Disclaimer: teen wolf does not belong to me in any way, shape or form :( and a massive shoutout to hope, Ashleymcd25, Senjaninja, x XROWEENAJAUGUSTINEX x (lol you're totally right, evil Kayla isn't capable of feeling love, just possessiveness etc) linda96, BeccaSco, ShiannetheFangirlofEverything, CarleighAlpha, xnathiagrey, MaddieMiran and guest (I'm sorry you feel that way, but they won't forgive Kayla that easily, this will be highlighted in the next chaoter with a talk between Kayla and Isaac but I understand and thank you for leaving your thoughts and being nice about it, wishing you all the best sweetie :) ) for reviewing love y'all hope you enjoy X
She was consumed by the pain, engulfed in its tight unforgiving grasp until she couldn't see anything past the bleak darkness or hear anything except the whoosh of her blood pumping frantically in her ears. It was a lonely terrifying experience and she knew this was her punishment. She had done so much bad, committed such evil acts that being greedy and absorbing all this power for her own selfish purposes was the final nail in the coffin. Her punishment was going to be worse than hell if she had to keep feeling this agony for just a second longer, her entire body on fire.
She writhed as she lost herself to the torment, worse than a hundred lashes to the bare skin of her back with a whips.
Worse than a thousand stab wounds to her abdomen.
Worse than tens of thousands of times of all her tendons getting slashed to pieces like ribbons.
Suspended in constant agony as her power, the power she stole, completely ripped her apart - the perfect punishment.
And despite the scolding heat burning her insides, hotter than lava, a cold chill begun to spread right down to her very bones, an eerie feeling encasing her entire being. A rush of indecipherable, angry mutterings hitting her as they chanted her name over and over again, so full of rage it made her evil streak look tame.
It was the rush of death surrounding her, and they wanted her back.
The dead wanted her to stay dead.
They were angry - furious - that she broke the rules of nature. That she was allowed to step foot back on this earth, when they had already claimed her.
The dead were wanting revenge, ready to haunt her until she gave up her chance at life because what's dead should stay dead. It all made sense now, all those weeks ago when she kept hearing those voices, the ones saying her name... It was the dead, coming to bring her back. Ready to pull her back kicking and screaming. She had one foot in the land of the living, and one foot in the grave.
Their voices were sharper than knifes, cutting into her brain and she screamed, wanting, no needing to succumb to the agony, to black out, for it all to just stop for a second but it never, it was ever present and all consuming and in that moment something inside her broke - not just because of the pain, but the guilt, the weight of all the crushing emotions she had pushed away for so long finally enveloping her.
The path to redemption was a hard one, and she wasn't sure if she had the strength to walk it.
"What the hell is happening? I said what the hell is happening to her?" Stiles demanded heatedly, full out panic oozing from his voice as he laid Kayla out on the examination table, the pit of his stomach sinking and churning at her screams that tore right through him, avoiding her jerking limbs as she arched and writhed, her eyes rolled back into her head.
Deaton pressed his two fingers against the side of her neck, feeling her quick pulse as she thrashed about in mind numbing agony, the storm outside worsening the more torment she went through.
"The power... It's tearing her apart" Deaton said, as gently as possible grabbing her arm that was flailing, holding it as still as he could to inspect the steady bruises decorating up her arms - the repeated splintering of her bones and boiling blood injuring her from the inside out, "she's in a great deal of pain"
'No shit Sherlock' Stiles almost said in frustration, flinching at her unbearable screams.
"Then do something" he ground out instead, having to hold Kayla down harder so she wouldn't fall from the table, "fix her"
For the first time in a long while, Stiles saw Deaton look very suddenly unsure and his heart plummeted through his stomach.
"I don't know how to"
Dylan pushed past Deaton, sending him a death glare as he brushed some sweaty, matted hair back from his sisters forehead, briefly closing his eyes as he tried to tune out her deafening wails of agony.
"You were our family's emissary, my aunt Talia spoke very highly of you so do what you do best... Protect this family" Dylan implored, "help her"
Deaton sighed, flinching as Kayla screamed again, a pure raw scream of agony that deafened him as he finally nodded, nodding his head at Stiles and Dylan, "hold her down. Derek, Scott, get her legs"
Each one responded, moving to surround the table and help hold her flailing, jittery body down as Isaac, Malia, Kira and Lydia held back, watching anxiously.
