Amnesiac

by BrooklynFazenbaker

When a teenage girl is found in the middle of the road by with no memory and a vague idea of her name, Sheriff Noah Stilinski takes her in. 'River' starts high school with Stiles and Scott and befriends both the loners and the popular kids. How will this affect the future of Beacon Hills with River as the glue that helps hold the pack together and will her past catch up to her?

16. Chapter 15

I do not own Teen Wolf

Chapter Fifteen

Stiles paced the room, one of the protection jars in his hand and ready to be used if Jackson came into the room. He walked to the right, watched the window, walked to the left, watched the door, walked to the right… Pacing. He was pacing and annoyed at himself for not being able to do more. Maybe River would show him magic once she was feeling better.

He had texted his dad, telling him that River couldn't have dinner tonight, already having dinner with Derek to try to get to know him better. He lied and promised dinner next week when he had another night off. He felt bad for lying to his dad when River had truly been in danger. The sooner they dealt with Jackson's issues, the better.

He had read that the kanima had emotional turmoil that caused the kanima transformation rather than a werewolf one. If that meant that Jackson needed a few hundred hours of therapy, Stiles already knew. It didn't help them in the here and now though. Maybe it had something to do with Lydia.

Also, what the hell was going on with Lydia. She had been having weird dreams and pushing River and Jackson away until recently. She told him she was forcing herself to be around people again, she knew the distance didn't make anything better. She wouldn't go into any more detail with him the other night though and he needed to respect her space.

Maybe Jackson's turmoil had something to do with Lydia breaking up with him? Maybe Lydia's nightmares had something to do with her magic? Stiles didn't know. No one was giving him enough details. He felt like he was still missing puzzle pieces, unable to find them under the mess in his head. He heard footsteps coming up the steps and held up the bottle, lowering it when Isaac appeared at the door.

"Oh, thank God!" Stiles yelled. "I didn't want to have to fight a big snake."

Isaac rolled his eyes before going back over to River, running his fingers over her forehead and feeling no change.

"Do you think the master knows she's alive?" Stiles asked.

"I feel like they would have had Jackson come after her again if he did. Maybe not seeing her means they think she's in critical condition or something."

"She is in critical condition," Stiles stated more to himself than Isaac as he rubbed his hand over his face.

"She'll be okay," Isaac shook his head. "She's River. She's the most stubborn person we know. She wouldn't just leave us."

"Never," Stiles smirked. "Did you catch him?"

"No," Isaac shook his head. "He killed another guy and it looked like he was going to kill this woman but he just stopped and ran off. We followed him to his house and Derek told us to head home. He's going to talk to him."

"So, the master can control him from anywhere?" Stiles asked, pulling out his notes and adding to them. "I wonder if it gives him false memories, like remembering the drive home and stuff."

"I'll text Derek and tell him to ask," Isaac nodded, phone in hand.

"Ask me what?" Derek asked, coming back into the room with Jackson.

"We were trying to figure out if the master can give him false memories," Stiles explained before turning to Jackson. "Do you remember going home?"

"I think so," Jackson said. "It's kind of fuzzy honestly."

"I think it's a fugue state like when Lydia was in the woods. You don't remember what happened," Stiles continued, throwing out all of his theories and the facts he found online.

"How exhausting it must be to have a brain that works that quickly," River joked from the bed, causing everyone to turn towards her.

"You're awake," Stiles breathed as Isaac rushed forward.

"I'm sorry," he told her as she held him against her chest. "I should have protected you. I'm sorry."

"You tried," River reminded him. "Besides, I can protect myself."

Isaac just continued hiding in her chest and River kissed the top of his head.

"What did I miss?" she asked.

"What do you remember?" Derek asked.

"Can we not do that part yet?" she asked. "I'd rather figure out what's going on in the here and now."

"Jackson is a kanima," Stiles provided, grabbing all of his notes and sitting on the bed, passing them over to her. "We're trying to figure out who the master is by connecting the victims. So far, all of the victims except for you and Isaac's dad were in Harris' class."

"Is it Harris?" River asked.

"Dad is checking that angle."

"Dad knows?" River asked, eyes wide.

"Not about the kanima or werewolves," Stiles told her. "He's looking at it from the cop angle. Dead bodies, all the same age, all sharing a class."

"If they're in the same class did they hang out outside of school?" River asked.

"Maybe," Stiles said, grabbing his phone and calling Noah. "Hey, dad. Did any of the victims know each other outside of school?"

"Stiles, I don't have time for this right now and you aren't supposed to be investigating this."

"Dad, please?" Stiles begged.

"I will look into it when I get back to my office. Can you stay with River tonight or have her stay at the house? It's going to be a long night and I don't want either of you alone until we figure out what's going on."

"I'll stay with her," Stiles told him. "Are you okay?"

"We've got another victim," his dad admitted. "I have to go."

"Who's the other victim?" Stiles asked, but the line had gone dead. "He hung up."

"What do we do with me?" Jackson asked.

"Creepy basement?" River offered.

"Creepy basement," Jackson sighed.

"We can't just leave him in there," Stiles argued. "What about school and the bathroom? Are we going to let him out for sunlight?"

"He can sleep in there," River clarified. "Outside of sleeping, pretend everything is normal. If the master realizes that we're trying to figure everything out, he'll act faster and keep using Jackson."

"I'm so happy you're awake," Stiles sighed, laying back on her bed.

"Because you're the brain and I'm the common sense?" River asked.

"What does that make Scott?" Isaac asked.

"The puppy," they said together.

"Oh, a werewolf joke," Jackson rolled his eyes. "Who would have guessed?"

"Actually, that was because of this puppy eyes thing he does," Stiles corrected. "We've been claiming our roles for years now."

"I'm sure he appreciates it," Jackson smirked.

"He almost ripped my arm off on the second full moon for it," Stiles stated.

"I told Derek to have fun dog sitting on their first full moons," River smiled.

"That was mean," Isaac said, still hiding his face.

"It was funny," River corrected.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asked.

"Exhausted," she answered honestly.

"We'll let you get some sleep," Derek said. "Every one out. Let River have her own bed. We need to carry a mattress downstairs anyway. I'm not letting Jackson sleep on the floor."

"So sweet," River smiled, causing Derek to growl.

"Sourwolf," Stiles joked, ducking away from Derek as his hand reached out to slap Stiles upside the head.

"Do I have to?" Isaac asked, peaking out at Derek.

"Yes," Derek told him. "I'll sit with her tonight."

"I'll be okay," River told Isaac gently. "Go on."

Isaac gave River a gentle kiss before running from the room, not making eye contact with Derek as he went.

"So?" Derek asked, watching Isaac go. "When did that happen?"

"Before a giant lizard crawled into my window and attacked us," River explained.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Derek asked.

"Nope," River shook her head. "Can you pass me that book though? I want to see if I can find a spell to heal my hand faster. This brace itches."

"It can wait until morning," Derek rolled his eyes.

"I'm physically exhausted," she told him. "My brain is going though. Where are my anxiety pills?"

"I'll go get them," Derek nodded, passing the book over before leaving the room.

He smirked as Jackson and Isaac rode the mattress down the stairs, Stiles laughing as he watched them both roll off the mattress and hit the ground. Derek jumped over the banister to get around the mattress, landing on his feet and going to the kitchen to get River's medicine. Once the boys had gone through the pantry, Derek went back up the stairs.

"Why did it sound like someone fell down the stairs?" River asked, a smirk on her lips as she turned pages in the book to find a specific spell.

"Jackson and Isaac tried mattress surfing," Derek told her as he passed the pill bottle and a glass of water over.

"I'll have to show them how it's done later," River smiled, taking two pills and drinking all of the water. "Oh, I needed that."

"I'll get you some more," Derek nodded, walking to the bathroom faucet.

"I found the spell," River announced as he came back to her. "It looks really easy. I just need some clear quartz."

"Can it wait until morning? When you're gotten some rest?"

