This wasn't kidnapping. Derek wasn't a kidnapper. He just happened to have taken a teenager from their home without their consent to a different location. Not a big deal at all. The abandoned train depot he was squatting in and his burned up house seemed too creepy to take him to, so Derek rented a room in a motel on the outskirts of town.

Derek dropped Isaac on one of the beds, then gave him a once over. He wasn't about to lift any clothing or move him around to be more thorough, since that would be hard to explain if Isaac woke up in the middle of it. But he could see new marks on Isaac's skin that hadn't been there before. There was a cut on his cheek and his lip was split, in addition to the bruise that was still around his eye. There was more discoloration peeking out from under the top of his collar, but Derek couldn't see how far it went. Nothing looked critical, so he just let him be. The only thing that was really worrying was the fact that the boy hadn't woken up. If he was in a coma or something, Derek would drop him outside of a hospital and be on his way.

Luckily, it didn't come to that. A few minutes later Isaac started to stir. Derek sat down on the other bed, trying to look casual and unaffected. He grabbed a random book out of the side table drawer and flipped through it, even though he wasn't actually reading a word.

Isaac twitched, swiping a hand to one side before he was fully awake. The lack of resistance must've triggered something in his subconscious because he sat up with a gasp, panting as he stared straight ahead.

"You okay?" Derek grunted. Isaac jolted in surprise at his voice, falling off the bed and landing on the floor with a thump. "Really?"

"What the fuck? Where am I?" Isaac groaned, pulling himself back up to his feet with the aid of the comforter. "What are you doing?"

"Which question would you like me to answer first?" Derek smirked.

"Well, I think 'what the fuck' kind of covers everything!" Isaac snapped.

"You talk to your dad with that mouth?" Derek shot back, and he instantly knew that was not the right thing to say. Who could blame him though? He was frustrated and in a situation that he shouldn't have been involved in. Why couldn't Isaac be a little more grateful?

"Screw you," Isaac whispered, turning his back to him. Derek sighed, standing up and tossing his book back onto the table. Isaac flinched at the sound of it hitting the surface.

"I'm trying to help you."

"And I told you the other night that I don't want or need your help!" Isaac shouted, whirling back around.

"Keep your voice down!" Derek hissed. The last thing he needed were the cops to be called.

"Why? If you're such a good guy and only helping out a person in need, why does it have to be kept quiet?" Isaac challenged.

"You know why, so lower your volume," Derek growled, letting his eyes flash red.

"Whatever you're gonna do, just do it already. It doesn't matter what you say because it always ends the same way," Isaac spat, holding his arms out to his sides.

"And how's that?"

"You saw how," Isaac ground out as his face turned red in embarrassment.

"Yeah, I did. And that's why I got you out of there," Derek shot back. "I thought you'd show a little more appreciation."

"Appreciation? For what?" Isaac laughed bitterly. "I only had to make it through a couple more years and then I'd be free."

"You think you can make it that long locked in a freezer?"

"I wasn't always in there! And you don't know what you're talking about."

"Then explain it to me. Tell me how you can act like getting you out of there wasn't the best thing that ever happened to you."

"Because that's all I have! And it wasn't great, but I was dealing with it!" Isaac exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Do you have any idea how much worse it's going to be for me when I go back?"

"You're not going back," Derek replied evenly.

"What? What are you talking about?" Isaac spluttered, looking at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was.

"You're not going back," Derek repeated. He may be an asshole, but he wasn't going to let a kid go back into that situation.

"And where am I supposed to go? I have nothing and no one."

"You have me." Derek and Isaac had twin looks of disgust after that statement. He was starting to sound way too corny. "Look, I didn't plan this, okay? But when I found you in that basement, I knew I couldn't leave you there."

"How did you even find me?" Isaac asked, and Derek looked away briefly. "Were you following me?"

"I was making sure you kept your word about not saying anything," Derek said defensively. He wasn't going to admit to any misguided sense of doing what was right.

