Chapter Text
When Isaac called her son and asked to speak to her of all people, Melissa had been genuinely surprised, as was her son. When Isaac proceeded to ask her if she could come over to the loft, a place she’d only heard mentioned once or twice by her son, she’d been caught of guard but she’d recovered quickly enough when Isaac revealed the reason for his request.
The second Isaac mentioned there being some concern of Stiles well-being, mentioning a fever, Melissa’s plans for the night were swiftly abandoned and forgotten.
Even before Isaac ended the short call, Melissa was already rushing upstairs to gather a few things from the medicine cabinet.
When finally reaching the building that Isaac now apparently called home, Melissa wasn’t impressed but she didn’t dwell on the building itself too long while making her way up to the loft on foot, she didn't even dare to think to trust the old lift.
Lightly breathless she knocked on the door with an air of urgency, Scott standing at her side anxiously.
Although in reality it didn’t take all that long for Derek Hale to open the noisy and heavy looking door, it did feel much longer to her as well as her son who appeared almost ready to breakdown the barrier between them and Stiles down.
As soon as the alpha opened the door Melissa pushed her way inside as did her son who rushed right past her.
`Stiles! ´ Scott yelled with a sense of urgency, which earned him a sharp and angry demand to be quiet from Derek.
The way the older werewolf barked out the order for Scott to shut-up, it did not sit well with her, which was why she proceeded to bark out an order at the alpha.
`Don’t you dare snap at my son. ´
`He is being too loud. ´ Derek counters swiftly, eyes burning red, `Stiles needs his rest. Not Scott’s loudness. ´
`Stiles is his best friend, and Scott is worried about his friend. ´ Melissa says without hesitation, poking a very angry finger against the ridiculously firm chest of the werewolf.
`As am I.´ she continues, anger still bubbling inside her but not enough to drown the sense of concern she's felt deep since the phone call, pulling back a now aching finger as she went on to ask, ` So, where is Stiles? ´
`Mom, he’s upstairs. ´ Scott declares before hurrying over to the spiral stairs, completely ignoring Derek’s demand for him to stop and wait, which had Derek rushing after Scott with a look of incredible annoyance plastered upon his unreasonably handsome face, a face which Melissa was certain would be much more appealing if the alpha ever found a reason to smile genuinely.
`What’s wrong with you? ´ Melissa cries out, rushing after the two males, a need to protect and defend her son pushing herself to stand between the furious alpha and her son who had taken to Stiles much like a devoted older-brother would do, although of late she did fear that with high school, lacrosse and Allison the younger boy became less important to her son; she hasn't seen Stiles around the house for weeks, which is why she's been planning on inviting Stiles and his father over for dinner, the kids could play a game or two while the adults talked and laughed.
` He’s just going to check on his friend. ´ Melissa says grabbing Derek by the arm that was attached to the hand that was latched on to the back of the neck of her son, the hold Derek has on Scott doesn’t sit any better with her than the tone of voice Derek had used while speaking to Scott, the need to protect her son had grown after the incident with her son and her now ex-husband and she'd face any monster if it kept her son safe and unharmed.
`I don’t want him to go in there blind. ´ Derek hurriedly says, voice still tight with anger but there's something in his eyes that do not reflect anger and frustration carried in Derek Hales voice. There is something about the look in Derek's eyes that sends a chill of unease into her.
`I don’t want either one of you to go in there blind. ´ the alpha explains, there's something about the way the older-male says this that drills in the fact that something more than just a fever was going on here, and so both Melissa and Scott stop moving and possibly breathing.
`What - what's going on here? ´ Melissa only just manages to ask, another much greater chill running through her whole body and dread situating itself heavy in her belly.
The expression that flickers across Derek's face is almost enough to paralyze her, a fear crawling up her spine and seeping into her heart making it hard to breathe.
`What do we need to know? What’s going on, Derek? What’s wrong with Stiles? ´ There’s a sudden terrible lump in her throat and an invisible hand squeezing her heart tightly.
Derek appears to deflate before them then, the fight in him fading causing him to appear years younger and oh so lost.
`Derek? Derek, what’s going on? ´ Scott asks in a way that reminds Melissa of a small child, making it clear that Scott was still just a child that still needed her to be the one strong one.
It takes Derek a few slow breaths before he finally speaks, and when he finally does his voice was full of sadness that came from the pain one felt for the suffering of another, and that voice increases the sense of unease Melissa has been feeling since being called in to check on Stiles.
`He – he’s hurt. ´
`What? How? ´ Melissa asked immediately, the already existing worry in the pit of her stomach growing in size, becoming heavy and nearly suffocating.
`What did you do?!´ the accusation her son makes comes out in a terrible roar, and it is clear that Scott was losing a bit of control as he waits for an answer.
`It wasn’t me. ´ Derek bites back defensively, but his voice didn’t rise, it stayed stubbornly down at level that Derek clearly thought wouldn’t reach Stiles wherever he was resting.
Derek’s eyes glowed ruby-red as they glared daggers at Scott, and his voice was a growling mess of sorts `I’ve been trying to keep him safe! ´
`Well, obviously you’ve failed! ´ Scott spits back at Derek, and although a part of Melissa would agree that Derek hadn't been doing a great job at keeping Stiles safe, then again neither had Scott since Stiles continued to get hurt even now when Scott should've been able to act faster to stop Stiles from causing himself further harm; then again, she did worry whether or not some of the bruises she'd seen were due to Scott forgetting about having werewolf strength now.
