Chapter Seven
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My heart was pounding out of my chest and a layer of sweat was forming on my palms. To say I was nervous to hear what Stiles had to say would be an understatement, he even used the term "We need to talk." Literally dying here. If any werewolves are around me right now I can guarantee I'm knocking them out with the stench of my anxiety. I mean there was no way he could have found out about the bite unless someone told him about it, and I don't think anyone would do that...at least I hope not.
As I continued the walk towards the library that felt like the longest walk of my life, the back of Stiles' head finally came into view as he leaned on the wall next to the double doors. Since I couldn't see his face I couldn't tell if he was pissed, sad, just upset, I couldn't tell anything. "Stiles?" His head flung around, and he didn't look pissed, sad, or anything. He just looked really nervous, like wringing his hands, bobbing his mouth up and down, nervous. "You uh...said we needed to talk?" I said, as my walk came to a stop.
"Y-Yeah, I realized that I probably shouldn't have used that phrase...I mean we need to talk, but I'm not mad or anything...I sent it and Scott yelled at me saying that it wasn't really something you wanna say to your girlfriend, I should have known that but with the lack of girlfriends I've had–Sorry."
My body finally released the breath it was apparently holding, and I could feel some of my anxiety melt off of me. "It's okay. Sooo, what's this about?"
I watched him closely as his eyes focused on his wringing hands, and is mouth was bobbing up and down as he tried to find the right words to say. "Autumn, you–you know I love you more than....more than anything in the world, right?" He said, his eyes finally shooting up connecting with mine. I nodded slowly in response, not exactly sure where this conversation was going. A nervous feeling was once again taking over the pit of my stomach, and I could feel the anxiety sliding back up onto my body from the puddle it had made on the floor. If Stiles was acting like this, if he was telling me how much he loved me, maybe he's keeping something inside from me that's eating him alive also. Maybe I'm not the only one holding onto a secret.
"Stiles, not gonna lie you're making me really nervous. What's going on?"
He grabbed both of my hands, and kept his eyes locked on mine. "I wanna talk about what happened this morning in Coach's class..."
I let out a sigh of relief, "That's what this is about? The condom?"
"Yeah," he said nodding lightly, "I know it made you uncomfortable, and you're probably wondering why it was in my pocket..."
"I'm a little curious, yeah."
He let out a nervous sigh, "I've been thinking for a while about, ya know...moving our relationship to the next step...and I know we've been close before, but–" He paused letting go of one of my hands and bringing his hand up to his face, holding into the bridge of his nose. "God, i'm just making this awkward. Um, see....Autumn, you're the only girl I have ever been in love with, and have felt all of these feelings with, and um–"
"Stiles," I said with a small giggle, "Calm down, I feel the same way..." I said, pulling his hand away from the bridge of his nose and latching it back with mine. Did I want to be having this conversation at school? Not particularly, but ya know just gotta go with the flow I guess.
His lips formed into a grin, "You-You do? Duh, of course you do! Well this is great!"
"Still curious about this though...why was the condom in your jean pocket? I mean I get the whole fast access thing, but did you think we would just do it in the middle of the school day in the Janitors closet? Well, it wouldn't be the first time it's happened in there..." I said, cringing at the stories flooding my mind that I've heard about one of the closets. The janitor should really consider cleaning his closet....he has no idea what he's touching in there.
"No, see...those were the jeans I wore to Heathers party, and after the party I was thinking we could finally–you know..."
I nodded my head in understanding, "Ahh, makes sense."
"It does?" He asked with widened eyes, "Thank God. I didn't want you to be all weirded out that I kept it in my pocket ya know, you could never be too safe and I was thinking–"
I interrupted his statement by placing my hand over his mouth, "Babe, it's fine. We can drop it, okay?" I said with a smile, "We should probably go meet Scott, he talked about something with Isaac and Deaton so–"
"Wait, I have something else I wanna talk about." He said, so I gestured for him to continue. "Are you okay? I mean, I just have this feeling like something's off...or, I don't know. I just have this feeling there's some tension or something here, and I don't know why there would be...I just need to know you're okay? Is it the accident? Is it being back at school too soon?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "I'm okay...Don't worry."
"Babe, if something is bothering you, you would talk to me about it...right?" He asked, as his perfect hazel eyes sweetly looked at me. "You know you can talk to me about anything..."
