North Starr

34

Melanie, with a light groan, got up from her hospital bed. She glanced around to make sure no one was around to stop her, and slowly put on her shoes.

She left the hospital and made her way to Scott's, as she figured he'd be the best person to persuade to let her go.

Stiles, seeing Melanie suddenly next to him, asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm helping," she replied simply.

"Go back to the hospital."

"Oh, now you can tell me what to do?"

"No, that's not it. You got hurt, Melanie. Our teacher freaking hurt you! And now you want to see her?!"

"Yes?"

He sighed and shook his head.

Melanie smiled tiredly. "Good. Let's get Scott."

Scott opened his door to see Melanie and Stiles. "Yeah?"

"I want to talk to Derek about Ms. Blake, and you're coming," Stiles said. "Melanie insisted on going, which I'm so not okay with, but persuading her otherwise wouldn't work. I already tried."

---

Stiles drove them to Derek's loft and said, "Ms. Blake, Jennifer, is the Darach. She took my dad. She's gonna try to tell you she's not, but we saw her. Well, not Melanie, I don't think, but Scott and I saw her. She hurt Melanie and Scott."

"She's the one killing people," Scott added.

Derek pursed his lips and nodded. "Find somewhere to hide. Someone's coming."

The boys ducked into a dark corner and Melanie hid in another corner. Jennifer entered the loft. "Derek? Derek, where are you?"

He stepped out from the shadows. "Right here."

She hugged him. "Thank God. Something happened at the recital. At the school. Okay, I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear it from any of them."

Derek decided to play innocent. "From who?"

"Scott and Stiles. They're gonna tell you things. Things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay? You have to trust me."

Derek frowned. "What is it?"

Jennifer began kissing Derek. "Promise you'll listen to me."

From Melanie's corner, her lip curled in disgust.

Derek said, "I promise."

Jennifer pulled away from him. "They're already here, aren't they? So... they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people."

The boys stepped out of the shadows and Scott said, "We told him you're the one killing people."

Jennifer let out a scoff. "Oh, that's right. Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense."

Melanie heard a break in Stiles' voice as he asked, "Where's my dad? Why did you hurt Melanie?"

"How should I know? Derek, tell me you don't believe this."

Derek crossed his arms. "Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?"

"No."

"Ask her why she almost killed Lydia and why she hurt Melanie and Robin."

"Lydia Martin? Melanie? I don't know anything about that."

Melanie stepped out from her corner and stood behind Stiles. "Yeah you do. Derek, don't listen to her."