Warnings: Mentions of violence. Death. Angst.

Bamby

I stood with Deaton and Isaac in an attempt to keep the other Beta calm and relaxed. We'd come to the vet clinic for Deaton's help in the hopes that he could help us with Isaac's memory problem. Turns out he had an idea. But that idea involved Isaac climbing into a bath… full of ice.

Derek, Stiles and Scott were currently working on filling the metal tub we'd pulled out from storage. I was usually used to bathe dogs, but today it was being used for something else. Something even I was nervous about.

Looking from the dozens of ice bags, to Isaac's nervous face, Deaton spoke up. "Obviously, it's not going to be particularly… comfortable. But if we can slow your heart rate down enough, you'll slip into a trance-like state."

"Like being hypnotized," Isaac offered, trying to find a way to understand what he was going to go through.

"Exactly." Deaton nodded as he started towards the tub, Isaac and I right beside him. "You'll be half transformed. It'll let us access your subconscious mind."

Having finished filling the bath, Scott turned to Deaton. "How slow does his heart rate need to be?"

"Very slow," Deaton answered.

Not liking the vague answer, Derek asked, "Okay, well, how slow is very slow?"

"Nearly dead."

Isaac crouched down to the side of the tub. He reached out to touch the water and quickly pulled back the moment there was contact. "It's safe, though, right?" He looked to Deaton.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?"

"No." Isaac shook his head. "No, not really."

Sensing Isaac's nerves increasing even more, I reached over to rest a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Hey. We're right here. We'll pull you out if we have to. Okay?" I smiled lightly at him. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

He relaxed a little at my reassuring words.

The sound of rubber stretching and snapping had Derek, Deaton, Scott, Isaac and myself look over to Stiles. He was wriggling his fingers, looking at the large medical rubber glove he'd slipped on.

Sensing eyes on him, he looked over to see us all staring. "What?"

Derek simply gave him a pointed look, which prompted Stiles to pull the glove over and get serious.

With the distraction dealt with, the Alpha turned back to his Beta. "Look, if it feels too risky, you don't have to do this."

Scott and I nodded in response. But instead of backing out, Isaac pulled his shirt over his head, taking a deep breath as he looked down at the water.

I moved to the end of the tub, between Scott and Derek, the three of us getting ready to hold Isaac down. It's not something I was looking forward to, but I knew it had to be done if we wanted to find out where Boyd and Erica were.

Without giving himself a chance to back out, Isaac stepped into the tub, lowering himself down with a shaking and quick intake of breath. Already I could sense his body's rapid decline in heat.

Scott grabbed Isaac's right shoulder, Derek grabbed his left, while I placed a hand on each. Then, after a second or so, we pushed him down, submerging him in the ice-cold water.

He fought, of course. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move properly with three werewolves holding him down. The cold water was affecting not only his temperature but also his mind. He was beginning to panic.

Pushing against us, he emerged from the water, his golden eyes flashing before us as he cried out, trying to grasp the tubs edges.

"Get him back under," Deaton told us, seeming to be not as frantic as the rest of us were as we tried to get control of Isaac again. "Hold him."

"We're trying!" Derek snapped as we struggled to get Isaac to stop panicking.

Not wanting to hurt him, I tried to be delicate with my actions. But seeing the way he was thrashing and moving about now, I could tell someone was bound to get hurt any second now.

With no other choice I reached out with my claws, my own eyes flashing golden yellow as I grasped Isaac's shoulders and forced him under the water. Scott and Derek were right there, helping me, holding him.

A moment passed before Isaac calmed, his body relaxing. Trusting that Deaton's plan was now working, I took a chance and let the Beta go. Derek and Scott did the same, pulling back but staying close just in case.

Rising to the surface, Isaac's lips parted as he took in a slow and soft breath. He was in the trance-like state Deaton needed him to be in.

Leaning forward, Deaton looked to all of us, needing to set ground rules. "Now, remember, only I talk to him. Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out," he told us before setting his eyes on the Beta in the tub. "Isaac? Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Isaac answered after a slight pause. His voice was so calm. "I can hear you."

"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that all right?"

"Yes."

"I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd. I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you're actually there again."

Isaac started to move then, turning his head, struggling ever so slightly as the lights began to flicker. "I- I don't wanna do that. I don't I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that."

"Isaac, it's all right," Deaton tried to calm him again. "Just relax. They're just memories. You can't be hurt by a memory."

But Isaac just kept moving, struggling, refusing. "I don't wanna do that."

"It's all right."

"I don't wanna do that."

"Relax. Relax," Deaton repeated as Derek, Scott and myself grabbed Isaac again, holding him still. It took a moment, but he calmed. "Good. Now let's go back to that night. To the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?"

"It's not… it's not a house. It's stone. I think marble."

