006

Ana stood at her locker, unaware of the chaos that was about to occur.

"Where's Scott McCall?" Ana heard Dereks voice ask.

"Why should I tell you?" She heard jackson remark. Ana quickly looked up.

"Because I asked politely." Derek replied. Ana noticed the bags under his eyes and how sick he looked. "And I only do that once."

"Hmm. Okay, tough guy." Jackson said, not believing that Derek was a very real threat. "How about I help you find him if you tell me what you're selling him? What is it? Is it Dianabol? Hmm? HGH?" Derek looked lost on the boys questions.

"Steroids?" Derek almost wanted to scoff but was just too weak.

"No, Girl Scout Cookies. What the hell do you think I'm talking about? By the way, whatever it is your selling, I'd probably stop sampling the merchandise. You look wrecked. Ana looked down and noticed Dereks hand had blood dripping from it. It smelled absolutely disgusting and caused Ana to gag.

"I'll find him myself." Derek said, knowing he didn't have much time. Ana started to walk towards him knowing she could be of some assistance.

"No, we're not done here." Jackson said, grabbing Dereks arm. Derek twisted around pushing Jackson up against his locker, his claws accidentally going into his neck. Ana quickly rushed over, grabbing Derek and pulling him away. Derek pulled into a corner, the wolfsbane weakening him severely. Ana studies him before coming to

The conclusion that he was shot with wolfsbane. She had never smelled it before but it made his blood smell even worse, like it was tainted. He quickly pulled Ana towards the parking lot, before he fell. Ana was trying to get him up, she couldn't expose her cover and pick him up when he was so much bigger than her.

"Come on Derek, you need to get up." She whispered. He nodded, getting up before walking right in front of Stiles' jeep. He put his hand up as Stiles abruptly hit the brakes. He stood there for a moment, relying on Ana to keep him up before falling to the ground.

"Come on Derek. Come on. We need to get you taken care of." Ana was purely focused on him and the fact that the smell of his blood got worse. Scott ran up to the slumped over figure.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I was shot." He spoke, heavily breathing in between his words.

"He's not looking so good, dude." Stiles remarked, Ana rolled her eyes.

"Why aren't you healing?" Scott asked.

"He can't." Ana said in a low growl. "It was a different kind of bullet."

"A silver bullet?" Stiles asked, seemingly excited.

"No, you idiot." Derek growled.

"Wait. That's what she meant when she said you had 48 hours." Scott remembered. Ana and stiles both looked at him confused.

"What? Who said 48 hours?" Derek asked the question they all were thinking.

"The one who shot you." Scott said almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Derek looked like he was going to answer but grunted in pain as his eyes started to change.

"What are you doing? Stop that." Scott said, worried that people would notice.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I can't." Derek grunted.

"Derek, get up." Scott begged.

"Come on Derek, rely on us, we can help you." Ana muttered to him. Derek gave a weak nod before Ana and Scott put him in the front seat of Stiles' Jeep.

"I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used." Dereks words were slow and his ragged breathing only got worse by the minute.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Scott asked.

"She's am Argents. She's with them." Ana answered. Annoyed at the teen wolf. She quickly got in the backseat rolling her eyes.

"Why should we help you?" Scott asked Derek.

"Because you need me." Derek replied sighing.

"Fine, I'll try." Scott said before speaking to Stiles. "Hey, get him out of here."

"I hate you both so much for this." Stiles sighed. He drove the three away from the school quickly alleviating the road block. Stiles groaned annoyed that Derek was in his Jeep. He quickly texted Scott still pissed.

"Come on. Try not to bleed on my seats, okay? We're almost there." Stiles huffed.

"Almost where?"Derek asked. Stiles sighed before answering.

"Your house."

"What?" Ana yelled.

"No, you can't take me there." Derek spoke softly but with anger and fear behind his words.

"I can't take you to tour own house?" Stiles asked almost laughing.

"Not when he can't protect himself!" Ana responded getting frusterated. Stiles pulled over.

"What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?" Stiles asked, still pissed.

"Not yet. I have a last resort." Derek panted only agitating Stiles more.

"What do you mean? What last resort?" He yelled. Derek pulled up his sleeve to reveal the bullet hole near his elbow. "Oh, my God! What is that? Ugh is it contagious? You should just get out." Stiles gagged. Ana started to get pissed now too. Her fangs revealing.

"Start the car. Now." Derek glared at the teen boy.

"I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look. Okay? In fact I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead." Stiles ranted.

"Stiles I swear to god you will start the car and you will save his life." Ana hissed, her fangs fully revealed and startled Stiles slightly.

"No Give me a reason to help him, I just don't get it!" He yelled.

"Start the car, or I'm gonna rip your throat out with my teeth." Derek threatened. Stiles stared at him, checking to see he was serious before moving away. Ana noticed that he almost looked... attracted to Derek in that moment. Ana wanted to laugh but the energy in the Jeep ruined it. Stiles quickly started the Jeep, driving away. The drove until they pulled over, Stiles quickly calling Scott.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" Stiles asked, his hand on his head. Ana leaned over to Derek.

"How are you holding up?" She asked him. He looked at her still confused by her genuine concern.

"I'll live... hopefully." He whispered.

"And by the way, he's starting to smell... like death." Stiles complained.

"Take him to the animal clinic." Scott quickly thought. Ana heard and it put her on edge. He didn't want Scott to know he was an emissary. She also hadn't been there since her father died. Derek turned to her, smelling the fear that was rising in her.

"What about your boss?" Stiles asked confused. Stiles sighed before handing the phone over to Derek. "You're not going to believe where he's telling me to take you."

"Did you find it?" Derek asked visibly in immense pain. "If you don't find it, then I'm dead, all right?" Ana listened only knowing Scott would say something stupid.

