Beginnings and Endings

Tabitha sat solemnly in the chair, ducking her head low to avoid the suspicious glances of her peers. She shied away from them, covering her face with her hands to hide her eyes. She heard steps approach her but she refused to lift her head. The person knelt down in front of her and touched her hands, pulling them away and taking them into their own. She first saw his converse shoes and forced herself to look up, catching herself in the intense stare of his honey brown eyes. She didn't speak and glared at him, silently begging him to go away, but he was adamant to stay and clutched her hands tightly, also showing his support silently. She leaned forward before she could stop herself and rested her head against his shoulder and wept softly. He released her hands and wrapped his strong arms around her, soothing her back and hair.

"It'll be all right, Tabitha," he assured her, kissing her left temple before turning his head to eye his friends. "I got you."

They weren't as comforting, keeping their distance from the pair. For the past few hours they isolated her in the corner, suspicious of her, shooting her accusing glares every now and then. Stiles glared back at them, disappointed at their behavior. Tabitha didn't deserve to be shunned but yet she was because they believed she was withholding information –very important information –purposely. Stiles knew deep down she knew something but he knew she was never to blame. Shunning her wouldn't deliver answers, either. He rose, bringing Tabitha up with him. She stumbled onto her feet and clutched his waist to keep balance. He did the same and guided her away from the vultures observing them across the floor on the other side of the wall.

"Where are you two going?" Derek demanded, emerging from the group as their spokesperson. Stiles stood his ground and hid Tabitha's face in his shoulder. He glanced back, not bothering to turn around to face them, instead kept his back to them.

"Away from you assholes," he seethed, and returned his attention forward, pushing Tabitha in front of him, so that he would be the wall between them. Lydia's ivy green eyes widened, surprised at his animosity towards the whole of them. Sure, she expected him to be pissed at Derek, maybe Scott to –no, definitely Scott, she realized, despite the closeness of the two –but her? Why would he insult her? She didn't do anything! Exactly, her conscience told her. You didn't help at all. You just enabled the rest of them. Don't forget you seconded the idea Tabitha caused all of this. No wonder Stiles is peeved. They all ganged up on his girlfriend. His loyalties were tied to her for a while now.

"Stiles," Derek yelled. Stiles only walked faster. Derek began to go after them but Scott held him back. "What the hell Scott? Are you going to let them get away?"

"Don't push him," Scott warned him gravely. "We need him and if we push him to decide a side, I guarantee you he's going to support Tabitha. Give them space."

Derek seethed but stepped back, agreeing with Scott's reasoning. "She knows everything and she hasn't told us anything. Her best friend is in the hospital and what she could say could save her but she hasn't done anything!" Derek ranted, growling.

"Leave her alone," Allison insisted, standing to her feet. Scott reached out to her but she slapped away his hand, stunning him. As his hand dropped to his side, Allison caught a glance of the hurt in his dark eyes but she ignored it, angrier than anything. "She's just as traumatized as anything! She was there! She actually saw whatever happened! We weren't. In fact, she had to make the calls. She was sobbing when she called me! She's racked with guilt, can't you see that? She would rather face blame because she blames herself to for whatever happened but that's not the answer. Whatever she can tell us doesn't change the fact Madison is out cold and unstable. We need to be supportive and make her feel loved and welcomed so she's more opened to telling us. We are providing anything but a safe environment for her."

Allison picked up her bag from her chair and started to walk away, glaring at all of them, specifically Scott.

"Where are you going?" The teenage boy asked weakly.

"Away from you, too," Allison snidely remarked, walking away. Jackson, Derek, Lydia, and Scott looked at each other with a variety of expressions. Derek was still seething, Lydia was confused but also ashamed, as not only her conscience but Allison verified her actions as wrong, Scott was torn and disappointed but was prideful, enough to keep his stance with his original group while Allison, Stiles, and Tabitha cooled off.

Allison met Stiles and Tabitha in the cafeteria splitting a Reece's peanut butter and chocolate treat. Tabitha nipped at hers, not in the mood to eat but Stiles urged her, too, reasoning she hadn't eaten in hours. She sat down with them, taking Tabitha's hand in her own.

