chapter thirty-one
❝ no time for goodbyes ❞
currents

━━━━༺❀༻━━━━

Stiles ran his hand through Kennedy's hair as they made out in his bedroom. "We should probably text Scott," Kennedy said in between kisses.

Kennedy hummed in pleasure, sliding off her denim jacket. She pulled him closer, if that was possible. "Probably." Stiles and her stumbled to his bed, her landing first. Stiles took off his sweatshirt. He looked down at his girlfriend, how effortlessly beautiful she looked in every moment. "I think he'll be fine," He says before leaning down, pressing his lips on hers. Kennedy's arms link around his neck, pulling him down. His hands roamed her body, and she ran her fingers though his hair as their make out session intensified. Stiles was the first to pull away, "As much as I love your werewolf hormones making you as impulsive as when you almost killed Mr. Harris," He said in between kisses, "But we should stop."

The Hale pulled away, sitting up. "You're right," She nodded. Stiles stood up, grabbing his sweatshirt on the floor. "We should wait until we have everything, you know, prepared."

Stiles looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Like, well, condoms."

Stiles rose a brow, "Oh-" He choked on air as Kennedy smiled. "Right-" He scratched the back of his neck, when Scott began to call. He ran to his phone, answering it. "Hey, Scott! How are you-" The Stilinski fell silent as he listened to what his friend said. "Oh, okay- Ken and I will be right there. Yes, I'm with Kennedy. No, we didn't- whatever, we'll be there soon." Stiles hung up the phone, looking at his girlfriend. "Two doctors went missing, we're going to the hospital."

Kennedy stood up, "Sounds exciting." She chirped, picking up her denim jacket off the floor.

At the Hospital, Sheriff shook his head in confusion. "Hang on, hang on. They were both in the car?"

Stiles shook his head. "No, dad, they're trying to tell you that it was two separate kidnappings, okay? Two doctors, both gone."

Sheriff looked over, "So whose car is this?"

"Dr. Hilyard, the on-call doctor. The E.R. attending is the one that never made it in."

Sheriff looks at the McCall. "Let me just focus on getting your story first, all right?" Melissa nods, "Boys, give us a second."

The three teens walk towards the Jeep. "These are definitely sacrifices, right?"

Stiles nods, "Yeah, it's the one Deaton Healers."

"What about Danny? He threw up mistletoe. That's not a coincidence, and if he hadn't been with Ethan, he probably would've died."

Kennedy shrugs, "Yeah, but Danny's not a healer." She says, confused.

Stiles looks over Scott's shoulder, "Can you two hear that?" He asked. Kennedy and Scott listened in. Kennedy's face pales. "They found a body."

Kennedy purses her lips. "Oh, joy." She says slowly. She looks at Scott and Stiles. "Now what?"

"Now you spend the night with me again because Derek is too worried you're going to get killed at the loft," Stiles says, linking arms with his girlfriend. Kennedy laughed, following him to his jeep.

༺❀༻

༺❀༻

Kennedy walked into science class with Scott. "I just think that my seventeenth birthday should be celebrated in lots of cake and such if I can't get drunk anymore!" She said, taking her usual spot behind the two.

Stiles looked back at her. "Your birthday isn't until January." He said in confusion. He knew this, as it was only a week before Scott was bitten.

"And? My sweet sixteen was planned six months in advance." She stated matter-of-factly. Scott and Stiles shared looks as they heard a loud thump at the front of the class. Ms. Blake looked around.

"Good morning." The teacher began. "As you all know, Mr. Harris is still missing, I mean, sick." Kennedy rose a brow, looking away from the woman who was seeing her cousin. "Anyway, I'm filling in while we all hope and pray for a more qualified substitute to take my place." Kennedy nods, agreeing. "Okay, so let's get started, shall we?"

Stiles leaned over, "Hey, my dad said that the E.R. attending wasn't strangled but did die from asphyxiation. They just don't know how."

Scott frowned, "Do you think the on-call doctor could still be alive?"

"I don't know," Stiles said, "But, Scott, there's got to be at least 20 other doctors in that hospital at least, you know?"

