The sound of my Dad's voice startles me awake.
"Emily…" He drawled, poking his head around my bedroom door and surveying me with raised brows.
I raise one hand to my head, intertwining my fingers in my hair and squeeze my eyes shut again. My heart was pounding against my chest – I knew I had been having a nightmare, but the memory of it has disappeared, thanks to being woken so suddenly. All I knew was that I had a suffocating feeling of being trapped and never wanted to feel that way again.
Pulling the covers up to hide my face in the darkness, I call out sleepily, "Yes, Father."
"You know it's almost midday. Were you not meeting Isaac?"

I bolt up straight, my heart rate shooting up again in panic.
"Yes, yes, crap, I'm going to be so late, oh my god-" I cry, flinging the covers off and running to my wardrobe, throwing clothes onto the floor around me.
"I'll make you a coffee…" My Dad replies, chucking a sock at me before closing my door behind him.
"Love you!" I call after him, tugging a dress out from the bottom of the pile of clothes and changing out of my pyjamas in rapid time.
In a moment of clarity, my eyes meet the canvas that I had put out the night before. It was blank.
My whole body deflates and I crash back down to sit, slumped, on the edge of my bed.
"Blank?" I whisper out, shrinking in a curled up position. I was about to give up hope, when I remembered the night Stiles had stayed over and my painting had turned up on the mirror in the bathroom.
I run there immediately, half dressed and wild, and fling open the door.
"No…" I grit my teeth, met with a clean and untouched mirror. There has got to be something! It's the full moon tonight. I need to have drawn something! The only thing we have to go on is a sloppy, messed up painting of the school. And that is nothing. I spent hours last night, and I mean, hours, pouring over the pages in Allison's book. Most of it was in a language that I think was Latin, but I thought maybe the pictures would at least trigger something!

I go back to my room and begin searching through all my sketchbooks and notepads but come up empty handed. At this rate, I'm definitely going to be late meeting Isaac, however, I have to make sure. I glance at the time – it's almost 12 and I was supposed to be picking him up at half past. Isaac had decided that he wanted us to go on a proper date and planned for the two of us to go bowling, seeing as Lydia's group date never worked out. So I flopped on my bed and reached for my cell phone, so I could let him know I might be a bit late, but when I press the screen, I find that I already have a voicemail from him. The time that it said he rang me at made me really confused – 4:15am. That can't be right. Why would he be ringing me at that time? No wonder I didn't pick up.

I pressed the button to listen to it and held the phone to my ear, feeling faintly worried and breathless. Isaac's voice immediately set me on edge and I clutched the phone with clammy hands. He was shaky and breathing hard as he spoke, "Em… Em… I'm so sorry… I- I-" I heard Isaac shuffling about. He sniffed and took a deep breath, "Em, I'm going to have to cancel our- our date. Em, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. It's my fault. I just- I'm sorry. Don't come and pick me up tomorrow. I'll- I'll see you on Monday." My heart was in my mouth. I waited in the silence as Isaac paused again, "…Don't worry, I'm fine. Just- I'll explain on Monday." And then he hung up.

I lay there for a few seconds, still clutching my phone as if it would bring Isaac's voice back. Then I set it down with shaking hands and rolled myself to sitting, running a hand through my hair. My face was astounded, my mouth open slightly in shock. That wasn't just a cancellation. Isaac was beyond hurt and no one could convince me otherwise.
I finished getting ready automatically, like a robot, answering my Dad when he asked me questions as I ate some toast and pretending that everything was fine.

Then I got in my car and drove straight for Isaac's house. No way was I going to let a phone call like that go without checking he was alright. What did he think I would do? Accept that and go on my day like nothing happened? No way.
Pulling up a few houses down, I tugged my cell phone out of my jacket pocket and hit the call button. It was about 8 rings before he picked up – my concern rising with each shrill ring.
"Emily?" Isaac answered, sounding exhausted and apprehensive.
"Isaac. Are you alright?" I asked, leaning my elbow against the window next to me.
"…Yeah, fine." Well if that wasn't a downright lie, I don't know what is.
"You definitely didn't sound fine in that voicemail. Isaac, 4am, are you kidding? What happened?" I questioned him, finding myself frustrated.
"I know, I-" Isaac took a deep breath before replying, "It's complicated, Em."
"Well un-complicate it for me. I'm going out of my mind worrying about you! Are you hurt?"
"…No."
"Well great, because I'm at your house now." I told him, getting out the car and locking it.
"What? You're what?! No, Emily, I'm fine, please-"

I ignored his pleas, hung up and marched right up to his door. I heard someone crashing down the stairs and it flung open before I had even reached out my hand to press the doorbell.

