Poison and Wine

Wednesday night, the night before the full moon, everyone was gathered at the Miner’s house. The whole pack, the Argent’s, Sheriff Stilinski, and Mrs. McCall were crammed into the house. A dry erase board was set up on an easel in the living room, the furniture pushed aside to accommodate it. Written on it were names and cell phone numbers of at least a dozen of the deputies as well as all of the members of the pack, most of the hunters, and Hailey and her parents.

Almost everybody brought some form of food and they put together a potluck. People were jam packed in the kitchen grabbing food, laughing, and talking. Hailey, however, sat on the stairs, running her fingers through her hair and shaking her head. Derek kept glancing at her from where he was in the living room, looking over the list of phone numbers with Carl and Peter with a concerned look on his face.

Hailey looked up when a shadow was cast over her face. Stiles stood in front of her; a plate of food in hand as he gnawed on some chicken Hailey’s mother had cooked. He held the plate at her level, offering her some food but she shook her head.

“I’m not hungry,” she said softly as he sat down next to her.

“Hails, you’ve got to eat something,” he said with a sigh and she shook her head.

“I’m fine.”

“Hailey you haven’t eaten all day,” he said harshly. Hailey turned to him, eyes wide as he stared at her, determination on his face. “You need to eat. Now.”

“Stiles,” she sighed and he hit the wall with his fist causing her to jump and the people in the nearest rooms quieted down and turned to them.

“Goddammit Hailey!” he shouted and Hailey slunk back against the banister as her eyes stayed glued on Stiles, his face red. “I know you’re scared, we all are! But you need to be all right for tomorrow! You need to eat something so that you’ll have some sort of strength in case you need to step up. You can’t do this to yourself! Or to Aaron, or your parents, or me, or Derek! Jesus Christ, please just fucking eat something!”

“Stiles,” she whispered, tears dripping down her face. Stiles dropped his plate to the floor, food spilling everywhere, and put his head in his hands, shaking his head back and forth. Hailey heard him let out a sob and she pulled his right arm away from his head and draped it across her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around his torso.

“You know I’ve lived with this werewolf shit for over a year. I’ve risked my life. My friends have risked their lives. But now my family is involved,” he said softly, bringing his left arm down and wrapping it tightly around Hailey. “I’ve told you before you’re like a sister Hails, I need you to be okay.”

“Okay,” she whispered, a lump in her throat as she pulled away to look at him. “I’ll eat something.”

“Promise?” he asked, bringing a hand up to wipe his eyes. She nodded her head and swallowed the lump.

“I promise,” she said, kissing his cheek. She put her hands in his and they stood up. Stiles bent down to clean up the mess from his dropped plate and Hailey started to help him.

“I’ve got it,” he said, nudging her with his elbow. “Go get some food.”

Hailey nodded and stood, turning to see that everyone had gathered in the living room and the entryway to the kitchen watching them. She sighed and looked for Derek but didn’t see him. Her father pointed over his shoulder into the kitchen before moving out of the way so Hailey could get in. She walked in to see Derek standing against the counter putting food on a plate. He didn’t move when she stood next to him except to continue putting food on the plate.

“Derek,” she said softly looking up at him. He closed his eyes and stopped as she put her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he sighed, shaking his head and reaching for a fork and knife.

“Tell me,” she said, her hand sliding from his arm as he picked up the plate.

“Here,” he said, holding the plate out for her. “You need to eat.”

“Derek that’s way too much food,” she said letting out a laugh as she wiped away the remnants of her tears.

“So just eat what you can,” he said placing the plate in her hands. “Come on, let’s go to your room.”

“Okay,” she said, nodding her head as Derek stared at her for a moment before leading the way up to her room.

Everyone had scattered and was back to their previous discussions, but they all glanced at Hailey as she followed Derek making her feel slightly uncomfortable. Derek opened the door to her room for her and she went over to the window seat, sitting down as Derek closed the door behind him before joining her. Hailey started to eat some of the food he had piled onto her plate as he sat with his hands clasped together in his lap and stared at them.

“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you or do I have to guess?” Hailey asked before taking another bite. It wasn’t until she had started eating that she realized how hungry she actually was and she silently thanked Stiles.

“Finish eating first,” Derek said, not looking up. Hailey narrowed her eyes and set the plate down causing Derek to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed together.