"That's perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?"

"It's dusty, so empty."

"Like an abandoned building?" Deaton asked. The lights began to flicker more then, lightening flashing and thunder roaring outside. "Isaac? Isaac?"

"Someone's here." Isaac reached out, grabbing Scott's arm. "Someone's here." He struggled in the water again.

"Isaac, relax," Deaton tried to get him to focus.

"No, no, no, they see me, they see me!" Isaac exclaimed, struggling more, causing the water to splash and spill onto the floor as he let out a panicked cry.

"Just memories. You won't be hurt by your memories. Just relax. Relax." Deaton managed to get control of the situation again. "Good." He nodded as Isaac calmed. "Now tell us what you see. Tell us everything."

There was a pause as Isaac took himself back to the memory. His eyes slowly opened as he looked up at the ceiling. "I hear him. He's talking about the full moon, about being out of control when the moon rises."

"Is he talking to Erica?" Deaton asked.

"I think so, I can't- I can't see her, I ca- I can't- I can't see either of them."

"Can you hear anything else?"

"They're worried. They're worried what they'll do during the moon. They're worried that they're gonna hurt each other."

Derek shifted where he was leaning over the tub. He was worried too. "If they're locked in together on the full moon, they're gonna tear each other apart."

Knowing how urgent the situation was, Deaton got back to his questioning. "Isaac, we need to find them right now. Can you see them?"

"No."

"Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of a marker? A number on a door? A sign?"

The light above Isaac began to flicker more and more, his eyes set on it as he tried to remember.

Suddenly he sat up, gasping in fear. "They're here." He pulled back to the end of the tub, reaching for my arm as I held his shoulder. "They- they-"

"It's all right."

"No." Isaac tried to hide, lowering himself to the water, pressing himself against the tub, pulling me down urgently.

All I wanted was to hold him, to reassure him that everything was going to be okay. I hated seeing him like this. I hated being so helpless.

"Just tell us-"

"They see me," Isaac cut Deaton off, still freaking out, still panicked, still scared. "They found me. They're here!"

"This isn't working." Derek looked down at his Beta, patience gone. "Isaac, where are you?"

"I can't see them. It's too dark!"

As Isaac's panic increased I felt my own heart begin to race. My own fear spiked as I looked from the Beta to my boyfriend, knowing I should do something. But I was too shocked and scared to. What if I just made the situation worse? But then again, what if no one did anything and Derek killed Isaac?

"Just tell me where you are!" Derek yelled.

"I can't see!"

"You're going to confuse him," Deaton tried to stop Derek.

But he just ignored the vet as he continued to yell with an urgency that made him blind to what he was doing. "Isaac, where are you? Just tell me where you are!"

"His heart rate he could go into shock."

Eyes wide, looking from Isaac to Derek, Scott snapped. "Derek, let him go!"

"Isaac, where are you?! What did you see?!"

"Enough!" I tore my arm from Isaac, and grabbed Derek, shoving him away, my hand pressed to his chest to hold him back. "Can't you see you're going to kill him?!"

Derek looked down at me, shocked into silence. At first, he was pissed that I'd pulled him away, but then recognition flushed his face as he realised what he'd been doing.

Suddenly Isaac called out, "A vault! It's a bank vault!" His breathing increased, his heart beating hard and fast in his chest. "They found me! They're- they're taking me to a room!" He was on the verge of hyperventilating. "There's a body!" he exclaimed, eyes flickering around. "There's a dead body! It's Erica!"

My heart sank.

Hand falling from Derek's chest, I turned to look at the Beta, feeling something inside me snap.

No… no, he's wrong. No, she can't be dead. No, they're fine. They're okay. They have to be okay. They have to be okay.

"I saw it!" Isaac sat up, pulled out from his trance. "I saw the name," he told us, getting out of the tub and moving to Scott and Deaton as they wrapped towels around him. "It's, uh… B-beacon hills first national bank. It's, um… it's an abandoned bank, and they're keeping them locked inside, inside the vault."

No one responded. We were deathly silent as we looked to each other. Derek tense behind me. Scott and Stiles concerned. Deaton sombre. Me? I felt like my mind was still whirling, trying to grasp the concept that one of my friends may very well be dead…

Sensing the tension in the air, Isaac looked to each of us. "What?"

Stiles was the one to speak up. "You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?"

"No." Isaac shook his head.

"You said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it."

"What body?" Isaac was truly confused. He didn't remember it at all.

I looked to the ground. "Erica's," I told him before walking out of the room, needing a moment.

Walking out to the front room, and straight out the door, I looked up at the night sky, taking in a deep breath. My hands were shaking as I struggled not to cry. I couldn't let myself cry. I couldn't let myself break.