"I just want to get it done so I can take this thing off," River admitted. "I want to go to the YMCA while I'm suspended still and punch something."

"Alright," Derek sighed. "Where's the quartz?"

"Up there," River pointed above them and Derek grabbed the large crystal. Once River had it, she took off her brace, unwrapped her fingers, and rested her bad hand on it, closing her eyes and concentrating. She spoke in Latin for thirty seconds and something smokey moved into the crystal. When River opened her eyes, she flexed her wrist gently before wriggling her fingers.

"It worked," Derek smiled.

"And it only took, like, a minute," River smiled. "I need to leave this crystal out during a full moon to cleanse it."

"I'll remind you," Derek promised. "Get some rest please?"

"Is the window locked?" River asked.

"I locked it and shut the blinds," Derek promised. "I'll be awake and listening all night to make sure you're safe."

"So, you can hear into the other rooms?"

"No. I'm leaving your door open a little."

"Okay," River nodded. "Thanks, Der."

Derek smirked and kissed River's head, putting the crystal back where he had gotten it from before leaving her room. He shut the door most of the way, leaving it cracked so that he would still hear River if she needed him. Issac and Stiles came up the stairs then.

"How's Jackson?" Derek questioned.

"He's fine," Stiles told him. "Bummed that he has to sleep in the basement."

"It's only temporary," Derek assured both boys. "Once we figure out who's controlling him, we'll deal with it."

"That won't change that he's a kanima though," Stiles told him. "It just means that someone else can control him."

"So, how do we cure him?" Derek asked.

"Everything I've found says that something went wrong emotionally. Maybe it's the breakup with Lydia?"

"So, we need to do couples counselling?" Isaac asked sarcastically.

"No," Stiles frowned. "Well, maybe. I'll look into it."

"Right now, you need to look at your bed," Derek stated. "Scott told us you didn't sleep last night."

"Snitch," Stiles joked before heading to his room.

Isaac went to his own room as well and Derek grabbed the chair out of his room. He carried it to the end of the hall and leaned it against the wall. He sat in the chair, staring down the hall towards the stairs to watch out for Jackson getting loose, and next to River's door so he could hear her.

River was already asleep, her breathing completely even and her heart beating steadily. Derek listened to her breathing, her heart beating, for a while, remembering the fear he had felt and finding River in a puddle of her own blood and her bright eyes completely void of the fire that typically shined behind them. He steadied himself with a deep breath, shaking off the fear and just feeling thankful towards Lydia.

Derek was awake all night, only moving from his spot when Stiles stumbled out of his room to go to the bathroom that morning. He returned his chair to where it belonged before heading down the stairs and checking on Jackson.

"How'd you sleep?" Derek asked.

"Like I was locked in a cage," Jackson answered honestly. "Is there coffee?"

"Come on up and I'll get it started," Derek smirked, opening the door and letting Jackson out.

Once up the stairs, Jackson ran to the bathroom and Derek started the coffee maker, reminding himself to buy more coffee soon. He didn't realize teenagers drank so much of the stuff. Derek could hear Stiles coming down the stairs, only knowing it was him based on the pure clumsiness of the steps. Derek held out a cup as Stiles came into the kitchen and rolled his eyes when Stiles grunted his thanks before gulping down the hot liquid.

"How'd she sleep?" Stiles asked once he had finished his first cup.

"Good," Derek nodded. "She healed her hand before she went to sleep."

"She did?" Stiles asked. "That's actually really cool."

"I think it'll come in handy for wounds that don't heal automatically," Derek nodded.

"Imagine if she'd had that when Peter attacked her," Stiles whispered more to himself than anyone else.

Derek simply nodded as Jackson entered the room.

"How'd she do it?" he asked, causing Stiles and Derek to raise their eyebrows. "I told you I can hear you."

"Used a clear quartz and a spell," Derek explained. "Pulled the injury out of her body and made the quartz smokey. She said she'll have to leave it out during a full moon to cleanse it."

"Very witchy," Stiles nodded. "Guess she really liked 'Bewitched' and 'Charmed' when we were little."

"Don't lie, you watched it with her," Jackson smirked, mixing sugar into his coffee.

"True," Stiles shrugged, grabbing a go-cup and filling it with the last of the coffee before starting the machine again. "Derek, can you make a grocery list? I'll pick everything up on the way back tonight."

"I can do the grocery shopping," Derek rolled his eyes.

"If you go grocery shopping without River, she will throw you through a wall. If I do it, she'll just assume that I grabbed stuff last minute," Stiles deadpanned.

"Why would she throw me through a wall?"

"She likes grocery shopping and I don't know if she's feeling up to moving around that much."

"What kind of person likes grocery shopping?"

"River," Isaac and Stiles answered together, Isaac coming down the steps and continued to talk. "She's awake, by the way. Said she wants to put the jars out today."

"Was she moving around yet or just awake?" Derek asked.

"Well," Isaac smirked as three of the people in the room could hear her coming down the steps.

"Well?" Stiles asked, confused until River walked into the room. "Oh."

"What's up?" River asked, walking towards the coffee maker.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asked and Stiles snorted.

"Stop asking how I'm doing," River rolled her eyes. "If I wasn't okay, I'd still be in bed."

Stiles moved around the kitchen, pulling creamer from the fridge and pulling the extra bottle of medicine from his bookbag. He set both beside River before pushing the sugar over to her as well. He leaned against the counter again where he had been before River had come into the room. He continued drinking his coffee while River put cream and sugar into an empty mug and waited for the coffee to finish brewing, putting away the creamer as she waited. Once the coffee was ready, she added it to her cup, stirred, and swallowed down two pills before passing the bottle back to Stiles to keep safe.

"You have extra medicine?" Derek asked Stiles.

"I also still have an extra inhaler for Scott," Stiles nodded.

"I have one of those, too, plus some Adderall in my bag," River explained.

"Scott was always losing inhalers, so River and I bought one each for him, and River sometimes forgets to take her meds and my ADHD brain forgets where I put my meds at times."

"We're each other's keepers," River smiled before turning to Derek. "What are we doing today?"

"More like the three blind mice," Jackson mumbled to Isaac.

Stiles shook his head behind River and Derek rolled his eyes.

"I was thinking about getting some groceries," he answered honestly.

Stiles rolled his eyes and rubbed his face.

"Ooh! Can I come?"

"Sure," Derek smirked, amused by Stiles reaction. "We'll make a list and get going in a bit."

"Sounds good," River smiled. "I'll go take a shower and get ready. I feel gross. Everyone have fun at school."

River kissed Stiles' and Jackson's cheek before pulling Isaac close and kissing him gently, causing the boy to smile brightly at the small display of affection.

Stiles stared at the two, his heart falling into his stomach as he stared at them. Derek took a deep breath and squeezed his shoulder, snapping him out of his dazed look. Derek cleared his throat and River rolled her eyes and headed up the stairs to get ready. Isaac blushed, looking down at his shoes.

"When did that happen?" Jackson asked.

"Right before you tried to kill us," Isaac shrugged. "I'm going to go get my bag."

Isaac ran up the stairs, not even looking at anyone else as he went, looking as if he was walking on clouds. Jackson and Derek both looked to Stiles. When Stiles just kept his eyes locked on the doorway, Jackson spoke up.

"So, he would definitely turn into a kanima if he was bit."

"Oh, yeah. Definitely," Derek nodded, pouring his own cup of coffee. "You should all get going."

"Yeah," Stiles whispered, pulling his bag higher on his shoulder and walking out of the house without a second thought.

"I'll take Isaac," Jackson sighed. "Need to give him the big brother talk anyways."

"You?" Derek asked.

"Yes, me," Jackson said, giving Derek a look. "Stiles obviously isn't going to do it and can you imagine Scott threatening someone? I don't expect you to threaten your first beta. River would kill you if you did anyway. She expects me to threaten her first boyfriend."

"First?" Derek asked, cup hitting the countertop.