“I’ll finish eating after you tell me,” she said defiantly, crossing her arms. Derek growled before letting out a sigh and standing up. He walked towards Hailey’s bed as he scratched the back of his neck. Hailey stayed put, deciding it was best for Derek to make the first move.

“Something doesn’t feel right, Hailey,” he said finally and Hailey cocked her head to the side.

“What do you mean?”

“I keep sensing this strange feeling downstairs around everyone. But there are so many people, a lot of them people I don’t even know, and it’s so difficult to pinpoint who it’s coming from,” he said, exasperation evident in his voice.

“Define strange,” she said, crossing her legs and leaning forward on her elbows.

“It’s like a combination of emotions. Guilt, fear, anger, and a few more.”

“Did you tell Scott, Isaac, and Peter?” she asked.

“Yeah and they said they caught onto it too. We tried to spread out to figure out who it is but none of us can be alone with someone because of how many people there are,” he said, sitting down on the bed. “This is the first time all day where I’ve been able to have a conversation with one person for more than two minutes before someone else jumps in.”

“Do you think whoever it is has some sort of connection to Jackson?” she asked, eyes wide as she walked across the room and joined him on the bed.

“I’d say it’s highly possible. I don’t know why else anyone here would be feeling all of that at once.”

“And you don’t know if it’s one of the deputies or one of the hunters.”

“Right,” he said with a sigh.

“Well that’s just… great,” she said, falling back on her bed and staring up at the ceiling.

“We don’t know what to do,” he said, copying her and letting his arm fall to the bed beside Hailey’s. She stretched her fingers out and grabbed onto his.

“And there’s no way to corner every single one of them without looking suspicious either,” she said, turning her head to look at him and he nodded his head. He flared his nostrils and pursed his lips.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more frustrated,” he said and Hailey bit her lip to keep from laughing.

“I guess the only thing to do is keep your eyes and ears wide open,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Yeah,” he said, running his free hand through his hair and sitting up. “Finish eating now.”

“Alright, alright,” she said, standing up and grabbing her plate. She sat back down on the bed and started eating again when someone knocked on the door.

“I knew it wouldn’t last,” Derek sighed, standing up to open it. On the other side of the door stood Stiles with a sheepish grin on his face. Derek opened the door wider so Stiles could come in and closed it as Stiles sat on the bed next to Hailey.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” he said softly and Hailey smiled at him, taking another bite before setting her plate down again.

“It’s alright. I needed it. Besides if you hadn’t done it, Derek would have done much worse,” she said and Derek growled. “Oh hush, you know it’s true.”

“So, Derek, Scott was acting kind of weird downstairs, distracted almost. Do you know what that’s about?” he asked, turning to look at Derek as Hailey picked her plate up again.

“The four of us could sense a mixture of strange emotions from someone downstairs but there are so many people that we’re unfamiliar with that we have no idea who it is,” Derek said quickly, not in the mood to explain it again.

“Why don’t you go downstairs and talk to the others and try to figure something out. I’ll explain to Stiles,” Hailey said and Derek nodded.

“Stiles make sure she eats at least half of what’s on that plate,” Derek said pointing at Hailey.

“I have no problem with that,” Stiles said with a nod as Derek left the room. “Okay what’s going on?”

“Like Derek said, he and the others are sensing a mix of strange emotions. He said it’s guilt and fear and anger and a whole bunch more. But they can’t tell if it’s from a hunter or one of the deputies because like he said they’re unfamiliar with all of them,” she said, pausing to take a bite.

“So why don’t they just casually walk up to someone and sniff them out or listen intently with their wolfiness?” he asked and Hailey laughed.

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” she said shaking her head. “You of all people should know that.”

“True,” he said, nodding his head in agreement.

“Besides, they can’t get a moment alone with one person before someone else either enters the room or jumps in on the conversation. Derek said his time up here with just me was his first time all day talking to just one person for more than a couple of minutes.”

“So what do we do?”

“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Just hope that it’s nothing serious?”

“Yeah, because that always works,” he said rolling his eyes. “Finish eating so we can rejoin the crazy.”

“I’m working on it,” she said, sticking her tongue out before taking another bite.

****

“So, don’t you all think it’s going to look suspicious that we’re all not going to be in school tomorrow?” Hailey asked as the others were rearranging her room to set up sleeping bags for Stiles and Danny and an inflatable mattress for Scott and Allison.

