Three Words - Chapter 26

~A Teen Wolf fan-fiction collaboration between Miss E Charlotte and Sage Londyn~

After Teagan and Jackson answered all the cops questions, he stepped forward to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. He glanced over her head and saw a withdrawn Avery still leaning against a cop car and felt anger over take him.

He knew that Derek guy was bad news, just like he knew it was a bad idea to come to the school after Teagan received the text. Twice now he had almost lost Teagan because Avery put her in danger and he was tired of it.

When she heard his breathing pick up in anger, Teagan raised her head from his chest then turned her head to see what he was looking at. But when she saw her best friend trying to hold a sob back she felt her heart break for her.

She took a step back from Jackson's arms as she said, "I should go check on her. She's really upset."

"Good." Jackson snapped, then added, "this is all her fault."

"Don't say that. None of this is her fault." Teagan argued.

"This is twice you have almost died because of her." Jackson said, as he held up two fingers to get his point across.

Teagan shook her head as she said, "She didn't do anything, Jackson."

"True, she didn't technically do anything, but she was screwing the guy who did. We warned her about him, but she didn't listen cause she keeps hoping if she dates the resident bad boy then daddy dearest will finally notice her. Her recklessness is going to get us all killed and honestly I think she gets off on that. She enjoys all the attention, good or bad." Jackson said angrily.

"You don't know what the hell you are talking about. I can't believe you have known Avery all your life, yet you know nothing about her. She has got one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen and always goes above and beyond for her friends." Teagan argued, then added, "She has always been there for me and right now, I'm going to go be there for her; you can either come with me or just go home."

"Fine. But the next time she puts you in a life or death situation, don't expect me to come save your ass." Jackson snapped, as he turned around and walked toward his car.

He didn't really mean what he said, but he was just to pissed off at the moment to go back to her and apologize. Right now he just needed to get away and cool off.

Teagan wrapped her arms around herself and felt tears in her eyes as she watched him drive away. She couldn't believe he actually left but she wasn't going to think about that right now, right now she needed to be there for Avery.

She walked over to the blonde and wrapped an arm around her back, taking her by surprise, as she hugged her and said softly, "I'm sorry about Derek."

"I-I ju-just can't b-believe he-s g-gone." Avery choked out in between sobs.

"I'm sorry Avery, I'm so sorry." Teagan whispered, as she squeezed her tight.

Avery cried on her shoulder, she usually didn't break down in public but she was too heartbroken to care right now.

She couldn't believe just a few hours earlier she was in Derek's arms, kissing him and now he was gone. She had a few officers offer to take her home but she didn't want to move until they at least found Derek's body. If they couldn't find him, then maybe there was hope.

Teagan held on to her as she cried then when something caught her eye she turned her head to see Allison and Scott talking. From the looks of it, it seemed like they were breaking up and she couldn't help but wonder if that is what happened between her and Jackson a minute ago.

Were they breaking up or was it just a small fight and they would make up later? As much as she hated to admit it, she honestly didn't know which one she was hoping for right now.

Feeling all cried out, at least for now, Avery lifted her head from Teagan's shoulders as she glanced around and wiped the tears from her face.

When she realized someone was missing she looked over at Teagan and asked with a confused expression, "Where's Jackson? I figured he would be stuck to you like glue right now."

"He went home." Teagan answered softly, as she glanced down at the ground.

"Why? What's going on?" Avery asked.

"Nothing, everything is great." Teagan lied with a forced smile.

Avery, not buying it, opened her mouth to say something until Stiles walked over to them, asking them if they were ok.

Stiles looked over at Avery, planning to apologize to her for Scott throwing Derek under the bus but before he could say a word, she held up her hand to stop him.

"Have they found Derek's body yet?" Avery asked.

"They've found a body. They just don't know if it's Derek's or the janitor's." Stiles answered.

"If it's not Derek's then that means..."

"The alpha took him?" Teagan questioned, interrupting Avery.

"No. It means he's alive." Avery said.

Teagan and Stiles looked at each other with matching concerned expressions on their faces. It was clear to see that Avery was in denial.
Teagan wrapped an arm around Avery's shoulders for comfort, as Stiles took a step towards her and said carefully, "Avery, I'm sorry, but Derek's dead."

Avery shook her head as she said quietly for only them to hear, "He's a werewolf. He can heal."

"From a tiny scratch maybe, but that was more than a scratch. Blood was pouring out of his mouth remember?" Stiles argued.

Avery felt tears fill her eyes as the image of Derek's bloody body crossed her mind. Teagan shot Stiles a look; that was the last thing Avery needed to be reminded of.