"There it is," Jackson smirked as Isaac came down the stairs. "You're with me today."

"Okay," Isaac nodded, still smiling.

Derek watched Isaac as he followed Jackson out the door. He was still staring at the door when River came down the stairs.

"Did you make that list?" she asked.

"Not yet," he said, shaking himself.

"Go get ready and I'll start it. You can add whatever when you come back down."

Once they were out the house, list in hand and Derek behind the wheel, River scrolled through her phone, reading the texts that Stiles had sent to their dad for her. She shot him a text, asking him his schedule to figure out when she could make him dinner.

"Can we go by the station later? I want to take dad some lunch," she explained.

"Sure," Derek nodded. "Did Stiles pass as you?"

"Yeah," River smiled. "He knows how I am with dad."

"Good," Derek nodded, feeling like he should say something.

"You're acting weird," she said, not even looking at him. "I can feel your weirdness from here."

"I'm not being weird," Derek argued.

"Totally are," she shot back with a smirk. "What's going on?"

"Is Isaac your first boyfriend?" he asked.

"Yeah. Jackson and Boyd typically scared everyone else away. I actually preferred it that way. I saw guys trying to hang all over Lydia's other friends all the time."

"I'm sure Lydia kept people away from you, too."

"Not always," River shrugged. "She's wanted me to get a boyfriend for years. Says it'll build character to break a few hearts."

"That's one way to look at it," Derek sighed.

"I never liked when she said that honestly," River told him.

"Hmm," Derek hummed as they pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store.

As they walked around the store, Derek realized that River had even organized the grocery list by where everything was in the store so that they didn't have to go up and down aisles over and over to look for anything.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're OCD?" Derek asked.

"No one who wanted me to do something for them. They tend to say, 'Oh! You're so organized! I could never! Please, help me!' or something along those lines," River joked.

Derek rolled his eyes at the high-pitched voice River used. They continued down the aisles and almost ran directly into Chris Argent's buggy. Chris stared at the two for a moment before speaking.

"River Stilinski," he stared at her. "What are you doing here with Derek Hale?"

"I take in strays for fun," River smiled politely and Derek held in an annoyed groan.

"I see that," Chris nodded.

"Excuse us," she smiled, pointing to the aisle that Chris was standing in front of.

"What other strays have you taken in?" Chris asked curiously.

"Mr. Argent, I know an interrogation when I see one. My dad is in law enforcement after all. As I am a minor without my lawyer or parent present, I'm going to have to ask you to let me pass."

"Just making polite conversation," Chris smiled, showing his too white teeth in the process.

"Well, we have groceries to get, so you'll excuse us if we don't have time to talk right now."

"River," Derek whispered, hand going around her arm and pulling her closer to him.

River took a glance around and saw two men around them, watching the interaction. She noted the guns on their hips and looked back to Chris.

"Friends of yours?" she asked.

"Just doing some shopping," Chris smiled. "Can't be too careful these days."

"No, you can't."

"I would suggest doing your shopping somewhere else."

River laughed at that.

"I'm sorry, and why would I do that?"

"Just a suggestion. Wouldn't want to run into the wrong crowd."

"I've been shopping here for years now," River smiled. "The only questionable crowd I've run into so far, is yours. Move."

"What happened to the polite girl?" Chris asked, smiling as if he was winning some competition.

"Chris, you can move, or I can give you bruises to match your daughters."

Chris' face dropped, a snarl on his lips. He moved his buggy over and River put Derek in front of her, letting him push the buggy pass Chris as she followed. Chris grabbed her arm as she went by him.

"Threaten my family again…" he started.

"You come at me or mine again and you will be dead before you hit the floor. Do you understand me?" River asked, her voice in a low growl that almost sounded wolfish.

Chris released her in shock. River smirked.

"Have a wonderful day. I do hope Allison is feeling better soon."

River and Derek finished quickly, loading up the Camaro and driving to the house. Once the groceries were put away, they went to the diner and got Noah lunch, grabbing coffee for the rest of the force before heading towards the station. Derek passed out coffees for River as she headed to Noah's office, smiling as she set a bag in front of him with a coffee.

"Have I told you that you're my favorite?" Noah smirked as he opened the bag to find curly fries and a real burger.

"Yes but you could stand to say it more often," River smirked. "Also, I don't think you're supposed to have favorite children."

River plopped down in the chair across from him, pulling her own fries from her bag.

"Who's the other bag for?" Noah asked just before Derek walked into the room. "Oh."

"We're figuring each other out," River told him.

"Are you still getting emancipated?" Noah asked curiously.

"Yeah," River nodded. "Jackson took his dad the papers earlier this week. I want to make sure no one else randomly pops up and tries to steal me away in the night."

"Fair," Noah nodded, biting into his burger.

"Also, Derek is living in the house with me," River told him.

"Good," Noah nodded. "I don't want you staying by yourself until we figure out who's killing all these people."

"Stiles told me last night," River nodded.

"Is Isaac staying there as well?" Noah asked, eyes on his food but Derek heard the uptick of his heart.

"Yeah," River nodded. "Don't worry. Derek won't let anything happen. I do need to talk to you about him though."

"About Isaac?"

"Yeah. We're together," River told him.

"Oh," Noah nodded, still not looking up.

"Dad?" River asked and Noah finally looked up.

"Sorry," he told her. "So, you and Isaac? Do I need to threaten him with my badge and gun?"

"I think Jackson's already giving him the talk," River smirked. "He always said he wanted to do it."

"Well, I can't really imagine Scott doing it. Stiles would be too all over the place to threaten someone."

"I don't know," River sighed. "I feel like it would be very creative."

"Probably," Noah snorted.

"Is that your murder board?" River asked, pointing behind him.

"You and Stiles," Noah sighed. "Don't look at it."

"I'm not," River said, eyes scanning over the board.

Noah sighed and rolled his eyes, turning to Derek.

"I hope you didn't want privacy. I never get any with her and Stiles around."

"We're very curious children," River said, standing and going to the board. "Also, very smart. Do you have a yearbook from their year?"

Noah rolled his eyes and passed it over. River scanned through it, looking at the pages that had been marked by Noah already. She found each of their pictures and looked through the back of the book, seeing if she could find anything else.

"Are these the two that just got attacked?" River asked, pointing to the couple.

"Yeah," Noah nodded. "The woman was pregnant."

"Was?" River asked.

"She had the baby last night but someone killed her not long after."

"Do you have footage from the hospital?"

"It's being sent over," Noah told her. "Give me the book back and go. You aren't supposed to be looking at this."

"Don't I work here?" River smirked.

"Didn't you have a fractured wrist?" Noah asked, looking down at her hand.

"I think the Xray machine is messed up," River shrugged. "It feels fine."

Noah took her hand, feeling around her wrist and the two fingers that had previously been wrapped.

"Huh," he said when he couldn't feel anything wrong. "Weird."

River just shrugged.

"You're lip is healed, too," he stated. "Just a small scar."

"You haven't seen me in a few days," River smiled. "It wasn't actually that bad."

"Alright," Noah sighed. "Go do something productive."

"Yes, sir," River smiled leading Derek out of the station.

Once at the house, River went up the stairs for a nap. Derek shook his head, not looking forward to Stiles' look of disapproval later. A small smile had been on his face ever since they had their run-in with Argent at the grocery store. River had been a spitfire as a child but as a fifteen-year-old she was brave and protective of the ones she loved, willing to stand toe-to-toe against a hunter without even blinking. He worried that the willingness she had to protect her friends might come back to hurt her but knew there was no way to stop her from attempting to protect everyone.

He went upstairs and peaked into her room, happy that she had left the door open so that he could hear inside from downstairs. She was on her side, back against the wall as she slept, blankets bundled up around her. Derek simply watched her for a while, listening to her heartbeat and to the cars that would pass by the house every so often.

