AN: I want EVERY one to thank my NEW Beta! gawjus! Be glad people no more dealing with my terrible mistakes!

Stiles The Teen Wolf

Episode Nine: Wolf's Bane

Stiles' ears were ringing with the sirens of the police cars he knew were chasing Derek. It had been such a stupid mistake! They had the Alpha in their sights, they were right on his tail and then came the Hunters. Shots were fired instantly and the police was called about the gun shots and when they spotted Derek, Stiles was pushed away.

"Get to the car!" Derek had shouted.

"It's at the hospital Derek!"

The older wolf's blue eyes glowed as he glared. Tossing the keys at Stiles who caught them easily. "Then run fast!"

When he did find Derek's Camaro, he had also found Scott, waiting outside the hospital for his mother's shift to end. One look at Stiles and Scott was in the passenger seat of the Camaro with his phone in his hand telling his mother that Stiles would drive him home. Stiles didn't argue, simple took off towards the sounds of the sirens. Along the way they picked up a Hunter tail. He even knew who the tail was. Kate Argent.

The police radio he snagged from his father months ago let him know exactly where Derek was and how to get to him, so that's where Stiles was headed, only sparing a second of thought when their pursuer didn't follow. Still, it didn't matter, Stiles needed to get to Derek before the Hunters or the cops did.

It was almost perfect timing when they caught up to Derek while he was being shot at by Chris Argent.

Scott pushed the door open and scrambled into the back seat while Stiles kept his eyes on the road, waiting for Derek to get in. When the older wolf was in the Camaro, Stiles took off like a rocket.

"What part of 'lay low' don't you understand?!" Scott yelled while Derek slammed an open hand on the dashboard.

"Damn it! I had him!"

"The Alpha?" Scott asked from the back seat, pushing himself between the front seats to look from Stiles to Derek.

"Yes! He was right in front of me and the freaking Hunters showed up! Then the freaking police!" Derek fumed in the passenger's seat, looking around like he couldn't settle on one thing to focus on.

"Derek, they were just doing their jobs." Stiles could feel the glare Derek sent him, but he kept his focus on the road.

"Yeah." Derek snorted. "Thanks to someone who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the state!" His glare went from Stiles to Scott, who sat back with a wince.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, can we seriously get passed that? I made a dumbass mistake, I get it." Scott muttered, but both the wolves in the car ignored it. Scott had made his apologizes days ago. Stiles had accepted, and their relationship even out, turning into an uneasy shadow of what it had been before. Even Derek had sat and listened as Scott apologized, though the bigger wolf had only nodded silently.

"Alright, alright. Can we focus here! Last time Derek spoke to Laura she was close to figuring something out. What was it Derek?" Stiles glanced at Derek for a moment, taking in his distress, his anxiety, and his frustration."

Derek's eyes went from Stiles to Scott and back again, but Stiles only snorted in annoyance while in the back seat, Scott groaned. "Derek, I know I haven't been the most trustworthy bastard in this situation, but can we please start trying to fix this thing? The Alpha is a threat to the whole town and Stiles, my mom, and yeah okay, Allison too, is in danger. There would be no reason for me to betray you guys now."

Derek didn't really look impressed and Stiles wasn't going to chime in with anything, so with a brief tilt of his head, Derek started in with the explanation. "The first was a guy named Harris."

That caught both Scott and Stiles by surprise. "Our chemistry teacher?" Stiles asked staring at Derek in disbelief. "Why him?"

Derek sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't know yet!"

"What was the second?" Scott hedged from the back.

At this, Derek scrambled for his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and opening it up. "This. It's some kind of symbol." The second Scott's eyes landed on it, both Derek and Stiles felt his pulse rise.

"What?" Derek asked, sharing a glance with Stiles before they both looked at Scott who pulled further into the back seat. "You've seen this before?"

"I've seen it…" Scott edged with a guilty swallow. "On a necklace."

Stiles took his eyes off the road to stare Scott down, grabbing Derek's hand and putting it on the steering wheel so Derek could focus on driving while Stiles tried to get Scott to talk. It didn't take very long before Scott swore under his breath and grit his teeth. "Allison's necklace."

They all swore as Stiles turned back to the road focusing on driving. Derek's hand fell to his leg but he didn't complain as silence pushed its way into the Camaro. Stiles dropped Scott off with a nod goodbye before he drove the Camaro to the Hale house.

