Love's Spiral

“Scott, look!” Scott and Spencer were waiting for Stiles to get out of the one class that they didn’t have together. Spencer stood at the window with the strap to her book bag draped over her shoulder. Scott turned around to look out the window. Allison was sitting on a bench alone, probably waiting for a ride. “Now’s your chance, Romeo. You’ve got to go talk to her.”

“What if she doesn’t believe me.”

Spencer shrugged.

“You know, you really aren’t making this easier for me to go out there.”

Spencer grabbed him by his shoulders and turned him to face her. “Scott McCall. If you don’t go out there, I will. And I will be sure to say something really embarrassing about your childhood.” Spencer took a hand off his shoulders, putting a finger to her chin, thinking. “Maybe I’ll tell her when you stopped wetting the bed.”

“Scott’s eyes widened. “You promised you wouldn’t tell that to anyone!” He exclaimed.

“Drastic time, Scotty. Now who are you more scared of? Me or her?”

Scott groaned.

Spencer smiled, realizing he had won.

“I’ll be right back.” She nodded.

“Good luck.”

Scott walked out of the door that was a few steps away, leaving Spencer to stare after him.

Spencer jumped when an arm snaked around her shoulder. She groaned when she saw that it was Stiles. “Stiles!” She smacked his chest, playfully. “You should know better than to sneak up on me after this weekend.”

“Sorry.” He kissed her cheek. “What are you looking at?”

“Scott. He’s talking to Allison.” Spencer said, pointing out the window.

“About time. What’d you do threaten him?”

Spencer nodded.

Stiles smirked at her. “Teddy or his Princess Halloween?”

“Bed-wetting.”

Stiles smiled. “Good one.”

Spencer nodded.

“Hey, come on. Walk me to the locker room.” Stiles took his arm from her shoulders to clasp their hands. “I, uh - ” He gasped a laugh. “I’ve also wanted to talk about something with you.”

“Shoot.”

“Uh, I know that you and I really haven’t defined our relationship, seeing as we’re only dating. But, uh, you got Derek to take Allison home.”

Spencer sighed. Crap. She thought. “Stiles, we’re friends.”

“He killed someone.”

Spencer pulled her hand away, stopping in the small hallway with the locker room. “Do you have proof?” she asked.

“Well, not yet, bu - ”

“Then how do you know that he killed someone?”

“How do you know that he didn’t?”

Spencer shrugged her shoulders. “I just know. I trust him.”

“Do you even know him?”

“That’s not important. I don’t need to know him to trust him.” She said. “It’s just instinct.”

“Well, I think it’s important. I don’t think you can know him and judge him on one instance when you were seven.”

Spencer took a step back and furrowed her brow. “You know him less than I do and you’re making your own generalizations. That really hypocritical of you. Why can’t I have friends other than you and Scott?”

“I’m not even saying that you can’t. But Derek’s a…” Stiles looked around and made his voice softer, “werewolf.”

“So is Scott!” Spencer whispered. “And here’s something that’ll come as a shock to you. Derek hasn’t hurt me in anyway. Scott did.” She held her forearm up to show Stiles the purple bruise on her arm. “Derek tried to protect me. He saved me and Scott from those hunters!"

“Maybe he wants to make you a part of his pack.” Stiles suggested. “You and Scott.”

Spencer laughed, not believing that he was even saying that. “Stiles, stop. I’m sure that if that’s what he wanted so badly, that he would have bitten me by now. And honestly, if it meant that he wasn’t alone and surrounded by people like you who alienate him because he’s a little intimidating, I would welcome it.” Spencer said angrily between her teeth. She turned, walking away, leaving Stiles in front of the locker room, completely shocked.

“Spencer! That’s a joke, right?!” He called after her.

Spencer didn’t answer and kept walking.

“Ha ha! You’re funny! I’ll see you later! You know, not as a ferocious, over-sized dog!” Stiles cringed, thinking about Spencer becoming a werewolf. He pushed his way through the locker room and quickly changed to his uniform. While he was walking around, he noticed Scott come in. “Did you apologize to Allison?” he asked Scott.

“Yeah.” Scott said, dropping his stuff on the ground.