Come Saturday, River was back to bouncing all over the place, bored out of her mind with all of her assignments completed. She had fresh baked bread all over the kitchen and had made almost half of the recipes in the French cookbook that had been in the pantry. Derek and the rest of the pack didn't mind all of the food but Derek could tell that River was tired of sitting in the house. The lacrosse game was the perfect excuse to get out of the house.

"If the master is there and sees you, they'll try using Jackson to attack you again," Derek said, trying to convince her to stay home.

"If the master hasn't noticed that my friends and dad aren't heartbroken over my death, they haven't been paying attention," River shot back, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. "Do you want to come with?"

"Yeah," Derek sighed. "Can't have you running around without any protection."

"Erica and Boyd will literally be right there," River told him.

"Do I need to remind you that a giant lizard is after you and that you pissed off the Argents?"

"They pissed me off first," River waved off, adjusting the jersey that she had stolen from Isaac. "Do I look like a supportive girlfriend?"

"Please don't ask me questions like that."

Derek and River pulled up in the Camero and River ran towards the field where the team was already sitting while Derek went to sit beside Melissa and Noah. She walked behind the bench, smiling to Danny and Matt as she passed to get to Isaac, Stiles, Jackson, and Scott. She wrapped her arms around Isaac's shoulders, actually able to reach him as he was sitting down.

"How are we feeling?" she asked, staring at Stiles as his knee bounced, hands shaking a bit.

"He's psyching himself out," Jackson shrugged.

"Am not," Stiles mumbled.

"Stiles, honey, are you nervous?" River asked, her voice soft.

"Yes," he said gruffly, not looking away from the field.

River sighed and moved over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders instead. He rested one of his hands on top of hers and took a deep breath.

"You've got this. You've been practicing with Jackson every day. Coach saw the improvement and so have I. I'm proud of you and so is dad. You can do this," she said into his ear, her voice soothing.

Stiles nodded, taking another deep breath. His knee stopped bouncing and his hands stopped shaking.

"You good?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Good. I'm going to go sit."

River kissed Stiles cheek, ruffled Scott's hair, ran her fingers across the back of Jackson's neck and turned to Isaac. He smiled from where he was sitting, waiting for her to move over to him. She leaned down, giving him a sweet kiss, ignoring the whistles that came from a few members of the team.

"Have fun!" she called over her shoulder, making her way to the bleachers before Grandpa Creep stepped into her path.

"Miss Stilinski," he greeted. "I believe school functions are out of the picture when you're suspended. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"My suspension ended at the end of Friday. It's Saturday," she reminded him. "Anything else that I can help you with? No? Wonderful."

Gerald grabbed her arm as she tried to pass him.

"Why does everyone in your family think that they're more intimidating than they are?" she asked, turning to face him.

She looked between his hand holding her bicep to his eyes and back again, waiting for him to get with the program. He released her and she felt the bruises on her arm from his grip already.

"Principal Argent," Noah's voice spoke up as he approached the two. "Is there something we can help you with?"

"No, sir," Gerald shook his head. "Was just making sure that Miss Stilinski had all of her assignments from her suspension completed. We wouldn't want her to fall behind now, would we?"

"Well, River is exceptionally smart," Noah stated. "It wouldn't do anyone any good to underestimate her."

River smirked at the statement, still staring into Gerald's eyes and refusing to be the first one to blink. He stared at her, his eyes trying to bare into her soul but River didn't move, not even when Derek took the other spot next to her. Gerald finally looked away, his eyes falling on Derek.

"Mr. Hale," Garald greeted. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Well, the minor in my care is on the team," Derek told him. "Plus, I wanted to be able to spend more time with River, my cousin."

"Your cousin?" Gerald asked. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Oh, I got a DNA test recently. Peter Hale was my father. That makes Derek my cousin," River explained. "Turns out I'm also a Hale. How weird is that?"

"Very," Gerald nodded, finally turning and walking away.

When River turned around to head to the stands, she ran into Boyd's chest, not even having realized that he was behind her.

"Hi," she said, taking a step back so that she could see his face. "Seriously? All three of you now?"

"We can't leave you alone for five minutes," Noah joked. "Let's go."

River smirked and followed her group to the bleachers, pushing Derek so that she could sit on the aisle seat. Once they were all seated, Derek, Erica and Boyd on the same level as her, Noah and Melissa directly behind them, she looked around at the crowd. She let out a snort of laughter and turned her head when she caught a glimpse of Allison and Derek gave her a strange look. He turned his attention to the crowd, finding Allison and his eyes going wide before he looked to River.

"You did that?" he asked.

"Yeah," River sighed, looking out to the field as the game got started. "Good thing Boyd pulled me off of her."

Derek rolled his eyes and looked to the sky, as if asking the heavens 'why me?' Noah laughed from behind him, catching his attention.

"Told you she was a handful," Noah smirked before cringing as a huge player from the opposing team rammed into one of theirs.

"How old is that guy?" River asked, watching as the player was carried off the field.

"Oh, no. They're putting Stiles in," Noah groaned.

River was ready to bolt out of her seat as she watched Stiles face off against the huge player.

"Come on, Sti," she whispered to herself, not blinking as the whistle blew.

The player ran at Stiles and Stiles stepped around him quickly, rushing towards the ball. He got the ball in his net and passed to Jackson, who threw it into the goal. River stood and cheered with everyone else.

"When did he get that quick?" Noah asked as they all sat down again.

"Jackson's been working with him," River explained as another whistle blew.

River watched as Stiles moved around the larger boy again and again as the game went on. The bigger boy started going after other players instead, injuring more and more of their team. Isaac finally got on the field, taking Stiles spot as he went to get some water.

"Oh, no," River whispered. "Don't wolf out baby."

She saw Isaac turn his head to her for a second, a smirk on his face before the whistle blew and he was off. He ducked around the abomination and raced for the ball. Scott picked it up, passed it to Isaac, and Isaac took the shot, the ball flying into the goal net with ease. River and Derek jumped up, cheering louder than everyone else. Isaac smiled brightly as he looked at the two of them before getting back in place. Stiles was back on the field, giving Jackson a break as the game continued.

The whistle blew, Scott passed to Isaac, Isaac to Stiles, Stiles threw the ball… Goal! River and Noah were on their feet, cheering as Stiles made his first goal ever. River was so caught up in the moment, she didn't notice Jackson sneaking off but Erica did. She stood and excused herself to the bathroom, deciding to follow him to make sure he was okay. She followed him to the pools, looking around confused as he had disappeared.

River felt Jackson's bond in her chest as it dulled and Erica's as it panicked for a moment. Derek and her locked eyes before she stood.

"I'm going to find Erica," she told Noah.

"I'm going to get a drink," Derek said as he slid out of his own seat.

Stiles was back on the bench, only five minutes left in the game and ahead of the other team by ten points. Coach had told him to take the rest of the night off and Stiles watched as River and Derek ran off before noticing Jackson was missing. Stiles followed the pair quickly, knowing that they were probably looking for the kanima.

The three got to the pools, River and Derek following the pack bonds until they found Erica on the ground, knocked out. River immediately ran forward to check on her as Derek and Stiles looked around, finding the kanima in the rafters.

"River," Stiles said as the kanima jumped to the ground, closer to River than Derek or Stiles were. "River!"

River looked up, eyes locking on the kanima as she kneeled beside Erica. The kanima watched her curiously before screeching at her and lunging. River rolled to the side and the lizard flew pass her, hitting the wall behind her as she ran to Stiles. Derek pushed Stiles back and the kanima's tail scratched the back of his neck. Stiles grabbed Derek, pulling him away from the kanima as it locked eyes with River again.

Stiles watched in horror as River stepped in front of them, hands up in front of her. The kanima stared at her, as if confused. It slowly walked towards her and River began to hum. It slowed down, staring at her intently, it's hand reaching up to touch hers. She continued humming gently as their hands pressed against each other, trying to remind the kanima that they were pack, that they were bonded. Jackson made a strange chirping sound before letting out a sound that almost sounded like a purr. He slowly changed back to his human form; eyes still locked on hers as he came back to himself.

