Almost caught up on my writing, Guys! Three more chapters!
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He got there at the beginning, which allowed very little crowd to hid in. So, of course he ran into the ever beautiful Lydia Martin.

"Don't I know you from… Somewhere?" Stiles fought off the urge to say Not at all, I've only had a crush on you since third fricking grade.

"Um, yeah. We've got to school together since like… second grade, maybe? I'm Scott's friend, Stiles. Nice to see you." Lydia looked like see was thinking for a minute.

"Scott as in Allison's prospective boyfriend, right? So, he told you about the party?" Stiles faked a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, sorry if you didn't want extra people. I could leave if you want. I'm not even really in the mood to have fun, I was just looking for Scott." Lydia got a scheming look and it honestly scared him a little.

"Nonsense. Scott and Allison are going to be on a date… We'll just have to cheer you up ourselves." She abandoned whatever she was doing at the snack table to drag him out to the pool area. It wasn't crowded yet but there were more people out there than there were in the house. She shoved a cup of punch at him and sipped from one herself. Where was that jerk, Jackson, when you needed him?

"So, sweetie. What's got you down?"

"Um? Well, Plenty of stuff…" Lydia's bored and searching face was intimidating like nothing he'd ever encountered.

"Specifics…" Stiles honestly didn't want to talk to a girl about Derek. Especially not the girl he's had a crush on since 3rd grade-especially not cold blooded Lydia Martin. "Spill. Girl problems? Boy problems? Drug dealer incommunicado?"

"Mix of the second and third…" She gave a fake sympathetic look.

"Drug dealer problems?" Stiles sighed.

"A guy is incommunicado. And he's not my drug dealer, because I don't do drugs. Except those I have a prescription for." Lydia nodded and flicked her hand in a circle, telling him to go on. "Last night, my foster dad, Dean, caught him sneaking in-not to do anything, just to talk. He disappeared while I was explaining things to Dean. He left a note apologizing for getting me into trouble, but he hasn't answered any of my texts since."

"This isn't Scott we're talking about, is it?" Stiles went wide eyed and gaped.

"Scott?! God no!" She nodded, seeming to be entertained.

"Good." Jackson started pulling her away as more guests were arriving but she shook her head seeming genuinely sympathetic. Then smiled, putting on her hostess routine. "Forget it and have fun. If he doesn't text you by tomorrow, he's not worth your time." She gave a little wave and went off with Jackson.

Stiles tried to take her advice and he managed to mingle until he saw Scott stumbling through the crowd. He tried to stop ask him what was up but he just shook his head and kept walking. Stiles politely disengaged from his conversation with the other party guests and went in the direction Scott had gone. When he got to the door he saw Scott's mom's car quickly driving away, and Derek Talking to Allison and then leading her to the shiny black Camaro from the store. After holding the passenger side door open for Allison, Derek seemed preoccupied mentally. He walked quickly to the driver side door. If he saw Stiles watching from the door he didn't make it obvious. Stiles quickly got in his car and went after Scott, putting Derek at the back of his mind. Once he arrived at Scott's he let himself in and ran up to Scott's room. He was in the bathroom; Stiles knocked. Of course he asked where Allison was and if she was okay, and Stiles told him she got a ride home from the party, trying to keep from sounding like a jealous ass."I know who it is now." Stiles nodded to full of worry to entertain worrying about who the werewolf was.

"Okay. Scott, Let me in so we can figure-" Stiles tried to open the door as he spoke but he was cut off by Scott's voice, now just behind the ajar door. It wouldn't open further but as if he was leaning into it attentively rather than keeping it from opening.

"It's Derek, Stiles! He's the werewolf! He attacked me in the wood and killed that woman!" Stiles was dumbstruck.

"Are you sure?"

"I saw him at the party! He ran up the roof!" Stiles shook his head, putting away his doubt.

"Scott- Derek drove Allison home." There was quiet, and then the door slammed closed. Stiles pounded at the door but he heard the scrapping of a window opening. He ran to his car and started driving. But where to go? He couldn't go home and tell Dean. He'd just put him up in his room. What use was it going after Derek? If he was the werewolf, there was nothing Stiles could do to help Scott. He started driving to Allison's place. He'd tell her parents. Have them call the cops. He felt weird pulling up to the house. He barely knew their daughter and he had to tell them all this crazy sh- it wasn't important now. He knocked quick and hard. A middle age woman with short hair dyed red answered. Her mother maybe? "Hi, Mrs. Argent. Um - You have no idea who I am. I'm a friend of Allison's. Uh, from school. This is going to sound a little crazy. Actually, really crazy. You know what? Crazy doesn't even describe what i'm about to tell you but you're gonna hav-" She turned and called upstairs.

"Allison! You have a visitor!" What? Allison walked into view up on the stairs balcony. What?!

"Um, never mind. I'm sorry for bothering you." Stiles quickly got back into the Jeep. All he could think was to go to the preserve. Stop Scott before he killed Derek. He took dirt roads deeper in, wanting to walk as little as possible. Once he couldn't go any further he put it in park, turned off the car, and hopped out. He started running, calling for Scott in a hushed tone. Then he heard something. It sounded like a firecracker going off. He ran in the direct he heard the noise. Someone was pointing a crossbow at a tree nearby. Holy crap! Scott was pinned to the tree by an arrow through his arm. The guys with the guy ready to shoot Scott were pulled backward and Stiles took the chance to save Scott. He ran to him and broke the arrow; Scott quickly pulled his arm off it and Stiles quickly pulled him behind the tree before another arrow hit the tree. It blew up into a huge light, so bright it hurt Stiles' eyes, but probably not half as much as Scott. Not a second after the light they were being pulled. But not out of hiding, deeper into the woods, toward the car.

"Come on!" Stiles looked up as he started to run. Derek was pulling them both away. He was helping them. They were both certainly faster, but Stiles wasn't slow at all. He kept within a few feet of the two ahead. Derek kept looking behind to make sure he was still with them. Stiles was sure this whole situation would result in therapy. They were almost to the jeep when Derek took a final look back, but this time his eyes went wide and he grabbed Stiles and yanked him down. "Down!" Scott dropped down to the ground too. A bullet imbedded itself in the front bumper of Stiles' Jeep. It probably would have hit him directly in the back of the knee. Or more likely gone through his knee. That really helped him realize they needed to get the fuck out of there and quick. Apparently, Derek realized the severity of the situation as well, because he yanked them both up and pushed them quickly towards the Jeep. "Everyone in the car, now!" Derek hopped into the back and Scott and he quickly got in the front. They weren't shooting again yet, but Stiles could see someone running closer through the trees for a better shot. He took the chance and put the car in reverse, getting out and back to the main road as quickly as physics would allow.