Scarlett walks into the hospital, quickly stopping by the nurses station and handing her mom a bag of Chinese takeout. "Oh, thank you my favorite child." Melissa beams, taking the bag from her daughter's hand.
"Care to say that again on recording?" Scarlett teases, a smirk present on her face.
Melissa smiles but shakes her head, "Here to see Lydia?"
"You know it." Scar turns her head to look towards her friends room but she doesn't see her.
"She just went into the shower," Scar turns to face the voice. Mrs. Martin is standing there with a smile on her face.
Scar nods in acknowledgement, smiling back. "I'll just go bother that loser then." She points at Stiles who is slumped in a waiting room chair with a 'Get Well Soon' balloon gripped tightly in his hand. She walks over to Stiles and lifts her foot up to lightly kick his stomach. "Get up."
Stiles grumbles but opens his eyes, "Hey Scar," he yawns. He slowly stands up, stretching his long limbs.
"Let's go for a walk." She gently grabs his arm and pulls him with her, away from Lydia's room.
Stiles stops Scar at the vending machine, "You want some m&m's?"
She nods, "Yeah sure, thanks." Scar leans against the machine as he puts the money in.
"Seriously?" He starts taping on the window but the candy doesn't budge. He then smacks his hand against the window as Scar watches on in amusement. "Help me shake the machine."
"What?"
"So the candy will fall. Help or move so I can do it." Scar rolls her eyes but steps to the side and grabs onto the vending machine to help Stiles rock it back and forth.
Stiles is muttering under his breath and next thing they know the machine slips through their fingers and crashes to the floor. Scar gasps as the duo freeze. They look at each other then Stiles quickly walks around the machine, grabs Scarlett's hand and they walk away like nothing happened.
They don't make it very far before they hear a loud scream, Lydia's scream. Without thinking the two teens let go of each other's hand and run towards her hospital room. They make it to her room right behind Lydia's parents and Scarlett's mom. "What the hell was that?" Melissa asks.
They gather at the open bathroom door. The shower is still running, water flowing over the side of the tub. The window in the bathroom is open and the curtains move with the breeze. There is no sign of Lydia.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Stiles and Scarlett linger behind the Martin's, Melissa, and Sheriff Stilinkski. They are talking about Lydia disappearing. "All right, let's get an A-P-B out for a sixteen year old redhead. Any other descriptors?"
The sheriff turns his head to Lydia's parents as he asks but instead of either of them answering, his son does. "She's five-foot-three, green eyes, fair-skinned and her hair is actually strawberry blonde."
Everyone turns to Stiles. Mr. Stilinski breaks their gaze by speaking once more, "What are you still doing here?"
"Providing moral support?" Stiles answers, glancing at Scar.
"How about you provide your ass back home where you should be?"
"And take Scarlett home too?" Melissa asks him.
Scarlett gapes at her about to argue but Stiles speaks before she can, "I can do that." They both walk away, passing by a group of confused hospital workers staring down at the vending machine.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Stiles, Scott and Scarlett were sitting in Stiles jeep outside the hospital. Stiles hands Scott Lydia's hospital gown. "This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott asks, taking the garment into his hands.
Stiles nods slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on the fabric. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt her." Scott pauses turning to look at his twin, "Not again."
"Just shove the thing in your face and let's find her." Stiles says, clearly impatient. Scott raises the gown to his face and Stiles clicks on his headlights getting ready to leave the parking lot.
Before he can leave the parking spot Allison pops up beside the passenger side door startling all three teens in the vehicle. "What are you doing? Someone's going to see us." Scott starts in a hushed whisper.
"I don't care. She's my best friend. And we need to find her before they do." Allison replies.
Scott instantly replies with confidence, "I can find her before the cops do."
"How about before my father does?" Allison asks.
"He knows?" Both Stiles and Scarlett blurt.
"I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUV's." Allison confirms.
"A search party?" Scott questions.
"More like a hunting party." The twins and Stiles all share a look before Stiles unlocks the doors.
"Get in." Scott says.
*_*_*_*_*_*
As Stiles drives down the road Scott turns to ask Allison, "If she's turning would they actually kill her?"
"I don't know. They haven't been telling me anything. All they say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral when the others get here."
"What others?" Scarlett asks, raising an eyebrow at the young hunter.
"They won't tell me that either."
