Dealer's Choice

Elena stripped the blanket off her legs as Stiles and Peter talked over each other.

"Damon, Caroline -"

"Can take care of herself. Besides, she's got Thing 1 and Thing 2 to back her up. Or, if she's smart, to throw at the crazy moon-starved werewolves while she makes a run for it."

"Damon, I'm serious. We've had trouble taking down wolves on a full moon before. This is way worse. And it's not just Caroline. If they get past her, then they'll go after Stefan and Jeremy."

"And anything else that gets in their way," Peter sauntered toward the door.

"So, what, now you're gonna be helpful?" Stiles pocketed his phone.

"Um, what was I just doing?" Peter gestured vaguely. "I tried to warn them. Now I'm going to go find my nephew before he does something stupid to get himself killed."

"What, like try to protect his pack?" Stiles marched across the room and toward the man. "Something you'd know nothing about."

"I could still beat you unconscious."

"You know what, go ahead. I get my ass kicked and then drive my Jeep through a wall to save all of you, nearly die and Scott just tosses me aside with some lame ass excuse that it's for my own protection. I come here to help, to save the day, again, and Derek punches me. Maybe you're all the same."

"And maybe you need to be reminded who you're talking to."

"That's enough," Elena lifted her hands, oddly feeling like she was right back at home.

"You should be going to help him." Stiles advanced on the werewolf. "You both should." He nodded at Damon. "The two of you, all this power, and - and what? Just use it for self-preservation? Helps you run away faster? You have no idea how lucky you are that you can actually do something!"

"Stiles, calm down." Elena moved toward the boy.

"Scott, Derek, Heather - everyone - they could all be in trouble. And I can't do anything !"

A thunderclap punctuated his words, and the lights in the loft flickered. If he hadn't been so upset, Stiles would have applauded the weather for the perfect dramatic timing.

Before anyone could respond, the boy's cell phone chimed and he dug in his pocket.

"Scott?"

"Stiles."

"Lydia, hey, now's -"

"I need you."

And those three words defused him entirely.

Stiles left Peter with the vampires after she had explained everything. He wasn't sure if he liked putting Peter and Damon in the same room together with limited supervision, but he was also not going to leave Lydia alone with a dead body.

"You shouldn't go out alone," Elena called after him.

"Pretty sure the Alphas are all a little busy right now," Stiles shrugged. "Besides, it's not like I can help. They've got werewolves and vampires and even a hunter to help. I'm human. I'm -" Nothing. Useless. A failure at magic. "-I gotta go." He paused at the door. "Have Scott," he stopped himself. "Nevermind. Just, let me know what happens, as soon as it happens, okay?"

Elena nodded.

"And, uh," Stiles glanced from Peter to Damon, "don't let these two kill each other. Or do. Dealer's choice.