"Hey, listen to what we're not saying

Let's play, a different game than what we're playing

Try to look at me and really see my heart

Do you expect me to believe I'm gonna let us fall apart?"

Why by Avril Lavigne

Isaac explained as best he could what had happened. A girl on a motorcycle rescued him from somewhere and they crashed because of two alphas. Derek and Scott also revealed to Stiles and me that the alphas were trying to get to Isaac at the hospital, and Isaac's healing wounds were why Melissa had pulled Scott out of class. Isaac passed out shortly after, still tired from a sedative that he had been given at the hospital and still healing from the wounds he got from the alphas. So Stiles, Scott, and I left, with Stiles returning me to the school to get my car.

Neither of my parents were home when I got there, so I made myself something to eat and chilled in my room for a few hours reading after changing into running shorts and a bralette. My tank top and jacket were ruined by the bird fiasco. My favorite jacket, too.

My phone dinged from the nightstand, pulling me out of my book. I reached over and grabbed it.

Annoying Batman-Wannabe: Wanna party?

My eyebrows pinched together. Is he serious?

Me: Party?

Annoying Batman-Wannabe: Yes party, you know drinks, music, girls

I rolled my eyes.

Me: I don't roll that way... but if you do no judgment

Annoying Batman-Wannabe: Look Scott's not exactly bouncing off the walls excited so please?

Me: Fine.

Annoying Batman-Wannabe: Incoming!

Partying with Scott and Stiles seemed like a dream. Not. It seemed so wrong to party right now. But who knew? Maybe Stiles had the right idea. Act like normal teenagers. It could be fun. I got off my bed and looked through my closet for something to wear.

As I grabbed a shirt, someone knocked on my window. I jumped, yelping and dropping my shirt. Whipping around, I saw Scott perched right outside, looking sheepish. I walked over and opened my window. "Sorry," he greeted. "I didn't mean to scare you." On top of looking embarrassed, Scott was only making direct eye contact or looking upwards. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head. "We'll, uh, we'll just be waiting."

I nodded. "Right." Scott then hopped down from the roof overhang to rejoin Stiles by the Jeep parked on the curb. I shook my head wondering why he was so awkward. Then I remembered my clothes or lack thereof. Adorable, puppy dog Scott McCall was embarrassed by a girl without a shirt on. Chuckling to myself, I returned to my closet. I pulled on blue jean shorts, a red flowy tank, my tail-necklace, and my boots. With my phone in my pocket, I climbed out the window, dropping to the ground.

Both of the boys had changed for the party. Scott and Stiles were leaning against the Jeep chatting until I drew closer, completely ending whatever they were talking about. "You knew I'd say yes, huh?" I asked, stopping in front of them.

"Of course. It's us!" Stiles exclaimed with a wide grin. "Didn't know you'd be half-naked when I sent Scott to get you, though. Kinda wish I made the climb." I punched him in the gut. He doubled over in minor pain and groaning. "Alright, I deserved that."

"Glad you agree."

Scott patted his buddy on the back but didn't bother taking away the pain. "We ready to go?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, just give me a sec." Stiles groaned again before standing up straight. "Let's go." He started walking down the sidewalk.

Scott glanced at me confused as to what his best friend was doing. "Wait, we're walking?"

Stiles turned around. "Yeah, it's just a few blocks over. I'd rather leave my Jeep here in case the party gets busted by cops." Humming, I joined them in the walk. As we neared the party, hearing the music from down the street, Stiles noticed something odd about Scott's behavior. "What?"

Scott looked at him. "What, what do you mean, 'What?'"

"I mean, 'What,' and you know what."

"'What' what?"

"What?" I asked, completely confused.

Stiles groaned rubbing his face. "That looking you were giving."

"I didn't give a look," Scott told him.

"Oh, there was a distinct look, Scott."

Scott looked to me on his other side. "Sara, was I giving a look?"

I shrugged. "Not that I saw." I had definitely seen a look, but messing with Stiles was always at the top of my To-Do list.

Stiles rolled his eyes at me taking the werewolf's side. "There was a look. The look that says that the last thing you feel like doing right now is going to a party."

I raised my hand, peeking my head passed Scott to look at Stiles. "I'm with Scott's look right now."

"It's not that," Scott argued, pushing my hand down. "It just seems a little weird going to be a different high school's party."

I nudged his side. "Those are the best."

"Have you ever been to a party? Like an actual party?" At my lack of response, Scott laughed lightly. "Exactly."

"Oh, my god," Stiles groaned. "One drink, alright? You'll be fine. I went to nursery school with this girl, okay? She promised to introduce us to all of her friends. So tonight, no Allison, no Lydia, no Isaac. Tonight, we're moving on."

I frowned. "I'm still with Isaac," I pointed out.

The human pointed at me. "Doesn't mean I like it."

"Okay, your issues with Sara's relationship aside," Scott interrupted, "you're right."

"That's right I'm right." We stopped walking, facing each other.

"Moving on," Scott repeated.

"Onward and upward." Stiles emphasized his wording with a hand gesture pointing at the sky.

"Let's do this."

"That's what I'm talking about. No-look me." Stiles held up his hand.

"Okay." Scott high-fived him then they did a low-five and both clapped as Stiles turned around.

"You're both dorks," I told them. The three of us began walking towards the door.

"How's my breath smell?" Scott asked.

"I'm not smelling your breath," Stiles said.

