Love's Spiral

When Derek and Spencer had arrived to the school, they snuck in to meet Scott, Stiles, Lydia, and Allison in an empty classroom.

Spencer looked to all of her friends. “Hey.” She said to everyone. It briefly crossed Spencer mind that this was the first time all summer that she had seen either of the girls.

“It’s about time you show your face.” Lydia half-joked. “I was thinking of sending out the National Guard.”

Spencer looked down at her hands. “I know. And I know I have a lot of explaining to do.”

“It’s okay.” Lydia said. She took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around Spencer in a hug.

Spencer hesitated, confused by the quick acceptance, but she quickly hugged back. She looked over Lydia’s shoulder to see Allison. Spencer took a few steps away from the girls, joining Derek’s side. “Allison.”

“I see you haven’t forgiven me.” Allison pointed out.

Spencer furrowed her brow at the brunette and licked her lips. “You literally stabbed my boyfriend in the back.” Spencer reminded her, just in case she had forgotten.

“How’s Isaac?” Scott asked, quickly trying to move the subject along.

Spencer sighed. “He could be better. Peter did a memory thing this morning to see what he could find. See what the alphas took from him.”

“What did he find?” Stiles asked, from his spot on top of a desk.

“We think he found Erica and Boyd.” Derek explained. “But we couldn’t pinpoint where they were.”

“That’s good, right? It’s something?” Scott questioned.

Spencer nodded, not really believing that it was good. “Relatively.” She said. “So why are we here?”

Scott gestured to Allison and Lydia.

The girls each held out an arm and pushed them together.

Spencer noticed a few bruises on each arm. “Ouch.” She said. “What happened?”

“There was a girl looking for Scott. She put these on our arms. There’s a symbol or something.” Allison informed. “Do you see it?”

Derek crossed his arms and stepped forward to better look at the teenagers’ arms. “I don’t see anything.”

“Look again.” Scott insisted.

“Scotty, I don’t see anything either.” Spencer said, siding with Derek.

“How is a bruise gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?” Derek questioned.

Allison glared angrily at Derek.

“It’s the same.” Scott stressed. “On both sides. Exactly the same.”

“It’s nothing.” Derek promised.

“Have you guys tried drawing it out?” Spencer asked, seriously curious.

“There’s no need. It’s Pareidolia.” Lydia said studiously. “Seeing patterns that aren’t there.”

Spencer furrowed her brow with a smile. “Looks like you remembered you were the smart one this summer.”

Lydia rolled her eyes at Spencer’s remark. “It’s a subset of Apophenia.”

“They’re just trying to help.” Scott said to Derek.

Spencer laughed once, glaring daggers back at Allison. The redhead couldn’t believe that the archer wanted to help them.

Derek raised his brows at Scott and the girls. “These two? This one,” He pointed towards Lydia, “who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you.” Derek snarked. He pointed the same finger at Allison. “And this one, who shot about thirty arrows into me and my pack.”

“Okay, alright. Now, come on.” Stiles said.

Spencer looked to Stiles. “Please, don’t defend this.”

“But no one died, right?”

Spencer shook her head, wishing he might listen to her, just once.

“Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay, a little mangling, but no death. That’s what I call an important distinction.”

“My mother died.” Allison said, pointedly towards Derek.

Spencer fumed. “Now, hold on.” She said, trying to take a step towards the brunette.

Derek put his arm out to stop her. “Your family’s little honor code killed your mother. Not me.”

“That girl was looking for Scott. I’m here to help him. Not you.” Allison countered.

Spencer scoffed.

“You wanna help?” Derek asked. “Find something real.” He paused, staring down Allison for a moment. “Let’s go, Red.” And the two turned to leave.

Scott followed after them. “Derek…”

Derek stopped abruptly and turned back.

“Give her a chance.” Scott begged. “Okay, they’re on our side now.”

“Well then maybe you should tell her what her mother was actually trying to do that night.” With that final comment, Derek left the classroom.

