Love's Spiral

“Sheriff Stilinski?”

Spencer Garner’s ears perked up. She wrapped a fallen strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. She listened closer to hear her friends dad downstairs.

“What’s that?”

Spencer threw her magazine at her best friend, Stiles, who was sitting at his desk with his headphones in. The boy jumped out of his chair, landing with his butt on the floor. Leave it to Stiles to overreact. Spencer laughed silently and rolled her eyes.

“What?” Stiles practically shouted. Spencer shushed him with a finger to her lips. Stiles furrowed his brow. “What?” he whispered.

“Pick up the phone.”

Stiles gave Spencer a confused look.

The girl groaned, starting to get impatient. She sat up in Stiles’ bed. “Pick. Up. The. Phone.” She said. “Your dad seems all official-like on the phone.”

Stiles nodded as he reached for the phone to hit the talk button, careful to keep quiet on their end. Spencer grinned just thinking of the adventure that they would go on next. More than likely, it would get the two of them in trouble, but what was life without a little risk. Nothing. Awaiting their adventure was the hard part. They just waited for Stiles’s dad, the sheriff of Beacon Hills, to answer the phone using his sheriff-voice, and follow him to the next crime scene. Not that it happened in their little town that often. Lately, though, there have been a few mountain lion attacks. Stiles, Spencer, and their other friend, Scott, have been following them.

Spencer heard footsteps coming up the stairs, taking the girl from her thoughts. “Stiles!” she whispered. Stiles turned to face her. Spencer looked to the door. Stiles’ eyes widened as he fumbled to hang up the phone and go back to his computer, like he hadn’t been listening in on the call. The boy ended up dropping the phone loudly onto the floor and barely making himself look busy before his dad opened the door. Spencer started toying with a loose string on her shirt since she had thrown her form of entertainment at Stiles.

“Hey, Spencer.” The sheriff said, looking in her direction. Spencer looked up from the hem of her shirt. “I didn’t hear you come in. You must have snuck by.”

Spencer laughed to herself. She actually had climbed in through Stiles’ window. Spencer got up to give the older man a quick hug. “Sorry, Papa Stiles. You were at the table, looking kind of frustrated. I thought it best to leave you be. Didn’t want to bother you.”

The sheriff smiled and kissed the top of Spencer’s head. “Never are you a bother.”

Spencer laughed nodding.

“Stiles.” his father called.

Stiles turned from his computer and smiled at his dad. “Dad. When did you get up here?” Stiles asked, closing his computer and standing from his chair. Spencer rolled her eyes.

“Just now.”

Stiles nodded, exaggeratedly. Subtle was obviously not in his dictionary. Spencer scratched at the back of her neck, nervously.

“Are you on some sort of drug, Stiles?” the man asked.

“Drugs? What? Dad, come on. I’m sure you would know if I was.” Stiles was getting nervous remembering he had taken at least three Adderall in the past hour. “You are the greatest sheriff Beacon Hills has ever had.” He lightly punched his dad’s shoulder. Spencer laughed at Stiles’ dorkiness.

“Alright.” Sheriff said, slowly. Then he redirected his attention to Spencer, knowing she was more responsible. “I just got a call from the station. I’ve got to take off.” The man turned to leave.

“What is it this time?” Stiles asked.

Sheriff turned back to his son for a quick second. “Now, Stiles, you know I can’t tell you.”

Spencer nodded. “He does. I think that he’s hoping that after a while, you will just give in and tell him.” Spencer explained.

“Exactly.” said, Stiles.

Spencer rolled her eyes. “You were saying?” she asked the man.

“Well, since I’m running off, I’ll probably be gone late. I’ll leave some money on the counter so you guys can order pizza. Are you staying here tonight?” Sheriff asked Spencer.

“Dad, there’s school tomorrow.” Stiles informed him.

“You act like you don’t want to spend time with me.” Spencer joked.

“I don’t mind.” The sheriff admitted. “I trust the two of you. I know nothing would happen between you.”

“Nothing will happen between us. That’s a promise, Pops.”

“I still feel like something needs to be said. You two are getting to the age where… things could happen.”

Stiles stopped his dad from continuing his parent talk. “Oh, Dad, please. We are not having this talk right now.”

“Alright.” The sheriff laughed, putting his hands up in surrender. “I’ll see you two in the morning.” he looked to Spencer. “Make sure your mom knows that you’re staying here.”

“I will, sir.” Spencer said, as he left the room. The two waited until they heard the front door shut and the cruiser pull out of the driveway. Spencer walked over to Stiles and slapped him on the back of the head. “Smooth, Stiles. Do you think you could have been anymore obvious?”

