Sorry for the delay! And thank you SO much to SamReid, Guest, Fanofeverything101, and GFM for your reviews, it's honestly what got me moving to continue this! And thanks to everyone else who favorited/followed for all the love.
So, this chapter is looong, and the angst level is about to ramp up, and there's a cliffy at the end of this one...
Hang on!
Fictional
After he found the Nemeton, everything to Scott was a blur.
He could clearly recall the relieved look on his mother's face, and Sheriff Stilinski's exclamation of "Thank God!", in addition to Argent's muttered "About time," as he burst into the root cellar under the Nemeton and freed them from their bindings.
Then Stiles and Allison arrived, along with Lydia, Isaac, and Deaton in tow, and the overjoyed looks in his friends' faces as they hugged their parents reassured him that he had done the right thing.
Receiving a tight hug from his own mom, Scott knew he had done the right thing. Whether or not they understood it later...but by then it would be too late. He would be Jennifer's sacrifice instead, and there wouldn't be anything they could do to stop him.
But it was what he had to do.
"Dude, I can't believe you really found them," Stiles was suddenly standing in front of him, relieved tears in his eyes to have his Dad back, and Scott didn't hesitate to squeeze him tightly back when Stiles pulled him into a grateful hug.
He had definitely made the right choice.
Scott slept fitfully that night, repeatedly getting up to make sure that his mom was really ok. She was still there, sleeping soundly in her bedroom, exhausted from her ordeal with Jennifer. He returned to his own bed, tossing and turning as he tried not to think about what the coming night would bring.
At least he would get the chance to say goodbye, even if the others wouldn't know that's what it was.
He finally awoke the next afternoon, internally swearing at himself for wasting away what little time he had left. He threw on a t-shirt and sweatpants, before making his way downstairs to find his mom cooking a late breakfast, already dressed in her scrubs.
"Hey there, I figured the smell of food would get you up," she smiled knowingly, putting a plate in front of him on the kitchen table. He could see through her smile at the lines of tiredness and fear that she was desperately trying to hide from her ordeal as a near-sacrifice.
Scott didn't even want to think about what his self-sacrifice was going to do to her, but he couldn't think about that now.
She was alive, and she was safe. And Scott had no regrets about that.
He shook his head to clear his dark thoughts as he smiled back when his mom piled some steaming eggs and bacon on his plate, before frowning as he examined her attire more closely.
"Wait, mom, are you going to work?" he asked in confusion as he looked at her scrubs.
Melissa nodded at him, turning back to grab the pan off the stove and scoop eggs onto her own plate. "Yes I am, I have the night shift tonight."
"But don't you think you should take the day off," Scott protested, "after, you know, what happened last night?"
Melissa pursed her lips as she looked back at him thoughtfully. "Well, to be honest, I thought about it, but if I took a day off every time something supernatural related happened to me nowadays, I'd probably be out of a job."
Scott's shoulders slumped at his mom's words, even though she hadn't meant them that way. He couldn't help but feel responsible for all the terrible things that had happened to her since he had become a werewolf and she had been dragged into this mess along with him.
At least she won't have to worry about that anymore, he bitterly reminded himself. At least not after tonight.
Melissa must have seen the fallen look on his face because she quickly backtracked, coming over to place her hand over his hand on the table.
"I'm sorry honey, I didn't mean it to sound like that," she sighed, looking at him seriously. "But I can't just sit here at home, thinking about what happened, or waiting for the next creature to attack. We have to keep living our lives, Scott. We have to keep going, no matter what comes our way. Otherwise, that's letting all the evil out there win, and I'm not about to sit back and let that happen, ok? And either can you."
He nodded slowly, giving her a small smile in return. "I know, Mom, and you're right. We can't just sit here waiting for the next bad thing to happen. I just," he paused, his throat constricting as he was suddenly overcome with emotions, "I was just so worried I was going to lose you, that you were going to die, and that it was going to be all my fault."
"Oh Scott," Melissa smiled sadly at him, squeezing his hand even more tightly as she reached her free hand across to firmly cup his chin, "I want you to look at me. This whole thing, that insane woman, us being kidnapped, was not your fault. Do you understand me?"
Scott nodded again, blinking back tears and hating himself for seeming so weak in front of his mom. He was supposed to be the strong one, the protector, but there were times when he was still just a teenage boy who needed his mother.
