Love's Spiral

Stiles was sitting close to Erica, looking over her shoulder as she typed on the computer, trying to find out the information about Jackson.

Spencer was sure that they found something because they both got really quiet and leaned in to get a better look at the screen. She sat and waited for them to say something for a few minutes before she couldn’t take not finding out as well. “Guys, I know I’m awesome and can do a lot of cool stuff, but one thing I can’t do is read minds. So what’s going on?” Spencer looked up seeing Jackson and Harris enter the library. Harris walked to the library desk and looked like he was packing up his stuff.

“Look at the dates.” Stiles said, earning Spencer’s attention.

Erica read aloud quietly. “‘Passengers arrived at the hospital DOA. The estimated time of death 9:26, June 14, 1995’.”

“Jackson’s birthday is June 15th.”

“Wait.” Spencer said, watching as Harris slipped his briefcase strap over his shoulder. “I think detention is over.”

Stiles looked behind him and nodded. He stood, moving to grab his backpack. The rest of the library did as well.

Harris laughed. “No, I’m sorry.” He said. “Uh, yes, I’m leaving, but none of you are.”

Spencer rolled her eyes, groaning, and slowly eased herself back into her seat.

“You may go when you’re done with the re-shelving.” Harris teased, tapping two carts of books to his sides. However, there were also two others. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Harris said with a smile before leaving.

Spencer got up from her seat and grabbed a cart of books. As she did, Scott entered the library. She gestured for him to follow her and wheeled her cart down an aisle.

Stiles and Allison following after a couple moments after her and Scott were down it.

Spencer stopped the cart in the middle of the aisle and began to put the books back in their rightful place on the shelves. “Okay, so if Jackson was born June 15 and his mom died June 14, what exactly does that mean?”

“It means he was born after his mom died by C-Section.” Stiles confirmed. “They had to pull him out of her dead body.”

“Yeah, I thought that. Sorry I asked.” She put a book down. “So his problems go even further than we thought. Do you think he knows that?”

“Maybe.” Stiles thought. “However morbid, he would still have a right to know. Jackson has a habit of making things go his way. He’d have to had practically forced his adoptive parents to tell him what happened.”

“But their death.” Allison spoke up. “Was it an accident or not?”

Stiles shrugged. “The word all over the report is ‘inconclusive’.”

“They think someone tried to kill his parents?” Spencer asked.

“Like murder them?” Scott pressed farther.

“If they were, then it falls in line with the kanima myth.” Stiles answered. “It seeks out and kills murderers.”

“But for Jackson?” Allison asked. “Or the person controlling him?”

Spencer stopped putting up books and stood next to Stiles. “We don’t even know for sure his parent’s accident was actually on purpose. How would Jackson know who hit them?” she asked.

“Okay, then it should come back to the people he’s already killed.” Stiles theorized.

“I know Isaac’s dad did some terrible shit, but I don’t think that he could have killed anybody.”

“We have to talk to him.” Scott said. “We have to tell Jackson.”

“You guys already tried that.” Spencer argued. “That got you into the trouble you’re in now.”

“We’ll try again.” Scott said, already leaving the aisle.

“He’s not gonna…” Allison trailed off, knowing Scott wouldn’t listen.

“If anything Jackson will pull the restraining order card.” Spencer insisted.

“It wouldn’t stop Scott.” Stiles pointed out.

A second later, there was a crashing sound heard overhead. Spencer looked to the ceiling, wondering what happened.

“Get down!” Stiles shouted, grabbing Spencer’s arm, pulling her back into the aisle.

“Erica!” Scott shouted from a few shelves over. “Spencer!”

Spencer pulled against Stiles’ hold, noticing that Allison was trying to leave the aisle. “Allison!” She called out, rushing forward and pulling Allison back just in time as a piece of the ceiling came falling where she just stood. Spencer sat Allison on the floor next to Stiles. “Cover her head. Don’t leave the aisle until I say.” She ordered.

Stiles nodded her head.

Spencer quickly channelled her wolf, her neck cracking as she shifted. She quickly turned in her spot and left the aisle. Spencer saw Jackson at the end of the aisle she knew that Erica was in. “Erica look out!”

Only it was too late.

