Chapter 26: Wing It


Trigger warning: mention of suicide attempt


How was it that, no matter where you went, hospitals all looked the same? They were all pristine, as if no one entered or exited through the sliding double doors; their floors were always shiny, as if people wanted to have their worries and fears projected back in their faces; and they all seemed to have the exact same layout, the same number of steps on the way to hopes fulfilled or crushed realities.

The distinct scent of disinfectant hit Melanie scare in the face and made her recoil when the elevator doors slid open. She wondered if it was always that strong or if her nose was just sensitive to the scent. The harsh whites of the overhead fluorescents nearly blinded her, but she still forced herself to take a step forward before the elevator could take her down again. She blinked rapidly, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the influx of flooding light, feeling a burn as if she were staring straight at the sun.

"Melanie?"

She blinked again, and all color corrected itself. Her eyes darted around, taking in the supple browns of the nearby desk and the wood paneling on the entry way of the floor before her eyes took in the figure ahead of her. Her chest burned due to the breath lodging itself whilst simultaneously feeling weight press down on her shoulders. Cellophane crinkled beneath her fingers as she tightened her grip on the flowers nestled within her grasp. She forced herself to swallow, loosening the hold on her chest, and kept her feet planted on the ground.

"Hi, Miss Melissa," Melanie greeted the woman. At the sight of Melissa McCall's knowing smile, Melanie felt a wave of comfort wash over her. As if Melissa was a human radiator, pushing out much needed compassion and understanding. Perhaps she was a supernatural creature as well; there wasn't anyone quite like Melissa around and she seemed to have her own skills that no one else could challenge. "Um…" Melanie rubbed her lower lip into her mouth, briefly biting down on the plump flesh before releasing it. "Um. I just—I want to—Is she?"

"Melanie." Melissa's hands on Melanie's shoulders, such a soft and caring gesture, made tears spring to her eyes. Her head fell and she sniffed; the bright colors of the flower arrangement swam beneath her blurred vision. The pads of Melissa's thumbs on her cheeks made a flush creep up her neck and her eyes burn more than before. "Hey." Melissa carefully lifted Melanie's chin and smiled at her. "You're here, that's all that matters. I'm sure Arabella is anxious to see you as well."

Melanie wiped at her eyes with her upper arm. Good. That was good. At least her mom wasn't angry with her. For once. She mentally slapped herself for that one. She shouldn't be worried about that, her mother was in the hospital! Get over yourself, Crowe she chided herself. Your mom is more important right now!

She took one step forward and all air rushed out of her. Her chest burned and heaved, her stomach clenched, and the weight returned, this time pressing on her chest. All sound around her seemed to become muffled beneath her now rapidly beating heart. You're okay. You're okay. It's not Mollie. It's your mom. She's here. She's fine. She's fine. She's fine! She swallowed thickly. Her eyes darted around the room and no matter how many times she told herself she was fine she couldn't quite believe it.

"Melanie? Here. Come sit down."

Melissa lead her over to a nearby chair and carefully took the flowers out of her hand. She barely noticed as Melissa guided her down until her head hung between her knees. Melissa's soothing words were muddled beneath Melanie's rapid thoughts. Her chest ached once more. Oh god, was this what dying felt like? Was she just going to croak on the hospital floor? Well, at least she was in the right place for it…

Then, all at once after what felt like an eternity, the weight went away. Her lungs expanded fully, and she took in a long, deep breath as per Melissa's instructions. The soothing rub between her shoulder blades helped ease her rapid heartbeat. She felt her lips moving but she wasn't sure she was answering Melissa's questions of what she could see, what she could hear, what she could touch, what she could taste.

Her shaky breaths became drowned out beneath the sound that rushed back at her: mild chatter, far-off beeping from heart monitors, the squeaking of a wobbly wheel on a cart, the low murmur of a tv displaying an old episode of some HGTV show. She immediately reached for the flowers, lightly touching the soft petals that pointed towards her.

"I think I'll be okay," she finally stated. Though her mind was screaming otherwise when it wasn't trying to piece together exactly what happened to her. It had always been hard for her to cross the threshold of the hospital but she forced herself through it, especially when Erica was rushed in after a particularly nasty seizure. But the two girls had a nice way of distracting one another when such an event occurred. And Erica wasn't here now… She shook her head, gathering her wits. Right. I need to get a grip. She got to her shaky feet and let out a nice, calm breath. "I want to see my mom. Is that okay?"

"That's just fine," Melissa replied. "I'll take you to her."

The walk to her mother's room seemed to stretch on forever, as if every step forward elongated the hallway in front of her. But then she blinked and the next thing she knew she was waiting outside a room. Room 259. She touched the braille bumps beneath the plaque number. Her mouth twisted to the side and her gaze resided on the numbers for a moment longer and then she turned to Melissa, nodding.

Melissa nodded in return and opened the door. Her father immediately got to his feet, the chair he'd been sitting on fell over in his haste. He took one step forward, two, and then then she was pulled into his warm embrace. He held on so tight she could nearly feel her bones creak, but she didn't object. She clung to him, much like she did when she was a child and was scared of the monster under her bed. Only now the monsters walked during the day, blending in with society; the worst sort.

"Daddy—"

"I know." Laurence kissed the top of her head and held her face in his hands, studying her. He swung his arm around her and guided his daughter into the room.

And then she saw her mother. She lay back against the pillows, her eyes carefully watching her daughter as she entered the room. The door shut with a soft click; it might as well be a gunshot in the otherwise silent room. Wordlessly, Melanie approached and handed the flowers to her mother. The two girls locked eyes. Arabella reached out and the moment her fingers brushed against her daughter's cheek, both their eyes filled with unshed tears.

