"Do what I tell you to and I won't hurt her."

Winnie watched the sadistic look on Matt's face, still gripping the gun given to her by her father for a situation just like this.

"I won't even let Jackson near her," Matt told Scott.

"Scott," Stiles yelled from on top of Derek, "don't trust him!"

Matt grabbed the back of Stiles' plaid, flipping him over and off of Derek. Throwing him on the ground, he put a foot on his throat. "This work better for you?"

"Hey!" Winnie shouted. "Matt, stop it!"

Stiles choked, unable to get any air as Matt pressed his foot down.

"Stop, stop!" Scott begged, holding a hand out.

"Then do what I tell you to," Matt shouted over the two of them.

"Okay, okay," Scott quickly said. "All right, stop!"

Matt pulled his foot off of Stiles, looking to Jackson. "You take him in there." He nodded to Scott, still armed with the deputy's gun, "You...with me." He turned his head to Winnie, "You-"

"Like hell you're telling me what to do," Winnie interrupted. "You shoot me now or you let me stay with Stiles and Derek, because your pet snake can't do shit to me right now."

Matt gritted his teeth, "Fine. Do what you want, just don't get in my way." He nudged Scott out the door, pointing the gun at him.

Winnie waited until Matt and Scott got into the lobby, quickly grabbing one of the phones off the Sheriff's desk. She dialed her father, it starting to ring. "Come on, Dad."

Jackson went to grab Stiles by the ankle, stopped when Winnie snapped at him.

"Don't touch either of them."

Jackson sulked back, angry at having to listen to someone other than his master.

"How the hell did you do that?" Stiles asked from the floor as the ringing on the phone continued.

"I have no idea," Winnie admitted just before Aaron picked up on the other end of the line. "Dad!-"

A single gun shot shrouded the precinct, Melissa screaming.

Winnie dropped the phone, running out of the room towards the commotion. She heard the sheriff call out Scott's name, still locked up in the back. She skidded into the lobby, Scott on the ground with a bullet wound in his abdomen. "Matt! What the hell do you think you're doing-"

Matt pointed the gun at Melissa, the nurse shaking with fear for her son. "Give me your gun, or I'm gonna put a bullet in her head."

Winnie closed her eyes briefly, putting on the safety very obviously before holding the handle out to him.

Matt snatched the weapon from Winnie, tucking it into the band of his jeans. He saw Melissa try to rush to Scott, snapping. "Get back, get back!"

"Mom!" Scott quickly said, "Mom, stop, Mom!" He held a hand to the wound, slouched back against the bench as he continued to bleed.

Matt saw the nurse's defiant expression, pointing the gun at her. "I said get back."

"Mom, do it," Scott begged. "Please, Mom."

Melissa slowly backed up, her heart pounding.

"Get up, McCall," Matt said to Scott without letting the gun waver off of Melissa.

"Matt," eased Winnie, "Matt, listen to me."

"Shut up!" Matt yelled wildly, "Shut up! Everybody shut the hell up!" Panting out of anger and nerves, he looked to Scott with no remorse. "Now, get up, or I shoot her next!"

Winnie grabbed Scott's shoulder, supporting him as he winced in pain.

"You," Matt snapped at Melissa, "with us, now. Move it." He glowered back at Winnie, "You know where I want her."

"Come with me, Ms. McCall," Winnie calmly said, motioning towards herself and Scott.

Melissa hesitantly followed, being taken back to the drunk tank.

Stilinski tried to stand up, still chained to the wall. "Scott-"

"Shut up," said Matt as he pointed to the sheriff. He put Melissa in the holding cell, taking her phone before sliding the door shut and locking her in.

"Please," Melissa begged with tears in her eyes, "he needs to see a doctor."

"You think so?" Matt asked the tear-stricken mother.

Still chained to the wall, Stilinski sharply pointed to Matt with anger in his voice. "Hey! You listen to me!"

"It's all right," Scott said as he leaned back on the wall, "I'm okay."

"No, honey, you're not okay," Melissa cried.

"It doesn't hurt, Mom."

"That's because of the adrenaline. Please," Melissa turned towards Matt, "let me just take a look at it. Okay, I mean, I can help stop the bleeding."

"They have no idea, do they?" Matt questioned Scott and Winnie with wild eyes.

Tears of confusion and fear struck Melissa, "Please, just let me take a quick look."

Matt was losing himself, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He got closer to the bars, "Lady, if you keep talking, I'm gonna put the next bullet through his head."

