Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf or Once Upon a Time.
Note: Timeline-wise, the present-day scenes in this chapter take place during OUAT Episode 1x20, "The Stranger," while the flashback scenes are based on the flashbacks from OUAT Episodes 1x21 and 1x22, "An Apple Red as Blood" and "A Land Without Magic." I decided to do that for two reasons: one, because the themes of those flashbacks line up pretty well with the present-day content of this chapter; and two, because I wanted to get the rest of Season 1's canon flashbacks out of the way early, as, without giving anything away… let's just say that the flashbacks in the three remaining chapters after this one will not merely be adapted versions of canon flashbacks.
So, with that out of the way, let's get started!
Chapter 14: Beacon Hills
In the Enchanted Forest, many years ago…
Jack Frost was perched in the low branches of a large pine tree, gazing up at the distant outline of King George's castle. His eyes narrowed, taking in the movements of the guards atop the castle's outer wall, before he stepped off the branch and dropped effortlessly to the ground below, landing lightly on his feet.
"Well, there are plenty of guards on the walls," he observed as he touched down beside Snow White, who was also looking up at the walls with a telescope. "This isn't going to be easy."
"Indeed," Snow agreed with a frown. "If we're going to get him out, we'll have to get over that wall, but it's like there's a soldier on every parapet."
The Widow Lucas nodded in agreement, from where she and the seven dwarves were crouched in the bushes around them. "We're definitely going to need air support," she murmured.
"I can take care of that," Jack promised, letting a small gust of cold air flow around one of his hands, before he frowned as he looked back up at the walltop. "But… I'm not sure if I'll be able to take all of those guys out by myself. Not without some of them raising the alarm, anyway."
"I think I can get you some backup," Grumpy offered. "I know somebody who could give us some extra air support… and luckily, she owes me a favor."
The sound of soft footsteps approaching drew their attention over to the bushes to their left: the dwarves raised their crossbows, but lowered them a moment later as Red emerged from the shadows, dressed in her cloak and hood. "Relax, it's just me," she assured them, leaning in to kiss Jack softly on the lips before sitting down beside Snow.
Jack did the same, but stopped short and licked his lips, tasting something odd. "Ah… Red?" he questioned, arching an eyebrow as he looked over at her.
Red glanced up at him and blinked. "Yes?"
Grumpy followed Jack's gaze, and his eyes widened a bit. "Uh, Red, you've got a little something on your…" he muttered, indicating a dark red stain on Red's lips and chin.
"I… Oh!" Red blushed as realization hit and quickly wiped away the blood (which had obviously been left over from her wolf form), looking down sheepishly. "Sorry, I forgot about that. A couple of soldiers tried to stop me on my way back, and I had to…"
Jack chuckled softly and shook his head, smiling at her. "It's okay, Red. Don't worry, you don't have to apologize."
"So, what were you able to find out?" Snow inquired. Since Red's human form was the least visually-distinctive member of Snow's allies – not a particularly tall order, as the others were an elderly woman with a crossbow, a pack of dwarves, and a boy with pure-white hair and unnaturally-bright blue eyes – she had volunteered to carry out a scouting mission in the nearby village, hoping to catch some of King George's off-duty soldiers so they could get some information on the situation in the castle.
"Well, the good news is, the prince is still alive," Red explained. Jack couldn't help but notice, though, that she was frowning when she said it.
"Then… why don't you look happy?" Snow questioned warily, having clearly had the same thoughts.
Red's frown deepened. "Because the bad news is that apparently, the Queen is here, for some sort of meeting with King George. And one person I talked to claimed that she's negotiating with him, trying to have the prince transferred into her custody instead."
Snow scowled. "Of course. She knew I'd come for him."
"And she's planning on using him as bait," Jack surmised. Widow Lucas nodded in agreement.
"Indeed." Snow contemplated for a moment, before shaking her head. "But it matters not. Whoever has him in their custody, I can't stop now. I'll understand if any of you want to turn back, though." She glanced back to the rest of the group, looking for anyone who might take her up on that, but when no one did, she let out a soft, relieved sigh. "Very well, then. In that case, there's no time to waste. Let's get to it!"
About an hour later, the attack began. Red circled around the castle in her wolf form, quietly picking off any guards who were outside of the building, while Jack and the dwarves followed Snow up to the wall. As soon as they heard her let out an echoing howl to signal that the coast was clear, they went into action.
"Okay, Jack," Snow whispered. "You're up!"
"Your wish is my command," Jack quipped. Grinning, he kicked off the ground and shot into the air as easily as a bird, soaring effortlessly up to the battlements of the castle's outer wall like an arrow from a bow. As he did, a shower of glowing snow cascaded down in his wake, solidifying into ice with a flick of his wrist and coalescing into a staircase that led from the ground all the way up to the top of the wall.
The soldiers patrolling the walltop were caught completely off-guard. As soon as Jack's staircase was complete, he leapt onto the wall and bounded straight for the nearest guards. He didn't waste time with fighting, as he didn't want them to raise any alarms: instead, one powerful swing of his staff sent a hurricane-force blast of icy wind howling down the walkway atop the wall, sweeping the guards off their feet and launching them clear off the wall, before allowing them to plummet to the ground far below.
As Snow and the others raced up the ice stairs to the top of the wall, Jack grinned and sent a burst of glowing blue magic racing skyward, which was quickly accompanied by a flaming arrow from one of the dwarves. That combined light show was the signal to the rest of their allies: the Blue Fairy and a dozen of her servants, who dove out of the clouds and sped down towards the castle.
With all of them working together, the fall of King George's castle was almost anticlimactic. Those guards who weren't frozen in place by Jack or knocked out by precisely-aimed explosions of fairy powder were cut down by Snow and the dwarves, who felled any soldier who dared to come at them head-on. And once Jack opened one of the castle gates and Red came bounding inside in the form of a giant wolf, any further resistance from the survivors vanished. King George himself was nowhere in sight, however, which didn't feel like a good sign.
As soon as the last guards had either fallen or surrendered, Snow was on the move again, rushing into the castle proper and making her way down to King George's dungeons, with Jack right behind her to make sure no one else got in the way. Sure enough, as soon as they entered the dungeon, Jack spotted Prince Charming in the last cell of the dungeon, slumped against the wall.
"Charming!" Snow called out, racing down the length of the hall to her prince's cell. Looking around for a moment, she finally found a ring of keys and set to work on unlocking the cell door, while Jack kept a wary eye out for any soldiers that might be lurking down there.
"Snow," Charming breathed, his eyes wide in amazement. But Jack could also see a note of defeat there, and his suspicions were confirmed when, as the cell door swung open, he and Snow were faced not with the real prince, but with an oversized mirror containing merely an image of Charming.
The prince nodded grimly in response to their unanswered question. "The Queen's taken me to her palace," he explained. "She's using some sort of magic so I can see and communicate through these mirrors… but as far as I can tell, there's no way for me to escape." He placed one hand against the glass, and Snow mirrored the gesture, her eyes already welling up with tears.
Jack scowled, running his fingers through his hair. "Damn it all…" he muttered. Letting the couple have their moment, he turned away and didn't pay much attention to their words after that, until he felt a ripple of magic pass through the air around them, and turned just in time to see Charming's image melt away and disappear from view… to be replaced by the face of Regina, the Evil Queen.
Jack's scowl deepened and he tensed up, ice crackling in one hand as he prepared for a potential attack even though there were no enemies physically in the room. He didn't know the Evil Queen all that well, but he did know that trickery and deception were areas where she excelled.
"My apologies," the Queen drawled, "but I simply had to put a stop to that. I have no interest in clearing saliva off of my mirrors."
"Let him go," Snow ordered, her voice flat and her eyes cold. "Your fight is with me, not him."
