SUBURBAN LEGENDS CHAPTER ONE

the runaway patient ...

         Jacqueline Lahey had been locked in her house all weekend. It was only the first half of her punishment for breaking curfew. The teenager had thought long and hard about the events that took place over spring formal and came to one logical conclusion; vampires. Beacon Hills had become overrun with vampires and somehow Stiles got involved. It would explain why that strange man bit Lydia. Would Jackie get more answers if she answered the phone calls she had been receiving from Stiles and Scott? Yes, probably, but the Lahey girl was stubborn and would talk to them on her terms. So, as of now, she was trying to figure it out on her own. She had been doing research all day and even lost track of time.

     "Oh, crap!" Jackie exclaimed as she slammed her laptop shut. The sun was setting and she still hadn't asked her Dad if she could bike to the hospital and see Lydia. She had heard from a friend that Lydia was awake and healthy, so Jackie wanted to go and see for herself.

     Jackie quietly made her way downstairs to see her dad working on dinner. The teenager had a knack for reading people's emotions and she was especially talented at knowing if she was going to be slapped or not. From the way he was humming to the way he was delicately slicing the cucumbers; Mr. Lahey was in a happy mood. Jackie knew it was because he had a body to bury in the upcoming days. He was always happy when there was a body to be buried at the cemetery.

      "Hi, Daddy," Jackie muttered. She put her shaky hands behind her back and made sure not to look scared. "I was um—"

     Mr. Lahey let out a small chuckle. "Just spit it out, bug," He said as he chopped more cucumber. "Why are you acting so nervous around me, huh?"

     Jackie swore her Dad had to have some sort of multiple personality disorder.

     She let out a shaky chuckle of her own. "I'm sorry," She replied. "I just wanted to know if I could go bike to the hospital and see my friend, Lydia," She explained.

The man started humming a tune again as he thought about his daughter's question. Jackie watched as a scared bunny backed into a corner; she was waiting for the moment to strike. The moment when her Dad becomes the snarling wolf wanting to tear the scared bunny into pieces.

It never came.

"That's fine with me," He mumbled. "But, I think you should walk," He added. "I don't want you gaining any pounds before cross-country season," He said with a wink.

What pounds? He starved Jackie as much as he could.

"Okay."

     Jacqueline Lahey jogged to the hospital.

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"Jacqueline."

Jackie flinched at the sound of her full name. The teenager had just made her way into the hospital and was searching for Lydia's room. What she hadn't expected was to see Arabella Argent inside the hospital. The dirty blonde looked... okay-ish, but Jackie wasn't expecting anything less for someone who just lost their Mom. "Oh, hello, Arabella," She mumbled. All the Lahey girl could think of was the night of the formal. The man with blood around his mouth, an injured Lydia, and Arabella walking up with a knife in her hand. "Are you here for Lydia?" She asked. Jackie was pretty sure that she had seen Arabella and Lydia hanging out before.

     The blonde nodded her head. "Yeah, Stiles and I are."

     Her and Stiles? They were there together because of course, they would be. Jackie crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the Argent. Arabella and Alison, the two girls who replaced Jackie. "That's great, well, I'm going to go make sure she's okay and make my way out," She stated.

     Arabella stepped in front of her before she could walk away. "I think it would be better if you let Stiles explain," She said. "Scott and Stiles have been trying to get a hold of you all weekend, but someone doesn't know how to answer the phone it seems," She explained with a great deal of attitude in her tone.

      Jackie could feel the fear and grief surrounding Arabella. If it wasn't for the fact that her Mom just died, Jackie would happily backhand her. "Tell me that again with less attitude and maybe I'll listen to you," She replied. "Until then, get the hell out of my way," She hissed. "Don't act all high and mighty when everyone can tell how scared you are, bitch," She added before walking away.

     Okay, that might have been too much, but Jackie couldn't care less at the moment. All she could feel was the anger pumping through her veins. How dare Arabella try and tell her what to do when she was the person who took Stiles and Scott away from a friendship that began in elementary school.

     Meanwhile, Arabella was stunned for a moment. The Argent didn't know how Jacqueline could assume that she was scared like that. Yes, she was terrified about a lot of things, but how could Jacqueline Lahey see through the walls that she had built?

"Just find Melissa," The teenager whispered to herself as she looked around the familiar hospital. Melissa McCall was a nurse and she would direct Jackie to Lydia's room. Jackie had to find her before she saw Stiles or Stiles saw her.

"Jackie?"

Jackie didn't know why the universe had it out against her. "Um, Stiles, hello," She said in a professional tone. "I was wondering where Lydia's room is," She added.

"Can we talk?"

