016 — frayed

season three —
episode five

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AS THE TEENS TRAVEL on the school bus to the lacrosse meet thunder rolls in the distance.

"Back to your seat" Coach says blowing his whistle at the one of the students who are out of the seat and talking to another student.

Isaac and Boyd are sat together on the bus, Isaac notices Boyd's unfocused gaze staring off into space.

"Stop thinking about it, man" Isaac says, "Like you're not thinking about it, too?" Boyd asks skeptically.

"Well, stop thinking about it" Isaac says again, "I can't" Boyd answers.

"Well, there's nothing you can do about it, either" Isaac says, "You sure about that?" Boyd asks looking at one of the alpha twins sitting behind them.

Ethan keeps checking his phone Danny begins growing curious, "Everything okay?" He asks, "Yeah why?" Ethan asks confused.

"You checked your phone three times in the last five minutes" Danny says, "Waiting on a message." Ethan replies.

"Anything important?" Danny asks curiously, "No, nothing" Ethan says again looking at the McCall and Stilinski boy at the back of the bus.

Scott looking off into the distance, "Yo, Scotty! Hey, yo! Scotty? Still with me?" Stiles asks.

"Yeah, sorry, uh, what's the word?" Scott says tiredly, Stiles goes back to the word they're currently studying for upcoming tests.

"'Anachronism'" Stiles says, "Something that exists out of its normal time" Scott answers.

"Nice! Okay, next word 'incongruous'" Stiles says swiping through words on his iPad, "Uh, can you use it in a sentence?" Scott asks.

"Yes, yes, I can! It's completely incongruous that we're sitting on a bus right now, on our way to some stupid cross-country meet, after what just happened, incongruous" Stiles says irritated.

"Out of place, ridiculous, absurd" Scott answers, "Perfect, okay, next word, um—Darach" Stiles says which Scott just looks at him silently asking if his serious or not.

"Darach, it's a noun, we have to talk about it sometime, okay? And we're gonna be stuck in this thing for, like, five hours, so why not?" Stiles sighs.

Scott doesn't answer so Stiles just continues on asking more words.

"Next word, 'Intransigent'" Stiles says, "Stubborn, obstinate" Scott answers groaning in pain as the bus bounces over a bump on the road.

"Oh, buddy, you okay?" Stiles asks worried, which earns a low groan from his best friend beside him.

"We shouldn't have come, I knew it we shouldn't have come" Stiles says suddenly, "We had to, there's safety in numbers" Scott murmurs.

"Yeah, well, there's also death in numbers, okay? It's called a 'massacre' or 'bloodbath', 'carnage', 'slaughter', 'butchery', wow, that's—" Stiles says.

Scott grunts groaning in pain again, "All right, I'm telling Coach that" Stiles says in concern.

"No, no, no, no, I'm all right" Scott interrupts quickly, "Well, you don't look all right—would you just let me see it?" Stiles asks going to take a look at Scott's wound, "I'm okay" Scott says weakly.

"Just let me see it, okay?" Stiles demands, "Okay" Scott says lifting his shirt showing his best friend the wound.

"Oh, dude" Stiles says horrified seeing the wound which is still bleeding.

"I know it's bad, but it's because they're from an alpha, it'll take longer to heal" Scott says adjusting his shirt so it doesn't stick to the wound on his stomach.

"How come Boyd and Isaac are fine, then?" Stiles then asks.

Looking at the back of Isaac and Boyd's head in front of them; looking back at Scott again biting his lip anxiously.

Scott now resting his head on the buses window, "I can't believe he's dead" Scott says sighing.

"I can't believe Derek's dead" Scott says sadly, "I know you're upset about him alright, but let's not forget we haven't been able to find Marlo since it happened as well" Stiles says sadly.

Scott now aware of how sad his best friend feels about not being able to check up on his older sister and someone who's extremely close to the man who died—sighs again, as the bus continues on the road to the meet.

Allison and Lydia follow closely behind, "Am I getting too close? I'm getting too close, aren't I?" Allison says nervously.

"That depends—are you just following the bus, or are you planning on mounting it at some point?" Lydia says from the passenger seat, "Yeah, I should back off" Allison says nodding.