`Scott. ´ Melissa says sharply, even if she knew not what was going, it was still clear that there was no time to waste on bickering.
`Don’t you judge me, ´ Derek bites back, his eyes glowing bright red with fury, `I’m not the one who spends hours – hours, Scott – hours with him every day. That’s you, Scott. ´
`What are you even talking about? ´ the frustration and anger causing Scott to raise his voice once more, the blame of whatever Derek had attempted to place upon him souring Scott’s mood further, and when Derek doesn’t answer swiftly enough Scott shoves Derek hard and demands once more to know what Derek was talking about.
`The Sheriff, ´ Derek growls viciously, `He – he’s been hurting Stiles. Beating him, Scott. ´
The answer given is so outrageous that Melissa can’t stifle the cry of furious protest, a cry mirrored by her son.
`How dare you!? ´
Derek turns his attention sharply towards Melissa, anger radiating from his whole being, but Derek Hale doesn't terrify her. She's seen monsters, real monsters, and Derek Hale might be a horrible werewolf and a liar but he is not a monster to fear.
`The Sheriff, he - he would never hurt his own son, or anyone! ´ Melissa declares surely, there’s no doubt in her heart. Years, years she has known the man who did his best at being the Sheriff of Beacon Hills while also a father to a still very young child, a child who was dreadfully clumsy and who hadn't seen a tree that wasn't meant to climb.
`I’m not lying. ´ Derek growls at her, ` If you don’t believe me, ask Jackson Whittemore! ´
Melissa is far from impressed with Derek's response, and she lets it be known easily enough.
`Oh please, that boy hates the Sheriff. ´ Melissa protests immediately, `and he is known for pushing Stiles around, bullying him too in and out of school. ´
A frustrated sound erupts from the older-werewolf, but there's no sign of him being convinced of the truth.
`Then ask Isaac! ´ Derek barks back at her, stepping into her personal space, but Melissa ignores Derek's clear attempt to intimidate his so-called truth to replace the reality she knew. Instead of yielding to Derek's claim, to believe him, she goes on to defend the man she knew well.
`Are you trying to cause Sheriff Stilinski trouble because he couldn’t bring justice to you and your family? Is that it? Are you trying to punish him? ´ Melissa now yells at the werewolf who she'd believed couldn't be as horrible as what her son claimed him to be, he need to defend a long-time friend outweighing any sense of discomfort or guilt she might feel about dragging Derek’s loss and pain out into the open like this.
`I’ve done a lot of horrible things in my life, ´ Derek admits without hesitation, ` but I’d never hold that against any man. ´
Melissa can’t bring herself to believe Derek, not when he’d made such a terrible accusation against someone Melissa had more often than not trusted her own son with.
`Fine, so you are accusing Isaac of lying now? ´ Derek continues say without pause, voice growly and eyes glowing, and the question does cause a degree of hesitation to bloom within her.
She can't believe that Isaac Lahey would lie about something so serious. There's no way she can believe that Isaac would lie about something as serious as someone being abused by their father, not after what he’d been through.
Yet, she wants to protests and defend Stiles father.
But before she's able to decide upon a response, the familiar voice of Isaac speaks sharply from atop the stairs, drawing all of their attention to him.
`I’m not lying. ´
Those words causing her heart to sink, because just his voice and the look in Isaac's eyes is enough to tell her this young man was deadly serious.
`I thought I told you to stay with Stiles. ´ she hears the alpha say sternly.
`Yeah. I know. ´ Isaac responds, appearing all uncomfortable where he stood, glancing once over his shoulder towards the direction from which he'd come from.
` It’s just, ´ Isaac says, drawing his attention back to the three of them, `Stiles is starting to wake-up, I thought you might like to know. ´
Then almost flippantly Isaac goes on to say, `The whole screaming thing, doesn’t work to keep someone asleep. ´
Scott immediately makes a move to follow Isaac who heads back to where he'd come from, but again Derek grabs Scott this time by the arm.
`Ask him. ´ Derek says then, voice demanding and unyielding, `Scott, ask Stiles - ask him if the Sheriff caused him the bruises you are about to see. Ask him, Scott, and listen to his heart. ´
`Fine. ´ Scott huffs angrily, the answer is enough to cause Derek to release his hold of Scott, and Melissa is honestly surprised just how easily her son agrees to do anything the alpha ask of him.
`But you’re wrong. ´ her son goes on to say, stubbornly while shooting a disgusted look in the direction of Derek, `I know that Stiles’ dad wouldn’t hurt him. I know he wouldn’t. ´ Scott goes on to say, shooting a disgusted look in the direction of Derek before going after Isaac.
`I wish you were right. ´ Melissa hears Derek breathe out in a whisper as Scott hurries after Isaac.
There's a nagging sense of unease within her now, one that picks mercilessly at her faith and belief in the innocence of her closest friend.
Feeling suddenly chilled to the bone, she starts towards the stairs. Pushing back the doubt in her mind, and setting her mind on the task at hand. Stiles needed her, and she'd do her best to take care of him and then take him home before calling Stiles' father.
She's got one foot on the stairs when Derek suddenly reaches out, taking a gentle hold of her wrist as if thinking she'd continue on without listening to him, and surely that she would've done in her need to see the child that in the past had spent possibly more hours at her house than what he'd done at his own home-
`It’s bad. ´ Derek warns her, but that warning doesn’t really prepare her for what she finds upstairs, or the truth that breaks free that night.