keeper (d. Hale)

at what cost?

Derek could feel Jennifer's stare burning into him as he adjusted Delilah against him. His hand rested against her forehead as he tried to gage her temperature.

"She's burning up, isn't she?" Jennifer asked.

Stiles hand creaked on  the handle of the bat. The sound of her voice had him grit his teeth painfully together. Of all the people to have stuck with you in an elevator, it had to be your teacher and the town's resident serial killer.

Derek didn't answer as he used the edge of his shirt to clear the sweat from her face.

"I mean at this point, her blood probably feels like it's on fire and each pump of her heart a real struggle to keep up with what her body needs. Such a shame."

Stiles shifted the bat and debated if he could break her knee cap in one swing. The elevator was small but he was sure he could convince Derek it was a good idea.

"And if she's not feeling that, then I bet the pressure behind her eyes will slowly let her loosen her grip on reality. It can't be easy to..."

"Will you shut up!" Derek growled.

Jennifer leaned back in her chair and observed the man who continued to focus his attention on the woman in his arms. She was nothing at this point, barely conscious even. Yet, the devotion he showed her was not paramount to anything else she had seen.

Stiles looked at his phone, pleased there was still service in the area. "Someone needs to get the backup generator working again," he mumbled to Derek as he sent out a mass message to the pack.

"Have you heard from Issac?" Derek asked.

Stiles shook his head no. "I'm sure he's around somewhere."

Derek gave Stiles a worrying look. He hoped he was okay or had at least joined back up with Scott and the others. He didn't like the idea of him running around alone.

"Derek," Jennifer called out again. "I know what you're thinking. That I'm evil... a bitch. But, I hope you're not thinking the most superficial thought- Is that her real face? The slashed, mutilated face revealed by the mistletoe... Is that what she really looks like?"

"Oh my God!" Stiles groaned. "What the hell is your problem lady! Derek could give two shits about you. And if you hadn't noticed this pathetic attempt for his attention is just embarrassing for everyone who has to listen. He doesn't like you!"

Jennifer scrunched her nose at Stiles words. "Of course Derek likes me."

Stiles didn't know how to respond to the woman and instead looked over to Derek who was staring at her with a blank expression. Stiles recognized this as Derek's irritated face as he had been on the receiving end of it on numerous occasions.

Jennifer seemed to take his attention as a good sign as she offered him her best smile.

"Julia Baccari. That was my name." She moved to offer Derek her hand but the ropes kept her in place. Stiles smirked at her irritated frown.

"I don't care." Derek grunted.

She ignored his cool response and continued to babble. "I guess I should have changed it to something with different first letters. I think I read somewhere that people always pick aliases that are subconsciously derivative of their original name. It's a way of not completely letting go of your identity, since your name is so tied to your sense of self."

Stiles looked at his phone again, waiting for a response from some one, anyone that they were going to pull them from the elevator soon.

"Do you know what else is tied to your sense of self? Your face. The one that's supposed to be staring back at you in the mirror- not some hacked-up atrocity you can't even recognize."