Come What May

xxHaileyxx

Hailey sat in the passenger seat of Derek’s car, her backpack on her lap, as he silently watched her. She was taking in her surroundings; the four deputies standing by the front door, waiting for her to appear; her classmates lingering outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of her before they shuffled off to their homerooms; her friends waiting for her next to Stiles’ jeep to escort her inside.

“Hailey,” Derek said quietly so as not to startle her. She blinked and turned to him, noticing the worry on his face.

“I’m fine,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching for the door handle. Derek hit the lock button and she turned back to him.

“You don’t have to stay all day,” he said and she nodded. “All you have to do is call and I will come and get you.”

“I know,” she said, biting her bottom lip. “But I have to stay. I can’t show weakness.”

“Okay,” Derek said with a sigh. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said, leaning over to kiss him quickly before opening the door and stepping out with her backpack before she could change her mind. She could feel tears spring to her eyes as she heard the Camaro’s engine rumble. She franticly wiped them away before reaching her friends and quickly put on a smile.

“Hey Hails,” Stiles said when he saw her nearing and the others turned to her.

“Hi,” she said brightly.

“Ready?” Allison asked and Hailey nodded.

Allison linked her arm with Hailey’s. Danny and Scott flanked them on either side as Stiles led the way to the school. Hailey’s eyes roamed in every direction, looking at her peers. She could hear the whispers; some wondering where she had been, others saying they heard she had been held naked and chained, and others saying that nothing even happened and it was all for attention.

“Ignore them Hailey,” Danny said, moving closer to her and she nodded, trying to fight back tears. The deputies stood at the top of the steps with Principal Thomas and she noticed Carl was one of them.

“Miss Miner, it’s good to have you back,” Principal Thomas said. “I’d like to see you in my office before you head to your homeroom.”

“Okay,” she said, stepping forward to follow him, Carl, and another deputy into the school.

“You four can head to class,” he said to her friends who all hesitated. Hailey nodded at them and they reluctantly started to head to their lockers. Principal Thomas led Hailey to his office and Carl and the other one, she noticed her nametag said Baylor, followed. “Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you,” Hailey whispered, sitting in the padded chair across the desk from his luxurious leather one, setting her backpack on the floor.

“Sheriff Stilinski called me at home early this morning requesting permission to give you a watch for the next few days or weeks until they find your kidnapper. Of course I agreed. He told me a few minor details and I want you to know that if you don’t feel ready to be here yet and need to go home you just come here and we will contact your parents. Understood?”

“Yes sir,” she said and he nodded. Their conversation was cut for a moment as the bell signaling the end of homeroom rang.

“Deputies Thompson and Baylor are going to escort you from class to class today. The other two deputies you saw outside are going to be patrolling the hallways and will notify me if they see anything suspicious. If you need anything come see me.”

“I will. Thank you,” she said, grabbing her backpack and standing up. He handed her a slip of paper, a pass saying why she would be a few minutes late to her first class.

“Where do we head first?” Carl asked, opening the door for her.

“My locker,” she said, leading them down the hallway. “So, what’s your first name Deputy Baylor?”

“You can call me Stacy,” she said with a smile and Hailey smiled back.

“It’s nice to meet you Stacy. I know I’ve seen you before at the station but I still haven’t learned everyone’s names yet,” Hailey said, opening her locker and grabbing her Physic’s book.

“Oh that’s alright honey,” Stacy said, waving her hand in the air. “You’ve had more than enough going on.”

“Tell me about it,” Hailey muttered, closing her locker. “So do you guys come into the classrooms with me or just stand outside?”

“One inside, one outside,” Carl said. “Just in case one of these little shits is that son of a bitch.”

“Thompson,” Stacy said, elbowing him in the ribs and he clutched his side.

“What was that for?” he exclaimed.

“I’m going to assume for swearing while on duty in a high school where you’re supposed to set a good example,” Hailey said and Stacy nodded.

