Chapter Twenty - Running and Walking Away
~ A Teen Wolf fanfiction collaboration between Miss E Charlotte and Sage Londyn.~
Teagan sat stiffly in the backseat behind Allison in the Argent's car, with Isaac sitting beside her. He kept glancing over at her, making sure she was ok. He knew she was tough and could handle probably much anything, especially after seeing how she carried herself earlier that day inside Allison's apartment and at the old power plant, but that didn't mean he stopped worrying about her.
When he heard her heart rate pick up as Chris pulled the car into the hospital parking lot, he reached out to grab her hand, giving it a small squeeze, hearing her heart rate return to normal at his touch. She looked over at him for a moment, the two staring at each other and saying a million of things without speaking a word, then looked away when they heard Chris and Allison open their car doors and step out into the storm.
Teagan and Isaac quickly jumped out of the car and rushed toward the entrance doors behind Chris and Allison.
Chris glanced around for a moment, before stating, "Looks like the evacuations over."
Teagan came to stop when she saw Isaac pause for a moment, liking he was trying to pick up a scent. "Do you smell something?" She questioned him.
Isaac shook his head in disappointment, as he said, "No, not with the rain this heavy."
Teagan grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze, letting him know it was okay, they would find Cora. She turned her head, seeing that Chris and Allison were already inside looking around. She turned back to look at Isaac, then began to walk inside, pulling him along with her as they caught up with the Argents.
The small group made their way through the quiet hospital. They went up and down a few hallways, then made their way toward the ER reception area. Chris, sensing trouble, brought out a gun, holding it out in front of him.
"I'm gonna take that as a sign you're a little worried." Isaac stated when he saw the gun, causing him to subconsciously pull Teagan closer to him.
"Stay close to me." Chris said to the three teens, ignoring Isaac's comment.
The group took a few more steps, until Isaac came to a stop, and said, "I think I heard something."
"Where?" Teagan asked, as she glanced around, not seeing or hearing anything.
Isaac slowly sank down to the floor, putting his ear against it, as he listened in, picking up the sound of running through the hospital.
"Below us." Isaac answered.
Allison pulled out a dagger, then looked over at Teagan, as she asked, "Still have yours?"
Teagan crossed her arms, reaching into the inside pockets on either side of her jacket, then pulled out the two daggers she had inside. She held them out in front of her, as she said, "Got 'em."
Allison smiled, looking over at her dad, after seeing the look on his face, he said, "What? I've been training her and Avery."
"Why am I not surprised." Chris mumbled, as he began to walk down the hall, the three teens walking along behind him.
They went down a floor, where Isaac heard running earlier, and made their way down the hallway, listening for any movement. They rounded a corner and jumped back in surprise when they saw it was Scott and Melissa.
After making sure everyone was okay, and Scott updating them on as much as he could, mainly about the alpha pack being in the hospital and Stiles' dad missing, before the others began to ask questions.
"So where's Avery?" Teagan asked, as she looked over at Scott, worried about her best friend.
"She's with Derek." Scott answered.
"Oh." Teagan said, feeling a little better about the situation. She knew she would be safe with Derek. She might not trust him, but she couldn't deny that he loved Avery and would protect her with his life.
"Where's Stiles?" Allison questioned.
"With Cora in an ambulance at the loading docks. We need a way to distract the alpha pack and get them out of here." Scott said, then added, "We also need to get Derek and Avery out of the elevator."
"So then they're essentially trapped?" Chris asked, referring to Derek and Avery.
"Right. There's no way of getting them out without turning the power back on." Scott said.
"But wait, wait, wait, if the power's back on, they're gonna hear the elevator moving, right?" Isaac stated, then added, "The alpha pack will be on them as soon as it stops. We can't get in a fight with them."
"We need to distract them." Teagan said.
The group was quiet for a moment until Allison spoke up and said, "I got an idea."
Allison glanced around, looking for a pen and something to write with. She quickly wrote out her plan, not wanting to chance any of the alpha pack listening in. After she wrote out the plan, she glanced up, seeing that everyone was nodding their head and on board with it, and everyone pretty much knew what part they were doing.
As Scott texted Derek, telling him the plan, Allison pointed to something on the piece of paper, then asked, "Who's doing this part?"
"I will." Teagan volunteered.
"Whoa, Teagan, you-"
"I can do it." Teagan said, interrupting Isaac.
"I know you can." Isaac said back, then quietly added, "I would just feel better if you were with me."
