canon au } { post-3b, of keys and hasty retreats

[ooglyboogleys]

[And Dawn is in her office grading papers, just trying to keep ahead of a curb, when she receives a surprise boyfriend! Yay!]

Derek: [puts the coffee down and takes a seat across from her. He still has his stalker skills]

Dawn: [it doesn't help that Dawn is very intently writing down her notes on a particular paper when she catches the scent of coffee and looks up. She jumps first, but that eventually melts into a smile] You never get sick of that, do you?

Derek: Not in the least. [sly grin]

Dawn: [smirks a bit as she reaches for the coffee, leaning across her desk for a kiss as she does] Hi.

Derek: [kisses her back and then settles into the chair] So how was your day?

Dawn: Lots of paper grading. Lots of talking about things that most people still consider fiction. Basically a lot of brainy things which just makes me want to go home and do things that involve other people thinking for me.

Derek: The typical wanting the semester to end dialogue.

Dawn: [bobs her head a bit] I am so, so ready to be done.

Derek: I'm sure you are.

Dawn: Almost done, though. Then I may actually have time to do things other than read books.

Derek: Should I be worried?

Dawn: [she shakes her head] I'm just ... burnt out. Plus I hear "outside" is a lovely place, and would love to visit it sometime.

Dawn: [smirks a bit as she sips her own] It truly does sound like a magical place. [she then sighs a bit, before putting her papers to the side] But right now, the only place I want to go is home.

Derek: We can do that too. And we can look at the trees and birds along the way.

Dawn: Sounds like an adventure. [she finishes gathering her stuff, before swinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her coffee] Let's go.

Derek: [pulls himself up, sipping his coffee and going to open the door for her]

Dawn: [heads out and waits for him to join her before locking the door behind them. The halls are getting dark and abandoned at this point, with most of the students having headed home for the day, but the sound of shuffling can still be heard in the hallways.]

Derek: [he's used to the sound of campus and doesn't really scan for active threats. he's not in Beacon Hills after all]

Dawn: [well, maybe he should be because as Dawn finishes locking the door and turns down the hallway she comes to a dead stop when her eyes fix on a shape at the end of the hallway. Even in the low light, she can make out the burlap sacks they wear and their scabby skin. Her anxiety spikes and she takes a step back] No. Nonono, she's dead.

Minion: There you are, the all precious Key.

Derek: [hears that and wow, instant protective boyfriend time as he shifts into werewolf mode, stepping in front of her and just tilting his head and showing his fangs] And there you are, and here I am. Nice to see us all getting acquainted.

Minion: [doesn't falter, just smiles in a sickly sort of way] It wouldn't be the first time I've torn through a werewolf. The mighty Dragor always gets what he wants in the end.

Dawn: [there's a part of her that's relieved that they're under new management and it's not Glory again, but that's kind of buried under the rest of her which is going crossbowcrossbowcrossbow] I think he'll have to live without this one. Didn't you learn anything from the last time you guys tried to claim me as your consolation prize?

Minion: Perhaps. But I see no Slayer, and there is only one of him. [two more minions appear in the hallway, and the smile is still in place] There are three of us.

Derek: I take it they haven't heard about me yet. [he does take a step back though with Dawn, because he can't protect her from the jackass if he has to fight two other minions. They need to get her in a safe room]

Dawn: [she's already going for her keys again, one hand grabbing his jacket and pulling him back towards her office. She shoves the key in the door and wrenches it open, before pulling them both inside and slamming it shut behind them, twisting the lock. She closes her eyes as she leans against it for a moment, before opening her eyes, refocused on what she needs to do.] There's a broadsword in the closet.

Derek: Get it. [he's going to hold the door shut to give them as much time as she needs to prepare to fight.]

Dawn: [she pushes off and goes to grab it, wishing for once in her life that Buffy actually wasn't in Beacon Hills. Not that she doesn't feel safe with Derek, but having a Slayer around would go a long way to striking some fear into their scabby hearts. She pulls out the sword then grabs her phone to text Maria - "SOS my office." Just in case.]

Derek: [he's sending something similar to Cora]

Dawn: [she slips her phone back into her pocket before drawing the sword] Maria's got classes in this building, she might still be here.

Derek: I don't know where Cora is, but if she gets this, she'll be on her way. [he looks at her] Let me go out there and deal with this. Stay in here and lock the door behind me.

Dawn: [nope. she doesn't like this plan.] Derek, I can handle myself.

Derek: I know you can. [he looks over his shoulder at her] but they want you. They don't have to defeat me to grab you if you're out there. They will have to defeat me to get in here to you. And I don't go down easy.

