Love's Spiral

~312 ~ 3419

Deaton kept listening to the recording that was left behind by the band teacher, as if he were trying to pinpoint exactly what he was hearing.

Spencer had heard it perfectly the first time though. A loud, short banging on the keys of the piano and then chanting. Weird chanting that she never heard before. Instead of standing amongst Deaton and Lydia listening to the recording over and over, Spencer and Stiles were going through the band teacher’s things.

“Can we get a copy of this?” Deaton asked Lydia.

Lydia nodded to the veterinarian and took the phone from him, ready to send the sound file to Deaton’s phone.

Stiles rummaged through the teacher’s desk drawers and glanced up at Deaton. “Hey, Doc, any help would be, you know, helpful.”

Deaton nodded. “Each grouping of three would have its own purpose.” He shared. “It’s own power. “Could be virgins, healers, philosophers, warriors - ”

“Warrior.” Stiles interrupted. “Could that also be like a soldier?”

Deaton raised his brow. “Absolutely.”

Stiles held up a picture of the teacher and his wife on their wedding day. The teacher was dressed in a military uniform.

Spencer opened her mouth in shock, remembering something. “Boyd.” She said, “He was in ROTC with Kyle. Kyle was a warrior.”

Stiles slammed the photo on the desk.

“That’s got to be it.” Deaton pointed to the photo. “That’s the pattern. Where’s Boyd?” The doctor asked, looking to Spencer.

“Home?” Spencer shook her head, not really sure. She was incredibly nervous for Boyd. Even if he had decided they weren’t friends, Spencer couldn’t just let something bad happen to him. “I don’t know. I don’t - ” Spencer reached into her pocket for her phone. She hit the speed dial and it called Boyd.

“Hello?”

Spencer let out a breath in relief. “Hey, look, I know we’re not talking or friends or whatever, but I just - I need to know you’re okay.”

“I’m okay.” Boyd said confused and curious. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you - um, are you home?”

“Almost. I’m on the bus.”

“Okay, then you need to - You need to text me, okay? When you get home. And then again in an hour.” Spencer requested.

“Spencer - ”

“Please. Just do this for me and I will never bother you again. Just one last thing, please.” Spencer waited just a moment before Boyd answered.

“Okay. I’ll text you.”

“Thank you.” Spencer said in a sigh. “Really, thank you.” Spencer hung up and looked back to the three people who were in the room with her.

Stiles moved to stand next to her cautiously. “Everything okay?” He asked.

Spencer nodded, putting her phone back in her pocket. “Yeah. He’s gonna check in with me.”

“It might not be necessary.”

“Meaning?”

“Lydia realized that Harris was in the military.” Stiles shared, pointing towards Lydia as she walked towards the door to leave the classroom. “He might be the last warrior.”

Spencer bit her lip, narrowing her eyes. “I’m having mixed feelings about checking on him.”

“Spencer.” Lydia called, waving her along. “Let’s go.”

Spencer sighed. “Alright. Let’s go.” She gestured to the door and took the steps to get there, following after Lydia. When the four arrived at the classroom, it was empty.

Deaton, Stiles, and Spencer walked up to Harris’ desk trying to search for any sign on a struggle. Deaton picked up a plaque on the desk, reading it.

Stiles and Spencer walked around to the other side of his desk, digging through his drawers as they had done with the band teacher.

“This is just one of many possibilities.” Deaton reminded, placing the decoration back on the desk. “He could have simply left for the day.”

“Yeah, well - ” Stiles picked up a laptop bag from the floor, under the desk. “Not without this.”

Spencer shrugged. “He’s got a point.” She said, taking the laptop bag from Stiles. “Harris never goes anywhere without that thing. Almost literally.” Spencer checked her phone, having received a text from Boyd.

Lydia approached the desk, thinking she might be able to help the others.

Stiles started messing with the papers that were sitting on the desk, while Spencer rummaged through the laptop bag.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Spencer asked.

Stiles paused, picking up one paper in particular.

Spencer noticed. “Stiles, what’s going on?”

Stiles turned the paper over, facing it towards everyone. “This test is graded ‘R’.”

Lydia bent over the desk, looking at the same papers. She picked one up and showed it off. “This one’s an ‘H’.”

Deaton took both papers from the teenagers and walked around Stiles to look at the other tests.

Spencer watched over Deaton’s shoulder, standing next to Stiles, as the doctor fiddled with the papers.

Then Deaton stopped. He looked up and stared at the back of the class.

Spencer sensed his fear.

Deaton’s head turned slightly toward Stiles and Spencer. “You remember I told you ‘druid’ is the Gaelic word for ‘wise oak’?”

“Yeah.” Stiles said.

