chapter eighty-eight
blitzkrieg

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Lydia sat in Kennedy's bedroom, fiddling with the bracelet in her hand. Her mind was stuck on Dani. Danielle Tyler. She couldn't remember much, but she remembered pieces, that was for sure.

Kennedy walked in, exhaling loudly as she carried two cups of hot cocoa. "I thought this could be nice before we go ruin our moods some more." She whispered, handing Lydia her own. Lydia took it, smiling in gratitude. Kennedy sat on her bed, looking at her friend. "What's on your mind?"

The Martin looked at her mug. She shakes her head softly. "Dani," She confessed. She looked up at Kennedy, her eyes glossier than usual. "Peter made it through the rift. Why hasn't she come through?"

Kennedy shrugged. "Maybe she's staying with Stiles." She reasoned. Lydia shrunk.

"I just...I wish that I remembered her."

The Hale looked her friend over in thought. Kennedy shifted on the bed, moving to put her mug down. Lydia seemed confused. Kennedy smiled. "Give me your hand." Lydia frowned slowly. "Come on, just trust me."

Lydia looked down, inhaling deeply. She knew what this could do, but she had to know. She had to remember Dani. Lydia put her mug down, straightening her back and reaching for Kennedy's hand. Kennedy smiled softly, winking at her friend before closing her eyes. Lydia tried to steady her nervous breaths, closing her eyes too.

It was Valentine's Day.

Lydia and Kennedy stood next to each other, looking around Beacon Hills High School. They were in the halls, and the only reason they knew what day it was was because of Coach Finstock's decorated classroom door. Kennedy did it herself.

Lydia looked down the hall, seeing the group standing together. Malia was at her locker, putting books away. Kennedy was next to her, leaning against Stiles. Kennedy was wearing pink, and Stiles was wearing red. Scott was on the other side of Malia, looking at her with a look Lydia hadn't noticed before. He had a crush on her.

And then there was Lydia, standing by herself, but still amongst the group, hugging her books to her chest sadly. She looked so beautiful, and yet so sad. This was one of her first Valentines alone while everyone else had someone. Even Scott and Malia sent each other looks that made Lydia feel like a third wheel.

"Lydia, hey!" The Martin turned around slowly, seeing Danielle Tyler. Dani's pink hair swayed around as she jogged over, holding up a goodie bag. Lydia was confused. Dani slowed down, smiling. "How are you?" Dani had became an honorary member of the group by then. Everyone got along with her, she was really helpful. It was like she belonged there, whether she realized it or not.

Lydia looked over at Stiles and Kennedy. Kennedy laughed at something Stiles said, leaning up to kiss him. Dani looked at her expression. Lydia felt so lonely. It sucked. She loved love, and yet it felt like she was just...so alone.

"Instead of moping about romance, why not have fun?" Dani chirped. Lydia looked at her with uncertainty. Dani grinned. "Here."

Danielle stuck out her arm, the goodie bag waving back and forth. Lydia furrowed her brow in question, looking up. She took the bag slowly, fiddling with it. Inside the bag, was a heart shaped box of chocolates, a teddy bear, and a small jewelry box. Lydia moved to open the red velvet box, her eyes softening at the small delicate bracelet. It was similar to Dani's. A dainty charm bracelet. Dani's was filled with random charms from over the years. A camera, a crescent moon, a key, a bird, a lightning bolt, the letter D, the Eiffel tower, a lollipop, a gear, a moth, a lock, and a few more. Lydia's was less full, considering it was brand new. She had a small tree, which Lydia realized resembled her drawings of the nemeton, a flower, and a bird.

Lydia looked up slowly, her eyes bright and filled with joy. "Dani, this is beautiful." She whispered. The werecoyote smiled, shrugging as if saying it's whatever. "Thank you," Lydia gushed as she leaned over, pulling Dani into a tight hug. Dani hugged back, smiling to herself.

That was the beginning of a beautiful close friendship, and maybe something more.

Lydia batted her eyes softly. She felt like the air had been cut off, until just now. Tears rolled down her cheeks before she realized it. Kennedy places her hands in her lap, waiting. She knew how hard this could be. She had experienced it herself many times.