Dawn: [... see when he puts it like that he makes it sound smart. And it makes sense. And she knows that, she does. But even just considering that path is sending her back to feeling like that fourteen year-old girl who couldn't protect herself and everyone was fighting over for something she couldn't control. It sucked. But she knows, logically, that Derek is right. No matter how much she hates it.] I'd prefer if you didn't go down at all. [which is the closest she's going to get to agreeing and "don't die" all rolled into one.]

Derek: [she's close enough, so he pulls her close, hugging her and avoiding the sword at the same time] Not planning on it. Don't let them in. If I need help, I will shout for you, I promise.

Dawn: [she leans into him, nodding a bit into his shoulder, before letting him go. Once he's out, she'll close and lock the door behind him, before sinking to the floor]

Derek: [goes outside and stands in front of the door smirking just a bit. it's been awhile since he had a good fight and he's itching for one]

Minion: [the same sickening smile as before] Very well. As we said, three of us - one of you. [ and with that, they'll charge without a second thought.]

Derek: [takes a deep breath and jumps into the fray. He may have been in recovery for awhile, but he's been a predators all his life]

Minion: [all three of them charge him at once, giving him a bit of a wide berth in case of claws, but they all have knives which they slash at him at any open opportunity]

Derek: [he's good at using one minion as a shield from the other minion so that they take some of the cuts along the way]

Minion: [which really just makes them mad, honestly. They start to charge at him harder, one of the minions pinning him against the door while the other goes for his shoulder]

Stiles: [and then there is a baseball bat slamming against the guy with the knife]

Maria: [followed by a rather graceful pirouette with a blade into the back of minion number 2. Cora isn't far behind, claws out to slash at the third]

Derek: [ and when minion one turns to glare at Stiles who raises up his bat again, Derek goes and snaps the minion's neck and drops him to the floor] Thanks. [he knocks on the door] Clear.

Cora: [crouches down to look at one of them before glancing up at her brother] You okay?

Maria: [joins her in her contemplation, caring less about Derek's well-being beyond him being whole and not bleeding] ... the hell are these things?

Dawn: [pokes her head out the door, and her eyes go right to Derek before the minion bodies at their feet] Minions from a hell dimension. They used to work for Glory. Apparently they found new management.

Derek: [if he didn't have a healing factor, he'd be bleeding. He just feels sore at the moment] I'm fine. You guys okay?

Stiles: Totally fine. [was too excited for being back in action] Who's Glory? And did you say hell dimension?

Dawn: Glory is ... a very long story that died a long time ago. [ she sees the blood on Derek's clothes and frowns at him, but she doesn't say anything. She needs to be watcher Dawn right now, not concerned girlfriend Dawn.] And yeah. They're from a Hell dimension.

Cora: Do you know who they are working for now? And what they want? [ it should be obvious, but she doesn't want to actually say it.]

Stiles: Am I the only one who has no clue what's going on?

Derek: You were still a kid when this went down. [to Dawn] This is probably related to that other incident too.

Cora: [to Stiles] We hadn't even met them yet. I just know what Xander told me. But if they're after the same thing that Glory's after, then they're after the Key. And they can't have it. [because no. Also Stiles might remember Dawn telling Jennifer that right before she got taken from the school with his dad.]

Dawn: [makes a face] Really? Because I was kind of hoping that that was all just a coincidence and we didn't have another brain sucker in town.

Stiles: Oh. So we need to figure out the who, the why, and the how to kick its butt. I'm down with helping.

Derek: Don't you have to go back to school?

Stiles: it's called the world wide web for a reason.

Derek: [sighs, then looks at Dawn] You should call your sister and see if she has anything on this.

Dawn: [nods slowly] She'll want us back in Beacon Hills. There's more back up there.

Cora: Not a bad plan. If Buffy's with you, they'll probably be less likely to make a move.

Stiles: And obviously you have team werewolf, right? Cause Derek and Cora need to sleep sometime, so the more noses, the better.

Derek: [just giving Stiles a look, then raises an eyebrow at his sister]

Cora: [raises them right back because what are you trying to say, Derek? What?]

Dawn: He's right. The more people we have working on this, the better. Maybe Argent will even help. [she glances to Maria] What's your schedule like this week?

Maria: I've got an exam in a couple days but after that, nothing I can't miss. If you guys drive down tomorrow, Cora and I can head back together after the test. [they're in the same class]

Derek: [he's trying to say why did you choose him again, Cora? Why? But he shrugs it off and looks at Dawn] That was your last class, right? We can go right now.

