❛ Back off, I'll take you on. Headstrong to take on anyone. I know that you are wrong. ❜

SEASON 2, EPISODE 7
restraint

WILLOW AND SCOTT sat on opposite sides of Mr. Harris' classroom, their test packets in front of them and Harris at the front of the room looking annoyed as always. Willow was sure he had gotten his face stuck like that.

⠀⠀⠀"You have one hour," he told them, and they nodded, beginning their test.

⠀⠀⠀Before going into the class, Willow stood outside for as long as she could, reading over Stiles' notes. Like Willow suspected, Harris had something out for Stiles because his notes were understandable and helpful while his review was a hundred. Willow just wished Harris had given the test back to the other students so she could try and memorize the answers.

⠀⠀⠀As she went through each question, she vaguely remembered some of them from her five-minute cram while others stumped her completely. She finished what she knew and tried to go back to the ones she didn't when Scott's pencil snapped across the room.

⠀⠀⠀She turned to look at him just as his eyes shot open, and he whispered, "Allison."

⠀⠀⠀He flew from his seat, slamming the paper on Harris' desk, and tried to rush out but was held back by Harris. While Harris lectured Scott about finishing his test this time, Willow went through the ones she didn't know and bubbled in C for all those she didn't know. Then, just as Scott finished doing the same at the front, she was at his side turning hers in, and they went flying out of the room.

⠀⠀⠀Willow wasn't sure what was happening but could only assume Allison had ended up getting herself into trouble with Jackson. Scott led her to the boy's locker room. Scott headed in first, then Willow behind him. Jackson stood on one side of the room with Allison on the ground on the other side. Willow realized Stiles' attempt to keep her from seeing Jackson's junk failed because it was on full display now as Jackson pulled his shorts on.

⠀⠀⠀Once the shock wore off, Scott ran for Jackson and threw him into the lockers behind them. Willow ran to Allison, cowering back from the fight and whatever Jackson had done.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, are you okay?" Willow asked her, kneeling beside her.

⠀⠀⠀"I-I'm fine," Allison assured her, frantically looking from Willow to Scott and Jackson continuing to fight on the other side. "I don't-I don't think he knew what he was going."

⠀⠀⠀Willow noticed Allison's hands shaking as she stared at the fight, unable to look away from the shock and fear coursing through her.

⠀⠀⠀Jackson got a handle on Scott, took him by whatever material he could, and threw him against the bathroom wall. Tiles cracked where his body hit, and Scott fell into a heap.

⠀⠀⠀Jackson turned to them with Scott knocked out, his whole chest moving up and down as he panted, and he started forward with a glare that told them they were next.

⠀⠀⠀Willow stood, stepping in front of Allison with her hands raised.

⠀⠀⠀"He does now," Willow stated simply. "Caelus, follow my hands and defend me."

⠀⠀⠀Willow moved her hands back then out toward Jackson, leading a powerful burst of air into Jackson's chest that forced him head over heels. He laid back for a moment, turning his head to notice the weights beside him. He picked one up, throwing it like a frisbee at her. Scott stepped in before it could hit Willow, catching at the waist but still ended up stumbling back into Willow, and the two fell to the floor.

⠀⠀⠀Jackson ran over, pulling Scott up to his feet, and threw him across the room again. Jackson caught him before he could fall and pushed him down into one of the sinks. Scott's weight shattered the sink, water spurting from the pipes out of the wall.

⠀⠀⠀Willow stood from where she had been knocked down, feeling her limbs weigh her down, shoulders and chest toward the ground, as she took a moment to regain herself. She lifted herself up, letting in a deep breath, and pushed back her hair as she forced herself up.

⠀⠀⠀"Aqua, mutat cum meus manos sicut dirigeo tuus."

⠀⠀⠀Willow moved back, raising her hands, and the water followed her as she moved it under Jackson's bare feet. Then, she pulled it back like she had when he sat at their table talking about town folk getting eaten by mountain lions and forced him onto his back.

⠀⠀⠀Willow stood too close, though, as Jackson threw his foot out and caught her ankle, forcing her back.

⠀⠀⠀Jackson recovered, standing up again, and threw Scott across the room into the locker room door and outside. He followed quickly to continue attacking Scott where he lay. Willow found her footing, charging forward, and jumped onto Jackson's back as she tried to pull him off of Scott without magic now that they were in the public eye.

