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"Thought you could get rid of me?" Peter asked with a smirk.
Vivian was in her hospital room, like she had been for almost a week now. Except it was different. Tara, who she knew was in her room before she fell asleep, wasn't there anymore. Stiles and Sydney weren't sleeping in the waiting room like they had been the entire weekend. It seemed like the shadows were bending to make Vivian only see Peter. She felt like she couldn't look anywhere else.
"But- but.. you're- you. You should be dead." Vivian said shaking. Her fear felt two times worse than usual.
"You're smarter than that." Peter said making his eyes glow red. "It'll take more than some two bit werewolf to get rid of me."
Vivian kept shaking her head and repeating no as his presence got closer and closer. Even though when she would look back up he was exactly where he had be. She rubbed her eyes until it hurt and when she opened them Peter was right in front of her.
She gasped as she woke up. She rubbed her eyes again, blinking continuously until she felt her heart start to calm down. She looked over to see Tara sleeping by the side of her bed, she looked the other way to see Stiles layed out between 3 chairs and drooling with his sister peacefully asleep in another.
Seeing them all calmed her down but also added some guilt into her stomach. She hadn't told any of them about what was happening. The dreams that sometimes felt too real. The headache when Peter dragged her and Stiles around all night. Throwing up black liquid. The bite she had hidden.
She should be changing into a werewolf, so should Lydia. But they weren't. They both seemed fine. Lydia woke up and was still as bitchy as usual, but at least she had a reason to be. Vivian was also healing naturally, but she felt... different.
She was spacier and these dreams. They were messing with her, but she couldn't drag the others into this. Tara had just started to get over Scott who was back with Allison, she also seemed more confident in herself. Stiles had kissed her and as amazing as it was, it messed things up and now he was avoiding anytime alone with her. Sydney was just starting to accept being a werewolf and she had Lydia to watch over. Mikayla was... she had made friends with Allison and had been spending time with her, which was good. She needed more friends, and Allison seemed like the best option. Scott deserved to have a break from all the supernatural drama, they all did.
Bottom of the line was Vivian hadn't and wasn't telling anyone.
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Sydney moved another seat away from Stiles when he stretched his legs too far into her own seat. It honestly was impressive that he was able to sleep the way he was. The arms of the chairs had to be digging into him but he was out like a light.
She sighed and looked at the closed door that lead to Lydia Martin's room. Sydney had been here all weekend and had barely been in there. She wanted to give Mikayla some time with her sister. She had been busy with school work and Allison that she barely had time alone without their parents being there.
Mikayla was in there now, probably talking about everything that had happened this week. Tara had already given Vivian the rundown, even if Vivian would rather talk about how Tara was holding up. Sydney didn't even have the answer to that question. Tara had been odd that night but the next morning she was back to her normal, optimistic self.
Sydney wouldn't say she's the same.
She's barely had to wolf out since Peter died. Everything had cooled off for the moment, well except for Derek being the new alpha but he hasn't done anything to draw their attention yet.
Ever since Lydia and Vivian were attack and they killed Peter after he killed Kate, whenever Sydney looked in the mirror she saw a flash of blue. It was quick, almost like it didn't happen. At first she was worried that she had accidently been doing it in front of other people, but Mikayla and Stiles never said anything.
So it was just her little secret. It couldn't hurt to keep just this one to herself.
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"I'm planning on submitting that one piece to-" Mikayla had been talking to her dad for the past hour since Lydia had decided to take a well needed nap. They had just talked about school and her friends. Mr. Martin explicitly avoided the subject of boys, which Mikayla was kind of grateful for.
Their conversation came to a stop when Lydia woke up and immediately tried to get up. She swung her feet over to the side and a tired expression.
"You want help getting in the shower?" Mr. Martin asked holding out an arm to his unimpressed daughter.
"Maybe if I was four." Lydia said with an annoyed look while she stood up. "And still taking bubble baths."
"We'll just wait outside." Mikayla said getting a hint of softness in Lydia's face before she went into the small bathroom.
"Where it's slightly less sarcastic." Mr. Martin said placing his hands on his hips. Mikayla sighed knowing where her dad was coming from. Lydia had been a bit testy, but who wouldn't be. Vivian has to be. Maybe that's why Stiles was spending most of his time in the waiting area.
Mikayla shook that thought off and followed her dad out into the hall. She shut the door behind her and was met with Naomi looking over Lydia chart. Mr. Martin was looking over at Stiles who had moved chair groups to the ones against the walls. He also had his eyes on Sydney who had almost taken up two chairs on the opposite side of the wall.
