Chapter 37: The Mechanic II

She tasted of whiskey and cigarettes and bubblegum. Her lips molded perfectly to fit Joe's, not out of practice after all these years, and it was not until her hand caught in Joe's curls that Joe snapped out of it. She wore it longer these days than Alex was used to.

Tearing away from Alex and the kiss, Joe gave her a wild-eyed look. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Ah, sorry," Alex said with a drunken laugh, but she was apologizing for her hand still tangled in Joe's hair. Not kissing her. At the sight of Joe's enraged face, she laughed even harder. "I'm sorry, babe, I couldn't resist." Alex went to grab Joe around the waist, but Joe shrugged her off. "You looked all hot and bothered."

"Yeah, because of-" Joe stopped herself, not drunk enough to say it out loud in case he heard and came back. Derek. It was an obvious answer.

"Of a guy," Alex concluded, not caring about the name, and Joe felt her insides turn to stone. Alex slurred a bit, but her words could still bite. "Always knew you were into guys."

Joe tried to step back, but was still flush against the wall and had nowhere to go. "Oh God, is that what this was, another one of your tests?"

"Relax, Joe, it was just hot-"

"Back off, Alex," Joe muttered and pushed her ex away to make her escape. Alex swayed, but managed to follow Joe as she stomped her way to the exit. Kelly was nowhere to be seen and not Maddy either, but Joe didn't care. She just wanted air.

She pushed through the plastic sheets covering the main doors to the warehouse and took a deep breath of the cold fresh air, only a few smokers were outside and paid them no attention.

"Always knew you'd end up with a guy." Alex kept coming and garbled at Joe's retreating back. "Too much daddy issues!" Joe froze, but did not turn around. As an afterthought, Alex added: "And mommy issues for that matter."

"Shut up," Joe growled and span around to face the drunk blonde. Alex always got mean when drinking. If Joe was sober, she wouldn't have engaged. But she wasn't sober either, she was drunk and confused and now pissed off. "Go back inside to your Sophomore before I go there and tell her what just happened."

Alex shrugged, as if unbothered by the prospect. "It was just a kiss."

"Tell me, Alex, do you test 'Maddy'," Joe made her voice go high when saying the name, "like the way you used to test me? Do you have your best looking guy friends hit on her in the student bar? Or is she gay enough for your insecurities?"

Alex did not back down and Joe was full of alcohol and rage now. Something had happened to Scott. Derek went to help him and what the hell did she do? Drunkenly make out with her ex. She felt disgusted with herself and just wanted to leave and somehow found she couldn't.

"What'd you tell her about me, Alex? Huh? That I was needy and that's why you dumped me? Did you tell her what happened? What you did?"

"I told her," Alex said and made an effort to straighten up enough to look Joe in the eyes and Joe knew what was coming even before she started talking, "that you're a Type A, emotionally crippled, obsessive personality who works herself to a stupor because she's too scared of her own issues to sleep. That your number one fear is turning into your workaholic dad and you're too self-involved to notice that's exactly what you're doing."

"You wanna play that game?" Joe snarled and got up in Alex' face. "What did you tell her about yourself? Did you tell her how you're passive-agressive with anxious attachment issues?" Joe had tears in her eyes, but refused to stop now. "Did you tell her you're a manipulative narcissist who lays traps and relies on negative reinforcements to keep someone in a relationship?"

Alex had her mouth twisted in an angry smirk, eyes wide with livid rage. "Oh, I'm the one with attachment issues? That's rich coming from you. Don't pretend your compulsive need of knowing absolutely everything doesn't stem from those attachment issues because of," Alex' voice turned sickly sweet, "your daddy lying to you."

"Yeah, well, he wasn't the only one, was he? Did you tell her how we broke up? Did you tell her that you broke up with me because-" Joe was cut off when something slashed into her arm. It felt like a knife slitting into her flesh and she flinched hard. "Oh, shit!"