“Maybe but we all have legitimate excuses,” Allison said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Contagious illness,” Scott said pointing at himself.

“Death in the family,” Danny said, also pointing at himself.

“Female problems,” Allison said using air quotes causing Hailey to laugh

“What about you, Stiles?” Hailey asked and Stiles scoffed.

“My Dad’s the Sheriff,” he said and Hailey raised an eyebrow. “When it comes to the sheriff, nothing’s questioned.”

“Well okay then,” Hailey said, looking at Allison and nodding to the door. “Want to go get ready?”

“Yeah,” Allison said, grabbing her bag and heading to the door. Hailey opened it and led the way to the bathroom, closing the door behind Allison.

“Do you think it’s weird? All of us sleeping in the same room together? Especially for you with Derek?”” Hailey asked as Allison pulled her toothbrush out of her bag.

“Yeah a little bit but I’ve actually grown to trust Derek now. Like I told you, your family’s safety is more important than my grudge against Derek. Besides… Scott finally told me the whole truth,” she said, looking at Hailey through the mirror.

“I thought you knew the truth,” Hailey said, eyes wide.

“I knew what my Dad told me which was Derek bit my mother. Scott had told me he did it to save Scott but didn’t tell me what my Mom was doing to him because he didn’t want me to think of her as a bad person. But the other week he sat me down and told me everything, how he was literally almost dead. I still love my mother very much, and I miss her, but I know she’d rather be dead than be a werewolf,” Allison explained and Hailey nodded, opening her arms for a hug.

“Again I’m really sorry,” Hailey said and Allison smiled.

“Thanks. Now… are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you tomorrow? You’re comfortable with just Danny and two of the deputies?” she asked and Hailey shrugged her shoulders.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Hailey asked.

“I know Scott and Derek say he’s loyal but… I saw Danny and Jackson’s friendship first hand. They were like brothers and would have done anything for each other.”

“I understand where you’re coming from,” Hailey said. “But I remember the look on Danny’s face on homecoming. It was a completely different side of him. He was so scared and vulnerable. I know that he’s on our side, fully and completely.”

“If you’re one-hundred percent sure,” Allison said.

“I am,” Hailey said, moving over to the sink to brush her teeth now that Allison was done.

“Hey Hailey,” she said as she sat on the edge of the bathtub and Hailey made eye contact through the mirror. “I just want you to know, I’m really glad we became friends.”

“Me too,” Hailey said after she spit into the sink, smiling at Allison. “I have no idea what I’d be doing if we hadn’t.”

“Well your life probably wouldn’t be in danger for one,” Allison said rolling her eyes and Hailey laughed.

“True. But I probably wouldn’t be with Derek and just… everything would be so different. I can’t imagine,” Hailey said.

“Promise me something,” Allison said and Hailey nodded. “Keep me as updated as you can tomorrow.”

“I will if you will,” Hailey said and Allison squeezed her hand.

“Promise,” Allison said, squeezing back. “We should get back before they start to wonder why we’re taking so long.”

“You’re right,” Hailey said, grabbing her things and leading the way back to her room. When she opened the door all four guys looked up at them.

“There you are,” Derek said as they walked in.

“We were starting to think one of you fell in,” Stiles said, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Yeah, because that joke never gets old,” Hailey said, rolling her eyes.

“There are no women in my house. I have to use the opportunity when it’s handed to me,” Stiles said and Hailey shook her head with a laugh.

“Fair enough. But I swear if I hear it more than once a month I will strangle you,” she said.

“Fine,” Stiles said with a huff as he crossed his arms.

“So, are you sure Isaac doesn’t want to join us? He’s more than welcome to,” she said to Derek, motioning over her shoulder to the window where Isaac was outside with Peter.

“He’s too hyped up to just sit still. But he says he appreciates the offer,” Derek said and Hailey nodded her head. She looked towards the window and walked slightly closer to it.

“Uh… you’re welcome. I guess…”

“He’s laughing,” Scott said, sitting down on the air mattress next to Allison.

Everyone got quiet as they settled down. Thoughts of the next day loomed in their minds. But none of them wanted to say anything about it so they sat there awkwardly.

