[for ollie]

It's a relatively steady night of business at Semele's, and Derek is there mainly to supervise the training of the new bartender. He's sitting at the end of the bar with the same pint of beer that he's been nursing for half an hour, wondering over how he ended up telling Han Solo how to make a Tokyo Tea and that if he's going to flirt with and/or yell at the customers, at least make sure that they all get served in a timely fashion.

Life is weird.

The door opens while Derek is sipping from his glass, and the breeze carries a rush of scents over to his nose to mix in with the sting of alcohol in his nostrils. He looks up to see Oliver taking off his coat and Derek sits up a little straighter, lifting a hand in greeting. It feels like he hasn't seen much of Oliver lately, and he hopes that his friend stopped in to see him, or that he at least has time for a drink.

"Hey," Derek says as he approaches, pushing out the stool next to him with his foot. "Want a beer poured by Han Solo?"

[for reid, dated 3/17]

This can't be happening again. It was so stupid to think that Barry would be safe with Derek, that old patterns wouldn't repeat themselves. How could he have been so foolish as to think that he could open his heart up to someone like that again, and they wouldn't get hurt?

He rushes through a darkened alley, eyes red and fangs extended, and remembers what it was like to fight that copy of himself in that other Darrow. Your love is a curse, Derek.

The scent of Barry's blood stings his nostrils, and Derek thinks about finding it smeared across brick. All he found was that and Barry's scent, thick with anxiety and pain. Fear. Derek followed the trail until it ended, vanished into thin air.

It's horrible, so horrible to think, but at least the blood told him that Barry is most likely still here somewhere in the city. He may be somewhere that Derek can still reach him. Maybe he can fix this.

He needs Luke, and he needs Oliver. He needs anyone who could help, but first on his list is someone with a nose nearly as good as his. He's on his way to Luke's when he runs right past Reid, who smells like anger and grief, and Derek skids to a stop. Whirling around to face him, fangs and claws extended with eyes glowing red in the darkness, Derek feels his heart drop into his stomach. Reid looks awful, like he just lost his whole world.

"Reid," he rasps out around his fangs. "I was just going to get-- is Luke gone too?"