𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 ▸ Stiles Stilinski ²

32

thirty two
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They re-joined the group once they were done filling the water baths with ice. Just like they did when they were getting Issac to remember where Ericka and Boyd were. Allison and Scott were pacing the room, just as nervous as Stiles was, it seemed.

"All right," Deaton said once they were ready. "What did you bring?"

Stiles was the first to speak, the badge in one hand and Brie's hand in the other. "Um, I got my dad's badge. Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a bit. Still doesn't look great. Um.."

Brie squeezed his hand reassuringly while Deaton spoke. "It doesn't need to look good if it has meaning."

Stiles nodded, looking down at the badge in his hands.

"Is that an actually silver bullet?" Issac asked, which caused Brie and Stiles to turn their attention towards Allison.

"Yeah, my dad made it as kind of a ceremonial thing," Allison explained, not taking her eyes away from the bullet. "When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the code."

"Scott?" Deaton asked once Allison had finished talking.

Scott looked up, revealing a watch. "My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital," he explained. "She used to say it was the only thing in her marriage that ever worked."

Brie shared a look with Stiles at those words. They hadn't told Scott that his father was back in town yet.

"Okay," Deaton went on once they were all done. "The three of you will get in. Each of us will hold you down until you're essentially, well, dead." Brie cringed at the words but didn't say anything. "But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back. Someone that has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether."

Brie turned to Stiles, smiling sadly.

"Brie," Deaton said. "You'll go with Stiles. "Lydia, go with Allison. And Issac with Scott. I'll just observe."

The group nodded and made their way over to the tubs full of icy water. The three took off any jackets they were wearing, preparing themselves for the coldness.

Allison exhaled loudly at the feeling of the icy water. Brie gave Stiles one last kiss, wanting to calm his nerves as much as possible but she could still almost feel the nervous energy radiating off him. She gave him a nod and he finally turned around to step into the water.

They shivered as they went in, breathing in and out deeply until only their heads could be seen above the water.

They gasped and shivered, trying to get used to the temperature but failing, when Stiles suddenly turned to Scott.

"By the way," he said through shaky breaths. "If I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something. Your dad's in town."

Brie watched as Scott's face contorted to confusion and surprise at Stiles's words. She saw Deaton nod to them, showing that it was time to push them under. She rolled up her sleeves and took a step closer.

The three in the tubs nodded to one another while the other three placed a hand on their shoulders.

Brie pushed Stiles down under the water, watching as he took one final breath and looked into her eyes before closing them and submerging underwater completely.

Brie hated the feeling. She hated doing this. She wanted to pull him back up, set him in front of a fire and just stay there with him, blocking out the rest of the world forever.