harbouring [3] ⇻ stiles stilinski

iv. one hundred and seventeen

[ start of 117 part two ]

"I KNEW THAT this was a bad idea!"

"Woah, don't take it out on us. Eleanor's the one that volunteered to stay. You've been back for two days Isaac, and you think you have the right to talk to us like that?"

  "Correct! We've been back for two days and she's already been hurt twice. Jaden, maybe coming back here wasn't the right thing to-"

  "Then why did you come back? You could have gone after Kate yourselves."

"Because she wanted to help you! Because she fucking cares! Do you have any idea of the shit you guys put her through before we left? You guys were all El had left and you ruined her with your lies and your bullshit. Yet she still begged us to stay and protect you in Mexico. Have a little fucking compassion."

Eleanor's eyes slowly opened, wincing at the bright light above her as her twin finished whisper-yelling.

"A fight? Over me? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Her groggy voice caused all heads to snap to her fragile figure, lying atop the metal clinic table.

Jaden took a step even closer to his sister and helped her to sit up, before she stubbornly attempted to do it on her own. Her eyes scrunched shut in discomfort as she swung her legs over the side of the table, letting them dangle as she adjusted to the new position.

"Chris is going to kill you when he finds out what you've been up to since we got back."

Eleanor rolled her eyes and took Isaac's hand, setting her feet down on the floor steadily and slowly rising. "He'll live."

Standing now, she glanced around at the faces of her friends and grimaced as tension misted the room. She had awoken mid argument but she had already gathered what the topic of debate was.

"Look, I know there's a massive elephant in the room right now but can we put that behind us, at least until we figure out where Derek is?"

There was a silence until, one by one, the friends each began to nod. It was probably the first time they had all agreed on something in the last week of being in each other's presence. Each of them understood the importance of finding the older Hale, and arguing about the past could be done at a later date.

Deaton watched carefully as they all came to an understanding. Once the room fell silent, he began to explain this theory.

  "I don't think he's just younger in his body. I think his mentality is younger too - his mind."

  Eleanor nodded instantly, thinking back to her brief encounter with her brother. "He didn't recognise Deaton, and I'm fairly sure I look a little different to when I was 6. I don't think he had time to recognise me. He was scared out of his mind."

  "So if you're a teenage werewolf and you're scared, where would you go?" The group started spitting ideas to each other, creating scenarios until Scott interrupted.

  "A wolf would go to his den."

  "Then surely he'd be at the loft." Malia suggested, though the thought seemed to hit everyone instantly with realisation.