"Okay, your family has some serious communication issues to work on. Scott? Are we going the right way?" Stiles asks.
They all turn to face Scott who has his head sticking out the window, smelling the air. "Take the next right," He yells.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Stiles pulls up to the burned Hale house. The group steps out of the jeep and makes their way towards the building, yellow police tape stretches across the windows and door. "She came here?" Scarlett questions her brother, looking around for any clues that Lydia came here.
"This is where the scent leads." He confirms.
"But has Lydia ever been here?" Stiles asks.
Scarlett shakes her head as Allison answers, "Not with me." She then turns to Scott, "Maybe she came here on instinct. Like she was looking for Derek."
"You mean looking for an Alpha." Scott says.
"Wolves need a pack, right?" Allison questions the trio.
"Not all of them." Scott sighs.
"But would she be drawn to an Alpha? Is that an instinct? To be part of a pack?"
Scott reluctantly nods, "We're stronger in a pack."
As Scott and Allison speak, Stiles and Scar walk away searching for any indication that Lydia was there. "Hey," Scar turns to look towards Stiles who is waving the group over to him. "You see this? I think it's a tripwire."
He pulls back on the wire, triggering the mechanism. They glance up from the wire when they hear the sound of something slicing through the air. Behind Stiles, Allison and Scarlett, Scott is yanked off his feet. A wire is wrapped around one of his ankles as he dangles in the air.
"Stiles," Scott sighs, "Next time you see a tripwire? Don't trip it."
"Noted." Stiles nods.
The three teenagers approach Scott to try and help him down but they stop when Scott holds up a hand, "Wait." They all pause, "Someone's coming. Hide." Stiles, Allison and Scar quickly move to hide behind a tree a few feet away.
Hiding in the shadows, they can just make out the voices of Mr. Argent and Scott. After a few moments Argent and the other hunters walk away. When the coast is clear, they make their way back over to Scott. "Are you alright?" Scar asks her twin.
"Just another life-threatening situation with Mr. Argent." Scott says casually, still hanging upside down.
"Stiles, help me with this." Allison says as she turns towards the wire, trying to let Scott down. They both turn back around when they hear the sound of a cord snapping.
Scott drops to his feet, rising up and retracting his claws. "Thanks. But I think I got it."
Scar smirks as Stiles and Allison exchange a look. "You guys coming?" Scarlett asks as she starts walking away with Scott by her side.
*_*_*_*_*_*
The next morning Stiles picks Scott and Scarlett up before school. He was telling the siblings about a call his dad went on earlier about a grave robbery. "She ate the liver?" Scott asked, disgust evident in his voice.
"I didn't say she ate it. I said it was missing. And if she did? So what? It's the most nutritious part of the body?" Stiles tries to defend the strawberry blonde.
"I never ate anyone's liver."
"Oh right, because when it comes to werewolves you're a real model of self-control." Stiles rolls his eyes then gasps, "Hold on. You're the test case for this. We should be going over what happened to you."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what was going through your head when you were turning? What were you drawn to?"
"Allison." Scott deadpans.
"Allison? That's it?" Scarlett asks in disbelief.
"Nothing else mattered. But that's good, right? The night Lydia was bit, she was with the both of you."
"Yeah, but she was looking for Jackson." Stiles confirms.
The trio turn their heads as they hear Jackson pull into a driving spot. He steps out of his Porsche as a homeless man rifles through a trash can speaks, "Nice car."
Jackson sighs then hands the man money, "Here's a dollar. Go find another parking lot to die in."
Scarlett rolls her eyes then looks back at Scott and Stiles, "How do we even know it was Lydia who took the liver?"
"Who else would it be?" Scott asks.
"I don't know. But what I do know is that if Lydia was a werewolf she should be healed by now and she's not. The bite mark is still there." Before either boy can reply Scar spins on her heel, heading to her locker.
*_*_*_*_*_*
At the end of the day Scarlett swings by her locker once more. Just as she shuts the door a figure approaches on her right. "You look nice, Scarlett."
The girl furrows her eyebrows looking down at her black skinny jeans, black tank top, leather jacket, and black ankle heel boots. "Thanks."
She pulls her lips into a tight lipped smile and finally looks at the teenager who complimented her. The boy standing next to her has brown hair and eyes, a big smile graces his lips and an expensive looking camera is in his hands. "Nice camera."