"Well, that also depends, or, do you mean the bus, or the ex boyfriend you're currently stalking?" Lydia asks looking at the short haired brunette driving.

"Well, after what happened, I'm not letting him out of my sight." Allison says, "Hmm" Lydia hums.

"And, by the way, this all started when he came knocking at my door" Allison says, "For what?" Lydia asks.

The Argent huntress tells the teenage girl what happened two nights before at her apartment with the McCall boy and her.

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SCOTT RUSHES OFF TO Derek's loft after discovering that the alphas live in the same building above the argents.

"I know where they are" Scott says entering the loft seeing Derek, Marlo and the others near the planning table.

"Same building as the Argents" Derek says, "We know" Marlo adds.

"Cora and I followed the twins" Boyd says to the teenage boy who just entered.

"Then they want you to know" Scott says, "Or, more likely, they don't care" Peter says.

Scott frowns looking at the map and books on the table with the supernatural's surrounding it.

"What is this?" He asks, "Isn't it obvious? The schemers are scheming" Peter says.

"Coming up with a coup de main, better known as a pre-emptive strike" Peter continues.

"You're going after them?" Scott asks incredulously, "Tomorrow—and you're gonna help us" Derek demands nodding.

"Okay give the boy a chance to actually answer and not go against his own will babe" Marlo mutters.

Scott just smiles at the vampire in thankful way and then notices how she called him babe as do the others.

"What?" She asks as Derek smirks down knowingly, "Am I suddenly not allowed to call Derek, babe?" Marlo shrugs.

All the other werewolves in the room just act like nothing happened and continue going over the plan.

Marlo looks at the Derek smiling at her, she just shrugs and goes back to looking at things as well.

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BACK ON THE BUS with the teenagers and the two girls following closely behind them.

The coach blows his whistle again, "The two of you back in your seats!" The coach yells at students talking to their friends before noticing another student.

"Jared, again? Car sick? He asks, "Every time, how do you even get on the bus? Look at me! No, don't look at me! Look at the horizon, keep your eyes-keep your eyes on the horizon" Coach says to the car sick teenager on the bus.

Noticing Scott in the back leaning against the window holding his body in a sick way, "McCall, not you, too?" Coach groans.

"No, Coach, I'm good" Scott winces, Stiles concerned for his friend looks down at his shirt.

"Hey, Scott, you're bleeding again and don't tell me that it's just taking longer to heal, okay? Because I'm pretty sure that 'still bleeding' means 'not healing'—like, at all" Stiles says panicking.

"He's listening" Scott mutters motioning to the twin alpha turning his a head a certain way showing his listening in on their conversation.

"Is he gonna do something?" Stiles asks concerned for people's safety, "Not in front of this many people" Scott says.

"Okay, well, what about the two ticking time bombs sitting right near him?" Stiles says moving his head in the direction of Isaac and Boyd.

"No, they won't—not here" Scott says, "Okay, well, what if they do? Are you gonna stop 'em?" Stiles wonders, "If I have to" Scott nods.

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YESTERDAY IN THE AM in Derek's loft the pack plus Scott and Peter gather around figuring out plans for the alphas.

"They're one floor above them, in the penthouse right about Allison" Derek says.

"So, kill them first? That's the plan?" Scott asks skeptically, "They won't even see it coming!" Boyd says to the McCall boy standing beside him.

"Why is the default plan always murder? Just once, can someone try to come up with something that doesn't involve killing everyone?" Scott asks.

"You never get tired of being so blandly moral, do you? Not that I disagree with him" Peter says scoffing, Cora who doesn't understand.

"I do! Why do we need this kid?" She says looking at the hales and Marlo beside her.

"This kid helped save your life" Marlo says to the young girl.

"And you know we can't just sit back and wait for them to make the first move" Derek says looking at Scott now, "You can't beat a pack of alphas" Scott answers.

"That's why we're going after Deucalion, just him." Cora says now, Marlo looks at the ground knowing they're trying to kill and hunt her birth father.

"Cut off the head of the snake, and the body dies" Boyd says, "Only this isn't a snake, it's a hydra, and, like Scott says, they're all alphas" Marlo says.

"Deucalion's still the leader and your father" Derek says earning shocked looks from the betas in the loft.