"I can't keep expecting someone to save me and protect me. I have to learn to do this on my own and I had the best teacher there is." Teagan began to say, as she nodded her head toward Allison, who shot her a smile. She looked back at Isaac, laying a hand on his arm and pulling him off to the side, giving them some privacy, as she said, "I know I can do this. I'm ready to do, I just need you to trust me."
"I do. I've always trusted you." Isaac said, then added, "I just don't-"
"I know." Teagan whispered, knowing he didn't want to lose her.
The thought of not having her in his life killed him, but he knew she was right. She had been training for this and with everything going on she needed to learn to protect herself and now was her chance to try, so as much as it terrified him to lose her, he knew he had to let her go this time and support her. She needed to know he believed in her which he did.
He sniffed, then laid his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her toward him for a quick kiss, as he whispered against her lips, "You better come back to me."
"Always." She whispered back.
She flashed him a small smile, the turned and walked back over to the rest of the group. After finalizing the plan, everyone got into place. Teagan stood at the end of a hall and called Isaac, using an app so they could see each other on the screen, while he was outside in a car.
"Hi." Teagan whispered, as she stared at him face on the screen.
"Hey." Isaac said back, as he smiled at her, seeing that she was nervous. "You ready for this?" He asked. When she didn't say anything, he smiled again, and said, "Take a deep breath, babe. You can do this."
"I can do this." Teagan mumbled, then took a deep breath, slowly releasing it. She saw the worried look on his face, then asked, "Are you scared?"
"For you?" He questioned. When she nodded her head, he added, "No. My girl's a badass, remember?"
"Your girl is a mess." Teagan corrected him with a chuckle.
"A beautiful mess." Isaac reminded her.
Teagan smiled at his comment, breathing out, "I love you."
"I love you." Isaac responded, "I'll see you soon, Teagan."
"I'll see you soon." Teagan repeated, "Don't forgot you have to go as soon as you see them, okay?"
"Got it, babe." Isaac said back.
Teagan opened her mouth to say more, a part of her never wanted to put the phone down just in case something went wrong with the plan and this was the last time they talked, but she had to believe everything would work out right.
Before she could say another word, she got a text from Allison, telling her it was time to run. She looked back at Isaac, giving him a quick smile, and then sat the phone down.
As soon as the phone was out of her hands, she turned and ran down the hallway as fast as she could. She heard the twins chasing her and quickly made her way outside as Kali jumped from a second floor window and landed just outside the building.
Teagan spun around, grabbing a gun from the waist band of her jeans, a gun Chris gave her earlier before she split up from everyone. She began to shoot at Kali at the same time Allison picked up her bow and began to shoot arrows at the alpha.
As the twins ran out to join the fight, Chris walked toward the two teen girls and began to shoot at one of the twins, as Allison switched to shooting arrows at the other twin.
After being hit by bullets and arrows repeatedly, the twins and Kali ran off, planning to meet back up with the rest of their pack.
Teagan lowered her gun, then looked over at Allison and Chris, she took several deep breaths, trying to control her racing heart and hoping like hell the plan actually work and everyone got away safe.
~()~
Many minutes later, Derek was staring down to his phone as Avery stood beside him and kept glancing at the screen.
"Anything?" Aleine questioned.
When neither one responded, she said, "Avery, I know what you're thinking. That I'm just trying to use you, but that's not true."
"Isn't it mom?" her voice was full of gravel as she sighed and leaned back against the wall.
"I'm not evil, you know that. I'm your mother."
Raising her head, Avery swallowed hard and breathed out, "Are you? Can you name my favorite book, or movie? Do you even know my favorite color or who my first kiss was? You don't know anything about me…"
Her mother glanced down to the floor and then back up as she sighed and nodded, "You're right… but you need to understand what happened to me, what my life has been like."
"Your life?" She scoffed, "Do you have any idea what my life was like? I lost you, and everything fell apart. Teagan moved away and I had to take care of myself when I was sick. I learned how to braid hair from Teagan and Lydia, because their moms taught them… and I didn't have a mom."
"You think I wanted to leave Beacon Hills? Abandon you and your father? You don't think if I had another choice I wouldn't have stayed?"
Avery glanced over to where Derek was giving her a look, clearly hating to see her in pain.
"Then why didn't you just stay, you made it out of the fire… why run?" She asked, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes from tears.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Seeing that apparently it wasn't obvious to anyone she sighed.
"I didn't want any of this for you, Avery." Pausing she glanced at Derek and continued, "I didn't want him for you."