“Is she giving you a second chance or…?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?!” Stiles cheered. “Alright! So, everything’s good.” Stiles started to walk away.

“No.” Scott said.

Stiles peeked his head back around the lockers. “No?”

“The hunters. Her dad was one of them.”

“Her dad?”

“Shot me…”

“Allison’s father?” Stiles stressed.

“…with a crossbow.” Scott’s brow furrowed, not believing it himself.

Stiles opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He closed it to try again.

“Allison’s father…?”

“YES! Her father!” Scott shouted before beginning to freak out. “Oh, my God.”

“No.” Stiles came over to Scott to calm him down. “Scott. Snap back. You okay? Hey, okay.”

Scott calmed, slightly.

“He didn’t recognize you, right?”

“No, no. I don’t think he did.”

“Does she know about him?”

“I don’t know. What if she does?”

A whistle blew outside. The coach was rounded everyone up.

“This is gonna kill me, man.” Scott complained, near tears.

“Scott, stop. Just focus on lacrosse, okay? Here, take this.” Stiles said, picking up Scott’s lacrosse stick and handing it to him. “Take this and focus on lacrosse for now, okay? That’s all you gotta do, yeah? Lacrosse.” Stiles pushed Scott out of the locker room. “Here we go.”

@#$%$#@

Spencer pushed herself out the door into the gloomy day thinking about what she said to Stiles. Had she actually said that she would gladly become a werewolf? She didn’t even think about it. It kind of just came out. She didn’t know if she even believed it.

She walked across the field, thankful none of the players were there yet. She saw Lydia sitting on the bleachers, bouncing her legs up and down, probably from the cold. Lydia waved her over and Spencer nodded, joining her.

“Hey, Lydia.” She said, smiling and sitting down.

“Spencer.” She said. “How’d your Friday go?” she elbowed her friend and winked.

Spencer sighed. “Not as good as you think it did. Scott got sick and we had to leave to take care of him.

“Mmhmm.” Lydia mumbled, looking at her nails.

“But he made it up to me on Saturday.” Spencer grinned.

This caught Lydia’s attention. She oohed. “Do tell.”

“I woke up. I’d been sleeping all day. And there were candles and music. Pizza and dancing. We kissed.”

“Oh, yeah. Was it good?”

Spencer shrugged. “I’m not sure. It was only my first kiss.” Spencer blushed. “But yeah, I guess.”

Lydia raised her eyebrow.

“I loved the kiss.” Spencer said, stretching the truth.

Lydia could tell. “Were there at least second and third kisses?”

“Yeah.” Spencer found Scott on the field playing. He wouldn’t be paying any attention to what she’d say next, and she knew that Stiles couldn’t hear her so she went on. “To be honest, though, I didn’t really feel anything. I mean, I felt something, but it wasn’t really fireworks.”

Lydia nodded, watching Jackson on the field.

Spencer followed her gaze. “Do you feel that way about Jackson?”

No answer.

“Lydia?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you feel fireworks? When you’re with Jackson?”

“Yeah. Um, I guess.” Lydia took a breath. “Spencer. You know what you’re problem is?”

Spencer shook her head.

“You’ve had one real date with this guy.”

“So? I’ve been best friends with him since kindergarten. And I’ve known him longer than that.”

“Well, maybe that’s all you’re supposed to be.”

“Best friends?”

Lydia nodded. “Maybe add some benefits in there, too.” Lydia pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders.

Spencer laughed. “Lydia, I’ve just told you that I didn’t feel fireworks with this guy. I’m not about to go have…do that with him.” Spencer stumbled.

“You can’t even say sex. No wonder you don’t want to have sex with Stiles.”

Spencer watched as Scott’s head whipped around to the stands. “Shh! Lydia!”

“What? It’s not like anyone can hear us.” Lydia said, gesturing to the empty bleachers.

“You’d be surprised.” Spencer said through her teeth.

This distracted Scott, making Coach blow the whistle on him. “McCall!” Coach laughed and walked towards Scott, who was hunched over on the field. He was probably frustrated. “Hey, McCall!”

“You sure you still want to be first line, McCall?” Jackson joked.

