First of all, I'd like to say how unbelievably sorry I am about this chapter taking so long to upload. The first month or so, there was a lot going on in my life. It kind of caused me to fall into a slump when it comes to writing for the past couple of months.
I love each and every one of you and I am so thankful if you have stuck with me this long.
I recommend everyone read this next item:
In response to EllieDragon: Your review was one that has stuck with me while writing this chapter. When I first started to write Marlee's story, I was certain that I wanted her to remain human throughout the entire thing. The first time someone suggested that she should have supernatural powers, I was sure that I wasn't going to go down that path. But after a while, I started thinking up a supernatural arc that I am actually intrigued by because I don't think it's been done before. I am still uncertain what to do because I don't want to disappoint or alienate any of my readers. My only hope is that you guys won't be too mad at me for going one way or another. I hope that you'll all continue to follow Marlee's journey, no matter which way it goes.
And also, in response to debatable-cerealkiller: I was delighted to see that you asked about Edgar, especially because I had already written the part that he's in this chapter.
Inspiration for this chapter: "The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?)" by Snow Patrol, "Find My Way Back" by Eric Arjes, "Revelation" by Dino Meneghin, and "Alone Together is Gospel" (a Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco mashup)
Disclaimer: I own the Decker/Keating clan, Amy Shriner, and the car known as Ron Burgundy. Everything else belongs to the rightful owners.
Marlee Decker couldn't sleep.
After the chaos at the hospital, the Argents had driven the blonde girl back to the school so she could pick up her car. Her Oldsmobile was the only vehicle still sitting in the lot, the storm sending citizens home and keeping the authorities away. While Marlee had argued that she wanted to help, Chris had stood firm against her protests.
"You need to go home and get some rest. Virginia told me that you haven't been sleeping much lately."
"Who says I just won't follow you?" The teenager shot back.
"I'm going to call your mother right now," the hunter pulled his cellphone out of a cup holder, "and inform her that you are on your way home."
Marlee pouted before replying that her mom was probably already freaking out over her whereabouts. She had no idea what she would tell Virginia about where she had been for the past several hours.
"I'll tell her that you were with Allison and me."
So, here was Marlee, a mere hour and a half later- all tucked in and wide awake. (The text from Stiles, saying that the name "Argent" had been painted on the elevator doors at the hospital, hadn't helped whatsoever.)
This calls for drastic measures.
Slipping out of bed, she padded down the hallway until she reached a closed door. Slowly opening it, she found luminescent amber eyes peering at her.
"Hey," Marlee quietly greeted Edgar, "come 'ere."
The feline stood from where he was perched on the desk before jumping off, landing with a dull 'thud'. Making his way over to his owner, Edgar immediately weaved himself around her ankles, rubbing his face against her pajama pants. Scooping up the cat, Marlee walked them back to her room and quietly shut the door behind her. Crawling back under her covers, she settled in with the creature still in her arms. The gray cat seemed content with just lying there while Marlee absentmindedly stroked his hair.
A phone began to vibrate from her bedside table. When she reached out to grab it, she was only slightly surprised to see Isaac's name on the screen.
"Hello?" Marlee answered in a low voice, not wanting to risk waking up her mother.
"Hey," the werewolf's voice could be heard on the other end, "I was wondering if you could do me a favor."
"Sure. What's up?"
Silence.
"Isaac, I can't do you a favor if you don't tell me what it is."
"I don't… with Scott running off with the Alphas and Jennifer taking Melissa, I would be the only one in the house and I-"
"You don't want to be there alone." Marlee concluded.
"Yeah… so, I was thinking that maybe, if it's not too much trouble-"
"Climb through my window, creeper. I'll get you set up once you get here."
After hanging up the phone, she waited for Isaac's arrival. It was only a few minutes before he was tapping on her window. Much to her cat's dismay, Marlee got up to push her curtains aside and let an exhausted-looking teenage boy slip into her house.
"I'll take the floor; you can sleep in my bed."
"I'm not stealing your bed." Isaac objected. "Just hand me a blanket and a pillow; I'll be fine."
