** Well this is a surprise. Bet you guys weren't expecting this to be updated so soon. AND i am already working on the next episode. So might get another before the week is up. Surprise. Hope you guys enjoy. **
Everyone settled in for the next episode, wondering what this one entailed. The last one had been lighter, in a way, then the others. Really focusing on Scott and Allison together with a few other things thrown in.
Jackson is thinking over Malia's answers and her situation in comparison to his. her answers didn't really make him feel better but did give him a new perspective to think about later. He also thought about what the sheriff had said about how he acted in the beginning of the previous episode. He never really thought about his reactions when he was scared but wondered if that was something he did all the time, reacting with anger.
Allison remembered that day vividly and she cherished the memories she had with Scott. She had wondered when she broke up with him if she was doing the right thing. She had loved him, she still loved him, but so much had happened and she felt she needed time and space to clear her head. Her last moments with Scott played out in her mind.
"I can't make you wait for me. I'm not going to do that."
" You don't have to... Because I know we're gonna be together."
"There's no such thing as fate."
"There's no such thing as Werewolves."
She blinked back tears remembering what he said. she watched Scott and Malia in her peripheral and felt her heart break even more. What happened? Why aren't they together in his future?
Chris, looked curious over the Hales, trying to put pieces together. he has an idea of who the alpha is just by their reactions to watching. He knows that it couldn't be Talia since she was already dead when this 'show' started. He knew nothing about Cora but she seemed to young and detached to be responsible for any of this. Derek, he was sure was not who it was. His reactions were genuine and after seeing what he had seen in the last episode, he wasn't sure he had it in him to cause this much chaos. So, unless there was another Hale or outside party that could be doing this he was going with Peter. Peter has had minimal responses to anything shown, as if he knew already what was going to happen. Couple that with his reactions anything Scott mentions his maker, Chris was putting his money on Peter, but he would wait to see if it was true.
Melissa was still feeling embarrassed about what was shown on the screen. She hated feeling called out like that, but she mostly felt like she deserved it. she tried to be a good mother, tried o be there for her son but there was only so much she could do as a single parent. Lord new Rafeal wasn't much help. he would send money every once in a while but he wasn't there for Scott like he should have been. But seeing this and remembering what Scott said about his dad, she wondered if that changed in the future. She would hope she could ask about that after this day was over.
Noah eyed the group thinking over what Deaton had said about them suffering from PTSD. He's had experience with that, and he knows how hard it can be to deal with. He never wanted that for his son, for any of them. But he was happy to know they had each other to cope with it. it did kill him inside that he wasn't there to help them that he and Melissa knew nothing, in their future, about any of this.
Peter was waiting for the shit to hit the fan. He was sure it was getting close to showing who the alpha was and he knew there would be backlash when revealed. He felt justified in his actions, the Argents had caused his family so much but looking at things from this angle. He could see how his actions, him turning Scott, could be construed as reckless and cruel. He hoped they didn't show when he tracked them to the school but going by what Stiles mentioned earlier he was sure it would. How would Derek react he wondered, even in his timeline they were strained because of what he did.
Derek still couldn't wrap his head around seeing himself on screen, seeing things that he, himself, had gone through. He hated seeing Kate and having her near him in the previous episode was making his skin crawl. Chris question to him just moments ago made him wonder if Scott was right and he didn't know. Only time would tell.
"I think, if this shows what I think it will, Malia is going to hit me." Stiles mused aloud. Scott looked at him and Malia gave him a confused look.
"Why?" Lydia asked.
"Just a hunch." He shrugged, not wanting to go into details. He had a feeling it would be shown. But he knew Scott would keep her from really hurting him. She had quit the temper when angry. Product of being Peter's daughter.
"Wait, you think this is the Monday after the conference meetings?" Scott asked and Stiles nodded. "Yeah, she's probably going to hit you, but I wont let her break you." he promised.
"Why would I hit him? What did he do?" Malia asked.
"You'll see. Just keep in mind that this was the past and everything worked out." He told her. She nodded but narrowed her eyes at Stiles who pointedly ignored her.
Everyone else watched them curiously but went back to the screen when the next episode started.
[Scott drags plastic bags full of groceries into a dimly lit parking garage. But after a moment of walking the rows, he pauses. With several confused glances it becomes obvious: he can't remember where he parked]
SCOTT: [sighing] Damnit.
[Hurrying forward, he looks from car to car. Then comes to a halt, still lost. He starts back the other way when- He stops again. Putting the bags down, he pulls out his mother's car keys. He holds them up, clicking the alarm button]
[While listening for the BEEP, a plastic bottle of MILK rolls out of one of the bags.]
SCOTT: Oh, crap!
[Scott moves to grab it but it slips under a car.]
SCOTT: [whispering] No. No, stop!
[He kneels down to reach under, feeling blindly beneath the car. Then something odd happens... The bottle rolls back. Milk SPURTS onto the pavement from PUNCTURED HOLES in its side. Scott stares at the bottle as it drifts to a stop. Visibly trembling now, he slowly rises to a standing position, turns and- RUNS FOR IT. ]
"Is that the alpha?" Melissa asked, sitting up straight, worried for Scott.
"No." Scott told her with a shake of his head.
[Pounding the pavement, he shoots a terrified glance back to see A DARK SHAPE HURTLE OUT from behind a parked car. Loping on all fours, it's coming right for him. Scott tears around the next corner. Diving into the shadows between columns, he holds still. When he peers out, he sees nothing but parked cars. The garage lies silent except for his own POUNDING HEART. He gazes down at his chest all too aware of the THUMPING. ]
[Closing his eyes, he tries to calm his breathing. But his heart just won't settle. Then he hears something else... A low animal GROWL. An ominous rumble that stops him breathing. The source coming closer, moving between cars, hurtling forward as- Scott darts of out of the shadows just ahead. Taking another corner, he glances about, an idea forming. He leaps onto the hood of a car, bouncing up and off it. The ALARM starts blaring. He bumps another car, ricocheting off it and into- AN SUV, its alarm howling now as well. Scott keeps hitting cars, a CACOPHONY of BEEPS and WAILING ALARMS filling the lot and masking his pounding heart. He pulls in between two vehicles, listening. ]
"That was quick thinking. Masking your moves and heart beat with the alarms." Noah said.
"Yeah, too bad it didn't really work." Scott sighed.
[He can't hear anything now but HORNS AND SIRENS. It's working. Until he hears a RINGING in his jacket.]
Everyone groans.
[Scott pulls out his phone just as- SOMETHING YANKS HIM UP right into the air, twisting him up and SLAMMING HIM ONTO THE PAVEMENT. It's Derek. Scowling down at him with disappointment.]
"Seriously?" Cora asked, looking at her brother. He just shrugged. It was a good lesson he thought.
DEREK: [grimly] You're dead.
[An angry Scott follows Derek through the garage]
SCOTT: [appalled] What? What the hell was that?
DEREK: [shrugging] I said I was gonna teach you- I didn't say when.
SCOTT: You scared the crap out of me!
[Derek turns to him and takes a whiff of the air.]
DEREK: [wryly] Not yet.
SCOTT: [defensively] Okay, but I was fast, right?
DEREK: [unimpressed] Not fast enough.
SCOTT: [scoffing] But-but the car alarm thing! That was smart, right?
DEREK: 'Til your phone rang...
SCOTT: [stammering] Yeah, but that was- I mean-
SCOTT: [exasperatedly] Would you just stop? Please?
[Derek pauses.]
SCOTT: [sighing] What happened the other night- Stiles' dad getting hurt- that was my fault. I should have been there to do something. I need you to teach me how to control this.
"That wasn't your fault." Stiles sighed.
"That's not what you thought at the time." Scott reminded him.
"I know but after I had calmed down and thought about it. Scott you can't be everywhere at once and you can't be there for everyone."
"Wait, you blamed Scott for your dad getting hurt? He was hit by a car right?" Liam asked.
"yeah I did, and I know he couldn't control the car and he had just saved Allison from being hit as well. I wasn't thinking…" Stiles tried to explain.
DEREK: [sighing] Look, I am what I am because of birth. You were bitten. Teaching someone who was bitten takes time. I don't even know if I can teach you.
"Teaching a made versus a born wolf is different but it doesn't always have to be more difficult. There are a lot of factors that go into it. their temperament for one. Being turned into a shifter just enhances what is already there. So, if you change someone who is already always angry that will just get worse afterwards. It's how a lot of wolves end up on a hunters list because they can't or refuse to learn how to control their moods." Talia explained. Chris agreed whole heartedly with her but he wasn't about to voice that.
"So, Scott, already having a hero complex before he was bitten would have just made that worse afterwards. Well, that explains everything." Stiles said. Everyone looked at Scott, who rolled his eyes.
"He's said that before." he sighed.
SCOTT: What do I have to do?
DEREK: You have to get rid of distractions.
[Derek grabs him, pulling his PHONE out of his coat pocket. He turns it around to show the display: MISSED CALL: ALLISON]
DEREK: You see this? This is why I caught you.
DEREK: You want me to teach you? Get rid of her.
