The next morning came much too early as the sun illuminated the bedroom in a soft yellow glow. It wasn't the light that woke Allison up, however. It was the incessant ringing noise coming from somewhere in the far corner of the room.
Rolling over in the blankets for the first time since she'd laid down that night, Allison looked at her bedmate. Scott's mouth was gaping open as he lay on his back, breathing loudly and slowly. It felt so odd to her to be in such close proximity to him, the boy who held her dying body, and feel nothing but a friendly love towards him. She'd touched every inch of that boy at one point or another, but had to convince herself to reach out to him now. Even though a couple months ago she hadn't been sure she'd made the right choice in leaving him, her brush with death had made her priorities all to clear.
The ringing seemed to grow louder the longer it went on, shaking Allison out of her thoughts and back to the present. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him with what she hoped wasn't too much force.
"W-what?" Scott shot up to a sitting position, his eyes bleary but wild as he looked frantically around himself. The sight made her laugh as she drew her hand back and brought herself up onto her elbows.
"You have a call," Allison said, nodding her head towards the noise.
"Oh," He swung his legs quickly over the side of the bed and strode towards his desk. It was only when he picked up his phone, which was charging next to his laptop, that she realized it wasn't his computer that was making the noise. All hope of seeing Isaac or hearing his voice again was gone as Scott lifted the phone to his ear. There was no way Isaac would spend the money to call from Europe, not when he didn't know what was going on.
"Hello?" Scott's voice was low and thick from sleep. He drew his free hand up to his face to rub at his eyes as he listened to the person on the other side.
Allison couldn't hear who was on the end of the line, but her interest was piqued as Scott's expression changed from shocked to amused. She picked herself up off her elbows and sat up in the bed, hugging her knees to her chest as she watched the boy try not to laugh as he spoke on the phone.
"I'll be right there. Tell her not to worry, I think I know what happened." Scott brought the phone back away from his face and pressed once on the screen, ending the call.
"Well?" She prompted, eager to know what could have been so amusing at a time like this. She could use something happy right now.
"It was Stiles," Scott said, "He's with Lydia. Apparently she'd called him this morning, frightened out of her mind. She'd woken up in front of your grave. She thinks someone took you, or something."
"Oh," Allison tried to see the humour in the situation. "Why didn't you tell them the truth?"
"I thought it would be better if we showed them," Scott crossed to his dresser and started rummaging through his drawers, pulling out a shirt at random and yanking it over his head. It seemed he wasn't worried about changing in front of her anymore, since he followed up by tugging off his pajama pants and throwing on a pair of jeans. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see you."
"Uhm, Scott?" She said, trying her best not to look at him as he changed.
"Hmm?" He did up the button of his jeans and turned to face her.
"I don't have anything to wear," She looked down at the shirt she was wearing; his. As comfortable as it was to sleep in, she didn't think she should leave the house wearing it. Or his pants.
"Oh," Scott said, following her gaze to her outfit. "Well, I'm sure my mom might have something that would fit. C'mon."
He turned on the spot and headed out of his room, turning in the hallway towards his mother's room without looking back to see if Allison was following. She swung her own legs over the side of the bed and stretched slightly, still marveling at her own ability to move. Standing up, she threw her hands over her head and stretched even more. Her movement almost caused Scott's pants to fall from around her hips. Relaxing again, she grabbed the pants by the strings and pulled them tightly again before exiting to the room to follow Scott. Turning into the hall, she almost ran into him as he'd planted himself in the middle of it.
"Scott?" She stepped back and peered around him to see what he was looking at.
Mrs McCall was standing in the doorway of her own room, her mouth open as she stared at Allison over her son's shoulder. Her face looked almost exactly like Scott's had, just a few hours before. Allison had to stifle a laugh of her own; she'd always been so baffled by the likeness between the pair.
"Sorry, Mom," Scott said, moving so Allison was in better view. "I was going to warn you but..." He really didn't have an excuse. Instead, he just gestured towards the girl and gave his mom a small smile.
