Love's Spiral

After her little spat with Scott, Spencer wanted to hit something. She had decided to go back to the subway station. Maybe she could relay what she knew to Derek while they fought each other. Spencer could show him that she is on his side, but her friends were still her friends. She still loved Scott and Stiles as she did before the werewolf mess came along and nothing would ever change that. They were her best friends.

Spencer was quickly pulled from her thoughts when her cell phone started ringing from her pocket. She came to a stop at a nearby stop sign and grabbed it answering it. “Hey, Pops. What’s up?”

“Hi, Spencer. There’s been an accident.” The sheriff responded.

Spencer’s heart dropped. “What happened? Are you okay? Is Stiles okay?”

“We’re fine. I promise. But Stiles needs a ride home.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“I haven’t even told you where we are yet.” The sheriff joked.

Spencer laughed. “Right. That’s kind of important.”

“We’re at the mechanic’s shop. Just outside of town. Will you still be five minutes?”

Spencer took in her surroundings, gathering where she was. “Um, why don’t you make it ten. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Thanks.” The sheriff said before he hung up.

Spencer drove quickly through the backroads of town to get to the little shop she knew about. It was the shop that Stiles always took his Jeep to because the guy was pretty decent when it came the price of work to be done. Spencer got there in ten minutes, just as she told the sheriff. She jumped out of her truck weaved her way through the numerous cop cars and ambulances surrounding the small shop. Finally, Spencer sees the sheriff and Stiles sitting in the back of one of the ambulances. She sighed when she saw both men were okay. Spencer rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Stiles.

Stiles was confused by the arms around him. His own arms were outstretched slightly, not sure how to respond. “Spencer?”

Spencer pulled away from her friend. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Stiles assured, wringing his hands. “Yeah, Spence, I’m fine.” he said, putting on a show for his dad since he wasn’t aware of everything going on between him and Spencer.

Spencer looked to Stiles, biting the corner of her lip, realizing that he wasn’t exactly being his normal friendly self. She put her hood up, shielding herself from the rain, and pulled her sleeves over her hands.

“What happened?” The sheriff asked from next to his son.

Stiles let out a breath, fidgeting his hands. “I-I told you. I just… I walked in, and I saw the jeep on top of the guy. That’s all.”

Spencer listened in on Stiles’ heartbeat. He’d lied to his dad.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” Sheriff Stilinski asked.

Stiles shook his hand quickly, like it had fallen asleep and he was trying to get the feeling back. “Nothing. Can I just get out of here now?”

The sheriff waited a moment. “Look, if there’s something you don’t think you can tell me…”

“You think I’m lying?” Stiles asked him accusingly.

“No, of course not.”

Spencer knew better, of course.

“I’m just worried about you.” The sheriff continued. “Now, if you saw someone do this, and if you’re afraid that maybe they’re gonna come back and make sure you don’t say anything about it…” The sheriff trailed off, waiting for Stiles to continue.

“I didn’t see anything.” Stiles said, looking his father in the eye. “At all. Can I go now, please?”

His dad looked at him for a moment longer before nodding. “Sure. But not in your Jeep. Spencer can take you home.” The sheriff looked to Spencer.

Spencer showed both the sheriff and Stiles a smile.

Stiles scoffed. “What?”

“We’re gonna have to impound it. Sorry, kid. It’s evidence.” Sheriff got up from his spot, hitting his son on the shoulder. He walked by Spencer and gave her a side hug and a kiss on her temple. “See you at home.”

Stiles sighed, annoyed, rubbing a hand over his head. “Look, at least make sure they wash it!” He called to his father. Stiles pulled out his phone, texting Scott quickly to come and pick him up.

Spencer stood in front of Stiles watching him nervously go through his phone. “Stiles?” she called, gaining his attention. “What really happened?” Spencer asked.

“I don’t know.” Stiles claimed, pushing himself off of the ambulance and walking away from her.

“I think you’re lying to me.” Spencer said, walking after him.

“You should know, considering you have super hearing.”

Spencer groaned. “C’mon, talk to me.”

“I can’t.” Stiles insisted, looking to her.

“Stiles, you need to tell me what happened, right now.”

“When did you get so demanding? Is that some sort of freaky side effect of a certain bite that you didn’t tell me about!?” Stiles questioned her.

“I had my reasons for not saying anything.” Spencer pushed.