"I'm starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad thing." Scott sighed. Ana mentally wanted to slap him.

"Then think about this. The alpha called you out against your will. He's gonna do it again. Next time, you either will kill with him or you get killed. So if you want to stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet." Derek threatened before hanging up the phone. "Go, now." Stiles then drove quickly to the animal clinic. He hastily parked. Ana helped Derek walk while Stiles opened the door. She set him down on a pile of random objects.

"Does Nordic blue Monkshood mean anything to you?" Stiles asked the weakened werewolf.

"It's a rare form of wolfsbane. He has to bring me the bullet." Derek said, barely able to stay conscious.

"Why?" Stiles asked, completely lost.

"Because I'm gonna die without it." Fear set into both Stiles and Ana as Stiles frantically told Scott to get that bullet and come as fast as he can. Ana quickly lifted Derek up helping him into the exam room. Derek took off his shirt and leaned against the metal table. Ana quickly turned away, throwing up in the garbage can she saw. The smell of his poisonous and rotting blood was far too much for her.

"You know that really doesn't look like anything some echinacea and a good night's sleep couldn't take care of." Stiles tried to reason. Ana was still in the corner trying not to throw up anymore.

"When the infection reaches my heart, it'll kill me." Derek tried to say but was still trying to get any air.

"Positivity just isn't in your vocabulary, is it?" Stiles remarked. He glanced over at Ana, almost asking if she was okay to come over.

"The smell of the blood is causing me to get sick. It's all you now Stiles." Ana said before throwing up. Stiles looked back to Derek right as he turned over, rummaging through the drawers.

"If he doesn't get here with the bullet in time, last resort..." Derek said, continuing to search through the drawers and cabinets.

"Which is?" Stiles asked, still confused as to what Derek was getting at.

"You're going to cut off my arm." Derek answered after finding the saw and showing it to Stiles. Stiles looked at him in shock and disbelief. Derek hastily placed the saw on the table, pushing it into Stiles' hands. Stiles turned it on before turning it back off and looking away.

"Oh, my God! What if you bleed to death?" Stiles asked trying to find a way around this.

"It'll heal if it works." Ana said before taking a deep breath and continuing to vomit. Derek ties a band around his arm as Stiles continued to think of ways around this.

"Look, I don't know if I can do this." He sighed.

"Why not?" Derek asked.

"Well, because of the cutting through the flesh, the sawing of the bone and especially the blood. Why not have Ana do it. That's her thing." Stiles complained.

"Well first off, she is still throwing up. This scent is bad for you and I but she can smell blood before there is any wound. So imagine what loosened blood smells like when it's the only thing you can smell. Secondly, you faint at the sight of blood?" Derek groaned.

"No. But I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!" Stiles yelled, staring at the bone saw in fear. By this time, Ana couldn't even hear their conversation, the smell was way too much. She started to get lightheaded before fainting. Stiles quickly looked over, going to try and help her but was stopped by Derek.

"She will be fine once this is taken care of. The smell just got too much for her. She will wake up once this is taken care of." Derek reassured him before trying to convince him once again to cut his arm off.

When Anastasia had awoken, she was in the front seat of Stiles's Jeep.

"Wh-What happened?" She asked causing Stiles to jump.

"Well you fainted first off, then Scott finally arrived and we saved Derek. But can I ask you something?" Stiles looked at her curiously. Ana nodded, wondering what was spinning around in his head, taking up all of his time to worry about numerous other things.

"Why did you try so hard to save him from the start? You've always defended him and it's like you're keeping secrets from us." Stiles asked, still staring at the road. Ana sighed, she knew Stiles would ask this soon enough.

"Stiles... there's a lot that you and even Scott don't know about my world. I've been this way my entire life. This means that I have mastered all my special abilities and means I know more about other creatures too. There is a lot about Derek that is important but there are somethings that I think he is keeping from Scott in order to protect him. I also desperately need him to trust me. If any other werewolves or other creatures come to town, they will trust him and ask who is safe and if he says I'm not on their side, they could all kill me. I want you to know that if it was desperately important to the situation, I would tell you both but I also need you to understand how I need someone to be on my side, especially after my dad died." She explained before looking to him. "Then because you and Scott know about me and will defend me... they'll kill you too. It's not safe and I'm just trying to protect us. Please... don't tell Scott about me knowing anything. I think he hasn't noticed because... well because it's Scott but I'm only keeping these secrets for our safety." Stiles nodded.

"I... I get it. I mean, I'm still kinda pissed but I understand. I just don't get why you don't want Scott to know." Stiles replied, glancing over at her.

"He's not ready to even think about all the extra dangers he will have to face. You couldn't even fathom how incredibly risky it is to just exist in this world as a supernatural creature. If we dump this on him all at once... he'll crumble under the pressure and I know he can handle this if he has time to process the threat and learn how to survive." Ana looked back at him hoping he'd get what she was meaning.

"But shouldn't he know about it all if it's now his world too." Stiles seemed even more upset.

"Stiles, have you seen him! He's mot ready! There is so much you don't know and I just... you both aren't ready. You may think all of us creatures are great and fantastic but if I was raised to be like the rest of my kind, few would still be alive in this town. Most of us creatures hate each other and humans alike so please, stop." Ana had yelled. She knew it wasn't fair to not tell him all of the information she knew but it just wasn't safe and she needed them to understand. The rest of the car ride was silent and she knew Stiles was going to hold this grudge. He didn't even speak when they had arrived at her house. She looked over at him, opening the door.

"I love you both too much and I can't lose you too. I- I'm sorry." She said before grabbing her things and entering her house. She sat and cried for what seemed like hours before finally going to sleep and hoping this argument would all be over soon.