"I'm alright," Arabella stated, answering Melanie's unasked question. Her lips briefly lifted up in the corners but then they dropped back down a moment later, as if the effort were too much for her.

"Really?" Melanie shook her head. "You tried to kill yourself." As if she needed the reminder.

"…I know."

Melanie glanced over at Laurence and back. "So, you're...you're not alright. Right? And…and I know it's because of me." Her fingers curled into fists by her side and they shook. "I know it's my fault you're here."

That got Arabella to sit up and peer at her daughter, confusion etched across her face. "Sweetie, what are you talking about? You didn't do anything."

"Yes I did! I know, okay? I found your pills."

She blanched. "What—"

"When I as younger. I found them. By accident. I…I didn't know what they were for back then. But I know you're depressed, okay? And I know it's my fault!" She hastily wiped at her eyes. "I know that it's my fault! Because we lost my little brother! Because I pushed you! Remember? I pushed you, Mom, and then you lost the baby! And…and after that…" Her breath came out as ragged gasps as she became increasingly worked up. "You…you hated me after that. I know you did…because I hated me. So much. I'm the reason you're here! So you can't be alright!"

"Hummingbird." Laurence grabbed her shoulders and gave her a little shake. "That wasn't your fault! D'you hear me? That wasn't your fault! You were a kid! You didn't cause this! You're not the reason she's here! I am!"

"What?" Melanie stared up at him with large eyes. What was he saying? He couldn't be right. She was the reason her mother was there. She was sure of it. All these years… She shook her head. It was her. Her fault. All her fault. "No—"

"He's right, honey," Arabella said. "Well, only partially." Her sunken eyes turned from Melanie over to Laurence. "I think it's time we tell her the truth."

Laurence's jaw clenched. "No."

"Honey, if you don't tell her it's only going to make everything worse."

"What?" Melanie demanded. "Tell me what? More about being a siren? What else do you need to tell me? I thought you told me everything already!"

"We didn't want to scare you," Arabella stated.

"You're doing a shitty job of it, honestly." Especially now, as she thought back to the Alpha attacking her just last night. Her injuries healed up well on the surface but she still felt the stabbing pains and smoldering aches beneath her skin when she moved. She noticed the way her mother's eyebrow twitched as it always did whenever Melanie dared to talk back or drop a curse word but she didn't care. Not anymore. Not if they were still hiding things from her. What else was left? She thought she had everything worked out.

"Okay. Honey, listen. Okay." Laurence pressed his hands together and then pressed the side of them against her lips. "Okay. You see— Okay."

"Dad!" Melanie all but barked. "Tell me! Now!"

He blew out a breath and pushed his hand through his hair. His red rimmed eyes bounced from Arabella to Melanie and back a few times. He blew out a breath again. "I told you that once werewolves will kill or use sirens. I never told you why." He looked over at Arabella again. "As you know sirens can…let's say, bewitch people. In more ways than one. In the stories you read, where they said that sirens lure men to their deaths…?"

He let his unfinished sentence hang in the air. It smacked Melanie across the face and stabbed her in the heart. She gasped, her eyes immediately moving over to her mother. Arabella looked down at her hands. It was then Melanie noticed the chipped nail polish and the gravity of the situation truly clicked. Her mother had a strong sense of pride when it came to her appearance and to see her with chipped polish and sallow skin and unkempt hair… It was wrong. All wrong.

"Did you—?"

"Not directly. But then…that's the problem." Laurence reached out his hand; Arabella immediately grabbed on, giving it a squeeze. "I've lost many friends because of this. Because of who I am. And there's nothing I can do about it. Being with a siren is dangerous. You don't know when this ability…this curse will spring up. But it will happen…no matter what you do to try and stop it. It will happen."

"Is that why Mom…?"

He nodded. His adam's apple bobbed beneath his stubble coated chin. "It's my fault. All of this. You are right, your mother was diagnosed with depression. She's been battling it for years now. After having you…she wasn't exactly the same. I tried to be there for her, even though I knew what I could do to her. And she stayed." He turned a brief loving gaze to her that was then replaced by a sad, bitter sort of love. Arabella kissed the back of his hand. "Even though she knew what I could do to her. She stayed. Me being around her...being what I am hasn't exactly...helped her. And when your brother died…I can't say I was exactly the best person to be around her but I couldn't give her up. Not like that. She and I both knew what we were getting into when we fell in love. It's why they suggest you couple up with another siren, to better counteract our abilities." He rubbed at his stubble with his free hand. "Essentially, I lead her to her death. Or attempt, in this case."

Arabella shook her head. "You're taking too much fault for this," she said, her voice quiet. "It was still my choice."

Silence hung in the air so thick, it weighed down like a heavy winter blanket. But still, Melanie forced herself to speak. Forced herself to look over at her mother. "So…something like this could happen again?"

"Yes. We don't know when or where but as long as she's with me, and as long as she's human, it will keep happening. Supernatural abilities and neuroscience don't exactly mix well. Our pods or flocks—our group—isolate ourselves for this very reason. So we don't form attachments with humans and risk their lives. But…we've been smoked out over the years. Constantly on the run, constantly hunted. And you can only go without social interaction for so long…" He twisted his mouth to the side.

"Wait, wait. Hold on. Please just…" Melanie grabbed at the side of her head, her eyes dropping down to her feet as she tried to process all the information thrown at her. It swirled around in her head like a massive tornado and nothing stuck. Nothing made sense. They don't form attachments, but she sure as hell was attached to her friends. They were isolated but she sure as hell couldn't be alone. They lured people to their deaths but—

No!

One word slammed into her mind and she looked up at her parents in sheer horror. "M…Mollie?" she managed to gasp out. "Did I…? I did that…didn't I? I…killed her?"