"About the location of Lydia's room? Why, of course!"

Stiles stared at her. "No, we need to talk," He stated. "Me, you, and Scott."

Jackie didn't meet his eye, instead, she looked at the vending machine which happened to be on the ground.

Stiles looked behind him at the knocked-down machine. "Yeah, how about we go somewhere else—"

A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the hospital. "Lydia?!" Stiles yelled out in a concerned voice before booking it and Jackie followed close behind. She wasn't sure how Stiles recognized the scream so quickly, but when they made it to the strawberry-blonde's room, it was clear it was her scream.

Arabella had made it before them with Melissa and Lydia's Dad. Jackie was hesitant and stayed in the doorway of the room, not wanting to intrude, unlike the Argent and Stilinski who made it their mission to try and figure out what happened. It wasn't long before the hospital was locked down and Sheriff Stilinski appeared.

"She was scared," The teenager mumbled as she stared at the bathroom where Lydia had been just moments before.

Jackie stayed in the hospital even though it was going to be her curfew soon, but she couldn't leave knowing Lydia was gone and hearing her terrified scream. She would put her disdain with her old friend and the Argent away until they found Lydia safe and unharmed.

"You're coming with us," Stiles informed her. "Scott will be here in a second and you're going to hear the full story," He added. Jackie finally looked at Stiles in his eyes and she could tell he wasn't messing around, so she let out a sigh and nodded her head.

"Why do you have Lydia's gown?" She questioned as they made their way to the parking lot.

Stiles scratched the back of his head. "Well, Scott is going to smell it," He hesitantly replied.

Jackie didn't say anything, but her eyes widened a little. The two walked silently until they made it to Scott who was sitting in Roscoe's passenger seat and Arabella who was impatiently tapping her foot while leaning against it.

Great, just peachy. Jackie thought.

"Oh, look who's finally ready to hear the truth," The dirty blonde mumbled. "Let's go," She added with a huff.

Stiles winced. "I swear she's nice... sometimes."

"I don't care!" Jackie snapped as she got into the backseat. Arabella made sure to put distance between them.

"I won't let anyone hurt her, not again," Scott told Stiles with determination.

"Well, we would have more time if you stopped talking and started driving," Arabella commented.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Has anyone ever told you to shut up?"

Arabella smiled. "Multiple."

As Stiles started to drive, Alison came in front of the jeep. Jackie was getting impatient about not knowing what was happening and worried about her friend who was possibly running around naked.

"Alison," Arabella warned. "If Uncle Chris—"

"I don't care, Bella," Alison interrupted. "Lydia is my best friend and I care about her," She added. "We need to find her before my Dad does."

"He knows?" Stiles asked.

Alison nodded her head. "I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUVs," She explained.

"Search party," Scott commented.

"It's more like a hunting party."

What the fuck? Jackie felt nauseous, she needed to get out of the jeep and go home. All of it felt surreal to the teenager and she still didn't know what was happening. She made a mistake.

Arabella slid beside her to allow Alison to have room. "Let me tell you a story about people who shapeshift under the full moon and the people who hunt them," She whispered.

Jackie made a huge mistake.

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          Scott McCall, the boy who gave Jackie his extra nuggets at lunch, was a werewolf. A werewolf. She thought her vampire theory was delusional, but she wasn't so far off. Jackie couldn't believe the words coming out of Scott and Stiles's mouth. Not only was Scott a werewolf, but Alison and Arabella's family were werewolf hunters. They hunted the monsters that came out at night. Jackie was told about Derek Hale and how his Uncle was the one who attacked Lydia the night of the formal. Arabella's Mom, Kate, burned down the Hale house which caused Peter Hale to go on a mission of revenge. Jackie wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen Scott's eyes and Arabella's scars she got from the night she was stuck in the school. Beacon Hills wasn't the haven it seemed to be.

Jacqueline Lahey should have minded her business.

It was late and passed her curfew; she had made Scott drop her off at her house, she learned what she needed to learn, and she didn't want to get hit, again. Thankfully, her Dad and Isaac were still at the cemetery. Jackie's Dad always made Isaac do all the hard work while he sat in the building and did the paperwork. Hopefully, they had left before Jackie's curfew so she could lie about the time she got home.

The front door opened and closed, Jackie listened to the footsteps and waited, but nothing came. It was only a matter of time before her Dad blew. He was like a volcano.

"Issac?" She whispered as she slowly opened her door. "Did everything go okay?" She questioned.

Isaac's back was towards her as he was about to step inside his bedroom. "Yeah, everything went fine," He replied, but his voice was shaky.

Jackie's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

That was the first conversation Jackie and Isaac have had since the formal on Friday.