Stiles winced as he rubbed his head in the spot where Spencer had hit him. “Yeah, I could have. Only then we would have been caught.”

Spencer stared at him for a second with one eyebrow raised. She walked over to pick up her magazine. “You know, Stiles, I worry about you all of the time.”

“Good.” Stiles said, smiling. “It lets me know that you care.” He showed a fake, pathetic look on his face.

Spencer laughed at him. “So what is our adventure tonight, Mr. Stilinski?” She asked, sitting back on his bed.

Stiles sat down in his deck chair and spun it around to face Spencer. “Well, Miss Garner, it appears that a body had been found on Beacon Hills Preserve.”

“Oh, fun. Except not really exciting. We can’t really do anything with that.” Spencer said, finding her page.

Stiles scooted his chair closer to his bed and Spencer. “You haven’t heard the best part yet.”

Spencer gave up on her magazine, it not catching her attention again. “There is more? Oh, please. Enlighten me.”

Stiles nodded. “I will.” he paused.

“Well?”

“I’m pausing for dramatic effect.”

Spencer reach behind her, grabbed a pillow, and hit Stiles over the head with it.

“Ow, fine, okay. They only found half of the body.” he said, plainly. “It wasn’t even exciting because you ruined the pause.”

Spencer rolled her eyes. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Spencer asked, getting up from the bed.

“We order pizza?”

Spencer groaned. “No, I was thinking that we follow your dad onto the preserve and find the other half ourselves.” She walked over to grab a hoodie from Stiles’ closet.

“Oh, well, yeah. That was my second idea.”

“Sure it was.”

“Can we get food though? I’m really hungry.”

Spencer sighed. “Of course, you are. One the way to get Scott we can. Let’s go.”

Stiles punched his fist in the air, grabbed his jacket off of the back of his chair and followed his friend out of the door.

@#$%$#@

Stiles and Spencer arrived at Scott’s house and Stiles jumped out of his Jeep. Spencer took the last bite from her burger and quickly followed after him. Stiles jumped up as high as he could so he could grab and climb up onto a low hanging roof.

“Stiles!” Spencer yelled, a bit scared for what her friend was doing. Stiles shushed her quickly. Spencer groaned. “Stiles!” she whispered this time. “What the hell are you doing? You could kill yourself. I’m not getting in trouble for that.”

“Spencer.” Stiles responded, plainly. He jumped down from his hanging spot, landing right in front of his friend. “We are on a mission. Therefore, we have got to be sneaky.”

“Is there anyway you could be sneaky without there being a possibility of you falling to your death?” Spencer asked, and then continued before Stiles could plead his case. “I mean, Scott’s mom isn’t even home. I have a key. Let’s just use the front door. You’ll only end up scaring the crap out of Scott, and possibly even yourself.”

Stiles struck a pose with his hands in fists on his waist. “Then that is a risk that I will have to take.” He said, with his voice raspy and somewhat dramatic.

Spencer rolled her eyes, moving her arm in a way to tell him to continue.

“Yes!” He cheered, just before he resumed climbing.

“Just don’t expect me to catch you when you fall.”

Stiles laughed. “You can barely catch a baseball. I have very little expectations for what you can catch.”

Spencer narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re lucky that you are hanging from a roof, Stiles, or, I swear, I would hit you.”

“Thank God I’m so spontaneous.”

“Is that what you call it?” Spencer joked.

Stiles faked a laugh.

There was a slight creaking noise coming from the other side of the porch. “Stiles!” Spencer called, softly, but he didn’t hear. The creaking sounded again. Spencer was scared, but most of something just jumping out at her. She wasn’t really one for surprises. Forget about the fact that it was dark, and she was alone. “Stiles…” she said again, hoping he would hear her at least one of these times and jump down. She peeked just a bit around the corner and watched as he tried to move across the side of the house. All he had to do was get one foot up and he’d be walking on shingles. Only he missed his mark and lost his grip. Stiles yelped. “Stiles!” she yelled, reaching out as if she could catch him. Thankfully, he was able to move his foot in a way to catch himself from falling on his head. Now, he was hanging upside down, still screaming from his fall. Spencer turned all the way forward to see Scott on his porch holding a baseball bat, ready to swing. Spencer shook her head at the two boys. “Guys!” She shouted.
Scott and Stiles stopped screaming. Scott looked between the two of his friends.

“Stiles?” Scott questioned. “Spencer? What the hell are you two doing?!” He lowered his bat.