Jackson took a deep breath, staring at River in confusion before covering himself. River pulled off the jersey, revealing a tank top underneath it and passed it to him so he could cover himself. River turned to face Stiles and Derek and they both gasped when they saw River's eyes glowing purple with a small bit of alpha red around her irises.

"What happened?" Jackson asked and River blinked, her eyes going back to normal.

"You threw Erica into a wall and paralyzed Derek," she explained. "Go to the locker room and get dressed. I'll get them both moving again."

Jackson nodded and ran off, not able to look anyone in the eye out of embarrassment. River turned to Derek and put her hand on the back of his neck, closing her eyes and slowly pulling the venom from his body. Derek let out a sigh of relief when he was able to move again and River ran to Erica, checking her over in case of injuries that didn't want to heal. When she found none, she gently tapped Erica's face, waking her slowly.

"What? Jackson!" Erica said sitting up. "Jackson's out!"

"He's okay," River promised. "Already dealt with."

"Is anyone hurt?" Erica asked, looking over River.

"No," she promised. "We're all good. Are you?"

"I'm fine," she promised. "We should get out of here. The game just ended."

"Let's go," River nodded.

River helped the other girl stand and the four left the pools, joining the crowd that headed to the parking lot. River waited by the Porsche for Jackson, smiling when he headed towards her and tossed her the jersey back. He gave her a tight hug, breathing her in and whispering his thanks in her ear. River opened her eyes and caught Matt's expression over Jackson's shoulder. River narrowed her eyes at Matt's shocked expression as it turned to anger.

"It's Matt," River said loud enough that all of the wolves in the area would hear. "We need to get to the house."

Jackson opened the passenger side door for River, helping her in before heading to the house, the rest of the pack following behind. Jackson immediately went to the basement, River following behind him. She sighed as he stepped into his cell and sat on the mattress, head in his hands.

"I'll be right back," she told him, running back up the steps and grabbing a few books from the shelves in the living room before going back to Jackson. "Here. To keep you busy."

"Books?" he asked, staring at her.

"I think one of them even has pictures," she joked. "Enjoy. I'll bring you some food and hang out with you in a bit."

"Your eyes were a different color," Jackson called out before River could get to the stairs.

"What color?" she asked curiously.

"Purple with red," he said.

"Two colors?"

"Yeah."

"Huh."

"What does it mean?" he asked curiously.

"Well, the color is supposed to represent what element I reflect. Red is fire, blue is water, so on so forth. Purple is the soul. I haven't read anything about two colors anywhere. Maybe it means soul and fire?"

"It was like Derek's eyes," Jackson told her. "That kind of red."

"Alpha red?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah."

"I'll see what I can find," she told him before going up the stairs. "Love you!"

"Love you!" he called back, causing River to smile.

"How's Jackson?" Lydia asked.

"Feeling a bit sorry for himself," River shrugged. "How's everything up here?"

"Erica, Isaac, and Stiles are arguing over what movie to watch," Lydia rolled her eyes. "Please break it up. They sound like three-year-olds."

River let out a quiet laugh before moving to the living room.

"Hey!" she yelled, getting everyone's attention and causing all of the noise to stop. "Put in 'The Notebook'."

"No!" all three yelled at her before deciding on one that hadn't been in any of their hands.

Lydia huffed from next to her.

"I knew that would work," River smirked.

"I wanted to watch 'The Notebook'," Lydia complained.

"I know you did," River smiled. "Sorry about your luck."

"Whatever. I'm going down to see Jackson."

"Don't let him out," River told her. "Anything he says needs to be taken with a grain of salt."

"I'll be fine," Lydia promised, heading to the basement.

River closed her eyes and felt the pack bonds, checking to make sure everyone was content, sans Jackson and Lydia as they sat in a creepy basement. Derek felt as if he was pacing and River opened her eyes, looking around the room for him. When she didn't see him she went up the stairs and knocked on his door. He opened it, staring at her before stepping aside and letting her into his room.

"What's up?" she asked him.

"You came to me," he reminded her.

"I could feel you pacing through the bond," River shrugged, sitting at the end of his bed. "What's wrong?"

"Your eyes," Derek explained, leaning against the closed door with his arms crossed over his chest. "I know why they were purple. I'm trying to figure out the red."

"I was hoping you'd have an answer," River sighed.

"I don't," he shook his head. "You could ask Deaton."

"I'll stop by and see him after school on Monday," River nodded. "I'm taking Scott to work anyways, so I'll already be there."

Derek nodded, eyes on the floor.

"What else is it?" River asked.

"I'm supposed to be the alpha," he explained.

"Am I stepping on your toes?" she asked.

"No, that's just it. It's like you're the actual alpha. It feels like I'm your second," Derek explained.

"I just have that presence about me," River joked, leaning back on her elbows. "Big dick energy and all that."

Derek's lips twitched and River smirked as he smothers the amusement.

"I'm being serious," he said.

"Me, too!" River defended.

Derek rolled his eyes and left the room.

"Say it, Derek!" she yelled chasing after him. "Say I have big dick energy!"

"Something is wrong with you," Derek said rushing down the stairs.

River chased after him, jumping on his back once he reached the landing. He caught her easily, carrying her to the living room and dropping her onto the couch next to Isaac. River giggled as Isaac caught her, wrapping her in his arms so that she wouldn't try to grab Derek again.

"You're no fun," River pouted at him.

"Oh, I'm no fun?" he asked, moving back towards her slowly, a small smile on his face.

"I take it back," River said before jumping over the back of the couch and running.

Derek chased after her, their footfalls thundering through the house. River laughed, running out the back door. The pups chased after them, following them both to the backyard. River made it to the tree line before Derek caught her, arms grabbing around her waist and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Save me!" River yelled, arms reaching for Scott and Isaac.

Scott and Isaac ran at Derek, Scott wrapping his arms around Derek's waist and pulling him to the ground as Isaac pulled River away from him.

"Run!" Isaac yelled to her.

River laughed as she took off, Erica taking Derek's side and chasing her. Boyd rolled his eyes, a bright smile on his face as he grabbed Erica around the waist and held her in the air.

"I've been thwarted!" Erica yelled to Derek, unable to escape Boyd's grasp.

Derek got free of Scott and Isaac and rushed forward, chasing River into the trees. River sent balls of light into the air, making the forest in the backyard look like it had fairy lights in every tree. She continued running, using her magic to give herself a boost. Derek was close behind her, the rest of the pack following behind. Their laughter filled the woods, all of them dodging trees and each other's arms, leaping over fallen trees and racing from one area to another. River was out of breath and hid behind a tree, knowing she would be found any second since her breathing was so heavy and her heart was racing.

Isaac ended up finding her first, smiling as he squatted down. She climbed onto his back and he took off running, heading back towards the house. She could hear the other pack members chasing after them and let out a wild yell. Isaac and the rest of the pack howled in response. Isaac carried River into the house where they found Stiles and Lydia cooking in the kitchen. Well, Stiles was cooking. Lydia was sitting on the counter watching. Isaac placed River on the counter beside her before asking Stiles if he needed help.

The rest of the pack piled into the house. Erica joined them on the counter and Derek smiled at the scene before him. He made his way to the living room, making sure to touch each pack member along the way; rubbing the back of Isaac's neck, kissing River's head, mussing Scott's hair. River hoped off the counter and headed down into the basement. She sat in a chair that had ended up in the room, probably Lydia demanding Stiles carry one down for her, and got comfortable.

"How are you feeling?" River asked.

"Fine," Jackson shrugged. "Better than fine, actually. It felt like I had this weight baring down on me but after you turned me back, it's like that weight has lifted."

"Completely?" she asked.

"No," he shook his head. "It's still there, just less."

"I'm going to grab Stiles' notes and the bestiary. Maybe I did something without realizing."