Lydia looked around herself. She patted around the bed. The yellow walls Kennedy's had for years and years. The posters, the cluttered dresser. The shattered mirror. She was in Kennedy's bedroom, but god she wanted nothing more than to be with Danielle Tyler. Her eyes trailed down to the charm bracelet around her wrist. It wasn't her own, it was Danielle's.

"This was the bracelet she left behind." Kennedy pursed her lips, nodding. Lydia sucked in a thick breath. "She was the only person who gave me a Valentine's day gift."

Kennedy smiled softly, reaching for Lydia's hand. Lydia looked up. "We'll get her back, Lydia. We'll get them all back."

Lydia swallows thickly. She nodded slowly, blinking through water eyes. "Yeah." She looked down again, frowning. "Kennedy, why didn't your mom come through too?"

Kennedy shrugged her shoulders. "Truthfully? Either to stay away from my father, or to protect Stiles." She confessed. Lydia frowned, confused. "My mom is strange, but she's protective. Of me, of Malia, of the people we care about. Stiles is my anchor. Which means,"

"Which means she's protecting him to protect you." Lydia finished. Kennedy nodded slowly. Lydia smiled sadly. "Maybe your moms not so bad." She teased.

Kennedy squinted. "No, she's not."

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Scott wasn't sure if he wanted to see Kennedy again. Not after how they left things off. Despite that, he had an idea, maybe even a plan. And it was about Stiles.

The pack, or what was left of it, was at the sheriffs station. Kennedy and Lydia stood side by side, staring at Scott in disbelief. "You're going to bite Stiles?" Lydia asked. Her mouth hung open, her mind was churning. Kennedy was silent. She was looking at Scott with a mouth clamped shut and unblinking eyes. She was unreadable.

Scott looked up slowly. "To get him through the rift." Scott avoided Kennedy's eyes, turning away and walking further into the station. "It's the only way."

Peter leaned back by the doors. He was fully healed and not running out of town, like he had tried to convince Malia into doing prior. Malia refused, saying she and Kennedy would not leave without Stiles, Sloane, and Danielle back. "Just to clarify, are you planning on biting everyone in the train station?"

Scott leaned onto a desk, his palms pressing down hard. "With Stiles back, he'll be able to help us figure out a plan."

"He's good at that." Malia added, looking at her father. Lydia walked toward the desk.

"So the plan is to get Stiles to come up with a plan."

Kennedy swallowed the lump in her throat as she stayed in her spot. "You can shut up now." Malia snapped.

"Malia, look around. We're the only ones left in Beacon Hills. If they take us, Lydia will be the only one left to haunt this place."

Scott looked up. "That's why I'm the only person that's going in." Kennedy looked up. "Liam and Hayden will stay here with Mason. As long as somebody is left in Beacon Hills, the Wild Hunt can't move on."

Peter paced back and forth. "I like your plan, Scott. I really do, especially the part about turning Stiles." Kennedy's eyes shot toward her father. "But it can't work."

"How do you know?"

"Logic. Life experience." Peter listed off. "Liam, what are the odds that he'll get taken? What if Stiles isn't there? What if there's no Beacon Hills for you to come back to?"

Liam looked over. "You got a better idea?"

"Yeah. It's called, run like hell." Peter snapped. Everyone stared at him. Peter shrugged. "So, leave in five?"

Malia walked toward him. "You promised you'd help us. We still need to find the rift."

"I didn't promise I'd help you commit suicide."

"If you can't help, we can find it ourselves." Scott called out.

Kennedy clenched her fists tightly. She was trying to process everything, but everything was so much. Peter looked at the True Alpha. "Scott, I admit that you have a flair for beating the odds. But this? You don't walk away from." Peter started backing up slowly, toward the door. "You run."

Everyone watched as Peter rushed out the doors. He was making his escape after all. Malia watched disappointedly, her hands fallen to her sides. Liam looked toward Kennedy, who hadn't moved or said a word this entire time. "Kenny?" Everyone's attention moved toward her now. This wasn't like her. Ever.

Scott stood up straight, walking toward the auburn haired girl. "What's wrong?"

"He wouldn't survive the bite." Kennedy whispered.

Scott frowned. "How do you know that?" He asked.

"I don't. At least not really." Kennedy's arms were crossed over her chest, hugging herself tightly. She needed some comfort, even if it was from herself. "But he could, and he couldn't. And I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to risk losing Stiles to save him." She snapped. "Stiles wouldn't want that. He wouldn't want to be a werewolf."