"Let's hope so because you know what happened when hercules cut off one of the heads of the hydra?" Peter asks.

"Two more grew back in its place" Scott answers, "Somebody's been doing their summer reading" Peter says impressed.

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ALLISON AND LYDIA CONTINUE following the bus to the meet scheduled tomorrow sometime.

"So, is that whole 'not letting them out of your sight' thing literal, or more like a general rule?" Lydia asks.

"Why?" Allison asks, "You're running on fumes." Lydia says pointing to the empty fuel sign on Allison's car, "Ugh" Allison says groaning.

"Yeah and I'm pretty sure that bus holds a lot more gas than this Toyota" Lydia says playing with her hair, "What if we stop?" Allison asks.

"Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, so we lose them we know where they're headed" Lydia says to the Argent girl, "You didn't see what happened" Allison states.

"I know who started it" Lydia mutters, "Is that what Aiden told you?" Allison scoffs, "Aiden?" Lydia asks confused before figuring out something.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa hold on a second is that why you invited me on this whole road-trip-thing?" Lydia asks curious.

"Oh, my gosh! You're keeping an eye on them and me" Lydia says amused.

"So, there's nothing going on between you two?" Allison asks smirking.

"I'm appalled by the insinuation!" Lydia says looking at her best friend driving, "Nothing?" Allison asks skeptically smiling.

"Nothing" Lydia says daydreaming about something happening the other day between her and Aiden—putting on her lipstick now before looking at Allison seeing her looking at her.

"What?" She asks curiously, before the bus in front of the stops due to the traffic jam ahead.

"There's a jack-knifed tractor a few miles ahead, could miss the meet" Isaac says checking his phone.

Looking at his friend beside seeing his breathing heavily and softly growling, "Boyd?" Isaac asks noting the betas mood changing.

Scott notices as well getting up from his seat, "Scott? Where are you going?" Stiles asks.

"Boyd—he's gonna do something" Scott says looking at the beta in front of him.

"Okay, what? How do you know?" Stiles asks, "Look at his hands" Scott nods forwards gesturing to Boyd's claws gripping the buses seat.

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IN THE ABANDONED MALL where everything fell apart last night and Derek's death occurred.

Cora squats looking at where his body was left—being started by a presence on the top of the staircase now, "It's just me! Your uncle—Uncle Peter" Peter says.

"Uncle Peter who killed sister Laura" Cora says, "Mmm, not my finest hour, no, but, I'm hardly the only dysfunctional family member! Did Derek mention that he killed me, too? Slashed my throat, ear-to-ear" Peter asks.

"So, that means I should trust you?" Cora asks, "Actually, I'm wondering if I can trust you" Peter says, "You've known me for seventeen years!" Cora exasperates.

"I knew you for eleven, leaving the last six unaccounted for and I'm not particularly fond of things unaccounted" Peter says, "What are you doing here?" Cora asks impatiently.

"Same as you—wondering where the bodies went, wondering if they were carried out, or, maybe, if one of them managed to find enough strength to push himself up off the floor and walk out, leaving the two of us standing here to answer the all-important question" Peter says softly.

"'Which one?'" Cora asks, "Have you heard or seen from Marlo?" Peter then asks.

"No I haven't but I'm sure she's dealing with his death on her own, I mean they're dating now so she's probably broken" Cora shrugs.

"Yeah I realised that they were dating or even more flirtatious when they came home from their trip away together—they were extra touchy than they usually are" Peter says.

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MARLO JUST SITS ALONE in her apartment with tear stained eyes and a look of horror, heartbreak on her face.

She doesn't believe he's dead but it still doesn't help she saw him go over that ledge and stop moving alongside Ennis.

She sniffles before turning over onto her other side and cries softly into her pillow.

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SCOTT GETS UP READY to go to Boyd and stop him from doing something stupid and outing himself to the bus of students.

"I don't know what else to do, do I keep trying to get them to listen to me? Do I tell Derek and Marlo that they're gonna get them all killed? How do you save someone who doesn't wanna be saved? How do you stop them?" Scott asks, "Don't stop them—lead them" Deaton answers"'

Scott moves one by one past the seats in the bus to the one Boyd is currently clutching with his claws—grabbing onto his hand roughly.