Kennedy speaks up, "Stiles is right. Any one of them could be next." She said from behind them.

Scott's phone began to buzz, and he leaned down to answer. Kennedy used her wolf hearing to listen. "Hey, doc. Sorry, I'm in class right now. Can I call you back later?"

"Unfortunately, no." Deaton's voice said. "I honestly thought I might never have to burden you like this, but I'm afraid, at the moment, you're my only hope." Kennedy frowned in confusion. "I'm going to be taken. I need you to find me."

Scott heard notices from the other end. "Doc, doc, doc, doc? What's happening?" He asked, but the line went dead. Scott sat up, looking at Stiles and Kennedy.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kennedy asked.

Scott shook his head, "No," He's cut off by Kennedy grabbing her bag.

"We're in this together." She said. "Let's find Deaton."

Stiles looks between them. "Wait Deaton's the third healer?" He hissed.

"And we have to go find him." Kennedy said, Scott standing up. "We'll call." She said, patting Stiles's hand before following Scott out of the school.

༺❀༻

Scott and Kennedy ran into the Animal Clinic, stumbling when they see the police filling the space. Sheriff Noah Stilinski looked back at them. "How did you know?" Scott asked

Sheriff gestured to his phone "Stiles called me as soon as you left school." Scott looked around, not seeing his boss. "I'm sorry. Your boss's car is still here, and the back door was wide open." Kennedy sat down next to Scott as he looked down in disbelief. "Scott, I need you to tell me everything." Kennedy looked at Scott, putting her hand over his. They were a pack, whatever he did, she'd be by his side.

"I think Scott and I are soul partners." Stiles glanced at Kennedy in confusion. She laughed, "Not romantically." She teased. Kennedy shrugged, "Soul partners can be friends, family, a co worker. I think Scott will always be my partner in crime. Wherever he goes, I'm sure I won't be too far behind."

It was only about an hour until they were finishing up. Stiles came over, the three teens looking at the Sheriff. "All right, we're doing everything we can. Right now, the best thing you can do is go back to school." Kennedy mumbled a thank you as he walked away. Kennedy looks at her boyfriend and her friend.

"I feel sick," She whispers. Stiles and Scott grabbed her wrist, tugging her into another room. "Uh, rude," She complained.

Scott looked at Stiles, "We have to tell him." He blurted. Kennedy's eyes widen, not expecting that at all.

"You mean, like, tell him, tell him, or tell him something else that isn't telling him what I think you want to tell him?"

"You know what I mean." Scott said.

Kennedy purses her lips together. Stiles spoke up. "You remember how your mom reacted? She didn't look you in the eye for, like, a week."

"And she got over it, and it actually made us closer." Scott explained to his friend.

Stiles shrugged, "I don't know, dude. I mean, look at him. Come on, he's completely overwhelmed as it is." He tried to argue.

Kennedy shrugged, "And he's overwhelmed because he has no clue what's happening." Kennedy said to her boyfriend. "He's got people dying in his town, the town that he's supposed to protect, and it's not his fault that he doesn't know what's happening." Her voice was soft and calm as she looked at her boyfriend.

"He's gonna find out sooner or later." Scott added.

"Yeah, but is now really the right time?" Stiles asks him.

Scott shrugs, "What if not telling him now gets someone else killed?" He points out.

Stiles speaks up, "What if telling him gets him killed, huh?" Kennedy looked down, biting the inside of her cheek "I mean, okay, look, I get that Deaton's been like a father to you. I get that, okay?" Kennedy leaned onto the cage they all stood around "But this is, Scott, this is my actual father. I can't-" He looks down, exhaling sharply. "I can't lose both of my parents, all right? Not both of them." Kennedy sighed, understanding how both boys felt. She did lose both of her parents. She lost her mom, Peter, and Ben. Sure, she eventually got Peter back, but he'll never be the Peter he was when she was a kid.

"You're right." Scott says. Kennedy nods, agreeing. If Stiles wasn't ready, neither werewolf were going to push him.

A sigh escapes Stiles's lips. "No, I'm not." He said, looking at his dad. "I'm not right." Kennedy looked at her boyfriend with a worried stare. "I'll tell him."