Scott shook his head. "We don't have a choice!"

"And I'm not letting you get taken!" Kennedy hissed. She looked at Scott with a glare. "Send me instead."

"You're not an alpha." Said Malia.

Kennedy nods. "Yeah, but my mom is."

Liam stood up straight. "Yeah, she took Ken's alpha side." He explained.

Kennedy swallowed thickly. "If we absolutely have to turn him, we will. But if we can find another way—"

"I hear you." Whispered Scott. The group all looked at each other. "Ken, you look for anything else you can find on your mom. Maybe she has research on Seers we haven't found. Hell, maybe you can find a way to contact her." Kennedy nodded, realizing he has a good idea. "We'll go look for Peter, tell him what we're thinking." Kennedy turned toward the door, making a quick exit.

Everyone looked at Scott, watching as he stared after her. Lydia was the first to speak up. "We're not looking for Peter, are we?"

Scott clenched his jaw. "I'm not letting Kennedy get hurt looking for the love of her life." He whispered lowly.

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Sloane paced back and forth. Danielle and Stiles sat side-by-side in the station, watching the Valet. She was stuttering, trying to figure out what to say. She was trying to figure out what was going on.

"Why was Callista Theroux the last full blooded seer?" Stiles asked. "Or..witch, or whatever the hell she was."

"Because of the curse—" Sloane cut herself off, her lips parting as her shoulders slouched. "Oh, god."

Danielle sat up straight. "What? What is it?"

Stiles pointed at Sloane. "Did you just say curse?" He turned to Dani. "She just said curse." Back to Sloane, "What curse?"

Sloane scratched her jaw, shaking her head. "Valentina Theroux, Callista's mother, had twins. Callista and her sister, Catalina." She explained, moving to sit down slowly. "However, Valentina had a secret she had been keeping from her husband, Caspian."

"What was that?" Dani asked.

"Valentina was having an affair with Jeremiah, Caspian's best friend." Stiles and Dani's eyes widen in shock. Sloane sat down on the bench across from them, her hands on her knees. "When the twins were born, they were different. Catalina was a spitting image of her father, but so was Callista. Catalina looked just like Caspian,"

Stiles raised a brow. "And Callista looked just like Jeremiah." He assumed.

Sloane nodded her head slowly. "Caspian was a witch, like Valentina and the Theroux's hundreds of years ago. When he found out his wife has betrayed him, and had twins of two separate fathers, he set a curse. Caspian then killed Jeremiah, and himself, leaving Valentina alone."

Dani and Stiles felt chills up their spines. "What was the curse?"

"Whenever there would infidelity in the Theroux bloodline, they would pay their dues by birthing twins, one from each father." She explained, "The twins would destroy each other, their lives. Callista and Catalina were raised to be strong powerful witches. But their curse started to cause them to get stronger, angrier. Until eventually their battles went head to head. Callista and Catalina fought & fought strongly, until Callista created a curse." Dani and Stiles's jaws dropped. Another curse? "A curse on the Theroux bloodline that caused them to lose their powers as a witch. Catalina was then...nothing more than a seer. A weak seer. Callista was the last full-powered seer in the bloodline."

Dani looked at the ground in thought. "Until Kennedy." She whispered. Stiles looked between them, eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What does either curse have to do with Kennedy?"

Sloane shifted in her seat. "You are her boyfriend Stiles, but she doesn't remember. If Kennedy believes Scott is her boyfriend," She looked down. "If she's been with both of you,"

"Infidelity." Dani finished. She didn't have to say more for Stiles to put the pieces together. The rules of the curse. Cause and effect. Stiles looked at her. His eyes were wide with panic.

"But Kennedy doesn't even remember me. Neither does Scott. They don't know what they're doing." Stiles reasoned, waving his hand toward both of them. It couldn't be true. There was always a loophole. Kennedy was always the loophole, the exception.

"That doesn't matter to a centuries year old curse."

Stiles looked at Sloane. "You're not saying what I think you're saying." He laughed dryly. Sloane didn't say a word. Stiles scoffed, looking around the station. He felt sick. He stood up abruptly, starting to pace back and forth. He was shaking his head repeatedly. "No, there's no way, I mean, she's not—"

"She is." Sloane whispered. Stiles looked at her. "I felt it. When we were talking to that woman who was visiting her grandchildren. I could feel it."

