My eyes fluttered open, and it took a moment for the throbbing in my head to subside so I could realize where I was and what was happening. I groaned as I rubbed the cut on my forehead, which had already healed but left a trace of blood. The rain was still pounding on the metal roof of the jeep and at first I thought the smoke coming from the engine was just a fog.
I turned my head to the side to see Stiles leaning against the window, his eyes closed. There was a small gash on the side of his head from where he had hit it when we crashed. I had to fight back the panic that was threatening to rise inside of me.
"Stiles?" I said, undoing my seat belt and leaning over him. "Stiles? Wake up,"
I gave him a light shake to the shoulders, but he was still out cold. No this couldn't be happening. I need him awake if we're going to find the parents. He's the one who knows where the Nemeton is.
"Come on, Stiles," I said, shaking him again. "You have to wake up. Please, wake up,"
A tight knot formed in my throat as he remained still. An overwhelming feeling of desperation overcame me. I have to do something, but I'm terrified. It's been so long since I've healed someone else, because I'm afraid I'll hurt them instead.
Although, I did manage to sacrifice Stiles without anything going wrong. I did it because he believed in me, because he trusted me. I know that he trusts me to do this too. It's just a matter of whether or not I trust myself.
I took in a shaky breath, trying to calm myself down. I needed to be relaxed if I was going to do this. Stiles believes in me, I know that. Now I just have to believe in myself, something I haven't done in a while. I'm scared out of my mind, but I know I can do this. I know I can do it for Stiles.
"Okay, okay," I said, exhaling slowly. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. "I can do this,"
There was another crack of thunder as I grabbed one of Stiles' hands and placed my other one on his head where the gash was. I focused entirely on him, thinking about healing his wound and taking away his pain. I kept good thoughts in the back of my mind to keep me from slipping.
I closed my eyes and continued breathing in and out. I squeezed my hand tighter around his, feeling the pain seep into my veins, running a dark purple color up my arm. It hurt, but I had to keep going. I could feel his gash beginning to close up underneath my touch.
"Come on," I said through clenched teeth. "Come on, Stiles. Wake up,"
My toes curled in my boots as I tried not to think about the ache running up my forearms. I allowed myself to let out a small grunt of pain but bit my lip to keep from screaming. I was getting so close. I couldn't stop now, especially after I'd come this far.
I felt Stiles shift underneath me, and in the next moment he sat up straight, sucking in a heavy breath. I pulled my hands away, watching him as my chest heaved for air. He blinked his eyes and shot a hand up to the spot on his head I'd just healed, pulling it back slowly to see only a small trace of blood. He turned to me with a surprised grin teasing his lips.
"You healed me," he said.
"Yeah," I said, smiling back and trying not to think about the throbbing in my own head. "I did,"
Without warning, Stiles grabbed me by the neck and kissed me full on the lips. Much to my dismay, it was only a brief one, but I understood considering our circumstances. Besides, we had enough of a moment earlier to make up for it.
"You don't have to be afraid of yourself anymore," he said, rubbing the pad of his thumb over my cheek. "Whatever it is you felt before, doesn't control you,"
I wrapped my hand around his wrist, loving the way his touch felt on my skin, like little tingles of lightning. "I love you,"
"I love you too," he said. He placed a swift kiss on my forehead before pulling back. "Come on,"
We both scrambled out of the jeep and I didn't even bother to question Stiles when he pulled a baseball bat out of the back seat. I've just grown to be used to his antics at this point. I followed him as he guided us through the trees. The wind was blowing so hard I had to grab Stiles' hand to keep my balance. I was thankful I'd decided to pull my hair into a ponytail back when we were waiting for the three of them to wake up.
The ground beneath us was shaking and dirt was spiraling in the air. Actual clumps of the ground were beginning to fall out from under us as we ran. "It's Jennifer," I said. "She must be connecting with the currents and that's what's causing the storm,"
I nearly ran into Stiles when he stopped walking. My jaw dropped when I saw what it was he was looking at. The root cellar beneath the Nemeton was caving in, and even with the wind I could hear the rapid heartbeats of the people stuck below.
"Oh my god," I said. "Stiles, where are you - ?"
He had already disappeared, jumping down into the small opening of the cellar. Without waiting another moment, I followed him down. When me feet hit the ground, I realized that Stiles had stuck his bat in between the dirt and the top of the cellar, keeping it up from caving in.
"I said aluminum was better than wood," said Sheriff Stilinski.
A smile made it's way onto my face as Stiles hugged his father. My eyes then landed on Eric, who was panting and covered in sweat next to Isaac. They must have been trying to hold the roof up before it caved in completely. I crawled over to my brother and wrapped him up in a hug was well.
The ground stopped crumbling and the wind died down. A calming air swept through the cellar. We all glanced around at each other, Stiles still holding the bat up by the handle to keep it sturdy.
"Is it over?" Allison asked.
There was a moment of pause, and when we heard no gust of wind, no crumbling of the earth, we knew that the storm had come to an end. Jennifer had been connecting her power to the currents, which meant that now they've stopped, she's been stopped.
Stiles pulled his buzzing phone out of his pocket and brought it up to his ear. "Scott?"
"Hey, are you okay?" Scott said on the other end.
