Wake Up

Plan

The ride to Derek's was spent dwelling. He ate his hot pocket and tried to force the memory or dream, whatever it was, from his mind. But it just wouldn't budge. It was determined to riddle his thoughts. His arms stung still but the medicine was starting to kick in much to his relief. All he had to do was get through the next thirty minutes to an hour, however long this meeting took.

"You're late," Was the first thing said to Stiles as he stepped into Derek's loft.

"I know, I'm sorry, I spent way too much time in the shower," Stiles gave a sheepish smile as he dropped his bag. He gave a small wince as the motion tugged at the gauze stuffed under his jacket sleeve. It didn't go unnoticed.

"You're hurt," Scott, Isaac and Derek chorused.

Stiles tried to keep the annoyance of being found out so soon off his face.

"I cooked something," he shrugged. "My arm got hurt."

"Are you okay?" Scott asked, buying into the lie, just like Stiles knew he would.

Stiles had become a very good liar ever since he learned of Scott's werewolf abilities. He manipulated his words and his phrases in order to keep the pack from figuring out that he was lying. He'd gotten good at it over the years.

What he didn't know was that Derek had picked up on Stiles' way of talking. How he would spout his words as they came to him when he was telling the truth and how he would speak meticulously when lying. How he would phrase things in just such a way so that his words never read as a lie.

Derek narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything as the pack moved on. Only recently had Derek and Scott come together and agreed to work as one. Two alphas working together in the same territory with two packs was rare but two alphas in the same pack working together was unheard of.

"So what did you find on our little winged friend?" Lydia asked as she held out her hand for the pages Stiles had printed out the night before.

He held them out and hoped no one noticed the bit of gauze peeking out from under his sleeve.

Derek did, but he said nothing, opting to keep the information to himself.

"We're dealing with a Pixie," Stiles answered as the pack gathered around the table.

Typically Stiles would be rattling on about what he'd learned and some crazy plan that he'd concocted but instead he remained in his chair at the end of the table as the rest of the pack gathered around Lydia who read off what Stiles had printed.

"This is great, we can really use this to our advantage," Scott looked up at Stiles with a grateful smile.

Stiles returned it halfheartedly.

"Where's your half-cocked plan about how to take her out?" Malia frowned, crossing her arms at the human.

"Excuse me, my plans are well thought out and efficient thank you," Stiles scoffed in offense.

Derek noticed the lack of flailing that accompanied his defense.

"You mean to tell us you don't have a plan?" Scott rose his brows at his best friend. That was unlike Stiles.

"I didn't say that," Stiles shook his head. He had come up with one, but it required him being at his best and right now he definitely wasn't, and he couldn't risk him not being at his best. It could get someone hurt. He couldn't let that happen.

"So, what is it?" Malia pressed.

"Well..." Stiles was quick on his feet. He could come up with another plan in the next four seconds, right? "I thought we could use Isaac as bait," He grinned, tossing the beta a shit eating grin.

"You're not using me as bait," Isaac growled. Not amused with Stiles' joke.

"Well," Stiles threw up a hand and winced as it grazed the table on the way back down to his lap.

Derek noted that the gauze had been on the other arm.

"It's fine, we'll think of something," Scott tossed a scolding look at Stiles, but there was an underlying smirk on his friend's lips.

It was no secret that Isaac and Stiles teased each other mercilessly, like rival brothers. The joke was a good distraction from the fact that Stiles didn't have a plan anymore. His original plan had been to trap her with Iron. Though luring her in would be the tricky part, but she went after humans. He was human. He would have to do the trapping. She wouldn't likely show up around the pack again.

"Derek, you've been awfully quiet," Lydia looked to the other alpha whose eyes were still on Stiles.

"I think Stiles isn't telling us everything," Derek said, his eyes not leaving the human.

"What?" Stiles swallowed. Surely Derek hadn't figured him out so quickly. He fought to keep his heartrate as even as possible as he nodded towards Lydia.

"Everything I found is in there."

"Maybe, but you smell exhausted, you were late, you cut yourself carelessly...Did you even sleep or did you spend all night trying to find the pixie yourself? Was that your plan? She only kills humans after all." Derek crossed his arms over his chest.

Relief washed over Stiles and he prayed that Derek didn't smell it on him.

"What? No," He shook his head. "I just slept like shit and I don't actually have a plan," he admitted.

Derek raised a brow at Stiles. He had blurted his answer instead of choosing his wording carefully. He wasn't lying. That gave Derek some peace of mind. But the fact that Stiles hadn't come up with any kind of plan was concerning. Stiles always had a plan and a contingency plan and contingency plan for his contingency plan. Something was up. Derek had to ask a direct question. One that had a yes or no answer that Stiles couldn't manipulate.

"Stiles, are you alri-"

But before Derek could get anything more out, Stiles was standing, "I should get home. I'm gonna have lunch with my dad. Text me anything new?"

Another meticulously structured sentence.

"Yeah," Scott nodded unfazed by the abrupt leaving of his friend.

Derek only narrowed his eyes again.

Stiles winced as he lifted his bag with one hand and carefully placed it on his shoulder.

There was no denying it, Stiles was lying, and Derek intended to find out why.

*AN*
Another one to get things moving. Hope you like it. 😊