xx. ice bath


       "STILINSKI!" SHIT. THE three teens had just walked out of Ms. Morrell's office when Scott's dad stopped them.


"Agh." Stiles groans before turning to the twins. "All right, look-- go to Derek, okay? He and Peter, they've been there before, so they'll know where it is. Tell them it's the root cellar, all right? They'll know."


-


"Lydia?" Sabrina begins as the girls make their way up to Derek's apartment. "Are you going to be okay seeing Peter again?"


"Sab, I'll be fine. If anything Peter should be worried to see me." Sabrina smiled at her sisters comment, though she still felt nervous about her Lydia seeing the older man again. Last time they had seen one another Peter had tried to kill Lydia. Finally the girls reach the apartment, without hesitating Lydia knocks on the door. Sabrina was at least hoping Derek would be the one to greet them, but of course not. "You." Lydia breathes out.


"Me." Peter states, causing Sabrina to roll her eyes.


"...You." Lydia says again.


Peter sighs. "Me. Derek, we have visitors."


-


"You don't know where it is? But Stiles said you'd been there." Sabrina exclaims, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.


"We have." Peter states. "But, after a few memorable experiences there, Talia-- Derek's mother, and my older sister-- decided that she didn't ever want us going back. She knew how dangerous it was and took the memory of its location from us."


"But then, how are we supposed to find it?" Lydia questions. Both girls beginning to worry now. How were they supposed to help Argent, Melissa, and Stilinski if they couldn't find them?


-


"It has to be on a telluric current, or maybe even at the axis of two, or where they all intersect. I just know it's where Derek took Paige to die." Stiles explains. After Peter had told Sabrina and Lydia that him and Derek didn't know where the nemeton was the girls had left, instead making their way towards the animal clinic where Stiles, Isaac, Allison, and apparently Deaton were.


"My dad and Gerard were there, once. 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." Allison mumbles.


"Yeah, mine either." Stiles adds.


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


"There might be a way." Deaton begins. "But it's dangerous. We're gonna need Scott."


-


"How'd you guys find out?" Scott asks as he walks towards Deaton, Sabrina, and Stiles.


"Lydia. You?" Stiles questions.


"Morrell. None of the other Alphas know where it is, either." Scott tells them.


"So, if this works, are you gonna tell them?" Sabrina questions.


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


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


"What's the plan?" Scott questions, nodding.


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


"We die for them?" Scott asks, stunned. That isn't exactly the plan he thought they would come up with.


"But he can bring us back!" Stiles chimes in, before turning to Deaton. "You can bring us back, right?"


"You remember the part where I said it was dangerous?" Deaton questions. "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 ritual 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 a bestiary with. It will draw them here, like a beacon. With that being said, Sabrina will be going with you guys."


Scott turns towards Sabrina, shaking his head. "Why is Sabrina coming? We can't keep putting people in danger."


"She's coming because once the ritual begins you will all need anchors to get back. You will have physical anchors you will bring with you, but you need a very strong emotional one. Sabrina has deep connections with all three of you. She's is the only person that can do this. Once the ritual has begun, and you've found the nemeton Sabrina will bring you all back." Deaton explains.


Stiles sighs before turning to Scott. "Doesn't sound worse than anything we've already seen."


"You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see." Deaton comments.


"Is that it?" Scott asks, looking towards Deaton.


"No." Deaton begins. "It'll also have an effect on the four 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... darkness around your heart, and permanent, like a scar."


"Like a tattoo." Scott states.


-


"All right. What did you bring?" Deaton asks the four teens.


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


"Well, it doesn't have to look good if it has meaning." Deaton tells him.


"Is that an actual silver bullet?" Isaac questions, looking down at the bullet in Allison's hand.


"My dad made it. It's 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, twirling the bullet around.


"Sabrina, what did you bring?" Deaton asks, turning to the blonde. Sabrina's hand moved up to her neck where a necklace laid. When the twins were born, before their grandmother passed away, she gave their mother two identical necklaces. Their mother gave them to the girls on their 16th birthday.


"It's a necklace." Sabrina begins. "Lydia has a matching one. Our grandmother gave them to our mom when we were born so she could give them to us when we were older."


Deaton nods before moving onto Scott. "Scott?"


"My dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in their marriage that ever worked." Scott sighs.


"Okay. The four of you will get in. Each of us will hold you under until you're essentially... well, dead." Deaton begins, as the four teens look towards the large tubs filled with ice water. "Lydia...You go with Sabrina. Isaac, you're with Allison. And Stiles and Scott, I will hold you down."


The four teens nod at one another, as they prepare. Sabrina walks in front of her tub as she slips off her jacket leaving her in just a dark green sundress. Taking a deep breath, they begin to get into the tubs. Sabrina lets out a gasp at the freezing cold water, she assumes by the time she gets out of the tub her skin will match her hair. Pushing through the feeling of hypothermia, the teens lay in the tubs.


"By the way, if I don't make it back and you do, you should probably know something..." Stiles begins as they become completely submerged in the water. "Your dad's in town." With Stiles parting statement the four of them are pushed underwater.

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