Authors Note: You guys just inspire me to crank out these crazy long chapters so pat yourself on the back. This catches us up to season 1's episode The Tell. I hope you enjoy the twists in this update. Keep in mind the chapter title itself in anticipation for the next update. As always, review and tell me what you think. ENJOY!
[Maggie's POV]
I stood in the long mirror in the guest room smoothing out the dress I had picked out to wear today. I actually woke up before Stiles this morning and was able to think about the night before. I know it took a lot for him to read that letter his mom wrote him and I was proud of him. The downside was that thinking of his mom and all the things she said about me only made me miss her and my own mom that much more. The two of them were actually really close, like Stiles and I but even closer since they grew up here and started their families here. It wasn't a shock when Stiles and I became good friends to them. I think it was just as heartbreaking for my mom to leave Claudia as it was for me to leave Stiles. I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts when someone knocked on the door frame. I looked in the mirror and smiled seeing it was John, Stiles and Lizzy.
"Oh Stiles said you got some clothes from Allison. You look more like…you." John said smiling.
"I just wish I felt more like me." I said sitting down on the dresser.
"I think she looks like a movie star." Lizzy said looking up at John who nodded.
"Thanks Lizzy but the only movie I'm starring in is the horror show that is my life." I said with a sigh as the three of them stared at me. I made eye contact with Stiles and he nodded softly. He seemed to know why everything felt so heavy.
"Maybe you just need to smile. Mommy says that always makes someone prettier." Lizzy added making me feel kind of bad for not being more positive.
"It's just hard to smile right now when I have so much on my mind." I explained and caught sight of John's frown feeling sort of guilty.
"Stiles can distract you. Go ahead! Tell her how pretty she looks." Lizzy patted Stiles on his stomach looking completely caught off guard.
"Wh-Oh yeah, you look…you look beautiful." He said once he got through his stuttering.
"That's right. Beautiful." Lizzy agreed smiling brightly.
"It's hard not to smile when I have an audience of people throwing compliments at me. Thank you." I said not being able to help smiling as I noticed a light blush on Stiles cheeks. I caught a glance at John and Lizzy giving each other a look and shook my head.
"Well I'm going to get this one's breakfast in her before she misses her bus." John said putting his hands on Lizzy's shoulders.
"If I miss it, could you take me to school with the siren on?!" Lizzy asked hopeful as John laughed.
"We'll see." John took Lizzy downstairs and Stiles put his hands in his pockets as he stood against the doorway.
"Are you feeling alright? I mean I know last night was sort of intense and all but you look a little sick." Stiles put a hand on my forehead and I cut my eyes at him.
"I'm not sick. I just have a lot on my mind. Going off to school and pretending like everything is normal is starting to get to me a little." I explained.
"Well you know taking the day off will only leave you here to dwell on it and the last thing we both need is for you to go through my room." Stiles teased.
"I don't need any more traumas in my life right now. Cleaning your room would probably result in some really unsavory nightmares." I teased right back.
"You know that Scott and I will be there making sure you're okay and you know dad is dying to give you any kind of news so if he hears anything he'll contact us." Stiles sat down next to me on the dresser.
"I know it's just…I've got French today so I'm going to have to face Isaac and straighten things out." I said feeling Stiles tense up next to me.
"Did you want me to talk to him? I mean I could-" I cut him off.
"No I really should do it. I mean I did kind of get him hit in the face." I said raising my eyebrows.
"Well if this guy wants to start dating you he's going to have to talk to Scott and me anyway. I mean he needs to know what he'll be facing if he hurts you in any way." Stiles said puffing his chest out slightly.
"Haven't you defended my honor enough for one week?" I joked.
"It could be worse, it could be my dad giving him the third degree. We're talking the drugs, alcohol and sex talk all at once with the guy sitting there." Stiles said making me cringe when I laughed.
"That's terrifying. I bet that was utterly horrifying." I said looking at him.
"I haven't gotten it yet. I'm still…" Stiles looked at me nervously and I shook my head.
"You don't have to-" I started but he stopped me.
"When I sort of asked you if you were a virgin the other night I didn't want you to think it was so I could judge you. I'm still a virgin myself and will more than likely be one for a while the way it seems. I just don't want some guy to come along thinking he can play with your emotions and leave you hanging. Not without a fight." Stiles said rubbing at the back of his neck.
"I'm not really surprised you're still a virgin." I said looking at him and he pinned his eyebrows together.
"Ouch." He put a hand on his heart.
"You aren't a fling kind of guy, Stiles. You have heart. Most girls in high school are too blind to see an amazing guy like you, even if you've been there since the third grade." Stiles bit his lip.
"Good save but I don't think Lydia is going to suddenly lower her standards from someone like Jackson to me." He gestured to himself and I laughed.
"Maybe she just needs someone to show her the way. Who knows, we may actually get along?" I teased and Stiles rolled his eyes.
"The day you give Lydia a chance is the day I welcome Isaac to the family." Stiles said making me laugh. We sat in silence for a moment before I looked over at him staring at his hands.
"Thank you…for watching my back." I said nudging his shoulder with my own.
"It's what friends are for." He nudged mine back.
"We better get out of here or else we'll miss all the new rumors about who bought my new clothes. Maybe a new sugar daddy or a pimp?" I joked grabbing my bag.
"They'd only think it was me if it was a plaid dress so I guess you're safe." Stiles said fixing his shirt. I paused at the door and stopped him from walking out.
"Just so you know…I am a virgin too and it would take a lot for me to trust someone enough to change that." I said firmly and Stiles nodded his head looking almost relieved. He followed me downstairs and John was holding Lizzy's backpack.
"I'm going to go ahead and drive her. Are you two coming back here or are you sticking around the school for the parent/teacher conferences?" John asked and I looked over at Stiles.
"We'll probably just come back here." Stiles said grabbing a drink from the fridge.
"I suspect to hear good things at this conference, Stiles." John pointed at him as he took a drink.
"I'm sure you'll hear tons of good things." I said with a smile and earning a face from Stiles. Lizze waved at the both of us as we watched them get into John's squad car and take off.
"So how bad do you think the conference will be?" I asked still staring at the car.
"Oh I don't know, about as bad as hitting the coach in the nuts with the lacrosse ball." Stiles said with a shrug. We grabbed our bags and got into the jeep.
"So lunch was kind of a disaster yesterday and I was thinking that we have sort of a do-over." Stiles said as he settled into the driver seat.
"A do-over? It's lunch, Stiles. We'll do it over and over every day we have school." I said shaking my head.