"I'm just really glad you're ok," Scott rasped out, and before he knew what was happening, he had made his way around the kitchen table and pulled his mom into a tight hug, burying his face in her shoulder.
"Hey hey hey, it's ok, I'm ok, we're all ok," Melissa soothed, clearly taken aback at his sudden display of emotion. Tears sprang to her eyes to see him like this, wrapping her arms tightly around her son. "We're all ok, baby, thanks to you."
Scott nodded against her shoulder, before pulling back, wiping at his wet eyes. "Are you sure you have to work tonight?" He let out a small laugh, as his mom wiped her own suddenly misty eyes.
"Unfortunately, yes," Melissa nodded, taking a deep breath to pull herself back together. "They really need me tonight." She paused, looking at him carefully. "Are you sure you'll be ok tonight? That crazy Jennifer is still out there, and so are those Alphas..."
"I'll be fine, Mom," Scott offered her a wan smile, "promise."
She looked at him skeptically, not really believing him, but sighed knowing that he would deny it even if he wasn't. "Well, even so, don't be alone tonight. All of us will be safer being with others, and in public even for that matter."
"Yeah, uh, I'm gonna head over to Stiles' house with everyone else in a little bit," Scott quickly reassured her. "We're going to try and figure out what Jennifer's next move is, now that the sacrifice was ruined."
Melissa looked at him wryly. "Yeah, since us parents had the audacity to not be her sacrifices. But promise me, Scott, that you guys will be careful, that you're not going to go hunting her down in the middle of the night again."
"We won't," Scott replied softly, squeezing her shoulder in reassurance, wishing he didn't have to lie to her. He paused, searching for the right words to say. "I'm just really glad you're ok. I don't know what I would have done if..." he trailed off, unable to finish, but his mom knew exactly what he meant.
Melissa smiled softly back at him. "Well I'm glad you didn't have to find out, kiddo. It would take more than a homicidal druid on a power trip to keep me away from my only son."
Scott couldn't hold back a chuckle at that, knowing firsthand how feisty his mother was. She would never go down without a fight.
He just hoped she stayed that way after he was gone, that his death didn't completely break her, that she would be able to understand why he had done what he'd done.
He hoped she could forgive him one day for doing this.
"Well sweetheart," she sighed, looking at her watch, "I really have to get going to work."
"Do you have to?" Scott asked, suddenly somber again, as he realized this was going to be the last time he saw her.
He wasn't ready to say goodbye.
"Yes, I have to," Melissa replied, more reluctantly than before as she looked at her son, sensing something else was wrong but not entirely sure what.
"I was just hoping we could spend some time together tonight," Scott said wistfully, shoving his hands in his pants pockets as he looked at the floor.
"And Scott, I would love that, but just not tonight, ok?" Melissa said over her shoulder as she grabbed her purse. "But next week I'm actually off a few days, for once, so we can spend time together then. Sit down and actually have dinner together like a real family, sound good?"
"Yeah," Scott swallowed thickly at that, knowing they would never get the chance, but forced a smile in return, "that sounds good."
"Good," she smiled back as she dug for her keys, and she was completely unprepared when he stepped forwards and hugged her once again, even tighter than before.
"Mom, just, I wanted to say before you go," Scott took in a deep breath to keep his voice steady, "that I love you, and you've been the best mom ever, and thank you for being there for me, especially through all of this."
Melissa froze at his words, before squeezing him tightly back. "Of course, sweetheart. I love you, no matter what." After a moment, she pulled back, still hesitating at leaving when he seemed so upset, and wondering if she should even leave at all. "Are you sure you're ok? Maybe I can get someone to cover my shift..."
Scott sighed, forcing another smile on his face. "Mom, I'm ok. Really. Go to work, I'll be fine."
"Ok...if you're sure," Melissa was still hesitant, pausing by the door to look back at him. "We'll talk more tomorrow, ok?"
Scott nodded slowly at that. "Ok."
With one last concerned look at him, Melissa opened the door, and then she was gone.
Scott couldn't help the lone tear that escaped and rolled down his cheek as she shut the door behind her.
Goodbye, Mom. I'm sorry.
"Scott. Hey Scott, are you listening? Yo, Scotty!"
"Huh?" Scott suddenly came back to the present, realizing that Stiles had been calling his name for the last few minutes, as everyone else in Stiles' bedroom stared at him expectantly from where he sat in the corner.
"Yeah, sorry," Scott gave them all a sheepish smile. "Uh, what was the question?"