"I might be able to neutralise what power is left inside her. Maybe" he added, rushing about as he opened cupboards, grabbing different containers of herbs to mix them together, "it's a long shot but worth a try. Now let me very clear here-" he looked up, catching each one of their gazes, "-if this doesn't work, we don't have much time before she goes into sudden cardiac arrest. Her heart is beating at over 350 beats per minute, an average human can't sustain that rhythm. So do as I say, exactly as I say, no matter how difficult, are we clear?"
Everyone nodded but Deaton caught Stiles' gaze for longer, like he knew that Kayla's pain and suffering was his weak spot.
"I got it" Stiles whispered, flinching as Kayla let out another deaf worthy scream and jerked, her back arching so high off the metal table her neck was craned all the way back, her limbs beginning to spasm as they all desperately tried to keep her still, to stop her body from flailing but it proved difficult, even with their combined strength.
"Hold her down" Deaton repeated, mixing his concoction together so it turned thick and pasty, sucking it up into a syringe.
"We're trying" Derek ground out, holding her leg but she still flailed, screaming loudly and Stiles watched tears slide down her cheeks, sweat dripping down the sides of her face and drenching her entire body and his heart ached, having to take a deep breath to try and calm himself down, to focus on saving her life.
"That's a big needle" Dylan gulped, cocking a brow as Deaton walked over, "where are you putting that thing?"
"Her heart - I told you this was our last resort" he added, "it's a stabiliser of sorts, encantados don't like these herbs, it's a kind of poison to them. My theory is if we inject it into her heart, it'll spread around her body quicker and hopefully extinguish the last of her power"
"Theory? Hopefully?" Scott didn't sound hopeful, "what if it doesn't?"
Deaton tested the syringe, watching the thick green gunk spill out of the small pin prick needle before glancing up, "then she dies, which she will anyway if we don't do anything. There's no time to debate this - someone open up her shirt"
Lydia moved forward, standing by Kayla's head as she shakily undid a few buttons of her shirt, tears glistening in her eyes, "please be right about this Deaton"
The vetenarian sighed heavily, "I hope I am"
He was prepared to plunge the needle down straight into her heart, to try his best and not kill her but she suddenly shot bolt upright, a surge of energy exploding out from within her which knocked them all backwards so violently they crashed into the walls, each feeling like they got hit by a car but that was soon forgotten about as Kayla screamed again, this time so loud and full of torment, everyone flinched and Lydia gasped, covering her ears which began to bleed. Kayla's scream tuned into whatever frequency banshees could hear too, unnerving Lydia right to the core.
Dylan grabbed Lydia's arms before she could slump sideways, covering her ears with his hands and telling her that it would be okay, to focus on his voice, to ignore the pain but only did Kayla's painful screaming quieten when she began choking on some blood, the thick dark red liquid frothing from her mouth and overspilling down her chin as she sat up, totally lost and helpless as the power ruined her from the inside out.
So Stiles did the only thing he knew he could do in that moment - whether it was the right thing or not, he didn't have any options left. He had to do something, anything, and just hope it worked out.
As everyone was groaning, coming back to reality from the painful blast they got, Stiles leapt up and grabbed the fallen syringe in his right hand, skidding over to the examination table and wrapped a single arm around Kayla's shoulders, pulling her broken body against his chest and then just as he aimed the syringe straight at her heart, murmured a faint "I'm sorry" against her sweaty hair before doing what he thought was once impossible: harming her, and possibly killing her. But he just kept telling himself over and over again that it was for the best - that he was trying to save her, that they had run out of options.
He kept telling himself this, but it did nothing to ease his worry, especially when she screamed as the needle penetrated her skin and sunk straight into her heart, her eyes snapping wide open as she flailed, reaching up to try and pull out the needle but he remained resilient and held her arm down, meeting her panicked gaze as he pushed the plunger down.
"I'm so sorry Kaylz" he whispered, watching the thick green mush disappear from the syringe and she gasped, her breathing immediately starting to slow down from its quickened pace.
"I know, I know, shhhh, I'm sorry Kaylz, I'm so sorry" he whispered, pulling out the needle and holding her as she started to sag and supported her against his chest, her mouth wide open into a silent scream, "it's okay baby, just breathe, this'll help you, I promise. I promised I would save you okay?"
She never replied, her breathing stuttery and weak as she stared up at him, that pained fire slowly stating to fade away from behind her eyes and he pressed a soft kiss to her sweaty forehead, looking over at Deaton as the vet stared back, shocked Stiles had willingly done what they all thought he wouldn't be able to do.
"Please... Please tell me I haven't just made the biggest mistake of my life"
Deaton swallowed thickly but moved forward, reaching out to feel for her pulse.