"I was thinking I get the lunch and you meet me in the library. We could eat and talk in peace." Stiles said making me look over at him.
"This isn't like a set up for brunch sex right because I can tell you right now that I'm in no way prepared for that." I joked and he snorted as he started the jeep.
"Of course not, we eat lunch at like 1 that would make it more like linner than a brunch." Stiles joked back.
"A quiet lunch sounds great." I said smiling at him. He smiled back and shook his head.
"Awesome." He says with a smile.
We sit in a comfortable silence the rest of the way to school. He gets stopped by Mr. Harris on the way in and I catch sight of Scott at his locker looking less than excited for today. I walked up and put a hand on his locker.
"Try not to look so thrilled." I said catching his attention.
"Sorry it's just…I had a rough night with Derek. He's really set on Allison and her family being werewolf terrorists and it's kind of bringing me down a bit." Scott explained. Just the mention of Allison made me remember that today was her birthday.
"Scott, you know Allison would never do anything to hurt you even if she knew the whole truth. Whatever her family is into I'm sure it's not just mindlessly killing people. Derek has a way of wanting to make everyone see the worst case in every situation instead of taking time to really think about things." I explained and Scott nodded his head.
"Yeah I guess you're right." Scott shrugged.
"You and Allison really care about each other so enjoy those feelings right now and deal with the heavy stuff when it comes." I said seeing Allison over his shoulder as she tried to frantically put balloons back in her locker.
"Try focusing on ways to make her smile today." I turned his head to look at Allison and he looked surprised. I shut his locker and followed him over to Allison who looked like a deer in headlights.
"Is it your birthday?" Scott asked as she read the card I gave her.
"Uh no no, I mean yes." She stopped fighting the balloons and glared at them.
"Please don't tell anybody." She said to Scott who chuckled.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Scott asked.
"Because I didn't want anybody to know." She looked at me embarrassed about the truth and I gave her a reassuring nod. Scott could be dense about some things but he was in no way stupid.
"Because I'm 17." She said looking at him nervously.
"You're 17?" Scott asked in disbelief and she glared at me again.
"That's the reaction I was trying to avoid." She slammed her locker shut and Scott stopped her.
"No it's cool. I totally get it. You had to repeat a year because of all the moving around, right?" Scott said making me let out a sigh of relief. She looked at him surprised before leaning over and kissing him. I rocked on my heels feeling a little awkward being there.
"What was that for?" Scott asked.
"For literally being the only person to ever make the correct assumption. Everyone always asks me if I was held back or had a baby." She said running a hand through her hair.
"You hear that on your birthday?" Scott asked.
"All day long." Allison said sadly.
"Then how about you two get out of here. Just get away from this madness for the day?" I suggested catching both their attention.
"You mean like skip class? I've never skipped a class." Allison said.
"Not just a class but the whole day. If you get caught then they'll go easy on you since it's your birthday." Scott added and I made hand gestures to try to convince her.
"Well what if you get caught?" Allison asked Scott and he looked at me.
"Oy vey, do I have to think of everything? Just get out of here and I'll figure something out. Try and enjoy your birthday." I hugged Allison and she laughed.
"Thank you." She said and Scott gave me a smile mouthing a thank you as well. I winked at him as I watched them nervously bail out of the side doors. I got a text from Stiles saying Mr. Harris was on his back so he would have to just see me at lunch which I didn't mind. I was on my way to French to straighten things out with Isaac when I heard people freaking out in a classroom nearby. A girl ran out to get the nurse and I saw some girl on the floor looking like she was convulsing.
"What's going on?" I asked a random student.
"It's just Erica Reyes having another seizure." He said like it was no big deal. I saw an orange tag on the floor that had been attached to a binder with her name on it and read it. It was an emergency card saying what to do in case of an episode like this.
"Put a book in her mouth so she doesn't swallow her tongue." Someone shouted and I pushed past them.
"Don't do that! It says not to do that." I kneeled down and looked her over, pulling her onto her side.
"It's okay Erica, you're almost through it." I said loud enough for her to hear me. She continued to seize and people stepped back making noises of disgust. I looked down and saw she had peed herself. Some boys started laughing and I saw one of them filming her.
"UNLESS YOU WANT TO EAT THAT CAMERA YOU'LL GET IT OUT OF HERE!" I yelled at him and he backed away laughing.
"It's okay Erica. Just breathe." I stroked her hair and she sounded like she was whimpering as the jerks in her body started to settle slightly. She reached up suddenly and gripped my hand and I latched onto her accidentally getting a glimpse into her life. She walked the halls at Beacon Hills practically like a ghost. People snickered at her if they even noticed her at all. She ate lunch alone, watched people around her and seemed to have a thing for Stiles. By the time I pulled out of the latch the nurse and an EMT were there.
"We've got her." He said pulling my hand out of her grasp.
"Just keep breathing Erica." The nurse said.
"T-tha-thank y-you." She tried to get out and I just nodded standing up and backing out of the way so the EMT's could help her. I looked at the other kids and was disgusted with how horrible they were to her. They were watching the video on his phone and I walked over swatting it out of his hand with a bit too much force because it flew into the wall and shattered.
"Bitch!" He said looking at me.
"She has a condition you dick! Would you kick a kid in a wheelchair too?" I asked baffled as I pushed past him and his stupid friends. I tried to shake off the crappy feeling but I ran into someone.
"Hey, hey are you okay?" It was Isaac. He looked over my shoulder and saw them taking Erica out on a stretcher.
"That's Erica Reyes. She has those all the time." Isaac tried to explain and I shook my head.
"Are people always such assholes to her about it?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.
"This is high school. Wearing friend's clothes means you're sleeping together, didn't you hear?" He said making me chuckle.
"How's your mouth?" I asked reaching up to the side of his cheek making sure not to touch his busted lip.
"It's fine. I don't think any charms are going to work on it though." He said making me panic a bit but figured he was being funny.
"So I know things are kind of serious in your life right now and dating is like the last thing on your mind but I was sort of hoping that I could kind of be put on the reserves list." Isaac said biting the good side of his lip.
"Reserves list?" I asked confused.
"Like when things lighten up and you want to get out of your house for a bit I could be that lucky guy to get the call." Isaac explained and I felt myself blush.
"I wouldn't mind you being at the top of that list." I said making Isaac smile.
"Great. Do you think maybe your friend would mind horribly if you paired with me today in French? I sort of need some help." Isaac asked and I looped my arm into his.