Scott looked to his friend. “Pence…”

Spencer shook her head. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Her mom almost killed you, Scott. She needs to know that. She needs to know that what Derek did was to save your life from her.” Spencer looked to Scott. “Until you tell her, she still only knows half of the story.”

Scott sighed.

Spencer took his lack of response as her turn to leave. She gave Stiles a quick wave, which he returned, and Spencer followed after Derek. She hadn’t managed to catch up to the alpha. Spencer knew Derek had a talent of disappearing into crowds faster than anyone she knew. She didn’t find Derek again until she got back to the Cruiser. Spencer climbed into the car and buckled herself in.

Derek quickly started up the car and pulled out of the parking spot with a blank look on his face.

Spencer looked over at Derek, turning slightly in her seat. “You’re different.” She said.

Derek furrowed his brow and looked at her, confused, for just a second before looking back at the road. “I’m different?”

“Yeah, you don’t see it?”

“How am I different?” Derek asked.

Spencer laughed to herself quietly. “This is gonna sound bad, but you’re...nicer.” She admitted. “You’ve been really good with Isaac for the past couple of days. You’re not as short-tempered as you were before. And I’m almost certain that the Derek I knew from three months ago would have told Allison what happened the night of the rave.”

“Should I have told her?”

“I don’t think so. It’s a sensitive thing for Allison. She hates you, so if it came from you, she’d hate you even more for trying to justify yourself. If Scott does it, Allison will trust with what he says.” Spencer paused, looking to her phone as she received texts from Isaac.

Derek looked over at Spencer, taking in her profile. It was strange to him how much she had changed since he last saw her. Spencer’s childish features were all but gone, and her eyes seemed bluer somehow. “So, I’m different, huh?” Derek looked back towards where he was driving.

Spencer nodded, eyes leaving her phone to smile at Derek. “Good different.” she explained. “It’s nice seeing you like that, though.”

“I am like that.”

“Yes…” Spencer nodded slowly. “But before now, it was always just with me.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“Really?” She questioned, incredulously. “Derek, I was literally the only person you would let your wall down with. I was also the only person you’d be honest with.” Spencer looked down at her phone, checking another text from Isaac. She licked her lips. “At least until the alphas.” The second that those words left Spencer’s lips, she regretted it. She tensed up and turned back to sit correctly in her seat.

“Red - ” Derek tried to say, before Spencer interrupted him.

“No, don’t say anything. I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Spencer admitted. “That is all in the past.”

“Doesn’t excuse it.”

“No, it doesn’t. But I understand why you did. It’s the same reason why I didn’t tell Scott.” Spencer said. “There was too much on our plates. We were dealing with the kanima when you found out, and Scott was so desperately trying to get back on track and have a normal life. The worst part about it is, I keep saying that as soon as this is over, Scott can go back to focusing on real stuff.”

Derek was confused. “How is that the worst part?”

“Because I have a feeling that it won’t work out like that. The alphas aren’t the end of it. There will always be something.” Spencer looked to Derek.

Derek nodded.

“But you’ve always known that.” Spencer smiled. “I’m starting to think you’re the smart one out of the two of us.”

“No.” Derek chuckled. “I don’t think so. That’s definitely you.”

“You’ve just been in the game longer than me. You’re more experienced.” Spencer thought about what she said. She felt the heat rise to her face and looked into her lap.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“What?” Derek urged.

“Nothing, I just - ” Spencer laughed quietly. “Do you remember when we first starting hanging out and you helped me clean out all of Lydia’s hand-me-downs?”

Derek nodded.

“We started talking about your romantic past and my only thought, embarrassingly enough, was that you were more experienced than I was.” Spencer explained. “Saying that just now reminded me of how things were last year.”

“Last year?” Derek asked. “Has it only been that long?”

“Yeah.” Spencer said, hardly believing it herself. She sighed as Derek pulled into a parking spot outside the loft.

