Echo House:
Deaton, Allison, Scott and I were standing in the back examination room of the animal clinic staring at the cell phone positioned in the middle of the metal table the night that Stiles admitted himself into Eichen House. He thought that it would be safer for us if he was locked up for 72 hours while his dad went to Los Angles to talk to a specialist about the results of his MRI scan because it was identical to the last scan of his mother Claudia before she passed away.
"Did you have any trouble with Ikeda?" Chris Argent's voice asked through the loud speaker of Allison's cell phone from the pay phone at the police station because he and Derek were still being held in custody about the murder of Katashi.
"Only minor. The white wolf was exactly where you said it would be. But we have two problems now. First, the lichen is not a cure. It'll wear off in a matter of days." Deaton explained warily as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked directly at Scott as he spoke to all of us.
"But while it does work, the Oni won't go after Stiles, right?"
"I hope. Eichen House has an unusual history. It might not be all that safe for the Oni there as well."
"What's the second problem?" Allison asked him anxiously with a frown as she shifted on her feet and leaned both her hands on the flat surface of the table.
"I checked with your contacts in Japan, Chris. The Yakuza Boss you saw killed by the Oni never found the scroll." Deaton informed us tiredly as he shook his head and I leaned back against the counter as I bit my lower lip nervously.
"What scroll?" Scott asked in a mixture of confusion and desperation as he leaned both hands on the table and Allison tilted her head to the side in agreement of his question.
"A Shugendo Scroll. The Shugendo were the ascetic mystics of Japan. The scroll had information on how to exorcise a Nogitsune." I recited firmly as I closed my eyes as though I could read the words from the textbook on the insides of my eyelids and then opened them to see everyone looking at me in shock.
"So we need to find that scroll?" Allison asked in a hard tone full of determination as she shifted her gaze towards each other in turn and I nodded silently in answer as I strolled over to the end of the table they had formed a loose circle around.
"I did get a name of the man who last purchased it. Kincaid." Deaton told us with a frown etched on his lips as he tilted her head to the side in remembrance and Allison's head perked up as she looked over at him in surprise.
"He was with Katashi. He's the guy who met with Isaac to buy the gun."
"Sounds like Katashi wanted the scroll for himself."
"Stilinski already told me nothing like it was found among his things. And a paranoid like Katashi would keep it close. Probably on him at all times." Chris suggested from the other side of the phone call with a sigh and I bit my lip in consideration as I leaned my hip against the end of the table.
"What does a Shugendo Scroll look like?" I asked curiously with a small frown as I turned my head to look at Deaton and he gave me a considering look as he turned to a drawer near the side of the room before coming back with a rolled up piece of paper in his hand.
"Something like this." he said as he handed me the script with a frown and Allison, Scott and I examined it closely as we leaned forward slightly in unison to see it better.
"Do these come in different sizes?" Allison asked him abruptly as her head snapped up to look at Deaton with wide dark brown eyes and we all looked over at her with in confusion as she stared back determinedly.
"Any size."
"Then I think I know where it might be."
"This plan sucks!" I exclaimed passionately as I collapsed down onto the armchair behind me and I closed my eyes tightly as I shook my head to myself. Lydia and Allison both hummed in agreement as they both fell backwards onto the couch across from me and I sighed heavily as I pouted over at them. I was wearing a Vero Moda Layered Sleeveless Blouse, TOPSHOP MOTO Authentic Ripped Skinny Jeans and Madden Girl Plaaza ankle booties with my hair in a ponytail. The three of us girls were gathering at the Argent's apartment to figure out a plan to get Katashi's silver finger back from the police. We had spent the morning coming up with a semi-decent plan and now we were just waiting for the boys to get here so that we could tell them their parts of the plan.
"It's not that bad. Is it?" Allison asked us warily as she looked from Lydia to me and back again with a worried frown on her lips.
"Yes." Lydia and I both answered at the same time in the same bored tone of voice and Allison nodded in agreement as she sighed to herself. The doorbell ringing suddenly interrupted whatever Lydia was about to say and Allison patted her knee gently as she stood up from the couch to answer it. I got up from the armchair as well in case it wasn't the boys arriving and I followed her towards the front door as Lydia set up the blueprints on the table.
"Hold up. Wait a second." I heard Scott say sharply on the other side of the door and I frowned in confusion as we slowly approached the door.
"Wait…" I whispered almost inaudibly as I grabbed her arm to stop her from walking any further and I held my finger up to my lips to tell her to be silent as she looked at me in confusion.