"Do you think we can get Scott to get the necklace from Allison?" Stiles asked quietly, not moving from the Camaro though he did turn it off.

Derek groaned in frustration. "Stiles, I'm more worried about why one of Laura's clues was Allison Argent's necklace. What was Laura doing here after all these years away? What was she so close to figuring out?"

Derek's heavy breaths reflected the frustration just as much as his scent did. Stiles did the only thing he could think of. He undid his seat belt and leaned over to press his lips to Derek's cheek. He wasn't surprised when Derek jerked in response.

"Derek, we'll figure this out. You aren't in this alone anymore remember? We'll get the necklace from Allison and put the pieces together. The why, the how, what, when, where, everything. We'll figure it out."

Stiles was actually surprised when he felt Derek start to relax.

"Yeah. I know." Without warning, Derek's hand came to the back of Stiles' neck and the awkward wolf was pulled into a chaste kiss. Stiles couldn't help smiling against Derek's lips before they both pulled away. "Come on then, I'll walk you back home. The cops will be looking for the Camaro and your dad's kind of leading the search party."

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"This is going to be impossible I hope you know that."

Yeah, Stiles did know, but they didn't have any other chose really, so…

"Why don't you just ask her if you can borrow it?" It sounded so stupid even as it came out but Stiles had to push. This was about more than just wanting both Derek and himself safe, this was about stopping the murders in Beacon Hills and keeping the whole town safe.

Scott rolled his eyes. "How?"

Stiles didn't miss a beat. "It's easy. Just say 'Hey, Allison. Can I borrow your necklace? To see if there's anything on it? Or in it? That could lead us to an Alpha werewolf in order to keep the town and my werewolf best friend safe? You included?'."

"Stiles." Scott interrupted. "You're not helping."

"Look." Stiles was at a loss to be honest. He wasn't even sure if Allison and Scott were still friends, but this was all about priorities. "Why don't you just talk to her?"

Scott looked miserable and Stiles felt for him. "She won't talk to me." They walk through the halls trying to keep their voices down, but no one is paying attention. Not surprising or unusual. "What if she only takes it off in the shower or something?"

"That's why you need to ease back into it okay? Get back on her good side, remind her of the good times. Then you ask for the necklace." Stiles caught the scent before he really registered the look on Scott's face, but in an instant he knew exactly what was running through his friend's mind. He slapped Scott's arm and grit the accusation out. "You're thinking about her in the shower aren't you?"

Scott sighed and looked away in guilt and Stiles huffed in frustration. He should have known Scott wouldn't completely change, even after the apologies. But this he could deal with, it was just normal teenage hormones.

"Stay focused okay? Get the necklace, me and Derek get the Alpha, you may even get her back. In that order. Got it?"

Stiles backed away, heading for first period as Scott nodded his head along like a puppy.

Stiles felt grateful for a second. Scott was willing to help, they were going to be okay and their friendship would withstand this little werewolf test. At least, he hoped it would, he really liked Scott.

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"Jackson thinks I'm a werewolf!"

Stiles reeled back at the sudden onslaught and it actually took a moment before the words registered, but when they did, Stiles was on the Freak-Out train right alongside Scott.

"What?!"

"Jackson knows about werewolves and he thinks I'm one! Stiles he said he knew what I was and told me to get whatever it was for him too so he could be one or he would tell Allison everything!" Scott's eyes were wide and panicked and Stiles could feel his own panic set in.

"How did he find out?! Did he say it out loud? Did he say the word Werewolf? Did he say 'I know you're a Werewolf'?"

"No." Scott bit out. "But he implied it freaking clearly."

Stiles tried to breathe through the panic so he could hold onto his tenuous control. He was pretty much on the edge of one of his famous panic attacks until something accrued to him. "Wait! Maybe it's not as bad as it seems. He thinks you're the werewolf. He doesn't have any proof, he has it wrong, and who would even believe him anyways?"

Scott's expression told Stiles just how much the human wanted to hit him. "How about Allison's father?"

And now Stiles was over the edge of panic. "Okay, this is bad."

"I need to know what to do Stiles! I'm not even what he thinks I am, how am I going to convince him of that if he'll just think I'm lying?" Scott was talking but Stiles was already too far gone into his own mind.