"I'm so sorry, Tabi," Allison said, leaning her head on her shoulder. Stiles gave her a solemn smile, aware that Allison wasn't as guilty as the rest. "Do you need me to get you anything? Is there any kind of food you're craving?"

Tabitha shook her head. She threw up whatever food had been stored in her stomach a few hours ago and she still couldn't get the awful, bitter taste out of her mouth. She didn't think she had to energy to digest another round of calories and sugars knowing she'd be likely to regurgitate for a second round. Stiles' mouth pressed into a firm line.

"She likes hamburgers from McDonald's, everything except pickles." Tabitha shot him a dirty look although she was kind of impressed that he remembered. "With it, she usually likes Lemonade. Make it a large. She's been dehydrated for a while."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill and handed it to Allison but she pushed it back. "You need that for later. Don't worry I can pay on my own. I'll be back soon. Is there anything you want Stiles? I bet you're hungry." Stiles shook his head. "Seriously Stiles, I'm just as worried about you. What do you want?" Stiles sighed and gave in.

"Just make Tabitha's a meal and I'll have her fries. She hates the fries so I usually eat them anyways." Allison nodded approvingly of his request and set on her way, gathering her bag and jacket and leaving the table. Stiles' was just as grateful for her absence as he was for her presence a moment ago.

"You didn't have to do that," Tabitha insisted, finishing up the small desert snack. Stiles shot her a look. She sighed, "but thank you anyways I suppose…"

"I think your stomach is fine now," he insisted, moving to Allison's chair next to Tabitha and grabbing her hand, squeezing it tightly. She smiled a little and nodded along, gulping.

"It wasn't my fault," Tabitha began, surprising Stiles. He didn't think she was ready to talk but with just the two of them, she felt safe to. For the time she had begun to know him on a personal level, she knew he would listen to anything she would have to say and she was grateful for that. "I wasn't anywhere near her. I was downstairs in the kitchen when I felt my wrist ache," as if to demonstrate, she grabbed her wrist and squeezed it, "just like that, as if someone was pulling on it. I couldn't explain it at first and then I remembered that whatever Mads felt, I could, too. It just the bond we have." In the moment as she clutched her wrist, she remembered the first time that happened, outside the police station when Jackson –as the Kanima –had hit Madison's hand. "I was about to investigate when I heard…" she trembled as the awful memory ignited a new wave of hot water in her eyes, ready to burst down her cheeks. Stiles caught this and embraced her, trying his best to keep her stable. Her voice was choked but audible next to his hear as she continued to narrate her side of the story.

"I heard her scream," she continued. "It was awful." Her voice shifted toned in one sentence until her voice faded into the plaid fabric of his shirt. She shivered at the memory of Madison's shrill scream. It was piercing, like the sound of shattering glass. She clung to Stiles tighter. "I felt the most excruciating pain in my back, too, as if someone had just stabbed me or rolled me. Just as it happened, it...it vanished. Then I heard a loud thud and her screaming stopped. Everything went dead silent. I was so scared. I ran around, looking for her, screaming her name," she was hysterical, just as she had been in that moment, rampaging through the labyrinth of the house. "And there she was, on the floor, underneath the loft. Her hair was sprawled out and there was…red stuff…blood," she paused, "around her scalp and I tried to stop it but I couldn't tell where it was coming from," she hurried, whispering, almost incoherently but Stiles could understand most of it. "And then I looked at her eyes and they were…bright blue, brighter than I ever seen, as if they were just struck by lightning. It scared me so much."

She pulled away from him and wiped her nose with her long sleeve, and wiped her cheeks with her palms. "Someone pushed her," she croaked, "but I don't know who but someone did. Madison not a clumsy person and even if it was two stories, she would've landed on her feet if she focused on it. She fell on her back and that doesn't happen to Madison. She was leaning against the rail and someone pushed her off. I felt all of it. The pressure, the fall, the wrists…Someone else was in that room but I don't know who. I can't remember his scent but…if…let's say you get a shirt or something of his, I could recognize it."

"Did Maddy say anything to you about feeling unsafe or scared or suspicious of anybody while she was gone?" Stiles interrogated. Tabitha shook her head.

"No, she didn't feel suspicious at all, not that I could tell. She was ecstatic there. " Tabitha sighed softly. "She knows everything but she's in a coma and when or if she'll wake up." Tabitha insisted adamantly. Stiles nodded along, believing it all.

