A/N:
Okay, so half of you are going to love me, and the other half are going to hate me.
Just remember that I love you all equally.
The Divine Move:
The silence that had settled around the four of us was almost deafening.
Not one of us had uttered a word since we'd arrived at the sheriff's station for questioning. Lydia quietly cried next to me, her pretty face marred with tears and shocked disbelief clear on her features. Scott sat next to me without saying a word as he stared off into the distance with glazed over dark brown eyes. Isaac sat at the end of the bench next to my brother, gazing down at the floor as though it held all the answers in the universe. I sat staring at my hands that were still damp with Allison's blood without making a sound, afraid that my voice would break the strained atmosphere.
I closed my eyes tightly as I leaned back on the uncomfortable wooden bench we'd been asked to wait on and tried to remember the instructions Chris had given me before the police arrived at Oak Creek.
Flashback:
The abandoned internment camp seemed even more haunting now that I personally knew one of the ghosts that called the cemented building home and I fought a shudder as I wrapped my arms around myself against the bracing cold.
"Sophie." a familiar gruff voice said my name from behind me as I instantly cringed because I didn't want to turn around and see Allison's familiar features on her father, but I knew that it was inevitable.
"Chris." I replied softly in greeting as I turned my head towards him with a small frown puckering my lips and he stepped up next to me without taking his gaze off of the large building in front of us. I wanted to say I was sorry. To give him my sympathies, but that it wouldn't make a difference to him. At least not yet. Christopher Argent was a hunter with the capacity and ability to compartmentalize his emotions until the job was done. And the job was not done.
"Do you know what you're going to say to the police?" he asked me gently as though he was afraid I was going to break at any moment but I just nodded my head silently as I held my chin up slightly in defiance because I would not let the Nogitsune break me. I would not break. I would not break. I was strong. "It was dark. There were two of them. They tried to steal your car. They wore masks. You saw something sharp and metallic. You think it was a knife. If you get confused repeat, 'It happened so fast.'"
"There were two guys, I think. I-I saw two. They were wearing masks over their faces. They opened the front doors, I saw –I saw something shiny in his hand. They wanted to the car. It all – it all happened so fast. I don't –I don't know. After – after it happened, Scott called her dad. I – I – I called the police. It all happened so fast." I recited easily in a teary voice as I let a single teardrop run down my cheek before clearing my throat and wiping all the emotion off of my face as I blinked away the tears in my eyes.
"That's right. That's good."
"None of this is good or right, Chris." I replied shortly as I shook my head slightly with a hard expression on my face and clenched my hands into fists at my side so that my nails dug into the skin.
"I know. I know." he murmured in agreement as he guided my head down onto his shoulder gently and he pressed a paternal kiss to my forehead as I closed my eyes tightly against the tears building in my eyes.
The sheriff's office was colder than I remembered it to be as I sat on the uncomfortable old couch to the side of the room and waited for the others to finish being questioned about Allison's death. It almost scared me how easy it had been for me to lie to the deputy that had been sent to question me but I knew that it was necessary given what actually happened. I brought my legs up to my chest as I leaned back on the couch with my arms wrapped around my knees and I sniffled gently as I blinked away the heavy tears in my eyes that I refused to let fall.
"Sophie?" a familiar voice asked gently as they pushed open the office door fully and I immediately straightened out my legs into sitting position as I rubbed my nose with the back of my hand.
"Jordan, hey." I greeted the deputy with a small forced smile as he came further into the room and my gaze instantly zeroed in on the coffee mug in his hand as he followed my looked with a soft smile.
"Here. For you." He told me as he placed the steaming mug of hot coffee into my hands and then sat down on the seat directly across from me as I smiled weakly in appreciation.
"Thank you." I murmured quietly as I brought the brim of the mug to my lips and took a generous sip of the bitter liquid as it warmed my insides instantly.
"The coffee was a bit of a bribe, actually." Jordan admitted almost sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck with a reluctant smile on his lips and I nodded in understanding as I set the mug down on the coffee table between us. "I need you to tell me what happened to Allison. I know that you've already been over it once, and I don't want to make you go through it again, but the other deputy is an idiot and I didn't record your answer."
"It's okay. That other guy, Deputy Haigh, I think? He's a total ass. I'd prefer to talk to you anyway."
"You got Haigh? I'm so sorry." He joked lightly with a smirk on his lips but I could tell that he was actually being serious and I let out a soft chuckle as I ducked my head slightly with a small quirk of my lips. I watched nervously as he pulled a tape recorder from his pocket and set it on the coffee table between us with an apologetic smile as he nodded at me to go on.
"Um, There were two guys, I think. I-I saw two. They were wearing masks over their faces. They opened the front doors, I saw –I saw something shiny in his hand. They wanted to the car. It all – it all happened so fast. I don't –I don't know. After – after it happened, Scott called her dad. I – I – I called the police. It all happened so fast." I practically whispered in a distraught voice as I hurried to wipe away a stray tear from my cheek and turned my head away with a sniffle as I avoided Jordan's sympathetic eyes.
"Okay. Thank you, Sophie." he stated softly as he reached over to turn off the tape recorder and I nodded absently with another sniffle as I tucked one knee up to my chin. "Hey, hey, you still have blood on your hands."
"Oh." I murmured under my breath as I looked down at the palm of my hand with a frown on my lips and Jordan stood up from his seat as he moved to crouch down next to the couch facing me.
