Come What May

xxHaileyxx

“So, Round 2,” Stiles said as Hailey climbed out of Derek’s Camaro.

“Yupp,” she said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

“Keep an eye out for anything weird today,” Derek said, stepping out of the car and Scott, Allison, and Danny walked over to join them.

“Is something wrong?” Allison asked.

“Peter and Isaac think they found Lydia,” he said. “They were trailing her yesterday but lost her before they could be sure it was her. We’re scouring the area today in shifts, switching between Hailey’s parents and Aaron.”

“Sounds tedious,” Stiles said and Derek rolled his eyes with a huff.

“It’s the best they can do Stiles,” Hailey said, grabbing his arm and walking towards the school. “We should go before Derek crushes your skull.”

“Stiles!” Derek called and Stiles stiffened. Hailey smiled at him and he slowly turned to Derek. “If she has another panic attack today or something else happens, you call me right away. She may be your best friend but when it comes to her safety I trump anything she says to you.”

“Alright, alright, keep your panties on,” Stiles said and Derek flinched towards them. Stiles almost tripped turning around and heading towards the school.

“Mean,” Hailey said, shaking her head as Derek smiled before she turned to go into the school.

“He’s just being protective,” Allison said and Hailey groaned.

“Threatening my friends isn’t the right way of doing that,” she said and Allison laughed.

“Oh he wasn’t threatening all of your friends. Just Stiles.”

“It’s still mean.”

“Yeah well, none of us are guaranteed to fuck up,” Danny said causing Hailey to laugh.

“Hey!” Stiles cried, slamming his locker shut.

“We doing this today?” Stacy asked, walking over with Carl. Hailey bit her lip and nodded.

“Mhm, all day, I promise,” she said, grabbing her things from her locker.

“Yay,” Carl said, sarcasm wholly present in his voice.

“Hush,” Stacy said as Hailey and the others walked to their first class.

“I’ll stick to the halls again. I like the quiet,” Carl said, stopping outside of the classroom.

“Oh come on,” Scott groaned as they walked into the classroom. The word project was written in large block letters across the board.

“Cool, great, fantastic, amazing,” Stiles said as he and Hailey sat down at their table.

“Stiles, it’s just a project,” Hailey sighed as she opened her notebook.

“Need I remind you what happened the last time we had a group project?” he asked and Hailey shivered.

“I’m good,” she said, unconsciously grabbing the arm that Jackson broke a few months prior.

“Settle down,” Mr. Bower said, closing the door blocking out leftover noise from the hall. “As you can see it’s time for a project. We’ve been talking about the laws of motion lately and now you’re going to put that in effect. Who’s heard of a Rube Goldberg machine?”

“Sweet,” Stiles whispered, raising his hand in the air and looking around to see no one else had.

“Stiles,” Mr. Bower said, nodding at him.

“It’s a device where one action leads to another and another all with the goal of completing a simple task like turning a page or uncapping a marker,” he said and Mr. Bower nodded.

“Exactly. The simplest energy transfer is one ball rolling into another causing the second ball to roll and bump into another ball or knocking a stick over which pulls a string. We’re looking for complex chain reactions. Your task is to build a Rube Goldberg machine with your class partner. Make as many connections as you can and make your simple task as interesting as you can. I will gather a group of unbiased judges who will score each machine. The winning duo will receive an extra credit score on top of my grade for your project. This is supposed to be fun so don’t stress too much. You have three weeks to build your machine. Are there any questions?” he asked and a few hands immediately shot into the air. Stiles grabbed his notebook and intensely began to jot down ideas.

“We’re going to start working on this as soon as school is over,” he whispered to Hailey. She smiled and grabbed Stiles’ notebook from him, crossing out some ideas and adding some of her own to look at later.

****

“I’m so pumped for this project,” Stiles said as they walked to lunch a few hours later.

“Is he going to talk about this project all day?” Stacy asked Hailey who shrugged.

“I feel he’s going to talk about it until it’s due,” she said and Carl groaned.

“Why me?” he asked and Stiles glared at him.

“Shut it,” Stiles said as Carl stopped outside of the cafeteria. “Come on Hailey, I owe you lunch.”

“Baylor you still owe me lunch,” Carl said and Stacy rolled her eyes.

“So we have some awesome connections figured out but we still need to figure out what we want to do,” Stiles said as he and Hailey got into the lunch line behind Scott and Danny.

“For your project?” Danny asked and Hailey nodded.

“Allison and I are going to fill a cup with water,” Scott said.

“What are you and Amy going to do Danny?” Hailey asked as Stiles muttered under his breath.

