𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚊'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"It has to be on a telluric current, or maybe even at the axis of two, or where they all intersect" Stiles rants as we stand in the clinic with Lydia, Deaton, Isaac and Allison "I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die"

"My dad and Gerard were there once" Allison replies "But Gerard said it was years ago and he couldn't remember where it was. And my dad obviously isn't here to tell us now"

"Yeah, mine either" Stiles nods.

"Then how do we find this place?" Isaac asks.

"There might be a way" Deaton speaks up "But it's dangerous"

"You aren't talking about-" Deaton cuts me off with a look and I gulp.

"We're gonna need Scott" He states.

❦ ❦ ❦

I stand in front of the Jeep next to Stiles and Deaton as my brother approaches us and my body relaxes when I see that he's not hurt.

"How'd you guys find out?" Scott asks.

"Lydia. You?" Stiles replies.

"Morrell" Scott answers, looking at Deaton "None off the other Alphas know where it is either"

"So if this works, are you gonna tell them?" I ask curiously.

"I can't stop Jennifer without them" Scott explains.

"How about we concentrate on finding your parents first?" Deaton suggests.

"What's the plan?" Scott asks.

"Essentially, you, Allison and Stiles need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents" Deaton explains.

"We die for them?" Scott says in surprise.

"But he can bring us back" Stiles assures him before looking at Deaton "You can- You can bring us back, right?"

"You remember the part where I said it was dangerous?" Deaton declares "If it goes right, the three of you will be dead for a few seconds. But there's something else you need to think about. This is a dangerous thing for more reasons than one. You'll be giving power back to the Nemeton, a place that hasn't had power for a long time. This kind of power is like a magnet. It attracts the supernatural, the kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill the pages of a bestiary with. It will draw them here, like a beacon"

"It doesn't sound any worse than anything we've already seen" Stiles comments.

"You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see" Deaton responds and it sends shivers down my spine.

"Is that it?" Scott asks.

"No" Deaton answers honestly "It'll also have an effect on the three of you. You won't be able to see it, but you'll feel it every day for the rest of your lives. It'll be a kind of...a darkness around your heart. And permanent, like a scar"

"Like a tattoo" Scott states.

"Scott, you don't have to do this. I can-" My brother cuts me off.

"I'll do it, Natty" He assures me "I promised you that I'd get mom back, and this is how"

❦ ❦ ❦

We finish filling the three metal tubs with ice and I turn to Lydia who smiles at me reassuringly.

"All right" Deaton announces "What did you bring?"

We all turn to the three holding objects while Allison and Scott glance at Stiles who looks down at the badge in his hand.

"Um, I got my dad's badge" Stiles answers "Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand, so I tried hammering it out a bit. Still doesn't look great"

"It doesn't need to look good if it has meaning" Deaton assures the boy.

"Is that an actual silver bullet?" Isaac asks Allison.

"Yeah, my dad made it as kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the code" Allison explains.

"Scott?" Deaton says and Scott opens his palm to show our mom's watch.

"Our dad got our mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital" Scott says with a small smile "She used to say it was the only thing in her marriage that ever worked"

I smile at the memory and Scott looks at me, nodding at me encouragingly.

"Okay. The three of you will get in. Each of us will hold you down until you're essentially, well, dead" Deaton starts to explain "But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can pull you back. Someone that has a strong connection to you, a kind of emotional tether"

I take a step towards my brother and Deaton stops me.

"Natalia" He declares "You go with Stiles"

I look at the Stilinski boy and he looks back at me nervously. I shoot him a weak smile and he returns the favour.

"I mean, Scott and I both have to go under" Allison realises and her gaze turns to Isaac before the pair look at Scott.

"It's okay" My brother assures them but I see the look of sadness on his face that the others miss as he walks towards Deaton.

Scott, Allison and Stiles take off their jackets and shoes, each of them standing at one of the tubs full of icy water. Allison is the first to dip her foot in the water and she lets out a shaky exhale of breath.

Stiles turns to me hesitantly and I nod at him encouragingly. He turns back to the tub and climbs in as Scott does the same. The trio lay down in the water, submerging their body in the freezing water up until their necks. Stiles turns to Scott and he looks hesitant before opening his mouth.

"By the way, if I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something" Stiles states and I frown deeply at the thought "Your dad's in town"

Scott looks at me in surprise and I nod in confirmation, causing him to face away to take in the information. I push up the sleeves on the hoodie I'm wearing and gently place my shaking hands on Stiles' shoulders. I watch Isaac push Allison down as Deaton pushes Scott and I take in a sharp breath, pushing Stiles down under the water.

I hold the boy down until he completely stills and I peer down into the water, his peaceful looking face beneath the surface. My eyes watering slightly, I look towards Deaton who nods at Isaac and I to let us know we did good.

"What now?" Lydia asks.

"Now, we wait" Deaton answers.

❦ ❦ ❦

Allison abruptly bursts out of the water, Stiles and Scott right behind her, and I jump a little in fright.

"What?" I ask as I look at my brother's wide eyes.

"I saw it! I know where it is" Scott yells as they climb out the water.

"Yeah, we passed it. There was this stump. This huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's still big, though. Very big" Stiles rants.

"It was the night we were looking for the body" Scott explains.

"Yeah, the same night you were bit by Peter" Stiles elaborates.

"I was there too, in the car with my mother. We almost hit someone" Allison adds.

"It was me! You almost hit me" Scott replies before looking at us "We can find it"

"What?" Allison asks when they don't get a reaction from us.

"You guys were out a long time" Isaac answers.

"How long is a long time?" Stiles asks.

"Sixteen hours" I answer.

"We were in the water for sixteen hours?" Scott asks in disbelief.

"And the full moon rises in less than four" Deaton adds.

"I'm gonna go get some towels" I state before exiting the room.

I retrieve a few towels from the storage room and return to the back room just in time to hear Stiles tell my brother off.

"No, dude. You are not going back with them" Stiles declares.

I pass a towel to Allison and she gives me a warm smile, taking the material from me gratefully.

"I made a deal with Deucalion" Scott argues as I put a towel in Stiles' hand.

"Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like a deal with the devil?" Stiles asks us all.

"Why does it matter anyway?" Isaac asks.

"Because I still don't think that we can beat Jennifer without their help" Scott explains.

"He trusts you more than anyone" Allison says to Deaton "Tell him he's wrong"

"I'm not so sure he is" Deaton says and I turn to him "Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies"

"So we're gonna trust him, the guy that calls himself 'death, destroyer of worlds'? We're gonna trust that guy?" Isaac asks in disbelief.

"I wouldn't trust him, no" Deaton says.

"But we could use him to our advantage" I realise and Deaton nods.

"Deucalion may be the enemy, but he could also be the bait" Deaton suggests.

The door of the clinic opens loudly and we all share confused looks before Deaton exits the room.

"I'm looking for Natalia" I hear Ethan's voice and I stand by Deaton's side, my brother behind me.

"What do you want?" I ask curiously.

"I need your help" Ethan says.

"With what?" Stiles asks, swooping in next to me.

"Stopping my brother and Kali from killing Derek" The Alpha answers.

I walk forward and Stiles grabs my arm, making me turn my head to him.

"I need to help the Hales" I tell the boy who nods.

"Be careful" He warns me.

"I will" I smile and he lets my arm go.

"I'm coming with you" Lydia appears in the doorway and I open my mouth to protest but she cuts me off "I don't want to hear it, Nat. I'm not letting you go alone"

I roll my eyes and turn in defeat, not missing the smile on my strawberry blonde haired friend's face.

"Let's go, E" I huff, patting his shoulder as I pass him.