Allison was in the midst of sharpening her ring daggers, the metallic shing of the blades a comforting rhythmic sound. While focussing on the task at hand, her phone buzzed on her side table. The Caller ID listed the location as the Sheriff's Station. She frowned. Other than Sheriff Stilinkski she couldn't imagine who would be calling her. But the Sheriff didn't have her cell number. Apprehensive but curious she answered.

"Hello?"

"Allison?"

The gruff voice was familiar, just not one she thought she'd ever hear coming through her phone. What was Derek doing calling her? And more importantly, why was he calling her from the Sheriff's Station? She sat down. This was going to be interesting, if not entertaining.

"Derek?

"I need you to come down to the Sherriff's Station." He mumbled into the phone. Always quick to the point but never quick to offer explanations.

"How did you get my cell number?" She was met with silence on the other end of the line. He'd always been something of a lurker but this was a step up from spying on some teenagers. "You still there?" If he thought she was going to 'jump to' without some answers first then he was dead wrong.

She sat down on her bed, content to wait him out. Patience had been a hard-learned lesson but she was unwilling to bend.

"I don't have time to explain. I just need you to come down here."

Oh, so he'd gotten himself in trouble. What a surprise. Allison pursed her lips, her brow furrowed. She wondered what exactly had warranted a trip to the Sheriff's Station.

"What exactly did you do?" She twirled a ring dagger on one finger. If he wasn't going to play nice then she wasn't either. There was enough bad blood between them to fill several swimming pools. Just because he called for a favour didn't mean she had to be polite in responding.

He sighed at the other end of the line, seemingly just as frustrated as she was. "Just come down here. And bring money."

"Derek why don't you just call Scott? I'm sure he'd be happy to help." He could have called anyone else. He could even have called her dad before he called her. That's what made this so strange.

"Because I'm calling you."

"I'm a little busy at the moment. I might consider rescuing you if you were more polite." Her tone was terse, hopefully enough to make him take the hint. Because what she would be doing for him was a favour. She didn't owe him anything and if she was forced to go and bail him out he was going to tell her what was going on.

More silence. Of course. She could almost picture him at the other end of the line, fighting to keep from making some biting remark about being 'rescued'.

"Come. down. to. the. Sheriff's. Station. please." He enunciated each word, most likely through gritted teeth, spitting the syllables into the phone. Before waiting for her reply he hung up the phone, a quick click in her ear.

Allison sighed and closed her eyes. A year ago she wouldn't have even considered anything he had to say. Now she knew she didn't have a choice. She was going to go and help Derek, no matter how much history and pain lay between them. Because it was the right thing and because she and Derek had come to an understanding. There were too many outside forces that threatened Beacon Hills for them to surrender to infighting. Her new code made decisions easier but following through with them was another animal entirely. And this particular decision she was loathe to commit to in a brisk manner.

She stood with a sigh and put her ring daggers away, making a mental note to finish sharpening them after dinner. Interrupted tasks led to bad habits and she couldn't afford to slip up, not for herself, not for her friends, not for the town. She absently grabbed her car keys, praying her entire afternoon wouldn't be spent down at the station. Her original plans had included going for a run, training that would most likely have to wait now, because of Derek's incompetence. It was either him or Peter, every time. As she rode down to the parking garage she hummed a forgotten chorus to a song she'd heard on the radio the other day, shifting from one foot to another, anxious about why he'd been arrested. She could only hope it didn't have anything to do with the supernatural. It was difficult enough keeping other mystical creatures from exposure, let alone people who should know better than to get themselves arrested!

The drive at least was pleasant. She blasted Beyonce until she could feel the bass through her seat. Pulling into visitor parking, she could see the Sheriff was still at work, his vehicle still situated in his spot, the rust marks prominent on the back fenders. As she slipped out of the car and noticed the full lot, she hoped Mr. Stilinski would be available to help her skirt whatever paperwork was required.

Her hopes were for naught it seemed though as the station was packed, causing Allison to hang her head in frustration. No run today. As she lined up for the front desk, she craned her neck past a large man cradling a briefcase to see if the Sheriff was in his office. Of course, the glut of people milling about prevented any clear view. Waiting it is then. Pulling her phone from her pocket she scrolled through her messages. A text from Lydia for a spa date on Friday; her dad was going to be late for dinner. He's not the only one.

