I'll Always Know It's From You (A Sterek Novella)

Chapter 18

Stiles' POV

December 20th - 5 Days until Christmas

My phone rings as soon as we pull into the parking lot of "Pizza 4 U."

"Stiles."

"Son, where are you guys?"

"Dad? We just got to the pizza place. Why? Is everything alright? It sounds like you're struggling."

"No, I'm fine. Someone else isn't."

I slam the door of the Jeep, Derek giving me a weird look, curious as to what my Dad's talking about as well, holding out his hand for me to take as we stand outside. Taking it, I give Derek a small smile as he squeezes my hand.

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"I got called in to work."

"This late? And just before Christmas? Seriously Dad? Couldn't you have asked them to send someone else in, like Deputy Parrish or someone? Anyone but you?"

"I wish I could've son, but I couldn't. They said they didn't want to call me in as it was. And the entire police station is there, Parrish included. It's a 187. At the school."

The blood running through my veins almost freezes with my Dad's words, the billow of air coming from my nostrils depleting.

"A 187? Who is it?"

My voice sounds far away, and I know my Dad can hear it too.

"I don't know yet Stiles; I'm just about to leave the house. I just wanted to call and check in with you to make sure you and Derek were okay, and to tell you that it'll just be you and him for dinner. I got to go Stiles; I'll see you later, OK?"

"Yeah, sure, please be careful Dad. We'll be sure to save you a few slices and some breadsticks."

I hear him chuckle on the other end, knowing he's smiling. "Thanks, I appreciate it. I really gotta go though." A pause, but no click. Then "I love you Stiles." Followed by a click and my phone beeping from the other dead end.

"Stiles? What's a 187?"

I hear Derek's voice, but it sounds distant, as if he's shouting from across a football field. I stay still, although I feel tough hands shaking me, my hand falling back beside me, my world frozen.

"Stiles? Stiles!"

I blink to focus, and see Derek's worried eyes searching my entire body, seeing if I'm okay, his shaking hands gripping my shoulders, holding me together like a puzzle about to crumble back into its pieces.

"I'm fine." I croak.

"Are you? I thought I lost you there for a second, your eyes went all glassy and you dropped your phone, your heart rate even dropped."

"I dropped my phone?"

Derek laughs, taking his hands off my shoulders, extending one hand, my phone, unscathed, in his palm.

"You're lucky I have werewolf reflexes. Now speak. What's wrong?"

I put my phone back in my jeans pocket, where it'll hopefully stay safe. "You didn't hear it?"

He shakes his head. "No, the background noise was too overpowering to hear who was speaking."

I command my legs to move, move towards the door of the pizzeria, as I explain.

"What's a 187?" Derek asks, as we get the counter, my story short and not so sweet.

I swallow as the guy comes to the front from out back. "A homicide."

Derek tenses up beside me. "At the school?" He whispers, with me nodding in response.

"The name?" The guy, whose name tag says 'Jeff', asks.

I feel Derek's hand in my lower back as he takes a half step in front of me as I grip the money. "Stilinski."

Jeff nods, moving to the back to grab out order, the place completely empty except for us.

I feel Derek's breath in my ear. "It's ok Stiles. I'm sure everything will be okay. It's just work calling. Think of it that way. Ok? It'll make you feel better."

Not being able to speak, I just nod, handing the guy the money in my hand when he asks for it, Derek grabbing the actual food.

Moving back out to the Jeep, Derek sets the stuff on his lap. "Stiles, there seems to be something else bothering you."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

"It's clearly something."

A wave of anger hits me, as I hit the steering wheel, the Jeep jerking to the right, and I move it back, barely missing a tree.

I sigh, feeling Derek's eyes on me. "It's just that, before my Dad hung up, he said I love you."

The silence between us is killing me, making me feel like Derek's thinking something, but it's too bad to say it out loud.

I open my mouth to speak again, but he beats me to it. "Why does that make you act like this?"

I bite my lip. "It's just, been a while since I heard it. It caught me off guard, is all, nothing to stress over."

Derek stays silent the rest of the ride, as do I.

Pulling into the driveway, it's obvious my Dad's patrol car is missing, another reminder he's out in a dangerous world with a dangerous job.

Derek moves me quickly into the house, arguing that he doesn't want me to catch pneumonia, even though I'm wearing his fleece coat.

Dropping the stuff off in the kitchen, it's clear that my dad left in a hurry. There's wrapping paper and tape everywhere, a warning of a monster or hurricane running through and rampaging everything. I pick a few things up, the radio still humming out music, a nice soft Christmas time, comforting me, a warm blanket I know I've always had.

After putting everything away, I re-enter the kitchen

Derek is over by the food, grabbing the plates and opening the boxes, the aroma catching my nose and my attention.

"Don't eat all the pizza Sourwolf, I promised Dad I would save him a piece or two."