Love's Spiral

A couple weeks passed and there was no sign on another werewolf being around Beacon Hills. The small town was actually beginning to look and even feel normal.

Spencer was working at the animal clinic five times a week. She worked three days with Scott and two without so that she could work with Deaton on her skills. Spencer loved working there. The animals had taken to her quickly. It seemed any animal that walked through the door, Spencer could get to calm down instantly. Deaton told her it had something to do with her supernatural background, to which Spencer only smiled. She embraced her witch, using what she learned during her lessons when no one was home. Or at her new home anyway, having moved into the Stilinski household a few days after find out about the Alpha.

Stiles was more than ecstatic having her live under the same roof as him. He figured that she would never get away with anything, including having her werewolf boyfriend spend the night, which is what he was really worried about. The problem was he didn’t have the hearing that they did.

Spencer had Derek over every night and he was gone before their alarms went off in the morning. They weren’t doing anything. Spencer mainly liked having him over because she felt safe around him. She couldn’t sleep until he was sitting in her lounge chair, keeping watch. Sometimes he would even crawl into the bed and sleep for a little bit. That was only if Spencer forced him to because he looked exhausted.

Tonight was different. Derek had been exhausted, but he had caught a whiff of a particular scent and went to check it out, leaving Spencer sleeping soundly. It was probably one of the worst mistakes of his life.

After Derek left, Spencer remained sleeping. She tossed and turned, dreaming about Derek. Once she thought about it, after the fact, she wouldn’t call it a dream, but a nightmare. He was running, jumping from building to building, trying to evade something. She couldn’t see what. She awoke with a start and a pain in her arm. She let out a scream, and sat up in her bed, gripping her arm as tightly as possible, trying to force the pain out of her arm. Within a minute, the two Stilinski men were bursting through her door. Spencer clutched her arm and rocked back and forth.

“Spencer?” Stiles called, trying to get her attention. “Spencer?”

“Stiles! My arm!” she screamed, tears starting to roll down her face. “My arm! It hurts!”

Sheriff Stilinski stood by the door, panicked, unsure what to do. “Stiles, what should I do?” the sheriff asked. “Should I call someone? Her mom? Has this ever happened before?”

“Dad, hold on!” he shouted over Spencer’s screams. He turned his attention back to his friend. “Spencer, let me see your arm!” Stiles gripped both of his friend’s arms, taking one away from the other. “Spence, there’s nothing wrong with your arm.”

“What do you mean there’s nothing wrong with my arm?!” Spencer shouted at her friend. “Stiles, I feel like I’ve been shot!” She grabbed ahold of her arm again.

“And you’ve been shot to have something to compare this to?”

Spencer groaned and glared at her friend.

“Dad, she’s fine. You can go back to bed. I’ll calm her down.” Even though he really didn’t want to leave, he listened to his son and left the room. “Spencer, listen to me. There is nothing wrong with your arm. Look at it.” Stiles held out Spencer’s arm for her to see.

Spencer looked down and didn’t see anything there. It clicked in her brain that there was nothing wrong and the pain slowly subsided. She took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry, Stiles.” Spencer apologized.

“You’re fine, Spencer. But what happened?” Stiles asked. “I mean, you got my dad out of bed at the speed of light. That doesn’t happen anymore. The man’s getting old.”

“Stiles, I don’t know what happened.” Spencer said, obviously incredibly annoyed. “I was sleeping and I woke up with a pain in my arm. I’m sorry that I freaked everyone out, but that’s all that happened. I don’t remember my dream.” She said, telling the truth. She didn’t remember, but it scared her that she was waking up with the pain in her arm.

“Okay.” Stiles said, gently. “You’re okay, though?”

Spencer nodded. “Can you stay here? Just in case.” She was so used to falling asleep with Derek there. Since he was out, running around somewhere, there was no way that she would get to sleep, especially after this weird occurrence.

Stiles didn’t even hesitate. “Of course.”

Spencer moved over on her bed and helped him to get under the comforter. She curled herself up to her friend, finally taking it in that he didn’t even have a shirt on. She tensed up a little bit after noticing this, but she quickly fell asleep, listening to his heartbeat.