"Yeah, we're okay," said Stiles, meeting my eyes and then looking around at everyone else. "We're all okay. How about you? You okay?"
"Sort of," said Scott.
"Well, you think you can come get us?" Stiles asked.
"Yeah, of course,"
"Great, um okay...bring a ladder,"
We all laughed, and it didn't feel wrong. It felt good.
☀
I took one last, lingering look at my bedroom that was now empty of all furniture and personal belongings. All of that was in a moving truck outside. It felt so strange seeing it this way, with nothing but bare walls and an uncovered floor.
I strode over to my window. It was open, but curtains no longer covered it. With a deep breath I crawled out onto that spot on the roof that has become such a haven for me. If there's anything I'm truly going to miss about this house, it's this. So many personal things have happened here. This is where Mom and I spent so many silent nights, where Stiles asked me to be his girlfriend. It's sad saying goodbye to a place that holds memories like that, but it's time to move on.
This house is too big and too empty for just Eric and I. We need a clean sleight, a fresh start. We need a place that isn't a constant reminder of the family that once occupied it. It feels like too many bad things have happened here.
"You ready?" I jumped at the sound of Eric's voice from behind me.
I took a moment to compose myself after the shock. I jumped back into my room and curled my fingers around the window pane to push it closed. "Yeah,"
With that, I walked out of my bedroom, the same one I grew up in, leaving it behind. It's a part of my past now. A past that I want nothing more than to move on from. I want to forget about all the bad things that I've done and have been done to me. I want to find peace and happiness again, and maybe moving out of here is the first step.
All of our friends helped us move out our furniture, what we want to keep anyways. Some we decided to leave since there wouldn't be room for it in our new apartment, and also because I don't think I could handle looking at Zoe's bed everyday.
Eric and I walked down the stairs, passing the burnt door to Mom's office without a second glance. The fire department said the room would be an easy fix, but we wanted nothing more to do with it. It's no more than a painful reminder, and we don't need that anymore. We know what we've lost.
We trekked down the front steps of the house, Eric locking the front door behind us. I tried not to look back, but I had to. How could I not? This was the house of my childhood, where I was raised and brought up as the person I am today. I guess it's just harder to say goodbye to something like that than I thought.
"Come on," said Eric, guiding me towards my car.
He got behind the wheel and we followed the moving truck to our new apartment that just so happened to be right down the hall from the Argents. I'm actually glad we're moving next door to them. That way we know we have some kind of protection with their military grade arsenal. That, and I could really use a friend like Allison at the moment.
"Stiles told me what you did," said Eric, glancing at me from the driver's seat. I furrowed my eyebrows at him, unsure of what exactly he was talking about. "How you healed him,"
I shifted in my seat. "I guess I just learned to trust myself again, for him,"
"I'm glad you're back, sis," he said, wearing an almost cheeky smile.
It made me smile back. "Me too,"
☀
It feels like so much has changed in so little time. Kali and Jennifer are both dead, Deucalion ran off, and I've regained my ability to heal others. Things just really seemed like they couldn't get any worse, and a part of me still feels that way, but I'm smiling again. That's a stepping stone.
Derek and Cora left, too. To be honest, I'm not really sure if they're ever coming back. If they don't, I jjust hope they're happy. I hope that they've found a reason to smile just like Eric and I. They deserve that, they really do. I just wish I could have gotten to say goodbye.
Part of me still lives in fear though. I know the dangers of what the three of them did that night are. I know that it could potentially draw things here, things that not even my mother could have prepared for. I also know that my friends are affected by it, I can just tell. But I know that they'll be okay, because we have each other.
The darkness they feel does not have to consume like I let happen with mine. Sure, it will always be there, but it doesn't have to change who they are. I believe that. I overcame mine, and I know that I can help them overcome theirs too. I can actually begin helping people again, instead of always hurting them.
I truly believe that that is why I survived that night. Maybe it was always supposed to be me. Zoe would never have been able to help Scott, Stiles, and the others as I have. I lived for a reason, and now that I've accepted that, I'm going to start living it.
Stiles and I came up on either side of Scott. Stiles wrapped an arm around his shoulders, while I patted the side of his arm. It felt right, the three of us walking down the hallway together, all tragically scarred but still with a beautiful love for one another. This is how it was supposed to be.
I see Lydia leaned up against a row of lockers talking to Aiden, as Ethan and Danny come out of a classroom hand in hand. Just further down the hall, Isaac and Allison walk down a set of steps, laughing and smiling with each other. Everyone just seems...happy.
Although things may never exactly be peaceful in a town like Beacon Hills, this moment makes it feel like it. I'm content with where I am and who I've become. Sure, I've been faced with more than my fair amount of tradegy, but this moment right here, reminds me why I keep fighting.
I fight for my friends.
--------------------------------
Thanks so much for reading!
Sorry that it's way shorter than usual, but it's the mid-season finale so what can you do?
I'm hoping to have part two out sometime next week, but I still have to map out the episodes and where I want to go with my story line and all that. Plus I have to umpire 15 games this weekend woo. I'm not going to have a body after Sunday.
I really hope you enjoyed my take on season 3a! I really enjoyed writing it :)
Thanks again and don't forget to comment, vote, and follow!
GIF not mine.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
-Alyssa