Chapter Text
The hot burning raced up and down his body. He stopped himself from screaming out in agony as he threw himself into the men’s room.
He scrambled to the mirror and looked at his tear streaked face in shock and terror.
What was this? What was happening to him? It took every ounce of control not to shift. His hands gripped the sink breaking it off the wall as if it were paper.
He needed to get home. Get away from this place before someone saw him.
As he stepped into the hallways the sound of the students’ chattering, the clicking of clocks, the soft thud of shoes was deafening.
He grabbed his book bag and headed towards the doors. Suddenly he saw Laura. Her face blanched white. Her eyes streaming with tears.
He grabbed her tightly to his chest, her body shaking and sobbing. “Derek…You feel it too?” He stepped back to look at her. Her eyes flashed a hot crimson and she tossed back her head and screamed.
It was the deepest, darkest sound he had ever heard. It was the death noll of his family.
Sheriff Stilinski handed him another cup of coffee. He stood looking down at Derek with a sad look. He hesitantly reached out a hand and squeezed Derek’s shoulder.
Derek’s tear streaked face looked up at him. “Thank you, Sheriff.”
The woman from social services was hugging Laura and stroking her head softly.
John pressed his hand to his eyes and shook his head sadly. “If you need anything else.” Derek nodded mutely eyes down.
The sheriff looked over his notes and slowly walked back to his office. Derek looked over and saw his sister nodding to the woman. The woman stood and followed the sheriff to his office.
Laura walked slowly to him and collapsed against him on the bench. She looked forward, eyes unblinking and exhausted.
“The bank will give us access only to our accounts…We can stay at a motel tonight. Until they get in touch with an adult family member…If we have any…Because I will be eighteen soon… we do not need to be in state care…we will be subject to the trust fund and the executor of mom and dad’s will…”
She quietly dropped her head into her hands. Derek pulled her to him and pressed his face into her hair.
“We have each other…We are together.” His voice broke against a small sob. She looked up at him. “ Derek. I love you. I’m going to take care of you.”
She pulled him close. “I swear.”
Sheriff Stilinski returned carrying bags of groceries from the market and food from the diner. “I…uh. Stopped to get the hotel room all set up. And thought you’d need some things…so…I got these for you.”
Laura carefully opened the bags with a soft smile.
He had bought them toothbrushes, socks, toothpaste, assorted snacks, bottled juices and cookies. From the diner he had purchased cheeseburgers, fries and coleslaw.
Laura looked up at him and smiled. “Sheriff…Thank you.”
John shrugged slightly. “You know…You guys are welcome to come to my place…We would love to have you. We have a lot of room… Derek ? You know my son, right? I can just call him…”
For a moment Derek’s heart lurched hopefully. He wanted to see Stiles, be with him. Not somewhere cold and unfamiliar. He looked over at Laura with a hopeful look.
She shook her head slowly. “Thank you Sheriff…but…” She looked at her brother slowly. “We will be ok. I appreciate this…we appreciate this…but we are just exhausted and need to be alone.”
John pressed his lips tightly and nodded. “I understand…But just remember the offer is open.” He looked down at Derek and reached out and held her arm softly. “If you change your minds…Really.”
Laura’s lip quivered slightly and she nodded. “Thank you.”
“What do you mean you’re going out!” He looked around at the bare walls of the hotel room.
“We just got here!” Laura pulled her hair back into a tight braid. She pulled on her jacket and turned to him.
“You are to stay here. I’m going to check around the house. Alone. I heard the Sheriff talking to his men. They said the fire department is looking into arson. I need to get out there to check for scents before it’s all polluted by their investigation.”
“Laura!” Derek grabbed her arm. “You aren’t going there alone. What if there is someone there! What if it is …” He choked slightly. “The people who killed them. What if it is those Hunters…You can’t go alone.” He bowed his head. “Don’t leave me …alone.”
Laura grabbed him tightly to her. She lifted his head and looked into his eyes wet with tears and desperate.
She stroked his face tenderly. “Ok. Ok. But we have to be careful. We can’t let anyone see us out there.” Derek nodded swiftly and wiped at his face.
As they approached their house they could smell the bitter acrid smell of smoke. Laura and Derek circled-in cautiously.
After using all of their heightened senses they couldn’t detect anything. The water pooled around the house from the firefighter’s trucks.
Derek saw they area of wall they had to chop down to help in removing the bodies. He felt his legs suddenly buckle beneath him and the enormity of the whole scene hit him.
His mother, father, Ruthie…His entire family…gone. Burned in their safe place. Trapped like animals for slaughter.
He fell forward his hands digging in the mud angrily. Lurching himself towards the gaping hole. His jaws clenched tightly against the angry howl that was crawling up his throat.
As he stumbled onto the porch his hand brushed against something warm and smooth. He looked and saw the leather bound book that Stella had given him.
The strange three legged design still visible on the soot and water splattered cover. He picked it up slowly and held it to his chest. He sat back on his haunches and looked up into the black sky.
He heard Laura creeping up behind him. She approached him wordlessly and squatted down next to him.
In her hand she held a torn and faded shirt. Derek stared at her with horrified eyes as she handed it to him slowly, her head down. His scent was still on the shirt, but it was the others that made his heart break and his howl rip from his soul.
The smell of Kate and gasoline. Derek looked at his sister with horror and dropped the shirt and ran.
Laura called out desperately. But he couldn’t look at her now. Couldn’t see the truth in her eyes.
Despite her command Derek ran from Laura. He felt the full horror of what he had done. What had happened because of his stupidity, his selfishness, his adolescent love.
Derek didn’t stop running until he found himself panting and confused in the center of the town. The idea of Kate touching him, holding him made his stomach churn and retch. He allowed the contents of his stomach out and the hot bile burnt at his throat.