Stiles gave an exasperated sigh as he moved back towards his crime board. "We were asking what you thought Jennifer's next move would be. You know, since you were the one who actually found the Nemeton and all that, after you ditched Deucalion."
"Oh, uh, I'm not sure," Scott shook his head, desperately forcing his heartbeat to stay steady over the lie, especially since Isaac was staring at him curiously from where he and Allison sat perched side by side on Stiles' bed. Lydia was studying him too from where she stood next to Stiles, lips pursed in deep thought.
"Well, I don't think she's going to come after our parents again, since she's already failed, and especially not now that they're prepared for it," Allison offered when Scott didn't add anything else, silently chastising himself for not covering better in front of his friends and simultaneously thanking her for taking the heat off of him.
They couldn't figure out what he was going to do tonight, not if he wanted to keep them all safe.
"But that doesn't mean she won't try and go after somebody else, or three actually, for that matter," Lydia added. "I don't think she'll just give up that easily."
"Especially when tonight is the last night for her to complete the whole sacrificial ritual thing," Stiles nodded, frowning as he looked at everything they had already added to the board without finding any answers. "The question is who, and how do we stop her?"
"We don't," Scott said quietly, causing them to all look back at him once again, this time in surprise.
"Well that doesn't really seem like the normal plan," Isaac looked at him quizzically.
"Yeah man," Stiles narrowed his eyes and Scott suddenly felt uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze, "that's not at all what you would normally say, I mean ever."
Scott quickly realized that he was failing, and failing badly, from keeping his friends from eventually figuring out about the deal he had made with Jennifer. He stood up suddenly from the chair, racking his brain quickly for a way to throw the growing suspicion off of him.
"No, what I mean is," he walked into the middle of the room so he could face all of his friends, "is that it's too late for her to complete all three sacrifices by tonight. There's only a few hours left, and the Alpha Pack is really close to finding her, especially since the lunar eclipse is tonight and they will be powerless against her then. At least that's what Derek told me."
"That's true," Allison nodded in agreement to this information, "during the eclipse, all of you will lose your powers, and basically be human again. But that will give Jennifer the advantage, and a pretty big one at that."
"Not unless they find her first," Isaac shrugged. "We'll just have to hope that they find her before the eclipse tonight."
"Or that she's so busy running from them right now, she won't have a chance to complete three more sacrifices," Lydia crossed her arms over her chest.
"Either way," Scott continued, looking at them all seriously, "we stay out of it this time. We don't need anyone else getting hurt."
"Hopefully they'll just take each other out, problem solved," Stiles said nonchalantly as he stuck another pin back on the board, trying to hold up a falling piece of red string.
Scott sighed at that, knowing he would normally hate that possibility, but knowing that after what happened to him tonight, it really wouldn't matter. "Maybe. At least it will keep anyone else from becoming a sacrifice."
Except for me, he thought silently, but quickly pushed the thoughts from his head.
"So, let me get this straight," Stiles turned back from the board to face him, suspicion etched on his face, "you don't want to do anything about the Darach or the Alphas then?"
He felt four sets of eyes staring at him expectantly, and he swallowed thickly, before shaking his head. "No, not tonight at least."
"You want us to just sit back and wait to see what happens?" Allison's voice was full of doubt.
"Uh, you sure you're feeling ok?" Isaac added skeptically.
He knew it was because he never just sat back and let anyone get hurt, he was always somehow in the middle of everything evil or supernatural that went on in Beacon Hills, and typically dragging the rest of his rag-tag pack with him.
"Well, you said it yourself Stiles," Scott replied, forcing himself to sound as casual as possible, "your Dad hasn't reported any missing persons yet tonight, and Jennifer is almost out of time anyways."
"That's true," Stiles shrugged, but he didn't sound convinced. "But that doesn't mean that something still won't happen between now and midnight."
"Look guys," Scott gestured with his hands, trying to reign in his growing emotions and failing, "we just got our parents back after almost losing them to the Darach sacrifice, and right now keeping them and all of us out of harm's way is all I can really think about. We almost didn't get them back, and all I want is to keep them and all of you safe! Which means staying out of this right now, ok?"
There was a long heavy silence in the room between all of them, before Lydia finally broke it with a sympathetic smile.
"Ok," she said softly. "I can't say I disagree with you there. Maybe it is better if we just stay out of whatever happens tonight. We already had a pretty close call with losing people we care about."
"If that's what you want," Isaac added quietly in agreement. "Then that's what we'll do."
