I know it's been a while since
I could look you in the eyes
cause I am foolish and I'm sorry
but sorry never made it feel alright
alright

With Gerard, Chris, & Max.

Max waited patiently from the backseat as his brother moved towards the club. He sat in silence, not knowing what to say to his father after what he witnessed with the kanima. Chris returned from talking with an officer and got into the car.

"Seven paralyzed." He told them with a sigh. "The rumor is drugs, probably hallucinogens, since witnesses say they saw a demonic monster on the dance floor." Chris explained.

Max shook his head and looked down to his joined hands. He glanced up, however when his father began speaking.

"Now who would believe something like that?" he asked.

Max didn't care, quite frankly whether someone would believe the cover story the cops were using. As long as the average people of Beacon Hills didn't become aware of what his family did or who they had to kill to do it, he was fine with whatever crazy stories were told.

"You know what I'm having trouble believing?" Chris asked. "How you just stood there while that thing circled you and did nothing."

Max perked up at this. As the middle child of three, he'd always been quieter about his uneasiness with his father. Chris never hesitated to tell his father when he disagreed with what Gerard said or did and Kate had always been the prized child. Kate could do no wrong, no matter what. Even when she killed a house full of innocent people, Gerard continued to dote on her. It also never mattered how many times Gerard had to fight with Chris; he was still the oldest and still the favorite son. Max had lost that competition the moment he decided not to force his daughter and only child into training to become a hunter.

"You want to explain that to me?" Chris asked, glancing over at their father in the passenger seat.

"Intuition." Gerard replied easily.

"Then you know what it is." Max replied, finally speaking up.

"I have a suspicion," Gerard replied, glancing back at Max over his shoulder. "And if I'm right, it plays by certain rules, rules that don't bend easily."

Max watched in silence as his father pulled out the circular case he'd been carrying everywhere with him ever since he got to Beacon Hills. Various pills spilled out onto his father's palm and then were forced down his throat.

"Do we need to put a hold on Derek to figure this thing out?" Chris asked.

"Not necessarily." Gerard replied. "Tonight's the first time you had a glimpse of him since Kate died, right?" he asked. Max flinched at the name of his baby sister.

"Unfortunately." Chris replied.

"And the only other tie we have to him is Isaac Lahey." Max frowned, knowing that this Isaac boy was important to Emma. Even if she hadn't said it outright, her efforts to save his life the night of his first full moon were evidence enough.

"What are you thinking?" Max asked, needing to know if the target on Isaac's back was even bigger than before.

"That if this thing bothers Derek enough to bring him out of his little hole, then we might have an opportunity." Gerard told them. "What did I teach you is the best way to eliminate a threat?" Gerard asked them.

"Get someone to do it for you." Both Argent brothers replied in unison.

With Emma & Allison.

I laughed and rolled over onto my back. Allison tried to contain her own laughter and shook her head. We heard a soft knock on the door and I sat up quickly, straightening myself out as Allison went to answer it.

"Hey Aunt Gemma." I could hear the smile in Allison's voice as she greeted my mother. "And mom." She added on.

I stood from the bed and walked over to stand behind Allison. My mother was standing in the doorway and Allison's mom was standing just behind her, both were smiling at the two of us.

"We thought maybe we could have a girls' night in?" my mom offered with a smile. "You two have an important exam tomorrow and you could use a little break from studying."

"That is, assuming that you've actually been studying in here with all of that giggling." Aunt Victoria smiled knowingly at the two of us.

I managed to smile bashfully and look down while Allison nodded back at them. "Sure, of course." She agreed. I stepped forward and followed my cousin out of her bedroom while our mothers led us down stairs.

"So, we've got movies and dinner and for later," my mom smirked lifting up a plate full of cookies.

It was terribly obvious that my mother was more interested in this entire thing than Allison, Aunt Victoria, and me. The three of us smiled and nodded, agreeing with basically whatever my mother said just to keep her happy. It was a perfect routine we'd been working on for sixteen years.