Spencer’s eyes darted to the blond with a glare. He saw her when he went to check out Lydia and nervously looked away. Spencer looked back to Scott to see him breathing heavily. “Oh, no.” She looked over to Stiles, who wasn’t paying any attention to the field. “Lydia, I’ll call you later.”

Lydia nodded.

“Stiles!” Spencer called.

Stiles turned around on the bench.

Spencer got up from her seat and ran down the bleachers to join Stiles on the bench. “Stiles, look at him.”

He turned his attention from her to Scott. “He’s fine. He’s just playing really hard.”

Spencer shook her head. “What if he’s not? We can’t have him change here. There’ll be a riot with torches and pitchforks.”

“Calm down.” Stiles said, putting an arm around her shoulders, hugging her close to get her warm. “He’ll be fine.” He kissed her temple.

“McCall’s gonna to it again.” Coach shouted walking off the field. “McCall’s gonna do it again!” Coach blew his whistle. “Let’s go!” The players ran around the field, trying to make the play.

“Did you really mean what you said earlier?” Stiles asked her, referring to her accepting any sort of werewolf fate.

Spencer’s eyes remained on the field. “I don’t know.” She said, honestly. “I said it mostly because I was angry.”

“I really don’t like you being around Derek. He’s dangerous.”

“No, he’s not. Derek wouldn’t hurt me.”

“How do you know?”

Spencer shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I just know.” Spencer chewed at her fingernails, nervously watching Scott. Everything slowed when Scott caught sight of Jackson. Scott quickly ran to him. Jackson was frozen. Scott ran in a straight line until he crashed into Jackson, knocking the blond to the ground, clutching his shoulder. Scott fell to the ground on all fours.

“Stiles! Go over there!” Spencer said, pushing her friend off the bench, then standing to watch them better.

Stiles ran, almost tripping over his own feet. “Scott? Scott, are you okay?”

Coach ran out after Stiles, only he went to Jackson. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Coach mumbled.

“I can’t control it, Stiles. It’s happening.” Scott said, through his teeth.

“What? Right here? Now?” Stiles looked around, stopping at the spot where Spencer stood. He gave her a worried look. She shook her head and shooed them off the field. “Alright. Come on, get up. Come on. Come on.” Stiles rushed the two of them off the field. Spencer stepped forward to run after them, but a hand on her upper arm stopped her.

She smiled, looking up at the person. “Derek.” She breathed.

“I wouldn’t follow them.”

Spencer furrowed her brow.

“Scott’s shifted. It could get ugly.”

Spencer’s eyes widened. “Well, then I have to go. I can’t leave Stiles in there alone.” She tried to pull herself from Derek’s grasp, but he only moved his hand to hers.“You’re kidding, right? You’d just let Stiles die in there?” Spencer asked, pulling her arm away from Derek forcefully.

“He won’t die.” Derek said, letting her go.

Spencer stayed to listen to what else he had to say.

“Maybe a scratch. But Scott won’t kill him. There’s still part of his real self in there.”

Spencer sighed and hoped what Derek said was true.

Derek heard the soft siren of an ambulance. He decided that he should go and turned to leave.

“Wait, where are you going?” Spencer asked him.

Derek stopped, turning back, and shrugged his shoulders. “Home.”

“Alone?” He didn’t respond, but Spencer knew. “Can I come?” Spencer asked, then bit her lip.

Something inside Derek tightened. He wanted nothing more than to take her with him and spend time with her. “Are you sure your friends won’t care? They don’t seem to like me.”

“Who says they have to know?” Spencer smirked.

Derek grinned back at her sneakiness. He didn’t applaud her attitude towards the boy she was supposed to be dating, but he didn’t dwell on it. Derek quickly remembered that she was choosing him right now over the boy in the locker room. “Alright, c’mon.”

Spencer smiled.

@#$%$#@

“You know, you need to be more careful when you’re driving.” Spencer said, stepping out of Derek’s car when they arrived at his house. She had texted Stiles saying that she and Lydia were going back to Lydia’s for dinner. Lydia, of course, covered for her and told her how Jackson was doing.

“What?” Derek asked, confused.

“Well, I’m guessing the whole Fast and Furious thing is kind of a dream for you, and believe me, it’s kind of hot. But…if you ever want Scott and Stiles to like you, you’re going to have to be more careful with me.”

