NOEL WHITTEMORE

S4E10 "MONSTROUS"

The episode opens on Brett and a pack mate being chased by hunters and getting cornered on the lacrosse field. Ultimately, they're saved by Kira, and the intro plays.

—

A good portion of the episode goes by without any mentions or sightings of Noel, so enjoy a brief summary of those events.

Scott and Liam have a heart to heart where Scott confides in him that they've lost pack members, and we flash to the hospital where Melissa forces Stiles to stay and get a CT scan to assess his concussion. The sheriff and Lydia discuss Meredith's status as the benefactor at the station and Kira reveals to Scott that she found Satomi's whole pack. Scott notes that they're going to need help, as we see Argent approaching an unnamed plant in an intricate greenhouse.

—

We cut to the loft, where Noel is resting his cheek in his hand as he does homework at the table. He seems to be struggling, chewing the tip of his pencil and sighing as footsteps approach.

Derek steps into frame and presses a kiss to the side of Noel's head, laying a plate of snacks down in front of him. He looks down at what he's working on, pointing at the paper and commenting "You swapped the variable a couple steps ago by mistake."

Looking back in his work and realizing Derek is right, Noel growls and sweeps all his textbooks and papers off the table in a flash of yellow eyes and fangs. He breathes hard as he stares down at the now empty table (save for the plate of food), spacing out as he pants.

Derek watches him and waits patiently for his breathing to even out a bit, placing a hand on his shoulder as he asks "Do you want me to help, or do you want some space?"

"I want everything to stop," Noel says and puts his hand over Derek's, gripping onto it tightly as he winces at his temper overtaking him.

Taking a seat next to him, Derek moves his hand from Noel's shoulder to his thigh, watching him closely as Noel's fangs and eyes recede. He leans over and rests the side of his head against Derek's chest, and we hear Derek's heartbeat as his hand comes up to cradle Noel's head to his chest.

"It didn't used to be hard," he begins, "keeping my grades up. But now with my value going up and you losing your powers and adapting to a new pack, I just... I can't focus on anything, my head's just a mess of thoughts and nothing is coherent enough to matter."

Derek listens, all while cradling Noel to his chest and looking off into the distance. Noel presses in closer and we hear Derek's heartbeat again, as Noel says sorrowfully "And... she used to help me. With this stuff."

"Who?" Derek asks, pulling Noel carefully into a position where they could make eye contact. Noel is smiling, as he answers "Laura."

Shock takes over Derek's expression, and he says gently "We've never really talked about her, have we?"

Noel shakes his head as he sits up straighter and pulls the food closer to himself. He starts to eat and looks at Derek, asking "Think it's time for a Q & A?"

We cut to break on a shot of Derek's expression, stuck somewhere between pain and curiosity.

—

After a break, the sheriff and Lydia talk again with Parrish and find practically nothing while begging Lydia to head home. Melissa brings Malia in to see Stiles and the two reconcile their relationship after being locked in the room together.