April Fool's! Another update!
I do not own Teen Wolf
Chapter Ten
"We should be there in an hour," River said, her phone on speaker.
"I know," Noah stated from his hospital room. "I have your location."
"How's your arm?"
"It's fine. In a sling."
"Alright. I'll be there soon. Love you."
"Love you, too."
River hung up the phone and checked on an asleep Theo in the backseat. It had been a week and they were almost in Beacon Hills. It had taken everything in her to not come back before then. Isaac had to literally hold her down at one point and walk her through a panic attack. She had told Stiles he had a week before she was there. A week before she began her own investigation. In that week, Stiles and Lydia had both been kidnapped, Lydia discovered that her grandmother had been a banshee, another banshee had created the Deadpool, and Kate was alive and had berserkers, whatever that was, attacking people for her.
River stepped on the gas as they crossed into Beacon Hills, feeling Stiles' panic and fear. The tires screeched as she pulled up to the house pack, waking Theo and Isaac as she runs inside, slamming the door open. She looks around the dining room and living room until her eyes stop on Stiles. He lets out a sigh of relief and runs forward, wrapping her in his arms.
"What happened? What's wrong?" River's voice is demanding as she holds Stiles around his waist and Theo and Isaac run in.
"Scott and Kira were taken by Kate. We think she took them to Mexico," Stiles explains into her hair.
"When do we leave?" River asked.
"In the morning," he told her. "We've all had a long day and are about to fall over."
"Let's go," River nods towards the stairs.
Stiles keeps his arms around her, leading her up the steps and to his room. Once in the room, River looks at his board, staring at everything that he'd hidden from her the past few weeks.
"Are these the lists?" she asks.
"Yeah, yeah, but before you look at them, there's something else," Stiles' voice was shaking and River couldn't tell if it was because he was scared or nervous.
"Breath, baby," River pushed Stiles into his desk chair. "I need you to breath for me."
Stiles nodded and took a few deeps breathes.
"You're going to be mad at me," Stiles told her.
"I would rather you tell me what's going on and be mad at you for a little while, rather than being mad at you for a while when I figure out what you're hiding on my own," River told him softly.
"Malia, the were-coyote that we found while you were in the coma. She's your sister," Stiles said. "Your half-sister. Apparently, Talia took away the memory of Peter cheating on your mom with someone and that someone had a kid."
River took a deep breath and stood straight. She stared at Stiles for a moment before laughing.
"What's funny?" Stiles asked.
"Nothing," River tried to straighten her face before laughing again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It isn't funny. I just automatically thought, 'Like father, like son.' Dad kept that I was a Hale from me and then you kept her from me. It's a ridiculous thought."
"How mad are you?" Stiles asked.
"How long did you wait before telling her?" River asked.
"We didn't tell her. She found a copy of the list and saw her last name."
"Well, at least you actually told me," River shrugged. "Can we go to sleep now? I just drove for, like, two days straight."
"Wait, really?" Stiles asked.
"Yes, Sti. I'm beyond tired. I can be upset after we get everyone home safely. Is there anything else that you need to tell me?"
"No," Stiles shook his head and River was too tired to point out the lie.
Stiles kicked off his shoes and stripped off his plaid. River turned away from Stiles and pulled her shirt and bra off, grabbing the plaid that he had tossed aside and pulling it on, buttoning it just enough to cover herself before stripping out of her shoes and jeans. She turned to find Stiles in a shirt and sweatpants, staring at her in just her underwear and his shirt.
"You good?" she asked.
"Yeah," Stiles swallowed thickly. "Yeah, I'm good."
"You're staring," River smirked. "Good view or something?"
"Yeah," Stiles stuttered out.
"Sti?"
"Yup."
"Bed."
"Whatever you say."
"Sleeping, Sti."
"Right!" Stiles yelled, climbing onto the middle of the bed.
River rolled her eyes and followed his lead. She laid beside him and covered them both with a quilt.
"Is this mine?" she asked, staring at it.
"Nope!"
