Author's note: Sorry this took a while, I had school and stuff. But now here's chapter 3. Also this chapter became a bit more graphic than I planned, so, yeah. Enjoy.

Scott fell into a somewhat easy routine. His mom had taken the week off from work. She would make him big breakfasts of bacon and eggs, then watch him eat the whole thing. Then he would catch up on the homework he hadn't had time to do (apparently all his teachers were sympathetic and gave him extensions on everything.) Stiles would come by after school and force him to watch movies or play videogames, or even worse, talk. There wasn't much he could say without Stiles getting upset though, so Scott gave short answers as much as possible. Stiles would stay the night, not falling asleep until Scott would. It was then late at night, too dark to see his face, that Scott would let something slip. He'd listen to his friend's breath hitch and feel his arms pull him close to his body. Love and guilt and fear and desperation-a desperation to hold onto to something, anything-would all mix together as he fell asleep listening to Stiles' heartbeat.

One day the sheriff came with Stiles. Scott didn't have a chance to say hello before his head was resting on the sheriff's shoulder and he smelled curly fries and whiskey.

"You're going to be okay son. You're going to be just fine."

If he wasn't still somewhat numb, he might have started crying.

Deaton called him once to tell him he could come back whenever he felt ready. Even if things might seem like they were falling apart, they were also falling back together. Scott fell asleep that night dreaming of pieces of glass shattering and flying apart and landing in the sky.

But what stopped and started his heart again was a message from his father. He was still in San Francisco getting some things sorted out. But when he came back he wanted to drive him to any college in the state. A road trip.

"I'm so proud of you Scott. I know you're going to do great things."

If only he could believe him.

Then on Friday his mother had to go to the store for food and aspirin. She wanted to wait until Stiles came home but her head was aching and Scott promised he would be fine. Of course he would be fine, what would he do? (She didn't know about the clawing, or at least she hadn't said anything.) With three goodbye hugs and a reminder that her phone was always on, she left.

As the family car roared to life Scott realized it was the first time in days he had any time truly alone. He quickly turned on the television to a random infomercial to drown out the silence. Upstairs he slipped back under the comforter. The name really fit, comforter. It was like a cross between a blanket and a hug. School let out in half an hour. Stiles would be here soon. He would be . . .

The next thing Scott knew he was somewhere dark. And cold. And covered in dirt. He tried to sit up but his arms were chained to his sides.

"Did someone enjoy their nap?"

Theo leaned against the wall on the other side of the cave. Yes, cave, an underground cave somewhere. Without thinking Scott's eyes flashed red as Theo knelt down next to his head.

"You were so out I didn't even need to do anything but drag you here. Good thing Stiles had a little car trouble," he said with a smile, "or this might have gotten difficult."

"What do you want?" He tried to shift but his strength still wasn't back yet.

"Well I can't take your powers just by killing you. And Liam didn't work out." Theo stood up. Scott was forced to crane his neck up to watch Theo hold up a black bag.

"So I thought, if I can't take your power, I might as well do the next best thing." The bag tipped over. Electric cords spilled to the ground. They reminded Scott of Mexico. Maybe Theo somehow found out about the hunters' practices and took notes. Or maybe he was just that sick enough to think of these things on his own.

"I'm going to take you, Scott."

Now Scott was in his bedroom, but instead of Stiles, Kira was sitting on his bed. Her black hair curled over her shoulder. He tucked a lock behind her ear.

"Hey." She tilted her head and smiled.

"Hey." Scott sat near her. "How are you doing?"

"Learning how to control my powers. It's. . ." Her smile faltered. "Difficult."

"I know what you mean."

"No, it's different with me." She sighed. "But we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you." She gestured to his arm. His sleeve had rolled up, and red, angry scars, mended but not healed.

"It's nothing."

"Scott." Kira curled her fingers around his arm. She traced her finger over one long, curved scar. His skin felt nothing.

"Why are you all doing this? You, Lydia, Isaac?"

"Because we care." The ends of her hair brushed his skin as Kira pressed her lips to his scar.

He missed her. He missed lying in bed with her next to him. Not even the sex, just lying together. He missed hearing her laugh. He missed her bright eyes. He missed the way she got all excited about ice cream and Disney movies and motorcycle rides through side streets. He missed her.

"What's going to happen next?"

"I don't know. But you're not alone, Scott. You're never alone." She took his hand in hers and kissed his open palm.

"You're not alone."

The sound of electric sparks drifted into his dreams. He couldn't tell if he felt pain or if he couldn't feel anything anymore. It had been an hour. Scott passed in and out of consciousness. Theo slapped his face once, twice, then again.

