Same Old Song and Dance(Sterek)

What's the plan?

Stiles slipped his hand into Allison's as they approached the too familiar warehouse. The comfort of Derek and Boyd behind them didn't quell the nerves in Stiles' gut, rolling like a bad burrito.

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Derek's hand land on Allison's shoulder.

"Cora, Theo and Jackson are doing perimeter. Scott and Isaac are nearby waiting for my call. If anything happens, we'll be ready."

Allison placed her free hand on Derek's, glancing over her shoulder at him with a sincere smile, "Thank you."

"We're following your lead," Derek nodded to Stiles.

Stiles' tongue swiped across his bottom lip as he took a started forward, Allison in step beside him.

The hunters were already inside waiting. He didn't have a plan for what to say. He'd debated on coming up with a speech or some sort of script to follow, but these people used to be his friends and right now they were trusting him. Risking everything to be here. The best thing he could do was just be honest and he hoped to God that was enough.

They could hear hushed talking as Stiles and Allison slipped into the back of the warehouse. They wound around the old, abandoned wood pallets and shelves of iron piping.

Allison's grip tightened in Stiles' as they reached a familiar clearing in the front. Images of him and Allison tied to chairs facing one another in the middle of the room filled his mind. Allison's tear-filled eyes and desperate struggles to get free.

It took a moment before the hunters noticed the pair. Silence falling over the group as Allison practically drug Stiles towards people with orders to kill him on sight.

Derek and Boyd lingered out of sight as planned.

"There you are, I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show," Lydia hissed, stepping in close, pulling the pair into a joint hug.

Stiles' eyes remained on the group behind Lydia. So many people that he'd once trained with. Mason, Kira, Greenberg, Caitlin, Heather, Meredith, Braeden, Danny and Donovan.

"It's true," Danny spoke up, pulling Allison's attention.

"What's he doing here. He wasn't here last time," Allison glanced to Lydia.

"He reached out after the s.o.s was put out on you. He was having doubts and wanted some confirmation that I couldn't give. I took a leap and told him about tonight," Lydia nodded towards Danny.

"I thought about the day you disappeared," Danny stepped forward, his eyes set on Stiles. "The security camera you had me pull footage on."

Stiles swallowed.

"I didn't think much of it at the time but when Allison supposedly disappeared, I grew curious. What made you flip on a dime like that? I watched the footage and saw Kate's car follow your dad. I reached out to Lydia about it and...I knew you wouldn't just betray us for no reason. I knew you'd never hurt Allison."

Stiles relaxed some. It was nice to hear that they didn't think so low of him.

"What's the plan?" Braeden asked stepping forward.

"You guys are on board just like that?" Stiles glanced over the rest of the group, his eyes stopping on Donovan.

"They lied to us about Allison. Things aren't adding up," Donovan shrugged.

Stiles' eyes narrowed but before he could press Donovan, Caitlin spoke up.

"They put a pause on all contracts. They made you a priority. They want you dead real bad. For what? Siding with the wolves? When Evangeline Henricksen spared that pack, she was only stripped of her title and banished. There was no bounty. No contract put out on her. You're obviously too much of a threat. But why? Unless you know something they don't want us to."

A small hopeful smile pulled at Stiles' lips. It seemed like no convincing was needed.

"And you're okay working with Derek Hale?" Allison asked, her arms crossing over her chest.

The hunter's glanced around at each other.

"As you can understand, it makes us nervous but...we trust that you know what you're doing," Donovan nodded.

Allison glanced over her shoulder and nodded to where Derek and Boyd were hidden.

Stiles held his breath as Derek and Boyd revealed themselves to the room.

"He has a few things he'd like to say, if you'd be willing to hear it," Allison scanned the room for any movement that looked suspicious.

The hunters remained silent.

"I know this isn't easy for you all, but I appreciate you taking the risk to be here," Derek started.

"Why are you working with Stiles? He tried to kill you," Meredith piped in, her tone mildly accusing.

Derek breathed out a laugh, "You're not wrong. He came close a time or two, but he's had ample opportunity since and has done nothing but prove himself trustworthy. I'm not his enemy. Neither are you. He came to me when he found out that his dad was taken from him by the very people who raised him. They lied to him. They manipulated him. He just wants this to end. And that's all I want. I took a chance on Stiles. Trusting his anger would guide him to the truth. I only helped seed the doubt. Like him, my family was taken by Gerard and Kate. My pack is made up of wolves who lost people to hunters. We just want it to end. There are wolves who...have lost themselves and those are the ones that are dangerous. Not all of us are."

"So, what's the plan?" Braeden asked again.

"An ambush," Stiles answered. "The hunters council meeting is in a couple days. They won't be expecting us."

"You think it'll work?" Mason, who had remained silent until now, asked timidly. "That's a lot of hunters in one spot."

"They don't know we know about it. They'll be off their guard. If we wait too much longer, they'll start to close in. There's only so many places to hide in the city."

"Sounds risky," Meredith shook her head.

"Risk is what we do," Allison countered.

The hunters exchanged looks and nods.

The silence in the room wasn't mistrusting or doubtful. It was acceptance. Something Stiles didn't think they'd get so easily.

The loud shrill of Allison's phone broke the silence.

She frowned down at her phone to see her father calling. He knew they were meeting with the hunters. It rang twice before stopping.

Her heart began to hammer in her chest, her eyes lifting to Stiles' whose own expression was just as worried. If her phone began to ring again, that could only mean bad luck.

Chris knelt in front of Stiles and Allison, both staring up at him with wide eyes.

"You're both getting older now so I'm gonna leave you two alone for a few hours while I run a very important errand, okay? If there is an emergency, you call and let it ring twice and then hang up and then immediately call again. Understood?"

Stiles and Allison nodded in tandem.

They'd been twelve when that code was made and right now, they were both holding their breath for the immediate follow of another call.

Derek glanced between the pair. He could see the worry on their faces and smell the fear rolling off of them.

When the phone rang again, Stiles stepped forward, as Allison scrambled to answer.

"Hello?" Her tone was frantic despite trying to remain calm. Stiles pressed his ear close to hear the conversation.

"They know where you are. Someone tipped them off. Get out of there, now," Chris' voice spoke quickly before the call ended.

Allison's eyes met Derek's. Panic and worry filled them.

Stiles whirled to face the hunters, anger and disappointment in his eyes.

*AN*
I know, a terrible cliffhanger, but don't worry, I've already started the next chapter. 😊
Who do you think the traitor is?