Baseball Bats and Sour Wolves

Chapter 14

Stiles is pretty sure he can hear sobbing, someone calling his name, but it doesn't make sense, he can't see anything. His body feels like it's on fire, liquid flames running through his veins and he isn't able to scream. It hurts worse than anything he's ever experienced before, if this is how Peter felt in that hospital then no wonder he turned feral, with his skin feeling like it's on fire as it tries to heal itself.

Stiles' whole being hurts, and nothing seems to be helping, there's no cool relief in the form of cold water cloths on his forehead and Stiles wishes someone would just get a damn cool cloth. Peter's holding him, he can smell his minty shampoo, feel him taking his pain from the crash, but he can't take the fire from inside Stiles' veins.

The pain screams for his attention and he can't seem to open his eyes to see what's happening around him, he's pretty sure he can here his Father and Derek talking. They aren't close to Peter though, and as Stiles listens he realizes that the sobbing is coming from Peter. The feelings of sorrow and anxiety are coming from Peter, he's terrified that he'll lose Stiles.

Stiles sends a rush of reassurance and love down the pack bond, Derek pauses mid sentence, and Peter inhales sharply, his sobbing picking back up again harder than before.

"Stiles you need to fight, we can't lose you. I can't." Peter cries, hugging him closely. Stiles guesses he's conscious just not able to open his eyes, or speak. 

Derek tells his Father what Peter and him just felt through the bond, and his Father laughs in relief that Stiles seems to be okay enough to send feelings down the bond. Stiles body feels like it's floating and it takes him a second to realize that Peter must be carrying him, he hears a car door open and close. It goes black and he's unconscious.

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Peter doesn't once let go of Stiles, even as Noah crouches over his son's limp body. Derek pulls Noah aside and talks to him about something, but Peter doesn't bother using his werewolf hearing to find out what it is, he is too scared to stop listening in on Stiles' heart beat. He's terrified that it will stop at some point, that they won't be able to restart his heart and he'll leave Peter and Derek. Peter can't take another loss and he's going to kill the witch that did this. 

He can smell her scent, she was being reckless, or she wants a fight. She didn't bother covering her scent, and Peter thinks he might even be able to follow it to her. But he isn't sure he can leave Stiles even for a second. Peter feels the reassurance and love down the bond and can tell it isn't from Derek, he can hear Derek stop talking. Stiles did that, Peter almost stops breathing.

Stiles needs to fight for them, and Peter goes to Derek's car, carrying Stiles and getting in the car after him. He inhales the sweet scent that is Stiles, coffee that is too sweet and will probably keep him up way too long. The candy that Stiles eats when he's either researching, or up too late. He smells of the forest on a rainy day, Stiles smells like home. Peter will be damned if he losses another person, he can't lose another person, won't lose another person.

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Derek doesn't know what to think when he feels the reassurance and love down the bond, it isn't from him, and it isn't from Peter either. He abruptly stops talking mid sentence and Noah stares at him, not understanding why he stopped. He glances at Peter, and see that he obviously felt it too, so Stiles was conscious, just not able to communicate with them.

"Derek?" Noah questions, and Derek's attention is brought back to Stiles' Father. He hears Peter pick Stiles up and head to the car, except he stays in the car with Stiles.

"Sorry, um Stiles." Derek pauses, not sure if Noah knows about the pack bond. "He um just sent us reassurance through the pack bond." Derek breathes, and Noah breathes a sigh of relief.

"That takes effort doesn't it?" Noah questions hopefully, Derek can only nod. Although, Stiles' spark probably gives him a bit of a helping hand in that manner. Derek just can't believe that Stiles could send them reassurance and love at a time like this. 

It just shows Derek that Stiles really would make a good Alpha, even if he was human. He thinks about his packs needs before his own, even when he's the one literally hurt and possibly dying, he reacted to Peter's feelings. Derek images that Peter will want to hunt down the witch that both of them can smell heavily around the area.

Although, with the way it's going, Derek isn't sure that Peter will leave Stiles' side anytime soon. Derek has never seen Peter cry, even before the fire, he had seen the after math of Peter crying. The red eyes and the dripping nose, sad eyes and everything, but Peter openly cried in front of not only him, but the Sheriff too.

Derek doesn't know if that's a next step in Peter dealing with feelings that he doesn't know how to express or not. He's not sure whether he should be worried, or happy. He caught a glimpse of the soft Uncle that would cook with him, or bake cookies with Cora. Chasing after the kids and rolling around getting grass stains on their clothes. 

"Alright, let's get Stiles to the loft." Noah states firmly, Derek nods and Noah tells him that he'll follow them back.

Derek gets into the car, and glances in the rear view mirror to check on the two in the back seat. Peter has Stiles leaning against him, Peter holds him carefully. He seems to be listening on Stiles heart, cause he's pulling his concentrated face. Derek tunes into Stiles' heart, and finds it slow, slower than he's used to hearing for the hyper active kid. Stiles' heart beat is fast, and it always has been, even when he's completely calm and collected.

Derek speeds to the loft, he can't really help it, he just really wants to get Stiles home. Home with his pack.

"I guess this means we're going to have to call Scott." Peter sneers quietly and Derek can't help but to grin at the comment.

"Unfortunately, which means he gets to know about our little pack." Derek sighs, not wanting that one bit. Peter groans and scowls, something that Derek would be proud of in any other circumstance, he does smile though.