Sawyer's outfit:
Station / Training Studio / Scott's House -

School / Hospital -

▪︎ 🖤 🏳️‍🌈🕯▪︎

Chapter Sixty-Six
🎭 Required Reading 🎭

"Chimeras." Stilinski said as he put a red "X" over a picture of Tracy. Sawyer, Stiles and Malia stood behind Stilinski in the station. "Two dead Chimeras-" Stiles said and Sawyer nodded as she crossed her arms over her chest, "And eight new ones." She said.

"So, that's ten in all." Stiles said and Stilinski sighed, "I'm thinking maybe eleven." He said as he put up a picture of Donovan making Stiles and Sawyer glance at each other. "Our station tech guys confirmed something for me... They said both the holding cell lock and cameras could have malfunctioned because of something electromagnetic." He said, turning to them before grabbing the book that was on the desk, "You said that, uh, these guys-"

"Dread Doctors-"

"Are we really calling them that?" Stilinski asked, "So, they broke Donovan out." Malia said and Stilinski sighed. "It's how they got into Eichen, isn't it?" He asked, "Donovan's a Chimera." Malia said as she walked over to the picture.

"Yeah, but... Is he a failure like Lucas and Tracy?" Stilinski asked and Malia went to x him out but Stilinski grabbed her hand and shook his head, "Not until I've seen a body." He said before looking over at his kids.

"You're both uncharacteristically quiet." He said making Sawyer and Stiles. "Yeah... Sorry, we're, uh... We're just trying to think about it. Uh... These are all teenagers, right?" Sawyer asked and Stiles nodded, "So, now shouldn't we be trying to figure out why these teenagers? If the Dread Doctors, if they went through all that- burying them, killing them, breaking one of them out of jail." He asked.

"They couldn't have been chosen at random." Stilinski said and Malia nodded, "They had to have something in common." She said. "Something that made them right for this experiment." Stilinski said, "Something that made them special." Stiles and Sawyer both said.

🎭

"So how are we gonna do this?" Lydia asked as she and Sawyer stood in the empty training studio where Sawyer has her self defense training. She somehow managed to talk her trainer into letting her use the studio at night to train with Lydia.

"Well, I'm gonna show you the things I got taught when I started learning." Sawyer said and Lydia nodded and took a deep breath seemingly like she was psyching herself up making Sawyer smile softly.

"I'll be going easy on you until you're healed." Sawyer said and Lydia took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright, let's go." She said and Sawyer nodded slightly before grabbing Lydia's arms. "Have your arms up, like this." Sawyer said holding Lydia's arms in position as Lydia nodded, "You can block attacks to your face and your head while always keeping your eyes on your enemy." Sawyer said before raising her eyebrows at Lydia.

"Ready?" Sawyer asked and Lydia nodded. Sawyer threw a punch which Lydia blocked, before throwing another one that Lydia also blocked. Sawyer went to kick Lydia's good side, making Lydia try to block her, making her momentarily distracted. Sawyer lightly punched Lydia's shoulder making Lydia sigh frustratingly.

"It's okay. You're not going to be perfect after only a few tries. I've been doing this for over a year and I'm still learning." Sawyer said Lydia took a deep breath before turning to her girlfriend again, "I'm okay. Keep going." Lydia said, making Sawyer raise her eyebrows.

"You sure? Maybe we should stop after a few." Sawyer said as Lydia caught her breath, "Why?" She asked. "I don't want your stitches to rip." Sawyer said and Lydia shook her head, "They're fine." She said and Sawyer raised her eyebrows in a mix of amusement and worry. Lydia sighed before unzipping her jacket to show her gauze covered wound, "See? No blood." She said while taking her jacket off.

"Alright." Sawyer said in a slightly chuckle, "Ready when you are." Lydia said and Sawyer nodded before throwing a punch that Lydia dodged. They threw a few punches at each other until Sawyer grabbed Lydia's arm, spinning her around before pinning her arms down.