"They've been here all night." Mr. Martin said mostly to Naomi and Melissa, who had joined the three.
"They've been here all weekend." Melissa corrected with a small fond smile.
Mikayla had a smile of her own.
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"Mom. mom. mom. mom. mom. mom." Vivian had been repeating that for the past 10 minutes. Naomi had tried to enforce a strict professional relationship while she was taking care of Vivian, but they both knew it was stupid to try.
"Yes?" Naomi asked when she was done looking over Vivians chart.
"When do I get to go home?" Vivian asked with a hopeful smile. She was desperate to leave. Naomi had been working longer hours since Tara had been staying more frequently at the house. Tara didn't seem to notice that she was the cause of this, which was great because if she did then she would've never asked for dinner again. Another thing about Tara is she hates sleeping alone, well in an empty house.
It had been fine when Vivian was always there with her while Naomi was at work, or when Tara'd just go to someone else's house. But Vivian's been in the hospital, so had Mikayla and the twins, and Scott was busy with Allison. Either Tara slept at the hospital or her own house. The latter was worse.
So Vivian really wanted to go home. I mean she was fine. She hadn't thrown up since that first night and no more headaches. The scratches and bite had all mostly healed with no scarring, luckily. She should be able to go home. But Naomi Gasko was her mother.
"We still don't know." Naomi said setting the chart back down.
"Mom. I'm fine- better than fine." Vivian argued with no real heat. "I just want to go home."
Naomi sighed and looked over at her daughter. Vivian could see the love in her mom's eyes, and she could also see how tired she was. "I know, honey."
"Tara needs me to go home." Vivian said trying to add to her point. She knew it was a low blow but she needed to get home. Being in the hospital was not helping her figure out her predicament at all. She couldn't ask Tara to bring her the books she needed because then she'd have to reveal everything, and Tara's gotten a lot better at telling when Vivian was lying to her.
"Just.. just go wash up and we can talk about it more." Naomi said standing next to the best as her daughter climbed out of it. Naomi brushed Vivian's hair out of her eyes with a small smile. "I just worry about you."
"I know." Vivian said maintaining eye contact. "I promise you that I'm better."
"Okay." Naomi said before gaining a teasing smile. "Now go. You stink."
Vivian could hold back her smile while she walked over to her bathroom. She was thankful that she had the connections to get one of the newer, not as used ones. When she was in fights with her mom and she still had to work, she was tasked with cleaning the bathrooms and rooms... it wasn't pretty.
When Vivian closed the door she finally took in how sore she was. Those hospital beds did nothing to support her back. She sighed turned on the sink, already knowing she did not have it in her to stand in that shower for more than 10 minutes.
While she waited for the sink to fill up she stretched as far back as she could, trying to crack every bone possible. She felt a sting on her side where the deepest scratch was. She was praying that it wasn't opening again, or her mom really wouldn't let her leave.
She was about to stop the water when she heard a crash from outside. She debated opening the door but decided against it when she heard some water splash on the ground. She rushed over and turned the sink off, not even looking at the water below her.
Vivian focused on the person looking back at her in the mirror. Her eye bags had gotten worse and she looked slightly paler than usual. She blinked and behind her was Peter, she jumped back and closed her eyes again, when she opened them again he was gone.
Shaking her head she finally looked down at the almost overflowing water. It looked brown and muddy. Vivian hesitantly stuck her hand in the water and was immediately met with the worst feeling. She pulled out a clump of wet hair, it looked almost like hers. She wanted to throw up.
Vivian kept pulling out more and more clumps until she just couldn't. She was ready to give up on washing anything and just going back to talking to her mom, who was probably waiting for her outside the room.
Reaching for the plug that was keeping the water in the sink she felt something on her arm. Vivian tried to stifle a scream, a scream that would mirror the one she heard in the next room over.
She stared at the bloody arm holding hers. Vivian let out a shriek.
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Stiles and Sydney were the only ones left. Mikayla had gone home with Mr. Martin to go get something for Lydia, and Tara had to go back home to change out of the clothes she had been wearing the past two days.
They had gotten hungry, and both knew that Vivian would appreciate a Reese's Cup. So now they were standing in front of the shitty hospital vending machine, both still droozy from their naps.