“Why should I tell you what happened, anyway?”

“Maybe you shouldn’t. But I’d really like you to. I need to stop blaming myself for nearly getting you killed tonight.”

Stiles furrowed his brow, taking a step away from her. “Why would you blame yourself?”

Spencer sighed. “I told Erica to stall you when I found out you were going to Boyd’s. I’m the reason why you were here. Erica just took things too far by messing with your Jeep. That’s why you had to come get it fixed. If I hadn’t told her, you wouldn’t have almost died.”

“It didn’t come after me.” Stiles bursted, just wanting Spencer to stop talking.

“What?”

“The damn thing didn’t try to kill me. It paralyzed me. It - It killed that guy. Squished him right under the Jeep. Then it ran off.”

“It paralyzed you? Did it scatch you?” Spencer asked, recalling Deaton’s words back at the animal clinic. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“No, it didn’t scratch me.” Stiles said. “And, no, I’m not okay. You’re a freaking werewolf.” He said in a hushed tone. “And Scott’s a freaking werewolf. I was completely helpless tonight.”

“You know what it looks like, though.” Spencer insisted. “You know something we don’t. That’s not helpless. If you could just tell me something, we’d be that much closer to figuring out what the hell this thing is.”

A horn honked from behind them and both teenagers turned to look.

Stiles sighed. “I’ve got to go.”

“Stiles, come on!” Spencer begged.

“I’ll see you later.” Stiles left her side, moving quickly to Scott’s car and getting in.

“You okay?” Scott asked him once he was in safely.

“Let’s just go.” Stiles said, not looking back in Spencer’s direction.

Scott glanced at Spencer before he listened to his friend.

Spencer looked at him sadly, but waved him along with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She watched as Scott drove away from the mechanic’s shop. Spencer’s wasn’t in much of a hurry to get back to the subway station after that. She drove slowly through the streets, lazily making her turns and taking very long stops at stop signs.

After arriving at the subway station, she climbs out of her truck and slammed the door in frustration. Spencer trudged her way down the stairs to their hideout, seeing Boyd sitting on them. She joined him with a smile in his direction.

Boyd showed a one-sided smile back her way. He was watching as Isaac was running some sort of drill with Derek.

Isaac kept advancing him, trying to outsmart Derek. However, Isaac was taking the same path each time.

Spencer looked around, trying to see if she could send a pointer Isaac’s way. Instead, she saw that Erica was on top of the subway car behind Derek, ready to jump on him. Spencer let that play out and watched as Derek easily threw Erica to the ground next to the recently fallen Isaac.

Derek huffed and rolled his eyes. “Does anyone want to try not being completely predictable?”

Erica pushed herself onto her feet and threw herself onto Derek, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him hard.

Spencer stood to her feet when he noticed Derek was kissing Erica back, just as furiously. Although the sight made her sick, Spencer decided not to show any emotion towards it. Especially when she caught Derek looking to her while he was still lip-locked with Erica.

In the next second, Derek threw Erica to the ground without mercy. He wiped the spit that Erica had left on his lips. “That’s the last time you do that.” Derek ordered.

“Why? ‘Cause I’m a beta? Or because I’m not your first beta.” Erica asked, flicking her eyes back at Spencer.

“I’m not his first beta.” Spencer pointed out with a shrug, following Boyd as he walked down the stairs, joining his friends.

“Neither.” Derek said, breaking up the impending fight. “It’s because I have someone else in mind for you.”

Isaac looked up at Derek, holding his arm. “Are we done?” Isaac asked, pushing himself up into a seated position. “‘Cause I got about a hundred bones that need a few hours to heal.”

Derek cocked his head to the side, looking a little concerned. He offered to look at Isaac’s bruised wrist. Derek squatted down, grabbing Isaac’s wrist, rotating the joint with his own hands. “Yeah?” Derek questioned.

“Uh-huh.” Isaac said.

A second later, Derek tightened his hold on Isaac’s wrist and bent it backwards, making him turn in his spot on the floor. Derek held Isaac’s arm behind his head.

Isaac was seething with pain.

Spencer runs forward, placing a comforting hand on Isaac’s other arm.

Derek kept his hold. “A hundred and one.” Derek clarified.

“Derek, let him go.” Spencer ordered, looking at the others. “You’re scaring them.”