Derek turned off the car and looked over at Spencer. “You know I can look after Isaac, right?”

Spencer furrowed her brow. “I know.” She said slowly.

“Then why did you come home? You could have stayed at school.”

Spencer bit her lip and looked away from him. “Yeah, about that…” she nervously twisted her fingers together. “I, uh, I dropped out.”

“What?” Derek asked.

“Yeah. I finished last year and got my mom to send me the signed papers to make it official.”

“Red, you have to go to school.”

“Well, I can't because I'm no longer a student.” She pushed the car door open and got out, heading inside.

“So enroll again.” Derek ordered, following after her. “I don't know why you would make such a stupid decision.”

“I don't think it's that stupid. I've been learning things I already knew for years and you need help. This is how I do that. This is how I help you.” Spencer and Derek entered the elevator and she pushed the button to get to the loft floor.

“You should have told me.” Derek insisted.

“I didn't because I knew you'd react like this. It was my decision. My mother agreed, so she signed the papers.”

“I don't really think your mother is in any position to be making parental decisions for you.”

“Oh, and you are?” Spencer asked, rhetorically. “Look, Derek, it’s done. Okay? I promised Pops I’d get my GED but that was it.”

“The sheriff knew?”

“Of course he knew. The man is practically my father.” The elevator stopped and Spencer pulled the large door open.

Isaac stood to greet her.

“Did Isaac know?” Derek questioned Spencer, gesturing to the curly-haired wolf.

“Did I know what?” Isaac asked.

“Yes, Isaac knew that I dropped out of school.” Spencer admitted.

“Oh…” Isaac said, suddenly wishing he didn’t know. “If it makes you feel any better she didn't tell me until last week.”

“Scott and Stiles knew, too. In case you wanted to know the whole list.”

“So, I’m the only one who didn’t know?” Derek asked.

“I didn’t know.” Peter’s voice said, appearing from up the spiral staircase. He sat himself down on the stair and received annoyed looks from both Spencer and Derek. “Now I see why the two of you were so into each other. You pass the same dirty looks.”

Spencer took a deep breath and looked up the ceiling, reminding herself to calm down. “I’m gonna kill him.” she said quietly.

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

Spencer lowered her eyes and looked to Derek. “You haven’t exactly been around for me to tell.” Spencer said. “And I don’t mean that to remind you that you’ve been so flaky, I say that because it’s the truth.”

“And I’m pretty sure she just didn’t want to tell you.” Isaac added.

“Not helping.” Spencer said, looking briefly behind her to the boy. She groaned. “I knew you’d talk me out of it.”

Derek nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “I would have. But since I only just found out, I’m telling you. You’re going back to school.”

“No.” Spencer said, at the same time her phone chimed. “I’m not.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and turned towards the stairs. Spencer checked the message from Scott, telling her to meet them at the animal clinic after school, with Isaac. She climbed the steps, pushing Peter out of her way. “We’re meeting Scott later.” Spencer got to her room and slammed the door closed.

The three guys were silent for a moment, standing awkwardly, looking to one another.

Peter clicked his tongue. “That was a good one.” He said, referring to their fight. “Just wish I’d had some popcorn.”

!@#$#@!

When Spencer, Derek, and Isaac arrived at the animal clinic, they saw Scott, Stiles, and Deaton carrying bags of ice into one of the examination rooms.

Spencer stood outside the room with a furrowed brow. She saw a large metal tin filled with water in the middle of the room where the table once was. “Your plan is an ice bath?” Spencer asked, looking to Deaton.

“Essentially.” Deaton said, then further explained. “We’re going to immerse Isaac in the water, slowing his heart rate. There are some herbs in there that you’re familiar with. Those will help stimulate the brain to access the memories that the alphas took.”

“So this’ll work.” Derek asked.

“It should.”

Derek picked up a bag of ice and poured it into the tub. “Good enough for me.”