"Because what, Joe?" Alex hissed, not bothered by Joe's outburst. "Come on. This is cathartic. We should have done this years ago after you just took off in the middle of the night. No more pussy-footing. Because - of - what?"

Joe, bent over double still clutched at her seemingly unharmed arm, glared up at Alex. Another pain throbbed in her shoulder, but it was dull compared to her arm. Not even when Derek got shot did it hurt so long after. Wasn't he healing?"

"Because of what?!" Alex yelled and people turned around to look at them.

"Because I decided I didn't like girls," Joe spat and straightened up, trying to ignore the sharp pain. "Not really. Not like you do! Because I'm bi! Not gay!"

Joe huffed to distract from her arm, and her mind went back to her and Alex' apartment, years ago, when they dished out insult after insult. The pain only made it harder to think clear and she let it all out. "I know what you told everyone. I know everyone thinks you dumped me. But we know the truth, don't we, Alex? That I broke up with you! And here's a clue, babe, I broke up with you, personally, not all women."

"You can pretend it was about that, but you made another choice, Joe, that's got nothing to do with your sexuality. You chose your dad over me!"

"I didn't choose either of you!"

"Which does sound like what someone like you would say."

Before Joe could muster up a response, which would probably just have been a two-word exclamation, another voice drifted from inside the chaotic hubub of the warehouse:

"Alex? Baby? You out there?"

Joe took advantage of the distraction and escaped.

The pain on her arm never subsided and she cradled it to her chest as she stumbled down the steps to the street. Walking without direction, just focused on leaving Alex behind, she could imagine both her and Alex seethed with rage. Only difference was that Joe was wandering into the cold night alone while Alex would soon be in the warm embrace of her new Sophomore girlfriend. Joe's arm throbbed and she winced — Derek was hurt and she wanted to find him. No, needed to find him.

She kept walking down the alleys, away from the noise and the people. Think, she needed to think! Clearly, not befuddled by alcohol and pheromones and who knew what else. Her steps echoed in the night and she thought she heard a screech, but it was far off. Joe stopped to listen, but was distracted when her phone vibrated. A text message from Scott, but he had obviously not been the sender.

'Scott's alive. Vet clinic.'

Alive. Scott's alive. Not okay, not unharmed, just alive.

At least Derek was alive too, if he had been the one to send her the text. She fumbled with her phone, fingers clumsy due to the cold, and she called for a taxi. It picked her up shortly after, probably cruising around the warehouse because of the rave and Joe offered the driver an extra tip if they could drive without conversation. She looked like a mess, but could not care. Just the thought of Alex made Joe wipe her lips, as if to get rid of the evidence and the scent and everything about the girl that still lingered within Joe.

The lights were off at the vet clinic, but Joe saw the rear of the Camaro peek out from behind a corner. She gave the taxi driver all the cash she had left, too drunk and scared to care. Scott's alive, she repeated to herself and staggered to the back door of the clinic. He's alive. He's not okay, but he's alive. She found the door unlocked and braced herself against the doorframe when she saw Scott laying prone on the operating table with Doctor Deaton leaning over him.

"Oh God," she gasped and covered her mouth. Knees giving out, she would have fallen if Derek hadn't appeared at her side, holding her up by her arms. "Oh God. Is he-"

"He's going to be fine, Joe," Doctor Deaton's calm voice let her know while Derek carried her over to a bench by the wall.

No blood. She could not see any blood or broken bones or bullet holes or anything! Doctor Deaton finished injecting him with something in a thick syringe and rubbed a cotton pad against the needle mark on Scott's underarm. With practiced fingers, the veterinarian patched Scott up and in an almost fatherly affection, he patted Scott's cheek.

No response. Scott's eyes barely fluttered.

"His lungs took a lot of damage," Doctor Deaton explained and Joe was just barely aware of Derek rubbing her back while she sat shaking and staring at her unconscious cousin. Her eyes flittered up to Doctor Deaton. "I gave him something to accelerate the healing process, but it's gonna be a while before he wakes up."