Derek looked at her with raised eyebrows, he started to open his mouth to point out that she was the one going around sacrificing people. But Avery snapped, "Don't you dare…"
Taking a step forward her mom jutted her chin out as she accused, "Don't I dare what? Come on, Avery don't tell me you haven't thought about it too. Thought about how not a bit of this would have even happened if he hadn't gotten with that hunter."
Avery's jaw dropped.
Derek growled, his eyes glowing red with all the hatred and rage focused on Avery's mom.
Holding her hands up in surrender she innocently applied, "I'm only voicing the truth. But that was a long time ago and the truth is… I am also alive because of you."
Derek's eyes continued to glow as he asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"
Avery watched her mom's face closely, and thought she saw a flash of a smirk before a somber expression took over and she explained, "You didn't know it at the time, but your sacrifice restored power to the nemeton."
"Sacrifice?" He questioned, still not piecing it together.
"A virgin… sacrificed on the roots of the nemeton."
Derek looked down to the floor and Avery realized out loud, "Paige…"
His gaze shot back up to her, confusion flooding over his every feature.
Realizing her slip up, Avery quietly answered, "Peter told us…"
Interrupting them her mom leaned back against the far wall of the elevator and continued, "The Nemeton's power was virtually gone for years…"
Running a hand over her face and remembering the scars from the fire she scoffed, "Like the dying ember of a burned out fire… but killing Paige in that root cellar was enough to make that ember glow a little brighter."
Looking down to the floor she took in a deep breath before slowly releasing it, letting them both process everything, or for dramatic effect. Avery wasn't sure which as she stared at her.
"When I made it out of the house, I somehow managed to find the nemeton and draw just enough power to stay alive. But by the next morning no one had found me and I knew what I had to do… the only way to heal myself completely, the only way I was ever going to survive was to draw my power from the darkness. And once you tap into that… there is no going back." Turning her attention to Avery she explained, "That is why I couldn't come home… I'd planned to leave town long enough to get it under control, but like I said… there's no going back."
"Then why come back now, after all of these years?" Derek questioned, his voice gruff and his tone unforgiving.
"Deucalion… and his pack, they killed my best friend… then took my daughter hostage. They have to be stopped, which is why we are all on the same side here."
Avery looked down to the elevator floor as she thought of Lisa. Not only was she her mothers life long best friend, but she was also Teagan's mother.
"Deucalion thinks of everything, has each member of his pack kill their own pack… even their emissaries, so that their loyalty lies only with him. I took an oath from; virgins and warriors, from healers, philosophers and guardians, to loan me their powers to teach these monsters that their monstrous actions will never be overlooked again." Her voice gained strength with every word.
"You want to talk about monstrous actions? You're killing innocent people!" He yelled.
"So have you…" she said, a smug smile growing on her lips, "Don't forget I know the true color of your eyes, Derek. And I know exactly what it means."
He looked down, guilt flooding over his face. Avery's own face contorted with pain, she wanted to say something, say anything to make him feel better, but she couldn't find words.
"I'm not asking you to just save my life from them. I'm asking you to help me, help me save everyone they'll ever hurt again." Aleine, said before explaining that the lunar eclipse was coming up, and that's when she would strike. Because the total lunar eclipse was when werewolves lost all their power, and with the last of her sacrifices she'd be at her strongest.
Everyone looked up when the lights started to flicker before finally turning back on.
Rushing forward Avery pushed the button to the first floor and breathed a delighted sigh the elevator whirred back to life. Looking over to where Derek was still looking down to the floor, she reached over and gently put her hand on his arm.
Finally it seemed like something was going to work in their favor, when those doors opened it would only be a short sprint out of the doors and to a car to leave.
"Derek…" Aleine said taking a few steps forward.
Turning around he looked at her expectantly, thinking she must have another speech considering how much she loved the sound of her own voice so much.
But his eyes widened when her eyes started to glow white, before anyone could respond or do anything. She brought her arms back then threw them forward, palms out a burst of power radiated from them, and knocked the alpha wolf against the metal doors so hard they dented upon impact.
Avery screamed and dropped to her knees beside his now motionless body. Before she looked up to her with a look of hatred on her face as she shouted, "What did you do to him?"
Leaning down she laid her head on his shirt, listening to the steady beat of his heart, which she was thankful for.