"Does her family know?"

"I only had Frank and Trevor's number. Other than that, I don't think the others know. Madison didn't give me any hints or locations on where she was, so I don't even have a place to begin a search," her shoulders collapsed in defeat.

November 1998

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" a male voice boomed, slipping under the wood door and alerting a young woman. Her head perked from the bed but her hands were protectively on the little girl wrapped under multiple layers of blankets.

"Maddy," she whispered, "looks like your daddy is here." She said tearfully, overcome with relief and happiness. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She slowly rose from her bedside chair and moved to the door, opening it widely and peered into the blinding white hallway. She looked in both directions until a massive figure looming two white cloaked doctors caught her attention. He was arguing with them fiercely, waving his hands erratically, pointing at them accusingly.

"Sir…your daughter is in critical condition…" one of them tried to coax him, walking beside him as he pushed passed them. "It's not safe…" but he was caught off by Sloane's booming voice, startling the nurses stationed at the nearby desk. They looked at each other, frightened.

"I don't care!" He announced, glaring at them both. They shivered under his icy stare. "I will see my daughter if it's the last thing I do! I dare you to attempt to stop me!" But they didn't, standing back and shaking in fear as Sloane Dubolazov stormed forward, rampaging down the hall like a frantic father.

"Sloane," Aubrey whispered. Even with her meek voice, he caught it the first time, snapping his head to her direction.

"Aubrey!" He shouted, rushing up to her and embracing her in an air tight hug, lifting her off her feet. She clung to him and cried into his broad shoulders. He kissed her temple and then the crown of her head, clutching the back of it and grabbing a fistful of her dark brown hair. "I'm here now. How is she?"

"You can see for yourself," Aubrey answered, stepping aside and letting Sloane in. He sat in the chair Aubrey once sat in and grabbed Madison's little hand, making it seem the size of a finger in his palm.

"Hi sweetheart," he cooed. He touched her forehead and frowned gravely. "How high is her fever?"

"The doctor said it was 105," she recalled sadly, sitting down in the opposite chair. She pushed some dark strands from Madison's face. The three year old on the bed was sound asleep, as if in a coma, peacefully still, with her chest rising and falling in a slow but even succession. "She's burning up fast and he said the longer the fever stays, the less the chances she has at surviving." Aubrey felt her voice break and she bowed her head on the sheets, clutching the warmth of Madison's other hands.

"She's a fighter," Sloane assured, more to convince himself though. Young Madison was more like him than anything else and he knew she was capable of overcoming this but was her mental strength parallel to her physical strength? That's what would really determine her survival. "She'll make it. She has to."

Present

Madison lay still on the bed like a doll, under a single quilt but her hands were crossed, holding each other. Her hair was strewn across her pillow, limp and lifeless. Her breathing was shallow, like a ghost. Her eye lids were closed. Her skin was paler, sickly, just as person in her condition would be, but it was still an awful sight for anyone who happened to view her.

Derek watched over her from the other side of the glass, as no one but family had been allowed in. Frank and Trevor had left to tend to papers regarding their healthcare and such, leaving Madison alone for once.

He felt bitter looking at her but longed to be closer. She looked so fragile and frail. Not like he had remembered her. She would've been lively, temperamental, witty, sarcastic, and…always perfect, not a hair out of place.

"You're day dreaming," Lydia snidely remarked, joining Derek's side. He glared at her. "Don't think just because no one noticed, you're secret obsession would be protected." He knew Lydia was observant but he cursed at her silently in his head, embarrassed. Lydia had caught his expressions whenever her name was mention, the way his dark brows would furrow, how his light green eyes would glisten… "You love her, don't you?"

"As if," he protested loudly. She hummed, unmoved. "I just…it's unusual for me to see her this way. She one of the strongest people I know and to see her this way…"

"It's heartbreaking," Lydia finished for him in a monotone voice, again unmoved. Derek glared at her.

"Can you go away?" He demanded.

