Orphaned

I wake up in the hospital bed. I see Derek at my side. I jump up. "What do you want?"


"Calm down. I came to make sure you're alright."


I yank my IV out my arm and get to my feet. I start to put on my shoes. "I'm tired of waking up in a hospital bed after I black out. I feel helpless and I defiantly don't need to see you when I open my eyes. Where's Scott?"


Derek stands with a sigh. "He's home. You were out for a day. He said he needs to talk to you. For now, I need to talk to you."


I head for the door. "Derek, I have nothing to say to you."


He slams the door. I growl. "I do. I want to apologize and talk to you about Kate."


"I don't want your apology."


"Can you stop being so bitter for one damn second?"


"Can you stop living for one damn lifetime?"


"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry Kate took away your strength. I'm doing my best to find out what, how and why."


I shake my head. "I ended it with you just for that. Kate would have never came after me if I never loved you. I would be safe and my brother would be safe."


"What do you want me to do?"


"Leave me alone! It's very simple."


"What Kate did doesn't explain what I did wrong."


"You screwed up, Derek, again! You put my life on the line, again! You made me turn my back on my brother and everyone I love, again!"


"I didn't ask you to stay. You stayed on your own."


"I stayed because I loved you! Anytime I left, I found myself knocking on your loft door again. When I said I hated you, I was back in your bed! People warned about the risks of being with you but I didn't listen because I made up this fantasy world where you were a good person. Now I know what kind of person you are. Just leave me alone."


When I get home, I hear my mom on the phone. "Yes, I understand. But, I'm a mother of twin teenagers and I can't exactly provide for them with spoiled food and no electricity."


I walk past her and she waves at me. I wave with a concerned look. She just shakes her head. I go upstairs and see Scott sitting on the edge of his bed. "Scott, what's wrong?"


"Mom is having some financial issues. She hasn't been able to pay the light bill."


I sit on the edge of my bed. "Is it because of me?" I knew my medical bills were piling up. Scott shakes his head. He puts his head down. I see a bag of money under his bed. "Scott, where did you get that?"


"I didn't steal it. It was the money paid to the assassins. I'm debating what to do with it."


Scott goes to school but Stiles and Lydia pick me up before I could get on my motorcycle. "Why are you guys here?"


"We're here for you," Stiles replies.


"Parrish was on the dead pool and we're gonna go talk to him at the station," Lydia explains.


I sit on my motorcycle and grab my helmet. "Good luck. Just text me what progress you make."


Stiles places a hand on my wrist. I look up into his warm brown eyes. "We're here to take you with us."


"Why?"


"We don't want you at school...wolfing out."


"I can't, even if I tried. Why would I... Is this about me and Derek breaking up? Stiles, I'm fine. I ju-"


"No, Scarlett. It's Liam," Lydia says.


"What about him? What happened to him?"


"We don't know. Mason said they went for a jog and he disappeared."


I jump off my bike. "Then why am I here? I should be out looking for him. He's my Beta. He's my responsibility."


"Scott will find him. Just come with us."


We get to the station and we follow Parrish to the sheriff's office. "Your dad isn't in. Wanna wait around for him?"


"Actually, we're here to talk to you," Stiles says. "Privately."


We show him the dead pool list. Lydia folded his name so he couldn't see it. "This is a hit list?" he asks.


"We call it a dead pool," Stiles replies. "Recognize the names?"


"Yeah, Sheriff had me run a bunch of these through the system last night. But we couldn't find any of them."


Stiles looked at Lydia. "Show him."


Lydia hesitates. I sigh while Lydia reveals to Parrish his name. He jumps up. "Okay, that's kind of terrifying. What's the number?"


"How much you're worth," Stiles replies.


"I'm worth five dollars?"


I huff. "Try million."


"But I only make forty thousand a year. Maybe I should kill myself."


