Love's Spiral

Spencer paced the lobby of the hospital, walking back and forth alongside the desk Melissa sat behind. She was confused about the situation. If the alphas really had Isaac, why would they let him go? Why wouldn’t they just keep him like they kept the others?

Melissa watched the redhead as she took every step. “Spencer, you can sit down. You can calm down. Scott should be on his way.”

Spencer shook her head. “It’s not that. There’s just something I can’t shake.”

Melissa furrowed her brow. “What is it?”

Spencer couldn’t tell her. Telling Melissa her worries would mean telling her about the alphas. “What else happened last night? When Isaac came in.”

“Nothing. Not really.” Melissa shared. “He came in. Said to call you. And then made sure that the girl got help first.”

Spencer stopped her steps quickly, turning to Melissa.

Melissa opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t get to finish her sentence.

“Mom?” Scott hurried into the hospital and noticed his mother sitting behind the desk.

Melissa got up and stood next to Spencer.

Scott looked between the two, confused that the redhead was there. “What’s going on?” He asked.

“It’s Isaac.” Spencer told him. “He got hurt last night. I don’t know how, but now he’s stuck here and I need help getting him out.”

“How long has he been here?” Scott asked, looking to his mother.

“Since early this morning.” Melissa informed. “Come on, I’ll take you guys up there.”

The three began moving towards the elevator, Scott and Melissa walking side by side and Spencer lagging behind a few steps.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Scott asked.

“Honestly, I was hoping I didn’t have to.” Melissa admitted.

“What do you mean?”

Melissa scoffed. “Everything that you’ve been doing. The extra reading. The summer school. Saving up for the bike, even though it scares me half to death. Honey, I just didn’t want to disrupt a good rhythm.”

Scott stopped his mom in the middle of the hallway, both in her speech and her steps. He stood in front of her. “It’s not gonna stop.”

Spencer stood a few paces behind the two, observing awkwardly.

“I-I’m gonna be better this year.” Scott promised. “A better student. A better son. A better friend. A better everything.” Scott looked over at Spencer for a moment, but quickly went back to his mom. “I promise.”

Melissa sighed. “Okay.”

“We should go.” Spencer said, not wanting to ruin the mother-son moment. “Isaac’s scheduled for surgery, like now.”

Scott nodded his head to Spencer. He looked to his mom. “I love you.” He leaned forward, kissing his mother’s cheek.

Spencer took a few steps forward, going for the elevator. She had to pull Scott along with her. Spencer hit the call button on the elevator and they waited for it.

“So…” Scott said, awkwardly.

Spencer looked to him and then back at the elevator doors. “What is it, Scott?”

Scott shook his head. “Nothing. I just haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“I’ve been busy.” Spencer shrugged.

“Too busy to send a text message?”

“Derek’s been training us to be stronger.” Spencer shook her head, turning to him. “But I don’t really have to explain myself, so I’m not doing this, Scott.” She paused. “At least not now. You’re only here to help me get Isaac out of here.”

“Okay.”

Spencer turned away from him, looking back at the elevator. “Trust me, Scotty, you are the last person I wanted to help me with this. I’ve heard you’ve been doing really well and I don’t want to ruin that.”

Scott only eyed her.

Spencer banged on the call button again, frustrated with the elevator. “Someone should really call to get this stupid thing looked at.”

Finally the doors opened and Spencer and Scott stepped inside, keeping a distance between them.

Spencer pressed the button for the second floor and the doors closed a second later. Or tried to. A guide cane got through the crack, making the doors open once again. Spencer rolled her eyes.

Scott put his hand on the door, thinking it would help the doors open.

A man was standing outside and he moved inside with a grateful expression. He stood behind the two wolves, but was in between them. “Could you hit the button for the second floor, please?” the man asked.

Scott looked to the call buttons, seeing the second floor button was already pressed, but he pressed it again.

“Thank you.”

Scott nodded.

Spencer shook her head at the boy. “You’re welcome.” she said aloud.

Scott furrowed his brow at her.

Spencer spoke quietly so only Scott could hear. “He’s blind. He can’t see you nodding, dumbass.”

The elevator landed on the second floor and both Scott and Spencer went to step out.

The blind man put a hand on Scott’s arm. “You wouldn’t mind helping me out for a second, would you?”

“Um…” Scott looked to Spencer.

The man’s hand moved to Scott’s shoulder.

Spencer passed Scott a look, telling him to hurry it along.

“Sure.” Scott said, hesitantly.

