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Teen Wolf: Beta Episode 2
"Conflicted"
Sat comfortably at his desk, Sheriff Stilinski was patiently awaiting the arrival of a familiar face. He knew that catching the killer involved a certain expertise, and there was no-one better suited to finding people than her, particularly with a special incentive.
“She’s here” Parrish announced as he entered the room.
“Send her in” Stilinski ordered. Parrish held the door open for a lady in her late 20s to saunter in. She was dressed all in black, with boots on her feet and a leather jacket. Her long dark hair trailed halfway down her back, and she carried a small backpack.
“Sheriff, it’s been a while” she commented, with conviction.
“Thanks for coming Braeden” Stilinski replied. Braeden perched herself on the chair on the opposite side of the desk.
“I assume I’m not just here for a gossip” Braeden spoke.
“No, I’m afraid not. We’ve got a situation. Two murders have taken place recently by a woman who we’ve caught on CCTV. Both victims were supernatural, I thought we could do with a hand from someone in the know” Stilinski explained, passing Braeden the images.
“And you want me to take her out?” Braeden presumed.
“No, I want you to find her and bring her back alive” Stilinski stressed.
“Of course, this doesn’t come cheap. On your part, that is” Braeden bargained.
“I think this” Stilinski said, heaving a heavy rucksack onto the table, “Should cover it.” Braeden unzipped it and peeped inside.
“I think we have a deal” she smiled.
“She’s here” Parrish announced as he entered the room.
“Send her in” Stilinski ordered. Parrish held the door open for a lady in her late 20s to saunter in. She was dressed all in black, with boots on her feet and a leather jacket. Her long dark hair trailed halfway down her back, and she carried a small backpack.
“Sheriff, it’s been a while” she commented, with conviction.
“Thanks for coming Braeden” Stilinski replied. Braeden perched herself on the chair on the opposite side of the desk.
“I assume I’m not just here for a gossip” Braeden spoke.
“No, I’m afraid not. We’ve got a situation. Two murders have taken place recently by a woman who we’ve caught on CCTV. Both victims were supernatural, I thought we could do with a hand from someone in the know” Stilinski explained, passing Braeden the images.
“And you want me to take her out?” Braeden presumed.
“No, I want you to find her and bring her back alive” Stilinski stressed.
“Of course, this doesn’t come cheap. On your part, that is” Braeden bargained.
“I think this” Stilinski said, heaving a heavy rucksack onto the table, “Should cover it.” Braeden unzipped it and peeped inside.
“I think we have a deal” she smiled.
Guest Stars: Linden Ashby, Melissa Ponzio, JR Bourne, Ryan Kelley, Meagan Tandy, Natalia Dyer, Nargis Fakhri, Anjli Mohindra and Benita Robledo.
Special Guest Star: Tyler Posey
Special Guest Star: Tyler Posey
“So yeah, everything’s been pretty normal here, you’re not missing much” Liam lied.
“Ah cool, I knew I could trust you. How’s Nolan?” Scott asked. He was a month into his university course now, and every now and then, he called Liam. He couldn’t get Beacon Hills off his mind even if he trusted Liam whole-heartedly.
“He’s coping well, he’s like a duck to water” Liam replied. That was true, Nolan had adapted to his new life well.
“That’s a relief” Scott smiled. He was incredibly anxious about his decision to convert Nolan, and it was no easy decision in the first place, but he was glad it was paying off, “Sorry Liam, I gotta go, I’ve got a lecture in 10 minutes.”
“Alright, see ya” Liam ended the call with a sigh. He didn’t want to worry Scott, but things were beginning to head south. Overnight he hadn’t heard a word from Hayden, so he presumed she was still in a bad mood with him. He was concerned about what Mason said, even if it made little sense. Then, to top it all off, Nolan informed him of a young werehyena being held at the sheriff station. Liam was stressed, and the last thing he wanted to do at this point was head to school again, but he knew he had to go.
“Morning” came a voice from the doorway. Theo casually stood leaning against the door frame, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.
“Hi” Liam greeted, barely looking as he was busy getting dressed, “Sorry, you’re gonna have to entertain yourself today, I’ve got to get to school.”
“I’m sure my services would be better used elsewhere, like, I don’t know, helping out” Theo complained.
“I told you, you need to give me time to speak to the others” Liam responded, flustered about finding his schoolbag.
“I know, and in the meantime, I can prove myself to you” Theo suggested. Liam stopped flapping, and looked Theo in the eye.
“Look, I need to get to the sheriff station. Nolan’s there right now, he’s spent the night. I could do with an extra pair of hands” Liam pondered.
“Consider it sorted. School can wait” Theo smiled.
The beeping of his alarm didn’t interrupt Corey’s sleep at all, although his slumber was far from calm and undisrupted. Tossing and turning, Corey simply couldn’t get comfortable. His eyes were shut and he was in a deep sleep, but his movements were brash and hectic. Dreaming intensely, Corey could see a familiar sight – that of the Nemeton. The cut down stump of a tree was immobile, but gave Corey a feeling of dread deep in his stomach just looking at it. Nothing good ever came about when the Nemeton was in play. Corey looked at his hands, still deep in dreamland, but he couldn’t see anything. In fact, his whole body was invisible. His chimera vision wasn’t working, but he was still invisible and he was baffled as to why. The next thing he knew, his hands were flickering in and out of vision. First it was slow, every couple of seconds, he’d switch between visible and invisible. However, it accelerated. Faster and faster, Corey became visible, invisible, visible, invisible, until he bolted upright in bed. Wide awake, Corey was panicked, and scared, and sweating heavily. He gathered himself, taking deep breaths, and examining his hands again. He was visible, and felt in control once again, but somehow he felt like his dream wasn’t just any old nightmare – more a sign of things to come...
