I do not own Teen Wolf
Chapter Six
"Do you want the bite?" Peter was staring at her intently.
"The what?" she asked, confused and groggy.
"The bite," he said. "It's a gift. If you accept it, you'll heal. You'll be faster, stronger, beautiful."
"I feel like you're only telling me the good things," she said, tilting her head.
"I knew you were smart," Peter smiled before continuing. "The bite could kill you. If it doesn't, you'll have to learn control so you don't hurt anyone. There are people who would hunt you and try to kill you."
"Why?" River asked, panicked.
"It's okay," he promised, moving closer to her. "I wouldn't let anyone hurt you. You're my family, my pack."
"Do I have to have the bite?" she asked. "To be your family?"
"No," Peter smiled. "You can stay as you are. I can teach you different things without the bite."
"Like what?"
"How to defend yourself from the hunters and others like me. I can get you mountain ash and spell books to study. Self-defense and hand-to-hand combat."
"Magic?" she gasped. "I can learn magic?"
"Yes," Peter smiled. "You can be like that Hermione girl."
"You could hear me," River smiled. "I told her you could."
"Yes, I heard you arguing with Jennifer," Peter chuckled. "So, do you agree? You'll be in my pack?"
"Sure," River shrugged. "I'm half-sure this is a dream, by the way."
Peter just smiled at the admission before standing and kissing River's head. She felt a warmth grow in her chest and let out a small 'oh' at the feeling. Peter breathed her in, hand going to the back of her neck. She hummed at the feeling before pouting when Peter turned away.
"Will you read to me?" Peter requested, pulling 'The Fellowship of the Ring' from her bag.
"Sure," River smiled, opening the book.
She read for an hour before Peter stood.
"Where are you going?" she asked, frowning.
"You need rest and visiting hours are starting soon," Peter explained. "I'll send you a few books and come visit you soon."
"Okay," River nodded, placing the bookmark in the page and handing the book over so Peter could put it back in her bag.
Peter kissed her head and left the room quickly. River sighed before leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She fell asleep quickly just to jump awake when Stiles ran into the room, falling to the floor in his rush.
"What the hell?" she asked, thinking of the strange dream she had had.
"Hey," Stiles said, grinning to her.
"Hi," River sighed, rolling her eyes.
Stiles frowned before sitting down beside her.
"I'm sorry," he admitted. "I know you have questions. It's just hard to explain."
"Then start from the beginning," River grumbled, staring at the ceiling.
"Later," Stiles promised. "Dad's doing the paperwork now so we can take you home."
"Thank God," she sighed in relief. "I hate hospitals."
"I know the feeling," Stiles smirked. "I see you changed your clothes."
"I even showered by myself," she smirked. "Speaking of, I left my shower stuff in the bathroom last night. Can you grab it for me, please?"
"Sure."
Stiles jumped up, rushing to the bathroom to gather her stuff. He came back a minute later, putting everything away for her. Once he zipped the bag closed, Noah walked in. He smiled brightly at seeing her awake and dressed in her own clothes.
"How you feeling, kiddo?" he asked.
"I actually feel great," she answered honestly, noticing that the pain was basically gone. "I don't know what meds they have me on, but they work."
"They took you off your medicine," Noah told her.
"Are we sure? Cause I feel fine."
"I'm sure," Noah smiled. "You ready to get out of here?"
"Born ready," she groaned. "Save me from this prison."
Noah and Stiles both chuckled at her dramatics before Melissa came to her room. Melissa smiled as she helped River stand, pushing her slippers onto her feet so that River wouldn't have to do it herself. Once she was standing, she felt a twinge of pain on her side before a warmth in her chest batted the pain away. She felt confused for a moment before a bright grin overtook her features, realizing the dream had been real.
"Happy you can stand?" Melissa quirked her eyebrow.
"Happy to go home," River shrugged. "No offense to your place of work, but it kind of sucks."
"Is that your notice?" Melissa smirked.
"Dad said I can organize the station," River shrugged, not noticing the sparkle in Melissa's eyes when she called Noah dad. "Is that okay?"
"That's fine," Melissa smiled. "I know how much you like to organize."
"It makes me feel better," she shrugged her good shoulder. "Like I have control over something."
"I know," Melissa nodded, helping her to the wheelchair. "Let's get you out of here."
"Yay!" River cheered, Stiles letting out a whoop behind her.
