Love's Spiral

Spencer jerked up into a seated position into the middle of the night on Derek’s bed. She was covered in sweat and was breathing so heavily that she started to cough to catch her breath back to normal.

Derek had already been sitting up watching her as he had been for several minutes. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced over at her.

Spencer slowed her breath, catching him watching her. “What’s wrong?”

Derek furrowed his brow. “I should be asking you that. Your heart’s been beating erratically for hours.”

“You should have woken me up.”

“I didn’t think you were supposed to wake someone having a nightmare.” Derek watched Spencer, carefully, as she reached onto the ground to pick up the water bottle she kept there.

Spencer downed the entire bottle and looked to Derek again. “What?”

“Can you tell me what that was all about?” Derek asked. “Your track record with nightmares isn’t exactly a good one.”

“So?” Spencer shed her tank top leaving her in a sports bra. She used the sweat-filled top to wipe the moisture from her face, then through the shirt towards Derek’s dirty laundry pile. “I live in a really scary world. A few nightmares are part of the job description.”

“Not what I mean. I mean, your first nightmare, I got shot. Your second, Peter came back to life.”

“What are you saying?” Spencer asked. “That because I dream it, it comes true?”

“No, I think you’re dreaming what’s going to happen.”

“What like I’m psychic?” Spencer laughed.

“Maybe you are.” Derek said seriously.

That made Spencer laugh harder. “Okay, Derek. Can I remind you the dream I had wasn’t really a dream. I was so connected with you that I saw what you saw and felt what you felt. I didn’t see the future. Otherwise I would have warned you.” Spencer scooted back down into the bed so she could lay down. She pulled the covers over her shoulder. I’m gonna go back to sleep.”

Derek pulled the sheet away from her.

“What the hell?” Spencer questioned.

“What did you dream?”

Spencer scoffed, but sat up again to tell him anyway. “Alphas.”

Derek was instantly hanging onto her words. “Did you see where Erica and Boyd are?”

Spencer shook her head. “Unfortunately not.” She pulled on the tie strings of her shorts. “It’s been the same one every time. The first time I had the dream was when Stiles went missing. I got scared and I felt helpless. So, I went to his house and I guess I fell asleep.”

“What happened?”

Spencer sighed. “Nothing really. I’m in the middle of the forest. One of the alphas growls and opens their eyes. The first time I thought it was you.” She looked to him. “But then more eyes lit up.” Spencer paused. “Five pairs of red eyes all around me. And even if I had the strength to defend myself against five alphas, I can’t shift.”

“That’s it?”

Spencer shook her head. “Then they start howling. And it’s so loud. And it hurts my ears. Almost to the point where they feel like they’re bleeding.”

“That’s...awful.” Derek admitted.

“It’s worse now.” Spencer nodded. “Because I’m aware of it. And I know what’s going to happen. Half the time I recognize the spot in the woods and I automatically cover my ears and fall to the floor. I can’t make it stop. I scream for you. Sometimes Scott. But they never stop. It could feel like hours until I wake up.”

Derek thought for a moment. “You said the first time you had this dream was when Stiles was missing. Before I told you about the alphas.”

Spencer nodded. “I was confused about it then. But when you told us about them the other day, it made sense.”

“It’s only been a few days. How many times have you had this dream that you know it so well?”

Spencer laughed at the comment. “It’s not something you’d easily forget. Even still, scientifically when people dream at night, it’s not just one long dream the whole time. You dream in spurts. Thirty minutes at a time, maybe. Five times a night.” Spencer informed. “So, for me, it’s like watching the worst episode of the worst TV show on repeat.”

Derek shook his head. “I don’t get it though. Why would you be having these dreams? Your powers disappeared with I bit you.”

“Most of them did. I can still do little things. Flickering lights mostly, but the big stuff like that is supposed to be gone.”

“Maybe this one big thing is sticking around.” Derek suggested.

“So I’m gonna be like this all the time? I can’t sleep with these nightmares, Derek.” She cried, looking to him with a painful look in her eyes.

“Before you freak out, you should find out more about it. Find out what your book thinks of future-telling dreams.”

“It could be nothing.”

Derek agreed. “It could be nothing. There’s no harm in trying to find out.”