⠀⠀⠀Before she could, she was pulled off him and away from the fight. Jackson was pulled off by Erica next, and then when Scott tried to attack Jackson, Allison pulled him back.

⠀⠀⠀"What the hell is going on?" Harris screamed down the hallway as he ran toward them. "Hey! Enough! Enough! What do you idiots think you're doing? Jackson, calm down! Mr. McCall, you wanna explain yourself? Gallagher? Stilinski?"

⠀⠀⠀The hall was silent, but the anger was damaging as Willow tried to raise her hands to cast at Jackson, but Stiles, as she now realized he was holding her back, grabbed both of her hands in his and held them back.

⠀⠀⠀"You dropped this," Matt, Bridgette's stalker and photographer at Kate Argent's funeral, said as he held out Allison's tablet to her.

⠀⠀⠀Harris snatched it before Allison could take it, scowling at him, then turned back to the three involved.

⠀⠀⠀"You, and you, and—" Harris began, pointing between the three pausing before pausing. "Actually, all of you, detention! Three o'clock."

⠀⠀⠀Harris turned on his heel, leaving the teenagers reeling, and headed back for his classroom.

⠀⠀⠀"I am definitely getting suspended," Willow muttered, sighing as she fell back into Stiles' chest, exhausted.

"SO, I LIED," Willow told Blair over the phone, standing outside of the classroom for detention.

⠀⠀⠀"You can't hang out?" Blair asked, sounding devastated, and Willow could even hear the pout in her voice. "Is it that... Capybara thing? Can't it wait?"

⠀⠀⠀"I know, I know," Willow sighed, closing her eyes and pinching her nose. "It's not that. I actually got detention."

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, shit, Willow, really? What happ—" Blair began, cutting herself off. "Oh, wait, were you in the hall when that fight broke out? I heard everyone got detention for it."

⠀⠀⠀"Not just in the hall," Willow muttered.

⠀⠀⠀"You were in the fight?!" Blair exclaimed, her voice so loud it made Willow's ear ring. "We'll have to talk about it later, but... doesn't the next one get you suspended?"

⠀⠀⠀"I guess we'll see what happens," Willow told her, frowning. "I have to go before Harris rips my throat out. I'll talk to you later."

⠀⠀⠀"Okay, call me when you can, and if you're not grounded, maybe we can get dinner," Blair told her, trying to bring Willow's spirits up.

⠀⠀⠀"That sounds good," Willow smiled. "Bye."

⠀⠀⠀"Bye."

⠀⠀⠀Willow walked into detention and sat down at a desk. Jackson turned to look at her, then back at Scott and Stiles behind him.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, uh, we can't be in detention together," Jackson told Harris, pointing vaguely around the room. "I have a restraining order against these tools."

⠀⠀⠀"All of these tools?" Harris asked him, raising an eyebrow.

⠀⠀⠀"No, just us tools," Stiles explained, pointing between him and then Willow. "And that tool."

⠀⠀⠀"Fine," Harris sighed dramatically. "You three, over there."

⠀⠀⠀Willow, Stiles, and Scott followed his instructions, moving to a table on the right-hand side of the room still not fifty feet from Jackson. Jackson stared at Harris in disbelief, but Harris dismissed him and moved on.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm gonna kill him," Scott hissed, leaning over the table to whisper.

⠀⠀⠀"No, you're not," Stiles told him simply with a small smile. "You're going to find out who's controlling him, and then you're gonna help save him."

⠀⠀⠀Willow's lip twitched as she noticed the reversal in roles. A day ago, Stiles was ready to kill Jackson while Scott was determined to keep him alive. But, now that Jackson had hurt Allison, he had quickly changed his tune from 'we don't murder' to 'we can make an exception for Jackson.'

⠀⠀⠀"No, you were right. Let's kill him," Scott said.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, no," Stiles muttered, realizing he had created this monster.

⠀⠀⠀Scott continued to simmer with the thought of killing Jackson while Willow and Stiles watched him warily.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, what if it's Matt?" Stiles asked, trying to get Scott's thoughts off of Jackson and rather somewhere else. Even if that meant trying to figure out who was controlling the kanima. "I mean, this whole thing comes back to the video, right?"

⠀⠀⠀"Danny said that Matt was the one who found the two hours of footage missing," Scott replied, turning back to him.

⠀⠀⠀"Exactly!" Stiles exclaimed. "He's trying to throw suspicion off himself."