Isaac stood there, panic stricken and wide eyed. His hoodie was caught up around his stomach, showing the t-shirt underneath and telling me that he had pulled it on in a hurry. His hair was messy and he looked as pale as a ghost. But that wasn't what made my heart stop. It was his left eye – so swollen and purple that it was causing him to squint slightly. He lied. He is hurt. My feet faltered and I had to take a step back.
Isaac took this move as a sign that I was probably scared of how he looked, because I saw him bite his lip and stare at me as if I was going to take off and run at any second.
Slowly, I moved forward again and stretched out one hand. It hung in mid-air near his jaw. I was frightened to cause even more hurt.
"Isaac…" I breathed out tenderly. I removed my hand and hung it limp at my side. I didn't know what to do.
"I told you not to come…" Isaac stared at his feet, holding onto the door still.
"Isaac," I repeated gently, "What happened?"

Someone appeared in the hallway and Isaac's whole demeanour tensed up as if he'd been hit with one of Kate's electric rods. The person made himself known to me as he clapped a hand on Isaac's rigid shoulders.
"Who's this?" Isaac's dad peered down at me through thin rimmed glasses. He didn't look like he recognised me from that time I served him at work.
"She was just leaving," Isaac in a monotone voice, staring straight through me like I wasn't even there. He was scaring the crap out of me.
"E-Emily," I stuttered out my name.
Mr Lahey frowned, the wrinkles around his gaunt eyes deepening and chided pleasantly, "Let's not be rude, Isaac. Do you want to come in, Emily?"
Isaac's eyes focused on mine and his mouth formed a thin line. No. I do not want to come in. But Isaac is clearly not okay. I cannot leave him alone at a time like this.
"Um…" was all I managed to say before Mr Lahey tugged the door out of Isaac's limp grip and opened it further.
"Come on, surely you can stay for a minute?"
It wasn't a question, it was a command. Isaac took a step back and allowed me in. As I passed him, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard before letting go and following Isaac's dad into the front room. Isaac shuffled after us, silent.

"Do you want a drink or anything? Seeing as my son isn't being a good host," the old man smiled at me with beady eyes and I was reminded too well of the vision I had: Where he had stared at me, unsmiling, grabbed me and locked me in a claustrophobic container. The one where I screamed as if my life had depended on it.
I took a deep breath through my nose and smiled, trying to remind myself that it wasn't real.
"Yes please, um, coffee would be great actually," I replied. I needed to get his dad out of the room so I could talk to Isaac, alone.

Mr Lahey nodded and exited the room, just as I wanted. Almost immediately after, I whipped around and seized Isaac's hand, pulling him into a tight hug, breathing in his scent. Isaac winced and a short breath escaped him. He put his strong hands on my shoulders and leant me back, shaking his head slightly. It made me wonder if he had bruises that weren't just on his face. Oh god Isaac, what has happened to you?
"Emily," Isaac's gaze was fixed on mine and he put on a serious, commanding tone, "You need to leave. You shouldn't have come. I told you not to."
Every inch of me wanted to grab him and kiss him and tell him that everything was going to be fine.
"W-what do you mean? What happened? Isaac, please," I almost sobbed out. The back of my throat was stinging and I knew if I stayed in this tense atmosphere much longer, I was definitely going to start crying. He smiled sadly and ran his fingers down my jaw softly, just like he had the first night we'd kissed.
"I'm okay, Em. I'm okay. Just got into a fight. Some jerks jumped me last night. That's all."
"Then why can't I stay and look after you?" I asked like a child, and then bit my lip to stop it wobbling.
Isaac ran a hand through his hair in the habitual motion that usually filled me with such elation, but here and now, where his hands were shaking and red, it made me feel sick.
Lowering his voice to a whisper, Isaac tried to explain, "My Dad- he's just a bit uptight about it all. He's making me stay in… so it doesn't happen again. I don't want- I don't want you caught in the crossfire…"