"What?" Ethan asked on the other side of the door as I pointed to my ear and then to the door as Allison nodded in understanding. "The girls are waiting for us inside."
"I know. I just need to talk to Aiden for a second." Scott said pointedly through the door and I frowned slightly as I closed my eyes so that I could heighten my supernatural hearing. "We haven't had a chance to talk since you and Sophie started 'dating' or whatever the hell it is that you two are doing."
"So?" Aiden asked with a slight amount of annoyance in his voice and I could picture with defensive purse of his lips as he crossed his arm over his chest.
"So… Sophie's my sister and I love her and I'd hate to see her hurt. In fact, a lot of people would. She's special. Crazy and slightly sociopathic, but special. I honestly don't know why she likes you, but there must be something or she wouldn't waste her time on you. There are so many people that love Sophie. Many people who would kill you for her. If you hurt her, in any way, shape or form, I will and they will make you regret it."
"Sophie's more than capable of inflicting pain on her own." Aiden commented in an amused voice as I smiled down at the ground because of my brother's kind words and Allison nudged my arm with a questioning look on her face. There was a moment of silence on the other side of the door and I could only guess that Scott was gave him an agreeable look. "I care about her, okay?"
"Fine." my bother relented finally with a sigh as I scrambled backwards so that they wouldn't hear me near the door with a huge smile on my lips and Allison looked at me in confusion as a small smile played on her lips. A knock sounded on the door as I released Allie's arm and I was unable to wipe the grin from my face because of Aiden's declaration. I bit my lower lip to stop the happy expression on my face and opened the front door wide to see the boys waiting for us.
"Hey, guys." Allison greeted them politely but I hardly heard her as I launched myself at Aiden and crashed my lips against his passionately, not caring that my brother and his were both watching us. Aiden stumbled slightly under my weight in surprise as he wrapped his arms around my waist but kissed me back immediately and one of my hands grabbed the collar of his shirt while the other tangled in his short light brown hair. I moaned in the back of my throat as I tightened my hold on his collar and ran my fingers through his hair before pulling back breathless with my forehead resting against his. His warm breath hit my lips as he grinned down at me with an unknown emotion in his chocolate brown eyes and I smiled back at him as he pressed his lips back against mine softly.
"Okay! Enough! God, really? Really? In front of me?" Scott complained with a moan from somewhere behind us and I pulled back with a small chuckle as Aiden quickly pecked my lips.
"You get used to it. I've walked in on them at least five times." Ethan told him in disgust as he walked further into the apartment and Scott groaned loudly as Allison laughed at his expression.
"If you don't want to see anything, knock!" I shouted down to Ethan with a scoff as I grabbed Aiden's hand and dragged him towards the living room after Scott and Allison.
"You were in the living room!"
"Then knock on the front door!"
"It's my apartment!"
"And mine!" Aiden called back to him in amusement as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and I chuckled as we entered the room where the others had formed a loose circle around the table.
"Can we get back to the plan please? I've heard enough about Sophie's sex life to last me until I die." Lydia drawled drily as she rolled her pretty green eyes from where she stood at the end of the table and I shot her an amused look as I quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Oh, please. You practically beg me for details. That's the main reason you went after Jacks –"
"Don't say his name!"
"– He who shall not be named." I finished pointedly with a smirk on my lips and she copied the gesture as she tilted her head in consideration. "Now, the plan."
"The plan. My father said all of the Katashi evidence is being moved to a Federal Lockup by armoured car tonight. Probably within the next few hours." Allison informed everyone in a businesslike tone of voice as she looked between us and Aiden let go of me to sit down on the armchair behind us.
"We're going to rob an armoured car?" Ethan asked us incredulously with both of his eyebrows raised and I turned to look at him with a half amused, half annoyed smile on my lips.
"You've helped murder people, but your conscious is telling you not to rob an armoured car?" I asked him with a quirked eyebrow as Lydia scowled at him and he rolled his chocolate brown eyes as he looked down at the table top in shame. "We're going to try."
"This is a really bad plan." Scott stated dishearteningly as he hung his head in disappointment and I pursed my lips in consideration for a moment as I tapped my chin with my perfectly manicured finger.
"It's not that bad."
"It's not that good." Ethan countered calmly as he walked around me to stand on my other side and I stifled a small smile as Lydia glared at him for the unhelpful comment.
"None of us knows the route they're going to take." Scott pointed out to us as he looked in between Lydia, Allison and I with a frown on his lips.
"If Allison can get one of her dad's GPS trackers on the armoured car then we can follow it." Lydia explained easily as she gestured wildly with her hand and I quirked my lips in a small smile when I noticed how very 'Stiles' the movement was.