"It's levelling out" he informed them before tilting her head away from Stiles' chest to feel the heat or her forehead, "and she's not burning up. Kayla?" He asked softly, "can you hear me?"
Her eyes were wide but she never spoke, never even moved and Stiles' heart sunk, hearing her heavy, rattling breathing echo all around them.
"You'll be okay" Deaton reassured, giving Kayla a small smile before glancing at Stiles, "well done"
He didn't accept the praise, not yet, not until he knew for sure Kayla would be okay.
"Let her get some rest" Deaton advised, "she's injured and exhausted. Scott, can you call your mom, get her to come take a look at Kayla?"
"Of course" he ducked out of the room, already on the phone to Melissa.
"That was a close call" Derek murmured, his eyes sad as they fell on Kayla.
"Yeah, too close" Dylan muttered, helping Lydia stand as he found her some tissues to help clean up the dried blood caking her ears before moving forward, standing on the opposite side of the table as he glanced up at Stiles, "is she okay?"
"I... I think so" Stiles whispered, finally letting her lay back down on the examination table, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "oh god... I can't believe I just did that"
"You saved her life is what you did" Lydia whispered, smiling faintly at him, "you saved her, just like you promised you would"
He never said anything, just reached for her slack hand and squeezed it - he knew she was unconscious but maybe, just maybe, she could still feel him there for her, just like he vowed he would be.
Melissa had come around, as promised, and set up an IV to get some fluids into her, continuously taking her temperature and blood pressure but it soon fell within the normal ranges, it was just her bruises that concerned Melissa. She said it could be due to her bones fracturing but couldn't be sure until they got her X-Ray'd but that would have to be done when she was awake and conscious, but said she was okay. Another weight off Stiles' chest.
So he simply pulled up a chair and held her hand, tracing patterns on her cool skin and watching her sleep as Kira and Malia left first, followed by Isaac after he got an annoyed text from Paige and then Derek, telling them to phone him if anything happened, leaving just him, Scott, Lydia and Dylan.
"So uh..." Lydia whispered, not wanting to disturb the peace, especially when Stiles looked about ready to fall asleep with his head on the table next to Kayla, totally exhausted, "thanks for helping me back there"
He smiled boyishly, that playful flash glinting in his eyes, the exact same that Kayla used to have, "your knight in shining armour, am I right?"
"Let's not push it that far" she playfully remarked, a small smile lighting up her face, "I don't need saving, but uh... I'm not opposed to a little helping hand"
He chuckled, "well I'll be your helping hand anytime Miss Martin"
She flushed a little but dropped her gaze, watching as Stiles shook himself awake only to run his hand through Kayla's hair, whispering to her to wake up.
"You don't hate Stiles, do you?"
"Of course I do" Lydia whipped her head to the side with wide eyes, ready to open her mouth to protest but he just chuckled, "relax, I'm kidding. Of course I don't hate him. First off, I don't know the dude. Secondly, he's too dorky to hate, it would be like kicking a lost puppy. And third, anyone that can love my sister when she's full out evil, well, let's say I'm not gonna hate that guy. Especially because, well-" he glanced around the near empty room sadly, "-her friends resent her"
"They don't resent her, I don't" Lydia reassured, "we're just hurt by what she did. And yeah, some of them may take longer to get over it than others. Kayla has done some terrible, terrible things. They - we - just need a little time to forgive her"
Dylan nodded, "I get that. I just don't want her to feel like she's got nothing to come back for"
"We'll show her she does" Lydia reassured, "Stiles, you and me" she reached out for his hand, giving it a squeeze, "and Scott" she added, "he's loyal, more than you could possibly imagine. After what Kayla went through, I think it's made them closer"
"Do you forgive her?" He asked carefully, watching her expression fall.
"I... I don't know. She killed. She hurt. She was merciless. But I still love her, she's my best friend how can I not? So it might take some time, but I will forgive her, just like everyone else will, that I can guarantee you"
Dylan was just about to respond when Kayla gasped, flinching awake as she pushed herself up but when she did, winced in pain, hugging her injured and bruised arms to her chest.