Doing as she was told, Marlee threw the items on the other side of the bed, where the boy would have more room to sleep. She repositioned Edgar and herself so he was curled up near her side table while the blonde occupied the half next to Isaac.
"Comfy?"
"Well, it's better than waiting for a pack of alphas to show up and rip my throat out… or a psychotic English teacher to strangle me."
"Jennifer- Julia- whoever she is, she's after guardians. Unless you have a secret love child out there, I'm pretty sure you're safe."
The werewolf on the floor snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, that won't be a problem. Sadly, I am very much a virgin."
"I mean, same, dude. Except for the 'sadly' part. As cheesy as it is, I'm waiting for the right person."
There was a hesitant moment of silence, neither knowing what to say.
"How are you holding up?" Marlee asked honestly.
"About as well as I can, all things considered…. I miss Boyd and Erica."
"I'm really sorry about what happened to them. Neither of them deserved that. As for you? You are one tough cookie, Lahey. You get knocked down but you come back swinging."
"Boyd and I talked about you, you know? That day when… well, when I sent you that photo of him."
She knew exactly which day he was referring to.
"He liked having you around. You know he accepted the bite from Derek so he would have friends, right? And Erica and I were his friends but it took the bite to bring us all together. You- you weren't bound to him by the whole 'pack' thing and you still tried to be his friend. He really enjoyed that."
The girl smiled in response, pleased to hear that she had made a positive impact.
"I think you and Erica would have been a blonde nightmare if you had ever met."
Marlee placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"Good or bad?"
"Good for you two, bad for everyone else."
The worry that had been almost tangible when Isaac first arrived had dissipated as the pair talked more and more. After a bit more chatter, they decided it was probably time for them to settle down for the night. Marlee rolled over so her back was to Isaac. The room was quiet for a few moments before-
"Hey, Isaac?"
"Yeah?"
Marlee hesitated for a second before asking the question that had been plaguing her mind.
"Do you think he's coming back?"
Neither of them needed her to clarify who 'he' was.
"Honestly… I think he might. Scott usually knows what the right thing to do is. And he isn't going to stay with them if they're planning on killing Derek."
Though she couldn't see it, Isaac gazed up at Marlee in thought.
"I think he has a lot to come back for."
Minutes later, the two slipped into a semi-comfortable slumber.
The feeling of someone gently shaking her shoulder stirred Marlee awake after a few hours.
"Hey," Isaac whispered, leaning down so the blonde could hear him, "I'm going to head out and go meet up with the Argents. You good?"
Marlee nodded her head, closing her eyes and nuzzling her face against her pillow.
"Mmhm."
Satisfied with that answer, Isaac straightened up before he began to move towards the window. A hand wrapping around his wrist caused him to halt.
"Don't die." Marlee mumbled, still half-asleep.
The werewolf softly chuckled before replying, "I'll try not to."
The girl let her grip slack, her hand falling away from Isaac's arm.
She fell back asleep as the boy crawled out her window and shut it behind him.
"Up and at 'em, kiddo! You've got school!"
Marlee must have slept through all of her alarms- if she had set them at all- because she awoke to her mother opening her bedroom curtains and letting the light in. It was hard to believe that it had been mere hours since Sc-
Don't think about him- it. Don't think about it.
It was only after Virginia had left the room that Marlee was struck by a sudden thought.
Although Allison's father may have been gunning for the Darach, there was no guarantee that he would get her. Even if Jennifer managed to escape from Chris, that didn't mean that she wouldn't go after a different guardian. Another healer had been sacrificed almost immediately after Scott had rescued Deaton. And given the 'relationship' Marlee shared with the deranged individual, it was safe to say that Virginia would be a likely target.
Scrambling for her phone, she quickly scrolled through her contacts and clicked the right one.
"Marlee, dear, what's wrong?"
She gave her grandmother the short version of what had transpired in the past week, her nerves buzzing the entire time. If it wasn't for her previous conversations with the woman, she would have been worried that she sounded insane.