Stiles: I'll, um... I can drive Cora and Maria.

Cora: [because he's cute and rambly. Traits taciturn creatures like the Hales tend to appreciate]

Dawn: [she nods] I can update grades online so I can do that from Beacon Hills. Let me just grab what I have left.

Derek: Alright. We'll meet you three in Beacon Hills. [gives Stiles a behave look]

Stiles: [looks all innocent] I'll see what the library here has before we go on demons that may look like that creep.

Dawn: Say that I sent you. They'll point you to the good stuff. [she heads into her office to gather up the last of her papers and reappears again] If you have any problems, tell them to call me.

Stiles: Yes ma'am. [and now he's grinning because OMG THERE IS A GOOD SECTION]

Derek: [did she just... yup, he's holding her flower sword.] We'll be at the loft.

Dawn: Be careful. There might be more of them around. Give Tara a heads up too.

Maria: Will do. [reaches forward to nudge Stiles shin with her foot before tipping her head back the way they came.] C'mon. You can drop me off at my dorm.

Stiles: Um, sure. Cora, you find me later?

Derek: One of you should check on the apartment tonight and make sure they aren't hiding there.

Cora: I'll come with, just give me a sec. [she glances back to Derek] I'll stop by. But I think if they knew where you lived, they would have attacked there.

Dawn: She's right. We would have been more vulnerable there. But do it anyway.

Stiles: [waits patiently, examining his bat] Shouldn't we... clean this up?

Derek: And we're going right to the car. We can get things when we get to Beacon Hills.

Maria: [pauses. listens. then groans] Come on, why do I always have to be the one to get rid of the demon bodies?

Cora: [rolls her eyes, before moving closer and giving her brother a hug goodbye] Drive safe.

Derek: [hugs her back] Be safe, okay?

Stiles: I'd help, but my dad's a sheriff and if I got caught...

Cora: [nods a bit against his shoulder] You too. [she then pulls back and grabs one of the bodies] We're gonna need your Jeep.

Stiles: My jeep? Why... oh no, come on I don't want to get blood all over my back seat... [whines]

Derek: [goes to help Dawn]

Cora: It'll come out. We've done this before.

Dawn: [nods as she lets him lead the way to the car while the bickering fades behind them. She's not feeling that talky but she might once they get in the car]

Derek: [keeps his arm around her shoulder protectively]

Dawn: [she leans into him a bit, waiting until she was settled in the front seat of the Charger, before glancing over to him] You shouldn't be so hard on Stiles.

Derek: I wasn't being hard on him. [he was being easy on him, actually. or he thought he was]

Dawn: He makes your sister happy, that should be the part that matters, right?

Derek: It's going to just take me some getting used to, that's all.

Dawn: [hums softly, before turning her attention back to the window again] He's good for her. I think.

Derek: Did I say anything about him not being good for her?

Dawn: No. But it might be nice if you scowled a little less when he was around. I think he thinks one day you're going to sneak up on him in a dark alley and kill him.

Derek: Who says I may not? [not so serious look]

Dawn: [glances back to him and smirks] Because you know it's not her fault that you both have the same type.

Derek: You are nothing like Stiles.

Dawn: [shifts, ticking traits off on her fingers as she goes] Slightly rambly, too smart for their own good, nerdy, a penchant for finding themselves in trouble, but doing it in an adorably endearing way?

Derek: [just looks at Dawn, his eyebrows raising slowly because this is getting weird now]

Dawn: [shrugs] I'm just saying.

Derek: [huffs because she is right and he knows it]

Dawn: [smiles a bit, before turning back to the window again]

Derek: [drives, thinking] So what does that make Peter?

Dawn: Well, Buffy's more of the muscle than the brain, but she's still a rambler. So we at least know that Hales are suckers for those who cannot shut up.

Derek: Makes up for our silent communication.

Dawn: I guess. Personally I kinda like the strong silent vibe.

Derek: Because we don't interrupt? [small grin]

Dawn: [she laughs] That is a benefit.

Derek: [smiles and looks back out at the road]

Dawn: [turns her attention back to the window, watching the highway as it goes by. Oddly enough, she's not feeling very chatty. But then again, this night has basically been a walking nightmare]

Derek: [looking at signs as they drive] Are you hungry?

Dawn: [shakes her head] No, I'm okay. Being the target of demons has a way of killing a girl's appetite.

Derek: There's a Starbucks there too.

Dawn: [she shakes her head] I probably won't need it. And if I ... I don't want to screw it up if I do actually manage to sleep.

Derek: Alright. Then we have enough gas to get us home.

Dawn: [nods] Good. I think I'll feel better once we are.