“Are you alright? You didn’t say a word all of last night” Valerie queried. Hayden was slumped at the breakfast table, a bowl of cereal in front of her that hadn’t been touched.
“Huh?” she replied, having not paid attention.
“What’s up? Is something bothering you?” Valerie asked, concerned for her younger sister.
“How long have you got?” Hayden replied.
“Look, I’ve been wanting to speak to you about this for a while” Valerie began, sitting down next to Hayden at the table, “I’ve got a new job, an hour away from Beacon Hills.” Hayden looked at her in shock, immediately feeling like the walls around her were collapsing.
Sat waiting nervously in anticipation, Nolan was barely awake. He was sat on a chair outside the Sheriff’s office, waiting for news on Becky, drifting off to sleep occasionally but it was too sporadic for him to have had any quality resting time all evening. Bursting through the doors as the opposite ends of the room, Liam and Theo arrived.
“Any news?” Liam asked, skipping any form of greeting.
“None” Nolan responded, before noticing Theo, “What’s he doing here?”
“Long story, but don’t worry, he’s here to help” Liam replied, mostly brushing it aside.
“Alright” Nolan accepted, not questioning why Liam was being short with him, “The Sheriff said he’d interview her in the morning, hopefully it won’t be too long now.”
“I’ll go and see what the hold up’s about” Theo decided, heading to the front desk. Liam perched himself down next to Nolan.
“You’ve not had much sleep, have you?” Liam noticed.
“I’ll be fine” Nolan dodged the question, but Liam knew the answer anyway.
“You didn’t have to stay all night” Liam responded.
“I wanted to. I was looking out for her” Nolan justified sincerely. He looked towards Liam, who was staring back. In that moment, both of them felt the same way – fixated on each other’s faces, gazing into each other’s eyes. Liam was pretty confused as to why he felt this way, but in this moment, he knew it was good. He started moving closer towards Nolan, but the moment didn’t last much longer.
“Stilinski should be here any second” Theo interrupted, arriving back and sitting on the other side of Liam. Nolan looked on, also confused about his feelings, but in that moment, he knew that nothing in his life had felt clearer.
The silence of the library never sounded louder for Hayden. She was sat opposite Mason and Corey, but she couldn’t concentrate on the textbook open in front of her.
“You’re still not feeling great, are you?” Mason noticed.
“I feel so angry” Hayden replied, “I can’t get Liam off my mind, and all I feel is negativity.”
“If he’s not gonna do something, we need to” Corey suggested, “Surely someone must know something about all of this.”
“Argent’s pretty clued up on this kind of thing, maybe we should drop by later” Mason added, “But I really think we need to keep Liam updated.”
“Screw him” Hayden retorted, “Meet me at my car at lunch.” She walked off, leaving Mason in a predicament.
“I don’t feel comfortable leaving Liam out of this” he confessed to Corey.
“It’s his decision, he’s obviously not that interested” Corey justified. Mason sighed. Liam was his best friend, and his intelligent mind was frantically trying to find a justification for his behaviour. Unfortunately, nothing came about.
“No way, I’ve pushed the boundaries more than enough times for you kids already” Stilinski explained.
“Oh come on Sheriff, just five minutes, you know full well this is our field and anything she says could be dangerous” Theo argued, “Right Liam?” Liam wasn’t listening. He was stood to Theo’s right, but all he was focusing on was how much of a headache he had. It hurt like hell. After all, it was his first headache since becoming a werewolf – his body’s healing powers meant any headaches were seen off before they had a chance to impact.
“Liam?” Theo repeated. Liam heard this time, and looked up, startled.
“Are you alright?” Stilinski asked, concerned.
“Yeah, sorry” Liam lied, “What were we talking about?”
“Alright guys, you’ve got 15 minutes with her before we have to follow procedure” Stilinski gave in. He’d only just arrived back when Theo pounced on him about speaking to Becky before her formal interview. He also knew that they wouldn’t back down, and ultimately, it probably was for the best if they’d discussed the supernatural issues in advance.
“You won’t regret it” Theo smiled, feeling self-assured. He and Nolan started walking towards the interview room, but Liam darted off in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?” Nolan enquired.
“You guys go ahead, I’ve got a couple of errands to run” Liam flippantly replied, and continued walking out. Once outside, he took his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and began composing a text to Mason. ‘Meet me in the school library in 10, it’s urgent’ it said.
Pulling up outside Chris Argent’s house, Hayden took her car key out of the ignition and composed herself. Corey was sat adjacent in the passenger seat, keeping an eye on Hayden.
“Can’t you feel it?” she asked him.
“Feel what?” Corey queried innocently, although he had an idea what she was referring to.