"I'll help you." Scott said. Kennedy reached over, taking Stiles's hand in hers.

"We both will." She said, smiling softly.

The three teens walked out, seeing the police talking to Ms. Morrell. "Please, whatever you need, however you can help find my brother."

Sheriff nods, "Will you excuse us for a moment?" He asks. Scott and Stiles looked over in confusion. Kennedy rose a brow, also confused.

Ms Morrell looks at the three teens, walking over. "Okay, listen closely, all of you. No sheriff, deputy, or Detective is going to be able to find him."

"You don't have to ask us for help." Scott said.

Ms Morrell rose her brows. "Actually, I'm trying to help you, because, if you're going to find my brother, then you need to use the one person who might actually have an ability to seek out the supernatural." He said.

Stiles sighs, looking at Scott. "Lydia." He sighed.

"You'll also need to use the one person who can see what's to come." Morrell added. Scott frowned in confusion, and Kennedy looked at the former school counselor.

"Me." She whispered.

༺❀༻

Scott and Kennedy walked down the hall. "You've been seeing the future?" He asked.

"Not really," She said sheepishly. "Just, dreaming things that happen to also happen in real life."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Kennedy waved her hand, "It's a new thing, and really freaky." She pointed to him. She sighed, "I haven't even told Derek or my dad."

"But Deucalion somehow knows?" Scott inquired. "How?"

"I don't know." Kennedy told him. "I think maybe it has something to with my mom. But I haven't found anything in her books." She explains, feeling hopeless.

Scott comes to a stop, hearing a tapping sound. He looks around, seeing Kennedy hear it too. "I think you can ask him." He said finally. Kennedy and Scott began walking down the halls.

"Stiles said he found Lydia." Kennedy said, looking at her phone. Scott walked down a random hall, "God, I hate speed walking in heels." She mumbles, walking after him.

Scott walked into the music room, which Kennedy hadn't been in since her and Lydia found the Music Teachers phone. She watched Deucalion tap his walking stick onto the piano. "Do you know what a metronome is, Scott?" He began, pausing his walking stick. "It's a tool to help you maintain a steady rhythm once you've set the tempo. Something tells me the tempo of your life has sped up considerably in the last few hours." Kennedy watched Deucalion turn towards them. "If you'd like, I could help slow it down to a more manageable pace."

"How?"

Deucalion heard Kennedy's heartbeat, "By helping you find Deaton." He said. Kennedy frowned, and looked at Scott. "Your heart's pounding, Scott, but it's not fear." The Hale girl looked at her friend in confusion. "It's anger. I bet I know what you're thinking. Does he have something to do with Deaton's disappearance?" Kennedy purses her lips together as she looked at the alpha. "Tell you what. If you can take the cane away from me, I'll tell you exactly where he is. Now, what do you think?"

Scott jumped at Deucalion, who swung his cane out of the boys path. Scott fell to the ground, but sprang right back into action. Deucalion swung his stick, and Scott jumped onto the piano. Kennedy watched as Scott flipped over Deucalion, who swung his walking stick a few more times before taking off the cap, revealing a blade.

"Scott, stop-" However, Scott jumps forwards again, and it's only a few minutes until he's cut, and lands on the ground in pain. Kennedy sighs, expecting that to happen.

"Impressive, but you know I'm not the one slashing up innocent people, praying to ancient gods or gathering herbs, or whatever the hell druids are supposed to do." He explains. "I am part of a pack that wants Kennedy alive, and Derek dead, though." Kennedy and Scott looked up, "Kali is coming him for him, so there's a difficult choice you're about to face, because someone is going to die tonight, and whether that's Derek or Deaton, that's up to you."

Scott looked at the Alpha, "Just tell me where he is."

Deucalion shook his head, "I'll give you a very important clue. Let the current guide you." He said, beginning to walk past the teenage boy.

"Wait," Kennedy called out. Deucalion paused, turning to the girl. "What do you know about my mom?" She asked slowly.