“If a druid went down the wrong path, the wise oak was sometimes said to have become a dark oak. There’s a Gaelic word for that as well…”

Spencer studied Deaton. “Doc, what is it?”

Deaton pointed down at the desk and the test papers. “Darach.”

“They took him.” Spencer realized. “They took Harris. Whoever this Darach is.”

Deaton looked to Spencer and nodded.

“So, did Harris grade these tests, or did the Darach leave a hint?”

“Harris graded them.” Stiles informed. “That ‘D’ looks very familiar. Very distinct.”

Lydia raised a brow at Stiles

“So, Harris might have known something?” Spencer asked.

“Well, we’ve always thought he’s known something, right?” Stiles said. “This kinda just confirmed it.”

Spencer’s phone rang, and she pulled it from her pocket, answering it.

“Where are you?” Isaac’s voice sounded through the phone.

“At the school.” Spencer said. “Two more people disappeared. Harris included.”

“Not sure if that’s a bad thing.” Isaac joked.

Spencer laughed. “You know, I was kinda thinking the same thing.”

“You ready to go home? I’m still here and it looks like it’s about to storm so you might not want to run.”

“Yeah. Give me a minute to finish up here and I’ll meet you by the truck.”

“Okay. See you.”

Spencer put her phone back into her pocket. She sighed and looked to Deaton. “So, if Kyle, the band teacher, and Harris are the three sacrifices, that means that the Darach doesn’t have to take anyone else, right?”

Deaton shrugged. “Theoretically, b - ”

“That’s good enough for me.” Spencer interrupted. “And as freaked out as I am about people being kidnapped by whoever this is, it’s obviously too late for any of us to do anything now. I have had enough drama for the day.”

“So, you’re just gonna go?” Stiles asked.

Spencer nodded. “I’m gonna go. I’ll see you guys later.” Spencer smiled to everyone and waved as she headed out to find Isaac.

!@#$#@!

Spencer and Isaac walking into the loft, shaking off the water from the rain that they ran through to get inside. Spencer pauses, just inside the loft, instantly sensing that something was off. She furrowed her brow, slowly walking forward. Spencer noticed that Derek was standing at the big window, staring out at the rain. She furrowed her brow. “Derek?” Spencer called. “What’s wrong?”

“I need you two out.” Derek said, as if it were nothing.

“What do you mean, ‘out’?”

“Bags packed and moved out of the loft.”

Spencer scoffed and laughed. “Very funny, Derek.”

“I’m not joking.” Derek’s statement confuses Spencer.

Spencer stares at the back of Derek’s head, wishing he would just face her and tell her what’s going on.

“You want us to move out? What? Why?” Isaac asked.

“It’s not gonna work with all of you here. With Cora now. It’s too much.” Derek insisted.

“We can all fit. There’s room for us. Spencer can move into my room. We sleep together anyway.”

Spencer hesitated, looking from Derek to Isaac.

Isaac quickly recovered. “I mean, we haven’t slept together, but we sleep together.”

Spencer opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“Or she and Cora could share a room.”

“No, we can share.” Spencer said, shaking her head. “It just surprised me. Hearing that come from the kid who didn’t want to share a bed the first time he slept over my house.”

Isaac shrugged. “We’re together, right? I mean, you and Derek did it.” He gestured with his arm towards Derek.

Derek shook his head. “It won’t work. There’s too many of you. I need you two out tonight.”

Isaac leaned up against the support beam, hardly believing what he was hearing Derek say. He scoffed. “Where are we supposed to go?”

“I’m sure Spencer’s mom misses her. Maybe you can go there.”

Spencer shook her head. “My mom left. She’s not in Beacon Hills anymore.”

The thunder clapped outside loudly.

Spencer looked at Isaac, full of guilt. “Look, okay, I’ll leave.” She said. “Just let Isaac stay. I can go.”

“I can’t.” Derek said. “It won’t work.”

There was a pause and Isaac spoke. “Did we do something wrong, Derek?”

Derek finally turned to face them. “You’re doing something wrong right now by not leaving.”

Isaac took a couple steps towards Derek. “Oh, come on.”

“Just get out.”

“Come on.” Isaac begged.

“Go!” Derek shouted, throwing a drinking glass at Isaac that the teenagers didn’t know he’d been holding.

Isaac turned away from the glass, shrinking into himself like he usually did when he was frightened.

“Are you crazy?!” Spencer shouted, stepping between Derek and Isaac. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Derek jaw was clenched and he was breathing heavily, like there was something he wasn’t sharing.

“What happened today?” Spencer asked. “Tell me, because you trying to cover up the smell of blood with bleach was probably the worst thing you could have done.” When Derek didn’t answer, Spencer looked around the room. She sensed someone else in the room and looked to the right at the broken wall. “Cora!” Spencer stomped over, seeing the girl behind the wall.