Spencer thought about what she should do.

Derek reached for her hand, holding hers with his. “I’d feel better if we tried to figure this out.”

Spencer stared at his hand on hers before looking up to him. “Okay.” She said quietly. “I’ll see what I can find.”

Derek leaned over. He placed a hand to the back of her head and pulled her gently to him so he could kiss her forehead. “Let’s get some sleep, huh?”

Spencer glanced up at him through her eyelashes and smirked. “I could use a distraction.” She said flirtatiously.

“No!” The two heard from Isaac’s direction.

Spencer’s head snapped in that direction.

“Just one peaceful night! Please!” Isaac shouted.

Spencer laughed. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked to Derek.

Derek was laughing quietly.

Spencer quickly recovered, but her laugh came out when she spoke. “Sorry, Isaac!”

“Some sound-proofing is probably a good investment!”

Derek raised his brow and looked to Spencer. “We should probably check out that loft tomorrow.”

“Yeah?” Spencer asked.

Derek nodded, laying back into bed.

Spencer joined him, laying her head on his chest. “I’ll call the guy in the morning.”

“Thank you!” Isaac called from his room.

!@#$#@!

Spencer called the guy selling the building and she made an appointment to see it. The guy selling it, didn’t have much to say about it, not that there was anything to say. The building was mostly concrete. Mostly empty. The bottom floors of the building weren’t really livable, so they’d probably be rented out for storage more than housing. As soon as they rode the rickety elevator up to the loft and stepped inside, Spencer was sold.

Spencer took a few steps into the center of the room, looking around. There was a large window to the deck that Spencer loved. It brought so much light into the dark room. She went over to the spiral staircase. Spencer smiled as she coasted her hand over the railing, up each step. She smiled down at Derek from the top. “I always thought spiral stairs were awesome.”

Derek stood next to the buyer. He glanced over at the man giving him an apologetic smile. “She’s overexcited at the possibility of moving.”

“There is no possibility about it.” Spencer corrected him. “We’re moving! And It’d like it if we moved here.” She continued up the stairs, admiring the simple layout of the second floor. Spencer also was able to listen into the two men downstairs talk.

“She’s a tough one, huh?” The seller asked.

Derek scoffed a laugh. “Sure, that’s the word for it.” He jokingly, agreed. “Although pushy might be an even better one.”

Spencer scoffed, whispering, knowing that Derek could still hear her. “I can hear you, you know.” She moved towards the two bedrooms. EAch was roughly the same size. Between them was a decent sized bathroom. Across the hall was the open kitchen.

Spencer’s phone rang from her pocket. She pulled it out, checked the caller ID and answered it. “Hi, Stiles.”

“How’d you know it was me?” Stiles asked.

“I’m gonna do you a favor and not answer that so you don’t feel stupid.”

“Right, caller ID.” Stiles laughed nervously. “Right.” He said slowly.

“Did you call for any real reason?”

“Yes, I did. I was wondering if we could hang out.”

Spencer thought for a second. “Um, yeah, I guess.”

“I just really need to talk to someone. And Scott has already started being ‘Better Scott’ and is studying.”

Spencer furrowed her brows. “‘Better Scott’?”

“Yeah. Now that the kanima is gone, Scott’s putting the werewolf stuff aside. His mom knows know and that should make it easier on him at home.” Stiles told her. “Plus, he’s gotta get his grades up if he wants to play lacrosse. His solution: put the danger aside for a bit.”

“So, he’s just not gonna be a werewolf anymore?”

“That’s not technically possible, but it’s the right idea. So, will you meet me?”

Spencer sighed. “Meet you where?”

“Remember that restaurant. I took you to a long time ago?”

Spencer nodded her head even though Stiles could see her. She wouldn’t ever forget. Spencer remembered it was whens he first started to have her headaches. When she first found out she was a witch. “Yeah, I remember. I’m kind of busy right now. Can you wait, like, an hour?”

“Yes!” Stiles said, a little too excited. “I will wait.”

“Kay, see you then.” Spencer said, hanging up before Stiles could say anything else. She put her phone back into her pocket and hurried back down the steps, calling out for Derek. Spencer smiled when their eyes met. “This is it.”

“This is the first place we looked at.” Derek pointed out.