The older woman strode towards Allison carefully, as if any sudden movements might set off the younger girl. She couldn't blame her, considering she was supposed to be dead, and Beacon Hills was full of the supernatural. She could be some dangerous creature that mimics dead loved ones, or a vengeful spirit, or some other terrible thing that would feel at home in this area.
"Mrs McCall," Allison closed the distance between them. "It's okay. I'm me, as much as I can tell."
At that, the woman smiled. It was a brilliant smile which brought out the contrast against the tiredness of the rest of her face and the raggedness of her scrubs. She must have just finished a long night shift at the hospital.
"Of course you are," She shook her head a little and reached out her hand, taking Allison's arm in her light grip. "Do you mind?"
Allison wasn't sure what she meant, but nodded anyway. The mother's intentions became clear as she brought up her other hand to Allison's wrist, pressing two fingers against the tender skin there. It was silent for a moment as Scott and Allison watched Mrs McCall counting silently, her own eyes trained on her watch.
"Slightly slow, but regular," She concluded, releasing Allison's arm. She began to study the girl's face, looking into her eyes as if searching for irregularities or perhaps a different colour. "Do you feel any different?"
"I don't think so," Allison said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I mean, I'm a little cold but besides that, I'm good as new."
"I noticed that," Mrs McCall nodded as she listened, still studying her. "Probably just your body warming up again. Then again, I don't really have anything to compare this too, but that would be my best guess."
"Mom," Scott interrupted the impromptu health exam, glancing at his phone. "Do you have anything she could wear? She hasn't been home and her only clothes were ruined when she..."
He trailed off, not really sure if he should be bringing up her rising yet. That didn't seem to phase his mom though, since she turned around and headed back into her room, motioning for Allison to follow.
Within a few minutes Allison was fitted in a simple pair of blue jeans, a pair that Mrs McCall hadn't worn in years, and a soft black sweater. They didn't completely fit her, she was taller than the mother, but they worked much better than anything of Scott's could have.
"Thanks," Allison turned from the mirror she'd been assessing herself in to face Mrs McCall. Seeing the maternal look she was giving her, Allison suddenly ached for her own mom. She thought those kinds of feelings would stop with time, but standing here after everything she'd been through, she would have given everything to have her mother back.
Mrs McCall, though not entirely sure of the specifics, seemed to sense that there was something more going on in the young girl's head. It must be a mom thing. Opening her arms, she stepped forward and embraced Allison, who hesitated only for a moment before bringing her own arms up to return the hug. The touch cleared Allison's eyes, which she hadn't known were starting to brim over.
"Thank you," She repeated, drawing back from the embrace.
Scott appeared in the doorway of the room, knocking on the door as an afterthought.
"Ready?" He was twisting his phone in his hands.
Allison nodded, stepping away from Mrs McCall and into the hall. Quickly darting back into Scott's room, she put her own boots on and then returned to his side.
"Don't do anything too dangerous," Mrs McCall warned, leaning against her doorframe. "We don't want to lose you when we just got you back."
"Of course," Allison said, and Scott nodded beside her. The pair turned and made their way down the stairs. Once they were at the entryway of the house, she turned back to face him and lowered her voice. "Why didn't she ask what happened?"
Scott was silent for a second, not meeting her eyes, before he made his way to the kitchen and gestured for her to follow him. He opened the door of his pantry and drew out a couple granola bars and two bottles of water, handing one of each to her before he spoke again, still looking away from her.
"I guess it's because she still remembers how we all reacted after you died," He spoke in the same hushed tone that she had. "She knows that you being back is a gift, and doesn't want to question it."
"Oh," She hadn't thought about that. About how all her friends had been through the grieving process, and here she was.
"Alright, let's go," Scott tucked the water bottle under his arm, and ripped open the granola bar with his teeth as he used his free hand to pick up the keys that were resting on the counter. "Stiles and Lydia are probably still freaking out."