Derek shook his head and started walking towards the house.

Spencer stopped on the porch to look at her surroundings.

“What?” Derek asked.

“Believe it or not, with all of our adventures up here to ‘The Haunted Hale House,’ I’ve never been inside. The three of us would say that we’d finally go in, then we’d get up here, chicken out, and run away screaming.”

Derek showed a small smile. “I’ll protect you.”

Spencer nodded. “I know.” The two walked into the house, Derek after Spencer. She looked all around at the charred house. “Wow. I bet this place was beautiful.”

Derek nodded, only looking at her. “It was. I still see it. The way it was.”

“Have you ever thought about re-doing it? So everyone else can see it the way you do?”

Derek shrugged. “It won’t bring them back.”

Spencer nodded solemnly. It was silent for a moment. The two moved to the living room. Spencer was scared to touch anything, fearing that it would instantly turn to dust. “I remember that day.” Spencer said, suddenly.

Derek looked at her.

“I remember you. I remember what I said to you.” Spencer paused. “Do you remember?”

Derek panicked. He shook his head, lying.

“I figured.” She said, a little sad that he didn’t remember. “If I had known what you knew, I probably wouldn’t remember me either.”

Derek nodded, now wishing he hadn’t lied.

@$#%$#@

Derek and Spencer hung out for about an hour at the house. Derek was letting Spencer do all of the talking. He kept asking her small questions about her, not letting her ask him anything. Spencer didn’t mind. She liked talking to him. She liked spending time and being with him. He drove her home as she led the way, pointing in the directions that he needed to drive. He parked across the street, then noticed the police cruiser parked in the driveway.

“Your parents work for the department?”

Spencer shook her head. “That’s Stiles’ dad. I basically live here though.”

Derek hid his growl. “And you’re dating him?”

Spencer shrugged nervously. She didn’t like talking about Stiles to Derek. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, we’ve been on one date. Sort of. It wasn’t really a date. We ate pizza at home.”

Derek nodded, feeling a pang of jealousy. “What about your house? Your parents?”

Spencer smiled. “I should go. If we idle out here, Stiles will see and freak out.”

Derek grit his teeth over Stiles’ claim on Spencer.

“We should hang out. Thursday?”

“Yeah.” Derek pulled a piece of paper from a center cup holder.

Spencer opened it, saw a phone number and smiled. “Thanks.” She hesitated in her seat, wanting to hug him. “ I’ll text you so that you have mine.” Spencer pushed herself out of the car.

Derek didn’t even wait for her to get inside before he sped off.

Spencer scrunched her nose in disgust. She instantly pulled out her phone from her pocket and texted him. Bye. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and ran upstairs to Stiles’ room. She burst the door open and Stiles turned around in his computer chair, firing a fake toy gun towards her.

“Stiles!” She exclaimed.

“Sorry, you scared me.”

“Spencer?” Scott called from the computer. Spencer sat down on Stiles lap in the chair. “What did you find out?”

Stiles readjusted himself under Spencer when she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

Spencer searched for the text from Lydia. “Jackson has a separated shoulder.”

Stiles wondered why she was looking at her phone for the information instead of pulling it from memory.

“Because of me?”

“No,” Stiles told Scott, “because he’s a tool.”

“Is he gonna play on Friday?”

Spencer shrugged. They don’t know yet.” she said. “Hopefully, you’re on your a-game, though.”

Scott sighed.

Stiles looked closer to the corner of his computer. “What is that?” He asked Spencer.

Spencer looked, too, and saw what he did, only she saw who it was. “Oh, no.”

“What?” Scott asked. The signal on the computer went out, briefly.

Stiles typed around Spencer’s torso. It looks like… Then the computer froze on Scott’s end, the rainbow wheel of death came up.

“Oh, no.”

“Did you see something I didn’t?” Stiles asked.

Spencer pushed her lips together, not saying a word.

Stiles typed a second message, hoping Scott would get it. Someone’s behind you. In the next second, Scott was disconnected from the call.

“Oh, no.”

“Is that all you can say?”

Spencer shrugged, standing up to move to sit on Stiles’ desk.