Jackson had quickly sliced at the blonde’s neck and leaped on top of the shelving unit.

Erica fell to the floor, paralyzed.

Spencer looked up, locating Jackson, perched on the shelf. She noticed that he was half-covered in the kanima scales.

Jackson jumped down to the other side of Scott.

“Scott! On your right!” She called out.

Scott turned his head, looking to Jackson. The two stood for a second before Jackson hissed and pushed Scott into Spencer.

They both fell back into a book cart, knocking it over. Scott landed on top of Spencer.

Spencer groaned loudly, feeling something pop and hearing a loud crack.

Scott quickly got off of Spencer and joined Stiles and Allison in the aisle.

Spencer tried to force herself to sit up, but immediately felt a sharp pain in her side. She yelped and fell back against the cart. Spencer noticed that Stiles tried to get up to help her, but she yelled at him to stay in the aisle.

Scott made his attempt to get her back into the aisle. He grabbed Spencer under her arms, pulling her so that she sat in Stiles’ lap.

Stiles held her so that she sat up.

Spencer grabbed at her side and groaned in pain. She could barely see straight, but when she looked up she saw Jackson standing in front of a chalkboard.

Scott knew he couldn’t fight Jackson alone, and with Spencer out of commission for the time being, he was forced to wait to see what Jackson did.

Spencer heard another loud crash as Jackson left the library through one of the windows. She felt Stiles trying to push her to stand, so she let him get up first so he could help her up. Spencer kept an arm around his left side, holding herself up. She groaned as she stretched out her torso.

“You okay?” Stiles asked.

Spencer shook her head. “I think I broke a few ribs.”

“What can I do?” He spoke, panicked. “What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing. I’ll heal.” She said as they took a few steps forward. Spencer looked down the aisle with Erica. “Wait, Stiles…”

Stiles turned his head, seeing Erica writhing on the floor in a seizure. He got Spencer’s arm off of him and pushed her towards the bookshelf so she could hold herself up.

Spencer stumbled for a moment at the lack of support but caught herself.

“Hey!” Stiles repeated. He tried getting Scott’s attention. “I think she’s having a seizure.”

“You think?” Spencer asked between clenched teeth. “On her side, Stiles.” Spencer turned her head to look around the library. “Where’s Matt?”

“Right here.” Allison said, walking towards him.

Scott joined Stiles.

“He’s alive.” Allison assured.

“Hey, we need to get her to the hospital.”

“No.” Spencer said quickly. “She needs to get to Derek.”

Scott looked to Allison through the shelf. “When we get her to the hospital - ”

“To Derek.” Erica groaned, then repeated her request.

“Go.” Allison said to Scott.

Scott shook his head and moved to Allison’s side.

“Hey, Scott!” Stiles called, unsure of what he had to do.

“Scott, we have to go!” Spencer protested.

“I’m staying here with you.” Scott said to Allison.

Spencer groaned and fell to the floor, unable to hold herself up anymore.

“Spencer!” Stiles called, reaching for her.

Spencer held up her hand. “I’m okay.” She said, slightly out of breath. “Stay with her. You need to stay with her.”

“He can’t take her alone.” Allison reasoned, referring to Stiles and Erica. “Spencer can barely stand. And Matt… I’ve got to call an ambulance for him. Just go.”

“This doesn’t feel right.” Scott said.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. No, it’s not right.”

“It doesn’t…” Allison trailed off for a second. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“But it feels like it does.”

“Scott, go.” Allison begged. “Go!” She ordered forcefully when he didn’t move.

Scott came back and picked up Erica from Stiles’ lap.

Stiles quickly moved to grab Spencer off of the floor and help her walk. They hurried out to Stiles’ Jeep. Stiles helped Spencer into the car through the back.

Spencer sat against the back of the driver’s seat and used what little upper body strength she had to help pull Erica into the Jeep and onto her lap.

“Where am I going?” Stiles asked as he started the Jeep and pulled out of the school’s parking lot.

Spencer turned her head a little. “The old subway station next to that gay club in the warehouse district.”

“The Jungle?” he questioned.

“You’ve been there?”

Stiles nodded even though Spencer couldn’t see. “We followed Jackson there the other night.”

“You were there?” Spencer asked.

“Wait, you were there?”