“You think I’m teaching you how to fight?” Derek asked, pulling Isaac’s arm a little harder. “Huh? Look at me!” Derek shouted, making even Spencer jump. “I’m teaching you how to survive.” Another minute and Derek still hadn’t let up.

“Derek!” Spencer begged.

Derek threw Isaac’s arm towards the ground, finally letting go. He didn’t meet Spencer’s eyes as he got up and walked towards his train car.

“Are you okay?” Spencer asked Isaac, helping him sit up.

Isaac held his wrist, and ignored Spencer’s question. “If they wanted us dead, why aren’t they coming for us now? What are they waiting for?” Isaac challenged Derek, making him stop and turn back around.

“I don’t know.” Derek admitted. “But they’re planning something, and you, especially know that’s not our only problem.” Derek said pointedly towards Isaac. “Whatever that thing is that killed Isaac’s father, I think it killed someone else last night.”

Spencer sighed, recalling tonight’s events at the repair shop in her head. She decided to wait and tell Derek that in private.

“Until I find out what is it, you all need to learn everything that I know.” Derek turned towards his car. “As fast as I can teach you.” He persisted, leaving the four of his betas in the main room.

Spencer stood up and helped Erica and Isaac to their feet. Her three other packmates looked to her wanting her to say something to Derek. Spencer looked to them and bit her lip before she sighed. “You guys need to know how to protect yourselves. This is Derek’s way of teaching you. In his world, violence and abrasiveness… They’re the only things that he needs.”

“He broke my arm.” Isaac pointed out, holding up his cradled right arm.

“I know. And I’m sorry. I should have stopped him.” Spencer admitted. “He’s just frustrated. We have a lot on our plate right now.” Spencer groaned and pushed her hair from her face. “Why don’t you guys go home and I’ll let you know when I figure something out?” she said to Erica and Boyd, earning nods and retreating figures from both of them. “Isaac, you can go hang out in my room and heal up. I’ll be back in a little bit. I’m gonna talk to him.”

“He won’t break your arm, will he?” Isaac asked sarcastically, but also wondering if Derek actually would.

“If he tried, I’d probably break his.”

Isaac nodded, and walked towards the stairs. “If you aren’t at your house within an hour, I’m texting Scott that Derek killed you.”

Spencer scoffed a laugh, waving at him to leave. She stood staring at Derek’s car for a moment before she took a deep and invited herself inside it. Spencer saw him sitting on his bed and leaned against the doorway, crossing her arms. “You know, we’ll never be able to kill this thing if you kill them first.”

“They should have know this was coming.” Derek said, pushing himself off of his bed and stood on the other side of his car, facing away from her. “You should have know this was coming.”

“It killed again tonight.” Spencer said, softly.

Derek’s head snapped in her direction. “How do you know?”

“Stiles saw it. He was at that small mechanic shop a little out of town. It paralyzed and killed the guy that runs it.”

“Good. What else did you get?”

“Derek, that’s not good. A guy died.”

“Okay, but what did you find out from Stiles?”

Spencer opened her mouth to respond, but sighed instead. “Nothing.”

Derek scoffed away from her.

“He doesn’t trust me.” Spencer said quietly.

“He has to trust you.” Derek pointed out.

“He can’t. Not when I’m in our pack. And I am in your pack. But I’m losing their trust fast because they don’t want me running back to you.”

Derek crossed his arms. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Spencer questioned Derek incredulously. “What do you mean ‘okay’? Derek, they’ve been my friends since preschool. They’re my best friends. You might not understand what this feels like, but it sucks.”

Derek huffed and raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. I’ve just lost my entire family.” He said plainly.

Spencer sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“My situation is actually kind of worse, but please, go on about how much your life ‘sucks’ right now.”

“Stiles and Scott are my family!” Spencer insisted. After a momentary staring contest, Spencer near tears, she continued. “You’re right, Derek. My pain doesn’t nearly amount to yours, but it’s pretty damn close!” Spencer bit her lip, swallowing the lump in her throat and walked away from Derek.

“Try and find out what he knows!” Derek shouted after her.

“Screw you!” Spencer cursed Derek. She rushed up the stairs, needing to get away from Derek. She drove home and jumped out of her truck. Spencer entered the house through the front door and slammed it, rushing to her room.

Amy had been sitting on the couch, and she stood when she noticed her daughter. “Where have you been?” Amy asked.

“Out.” Spencer said simply.