Boyd grunts and growls under his breath, glaring at Scott beside him.

"Let go" Boyd snarls, "You got a plan? Tell me your brilliant plan, and I'll let go" Scott says to the male looking at Ethan behind him.

"What are you gonna do? Kill him? Right here—and then what? What are you gonna do after that?" Scott asks.

"I don't care" Boyd starts growling again, "I do" Scott says firmly.

Isaac then notices that Scott is still injured and bleeding, "Whoa, whoa! You're still hurt?" Isaac asks.

"I'm fine" Scott says to Isaac and Boyd—getting soft looks from both of them.

"Give me a chance to figure something out something that doesn't have to end with someone else dying" Scott says, "Okay" Boyd says reluctantly.

Scott gets up and makes his way back to his seat with Stiles, "Crisis averted?" Stiles asks.

Scott hums nodding and Stiles tells Scott about Ethan checking his phone every five minutes waiting for a sign or signal or some kind.

Both of them share a mutual agreement that they don't like him sitting next to Danny.

Stiles then goes on texting Danny non stop until they get answers from the boy via text saying Ethan has a sick family member and they don't know if he'll make it through the night.

Both understanding the meaning and nodding at the name Ennis and realising his not dead.

Coach then continues talking to Jared, "Jared, I'm warning you, I'm an empathetic vomiter; you throw up, I'm gonna throw up right back on you, and it will be profoundly disgusting" Coach says.

"Please don't talk about throwing up—it's not good" Jared says; "I might throw up on you just to make a point, Jared" Coach says again, "It's not good" Jared weakly says.

"Now, the rest of you, don't think we're gonna miss this meet because of a slight traffic jam—a minor tornado warning, Jared, we're gonna make this thing, nothing is gonna stop us!" Coach yells.

"Stilinski, put your hand down" Coach then mutters to the boy at the back of the face with his hand up.

"You know, there's like a food exit about a half mile up, I don't know, if we stop, and then maybe" Stiles says, "We're not gonna stop" Coach interrupts.

"Okay, but if we stop" Stiles goes to say again, "Stilinski! Shut it! Seriously! It's a little bus! Stop asking me questions!" Coach yells, "I hate him, did you call Deaton?" Stiles says groaning.

"I keep getting his voicemail" Scott answers, "That's it, I'm calling Lydia and Allison" Stiles says opening his phone to call Lydia, "How are they gonna help, they're back in Beacon Hills?" Scott asks weakly.

"They're not, they've been following us for hours, pathetic" Stiles mutters dialling Lydia's number now—as the girls sit in the car behind the bus.

Lydia opens her mouth in shock as her phone begins ringing, "Hey, Stiles! Yeah, we're just about to walk into a movie! Uh, you know, the popcorn" Lydia says.

"I know you guys are right behind us—put me on speaker" Stiles says.

"Okay" the girl answers putting the boy on speaker so Allison can also hear.

"Okay, look, Scott's still hurt" Stiles says, "What do you mean 'still'—he's not healing?" Allison asks confused.

"No, he's not healing, I think he's actually getting worse; the blood's turning, like, a black colour" Stiles says, "What's wrong with him?" Lydia asks.

"'What's wrong with him?' I don't, do I have a Ph.D in lycanthropy? How am I supposed to know that?" Stiles asks stressfully, "We need to get him off the bus" Allison states.

"And take him where, a hospital?" Lydia asks sarcastically, "If he's dying, then yeah, Stiles, there's a rest area about a mile up, tell the coach to pull over" Allison says.

"Yeah, I've been trying" Stiles says holding his head in annoyance, "Well, reason with him" Allison says.

"'Reason?' Have you met this guy?" Stiles asks growing impatient, "Just try something!" Allison says urging the male to do something about her ex boyfriend's injury.

She leans on her steering wheel scared for Scott, Stiles then tries to reason with the coach which ends up with the coach non stop blowing his whistle in his face not letting him talk—growing frustrated and angry.

Coach then mentions something to Jared and Stiles takes that as his opportunity to get them to pull over, having the poor boy who has car sickness throw up on the bus.

He does that and manages to have the bus pull over as students run left, right and centre away from the reek of a smell and the bus.

They then carry the injured boy into the bathrooms to try and heal him.

