Hey everyone. I'm sorry this chapter is a little late but I had to study and well… It wasn't so much fun.

Anyway, this is a little short but it was necessary for Stiles and Derek to have a little bonding time together. It feels a little rushed though :/ Sorry about that.

Enjoy

"Death is contagious; it is contracted the moment we are conceived."

Madeleine L'Engle

Chapter 4

She was stabbed sixteen times. Sixteen. She died after the fifth but the killer kept stabbing him. He was angry, angry about something that I didn't even want to thing and for the first time since the murders started, I was a little scared.

To be honest I never truly believed that the murderer was in fact after me. It just didn't make any sense to me. Why would anyone hate me so much? No, at first I brushed it off, laughing with their paranoia but after the government had sent the FBI to watch after me I knew that the murder was indeed after me.

This realization made me feel two horrible things. The first was helplessness because I knew that someone was out there, wanting to kill me and I couldn't do anything. The second was worse because it was this overwhelming quilt. If I wasn't here this girl would be alive. If I wasn't here there would be no murders.

"Kid?" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up in time to see Derek closing the door behind him.

After Danny informed me about the murder, Derek had order me to go straight to my dorm and skip all my classes for today. Usually, I would never do such thing, but I was so shaken that I had obeyed without a single protest.

Scott had come here at one point, worried because I didn't go to lunch but I had lied, telling him I wasn't feeling really good since I wasn't allowed to tell anyone about the FBI being here or about the murderer targeting me.

"Don't call me kid," I said immediately, trying to distract myself. "You know, you never really told your age, right? But from the lines around your eyes I guess that you're twenty four. Am I right?"

I watched him as his eyes widened a little before he could hide his surprise. I smirked, knowing that he was surprised.

"Well, then, you are only six years older," I continued, "which means that you can't call me kid without calling yourself really young".

He sighed. "Okay," he said while making his way towards my bed. "I came to inform you about the murder. The stabs were sloppy and careless, not like the previous murders. I think he's getting angry about something and he's losing his patience which is good because he'll probably make mistakes but…"

"But it also means that he's more dangerous than before," I said, already knowing these stuff. "He'll do anything to get to me and that puts me in more danger than before. I know".

I looked at him straight in the eyes and he gave me a funny look, like he was really seeing me for the first time.

"I constantly forget that you're a genius," he murmured. "The thing is that you're in real danger and we have no idea how to protect you".

I sighed, averting my eyes from his. "You know, sometimes I wish I wasn't… me," I said, surprising myself for starting this conversation. "You can't imagine how difficult this really is".

I felt the bed shift under his weight as he took a seat beside me. "I know that I can be an ass sometimes," he said in a small voice. "I know that I don't really know you enough to pretend that I care about you in a non professional way. But I also know that you're way too young to be in this position. Kids your age must do things like illegally drinking, partying and rebelling, not worrying about a murderer".

I gave him a humorless chuckle. "I wish it was only the murderer," I said, hearing the bitterness in my voice. "Since I was a kid everyone expected things from me. I always had to be perfect. I stopped being a child at the age of ten, Derek. I always knew things that no one at my age should know. Now, the government wants me to work for them and I don't want to. I just want to have a normal life… At least as normal as someone like me can have".

I stopped speaking, trying to regain my calmness. I have never said those thing to anyone so why did I do it now? Why did I pure my soul at this man who was basically a stranger? What was wrong with me anyway?

"You know what, just forget this whole conversation," I said quickly. "I'm just really emotional right now and I don't know what I'm saying".

He didn't answer at first and I thought he was going to pretend hat I never told these things but then I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. It was strangely… comforting?

"I can't tell you that I understand what you're going through because I really don't," he said in a low voice.

I took a shaky breathe. "I'm afraid," I choked, knowing how pathetic I was but at that moment I couldn't care less.

His hand squeezed my shoulder. "I know," he whispered reassuringly. "Don't be, I'll protect you".

I smiled a little but didn't meet his gaze. It was a really strange moment because for the first time in years I felt really young and he was there, big and strong, promising me that he would protect me. I was almost content.

Of course the moment was ruined by Scott opening the door.

The expression on his face would be amusing in other circumstances.

"Um, I-I didn't mean to interrupt," he started, blinking rapidly like he was afraid he was hallucinating. "I'm gonna go now".

"No, stay," Derek said taking his hand away from my shoulder. "I was leaving anyway. Just call me if you need anything, Stiles".

With that he was gone.

I know, I know it's terrible but I didn't have much time and I really wanted to update guys :')

Also, I have a little favor to ask. Who would like to beta this story? English is not my first language and this story would be so much better without my horrible grammar and spelling errors D:

So if anyone is interested, PM me please!