“Geez. In case you haven’t noticed the hallway is currently empty,” he said, rolling his eyes. They turned a corner and reached the Physics room. Hailey hesitated in the doorway, her hand hovering over the knob.

“It’s okay sweetie,” Stacy said, putting her hand on Hailey’s shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. “You let me know when you’re ready.”

“Okay,” Hailey said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Okay,” Stacy whispered, reaching for the doorknob and twisting it.

The door swung inward and every head was turned towards Hailey. She quickly turned her eyes to Stiles and kept her eyes locked on him as she quickly walked between tables to get to her seat as Stacy brought her pass to Mr. Bower. Again she heard the whispers and her cheeks turned red. She let her hair fall in front of her face as she pulled her chair out and sat down, her heart pounding in her chest as she took quick breaths.

“Calm down,” Stiles whispered, putting his hand on her knee. She quickly put her hand on top of his and squeezed, focusing on slowing her breathing.

“That’s enough,” Mr. Bower said after the whispers had continued. The other students ignored him and soon the whispers turned into chatter. Hailey looked up to see most of the room turned to her; some of them had even started asking her questions. “Settle down!”

But it didn’t stop. She could hear Scott and Allison behind her trying to get some of them to stop asking her questions. Stiles’ grip on her knee grew tight and she winced and felt him let go and next thing she knew he was on his feet, climbing on top of their table.

“SHUT UP!” he shouted as loud as he could and the room fell completely silent. “What happened to Hailey is Hailey’s business and the business of whomever she chooses to share it with. So unless she talks to you first you don’t mention one word about it, deal?”

“Thank you Mr. Stilinski,” Mr. Bower said. “Now sit down before I write you a detention.”

“Sorry,” Stiles mumbled, scrambling down and sitting back in his chair.

“Thanks,” Hailey whispered.

“Anytime,” he said with a wink, turning his attention to the front of the room. Hailey looked at the clock and sighed. Only six hours and fifty-two minutes left to go.

****

xxDerekxx

“Are you sure she was okay?” Jason asked as he entered some numbers into the calculator on his desk. Derek turned his attention away from the family photograph on the wall to look at him.

“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “She said she was but she was radiating fear and nerves. But we can’t keep her locked away until Gerard is dead.”

“I know,” Jason said with a sigh, looking up at Derek. “Who’s with Aaron?”

“Peter,” Derek said, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the desk.

“He seems to have taken a liking to Aaron,” Jason said and Derek nodded.

“I think Aaron reminds him of one of my cousins,” Derek said and Jason raised an eyebrow. “Both of us, really.”

“Peter’s son?”

“No, another nephew. Peter didn’t have any children. That we know of, anyway,” Derek said and Jason laughed.

“And Alyssa has Melissa at the hospital and I assume Isaac’s there?”

“Yes plus there are always a few deputies there throughout the day for some reason or another,” he said and Jason nodded. “And the Sheriff and Argent and some hunters and deputies are out looking for Gerard.”

“Good, good,” he said, going back to the calculator, running his free hand through his hair.

“I should go outside now,” Derek said, standing up. Jason stood too and opened the door for him.

“I’ll walk you out,” he said, turning left leading Derek down the hallway. “You don’t…”

“What?” Derek asked after Jason hesitated. Jason shoved his hands in his pockets as they waited by the elevator and looked down.

“You don’t think he’ll go after Aaron do you? Or Alyssa?”

“No, I don’t,” Derek said, shaking his head and put his hand on Jason’s shoulder. “It’s me he wants. Hailey is his top priority. I’m sure of it.”

“I can’t believe Alyssa’s parents were friends with him,” Jason said, shaking his head and looking at Derek who shrugged his shoulders.

“They didn’t know. To them he was just another old man who was dying and trying to live the rest of his life in peace. We’re just lucky he didn’t harm them before coming back here.”

“What I don’t get is why he was in New York in the first place,” Jason said as the elevator arrived and he entered with Derek.