Scott and Stiles were also helping to fill the tub with the ice.

“Wait a minute.” Spencer insisted. “This is Isaac’s decision.” She said, looking to the boy. “He needs to make this choice.”

Isaac took a couple steps towards the room, standing in the doorway. He watched carefully as the other’s emptied the bags of ice.

Deaton stood across from him, while Spencer grabbed his arm for comfort. “Obviously it’s not going to be particularly…” Deaton thought, “comfortable. But if we can slow your heart rate down enough, you’ll slip into a trance-like state.”

“Like being hypnotized.” Isaac offered, stepping into the room. It almost sounded like he was warming up to the idea.

Spencer wasn’t, but she and Deaton followed Isaac into the room.

The boys had finished with the ice bags and were standing around the tin.

“Exactly.” Deaton said. “You’ll be half-transformed. It’ll let us access your subconscious mind.”

Isaac crouched down next to the tub.

Spencer stood across from him, next to Derek and watched Isaac closely. “Doc, how slow does his heart rate need to be?”

“Very slow.” Deaton said shortly.

“Okay, well, how slow is ‘very slow’?” Derek asked, leaning down with his hands on the rim of the bucket.

“Nearly dead.”

Spencer scoffed, “Thanks for breaking it so easily.”

Everyone else had looked to Deaton with shocked looks.

Isaac touched the water, but jerked back at the intense cold. He looked up at the vet. “It’s safe though, right?”

“Do you want me to answer honestly?” Deaton asked.

“No.” Isaac admitted. “No, not really.”

The sound of rubber snapping, distracted everyone from the problem at hand. They all looked to Stiles as he had put on a long-sleeved glove over his hand.

Stiles was confused by the looks that he was getting. “What?”

“Seriously, Stiles?” Spencer asked. “Business before pleasure.”

“Ple - What?” Stiles said, instantly pulling the glove off. “What does that even mean?” He asked himself quietly.

Spencer returned her attention to the others, Isaac especially. “Okay. I’m gonna say it. I’m really not okay with this. Like on a scale of one to ten, I’m at twenty and already pulling Isaac out the door.”

Isaac got to his feet and exhaled a large breath.

Derek looked to him. “Look, if it feels too risky, you don’t have to do this.”

Spencer sighed. “Finally someone with some sense.”

Isaac looked to Scott.

Scott agreed, nodding to the other beta.

Isaac turned back to Spencer.

“Really, Isaac, we can find another way.” she promised.

“Not likely, given your time crunch.” Deaton added.

Spencer gave the doctor a hard look. “Really?”

Isaac’s movement across from her gained her attention back. The curly-haired beta had shed his shirt.

“Oh, yay. We’re doing this.” Spencer said sarcastically.

“You said it was my decision.”

“Yeah. I’m really starting to regret that.”

Isaac caught her eye and then looked to Deaton. “I want Spencer to do it. I want her to talk to me, while I’m under.”

Spencer hesitated. She wanted to, but she was too nervous. “Isaac, I can’t. I have no idea what I’m doing.” Spencer looked to Deaton for a little bit of help.

“You’ll be fine.” The doctor assured.

Spencer nodded. “And I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here.”

Isaac let out another large breath, bracing himself. He put his shirt behind him on the table and climbed into the bucket, lowering himself down. Isaac gasped at the cold feeling and grabbed onto Spencer’s arm.

Spencer looked up at Scott, who had taken off his jacket. She received a hopeful look from the boy and nodded. “I’ll be right here. You just hold on.” Spencer leaned down and kissed Isaac’s hand. “Ready?”

Isaac nodded.

Spencer returned the nod and looked to Scott. “Do it.”

Scott and Derek looked up at Deaton for reassurance. With it, they pushed him under the water.

Isaac was holding Spencer’s arm tightly as he started to fight against Scott and Derek’s hold. He came above the water, shifted into his wolf and roared loudly.