"Okay, does he know about Allison's father?"

"I don't know." Scott sighed.

Stiles was already running ideas through his head, but he couldn't seem to settle on just one. "I have another idea but it's going to take some time to finesse though."

"We have that game tonight." Scott reminded him. "It's the quarter finals and it's your first game."

Stiles rolled his neck and groaned. He knew already that he wasn't going to be making that game one way or another. "I know, I know. Look, you have a plan for Allison yet?"

Scott shook his head and shrugged. "She's in my next class."

Not exactly what Stiles wanted to hear, but he'd take it. "Alright. Get the necklace." He slapped at his friend's chest before making his way out. He needed to trust that Scott would get this done, because Stiles really needed to figure out how he was going to pull his plan off.

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Everything was slowly falling apart. Jackson spent all day trying to antagonize Scott using Allison and Stiles was forced to bear witness. Jacksons' monologue about what he would do to Allison and his break up with Lydia Martin by text. He was so glad that Scott couldn't hear Jackson, though Stiles was forced to give him some tidbits when Scott pushed.

Stiles had told Scott to steel the necklace since they weren't going to get it any other way, but he wasn't sure how he expected his best friend to do that.

The best part of his day came when he got home. Walking directly into his house he could smell Derek, the scent calming his fried nerves and reminding him with more certainty that he wasn't in this alone either.

Stiles rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a time to get to his room quicker. Once there he looked around for Derek only to find the older wolf behind the door.

He didn't notice his father calling out his name, but he did notice that when he called out Derek's, the wolf's eyes turned panicked he put a finger up to his lips before glaring and pointing out the open door. Stiles realized what he did when he heard his father coming closer.

"Dad!" He called out, coming to the door and blocking the way in with his body.

"What'd you say?" Sheriff John Stilinski was not stupid on his worst days, and today was not even a bad day, so he'd caught what his son had said, he was just willing to give the kid an out if he wanted to take it. John had been edgy about what relationship Stiles and Derek Hale shared ever since the night at the school that led to Derek becoming a prime suspect in the murder cases around Beacon Hills. Still, he wasn't ready to have any kind of conversation with his son regarding any of that.

"I said...Yo dad." Stiles had guilt all over his face and he knew his dad could call bullshit at any moment, which is why he was endlessly grateful with when man didn't.

John shrugged before starting to speak. "Hey, listen, I have something I've got to take care of but…um…I'm going to be there tonight." Stiles looked confused, which prompted his dad to elaborate. "I mean, your first game."

Yeah, my first game that I'm not even going to. Stiles thought bitterly, but managed to keep a straight face as he lied to his dad. "Oh yeah, my first game. That's great! Awesome…ugh. Good." Oh god, this conversation was like an admittance of guilt or something. It was a confection to every lie he'd ever told his father since this whole werewolf thing started. Good thing his father either chose to ignore or just didn't pick up on any of it.

John smiled though, it was such a fatherly thing that Stiles winced on the inside. "I'm very happy for you." John said, "And I'm very proud of you."

Oh my god! Just lock me in a coffin of Nails! It would me so much less painful than this conversation! Lay on the thick coating of guilt to it, why not. "Yeah!" Stiles said instead. "Me too. I'm happy and proud. Of myself." For fucking everything up and failing at catching one damn Alpha, and lying and getting into trouble and making everyone worry…I have nothing to be proud of.

The conversation went in circles after that, so when John came in for a hug, Stiles was more than happy to shut the hell up and hug it out.

When his dad left, Stiles had to take a deep breath and sighed heavily before he pushed his door open again to face Derek.

The second he had the door closed, Derek had him held against it. One hand was fisted on the front of stiles jacket while the other cupped the back of his neck. He wasn't even aware of what was happening as Derek laid multiple little kisses on his lips.

"Don't. Say. One. Word." Derek said, punctuating each one with a kiss. Stiles honestly didn't mine but the sarcasm slipped out of him like water from the leaky faucet.

"What?" Stiles managed to pull back enough to grin. "Like: 'Hey dad, Derek Hale's in my room. Bring your gun.'?" Derek's growl in reply was actually kind of sexy, but he did pull back to stare Stiles in the face.

"You smelt like guilt. Regret. Sadness. I just didn't-" Stiles stopped him with a light kiss before smiling a little wider.

