Nature and Nurture: Finding the Perfect Blend

Chapter 17: The Loss

"Where is he?"

Deaton's frown grew more pronounced. "I don't know where he is. Why do you ask?"

Derek answered, "He's the man who abducted Stiles."

Scott's mouth dropped open in surprise, and Deaton looked at Stiles sharply. "Are you sure?"

Stiles gave a tense nod.

"Have you told the police? Your father?" Deaton asked him, while looking over at Derek for confirmation.

Derek nodded.

Stiles tried not to sound too threatening as he said, "I need to know exactly how he's connected to you. He took me because of what I am. He knew what I was."

Scott piped up, "Are you suggesting Deaton helped him?"

"I'm asking if he did, yes."

"He would never!"

"Actually, Scott," Deaton interrupted him, "to Stiles' detriment, I may have done just that."

Derek growled softly and Stiles clenched his jaw tight at Deaton's confession.

"What? Deaton, there's no way you'd have helped to hurt Stiles!" Scott paused, eyes holding disbelief. "Is there?"

"Not on purpose, no." Deaton shook his head. "But unintentionally, I may have."

"Explain yourself," Derek growled at him through fangs.

Scott moved slightly. "Derek, don't," he warned.

Derek spared Scott a glance. His fangs disappeared though his eyes stayed blue. "You'd better have a very good reason."

Deaton sighed. "I will say upfront and firstly, Stiles, that I apologize for my role in your terrible ordeal. Gavin is an old acquaintance, husband to a friend."

"He killed his wife," Stiles spat.

Deaton nodded sadly. "I hoped it wasn't true. His wife, Sara, and I grew up together. I heard she'd been killed alongside her daughter and I couldn't believe Gavin had done it. When he got in contact with me and told me it wasn't as it appeared, I gave him the benefit of the doubt."

"Why?" Stiles asked, bitter. "Did turning him in sound so bad to you?"

"Not everything is always as it seems, is it, Stiles? Not everyone understands that sometimes, the law, human law, can't deal with the things we know can occur."

"His family was killed by the supernatural?" Scott asked, appalled.

"That is what he led me to believe. He came seeking my advice about certain supernatural creatures, those he said were responsible. He wanted to know how to find them, how to contain them." Deaton cast a glance in Stiles' direction. "How to kill them. I gave him the knowledge I had."

Stiles felt sick. "He said fae killed his wife and daughter," he guessed.

"Yes."

"You showed him how to find me. He tortured me with the methods you taught him." Stiles swallowed and took a moment to compose himself. "He said he was using me to learn things. I was his experiment. I was the trial run before he went after his true prey."

"God, Stiles," Scott whispered.

"I am ashamed by my involvement, Stiles. I will go to the police and give them the information I possess about Gavin," Deaton told him.

"What will that be, exactly?" Stiles asked. "They'll ask you how you know who he is and what he did to me, why you didn't say anything before. Did you help him, how did you help him?"