“Peter?”
“Anna, if you've rung to say some smartass Nixed out comment it can wait till..."
"Peter... I-I..." The worlds weren't forming. I didn't know where to begin and even if I did my entire being seemed to be shutting down. My hands were still shaking as I pressed the phone to my ear and I had managed to cover myself in the blood that was on my hand. More sobs racked out from the back of my throat.
"Anna, is this you? Like the real you and not the homicidal..." Just at that word I cried even harder. "Whoa, okay, calm down what's wrong?"
"He's dead. Peter he's dead and... I..." More sobs prevented me from finishing.
"Where are you?"
***
He found me still leaning against the tree, staring at Jake, covered in blood. "Anna...?"
"I...I..."
"I know. It's okay. Come on." He pulled me up and I couldn't stop myself from crying into his chest. "We have to cover this up."
"Cover it up?"
"No one can know."
"But..."
"Anna. Listen to me. No one can know about this. You know how Scott and Derek and everyone else feel about me?"
"Yeah."
"Well what's to say they won't think any different of you? You can't tell them. And we certainly can't tell the Sheriff. You rang me for a reason and now I'm going to help you. We will make it look like an accident and give you an alibi."
"An accident!? Peter! I ripped out his heart!"
"Let me handle it. As far as anyone else is concerned I ran into you last night and managed to bring back you're humanity. You felt weak and tired after so you slept on my couch which is what you're going to do tonight so I can ring Derek to come pick you up in the morning."
"Why Derek?"
"Why would I ring Scott?" He had a point
"And how did you manage to bring back my humanity?" I asked, panicking through blurry, stinging eyes that still had tears pouring out of them. I doubt my voice even sounded human.
"I don't know. I made you think about happy things."
"What makes you so special? How did you of all people manage it and not Scott? Peter, they’ll know, I know they will and I’m covered in… in…" I couldn’t say. More tears fell and I sobbed again, my legs wanted to give way, but Peter caught me.
"Let's say I took you to your mother’s grave and it was all very emotional. Sound good?" I nodded. "Good. Now go back to my apartment and have a shower and wash your clothes. I’ll be there soon."
"But..."
"Anna, go. Trust me." I looked into his blue eyes and for some reason knew I could.
The occasional tear rolled down my cheeks as I made my way to Peter’s apartment. When I got inside I went straight to the shower. I had no idea what I was doing. Everything I did seemed like a reaction or reflex. The shower although relaxing didn't help much. I couldn't even find the energy to take my clothes off. I just stepped in. As soon as the water started to pour over my head the tears started again and my legs couldn’t hold me up. I fell to the ground and brought my knees to my chest and the blood washed off me and onto the white bathtub and down the drain. I watched, still crying, as the bright crimson colour turned to a light pink and then became nothing but clear water.
Jakes last moments flew around my head. The shock in his eyes. The heart break when he realized he was going to die. The moment his mouth opened to say something but he died before he could.
I was still curled on the floor with the shower still running when Peter got home.
"Anna?" He asked but I didn't reply. I tried to but all that came out were more sobs. He opened the bathroom door without caring if I was dressed or not and saw me curled in the corner soaking wet still wearing my denim shorts and black lace singlet. I heard him sigh as he walked over to me. I didn't know what he was doing, but the next thing I knew he was sitting next to me and pulling me into his chest not caring about his designer cotton V-neck getting wet. I cried more into his chest, again. I don't remember anything after. I either blacked out or fell asleep or just zoned out, but I woke up in a king sized bed under the covers wearing that same black velvet shirt I borrowed last time. I walked into the living room and found Peter asleep on the couch. I moved his feet and placed them in my lap as I sat down. He woke up and looked at me.
"How did I get into this?" I gestured to my shirt.
"Dot worry you got changed yourself. You don't remember?" I shook my head. He got up and handed me the blanket he was using and I curled up under it. "Bacon and eggs?" he asked and all I could do was nod.
“How did you get the shirt back? I never dropped it off.” I stated, thinking about last time I had left wearing it.
“I stole it back.”
“You broke into the Sheriff’s house?” he didn’t respond.