⠀⠀⠀"So, he makes Jackson kill Isaac's dad, one of Argent's hunters, and the mechanic working on your Jeep?" Scott asked, raising an eyebrow, not convinced by the notion.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes!"

⠀⠀⠀"Why?"

⠀⠀⠀"Because..." Stiles said, pausing for a good explanation but coming up with nothing. "He's evil," he said instead.

⠀⠀⠀"You just don't like him," Scott concluded, rolling his eyes.

⠀⠀⠀"The guy bugs me," Stiles admitted, leaning back in his seat as he narrowed his eyes at Matt. "Did you hear he basically stalked Bridge?" he asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, I was there when Willow told us," Scott told him, rolling his eyes. "Any other theories?"

⠀⠀⠀Neither could answer as they were interrupted by Jackson suddenly standing, hand to his forehead as he headed for the door.

⠀⠀⠀"Are you all right?" Harris asked as Jackson grew increasingly pale by the second. "Hey, you don't look so good."

⠀⠀⠀"I just need to get some water," Jackson dismissed him, exiting.

⠀⠀⠀"No one leaves their seats," Harris demanded, following after Jackson.

⠀⠀⠀Stiles, Scott, and Willow looked between themselves before scrambling out of their seats and rushing to Erica.

⠀⠀⠀"Stiles says you know how Jackson's parents died," Scott greeted her while she doodled in her notebook, not even acknowledging them there with her for a few minutes.

⠀⠀⠀"Maybe," she teased.

⠀⠀⠀"Talk," Scott demanded.

⠀⠀⠀Erica slapped her notebook and stared at Scott, surprisingly willing to comply with his request.

⠀⠀⠀"It was a car accident," Erica started the story quickly. "My dad was the insurance investigator, and every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche, he makes some comment about the huge settlement he'll be getting when he's eighteen."

⠀⠀⠀"So, not only is Jackson rich now, but he's getting even richer at eighteen?" Stiles asked, dumbstruck.

⠀⠀⠀"Yep," Erica told him cheerily.

⠀⠀⠀"Damn, Lydia had the right idea," Willow muttered to herself.

⠀⠀⠀Stiles turned to her with wide eyes.

⠀⠀⠀"What?" Willow asked him. "Marry him at nineteen, stay together for about two or three years, so it doesn't look suspicious, then divorce him and get half his savings."

⠀⠀⠀Stiles narrowed his eyes at her, then nodded reluctantly, noting it was a good idea.

⠀⠀⠀"You know what?" Erica interrupted the two. "I could try to find the insurance report on my dad's inbox. He keeps everything."

⠀⠀⠀"Scott McCall and Willow Gallagher, please report to the Principal's office."

⠀⠀⠀Willow sighed, falling forward to slam her head against the table, but Stiles quickly pushed his hand under her forehead so she wouldn't get a concussion. She stayed like that for a moment before standing to her feet.

⠀⠀⠀"It was nice knowing you, boys. This might be my final tour here," Willow dramatically told them, wiping an imaginary tear from her waterline as Scott stood with her. "If I get suspended, tell Blair that I like her a lot."

⠀⠀⠀Stiles rolled his eyes, "You're not dying... and you have her number!"

⠀⠀⠀"Just tell her," Willow told him, making her voice choke up like she was about to cry, and rested her hand on his shoulder. He stared back at her, not answering her request, but she took it as a yes, smiling at him, shaking his shoulder, and followed Scott out of the detention room.

WILLOW AND SCOTT walked into the Principal's office together, and Mrs. Argent, who filled the spot as secretary between now and the time Principal Argent had come in, glared daggers at Scott. Scott stood at the counter first, waiting for her to finish sharpening a pencil but she didn't, continuing to glare at him.

⠀⠀⠀"The Principal wanted to see us?" Scott asked over the noise.

⠀⠀⠀Mrs. Argent pulled the pencil out, holding it between her fingers, and looked to Willow.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, Willow, you can go ahead," Mrs. Argent told her professionally, giving her a small smile to appear courteous.

⠀⠀⠀Willow nodded, having hoped Scott would go first instead of her. She walked towards Principal Argent's office as directed and knocked. He called her inside, and she opened the door, slipping inside and closing the door behind her.

⠀⠀⠀"Ms. Gallagher," Principal Argent greeted her with a small smile that always threw Willow for a loop at the ability to come off as so kind and still be a cold-hearted killer. "It's good to see you again. Although, I wish it wasn't under these kinds of circumstances."