“Maybe there was someone he knew there. Another Emissary like Deaton… or another hunter.”

“Right, yeah,” Jason said. “Well you be careful outside. Don’t act too suspicious. Our security guards are pretty… aggressive,” Jason said, nodding to the two men in the lobby when the elevator doors opened.

“I won’t,” Derek said, clapping a hand on Jason’s back, stopping at the front desk to drop off his visitor’s badge before heading outside. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. “Only six and a half hours to go.”

****

xxStilesxx

“There, you made it to lunch,” Stiles said as they stopped at Hailey’s locker, Carl and Stacy on either side of them.

“Barely,” she muttered, shutting her locker and turning to Stiles.

“Come on. Lunch is on me,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders and heading to the cafeteria.

“Alright!” Carl said, and Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Not for you Carl,” he sneered and Carl sighed.

“If you stand in the hall I’ll get your lunch, Thompson,” Stacy said and Carl assented.

“Anything but a salad,” he said, stopping outside the cafeteria doors. Hailey wasn’t paying attention as she followed Stiles to the lunch line and almost walked right into someone.

“Sorry,” she exclaimed, looking up to see Jessica Brighton standing there. Hailey’s eyes widened and Stiles came to a halt next to her.

“It’s okay. Are you all right?” Jessica asked, reaching a hand out towards Hailey who quickly backed away into Stiles’ chest. “Sorry. I didn’t mean… did I do something wrong?”

“Hailey?” Stiles asked as Hailey tensed up against him. He stepped in front of her to face her and her face was white, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Hailey talk to me!”

“What’s wrong with her?” Stacy asked as Jessica backed away with a panicked look.

****

xxHaileyxx

Images from her nightmare flashed in her mind. Bumping into Jessica in the hallway just like she almost did just now. Jessica turning into Gerard. Gerard slicing his sword clean through Derek.

Derek! Oh God, Stiles, where’s Derek? She asked, looking at Stiles who looked strange. Almost fuzzy. She felt him grab her and she was turning. Spinning, spinning… she felt dizzy. Why wasn’t he answering her?

Stiles I need to see Derek. I need to make sure he’s okay. I need my phone she said, reaching for her pocket. But nothing happened. She couldn’t move. Stiles’ mouth was moving but she couldn’t hear anything. What was happening?

****

xxStilesxx

“I think she’s having a panic attack. We need to get her out of here,” Stiles said, wrapping his arm around Hailey’s shoulders and leading her out of the cafeteria, Stacy two steps behind.

“What’s going on?” Carl asked as they walked through the doors and past him.

“Just stay here,” Stiles said as he looked through the windows of each classroom they passed, looking for an empty one. “Here.”

“What do we do?” Stacy asked as Stiles positioned Hailey in front of the teacher’s desk.

“We need to slow her breathing. When Scott had one last year I gave him his inhaler but obviously we can’t do that,” Stiles said, standing in front of Hailey, his hands on her shoulders.

“So do we give her a paper bag to breathe into?”

“No, no, no,” Stiles said, shaking his head. “That’s not as good as everything thinks. I heard about a breathing technique. Hailey? Hailey can you hear me?”

She just stared at him, her chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. Her knees started to give out and she fell backwards into the desk a bit.

“I think that’s a no,” Stacy said, panic in her voice.

“Okay, Hailey if you can see me just do what I do. I’m going to hold up fingers to count,” he said, waving his fingers in front of her face.

“If this doesn’t work in two minutes I’m calling for an ambulance,” Stacy said and Stiles nodded.

“Okay, here we go,” Stiles said. He took a deep breath and made sure to exaggerate his movement so Hailey would copy him.

When she didn’t move he snapped his fingers in front of her face and pointed at himself. He inhaled again and she followed and he immediately held up his hand, all five fingers extended and put them down one after the other. Then he puffed his cheeks out to show he was holding his breath and held up two fingers, putting them down. Slowly he started to exhale, again holding up five fingers. Hailey let her breath out with a loud puff.