"I did keep my word," Isaac insisted.

"Well, you didn't have much of a chance to tell anyone, did you? How do I know you won't when-"

"When my dad isn't kicking my ass and locking me up in the basement?" Isaac finished for him with a snarl. "Is it your turn to take up the mantle?"

"No, I'm not doing that," Derek scoffed.

"Why not?" Isaac challenged, walking around the bed so they were standing face to face with nothing between them. "Why not get rid of your problem?"

"You should stop. You're embarrassing yourself."

"Make me," Isaac goaded, shoving him back a step.

"Isaac," Derek said in a slow voice, the warning clear.

"What? Make me keep my mouth shut," Isaac hissed, trying to provoke him into lashing out. Derek had dealt with bigger annoyances without losing his cool. Stiles still being alive proved that. Isaac made another move toward him and Derek held up his hands to block his momentum. The second his hands came into contact with Isaac's chest, the younger boy winced and turned away, trying to hide his reaction.

"What was that?" Derek demanded, moving positions so he was blocking Isaac in between the beds. He didn't want him to try to slink away.

"Nothing," Isaac muttered, folding his arms loosely across his chest.

"Show me," Derek commanded, tipping his head toward Isaac's midsection.

"What? No!" Isaac huffed.

"Show me," Derek said again, using his most authoritative voice. Isaac looked away in embarrassment, but slowly lowered his hands to the hem of his shirt. He lifted it up to just under his armpits, but that was enough for Derek to see all he needed to see.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Isaac said quickly, and Derek realized he'd started growling deep in his chest. He reached his hand out, resting his fingers on the discolored skin. There was barely a patch that wasn't covered in bruises. Isaac was holding himself as still as possible, watching Derek's movements with apprehension. "What are you doing?"

"Wait," Derek mumbled, concentrating on his current action. He watched in satisfaction as the black veins climbed up his arm, barely paying attention to the burn of his body working through the discomfort.

"What are you doing?" Isaac whispered, looking down at what was happening in amazement.

"I'm taking your pain away. It doesn't last forever and it doesn't get rid of all of it, but it helps," Derek explained.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not going to sit here and watch you hurt when I can do something about it," Derek replied, moving his hand back after he'd done all he could. Isaac was staring at him like he wasn't sure what to say. As if he wasn't used to anyone doing something nice for him. He probably wasn't and Derek didn't feel anything in response to that thought.

"Thank you," Isaac mumbled, looking away. But not before Derek could see the shine of moisture in his eyes.

"It's no big deal. Just something else I can do," Derek brushed off, walking over to where he'd set his bag by the door earlier and rifling around in it. He didn't need anything, but it gave Isaac a chance to pull himself together without having Derek in his face. "You'd be able to do it as well, if you accepted my offer."

"I- I don't-" Isaac murmured before clearing his throat. "I don't think so."

"Still your decision," Derek shrugged, trying not to let his disappointment show. He could see that the idea of it was still too much to deal with, along with everything else.

"Can I- do you mind if I lie down?" Isaac asked quietly.

"Bed's all yours," Derek answered, gesturing to where Isaac had been laying earlier. Isaac nodded, crawling on top of the covers and turning to face the wall away from Derek. He held himself stiffly on the very edge, as if he was worried about taking up too much space. Derek sat back down on his own bed, seeing nothing else better to do. He pulled his phone out, scrolling through web pages to pass the time.

After a few minutes, he heard quiet sniffles coming from the other bed. And if he concentrated, he could smell the slight scent of salty tears. Derek wasn't quite sure what set the boy off, but he was going to leave him to it. If he needed to cry, he could do it. Derek wasn't going to coddle him or deride him for it.

It wasn't as though Derek had unwittingly accepted the responsibility of taking care of this kid. He would get him back on his feet, then send him on his way if he didn't change his answer about becoming a werewolf. Beyond that, Derek didn't really care at all. And maybe if he kept telling himself that, it would make it true.