"I have a surprise for you, Emma!" my mom smiled brightly. I raised an eyebrow at her while she rooted through a bag on the couch in the living room. She stood up fully and showed off the DVD in her hand. "Pride and Prejudice!" she beamed.

I smiled in response and moved towards her, grasping at the DVD in her hands. I looked down at the cover and smiled at Keira Knightley's familiar face. I had to admit that she couldn't have picked a better film to get me in her good graces. I looked up and smiled appreciatively at my mother and then turned on my heel to go back into the kitchen for food.

Hours later Allison and I headed back up the stairs to go to bed. We stopped at her door and I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"They want to move back to San Francisco." I told her quietly. Allison frowned back at me.

"You can't let them do that!" she insisted. I nodded. "You don't want to leave, do you?" she asked, sounding a little hurt at the idea of me leaving. I shook my head and stepped forward, wrapping my arms around her.

"God no, that's the last thing I want to do." I told her.

"Good, because I'm afraid of what will happen if you do." I pulled away from her and frowned down at the floor. "Emma, they have to know that you can't go back there. You have to tell them why."

"I can't just tell my parents that moving back to their dream house is a mistake because I might kill myself." I replied gesturing wildly with my arms. Allison frowned at me and crossed her arms. "Allie, it was a year ago. I've moved on." She raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me.

"Emmeline, that place is full of bad memories. It could be a trigger and I don't want to lose you for good this time." She told me.

I could tell that she was only concerned, but it annoyed me that she was bringing this up. I nodded in response and moved away from her bedroom. I walked down the hallway to my own room and glanced back to see her staring at me. I smiled timidly at her and then stepped into my room.

The next morning I woke up earlier than usual and began getting ready for school. I straightened my usually curly dark hair and pushed a headband behind my ears, forcing my bangs back. I swept on simple make up, keeping my usual winged eye liner and mascara. I hopped around my room, pulling my tight dark-washed jeans up and buttoned them. I exhaled and nodded down at my legs and then moved to my closet to pick out a shirt to wear. I decided on a nearly sheer black top that buttoned in the front with three quarter sleeves. I pulled on a black tank top over my lacey bra and then buttoned on the shirt.

"Hey, can I borrow your plaid jacket?" Allison asked from the doorway of my room. I turned to look at her over my shoulder and nodded towards the closet. She passed me as I pulled my long hair out of the shirt and messed it a little. "You're up early today." Allison commented as she rooted through my closet, searching for the jacket she wanted.

"Yeah, I don't know, I woke up without my alarm or anything." I shrugged. "Strange."

I left her alone in my room and headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. My mom was sitting at her usual place on a bar stool with a mug in her hands. I smiled at her in greeting and filled my own travel mug with coffee.

"Have you worked out at all since we've been here?" my mom asked, glancing up at me from the magazine in front of her. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not saying that you're fat, don't be ridiculous." I smiled back at her. "I'm just asking, in case you ever need to defend yourself or run from something." She shrugged.

"No, I haven't." I told her as I leaned against the counter. "I'll make sure that I start up again, though." I stood and grabbed the mug. "I promise." I called back to her as I grabbed my red leather jacket from the coat hanger as well as the keys to my dad's car.

I walked into school after parking my car in the same spot next to Allison's. I turned in the combination to my locker and exchanged the books I'd taken home the night before for the ones I'd need for my first few morning classes.

"Hey." I jumped in surprise and turned to smile at Lydia, who was opening her own locker right next to mine.

"Hey." I replied as I closed my locker and leaned against it.

"Emma, can I ask you a question?" Lydia asked as she leaned against her own locker and looked up at me. I nodded slowly, wondering just what she needed to ask me that she couldn't ask Allison. "What's going on here?" I raised an eyebrow. "I mean, no one tells me anything and I'm starting to get a little freaked out." I sighed and opened my mouth to explain to her why she was being kept in the dark when I was interrupted by my name being called over the intercom.