“It’s a school night.” Amy pointed out.

“And I told you that I wasn’t going to abide by any of your rules.” Spencer turned to face her mother.

“Spencer, you can’t talk to me like that.”

Spencer groaned, balling up her fists and taking angry steps towards Amy. “How many times are we going to have this fight, Amy? You were absent from my life. You signed permission slips and bought my clothes, but I took care of myself. I’ve not had a curfew before and, all of a sudden, you’re gonna try and push one on me?”

“No.” Amy cowered. “I just thought you would be home before now. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What then?” Spencer asked, not really caring what Amy had to say and retreating to her room anyway. “I mean, it’s not like I’ve got other stuff that I need to do.”

“I’m thinking of leaving Beacon Hills.”

Spencer stopped. “What?”

“I can’t live in this town anymore.” Amy admitted. “Your dad was the reason we were here and now that he’s gone… I can’t be here.”

“Okay.” Spencer took in a deep breath. “Well, I guess I’ll be fine here.”

Amy shook her head when her daughter didn’t grasp what she was meaning. “I’m selling the house. You’re coming with me.”

“No.” Spencer said simply, shaking her head. “I’m not leaving.”

“Spencer…”

“No!” the redhead shouted.

“It’s not healthy for you to be in this town. I know you having a hard time accepting that he’s dead, bu - ”

“I am not having a hard time with any of it. That… That asshole pretended like he had no idea who I was my entire life.”

“Pretended?” Amy repeated. “He wasn’t ignoring you on purpose, sweetie.”

“God!” Spencer exclaimed. “That is what you don’t see! He was lying to you. To me. He knew, everyday, who I was. What I was. And he ignored me, so I wouldn’t know and I wouldn’t see it coming so I couldn’t outpower him.”

Amy shook her head, confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Right.” Spencer said, not believing her. “‘Cause you’re an innocent bystander who just so happened to find a magical book in the safe house. You knew I was a witch. You knew I was something. You should have had the slightest inkling that it had something to do with Dad.” Spencer looked to her mom for a moment, before continuing on her rampage. “He was a murderer! He killed all those people. Not a mountain lion. Not Kate Argent. Dad did!”

“He was keeping you safe!” Amy screamed back at her with tears in her eyes. The older woman instantly covered her hand over her mouth, regretting her outburst.

Spencer took a step away from her mother. “You knew?”

“That your father was a werewolf?” Amy asked, followed by a nod. “Why do you think I had the safe house built?” She paused, ready to explain her side. “Before the accident, your father told me what he was and what you would probably be. He said that we would tell you when you were ready.”

“What changed?” Spencer demanded.

“The accident. He did forever, Spencer. I had to lock him in the safe house on full moons, just to make sure no one got hurt.” Amy shook her head, recalling those nights. “Whether the amnesia faded or went away, he did forget for a long time.”

“What?” Spencer questioned, so shocked and confused.

“He remembered the accident and the fire and what the hunters did to people who were like that. So he told me we were going to keep you away from it. To keep you safe.”

“Except I wasn’t! I was defenseless! And when he was on my opposing side, I knew he did it on purpose. I couldn’t fight! I couldn’t protect myself after the hunters came back. Know now that you knew what I was and didn’t tell me, just shows me how much you care about my safety.” Spencer rolled her eyes and turned away from her mother.

“You couldn’t?” Amy asked quietly, making Spencer stop. “As in past tense.”

Spencer took a deep breath, channeling her wolf. She turned around, showing Amy her fangs.

Amy let out a sob. “Spencer, you didn’t.”

“I had to.” Spencer insisted. “For survival.” She turned back and headed towards her room, finally closing herself within the safe walls. Spencer let out a breath with her eyes closed, leaning against the closed doors. When she opened her eyes, she saw Isaac standing from his previous seated position in Spencer’s cushioned chair. Spencer sighed. “You heard that huh?”

Isaac shrugged. “It was hard not to.”

Spencer groaned and threw herself on her bed.

“You wanna talk about it.”

Spencer turned over, lying on her back. She shook her head. “My parents stopped being my parents a long time ago.” Spencer sighed looking around her childhood room.

Isaac joined Spencer on her bed, laying next to her.

Spencer chuckled. “Would you mind terribly having a roommate down in the subway?”

Isaac looked her way and blushed, smiling. “‘Course not.”