Stiles scrunched his face, his heart pounding. Nothing felt real. Out of everything he had been through this was his breaking point. "But she—"

"She doesn't know, Stiles." Sloane said. She stood up, putting her hand on his shoulder. "She doesn't know what she did, she doesn't know about the curse. She doesn't know."

Stiles felt like throwing up.

Meanwhile, Kennedy was at Peter Hale's apartment, digging through old boxes she had pulled out of storage. She was digging through old books, old files, anything. She just wanted to find something. Something that meant they didn't have to turn Stiles.

Kennedy slowly flipped open a book, a journal of Eloise Valet. She smiled as she flipped through the stories of Eloise's adventures with Marie-Jeanne, her memories of life before Sebastien. The innocence in the words that slowly fell away.

Kennedy could relate.

Her cellphone began to ring on the kitchen counter. Kennedy looked over, confused. She rushed over, picking it up to see a familiar name. She smiled, clicking the green button.

"Derek?"

Derek Hale was on the other end. "Hey, Kenny!" He hummed, his voice warm and kind the way she missed. "How are you?"

"Not good, but I could be dead." Kennedy hummed, looking around the room.

"What's going on?"

Her eyes drifted toward the shelves. The pictures all over. The pictures that Stiles were in, but yet missing from. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Everyone's disappearing, Derek." She croaked. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "Dad and Mom were taken, then Stiles. I was dating Scott, but it's all a lie, and I'm trying to remember Stiles but I can't, Derek! He's gone! And I don't know how to save him!" She sobbed as she shook her head. "Scott wants to turn him. But we can't! He could die, or something could go wrong. I cant save him, Derek. I failed Stiles."

There was a long silence in the air. One where all you could hear was Kennedy's shaking breaths and Derek's slow ones. Her body was shaking. She was terrified.

"Kennedy, who's Stiles?"

Kennedy cried, sinking to the ground as she held the phone to her ear. She leaned her head against the cabinets. Her face was hot and covered with tears. "He was my best friend. He was the love of my life. And he was taken. By the Ghost Riders."

"Ghost Riders?"

"Yes!" Kennedy sobbed. She shook her head. "Derek, I'm so lost. I cant find him."

Derek was quiet. He didn't know, obviously. He didn't remember this Stiles person. But Kennedy did. And he was obviously important. Somehow. "Kenny, breathe." She wasn't. She was inhaling shakily and letting out hard sobs. "Kennedy Dawn. Breathe."Kennedy inhaled, holding her breath for a few seconds, than letting it out. "Look, I don't know what's going on. But if I know anything? You will figure it out. Someway, somehow." Kennedy shook her head, even if he couldn't see it. "You're a Hale. You've had your memories erased, you've became a werewolf, you've became a seer, a true alpha, you've fought alphas and druids, you've died, you've done everything. You can save this. You just have to think."

Kennedy swallowed the lump in her throat. "I love you," She whispered.

"I love you, too."

Kennedy wiped away her tears, "Derek, why did you call?" She asked softly. She realized she made this all about her, and didn't even bother asking about him before she lost it.

Derek sighed on the line. "Oh, you know, on the run, trying not to die," Kennedy could hear his smirk. "Stay safe, Kenny, okay?"

"You too, Derek. Don't get arrested. Dad isn't going to want to pay those bills." Kennedy teased. The line went dead, and Kennedy put the phone down. She looked down in thought.

She had to save Stiles. And that meant finding the others.

Kennedy pulled herself off the floor, moving toward the front door. She tugged open the doors, stumbling at the sight of a familiar face. Garrett Douglas. One of the new teachers at the high school, and the one that killed the Dread Doctor Scott, Liam, Hayden, Mason, and Corey captured. And now he's standing in her doorway.

Immediately, Kennedy moved to slam the doors shut again, but Mr. Douglas pushed back. With a sudden burst of brutal force, Mr. Douglass slammed through. Kennedy flew back, hitting the floor with a loud thud. She winced as she pushed herself on to her elbows, looking up. Mr. Douglas stood tall, no kindness in his eyes.

"I knew you had to be evil." Kennedy whispered, groaning again in pain. She tried to push herself up, but Mr. Douglas pressed a foot into her body, pushing her back down.