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For the first time since the beginning of the year, Jackie sat beside Stiles in chemistry. The two had always paired up, but once they began to distance themselves, Jackie sat with someone else. The Lahey decided it was time to repair the relationship with her friends, she knew the truth, and she couldn't be mad at them for too long, especially since she knew the dangers now. Stiles and Scott were both equally shocked. "Sorry I made you move," She whispered to the girl who was originally sitting beside Stiles.

The girl sheepishly shrugged. "It's okay."

Jackie hummed as she turned back around towards the front. Mr. Harris passed around a pop quiz. "He's right you know," Stiles whispered to Scott who was sitting in front of them. The buzz-cut boy had informed Jackie about the conversation they had with Jackson Whittemore in the locker room before class. It was about how dangerous Lydia could be if she was a werewolf.

"I know."

"What if the next body part she steals is from someone alive?"

Jackie's eyes widen at how nonchalant Stiles was. How did no one else hear what he was saying? The other thing that bothered her was how Isaac lied to her, he said everything was fine, but someone was stealing body parts. Jackie knew she didn't have the greatest relationship with her brother, but she still wanted him to speak to her and have an actual conversation.

"This is a pop quiz, Mr. Stilinski," Mr. Harris stated. "If I hear your voice again I may be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career," He warned.

"Can you do that?"

Jackie quickly slapped Stiles on his shoulder. Mr. Harris was a dick and would stick to his word.

"Oh, look, there it is again," Mr. Harris said. "Triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student repeatedly and violently," He complained. "I'll see you at 3:00 for detention," He added.

Scott turned his head to look at Stiles.

"You too, Mr. McCall? Or how about you, Miss. Lahey?" He questioned. "I'm just so enthralled to see our group of besties are back together."

Jackie grabbed her lipgloss out of her back. "Sorry, Mr. Harris, but there's a pop quiz going on and I'm trying to think," She replied nonchalantly before glossing her lips.

Mr. Harris didn't respond because Jackson went running out of the classroom in a hurry.

After chemistry, Jackie walked down the hallway to her locker. She had told Scott and Stiles that she would come with them after Stiles' detention was over. The teenager wasn't sure what they were planning; she was just happy to be included this time.

"Hey, Jackie."

Jackie turned her head and saw a boy standing in front of her. He had a camera strapped to his neck and looked oddly familiar. "Oh, hey. . ." Her voice trailed off as she tried to figure out his name.

"Matt," He smiled. "I was wondering if I could take a photo for the yearbook," He added, tapping on his camera.

Jackie nodded her head. "Of course," She replied.

Matt raised his camera and Jackie smiled.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome!" She happily said. Jackie loved behind the on in front of the camera.

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"Okay, I regret everything."

Those were the words Jackie whispered to her two friends as she crouched behind a gravestone. Nothing could have prepared her for how popular Kate Argent's funeral was going to be. Reporters and journalists were surrounding the viewing area and Sheriff Stilinski was doing his best to keep them behind the tape. Jackie saw Alison and Arabella sitting together and their hands were interlocked.

"That's too bad," Stiles replied, playfully shoving her with his shoulder.

"Dude," Jackie hissed. "Do you want to be seen?"

Scott twisted his head to look at the two. "Don't start, you two," He warned like an impatient Father.

Stiles huffed as he looked at the funeral in front of him. "Who the hell is that?" He asked about the older man who was standing in front of the Argent cousins.

Not a second after Stiles asked that question, the older man turned his head as if he felt them staring, and the three quickly hid themselves behind the gravestone.

"Definitely an Argent," Scott said.

     Jackie watched as Scott waved at Alison once they were in the clear and Alison gave him a small smile in return. Jackie suddenly regretted that she wasn't able to watch their relationship grow and only saw them when they weren't allowed to be with one another.

     "Hey, maybe they're only here for the funeral," Stiles said in a reassuring tone. "They might not even be hunters, I'm sure there's a non-hunter side to the family," He added.

     "I know exactly who they are," Scott stated. "They're reinforcements."

      Before Jackie could get anything out, Scott and Stiles were aggressively grabbed off of the ground by Noah Stilinski. Jackie quickly stood up and scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

     "You three," He hissed. "Unbelievable," He stated. "Pick up my tie," He told his son, but Jackie had already leaned down and picked it up herself. "Thank you," He muttered as he grabbed it. The sheriff grabbed Scott and Stiles by the sleeves of their shirts and Jackie knew to follow. The man practically shoved Scott and Stiles into the back of his cop car before opening the passenger door for Jackie. "Good to see you hanging out with these delinquents again."

     Jackie smiled as she sat down. "It's good to see you too, Noah," She giggled.