!@#$#@!

Throughout the day, Spencer couldn’t help but scratch at the spot that hurt that morning when she woke up. It still drove her crazy that she didn’t know what happened. She’d have to remind herself to ask Deaton about it when she worked next. The day went by slowly and soon she was sitting in her least favorite class of the day. She sat next to Stiles who was behind Scott. Their teacher was passing back their most recent tests. Spencer’s leg was jumping up and down. She had to admit that she hadn’t been focusing on her schoolwork as much lately, being so overwhelmed with everything supernatural. She took a deep breath as her teacher laid the test on her desk with a red ‘A+’ on the top. She sighed in relief.

Stiles tapped on Scott’s shoulders, distracting Spencer from her mini-celebration in her head. “If Derek isn’t the Alpha, if he’s not the one who bit you, then who did?” he asked.

Spencer rolled her eyes, thinking that her and Scott should stop telling Stiles things because he gets so paranoid about everything.

Scott looked to Spencer almost asking her what he should say.

Stiles followed his gaze to Spencer who shrugged.

“I don’t know.” Scott answered.

Stiles fell back in his seat, before thinking of another question. “Did the Alpha kill the bus driver?”

“I don’t know.” Scott said again.

Stiles leaned back again and sighed. “Does Allison’s dad know about the Alpha?”

“I don’t know!” Scott half-yelled, turning in his seat, making everybody turn to look at him. He caught Spencer’s eye on the way to facing the front. She motioned with her hand for him to calm down. Scott nodded. The teacher handed Stiles his test with an ‘A’ on it and Scott got a ‘D-’. Both Spencer and Stiles leaned forward to look at Scott’s test.

“Dude, you need to study more.” Stiles told him.

Scott flopped his paper on the desk, upset by his grade and Stiles’ remark.

“That was a joke.” Stiles informed him. Scott shook his head.

“Scott, it’s just one test.” Spencer promised him. “You can make it up. I’ll even help you study.” Spencer held up her test to show off her ‘A+’.

Scott sighed. “No. Thanks though. I’m studying with Allison today after school.”

Spencer nodded.

Stiles raised his eyebrows and sat up straight in surprise. “That’s my boy.”

Spencer scoffed. “Stiles…” She warned.

“We’re just studying.” Scott assured.

“Uh, no you’re not.” Stiles corrected.

“He’s not?” Spencer asked.

Stiles shook his head at her. “Not if I’m forced to live vicariously through him.”

Spencer shook her head at his stupidity.

Stiles turned to Scott. “If you go to her house today and squander that colossal opportunity, I swear to God, I’ll have you de-balled.”

“Stiles!” She whispered, surprised, before turning back to her books to take notes.

“Okay!” Scott said, probably just to shut him up. “Just… Stop with the questions, man.”

Stiles shook his head. “Done. No more questions.” Stiles agreed. “No more talk about the Alpha or Derek.” Stiles looked over to Spencer, who was working diligently. “Especially Derek…” He trailed off. He turned back to his own desk and stared at his hands. “Who still scares me.” Stiles, though, wasn’t scared of Derek alone, but also of what he was doing to Spencer.

Spencer herself was worrying about that. She was completely different person now that she met Derek. He made her feel the need to not worry about certain things so much, like the label of boyfriend or girlfriend. She was free to do what she wanted, but knew that Derek would be there at the end of the day for her.

The bell rang moments later, signaling the end of the day. Stiles and Spencer walked out of the school together, his arm around her shoulders, just as always. Spencer enjoyed this time she had with her best friend away from Derek. Even if she really only wanted to be with Derek, she still liked her time with Stiles. The two got to his Jeep quickly so that they didn’t get stuck in the after school traffic.

“You work today?” Stiles asked Spencer.

She shook her head.

“Taco Bell?”

Spencer nodded as he pulled out of his parking spot.

“Good,” Stiles said, switching to drive, “because I am hun - ”

Spencer looked forward, seeing Derek standing there with his arm raised in the air. “Stiles! Stop!”
Stiles quickly slammed on his breaks, swerving to the side a little. “Oh, my God!” Stiles gasped, seeing what was in front of him.