Neither her parents said a word. Even if they tried to reassure her she wouldn't take it, she knew, deep down. So that was that. Her worst fears were confirmed. Because of her, because of what she is, she killed her best friend. She killed the first girl she ever loved.

"Oh my god—"

"It was an accident, Melanie," Arabella stated.

"No, it wasn't. It couldn't have been." She shook her head. She tried to erase it, erase the truth, but still it stayed. "She didn't want to go out that day! She didn't! I begged her to go! I wouldn't let up. It was me! I did it!"

"You couldn't control your abilities back then," Laurence stated, his words firm. "You didn't know about them. You were a child, Melanie. A kid."

"What about Erica?" Melanie demanded. "What about all my friends? Scott? Stiles? Isaac? Will it happen to them too? Will I k-kill them too?"

"Sweetie—"

"Oh my God. Oh my God." She paced the length of the small room. No, this couldn't be possible. It couldn't happen to them. Not her friends. Not Erica. Not her Eri. But there was no way to stop it, was there? If her father had lost so many people. "Why?" She whirled around and faced her parents. "Why did you stay? Knowing what was going to happen?"

"Because no one deserves to be deprived of love," Arabella replied. Melanie's body jolted as if having been struck by lightning.

"We talked long and hard about us before we married," Laurence said, "I never kept what I am a secret from her. But she made her decision. Her parents weren't all that happy about it." Then he gave a bit of a wry smile. "Not that they needed another reason to not favor me."

"How can you joke about this?"

"It helps me put everything in perspective." He momentarily bit his lip and then released it. "I know I should have told you everything, but as I said, Peter pushed by hand. He didn't allow me to give you the chance to ease into it."

"He doesn't take me as a patient person," Melanie commented dryly. Then she explained how she was attacked the previous night after being lured to the flower shop by Peter. She explained how she and Scott fought him off. Her parents sat and listened as she relayed her tale, exchanging a look every now and then. Only when she was finished did Laurence let out a harsh curse.

"You said once that they'll use sirens or kill us," Melanie addressed her father, her voice barely rose above a whisper. "How? What will they do?"

He didn't hesitate to answer this time; for that she was thankful. "They'll use our abilities to lure their enemies in to do them off. And when they're done with us they'll rip out our wings, pull out our eyeballs, cut up our throats to harvest our vocal chords, flay our skins to use our scales as armor. …Anything and everything they can do to send a message that we're useful. …To a point."

Lacing her fingers together, Melanie held her cupped hands behind her neck and tilted her face back towards the ceiling. Okay…that's… Her lips vibrated a she blew out a breath. All emotion that once crashed through her like rogue waves settled and left her drained and empty. So either Peter and the hunters were going to kill her mom or they were going to kill her when they were done with her.

"Okay, so…fuck!" She gave a little incredulous laugh at the word she uttered. It covered just about everything she thought. "Is there anything I can do?" To survive? To protect my friends? To keep Erica safe? To fight back? All of the above.

"You'll need to train and hone your skills. But that's why I wanted to wait until you were eighteen, so you'd have more time and were old enough to understand everything." He tapped his chin. "I'm going to have to give you a crash course, unfortunately. And Bella's going to need to give you a more in-depth lesson on the flowers in the shop."

"So they are important?" Melanie blurted out. "I found this list in the shop and—"

"I was hoping you'd find that," Arabella cut in.

"It helped me keep the Alpha out last night but—"

"Right. Because I made sure the shop was built that way," Arabella continued. "Our house is built the same way too. Once the circle is sealed, all supernatural beings won't be able to cross the threshold."

"Sealed? What do you…?" Hang on… Melanie's lips parted slightly as she thought back to the previous night. To seeing the "dirt" leaking out of the broken wall. "Rowan," she whispered.

"Mountain Ash," Arabella corrected.

Of course. It helped seal out supernatural beings and evil spirits. She should have known. She mentally scolded herself for that. "What closes the circle?"

"At the shop? The doors. The front and back have to be closed and everyone inside will be kept safe. At the house… I know you have a certain proclivity to sleeping with your window open—"

Melanie nodded. "I like feeling the breeze on my face."

"But you're going to have to keep it closed for a while. Just while we figure things out."

"Right." Melanie rubbed her throbbing temple. Her brain couldn't hold much more information. She didn't even process everything else she had been told, throwing anything else on top of it was only going to make her brain explode. "I think…I just…"

"I'll take you to school," Laurence said. He reached out his hand and Melanie shook her head, backing away.

"No, I can go myself."

"You just said you were attacked by the alpha last night."

"He hasn't attacked during the day," she pointed out. "Something tells me he likes the drama of being shrouded in night because it's symbolic or some shit. And like Mom said, I'll just make sure all the windows and doors are closed. I have Nova with me. I'll be fine." Her fingers twitched by her side. She needed to get out, she needed to go home, go somewhere.

"I really think you should stay here."

"Let her go," Arabella spoke up. Her eyes, once dull, sparked to life due to the fire that sprang to life. "It's okay, Laurence. Just…follow her home and then come right back here. We have a lot to talk about but…I think she's had enough for today."

# # #

She yanked back the curtains hanging over her window and scanned the street up one side. Clear. Back down the other. Clear. She padded through the house, Nova close on her heels, as she went to the back door and checked out that window. Clear. She jiggled the door handle and shifted the lock back and forth a few times ensuring that it was, indeed, locked.