“We’re not sure yet. But it sounds like Stiles has a few ideas for yours,” Danny said, raising an eyebrow as Stiles continued talking to himself.

“Will you stop? People are going to think you’re nuts,” Hailey said, nudging Stiles with her elbow.

“Sorry I’m just really excited,” Stiles said.

“So am I. But I’m not going mental over the assignment.”

“Well I am, so deal. Bower hates me. I need a good grade and we need to win so I get the extra credit. We’re going to kill this,” he said and Hailey laughed.

“I think we should do something to flip a switch and turn lights on. They should spell something,” Hailey said as Stiles paid for their lunches.

“Yeah it should say Stilinski Rocks,” he said and Hailey scoffed.

“Excuse you?”

“Uh, I meant, Hailey Rocks?” he said sheepishly and she shook her head.

“We can figure that out later. But we can go get some supplies after school?”

“Hells yes,” he said excitedly.

“Cool, I just have to tell Derek and we should be fine,” she said as they sat down. Hailey pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent Derek a text.

I’m coming with you he replied and Hailey rolled her eyes.

No, you have to stay with Aaron and Mom. Stiles will have his gun. We’ll be fine she sent back.

Will you at least take Carl and/or Stacy with you? He asked.

Yes. That we can do she said, saying anything to appease him.

“Hey Stacy, would you mind going somewhere with Stiles and me after school today?” Hailey asked turning to her.

“Not at all. Just me? Or should Carl come too?” she asked, gesturing over her shoulder to the cafeteria door.

“Just you,” Hailey said quickly as Stiles nodded in agreement.

“A little backup would be great,” Stiles said and Stacy smiled.

“You can count on me,” Stacy said.

****

xxDerekxx

“Anything?” Derek asked, climbing out of the Camaro and walking towards Isaac.

“I could have sworn I caught her scent about an hour ago. I followed it for a bit but didn’t see her anywhere,” he said, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“Where?” Derek asked.

“I first caught it near the supermarket. I followed it in the direction of her house but it didn’t go directly to the house.”

“You could have caught her scent anywhere from five minutes to an hour after she was there. But it’s still something,” Derek said.

“Well, good luck. Where am I heading to now?”

“Jason’s office. Peter’s at the elementary school and the Sheriff’s at the hospital.”

“How’s Hailey today?”

“She’s actually able to eat her lunch today,” Derek said with a sigh.

“Progress,” Isaac said with a smile.

“Yeah,” Derek said with a nod as Isaac left. “Progress.”

****

xxHaileyxx

“You made it through the day!” Allison exclaimed as they walked out of the school.

“I know! It was easier than I expected. Especially after yesterday,” Hailey said with a smile.

“Ready to go?” Stiles asked and Hailey and Stacy nodded their heads.

“Where should we go first?” Hailey asked, climbing into the passenger’s side of the Jeep after Stacy got in the back.

“Well, what do we want to build our structure out of? Wood, plastic, metal?”

“I think wood is the smartest choice,” Hailey said and Stiles nodded.

“Home Depot it is,” he said, putting the Jeep in gear and pulling out of the school parking lot.

****

“What time is it?” Hailey asked as she and Stacy loaded supplies into the back of the Jeep while Stiles pushed the cart full of wood towards them.

“Almost 5,” Stacy said.

“We spent almost two hours in there?” Hailey asked, dropping a bag on the ground with a crash, the nails rattling in their box.

“Uh huh,” Stacy said with a sigh, grabbing wood off of the cart and starting to load it in the Jeep.

“We spent almost two hours in there!” Hailey exclaimed, turning to Stiles and pointing towards the Home Depot.

“Hey don’t blame me! We could have shaved a half hour off but the two of you were too busy looking at the model kitchens!”

“You spent like twenty minutes trying to decide what size nails to get!”

“Fine let’s just go to my house and build the structure and pick it back up tomorrow,” Stiles said, helping Stacy with the rest of the wood.

“No, no, no we have to go to the craft store. I want all the shopping done,” Hailey said.

“Can we at least get some food first please?” Stiles whined, clutching his stomach.

“Oh my God, fine,” Hailey groaned, climbing back into the Jeep.

****

xxDerekxx

“Hey,” Derek said, climbing out of the Camaro as Peter and Aaron walked across the lawn to meet him.

“Anything?” Peter asked as they switched places so Aaron could close the line.

“It’s like she laid down a false trail,” Derek said. “Almost to make us go in circles.”

“Where am I going?”

“Meet up with Isaac to try to follow the trail. He’s supposed to go get some rest but he’ll probably try to stay with you.”

“I’ll do my best to send him home,” Peter said with a nod before leaving.

“Hi,” Aaron said once Peter was gone.