Once in the hall, River noted the hall looked completely fine, as if a struggle hadn't happened the night before. She wondered how Peter had pulled that off before looking ahead and seeing Jennifer. Jennifer gave her a smile and a wink as they passed and River couldn't help but smile back. Once they reached the front door, Melissa helped her stand as Stiles rushed forward to open the passenger side door of the cruiser. Noah took over for Melissa, leading River to the car and helping her climb in. With the door closed, River let out a happy breath, rubbing the chest where the warm feeling came from.
When they got home, Noah helped her up the stairs and to her room. She snorted when she saw her schoolbooks with a note from Lydia explaining that she was making copies of her notes for her to use for homework. River sat on her bed, leaning against the backboard and pulling her favorite quilt over her legs.
"How are you feeling?" Noah questioned.
"I promise, I'm good," River said again. "If I start hurting I'll let someone know."
"Alright," Noah sighed. "I have to head to work, but Stiles is here if you need anything."
"Okay," River nodded. "Love you."
"Love you, too," Noah smiled, kissing her forehead before heading out.
Stiles came into her room and she stared at him, watching as he sat on the edge of her bed. He stared at his hands for a while, not saying anything. River cleared her throat to get his attention.
"This is where you start explaining," she stage whispered.
"I can't," Stiles sighed.
"What?" she asked.
"It's not my secret to tell."
River rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed groan.
"Go away," she pushed him off the bed with her foot. "Go bug Scott. I need to do homework."
"River," Stiles pleaded.
"No," her firm voice and hard eyes caused him to take a step back. "Just, no."
Stiles huffed and left the room, slamming his bedroom door closed and causing her to jump. River rolled her eyes and grabbed her schoolbooks, reading through the chapters that Lydia had marked for her before going to the worksheets. She had finished half of the worksheets by the time that Stiles came out of his room.
"I need to go do something. Will you be okay by yourself?"
"I'll be fine," she waved him off. "Will you turn on my light and open my window before you go?"
"I don't think you should leave your window open," he said slowly. "What if a mountain lion climbed in."
"I thought the mountain lion had been shot," she shot back.
"There could be another one," he tried, his voice going up a pitch and telling River he was hiding something.
"Whatever," River rolled her eyes. "Just the light then please."
Stiles turned on her light and left. Once she heard the Jeep head down the road, she set her book aside and stood. She stared out of her window for a moment before unlocking it and opening it slightly, a light breeze moving through the room. She sat back on her bed, continuing her homework. After another hour, she heard a car pull up in front of the house and stood, looking out to see who it was. A silver car that she vaguely recognized was idling in the driveway. She watched as Jennifer exited the car, opened the back door and pulled a box out. Jennifer approached the front porch and disappeared from sight as she reached the front door.
River heard the doorbell ring and headed down the stairs, taking a break halfway through to catch her breath. She finally made it to the door, opening it wide, but finding Jennifer and her car missing. She looked down, finding the box waiting for her. She squatted down and lifted the box, letting out a breath at the weight of it. She started up the stairs again, having to take more breaks ascending the stairs than she did descending them.
Finally making it back to her room, River shut her door and set the box on her bed. She opened it carefully, not sure what would be inside. She smiled as she began pulling the contents out to study. She found three old, leather-bound books, two journals made with some sort of animal fur, two large jars of what looked like black minerals, multiple stones and crystals, a velvet jewelry box, a first edition copy of 'Dracula' and a letter with her name on it. She decided to open the letter before looking through the books and journals.
'River,
I hope you aren't in much pain. I'll come to you when I have the chance. At the moment, I have quite a bit of business to attend to and am not sure when I will be free. I'm sure you're curious about the contents of the box and, if I know you as well as I believe that I do, you're reading this letter before going through everything.
The dusty books contain spells, each of varying degrees of difficulty. Please, start with the top book. Master all of those spells before going to the next. Magic can be dangerous, and I don't need my future emissary getting herself hurt.
One of the journals is a bestiary from the family tomb. It's a book on supernatural creatures that I hope will help us in the future. Study it carefully. There are blank pages that I hope we won't have to fill at a later time.
The other journal is made of my own fur. It is for you to write your notes and questions while studying magic, or even for when you begin writing your own spells. Please don't start trying to make your own spells until you have mastered the three books completely.
The jars are mountain ash. Mountain ash is the ashes from Roran trees and can protect you from a few different types of supernatural creatures. It can be used in spells or in combat. It is most commonly used to make a circle around a specific area for protection.
The crystals and stones will help you with spells and for grounding your magic. I'm sure you can look up what the stones are and what they mean. The Internet, I am finding, is a very resourceful tool.
'Dracula' is from my own personal library. I hope you enjoy it. Maybe you can read it to me sometime?
