I stand between Scott and Isaac as we watch the Sherriff looking at his notepad in distress, "I got to meet with the medical examiner and try to figure out what happened with Jackson. I've got an APB out on Stiles. His jeep is still in the parking lot, so that means--the hell, I don't know what that means." I feel his grief in waves as he's obviously more worried for Stiles than he's trying to let on. "Um, look, if he answers his phone, if he answers his emails, if either one of any of you see him--"
I reach out a place a hand on his arm lightly, "We'll let you know. Immediately." He looks to my hand before closing his eyes tiredly, a sigh leaving his lips.
Scott meets my gaze before looking to him with sympathy, "Look, he's probably just freaked out from all the attention or something. We'll find him." I try to nod confidently, but I'm sure my own worry is written across my face. It's not like Stiles would run off for no reason, so I know someone took him. And I can only think of one person right now that would do so.
The Sheriff nods before turning away from us, "Yeah. I'll see you, okay?" I watch as people start filing out of the room, not listening to Coach as he lectures Scott. I do turn up an eyebrow in surprise when I catch something that sounds like nice words coming from him. I look back once he walks out of the room and Scott turns to me and Isaac, "Is that everyone?"
I look around the locker room and nod before Isaac answers, "I think so." I jump when Scott suddenly rips the door of Stiles' locker, throwing it to the floor. He takes out a shirt and sneaker before tossing the latter to Isaac. "We're gonna find him by scent?" Scott nods, but Isaac looks to Stiles' sneaker with slightly disgust. "But how come you get his shirt and I get a shoe?"
I feel familiar pricks at the base of my neck and turn my head slightly. I'm not even surprised as Derek is standing a few feet away in the room. He holds my gaze for a few moments before looking to Scott, "We need to talk."
I let out a low breath when Peter steps from behind the row of lockers. He gives me a smirk before looking Scott, "All of us." I roll my eyes at his dramatics before Scott takes a step forward in surprise.
"Holy shit," He looks over to me, "What the hell is this?" His expression turns confused and I just shake my head lightly. I'll explain later. He squints his eyes at me slightly before turning back to Derek.
"You know, I thought the same thing when I saw you talking to Gerard at the sheriff's station." I let my eyes fall to the ground, keeping my face impassive.
Scott looks almost offended at the insinuation of Derek's words. He takes a step forward, "Okay, hold on. He--he threatened to kill my mom. And I had to get close to him. What was I supposed to do?"
Peter shrugs slightly before giving his unwanted two cents, per usual. "I'm gonna go with Scott on this one. Have you seen his mom? She's gorgeous."
Derek and Scott both turn to Peter at the same time and speak almost in unison, "Shut up."
"God, you don't realize how much you don't miss a guy until he comes back from the dead." I cross my arms over my chest. Peter gives me a raised eyebrow to which I ignore.
Isaac suddenly raises his hand and looks between the three of us in the room he knows, "Who is he?"
"Oh," I give Isaac a sarcastic smile before gesturing to Peter. "That's Peter, Derek's Uncle. Little while back, he tried to kill us all, bite me, and then we set him on fire, and Derek slashed his throat."
Peter waves from behind Derek with a false innocent look on his face, "Hi."
Isaac takes a little step back to Scott, nodding his head, "That's good to know."
I look surprised when Scott turns to me first, "How is he alive?" I look to Derek with a pointed look and he sighs.
"Look, the short version is he knows how to stop Jackson. And maybe how to save him."Â I grimace slightly at his words. I feel a rush of regret, wondering if my actions tonight had been too clouded with my own problems. If I had done something sooner, we might have been able to stop the events that played out. It just constantly feels like time is moving to fast for me to catch up, like by the time I can really think, it's too late.
Isaac gives them a sour look before shaking his head, "Well, that's very helpful except Jackson's dead."
Derek looks to me with wide eyes and I turn mine to the floor. Scott nods in agreement, "Yeah, Jackson's dead. It just happened on the field."
Peter and Derek share a panicked look and Isaac stares at them confused, "Okay, why is none taking this as good news?"
"Because if Jackson is dead, it didn't just happen. Gerard wanted it to happen," Peter looks at all of us, "and the why is exactly what we need to figure out. And something tells me the window of opportunity is closing. Quickly."
â â âªï¸ â â
I walk into the Hale house for the second time tonight. I stop when I feel the warmth radiating from Derek's arm as he stands next to me. He sighs looking to Peter, "I told you, I looked everywhere."