"A pleasure to formally meet the werewolf seer." Mr. Douglass hummed slowly, looking down at the auburn haired girl. "We have plans, care for a ride?"

Kennedy winced, wiggling underneath his weight. "I'd rather walk, thanks." Kennedy looked toward a bookshelf, waving her fingers. If it fell on the two of them, she'd at least have time to find a way out. Instead of the entire shelf, a picture of Kennedy and Peter came flying toward Mr. Douglas. Without flinching, his hand shot up and he caught it. Her eyes widened, that wasn't what she had tried to do. Her powers weren't as predictable as she expected.

"Impressive." His accent was thick. It wasn't American. No, it was German. "But no use. You're not strong enough to fight something like me."

Kennedy looked up at him, wincing again. "And what are you?" She hissed lowly. "A werewolf?"

"Partly." He began. Kennedy's eyes widened as his eyes shifted alpha red, and he grew large teeth. But they weren't werewolf, she knew that. This was something else. "Löwenmensch."

"A lion," Kennedy whispered. She had just read of one in one of Sloane's bestiaries. There wasn't many of them out there, but they did exist.

Mr. Douglas smirked, his eyes suddenly turning green as he looked toward the whip attached to his hip. "I've waited a long time to have this power." Kennedy wiggled under his weight, looking at the whip, too. She looked toward the door, her eyes widening at the sight of Jordan Parrish. Except it wasn't really him, no, it was the Hellhound.

"What did you do?"

"What I've been waiting to do for seventy years." Mr. Douglass growled. He moved off of the Hale, picking her up by the throat. She struggled to breathe, kicking her feet as she looked at him. "You would not mind reuniting with your mother, hm?" Kennedy looked at him with wide eyes.

She was so unbelievably screwed.

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Scott, Malia, and Lydia were in the tunnel systems. They had been lead to the rift as they'd hoped, but there was a new problem. None of them could get through the rift without melting to death.

Malia held a pipe to the rift, only for it to melt to a couple feet. Lydia shook her head. "There's gotta be another way." She whispered. "We just need to think."

"Think?" Malia asked.

"Yeah." Lydia turned around at Scott's voice. "Think about how to get through a supernatural rift that melts steel."

The three of them stared at the incisional force that kept them out. "I didn't say it would be easy." Lydia muttered.

"But it doesn't have to be so hard."

The trio whipped their heads around to see Mr. Douglas walking closer, his hand around Kennedy's throat. They could see the smirk on his face, and the annoyed expression on Kennedy's. Malia gripped the steel pipe tighter.

"Don't worry," Mr. Douglas said, "The seer is unharmed. Didn't want her to hurt herself trying to hurt me." He hummed, gesturing to the girl in his grasp.

"He followed our scent." Scott told the girls.

"I followed your desperation." Mr. Douglas said. The three looked at him, looked at Kennedy. Kennedy rolled her eyes, looking at Mr. Douglas's jaw. "We're all in a tough spot. Desperate to get inside and save everyone, and hoping to find away to stop this army of the dead. We all want the same thing."

Lydia tilted her head. "He has a point."

"If he doesn't kill anyone." Malia pointed out.

"Else. If he doesn't kill anyone else." Scott corrected.

"All that matters right now is getting through the rift."

Malia held the pipe. "Then you're out of luck."

"The rift burns through anything that tries to pass through it." Lydia added.

"Perhaps not everything."

Kennedy winced as she tried to turn her head, knowing who was coming behind her. Jordan Parrish approached slowly, his eyes glowing the same green the Ghost Rider's smoke was when they took someone. He growled lowly.

"Jordan." Lydia looked toward the Hellhound. It wasn't Jordan, not right now.

Mr. Douglas looked ahead. "If the Hellhound can open the rift, we all go together." He told them. "For a sign of good faith," He suddenly released Kennedy from his grasp, pushing her forward harshly. Kennedy stumbled, Scott and Lydia catching her quickly. She stood close to Lydia, looking back.

Malia glared the teacher down. "You're the bad guy. I'm pretty sure helping you is a bad idea." She said as she waved the pipe around.

"Good guy. Bad guy. When has anything ever been so black and white?"

"World War II." From the right, Liam came rushing over while panting heavily. He walked over, looking at Mr. Douglas before looking at the pack. "He's a Nazi. He wants the hunt for himself. He wants his own supernatural army.