"Emmeline Argent to the principal's office, please. Emmeline Argent to the principal's office." I frowned in confusion and then glanced up to see Lydia frowning as well.

"We'll talk later, I promise." I told her as I turned around and headed towards the office.

Just as I was reaching for the door it opened and Allison exited. She gave me a meaningful look and then passed me to continue to class. I frowned, but shrugged and walked into my grandfather's office.

"You called for me?" I smiled timidly. Gerard glanced up and nodded and then gestured towards the chair in front of his desk. "Am I in trouble or something?" I asked him as I sat down.

"Oh, no of course not." He shook his head. "Unless of course you've done something to cause you to be in trouble?" he raised an eyebrow. I shook my head with a small smile and waited for him to continue.

"Did you know that Jackson Whittemore didn't come to school today?" he asked me. I frowned and shook my head, genuinely confused over this new information.

If Jackson hadn't come to school and Gerard was asking me about it, clearly he didn't know where the teenager was. If Gerard didn't know where Jackson was then that left only a few possible people who did know.

"His parents called the school this morning as well as the police." I glanced up, even more confused than I had been before. "Do you know where he is, Emma?" I raised an eyebrow. "I know that you and Jackson had some kind of relationship-"I shook my head quickly and smiled bashfully.

"Oh, no sir, that ended." I smiled. It was a little white lie, because while technically I no longer harbored feelings for the boy, I'd never actually had the 'we're breaking up even though we're not dating' talk with him.

"Has it?" he asked. I nodded to him response. "What a shame, he seemed like a nice young man." I smiled to him and nodded.

"We agreed to remain friends, so it wasn't that big of a deal." I told him.

"Emmeline," Gerard stood from the desk and began pacing around the office. "In this lifestyle, you become used to people lying to you." I tried not to react, not wanting to give him any more incentive to believing I was lying to him. "I just have to assume and trust, that my own granddaughter would never lie to me; even if it meant protecting one of her friends." He stopped pacing and stood behind the chair I was sitting in.

Ever so slowly Gerard reached forward and gently touched my neck, right where my pulse could be felt. I took a deep breath, calming my heartbeat to a normal level and waited.

"Do you know where Jackson is?" he asked. I told him I didn't. "Hmm, it seems as if you weren't lying after all." I turned my head to look up at him.

"I couldn't lie to you, grandpa." I replied with a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry that I had to do that, sweetheart." He told me with a smile as I stood. "You can go to class." I nodded and then stepped out of the office.

I let out a breath as soon as I knew I was far enough away from him and headed into my next class. I stopped abruptly, however, when I saw my aunt standing at the front of the classroom.

"Emma." She smiled pleasantly. "You're late." I frowned, still completely confused as to why my aunt was standing in front of me. I turned and raised an eyebrow at Allison, who only shrugged in response.

"Um, yeah, I was with grand-"I stopped myself. "I was with the principal." I told her. She nodded and then nodded towards my seat in front of Allison.

I quickly moved down the aisle and sat in front of my cousin. When my aunt turned her back to us and faced the chalkboard I turned in my seat to meet Allison's equally as wide eyes. She shrugged again and I turned to see Scott, stiff as a board in the seat across the aisle from me. I smiled at him encouragingly and nodded, to show my support.

Thankfully, the bell rang and we were able to escape the weirdness that surrounded the classroom. I hurried out of the room with my head down, but stopped when I heard my aunt call out for her daughter. I turned to look at Allison over my shoulder and smiled in apology at her, before being rushed out of the classroom by the other students.

As I was walking down the hallway, I glanced up and noticed a camera pointed towards me and the other students. I frowned in confusion up at it and continued walking, only to notice another camera just a few feet down. I chewed on my lip and shook my head and then went outside to my car. I had a free period for the last class of the day and decided to head home instead of staying in the library.