"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up." he said quietly with a half-smile as he held out his hand for me to take and I slid my hand into his as he helped me to my feet before he lead me out of the office. I could feel some of the other deputies looking at us as we passed them but I kept my gaze firmly locked in front of us so that I didn't have to see the pity on their faces. "Right in here." Jordan told me gently as he turned me towards a closed door to the right and opened it for me with a smile as he guided me into a locker room before steering me towards a row of sink at the back of the room. I tried to avoid looking at any of the reflection surfaces in the locker room because I knew that I was probably a mess with my eyes red from crying and my hair chaotic from fighting the Oni back at Oak Creek. "There's blood on your shirt." Jordan murmured gently as he pointed at the centre of my shirt with a concerned frown and I glanced down at the blood soaked shirt in confusion as I gently touched the crusted surface.
"Oh."
"Hang on a second." He told me softly as he touched my elbow for a second before walking away to behind a set of lockers and I tilted my head to the side in confusion as I heard a quiet clanging of metal, making me cringe because it sounded so much like the Oni's swords. Jordan came around the corner with something black in his hands as I frowned at him in confusion and he smirked at me gently as he placed the material in my hands. "A clean shirt. Don't worry, I didn't randomly take it from a locker. It's mine."
"Thank you." I said to him with a small quirk of my lips as I unfolded the shirt to see a plain vee neck and then I looked back up at him expectantly as I quirked an eyebrow. "Can I have a second? I don't really want to strip in front of you."
"Right! Sorry." He stuttered slightly in embarrassment as a blushed crept its way up his neck and he spun around to face the other way as I chuckled under my breath. I quickly stripped out of my ruined shirt before discarding it onto the floor at my feet and pulling Jordan's borrowed clean shirt on over my head as I pulled my hair out of the ponytail so that it fell around my shoulders.
"Okay. You turn around now." I told him in a slightly amused tone as I straightened out the shirt nervously and he turned around to face me with a small smile as he nodded slightly. Jordan walked over to grab some paper towels as I jumped up onto the counter with my legs swinging slightly and he turned the tap on to wet them as I clasped my hands together in my lap. He strolled over to stand in front of me with the wet cloth as he gently took one of my hands in his and started cleaning the dried blood from the palm of my hand without a word.
"You don't have to do this." I said softly under my breath as I licked my lips nervously and he lifted his head up from my hand to offer me a small smile.
"I don't mind."
"Well, thank you. It's nice to know there are still gentlemen out there."
"We're few and far between." he replied jokingly with a smirk on his lips as he went back to cleaning in between my fingers and I let out a watery chuckle that quickly turned into a soft sob that I couldn't control. I closed my eyes tightly in embarrassment as I pulled my hand out of his and covered my mouth as a small whimper escaped my lips. I gripped the counter with one hand as I shook my head to myself and I felt a few stray tears running down my cheeks as I roughly brushed them away before Jordan could see. I hated breaking down in front of people, especially people that I didn't know. I wasn't meant to be this weak, and I wasn't meant to fragile. "Sophie?"
"I'm fine. I'm fine." I lied hoarsely as I used both hands to wipe the tears from my cheeks and I cleared my throat as tears continued to build in my eyes without my control.
"You're not fine."
"I am. I'm fine."
"Sophie…" he stated gently as he placed a hand on my shoulder with a small frown puckering his lips and a soft sob escaped my lips as I shook my head in denial that I wasn't anything but fine. I needed to be fine. I had to be fine. It wasn't just me that was sad and broken. I wasn't the only one whose life Allison affected.
"I – don't know who to comfort. Her dad? He's been through so much since they moved here. His sister died. His wife died. And now his daughter? His only daughter. Who deserves that much pain? Not Chris. He doesn't! I know him, and he doesn't deserve this. Do I comfort Scott? He used to date her, and she died in his arms, he – he loved her. But they weren't still together. She was with Isaac. So do I comfort him? or Lydia? Her best friend. They were best friends, like sisters! Who? Who do I comfort first?"
"Yourself. You comfort yourself, Sophie. She was your friend. You lost Allison too." Jordan reminded me softly as he rubbed my shoulder gently with a concerned frown and I felt my chest constrict at the mention of Allison's name as I sobbed louder with my cheeks strained with tears. I think that was when it actually hit me. I was never going to see Alison again. I was never going to hear her laugh. She was never going to tease me about my caffeine addiction or my Red Vine addiction. We would never go shopping together. I was never going to see Alison again. She was gone.
"She's gone. Allison's gone." I cried hysterically as I buried my head into my hands while I wept uncontrollably and Jordan immediately placed a hand on the back of my head as he guided me down to his shoulder with my hands clenching into fists in the front of his deputies shirt while he soothed my hair down.
I slammed the front door closed behind me as I stormed into the house, intent on getting changed and getting out of there as fast as I could. I needed to get a new shirt before meeting up with Scott and Lydia at the vet clinic to find a way to get rid of the Nogitsune. I ran up the stairs two at a time as I headed straight to my bedroom with a determined stride and I saw a darkened silhouette sitting on the edge of the my bed as I froze in the doorway with a startled gasp, until I realised who it was.
"Oh, my god, Aiden! You have to stop doing that!" I shouted at him in annoyance as I closed the door behind me with a slight glare but he just continued to stare blankly at his hands and I frowned in concern as I slowly started walking towards him. "Aiden?"
