Phoenix || Malia Tate

44

The crowds are silent. All eyes are on the school doors as they wait, listen, long for something to happen. Anything, just so that they would know - just so that they wouldn't have to be stuck in the waiting anymore. It's killing them, all of them, this not knowing - it's torture. 

Malia stands with her pack. Scott's beside her, as quiet as she's ever heard him, while Stiles is on the other side of her, looking worried inspire of his distrust towards Phoenix. Lydia and Kira stand behind them with Peter and Argent, who showed up somewhere in the middle of it all. 

A hand squeezes her shoulder. It's Peter, in his attempt to comfort. It doesn't help much. They can all feel it. This anxiety in their stomachs and in their chest that's just getting heavier and heavier. It's a weight that presses and suffocates them. Malia thinks that it'll never be over, that she'll have to live with the feeling her whole life.

But then the doors open, and she's holding her breath until she feels like she'll never be able to breath again - 

And it's Phoenix. 

It's Phoenix. He emerges from the school doors with his hands up. But then he doesn't move. Why doesn't he move? He waits, and looks behind him, and they all watch as Ellie walks up next to him. She drops the detonator, and slowly, shakily raises her hands above her head.

And then it's all slow motion. The Sheriff and his deputies run up the stairs, and she's running up with them, and while some move to handcuff Ellie and read her rights, and the others rush inside to see to the kids, Malia's just running straight to him. She pushes her way through - and there he is. Tear stained cheeks as he looks away from his sister's arrest, Malia rushes into him, and when he wraps his arms around her, it's only then that she begins to breath again. 

Malia will never know what Phoenix said to Ellie. She will never know the sacrifices he made inside that school. All that she does know is that she never wants to let him go ever again.