She shook her head. "Nope," she declined, crossing her arms. She turned to the glass and grimaced. What Derek had said was true. It was an ugly sight. Lydia suppressed a cringe. She only remembered Madison as a regal and defined young woman, with a proud and often condescending stance, hovering over Lydia by a couple of inches –without the assistance of heels. She was naturally a dominating presence and intimidating person. What Lydia hated more about her was the fact she was stunning…not so much anymore, as her skin was almost white, with vibrant blue veins sticking out of her wrists and arms. Her face was sunken in and thin, as she had lost a significant amount of weight –something that didn't seem right. What had happened in the past two months that would've caused such a dramatic drop of weight for Madison? Her light silver hair had faded and thinned, as well, and was sprawled limply over the pillow.

"Do you think Tabitha really pushed her?" Lydia thought, recalling the brunette. She was a new face, having come across it only a number of times, but each time was memorable. Tabitha had expressed some kind of hostility to Lydia –and maybe it was because of Stiles and his crush on the strawberry blonde –but Lydia was more frightened of her temper. She was as funny as times as she could be furious, and in most cases, Lydia was her target. Lydia tried to ignore the snide comments, the glares, and the subtle threats, but it came to a point where Tabitha literally had pushed her out of door, expressing a violent side Lydia wasn't familiar with. Stiles tried to apologize for her, explaining she was more physical with her communication and underestimated her own strength but Lydia knew better. Tabitha knew damn well her own strength and would –and has- used it to her advantage.

She wouldn't be surprised if Madison was subjected to the same disrespect from the loud-mouthed redneck.

Derek on the other hand knew better than Lydia. He knew the bond between Beta and Alpha was stronger than any other he ever seen. She would be willing to give her life up to Madison, which made him doubt she would take part in hurting her.

"No," he answered honestly. "Tabitha wouldn't but she knows something. She has, too."

"Then why would she hide the truth?"

"She's scared," Derek suggested, "or maybe she protecting someone else. We can't tell for sure."

Lydia hummed skeptically in response, still firm in her idea Tabitha had gone past the boundary lines.

Scott slowly confronted Stiles and Tabitha, hands stuffed in his front pockets with his head low, nervous as he shook. Tabitha heard his frantic heartbeat and looked over her shoulder which a blood chilling glare he narrowly missed. Stiles wasn't as harsh with his greeting but his narrowed eyes second Tabitha's feelings and both their signals were acknowledge but overlooked by Scott as he sat down in Allison's seat during her absence.

"Hey," he began slowly, gulping.

"What do you want Scott?" Tabitha coldly greeted him, baring her canines. Scott leaned back, distancing himself from her hostility. He stuttered at first but found a voice after moment.

"I want to apologize for earlier," he mumbled. "We shouldn't have ganged up on you. I'm sorry, Tabi."

She harrumphed loudly, turning her head to hide the fury in her eyes. Stiles could see from across the table she was having troubles controlling her temper.

"What prompted this?" Stiles asked seriously, eyeing Scott. Scott shrugged.

"I just felt bad," he answered honestly.

"No, you don't," Tabitha accused, extending her claws and glaring at him with her primal yellow eyes. Scott kept his human face intact and stared at her intently with his dark brown ones. "You just realized intimidation isn't going to get you answers, so you're taking a taking a different approach, faking sincerity," she turned her cheek and refused took at him, silently expressing her disgusts, as she didn't want to waste another breath on the asshole.

"Scott," Stiles warned. "I think you and I need to talk alone."

Scott nodded nervously and rose, waiting for Stiles. After Stiles assured Tabitha and kissed her forehead, he led Scott outside the hospital, visible from the front sliding doors under the bright, beaming lights from the banister.

He shivered in the cold, as his body was scarcely protected by the thin fabric of his plaid button-up and solid back t-shirt underneath. Scott on the other hand was warm in a sweatshirt and a thick mop of black, curly hair which covered his scalp unlike Stiles' thin strands.

"You need to give Tabi her space," Stiles hissed. "You don't realize how dangerous she is, Scott. You think just because you've spend months together, she'll overlook this and understand from your point of view, but that's not the case. She feels betrayed. She doesn't care if you consider her a 'friend.' When she's threatened like she was earlier when you dicks ganged up and her and started pointing fingers she's going to get mad, especially since she took it personally. I would watch your back for one thing," Stiles continued.

"Is that a threat?" Scott asked incredulously, "from you?"