⠀⠀⠀"I agree, but I doubt many students come to you for better reasons," Willow replied, taking the seat across from him.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, you're right about that," Principal Argent said with a slight chuckle, opening her file laying on his desk. "You've gotten detention again," he told her, his voice filling with disappointment that she didn't like. The tone had her stomach tied into knots, feeling like she had disappointed him, and she knew it shouldn't take anything he said to heart but was he good at it.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes," Willow muttered.

⠀⠀⠀"What happened?" he asked her with a frown, settling back into his chair and clasped his hands over his chest. "I thought you were trying to stay out of trouble."

⠀⠀⠀"I was, I promise!" Willow exclaimed, the knots getting the best of her, and she stopped herself, moving back. "Sorry, but, um, well, Scott McCall and I were taking our makeup test for chem and had finished. So, we walked to our next class when we heard, um, well, I'm sorry, sir, but your granddaughter with Jackson in the locket room.

⠀⠀⠀"He had been threatening her, and so we went in because, well, we just both knew it didn't sound right. Allison was on one side of the room, frightened, and Jackson was on the other side. We weren't even trying to bother Jackson. Just get Allison before anything else happened when Jackson attacked Scott. They were fighting, and I tried to get Allison out, but then Jackson was trying to hurt us as well. Scott was able to get him to back off, but they ended up outside of the locker room. Jackson was throwing punch after punch at Scott, so I tried to stop him by jumping on his back and pulling him off. That's when Harris came in and gave everyone detention."

⠀⠀⠀Principal Argent listened to her intently. His expression never changed as she explained her side of the story that might have been slightly skewed to keep her and Scott out of trouble. He let them sit in her words for a few minutes before he sat forward.

⠀⠀⠀"I see," Principal Argent said, nodding his head. "I want to commend you on your bravery to try and protect my granddaughter, but being as this is still the tenth detention you've received since the beginning of the school year, I will have to give you a week's suspension."

⠀⠀⠀"A week?" Willow asked in surprise.

⠀⠀⠀Principal Argent smiled at her kindly.

⠀⠀⠀"Only a week, Ms. Gallagher," he repeated himself to reassure her that she hadn't misheard her. "It was going to be a month, but I can see that you are trying hard. Some of these teachers here are a little too detention happy, I've noticed. I will speak with them soon, and hopefully, we won't be seeing so much of each other."

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you, sir," Willow told him.

⠀⠀⠀"Of course," Principal Argent nodded, standing from his seat, and she followed. He stood at the door, ready to open it for her after he said, "Go back to your detention, and starting tomorrow, your suspension will begin. I'll be calling your parents next to let them know."

⠀⠀⠀Willow nodded and stepped out of the Principal's office. She walked past Mrs. Argent, seeing that Scott wasn't there, and found him sitting on the bench just outside.

⠀⠀⠀"Did he not need to talk to you?" Willow asked him as they headed back to their detention together.

⠀⠀⠀"No," Scott sighed, running his hand over his face. "Allison's mom found out that Allison and I are still together and that we've been doing it."

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, gross," Willow hissed, holding her hand over her mouth. "Not you and Allison, but that you got the sex talk from her mom."

⠀⠀⠀Scott laughed, nodding his head in response, agreeing.

⠀⠀⠀"Did everything go okay for you?" Scott asked, turning to look at her.

⠀⠀⠀Willow shrugged and said, "I guess. I'm suspended for a week."

⠀⠀⠀"A week?!" Scott exclaimed.

⠀⠀⠀"No, it's good," Willow said quickly, waving her hands. "Principal Argent said it was supposed to be a month, but I explained what happened, so he reduced it to a week."

⠀⠀⠀"Really? That's... kind of surprising," Scott muttered, furrowing his brows.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh! And if he asks, Jackson attacked you when we went into the locker room," Willow told him seriously. "If I end up getting my suspension back up to a month because I lied, I'm coming for you."

⠀⠀⠀Scott nodded quickly.

⠀⠀⠀"Got it."

⠀⠀⠀"Okay, so, I'm gonna need you to call me every night and keep me updated," Willow told him, turning to look at him with a wide smile.

⠀⠀⠀"Every night?"

⠀⠀⠀Willow nodded slowly for him to emphasize she was serious.

⠀⠀⠀"You wanted my help. Now you're stuck with me."

WILLOW AND SCOTT  returned to detention to see everyone filing books while Harris was long gone. Willow was tempted to just leave but was held back by Scott telling her this was the last he'd see of her for a week, so she was going to stay and help.