Peter laughs lightly while removing a piece of one of the steps. He takes out an old looking wooden box where sitting on the step, "You didn't look here."
I feel Derek's hand place at my lower back, guiding me to walk with him as he moves closer. He studies the box on Peter's lap with interest, "What is that, a book?"
Peter turns to look at Derek like he has three heads before opening the top of the box, "No, it's a laptop." He slowly removes it before open the screen in front of him. "What century are you living in? A few days after I got out of the coma, I transferred everything we had. Fortunately, the Argents aren't the only ones that keeps records." He raises and eyebrow in my direction before standing and walking into the living room.
I begin to follow when Scott's phone ringing catches my attention. I stop when he sighs, "Hey, mom, I can't talk right now-"
She cuts him off and I hear the slight panic in her voice over the line, "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm so freaked out that I can barely talk either. Something is wrong, its--definitely something. I don't know what, but I think you're gonna want to see this for yourself."
He hangs up the phone quickly. Apparently Melissa went to check out Jackson's body and found him making a goo cocoon around himself. I nod before pointing to Isaac, "You guys go check that out. I'll stay here and keep you updated on what they find."
Scott nods before giving me 'stay safe' stern stare. I move into the living room to find Peter placing the laptop onto a table and taking a seat in front of it. I move next to Derek and feel his gaze on the side of my face as I watch Peter pull up a bunch of pages on the screen.
I turn after a few seconds, thinking when I caught him staring so blatantly, he would turn away. But he doesn't, if anything it feels like his eyes only intensify. I jump slightly when Peter clears his throat, and I glare when I look over to see him staring at us with a small smirk on his face.
"So, Derek did you tell Abigail what we saw earlier? When she went all murder-stabby." Peter turns back to the computer with a gleam in his eyes. I look up tp Derek with a confused stare and he sighs deeply.
"Your eyes changed. They were, purple." I don't feel surprise. In the last few days, this isn't first time I've experienced this. The last few times being after an overbearing feeling of anger. I lift my eyes from the floor and meet Derek's gaze, "It's happened before. Only a few times, but that's twice today."
Peter then looks up from the screen of the computer and I see something close to worry in his expression, "Has anyone else seen it?"
I turn to answer him, but the sound of my cell phone ringing makes me jump. I see Scott's name flashing across the screen and quickly answer. "Hello?"
I tap on the screen, putting Scott on speaker, "We're here. Jackson he...he's in some kind of transparent casing made from the venom coming out of his claws."
I cringe at the description as Peter scoffs lightly, "That sounds sufficiently terrifying."
"Yeah, well, not as terrifying as the fact that he's moving."
I look down at the screen as Peter sits up, "Okay, look, I think I found something. Looks like what we've seen from Jackson is just the Kanima's beta shape."
I look to Derek with slight fear, "Well, meaning what? It can turn into something bigger?"
My eyes widen as Peter turns the screen a little, showing us a terrifying picture of what looks like some kind of prehistoric creature, "Bigger and badder."
Derek shakes his head with crossed brows, staring intently at the screen, "He's turning into that? That has wings." I sigh and race a hand through my hair at the idea of Jackson stalking around looking like that.
I bring the phone closer to me again," Scott, you've gotta bring him here. It's not safe leaving him there."
Peter looks optimistic as he he clicks on a link on the screen, "Look, somebody actually made an animation of it. Maybe it's less frightening if we--" I jump back slightly as a high pitches screech comes out of the speakers. I shake my head quickly as Peter slams the screen closed, "Nope, not at all. We should probably meet them halfway."
Derek lightly grabs my wrist, bringing the cell phone to him, "Scott, get him out of there now--go now!"
â â âªï¸ â â
As I watch from the side of the abandoned building, I try to focus on the bad feeling in my gut. Like something was going to go horribly wrong. But what, I don't know. I turn at the sound of tires on gravel, but grow nervous as a black SUV pulls up. I feel fear creep into me before Scott and Isaac come from the passenger and backseat. I feel my brows cross in confusion when my father climbs out of the driver's.
I take a step forward, the headlights spotlighting me, "Dad?" He looks at me with no surprise and nods slowly. I take a small step back and eye Scott as he gives me a 'trust me' look. "What's going on?"
My father steps forward, hands out slightly as if to show me he isn't a threat, "I want to help. Allison, she...Gerard's got her mind twisted. We need to help Jackson and we need to help Allison."