"Hey, no feeling guilty in here Derek. If I'm harboring your fugitive ass it's my house, my rules. Alright?" Derek had enough on his plate, he didn't need to worry about Stiles on top of everything else. Not that Stiles was naïve enough to believe that Derek would ever stop worrying, but it was worth a try. Their relationship since the last full moon had been nothing but comfort and touches and kisses. It was so innocent, nothing like he'd first believed a relationship with Derek could be. If this actually was a relationship. Admittedly, they had never talked it out.

Is it because I'm afraid he's playing me, or just because of everything else going on? What are we going to be like when we don't have death and threat hanging over our heads? Is it ever going to work between us when everything finally calms down?

Stiles pushed his thoughts away as Derek backed off a bit, letting Stiles push himself off the bedroom door. He straightened the jacket he had fisted before and rolled his eyes when Stiles went to straight his too with a smirk.

Stiles fell onto his computer chair without an ounce of grace, but he was grinning as Derek once again rolled his eyes and smiled.

"So is Scott going to get the necklace?" Derek asked, throwing his hands into his jacket pockets in an attempt to not lay a hand on Stiles' neck. Derek had a fascination with doing that Stiles noticed. Squeezing the back of his neck, laying a hand there, or even sometimes just holding him like that. Was it a wolf thing? Stiles wasn't even going to pretend like he didn't enjoy it though.

"No. He's still working on it. But there's something else we can try." Stiles had actually been going through the ideas in his head all day, and he was sort of dying to get it out there. "The night we were trapped at the school, Scott sent a text to Allison asking her to meet him there."

Derek new how much Stiles enjoyed the explanation parts of a mystery, so he played along with a small smile. "So?"

"So it wasn't Scott who sent it." Stiles grinned now.

"Well how are we going to find out who sent it? Can you?" Derek looked skeptical and at his look Stiles sighed.

"No not me. But I think I know somebody who can."

Derek's skeptical look didn't fade and it really only got worse when the person in question finally got to Stiles house.

Other than trading pleasantries, Danny's first words to him were: "You want me to do what?"

Instantly Stiles knew this was going to be harder than he had anticipated. "Trace a text." Stiles almost pleaded. He had enough dignity not to actually beg though.

"I came here to do lab work." Danny insisted. "That's what lab partners do." He wouldn't even sit down so Stiles was stuck looking up at him.

"And we will, once you trace the text." Stiles ran a hand over his short hair, almost growling in a mix of amusement and frustration.

"And what makes you think I know how?"

Stiles actually felt a little guilty now, but he wasn't about to lie so he stumbled over the truth. "I actually…I looked up your arrest report. So…"

Danny looked incredulous. "I was thirteen. They dropped the charges." Stiles just shrugged at that, raising his eyebrows and muttering an unheard 'I know.' Before Danny started to speak again, almost angry. "No. We're doing lab work."

Stiles sighed and turned to his computer, feeling like a failure as Danny pulled up a stool to sit beside him. He could feel Derek's eyes at his back as he resigned himself to school work.

He knew Danny noticed Derek's presence upon entering the room, but it was just then, when Stiles had resigned himself to lab work that Danny finally pointed out the fact that he did see Derek. A soft "Who's he again?" Made Stiles freeze before he stumbled over his words.

"Um...My cousin." He said, honestly not thinking any of these answers out before saying them. "Miguel." What the hell Stiles? Miguel? Does Derek even look like a Miguel?! He could feel Derek's eyes burn a glare at the back of his head but that had honestly been the first thing to pop into his head. He swore to god it wasn't his fault.

"Is that blood on his shirt?"

Holy shit when had Danny become so observant?

Stiles had to struggle for an answer to that one too. "Yeah. Yeah. Well, he gets these horrible nose bleeds." He almost feared what he was about to do now. "Hey Miguel." He called out stupidly. He turned to look at Derek, hoping the larger wolf would please god, play along. "I thought I told you, you could borrow one of my shirts?" He was trying so hard to communicate with his eyes, though he doubted he needed to try so hard, Derek could probably smell his anxiety, his apology and his edgy desperation.

Stiles could feel Derek's glare to his bones and it was honestly scary, still there was nothing to do but steamroll his way out of this with some positive outcome. Right?