Deucalion stepped towards the young girl, both of them staring at the other. Scott watched in confusion. It reminded him a lot of Kennedy and Peter, who always shared the same energy when they were together. Much like now, there was more to Deucalion and Sloane's past than either teenager realized. "Your mother was not all that you think," Deucalion twirled a piece of Kennedy's hair with his finger, "But so much more." Kennedy frowned as Deucalion began to walk away. She looked back at Scott in confusion.

Scott stood back up, walking past her. "Now where are you going!?" She asked, walking towards him.

༺❀༻

Kennedy watched Stiles walk out of the hospital. "Did you find it?" She asked. He held up a packet, and Kennedy took it from his hands. She skimmed it over, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Telluric currents?"

Stiles nods, "I don't know what it is, but it might be important-" Kennedy slapped his chest with the packet. He groaned in pain from the werewolf strength.

"We have to call Scott." She said. Stiles pulled out his phone, dialing the McCall.

"Did you guys find something?"

Stiles looks at Kennedy, "Yeah, did you?" He asks Scott

"I think so. Allison and I saw a map that Chris had in his office. He has six locations where bodies could be found." He explained to them. Kennedy rose her brows, shocked the Argent was keeping track after promising to ignore it "Deaton's got to be at one of the six locations, but they're all over town. I don't know how we can get to all of them fast enough."

Stiles shrugs, "Well, we might not have to. Danny was doing a project on something for Mr. Harris's physics class, and I think it actually means something."

"What project?"

Kennedy leaned towards the phone, "Listen to this; telluric currents." She said.

Scott inhaled in disbelief, "Did you say currents?"

"Sound familiar?" She asked with a smirk. "We'll meet you at the Animal Clinic in ten." She said, hanging up the phone. Stiles opened his mouth to say something, but Kennedy cuts him off with a kiss.

Stiles blinks as she pulls away. "What was that for?" He asked.

"For being amazing." Kennedy bluntly said before walking towards the Jeep.

The couple met up with Lydia, Cora, and Scott at the animal clinic. "Okay, so, what does this kid's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" Cora asked.

Stiles looked up, "Because it's not just homework, okay? It's a project on geomagnetic fields."

Kennedy begins to explain to her cousin, "They flow through the earth. They can even be affected by lunar phases." Kennedy flip through the packet, "So, this is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal. I strongly advise you to choose another subject. The ideas here, while innovative and thoughtful, border on pseudo-science. Not suitable for class." She read.

"Harris wasn't just a sacrifice. He knew something." Scott replied. Kennedy nods, looking over at her boyfriend.

"Now, check this out." Stiles said, pulling out a paper. "Allison's dad wasn't the only one with a map, all right? Danny had one too." The boy sprawled out the map. "Danny marked all the telluric currents, okay?"

Kennedy nods, "And the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it actually is a beacon." She said.

"You wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through the earth is around this town."

Scott looked over the papers. "Stiles, look, they match. All right, there's three places, right?" Scott pulls out a pen, "Where they're kidnapped, and then the place where their body was found."

Lydia points to the map. "Look, that's right on the telluric current."

"So, maybe where he was sacrificed is somewhere in between." Scott says.

"Let me see that." Stiles looks at the map, "You said there's six more bodies to be found. Deaton's one of them. Got to be somewhere in between, right?"

Kennedy takes a pen, lining the current. Cora grabs Kennedy's wrist. "Stop." She said, pulling her cousins hand back. "He's in the vault. He's in the same vault."

"Okay, got it." Kennedy said as she grabbed her things. Everyone began gathering their stuff

Lydia shakes her head, "Guys, hold on."

"Lydia, we don't have time." Stiles argues.

Cora looks up. "It's Boyd. The plan didn't work. They cut the power."

Kennedy looked at Scott. "It's just like he said." The boy whispered. Kennedy looked at Scott, then Cora. She had to save Deaton, but she couldn't lose Derek either. "Go. I can save Deaton myself." Scott said to all of them.

"No, I'm going with you," Kennedy blurts.

Scott shakes his head, "You have to help Derek-"

"I said I'm going with you," Kennedy states again. This time, her voice is firm, she's made her choice. She chose Scott.

"What about us?" Stiles asks.

Scott looked back, "Cora can't get there fast enough without you. Go. We can save both of them."