“Okay, again,” Stiles said, inhaling deeply again and Hailey mirrored him, repeating the same technique.

****

xxHaileyxx

Stiles was holding onto her and trying to talk. Everything was muffled, as if she had water in her ears. She felt dizzy and unstable. She could see Stiles motioning to himself, taking a big breath. He looked frustrated and pointed at himself and then her. He must want her to copy him. Again he took a deep breath and he held fingers up. He was counting. So she inhaled for five seconds and realized he was now holding his breath. She did the same, puffing her cheeks out to show him she understood.

It’s easier to breathe, she thought, again copying Stiles and taking another breath.

Her vision started to clear up and she could actually make out what Stiles was saying to her now. She blinked a few times and Stiles smiled.

“Oh thank God,” Stacy said as Hailey straightened herself back up.

“Just take a few normal breaths now, Hails,” Stiles said, slowly breathing in and out with her. Together they breathed a few times until color came back to Hailey’s face. “Do you want to sit?”

“Please,” she said as Stiles helped her around the desk to the wooden chair.

“Keep breathing,” he said and she nodded as she focused, in and out, in and out.

“What was that?” she asked in between breaths.

“A panic attack,” Stiles said. “It was Jessica wasn’t it? That set it off?”

“Mhm. All I saw was the nightmare,” she whispered and Stacy stepped forward.

“Did that girl do something?” Stacy asked and Stiles shook his head.

“Only in a dream,” he said. “She triggered Hailey is all. How are you feeling?”

“A little dizzy,” Hailey said, touching her head.

“Do you want to go back to the cafeteria or do you want to go home? Personally I’d go home,” Stiles said and Hailey bit her lip.

“I want to talk to Derek,” she said and Stiles nodded. She reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked as soon as he picked up.

“I just needed to make sure you were okay,” she said, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Make sure I’m okay? Why?”

“I bumped into Jessica Brighton, from that first nightmare remember?” she asked and he grunted his affirmation. “And I thought maybe it was a sign or something. Not that she was Gerard, necessarily, but maybe he was near you.”

“I’m fine. And so is your Dad,” he said.

“Good. Okay, good,” she said, putting her hand to her chest.

“But what’s wrong with you?”

“I’m fine,” she said automatically.

“No you’re not.”

“I just had a little, minor, panic attack,” she said softly and she could tell he was not happy.

“It wasn’t little!” Stiles shouted and Hailey glared at him as Derek growled into the phone

“You’re going home,” Derek said and Hailey sighed.

“Derek, I don’t want any more rumors to start. All I’ve heard all day are whispers from everyone.”

“Screw what they think, Hailey. You’ve put yourself through a lot today. You need to go home,” he said. “I’m coming to get you.”

“No! You have to stay with my Dad,” she said, sitting up and Derek sighed.

“Hailey.”

“No it’s fine, I’ll go home. Carl’s here and another deputy, Stacy. They can bring me home and stay with me until you get there.”

“Okay. I’ll switch off with Scott when he’s done today,” he said and Hailey nodded.

“Okay. I’ll see you later,” she said, hanging up and putting the phone back in her pocket.

“Come on, let’s go see Principal Thomas,” Stacy said, helping her out of the chair.

“I’ll go tell Carl,” Stiles said. Hailey gave him a hug before he left the room.

“You still owe me lunch,” she called down the hall and he laughed.

“Tomorrow?”

“Deal,” she said with a smile. Stacy grabbed her backpack and held onto her elbow since she was still a bit unsteady.

“You really scared us back there,” Stacy said and Hailey nodded.

“I scared myself,” Hailey said. “I tried talking to Stiles at one point but I didn’t say anything at all, did I?”

“Not a word,” Stacy said, shaking her head. They reached the office and Mrs. Slauson, the secretary, looked up from her desk with a smile.

“Oh hello Hailey. What can I help you with, dear?”