When Derek throw the book he was reading to Stiles' bed and stood up to pull his shirt over his head, even Stiles had to take a second to watch the expands of Derek's back bunch and dip with the movements of his muscles. He could smell his own arousal and if he could, so could Derek. With a blush, he turned back to Danny and started talking to hopefully cover up the awkwardness. Danny thought Stiles and Derek were cousins after all, what would he think of Stiles popping a boner for his cousin?

"So, Danny. We both know you have the skills to trace this text, so why don't you just-" he was interrupted with the harsh bark of Derek's voice calling his name. He covered up his little jump rather well as he turned back to look at Derek.

Derek held one of Stiles shirt between his hands as he radiated annoyance. "This? No fit." He was biting out his words so viciously that Stiles would have thought Derek was embarrassed, if Stiles didn't know Derek well enough to know that nudity wasn't really an issue with the bigger lifelong wolf.

"Then try something else on." Stiles tried to sooth at Derek's annoyance with soft words and a pleading look. It seemed to do the trick, but as he turned back to Danny, he was stopped again. He wasn't smelling just his own arousal, he realized that now as he got a whiff of Danny's.

There was a second, one very long second of anger and jealousy as it burned through his system, but then he realized something else. He could use this. He could get Danny to trace the text, and he could do it by using Derek.

I am so sorry… Stiles amended in his head, before he sucked up all of his own annoyances and jealousies to buff Derek up to Danny.

"Hey, that looks pretty good, right? What do you think Danny?" God he felt Derek's questioning anger like sweat on his skin. Sticky and uncomfortable, but he couldn't go back on this now, especially with the way Danny looked at Derek from under his lashes.

Danny had to swallow as his voice broke, and that just made Stiles want to rip the other teen's throat out. Calm down Stiles. This is for the greater good. A sacrifice that must be made. Yeah, that's what this is. Just play along. I am so sorry Derek.

"It's...not really his color." Danny's words had Derek huffing and pulling the shirt over his head again. Just like the last time, both he and Danny stared at Derek's chest. Honestly he just wanted to punch Danny in the face, but he settled for mocking him.

"You swing for a different team, but you still play ball, don't you Danny-boy." He tried really head to keep his tone light and he actually managed a smile when he succeeded.

"You're a horrible person." Danny retorted with no real heat in his voice. Stiles managed to hide his grin as he smelled Danny's embarrassment.

"I know. It keeps me awake at night. Anyways, about that text-"

Again, Stiles was cut off by Derek's bark of "Stiles!" followed by "None of these fit."

Well no duh genius. Stiles thought with a grin. Look at all that rippling muscle, how do you expect to fit into anything? You should just walk around shirtless. He didn't say any of this out loud though. Derek was downright sexy. He had virtually no body hair except for a very thin happy trail from his navel to the waistband of his jeans and Stiles was sure he was going to drool. In fact, so was Danny, who instantly caved.

"I'll need to ISP the phone number and the exact time of text."

The second Danny started, Stiles could have cheered as he gave up his seat to the genius hacker.

He stood and went to Derek, going through his drawers for a shirt that would fit Derek. He spoke quietly though, so Danny wouldn't hear him.

"God Derek you're freaking hot. If Danny wasn't right there I think I would have jumped your bones." He grinned when Derek choked, but his cheeks were red too and he was panting a little. It felt so good to know that Derek was his. For however long that would be, Derek had kissed, hugged, comforted, he'd treated Stiles like the awkward teen was important. Everything about Derek was just smoldering hot.

"Here you go big guy." Stiles pulled out a dark gray t-shirt and winked at Derek who nearly growled in response, but Stiles could smell Derek's arousal now too, mixing with his own and Danny's. It was a good thing Danny was here, actually, or everything could have gotten so much more complicated.

Stiles and Derek actually avoided looking at each other for the rest of the time it took Danny to trace the text, though they did trade glances when they figured out where the text can come from.

A computer at the hospital under the account name: Melissa McCall.

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After Danny left, Stiles and Derek rallied up and drove to the hospital. There was an argument the whole way there going back and forth about what to do concerning Scott's mom and whether or not Scott should be told. Stiles didn't think so but Derek did.

"Seriously Derek, there is nothing he can do and I know Melissa isn't the Alpha or a werewolf or being controlled, or whatever. It was something using her name. I've known this woman for most of my life, plus I'd be able to smell it on her."

