I couldn't remember the last time I had slept like this. My body was tense. Not because of stress, but because I hadn't moved all night. I had stayed curled into myself with a warm pillow, blissfully ignorant of every single problem that followed me. 

It was peaceful. 

That peace promptly ended as I felt fingers combing through my hair. It was most likely meant to be a comforting touch, but my deep sleep left me hazy. I woke up unaware of my surroundings so my instincts told me to remain on guard and remove myself from that touch as soon as possible. 

I shoot up from my position, grabbing the wrist of the hand that caressed me. I twist myself to face them, ignoring the way my stitches pull at the movement. My glare is intense until I realize I'm staring into a pair of familiar blue eyes. The events of last night came back to me in an instant, filling me with shame for my reaction.  

"Sorry," Liam and I say at the same time. 

He chuckles at our mirroring, brushing off my apology. I do the same to him and loosen my grip on his wrist. Though, for some reason, I find that I can't let go of him completely and settle for simply cradling his forearm in my palm. 

"Have you been up all night?" I ask, worried. 

The sun was up and brightened the McCall living room through thin curtains, a sign that we had been like this for a few hours. Liam had yet to shrug me off as the morning came, though. He remained in the exact position he had been in before I passed out but I couldn't imagine he had fallen asleep like that. He had no support for his neck and his lap was probably numb from me laying there for so long. 

"Don't worry about it," Liam says, not actually answering my question. 

"But, I do really need to use the bathroom, so..." he trails off, gesturing to the bathroom down the hall. 

I let go of his arm with a mildly groggy laugh and move away from him so he can stand. Liam offers me a grateful smile before getting up and bolting to the aforementioned room. In his absence, I still wonder if he had actually stayed up the entire time to watch over me. I'm flattered over it, as it wasn't something I was accustomed to.

I also felt panicked when I remembered we weren't alone, and there were two annoying teenagers who would've had a field day to see me cuddled against Liam like some prissy housecat.

There wasn't any sign of them in the living room, everything in place like it had been last night. I stood and made my way into the McCall kitchen, just to be sure, and stopped dead in my tracks when my eyes met someone else's.

"Have a good night's rest?"

Melissa had a teasing smirk barely hidden behind the coffee mug she sipped out of.

I slowly crept further into the room, one hesitant foot in front of the other. 

"It was decent. I came to grab painkillers." It's not a complete lie. I really did need some after the ones I took last night wore off in my sleep.

She hums in acknowledgment and stands, walking over to the kitchen sink. She opens one of the cabinets above it and pulls out a thin white bottle, dropping two pills from inside into her palm. Before she comes back to me she fills up a glass from the dish rack with water, then holds out her hands for me to take the offered items.

"Thank you," I say shortly, popping them into my mouth before downing them with water, all while keeping eye contact with Melissa.

"Your stitches okay?" Melissa goes back to her seat. I take the spot across from her, my posture straight as an arrow. It was as if I was talking with an enemy interrogator rather than Scott's mother.

"Yes, ma'am," I reply and wince when my voice lets out an unintentional nervous crack.

Melissa's chest heaves with sudden laughter and she shakes her head at how I was acting. 

"Jac, you're not in trouble."

"Then why does it feel like I am?" I mutter, avoiding her eyes as I try to figure out why my shoulders were so tense and my body was beginning to sweat more than average.

"'Cause, you're a teenager who got caught sleeping in the arms of a cute boy. You might find this hard to believe, but I was sixteen once, too. You don't have to worry. As long as you guys are being responsible-"

"We're not doing anything... like that. He's my friend, that's all," I sputter out clumsily. I was unsure of what exactly to say because the insinuation that Liam and I were anything other than friends threw me for a loop.

"Right.," she mumbles with a disbelieving look.

Before either of us could say another word Scott and Stiles entered the kitchen, Liam trailing distantly behind them. Liam gave me a subtle smile as he leaned against the kitchen island. I returned it discreetly until Scott glanced my way.

He ruffled my hair as an obnoxious greeting and I smacked his hands away, glaring at him as he laughed about it.

"You home today?" Scott bent to press a greeting kiss to the top of Melissa's head after stepping away from my swinging arms.

"Just for a little. I'll be heading back out in about an hour," Melissa replied which made all of us frown at her. 

"You work too hard," I vocalized what we were all thinking, the boys nodding in agreement.

"Well, with Braeden in the hospital, I figured it'd be best to stay close," Melissa shrugged.