Spencer seperated herself from Scott in a hurry to get to Isaac. She went to his room and found it empty. “Shit.” She cursed, and then continued down another hallways to catch up to Scott. “Scotty, I hope you’re done with Daredevil because we got a problem.”

“Daredevil?” Scott’s voiced echoed through Spencer’s ears as she searched for it.

“Blind vigilante. God, have you learned nothing from Stiles?” Spencer sighed. “Isaac’s not here.”

“Where are you?”

“Right here.” She said, turning a corner and finding Scott.

“Where would he be?” Scott asked.

Spencer shrugged. “He was supposed to have surgery at ten.”

Scott pulled his phone from his pocket. “It’s past ten.”

“Then we go to surgery.” Spencer suggested. “We’re gonna have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Scott said, taking a step.

Spencer stopped him, sensing something. “Wait.” She sniffed the air.

“What?”

“He’s here. He’s on this floor.” Spencer took hurried steps back down the hallways and towards the elevator. Spencer turned the corner, seeing the elevator, but no Isaac. “I don’t understand. He’s here.” She insisted.

The elevator door chimed and a man stepped inside, pushing a wheelchair.

“Yeah. He is.” Scott said.

Spencer followed his eyes, noticing that the man in the elevator had Isaac in the wheelchair.

The man in the elevator with Isaac furrowed his brow at the two wolves and pushed a button on the side of the elevator.

Spencer’s eyes widened as she noticed claws on the end of his fingers. “Scott, his hand. Look at his hand.” She said quickly.

The man smiled, and pressed another button to close the door.

“Isaac!” Spencer called.

Scott had already shifted and started to growl at the man.

Spencer looked to her friend. “You’re doing this here? Out in the open?”

Scott responded by running towards the elevator doors before they could close.

“Guess so.” Spencer ran after him, but didn’t make it to the elevator before the doors closed. “Damn it. Scott!” She shouted, banging on the doors. “Scott!” Spencer groaned. Before she could draw anymore attention to herself, Spencer backed away from the elevator and noticed that it was going up. She hurried towards the stairs. As Spencer opened the door, she hit someone with it. She muttered an apology, but looked at the person and saw Derek. Spencer narrowed her eyes at him, but continued for the stairs. “It’s about damn time you showed up.” She called over her shoulder.

Derek followed after her, bounding up the stairs. “You smell like Scott. Is he here?”

“Do you ever listen to my voicemails?”

“Eventually.”

Spencer scoffed. She opened the door to the third floor and ran towards the elevator. Spencer was thankful that it was the slow machine and it hadn’t arrived to the floor yet.

“Who else is here?”

“I don’t know. It’s a werewolf though.”

“Was it an alpha?” Derek asked.

Spencer shook her head. “I didn’t see. He only had his claws out. I didn’t see the color of his eyes and we didn’t really have time to ask.” Spencer looked over at him. “He wasn’t friendly.” she said, narrowing her eyes.

The elevator stopped and the two could hear arguing from the inside. “I’m an alpha.”

Spencer shrugged at Derek. “Guess that answers your question.”

The elevator dinged and the door opened.

Derek quickly dug his claws into the alpha’s back, making it drop Scott. “So am I.”

Spencer quickly moved out of the way so Derek could throw the alpha down the hall. She saw Derek look at the man like he recognized him somehow.

“Derek?” Scott asked from inside the elevator.

Derek turned towards Scott, ignoring Spencer’s curious glares. “Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

Spencer looked down the hall and saw that the alpha was gone. “Derek…”

The alpha turned around, seeing the same thing. He met Spencer’s eyes, making her heart jump.

“Go. Finding him is more important.” Spencer made her way towards Isaac. “I’m staying with Isaac. We’ll get him home.”

“Take him to the house.” Derek insisted. “If he was hurt as bad as you said there may be some things we have to look at.”

Spencer didn’t want to think about what he meant, but she agreed.

Derek nodded and left down the stairs, trying to follow the escaped alpha.

Spencer leaned over, touching Isaac’s face. “Isaac?” She pushed his hair out of his face.

“He’s alive?” Scott asked.

Spencer nodded. “Of course. I think they found a way to sedate him.” She looked to the call buttons and pushed the basement button. “We’re going out the back.”

Once the elevator landed on the basement floor, Scott followed Spencer as she pushed Isaac through the parking lot and to her truck. Scott assisted in getting the wolf into the truck.

“Thanks for the help, Scott.” Spencer said as she climbed into the driver’s seat. “Sorry for calling you back into it.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Spencer laughed and shook her head. “No you’re not.” She put her key in the ignition and turned it on. Spencer tried to drive away, but Scott was faster and loaded himself into the vehicle, keeping Isaac between him and her.