"That's what I want," Scott replied with a deep sigh, making eye contact with each of them and forcing himself to calm down as his emotions started to get the better of him.
Everyone nodded quietly at that, accepting his choice, believing almost losing their parents had been the final straw...but Scott could tell that they were still skeptical of him not wanting to get involved, especially when someone else was potentially at risk of becoming a sacrifice.
Feeling the growing tension in the room and knowing it was because he wasn't formulating some dramatic plan to stop Jennifer and rally them all into another face-off with her, Scott suddenly excused himself from the room.
"Uh, I need a drink of water. Anyone else?"
A chorus of "no's" and "I'm good's" followed him out of the room as he headed towards Stiles' kitchen, breathing a sigh of relief that he was away from their scrutiny, at least for a minute. He just had to keep their suspicions at bay for a few more hours.
Only a few more hours until he was...
"Scott? Are you ok?"
Allison's voice behind him startled him out of his thoughts, and he whirled around to see her standing in the middle of the kitchen, looking at him with concern etched all over her face. He was so preoccupied that he hadn't even sensed her come up behind him.
"Me?" He tried to feign surprise at her question. "Yeah, Allison, of course. Why?"
She frowned, watching him carefully, stepping closer until she was directly in front of him. "I don't know, you just seem...like something's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong," Scott replied a little too quickly, before realizing that he had to get this under control if he didn't want her to figure it out.
After all, and even though they were broken up now...next to Stiles, Allison knew him better than anyone.
It didn't help that he still loved her, not that he would ever admit it. She seemed happy now, and it looked like her and Isaac were starting something together, and as much as that thought killed him, all he had ever really wanted was for her to be happy.
"Why do you think something's wrong?" he suddenly turned the question around on her, slapping on one of his most charming smiles in an effort to throw her off.
"Well," Allison shook her head, suddenly seeming uncomfortable under his gaze. "Something just seems off, and I," she paused, "I still care about you, Scott. If something is wrong, you can tell me, I mean, tell us," she quickly corrected herself, looking away from him for a moment.
Scott couldn't help the little skip of his heart at Allison's words, and he was silently grateful she didn't have his werewolf hearing to catch it. "I care about you too, Allison," he reached over and hesitantly squeezed her hand, causing her eyes to dart back to his face in surprise, "all of you. Which is why I'm doing everything I can to keep you all safe from this."
Allison bit her lip as she studied his face carefully. "I know that Scott, but why don't you want to go after Jennifer tonight, in case there's another sacrifice? Or try and stop the Alphas? It just doesn't seem like...you," she emphasized, giving him a knowing look. "You care so much, and I've never once seen you just sit on the sidelines with something like this happening, not if you thought there was a way you could stop it, and keep someone else from getting hurt."
"Allison," he replied softly, and they were even closer now, face to face, and he could hear her heartbeat skyrocket at their proximity, "this is what I'm doing, to keep everyone safe. This is the only way I know how to right now. Every choice I've ever made is to keep all of you from getting hurt, to protect everyone I care about, I hope you know that."
He hoped that she would remember these exact words after he sacrificed himself, knowing that she would rehash and analyze and pull apart this last conversation over and over...after it was too late.
Allison flinched at his words, as if she should have realized that about him, knowing him as she did. "I do know that, Scott. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that."
"No, Allison, it's ok," he smiled easily, quickly reassuring her with another squeeze of her hand. "I get why it seems weird for me not to be doing something, but I think this is the best way to protect all of us right now."
"Ok," she smiled back, squeezing his hand in return. "As long as you're sure nothing's wrong."
"I'm sure," Scott nodded, before dropping her hand. He paused, realizing with a sharp pang in his heart that this would be the last time he saw her, the last time it would just be him and Allison talking in a room together, and he had to make sure she knew how important she still was to him.
"Thanks for worrying about me, though," he continued quietly, leaning back against the counter to look at her gratefully, "that means a lot."
"Of course, Scott," Allison gave him a quizzical look. "I'll always worry about you. We're still friends, after all."
"Yeah," Scott snorted, looking at the floor for a long moment before looking back up at her, "friends."
She narrowed her eyes at his change of tone, trying to figure out what exactly he meant by that, before he interrupted her train of thought.
"It's ok."
Allison's eyes grew wide at the question. "What? What's ok?"
"Isaac," Scott looked at her steadily. "You and Isaac. It's ok."