"I heard about Allison. I'm sorry." He whispered hoarsely without looked from the ground and I stilled for a moment in grief before I resumed walking towards him as my frowned deepened because he didn't sound quite like himself.
"Is that blood? Aiden!" I exclaimed in shocked worry as I covered my mouth with my hands when I caught sight of the dried blood staining his shirt and quickly rushed to stand in front of him as I grasped his shoulder gently with a frown. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm fine. I'm okay, Sophie." he assured me softly as he placed his hands on my waist when I stood between his legs and he looked up at me with an unfamiliar glint in his chocolate brown eyes as I blinked away tears of anxiety. Apparently, I was feeling a little more nervous about people's safety with Allison's death being so recent and I cupped my boyfriend's face with a frown as I silently inspected him for injuries.
"There's blood. Why is there blood?"
"Ethan and I had a little run in with some hunters. We both got shot with wolfsbane bullets but Derek got to us in time and burnt the poison out. We're fine. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" I asked him hastily as I carefully ran my hand down his sculpted chest to check for any wounds and he grabbed my wrists gently as he nodded his head in answer to his question. Aiden suddenly pushed my away from him slightly as he stared at my shirt with a frown on his lips and I frowned in confusion as I gripped his shoulders to stop myself from stumbling backwards.
"What are you wearing? Is that some other guys shirt?" he asked me abruptly with anger in his voice as his face pinched up in jealousy and I quirked an eyebrow at him with a small satisfied smirk on my lips as I rubbed his shoulders soothingly.
"It's one of the deputies that took my statement." I told him gently as I cupped the side of his face with one hand and his whole posture relaxed against my hand as he shook his head with a faint smirk on his lips. Tears sprung to my eyes as the reason that Jordan gave me the shirt suddenly came rushing back to me and I tightened my hold on his shoulder as he looked up at me in concern. "My shirt was covered in Allison' blood. I tried to stop the bleeding. I couldn't – I couldn't do it, Aiden. Even with my druid power."
"Sophie, you didn't do this. You tried to save her." Aiden soothed me gently as he reached up to hold the side of my neck and I nodded feebly with tears running down my cheeks as my lower lip trembled. I took a deep breath to calm myself down as I closed my eyes against the tears welling in my eyes and he rubbed his thumb over my hipbone soothingly as I opened my eyes with a small smile on my lips.
"I'm okay. I'll be okay. Thank you, baby."
"Anything for you, kitten."
"I hate when you call me that."
"No, you don't." he countered softly with a small smile as he guided my lips down to his and I responded to the kiss, eager for some human connection after what had happened. Aiden cupped my face gently in both of his hands as I leaned into him with a small moan and he took advantage of my open mouth to tangle out tongues together leisurely as I draped my arms over his shoulders. The butterflies in my stomach went completely wild as though they were getting swept up in a tornado and although it was a new sensation, it was one that I couldn't see myself get enough of. Aiden pulled back from the kiss with a small moan in the back of his throat as he rested his forehead against mine and then gently pecked me once more as he gently sucked on my lower lip teasingly before releasing it with a breathy chuckle. "I don't think I could ever get tired of that."
"Hmm. Me either. And as much as I want to continue this, I need to get changed." I told him reluctantly as I pressed my lips to his once more with a smirk and I gently squeezed his broad shoulder as I backed away from him with a smile. I strolled over to the open closet door as I stripped out of Jordan's shirt and I placed my hands on my hips as I looked over my clothes with a purse of my lips. "Hey, what are you doing anyway? Just checking on me?"
"Actually, I, um, I wanted to talk to you about something." Aiden admitted hesitantly as he scratched the back of his neck with a grimace and I quirked an eyebrow at him over my shoulder as I hummed in acknowledgement for him to continue before turning back to my closet. "I was going to try and convince you to leave town with me."
"Excuse me?!" I asked incredulously in a loud voice as I spun around to face him with my hands firmly planted on my hips and my eyes wide in disbelief as he slowly stood up from the edge of my bed with his hands up in surrender. "You want me to leave Beacon Hills? You want me to leave my friends, my family, in the middle of this?"
"Past tense! I used past tense, Sophie! I 'was going to'."
"That shows how little you know me!"
"I was going to try and convince you to run and hide. Like any sane person would do – "
"Oh, so now I'm not sane?!" I interrupted him angrily with a scowl on my lips as I stepped closer to him with narrowed eyes and he huffed in annoyance at the interruption as his jaw clenched with anger. I couldn't believe that he was even going to attempt to talk me into running away with everything going on around here. I could feel rage pooling in the pit of my stomach. Didn't he know me at all? I would never leave my friends and family when there were in trouble.
"I was going to convince you but then I talked to Derek – "
"The people who know I was leaving town before me included you, Derek and I'm guessing Ethan. Were you planning on telling me at some point or were you going club me over the head like a caveman, drag me off by my hair?"
"– And he said that we've had it wrong the whole time. You don't fight for a leader. You fight for a leader's cause." He continued as his voice rose to speak over me with a fiery glint in his chocolate brown eyes and I scrunched up in confusion as I tilted my head to the side with anger burning through my veins.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"Scott's always been about one thing. Saving his friends. He will do anything and everything to save the people he cares about. When there's no chance of winning, he keeps fighting. When all hope is lost, he finds another way. And when he's beaten down, he stands up again."
