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Peter knew the pack was attempting to save someone's life, but someone else's life had been in jeopardy who he cared about a lot more than some random teacher. He'd been hanging out in the corner of Cora's room, watching her and Derek, waiting for her to wake up. When he noted Derek's eyes drooping, he said he was going to get them coffee and would be right back.

Moving through the halls, he avoided the nurses's station, not wanting a run in with Melissa McCall. He did the same on the way back and was almost back to the room when he heard a scream that ricocheted through him, plucking hard at his eardrums, though not close enough to drop him to the ground.

He did drop the coffee, though, because he knew that scream. He'd heard it in his dreams, elicited it from her more than once last year.

Lydia.

Ignoring the splash of the hot coffee on the floor and not bothering to return to Derek and Cora, Peter took off at a run. He heard his name distantly shouted, but he didn't stop for it. He didn't stop for anything.

When he hit the school, he closed his eyes and felt for her, feeling the edges of her mind, seeing what she saw. He'd gone to school here; he knew it well, and the images he got from her helped him pinpoint her location. Students, parents and teachers were spilling out of the auditorium doors, though, screaming in a way that made him grateful he even could feel her--that she was still alive.

The crowd made going in problematic, so he went around, twisting toward the hall of classrooms where she was. Scanning rooms as he went by, he caught sight of something that about made his heart stop: Lydia, tied to a chair, a garrotte around her neck, and some woman moving toward the fallen sheriff. He couldn't see Lydia moving, didn't know if she was all right, but there was blood in the air--hers, Scott's, Sheriff Stilinski's.

Peter's eyes glowed blue and his claws and fangs extended as he growled. With a running leap he threw himself through the windows, knocking into the woman and sending her farther away from Lydia. He snarled, almost fully wolfed out, noting the others at the door. He wanted the woman, wanted her blood, but how much and how hard depending on how hurt Lydia was, so he spun to her, moving to kneel in front of her chair, senses trained on the woman for any sudden moves.

By the time he reached Lydia, his features were normal again, though his eyes were still glowing bright blue and the claws of his right hand were still extended. He slashed through the bindings holding her, careful not to nick her skin, then reached to pluck the garrotte away, eyeing the marks on her throat with a fury that had him growling again.

Another crash from behind him startled him enough to look and see the girl and the sheriff disappear. Whatever. He had her scent. He could hunt her down. His attention focused back on Lydia.

"Are you badly hurt?" She obviously wasn't all right, but he needed the physical damage report first.

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Right now Lydia didn't feel like there was a lot of hope at the moment. It could have been the fact hat she was still reeling or maybe it was her head. Or maybe it was seeing first hand what Jennifer was capable of. Still, she knew they couldn't just give up and, after awhile, she would be back to fighting like she had been ready to do just an hour before.

Derek slipped away at some point since he didn't want to be away from Cora for long and so it was only Peter with Lydia when Melissa returned. She stood back, watching once more as Peter was ridiculously gentle with Lydia and there was no mistaking the care there. Or what it meant.

Lydia was grateful he was there though, managing a small smile as he settled her into the chair and for when Melissa motioned for him to push the chair as she led them to the room down the hall. When they got Lydia into the machine, Melissa glanced over at Peter again. "You can go into there." She pointed to the little observation room.

He'd been bracing to fight the whole way to the imaging room, waiting for an orderly to come and try to take control of the chair, for someone to say no farther or to question his right to be there. His adrenaline was already up, the wolf still near the surface for not having been able to rip Jennifer's throat out, having no outlet, but managing so long as he was allowed to stay in protective mode.

As long as no one challenged that, it would be all right. Probably.

He gave Melissa a slightly surprised look anyway, then nodded with a flash of gratitude, just lightly touching Lydia's hand before moving to the room, though even that was nearly too far, his anxiety shooting up, heart pounding, fingers clenching into fists and unclenching, over and over, which made the radiologist give him a wary look even as he started the scan.

At least it wasn't a MRI with taking as long as that could. He probably wouldn't have made it.

Lydia could feel his anxiety pouring through her which heightened her own, making it nearly impossible to deal with by the time she crawled onto the machine and laid back. Wetting her lips, she looked up as the 'bed' slid inwards, blocking her view of him until she was surrounded by nothing by white and lights.

After making sure Lydia was in place, she made her way into the observation area, standing nearby as she waited and watched. Then, after a moment, she glanced over. "So, I guess you're into younger women, huh?"

They weren't doing very good for each other at the moment, then, because the more anxious she got, the more he got, and even though he knew they were creating a feedback loop off of each other with it, there was nothing he could do about it. Every bit of his emotional willpower was going to leashing the wolf, keeping under some level of control.

Melissa's comment, however, made him flinch, turning to stare at her with that struggle and worry and anger and everything clear in his eyes for a moment, before it's gone blinked away, mask back in place. "It has nothing to do with age." He'd apologize for disappointing her, but he can't even find words to go back that far, right now.