I remember the look she gave me in the house before I left. The hatred lingering in her eyes and the smug look on Gerard's face. "Just like he did with Kate?"
My father looks down, as if he had come to the same conclusion before. He shakes his head lightly before looking around us, "Where is Derek?" I don't turn as I hear hits steps hit the ground loudly before he lands a backflip, facing us with bright red eyes.
After a moment, Scott and Isaac grab the body bag containing Jackson before carrying it inside. I watch as they place it in the middle of the room on the floor then take a step back. I don't see any movement from inside, but I don't trust that enough to go near him. Derek steps forward as Scott suddenly looks around, "Where's Peter and Lydia?"
I cringe when Derek shakes his head, leaning down to unzip the body bag in front of him, "We're out of time. Think about it, Scott. Gerard controls him now. He's turned Jackson into his own personal guard dog. And he set all of this in motion so that Jackson could get even bigger and more powerful."
I feel the bad feeling from before build into dread, weighing down on my chest I feel like I can't catch my breath.
I watch as my father shakes his head, taking a step forward from the circle we've made around Jackson, "No. No, he wouldn't do that. If Jackson's a dog, he's turning rabid, and my father wouldn't let a rabid dog live."
I open my mouth to speak, but freeze. I feel the buzzing of his presence before I turn to the hall next to us, "Gerard."
I meet his eyes as he stands on the other side of the room, "Of course not. Anything that dangerous, that out of control--" His eyes lock until Derek before he grinds out, "Is better off dead."
"No!" I move forward, but only get about three steps before Jackson sit's up, sinking his claws into Derek's chest. I gasp as he slowly stands, lifting Derek's above his as blood slowly seeps onto his shirt. "Let him go!" My voice feels like it vibrates the room before Jackson throws Derek's body across the room and into the one next to it. I move to take a step forward before Jackson moves in front of me, holding out a clawed hand.
Gerard shakes his hand at me before turning to Scott solemnly, "Well done, Scott. Like the concerned friend you are, you brought Jackson to Derek to save him. You just didn't realize that you were also bringing Derek to me."
I wince as the thought didn't even cross my mind. I didn't think Gerard's something bigger plan would only involve coming for Derek. I quickly turn, moving out of the way last minute, as an arrow soars through the air. I wince at it lands deeply into Isaac's shoulder. I turn my head last second to see dark long hair sway out of view into the other room. Scott's confused voice comes from beside me, "Allison?"
I follow him as he races over, lifting one of Isaac's arms onto my shoulder as he does the other. I hear the sound of my father's gun firing off, but it's only matched by the angered screeches of the Kanima. I help Scott sit Jackson against a wooden crate on the side and watch as the Kanima shoves my father a few feet back, causing him to land harshly on his back. I turn, removing the knife from the holster hidden under my shirt, before turning to him.
I watch as the Kanima crouches down in front of me, letting out a horrible screech. It's starts moving towards me, but stops when suddenly Derek leaps over a stack on pallets. He lands in front of me wolfed out, red eyes locked onto the creature in front of us.
I look over and see both Scott and Isaac the same way before they nod and move in. I turn to my father and drop down to him, making sure he isn't too hurt to stand. I turn back when I hear the Scott being thrown into a wall roughly, and look just in time for the Kanima to slice Derek's across the stomach.
I stand and race over when he falls back onto the ground. I look up expecting to see Jackson's scaly form, but instead Allison stalks forward. I look at the daggers in both her hands and place myself in front of Derek as she raises them, "Allison, stop!" I feel nothing, but sadness and slight betrayal as she continues to stand, knives raised in each hand. "Ally..."
I'll never know what her choice would have been as a gasp leaves me when suddenly the Kanima reaches around from behind her. I watch her eyes widen, then raise over to where Gerard slowly moves forward into the light, "Not yet, sweetheart."
Allison looks fearful as the clawed hand around her throat doesn't move, "What are you doing?"
Gerard's eyes fall down to Derek's form below my body as I continue to stand as if I could truly protect him. I look at the blood covering his shirt as Scott moves towards Gerard, "He's doing what he came here to do."
"What--what're you talking about?" I try to find Scott's eyes, but they stay locked onto Gerard in front of us.
Gerard shakes his head, watching Scott thoughtfully, "It was the night outside the hospital, wasn't it, when I threatened your mother. I knew I saw something in your eyes. You could just smell it, couldn't you?"