Stiles shook his head. "As much as I feel obligated to defend my girlfriend, she can take care of herself, and the threat isn't from me, it's from her. I've been around her enough to predict her actions with 90% accuracy."

"So what is she going to do," Scott challenged, sarcastically, "push me off a bannister like she did with Madison?"

Stiles' face deepened with a dark red Scott had never seen before. He took a step back. "First of all Scott, she didn't push Madison!" Stiles exploded, shouting loudly. "I'm surprised you would think she's capable of doing that to her best friend! She doesn't know what happened but she knows someone pushed her off the second story but she doesn't know who. I wouldn't either. I would much rather tend to Madison like she did than hurry off to find whoever did it, wouldn't you think?" Stiles accused, grimacing. "Second, you've seen what's she's capable of. You saw her take down Derek. Unfortunately I didn't but I put enough trust in her abilities to know she can kill you and as much as I'm pissed off right now, I don't want that to happen to you Scott. Both of you are blinded by emotions and I'm not sure she can control herself. If you haven't guessed already, she's impulsive, and if she wants to hit you or –I don't know –snap your neck? She will. Right now both of you need to keep your distance from each other until both of you cooled down to talk civilly."

Scott seethed. "She told you this? How can you trust her?"

"Because," Stiles yelled, "she's my girlfriend. I'm supposed to trust her! I'm supposed to support her!"

"And I'm your best friend!" retorted Scott. "Aren't you supposed to back me up, too?"

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Huh," he sarcastically replied, tilting his head. "You are such a hypocrite. Remembering all those times you blew me off for Allison?" Scott glared at Stiles.

"You're really going to pull that card?" Scott asked incredulously but his dark voice was laced with resentment.

"Yes, I am! Because you expect me to side with you for everything when you never meet me halfway, like I'm your second priority! I'm so sick of that!"

"And because Tabitha strokes your ego every night, you put her above me?" Scott challenged. "You're willing to put a girl above your best friend!"

"You did first! And Tabitha 'stroking' me has nothing to do with it! My sex life is none of your damn business. Second, she listens to me, when I call her, she's willing to talk or meet me somewhere. She doesn't blow me off for another person –cough, cough Allison –who by the way, isn't your girlfriend anymore but you still pine for her and willing to do every deed for her as if you were still together!" Stiles accused. Scott lunged and pushed Stiles violently. Stiles stumbled backwards, catching balance after his fourth step. His expression was white-stricken, stunned by his friend's violent attack. Scott retreated back, matching his expression.

"Dude, I'm so sorry," he began. He was cut off by Stiles' fist. Scott's head turned from the impact. His flesh stung in protest at the assault. He rubbed his cheek, also in disbelief. His expression dropped and anger replaced it. His dark eyes were livid, matching Stiles' honey ones.

"We're even," Stiles announced coldly.

"I can't believe you punched me," Scott cried out angrily.

"I can't believe you pushed me," Stiles retorted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You could've seriously hurt me. You don't know your strength, Scott. I'm just a human. You, Derek, Tabi, Maddy, you guys are all werewolves, with supernatural strength, enough to kill a man. You need to put a top on your emotions or one of these days, it's either me, Lydia, or Allison are going to get hurt and once that line's crossed, there is no going back."

"You do realize you're putting double standards," Scott accused back. "You tell me to bottle up my emotions but tell me to stay away from Tabi so I won't 'provoke' her to do something? You're letting her get easy! Why are you lenient with her but not with me? You're a hypocrite, too! You turned into such a pansy when she started to show up at your games, waving those signs, and jumping into your arms after you win a game, kissing you whenever she can! You're willing to do anything to get laid, including putting her above me!"

"You did the same to me, dick," Stiles seethed. "You would abandon me just to bow down at Allison's feet. For heaven's sakes, she was your username and password. You worshipped her! I can at least say I am not that stalker-ish of my girlfriend." Scott's face deepened in color, gritting his teeth. "So what if I like the idea of impressing someone? So what I want to feel appreciated for once in my life, thank you very much. I was always second best to you! I never got spotlight in my life. I was always that weird kid all throughout school," Stiles ranted. "So yeah, I'm going to appreciate her to accepting me. I don't know what she sees in me but whatever it is I'm going to respect her the same way she respects me. That's how relationships go. And the reason I have 'double-standards' for Tabi as you put it, is because I know her enough that she doesn't have the control as you do. She's easily triggered and I care for both of you that I don't want either of you to be put in a situation where one of you is going to get seriously hurt."