Stiles had just placed a dollar in the machine and took a minute to press the corresponding numbers for the Reese's. They both stared as the coil undid itself, pushing the candy forward until it stopped right before it was about to fall. It had gotten stuck.
"You have to be kidding me." Sydney said with a glare at the candy. Stiles sighed and repeatedly pushed the button he had just pressed as if it would do anything. "That's not doing anything dumbass."
"What do you suggest?" Stiles asked snapping his head over, their low sleep and blood sugar catching up to them.
"This." Sydney grabbed the edges of the machines and started to shake it to no avail. Stiles looked at her with an over confident smirk.
"Let me show you how it's done." Stiles cracked his knuckles and grabbed farther back, basically pressing himself against it and barely shaking it. He lets out a frustrated breath and stepped back till he was at the opposite wall, Sydney laughing at him.
Stiles than runs at it and grabs where Sydney did, but he just pulled it with all his might but was not attempting to hold it in place so it came crashing down. They both jumped back a bit and stared at the mess, Sydney's laughing stopping.
They made eye contact and then looked back down at the machine that was lying face down. Mischievous smiles graced their faces.
Sydney held the machine up while Stiles looted it, both looking around every few minutes to make sure no one saw them. Stiles had almost filled his entire coat when a piercing scream startled them both. Stiles dropped the candy in his hands and Sydney dropped the machine.
"Lydia." They both said before the took off in the direction of her room. They got there at the same time as Melissa and Naomi. Sydney pushed through everyone and into the bathroom. It was empty with the showerhead still running. The four of them just stared, trying to puzzle where she went. Melissa went to turn the water off when another scream rang out.
"Vivian? Vivian!" Stiles yelled running out immediately with Naomi following him, the other two falling shortly after.
When Sydney got there Naomi had her face in her hands and Stiles was looking out the window. Vivian had left her sink full of clear water just like Lydia with the shower.
Both fanished, both presumably out the window.
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Tara thought that after everything, she'd be at least a little less emotional. But when she heard that Vivian was missing it was taking everything in her to keep from crying. She got there when Noah, Mr. Martin, and Mikayla did. All of them frantic at the two missing girls, Noah being the calmest in the group.
"Naked? As in nude?" Noah asked Melissa, who was walking with Mr. Martin and Mikayla. He was starting with Lydia's report first since her scream was heard first.
"I'm pretty sure they mean the same thing." Tara said with her arms crossed.
"Yes, as far as we know, she left here clothing-optional." Melissa explained stopping in the hall with Mr. Martin and Mikayla next to her, Tara was next to Noah. "Vivian, we don't know. We assume she had hers."
"All right, you checked the whole hospital, right?" Noah asked just as Tara started to wonder where the twins were. Naomi was still in Vivians room, looking for anything.
"Every last corner." Melissa assured.
"Nothing suspicious." Noah said writing the answers in his little notepad.
"Nothing. They just took off." Melissa said looking at the other three for reassurance, getting three separate nod's.
"All right, let's get an apb out on a 16-year-old redhead and brunette." Noah said to the officer that had appeared. Tara hated talking about Vivian like that. Like a victim. Mikayla didn't seem to thrilled either.
"Any other descriptors?" Noah asked, more for Lydia since he's know Vivian since she was a child.
"She's 5'3", green eyes, fair-skinned as she would say, and her hair is more of a strawberry blonde." Sydney listed out appearing with Stiles by her side.
"Yeah, Vivian looks more 15 since her birthday was only a month or two ago, and she has a green hint in her eyes, curly hair, an inch shorter than me-" Stiles described getting interrupted by Sydney.
"More like taller-"
"Shorter." Stiles said cutting Sydney off. As much as Tara would like to agree, Stiles was right. Vivian is one inch shorter than Stiles and Sydney, she hates it. She sees height as a competition and the twins were winning. She'd already beaten Tara, long ago.
"Is that right?" Noah asked his children, annoyance seeping into his expression and face. The twins nodded, making Noah grab their necks and drag them away. Tara following like usual.
"What the hell are you still doing here?" He whispered off to the side.
"It's Vivian." Stiles said with so much conviction it was scary. Noah sighed at his kids, expecting a just as serious answer from Sydney.
"Just go home. I promise I'll get Vivian home.. and Lydia." The last part was directed at Sydney. Noah knew his children.
"Fine." Stiles said before Noah lightly pushed them in the opposite direction of Mr. Martin and Mikayla. Melissa had gone off to comfort Naomi. Sydney made eye contact and tried to communicate with Mikayla through her eyes. She assumed it worked when she got a nod.