He wanted to score and rend any part of his body she had touched. He felt unclean…diseased.
He staggered into the night his mind swimming in sorrow and disgust. Without realizing it Derek found himself sobbing silently outside Stiles’ house.
He sat down on the curb and put his head down into his arms. Within a few moments he heard footsteps heading towards him. He looked up to see Stiles rushing across the street to him.
Stiles squatted down and pulled him into his arms. He felt Stiles’ tears against his face, heard his soft murmurs in his ear. “It’s ok. Derek. I’m here. It’s going to be ok!”
“Stiles? How did?” He looked amazingly at Stiles.
Stiles put his hand on his chest. “I just felt it…Felt you…” Stiles whispered against him.
He pulled Derek up slowly. They stood mutely looking at one another.
“Come inside Derek…Come on. Let’s clean you up.” Derek pulled away slowly and shook his head. Stiles eyes got a determined look. He reached again and pulled Derek with him. Derek hung his head and followed him mutely into the house.
Stiles lead him to his bedroom and released him to the bed. Derek sat down numbly looking up at him. His eyes lost and scared. Stiles pulled off his sweat and vomit soaked shirt and returned with a warm wet towel and carefully began wiping Derek’s face and chest.
He reached into his drawer and pulled out an oversized t-shirt. He gently maneuvered it over Derek’s head and helped him pull it over his arms.
Derek watched him as if in a dream.
Stiles gently shoved him back onto the bed. He cautiously pulled Derek next to him. He gently pulled Derek down, resting his head on his chest.
Stiles gently stroked Derek’s hair. “You’ll be ok. I’ll be here for you. I promise. I’ll be here.” Derek allowed himself to cry into Stiles’ chest.
The warm gentle hand stroking him and calming him, his warm voice repeating. “I love you Derek…You are my friend. I’ll be here.”
Derek felt the calm spreading through him as Stiles’ voice continued on and sleep took him. When he woke he found himself curled up against Stiles. He breathed in against him, the scent of Stiles was like a warm summer day.
He found himself pressing closer, a feeling of need and longing rushing through him. Stiles mumbled softly and turned towards him. Derek realized that Stiles was awake and looking at him intently.
Derek felt the heat rush to his face. He gently began to move away, when he felt Stiles hand tighten against his arm.
“Derek.” He whispered softly. Derek let his breath out slowly. He felt Stiles lean forward and kiss him gently. “I meant what I said…I do love you.”
Derek swallowed painfully and nodded slowly. “I need you to believe that…Ok?” Derek nodded and began to sit up slowly.
Stiles pulled himself up and looked at him. “You feeling better?” He hung his head. “That’s so stupid…I hated when people asked me that…I mean. Of course you aren’t…Christ. Derek. I am so sorry.”
He reached out and pulled Derek into his arms. “I wish I could do something…Anything to make this better…But…” He looked at Derek’s eyes. “I can’t…I can only be here…for you.”
Derek felt his own arms moving around Stiles and pulling him close. “You are…Stiles. You are here…”
Suddenly Derek pulled back and turned to see Laura standing at the window.
She shook her head slowly and bowed her head. He looked at her and then at Stiles in shame.
Stiles scurried up to embrace her. “Laura.” He looked at her. “You need to stay here?”
She rubbed her hand over Stiles’ cheek and gave him a wavering smile. “No. We can’t stay. Derek. It was hunters…They are here.” She held out a blade that shined silvery in the light.
“There was one at the motel. He was looking for us. There are bound to be more.”
Stiles gaped. “Tell my dad! He’ll stop them.” He turned to look at Derek. “Stay here they won’t come here…Will they?”
Derek looked up at him. “I don’t want you getting hurt Stiles.”
“What are you going to do then?” Stiles reached out and held Derek’s arm. “My dad has a gun…I know how to shoot…I’ll protect you…both.”
Laura shook her head. “We need to go.”
“But where will you go?” Stiles asked eyeing Derek.
Laura and Derek shared a look. “We go away. Far away.” Laura sighed.
Stiles sat down deflated next to Derek.
“We need to be forgotten Stiles. They won’t stop. They’ve gone this far to kill us…all of us…We can’t jeopardize anyone else getting hurt. Derek…you understand, right?”
Derek closed his eyes tightly and nodded. Laura nodded slightly. “I’ll meet you outside…Goodbye Stiles.” She bent down and kissed his forehead softly. “Be safe.” Stiles blinked up at her and nodded sadly.
After she left Derek stood and looked down at Stiles.
Stiles stood up. “ I’ll be here when you can come back…I’ll write to you…You can call…”
Derek gave him a soft smile and nodded. “You are one of a kind Stiles. I wish…Things could have been different.” He pulled Stiles to his chest.
“You made me laugh and smile and feel…loved.” He bent his head down and kissed Stiles deeply.
Stiles smiled against the kiss. “My first kiss.” He whispered. Derek smiled slowly at him. “I love you too Stiles…and that why I have to…”
Stiles woke up and stumbled downstairs. He grabbed his coco krispies and a bowl. Once he had filled it to the brim he dug in happily.
The chocolate goodness snapping and popping against his tongue.
His father came in with a smile. “How’d you sleep?” John asked pouring himself a coffee.
Stiles shrugged. “Ok. Some weird dreams…About werewolves.”
John raised his eyebrows. “That’s pretty scary.” He turned and poured more coffee into his mug.
“Nah. They were ok. Cool Werewolves…Friendly. They were protecting me.” Stiles slurped at his bowl.
John frowned and leaned in looking at his son. “What the hell did you do to the back of your neck?”
Stiles stopped at reached behind him to feel the small scratches at the base of his neck.
“ Weird? I don’t remember.”