“Like there’s someone in the back of your mind, flicking a switch on your abilities, switching between human and supernatural. They’ve got control and I haven’t” Hayden described.
“I feel it” Corey confessed, “It’s driving me crazy.”
“I’m scared” Hayden added, starting to get tearful, “It’s playing havoc with my emotions and I’m struggling, Corey.”
“Don’t worry, you’ve always got me” he smiled, putting a comforting hand on her leg, “Let’s get some answers.” Hayden wiped her tears and got out of the car. She put a guard up, meaning business, and started strolling alongside Corey up to Argent’s front door.
“Dude, what’s this about?” Mason queried. He was stood with Liam on the balcony of the school library – somewhere with very few people around.
“You’re my best friend” Liam justified, “I can tell you anything, right?” Liam seemed on edge. He was shaking slightly, and felt sick – more than he ever had.
“Of course” Mason replied without even having to consider his answer. Liam paused, carefully thinking through his words.
“When did you first realise you were…you know…” Liam struggled to use the word.
“Gay?” Mason finished the sentence for him, “Not long before I told you, about 15.”
“How did you know?” Liam interrogated.
“I just did. I had a feeling I’d never felt before when looking at certain guys. That told me all I needed to know” Mason recalled, “Are you trying to say…?”
“No” Liam quickly said, before correcting himself, “Well, I don’t know. Maybe.”
“What about Hayden?” Mason wondered.
“I love her, I really do. I think that ship may have sailed though. She’s not answered any of my calls, and she’s felt distant for a while” Liam explained, disheartened.
“Liam, I’m really proud of you dude. Takes guts to be honest with yourself” Mason smiled.
“I wish I was proud of myself. I’m so confused” Liam sighed.
“Go with your heart, it’s never wrong” Mason advised. Liam took heed, and smiled. However, the next thing he knew, his vision was blurry. He couldn’t focus on anything, and his head felt as light as a balloon.
“Liam?” Mason said, noticing Liam was losing his balance. With a thump, Liam collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Mason rushed to his side, took out his phone and dialled 911 without a second thought.
Sat side-by-side in the interview room, Theo and Nolan braced themselves for a potentially difficult interrogation with Becky. Parrish opened the door and escorted her through. She looked rough – her cuts had healed but she’d spent a night at a nearby refuge in an uncomfortable bed. Her home comforts weren’t there, meaning she had no make-up and her hair was a state with not even a comb provided. She sat down, and Parrish left the room to stand outside. Stilinski was watching keenly from the next room through the one-way mirror.
“Hey” Theo greeted, attempting to be friendly, “I’m Theo, and this is Nolan.” Nolan waved awkwardly. Becky gave nothing in response, not even a twitch.
“We’re here to help” Theo continued, “We’re totally on your side, we just need to know exactly what happened. Every single detail.” Once again, Becky did nothing. She was staring intensely at the duo, but failing to respond.
“Alright, being friendly isn’t doing the trick. Nolan, watch and learn” Theo said as he stood up, approached Becky, and in a flash, he stuck his claws into the back of her neck. Both she and Theo froze in that moment, as he delved into her memories, recalling the previous day. He felt her fear, and the adrenaline that ran through her body as she sprinted through the forests of Beacon Hills. Behind her, Theo saw a woman in her 30s running just as fast. He paid attention to the details. She was wearing black all over, with gloves. Held in her right hand was a gun, which she fired without a second thought. Luckily for Becky, it missed and skimmed right past her. Meanwhile, Nolan sat watching. He’d signalled to Stilinski, to tell him not to enter, and was waiting patiently for Theo to snap back into consciousness. Snapping out of it, Theo withdrew his claws as carefully as he could. Both he and Becky were back in the room, and Becky instantly moved her hand to massage the pain Theo had caused.
“What the heck?” she asked him, “That’s an invasion of privacy.”
“Do I look like someone who cares?” Theo responded cheekily.
“What did you see?” Nolan eagerly asked.
“I saw her. The woman, she’s still here in Beacon Hills and she’s chasing anyone who’s supernatural” Theo reported.
“She wanted me dead. I got away but only just” Becky added, finally opening up.
“How did she find you?” Nolan queried.
“I don’t know, but she knew exactly where to find me. I think she’d been watching me. I’m still not safe, even here” Becky worried.
“Sorry to interrupt” Parrish announced, entering the room, “I’ve got some bad news. Liam’s been taken ill, he’s at the hospital.” Nolan didn’t think twice before rushing off to see him.
“Alright, I’ll just tidy up here then” Theo muttered under his breath, before turning back to Becky, “I’ll make sure you’ve got the best protection possible. We can take care of you.”
“Who’s we?” she asked, “You and your little sidekick?” Theo really wanted to say yes, acting like the big boss in charge, but he restrained himself.
“There’s a pack here, a bunch of them are at college but there’s still enough of us to keep you safe, I promise” he smiled, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“So that’s all you need to know” Corey concluded. He and Hayden were sat comfortably on Argent’s sofa, while he leaned against the comfy chair opposite. They’d explained everything – how they both had felt recently, how it had affected their daily lives and that Liam wasn’t doing anything to help them.
“Why do you think I can help?” Argent queried.
“You spent years hunting, your family history goes back centuries, surely you must have some information on how this could happen to supernatural beings” Hayden explained.
