Just Breathe

Chapter 36

"Derek?" Scott asked as he sat down next to him on the couch. Derek looked up at him, sensing worry in his eyes. He let out a deep sigh, running his hand over his face.

"Yes Scott?" he asked, his voice gravely as exhaustion weighed on him. Scott cracked his knuckles, trying to decide what to say. He had just gotten some....some interesting news.  He let out a shaky breath as he collected his thoughts.

"I was just at school with Stiles" he began, a loud moan coming from up stairs at the mention of his name. Derek shook his head, knowing that Emma's hearing was extremely good. "And he-he said that the key he found in his lead to the chemistry classroom" Scott said, Derek reeling back in confusion.

"So what? And would you mind not mentioning his name? It's upsetting Emma for some reason. Possibly because he hasn't been around lately" Derek sighed, listening to make sure Emma was still sleeping. 

"Derek, he said the handwriting, the code left for Barrow, was in his hand writing. He thinks he wrote it" Scott whispered, disturbed and confused. Derek's eyes opened wide, his head snapping towards Scott. 

Scott nodded solemnly as Derek's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "No" Derek stated bluntly, shaking his head. "That doesn't make any sense. He would never do that. Not to Emma" Derek argued, Scott nodding with a pained expression. 

"That's what I told him, Derek. But he was convinced. Stiles thinks he hurt Emma. Stiles thinks it's his fault" Scott said, loud crashing sound coming from upstairs. 

Derek sighed as he slowly rose to his feet. "Well now I have to go get her back to bed. And for Stiles..." Derek thought about the confusing situation that had arisen, shaking his head slowly. "Just keep an eye on him" Derek said before heading for the stairs. 

He climbed the stairs step by step, trying to wrap his head around what was going on around them. With her and with Stiles. Not to mention the black figures that had attacked them. He turned his focus to the present problem at hand, pushing the door to her room open. 

His eyes went wide as he found her, laying on the floor as she shakily got onto her hands and knees. "Emma" he breathed in panic, running forward as he kneeled down next to her. 

"Derek" she breathed, grabbing his arm with a surprising amount of strength. "The oni are coming back tonight" she panted, struggling for breath. "They'll be looking for him" she whispered with eery eyes, her voice becoming weaker. 

Derek's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he rested his hands on her shoulders. "Looking for who, Emma?" Derek asked, Emma's eyes meeting his. He was taken back by the look of sheer pain that masked the glimmer of terror that lay in her eyes. Derek took her hand in his, until black veins began running up his arm. 

He groaned as the pain became too much, deep breaths escaping him as he pulled back. "They're looking for S-" Emma whispered, her eye lids getting harder and harder to keep up. "They're looking for S-" 

"Looking for Scott?" Derek asked, trying to grasp what Emma was saying before she faded out again. Emma reached out and grabbed Derek's hand. Derek looked down shocked, as her grip was actually causing him pain.

"Find him and save him, Derek". Her eye lids began to shut, the girl struggling to hold onto reality. "Protect him until I can" she breathed, her hand going limp as her eyes fell shut. 

Derek caught her in his arms, sighing as he lifted her up, laying her back down on the bed. Pulling the covers over her, he gently brushed her hair off her forehead. He grabbed the icepack that lay on the nightstand, gently pressing it back down on her forehead. Her skin was looking much better and it was almost impossible to tell what had happened. But she was still weak.