SILENT GUARDIAN ◦ STILINSKI; REWRITE [1]

eleven; battlefield

BATTLEFIELD
(HAS NOT BEEN REWRITTEN)

"You know when you're drowning, you don't actually inhale until right before you black out." Carter began, allowing the rays of sunlight peeking through the blinds in Morrell's office to consume her as she picked at her nails. "It's called voluntary apnea. It's like no matter how much you're freaking out, the instinct to not let any water in is so strong that you won't open your mouth until you feel like your head's exploding."

Images of Matt's lifeless body floating in the river flashed in her mind.

He was finally dead.

"But then when you finally do let it in, that's when it stops hurting. It's not scary anymore. It's actually kind of peaceful." Carter finished, staring up at the counselor seated before her.

"Are you saying you hope Matt felt some peace in his last moments?" Morrell asked.

Carter's hands fell flat on her knees, eyebrows raised at the question. "I don't feel sorry for him. Not even a little. He held a gun to me and my friends. And just because a bunch of dumbasses dragged him into a pool when he couldn't swim, doesn't give him the right to go off killing them one by one. And by the way, Stiles told me - that his dad told him - that they found a bunch of pictures of Allison and I on Matt's computer. And not just of us though. I mean, he Photoshopped himself into these pictures. Stuff like us holding hands and kissing. You know, like he had built this whole fake relationship with Allison and I." Carter paused, sinking back into her chair. "So yeah, maybe drowning when he was nine years old was what sent him off the rails, but the dude was definitely riding the crazy train."

"How does that make you feel?" Morrell asked, her arms folded over the desk as she watched the brunette.

Carter's face fell into a frown and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. After finding out that Matt was turning into the Kanima because he was making Jackson kill people wrongfully, the Argents arrived.

Allison had showed up, her and her father on their mission at first to try and kill Derek only to be distracted when they realized that the Kanima was also lurking inside the building. That lead to the destruction of the police station, paralyzed teenagers, and Matt's much deserved doom.

Carter didn't remember much, everything was just smears of colors. "Uh..." her voice faded off. "I don't know how it makes me feel."

"I want to ask you this question, if you would let me."

"What's that?" Carter asked, fingering the frayed spot on her pants.

"How is your relationship with your brother, Derek?"

Carter's fingers stopped their fumbling, her eyes moving away from her jeans to stare at the woman in front of her. Her eyes glazing over as the memories of her and Derek flashed in and out of her mind.

Morel glanced at her, Carter going back to picking at her nails. She would never admit it out loud, but Carter wanted to talk to him again, that's all she wanted. She wanted to hear his voice, to try and repair the damage that had been done between them, but they both had enough on their plates at the moment.

"Have you two talked since the other night?" Morrell pressed when she realized that Carter wasn't going to answer her previous question.