I perk up at the mention of the injured mercenary. "How is she, by the way?"

Melissa gives me a comforting smile, settling any worries I had. "You know her, she's tough. Derek's watching over her for now, but she's out of the woods."

A breath of relief leaves me. Not only was Braeden okay but Derek was with her, keeping her safe. I would have to thank him because knowing Braeden, she'd say his presence was unnecessary and refuse to thank him herself.

Melissa brushes off the invisible dust from her ruffled scrubs as she stands. She goes back to the sink to place her empty mug inside, then turns to Scott and Stiles.

"You two, good luck today," she says, then looks at Liam and I. "And you two, try not to get kidnapped again?"

Liam nods respectfully, amusement gracing his features. Melissa gazes at me expectantly, waiting for me to do the same. Instead, I sag into my chair with fake disappointment.

"Well, there goes my Saturday plans." 

Stiles snorts in approval, while the two McCalls roll their eyes at me. Melissa smacks my shoulder lightly before she leaves the kitchen, heading upstairs to get some well-deserved rest.

"We should go, still gotta pick up the girls," Stiles addresses Scott while he slips on his jacket from last night, pulling out his car keys from one of the pockets. Scott does the same, grabbing his hoodie off the back of one of the dining table chairs and zipping it onto his body.

"Hey Scott, where's my helmet?" I got his attention, wanting to know the answer before he left.

I planned to see Braeden today and didn't want to waste time searching for my helmet throughout the house. Plus, I had to account for a certain amount of time to tease Derek about being a love-sick puppy at her bedside. My schedule was absolutely booked.

"Upstairs. Why?" Scott replies, his eyes trained on me with an odd amount of focus for such a casual question.

"I'm gonna go see Braeden."

Scott takes his eyes off of me for a second to glance at Stiles who tries to shake his head discreetly by burrowing it into his neck, multiple chins forming because of the action. They didn't think they were subtle, did they?

"Maybe you should just stay here until we can go with you?" Scott offers with an innocent look on his face. My eyes bounce between him and Stiles, trying to figure out what in the hell they were doing.

"Just meet me at the hospital after the test." I shrug, but then there's a pause that hangs in the air between us.

Scott and Stiles share another look, and this time I pay closer attention to it. It's guilty and mildly fearful, and they both avoid looking directly at me as if that would keep me from figuring it out, but it doesn't.

"You're not asking 'cause you want to see Braeden with me, you're asking 'cause you don't want me to go out." I cross my arms defiantly. I didn't like that they settled for treating me like some clueless child rather than being straightforward.

Scott steps closer to me, his lips set in a firm line. "We have no idea where Kate is, there's no telling if she'll try to grab you again. Plus, I know the Calaveras are in town. If they got to Argent, you know they'll be coming for you next."

"The worst thing they can do is beat me up a bit, not a big deal," I scoff in response.

I don't get my desired reaction as Scott stares down at me with disappointment and Stiles purses his lips thoughtfully, looking at nothing in particular.

"We all need therapy, don't we?" He mutters under his breath. Scott and I both glared at him this time as he isn't helping either of our sides, and he holds his hands up in defense.

"We'll all go together when we're done with the PSATs. Promise me you'll stay here?" Scott is holding firm on this idea and I know he won't let it go no matter how much I argue.

With a sigh, I nod reluctantly, but Scott still had an expectant expression. I take a breath before answering, knowing he's waiting so he can listen in on my heartbeat.

"Fine, I promise," I say to him slowly, and Scott zones out for a second as he uses his senses to figure out whether I'm lying or not. A smile grows on his face, satisfied with my words.

"Thank you," he tells me before turning to Stiles, both of them saying their final goodbyes before heading outside.

I hold the door open for them to walk out, and then watch as they head down the path toward Stiles' Jeep. Liam comes to stand next to me, both of us waving at the boys as they drive off.

When Stiles' Jeep is down the street I smirk, facing Liam. He raises a brow, questioning what my sudden coy attitude was for.

"You know we're not staying here, right?"

He frowns innocently. "You promised?"

Werewolves were living lie detectors. One of the first things you learn as a hunter is how to keep them from hearing your heart jump or breath fall out of line. It was almost unfair how easy it was for me to lie to Scott.

"How old are you? Five?" I scoff and close the door, glancing over my shoulder at Liam as I head back to the couch to wait for our eventual escape.