Spencer jumped out of the car and got to his side. “Derek!” She said, worried. “Derek, what the hell is wrong with you?”

Derek grabbed for her, but fell to the ground.

Spencer dropped to her knees next to him. “Derek, sit up.” She ordered, helping him get his head off of the ground. As soon as she touched him, the pain in her arm from the morning had come back. She backed her hand away and scratched at the spot.

Scott witnessed the scene and came running over. “What are you doing here?” Scott asked.

“I was shot.” Derek said, breathily.

“He’s not looking so good.” Stiles, who had just came over, pointed out.

“Why aren’t you healing?” Spencer asked, worry written clear through her voice.

Derek looked to her, hearing the worry. “I - I can’t.” Derek stumbled. “It was… It was a d - different kind of bullet.”

“A silver bullet?” Stiles questioned.

“No, you idiot.” Derek snapped back.

“Wait, wait.” Scott said, remembering something. “That’s what she meant when she said you had forty-eight hours.”

“What?!” Derek and Spencer asked at the same time.

“Who… Who said forty-eight hours?” Derek asked, struggling still to catch his breath.

“The one who shot you.” Scott said.

Derek groaned, feeling so much pain. His eyes started to change to his icy blue that they were when he was shifted. There were horns honking all around them.

“What are you doing? Stop that!” Scott ordered.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you! I can’t!” Derek breathed heavily.

“Derek, get up.” Scott told him.

“Scott, we gotta get him out of here.” Spencer warned. “If he shifts here, there’s no telling what would happen.” Spencer reached for him again, but the second her hand touched his shoulder, the pain came back into her arm. She jerked back. She furrowed her brow questioningly at Derek, who didn’t understand why she jerked away from him so quickly.

Scott got up and moved behind Derek to help him up. “Stiles, help me get him in your car.”

“What?!” Stiles exclaimed.

“Stiles, please.” Spencer begged. “We gotta get him outta here.”

Stiles saw the look in her eyes and groaned. She had one.

Spencer hugged Stiles quickly, before climbing in the passenger side to get in the back of the Jeep. Scott and Stiles shoveled Derek into the passenger seat and Scott shut the door.

“Scott.” Derek started. “I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” Scott questioned.

“‘Cause she’s an Argent!” Derek assured. “She’s with them.

“Why should I help you?”

“Because you need me.”

Spencer groaned. “As much as I’d hate to break up the bonding moment between you two, we have to get out of the way.”

“Fine.” Scott said. “I’ll try.”

Stiles loaded himself into the Jeep.

“Get him outta here.” Scott ordered.

Stiles scoffed. “I hate you for this so much.” He said before driving off.

Spencer sighed. “Let me see this thing.” She instructed.

Derek nodded as he shed his jacket.

“Hey, try not to bleed out on my seats, okay?” Stiles said, sarcastically. “We’re almost there.”

“Almost where?” Derek asked.

Stiles sighed. “Your house.” He said, as if it were obvious.

“What?” Derek questioned. “No, you can’t take me there.”

Stiles shook his head. “I can’t take you to your own house?”

“Not when I can’t protect myself.”

Stiles pulled over to the side of the road. He parked the Jeep and turned to face Derek. “What happens if Scott doesn’t find your little magic bullet?” Stiles questioned. “Hmm? Are you dying?”

“Stiles, stop it.” Spencer begged, wishing that her two friends would just quit arguing about everything.

Derek shook his head. “Not yet.”

“What?” Spencer exclaimed. “What do you mean ‘not yet’?”

Derek looked at her for a second, breathing heavily. “I have a last resort.”

“What do you mean?” Stiles asked. “What last resort?” Derek rolled up his sleeve revealing where he was shot.

Spencer gasped when she saw it, instinctively grabbing at her own arm. It was the same spot that was in pain when she woke up in the middle of the night. Instantly, she remembered her dream of Derek jumping from building to building.

“Oh, my God. What is that?” Stiles asked. “Oh, is that contagious?”