She really hoped it worked.
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Tara and Sydney were waiting in the back of the car with Stiles and Scott in the front. They had been waiting for a few long moments when Mikayla finally walked out of the building with a bloody hospital gown. Stiles got out and let Mikayla in, who handed it over to Scott. Sydney was probably going to use it too but Scott was closest.
"This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott asked when Mikayla settled in the back with the other two. Mikayla nodded looking down at her hands.
"Nothing for Vivian?" Tara asked getting a shake from Stiles and Sydney.
"We won't let anything happen to them." Scott said with a hum of agreement from Sydney. "Not again."
Stiles took a shaky sigh before putting on a hesitant smile. "All right, just shove the thing in your face and let's find them."
Stiles turned back to the front and started his car. The headlights turned on to reveal Allison standing there with wide eyes. When she saw that they noticed her she walked over to Scotts side of the car.
"What are you doing here?" Scott whispered leaning forward. "Somebody could see us."
"I don't care-- she is my best friend, and we need to find her before they do." Allison said with conviction.
"We can find them before the cops can." Sydney said leaning forward to look at Allison.
"How about before my father." Allison said making them all look at each other with fear and shock.
"He knows?" Tara asked softly.
"Yeah." Allison said looking at her for a second before she looked back at Scott. "I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUVS."
"Search party." Mikayla guessed with mutual agreement around the jeep.
"It's more like a hunting party." Allison said with fear and concern.
"Get in."
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"All right, but if they're turning, would they actually kill them?" Mikayla asked in between Sydney and Allison.
"I don't know. They won't tell me anything." Allison said frustrated. "Okay? All they say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral, when the others get here."
"What others?" Stiles asked looking back for a second.
"I don't know, they won't tell me that, either." Allison said defeated.
"Okay, so you're family's got some serious communication issues to work on." Tara said from where she was squished between the door and Allison.
"Scott, Syd, are we going the right way?" Stiles yelled over to the two. Scott had his whole head out the window, Sydney's was out enough for it to be effective.
"Take the next right!"
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Sydney took a deep breath as she looked at the Hale house in front of her. The last time she had been here some bad things happened. She didn't really want to relive it. Mikayla on the other hand had gotten this weird obsession with archery since the incident.
She had her parents buy her a target for the backyard, which they obviously immediately agreed to since her big sister was in the hospital. Mikayla was actually really good at archery. They hoped it was just a phase and would end after Lydia got better. Now she was missing.
Tara had a weird look in her eyes that Scott picked up on immediately but was sidetracked by the question of directions.
"They came here?" Stiles asked looking back at Sydney and Scott. Allison next to Scott, and Mikayla next to Sydney, while Tara was with Stiles. "You're sure?"
"Yeah." Sydney said crossing her arms and looking around.
"This is where the sent leads." Scott explains further getting a skeptical sigh from Stiles. They walked a foot more before Stiles turned back to the group again.
"Has Lydia ever been here?" Stiles asked, they already knew Vivian had been. When they dug up Laura Hales body.
"Not with me." Mikayla said taking a step closer to Sydney on instinct when bird flew over them.
"Me either." Allison said looking at Scott as they continued walking. "Maybe they came here on instinct, like they were looking for Derek."
"Vivian would never in her right mind go to Derek Hale." Sydney said with a cold edge to her tone. Tara tensed but quickly relaxed, Scott still noticed.
"She isn't in her right mind." Mikayla reminded them. "Neither is Lydia."
"Like.. they're looking for an alpha." Scott agreed with Allison.
"Wolves need a pack, right?" Tara said looking back at Scott for a moment.
"Not all of them." He said back a moment later.
"But would they have been drawn to an alpha?" Allison asked trying to get to the main point of her theory. "Is it an instinct to be part of a pack?"
"Yeah, we're -we're stronger in packs." Sydney explained walking ahead of Scott and Allison who had stopped to face each other. Stiles seemed to be too focused on searching to even noticed the conversation behind him.
"Like strength in numbers." Mikayla assumed walking with Sydney.
"No, like-like literally stronger, faster, better in every way." Sydney explained while they left the love birds on their own, Mikayla nodding along.
"That the same for an alpha?" Mikayla asked taking a glance up at Tara and Stiles who had been leading them the entire time. Stiles was focused, Tara was determined. Both desperate to find Vivian.