Time and time again she checked the doors and the windows, peering at her still and quiet street as the sun steadily rose and moved across the sky. Shadows stretched and slanted as the day wore on but even the idea of night didn't give her relief from her racing thoughts. From the moment she crossed the threshold to her home she was on constant surveillance: she moved from the front door to the windows of the dining room to the kitchen, the back door, and then she finished up checking her room and her parents' room. Every fifteen minutes she'd start the cycle over again. Every settling creak of the old home had her up with her bo-staff extended, checking the doors and windows over again. She half wished the alpha would show up just to keep from the endless cycle of torture. Unless that was what he wanted, her to go crazy enough that he could pick her off with little effort.

"You're going to be a guard dog, huh?" Melanie asked, ruffling behind Nova's ears as she stepped over him. His tail wagged behind him as he followed her back down the stairs for about the fifteenth time that morning. He certainly wouldn't need to go for a walk; any time she moved even a little he flipped his little body over and then immediately jumped to his feet to follow her while going through her rounds. By the time he made it back down to the main floor he flopped down, his tiny pink tongue sticking out between his lips. "You're lucky you can get some rest. Your friends' lives don't depend on it."

Her lips vibrated as she blew out a breath and flopped back on the couch, gathering all her mythology books towards her. She'd been pouring over every single one in her possession to see if there was some sort of loophole to her fate. After all, the books only stated the basics when it came to werewolves and there was a massive history about them even she hadn't uncovered before all this started. No matter how many books she flipped through, no matter how many pages she scanned, there was nothing in there that likened silver to the Argent family, werewolves to a pack with sophisticated dominance hierarchy, or shapeshifting without the aid of a full moon. So, who was to say that her siren abilities were a rigid construct?

And yet every passage she found in her book or in an article online they all said the same thing: that sirens lured people to their deaths. Men, usually, but she imagined anyone could fall prey to their enchanting song and seductive wiles. Beautiful girls giving you direct, undivided attention like you're the best thing they've seen in the world? The actual total of victims in lore had to be much higher.

C'mon, Mel, focus! Melanie scrubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms and emitted a long, low growl. There had to be something she was missing. She couldn't just…end up like that. Become a killer without a second thought. Hurt all the people that were important to her at a moment's notice, without even knowing she was going to do it. There had to be some sort of solution, some sort of answer. She wasn't going to do to them what she did to Mollie. Not if she had a say in it.

But what could she do? She didn't know how to protect herself from threats; she'd only gotten lucky with the hunters and the Alpha was concerned with Scott. For now. The muscles in her back still held a dull ache from where she was slammed into a wall the night before. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to sneak past them. They were stronger, faster, and knew more than her. What kind of help was she to Scott and the others? She knew as much as books provided when it came to the supernatural but past that…she was a crutch. A liability.

Useless.

She knew everything and nothing at the same time. A feat only she could manage to fulfill.

Putting distance between them all seemed to be the only solution that would solve all her problems. If she just packed up and left before the Alpha or the hunters could find her, maybe it would be enough time to distract them and then Scott and the others could have a better chance of finding Derek. And then he and Scott can take care of the alpha themselves. If she got anywhere near him who knows what would happen? If she were to be the cause of Scott McCall's death…she didn't even want to think about it.

Melanie set her jaw. Right. That's it then, she knew what she had to do to protect them all. Tossing her books aside, she jumped up from her seat and rushed up to her room. She pulled a bag out from beneath her bed and then rummaged through her dresser drawers. She scooped out a pile of clothes and threw them into her bag and tossed a few pairs of underwear and shoes on top of it. Then she went to her desk and, with a sweep of her arm, knocked the pictures and mementos off the top and into her bag.

She took pause when she spotted her lacrosse jersey hanging out the top of her canvas hamper. A lump formed in her throat as she rubbed the porous fabric between her forefinger and thumb. A pinch behind her eyes made her blink a couple of times and her breaths came out in short, shallow puffs. No, she needed to do this. She had to stay strong.

She dropped the jersey and went back downstairs, dragging the bag behind her. She went into the kitchen and grabbed the floral notepad that sat by the phone on the island. Indentations and scratch marks from previous notes lay pressed into the sheet she scribbled a note onto. She glanced at her phone for the time. Her father would probably see the note in about four hours. That'd be enough time for her to get far enough away.

Once on the bottom floor she went around the house one last time, making sure everything was closed and locked like they had been the last few times they checked. Her eyes lingered on every inch of the room, taking in the memories that lingered like ghosts. She forced the lump in her throat down and headed for the front door. The moment her fingers closed on the doorknob the doorbell rang, making her scream and back away. Nova scampered in from the living room, directing his small barks at the door.

Her heart thrashed against her chest and her bag fell to the floor with a thud and, in one swift motion, she pulled the little piece of metal out of her pocket and tightened her grip on it. The bo-staff extended on both ends and she held it in front of her at arm's length as she carefully inched towards the door. Her fingertips had barely touched the doorknob this time when it swung inwards at her, causing her to jump back again.

"Erica!" Melanie yelped at the sight of her and a bright red flush appeared on her cheeks. Erica's eyes flickered from Melanie's face to the bag on the ground and back as Melanie struggled to regain her even breathing. She collapsed her bo-staff and tucked it back into her pocket, avoiding Erica's gaze all the while. She reached down for her bag. "How…how'd you get in?"

"I have a key, remember?" Erica replied. Melanie didn't miss the stilted tone attached to her words. Nor did she miss the burning around her collar beneath Erica's piercing gaze. Of all the people to have walked in the door at that moment it had to be her. Melanie's fingers twitched by her side and her eyes darted back and forth between her and the door. She could sidestep her parents when she needed to. But Erica? Forget knowing her like the back of her own hand, Erica knew her heart and soul as if she owned them herself.

Melanie swallowed. "Shouldn't you be at school?"

