I'll Be Your Batman

Chapter 19: Goodbye

After I know for sure Stiles isn't in too much pain and is asleep, I head downstairs to the basement. I cautiously walk down the stairs and hear nothing, though I don't expect to hear much as the walls are soundproof. As I open the basement door however, I hear Daxton's screams.

Alex snaps his head to me, tense, but relaxes once he knows it's me.

"Hey Derek. How is Stiles?" He asks.

I huff out a breath, still mad, though it isn't Alex's fault. Mostly I'm mad at myself. I should have never let Stiles get hurt like this, twice in a day!

"He's fine, healing." Alex nods and turns back to Daxton. He's in chains and pulling at them. He's fully transformed, eyes a bright gold, sharp claws and teeth out. He's roaring, though it isn't too loud.

"I'm so sorry this happened Derek." My mother says, resting a hand on my shoulder. I don't take my eyes off of my brother.

"I almost killed him. I would have." I whisper, still not looking away.

"Derek, you know you can't control-"

I turn towards my mother. "He's my brother, my kid brother! It would kill me if he got hurt, and yet I wanted to end him. Being with Stiles. . . It makes me dangerous."

"Derek. . ." She didn't know what to say.

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't think I can do this."

"You have to."

"Not if it's going to be like this." Daxton quiets down, only whimpering, signaling the end of his first transformation, and Alex takes him out of the room, leaving only me and my mother.

"Derek, this isn't his fault, or yours. You can't blame yourself."

"Well then who the hell am I supposed to blame?" I yell. "If I can't control this, how is this any better than before? He's supposed to help me, not make it worse! He makes me dangerous, lethal."

"You're learning-"

"I can't learn this. I can learn calculus but not this. This is me and when I'm with him, I only get worse. I'm supposed to protect him. If I can't even protect my family how will I ever do that? I can't do this. I can't put Daxton, you, the pack, Stiles, or myself in danger anymore. I can't."

With that, I make my way out of the basement.

I make my way upstairs to the guest room, where Stiles is sleeping. I don't have a plan, but I can't put this off anymore.

I walk in and smile softly. He's so beautiful, peaceful. I walk towards the bed and take a seat. I move the hair out of his face and he twitches.

"Hey." I whisper. He cracks open his eyes and smiles. I. however, can't seem too.

"We need to talk." I say. Stiles frowns.

"Look, I know what this is about. You're mad that I got hurt, but you can't always be sure I will be safe." Stiles says.

"But it's so much more than that." I sigh, shaking my head.

"I love you, and that why. . . that's why I have to let you go." Stiles scrunches up his brows. "I not only put you in danger, but I put my brother, my pack. . . I can't do this anymore. I thought that with you it would get better, but I'm only losing control more."

"Derek. . . we're working on it." Stiles protests.

"No amount of work can change this. This is me, not being able to keep the wolf under control. I need time, away from everything."