Please wear the other gift. It will help protect you from outside sources, such as possession. It is also a family heirloom. Keep it hidden when you wear it. Try not to take it off. It will not break.
If anything were to happen to me, everything I own would go to you. You are my sole beneficiary. I know that may seem strange, but you reading to me was what helped bring me back. It reminded me that I was human. My own nephew and niece left me there to rot, never coming to visit me unless it was to make a point to someone else about what hunters were capable of. Well, in some defense, that was only one time, but that also shows that they only visited me once.
Stay safe. I'll come to you as soon as I can to explain things better, but you're smart enough to figure it out on your own. That warmth in your chest is a bond between us. We'll be able to feel each other's emotions and it'll help me to know if you're in danger. I can feel your happiness through it and, if you ever went missing, I would be able to follow the bond and find you.
I am sorry for hurting you. I have my power under control now that I have a bond. I can't do much about the pain without touching you, but I will continue to try to fight it off. Be careful. Stay away from the Argents. Practice your magic. I will come for you. I will always find you.
-Peter'
River smiled down at the letter and tried to concentrate on the bond. She felt it in her chest and tried to send her happiness from his words through it to him. She wondered if he could feel it at all before she felt the bond heat up as happiness and contentment were sent back to her. She let out a small giggle before reaching for the jewelry box.
Inside the velvet box was a necklace that was held together with black leather. Hanging from the end of the leather was a jar that was closed with black wax. Inside the jar she could make out a few small stones, mountain ash, and what looked like rock salt. She could tell that there was more to it but didn't recognize it immediately. Along with the jar, there were three charms; a black wolf, a planchette, and a three-spiral triskele.
She pulled the necklace over her head and slid it under her shirt, placing her hand over the necklace where it rested between her breasts. She picked up the spell books, making sure to leave them in order before placing them on her overstuffed bookshelf. She placed 'Dracula' on her bedside table, pulling out a fresh bookmark and setting it on top of the book. She placed the journals on her bed and left the mountain ash, stones, and crystals in the box, which she stashed at the top of her closet, placing the quilts in front of the box to hide it.
Once she was situated on her bed again, she reached for the journals. The first one she opened was blank, so she assumed it was the one made of Peter's hide. She closed it and rested her hand over the cover, taking in the coarse feeling beneath her fingers before setting it beside 'Dracula' and opening the bestiary.
The pages had browned with age, the writing starting to fade. River decided she would have to trace over the words with a pen once she finished reading through it. She made herself comfortable and began reading as Peter had suggested. Losing herself in the pages was easy, reading through descriptions of supernatural creatures and how to either kill or subdue them. She heard Stiles knock on her door and she set the book down, standing and walking to her door.
"What's up?" she asked, only opening her door a crack.
"I brought some dinner. Peace offering," he explained.
"It's not a peace offering unless you plan on telling me what the hell is going on," she glared.
"I have a milkshake."
"I'll meet you downstairs."
She shut her door, placing a bookmark in the bestiary and hiding it, along with the journal, in her bedside table beside her walkie talkie. She made her way down the stairs, groaning in frustration as she had to sit halfway through. Stiles came back up the stairs, food and drinks in hand. He placed the food and drinks on the step above them, reaching in the bag to separate the food.
"Thanks," she whispered as she took the offered fries and burger.
Stiles nodded and popped the lid off of her milkshake so that she could dip her fries in it. He began eating his own food and they sat in silence for a few minutes. River finally let out an annoyed huff and face him.
"Stiles? Just tell me what's happening?" she pleaded. "Everyone has been pushing me out lately and I feel like shit."
"I didn't mean to push you out," Stiles said, regret and guilt crossing his features. "Like I said, it's not my secret to tell."
"I thought we told each other everything," she argued.
"You didn't tell me about Isaac," Stiles countered.
"I also didn't ignore you for weeks," she shot back.
Stiles sighed, rubbing his face. He stared forward for a bit and River could see him arguing with himself in his head. River leaned back, letting him think everything through as she continued eating her fries and chocolate shake. As she was swallowing her final fry, Stiles groaned and leaned back.
"I can't," he said simply.
"You know I'll just figure it out on my own eventually, right?" she asked in amusement.
"Please leave it alone," Stiles begged.
"No," she shook her head and put the lid on her shake.
She stood and made her way up the stairs sipping her shake and leaning against the wall for support. She left Stiles on the steps where he didn't even try to come after her. She shut her door and flipped the lock, deciding she would unlock it once she heard Stiles head to bed. She threw away her empty cup and pulled the bestiary back out, getting back to her research.