SCOTT: [scoffing] What, just because of her family?
[Derek lifts the phone up to throw it-]
SCOTT: Wait! Wait! Whoa, whoa-
DEREK: You getting angry?
[Too late. Derek hurls the phone. Scott flinches, eyes squeezing shut as he HEARS the smash and crunch of plastic hitting cement. He turns to Derek with a furious glare]
Melissa squawks at the scene.
"Do you know how much those things cost? Did you-," she stopped and looked at Scott. "Did he at least replace?"
"Uh… I replaced it after I got my next check." He told her. she glared at him then at Derek who refused to look her way.
DEREK: That's your first lesson. You want to learn how to control this. How to shift- you do it through anger, by tapping into a primal animal rage, and you can't do that with her around.
"Uh… I don't think that really worked in Scott's case." Corey said.
"Yes and no. Being angry is what made me shift, in the beginning. But it's also what caused a lot of my outburst. It was learning to control the anger that was key, how to stop shifting once I was. That was a… painful lesson." He snorted.
"Why?"
"You'll see. But Malia is definitely going to hit Stiles and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to stop her either." He answered and Stiles groaned. Lydia giggled.
"I'm sure there's an ice pack around here somewhere." Lydia teased her boyfriend. He pouted at her, and she kissed him, turning it into a smile.
"Should we be worried about the violence that seems like its going to occur?" Mason asked nervously.
"No." Stiles, Scott, Malia, and Lydia said.
"Its normal for us. Stiles sometimes forget to censor what he says. He never really gets hurt, but he learns, for the time being." Lydia shrugged.
SCOTT: [defensively] I can get angry.
DEREK: Not angry enough. This is the only way that I can teach you.
DEREK: [sighing] Now, can you stay away from her? At least until after the full moon?
SCOTT: [nodding] If that's what it takes.
DEREK: [firmly] Do you want to live? Do you want to protect your friends? Yes, or no?
SCOTT: Yes. If you can teach me, I can stay away from her.
[Scott and Allison fall onto her bed, kissing and touching each other with every imaginable ounce of teenage desire. As she puts her lips to his neck, his hand reaches up the back of her shirt, fingers finding their way underneath her black bra strap]
Allison blushed and Chris glared in Scott's direction. Scott felt the heat creep up but didn't look away from the screen.
"Well, that lasted all of what 2 minutes?" Lydia asked, chuckling.
"it was at least an hour, maybe two." Scott said rolling his eyes.
ALLISON: Take it off.
SCOTT: [hesitantly] ...You're okay with that?
ALLISON: [bemused] Are you okay with it?
SCOTT: [grinning] You're asking me if I'm okay with taking off your clothes?
ALLISON: [smiling] Stupid question.
SCOTT: [bemused] Like, world-record stupid.
ALLISON: [flirtatiously] You first.
"Why in the absolute hell did they have to show this? Is there no privacy setting for this show?" Scott whined. Malia laughed, pressing a kiss to his neck. Stiles and Lydia snickered. Everyone else looked embarrassed for the teens.
"Sorry, there is not a privacy setting. If it makes you feel any better, your love life will not be the only one shown." Deaton told him. This made Stiles, Malia and Lydia freeze, eyes widening in horror.
[She stops him, pulling his shirt up. Almost hyperventilating in anticipation Scott helps her lift the shirt over his head. Her fingers draw lightly down his chest making him tremble. Tracing the lines of his stomach she grasps his belt, pulling him back down to her and into a kiss. Then slipping on top of him, she draws his hands up her lower back and underneath her shirt to her bra clasp. But he fumbles with it, trying to unhook the clasp under her shirt as she goes at his ear. And then HIS CLAWS slip right through the soft fabric. Scott stares at them in horror. He yanks his hand out and Allison's bra with it. But his fingers are back to normal now. Then, bringing his lips to hers, he slides his now human fingers over her skin and up her shirt when.]
"Can we fast forward or something. I really don't want to see my son like this." Melissa said and Scott groaned, turning an even deeper shade of red.
[SOMEONE KNOCKS ON THE DOOR. Panicked, Allison darts up and off the bed. Moving quickly, she pulls Scott up, tossing his shirt right into his face. She motions for him to get in the closet. As she shuts the door on him]
"Thank God." Scott and Allison said together. Both of them alarmingly bright in their embarrassment.
"That has to be the most cliché hiding place ever." Mason cackled; Liam nodded in agreement.
"It is. I remember once when Derek was dating I caught-."
"Mom." Derek said, immediately horrified she would bring that up. Cora and Peter laughed, already knowing what she was going to say. Scott was intrigued and made a mental note to ask Talia about that later. Talia just smirked.
"Sorry, sweetheart." She told him, not sorry at all.
ALLISON: [awkwardly] Just a second!
[Moving quickly, she pulls Scott up, tossing his shirt right into his face. She motions for him to get in the closet. As she shuts the door on him]
KATE: Allison...?
ALLISON: [quickly] Uh, coming! Coming!
ALLISON: Okay, uh...
[With Scott in the closet, Allison unlocks her door for Kate.]
KATE: Hey.
ALLISON: [awkwardly] Hey.
KATE: What's up?
ALLISON: [lying] Uh, nothing. Just doing homework, sending some emails...
KATE: [knowingly] Emailing the boyfriend?
ALLISON: No, I'm emailing PETA about how my wingnut father gunned down an innocent mountain lion in the school parking lot.
[INSIDE THE CLOSET - Scott allows himself a slight smile]
KATE: [sighing] And that wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you're grounded and you can't see Scott?
ALLISON: [stubbornly] I'm not gonna be one of those whining teenagers who looks at her father and says, "I hate you, I wish you were dead."
KATE: But...?
ALLISON: [sighing] But... I hate him, and I wish he was dead.
Chris turned to his daughter; eye brow quirked. Allison just shrugged, not regretting anything.
KATE: [giggling] See? Now you're starting to sound like a normal, angry teenager!
KATE: What are you working on? Can I help?
ALLISON: Uh, a history project... and I just wanna be left alone, actually...
[INSIDE THE CLOSET - Scott nods his agreement]
KATE: Come on! What kind of history project?
ALLISON: [sighing] I have to come up with a report that has some relevance to my own family history.
KATE: Specific to your family?
ALLISON: Why? Do you have any ideas?
KATE: Type this in- La Bête du Gévaudan.
"Fucking hell, Kate." Chris growled lowly.
"Leave it to Kate to point her to that one." Stiles said, shaking his head. Chris's attention snapped to him.
"You guys know about La Bete?" he asked. the group nodded, giving a shiver at the memory. He wanted to ask more but knew he wouldn't get a response.
ALLISON: "The Beast of Gevaudan." What is this?
[Kate nods. Peering through the slats of the closet, Scott eyes Allison's computer as the search comes up]
KATE: It's an old French legend that, believe it or not, has something to do with your family.
[Peering through the slats, Scott catches an IMAGE on the screen. A large, four-legged creature with a long snout and absurdly sharp teeth. Kate leans over Allison's shoulder, both of their eyes pinned to the screen.]
ALLISON: [reading aloud] "In 1766, in a province of Lozere, La Bête killed over a hundred people."
KATE: Mysterious animal attacks... Just like a certain town called Beacon Hills...?
ALLISON: So, what was it? The animal?
KATE: Nobody knows for sure, but I can tell you one thing- it definitely wasn't a mountain lion.
KATE: What's it look like to you?
[INSIDE THE CLOSET - Scott keeps very still, waiting for the answer. Knowing and dreading what it will be...'
ALLISON: It looks like... a wolf.
"She was really determined for me to know." Allison admitted with a sigh.
"When exactly did you learn?" Chris asked her.
"Uh, not long after this night. you'll see." She told him.
[Scott quietly slips down the side of the balcony to the ground. From above, Allison gives a quick wave. He responds with a smile, but it's half-hearted at best. On the sidewalk, he pulls his mother's car keys from his jacket. But then pauses, ears twitching up. He turns back. SOMETHING MOVES in the shadows under the trees]
SCOTT: Derek...?
[He hears it again. A quick movement. Leaves rustling]
SCOTT: I-I know I said I would stay away, but you broke my phone. I had to at least tell her why I wasn't answering...
[He trails off as no response comes. Scott holds very still]
"That's not Derek, is it?" Liam asked.
"No, it wasn't." Scott confirmed.
SCOTT: Derek?
[In the blackness, Scott's eyes focus on a vague shape. A vague but very large shape. It blinks with GLOWING RED EYES. Scott steps back. Then turns. Then runs for his life. Behind him come the SOUNDS of something huge and powerful right on his heels. He runs, breath gasping out of him as he races for his mother's car.]
[Scott jumps into the car and slams the door shut. He pounds his palm down on the lock and jams the keys into the ignition. But before turning it, he stops to look up. IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR - Those glowing EYES approach. The dark shape of the Alpha moves slowly and deliberately around the car while Scott sits there, hand still on the ignition.]
"Why aren't you leaving?" Melissa asked. Scott had no response. He tried to remember what he felt back then but all he could think about was how scared he had been.