Joe's hands trembled as she covered her face again. His lungs. What could damage his lungs without touching his chest or shirt? Not a drop of blood on him, still wearing that red pullover he put on this afternoon.

"Thank you," Derek responded to Doctor Deaton, with as much sincerity and softness as she'd ever heard in Derek's voice.

"I'll get you some coffee," Deaton said and padded out of the operation room, shutting the door behind him.

When she was confident her legs would hold her, she got up from the bench and bent over Scott's torso. His chest rose and sank slowly, but steadily. Two fingers on his neck confirmed a strong pulse. Sedated. Healing. Completely out. She brushed wayward strands of hair out of his face, the dark brown a mirror of her own. Growing into a man every day now and still so much like that twelve-year-old who drove her up the wall with all his antics.

She realized Derek had risen with her and held his hands out, ready to catch her if she would fall again, but not hindering her in her ministrations. Joe wished she was drunker, so it could numb the pain inside her heart too. If Derek hadn't left when he did, if he'd been distracted, if he'd been too late, if-

"Hey," Derek whispered and closed his arms around her. She had made involuntary hiccups, tears running freely, and she let herself rest against Derek's chest as he held her. Joe cried; drunk, stupid, ugly crying. He almost died. Scott almost died while she was getting drunk on booze and high on Derek.

Derek, who rubbed her back, his fingers kneading the point between her shoulder blades lightly. Nothing inappropriate, just comforting gestures while she sobbed against his chest.

And she'd kissed Alex. All this, and she'd kissed Alex.

They broke off from their embrace when Doctor Deaton came back inside, luckily moving backwards to shove the door open with his back as both hands held a paper cup of coffee. He handed them one each and made some comment that he would be up front. Joe felt he looked at her a bit longer than necessary, but it was probably her smeared makeup running down her face. She and Derek slumped back down on the bench, sitting too close, but neither moving to adjust.

For a while, they just watched Scott breathe. A comforting cadence of her baby cousin healing. It was dark, only the dim lights underneath the stainless steel cabinets giving a small glow to the room and illuminating Scott's unconscious form. The booze and the lust and the anger slowly left Joe, leaving her hollow inside.

"I have to tell you something," she croaked, her entire cup of coffee drained. Doctor Deaton never came back into the room.

Derek nodded next to her. "I have something to tell you too."

Joe bit her lip, wondering how much that lip gloss had smeared over her face, how obvious the truth was. She swallowed, but could not hold it in. "I kissed Alex." When he said nothing, she inhaled softly. "Or, I guess she kissed me, but that's just semantics and doesn't matter."

No reaction. Derek neither moved or growled or did anything else to indicate anger. Joe turned around to look at him. "Did you hear-"

"I bit Victoria Argent," Derek said shortly and finished of the rest of his coffee, a small sip that had to be cold and bitter by now.

Joe blinked. Okay, Derek's confession was marginally worse than hers. So completely out of the blue that she couldn't do anything but shake her head. "What? You did what?"

"It was self-defense," Derek said quickly, before Joe could get herself worked up even further. In short efficient sentences, he told her of the plan to capture Jackson, of the wolfsbane mist in the room, how Victoria Argent stabbed Derek to weaken him further and how he reacted on instinct, anything to take her down and save Scott. "She was going to kill him."

"Is she gonna turn?" Joe asked, eyes wide at the prospect, head spinning from a beginning hangover and the sudden turn of events.

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"How can you say that? Will she be receptive to the bite?"

"I didn't exactly have time to do a test, Joe!" Derek barked, a bit louder than apparently intended as he lowered his voice immediately. Scott never stirred. "It doesn't matter. The Argents have their own ways of dealing with bitten hunters."

By his dark tone she guessed he wasn't referring to a cure. Joe slumped back against the wall. She had thought it was the kanima, a creature driven by one purpose alone. Not Victoria Argent, who by all accounts had made a choice to go after Scott.