“I’m just worried.”

“Worried? Why are you worried? What was that?” Stiles asked.

“Uh, it might have been Derek and he seemed kind of mad.”

“Derek? Wait! Seemed? It was way too dark. How could you tell?”

Spencer sighed. Damn you, Stiles, for being so smart. “I didn’t see from the computer. Derek just dropped me off. I was with him. Not Lydia.”

Stiles stood from the chair, his heart stopping. Even though she’s been in front of him, perfectly okay, he still felt the need to check her for bruises and cuts.

“I was gonna tell you. Eventually. When you warmed up to him.” Spencer stopped him, putting her hands on either side of his face. “I’m fine. You can stop checking me.”

Stiles sighed, closing his eyes, feeling her touch. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” She said, lowering her hands. “We went to his house and talked. He drove me home. When he left, he seemed angry.”

“Do you think he’ll hurt Scott?”

Spencer shook her head. “Maybe threaten him. He was at practice and I’m sure that he knows what happened.”

Stiles moved in close, between Spencer’s legs, placing his forehead on hers. Stiles swallowed his nervousness. "Dammit, Spence."

“I’m sorry.” she sighed, moving her arms around his neck.

“I think you tell me when you’re with Derek. I won’t stop you. I know I can’t. Just let me know. I can’t lose you to something like that. What happened with that girl - ”

Spencer pulled away. “You can’t prove that he did that.”

“No, but he’s still a suspect. But that isn’t the point. If that happened to you, I could never forgive myself. Especially if it turns out that Derek did it.”

“Alright. I’ll tell you. Now, this is me telling you, that I’m hanging out with Derek Thursday night.” She jumped up from her seat on the desk and went to his closet to change.

“Night?” he said, through his closet door. “Are you sure that’s safe?”

Spencer opened the door quickly, hiding her bare upper body with the door. She glared at him.

“Okay, okay.” He backed away with his hands raised, in defense. He quickly changed his pants and laid down on his own bed. “So, I was thinking…”

“Yeah? Don’t hurt yourself.” Spencer joked, stepping out of the closet in short shorts and one of Stiles’ t-shirts.

His jaw dropped. “Uh, well…um.”

Spencer laughed. “Chill out, Casanova.”

Stiles took a deep breath. “How about you and I go on a real date? Tomorrow?”

Spencer climbed in bed next to him, getting him more nervous. “You’re acting like we’ve never slept in the same bed.”

“It’s been a weird day.”

“Tell me about it.”

Stiles opened his arms for Spencer to crawl in.

Spencer entangled her legs in his. Thankfully, she shaved this morning. “But, yes. A date would be wonderful.” She looked up at him. She leaned up to kiss him softly.

“I like kissing you.” Stiles said.

Spencer smiled at the comment, and moved to kiss him again. Maybe, I can grow to really like him. She thought. She laid her head down and drifted to sleep.

@$#%$#@

Derek froze in his spot on the tree outside Stiles’ window. If he wasn’t angry before, he sure was now. The control that the boy had over Spencer was maddening. Spencer was the kind of person who shouldn’t need to tell someone where she was. She was a free spirit. She could make decisions for herself. Derek growled quietly, jumped from the tree, shifted, and ran.

@#$%#$@

“How in the world are you understanding any of this?” Stiles asked, running a hand across the top of his shaved head.

Spencer laughed from the spot at the table next to him. “Stiles, you’re smart. You know this. What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe you’re distracting me.”

Spencer smiled. "How am I distracting you, if I'm actuall doing my work?"

Stiles scoffed. “It’s your pure awesomeness. It just radiates off of you to everyone around you. And for me, since I’m your b - date for tonight, it is like ten times worse.”

“I think you’re making excuses.”

“What do you want to do tonight?”

“Stiles, you have to do your work.”

Stiles waved her off. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll get it done. But what do you want to do?”

Spencer shook her head. “We can get pizza?”

Stiles shoulders dropped as he stared at her with a questioning glare. “Pizza?” He asked. “We had pizza last time.”

Spencer shrugged, turning back to her worksheet. “I like pizza.”

Stiles sighed.

“Did Scott talk to you? About Derek’s visit? Like, what he said?”