"Seriously Scott? I don't know what you're getting at," she was flustered now, crossing her arms over her chest defensively and shaking her head, "but Isaac and I, we aren't together."
"You care about him, though," Scott continued, but it was without malice or anger, just resigned acceptance. "A lot."
"No, no, Scott, it isn't like that," Allison was still desperately trying to convince him otherwise, but he could see the wheels turning in her head, the startling realization just hitting her now about her growing feelings for the other werewolf, "it's different, it's not how you and me were, it's not the same thing..."
"Allison," Scott stopped her rambling with a small smile, "it's ok. Really."
Allison stared at him for a long moment, as if deciding if he was telling the truth or not, deciding if she really had feelings for Isaac or not.
Scott took a deep breath before continuing, knowing he had to say this to her now, because he couldn't willingly die if she didn't know.
"You were the first girl I ever loved, Allison," he said softly, watching her tough facade start to crumble at his words, "and a part of me still does love you. But all I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, so if that's with Issac, if that's not with me...then I'm ok with it."
"...really?" she finally rasped out, looking at a complete loss for words as she looked back at him.
"Really," he lied with a small smile, wanting to make sure she was left in peace after this, not wanting his final words to haunt her.
After all, she might need Isaac more than ever after he died, and he wanted to make sure she wasn't alone. She had already lost so many people in her life, and her dad wasn't always around, so he had to know that someone else would be there to look after her...even though he knew firsthand how tough she was, how she could take care of herself.
It still made him feel better knowing that Isaac would be there for her.
That maybe she could move on after he was gone.
"So," Lydia mused, turning back towards Stiles with her hands on her hips, "what do you think is up with Scott?"
"I don't know," Stiles frowned in reply as he finished hanging one last piece of string on the board. "But I intend to find out. Scott is a terrible liar, at least when it comes to me."
"Did you guys ever think," Isaac chimed in from where he was casually sprawled on Stiles' bed now, "that maybe almost losing his mom and all your parents freaked him out so much that he just wants to stay out of this whole mess?"
"Well, thank you very much for your astute observation as always Isaac," Stiles groused in irritation, "but you don't know Scott like I do. Even if he did feel that way after everything that happened, he wouldn't just stand by when people are still in danger."
"But he might," Isaac sat back up, challenging him. "He might back out if he thought it was safer for all of us."
Lydia raised her eyebrows in amusement as she watched them. It was no secret that Stiles and Isaac often conflicted.
"He might, but he wouldn't, and that's the point," Stiles waved his hands in growing exacerbation.
"Maybe Scott just knows something the rest of us don't," Lydia shrugged casually as she plopped down on the bed next to Isaac. "And he thinks he's protecting us by keeping us out of it."
"I think that's exactly what's going on," Stiles nodded in agreement, putting a hand to his chin as he faced them. "And I intend to find out what it is."
"Ok, we're going to get going," Allison stood, Isaac standing with her. "Besides, I want to check on my Dad, just in case."
It had been several hours later, and still no reports of missing persons or homicidial druids around Beacon Hills per the Sheriff, so they decided that either Jennifer had given up, or Deucalion and the alpha pack had found her after all.
"Yeah, I'm going to catch a ride with her," Isaac motioned with his head as he followed Allison to the doorway of Stiles' room. Scott didn't miss the way he didn't make eye contact with him as he said it.
"Yeah, ok, I'll see you at home," Scott replied quietly, although he knew that Isaac would likely be at Allison's for a while instead. He tried not to think about what that meant, even though it wouldn't matter anymore anyways.
"Just," Allison hesitated in the doorway, looking back at all of them but her words were directed at Scott, "be careful."
Scott just nodded, unable to find his voice. She gave him one last look before her and Isaac left the room.
"Well, I think the excitement is over for tonight," Lydia stood also then, stretching dramatically. "Doesn't look like anyone else is going to be sacrificied, so I'm going to go too."
She marched towards the doorway after Allison and Isaac, but as she passed by Scott, she stopped suddenly, wheeling to look directly at him.
"What?" Scott said after a few long moments when she didn't say anything, just standing and staring at him intently.
She grabbed his arm with surprising strength, as she kept looking at him. "I...don't know," she finally replied, with genuine confusion. "I just...I don't know."
"Uh, Lydia," Stiles stepped closer, looking back and forth between the two of them with growing concern, "what is it? What's going on?"