Spencer crossed her arms. “Boy Genius, over here, decided he wanted to play super spy.” the girl rolled her eyes as Stiles pointed back to her without looking her direction. Spencer knew it was his way of telling her to mind her business. “I told you that you would scare him.” she said, smirking.

“You weren’t answering your phone!” Stiles defended, quickly, getting the attention off of his mistakes.

Spencer laughed once when she heard Stiles’ voice crack at the end of his sentence. “We tried calling and each time it went to voicemail. I must’ve texted you, like, ten times.”

“Why do you have a bat?” Stiles asked.

“I thought you were a predator.” Scott said, slowly turning up a smile at one corner of his mouth.

Spencer laughed loudly. “Stiles? A predator?” Repeating the notion only made Spencer laugh harder.

“Woman!” Stiles tried stopping her laughing.

“I’m not even sorry.” Spencer promised as she stopped laughing.

“Why would I be a predator? Oh - well - nevermind. Look, I know its late, but you’ve got to hear this.” Stiles insisted.

“Stiles, get down.” Spencer ordered.

Stiles held up a waiting finger to Scott before the lanky boy flipped off of the roof.

Spencer rolled her eyes at Stiles trying to show off. “Anyway, Stiles and I were hanging out. The phone rang. Obviously, being the incredible ninja snoops that we are, we listened in. Well, Stiles did.”

“My dad left twenty minutes ago.” Stiles continued. “They are bringing in every officer from the Beacon Hills Department. Even the State Police.”

“What for?” Scott asked.

“Two joggers found a body in the woods.” Spencer finished.

“A dead body?”

“No, a body of water.” Stiles said, sarcastically.

Spencer pushed Stiles a little bit to the side so that she could be part of the conversation more. “Can you ever be straightforward?” she asked Stiles.

“Can you ever not be a nag?”

“Spencer rolled her eyes. “Yes, Scott, a dead body.”

“Was it… murdered?”

“I’m not sure. No one knows. They only know that it was some twenty-something year old girl.”

“So, what are they looking for? They found the boyd. What more do they think that they’ll find out there?”

“That, my friend, is the best part. They - ”

Stiles interrupted her, budging his way back into the conversation. “Wait, wait! I wanna tell this part. You totally ruined it for me last time.”

“I did not! You were the one making things way too ‘dramatic’.” she made fun.

“No! I was trying to make it sound scary.”

“Same thing!”

“It is not!”

“Stiles, you said dramatic.”

“I’m pretty sure that I didn’t.”

“Whatever, Stiles. Just tell him.”

Stiles waited a few seconds before finishing their story. “They only found half of the body.” He said to Scott, quietly.

Scott silently stood between Spencer and Stiles, looking back and forth between them. He was so confused as to what was going on with his two best friends. They rarely ever bicker like they just had.

Spencer sighed. “So, are we going or what?”

@#$%$#@

“Are we seriously doing this?” Scott asked his friends. The boy would not admit it to his friends, but he was a little afraid of what would happen. He also did not want to get in trouble.

Spencer looked to Scott and smirked. “We’re already out here.” She stated. “We’ve driven all the way out here. Do you really want to go back now?” Spencer was a little afraid herself. Being out in the dark with trees and roots and things she could easy trip over. Spencer wasn’t the most graceful person. She also wasn’t best friends with gravity. She couldn’t complain, though. She was the one who told Stiles to answer the phone that got them there. “There isn’t much sense in going back.”

Stiles grabbed a flashlight out of the back of his Jeep after helping Spencer out. He shined the light out into the forest and rolled his eyes at both of his friends. “Scott, you’re always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town. Well, here it is. Embrace it.” Stiles lightly hit the back of Scott’s shoulder and led the way deep into the trees.

Spencer, after putting aside her fear, was excited about the adventure. Deep down, she knew there was something about tonight that was keeping her on her toes and her adrenaline high. She didn’t know what was going to happen in middle of the night in the depths of the woods. Spencer did know, that if something did happen, it might not be good.

“I was trying to get a good night’s sleep before practice tomorrow.” Scott defended. “I had showered and everything. I had no plans on running through the woods tonight.”

“Oh, suck it up.” Spencer laughed, smiling at her friend. “It’s not like you’re going to be doing something other than sitting on the bench.”

“Yeah, because sitting is such a grueling effort. We’ve been working a sweat doing that all summer, playing Call of Duty.” Stiles joked back.

“No,” Scott said, firmly, rolling his eyes. “I’m playing this year. In fact, I’m going to make first line.”

Spencer laughed.

“What? I will.” Scott insisted.

“Hey, that’s the spirit.” Stiles cheered. “Everyone should have a dream. Even though yours is completely unrealistic. A little bit pathetic, but hey, still a dream, right?”

