Chapter 9

Battlefield/Nothing Left To Lose

Grayson sat with her back pressed against her headboard. Isaac sat at the foot of her bed, his fingers knotted together and his hands clenching and unclenching. Grayson blinked rapidly and brushed her hair back behind her ears. "So, you're leaving."

Isaac looked up at her and searched the room as he searched his brain for the right answer. "I don't know. With everything going on, I feel like I'll be safer but…" He trailed off and looked at her. She smiled thinly. "But I'm here." He nodded slowly. "I don't want to leave you." She looked up at him and took a deep breath.

"Then don't." Isaac sighed and shook his head. "It's not that simple." He stood and paced at the foot of her bed. Grayson sat up and brushed her hair back from her face. "Then explain it to me because for someone who doesn't want to leave me you seem more than willing to jump at the opportunity to do just that."

Isaac scoffed and pulled at his curls, shaking his head. "I can't. You don't understand." She stood up angrily. "Then help me understand!" He looked up at her, defeat and resignation in his eyes. "He's not going to stop. Gerard is not going to stop until every last wolf in Beacon Hills is dead." He stepped towards her. "And he won't stop there. He'll kill everyone even remotely involved." He stroked her hair. "He'll kill you, he'll kill Stiles, he'll probably even kill Lydia."

Isaac shook his head and licked his lips. "He will not stop until we are eradicated." He met her eyes. "Genocide." She nodded and wrapped her hands around his wrists. "I know that I'm not strong enough to defeat him. I can't do it and knowing that means that I'm not strong enough to protect you and I can't live with that."

She took a shaky breath. "But you can't just abandon everyone. People need you." He shook his head. "No one needs me." Isaac shook his head and looked down but Grayson tipped his head up with two fingers beneath his chin. "I need you, Isaac. I need you more than the air I breathe. I need you because you make everything seem like it's not as bad as it is. I need you."

Isaac shook his head. "But I can't protect you." He was adamant. Grayson smiled and shook her head, curling her arms around his neck. "It doesn't matter. If we die today," He sucked in a sharp breath but she continued. "If we die today, we'll die together and I'll die knowing you gave your life protecting me and I'll die knowing that I'll see you soon and we'll be together."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Gray," She cut him off with a kiss and took his hand. "Come with me." He looked at her, confused and let her lead him from the room to the car.

Isaac didn't ask any questions when Grayson drove them to the vet's office. He didn't ask questions when she took his hand and led him inside the office. They waited in the doorway for someone to come out and talk to them. The dogs started to bark and Scott and Deaton were quick to find the disturbance. "Grayson? What are you doing here?"

Grayson looked up at Scott and then at Isaac. She took his hand in both of hers and addressed Scott. "I need your help." Deaton pushed the swinging counter door open. "It's okay, Isaac." Deaton smiled at Grayson. "We're open." She nodded once and gently led Isaac to the back.

She sighed when she saw the dog on the table and a full needle gun beside him. She released Isaac in favor of sitting in the chair by the table against the wall. Isaac placed his hands flat on the table at the dogs hind legs and he turned up his nose. "Why does it smell like that?" Scott and Deaton looked up and over before exchanging smiles and laughing lightly.

"What?" Isaac looked over at Grayson who smiled gently. "Scott said almost the same thing to me a few months ago." Deaton looked over at Isaac. "One day he could suddenly tell the difference between which animals were getting better and which," He looked sadly down at the dog lying on the table. "Were not." Isaac looked down at the dog. "He's not getting better is he?"

Deaton looked up and shook his head. Isaac glanced at Grayson, his jaw clenching slightly. "Is it cancer?" Deaton nodded once. "Osteosarcoma. It has a very distinct scent, doesn't it?" Scott nodded and gently stroked the dog's fur. Grayson stood and ran her hand tenderly up the dogs back leg, tangling her fingers in its fur. "Come here."

