Scott POV
"Okay, okay. I'll be there in a minute." I say, hanging up the phone. I run back in the direction that I came from, worrying about what could be wrong. Stiles sounded scared. I hope he's not in danger. As I clamber over rocks, I hear someone shouting my name. I look down to see Stiles waving at me. I jump off the rock and land in the sand. I jog over to Stiles and examine him. He looks fine. I frown. "What's wrong?" I ask in confusion.
"You really need to see this." Stiles says, walking away. I follow him, a tonne of questions rising up inside of me. Stiles kneels down besides a rock. I walk to his side. I look to where Stiles is staring and I gasp in utter shock and horror. I stumble backwards. There, lying behind the rocks, is a beautiful mermaid. A freaking mermaid! I completely stumble over and fall into the sand. I sit up quickly and crawl over to Stiles, wide eyed. "H-how is this possible?" I ask in shock.
"I don't know..." Stiles shrugs.
"What I'm worried about though is the condition she's in." Stiles points out. I push aside the surprise that mermaids are real and focus on the situation. She is badly hurt. Suddenly, I hear shouting. It's very far away, I doubt Stiles will be able to hear it. "Hurry up! She went this way! We can't let her escape!" I hear someone shout. There are cheers of agreement. They must be hunters. This mermaid must be their target. "We have to take her to Deaton. I'm sure he'll know what to do. We should hurry. There are hunters after her." I tell Stiles.
"What?" Stiles asks in shock, eyes widening in fear.
"That must have been what Daniel was after. Merpeople." I shake my head in disbelief.
"We don't have time for this!" Stiles exclaims, pulling me over to the unconscious mermaid. I can't help but stare at her tail. I've never seen anything like it. Merpeople exist? That's crazy. It's just not possible. Yet, here she is. "You grab her tail, I'll grab her arms." Stiles instructs. He's surprisingly calm about all of this. He's probably had some time to adjust. Who knows how long he was here before me? Besides, he knew about werewolves before me and still acted quite calm about it. If I were in his shoes, I would have totally freaked out. I walk around to the girl's tail and hold the fins. They feel smooth and a little slimy in my hands. I let go in surprise. "What?" Stiles asks incredulously.
"It's slimy!" I protest.
"Well what did you expect? For it to feel like fur?" Stiles rolls his eyes, holding onto the girl's arms. I sigh as I lean down and pick the tail up again. On the count of three, we manage to lift the mermaid into the air. "Okay, let's go!" Stiles says, walking forwards. I follow him. Somehow, we manage to get the mermaid over the rocks by resting her up there before we climb up to her. It's a long process, but we finally make it back to the normal beach. I can see Stiles' jeep in the parking lot. Thankfully, no one is around. I hear the mermaid's heart beat slow down. "We have to hurry!" I tell Stiles. He nods and we pick up the pace. Eventually, we make it back to Stiles' jeep. We set her in the back seat. We close the doors. "Shoot! Our stuff is still down on the beach." Stiles groans.
"I'll get it." I offer before taking off. It doesn't take long for me to find our stuff. I scoop the bags up and run to the car. I place them into the back of the car, underneath the girl's seat. Or seats, should I say, since she's lying down. I close the door and run to the passenger's side and jump in. Stiles starts the jeep and quickly drives away from the beach. Thankfully, it wasn't a busy day and no one was around to see what unfolded. I stare at the road ahead. I'm still in shock. "Are you okay?" Stiles asks in concern. I turn to look at him.
"How are you okay about all of this? She's a mermaid! She has a freaking tail and gills! We had no idea that merpeople existed. Maybe Deaton doesn't know either. I am still trying to comprehend it all! But what about you?" I reply in a loud voice. Stiles sighs and continues to concentrate on the road. "I had time to think while I was waiting for you. I think I have gotten over the shock now. I mean, werewolves, banshees, kanimas, kitsunes and werecoyotes exist, right? So why can't other creatures exist? I bet there is still loads of stuff we haven't seen before." Stiles responds. I look away. He does have a fair point. "It's just that... It's so hard to believe. All the fairy tales and stories are real." I sigh, rubbing my temples because of the headache forming. "I know, Scotty. Let's just get to Deaton's." Stiles says in understanding. I nod and sit quietly for the rest of the trip.
