Love's Spiral

~310 ~ 3165

Spencer was thankful to have Boyd and Cora safe at home. Even knowing that Alphas were still out there, she managed to actually sleep through the night wrapped up in Isaac’s arms. When Isaac had gone to cross country practice the next morning, Spencer fell back to sleep. Her extra sleep didn’t last long because her phone started ringing about a half hour after Isaac left.

Clumsily, Spencer reached for it with her head still buried in her pillow. She squinted her eyes at the light shining through the window as she answered the call. “Hello?”

“Hey, Spence.” Stiles’ voice came through the phone. “Are you - are you sleeping?”

“I was.” Spencer said, deep within a yawn. “What’s up?”

“You might want to get out of bed there, Sleeping Beauty.” He said. “There’s another body. We found him during the run this morning.”

Spencer took in a deep breath, turning and sitting up in bed. “Okay.” She said, still locked in her sleepy state. “Are you okay?”

Stiles laughed. “What’s a few more scarring memories?”

“Scott? Isaac?” She questioned.

“Yeah, we’re all good. Just thought you’d want to see it for yourself.”

“I do. Thanks.” Spencer pushed herself out of the comfy bed. “See you in a bit.” She said, hanging up and changing out of her sweatpants. As Spencer left her room, she grabbed a couple of granola bars from the kitchen and heard some movement downstairs. “Derek!” Spencer shouted, going for the stairs. “I’m going out.” When she came down the stairs, she saw that it wasn’t Derek, but Cora.

Cora was stretching out her body, dressed in some workout clothes.

Spencer shook her head, realizing that the stubbornness that Cora was showing was a family trait. “You look better than you did last night, but you should still be resting.” She told the young Hale.

“Boyd can go to school.” Cora pointed out. “I don’t have that distraction. I need to do something.”

“And I get that.” Spencer nodded. “But still. You need more time to heal.”

Cora raised her eyebrows at Spencer.

“Even the eyebrows.” Spencer said, recognizing their movement as something Derek always did. “That’s kinda creepy.”

“Did you want something?” Cora asked, stretching her arms towards her feet.

Spencer shook her head. “Not really. Just wanted to check in. Make sure you’re okay.”

“Why do you care?”

“You’re Derek’s sister.” Spencer shrugged.

Cora stopped and narrowed her eyes at the redhead. She tilted her head to the side. “You guys aren’t…”

Spencer showed a straight-lined smile. “No, we aren’t. We were, sort of. But would that really matter?”

Cora started her workout, doing a few crunches.

“I still think I’m allowed to care even though we don’t know each other well.” Spencer admitted. “Considering what all we went through to help you and to stop you from slaughtering everyone in Beacon Hills.”

“You were trying to help Boyd.” Cora reminded. “And Erica.”

Spencer swallowed a bit of nerves at the mention of her friend. She bit her lip. “We weren’t there for her in time, and instead we found you.” Spencer said. “I’m glad that we did.” She took a deep breath, pausing, wondering if Cora would respond. When she didn’t, Spencer continued. “I’ve known Derek for a while. He’s the quiet type, and he hardly ever gives off any emotion.”

“So?”

“I was on the other end of the phone when he and Scott found you and Boyd. I heard him say your name.” Spencer said, licking her lips. “The first time he said it, there was confusion and near panic, wondering if you were really alive. Then he realized that you were and he said your name again. He was…” Spencer thought, “hopeful. Relieved. You being back might finally help him get the idea that he’s not alone anymore.”

Cora stopped, looking up at Spencer from the floor.

“I live here because my father, my dead father, was an evil, son of a bitch werewolf that tried to kill me and my friends and my mom couldn’t take the supernatural crazy that is my life.” Spencer shared. “Isaac lives here because both of his parents are actually dead. Derek took us in. I encouraged him to buy the loft and I have been trying to make it home for four months, most of which, he wasn’t around for. Isaac and I have been struggling to prove to him that we’re family since I helped him make this pack.” Spencer told her. It was hard for her to say it though, knowing how hard she’s been pushing to include Derek. “But you’re his real family. You’re blood, and because of that, I want to make sure that you’re - ”

“I’m okay.” Cora finished, avoiding Spencer’s eyes.

Spencer nodded anyway.

“I am.”

“Good.” Spencer stood there for another moment of silence, before remembering that she should probably get going. “If Derek comes home, will you tell him that I got a call from Stiles about another dead body?” Spencer asked, heading for the giant sliding door.