Isaac looked up at Deaton and slowly walked towards, his eyes never leaving the dog. "I know you're well aware of your new abilities can do for you. Improved strength, speed and healing. You ever wonder what it could do for others?" Deaton looked questioningly up at Isaac. Isaac looked over at Scott then flicked his eyes to Grayson before Deaton held out his hand. "Give me your hand."

Isaac complied and Deaton slowly placed his palm on the front left shoulder of the dog. "Go on." Isaac took a deep breath and watched as blackness seeped into his hand and coursed through his veins. He pulled his hand away and pushed the sleeve of his t-shirt up his forearm, watching as the blackness slowly disappeared into his elbow. "What did I do?" His voice was soft and breathy, disbelieving.

Deaton smiled. "You took some of his pain away." Scott answered. Isaac clenched his hand into a fist and pressed his knuckles to his mouth. "Only a little bit. But sometimes a little can make quite a difference." Isaac pressed the back of his hand to his lips and turned his face away. Grayson could see the tears running down his cheeks. "It's okay. First time he showed me I cried too." Scott said, smiling.

Grayson looked down at the dog and stroked its fur. Isaac looked up and laughed lightly. He looked down at Grayson and smiled.

Grayson had to leave when they put the dog down but Isaac stayed and did his best to help. When it was down, Deaton came out to the front and sat beside in the lobby. She smiled and twirled her finger around a loose thread on her skirt. "I didn't know who else to take him to." Deaton looked over at her. "He's thinking about leaving. To protect me, he says."

She snorted and shook her head. "He's leaving because he's afraid." Deaton folded his hands in his lap. "And are you angry with him?" She looked up at him and took a deep breath, shaking her head. "It's normal to be afraid of something you have no control over." Deaton nodded.

"But?" She looked up at him and sighed. "But running away won't make it any easier." She shook her head and pulled at the thread. "The strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." She looked up at Deaton. "He's afraid of not knowing what's going to happen." He looked down at her.

"He wants desperately to protect but he's afraid that he can't. If you love him, which I know you do, you need to support him and let him decide what the right decision is." She licked her lips and nodded slowly. "Even if I don't agree?" Deaton nodded. "Especially if you don't agree." She looked up when Isaac came to the counter and stopped. She smiled and stood, pushing the door open and letting him through.

When they got back to the house, Isaac smiled and began to pull away but Grayson held him fast. She gently tugged him over the threshold and led him to her room. She pushed him gently to sit on the side of her bed and he sat, with his on his knees. He watched her as she went to her door and pushed it closed, locking it before turning to face him.

She stepped up between his knees and ran her hands over his shoulders and to his neck, running her thumbs over the column of his throat. He rested his hands on her hips and swallowed thickly. Grayson pulled her hands away and rested her hands on opposite hips before pulling her long-sleeve pink sweater over her head and dropped it beside him.

Isaac took a deep breath and let her lift the hem of his shirt over her torso and over his head. His arms slowly descended back to his knees. Grayson, having removed her shoes at the door, pushed her leggings down her legs along with her panties. Isaac took a deep breath and slowly trailed his hands up her thighs, his fingertips raising goose bumps along her flesh.

Grayson licked her lips and brought her hands behind her back, unclasping her bra and dropped it beside her sweater. Isaac slowly brought his hands back to his lap and undid his jeans. Grayson trailed her hands into his hair and gasped when he unzipped her skirt, sliding the material down her legs.

Isaac's eyes never left hers as she stood naked before him. Isaac slid back against the mattress and toed his shoes off. Grayson gripped his jeans at the ankles and tugged as he slid back. She eyed the flesh between his thighs when she found him going commando again.

She rested her knees against the mattress and crawled up his body, straddling his hips. He sat up and cupped her face in his hands. He pulled her head down to his and rolled them over. She arched back and looked at him when he reached a hand between them and guided himself to her pussy.