With a quirked brow, Erica bit back, "Considering the circumstances, I think school can wait." Her eyes roamed over Melanie's figure from top to toe and everywhere in-between.

Melanie shrunk beneath Erica's gaze, uttering softly, "Your mom'll be mad."

"I don't care about my mom! I care about you!"

Melanie's eyes slammed shut at Erica's outburst and pain seized her chest in its tight grip. She forced a calm breath outward, relaxing her shoulders and giving Erica a small, easygoing smile. Maybe if Erica believed her then she could believe herself too. "I'm okay. I'm…I'm fine."

"Shut up." Erica's breath hissed when she sucked it back into her mouth, as if she were trying to take everything back. Shocked by her own conviction. The surprise in her eyes, brief in its creation, turned into a raging fire that Melanie had seen only a few times in her life: when Erica was fighting in a particularly tough World of Warcraft raid event, when someone dared to test her knowledge of comic book history, and when she had her back against the wall. Some people would think she'd have a flight response, but Erica was a fighter. A flame. When stoked she'd burn everything down in her path. "How can you be fine? The last I heard from you you had a tough game and then I get a text saying you were ambushed by the Alpha and were trapped in your mom's store."

"But I'm out now."

"Yeah, I can see that." Erica reached out and tugged on the strap of the bag Melanie still had and let it go. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah, um. I was just…going back to the hospital. To see my mom. Talk to my dad."

Erica looked her in the eye. "Okay. I'll go with you."

With widened eyes, Melanie's shoulders lifted to her ears and she took a step back. A second later she mentally cursed herself for reacting in such a way. But she couldn't let Erica come with her. She just couldn't. She had to get away. Erica was in danger just standing there, talking to her. "You can't."

"Why not?"

"You just can't, okay?"

"No, it's not okay! You hiding things from me is not okay!"

"I'm not hiding anything from you! I'm trying to protect you!"

Growling, Erica grabbed at her hair. The red creeping up her neck only made the acne that peppered her skin appear even more enflamed than they were before. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want to be protected! I can take care of myself!"

"What if I hurt you?"

"You won't."

"How do you know that? You're risking it right now just being here." Her eyes fluttered shut and she brought her clenched fist up to her mouth to keep from striking something as pressure built up within her. It was moments like this where she was sent back to the moment she moved to Beacon Hills and met Erica. When their only sources of conversations were fighting and screaming and finger-pointing. It was moments like this that made it glaringly obvious how different they really were. Doing her best to keep her voice calm as a lump rose in her throat she said, "Please…go home. Or to school! Somewhere…that's not here. I can't be around you anymore."

"So that's it? I get no say in this?' She crossed her arms. Her eyelids blinked rapidly as her eyes moistened. "What if I don't want to go?"

"You won't be safe."

"I don't want to be safe! I want to be with you!"

Melanie's heart skipped a beat and her stomach clenched and all the saliva left her mouth. Why did such a simple sentence affect her so? While her insides warmed due to the weight behind Erica's words, a chill slipped down her spine and gooseflesh rose on her arms. Her resolve began to weaken but she stiffened her lip and clenched her jaw. This was the only way she could keep everyone safe. This was what she had to do.

"You can't…we can't…" She shook her head, fighting back the tears that threatened to fill her eyes. "I have to go, Eri. I need to go."

"Don't I get a say in it?" Erica demanded.

"Eri—"

"Or are you just going to keep making decisions for me?" Erica continue as if Melanie didn't try to say anything. "Do I even get to know where you're going? Or were you just planning on slipping off into the night like the rest of us don't matter? What about your parents? What about me?"

Erica's words were like bricks being flung out of a cannon; they smacked into Melanie hard and left her dizzy and not sure how to answer her questions. She had no answers. She didn't expect any of them. She expected to be able to slip away without anyone noticing. But of course Erica would notice. Erica noticed everything.

"I have to do this."

With a small laugh of disbelief, Erica shook her head. She brought her hands up and brushed the corners of her slowly reddening eyes. "You know, sometimes you can be really selfish."

The last word was a final blow. It hit her like a well-aimed dart, striking right between her ribs and into her heart, allowing the flood gates to open and spill hot tears down Melanie's reddened cheeks. "I don't know what else I'm supposed to do!" she burst out, hastily wiping at her eyes. "If I stay near you, I'll hurt you. If I go away, I'll hurt you. Please, Erica since you have all the answers, tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do because I'm out if ideas!"

Erica surged forward and grabbed Melanie by the shoulders. She stiffened beneath her friend's and for a second, for some inexplicable reason, her breath stilled as the space between the two girls closed and she thought, fleetingly, that Erica was going to kiss her. And as, instead Erica shook her, she became surprised by the sinking knot of disappointment that took her down and caused the thought to curl up and wither away.

"Trust me," Erica said, it came out like a demand as her brown eyes shifted, searching every inch of Melanie's face. "You're my best friend…you trusted me before. …Don't stop now." For someone who appeared so timid and awkward while trapped within the halls of Beacon Hills High, she really knew how to put her foot down.

It came out all in a rush. She didn't mean to be so blunt but, with everything ricocheting around inside of her something would be inevitably knocked loose. "I'm going to kill you!"

Erica faltered, her eyelashes fluttering and confusion settling into her eyes. Her mouth moved, forming silent words a few times until, finally, she uttered a quiet, "What?"

Melanie clicked her tongue. "…I probably could have said that better."

"No…no you couldn't have. There's…there's no better way to say that." Erica dropped her hands from Melanie's shoulders and pushed a hand through her unrestrained, dry hair. She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed. "Tell me what you mean."