Melissa just held up her hands then, offering a little smile. "Don't worry about it. Because honestly, I don't want to know." She decided again. "It's probably better if I don't." Because then she could claim plausible deniability if she ever needed to.

Lydia didn't know the conversation that was going on as she stared at the roof of the machine above her. She didn't like the noise as it made her flinch, her breath starting to come in quick and fast till she wondered if it was possible she was having some kind of panic attack. Closing her eyes, she swallowed thickly but it only made her throat hurt to do so and she hated it. Hated she had been fooled, hated she had been trapped and nearly killed.

She could feel the scream starting to build...

In the observation room, the technician suddenly looked at the two of them. "Her heart rate is starting to spike..."

Muttering a curse, Melissa flew out of the room. "Lydia! Lydia, are you okay?"

"Get me out!" The cry was shrill from inside the machine. "Please, get me out!" Even as she made the demand, Melissa was already stopping the machine and pressing the button to slide the bed out. A quick look at Lydia could see the girl was under some strain as her features were pale, almost ghostly, with a fine sheen of sweat dotting across her forehead.

For the moment, Peter had stopped caring about legal consequences or...human consequences, even. How many had he killed, and he was still walking around. Or walking around again. Human laws didn't apply to them. But he also didn't feel like explaining himself, so he just shifted his gaze back out to the room.

Peter was at Melissa's heels, almost as pale as Lydia was, aching to reach for her but not wanting to make her feel confined or trapped if she needed the space to breathe.

Sitting up as soon as she was free from the machine, she looked for Peter, nearly breathless as she spotted him and then shifted towards him. In that moment she needed him as much as she needed to breathe. It was weak, she knew that, but she didn't care at the moment. He was one of the few things that made her feel safe these days. He had been there when she had needed him: first at the hotel and then tonight.

"Okay, let's get her back to her room." Melissa murmured softly, glancing at the technician and then back. She clearly needed to get them somewhere a little more private. Somewhere more calming to them both.

Edited 2013-08-01 05:52 (UTC)

Peter moved to her the moment she shifted toward him, aware of their audience, but reaching to touch her shoulder lightly, shifting closer.

But he nodded at Melissa's comment, looking for the wheelchair and moving to help Lydia in to it, hand squeezing hers once he got her settled. He glanced up at Melissa, then past her to the technician.

"Did he get what he needs to know how badly she's hurt?"

"He did." Melissa nodded, leading them out of the room and down the hall. "You should know they might want you to stay over night for observation."

"No." Lydia knew they wouldn't let Peter stay if she did. "I just want to leave after I see the doctor. I'll sign myself out."

"Lydia?" Allison pushed away from the wall outside of the room Lydia had been assigned to. Honestly, she hated hospitals since the last time she had been in one was when she had found out her mother was dead. Before that, when Lydia had been attacked. Still, she steeled herself against the bad feelings. "Do we know anything?" She looked at Melissa.

"Not yet, sweetie." Melissa shook her head. "Why don't you take her in there and I'll see what I can find out?" She turned to walk away.

Peter glanced at Allison, still wary, but Melissa hadn't tried to make him step away, hadn't made any noises, yet, about calling Lydia's parents, and he was good with that.

He let Melissa go, pushing Lydia's chair back into the room and helped her back in the bed, hovering close, frowning. "If they want you to stay, you should stay." God knew what he'd do, but likely snarl at anyone who wouldn't let him sleep in the chair next to her bed. "Head injuries aren't anything to take lightly..." And they hadn't even looked at her throat, yet.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." Lydia murmured with a little frown, settling on the bed before glancing at Allison who was watching them with a little frown. "Oh, just ask."

"Fine." Allison's brows drew together. "How long has this been going on?"

"Weeks." Lydia informed her. "And no, we're not stopping it."

Allison's frown deepened though the focus was more inwards then. Her best friend had been carrying on with Peter for weeks and she hadn't even noticed. It had gone completely over her head. Huffing then, she moved to sit down in a nearby chair, pursing her lips. "So it clearly wasn't Aiden."

"No, it wasn't." Lydia shook her head ever so slightly. "It's been Peter this entire time."

Peter was far less certain about the fine part of that and was going to reserve judgment until the doctor checked her out. Most days they'd probably want a police statement from her, too, but given the sheriff's kidnapping, he figured they could keep anyone from bothering her for a while, hopefully.

Again, as with him...there was nothing human authorities could do.

He watched Allison as she asked the question, back to Lydia as she answered, smiling a tiny bit at the defiant statement, though he scowled at the mention of Aiden, the rage at Cora's injury and the boy trying to say they wouldn't help flaring again. He suppressed the growl, but his eyes flashed and he had to move, prowling around the room restlessly, and that much movement as opposed to his usual stillness probably said more about how thrown he was than anything else could have.

