BLARING sirens erupt throughout the police station along with scattered emergency lights flashing on the upper walls. Karson's reflexes kick in and she covers her ears quickly from the loud noise. She glances over at Scott who is still clutching his wound and is sweating profusely. Making sure to be careful with her movements, Karson strides over to Scott to offer a supporting hand. He gladly accepts by swinging his arm over her shoulder. Matt begins to pace the room while swinging the gun around in his hand in panic.
"What is this? What is this?" Matt shouts, eyes shooting around the room for a sign as to what is happening. He approaches the two teens, flashing the gun their way. "What's happening? What's going on?"
"I don't know." Scott mutters, shaking his head and tightening his grip on Karson's shoulder. Bright lights temporarily blind Karson as they stream through the station's windows and she soon realizes that this is planned. Whatever this is.
Glass breaks as gunshots begin from outside of the station. The three take cover for protection and the firing of the guns makes the ringing in Karson's ears worse. Scott grabs Karson and pulls her down with him to hide under a desk while Matt is nowhere to be found. Once the firing ceases, multiple smoke bombs explode throughout the station which causes coughing to escape Karson's throat. Scott comforts her, rubbing her back but soon pulls her away from the smoke-infested room that they are in.
"C'mon, we gotta get Stiles and Derek." Scott grabs her hand to drag her through multiple doors of the station in order to reach their two friends, simultaneously taking Jackson out on the way. Karson notices two bodies motionless on the ground of the Sheriff's office and rushes to Derek's side. Scott grips his best friend's body who is still very much paralyzed.
"Take him! Go!" Derek shouts at Scott, struggling to get up off of the ground. Karson grabs his bicep and lower back to assist him up. Once he is fully on his feet, Derek grips Karson's forearms. "Go with Scott and get outta here."
"Like hell." Karson says, earning a groan from Derek.
"You need to get somewhere safe. This isn't your fight." Derek replies, genuine concern crossing his facial features.
"I don't care. I'm staying with you." Karson nips, tightening her hold on Derek's arm.
"Why are you so damn stubborn?" Derek shouts. Karson glares at him before crossing her arms across her chest. "Don't make me drag you out myself."
"Give it a shot. I doubt you'll be successful." Karson says, placing all of her body weight onto her hip as she stands her ground. Derek sighs loudly, swiping a hand through his hair. "Look, we can continue arguing or we can go and help stop Matt and Jackson. Your choice."
"If you get hurt.." Karson places a finger on Derek's lips to shush him, walking closer to lean her chest against his.
"I can handle myself."
"Trust me, I know." Derek grabs her hand that is on his face and holds it tightly. He grips her waist with his other hand, tugging her closer to him. Karson's breath hitches in her throat as she watches him drag her hand against his lips again, placing light kisses on her palm. She grips his arm, rubbing her thumb against the muscle belly of his biceps.
"You aren't leaving my side." Derek squeezes her hip. Karson decides not to argue that so she nods in agreement and grips Derek's hand as he reaches for it. She grabs his arm in support as the two exits the Sheriff's office.
After scouting out most of the station, screams erupt from the holding cell. The two rush toward the Sheriff and Melissa as Matt turns to size Derek up. Derek's eyes glow red with his claws retracted as he growls at the boy. Karson whips her head across the room at another entrance to see the Kanima approaching. A loud screech exits the Kanima as Derek strides over to it, dodging and throwing him into the wall near Karson.
Stiles is prone on the floor near the other entrance where the Kanima came from. He is attempting to crawl towards his unconscious father but appears to be still suffering the paralyzing effects. Karson rushes to his side, grabbing his torso and checking on him. The two teens watch as Derek fights the Kanima, throwing chairs and punches. It isn't long before Derek is kicked into the opposing wall by the Kanima, who is crawling along the cell bars where Melissa is being held. Tears are streaming down her face and the sheer terror is shown in her body language as her eyes widen at the creature before her.