"So, I don't know what to do, Grandma. I can't just let her go out there but I can't tell her what's going on either. She'd have me committed- seriously, there is a mental institution in this town."
"I think you need to tell her the truth."
"Riiiight. And then when you come and visit me in the institution, I can say 'I told you so.'"
"You listen to me, Marlee Decker- the two of you have gone through some terrible things these past few years. Believe it or not, it has only made both of you stronger. I know this situation is beyond anyone's wildest imaginations but I believe that this is something that can be powered through. The bond that you and your mother share is unbreakable and if anyone can convince her that all of this is real, it's you."
Marlee took a deep breath before replying, "I hope you're right."
"I know I'm right and next time the two of us meet, I will be the one saying 'I told you so.'"
The conversation came to an end shortly after that.
Biting her lip, Marlee made her way downstairs, still in her pajamas.
Virginia looked up from her phone and chuckled.
"Celebrating Casual Friday a bit early there?"
"You can't go in to work today." The teenager blurted out.
"What are you talking about, Marls?"
"Listen to me- you just can't, okay? You have to stay home."
"Honey, you're not making any sense here."
Virginia, a look of concern on her face, stood up and moved to stand in front of the anxious girl.
"Mom, do you trust me?"
Marlee gripped her mother's forearms, hoping that she would understand.
"More than anyone." Virginia confirmed, searching for an answer in her daughter's eyes.
The matriarch was led to the couch where the two of them sat down… and Marlee began to tell the story.
Virginia sat there for what seemed to be hours, listening as her child retold the events that had happened in Beacon Hills, spanning several years. At first, she was highly skeptical of the notion that werewolves were real and running around town. But as time passed, she started to believe that maybe it wasn't so absurd. As Marlee spoke, there was so much conviction and sincerity in her words, it seemed highly unlikely that it was a tall tale; what convinced Virginia the most though were the emotions that the young woman displayed. There were times where the teen had to pause in order to compose herself, overcome with anger or sorrow. Marlee's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she choked out what had happened at the motel on the night Virginia had thought her daughter was spending at the Argents'. By that point, there was no doubt in the elder Decker's mind that her daughter wasn't having a mental breakdown and that the supernatural was real.
"I'm so sorry that you had to go through that on your own, sweetheart." The older woman wrapped her arms around her baby girl, rocking her gently. "You are so strong. You know that?"
"I guess." The junior muttered.
"I love you, my little Wild Thing."
Marlee smiled at her mother's words.
When Marlee had been a little girl, there was always a bedtime ritual. Colin and Marlee would make shadow puppets on the ceiling, then either one of her parents would sing a song, and Virginia would finish the routine by reading her daughter a bedtime story. One of their favorite books was Where the Wild Things Are. It still wasn't uncommon for the mother to reference the story or tell the young blonde, "Oh, please don't go- I'll eat you up- I love you so!"
"I won't go in to work today but I don't think this Jennifer woman will attack me in a public place. How about you and I go out to lunch and stock up on junk food? Then we can come back here and binge watch eighties' movies."
"Sounds good. But… we might want to keep a gun handy when we're in the house. Just as a precaution."
After Marlee got ready for the day, the pair headed out to a local restaurant and enjoyed a meal together. While they were slightly on edge with the threat of the Darach looming, the atmosphere was almost entirely pleasant. There were no more supernatural secrets between the two of them, everything was out in the open. Following lunch, the duo hit up the supermarket and collected a variety of chips, Nutella, and bottles of flavored sparkling water.
On the drive home, Marlee and Virginia were chatting about the intern that would be starting at the latter's work next week- a lovely young woman named Alice- when the teenager's phone began to ring.
"What's up?"
"Marlee… my- my dad… she took him… she took my dad! He let her take him! I can't- I can't… Marlee, I can't breathe…"
Virginia pulled over the car, looking worriedly at her daughter, whose face had a stricken expression.
"Ally, you've gotta calm down."
Marlee could faintly hear Isaac in the background, trying to comfort the distraught huntress. It didn't seem to be helping though.