Stiles quickly apologized for his comment then he and Teagan talked over each other as they went on about how maybe she was right and Derek would be ok.

Avery's knees buckled when she realized Stiles was right for the first time. Derek was dead. There was no way he could survive an injury like that.

Teagan tightened her hold on Avery as Stiles rushed to her other side to help hold her up.

"Does she need help?" A passing cop asked when he saw Avery almost fall.

"No, she's fine. We just need to get her home." Teagan answered.

"Are you sure? She looks like she's about to pass out." The cop said, as he looked at a very pale Avery.

Before Teagan or Stiles could say anything else, Stiles' dad walked over towards them to see what the problem was and sent the other cop away.

"Is she ok?" Sheriff Stilinski asked as he looked at Avery.

"I'm fine. I just want to go home." Avery said softly, as a few stray tears fell down her face.

"You girls are free to go anytime. But I did call your father and he's on the way if you want to wait a little longer." Sheriff Stilinski said to Teagan, then he looked at Avery as he said, "I tried to call yours but there was no answer."

"He's out of town on vacation." Avery answered.

Sheriff Stilinski frowned, he couldn't believe a father would leave town without his daughter, leaving her in a big house alone but then he remembered Stiles telling him stories about Avery and her home life and realized that maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised after all.

"You're staying with me tonight." Teagan said to her best friend.

"No, I want to go home." Avery argued. She just needed her room, where she and Derek had made so many memories together.

She just wanted to feel close to him again. That was all she wanted.

~()~

Avery thanked the officer that had driven her home after the school.

Both Teagan and Stiles wanted to come home with her and keep an eye on her, but she declined.

Most of the time when she told people she wanted to be alone, it was really to see if anyone would really see she wanted and needed comforting.

But this time she meant it, she didn't want to be around anyone.

They were all pretty sure that Derek was dead, after what the alpha did to him; could he still be a live?

And now everyone thought that her boyfriend had trapped them in the school trying to kill them; school was going to be blast once it reopened.

Avery opened her front door and walked inside as she shut the door behind her she leaned against it taking a deep breath.

Walking into the kitchen she eyed her dad's bottles of expensive liquor, but she couldn't even bring herself to take a drink of anything.

Right after they'd gotten in the school she was a crying mess, especially when Stiles and Scott were trying to figure out what to do and Stiles loudly told Scott that there wasn't any way Derek survived the alpha attack.

Then she'd managed to hold it together decently until Teagan showed up at the school.

Teagan had only had to take one look at her best friend to see something was really wrong, then Avery had broken down again so bad that she could barely even tell her about the alpha hurting Derek.

When Allison started questioning them about what happened, to avoid telling any version of the truth and outing himself as a werewolf, Scott lied and said that Derek had killed the janitor and now was trying to kill them too.

A part of her wanted to break down again, cry and get it all out while she was there by herself, but she couldn't feel much of anything now. A sort of numbness had set in.

After making it upstairs to her bedroom she pulled her clothes off and took a shower, she dried her hair and changed into a pair of dark red pajama shorts with skull and crossbones designs, and a black tank top.

Walking back into her bedroom, Avery pulled open a drawer to her dresser looking for a long sleeve jacket to put on but the drawer she opened had some of Derek's clothes in it.

Her breathing grew shallow and she looked over to her computer chair where the majority of his clothes; clean or dirty always seemed to end up.

Tears burnt her eyes as she looked around her room, there were little reminders of him everywhere. After all they'd been living in her room for months now.

She saw his cellphone charger plugged into the wall next to the bed and it felt like Derek was everywhere and nowhere all at the same time.

All of a sudden it occurred to her what her dad must have felt like when he lost her mom, she didn't understand why he'd never slept back in the master bedroom. But now she understood it, it was too painful.

Leaving her phone and everything else in her room she went down the hallway to an upstairs guest room.

Pulling the comforter back she climbed into the bed and closed her eyes trying to control her labored breathing, she eventually drifted off to sleep.

It was a few hours later that the sound of the bedroom door opening woke her up.

She groaned and slowly blinked her eyes open as she looked around the darkened room.

"Avery…" A familiar voice said softly.

She sat straight up in the bed her light brown eyes wide as she stared at Derek in shock.

"You're alive." She gasped as she jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms around him.

"The wound took a while to heal, I think because it was caused by an alpha." He admitted as he held her against him.

"I thought you were dead." She said, tears burning her eyes as she breathed in the subtle smell of his cologne.

"I'm okay." He assured her.

She didn't say anything just held tightly onto him, never wanting to let go.

"Are you alright?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"I think I am now." She said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

Moving over to the bed, she got in and scooted over so he could lay down beside her.