“Well, supernatural energy comes from trees called Nemeta. We have one in Beacon Hills, as you know, which explains why this is such a magnet for strange happenings. The Nemeton here has been mostly dormant for centuries though, I don’t see how it could be anything to do with that” Argent pondered.
“Surely it’s worth investigating?” Corey was at a loss.
“I guess. Deaton could be worth a shot, he’s got a lot more history with the Nemeton and he knows the ins and outs” Argent suggested.
“Thanks” Corey smiled, “Let’s go.” He and Hayden headed towards the door to leave, before Hayden spun round with a suggestion.
“Wait, you said the Nemeton gives out power? What if, in certain circumstances, it takes it back? Or gives out too much?” Hayden suggested.
“Like a power fluctuation” Corey added.
“It’s possible I guess, nobody’s ever totally understood how it works and it’s far from your regular electricity. We need to speak to Deaton, pronto” Argent sprung into action, and he followed the duo out of the front door in pursuit of some answers.
Despite still having a splitting headache, Liam was feeling much more relaxed lying on his comfortable hospital bed. He wasn’t so keen on the gown he now appeared to be wearing, but all in all, he was pretty content and felt more comfortable than he had in a while.
“Hey mister sleepy head” Melissa McCall said from his left, “Looks like someone’s been very stressed recently.”
“You can say that again” Liam remarked.
“Anything Scott needs to know?” Melissa tried to lift the burden she knew Liam had.
“No, it’s fine, I’ve got everything under control” Liam lied. He still didn’t want to bother Scott – he said he’d keep things under control and his stubbornness remained intact.
“Hello stranger” came a familiar voice from the door. Behind Melissa, Scott could see Nolan’s keen smile peeping into the hospital room.
“I’ll leave you both to it. By the way, Mason’s outside, I’ll give him a nudge” Melissa smiled gently, leaving the room.
“Hey” Liam responded, feeling butterflies in his stomach like never before.
“I came as soon as I heard. Are you alright?” Nolan worriedly asked.
“I’m fine, just exhausted. My head’s all over the place” Liam confessed. Nolan sat on the chair to Liam’s left, moving it closer towards the bed.
“You’ve been working so hard. You need a rest. Sheriff Stilinski’s got everything under control when it comes to the Eichen nurse” Nolan reminded him.
“I know, but Scott wouldn’t give up. He’d keep going until the bitter end” Liam continued.
“Stop comparing yourself. You’re not Scott, you’re Liam Dunbar. You’ve got no need to be ashamed. You’re brilliant” Nolan grinned, being supportive as always. Liam took this moment. His heart was racing, faster than it ever had. He worried even more than Nolan would be listening to his heartbeat and point it out. He felt sick with nerves, but he knew this was the perfect chance. Leaning in towards Nolan, he felt their lips meet. Liam closed his eyes, savouring the moment while he could, as he kissed Nolan. The feeling of dread in his stomach was lifted just for a few seconds, as he felt elated and happier than he ever had. He pulled back, and the elation was replaced with the same feeling of worry. The only difference was that it was now ten times worse.
“I’m sorry” Liam apologised. Nolan’s face was blank, Liam couldn’t read it at all, which made him feel even worse.
“No, it’s alright” Nolan grinned from ear to ear, and pulled Liam back in for another kiss. Liam hadn’t been aware that Nolan had felt the same for a while, and he shared the exact same feelings of worry and dread. However, both of them were united right now in their ecstasy. Neither of them noticed Mason stood in the doorway, looking on with a grin on his face. He was proud of his best friend for expressing his true feelings, even if he was slightly surprised at how quickly things seemed to be moving.
“Hey” Liam said, breaking the kiss as he spotted Mason in the doorway.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt” Mason sheepishly apologised.
“Don’t worry” Liam smiled, “Your advice earlier was amazing.”
“Glad I could be of assistance. I guess you’ve made your choice” Mason observed.
“Hayden and I are as good as over” Liam noted.
“She deserves a proper explanation, don’t forget that” Mason added. Liam nodded, before catching eyes with Nolan again and smiling like a little kid in a soft play area.
Finding herself at the high school. Braeden heard the sound of her high heeled boots clip-clopping across the wooden floor of the sports hall. All day long, she’d been tracking the Eichen nurse down, and it wasn’t an easy task when someone covered their tracks so well. However, that itself was often a telling sign – she’d covered her tracks way too perfectly and that gave Braeden a very good idea of what her opponent was like.
“I know you’re here so why don’t you save me the bother of shooting you and just hand yourself in” Braeden threatened. In her hand was a tranquiliser gun, but she had a regular gun with proper bullets in her back pocket for safe-keeping. Stilinski’s orders about bringing her back alive were to be taken seriously – he was her client and ultimately all Braeden wanted was the money.
“Alright, you got me” came a jovial voice from behind, “Like really. I obviously don’t stand a chance against you, so let’s make this easy.” Braeden spun around, and there she was. The Eichen House nurse, although you wouldn’t expect that considering her current clothing choices. She was wearing black all over, and her wavy dark brown hair flowed down past her shoulders.