“So…” Stiles started, after clearing his throat but he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Hailey said from where she sat on her bed next to Derek, her back resting against the headboard. The door opened and Aaron walked in looking around. “What’s up buddy?”

“I can’t sleep,” he said and Hailey pouted sympathetically. “It’s too quiet in my room and Mom and Dad are still talking in their room. It doesn’t sound like they’re going to bed anytime soon.”

“Do you want to stay in here with us? There’s always room for more,” Hailey said with a laugh.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be the kid brother who crashes your friend time because I’m scared.”

“Hey, how many times do we have to tell you? We’re all scared,” she said and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah come on, you can sleep here,” Derek said, starting to stand up.

“No you stay there,” Aaron said, backing up to the hallway. “I’ll sleep on the window seat. I like it there.”

“Are you sure?” Derek asked.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna grab my pillow and blanket. I’ll be right back,” he said before turning and heading down the hallway to his room.

“Poor kid,” Hailey sighed, slouching against Derek’s shoulder.

“It must suck, not being able to tell any of your friends about what’s going on,” Danny said and Hailey nodded.

“Yeah, he got the short stick there,” she said, quieting down when she heard Aaron’s footsteps getting closer again.

“Thanks Hails,” he said, shutting the door and maneuvering around the sleeping bags and mattress to get to the cushioned window seat. He got on it on his knees and pulled the shade down before setting his pillow down and resting his head on it.

“Anytime,” she said, smiling at him as he yawned.

“Well I think that settles it,” Stiles said, yawning as well. “Night all.”

“Goodnight,” everyone chorused as Derek reached over to shut the lamp off. He settled down in the bed and Hailey curled up against him.

“Hey Hails,” Aaron said quietly.

“Yeah?”

“I love you,” he said and Hailey bit her lip, a tear leaking out, knowing exactly why he was saying it.

“I love you too,” she whispered. She felt Derek’s fingers on her chin and she tipped her head up. He rolled onto his side so they were face to face and he wiped her tears away before kissing her lips. Hailey’s eyes adjusted to the dark so that she could see his face clearly. He had a distraught look and she put her hand on his cheek.

“I love you,” he said, so low that she barely heard him. Her heart skipped in her chest and she saw Derek let out a small smile.

“I love you too,” she mouthed, the same words she had just said a few moments ago holding a different meaning in this context. Because deep down, she knew there was a larger chance that she could lose Derek tomorrow than there was of losing Aaron. But no one was going to say that out loud.

****

*Derek’s POV*

Everyone woke up early the next morning. It was unintentional but when the group of six headed downstairs, Aaron having woken up early to go down, almost everyone was scattered throughout the kitchen and living room eating breakfast. Derek nodded his head at Sheriff Stilinski from where he stood in the kitchen talking to Jason. He made sure Hailey got some food and that Stiles would make sure she ate it before excusing himself to talk to Peter and Isaac outside.

“Hey,” Isaac said when he saw Derek coming down the steps of the back deck.

“Where’s Peter?”

“Aaron parted the line for him so he could go for a run. Wanted to see if he could sense Jackson anywhere in town,” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Good idea,” Derek said, nodding his head. “I take it nothing happened out here last night?”

“Not a thing,” Isaac said, shaking his head and yawning.

“Go inside,” Derek said, putting his hand on Isaac’s back. “Tell Hailey you’re going to go up to her room and lay down for a bit.”

“I’m good,” he said, letting out another yawn.

“Go now,” Derek said, widening his eyes and cocking his head towards the house. Isaac nodded and made his way up the steps. As he opened the door one of the deputies walked out, a cup of coffee in his hand.

“Morning,” the deputy said to Derek with a wave of his hand. Derek recognized him as Trevor, the other deputy who had been at Aaron’s soccer game. He raised an eyebrow when he sensed some nerves but figured it was just a general reaction to talking to a werewolf for probably the first time in your life.

“Trevor, right?” Derek asked, holding a hand out.

“Uh, yeah,” Trevor said, his voice shaking as he slowly put his hand in Derek’s. Derek could feel the warmth of Trevor’s blood pulsing through his veins. His heart was beating so fast and he was breathing quickly.

“Are you alright?” Derek asked and Trevor quickly nodded his head.

“Fine, yeah, just nervous… about today you know… everything,” Trevor said letting out a nervous laugh. Derek scanned Trevor’s face and saw sweat beading on his forehead even though it was cold outside.