[The creature comes toward the driver's side window, its breath STEAMING the glass before Scott can get a look at it. Something presses against the steamed window causing Scott to flinch back. It's a clawed fingertip. It begins to move, drawing something in the moisture. Scott watches, staring through the window as the hand pulls back into the darkness. A moment later the Alpha is gone, having left a simple yet mysterious sign in the condensation. Drawn into the steamed glass is a perfect SPIRAL...]
[Scott hurries into his room, slams the door shut and locks it. Then goes to each window, locking them as well. He pulls the shades. Breathing hard, he turns around and- SCREAMS. Derek stands right in front of him]
Alec laughed and attention turned to him.
"My brother use to sneak up on me all the time. I would be sitting in my room studying or playing video games. I would turn around and he would be sitting there all nonchalant reading a book or messing with my stuff. One time he did it and I freaked and shifted, tearing up my room. Mom ripped him a new for doing it." He said thinking back and his smile turned sad. Stiles and Scott placed a hand on his shoulders in comfort.
"Where are your parents? You've only mentioned Jackson in your future." Mason asked gently, worried about his change in mood.
"They're gone. Killed by hunters a few days before I was found. Me and my brother, Drew, were able to escape but then they caught up to us. Drew stayed behind to hold them back and made me run for it."
"I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner. We only got the tip about your family the day before. Maybe if we had gone that night we could have saved Drew as well." Scott said, remorsefully.
"It's okay." Alec shrugged. "I don't blame you guys. I blame them." He said, his voice turning hard in the end. Everyone stayed quiet.
SCOTT: You seriously need to stop doing that.
DEREK: So, what happened? Did he talk to you?
SCOTT: [sarcastically] Yeah. We had a nice conversation about the weather.
[Derek stares at him, unmoving, unblinking.]
"You know, to this day, you still don't understand sarcasm." Stiles said, disappointedly.
"Its not the sarcasm he doesn't understand. Its you." Lydia told him, shaking her head. He huffed.
SCOTT: [scoffing] No, he didn't talk.
DEREK: Well, did you get anything off of him? An impression?
SCOTT: [frowning] What do you mean?
DEREK: [sighing] Remember, your other senses are heightened. Communication doesn't have to be spoken! What kind of feeling did you get from him?
SCOTT: [thoughtfully] ...Anger.
DEREK: Focused on you?
SCOTT: No, not-not me. But it was definitely anger. I could feel it, especially when he drew the spiral.
DEREK: [alarmed] Wait, the what? What did you just say?
SCOTT: He drew this spiral on the window of my car, in the condensation, you know?
SCOTT: ...What? You have this look like you know what it means.
DEREK: [lying] No. It's-it's nothing.
SCOTT: [exasperatedly] Wait, wait, wait a second! You can't do that- you can't ask me to trust you, and then just keep things to yourself.
"He's right. you want him to trust you in guiding him and teaching him but then you hide things from him. Trust goes both ways." Talia told her son. He nodded.
"Trust… is something I struggle with." Derek confessed.
"And with good reason." Scott said. "back then it was frustrating, and I didn't get it. Kind of hated you for it. But when I figured out the reason for your trust issues I understood even if I still didn't like it."
"Wait, you know?" Derek asked, tensing up. Scott looked at him head on.
"I do, they don't, not everything at least." He said, gesturing to Lydia Stiles and Malia. "I know this won't get through to you now, you still struggle to believe it even from where we come from. But what happened, it wasn't your fault. None of what happened to you was your fault."
Everyone looked curiously between the two except Talia and Peter who knew what he was talking about. Derek studied Scott, who didn't look away, before nodding once and turning away.
DEREK: [lying] Doesn't mean anything.
SCOTT: You buried your sister under a spiral. What does it mean?
[Derek pauses, looking as if he might actually tell him.]
DEREK: You don't wanna know.
[Now he leaves. This time Scott lets him go. Alone again, he sits down on his bed, slowly falling back onto the sheets. Exhausted, he closes his eyes]
[He starts to turn a corner when he spots Allison coming right toward him. Scott whirls around, going back the other way]
SCOTT: [muttering] Stay away from Allison. Stay away from Allison. Stay away from Allison. Stay away from Allison. Must stay away from Allison. Just stay away from Allison—
"Oh my God, that's why you ran away?" Allison laughed. Scott chuckled and nodded. " I was seriously confused when you just turned and went the other way."
[Jackson comes out of a classroom, heading toward him. Scott spins back again.]
SCOTT: [muttering] Stay away from Jackson. Just stay away from Jackson—
[Lydia catches up to him.]
LYDIA: Hey, Scott.
SCOTT: [groaning] Oh, come on!
"Wait, why were you running from me?" Lydia asked.
"Seriously?" Scott quirked a brow at her. "You were all team Jackson but then flirted with me during my date with Allison." He reminded her. she nodded, completely understanding.
[Scott slips inside a classroom with a relieved breath. Glancing around, he sees Stiles. But as soon as Stiles sees him, he looks away.]
SCOTT: Still not talking to me?
[Stiles ignores Scott as he takes the seat behind him.]
SCOTT: Okay, can you at least tell me if your dad's okay?
SCOTT: It's just a bruise, right? Some soft tissue damage? Nothin' that big-
SCOTT: You know I feel really bad about it, right?
"Stiles." Noah sighed. Stiles looked down knowing what he was going to say. "I get that you were worried about me getting hurt but blaming Scott for that… he's not responsible for my life or anyone else's. Wolf or not he was a kid. If anything, if I had even seen him coming towards to, even to help, I wouldn't have let him."
"I know dad. I wasn't really thinking rationally then. I was just worried, and I took it out on him. I shouldn't have. Maybe I'm part of the reason he has this whole hero complex thing." Stiles said.
"You're not. And if had seen or was paying attention I absolutely would have tried to save him from being hurt." Scott said, shaking his head. "unfortunately, there were times I could help or save anyone and not even…" he cut himself off, gritting his teeth and feeling a rush of emotions.
"Scott, don't. You will not do that to yourself, do you understand. That was not your fault." Malia told him sharply.
"Fuck… Scott I didn't mean it like that. that absolutely was not on you." Stiles said hurriedly. Lydia leaned over and whispered something to Alec who nodded and got up, going to join Liam, Mason, and Corey in their area. Everyone else started to worry about what was happening and what they were talking about.
They tried but Scott was starting to Spiral. Melissa looked like she was ready to jump up to go to him, but Deaton stopped her with a shake of the head. He had warned them this could happen. Everyone was shocked when they saw Scott start to shift, his claws piercing the leg of his jeans and drawing blood.
"Shit, he's spiraling." Stiles said, moving Lydia who knew the drill, reached over, and placed a hand on his arm.
"What's happening?" Allison asked, panicking, wanting to help but not knowing how.
"Everyone just stay quiet for a minute." Malia told them.
Malia moved to Straddle his legs, grabbing his face to force him to look at her. Stiles gripped the back of Scott's neck, helping to keep him grounded.
'Scott, baby look at me." Malia said calmly, keeping his head firmly in her hands. He growled but opened his eyes, red. "Just breathe. we are right here. It's okay. Come back, they are fine. They are right here, and they are fine. Breathe baby and come back to us."
"I should have…" Scott growled, his voice coming out rough. Everyone went on alert and Chris pulled his daughter closer to his side.
"No." Malia said then stood and bodily pulled him up. "We'll be back. keep watching." She told everyone as she shoved him out of the room. Stiles sighed and pulled Lydia back onto his lap again. She frowned as she hugged him tightly.
"What just happened?" Liam asked. He, Mason, and Corey were wide eyed at what they witnessed. Even Jackson look stunned.
"Trigger?" Noah asked.
"Yeah." Stiles sighed. "We should probably keep watching. Hopefully when they come back it will be passed this part."
"But-." Melissa started looking as if she was going to get up to go check on him. Noah grabbed her hand keeping her in place.
"Melissa, don't. Let Malia handle it. Remember what Deaton said. she knows what she's doing."
She looked close to tears as she nodded, settling back.
"Let's continue, shall we?" Deaton said, solemnly. Talia had the same look on her face as everyone warily nodded.
SCOTT: [sighing] Okay. What if I told you that I'm trying to figure this whole thing out, and... that I went to Derek for help?
STILES: [sternly]If I was talking to you, I'd say that you're an idiot for trusting him. But, obviously, I'm not talking to you...
[The room settles for the beginning of class. Stiles opens his notebook, pen poised for note taking. Then, unable to stand it, he whips his head around]
STILES: [sighing] ...What did he say?
[Scott follows Stiles out of class]
STILES: [incredulously] Wh-? He wants you to tap into your animal side and get angry?
SCOTT: [nodding] Yeah...
STILES: [sarcastically] All right, well, correct me if I'm wrong, but every time you do that, you try to kill someone, and that someone's usually me.
SCOTT: [sighing] I know. That's what he means when he says he doesn't know if he can teach me. I have to be able to control it.
STILES: Well, how's he gonna teach you to do that?
SCOTT: I don't know. I don't think he does, either...
STILES: Okay. When are you seeing him again?