Melissa forced herself to be calm, mascara running down her cheeks. "Okay."

Matt sharply turned over his shoulder, "Back to the front, McCall. You too, Jones."

Winnie bit the inside of her cheek, taking Scott's hand.

"After you," Matt snapped when he didn't appreciate their speed.

"Come on," Winnie whispered to Scott as she pulled his attention from his mother.

Matt followed them out, directing the pair back to Stilinski's office. He shoved the gun on Winnie's shoulder, forcing her and Scott into the room.

Stiles and Derek were still paralyzed on the floor, unable to help in the situation.

"The evidence is gone," Scott stressed to Matt. "Why don't you just go?"

"You think the evidence mattered that much, huh? No, no, I want the book."

"Wh-what book?" Scott questioned.

"The Beastiary," Winnie said before Matt could.

"Not just a few pages. I want the entire thing," Matt told them.

"I don't have it," Scott quickly replied. "It's Gerard's."

Winnie narrowed her eyes slightly, "What do you need it for?"

"I need answers," Matt said to the side, running the back of his hand along his mouth.

"Answers to what?" asked Scott loudly.

"To this," Matt pulled up his shirt, his side covered in scales.

Kanima scales.

Winnie covered her mouth, "It's turning you."

Matt stared at Winnie darkly, suddenly making it questionable if he would shoot her right then. He turned his head towards Scott, "Text Allison, now."

"Don't involve her in this," Winnie practically begged. "Her mom just died. She doesn't need to be involved."

Matt ignored her, "Do it, Scott."

"I-"

The master snatched the phone from the bleeding wolf, messaging Allison. He kept the cell, pointing at Winnie after a moment of thought. "You stay here, okay? You're pissing me offf."

Winnie looked to Scott, not wanting to leave him.

"I'll be fine," Scott softy said before leaving the office.

Jackson remained on guard, staring at Winnie before looking away.

Winnie sat down next to Stiles, both he and Derek still sprawled on the ground.

"Hey," Stiles whispered, "you know what's happening to Matt?"

"The book's not gonna help him," said Derek in a low voice so only the three of them could hear. "You can't just break the rules, not like this."

"What d'you mean?" Stiles quickly asked.

"The universe balances things out," Winnie quietly said as she grabbed one of the phones off Stilinski's desk. "It always does."

"Is it because he's using Jackson to kill people who don't deserve it?" Stiff as a board, Stiles could barely see Winnie calling someone on his phone.

"And killing people himself," Derek added.

"So, Matt breaks the rules of the kanima, he becomes the kanima."

"Balance."

Winnie held Stiles' phone, nearly begging it to pick up. "Come on-"

"Aaron J-"

"Dad!" she shouted in a whisper. "Dad, it's me."

"Winnie? Where are you?" Aaron quickly asked. "Are you with the Argents?"

"No," Winnie glanced towards Jackson, keeping her voice low. "I'm at the station."

"You need to get out of there."

Winnie hesitated, "Why? What's going on?"

"The Argents are on their way."

Swearing, Winnie hung up the phone, "We've got a problem."

"Like the fact Matt's going to kill all of us the second he gets that book?" asked Stiles with a sigh.

"Not if the Argents do it first." Winnie shook her head, putting the phone on the desk. "Matt's text must've tipped them off. They're coming."

"Alright, so what do we do?" Stiles questioned as he stared up at the ceiling. "Do we just sit here and wait to die?"

"Unless I can figure out a way to push the toxin out of my body faster. Like triggering the healing process." Derek's eyes flickered to the left, getting an idea. "Winnie, come here."

Winnie glanced to Jackson before moving over to Derek's side, the kanima still turned away from them. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to break my arm."

Winnie hesitated, "Would you settle for a mean Indian burn?"

Derek glared up at the teen, "Not the time."

"Right, sorry." Winnie looked to Derek's arm, knowing pain triggered the healing for wolves. "I don't know about an arm, but what about a hand?"

Derek did the best he could to nod, "That works. Do it now."

Winnie took Derek's hand, lacing her fingers with his. She took in a deep breath before starting to squeeze.

Stiles gagged, "Oh my god, gross."

Winnie winced herself, finally letting go when all the carpals and fingers were broken. "How is that?"

"Good," Derek replied. "It's working."

Winnie stood, "Okay, I have to go tell them the Argents are coming." She slipped out of the room, following the voices.