"My thoughts exactly." The Queen's eyes glittered, just as icy as Snow's. "Have you ever heard of a parley, my dear Snow? Let's break off all this messy fighting and have a little talk, just you and me. Unarmed, no sneaky little tricks." Her eyes gleamed. "Do we have a deal?"
Jack sent an anxious glance Snow's way, but his old friend never even flinched. "Where should I meet you?" she replied flatly.
The Queen raised an eyebrow briefly, but then she nodded and her cruel smirk returned. "Where it all began," she replied. Then the glass pulsed with purple light again, and her image was gone as the mirror reverted back to normal. Jack and Snow were left standing alone in the darkened dungeon, with no sound except for the soft creaking of the half-open cell door.
Jack took a slow step forward, to stand next to Snow. "What are you going to do?" he inquired softly.
Snow's expression didn't waver. "Whatever I have to," she replied matter-of-factly, before turning and leading the way back out of the dungeon.
In Beacon Hills…
It had taken a full day for Jackson to make it from Storybrooke to Beacon Hills. After driving for over two hours to reach Boston, he'd returned his rental car and spent several hours waiting at the airport for his flight to San Francisco, which had ended up being overnight. Dozing off and on through the flight, he'd done his best to shut everything out of his mind, but his sleep was filled with vivid, swirling dreams that slipped away as soon as he woke up. He was utterly exhausted when he finally stumbled off the plane in San Francisco, and had to take a nap in an unoccupied area of the airport terminal for a couple of hours before he could function properly.
After that, another rental car and a few more hours' drive passed in a blur, and before Jackson even realized it, he crossed the town line of Beacon Hills. He'd only been away for about six months, but it felt like a lifetime. Although everything looked the same, on some level it all seemed strange and unfamiliar, not at all like the town he remembered.
Jackson had considered driving past his family's old house, or possibly checking in on Lydia or Scott, but he ultimately decided against it. In his current state, he wasn't in any condition to go roaming around town: he needed some rest before he'd be up for that. Instead, he headed straight for Danny's house, easily navigating the streets of Beacon Hills even in his drowsy state. He'd been to Danny's place so many times that it was almost muscle-memory at this point.
And then, sure enough, there he was. He pulled up in front of the familiar house and parked at the curb, popping open the door and clambering out with a weary sigh. Fetching his suitcase from the trunk, he locked the car and started up the driveway, but the door opened before he got there.
"Jackson!" Danny Mahealani beamed as he swept out of the house and pulled Jackson into a bear-hug, clapping him on the back. While Jackson wasn't normally the physically-affectionate type except with a partner, he hugged Danny back, feeling a surge of relief coming over him. It had been six months since the last time he'd seen his best friend in person, and he was only now realizing how much he'd missed everyone here.
"It's so good to see you, man!" Danny was still grinning as he stepped back, before he chuckled as he took in the slump of Jackson's shoulders. "Oh, man, that flight must've been a killer, huh?"
"No kidding," Jackson deadpanned, rubbing his eyes. "I'm gonna need to sleep for a week after that."
"Well, don't worry, I already got the couch set up for you," Danny returned with a laugh as he took Jackson's suitcase. "C'mon: let's get you settled in, and then we can catch up once you've gotten some sleep."
Jackson wearily returned his friend's smile as he followed him inside. "Sounds good to me."
In Storybrooke…
August Booth sat on his bed at the inn, lost in thought. The distant sound of birds chirping echoed into his room, but he barely heard them. His mind was consumed with a constant stream of thoughts and plans, trying to answer one simple question.
What am I supposed to do now?
Despite his efforts so far, it was clear that Emma didn't believe yet, and the curse would never be broken if she didn't. He'd hoped that Rumplestiltskin could help him, but his attempt to gain the Dark One's assistance had failed miserably. His attempt to convince Jack – or Jackson, as he was now calling himself – had been a failure as well. August still had no idea how Jack had somehow managed to lose his memories, since as far as he could remember the winter spirit shouldn't have been caught in the curse, but he didn't have time to try and figure that out. He'd done all he could there: maybe reading Henry's fairy-tale book would help to jog some more of Jackson's suppressed memories, and maybe it wouldn't, but he'd decided that it was worth a try. That was why he'd taken the risk of giving the book to Jackson instead of returning it to the sheriff's station, on the off chance that it might pay off.
But for the moment, at least, the fact was that nobody else – not Jackson, not Mr. Gold, not even Henry – seemed to be capable of getting through to Emma. August genuinely believed that he could convince her, because the revelation that he was the one who'd been with her when she was brought into the orphanage should hopefully convince her that he was telling the truth… but deep down, he wasn't totally sure if it would be enough.
But I have to try. August nodded firmly, focusing on that conviction as he rubbed his aching leg. For Jack, for my father, for everyone in this town… and for Emma herself, after I failed her all those years ago… I have to try.
A knock on the door drew him out of his thoughts. Rising to his feet with a wince as he felt a pulse of pain in his sore leg, he limped across the room and opened the door, to see Emma standing outside. "Emma?"
"Hey." Emma ducked past him, slipping into the room, and turned to face him as he closed the door. She was clearly upset, her hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly as her eyes flicked around the room, never stopping for more than a moment.
"Whoa, take it easy." August closed the door and turned to face her, frowning in concern. "Is everything okay?"
Emma sighed and shook her head. "No. I'm just about out of options."
August raised an eyebrow. "'Just about'?" Maybe his bargain with Mr. Gold, for Gold to "give Emma a nudge in his direction," had paid off?
"Yeah." Emma nodded, looking up at him. "You told me that to beat Regina, I had to see the bigger picture. And at this point…" She shrugged. "I don't have any better options. So, whatever this 'bigger picture' is… show it to me."
August felt a surge of triumph, but kept it contained. This was the opportunity he needed, and he wasn't going to screw it up.
"Okay, then," he replied, nodding in agreement as he crossed to the closet to retrieve his jacket. "Come on. There's something you need to see."
In Beacon Hills…
Leaves crunched softly under Jackson's feet as he jogged down the forest trail, racing through the shadows. The moon shone down overhead, its faint silver glow lighting the way for him, and his own sensitive night vision did the rest.
After he'd spent most of the day napping, catching up on the sleep that he'd lost during the long trip, he and Danny had ordered pizza and spent the evening catching up on things. Danny had explained the chaotic events that the past semester of school had contained – a series of brutal murders, followed by a bomb threat at Beacon Hills High School, and finally the recent attacks committed by some kind of black-clad gang members – while Jackson had given a brief rundown of his own experiences in London, his eventual decision to return to America, and his time in Storybrooke.
After all his time away from Beacon Hills, Jackson had thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk to someone when he didn't have to keep any secrets from them. He'd told Danny about his being a werewolf the previous spring, prior to his departure for London, as he hadn't wanted to keep a secret that big from his best friend: he hadn't told anyone that he was going to talk to Danny about it, not even Derek or Scott, as frankly it wasn't any of their business. To be fair, he had exercised some caution: he'd only told Danny about his own transformation and the existence of werewolves in general, and he hadn't mentioned any names when it came to Derek, Scott, or any of Beacon Hills' other werewolves. He'd been a little worried about how Danny might react, but to his relief his friend had been entirely understanding, and it seemed that he was still the same way.
After they'd finished dinner, Danny had decided to go to bed, but Jackson hadn't been able to fall asleep yet after napping through most of the day. As a result, he'd opted to go out for a run, with the goal of burning through some energy and tiring himself out enough to fall asleep again. Luckily, Danny's house was near the edge of town, making it easy for him to slip out into the woods without being seen.
Bounding up the slope of a hill, Jackson dropped to all fours and increased his speed, weaving back and forth through the trees as he raced towards the crest of the hill. Scrambling upwards as the ground underfoot shifted from dirt and leaves to stone, he finally came to a halt at a lookout point that gave him an unobstructed view of the whole town. Standing back up, he grinned as he took in that view, remembering the last time he'd seen it all those months ago. For a moment, he forgot about everything that had brought him here: the loss of a friend, the conflicts that had been racking his brain… everything just melted away, leaving only the cold night air and the view of his old home.