She still didn't reply, just looking at Scott intently. He swallowed thickly, wondering in fact if Lydia's new found banshee senses, whatever they all were, were a lot stronger than any of them had realized.
"You're sure you're ok?" she finally asked, refusing to let go of his arm.
"I swear, everything's fine," Scott replied, trying to sound a little irritated at the repeated question. "There's nothing to worry about."
When she still didn't budge, still not believing him, he tried again with a softer tone, reaching up to grab her hand on his arm, gently pulling it away. "You don't have to worry about me. Go home, Lydia."
"Ok," she replied reluctantly, still not totally convinced, but believing him for now. She looked back and forth between Scott and Stiles. "But don't you two go doing anything stupid."
"Us? Do something stupid?" Stiles scoffed with a smirk, "we wouldn't dream of it."
When Lydia turned to give him a hard look, he dropped the smirk immediately. "But I see your point. We won't do anything stupid, alright?"
She arched an eyebrow at him as if contemplating his words, her eyes landing on Scott one last time before she left.
"Good."
"Well," Stiles turned towards him then, now that it was just the two of them, determined to figure out what was up with his best friend, "what was that all about?"
Scott gave him a nonchalant shrug, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What was what?"
"Don't play dumb with me Scott," Stiles shook his head in mild annoyance. "That whole thing with Lydia just now."
Scott gave him another helpless look. "I don't know Stiles, I don't think she even knows."
"And aren't you just a little bit concerned," he narrowed his eyes at him, his arms flailing wildly, "since whatever her powers are...they all seem to revolve around people dying!"
"We still don't know what exactly her powers are, and she doesn't know how to control them," Scott replied too casually, "so stop trying to read into it, Stiles."
"Ok, ok," he nodded, not ready to let it go, "then what about all this crap about not wanting to go after Jennifer tonight? Or stop the Alpha Pack?"
Scott sighed heavily, sinking down on the bed with a thud. "I already told you why."
"Yeah, that's right, it was already too close a call with our parents," Stiles replied unconvincingly, "but that still doesn't mean you wouldn't try to stop the Darach if you knew more people were going to die. That's not you, Scott! That's not what you do."
"Stiles, I can't let anyone else get hurt," he was exasperated now, giving Stiles a pleading look. "I can't protect everyone, and I can't let anyone I care about die because of me."
"But it's not because of you, Scott," Stiles tried to make him see that all of this wasn't his fault, that no one ever blamed him for the supernatural mess that had become of their lives, "it's the fault of one lunatic Darach and several bloodthirsty Alphas. And you're the only one who can stop them!" He paused, making sure Scott was making eye contact with him before he continued. "Which is why...I don't get why you aren't. I don't get why you're lying to me."
"Stiles, I'm not lying to you!" Scott shot back in protest, but Stiles could see right through it.
"You know what, Scott, I'm actually insulted," he put his hand to his heart in a dramatic gesture. "You actually think that me, your best friend, who knows you better than anyone I might add, who has been through werewolf 101 and everything else this hellhole of a town has sent our way, would actually not be able to tell that you're lying?"
"Stiles," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, his shoulders slumping, "please just let this go."
"Scotty," Stiles tone suddenly softened at the defeated look Scott gave him. He walked over and sat down next to him on the bed, squeezing his shoulder in reassurance. "Look, I may not understand what's going on or what you're not telling me, I'm just worried, man. I may not be a werewolf, or a hunter, or have cool supernatural powers of any kind...but I can still help. Please."
Stiles wasn't prepared for the almost devastated look Scott gave him at his words. "I know that, Stiles...I'm sorry."
"It's ok," Stiles gave him a small smile, squeezing his shoulder again. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again, just to make sure it gets through your little werewolf brain...you've got me."
Scott gave him a weak smile in return. "I know that, too. That's why I need you to trust me on this, ok?"
Stiles sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Fine. I'll agree to disagree...which I still disagree strongly I might add...but I'll let it go. For now."
Scott let out a hoarse chuckle, shaking his head. "Thanks."
Stiles snorted at that. "Just don't make me regret it."
There was a long silence when Scott didn't immediate reply, and when Stiles glanced back over at his friend, his concern was only escalated by the look of both sadness and relief on Scott's face.
"You know I still need you, right?" Scott said quietly, looking at his hands that were nervously fidgeting in his lap, not making eye contact with Stiles.
"Yeah, Scott, of course, I think that's been pretty obvious," Stiles tried to joke, but it fell flat in the heavy silence between them. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, continuing with a more serious tone. "And I need you too, you know that."