She arched back and gasped when he pushed inside of her, buried deep. He swallowed thickly and balanced on his forearms that were resting on the mattress on either side of her head. She trailed her palms up his back and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Isaac groaned and pressed his forehead against her neck. Grayson closed her eyes and arched her neck back. Isaac opened his mouth and dug his teeth into the muscle of her shoulder, leaving a bruise. Grayson pulled at the hair at the nape of his neck.

Isaac rolled his hips and every muscle in his back tensed. Grayson pressed her cheek against his and bit her bottom lip as she felt the tears well up behind her eyes. This could be the last time they were ever like this together. This could be one of their last moments together. She tightened her embrace around him and felt her orgasm wash over her quickly.

Isaac sagged in her embrace and felt her chest heave. He nuzzled her neck and brushed her hair back from her face. She ran her hands over every part of him that she could reach and buried her face in his neck. Isaac clenched his eyes shut and swallowed thickly, kissing the shell of her ear. "I love you so much, Gray." She pulled away and looked at him, tears staining her face. Her chin quivered and she nodded shakily. "I love you, too." He pressed his lips to hers before nuzzling her neck and letting her cry.

Grayson wasn't surprised to find Isaac missing when she got to the game. She found Lydia sitting with Melissa McCall and Sheriff Stilinski in the middle of the bleachers. She slowly ascended the stairs and smiled thinly when Lydia spotted her. Lydia smiled and nodded once. "Hi." Grayson nodded and sat down.

Grayson looked towards the field and winced when Stiles was roughly tackled by a player on the opposing team. "He's just a little nervous." Lydia assured. Grayson nodded and winced when the fall hit Stiles' helmet. "Plenty of time to turn it around." Grayson said. Lydia nodded and they all winced audibly when Stiles was tackled again.

She looked over at the bench when the whistle blew and Scott made to stand. Finstock slammed his hands down on Scott's shoulders and pushed him back down to the bench. Grayson straightened when she saw Isaac almost slam down into the seat beside Scott. She smiled.

Scott looked over when Isaac sat heavily beside him. "You came to help." Isaac smirked and shook his head as he pulled on his gloves. "I came to win." Isaac looked over Scott's shoulder and winked at Grayson. He turned and glared at Gerard who did a double take when he saw Isaac at the game.

"You got a plan yet?" Scott looked at the field. "Right now it's pretty much keep Jackson from killing anyone." Isaac arched an eyebrow and shook his head. "That might be easier if you're actually in the game." Scott snorted and shook his head. Isaac looked at the other bench and shook his head. "We've got to make it so coach has no choice but to put you in." Scott glanced down at the other bench.

"But how do we do that? He's got a bench full of guys he could play before he ever puts me in." Isaac nodded and pursed his lips. Scott slowly brought his gaze to Isaac and the blue eyed boy raised an eyebrow. "Can you do it without putting anyone in the hospital?" Isaac sighed and nodded once. "I can try."

He put his helmet on and stepped onto the field. Grayson stood and quickly made her way to Scott. She sat beside him and licked her lips. "What's the plan?" Scott glanced at her. "Isaac's going to make it so that coach has no choice but to put me in." Grayson nodded and winced when Isaac raised his stick and clothes lined another player. "Lahey!" She glanced down at Finstock.

"Oh, wow." She winced when Isaac rammed his shoulder into a second players' stomach. "That's excessive." Scott nodded. Isaac continued to, literally, throw players across the field and ram into them. "Lahey! Seriously, what the hell is your problem?" Isaac glanced at Finstock and shrugged, bringing his hands up and walking backwards.

On the next play, Isaac rammed into a player and Jackson rammed into Isaac, but he didn't get up. Grayson and Scott both stood before running to him. Grayson gently pulled his helmet off. Scott looked at his leg. "It's not broken." Grayson looked up at Scott. "But I can't move it." Medics came onto the field with a stretched and began to lift Isaac. "I think Jackson nicked me because I can feel it spreading."