"I can't believe you're doing this," Scott accused, breathing intensely. Stiles turned his back to him, heading to the door. "You're really putting Tabitha above me after all we've been through. I'm your best friend," Scott reminded him.

"And you've really acted like one in the past year," Stiles sarcastically retorted, walking past the doors back inside. Scott gaped at him, unable to do something as Stiles walked away. He couldn't comprehend what had just happened or what consequences could follow. Did he just lose his best friend or was he just going to blow off steam? He always did before… Stiles always came through.

"What happened to your hand?" Tabitha inquired, taking Stiles' hand and examining it. It was swollen and blue and she winced just looking at it. "Did you and Scott get into a fight?"

Stiles shrugged and sat down on the chair next to Tabitha. She took his hand tenderly, careful not to rub against it. He appreciated her gentleness. She gave it back to Stiles and urged him out of the chair, holding his other hand as she led him down the hall to a familiar closet.

"Did you punch him?" She asked curiously.

"After he pushed me," Stiles affirmed. Tabitha gaped, astounded, before her face contorted to one of agitation. "It will be okay Tabs. Don't do anything about it. Scott is sorry. We need to all leave it alone. The more we press, the more it'll get worse. After this, I think we should just go home. The doctors said it'll be a miracle if Maddy wakes up tonight and you need your rest. You've got bags under your eyes. Please, just spare yourself at least a couple of hours and we can come back into the morning." He pleaded to her as she retrieved some sort of wrap fabric from the closet and started to wrap around his first. He winced at the pressure but held back any discomfort. She added an extra layer of padding to secure it and then dropped his wounded hand only to embrace him in a tight hug.

"Sure," she mumbled into his chest. He kissed the crowned of her head and guided her to the back exit, leading her to his Jeep.

Derek watched them leave alongside Scott who still steamed heatedly at the recent argument between him and Stiles. He grew jealous of Tabitha and glared at her with resentment. How dare Stiles takes her side over his! He seethed.

"Settle down, Scott," Derek warned him coolly.

Inside her room, Madison slept silently, breathing evenly. Her eyes fluttered, a common occurrence with coma patients, as her mental state was still active.

"The doctor said it is usual for her eyelids to flutter or hands to move," Trevor reminded Frank when his husband perked at her bedside. The moment of hope in his dark eyes died. His head fell back onto the bed near her hand. Her fingers didn't twitch. "At least she's dreaming. That's a good sign."

"Maddy, baby, you got to come back to us," someone pleaded. "Maddy baby, you're all I have. Please, don't leave me. I know you're stronger than this." It sounded odd for a man to cry but he did. Madison just couldn't recognize his voice. Images flashed in her head. One of her as a child with her mom reading her a story but she had a worried face. It was an expression that concerned her. Why was her mother sad? What was wrong? She felt stirred but her body didn't respond.

Her mother raised a warm hand to her forehead. Why did it feel colder than usual? She tried to move away from it but she was paralyzed in her dream.

"You're a fighter, Mads," the same voice announced with determination. "You'll make it. You have to."

She felt lighter and she opened her eyes but all she could see was white around her. It was almost blinding at first. She lifted her arms to cover her face but regained her eyesight in a second, but everything was still white. She spun around frantically, confused, until the white faded into black, only to fade to a softer grey, with tall black sticks emerging from the shadows, thickening, until they took upon the shape of trees like that in the woods. She looked up. The sky above her was clear with sparking white dots scattered over the midnight blue. A full moon shone above her, casting spotlight in an open area. She followed it.

Her footsteps made no noise, not even on the stiff leaves beneath her. She didn't feel a cold despite her scant attire of a simple black dress. There wasn't any wind around her actually. Everything was just dead still. It unnerved her.

She emerged in the spotlight and gasped at her appearance, noticing her hair wasn't the fair golden she had grown used to but a dark brown that almost appeared black under the intense contrasting light of the moon. She fingered the tips, staring at the color with amazement. She then turned her attention to her silver skinned hands, gasping at the severe paleness of them. She jumped back, overwhelmed with shock. Her breath shook unevenly.

