—
Ryder watched her younger self dig through her jacket pocket until a small box made contact with her hand. She hummed in satisfaction as she pulled out her carton of cigarettes, soon following up with a groan of annoyance as she came to realize that she had few left.
She let the stick hang on her pink lips as she pulled out a black lighter, flicking at the wheel until a spark was heard and a small flame erupted.
The girl blew the smoke from her mouth as she walked absentmindedly through the woods. Blonde Ryder vividly remembered how her mind was focused on how her first day of school would go tomorrow. Obviously, she would need to deal with Lydia Martin and her clique, but that was a normal thing.
Ryder stumbled over her footsteps, nearly falling face first if it wasn't for the feeling of someone holding her up.
Looking down, her eyes grew wide at the sight of a rather large tree stump sitting in the middle of the woods.
•••
Austin's knee bounced frantically as he stared at Ryder's unconscious body. He picked at the skin that surround his nails, or what was left of his nails, Isaac was convinced he bit them all off.
The Lahey was nearly as nervous as Austin was, having just watched someone he considered a sister and his new found crush go under for nearly sixteen hours.
Ramona and Josie hadn't said a word.
Lydia did what she could to keep everyone calm and at peace, but her words of 'encouragement' only angered Josie the more she listened to the strawberry blonde talk. Ramona, on the other hand, was only silent because she spent the entire sixteen hours listening to see when her daughters heartbeat would pick up again.
Any conversation that was happening around her fell dead to her ears as the sound of gasping and choked out coughs filled the air.
"I saw it. I know where it is." Scott said as soon as he jumped up.
"We passed it. There's-- There's a stump, this huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's still big, though, very big." Stiles rambled.
Austin ignored their words, running over to help Ryder out the tub. The water that soaked her got all over his shirt as he tugged her against him, but he could care less. His main focus was making sure she was out.
Josie passed him a towel, the couple thanked her, Ryder shivering as Austin rubbed his hands on her arms.
"It was the night we were looking for the body."
Stiles nodded in agreement, "Yeah, the same night you were bit by Peter."
"I was there too, in the car with my mother. We almost hit someone." Allison chimed in.
Scott jumped up, "It was me. You almost hit me."
"You shouldn't sound excited about that." Ryder said, her teeth chattering as she spoke.
"Were you there?" Stiles asked, his eyes focused more on Ryder's face than the way Austin hugged her to warm her up.
"Yeah."
Scott looked at Deaton confidently, "We can find it."
The ones that didn't do under water, looked at the four teens with nervous looks on their faces.
"What?"
"You guys were out a long time." Isaac informed them, glancing over at Ryder, silently asking if she was okay.
Stiles frowned, "How long is a long time?"
"16 hours." Ramona said, gently brushing Ryder's hair from her face.
"We've been in the water for 16 hours?" Scott asked in disbelief.
"And the full moon rises in less than four."
"Oh, fuck."
Scott sighed, drying his hair with the towel he was given. It took all of Josie's strength not to point out how that wasn't good for his hair follicles.
"Well, I need to go."
"No, dude, you are not going back with them." Stiles quickly protested.
"I made a deal with Deucalion."
"Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like a deal with the devil?" Stiles looked around for backup.
Josie rose her hand, her hand falling as Ryder shook her head.
Isaac shrugged, "Why does it matter, anyway?"
"Because I still don't think that we can beat Jennifer without their help."
"He trusts you more than anyone." Allison said to Deaton, "Tell him he's wrong."
"He truly isn't." Ramona spoke up, her eyes not once leaving the braid she was putting in her eldest daughters head.
"I'm not so sure he is. Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies."
"So we're gonna trust him, the guy that calls himself death, destroyer of worlds? We're gonna trust that guy?"
"Kind of a sick ass name if you really think about it."
"Right?" The Laney looked at Ryder.
"I wouldn't trust him, no. But you could use him to your advantage. Both of you." He hinted at the Miller girl, "Deucalion may be the enemy, but he could also be the bait."
"Someone's here."
As if on cue, the sound of the vet offices front door opens and Ethan Steiner comes walking through.
"I'm looking for Lydia."
"What do you want?" The Martin teen looks at him.
Ethan focused solely on her, choosing not to look at the others, who were glaring at him, "I need your help."
Stiles leant up against the door way, "With what?"
"Stopping my brother and Kali... from killing Derek."
•••
"Let's go."
"Where are we going?"
"The full moon is less that an hour, Ryder, your energy won't be up come that time."
The girl in question scrunched up her face, "What does that have to do with where we're going?"
"It may be an advantage if you're fully turned before the Lunar Eclipse comes around." Deaton told the girl.
Ryder wanted to roll her eyes.
She wanted to find Aaron. Truly, she did. But it had been a while since she turned and when she did, it wasn't fun.