"What did you do wrong?" Sawyer asked in a slight whisper as Lydia took a couple deep breaths, leaning her hand back against Sawyer's shoulder. "I uh- forgot to keep my arms up." She said and Sawyer kissed the side of her head before letting her go. "Exactly." She said as Lydia turned to her, "But don't worry- your muscles have memory. With enough practice, they'll remember for you." She finished.

Lydia suddenly winced slightly making Sawyer look at her worriedly, "What's wrong? What is it?" She asked, gently grabbing Lydia's arm and Lydia took a deep breath. "Muscle memory." She said in a slight whisper making Sawyer follow her line of sight to the Dread Doctors book that was peeking out of Lydia's bag.

Sawyer stared at the book for a moment as her mind flashed back to Donovan for a moment, making her suck I'm a deep breath. "I think we're done for today." Sawyer said and Lydia spun around to look at her, "We just started." She said and Sawyer nodded.

"And we can do more tomorrow. But until your side heals up completely, we have to go slow and easy." Sawyer said and Lydia sighed. "Let's go a couple more goes, then we're done." Lydia said and Sawyer sighed softly before nodding, "Alright. But that's all we're doing." She said and Lydia nodded before getting ready.

"Hold on, we need to fix your stance." Sawyer said as she stepped up to Lydia. "Stand up straight and place your feet shoulder width apart. You need to shift one of your feet slightly in front of the other, keeping them mostly parallel to each other." Sawyer explained as she helped Lydia get into the right stance.

"Slide forward or pivot with your non-dominant foot, and at the same time pull your left shoulder back, twist your hips to the left slightly, and twist your right shoulder forward. And keep your weight balanced. Balance is key, you don't want to fall on your face mid fight." Sawyer said as she gently grabbed Lydia's hips and turned her slightly before doing the same to her shoulders.

"Bring both your hands up just above chin height." Sawyer said as she pulled Lydia's arms up, "Keep your hands level and your elbows tucked into your sides. And make sure to never tuck your thumbs inside the fist, that's how you break your thumbs. After you throw a punch, immediately bring your arm back to its original placement and block your face." Sawyer explained and Lydia nodded.

"And always aim for a specific target or else you'll pull your punches and it will also help you throw a more powerful punch." Sawyer said and Lydia nodded as Sawyer moved to stand in front of her.

"Chin down, arms up. Go." Sawyer said and Lydia instantly threw a punch that Sawyer blocked. This went on for a few minutes of Sawyer mostly blocking Lydia's hit but Lydia did manage to get a few hits in. Lydia threw another punch but Sawyer grabbed her arm before pulling her closer to where they were chest to chest.

They both were breathing heavily as they started into each other's eyes for a moment. Sawyer leaned down and pressed her lips to Lydia's, making their lips move in sync for a moment. All of the sudden Lydia grabbed Sawyer's arm before quickly pulling away and kicking her side.

Sawyer closed her eyes and laughed softly as she stepped back before nodding with a smirk. "Keep going." Sawyer said and Lydia smiled at her before they started sparing again.

Until Lydia came very close to punching Sawyer in the face. Luckily, Sawyer was able to grab Lydia's hand and dodge right in time. "Oh my god." Lydia said as her eyes widened while Sawyer just laughed, looking at Lydia impressed. "You're definitely learning faster than I did." Sawyer said, making Lydia give her a look, "I almost punched you in that face." She said and Sawyer raised her eyebrows and nodded slightly.

"And I would have cherished the bruse it would leave." Sawyer said as she gently grabbed Lydia's hips, "Right because a bruise made by your girlfriend is such a good look." Lydia said and Sawyer just chuckled before pulling her into a kiss.

🎭

"My mom's book club usually has more wine." Lydia said as they all sat around the coffee table in the McCall household, looking at all the prints of the book. "Well, they also probably didn't read books that cause violent hallucinations..." Stiles said, "That's why Malia's here." Scott said.