Finally, Stiles pulls into a car park outside of the animal clinic. We both jump out of the jeep. "Check if Deaton's alone." Stiles instructs. I nod and dash into the clinic. "Deaton? Where are you?" I ask. Deaton walks out of his office.
"What can I do for you, Scott?" Deaton asks with a smile.
"No one else is here, right?"
"No. Why?" Deaton frowns.
"You'll see." I reply as I run back outside again. I see Stiles picking the girl out of the car.
"He's alone." I tell him as I get closer. Stiles nods.
"Good. Now, help me get her inside." He says. I take the mermaid's tail again while Stiles holds onto her arms. This time, her tail doesn't feel smooth and slimy. It's very rough and dry. This probably means she's dying. We haul her into the animal clinic. Deaton looks at us in horror as we carry the girl inside. "Quick, get her on the metal bench." Deaton instructs. We do as we are told, lying the unconscious mermaid on the bench. Her breaths are rattly.
"What do we do?" Stiles asks worriedly.
"Pour water on her. That way, her wounds will heal." Deaton answers, walking over to the sink and filling up a jug of water. Once it's filled, he hands it to me. "Here. Pour it all over her." He says. I walk over to the mermaid and pour the water over her body. Almost immediately, most of the cuts and bruises fade away. Except for the cuts that are bleeding black blood, the sign of a supernatural poison. Deaton hurries away to get something. I stand back a little and stare at the mermaid in shock. I still can't believe that this is happening. Deaton comes back with a needle and sticks it into her arm. I see Stiles flinch. Once Deaton pulls the needle out, the black blood stops oozing out. Deaton gets a cloth and wipes the wounds clean. Deaton takes the jug of water from me and pours it over the girl again, speeding up the healing process. I also notice the color coming back to her and her tail doesn't look so dry. Deaton continues to fill up the jug and pour it over the mermaid while Stiles and I stand and wait. I notice Stiles biting his fingernails nervously. My heart is racing out of anxiety and I still feel shocked at what I'm seeing. For some reason, it's taking a while for the fact that merpeople are real to sink in. What other creatures could be out there that we don't know about? Suddenly, the girl gasps and opens her glowing green eyes.
Stiles POV
I rush to the mermaid's side as she gasps and looks around wildly. "Hey, hey! It's okay! You're safe!" I say, trying to calm her down. The mermaid doesn't calm down. She looks between the three of us, her breaths short and fast. She is practically trembling with fear. Deaton steps forward. "We won't hurt you. I promise." Deaton says, raising his hands up in surrender. I glance over at Scott who is in the corner of the room, staring wide eyed at us. I think he might have gone into some sort of shock. I turn back around to face the girl. Eventually, she slows her breathing to a normal pace and stops trembling as much. "What are we going to do? It's not safe for her to return to the ocean while she's still healing and while the hunters are still going after her. On the other hand, we can't just keep pouring water over her." I ask Deaton worriedly. "I'll quickly make a potion that allows her to become human." He replies. Deaton looks over at the mermaid. "How old are you, my dear?" He asks.
"I-I'm 17." She replies in a quiet voice. Her accent is very different. As far as I can tell, it's Australian. Deaton nods.
"Scott, you come and help me make the potion. Stiles, you stay here and look after our friend." Deaton instructs. I watch as Deaton and Scott walk out of the room. Well, more like Deaton guides Scott out of the room. He's still in shock. I turn my attention back to the mermaid lying on the table. She stares at me fearfully. I go grab the jug and fill it up again before pouring the water over her gills. She sighs in relief. "You don't need to be afraid." I tell her.