"Once Allison and Isaac are finished getting the things they need to catch Argent's scent, he can go with you. Austin can tag along if that makes you feel better."
"I was going to go with her anyways." The George teen shrugged with a light blush coating his cheeks.
Letting out a breath, she nodded, "Okay, let's go."
•••
"Sorry, we got caught up with Scott's dad." Allison gasped out as she and Isaac ran up to where Austin and Ryder's wolf stood at the end of the woods.
"It's fine." Austin brushed it off, watching Ryder stepped past them, walking ahead, Allison not too far behind her.
"Are you sure we're going the right direction?" Isaac questioned as he watched the pair turn at a random tree.
"I know we're near it. You think you can pick up a scent?"
"I'm trying, but I c—"
"Wait." Austin stopped them, watching Ryder pause, "She hears something."
"It's an--it's an emitter. It's one of your dad's." Isaac confirmed.
"Are you sure?"
"Has to be. Come on."
Ryder ran forward, whining a bit as the sound got more painful the closer they got. She brushed it off, huffing as the wind smacked her harshly in the face.
"Ryder!"
She growled, barking as she jumped around in a circle around the cellar doors. Her noises met Isaac's ears before the rest.
"Guys."
They sped towards the white wolf, gently easing her back as Isaac and Austin pulled harshly on the door, grunting as it opened.
Allison and Isaac went down first, Austin making sure Ryder could get down the stairs without injuring herself before he followed along.
"Oh, my god. Thank god!" Allison cried out in happiness as she spotted her father and the other parents alive.
"You found us." Chris breathed out.
"Where's Stiles? Where's my son?" The Sheriff immediately asked.
"And Scott?"
"They're coming, all right?" Isaac told them, beginning to untie them, "They're on their way to help."
"Okay."
Austin dropped down by Aaron's tired body, the man smiling a bit at the sight of him and the wolf that nudged his side.
"Hey, kid."
"Nice to see you again, sir." Austin smiled, "I wish it was under better circumstances."
"You're saving my life, right?"
The teen chuckled, "I wouldn't go that far."
"She's okay." Aaron gestured to Ryder, "My wife and Josie?"
"Crushed. But i'm sure everything will be fine once they see you again."
Austin put his hand out for the man to grab, helping him up.
"Let's get out of here."
The Sheriff's words must have been a trigger as, as soon as they began to walk towards the exit, Ryder and Isaac being behind everyone, the roof began to cave in.
Acting on instinct, Isaac swung his arms up, catching the beam that almost crushed everyone.
"Hurry! Watch out!"
Ryder maneuvered through everyone's legs, startling Melissa slightly. Had this been in a different situation, the girl would have laughed, but people's lives were on the line. She just found her father after days of not seeing him and Austin and Isaac were also in the room.
"It's blocked. What do you see? Anything?" Argent's questions were directed towards Ryder. She didn't know how he expected her to respond to his questions, she was a damn wolf, she couldn't speak.
"Isaac!" Allison called out the minute she noticed his arms quiver.
"Melissa, go, go, go."
The Lahey began to breathe heavily, "I can't do it. I can't hold it. I can't hold it. It's too much."
"It's too heavy."
Ryder stepped back as a small bang was heard from the outside. Low growls leaving her lips as she ran towards Isaac, tucking herself under him, her fur brushing against his face as she lifted him up, putting his weight and the weight of the beam on her back.
The two began to huff painfully as the ground continued to sink in.
Suddenly, a clang is heard, a silver baseball bat making its way into her vision.
She never thought she'd live to see the day where she thanked God himself for the existence of Stiles Stilinski.
"I always said aluminum was better than wood."
"Is it over?" Allison asked.
"Where's Ry?" Austin's heart pounded in his chest frantically.
"Where's my daughter?"
"I'm fine, guys." A scratchy voice called from behind a piece of wood.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm naked."
"Oh!" The men chimed in unison, turning their bodies to face a completely different direction of the girl.
Austin tugged roughly on his jacket, struggling to get it off at the tight spacing they were stuck in.
"Here you go." His voice shook, he could feel Aaron's she's burning a while in the side of his face.
Stiles' phone went off, "Scott?"
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, we're okay. We're all okay. How about you, you okay?"
"Sort of."
"You think you can come get us?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Hurry up!" Ryder called out, earning small
laughs from the others.
"Great, okay. Um, uh, bring a ladder."
•••
Ryder and Austin walked into the George household, smiling at the sight of their families sitting on the couch.
Josie and Ramona were curled up against Aaron's chest, while Jenn sat in her 'queen's seat'.
"Finally." Josie scoffed, "How long does it take to get ice cream?"
"Shut up, you moron." Ryder rolled her eyes.
Aaron tsked,
"Don't call your sister a moron."