Fight Till We Die

Trauma Bond?

The more you care, the more you have to lose.

- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

"Try not to bleed out on my seats, okay? We're almost there."

"Don't be a dick, Stiles."

Derek looked at the teen Libby had just berated, "Almost where?"

Glaring at Libby through the front mirror, he said, "Your house."

"No. You can't take me there."

"I can't take you to your house?" Stiles asked incredulously.

Libby leaned forward from the back seat and settled between the two, "Yeah, why can't we go to the house?"

Her brother looked at her and said, "I can't go there. Not when I can't protect myself."

"I can protect you." Libby insisted.

Derek opened his mouth to respond when the Jeep slammed to a halt. Libby had to grip each headrest to ensure she didn't fly through the windshield.

Turning to Stiles she yelled in his ear, "What the hell?"

Stiles turned to the pair, his face only inches away from Libby making her pull back, "What happens if Scott doesn't find your magic bullet? Are you dying?"

That was the question Libby had purposefully not asked. She didn't know the answer and she didn't want to.

"Not yet. I have a last resort."

A flicker of hope bloomed in her chest but she dulled the feeling, knowing she wouldn't like his last resort any more than he would.

"What do you mean? What last resort?"

There goes Stiles asking all the questions Libby didn't want to ask. Derek pulled up his sleeve, showing his wound. Black veins trailed up his arm and just looking at him she could feel his pain. Libby placed a hand on his shoulder and drew some of the pain into her, but he pulled away before she felt it.

Stiles complaining turned almost childish when he whimpered at the sight of Derek's arm and said, "What is that? Is that contagious? Maybe you should just get out."

Libby cuffed the back of his head, "Gunshot wounds aren't contagious, Stiles, calm down."

"Calm? I'm calm."

Derek groaned, "Start the car. Now."

"I don't think you should be giving orders the way you look. In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your werewolf ass out to the middle of the road and leave you for dead."

Libby's hackles rallied up, preparing to lay into the boy but Derek beat her to it.

"Start the car or I'm going to rip your throat out with my teeth." His glare was intimidating enough and Libby leaned back in her seat and watched as Stiles started the car.

☾

They drove around for a long time, Derek progressively getting worse. At one point, he slumped against the window and passed out. He woke up moments later after Libby drew some pain from him, but she was getting worried.