"Do you have any gum?"

"No, no gum. You're fine."

"Can you at least tell us what kind of party this is?"

The moment we walked in, a group of girls in the living room ahead of us cheered, holding blue solo cups high. "It's my birthday!" one of the girls exclaimed. Scott and I turned to Stiles who simply smiled. The same girl, a pretty blonde wearing a cute strapless top and jeans, chatted with one of her friends for a minute before spotting Stiles. "Stiles! Hi!" She walked over.

"Hey!" Stiles greeted. "There's the birthday gir-"

Mine and Scott's jaws dropped as the girl cut him off by kissing him. "So glad that you made it," she told him once she pulled away with a smile.

"Me too."

"Come downstairs with me and help me pick out a bottle of wine."

"Yes." Stiles turned to look at us in shock as she dragged him away.

With the back of my hand, I patted Scott on the chest to get his attention as Stiles left our line of sight. "Did that just happen?" I asked.

"Yeah." His voice was quiet and still in shock but a sly smile slowly spread and he looked down at me. "Yeah, it did. Holy shit." His phone vibrated in his pocket, so he took it out. He frowned.

"Hey, you okay?" Scott showed me his phone screen.

Allison: Where are you?

"That doesn't seem good," I said slowly. "What're you gonna do?"

Scott sighed. "I know I told Stiles we're moving on tonight, but I think I need to talk to her before I can do that."

"Then give her the address. You've gotta get it over with some time. Might as well be now. It's not like you're living it up right now."

He nodded and replied to his ex-girlfriend. Once he hit send, he put his phone away and looked up. "Can you wait outside with me? I mean, you don't have to. You can party if you want."

"No, it's okay." I held out my left arm for him to take. "Madam."

Thankfully, the action and the fake accent got him to laugh. "Pretty sure the man is supposed to escort the lady." Nevertheless, he laced his arm through mine.

"Until I have proof you're a man, you're still little, puppy dog Scott McCall. But at least you're cute and potty trained." He laughed again and shook his head.

Together we went outside and popped a squat on the stoop. I rested my arms on my knees while Scott stretched out his legs in front of him. "So, what're you gonna do about Isaac?" he asked quietly, unsure of if he even should ask.

"We need to talk about everything that happened this summer for sure, but right now, I'm just glad he's okay and I finally got the truth. I hate being lied to, and it killed me not to call him out on it."

"So why didn't you?"

I shrugged, not quite sure myself. "He's always been a secretive person and closes up when pushed too far about something, so I guess I just thought I shouldn't. And we're still kinda figuring out how to be a couple anyway."

Scott reached around me and pulled me into a side hug, rubbing my arm. "Everything'll be alright. I know it will."

"Thanks, Scotty."

A car pulled up to the curb in front of us. I recognized it as Allison's car. Scott and I pulled away from each other and stood as both Lydia and Allison got out of the car. Scott frowned, not expecting Lydia as well. I certainly wasn't either.

Scott and I walked towards them. "This isn't the talk we were gonna have, is it?" he asked Allison.

She shook her head. "I need to show you something." Pulling up her sleeve, she held out her right forearm. On it was a bruise.

During Lydia and Allison's explanation of the girl that bruised their arms before they left the school, Stiles joined us looking put out, but he readily joined the conversation. While I wasn't particularly sure if I believed the bruises meant something, I did know the girl was important and wondered if she had been the one who had rescued Isaac. I didn't tell them I wasn't quite a believer though. An identical bruise was technically possible since the girl grabbed them in the same spot with her hands. I needed a little more proof before being gung-ho about it.

I came to learn on my walk back home with the boys that Stiles' lady friend Heather had disappeared from the wine cellar she had brought him to. He believed she returned to her friends or went to hook up with someone better than him since he took too long looking for a condom. I felt bad for him. It wasn't like he was unattractive or something, just awkward and a little erratic. And he looked a lot cuter with the longer hair he was sporting than he had with the buzzcut the previous year. Not to mention, he was super funny and smart which only heightened his appeal.

The following day during lunch at school, Derek was called in by Scott after Derek and Peter attempted to peer inside Isaac's mind. Apparently it hadn't really worked. Lydia and Allison repeated what they had told Stiles, Scott, and I to the alpha. Stiles and I sat on top of the desks while the others stood, Lydia and Allison holding their forearms out.

"I don't see anything," Derek said.

"Look again," Scott told him.

"How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?"

Scott looked at him, exasperated. "It's the same on both sides. Exactly the same."

"It's nothing," Derek said, staring at Allison.

I frowned and spoke up. "Okay, while I don't really see what they see either, you're only against it because you hate Allison." I could see where's he's coming from, but we seriously needed to work together. The group turned to me where I sat with mild expressions of disbelief. "I said what I said."

"It's nothing," Derek repeated.

"Pareidolia," Lydia said. "Seeing patterns that aren't there." All of us turned to her confused. "It's a subset of apophenia." Like that helped. Sometimes I wondered if her actually displaying her intelligence was helpful or simply confusing. But seriously, even Lydia didn't believe it meant something.

Derek simply turned to Scott with a stoic face and his arms folded over his chest. "They're trying to help," Scott said.

"These two." Derek gestured to the two girls, not pleased with Scott. Derek pointed at Lydia. "This one, who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you." He then turned to Allison. "And this one, who shot about thirty arrows into me and my pack."