"Yeah, he does. I repeat, what the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"I was going to try and convince you to leave town with me. Allison's dead, Sophie. The Nogitsune killed her. Whose it say who it will kill next? This isn't a game! This isn't going to end well for any of us! I've seen so much blood and death with the Alpha pack. I saw countless people die, but I don't think I could handle the girl I love dying! What if it's you that – "
"Wait!" I shouted over him as I held out a hand with my lips pursed together and he immediately stopped talking as he glared at me heatedly on the other side of the bedroom. "What did you just say?"
"What?"
"Did you just say you love me?!" I shouted at him angrily as I blindly picked up the closest thing to me on the vanity table, which happened to a box of tissues, and I threw it at him as he gaped in shock while going back over his words. "You can't say you love me in the middle of a fight!" I cried at him furiously as the box reflected off his arm and he held up his hands in defence as I threw a hairbrush at him. "What is wrong with you?" I asked him in annoyance as I threw a picture frame at him and he caught it in his hand before it could hit him as I went to grab something else to throw but my hand was met with nothing. I let out a strangled groan as I ran a hand through my hair in frustration and I clamped my lips closed as I started pacing slightly in at the end of the bed. "You are the stupidest, most idiotic asshole on the planet! You do something to make me angry at you, act like a total behemoth, but then you go and say something so incredibly awesome that I can't be angry at you anymore!"
"Sorry?" Aiden questioned more than asked lamely as he looked at me with a befuddled expression on his handsome face and I stopped pacing with tears in my eyes as I planted my hands on my hips.
"Yeah, sorry!" I stated in a calmer voice than before but my breathing was still a little uneven as I stared at him and couldn't believe that this moment had been ruined for me. No one had ever told me they loved me, at least not in the romantic sense and now the moment was here but it was all messed up. "Say it again."
"What?"
"Say it again!" I ordered sternly as I looked at him pointedly with my head tilted to the side and his chocolate brown eyes widened in realisation as his lips twitched into a smile. There was a heavy moment of silence as I wrapped my arm around my stomach subconsciously and Aiden stepped forward until he was right in front of me with a gentle smile on his lips. He tipped my chin up to meet his eyes as I offered him a small smile with tears in my eyes and he reached down for my hand as he conjoined our hands before bring them up to his chest.
"I love you." he told me earnestly with a smile on his lips as he brought our joined his up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of my fingers as his eyes shined with such affection, love and happiness.
"I love you too." I said honestly as I nodded my head slowly numerous times in agreement with a smile on my lips and I couldn't contain the giggle that escaped my lips as I leaned up to press a kiss to Aiden's lips. "God, I love you."
"I love you, kitten."
"I still hate that."
"You love it, and you love me." he murmured softly with a slightly arrogant undertone in his voice as he slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against his body as my hands rested on his sculpted chest. I shook my head at him in amusement as I draped my arms over his shoulders with a smile on my lips and he grinned down at me as he slipped his hands down to my thighs before lifting me up so that my legs were wrapped around his waist. I shifted a little so that I was more comfortable as I pressed my lips to his passionately and basked in the elated feeling of love that was surrounding the two of us in the little bubble of perfection we'd created for a moment.
Scott, Lydia and I met up at the Animal Clinic to talk to Deaton about the Nogitsune after I had gotten changed into Mela Burgundy Lace Belted Skater Dress and BCBGeneration "Luca" Suede Bootie with my brunette hair in a ponytail.
"Stiles and Kira said it was the Nemeton that kept it trapped." Scott explained to Deaton as we walked into the back room of the clinic and I linked my arm through Lydia's as the strawberry blonde kept her eyes downcast.
"The problem is this isn't even a person you're fighting. It just looks like one. It's a spirit that's taken the shape of a human." Deaton reminded us firmly as he stopped next to the metal examination table with a frown and Scott sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"The shape of my best friend."
"Someone caught it once. Someone can do it again, right?" Lydia asked in a small hopeful voice as she clung to my arm like a small child and I cringed slightly when her nails dug into my skin but didn't say anything because I think she needed a therapeutic outlet for her grief.
"I don't know. This thing was trapped a long time ago, before the Nemeton was cut down." the emissary said apologetically with a frown etched on his lips and I almost groaned out loud in realisation as I closed my eyes momentarily.
"It doesn't have the same power anymore." I murmured quietly with a shake of my head as I tilted my head to the side and Scott looked at me with an eyebrow raised as Deaton nodded in agreement. "Is there anything that does?"
"Possibly. When the tree was whole, its wood was sometimes used to contain powerful objects. But those objects are very rare."
"Wait a second. Powerful objects? Like an Alpha's claws?" Lydia asked suddenly as she perked up with a mystified look in her pretty green eyes and I frowned at her in concern as I rubbed her arm gently.
"Which Alpha?" I asked her curiously as she turned to look at me with wide eyes and she licked her lips nervously as she glanced at the ground before meeting me eyes determinedly.
"Talia Hale. Peter had them in this wooden box with a triskele carved on the lid. What if it was made from the Nemeton?"
"It was." Deaton stated sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck with a frown and I took a deep breath to steady myself after the shock of hearing Talia's name as I turned to my mentor.
"How do you know?" I asked him urgently with a frown as I placed a hand on my head and he grimaced slightly with a guilty frown on his lip as he looked between the three of us.
"Because I made it."
"Okay, well, Derek still has the triskele box at his loft. I'm going to call him to meet us." I said under my breath as I reached for my cell phone out of bra but then a thought occurred to me and I looked over at my brother with a frown on my lips as I tilted my head to the side. "Where are we going to meet him?"