"Liar."
"Just because you hid all of the quilts, doesn't make them yours," Stiles defended.
"Everyone has one now, don't they?"
"Yeah," Stiles admitted before pulling River close so that her head was on his chest.
River smirked and rolled her eyes before getting comfortable. She felt the bond buzz in content at being close to Stiles, having been fizzing ever since she'd left for New Orleans. She sighed and closed her eyes. Just as she was falling asleep, the bedroom door opened. River and Stiles both lifted their heads to watch as Isaac and Theo came into the room.
"What?" Stiles asked.
"Shh," Isaac said as he dropped pillows onto the floor as Theo dropped blankets.
"Sleeping on the floor?" River asked him.
"We could climb in the bed but it isn't as big as the room at the apartment," Isaac sighed as he and Theo laid on the ground.
"No talking. Only sleeping," Theo grumbled as he tried to get comfortable.
River let out a breath and looked at Stiles.
"No," he whispered.
River pouted and Stiles groaned, flopping back down. River smirked and Stiles spoke again.
"Fine," he whispered before speaking up. "Get off the floor."
River laid back down, back facing Stiles. Isaac climbed behind Stiles as Theo crawled in front of River. River held her arms open and Theo hid his face in River's chest, her arms wrapping around him protectively. Stiles stiffened for a moment before letting out a huff of breath and River felt Isaac's hand on her thigh, realizing that Isaac must be spooning Stiles as he breathed into her neck.
"Is it always like this?" Stiles asked curiously.
"Yeah," River smiled.
"Sleep," Theo reminded.
River and Isaac held in laughs as Stiles glared at the top of Theo's head. River began humming and all three boys relaxed. Just as they were about to fall asleep, the door opened again.
"Oh, what now?" Stiles groaned.
"Us, too?" Erica's voice was small and tired.
"Maybe we should have dragged mattresses into the living room," Isaac suggested.
"Nah," River sighed and the bed suddenly grew, making more room for the four new intruders. "I got it."
"Cool," Jackson nodded, climbing behind Isaac.
Erica and Boyd took the spots beside Theo and Lydia pushed at Isaac, forcing him to back up so she could be on Stiles' other side. River tensed slightly at that action before letting out an annoyed huff and trying to relax. She felt Theo growling slightly from River tensing, unsure why she was upset.
"It's okay," River told him.
"You're upset about something," Theo defended.
"It's fine," she kissed the top of his head. "Sleep."
River began humming again and everyone settled. This time when they were all close to sleep, the door remained closed. River fell asleep with Theo in her arms and Stiles holding her against his chest. The next morning, River was wrapped in more bodies than normal as her pack bonds hummed in happiness. She noticed that Isaac had ended up on Stiles' back again at some point in the night, his hand reaching around Stiles and River so that he could reach Theo. Theo was whimpering slightly, waking all of the wolves and River.
River began humming again, running her fingers through his hair. He settled quickly as the weres stared at them.
"Nightmare," Isaac whispered as explanation. "Happens a lot."
River slowly sat up, turning Theo so that Erica was holding him instead. River stretched and slid to the end of the bed so she could stand. She reached into her bag, grabbing a pair of jeans and pulling them on before checking the time on her phone. She let out a sigh and headed out of the room to get coffee started.
Noah, Peter, Derek, and Melissa were already awake, each standing around the kitchen island and sipping on their coffee when River entered. She saw a woman she didn't recognize and frowned.
"River, this is Braedan," Derek stated.
"You saved Isaac once," River nodded. "Thank you."
"I was paid to do it," she shrugged.
"Still," River sighed. "Thank you for saving a member of my pack."
"Your pack?" Peter asked.
"Yeah," River nodded. "One of the few pack bonds I have."
"Who are the others?" Peter asked.
"Stiles and Theo. Elijah and I will probably have one soon, too."
"Elijah?" Noah asked as he passed River a cup of coffee.
"Shawnna's other student," River explained before sipping the hot beverage. "Shawnna, too, actually."