"Fine, but if something goes wrong and it is her, it's going to hurt Scott even more than if he were expecting it."

Stiles glowered. "When would anyone be expecting to be sold out to a murderer by this mother? Besides, it wasn't her."

Derek sighed. "Maybe not Stiles, but if I were Scott I would want to know. Hiding things never worked out for you two in the past has it?"

With a dirty look Stiles relented. "No. It hasn't." just then, his phone chimed with the notification for a picture message from Scott. The necklace was easy to recognize and so what Scott's callused palms. "He managed to get the necklace." Stiles told Derek as he pressed the call button.

It didn't even ring twice before Scott answered.

"Did you get the picture?"

Stiles nodded, though he knew Scott couldn't see him. "Yeah, I did. And it looks just like the drawing."

Stiles felt Derek's hand wrap around his wrist and pull the phone from his ear and towards Derek's instead. He was actually just surprised that Derek didn't take just the phone. Still, the grip was tight and the angle painful, but he suffered in silence as Derek spoke.

"Hey, is there something on the back of it? There's got to be something. An inscription, an opening, something!"

"No." Scott answered. "No. The thing is flat and no it doesn't open. There's nothing in it, on it, around it, nothing. And where are you? You're supposed to be here, your first line." The coach's voice filtered through the speakers for a second before Scott was back. "Listen, you're not going to play if you aren't here to start."

Stiles sighed. He felt like cursing and weeping at the same time but they didn't have the time for it. "I know. I know. Look…" He grabbed uselessly in his mind for words, but he didn't really know what to say. "If you see my dad can you just...just tell him I'll be there, I'll just be a little bit late. Okay?"

"Yeah Stiles but-" He didn't let Scott finish.

"Okay. Thanks." He said before ending the call and putting his phone away.

Derek stared at him with an unreadable look. "You aren't going to make it." It was so matter-of-fact that it frustrated Stiles.

"I know." He breathed.

"And you didn't tell him about his mom either." Derek pointed out, to which Stiles closed his eyes and debated slamming his head against the steering wheel. Instead he leaned over and laid it on Derek's shoulder.

Derek's didn't push him away, in fact, he carded his hands through Stiles' short hair and kissed his forehead. It wasn't weird anymore. Wasn't awkward to show these little tid-bits of affection. And that more than anything else, was weird.

"Not till we find out the truth." Stiles insisted as he took in Derek's scent.

When he was ready to go into the hospital, he took his head off Derek's shoulders and sighed, forcing his body to relax as he laid his hand on the door handle.

"By the way, one more thing." Derek said, distracting Stiles who turned to him and a soft 'yeah'.

In a move so fast that Stiles' wolf sight didn't see coming, Derek grabbed the back of his neck and jerked his face forward, slamming the steering wheel harshly with it.

"OH GOD!" Stiles screamed holding his face where the burst of pain rippled. "What the hell was that-"

Derek didn't even sound apologetic. "You KNOW what that was for. Now go."

Stiles was still holding his face, apparently not moving fast enough for Derek as the older wolf barked out another 'GO!'.

He made his way out of the car with a deep frown and muttered curses, but not before hearing Derek snort in amusement. Damn werewolf jackass! So what if I can heal, that shit still hurts like hell! Didn't matter though, he did sort of deserve it after using Derek to get Danny to do what he wanted.

He grumbled to himself the whole way into the hospital, which was mostly empty not including the nice reception lady who smiled at Stiles when he walked in.

"How can I help you?" She asked politely.

When he asked for Melissa McCall, the receptionist said that she'd finished her shift today but they hadn't been able to get a hold of her since then, and would he like to ask for another nurse? He declined and made his way inside, to the room where he knew Derek's uncle was being kept. Derek had brought him to see Peter before.

He called Derek on his way there.

"Did you talk to her?" Derek said, in Lou of a 'hello'. Stiles rolled his eyes.

"No, they said they can't find her." He answered.

"Well ask for Jennifer. She's been looking after my uncle."

But Stiles was already ahead of him on that one. He rounded the corner, coming to the room where Peter Hale was kept, only to find the room empty of both nurse and patient.

Stiles was at first confused and then frustrated. "Yeah, well he's not here either."