"I don't think she'll mind today." I said following him to class. It was nice to talk with Isaac for most of the morning. He did struggle with his French but I told him I would make him flash cards to help and he seemed to pick it right up. I learned a little about his job with his dad in the cemetery and about his mom passing away not too long ago. I was actually kind of bummed when I had to leave him to go to my next class.
"Make a new friend I see." Danny said as I opened my locker.
"Yeah, Isaac's great." I said with a smile and Danny pinched my cheek.
"Little bit of a blush there." He teased and I swatted his hand.
"Cut it out. You know, it's alarming how many kids in Beacon Hills come from single parent homes these days." I pointed out.
"Well both of my parents are health nuts and totally in love so I guess I'm just naturally breaking the mold for unique kids here." Danny smiled proudly and I shoved his shoulder.
"No one likes a smug gay with a happy home life, Danny." I teased looking around. He looked around as well and furrowed his eyebrows together.
"Who are you looking for?" He asked.
"Stiles. I thought he would be stopping by on his way to his next class." I said and Danny shut his locker.
"Well he did ask me about Lydia and I told him she was still recovering from the other night. Apparently she's staying pretty out of her head since the attack. He probably went to check on her." Danny said and I looked at him.
"Did you see him leave?" I asked curiously and Danny leaned against my locker.
"While I don't believe the rumors about you two, I can't help but notice you seem a bit…I don't know, jealous?" Danny smiled smugly and I glared.
"And while I'm sure as a gay man you can appreciate a good ass but no one likes a smartass." I punched his shoulder and he laughed following me to my next class.
"I do love you back in your old clothes but I can only tell people I'm you queer eye for so long before they start assuming you've got a new man." Danny teased me the rest of our next class together and when I caught a glimpse outside I noticed Stiles jeep was in fact gone. He hadn't texted me telling me we weren't having lunch so by the time lunch time did come around I found myself waiting in the library for almost 15 minutes before giving up. I walked out front and let out a sigh. I shouldn't be surprised that he forgot all about me to go check on Lydia. I really needed to keep in mind where Stiles heart always ended up falling even when things seemed to be going well between us. I looked at the school and realized I should have just stayed home today. Then it hit me.
Thinking that the Stilinski residence was my home made me feel bad like I wasn't trying hard enough to find out where Karen or Louis had disappeared to. I started walking towards my actual home and felt the wind whip through my hair and for a moment I thought I heard Karen's voice. I picked up the pace and almost ran the rest of the way there trying to use my other sense like she had taught me. There wasn't a cop car out front but the tape was still around the house. I thought the door might be locked but it wasn't. I pushed it open and closed my eyes taking in the smells and the sounds of lingering people walking through the halls.
"Come on, focus." I told myself taking a deep breath. I saw some scratches in the wood foyer and put my hand on it latching to it quickly.
A knife was thrown at the wood and Karen ducked avoiding being impaled. She used her powers to throw him into the wall and he got up quickly grabbing her around the neck trying to strangle her. She reached back and tried to pull the blade out of the wood, cutting her hand in the process before yanking it out and stabbing the man. He tried to retreat by running down the stairs to the basement and she breathed hard.
"Oh no you don't." She said out of breath as she followed after him.
I pulled out of the latch and gripped the banner feeling just as out of breath as Karen seemed. Who was the guy trying to kill Karen and why the hell was he trying to kill Karen in the first place? I didn't really remember what my dad looked like but this guy was definitely not him. My eyes caught sight of the bloody hand print on the banister leading up the steps. I felt my body shake nervously. The hand print wasn't there in the first latch so it must have been left intentionally. I took a deep breath and slowly reached out seeing my hand shake as it lowered onto the bloody print. It practically sucked me in as I latched to it quickly and felt like the air was knocked out of me.
"Maggie, I don't have much time to explain but I need you to pay attention. Nathan called and said Louis never made it to the meeting. Louis has gone missing and I need to head out for a few days to find him. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. I knew you'd want to go with me and you just aren't ready yet. John will take good care of you and keep you safe but I need you to keep your eyes open. There is a threat that you haven't been exposed to yet. One that is something we haven't discussed. I need you to be on your toes. Your powers have grown in the short time we've been working on them. All you have to do is believe strong enough in what you already know about our magic and anything is possible. I promise I will come back for you when I can. Please just stay safe and remember the power you have. You are stronger than you think sweetheart. I'm proud of you and I love you. I'll see you soon baby." Karen was speaking directly to me and when she finished speaking it was like I was thrown from the banister as I crumbled to the floor. I started to breathe heavily and I knew the familiar feeling of a panic attack setting in as my vision started to blur. I saw a dark figure and he leaned down to scoop me up.
"Just hold onto me." It was Derek's voice. The next thing I knew was being carried somewhere, holding onto Derek as tightly I could before darkness took over. I wasn't surprised I blacked out. I had latched onto Erica and two different parts of the house that were a bit too emotional to handle at the moment. I had no idea what Karen meant by a threat we hadn't talked about yet. Who would want to hurt us other than my dad and where did Louis disappear to? I don't know how long I was out for but when I woke up I smelt the lingering smolder of burnt wood and settled dust. I opened my eyes and realized I was in Derek's burnt down house.
"Want to tell me what you were doing at the house alone? Didn't they find a dead guy in the basement?" Derek's voice made me look over and see him doing pushups shirtless.
"I-I needed answers. What were you doing there?" I asked rubbing my head.
"I could hear your heartbeat a mile away." He said simply.
"What are you spying on me via bodily functions now?" I asked trying to stand up but falling back onto the old couch.
"That was really a stupid thing of you to do. Anyone could have found you like that and then what would you have done?" Derek started to treat me like he was my father or something and I rolled my eyes.
"Scott's right, you are way too paranoid and while I'm here, you really should lay off of him about Allison's family. He's really starting to fall for her and you are taking the magic out of it." I said without thinking.
"Scott's not in love, none of you are in love. You're all just children." Derek huffed and I tilted my head at him.
"So we're young and naïve, tell me something shocking?" I said finally standing.
"How about that falling for one of the Argent's tricks could end up with him losing a lot more than his supposed first love. Try his whole family." Derek said nastily. I took a step back and I looked at him trying to put the pieces together. I finally remembered Allison's aunt Kate and my mouth dropped catching Derek's attention.
"You and Kate Argent? No way!" I said covering my mouth. His jaw tightened and he glared at me.
"So she broke your heart huh?" I asked and he snapped around slamming his fist into the wall making me jump back into the couch.