But, because life was a great big bag of dicks sometimes, that was when the sound of rustling leaves reached Jackson's ears, accompanied by a slow, deep growl coming from the undergrowth behind him.
Jackson's eyes narrowed, his canine teeth extending slowly into fangs. He tensed, bracing himself to spring, his hands still at his sides but his fingers flexing in preparation to bring out his claws. He wasn't an expert on all the weird supernatural shit that happened in Beacon Hills, but that definitely hadn't sounded like a normal animal, and all of his instincts were sending out warning signals and urging him to defend himself.
His instincts were right. In the next moment, there was an explosion of movement from directly behind him. Jackson whipped around and snarled, eyes flashing blue and claws flicking out, just as the bushes erupted and the creature charged him. He caught a glimpse of a charging humanoid figure with glowing blue eyes like his own, a flash of claws and fangs…
And then the other werewolf hit him head-on, knocking him backwards and sending them both over the edge of the hill.
They tumbled down the hillside, grappling and clawing at each other, snarls and curses echoing through the air. As the slope started to level out, Jackson finally found a hold and kicked out forcefully with both legs into his attacker's abdomen, launching him away and sending him flying into a tree, before rolling to a stop and scrambling back up to his feet. His shirt was torn and he had a few deep scratch marks on his chest and side, but he wasn't really hurt.
The other boy did the same, eyes still burning blue as he let out a challenging snarl. Jackson didn't recognize him, although they appeared to be in the same age range, but he was unmistakably a werewolf. He'd also taken a few hits from Jackson's claws on the way down the hill, most notably a set of shallow cuts across his left cheek, but nothing serious.
"Who the hell are you?" Jackson snapped. He'd been half-hoping to run into another werewolf tonight, but he would've wanted it to be Scott or Derek, since those two were really the only other wolves that he was on good terms with. Failing that, Isaac Lahey or one of Derek's other Betas would've worked well enough, since they could've taken him to Derek so he could let the Alpha know that he was back in town. This guy was none of the above, and he'd attacked without warning and without any provocation on Jackson's part. The former fact was disconcerting, as it meant that there might be more werewolves in Beacon Hills that Jackson didn't know about, while the latter fact just pissed him off.
"I could ask you the same thing," the other boy retorted, keeping his fangs and claws out. "This is my pack's territory, and I've never seen you here before. Which means you're trespassing."
Jackson scowled. "I'm from Beacon Hills, thanks," he shot back, putting a healthy dose of contempt in his voice. "Born and raised here. And I've never seen you here before either. So I'm willing to bet that I've lived here longer than you have."
The other boy's eyes flashed and he tensed up, as if preparing to attack again… but then another werewolf's snarl echoed through the night air, this one with a more commanding tone to it, and the blue-eyed Beta took a step back, his posture visibly relaxing a bit.
Two more pairs of glowing eyes, one red and the other gold, appeared among the trees behind the blue-eyed boy. Jackson's eyes narrowed and he stayed tense and ready. He trusted Derek, but if this Alpha was him, starting a fight with one of the older werewolf's Betas probably wasn't the best idea. And if this approaching Alpha wasn't Derek, then he would have a whole new batch of problems to worry about.
A moment later, however, his eyes widened as the two werewolves emerged into view. The golden-eyed Beta was Isaac Lahey, whose own eyes widened in surprise when he recognized Jackson. The red-eyed Alpha wasn't Derek… but Jackson knew him, too.
No way, Jackson thought, as he recognized the other boy. His stance relaxed, his hands dropping to his sides as his mouth almost dropped open in shock.
"…Scott?" he questioned incredulously.
Scott McCall stared back at him with an expression of complete astonishment on his face, the red glow fading from his eyes. "Jackson? What're you doing here?"
"Sorry about the misunderstanding," Scott spoke up apologetically in between bites of his sandwich. With the situation thoroughly defused, the four werewolves had jogged out of the woods and found a Denny's that was open late, so they could have some food while catching up. Isaac and the other boy, who was apparently named Ethan, were seated with Scott and Jackson around a small table in the corner of the diner. The two Betas were watching Jackson closely, probably due to some sort of instinctive drive to protect their Alpha from a werewolf who wasn't in their pack.
"It's fine," Jackson replied with a snort, running his fingers through his hair to make sure there weren't any twigs or leaves still stuck in it. He was definitely going to need a shower when he got back to Danny's house.
As he turned his attention to his food, he also let his eyes drift warily over the trio of werewolves, sizing them up. He already knew Scott and Isaac, of course, but Ethan was an unknown quantity. From what Scott had told him on the way there, this wasn't the whole Beacon Hills pack as it stood right now: the pack also contained two other shapeshifters at the moment, two girls named Kira and Malia, but apparently the former was currently out of town on some kind of vacation with her family, and the latter was still learning how to control her powers and hadn't started running patrols with the more experienced wolves yet.
Taking a bite of his own sandwich, Jackson leaned back in his seat and nodded to Scott as he chewed and swallowed. "So, McCall, I gotta ask: since when are you the Beacon Hills Alpha? What happened to Derek?" He frowned as he remembered something that Derek had told him once during his pre-departure werewolf training, about how a Beta werewolf typically became an Alpha. "You… you didn't kill him, did you?"
Scott's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "Oh, god, no! No, I didn't kill Derek! He left town for a while, that's all."
"To be fair, he left town a couple of times," Isaac pointed out dryly. "Once a few months ago, and then again a couple of weeks ago." He shrugged. "But yeah, he's alive."
Jackson nodded slowly. "Right." He chuckled softly as he took a sip of his soda, the sugar and caffeine helping to clear his head of any lingering werewolf anger from the confrontation earlier. "Well, obviously I missed a lot while I was gone."
Scott and Isaac exchanged a glance, and then each of them had to suppress a soft laugh. "I mean… yeah, I'd say so," Scott replied with some amusement in his voice, before his expression became more curious. "So… why are you back? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great to see you, but… when you left, I was pretty sure you weren't planning on coming back."
"Well, to be fair, my leaving was much more my parents' choice than it was mine," Jackson muttered, his eyes flickering a brighter blue in annoyance for a moment as he remembered his parents' informing him that Beacon Hills was no longer the right place for them (although frankly he was at least partly sure that their decision had been made primarily because they weren't interested in being at the epicenter of gossip in Beacon Hills, due to his apparent death and resurrection), before he forced himself to calm down again.
"But, to answer your question…" He sighed heavily as the reason behind his return to Beacon Hills surged back to the forefront of his mind, and he looked back up at the others. "I'm here because Danny called me a couple of days ago. He told me about all the attacks that happened here over the last few weeks." He closed his eyes for a long moment, before opening them again and meeting Scott's gaze with sympathy in his eyes. "And… he told me about Allison."
The immediate shift in Scott's eyes was blatantly obvious. All traces of his previous cheer melted away, replaced by a deep, bitter pain that was clearly still burning away at him. Isaac and Ethan each reacted the same way, both looking down at the floor with similar pained expressions.
"I'm sorry, Scott," Jackson murmured, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and subdued. "I'm so sorry. I should've been here." He rested one hand on the table, looking down at it so he wouldn't have to meet Scott's eyes, before continuing after a long moment of silence. "Anyway… Danny also told me about the memorial that's happening this week. He suggested I come back for it, so I could see all of you guys and pay my respects… and after I found out about what happened, there was no way I was going to say no." He looked back up at Scott. "So, seriously, McCall. If there's anything I can do to help, just name it."
Scott was clearly taken off-guard by that. "Whoa," he managed after a few seconds. "No offense, dude, but… who are you and what have you done with Jackson?"
Jackson snorted. "Yeah, that's fair. Let's just say I've had some time to reflect while I've been away, and I've been trying to be a little less…" He trailed off for a moment, searching for a good way to phrase it.