"I meant what I said before… I didn't want this for you, I didn't want you to be a part of this world. You deserved better than the hand you were dealt." She said to Avery before she glanced down to Derek, "But ironically it works in my favor now, because you won't leave his side… not when he's this bad off. Not even to chase me…"
Avery let out a devastated, agonized scream towards her mom, wishing that she had an ounce of the power her mom possessed. Then she could subdue her until Scott found them, but all she managed to do was make the electricity blink and the elevator shake.
"Derek! Derek! Wake up, we have to go after her!" Avery yelled as she smacked the side of his face, but he appeared to barely even be breathing.
"What happened!" Scott yelled as the doors opened.
Avery looked over her shoulder, with tears in her eyes as she apologized, "I'm sorry… she got away."
Realizing his mom had gone by herself to the roof to turn the power back on, he raced up the stairs without another word to her.
"Scott!" Stiles screamed from down the hallway as he raced trying to catch up with his friend. Seeing Avery crying next to Derek's motionless body, he tried to skid to a stop, his shoes squeaking loudly on the linoleum.
Hearing the noise she looked back and stood up, wiping her tears with the backs of her trembling hands as she pleaded, "Stay with him… I have to help Scott, this is my fault."
"Avery wait!" Stiles yelled, but she was already running up the service stairs.
Just as she made it to the roof, her heels slid on the rain slicked cement and she landed with a pained cry on the ground a few feet behind where Scott was standing, facing Deucalion.
"What happened?" Avery asked looking at Scott from where she was still on the cold, wet ground.
"Guardians… means parents…" He said quietly, with tears in his eyes.
"Let me help you, Scott. Let's help each other, you help me catch her… I'll help you get your mother and Stiles' father back." Deucalion offered.
Pulling herself to her feet, Avery winced as she walked up beside Scott.
"You knew this whole time, didn't you? That it was my mom doing this…" She accused her tears starting to dry and makes her skin feel tight on her cheeks.
"I knew this whole time that you'd join me." He nodded.
She frowned, from the beginning she knew that he'd viewed her as the weakest link, the most likely to give in. she'd convinced herself he was wrong, but now she wasn't so sure.
"You want me to help kill my own mother?" She asked.
Deucalion's silence was the only answer she got.
"She took your mom?" Avery questioned looking to Scott, who nodded his eyes rimmed red from pain.
Slowly, Avery walked forward towards the alpha with Scott just a few steps behind her.
"Wait! Don't do this, you can't go with him." Stiles shouted nearly tripping over his own feet when he made it out of the service door onto the roof with them.
"I don't know what else to do…" Scott quietly admitted.
"No… there's got to be something else, okay? We always have another plan…" He argued, wanting to change their minds.
But Avery defended, "This is the only way…"
Looking over his shoulder Scott promised, "We're going to get your dad back."
"Guys!" Stiles shouted, feeling his last hope slip away as he watched two people he cared deeply about to leave with their enemy. Not sure if he'd see either of them again.
Letting out a frustrated noise he rubbed his hands over his face and hair, devastated by the way they'd just walked away from him. Looking back towards the hospital, he wondered how he was supposed to go back and tell the others.
~()~
Isaac slammed on the brakes, and glanced around, making sure one or both of the twins weren't following them. He tried not to think about what could be going on with Teagan right now.
The last time he saw a glimpse of her was when she sat down the phone to run down the hall, luring the pack after her. He felt his mouth go dry and his heart speed up as he thought about all the things that could have went wrong. All it took was one little slip up; her stumble for a moment, turn a corner to late, or something, and the pack could catch her. He didn't want to imagine the things they could do to her if that happened.
He had to believe that the plan worked perfectly though. He had to believe everything went right and in a few short minutes she would be in his arms again. He had to believe that.
He nervously tapped on the steering wheel, as he asked out to Peter, who was in the backseat with Cora, "You see the twins?"
"No. But I see the Argents." Peter spat out.
Isaac snapped his head toward the front, looking out the windshield, as he saw Chris and Allison. His held his breath, waiting to see Teagan. He barely heard the distant howl or Chris' words as he explained it meant the alpha pack was retreating. All he could do was wait for that moment, the moment his eyes landed on her again.
He felt like time had stood still, as he waited and waited, until he finally saw her walk around an ambulance, causing him to breathe again.
He didn't even notice Peter had bailed, all he could do is keep his eyes on her, as he pushed open the door and stumbled out of the car.
"Isaac." Teagan breathed out happily, as she saw him by the car.