“Empty your pockets” Braeden ordered. She was cautious, as nobody handed themselves over this easily, not least an opponent like this, but nevertheless she continued the mission. The nurse emptied her pockets, chucking a gun and a couple of knives to the floor.
“Search me if you want” she retorted.
“Name?” Braeden asked.
“Angela Frost” she replied, honestly.
“This way” Braeden ordered. She wasn’t stupid enough to walk in front of Angela, but she was still sceptical as she walked past. Step by step, they reached Braeden’s stylish car. With a click of the key, the doors were opened and to Braeden’s surprise, Angela actually opened the door and got in.
“Nice motor” Angela commented, “Shame you won’t be driving it any longer.” Braeden was confused, and let her guard down long enough for Angela to slam the car door into her face, knocking her out stone cold.
“Foolish child” she commented. Angela slid Braeden’s gun out of her back pocket, before picking up the car key, getting into the driver seat of the car and taking off, leaving an unconscious Braeden lying outside an abandoned warehouse in the dead of night.
It was long past school closing time, but Krishna Padhi was determined to finish off her paperwork as guidance counsellor before she signed off for the night. She was sat comfortably in her office, with one last file to read – Nolan Holloway. Her first impression of Nolan was pleasant, with nothing bad to say. She’d skim-read his file before and was aware of his mental difficulties, but she was surprised by quite how recent his diagnosis were. She was far from a doctor, but her training knew that something didn’t add up. She wrote a post-it note for herself for the morning – ‘Meeting with Nolan ASAP’ – she just had to get to the bottom of it..
“Ah cool, I knew I could trust you. How’s Nolan?” Scott asked. He was a month into his university course now, and every now and then, he called Liam. He couldn’t get Beacon Hills off his mind even if he trusted Liam whole-heartedly.
“He’s coping well, he’s like a duck to water” Liam replied. That was true, Nolan had adapted to his new life well.
“That’s a relief” Scott smiled. He was incredibly anxious about his decision to convert Nolan, and it was no easy decision in the first place, but he was glad it was paying off, “Sorry Liam, I gotta go, I’ve got a lecture in 10 minutes.”
“Alright, see ya” Liam ended the call with a sigh. He didn’t want to worry Scott, but things were beginning to head south. Overnight he hadn’t heard a word from Hayden, so he presumed she was still in a bad mood with him. He was concerned about what Mason said, even if it made little sense. Then, to top it all off, Nolan informed him of a young werehyena being held at the sheriff station. Liam was stressed, and the last thing he wanted to do at this point was head to school again, but he knew he had to go.
“Morning” came a voice from the doorway. Theo casually stood leaning against the door frame, wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.
“Hi” Liam greeted, barely looking as he was busy getting dressed, “Sorry, you’re gonna have to entertain yourself today, I’ve got to get to school.”
“I’m sure my services would be better used elsewhere, like, I don’t know, helping out” Theo complained.
“I told you, you need to give me time to speak to the others” Liam responded, flustered about finding his schoolbag.
“I know, and in the meantime, I can prove myself to you” Theo suggested. Liam stopped flapping, and looked Theo in the eye.
“Look, I need to get to the sheriff station. Nolan’s there right now, he’s spent the night. I could do with an extra pair of hands” Liam pondered.
“Consider it sorted. School can wait” Theo smiled.
The beeping of his alarm didn’t interrupt Corey’s sleep at all, although his slumber was far from calm and undisrupted. Tossing and turning, Corey simply couldn’t get comfortable. His eyes were shut and he was in a deep sleep, but his movements were brash and hectic. Dreaming intensely, Corey could see a familiar sight – that of the Nemeton. The cut down stump of a tree was immobile, but gave Corey a feeling of dread deep in his stomach just looking at it. Nothing good ever came about when the Nemeton was in play. Corey looked at his hands, still deep in dreamland, but he couldn’t see anything. In fact, his whole body was invisible. His chimera vision wasn’t working, but he was still invisible and he was baffled as to why. The next thing he knew, his hands were flickering in and out of vision. First it was slow, every couple of seconds, he’d switch between visible and invisible. However, it accelerated. Faster and faster, Corey became visible, invisible, visible, invisible, until he bolted upright in bed. Wide awake, Corey was panicked, and scared, and sweating heavily. He gathered himself, taking deep breaths, and examining his hands again. He was visible, and felt in control once again, but somehow he felt like his dream wasn’t just any old nightmare – more a sign of things to come...
“Are you alright? You didn’t say a word all of last night” Valerie queried. Hayden was slumped at the breakfast table, a bowl of cereal in front of her that hadn’t been touched.
“Huh?” she replied, having not paid attention.
“What’s up? Is something bothering you?” Valerie asked, concerned for her younger sister.
“How long have you got?” Hayden replied.
“Look, I’ve been wanting to speak to you about this for a while” Valerie began, sitting down next to Hayden at the table, “I’ve got a new job, an hour away from Beacon Hills.” Hayden looked at her in shock, immediately feeling like the walls around her were collapsing.
Sat waiting nervously in anticipation, Nolan was barely awake. He was sat on a chair outside the Sheriff’s office, waiting for news on Becky, drifting off to sleep occasionally but it was too sporadic for him to have had any quality resting time all evening. Bursting through the doors as the opposite ends of the room, Liam and Theo arrived.
“Any news?” Liam asked, skipping any form of greeting.