As if he heard her, Derek crumpled the paper cup in his hand and tossed it into the trashcan by the door, a perfect shot. "I didn't have a choice."

The movement made Joe aware of a bandage on his forearm farthest from her, right around where she felt the stabbing pain earlier and still could sense a light throb. Instinct made her reach over and trail her fingers over the blood-stained cover. "Why aren't you healing?"

"Wolfsbane slows it down." Derek flinched when her fingers made contact and she withdrew her arm in an instant. He stopped her and placed her hand back so she covered the whole bandage with her palm. As always, he felt unnaturally warm and she wondered if he felt it too as he took a deep breath and leaned his head back.

"What are you doing?" Joe asked, but she could already feel the faint throbbing in her own arm, pain building slowly until it reached a steady discomfort.

His voice came in a content murmur. "We don't just feel each other's pain. We can take it too."

So it wasn't a question of what he was doing, but what she was doing. She kept her palm covering the bandage, aware of her fingertips resting gently on his otherwise soft skin, tickling the dark cover of arm hair.

"Is that okay?" he asked, sounding concerned. "It doesn't hurt too much?"

"No, it's fine," she mumbled and flushed at the prospect of him worrying about her right now. "It's the least I can do."

There was so many questions to be asked, but they would have to wait.

"Listen, I'm sorry about...everything," she said without thinking, knowing it was too little and she was too drunk to be taken seriously. Not that she felt particularly drunk now, but it was not humanly possible to sober up so fast. Despite that, Derek surprised her by shaking his head slowly and she continued: "Not just Alex, I'm sorry about the other stuff as well."

"Don't worry about it, Joe."

"Okay, but I just feel-"

"Joe, you're not attracted to Alex anymore."

She contemplated this for less than a second. "No, I don't think so."

A tug to his lips and he glanced at her sideways through heavy lids."That wasn't a question. I know you're not." He seemed to settle further against the wall. "Trust me, I checked."

"Okay, I don't know what that means, Derek. I don't know what anything means. Everything I thought about how the world worked just turned out to be wrong and-"

Her voice failed her when he switched her hands around. Now the one closest to him laid across him to rest over the bandage. The other he covered with his own hand, enveloping it and holding it lightly so she had every choice to withdraw. As in the coffee shop, she could feel the calloused skin of his palm over her own skin. "It's fine, Joe."

It probably wasn't, he was just saying that to shut her up. She guessed he was too tired to talk. For a while his touch alone was enough to steal her voice. It was one thing that she was somehow taking his pain, but what purpose did the other hand serve? Why was he being so damned understanding and patient? Was it just because of Scott? Instead of asking, she glanced at him again. His eyes were heavy, but not closed.

"You should sleep," she found herself saying, both hands still where he left them. He glanced at her, eyebrow lifted and mouth slightly parted in either confusion or skepticism. Joe shrugged to cover up the rising of butterflies. "I'll wake you if anything happens. When Scott wakes up."

He gave her that nondescript and open look of surprise again. She expected an argument, but instead he nodded. "Okay."

With both hands nearly pulsing with the added heat of his touch, Joe remained seated next to Derek as he put his head back against the wall. She had been right, he was tired.

In no time, his breathing slowed, almost matching Scott's rhythm. Joe could not help but smile at the soft snoring sound in the back of Derek's throat, like a light growl every time he exhaled. It felt both weird and natural to be this close to him, but after what happened at the rave just a few hours ago it would be weirder to make a big deal of it.

If nothing else, Alex was good at her job. Psychoanalyzing people for money. Joe was a workaholic with insomnia-issues, no two ways about it. So she could probably not have slept if she tried to. Instead, she would sit here, take away Derek's pain somehow and watch over both him and Scott.

It took hours before Scott first stirred and Derek did not need her to wake him. His eyes shot open, alert and ready, but it took him less than a second to calm down when noticing her.