"Of course..." I said with a small smile on the outside, when in reality I could feel the bile rising in my throat on the inside. "You know that already."
Another smile tugged at his lips as he nodded, "You're right, that's a stupid question. We've always told each other everything." He said as his hands gently grabbed the sides of my face, "Come here."
Our heads leaned in towards each other, just like gravity was pulling us together. Our lips met and just like every single time he kissed me I could feel the butterflies erupt in my stomach, and my breath hitched in my throat. I find it funny how the same Stiles I grew up with can manage to take my breath away with one touch of his perfect plump lips. As our lips hesitantly pulled away from each other, everything that was erased when his lips touched mine hit me like a tidal wave. The anxiety, the guilt, the pain of keeping something as drastic as the bite away from him, it was all back.
And the only way all those emotions will go away is if I tell him about the bite.
****
Numb.
My hands are literally numb and blue from all the ice we have been pouring into this metal tub that is currently residing in the middle of the animal clinic. Apparently we're gonna throw Isaac in here to do something to jog his memory, but honestly if I were him I would be running in the other direction cause this water is freezing. As if the ice didn't make it cold enough, a metal tub is going to make it fifty times worse.
I tugged my hands into the pockets of my jacket in attempt to warm them up, as the boys finished pouring the rest of the ice into the tub. "So, throwing him in ice water is going help him remember where Boyd and Erica are?"
Deaton let out a small chuckle as him and Isaac walked over to where we were all standing, "Technically, yes. Since the water is so cold we should be able to slow his heart rate down enough, that he will slip into a trance like state."
"Like being hypnotized." Isaac stated.
"Exactly," Deaton said with a nod. "You'll be half transformed. It'll let us access your subconscious mind." Isaac knelt down next to the tub, probably wondering why he's going through with this and planning an escape in his head. Well I mean, that's what I would be doing. One time Stiles and Scott called me out to do the ALS ice bucket challenge, and I swear I almost got frostbite. This is nothing like the ice bucket challenge, this is way worse. Isaac is screwed.
Scott walked up taking a spot to the left of me, "How slow does his heart rate need to be?"
"Very slow." Deaton admitted.
"That doesn't sound very safe." I said, as I crossed my arms over my chest.
Isaac looked up at me wide eyed, "Thanks for the positivity, Autumn. Appreciate it."
"Sorry..." I said awkwardly.
"How slow is very slow?" Derek asked, eyeing the tub of ice water.
"Nearly dead." Deaton replied nonchalantly.
My eyes narrowed towards the vet, "Deaton say what now?"
Every pair of eyes in the room were locked onto him as he admitted Isaac would be pretty much at deaths door by going along with this. Well, every pair of eyes except for my boyfriends cause he's no longer lingering around the tub, which is probably not a good thing at all.
Isaac reached into the water, almost instantly removing his hand and wincing from the cold temperature. "It's safe, though...right?"
"Isaac, I don't think you wanna ask that."
"Do you want me to answer honestly?"
He kept his focus on the ice water, "No, no not really."
The snapping of a rubber glove sounded behind us, causing all of our heads to turn around to find out who made the sound. Of course the culprit ended up being my boyfriend, who was standing there with the long glove going all the way up to right above his elbow. "What?"
His eyes met mine, and I gave my head a small disapproving shake even though I was fighting back a laugh. His eyes gave a small roll as he jerked the glove off, tossing it into the nearest trash can. I pointed to the spot next to me where he was standing before, and he unwillingly trudged his way over.
"Look, if it feels too risky you don't have to do this." Derek stated, breaking the awkward silence that was consuming the room.
Isaac said nothing back, still keeping his focus on the tub in front of him. "Isaac, really...only do it if you're–" My sentence was cut short as the werewolf ripped his shirt off, tossing it onto the floor behind him. He let out a large puff of air before putting his right foot in, then the rest of his body followed. As he placed his body down in the water his breathing became quicker, and we all just stood there watching intently. Derek and Scott grabbed each of his shoulders, and looked at each other before completely submerging him in the ice water.
I brought myself closer to Stiles, to say I'm not worried would be a lie. Isaac has slowly been losing the douche bag attitude that he received with the bite, and he's actually become more tolerable to be around. At least for Scott and I, Stiles still dislikes him immensely.
It wasn't even a minute later before Isaac shot himself up out of the water, fangs replacing his once normal set of teeth. He let out a loud growl, and his eyes began to glow. Stiles grabbed my hand pulling me as close to him as possible. "Is this supposed to happen?" I asked frantically.