"A little less of an asshole?" Isaac suggested helpfully, drawing snorts of amusement from the other three werewolves.
"…okay, yeah, that works." Jackson stretched his arms up over his head for a moment, before relaxing a little more and taking a longer sip of his drink. "So, I've gotta ask. What all's happened around here since I left? Danny told me about some of the crap that's been going on over the past six months, but since he isn't part of your pack, I'm willing to bet there's plenty more that he doesn't know."
Scott sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "It's a pretty long story," he warned.
Jackson shrugged, indicating their surroundings with an idle wave of his hand. "This place is open twenty-four hours a day, and I've got plenty of time. Lay it on me."
Scott exchanged glances with Isaac and Ethan, both of whom answered his unspoken questions with shrugs, before nodding and focusing back on Jackson. "Okay, if you say so," he replied, a faint smile flickering across his lips as he sat back in his chair. "Well, the rest of the summer was pretty quiet after you left. But when school started, things started getting weird again…"
In the Enchanted Forest, many years ago…
"Stop trying to talk me out of this." Snow's expression was calm and composed as she sat with Jack, Red, and the others around the map table in King George's former castle. "The castle's secure, and you all can handle things here. I'm going."
"At least take a knife with you," Grumpy urged. "Or let Red or Jack tag along and stay hidden, in case she tries something."
"He's right," Jack agreed. "You shouldn't go out there by yourself. At least let me watch your back from a distance: that way if she tries to harm you, I can step in and help you."
Snow shook her head. "I promised that I would come alone and unarmed. It's a parley: there are rules."
"But we shouldn't expect her to follow those rules, should we?" Jack pointed out. "If there's anything we know about the Queen, it's that she can't be trusted to honor her word about anything, especially something that would make it incredibly easy for her to capture or murder you."
"I understand that you're worried, Jack," Snow replied, smiling softly as she looked up at him. "Thank you for your concern: I really do appreciate it. But I'm going alone. That's not negotiable."
Red sighed, shaking her head. "You're far too noble for your own good, Snow," she muttered.
Snow laughed softly. "Maybe. But the fact remains, I've risked your lives too many times already over something that should ultimately be just between her and me. And I will not let anyone else be hurt because of me."
"Except yourself," Red pointed out.
Snow's lips curved in a faint smile. "Thank you for your concern, Red. But this ends today. This is something that I have to do, and I must do it alone. And that's all there is to it." She turned to leave.
Grumpy took a step forwards, trying to stop her, but Jack held out an arm. "Snow," he murmured, meeting her eyes as he stepped forward. "I trust you. But I need to know: are you sure that this is the right decision?"
Snow was silent for a long moment, looking him in the eyes and clearly thinking it over. Then, finally, she nodded. "I am," she answered, her voice soft but carrying an iron-clad certainty. "I appreciate your trying to help, Jack. I really do. But I have to take care of this, and I have to do it myself." With that, she stepped past him, slipped out of the room, and was gone.
"I don't like this," Red muttered, glaring down at the map table in the center of the room with a brief flash of gold lighting up her eyes. "I trust Snow, but I don't trust that queen for a second."
"Neither do I, believe me," Jack remarked, his eyes narrowing as he looked after Snow. You'd better be right about this, Snow, he thought to himself. And you'd better not get yourself killed.
Unfortunately, as luck would have it, Snow didn't come back. The spot where she'd arranged to meet with Regina wasn't far away, so it shouldn't have taken long for her to return after their parley, but several hours passed with no signs of her returning. Finally, Jack and Red, accompanied by the dwarves, headed out to track her down and make sure she was all right, leaving the Widow Lucas and the fairies to guard the castle.
"She's close," Red muttered as she led the way through the forest, skirting the edge of a small farmstead. "I can smell it."
Jack followed close behind: the two of them had split off from the dwarves as they neared the meeting point, so they could cover more ground. His head was on a constant swivel, checking again and again for any signs of their missing friend.
"She's over here!" Grumpy's yell echoed through the trees. Red and Jack immediately took off running, sprinting through the trees towards the source of the call.
Jack's eyes widened in horror when he saw Snow lying motionless in the grass, silent and still. He skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees beside her, looking for any signs of life, but when he placed two fingers against her neck, he couldn't feel any warmth coming from her skin.
"No," he whispered. "No, no, no…"
"I found her lying here like this," Grumpy managed. "Is she…?"
Red crouched beside Jack, pulling a dagger from her belt and holding the blade carefully under Snow's nose, but no signs of breath appeared on the blade. "She has no breath," she murmured, tears already welling in her eyes.
"And I don't feel a heartbeat," Jack agreed numbly. "She…" His vision blurred, and he gently brushed Snow's hair out of her face. "She's gone."
The dwarves all removed their caps in unison, looking down at the ground with devastation clear on their faces. Red and Jack leaned against each other, each trying to take some solace from the other's presence.
"She sacrificed herself," Jack breathed, a tear trickling down his cheek.
Red nodded, a sob racking her chest. "She gave her life for true love."
"And for all of us," Grumpy finished quietly, still looking down at the ground.
Jack closed his eyes, sobs echoing from both him and Red as they slumped into each other's arms, clinging together as they searched in vain for some kind of reassurance. Overhead, the clouds darkened, and small flakes of snow began drifting down around the group, as if the weather itself was reacting to their pain and grief.
Which, in a way, it was.
In Beacon Hills…
Jackson gazed out the window of Danny's car as it pulled into the high school's parking lot. A soft whistle escaped his lips as he looked up at the building. "Damn," he murmured under his breath. "Six months since I left, and it feels like it was yesterday."
"Tell me about it," Danny quipped as he opened the driver's-side door and clambered out. Jackson followed, feeling a chill from the cold winter air as he closed the car door behind him. His eyes flickered around, taking in the other students and staff who were making their way through the parking lot, all of them headed towards the lacrosse field at the back of the school, where the memorial was being held. He was searching for people that he knew, but he didn't see any of Scott's pack or any of his other former friends: everyone he recognized in this crowd was just a series of random familiar faces, people that he might have seen in a classroom or passed in the halls.
The night before, he'd listened to Scott's basic rundown of everything that they had been through since he'd left, and he'd been stunned by the amount of chaos and carnage that they'd had to deal with. A rampaging pack of murderous Alpha werewolves… an evil dark witch (or something along those lines) who'd been committing a series of grisly human sacrifices… some kind of ancient chaos demon that had possessed Stiles Stilinski's body and launched a campaign of terror and destruction against the entire town… the deaths of Erica and Boyd, two of Derek's Betas, in addition to the losses of Ethan's brother and Allison… so many horrific threats and brutal fights that he was frankly amazed by the fact that the Beacon Hills pack's losses hadn't been worse. Once again, he'd been left wishing that he had been there when all of that had happened, if only so he could have helped them.
If I had, then maybe…
No. He shook his head, chasing away those thoughts. There wasn't any point in dwelling on what might have been. He needed to focus on the here and now. Because here and now, maybe he could do something to help his friends when they needed it.
Following right on Danny's heels, he trailed after his friend as they headed out to the lacrosse field. Jackson didn't have a suit with him, but he'd borrowed a spare black button-up dress shirt and slacks from Danny's closet, and that was good enough for this.
As they headed out onto the lacrosse field, Jackson kept his eyes open for any signs of the other werewolves or any of his other friends. He could see a stage that had been set up at the far end of the field, while both sets of bleachers were becoming crowded with students, staff, and families, all wearing dark colors in keeping with the memorial theme. Finally, his gaze fell on Scott, who was standing at the base of the bleachers on the far side of the field. Several other people were with him: Jackson recognized Isaac and Ethan (who, he had been quite surprised to discover, was apparently the new boyfriend that Danny had told him about), as well as Stiles Stilinski, who seemed to be quite subdued compared to the chipper attitude that Jackson typically remembered from him. But his eyes were drawn most of all to the familiar head of bright red hair next to Stiles, and he felt a lurching sensation in his stomach.