Coincidence, her rational mind scolded her and the same mind also added that she was probably the farthest thing from a threat in his world. Her arm was stiff from laying across him for hours and she winced slightly when retrieving it. Silently, he released her other hand that he had been holding the entire time and unwrapped the bandage. Completely bare skin underneath. Healed.

And so was Scott. Joe leapt to her feet when Scott tried to sit up, coughing lightly, and his brows furrowed at the sight of her. "Joe?"

"It's okay," Joe said through more tears, of the happy kind now, and she probably looked a mess since he did not appear to be more comforted at her words. Not caring, Joe hugged him tightly, desperately, all that fear transformed into relief at seeing him awake again.

Derek filled him in on what had happened as he dropped the now useless bandage into the trashcan. He also revealed more that he hadn't told Joe. They'd failed to trap the kanima and it killed again, at the rave. He had to get back to the railroad depot to check on the others.

"We'll come with you," Scott said with a nod, even if his eyes seemed unfocused. "We need to make another plan."

Derek looked doubtful, but agreed. Maybe he realized they did not have any other means of transportation. Joe, more sober and less hungover than expected, trailed after the two out into Derek's car. The top she borrowed from Aunt Mel was not fit to see daylight and Joe tried to cover herself with her arms, having forgotten her jacket at the rave. By general consensus, Scott took the passenger seat, still moving sluggishly, and Joe huddled in the backseat behind Derek.

In the underground facility, Derek went straight for the subway carts Joe had memorized to be outfitted with beds and sofas. She and Scott kept their distance, even though Scott probably heard all of the conversation Derek had with his teens.

"Scott?" Joe clung to his arm, afraid he was going to drop again, although he was the one holding her up more than the other way around.

"Mhm?"

"We need to work on our communication," Joe said in a breathless voice, hearing the sluggishness seep in from being awake for so long.

He snorted, equally tired. "You sound like Mom."

"Shut up. I should have been told what you planned."

"I would have told you, but I had no idea you were gonna be at the rave," Scott murmured back. "It's not exactly how you typically spend your Fridays."

"I don't think there is anything typical anymore." Joe sighed and squeezed his arm. "No more secrets, please, Scott. I can't..." She didn't even know what she couldn't anymore. Was it with Scott or Derek she wanted to have this conversation? "You nearly died and I don't know how-" The painful memory was too fresh and she squeezed his arm again. "If you promise to tell me everything from now on, I'll promise I won't do anything stupid."

Scott's eyebrows lifted as he looked down at her. "Like trying to shoot the kanima with a shotgun?"

"Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do." Joe laughed tiredly and so did Scott, even though there was nothing funny about anything. They kept their voices hushed in the dark warehouse. Deciding to keep this no secrets thing going, she took a deep breath and said: "It's Kate's shotgun, by the way. Chris Argent gave it to me. I'm not even sure why."

"I know," Scott tugged his arm loose only to put it around her shoulder, "Allison told me. We're still together, by the way."

"Dude, that's not a secret," Joe groaned and Scott looked forlorn. "Everyone knows."

"Yeah, including..." Scott broke off whatever he was gonna say as Derek emerged from the cart presumably containing three teenage werewolves. He gave Scott a head nod to indicate he wanted to talk in private, unintentionally ruining what Joe and Scott just agreed on. Scott shrugged at her, as if to say he would fill her in later, and followed Derek into yet another cart.

That left Joe alone in the warehouse with just herself and an increasingly parched throat, dehydrated from copious amounts of alcohol and adrenaline.

Hugging herself, she walked towards one of the closest carts, remembering the small fridge she found when watching over Erica. The girl in question sat up when Joe entered, still dressed as if going to a rave, despite the underage status. She had straightened her hair for once and Joe noticed for the first time how half of it was extensions.

"Hi, sorry," Joe mumbled and nearly stumbled back through the doorway. She thought all of them had been in the other cart where Derek had gone first. They were connected though, she realized, and Erica could have slipped in-between them. "I just wanted some water, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Erica said softly and gestured for Joe to go ahead at the fridge. In relief, Joe found a cold bottle of water and downed half of it in one go. Erica watched her with twisted eyebrows. "You okay?"