Scott nodded, still not looking up at him. "I know. But I just want you to know, even since this happened to me, even though I'm faster and stronger and can heal or whatever," he gestured at himself, finally turning to face Stiles again, "I still need your help. I wouldn't have been able to get through any of this without you."
"Yeah, dude, I get it," Stiles frowned in concern, his heart filling with dread that things were even worse than Scott was letting on, although he couldn't figure out for the life of him what was going on, "but you're my best friend. Where else would I be if I wasn't there to drag your ass out of trouble all the time?"
"I just wanted to say," Scott reached over now to squeeze his shoulder this time, "thanks. For always having my back. For being my brother."
Stiles heart skipped a beat as he flashed back to the last time he and Scott had exchanged those words, when Scott had been about to light himself up with a flare all too recently. Stiles had almost lost him for real that time, and he couldn't stomach the thought of losing Scott again.
"Scotty," he tried again, more gently this time, trying to hide his growing panic, "is everything ok? Seriously, what's going on?"
"Everything's ok, Stiles," Scott gave him another small smile. "Everyone is safe now, and that's all that matters...that we go our parents back."
"Yeah. Yeah we did," he replied quietly, only slightly reassured by Scott's words, "and I'll never stop thanking you for that. You found them, man. You saved the day, once again."
"That's because I always have you guys watching my back," Scott gave him a grateful smile this time.
"You know, maybe we should revisit this whole Batman and Robin thing again," Stiles smirked, trying to break the heaviness between them, and was relieved when Scott laughed, a genuine one this time.
"I told you, no one is Batman or Robin."
"That's what you keep saying, but I know that's not true," Stiles shot back, nudging Scott with his elbow playfully, as Scott shoved him back.
"Well, either way," Scott said, standing up from the bed, "I guess I should say thanks then."
Stiles stood up to face him. "If you really want to thank me, convince Lydia that I'm better than that testosterone-filled werejock she's dating."
Scott chuckled as he grabbed his coat. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll work."
"You know," Stiles added suddenly as Scott started to leave, feeling the sudden need to stop him, "why don't you just stay the night? I still haven't beaten level 3 of that new zombie game, and I could really use some back up."
Scott hesitated at his words, looking torn, but shook his head. "Uh, I can't tonight, Stiles."
"Ok," Stiles tried not to sound disappointed, both for less time to drag out of Scott whatever it was that he was hiding and for not being able to beat the game alone, "how about next weekend then? All-night gaming marathon?"
"Yeah, sure, that sounds good," Scott replied, but Stiles couldn't help but notice the distant look in his eyes when he said it.
"Fine, don't stay tonight," Stiles replied, something inside him screaming to make Scott stay but not knowing how, figuring he'd just have to keep working on him later for the truth instead, "if you're sure everything is ok."
"Everything's ok," Scott nodded at him reassuringly. "The Darach is over now, and we don't have to worry about her coming after us or our parents anymore."
"Thank God," Stiles muttered under his breath. "Alright man, if you're sure you don't want to stay over tonight."
"I'm sure," Scott replied quietly, heading for the door of his room.
"Ok, next time then," Stiles held his gaze as Scott still hesitated in the doorway.
"Yeah, next time," Scott echoed, looking back at him steadily with a look Stiles couldn't quite identify.
"Goodbye, Stiles."
"See ya later Scott," Stiles called back, and then he was gone.
Stiles couldn't help but wonder why a sudden shiver of dread crawled down his spine as he left.
"Good, right on time," Jennifer sneered as she stood next to the massive stump of the Nemeton, the eclipse rising in the sky.
"I told you I would be," Scott replied hollowly as he came to a stop next to the stump, trying not to envision it covered in his blood.
"And I'm guessing that none of your little friends figured out what you were up to tonight," she raised her eyebrows with satisfaction, looking around the clearing for anyone else appearing in the darkness and finding no one.
"No, they didn't," Scott couldn't help the low growl that escaped, "but it wasn't easy. They all knew something was wrong, when I wouldn't come after you again tonight, or the Alpha Pack."
"So what, you could kill me?" Jennifer laughed cruelly, pulling out some thick binding ropes. "Boy, did they have this scenario all wrong."
Scott glared at her, a mixture of anger and grief on his face. "I came here to do what you asked. So just do it."
"Well, aren't you a good sacrifice," she scoffed, coming closer to him. "But you're right, we don't have much time. We need to do this during the eclipse."