“Hi,” Derek said, mussing up Aaron’s hair and leading him to the house.

“Where’s Hailey?”

“She and Stiles have a project so they’re shopping for stuff. They shouldn’t take too long,” Derek said as Aaron jumped onto the couch.

“Peter’s different,” Aaron noted as Derek sat next to him on the couch.

“What do you mean?”

“Well before he always said mean things but smiled when he said it. I don’t know what that’s called though.”

“Sarcasm,” Derek said, scrunching his eyebrows together as Aaron looked at him.

“And now he just… cares. A lot. He’s nice,” Aaron said with a shrug.

“Yeah… he is,” Derek said with a nod.

“Hello!” Alyssa called as she walked into the house.

“Hi Mom,” Aaron said, kneeling on the seat of the couch to look at her. She shrugged out of her coat and slipped her shoes off before walking over and kissing Aaron on the top of his head.

“Hi honey. Derek,” she said with a smile, squeezing his shoulder. “Where’s your sister?”

“With Stiles,” Aaron said, turning back around and turning the TV on as Alyssa turned to Derek for more information.

“They have a Physics project so they’re shopping for supplies. She said they were getting dinner so we shouldn’t save her anything,” he explained and Alyssa nodded.

“Is it just the two of them?” she asked and Derek noted the worry in her voice.

“The one deputy that’s been with her at the school with Carl, Stacy, is with them.”

“Oh good,” she said with a sigh. “Well I talked to Jason earlier and he was wondering if you guys would like some Chinese food for dinner?”

“Yes!” Aaron cried, nodding his head excitedly.

“I’ll go get the menu,” she said, heading to the kitchen. Derek got up from the couch and followed her.

“Was there anything strange at work?” Derek asked her. She leaned against the counter and shook her head.

“Nothing more than usual,” she said. “Why?”

“Well… Peter thinks he saw Lydia yesterday. Isaac, Peter, and I have been rotating all day searching for her.”

“And it didn’t occur to any of you to inform us of this?” Alyssa asked.

“We didn’t want to worry you,” he said with a shrug. She sighed and nodded her head.

“I understand. But please if anything important like that comes up again will you tell us?” she asked.

“I promise,” he said and she smiled.

“Okay now, let’s figure out what to order,” she said, pulling out a menu.

****

xxHaileyxx

“How is it 9 o’clock?” Hailey asked as they finally exited the craft store with a bunch of bags.

“I never knew how magical a place like this could be,” Stiles said in awe, looking up at the giant lit up sign of the craft store.

“Stiles, it’s just a craft store.”

“But they have everything!” he exclaimed and Hailey rolled her eyes. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out.

“Hello?”

“Where the hell are you?” Derek asked and she sighed.

“We just finished shopping for our project. I’ll be home soon. I promise,” she said.

“I’ll come meet you guys.”

“No Derek, just stay there, occupy Aaron. He likes hanging out with you.”

“If you’re not back in twenty minutes…”

“I know, I know. You will have full permission to meet up with us and make sure we’re okay.”

“Be careful.”

“This place is amazing,” Stiles said as Hailey put her phone back in her pocket.

“I’d love to discuss the magic and wonder of craft stores with you two but I have to get up early for a meeting at the station before seeing you guys at the school so…” Stacy said.

“Of course! Come on Stiles let’s get Stacy home,” Hailey said, grabbing him by the elbow and leading him to the Jeep.

****

“See you in the morning!” Hailey called out the window as Stacy walked up the steps to her house.

“Night!” she called back with a wave.

“Okay, we need to hurry home or Derek is going to scalp you,” Hailey said and Stiles gulped.

“Right,” he said, putting the car in drive and heading down the street. He drove for a few minutes before slowing down. “Shit.”

“What?” Hailey asked, looking up from her phone.

“Detour,” Stiles said, pointing out the window. Hailey sighed and Stiles followed the detour signs going out of the way. They were led down a dark road full of potholes.

“Is there a different road you can go on?”

“I don’t want to get lost. I haven’t been in this part of town before. In order to not get lost we have to follow the detour signs,” he said in exasperation.

“Fine,” Hailey groaned. Stiles slowly made his way down the road, trying to avoid the many potholes. Hailey’s phone dropped to her feet when the car jerked to the right causing Hailey to bump against the door.

“Sorry!” Stiles cried, pulling the Jeep over and parking it.

“What was that?” she asked as Stiles unbuckled his seatbelt. He reached across the console and opened the glove compartment and took out the gun.

“Just a precaution. There was something in the road. I think it popped a tire,” he said, opening the door. Hailey unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her phone, turning on the flashlight and climbing out of the Jeep.