"Okay, alright, now, come on," Stiles cut in as Allison placed her hands on her hips, staring at Derek. "No one died, alright? Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling, but no death. That's what I call an important distinction."

"My mother died," Allison corrected. I made an 'o' with my mouth. I totally forgot about that. She didn't seem too heartbroken about her grandfather dying though since she didn't bring that up.

"Your family's little honor code killed your mother," Derek countered. "Not me."

"That girl was looking for Scott. I'm here to help him, not you."

Derek leaned in a fraction. "You wanna help? Find something real." Derek then turned and walked away towards the door. Scott stopped him and spoke to the alpha quietly. Derek argued back and then swiftly left, leaving Scott momentarily speechless. Stiles and I glanced at each other and made faces. That didn't go well.

During my free period with Allison and Lydia, while Scott and Stiles were in a class, we girls sat in the library working. Or at least I was working. Allison next to me was drawing the bruises in her notebook and Lydia was watching, concerned. She was then distracted by something.

"I want one," Lydia said. Allison and I looked up from what we were doing and turned around to see what she was talking about. Over by a row of books behind Allison and I were two incredibly attractive twins. I would probably want one, too, if I didn't have Isaac.

Allison grinned. "Which one?" she asked.

"The straight one, obviously."

"How do you know one's gay?" I wondered. Lydia simply pointed, so I turned back around again. Danny walked past the twins and got distracted by staring at them, bumping into a dude. One of the twins stared at Danny longer than the other with a smile. More than just a friendly smile. "That's fair."

Lydia finished off her coffee and stood to go talk to one of the twins.

Allison got distracted by Lydia's discarded coffee cup, not noticing the redhead walk away. She picked it up and traced the logo with her fingers. "What if it's not a symbol? What if it's actually a logo?" Allison asked.

"I hope you're asking me that because she's about to get some arm candy," I told her. Allison finally looked up from the cup, seeing Lydia's spot empty. I pointed behind us where Lydia was flirting with one of the twins and the other twin flirted with Danny. Allison chuckled at the sight, and I turned back around to my work. "She's definitely got more game than I do."

"Same though. How are you and Isaac?" she asked while typing something on her computer.

"Could be better," I grumbled.

Allison looked up from her computer screen at me. "Oh, I know that tone."

I set down my pencil and folded my hands in front of me. Sensing the shift in conversation, Allison half-closed her laptop and fully turned to me. "If a guy misses dates, cancels dates, hides something from you, and doesn't answer his phone for days on end, but it was partly someone else's fault, what would you do?"

"Honestly?" Allison paused, rubbing her forearm. "I'd dump him. I'm not saying that's what you should do. It's just what I would do." I nodded, understanding her meaning. "What do you mean by 'someone else's fault?'"

"Derek, Isaac, and Peter were looking for Boyd and Erica all summer and they didn't tell me," I explained. "Derek said he ordered Isaac not to, but. . ."

"But it still bugs you. But he still could've told you. But he missed and canceled dates, too. There are things he could've done differently. I get it." She nodded a few times, completely sincere. "I get it. But what's your heart telling you to do?"

I thought about it, a million scenarios running through my head. I shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. Part of the problem is I have no idea what being in a pack feels like, and that's who Isaac was trying to save, you know. I can't fault him for trying to help Erica and Boyd, and then he got hurt. I'm a kitsune. I'm used to being alone or it being just me and him. Pack mentality is something I'll never understand, so I don't know if I'm irrationally or rationally angry."

"Irrationally or rationally angry?" Allison and I turned to see Lydia standing at the end of the table with one of the hot twins by her side. "What did I just come back to?"

"Oh, you know, just talking about the baka that is my boyfriend," I replied quickly, a witty answer being the first thing out of my mouth before anything decent or kind.

"Yeah, what else is new?" Lydia posed, shrugging her shoulders. She had heard me say baka often enough this summer to know what it meant.

I threw my hands up and scoffed. "Wow, didn't expect you to agree. Thanks, Lyd." I rolled my eyes then looked to the guy beside her who looked amused at the conversation. "Hi, I'm Sara. Welcome to Beacon Hills." I stuck out my hand and he moved around the table to shake it.

"Aiden," he introduced with a polite smile. "Lydia said it would be okay if I joined you?"

Allison and I nodded, and she gestured to the empty seats in front of us. "Be our guest. I'm Allison."

Aiden sat across from me while Lydia resumed her previous spot. "So, what did Isaac do this time?" Lydia asked.

"Isaac, the boyfriend?" Aiden wondered, glancing at me. He then backtracked. "Sorry, that's none of my business."

I waved my hand. "No, no, it's alright. Curiosity is natural. And yes, that's his name. And Lydia, same problem as most of the summer."

"Dump him," Lydia quickly told me. I reared my head back, surprised at her forwardness. Although, by this point in our friendship, I shouldn't have been surprised at how blunt Lydia Martin could be. "Canceled dates. Missed dates. Not returning your texts or calls for multiple freaking days. Hon, dump him." She reached over to grab my hand. "I don't care if he was your best friend for who knows how many years. You don't deserve that, regardless of his excuses."

Aiden held up a finger. "Uh, if I may." He gestured to Lydia. "She's right. I know I'm new here, and you probably don't care too much about a stranger's opinion, but I think Lydia's right. You deserve better. Someone who won't flake out and will actually be there for you."