"Why?" he asked, looking up at the rapidly darkening moon.
"Because," she snapped the ropes tightly in her hands, "then that way you won't be able to heal, and I can kill you faster. It's perfect, actually."
Scott swallowed thickly, as he realized that the last hope he had unconsciously had of somehow surviving this had suddenly been wiped away.
He was really going to die out here, at the hands of a psychopathic druid.
"Ok, turn around," she motioned sharply at him. "Put your hands behind your back."
"You don't need to tie me up," Scott replied in disgust. "I won't fight you, I already agreed to be the sacrifice. Blood oath, remember?"
"That's not the point," Jennifer shook her head with impatience. "You are a sacrifice, the final sacrifice, and I need to present you to the Nemeton as such. Now turn around."
Scott sighed heavily, before reluctantly turning around and putting his hands behind his back. He tried not to flinch as she roughly tied the thick ropes around his wrists, pulling them tightly so that there would be no chance of escape...at least for a human, or a werewolf without any powers.
"Good," Jennifer looked over her work approvingly. "Now lie down on the center of the Nemeton."
Scott walked slowly over and climbed onto the large stump somewhat awkwardly with his hands bound behind him, his feet dragging heavily even though he knew this was what he had signed up for.
Even though his sacrifice had been to save everyone he cared about, he still couldn't help but feel some remorse for the life he wouldn't get to live. No graduation, no chance of getting Allison back, no college adventures with Stiles...no chance of seeing anyone he loved ever again.
But he had made his choice, to save them from this fate, and he knew he'd give his own life a hundred times over if it saved the ones he loved.
This was the only way.
He laid down on the Nemeton, the hard, cold bark digging into his back. He could almost feel the power pulsating underneath him, as if the tree knew that he was the final piece in Jennifer's puzzle. He furiously blinked up at the darkening night sky, determined to hold back tears as Jennifer climbed onto the Nemeton next to him, holding the large dagger with ancient writing in one hand and the garrote to strangle him in the other. She pulled two more ropes across his body, from one side of the stump to the other, securing him firmly against the Nemeton.
The lunar eclipse was about to begin, and Jennifer stood over him, pure power and craziness radiating about her.
"Scott, I thank you for your sacrifice," she smiled sadistically down at him. "You made the right choice."
No sooner than the words had left her mouth then total darkness fell over the woods as the lunar eclipse began, and Scott felt his powers fade away.
The last thing he saw was the moon disappearing into blackness, before Jennifer let out a wild yell of fury, echoing throughout the clearing as she raised her hand high above her head, the blade glinting in the disappearing moonlight.
And then she plunged the dagger directly into his heart.
Stiles awoke with a start, completely confused in the darkness of his room as he tried to figure out what had woken him up.
As his brain tried to clear through the fogginess of sleep, he realized it was his phone buzzing wildly across his night stand. He fumbled, uncoordinated, out of his covers to snatch it up, not even bothering to check the caller ID as he answered it.
"...'ello?" he mumbled sleepily into the phone.
There was no reply right at first, but he could definitely hear someone breathing heavily over the line, and it sounded like they were...crying?
"Hello? Who's there?" He tried again, wide awake now, but was met with no answer, just broken sniffles coming over the line.
Heartbeat speeding up with panic, Stiles quickly pulled the phone away from his ear, looking down to see who had called.
Lydia.
"Lydia," he could barely keep his voice steady now, jumping up from his bed and clutching the phone to his ear, "Lydia, can you hear me? Are you ok?"
"...Stiles," her broken voice finally came over the phone, and it sounded hoarse, either from crying...or screaming.
Now Stiles was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, dread already sinking into the pit of his stomach, already knowing that he wouldn't like what Lydia was about to say.
"Lydia, what is it?" he shot back through the phone, his voice raising in panic. "Are you ok? What's going on?"
"Stiles, I had," she began, sounding completely shaken, "I had a dream, or a premonition, or something, I don't...I don't know..."
"Lydia," Stiles cut in, trying to slow his breathing with no success, "please, just tell me, I'm freaking out here. What was it?"
Lydia went silent again for a moment, sounding like she was trying to suppress a sob, and just when he thought he was about to lose his mind, she finally spoke.
"Stiles, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," she rambled, sounding completely lost.
"...why?" he asked with pure dread, holding his breath as Lydia replied brokenly.
"Stiles...it's Scott."
TBC