Spencer groaned. “Anything else that you didn’t tell me that you were supposed to, Scott?”

“Sorry. A lot had happened since we found out you were bit.”

Spencer winced and grabbed her stomach when Erica’s head quickly jerked into it. “Stiles, go faster.” She begged.

Stiles pressed on the gas.

When Stiles finally pulled up to the station, Spencer called out. “Derek! Help!”

Derek was up the stairs and at the Jeep by the time Scott and Stiles had opened the back hatch and started pulling Erica out. “What happened?” he questioned, grabbing Erica from the back.

“She’s seizing.” Spencer answered. “I don’t know what happened. I think it’s the venom reacting with her wolf somehow.” Spencer pushed herself out of the back, grabbing at her side.

“And you?” he asked, worry written on his face.

“Scott fell on me. Got a couple of broken ribs. I just need a few hours.” She waved Scott over to her to help her out of the Jeep.

The group made their way down the stairs, Derek leading the way, carrying Erica into a train car.

Stiles crouched down and held Erica so that she sat up on the ground while Derek kneeled in front of her.

Scott helped Spencer into one of the benches so she could sit and then knelt on the ground next to the other three.

“Is she gonna die?” Stiles asked.

“She might, I - ”

“Derek, don’t say that.” Spencer warned. “She just needs time to heal.”

Derek nodded, listening to Spencer. “Which is why this is gonna hurt.” Derek grabbed Erica’s arm and bent it at the middle, breaking it.

Erica screamed out.

“You broke her arm!” Stiles yelled, shocked.

“It’ll trigger the healing process.”

“Get the venom out.” Spencer said, tired out. “It might help.”

Derek looked up at her and nodded. “This will really hurt.” Derek pierced her skin with his claws.

Erica screamed louder. Soon, she stopped fighting and writhing against Derek and Stiles. She leaned back and Stiles fell back too, sitting to the ground.

Stiles held her, trying to get her comfortable.

“Stiles…” Erica said. “You make a good batman.” She complimented before she stopped moving completely.

“Oh, my god.” Stiles gasped.

“She’s okay.” Spencer insisted, looking to him, taking in how caring Stiles was being towards Erica. “She just passed out. Her heart’s still beating.” She said with a smile.

Derek looked to Spencer. “What happened?” he demanded.

“The kanima attacked us.”

“So much for being a normal high school kid.” He gave a look to Spencer. “You all just happened to be in the same spot for that to happen?”

“We were trying to figure out how to stop him.” Spencer said, pulling herself up, using the pole so she could sit up. “Doing research.”

“We were you going to tell me about it or were you going to ignore my calls all day?”

“I was going to tell you when I had something. After they told me it was Jackson we needed to find out what made him the kanima so we can help him not be the kanima.” Spencer paused, studying Derek’s face for a moment. He didn’t look surprised. “You knew.” Spencer stated angrily. “You knew Jackson was the kanima.”

Scott stood from his spot on the floor. “We need to talk.”

Derek nodded and they left the train car.

“Derek!” Spencer called after him, practically fuming. Spencer let out an angry breath and leaned back against the train car wall.

There were a few moments of silence before Stiles spoke. “So, this is where you live.”

Spencer looked to him and then closed her eyes, not wanting to have that particular conversation at the moment.

“I can see why you like it. Very rustic.” He said, looking around at the grime and tarnished metal.

“I don’t live here. I have my own train car over there.” Spencer pressed, pointing behind him. “It’s cleaner than this one.”

“And your room at my house is probably much cleaner than that one.”

“I’m not moving back in.” Spencer said finally.

“Why?”

“Pops wouldn’t be very accepting about me hanging around with Derek. While Jackson is running wild, Derek and I need to work our hardest to figure out why. I can’t do that while worrying about what he’s gonna think when he comes home.”

“You can just say that he was exonerated.”

“You really think Pops would be okay with me even to talking to someone like Derek? Without him knowing the whole story.”

“Maybe not. But his mind can be easily changed.”

“We’re still struggling to get him to eat healthy after nearly two years of trying. I don’t call that easy.”

“Just tell him all the good things about Derek.” Stiles thought for a moment. “Are there good things about Derek?”