I studied him for a moment, the whole table in silence. I then looked to the redheaded girl who managed to snatch him up. "Lydia, he's a keeper."

She dramatically flipped her hair. "I know."

I laughed with Aiden and Allison at Lydia's antics. "So, Aiden, who's the one flirting with Danny boy?" I jutted my thumb to the table behind me, knowing Danny was still sitting there chatting up Aiden's twin. "Danny's like the best, so I gotta know the name of whose ass I'm gonna kick if his heart gets broken."

He grinned broadly. "That'd be entertaining to watch. His name's Ethan. And if I may be so bold, I think we're all gonna get along great."

Lydia laced her arm through Aiden's. "I sure hope so."

As school came to a close, Scott and Stiles sidled up on the other side of me while I walked towards the front doors of the school.

"You're not going home," Stiles said, foregoing all formalities.

"Why?" I asked, my face contorting into a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"Because Isaac trusts you and you keep him calm," Scott answered.

I shook my head. "That doesn't quite answer my question."

"Just come on." Stiles grabbed my arm, keeping me with them as we walked towards the parking lot. He only let me go when we stopped in front of my car. "Meet us at the vet clinic. We've gotta run somewhere."

Stiles hurried off towards his Jeep and Scott went to his bike, leaving me utterly confused. "Whatever," I muttered to myself.

When I got to the vet clinic, only Isaac and Deaton were there. Isaac was sitting in one of the waiting chairs, his leg bouncing up and down as he rubbed his head with his hands. Deaton looked to be explaining something to him. They both looked up when I walked through the door. Isaac looked worried but not because of my appearance. Deaton, on the other hand, looked happy to see me.

"Sara, glad you could make it," Deaton greeted. He waved me closer.

The door shut behind me. "Yeah, Scott and Stiles didn't exactly explain what's going on."

Deaton gestured to the chair next to Isaac, so I sat down. "I'd be happy to explain. I was just informing Isaac of what we'll be doing." I had never seen Isaac so stressed, so I reached over and grabbed his hand. He gripped it tight, but his leg didn't stop bouncing and he stared at the floor. "It's a simple procedure that will allow us to access memories that are being blocked by his conscious mind. It requires a lot of ice to force his body to relax."

"Like an ice bath?" I asked. "Is that what you're putting him in?"

"Yes. But it has to be cold enough to slow the heart rate of a werewolf, so think ice bath on steroids."

I grimaced. That didn't sound comfortable or fun at all. "Can you-" I held up a finger and gestured to Isaac and me, the werewolf not even paying attention.

Deaton nodded. "Oh, yes, of course." He then left the room, leaving us in the front of the clinic.

I turned to my boyfriend. "Izzy?" Isaac lifted his head the slightest bit and let his eyes flick up to meet mine. My heart ached seeing him like this. I squeezed his hand. "Are you okay?" He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Come here." I held out my arms and he curled up in them, wrapping his arms around my torso. I rubbed his back with one hand and played with his hair with the other, resting my chin on top. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I-I feel like I need to," he said quietly. "For Boyd and Erica."

"I know." I kissed the top of his head. "I know. No matter what happens, no matter what you decide, I'll be here. I hope you know that."

"I do."

Just then, Derek, Scott, and Stiles walked in caring multiple bags of ice. I kept Isaac's head down so he didn't start to worry more. Derek nodded at me while they passed. Stiles looked miserable. While they set up in the back, Deaton returned to Isaac and me.

"You ready?" the vet asked.

Isaac peeked out from under my chin and nodded. He left my arms and we both stood. Before he could follow Deaton, I grabbed Isaac's arm and brought him into a kiss, running my thumb over his cheek. He gave me a small smile once I pulled away then moved to follow the vet, his hand in mine. I followed the two of them to the back room where Scott, Derek, and Stiles were filling a metal tub of water with ice.

Deaton and Isaac paused in the opening of the room. "Obviously, it's not going to be particularly. . . comfortable," Deaton told Isaac who was watching warily. "But if we can slow your heart rate down enough, you'll slip into a trance-like state."

"Like being hypnotized," Isaac realized and started walking towards the bath where the three who were filling it finished up, tossing plastic bags aside.

"Exactly," Deaton agreed. "You'll be half transformed." Isaac and I stood on the long side of the tub and he stared down at it. "It'll let us access your subconscious mind. Scott and Derek will put you under. Sara, make sure you don't touch the tub or get too close. We don't want you melting the ice before we get the chance to do this." Isaac's hand left mine as he knelt down next to the tub, his arms resting along the edge.

"How slow does his heart rate need to be?" I asked.

"Very slow."

"Okay, well, how slow is very slow?" Derek questioned, not liking his wording and leaning against the tub.

"Nearly dead." Everyone looked up at Deaton. Nearly dead?

Isaac touched the ice water and immediately recoiled. He looked up at the vet. "It's safe, though, right?"

"Do you want me to answer honestly?"

Isaac looked away. "No. No, not really." From behind him, I ran my hands through his hair comfortingly. I felt him relax a little.

Something rubber snapped. I looked up from Isaac and the tub to see Stiles standing near the drawers with a rubber glove covering his hand. The human slowly realized we were all staring at him. "What?" he asked. Derek gave him the disappointed eyebrows. Stiles quickly took off the glove and tossed it aside.

Isaac stood back up, exhaling and lacing his arm around my waist, as though he was trying to get as much warmth as possible before having to go in.