He wrapped an arm around her as she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes; smiling to herself at the steady beat of his heart.

It was over 30 minutes later when he raised his head and looked at her when he heard her heartbeat change slightly.

"I realized something today when I thought I'd really lost you." She admitted not raising her head from his chest.

"What's that?" He asked, his voice was soft as he laid his head back down on the pillow and looked up to the ceiling.

"I didn't think I'd be okay without you." She admitted.

Raising her head she looked at him, as he raised his head again and looked at her.

Their eyes locked and he heard her breathing grow a little shaky as her eyes were misty.

"I wouldn't be okay if I lost you; because I love you." She finally said.

He opened his mouth to say something but she didn't give him the chance too.

"I didn't tell you that because I don't expect you to say back or anything. And it's fine if you don't, but I've never felt this way about anyone before… and I had to tell you." She rambled, her heart rate increased from a slight fear that she might have just ruined everything.

She barely paused long enough before taking another breath and starting to continue her nervous ramblings. But he cut her off as he rose up and kissed her.

Pulling back his eyes searched her face for a few moments before he said, "I love you too."

"You do?" She asked, a small smile spreading over her lips.

"I do." He said, nodding as he pulled her back to his.

After the kiss she scooted down some and laid her head back down on his chest, as he put his arm around her again.

She laid her arm over his stomach and closed her eyes again; letting out a sigh of relief that he felt the same way about her.

A part of her wanted to jump up and run to her room, grab her phone and call Teagan to tell her; when Jackson and Teagan had first said the 3 big words to each other Teagan called to tell her as soon as she could.

But she didn't want to move out of his arms, she just wanted to keep laying in the silent room with him, listening to his beating heart as proof that he really was there with her.

~()~

It was early the next morning when Avery walked up onto Teagan's porch, she rang the doorbell and waited impatiently for someone to answer it.

Raising her fist she started to knock on the door, she could hear Aspen barking alerting them someone was there.

A few moments later the door opened and Paul, Teagan's dad answered it.

"Is everything okay, Avery?" He asked, groggily.

"Yeah, so sorry to wake you up. I just need to see Teagan." Avery called over her shoulder as she made her way up the stairs.

Paul shook his head as he yawned and shut the door, before heading back to his room to go back to sleep.

"T!" Avery happily exclaimed as she pounced on the bed with her.

Teagan's eyes popped open and she gasped as she sat up.

"You scared me to death!" Teagan yelled as she put a hand over her heart and laid back down breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry." Avery said sincerely, she was just so excited to see her friend and happy that they were talking again.

Teagan raised her head again and looked at Avery, "You… left your house in pajamas? You never go anywhere in pajamas."

Avery opened her mouth to say something, but Teagan's eyes widened and she crawled out from under blankets wrapping her friend in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, you scared me and I woke up in a confused state of mind." Teagan said, thinking Avery must be out of her house in her pajamas because she was depressed over Derek's death.

"He's alive, T." Avery whispered.

Letting go of her Teagan sat back and stared at her.

"Derek?" Teagan asked.

"Yeah! But now thanks to Scott, he's the most wanted man in Beacon Hills so we can't really openly talk about him." Avery said, as she smiled a beaming smile.

"You were so sure he was dead." Teagan said in disbelief.

"I know, but he showed up and surprised me last night. His wounds didn't heal as quick because it was caused by an alpha." Avery said.

"I'm happy for you… I can't really say I'm 100% on his side or anything, but I'm really happy he's okay." Teagan said honestly.

Avery nodded as she continued to smile.

"Is there something else?" Teagan asked when Avery remained silent.

"I'm in love with him." Avery said.

Teagan smiled and nodded.

"And he loves me back." She continued.

When Teagan's expression didn't change Avery said, "Why don't you seem at all surprised?"

"I think I knew before you did." Teagan admitted with a small laugh.

"It's weird right, that I love someone. I mean this has never happened before, ever." Avery continued to gush.

"I told you it would happen for you. Never in a million years would I have expected you to fall for Derek Hale, or him to fall for you. But I knew it would happen." Teagan said as she grabbed a hair tie from her bed side table and pulled her brunette hair up into a bun.

The room was silent for a little while before Teagan let out a heavy sigh.

"What?" Avery asked her, startled from her day dreams.

"What do you think about me and Jackson, together?" Teagan asked.

"T, you know if you ask me a question, I will give you a straight up answer whether you're going to like it or not." Avery reminded her.

"That's what I want, your honest opinion." Teagan continued.

"When you first got back together, I was so happy for the both of you. But then the more I watched you guys together, the more it almost seemed like you were going through the motions and not 100% into it." Avery said.