Allison tucked her own granola bar into her pocket and opened her water bottle as she followed Scott out of the house. Soon enough, they were in his car and speeding down the street, taking basically the same path that Allison had taken the night before to get to Scott's house.
"So," Allison cleared her throat, trying to lighten the mood as they passed through the familiar streets. "What did I miss?"
"What did you miss?" Scott glanced over at her as he drove, smiling. "Well, I don't even know where to start."
"I'm assuming Stiles is okay, considering you said he's freaking out?"
"Oh! I forgot you weren't there when we won. Yeah, I bit the Nogistune and Kira stabbed him." He said nonchalantly.
"Congratulations," She smiled, genuinely happy that Stiles was alright and that everything was okay now. She was struck with a thought from when she'd died, her final words, and had to ask: "Did you tell my dad? About what I'd asked you when I..."
"No," Scott said slightly ashamedly, "I didn't know what you'd meant. But Isaac and your dad figured it out. The silver arrowhead, right?"
Allison nodded her head, relieved that she hadn't died in vain (even if she did just end up coming back).
"Yeah, with out it, who knows how many more people would've been killed by the Oni."
The way Scott said that unsettled her. When she looked over at him, his eyes were still on the road and his face was grim.
"Scott," She started, worried about what she might hear. "Was somebody else killed?"
"Aiden." Scott glanced over at her, gauging her reaction. The blood drained from her face as she looked out the front window at the fast approaching cemetery.
"Poor Lydia." That was all she could manage as Scott parked the car in the small lot outside of Beacon Hills Cemetery. She couldn't imagine what her best friend had gone through; losing her and then her lover in a matter of days. So soon, after Jackson had left, too. She didn't say anything else as they got out of the car and headed towards the towering gates.
The gates to the cemetery were open, unlike last night, so they didn't have to hop the fence as they made their way to Allison's grave. An uncomfortable chill settled in her the closer they got to it, like they were approaching the scene of some terrible crime. It didn't seem to affect Scott as he walked several paces ahead of her. He seemed to know exactly where her tombstone was. She wondered how often she'd been visited as her body lay six feet underground.
It wasn't long until two figures came into few, one completely recognizable with her strawberry blonde hair which was swaying with the breeze. The other figure had one arm around her as they were both looking down at the ground in front of them. The pair didn't notice their company until Scott tapped on their shoulders, joining them at the foot of the grave. Allison waited a few steps back, unsure of how to go forward.
"Scott, what the hell?!" Stiles' voice was unsettling, so loud against the quiet of the place. He had turned, withdrawing his arm from the girl and was focused on Scott. "Why did we have to wait here, what the hell is going on?"
"Scott," Lydia turned, her hair swinging as she faced the Alpha that they were all seeking answers from. Her voice was shrill, her normally perfectly made-up face was streaked with tears. "I don't know what happened, I just woke up and her grave was like this. This only happens when someone dies, but that can't be the case here, so what's happening?"
Scott didn't say anything, he just turned and faced Allison who suddenly felt very exposed. Lydia and Stiles followed his gaze until their eyes fell on her. She stood there, tugging at the sleeve of her borrowed sweater as she watched their faces freeze in a mask of shock, mirroring each other with their wide eyes and open mouths. She'd been met with this expression too many times in such a short span of time, and yet she still didn't know what to do; how to react or make it easier for them. Instead, she just let them watch her until one of them made a move.
Lydia broke away from Stiles, whom she'd been clinging to moments before. She walked uneasily towards Allison, her face now almost expressionless. Allison watched how Lydia's face shone as the light from the rising sun hit it at different angles. Her tears had made clear tracks down her cheeks, but now her eyes were dry as they stared into Allison's. The other girl opened her mouth again, this time as if to speak, but no words made their way out. The Banshee was silent as she came to a halt in front of the Hunter.
"Lydia," Allison broke the silence, searching the eyes of her friend. For a moment, she was afraid that Lydia was angry with her, for dying and leaving her alone. But her fears were dashed as soon as they'd arrived when the redhead threw her arms around her, almost knocking her over with the how much force was in her hug.