"What's wrong?" Virginia questioned.
"Jennifer took Chris. Allison's not doing so hot."
"Can I try talking to her?"
The cell phone was silently exchanged.
"Allison, honey- it's Virginia. I know that this is a scary situation but I need you to breathe, okay? ... Yes, you can. Just focus on my words…. Deep breath in… deep breath out… breathe in… breathe out…"
It must have been working because Marlee's mother occasionally broke out of the repetition to reassure Allison that she was doing great. Finally, Virginia stopped instructing the brunette to take deep breaths.
"I want you to listen to me. Marlee filled me in on everything- yes, everything. And after what I've heard, there is no doubt in my mind that if anyone can stop this woman and get your dad and others back, it's you guys. For now, stick with your friend and keep us updated if something changes."
It was hours later before the Deckers heard anything again. They had just finished The Princess Bride and were about to pop Some Kind of Wonderful in when "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)" started blaring from the device in Marlee's pocket. She quickly answered it, already knowing who it was by the ringtone.
"Stilinski."
"Hey, all of us are meeting Deaton at the clinic to go over our game plan. Be here in the next twenty minutes."
"And by 'all of us', you mean…?"
"Everyone except Scott."
"Of course." The bitterness she felt leaked into her words.
After the call was ended, the energy in the living room seemed to drop.
"Off to save the world?"
"You know it." A smirk played on Marlee's lips.
"Be careful." Virginia spoke quietly to her daughter, giving the younger woman's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"I'll do my best."
Despite the fact that Stiles had given her twenty minutes, Marlee had jogged upstairs to her bathroom and redid her eyeliner. She figured a fresh coat of war paint couldn't hurt. She descended the stairs and quickly made her exit. Determined to get this over with, she made it to the vet clinic in fifteen minutes flat. Strolling through the doors, she observed the five other people gathered in the room.
"Eh, what's up, Doc?"
Deaton shook his head, faintly amused at the reference.
"Now that we're all here," the man started, "do we have any ideas on where the Nemeton might be?"
Stiles propped his elbows on the examination table as he hunched over it.
"It has to be on a telluric current or maybe even at the axis of two, or where they all intersect. I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die."
Allison planted her hands on the table to support her weight and informed the group, "My dad and Gerard were there once. But Gerard said it was years ago and he couldn't remember where it was. And my dad obviously isn't here to tell us now."
"Yeah, mine either."
"Then how do we find this place?" Isaac spoke up.
The teenagers looked in Deaton's direction, hoping the man would have an answer.
"There might be a way. But it's dangerous."
He turned his head towards the five of them.
Oh, don't tell me-
"We're gonna need Scott."
Damn it.
Marlee sighed before replying, "I was afraid you were gonna say that."
"I hate this plan."
Marlee was leaning up against a wall, staring off into space. While Stiles and Deaton had left to retrieve Scott, the others were scrolling through their phones with the occasional comment. The atmosphere in the room had darkened after the veterinarian had explained what would take place.
"It's the only way." Allison responded as she looked up from her phone, focusing on the other girl.
The blonde looked over at the huntress, her lips forming a frown.
"You sure Gerard doesn't know where it's at? From what I've heard, the guy isn't exactly known for his honesty."
"I don't know. He lied a lot when Scott and I went to see him. Who knows what exactly he was hiding from us?"
Everyone's heads turned to look at the door that Deaton and Stiles were entering through. Mere seconds later, Scott walked in behind them.
"And the prodigal son returns." Marlee muttered as she pushed off from the wall.
Slowly, each person in the room made amends with Scott, exchanging hugs or pats on the shoulder. Eventually, he was standing in front of the one person he was most nervous about confronting.
"Hey." Scott quietly greeted her, shoving his hands in his pockets.
For a brief moment, it seemed as if she wasn't going to say anything but then-
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
"Marlee…" Allison said in a cautious tone as she took a step forward.
Isaac placed a hand on the brunette's shoulder, effectively stopping her.
"Let her have this."