After reading two sentences, she decided to pull a notebook towards herself, flipping it upside down and going to the very last page. She began taking notes about the creature she was reading, slowly coming to a realization in the process. She let out a bark of laughter before covering her mouth to hold it in, not wanting Stiles to try to come into her room. Once she finished the section she was on, she shut her notebook and continued reading, opening the notebook every so often to make notes on other creatures. She knew she would end up rereading the book a few times before she had it all memorized, but she knew it would be worth it in the end.
After the first read-through, she began tracing the words over, knowing it would help her to remember what she had read. She only paused in her task when she heard Stiles go into his room. She stayed still listening as he moved around his room, getting ready for bed. Once she heard his bedsprings squeak, signaling that he was in bed, she stood as quietly as possible, stepping over the two baseboards that creaked when stepped on in order to unlock her door before heading back to her bed. She stayed up all night, tracing over the words until the sun came up. She'd only finished two-third of the book when she heard Noah get home.
Sighing, she hid the book and set her pen down, heading down the stairs so she could see him. She was mildly surprised when she didn't need to rest while heading to the first floor, but she felt accomplished, nonetheless. She smiled when she found Noah in the kitchen, making himself a quick sandwich.
"Do you want me to make you some eggs?" she asked, her voice soft so as to not scare him with her sudden presence.
"No," Noah turned to her, taking in her appearance before speaking again. "Did you get any sleep?"
"I'll be okay," she smiled. "Was trying to get my homework done. If I don't, I'll just have problems falling asleep thinking about the mountain sitting on my desk."
"I'm sure your teachers will understand you needing to rest rather than do homework."
"Not Harris," River stated. "He'd probably tell me that if I can't get it done then I need to drop his class."
"He does not seem like a polite man," Noah joked.
"He's not. Picks on Stiles a lot."
"What do you mean?" Noah was in concerned parent mode now.
"Stiles has a hard time staying still and paying attention, obviously. Harris picks on him for it, even though its due to his ADHD, which is well documented at the school. It doesn't feel right."
"It isn't right," Noah complained. "I'll go up to the school Monday and talk to the principal."
"Thank you," River smiled.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked. "I've noticed that you haven't been spending as much time with Stiles or any of your friends lately."
"Everyone is being weird," she shrugged. "Stiles and Scott are up to something, which I am being left out of, Jackson is spending a lot of time with Allison, Lydia is being stand-offish, and Erica and Boyd decided that they were more invested in their friendship to Isaac than to me. Doesn't really leave me anyone to hang with. On the bright side, I have straight A's and have gotten a lot of reading done."
"Do you want me to talk to Stiles about ignoring you?"
"No," she shook her head. "He'll come to me when he's ready. I wanted to talk to you about what happened at the school, actually."
"I need to get your statement anyways," Noah nodded, grabbing a notebook and pen.
The two sat at the table, Noah's coffee letting off steam as it sat in front of him. He sat with his pen hovering over the notebook paper, ready to begin writing.
"I got a text from Scott saying to meet him at the school, which is weird since he didn't have a phone at the time."
"I remember you asking Stiles about it that morning," Noah nodded before letting River continue.
"Well, I got to the school at seven-fifteen and saw Jackson's Porsche. I remember wondering what he was doing there with Stiles before seeing the blood by the front door. There was so much of it. I saw something move in the bush by the school and realized it was a person. I ran over and pulled them out of the bush. I didn't recognize him, but he had short, black hair and some stubble, leather jacket, Henley shirt. There was a hole in his chest so I called the station and put pressure on the wound. He was still breathing, but just barely. Amber hung up on me the first time because someone had called and said that they were told there would be prank calls from the school. I called back and yelled at her while still putting pressure on the guys chest.
"I heard a growl and turned around and…"
She trailed off, remembering the red eyes and the beast that had been behind her. It was like she was there all over again, Peter losing control and attacking her. She remembered the feeling of being thrown, torn open, and thrown again. She could still feel herself sliding across the asphalt and landing in the pool of blood. She shook out of her daze when she felt the warmth in her chest flare and Noah rested his hand his hand on her good shoulder.
"Sorry," she told him before continuing. "I thought I saw red eyes, but maybe it was just the lights from the cruiser in the distance or an exit light reflecting from its eyes. It threw me into the Jeep, scratched me up, and threw me again. I don't remember any real details though. Everything hurt too much."
"If I show you a picture of someone, can you tell me if you recognize them?" Noah asked, his voice wavering a bit.
"Yeah," River nodded.
Noah pulled his phone out and looked for a specific picture. Once he found it, he turned his phone so that she could see it. She recognized the man immediately.
"That's him," River gasped. "That's the guy that was outside."