Cora took a couple steps coming out from behind the wall.

“Cora, you heard what I said this morning.” Spencer said. “I meant it. Every word. We’re pack, and we’re family.” She pointed back at Derek. “Tell him not to do this. He’ll listen to you.”

Cora shook her head and looked to Derek.

Spencer glanced at Derek and then looked back to Cora.

“You should go.” Cora said.

Spencer shook her head, and then turned it into a nod. “Okay.” She said, her voice weak. “We’ll pack our things. We’ll leave.” Spencer turned, approaching Derek. She stopped in front of him, feeling like she was going to break down. Spencer kept her cool though. “I’m sorry we were such a huge burden on you.” She stomped up the stairs and to her room to start packing her things. It was definitely something Spencer never thought she would ever have to do again. She found a home at this rundown loft. A place where she never had to hide or lie about who or what she was.

Isaac took less time to pack his things given that he had less to pack. He came into her room with his duffel bag of clothes. “Where are we supposed to go?”

Spencer shook her head, thinking. “I can go back to the Stilinski’s. Pops has been trying to get me to go back there for months. We can ask Scott and Melissa if they can take you.”

Isaac put his bag down by the door and took a few strides towards her. “I’m not going anywhere you won’t be.” He said, gaining her attention and holding her face between his hands. “We’re gonna stick together.”

Spencer was on the verge of tears. She met his eyes and the tears started to fall silently. Spencer nodded, closing her eyes. Her lip quivered.

Isaac started to think for her, knowing that Spencer was having a harder time thinking clearly. “We’ll go to Scott’s, okay?”

“Okay.”

Isaac leaned forward and kissed her forehead. He let her go and then helped her finish packing up the clothes that she would need into her bag.

Spencer went to pull out the boxes to get everything else, but Isaac stopped her.

“We’ll take care of that another time, okay? It’s pouring and I need to get you out of here.”

“Isaac, you don’t - ”

“Yes, I do.” Isaac said. “I also have to get myself out of here before I decide to attack a werewolf who is stronger than I am and could do much more damage to me if I tried.” He joked. “Sound good?”

Spencer nodded.

“Okay. Grab your blanket and your pillow. I’ll get everything else.”

Spencer left the boxes where they were and grabbed her things, leaving her room and going back down the spiral staircase. When she touched the bottom, she noticed that Derek was gone, but Cora was still there. Spencer looked over at her sitting on the couch, but Cora wouldn’t meet her eyes. She took a step towards Cora.

Isaac grabbed her arm to stop her.

Spencer looked back at Isaac with a sharp look and he let her go. “That couch that you’re sitting on, I picked it out. The other day, Derek told me that he liked it because it reminded him of his old home.” She told Cora. “I just thought you should know in case you were second guessing that I was the one who turned this place into a home for him.”

Cora didn’t have anything to say.

“I thought you understood everything I said to you and how I meant it when you said that this was my family.”

“Maybe this is about more than your feelings.” Cora suggested.

Spencer scoffed. “That’s the truth. Tell Derek I’ll be back for the rest of my stuff.” She said, leaving with Isaac following after her.

Isaac drove the truck to Scott’s house, knowing that Spencer shouldn’t be driving. When he arrived, the two ran inside, using Spencer’s key to get in. Melissa wasn’t home, but they knew Scott was, so they went up the stairs to his room.

Spencer pointed out Scott’s room and knocked on the door.

“Come in, Mom.”

Spencer shook her head, but opened the door anyway. She walked in, holding her blanket to her chest with one hand and grabbed Isaac’s hand with the other. “Hey, Scotty.”

Scott turned in his chair. “Pence.” He noticed Isaac behind her with a couple bags in his hand. They were both standing in his doorway, soaking wet from the storm. “What’s going on?”

Spencer bit her lip, glancing back at Isaac for a moment. “We, uh, we have a pretty big favor to ask you.”

Scott stood and met Isaac’s eyes.

“Derek kicked us out.” Spencer told him. “And we really don’t have anywhere to go, so we were kind of wondering - ”

“You can stay here.” Scott interrupted.

“Are you sure?” Spencer asked. “I don’t want Mama Mel to feel overwhelmed with three teenagers, but I promise she won’t even know we’re here.”

“Mom won’t mind.”

“Mom won’t mind, what?” Melissa had appeared behind Isaac and was standing in the hall. She looked to Isaac and Spencer. “And why are you two tracking all this water through my house?”

“Derek kicked them out.” Scott informed, showing his mother a hopeful smile.