"Get him back under," Deaton ordered ignoring my question. "Stiles help by holding his legs down."
My boyfriend reluctantly released his grip on my hand, and began holding onto Isaac's legs as he thrashed around. I could see him struggling under the water, and I couldn't help but freak out on the inside a little bit as it looked like he was drowning. The memory of Matt clouded my mind, and shivers ran down my spine.
Isaac once again popped above the surface of the water, this time sounds of pain escaping from his lips. "Hold him." Deaton ordered once again.
"We're trying!" Derek shouted.
Then he was submerged once again, but this time after only a few thrashes his body became completely still. The room was once again filled with silence, and I couldn't even tell if my heart was beating or not. Derek and Scott both glanced at each other before releasing their hands from his shoulders, and at the same time my boyfriend released his legs. We don't know if he's alive, for all we know they could have just drowned him on accident.
His body slowly rose up in the water, and the minute his mouth broke the surface we all heard a small puff of air escape his lips. We all let out a breath of relief and looked towards Deaton for further instructions. "Now, remember, only I talk to him." He said, pointing a finger towards all of us. "Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out." We all nodded in agreement, and signaled for him to continue with the process.
"Isaac? Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can hear you." He said, his mouth trembling from the cold water.
"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"
"Yes."
"I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd." Deaton said as thunder roared outside the clinic, and lighting illuminated the dark room. "I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you're actually there again."
I pulled myself closer to Stiles again, not taking my eyes off of Deaton and Isaac. "I–I don't wanna do that." Isaac cried. The lights in the clinic began to flicker, and his body began thrashing around a bit once again. All of the boys took their positions back to holding him down, as I just stood there watching. "I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna do that."
"Isaac, it's alright. Just relax. They're just memories. You can't be hurt by a memory."
"I don't wanna do that."
"It's alright."
"I don't wanna do that."
Geez Deaton, wake him up! He obviously doesn't wanna do it. And he's probably freezing to death, I mean his lips are turning purple. I don't think he should be in this water for much longer, but that's just my opinion.
"Relax. Relax. Good. Now let's go back to that night, to the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?"
"It's not a–It's not a house. It's stone. I think marble." Isaac answered, his body trembling worse than before from the cold.
"That's perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?"
"It's dusty, so empty."
"Like an abandoned building?"
The lights once again began to flicker, and Isaac's body started twitching. Whatever is going on inside his head can't be good.
"Isaac. Isaac!"
"Someone's here! Someone's here!" He mumbled, as his hand flung out of the water gripping onto Scott's wrist.
"Isaac, relax."
"No, no, no, they see me! They see me!"
"Just memories," Deaton reminded him, "You won't be hurt by your memories. Just relax. Relax." Isaac obeyed, his body once again going still in the water. "Good. Now tell us what you see, tell us everything."
"I hear him. He's talking about the full moon, about being out of control when the moon rises."
Oh isn't that just perfect. What's better than a kill crazy werewolf running around on a full moon night?
"Is he talking to Erica?"
The lights continued to flicker and an uneasy feeling formed in the pit of my stomach. This entire thing is just sending me creepy vibes and I want it to be done.
"I think so. I can't–I can't see her..I can't–I can't see either of them."
"Can you hear anything else?"
"They're worried. They're worried what they'll do during the full moon. Worried that they're gonna hurt each other."
Derek let out a heavy sigh, looking towards all of us. "If they're locked in together on the full moon, they're gonna tear each other apart."
"Lovely." I muttered under my breath.
"Isaac we need to find them right now. Can you see them?"
"No."
Deaton leaned down closer to the tub, hovering over Isaac. "Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of a marker? A number on a door? A sign?"
Isaac shot straight up in the tub, causing me to jump back out of fear. "They're here. They–They–" This is some horror film type stuff, and I'm not feeling it anymore. SOS.
"It's alright."
"No." Isaac cried out, as the water slushed around.
"Stiles, can we leave please?"
"Ummmm, a little busy babe." He said, as he grabbed ahold of Isaac's legs again.
"Just tell us–"
Isaac began looking around, but not around the clinic, more like he was looking around the building that he was seeing in his mind. "They see me! They found me! They're here!"
"This isn't working! Isaac, where are you?" Derek yelled.
"I can't see them! It's too dark!"
"You're going to confuse him!" Deaton yelled towards Derek.