“And it’s all we need.” Spencer stressed.

“No, we have to look at other places.”

“But look at this place!”

“I can see that she really wants the place. And I really want to sell it.” The seller explained. “So, why don’t I know off a thousand?”

Spencer was surprised. “Are you serious?”

The guy nodded.

Spencer looked to Derek. “Okay, now we have to take it.”

Derek looked to the guy with narrowed eyes. “Two thousand.” Derek countered.

“1200.”

“1800.”

The seller pursed his lips. “Let’s meet in the middle. I’ll take 1500 from the selling price.”

Dered nodded slowly, thinking about it. He held his hand out to the man and they shook hands to seal the deal.

The seller smiled. “I’ll go get the paperwork.” He said, before leaving back through the elevator.

Spencer smiled and squealed with joy. She rushed into Derek’s arms. “We have a house!” Spencer cheered.

Derek laughed, making sure to catch her. “We have a loft.” He corrected.

“It’s all the same.” She exclaimed happily, pulling away from him. She went to the center of the big room. “It’s a place to sleep. A place to stay at night. Warm and safe. With rooms and a kitchen. And it’s ours.”

Derek raised his brow at her, but she didn’t see it.

“Well, yours.” Spencer corrected quickly. “But ours still.” She faced him with a big smile. “We have a home.”

“And a lot of cleaning to do.”

“And I’ll do every bit of it!” Spencer stepped forward, hugging Derek tightly again. “Thank you.” She said softly. “Thank you so much.”

“You were the one who talked me into it. You’re the reason we have this.”

Spencer pulled away to arms length. “Yeah, but - ”

“You’re the reason I have a lot of things.” Derek said sincerely.

Spencer smiled, blushing. “I am kind of awesome, aren’t I?” She joked.

Derek rolled his eyes, but leaned down to kiss her anyway.

Behind them, the seller cleared his throat.

The two pulled away from each other and looked to the man who had a small smile for Derek and Spencer.

Derek shook his head and stepped forward away from Spencer. “Where do I sign?”

!@#$#@!

When Spencer arrived to the restaurant, she didn’t see the Jeep anywhere. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for this lunch. Spencer had a hard time lying to her best friend and now she had to for an entire meal. With the Alphas and Boyd and Erica. The lies were just adding up and all of them were on the top of her mind.

Spencer jumped when there was a knock on her window.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Stiles said, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Spencer shakes her head and gestures for him to back up so she can open the door. “It’s my fault. I should have heard you coming.”

“You okay?” Stiles asked, noticing her distanced look.

“Yeah, let’s just get inside. I’m hungry.”

The two went inside and were seated. They sat in silence for a moment as Spencer studied the menu. She felt Stiles’ eyes on her and she could feel his leg bouncing up and down under the table.

Without looking up from the menu, Spencer spoke. “You know, Stiles, we’re not on a date this time. There’s no need to be nervous.”

Stiles was flustered and scrambled for words. “I - I just… I, uh, I have a lot to say, but I don’t know where to start.”

“The beginning is always a good place.” Spencer said, folding her menu and placing it on the table.

“You’re probably right.”

“Of course I am.” Spencer smiled. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Stiles sighed, looking at his folded hands on the table. “We’re friends, right?”

Spencer furrowed her brow at him.

“Like best friends? Like ‘I can tell you anything even if things have been kinda awkward between us’ friends?”

“Stiles, when are things with you not awkward?”

“Touche.”

“But yeah, we’re those kinds of friends.” Spencer stared at him as he nervously picked at his fingers.

The waiter came by and took their order quickly.

“Is this about Lydia?” Spencer asked.

Stiles looked up at her.

“And you’re just worried that things will get weird if you start talking about her because we have a really messed up history?”

Stiles laughed quietly. “Ya got me.”

“You’re not very good at hiding things.”

“I’m working on that.”

“There’s no need. You wouldn’t be Stiles if you didn’t spill the beans every now and then.” Spencer sighed. “What happened? After I left your house that night?”

“She came to talk to me about what happened. About Jackson.”

“That had to hurt, huh?” Spencer asked. “Especially now that Jackson is alive. I can’t even imagine.”

Stiles thought for a minute. “You like chocolate cake, right?”