"Um, at the school? Yeah, tell to meet us at the school. It's big and empty this late at night." Scott told me decisively as he nodded his head once and I nodded back at him as I dialled Derek's number from memory.
"Hello? Sophie?" Derek greeted me over the phone as I held the phone up to my ear and walked over to the side of the room for the illusion of privacy.
"Hey, do you still have the triskele box your mother's claws were in?" I asked him abruptly without pleasantries because we were in a bit of a hurry to put the Nogitsune bastard back into his box and literally leave him in a hole to die.
"Yeah. Peter has it here at the loft. Why?"
"The wood it's made from is from Nemeton. We need the box to trap the Nogitsune. Don't even think about saying no or I will maim you, Derek Hale!"
"Of course we can use it! Where do you want to meet?
"The said that it's big and empty this late at night so there less likely chance of someone getting hurt. Well, any ordinary person getting hurt."
"The twins and I will meet you there. Be careful, Sophie." Derek warned me sternly through the phone line as I smiled softly at his words despite the situation and wrapped my free arm around my stomach as I ducked my head.
"I'm always careful. You better be careful too, Hale, or you'll have me to deal with and you know I'm much more terrifying than any Japanese demon."
"I believe that."
"Good." I said in satisfaction with a small smirk on my lips as I hung up the phone and turned back to the others that were pretending not to listen to the conversation. "Derek's got the triskele box. He's gonna meet us."
"Okay, let's go." Scott said as he nodded in understanding with his lips pressed into a straight line and Lydia stumbled backwards with her eyelids fluttering as my brother reached out to catch her before she could fall. "What's wrong?"
"Something's happening. I had this sudden rushing feeling, like we're running out of time." Lydia explained in a small voice as I rushed over to her side with a concerned frown on my lips and she clung to my arm as she stared at Scott with wide green eyes filled with fear.
"Yeah. Yeah, I kind of got that feeling, too." I heard Stiles agree from the doorway behind us as I spun around and saw him leaning against the doorway with Kira helping him stand up straight. He was paler than usual with dark rings under his eyes and his breathing was laboured as his shivered uncontrollably.
"You don't look so good." I stated bluntly as I quirked an eyebrow at him with a frown puckering my lips and he scoffed at me as he rolled his eyes in annoyance but chuckled drily anyway. "So, to the school?"
"Let's go." Scott ordered us all as he started walking towards the door with a determined expression and I grabbed Lydia' hand as we followed my brother out into the car park where Stiles' light blue jeep was parked. Scott jumped into the driver's seat as Stiles partially stumbled into the passenger side and all of us girls climbed into the backseat as my brother started the car. The whole ride to the school was filled with an uncomfortable tense silence as I clasped Lydia's hand in mine, trying to offer her and myself as much comfort as possible when none would ever be enough. It was times like this that I was glad I was so close with the sheriff because we were definitely going over the speed limit and getting a speeding ticket would be a bitch in the middle of everything else we had to deal with. We pulled to a stop outside the school with a screeched as Scott slammed on the brakes and we all climbed out of the jeep with Stiles practically tumbling out of the car onto the railing until Lydia rushed over to help him. He draped his arm over her shoulders as she wrapped an arm around his waist and they started following Scott, Kira and I over to the heavy double doors at the front of the school.
"Scott, hold on." Stiles said abruptly as he came to a stop at the closed doors and we all turned to face him with expectant expressions as he sighed heavily in defeat. "I know what you're all thinking. If this works, it might kill me, too. But even if it does, you have to go through with it. Stick with the plan, okay?"
"The plan is to save you. That's the plan I'm going with." Scott declared passionately with fiery determination in his dark brown eyes as he glanced at me momentarily and I nodded in absolute agreement as Stiles pursed his lips like he was stopping himself from continuing to argue. My brother pushed open the double doors easily as I stepped up next to him and I let out a startled gasp as I looked around at what was definitely not the high school hallway. I walked further into the snow covered courtyard with my mouth open in bewilderment as I looked around at the almost idyllic scene and I noticed that it had a Japanese feel to the trees and structures.
"Oh, this is definitely not part of the plan." I stated nonchalantly as I shook my head slightly in wonder and we all walked further into the courtyard as the door slammed behind us with a loud bang, making us all jump slightly in shock. I head a shuffling sound coming from behind us as I frowned and turned around slowly to see the bandaged wrapped man that had materialised out of our floor hobbling into view in a bomber jacket with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. I stepped in front of Lydia and Stiles protectively as I narrowed my eyes at him and Kira pulled out her katana with a determined expression as she held it out defensively.
"Like I promised, Stiles. We're going to kill all of them. One by one." The Nogitsune declared loudly in a raspy gruff voice that actually made me cringe slightly but I kept my face completely blank as four Oni materialised out of nowhere and formed a loose circle around us like we were caged animals.
"What the hell is this? Where are we?" Scott asked incredulously as he looked around the snow-covered before turning steely gaze back to the Nogitsune and I fumbled blindly behind me for Stiles' hand to reassure myself that he was still there.
"Between life and death."
"Bardo." I stated in realisation as I squeezed Stiles hand gently in comfort and I stiffened as the Nogitsune turned to look at me with its head cocked to the side.
"But there are no peaceful deities here, Sophie." he announced in an amused voice as he raised a hand in the air and he stalked forward with clumsy rigid steps as I stepped back towards to Stiles'. "You're dying, Stiles. And now everyone you care about is dying, too."
