┏━━━━⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆━━━━┓

A THOUGHT, A TRAP

EMERSON AVERY REALLY LIKED DEREK HALE.

That was the very thought she had woken up with, and the very one she had a minor freak out about when she went to go change that morning. Tugging on some new clothes was an easy feat, but the silent screams and frantic expressions she was making at herself in the mirror definitely took the longest amount of time.

A part of her knew that deep down, this thought had been brewing for a while now. She saw it in her actions as of late; the lingering touches, always looking for him a room, the nickname she so freely gave out to him.

Emerson hated nicknames, hated giving them out. Nicknames made people permanent, and if there was one thing the blonde had learned in all of her years, it was that no one was permanent. Permanency was an illusion, and attachments always backfired in the end.

The exact moment that he had gone from Derek to Dere? She wouldn't know. To her, it was a cumulation of tiny moments, sprinkled around her to form the one massively intrusive thought that she had woken up with.

She liked him.

Was it even like, or was the all encompassing feeling in her chest something stronger than that?

After promptly pinching her nose, making a mental note of all the ways that this could end so horribly for her, she plastered the most convincing smile on her face before she exited. She asked him about pancakes for crying out loud, anything to get her mind off of her most recent revelation.

That had been two days ago, and the pancakes they ended up making had been a huge hit. She could tell Derek wasn't the biggest fan of blueberries in the batter, but he ate every single one that she made without a fuss. She didn't know whether to be touched or to slap him for not speaking up— because yeah, she had bought a small pack of chocolate chips just incase he were to speak up anyway.

They were getting along swimmingly, worries of the real world at the backs of their minds as time in the cabin progressed. She roused a few good laughs out of the man, some so hearty that she felt like her own smile was splitting her face in half in response.

At that point, the pair were settled on the couch, a black and white movie playing on the boxed television in front of them. They hadn't packed up the pullout, knowing it almost lead to another dispute about the sleeping arrangement those same two days ago, so they merely took to opposite sides of it.

Neither thought about sleeping anywhere other than the pullout, other than beside one another, after that. Neither mentioned the way they'd usually wake up closer together than they'd been before they went to sleep, too.

Funny.

Derek hadn't seen many older movies, far more interested in contemporary action movies (and that came as no shock to Emerson), while the blonde was practically raised on them. She showed him the stash that the Prescotts kept, the pair slowly going down the list of her favourite's since Derek seemed happy to oblige.

The ringing of a cellphone could be heard, cutting through the audio from the television as it came from the bedroom. Given that Derek didn't bring his, Emerson's body kicked into gear because it was hers— hers that she had silenced before they left.

Meaning, whoever was calling had managed to evade her do not disturb status.

Derek was hit on her tail hen she entered the room, spitting her phone screen lit up on the side table she had abandoned it on. The caller ID was one she recognized, albeit hadn't expected. "Why the hell is your uncle calling me?"

The man's eyebrows furrowed as she picked it up. "I think the better question is why do you even have his number to begin with?"

Emerson waved a hand in dismissal. "We used to play a lot of online scrabble over the summer," she said, before her thumb was clicking on the answer button. Putting it on speaker, she spoke into it, "I'm on do not disturb, Peter. Does that not mean anything to you?"

"Where on God's green earth are the two of you?" was the snapping question from the other end of the line.

"I'm by myself, thank you very much," she lied, not wanting the older Hale man to know about Derek's whereabouts. The cabin was meant to serve as a retreat for Derek, and the last thing he needed was for his shit-disturber of an uncle to ruin the peace he was beginning to gain.

They were already on borrowed time.

Peter scoffed. "You and my nephew disappear at the same time, and I'm meant to believe it's mere coincidence?" he asked rhetorically, and it made the pair of alphas spare each other a small glance. "I'm not a fool, Emerson."

"Whats going on, Peter?" Derek piped up, both of them knowing the jig was up.

"I don't know where you are, nor do I particularly care, but you both need to get back. Now."

ೃ࿔*:⋆

Shit hit the fan, like it always did whenever things were going a little too well.

Beacon Hills was descending into chaos by the sounds of it, Peter rehashing all that they'd missed while they were loading their things back into the car. Apparently, the human sacrifices were officially ramping up, there was something odd with the weather, and Cora Hale wasn't doing any better.