Lydia.
Scott caught sight of Jackson and Danny first, his eyes locking on them as they approached across the field. He nodded and smiled faintly, beckoning for them to come over. Jackson fell back a step, letting Danny take the lead and staying behind him as he tried to think of what he should say, but nothing was coming to mind.
As Danny greeted Ethan with a gentle embrace and a soft, reassuring kiss, Jackson edged slowly around him and turned to face the rest of the group. "Uh… hi," he spoke up, raising a hand in an uncharacteristically-awkward wave as they took notice of him.
Stiles's eyes were wide and startled as he stared at Jackson. "Jackson?" he questioned, blinking a couple of times.
"Hey, Stiles," Jackson greeted him with a polite nod, trying to keep his increasingly-rapid pulse under control as a second voice reached his ears.
"Jackson?" That voice, the same achingly-familiar tones that had pulled him out of the hellish trance that had been his time as the Kanima, sent a physical shock through him. He turned, his eyes meeting Lydia's as she stepped slowly forward to face him, and for a moment it was as if everything else just fell away. She was wearing a black dress and didn't appear to have any makeup on, probably because her eyes were already wet so any makeup would have quickly been ruined. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted soundlessly as she stared back at him, neither of them speaking a word.
Jackson's voice, when he managed to find it again, was soft and unsteady. "Hi, Lydia." He also took a slow step forward, momentarily paralyzed by indecisiveness and unsure of what the right course of action would be for greeting her. They weren't together anymore, and hadn't been for six months, although they'd parted on good terms… so how should he proceed? Would a hug be too much, or…?
Lydia took the decision out of his hands. One moment she was looking up at him with a stunned expression on her face, and the next moment her eyes welled up with tears and she slammed into him, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him so tightly that Jackson swore his ribs groaned in protest. He ignored that and hugged her back, as he felt his own eyes stinging with a rush of tears. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his body trembling and his voice cracking as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm so sorry, Lydia… I shouldn't have left, I should've been here…"
"No," Lydia whispered back, shaking her head as she pulled back a little and looked up at him. "It's okay, Jackson. You… you don't have anything to apologize for. It wasn't your fault." Her lips curled in a soft, sad smile. "I know you didn't want to leave."
Jackson nodded, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "I really didn't," he admitted.
Lydia hugged him again as her tears came surging back, and Jackson held her close, letting her bury her face into his chest. They continued holding each other like that for a few more seconds, neither one wanting to let go, their postures shifting as their foreheads gently touched. Jackson was surprised to find, however, that his emotions now were very different than they had been six months earlier, when he'd left Beacon Hills. Back then, he had still been very much in love with Lydia Martin, and her with him. If he'd been able to stay in Beacon Hills, he had no doubt that their relationship could easily have continued.
But now, things were different. He still loved Lydia, he knew that, and he was quite certain that he always would. She had saved his life and his soul, had stood by him and tried to help him when no one else could, and that experience had left its mark on both of them. But the feelings he had for her now were different: still warm and comforting, but without the intense, fiery passion that he'd felt for her back then. They had both grown and changed during their time apart, and their feelings had changed too. He still loved Lydia, but he was no longer in love with her. And from the look in her eyes as he gazed into them, he could tell that she felt the same way.
Frankly, though, Jackson didn't feel sad about that. Instead, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He'd been worried, on some level, about how it would feel when he saw Lydia again, and how a reunion with her might affect the feelings that he now had for Ruby, but he now knew that there was nothing to worry about. He and Lydia were both still very important to each other, but they had also both moved on, and that was okay.
Eventually, they parted, and Jackson stepped back, staying close to Lydia but not crowding her. "So…" he spoke up, glancing over to the others and nodding up to the increasingly-crowded bleachers. "Shall we?"
Everyone's faces were somber and saddened, but they all nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sounds good," Stiles agreed, before beckoning for them to follow him. "C'mon: my dad marked out a spot for us at the front." Scott walked after him, with both Isaac and Ethan following close behind, as if both Betas were taking comfort from being closer to their pack leader. Danny walked alongside Ethan, holding his boyfriend's hand with their fingers interlocked.
For a moment, Jackson just stood there and stared after them, wondering how it was possible that things had changed so much since he'd last seen most of those kids. Allison's absence was like a gut-wrenching hole in the group, one that clearly hadn't healed yet.
"Coming, Jackson?" Lydia's voice drew his attention as she looked up at him with a questioning expression, holding out a hand to him.
Jackson took a deep, slow breath and nodded. "Yeah," he replied quietly, taking her hand and letting her lead the way, as they followed after their living friends to pay their respects to the ones who were no longer with them.
In the Enchanted Forest, many years ago…
Some time later – in his grief, Jack wasn't entirely sure how long it had been – he, Red, and the dwarves were gathered around the coffin that they'd built for her, crafted from metal and shining crystals. Jack had even used his powers to create a gentle dusting of snow over the coffin and the area immediately around it, as a tribute to his fallen friend.
They were all still gathered there when the sound of distant hoofbeats reached Jack's ears. He turned and looked up, his eyes widening as he saw Prince Charming riding up to them. The prince was dressed in royal finery, red with white trimmings, but the stunned look on his face when he saw what had happened overshadowed everything else.
"You're too late," Doc, the oldest of the dwarves, murmured sadly as Charming approached them. He rested one hand lightly on the lid of the crystalline coffin.
Charming swayed on his feet as he slid off the back of his horse, the snow crunching under his boots. "No," he whispered, before rushing forward. "No!" Staggering to a halt beside the coffin, he gazed down at Snow's cold, lifeless face with horror and dismay in his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Red spoke up, her voice quiet and small. "There was nothing we could do."
The prince was silent for a long moment. "Please… at least let me say good-bye," he requested.
Jack nodded. "Of course." He carefully lifted the lid of the coffin, with some help from the dwarves, and slid it aside.
The sorrow and grief on Charming's face was overwhelming, almost too much for Jack to bear. He turned away and focused back on Red, holding her close in another gentle embrace and burying his face in her shoulder.
In that position, he didn't see what happened next. But he felt it: a pulse of energy, of magic, surging outwards and washing over all of them like a wave of warm water, before racing out in all directions and lighting up the forest around them with a brilliant flare of rainbow light. Jack and Red both looked up, their eyes wide in amazement.
The soft gasp which followed that pulse of magic, however, had even more of an impact. Jack's eyes widened and he turned back to face the open coffin, as Red and the dwarves did the same.
Snow's eyes were open, and she stared up at Charming with a look of pure, wondering love in her eyes, as if he were the only thing in existence. "You found me," she breathed.
There were still tears in Charming's eyes, but he smiled breathlessly and embraced Snow, holding her close. "Did you ever doubt I would?"
Jack's face lit up, a rush of happiness washing away the grief. He and Red embraced again, this time with joy surging in both of their hearts, as the dwarves celebrated around them.
There was still so much to do, and there would still be many more battles and challenges ahead… but for now, in this moment, everyone in that clearing could truly believe that everything was going to be all right.
In Beacon Hills…
The memorial ceremony was finally over, and the crowd of students and families were filing off of the lacrosse field and heading back to their cars. The pack were among the last to leave, having gathered around the long row of commemorative plaques that had been set up, each bearing the name of one of the people who had died in the recent attacks. Ethan had broken down in tears as he pressed a hand to the one bearing his brother Aiden's name, prompting Danny to wrap him in a comforting embrace, while the rest of the pack had each taken turns passing by the plaque with the name Allison Argent inscribed upon it and paying their respects.
Jackson had done his best to suppress his enhanced hearing and focus it on other things as Scott, Isaac, Stiles, and Lydia had each taken their turns, until his turn finally came. Resting a supportive hand on Scott's shoulder for a moment, he stepped forward and inclined his head as he came to a stop in front of Allison's plaque, trying to decide what he should say.