Despite the need to run, despite the fear still clawing at her, despite the uncertainty that crashed through her like waves on rocks, she sat back down on the couch. And with her knees pressed against Erica's and her hands clasped in her lap and her head hung low to allow her hanging hair to shield her face, she told Erica everything. About the lacrosse game, about the alpha attack, about seeing her mom and learning the truth about her admittance to the hospital and her father's part in it. She told her about everything except Mollie. That she kept to herself because she knew if Erica ever found out what she did she'd never look at her the same.

And a life without Erica wasn't a life Melanie ever wanted to experience.

"So…you were just going to run away?" Erica asked. It was the first thing she said after the ten minute silence that stretched on between the girls after Melanie had explained everything. She winced at Erica's accusatory tone but nodded her head. She'd been caught red-handed, no sense in trying to deny it. "What about your parents? You'd just let Kate and the Alpha go after them?"

"Dad knows what he's doing! I…don't! I've been lucky so far!"

"So you're just going to let them sit there like…like sitting ducks?"

"What if something happens to them when I try to help?"

"What if something happens to them when you don't?" Erica shot back. That shut Melanie up. She pressed her lips together and they formed a line as she looked away from her blonde friend. "This isn't like you. You never run away. Why are you running now?"

Finally lifting her head, Melanie stared hard at Erica. Did she not hear her before? She could kill everyone that she knows and loves without warning. And she already did. She couldn't do that again, Alpha or no Alpha. But all she cold utter was, "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"So you want someone else to do it for you?"

No. The answer flashed in her head like a neon sign. It was an obvious answer. The right answer. But she was putting other's lives on the line to save those close to her. And wasn't that trading a life for a life? Either way blood would be on her hands and it would be her fault, no matter the outcome. Melanie licked her lower lip.

"You don't know what you have." The bitter laugh that came out of Erica's mouth grabbed Melanie's attention. "If I had power and I could do something with it, I would. I wouldn't sit back and just let everything happen. I'd take control. Change my destiny. Make my own rules. Fight back."

Melanie let out a shaky breath and twisted her fingers. A shock shot up her spine when Erica grabbed her hands and all at once her body relaxed. The jumbled thoughts in her mind untwined, the screaming questions silenced to an answer, and her galloping heart eased as she became grounded once more. She laced her fingers with Erica's and gave her hands a squeeze.

"We need a plan," Melanie said. "The Alpha's becoming more bold." She wondered what he would come up with next. He already trapped them in the school and tried to turn Scott on them. He chased her down multiple times and cornered her at the right moments. And this was with the threat of hunters around. Being caught clearly wasn't his concern.

"Doesn't seem so bold to me if he keeps attacking when you're alone," Erica commented.

"Less people to fight back, probably," Melanie replied. "He was frustrated when Scott came in and saved me. Strength in numbers and all that." Wait. She hummed and her eyebrows furrowed as a thought crossed her mind. Strength in numbers. It was clear that Peter wanted Scott in his pack to have more people on his side to go against the hunters, but what if there was more to it than that? What if he actually drew strength from his pack? So then he'd need Derek and Scott. But where did she fit? "He…wants us isolated. He went after Miss Melissa to try and get Scott to join his pack. He went after me. He's going to keep going at it until Scott has no reason to refuse. It's why he got us all in the school, to eliminate us. But…" her words trailed off. The school!

"Yeah?" Erica nudged her. "What is it?"

Melanie tucked hair behind her ear and her nose scrunched up. "I was thinking…" She shook her head and sighed. "It's kinda stupid. But…I have an idea."

"Well?"

"Strength in numbers," Melanie replied. "Where's the one place that everyone is going to be together?"

Erica's eyes widened. "The formal."

"Right. Best way to draw him out. He can't be that stupid enough to try anything while we're at a dance filled with witnesses. The hunters either. That way I can keep an eye on Scott while he's—"

"Keeping an eye on Allison," Erica finished for her.

"Well I wasn't gonna say that but, sure." Melanie sighed. "She needs it. With someone like Kate for an aunt?"

"Yeah, well, you can't choose your family."

"Right."

"But I don't understand why he wants Scott in his pack so badly. I thought werewolves were solitary creatures."

"Werewovles are, wolves aren't. Not if they can help it. Why take down an elk alone when you can have it surrounded by all sides with little effort?"

"That makes sense." Erica nodded. She rubbed her thumbs against Melanie's hands. "But what about you? You can only hold them off for so long. What are you going to do?"

Melanie's mouth twisted to the side as she thought. Then she sat up straight and held Erica's gaze. "I'm going to do what I also do. Wing it." She paused and then added with a hint of a smile, "No pun intended."

# # #

The ladder scraped against the shiny hardwood floor as Melanie dragged it into place beneath the basketball hoop. The scent of stale sweat, rubber, and perfume hit her nose but she didn't mind. It was better than the hospital smells. Better than the leftover burned popcorn smoke that hung around the house.

She knew she should have stayed home like she told her parents, but it was getting too stuffy, too quiet, too cramped in the house alone after Erica left. The only other noise came from her loud, screaming thoughts and she needed to shut them up. Staying busy helped. Staying around people helped. So, the minute school ended, she drove to Beacon Hills High School and made a beeline for the gym, ducking in through the locker room so as not to have to deal with people stopping in every now and then to ask her if she was sick and if she was feeling better or how the game went. The game was the last thing she wanted to talk about. She just wanted to go to school. She wanted to go to the formal. She wanted to be a student again.

She wanted to be normal.