In fact, she was doing worse. Oh, and to top it all off, the damn Sheriff was missing... and was likely to be sacrificed.

Emerson had driven like she was a complete madman on the roads, disregarding all traffic laws except for the times she came across large intersections. Their stress free moods had evaporated entirely, and they both had separate tasks to do at hand.

Derek needed to swing by the loft, urging Peter to stay with Cora while the hospital was beginning their evacuation process. Emerson needed to make a beeline right for Hannah, because the chaos ensuing was the perfect time for Deucalion to strike. Peter couldn't watch them both, she knew that.

Which is why she dropped Derek off in the warehouse district first, telling him that their bags could be left in the car while they sorted everything out. She then sped toward the hospital, eager to get some insight into Cora's condition and to watch over Hannah.

The hospital was in complete disarray, with staff and even some civilians helping to transport the last of the patients out. Based on Peter's astute information on the ride over, Emerson knew that the Prescott woman still hadn't left the hospital yet. She was in the middle of the list, alongside another coma patient from down the hall that she'd heard about once.

She needed to make sure Hannah was out of the hospital sooner than later, because this was the perfect opportunity for the alpha pack to strike.

Emerson was diving down corridors like she was on a mission, and really, she was. She hadn't been to see her in what she knew was a while, not that her condition ever changed according to Peter. When this was all over, she knew she'd have to send him a fruit basket or something for keeping an eye on Hannah.

Reaching her room, it was exactly as it had been; the only new thing present was the lingering scent of Peter. She was still hooked up to a plethora of machines, looking like she was soundly asleep.

The usual thoughts Emerson had while visiting emerged in her mind. Was she dreaming? Could she even dream? Was she thinking about her and what was going on?

The end of this battle of differing packs was near, she could feel it. She was merely hoping that it would happen sooner than later, so that she could be the one to save Hannah. She wanted to give her the bite, because she'd do anything to save the woman who had once saved her.

A figure moved past the doorway in her peripheral, so quickly before they backtracked entirely. Emerson faced the door, where she was confused as to why Scott's English teacher, the one Isaac had told her about, was there.

"You're Emerson, aren't you?" she asked, voice sounding shaken as her eyes flickered around the room.

Her mind was flooded with a memory of just a few nights ago, when this woman had been used to bait Derek into fighting Kali. She was also the one who knew about them, the one Derek had spent a decent bit of time with early on in the school year.

Emerson shoved her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt the minute she felt her claws elongate so suddenly. "I am," came her stiff response.

That gave Ms Blake all the confirmation she needed and entered the small room, and the action in turn made Emerson press herself against the side of Hannah's hospital bed. She didn't trust a lot of people these days, especially ones that used to be all buddy-buddy with the man she'd just realized she liked a little too much.

"I saw you that night, in the loft," she explained. "You're a... friend of Derek's, right?"

Something bitter was stuck in her throat, because the emphasis on that pesky little word was suddenly bothering her. "Yup," she said, trying to remain as dry as possible.

Though, Emerson was never great at holding back her anger.

The teacher gave her a little bit of a grimace. "I hear there's been some trouble between his pack and your dad's."

The blonde's eyes narrowed in suspicion, masking the feeling of her stomach twisting. "How do you—"

"He told me," she interrupted, and suddenly there was an ugly glint in her eyes that Emerson certainly did not like to see. "We've spent some time together, he and I. I assumed everyone knew."

Her lip curled back on its own. "Is there something you needed?" she asked, rather hotly, as she tried not to think of why Derek would've told her about her relationship to Deucalion. "Or are you just loitering during a hospital evac?"

Emerson's reaction made a smirk appear on Ms Blake's face. "I'm actually here for you," she said casually. "You see, I have also been having some... trouble, with Deucalion."

Her eyes widened. "Wh—"

"... and I need leverage."

Before she could even move to intercept the woman's outstretched hands, Emerson's entire world was submerged in darkness.

⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆

[ wyn's note ]

when i catch you jennifer... snake ass woman smh

i've mapped out the rest of this fic, ending and epilogue and all, and man.... it's fully only gonna get worse from here LOL if you've listened to the title track 'come down soon' you'll know exactly why

thanks for 135k!! all my love xx