"NO SHE SET ME UP! MADE ME FALL FOR HER, TRUST HER AND SHE MURDERED MY ENTIRE FAMILY! I WAS SCOTT'S AGE WHEN I LOST EVERYONE I LOVED BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS IN LOVE!" He screamed at me and I felt my heart racing. He stepped back and sat down on a chair putting his head in his hands.
"Is that why you keep trying to protect me? Because I lost my family too and you think the Argent's have something to do with it?" I asked making Derek look up.
"What do you know about the Argent's?" He asked curiously.
"I know they hunt werewolves-" I started and Derek got up looking frustrated.
"They hunt whatever could possibly be more powerful than the human race. You think witches aren't on their watch list?" He asked walking closer to me.
"I don't know! I don't know anything! All I know is most of my family is dead and it was one man, my father, who killed them all. Now the only family I have left is missing." I said throwing my arms out and trying to steady my breathing so I didn't get upset but I was failing.
"What did you see when you connected with the blood? Was it your aunt?" Derek asked sitting down in front of me.
"Yeah she left it there on purpose for me to find. S-she said she had to find my uncle because he was missing and that there was some sort of threat that she hadn't told me about yet." I felt the tears coming up and Derek stayed silent.
"Well what does it all mean? Why would she just take off like that? Why wouldn't she just let me help her? Why didn't she just tell me? W-why do I keep losing my family?" I cried softly feeling the pull in my chest.
"I honestly don't know. I don't know how to help you or make you feel better. I'm not good with that kind of stuff." Derek admitted freely looking down at his hands.
"I sort of lost my whole family in one fell swoop so I don't know how you manage to keep going through that pain over and over again." Derek said as I wiped my face.
"Well I'm done with that feeling. I'm tired of feeling that pain and weakness. I'm done losing people." I stood up wiping the last tear off my face and making my way to the door.
"Wait, where are you going?" Derek asked me.
"If the Argent's are the new threat then I want to be prepared." I said and Derek shook his head.
"You can't just go after the Argent's alone. They're dangerous." Derek explained and I shrugged.
"I'm a pissed off teenage witch with a background in hand to hand combat, I'm small but I'm big." I said making Derek click his tongue to his teeth before pulling on my arm but before I could protest he paused.
"Shhh wait." He looked towards the door and started to drag me towards the broken wall.
"What are you doing?" I asked confused.
"Please just trust me! Hide in here. Duck down low and whatever happens don't say anything okay? Promise me!" He demanded as he stuffed me into a broken piece of the wall.
"Okay I promise." I said nervously ducking down unsure of what exactly I was promising but the look of terror on Derek's face had me sold. He ran away from where he had stuffed me and I waited quietly before the front door was kicked open.
"No one home?" A male voice said.
"Oh he's here. He's just not feeling particularly hospitable." A female voice said and I had a feeling it was Kate Argent.
"Maybe he's out burying a bone in the backyard." Another, younger male voice said.
"Really? A dog joke? We're going there and that's the best you got?" Kate said scolding the man.
"If you want to provoke him say something like…too bad your sister bit it before she had her first litter." I could practically feel Derek's rage throughout the house at the swipe she took at his sister.
"Too bad she howled like a bitch WHEN WE CUT HER IN HALF!" Kate screamed and I felt my heartbeat rise as she stepped into view. Derek growled and I heard a man scream before he crashed into a wall. I saw another guy hit the ground as Derek growled again and I watched Kate stare at him unaffected by it. She pulled a long stick out as Derek charged her and before he could even get a hand on her she hit him with it sending jolts of electricity into him making him crumble to the floor. My hand went to my mouth as I watched him twitch and groan on the floor, helpless.
"Wow this one grew up in all the right places. I don't know whether to kill it or lick it." Kate taunted Derek and he looked towards me shaking his head no. He tried to crawl away from her but she stalked him like he was her prey, hitting the button on the tazer ever so often to remind him what she had.
By the time he reached the couch she shocked him in the stomach again sending him all the way to the part of the wall I was crouched down in. I felt hot tears in my eyes as he turned toward me.
"Let me help you." I thought so loud in my head it was like I had said it out loud because his eyes hit mine.
"Don't." He said out loud still twitching.
"Don't? That's so pathetic." Kate laughed at Derek thinking he was talking to her.
"900,000 volts, how can you not love it? You never were good with electricity, were you? Or fire." She added as Derek rolled over to look at her with a death glare.
"Which is why I'm gonna let you in on a little secret and maybe we can help each other out." She said looking down at him.
"Yes your sister was severed into pieces and used as bait to try and catch you. Unpleasant and frankly a little too Texas Chainsaw Massacre for my taste but quite true. Now here's the part that might really kick you in the balls…we didn't kill her." Kate said as Derek managed to sit up almost in front of where I was hiding.
"What? You think I'm lying?" She asked staring down at Derek.
"Wouldn't be the first time." He said bitterly trying to breathe through his pain.
"Aw sweetie. Why don't you listen to my heart and tell me if I am, okay?" She said crouching down in front of Derek.
"We…didn't…kill…your…sister." She got all the way up close and personal with Derek and he just sat there and took it. She was the only person I had ever seen that close to Derek without getting punched in the face.
"See? No blips or upticks. Just the steady beat of the cold, hard truth." She backed away from Derek and sighed. I wanted to try to do a healing spell on Derek in my head but I couldn't focus.
"We found bite marks on your sister's body, what do you think did that? A mountain lion?" She laughed at Derek as she put her tazer away.
"Why aren't we helping each other out? You might as well admit what we've been guessing all along which is that the alpha killed your sister and all you have to do is tell us who he is and we'll take care of it for you. Problem solved and everyone goes home happy." Kate smiled at Derek and he looked up at her.
"Even if you get the alpha, you won't stop. If that was the truth then you wouldn't be sending your goons around the Carter house." Derek said making me feel like I was on edge.
"Yes we're aware the Steven's witches or what's left of them are back here in Beacon Hills but as long as we take care of the alpha we won't need to deal with them. Why do you suddenly care about a bunch of witches anyway?" Kate asked with a laugh.
"It's the young one isn't it? She's a bit young for you don't you think?" Kate teased Derek and he growled.
"Or could it be because she reminds you of Laura? Maybe even little Cora. From what I've heard from Allison she certainly has some of her endearing qualities. Tell you what? You tell me who the alpha is and I'll make sure she stays out of harm's way." Kate gave Derek an empty promise and I could see his chest rise and fall as if he were caught between telling her the truth and lying.