"You say this was at seven-fifteen?" he asked.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I was on the phone with Amber for a bit before that thing attacked me though."
"I have the call transcript," he nodded, causing River to flinch at the idea of him having to hear her getting attacked. "You're sure this is the man who was outside?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Who is he?"
"Derek Hale. Scott said that Derek chased them through the school."
"You don't agree?" she asked.
"The timeline doesn't add up," Noah shook his head. "If you were outside with him, there was no way he was in the school at that time."
"Maybe he saw Derek outside and assumed it was Derek chasing them?" she suggested. "Trauma can do that to someone. Make them see things."
"Yeah," Noah nodded. "I'll figure it out."
"Do you want help?" she offered.
"Not with any ongoing investigations," Noah smirked. "You know that."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," River waved her hand.
A few seconds later, Stiles could be heard stampeding down the stairs. He walked into the kitchen and froze when he saw River and Noah at the table with a notebook between them. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion before understanding dawned on his face. He walked to the coffee maker, pouring himself a cup of coffee as River looked to Noah.
"Anything else?" she asked.
"No," he shook his head. "If I think of anymore questions, I'll let you know."
"Okay," River smiled. "Now, my turn to ask questions."
"River," he warned.
"I know, I know, ongoing investigation. It isn't about that," she promised. "When do I get to start organizing stuff?"
"When you're stitches come out," Noah said with a pointed look.
"I'm going to have so many scars," River complained, covering her face with her hands.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Noah said, leaning forward and taking her hands from her face.
"It's fine," River whispered, hoping Noah ignored the crack in her voice. "I prefer long sleeves anyways."
"You can't wear long sleeves in the Summer," Noah sighed. "You'll pass out from heat exhaustion."
"Only if I'm in the heat," she defended. "I think we both know that I prefer staying in the cool A/C anyways."
Noah let out a sigh, deciding not to argue with her this early on. He squeezed her hands instead, trying to comfort her in any way that he could. Stiles just stood by the coffee maker, refusing to turn around and look at River. He felt guilt eating at him for not being able to protect her, from not being able to tell her about werewolves. Scott had begged him not to tell her, wanting to keep her out of danger. Stiles had agreed originally, but after she had almost died from blood loss, he didn't think keeping her in the dark was the safer anymore. After literally wrecking Melissa and Peter's date the night before and eating on the stairs with River, he had gone to Scott's, sneaking into the house and argued in hushed voices for an hour before he had left to go back home.
River stood from her seat and bumped Stiles, pushing him out of the way a bit so that she could get to her tea. As if on autopilot, she reached up with her left arm and gasped in pain, tears forming in her eyes. Stiles responded immediately, pulling her away from the cabinet and setting her back in her chair. She closed her eyes tight, breathing heavily for a few moments before opening her eyes to find Stiles and Noah both kneeling in front of her.
"I'm good," she lied through her teeth. "Just give me a minute."
"I'll make your tea," Stiles said.
"I'll get your pain medication," Noah added.
Both Stilinski men stood, heading in different directions. Noah went to the living room, grabbing a bag and coming back to the living room as Stiles went to the cabinet that River had tried reaching for. He pulled down the tea bags, leaving them on the counter so she could get to them, before filling the kettle and placing it on the stovetop. Noah placed two pills in front of River and poured her a glass of water.
After she took her medicine, they all waited with bated breath for the kettle to whistle. Stiles went about fixing her tea the way she liked it before placing it in front of her. She sipped it slowly, closing her eyes and enjoying the taste and warmth that it provided. After a few sips, she looked up and locked eyes with Noah.
"I'm okay," she promised with a smile. "Go get some rest."
Noah nodded, heading up the stairs and leaving River and Stiles alone. River looked to Stiles, watching as he checked her over with his eyes. She smirked as she continued sipping her tea, letting him finish his assessment before speaking.
"I'm okay," she repeated.
"Are you?" he asked seriously.
"I am," she promised. "Or, at least, I will be."
"I'm sorry for avoiding you," he said honestly. "I knew you were having a hard time after everything with Isaac, but I also knew that you wouldn't want to talk to me if you knew I was keeping something from you."
"Let's just forget about it," River said. "You'll tell me when you're ready."
"Really?" Stiles asked, confused.
"Yeah," she shrugged with her good shoulder.
Stiles was in shock. River was stubborn. When she wanted something, she stopped at nothing to get it, including with information. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, not trusting it before shrugging and letting it go.
"What do you want to do today?" she asked hopefully.
"I actually had plans with Scott," Stiles scratched the back of his head. "I didn't realize that you would actually want me around. I can cancel though."