"I love him." Teagan reminded her.

"And he loves you, I'm not denying that. But I think that it's a different type of being in love then it was 2 years ago when you moved away. You're different people now and I think maybe being in love also has a different meaning now than when you were 14." Avery admitted.

"What would you say if I told you; I think you might be right?" Teagan said softly.

"That I'm sorry it's not turning out the way you wanted it do. I know you've dreamed of being with him forever since we were a lot younger." Avery said, her voice as soft as her friends.

"But then there are moments he's so great to me, and it's like we were never even apart for 2 years. I still think he's the one." Teagan said with a small smile.

"What brought all of this on?" Avery asked, curiously.

"Honestly… Isaac." Teagan admitted her voice barely over a whisper.

Avery raised her eyebrows at her best friend.

"It's terrible, right? I'm dating Jackson and I'm in love with him, but I catch myself thinking about Isaac all the time. And there are moments when I'm with him, I think that the way he makes me feel should be the way Jackson makes me feel. But it's not." Teagan continued.

"Well, I don't envy your situation." Avery breathed out as she ran her hands through her hair, she could feel how upset her best friend was.

"You're not this situation at all, yourself?" Teagan asked.

"I love Derek, and only Derek." Avery said.

"I don't mean love, not yet at least. But think of all the times Derek's said or did something to hurt you. And then there's a guy who would never do anything to hurt you, and always seems to be there when you need him…" Teagan explained her thought process.

"Stiles and I are just friends." Avery quickly said.

"I didn't even have to tell you who I meant." Teagan pointed out.

Avery sighed, "I can't like Stiles like that."

Teagan slowly nodded, "And I can't like Isaac like that."

"It's a completely different situation, you're really torn between the two of them. I think that Jackson had an opportunity to move on and be with Lydia, I think that before you guys start planning the wedding you maybe owe it to yourself to take Isaac out for test drive." Avery offered.

"They're not cars." Teagan said with a laugh.

"Some of them aren't worth anything but a quick spin around the block. All I'm saying is that you can't fully be devoted to your relationship with Jackson if you're wondering how things would be with Isaac. Maybe spend some more time around him, get to know him a little better." Avery said.

"How am I supposed to spend more time around him? If I go out with Isaac anywhere it will look like a date, and it would be too weird for me to ask him over here. The cemetery isn't exactly the best place…" her voice trailed off as she could tell by the look on Avery's face that she had an idea.

"But if there's a social event and you're seen mingling with him, it won't look bad at all." Avery said.

"What kind of social event?" Teagan asked.

"Like one of Avery Dukate's famous parties." She said, with a smile

"My dad is still out of town." Avery explained.

"I have missed your parties." Teagan said smiling, thinking it was the perfect opportunity to not only spending some time with Isaac, but to have some fun after all the drama and fighting.

"Great, you invite Isaac and I'll do everything else." Avery said smiling widely, she loved throwing huge parties.

"Wait what about Derek?" Teagan remembered out loud.

"He can enjoy the music while locked in my room. He doesn't have anywhere to go and he has to stay hidden, so I'll get him whatever he wants to eat and drink and he'll have to stay in my room." Avery said.

"You really think the two of you can live together while he's hiding from the police? What if you guys get sick of each other, you're not exactly notorious for being able to tolerate a guy for too long." Teagan said, a little worried Avery and Derek might get into a fight.

"T, uh… we've both been living in my room for months now." She admitted.

Teagan's jaw dropped as she thought of how much she missed not being on speaking terms with her best friend.

"So I am going back home to spend the day with the guy I love, and your goal is to track down Isaac soon and tell him about my party Friday." Avery said as she stood up.

"You just love saying that, don't you?" Teagan called after her.

"That I'm throwing a party, yeah I love saying it." Avery said as she stood in her friends door way.

"I mean that you have someone you love." Teagan said with a laugh, as she tossed a pillow at her.

Avery laughed as she headed down the stairs and out to her car.

A/N- Thank you for reading! ^_^ I really hope you all liked the chapter.

Did you guys all see the last episode of Teen Wolf? For those who didn't, I won't spoil anything but I will say that Miss E Charlotte and I, both had talked about it a lot and we'd guessed who the darach was before it was revealed, and we were right. ^_^

Speaking of Miss E Charlotte, if you haven't checked out her page yet, you really should. She has amazing stories, plus she is now 3 chapters in to a new Teen Wolf story. ^_^

We both still have links to our Polyvore accounts on our profiles, and I've recently started a new Isaac/OC/Stiles story too!

It would really make our day if you'd take the time to leave a review. We always love getting feedback and seeing that there is still an interest in this story.