I didn't say much during breakfast or after I just stared at the plate and then when I finally managed to make my way through the food Peter took it away and did the dishes, which I just looked at. Not at him but at the dishes being cleaned. Being dipped under the water and covered in soap and rinsed off and finally dried and put away in a cupboard. For no reason other than if I looked at something that wasn't moving my mind would begin to wonder and I would start to think about Jake. So I focused on the dishes and the process of it.
"Maybe you should watch a movie until Derek gets here. I'll ring him now. I imagine he won't be long."
I shook my head "I wanna go for a walk."
"Although that's usually a good Idea to clear your head and get some air, but once again we are stuck with the problem that you are only wearing that black shirt with nothing to change into, your clothes a drenched." A small smile tugged at my mouth as I remembered the last time Derek had picked me up from Peters.
“I don’t want to see Derek. Can’t you just ring someone else? Or I will.” I said and reached for my phone. “I’ll ring Isaac.” I said. I reached for my phone and dialled Isaac’s number, but quickly put it down on the table and jumped back before I could hit ring. “Oh god I can't ring Isaac.” I said remembering what happened when I was Nixed out. “I'll ring Scott.” I went to reach for the phone but jumped back again. “But if I ring Scott then Scott will tell Isaac and Isaac will know I didn't ring him and think I'm avoiding him.” I ranted as I looked at Peter whose eyebrows were raised and his arms crossed in confusion. “And if I ring Stiles, Stiles will tell Scott and Scott will tell Isaac and the same conclusion. And if I ring Allison she will…”
“Tell Isaac?” Peter suggested.
“Yes! Oh, this is bad. There's no avoiding this. I need confidential friends. My friends tell each other everything. This is bad. Oh god what did I do? I think I can feel a panic attack coming on. Has there been any word about Lydia. I slept through the entire night! Why didn’t you wake me!” I yelled finally remembering everything else that had happened aside from… the blood.
“Okay calm down.” Peter stepped closer. “What did you do to Isaac?”
“Well...”
“Oh god.” Peter caught on and smiled… which then turned into a laugh.
“Stop it!” I yelled at him which made him laugh more. I groaned and rolled my eyes shoving him in the shoulder. “And you didn’t answer me.”
“As far as I know everything is still the same. I’m not exactly the first person people ring when something happens.”
“I need to find them.” I said, running my fingers through my hair. “Oh! I'll ring Parrish!”
“Who?”
“Deputy Parrish.” I explained as I grabbed my phone.
“Why don't you just ring the Sheriff?”
“Because he’ll Stiles and Stiles…”
“Will tell Scott and then Scott will tell Isaac. I think you're reading into this too much. And won't the Sheriff’s deputy tell the Sheriff?” My eyes went wide. “Oh god, I'm just teasing, Anna, ring the guy. Get him to take you off my hands, I’m getting a migraine.”
“Werewolves don't get migraines.” I shot back in defence. He rolled his eyes again in the usual way that all the Hales seemed to do accompanied by an exaggerated sighed.
“Hello?” There was an answer on the other end of the phone.
“Parrish? It’s Anna.” I said.
“Hey. Are you okay? Is everything alright?” He asked concerned.
“Yeah, I’m fine… I’m just kind of in need of a ride. I don’t have my car and…”
“I’ll come pick you up. Where are you?”
I gave Parrish the address and then found my shorts and black shirt. I actually managed to find a hairdryer in one of the draws and used that to dry them as much as possible and put them back on. There was no blood on the shorts and if there was any on the shirt it didn’t show because of the colour. Most of the blood I had been covered with was on me and washed off in the shower.
I sat on Peter’s couch and waited for Parrish, but my mind begun to wonder. "What did it feel like when..." I trailed off not sure how I could finish, but thankfully Peter knew what I was trying to say.
"It was a different situation. I knew what I was doing. I knew why."
"It's funny, don't you think." He gave me a confused expression. "Everyone hates you for what you did and doesn't trust you, but they're working with Ethan and Aiden. You killed Kate and they killed Erica and Boyd. You tell me what sounds worse?”