“Another?” Cora questioned.

Spencer turned around, taking a couple steps backwards. “Yeah, I guess we should fill you in on that.” She stopped. “When I get back, we can talk about it, if you want.”

Cora nodded.

“In the meantime,” Spencer started, throwing one of her granola bars at Cora, the brunette catching the snack with ease. “Eat something. Kitchen’s fair game. Unless it’s the last egg roll. Derek’s supposed to save me one whenever he gets Chinese.”

“Noted.”

Spencer left the loft, taking the elevator to the ground floor. Given that Spencer had allowed Isaac to use her truck when she wasn't, she resolved to running to the school. It was nice for her to get in the quick run, tuning everything out. She hurried, running through the woods to get there. Spencer followed the scent until she arrived, seeking out Stiles.

Isaac found her first though, and approached her. “What are you doing here?” he asked, pulling her away from the group of kids.

Spencer furrowed her brow and pointed to the tree she saw the body was tied to. “Stiles called me about a body.”

“Spencer!” Stiles called, raising his hand above the crowd.

“Are you even allowed to be here?”

Spencer shrugged. “I’m here, aren’t I?” She smiled and pushed herself up on her toes to kiss Isaac’s cheek. Spencer walked around Isaac and approached Stiles as he stood next to the tree. “Hey.” She looked over the body, “Yeah, that’s definitely not anything like us.” Spencer said quietly, looking over at Scott and he and Isaac stood behind her and Stiles.

“It’s sacrifices, right?” Stiles asked. “I was right about the sacrifices. Oh, man this is bad. Very, very bad.”

Spencer smiled at her friend. “We can’t jump to conclusions.”

“But it’s the same thing. The threefold death.” Stiles pointed out.

“Yeah, but - ”

The sheriff, running toward her, cut her off. “Hey, get out of the way. Get back.” The sheriff ordered the kids and he pushed through them. “Get this area cordoned off before they trample every piece of evidence.”

“Back up!” Tara, a deputy, screamed. “Everyone back!”

The sheriff walked up on Stiles and Spencer, standing close to the body. “Get these kids out of here!”

Stiles pulled his dad toward the body. “Dad, just come here. Look at it.” He pointed. “It’s the same as the others, you see?”

Sheriff nodded. “Yeah, I see that, but do me a favor.” He asked with his brows raised. “Go back to school, yeah?” The sheriff’s eyes flashed to his right at Spencer. “What are you doing here?”

“Going for a jog?” Spencer narrowed her eyes at the sheriff, hoping he’d buy that.

Pops raised his brow, obviously not buying it. He nodded, looking behind him at the coach. “Coach, can you give us a hand here?”

“You heard the man. Nothing to see here!” Coach shouted. “Probably just some homeless kid.”

There was a pause and Scott got the Coach’s attention. “He was a senior.”

“Oh.” Coach sighed. “He wasn’t on the team, was he?”

There was a sharp scream as Spencer heard quick, heavy footfalls heading there way. “Kyle!” The girl screamed. “Oh, God, Kyle!”

Tara held the blonde girl back from touching the body.

The sheriff ushered Spencer, Scott, Stiles, and Isaac away from the scene.

Spencer walked next to Stiles on the way to the school.

“You see the way the twins looked at him?” Isaac asked.

“Twins?” Spencer asked, furrowing her brow at Isaac.

Isaac gestured to the boys behind her.

Spencer looked behind her, seeing the two blonds behind her. Her eyes narrowed. “That’s them, isn’t it? The alpha twins?” Spencer asked, realizing they had looked a tiny bit familiar.

“Yeah, you mean like they had no idea what happened?” Stiles said, continuing on.

“No.” Isaac insisted. “No, they knew.” He continued to look back at the twins.

“Isaac, there’s no way - ”

Stiles interrupted Spencer. “The kid was strangled with a garrote, alright? Am I the only one recognizing the lack of ‘werewolfitude’ in these murders?” Stiles asked, looking to Spencer.

Spencer shook her head. “They couldn’t have done that.” She gestured up the dead boy, Kyle.

“Oh, you think it’s a coincidence they turn up and then people start dying?” Isaac questioned both Stiles and Spencer.

“Well, no, but I still don’t think it's them.”

“I’m with Stiles.” Spencer said, raising her hand.