"Look, if it feels too risky, you don't have to do this," Derek assured him. Scott nodded, agreeing with the alpha.

Isaac paused for a moment, placed a quick kiss on my forehead, then stripped his shirt off, handing it to me. At any other given time, I wouldn't mind him stripping. He exhaled harshly again, staring at the tub, then stripped his shoes and socks off. I grabbed them from him and he climbed into the tub. Scott quickly took off his jacket and put it on the metal table behind me. Isaac, gasping, gripped the sides of the tub. Scott and Derek placed their hands on Isaac's shoulders, looked to each other, then pushed Isaac under, spilling water and ice onto the floor.

Right after going under, Isaac breached the surface and roared, his eyes and teeth shifted. "Get him back under," Deaton ordered. Stiles helped keep Isaac's feet under while Scott and Derek pushed him back down. I put Isaac's things aside and began to move closer before I remembered Deaton's words. I had a higher body temp than the werewolves and my powers wouldn't mix well with the ice bath.

Deaton patted my shoulder as I played with the chain of my necklace and watched Derek, Scott, and Stiles struggle to keep Isaac under. Isaac breached again, grunting. "Hold him," Deaton said calmly.

"We're trying," Derek snapped. They got him under again. A few moments later, Isaac's movements slowed until they stopped. The three slowly extracted themselves from the ice water, keeping their hands just above the surface. Isaac's body floated to the surface of the water and he inhaled sharply.

Deaton moved closer, holding up a finger. "Now, remember, only Sara or I talk to him. Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out." Deaton looked around at us to make sure we all understood. He leaned over the tub, looking at Isaac. "Isaac? Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Isaac replied. "I can hear you."

"This is Dr. Deaton. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"

"Yes." Oh, this is insane, I thought to myself.

"I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd." Thunder rumbled outside the clinic. "I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you're actually there again."

Isaac shook his head. "I-I don't wanna do that," he stuttered. "I don't-I don't wanna do that." The lights of the clinic began flickering. Scott and I looked around confused and Isaac started moving again. Derek and Scott moved to hold him down again.

"Isaac, it's alright," Deaton said gently. "Just relax. They're just memories. You can't be hurt by a memory."

"I don't wanna do that," Isaac repeated.

Deaton turned to me, curling his finger to beckon me closer. I moved to lean over the tub, carefuly not to get close. He nodded at me.

"Isaac," I called out, my voice soft. His head twitched. "It's me, Sara. Everything's alright. You're okay. Please listen to Dr. Deaton, Isaac. He's trying to help." Isaac calmed down once again, allowing Scott and Derek to let go of him.

"Now, let's go back to that night," Deaton prodded. "To the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?"

"It's not-it's not a house," Isaac answered. "It's stone. I think marble."

"That's perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?"

"It's dusty, so empty."

"Like an abandoned building?" Thunder rumbled and the lights flickered again. "Isaac? Isaac?"

"Someone's here." Isaac reached out of the tub and grabbed Scott's arm.

"Isaac, relax," I told him. "They're just memories."

"No, no, no, they see me, they see me!" he exclaimed. Scott and Derek held his shoulders again as Isaac struggled. Then he screamed.

"Isaac, it's okay," I continued, my face contorting with worry. "You're okay. You won't be hurt by your memories. Relax." His movements slowed again and he let go of Scott. "Good."

"Now, tell us what you see," Deaton requested. "Tell us everything."

Isaac's blue eyes opened. "I hear him. He's talking about the full moon, about being out of control when the moon rises."

"Is he talking to Erica?"

"I think so, I can't-" His lips and jaw quivered. "I can't see her, I ca-I can't-I can't see any of them." Any of them? My eyebrows pinched together as I looked up at Derek and Scott, both confused as well.

"Can you hear anything else?"

"They're worried. They're worried what they'll do during the moon. They're. . . worried that they're going to hurt the person with them then each other."

Derek shook his head. "If they're locked in together on the full moon with someone who isn't a werewolf, they're gonna tear each other apart," he said quietly.

"Isaac, we need to find them right now," Deaton said. "Can you see them?"

"No," Isaac answered firmly.

"Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of a marker? A number on a door? A sign?"

Isaac sat up with a gasp. "They're here," he whispered. "They-they-" He began leaning back into the water.

"It's alright, Isaac," I said.

"No. They're here."

"Just tell us-" Deaton tried to say.

"They see me. They found me. They're here!" Isaac shouted.

"This isn't working," Derek said. He looked at his beta. "Isaac, where are you?" Derek, no.

"I can't see them. It's too dark!"

"Just tell me where you are," the alpha demanded.

"I can't see!"

"You're going to confuse him," Deaton said sternly, but Derek didn't care.

"Isaac, where are you? Just tell me where you are." Derek kept Isaac in the water.

"His heart rate-he could go into shock," the vet told him.

"Derek, let him go!" Scott yelled.

"Isaac, where are you?" Derek continued. "What did you see?"

"Derek!" I snapped.

"They've got me. They're dragging me to a room. There's a dead body. It's Erica," Isaac said quietly before talking louder. "A vault! It's a bank vault!" Isaac jumped, sitting up in the tub. "I saw the name." He climbed out of the tub with Scott's helped and I grabbed a towel from behind me, unfolding it and wrapping it around him as he shivered. "It's, uh. . . B-Beacon Hills First National Bank." I rubbed his arms, using my powers to help warm him up as he continued talking. "It's, um-it's an abandoned bank, and they're keeping them locked inside, inside the vault." Thunder rumbled outside as everyone looked at him with somber expressions. He looked around at us, noticing our faces. "What?"