---

A little over an hour later Melissa was pulling out of the driveway and Liam and I weren't far behind a few minutes later. We couldn't leave before she woke up on the off chance she would report our absence to Scott. Even though we were all going to the same place we could easily slip past her at the hospital when she got busy.

We stopped at Liam's so he could get a change of clothes and then headed to the motel so I could do the same. Neither of us wanted to be in Scott's ill-fitting clothes for longer than necessary, and we both needed to brush our teeth. It took some time out of our day but it was worth it to avoid the odd looks I got from wearing lacrosse sweats on my bike, both a safety hazard and ridiculous fashion statement.

I pulled into the motel, parking my bike in my usual spot in front of my room.

"You live in a motel?" Liam questioned from behind me as we walked towards my room. I unlocked the door and held it open for him, letting him come into the room before closing it behind us.

"Yup. You wanna get lunch after we see Braeden?" I ask him as he studies the new environment.

I could already picture myself biting into a big, cheese-covered burger and it made my stomach growl. Maybe I could even introduce Lily to Liam if she was working today. Knowing her, she'd absolutely adore him.

"Why don't you live with Scott or Stiles? I'm sure they'd take you in." Liam watched as I went to my dresser, pulling out fresh clothes to change into.

I didn't look his way, hoping he would catch the hint that this wasn't something I wanted to discuss at the moment. My mind was already set on going to see Braeden and eating, and I didn't plan on having another mentally draining conversation with Liam about my isolated life.

My living situation was always a point of contention. After Chris left for France with Isaac, I settled down here to be able to mourn in peace after losing Allison. Scott and the others offered to let me stay with their families, all of their parents urging me to accept too, but I needed to be alone.

I didn't want their sympathetic looks or to have them feel obligated to take care of me. Not when I could take care of myself.

"Yeah, they've offered, but I prefer to be on my own." I shrug as I plug my dead phone into my charger, letting it sit on top of my dresser. Kate thankfully didn't take it last night or crush it in her bare hands, she simply let it die.

I turned to go into the bathroom, hoping to change my clothes now, but Liam stood in my way.

"Well, you're not on your own," he says sternly, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I settle for an openly exhausted sigh, poking his chest so he takes a step back from me.

"It's just a motel, Liam."

"You're supposed to live in a home."

Home. One small word that had an entire lifetime of meaning. It was meant to be somewhere where people could find love and comfort. It was meant to be their safe haven. Home was an unfamiliar concept to me since I was a child and after last night, he knew that.

"Well, I don't have a home." I reply sharply, my words coming out bitter and aggressive. The hurt on Liam's face fills me with self-disgust.

Everything inside me called out to protect him but how was I supposed to protect him from myself?

"Sorry, I... Last night was new for me, okay? I can't always say the things I want to. Werewolves aren't the only ones who have trouble with their humanity," I admit, bowing my head in shame at how I reacted to things.

Always one step forward, a million steps back.

"Hey," Liam whispers, making me look back at him. He pulls out the chain from under his shirt, the silver bullet staring me in the eyes as he lets it sit against his chest. 

"Remember what I said."

I'll always be there to share the burden with you.

I can't help but laugh under my breath, finding it almost amusing the impact Liam had on me. Within less than twenty-four hours he was already making me break down so many walls that I had spent years building. I didn't even think something like that was possible. The thought of that was terrifying, but when I looked into his eyes I forgot what the word fear even meant.

He smiles at the relaxing change in my demeanor. "And lunch sounds awesome but the cash I had on me ended up at the bottom of a well," he says with a goofy frown.

"It's on me," I chuckle. Liam snaps his fingers, realization dawning on him a second after. "I'll pay you back tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night?" My words were clueless, and his smile slips a little.

"The movie I asked you about. You don't have to go, we did get kidnapped like a couple hours ago," he winces at his own words and shakes his head to himself.

"No, I wanna go. Plus apparently, snacks will be free," I joke with him, earning me a laugh in return that fills me with pride to be the cause of it.

I leave Liam afterward, finally going into the bathroom. I throw the clothes Scott had given me into a hamper, intending to wash them before I return them some other time. After freshening up, I slip on my jeans and a new shirt before heading back into the main room. Liam is sitting on the foot of my bed, his hands in his lap as he patiently waits for me to finish.

My phone had finally turned back on now that it had some juice. I tapped the screen to check the time but instead was greeted with a flood of notifications.