"So none of us go running into traffic?" Kira asked and Sawyer nodded and shrugged slightly, "Or worse." She said and Malia nodded. "Like what happened to Judy." She said, making everyone look at her confused, "Chapter fourteen."

"Maybe I should have my mother read it. She might remember a girl with a tail leaping off the ceiling and attacking everyone." Lydia said as she picked up the book and Sawyer raised her eyebrows and chuckled, "Yeah, if it works." She said and Lydia sighed softly. "It has to." Lydia said, making them look at her confused, "What does that mean?"

"I think I saw them during my surgery. When I look at the cover of the book, it's almost like..." Lydia said before trailing off slightly, "A memory trying to surface." Theo said, making them all look at him while Lydia nodded. "Yeah."

"Isn't that what Valack wanted when he wrote it?" Kira asked and they all nodded, "If they did something to me, I want to know what it is." Lydia said and Sawyer sighed before picking up one of the copies. "This book better not make me have more nightmares..."

A little while later, Scott and Kira sat on the couch, Lydia and Sawyer both sat on a loveseat across from the couch while Theo sat on an armchair next to them. "Anyone feel anything yet?" Scott asked as he glanced up at everyone, "Tired." Kira sighed.

"Hungry." Lydia said, "I think he meant the book." Theo said and Sawyer nodded and raised her eyebrows. "We know." She said and he just held his hands up in defense.

Kira sighed softly before marking the page she was on and leaning back with her eyes closed. "You're not giving up, are you?" Scott asked and Kira sighed, "I'm just resting my eyes." She said before looking at the lamp and turning it off.

A few hours later everyone but Theo had fallen asleep while reading the novel. Lydia was laying against Sawyer as they both dozed off in the loveseat. Stiles sat on the floor with his head resting on a pillow placed on Malia's legs as she laid scrunched up in the fetal position, her hood up over her face. Scott sat next to her sprawled out on the other end of the couch and Kira had taken Scott's room.

🎭

"What if we need some kind of trigger? Wasn't Malia driving when she remembered the crash?" Scott asked as he, Stiles, Sawyer, Anakin and Kira walked into the school. "Yeah, but how are we supposed to trigger a memory that we don't remember?" Stiles asked and Sawyer shrugged, "Maybe it's a delayed thing? Like you have to wait a few hours to see what happens." She said.

Before anyone could say anything the lights started flickering making them look up at them before slowly looking over at Kira. "That wasn't me. I swear." She said and they nodded, "We keep an eye on each other today, okay?" Scott asked and they all nodded.

"Yes, and keep an eye out for eight other potentially homicidal Chimeras." Sawyer said and Kira nodded, "And keep an eye out for the Dread Doctors..." She said and then she and Scott walked away making Stiles turn to Sawyer.

"Starting to see the appeal of a third eye." He said and she hummed slightly before patting his good shoulder, "Let's just get to class." She said and he nodded.

🎭

Sawyer sat next to Lydia in AP Bio not really paying any attention to Ms. Finch as she kept sneaking treats to Anakin. "So, while introducing the African Cane Toad sounded like a good way to deal with Australia's infestation of the gray-backed beetle." Ms. Finch explained and Lydia lightly tapped her girlfriend's arm making Sawyer look at her.

Lydia gestured to Sydney who sat in front of them messing with her hair. Lydia pulled out her phone and texted "Chimera?" to Theo. "I don't think I like him having your number." Sawyer mumbled and Lydia rolled her eyes as Theo replied back with, "Look at her hair". Both girls looked back up and noticed Sydney pull out a chunk of hair.

"Unfortunately, the toad also decided to eat everything else in sight. And, everything that tried to eat the toad- from crocodiles to household pets- quickly died from the poison they secreted. A perfect example of an invasive species. One hundred and two toads introduced in 1935 became 1.5 billion by 2010. Once an invasive species is introduced, everything changes." Ms. Finch explained and suddenly Sydney stood up and put a drop form into the basket.

