Payment (revised)

Chapter 34

If he didn't flag someone down now, he'd lose his chance.

Derek had come for him. Derek had risked it all for Stiles, and it wasn't fair for Stiles to do any less.

During his time in this prison, when he wasn't rambling on about the inner workings of a penguins digestive system or the length of an ants penis, he had been forced to face the truth.

Stiles had been living a pretend life for the past weeks. The valor he had shown in front of The Alpha Pack, standing up to Peter, giving Erica an order- it wasn't real.

How was he better than Jackson Whittmore? A boy who had thought himself a man by hurting those around him.

How could Stiles claim the title of leader when he was naive enough to think he could challenge Gods?

He was a child, a disgrace to Derek and the pack.

He couldn't let his past vanity rule him now.

Maybe he had been naive before, maybe he hadn't understood the weight he had agreed to bear before, but now he knew a title wasn't freely given.

It was earned.

"I'M HERE! Derek! Derek!" Stiles bellowed.

The boy beat on the door, half expecting it to explode off its hinges.

"GODDAMMIT, I'M H-"

Pounding footsteps cut him off, and Stiles came to the realization that he might really be an idiot.

What if it was Gerard? Or Kate? Or any number of Argents coming to shut him up?

Stiles backed away from the exit, afraid he had lost his chance at freedom.

His worry was smothered.

"Stiles?" Came Scott's voice, and Stiles almost wept, "Stiles, is that you?"

"Scott!" Stiles hollered, bounding back to the door to get closer to his friend, "Scott, I'm here, I'm in here and the door is locked! I can't break it down!"

A banging vibrated through the entrance from the outside, and the reminiscence of life danced in the shaving of hall light where the door didn't touch the floor.

"Stiles!" Scott cried, his friend's relief evident, "You bastard, you scared the shit out of us!"

Despite there being absolutely nothing funny about the situation, an elfish grin split Stiles's dried lips.

"It wasn't exactly my idea to be kidnapped," Stiles promised, though he wasn't annoyed.

He had almost been taken from this banter entirely, now he couldn't help but sink into its familiarity.

"But here we are anyway," another man said, snidely.

Stiles recoiled.

"What the hell is Peter doing here," he said, as someone jiggled the door knob to see if it would open.

Stiles was flabbergasted, did they think he hadn't tried that?

"Saving your life, looks like," Peter said.

Oh, now he was just asking for it.

"How do I even know if I can trust you?" Stiles asked, words clipped, "Last I remembered, you were one of the top three people who was out to kill me. Who's to say that as soon as I step out of this room you won't blow my brains out-"

"It's beginning to sound tempting-"

"Damnit," Scott cut in, though he didn't seem to be commenting on Stiles's and Peter's bickering, "It would take too long for me to pick the lock, and the key isn't here. Stiles move away from the door. I'm going to blow through it."