“Sti - ” Spencer started, but Stiles just interrupted her.

“You know what, you should probably just get out.”

“Start the car.” Derek ordered. “Now.”

“I don’t think you should be barking orders with the way that you look, okay? In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead.”

“Stiles, stop it!” Spencer shouted at him. “Would you slow down for a second and realize what I’m noticing.”

Stiles looked at her confused.

Spencer groaned. “Look where he got shot.”

Stiles looked down at Derek’s arm, regretfully, feeling a little squeamish.

Spencer held out the arm that she was screaming about this morning.

Stiles’ jaw dropped when it clicked in his head. “Oh, my God.” Stiles gasped. “Do you think that’s part of your witchy stuff?”

“The connection that I have with him, moreover.” Spencer corrected. “I can’t touch him without feeling the pain in my arm along with him.”

“What the hell are you two going on about?” Derek asked, angrily.

Spencer sighed. “Last night, I woke up screaming from a dream, or nightmare, about you. I had a pain in my arm in that exact spot. I didn’t think anything of it. I should have. I should have listened to my instincts and known you were in trouble.”

Derek shook his head to tell her otherwise, but Stiles beat her two it. “Spence, you couldn’t have known.” Stiles beating him to comforting her, made Derek angry.

Derek growled. “Start the car, or I’m gonna rip your throat out… with my teeth.”

“Derek, don’t make such empty threats.” Spencer warned.

Stiles thought he was being serious, so he started the car and drove forward. They drove around in silence being sure to hit the drive-thru since they were hungry. It got dark and Stiles pulled over once again to call Scott.

“What the hell am I supposed to do with him?” Stiles asked into his phone.

Spencer sighed and turned to Derek. Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, leaving Stiles to make his phone call.

Derek nodded. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

Spencer bit her lip and nodded. She sighed. “Are you really dying?”

Derek turned to look at her. He noticed how her eyes were glistening, searching his for a truthful answer. He couldn’t lie to her. He nodded. “If Scott doesn’t get that bullet.”

Spencer’s breath hitched in her throat. She kept Derek’s gaze for another second, but looked away quickly, grabbing her bookbag from behind her. She pulled out her notebook.

“What are you doing?” Derek asked her.

“There, uh -” Spencer sniffled. “There has to be something in here. I mean, anything that could help stall it. Even if I knew what it was.” Spencer held her hands over the notebook in her hands. “Weapons against werewolves.” The book opened to a page and Spencer got to work on reading the entire section.

Derek stared at her for a moment. “Red.” He said.

Spencer didn’t look away from the book, but hmmed in response.

“Red,” he urged again.

“What?” Spencer asked, looking up.

“He’ll get the bullet.”

Spencer sighed, nodded her head, and returned to reading her book.

“You’re not gonna believe where he’s telling me to take you.” Stiles told Derek, handing the older man his phone.

“Did you find it?” Derek asked, waiting for Scott’s answer. “Look, if you don’t find it, then I’m dead alright?” There was a pause as Derek’s listened. “Then think about this. The Alpha called you out against your will. He’s gonna do it again. Next time, you either kill with him, or you get killed. So if you wanna stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet.” Derek stressed, before hanging up the phone. “Go.” Derek ordered Stiles.

“Where are we going?” Spencer asked.

“The animal clinic.” Stiles answered. He drove quickly, not bothering to pay attention to the speed limits.

They arrived at the clinic and Spencer jumped out of the back to go get the spare key to the garage.

Stiles helped Derek out of the Jeep while Spencer opened the door. They got inside, and Spencer turned on the light.

Stiles’ phone beeped and he checked it. “Does Nordic Blue Monkshood mean anything to you?” Stiles asked Derek.

“It’s a rare form of wolfsbane.” Derek sighed.

Spencer perked up. She held her book out again. “Nordic Blue Monkshood.” She said, as it opened to the page, she read quickly. “Tell Scott he has to bring us the bullet.”

“Why?” Stiles asked.

“Because I’m going to die without it.” Derek told him.

Stiles looked to Spencer. He saw that her eyes were watering, and his heart broke for her.