"Wise decision, Sydney." Ms. Finch said and then Sydney ran out. Sawyer, Lydia and Anakin instantly jumped up and went to go after her but Ms. Finch stopped them. "Girls, you know it's for the best." She said Sawyer just gave her a dirty look before she and Lydia ran out of the class.

They went to Natalie's office to see Sydney sitting at the desk, crying, making them slowly open the door. "I was just looking for your mom. I mean, Mrs. Martin." Sydney said and Lydia and Sawyer glanced at each other before walking further in. "You okay?" Lydia asked as they walked up to Sydney.

"Does this look okay?" Sydney asked as she held up a clump of hair, "How long has it been happening?" Lydia asked. "Three years..." Sydney said, making Sawyer's eyes widen, "Years?" She asked and Sydney nodded. "It's stressful. I've tried everything- medication, acupuncture, hypnosis..."

"Have you tried not taking the hardest classes in school?" Lydia asked and Sydney chuckled, making them smile at her. "Let me see it. Maybe I can help cover it up." Lydia said and Sydney nodded before moving her hair away to show a bald spot behind her ear.

Lydia stared at it before suddenly Anakin got up like he was about to alert until Lydia gasped and started to fall back, "Lydia!" Sawyer yelled as she shot out to catch her. "What happened to her? Is she okay? Did I do something?" Sydney asked as Sawyer moved Lydia to lean against the wall. "Uh... No. No, we were working out last night so she's dehydrated and exhausted." Sawyer quickly lied.

She pulled her phone out, texting Scott before turning to Sydney, "Hey, can you go find Natalie?" She asked and Sydney nodded and ran out. A minute later Scott and Theo ran in and Scott crouched down next to Sawyer, "It's happening to her now too, isn't it?" Scott asked and she nodded.

A few seconds later Lydia started to wake up, "Lydia? You okay?" Sawyer asked, grabbing Lydia hand that was shaking as she moved a piece of hair out of Lydia's face. "I'm okay... I'm fine." Lydia said and Theo crouched down, "You remembered something." He said and she nodded.

"Not about the Dread Doctors. Nothing about them or the surgery." Lydia said and Sawyer nodded slightly as they helped her off the floor. "What was it?" She asked. "My grandmother... At Eichen House." Lydia said and Sawyer sighed softly, squeezing her hand.

"Lydia!" Natalie yelled before running into the office with Sydney following, "Lydia? Oh, my God! What happened? Are you alright?" Natalie asked running over to Lydia. "Mom, I'm fine. It was nothing." Lydia said, "Was it a blackout? Did you faint?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I fainted. Mom, I'm fine. I promise."

🎭

"Okay, then what are we doing here if you've already had your suppressed memory?" Stiles asked as he, Sawyer and Lydia got out of the car outside of the hospital, they had dropped Anakin off at home before going to the hospital.

"It wasn't the right memory. I remembered my grandmother in Eichen House. There was nothing to the surgery, nothing to do with the Dread Doctors... So, if I've read the book, why don't I have the full memory of my experience with them?"

"We're not supposed to know that, are we?"

"No. Something... happened during the surgery. But now, I think that maybe, it has more to do with me being a Banshee..." Lydia said as she slowed to a stop. "Maybe it wasn't your memory." Sawyer suggested making Lydia look at her, "It was someone else's."

They walked into the surgery room and Stiles closed the door behind them, "Can you turn the lights on?" Lydia asked and Sawyer flipped the switch but nothing turned on. "Apparently not." She said, making Lydia sigh, "Ask someone."

"I thought this was more of an auditory thing?" Stiles asked as Lydia walked around, "I still wanna see what I'm hearing." Lydia said and Stiles and Sawyer looked at each other. "Makes sense." Stiles said and Sawyer nodded, "We'll go ask Melissa." Sawyer said before her and Stiles walked out.

"Well, we've been having issues for the last hour. Maintenance is coming to check it out. For now, that floor is down to backup lighting." Melissa said as they walked through the halls, "I thought you guys said this was more of a hearing thing." She said and Stiles nodded.