"It's fine," River shook her head. "I need to finish my homework anyways. I'll just do that and watch some movies."
"As soon as I'm done with Scott, I'll come home. I'll even bring snacks," he offered.
"Deal," River smiled. "Go. Hurry back."
Stiles kissed her cheek and River ignored the fact that her stomach flipped at the action as he went out the front door. She shook her head, heading up the stairs with her tea so that she could do her homework.
It took her three hours to finish her assignments and she groaned as she shook out the cramp in her hand. She went back down the stairs, putting a random movie in before sitting on the couch and curling up under a throw blanket. She fell asleep before she even got to the main menu, her all-nighter finally catching up to her.
She woke up as Stiles got home, the sun already down again. She sat up, looking towards the entryway and seeing him rubbing his face with his hands as he held stress in his shoulders.
"You okay?" she asked, causing him to jump.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Where's the snacks?"
"Shit," he groaned.
"It's fine. I was about to head to bed anyways."
River felt disappointment settle in her stomach as she stood, ignoring the want to stretch out of fear of causing her side to hurt. She folded the blanket and laid it across the back of the couch before noticing the glass of water and medicine on the coffee table. Knowing that Noah left it out for her, she took the pills and downed the water quickly before turning off the tv and turning towards the stairs. She patted Stiles' shoulder as she passed him, heading up the stairs and to her room. She laid in her bed and rolled to her good side, pulling the blanket over her head and crying softly, letting out the feelings of abandonment that she felt in her chest from Stiles.
After crying herself to sleep, River woke up with a headache. She groaned as she stood, holding her head in her hands. She waited a few minutes before standing and looking out her still cracked window. Stiles was already at school and Noah was at work. She decided she didn't want to sit at the house all day, nor did she want to miss anymore school, so she took a shower and decided to get ready. She would miss first period for taking her time getting ready, but she didn't really mind considering she had finished the essay that wasn't due until the end of the week the day before.
After carefully blow drying her hair so as to not irritate her side, River opened her closet, trying to decide what to wear. She pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and slid them on easily. Next she grabbed a black tank top, pulling it over her head and shoulders before sliding the spaghetti straps up her arms. She grabbed her lightest sweater and pulled it on, rolling up the pink sleeve on her uninjured arm.
She did her makeup and crammed all of her assignments and books into her bag. Hauling it over her right shoulder and grunting at the weight. She grabbed her keys, relieved that someone had brought her car back to the house, even if it was probably Scott. She headed out the door, ignoring Mrs. Anderson's judgmental looks as she tossed her bag into the back seat before getting into the driver's seat.
The drive to school was fast as always. Getting out of the car took her a while. It wasn't from any sort of pain though. River couldn't help but stare at the spot where the blood had been that night. The sidewalk seemed darker in that spot but that was the only indication that she could see that that night had truly happened. When she finally brought herself out of her thoughts, she walked into the school and went straight to the office.
The front office assistant had been surprised to see her but gave her a pass to second period anyways. River dropped off all of her books and assignments that weren't for Chemistry and walked the empty halls, pausing in front of Harris' classroom. She let out an annoyed sigh before opening the door and stepping inside.
All eyes fell on River as she stepped forward, heels echoing in the silence that fell over the room. She passed her office note to Harris before setting her finished assignments on his desk. She gave him a forced smile before walking to her normal spot beside Stiles, head held high and shoulders back like Lydia had taught her. She slid into her seat and opened her notebook and chemistry book, copying the notes from the board as Harris cleared his throat and began speaking again.
Stiles' leg was bouncing so hard that River worried he would have a bruise from where it kept hitting the table. She rolled her eyes and placed her hand on his thigh, grounding him. He reached his left hand down and held hers, squeezing gently in thanks before releasing her. She left her hand on him as they both took notes, Stiles being able to actually pay a bit of attention with River holding him down.
When the bell rang, Harris asked for River to stay behind. Stiles stayed by the door, waiting for her as Harris asked her a few questions, making sure she understood the assignments. He surprised her by telling her that if she needed to leave at any point then to let him know. She thanked him before going to Stiles, letting him lead her down the hall and to her locker. Lydia was waiting for her there already.
"Hey," River greeted her, grabbing everything she needed for her next class.
"Good job," Lydia smirked.
"You noticed?" River smirked back.
"What?" Stiles asked, confused.
"I was very proud," Lydia's smirk turned to a small smile, the genuine look giving River a confidence boost.
"Then my life is complete and I can die happy," River joked.
Lydia rolled her eyes, her smile growing.
"I'm confused," Stiles announced.