"Hi, Allison," he murmured, doing his best to keep his voice steady, even though just the sound of her name sent a small jab of pain lancing through him. "So… it's been a while. I know you probably didn't miss me all that much, but… I'd like to think you did, at least a little." He chuckled softly, his voice getting a little shaky. "I missed you. I missed all of you guys. London was fun for a while, but it wasn't home." He shook his head slowly. "Although, to be honest, Beacon Hills has changed so much since I left that this town doesn't really feel like home now either."
A chain of memories flashed through his mind: all the conversations he'd had with Allison, all the time they'd known each other. Some of the memories were good, some were bad, but by the end of the time they'd known each other, he had genuinely cared about her. She'd been a real friend, one of only a few people in his life who could really claim that status. And now she was gone.
"Good-bye, Allison," Jackson whispered, closing his eyes as a brief flare of blue light shone within them. "I'll never forget you."
As the rest of the pack continued reminiscing, Jackson gravitated away from the main group. Noticing Ethan sitting off by himself, he idly wandered over and took a seat on the bottom row of the bleachers, next to the other werewolf. For a long moment, they just sat together in silence, neither of them saying a word.
"So, what's your plan now?" Ethan eventually broke the silence. "Are you staying in Beacon Hills, or are you gonna be leaving again?" He glanced over to Jackson, raising one eyebrow curiously. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry: it's just…" He shrugged. "Danny really seems to care about you, and I care about him, so… it's kinda in my interest to know whether his best friend's gonna be staying in town or not."
"Fair enough." Jackson chuckled, before looking up at the afternoon sky and sighing. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm gonna do next. I've got some business to take care of out of town once all of this is done, but after that I'd be open to a lot of potential options." He honestly hadn't made a decision on that front yet. Part of him wanted to stay in Beacon Hills, which was amplified by his werewolf side instinctively craving the sense of belonging that came with being in a pack, but he had commitments that he wasn't willing to give up in Storybrooke too: his relationship with Ruby, the threat posed by Deucalion, and the nagging questions posed by things like August's strange rants or Henry's curse theory… and the strange, half-seen flashes of sounds and images that kept flashing through his mind.
Turning back to face Ethan, Jackson frowned as he saw a strange, pensive look on the other boy's face. "So… how about you? Got any plans going forward?"
Ethan blinked, frowning as he looked over to Jackson. "I… I'm not sure either," he confessed. "I like it here, I definitely prefer this pack over any other one I've been in, and… well, there's Danny. But…" He shrugged helplessly. "After Aiden died, I… it feels wrong, being without him. We've always been connected, like we were two halves of the same person: we used to do everything together, as humans and then as werewolves. But now he's gone, and I feel… I don't know, almost like I'm missing a limb." He shook his head slowly. "I feel like… maybe I might need to put some distance between myself and this town, at least for a while, so I can figure out who I am now." His breath hissed out in a sigh, and he nodded over to where Danny was talking with the others. "And then there's Danny. He doesn't know about me, about what I really am. If I stay with him, I could easily be putting his life in danger on a daily basis. How can I put him through something like that?"
Jackson snorted on that last bit, rolling his eyes. Ethan scowled, rounding on him, but whatever he was going to say was cut off by Jackson's upraised hand. "Relax," he assured the blue-eyed Beta. "Just listen for a second, okay?"
Ethan's frown remained unchanged, but he nodded slowly. "Fine."
"All right, then." Jackson smiled, holding up one finger. "So. First off: Danny's good for you. I haven't known you for very long, but I can tell how much you care about him, and I can also tell that he feels the same way. And before you get worried about telling him that you're a werewolf…" He grinned faintly, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Let's just say, if you do tell him, I don't think he'll be surprised."
Ethan's eyes widened, but before he could ask any questions, Jackson continued, holding up a second finger. "And second: unless you're sure you'd be better off taking your chances on your own as an Omega, I wouldn't recommend it." He snorted. "I've been a lone wolf ever since I left this town, and lemme tell ya, it's not fun. It's fine as long as you're under the radar, but as soon as you cross paths with somebody who's stronger than you are, it means you're basically screwed since you won't have a pack to back you up." He winced at that last part, remembering his one-sided fight with Deucalion.
"But here?" Jackson grinned, glancing over to where the rest of the pack were still talking quietly amongst themselves. "You've got a pack – a pretty damn strong one, at that – and it's full of people who care about you and who'll gladly do whatever they can to help and support anyone who needs it." He shook his head, his grin fading. "And honestly, part of me is always going to wish that I had stayed here six months ago instead of giving in and going with my parents. Because I knew, as soon as I left, that I was never gonna find that kind of support anywhere else."
Sighing, he turned his attention back to Ethan. "So… I guess what I'm saying is, don't throw away a good thing if you don't have to. I didn't know your brother, but I'd have to imagine that he would've wanted you to be happy. And…" He shrugged, nodding over to Danny and the pack. "Seems to me like they make you happy."
Ethan was gazing contemplatively at the rest of the pack, clearly turning all of that over in his head. Jackson smiled faintly and gave his best attempt at a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Just do yourself a favor and think about it, all right? No need to make hasty decisions when you've got all the time in the world." With that, he rose back to his feet and headed back over to join the others as they began making their way out towards the school's parking lot, satisfied that he'd at least tried to help. Based on what he'd seen, Ethan and Danny were good for each other, and after all of Jackson's experiences since he'd left Beacon Hills, he definitely wasn't going to recommend the life of a lone Omega to any werewolf, especially not when there was a better option on the table.
Jackson jogged after the rest of the pack, catching up to them in the parking lot. Danny had decided to stay behind with Ethan, promising to catch up with them later, but Scott, Stiles, Lydia and Isaac were all present, gathered around Stilinski's Jeep.
Looking at Scott, it was easier for Jackson to recognize that the other boy was an Alpha now: there was a certainty, a strength about the way that he carried himself, that stood out as a noticeable change from the way he'd been when Jackson had left Beacon Hills six months earlier. But there was a sense of reassurance about him too that appealed directly to Jackson's inner wolf: a sense that this was an Alpha who would do whatever it took to help the Betas under his leadership, a leader who was truly worth following.
That, more than anything else, prompted the idea that had been developing in Jackson's mind to take root and grow. It was a long shot, since he had no idea how Scott or the others would respond, but it could give him a chance of protecting the people of Storybrooke from the threat posed by Deucalion, and that was what mattered to him.
Besides, worst-case scenario is he says no, and then you're no worse off than you already were, he pointed out to himself. And best-case scenario, you might get exactly what you were hoping for.
With all of that in mind, Jackson nodded decisively as he reached the Jeep. "So… Scott?" he spoke up, drawing their attention. "I, uh… I need to ask you something, if it's all right."
Scott cocked his head curiously, but nodded. "Sure, that's fine. What's up?"
"Well…" Jackson sighed, leaning against the Jeep and resting one hand on the hood to hold himself up. "Okay, here's the deal."
"Hey!" Stiles chimed in. "Before you get into this, make sure you're not putting any dents in my hood, all right? I'm not in the mood to get any more werewolf-related car damage fixed up right now."
Jackson rolled his eyes and snorted. "Relax, Stilinski, I'll be gentle with this ancient rust bucket." Ignoring Stiles' spluttered protests, he focused back on Scott. "Okay, so here's the deal. I actually came back to the States a couple of months ago, up in New England; I got ridiculously tired of living in London, and I wanted to spend some time on my own doing some exploring. I wound up finding a little town in Maine, called Storybrooke: it's nothing fancy, but it's nice, and I was able to destress and get some distance from my parents." He sighed. "And it was great… up until a couple of weeks ago, when another werewolf showed up in town. He's an Alpha, looking to establish a territory in that area and start building a pack, and he wants to start by recruiting me. I told him I wasn't interested, and…" He winced. "Let's just say he didn't like that too much."