"Auditory." He said and Melissa nodded while Sawyer sighed, "It's also a Lydia thing." She said and Stiles nodded in agreement before the twins walked over to the elevator and got in before Stiles pressed a button.

The doors slowly closed before they noticed the reflection of a woman in the doors. A woman that wasn't there when they walked in. Sawyer didn't pay no mind to it at first, assuming it was just one of the random spirits that she's gotten used to seeing every now and then.

But when she noticed the Stiles could also see the reflection, that's when she furrowed her brows and slightly glanced back at the woman. The doors slowly opened and the woman walked past the twins, making them glance at each other before following her.

They followed her down the hallway until she turned the corner, "Mom?" They both whispered as they continued to follow her. They followed her all the way up to the roof where they found her standing near the edge. "Mom?" Sawyer asked, "Mom, what are you doing?" Stiles asked as they walked towards her.

"Claudia?" Someone asked, making them turn around to see their dad walk past them. "What are you doing up there?" Stilinski asked as his wife slowly turned to him, "I couldn't stand to be in that room anymore. Not with them looking at me like that." Claudia said as she walked over to another platform of concrete. "Claudia-" Stilinski started to say but she shook her head, "They're trying to hurt me! I don't care if you don't believe me, but they are. They're trying to kill me." She said.

Stiles and Sawyer gently grabbed each other's hands as they watched their father reach his hand out to their mother. "No. That's not true. Come on down... Come on down. Come here." He said before lifting her off the platform and pulling her into a hug as she started to cry.

"You have to remind yourself- it's the disease. Remember what the dementia does? It gives you delusions. It makes you think that people are out to get you." Stilinski said and the twins' eyes started to gloss over as Claudia shook her head. "You don't see the way they look at me..." She said, "Claudia, they're ten years old." Stilinski said and she shook her head again.

"They're trying to kill me!" She said before looking over at where Stiles and Sawyer stood. Sawyer took a deep breath, glancing down as she wiped a tear from her face before lightly nudging her brother when she saw their shadows were the size of kids.

"Stop it! Stop looking at me like that! Stop it! Stop looking at me!" Claudia yelled, making the twins look up at her as she ran over towards them. "Mom... What are you doing-" Sawyer tried to ask as Claudia started hitting them before pushing Sawyer to the ground. Sawyer's head hit the ground slightly before everything went blurry for a moment.

When everything went back to normal she no longer stood on the roof of the Hospital. Now she stood on top of the Nemeton, making her sigh in frustration, "I'm really getting sick of seeing you..." She mumbled. She glanced around slightly before noticing all the bodies around the Nemeton. Her eyes instantly noticed Donovan's body, making her suck in a deep breath before quickly looking away.

Sawyer looked out in the distance to see a retreating figure. She couldn't tell who it was but she could tell that they looked like they were on fire. She furrowed her brows slightly, quickly getting off the Nemeton, avoiding any of the bodies before trying to follow the retreating figure. But it seemed like the closer she got, the further away the figure was.

She sighed softly before turning back to the Nemeton, looking at the bodies. That's when she noticed the specific body of someone she had no idea was a Chimera. The body of Hayden.

"Sawyer. Sawyer!" Stiles said, as he lightly shook Sawyer, making her slowly wake up. She glanced around slightly to see Theo having a hold on both arms of a boy, a Chimera who attacked the twins, before flipping the guy around. He fell to the floor but quickly recovered before kicking Theo back. Theo went to punch him but the guy pushed him into one of the metal cages.

Theo went to punch him again but the guy ducked, kicked Theo's feet out from under him. Theo fell to the ground before the guy quickly stepped on Theo's hand. Theo quickly got up before slightly tossing the guy down. He quickly got up and went to swipe at Theo but Theo grabbed his arm, twisting it back slightly before suddenly ripping the guy's throat out.

"Guys... You can't say anything. Please, don't say anything." Theo basically begged making both Sawyer and Stiles glare at him, "Why not?" Stiles and Sawyer both asked.

"Because I never said anything about Donovan."