"She would be a good addition for you," Peter nodded.
"So, I hear you cheated on my bio-mom?" River stared Peter down as the color drained from his face. "Do you know how it feels when your mate sleeps with someone else?"
"She described it to me once," Peter said in a slow voice.
"How do you know what it feels like?" Derek asked. "Did you read it somewhere?"
"Nope," River stated. "I got a taste of it firsthand when Stiles put himself in Eichen House."
"He slept with someone in the nut house?" Braedan asked.
"Yeah," River sighed. "I was chained up in a train cart when it happened. It was a bad week."
"Are you okay?" Noah asked.
"Don't ask her if she's okay," Stiles' sleepy voice answered as he walked into the room, bumping into one of the dining room chairs and almost falling in the process. "She'll throw herself out a window."
River rolled her eyes and poured Stiles a cup of coffee. She passed him his cup before refilling her cup and turning to face the rest of the room. Stiles stood beside her, slowly sipping from his cup and staring into his cup.
"When do I get to meet her?" River asked.
"She's here," Peter explained. "She's in Erica's old room. Erica sleeps in Boyd's now."
"Or in mine apparently," Stiles grumbled, sending a playful glare at River.
"We had a bit of a dog pile last night," River explained to Noah.
"I don't think they like when you call it that," Stiles smirked.
"Too bad," River rolled her eyes.
"You say it happened when he was in Eichen?" Peter asked.
River sighed and ignored Peter.
"So, you got a vision of it?"
"What's going on?" Stiles asked.
"He doesn't know that you saw it," Peter stated.
"We haven't talked about it," River shrugged. "And we aren't going to right now. Shut up."
"I'm just trying to help," Peter's smile said he was trying to do anything but help.
Peter's eyes widened as his lips disappeared. River smirked, not even having looked up as she had done the spell.
"Oh, please teach me that," Stiles begged.
"Might teach dad," River smiled, thinking about Stiles' rants.
Noah chuckled from next to her. Derek was watching in amusement as his uncle's yells were muffled. River sighed and made Peter's mouth reappear.
"How dare you," Peter growled.
"Peter, I've heard about what you've been up to and I think there's more to it than we know. If you don't want me to rip your tongue from your throat, shut the hell up," River stared Peter down, eyebrow raised and not an ounce of fear leaking from her.
Peter quieted, looking away from River instead of saying anything else. River nodded before watching as a pretty brunette walked into the room. River stared at her in confusion, trying to figure out how she knew her.
"River, this is Malia," Stiles told her.
"I know you," River said, still staring at Malia in confusion. "How do I know you?"
"I don't know you," Malia stated, staring at River.
The smirk on Peter's face annoyed River so she made his mouth disappear again. The smirk seemed to reach his eyes somehow though as he watched on. Derek stared at Peter in confusion as River stared at Malia with the same stare. Malia's eyes studied everyone in the room, stopping on Stiles. River looked to Stiles and saw him staring at his feet. She looked back at Malia and it clicked.
"My sister?!" River shouted the question at Stiles. "Are you kidding me?!"
"I didn't know she was your sister!" Stiles defended. "Also, how do you know?"
"Oh, my God," River groaned, rubbing her face. "No wonder Peter was so happy. I knew it could only mean something terrible."
Peter's body was shaking in muffled laughter as he watched on.
"You slept with your mates sister?" Braedan asked.
Melissa rubbed River's back before River pulled away, giving Peter his mouth back. She approached Malia and gave her a smile.
"I'm River, Peter's other daughter," River told her, holding out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."
Malia took her hand firmly, as if trying to establish dominance through her strength. River cocked a brow and squeezed back, using her magic to make her stronger. Malia flinched and slowly released River's hand, a small growl escaping her as she shook her hand out.
"Nice to meet you, too," Malia's voice was flat.
"That's progress," Stiles stated.
"Stiles?"
"Yeah?"
"Upstairs."