Then, Scott appears. Clawing the Kanima in the back and tossing him away from his mother, Scott purposefully turns his back to Melissa and crouches on the floor. Karson notices the Kamina hiss as it retreats from the holding cell room with Derek following closely in pursuit.
"Oh, God. Scott? Scott, you okay?" Melissa asks, squatting down with her grip on the bars to peer down at her son. Scott hesitates, refusing to turn and show his mother his face. Half-transformed. "Scott?"
Slowly, Scott realizes he has to turn to his mother. As he makes eye contact with her, Karson sees the pure horror on Melissa's face as she stares at her son. The woman slowly stands up from her crouched position, releasing her grip on the cell bars. She cups her mouth with her hands and begins to back away toward the back of the cell. Scott's chest rises and falls with even breaths, dropping his head to face the floor before staring at his mother one last time. Then taking off towards the way the Kamina went. Karson's heart drops as she hears one last cry from Melissa. "No!"
****************************
WARNING: MATURE CONTENT AHEAD
"What do you mean Scott is working with Gerard?" Karson asks Derek, joining him on the couch sitting with her legs crossed.
"I mean...I overheard Scott and Gerard talking about how their plan didn't work. They seemed friendly about it." Derek voiced, placing his forearms on the top of his knees in for support.
"There has to be a reasonable explanation.." Karson replies.
"When it comes to Gerard, reasonable doesn't exist. Scott's got some explaining to do." Derek grabs an already-filled glass of bourbon and gulps the whole drink in one go. "Matt took off too. Just another problem we still have to deal with."
"We'll find him. He can't go far. Hell, there is nowhere for him to go." Karson sighs, leaning her back against the cushions tucked into the back of the couch. "It's my fault Matt ended up that way."
Derek furrows his eyebrows together, placing the empty bourbon glass down on the coffee table in front of the couch and angling his body towards hers. "What? What do you mean?"
"Matt was right about his victims killing him. Matt drowned the night the 2006 swim team won the championship. My brother and the team were partying, getting drunk, and making a ruckus. My dad was there, too. Matt came over to our house to borrow comic books from Issac, but instead got tossed into our pool and laughed at because he couldn't swim. My dad saved his life but forced him to keep quiet about what happened. All the while, I was tucked in my room when I could've helped him."
"Kar." Derek tugs the girl closer to him, pulling Karson into his open lap and chest. "You were just a kid. How could you know that was gonna happen? It will never be your fault. It's your dad's fault, the swim team's fault. It's Matt's fault that he turned out the way he is. I'm sure if you were out there with the team or heard the commotion, you would've done something. But you didn't and that doesn't mean it was your fault." Derek rubs the small of her back as Karson tears up, grabbing her chin to make her look at him. "You are not responsible. Do you hear me?"
Karson's lip quivers as she reluctantly nods her head in agreement. She takes a few deep breaths to calm herself down, closing her eyes. Derek strokes her chin with his thumb as his hand cups her cheek and once she feels the tension leave her, Karson's eyes flutter open. Derek is grinning at her with so much tenderness it makes butterflies erupt inside her stomach. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because you have such a huge heart and you don't even realize it." Derek whispers, continuing to stroke her face. "It makes you even more beautiful than you already are."
Karson smiles at him with appreciation. "You can be a smooth-talker when you wanna be, you know that?"
"I'm just being honest. You're too hard on yourself. If only you could see yourself the way I see you."
"How do you see me?"
"Like I found the missing piece in my life." Karson's heart stops beating at Derek's response. His eyes show so much sincerity and admiration. Karson's cheeks heat up and her lips part in utter surprise. Derek reaches up to stroke her bottom lip softly, gripping her cheek. She finally breathes out, feeling a smile appear on her face. Karson grabs the back of Derek's neck and pulls him in for a kiss. A very long, very passionate kiss.