Scott, Isaac, and Stiles all winced at that, no doubt imagining what he'd gone through, while Lydia was staring at him with wide, concerned eyes. Jackson nodded grimly. "Yeah. We fought, and he kicked my ass. Only reason I'm not dead is because he didn't want me dead: he wants me to either join his pack or leave that area. I'm not joining him, but I'm not interested in leaving the area, mainly because I've made a couple of friends in that town and I don't want any of them getting on the wrong end of an angry werewolf. So I've been trying to figure out what to do… but then Danny called me, and I thought that maybe I could ask Derek for help, or at least for advice, while I was here." He shrugged, looking back up at Scott. "That's not really an option anymore, of course, since Derek isn't here, but I figured I should talk to you instead since you're the Alpha here now."
Scott nodded slowly, clearly thinking that revelation over. "Yeah, that makes sense." He considered. "So what is it you want? Would you want us to come back with you and help you deal with that guy?" Lydia looked concerned, but both Stiles and Isaac frowned at that: clearly, neither of those two liked that idea.
Jackson considered that for a moment, but then he shook his head. "I… I mean, I was going to ask Derek if he might be able to help somehow, but I couldn't ask you to do that. You guys have been through way too much lately for me to start dumping my problems on your shoulders too." He shook his head again, frowning as he tried to come up with other options. "I'll just have to figure out a way to deal with this 'Deucalion' guy on my own."
All four pairs of eyes instantly locked back onto Jackson, their heads snapping around as if they'd been yanked by a chain. "I'm sorry… did you say Deucalion?" Lydia spoke up, her eyes wide as she traded glances with Scott.
Jackson blinked, surprised and a little confused by their reaction. "Uh… yeah? The Alpha who's setting up shop in Storybrooke, the town I found. That's his name: Deucalion." His frown deepened as he looked back and forth to each of them in turn, until his mind slowly put the pieces together and his eyes widened in realization. "Wait… you guys know him?"
Scott nodded slowly. "Yeah… yeah, we do," he confirmed. "That Alpha pack I told you about, that we had to deal with a few months back? Deucalion was one of them."
Jackson's eyes widened even further. "Seriously?!"
"Yup," Stiles confirmed with a bit of sourness in his voice. "He and his buddies beat the absolute shit out of us on quite a few occasions."
"Plus," Isaac put in helpfully, "Deucalion was their leader: the strongest of the Alphas. So even by Alpha werewolf standards, he's way above the norm."
"Great," Jackson muttered under his breath. "Fantastic. Thanks for that, Lahey, that's a big help."
Isaac shrugged nonchalantly. "No problem."
Scott took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "Change of plans," he decided. "You don't have to ask for my help, Jackson. I'm in."
That took Jackson off-guard. "Wait… really?" he questioned. "You're sure?"
"Positive." Scott nodded firmly. "When we let Deucalion leave Beacon Hills after we finally took care of his pack, I told him that if he didn't change his ways and kept causing trouble, I'd track him down and deal with him. So if he's messing with you, I'll help." He considered. "He hasn't tried to kill anyone, though, has he?"
"No, he hasn't," Jackson admitted, shaking his head. "He could have killed me, but he didn't. He just wants me to either join his new pack or get out of his new territory. But like I said, I'm not interested in doing either of those things, and I'm pretty sure he might actually kill me once I make that clear to him."
"Right." Scott exchanged a glance with Isaac, before turning back to Jackson. "Well, like I said, I'm in. If Deucalion hasn't killed anyone, then hopefully he hasn't gone back to form, but either way he at least needs a warning, and I'm not gonna let you face him alone."
"Well, if you're going, so am I," Isaac replied, stepping up next to his Alpha. "You're gonna need as much backup as you can get if we end up fighting that guy."
"I'm coming too." Jackson was surprised to hear Lydia's voice, but she scoffed and smirked at him when he looked her way, looking more like her old self than she had at any point up until now. "Oh, please. Like I'm going to let you idiots run all the way across the country without some supervision?"
Stiles rubbed his eyes, groaning softly under his breath. "Oh, this is such a bad freaking idea," he muttered, before shaking his head and flinging out his arms. "But what the hell. Heading to Maine on a moment's notice to fight the same psychotic Alpha whose pack almost killed us all a few months back? All right, I'm in too."
"You guys…" Jackson felt a surge of warmth in his chest as he looked at the four of them. "You'd… really do this for me?"
Scott smiled. "Of course, man. You're pack, even if you've been away for a while. And in this pack, we're always there for each other, no matter what."
Hearing that snapped something into place for Jackson, like a door opening or a key turning in a lock. He felt a rush of strength flowing down his back, straightening his posture and bringing a brief flash of blue into his eyes. On some level, despite all the help that the others had given him, he had never really considered himself to be part of Derek's pack. But with Scott, with this pack, it felt different. Being one of them felt… right, somehow, like it was where he fit in. His inner wolf was happy – proud, even – to be part of a strong new pack, and he felt like an absence that he hadn't even noticed before now had just melted away.
Jackson smiled, meeting Scott's eyes. "Okay, then," he agreed. "Let's do this." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, back towards where Danny and Ethan were still out on the field. "I'm not gonna tell Danny about all of this, obviously, but I think we need to go soon. Deucalion didn't strike me as the patient type, so I don't think he'll wait too much longer for my answer… and if he goes back into Storybrooke and finds out I'm not there anymore, I don't know what he'll do next."
Scott nodded in assent. "Good point. Okay, let's head home and get some stuff packed." He glanced around to Stiles, Isaac and Lydia. "Ethan can stay here to keep an eye on things, since I don't think he'd wanna face Deucalion. We can tell our parents that we're going out on a camping trip, just so they won't worry."
"I can cover the plane tickets for the five of us, just to make sure they don't notice any expenses," Jackson offered with a shrug. "I've got plenty of money to draw on: I cleared out my bank account before I left London, to make sure my parents couldn't take any of it. That way you guys won't have to explain why you spent a bunch of money."
All of the others seemed surprised again, and Jackson had to suppress a snorting laugh. Was I really that much of an asshole before I left? he wondered, his thoughts wandering back over the last six months and recalling all the years he'd been in Beacon Hills. Surely he hadn't always been that way, had he? He'd always had at least some friends: even Isaac had been his friend once when they were younger, as they'd bonded over their shared birthday, before they'd drifted apart once they got older. But he was legitimately surprised that he seemed to have "mellowed out" so much over the last six months, without even noticing it.
Guess Storybrooke's really changed me…
And then, suddenly and without warning, another flurry of images and sounds surged into Jackson's brain, sending painful shocks through his mind. Some of the brief flashes of memory were from his time in Storybrooke, and some were from his childhood in Beacon Hills, but others were completely different. They weren't from any place that he recognized, but… somehow, they felt familiar. He doubled over, clutching at his head, as the images poured in.
A great wind rushing past him on all sides, as he gazed down at a forested landscape thousands of feet below…
Battles raging, swords clashing, explosions and screams echoing all around…
The roars and snarls of monstrous creatures racing towards him, eager for the kill…
"Whoa!" Jackson snapped out of the vision, stumbling backwards and losing his balance. He barely caught himself on one knee, just in time to avoid collapsing to the ground. What the hell was that?!
"Jackson!" Lydia's voice cut through his thoughts, and he looked up to see her crouching in front of him, her expression startled and concerned. "Are you okay?!"
"I…" Jackson winced, rubbing his temples. "I'm not sure." His lips curled in a frown as he shook his head slowly. "For the last few weeks, I've been having these… flashes, I guess? I'm not sure what's causing it, but it almost feels like I'm remembering things that didn't actually happen." He shrugged. "If that makes sense."
An idea suddenly occurred to him, and he looked back up, his gaze shifting over to Scott. "Hey, Scott?" he questioned. "Your boss, the veterinarian guy: what's his name? You still work for him, right?"