SCOTT: He told me not to talk about it. Just act normal and get through the day.
STILES: When?
SCOTT: He's picking me up at the animal clinic after work.
STILES: [nodding] After work. All right. Well, that gives me to the end of the school day, then...
SCOTT: [frowning] To do what?
STILES: To teach you myself.
[Allison and Lydia talk over lunch.]
LYDIA: [boredly] The what of who?
ALLISON: The Beast of Gevaudan. Listen-
ALLISON: [reading aloud] "A quadruped wolf-like monster, prowling the Auvergne and south Dordogne areas of France during the year 1764 to 1767. La Bête killed over a hundred people, becoming so infamous that the King Louis XV sent one of his best hunters to try and kill it."
LYDIA: [sighing] Boring.
ALLISON: [reading aloud] "Even the Church eventually declared the monster a messenger of Satan."
LYDIA: [sighing] Still boring.
ALLISON: [reading aloud] "Cryptozoologists believe it may have been a subspecies of hoofed predator, possibly a mesonychid..."
LYDIA: [rolling her eyes] Slipping-into-a-coma bored.
ALLISON: [reading aloud] "While others believe it was a powerful sorcerer who could shapeshift into a man-eating monster."
LYDIA: [tiredly] Any of this have anything to do with your family?
ALLISON: [nodding] This.
ALLISON: [reading aloud] "It is believe that La Bête was finally trapped and killed by a renowned hunter who claimed his wife and four children were the first to fall prey to the creature." His name was Argent.
LYDIA: [unimpressed] Your ancestors killed a big wolf. So what?
ALLISON: Not just a big wolf. Take a look at this picture. What does it look like to you?
[Allison flips the page in the book, turning it to reveal a drawing to Lydia. The Beast stands enshrouded in mist, a powerful monster peering out of the darkness with red eyes and sharp claws. Bodies of women and children lie at its feet, looks of pure terror frozen onto their dead faces. Lydia stares at the macabre drawing. Gazing at it, as if hypnotized]
"It reminded you of what you saw at the video store?" Cora asked.
"It did." she said with a tight smile.
ALLISON: Lydia?
ALLISON: ...Lydia?
[The girl blinks and then looks up at Allison with her usual expression of disdain]
LYDIA: [snidely] It looks... like a big... wolf.
LYDIA: See you in history.
[She gets up, leaving Allison alone and passing another table]
[Stiles sits, eating lunch. A large book stands open on the table in front of him. He peers behind it at Scott trying to eat his lunch.]
STILES: I think the book's making it more obvious. Besides, she's reading, anyway.
[Scott peers up over the edge of his book]
SCOTT: So, did you come up with a plan yet?
STILES: [nodding] I think so.
SCOTT: Does that mean you don't hate me now?
STILES: No. But, your crap has infiltrated my life, so now I have to do something about it. Plus, I'm definitely a better Yoda than Derek.
SCOTT: [nodding] Okay. Yeah, you teach me.
STILES: Yeah, I'll be your Yoda.
SCOTT: Yeah, you be my Yoda.
STILES: [imitating Yoda] Your Yoda I will be.
[Stiles looks at Scott, smiling.]
STILES: [chuckling] ...I said it backwards.
SCOTT: Yeah, I-I know.
STILES: All right, you know what? I definitely still hate you.
[Stiles yanks Scott's book away from him.]
STILES: Uh-huh. Oh, yeah.
"You were trying to get him caught out." Mason said.
"Yeah, I was." Stiles said, feeling a wave of guilt.
"Stiles, stop. That was not because of you, you know that." Lydia told him. he took a deep breath and nodded, trying to relax.
[The BELL RINGS signalling the end of lunch. Scott gets up with Stiles, trying not to be seen. But Allison spots him.]
ALLISON: Scott!
[Pretending not to hear, Scott darts through the doors of the cafeteria, moving quickly for an escape.]
ALLISON: Scott, wait!
ALLISON: Hey, Scott! Sc-
[Allison comes through the doors just as Scott slips into a nearby BOYS ROOM. Putting her hand on the door, Allison glances around as if to push through despite it being the Boys Room. But then decides against it. Taking a step back she heads off down the hall for class.]
"I'm surprised you didn't just follow him in there." Cora said.
"Thought about it, but that would have been too creepy." Allison told her.
Scott and Malia walked back into the room, hand in hand, neither of them saying a word as they sat back down. Scott refused to look at any feeling embarrassed about his episode. Stiles and Lydia placed a hand each on him, making sure to touch skin. He relaxed his shoulders, but his face stayed stoic. Melissa opened her mouth to speak but again Noah gripped her hand and shook his head, so she bit her tongue.
Chris watched him closely; he understood what had just happened but was no wary of the young man. Everyone else tried to give him space and just watch the show.
[His ear to the door, Scott takes a heavy breath when he realizes Allison is gone.]
SCOTT: This is not gonna be easy...
[Stiles and Scott walk out to the field with their lacrosse equipment. At the benches, Stiles pulls out a black strap with a digital display at its center.]
STILES: Okay. Now, put this on.
SCOTT: ...Isn't this one of the heart rate monitors for the track team?
STILES: Yeah, I borrowed it.
SCOTT: [pointedly]Stole it.
STILES: [defensively] Temporarily misappropriated!
STILES: Coach uses it to monitor his heart rate with his phone while he jogs, and you're gonna wear it for the rest of the day.
SCOTT: [warily] Isn't that Coach's phone?
STILES: [nodding]That... I stole.
"How did you even manage to get it?" Malia asked, trying to bring the mood back up. She knew Scott wouldn't want to talk about what happened.
"Uh… well that's kind of a trade secret." He told her with a slight smile. She snorted, continuing to run fingers through Scott's hair.
SCOTT: Why?
STILES: All right, well, your heart rate goes up when you go wolf, right? When you're playing lacrosse, when you're with Allison, whenever you get angry... Maybe learning to control it is tied to learning to control your heart rate.
SCOTT: Like The Incredible Hulk?
STILES: [shrugging] Kind of like The Incredible Hulk, yeah.
SCOTT: [smiling] No, I'm like The Incredible Hulk!
STILES: [annoyed] Would you shut up and put the strap on?
[MOMENTS LATER - Scott stands with his hands behind his back as Stiles duct tapes his wrists together.]
SCOTT: This isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my free period...
[Stiles picks up a lacrosse stick and glances down at his phone to look at the heart monitor.]
"Tell me you didn't?" Noah groaned.
"I really wish I could." Stiles answered.
STILES: All right. You ready?
SCOTT: No.
STILES: Remember- don't get angry.
[Stiles drops a handful of lacrosse balls at his feet and picks up his lacrosse stick.]
SCOTT: I'm starting to think this was a really bad idea.
[A LACROSSE BALL soars right into Scott's leg]
[With a slight smile, Stiles picks up another ball and tosses it. This one NAILS Scott in the shoulder]
SCOTT: Oh, man. Okay, that one kind of hurt...
STILES: Quiet. Remember, you're supposed to be thinking about your heart rate, all right? About staying calm.
[Stiles holds up his phone to show Scott's rising heart rate]
SCOTT: [muttering] Stay calm. Staying calm. Staying totally calm. There's no balls flying at my face—
[A lacrosse ball WHACKS him in the KNEE]
SCOTT: AHHH! Son of a bitch!
Everyone was shocked when it was Scott who laughed but Lydia, Stiles and Malia breathed a sigh of relief that he was coming back to himself. It didn't always happen this fast.
[Scott staggers, nearly falling. As he attempts to right himself- SOMEONE APPROACHES the field from a distance... Jackson. He steps underneath the bleachers, remaining hidden while watching them with a suspicious but interested eye. Stiles twirls the lacrosse stick in his hands.]
"What the hell. Why were you there?" Stiles sighed, not expecting an answer.
STILES: You know what? I think my aim is actually improving.
SCOTT: [sarcastically] Wonder why...
STILES: [mockingly] Don't get angry.
SCOTT: [frustratedly] I'm not getting angry.
[Another ball flies, whacking Scott right in the stomach. He gasps for breath, doubling over. Then another shot nails him in the thigh. ]
SCOTT: Stop. Just- can we just hold—
[But the next ball hits him right in the neck. Scott stumbles. With his hands taped behind him, he falls to his knees. BEHIND THE BLEACHERS - Jackson comes forward, watching with a smile as Scott is brutally pummeled.]
[Stiles moves to pick up another ball with the lacrosse stick, but he pauses at the SOUND of gravelly RUMBLING coming towards him. A GROWL. THEN A BEEPING SOUND catches his attention. It's the HEART RATE MONITOR on his phone. Stiles picks it up to see the numbers climbing at an alarming speed]
STILES: Scott?
[He looks from his phone to see Scott kneeling on the grass. Both of his hands digging into the dirt, strands of torn duct tape around his wrists. He ripped the duct tape apart]
STILES: Scott, you started to change—
[AT THE BLEACHERS - Jackson watches, clearly unsure of what he's seeing. And then Scott looks up, sweat dripping down his forehead]
SCOTT: From anger. But it was more than that- it was like, the angrier I got, the stronger I felt.