"Why not? Why should I trust you guys? You might be hunters for all I know. Or worse." The mermaid says uncertainly.
"I promise you that we are only trying to help. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you." I assure her.
"Why should I take your word?" She asks distrustfully.
"Because I'm just like you." I reply, allowing my eyes to glow green for a moment. I watch as the mermaid relaxes. My eyes turn back to their human color. "Why are you here? Why do you have those skinny things? Why would you even want those things?" She asks, pointing to my legs in disgust. I laugh.
"To keep myself safe. You will need them as well, if you want to keep yourself safe from the hunters or other enemies." I say. The mermaid groans. "Don't worry, you don't have them forever. If you're of age, then you'll get your tail back every time you touch salt water. If you're around 17, you'll get your tail back every time you touch any water or liquid. You're 17, right?" I assure her.
"Yes. I'm 18 in a couple of months or so." The mermaid replies.
"How do you know all of this?" She frowns.
Because I've had legs for eight and a half years." I sigh. The girl gasps in horror at the thought.
"How did you cope?" She asks in disbelief. I don't even bother mentioning I couldn't transform until recently because
I was about to come of age. That would confuse and horrify her more. "I couldn't really. It was horrible and terrifying. But clearly I got through." I shrug and smile.
"What's your name?" I ask curiously.
"Kara Bridgewater." She replies.
"I'm Stiles Stilinksi." I answer back with a small grin. Kara's eyes start watering. Soon, she starts weeping. I frown.
"What's wrong?" I ask in concern.
"I don't know those people, I wanna go home." Kara cries, obviously referring to Scott and Deaton, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks.
"Trust me. Deaton, Scott and I will help you get back home as soon as possible. I promise you that. Nothing bad will happen to you as long as you're with us." I squeeze Kara's hand comfortably, which is thankfully not wet. Kara smiles gratefully at me, stops crying and wipes away her remaining tears. It looks like she's about to say something in return, but Deaton and Scott walk back into the room, carrying a disgusting looking potion. I let go of Kara's hand and eye off the potion. I pull a face, remembering all too well the sickening taste. "What is that?" Kara asks suspiciously.
"It's a potion that will give you legs. Drink up." Deaton answers, handing the potion to Kara.
She sits up and looks over at me uncertainly. I nod my head, signalling that it's okay. Kara sighs and lifts the beaker up to her lips. She lifts her head back and gulps down the whole potion. Once she's done, she hands Deaton the beaker and coughs and splutters a lot. Soon enough, Kara's tail disappears and human legs take their place. The only problem now is that she's completely naked. She screams loudly, trying to hide herself from us, but failing miserably. She ends up clutching her right hand to her chest and becomes invisible. "Deaton, we need to get her some clothes." I say as I turn to the veterinarian, feeling bad for Kara.
"I know. I'll try and go find some." Deaton says as he rushes off.
"I might have a jumper in the jeep." I comment to Scott before running out of the room. I race to the jeep and open up the boot. I move things around until I finally pull out a blue jumper. I close the boot and run back inside. I see that Deaton has returned with some veterinarian pants. I have no idea why he has them lying around in here. Deaton looks at me as I enter. "Good, you've got a top for her." He nods.
"My dear, in order for you to get dressed, you'll need to be visible." Deaton says, speaking towards the table.
"But I don't want you guys to see me like this." Kara squeaks in embarrassment.
"It's probably best if someone helps you though. You don't have any experience on land, including how to put human clothes on." Deaton tries again. Kara sighs.
"Fine, but please try not look." She answers. I glance away as she becomes visible. I notice Scott and Deaton do the same. I gently grab her legs and pull them over the side of the metal bench. Deaton slides the pants on up her legs. It's difficult to do when we can't really see. As Deaton does that, I walk to the other side of the table and slide the jumper over Kara's head. Scott helps me pull it down and get her arms through the sleeves. "You'll have to pull the pants up a little bit yourself." Deaton says, standing back, still not looking.