"I thought I'd lost you forever," Lydia nuzzled her face into the taller girl's neck, squeezing tight. Allison returned the hug gratefully. This was different than when she'd been embracing Mrs McCall. Then, she was reminiscing the family she used to have. Now, she was just so thankful to be back with her friends.
"I'm sorry," Allison managed to say as Lydia finally pulled away, though their arms were still intertwined as they looked back into each other's faces. "I'm so sorry, Lydia. About Aiden and about me and about everything, I'm so, so sorry."
Lydia smiled and shook her head a little, tearing her gaze away from her friends for a moment to collect herself.
"You don't need to be," Lydia said firmly once she looked back up at Allison. Her smile faltered as she studied the other girl's face and felt the coolness of her hands. She looked towards Scott, then Stiles, and then back at Allison, confused. "But, how is this possible?"
Allison was unsure of what to say right away, so instead she released Lydia's hands and walked towards the disturbed grave where Stiles and Scott still stood. It was horrifying, seeing what she'd done in the night now illuminated by the sun.
The grass of the cemetery was perfect, it was definitely regularly well kept, but it was now blemished by an unsightly hole in the middle of the grave which appeared to have been made from underneath. The sod had been pushed outward and dirt spilled up and out from the whole. She could almost see her hand pushing through that surface mere hours before. She remembered how the earth had engulfed her as she fought to make her way out. It was too much. Allison turned around and faced the others again, her back to her past.
"I'm not sure," She said, mostly to Stiles and Lydia since Scott had heard this all before. "I remember dying, and then I was somewhere else, and now I'm back."
"Are you sure that's it?" Stiles provided, obviously trying to tread lightly while also making it obvious that he wanted more information.
"Well," Allison flicked her eyes towards Scott, who nodded. She drew in a breath and recounted what she'd said the night before, about the flaming creature and the message for Isaac. Again, the pair were speechless.
"I'm trying to get a hold of Isaac, but it's hard with the time difference and all," Scott said, trying to make some sense of the situation for the sake of the others.'
"I see," Lydia spoke up again, her own gaze still faraway as she registered the information.
"Look," Scott began, starting to coral them away from the grave. "We can figure this all out later, when we contact Isaac and Mr Argent. For now, we still have school."
"Uh," Allison said, walking with them towards the gates. "I'm technically still deceased."
"Right," Scott said, like he hadn't thought of that before. "We can stay with you then."
"No, no, don't worry about it," Allison insisted as her mind jumped to where she wanted to be. "Do you know if my dad sold our apartment?"
"No, I don't think so," Lydia said, "I'm pretty sure he kept it in case he ever wanted to come back. He didn't think he would stay away forever, he just needed a break."
"Okay," Allison now knew how she'd spend her day while her friends kept up their grades. "I'll head over there, then."
"Do you want me to drive you?" Scott suggested as they passed through the gates of the cemetery.
Before Allison could say that she was fine with walking, Stiles, who had been so quiet during this encounter (at least, for Stiles anyway), spoke up.
"I'll take her in the Jeep," He said, pointing towards where the powder blue monster was parked. "Lydia, you cool going with Scott?"
Lydia nodded before she approached Allison again, tugging her into another hug before stepping towards the passenger side of Scott's car.
"I'll see you right after school, okay?" Lydia's face was full of regret as she searched the face of her friend. It was obvious that she didn't want to leave her again so soon, but they both knew that now that she was back they had to continue on normally. As normally as they could, at least.
Allison gave her a thumbs up and her friend grinned at her before stooping to sit in the car. Scott also nodded towards her before he joined Lydia in his car, a slight smile still on his face. She watched as the pair of them backed out of their spot and then sped away, down the street and towards the high school. She turned to see that Stiles had already hopped into his Jeep and was waiting for her to join him.
It took a moment for her to figure out the seat belt for the older vehicle, and as soon as she was buckled in Stiles revved the engine and reversed. They turned onto the road and drove off in the opposite direction from the others, driving in silence.