"You left with Deucalion, of all people! Do you have any idea how goddamn stupid that was? In what world is it ever okay to give the bad guy what he wants?"
"Technically, Jennifer is the bad-"
"Don't start!" Marlee barked at Stiles, holding out a hand, her finger up in order to shush him.
Scott merely kept his eyes on the blonde girl, silently listening as she continued to rant.
"How could you do something like that? Did you ever stop to even think about the rest of us? We all want to help you, Scott, but we can't do that when you go running off with a bunch of supernatural sociopaths! You left us!"
All eyes were on her as she let out a sound of frustration.
"You're a real fucking jackass, you know that?" Marlee snapped, glaring at him.
"I know."
WHAT?
And suddenly, it wasn't about Scott abandoning all of them. It was about how he had left without a second thought, without any regards to his own health and safety.
"Is that all you have to say? 'I know'? You- you're impossible! They could have killed you! I know that Deucalion has this weird obsession with you but the man's a cold-blooded killer. He could have cut you open and used your intestines as fucking jump ropes!"
"Ugh, seriously? That's disgusting!" Stiles complained from somewhere behind her but Marlee kept her gaze focused on the werewolf before her.
"I'm sorry." Scott responded without breaking eye contact. "It was something that I needed to do."
There was a moment of a silent tension before Marlee finally broke.
"Damn you and your hero complex." Her voice had lost its severity, giving way to a resigned tone.
She hadn't meant to fly off the handle but after everything that had happened in the past few weeks, she had finally blew her top. It didn't seem as though her victim minded all that much, as he sent her a small smile of understanding before turning to the veterinarian.
"Let's do this."
Marlee sat off to the side as Isaac, Lydia, and Deaton went about preparing for the ritual. She nibbled her lower lip, observing everyone and everything in the room. She didn't like the idea of three of her friends basically dying but she knew that it was the only option that they seemed to have.
"All right." Deaton said as the ice baths were done being filled. The teens gathered in a group, Marlee joining them and positioning herself between Lydia and Stiles. "What did you bring?"
Everyone looked at the dented piece of metal that Stiles held in his hand.
"Um, I got my dad's badge." He held it up for the druid to see. "Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a bit. Still doesn't look great. Um…"
"It doesn't need to look good if it has meaning." Deaton reassured.
"Is that an actual silver bullet?"
Isaac's incredulous question brought everyone's attention to the small object Allison held at the tips of her fingers.
"Yeah, my dad made it as kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the Code."
"We hunt those who hunt us." The hunters' Code, something that Allison had mentioned once or twice, echoed in Marlee's memories.
"Scott?"
Glancing up at his mentor, Scott opened his hand to reveal a watch.
"My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in her marriage that ever worked."
Despite the fact that it was a self-deprecating joke that Melissa would tell, Marlee couldn't help but have the urge to move around Stiles and take Scott's hand in her own. She restrained herself from doing so, knowing that he didn't need that sort of comfort at the moment.
"Okay. The three of you will get in. Each of you will have someone holding you down until you're essentially, well, dead. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back. Someone that has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether."
After a moment of contemplation, Lydia started to move towards Allison, only to be stopped by Deaton.
"Lydia… you go with Stiles."
That was that then. Stiles and Lydia shared a look of understanding as Allison and Isaac wordlessly stood closer together. It didn't take long for everyone to realize who was left. Marlee quickly tried to extract herself from the situation.
"So, that leaves Scott and Dea-"
"I will be overseeing everyone." The veterinarian interrupted, his lips twitching ever so slightly at the teenagers' predicament.
"But- I mean, we- the two of us aren't-"
It wasn't until Marlee's eyes darted in Scott's direction again did she stop her attempted objections. He was gazing at her, anxiously, afraid that she would keep refusing. But when he noticed that she was looking at him, Scott gave her an encouraging smile. With a sigh, Marlee agreed to cooperate.
"Excellent. I'd suggest that the six of you take a moment to say your goodbyes."
"Wow, way to make it sound so final, Doc."
Her partner made his way towards her, looking a bit uncertain.