His smile widens, if that's possible, "Thanks. Do you like photography?"
"Never really tried. I don't think I would be very good though."
"Well you don't know unless you try. Maybe I can teach you sometime?"
Scar hesitates, "Yeah, maybe..." She trails off, trying to recognize the teenager in front of her.
"I'm Matt. I probably should have introduced myself. Though we have been in the same classes since elementary school." He chuckles.
Scar grimaces at her lack of observation, "Right. Sorry."
"It's alright. You were always popular unlike me. You and Lydia always had a group around you." Scar looks down when he mentions Lydia, worried about her best friend. She looks back up when she hears him suck in a breath, "Sorry I shouldn't have mentioned her."
"It's fine. I'm just worried." Scar takes a breath, "I should get going. It was nice talking to you." Matt nods, but Scar walks away before he can say anything else.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Scott, Stiles and Scarlett hide behind a gravestone watching as a well dressed older gentleman approaches Allison and her parents. "Who the hell is that?" Stiles asks.
"Definitely an Argent." Scott answers.
"No shit, Sherlock." Scarlett rolls her eyes at her twin.
Ignoring Scarlett's comment Stiles speaks once more, "Maybe they're just here for the funeral. Maybe they're in the non-hunting part of the family. They could be non-hunting Argents, right?"
"Doubtful." Scar instantly replies.
"I know what they are. They're reinforcements." Scott answers, with worry in his eyes.
Then out of nowhere hands grab the two boys behind Scarlett, "The three of you. Unbelievable." Sheriff Stilinksi gestures for Scarlett to follow behind. Scarlett puts her head down and shamefully follows as he drags the two boys to his car. He makes the three all sit in the back in order to keep an eye on them.
Scarlett sits in the middle of the boys as Sheriff Stilinski talks to a deputy on the radio, "I don't think I copied that. You said 415-Adam?"
"Disturbance in a car." Stiles whispers to his friends.
"They were taking a heart attack victim - D-O-A. But on the way to the hospital something hit them." The deputy's voice came over the radio once more.
"Copy. I'm -- I'm standing in front of it now. Something got in the back." The three of teenagers glance at each other, all listening even more intently.
"There's blood everywhere. And I mean, everywhere."
"Copy that, Unit four. What's your twenty?"
"Route five and Post. I swear, I've never seen anything like this." And that was all the trio needed. They quickly opened the door and got out of the car without the Sheriff's knowledge.
*_*_*_*_*_*
The two brunette boys and Scarlett crouch low between the trees as they quietly approach the flashing red and blue lights of the cop cars and ambulance. They stay hidden behind the trees as they move as close as possible to get a look at the damage. Glancing at the open back doors of the ambulance, they can see blood splattered all over the vehicle.
"What the hell is Lydia doing?" Stiles mumbles, just loud enough for the twins to hear him.
Scott whispers back, "I don't know."
Without missing a beat Scar replies, "We still don't know if it's even her."
The boys shake their heads, clearly concerned about how in denial Scarlett is, but the young girl chooses to ignore them believing that Lydia wouldn't do this.
"Do you need to get closer?" Stiles asks Scott.
"No. I got it." Scott answers.
"Just find her please, Scott. I need my best friend. I need my sister." Unshed tears glisten Scarlett's eyes as she turns to face her brother. He nods, gives her arm a squeeze, then dashes off through the trees in search of Lydia.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Stiles and Scarlett make their way over to the Sheriff. As they are talking with him a figure comes out of the woods. Not just any figure, but the naked, shivering figure of Lydia Martin. "Lydia?" Both Scar and Stiles breathe out in shock.
She blinks, her eyes adjusting to the bright lights around her. Her arms wrapped around her naked body, "Well? Is anyone going to get me a coat?"
Stiles stumbles to the ground grasping his father's coat. His father walks towards Lydia, handing her his sheriffs jacket then leaves her with Scarlett as he calls her parents and for an ambulance.
Scarlett quickly gives Lydia a hug and rubs her arms up and down her back trying to get her as warm as possible. "You had me so worried."
"I don't know what happened." Lydia whispers, her arms slowly returning the tight embrace.
"It's alright. All that matters is that you are here and you are okay. And I'll be here through every step if you need me" Lydia shakily smiles at Scarlett, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.