Once River was back in the basement, she sat in the chair and started going through Stiles notes. After a few minutes, Stiles and Lydia came down the steps with plates of food for them. Lydia opened the door to Jackson's cell, passing him his plate before closing the door again as Stiles handed a plate to River.

"Thanks. You did great tonight."

"I heard you cheering," Stiles smiled.

"I think I was even louder than dad," River smirked.

"Oh, you definitely were," Stiles joked.

"Shut up. You loved it," River smirked, looking down at her food and missing the longing look in Stiles' eyes.

Lydia and Jackson both saw it but stayed silent, neither wanting to get in the middle of it. Lydia turned to Jackson, opening her mouth like she wanted to say something before she got a faraway look in her eyes and left the basement, claiming to be heading home. Stiles followed her up the stairs, going to his own plate. He picked at his food though, his appetite leaving him as he thought about River and Isaac.

Towards midnight, Isaac went to the basement to check on River. He found her sleeping in the chair and Jackosn passed out on the mattress. He smiled before going back up the stairs and grabbing a blanket. When he came back down, he took the folder from her hands and put the blanket around her. He looked at the page she had stopped on, reading a bit more about the kanima. His eyes widened and he headed up the stairs, the folder still in his hands.

"Hey," Derek said, seeing the look on Isaac's face.

"I think River has control over Jackson now," he said.

"What makes you say that?" Derek asked.

Isaac passed the folder over, showing Derek the passage he had just read.

'If the master breaks the code of the kanima, it will seek a new master to create an emotional bond to as the old master begins to transform. If the kanima finds a new master, the old master will begin to deteriorate.'

"I don't know about you but if Jackson was going to create an emotional bond to anyone, it would be River, Lydia, or Danny. The pack bonds connect us all to River but not all of us are connected to each other."

"What do you mean you aren't all connected?" Derek asked, confused.

"I mean, I'm not connected to Stiles, Lydia, Scott, or Jackson. I feel bonds to you, Boyd, Erica, and River. Scott's bonds are to River and Stiles. Lydia just feels River and I'm betting Jackson's are the same."

"Like we all belong to her," Derek whispered to himself, thinking about the red in River's eyes again.

"Exactly," Isaac nodded.

"So, with a pack bond that connects him to River and with Matt breaking the code to only go after murders, the kanima connected to River?"

"I think so."

"And it says Matt's going to die for it," Derek mumbled to himself. "At least he'll be off the board."

"Don't let River or Scott hear you say that," Isaac told him. "I don't think they're as big of fans of people dying as you are."

Isaac shut the folder and went off to bed, Derek not far behind him. On Monday, Lydia came over to the house early, kicking Isaac out of River's room and getting her ready. Lydia dressed River in dark skinny jeans and black heels, along with a dark green turtleneck and black leather jacket that Derek had given her the night before. Erica entered the room as Lydia was finishing River's eyeliner, her hair already in a braided bun.

"What are those shoes?" Lydia asked, glaring at the leopard print.

"You don't like them?" Erica asked.

"Hold on," Lydia went to River's closet.

"What are you in my closet for?" River asked.

"I put a bunch of clothes in here yesterday while you were helping Scott study," Lydia stated, coming back into the room with a pair of red heels. "Put these on instead."

Erica kicked off her leopard shoes and slipped on the red heels, smiling as she stood.

"I like it," Erica smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't be hopeless," Lydia smiled as River walked pass the pair to look in her now full closet.

"Did you buy me a whole wardrobe?' River asked, looking through the clothes.

"No," Lydia shook her head. "I also went through your closet and brought over acceptable items."

"Where are my plaids?" River asked, an angry look on her face as she appeared in the closet doorway.

"Back with the original owner," Lydia smirked.

River let out a huff of breath and left the room, heading towards Stiles' room. She knocked on his door and he opened it almost immediately.

"Whoa," he said, staring at her. "You look… whoa."

"Good adjective. I need in your closet. Lydia stole all of your clothes back," River crossed her arms over her chest.

Stiles snorted out a laugh and stepped aside, letting River pass into his room. She smiled as she looked around his room, realizing he had decorated his room more than anyone else so far. There were movie posters on the walls and a board in a corner, red strings connecting sticky notes to the word kanima. There were piles of papers and police files by the desk, which River glanced at as she passed the desk to get to Stiles' closet. She turned on the light and walked in, going straight to the plaids that were hung up. She grabbed her favorite one, cuddling it to her chest before walking out of the closet and giving Stiles a happy smile.

He smiled back warmly, rolling his eyes when he saw the one in her hands. She skipped back to her room, hanging up the plaid before grabbing her bag and following Erica and Lydia down the stairs, meeting the rest of the pack and Danny in the dining room. Danny whistled low when he saw all three girls.

"Well, don't you all look amazing," he stated. "Love the shoes, Erica."

"Thank you," Lydia said, immediately taking credit.

"How do girls wear those all day?" Stiles asked, staring at the heels that all three girls had on.

"Practice," River shrugged.

"I have werewolf healing," Erica shrugged.

"That feels unfair," River sighed.

"Did anyone get tickets to the rave this weekend?" Scott asked.

"I have a few," Jackson spoke up. "I wasn't sure how many people wanted to go."

"A chance to dance to loud music and drink copious amounts of alcohol? Count me in," Erica joked.

"Alcohol doesn't work on werewolves," Derek spoke up.

"I don't want the bite anymore," Erica pouted to him. "Take it back."

Derek rolled his eyes as he passed a go cup with coffee in it to River and Stiles.

"Why do they get go cups?" Scott complained.

"You don't even like coffee," River reminded him. "Let's go. I have to turn in all my assignments before class and most of you have morning practice."

Everyone followed River out of the house, Derek stopping on the front porch and leaning against the railing, watching as all of the teens left for the day. He shook his head as they argued over who was riding with who and what music to listen to, remembering when he was a teen. He shook his head at the thought, remembering everything that had gone wrong when he was younger before heading back inside.

River pulled up to the school, Isaac, Erica, and Boyd climbing out of the car with her as Jackson parked on one side of her and Stiles parked on the other. Lydia pulled up beside Jackson, the two locking eyes for a few moments before Lydia got out of her car. She walked over to River, hooking their arms together and walking with River to the office, Erica following behind them as bodyguard. River turned in her assignments, smiling to the front office assistant before the three girls headed off to watch morning practice.

"Should I join a sport?" Boyd asked.

"No," Erica stated. "If you take up sports, I don't get to cuddle you in the stands."

"How sweet," River mocked, causing Erica to push her into Lydia.

Lydia rolled her eyes, smiling as she helped River sit up. River just laughed before watching as Stiles and Jackson ran a few drills together. Lydia cleared her throat, catching River's attention.

"What?" River asked, tearing her eyes away from the two boys.

"Wicked witch incoming," she whispered.

"I thought that was us?" River whispered back, not even looking up as Allison sat on the other side of Lydia.

"Can I help you?" Lydia asked Allison.

River looked over Allison, noting the bruising and swelling that had gone down. The bruising wouldn't really go away for another week or so but the swelling would probably be gone that night if River had to guess.

"I was hoping I could talk to River," Allison said, her voice small. "I figured having you here would help us talk."

"River?" Lydia asked.

"She can talk but that doesn't guarantee that I'll listen," River shrugged, watching as Isaac lifted his shirt slightly to wipe sweat from his face. "Damn."

"When did Isaac Lahey get abs?" Lydia asked, also staring.

"Mine," River reminded her, smirking when Isaac looked at them with a bewildered expression.

"I was just curious," Lydia smirked.

River winked at Isaac, causing him to blush and turn away from the girls, smiling as he went back to practicing.

"River?" Allison asked.

"Speak," River told her, eyes still watching Isaac as he moved around the pitch.

"I'm sorry."

River turned to her, an unimpressed look on her face.

"For?"

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you since I got here," Allison clarified. "I swear I'm not typically like this. I don't know what got into me."

River waited for her to continue.