Allison and Lydia both watched him, one with a wary gaze and the other worried. Allison could feel how close the wolf was to the surface and her hunter instincts told her to be ready just in case.

"We'll find her." She stated then, glancing at them both. "And once we'v dealt with her, we'll deal with the Alpha pack."

Peter paused to shoot her a slightly sardonic look, even though it was what he'd been spouting before.

"Knowing who she is helps, at least. We don't just have one person to track."

The Alphas...still worried him, but he remembered, t least, that Hayley had been going to call the vampires, even if he didn't realize they'd arrived. He hesitated, watching Allison for a moment, then added, "We may have reinforcements on the latter."

He doubted they'd care much about the darach, who hadn't threatened Hayley.

"Reinforcements?" That made Allison frown a little as her mind automatically jumped to the idea of there being more werewolves arriving in Beacon Hills. "Who?"

Peter wasn't sure he was quite ready to share everything with her. Fuck knew he didn't want her and her father sharpening stakes--that might get them all killed, from what he'd heard.

"Derek's new girlfriend's family. The pack tried to use her against him. Her family's not pleased. And they are...somewhat formidable when displeased, or so I've heard."

"So there are more werewolves?" This came from Lydia now as she frowned just a bit. "No offense but that doesn't sound like it's going to make anything better. What if it just gives Deucalion more targets?"

"Not werewolves," Peter reminded her, with a wry smile, though his gaze slid to Allison far more warily. "Her...ex's family, I should have said."

A tight smile at Allison. "They're still quite fond of her."

His fingers brushed lightly over Lydia's, but there was a warning there. He didn't want the Argents knowing about the baby, especially not whose it was. He had no doubt Chris Argent knew of Klaus, and he was not going to go and make Hayley more of a target by exposing her vulnerability.

It clicked for Lydia then, the recognition flickering across her face as her eyes widened ever so slightly at Peter. Not that Allison seemed to see it though as she was watching Peter closely and not Lydia.

"Well...as long as they can help." Was all she could really say.

"I think they might be just what we need to be an ace in the hole," Peter said thoughtfully.

He settled closer to her on the bed, taking a moment to tilt her chin up so he could check her pupils, see how they were doing. Then he frowned, shooting an impatient glance at the door.

"Where is the damn doctor?"

"They're short staffed, remember?" Allison pointed out, thinking of the three doctors that had disappeared. That Jennifer had killed.

Melissa walked in at that moment. "The CT scan looks fine, Lydia. There's no real damage beyond what looks like a bit of a concussion." She stopped by the bed as she noticed the girl's relieved smile. "But the doctor still wants a look at you, especially your throat." A pause. "Was there any other injuries?"

"No, luckily the Sheriff showed up." Then Scott and Peter.

Melissa sobered as she looked at Peter and then Allison. "Have you guys heard anything yet?"

"No." Allison frowned. "My Dad hasn't checked in yet."

Peter's relief that there was no lasting damage done to Lydia's head was palpable, and he squeezed her hand. Short staffed or not, he was about to go drag a doctor, any doctor, in to her room, though, so she could settle and rest or go home and rest or whatever they'd let her do.

If it was just a concussion, and not a serious one, he could make sure to keep an eye on her, to watch for anything getting more serious and waking her up every two hours.

Melissa's question snapped him back to the larger issues and he shook his head a little. "I haven't heard from Scott or Isaac, either." He assumed they'd contact him, at least, since Derek was with Cora.

"As soon as we know what's going on with Lydia, I'll go and find them." Allison nodded.

"You should go now." Lydia whispered, looking over at her friend with a serious gaze that said she wouldn't accept any argument from the hunter. "They're going to need you, okay?"

"But Lydia..."

"Go." She said it firmly this time. "Really, they need your help. They need everyone's help to find Stiles's Dad." She would even suggest Peter go to help them but she couldn't stand the idea of him leaving. Of walking into a fight with the Darach.

"Go." Melissa echoed softly. "If anything happens here, I will let you know."

Allison hesitated and then she was looking at Peter. "You better look after her." Then she was gone stalking out of the room.

Peter wasn't leaving her, especially when Cora was just down the hall, as well. He wouldn't be much use in a fight, too unfocused with worry. Still, the "everyone," made him shift, uncomfortable.

At the same time, he was relieved when Allison left, just arching an eyebrow at her order, because, obviously, he was going to do that.

He glanced up at Melissa when Allison was gone. "Can you get her something for the pain now?" She hadn't said anything, but he could almost feel the headache, phantom pain in his head.

"Yes, I can get her something now." At least something mild.

Watching Melissa leave again, Lydia relaxed against the pillows while watching Peter. "I'm not staying here tonight." She informed him then. "I'd be a lot safer at your place."