⠀⠀⠀They found Allison and Stiles, stopping them in their work, and stood around a cart to discuss what Stiles got from Erica while they were gone.

⠀⠀⠀"So, was it an accident or not?" Allison asked Stiles as they crowded around a cart of library books Harris had them put back for their project before leaving.

⠀⠀⠀"The word all over the report is inconclusive," Stiles explained. The report Erica had pulled up for him to read over seemed to come to a dead-end on all accounts.

⠀⠀⠀"Then, is parents could have been murdered?" Scott asked.

⠀⠀⠀"If they were, then it falls in line with the kanima myth," Stiles stated. "You know? It seeks out and kills murderers."

⠀⠀⠀"But for Jackson?" Allison asked nervously. "Or the person controlling him?"

⠀⠀⠀"We have to talk to him," Scott stated, leaving the aisle. "We have to tell him."

⠀⠀⠀Allison followed after him, saying, "He's not gonna lie—"

⠀⠀⠀Suddenly, the bookshelves began to shake, and books fell from their place just before the whole shelves fell over. Stiles tackled Willow to the ground, using his body to shield her. Willow followed, reciting the force field spell, and surrounded them. Allison and Scott had fallen to the ground, and Willow craned her neck to see them. She stuck her hand out for Scott, who was closer to her, and he took it, holding onto Allison as the force field spread further and protected them as well.

⠀⠀⠀As the books were falling, Jackson stood at the chalkboard, his neck craned at an odd angle as he raised a piece of chalk. He was facing them, his hand reaching out for the board behind him and spelled out 'STAY OUT OF MY WAY OR I'LL KILL YOU ALL.' He let the chalk fall from his hand then jumped headfirst through the window.

⠀⠀⠀As the room settled, Willow put her force field down, and they approached the board to stare at the words, unsure what to do next.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Stiles yelled, the three turning to where he ran behind them to Erica. "I think she's having a seizure!"

⠀⠀⠀Willow rushed over, kicking books out of the way.

⠀⠀⠀"Put her down," Willow yelled at Stiles.

⠀⠀⠀"What—?"

⠀⠀⠀"Do it!"

⠀⠀⠀Stiles did as she said while Willow pulled off the sweatshirt she was wearing and folded it. She slid it underneath Erica's head before rolling her onto her side in case she started throwing up.

⠀⠀⠀"It's going to be alright," Willow shakily told Erica, moving her hair out of her face.

⠀⠀⠀"He's alive!" Allison called out from where she was checking on Matt, who had been paralyzed by Jackson.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, we need to get her to a hospital!" Stiles yelled at the other two.

⠀⠀⠀"Derek," Erica managed to say. "Only to Derek."

⠀⠀⠀"When we get her to the hospital—" Scott said, but Erica interrupted him.

⠀⠀⠀"To Derek. To Derek," she pleaded.

⠀⠀⠀"Go," Allison told them.

⠀⠀⠀Scott stood to his feet and rushed around the bookshelves to be with Allison.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Scott!" Stiles shouted at him as he left them to deal with Erica.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm staying here with you," Scott told Allison softly, but Stiles and Willow could still hear him.

⠀⠀⠀"They can't take her alone. Not like this," Allison shook her head, looking over at Willow and Stiles. "And Matt—I've got to call an ambulance for him, just go."

⠀⠀⠀Scott still looked hesitant and said, "This doesn't feel right."

⠀⠀⠀"I'll stay with her," Willow snapped at him.

⠀⠀⠀Scott turned to look at her, hesitating, but nodded. He got to his feet, returned to them, and picked Erica up while Willow went to sit with Allison and Matt.

⠀⠀⠀"If you put her down, put her on her side!" Willow screamed at them as they ran out of the room.

⠀⠀⠀There was a moment's pause after the boys left, then Allison glanced at Willow, sighing from exhaustion, and said, "I'll call the ambulance."

AUTHOR'S NOTE —

Ugh, *chefs kiss* I love this chapter to be honest with you guys. Next chapter will begin with Lydia's party rather than Raving because I really couldn't find a way to include Willow and also she's suspended so her mom's definitely not gonna let her leave.

Nothing happens at Lydia's party, I promise :)

SONG: Headstrong by Trapt

Thank you for reading! Leave comments telling me your thoughts on this chapter, but however you interact, know that I really appreciate you reading. I hope you enjoy, and until the next one.