"Unless you don't know who he is either." Kate looked at Derek and he didn't respond.
"That's a shame Derek. It truly is. Maybe I'll get lucky and find that little witch so I could cut her in half since I missed out on your sister." She said staring down at Derek. She started to laugh and turn away from Derek.
"Get down." He whispered and I saw him getting to his feet anticipating her next move.
"Well look who just became totally useless." Kate said before turning a gun towards the wall and opening fire. I stooped so low that I practically became one with the floor as Derek took off out of the house. She finally stopped firing and cursed under her breath as Derek got away. It was then that I realized I was left alone with a woman who wants to kill me.
[Stiles's POV]
I've been sitting at home for about 10 minutes now completely regretting going over to Lydia's house to check on her. I had blown off a class just to visit and spent the rest of my classes trying to track down Scott's stupid ass to show him what I found on Lydia's phone. No wonder she needed to be so drugged up after seeing what she saw. For a minute I was actually enjoying the attention she was showing me but the moment she called me Jackson the dream died. That was the furthest from my mind though. I was almost out of the door when Lydia stopped me yet again.
{2 Hours Earlier…}
I started for the door after prying her off my lap regrettably with the cell phone in my hand ready to run for the hills and tell Scott.
"Well I guess I'll let you get some sleep." I turned my back thinking she was asleep but she shot right up.
"Don't go! We can talk about that bitch Maggie." Lydia said almost like she was slurring her words. I remembered what Maggie had said earlier when we talked and I felt I should at least try to get Lydia to back off.
"That's a little harsh Lydia. I think you should really get to know her." I said sitting back down on the bed but Lydia giggled.
"No not bitch, I meant witch…with a W!" She said making a funny face as she ran her hand up and down my arm totally distracting me.
"O-K that's a bit of a grade school downgrade but it's better than bitch." I said unable to really think of a proper response.
"No silly she's a real witch! I looked it up." Lydia laughed and I cocked my eyebrow at her.
"Is that what these little pills are telling you? Must be nice. Can I be a ninja?" I reached over to retrieve the pills on the nightstand and read the label. She was really drunk off these pills at the moment and I had to think about how much they would sell for.
"Noooo that's what it says online. I looked her family up after you gave me her REAAAAL name." I felt a panic set in slightly remembering I had actually spilled the beans on Maggie's secret in a moment of rage but I tried to play it off.
"Of course and what else did the internet say?" I asked trying to get more information out of her.
"Her whole family is full of witches and that it's suspected they were all slaughtered because of it. Sssslaughtered…S-s-." Lydia got stuck on the word Slaughtered and thinking about what I knew about Maggie's family I was afraid she might be telling the truth.
"You're joking right? None of that's true, Lydia." I tried to convince her and she shot up again tapping my hand that held her phone tightly.
"It is true. It's all on my phone and I'm going to send it to everyone in my contacts so they know just how much of a freak she really is." Lydia smiled goofy but in a sadistically cute way as well as I tried to get through the drunkenness of her mind.
"Look Lydia, you can't do that. Maggie's…Maggie's been through a lot lately and the last thing she needs is added stress of more rumors. Maybe you should just give her a chance. I think you two would really get along if you just gave it a shot. Please?" I begged looking into Lydia's eyes. She actually seemed to understand what I was saying and she put her hand on my thigh.
"Sure…I'll give it a-" Before Lydia could finish her thought her head fell directly on my crotch making me instantly pop a boner. I managed to push her off of me and get out of her house unseen but the blue balls and the fact that I may potentially ruin Maggie's life unintentionally weighed pretty heavy on me the entire drive home.
Now I kept calling Scott trying to figure out what I was supposed to do with Lydia's phone and possibly how I was going to make Lydia forget what I told her without having to slip her some sort of amnesia medication. I dialed Scott's number again and this time only got his voicemail.
"Hey! It's me again. Look I found something and I don't know what to do. I may also have ruined any progress I've made with Maggie so if you could just turn your phone on RIGHT NOW that would be great or else I'll kill you. Do you understand me? I'm going to kill you…and I'm too upset right now to come up with a witty description of how exactly I'm going to kill you but I'm just gonna do it! Okay? I'm...UGH! Call me back!" I yelled into the phone before hanging it up and tossing it on my bed. I sat down in my chair and put my head in my hands. I picked up Lydia's phone again and watched the video. It had to be the alpha. There was no questioning it but if Lydia had this on her phone it could make her a target like Scott and I talked about.
As I watched the sun go down I ended up deleting the video from her phone. I wasn't going to let Lydia get hurt because of the freak show that was our lives. My curiosity got the better of me and I looked at the email Lydia was talking about earlier with information on Maggie. I started to read it over and despite it making sense I just couldn't make myself believe that Maggie was some sort of witch. It's impossible. We were the humans in the mess of werewolves we were in. She had to be normal like me. I reached into my pocket and felt the cash floating around in my pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the 20 and tried to figure out why it was in my pocket. That's when it hit me.
"SHIT! Lunch with Maggie!" I jumped out of my chair and dove onto my bed to get my phone. I almost dialed her number when Derek came tumbling through my window causing me to roll off my bed and hit the floor.
"Dude! What the hell?! I mean WHAT THE HELL!?" I shouted throwing my hands out as he was shirtless and out of breath.
"Maggie…Maggie's trapped." He said making my heartbeat faster.
"What?! Where?! What did you do?" I accused getting closer and Derek pushed past me.
"Kate Argent tried to kill me-" He started to say and I shook my head.
"And you just had to get her involved!? What the hell Derek! She's just a girl!" I said earning a growl and a hard shove into my wall.
"I DIDN'T INVOLVE HER!" He growled breathing hard. I picked up my phone again and tried calling but Derek swatted my hand.
"She's hiding in my house! If her phone goes off, Kate will hear it." Derek said and I shook my head.
"What the hell am I supposed to do here? I'm not leaving her there!" I said and Derek stood there silently. I rolled my eyes before walking into my dad's room and getting a shirt for Derek. I threw it at him as I grabbed my keys and started out of my room.
"You guys need to realize that Maggie and I are only human. We don't just heal like you guys do." I scolded Derek as I grabbed an extra jacket for Maggie knowing it was probably chilly for her dress now that the sun was down.
"That's…that's not entirely true." I stopped and looked at Derek but he didn't meet my gaze.
"You know something about Maggie that I don't…tell me." I said a bit pushy.