Stiles shook his head. “Honestly, I haven’t heard from him since then. Wish I had. He won’t answer his phone. I think Derek really freaking him out so he skipped this morning.”

“Garner! Stilinski!” Mr. Harris called from the front of the classroom. The two looked up at him like deer in headlights. “I’m not afraid to give you detention all week.”

Stiles’ jaw dropped. “We weren’t doing anything.”

“Sorry, sir.” Spencer intervened. “We were only talking about your worksheet.”

The teacher glared at them before accepting Spencer’s reason as truth and looking away.

“How did you - ?” Stiles asked, pointing to the front at Mr. Harris. “I swear that dude hates me.”

“I can’t see why.” Spencer said, sarcastically. “Maybe it's because you call him dude.” Spencer shrugged jokingly.

Stiles faked a laugh at her. The bell rang and they were dismissed. Spencer and Stiles tried to run out of the classroom.

“Garner.” Harris called, stopping her and Stiles. “Stay. Stilinski, go.”

Stiles looked to Spencer.

Spencer nodded. “Go. Try and call Scott.”

Stiles nodded and walked out.

Harris went to close the door.

“Sir, I don’t mean to criticize, but shouldn’t you leave that open?”

Harris nodded, leaving it open a crack.

Spencer sat on top of the lab table behind her.

“Miss Garner, I don’t appreciate you lying to me.”

“Sir?”

“You lied to me. You said you were talking about the worksheet.”

Spencer tilted her head slightly, confused. “We were talking about it.”

“Stop. Lying. To. Me.” He said, through his teeth, angry. He took a deep breath and moved to stand in front of her.

Spencer moved back more on the table, creating a safe student-teacher distance.

“You’re such a good student. Way too pretty and smart to be sticking up for a boy like Stilinski.”

“Stiles is my best friend.”

“He’s not good for you.” Harris said, stepping forward.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.” Spencer said as she tried moving back on the desk more, but she remembered that she was in a dress and couldn’t go much further. Her heart started beating fast and loud. Spencer could feel it in her chest. Harris was almost too close to her, closer than any teacher should be to a student. Spencer kept her eyes open, not taking them off of him, scared of what he would do. She didn’t even blink.

@$#%$#@

Stiles nodded to Spencer, leaving Mr. Harris’ classroom. The teacher hated him. Stiles wasn’t even sure what he’d done to make Harris so annoyed with him. Stiles pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Scott. When he didn’t answer, a few seconds later, Stiles called his friend. Scott answered after three rings.

“Hello?” He answered.

“Dude, where are you?” Stiles asked.

“My alarm didn’t go off. I’m on my way now.”

“Are you okay? I mean, Derek…totally uncalled for."

“I’m fine. I’ll tell you when I get there. How’d you know it was Derek?”

“I didn’t. Spencer did. Apparently, they’re friends or something.”

“Speaking of Spencer. Is she with you?”

“No, she’s talking with Harris. I’m right outside the door.”

“Her heart is beating really fast. I can hear it. She sounds kinda scared.”

“Scared? Why would she be scared?” Stiles moved by the door and looked through the crack. Harris was moving in on the desk and Spencer was leaned back as far as she could be. “Scott, I’ll call you back.” Stiles hung up and pushed the door open. “Spencer?” He called.

Harris’ head bolted to the door and glared when he saw Stiles there.

“A - are you ready to g - go?”

“Stiles.” Spencer sighed, pushing herself off of the side of the table and ran to him. “Come one, let’s go.” Spencer said, grabbing him and pulling him from the room. She walked with him to their next class. “Did you get ahold of Scott?”

“Yeah.” Stiles said, absently. “What was that?”

“What did he say?”

“He slept late. He’s on his way.” He almost tripped as Spencer hurried down the hall. “What’s wrong?”

“Is he alright? Derek probably scared the shit out of him. I’m gonna talk to him.” Spencer took her phone out and started looking for Derek’s number.

“Spencer?”

“I know I put his number in here. I texted him last night.”

“Spence?”

“I thought I did.”

“Spencer?!” Stiles said, loudly, frustrated that she wouldn’t answer him. “What the hell happened?”

Spencer sighed. “I think Harris tried to pull something…”