"When you say it like that... The twins, but you left out Laura."
"You were catatonic for six years, you..."
"I knew what I was doing. I wasn't healing fast enough as a beta and I knew I couldn’t get revenge as a beta. I wasn't strong enough. I was probably strong enough to get the others, but not Kate."
"What was she like? Laura. Derek never talked about her."
"She was her mother’s daughter. She would have taken over from Talia."
"Why didn't she? After the fire, I mean."
"I don't know... I was catatonic." He gave me a look when he said it that made me smile.
"What did you do with him?" He knew I meant Jake, but I couldn't bring myself to say his name.
"Passing it off as an animal attack was too risky. The others would have known so I hid the body. He won't be found."
"So he'll just remain missing forever. His family will never know what happened to him. Someone will figure it out. I know they will."
Peter walked up to me and placed a hand on either shoulder and bent down a little so we were at eye level
"Don't worry about it. Not now. They'll just be happy that you have your humanity back."
"But for how long?"
"I don't know. But we will figure it out. I promise." He said before standing up right again. I leaned up and have him a hug which he seemed surprised about but he soon recovered and returned it.
Parrish sent me a text saying he was waiting outside the building and I left. I probably looked like hell and was clearly wearing party clothes. I did not think this through… at all. Parrish gave me a look that clearly said he thought I was doing the walk of shame and I quickly explained.
“I went to a Party last night to get my mind off of everything, but it didn’t work so I wound up leaving and staying at a friend’s place.” I said.
“And your car?”
“I walked. The fresh air was nice.” He nodded.
“When you say you went to a party, you actually mean that you threw a party, though.” He said as he opened the door. I gave him a look. “One of the kids went missing. Jake Fuller. We haven’t found him yet.”
My hands balled up into fists and I had to quickly turn away before Parrish saw the tears. “That’s terrible, do you have any idea where he is?”
“No.” he said as he closed my door and walked around, getting behind the wheel. “But we’ll find him. If you weren’t at the part at the time then there shouldn’t be much to worry about. The Sheriff has pulled a few strings and the underage drinking without an adult present will all be over looked. I think you knowing all the law enforcement officers in Beacon Hills probably helps as well. They understand and I doubt you’ll have any questionings. Where am I taking you?”
“Oh, umm.” Where was he taking me? Where were the others? Where was the last place I’d seen them? My place would be a complete disaster after last night and there may be cops looking around for Jake. “Derek’s loft.”
Parrish gave me a confused look. I was so used to everyone just knowing where Derek’s loft was, or who Derek was for that matter, but then I remember Parrish knew nothing. He wasn’t involved in all of this. I gave him the address and he started down the road.
“Derek Hale, huh? Friend of yours?” He asked. I’d also forgotten Derek had been under arrest not 24 hours ago.
“You could say that.” I didn’t want to see Derek. Not after last night with Isaac and… Jake’s eyes. Those green eyes that looked so much like Derek, but the loft was my best bet at finding someone. Next would be Scott’s place and possibly even the school.
“Sounds interesting.”
“We kind of dated. Well, not kind of, we did date, but…”
“Not anymore?” He asked curiously.
“I’m not sure to be honest. It’s very complicated and with everything that has been going on we haven’t had the chance to work through it.” I explained as best I could. Parrish pulled up outside of Derek’s loft and I looked up at the building taking a deep breath. “Thank-you, so much. I promise I’ll stop bugging you.”
“You’re not bugging me and besides… what are police for?” He said with a smile. “You’ll be okay here?” He turned serious.
“Yeah, 100%. Derek never locks the door so if he isn’t home I can just wait inside, but than-you again, Parrish… Jordan.” I corrected myself, remembering what he told me. I may have been evil at the time, but he didn’t know that. Thankfully I hadn’t done anything that was out of the ordinary when around him.
“Any time. See you around, Anna.” He said as I closed the door. I waved as drove off and then turned back to face the loft. Taking another breath I built up the courage to walk inside.
I opened the front door to the building and stop dead in my tracks.
“Hi there, Anna. Haven’t gone soft in my absence, have you?” Stiles asked with a wicked smirk.