Derek and Scott did everything that they could to keep Isaac under the water.

“Get him back under.” Deaton said, watching with his arms crossed over his chest.

Isaac still resisted the hold, managing to get above water. He had tried to use Spencer’s strength against her to aid him in pulling himself out.

Spencer, however, forced herself to kneel on the ground so Isaac didn’t have the leverage.

Isaac was grunting, fighting against the other wolves.

“Hold him!” Deaton stressed.

“We’re trying.” Derek snapped.

“He spent half his life locked in a deep freezer.” Spencer spat at Deaton. “Forgive him if he’s a little claustrophobic.” She looked back to Isaac. “Isaac, it’s okay.”

Derek and Scott got him under the water and held him there.

“Isaac, just stop fighting.” Spencer said. “You’re okay.”

Isaac’s hold on Spencer’s arm weakened significantly and now it was her that was holding onto him.

Spencer took a deep breath, trying to remind herself that he wasn’t dead.

Isaac floated to the surface of the water, breaking it with a small breath into his mouth.

Deaton glanced at the others with a finger in the air. “Now, remember, only I talk to him. Too many voices will confuse him and draw him out.” The doctor looked to Derek, waiting for a confirmation that he was heard.

Derek only looked down at the beta. He and Scott still held their hands above Isaac in case he came out of the trance.

Deaton leaned down in an attempt to get closer to Isaac. “Isaac?” He called. “Can you hear me?”

It took a moment, but Isaac responded. “Yes, I can hear you.”

Spencer sighed in relief, bowing her head to lean on their clasped hands.

“I’d like to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?” Deaton asked.

“Yes.” Isaac whispered.

“I want to ask you about the night you found Erica and Boyd.” Behind Deaton’s voice, lightening struck and the thunder rumbled, frightening Spencer in the stressful situation. Deaton continued. “I want you to remember it for me in as vivid detail as possible, like you’re actually there again.”

Isaac struggled against Derek and Scott’s strong holds. “I - I don’t wanna do that. I don’t - I don’t wanna do that.”

The lights in the room flicked and Deaton looked to Spencer.

Spencer dropped her shoulders. “Sorry.” She said quietly, gaining everyone else’s attention.

Everyone was shocked by the fact that Spencer was the one making the lights flicker.

“I’m freaking out over here.” Spencer admitted.

Deaton turned back to Isaac. “Isaac, it’s alright.”

Stiles noticed Spencer’s anxiety continue with the flicker of the lights and reached over, grabbing her free hand. He received a small smile from the redhead as she mouthed a thank you.

“Just relax. They’re just memories.” Deaton reminded. “You can’t be hurt by a memory.”

“I don’t want to do that.” Isaac shivered.

Deaton was keeping his calm. “Relax.” He said soothingly. Somehow his calm tone helped Spencer as well. “Good.” Deaton said, noticing that Isaac was beginning to calm in the water.

Stiles gave Spencer’s hand a squeeze and kept hold of it when she tried to pull away.

Spencer accepted the gesture of comfort and took a deep breath.

“Now,” Deaton continued. “Let’s go back to that night. To the place you found Erica and Boyd. Can you tell me what you see? Is there some kind of building? A house?”

“It’s not… It’s not a house. It’s stone.” Isaac shivered. “I think marble.”

“That’s perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?”

“It’s dusty. So… Empty.”

“Like an abandoned building?” Deaton asked.

The thunder rumbled again and the lights flickered once more, everyone giving Spencer their attention.

Spencer shook her head, telling them it wasn’t her that time.

Deaton hurriedly looked to Isaac. “Isaac?”

Isaac shook in the water. “Someone’s here.” His free hand grabbed onto Scott’s arm and his hold on Spencer tightened. “Someone’s here.”

“Isaac, relax.” Deaton calmed.

“No, no. They see me, they see me!” Isaac thrashed in the cold water, splashing a lot of it outside the tub. Isaac screamed.