The kiss quickly turns into a full makeout session. Karson falls back onto the couch as Derek hovers over her. He grips her butt tightly and pulls Karson's legs to wrap around his waist. Karson's hands drape around his shoulders as she pulls him closer to her. Derek grabs the hem of his shirt to pull it off and tosses it to the floor before helping Karson out of her shirt. Their lips connect again but Derek pulls away to trail kisses along Karson's jaw and down her neck and chest.
Karson moans as Derek drags his tongue along her sternum, planting wet kisses here and there. The throb between her legs increases, making her push her hips into him. That earns a groan from Derek. Karson runs her hands down his torso and latches onto his belt, which causes Derek to grab her hand to stop her.
Karson looks up at him as he offers her a cautious look before speaking. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Karson says, grinning at him. Derek releases his grip on her hand and lets her unbuckle his pants. Before she can pull them down, Derek quickly grabs her butt and picks her up, making sure her legs are wrapped around his waist again. After a couple of steps, Karson falls back onto Derek's bed and her hair sprawls on the comforter beneath her.
Derek begins unbuttoning her pants with her permission and throws them on the floor after he removes his own pants. He pulls her body closer to him, grabbing her hips. Karson sits up on her elbows, slowly detaching her bra from her body which causes Derek to pause.
"You are gorgeous." Derek says, licking his lips at the sight of her bare chest. "Every freaking part of you."
"I want you bad, Derek." Karson mutters.
"Trust me, baby. The feeling is mutual." Derek grips the sides of her underwear and gently drags them down her legs and off of her body. He moves down to kiss her inner thighs before reaching her opening. He rubs his thumb against her clit, causing Karson to moan in pleasure. Derek plunges his tongue into her, sucking hard and gripping her breast with his hand to give it a light squeeze. His other hand is positioned to hold her torso down in place.
"Oh my god...Derek.." Karson moans, gripping his hair to give it a hard tug. She glances down at him between her legs to see his head bobbing slightly as he continues to suck her. Soon enough, she moans in release as Derek licks her up.
"You better have more in store after that." Karson says, causing a chuckle to escape Derek. He reaches into his side table drawer, carefully leaning over Karson without crushing her body beneath him.
"Don't worry. Tonight's all about you." Derek pulls a condom out of the drawer, tearing the wrapper with his teeth. He places on his bulge and positions himself near Karson's entrance, pausing to look at her. "Are you sure?"
"I am. I trust you." Karson strokes the stubble on his jaw, wrapping her legs around his waist. She pulls his hips to hers, making their bodies collide. They both gasp in pleasure and Derek grips the comforter below him in between his fingers.
Slowly, Derek begins to move and push deeper inside of her. He pulls out of Karson before plunging back in with more force. Karson moans in desire, wanting more. "Derek...harder."
On command, Derek picks up the pace and grips her waist to slam into her with much more force. Their bodies move in rhythm as Derek continues to thrust into her repeatedly. Soon, Karson cries out in euphoria and her legs shake as she reaches her high. She grips Derek's shoulders as he doesn't stop moving inside of her. She moans loudly, causing Derek to kiss her neck. "I got you, baby."
Karson grips the back of Derek's head as he plants kisses along her jaw, watching him as he groans. He curses under his breath while coming down from his high, propping himself up on his elbows. Karson runs her fingers through his hair which makes a smile appear on Derek's face.
He finally pulls out of her, causing Karson to feel an emptiness between her legs. Derek discards the condom and quickly moves back to the girl on his bed. He pulls her under the covers with him and holds her tight. Derek wraps his arm under her back to rest on her waist while his other hand pulls her leg over his. Half of Karson's body drapes across Derek's chest and shoulder and Derek presses a kiss to her temple. "Goddamn, I'm never letting you leave this bed."
Karson chuckles, stroking his hand that lay on her waist. "I guess it was good."
"Just good??" Derek's mouth gapes open at her. "That was fucking amazing."
"Then I think we're gonna have to do it again." Karson grins up at him.
"I'm holding you to that." Derek responds, gripping her tighter and planting a hard kiss on her lips.