Spencer narrowed her eyes, confused. “I’m not sure what that means.”

“Do you?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Okay, so there’s this piece of chocolate cake at home, right?” Stiles explained. “And it’s the last piece and you’ve been thinking about it all day. But you come home only to find out that someone had eaten it while you were gone.”

Spencer smiled sadly, catching on. “Lydia’s the chocolate cake.”

“Lydia’s the piece of chocolate cake.” Stiles confirmed. “And Jackson’s the jackhole that stole my freaking cake.”

“Well, as silly and stiles-esque as your comparison is, I think it’s a load of crap.”

Stiles raised his brow. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, using your comparison, even if this piece of cake was the chocolatiest, softest, most delicious piece of cake you would have had, somewhere, someone is working on making a better cake.”

“Now I feel like cake wasn’t a good metaphor.”

Spencer groaned quietly. “Okay, let me put it this way. I think it’d be great if you two got together because you’ve been pining after her for so long and we’re all finally kind of on the same page. But, maybe Lydia just isn’t for you. Maybe there is a better person out there for you. I don’t want to put it like this because it’s so cliche, but we’re sixteen. We haven’t yet met everyone we’re supposed to meet.”

Stiles stared at Spencer for a moment, feeling the small nervousness in his stomach that he used to feel for her. He shook his head, putting that from his head. “You have the wisdom of a seventy-five year old woman.”

Spencer laughed. “I’ve been through a lot of heavy stuff. It’s all gotta pay off somehow. If giving amazing girl advice to my ex-boyfriend-slash-best-friend is how, then I’m okay with that.”

!@#$@!

The lunch with Stiles hadn’t been as bad as Spencer thought it was going to be. They spent a majority of the time talking about him and his problems with Lydia. Even after Spencer thought she had put his mind at ease, he was still questioning her all over again.

After the two finished eating, Spencer said her goodbyes and drove to the edge of the forest preserve. She found herself back at the spot where they last had Erica and Boyd’s scent. Spencer turned in a circle from the middle of the spot before finding a seat in the dirt so she could lean against a tree. She bit her lip and picked out a few pieces of grass. She put her head back against the bark and closed her eyes.

!@#$#@!

Erica burst through Spencer’s bedroom door. “It healed.” The blonde said with happiness reaching her eyes.

“Good,” Spencer said, her eyes not leaving the work in her lap. She remained in her seated position on her bed against her headboard. “It means you’re not gonna die.”

Erica scoffed. “Don’t be so excited about it.” She said sarcastically. “I feel completely different. I might never have a seizure again.”

“You will never have a seizure again.” Spencer looked up. “And I am excited, Erica. I promise.”

“But…?” Erica started for Spencer.

“But… There is a lot going on right now.”

“Okay, but can you just - ” Erica laid herself across Spencer’s bed next to the redhead. “Could you put that aside for ten minutes and be excited with me. I mean, I feel different. And I can’t really talk about it with anyone else.”

Spencer sighed, and closed her book, holding it in her lap, to listen to Erica.

Erica smiled. “Okay, so I feel different, but then I don’t really. Do you know what I mean?”

Spencer nodded slowly, looking to Erica. “Sort of, I guess.”

“I remember your first day back to school after you were changed.” Erica told Spencer.

Spencer furrowed her brow, shaking her head. “You can’t know anything about that.”

“But I do.” Erica insisted. “You looked so confident. Like you were this whole new person. You even more something that made you stand out.”

Spencer remembered. She remembered the animal print dress, still having it buried somewhere in her closet. “You know, just because I changed my wardrobe for one day doesn’t mean much.”

Erica bit her lip and nodded, shrugging. “Yeah. I guess so.”

Spencer studied Erica. She watched as the blonde picked at her fingernails, looking rather distanced as she did. Spencer let out a breath and pushed her textbook off of her lap so she could stand.

Erica looked up at her. “What are you doing?”

Spencer walked over to her closet. “So maybe, I was different. And maybe dressing differently helped a lot. So, if you want to show off how different you actually are…” Spencer opened her closet door, “...help yourself.”

Erica sat up on the edge of Spencer’s bed. “Are you joking?”

