Crazy

Chapter Nine: I'm always right

Derek's POV

"We need to find her." I said, my eyes widening. Deaton nodded grimly. "But how? I don't have any way of contacting her, or-"

"Derek. She's your mate, your equal. You don't need a phone to find her."

"Okay." I agreed, closing my eyes. "Focus." Deaton commands. "Tap into your wolf." I took a deep breath, honing onto the feeling of the wolf inside of me. Nothing came. "Think of her name." He carried on. Lizbeth. Still nothing. I opened my eyes, irritated. "Nothing's happening."

"Patience, Derek. Close your eyes." I sighed, but did as I was told. Lizbeth.  I thought once again. "Now, inhale through your nose. Smell her scent. Imagine where she is." I inhaled, and I saw her. On her phone, in the back of a car. Her sleeve pulled up ever so slightly, revealing the same black patterns on her arm that I had. My eyes opened. "I know where she is."

Lizbeth's POV

I sighed. What does Damon want? What could he, the proudest and most arrogant of all the Salvatores, possibly need from me? I rolled my eyes internally and typed a reply.

You: What do you want?

Damon: Your help.

You: No. Find someone that wants to help you.

I put my phone back into my pocket, and that was the moment that Nikoli slid back into the driver's seat. "So?" I asked. "So what?" He replied, starting the car and shifting gear. "What happened? What's going on, Nikoli?"

"You're poisoned." I rolled my eyes- not internally, this time. "You've told me that. I want to know what we're doing about it."

"Well," He said, driving out of the car park, "First, we're going home. Then Klaus is making his way over here, and he's going to give you some of his blood." I frowned. "But I wasn't bitten by a werewolf. And no! Niklaus is not coming here!"

"He is. I'm not compromising your safety, no matter how much I might hate my brother. And you've not been bitten, no, but you've obviously ingested it in some way. Liz, it's going to have to be my brother unless you can find a werewolf that's willing to help." Nikoli snorted. "And that, Liz, would be a miracle." I clicked my fingers. "Nikoli! We just met a load of werewolves, one of them has to help. Especially Derek. He's my mate, it's required."

"For what?" Nikoli asked dryly. "The key to a good relationship with your mate that you don't even want?" I chuckled, and so did he. "Maybe. But its instinct, Nikoli. It's not something you can ignore, even if you don't want a mate." Nikoli pulled into the drive, and got out. Before I could open my door, he was around there- the door already held open for me. "Thank you," I commented, "What a gentleman."

"Well, I like to imagine so."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." I laughed again. I don't think I've ever laughed this much. Nikoli and I shared a soft smile. "You coming in?" He asked, opening the door and walking in.  "If the house hasn't burnt down."

"Why would the house have burnt down?" He inquired. "Because that bacon caught alight and set the whole place on fire."

"Gods." He said, smacking his forehead. "I completely forgot about that. I've never met anyone with a memory like you." I shrugged. "Well, I've got to remember everything about everyone. And trust me, Nikoli, I'm surprised too- with my recent dementia and all." Nikoli frowned. "That reminds me. Go and rest- I'll go and find someone to help."

"Ah, I wouldn't bother."

"Why?" He asked. "Because when you need help, people just tend to show up. They come to you, you needn't go looking for them." As if on que, the doorbell rang. "See?" I said. "I'm always right."

Derek's POV

She hadn't been where I saw her- so Deaton and I figured that she'd left, and I figured that she must have gone home. And so we went there and rang the doorbell- her boyfriend, Kol, answered. "Yes?" He asked, and I could hear the undercurrent of malice in his voice. He didn't like me. Good. I didn't like him either. "Hello." Said Deaton kindly, breaking the tension. "Derek and I recently discovered that his mate was poisoned, and we thought we'd come help."

"How did you know?" He asked sharply. I silently showed him the duplicate marks on my own wrist. Kol's jaw clenched, and I almost smiled in satisfaction. Ah, there's nothing like watching yourself infuriate the people you don't like. "Nikoli!" Lizbeth shouted, her voice seeming to fill the hole in my soul that had been there since I had walked away from her. "Let them in, if they can help!" He stepped aside stiffly, his eyes guarded and never leaving me. "Thank you." Deaton said, stepping in. No doubt he'd felt the tension between this Kol and I. I walked in behind him. I followed  Deaton to where she was- stood in the centre of what must be the living room. Our eyes locked, and I knew, in that moment, that she was poisoned. It was like an instinct. "Hello, I'm Deaton."

"Nice to meet you." She replied, but our eyes remained on each other. When Kol walked in, she swallowed and looked away. "I understand that you can help me?"

"Yes. Can I see the marks, please?" She shrugged and nodded, rolling up her sleeve to show the marks- it was only then that I noticed the terrible scarring on her hands. I inhaled sharply, and as a result her eyes flicked to me. It seemed as she knew the reason, and she averted her eyes once again. "Hmm." Deaton said, taking her arm. I had no doubt that he had also noticed her hands, but decided not to comment. Kol came to stand by my side. "Can I talk to you?" He asked under his breath. "Go." Lizbeth said, flicking her head towards the two of us. "Talk to your hearts content."

"That's slightly rude." Kol observed. She shrugged- and I couldn't help but notice that if I had been the one to say that, then she would have probably bit my head off. Not that I blamed her- familiarity came with time. I turned to go, before pausing and turning back to her. "Lizbeth?" 

"Yes?"

"Well- I would say get better soon, but that seems inadequate." She chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Derek. I know what you mean." I nodded and turned this time. "Oh, and, Derek?"

"Yeah?" 

"Thank you." I frowned. "For what?" I could hear her laugh quietly. "For coming." As I walked out the door, I muttered- too quiet for anyone to hear- "I'll always come."

Hello!

It seems that our friend Derek is developing quite the attraction, hmm? Quite sad that it's unrequited. Well, as always, my friends, let me know if there are any spelling mistakes because I cant be bothered to proof read my work, and remember to vote and comment. 

Also... it's 2020! Is it just me, or did 2019 go so fast? Anyways, have a fabulous morning/afternoon/evening wherever in the world you are and an amazing 2020!

-cody 

((an edit as someone who is vaguely rechecking this in 2022, geesus. 2020 was ages ago))

Word Count: 1204