****************************
Erica's jaw falls open as she listens to Karson recounts her steamy moment with Derek. "You dirty bitch!"
"Hey! I'm telling you in confidence." Karson slaps her shoulder playfully, which earns a laugh from Erica. "You tell and I will end you."
Erica throws her arms up in surrender. "I won't tell a soul. Promise. I just did not see this coming."
"Yeah, well, me either." Karson says, rubbing a hand across her face.
"No wonder he didn't want me. He was already picturing you in his bed naked." Erica mutters. "Was it good?"
"Really good." Karson groans and throws her hand in her palms. "Damn, everything just got even more complicated."
"Hey, don't stress. Everything will work itself out. At least, we can only hope." Erica replies, shrugging her shoulders in an attempt to show nonchalance. "Any news on Matt?"
"Nope. Scott hasn't been answering Stiles or my texts. Which isn't surprising considering his mother found out his secret. He's probably preoccupied with that."
"What about Jackson?"
"No idea. It's only been a day, though."
"Apparently that's enough time for the police to find Matt's body." Karson and Erica turn to face Issac, who joins them on the couch. "A call was made to the station. They found him dead near a local quarry. Drowned."
Karson's eyes widen in disbelief. "How?"
"The police think it was a homicide." Issac explains.
"Great. So there's another killer." Erica mutters, combing her fingers through her hair. "As if it can't get any worse."
"Actually it can." Issac's eyes flicker to his sister's. "Victoria Argent was also found dead. Stabbed to death."
Karson's stomach drops. Allison. Despite the fact that her mother was a werewolf hunter and wanted their entire friend group dead, it was still her mom. Karson couldn't believe how quickly things were escalating.
"Could it be Jackson?" Erica asks, wrinkling her forehead in confusion.
"It can't be if Matt's dead. Right? Jackson wouldn't kill the one controlling him. It also doesn't make sense for him to kill Allison's mother, she didn't have any connection to Matt." Issac says.
"Unless someone else replaced Matt's role." Karson mutters, causing the two werewolves to glance at her in concern. "Think about it. Someone killed Matt in order to gain control of the Kanima. It isn't impossible to believe."
"Who do we think it would be?" Erica asks.
"I don't think that's the most important question we ask. I think we need to ask why." Karson replies, furrowing her eyebrows together. She quickly grabs her phone from the coffee table to text Allison. I'm so sorry about your mom. I'm here if you need anything.
A response comes as quickly as Karson sends her text. However, Allison startles her to her core. Revenge is the best treatment. Feel free to tell the pack to run for their lives, because we're coming after all of them. Don't try and stop us.
****************************
A WEEK AND A HALF LATER
VOICEOVER - STILES and MARIN MORRELL
"You know, when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out. It's called "voluntary apnea." It's, like, no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding. But then, when you finally do let it in... that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's-it's actually kind of peaceful." [Stiles]
"Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?"[Morrell]
"I don't feel sorry for him." [Stiles]
"Can you feel sorry for the nine-year-old Matt who drowned?" [Morrell]
"Just because a couple of dumbasses dragged him into a pool when he couldn't swim, doesn't really give him the right to go off killing them one by one." [Stiles] "And, by the way, my dad told me that they found a bunch of pictures of Allison on Matt's computer. And not just of her, though. I mean, he photoshopped himself into these pictures-- stuff like them holding hands, and kissing... You know, like, he had built this whole fake relationship. So, yeah, maybe drowning when he was nine years old was what sent him off the rails, but the dude was definitely riding the crazy train."
"One positive thing came out of this, though... Right?" [Morrell]
"Yeah. Yeah... but I still feel like there's something wrong between us. I don't know. It's just, like, tension when we talk. Same thing with Scott." [Stiles]
"Have you talked to him since that night?" [Morrell]
"No, not really... I mean, he's got his own problems to deal with, though..." [Stiles]
"I don't think he's talked to Allison, either... But that might be more her choice, you know?" [Stiles] "Her mom dying hit her pretty hard. But, I guess it brought her and her dad closer..."