Spencer scoffed. “He literally just saved Erica’s life.” She said, matter-of-factly. She sighed. “Stiles, I’m not moving back.”

Stiles nodded his head. “Okay. I won’t ask you anymore. I know you’ll come back on your own.”

!@#$#@!

After the Scott and Stiles had left, Spencer sat in her room with her family book, reading over the entry that she finally found. She sighed, wishing that there was something more that her family knew. Spencer knew she wasn’t helping Derek much trying to fix their problem, and that’s all she was trying to do. Lately everything she did was wrong. Chasing after Jackson after the showdown at Scott. Getting herself into detention with Jackson. Getting in Jackson’s way during detention and winding up hurt. Spencer was beginning to stress herself out.

“Knock, knock.” Derek said from the entryway into her train car.

“Go away.”

“We need to talk.”

“Nope. We don’t.”

Derek sighed and entered the car anyway. “You need to talk to me and tell me what was going through your head.”

“I don’t need to talk to you. You’ve said so yourself.” Spencer reminded, looking up at him. “Just because you’re my alpha doesn’t mean I need to follow you blindly.”

“We’re fighting for the same thing here.”

“No, we’re not. You want to kill Jackson. I’m not sure that I want that anymore.” Spencer admitted, pushing her book aside and standing from her bed. “He has no idea what he’s doing. He’s being controlled by someone who is killing all those people using him.”

“Did Scott tell you that?”

“Yes, and my book confirmed it.”

“He might have been right about this, but he won’t be right about everything. You can’t trust him.”

“I can’t trust you, Derek!” Spencer said, moving forwards to get in Derek’s face. “You’ve been standing in front of me for weeks trying to make sure that I tell you everything. Yet, you’re the one who’s not sharing everything you know!”

“I didn’t know for sure that it was Jackson.”

“But you suspected. Which is something you’re supposed to share with me if I’m supposed to help you. If you had told me, I would have been able to find out for sure. I would have gone to Jackson and watched him. Maybe I could have confirmed it was Jackson before Erica got hurt.”

“Erica’s fine.”

“But she could have died! We didn’t know what was wrong with her, and even you were scared that she would be dying.” Spencer insisted. “I told you not to think like that because the second you did, you would have given up.”

Derek rolled his eyes and looked away.

“We figured out the problem and we solved it. Together!” Spencer told him. “You can’t tell me that everything would have been okay without us working together.”

“I can’t.”

“Right, you can’t.” Spencer sighed, “Wait, what?”

“I can’t tell you that Erica would have been okay if you hadn’t helped me. But that’s because you were there, and you did help me. I don’t know what else would have happened.” Derek said, looking to her. “You’re right, there are things that I haven’t told you, even still there are things you don’t know.”

“So tell me.”

“I can’t right now.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know how.” Derek admitted. “You didn’t really know me when I was a kid. There are things that I’ve done that I wish I never had.”

“If you’re talking about what happened with Kate - ”

“It’s not just with Kate. There were other things that will take me a while to get out.” He sighed. “Right now, you know everything that’s important. Jackson is the kanima. But I don’t know how to beat him.”

“Do you want to kill him?”

“It’s the only way that I’m seeing to stop him.”

Spencer rubbed her hands over her face. “I’m not stopping until we figure out how to save him. If I have to work with Scott behind your back then that is what I’m going to do. Jackson is an ass, but he’s still a person. He deserves to be saved.” Spencer said, walking out of her car and up to her truck, leaving Derek standing in her train car.

Spencer started her truck and drove away from the train station. She drove to the only place that she could think to. She knocked on the front door and it opened a moment later.

“Spence?” Stiles asked.

“I’m not moving back.” Spencer said confidently. “I just need a place to stay for a few days, maybe.”

Stiles stared at her for a second, trying to put pieces together.

Spencer bit her lip, staring past him into the house. “Hey, Pops!” She called inside.

Sheriff Stilinski appeared into view. He had a large smile on his face. “Spencer! How’ve you been?”

“Hungry.” She said innocently with a smile.

“Well, come on in. We’ve ordered Chinese and there’s plenty to go around.”

Spencer smiled, and stepped around into the house to hug the sheriff. “Thanks, Pops.” She sighed into the hug.

“Anytime.” He said, waiting a moment, confused, before hugging her back.