"Hey, do me a favor and keep this safe."
Scott slid his denim jacket off before holding it out to the blonde. Marlee hesitantly took the article of clothing before folding it up and placing it on one of the chairs next to a wall. The duo split up to talk to the others.
The first person Marlee talked to was Stiles. It was true that the two of them weren't exactly best friends but they each respected the other and enjoyed their presence. The pale boy smirked suddenly, causing the girl to raise her eyebrows in amusement.
"I know you don't like the 'bad juju' or whatever but if I don't make it out of this- I want you to use the Ouija board so we can discuss The Avengers when it comes out."
"Deal."
The pair fist-bumped before the blonde moved on to the nervous-looking young woman.
"Hey," Marlee placed a hand on Allison's shoulder, "you're going to go in there and do your thing. And when you get back, we're going to find him."
The dark-haired girl's lips twitched upwards in gratitude.
While she was definitely worried about the sheriff and Melissa, Marlee couldn't help but worry about Chris the most. From what she had gathered, Allison's mother had died shortly before the end of sophomore year. With everything that had happened to the Argents this year, Marlee wasn't going to let the other girl lose both of her parents within months of each other.
With sad but hopeful looks, the two took a moment to hug each other before pulling apart.
After saying all she needed to say to Allison and Stiles, Marlee turned towards Scott. A lump formed in her throat and she could feel her eyes beginning to sting with tears. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward to embrace him. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her by the waist.
"You're coming back, right?" She whispered.
"I'm gonna try." He answered.
Marlee pulled back to stare at him, to look into those brown eyes for what might be the last time. She could remember the first time those eyes had looked at her, a bit dazed from being hit by the now-infamous car. It was not so long ago but to Marlee, it felt like a lifetime. She nor Scott were expecting her next move. She quickly pecked him on the cheek then removed her arms from his neck and backed away. He looked shocked for a moment before sobering up to focus on the task at hand.
"It's time." Deaton confirmed.
The three sacrifices moved to stand at the end of the tubs, hesitantly stepping forward. The trio slowly lowered themselves into the water, getting used to the shocking cold. Their partners hung back a couple of feet, waiting for them to adjust.
"By the way," Stiles turned his head towards his best friend, "if I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something. Your dad's in town."
Marlee's blue eyes widened as her spine stiffened. She kept her gaze on the back of Scott's head. The werewolf's breathing became a bit heavier at the confession.
"Scott." She whispered, her voice inaudible to everyone except the boy in front of her. (And maybe Isaac- she wasn't sure.) "Scott?"
The slightest turn of the head let Marlee know that he had heard her.
"It's okay. I know it's hard but just forget about him for now. We'll deal with it after we get your mom back."
We.
She had said 'We'll deal with it…'
For a moment, Scott and Marlee weren't in the darkened examination room of the veterinary clinic, about to perform a sacrifice. They were back in his bedroom, a box of unopened birthday and Christmas cards sitting between the two of them.
"What kind of idiot wouldn't want to get to know you?"
There were so many things that Scott wanted to say to Marlee right then and there but he held his tongue. Although she had been referring to something completely different, he silently vowed that, yes, they would deal with 'it' after they got his mom back.
Deaton nodded to the three adolescents standing, giving them the 'go ahead'.
Moving forward, Marlee inhaled deeply before breathing out, briefly calming her nerves. Placing her hands on Scott's shoulders, she pushed down on them until the werewolf was submerged. The ice stung her fingers, slowly starting to numb them, as she waited for Scott to stop breathing. It didn't take long for the ripples to stop. Marlee gently removed her hands from the water, shaking slightly at the idea that Scott was dead at the moment.
My life is so fucking weird…
The four of them stood there, the high school students waiting patiently while the veterinarian simply watched them.
Thirty seconds went by… a minute… two minutes… five minutes…
"I thought you said they would be dead for only a few seconds." Marlee stated as she kept her eyes on the tub in front of her.
"I didn't want to worry them." Deaton confessed.
The girl looked at him in disbelief.