Yeah, well it's scary because me and my brother are worth $30, 000, 000. I shudder at the memory of the list saying, 'McCall Twins 30'. That's when I get a text from Scott:


Liam is missing but I know who has him. Garrett wants us to give him Violet and the money, in exchange for Liam. Meet me by the school buses so we can talk to him. Come alone. We're not sure what he's capable of doing to Liam if we tell any kind of authority.


I excuse myself. I get to the school and meet Scott out front. "We'll find him."


He puts a hand on my back. We go by the buses to find Garrett. I go around to look on the other side when he suddenly comes up behind me. Before I can retaliate, he puts his blade up to my neck. I could already smell and feel the wolfsbane. I close my eyes and keep my hands at my waist. "Garrett, please..."


"Call your brother," he hisses in my ear.


I start to itch around my neck. Whatever he had on his blade, I'm having an extreme allergic reaction. My throat starts to close up. "Scott..." I manage to choke.


Scott comes through two buses and freezes when he sees a blade to my neck. "Garrett, don't hurt her. We'll get Violet. We can talk to the sheriff or my dad. He's an FBI agent."


"Why would I want you talking to anyone with a badge?" he replies. I puts the blade a little closer to my neck. "Besides, I have plans for your sister. Her IED can come in handy. I can use it sometime. How does that sound, Scarlett?"


"Go to hell," I say, choking up.


Scott sees my allergic reaction. "What is that? She can't be harmed by wolfsbane."


I hear Garrett laugh. He lets me fall to the ground. I cough and hold my stomach. Everything is on fire. I hear Scott step toward me but Garrett points his blade at him. "Not so fast. The show has just begun."


I look up at Scott. Garrett wasn't trying to threaten my life...he's threatening everyone else. I growl at Scott. His eyes start to glow with plea. "Scott, run! I don't wanna hurt you."


Garrett put his foot on my back. "Now, this could end in one of three ways. You get me the money and Violet back to me, you get Liam and your sister back. You don't comply, I kill Liam and I'll have Scarlett kill everyone you love. The third option is, if you give me away to authorities, I kill Scarlett and Liam."


Scott hesitates. "I'll do it. Just let her go."


"Actually, I'll hold onto her until I get what I want."


I feel something knock me in the head. My vision goes black. The sun, the moon, the truth. I wake up in water. I jump up and it looks like a well. My vision is kind of blurry. I was weak so I leaned against the wall. I was cold. I was only in a tank top and jeans. I look up to see Liam climbing up and he suddenly falls down into the water. He surfaces and he sees me. I notice a cut in his chest. I run into his arms. "Scarlett," he sighs.


"Liam, Jesus, I thought Garrett had already killed you."


I bury my face into his shoulder. We both look up at the small opening at the top. "I've tried to climb out. He just dropped you in here. I thought you were dead."


I place a hand on his face. "I'm not going anywhere."


I lean against the wall again. Liam doesn't move. "Now will you tell me?"


"Tell you what?"


"Who Derek is, especially to you."


I run fingers through my wet hair. I had to think of what to say. "I told you. Derek is an old relationship. I thought he was the one. I was highly mistaken."


"Is that it? What happened?"


"Kate happened. She imprisoned him and got to me somehow. Now..." I make my eyes glow and he's shocked at the color. "I don't know what's happening to me it can't be good."


Liam repeatedly tries to climb out the well. By the second, I'm getting weaker. Liam suddenly howls. I can't keep my eyes open. I collapse into the water. No more death. No one else dies. We catch the Benefactor and save everyone else in the dead pool. That's a promise. I wake up on a slab in the clinic. I look over to see Liam right next to me. Deaton, Scott and Chris are standing over the both of us. Scott brushes hair from my face with a half smile. "Welcome to the living."


I smile back. "No more death, Scott."


He nods in agreement. "Everyone else on the dead pool lives."


I sit up and stand to my feet. I was still a little weak. I tie my hair up. "The blood, assassinations, death, is over. Even if it kills me. Everyone has to live. I can't keep watching people die."

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