"So when it gets here..." I continued for her when she looked over at me and I pointed to the highlighted bridge on the map positioned on the table.
"We attack them?" Aiden asked with a tint of excitement in his voice as he leaned forward in the armchair and we all turned to look at him with annoyed expressions.
"No."
"Your bikes will be in the middle of the road, looking like you guys got into an accident. When the driver gets out helping..." Lydia informed everyone as she turned back to the table with a roll of her eyes and I sent an annoyed look to my boyfriend as I leaned my hip against the table.
"We attack him." Aiden stated with a deep nod of his head as he clapped his hands together and I closed my eyes for a second as I turned back around to face him.
"No." Lydia, Allison and I all exclaimed sharply as we shot him heated glares and he held his hands up in surrender as he leaned backwards in his armchair.
"You'll distract him and Scott will break open the back door." I told them all as I spread my arms out to my sides with a small smile and everyone turned to look at my brother as his head shot up from the table.
"I hope." Scott mumbled quietly as I rolled my eyes at his obvious lack of faith in the plan and I gave Lydia a pointed look to continue on with her spiel.
"And you'll get Katashi's finger." Lydia announced brightly as she pointed a manicured finger towards Ethan and we all looked over at him as he shifted on his feet.
"It's not his actual finger, is it?" Ethan asked in a dismayed voice as his chocolate brown eyes widened and Scott's dark brown eyes shot over to me in horror as I rolled my eyes at Lydia and Allie.
"You are so out of our league."
"Why aren't we just going to Stilinski for help?"
"Because if he gets caught, then it's the Sheriff tampering with federal evidence." I answered him tiredly as I sat on the arm of Aiden's chair and he rubbed the small of my back gently. "Guys, this is going to work. We can do this. We're losing Stiles. Argent and Derek are in jail for murder. We need to do this."
"That was very inspiring." Allison told me sarcastically with a smirk on her lips and I grinned back at her as Aiden pulled me down onto his lap.
"Thank you. I should be cheerleader. Short skirt, pom-poms, ponytails. Hooking up with hot football players in lettermen jackets." I trailed off wistfully as I tilted my head to the side and bit my lower lip as I turned my head to look at my boyfriend. "We're getting you one of those."
I stood on top of the roof opposite the sheriff's as I watched the armoured truck outside and I bit my lower lip nervously as I crossed my arms over my chest. Allison nodded over at me from the other side of the rooftop where she was watching through a scope on her crossbow to let me know that the driver was inside safely and I nodded back at her shortly before I turned back to watch as Kira ran towards the back of the truck to plant the GPS tracker. She looked back at us with a bright smile on her lips just as the backdoor to the sheriff's station opened and she shot a panicked look towards the door as I leaned my hands against the cement barrier with wide eyes. A uniformed officer walked out of the station as Kira scrambled to hide on the far side of the truck and Allison appeared next to me with a concerned frown as we watched the deputy upholster his gun from his belt after checking the front seat.
"Something's going on. And it's not in the plan." I murmured quietly so Allison and all of the werewolves in the vicinity could hear me as I glanced down at Scott hiding between two police cars.
"We have to do something." Scott declared firmly as he looked up at me with a determined expression and I tapped Allie's arm to let her know that we were moving as she nodded at me in understanding. The young huntress and I ran down the stairwell as fast as we could without making out any noise and froze at the bottom when we saw a huge figure burst out of the back armoured car. The figure grabbed the deputy by the back of the neck before slamming his head against the truck and knocked him out as he stood over him menacingly.
"Who the hell is that?" I asked in horror as I stared at the person climbing back into the truck and Scott looked over at us with wide eyes as he shook his head slightly in answer.
"Kincaid." Allison hissed in answer as she shifted the crossbow in her hand as though she was going to aim it and I grabbed her arm to stop her as Scott motioned for us to follow him towards the truck. The three of us meet up at the opening to the alley as my brother walked in front of us and I released Allison's arm so that she could raise her crossbow as Kincaid held up the silver prosthetic finger.
"We need that finger." Scott announced calmly as I crossed my arms over my chest and Kincaid turned around to look at us with an amused expression on his face.
"Why should I give it to you?" Kincaid asked us in an almost alarmingly deep voice with a smirk and I felt my eyes widened in surprise as I glanced at Allison to see if he was for real but she didn't look away from him.
"There's a briefcase in there with $ 150,000 in it." Allie stated firmly with a blank expression as she narrowed her eyes and I plastered a smirk onto my lips as I titled my head to the side.