Scott looked up at Gerard and Grayson let them take Isaac away. Finstock stopped beside and Scott and shoved a helmet in his chest. "Crap," Grayson looked up at him. "McCall, either you're in or we forfeit." Grayson slowly stood and pulled the corner of her bottom lip into her mouth before quickly following Isaac.

Grayson whirled her head around when she heard a sharp clang coming from the locker room. She moved down the hall and was stopped in the locker room door when a large man with a dark leather coat and a smirk on his face leaned against the door. "What can I do for you, sweetheart?" She narrowed her eyes and moved to walk past him but he moved with her and blocked her path.

"Move." He smirked and brought his hand out to finger a strand of her hair. She brought her hand up to smack his away and he grabbed her, wrapping a hand around her neck and his arm around her waist. She bucked and struggled against him as she dragged her into the locker room behind Gerard.

Gerard looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. "It was a good effort, Isaac. It was." He glanced back at Isaac and tugged on Grayson's arm, bringing her forward. Isaac made it to the sink and pulled himself to his feet. He met Grayson's eyes and swallowed thickly. Grayson could see the tears in his eyes and Grayson felt her chin trembled.

"This would be so much more poetic if it was half-time." Grayson sobbed once and turned her eyes away. Gerard grabbed her chin and turned her face to Isaac. "It's a shame she has to watch this before I kill her." Isaac growled low in his throat and glared at Gerard.

Grayson forced her feet not to move and made Gerard drag her towards Isaac as he placed the tip of his sword on the cement and drug it forward. Isaac held his head high and looked once at Grayson before turning his eyes back to Gerard. Grayson stopped moving when she saw Isaac's smile grace his features. Grayson looked over her shoulder and sighed when she saw Scott.

Scott growled and tossed the first hunter across the room before the second hunter came at him. Scott growled and shoved him away with his hands flat on his chest before tossing that hunter into the lockers, knocking them over and him unconscious.

Scott turned to Gerard but he was gone and Grayson was slipping her underneath Isaac's, holding him up. Scott turned to them. "Where'd he go?" Isaac shrugged. Scott sighed and shook his. "Come on, we have to get back on the field before the game is over." Scott raced from the room without waiting for them. Grayson tightened her arm around Isaac's waist and led him out of the locker room.

They moved slowly but it didn't take them longer than a minute to get back to the field. By the time they got there, people were screaming and the lights were out. Bodies were running in every direction and people were being trampled.

Isaac was able to move after he'd been walking and he took the lead, bringing them to the center of the field where the team had gathered. The lights came back on and Grayson snapped her head around when she heard Lydia call out for Jackson. Grayson turned back to the body on the field and sucked in a breath.

Jackson wasn't moving. Lydia pushed her way through the crowd. "Jackson, what's happening?" Melissa McCall fell to her knees beside Jackson and examined his body. "Can I get a medic over here? We're going to need a medic!" Finstock knelt on the other side of Jackson. Melissa pressed her ear to his chest. "He's not breathing. There's no pulse." Scott came up beside Isaac. Melissa pulled up Jackson's jersey. Five deep claw wounds above his right hip and blood stained the gray t-shirt beneath. "There's blood! There's blood." Lydia sobbed. Grayson tapped Scott's shoulder and grabbed Isaac's hand.

"Look at his hand." Isaac sucked in a breath through his teeth. "He did it to himself?" Melissa began doing chest compression and looked up at Lydia. "Get down here and hold his head." She didn't move. "Get down here and hold his head. Tilt it up!" Lydia dropped to her knees and tilted his head up towards the sky.

The sheriff pushed through the crowd and looked, almost relieved, down at Jackson's prone body. He looked up and frantically began to search the many faces in the surrounding circle. "Where's Stiles? Where's my son?" Grayson looked up and around, searching for the awkward champion of the game. "Where's Stiles! Where's my son!" The sheriff called across the field. "Where the hell is my son?!"

Grayson pressed her hand to her mouth and shook her head, tears coursing down her cheeks.