"I'm also sorry for everything I said to you last week. It was uncalled for and I didn't really mean it. I know that you're just really close to Scott and Stiles. I mean, you're even closer to Stiles so I don't know why I was acting so jealous towards you when it came to Scott."

Allison shrank a little under River's gaze.

"I'm also sorry for going at you and for hitting you. And I'm sorry for anything my dad or Gerald said to you."

"Don't apologize for their actions," River rolled her eyes. "They're their own people just like you are."

"I'm sorry," Allison said again, a sad look on her face.

River sighed and looked onto the field, catching Scott's eye. They had a silent conversation that Allison watched without saying a word or sending a single glare River's way. At the end of it, River turned back to Allison.

"You're on probation," River told her before going back to watching Isaac.

"Good!" Lydia smiled. "Now that all of that is over, what is everyone wearing to my birthday party?"

Allison and Lydia discussed the party as River watched the pack practice, smiling when coach put them all on a team together, Danny as their goalie. They all worked well together and River thought of setting up a goal in the backyard so that they could practice at home. It could be a pack bonding activity.

"River?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah?" River asked, turning back to her.

"Your outfit?"

"Depends on yours," River shrugged. "We can't clash but we can't match."

"Correct answer," Lydia smiled. "We'll go shopping soon. All three of us! It'll be fun. Maybe we can get Stiles to carry everything again."

"Four of us," River corrected. "Erica."

"Four!" Lydia yelled excitedly, moving further up the bleachers to steal the other girl from her boyfriend, leaving River with the hunter.

"So?" Allison asked. "Did you get all of your homework done?"

"I did," River nodded.

Allison scooted closer to River, letting out a sigh.

"What do you really want Allison?" River asked, turning so she could face the other girl. "Is it Scott? Because you'll have to talk to him to fix your relationship."

"No. Well, yes I want Scott but I know that picking a fight with someone he sees as his sister isn't going to help. I really did want to say I'm sorry. I think it's really cool how close you are with your friends. I've never had that before."

"Because you moved around so much?" River asked.

"Yeah," Allison nodded. "It was hard to make friends when I would just be leaving again at the end of the year. This was the first place where I felt like I actually belonged somewhere. It scared me that it could be ripped from me so easily."

"I understand not feeling like you belong and being afraid that you were losing people," River told her. "I felt so out of place in the foster home and school at first. When I moved into the Stilinski house, it felt good. It felt like I had somewhere I could always go and just be me. Stiles and Scott were my first friends. I was a freak who didn't even know her own name. Stiles gave me a name, sure, but I didn't know if it was really my name or not. It took years for me to think of me as anything other than the girl with no memory. Anytime I would get into a fight with Scott, Stiles, or dad, I would be terrified that I was going to be sent away again. You can't let that fear cause you to act a certain way though, or else you'll lose everything anyway."

Allison just nodded, looking thoughtful as she went over River's words in her head. Both girls were snapped out of the moment by Gerald's voice. They both looked up, seeing him hurrying towards them.

"Your grandpa is creepy," River whispered, causing Allison to laugh and nod in agreement.

"What are you doing near my granddaughter?" Gerald asked.

"She came to me," River stated.

"I came to apologize to her," Allison spoke up. "The fight was my fault. I was the one who started the drama and the one who threw the first punch. I owed River an apology and we're going to try to talk things out."

"That's very grown up of you Allison but I don't think you should be around her."

"Dad said it was a good idea when I brought it up to him," Allison spoke up.

"Did he?" Gerald asked, eyes on River. "And what do you think, Miss Stilinski?"

"I think you're making a scene at practice and interrupting a very important conversation between two students," River offered.

"Respect, Miss Stilinski," Gerald snarled out.

"Respect is earnt, Principal Argent. My dad taught me that."

River could feel Boyd, Erica, and Lydia standing behind her. Gerald looked at the three behind them before looking back to River and Allison. He turned on his heel and walked away just as coach walked over. Once Gerald was back in the building, coach spoke up.

"There is something not right about that man," he turned to Boyd. "Do you play lacrosse?"

"No, coach," Boyd shook his head.

"Do you want to?"

"My girlfriend might kill me," Boyd joked, sitting down and pulling Erica into his lap.

"Miss Stilinski," Coach said staring at her for a moment, contemplating what to say. "Don't make me have Greenburg break up a fight."

"I think we both know Greenburg couldn't hold me back if he tried," River joked.

Coach shrugged before turning back to the field. He blew his whistle, yelling at Greenburg for something before moving forward. River rolled her eyes, leaning back so that she rested against Erica's legs that were draped across Boyd's lap.

"Shopping?" Erica asked.

"After school," Lydia nodded.

"I have to take Scott to work and talk to Deaton today," River spoke up.

"After that then," Lydia waved her off. "I'll follow you and you can leave your car with Scott."

"You want me to trust my car with Scott?" River asked, eyebrows raised.

"You trust him with your life. You can trust him with your car for a night," Lydia rolled her eyes before turning to Erica again.

River sighed, looking out on the field as practice ended. The pack came over to the bleachers, Isaac sitting in front of River and leaning back against her. River moved forward, tipping Isaac's head back so she could kiss him.

"Can you two make out somewhere else?" Stiles asked, sitting beside Allison.

"When did this happen?" Allison asked.

River just shrugged before standing. The girls and Boyd headed to their lockers as the rest of the guys went to the locker room to shower and get dressed. Throughout the day, Allison would give River shy smiles but kept her distance. At lunch she sat by herself and River frowned.

"You're thinking too hard," Boyd told her.

"She's alone," River said.

"Matt's going over to her," Isaac shrugged.

"Matt who's dying?" River asked. "He really doesn't look very good."

"Does that confirm that the kanima listens to you now?" Lydia asked, studying Matt's appearance.

"Maybe," River sighed. "I don't like it."

"It's better than him," Jackson stated. "You won't use me to kill people."

"That I won't," River smirked. "Not yet anyways."

"I don't think you're as funny as you think you are," Jackson glared.

"I think I'm hilarious," River smiled, throwing a chip at him. "Should we save her from his weirdness?"

"Let her suffer," Lydia shrugged. "It's her penance."

"Alright then," River nodded, accepting that before going back to her lunch.

River drove Scott to work, Lydia following behind her with the rest of the girls. She handed her keys to Scott and followed his inside. Deaton was smiling when he saw her.

"River," Deaton greeted her. "How have you been?"

"Good," River nodded. "I wanted to ask you a few things if you don't mind?"

"I always have time for you," Deaton promised, leading her to his office.

"I don't know how much you've been told but I'm a witch. I've been practicing for a few months now. My eyes changed colors recently."

"What color?" Deaton asked.

"Purple," she answered.

"Soul," Deaton smiled. "That fits."

"There was another color," she told him.

Deaton was looked confused and motioned for River to continue.

"There was alpha red around my irises," she explained. "How is that possible though?"

"Are you certain?" Deaton asked.

"Derek, Stiles, and Jackson all saw it."

"I'll have to look in my books," Deaton told her. "I'll let you know if I find anything. Is there anything else?"

"Do you know how to cure a kanima?" she asked curiously.

"Unfortunately, the kanima has to cure themselves. They're transformation is stunted due to their own emotional messes. Once they figure out the root of their issue and solve it, they may be able to cure themselves."

"May?" River asked.

"I've never heard of a kanima being cured," Deaton admitted. "I only know what I have read and none of it is concrete."

"Alright," River sighed. "Thank you, Dr. Deaton. I really appreciate your help."

"Please, come to me anytime you need assistance. As one Hale emissary to another, it would be my honor to help."

"Oh, I'm not emissary," River shook her head. "Derek wants me to be but I told him I needed time."

"I understand," Deaton smiled. "Have a good night."

"You, too," River smiled, leaving the clinic to join the three girls in Lydia's car.