The first few were missed calls and texts from the others slotted around the time Kate took me yesterday so I swiped past them. Though, the further I got the more recent the missed calls became, Lydia's contact flooding my screen. The last call was only ten minutes ago.

"What is it?" Liam asks, sensing the growing tension within me. I open my phone to be able to call Lydia back, pressing it to my ear as the ringing begins. "I have like a hundred missed calls from Lydia. She only calls when death is imminent."

Liam stands to come near me, leaning in so he can listen in. The line clicks open and I can already hear distant murmuring on it, the familiar sound of a nearby crowd.

"Lydia? Are you okay?" I quickly ask, my nerves running high until I finally hear the soft voice of the banshee. Granted, she's pissed at me so my relief is immediately replaced with guilt.

"Jac, what the hell, I've been calling you all morning! Did you see what's happening at the school?" Liam and I share a confused look before I respond.

"The PSATs?"

Lydia's eye roll can be heard through the phone. "The high school is on lockdown under the CDC, there's some sort of outbreak inside, and it's not the smallpox kind. It's the werewolf, kitsune, werecoyote killing kind."

My chest stalls as my breath catches in my throat. An assassin had gotten to Scott, Malia, and Kira and I wasn't there to help them. For a second I wonder if I'll ever be able to figure out how to breathe again, but the light graze of fingers on my elbow helps to pull me back.

When I don't push away Liam takes that as permission to deepen his tender touch. He clasps his hand around my arm fully and takes a step closer. I lean into him, now unable to focus for a completely different reason.

"Jac?" Lydia's annoyed voice pulls me back and I clear my throat and pull myself together.

"Are they safe? Can we get inside?" I question Lydia, trying to form a plan in my head and not think about the werewolf beside me.

"We haven't been able to get any contact inside to know if they're okay. The CDC won't even let the sheriff or Agent McCall in. Deaton and Melissa are at the hospital trying to figure out a cure, you might as well go there 'cause you can't do anything here," she explains in a rush and I feel relieved knowing that there was at least something I could do.

We were going to go to the hospital anyway, but at least now I had a valid excuse for Scott.

"Alright, I'll let you know if we find anything. Stay near the sheriff, you understand me?" I don't want Lydia to be left alone if an assassin is that close, and I knew the sheriff would protect her.

"Yeah, I understand, please be safe." Lydia hung up then and I quickly stuffed my phone into the pocket of my jeans. It was barely charged but it would have to do.

"I'm going with you," Liam announces before I even have a chance to offer him a ride home.

I don't bother to suggest otherwise and nod, reluctantly pulling away from him so I can grab a waist holster from my dresser. I tossed it onto my bed before squatting next to it, reaching under the frame so I could bring out two of my weapon cases from underneath it.

I opened them, my fingers tracing the daggers and knives pressed into the foam inside of the first case, picking two straight-edged knives and a push dagger. I laid them down on my mattress and then turned to my second case, bringing out my Glock.

An unintentional hiss of pain left me when I moved my arms back to wrap my holster around my waist. The position didn't agree with my injuries and it was difficult to reach completely behind me.

"You need help?" Liam notices my predicament. 

"Please," I mutter, putting the holster into his outstretched hand.

Despite the fact that he was wrapping my waist, his eyes never left my face. I had never felt so small under his gaze. He smoothed the holster against my side, allowing the velcro to secure itself into place and also massaging my skin.

I let out a content sigh involuntarily at the soothing sensation and was about to apologize for being a creep when Liam smiled down at me. I mirrored his expression but then stepped back when I realized how much time we were wasting. Liam's smile faltered but I didn't think much of it because we had bigger problems to deal with.

I put on my black and white biker jacket and slipped my knives into the pockets on either side, and placed the push dagger into my sleeve. When I tucked my gun into my holster under my shirt Liam tilted his head curiously.

"Did you cock your gun?"

I was confused by why Liam had asked that but it made sense a second later when the door to my room flew open. Two men charged inside, the first being lanky and bald with a gun posed in the air. The second man was annoyingly familiar. Miles smirked as he swung a cattle prod back and forth in his hands in a taunting fashion.

I cursed the world for this being the day Araya Calavera decided to make her presence known to me. The woman herself entered the room, standing menacingly in the doorway.

"My apologies." Araya grinned. "I don't mean to intrude but I wasn't sure when we'd get another opportunity for a private conversation."

~

||| A/N |||

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