The teens are worried for Scott they say things like calling an ambulance but being worried that it's too late for them.

Stiles suddenly opens up his phone and calls his sister praying she'll pick up.

"Stiles?" Marlo speaks into her phone drained, "Hey I know this isn't the best timing but Scott's not healing and his bleeding black blood" Stiles rushes out.

Marlo who is getting into her car to head home to her apartment from the grocery store sighs.

"His not healing because of Derek, stitch him up Stiles" Marlo says, "Okay thanks Marlo, sorry I annoyed you" Stiles says.

"You didn't annoy me, I love you, bye" Marlo mutters before hanging up the phone, Stiles mentions what Marlo said.

Lydia being smart agrees and explains it a lot of better than the heartbroken woman did on the phone call.

"A physical illness from a psychogenic cause? Yes, it's all in his head" Lydia sighs out.

"All in his head?" Stiles asks confused before figuring it out and remembering what Marlo said.

"Because of Derek—he's not letting himself heal 'cause Derek died" Stiles says to the girls.

"So, what do we do?" Allison asks scared, "Stitch him up like Marlo said, I'm serious maybe all he needs to do is believe that it's healing" Lydia says.

The teens nod and get the needle ready and Allison stitches him up praying he'll heal.

As Scott is in his memories from last night, he remembers looking down at Derek and Ennis's body looking up at them and hearing a gut wrenching sob come from behind him.

Isaac pulls him away from the ledge and comforts him while Marlo slides down the wall behind them shaking and sobbing.

Scott looks up breathing heavily and makes eye contact with the alphas girlfriend.

Isaac now rushing over and helping the collapsed woman on the wall, comforting her and hugging her.

"Scott?" Allison's voice enters his mind and she continues saying his name bringing him into consciousness again.

He gasps awake, "It's my fault" he mumbles, Allison then helps him get up after he sees her job at stitching him up.

Allison gets him the new shirt and helps him out that on.

As Scott and Isaac go to the abandoned mall—he doesn't realise that Derek and Marlo are right behind him knowing his plan all along, "I care deeply for you Lo" Derek says from the passenger seat.

Marlo looks at him, "Me too Der, if anything happens tonight, I care about you too" Marlo says following Scott and Isaac who are on the McCall's motorcycle.

Marlo parks her car outside still hearing the boys motorcycle entering the mall with Isaac on the back.

She exhales and walks in with Derek, they hold hands before looking at each other and quickly kiss and begin walking in further.

Marlo now following Derek who is using his super hearing listening out for Scott and Isaac, "You didn't come alone" Deucalion says.

"Yeah, this is Isaac" Scott says introducing his friend, "I'm not talking about Isaac" Deucalion says looking at his daughter and Derek and the others entering behind the teenagers, in their supernatural forms.

"You knew I would do this? Derek, Marlo, don't! You can't do this so no one gets hurt, if someone else dies" Scott says to the vampire and werewolf.

"Him, just him!" Derek says growling and pouring his claw pointer finger at the alpha on the escalator.

"Just me? Now, how's a blind man find his way into a place like this, all on his own?" Deucalion asks.

A scratching can be heard from beside them revealing Kali entering the fight now and Ennis who walks up behind the werewolves and vampire, the twins above them shirtless.

As Allison and Lydia take Scott over to Stiles and notice and crowd of people surrounding something, "Stiles, what's happening?" Scott asks.

"They went after him, I told 'em what was happening with you, and they just went after him!" Stiles says.

"Who, Boyd?" Scott asks now alarmed and going into the crowd of people seeing Isaac hitting a bleeding Ethan over and over again.

He roars his name and Isaac immediately stops noticing his okay, they all stare at Scott in shock due to his yell being alpha like.

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PETER AND CORA WALK towards the animal clinic, "An animal clinic?" Cora asks skeptically.

"It's not as ordinary as it looks the building's half made out of mountain ash, I'm not actually sure how to get in" Peter says.

"Well, maybe we could do what normal people do and knock on the door" Cora says rolling her eyes and beginning to walk forwards although Peter catches a scent of the alphas.

"They're here" Peter says warning his niece, "Who?" Cora asks, "All of them" Peter mutters.