Derek grabbed onto both of Isaac's shoulders, "Isaac, where are you?! Just tell me where you are!" He yelled,completely ignoring Deaton.
"His heart rate, he could go into shock!" Deaton exclaimed.
"Derek let him go!" Scott yelled.
I nodded in agreement as I watched everything happening, "Derek! Listen and stop!"
It was like Derek was tuning everybody out, which honestly didn't surprise me at all. "Isaac! Where are you?! What did you see?!"
This went on for a few more minutes, Isaac mumbling things over and over again as Derek continued to yell. It was becoming to much to handle, but then he said something that caught everyone's attention.
"It's a vault!" Isaac yelled, shooting up in the ice water once again, snatching us all out of our thoughts about what was just said seconds before. This time he looked like his normal self, he was no longer in the trance. "I saw it! I saw the name." Scott and Deaton helped him out of the tub and I quickly grabbed a towel for him off of the counter so we could try to warm him up. "It's uh, Beacon hills first national bank. It's um, it's an abandoned bank, and they're keeping them locked inside, inside the vault." He said as the towel was wrapped around his shoulders.
All of us were still stunned by what was said right before he came out of the trance, that all we could do was stare at him which he noticed pretty much right away. Stiles slipped his hand across my lower back, grabbing the edge of my waist to pull me close to his side. "What?" Isaac asked, looking at all of us in confusion.
"You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?" My boyfriend asked.
Isaac shook his head, "No..."
"You said when they captured you they dragged you to a room, and there was a body in it.."
"What body?"
"Erica," I spoke up, "You um, you said it was Erica..."
About twenty minutes had passed since Isaac had snapped out of the trance, and we all just continued to sit around the clinic discussing the information we had heard. Derek mainly fighting with us about how Erica wasn't dead, poor sour wolf is in denial because clearly Isaac saw her body.
"She's not dead!" He yelled once again, pacing back and forth.
"Derek, can you please stand still or something. You're literally making my anxiety shoot through the roof right now." I said from my spot on Stiles' lap, an annoyed look covering my face.
"Yeah, you reek of it." Scott said, with a snarled up nose.
"Derek, he said, 'there's a dead body. It's Erica.' That doesn't leave much room for interpretation."
I let out a small sigh, as I leaned my back against Stiles' chest. "Isaac saw it, it's true. We know she was your Beta, but you have to stop denying it."
"Then who was in the vault with Boyd?" He asked, finally not pacing anymore.
"Someone else, obviously."
Scott nodded, "Yeah, and maybe it was the girl on the motorcycle. Okay, the one who saved you?"
Isaac shook his head, "No, she wasn't like us. And whoever was in the vault with Boyd was."
My boyfriend shifted a little underneath me, "What if that's how Erica died? They put them against each other during the full moons and see which one survives. It's like werewolf thunderdome."
A covered my mouth as a small laugh slipped from my lips, "Werewolf thunderdome?" I asked, turning my head to where I could see his face.
"Yes! It makes complete sense."
"Be smart about this, Derek. You can't just go storming in." Deaton said, finally speaking up.
The look on Derek's face could only be described as pure determination, no matter what anybody said he was going to go get Boyd and whoever was stuck with him out of that vault. "If Isaac got in, then so can we." He said, crossing his arms over his muscular chest.
"But he didn't get through the vault door, now did he?"
"We need a plan."
Derek shook his head, "How are we gonna come up with a plan to break into a bank vault in less than twenty four hours?"
I sat up, turning myself on Stiles' lap so I could see him better. "Well babe, looks like it's your time to shine. Think of a plan." I said, as I placed his hand into mine. He wasn't really looking at me though since his focus was on his cellphone in his other hand. "Stiles?"
"Uh, I think someone already did. 'Beacon Hills first national closes its doors three months after vault robbery.'" He read off of his phone, "Doesn't say here how it was robbed, but it probably won't take long to find out."
"How long?" Sour wolf asked.
"It's the internet, Derek." My boyfriend said with a small laugh, "Okay, Minutes." He added with an amused expression.
Why do I have a feeling these boys are once again going to drag me into a something against my will?
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Okay so I don't know why, but this was kinda a struggle to write so hopefully it doesn't royally suck. The whole Isaac scene took up pretty much all of the chapter, but I wanted it to be included in the story. If you all enjoyed it don't forget to comment and vote! :) Thanks for reading!