"Jackson?" [Stiles] "Jackson hasn't really been himself lately..."
"Actually, the funny thing is, as of right now, Lydia is the one who seems the most normal..." [Stiles]
"And what about you, Stiles? Feeling some anxiety about that championship game tomorrow?"[Morrell]
"Why would you ask me that?" [Stiles] Uh, no. I-I never actually play. But, hey, since one of my teammates is dead, and another one's missing, who knows, right?"
"You mean, Isaac-- one of the three runaways. You haven't heard from any of them, have you?" [Morrell] "What about his sister...Karson?"
"How come you're not taking any notes on this?" [Stiles]
"I do my notes after the session." [Morrell]
"Your memory's that good?" [Stiles]
" How about we get back to you." [Morrell] "Stiles."
"Yeah, aside from the not sleeping, the jumpiness, the constant, overwhelming, crushing fear that something terrible's about to happen." [Stiles]
"It's called "hypervigilance." The persistent feeling of being under threat." [Morrell]
"But it's not just a feeling, though... It's-it's like it's a panic attack, you know? Like I can't even breathe." [Stiles]
"Like you're drowning?" [Morrell]
"Yeah." [Stiles]
"So, if you're drowning, and you're trying to keep your mouth closed until that very last moment... What if you choose to not open your mouth? To not let the water in?" [Morrell]
"You do anyway. It's a reflex." [Stiles]
"But, if you hold off until that reflex kicks in, you have more time, right?" [Morrell]
"Not much time." [Stiles]
"But more time to fight your way to the surface?" [Morrell]
"I guess..." [Stiles]
"More time to be rescued?" [Morrell]
"More time to be in agonizing pain. I mean, did you forget about the part where you feel like your head's exploding?" [Stiles]
"If it's about survival, isn't a little agony worth it?" [Morrell]
"But what if it just gets worse? What if it's agony now, and then-and it's just hell later on?" [Stiles]
"Then think about something Winston Churchill once said... "If you're going through hell, keep going." [Morrell]
*************************
It's been nearly two weeks and Karson hasn't heard from anyone except for Stiles. The two have been texting frequently, trying to piece together everything that has happened. Matt is dead but his killer is still at large and it also begs the question as to what happened to Kamina, and Jackson for that matter. Scott, Allison, and Lydia are MIA. Scott went AWOL ever since his mother found out about him. Lydia is busy doing what Lydia does. And Allison...well, Karson hasn't heard from her since the last time they texted. She was worried about her, but then again, Karson has no idea what actually happened with Mrs. Argent. Issac did say that she was stabbed to death but that is hard to believe especially when Victoria Argent was an avid werewolf hunter. Something must have happened that Allison doesn't want to tell her.
Karson has been spending a lot of time with Issac and the rest of Derek's pack. Erica and she have been closer than ever, sharing in the thrill of being in hiding. Allison's text scared the hell out of Karson which made the rest decide to stay under the radar as best as possible. Despite the past week or so being quiet from any supernatural activity, Karson had this nagging itch that everything was about to blow up.
At that moment, heavy pants were escaping from Karson's body as she dodged a punch from her brother. Sparing has become a bonding experience for Issac and Karson; giving them an outlet to be free from all of the chaos that plagues their lives. Ducking to avoid Issac's punch, Karson quickly sweeps her brother's foot from the ground causing him to tumble. As Issac lay on the ground, Karson places her knee on his neck to keep him moving and smirks at him. "Oops, too slow."
Issac chuckles at her, laying back on the ground for a moment to grovel in his defeat. Karson extends her hand to offer him help which he accepts. "Alright, I'll give it to you. You're getting stronger; tougher."
"I mean...I'm not one to brag butttt." Karson grins at Issac, detaching her gloves from her hands and tossing them onto the coffee table. "Better to be prepared than dead, right?"