"You know, I feel sorry for you McCall. 'Cause right now, you're thinking, "How am I gonna explain this when it heals?" And the sad part is you don't even realize how incredible it it that you actually are healing. 'Cause you know what happens to everyone else when they get shot? They die!"

Winnie lingered in the hall, peering into Matt's mind cautiously. Glimpses of water; too much water. "That's what happened to you, isn't it?" She surfaced from the hall, walking in slowly. "You drowned. I can see it."

Matt, between Scott and Winnie as he leaned on a deputy's desk, lightly shook his head. "He shouldn't have let them drink."

"What? Who?" Scott leaned in a little, "Matt, what do you mean?"

"Lahey!" Matt shouted. "He shouldn't have let them drink."

Scott was grasping at straws, trying to understand while Winnie had a direct portal into Matt's mind. "What? Who was drinking?"

"The swim team," Winnie said aloud. She could see flashes of Matt's memory, everything going haywire inside his head.

"I didn't know what was happening," Matt expressed. "I didn't know they had just won state, and Lahey, he's letting his favorites come over to have a couple drinks to celebrate. Who cares if they're 17, right?"

"Were you at Isaac's?" Scott asked as he watched the expression on Matt's face.

"He had this first edition Spider-Man, or was it Batman? And we were gonna make a trade. But then I'm over there and I hear music. And everyone's having a good time, and I see Sean. He throws Jessica into the pool. And the Bennett goes in and..."

"Bennett?" Scott jumped in, "What, the hunter?"

Matt lightly nodded, not looking at either of his audience members. He was reliving it all, right in front of him, "And then Camden, Isaac's jarhead brother, he grabs me. He thinks it's funny."

"They threw you in," said Winnie.

"I yelled that I can't swim, but nobody listens. I go under, and I swallow water, an no one cares. And I see these bodies underwater. I see Jessica's got her hands down Sean's board shorts. Tucker's grabbing Kara. And I'm drowning.

"I'm dying, and they're laughing. All the sudden, I was just...I'm just lying by the pool. And Lahey is right there, right above me, and he says..." he quickly  moved, getting right up in Winnie's face. "He says, "You tell no one! This, this is your fault! You don't know how to swim? What little bastard doesn't know how to swim? You say nothing! You tell no one!""

Winnie heard the words echoed in Mr. Lahey's voice, able to feel the fear Matt had in that moment.

"And I didn't." Matt backed away from Winnie, lost in himself. "I didn't tell anyone. And I would see them at school, and they wouldn't even look at me. I'd wake up in the middle of the night. I'd gasp for breath. And my parents, they thought I was asthmatic. They, they even gave me an inhaler.

"They didn't know that every time I closed my eyes, I was drowning. You know that little white light that they talk about you see when you die? Well, I didn't see anything. Just...darkness. Everything was dark." He almost smiled. "But then...then came the Argents funeral, and everything changed. I was taking some photos. And then, purely by accident, Lahey gets in one of the photos. I look down at the screen on my camera, and I just have this unbelievable rage that fills up inside of me, and I just...I just look at him, and I..."

Winnie watched Matt with almost sadness, "And you want him dead."

"And the next day, he actually was," Matt said to Winnie. He looked away again, shaking his head. "You know, Einstein was right. Imagination is more important than knowledge. It was like something out of Greek mythology. Like...like the furies coming down to punish Orestes."

Winnie knew exactly what he meant, but she could hear that that wasn't the case for Scott. "The furies are deities of vengeance. Their tears ran of blood and they had snakes for hair. If there was a crime that had gone unpunished, the furies would do the punishing."

Matt looked over her shoulder, the kanima standing in the doorway down the hall. "Jackson if my fury. I knew he had killed Lahey for me, and I knew he would do it again. So I went to Tucker's garage. I even paid for an oil change. And guess what? He didn't even recognize me. So, when he wasn't looking, I took a shot of him with my camera. And in a few hours, he was dead." He looked to Winnie, "So I took more pictures. All I had to do was take their picture." He turned his head back to Scott, "And Jackson would take their life."

The lights in the station went out, covering the building in darkness.

"What is this?" Matt quickly asked.

"It's the Argents. They're here."

- Hey guys! long time no see for an authors note! So I've officially finished writing this book and there's only 40 chapters & an epilogue so we haven't got much further to go. I won't be working on the sequel right away, but there definitely is one coming for season 3! - much love, Melissa xxxx