Melissa sighed, looking to all three teenagers. “You don’t even have to ask.” She said finally.

Spencer let out a relieved sigh.

“As long as Isaac don’t mind the couch, Spencer can have the guest bedroom. The couch will pull out into a bed, so you’ll have that.” Melissa said to Isaac.

“Honestly, I’ve had worse.” Isaac pointed out.

Melissa showed a straight-lined smile. “There’s gonna be a few rules. You two,” She pointed to Spencer and Isaac, “won’t be behind closed doors. And please, please, don’t bring home any evil, supernatural creatures.”

“Hopefully that won’t be a problem.”

Melissa laughed. “You two, go get cleaned up. I’ll order some pizza.” She left the room to do so.

Spencer chased after her. “Hey, Melissa?” she called.

Melissa turned around, facing the girl. “What’s up, sweetheart?”

“Thanks.”

“Of course.” Melissa smiled. “You know you didn’t even have to ask. You or Isaac. You’re always welcome here.”

Spencer nodded. “I definitely need this tonight. Something had to go right today.”

“Is everything okay?”

Spencer raised a brow as if to say not really. “If it gets worse, you’ll definitely know.”

“Okay. Pepperoni and bacon, right?”

Spencer nodded. “You’re the best.”

!@#$#@!

After everyone in the McCall house was had filled up on pizza, everyone was getting ready for bed. Isaac was in the guest room with Spencer, making sure that she was comfortable and would sleep okay.

Spencer sat on the bed with her family book in her lap, reading through the excerpt about Alpha Werewolves. She wanted to know more about exactly what they could do, knowing that, now more than ever, she and Isaac needed to know what they were up against.

Isaac knew that Spencer was only reading it as a distraction from what happened with Derek. He knew that she was upset about being pushed out of her home by one of the people she cared about most. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Spencer let out a long hard breath, not looking up from the book. “Not really.”

Isaac smiled at her, knowing what her real answer was. “Too bad. Because I know talking about it will make you feel better.” Isaac sat next to her on the edge of the bed. He grabbed the book, giving her a warning that he was taking it away and slowly pulled it out of her lap. Isaac put the book on the bedside table. “I know you’re upset.”

“I just don’t understand why.” Spencer insisted. “Why, all of a sudden, the two of us were too much? Earlier this week, he was talking about how he was gonna stay home and we’d be a pack again.”

“Derek’s never been one to be predictable though.”

Spencer shrugged. “I thought I had a pretty good read on him. And honestly, I should have known that the nice side of Derek wasn’t going to stick around forever.” She admitted. “Derek Hale is known to forever be Mr. Broody.”

Suddenly, Isaac wanted to get off the subject of Derek. He didn’t want Spencer talking about him anymore. “Did you really smell the blood?”

“I smelled the bleach. It was gross and pungent almost covering up the smell of blood, but not quite.” Spencer shared. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice it.”

“I was kind of more focused on the glass being thrown at my head.”

Spencer scoffed. “And what the hell was that? I mean, if only he knew what actually happened between you and your dad that night.” She paused. “Unless he did and that’s why he did it?” Spencer raised a brow at Isaac.

“I didn’t tell him.”

“Neither did I.”

“Really?” Isaac questioned.

“That surprises you?”

“I just figured - ”

“I didn’t tell him everything. I knew what I should tell him and what I shouldn’t. I knew what was secret. Everything that you told me about what happened with your dad is still locked up tight.” Spencer said, pointing to her temple.

Isaac smiled at Spencer and leaned forward, asking for a kiss. He kissed her softly with his hands clasped around hers.

Behind them, Melissa cleared her throat.

The two pulled apart and looked to the doorway.

“You’re all set up downstairs, Isaac.”

“Thanks, Melissa.” Isaac responded.

Melissa nodded. “You two try and get some sleep, okay?”

“Night.” Spencer called as the woman left them. She sighed and looked to Isaac. “You know, I think I am gonna try to sleep.”

“Do you want me to stay?” Isaac asked. “Until you fall asleep?”

Spencer showed him a small smile, “I think I’ll be okay. You’ve got school in the morning. So, I’ll see you after that.”

Isaac pat his hand on Spencer’s knee. “See you tomorrow.” He got out of the bed and kissed Spencer’s forehead. Then, Isaac left, closing the door behind him.

Spencer waited until he was downstairs to reach over and turn off the lamp. She scooted herself down, until she laid in bed. Spencer grabbed her blanket and rolled it up, curling herself around it.

This wasn’t her bed. This wasn’t her room or her home. This wasn’t where she was supposed to be. Spencer wished she knew why she couldn’t be where she belonged.

Spencer’s mind went through just about any option she could think of before she could ever fall asleep.