"So you lied?"
"It takes time to reenter the world of the living- for the three of them to make their way back into their bodies." The former emissary explained. "If the lunar eclipse occurs before then, it may be too late to save their parents. I didn't want any of them to attempt anything overly reckless or they might not come back at all."
The three teens were quiet for a moment before Lydia inquired, "What comes next?"
"Now, we wait…"
It was early in the morning when Isaac left the clinic to go fetch breakfast from a local café. He promised to pick out something for the girls and bring it back. The trio had alternated shifts throughout the night, each of them sleeping for a couple of hours when they weren't keeping watch over the tubs, waiting for any signs of life.
Lydia raised her eyebrows as she finally noticed the extra item of clothing on her friend.
It had been pretty chilly the night before, especially with the ice that the other three were submerged in. Marlee had slipped Scott's denim jacket on before she drifted off to sleep. It had done its job of keeping her warm but what she hadn't expected was the wave of comfort it had brought with it. As much as she wanted to deny it, a small, annoying voice in her mind couldn't help but tell her what she already knew: the feeling of security was because the jacket smelled like Scott. The familiar scent of the werewolf's laundry detergent and something woodsy (probably from constantly running around the preserve) had calmed her nerves and quieted the onslaught of negative thoughts.
"What?" The blonde questioned, seeing the other girl's look.
The genius smirked before replying, "I didn't say anything."
"It's cold in here." Marlee defended, crossing her arms over her chest to further prove her point.
"Uh huh."
Neither of them said a word until Lydia finally worked up the courage to broach the subject.
"I don't understand why you were so set against being Scott's tether."
"I haven't known him that long."
"That doesn't mean anything. Isaac was still pissed about Allison shooting at him with arrows until a couple of weeks ago. Time and emotions don't necessarily correlate."
"You heard what Deaton said. The tether is supposed to be someone that the person shares a strong connection with. It seemed a bit absurd to believe that I fit the bill." Marlee tried to reason.
"But it worked." The banshee countered.
"We don't know that though! He could die in there. What if I wasn't the right person and he doesn't come back?"
Marlee leaned her head back to rest against the wall, closing her eyes, trying to process everything that was being said.
It was quiet for a moment before Lydia spoke again.
"Marlee… he's going to make it back. Scott is one of the most resilient people I have ever met. He isn't going to give up without a fight, especially with what's at stake. You don't have to worry about that. And as for the two of you having a connection… everyone can see it. There are these moments when you'll be talking to Allison or Stiles at lunch and you don't even notice that Scott can't take his eyes off of you. You guys practically light up when you see each other. Besides, if there wasn't a deep connection there, you wouldn't have reacted the way that you did when Scott left with Deucalion or when you first saw him last night. If that isn't enough, we all know what we saw on the bus that morning at the Glen Capri."
Marlee blushed slightly at the memory of waking up and finding herself basically snuggling with the werewolf.
"Stiles asked about it," Lydia continued, "but Scott didn't give anything away. All he said was that the two of you just talked and fell asleep. He tells Stiles practically everything yet he wouldn't say what you talked about. Speaking of which- I know that you two almost kissed the other night."
The redhead hesitated before concluding, softly, "He really likes you, Marlee…"
Marlee's eyes opened before she straightened up in her seat.
"Well, he shouldn't."
"Why not?" Lydia challenged.
"We're not- we're not compatible. I mean, you know about this whole 'True Alpha' thing. Scott has the potential to level up just for being a good person. He's always thinking of others and he tries to look for the best in everyone. But me? I am not a good person. I- I'm angry as fuck and- and I'm impulsive. My personal belief when it comes to people is that they fucking suck. I think love is a complete waste of time. I'm not looking to let someone have the power to try and break me even more any time soon. Besides…"
Marlee turned her gaze towards the tub on the right, the one that held a practically lifeless Scott.
"I'm not what he needs."
So, was this worth the wait? (I hope it was.) Let me know by leaving a review!
And be sure to watch the Season 6 premiere of Teen Wolf tomorrow night!