him and Stiles scrambled out of the jeep throwing the backpack as far away as he could.
Scarlet glanced at Scott but the door to the jeep was standing open and he was gone. "Stiles," she called.
"Ok, we're good you can," Stiles trailed off as he noticed.
"Get in the jeep," Scarlet cried as she climbed into the front seat.
"We have to find him," Stiles replied.
"Stiles, he is dangerous right now, he has no control whatsoever. He could hurt us and not realize it! We have to go!"
Stiles got back in the jeep and continued to drive, he called dispatch after a few minutes but that got them nowhere. "You better hope she doesn't tell dad about that," Scarlet muttered.
"Why are you acting like this? What is your problem?"
"Derek is trying to help Scott and what do you two do? Get him arrested! He's not the one that bit Scott, and that girl you found was most likely his sister, who was recently murdered. That's why Derek is here, to find her! You two have probably ruined any chance he has of finding out what happened to her."
"Why are you defending him?"
"I just am ok," Scarlet snapped. They drove over to Scott's house, but there was no sign of him. "Can we go home please?"
"Fine," Stiles snapped.
"Why are you acting like this?"
"Why are you," Stiles shot back.
"You shouldn't have gotten involved."
"You should tell me why you are so mad."
"Its between Scott and I," Scarlet cried. "Look, telling you is only going to make you mad!"
They had pulled up to the house and Scarlet leapt out of the jeep. She stormed toward the front door and threw it open.
"Just tell me, we tell each other everything," Stiles cried as he followed after her.
"No, Stiles."
"Yes, Scarlet."
"I said no Stiles, it doesn't matter. What it was, is over now and it's not going to happen again, it doesn't matter."
"It matters to me," Stiles replied. Scarlet turned around on the stairs and looked at him. The look on his face was killing her. She didn't keep things from him, they didn't have secrets from one another.
"You can't say anything until I'm done talking," Scarlet warned him. She sat down on the stairs and waited until he had joined her. Then she told him, about her relationship with Scott, and with Jackson, and about what was going on with Derek.
"You have to be kidding me," Stiles whispered. "You are Derek's... what his mate?"
"I don't know, I guess."
"Well that explains why you were so upset this morning."
"Stiles he's not as bad as you think, he's really not. That first night in the woods, he was the one that found me and helped me find my way out, he was here last night, he's been... he's really great Stiles. I wish that you and Scott could see that."
"I highly doubt that," Stiles replied.
"You don't believe that he didn't kill that girl do you?"
"No, I don't. I also think he bit Scott."
"Stiles," Scarlet groaned. She ran her hands through her hair and stared into the kitchen. The cereal that she and Derek had been eating was still sitting on the counter. "Oh god, he was here last night, he must think that I knew what you and Scott were doing! He thinks I had something to do with it!"
"Wait, what?"
"This morning, when they were putting Derek in the police car and he looked at me and he was so angry, Stiles. He thinks that I helped you guys by inviting him over here! God, this is awful," Scarlet exclaimed. "I have to go talk to him."
Scarlet started toward the door, grabbing the keys as she went. Stiles leapt up and raced after her. "You can't, dad is at the station, how are you going to explain that to him?"
"I have to talk to him," Scarlet replied.
"Fine, go during the game tonight, dad will be there, most of the town will be there, it will be easy to get in. Just tell them you need to get something out of dad's office and sneak into the back."
"That's actually a really good idea."
"You don't like lacrosse anyway."
"That's very true, no offense."