Isaac took a few steps ahead of the group and stopped everyone. He looked to Scott. “Scott? What about you?”

Stiles crossed his arms, waiting for his best friend’s answer.

Scott stood in the middle of the three. “I don’t know yet.”

“You don’t know yet?” Stiles asked.

Scott stumbled for words. “Well, he’s got a point.” Scott said, talking about Isaac.

Stiles scoffed.

“Seriously, dude, human sacrifices?” Scott questioned.

Stiles was dumbfounded by his answer. “Scott, your eyes turn into yellow glow sticks, okay? Hair, literally, grows from your cheeks and will immediately disappear. And if I were to stab you right now, it would just magically heal, but you’re telling me that you’re having trouble grasping human sacrifices?”

Scott sighed. “That’s a good point, too.” He said, looking to Isaac.

“I don’t care.” Isaac insisted. “They killed that kid. They killed the girl that saved me. I’m gonna kill them, too.” He walked off, leaving the three teens.

“Isaac!” Spencer chastised. She groaned, and turned to Stiles and Scott. “Look, I’ll see what I can do, alright? But I can only do so much.” Spencer looked directly at Scott. “And, honestly, Scotty, he trusts your opinion, too. The alphas didn’t do this, and you need to tell him that.” She smiled softly to Scott and then nodded to Stiles. “I’ll see you later.” Spencer said before rushing after Isaac. “Isaac!”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Spencer ran up on Isaac, grabbing his arm and turning him to face her. ”It’s too bad because you’re going to.”

“Spencer…”

“No!” She shouted. “Talk to me. I am tired of you lying to me and telling me that you’re okay. You can’t say that you aren’t, because your heart jumps every time you do.”

“They killed six people already.” Isaac stressed. “One of them was our friend, and the other saved my life.” He stopped himself. “Did you know that the twins attacked me today?”

“I’m sorry about that, but there’s nothing I can do now. Not with the sheriff here.” Spencer pointed out, taking a deep breath. “We don’t know that that girl is dead.” Spencer said. “I promised that we were going to find her and we will.”

“How?” Isaac asked. “How are we supposed to find her if we don’t even know her name or who she is?”

Spencer shook her head. “The alphas didn’t do this.” She stressed. “An alpha would not tie an innocent kid to a tree, slash their throat, bash their head in. Stiles is right.”

Isaac scoffed at that.

“Don’t do that.” Spencer begged. “Because I’m seriously getting tired of it. I’ve run out of ways to get you on my side.”

Isaac stared at her with a hard look.

“I know you’re upset with me. For whatever reason, you think I have feelings for Stiles or Derek, but I have feelings for you.” Spencer said, “Okay? Like, a lot of feelings. And you can’t go around threatening to kill people because you think they killed this kid. Yes, they killed Erica. They may have killed that girl who saved you, but we still don’t know that. They didn’t kill Kyle and they didn’t kill the guy from the pool, or Emily. Or Heather.” Spencer said, voice breaking. “Heather was my friend. Did you know that?”

Isaac lowered his head, having not actually known.

“I want to find out who did this and kill them just as much as you do, but that,” Spencer pointed back towards the deputies and Kyle, “That wasn’t the alphas. You said you trusted my gut, and that’s what my gut is saying.” Her eyes started to water as she looked up at Isaac. “So, trust my gut, and trust me.” Spencer begged. She heard the warning bell sound through the school. “You should go. You have class.”

Isaac nodded. “I’ll see you at home.”

Spencer shook her head. “I think I’m gonna stick around for a bit. Figure I let Cora get used to being at the loft. I think she’s gonna stick around.”

“Yeah, okay.” Isaac said, turning towards the locker room.

“Please don’t let them get to you.” Spencer asked. “It’s not worth it.”

Isaac left her without responding.

Spencer sighed, running her fingers through her hair in frustration.

Stiles and Scott walked by her and asked her what was going on with Isaac.

“I don’t even know. But would you mind keeping an eye on him?” Spencer asked Scott. “I’m gonna stay, but I can’t go to class with him.”

“Of course.” Scott said, nodding.

“I’m gonna see what I can find out from my dad. As soon as the coroner can get that body cleaned up, he’s probably gonna have a talk with the principal and Kyle’s girlfriend.” Stiles said. “We’ll have to find out from her if Kyle was a virgin.”

“What are you gonna do? Ask her if they’ve had sex?” Spencer asked.