Spencer shook her head. “Absolutely not. I am giving you an all access pass to my, formally Lydia’s, closet.”

Erica pulled out the biggest smile she could manage and jumped to her feet to hug Spencer tightly. “Thank you!”

Spencer awkwardly hugged back. “Alright. And, look, maybe you can stay here tonight and tomorrow we’ll get up early. I’ll do your hair.”

Erica pulled away. “Really?”

Spencer shrugged. “I do my hair all the time. Shouldn’t be too much to do someone else’s.”

“You might actually be the best friend I ever had.”

!@#$#@!

Spencer waited at the door to the subway station for Boyd to arrive. He admitted to her that he was unsure about where she had told him to go, but she promised him that murder wasn’t on her mind.

Boyd had laughed at that and finally agreed.

Spencer kicked off of the brick wall when he pulled up to the station. She smiled as he climbed out of the car. “I know this is a really weird place for us to meet, but this is home for now.”

“You live here?” Boyd asked.

“Think of it as a wolf den.”

“Why wolf den?”

Spencer took a deep breath. “What I’m about to show you might freak you out. But I’m only showing you because I want us to be friends and you said you wanted what you saw in Erica earlier

Boyd furrowed his brow. “Okay?” He said, warily.

Spencer cleared her throat, wondering how she should handle this. She looked down. “Bandaid.” She whispered to herself. As seconds ticked by, Spencer felt her claws grow, as well as the hair on the side of her face. She adjusted her mouth to fit her growing canines. “Ready?” she called.

“Spencer, what is this? What are you doing?”

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes’.” Spencer looked up to Boyd and he took a couple steps back in shock.

“What the f - ?” Boyd asked. “What are you?”

“Still Spencer. Just, you know, different.”

“What are you?” He repeated.

“Some people call us shapeshifters. More specifically, I’m a werewolf.”

Boyd was quiet for a minute before he started laughing.

Spencer furrowed her brow. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because that is the lamest thing I have ever heard. I knew you wanted to be friends, but you do know normally people don’t start off with the lousy pranks.”

Spencer shook her head. “Boyd, I promise this was not a prank. I’ve been standing in front of you the whole time.”

Boyd continued to laugh.

Spencer groaned. “Okay. Watch this.” This time she didn’t put her head down. When Spencer had his full attention, she shifted back to normal.

Now, Boyd had no good reason to laugh. “Oh, my God.”

“So, what do you say?”

“To what?”

“Well, there’s still some things to talk about before you answer. But how do you feel about being a werewolf?”

!@#$#@!

Isaac had managed to find Spencer in the middle of the woods. He watched her for a few minutes before realizing that he should wake her up. He reached down, shaking her shoulder. “Hey, are you okay?”

Spencer furrowed her brow and slowly opened her eyes. “What happened?”

“I think you fell asleep.” Isaac laughed.

Spencer groaned. “Yeah, I do, too. I didn’t even know I was tired.” She furiously rubbed at her eyes, trying to wake herself up.

Isaac sat next to her. “Are you okay?”

Spencer let out a hard breath. “That is a very loaded question.”

Isaac looped his arm through hers like they’d done so many times when they’d hang out at the graveyard. “Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

“I’m not even sure.” Spencer shook her head. “Boyd and Erica…”

“This isn’t just about Boyd and Erica.” Isaac interrupted. “I know it’s not. So, why don’t you try being honest with me.”

Spencer narrowed her eyes towards him, but sighed and relented. “My dreams lately.”

“Yeah, I overheard you tell Derek last night.”

“You were listening?”

Isaac shrugged. “I heard your heartbeat. I was worried about you.”

Spencer showed him a small smile. “I just don’t know what’s going on. And with the alphas. God, it’s just - there’s so much to do. So much to worry about.”

“Could Scott help?”

Spencer shook her head. “He wants normal. He deserves normal. He deserves to live his life for a while. You can’t tell him anything.”

“Okay.” Isaac said.

“Promise?”

Isaac nodded. “Of course.”

Spencer laid her head down on his shoulder, making Isaac tense up. She rubbed her hand against his lower arm and then grabbed his hand. “Thanks. You’re really great, Isaac.”

Isaac had a hard time controlling his heart rate. It took everything in him to slow it down. “I - I do my best.”