Derek: Alright then. [and he just goes to drive and let Dawn be quiet]

Dawn: [spends most of the drive looking out the window, not really looking up until they pull into his spot in front of the loft]

Derek: [puts the car into park and notices that Isaac is already there, standing on the balcony keeping watch] Looks like we're expected.

Dawn: Buffy must have called them. [because somewhere along the way she was probably texting her sister]

Derek: That or Stiles. [opens the door and unlocks the trunk] I'll get your stuff.

Dawn: [nods as she gathers the bags from the foot well, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder and climbing out of the car. She gives Isaac a bit of a wave as she does]

Isaac: [waves back, then goes to talk to someone inside]

Derek: [listening] We have company.

Dawn: Buffy? [probably. Or Allison]

Derek: Allison.

Dawn: [nods before heading towards the door. In a way she's glad. She's not sure she can deal with General Buffy right now] Let's go.

Derek: [he's going to be a few steps behind her with the stuff in the trunk.]

Isaac: [meets them at the door, opening it] Welcome home.

Dawn: Thanks. [she gives him a small smile as she moves past him, before nodding to Allison] Buffy call you?

Allison: Yeah. She sounded pretty worried.

Derek: She had reason to be. [he puts the stuff down on the floor near the door before sliding the door shut]

Isaac: We did a quick check of the entire loft and made sure it was safe. Even put a mint on your pillow. [he did.]

Dawn: [smirks] Thanks. But I think we'll be good from here if you want to get back to whatever you were doing.

Allison: [glances from Dawn to Derek and back to Dawn again] You sure? [that question was more to Derek than it was to Dawn]

Derek: Do we know any kind of protection wards to keep demons out?

Dawn: For those in particular? Nothing specific. We just used staying hidden for the most part.

Derek: Then you two are staying.

Isaac: I can order a pizza.

Dawn: [sighs softly and nods] Sure. Sounds good.

Allison: [watches her for a moment, before turning to Isaac] Why don't we go pick it up?

Isaac: [looks at Derek] Um... we could?

Derek: [looks at Isaac, then Dawn] Give us some time to settle in.

Allison: [small smile, before taking Isaac's hand and pulling him towards the door] It's going to be at least half-Hawaiian. That's non-negotiable.

Dawn: ... I can work with that.

Isaac: You people and your pineapple on pizza.

Derek: You're never going to win, Isaac. Learn to enjoy it.

Allison: [grin] I did only say half. [and with that she pulls him out the door towards her car]

Dawn: [waits until they're gone before her shoulders sag a little more. she takes a breath, before closing her eyes and turning to face Derek] Do you mind if we take the bedroom?

Derek: It's my bedroom, so no, take it.

Dawn: [she nods] I'd just ... rather have a door and walls tonight.

Derek: [he goes over to her and pulls her into his arms]

Dawn: [turns and melts into him, burying her face in his shoulder as she does]

Derek: [hugs her close and kisses the top of her head] I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, Dawn. I swear.

Dawn: I'm not really the one I'm worried about. [she's worried about the heavy pile of crap that tends to rain down on everyone else when things like this happen]

Derek: [rubs her back a bit] It's our turn to take care of you. Don't worry, it goes in cycles. Next week it'll be Scott.

Dawn: [she smirks a bit] Scott will probably be better at it than I am.

Derek: Scott is used to being the damsel in distress.

Dawn: I'm used to it, I just hate it.

Derek: But you have friends and family who adore you and don't want you to feel like your safety is a hardship.

Dawn: I know. It's just ... [she straightens a bit to look at him] ... I hate feeling useless. And I know keeping me out of the fight is the smart play, but I'm sick of hiding.

Derek: You are far from useless, Dawn. You're the one who taught me that not all battles have to be with tooth and claw, but using your head and information. Remember?

Dawn: [she smiles softly at that] Yeah, I remember.

Derek: So never think you're useless. Got it?

Dawn: Got it. Just ... remind me, every once in a while.

Derek: Every single time you need it.

Dawn: Good. [glances back over her shoulder] I should go see what clothes I actually have here. Or I may be borrowing some of yours.

Derek: You can put in an order with Cora what you need from the apartment.

Dawn: [nods] I'll text her. [she steps in closer for a quick kiss] I'll be right back.

Derek: Take your time. I'm going to see if we need anything in the kitchen.

Dawn: [and with that she'll wander off to see what's there. She manages to find a pair of pants that are hers to sleep in, but she'll steal one of his henleys anyway ... because. She'll also grab her bags before heading upstairs to get changed and settle in a bit]