"That'll make Derek stronger too." Sydney assumed after a moment to think.
"You don't know that." Tara said taking a deep breath and walking around the wooded area right before the clearing where the house was, checking for traps.
"Peter sure thought so." Sydney reminded her but Tara seemed to just ignore her.
"Ooo, hey! Look at this." Stiles said making every turn to where he was, behind Scott and Allison scanning the area. He was squatted on the ground holding a trip wire. Allison, Tara, Sydney, and Mikayla walked over to where he was. "You see this?"
"I think it's a tripwire." Mikayla said with her hands in her pockets, shivering. Stiles pulled it and they could hear it activating.
"Stiles...?" Scott asked making them all turn to see Scott hanging upside down.
"Yeah, buddy.. oh." Stiles said before he realized. They stood and walked over to him.
"Next time you see a tripwire..." Scott said with a strain in his voice. "Don't trip it."
"Yeah, noted." Stiles said as they walked over to help him down.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." Scott repeated before they could reach him, Sydney nodding with him looking into the distance.
"Someone's coming." She said in a whisper.
"We should hide." Tara said getting some nods before they all jogged over to the trees, leaving Scott hanging there. They peaked out from where they were to see Chris Argent and two goons walking towards Scott.
"Scott." Chris said as a greeting, crouching down to get to Scott's eye level.
"Mr. Argent." Scott said back just letting himself dangle.
"How are you doing?" Chris asked with a tired edge to his voice. Sydney can assume this isn't the first time he's seen Scott where he didn't want to.
"Good. You know, just hangin' out." Scott said back casually. Sydney looked over and saw a small smile on Tara's face. "Is this one of yours? It's, uh, good. Nice design. Very constricting."
"What are you doing out here, Scott?" Chris asked, obviously done with niceties.
"Looking for my friends." Scott answered simply.
"Ah, that's right. Vivian's one of the girls out here tonight," Chris said, Sydney could see Stiles hands clench. "and Lydia's in your group now, isn't she?"
Stiles looked back at Allison who already had a few eyes on her while Chris continued talking. "Part of the clique? Is that the word you use? Or is there another way to put it? Part of your pack?"
"Actually, clique sounds about right to me." Scott said earning a dangerous edge to his voice.
"I hope so. 'Cause I know Lydia's a friend of Allisons, and one special circumstance, such as yourself- one I can handle. I don't know much about Vivian, though, but she seems easy to deal with. Two.. not three." Chris said, Mikayla swore she heard a growl but when she turned Sydney just looked really annoyed. Not murderous. It also seemed like no one else heard it.
Scott seemed to be starting to struggle in his trap because the next word was whispered. "No."
"Scott, do you know what a hemicorporectomy is?" Chris asked making Sydney wonder if the Argents were all required to go to some kind of medical school so they knew all the long and boring terms of how they killed werewolves.
"I have a feeling I don't want to." Scott sassed back but it didn't seem to effect Chris as he continued.
"A medical term for amputating somebody at the waist. Cutting them in half. Takes a tremendous about of strength," Chris explained moving his arm to motion cutting Scott in half. "to cut through tissue and bone like that. Let's hope a demonstration never becomes necessary."
Mikayla swears it can't just be in her head now. She whips her head around, but still no sign of who it could have been. That kind of murderous growl has to have come from a werewolf, but Sydney only had a cold dead stare on her face. Mikayla couldn't see Tara from where she was, but if she did.. she might have seen something very telling. They all watched as Chris walked away with his goons behind him, leaving Scott hanging. They only waited a minute before Allison ran towards him, trying to be as quiet as possible. Tara closely following her with the others.
"You okay?" Allison asked when she reached him.
"It's just another life-threatening conversation with your dad." Scott said with some annoyance in his voice.
"He's gotten use to those." Tara joked with a monotone voice, very unlike her.
"We all have." Sydney said looking down at Scott with her arms crossed. Allison followed the rope and spotted where it started.
"Mikayla, help me with this." Allison said running over to the tree it was attached to, Mikayla following obediently.
Sydney sighs looking around where they were standing, Stiles looking at the house, and Tara looking at Allison and Mikayla. They all didn't notice Scott unleash his claws and cut the rope until he touched the ground.
"Thanks." Scott said with a cocky smirk. "But I think I got it."
"Show off." Sydney said shoving his shoulder. He still had that stupid smile on his face when he turned to walk to the house.
"You coming?"
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