North Starr

36

Melanie watched her friends while sitting on the counter. She'd been counting track of the hours. It had been way too long.

As soon as Scott, Stiles and Allison emerged from the water, she hopped down from the counter.

"I saw it," Allison said. "I know where it is."

Stiles climbed out of the tub and nodded. "We passed it. There's -- there's a stump, this huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's still big though; very big."

Melanie glanced at Stiles as Scott said, "It was the night we were looking for the body."

Stiles turned to his friend. "Yeah, the same night you were bit by Peter."

"I was there too, in the car with my mother," Allison said. "We almost hit someone."

Scott's eyes widened. "It was me. You almost hit me."

He let out a gasp. "We can find it."

Melanie looked at her phone and frowned, causing Allison to turn and ask, "What?"

Isaac grabbed her phone to show the time. "You guys were out a long time."

"Hey! That's mine!" Melanie cried.

"How long is a long time?" Stiles wondered.

"16 hours," Deaton and Melanie answered, the latter taking her phone back.

Scott turned to his boss. "We've been in the water for 16 hours?"

"And the full moon rises in less than four," Deaton informed.

Stiles noticed Scott's expression and narrowed his eyes. "No, dude, you are not going back with them."

Scott let out a sigh. "I made a deal with Deucalion."

Melanie crossed her arms and glared at him. "It's a stupid deal."

"I'm doing what I have to do."

"No, you're trying to be smart, as usual. And you're failing. People have backed the wrong side and have paid for it."

Isaac frowned. "Why does it matter anyway?"

Scott sighed. "Because I still don't think that we can beat Jennifer without their help."

Allison looked to Deaton. "He trusts you more than anyone. Tell him he's wrong."

Deaton was silent for a moment. "I'm not so sure he is. Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies. Melanie, he's only doing what he thinks is right."

Melanie shook her head. "I don't care."

Isaac scoffed. "So, we're gonna trust him, the guy that calls himself death, destroyer of worlds? We're gonna trust that guy?"

Deaton glanced at Isaac. "I wouldn't trust him, no. But you could use him to your advantage. Deucalion may be the enemy, but he could also be the bait."

A creak from the front door caught their attention and the bell rang. Deaton and Scott walked over and the rest of them soon followed.

Lydia frowned, seeing Ethan. "What do you want?"

"I need your help," he answered.

Stiles stood behind Melanie as he asked, "With what?"

"Stopping my brother and Kali... from killing Derek."

Melanie's eyes widened. "If my brother dies..."

They left the clinic and Stiles drove himself and Melanie to his house while everyone else headed to Allison's apartment.

Stiles grabbed a pair of his dad's boxers. "How's this?"

Melanie frowned. "Boxers? No. Maybe pick something else."

He ignored her and called his friend. "Scott, what do I grab? How about my dad's boxers?"

After a moment, Stiles suggested socks, and picked up a pair. "Come on."

The two of them hopped into his Jeep and the storm worsened around them.

"This storm seems pretty bad," Melanie said.

Stiles glanced at Melanie. "Yeah it does."

After a short while, he muttered, "Come on." Something hit the Jeep from behind. "Whoa, sh -- Oh." A tree branch was in front of the Jeep and he hit it. "Whoa!"

Stiles tried protecting Melanie, but he hit his head on the dash and hers hit the passenger window. She saw black spots and her eyes closed before.

When she woke up, she saw Melissa, and hugged her.

The ceiling began caving in and stopped abruptly, and Melanie, who had crouched into a little ball, hands around her head, looked to see what happened. She saw that Stiles had placed a bat to stop the concrete.

Sheriff Stilinski smiled at his son. "I always said aluminum was better." He embraced his son.

Melanie heard crashing above them and Melissa made her way over to the brunette. "You're bleeding. Are you okay? Stiles; are you?"

Melanie touched her wound. "I'm okay."

Stiles nodded and studied Melanie's wound. "Do you need something for that?"

"How bad is it?"

"It looks like a minor cut, but there looks like there's a lot of blood."

"I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Once everything quieted down, Allison asked, "Is it over?"

Stiles' phone began reading and he answered it. "Scott?"

Melanie heard Scott say from the other line, "Hey, are you okay? Where's Melanie? Is she there?"

Stiles nodded. "I'm okay. Mellie's here too. We're all okay. How about you; you okay?"

"Sort of," Scott said.

Melanoe moved closer to Stiles, her hands around his arm. "Hey, uh, Scott? Mind doing us a favor? And is my brother okay?"

"Name it. He's okay."

"Can you come get us?"

"Sure."

"Great, okay," Stiles answered. "Um, uh, bring a ladder." His comment caused a laugh from everyone.

Soon, they'd gotten out of the Nemeton and made their way home.