He snapped to attention when he heard his name coming from her lips. With a smile on his face, he rushed over toward her, as she began to walk toward him. They met each other half-way, with Teagan throwing herself into his arms. He held her tightly in his arms, lifting her from the ground, and resting a hand on the back of her head.
"You came back." He whispered in her ear.
"Always." Teagan whispered back.
Realizing they weren't alone, Isaac sat her feet back on the ground, and pulled back to look at the Argents, when Chris asked, "Where are the others?"
"I don't know. Scott and Stiles went back for Derek and Avery. I had to get Cora out." Isaac answered, as he nodded his head toward the car, where Cora was still lying in the backseat.
Before anyone could say anything else, they saw a car drove over toward them and slam on the brakes. Assuming it was going to be everyone else, but instead only Derek got out, confusing them all.
"Where's Scott and Stiles?" Allison questioned.
"Stiles is still at the hospital. He's gonna hold off the cops for us." Derek answered, as he picked up Cora from the other car and carried her to his car, carefully laying her in the backseat. He paused for a moment, Avery crossing his mind. He kept hearing Stiles words in his head over and over again, 'she left with Deucalion. She's gone, Avery is gone'.
He couldn't understand what the hell she was thinking. He knew she wanted to find Stiles' dad and now Scott's mom, but there were others ways to do it. Anyway was better than her leaving with Deucalion. He had failed before and now he had failed her again.
Derek shook his head, pushing his thoughts away, then looked over at Chris, who had spoken up and asked, "What about Melissa?"
"Taken." Derek answered simply.
"Taken by who? The alpha pack?" Teagan questioned.
Derek shook his head, causing the rest of the group to fall silent, knowing that meant the darach took her. She now had two guardians. Derek slammed the back door, then glanced over at Isaac, as he said, "We have to go right now."
"Where's Scott?" Allison questioned him.
Before he could answer, Teagan glanced around, realizing someone else was missing too, "Wait, where's Avery?"
Derek walked over to the driver side door, then paused as he looked at Allison, then glanced over at Teagan, before quickly looking away, not answering either question.
Teagan pulled away from Isaac, as she stepped toward Derek, before saying, "Derek? Where's Scott and Avery?"
Derek looked down at the ground, swallowing hard, and tried to control his racing heart. He took several deep breaths, raising his head up, when Teagan yelled out his name, getting his attention.
"Where the hell is my best friend?" Teagan snapped.
"Gone." Derek answered, needing to say as little as possible. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to snap, but he knew he had to stay in control. It was the only way to save them.
"Gone? Gone where?" Teagan asked, as she took another step toward him, demanding answers.
"Deucalion..." He began to say.
"Deucalion took them?" Teagan gasped. Her heart beating in her chest, thinking about when the alpha pack had Avery for the whole summer.
"No, they went with them." Derek said a little harsher than he meant, feeling anger that Avery just gave up and left, and anger at himself that he couldn't protect her.
"What?" Isaac asked, just as surprised as the rest of the group.
"You let her leave." Teagan yelled at Derek.
"I didn't-" Derek tried to explain, but before he could finish Teagan was in front of him, her fist colliding with his chest.
"You let her go!" Teagan yelled, as she punched his chest again. "You were supposed to protect her, damn it! You were supposed to... She can't-She can't-" She screamed, until she got choked up by her tears.
"She's gone." She whimpered out to no one in particular
Feeling overwhelmed and light-headed, she took a step back and tried to breathe through her tears. She felt herself begin to fall, but before she could hit the ground, she felt someone catch her and knew it was Isaac when she caught a whiff of his cologne.
"Teagan, breathe." Isaac commanded her, knowing how bad it could get if she began to have a panic attack. "We'll get her back, I promise." He added, as he kissed the side of her head.
Teagan buried her face in his shirt, taking a deep breath, then slowly released it. She listened to his words, as he promised again they would get her back. It wasn't like last time when they didn't know she was taken or where she was, this time they would not stop looking until she was back.
She kept her face pressed against his shirt and felt him pick her up, telling her they needed to go. He had planned to sit her in the back seat with Cora until he realized she wasn't going to let him go. He let her sit in his lap in the passenger seat as Derek drove down the road toward the loft.
Teagan glanced down, seeing that her hands were clenching Isaac's shirt, scared to let him go. She rested her head in the crook his neck and closed her eyes, hearing his words again, promising her it was going to be ok, Avery was coming back, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she might never see her best friend again.
A/N- Thanks so much for reading! ^_^
Hope you are all still loving the story because we're both still having a blast writing and sharing this story with you!
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