Kennedy looked over. "Full offense, but I think the whole Nazi think kinda ruins any chances of any logical person helping you willingly." She commented, glaring at the löwenmensch.

Mr. Douglass sighs, looking down. In the hand that wasn't holding Kennedy before, was a whip. The Ghost Rider's whip. Kennedy looked at it, gulping. Scott looked ahead. "We're not letting you through that rift."

"Not letting me?" Mr. Douglas hummed as he began to move the whip around. "I see. You still think you have a day in the matter." Kennedy jumped in front of Scott as the whip came forward. She let out a shout, grabbing it harshly. The others jumped back. Kennedy's eyes turned blue, and she let out a growl. Mr. Douglass tugged the whip back out of her hands.

Scott stepped up, his eyes red and his fangs out. He let out a low warning roar. Mr. Garrett slashes the whip again. Everyone jumps back. Lydia quickly rushes back, running toward Liam.

Malia looked over, jumping across to make it after them. Kennedy and Scott stood side by side, roaring. The whip came at them again and again. Kennedy backed up, grabbing Scott's wrist and tugging him back with the others.

"Hollenhund." Said Mr. Douglass. Parrish walked up to the rift, his hands grabbing at the center. Kennedy's eyes were wide as she watched him seemingly start to break a hole through the rift.

Scott looked over. "Parrish, stop!" He shouted. Mr. Douglass whipped at them, keeping the group of teenagers away. Kennedy looked ahead.

Parrish grunted and growled as he pushed the rift open harshly. Suddenly, it stopped. It was quiet, and the rift looked almost the same to everyone else. Except something told them that wasn't the case. The Hellhound looked at the others, growling. "Wunderbar," Said Mr. Douglas. The Hellhound roared, and Kennedy pushed Liam and Lydia back. Douglas looked over, speaking German. With another roar, Parrish started to follow.

"Now." Malia said, the group running after them. But as soon as Parrish and Douglas made it through the rift, it started to close up again.

Lydia looked at it in dismay, her eyes wide. "No," She cried. One of their only chances to save Dani and Stiles, gone.

Just as the rift closed, two figures came out from seemingly nowhere. Two Ghost Riders. "Oh, crap," Kennedy huffed, shaking her head.

"Kennedy? Please tell me you have some of those superpowers up your sleeve?" Liam called out, the five of them backing up slowly.

Kennedy thought about when Mr. Douglas broke into his house, "Apparently I'm out of juice," She explained, looking at the two Ghost Riders awkwardly.

"So basically, we're screwed?" Lydia said, looking at her friend with a scared expression. The Ghost Riders stepped closer, and they stepped back.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Scott looked back. "Liam, you and Lydia get to the bunker." He told the beta and the banshee. The two shared sheepish looks but broke into a sprint. Kennedy looked at Malia, who's eyes turned blue. On her left, Scott bared his fangs and his eyes turned red. Kennedy looked ahead, her own eyes turning steel blue.

A Ghost Rider flicked his whip, letting it snake around Scott's throat harshly. Malia grabbed on to it in alarm, her and Scott pulling back to keep him from getting hurt. Kennedy looked ahead, growling lowly. She rushed forward, leaping in the air to kick the Ghost Rider in the face. Malia and Scott slipped from the whip, falling backward into each other.

"The whip." Malia shouted. "It didn't take you."

"I don't think they're trying to take us. I think they're trying to kill us." Scott said. The two of them looked back at Kennedy, who grabbed onto the whip as it came toward her. She growled. Kennedy felt it snake around her wrist, pulling at her harshly. Kennedy looked down, remembering something Ghost Rider Amanda had said.

"A Theroux is stronger than the lighting. The only person immune to all of our venoms."

The other Rider's whip came at Malia, wrapping around her torso tightly. It flung Malia into the wall, before Scott leaped to save her from hitting the brick wall harshly.

The whip let Malia go, and came at Kennedy. Both of her hands were wrapped in the whips, tugging at her wrists harshly. Kennedy snarled, looking between them. Her skin burned. Malia looked at her half-sister in alarm. Kennedy seethed, looking up. Her eyes flicked white.

The Ghost Rider's seemed to pause at her expression. Scott and Malia watched, realizing something. They were afraid, almost. Of Kennedy.