"Whoa, whoa, easy, you're okay" Stiles rushed up, standing up so quickly he knocked the chair backwards, "you're safe, you're okay, I got you"
She whipped her head from side to side, tears blurring her vision, "no... No, stay away for me... All of you..." She shimmied herself off the silver examination table, her legs wobbling and nearly collapsing as pain flared up in them and she had to grab the table to stop from keeling over, "it's n-not safe"
"You're fine. We neutralised your power Kayla" Scott reassured, stepping up next to Stiles, "you won't hurt anyone"
She peered over to them sadly, her face fallen and suddenly aged ten years, "it's... It's too late for that. I already have" she whispered, shaking her head as she took another careful step backwards, "I-I hurt you. I k-killed you" her bottom lip wobbling, her gaze moving to Stiles, "you were in h-hell because of me"
"And you got me out, remember?" He said, "it was only for a day. Maybe two. I'm fine"
"No, no you're not" she shook her head quickly, "hell messes with your head. You probably saw-saw unspeakable things... You were so scared-" she started crying, "-and I did that. I hurt you"
"Kez" Dylan whispered, "stop beating yourself up over this. Everyone's okay"
She didn't bother wiping at her eyes as the tears fell hard and fast, the guilt and remorse crushing her alive, "not everyone. Not the people I... The people I k-killed, they're not okay. They're f-families aren't okay. Oh god-" she closed her eyes, nearly collapsing from sheer exhaustion, "-I... I did that. I did all that. It's not a bad dream" she whispered, "I did all of it..."
Stiles didn't know what to say, his expression sad but desperate, "yes, you did, but you can make up for it. You can redeem yourself"
She scrubbed at her eyes until they were red, tear tracks tracing their way down her face, "no I can't. I can't. I can't" she was bordering on hysterical, shaking her head frantically, "don't forgive me. Don't ever forgive me. I don't deserve it. Please... Please..." Her legs gave way, rocking herself In the middle of the floor, desperate wails escaping her throat, "please don't forgive me. H-Hate me, please. Please hate me, please"
And Stiles just shared a desperate look with his friends, no one making a move forward because an evil Kayla they could deal with, but this was a whole other kettle of fish.
- Ten days later -
She was running. Running where, she didn't know. All she knew was she had to run. She had to run as far away as possible. Try to outrun the voices, the terrible guilt eating her alive from the inside out. Run from everyone she once hurt. Run to get the punishment she deserved.
Her bare feet were cut and bruised from the stones and twigs on the forest floor, leaving traces of blood in her wake as she cried out, clasping her hands over her ears, trying to drown out the deafening voices but they were loud and sharp and cut right through her.
She couldn't bare it.
She couldn't bare it.
She didn't realise when her bruised and battered feet came into contact with cool stone instead of the forest, was not aware of her surroundings as her mind collapsed. Tripping and sliding up the stone steps, falling so her knees scraped and she fell through the front entrance, tearing her hair from her roots as she did so.
She couldn't make the voices stop.
She couldn't stop the pain.
All her emotions that she repressed were back, drowning her, flooding her mind with agony. Everything she did, oh god... All those people.
She was suddenly wailing, trying anything to stop whatever this was, the crushing pounding inside her skull from all those persistent, angry voices. Some she recognised, others she didn't. All those she killed, all those that wanted her back. They were haunting her, combined with the rush of regret and guilt was not a good combination, her fragile mind too weak to withstand the torment.
Then she was sobbing, wishing things were different, wishing she wasn't such a terrible person.
She did this, she did, and it was all her fault.
More tears flooded from her eyes, drowning her as she turned around in a circle, screwing her eyes shut to try she stop herself from losing it - to stop herself from falling apart but it was too late, she couldn't think, couldn't rationalise, her mind far past broken.
She sensed people surrounding her, whether friend or foe she didn't care, she didn't have the capacity to, too broken to do anything but scream.
"M-Make them stop, make them stop, MAKE THEM STOP" she wailed, pulling down more hair from the roots so under her fingernails turned dark with blood, "make them stop, make them stop, make them stop, make them stop, stop it, stop it, stop it-"
The voices were agonising, forcing her to look and remember everything she had done - it was too much, too much all at once.
She was already broken, this was just a step too far.
The others should've let her die that night - anything was better than this.
Brunski grinned, nodding at the other orderlys to grab her and hold her still, smirking as she screamed and writhed and wailed in agony, her eyes flitting from side to side as she saw things, heard things that others didn't. How she came stumbling to Eichen house wasn't Brunski's concern, all he cared about was keeping her here.
"There there miss Hale" Brunski cooed coolly, "don't fight it, I always told you you would end up back here, didn't I?" He asked, prepping the sedation in the injection, "and you, my dear, well-" he grabbed her arm tightly, shoving the needle in so roughly she cried out, "-you were always one of my favourites"
A/n) poor Kayla and poor everyone haha and that's a wee snippet/time jump after the next few chapters haha wow, Kayla gonna end up back in eichen house with asshole Brunski, yeah I'm terrible ha so please please review, need the inspiration, having a shitty time at placement and trying to update when possible lol love you all see you soon :)