When she finally got to the front she was pleasantly surprised by the face behind the desk. A pair of pale green eyes stared back at her. I'm surprised Lydia doesn't know about him yet. His tag read "Parrish" but she'd never seen him before. Not surprising considering how often she tried to avoid the police when involved with her "extracurricular" supernatural activities. He flashed a bright smile at her before getting down to business.

"Hi I was wondering if I could speak to Sheriff Stilinski."

"Regarding?"

"Derek Hale."

Parrish raised an eyebrow at that. What did the Sheriff have to do with Derek Hale? "The Sheriff is busy at the moment. But if you'd like to make an appointment I'd be happy slot you in." He looked expectantly at her.

"That's okay I can wait." Before giving him time to respond, she turned and looked for the nearest wall space to lean against, the chairs having all been occupied. She turned to her phone again and texted Stiles, knowing that without a doubt his phone would be on.

Allison: Need yr dad's wrk cell #
Stiles: wht? y
Allison: I'll explain ltr.
Stiles: k

She quickly dialed, eyes on the ceiling. Pick up pick up pick up.

"Sheriff Stilinski here."

"Mr. Stilinski? It's Allison Argent. I came to get Derek but I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything 'out of the ordinary' that I should know about."

She could only hope he understood her enunciation. Stiles had made it clear that he'd told his dad everything. Whether he understood the gravity of the situation in Beacon Hills was another question. She saw him appear at the front desk, phone in hand, looking for her in the crowd. Pushing off the wall she followed him into his office. Neither spoke until the door was firmly closed.

"I've talked to him and there isn't anything…supernatural to worry about. A neighbour lodged a complaint of public indecency and he'd already been arrested before so they brought him in. He's already seen the magistrate. I assume you're here to bail him out?"

"Public Indecency?"

Allison could feel her cheeks burn and stared down at her boots. Usually indecency meant public sex acts, not something she would ever have associated with Derek. Peter possibly, but never Derek. He was a grump, a five o'clock shadow who seemed to shun daylight and had terrible luck with women. She felt the blush creep down her neck as she imagined what he would have looked like when the police found him. His legs, lean from years of running the woods, his torso toned and his arms strong enough to crush bone. She felt her heart speed up and her stomach flutter as her mind's eye imagined Derek Hale naked. The soft curve of his ass and the bend of his- What was she doing? She felt cold as a rush of adrenaline surge through her. It was a familiar feeling by now but not one she'd ever experienced in this kind of situation. And certainly not in association with Derek Hale. At least, not any more. She had ceased to be afraid of him when she discovered the various forms of wolfsbane in the Bestiary. She could literally defeat him with a plant. So why was she feeling this way?

The Sheriff opened his door and beckoned her out. "I think I'll let him tell you what happened."

Allison nodded and stumbled back out into the station, following the Sheriff who directed Deputy Parrish to pull together the paperwork necessary to bail Derek out.

"You family?" She shook her head at the Deputy. "Girlfriend?" Vigorous headshake. He raised an eyebrow and smiled but all she was picturing was Derek in the woods, screwing some faceless woman, being interrupted by a jogger.

"He's a…family friend." Her cover was weak but she didn't know this deputy which meant he didn't know her. A fortunate advantage when it came to spinning stories, even one as unconvincing as what she was trying to pass off.

Fortunately the next twenty minutes or so were spent filling out paperwork and providing identification and forking over a good deal of money. Guess that spa date's going to have to wait. Sometime after her hand had cramped up, the Sheriff came walking up with Derek in tow. She glanced over at him, eyes straying along his jawline and settling on his lips. That same familiar flutter started up again in her stomach but he didn't return her look, so instead she forced herself to thank Mr. Stilinski for helping. An undisciplined mind was a dangerous mind and now she couldn't seem to concentrate when she looked at him or thought about him. Her dad would have been furious.

"You have a court date a week from Thursday. If you fail to show up you will be arrested and detained." Deputy Parrish explained as Derek's personal effects were returned to him. "If you fail to appear you will forfeit the bail money. In order to reclaim your deposit you will need to return on the court date and present this receipt to the front desk." Parrish handed the piece of paper to Allison who diligently tucked it away in her wallet.