They drove to the mall, Lydia linking her arm with River's as River grabbed Erica's hand. Allison walked beside Lydia, not touching any of them as they moved through the stores. Lydia found three different dresses for herself, two for Allison and for Erica. She looked around, trying to find one she liked for River.

"Maybe next time?" River shrugged. "We have some time."

"We have two weeks," Lydia corrected.

"That's plenty of time," River smiled.

"Why do we need so many dresses?" Erica asked curiously.

"Lydia has three dresses. One host dress to start the night, an evening dress when things pick up, and a more casual after-party dress for the end of the night," River explained to Allison and Erica. "You each have a dress to show up in and a dress to change into halfway through. You are not allowed to wear the same dress all night now that you are under Lydia's popularity bubble."

"Perfect," Lydia smiled. "Just how I explained it to you."

"I paid attention," River fluttered her eyelashes. "What were you thinking for me?"

"I'm thinking white to start and then black to end," Lydia said, staring at the dresses in front of her.

"White or silver?" River asked.

"White. It'll make you glow."

"It'll make me look paler than I already am," River corrected.

"Not if it's the right dress," Lydia explained. "I have a vision."

"Well, your vision isn't here. Let's try somewhere else."

Lydia bought their dresses and they moved on. Lydia found a black dress that she liked for River at the next store. It was sequined and backless, spaghetti straps and stopping just above her knee.

"Arms," River reminded her, staring at the dress longingly.

"I'm getting this one for when you get over yourself," Lydia stated, tossing it over her arm.

River smirked as they moved on. The next dress had long sleeves with lace and stopped just above her knee.

"This will do," Lydia nodded before heading to the register and paying.

"I can buy my own dress," River reminded her.

"You could have bought all the other clothes that I put in your closet, too, but I beat you to it," Lydia smirked. "Let's move on."

They went around to three more stores before Lydia did a double take at a dress, a smile growing on her face. She held the white, knee length dress up to River before handing it to her to try on. River slipped into the dress, the sleeves going all the way down her arms and having loops for her middle finger. The sleeves were also made of lace but the top half of the sleeves had fabric underneath, covering the majority of the scarring.

She stepped out of the dressing room, showing the dress off to the other three girls. Lydia smiled and nodded, proud of her find. Erica and Allison fed her a few compliments and she changed back into her skinny jeans and turtle-neck sweater, passing the dress to Lydia's waiting arms when she stepped out of the room. They dropped Allison at home before heading to the pack house, putting their dresses away before Isaac and Boyd could see them. River was pretty sure that Lydia didn't want Jackson to see her dresses either but knew she would deny it if asked.

The night of the rave, River and Isaac opted to stay home while everyone else went out, Derek following behind to keep an eye on everyone.

"What are we going to do now?" Isaac asked.

"We could watch Jurassic Park?" River offered.

"Or we could look up more about Kanimas?" Isaac shot back.

"Or we could make -out," River nodded. "Nah, let's watch Jurassic Park."

River went to stand and Isaac pulled her back into his lap, pressing his lips gently to hers. River kissed him back, adjusting her position in his lap so that she was straddling him. Isaac stood and River wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her up the stairs to his room. He laid her on the bed gently as they continued kissing. After a few minutes, they separated for air.

"Maybe we should slow down," River gasped out.

"Yeah," Isaac nodded. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize," River told him. "I'm the one who suggested making out."

Isaac let out a small laugh before sliding off of her. River held her arms open and Isaac laid his head on her chest, getting comfortable. River began running her fingers through his hair, humming softly until he fell asleep. She smiled when she heard his soft snores and closed her eyes, falling asleep herself with her fingers tangled in his hair.

River woke with a gasp, grabbing at her chest. Isaac shifted immediately, looking around for the danger. When he saw River clutching her chest, he went back to normal and pulled her close, rocking her and trying to figure out what was happening. River grabbed her phone and started dialing Scott's number, cursing when he didn't answer. The two teens stood and rushed out of the house, getting into River's car before she sped off towards the rave.

They pulled in and River felt the pressure releasing slightly. She followed Scott's bond, using her magic to run faster. She found Derek carrying Scott out of a room, coughing heavily. She ran forward.

"What happened?" she asked in a panic.

"Allison's mom," Derek said before coughing again.

"Isaac," River said, pointing to Scott.

Isaac took Scott into his arms, carrying him to the car. River helped Derek to the car before driving to the veterinarian office just as Deaton was walking out of the front door. He unlocked the door and held it open as Isaac carried Scott in and River assisted Derek. Deaton got to work, quickly trying to get all of the wolfsbane out of Scott's system as Derek continued coughing on and off.

"Make him a tea from that bag, River," Deaton told her, nodding his head towards the cabinet.

River rushed around, filling a cup with water and sticking a tea bag in it before popping it into the microwave that Deaton kept in his office. After a minute, she ran the cup to Derek, passing it over to him and rubbing his back. Her phone began ringing and she sighed in relief when she saw 'Mieczyslaw' pop up on the screen.

"Sti?" she asked.

"River! I can't find Scott or Derek and you and Isaac aren't at the house."

"Breath, Sti. We're with Deaton. Allison's mom poisoned them. I felt something off with the bond so Isaac and I came to find out what was happening."

"Are they okay?" Stiles asked.

"Yes," River told him. "Derek's drinking a tea and Deaton's fixing Scott up."

"Good," Stiles sighed. "I was so fucking worried."

"We're okay," she assured him. "Is everyone else with you?"

"Lydia backed out at the last minute but we're all home," Stiles told her. "I'll send everyone to bed now that we know you're okay."

"You go to sleep, too," River told him. "Don't take a bunch of Adderall and wait up for us to get home. We'll probably be here all night."

"Okay. Love you," Stiles said softly.

"Love you, too," she promised before hanging up.

"What is he in your phone?" Isaac asked.

"Nothing," River smirked before turning to Derek. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Derek nodded, his voice clear. "Deaton said Scott's going to sleep for the rest of the night."

River nodded before taking a seat by Scott's head, reaching her hand out to touch his hand as she laid her head down.

"You can go home, River," Derek stated. "I'll watch him."

"I'm not leaving him," River said firmly.

"Okay," Derek sighed, taking a seat against the wall.

Isaac sat beside Derek, eyes on River as she watched Scott's chest moving up and down as he breathed. Deaton covered Scott with a light blanket before throwing one over Derek and Isaac as well before finding a quilt for River. He left after that, locking up the clinic for the night and heading home. Derek and Isaac fell asleep soon after that but River remained awake, watching over the three wolves all night.

In the morning, Scott slowly woke up as Deaton came back into the room. He blinked as few times before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. River watched with tired eyes until Scott sat up, taking a deep breath.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"That sucked," Scott answered honestly.

"But how are you feeling now?" River asked.

"I'm okay," he promised.

"The good doctor fixed you up," River said nodding her head to Deaton. "Maybe next time I can get you neutered."

"Not funny," Scott glared.

"It's a little funny," River shrugged.

"You can head home now," Deaton told him as Derek and Isaac stood. "River might actually sleep now that you're okay."

"I slept," River defended. "For, like, two hours before everything went to crap."

"I'm sure," Deaton smiled sagely.

The four left the building, River passing her keys to Derek as she climbed into the back with Scott. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he rested his head on hers. She was asleep before they got to the house. Scott carried her into the house and up the stairs, placing her in her bed as Stiles walked into her room.

"Did you get any sleep?" Scott asked him.

"No," Stiles shook his head. "I stayed up all night watching the doors. I came upstairs as you pulled into the driveway."

"Lay down," Scott pushed Stiles towards the bed. "I swear you're the same people."

"I don't think Isaac would appreciate that," Stiles stated, still standing.

"Isaac is comfortable in his relationship," Isaac said, coming into the room. "Lay down."

Stiles sighed and laid beside River, pulling her close as Scott pulled the blanket over them. Scott pushed some of River's hair out of her face before leaving the room, Isaac following him out, leaving the door opened slightly in case they needed anything. Stiles fell asleep before they even reached the door.