Chapter Text
Everything happened so fast after that it all kind of become a blur. Lydia started screaming and both Deaton and Isaac tried to get Stiles out of the freezing water. Scott wanted to do something, he could see it in Scott’s eyes, but he was still a little unstable on his feet.
He shot forward, wanting to do something, wanting to prove that he doesn’t wish to stay, or be, on the side-lines.
“Derek, it won’t do any good.” Deaton’s eyes pierced through his, but he didn’t care.
“We won’t know until we have tried it.” He stared right back towards Deaton. He tried to help Isaac get Stiles back, but it didn’t work, it didn’t do any good, just like Deaton had said.
He refused to give up, he refused to believe that he wasn’t alive any longer. It might have been his sacrifice for his dad, but no, Stiles wouldn’t die, not when Derek could stop it. He didn’t want any more people dying, not anymore, no longer.
His phone signalled him of a new text message, but he didn’t feel the need to read it. He was pretty sure it was Peter wondering where he was and what he was doing. As if he would tell him.
“What happened? What did you do?”
“My dad was taking as well and we wanted to stop them from dying. Deaton only knew this without us actually needing to find the root cellar.” Allison stammered. She had trouble finding her breath and looked very pale. She reminded him a bit of Cora at the moment.
“I’m sorry Allison.” He didn’t know what else to say at the moment. He hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have been able to stop Jennifer from taking Allison’s dad with her. He could have stopped her from taking Melissa, but no, he was overpowered and put out cold. He had been lucky that Stiles was around to wake him up or the cops might have been found him like that.
Stiles. The kid who was always around, who was there to comfort him, to reassure him, to just be there. He had begun to relay on Stiles to be there for comfort. He should never take Stiles for granted, never. And he would never do it again, if he survived.
“Derek? Why have you left Cora’s side? I never asked you to leave her.” Isaac looked kind of guilty.
“Cora is… Better. A little maybe. She… I… I can’t help when I’m sitting at her side, Isaac, you know that as well as I do. And like you were willing to sacrifice yourself for your parents, I sacrificed something for Cora.” The words stumbled out of his mouth and instead of looking at Isaac, he focused on Stiles and wanting to get Stiles, wanting a living Stiles, wanting the annoying kid around.
“What did you give up?” It was almost a whisper coming from Lydia.
His eyes glowed a magnifying blue. Gasps could be heard around him. He pulled Stiles out and more gasps were heard when they saw Stiles suck in as much air as he could, before realising it again.
A barely-heard “Thank you” left the boys lips. Derek only nodded. They understood each other, the pain, the thoughts, the fear; the determination. The sacrifice.