“None” Nolan responded, before noticing Theo, “What’s he doing here?”
“Long story, but don’t worry, he’s here to help” Liam replied, mostly brushing it aside.
“Alright” Nolan accepted, not questioning why Liam was being short with him, “The Sheriff said he’d interview her in the morning, hopefully it won’t be too long now.”
“I’ll go and see what the hold up’s about” Theo decided, heading to the front desk. Liam perched himself down next to Nolan.
“You’ve not had much sleep, have you?” Liam noticed.
“I’ll be fine” Nolan dodged the question, but Liam knew the answer anyway.
“You didn’t have to stay all night” Liam responded.
“I wanted to. I was looking out for her” Nolan justified sincerely. He looked towards Liam, who was staring back. In that moment, both of them felt the same way – fixated on each other’s faces, gazing into each other’s eyes. Liam was pretty confused as to why he felt this way, but in this moment, he knew it was good. He started moving closer towards Nolan, but the moment didn’t last much longer.
“Stilinski should be here any second” Theo interrupted, arriving back and sitting on the other side of Liam. Nolan looked on, also confused about his feelings, but in that moment, he knew that nothing in his life had felt clearer.
The silence of the library never sounded louder for Hayden. She was sat opposite Mason and Corey, but she couldn’t concentrate on the textbook open in front of her.
“You’re still not feeling great, are you?” Mason noticed.
“I feel so angry” Hayden replied, “I can’t get Liam off my mind, and all I feel is negativity.”
“If he’s not gonna do something, we need to” Corey suggested, “Surely someone must know something about all of this.”
“Argent’s pretty clued up on this kind of thing, maybe we should drop by later” Mason added, “But I really think we need to keep Liam updated.”
“Screw him” Hayden retorted, “Meet me at my car at lunch.” She walked off, leaving Mason in a predicament.
“I don’t feel comfortable leaving Liam out of this” he confessed to Corey.
“It’s his decision, he’s obviously not that interested” Corey justified. Mason sighed. Liam was his best friend, and his intelligent mind was frantically trying to find a justification for his behaviour. Unfortunately, nothing came about.
“No way, I’ve pushed the boundaries more than enough times for you kids already” Stilinski explained.
“Oh come on Sheriff, just five minutes, you know full well this is our field and anything she says could be dangerous” Theo argued, “Right Liam?” Liam wasn’t listening. He was stood to Theo’s right, but all he was focusing on was how much of a headache he had. It hurt like hell. After all, it was his first headache since becoming a werewolf – his body’s healing powers meant any headaches were seen off before they had a chance to impact.
“Liam?” Theo repeated. Liam heard this time, and looked up, startled.
“Are you alright?” Stilinski asked, concerned.
“Yeah, sorry” Liam lied, “What were we talking about?”
“Alright guys, you’ve got 15 minutes with her before we have to follow procedure” Stilinski gave in. He’d only just arrived back when Theo pounced on him about speaking to Becky before her formal interview. He also knew that they wouldn’t back down, and ultimately, it probably was for the best if they’d discussed the supernatural issues in advance.
“You won’t regret it” Theo smiled, feeling self-assured. He and Nolan started walking towards the interview room, but Liam darted off in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?” Nolan enquired.
“You guys go ahead, I’ve got a couple of errands to run” Liam flippantly replied, and continued walking out. Once outside, he took his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and began composing a text to Mason. ‘Meet me in the school library in 10, it’s urgent’ it said.
Pulling up outside Chris Argent’s house, Hayden took her car key out of the ignition and composed herself. Corey was sat adjacent in the passenger seat, keeping an eye on Hayden.
“Can’t you feel it?” she asked him.
“Feel what?” Corey queried innocently, although he had an idea what she was referring to.
“Like there’s someone in the back of your mind, flicking a switch on your abilities, switching between human and supernatural. They’ve got control and I haven’t” Hayden described.
“I feel it” Corey confessed, “It’s driving me crazy.”
“I’m scared” Hayden added, starting to get tearful, “It’s playing havoc with my emotions and I’m struggling, Corey.”
“Don’t worry, you’ve always got me” he smiled, putting a comforting hand on her leg, “Let’s get some answers.” Hayden wiped her tears and got out of the car. She put a guard up, meaning business, and started strolling alongside Corey up to Argent’s front door.
“Dude, what’s this about?” Mason queried. He was stood with Liam on the balcony of the school library – somewhere with very few people around.
“You’re my best friend” Liam justified, “I can tell you anything, right?” Liam seemed on edge. He was shaking slightly, and felt sick – more than he ever had.
“Of course” Mason replied without even having to consider his answer. Liam paused, carefully thinking through his words.
“When did you first realise you were…you know…” Liam struggled to use the word.
“Gay?” Mason finished the sentence for him, “Not long before I told you, about 15.”
“How did you know?” Liam interrogated.
“I just did. I had a feeling I’d never felt before when looking at certain guys. That told me all I needed to know” Mason recalled, “Are you trying to say…?”
“No” Liam quickly said, before correcting himself, “Well, I don’t know. Maybe.”
“What about Hayden?” Mason wondered.
“I love her, I really do. I think that ship may have sailed though. She’s not answered any of my calls, and she’s felt distant for a while” Liam explained, disheartened.