"You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?" Stiles wondered.

Isaac shook his head, his face and hair dripping wet. "No." He leaned into me, his shivering lessening.

"You said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it," Stiles explained.

"What body?" Isaac glanced at me before looking at the human again.

"Erica. You said it was Erica."

As if the news wasn't bad enough, Derek was in denial. After warming Isaac up and him pulling back on his shirt, he curled up next to me as we sat on one of the tables. He was still cold.

"She's not dead," Derek said, adamant and pacing.

"Derek, he said, 'There's a dead body. It's Erica,'" Stiles repeated. "Doesn't exactly leave us much room for interpretation."

"Then who was in the vault with Boyd?" Derek asked. While angry, at least he stopped pacing.

"Some other people, obviously."

"Maybe one of them was the girl on the motorcycle," Scott suggested. "Okay, the one who saved you?" He looked to Isaac.

"No, she wasn't like us," Isaac said. "The girl in the vault with Boyd was definitely a werewolf, but not the other guy. I would've smelled it."

"What if that's how Erica died?" Stiles rubbed his face. "They, like, pit them against each other during the full moons and see which one survives. It's like a Werewolf Thunderdome."

I frowned, leaning forward a little but not enough for Isaac to move from my shoulder. "And they, what, have someone who isn't a werewolf in there, too?" I asked. "There aren't many things that would last against werewolves on a full moon."

Stiles shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe having a sacrifice of sorts gets the bloodlust up, so they might be human."

"Then we get them out tonight," Derek said.

"Be smart about this, Derek," Deaton cut in. "You can't just go storming in."

"If Isaac got in, then so can we."

"He got caught," I added. I then looked to the boy leaning against me. "No offense." He shook his head and hid it further into the crook of my neck.

Deaton agreed with me. "He also didn't get through a vault door, did he?"

"We need a plan," Scott said.

"How are we gonna come up with a plan to break into a bank vault in less than twenty-four hours?" Derek questioned, letting his arms fall to his sides.

"Uh, I think someone already did," Stiles pitched in helpfully. He glanced up from his phone and we all turned to him. "'Beacon Hills First National Closes its doors three months after vault robbery.' Doesn't say here how it was robbed, but it probably won't take long to find out."

"How long?"

"It's the internet, Derek." Stiles scoffed. "Okay? Minutes."

Scott and Stiles went to the Stilinski house to figure out how the vault was broken into. I stayed with Isaac until he insisted I go home and sleep for school tomorrow. I didn't want to, but he seemed loads better than he had before he had gone in the water, so I let him go home with Derek while I spent the night in my bed.

The next morning, tugging on a blue and maroon plaid shirt was the last thing I wanted to do, but I did it anyway, along with a beanie on my head and my necklace hiding in my shirt. I got to school before Scott and Stiles did, but they parked in the empty spot next to me, groaning as they got out of the Jeep.

Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Rough night?"

"Yeah, but hey, we figured it out," Stiles said.

"So we're meeting at Derek's at five to go over the plan," Scott told Stiles and me while looking at his phone. Must've texted Derek. "Then we don't get started until dark." The three of us began walking towards the school.

"'Kay. What do we do till then?"

I made a face at Stiles. "Attend school, duh. We've got English." Stiles rolled his eyes at me but didn't retort.

The school day was boring, as expected. I spent half of my time with Scott and Stiles and the other half with Allison and Lydia with the occasional appearance of her new lover Aiden and his brother Ethan. They seemed nice but like they knew something we didn't. I shrugged it off.

After school, I got food, did a little bit of homework, and changed into something more suitable for busting into a bank vault that might lead to fighting: a short-sleeve black shirt, dark grey leggings, combat boots, and a dark red bomber jacket since my black one had gotten destroyed by birds. Fucking birds. With my chain dart and spare kunai, I drove to Derek's loft which Scott had sent me the address to.

Stiles spread out schematics on the table and Derek, Scott, and I leaned over it as the human explained the plan, Peter chilling on the spiral staircase nearby and Isaac sleeping in a different room. "Okay, you see this?" He pointed at a spot with a marker. "This is how they got in. It's a rooftop air conditioning vent. Leads down inside into the wall, which is here." He uncapped the red marker and circled the spot on the schematics. "One of the robbers was lowered into this shaft. Now, that space is so small, it took him about twelve hours to drill into that wall, which is stone, by the way. Then throughout the rest of the night, they siphoned the cash up to the guys on the roof through that one little shaft on the wall. Boom."

"Can we fit in there?" Scott asked.

"Yes, we can, but very, very barely. Sara'd be comfortable though. She's tiny."

I gave him a dull expression from across the table. "I'm right here."

"You know, usually being called tiny is a good thing." I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, they also patched the wall, obviously, so we're gonna need a drill of some kind. I'm thinking maybe a diamond bit-"

"Look, forget the drill," Derek interrupted.

Stiles turned to him. "Sorry?"

"If I go in first, how much space do I have?" the alpha asked, his eyes scanning the document in front of him.

Stiles, drumming his fingers on the surface, glanced at Scott and me incredulously, and turned back to Derek. "What do you- what do you think you're gonna do, Derek?" Punch through the wall, obviously. One would think Stiles would realize just how strong a werewolf is. "Punch through the wall?"