Scott blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Deaton? Uh… yeah, I still work for him. Why?"
"Well, he specializes in weird supernatural stuff, right? And you told me that he helped you guys figure out some weird memory stuff a couple months back, when you were dealing with the Alpha pack?" Upon receiving Scott's confirmation, Jackson nodded. "Okay. I think…" He paused for a moment, turning the idea over in his mind. Was this really a good idea? Surely it couldn't actually be possible, could it? The images from Henry's book played behind his eyes again, accompanied by the echoing words of August's speech to him at the inn.
Screw it, he decided. If there was even the slightest possibility that August might not just be a crazy conspiracy theorist – or that Henry's crazy theory about Storybrooke's inhabitants being under some kind of magical curse might actually be true – he needed to know.
"I think I need to talk to him before we leave," Jackson continued. "I've been having these weird… visions, I guess I'd have to call them… for a few weeks now, and I don't know what they are or what's causing them. But if your boss knows as much about all this supernatural crap as you said, then he might be able to help me figure out what they mean." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I figure it's worth a shot, if nothing else."
Stiles and Isaac didn't seem convinced, but both Scott and Lydia were regarding Jackson with a mix of sympathy and concern. Finally, the Alpha nodded. "Sure, we can do that," he agreed. "Why don't we get our stuff packed up tomorrow, and then I'll take you to see Deaton?"
Jackson nodded, feeling a surge of relief. They actually believed him… or, at least, they weren't dismissing his request out of hand. With any luck, Scott's boss might be able to help him figure out what the hell was going on with these weird flashes of memory, and the others should be able to help him deal with Deucalion when they got back to Storybrooke. If they were lucky, everything should work out okay.
Right, Jackson thought sardonically to himself, as Danny and Ethan finally caught up with the rest of the pack, and the others started discussing options for a group dinner. Because we definitely don't have a habit of getting unlucky when it comes to shit like this.
In Storybrooke…
As night fell, the shadows deepened among the trees behind Granny's Bed & Breakfast. Other than the occasional flicker of a firefly, everything was silent and dark, and the hours passed without much indication.
But once it had been dark for a few hours, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared, gliding through the trees on the edge of the forest. A tall, black-clad figure melted out of the shadows and walked swiftly across the open ground between the forest and the inn, moving with supernatural speed and almost complete silence. Even though no one was around to observe the figure's passing, he wasn't taking any chances.
Luckily, the back door of the inn was unlocked, making it almost childishly easy for the tall figure to access the building. Pulling the door slowly open, the black-clad man stepped inside and quietly closed it behind him.
Deucalion crept soundlessly along the hallway, his senses on high alert as he tried to pick up any sign of other occupants who might stumble across him. Fortunately, no one was around, but he could detect the residual scents of several ordinary humans, plus the distinct scent of the girl who he had spoken to in the diner the day before… and, of course, his target: Jackson, the uncooperative Omega who had taken up residence in this town.
Identifying which of the inn's rooms belonged to the younger werewolf was simplicity itself, for someone with Deucalion's acute sense of smell. His senses were the sharpest of any werewolf that he'd ever encountered, a side effect of the many years that he had spent rendered mostly blind by the damage that Gerard Argent had inflicted on his eyes. His smell and hearing had become much more refined during those years to help him compensate for his blindness, and they had stayed that way even after he'd regained his sight. With those kinds of abilities, tracking down the only other werewolf in a town full of humans had been simplicity itself.
One curiosity that Deucalion hadn't expected, however, was the girl who was apparently dating his prospective recruit: Ruby Lucas, as she'd introduced herself. She appeared to be entirely human, but there was something strange about her scent, something that vaguely resembled the scent of a werewolf. Deucalion had been quite confused when he'd first picked up that unusual tinge to her scent, as he couldn't figure out why it was there. She certainly wasn't already a werewolf, as if she was, he would've been able to tell immediately. But if she wasn't a wolf, then why did she smell like one?
Perhaps she's a descendant of a werewolf family? he mused thoughtfully as he moved slowly down the hall and came to a stop in front of the door to Jackson's room. Someone with the genetic potential to become one, but whose werewolf genes have never activated for some reason?
It was an intriguing puzzle, but one that he didn't have time for right now. For the moment, he had a higher priority, as he was focused on Jackson. He'd caught a glimpse of the Omega seemingly driving out of town, and there had been no sign of him since then. Deucalion had waited for a couple of days, but his curiosity had ultimately prompted him into action. Wherever the Omega had gone, he needed to know what had happened and whether Jackson was coming back or not, so he could decide what to do next.
Unlike the door leading outside, the door of Jackson's room was locked. But when you had claws and plenty of experience, picking a lock wasn't too difficult, and Deucalion had the door open in just a couple of seconds. Stepping inside, he carefully closed the door behind him and locked it from the inside, a precaution in case anyone came along and decided to check on the room.
A quick search revealed that Jackson had left plenty of things behind, including several drawers' worth of clothes. This gave the impression that wherever the Omega had gone, he was planning to eventually come back here, at least to retrieve his belongings if nothing else. Deucalion searched through every corner of the room, trying to find some sort of clues that could tell him exactly where Jackson had gone and, more importantly, when he would be coming back. Unfortunately, no information on that front presented itself.
Deucalion frowned, feeling mildly disappointed but not deterred. The important thing was that Jackson would be returning to Storybrooke, and the Alpha would be waiting for him when he did. He'd given the boy more than enough time to make his decision: when Jackson returned, he would have to choose to either join Deucalion's new pack or leave the area. Hopefully he would agree to join, as acquiring a subordinate who had some experience in being a werewolf would be a good start towards forging a strong new pack.
As the Alpha slipped silently out of Jackson's room via the window (carefully sliding it back into place as he left so that there would be no visual signs of his intrusion) and headed back out into the forest, he was turning another idea over in his head. Stopping at the treeline, he gazed back at the inn, contemplating the girl that he had spoken to in the diner, and the fact that she was apparently Jackson's partner.
"Perhaps…" he intoned under his breath, tapping his chin thoughtfully with one index finger as he considered the idea. Perhaps the young Omega would be more amenable to joining Deucalion's pack if his girlfriend was recruited as well? And if the girl did already have born-wolf potential within her, then Deucalion's bite could easily activate that dormant potential and trigger her ascension to werewolf status without any difficulty. She and Jackson could become the first two Betas of his new pack, and the three of them – plus any others who might be suitable candidates – would easily be able to claim a territory for themselves. It was certainly an idea worth considering, at the very least.
Deucalion smiled, his eyes flaring red for a moment in the darkness, and then vanished back into the forest with barely a rustle of leaves to mark his passing.
Notes: And there we are! Hopefully this chapter turned out okay, as writing it was a little tricky, but overall I'd like to think that it turned out pretty good.
Shoutouts to RHatch89 and willdawg992003 for reviewing: you guys are awesome! :)
Next time, Jackson tries to uncover the mystery of his past with help from his friends in Beacon Hills, while in a flashback, Pitch launches his assault on Toothiana's fortress as Frost struggles to remember his true identity.
Stay tuned!
Review Q&A
Q: Awesome chapter I miss this story
Also hope you were safe during lockdown
Can't wait for the last few chapters and of course for all the memories to return deucalion is only expecting a wolf but I doubt he know Jackson is a hybrid wolf/kanima and jack frost
And I wonder if Danny will come back with him since he left the school and graduated early after his ex boyfriends death
A: Awww, thanks for asking! Yeah, I've been doing okay and keeping safe & healthy, and I hope all you guys have too.
Yup, we've got three more chapters coming after this one, and hopefully they should be a lot of fun! I don't think I'm gonna be incorporating the TW Season 6B element of Jackson still having his Kanima powers into this story, though. Regarding what's gonna happen to Danny in this version, we'll have to wait and see, although this chapter may have provided some hints for how his story may play out here.