STILES: No it is anger, then. Derek's right.
"He was right, and I hated that he was. I held out a small hope that maybe that wasn't it." Scott said, sounding normal now. Lydia and Stiles removed their hands, but Malia kept up her ministrations.
SCOTT: [sighing glumly] I can't be around Allison.
STILES: Just because she makes you happy?
SCOTT: No... Because she makes me weak.
[Scott slumps down, sitting on the grass. Weighted down by the sacrifice he's going to have to make...]
"You thought I made you weak?" Allison arched a brow at him.
"Kind of. It was more that I couldn't force myself to shift with you around, not at that time. Like your dad said a few episodes ago, you were my anchor. You kept me grounded to my human side." he explained. she nodded.
[Scott and Stiles shove their lacrosse equipment back in their gym lockers.]
STILES: All right. You stay away from her for a few days. You can do that.
SCOTT: But is it a few days, or is it forever?
STILES: You know, this whole "women make you weak"-thing is a little too Spartan warrior for me. It's probably just part of the learning process.
SCOTT: Yeah, but you've seen Derek. I mean, the guy's totally alone. What if I can, like, never be around her again?
Derek snorted, rolling his eyes. He was alone because he wanted to be not because he had to be. Being alone was better then what he had been through.
STILES: Well, if you're not dead, that could be a good thing...
SCOTT: [glumly] I'd rather be dead.
STILES: [reassuringly] All right, you're not gonna end up like Derek, all right? We'll figure it out.
[The BELL RINGS, signalling the end of the period.]
SCOTT: 'Kay.
STILES: Come on. Let's get out of here.
SCOTT: Something smells terrible in here, anyway.
STILES: Really? In a boys' locker room? That doesn't make any sense at all.
Everyone snickered and the girls crinkled their noses.
"I was in the boys locker room once; it didn't smell that bad." Malia shrugged. Scott looked at her.
"Why were you in the boys locker room?"
"I was trying to get a message to you. it was when I was going after Corrine." She shrugged. He nodded while everyone else was confused.
SCOTT: No, it's like something's rotting, or dying.
[As Scott follows Stiles out, a pale Jackson steps from between the lockers, watching them go. Circles under his eyes, lips dry and cracked, the usually handsome young man looks frighteningly sick.]
"Whoa, you don't look so good dude." Mason said. Jackson was getting worried about his TV self.
[Alone, he approaches the mirrors and twists around to try to view the back of his neck. Pulling his shirt off to get a better look, he brings a hand up to the bandage. He feels at it with his fingertips. The gauze has turned a SICKENING YELLOW. The bandage peels off and he lets it slip to the sink. He touches the marks, fingers coming back with a strange pus on the tips. Overcome by nausea, Jackson gags, eyes squeezing shut. Then, gripping the sink with both hands, he begins to retch, mouth opening as if to vomit.]
"Oh God, that's disgusting." Cora said, putting a hand over her mouth. Everyone else seemed to agree as that watched in revulsion.
[SOMETHING STARTS TO COME OUT OF HIS MOUTH. A clawed finger. Then two and three. Like the claws of a crab, grasping at the air, trying to find something to hold onto while seeking their way out of Jackson's mouth as- He whips his head up to his reflection and suddenly everything is normal again. Breathing hard and harsh gasps, Jackson looks at himself. He feels at the nape of his neck, wiping away the excess peroxide. All he sees in the mirror now is his own face. The frightened eyes of a teenage boy.]
"Okay, seriously, what is going on with him?" Alec asked, actually looking concerned.
"Hallucinations due to the marks he received. Its rare but it happens." Talia told him simply. "It will go away."
[Books piled beside her, Allison sits under her locker in the corridor while reading. A few remaining students amble their way down the hall in between periods. Allison remains transfixed by her book when one person slowly approaches and stops to look down at her.]
JACKSON: What are you reading?
[Allison glances up, startled.]
"I remember this. I always wondered what this whole thing was about." Allison said, watching closely.
ALLISON: Oh, hey...
ALLISON: Just stuff for a history project.
[He drops his bag and sits next to her under the lockers. Uncomfortably close to her.]
ALLISON: [awkwardly] You have a free period, or...?
JACKSON: No, I-I just don't like sitting through chem.
ALLISON: [nodding] Understandable.
ALLISON: [awkwardly] Did... Did you want something?
JACKSON: [anxiously] Actually, um, yeah- I wanted to talk. I realize that I've been a jerk to you. And especially to Scott. And I wanted to say that I'm sorry.
JACKSON: I'm serious.
ALLISON: Okay... I-I believe you're being serious, but I'm not so sure I believe you're being sincere.
"He wasn't." Scott said, watching the screen. Jackson was getting nervous. He had no clue what was going on, but he could guess. He was sure he was going to get angry glares and maybe even a pissed off werewolf on his ass.
[Allison turns back to her book. Jackson takes the seat beside her, not letting it go]
JACKSON: Do you know what it's like to be the best player on the team? To be the star? To have every single person at the game chanting your name?
JACKSON: And then... some kid... some kid just comes along, and then everyone starts looking at him instead of you. Do you know what that feels like?
Scott snorted, pulling Jackson's attention along with everyone else.
"Do you know what it was like to be the one who couldn't do any of that? Before I was bitten I was the exact opposite of everything you just said. I was the kid who was ignored and sat out every game. Partly because I sucked and partly because I had asthma. I was never the star; never thought I would be. I had one real friend, and we were pretty much picked on for being geeks or overlooked completely as if we meant nothing." He explained. Stiles nodded in agreement and Jackson actually looked like he was listening.
"I never once dreamed that I would end up in the position I was in. I wanted it yeah, for once in my life I wanted to be recognized for something other than being awkward. Finally, I was and it was nothing like I imagined because I wasn't suddenly put in the spot light because I could play but because of what I was. So now I'm trying to keep up the façade of being just a normal teenager and also trying to learn how to control ridiculous urges that I really didn't understand. Trust me this time was not as fun as you seemed to think. I was drowning and had no clue how to resurface."
Jackson frowned and looked down thinking about what he just said.
"You wanted to figure out my secret for selfish reasons. Unfortunately, you got your wish but…" he shrugged, not wanting to reveal to much. Jackson wondered what he meant by that but knew he wouldn't get an answer.
ALLISON: No, I don't.
JACKSON: Well, it feels like something's been... it feels like something's been stolen from you. And then you start to feel like you'd do anything- anything in the world- to get it back.
ALLISON: Haven't you ever learned there's no "I" in "team?"
JACKSON: [drolly] Yeah, but there is a "me."
JACKSON: [chuckling] Ha. That was a joke. Gosh, you must really hate me.
[Allison gives a weak smile.]
ALLISON: Not at all.
"You are way too nice. You have literally seen him try to embarrass and humiliate your boyfriend but you're sitting there trying to make him feel better." Cora said. Allison frowned as she thought about that. maybe she was too nice back then.
JACKSON: You sure? Because... I'm not a bad guy. I mean, yeah, I make stupid mistakes- a lot- but I'm not bad. I really like you. And-and Scott. I really-I really like you both, and I want you guys to like me. I want to get to know you guys better.
"You couldn't even say that without stammering." Liam said, shaking his head.
[And he comes even closer, looking over her shoulder.]
JACKSON: So... what are you reading?
[A pile of books drops down on the teacher's desk as students hurry in for the start of class. COACH FINSTOCK glares up at them. He looks hung over as he drops a handful of antacids into his mouth and starts crushing them up with his teeth.]
COACH: Let's go! Sit, sit, sit, sit. We got a lot to cover today. Let's go! Quicker!
[Scott and Stiles take seats as the classroom fills up.]
SCOTT: Hey, Stiles. Sit behind me, dude.
[But it's too late. Allison takes the empty seat behind him]
ALLISON: I haven't seen you all day!
SCOTT: [nervously] Uh, yeah, I've been, uh, super busy...
ALLISON: When are you gonna get your phone fixed? I feel like I'm totally disconnected from you.
SCOTT: [nervously] Uh, soon. Real soon.
ALLISON: I changed lab partners, by the way.
SCOTT: Oh, to who?
ALLISON: To you, dummy!
SCOTT: [surprised] Me? I mean, are you sure?
ALLISON: Yeah! This way, I have an excuse to bring you home and study.
[She looks at him, taking his reaction as disappointment.]
"sorry, I didn't mean to make you think I didn't want to partner with you." Scott said.
"It's okay. I understand now." she smiled.
ALLISON: You don't mind, do you?
SCOTT: I just- I don't want to bring your grade down...
ALLISON: [smiling] Well, I mean, maybe I can bring your grade up. Come to my place tonight. Eight-thirty?
SCOTT: Tonight?
ALLISON: [assertively] Eight-thirty.
[Coach Finstock SMACKS a book on his desk like a judge's gavel to get the class's attention.]
COACH: Let's settle down!
COACH: Let's start with a quick summary of last night's reading.
COACH: [sighing] Greenberg, put your hand down. Everyone knows you did the reading. How about, uh...
COACH: McCall?
