Work Text:
Derek was confused. Really, there was more, he was also angry, and frustrated, and terrified, but confused was winning at the moment. He had just woken up in his family’s burned out home, next to what was supposed to be his uncle’s final resting place.
Except the bastard was alive again. And Lydia was here, wide-eyed and trembling, and there were mirrors everywhere, and Derek could barely stand up. And here was his Uncle Peter, covered in dirt and bugs, but very much alive, and standing up, and holding out a hand to his nephew.
~
“So the Stilinski boy saved you?” Peter asked Derek as he showered off his own grave dirt, Derek propped up against the bathroom counter, filling him in on the latest events.
“Well, he almost let me drown twice,” Peter snorted at his nephew’s dramatics, the details he’d just recited having said otherwise, “but yeah, he held me up for nearly two hours.”
“And this was after he was willing to cut your arm off to stop the wolfsbane poisoning.” Peter stepped out of the shower, wrapping a fluffy towel around his waist. His nephew may have finally relocated to liveable quarters, but Peter was now both alive and sane, and he wanted his luxuries back. So breaking into his own high-end apartment it was. Luckily, both his auto payments to the landlord and the cleaning service had continued despite his coma and death, so the place really was still his, and clean to boot.
Derek grunted an affirmation. “Again, he was terrified and probably about to puke all over me, but he wasn’t lying when he said he’d do it. And somehow Scott just HAPPENED to get there right at the last second both times. I can’t decide if we’re lucky he’s always shown up so far or unlucky that he doesn’t make us priority. His own best friend! You’d think that would mean more.”
Peter smirked to himself, hearing more in his nephew’s words than perhaps Derek himself knew, throwing on a shirt and jeans. He had things to do tonight to sort out this Kanima situation. And make a few amends, hopefully gain some allies.
“I don’t think I’ve heard you talk this much since before Paige died.” Peter turned to receive the full force of Derek’s glare. “I truly am sorry about that, by the way. I have to admit I was jealous of losing your attention to her, and I didn’t think Ennis would actually take my suggestion seriously. If anything, I thought he would tell Talia and she would give both of us, and maybe Paige, a good talking to. I caused her death and your broken heart. And I know that left you vulnerable. We’ll talk about Kate some other time, but Derek, darling boy, nothing was your fault. Not Paige, not the fire, and certainly not my insanity. Not once during my coma did I consider you in my revenge. And that was cemented when I awoke and determined the full extent of Kate’s actions towards you. I should have protected you. I should have been there for you after Paige, come clean about what had led to those circumstances. If anything, I am at fault, and if you want me gone, I can go. After I help fix the Kanima, of course.”
Derek stared at his uncle, his once best friend and confidant, emotions haywire.
“I… I need to process all that, I think. Don’t disappear on me, okay? Just… give me some time.”
Peter nodded his head, satisfied that Derek had truly heard his apologies.
“Now, sweetheart, I need to go see the banshee. She will certainly hate seeing me again so soon, but I have words for her as well, and she will be key to bringing the Kanima out from under his master’s command. You should be with your betas; strengthening the pack bonds will aid in whatever fight is coming, more than trying to teach them any skills.”
At that, Derek’s face closed off and his scent filled with shame and guilt and resentment.
Peter stepped up to Derek and slowly reached out, allowing for Derek to reject his advances, but when he didn’t move Peter let his hand drop onto the other’s shoulder.
“What happened with your pack, dear boy?”
“They left. I’m a horrible Alpha, so Boyd and Erica left to find a new pack. Isaac might leave with them, but he’s been getting close with Scott too. Either way, he doesn’t want me.”
“Oh sweetheart. Well, come with me to Lydia’s. Once I explain her banshee heritage, she may be inclined to ask more questions about werewolves. You know the Kanima is Jackson, right?”
“What? No! Although, if you say Lydia is a banshee, that explains why she failed our Kanima venom test. And I did bite Jackson. I just thought he was sorting out being a werewolf on his own.”
“Did you not check up on him after the bite?”
Derek flushed red. “No, he made it pretty clear he hated me and just wanted the power of the bite. I figured if he survived the bite, he would rather talk to Scott than me.”
“Scott? He’s not an Alpha. You are Jackson’s Apha. Well, you will be, if Lydia and I can break his Kanima shift.”
Peter explained more about Kanimas and their identity issues, and how Lydia would have the best connection to his true identity to pull him out of the Kanima. After that, he just needed a strong anchor, not just for the wolf but also to his identity, to prevent the Kanima shift from coming back. Derek was relieved that Peter was so knowledgeable and knew how to fix this. Maybe they could finally get some peace.
~
Of course, peace would be a while yet. Lydia was on board with rescuing Jackson, but he couldn’t be found until he stepped onto the lacrosse field at the last second. Isaac must not have gone with the other betas, as he was on the field as well, and clearly going along with whatever Scott was telling him. Watching from a distance, Peter and Derek saw Stiles suddenly find focus and confidence and win the game nearly on his own. When the field blacked out, the wolves didn’t hesitate to run onto the field and snag Jackson, just as he was trying to start the evolution process by clawing himself.
As they were driving away to meet Lydia, Jackson contained in the back of an SUV Peter had acquired that day, they heard Stiles’ dad screaming for him. Peter nearly shoved Derek out of the driver’s seat. “Go, find Stiles. You already have too much guilt about losing people to lose another pack member — don’t argue with me I can feel his pack bond — and it could something stupid but just go find out and then meet us if you can.”
