Work Text:
Isaac was there when Jackson fell to the ground, covered in blood where he'd stabbed himself with his own claws. He felt it like a punch to the gut because somewhere inside him, despite Derek's insistence that he needs to die, Jackson had started to feel like pack. It was sad for things to end this way, with Lydia crying and screaming above his body, a horrified crowd gathering around and a young life ending far too soon. Only Scott and Isaac understood that Jackson died bravely, choosing to kill himself rather than taking someone else's life on Gerard’s command.
Isaac spotted Danny among the crowd of players, shaking with silent sobs as he covered his face in shock. Isaac never had a best friend, but he could imagine the pain of losing someone so suddenly in a situation you don't understand. He felt that way when his brother died in combat and he realized that he was all alone with his dad. The paramedics were clearing the scene and Isaac lost sight of Danny in the scramble. He'll be okay,Isaac thought, remembering that Danny has a large, normal family to help him get through the loss.
Suddenly the Sheriff had found them and was asking if they'd seen his son. Isaac let Scott make excuses about Stiles' sudden absence and make promises to call if they hear from him. Isaac doesn't even have Stiles' number and wouldn’t know where to look for him. Their whole pseudo pack thing is not as tight knit as they're supposed to be. While Scott and the Sheriff were talking, all Isaac could think about is how Derek will be pissed when he hears about Stiles' disappearance, in the inexplicable way that he’s always a bit pissed off when it comes to Stiles.
Scott rips open Stiles' locker and tosses Isaac a shoe to sniff. He's happy to help Scott's search efforts, hoping they find the kid before Derek finds out. But Scott's mom calls them back to the hospital and they are distracted once again.
When Jackson's body is covered in a gooey cocoon, they realize the kanima drama is not over. Derek still wants to go for the kill, but his mysterious uncle insists the boy can still be saved. They go to the warehouse, fight pretty futilely, getting their asses kicked by the lizard until Stiles turns up in that stupid rusty jeep with the cure. They watch as love overpowers the monster inside of Jackson. Derek and Peter still pounce on him, not willing to let this rare opportunity pass where he is subdued in case this love thing doesn't work. He falls to the ground, dead again and Isaac wishes for it to end another way. But then the wounds are healing and Jackson starts to shift, for once looking like the wolf he is meant to be. Isaac finally breathes a sigh of relief. It's over.
Scott goes immediately to patch things up with Allison and Isaac turns away. He tries not to think about how much it hurts for his new kinda friend to be so forgiving and accepting of a girl who had shot and stabbed him repeatedly less than an hour ago. Derek talks to Jackson a moment, his red eyes flashing just once, before allowing him to leave with Lydia. He can hear them talking as they walk away about faking a dramatic scene at the hospital where Jackson comes back to life considering the whole town just watched him die. It's probably a good idea.
Derek is examining the black goo and talking with Peter about where Gerard went. Isaac feels drawn to them, knowing he should go help them track it, but he’s had enough of wolf problems for the day. He goes back to his house, a place he hasn't been in weeks, and sits alone in the dark.
He thinks about what they were saying about Jackson. How he’s all screwed up about his birth parents' deaths and how is heart is just a hollow shell. But still, Jackson has Lydia and adoptive parents in a big fancy house. He has talent and smarts and friends who love him. Isaac doesn't have any of those things. He wonders what would have happened to him if his transformation failed and he became the kanima. He hopes that McCall would try just as hard to save him, but why would he? They were strangers back when he was bit, just a name on the back of a jersey to each other. Isaac would like to think that Derek wouldn’t pursue him with the same determination to kill as he had Jackson, but there might not be any option. Isaac doesn’t have a saving grace; there is no love of his life or person for him to turn to when he’s in trouble. Human love might be powerful enough to overcome the kanima mutation, but what if you’ve never experienced it? Isaac thought he'd finally found a bond in their pack, but with Erica and Boyd taking off, Scott distracted and Derek having a new right hand man Isaac felt the loneliness creep back in.
He left the house just in time to see Jackson return, Lydia by his side and parents on the porch to welcome him back. Once again, Jackson has it all and doesn't appreciate any of it. The only thing missing is his gay best friend Danny. Isaac remembered how he'd looked at the game, horror-stricken as he realized his best friend was gone. The news of Jackson's recovery was surely spreading through town and he wondered if Danny knew his best friend had miraculously come back to life. Jackson seemed so wrapped up in getting back together with Lydia that he might not have thought to reassure his friend. Jackson didn't have to watch Danny suffer through his death, but Isaac did and he suddenly felt it was necessary to find the goalkeeper.