"What? What do you mean?" Stiles asked softly with a frown on his lips as he shifted his weight nervously and the Nogitsune snapped his head up jerkily to look at him with what could be described a predatory smile.
"I've captured almost all of the territories on the board, Stiles. The hospital. The sheriff's station. And now the animal clinic. Do you know the ritual of seppuku, Stiles?"
"No, and I don't want to."
"I bet Sophie knows." The Nogitsune stated tauntingly as his head tilted to the side oddly and I felt everyone's eyes on me as I licked my lips nervously without taking my eyes off the Nogitsune.
"It's when a samurai disembowels himself with his own sword to maintain his honour, but that's not the cut that kills him." I explained easily in a soft voice as I glanced over my shoulder at Stiles with a frown and then I turned my attention back to the Nogitsune as it shuffled forward slowly with the same irregular movements.
"The killing stroke is made by his kaishakunin, who beheads the samurai with his own katana. Scott... Scott is your kaishakunin. I'm going to make your best friend kill you, Stiles. And you're going to let him. Because just like you, they're all going to die. Everyone touched by an Oni's blade. Unless Scott kills you first."
"Why? Why are you doing this?" Stiles asked him in a harsh whisper as he stared at the Nogitsune unwaveringly when the he hobbled over to stand directly in front of him.
"To win the game." The Nogitsune admitted in a gruff whisper as the Oni all readied their katana's and the five of us all jumped in surprise as Scott and I shifted into our wolf forms and Kira positioned her sword at the ready.
"Lydia, Stiles, hide! Now!" I ordered sternly as I pushed them towards one of the snow-covered water fountains and I quickly dodged one of the Oni's blades as they scampered away to hide. I spun around with my claws out as I slashed at one of the Oni's chests and I kicked its legs out from under it as it stumbled forward. The Oni turned back to me with its sword already swinging and I ducked down out of the way as I internally cursed myself for wearing heels. The Oni came at me swinging the katana as I held up my arms to block each strike with my forearms and I spun out of the way of one very aggressive chop as I backed up into the middle of the courtyard, back to back with Kira and Scott as the four Oni circled us.
"How is this happening? How are we in this place?" Scott asked us breathlessly in a rush with a hint of panicked in his voice and I let out a grunt as I kicked one of the Oni straight in the middle of its chest.
"You're asking me? A month ago, I'd never even touched a sword." Kira reminded him quickly with a frown on her lips as she tightened her hold on the katana and I shot an unamused look over my shoulder at them as I tried to regulate my breathing.
"I was asking Sophie!"
"I don't know! Let me ask my freaking crystal ball!" I spat at him sarcastically as I blocked another hit from the Oni with a disgruntled cry and I quickly aimed a punched to the side of its head as I spun away from the sharp end of the blade. I spun out of the way of its sword as I dropped to the ground and swing my leg around to trip it so that it stumbled forward as I jumped back to my feet. Another one of the Oni jumped at me as I slashed at its chest with my claws and I leaned backwards so that my back was nearly parallel with the ground as I avoided another Oni's blade. I back flipped over so that my feet kicked the Oni in the head as I landed on my feet upright and I let out a small grunt as I slammed my elbow backwards into the Oni's stomach. I saw something moving in my peripheral vision as I spun around with wide eyes to see Kira being held at sword point with no katana in her hand and I felt my blood run cold as I stepped forward helplessly.
"Stiles, no!" I heard Scott shout loudly on the other side of the courtyard and I spun around to see Stiles holding Kira's fallen katana against his stomach with a determined expression.
"Stiles." I murmured in horror as I stared at him with wide eyes and Lydia stumbled towards him with fear completely washing over her pretty face.
"What if it saves you? What if it saves all of you?" Stiles asked us in a steely voice as his hands shook on the hilt of the sword and I shook my head mutely in denial as I partial stumbled forward so that I was next to my brother.
"What if it's just another trick?" Lydia asked him in a high-pitched shriek as she looked at him pleadingly and he glanced at her quickly as both their heart rates skyrocketed.
"No more tricks, Lydia." The Nogitsune declared lowly in his menacing voice as I snapped my head up to look at him with wide eyes and Lydia pressed her lips into a thin line as Scott slipped his hand into mine for comfort. "End it, Scott. Let your friend fall on his own sword. Do for him what he cannot do for himself. Do it, Scott. Be his kaishakunin."
"No! Stiles, don't let him in your head!" I urged him desperately with tears in my eyes as I shook my head and he looked at me quickly while licking his lips nervously as his hands shook before he turned his attention to the blade of the sword. There was a tense moment of silence as we all stared at our friend pleadingly and I could feel my hope dropping by the second.
"Give up the game. You have no moves left."
"I do. A divine move." Stiles announced suddenly in a firm voice as he threw the sword back to Kira, who caught it easily and I gaped in hopeful confusion as I watched Stiles face the Nogitsune without flinching. Lydia let out a startled gasp as she latched herself onto Stiles side with relief sigh now that he wasn't putting himself in danger and I had to smile a little despite the less than desirable circumstance. "Stop fighting them. It's an illusion. You have to stop fighting them. It looks real and it feels real, but Scott, Sophie, you gotta trust me, it's an illusion."
"An illusion?" I asked under my breath as I immediately relaxed the defensiveness that was still in my stance and Scott turned to face the Nogitsune as the four Oni lined up in a gauntlet in front of the double doors that led out. I shifted back into human form as my brother turned to face me with a frown and I quirked an eyebrow at him in question as Kira moved over to stand next to us cautiously.