“Yeah. I am.” Scott said. “I’m gonna make sure he’s okay.”

“Isaac’s fine. At this point, it’s just waiting for him to wake up. It won’t be a party, trust me.”

“I’m coming with you.” Scott still insisted.

Spencer stared at him for a moment, but sighed. “Could you at least do something useful and call your mom? She’ll want to know we got Isaac.”

Scott pulled his phone from his pocket. “Uh, I’ll just text her.” The next few moments were awkwardly quiet before Scott spoke again. “What have you been up to?”

Spencer was silent.

“Who was that?”

“Nothing. And no one.” Spencer grunted. “Now stop asking questions.”

Scott agreed, nodding.

The rest of the drive was quiet once more, but it didn’t seem as awkward. As soon as Spencer arrived at the Hale House, she got out and started to pull Isaac behind her. As she does, Derek comes upon them and taps her. Spencer nodded, taking that as Derek picking up Isaac.

Derek pointedly looked towards Scott, wanting Spencer to get rid of him.

“Trust me.” Spencer said. “I’ve been trying.”

“Try harder.”

Spencer sighed and looked to Scott. “Scotty, we really don’t need you anymore. There’s nothing you can do.”

“I’m staying.” Scott promised. “I’m staying until I know he’s okay and there’s not much you can do to make me do anything else.”

Spencer narrowed her eyes at him. “The second you get in our way, I’ll lace your bedsheets with wolfsbane. Got it?”

Scott laughed and smiled at her, seeing his best friend for the first time in months. “Got it.”

“And don’t laugh. I’m being serious.”

Scott’s phone started ringing and he stepped to the side to answer it.

Spencer got ahead of Derek quickly and pushed the front door open.

Derek nodded to the table.

Spencer moved out Derek’s way, pushing some of the debris from the table. She looked over Derek’s shoulder, watching as he ripped the top of Isaac’s hospital gown open. The spot where the cut once was had healed, but it was still black and blue.

Derek flashed his eyes red and looked at the bruise. “That’s not good.”

Spencer looked to Derek with fearful eyes. “What’s wrong?” She stayed by Isaac, but walked to the other side of the table.

Derek moved about the room, kneeling to the floor.

“Derek?”

Derek wouldn’t answer.

Spencer rolled her eyes and focused on Isaac, pushing his hair out of his face. It had been a long time since she had seen him with his curls loose like they were. “You’re okay.” Spencer whispered to him. “You gotta be okay.”

Scott approached, entering the living room. “You guys don’t still live here, do you?”

Derek looked at him like he was stupid and threw a plank to the side. “No. The county took it over, but there's something here that I need. It’ll help heal a wound from an alpha.”

“It did heal.” Spencer pointed out to Derek.

Derek paused in his searching and looked to Spencer and Isaac. “Not on the inside.”

Spencer looked over at him. “Are you serious? How do we fix this?”

“Relax.” Derek said calmly.

Spencer furrowed her brow at his gentleness.

“I’m gonna heal him.” Derek said. “He’ll be okay.”

Spencer stared at him for a moment and then nodded.

Derek continued to pull a few weeds from the floorboards, unsure how they got there.

Scott studied both of them for a second before deciding he needed to ask what was on his mind. “Hey, are either of you going to tell me who that was back there?”

Derek looked up at Scott.

“That alpha.”

Derek looked over at Spencer, but she quickly shook her head.

Seeing Scott get trapped in the elevator with the alpha proved that Spencer really didn’t want her friends in this anymore.

Derek looked back to Scott. “It’s a rival pack. “It’s my problem. Our problem.” He gestured to her and Isaac. “I know you wanna help and you did. I owe you one.” Derek’s focus returned to his task. “Now go home.”

Spencer sighed in relief at Derek’s compliance to keep Scott out of the alpha problem, at least for now.

Derek stood from the floor. “Go back to being a teenager.” He walked to the table, standing across from Spencer and picking the flowers apart.

“What about Spencer?” Scott asked.

Spencer looked up at Scott, and Derek turned to face him.

“Does Spencer get to be a teenager? You know she’s only a few weeks older than I am.”

“Scott, please.” Spencer practically begged. “Just go home.”

Scott nodded, taking one step towards the door. He paused, putting his hand over his left shoulder. “Uh, hey, Derek.”

Derek looked over at Scott.

“If you wanna repay that favor now…” Scott turned back to the alpha. “There is something you can do for me.”