Stiles scoffed. “You got a better idea?”

“Right, we’re just gonna come out and ask her.” Spencer relented. “You guys go get changed. Stiles and I will wait around to talk to Pops and Kyle’s girlfriend.”

“What’s Derek doing?” Scott asked.

“I’m not sure. Just go, huh?”

Stiles and Scott disappeared into the locker room.

While they changed, Spencer made her way into the school and waited outside the locker room door. She received a few odd looks. No doubt they’d all been wondering what had happened to her. That or they were just curious as to why she was waiting outside the locker room. Either way, the stares made Spencer uncomfortable. Suddenly, she wished she had one of Isaac’s large sweatshirts to hide herself in.

Stiles came out quickly, pulling at his hair, fixing it.

Spencer laughed to herself. “You know, it would be a lot easier if you kept your hair shaved.” She pointed out.

Stiles jerked back. “You don’t like it?”

“No, I like it. It’s just more for you to fuss over.”

“Eh, it’s - ” He stopped, looking to the door as Isaac had slammed his hand on it to push it open.

Isaac rushed angrily past Stiles and Spencer, Scott following shortly after him.

Scott looked to his friends for a brief moment and hurried along to follow him to class.

Spencer sighed heavily, staring in the direction they’d disappeared.

Stiles studied his friend, noticing her stressed state. He elbowed Spencer softly to get her attention. “He doesn’t like me, does he?”

“It’s not you.” Spencer told him, not looking his way. “Well, not really. He thinks I still have a thing for you. And Derek.”

Stiles scoffed, to show he was blown away by Isaac’s accusation, but also wondered if Spencer actually did still have feelings for him. “You, uh, you don’t, right?”

Spencer turned and met his eyes. She licked her lips nervously. “No.” Spencer said, not believing her own voice. “I don’t.”

“Good.”

Spencer nodded. “We should go find Pops, see if he can tell us anything.”

Stiles agreed and he led the way towards the school’s front office, knowing that his father would wind up there.

The sheriff was. He was in with the principal, Tara, and Kyle’s girlfriend.

“What are they saying?” Stiles asked.

“They’re just asking the normal questions.” Spencer informed. “‘Did Kyle have any enemies?’ ‘Anyone who would want to hurt him?’ Definitely nothing about the status of his virginity.”

Stiles groaned and threw himself into the chair outside the office. “This is crazy.” He said.

Spencer nodded and sat in the chair next to me. “Yeah, I definitely never thought we would be dealing with virgin sacrifices.” She thought for a moment. “Even when I was a witch, I didn’t think that it was a possibility.”

“I’m freaking out.” Stiles admitted. “I really wish Heather hadn’t been kidnapped and killed before we could - ”

“Stiles!” Spencer chastised. “You shouldn’t say something like that.”

“Well, what am I supposed to say? That I’m okay with being a virgin because now I know she wasn’t just kidnapped, but sacrificed because of her virginity?”

Spencer shook her head. “You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, right?” She asked. “I’m not about to let some freak sacrifice you because they want some sort of power that doesn’t technically exist.” Spencer furrowed her brow at a specific scent that she caught.

“How do you know it doesn’t exist?” Stiles countered. “I’m gonna die because I’m a virgin.” He whispered. Stiles stopped and looked up at Spencer. “You should be worried, too. Why aren’t you worried?” He asked quickly.

“I’m not worried.” Spencer said absently, focusing on the scent. She recognized it as Boyd’s.

“What?” Stiles gaped. “Why aren’t you worried?”

Spencer ignored the question and got out of the chair.

“Spence?”

Spencer took a couple steps away from the boy, still ignoring him.

Stiles gets up and follows her. “Spencer, why aren’t you worried about being virginally sacrificed?” By this point, Stiles knew the answer, he just didn’t seem to want to admit it to himself.

Spencer scoffed, stopped, and turned toward him. “Because I’m not a virgin, Stiles!” She blurted.

Stiles’ jaw dropped. “You’re not - ”

“No, I’m not.” Spencer stressed.

“You and…” Stiles trailed off, realizing that it could be Derek or Isaac. He narrowed his eyes at her. “Who was it?”

Spencer groaned, frustrated with him and followed after Boyd’s scent to find him.

“Spencer?!” Stiles called. “What about my dad? And Kyle’s girlfriend?”

“Talk to them yourself.” She insisted, turning out of the hallway.