SCOTT: [alarmed] What?
COACH: The reading?
SCOTT: ...Last night's reading?
COACH: How about, uh, the reading of The Gettysburg Address?
SCOTT: [confused] What?
COACH: That's sarcasm. You familiar with the term "sarcasm," McCall?
SCOTT: Very.
[He glances to Stiles, who smiles proudly.]
The Stiles in the room also smiled, widely. Noah shook his head at his son.
COACH: Did you do the reading, or not?
SCOTT: Uh, I think I forgot...
COACH: Nice work, McCall! It's not like you're not averaging a D in this class.
COACH: Come on, buddy- you know I can't keep you on the team if you have a D.
"Why the hell would he announce that in a class full of students?" Melissa asked, narrowing her eyes to the screen.
[He waits patiently for Scott to respond. Everyone looks at him. Someone giggles from across the room.]
[AT HIS DESK - Stiles hears a beeping and looks down at his phone, Scott's heart rate rising steadily]
"Uh oh." Alec murmured.
COACH: How about you summarize, uh, the previous night's reading?
COACH: No? How about the, uh, the night before that?
COACH: How about you summarize anything you've ever read in your entire life?
[Flustered, Scott blinks up at him. Stiles watches the heart rate monitor on his phone continue to rise.]
SCOTT: I-I... uh...
COACH: No? A blog? How about, uh, how about, uh... the back of a cereal box?
COACH: No? How about the adults-only warning from your favorite website you visit every night? Anything?
[Sweating, Scott stares blankly, not knowing how to respond.]
COACH: [sighing] Thank you, McCall. Thank you.
COACH: [dramatically] Thank you, McCall! Thank you for extinguishing any last flicker of hope I have for your generation. You just blew it for everybody. Thanks. Next practice, you can start with suicide runs... unless that's too much reading.
"Did you lose control?" Chris asked. Derek and Peter huffed, thinking why he would go to that first before anything else.
"No, I started to, but I didn't." Scott told him.
[As the class laughs, Scott sinks into his seat in utter humiliation. Behind him, Allison slowly moves forward. Across the room, Stiles looks with dismay at the heart rate monitor. Until the numbers start dropping. Strangely fast. He glances over to see why... Allison has reached under Scott's desk to intertwine her fingers in his. They sit there linked while Scott's heartbeat falls to perfect calm. All from her touch.]
"That's when you realized she was your anchor." Mason surmised.
"Sort of. I was still working it out. I just knew she helped me calm down."
Allison smiled wistfully at that.
COACH: All right, everybody else, settle down!
[Stiles follows Scott into the crowded hallway.]
STILES: It's her.
SCOTT: What do you mean?
STILES: It's Allison. Remember what you told me about the night of the full moon? You were thinking about her, right? About protecting her.
SCOTT: Okay...
STILES: Remember the night of the first lacrosse game? You said you could hear her voice out on the field.
SCOTT: [nodding] Yeah, I did...
STILES: Well, so that's what brought you back so you could score. And then, after the game, in the locker room, you didn't kill her- at least, not like how you were trying to kill me.
STILES: She brings you back, is what I'm saying.
SCOTT: No, no, no. But it's not always true, because literally every time I'm kissing her, or-or touching her-
STILES: [interrupting] No, that's not the same. When you're doing that, you're just another hormonal teenager thinking about sex, you know?
STILES: ...You're thinking about sex right now, aren't you?
[Gazing off with a slight smile at his lips, Scott snaps back to attention.]
Malia laughed and was ready to comment but Scott covered her mouth, smirking and shaking his head at her. she nodded as her eyes danced.
SCOTT: [sheepishly] Yeah. Sorry.
STILES: [sighing] That's fine. Look, back in the classroom, when she was holding your hand, that was different, okay? I don't think she makes you weak- I-I think she actually gives you control. She's kind of like an anchor.
SCOTT: You mean, because I love her?
Awws went up around the room and both Scott and Allison turned pink.
"Was that the first time you realized it?" Corey asked.
"Yeah, it was. Not that I told her that. But that's when I knew." He answered.
STILES: Exactly.
[Stiles pauses, noticing Scott has stopped walking, surprised at his own words.]
SCOTT: ...Did I just say that?
STILES: Yes, you just said that.
SCOTT: I love her.
STILES: [impatiently] That's great! Now, moving on-
SCOTT: No, no, no, really- I think I'm totally in love with her.
STILES: [impatiently] And that's beautiful. Now, before you go off and write a sonnet, can we figure this out, please? Because you obviously can't be around her all the time.
"So, when did you actually tell her?" Cora asked.
"The dance." Allison answered, looking at Scott who nodded.
SCOTT: [nodding] Yeah, yeah, yeah... Sorry. So, what do I do?
STILES: I don't know. Yet.
[Stiles paces. Then stops. Thinking.]
"Hell, I know that look. He just came up with a plan didn't he?" Noah sigh.
"Yep, he did. Stiles I hope you are braced for this." Scott told him with a grin. He groaned readying himself to be hit.
SCOTT: [alarmed] Oh, no. You're getting an idea, aren't you?
STILES: Yeah...
SCOTT: Is this idea gonna get me in trouble?
STILES: Maybe.
SCOTT: Is this idea gonna cause me physical pain?
STILES: Yeah, definitely. Come on!
[Scott follows Stiles around the school to the edge of the parking lot where several large dumpsters sit concealing a FEW SENIORS. They hang out there laughing and talking while smoking. One SENIOR climbs out of a smoke filled truck to join the others.]
SCOTT: What are we doing?
STILES: You'll see...
STILES: Hold on...
STILES: Okay, stand right there. Do you have your keys?
[Scott takes out his house keys.]
STILES: Perfect. Hold 'em up like so.
STILES: Now, whatever happens, just think about Allison. Try to find her voice like you did at the game. Got it?
"I feel… like I should be afraid of what he's about to do." Noah said.
"You should." Stiles and Scott said at once.
[Scott nods.]
SCOTT: [warily] Okay...
STILES: Just keep holding it right there.
[Stiles walks over to the Senior's truck and takes out his own car keys. Then in a quick few seconds, Stiles drags his key across the side of the Senior's truck, digging a HIDEOUS SCRATCH into the paint. As Scott watches in horror, Stiles pockets his keys and turns to him.]
"Goddamn it." Noah growled.
"I know, okay. I know." Stiles said.
[Stiles walks over to the Senior's truck and takes out his own car keys. Then in a quick few seconds, Stiles drags his key across the side of the Senior's truck, digging a HIDEOUS SCRATCH into the paint. As Scott watches in horror, Stiles pockets his keys and turns to him.]
STILES: [loudly] Hey, hey, hey, dude! What do you think you're doing to that truck, bro?
[The Seniors turn around to see Scott holding his car keys up]
MALE STUDENT: What the hell?
[Scott steps back as Stiles gives him a devilish smile. The Seniors are on him in a nanosecond. Scott puts up his arms trying to protect himself. But they literally start beating the ever-loving crap out of him.]
Malia growls and her eyes switch to blue as Scott tightens his hold on her. Stiles shrinks away from her, and Lydia shakes her head at her boyfriend. He brought this on himself. Everyone else flinches at the beating Scott is taking in the show.
[Stiles eyes his phone to note the rising heart rate while Scott crumbles to the pavement under the merciless pummeling. But then OUR POV begins moving fast- Backtracking from the parking lot, tearing into the halls of the school, whipping through classrooms. We hear VOICES, bits of conversations, laughter, people talking on phones. And then...]
"Claws Malia." Scott warns her. Stiles actually whimpers knowing she really going to hit him hard this time. Scott starts whispering in Malia's ear, slowly calming her down, even as her fangs descend.
STILES: [gasping] Ow! My God. Wow.
STILES: [muttering] Ahh, come on. Stay calm. Stay calm.
STILES: [muttering] Oh, that's not okay. Scott, come on, buddy...
ALLISON: [on the phone] Studying with a friend. Yes, that friend. We're lab partners...
[Until another voice interrupts-]
HARRIS: Stop!
HARRIS: Hey, stop it right now!
HARRIS: What do you idiots think you're doing?
[BACK AT THE DUMPSTERS - Mr. Harris breaks up the fight. Scott lies on the ground, blood dripping from his nose. He slowly turns to Stiles who holds his phone up. THE SCREEN shows a steady and normal heartbeat. It worked...]
Everyone is silent, all eyes on the quad on the couch, waiting to see what happens. Malia's icy stare is on Stiles and even Lydia looks nervous. She didn't know this had happened and that beating looked brutal. She knew how protective Malia was of Scott. She's wondering if maybe he will need multiple ice bags or maybe a body cast.
Stiles squeezed his eyes closed tight, waiting for the hit, preparing for the pain. Scott is still whispering in her ear and her eyes go back to blue and she relaxes back against him, her claws now rescinded.
"You good now?" Scott asked her. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Then you should probably put the fangs away. You can't bite him either."
She huffed, crossing her arms, and pushing her fangs back. Stiles peaked one eye open, watching her warily. Everyone else were just happy then weren't going to witness another beating.