“Something more important than helping Isaac heal?” Spencer said under her breath.

Derek eyed Spencer. “I told you I’d help him. I’m going to.”

Spencer licked her lip and glanced up at Derek angrily. “I’m having a really hard time believing you lately.”

Derek raised his brow. “I know.”

Spencer groaned quietly and rolled her eyes. She looked to Scott. “What do you need?”

“I got a tattoo.”

Spencer burst out laughing after a moment. “No way in hell your mom let you get a tattoo.”

Scott just shrugged in response.

Spencer shook her head. “Let me guess. It healed.”

“How did you know?”

Spencer lifted her sleeve to show her own tattoo. It was of seven circles, each filled in differently representing the phases of the moon. The circle in the middle was not filled in, symbolizing the full moon. “Same thing happened to me.”

“You have a tattoo?” A new voice gasped.

Spencer knew it was Stiles. Her heart had skipped a beat when she heard the sound.

Derek’s eyes dart to her, hearing the jump.

Spencer looked up towards the foyer to see the newly arrived skinny boy. “Stiles, hey.” She said, the words, sounding weird as they came out of her mouth.

“Hey…” Stiles said slowly, feeling a little weird himself. He knew that Spencer had left without a word the other morning and it had hurt his feelings.

The four of them stood awkwardly for a second before Derek asked to see the tattoo.

Scott pulled off his shirt, leaving him in a tank top.

Derek pulled out a couple of still surviving chairs for both himself and Scott.

Spencer and Stiles stood behind a table from the chairs, but they kept their distance from each other.

Derek flashed his eyes red, trying to look for Scott’s tattoo. “Yeah. I see it. It’s two bands, right?” He asked, gesturing to the arm.

Scott nodded.

“What does it mean?”

Scott hesitated, thinking. “I don’t know. Uh, it’s just... “ He picked up his hand and drew a couple circles on the table in the dust. “...something I traced with my fingers.”

“Why is this so important to you?”

Spencer studied Derek, wondering where the broody and mean guy she knew from the last time she saw him. She thought this Derek was caring and interested.

“Do you know what the word tattoo means?” Scott asked.

“To mark something.” Stiles said, gaining Derek’s attention. The lanky boy sent a wink in the alpha’s direction.

Spencer rolled her eyes.

“Well, that’s in Tahitian.” Scott explained. “In Samoan, it means ‘open wound’.”

Stiles and Spencer both looked at Scott through narrowed eyes, confused on where his thought process was.

Derek looked back to Scott, waiting for him to continue.

“I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned eighteen. I always wanted one. I just decided to get it now, to make it kind of a reward.” Scott said.

“For what?”

“For not calling or texting Allison all Summer.”

Spencer lowered her eyes and licked her bottom lip. She understood exactly where Scott was coming from.

“Even when I really wanted to, even when it was so hard not to sometimes. I was trying to give her the space she wants.” Scott sighed. “Goin’ four months later, it still hurts. It still feels like a, uh…”

Stiles nodded. “Like an open wound.”

Spencer looked up at Stiles, noticed that he was looking at her and quickly looked away.

“Yeah.” Scott agreed.

Derek raised his brow and nodded, reaching for his blowtorch. “Pain’s gonna be the worse than you anything you ever felt.

Spencer sighed at the release of tension in the air.

“Ah, that’s great.” Stiles groaned.

Scott nodded to Derek. “Do it.”

Derek started the fire, making Stiles gasp.

Spencer took her position behind Scott with her hands on his shoulders.

“Oh, wow. That’s a - that’s a lot for me. So...I’m gonna take that as my cue.” Stiles pointed towards the door, going behind Derek for the front door.

Derek stopped him with a hand to Stiles’ chest. “Nope. You can help hold him down.”

“Can’t Spencer do it?” Stiles asked. “I mean, she’s the one with the super wolf strength.”

“Scott is stronger than me,” Spencer explained. “I’m gonna need what help I can get.”

“God, okay.” Stiles stood next to Spencer, taking one shoulder while she had the other. “Oh, my God.” Stiles complained.

Scott was ready and nodded to Derek.

Derek smirked a little bit, knowing Scott had no idea what he had really signed up for. The moment the Derek’s fire made contact with Scott’s skin, the younger wolf began to scream and struggle against Stiles’ and Spencer’s hold. “Hold him.” Derek forced.

“We are.” Spencer said between her teeth, forcing Scott to remain in the chair. She could feel Scott’s wolf start to come out and she became worried of what would happen next.

However, Scott’s body went limp in the chair.