"Together?" Scott asked me with a hopeful tint in his voice as he held out his hand for me to take and I smiled at him half-heartedly as I placed my hand into his gratefully.
"Together."
"Let's go." He murmured quietly as he linked our fingers together and we started walking towards the Oni with determined strides. Scott stepped through the line-up first as the Oni slashed at him with their katanas and I internally made the comparison of Christ going through the gauntlet on his way to Calvary as the Oni's sword cut through my stomach. I let out a painful cry as I continued through the line-up behind Scott with Kira trailing after me and I felt a sharp burning pain as the blades of all the Oni sliced through me. I felt each and every scrap of the metal blade as I stumbled slightly and I tried to block out the pain, telling myself that this needed to be done, that this would lead to happily ever after when I wasn't sure it would. My hand was pulled out of my brother's as I stumbled back in pain and I squeezed my eyes closed tightly as I pressed forward towards the doors. Scott let out a small cry of pain as he grabbed the Nogitsune by the shoulder as he rammed open the heavy double doors and we all emerged into the normal school hallway. I gasped out loud in shock as I immediately felt my stomach for any of the wounds I had sustained but there wasn't even any blood on my dress.
"My dress isn't ruined!" I exclaimed happily as I looked up at my friends with a smile on my lips and they all let out breathy laughs as we looked around the empty hallway.
"We're okay. We're – "Scott started to say in relief but he was cut off by the Nogitsune in Stiles' form slamming him into the metal lockers and I cried out in surprise as I spun around while stumbling backwards. Kira started to lift her sword in defence but the Nogitsune offered her a smirk before pushing her into the opposite set of lockers and I grabbed Stiles' arm as I dragged him and Lydia, who was still clinging to him backwards with me down the hallway.
"This was my game. You think you can beat me at my game?" the Nogitsune asked us in a slightly ominous voice as he narrowed his eyes and I saw his eyes twitched in a very 'Stiles-like' manner as he started stalking towards us threateningly. "Divine move. Divine move. You think you have any moves at all? You can kill the Oni. But me? Me? I'm a thousand years old. YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"
"But we can change you." Lydia reminded him in a rush as the three of us scrambled backwards down the hallway and I stood in front of them slightly as the Nogitsune stopped coming towards us with a slightly confused expression.
"What?"
"You forgot about the scroll. The Shugendo scroll." I said smugly with a confident smirk on my lips as I tilted my head to the side and his eyes widened slightly in remembrance as he suddenly looked nervous for the first time.
"Change the host." He whispered in a strangled voice as he flinched at the words and I licked my lips nervously as I nodded in ascent that he was correct.
"You can't be a fox and a wolf." Stiles stated harshly with a heated glare as he nodded subtly and Scott suddenly jumped up from behind the Nogitsune as his clawed hand landed on his shoulder before he bit his arm. The Nogitsune shouted loudly as he flailed slightly in my brother's grasp before Scott let him go and I felt my eyes widened as Kira pierced her katana through his chest for good measure. The lights in the hallway flickered as Kira pulled the sword out with wide eyes and the Nogitsune stumbled forward as he collapsed onto his knees in front of us with a stricken expression. He gagged slightly as a fly escaped his mouth and I followed its movements with my eyes as it flew down the hallway until Isaac appeared out nowhere. The Beta captured the fly in the triskele urn as he screwed the lid back on and I felt the whole thing was a little anticlimactic as I let out a small sigh. The Nogitsune's host body suddenly started jerking about in near impossible movements as it turned a sickly grey colour and then it froze as it started to crack like broken glass, until it crumbled into pieces and dissolved into black smoke. I stepped backwards in shock as my mouth fell open slightly and I felt Stiles shift next to me so I looked over at him in concern as he blinked rapidly before collapsing onto the floor.
"Stiles!" Lydia and I both shouted in alarm as we knelt down at his side and I listened for the tell-tale sign of his heart beating in his chest as Scott and Kira knelt on his other side with concerned expressions. Stiles eyelids started to flutter as he let out a loud gasp and we all leaned forward expectantly as his eyes slowly opened.
"Oh, God, I fainted, didn't I?" Stiles asked quietly with a frown as he looked around at all of us in embarrassment and I let out a small chuckle as I leant against Lydia's side as she giggled in relief with a grin. "We're alive. We all alive?"
"Yeah. We're okay." Scott told him sadly with a tiny smile on his lips as I slouched in my position and blinked back tears at the thought of Allison as I attempted a reassuring smile for my adoptive brother. Lydia stiffened next to me as she slowly turned her head to the double doors behind us with a frown on her lips and her pretty green eyes widened as she stood up from her crouch without looking away from the doors.
"Lyds? You okay?" I asked her in concern as I stood up next to her with a frown and I gently placed a hand on her elbow as she spun around to look at me with wide green eyes filled with tears.
"Sophie…" Lydia murmured sadly as a single tear ran down her cheek and I looked at her in confusion for a moment before realisation hit me like a freight train. Someone was dying and she could feel it.
"Oh, my god." I breathed out in panic as I pushed passed her and started running towards the double doors quickly as I ignored the people behind me who were calling my name. I had no idea who I was running to, but I knew I needed to get there as fast as I could. Lydia hadn't said who it was she thought was dying, but the way she spoke my name made I think it was someone close to me. Derek? Aiden? Chris? Isaac? Ethan? None of those answers were acceptable to me.