I felt my phone buzzing from my back pocket and pulled it out while also digging through my bag for my keys. I unlocked my car and my phone at the same time and raised an eyebrow at the new message from Stiles.

Study group at my house tonight.

I rolled my eyes at the code words and had to rack through my brain to try and remember what that meant. Studying always meant that we needed to deal with werewolf drama. Studying at Stiles' house meant it had something to do with him and tonight meant right now. I quickly typed back a response, asking him for a time that I should come over. The text Stiles sent back would've looked like a random time to anyone else reading it, but I knew that they were coordinates to a specific location. I rolled my eyes and entered the coordinates into the GPS in the car.

I tapped my fingers lazily on the steering wheel and waited for the GPS to figure out just where I was just trying to go. I jumped in surprise when the GPS beeped at me and looked to see that I was being led to the middle of the woods somewhere.

"Why can't we ever just hang out at someone's house like we say we are?" I asked as I reversed out of my parking spot and began driving towards the forest.

I had to ditch the car eventually and continue walking on foot. I glared down at my clean pair of shoes getting unnecessarily dirty in the leaves.

"This better be freaking important, Stilinski." I told the boy as I walked up and saw him leaning against a police van. I raised an eyebrow at him and crossed my arms. "Do I even want to know?" I asked.

"I need you to talk to Jackson." He told me, nodding his head to the van. My eyes widened and I moved closer to the van. "Oh, um, yeah he tried to kill Danny last night, so we put him in here." I sighed and opened the back of the van.

"Emma?" Jackson seemed genuinely surprised to see me as I climbed in and shut the doors and a very curious Stiles behind me. "Thank God you're here, you've gotta get me out of this." he told me.

I leaned forward and let him out of the cuffs easily and then took a seat across from him on the other bench. I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow at Jackson as he rubbed at his wrists.

"What?" he asked, looking up at me with a confused expression. I only raised my eyebrow. "Oh, don't tell me you believe all of this stupid lizard stuff too?" he asked as he groaned and threw his head back.

"Yes, I believe it." I told him, sitting up straight. "I saw you last night, Jackson. There were only six people in that house." I leaned forward. "Four of us were on the porch, one was on the roof and the other was freaking out because she had no idea what the hell was going on." He sighed and leaned back from me. "Care to guess who was who?" I asked as I leaned back as well.

"Whatever, can we just not talk about this now?" he asked, shaking his head. I sighed and nodded my head.

"So you and Lydia, huh?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. He frowned in confusion. "Oh come on, Jackson, nobody stays in a room alone with their ex for that long without something other than talking happening." I told him, shaking my head.

"Okay, so maybe we did do something other than talking." He told me. "You aren't mad?" I shook my head. "Why not?" he asked.

"Because I never actually saw us as anything more than two people making out in the back of my car." I told him. "You're a fantastic guy, Jackson, but we both know that we don't feel anything other than attraction for each other."

He nodded slowly to show that he agreed. "So, I'm pulling out of whatever this is, especially considering your scale-y little problem." I smirked. He rolled his eyes and groaned again and then perked up and leaned against the wall of the van.

"What?" I asked as his eyes widened.

"The cops are on their way." He told me. "You have to leave." He reached forward and tried to push me out of the van. "Emma, if they find you here you'll get in serious trouble." I frowned in confusion just as the doors were wrenched open.

Stiles was huffing as he gestured wildly for me to get out of the back of the van. I turned and quickly put the cuffs back onto Jackson's wrists. I smiled apologetically at him afterwards and then kissed his cheek. I climbed out of the van and closed the door and was practically dragged through the leaves into the front seat where Allison was waiting patiently.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I glanced between the two of them.

"Somewhere very far away from this." Stiles replied quickly as he dialed a phone that looked a lot like Jackson's and then threw it out of the window. Before I could react over the phone Stiles pressed his foot onto the gas and started driving the van.