Spencer slapped the back of Stiles’ head, lighter than she had done earlier in his room.

Stiles stopped walking and looked to her. “Why’d you do that, Spence?” He rubbed the sore spot. The other teenagers stopped in their places as well.

“Because you’re being a jerk. At least Scott’s making an effort to get out on the field. Do you actually want to sit on the bench your entire high school career?”

“No! I do try, I just never get a chance to prove myself.” Stiles defended himself.

“Really?” Spencer questioned. “That’s a laugh. I think that you’re trying to keep the bench warm. That is the extent of your trying.”

“Okay, picture this: someone is on the field. They’re hurt. Who’s he gonna send in? Me. That’s why I’m sitting on the bench.”

“I think that Coach would put me in before you. Hell, Coach might even put in someone from the other team before he puts you on the field.”

Stiles scoffed, taken aback. He knew that Spencer was only joking with him. It was how their relationship worked. They would pick on each other, but they knew that they were still friends at the end of the day.

“If you two are done bickering like newlyweds...” Scott interrupted.

Spencer looked from Stiles back to Scott and kept walking at her own pace in front of the boys.

“Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?”

Spencer stopped in her place, not really thinking about it earlier. The next thing to hit her was the fact that they were looking for half of a body.

Stiles didn’t stop walking when his friends or look at either of them as he passed.

“Stiles…” Spencer said, warily, hoping it was stop him from walking and talk to her and Scott. It was starting to bug her that there was half of a body somewhere in these woods.

Stiles turned around, facing the two. “I didn’t think about it.”

“Stiles.” Spencer grumbled. She wasn’t just peeved with Stiles. She was also a little mad at herself for not thinking clearly. Why hadn’t she thought not to go?

Stiles noticed how worried she looked when she started to chew on her nails. He back tracked, standing by her side.

“Wh-what if he’s still out here, Stiles? The killer? He could still be in the woods.

Stiles looked at her wishing that he could just lie to her and make her feel better. Only he knew that lying wouldn’t be any better.

“What if he’s watching us or the police? Your dad is out here. What about him?”

Stiles put a hand on Spencer’s shoulder, trying to calm her down. “I didn’t think about that either.” he admitted.

Spencer sighed nervously, and ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to pull it out of her face. Unfortunately, it just slid back down in front of her eyes. “I can’t believe I suggested we do this. I’m usually the smart one.”

“It’s fine Spencer.”

“It’s not. Stiles, we could die out here, just like that girl did. We could be cut in half. I don’t think anyone comes out of that alive.”

Stiles admitted to himself that he, again, hadn’t thought about that either. He cursed himself for putting his friends in this kind of danger. Usually, it was just break-ins and robberies. Never an actual murder with an actual dead body. Stiles swallowed the lump in his throat. “We should keep moving then. If there is someone out there, it is always best to keep moving. I’m just hoping whoever it is, doesn’t know these woods as well as we do.”

Spencer and Scott stared at him in disbelief. He was going to keep going. They followed a second later.

Minutes later Scott was the one to break the silence. “Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one who is holding the flashlight, huh?” Scott spoke, completely out of breath. He stopped, leaned against a tree, and took an air shot from the inhaler he always had with him.

Stiles grabbed Spencer’s hand. The girl looked at their locked hands, surprise that he would try to comfort her when she was angry. She tried to pull away, only Stiles held on tighter. “We’ll be okay.” Stiles said to her, with all seriousness in his voice. “ I mean, come on. Have I really ever let anything bad happen to you on our adventures?”

Spencer laughed, recalling a specific time. She nodded.

“What?” Stiles wasn’t expecting that as an answer. “When?”

“I think I was thirteen. You were finally off grounding for our latest mishap. You took me to climb trees at the edge of the preserve. I fell and broke my arm.”

Stiles laughed at the memory that had occurred not very far from where they were standing now. “Well, this time is different. I’m older and wiser.” He said, striking his superhero-like pose again, all while still holding her hand.

“Older and wiser my ass. Stiles, it was four years ago. Not much has changed. Only difference is, now, we aren’t tree climbing.” Spencer looked up in the tree and swore she saw something move. She brushed it off as a branch blowing from the wind on the breezy night. “Instead of a broken arm problem, we have a psycho killer problem.”

Stiles squeezed his hand around hers. “Spence, whatever happens, or whoever is out there, they will have to go through both me and Scott to get to you. Mostly me because I won’t let anything happen to you… this time.”

“Stiles - ”

“Trust me. We’ll be fine. Just hold my hand. Don’t let go for anything.”