“I need to see Principal Thomas please,” she said. Mrs. Slauson stood up and went to Principal Thomas’ office door to see if he was busy. She came back a moment later, ushering Hailey and Stacy in.

“Is everything all right Miss Miner?” he asked when Hailey stepped in.

“Not exactly,” Hailey said, her voice shaky.

“Hailey had a severe panic attack a few minutes ago. She’s okay now but not stable to finish out the day,” Stacy said and Principal Thomas nodded.

“I’ll call your parents,” he said, reaching for the phone.

“Actually sir, Deputy Baylor said she and Deputy Thompson will bring me home. And they said they’d stay with me until my parent’s get done with work. I can call them on the way there,” Hailey said.

“Okay. Where is Deputy Thompson?”

“On his way from the cafeteria,” Stacy said and Principal Thomas stood up.

“If you need a few more days to stay at home we’ll understand and I can make arrangements with your teachers,” he said and Hailey nodded.

“I’ll see how I feel in the morning,” she said.

“Get some rest,” Principal Thomas said, walking out to the hallway with them. Carl was leaning against some lockers in the hallway across from the office, a half-eaten burger in his hand.

“Ready?” he asked, with his mouth full.

“You’re disgusting,” Hailey scoffed as she and Stacy followed him out of the school.

“I would have gotten you two something but I was a little short on cash,” he said, opening the back door of the squad car for Hailey.

“That’s alright,” she said as he and Stacy climbed in front. “We can stop on the way home so Stacy and I can get something since you already ate.”

“Oh yes, what should we get?” Stacy asked, turning around to look at Hailey.

“I’m thinking tacos,” Hailey said and Stacy nodded enthusiastically.

“Hey, I want tacos,” Carl said, making eye contact with Hailey through the rearview mirror.

“But you just had a nice, juicy, school cafeteria burger,” Hailey said and groaned.

“It really wasn’t that good. I don’t know how it’s legal to serve you kids that shit,” he said and Hailey shrugged her shoulders.

“Well if you just waited five minutes….”

“Oh come on,” he groaned and Hailey laughed.

“Fine, maybe one taco,” she said, settling back into the seat.

****

At 3 o’clock on the dot Derek arrived at the Miner’s house and Carl and Stacy left to go back to the station. As soon as he was in the house and Hailey closed the door behind them he wrapped his arms around her. For the first time all day she was able to relax, leaning into his chest as his fingers tangled in her hair.

“I called Stiles on my way here. He gave me all the details about your panic attack.”

“I’m fine,” she said, pulling back to look up at him and he rolled his eyes.

“Now, yes,” he said and they walked into the living room and sat on the couch. “He said that he and Stacy were ready to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital.”

“But they didn’t.”

“This time. What if you have another one tomorrow?”

“Well hopefully I won’t,” she said as Derek ran a hand over his face. “Derek, I just… I have to at least think positive about something right now and that’s the mindset that I won’t have any more panic attacks.”

“I understand. I do,” he said and she lay down on the couch, resting her head on his lap. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t worry about it.”

“You always worry about me anyway,” she said, rolling her head to look up at him and, to her surprise, he laughed.

“Yeah well get used to it,” he said causing her to laugh in return.

“As if I have any other choice,” she said, sitting up. She pushed herself onto his lap and put her hand on his cheek, turning his head towards hers and kissing him. Mid-kiss the door opened and Aaron and Peter walked in.

“Hi!” Aaron said, dropping his backpack on the floor and jumping onto the couch. Hailey reluctantly moved off of Derek’s lap and wrapped an arm around Aaron.

“How was school?”

“Fine,” he said with a shrug.

“Can I talk to the two of you?” Peter asked, standing in the doorway to the foyer, arms crossed over his chest. Derek and Hailey stood and headed to the kitchen, Peter following behind.

“What’s up?” Hailey asked, keeping her voice low.

“I think I spotted Lydia on our way over here,” he said and Hailey’s eyes widened.

“Where?” Derek asked.