River walked up the stairs, not waiting for a response. She heard Stiles groan before he followed her, Peter's laughter following them until they reached River's old room. Once she and Stiles were in the room, Stiles closed the door, leaning on it in case he needed to make a run for it.
"So, when I asked if there was anything else I needed to know last night and you lied, was this the thing you were hiding?" she asked.
"Yeah," Stiles nodded.
River sighed and rubbed her face before looking at Stiles again.
"I can be mad later," she sighed. "We need to get everyone moving to go get Scott and Kira. Also, I wanna meet this Liam kid."
"He's a bit of a mess right now," Stiles told her.
"So were all of us the first few times one of our friends went missing," River sighed. "He'll get used to it. Can I be the one to kill Kate? I feel like it should be a Hale."
"Last time that a Hale killed her it didn't take," Stiles reminded her as they walked out of the room.
"That's because Peter's an incompetent ass," River said loud enough that he would hear.
Stiles and River both held back laughs when they heard Peter's offended 'Hey!' from the kitchen. They went to Stiles room and the people who were awake removed themselves from the bed. River gently shook Theo to wake him. He woke with a start, claws out and swinging. River used her magic to back everyone far enough away that they wouldn't get injured as Theo realized he wasn't being attacked.
Theo breathed heavily, growls coming out. His eyes shined gold before his sights locked on River. His growling slowly stopped and his features turned human, his eyes slowly going back to normal as he looked at her in confusion. She hummed lightly and he calmed completely.
"Nightmare," he whispered.
"I know," River stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Isaac walked forward as well, holding both of them against his chest as Theo finished calming. Once he was good, he pulled away from the hug. He looked around at the pack around him before his eyes locked on Stiles.
"Miecy?" he asked in confusion.
"Theo?" Stiles asked, just as confused.
"Isaac?" Allison's voice asked from the doorway.
"Allison," Isaac smiled.
"River!" River yelled, raising her hand. "Stiles is Miecy?"
"Yeah," Theo nodded, smiling at Stiles.
"Theo is the kid you've adopted?" Stiles asked.
"I'm older than you," Theo defended, staring at River.
"And I'm emancipated and taking care of you," River reminded him. "Everyone that's going to Mexico, get dressed."
"Why do I feel like I'm not going?" Theo asked.
"You're not," River smirked. "You're staying here with Boyd, Erica, and Lydia."
"We aren't staying," Erica spoke up.
"Stiles, who makes the plans?" River asked, turning to her mate.
"We do," Stiles smiled.
"What's the plan?"
"We leave a few weres here to keep the humans safe while we're gone."
"Which means I'm leaving Boyd and Theo. Erica isn't leaving her mate. Anyone have any questions?"
Erica and Theo both started arguing immediately.
"Theo. I'm trusting you to protect my mom and dad here. Boyd, Erica, you work best as a team, so I want you here protecting everyone else that was on that list. I know the computer is shut down but that doesn't mean people aren't still coming for them."
Theo tried speaking up again but stopped when he saw the pleading look on River's face.
"Fine," he mumbled. "Introduce me to the parents."
Once everyone was dressed, River and Stiles led everyone down the stairs. Theo followed River to the humans, Chris now standing with them.
"Momma McCall, Dad. May I introduce your bodyguard while we're all gone," River smirked.
"We don't need a bodyguard," Melissa spoke up.
"I'm the sheriff," Noah reminded her.
"Bodyguard, babysitter. I don't care. Theo, this is them. Don't let anything happen to them."
She patted Theo's shoulder as she walked to Chris, wrapping him in a hug.
"You're River's parents?" Theo asked.
"Well," Melissa stumbled over her words for a moment. "She just calls me Momma McCall. I'm not actually—"
"She called you her parents upstairs," Theo said and all arguments were lost on Melissa's lips.
River pulled away from Chris.
"Did you like the restaurants I sent you?" he asked.
"They were all amazing," River smiled. "How were the catacombs?"
"Interesting," Chris nodded.
"Are you just being polite?"
"Yes."
"Did you like the books I sent you?"