The two walked silently to her car, Allison trying to calm herself with breathing exercises, Derek scowling as per usual. She could only hope he was too distracted by recent events to notice how anxious she was. As she drove towards his loft she tried to control herself by turning the attention back to him.

"So…" She stared straight ahead, occasionally glancing down to her chipped nail polish. The breathing exercises weren't helping. Worst of all she imagined she could feel heat emanating from his side of the car.

"So what?"

"What did you do?" She didn't want to admit she was interested in what exactly had happened. But she was curious as to how he got caught in such a compromising situation.

"I went for a run." What a sharer. Allison fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"And?"

"Someone saw me."

"Clearly." Allison grit her teeth. It was like trying to have a conversation with a tree.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He sounded miffed. As if he had cause to be upset.

"You can't just be naked outside with someone and expect to not be seen." This time she dared to look over at him. He was staring over at her, brow furrowed.

"Naked?" What was she talking about? Derek watched as her face blanched and he could hear her heartbeat quicken as blood roared through her veins.

She whipped her head back to stare at the road. "Allison who told you I was naked?"

"No one." This was a terrible idea. She should never have brought it up. She'd just drive him home and drop him off and they would never have to talk about this again.

"Allison it was a full moon last night." No response but he could see her hands clenching the steering wheel like death, her heart still fluttering like a bird in her chest. "I went for a run and tend to overheat so I stripped down." Her heart stuttered. "To my boxers," he clarified. The last time he had this kind of affect on an Argent… He grimaced. Best not to think on the past.

"Ok." Allison breathed out, soft enough to be a whisper.

"What did you think I was doing?" He raised an eyebrow as he recalled her words. 'You can't just be naked outside with someone and expect to not be seen.' He had an idea what she meant but wanted to hear her say it.

"Nothing." Allison turned onto the street he lived on. Soon enough she could drop him off and this could all be ignored.

"Allison." He needled, a dark smirk playing over his lips. For once he wouldn't be the one squirming. And he quite liked having an Argent under his thumb, though he would never admit it. He could smell the panic coming off of her in waves. He watched her hide behind her dark locks, eyes zeroed in on the road, body tense like coiled spring. She'd brought this on herself asking questions.

"You know you're pretty ungrateful for someone who just got bailed out of jail." He did not get to bait her like this. She had done him a favour and it had gone south quickly. Now she just wanted it to be over. Maybe I should have left him in there.

"I assume you want a thank you." Derek sat back in his seat and crossed his arms, looking out the window as she pulled up to his building. He was always surprised at how quickly people's scents could change. Embarrassment had given way to anger, sharp and permeating.

"You're just lucky I'm 18," she muttered.

Derek looked over and raised an eybrow. What exactly was she implying? He wasn't aware of when her birthday was but wondered why that should matter. Unless she was suggesting… But no, he quickly scrubbed that thought from his mind. Allison was an Argent, a family that had caused his nothing but pain and death. Besides, she was a child who jumped too easily to conclusions.

Allison waited for him to exit the car. When he made no move to leave she looked over accusingly. He had a questioning look in his eyes.
"Why is that lucky?"

He stared her down and she tried not to think about how she'd never been this close to him. That she could reach out with one hand and touch his face. With one shaky breath she responded.

"You have to be 18 to post bail."

Derek nodded, as if he was already aware of the fact and opened the passenger-side door, swinging his body out of the vehicle. But instead of moving to leave he leaned back inside.

"And Allison, I don't know who gave you the idea but I did not get caught having sex in the woods." He practically beamed at the shocked look that elicited from her face. Like a spark running up his spine he felt a thrill watching her dark eyes widen, her lips part, her cheeks redden as she fought to control her expression. "Have a good night." He shut the car door and sauntered into his building.

Allison leaned back and sat in her car for several minutes. Her kneejerk reaction had been embarrassing enough because she had blushed like an idiot. But worst of all, she'd felt her heartbeat between her thighs, a warmth pooling in her gut as unbidden images of Derek naked in the woods came to mind.

"Crap." She leaned her head on the steering wheel, willing herself to think of something, anything else. And he still hadn't thanked her for bailing him out.