"The scroll inside this prosthetic finger is worth three million."
"Give me the finger." Scott ordered him sternly with a completely straight face and Kincaid quirked an eyebrow at the wording as Scott closed his eyes in regret. "You know what I mean."
"Oh, god, Scott." I complained under my breath as I rolled my eyes at him in annoyance and I noticed movement on top of the truck a moment before Kira leapt down onto Kincaid's back. The large werewolf wasn't fazed in the least as he threw her to the ground and she landed with a pain filled groan as she rolled onto her back.
"I guess negotiations are over." Kincaid said gruffly with his fangs bared threateningly as his eyes glowing the steely blue that they turned after taking an innocent life and he let out a loud menacing roar as he crouched in front of us. Allison let one of the arrows fly out towards him as Kira climbed to her feet and Kincaid caught the arrow in mid-air with a growl as Kira tried to punch him but he grabbed her by the throat. He threw her against the brick wall to the side of the alley as she let out a small groan and Kincaid turned around to slap Allie across to the opposite side of the alley. Scott growled loudly as his fangs elongated with his eyes shining Alpha red as his werewolf features came through and I sighed in annoyance as my brother attacked the larger werewolf but Kincaid didn't move an inch. He didn't even attempt to fight back as Scott continued to punch him and I groaned out loud as Kincaid grabbed Scott's arms before head butting him. Scott stumbled backwards in pain as Kincaid punching him in the stomach and I grabbed Allison's crossbow from the ground as my brother continued to get his ass kicked by the larger werewolf until he was sprawled on the ground.
"You have the eyes of an Alpha, but where's the strength?" Kincaid taunted him as he crouched down next to Scott's body and I shot the arrow into his shoulder as I heard footsteps above me. Kincaid grunted in pain as the arrow penetrated his skin and he stood up as he spun around to face me with a scowl on his lips.
"Look up." I mocked with a pout on my lips as he growled at me angrily and he frowned in confusion as he followed my gaze up to the balcony overhead. Ethan and Aiden appeared on the ledge with malicious smirks on their lips and they leapt over the edge of the railing to land next to me on either side as they flashed their bright blue eyes and fangs. Aiden pushed me behind him as Kincaid attacked them with a roar and I stumbled over to where Scott was still lying as the twins worked together in beating Kincaid. Lydia ran into the alleyway to help Allison stand up as Kira slowly made her way to her feet and all three of them watched with slightly horrified expressions as the twins repeated punched, clawed, kicked and just generally beat the hell out of Kincaid.
"Ethan, Aiden..." Scott groaned as he tried to pull himself into sitting position and I grabbed his arm to help him to his feet as Aiden landed another punch to Kincaid's face. My brother shot me a pleading look as he accepted my help to stand up on his own and I sighed to myself as I nodded in understanding.
"Stop!" I shouted loudly as I stepped towards where Kincaid was sprawled on the ground with the twins standing over him and they both looked over at me in surprise as they froze in their place.
"You want him to come after us?" Aiden asked me incredulously as he pointed a finger at Kincaid and Scott stepped up next to me as he wiped some blood off his lip.
"Sophie, Scott, we've seen guys like this. Trust us. He's dangerous." Ethan told us sternly as he gestured towards the larger werewolf and I frowned slightly at his word as I glanced towards my brother for his decision.
"So are we. And he looks smart enough to remember that." Scott said to the twins both firmly as he looked at them for a moment before turning his attention to the larger werewolf on the ground and then stepped forward to grab the silver prosthetic finger. There was a tense silence as Scott turned the finger upside down and a small stroll tumbled out onto the palm of his hand. I let out a breathy laugh as I smiled over at Allie for her brilliant idea and Scott followed my gaze to his ex-girlfriend before turning back to the werewolf on his knees in front of him. Kincaid looked up at him with an expression full of awe and surprise as Scott took a minuscule step forward. "We're here to save a life. Not end one."
"Are we done?" Lydia asked us in contempt as she glanced around the alleyway in disgust with her nose wrinkled and I turned my attention back to the werewolf on the ground as I tilted my head to the side in consideration before following the others out of the alley without a backwards glance.
"There isn't much here, unfortunately." I told Scott apologetically later that night as we sat at the kitchen table looking over the Shugendo Scroll and my brother sighed heavily in defeat as he folded his arms on top of the table.
"Does it say anything?" Scott asked me hopefully as he looked over at me with puppy-like dark brown eyes and I found it hard to dash his hope as I nibbled on my lower lip while I read the scroll once more.
"My Japanese isn't great. It appears to say that one method of expelling a Nogitsune is to change the body of the host."