"Those I liked," Chris promised, hugging River again.
"When did you two get so close?" Stiles asked curiously.
"Since he was the only adult to check on her last summer," Isaac spoke up, smiling at the annoyed look on everyone's faces.
"I was dead," Peter offered.
"Twice," River added. "Do I need to make it a third? Everyone that I've killed has stayed dead."
"Are we sure murder isn't a family trait?" Malia asked curiously.
"Oh, it definitely is in this family," River told her. "You get used to it."
Malia just nodded, seeming unfazed. River noticed the sad teen in the corner.
"Liam, right?" River asked, stepping away from Chris.
"Yeah," Liam nodded.
"He's going to be okay," River promised. "This is unfortunately not our first time saving each other."
Liam just nodded and River turned to Stiles.
"Do we have everything we need?"
"Yeah," Stiles nodded. "Let's go."
River, Stiles, Peter, Malia, Chris, Liam, Isaac, Derek, Braeden, and Jackson walked outside, Allison staying behind to stick with Lydia. They piled into the Jeep and Chris's SUV, turning onto the road and heading south. Stiles held River's hand as he drove, not letting go as he shifted gears.
"Are you together?" Isaac asked from the back seat.
"Yes," Stiles answered immediately and River looked at him. "Aren't we?"
"I don't remember that conversation," River smirked.
Stiles saw the smirk and rolled his eyes before bringing River's hand to his lips, placing a small kiss on the back of her hand before resting his hand between them again. River just smiled and scooted over in her seat, resting her head on his shoulder. The drive to Mexico was long and boring, the desert not giving them much of a view. The church that stood in the center of a destroyed town was something to look at though.
As they exited the vehicles, Berserkers running out of the shadow and running at the pack. River rolled her eyes and lifted her hands.
"Divelli in media centra," River said, moving her hands in hurried motions to create a cross.
The Berserkers all tore into four pieces, splitting down their spines and across their waists.
"Cool," Malia nodded as Stiles tried not to throw up.
"Should we split up?" Isaac asked as they entered the church.
"I'll go with her," Malia pointed at River.
"Family bonding," Peter smirked walking towards his daughters before getting locked in place.
"Not with you," River said as Derek stood beside her. "You can go with Chris, though!"
River walked away, Braeden, Derek, Malia and Liam following close behind. Chris chuckled as he grabbed Peter's shoulder and led him away, Jackson and Isaac following behind with Stiles in the center of the group, bat held at the ready.
River led her group through a dark passage, using her eyes to see all the footsteps on the ground. With how many people had passed through though, it was impossible to figure out if any of the footprints were Scott or Kira's. One set of footprints were glowing the orange that River knew matched Kira's eyes, so they followed those ones, River hoping that her hunch was right.
A Berserker ran around a corner, racing towards River. She held up a hand and the Berserker flew down the hall, hitting the wall. River raised her hands, starting to say the severing spell when she heard Kira's voice.
"Don't kill him!" Kira screaming, coming around the corner that the Berserker had originated from. "It's Scott!"
River looked to the Berserker as he stood.
"Shit," she cursed.
The Berserker was on them instantly. They were at a disadvantage since they were trying not to hurt him. River got knocked into Malia and Braeden flew into Derek. River growled, claws extending.
"Fuck this," she whispers, jumping on Scott's back.
She dug her nails into his shoulders, holding on as she pushed magic into him, forcing him to his knees.
"You're not a monster," Liam yells as Scott grabbed at River, trying to rip her off of his back. "You're not a monster! You're a werewolf! Like me!"
"Come on, Scotty," River whispered and Scott stilled completely.
Scott reached for the bear skull on his face, pulling it apart in two pieces with a mighty roar and glowing red eyes. River released her hold on him, sighing before she felt Stiles' distress over the bond. She felt pain coming for him and took off down the tunnel, the others following her quickly without question.
They got to a fork in the tunnel and River felt Isaac in one direction and Stiles in the other.