"What?" Derek asked to which Stiles bumped his forehead with a closed fist.

"He's not here. He's gone Derek."

What he wasn't expecting, was Derek's panic on the other line. "Stiles! Get out of there! Get out of there right now! It's him! He's the Alpha, get out!"

The dread creped in show, admittedly slower than he would have liked, but just as he backed out of the room, he caught Peter's scent and turned to face the man whose face was half scared from the fire that had killed most of his family.

"You must be Stiles." Peter said, just as Stiles started walking backwards, ready to run. He was a new wolf, he couldn't fight; he could barely beat Derek. If he went up against an Alpha, he wouldn't live to tell the tale. But he was stopped by the nurse, Jennifer who reprimanded him.

"What are you doing here, visiting hours are over."

Stiles was so turned around he couldn't even get full sentences out as he tried to align the pieces that apparent Derek already had. "You." He said pointing to Jennifer. "And him." He continued pointing to Peter. "You…You're the one who…" He couldn't even think straight. The fear was crawling into his bones now. "Oh my…and he's the…Oh my god I'm going to die." He ran his hand over his hair and internally panicked. He was alone, Derek was outside, and he was toe to toe with an Alpha and a weird ass nurse who didn't really fit in at all. "I'm going to die."

He believed that right up until he caught Derek's scent, right before the older wolf elbowed Jennifer in the face.

Stiles was about to call out for Derek when Peter's voice interrupted him. "That's not nice. She's my nurse." God he sounded nuts.

"She's a psychotic bitch who's helping you kill people." He said to Peter, before briefly looking at Stiles. "Get out of the way."

Stiles sighed out a curse before getting down to the floor. He was too close to Peter, the Alpha who bit him. If he took part in this fight, he could be fighting against Derek instead of with him, Stiles knew this just as well as Derek did.

"You think I meant to kill Laura? My own family?" Peter said as he walked forward, only to be met with Derek's glowing blue eyes and growing claws and fangs.

Stiles watched as Derek went at Peter with all he had. Still, Peter was stronger, and it became obvious as he slammed Derek to the wall, jarring Derek's senses. Stiles felt the rage in his bones, the want to stand up and fight by Derek's side. Stiles pulled himself to a crouch as he thought about it. Alphas are weak without a pack. He may be Peter's Beta, but they aren't a pack, Derek is pack. He has to protect pack.

He's surging up ready to strike when he hears Peter start to talk.

"My mind, my personality were literally burned out of me. I've been driven by pure instinct."

Stiles snorted, watching the battle from his place behind the reception desks. For some reason this felt more personal now. It didn't feel like a fight for life or death, it felt like a family problem, something he hated thinking about, but knew he couldn't interrupt it now.

"You want forgiveness?" Derek threw a right hook and caught Peter in the jaw, before he kicked at Peter's chest, but it didn't even move the Alpha.

"I want a little understanding." Peter stated simply as he used Derek's failed kick to toss the Beta back. "Do you have any idea what it was like for me all those years?" He walked slowly to Derek who was bleeding. Stiles could smell the blood. "Slowly healing cell by cell. Even more slowly coming into consciousness. Becoming Alpha, taking that from Laura, pushed by over the edge of the healing Plato. I can't help that."

Derek surged up again, trying to get at Peter again, but the Alpha dodged back. Every hit was blocked until Derek's arm was trapped in Peter's grip, sending him to the ground. "I tried to tell you." Peter insisted. "I tried to warn you."

Peter throw Derek over the reception decks breaking the glass and sending the Beta sprawling. Stiles was there in a second, pulling on Derek's arm and dragging him away.

"Get out of here Stiles." Derek grunted out, but Stiles scowled at him.

"Shut up. Shut up and try to stand dude, you're really heavy."

Derek growled back but together they found their way to an examination room. He leaned Derek up against silver cabinets before standing and facing Peter.

"We heard your sob story. Now what do you really want. Why are you killing people?" Stiles felt Derek's hands wrap around his calf, but he didn't back down. This wasn't about the family anymore, Derek was pack and he was losing. Stiles couldn't let it continue anymore.

"This is your only chance. You want to explain, then explain." Derek grunted out. Peter frowned but slowly, with Derek and Stiles both watching, the scar on Peter's face healed completely.

"The Hale fire." Peter stated like it explained everything. "Let me show you."