"Okay." Kara replies. I hear a shuffling noise.
"Thanks guys. You can look now." Kara says. The three of us turn back to look at her. The pants and jumper don't match well at all, but it's the best we've got at the moment. When she's able to walk properly, we will find her some better clothes. "Okay, the next step is to teach you how to walk." Deaton says. She looks around us nervously.
"I want Stiles to do it." Kara announces after a moment of contemplation. She seems to trust me the most. Apparently, that's evident to Scott as well. He leans over and whispers in my ear. "What did you two talk about while we were gone?" He asks. I merely shrug. "Okay then. Scott and I will be at the front desk, making sure no one comes in. Perhaps Scott can call Lydia to help her out with clothes." Deaton nods.
"Her name is Kara." I inform him.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Kara. You're safe with us." Deaton smiles before walking out of the room. Scott follows the veterinarian. I turn back to Kara. "Are you ready to try?" I ask. Kara looks scared, but nods anyway. I help her off the table, setting her down on the floor. She's very wobbly, almost falling over. I hold her shoulders, keeping her steady. Yet somehow, her legs manage to knock against each other, feet almost falling out from beneath her. Is this what I looked like when I was trying to walk? Wow. I take one step backwards, hoping Kara would step with me, which she does. She grins at me. "I'm walking!" She exclaims in delight.
"Let's take a few more steps before I give you more independence." I suggest. I keep walking backwards and Kara follows, even if her legs are under constant threat of buckling. "Good," I nod, letting go of her shoulders. I stand next to her and let her put a hand on my shoulder for support. "Try to make it to the other side. Believe me, I know it's hard, but I also know that you can do it." I smile. Kara nods quickly, almost trying to reassure herself. She starts walking to the other side. She's doing great. About halfway there, she trips and falls over, pulling me down with her. I yelp in surprise as I fall to the ground. I groan as I sit up. "Ow," I comment, rubbing my arm that hit the floor hard. Kara sits up and looks at me apologetically. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry Stiles!" She gushes. I chuckle.
"Don't worry about it. You're doing really good. Let's try again." I say as I help her up.
"I'll never get the hang of this." Kara mutters. I squeeze her hands gently.
"Hey, I thought the exact same thing. But you know what? I did get the hang of it. You just need a bit more practice." I reply. "Really?" Kara raises her eyebrows. I nod in response.
"Okay, let's try again then." Kara sighs. For the next hour or so, I help Kara walk around the room. She starts to get the hang of it and doesn't need my help anymore. "See? I told you that you would get it!" I shout proudly. Kara giggles and blushes. "Thanks, Stiles. You were a great help." She replies. I watch as she walks over to me. I notice her legs wobble a little, but over time, she'll get over that. "How long will I have to be here?" Kara asks.
"Well, you're still healing. The poison in your system must've not been in there long because you're not totally out of it. I'd say that you'd need a long rest. Plus, we have to wait until the hunters chasing you lose your trail." I answer after a moment. Kara sighs. "Okay, I guess that makes sense." She agrees. Another moment later, Deaton, Scott and Lydia walk into the room. I make my way over to them. "Hi Stiles. What's going on? Who's this?" Lydia asks, gesturing towards Kara. "Well, this is Kara Bridgewater. She... Needs some new clothes." I reply as we all turn to face Kara. The mermaid looks a little unsure. "It's okay, you can trust her." Deaton nods.
"Kara, this is Lydia Martin. She's our friend." I introduce Kara to Lydia.
"Hey Kara, it's nice to meet you." Lydia smiles kindly. Kara grins back.
"It's nice to meet you too." She replies. Lydia suddenly frowns.
"You're right, she does need new clothes. Isn't that your jumper, Stiles? I swear I have seen those pants lying around in this clinic before. Why is she wearing that stuff?" Lydia asks. I look between Scott, Deaton and Kara. Should I tell her? All three of them nod. "Lydia, Kara isn't human. She's a mermaid." I say bravely.