Stiles drove a good distance and then parked the van when he deemed the spot far enough away from where we were before. I climbed out of the van and leaned against the side of it while Stiles called and told Scott where we were. Not long after we got there, Scott came running towards us. The four of us walked away from the van and towards the cliff edge while discussing what we were going to do with Jackson.

"If Jackson doesn't remember being the kanima, he's definitely not gonna remember stealing Danny's tablet." Scott told us.

"Why would he steal the thing if he doesn't even know what's on it?" Stiles asked.

"What if someone else took it?" Allison asked.

"Then someone else knows what he is." I replied, running a hand through my hair exasperatingly.

"Which could mean someone's protecting him." Scott added, looking between the three of us.

"Like the bestiary says, the kanima seeks a friend, right?" Allison asked. I frowned and chewed on my lip, crossing my arms and trying to figure out what that could mean.

"Okay, hold on." Stiles started. "So, somebody watches Jackson make a video of himself turning into the kanima and then just erases part of it so he wouldn't know?" Stiles asked, trying to make sense of the possible "friend's" actions. "I mean, who would do that?" I nodded, looking down at my feet.

"Somebody who wanted to protect him?" I asked, looking up at everyone else.

"There's something else," Scott said. "You said the only thing you found online about the kanima is that it goes after murderers. What if that's actually true?" Scott asked, looking over at Stiles.

"Well, no, it can't be." Stiles replied. "It tried to kill all of us, remember?" Stiles gestured between the group. "I don't know about you three, but I haven't murdered anybody lately."

"I don't think he as trying to kill us." I spoke up, shaking my head. "I mean, I was scared, yeah, but I didn't feel threatened by it."

I thought back to seeing the kanima the night before. It hadn't even tried to attack us. All it did was hiss and then ran away. From the stories the others had told me of their interactions with kanima it didn't seem like it had tried to kill them either.

"The first time you were at Isaac's," I glanced between Allison and Scott. "It just went right by you, it didn't attack or anything, right?" I looked at them. Allison and Scott nodded. "And at the mechanic's garage," I turned to Stiles. "It didn't kill you, it left you there."

"Well, yeah, but it tried to kill me and Derek in the pool." Stiles replied.

"Did it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It would've," Stiles replied, starting to get defensive and grasping at strings to find a reason for Jackson to be guilty. I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "It was waiting for us to come out." Stiles exclaimed.

"What if it was trying to keep you in?" Scott asked. I glanced over at him and nodded, further proving my point that the kanima wasn't actually trying to kill any of us.

"Why do I feel so violated all of a sudden?" Stiles asked, glancing between me and Scott.

"Because there's something else going on." I replied.

Scott nodded and continued speaking for me, "We don't know what it is. We don't know anything about what's going on with Jackson or why someone's protecting him."

"Know thy enemy." Allison interrupted. I glanced up at her in surprise. "Just something my grandfather said." I nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Sometimes Gerard just busted out in random quotes from The Art of War. I'd gotten used to it.

"All right, I got it." Stiles said. I turned to him, waiting for him to tell his big plan. "Kill Jackson. Problem solved." He smiled.

I shook my head, crossing my arms and glaring at the boy in front of me. "Are you crazy?" I asked. I wondered how many times I'd asked that exact question since moving to Beacon Hills. The number probably reached a comical level at this point.

"He risked his life for us." Scott told him. "Against Peter, do you remember that?"

I sighed and turned away from them. I headed back to the van, not wanting to talk about what happened before I came to Beacon Hills and about the possibility of killing Jackson. I reached the van soon enough and leaned against the side. I didn't want to get in the van with Jackson because I didn't want to face him if he had heard everything we just said. With his weird kanima hearing, odds were that he could.

I flinched when I heard the words 'He has nobody'. It was too long ago someone was saying that about me. I glanced up and wondered if Jackson could hear that. I hoped he couldn't. Nothing hurt worse than someone pointing out the thing you were most self-conscious about.