"If she wanted you to know, she'd have told you." Derek said simply. I wanted to punch him in the face so bad but I knew how much it hurt the first time. I pushed past him and walked out of the front door ready to jump in the jeep but Scott came to a screeching halt in front of my driveway.
"STILES!" He got out yelling and I threw my arms up.
"Now you show up? Really? Thanks for turning off your phone, DICK!" I said as Scott ran towards me.
"Something happened!" He said frantically.
"No shit, Sherlock! Lydia saw the alpha and Derek got Maggie trapped-" Derek cut me off.
"I didn't get her trapped!" Derek yelled and I rolled my eyes but before Derek and I could get into it Scott grabbed my arm.
"It's your dad!" He said and I felt my heart stop.
"What? What happened? Where is he?" I asked and Scott shook his head.
"There was a mountain lion in the parking lot at the school. People started freaking out and he got hit by a car." Scott explained and I was an instant wreck. There were too many emotions in my head right now so I decided on rage as I grabbed Scott by his shirt and shook him.
"HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ALL THESE SPECIAL ABIILITES AND NOT USE THEM TO PROTECT MY DAD?" I yelled hitting his back into the jeep knowing it was probably hurting the jeep more than him.
"I know! I'm sorry!" Scott said holding onto my hands as I continued to jack him up. Derek finally pulled us apart and I ran my hands through my hair.
"CALM DOWN! Scott, are they taking the Sheriff to the hospital?" Derek asked him.
"Yeah he was awake and fighting the EMT's about going but they wanted to get him checked out. My mom is probably going to call you." Scott gestured to me and I shook my head totally disgusted with my best friend at the moment.
"We'll find Maggie and call you as soon as we can. Now go….GO!" Derek pushed me towards the jeep and pulled Scott towards his car. I looked at Scott one last time before jumping in the jeep and speeding the whole way to the hospital.
"Please…please let them be okay." I said aloud as I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel anxiously.
[Scott's POV]
"If she got out she wouldn't be walking the main roads. We need to look on the back roads." Derek said as I drove.
"I should have done something. Argent came out of nowhere and just…I should have-" I was cut off when Derek hit me in my arm.
"Look, there is nothing you can do about it now. We need to find Maggie and make sure she's alright. Get your head here." Derek scolded me and I shook my head.
"What was she doing at your house anyway?" I asked taking the turn to the back roads.
"I found her at her house. She knows something about her aunt and I took her back to the house because I didn't have anywhere else to take her." Derek said looking through the trees.
"Why did you leave her there?" I asked still confused.
"Kate Argent showed up to find out who the alpha was. I didn't have time to get her out so I hid her. I should have known Kate would try something like that." Derek scolded himself now and I shook my head.
"Well she was there to kill you, not Maggie. That proves you wrong." I said and Derek's head snapped towards me.
"Maybe you should ask Maggie what she witnessed before being so sure about me being wrong. Maybe you'll believe her over me." Derek said like he wanted to punch me in the face.
"You…you don't think she'd hurt Maggie do you?" I asked concerned.
"If she thinks Maggie knows who the alpha is, she might. She might just because she didn't get me." Derek said clenching his jaw. We kept driving and it wasn't long until we spotted her. She looked like she was freezing as she walked up the dark road with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked terrified when she saw us.
"Maggie! It's me!" I got out and yelled seeing how she looked like she was going to run into the trees. She looked relieved to see me though. Derek got out and she looked at him almost breaking down. She ran to him and threw her arms around him. Derek looked completely shocked. He glanced over at me with his arms out unsure if he should put them around Maggie or not.
"I'm so sorry she did that to you. She's a monster." Maggie said sniffling. Derek cut his eyes at me. I felt like an idiot. He patted her back.
"I'm sorry I left you behind. I didn't really think-" She let go of Derek and shook her head.
"You had to go or she would have killed you. I'm glad you left. She only stuck around for about an hour but I have a feeling she is a bit rogue. The guys she had with her kept saying they should have waited like Chris Argent said." Maggie explained and I noticed her shaking. I pulled my jacket off and put it on her shoulders.
"I'm not surprised but you need to get warmed up or you'll catch pneumonia." Derek rubbed her arms and caught my eye stopping immediately.
"We need to get to the hospital." I added.
"I'm fine. John has a space heater in the garage. I'll just get Stiles to set it up." Maggie said and Derek gave me a stern look.
"Mags…" I said her name and she looked at me. I watched her face grow serious.
"Wh-what happened? Where's Stiles?" She looked from me to Derek.
"Stiles is fine." Derek said and I bit my lip.
"The Sheriff…he was hurt at the school." I said and Maggie put her hand to her heart.
"What happened?" She asked in almost a whisper.
"There was a mountain lion on the loose. People started to freak out and someone backed into him." I explained and she covered her mouth with her hands. I put a hand on her elbow and pulled her into my chest.
"This is all my fault. I bring bad luck wherever I go." She cried into my chest.
"That's not true. I promise you that's not true." I said into her hair.
"Maggie, you need to pull yourself together…for Stiles. He's going to need you." Derek said making her wipe her face quickly. She patted my chest with her hand.
"We need to get to the hospital." She said finally collecting herself. Derek helped her into the car and shut the door.
"You aren't coming?" I asked him as he didn't get in.
"I need to get some things in order. Take care of her." Derek said looking in the window at Maggie before stalking off into the woods. Maggie rubbed her hands together and brushed some of her hair off her face. She had some soot on her face but I didn't want to point it out. I wanted to ask her about what Kate Argent said or what she saw at her house but I couldn't focus on anything.
"Are you okay?" I finally blurted and she looked over at me.
"Sorry that's a stupid question. Of course you aren't." I shook my head and Maggie reached over to touch my arm.
"Are you okay?" She asked me and I shrugged.
"I went MIA for the whole day, got my girlfriend grounded, pissed my mom off, Stiles hates me and you…I should never have left you." I looked over at her and she frowned.
"I'm a big girl Scott. Besides I'm the one who practically had to bribe you to take your girlfriend out for her birthday. Even you need to get away some times." She gave my arm a squeeze.
"I feel like there is so much going on I can't pick one thing to focus on and when I do, it never seems like the right thing I'm supposed to be focused on." I explained as we pulled up to the hospital.
"Hey, you can't protect us all." Maggie said as I parked the car.
"I have to…I have to do better." I said looking at her. She tilted her head sideways before leaning over and hugging me.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there tonight." I said as she hugged me.
"I'm sorry you have to carry the weight of the world." She said back.