As the minutes passed, Allison snuck a look at the driver. Stiles was obviously uncomfortable, his face locked in an expression of deep thought as he maneuvered his vehicle through the early morning traffic. As they stopped at a stop light, Allison took it upon herself to ask her burning question.
"Stiles," She started tentatively, "Why did you volunteer to drive me if you're not going to talk to me?"
Since he didn't have the excuse of having to pay attention to the road in front of him, Stiles looked back at her, his eyes full of pain. He struggled to come up with the words for an answer. It took him longer than the light, which had turned to green, so he started to drive forward and looked away again, his eyes focused on the pavement ahead. Allison was afraid that she'd never get a response when he finally opened his mouth, speaking without looking at her.
"I needed to apologize. It was my fault." He stated simply, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
"What was?" Allison feared that she knew the answer, and couldn't imagine the weight he was bearing if it was true.
"You. Aiden. Everything." Stiles glanced back at her.
"That wasn't you," She tried reassuring him.
"But it was. I knew what was going on, and I didn't stop it in time. I let him in and you died because of it." His voice wavered, cracking slightly as if he had something caught in his throat.
"Stiles, pull over." Allison demanded. Her tone must have been stronger than she'd thought, because he looked over at her, obviously shaken, and brought the Jeep to a halt at the side of the road. Once the vehicle was stopped, she turned in her seat so she was facing him directly. "You, Scott, and I all had equal chances of being taken by the Nogitsune. Well, more you and I, since Scott isn't exactly human. But that doesn't matter, okay? It could have very well been me who caused bad things to happen, like people getting hurt. Or worse. But even if it was me, it wouldn't have been my fault, because I wouldn't be me. Even then, by the time I was killed, you and the Nogitsune were almost separated. You occupied different spaces, at least. Stiles, it wasn't your fault."
Stiles eyes were shut tight, his hands had fallen into fists in his lap. She reached over and placed one of her hands on his, her cool skin shocking against his warmth. The temperature seemed to shock him, as his eyes flew open and he looked over at her, surprised.
"You have nothing to apologize for, okay?" Allison squeezed his hand lightly and let her lips glide up into a smile. Being strong for the sake of others was something she was good at. And it seemed to work, as Stiles nodded his head and let out a deep sigh as if to clear his head and shining eyes.
He took his hand from under hers and started the Jeep again. It was only a few minutes before they pulled up in front of the apartment building that she'd only just become accustomed to calling her home before she'd died. As Stiles brought the car to stop in front of the doors, Allison turned back to him and reached over the seat to give him an awkward hug. It didn't seem to matter that they were both weirdly contorted, the touch was comforting all the same.
"Thank you," Stiles said, leaning back in his seat as they separated.
"No need," Allison smiled, one hand on the handle for the door.
"Are you gonna be able to get in?" He asked, looking up at the building through the dashboard window.
"I have the alarm code, and I've never really had difficulty getting into places when I put my mind to it." She stated, only half-joking. Stiles grinned back at her, and she turned to get out the Jeep.
"Wait," Stiles said, stopping her before she could open the door. "About what you said to Lydia... You don't have to be sorry either, you know that, right?"
Allison stayed where she was, ready to get out but unmoving.
"Allison, you didn't leave us. You saved us. Your silver arrowhead kept a lot of us safe before we got the Nogitsune. You've always been the one to save us in the end. And however you're got back here, we should be thankful, because we know you still have our backs. I know I'm thankful. Nothing's the same without you."
She was shocked. Stiles had never said anything so heartfelt to her before. She'd heard him spill out his heart to Lydia, and she remembered his speech to Scott back at the Glen Capri about them being brothers, but never before had their friendship felt so real.
Pulling on the handle, Allison let herself out. Jumping onto the pavement, she spun on her heel and looked back through the window as she shut the door. Mouthing a thank-you through the glass, she waved as Stiles nodded back towards her, understanding, and he drove off back towards the school.
She had never been more thankful for all of her friends than she was in this moment.