“Near her street. She was walking on the sidewalk and looked kind of disheveled but I’m not entirely sure it was her. Whoever it was had on a large sweatshirt with the hood up but I saw a bit of hair definitely the same color as Lydia’s and she was about the right height.”

“We need to check it out,” Derek said, heading to the front door. Peter stopped him before Hailey could even say anything. Derek ripped his arm out of Peter’s grasp and his eyes flashed red.

“Derek don’t,” Peter said. “You stay here. I already told Isaac and he headed straight to the area. I’m going back to meet him and the two of us are going to check it out.”

“I’m coming with you,” he said moving towards the door again. Hailey stood up but Peter was in front of Derek blocking the door, his eyes bright blue and teeth bared as he let out a roar. Aaron jumped on the couch and turned to see what was happening.

“Stay. Here,” Peter growled and Hailey walked into the foyer, getting in between the two Hales.

“Stop it,” she spat as Derek growled behind her. She turned to him and rolled her eyes. “Both of you.”

“You need to stay here with Hailey and Aaron,” Peter said, his fangs still bared. “We can’t waste time waiting for a deputy or Allison or whoever to get here. Isaac and I can handle it. Like I said we don’t even know if it’s her.”

“He’s right, Derek, and you know it,” Hailey said and Derek finally calmed down.

“Go,” he said, nodding at Peter.

“I’m going to let him out. Just, stay here with Aaron, okay?” she said and Derek nodded, turning to Aaron who was still watching in awe.

“I thought you two were gonna fight,” Aaron pouted and Derek mussed up his hair before sitting next to him.

“Not tonight, bud,” he said, looking over his shoulder at Hailey as she and Peter walked out the door.

“What’s wrong with him?” Peter asked as they walked to the sidewalk.

“He’s just worried about me,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Yeah but that’s every day. Something’s different today.”

“I kind of had a panic attack at school today,” she said and Peter raised an eyebrow and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

“I’m fine,” she said with a nod. “Stiles helped calm me down and get my breathing under control. I came home early, though.”

“Take it easy okay?” he said and she nodded again, giving him a hug before parting the line for him.

“Hey Peter… if it is Lydia….”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get your final blow in before she’s… not a problem anymore,” he said, a wicked grin on his face.

“Thanks,” she said with a laugh as Peter climbed into his car and sped off.

“I really wish you two would stop talking about me like I can’t hear you,” Derek said as soon as she opened the door causing her to jump.

“Jesus, Derek,” she gasped, putting her hand over her chest. He crossed his arms and leaned against the stair railing. “He’s worried about you,” she said, walking in and closing the door.

“Right now I should be the last thing on his mind,” he said and she rolled her eyes.

“How about we just accept that everyone in our group is worried about everyone else? My parents are worried about Aaron and me. They’re worried about you. I’m worried about you and them and Stiles and Allison and everyone involved in this asinine problem. But that’s what happens when you have people you love. Peter loves you and he loves me and Aaron and I think even Isaac since they’re always partnered together when we split up. Yes he did the worst thing possible, killing Laura, and I can’t even begin to imagine how that felt, but he’s proven himself so many times over, what more do you want from him?”

“Are you done?” Derek asked, amusement in his voice. Hailey sighed and crossed her arms.

“Yes,” she said defiantly. Derek sighed and let his arms fall to his sides.

“I wasn’t mad at your or Peter. Just annoyed,” he said and Hailey bit her lip.

“So my rant just now was…”

“Completely unwarranted,” he said and she shook her head.

“Well I’m an idiot,” she said and he wrapped his arms around her.

“Never,” he said. “Come on, Aaron’s got something he wants to show you.”

“Man I can’t wait for you to see this, Hails, it’s so cool,” Aaron said, pulling up something on Derek’s phone to show her. Hailey smiled and sat next to him while Derek went to stand by the window. For all the flack she gave him about worrying about her, she couldn’t stop herself from worrying about him. She just hoped this whole Gerard thing would be over soon so that they would all finally just be able to relax.