The bucket in her hand landed on the ground with a thud. It echoed in the empty gym and dissipated a moment later. Like the sound never existed. Melanie clicked her tongue. Maybe if she didn't exist none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have killed her friend. Her mere existence wouldn't put her other friends in danger. She wouldn't get tossed around by members of the lacrosse team for dumb reasons…

She dug through the bucket until she found the decorations she was looking for and started to ascend the rungs. She had one foot on the bottom rung when her entire body stiffened. Her lips pulled down in the corners as she waited. Her mind raced, trying to deduce the cause of the little hairs sticking up and her heart racing.

And then she hard it. It was soft at first but then it grew louder: footsteps, the creak of a bag strap, jingling keys. She sucked in a breath and forced her heartbeat to slow, for her nerves to calm when a whiff of cologne reached her nose. Armani. All at once she blew out a breath, feeling her shoulder sag and she turned right as the gym door opened.

"Did Jackson send you to yell at me?" Melanie asked. Danny shook his head as he approached. "Coach then?" Still, even as she asked, she couldn't bring herself to worry about it. She knew skipping practice after such a big game wasn't the best idea but she just couldn't go. She couldn't risk it. What if someone fell and cracked their head open? What if she charged someone and broke their neck? She couldn't do it. She just couldn't do it. And, after hearing everything she could do, everything she might do, lacrosse just…didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things.

"Can you believe I actually came here on my own accord?" Danny asked.

"…Little bit. You're a lot nicer than Jackson is." She climbed the rungs of the latter and tossed a roll of streamers into the basketball hoop. She caught the other end when it fell through and threw it up again. The muscles in her back ached but she ignored it as best as she could. Slamming into walls wasn't exactly the softest of contact sports.

"Where's your team?"

"I let them take the afternoon off. I can finish this up myself. Might as well give them time to gear up for the formal." She blinked and then it hit her. Danny was standing there. In the room. With her. She gulped. He had to get out! What if something happened to him just from standing there? Drawing in a breath, Melanie said as calmly as possible, "You should probably go, Danny. In fact, I insist. I don't mind doing this myself."

Dimples popped in Danny's cheeks as he burst into laughter. "Oh, did you think I was going to help you?" He shook his head. "Not a chance. Not after that time you went full drill sergeant on me back in middle school when I didn't move a poster four inches to the left."

"You messed up the symmetry! It's not my fault you didn't do it right."

"Not everyone in the world cares if a picture is tilted even one degree in the wrong direction. Nor will they notice."

Melanie pushed a breath out of her nose. "Did you come here just to rag on me?"

"No, I came to see how you're doing." She blinked. "Heard through the grapevine you went to see your mom."

"Which grapevine? The one with two leaves named Scott and Stiles?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Does it matter?"

"No, but you tend not to be seen with them and considering people lately prefer to think I'm sleeping with the team, this might fan the flames just a little." She hated the sneer surrounding her words but it crept in on its own, like sand in crevices.

He studied her. His fingers drummed against the strap of his bag. "You never struck me as one to care about what other people think of you."

"You're right, I don't." Turning away from him, she tossed the streamer once more and caught the other end. "But I do care about what other people are saying about me. I got on the team by my own merit."

"And everyone knows that now. Especially with how well you played yesterday."

"Still doesn't stop them being stupid," she muttered beneath her breath. Her mind immediately went back to being knocked around, shoved, grabbed, groped, and touched throughout that game. Anger flared within her as she thought back to how she couldn't do anything about it; how even when she tried it was brushed away under the guise that she didn't know how to play the game and that, if she couldn't handle it, should just get off the field.

"Boys mature slower than girls."

"Aint that the truth." She stepped down from the ladder and regarded him. "I am fine, though. Thanks for asking. You don't need to spy on me. …And you can tell Erica that she didn't need to send you either." Danny's eyebrow hiked but he didn't say anything. His silence was all she needed to confirm her suspicions. "I didn't know you two spoke."

"I talk to a lot of people," he replied. A pregnant pause followed his comment. Then…"She's worried."

"She doesn't need to worry about me." She should be worrying about being around me. Him too.

"Funny, she says the same about you."

That made Melanie take pause and properly look at him. "What? So, you guys talk about me?"

"Don't get a big head about it—"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not Jackson."

"—but sometimes, yes."

"Yeah? About what?"

"I told you. She's worried about you. Seems to think you're a little bit nonchalant about things that you should be concerned with."

She studied his face. His eyes stayed rested on her, his facial muscles remained intact, his body remained still, and his breathing appeared normal. Huh. He wasn't nervous or anything. Her tense body relaxed a little.

So he didn't know anything; Erica didn't tell him anything about what was going on. Not that he suspected she would but Danny wasn't a dumb guy. He fixed their teachers' computers when they were acting up, he had a large knowledge when it came to tech or else he wouldn't have been charged a couple years ago for hacking into…something (she still didn't know what it was though rumor had it that he had broken into some government site). But if he did know something he didn't let on and that was a small bit of hope she'd latch onto.

"I think you are too." What? Melanie's eyebrows furrowed. So…he did know something? She grabbed at her head as it began to pound. Maybe it would be better if she were on the floor. She glanced down only to look back up. The floor wasn't supposed to spin like that. No, staying still was a better option. Danny's lips pursed as he looked up at her from the gym floor. He adjusted the bag hanging off his shoulder and grabbed onto a leg of the ladder. "Your arm must be so tired from how hard you've been holding onto the closet door."

"Danny, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Big surprise." His dimples popped into his cheeks when she stuck her tongue out at him. "What I mean is hiding who you are is one thing but hiding from the obvious is another." A shock jolted down her spine. He knows! She opened her mouth to say something, protest, but he didn't give her a chance. Crossing his arms he said, "Let me ask you something, which part bothers you more: that Allison likes Scott or that Scott likes Allison?"