Derek straightened up, folding his arms over his chest. "Yes, Stiles, I'm gonna punch through the wall." He had a small smirk on his face.

"Okay, okay, big guy. Let's see it. Let's see that fist. Big, old fist. Make it, come on." Derek begrudgingly complied while Peter and I watched amused. Even Scott could see where this was going and he was one of the most oblivious people I had ever met. "Get it out there. Don't be scared. Big, bad wolf. Yeah, look at that. Okay, see this?" Stiles grabbed Derek's wrist with one hand and held up his other one in front of the werewolf's fist. Derek made eye contact with me and shook his head, not liking me on the verge of laughter. "That's maybe three inches of room to gather enough force to punch through solid co-" Derek hit Stiles' hand, the human flying back and hitting his arm on the table next to him. "Ah." He groaned in pain, holding his arm. "Ah! He could do it." Scott gestured to his friend and gave Derek a 'what the fuck' look. I bit my lip to keep myself from doubling over in laughter.

"I'll get through the wall," Derek said simply, dropping his arms. Stiles whimpered in pain from where he stood a good distance away from the alpha.

Scott noticed my reddening face. "Sara, stop laughing." That broke my resolve and I leaned on my elbows on the table, a sharp laugh leaving me as I held my head in my hands. "Sara." He sounded disappointed, but I spotted the hint of a smirk. He found it funny too. He couldn't deny it.

"Who's following me down?" Derek asked, ignoring my laughing that slowly dwindled. He glanced at his uncle still perched on the stairs.

"Don't look at me," Peter said. "I'm not up to fighting speed yet, and honestly, with Isaac out of commission, you're not looking at very good odds for yourself." That brought all former amusement to an end.

"So I'm supposed to just let them die?"

"One of them is already dead."

"We don't know that." Yes, we do, Derek.

"Do I have to remind you what we're up against here?" Stiles rejoined us by the table, rubbing his arm while Peter continued. "A pack of alphas. All of them, killers. And if that's not enough to scare your testicles back into your stomach, try to remember that two of them combine to form one giant alpha."

"Wait, what?" I blurted. "For real?"

Peter looked at me. "Yes, Sara, for real. I'm sure Erica and Boyd were sweet kids. They're gonna be missed."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're heartbroken over it," I told him.

"Could someone kill him again, please?" Stiles asked.

"On it."

"Sara." Derek held out his arm to stop me from moving.

"Derek, seriously?" Peter cut in. "Not worth the risk." He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back.

"What about you?" Derek asked, looking between Scott and me.

Stiles didn't notice where Derek was actually looking and shrugged. "Yeah, if you want me to come-"

"Not you."

"Got it." Stiles turned to Scott and pointed to Derek, taking a step back.

"I don't know about Erica," Scott began. "But if Boyd's still alive, we have to do something."

"Is everyone forgetting the two other people in there, too?" I asked. "Yes, we need to rescue Boyd, but we can't leave two innocent people in there either."

Scott nodded. "Sara's right. We have to try to help them all."

Derek, Scott, and I made our way to the bank on foot. Once we got there, we stared up at the building from an alley.

"What?" Derek asked. I looked over to see Scott making a face. Again with the look.

"There's just something I can't get out of my head," he replied.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"Risk and reward."

I groaned. "Seriously? You're thinking about Econ while the moon is rising and we're about to break into a bank vault?"

"We're not measuring the risk with enough information," Scott explained. "We don't know enough."

"We know time's running out," Derek told him.

"Yeah, but think about it. They put the triskele on your door four months ago. What have they been doing all this time, and why wait until now?"

"Baking werewolf cookies," I suggested with a smirk.

Derek ignored my sarcastic comment, as per usual. I'm beginning to think they don't appreciate my sense of humor. "We don't have the time to figure out every little detail."

"Okay, but what if this detail, the reason why they waited-what if it's the most important one?" Scott posed. I then understood his meaning. Whatever we were missing had the possibility of having a disastrous effect on us or them.

"Then we do nothing," Derek replied. "And Boyd and Erica and a human are dead. I know what I'm risking. My life for theirs." Without another word, Derek began scaling the building by jumping on a trashcan and holding onto bars over a window then hopping to the ladder of the fire escape. He paused and looked back at us. "And I won't blame you if you don't follow me."

I couldn't let him go alone. I turned to Scott. "Give me a boost. I'm going."

He nodded. "So am I." Scott lifted me by my waist to toss me up to the ladder, and I began climbing, following Derek. Scott followed shortly after.

Once we got to the roof, we found the ventilation shaft and Derek went down first, beginning to punch through the wall. Scott and I hopped down after him and went through the hole Derek made. A large figure stood by the vault gate and another was huddled in the corner by the gate. One was missing. Or hiding. Or dead.

"Boyd?" Derek called to the standing figure. I heard growling and the figure began to move, slowly taking a few steps into the lighter area of the vault. "Boyd?"

The figure in the corner lifted their head. "Sara?" they asked. I looked away from Boyd to the other person and my heart stopped.

"Riichi?" My voice cracked, and I backed straight into Scott whose hands shot out to catch me from stumbling. He's supposed to be dead.

"Who?" I heard Scott say behind me.

The older version of my dead big brother slowly stood from his spot, his dark hair long and pulled back. His eyes were wide and he held up his hands. "Sara, get out of here. You all need to get out now." Boyd growled lowly, glaring at the three of us newcomers.