He remembered the neighborhood from a barbeque the Mahealani family had thrown last year to celebrate the team's success, but he couldn't recall the house. He walked up and down each street until he smelled a distinctive mix of sweat and cologne from an abandoned gym bag in one of the cars that seemed surprisingly familiar. He’d noticed a lot of smells since becoming a werewolf and this one he recognized from close encounters on the field. It was one of his teammates, possibly Danny.
There was only one light on in the house, a soft glow in an upstairs window, so he climbed on the roof to look inside. Danny was sitting on his bed with his computer open in front of him. Isaac climbed to the edge and tapped lightly. Danny startled when he first saw him, but moved to the window to let him in.
"Lahey," he said, helping Isaac scramble in through the window. He wasn't as good as Derek at that yet. "What are you doing here?"
From this close, he could tell Danny had been crying. His eyes were puffy and Isaac had never seen him look so disheveled. He also noticed that Danny had showered since the game, though the scent of his usual aftershave was missing. Isaac was suddenly aware that he probably stank of blood, sweat and lizard goo.
"I just wanted to let you know that Jackson is alive," he said in a rush, wanting to get out of here, regretting his decision to come. They hardly know each other. He should just mind his own business and not draw attention like Derek says.
"What?" he asked, cautious hope returning to his expression. "But how? I saw him. There was blood."
Isaac just looked at him blankly for a moment. He wasn't usually the one who came up with the elaborate stories to cover their tracks, in fact it had been beaten into him throughout his childhood that he shouldn't lie, but that was before the complicated werewolf problems. "It was some heart thing. When he got hurt on the field his heart stopped, but then they shocked him back in the ambulance."
He could see Danny struggling to follow his excuse, but he looked relieved enough by the thought of Jackson alive to accept it. "So he's going to be okay?" Isaac nodded, hoping that Jackson wouldn't have any more problems. They were all looking forward to him being a normal werewolf. "How do you know this?"
Isaac blushed, realizing another part of the story he'd failed to think through. He hardly knows Jackson. "I saw him come back to his house tonight. His parents told me what happened."
Danny smiled. "I forgot you live so close," he admitted. Isaac was reminded of a time long ago when his dad was yelling at him as he took out the trash. Jackson had looked away when he came to the curb where the friends were hanging out around his flashy new car. Danny gave him a sympathetic smile and asked if he was okay. He wasn't, but he said he was fine, hiding a hint of a smile as he walked back into the house. It was one of the rare times that someone had been nice to him in this town.
"Yeah," he said, not wanting to get into the details of abandoning his sad old house and living with Derek now.
"I should go see him," Danny suggested, despite the late hour, picking up a jacket and looking for his keys.
"No!" Isaac nearly shouted, startling the goalkeeper. Danny looked at him questioningly. "I mean, Lydia's there right now and it seemed like she was staying awhile."
Danny put his stuff down in disappointment. He had an expression that Isaac couldn't quite read, though he suspected it had something to do with Lydia. From what he's observed around Scott and Stiles this year, there is usually a bit of tension between The Best Friend and The Girlfriend.
Isaac felt it was time to leave but Danny wasn't looking at him and he didn't want to just sneak away. Nothing says I'm a werewolf like disappearing mysteriously out a second story window. He saw Danny's abandoned computer still open on the table with a collage of pictures on the screen of him and Jackson.
"Are you going to be okay?" he found himself asking, breaking the silence.
Danny looked up at him with a slight smile. "I think so. I'm just happy he didn't die," Danny said, and Isaac smirked knowing Jackson pretty much died twice that night. He just didn't stay dead overall.
"Thanks for coming to tell me. I was going crazy," he said earnestly, wrapping Isaac in a hug. Isaac stood there frozen for a moment, panicking slightly because nobody ever touched him. Eventually he caught on, wrapping his arms around Danny's back and patting a couple times. Normal, this is what normal people do.
"No problem," he said casually, as if he hadn't walked halfway across town to come tell him. He moved to the window when Danny released him. "I just thought you should know," he said as he climbed out the window and slipped off the ledge gracefully.
"See you around, Isaac," Danny said, his voice a promise as he leaned out the window to see Isaac land easily on the grass.
"Yeah, see you," Isaac said, walking away with a smile. Maybe he wasn't so alone after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Six hours later Danny got a text from Jackson. "Sorry for the scare, man. I'm alive and going to be okay. Call you later today."
"I know," Danny typed back, smiling to himself as he thought of all the possibilities.