"No. Still kind of drunk. Or hungover at least," Joe admitted and slumped down on top of the fridge. She waved her finger at Erica. "Tired anyway. Life lesson: stay away from alcohol."

Erica shrugged where she sat in the bed. "We can't get drunk."

"What?"

"It's true," Erica repeated and sounded genuinly disappointed at the fact. "Me and Boyd tried it the other day. We heal too fast or something. Boyd had to down an entire bottle of vodka to even feel a little buzz, and it was gone almost right away."

"Huh."

Joe took another sip of water, trying to digest both the fact and the liquid. That meant Derek did not have alcohol to blame for his weird behavior at the rave. Not weird as in bad, just...out of character. Not that Joe had minded. She still didn't mind. He had seemed drunk though, as far as she could remember, or at least not fully in his right mind. Another theory presented itself, but she would rather not consider it at the moment.

Erica blinked her large pretty eyes at Joe. "I like your top."

Instead of starting a discussion, Joe just gave Erica a thumbs up. "Thanks." She felt Erica still watching her and turned with slightly narrowed eyes. "What?"

Erica shrugged and asked with feigned innocence: "Did," she seemed to inspect her hair for split ends, "Derek like your top?"

Oh God. Girl talk. Joe rolled her eyes. "I don't know, he didn't mention it."

Studying her nails, Erica said quietly: "I think he'd like your top."

Looks like Erica had gotten over her little crush and now took some delight in making Joe uncomfortable about the same guy. Werewolf, she realized, she could probably smell things off of her. Could probably smell Derek on her. All right. Two could play that game and she did not need enhanced senses. Joe leaned back and gave Erica a wistful smile. "Soooo, you and Boyd tried to get drunk together, huh?"

Jackpot. Erica's eyes shifted, first to her, then to the far wall of the cart where a small passage separated them from the next cart over. She mouthed 'shut up!' at Joe, who only smiled harder.

"Just to be clear, it was just you and Boyd? I mean, where was Isaac in-"

Unfortunately, Joe was hindered in expanding on Erica's discomfort as Derek popped his head into the cart. If he had heard their conversation or not, or if he cared or not, was anyone's guess and he just tilted his head to make Joe come outside. Erica glared at her exiting back and Joe sniggered to herself.

Out in the warehouse, Derek ran his hand through his hair. He looked more tired and human that she'd ever seen him. At this proximity, his scent overpowered her and her mind filled with the sensation of him holding her, first at the rave and then at the clinic. Just as her heart began beating faster, Derek sighed and handed her his car keys and, to her bigger surprise, her jacket.

"Isaac picked it up," he said to answer the unspoken question and for some reason seemed to watch her with added interest when she shrugged it on, glad of the extra coverage despite Erica's insistence Derek would like her top. What did that even mean?

"Are you sober enough to drive?" he asked, still holding onto his keys even though she grabbed them after putting on the jacket. His eyes bored into hers as his eyebrows lifted. "Joe?"

"I'm, like, ninety percent sure I'm sober enough," Joe answered and was surprised that she meant it. She'd sobered up quickly, probably spurred on by the fight with Alex and then Scott's brush with death. Or maybe half her intoxication had seeped into Derek somehow — who knew what was possible?

Derek nodded, either satisfied with her answer or too tired to care, and let go of the keys. "Take Scott home. He needs to sleep and heal completely before the full moon."

"Why, what happens on the full moon?" Joe asked and shrank under the withering gaze Derek sent her. "Right, the full moon happens on the full moon." That was apparently enough to warrant worry for Derek and his pack. Her eyes went to the cart where she knew Erica was.

"Let me deal with that," Derek said and she dragged her gaze back to him. He had his arms crossed over his chest and they shifted as he took a deep breath. "After...everything, maybe we can try and have that talk? About...everything?"