"Am I… am I not going to get hit?" he asked.
"That's a shame." Noah said, shaking his head. "I kind of think he deserves if after that."
"Dad." Stiles exclaimed; Noah shrugged.
"You can thank Scott for the lack of pain you are feeling right now." Malia snapped.
"Thank you." Stiles said reverently to Scott. He laughed and nodded.
"I'm not gonna lie, I was kind of looking forward to seeing her hit you." Alec admitted. Liam, Mason, Corey and even Cora nodded in agreement.
"Guys, seriously? Come on…" Stiles looked around at not one sympathetic face. He sighed even as Lydia kissed his cheek.
[Peter Hale sits in his wheelchair, pointed to the window. Bright sunlight warms one side of his face while his burns lie in shadow. A hand reaches out and slowly turns the chair around. Derek sits down on the bed, pulling his uncle toward him. He tilts his head trying to match Peter's listless gaze.]
[Derek waves a hand in front of the man's eyes. He doesn't even blink.]
DEREK: I need your help.
[Derek lifts his uncle's hands and places them on the arms of the wheelchair.]
DEREK: If you can hear me, I need you to give me a sign. Blink. Raise a finger. Anything. Just... Just something to point me in the right direction, okay?
[Peter stares forward, seeming almost to look through Derek.]
DEREK: [sighing] Someone killed Laura. Your niece, Laura? Whoever he is, he's an Alpha now... but he's one without a pack, which means he's not as strong. I can take him. But, I have to find him first.
DEREK: Look, if you know something, just give me a sign. Is it one of us? Did someone else make it out of the fire?
[Still no response. No movement of any kind.]
DEREK: [impatiently] Just give me anything! Blink! Raise a finger! Anything!
DEREK: [yelling] SAY SOMETHING!
[The words thunder out of Derek as he grips his uncles hands practically trying to shake a response out of him.]
"You were getting desperate." Chris said.
"Probably. He was my only living relative and he had always been my closest friend." Derek responded.
NURSE JENNIFER: Let him go!
[Derek whips his head around to see his uncle's nurse, Jennifer, standing in the door.]
NURSE JENNIFER: You think after six years of this, yelling at him is going to get a response?
DEREK: Got a better method?
NURSE JENNIFER: [sternly] Patience. He'll respond if you give him the time.
[Derek turns to leave.]
DEREK: [muttering] I don't have any more time.
[As Jennifer turns to watch him go, as his shoes fall lightly on the tiled floor of the hospital corridor, neither of them look back to notice Peter slowly and shakily raising an index finger off the chair...]
"Did you hear him?" Liam asked, looking at Peter. Peter nodded sharply, not meeting anyone's eye. He almost felt bad about that scene. Derek looked at him curiously.
[Derek quickly heads to his Camaro in the parking lot of the hospital. Unlocking it, he reaches for the door when he notices A PIECE OF PAPER slipped under the windshield wiper. He pulls it out, slowly unfolding it, then reading with interest. He looks up, turning back to the hospital as if trying to find someone watching him. Then crumpling the paper in his hand, he moves quickly, faster than ever. A second later, his car ROARS out of the lot and into the street.]
[Scott and Stiles sit in the otherwise empty classroom while Mr. Harris reads the paper. Pulling a wad of tissues away from his nose, Scott turns to Harris.]
"How did you get detention for getting beat up?" Melissa asked.
"Because the seniors that did it explained that I had keyed the car. They got in trouble as well but yeah; Stiles and I had detention."
SCOTT: Excuse me, sir?
SCOTT: Uh, I know it's detention and all, but, uh... I'm supposed to be at work, and I don't want to get fired.
[Harris ignores him. Scott sits quietly with Stiles. Then turns to whisper to him]
SCOTT: You knew I would heal.
STILES: Yep.
SCOTT: So, you did that to help me learn?
STILES: Yep.
SCOTT: ...But partially to punish me.
STILES: Yeah. Well, that one's obvious.
SCOTT: [sadly] Dude, you're my best friend, and I can't have you being angry with me.
[Now Stiles turns to him.]
STILES: I'm not angry anymore.
STILES: [sighing] Look. You have something, Scott, okay? Whether you want it or not, you can do things that nobody else can do. So, that means you don't have a choice anymore- it means you have to do something.
"Why?" Melissa snapped in frustration. "Why did he have to do anything? he was 16. We are 6 episodes in to only the first season and I have watched him change into a wolf, painfully I might add, get shot with an arrow, his life threatened, being chased, and beaten to a damn pulp. Why the hell does it have to be him that does something?"
Stiles and Scott looked down ashamed and Melissa deflated feeling bad that she hurt them with her words.
"I'm sorry. But all this is a bit much. And I am assuming that things are going to get a lot worse for my son and judging by some of what we heard about their future it doesn't really get better, ever. I don't know how I am supposed to sit here and watch this."
"You can and you will because you are going to remember that he is right here in front of you and he's fine." Noah told her.
"He's fine?"
"Yes, he's fine because he has an amazing support system, they all do. I don't think I will like what I see coming either, but they are still together, and they are still alive, that's what's important. And we can change this now. So, we are going to sit here and watch and plan how we can help them when we go back." he told her. she took a deep breath.
"Okay, you're right. we can change this."
Everyone understood her outburst and didn't say anything.
SCOTT: [nodding] I know. And I will.
[Harris eyes them over his newspaper. Then puts it down.]
HARRIS: All right, both of you- out of here.
SCOTT: Thank you.
[They grab their things, rushing to get up]
[Looking over paperwork, Deaton hears the CHIMES on his door ringing.]
DEATON: [on the phone] Scott, you're late again. I hope this isn't getting to be a habit.
[He looks up to see not Scott, but Derek entering.]
"Why are you there?" Cora asked.
"No clue, not me." Derek sighed.
DEATON: Can I help you?
DEREK: Hope so. I want to know about the animal you found with the spiral on its side?
DEATON: [lying] Excuse me? What animal?
DEREK: Three months ago. The deer.
[He unfolds the piece of paper left on his windshield. It's a report and photograph of a dead deer with A SPIRAL carved into its side.]
DEREK: You remember this?
DEATON: [feigning surprise] Oh, yes. It's just a deer. And, I didn't find it- they called me because they wanted to know if I'd ever seen anything like it.
DEREK: What'd you tell 'em?
DEATON: I told them "no."
[Derek turns his head ever-so-slightly.]
DEREK: Did you hear that?
DEATON: [frowning] Hear what?
DEREK: The sound of your heartbeat rising.
DEATON: Excuse me?
DEREK: It's the sound of you lying.
[Derek moves like a bolt of lightning, hands grabbing Deaton by the coat and dragging him forward.]
"Now your beating up vets?" Cora asked. Derek looked surprised himself.
[Pedaling as fast as he can, Scott hurtles down the road on his bike.]
[Deaton blinks his eyes open. There is a bruise and cut now under his eye. He glances around to find himself bound to a rolling chair.]
DEATON: Oh, God...
[Derek comes out of the shadows]
DEREK: Are you protecting someone?
DEATON: [anxiously] All right... the key to the drug locker is in my pocket...
DEREK: [impatiently] I don't want drugs- I want to know why you're lying.
DEATON: [stammering] I don't know what you're talking about. What are you doing to me? What do you want?
[Derek reaches out, grabbing him by the jacket. He lifts Deaton up, chair still attached to him. With his feet dangling below him. Derek brings him up to view Deaton's face, bruise under his eye.]
DEREK: I want to know who you are or who you're protecting.
"You thought he was working for the alpha." Chris said, nodding.
"You were so barking up the wrong tree." Stiles snorted.
[Derek brings the man closer as-The door CLANGS open. Scott looks in, shocked by the display in front of him.]
[Derek drops Deaton back to the floor.]
SCOTT: [appalled] What are you doing?
DEATON: Scott, get out of here!
[Derek swings his fist down on Deaton's cheek. A vicious blow, knocking the man out cold.]
SCOTT: Stop! Stop!
DEREK: Look, when he's conscious, he can keep himself from healing, but unconscious, he can't.
"Wait, did you think he was another wolf or the alpha?" Alec asked but no one answered.
SCOTT: [exasperatedly] Are you out of your mind? What are you talking about?
DEREK: You want to know what the spiral means, Scott? It's our sign for a vendetta- for revenge. It means he won't stop killing until he's satisfied.
"And you couldn't tell him that before when he asked?" Cora asked, not expecting an answer.
SCOTT: You think he's the Alpha?
DEREK: We're about to find out...
[Derek holds up his hand, claws out. But as he swipes down, a CLAWED HAND grabs him by the wrist. Whipping his head around, Derek looks at Scott- FULLY TRANSFORMED. With a vise-like grip on Derek's wrist, Scott opens his mouth wide, baring his fangs and letting LOOSE a VICIOUS SNARL. Derek actually blinks in surprise.]
[Scott lets him go. Then, with an extraordinary display of control, he transforms back... The claws retract into his fingers. His teeth withdraw, changing shape and returning to normal. The yellow GLOW in his eyes dissolve to his normal brown. It takes seconds, but it happens with a stunning fluidity and grace. As if it was as natural a movement as breathing.]
