Meltdown [Derek Hale]

CHAPTER THIRTY

 It was strange.

The last time she was walking around the forest the way she was now, she was helping Scott look for his inahler. How the times had changed so drastically.

She'd crossed off every patch of land that she had searched, she'd wasted an hour. She supposed it wasn't truly a waste, but she didn't have many left to investigate. All she could think about was how with each bit of ground she was getting closer, and yet, with still no sign of it she probably wasn't going to find them.

What if she didn't find them?

If she didn't find them then there was no more being sat in the back of a car as they rushed a quick family meal. There was no more walking to the school or the police station so that she could get a lift. There was no more sharing videos of Stiles, as they both got so excited to watch him grow up. No more family trips to the grave, or sat on the sofa together watching the tv. There'd be nothing.

It would be just her and Stiles. Stiles was sixteen it couldn't be just them. Her wage wasn't good enough to cover them both. She had no idea what she was going to do. She needed her dad, she would be the first to say it and she'd say it until her own dying breath. She needed her dad because she wasn't allowed to need her mom anymore and she desperately, desperately needed her mother.

Hearing voices, she stepped over a few branches and climbed over fallen trees. The leave clinging to her shoes and trousers, and every step was beginning to grow painful. She wasn't a hiker or a trekker.

Grabbing onto a tree, she looked into a small opening to see Scott, Allison and Isaac.

"Do you know where they are? Have you found them?" Julie immediately called out, and she headed over to them.

"We think we know where the Nemeton is. What- what are you doing here?" Scott asked, and Julie held out her map to them.

"I figured out where the Nemeton should be... although I got a pretty big area to explore. I've already marked a lot off, but we've not got much time and we've got a lot of ground to cover. Unless you can tell me the very exact location-"

"We can tell you the very exact location," Scott said and Julie nodded.

"Oh thank god."

"I still haven't gotten anything from Stiles, you?" Isaac asked, and Julie looked to him her body frozen.

"What do you mean by that?"

"He was meant to meet us-"

"He's knows what he's doing. He'll know how to find them," Julie said, although it didn't bring comfort to her.

"I don't get it..." Scott said, he knew he should be able to find them just fine. He didn't doubt his friends intelligence, but still. They had a plan.

"All right. Well, we can't wait for him. Come on."

Julie took in a deep breath, the knowledge that they had such limited time in order to find their family. All of their parents being at risk, it wasn't something that she could feel settled with. It was in her heart. That weight that's all psychological yet it hurts just as bad as if there was something real.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't we, Scott?" Deucalion's voice rang out.

Julie glanced back to see him stood waiting for Scott. "We got a little delayed, where are the others?"

"Occupying themselves with other pursuits..."

Scott sighed at the news, "so, it's just you and me against her?"

"I think you'll be surprised what a good team we make."

"Okay..." Scott turned to look at Julie, Isaac and Allison, "get Stiles, and get to the root cellar, okay? We'll keep Jennifer away long enough for you to get them out of there."