Heartbeat // A Derek Hale Love Story (Teen Wolf)

Divergently Distinguishable

Lillian's POV

Stiles' Jeep was divergently distinguishable in the world of machines, and not many people drove up our driveway without notice, which is why I was surprised to see the powder blue vehicle drive up, sending dust flying out behind him.

I brought Ophelia to a halt, before watching Stiles park in front of the barn and jump out of the Jeep with a look.

"What happened?" I called, encouraging Ophelia into a canter through the gate of the ring to where Stiles was, the horse sliding to a stop in front of him.

"Jeez!" Stiles yelped, taking an aggressive step away. "I thought I told you not to do that?"

"Whatever," I murmured, looking down at him from atop Ophelia's tall back. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you call?"

Stiles frowned. "I did call," he said frankly. "Multiple times."

"Oh," I murmured, narrowing my eyes. "What's going on?"

"Have you seen the news today?"

My stomach jolted. "No. Why."

"It's Derek," Stiles said. "My dad just arrested him. They found a body buried by his house. Well,"

I barely registered what Stiles said as I slid down from Ophelia's back, quickly leading her into the barn where I put her in her stall. They found the body Derek buried under a spiral on wolfsbane to keep police from knowing the wolf was human. How had she shifted back?

"They think he did it?" I snarled, racing back out of the barn to Stiles' Jeep, stuffing down the bile rising in my throat. "Wh-- who did they find?" I dared the question that I knew the answer to, testing the waters.

"They think it's his sister," Stiles said, running a hand over his buzzcut. "A couple nights ago, me and Scott found that body, but when we went back Derek must have buried it already. Cops from my dad's precinct found the first half of her body that night, which is why we went out looking."

"Stiles!" I hissed, the pieces of how Scott ended up bitten falling into place. "Why would you do that? The killer could've been out there!"

"They caught the killer!" Stiles scoffed. "It was Derek. Nothing else makes sense."

"Watch it--" I barked, the image of Laura's cold face sliding into my mind like ice. "It wasn't Derek."

Stiles balked in disbelief. "How do you know?"

"When was the victim killed?"

"Approximately ten PM," Stiles answered quickly. "Why does that matter?"

"Because he was with me that night the police found her body!"

Derek's tears, his broken frame hunched over his sister shattered into my mind. The life that was sucked out of him at the sight of his kin torn apart.

"The whole time?" Stiles asked dubiously.

"Yes," I growled. "Get your facts straight before accusing my boyfriend of murder."

"Lillian," Stiles started, raising his hands. "He's already been arrested. They took him to the station for holding."

"What, they didn't find sufficient evidence to lock him up for good?" I sneered despite the slimy chill spreading through my gut at the possibility of Derek getting locked away for something he didn't do. Or even in general. "You better get cracking, you only have forty-eight hours to make something stick."

Stiles' expression shifted. "He's not a good guy, Lillian, trust me."

"Have you ever actually met him? Do you know anything about him at all?" I almost yelled as I tore open the door of my truck.

"I know he's a monster."

My foot stopped on the step and I turned. "What did you just say?"

"He's a monster, Lillian," Stiles insisted. "A werewolf. He bit Scott and made him one too."

I knew Stiles didn't like Derek for reasons beyond me, but I didn't know he would so blindly assume things about him.

"Jesus, Stiles, do you know anything about werewolves?"

"Wait, what?" Stiles narrowed his eyes. "He told you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I found out. Don't you think if he was as bad as you say he is, he would've killed me by now? He's had ample opportunity," I snapped. "If you hate me being with him so much, you could've said something in a better way than this." I flung myself into the driver's seat and slammed the door, leaving Stiles blinking on the gravel.

"Where are you going?" Stiles called as the truck's engine roared to life.

"Police station."

*

I gritted my teeth the entire way there, thoughts of why Stiles so obviously didn't like Derek swirling through my mind. The way Stiles had told me Derek had been arrested didn't seem very much like he cared at all that my boyfriend was incarcerated.

I think deep down I had an inkling as to why Stiles did it that way, but I didn't let the thought gain power, I just kept driving.

Part of me was terrified that Derek would be convicted if they found his prints on Laura's body. I told him not to touch her, that it was a crime scene.

I told him not to... I told him--

But the other part of me knew that the way she was torn in half, in a way no human could've done, and I prayed someone would notice that.

The fact that Derek wasn't human was a nagging presence in the back of my mind, but none of the officers knew that. Or Sheriff Stilinski.

If Stiles yapped to his dad about it... I shut out the thought. He wouldn't. Sheriff Stilinski probably wouldn't believe him even if he did. I wouldn't have if Derek hadn't wolfed out in front of me.

I could hear my blood rushing in my ears as I walked into the clinic, careful not to tear the door off in rage. I schooled my face into neutrality, striding up to the front desk where a young man maybe a few years older than me sat.

"Hello," I began, stopping in front of him.

"Hi," the officer replied. "How can I help you?"

"I hear that Derek Hale is being held here?" I glanced at the officer's badge that displayed his name. J. Parrish

Parrish nodded. "He is. Are you a reporter?"

"No," I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Lawyer?" That time Parrish raised his eyebrows.

"No."

"Then who are you?"

"His girlfriend," I said with narrowed eyes. "I came to tell whoever thinks arresting him was a good idea that he was with me the whole night that the person was murdered. Sheriff Stilinski's son told me when."

"Alright, if you could just have a seat, ma'am, I'll get someone to come take a statement."

I said through my teeth, "That's just peachy."

A/N: Wow, would you look at me bending the rules and having Parrish in during season one. I'm so bad. I like him and since there's some police stuff in the next bit of the book, I thought it would be fun to bring in a new character!

As always, thanks for reading!

- TAAF_