They keep watch outside and continue trying to figure out if Derek is alive or not.

"But how do we know who's in there? Is it Derek, or Ennis, or both?" Cora asks her uncle—as if god is answering their question.

Kali rushes outside in mourning roaring due to the loss of her mate, "Well, we know one thing, that wasn't for Derek" Peter says grabbing Cora and rushing off away from the alphas.

The fight continues for a while between the werewolves and vampire before Scott and Isaac are groaning out in pain and suffering, scratches and wounds being made left right and centre.

The alphas get a lead on the others and grab onto them; leaving Cora being choked on the floor and Boyd on the ground spitting blood.

"Kill him the others can go" Deucalion says to Derek now who is looking  around at the werewolves and Marlo as well on the ground, Kali has both her and Marlo in chokeholds.

"You're beaten, do it, Derek, take the first step" Deucalion says again.

"Are we serious with this kid? Look at him! He's an alpha? To what? A couple of useless teenagers? Don't get me started on your weak daughter" Kali says.

"Some have more promise than others" Deucalion says looking at Derek, Marlo and Scott now.

"Let him rise to the occasion, then! What'll it be, Derek? Pack or family?" Kali says pushing on foot and hand into Marlo and Cora's neck.

The vampire jolts forward breaking free now pissed off at the werewolf who doesn't know how to wear shoes.

Derek looks between Boyd and Cora now since his girlfriend is free out of harms way—he hears an arrow whizzing by him; he immediately ducks out of the way.

"Ahh!" Kali screams, "Your eyes—cover your eyes!" Deucalion says due to the blinding flash-bombs from the arrow heads lighting up the mall's floor.

Giving Derek and the pack an advantage to get up and fight again looking up at the ledge to see Allison standing there smiling softly at them.

Growling and roaring is heard between Scott and Ennis who go head to head and crash into each other resulting in a wave go through them pushing them away from each other.

Scott looks up showing his now has red eyes earning confused glances from some people in the room but not all, he shakes his head after a while and they go back to beta gold.

Derek launches for Ennis protecting the boy who is injured and holding his side.

Aw both alphas near the side of the nearby gap in the mall, Marlo and Scott realise they're about to fall.

Scott trying to help Derek scratches Ennis's leg but the alpha grabs ahold of Derek as he begins falling down into the escalator.

"No!" Marlo screams seeing Derek looking at Scott and then looking at his girlfriend in guilt.

Scott watches them fall landing and what looks like killing them both on the staircase—the heartbreaking sobs are heard from Marlo as the alphas leave the mall.

She continues sobbing for a while before speed running out of the mall as well into her car and breaking down in there.

Now with the bus back on the road and clean from the previous vomit, Stiles and Lydia sit beside each other discussing things.

"All right, let's go over this one more time so, it's the sacrifices, right? Everything has to do with them and someone who thinks he's, like, a dark druid of some kind" Stiles says.

"Or actually is a dark druid" Lydia says, "A darach" Stiles says, "You know—some ancient cultures sacrificed people in preparation for battle" Lydia says in a matter of facts.

"So, we've got alpha werewolves against a dark druid?" Stiles asks. "Yeah" Lydia nods.

At the very back of the bus Allison and Scott sit as well talking about things, "You know—if he's really dead, it's not your fault" Allison says.

"Maybe, but, remember that whole thing that we talked about? Where I wasn't accusing you of being there, and if you were there, you shouldn't be?" Scott asks as Allison nods in answer.

"Thanks for not listening" Scott says, Allison laughs looking at Scott's eyes now in question as she saw his eyes last night and that they were red.

"What?" Scott asks noticing the girl's look, "I was just looking at your eyes" Allison answers.

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MARLO EVENTUALLY MAKES her way back to her apartment building alongside Derek's as well—sighing looking up at the building in sadness.

She undoes her seatbelt and leans down to get the groceries but not before she's startled by a loud noise on her window.

She looks at the source of the noise, that being a bloody hand print and a severely injured Derek Hale.

Marlo rushes out of her car leaving the groceries inside of it and leans down to her injured and bloody boyfriend who just passed out knowing he made it to her.

She looks at his wounds and notices his not healing and sighs—picking him up to help bring him into his loft.

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖐𝖘 ⛧
pure pain