willow | d. hale [on hold]

15 | glow stick

stiles! you can't make the barrier if derek decides to rip your head off.

[ 2.08 ]

Late Thursday night, Willow sat on the counter of the check-in desk at the animal clinic. Scott walked past her to unlock the front door, letting in Derek and Isaac, only one of which was originally invited.

"What's he doing here?" Scott asked, eying Isaac.

"I need him," Derek said, entering the building.

"I don't trust him," Scott told him.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't trust you either," Isaac muttered.

"You know what? And Derek really doesn't care," Derek said, getting annoyed.

"Willow thinks it's very cute when you all speak in the third person," Willow said, a small smile on her lips as she swung her legs back and forth that hung from the counter. Derek's lip twitched the slightest bit, the closest she'd seen to his smile in weeks.

"Now where's the vet?" Derek asked, looking at Scott expectantly. "Is he gonna help us or not?"

"That depends," Deaton said, coming around the corner and leaning against the wall. "Your friend, Jackson. Are we planning to kill him or save him?"

"Save him," Scott said at the exact same moment that Derek said, "Kill him."

"Save him," Willow said, shoving his stomach with her hand. Of course, he barely moved, and he grabbed her hand with his on instinct. Derek looked down at her, an unclear emotion in those green eyes that made her feel like she was burning. "Save him, Derek."

After a moment, he nodded and let go of her hand. A part of her wished he didn't. "Save him," he told Deaton.

Pleased with the answer, Deaton led them back into his main operating room — the same room Derek almost cut his arm off in. On the table, he had several jars of different substances lined up, all with Celtic symbols Willow didn't recognize.

Isaac reached for a random bottle, but Derek smacked his hand to stop him. It reminded Willow of a chastising mother. "Watch what you touch."

"So, what are you?" Isaac asked, leaning lazily on the table and looking up at Deaton. "Some kind of witch?"

"No, I'm a veterinarian," he replied, making Willow giggle. Isaac nudged her foot under the table to make her stop laughing at him. "Unfortunately, I don't see anything here that's going to be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin."

"We're open to suggestions," Derek muttered.

"What about an effective offense?" Isaac suggested.

"We already tried. I nearly took its head off. And Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up," Derek said.