“Are you sure? You’re sweating.”

“The coffee’s uh… really warming me up,” Trevor said, holding the mug up.

“Right,” Derek said, raising an eyebrow.

“Well uh, I should get back inside,” Trevor said, gesturing over his shoulder.

“Wait I want to ask you something,” Derek said and he could hear Trevor’s heart beat even faster.

“Okay…” Trevor said, his eyes shifting towards the house.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to you the other day at the soccer game. I was wondering if you happened to see anything suspicious, or anyone. Because I can’t figure out what that coyote was doing there, it was all very… strange,” Derek said and Trevor gulped, more sweat dripping down his forehead.

“No… I-I didn’t see anything,” he said, shaking his head and bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck.

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah listen, I think the Sheriff wanted to talk to me so I should…”

“Yeah, of course,” Derek said, waving a hand towards the house.

Trevor nodded and quickly turned on his heel and headed towards the house. He let out a shout as Derek came up behind him, twisting his arms behind his back causing him to drop the coffee mug. It shattered on the ground and coffee splashed on Trevor’s legs causing him to shout again. The back door opened and the Sheriff and a few other deputies and Scott, fangs bared, came out, followed by Hailey and the others.

“Derek let him go!” the Sheriff shouted, holding his arm out to keep the other deputies back.

“What the hell man?” Carl shouted and Derek growled.

“Derek what’s going on?” Scott asked, his eyes flashing gold and his claws extending as he looked from Trevor to Derek.

“He knows something,” Derek snarled, his eyes flashing red.

“What do you mean?” Hailey asked, pushing her way forward.

“Hailey stay back,” Sheriff Stilinski said putting a hand on her arm to hold her back.

“I don’t know what he’s talking about!” Trevor shouted, his heart racing even faster than before and Derek could practically smell the fear radiating from him.

“Tell the truth or I will rip your heart out with my bare hands,” Derek growled in Trevor’s ear.

“Yes!” Stiles shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

“Stiles!” Hailey and the Sheriff shouted, turning to him.

“Sorry,” he said quickly and Derek pulled tighter on Trevor’s arms causing him to wince.

“Alright! Alright I’ll do it just please don’t let him kill me,” Trevor said, tears falling.

“Derek won’t kill you. I promise,” the Sheriff said, stepping forward.

“Not him! The Whittemore kid,” Trevor sobbed and Hailey gasped.

“What did he do?” Derek asked, twisting Trevor around to look him in the eye.

“The night before the soccer game he showed up at my house. I was about to reach for my gun when that girlfriend of his came out from behind him and hit me with a tranquilizer,” Trevor said, his voice shaking. “When I came to I was tied to a chair and my mouth was taped over. They had done the same thing to my wife and the Whittemore kid was touching her face… with his claws.”

“Oh my God,” Hailey whispered and Derek looked over to her to see she had covered her mouth with her hand.

“Then what?” Derek asked, turning his attention back to Trevor who shook his head.

“He threatened to kill her if I didn’t agree to do what he asked.”

“And you agreed,” Scott said and Trevor nodded his head.

“I had to,” he sobbed. “She’s four months pregnant.”

“Jesus,” Stiles said.

“What did he ask you to do Trevor?” the Sheriff asked, coming over and putting a hand on Trevor’s shoulder.

“The kid somehow had a fucking coyote. He knew, and I don’t know how, that I was going to be one of the guys at the game the next day. The coyote was tranquilized too and he told me I needed to go to the field early and place the coyote in the woods. When it woke up it would be confused and angry but I think there was something seriously wrong with it. When it found Shanna… I’d never seen a coyote act like that before. He just wanted you to be distracted.”

“What else?” Derek asked, shaking his head from the confusion. “There’s more than just having you let a coyote loose.”

“He wants me to kill you. All four of you,” Trevor said with a shaky voice, nodding towards Scott.

“Did he seriously think you’d be able to get away with it? How would you get all four of them at once?” Stiles asked, stepping towards the front of the group.

“With different forms of the wolfsbane for each. Pour some in a drink, powdered form over food… bullets,” he said, his hand instinctively drawn to his gun.

“And he expected you to do this by yourself?” Sheriff Stilinski asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“No,” Trevor whispered.

“Who?” Derek asked and Trevor shook his head. Derek growled and grabbed onto Trevor’s shirt, shaking him. “Who?”