She found herself unconsciously mimicking his stance. Probably six feet between them, but too far and not far enough at the same time. Her brain conjured up alternative replies, mixing them together, making sure none of it passed her lips. Lips that he almost-

"Listen, about the rave..." Derek started, again talking slowly as if he was not sure how to continue. By now, she was almost positive he could hear her what she was thinking.

"Oh, no, it's okay," Joe insisted, mind racing too fast for her thoughts to keep up. She tried to not falter when he just kept looking at her. "I was drunk, really drunk, and we, uh, respond to each other's strong emotions." She was all together too aware of what emotions she had been feeling and would rather not have it brought up in daylight. "Totally get it. Don't worry about it."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"You sure?"

"Uh-huh."

He regarded her for a second, as if tempted to call her obvious bluff. "Okay, good, but I was just going to say that you looked great."

Her eyebrows rose on their own and she saw with horror how Derek's lips were stretched in an incredibly handsome half-smile. Somehow, this was even worse than seeing him angry. Worse as in how her organs somersaulted like crazy inside her.

"Sorry, I should have said it earlier," he continued when Joe could not conjure up even a simple squeak in response. She saw the glitter in his heavy lidded eyes — he was enjoying this far too much. He had to know what he was doing, he had to hear her heartbeat rising to crazy heights or even feel the heat of the blush that threatened to take over her entire body. He gave her a slight nod, his sight travelling quickly over her body. "You still look great."

The normally loose denim jacket now felt like a corset and the otherwise skimpy top like an insulated down vest. It was still nothing compared to how hot she had felt last night, when he had lifted her up by her thighs and practically pinned her to the wall. Oh God, she could not be thinking about this right now, but again, it was like trying to not think of a pink rhinoceros — now she could not imagine anything else but how hungry she'd been for him and how equally hungry he had seemed for her.

Was she imagining it or was he breathing a little harder too? For some reason, Derek rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes, giving her reprieve from those stunning green eyes. His voice left goose bumps over her skin when he talked, even though it had lost the suave tone from before. "It's not one-sided, is what I'm trying-"

"Joe!"

Joe let out a silent breath of relief as Scott called from the stairwell where he'd been waiting for her. She tried to shrug and point and gesture at Scott to explain to Derek that she had to leave without actually using words because she did not trust her brain at all to form those correctly. He nodded, almost not looking at her, and let her go without further comment.

Like an idiot, she nearly ran out of there as she made a beeline towards her cousin, not daring to turn back, completely unable to take another look at those green eyes. The heat seemed to linger in her core until she was out in the fresh air.

"Wow," Scott said when they buckled up in Derek's Camaro. Joe adjusted the seat forward and tried to familiarize herself with the probably expensive sportscar. He sounded mildly disturbed. "I guess I don't have to wonder if you and Derek hooked up or not."

She gave him a weirded out look as she started the car.

Scott explained when they drove through the early morning of Beacon Hills. "The sexual tension between you guys is insane. I could smell it from across the room."

Despite how curious she was to how much he could read from Derek, this was not a discussion she was having with her cousin in any form or way. Not right now at any rate. "Shut up."

"You've even started to talk like him."

"Oh my God, Scott, please shut up!"

Disclaimer: Don't drink and drive, kids. Claiming artistic license here for plot purposes.

Sorry to leave you guys hanging on that cliff-hanger in the previous chapter! (Who am I kidding, that is my favorite thing to do as a writer...) As expected, there was some drama, but maybe more than expected in some places and less in others? This isn't over yet, so we'll see. Floored by the responses for the last chapter as well, you guys are seriously awesome! Almost tempted to postpone updating to see if we could break the record number of reviews from chapter 17, but I decided I couldn't do that to you.

Side-note: This story now has more than 10,000 views! Woop woop!

As always, I appreciate every single one of you who reads this story and I can't wait to hear what you guys think, so please let me know in a review! Happy December 1st!