"Does it hurt you as much as it hurts me?" I heard Aiden ask someone faintly in the distance as I ran into the cold night air and I felt my entire body freeze as though I had done drenched in ice cold water.
"No, no, no." I repeated over and over again under my breath as I pushed myself to run faster and started to blur my vision but I ignored them as I sprinted towards the cement tunnel behind the school where their voices were coming from.
"Yeah." I heard Ethan answer his brother's question in a heartbroken voice and that was when it really hit me, hearing Ethan cry over his twin brother.
"It's okay. Sophie didn't really believe I was one of the good guys anyway."
"She'll believe me." I heard Derek tell him softly as I came to the top of the cement stairs leading down to the tunnel and I saw Aiden sitting in the middle of the tunnel with Ethan on one side, Derek on the other and Chris standing behind them.
"Aiden!" I screamed loudly in horror as I ran down the stairs and Derek looked over his shoulder at me as I rushed over to them with tears streaming down my cheeks. I moved my feet towards them urgently, but it felt like I was moving through thick syrup and I couldn't get there fast enough but at the same time I didn't want to ever get there. As I got closer to them, I could see the dark red blood staining Aiden's lips and chin as both he and Ethan cried and I skidded to a stop on my knees next to them as I eyed the blood stain on his shirt with horror. "No, no, no. no! Oh, my god."
"Sophie…" Aiden whispered softly with a small smile on his blood stained lips and I shook my head rapidly in denial as I brushed my hair out of my face with both hands. I placed my hands over the wound on his stomach as I focused my True Druid powers on healing the wound but I couldn't feel the energy around my hands like I normally would and I frowned deeply as I concentrated harder on trying to find the life energy that connected all of us.
"Come on, come on, come on." I murmured to myself angrily as I wiped the tears away from my cheek with one of my blood covered hands before placing it back over the laceration.
"Sophie…" Ethan whispered brokenheartedly as he placed his hand over mine to stop me from continuing and I looked up at his tear strained face almost pleadingly as he curled his hand around mine.
"It's okay. It's okay." Aiden told us in a dejected voice as I glanced up at him with tears streaming down my cheeks and I cupped his cheek in my hand as tried to make myself stop crying by pressing my lips into a line. Ethan rested his forehead against his brother's temple as he sobbed inconsolably and I took one of Aiden's hands in mine as I placed my forehead on his shoulder while we both cried mournfully.
"I love you." I whispered honestly in a broken voice as I picked my head up from his shoulder and I cupped his handsome face in my hands gently as I offered him a small smile. It was true. I had never been in love before, but I knew that I definitely was in love with Aiden. There was a Danish word for the euphoria you experience when you are first falling in love, forelsket and that was a very apt way to explain what I was feeling. I suppose you fall in love with the most unexpected people at the most unexpected time.
"I love you too"
"It wasn't supposed to be like this."
"I know. I know, kitten." He agreed instantly with a sad smile on his lips as I let out a breathy laugh and Ethan sat up slightly on Aiden's other side with a sniffle as I pressed a lingering kiss to my boyfriend's temple.
"I love when you call me that." I admitted softly with my lips brushing his ear as I giggled slightly under my breath and he let out a breathy chuckle as he turned his head slightly so that my forehead was leaning against his.
"Knew it." he said smugly in a weak voice as I closed my eyes with a small smile on my lips and I laid my head on his shoulder with a small sob escaping my lips. At the beginning of the year, I would never have thought I would be here with a guy that I was in love with. Even when I first meet Aiden, I never would have imagined actually falling in love with him, but I guess falling in love is like the rain. You can't predict it, but you can always see a sign of it before it completely falls.
"Take care of her." Aiden said softly as I looked up at him in confusion but his chocolate brown eyes were gazing over my shoulder and I turned my head to see Derek still kneeling next to me with tears in his light green eyes.
"I will." Derek promised him quietly as he nodded his head sagely and I let out a disbelieving noise in the back of my throat as I turned my attention back to my boyfriend. Aiden made a pained noise as I grasped one of his hands in both of mine and Ethan leaned his forehead back on his brother's temple as he shushed him quietly. Aiden's eyes fluttered closed as he coughed slightly with a grimace and I pressed my lips to his hand with a soft sob as Ethan rocked back and forth slightly with his eyes closed. I scrunched my face up to stop myself from bursting into tears as I gently grazed my fingertips down his cheek and his lips quirked up in a small smile as he sucked in a shaky deep breath.
Thump, thump, thump, thum –
Ethan's face completely crumbled brokenheartedly as he sobbed inconsolably against his brother's shoulder and I gasped sorrowfully as tears poured from my eyes unashamedly. Aiden's handsome face was blank of emotion but there was a peacefulness etched on his features and Ethan slowly lowered his twin to the ground without removing his forehead from his chest. My whole body was wracked with devastated sobs as I covered my hands over my mouth and I felt Derek sit down behind me with me in between his legs as he pulled me back into his chest. I buried my head into his chest as I cried wretchedly against him and he soothed my hair back with his arms wrapped around my head as I stared at Aiden's ashen face.
He was gone. Aiden was gone.
R.I.P
Aiden
Brother. Friend. Lover. Fighter.
Hero.
Ah! Done!
Please don't hate me, Saiden lovers!
God, I hope I didn't screw this up. It was such an important chapter, slash, episode.
Review for me!