"I'm taking you, Scott. Your alpha-hood" slap "your sanity" slap "or your life." SLAP "Your choice."

Scott didn't say anything. But when Theo flipped the switch on again, his screams put Lydia to shame. The sparks shot through the chains to his skin and down to his nerves.

He was burning.

Eventually his voice gave way from all the screams. Theo shut off the sparks.

"Being stubborn is not getting you anywhere."

You are never getting anywhere near my pack again.

"Besides, look at how well your pack is doing right now."

Look at how much pain you've caused.

"Sooner or later you're going to submit to me."

Sooner or later I'm going to die.

"So just give up."

So why not now?

"Go back to Mexico you freak."

Middle school buses were their own section of hell. The driver threatened to drive back to the school once, but he never did. Someone in the back of the bus had crinkled up hard taco shells and threw them far enough to land in Scott's hair. At least this time no one tried to steal his inhaler.

At the first bus stop Scott and several other kids got out. Head down and hood pulled up, Scott walked briskly down the road. No one said anything to him. Stiles didn't take the bus home.

"Hey McCall," a familiar voice called out behind him. Scott broke out into a run. Behind him he heard footsteps hit the pavement like nails in a coffin, his coffin. Everything in his brain told him to run. But Kyle was the fastest kid in gym class. Scott has asthma. Even with his house less than two blocks away they knew how this would end.

A hand grabbed the handle of his backpack and yanked Scott down. His back hit the ground. Hard. Above him Kyle bared his missing tooth.

"Where do you think you're going?"

He scrambled to his feet. Kyle twisted his arm back so it almost popped out of his socket. Then he pushed his body forward. The world tilted. Sidewalks hurt.

Kyle laughed as he dumped his backpack out onto the sidewalk. He kicked a binder into the street, called him retarded, and left. Scott's face felt hot as he gathered his things. The rest of the people at his stop walked by and he could feel their looks hitting his back more than the pavement. No one offered to help.

It wasn't until he was locked in his bedroom with the curtains drawn did he get out the scissors.

Unfortunately he already knew exactly what burning flesh smelled like. The fact that he could recognize the smell really said something.

Theo had gotten bored with electrocution. So he propped Scott against the wall. He knelt down, looked him dead in the eye. Words were said, words that at this point he couldn't quite grasp. His nerves were raw. The pain was sharp and aching all at once.

Then a hand took him by the hair and threw him to the ground again. Scott took a second to realize that the little whimper he heard was his own.

Why was the world fuzzy?

It was where he had first gotten shot by the hunters. He remembered being so confused and scared and sure that he was going to die. but from what? What was he? But that was at night. Now he looked up at the sun making patterns through the leaves. White clouds passed by in no hurry. If this is what death was like . . .

"You're not dead yet."

Derek. He too looked up at the sky as he talked.

"What are all of you guys doing? Is this real? Am I hallucinating?"

"We can transfer memories through our claws. Sometimes we can talk through out dreams."

"Well why are you all talking to me?"

"Because we could feel that something wasn't right." Derek walked over to him. His hands were in the pockets of his leather jacket. Scott detected the smell of cologne from his neck. He guessed that him and Brady were doing alright together. Derek deserved something good for a change.

"You're better than you think you are, Scott. Better than all of us. Maybe it wasn't just chance that you got bitten. Maybe it was fate. Because I don't think any of us would have survived this without you."

"What's so special about me? I try and try and all that ends up happening is more people die."

"That's just it. You try. No matter what happens you get back up to fight. You want so bad to save the people around you that even after all the shit you went through, you still stay standing." He put a hand on Scott's shoulder. It reminded Scott of when he had first told him they were brothers now. "That's pretty rare, Scott. That's why your eyes are red."

"But I don't think I can keep doing this. Any of this."

"It's okay. Because we're here with you. We'll help you do it."

Maybe it was because it was a dream. Maybe the electricity gave him brain damage. But Scott threw his arms around Derek's neck. Like a child he pressed his face against his shoulder as he started cried again. Even more surprising, Derek hugged him back.

"It's okay Scott. It's going to be okay."

Theo had left suddenly. Probably to break out some medical supplies or medieval crap. If this was an action movie this would be the point where Liam Neeson comes in with a gun.

Then Scott thought he heard people talking nearby, or yelling. There was a thud. And a snap. It sounded like fighting, but he was too close to passing out at that point to be sure. That went on for a few minutes. Scott closed his eyes. Maybe he could just fall asleep and everything would become a dream . . .

But then there was the roar.

Not Neeson, but definitely a Liam.