She tugged harder at the whips, forcing the Ghost Rider's to stumble. They let go of them, letting Kennedy pull them toward her in surprise. She stumbled, falling toward the wall. Malia grabbed onto Kennedy, the two of them looking up. The Ghost Rider's turned their attention from Scott, one of them pulling their gun out as the two looked over the half-sisters.

Kennedy looked up, her eyes staring down the barrel of the gun. She swallowed the lump in her throat, ignoring Malia's shouting of her name. She tightened her hand around Malia's. Kennedy closed her eyes slowly.

She almost missed the unfamiliar growl.

From the darkness, immerged Peter Hale, fangs and claws and all. He roared threateningly as he tackled the Ghost Rider holding the gun. He used it's weight to kick the other one harshly. The sisters held on to each other with wide eyes as Peter threw the Ghost Rider's around.

Peter looked at them both. "Why aren't you running!?" He growled out. He turned just in time to deflect another Ghost Rider.

Scott pushed Malia and Kennedy to their feet, the three of them making a run for it. They ran toward the tunnel, ready to turn right. Malia and Kennedy turned back to watch. Peter's arms are grabbed by each Ghost Rider, pinning him to the wall of barrels. He wiggled against it, but it was no use. Not even he was stronger than two Ghost Riders. Kennedy and Malia stood side by side, looking at their father in distress. Peter looked back at them. At his daughters.

"Go!"

Kennedy's eyes widen in horror as the Ghost Rider pulls out his gun. Kennedy looks in Peter's eyes. He didn't say it, not out loud. But she could hear it. Loud and clear, the same way she heard it when she was a little girl.

"I got you, Bunny, I got you."

Peter's glossy eyes matched his werewolf smirk as the gunshot rang through the air. His figure was faded into nothing but green smoke. And Kennedy and Malia had just watched it all happen.

Scott grabbed Malia, tugging her back. Kennedy swallowed harshly, turning to follow close behind. She ignored the tears running down her face. She ignored Peter's words echoing in her ears.

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The McCall house suddenly felt a lot emptier. Scott sat at his dining table, ringing for his mom for the millionth time. She wasn't answering. That could only mean one thing. She was taken too.

Liam was leaning against the kitchen island, Lydia was looking out the window, and Malia was by the fridge. Kennedy was standing by the back door, her hands playing with her hair.

Malia looked over as Scott called Melissa again. "Scott." Melissa's voicemail came through the air again. Malia looked toward Kennedy, expecting her to comfort him. But she didn't. Kennedy couldn't, not when she felt like throwing up. Peter was gone. Again. Malia looked over, standing off the fridge and walking toward the dining table. She slowly sat down on Scott's right, leaning close with soft, caring eyes. "Scott, your mom is gone. But she's still alive." Scott didn't move. He didn't make eye contact. Malia slowly reached for his phone, clicking the power button. The screen slowly faded to black.

Liam looked around, specifically at Scott. "What do we do now?"

Malia's arms rested on the table. "We can't hide from them."

Kennedy looked over, walking closer to the table. "What about Lydia?" Asked Liam. "The Ghost Rider was afraid of her." He moved to sit in the chair on the opposite end of Scott.

"It wasn't fear, it's," Lydia sat next to Malia. "Almost like reverence."

"They're afraid of Kennedy," Malia offered.

Kennedy shrugged. "They say I'm immune to their venom. Which apparently doesn't mean much when they're trying to kill me instead of take me." She reasoned, shaking her head as she stood next to Scott's chair.

"Doesn't matter." Said Scott. The group looked at him. He had never looked so hopeless. "The rift is gone. We're the only ones left in Beacon Hills." The silence and the dark realization caused the entire group to ache. Kennedy hugged herself tighter, knowing he was right. They were alone.

Then, the back door nodded. Everyone turned their heads to watch as Noah Stilinski walked in. Kennedy turned her body, her arms falling to her sides in surprise. Noah walked over slowly, pressing his hand on the kitchen island. He was a couple feet away from Kennedy, and he looked around with a look Kennedy couldn't explain. And yet? She recognized it all the same.