Despite Riichi's words, Derek took a step forward, holding out his hands in a placating nature as he watched Boyd.

Scott's phone vibrated and he pulled it out, answering it. "Stiles, now is not the best time." I couldn't hear Stiles' reply but Boyd's eyes shifted to Scott. Scott began inching away from Derek around one of the columns, keeping his eyes on Boyd. I went the other way, heading towards Riichi, taking a few steps at a time. "What does that mean?" I heard Scott asked Stiles.

"We're here to get you out, okay?" Derek said to Boyd.

"We got a problem," Scott said, looking to Derek and I. "A really big problem."

Another growl sprouted from behind the column Boyd stood by. From it walked out a dark-haired girl who stood to Boyd's shoulder. Derek recognized her immediately. "Cora?"

"Who?" Scott asked again. He needed to be caught up on our dead siblings.

Derek stayed focused on his growling sister. "Cora?"

"Derek, get out," Cora said quietly, barely holding back a growl. "Get out now!"

"We need to go," Riichi agreed.

The vault door opened, shedding light in the dark room. Ms. Morrell, the guidance counselor, stepped inside and knelt. A black powder flowed from her hands, closing a line. Mountain Ash. We're trapped in.

"No, no, wait!" Scott yelled, running towards Morrell to try and stop her.

Cora and Boyd began to shift, roaring. "Get down!" I yelled. I then threw out my hands and sent a blast of fire towards the two out of control werewolves. It hit them hard, throwing them back, Boyd hitting the column while Cora hit the Mountain Ash barrier.

Cora regained her footing faster than Boyd and immediately went for me. Riichi tackled me out of the way. Derek went for his sister and Scott went for Boyd. Riichi looked at me, still covering me. "Next time I tell you to run, run," he said simply. I nodded. Riichi stood and helped me up.

I pulled my chain out of my pocket. "We have a lot to talk about," I told him. Boyd tossed Scott across the room and went to pounce on him, but I swung the bladed end of the chain, slicing the hulked-out werewolf across his back then catching the knife as it came back to me. Boyd howled and spun around. With him distracted, Scott kicked him in the knee then slashed at him. I looked to Riichi, pulling out my spare kunai and handing it to him. "Help Derek."

I ran over to Scott and Boyd and blasted Boyd in the chest with a fireball. Scott punched him as hard as he could. Scott grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him away from Boyd. Nearby, Cora was tossed against the column. Then we heard footsteps. Allison ran into the light just outside the vault. Everyone turned to look at her. What the hell is she doing here?

"Look out!" she called.

I then hit the ground hard, the room spinning around me. "Sara!" I heard Scott yell. The large mass on top of me was pulled off, and I grunted, sitting up to see Derek grappling with Boyd. Scott helped me sit up. Riichi was slashing at a no longer stunned Cora.

We then saw Allison bend down. "No! Don't break the seal!" Derek ordered, holding Boyd's claws back. Boyd then tossed Derek away and ran towards Scott and I, stabbing into Scott's stomach and lifting him from the ground. Mustering as much strength as I could, I hurried over, only to have Boyd wrap his hand on my throat before I could do anything useful.

"Boyd!" Allison called out. She then broke the seal. Boyd dropped Scott and I. He and Cora made a dash for the door.

Stumbling over my feet, I knelt by Scott, helping him up. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I will be." He then looked up to see Derek grab Allison. "Don't touch her!"

"Derek!" I yelled, helping Scott over to them.

"What were you thinking?" Derek demanded to know. Riichi grabbed Scott's other arm to help him stand while the werewolf spouted blood from his mouth.

"That I had to do something," Allison said.

"I'm not saying it was a good idea, but she was trying to help," I cut in before Derek said anything. "Leave her alone."

Derek turned on me. "What do you think they're gonna do out there? Go around helping people?" He turned back to Allison. "Do you have any idea what we just set free?"

"You want to blame me?" Allison cried. While it was a stupid idea, she was trying to help. It's a better circumstance than when she sided with Gerard and his murderous pet. "Well, I am not the one turning teenagers into killers."

"No. No, that's just the rest of your family." Riichi glanced at me, confused with Derek's words. I shook my head. Explanation later.

"I made mistakes," Allison conceded as Riichi and I propped Scott up against the open bank vault door. "Gerard is not my fault."

"And what about your mother?"

Allison shook her head. "What do you mean?"

Derek turned to Scott who was slowly healing. "Tell her, Scott."

I scowled and glared. "Now's not the time, Derek."

"Then when is?" he argued.

"What does he mean?" Allison asked. "What does he mean?"

Scott looked at the floor. Riichi and I watched the tense conversation. Derek stormed off. "The night Derek bit your mom, she was trying to kill me."

"Really?"

He reluctantly nodded. "Uh, yeah, yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'll tell you everything, okay? I'll tell you a-anything that you want to know, but right now-"

"Just tell me why," she interrupted.

"I-I couldn't. Allison, I couldn't let that be the last memory you had of her."

Derek returned, carrying a lifeless Erica in his arms. I brought a hand to my mouth. Scott kicked off the vault door, holding his stomach. "Oh, my god, Erica," I muttered. I went over to Derek and held Erica's face in my hands. She felt as cold as Isaac had when he came out of the tub of ice. Isaac was right.

Baka - Idiot