"Change the body?" he repeated in confusion with a frown on his lips and I pursed my lips together because I already knew the answer as his eyes lit up with realisation. "By turning him into a werewolf."
"Yeah. Which is something Stiles has already declined from Peter." I reminded him sadly as I placed the Shugendo Scroll down on the table top with a sigh and I stood up from my chair as I ran a hand through my hair. Scott looked up at me with sympathetic smile as I walked behind him and I rested my hand on his shoulder as I leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Goodnight, little brother."
"Goodnight, Soph." he replied tiredly as I squeezed his shoulder once and then walked towards the stairs so that I could go upstairs to bed because it had been a really long day. I walked into my room with a sigh escaping my lips as I turned the light on and I jumped in surprise when I saw someone sitting on my bed but relaxed when I recognised them almost immediately.
"Damn it, Aiden! You scared the hell out of me." I complained half-heartedly as I frowned at him and he smirked back at me as I strolled over to my dresser to grab a pair of pyjamas.
"Sorry. I just love seeing you jump, kitten." Aiden stated calmly as he reclined back on my pillows with his hands behind his head and I walked passed him into the bathroom to wash the makeup off my face.
"Don't call me that!"
"You love it!"
"Whatever. What are you doing here anyway? I'm exhausted." I told him plainly as I stripped out of my clothes and changed into my pyjamas in the bathroom. He didn't answer for a moment as I walked back into the bedroom and I saw him looking at a photograph of me, Scott and Stiles from freshman year. "What are you doing?"
"You look happy here." He said softly with a small smile on his lips as I climbed onto the bed next to him and took the frame out of his hands gently with a wistful smile of my own.
"I was happy. There was no supernatural drama. My adoptive brother wasn't being possessed. My actual brother wasn't an Alpha. I wasn't a werewolf/druid. Lydia wasn't a banshee. And everything was simple. Plus, I had just been to the beach that weekend. Look at my tan." I pointed out as I pointed to my bare legs in the photograph with a grin and Aiden chuckled at me as he took the frame out of my hands before placing it back on the side table. He wrapped an arm around my waist as I shuffled closer to his side and rested my head on his shoulder as I stifled a yawn with my hand. Aiden suddenly shifted as though he was going to get off the bed and I immediately tightened my hold on his torso with my eyes flying open. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to turn the light off. You're exhausted, you need to sleep."
"Fine." I muttered quietly as I loosened my hold on him and rolled over onto my side as I got under the covers while he turned the light off. I shifted a little as I got comfortable on the pillow and I felt the bed dip a little as Aiden climbed under the covers with me. A small smile spread across my lips because we had never slept in the same bed without having sex first and it felt good to be this comfortable with a guy I was in a sexual relationship with. Aiden draped his arm around my waist as he pulled me flush against him so that I could feel he was only wearing boxers and I felt his lips brush the back of my neck as I tried not to shiver at the feel of his warm breath. "You never answered me. What are you doing here?"
"Nothing."
"Liar. What are you doing here?" I asked again more firmly as I rolled over in his arm so that I could see the outline of his handsome face in the darkness. He was silent for a minute as his arms tightened around me, almost as though he was afraid I would disappear on him and I stayed quiet as he contemplated which way to go with the conversation. I knew that Aiden had never been in a relationship either so we were both learning as we went and I figured this was one of those times he needed some time to walk out his feelings before broadcasting them.
"I knew that you weren't used to sleeping alone, because Isaac's normally with you. I thought you might not be able to sleep by yourself." He answered finally in a voice so quiet I almost didn't hear him with my advanced hearing and I froze for a second at his words, unable to comprehend that it was Aiden that he said something so unbelievably sweet and considerate. I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes but he wasn't looking at me, instead he was glancing around the room just so that he didn't have to look at me to see my reaction. I honestly had no idea what to say to him after that. No one had ever said something thoughtful to me. I didn't know how to process it. If it were any other guy that he said it I would have immediately started kissing him passionately, just to avoid that awkward moment where I didn't feel the same. But this was different, this was Aiden. Instead of saying something horrible and messing up one of the only good things to ever happen to me, I gently placed a kiss to the underside of his jaw before rolling over so that my back was to him. Now it was Aiden's turn to be completely dumbfounded, and it took him a moment before he draped his arm back around my waist as he shifted against me so that I could feel the heat coming off his body.
"Hey, Aiden?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm really glad you're here."
"Me too." He replied softly as he pressed a kiss to the back of my shoulder and I relaxed even more into him with a small smile as the darkness started to overtake me.