Erica and I hadn't started off as friends. In fact, in the beginning, I hadn't had any contact with her at all. Then Derek bit her and all there'd been between us was tension and jealousy. But with a common enemy to deal with, we'd gotten closer. So close, in fact, she'd become a decent friend.

We hadn't spent a lot of time together, but it had been nice to have another girl around. Plus, she'd actually been really nice, and kinda funny.

"Angela."

"I'm fine."

"No. You're not." Scott could tell I was lying. He walked over to me, grabbing my arm so I turned to face him. "Hey. I know you and Erica were close. I know she was your friend."

"Can we not talk like she's dead?"

He hesitated a moment before nodding. "Okay," he agreed, simply for my sake. "Look. Stiles just did some quick research. Apparently, someone broke into the vault before. I'm gonna go back to his place to help him find out how. I think you should go to Derek's."

"No." I shook my head, trying to collect my thoughts, calm myself. I needed to focus. "No, I should help you guys."

"It's okay. Really. Stiles said it won't take long, and I think you should be there for Isaac and Derek."

"Okay." I nodded slowly. "Just… call me if you need anything. Anything."

"I will," he assured me, before pulling me in for a hug.

I let him hold me to him, my own arms wrapping around his body. Despite being older, I was short than Scott, but it wasn't something that annoyed me or anything. In fact, it was something I appreciated, especially in moments like this. Moments where I needed the comfort of my brother.

…

Walking into the loft, I took the lead. Rubbing at the back of my neck, I sighed, walking down the few steps before moving towards the couch. Derek pulled the front door shut as Isaac moved to stand in the middle of the room, clearly worried and deep in thought.

"Shower and bed," I told him, dumping my bag onto the coffee table. "You've had a big night. You're still recovering. So, shower and bed. No school tomorrow. Got it?"
Isaac looked from me to Derek. He wasn't exactly shocked by my orders, he was just waiting for Derek to respond. He was the Alpha. He was Isaac's Alpha. He was the one who was supposed to be telling him what to do, not me.

Derek nodded. "You heard her. Shower, bed, no school." He walked down the few steps and into the living area. "And you're not coming with us to the bank." Isaac opened his mouth to argue, but Derek shut him down before he could say anything, "Like Angela said, you're still recovering. We can't risk it."

This time Isaac looked from Derek to me, hoping I'd disagree. But I didn't.

"He's right. You're not going. Don't even try to argue," I said before dropping onto the couch. "Now, go shower and get into bed."

Groaning, he turned on his heels, rolling his eyes as he headed towards the hallway that led down to the bathroom. He was grumbling and mumbling to himself on the way, clearly annoyed.

Alone now, Derek walked over to me as I sat on the couch, my head falling back as I closed my eyes, trying to relax a little. He stood in front of me, his legs a breath away from mine.

"We should go to bed, too."

"I'm fine here," I told him, not wanting to move. My head was still reeling, my thoughts too busy to sleep.

"Come on." He reached down and grabbed my arm, pulling me to my feet. I sighed, letting him lift me until I stood in front of him, his arms coming around my waist. "I know you're worried, but there's nothing we can do right now." He wasn't wrong. "You need to sleep. Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"No." I shook my head, lifting my hand to rub at my forehead. "No, I'll only be working at the school a few times a week, and Deaton tries to give Scott and I the full moon off, even during the day," I explained.

"Still. You need sleep. Come on." Derek let his arms slip from around me, his hand sliding into mine before he turned and started for the bed.

I was right behind him, dragging my feet a little. He was right, I needed the sleep. It had been a big day. First with Peter. Then with him, Lydia and Allison. I'd had my first day working at the school. The whole Isaac trance thing. Finding out about Erica…

Today hadn't been easy.

Reaching the bed, Derek turned to me, reaching for my cardigan. Without a word, he slipped it over my shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. When his fingers reached for my shirt I got the message.

There was nothing sexual or heated in our actions as we started to undress each other. It was just two people, a couple, helping each other after a tough and long day.

The movements were simple, delicate, patient. They were our way of letting each other know we were here for the other person. It was our way of leaning against each other in a time of need.

When we were both undressed, left in just our underwear, neither of us bothered with getting into other clothes. Instead I crawled onto the bed, as Derek moved around to his side, before we both settled in under the sheets and blankets.

The smell of Derek and myself- which was so engraved in the bedding it was like it had been sewn in- surrounded me. Derek's arm snaked around my waist, pulling me to him, drowning me in more of his scent.

I rolled over and placed my head on him as his other arm tucked under my neck, coming around and up so his fingers could trace delicate lines along my arm. My hand rest on his chest, fingers spread across the hard lines of his muscles. His beating heart thumped under my ear, a quiet and rhythmed lullaby that sent me off to sleep in moments.

Bamby