“Just memories.” Deaton tried to remind him, looking up at the lights. “You won’t be hurt by your memories. Just relax.” He stressed.

Isaac’s death grips on both Scott and Spencer weakened.

“Good.” Deaton looked over at Scott as the boy stood up straighter. “Now tell us what you see. Tell us everything.”

Isaac’s eyes moved wildly under his closed lids. His eyes opened, but he was still in his trance, staring at the light above him. “I hear him.” Isaac said. “He’s talking about the full moon, about…being out of control when the moon rises.”

“Is he talking to Erica?”

“I think so, I can’t - ” Isaac’s lips were shivering violently. He was obviously freezing. “I can’t see her, I ca - I can’t see either of them.”

“Can you hear anything else?” Deaton asked.

“They’re worried. They’re worried what they’ll do during the moon.” Isaac explained. “They’re...worried that they’re gonna hurt each other.”

Derek rolled his eyes, quietly sighing, and looked to Deaton. “If they’re locked in together on the full moon, they’re gonna tear each other apart.” He realized.

“Isaac, we need to find them right now.” Deaton stressed. “Can you see them?”

“No.” Isaac responded.

“Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of marker? A number on a door? A sign?”

Isaac quickly jerked out of the water, his hand going further up Spencer’s arm, nails digging into her. “They - they - ”

Spencer bit her lip, ignoring the pain.

“It’s alright.” Deaton said.

Isaac was gasping in fright. “No. They’re here. They see me. They found me.” He splashed about in the water. “They’re here!”

“This isn’t working.” Derek said. “Isaac, where are you?”

“I can’t see them. It’s too dark.”

“Just tell me where you are!”

“Derek…” Deaton warned.

“I can’t see!” Isaac shouted.

So much was going on around Spencer, but as Isaac’s nails turned into claws, she couldn’t focus on anything but the pain in her arm.

“Isaac, where are you?” Derek screamed. “Just tell me where you are.”

“His heart rate.” Deaton reminded. “He could go into shock.”

“Derek, let him go.” Scott urged.

“Isaac, where are you? What do you see?”

“Derek!” Spencer shouted, seething from the punctures in her arm.

“A vault! It’s a bank vault!” Isaac screamed.

The water was slowly filling with Spencer’s blood as it started to seep from her skin.

Isaac let go of Spencer’s arm quickly and jerked back into a seated position. “I saw it!” He shouted, conscious again. “I saw the name.” Isaac promised, looking up at Deaton. He stood and got out of the tub with help from Scott and Derek.

Deaton grabbed a towel and started wrapping it around the boy.

Spencer fell back to sit on the ground, holding the holes in her arm to stop them from bleeding.

Isaac had noticed her on the floor and looked to her, realizing he had hurt her.

Spencer gave Isaac a small smile. “Hey there, Wolfboy.” she said, with a heavy breath.

“Are you - ?”

“I’m fine. Nothing I won’t heal from.” Spencer wiped some of the blood away to show him it had already started to heal. “What did you see?”

Isaac shivered, but continued with what he was saying. “It’s, uh… B-Beacon Hills First National Bank. It’s, um, an abandoned bank, and they’re locked inside, inside the vault.”

Everyone was quiet, not wanting to talk about what they just heard. Almost like there was an elephant in the room no one wanted to mention.

Spencer was just as confused as Isaac.

“What?” Isaac asked.

“You don’t remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?” Stiles asked.

Isaac shook his head. “No.”

Spencer looked up at Stiles. “What did he say?”

“You didn’t hear it?” Scott questioned.

Spencer scoffed. “I was a little distracted.” She gestured to her arm. Spencer looked to Derek, who looked absolutely stoic with his arms crossed over his chest.

Stiles continued. “Uh, you said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it.”

“What body?” Isaac asked, looking to Deaton.

Stiles hesitated. “Erica.” he said, finally. “You said it was Erica.”