When we finally pulled up, she was practically running into the ER entrance. I tried to get through the rush of people but she beat me onto the elevator.
"I'll meet you up there." I said waving at her and she gave me a thumbs up. Just as the doors closed another opened and Stiles came out.
"What are you doing here?" He asked pulling his phone out.
"How's your dad?" I asked as if he hadn't asked me a question.
"He's alive, not that you care." Stiles was fuming.
"Come on man." I said putting a hand on his arm but he jerked it away.
"Did you at least find Maggie?" He asked me and I sighed.
"She's on her way up. I know you're pissed at me but-" Stiles cut me off.
"That's the thing Scott you keep forgetting that we all aren't you and Derek. We don't just get hurt and heal. We're human. We break easy. Me, my dad, Maggie... if the first thing that comes to your mind is to save Allison then I don't want you around my family. I'm…I'm not going to lose the only family I have left." Stiles said swallowing hard. All I kept thinking was that I was how I was a part of his family before tonight.
"Just go…GO!" Stiles pointed to the doors and I nodded my head.
"I'm sorry man. Let me know if you need anything." I shoved my hands in my pockets and he snorted.
"Yeah try turning your phone on." Stiles hit the button on the elevator and I walked out of the hospital without either of my best friends and a weight so heavy I didn't think I'd even make it to the car.
[Maggie's POV]
I got to the third floor and looked around for someone that could help me but it seemed that no one could point me in the right direction. The nurses' station just said that if I wasn't family I couldn't go back and see him. I searched for Stiles and started to feel myself get upset again when I couldn't find him.
"Just breathe." I whispered to myself taking deep breaths. The elevator dinged and when the doors opened I could have cried just seeing Stiles. His body slacked when he saw me and he ran his hands down his face.
"I couldn't find you and the nurses told me I wasn't immediate family so I couldn't-" I started walking towards him and he practically sprinted towards me wrapping his arms around me tightly knocking the air out of me.
"Thank God…" He said resting his head on top of mine.
"I'm sorry." I said not really sure what to say. Stiles squeezed me tighter.
"Don't be sorry…just don't let go of me okay?" Stiles said into the top of my head. I hugged him tighter and took in his scent. He smelled soft, if that's possible. Like fresh laundry, light cologne and rain.
"Stiles…as much as I love that you're hugging me again I'm kind of freaking out about your dad." I said into his chest and he pulled away quickly.
"Oh God I'm sorry, he's this way." He took my hand and led me down the hallway towards a room. There were some other officers coming out of the room and I could hear John ranting about something to a nurse. I pulled back on Stiles arm and he looked back at me.
"He's okay. They are running tests to make sure everything is okay internally." Stiles said and I took a deep breath before entering.
"You tell that guy the next time he wants to peel out of a parking lot try not to run down the Sheriff." John was saying to someone on the phone. He was in a hospital bed with a hospital gown on and wires running all over the place. I put my hand to my mouth trying not to get emotional but after a day like this tears just seemed sort of second nature at this point. Stiles put his arm around me and I put a hand on his chest.
"Maggie its okay sweetheart. I'm fine." John said seeing us standing there.
"I…I just…can I hug you without hurting you?" I asked and he nodded.
"As long as you don't hug me like Stiles did. If there was something wrong with my back he certainly straightened it out." He held his arms out and I walked over hugging him with restraint so I didn't hurt him.
"I'm so glad you're okay. I honestly don't even know what happened. All Scott said was you were hit by a car and I practically tuned the world out." I said relieved and Stiles stood on the other side of the bed with his hands in his pockets.
"I was coming out of the conferences when people started to scatter. Apparently the mountain lion was looking for another victim and in the rush of things I got hit by a scrambler. I tried to tell the paramedics I didn't need to go to the hospital but they insisted I go." John explained and Stiles snorted.
"It's a good thing too. You could have internal bleeding or ruptured something." Stiles said pointing at his dad and John smiled softly.
"Hey kiddo, I'm okay." He reached out and patted Stiles hand. The doctor came in and looked at all three of us.
"We need to take you for one more scan Sheriff and it looks like you'll be here overnight but it's just precaution." The doctor said and John shook his head not pleased.
"Come on, Doc. Is all this really necessary?" John asked wincing as he sat up.
"Dad, just listen to the doctor okay?" Stiles spoke up.
"Fine I'll stay but you kids need to get home and get some sleep. I don't want you-" Stiles huffed.
"As if we're going to leave you here by yourself." Stiles argued.
"Plus, do you really want two teenage kids in a house alone overnight?" I added seeing a blush creep up on Stiles cheeks.
"Should I be worried?" John tilted his head sideways with a playful smirk.
"Stiles did offer me brunch sex this morning so who knows?" I joked crossing my arms over my chest.
"Brunch se- you know what never mind. You can stay but I'm warning you now I will be very unpleasant for the next few hours." John warned us and the doctor chuckled.
"The tests will probably put him right to sleep actually but I'll let the nurses know you'll need some extra blankets and another chair." She said smiling before leaving the room. I sat down on the side of the bed and put my hand on John's.
"On the plus side of things, you both didn't have bad reviews when it came to your teachers. Though I'm wondering if your Econ teacher is actually a real teacher. He's kind of a nutjob." John said making Stiles laugh.
"Coach is a bit over the top." Stiles said standing beside me.
"Not as over the top as you writing a paper about the history of circumcision." John said making me gape at Stiles who looked embarrassed.
"Your teachers seem to think you're settling in nicely too. Despite everything you're going through they said your grades haven't slipped and you actually assisted in helping a girl today who had a seizure in class?" John said looking at me.
"What?" Stiles asked and I shrugged.
"It was nothing really. Erica Reyes had a seizure in class and I saw some kids trying to help her out in passing but they were too busy laughing and taking a video. I'm surprised I didn't get in trouble for smashing that kid's phone." I said biting my lip but John just nodded.
"That was a nice thing you did. I'm glad you stick up for the underdog. You both have good hearts." John said looking from me to Stiles. The nurse came in to retrieve John and he told us that he would be right back. All I wanted to know was if there was any internal damage so I could heal him the best I could. I kept in mind what Karen said though and didn't use my magic blindly. I set up a place for Stiles and I to sleep for the night while he ran to the cafeteria to raid the snack machines. By the time he came back, I had set up a semi comfortable sleeping arrangement with a small couch and a chair which was all they could give us.
"I've got loaded potato chips for dinner and your pick of candy for dessert." Stiles put the snacks on the side table and I laughed.
"Your dad would seriously be giving you a death glare for bringing that in here." I said making him sigh.