"Stiles is that way!" River yells to Scott before taking off towards Isaac, feeling more pain and fear coming from him.
River runs into a room, Derek and Braeden behind her, to find Kate standing over Isaac, Jackson and Chris, screaming at Chris about how difficult everything has been.
"I had to turn onto a monster with no control!"
"You could have killed yourself like you were supposed to!" Chris yelled back.
"Do you have any clue how difficult this has been?"
Kate froze, a look of shock on her face. Blood came out of her mouth and she fell to the floor, dead. Chris, Isaac, and Jackson looked to where Kate had just been standing to see River holding a bloody heart in her hand.
"No one cares about your tragic backstory," River said to Kate's body before tossing the heart to the side and looking at Chris. "Can you cremate her this time, please?"
"Deal," Chris sighed, lying on the floor.
River felt more pain through the bond to Stiles and ran again, Derek and Braeden staying behind to help the others. When River ran into the next room, she found Stiles knocked out on the floor next to Liam. Kira and Malia flew to the other wall and Peter laughed as he stared Scott down, a crazed look in his eyes.
River raised her hand and Peter flew into a different wall, Scott turning to find River in the doorway with blood on her body and clothes. River stepped further into the room as Peter snarled and yelled at her to release him. River got in his face, looking into his eyes. She placed her hand on his head and closed her eyes, feeling for his soul. She found it fractured and broken and a sad sigh escaped her lips as she opened her eyes again.
"I need you to calm down," she told him.
"Fine," Peter growled before taking a few deep breaths.
Once he was calm, River released the spell, walking towards Scott to check on him. Peter roared and rushed towards River's back. A bat swung up, knocking Peter out as she turned. She looked to Stiles as he stared down at Peter's prone form.
"Stay away from my mate," Stiles said before dropping the bat and locking eyes with River.
River smiled as Stiles walked up to her. He pulled her close and kissed her hard. River stumbled for a moment before kissing back, the bond expanding as she breathed him in. Scott cleared his throat and River waved him off as she wrapped her arms around Stiles' shoulders, holding him closer.
"Can you do that later?!" Derek yelled.
River and Stiles both growled lowly as they pulled apart, glaring at Derek. Stiles grabbed his bat from the floor before taking River's hand. She floated Peter in front of them and they left the tunnels and church. River did a sleep spell on Peter that only she could remove and Chris tied him up with wolfsbane soaked rope as a precaution before Peter was set in the trunk of the SUV, Kate's body in a body bag beside him. Derek sat in the backseat with Breaden, both keeping an eye on him just in case.
River climbed into the Jeep and rubbed her chest as dread filled her.
"What's wrong?" Stiles asked as they drove.
"Something doesn't feel right," River whispered to him. "Theo's been on edge all day but this feels wrong."
"What's it feel like?"
"Fear."
Isaac and River couldn't get through to Theo and no one could get ahold of anyone in Beacon. As they got closer to home, the feeling got worse. Scott called Stiles, telling him to pull over. When they did, River felt pain in her bond and tried calling Theo again, Isaac wrapping his arms around River in comfort. Stiles just watched as he tried calling his dad, still being sent to voicemail.
Derek stumbled out of the SUV and looked to River, the look in his eyes telling River something terrible had happened.
"What happened?" she asked as she approached him.
When she was close enough, Derek pulled River to his chest. He just held her, unable to speak.
"What is it?" River whispered into his chest.
"My pack bonds to Erica and Boyd are gone," he said softly.
River pulled away.
"What do you mean, gone?"
"They're gone, River," Derek's voice was broken as he stared at the ground, unable to meet her eyes. "I felt them die."
Isaac immediately climbed back into the Jeep, River and Stiles following his lead. Stiles began speeding towards home as Isaac and River continued trying to call everyone. Theo finally answered River.
"River," Theo's voice was relieved. "Are you okay?"
"We're fine. What happened?" River demanded.
"The house," Theo whispered. "I got your mom and dad out but Boyd and Erica were still inside."
"Theo," River's voice went from demanding to soft. "It's okay. Tell me what happened."