"You worried that Jackson is loose and finding new targets?" Issac asks, joining his sister as she collapses into a half-sitting half leaning position on the ground.
"That, and the hunters." Karson swallows hard.
"Have you heard anything from Allison?"
"No, and I don't know if I should try to contact her. She's not exactly a big fan of us right now and I doubt she'll want to hear us out."
"We can't stay in hiding forever, Kar." Issac says. "If it comes down to it, we'll have to fight."
"I don't want Allison getting hurting."
"Well that might be hard when she gets the opportunity to aim a crossbow at my head." Issac mutters with sarcasm.
"Hopefully it doesn't come to that."
"It always comes to that."
Karson rolls her eyes despite agreeing with Issac. Somehow they always seem to resort to violence to fix problems. She just prays that her brother can stay clear of it because everything they went through would be for nothing if Issac gets hurt, or worse.
"Are you playing the game tonight? It's championships right?" Karson asks Issac who shrugs his shoulders.
"Playing in a lacrosse game seems like the least of our concerns." Issac replies.
"I think you should play. At least try to keep some sense of normalcy in your life, Issac." Karson explains.
"What happened to staying under the radar?"
"They're not gonna open fire on you in the middle of a high school lacrosse game. Plus, maybe you can find out what the hell Scott's been up to." Karson sighs.
"Why makes you think he'll talk to me?" Issac asks, furrowing his eyebrows together. "Wait..what makes you think I want to talk to him???"
"Because Scott isn't the enemy. He just wants to help everyone, even if it doesn't seem like it." Karson replies. She sees the wheels turning in the back of her brother's head, presumably contemplating what she just said, and watches as he narrows his eyes.
"We'll see."
*****************************
"So this is where Derek Hale grew up?" Karson says, entering a dilapidated house near the edge of town. The land surrounding the house is barren and despite the structure being set on fire, it is still holding up well. Karson leans her body against an archway that opens into where the living room once was. The wooden floor has rotted and piles of leaves and scraps from wild animals reside throughout not just the living room, but the rest of the house. Derek stands at the far end of the room, near the run-down mantel and fireplace. He is viciously scooping through stacks of books when he turns to face the Lahey girl. "Do I get a private tour?"
Derek smiles at her. "For you? Of course."
Karson grins as she strides over to Derek, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. Derek obliges, tightening his grip on her waist and moaning into the kiss. They reluctantly pull apart shortly after, trying to not get carried away considering where they are.
"How was training with Issac?" Derek asks, still keeping Karson pressed firmly against him.
"What do you think? I kicked his ass again." Karson replies, causing Derek to chuckle at this. Karson peers around Derek's body to see all of the books stacked behind him. "What are you up to?"
"Nothing, just some more research on the Kamina." Derek says, looking everywhere but Karson's eyes. She can tell he is lying to her but Karson doesn't know if she feels like starting an argument if she tries to push him so she just mutters, "Okay."
"Where are Erica and Boyd?" Karson asks, clasping her fingers together behind Derek's neck. When he doesn't answer right away, Karson's heart beats faster. "Derek."
"They're fine. They, um, are thinking about leaving."
Karson's face becomes incredulous as her mouth parts slightly. "What do you mean 'leaving,' like leave Beacon Hills?" Derek nods his head.
"You aren't letting them...right?"
"I can't force them to stay here, Karson. If they wanna leave, they can. The Argents aren't gonna stop hunting us." Derek says, gripping her hips tight. "But, I'll do everything I can to convince them to stay. Packs are the strongest when they are all together."
"Well, whatever happens, you still got Issac. And me." Karson presses her lips together to offer a light smile. "We don't give up that easily."
"Thank god for that." Derek replies, pulling Karson in for another kiss. Before they can move any further, Karson's phone buzzes in her pocket. Karson's groan causes Derek to chuckle. The two pull away from each other as Karson glances down at a text message from Issac.
Deciding to take your advice for once. Going to talk to Scott. Meet me at the animal clinic.