     "Why does she get the front seat?" Stiles whined.

     Noah shook his head in response and got in the front seat.

     Jackie filed her nails as the four sat in the car in silence. She had missed Noah, he was the only man in her life who didn't hit or scream at her, and he even made Jackie a snack drawer in his kitchen. It was nice to see and talk to him again even if it was because the three of them were doing something wrong.

"How much stuff do you have in this thing?" Stiles asked.

Jackie turned her head and saw the boy rummaging through her purse. "Hey!" She exclaimed, grabbing it off of him. "Mind your business," She added. "Unless you want me to throw this tampon at you."

"There's no way you just said—"

"4-1-5 Adam," The dispatcher on the radio said.

Noah grabbed the walkie-talkie. "I didn't copy that," He responded. "Did you say 4-1-5 Adam?" He repeated.

"Disturbance in a car," Stiles whispered.

"They were taking a heart attack victim. D.O.A. But, on the way to the hospital, something hit them."

"What, hit the ambulance?" Noah asked in surprise.

"Copy. I'm standing in front of it right now. Something got in the back. There's blood everywhere and I mean everywhere."

Jackie turned her head to look at the two boys who seemed to be thinking the same thing she was.

"All right, unit four, what's your 20?" Noah asked.

"Route five and post. I swear, I've never seen anything like this."

Jackie quietly slipped out of the vehicle. She was quiet and so were Scott and Stiles when they sneakily got out too. "I really hope this is just some strange coincidence," She muttered as they made their way to the ambulance. It was dark by the time they made it there.

The three could see the cop cars and the bloodied man in the back of the ambulance. Jackie had flashbacks to Lydia on the lacrosse field. "What the hell is Lydia doing?"

"I don't know," Scott mumbled.

"Was it Alison that kept you from doing this?"

Jackie had learned that when a werewolf transformed, they had an anchor they held onto so that they didn't lose all of the control during a transformation. An anchor could be a person, place, or thing.

"I hope so."

"Do you need to get closer?" Stiles asked.

Scott sniffed and shook his head. "No, I got it."

Stiles grabbed Scott's shoulder. "I just need you to find her," He stated. "Promise me that you'll find her."

For a moment, Jackie forgot that Stiles was in love with Lydia Martin. She hoped she had someone who acted like Stiles if she ever went missing.

"I will," Scott promised and he was off.

Stiles looked at Jackie who was still looking at the bloody ambulance. "Hey, Jack," He mumbled.

Jackie rolled her eyes at that stupid nickname. "What?"

"I really am sorry for everything," He stated. "For growing distant with you and keeping secrets," He added. "I just wanted to protect you from all of this," He said as he looked around the dark forest and the ambulance that was in front of them. "If you were the one who got attacked by Peter or the one who was missing. . ." He trailed off. "I think I would genuinely lose my mind and would go off the rails."

Jackie quietly laughed. "I understand, but I don't think you'll ever understand how hurt I was or everything that went on when I didn't have you or Scott by my side," She explained. "We're always going to be best friends and if you ever do this again, I'll castrate you."

Stiles's eyes widen. "Okay, I completely understand," He stated. "I promise to never keep secrets from Jacqueline Mae Lahey," He said in a dramatic voice. "Unless I want to be castrated which I don't for the record."

Jackie nodded with a smile on her face.

Stiles sighed. "Well, let's go over there and try to explain to my Dad what happened," He said.

The two made their way over to Noah who didn't seem surprised to see them, but Stiles still made up some excuse while Jackie looked around in nervousness. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she would have to get home soon to not feel the wrath of her Father.

A distant snap made Jackie look up and see. . .

"Lydia!" She exclaimed. "Oh, she is naked."

Jackie threw off the hoodie she was wearing and ran over to the strawberry blonde. She quickly put it on Lydia, but she also made sure to put it on lightly just in case the girl was injured or confused. "Thank you, Jackie," She mumbled. Her hair was tangled and had twigs throughout it.

"It's nothing," She replied. "Come on, let's have you get checked out," She added as she helped Lydia make her way to the paramedics who were already there.

Jackie shivered a little bit herself as they made sure Lydia was okay. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and ripped jeans; taking away the hoodie made it ten times colder.

"Here," Noah said, putting his jacket over the girl. "Go get in the car, I'll take you home whenever I have this sorted out."

"You're the best, Noah," She smiled before getting inside the car.

For the first time in a long time, Jackie Lahey smiled to herself. She had her friends back and Lydia was safe. She would deal with everything else later.

authors note:

this was a pretty calm chapter for jackie too bad it won't last!

please leave a comment! i love reading them!