Frank jumped backwards as he watched Madison's heart monitor. It was rapid, a contrastingly difference pace than her previous rate. He patted Trevor urgently. "Get the doctor," he demanded, unable to get tear his eyes from the monitor. "Get him, now! Something is happening! Trevor!"

Madison looked forward, surprised by the sudden formation of figures rising like smoke from the ground. She stepped back, falling backwards but was caught in the strong arms of someone. She scrambled out of them, frantic, and turned around to face whoever had grabbed her. She felt her heart beat against her chest painfully as she stared at the cloaked stranger.

"Who are you?" She demanded, stuttering. Her bare feet stepped over a sharp rock and she cried out in pain.

Trevor watched the doctor impatiently as he poked Madison's foot with a sharp needle sort of thing, wincing at the thought of it, but Madison's comatose body remained unresponsive except for her rapid heartbeat.

"Well she reacts to pain," the doctor stated, marking his clipboard, "that's a positive sign."

In her dream, Madison crawled on the ground to get away from the shrouded figure, crying out. "Get away! Stay away from me!" The cloaked figure approached her and knelt down, staring down at her with vivid red eyes. She screamed again. "No! Leave me alone! Stop it! Please!"

Its long black sleeve lifted from its side and started to pull off its hood. She turned her head and raised her own arm to cover her eyes from the sight of what possible monster it could be.

"I'm sorry we had to meet like this again," a voice came from it, catching her off guard. She knew that voice…it had to settle in for a second before she could convince herself she could trust him… "Maddy, look at me," he pleaded.

She lowered her arm and forced herself to look at it, scared that she might be deceived but willed herself to be brave and face it.

She first saw the silver blond hairs on his head, the paleness of his skin, and then the blueness of his eyes. She gaped at him for a second, unable to comprehend it all. His lips moved but she couldn't focus on his words when his face had her utterly paralyzed.


I know you guys must be thinking "What the Hell happened to Maddy? You can't just plop us in the middle and expect us to go with it!" Oh but I can, because a true mystery begins with the end -in this case the middle -as we track back through the eyes of both Maddy and her loyal friends to search for the people who conspired against her. :) There will be so many suspects, first and foremost, her mysterious family which we don't know much about -...for now ;) It'll be very interesting to introduce them and to why they were kept a secret for so long but it'll be explain soon enough. :)

As for who pushed her, hmm, we'll have to trust the sleuthing skills to our trusty friends Tabi, Stiles of course, Derek most likely, and Allison, to discover the truth although it might be a long, long journey. Hehe. I am so enjoying this.

I might start experimenting with this, as the first segment was a huge success but it was all in third person. Because this second segment will take a more personal tone, and adopts a whole new level of mystery, I might purposely start doing different first person perspectives of each character in a different chapter so the reader will be just as clueless as our characters, but I don't know, at the same time I know you all liked having the front row seats in the first book, getting to know the truth before Maddy did, and not being as clueless.

-What do you think? Would you like it in third person? or start with first person views (it'd be different every chapter, let's say for example Tabitha in one chapter, seconded by Stiles the next, Scott third, etc.) There are two things I will have trouble with. 1) I feel like the characters already in Teen Wolf have a personality of themselves and I'm not sure if I will be able to capture that personality just right to do them justice and 2) I want everything captured and followed so all of you will know what is going on and you be as confused. That's impossible if the perspective is biased. Tabitha can't be a mind reader and read Derek's thoughts. He's like a brick, emotionless wall! It'll shorten the chapters and I don't...first perspective chapters bore me...just because I feel like I have to stick to one person. I'm not sure about you guys but I hate being sane! XD I like being schizophrenic. :P

So what's your personal thoughts? I could experiment with first person POV occasionally as a treat to you guys but you have to write in the comments who you want to have narrate! Popular vote wins. :)

LOVE YA GUYS! Hope you enjoyed it! I'd love questions (in PM or on comments) and reviews. :) It'd be a blessing from homework...which I'm suffocating in...cause AP sucks...big time...and I gotta quit procrastinating. -_- Hasta luego amigos!