"I have a son." Noah announced. Everyone seemed to be caught off-guard by this statement. "His name is Mieczyslaw Stilinski. But we call him Stiles." His eyes looked toward Kennedy. "I remember." Scott and Kennedy shared looks. "When Stiles was a little kid, he couldn't say his first name. Not sure why, it pretty much rolls off the tongue. But, uh, the closest he could get was mischief. His mother called him that until,"

Noah trailed off. Until she wasn't herself anymore. Lydia looked down at the table, vaguely remembering Stiles telling her how he and Kennedy met. They were around ten, it was shortly after Kennedy lost her memories, and they were both at the hospital. Stiles was visiting his mom, Kennedy was leaving after having some injuries from a fire. They didn't piece that together until years later. Kennedy and Stiles talked about Scott the entire time. That was how Scott and Stiles became Scott, Stiles, and Kennedy.

"I remember when, uh, when Stiles first got his Jeep." Noah said, looking toward Kennedy again. She smiled. "It belonged to his mother. She wanted him to have it. The first time when he took a spin behind the wheel, he went straight into a ditch. I gave him his first roll of duct tape that day." Noah's voice was soft, filled with grief and loss. They could all feel it in every word, but nobody could feel it the way Kennedy could. "He was always getting into trouble. But he always has a good heart. Always."

Noah looked around the group. His memories of Stiles and his friends coming through in waves. His memories of Scott and Stiles causing mayhem while Kennedy scolded them. His memories of Stiles confessing his feelings about Kennedy. His memories of Scott saving Stiles, and vice versa. The pack slowly forming over the years, and Stiles fall in love with the very girl two feet in front of him. The three muskateers.

"We're here tonight because my goofball son decided to drag Scott, his greatest friend in the world, into the woods to see a dead body, a week after their best friend and the love of Stiles's life turned sixteen." Noah said. Kennedy's hand was on Scott's shoulder, their eyes glossy with tears. Kennedy squeezed tightly.

Scott shook his head, "How did you remember?"

Noah approached the table, looking between the Banshee and the Seer. "It started with Stiles' jersey." The girls shared smiles at each other. "Then I found the red string for his crime board. Finally, his whole room came back and all the memories." Kennedy felt a tear roll down her cheek. Noah spoke up. "And then the strangest thing happened."

"What?" Asked Lydia.

"I thought I saw him." Everyone suddenly froze. "It's like something opened right there in the middle of the room. Just for a moment. And then it was gone."

"A rift." Scott said.

Everyone looked at each other. "I thought there was only one rift." Said Malia. "And we saw it disappear."

Scott looks over at Noah,"You remembered Stiles and then a new rift was created." He explained.

Malia's eyes widen. "If the Sheriff can do it,"

"Maybe we can." Lydia finished.

"But that rift closed." Liam added.

Kennedy looked up, her eyes lit up with hope again. "Then we'll open it again."

Noah looked over. "How?"

Scott and Kennedy looked at each other. There it was. The Scott and Kennedy they really were. The one that Noah Stilinski remembered. The pair that were always on the same wavelength. The pair that fought through hell together. The Partenaire Lycan's. The True Alpha's.

"By remembering Stiles." Scott declared, smirking at Kennedy. She smirked back, the two grabbing hands as they grinned. "We have to remember everything."

NATALIA'S NOTES
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hello my friends! i know it's been a while, but when you're reading this it's october 27th which means it is the FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY of starting line and kennedy!

i may be biased, but i believe down to my core that kennedy is such an amazing character. i find her to be complex, and funny, and so courageously loyal, even blindly so. i feel so lucky that i have been able to write this story and that so many of you have stuck around for so long, even when updates have been sparse. and i can only hope you guys can stay around a tad longer to join me in finishing the series as well as write starting line: the movie!

once again, im sorry for the lack of updates. truth be told, writing seasons 5 & 6 has been so difficult for me. there's literally no motivation and ive been stuck on 6x09 for probably a year now, hence why ive updated like twice in the last year. but im going to sink myself back into it, as i want to write 6B and then finally get to the movie because i just want to give kennedy justice and also show you guys the next generation of the kennedy multiverses

in case you didn't notice this chapter, we started setting ourselves up for the movie already with the theroux curses. if you're mad because we're doing these storylines, i wasn't really fond of it myself. i hate pregnancy storylines, borderline cheating storylines, whatever else im doing, but i have been stuck on kennedy's children for a long time and i love writing them and i can't wait for you guys to meet them!

one last time, thank you for being here and joining me on the ride that is kennedy dawn. she & i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the readers. love you all!

toodles!

— natalia<3