"Whoa, that looks like the quickest you have ever shifted back." Stiles noted.
"Its actually remarkable he was able to do it so gracefully and easily." Talia remarked, proudly.
"Thanks. I don't even know how I did it. it was just instinct I guess." He shrugged.
"But you shouldn't have been able to do that, not without proper guidance." Peter commented. Scott looked back and grinned at him.
[Scott stares defiantly at a speechless Derek. For once, he's both calm and fearless.]
SCOTT: [growling] Hit him again, and then you'll see me get angry.
[Derek eyes Scott, with a newfound respect. He's learning...]
Current Derek was also impressed as he eyes Scott. he was learning and adapting, even without his help.
[Scott looks over his still unconscious boss, blotting his bloody cheek with a towel.]
DEREK: [sighing] Do you have a plan?
SCOTT: Just give me an hour.
DEREK: Then what?
SCOTT: Meet me at the school. In the parking lot.
[Scott tosses the bloody towel into the trash as-]
"Oh boy." Stiles said.
"School?" Scott asked.
"School."
Allison perked up now wanting to see this from Scott's POV. She knows what she felt and experienced but after seeing the last few episodes she understood better what happened that night. It also made her feel bad about what she did after that night.
[Stiles's Jeep ROARS into the lot. He and Scott get out.]
STILES: This is a terrible idea.
SCOTT: Yeah, I know.
STILES: But we're still gonna do it...?
SCOTT: Can you think of something better?
STILES: [shrugging] Well, personally, I'm a fan of ignoring a problem until eventually it just goes away...
"That doesn't actually work." Lydia told him.
"Depends on the problem really." Stiles shrugged.
SCOTT: Just make sure we can get inside.
[Stiles yanks out a set of BOLT CUTTERS.]
SCOTT: He's here.
[A pair of headlights approach as Derek's Camaro parks in a nearby space. Derek kills the engine and steps out from behind the wheel. Scott and Stiles approach him.]
SCOTT: Where's my boss?
DEREK: He's in the back.
[Scott and Stiles peek inside the Camaro to see Deaton BOUND, GAGGED and BLINDFOLDED.]
STILES: [sarcastically] Oh, well, he looks comfortable.
[Scott and Stiles start for the school building.]
DEREK: Wait-
DEREK: Hey. What are you doing?
SCOTT: You said I was linked with the Alpha- I'm gonna see if you're right.
"Is this one of you guys stupid plans or did you actually think this through?" Mason asked. Scott and Stiles looked at each other.
"Stupid." They said. everyone snickered even as Noah face palmed, and Melissa shook her head.
[Moonlight bleeds though the horizontal blinds, lighting the room. The door SMASHES INWARD, Scott and Stiles stumbling in.]
STILES: [nervously] Okay, one question... What are you gonna do if the Alpha doesn't show up?
SCOTT: [sighing] I don't know.
STILES: And what are you gonna do if he does show up?
SCOTT: ...I don't know.
STILES: [sarcastically] Good plan.
SCOTT: All right- you said that a wolf howls to signal his position to the rest of the pack, right?
STILES: Right. But, if you bring him here, does that make you part of his pack?
SCOTT: I hope not...
STILES: Yeah, me, too. All right. All you.
[Scott pulls the PA MICROPHONE over to his mouth. As he PRESSES THE BUTTON on the base of the mic, Stiles gives him an encouraging nod. Scott takes a deep breath, clears his throat, leans into the microphone...]
SCOTT: [over PA system] ARRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOWOOOWOOWOWOWOWOWWOOOOOOO!
Silence as everyone stared wide eyed at the scene. A squeak escaped from Cora who had cupped both hands over her mouth to not laugh. Scott groaned and hid his face in embarrassment. He really hadn't realized how bad that sounded until now. Stiles pursed his lips; Lydia hid her face in his neck and Malia's mouth was dropped open in shock.
"You don't even have to say it. that was the most pathetic thing ever, I know." Scott whined. There were a lot of nods.
[Derek stands in front of his car, eyes still on Deaton through the windshield. He doesn't move a muscle, poised like a cobra ready to strike. That is until he hears- A PATHETIC HOWL ringing over the PA SYSTEM. Derek slowly turns around in shock.]
DEREK: [incredulously] You've got to be kidding me.
[Scott releases the button and gazes up to Stiles. His best friend holds his head in his hands.]
SCOTT: Was that okay? I mean, that was a howl, right?
STILES: ...I... Yeah, technically...
SCOTT: Well, what did it sound like to you?
STILES: [sighing] Like a cat being choked to death, Scott.
Laughter broke out all around.
SCOTT: What do I do? How am I supposed to do this?
[Crossing behind the desk, Stiles takes Scott's shoulders in his hands and leans in close, eye-to-eye, full trainer mode.]
STILES: Hey, hey. Listen to me- you're calling the Alpha, all right? Be a man. Be a Werewolf, not a Teen Wolf. Be a Werewolf. Do it.
[Scott nods, grabbing the microphone. He takes a deep breath once again and-]
"Round two." Alec announced, pretending to ring an imaginary bell.
SCOTT: [over PA system] RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
[A POWERFUL HOWL BLASTS THROUGH THE PA SPEAKERS. Lockers rattle, desks shake. Almost as if an earthquake is rocking the entire school.]
[The howl echoes across the buildings, bellowing out from the speakers, over the trees and into the night sky. Derek turns back, now actually impressed. But clearly not happy.]
Again, everyone stared in wide eyed silence. This time for a different reason.
"Wow."
"Damn."
"Now that's a howl."
Scott was happy to have redeemed himself, he sighed then stiffened taking a deep whiff of the air. His quirked a brow at Malia who squirmed on his lap.
"Can't help it. you know what happens when you howl." She pouted. He grinned thinking he would take advantage of that when this day's viewing was over. Nobody commented on that even as Derek, Peter and Talia looked uncomfortable. Cora nodded approvingly, getting a jab in the ribs from her brother. Allison couldn't really argue with her, she use to feel the same way when they were together.
[Waiting outside her house, Allison clicks on her phone to check the time: 8:35. The faint cry of Scott's howl soars to her in the wind. She glances up at the odd sound.]
"Yeah, sorry about that." Scott apologized to her for the second time.
"It's fine. Seeing this I get it." she told him.
[Scott and Stiles bang through the doors of the school and out into the parking lot.]
DEREK: [furiously] I'm gonna kill both of you!
"What else is new." Stiles and Scott said together.
DEREK: What the hell was that? What are you trying to do, attract the entire state to the school?
SCOTT: [sheepishly] Sorry... I didn't know it would be that loud...
STILES: [excitedly] Yeah, it was loud... and it was AWESOME!
DEREK: [irritably] Shut up.
STILES: [mockingly] Don't be such a sour-wolf!
Cora barked a laugh, snorting into a giggle.
"That is absolutely the best thing I have ever heard. And it so fits my brother."
Derek rolled his eyes.
[But Scott is no longer paying attention to either of them. Instead he's looking at Derek's Camaro. The door is open. Ripped bindings lying on the pavement. Derek steps forward, surprised]
"You disappeared when he howled. Were you the alpha?" Noah asked and all attention was on Deaton who smirked.
"No, I wasn't. but I knew he was coming."
SCOTT: What'd you do with him?
DEREK: What?
DEREK: I didn't do anything...
[Derek jerks forward. Blood SPURTS from his mouth as he rises up into the air, held aloft by something dark and large behind him.]
Derek paled at what he was seeing, Cora gripped his arm. Peter couldn't even look at the screen, knowing what he had done and not really having an excuse for it.
"Knowing what I know now, I wonder why he did that. it makes no sense." Scott said.
"What do you mean?" Noah asked. Scott shook his head. It would be shown.
[SCREAMING, Stiles and Scott stagger back. Derek's body goes flying, SLAMMING into the brick wall of the school and dropping down. Tripping over their own feet, Scott and Stiles run for it, racing for the school.]
[Scott and Stiles yank the double doors of the school shut. Holding them closed, they look up at each other in breathless terror. And approaching from the shadows is a huge and terrifying black shape with glowing red eyes.]
The screen fades to black and everyone is tense, trying to take in what thy had just seen. There were questions bubbling up inside of everyone, but Noah held up a hand.
"Before we do the usual question and answer for this episode, I'm sure we all want to know what happens from this point on. So maybe we can save the questions until we see how this turns out."
Everyone looked around and agreed that would probably be best, hoping they would get answers in the next episode but not really counting on it. sure, they would just have more questions.
**So we see what happens when Scott is triggered and has an episode. It's not good and only the pack can calm him down, in this case mostly Malia. i feel bad for my favorite wolf. Melissa may end up having a psychotic break at this point with how the show is going. we learned what happened to Alec's family. Derek has trust issues, which we already knew. Scott gave Jackson food for thought. Stiles was almost maimed, and Noah thinks he would have deserved it. Scott's howl has gotten tons better, enough to turn Malia on, possibly Allison as well. And all questions will be asked after the next episode. Stay tuned. **