As Peter peeled away in the SUV, Derek ran back to the field to the Sheriff. They searched the bleachers and the school, and found the Jeep in the parking lot. Finally, Derek caught a whiff of his scent at the edge of the lot, near where the field met the woods. And he smelled wolfsbane and gunpowder, too.
“Sheriff! Hunters took him, they must have grabbed him when the lights went out.” Derek knew what hunters could do, and if they had taken Stiles they already didn’t care that he was human. He wasn’t one for panic attacks, but even he gasped for breath at the thought of Stiles getting killed, all because he’d been dragged into the supernatural.
“Derek, can you follow the scent? Stiles, or the wolfsbane?” He nodded, he could do that. Whatever transportation they’d used reeked of the toxin.
~
Stiles woke up in a basement. He wasn’t tied down, but his back and knees hurt, and his hands were skinned. He must have been tossed down the stairs.
Looking up, he immediately saw Erica and Boyd tied him in chains and wires. He raced over, trying to turn off the generator, when a sharp pain stabbed through his calf and he screamed, falling to the ground.
“Now, now, they need to stay there.” Gerard Argent stepped from out of the shadows, twirling another knife in his hands. Stiles grimaced, wanting to pull out the knife in his leg but knowing it would just get worse. He glanced up at Erica’s tear-streaked face, bruises littering her cheeks and blood stains all over her torn clothes. They’d already been through hell. Stiles wouldn’t let them go through more. And Scott would find him soon and rescue them all. Right?
~
Derek knew if Stiles were in the car with them, he’d be making dog jokes at Derek leaning out the window, nose to the air. But Derek would take it, he would accept all the dog jokes if he could just get to Stiles in time.
“Left, left here!” He called to the Sheriff. His lights were on but sirens off, hoping to speed through the streets but give as little heads up to his son’s kidnappers as possible. He’d definitely been lying about a lot lately, as Derek had quickly filled him in on werewolves and hunters and kanimas and Peter being alive, not that the Sheriff had known he had died.
Stiles would be in so much trouble. Tomorrow. Tonight, he just wanted him safe and alive.
“Ok, it’s getting really strong. They must be at one of these houses up ahead. Oh, there! That one. With the black SUV in the driveway.”
The Sheriff slammed the brakes and both men ran to the front door. Chris Argent opened the door, unarmed and wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. He seemed surprised.
“Where is my son? What have you done with Stiles?” The Sheriff shouted, weapon out but pointed down and to the side.
“Stiles? I haven’t seen him. Wasn’t there a lacrosse game tonight?”
“Yes, and now he’s gone, and Derek here followed his scent and wolfsbane here, to your house. So where is he? Is anyone else here?” The Sheriff was doing his Sheriff thing, but Derek was listening, and scenting.
“I can’t hear anyone else but Stiles was definitely in the house recently.” Derek said.
Chris seemed surprised again, and then his face hardened. “Well, come in, if he’s here I’ll help you find him. It seems you know about us now, Sheriff. I would say we follow a code to leave innocents alone, but I’m learning that my family and I understand the code very differently.”
Chris led them down a hallway that seemed to go to a garage door, but past that was another door. “This goes to the basement. We keep more… supernaturally inclined tools down there. If my father has brought Stiles here and hasn’t moved him, this is where he should be.”
Derek didn’t wait a second longer. He barged through the door and down the stairs, fully beta shifted, though the wolfsbane in the air was potent and starting to affect him. “Stiles? Stiles!”
He slid to his knees and pressed his hands lightly around the battered body, but he could hear a heartbeat and those beautiful brown eyes met his hazel a second later.
“Derek? Oh thank god. Dad! Dad,” Stiles broke into sobs and apologies. Derek shifted Stiles into his father’s hands and got up to free his betas. They both sagged in relief when he turned the electricity off, and when they hesitated he pulled them both to him for an aggressive scenting.
“I know you wanted to leave, and that’s ok, but I want you to stay. I want to be a better Alpha. For you, and Isaac, and Scott if he wants. Please, give me a chance.”
He felt Erica nod against his chest, her tears wetting his shirt, but he didn’t care. Boyd didn’t respond, but tightened his grip. Derek felt the bonds strengthen just a bit more, and part of himself settled.
“Derek, I have to take Stiles to the hospital. Do they need help?”
“No, as soon as we’re out of the house, they should start healing a lot faster. Uncle Peter and I will take care of them. I’ll come check on Stiles as soon as I can. He has my number, can you text me any updates?”
The Sheriff nodded and started guiding Stiles up the stairs, his legs buckling every step as he held back groans and whimpers, until Derek gently shoved his betas away and swept the boy up into a bridal carry.
Chris was red and angry at the top of the stairs. “I know where my father is, and the rest of the team. Do you need me to call the cops on them Sheriff, or do you want to handle it?”
“I need to be with my son. Call dispatch and let them know these men kidnapped and tortured three minors, including my son. Do whatever you need to keep your father from escaping. I assume you know their weapons and abilities, I’d appreciate if you’d inform my deputies.”
Derek settled Stiles into the passenger seat and drained some of the pain with one hand while squeezing one of the teen’s hands with the other.
“I’ll come by to check on you as soon as I can, alright? Think about if you want the bite, but tonight let the doctors do what they can. It will be better in the long run, either way.”
“Thank you, Alpha.” Stiles murmured. “Thank you for finding us.”
Warmth spread through Derek, and he felt another pack bond, strong and sure, settle into place. He pressed his lips to Stiles’ hair before he closed the door and watched his human beta — mate, his wolf whispered — speed away to the hospital before gathering his injured packmates close and calling his uncle. Hopefully, Peter had already saved Jackson, too, and everyone could heal together as a pack.