“Me,” Lydia said, walking around the front of the house to join the group. Derek dropped Trevor and he and Scott jumped at Lydia who hit them with a taser.

Sheriff Stilinski reached to his holster for his gun but it wasn’t there. He looked up to see Stiles shoving his way past the deputies with his gun in hand. Derek looked over to see Stiles raise the gun and point it at Lydia.

“Lydia,” he said with a shaky voice. “Don’t make me shoot you.”

“Oh come now Stiles, we all know you don’t have the balls to do that,” she said with a laugh, lowering the taser.

“Try me,” he said through his teeth.

“Stiles put the gun down, now,” Sheriff Stilinski said and Lydia laughed.

“Listen to Daddy, Stiles,” she said.

Stiles quickly glanced down at Derek who slightly nodded his head. He slowly lowered the gun and Lydia smirked just as Derek moved his leg hitting Lydia in the ankles causing her to fall backwards. Derek lunged and grabbed her by the wrists, twisting them behind her back and standing up.

“Where’s Jackson?” he shouted.

“Oooo I’m so scared,” she crooned and Derek shook her.

“I will not hesitate to kill you,” he hissed and she craned her neck to look at him.

“Now that I can actually believe,” she said with a smirk as Derek bared his fangs.

“Where. Is. Jackson?” he asked, emphasizing each word.

“You really want him Hale? Well he’s waiting for you right where you’d most expect him,” she whispered and Derek growled, his eyes flaring red.

“Cuff her wrists and ankles and I want five men watching her at all times,” he said as two deputies rushed over putting handcuffs on her before quickly frisking her for anything she might be able to use to escape. “Take her to the station.”

Three more deputies went over and joined the other two with bringing Lydia to some of the cars parked out front. Hailey and Allison rushed over to Derek and Scott. Derek took a few deep breaths to calm down as he shifted back to full human form before Hailey put her hands on his chest and looked up at him.

“What did she mean when she said he’s where you’d most expect him?” she asked and Derek furrowed his eyebrows. He was about to answer when Peter came jogging up to the sidewalk in front of the house.

“Someone let me in!” he shouted, out of breath, which was unusual for Peter. Stiles ran over and parted the line for him before joining it again. Peter ran over to Derek, his eyes wide.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked and Peter shook his head.

“He’s at the house,” Peter said and Hailey gasped.

“You’d most expect him to be at your house?” Hailey asked looking up at Derek.

“Most and least at the same time,” he said, turning to look at Scott. “Go wake Isaac up.”

“Right,” Scott said, running into the house. Derek looked around at the rest of the deputies in front of him, there were about ten.

“Sheriff I need you, Stiles, six of the deputies, and the Argents and almost all of the hunters with us. I’d like any two hunters to stay here, Chris that’s up to you. Everyone make sure your guns are loaded and that you have extra wolfsbane bullets with you. Alyssa, make sure you have all of your serum available and nearby. And you,” he said, putting his hands on Hailey’s shoulders causing her to look up at him.

“Don’t,” she whispered, shaking her head.

“Stay safe. It shouldn’t be too bad with Lydia taken care of. We outnumber Jackson twenty to one,” he said quickly, under his breath for only her to hear as he put his hands on her cheeks. She nodded her head and put her hands on top of his.

“Please be careful,” she whispered and he leaned in to kiss her.

“I will,” he said, letting go and backing away. “Go inside. I’ll call you when it’s all over.”

“I love you,” she whispered as she slowly walked backwards, her father resting his hands on her shoulders.

“Come on Hailey,” he said softly, turning her towards the house. Derek watched as she walked into the house with Aaron and Danny. Jason walked over to Derek and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Be careful out there,” Jason said and Derek nodded his head. “And… thank you. For helping us.”

“I always will,” Derek said, holding his hand out. Jason lifted his arm and clasped onto Derek’s hand, shaking it and gave a nod before walking into the house.

“Derek,” Scott said, coming up behind him.

“Let’s go,” he said, turning to look at his pack and everyone else there to help them as Stiles ran ahead and parted the line, carefully closing it again before jumping into his Jeep with Scott. Derek turned and looked back to the house to see Hailey watching him through the front window. She held her hand against the glass and he turned and started running before he could be pulled back to stay by her side.