"So, same as normal," River joked as Stiles took her books from her arms.
"Har-har," he rolled his eyes.
"I'll call you later," Lydia promised.
"Okay," River nodded, taking Stiles' hand and following him towards her next class.
"Are you okay?" Stiles asked, studying her sweater. "I thought you were kidding about the long sleeves."
"I was not," River sighed. "I'm going to move all of my long sleeve shirts to the front of my closet tonight. This was just the quickest thing I could grab."
"I'm sorry," Stiles said, fully genuine.
"It'll be fine," River assured him. "I'll get over it eventually. It's just going to take time."
"Well, you could always tell people that you fought a shark?" he suggested.
"Or a mountain lion," she smirked. "Sounds more likely."
"True," Stiles nodded as they stepped into River's next class.
He followed her all the way to her desk, setting her stuff down as she sat and then kneeling in front of her.
"If you need anything, just call me," he told her. "I don't care that we're at school. Pull out your phone and call me. I'll come running."
"Okay," River nodded. "Now, go to class."
Stiles stood and kissed her head. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment, both of their eyes remaining closed before Stiles finally backed away and left the room. River watched him go, a small smile on her face before she faced forward. At the end of class, she turned in her assignments and found Jackson waiting for her at the door.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
"Sure," she nodded. "What's up?"
"Not here," he shook his head and led her to an empty classroom.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"What did you see that night?" he asked bluntly.
"Well, there was a guy bleeding on the ground and then I fought a mountain lion," she replied without thought.
"Are you sure it was a mountain lion?" he asked.
River looked into Jackson's eyes and saw doubt. What he was doubting, she wasn't sure, but it was probably the mountain lion bit.
"Tell me what you saw first," she told him, wondering just how much Jackson knew.
"Not a mountain lion," he said simply.
"Well, if you didn't see a mountain lion, and I didn't see a mountain lion, then it probably wasn't a mountain lion."
Jackson held her gaze for a few moments, taking in a shaky breath as he repeated what she had said over and over in his head.
"It was big," he said.
"And fast," she added.
"Huge."
"Red eyes and sharp claws."
"How sharp?" he asked, then shook his head. "No. You don't have to answer that."
"This sharp," she said, pulling up her sleeve and showing off the stitches that she had hidden from them at the hospital.
"Shit," he breathed.
"Here, too," she sighed, pulling her sleeve back down and showing Jackson her side.
Jackson stared at the marks that littered her body and River noted the anger that lit up his eyes. He reached forward, pulling her sweater back down gently. He held her waist and River refused to flinch as he touched her other stitches. He leaned in, pulling her close and resting his lips on her head. River was reminded of the night she had become friends with Jackson.
He was sitting in front of a grave with a half a bottle of Jack. He was crying when she sat next to him. He had been abrasive at first, telling her to go screw herself, but the alcohol loosened him up and he had ended up with his head in her lap, crying as he told her about his birth parents. She had drunk the rest of the bottle for him, telling him about how she wished she could remember who she was before the sheriff had found her. She told him about how, every so often, she would smell something or read something, and she would feel like something was just scratching at the back of her brain, trying to figure out what was so familiar about the smell or words. She woke up in Jackson's bed, curled up to his side with her first and only hangover, swearing off alcohol from then on.
A throat cleared and River sniffled, wiping the tear from her cheek as Jackson turned to face the person intruding on their moment.
"Yes, Allison?" he asked, his voice hard.
"Sorry," she said. "The bells about to ring and you two have been in here for a while. I figured I'd warn you."
"We've been warned," he said and River could hear his eyeroll.
"I'm sure Lydia is wondering where you are," Allison's attitude was finally on River's last nerve.
"Isn't Scott looking for you?" she shot back, finally looking at the girl.
"They broke up," Jackson informed her.
"Hmm. Wasn't important enough for me to hear about from Scott or the rumor mill," River shrugged, ignoring the pain it caused in her shoulder.
She heard Jackson snort and caught his smirk out of the corner of her eye. Allison looked shocked, not expecting River to speak up since she usually stayed quiet. Jackson wrapped his arm around River's waist and pulled her past Allison and into the hall. They walked into their next class just as the bell rang, both with mean smirks in place. It wasn't often that River pulled out the mean-girl act, but damn was it a good act.
She realized that she didn't have any of her class supplies when the teacher told them to open their books and she wanted to smack her forehead. Jackson slid his open book over so that they could both read along with the teacher as he took notes. When the bell rang, he handed the notes to her so that she could copy them in study hall later.