I think back to animal clinic with dog dying of cancer. Isaac looks over and gasp out around bloody lips, "He's dying."
Gerard nods slowly, "I am. I have been for a while now. Unfortunately, science doesn't have a cure for cancer yet," His eyes fall down to Derek briefly before look to Allison as a tear falls down her cheek, "But the supernatural does."
I clench my teeth at him in anger from my spot on the floor, "You're a monster."
He only grins slightly, "Not yet."
Allison cries out as Jackson's grip tightens around her throat when she speaks. Our father rushes forward looking to her as tears from her eyes freely, "You'll kill her too?"
Gerard doesn't show an ounce of feeling or humanity as he glances between the three family members in front of him , "When it comes to survival, I'd kill my own son!" His eyes locking to my father's.
I look down at Derek as he gasps, trying to sit up from the floor. He shakes his head, a hand pressing against my leg for support as he looks to Scott, "Don't. You know that he's gonna kill me right after. He'll be an Alpha."
The thought is terrifying, but hopefully that's not how the night pans out. Not if everything works.
Gerard smirks nodding to Derek, "That's true. But I think he already knows that, don't you, Scott? He knows that the ultimate prize is Allison. Do this small task for me, and they can be together." Scott looks to Allison, but acts like he doesn't see her shaking her head. I lock eyes with Gerard as he pointily grinds out the next sentence, "You are the only two pieces that don't fit," I glare heavily at this words, "And in case you haven't learned yet, there is just no competing with young love."
I let Scott shove me to the side before he grabs the back of Derek's neck, lifting him from the ground. I close my eyes momentarily at the desperation in Derek's voice, "Scott, don't! Don't!"
Scott only shakes his head before gripping Derek's neck, causing is mouth t fall open fangs expose. "I'm sorry. But I have to."
I watch from the side, smirking, as Gerard places his arm down, Derek's teeth sinking into his skin. His scream fills the room before he looks down at the bleeding bite on his arm. He then lets a triumphant grin come to face as he lifts his wound for all of us to see. I crawl over to Derek, placing a hand on his back and meet his confused gaze. I nod to Gerard, to where his bite is now bleeding a black goo down his skin. Derek's eyes widen, as do Gerard's as he notices what is happening, "What? What is this? What did you do?"
Scott looks over to me before I give him a nod. He then meets Derek's gaze with a shrug, "Everyone said Gerard always had a plan. Well, we had a plan too."
Scott stares at me with wide eyes as I look at him accusingly. I see his throat move as he swallows deeply before letting his eyes fall to the floor in front of me. I step forward, my eyes owns blazing with emotion. "I asked you, are you working with Gerard? And don't lie to me, I will know if you are."
I couldn't sleep or think about anything else since the night in the station. I knew if I didn't confront Scott soon I would be dead by my own doing soon. He sighs before shaking his head lightly, "No, but he thinks I am."
Scott had explained it all to me then. How he could smell Gerard was dying. About the night outside of the hospital and how he knew the pills Gerard kept in the little tin container were something he ingested every few hours. He also told me about how him and Deaton had filled identical pills with a certain black powder and then switched them out.
"In the station," I think back to the sound of metal hitting the floor as he was leaving Gerard. "You switched out his pill container." Scott nods quickly and I move closer to him before placing my hands on his shoulders. "Explain what we need to do to stop him."
I blink back to present and watch as Gerard pulls the same metal container from his pocket, dumping the pills into his hands. I smirk when he crushes them in his fist, a black smoky power coming it. He looks up angrily, "Mountain ash!"
Suddenly the black goo starts dripping from his eyes, nose, and mouth before he falls to his knees in front of us. I stand slowly, helping Derek up as I watch him in front of us. Gerard then groans before the black substance comes pouring from his mouth onto the floor in front of him. I cringe at the sight and take a small step backwards as he then gasp lightly before falling to the floor.
Derek looks to me briefly before his eyes find Scott, "Why didn't you tell me?" I place another hand on his shoulder and try not overthink as it tenses under my touch. I didn't tell him and I honestly wasn't sure why. I do truly believe it was out of fear of either the plan failing, or in case Derek decided the risk wasn't enough.
Scott only shakes his head lightly with a stern look on his face, "Because you might be an Alpha, but you're not mine."
We all turn as Gerard tries to sit up, black blood still dripping from his lips. "Kill them!" I look to the Kanima in fear as it still has it's clawed hand around my sister's neck. Gerard uses the last of strength as his voice echoes hauntingly around us, "Kill them all!"