“Liam, I’m really proud of you dude. Takes guts to be honest with yourself” Mason smiled.
“I wish I was proud of myself. I’m so confused” Liam sighed.
“Go with your heart, it’s never wrong” Mason advised. Liam took heed, and smiled. However, the next thing he knew, his vision was blurry. He couldn’t focus on anything, and his head felt as light as a balloon.
“Liam?” Mason said, noticing Liam was losing his balance. With a thump, Liam collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Mason rushed to his side, took out his phone and dialled 911 without a second thought.
Sat side-by-side in the interview room, Theo and Nolan braced themselves for a potentially difficult interrogation with Becky. Parrish opened the door and escorted her through. She looked rough – her cuts had healed but she’d spent a night at a nearby refuge in an uncomfortable bed. Her home comforts weren’t there, meaning she had no make-up and her hair was a state with not even a comb provided. She sat down, and Parrish left the room to stand outside. Stilinski was watching keenly from the next room through the one-way mirror.
“Hey” Theo greeted, attempting to be friendly, “I’m Theo, and this is Nolan.” Nolan waved awkwardly. Becky gave nothing in response, not even a twitch.
“We’re here to help” Theo continued, “We’re totally on your side, we just need to know exactly what happened. Every single detail.” Once again, Becky did nothing. She was staring intensely at the duo, but failing to respond.
“Alright, being friendly isn’t doing the trick. Nolan, watch and learn” Theo said as he stood up, approached Becky, and in a flash, he stuck his claws into the back of her neck. Both she and Theo froze in that moment, as he delved into her memories, recalling the previous day. He felt her fear, and the adrenaline that ran through her body as she sprinted through the forests of Beacon Hills. Behind her, Theo saw a woman in her 30s running just as fast. He paid attention to the details. She was wearing black all over, with gloves. Held in her right hand was a gun, which she fired without a second thought. Luckily for Becky, it missed and skimmed right past her. Meanwhile, Nolan sat watching. He’d signalled to Stilinski, to tell him not to enter, and was waiting patiently for Theo to snap back into consciousness. Snapping out of it, Theo withdrew his claws as carefully as he could. Both he and Becky were back in the room, and Becky instantly moved her hand to massage the pain Theo had caused.
“What the heck?” she asked him, “That’s an invasion of privacy.”
“Do I look like someone who cares?” Theo responded cheekily.
“What did you see?” Nolan eagerly asked.
“I saw her. The woman, she’s still here in Beacon Hills and she’s chasing anyone who’s supernatural” Theo reported.
“She wanted me dead. I got away but only just” Becky added, finally opening up.
“How did she find you?” Nolan queried.
“I don’t know, but she knew exactly where to find me. I think she’d been watching me. I’m still not safe, even here” Becky worried.
“Sorry to interrupt” Parrish announced, entering the room, “I’ve got some bad news. Liam’s been taken ill, he’s at the hospital.” Nolan didn’t think twice before rushing off to see him.
“Alright, I’ll just tidy up here then” Theo muttered under his breath, before turning back to Becky, “I’ll make sure you’ve got the best protection possible. We can take care of you.”
“Who’s we?” she asked, “You and your little sidekick?” Theo really wanted to say yes, acting like the big boss in charge, but he restrained himself.
“There’s a pack here, a bunch of them are at college but there’s still enough of us to keep you safe, I promise” he smiled, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“So that’s all you need to know” Corey concluded. He and Hayden were sat comfortably on Argent’s sofa, while he leaned against the comfy chair opposite. They’d explained everything – how they both had felt recently, how it had affected their daily lives and that Liam wasn’t doing anything to help them.
“Why do you think I can help?” Argent queried.
“You spent years hunting, your family history goes back centuries, surely you must have some information on how this could happen to supernatural beings” Hayden explained.
“Well, supernatural energy comes from trees called Nemeta. We have one in Beacon Hills, as you know, which explains why this is such a magnet for strange happenings. The Nemeton here has been mostly dormant for centuries though, I don’t see how it could be anything to do with that” Argent pondered.
“Surely it’s worth investigating?” Corey was at a loss.
“I guess. Deaton could be worth a shot, he’s got a lot more history with the Nemeton and he knows the ins and outs” Argent suggested.
“Thanks” Corey smiled, “Let’s go.” He and Hayden headed towards the door to leave, before Hayden spun round with a suggestion.
“Wait, you said the Nemeton gives out power? What if, in certain circumstances, it takes it back? Or gives out too much?” Hayden suggested.
“Like a power fluctuation” Corey added.
“It’s possible I guess, nobody’s ever totally understood how it works and it’s far from your regular electricity. We need to speak to Deaton, pronto” Argent sprung into action, and he followed the duo out of the front door in pursuit of some answers.
Despite still having a splitting headache, Liam was feeling much more relaxed lying on his comfortable hospital bed. He wasn’t so keen on the gown he now appeared to be wearing, but all in all, he was pretty content and felt more comfortable than he had in a while.
“Hey mister sleepy head” Melissa McCall said from his left, “Looks like someone’s been very stressed recently.”
“You can say that again” Liam remarked.
“Anything Scott needs to know?” Melissa tried to lift the burden she knew Liam had.