Why would he ask such a question? She spluttered, her vocal chords only allowing a few stop and start noises before she could get a grip on herself. "Danny—"

"I mean, you didn't like her the moment she got here. I thought it was strange, even for you, but then I figured it out and talking with Erica cemented it for me. I think what bothers you is that Allison came in and ruined your plans. Because saying you liked Scott was easy. It made everything easier for you to handle. It didn't matter that you were stepping on someone else's feelings in the process."

Melanie pressed her weight against the latter. She closed her eyes and took in a long, slow cleansing breath. Safe. She was still safe. He didn't mean about her other side. Well, not that other side. "Are you trying to pry my fingers off the doorknob or somethin'?"

"No, I'm just trying to figure you out."

Melanie snorted. "Shouldn't take you that long, right? I think it was Jackson that said my head is as see-through as a window."

Danny didn't laugh. "You need to stop leading Erica on."

That loosened her from the ladder. She stepped down a few rungs and sat down on the bottom one. Shame clung to her like lint. "I'm not doing it on purpose." Danny didn't say anything. She rubbed her hands against her palms and shuffled her feet and bit her lip. Why was he being so quiet? "I'm not! Look…Erica already has a lot to deal with. Throwing…us on top of it…it'll only send her over the edge."

One of his eyebrows twitched. "Is there a you and Erica?"

"I don't know!" She rubbed her face. "But she doesn't need the added scrutiny if there ever were an us. …Not right now."

"Why are you making that decision for her?"

Melanie sucked in her breath. Erica had asked the same thing not too long ago. She scratched at her hairline, looking away from Danny's piercing gaze. She knew the answer but she also knew Danny wouldn't accept it and the wave of shame hit her harder.

"I'm just saying, sometimes fear lets you know you're heading in the right direction."

That was all she needed to hear. As if someone flicked a light switch on deep within her, she jumped to her feet. "Danny, I love you."

He rolled his eyes but said with a hint of a smile, "I'm flattered but you're still not my type."

She patted him on the arm. "Considering we like the same type half the time, I'm not offended."

She rushed past him and headed for the exit. The decorations could wait. She had to find Scott and Stiles. The gym doors slammed against the walls as Melanie barreled through them. Her footsteps echoed in the empty halls as she ran down them, glancing in the classrooms as she passed by them. No sign of them on the bottom floor. She changed directions, heading for the front to see if Stiles' jeep was still in the parking lot. Her shoes skidding against the ground and as she reached out to a set of lockers to aid in her pivot, her fingers barely brushed the metal when she heard a loud bang! and she fell straight to the floor.

Her body seized. The sensation of hundreds of sharp pencils poking her enveloped every inch of her skin. Beneath the skin her muscles constantly contracted and released. A scream lodged in her chest as her body shook and convulsed on the floor. Her eyes slammed shut, fluttered, and then opened shifting from bright blue to stark purple.

A purple haze filtered into her vision, growing stronger by the second. It turned into a neon glare and then as it faded, the sight of the school ceiling melted away and was replaced with a dank, dirty wall. Anger coursed through her veins and her chiseled chest heaved with every breath.

…What?

A quick glance down earned her the sight of a six pack that she was sure she didn't have before. Pain settled in her stiff arms. Eyes shifted to the left and right and she took in the sight of muscular arms strung up, held onto metal bars by handcuffs. And when she looked back down at the torso she saw wires duct taped to her lean sides. Her eyes followed the length of the wires over to a power box.

Then a hand reached out of the darkness. It turned up a knob and a whine reached her ears, growing in intensity. Then the delicate fingers turned up the knob labeled VOLTS. The second between the bolts of electricity leaving the box and shooting through her body seemed to last forever but it hit her all at once. Her mouth fell open and a long, loud, masculine scream. She closed her eyes.

Opened them again. The hallway ceiling stared back at her. The smell of floor cleaner, rubber erasers, and coffee breath hit her all at once. Her entire body buzzed and her sweat-soaked skin peeled off the cold floor as she sat up. Her body jerked and quivered every few second due to the leftover bits of electricity's hold on her. While sucking in a deep breath through her nose and allowing it to slowly escape through her mouth, Melanie pushed a hand through her stringy, sweaty hair. When she was finally able to speak, one word slipped from her mouth:

"…Derek?"


A/N: Phew! A lot happened. Melanie learned more about her abilities, tried to run away, had a heart-to-heart with Danny, and was able to connect with Derek and see things through his eyes! But will that be enough for them to figure out where he is? Stay tuned! The formal and the following fallout are coming in the next couple of chapters! Hooray! I've been dyyyyying to get to this part in the story, it's gonna kick everything into high gear! Of course, I needed to take the time to set up the siren backstory and Melanie's part in the Teen Wolf universe but, for real guys, I'm super excited for you all to see whats going to happen next. I will reveal that when we hit season two that's when the story will change a bit; I've set up Melanie's story by that point so then we get to see things from other characters' points of view in Act II! That's right, you'll be able to see from Isaac's, Erica's, Scott's, Stiles', Lydia's, and Allison's points of view. Hope I do it justice.

And we get a breakthrough in the ship that is Melica! I said it once and I'll say it again, I love EricaxMelanie's relationship so much. Through all the highs and lows, my love for them will never waver.

If you'd like you can follow me at Cerulean Musings on twitter and tumblr. I'm active on both and I'd love to be able to chat with you guys! Plus, if you have any questions about this story or would like some little tidbits I'm known to give those out too ;).

I need to drop a BIG shutout to Rangiku9815 for checking in on me when I disappeared for a while and to yourpalmoony for making the awesome new story cover for me! I love it so much! Go check out her story THE GLOAMING if you haven't yet. You won't be disappointed!

Thank you all for being patient! Please read and review! I accept constructive criticism!

~C.M.