"It was one of them. One of the doctors. He trapped us inside the house and there was gasoline. He lit the house on fire. We barely got out."
River took a deep, steadying breath as Isaac sent a text to Chris.
"Was anyone injured?" River asked. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"
"Your parents are fine. He saw me escape but just left," Theo explained.
"What happened?" Stiles finally spoke up, unable to hear the conversation.
"Dad's okay," River told him to calm his nerves until she was off the phone. "Theo, are you alright?"
"I had a burn but it's healed already," Theo explained. "I'm not sure what's going on with the others. We haven't been able to reach them. I'm going to go find them now."
"Be careful, Theo. If you see him, you run straight to dad, okay?" River instructed. "Don't try to fight or argue. Just run."
"Okay," Theo agreed. "I'll call you when I find the others."
"We'll be home in a couple of hours," River told him. "Be careful."
"I will."
Theo hung up and River called Derek.
"What happened?" Derek asked as soon as he answered.
"A Dread Doctor came back for Theo," River explained. "Trapped him, mom, dad, Boyd and Erica in the house and set it on fire."
"Are Noah and Melissa?"
"They're fine. Theo got them out," River told him. "Der, Boyd and Erica didn't make it out."
"Is the house gone? What about the others?"
"I'm not sure about the house and Theo said they hadn't been able to find the others. He's looking for them now."
"Is he alone? He shouldn't be alone if someone's after him," Derek stated.
"I told him to run if he sees the doctor. He's planning something. I don't think he'll go after Theo again right now. Are you okay?"
"No," Derek growled.
"We're almost home. Just breath, cousin. I'm going to try to find Lydia. I'll call you back if I find anything."
"What do you mean?" Derek asked.
"Magic," River smirked.
"Why didn't you try that earlier?"
"I needed to build my strength back up," River explained. "I used a lot of magic earlier."
"You just threw people against walls," Stiles argued.
"She had protection spells up on everyone," Isaac explained. "She almost always does. It drains her the longer she keeps it up."
"You had protection spells on everyone?" Derek questioned.
"Yeah," River shrugged. "How do you think no one got seriously injured?"
"I got knocked out!" Stiles yelled.
"Do you have a concussion?"
"No."
"There you go."
"Oh."
"Call if you find something," Derek hung up before River could say anything else.
"Alright then," River sighed before closing her eyes.
When she opens her eyes again, they're glossed over as she sees through Lydia's eyes. Lydia, Allison and a guy she's never seen before are walking out of the empty school, passing a dead berserker in the process. The kid pulls out his phone and shows Lydia that he's calling Liam. River blinks.
"Lydia, Allison and one of Liam's friends killed a berserker in the school," she explains. "He's calling Liam now. I'm sure one of the girls will call once they get to a phone."
Stiles and Isaac both relax slightly at the news. River lets out a rough breath as she thinks about Boyd and Erica. She looks out the window and puts her hand over her mouth to hold in her sobs. Isaac rests his hand on her shoulder and Stiles grabs her hand, squeezing gently.
After another two hours, they pull up in front of the house. The house makes River think about Hale house and she rubs her face with her hands, realizing that this was the Hale house technically. River looks up again as Derek stands beside her. She grabs his hand and they just stare at the house. Noah pulls up in his cruiser, Melissa climbing out of the passenger seat and letting Theo out of the back. Lydia pulls up with Allison and Mason. The pack stands in front of the house, just staring up at it. River sighs before stepping forward.
Derek and Stiles immediately follow her as everyone else watches the trio. River rests her hand on a burnt piece of wood and closes her eyes. She feels for Boyd and Erica, finding their bodies in the cellar. She opens her eyes and can see into the basement, can see that they were holding each other, can feel that Erica died first. She blinks and she's kneeling in front of the house again, Derek and Stiles beside her.
"They're in the basement," River choked out loud enough for Noah to hear to call in since the firefighters and police hadn't been able to find them originally. "They're together. They were together."