"I know so eat fast." He opened his chips and Reese's candy as I tried to eat my own. My stomach was kind of at the point of being hungry where it made me feel sick to even eat at this point.
"Stomach hurt?" Stiles must have noticed my cringe as I swallowed the chips.
"Yeah, I didn't really eat lunch so I'm going off of breakfast." I said and Stiles looked down at his hands.
"I'm sorry about that by the way. I guess once my dad is out of here you can be mad at me full on." He said making me laugh.
"You think I'm holding back because your dad is in the hospital?" I asked and he chewed slowly.
"Well I mean...I thought you'd be mad I ditched you today. I really didn't mean to. I just got caught up with-" I stopped Stiles.
"I know, Danny told me. It's fine. I took care of some things today too and ended up getting caught up in a way. It's no big deal." I said brushing it off.
"No it is a big deal. I made plans with you again and didn't keep them. On top of that, you almost got hurt. If I knew Scott was going to be a jackass today then I wouldn't have gone wandering off." Stiles said gritting his teeth.
"So this crappy day is all Scott's fault huh?" I asked making him turn his head towards me.
"If his head wasn't so far up Allison's ass then he could focus on controlling this stupid thing. You wouldn't be left in a broken down house with psycho Derek, Lydia wouldn't be out of her mind on anti-anxiety pills and my dad…my dad wouldn't be in here." Stiles said forcefully and I nodded my head. I pursed my lips together showing him that I wasn't trying to argue but he just huffed turning his body towards me.
"I take it you disagree?" He asked annoyed.
"I don't want to fight with you, Stiles. I know being told something happened to your dad must have been terrified. I've been through it a few times myself. I just don't think Scott is the bad guy in all of this." I said hearing how exhausted I sounded. Stiles looked at my face and shook his head before jumping off the couch. He walked over to the sink and wet a napkin before sitting back down next to me.
"Scott needs to understand that Allison's got plenty of family to protect her. We are ultimately defenseless against this stuff. He needs to watch our backs, protect us or we're going to die. We don't have super healing." Stiles said wiping the soot off my face.
"Scott isn't untouchable either. He can die too, just not as easily as we could. We can't expect him to be everywhere at one time. Like tonight, he couldn't be helping you, saving me and protecting your dad all at once. He has to make choices that you and I will never be able to understand. Choices that change lives and kill him a little every time he makes them because he knows someone is going to get hurt." I tried to explain as Stiles threw the napkin away.
"Well he needs to make better ones." Stiles said through gritted teeth. I ran my hand through my hair and pulled my knees up to my chest as I sat on the couch.
"I understand you're upset with him and you have every right to be but please don't put me in the middle. I need you both right now and the thought of having to somehow choose makes my chest hurt." I said rubbing my chest. He frowned at me and nodded.
"I really am sorry I ditched you." He mumbled.
"It's not the first time you've forgotten about me because of Lydia Martin." I teased poking his stomach and he looked almost like I shocked him with my finger.
"I-it wasn't like that. I was just checking up on-" I cut Stiles off with my hand.
"It's really okay. It's not like it was a date or anything. It was just lunch. Besides, Derek helped me realize a few things I wasn't paying attention to before." Stiles moved looking uncomfortable at the mention of Derek.
"Just promise me you won't go off and get hurt. I don't think I'll be able to handle being in this hospital anymore then I already have." Stiles said and I put my hand on his.
"I promise." I leaned my head on his shoulder.
[Stiles's POV]
The doctor brought my dad back about an hour after his test and said he had a deep tissue bruise all the way down to his spine and that he would need to take it easy for a few days. Of course the only thing dad was worried about was getting back to work which they cleared him for but I think the relief made Maggie pass out because she was fast asleep laying across my lap not even 20 minutes later. I was practically cradling her in my lap with her head and arm resting on my chest but it was nice. She wasn't heavy at all so I was surprisingly comfortable. I tried not to think about how this was the second girl today to be passed out in my lap because it made me think about Lydia's plan to take Maggie down. I just hoped deleting that email she had on her phone would do the trick.
"I'm proud of you kiddo." I jumped slightly hearing my dad's voice. I thought maybe he was asleep but he was still in and out.
"For what?" I asked confused.
"For mending things with Maggie. Your mom would be proud of you." Dad said making me feeling guilty. I shook my head and looked down at Maggie as she slept soundlessly.
"It doesn't make up for the things I did before." I said quietly.
"Look at that girl, do you see how much she cares about you? How safe she feels? You gave her that son. Don't hold onto the bad stuff." Dad said shifting as much as he could in his bed. If my dad was in a different situation I would wish to stay like this forever. Just sitting here, holding onto Maggie and protecting her from all the crap outside these four walls but I knew I couldn't.
"Get some sleep dad." I whispered putting my feet up on the chair in front of me so I could kick back and get some rest myself. Dad was out like a light within a few minutes and I rested my head on the back of the couch trying to get some sleep myself.
I don't know how long I had drifted off for but it didn't feel long when my eyes snapped open. The little bit of weight that Maggie put on my lap wasn't there anymore and I saw that she was gone. I looked over and saw the bathroom light on. I rubbed at my eyes and stretched before closing my eyes again. The door to the bathroom opened and I heard Maggie's foot shuffling across the floor but she didn't sit back down. I opened my eyes to let her know it was okay to lay back down but she was standing next to my dad's bed. I was about to say something but she moved his gown off his back to reveal the insane bruise on his back from the impact. Even I was taken aback by it. She reached her hand out and placed it gently on the bruise making Dad move slightly.
"Blood rises to the skin, take away the pain he's in." She mumbled aloud. I furrowed my brows watching her focus on the words as she moved her hand down the bruise and repeated what she had said previously until she had covered the entire area. She finally pulled her hand away and fixed the back of the gown before letting out a sigh. I wasn't sure what she was doing but I closed my eyes before she turned back around. She walked back over and to where I was and ran her fingertips over my cheek.
"If only I could take away all your worries." She whispered and I opened my eyes slowly, pretending I was waking up. She gave me a small smile before lying back down on the opposite end of the couch. I cleared my throat before tugging on her arm letting her know it was okay to resume her previous position in my lap and she moved to do so resting her head on my chest again but when she placed her hand on my chest it felt strangely warmer than any other part of her body. It was the same hand she had put on my dad. Something didn't make sense but I knew now was not the time to bring up what Lydia had found. I just had to keep telling myself that if Maggie had a secret that big then she would have told me…right?