“No, it’s fine, I’ve got everything under control” Liam lied. He still didn’t want to bother Scott – he said he’d keep things under control and his stubbornness remained intact.
“Hello stranger” came a familiar voice from the door. Behind Melissa, Scott could see Nolan’s keen smile peeping into the hospital room.
“I’ll leave you both to it. By the way, Mason’s outside, I’ll give him a nudge” Melissa smiled gently, leaving the room.
“Hey” Liam responded, feeling butterflies in his stomach like never before.
“I came as soon as I heard. Are you alright?” Nolan worriedly asked.
“I’m fine, just exhausted. My head’s all over the place” Liam confessed. Nolan sat on the chair to Liam’s left, moving it closer towards the bed.
“You’ve been working so hard. You need a rest. Sheriff Stilinski’s got everything under control when it comes to the Eichen nurse” Nolan reminded him.
“I know, but Scott wouldn’t give up. He’d keep going until the bitter end” Liam continued.
“Stop comparing yourself. You’re not Scott, you’re Liam Dunbar. You’ve got no need to be ashamed. You’re brilliant” Nolan grinned, being supportive as always. Liam took this moment. His heart was racing, faster than it ever had. He worried even more than Nolan would be listening to his heartbeat and point it out. He felt sick with nerves, but he knew this was the perfect chance. Leaning in towards Nolan, he felt their lips meet. Liam closed his eyes, savouring the moment while he could, as he kissed Nolan. The feeling of dread in his stomach was lifted just for a few seconds, as he felt elated and happier than he ever had. He pulled back, and the elation was replaced with the same feeling of worry. The only difference was that it was now ten times worse.
“I’m sorry” Liam apologised. Nolan’s face was blank, Liam couldn’t read it at all, which made him feel even worse.
“No, it’s alright” Nolan grinned from ear to ear, and pulled Liam back in for another kiss. Liam hadn’t been aware that Nolan had felt the same for a while, and he shared the exact same feelings of worry and dread. However, both of them were united right now in their ecstasy. Neither of them noticed Mason stood in the doorway, looking on with a grin on his face. He was proud of his best friend for expressing his true feelings, even if he was slightly surprised at how quickly things seemed to be moving.
“Hey” Liam said, breaking the kiss as he spotted Mason in the doorway.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt” Mason sheepishly apologised.
“Don’t worry” Liam smiled, “Your advice earlier was amazing.”
“Glad I could be of assistance. I guess you’ve made your choice” Mason observed.
“Hayden and I are as good as over” Liam noted.
“She deserves a proper explanation, don’t forget that” Mason added. Liam nodded, before catching eyes with Nolan again and smiling like a little kid in a soft play area.
Finding herself at the high school. Braeden heard the sound of her high heeled boots clip-clopping across the wooden floor of the sports hall. All day long, she’d been tracking the Eichen nurse down, and it wasn’t an easy task when someone covered their tracks so well. However, that itself was often a telling sign – she’d covered her tracks way too perfectly and that gave Braeden a very good idea of what her opponent was like.
“I know you’re here so why don’t you save me the bother of shooting you and just hand yourself in” Braeden threatened. In her hand was a tranquiliser gun, but she had a regular gun with proper bullets in her back pocket for safe-keeping. Stilinski’s orders about bringing her back alive were to be taken seriously – he was her client and ultimately all Braeden wanted was the money.
“Alright, you got me” came a jovial voice from behind, “Like really. I obviously don’t stand a chance against you, so let’s make this easy.” Braeden spun around, and there she was. The Eichen House nurse, although you wouldn’t expect that considering her current clothing choices. She was wearing black all over, and her wavy dark brown hair flowed down past her shoulders.
“Empty your pockets” Braeden ordered. She was cautious, as nobody handed themselves over this easily, not least an opponent like this, but nevertheless she continued the mission. The nurse emptied her pockets, chucking a gun and a couple of knives to the floor.
“Search me if you want” she retorted.
“Name?” Braeden asked.
“Angela Frost” she replied, honestly.
“This way” Braeden ordered. She wasn’t stupid enough to walk in front of Angela, but she was still sceptical as she walked past. Step by step, they reached Braeden’s stylish car. With a click of the key, the doors were opened and to Braeden’s surprise, Angela actually opened the door and got in.
“Nice motor” Angela commented, “Shame you won’t be driving it any longer.” Braeden was confused, and let her guard down long enough for Angela to slam the car door into her face, knocking her out stone cold.
“Foolish child” she commented. Angela slid Braeden’s gun out of her back pocket, before picking up the car key, getting into the driver seat of the car and taking off, leaving an unconscious Braeden lying outside an abandoned warehouse in the dead of night.
It was long past school closing time, but Krishna Padhi was determined to finish off her paperwork as guidance counsellor before she signed off for the night. She was sat comfortably in her office, with one last file to read – Nolan Holloway. Her first impression of Nolan was pleasant, with nothing bad to say. She’d skim-read his file before and was aware of his mental difficulties, but she was surprised by quite how recent his diagnosis were. She was far from a doctor, but her training knew that something didn’t add up. She wrote a post-it note for herself for the morning – ‘Meeting with Nolan ASAP’ – she just had to get to the bottom of it..
Next: "Rumour"
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