At lunch, she followed Jackson to the popular table, sitting her down in the chair that Allison typically occupied to show that she wasn't welcome, Jackson on one side of her and Lydia taking the other side. Lydia pulled her into a conversation about their chemistry test that was coming up, causing her to miss Jackson talking about Allison and River under his breath to Scott. She noticed when he stood and walked away but didn't think anything of it as she continued talking to Lydia.
She heard a loud snap and looked towards Scott and Stiles quickly, seeing them both run from the cafeteria. She shook her head, going back to Lydia as Jackson took his seat again, a smug smile in place. When the bell rang, River went to her locker, grabbing the rest of her assignments and taking them to her teachers before heading towards study hall. She sat beside Lydia, copying the notes that Jackson had taken for her before passing them back to him. She copied some of Lydia's notes as well before it was time to go to her last two classes of the day.
When she walked out of psychology, she caught sight of Isaac staring at her, worry or concern etched on his face. River raised a brow at him before rolling her eyes, turning, and walking in the opposite direction. It took her longer, but she finally reached her locker and leaned against it, letting out a rough breath as her side and arm ached.
"What did you say to Allison?" Scott's voice asked from in front of her.
"Hi, Scott. Nice to finally not be ignored by you for your girlfriend. I'm good thanks. Just in a bit of pain. Thanks for the concern," she responded without opening her eyes, annoyance clear in her voice.
"What did you say to her?" he asked again.
"Why do you care? You broke up," River sighed, turning and opening her locker to grab her books for her last class of the day.
River did not expect Scott to grab her injured arm, forcefully turn her, and slam her into the locker next to hers. She let out a yelp of surprise and pain before finally looking into Scott's golden eyes. Wait, golden?
"Dude!" Stiles yelled, pushing at Scott.
"Let. Her. Go."
River turned to see Jackson standing beside them, his face morphed in fury. Boyd stood behind him, his usually blank face filled with so much rage it made her flinch. She let out a relieved breath as Scott finally released her. She sank to the ground and Stiles rushed to catch her. Jackson stood tall, staring Scott down, Boyd stepping forward so that he was beside Jackson rather than behind him.
River let out a whimper of pain, causing all three boys to stop their staring contest and look to her. Boyd stepped in front of River, blocking Scott when he seemed like he was about to step towards her. Jackson moved around Boyd, going to River's side and helping her stand.
She leaned against him and felt the bond flaring as she felt Peter getting closer. She turned her head into Jackson's chest and let out muffled sob, hoping no one would be able to hear it outside of him.
"Breath," he whispered to her. "Don't let them see."
River nodded, getting her breathing under control before turning back to her locker. She checked her reflection in the small mirror on her locker door and carefully fixed her runaway makeup with her fingers, making it look as normal as possible before grabbing her books and turning to face Boyd's back.
She tapped his shoulder and Boyd stepped forward, closer to Scott so that River had room to move towards class. Scott made to follow but Boyd stepped in front of him again, continuing to block Scott's path and only letting Stiles and Jackson follow her. Jackson wrapped his arm around her waist as Stiles grabbed her hand, the ragtag group of three causing people to move out of their way as they headed down the hall. Once in the safety of the classroom, River took her spot at the front of the room, Jackson sitting beside her while Stiles took the seat behind her. She more felt than saw Lydia sit behind Jackson, making sure all of the seats around River were occupied before the bell rang and Scott ran in. He sat in the seat furthest away from River, sending a glare in their general direction every so often.
River bolted from the room when the bell rang, grabbing her homework and rushing to her car. Once in her car, she drove straight home, slamming the door behind her and kicking off her heels. She let out a sob and leaned against the wall. Her arms and back hurt from Scott and her side and arm hurt from the stitches. She slid down the wall, not noticing Peter walking up to her through her tears.
He took her hand, causing her to jump and then sob as her body jolted. Peter began taking her pain and she let out a sigh of relief, tears still streaming down her face. When he had taken all the pain he could, he lifted River into his arms and carried her to her room. He laid her in bed, pulling the covers over her shoulder before running back down the stairs to gather her books. He was back just as quick as he'd left, setting down her books and then freezing before he climbed out of her window, closing it before jumping down to the ground below.
River let out a small whine of protest before Stiles ran into the room, completely out of breath. He ran over to her bed and climbed in beside her. River rolled to her good side, facing the wall as Stiles climbed under the blanket with her. He wrapped his arm around her waist carefully before snuggling into her back. River cried for a few more minutes as Stiles spoke soothingly in her ear, his chest pressed against her. Once her breathing was under control and the tears had stopped, Stiles continued speaking softly, his voice lulling her to sleep.