I gasp, taking a step forward as Jackson suddenly throws Allison to the ground. At the sound of a loud crash next to me, I feel Derek's arm pulling me back. I wrap my arms around my head for a moment before looking up and seeing Stiles' Jeep. He drove through the fricking wall. His voice shouts from the driver's side as Lydia sits in the passenger seat looking quite shocked, "Did I get him?!"
I feel a scream of surprise leave me when suddenly Jackson jumps onto the hood of the car, hissing at the two inside. They both climb out quickly, but Lydia stops in front of the Kanima, "Jackson! Jackson."
Stiles tries to move back to her, but Scott stops him. The Kanima freezes in front of the strawberry blonde girl as quivers in fear, holding up a golden key in front of him. I realize it's the key Jackson gave Lydia to his house and how much she said it meant to her, and him, for her to have it. I also remember Allison mentioning how devastated she was when he asked for it back.
A tear rolls down Lydia's face and I watch as Jackson's yellow reptile eyes, return to their human shade of blue. His eyes focus on hers as his fingers wrap around the key in her hand. I notice the tears slightly filling his eyes before he takes a few steps backwards. I notice his eyes meet Derek's behind me before nodding lightly. I turn when I feel Derek moving from around me and cross my brows confused. I see Peter coming forward in front of us and I reach to grab Derek's arm, but he's already out of reach, "Derek!"
I gasp when Derek's claw dig into his stomach and Peter's into his back only seconds later. I cover my mouth as they lift his body into the air and he starts gasping lightly as blood seeps from his wounds. Derek's eyes return to normal as he moves back to me. He rests a hand on my arm and I watch in despair as Lydia rushes forward, falling before Jackson on his knees.
His voice is weak as he gasps out weakly, "Do you--do you still--"
Lydia cries she places her hands onto his face, looking at him with adorning eyes, "I do. I do still love you. I do, I still love you."
Her sob breaks my heart and once Jackson lets a breath out, he falls onto her shoulder. I reach out, wrapping my hand tightly around Derek's as the sound of the key falling from his hand to the floor is all I hear. For a moment, the only sound around us is Lydia's sobs.
My eyes fall to the floor behind them. I follow the black blood trail and stop when I don't see the unconscious body that was there before. I feel dread fill me before my other hand grabs Derek's arm next to me, "Where's Gerard?"
My father looks to the same spot before he meets my gaze, "He can't be far." I look over when Lydia stands to her feet, crying as she takes a step away from Jackson's body. But then we all freeze at the sound of claws scrapping the floor before Jackson's eye open revealing an icy supernatural shade of blue. He slowly stands, his face shifted until facial hair grew and fangs elongated from his mouth. Jackson is a werewolf.
He lets out a loud growl as I watch shocked. Within seconds, he looks back to Lydia, his face the same one I had met on my first day of school in Beacon Hills. I turn to Stiles as he watches Lydia run to Jackson before wrapping her arms around his body.
â â âªï¸ â â
I walk up to the Hale house with Derek by my side. I eye Peter as he walks along side Isaac in front of us. Then I notice the look on Isaac's face as he stops in front of the house and looks to Derek confused. My eyes catch the black symbol imprinted on the front door and the overwhelming feeling of death comes over me again.
No.
It was supposed to end with the Kanima. This isn't supposed to be happening, it hasn't even been three hours. Peter sighs and meets my eyes quickly before Derek's, "You haven't told them everything yet, have you?"
I don't move my eyes from the symbol on the door, trying to suffocate the feeling of fear building in my chest, "What does he mean?"
"C'mon, Abby. You can't tell me you couldn't feel something." He turns to Isaac with a comprehensive look, "Why do you think Derek was in such a hurry to build his pack? So eager to strengthen his power and his number? When there's a new Alpha, people take notice."
"People like who?" I hear a shred of fear in his voice before he looks back to the symbol on the door. The one my eyes haven't left yet. "What is this? What does this mean?"
Derek's voice is tight, and I feel his hand grip mine, grounding me just the slightest, "It's their symbol. And it means they're coming."
Isaac turns back to us with wide eyes, "Who?" Derek lets out his word with a deep exhale, "Alphas. A pack of them."
I blink, and for the first time, I can feel the change. My vision almost seems brighter, sharper, as I turn my gaze to meet the three standing in front of me. All three pairs of eyes stare at me, "An Alpha pack...and they're not coming. They're already here."