“Here,” she said, holding her phone up so Stiles could see better.

“Thanks. Yeah there’s a nice slice right here,” he said, touching it. “I’ve gotta get the spare.”

“I’ll hold those little pieces like in A Christmas Story but I promise I won’t drop them like Ralphie did and shout fuck,” Hailey said and Stiles laughed. She leaned up against the side of the car while Stiles got the tire. There was a loud noise like Stiles dropped something and she looked up. “Need help?” she asked, but there was no answer. “Stiles?”

Hailey straightened up when there still wasn’t an answer. Her heart started to race in her chest as she slowly made her way towards the back of the Jeep. Her hand flew to her mouth when she saw Stiles standing with his hands up and Lydia behind him with a gun pointing to his back.

“Oh my God,” she choked out.

“Put the phone down,” Lydia said. Hailey quickly set her phone down on the floor of the Jeep and stepped away, raising her hands up.

“Please don’t kill him,” Hailey whispered through her tears.

“Oh honey. Of course I’m going to kill him. But I’m going to kill you first,” Lydia said, pointing her gun away from Stiles and towards Hailey.

“I don’t think so!” Stiles shouted, turning around and shoving Lydia. A shot fired and whizzed past Hailey. Lydia caught her balance and grimaced, turning to Stiles and shooting him in the leg. He shouted in pain and fell to the ground, grabbing it.

“Stiles!” Hailey shouted, rushing forward, dropping down next to Stiles and instantly ripping off part of his t-shirt and pressing it against his leg to try to stop the bleeding. Blood covered her hands and a shadow dropped over her. She looked up to see Lydia pointing the gun at her head.

“Say goodbye darling,” Lydia said. Hailey squeezed her eyes shut as Stiles grabbed her arm. She flinched when she heard the gunshot but she didn’t feel anything. Slowly she opened her eyes to see Lydia on the ground by Stiles’ feet, a pool of blood forming out under her.

“Holy fuck,” Stiles said and Hailey looked up. Standing next to Stiles’ Jeep, gun in hand, was Gerard.

“Hello again,” Gerard sneered, walking over to them. He grabbed Hailey’s upper arm and pulled her up away from Stiles. Hailey winced at his tight grip as he led her over to the Jeep and picked up her phone. “I’m going to need to borrow this my dear.”

****

xxDerekxx

“Where could they be?” Alyssa asked, closing the book she had been reading and setting it down on the coffee table.

“They should be back soon,” Jason said, flipping through the TV channels to find something to watch. Derek’s phone rang and he set down the cards from the game he had been playing with Aaron to answer it.

“Hey where are you,” he said after seeing that it was Hailey.

“Hello Hale,” came Gerard’s chilling voice. Derek shoved away from the table and instantly stood up.

“Derek? What’s wrong?” Alyssa asked, standing up and following Derek as he walked to the front door.

“Where’s Hailey?” Derek asked Gerard.

“She’s here with me. Say hello sweetheart.”

“Derek! Lydia shot Stiles he’s hurt. Derek please,” she said, her voice thick with tears.

“That’s enough. Be at the abandoned department store on Parker Road in 10 minutes or I kill her. You better come alone,” Gerard said before hanging up.

“Aaron!” Derek called as he walked across the lawn to the sidewalk. Aaron ran out of the house up to Derek. “Part the line.”

“Derek what’s going on?” Jason asked as he and Alyssa joined them outside.

“Is Hailey in trouble?”

“Yes,” Derek said. “I have to go. Don’t tell anyone else. I have to go alone. I’ll call Peter and tell him to come here.”

“Derek,” Alyssa whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. Derek thought back on their conversation a few hours earlier and sighed.

“Gerard has her. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. Lydia’s there too and apparently she shot Stiles. I don’t know where she shot him; I just know he’s hurt. Hailey didn’t say anything about her being hurt. Nobody else can know. I can’t have anybody follow me. Please just stay here,” he pleaded and Jason nodded.

“Go. Quickly, go!" he said and Derek turned away.

“Oh God,” Alyssa sobbed, clutching onto Jason’s shirt as Derek climbed in the Camaro and sped away. He dialed Peter’s number and put him on speaker phone.

“Yes?” Peter answered.

“Go to Hailey’s house and stay with her parents and Aaron.”

“Aren’t you there?”

“No. Just go. I can’t explain.”

“Okay. Derek… is everything okay?” Peter asked, concern in his voice.

“No,” he said before hanging up. A million thoughts raced through his head. He wondered how both Gerard and Lydia could have found them, what they were doing to Hailey and to Stiles, and what would be waiting for him when he got there. All he knew was that Hailey’s safety… Hailey’s life… mattered more than his own.