He must have sensed that I was about to burst into tears from my face because he closed the distance between us again and kissed the top of my head, holding the sides of my arms like he never wanted to let go. I squeezed my eyes shut and raised my hands to clutch at the front of his hood. Remember what this feels like, right now. Remember how it feels to have Isaac here.
He shifted and leant his head down so it was right in front of mine. I gazed deep into those blue eyes and attempted a wobbly smile.
"It's okay. I'm fine. Go and call Allison or Lydia and go and have a day out somewhere. I'm not having you staying here and being bored."
"I'd never be bored around you," I whispered out, getting an indistinct feeling that he was putting on a brave face.
Isaac winced slightly, as if my words had slapped him across the face, then he pressed his lips to mine. I kissed him back, but it was different than all the other times. He felt rushed and scared and helpless. But I knew he wouldn't back down.
"Okay," I breathed, "I'll go. As long as you promise me that you will never scare me like this again. If you are ever hurt or in trouble, you ring me and tell me there and then, got it? You let me know what's happening and I will do my best to help, I swear. Don't ever make me worry that much again. I can't bear it."
Isaac nodded, his breath tickling my nose.

A cough from behind us made us both jump out of our skins. Isaac's dad strolled into the room, holding my mug of coffee in his hands. He set it down on the table in silence. Isaac's grip on my arm tightened so hard that it started to hurt. My head started to pound and I wasn't sure why.
My voice was all over the place as I tried to make my excuses, "I've, um, just remembered, I told my Mom I would take her lunch at work today. She works at the hospital and hardly gets time. The canteen food is so gross, I thought it would be nice, so I'd best go do that, sorry, thank you for the coffee, I'll have to come round another time, I would have loved to stay-" I was babbling and couldn't stop. Isaac released my arm and gave me a slight nudge towards the door. I turned and ran my eyes over his black eye once more. Then he nodded, assuring me again that it was alright. One glance at Mr Lahey's mask of a face spurred a splitting pain that shot through my head so suddenly that I almost doubled over. I did my best grin through gritted teeth from the pain, apologised again then left, closing the door softly behind me.

My head hurt so much as I exited down the drive that I was certain that I imagined the noise of a mug shattering from inside the house. By the time I got to my car, I was seething and clutching my head with both hands. I collapsed into the driver's seat and locked the doors, shakily.

A vision hit me like being dropped in pool of ice and suddenly I am not sat in my car anymore.
The school. The school at night. A full moon hanging in the ink black sky.
"Is he dead?" A boy's voice asks. I turn and see Stiles. He's stood over a body, lying face down in the grass so I can't make out who it is.
Scott is next to me and replies, disturbed and uneasy, "…I think so."
A deafening roar echoes around us and we all around to Stiles's jeep, where a giant beast is crouched on the top, it's fangs gleaming in the moonlight.
"Run! Inside! Get inside!" Scott shouts as he takes off towards the entrance and into the empty school.

As we shove a chair behind the door, the vision skips and I get a flash of different images all at once: the janitor, dead, keys, the sports hall, Lydia and a test tube and finally, the Alpha's werewolf form, howling in the boiler room.

I gasp for air and feel movement in my hands once again. The road appears once again before me and the vision sticks in my memory. The phone is out of my pocket before I even think about it.
Stiles. Stiles. He picks up quickly, thank god, and I launch into a full blown enlightened account before he even has chance to speak.
"Stiles. I know what's going to happen tonight. It's the school. The Alpha is going to be at the school. And you. And Scott. We're all at the school. But someone's dead. And the janitor. And for some reason Lydia is there too. But now we can get the edge on him. Stiles, are you getting this?"
"Woah, woah, easy tiger. We do what now?" Stiles quips at me and I try to take deep breaths.
"The school. Somehow the Alpha is going to be at the school, tonight. Stiles. People are going to die. But we can stop it. We can stop it now that we know. We're going to be at the school and we're going to catch the Alpha."
Stiles mulls this over before replying, "Okay... Meet me at the school at 6pm, I'll bring Scott and let Derek know. I think I have an idea."

A.N.

Waaaaah! I should totally be asleep right now, but I couldn't stop writing this. I love this chapter! If you have seen all of season 1, you should know what's coming up next, but maybe things will happen a little differently with Emily involved…
Thank you to everyone who has been following this or has favourited! You're awesome :D And I am loving reading all your reviews, it's so great to hear what you think! I say it every time but I honestly mean it! :)