Spencer nodded, relaxing her hand in his. She looked up at him, for he was almost half a foot taller than she was. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest, she feared that he might hear it. He only smiled and ran his thumb across the back of her hand. She bit her lip.

Stiles’ own heart was beating with just as much speed as Spencer’s.

“Uh, guys?” The two heard Scott say. They turned to see Scott narrowing his eyes to see through the trees passed them. Spencer and Stiles turned to see lights searching through the woods. Stiles threw himself and Spencer to the ground. Scott followed.

“Shit!” Stiles whispered. He knew that his dad was a part of that line-up. Stiles quickly thought of anything that they could do.

Spencer turned her head towards him. “Stiles…” the boy looked to her. “What now?” she said, having all the confidence that she had in him. It gave him the drive to get out of the woods without getting caught.

“We run. Zig-zag. Never run in a straight line. Run away from the lights.” Stiles looked to Scott. “Don’t get caught.” He said, as he pulled himself up, and then Spencer, grabbing her hand again. He took off running, dragging Spencer along. She held onto his hand tightly, afraid what would happen if their hands slipped and they were separated.

“Stiles!” Scott called after the two of them. Scott had tried to keep up with them and stay together, but he couldn’t and lost them quickly.

Spencer and Stiles ran through the trees, trying to avoid Stiles’ dad and the rest of the police force. The two heard dogs getting closer to them, and ran faster in the opposite direction. They failed, however, and found themselves having a bright light shined in their faces. The dogs barked loudly, scaring Stiles, causing him to fall down and let go of Spencer’s hand. Spencer panicked, not knowing what to do, and put her hands in the air.

“Hold it right there!” The policeman shouted.

“Wait!” Spencer shouted at the man. “We’re just kids. Not crazy, psycho killers.”

A grumble came from the Sheriff’s throat as he recognized the girl’s voice. He walked towards them. “Hang on, hang on. These little delinquents are mine.”

Spencer sighed with relief, even though they had just been caught by the person that they really didn’t want to be caught by. “Hey, Papa Stiles.” Spencer said, nervously, slowly lowering her hands back to her sides. Stiles stood from the ground.

“Dad.” Stiles brushed himself off. His jeans were no use though. He fell into a small mud pile, leaving a stain on the back of his pants. “How are you doing?”

“Do - do you two always listen in on my phone calls?”

Stiles bit his lip.

“No.” Spencer said.

Sheriff Stilinski raised an eyebrow.

Stiles sighed. “Well, not the boring ones.”

The sheriff shook his head. “Now. Where’s the other one?”

Stiles and Spencer looked at each other quickly. Stiles shook his head, only just barely, so Spencer could see.

She turned back to the older man.

“The other what?” Spencer asked, as if she had no clue.

“The other boy. Your usual partner in crime.”

Spencer ran out of ideas. There was too much going on for her to think on her toes. It was all up to Stiles to talk Scott out of this shenanigan.

“Who? Scott?” Stiles asked. The sheriff nodded to his son. “Oh, Scott’s home. He said that he wanted to get a good night’s sleep for the first day back at school tomorrow. It’s only me. And Spencer. In the woods. Alone.”

The sheriff looked between the two teens, not believing a word they were saying. “Scott?” Sheriff yelled. Spencer jumped, not expected him to yell in front of them. “Scott! Are you out there?” He waited a second and sighed. “Alright, guys.” Stiles’ dad grabbed the top of his son’s shoulder and the crook of Spencer’s elbow. “Now, I’m going to walk the two fo you back to your car. And then, the three of us are going to have a conversation about a little something called invasion of privacy.”

Spencer rolled her eyes. “Way to go, Stiles.” Spencer joked.

Stiles smirked at his friend, trying to laugh at their situation. “You are the one who told me to answer the phone.”

“Is that right?” Sheriff Stilinski asked, looked at Spencer, still dragging the two towards the Jeep. “Well, in that case, you're both grounded. Two weeks.”

Spencer’s jaw dropped. “What?” she exclaimed. “You can’t do that.

“You know, seeing as it was my phone call that got listened in on tonight, I can make things as I go. You stay in my house, under my roof, you go by my rules.”

Spencer groaned. “What about my mom?” she asked. “I’m not sure she’ll let me stay at your house for two weeks.”

“Your mother will be told and I think that she will agree with me.”

Spencer sighed, defeated. “I’ve never been grounded before.”

Stiles looked towards his friend with a guilty expression. “Sorry, Spence.” he said.

Spencer scoffed at Stiles, looking in a direction other than his. She looked off, hoping that she would see Scott. Hoping that he was still out there.