Kennedy and Scott ran to his bike, where Kennedy climbed on without a helmet. "You okay?" Kennedy asked.

"Once we save Deaton, I will be."

༺❀༻

The bank was the same as last time. Scott ran ahead of Kennedy, running into the vault. Kennedy stumbled in as Scott seemed to run into an imaginary wall. "Mountain ash." She whispered. Scott looked down, seeing it himself. "Son of a bitch,"

"What do we do?" Scott asked her. "How are we supposed to save him!?"

Kennedy looked at the ash. "I cant get through it anymore, Scott. Not after I got my werewolf side back." She said slowly. Scott looked at Deaton, looking at the ash. "What?"

"Grab my hand."

Kennedy's face fell. She shook her head. "Scott, this is insane-"

"GRAB MY HAND!"

The Hale gripped the McCall's hand, the two looking at the Mountain Ash. Kennedy held up her hand, trying to push through. It felt like pressure all around her, like her mind was going to explode. She kept her right hand entwined with Scott's, the two of them pushing against it. Deaton slowly opened his eyes, dizzily looking between the two teens. Scott screamed in pain, and Kennedy winced as she pushed down any pain.

"Keep going!" Kennedy yelled. Deaton looked up again, seeing the two teens's eyes turn yellow. What really caught his attention, was how they turned red. Deaton watched as they tried to push further. Suddenly, they spring backwards, Scott landing on top of Kennedy. The two groaned in pain, trying to get off the ground.

"Scott!" The McCall looked back to see Sheriff Stilinski. "Let me give it a shot," Kennedy watched as Noah pulled out his gun, aiming it at the rope holding up Deaton. A gunshot rings through the air, and Deaton falls. Scott sighed in relief. Kennedy laid back down to the ground, feeling grateful.

It wasn't long until Deaton was pulled aside. "How'd you find us?" Scott asked.

Sheriff looked over, "The vials in the clinic with the Celtic symbols on 'em? I knew that one of 'em looked familiar."He pointed to the symbol on the vault floor, and Kennedy smiled at the Sheriff.

Deaton breathed heavily, "Sheriff, thank you for being one hell of a Detective."

"You bet. Let's get you an ambulance." The human said, walking out of the vault.

Scott and Kennedy smiled, but both were grabbed by Deaton. "Your eyes were red. Bright red."

The McCall looks up, "How is that possible?"

"Paramedics are on their way. I'll be back in half a minute."

Deaton sighed, "It's rare. It's something that doesn't happen within 100 years, but every once in a while a beta can become an Alpha without having to steal or take that power." He explained, looking between the two, "They call it a True Alpha. It's one who rises purely on the strength of the character, by virtue, by sheer force of will."

Scott looked up at his boss. "You knew this would happen."

Deaton nods, "I knew Kennedy would. It's in her nature." Kennedy looked up in confusion. "Her grandfather was one of the last true alphas." Deaton explained. Kennedy was shocked. She had never met her grandmother, according to Sloane she had died when Kennedy was a child. "From the moment I knew you were bitten, I believed." Scott looked at the ground in realization. Kennedy thought everything over. Things Deucalion had said. Her family. Her mom.

"You're not the only one." Scott said finally. Kennedy looked up at the veterinarian.

"No. Deucalion isn't after Derek." Deaton looked at the two teens. "He's after you."

༺❀༻

Kennedy rushed into the loft, seeing Derek standing there. The place was still filled with water, but it seemed that almost everyone had fallen to a silence. Kennedy looked over at Cora, who kneeled over Boyd's body. It wasn't long until Kennedy began to cry. "No," She shook her head. He couldnt be dead. Not Boyd. Not sweet, innocent, loving Boyd. She stumbled into the water as Derek walked towards his cousin. "No, no."

Derek pulled her in tightly, hugging the girl tightly. Kennedy sobbed into his chest, another lost added to the long list. Stiles watched the interaction, standing near Lydia. His girlfriend wasn't supposed to be dealing with so much lost, but it was like every turn someone was dead. And it hurt, so badly. Kennedy clutched onto Derek's chest, like she did when she had nightmares as a child. She cried and cried, and all that could be heard was the youngest Hale's sobs.